Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay

Religion takes on many different forms and there are several definitions in as many languages used to describe the practices. For the purposes of this paper, the following basic definition will be used. Religion is the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. Also, a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship (Company, 2000). This paper will examine three major religions of today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An attempt will be made to identify the top two current issues each religion faces as well as look at two sacred traditions and study the significance and major characteristics of each. Judaism Judaism is monotheistic in nature and has been described as a religion, a race, a culture, and a nation. All of these descriptions have some validity to them but Judaism is best described by some as an extended family (Rich, 2006). This extended family consists of four movements Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. All of which, still find themselves victims of discrimination known as anti-Semitism which is based on stereotypes and myths and often invokes the belief that Jews have extraordinary influence with which they conspire to harm or control society. For those Jews living in the Middle East there is also the very real danger and threats from a powerful country possibly in possession of nuclear weapons. The president of Iran threatened them publicly with annihilation. Discrimination and threats of violence Jews are a very real part of Jewish life but there are just as many positive popular time honored traditions that exists still today. One of which is the wedding tradition. The tradition begins with the husband signing a Ketabuh, the groom’s marital contractual obligation to the bride. The groom is then led to the Chuppah, a tarp this symbolizes their future home together. The bride is led in with singing and dances and then she circles the groom seven and comes to stand to the right of him. After several additional steps the marriage is blessed and ends in a wedding feast. Another Jewish tradition performed prior to Yom Kippur is called the ceremony of kapparot. The practice was first discussed at the beginning of the ninth century. It was believed that the sins of an individual could be transferred to a fowl, a rooster for men and a hen for women. The fowl was to be held over the head and swung in a circle three times while the following was spoken: â€Å"This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace. † (Schwartz, 2009) The fowl was then donated to the poor and hoped to take on any misfortune that might have occurred to the one who took part in the ritual. The primary sacred text used by the Jews is the Torah. Christianity is currently noted to be the largest religion in the world today, with around two billion followers. Christian beliefs center on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Jesus’ teachings focused on the kingdom of God, love of God, and love of one another. Today there are many different views his teachings and the meaning of some forms of love. One of the most controversial topics in the faith today is that of practicing homosexuality. The Christian bible stems from the Jewish sacred text which banned homosexuality of any kind. The bible even talks of God destroying two cities over homosexual behavior (Clark, 2009). Today many leaders condone the behavior and some are even practicing it themselves. While homosexuality may serve as a religious divider here in the U. S. , persecution is served cold as a divisionary disabling tactic abroad. It is the number one issue facing many Christians today, outright discrimination as in the case with Jews as mentioned earlier. In countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and others Christians are being martyred because of their refusal to denounce Christianity. Everyday there are approximately 465 people killed because they will not give up their faith in Jesus (Dearmore, 2009). Most Christians in the U. S. attend a church service of some kind one to three times a week. This is a time honored tradition, just as the wedding tradition is in Judaism. The reason behind this is to participate in a time of fellowship with one another. Normally, the tradition includes worship service, private and corporate prayer, the study and reading of scriptures, and collection of tithes and offerings. There is also the coming together for celebration of special holidays. The most important Christian holiday is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and Christmas the celebration of his birth. Christian practices differ by denomination. Easter is a central theme for most if not all denominations. The origin of the word â€Å"Easter† is not certain but it was probably derived from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring (Dreamweaver, 2009). It is a celebration of the central event of the Christian faith, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day following his death and burial. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. There is evidence that the resurrection used to be celebrated every Sunday until some point in the first two centuries when it was agreed to move it to once a year. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Islam The Islamic religion is monotheistic in nature; they follow one God named Allah. The primary meaning of Islam is peace and the prime message is the Unity of God. Islam identifies Jesus and John the Baptist as prophets. They also believe that there will be no other prophet after the prophet Muhammad. One of the primary concerns facing the Muslim community still today is retribution after the terrorists’ attacks of 11 Sept 2001. Many Islamic followers faced discrimination on all fronts because of the fear of their culture and religious stereotyping (Clark, 2009). The attacks on American soil left a scary imprint of terror in the minds and hearts of many. The media portrayal added fuel to the fire and did nothing to ease the tensions caused by the scary pictures of death left behind. Unfortunately, there is also the fight with fundamentalist ideology and division among their own religious sects. Some groups are teaching others to hate Jews, Christians, and Americans as well as others. In the midst of this hate is a tradition of peace and goodwill towards others. One of the most important traditions is the observance of the Five Pillars of Islam. This involves witnessing to the fact that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. The second pillar is Salat, facing toward Mecca, the Holy Land of Muhammad, five times a day and kneeling in prayer. The third pillar is Alms giving, which encompasses giving charitably to other Muslims. The fourth is the performance of a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Last is to observe fasting during Ramadan. Muslims normally worship in Mosque; they kneel prostrate on small prayer rugs. The rugs may look to be small oriental carpets. Muslims kneel as a sign of humility before God. There is only one requirement that the place of prayer be clean. The rug is approximately one meter in length just long enough for an adult to fit on comfortably. When prayer time comes the rug is placed on the ground with the top pointed in the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After prayer the rug is immediately folded and put away until next time. The Arabic word for a prayer rug is â€Å"sajada,† which comes from the same root word (SJD) as â€Å"masjed† (mosque) and â€Å"sujud† (prostration) (Huda, What are prayer rugs, and how are they used by Muslims? ). This paper discussed three major religions of today and two current issues that they face. It also examined the characteristics of some of their valued traditions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have one central theme in common besides the discrimination they all endure; they are all monotheistic in nature. They all believe in their own sacred text, their own version of truth. References http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/f/prayer_rugs.htm http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kapparot.html

