Honda in Europe Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Honda in Europe - Case Study Example The paper tells that the issue of cultural diversity, in regards to international marketing, is of utmost importance. It is, therefore, critical for Honda to treat the culture of each country in its own context. Furthermore, different countries from the European region have different cultural values, which significantly affect their thinking behaviors and actions. Honda appears to have made a grave cultural mistake while designing its global marketing strategy and, therefore, it will be very wise to understand the cultural practices and values of each country and design strategies that resonate the individual’s country’s culture. The poor performance of Honda in Europe has been thought to have resulted from the failure of the company to understand the culture of European countries and instead treating the market as a homogenous block. The differences amongst different European countries have been split between high-context versus low-context cultures – Honda ough t to design its marketing strategies to be in line with these cultural divisions, to enhance acceptability of its products in the respective countries. Ideally, Honda ought to have understood that the kind of advertisement that is suitable for low context cultures is different from that which is suitable for high context cultures. In essence, the advertisement for high-context culture should encompass an embedded approach where the weight is put on the general view and feel instead of providing the literal information.... In conclusion, it is not wise for Honda to market its products the same way in all countries because it is improbable that an advertisement intended for a low-context culture will work in a high-context culture and vice versa. Given that Europe is a multicultural block, Honda should take into account the two cultural segments when designing a market strategy. Is it wise for Honda to market its products the same way in every country? It is not wise for Honda to enter the global market with a similar strategy in every country because, actually, this is the mistake the company committed, in the past, leading to poorly performance in different regions especially in Europe. It is important to pay attention to various political, social and economic forces that influence business in different countries and design strategies that resonates to those factors. These factors are very essential because they are used to define the decisions to take when producing, selling and delivering products a nd services to consumers from different parts of the world. Honda should carefully assess the style, taste, culture and values and believes of its customers from different countries because these factors are essential when designing an international marketing plan. For instance, Honda should apply marketing mix that is unique to individual countries, based on factors such as language barrier, economic circumstances among many others. Socio- economic considerations, technically, are important factors that influence the company’s taxation, transport cost, people’s taste and needs as well as the competition from other companies. From the statistics, Honda is facing stiff competition from different regions, especially the

Environmental Science Essay Example for Free

Environmental Science Essay Although attempting to subdivide existing farm plots and redistribute them may be considered suitable for the purposes of remediating food insecurity and rural poverty, there exists a significant amount of controversy over such a practice due to the issues such redistribution entail. For example, the redistribution of land would require that the distributing entity pick and choose claims and rights to land at their discretion, and such claims can range from historic, ancestral or even from â€Å"ownership of the till. † Land reform has met much resistance from even the most impoverished numbers of developing countries, and it would be difficult to attempt redistribution without shaking up the foundations of property rights. Farming co-ops provide a distinct advantage for farmers. First of all, they provide them the opportunity to act as a group, giving them a collective bargaining power that they do not possess as individuals and allows them to act in unison in seizing market opportunities while being able to manage risks together. In effect, they can leverage their interests better when united as a co-op and it is this asset that has brought success to the likes of the Ocean Spray Cranberry growers and the farmers of Sunkist. (Gable, 2006; Hieu, 2008) Opening up new land is perhaps the most rapidly actionable means of increasing the food supply for a growing population, but this also poses a liability with regards to environmental impact. The problem with agriculture, especially the large-scale grain-based industrial monoculture which has been developed to feed most of the world, is that it is largely unsustainable and has a detrimental effect on soil fertility. In the first half of the 20th century, a large portion of the American Midwest was reduced to desert due to aggressive expansion of the wheat growing agriculture. (Manning, 2004) As such, what is needed is not the expansion of the present industrial agriculture, but the development of techniques and technologies to improve farming so that yields are better, but without compromising sustainability. Pursuing job opportunities in the city is not entirely perfect, but it is a desirable direction towards the development of compact communities and urban density. When combined with practices such as permaculture, which is the development of perennial agricultural systems that resemble the systems found in natural ecology (Holmgren, 2003), compact communities effectively curtail many of the environmentally adverse effects of sprawl and the wastefulness of imposing distance between food production, residential zoning and urban sectors. (Sightline Institute, n. d. ) Ultimately, what is needed to address the needs of a growing population in the developing world is not the application of population control measures, or a voluntary call to asceticism, but the institution of developmental policies that recognize the needs and wants of human society on terms that are just to developing nations and corrective to developed ones. Alex Steffen (2006) notes that it is wrong to think we can talk developing nations out of pursuing their dreams, and deny them of the material luxury that citizens of developed nations take for granted. Therefore, what is necessary is bright green developmental policy, founded upon the idea that economic luxury continue without rendering the planet an uninhabitable wasteland. This would require cradle-to-cradle designs, closed-loop industrial systems and self-sustaining infrastructure, much of which is already possible today. The future is already here, it’s just not well distributed. REFERENCES Gable, C. (2006, October). â€Å"Fields of Power; Farming Co-Ops the Future of Biodiesel,† Organic Producer. Retrieved October 9, 2008 from: http://www. organicproducermag. com/index. cfm? fuseaction=feature. displayfeature_id=43 Hieu, T. (2008, July 27) â€Å"Farming co-ops may be answer to rural poverty. † Vietnam Business News. Retrieved October 9, 2008 from: http://www. vnbusinessnews. com/2008/07/farming-co-ops-may-be-answer-to-rural. html Manning, R. (2004) Against the Grain: How Agriculture Hijacked Civilization. New York, New York: North Point Press. Holmgren, D. (2003) Permaculture: Principles Pathways Beyond Sustainability. Hepburn Springs, Victoria, Australia: Holmgren Design Services. Sightline Institute. (n. d. ) â€Å"Build Complete, Compact Communities. † Sightline Institute. Retrieved October 8, 2008 from: http://www. sightline. org/research/sust_toolkit/fundamentals/great_places Steffen, A. (Ed. ) (2006) Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century. New York: Abrams, Inc.

