Business Resource and Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Resource and Managment - Essay Example The analysis includes all the traditional and contemporary theories of motivation and leadership which includes the Maslow's Hierarchy and Goal Setting theory etc. this section considers all the variables; dependent and independent and see their impact on the performance of the organization. The book further discusses the change process and the process of negotiation and conflict. The book also covers the entire topic of communication; its types, the channels of communication etc. The next section of the report is Organizational analysis where taking the concepts mentioned in the previous section the analysis of Dutch Organization Shell is done. Some real life examples of Shell are also discussed so as to get a practical aspect of what happens in the real world. This report is about the practical implementation of the concepts of organizational behavior. The organization that is taken for the purpose of analysis is Shell Global. Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies and their aim is to meet the energy requirements in ways that are economical and environment friendly. The reason that Shell Global is chosen for the purpose of analysis is that the company values their employees considering them a huge asset for the organization. They respect the human rights and strive to provide them with safe and comfortable working conditions. They take steps so as to promote the talent of their employees and provide them proper channels to report their concerns. Academic Literature The book selected for the purpose of analysis and literature review is "Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition, Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge". This book briefly explains all the theories that are applied to a work place (Robbins & Judge, 2004). The book starts with the disciplines that are contributing to organizational behavior. These include psychology, social psychology, sociology and anthropology. These disciplines contribute different theories like motivational theories, leadership theories, behavioral change, comparative values, organizational culture and organizational environment. The book proceeds with the challenges of organizational behavior which includes increase in globalization and improvement of quality and production and managing the work stress in the environment. The dependent variables in an organization include productivity, absenteeism and turnover however the individual level variables include perception, motivation and individual learning. These all variables make the organizational behavior model. The foundation of individual behavior includes the ability of the individual which include the intellectual abilities and the physical abilities of the individual. The next key step is to identify the key biographical characteristics of the individual which includes the age, gender, race and tenure. The individual behavior also includes the learning capabilities of the people; the learning theories include the classical learning theory, operant conditioning and social learning. In order to motivate the employees a combination of these theories are employed. The main components of the attitude of an individual include the cognitive part which is the evaluation part, the affective part which is

Civil Engineering Essay Example for Free

Civil Engineering Essay Introduction The growth and development of population, the economic and commercial progress, have made the people to be in touch. Also, for the sales of products was necessary to build bridges as an alternative way to those people who didn ´t have boats to transport their products. The bridges have been an amazing advance into the civil engineering field. As the time passed, the bridges were needed for transportation and to be used as communication routes. The bridges have been changing as needed, either to make them more efficient or innovative. Now day civil engineers are not only involved in the measuring, or resistance, but also they care about the aesthetic. There are different types of bridges that marked not only the history but the progress in society. The bridges vary depending on the material with which it is built and the shape they have. Types of bridges: Wood: These bridges are quick to build, and are not too expensive, yet are very resistant and durable, plus they need constant and expensive maintenance. For the ease of being built and cheap were the first bridges that people used. Stone: They are very resistant, compact and durable. Currently construction is very expensive. They do not need much maintenance, since they are very well resistent weathering agents. Metallics: They are built quickly, are expensive and have corrosion as an against factor. Also, their maintenance is expensive. Concrete and steel: They allow varied designs, often support precast, they are resistant, and maintenance costs are low. The functions that bridges have are: Aqueduct: They are used for water conveyance. Viaducts: They are built to have automobile transit. Footbridges: Built for the use of pedestrians only. The way bridges resist their efforts: Beam: They consist of horizontal elements that are supported at their ends on supports or pillars. The force transmitted through the pillar is vertically downwards and, therefore, they are subjected to compression, the beams (horizontal elements) tend to bend as a result of the loads on. Arc: It has 2 divisions. Top board, and Lower board. They consist of a curved section  which rests up on supports or brackets and covering a light or empty space and depending on whether they are above or below the board, is where the arcs are located. Hanging: They consist of a board by hanging by a large number of straps, two large cables that are anchored at the ends of the bridge and held by large towers of concrete or steel. Conclusion: The bridges have served as communication routes, and have had a lot of impact on society and commerce. Bridges are very important in the area of civil engineering, because their work as engineers is to build and make sure that their work is good to use, and efficient. In addition, the bridges have made the civil engineer to worry about the design of buildings and to show them that is important the aesthetic and how innovative is the work.

Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation

Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation How can Multi National Companies use Reward management to motivate the Employees of Different Countries? : A Case of Marriott Hotels in UK. Abstract Employees are always considered as people who play a vital role in each and every organisation. The relationship between employee and employer changes frequently through out the years. Several concepts of employees are also varying time by time. Now a days employees are having the bargaining power and they are more concerned about their individual needs and well being of their working environment. This dissertation analyses various factors which motivates an employee to work within an organisation. Employee will stay in an organisation only when their expectations are satisfied or otherwise there is a chance for him/her to leave the company. High employee turnover is a big issue in companies today. Organisations will look forward to retain only the potential key employees who will make real difference to their customers and their stake holders. This dissertation proposes a frame work to retain the employees and to reward those employees for their potential by which they are taking the organisation to a different level. This research has been progressed through literature study on employee concepts, Human Resource Management and Reward management of employees. The data from the primary research has been analysed compared and verified with the findings of secondary research and produced recommendations for the effective management of employee in multi national companies. Introduction Reward management is nowadays considered as an important topic in order to achieve the goals of a company. Employees are considered as the main factor which plays an important role in the organisation. The success of each and every organisation is its dedicated employees .Current world is filled with changes and competition. In order to survive in the current situation companies should be having employees who are loyal and expert in their own field. New technologies are developed constantly and the companies are eagerly trying to catch up those talented employees with right expertise in their own areas. Human resources as an important factor should get increased attention in managing business (Lindergen Paulson ,2008)`. Multinational companies are facing increased challenges from all around the world due to globalisation. 1.1 Reward management Reward system usually means the financial reward on organization gives its employees in return for their labour.The term rewards system, not only includes material rewards, but also non-material rewards. The components of a reward system consist of financial rewards (basic and performance pay) and employee benefits, which together comprise total remuneration. They also include non-financial rewards (holiday trips, moving to large office, recognition, promotion, praise, achievement responsibility and personal growth) and in many case a system of performance management. Pay arrangements are central to the cultural initiative as they are the most tangible expression of the working relationship between employer and employee. Many papers examine the role of organizational culture that is, the demand for monitoring compensation. Such investigations conclude that organizational culture places a significant role in determining the level of economic demands. Recent researches on industrial un rest indicate that reward criteria of the organisations both financial and non-financial rewards have tremendous influence upon the employees and employers performance. Reward is a broad construct that can include anything an employee may value and desire that an employer is able or willing to offer in exchange for employee contribution. A conceptual distinction can be made between the three main constituents of rewardtype, system, and criterion. (Henderson 1989, p.2) Chiang, Flora F.T. ; Birtch, Thomas A (2006) An empirical examination of reward preferences within and across national settings. Management International Review Reward type refers to the nature of the reward itself (e.g., financial and non-financial; extrinsic and intrinsic). Financial rewards include direct (e.g., basic salary) and indirect (i.e., benefits and services) as well as incentive (e.g., variable pay) and non-incentive (e.g., fixed pay) categories. Non-financial rewards, on the other hand, do not benefit employees in a monetary sense and consist of both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic non-financial rewards are tangible rewards attached to the job and are given and controlled by a firm. Examples include employment security, promotion, status, relationships, and work conditions. By contrast, intrinsic rewards accrue from performing the task itself and are self-reinforcing. Job challenge, variety, and sense of achievement are good examples of this category. Reward system represents the method or mechanism (e.g., seniority-based, performance-based) by which organizations determine employee reward outcomes (e.g., pay increases). Systems can be either performance or non-performance oriented. Where performance-oriented reward systems compensate employees based on how well they perform on the job, non-performance systems compensate employees based on a different set of criteria, such as seniority/years of service, and skills/competencies. Reward criterion then, refers to the basis of allocation (i.e., individual or group) used to determine the reward. 