Good education Essay

The plot tells you what happens in a story, but the theme tells you what the story is about: What is the underlying message? What is driving the action? It is also helpful to ask â€Å"why†: Why did the author choose this setting or this conflict? Why did the author choose this tone? Why are these characters behavinI agree the â€Å"The Road Not Taken† (Frost, 1916) has a journey or pilgrimage theme, for the person in the poem is struggling with his personal journey in life. Specifically, he is trying to decide which road in life to take. You did an excellent job identifying the major symbol in Frost’s poem, the road itself, and your angle is fresh and unique. Until now, I never considered the fact that one of the roads represents a path or pattern he has been on already for a period of time. Whereas, the other road is change. Many of us wonder how life would be, if we choose to change courses. Honestly, in the past, I thought of the roads in terms of difficulty. I was thinking one road is more challenging than the other and will require more out of the person to get to the destination. For example, I wonder how different my life would be if I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Creative Writing at the New School for Social Research in New York like I originally intended to do instead of enrolling in a Master’s program that was not geared towards producing society’s next writers. Instead of living the life of a writer and earning my sole living from it, I went down  another, less traveled road–the one that ends with me earning a post-doctorate degree, lecturing/presenting research at scholarly conferences, and writing non-fiction. I am still traveling as you can see, for the road is long, a marathon to say the least, and requires dedication, and perseverance. For those reasons, many may choose not to take that road, because it is a longer, more challenging journey. Here, I see how the color yellow would symbolize age, too. Over time, we must eventually choose one of the two roads. g this way? Why should we care?

Hospital Atmosphere and a Noble Profession Essay

Hospital Atmosphere and a Noble Profession - Essay Example I had always developed an impression that hospitals and patients would do better with more readily available service. Hospitals are perpetually short of hands and either fewer nurses are available, or hospitals are not employing enough of them. Many times I have noticed that patients are more in need of constant help, whereas hospitals are unable to provide such help. This usually ends in patient dissatisfaction and deprival. While being hospitalized, people need more individual attention, constant companionship and staff presence. It is very important for me to get admission into nursing, as I cannot compromise with another career easily. I do not like to take up a career for which I do not feel a positive response. I would like to do the work that motivates me. And till now, hospital work is the only work in which I am sure, that I will find fulfilment. Hospital atmosphere inspires me to be kind and helpful to fellow human beings who are, at that moment, in need of help. It could b e due to the right vibes I received from my mother’s routine work in the hospital, or could be my own mental make-up; I always thought that nursing is a noble profession and never changed my mind on that ideal. It is imperative for me to find the right career at this juncture of my life so that I could proceed about my future in a systematic way and avoid confusion about the chosen goal. I would like to impress that I am passionate about this work and hope to have a long and fulfilling career in it.

Critically discuss to what extent and how a Strategic HRM approach can Essay

Critically discuss to what extent and how a Strategic HRM approach can help to create value and competitive advantage in an organisation - Essay Example Doing it strategically and making it a part of strategy helps the company to do well in the long run. In this write up, the aim is to uncover the importance of doing human resource management as attached to strategy and the results of doing so, whether it helps in gaining competitive advantage or not, whether it increases the worth and value of the company or not. Every companys aim is to maximize its profits. But an intelligent and well managed company is one which takes care of its employees so that they can be motivated well enough to handle the customers in a brilliant way, ensuring loyal customers and better sales generation. Employees are that part of the company which should be considered the most vital as they are those which run the company on a daily basis. Whether the employee belongs to the top level management, middle level management, is a first line manager, is a non-manager or simply is a worker at the factory should not matter. What should matter is that they are all important and the company runs with the help of these employees. Therefore, importance should be given to all levels of employees irrespective of what part of hierarchy they belong to. (Armstrong, 2006) Moreover, if seen from another perspective, it can be said that if the employees are happy, they will take good care of the customers and if the customers are hap py, they will come back to the company for repeat purchases and thus the worth of the company will rise, ultimately making the shareholders happy. So it all boils down to if the employees are happy or not. Moreover, the new concept nowadays for doing effective human resource management, this helps in the long run, is that of leading a diversified workforce in this ever changing environment. Intercultural diversity and being an equal opportunity employer is the thing of today’s age and the company which does not support it always loses out on the competition because diversity brings this unique quality within a