Examining Cross Cultural Motivation in Employees

Examining Cross Cultural Motivation in Employees Motivation of employees is the essence for high performance in companies, which in turn ensures the competitively of a company, in todays world where global competition is fierce especially with Chinas growth. The poor performance of the European American countries on the other hand, makes it more difficult for them to compete with China. These are probably the consequences of extremely powerful labor unions that ensure employment protection of employees. Employment protection legislation, which is the set of rules on how to fire or hire an employee (Zientara, 2006), has often been the focus of studies explaining that its effect is high unemployment. However, no studies have been done on the effects of employment protection legislation on the attitudes and behavior of employees. On the other hand, Lebanon representing the Middle East is rarely concerned with employment protection and labor unions have very minimal influence in companies. So the purpose of my paper is to determine whether employees in a country where employment protection legislation are more motivated than a country with lenient regulations on employment protection. In order to achieve this study, I have conducted some in-depth interviews and prepared a questionnaire for companies of Lebanon Italy. In the end, the results of my study show that in fact employees that are highly protected by employment protection legislation are less motivated than employees where employment protection legislation is more lenient. Employees are the most important asset a company has, therefore motivating them is the best way to ensure high performance of a company and in turn increase the companies competitivity. Yet, Western Europe is facing a period of crisis where productivity is low and competitivity is decreasing. This is why, it is essential to ensure that all employees are motivated, which will ensure an increase in productivity. Indeed, between 1980 and 1995, Europe had an average labor productivity growth of 2.33% and in 1995 to 2001, it fell 1.37% (Evans, 2004). This causes delocalization of many companies to cheaper and more flexible countries or major labor cuts increasing the already heavy unemployment rate which is at 7.8% in Europe, against 4.6% in the US and 4.2 in Japan, according to the European statistical agency. This crisis also affects on employee motivation at work, where work loads increase to avoid employing new workers and therefore, avoiding all the complications of regulations. The actual situation in Europe is the consequence of powerful unions and very strict employment protection legislation. On the other hand, in the Middle East, the labors have very low employment protection legislation and labor unions have very miniature influence. While the Middle East differs from Western Europe regarding labors conditions; it also faces problems regarding employees behavior. Performance isnt at its highest rate either and often companies face the problem of employees working a minimum throughout the day. Both regions need to find a way to motivate employees in order to increase productivity. Yet, since companies in Europe accept and adapt to the employment legislation protection, the best way of ensuring productivity and therefore competitivity is by motivating employees to perform at the optimum level. A Cross-cultural study is necessary in order to understand better the causes and effects of low motivation. Therefore, I chose a region that could be considered quite different from the Western Europe (Italy): The Middle East. Indeed, as depicted by Hofstedes 5 cultural dimensions, the 2 regions have different values. However, few studies have been done on the rate of motivation and workers condition in the Middle East. One study entitled Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance in a Lebanese Banking Staff (Abou Zaki Crosssman, 2003), analyzed job satisfaction of employees in a Lebanese bank, but it didnt include an analysis of employee motivation. However, studying whether or not employees in the Middle East are motivated and how to increase their motivation is crucial in order to understand how to increase performance. According to Nicoleth (2000), Italy, which is the Western European country I will be studying, has been rated as the third strictest country in terms of employment protection legislation. Like other countries in Western Europe, Italys problem today is that it is losing its competitivity because laws of employment are too strict and wages are high. Since companies in Europe cannot change laws and cannot decrease wages, their only way of ensuring competitivity is by increasing productivity to a maximum. However, because employees in Western Europe are extensively protected, they perform just enough to guarantee that employer has no legal reason to lay them off. Therefore, productivity isnt at a level high enough to ensure competitivity. The only solution to encourage employees to be more productive would be to motivate them at work. On the other hand, Lebanon is the center for the Middle East with an opening to the Mediterranean. Being a modern country with both local and international companies, it is interesting to study this country. Furthermore, even though there are a few employment protection regulations, protection is applied and respected to a minimum level in Lebanon. Within this context, it is normal that employees, especially part timers, arent motivated to perform at their best, knowing that they could be fired at any moment. The actual motivation level of employees in both countries will be studied by using the Herzbergs Hygiene Theory. This theory will help me first of all to determine if employees at work are satisfied or dissatisfied, from these results I will determine if employees need intrinsic or rather extrinsic motivation. I am expecting to find that Italians arent dissatisfied but are not satisfied either. Therefore, they have a neutral attitude toward their jobs, whereas Lebanese employees experience dissatisfaction. According to these expectations, it is probable that Italian, lack intrinsic motivation whereas Lebanese lack both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The logic behind these conclusions will be discussed furthermore in my paper. H1: Italians need to be intrinsically motivated. H2: Lebanese need to be extrinsically motivated. The Job Design Theory will help me determine how jobs in each of the 2 countries should be designed in order to motivate employees. In order to do so, I will rank some characteristics that should be present in a job, according to the most motivating to the least motivating. The ranking will be based on the different intensity of motivation felt towards the different job characteristics. The final part of my paper will include recommendations on the best way a job should be designed in Lebanon and Italy, in order to ensure motivation. It is important to add that I am considering only these 2 theories because they respond best to the needs of my paper. Indeed, Maslows theory is not valid in theory and the ERG theory, is more valid than Maslows hierarchy, yet it also focuses on the needs of the employees only. The Goal Setting theory includes the motivational aspect of needs, yet is doesnt focus on the characteristics of the job. Herzbergs theory and the Job Design Theory best respond to the needs of this paper because both of these theories focus on characteristics within the job itself that can lead to motivation of employees. Jumping to the definition of employment protection legislation, according to Zientara (2006), it is the set of rules on how to hire and/or fire rising from both the labor legislation and the collective bargaining agreements. Its aim is to ensure a secure job for employees. Zientara explains that as employment protection legislation is stricter, firing an employee becomes more costly and therefore it damages the labor market performance. Therefore, the Italian legislation is very detailed in the 3 components of the employment protection legislation as the employer has limited power in withdrawing from the contract. Contrary to the Italian legislation, the Lebanese legislation is very vague and minimal as there are written laws concerning the protection of regular employees against dismissal and against collective dismissal. Yet there are no regulations concerning temporary employment, which already reduces the strictness of employment protection legislation. The only condition for an employer to dismiss an employee in Lebanon, is to give a compensation which is determined according to the nature of the work, the employees age, tenure, family and health conditions. When comparing the conditions imposed to employers for individual and collective dismissal and for conditions of temporary workers, it is clear that Italy is much stricter than Lebanon. It is important to add that: in Italy, appeal to the court is likely to see the judiciary take such a favorable view of the employees social or family problems that dismissal is commonly judge to be practically impossible. (Emerson, 1988, p.787). Whereas, in Lebanon, court costs a lot and labor unions power and effectiveness are so low that chances for an employee to win a case are little. The fact that strict employment protection legislation is still extensively applied in Italy, means that it does present several benefits. Society benefits because it avoids the payment of unemployment benefits (Zientara, 2006). In addition, it encourages employees loyalty and dedication toward the organization (Akerloff, 1984). Not to forget, it encourages companies to invest on training and upgrading the productivity of labors and furthermore, accepts technological changes and internal job mobility (Piore, 1989). On the other hand, strict employment protection legislation also presents some downfalls, which could explain the ongoing debate about it. First of all, strict employment protection legislation causes high unemployment rate since it discourages employers to easily dismiss employees and leaving the door open to prospective employees (Zientara, 2006). Furthermore, Italy cannot adapt to the changes of economic conditions (Emerson, 1988) which today present flexibility of employees and competitivity in the spotlight. Additionally, the low probability of being dismissed may have an adverse effect on employees whose effort and cooperation with others in the company will reduce (Emerson, 1988). No matter what the reasons of absenteeism are, the problems are that it causes reduction of productivity and that firing is too difficult because of strict employment protection legislation. This is why; the only solution to reduce effects of employment protection legislation on organizations product ivity is by increasing motivation. The economic climates of the past decades have cause d an increase in de-motivation at work. Indeed, downsizing and the rationalization of policies causes de-motivation (Gee Burke, 2001). All in all, change, uncertainty, lack of control and high work load are all causes for the increase in stress and therefore, the decrease in motivation. Yet motivation is the key for employees to exert 100% effort, which means performing as well as possible all the time (Gee Burke, 2001), this explains how motivation is related to performance. According to Robbins (2004), motivation is defined as a psychological process which consists of the persons intensity in terms of how hard he/she tries, the quality and intensity of the effort which is directed to the benefit of the organization and the persistence of the person in question. Motivation can be of two kinds: it can be extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is a tangible reward for a given performance (Adonis, 2007). Although it is very p owerful at first, extrinsic motivation quickly becomes an expectation and loses its effects. Indeed it motivates in the short run but doesnt consider the internal needs of the employee (Adonis, 2007). On the other hand, intrinsic motivation is triggered from inside the person by considering the needs of recognition and self-fulfillment of each individual through a sense of achievement, responsibilities, job satisfaction, involvement and empowerment (Adonis, 2007). In fact, intrinsic motivation is long term and aims at improving the morale of employees which in turn will increase the productivity by lowering absenteeism and increasing retention (Adonis, 2007). The Hygiene-Motivator Theory shows the factors that lead to dissatisfaction in a job and satisfaction. Factors that cause dissatisfaction which are called hygiene factors are extrinsic; these include working conditions, pay, policiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Robbins, 2004) On the other hand, factors that are leading to job satisfaction are recognition, responsibilities, task achievement and other factors that are intrinsic. These factors are long term motivators (Gee Burke, 2001)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Removing dissatisfying factors will not create a satisfactory job, but rather a neutral feeling towards the job. Indeed, factors that create satisfaction at work are different and separate from those causing dissatisfaction (Robbins, 2004). This is why, to cancel dissatisfaction at work, organizations must ensure hygiene factors that follow employees needs. To develop satisfaction at work, organizations must design jobs that include intrinsic motivators. The JDT, which I will now explain, provide compa nies towards the design of