Biological Factors and Feeding Behaviors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biological Factors and Feeding Behaviors - Essay Example They serve as both motivations and coercive forces that affect judgment, decision-making and the series of actions they trigger. A specific example, which this paper will investigate, is the feeding behavior. For this purpose, an explanation of behavior will be provided and an outline of several evidences that will support the claim that biological factors control feeding behaviors. Anatomy of Behavior In order to better outline the relationship of biological factors to feeding behavior, it is important to understand what behavior is. Cohn and MacPhail (1996) stressed that in order to do this; one must be able to answer four questions involving: 1. Causation, which refers the internal and external stimuli, processes, and contingencies that precede the behavior of interest; 2. Ontogeny, which is the development of behavior over the lifetime of an individual and mediated by the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors; 3. Evolution or the changes in behavioral proc esses across generations; and, 4. Function, which is all about questions of adaptation. (p. 299) Now, the first two questions are considered proximate and ultimate questions that are tied to the biological factors' role in behavior. These two are almost universal because they are true to almost all animals. The occurrence and types of behavior, wrote Cohn and MacPhail, are generally species specific but that there are commonalities in the areas of basic activities such as survival and feeding behavior. (p. 299) A research by Legendre et al. (1994) revealed that the evolutionary characteristic of behavior and the human brain could be depicted or predicted through a model that involves diet or eating patterns along with variables such as sociability and locomotion. (p. 1487) Behavior, hence, is characterized by numerous and diverse causes and a number of which are biological factors. Feeding is particularly important in this area because it is primarily biologically driven. Crucial to this point is the role played by the hypothalamus, the brain organ responsible for biological motivation. If a person suffers an injury and then began to eat voraciously, then his hypothalamus might be affected, particularly the ventromedial section, which functions as the satiety center. (Hakala, 2009, p. 85) If it were damaged, the brain would be incapable to tell the person that he is full because no signal is being transmitted and, thus, he will continue to eat. If an injury affects the lateral hypothalamus, it will result in a sharp downturn in the individual’s motivation to eat and he will not feel the motivated to eat or motivated to eat. (Hakala, p. 85) This point is explained further in the following section. Feeding Behaviors Feeding is an action that involves an array of variables. First, there is the concept of need as food is necessary for survival. The fundamental fact is that it is required by a living body to function and continue living. Most activities need energy and health that can only be gained through food intake. (Snooks, 2009, p. 122) Hunger is a simple example about how the body can command an individual to take action, more specifically to eat. As the energy is depleted and used up by daily activities, the need to eat emerges. This process works within the so-called biological control systems. According to Bloom these operate by allowing a gradual change of state to occur until a critical level is reached, the point wherein a behavioral or psychological correction mechanism is initiated. (p. 21) So when someone used up all his energy, then feeding or the need to eat becomes apparent. A study undertaken by Elliot and Treat back in 1935 is one of the earliest studies to demonstrate this. In their findings, the

Analysis of The Economic Organizationof a P.O.W Camp andThe Wizard of Essay

Analysis of The Economic Organizationof a P.O.W Camp andThe Wizard of Oz , Journal of Political Economy - Essay Example The Economic Organization of a P.O.W Camp This article focuses on economic organization of a Prisoner Of War camp written by R.A Radford. The camp organization and politics are matters that concern the present and future existence of the inmates. In this article, one aspect of social organization is economic activities that exist in this camp. Prisoners in this camp depended on their economic activities to provide for their necessities. However, prisoners in the camp were roughly given equal share of the essentials; it is through trade that prisoners would meet their individual preferences (Radford 190). The Development and organization of the market The captives realized that it was undesirable and unnecessary to accept gifts of food or cigarettes in the view of limited size and equity of supplies. This led them to develop trade as a means of maximizing individual satisfaction. The writer talks of a transit camp in Italy a fortnight after capture where captives received food parcel from Red Cross each a week later. Weeks later the donation turned to small exchange trade where they became a custom in the market. Exchanges existed between foods and cigarettes where at the end of a month there was a lively trade in all commodities and their values were well known. The cigarette became the standard of value where goods were exchanged in return although barter trade was not extinguished (Radford 191). Despite the organization in Italy, the market was divided where French, Russians, Jugo-Slavs and Italians were free to move in the camp while British and Americans were in a confinement in their compounds. However, a few cigarettes would grant any man authority to visit their compounds. People who visited the highly organized French trading centre found relatively low priced coffee, and found out later that some of the coffee was sold in black market by some French prisoners. This discovery raised a hostile public opinion against these monopoly profits and led to chan ges in the market (Radford 192). The cigarette became the currency in the market given that it performed all the functions of a metallic currency as a unit of account, a measure and store of value.  

Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final - Assignment Example As a successful executive, I will think outside-the-box to come up with creative solutions to organizational problems and foster an open work environment where employees contributions are part of the solution. By allowing a flexible approach to problem solving, I will foster a workplace where creativity and different approaches to addressing a problem,no matter how different the ideas defer from the accepted norm,will all be considered In order to lead effectively as a manager needs,I need to learn to master the four basic functions of management; planning,organizing,leading and controlling. An effective leader will always be very good at listening;it is an unappreciated management skill that leads to a better understanding of the problems at hand,be it personal or organizational. Of the tree basic management skills previously mentioned,the most important attribute a manager needs is to develop in order to succeed is effective leadership skills . The key to effective leadership, managing diverse individuals and complex situations effectively is to master four of the basic functions of management;planning,organizing,leading and controlling. As a manager,the first step is to analyze the situation or problem at hand and formulate a plan which best addresses the needs of the project. It is important to me as a business profession to become proficient at analyzing complex situations and coming up with innovative solutions to a problem. In order to hone my analytic and planning skills,applying the same level of care and analysis to certain everyday problems will help me become better at analyzing and planning solutions in my future professional career. In the organizing phase as a manager, I must be able to evaluate the employee skill-sets as well as identify the most suitable individuals for a specific tasks. Through taking the initiative to become a leader in any group environment

What this country (US),state or school needs more than anything else Essay

What this country (US),state or school needs more than anything else - Essay Example The gravest threat our country is facing lies to the turning point of extremism and technology. Our rivals have candidly acknowledged that they are in a quest for weapons of mass demolition, and evidence shows that they are doing so with fortitude. The United States will not let these efforts be successful. We will assemble our defenses in opposition to ballistic missiles and other ways of delivery. We will work together with other nations to refute, contain, and restrain our enemies’ hard work to acquire treacherous technologies. We will also augment our self-defense; our country will act using all ways against all forms of intimidation in time before they are wholly formed. We should be ready to crush all our enemies’ plans; we will use the best astuteness and proceed with consideration. If we will not do our best, history will criticize those who saw this approaching danger but failed to take action. In the new globe we inhabit, the only course to peace and defense i s the path prompt action. The unfolding upheaval over the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear aspirations, and the subsequent steps presented to the United States in dealing with this dispute is a debate that has taken a long period of time to conclude. With the exception of Iraq, no other disaster today so bedevils American policy makers, for a long period this case has provided the international community with irrefutable proof that the Iranian regime is pursuing a massive, multi-faceted endeavor, and in spite of United Nations censure (Kerr 37). In and of itself, the possibility of the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism acquiring the world’s most dangerous technology will be deeply troubling. These weapons, if manufactured can lead to both the mass destruction of property and loss of lives. Among the solutions to this issue are; military action that is deeply problematic. The use of force on Iran’s nuclear