jobs, including the motivator factors stated in the motivation- hygiene theory. The Job Design Theory, developed by Oldham Hackman, shows 5 core dimensions that either increase or decrease motivation (Robbins, 2004) and they are the following: Skill Variety, Task Variety, Task Significance, Autonomy, and Feedback. According to JDT, motivation of employees through the 5 dimensions can be summarized as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ internal rewards are obtained by individuals when they learn (knowledge of results) that they personally (experience responsibilities) have performed well on a task that they care about (experience meaningfulness). (Robbins, 2004, p.184) As the presence of these 3 psychological states increase so does motivation, performance and satisfaction. First, to motivate employee through autonomy, the organization must ensure a flexible job in terms of schedule, work sharing, and telecommunicating and it can be promoted through ideas and challenges (Garg Rastogi, 2005). In addition, to motivate employees, the HR department has the role of making the employees feel as the most valued asset of the organization (Garg Rabstogi, 2005, p.579). Further adding, to ensure motivation, employees must be recruited according to their knowledge, skills and abilities (Garg Rastogi, 2005). After conducting in-depth interviews, and surveys in both the Lebanese Italian market, it is time to show the results of my research. According to the results from the survey, Italian employees have a different feeling concerning intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation. The Italian rated intrinsic factors of motivation at an average of 4.97 over 7, this means that Italians dont feel dissatisfied. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation was graded as 3.94 over 7, which means that Italians are not satisfied at work. These numbers support hypothesis which states that Italian employees arent dissatisfied at work but are not satisfied either. The results extracted from the Lebanese sample shows a slight difference between extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction. Extrinsic satisfaction for the Lebanese Is rated as 5.39 which show that Lebanese are not dissatisfied. Furthermore, intrinsic factors were graded at 5.21, which also show that Lebanese are satisfied at work. In other words, e mployees are not dissatisfied and even satisfied at work. These results contradict hypothesis 2, which expected Lebanese employees to be not satisfied and even dissatisfied at work. In fact, it can be seen clearly, that Lebanese feel much less dissatisfaction than Italians. Yet the major difference stands in the intrinsic level of motivation as there is gap between Lebanese who seem satisfied and Italians who are not. In terms of Turn-Over, Italians do not consider leaving their jobs, since the average turnover was 3.34 over 7 while Lebanese were graded as 3.52à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ so the intention of leaving their place at work is at the same level for both Italians and Lebanese, there are no flagrant differences. The feelings towards the different motivational characteristics of a job were all considered as interesting and motivating. Yet, small differences in averages enable us to determine preferences. As the table shows, the overall results are similar in Lebanon and Italy, yet two main ranking of characteristics vary. The first differences are in the first most motivating factors. Italians consider Task Significance as being the most motivating and then followed by the Task Identity. On the other hand, the Lebanese have a reversed feeling where Task Identity comes first before Task Significance. The second difference is in Task and Skill Variety. The results of the first part of the questionnaire enable me to lead to several conclusions which help me understand how employees in Lebanon and in Italy feel about their jobs. Furthermore, the results from the second part of the questionnaire can be a guide for designing jobs that will increase motivation. Yet, the results were affected by limitation during the research. The results extracted from the questionnaire seem to lead to the conclusion that in general, Lebanese workers are more satisfied than Italian workers with their jobs. Indeed, whether when analyzing the extrinsic or the intrinsic factors, Lebanese gave a higher average of motivation. Although Italians are not dissatisfied at work, they still remain at the verge of the neutrality since they rated extrinsic factors of motivation at 4.97 against Lebanese who gave a 5.39 average, which leads to a confident extrinsic satisfaction. Under the same tone, results show that Italians arent dissatisfied at work in terms of extrinsic motivation but yet again, it is a very minimal average of 3.97 which is very close to neutrality. Therefore, overall it can be concluded that Italians lack intrinsic motivation, which support H1. This further illustrates the fact that regardless of how strict employment protection legislation in a country, it doesnt ensure motivation of employees. On the other hand, L ebanese do not support H2 because the results show that they are satisfied both intrinsically and extrinsically. This could mean that on the contrary maybe employees are more motivated when employment protection legislation is more lenient. Results show that Italians and Lebanese dont consider quitting their jobs. In fact, the results are very close for both countries. Besides, they are both very close to the neutral point which demonstrates that the intention of remaining in the same company isnt a 100% there. Besides a very important contradiction is that Italians arent satisfied with their jobs but still they dont consider quitting their job more than Lebanese who are satisfied do. The results obtained from the second part of the questionnaire, although in general very similar between both countries, show a nuance of cultural differences in needs between Italians and Lebanese. Actually, it seems that Lebanese hold more importance to task identity which comes first before task significance. This means, that Lebanese would feel more motivated if they could put a name to their work. On the other hand, Task significance comes before task identity for the Italians, therefore, Italians are more motivated by the impact their job has on others whether inside or outside the companies. This is why, it can conclude that Lebanese are more self-centered regarding their jobs, whereas Italians are more centered towards others. Another difference can be observed concerning task and skill variety. In fact, results show that Italians would be more motivated by developing different skills than undertaking different tasks within their jobs. This means that Italians are more attracted to learning new techniques and methods of work and using them. On the other hand, Lebanese seem to care, more about using different tasks at work than about using different skills. This illustrates that Lebanese are more motivated by doing a number of different activities in order to complete their job. The rest of the characteristics are all ranked at the same level of importance for both countries. It is interesting to see that Italians and Lebanese consider knowledge characteristics as the least motivating. Therefore, they arent very concerned about learning and development. A very interesting point in relation to the Motivation Potential Score is that to motivate employees in Italy, the equation must be high in Task Significanc e more importantly in order to complete meaningfulness of the job. Task identity can also be added in order to enhance this psychological state. Autonomy and feedback must also be considered since they come in 3rd and 4th and they must complete the equation to ensure the motivation of employees. The Motivation Potential score equation for the Lebanese employees should be high in Task identity for meaningfulness of the job. Still under meaningfulness, task significance can be added but not as a priority. Of course, autonomy and feedback must be high in order to ensure motivation. The conclusions obtained enable us to understand the different needs of each country in order to motivate employees. According to the results, Italians seem to lack satisfaction at work. Therefore, managers in Italy should concentrate on intrinsic factors of motivation. In other words, employees must feel a sense of achievement, responsibility and furthermore, employees must feel recognition when they achieve something. Responsibilities can be developed through delegation and even more empowerment of employees who are given the possibility of participating in decision making concerning the company. Empowerment is more than delegation, it is the opportunity to take responsibility for a particular task and see it through its completion. (Hopkins, 1995, p.2) Achievements can be developed within the enterprise by listening to innovative ideas of employees and providing the means to put the idea to life when they have a potential of benefiting the enterprise. Another way of encouraging achievement is by supporting employees in completing their work. In order to complete the motivating aspect of achievem ents and responsibilities, recognition must be addressed. Indeed, recognition is a motivating factor that can be presented in the form of a simple thank you or more formally an award in front of the entire company with reasons for such a gesture (Hopkins, 1995). Managers in Italy can also use the results of this paper in order to design jobs that will increase motivation and performance of employees. Focusing on the conclusion obtained from the Motivation Potential Score equation of Italians, it can be understood that jobs in Italy should be high in Task Significance as a priority, high in autonomy and feedback. Therefore, a motivating job in Italy should include characteristics that show the significance of the job for others. Adding to this, employees should participate in important actions or events of the organization in order to feel that they count. This can be done through the participation in decision making, proposition of new ideas and state problems in the company. Anything, which shows how important the employees input, is for the company is a good way of grading high in Task Significance. Yet, Task Significance also includes impact employees have on the world outside the company. This can be done through the image of the organiz ation within the society such as social responsibilities and good reputation. In other words, employees must realize that their quality of work and performance helps in enhancing the reputation of the company. A program in the name of the company could also be developed where employees can participate in helping the society such as a cleaning the beach day. Another important motivational characteristic that could be present within a job is autonomy which can be developed by increasing freedom of employees in three aspects of the job: Work Scheduling through flexible schedules and flexible times of break, choice of part time jobs or shared jobs and even telecommunicating jobs when possible. Work Methodology, through the choice on how best to complete the job. Indeed, employees are those who perform that same job everyday, so they become specialized and very knowledgeable about it and this is why they are well placed to know the best way of conducting the task. Decision Making, concerning their part of the job. This can be through suggestion boxes or regular meetings where employees can share their concern or problems regarding their jobs and propose a plausible solution. The 3rd characteristic that should be included in the design of a job that will increase motivation is Feedback. Feedback can very simply be assured within a job. Programs such as annual or monthly evaluation of employee performance are a good way of developing feedback in a company. Yet, just listing a number or a grade to an employee isnt enough. In addition, managers should explain why weak evaluations results were obtained and give advices on how to perform better. Since the results show that Lebanese are satisfied at work, the only recommendation that can be given is in the Job Design. As mentioned before, autonomy and feedback are important characteristics that should be present in jobs in Lebanon and to respect the Motivation Potential Score equation which therefore increases motivation. Here, Task Identity plays a very important role for motivating the Lebanese. To include Task Identity in their jobs, The Lebanese managers must ensure that employees can complete an entire piece of work with which they can identify with. An example of task identity is a factory of radios where each employee can put his name on the back of the piece they produced. Task Identity is enhanced when employees feel responsible and are given responsibility for their work. It also increases the pride employees have for the work they perform. Of course, motivation can further be enhanced by including task significance characteristics which is graded as second in motiv ating Lebanese employees. Due to the limitations that this research can provide (lack of large number of responses in Lebanon, cultural tendency, anonymity, lack of commitment of companies), it would be interesting to re-proceed with this research with a larger sample in Lebanon, which is crucial for the specificity of the results. This same research, comparing to other countries would also be very interesting. Finally, this research focusing on the service sector is another interesting scope.