Financial Prospectus Content Paper Essay Example for Free

Financial Prospectus Content Paper Essay Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format. Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, youll pay for it in the long run. This work comprises FIN 375 Week 4 Financial Prospectus Content Paper Business General Business Individual Financial Prospectus Content Paper Resources: Final Prospectus Expectations Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material  added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format. Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, youll pay for it in th A+ tutorial you will find here https://bitly.com/1wySU49 Every freshman should understand and realize that the freshman 15 does in fact exist. It is important that everyone take the necessary steps to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition during their first year in college. While it might be tempting to pile on some fries for dinner every night, youll pay for it in the long run. Business General Business Individual Financial Prospectus Content Paper Resources: Final Prospectus Expectations Prepare the first seven components of your venture’s Financial Prospectus. The Financial Prospectus must include the information you provided in the individual assignments from Week One and Two, revised as necessary based on material covered in subsequent workshops and organized with new material added as necessary. Post your assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment in APA format.

Women in Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Women in Frankenstein Essay In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley portrays all of her female characters from both positive and negative perspectives. Writing the novel in the early 19th century, Shelley addressed the common stereotypical view of women as inferior to men that society of the time held. Dominated by male narrators, the female’s perspective is ignored in the novel. By excluding the female’s perspective of Frankenstein, Shelley reinforces in the reader the message that society of the time attributed very little to women. In addition to that, the firm ideas that women should be dependent on males, to be taken care of and having little potential to achieve anything independently, resonates in several of her characters. Resonating with other characters, the readers are able to see that women are weak-minded, feeble characters who become easily influenced. This trend can be seen throughout Frankenstein with characters such as Caroline Beaufort, Elizabeth Lavenza, and Justine Moritz, who all played less substantial roles compared to the males in the story. Shelley portrays the persistent feminine strength in her female characters through the small triumphs of Caroline Beaufort, Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine Moritz, however Shelley acknowledges how weak minded and dependent they become in the face of adversity and their lack of control over certain situations. Shelley is able to show that Caroline Beaufort is able to sustain herself financially, however Shelley brings the reader to the harsh reality that she must sooner or later be dependent on a man. Shelley states, â€Å"†¦there was no other prospect of support. But Caroline Beaufort possessed a mind of an uncommon mold, and her courage rose to support her in her adversity. † (p. 28). When Caroline’s father was on the brink of death, she contained herself emotionally and made ends meet in her household financially. However, Caroline’s momentum died out when the harsh reality became that she couldn’t support herself because of her grieving emotional state. Shelly continues, â€Å"This last blow came over her, and she knelt by Beaufort’s coffin weeping bitterly, when my father entered the chamber. He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care; and after the interment of his friend, he conducted her to Geneva, and placed her under the protection of a relation. Two years after this event Caroline became his wife. † (p. 28). Caroline’s independency and self sufficiency was a failure since she was â€Å"rescued† from her troubles by Alphonse Frankenstein. Shelley’s bigger message to the readers is that women need to be rescued by men because they are incapable of maintaining themselves and need to be dependent on someone else. Shelley is able to incorporate her time period’s stereotypical belief of women being possessions of men that need to be cared for in her example of Caroline Beaufort and Alphonse Frankenstein. Elizabeth Lavenza’s celestial beauty and enticing charm is what sets her apart from other women, however she is met by her death when she was unaware of Frankenstein’s mischievous secret. Elizabeth came into the Frankenstein household fully well aware of her expectations of fulfilling the position of Victor Frankenstein’s wife. Victor states, â€Å"No word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me- more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only. † (p. 31). Victor expresses that his appreciation of Elizabeth is beyond what words can express, however it was his fault that Elizabeth met her untimely death. Victor’s creation took out his vengeance on poor Elizabeth, who was completely unaware of the knowledge that was being withheld from her. If Elizabeth had taken more of a firm initiative into Victor’s life outside of their relationship, there would not have been any discrepancies between the two. Victor swore to protect Elizabeth, ironically he was the cause of her death because he withheld so much from her. The lack of their bond and understanding contributed to this miscommunication that allowed for the monster to kill Elizabeth. Shelley utilizes this instance to show the readers how the fault of Victor Frankenstein directly hurts Elizabeth Lavenza, which cost Elizabeth, her life. Justine Moritz remained strong in the arms of controversy, but due to her weak-minded mentality she was thrusted into her own downfall. Moritz remained her firm stance on her innocence and she was firm on her beliefs. Her determination and persistence prompted her to gather witnesses in her defense to prove her innocence. She states, â€Å"I beg permission to have a few witnesses examined concerning my character, and if their testimony shall not overweigh my supposed guilt, I must be condemned although I would pledge my salvation on my innocence. † (p. 79). Being the strong and independent minded thinker that Moritz was, she was hoaxed into giving a false guilty plead. Moritz was forced to give a plead when the judicial authorities threatened her salvation, and being belittled forced her to give that statement. Victor stated, â€Å"The person to whom I addressed myself added that Justine had already confessed her guilt. †(p. 81). Victor had the opportunity to save the woman’s life, however it was his hesitation and her weak will that allowed her to succumb to death. Shelley was able to portray a spectrum of both positive and negative perspectives of women, however she is able to show that they are weak infantile beings because none of the women survive. The bigger message that Shelley is trying to send is that women lack the superior characteristics that allow men to be independent, self sufficient and non-dependent beings. Shelley’s significance of eliminating all her female characters surmounted to the feeling that society still wasn’t ready to allow women to reach their full potentials beside their indispensable characteristics. Being overshadowed by the society’s male dominated characteristic, women are set to the side to be onlookers when they should actually be the forerunners in this day and age.

The need for reward management and systems

The need for reward management and systems Reward management is not just about money. As shown in the above diagram, it is concerned with intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards and with non-financial as well as financial rewards. Intrinsic rewards arise from the nature the job itself. Decenzo and Robbins ( 2005, p.274) stated that intrinsic rewards are self initiated rewards like pride in ones work, a sense of accomplishment or being part of the job. Intrinsic rewards related to responsibility and achievement they are inherent in individuals and not imposed from outside. On the other hand, extrinsic rewards arise from the factors associated with the job context such as financial rewards, promotion and benefits. They are external to the job and come from outside source. All reward systems are based on the assumptions of attracting, retaining and motivating people. Rewards are of two type Financial and non-financial rewards. Many people view money as the sole motivator but many studies have found that among employees surveyed, other non financial reward also motivate them and influence the level of performance. A recent study of reward practice by CIPDs shows that higher proportion of employers have adopted a total reward approach, in which they try to align the financial and non-financial elements. Non financial rewards indirectly increase workers financial position. It differs from workers to workers. For example an employee may value office furniture and other may find it useless whereas financial rewards can be wages, bonuses, or indirectly paid sick leaves and paid vacation. They are mainly of three types such as profit sharing, job evaluation and merit rating. However, Decenzo and Robbins (2005) classified financial rewards as shown in the diagram above as performance based, implied membership based and explicit membership based. They mentioned that performance based use commissions, piecework pay plans, incentive system, group bonuses, merit or other node of payment for performance whereas membership based rewards include cost of living increases, benefits and salary increases attributable to the labour market conditions, seniority, qualifications, and specialised skill. Membership-based rewards may attract many employees on the whole when the extent of the reward increas es with seniority.   Though, there are drawbacks:   They discourage poor performers from leaving and people from leaving the organization, they indirectly motivate job performance. However, Seniority-based rewards lessen turnover because the cost of leaving raise with the employers duration of service. 2.3 REWARD MANAGEMENT LINKED TO THEORIES OF MOTIVATION Employees motivation depends on the perception of achieving the reward, i.e. their expectations. Motivation theory describes why people at work act in the way they do, and what organisations can do to persuade people to apply their efforts and abilities in ways that will help to achieve the organisations goals as well as satisfying their own needs. Everyone has their own needs and a different set of goals. Employees can motivate themselves in different ways that will guide them to expect that their goals will be achieved whereas management can motivate people through methods like pay, promotion and praise. Motivation is important because there is reward. People work because they get revenue to spend on their individual, family and society needs. Some needs are the basics of life, what individual needs to survive physiologically. Maslow defined the hierarchy of needs with essential physiological needs at the base and going up through safety, social needs and ends in the need for self-fulfillment. However, some critics say that there is little empirical evidence to support this model. Herzberg differentiated between firstly hygiene extrinsic factors such as pay and organisation strategy and measures that will cause dissatisfaction in the workplace if absent or insufficient. Secondly, motivators which are intrinsic factors such as the worth of the work, attainment, appreciation, responsibility and potential for growth which will positively motivate people. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Herzbergs Two Factor Theory are a content theory of motivation. They both suggest that needs should be satisfied for the employee to be motivated but, Herzberg argue that only the higher levels of the Maslow Hierarchy (e.g. self-actualisation, esteem needs) act as a motivator. The remaining needs can only cause dissatisfaction if not explained clearly. Thus he stated that satisfaction and dissatisfaction were not necessary related. Taylor developed his theory of scientific management where he made three assumptions in his observation: Man is concerned with maximising money, People are considered as individuals and they can be treated like machines. Taylor had analyzed what motivated people at work which was money. He though workers should be paid for what they worked and pay should be associated to the amount produced Workers who work less would be paid less and Workers who did more than usual would be paid more. The main limitation in Taylors approach is that it overlook that each individual is unique Secondly, money is not an important motivation for everyone. Taylor ignored the fact that people work for reasons other than financial reward. Other theories of motivation have been developed as well which are believed to focus on cognitive or process theories that are how people consider their reward. Expectancy theory distinguishes two factors of value and probability. People value reward according to the level it satisfies their needs of security, community esteem, achievement and autonomy. Armstrong also agrees with the fact that Expectancy is the likelihood that reward depends on effort where there is more effort, the higher the reward but Marchington and Wilkinson (2006, p.325) argue that this is not a fixed and there may be other sets of expectation at different times. For that effort to be useful to the organisation, individuals need to have the correct ability and the right perception of their role. The theory implies that low motivation will be product of jobs where there is little worker control. (Marchington and Wilkinson 2006, p.326) Two other theories of motivation are significant to reflect on. Latham and Locke developed goal theory which describes that both performance and motivation are improved if people have challenging and monitored goals but accepted when there is feedback on performance. On the other hand, Equity Theory which advocates that people are more motivated when they are treated equitably and demotivated if they are treated inequitable while they deserved more than that. 2.4 STRATEGIC REWARDS Reward strategy is a declaration of intent that defines what the organization wants to do in the longer term to develop and implement reward policies, practices and processes that will further the achievement of its business goals and meet the needs of its stakeholders. (Armstrong 2006, p.643) Reward is more than compensation and benefits. Thus, a reward strategy must consider many aspects of the workplace in order to both attract and keep high value employees doing the correct things in the correct way so that they the organisation is successful. Reward policies provide guidelines for the implementation of reward strategies and the design and management of reward process. Basically, every employer must obey four major policies (White Druker 2000): internal alignment, external competitiveness, employee contributions, management of the pay system. Many research and studies on reward strategy has revealed that people are difficult and motivation is a complex process. What is obvious is that while financial reward is essential, for many people other factors are also, and can be more, important. Rewards are designed to promote behaviour that will contribute directly to the achievement of the organisations objective.Reward systems should be in line with the following: HR Strategy Business Strategy Organization Culture The elements of reward management and their interrelationship can be shown in the figure 1.2 Figure 2.2: Rewards management: elements and interrelationships Source: Michael Armstrong, 2006, A Handbook of Human Resources Management Practice, p.630 The elements of a rewards management system are: Job Evaluation Job evaluation is an organized method for defining the relative value or size of jobs within an organisation in order to institute internal relativities. It provides the basis for designing a fair grade and pay structure, grading jobs in the structure, managing job and pay relativities and guiding the success of equal pay for work of equal worth. However, there has been many criticism of job evaluation by some HR practitioners, in the late 1980s and early 1990s A numbers of major charges were made against it in many organisation. Critics argued that it was not only bureaucratic and rigid, but also time-consuming and unsuitable in todays organisations. 