Blanche is Responsible for her own Fate in a Street Car Named Desire Es

This essay will describe whether or not Blanches’ unfortunate eventual mental collapse was due to her being a victim of the society she went to seek comfort in, or if she was solely or at least partly responsible. The factors and issues that will be discussed include, Blanches’ deceitful behaviour and romantic delusions which may have lead to her eventual downfall, the role Stanley ended up playing with his relentless investigations of her past and the continuous revelations of it, the part society and ‘new America’ played in stifling her desires and throwing her into a world she could not relate to or abide by. Firstly, the reader may initially feel Blanche is completely responsible or at least somewhat to blame, for what becomes of her. She is very deceitful and behaves in this way throughout the play, particularly to Mitch, saying, ‘Stella is my precious little sister’ and continuously attempting to deceive Stanley, saying she ‘received a telegram from an old admirer of mine’. These are just two examples of Blanches’ trickery and lying ways. In some ways though, the reader will sense that Blanche rather than knowingly being deceitful, actually begins to believe what she says is true, and that she lives in her own dream reality, telling people ‘what ought to be the truth’ probably due to the unforgiving nature of her true life. This will make the reader begin to pity Blanche and consider whether these lies and deceits are just what she uses to comfort and protect herself. Blanche has many romantic delusions which have been plaguing her min d since the death of her husband. Though his death was not entirely her fault, her flirtatious manner is a major contributor to her downfall. She came to New Orleans as she was fired from... ...hey affect the lives of the women around them, yet somehow do not change to a great extent throughout the plays. On the other hand, both characters are comparable in that their eventual fate could be argued as being in many ways as a result of their own deeds and possibly the strains of society. In conclusion Blanche is to a degree responsible for her own downfall and mental collapse. She opts to turn to promiscuity and inebriety even going as far as to admitting to flirting with Stanley, and by the end disclosing all her tricks and deceits to him and Mitch. However, she cannot be held as responsible for the acts of her husband, Stanley and even Stella and the social circumstances involving the destruction of her old America by new America, which have caused her already deteriorating mental state to detract beyond possible repair by the end of the play.

Internet Piracy and Movies :: Internet Piracy Movies

Introduction The growth of the Internet has led to many new innovations in the way it is used. At first, it was just a form of text-based communication, similar to mail except faster. Then, as connections became quicker, people started to browse web pages, and soon even children could have their own space on the Internet. Today, many people around the world have broadband, which transfers text and pictures much faster than users can read. So developers created programs to use this extra bandwidth, programs that utilized the widespread nature of the Internet. The first peer-to-peer software can arguably be Napster, which let users download songs from other users. Napster restricted its files to songs since most people still had 56k connections at that time, so larger files would take an unreasonably long time. Presently, broadband connections are relatively inexpensive, so full movies can be downloaded in almost the time it takes to watch them. This widespread availability of high bandwidth has led to new applications, such as Limewire, Kazaa, and Morpheus, which let the user download any type of file, the most controversial of which is movies. Compared to Napster, these new applications have more decentralized architectures, making the legal battle against them harder to prove. Companies are no longer directing where the users download from – the individual applications are. Users are finding movies from their own computer, and since companies have no personal hand in this search, the film industry now has to target individual users in order to stop them from downloading. Views On Internet Piracy Movie Industry’s View Movie piracy quickly became a problem for the film industry, because the average major studio film costs $55 million to produce and $27 million more to advertise, much higher than other forms of media2. This investment is usually not returned in its initial showing in the movie theatres, so the film is then released to home video. After a year or two have passed, a television channel pays the copyright fee to broadcast it. Also, markets internationally are supposed to go through the same steps. Since the filmmakers get these various forms of copyright fees, many people think that most movies make their money back, but in actuality the Motion Picture Association of America states â€Å"four out of ten movies never recoup the original investment2â€Å".

Statement of Educational Goals And Philosophy Essay -- My Philosophy o

Statement of Educational Goals And Philosophy The nature of students is that of an instinctive ability to learn. Students of ages and all grade levels reflect their surroundings and respond according to their interpretation. Naturally it is not only the influence of a classroom that shapes a student but many outside factors that determine students’ goals and abilities; for example, healthy encouragement from parents. Students may find a natural ability to perform in one area of education and with help may fine tune their ability to better their understanding of other areas. Students have a better understanding of education when it is relevant to their needs and everyday life. The nature of knowledge deals with two aspects: that of relative and absolute. From a relative perspective a student’s knowledge is determined by their perception of what surrounds them. Knowledge of any kind has the ability to inspire but if a student does not perceive that knowledge as worthy it may not become part of their educational formation. For instance, a student in art class may perceive different works of a good or bad based on their emotion reaction. On the other hand, the absolute knowledge of how a work of art is created may incorporate specific mathematics and color formulations that are not interpreted by emotion. The combining of relative and absolute knowledge is the result of having a dream and the knowledge to make it come true. Overall, the purpose of public education is to provide knowledge in a manner that all of society may communicate and function on a common level with the intent of raising the standards of future societies. With this purpose in mind, it is the goal to mold... ...nd emotional needs of students, incorporating as much as possible the various other academic subjects. My Education 305 class along with the observation that I completed has helped to bring the reality of students and the relationship of teacher-to-student into focus. Various strategies to maintain discipline within the classroom have been very helpful and given me a better knowledge of age appropriate rewards and punishments. It has also presented to me the most difficult task: motivation. It is not only the way that I see art but to see art through my students eyes and to develop their skill or lack of into something that they at least can appreciate. A teacher is not a magician but a teacher can use many tricks to keep students focused and motivated. Beginning with the first day until the last day it is my goal that every student learns something each day.