2.4.2 Grade and Pay Structure Pay grade is a system indicating rate and shows the rate at which an employee receives basic pay. It is also a means to compare ranks, which may have different names in the different services. Pay grades facilitate the employment method by providing a flat range of salary whereas Pay structure refers to the various levels of pay for jobs or groups of jobs by referring to their point as determined by job evaluation as compare to market rate surveys. it provides scope for pay increment in accordance with competence or contribution. Market Rate Analysis Market rate tell us the actual salary of some jobs. It is determined by the forces of demand and supply of the labour market. If an organisation pays below the market rate then it will probably have trouble in recruiting and retaining suitable staff. To know the market rate an organisation has to do pay surveys. It helps to obtain and keep high quality staff and response to market pressures. There are several ways in which a company can obtain data on market rates such as Local employment agencies, Job centres, Job adverts in national newspapers 2.4.4 Contingent Pay Contingent pay measures what do we value and what we are ready to pay for? It refers pay for individual that is related to performance, competence, contribution or service. Employee Benefits Benefits can be defined as all the indirect financial payments an employee receives for continuing his or her employment with the company. Benefits are generally available to all firms employees and includes such things as time off with pay, health and life insurance, and child care facilities. (Dessler 1997, p503) Today many organisations regard benefits to be an important approach in reward management in order to achieve a competitive advantage in labour markets. Both financial and non-financial benefits play an important function when it comes to attract, keep and motivate employees. As an addition to base pay financial benefits may improve an organisations ability to attract and retain employees, and non-financial benefits allows organisations to meet the specific needs of the employees. Allowances Allowances may be regarded as additional to base pay. Example of it may be meal allowances where some employees in any organsation are given a sum of money for a meal. Performance Management Performance Management refers to a process, which frequently measures work as it occurs. It is a way of obtaining better results by managing performance according to set of planned goals and competency achievements. It motivates people to do the right things by specifying their goal. Non-Financial Rewards It refers to rewards that are not related to pay but rather satisfaction arising from the job itself like recognition, success, responsibility, autonomy, and leadership skill. Total Remuneration Total remuneration refers to all the monetary reward and benefits than an employee received for working in the organisation. Total Rewards A total reward refers to all the rewards that exist like financial aspects of reward of basic pay, any bonuses and additional financial benefits with the non-financial benefits at the personal and organisational level. WorldatWork (2006) introduced a total rewards framework that proposed to advance the concept and help practitioners think and implement in new ways. Today, professionals primarily use the terms total rewards, total compensation or compensation and benefits to describe the joint strategies. There are five elements of total rewards, each of which includes programs, practices, elements and dimensions that together define an organizations strategy to attract, motivate and keep employees. These elements are: Compensation Benefits Work-Life Performance and Recognition Development and Career Opportunities 2.5 INDIVIDUAL REWARD SYSTEM Many sectors of employment use remuneration systems that contain direct relations to individual performance and results. On an individual basis this may be payment by results (PBR) for example bonus, piecework, commission, work-measured schemes and pre-determined motion time systems, measured day work (MDW), appraisal/performance related pay, market-based pay and competency and skills based pay. 2.5.1 Performance Related Pay Performance-related pay (PRP) is a method of remuneration that links pay progression to an assessment of individual performance. Performance pay may be defined as any remuneration practice in which part or all of remuneration is based directly and explicitly on employees assessed work behaviour and/or measured results (Shields 2007, p.348). Performance related pay is generally used where employee performance cannot be appropriately measured in terms of output produced or sales achieved. Like piece-rates and commission, performance related pay is a form of incentive pay. Individual performance is reviewed frequently (usually once per year) against agreed objectives is known as performance appraisal. Then employees are classified into performance groups which determine what the reward will be. The method of reward involves a cash bonus and/or increase in wage rate or salary. However performance related pay is not very understandable in the mind of researchers. Thorpe and Homan (2000) accounts both for research stating that one of the main advantages of performance related pay is that it attract and retain good employee while other research indicates that performance-related pay fails to motivate and that the employees generally regard the performance-related pay system as unfair in practice. Some drawbacks may be rewarding employees individually does very little to encourage teamwork and, such schemes also usually carried out only once a year assessment and payout, which may weaken any incentive effect. If a worker rated less than satisfactory receives no increase at all under an appraisal pay scheme their motivation and morale may be badly affected. Thus, it is important to focus appraisals on the assessment of performance, the identification of training needs and the setting of objectives, not on any dependent pay. 2.5.2 Individual Payment by Results (PBR) The aim of any PBR scheme is to provide a direct relationship between pay and productivity: the more effectively the employee works, the higher their pay. This direct link means that incentives are stronger than in other schemes. However, in recent years traditional bonus, piecework and work-measured schemes have decreased, as many employers have moved to 360-degree feedback, also known as multi-rater feedback that is employee development feedback that comes from all around the employee. Nevertheless, payment by result fails because material shortages or delays can affect production and Individual skills are not rewarded and indeed the most skilled may be put onto more complicated and potentially less rewarding work. 2.5.3 Piecework, Bonus Schemes and Commission Piecework is the easiest method of PBR workers are paid at a particular rate for each piece of output. This means the system is simple to operate and understand, although open to the shortcoming that it is often at the expense of quality. Pieceworkers must be paid at least the national minimum wage. Incentive bonus schemes is where for instance an extra payment is paid when production exceeds the established threshold, or where there is a raise in sales which surpasses given targets. Variable bonuses can also be paid in relation to performances achieved against pre-determined standards so that the higher the performance achieved, the greater the level of bonus produced. However, Armstrong (2006, p.635) mentioned that bonus payment are related to achievement of profit and or to other financial targets. Time rates are used when employees are paid for the quantity of time they spend at work. The common form of time rate is the weekly wage or monthly wage. Generally the time rate is fixed in relation to a standard working week (e.g. 40 hours per week). Time worked above this standard is known as overtime. Overtime is generally paid more than the standard time-rate. It reflects the extra contribution of the employee. The main advantages of time-rate pay are that they are appropriate for organisations that desire to employ workers to present general roles (e.g. financial management, administration, and maintenance) where employee performance is not easy to evaluate. Commission is a payment made to employees based on the value of sales achieved. For example, in sales jobs, the seller may be paid a percentage of the selling price or a flat amount of each unit sold (Werther Davis 1997 p.411). The rate of commission depends on the selling price and the amount of effort required in making the sale. Armstrong (2006, p.638) stated that commission provide a direct financial incentives and attract high performing sales staff. 2.5.4 Measured Day Work Measured day work (MDW) has been developed from both individual PBR and basic wage rate scheme. Salary is constant and does not vary in the short time provided that that the targeted performance is maintained. MDW systems need performance standards to be placed through some framework and undergo modifications as required. It involves full commitment of management, workers and trade unions. The pay structure is regularly formulated by job evaluation and with full employee agreement. MDW is now somewhat unusual. It suits organisations where a high, secure, expected level of performance is required, rather than highest potential individual performance. 2.5.5 Market-Based Pay Market-based pay refers to the salary level available in the market for the same type of work. Factors that help to consider the market rate are: the skills that are necessary are widely accessible, the unemployment level in general versus the employment rate and the jobs requirement for specialised skills. It is usually used in conjunction with other rewarding scheme like performance appraisal, but may be element of a reward strategy integrating several performance elements. 2.5.6 Competency and skills-based pay Competency and skills-based pay schemes are more common nowadays. There a direct relationship between the attainment, development and effective use of skills and competencies and the individuals pay. Competency and skills-based schemes measure what the employee is inputting to the job. Competency based systems have become more popular because many organisations use competencies in staffing and in performance appraisal for non-pay reason, such as training. There is an increasing trend for pay to be associated to the abilities of the individual. Competency based pay is used together with an existing individual performance related pay scheme and will reward them not on the basis of their performance but competencies. Leadership skill or team-working may be examples of competencies. Reward is given for the skills already gained and for the acquirement of new skills that would be helpful in other jobs in the same job band. This can promote multi-skilling and improved flexibility. 2.6 GROUP AND ORGANISATIONAL REWARD SYSTEMS Group pay schemes include those based on the performance of the team, plant or company. Team-based pay gained its importance with the increased interest in teamworking. It reflects the performance of the team. It is not easy to define the team, the goals, and the right reward. Peer group pressure can also be useful in increasing the performance of the whole team. Company based performance pay schemes are based on the whole organisation performance. The most common forms of this system tend to be based on overall profits (profit sharing), gainsharing systems. They are effective where communications and employment relations are good Share incentive plans involve the provision of shares to employees. In the journal of knowledge management, Milkovich and Wigdor, (1991) said: Team-based rewards may potentially result in a loss of motivation because of feelings of inequity due to a perceived free-riding of other team members and the use of an equality principle when allocating rewards rath er than an equity-based principle. (Milne 2007, p.33) 2.6.1 Gainsharing Gainsharing is a pay scheme that links workers pay to the success of organisational goals by rewarding performance above a pre-determined target. This is always led by measures of productivity, performance and quality. Gainsharing aims to develop these indicators by improving communications, staff involvement and promoting teamwork. It should be element of a full long-term strategy to maintain an effective system through involvement and sharing. It may thus be used as a substitute for bonus/piecework schemes, where quality is at times lost to quantity. The whole employees and management who have any association in the product of the organisation should be integrated in any gainshare plan. Marchington and Wilkinson (2006, p. 336) pointed out that such scheme have the merit that employees perceive their contribution to the total effort of the organisation and they do not consider themselves as individual units. They further mentioned that gainsharing plan will affect the role of trade union as their collective bargaining will become less important in determining wages or union will think employees will be more committed to the organiastion. 2.6.2 Profit Sharing Profit Sharing means rewarding employees a percentage of the companys profits. Singh (2006, p 385) defines profit sharing usually involves the determination of organizations profits at the end of the fiscal year and the distribution of a percentage of the profits to workers qualified to share in the earnings. Profit sharing helps employees to form part of oganisation success. However, Beardwell and Holden (1997, p.574) argued that there is little evidence that such schemes have any great consequence on the performance, motivation or attitudes of employees. 2.6.3 Share Ownership Schemes Businesses whose shares are traded on a stock exchange can offer shares to its promising employees. This compensation method can motivate employees to be committed to the business in the long run.There are different schemes available which companies can use to offer shares such as: 2.6.3.1 Share Incentive Schemes Under this scheme employer gives employees shares directly or ask them to buy. This motivates staff to be involved in the performance of the company. The Share Incentive Plan, previously known as the employee share ownership plan. For example, In the UK, a company using an ESOP can give employees shares worth up to  £3,000 each year. 2.6.3.2 Savings Related Share Option Schemes (SAYE) All employees and directors benefit from this scheme All scheme members get the right to buy a number of shares (normally at a lower price than their current price) after three, five or seven years. In this period of time, employee members save an expected amount to pay for the shares. If the shares increase in price, employees have a profit when they buy the shares. No income tax is paid on any gains made on these shares. 2.7 INFLUENCES ON PAY DETERMINATION According to Beardwell and Holden (1997 p.555) the pay system is affected by the following: 2.7.1 Beliefs about the Importance of the Job If a job is considered to be of high value, the salary scale of the job will be higher as compared to other jobs. 2.7.2 Personal Characteristics Individual characteristics like age, experience, education, skill affect the salary of a person. 2.7.3 Labour Market The demand and supply of labour affect pay determination. A business will have to match its pay with that of its competitors before setting its own pay structure. 2.7.4 The Strategies and Policies of the Company Each company has it own remuneration policy and strategy that determine the salary of its employees. 2.7.5 Government Rules and Regulation The government usually intervene for the welfare of employees like we have the equal opportunity Act, employment right Act 2008, and the employment relation Act 2008. Organisations have to consider all these Act before setting a fair compensation program. 2.7.6 Power of Bargaining Group Trade union action may affect the pay level. They can bargain for an increase in salary. 2.7.7 Cost of Living Due to high inflation rate, the cost of living tends to increase. Thus, this may affect the salary of employee.