Non Conventional energy resources in India Essay

Non-Conventional Energy Resources in India Contents 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 02 2. Wind Energy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 03 3. Biomass Energy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 05 4. Solar Energy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 06 5. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Page | 1 Introduction Major of India’s energy needs are met out by thermal and other conventional forms. But these are non-renewable in nature. What will happen after say 50 years when the coal gets exhausted? So we need to find an alternative way of extracting energy. In India around 80% of the electricity is got from steam turbines run by coal. With serious concern globally and in India on the use of fossil fuels, it is important for India to start using renewable energy sources. India is the 7th largest country in the world spanning 328 million hectares and amply bestowed with renewable sources of energy. In this paper let us see ï‚ · The various kinds of renewable energy methods present in India. ï‚ · Limitations with the current system. ï‚ · Possible expansion. Our main focus in this paper will be solar energy. We would also see other major players in this field, but we will see the detailed analysis of solar energy extraction and expansion. Page | 2 Wind Energy The development of wind power in India began in the 1990s, and has significantly increased in the last few years. Wind power can be utilized for drawing water, which is an essential requirement in watering agricultural lands in the rural areas. In addition, it can be utilized for electricity generation. Although a relative newcomer to the wind industry compared with Denmark or the US, domestic policy support for wind power has led India to become the country with the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. As of December 2010 the installed capacity of wind power in India was 13,065.37 MW, mainly spread across: 1. Tamil Nadu (4132.72 MW) 2. Maharashtra (1837.85 MW) 3. Karnataka (1184.45 MW) 4. Rajasthan (670.97 MW) 5. Gujarat (1432.71 MW) 6. Andhra Pradesh (122.45 MW) 7. Madhya Pradesh (187.69 MW) 8. Kerala (23.00 MW) 9. West Bengal (1.10 MW) 10. Other states (3.20 MW) It is estimated that 6,000 MW of additional wind power capacity will be installed in India by 2012. Wind power accounts for 6% of India’s total installed power capacity, and it generates 1.6% of the country’s power. Page | 3 The major drawbacks of this power system are as follows: ï‚ · Electricity production depends on- wind speed, location, season and air temperature. Hence various monitoring systems are needed and may cost expensive. ï‚ · High percentage of the hardware cost (for large WT) is mostly spent on the tower designed to support the turbine ï‚ · The total cost can be cheaper than solar system but more expensive than hydro. The state and central governments are providing various subsidies and have come up with new policies to enhance the wind power generation in India. Wind turbines are becoming larger, efficiencies and availabilities are improving and wind farm concept is becoming popular. It could be combined with solar, especially for a total self-sustainability project. The economics of wind energy is already strong, despite the relative immaturity of the industry. The downward trend in wind energy costs is predicted to continue. As the world market in wind turbines continues to boom, wind turbine prices will continue to fall. Page | 4 Biomass Energy Among the renewable energy sources, biomass plays a vital role especially in rural areas, as it constitutes the major energy source to majority of households in India. Biomass energy is the utilization of organic matter present and can be utilized for various applications. ï‚ · Biomass can be used to produce heat and electricity, or used in combined heat and power (CHP) plants. ï‚ · Biomass can also be used in combination with fossil fuels (co-firing) to improve efficiency and reduce the buildup of combustion residues. ï‚ · Biomass can also replace petroleum as a source for transportation fuels. Recent developments in India: ï‚ · India produces about 450-500 million tons of biomass per year, which is 32% of all the primary energy use in the country at present. ï‚ · The current share of biofuels in total fuel consumption is extremely low and is confined mainly to 5% blending of ethanol in gasoline, which the government has made mandatory in 10 states. Biomass energy can play a major role in reducing India’s reliance on fossil  fuels by making use of thermo-chemical conversion technologies. In addition, the increased utilization of biomass-based fuels will be instrumental in safeguarding the environment, creating new job opportunities, sustainable development and health improvements in rural areas. The integration of biomass-fuelled gasifies and coal-fired energy generation would be advantageous in terms of improved flexibility in response to fluctuations in biomass availability with lower investment costs. Page | 5 Solar Energy Solar energy is genesis for all forms of energy. This energy can be made use of in two ways the Thermal route i.e. using heat for drying, heating, cooking or generation of electricity or through the Photovoltaic route which converts solar energy in to electricity that can be used for a myriad purposes such as lighting, pumping and generation of electricity. With its pollution free nature, virtually inexhaustible supply and global distribution- solar energy is very attractive energy resource. There are two different perspectives in utilizing solar energy: 1. Solar for grid connected electricity: Grid interactive solar energy is derived from solar photovoltaic cells and CSP Plants on a large scale. The grid connection is chosen due to following reasons: ï‚ · Solar Energy is available throughout the day which is the peak load demand time ï‚ · Solar energy conversion equipment have longer life and need lesser maintenance and hence provide higher energy infrastructure security ï‚ · Low running costs & grid tie-up capital returns (Net Metering) ï‚ · Unlike conventional thermal power generation from coal, they do not cause pollution and generate clean power. ï‚ · Abundance of free solar energy throughout all parts of world (although gradually decreasing from equatorial, tropical, sub-tropical and polar regions). Can be utilized almost everywhere. 