Macbeths Ambition As Displayed In Act 1, Scene 7 Essay -- essays resea

In Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I, scene 7, Macbeth hesitates because of both pragmatic and moral causes; although, his moral scruples seem to overpower the pragmatic arguments. Macbeth is torn between these two issues, and his unique way of deciphering his problems is exhibited in this scene. Macbeth feels that if he were to assassinate the king, Duncan, that he better do it soon. The first line of Act I, scene 7 begins with, â€Å"If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well; It were done quickly.† So, basically, Macbeth feels that if the crime was committed when it needed to be, and if it were done quickly, then he would be safe. This argument is a moral concern toward Macbeth, this is the first thought that comes to his mind, because it is exhibited in the fist line of his soliloquy. Macbeth is hesitant to murder Duncan, because he feels that he would be eternally punished in hell for committing such a heinous crime. Macbeth expresses these feelings in lines 7-10, â€Å"But here upon this bank and shoal of time; We’d jump the life to come.† The â€Å"life to come†, is the afterlife, which would be an eternity of suffering for Macbeth, because of his assassination of Duncan. Thus, making this argument a moral concern, and one of Macbeth’s overpowering arguments in his soliloquy. Macbeth feels that if he were to succeed the throne from Duncan, the common people would feel a sense of mistrust toward Macbeth. Macbeth expresses these thoughts in lines 7-10, â€Å"Lines 7-10: â€Å"We still have j...

Fodor’s Misconstrual of Wittgenstein in the Language of Thought :: Philosophy Essays

Fodor’s Misconstrual of Wittgenstein in the Language of Thought In his book, The Language of Thought, Jerry Fodor claims that i) Wittgenstein’s private language argument is not in fact against Fodor’s theory, and ii) Wittgenstein’s private language argument â€Å"isn’t really any good† (70). In this paper I hope to show that Fodor’s second claim is patently false. In aid of this I will consider Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations (243-363), Jerry Fodor's The Language of Thought (55-97), as well as Anthony Kenny’s Wittgenstein (178-202). First I shall summarize Wittgenstein’s argument; then I will examine Fodor’s response and explain why it is fallacious. In my view, Fodor is wrong because he takes Wittgenstein to be a verificationist, and also because he makes a false analogy between people and computers. Anthony Kenny, in his book Wittgenstein, provides a concise summary and penetrating interpretation of Wittgenstein’s so-called â€Å"private language argument† (henceforth â€Å"PLA†). According to Kenny, the basic agenda of the PLA can be summed up in a quotation from Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: "Scepticism is not irrefutable, but obviously nonsensical, when it tries to raise doubts where no questions can be asked. For doubt only can exist where a question exists, a question only where an answer exists, and an answer only where something can be said." (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 6.51) In making his argument, Wittgenstein addresses the belief that the knowledge we have of our own experiences can be expressed to ourselves or others, and that this expression does not assume acquaintance with the external world or other minds. Logically entailed by these beliefs is the idea that there is a private language in which words derive their meani ng by being linked with private experiences. In other words, a subject forms â€Å"internal ostensive definitions.† This means simply that the subject is exposed to and attends to an experience and associates it with a word. For Wittgenstein, this view is mistaken: experience is not private, and words do not acquire meaning by bare ostensive definition. Wittgenstein takes â€Å"private language† to mean a language in which words refer to the immediate private sensations of the speaker in this manner of private ostensive definitions. If a speaker has a certain sensation, she does not necessarily know that sensation only from her own case.