2. Solar for off-grid solutions: While, the areas with easier grid access are utilizing grid connectivity, the places where utility power is scant or too expensive to bring, have no choice but to opt for Page | 6 their own generation. They generate power from a diverse range of small local generators using both fossil fuels (diesel, gas) and locally available renewable energy technologies (solar PV, wind, small hydro, biomass, etc.) with or without its own storage (batteries). This is known as off-grid electricity. Remote power systems are installed for the following reasons: ï‚ · Desire to use renewable – environmentally safe, pollution free. ï‚ · Combining various generating options available- hybrid power generation. ï‚ · Desire for independence from the unreliable, fault prone and interrupted grid connection. ï‚ · Available storage and back-up options. ï‚ · No overhead wires- no transmission loss. ï‚ · Varied applications and products: Lighting, Communication Systems, Cooking, Heating, Pumping, Small scale industry utilization etc. The technologies present in harvesting solar power are: 1. Solar photovoltaic: Solar photovoltaic (SPV) cells convert solar radiation  (sunlight) into electricity. A solar cell is a semi-conducting device made of silicon and/or other materials, which, when exposed to sunlight, generates electricity. Solar cells are connected in series and parallel combinations to form modules that provide the required power. These are the different solar cells used: ï‚ · Crystalline Silicon solar cells (C-Si): Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline. ï‚ · Thin-film solar cells: Amorphous Silicon Solar cells (A-Si), CIGS, CdTe. PV modules are manufactured by assembling the solar cells after stringing, tabbing and providing other interconnections. Page | 7 2. Solar thermal: Solar Thermal Power systems, also known as Concentrating Solar Power systems, use concentrated solar radiation as a high temperature energy source to produce electricity using thermal route. High temperature solar energy collectors are basically of three types: ï‚ · Parabolic trough system: at the receiver can reach 400 ° C and produce steam for generating electricity. ï‚ · Power tower system: The reflected rays of the sun are always aimed at the receiver, where temperatures well above 1000 ° C can be reached. ï‚ · Parabolic dish systems: Parabolic dish systems can reach 1000 ° C at the receiver, and achieve the highest efficiencies for converting solar energy to electricity. This is the next big leap in the energy sector, but this too has its own limitations such as: ï‚ · Initial cost involved in setting up the plant is high. Also a huge amount of space is required. ï‚ · Proper sunlight is required for these systems to work effectively and efficiently. ï‚ · On a cloudy day or during nights and rainfall, this system fails to produce power, thus requiring a backup power plan, so this cannot be completely relied upon. ï‚ · Many solar grids are setup in desert areas where no grids are present, making it costly to transmit. ï‚ · Maintenance cost is quite high and a specialized technician is required for it. Page | 8 There may be some difficulties and limitations in this field, many of which can be rectified by proper government involvement during large scale implementations. India needs a brisk involvement in this field considering the facts that: ï‚ · We get plenty of sunlight due to its proximity to the equator and we receive an annual average of 4-7KWh per day for every square meter, meaning we receive a lot more sunlight than what we can use in a year, making it an abundant source of power. ï‚ · We are a poor source for conventional fuel sources. We are dependent on the Gulf countries for its oil supplies. With the oil prices skyrocketing and the reluctance of the Indian government to hike the prices of LPG and kerosene, Indian oil companies are suffering major losses. Even electric  supply in the country is unable to meet the burgeoning demands of the growing population and businesses. ï‚ · India does not have resources to pay the huge bills of the oil producers. Now there are many researches going on in this field to increase the output as well as store the produced energy in SPV cells. Also many conventional coal thermal power plants are looking forward to installing the solar thermal plant to pre heat the water to reduce the use of coal, which is an effective way to cut down the use of coal. New grids and easier and cheaper ways of power transmission are being considered owing to the fact that a huge loss in power as well as money is involved in long range transmission of this produced power. The state governments are coming up with new policies to increase their capacity and mend out their acute power crisis. For e.g., the Government of Tamil Nadu has recently unveiled its new Solar Energy Policy which aims at increasing the installed solar capacity from the current approximate of 20 MW to over 3000 MW Page | 9 by 2015. The policy aims at fixing a 6% solar energy requirement on industries and residential buildings for which incentives in the form of tax rebates and current tariff rebates of up to Rs.1 / unit will be applicable to those who comply with the Solar Energy Policy. The policy also gives an option to those industries/buildings who do not want to install rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems to invest in the government’s policy and be given the same incentives as explained above. Even many private players are slowly but steadily coming up in this sector, knowing its future value. Government is providing subsidies and aid to these private companies to increase their involvement in this sector. Solar Power India, Tata and Reliance Industries are some of the big money players who have major plans for this industry. This will give a big boost to this field as these companies can invest a lot of money in research to make the technology cheaper. This, in turn, will make solar energy accessible to the common man. As more and more people take to solar power, the costs are expected to reduce. Page | 10 References 1. â€Å"Future Perspectives for Renewable Energy in India†, November 21st 2008, Ravi Soparkar, 2. India Wind Energy, (EAI), < http://www.eai.in/ref/ae/win/win.html> 3. India Biomass Energy, (EAI),< http://www.eai.in/ref/ae/bio/bio.html> 4. India Solar energy, (EAI),< http://www.eai.in/ref/ae/sol/sol.html> 5. â€Å"Solar energy: Watts Up†, January 06th 2013, K.R.Balasubramanyam, < http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/the-future-of-solar-power-inindia/1/190741.html> Page | 11