1.2 Marriott International Marriott International is a leading, worldwide, hospitality company and has more than 2,300 operating units located in the U.S. and 59 other countries and territories. It employs approximately 154,000 workers. Fortune magazine has recognized Marriott as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (1997-2001), one of the Top 80 Companies for Minorities (2000), and one of Americas Most Admired Companies overall (2001). In addition, Sales and Marketing Management magazine has named Marriott Sales as one of the top 25 sales forces in the U.S. (1997-2000).(mariott.com 13th jan 09) Marriott is and always has been an equal opportunities employer in all aspects of employment. The company is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all its associates, and where every associate is treated with appropriate respect and dignity. It is the companys policy that there should be no unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any associate, job applicant, customers, providers of service or member of public, whether in connection with recruitment, placement, training, benefits or promotion, either directly or indirectly, on grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital or family status(Marriott handbook for employees 2009) Marriott is committed to fair treatment of associates and to providing training and advancement opportunities to all. Marriott has an unshakeable conviction that there associates are the most important assets for them. Marriott always look forward to an environment which will always supports associates growth and development. Marriott is a reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy and is always keen to give a home like atmosphere and friendly workplace relationships. They always try to achieve a performance reward system that recognizes the important contributions of both hourly and management associates. There are two types of associates as explained above. Hourly associates are those employees who are paid on the basis of the hours they worked. In the other hand management associates are those who are paid a fixed salary on the basis of job content assigned to them. Marriott has been selected for the research as they are having employees from all over the world. They employ people not on the basis of ethnicity, caste and religion but on the basis of experience. As they have employees from different parts of the world their needs will be different. They will be looking forward to different types of reward schemes which will suit to their needs and will satisfy them to stay with the organisation. Research has been conducted by taking Marriott as the company because they are facing a high risk of satisfying the needs of employees who are having different tastes regarding rewards which they are looking forward from the organisation. As stated earlier, Marriott has been recognized as one of the 100 companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine. This states that the employees are satisfied to an extent with the rewards which they are allotted by the organisation. As the reward management plays a role in the organisation it will be worth doing a research on the company who cares and gives equal opportunities to each and every employee in the organisation. 1.3 Current postion 1.3.1Current Policy At present Marriott do not have an existing policy for reward system to their employees. However, their ‘unofficial approach can be viewed below. But they are considering reward management on the basis of â€Å"Spirit to serve†. It is based on the service which the associate delivers to the customer to keep the good will of the firm. The manager will nominate the name of the associate to the Human Res department according to their service. Associates name will be displayed in the notice board and sometimes this is valued more than money as an individual and as an employee. 1.3.2 Current Issues a) There is no documentation for reward management policy. b) There are currently no KPIs (key performance indicators) for monitoring and rewarding for employees performance activities. c) Human resource policy document is rarely provided to employees or its not updated. d) Literature tends to be piecemeal Employee guidelines are a separate document to the job without any details on employee recognition/reward. e) Employee recognition is applied inconsistently. f) Difficult to assess the employee performance and its questionable. g) Employee satisfaction stands at very low rate. 1.4 Expected Results Results are expected by looking through the issues regarding the current policies and try to make changes in order to get it done properly to satisfy the employees. Enhancements are required for the policies for the well being of the relationship between the employees and the employer. After this research it should be helpful for the company to implement activities and to sort out the responsibilities to the concerned parties. Reward management should be monitored and evaluated regularly .Employer should go to the next level to satisfy the reward and needs of the employees to get them done with the job allotted. 1.5 Objectives The objective of this research is to recommend improvements to Marriotts Human Resource policy. Ultimately, the policy will aim to: a) Reduce the dissatisfaction of the employees on promotion criterion, on appraisal system and on salary, bonus and other fringe benefits. b) Improve the work performance and productivity c) Reduce the level of occupational stress that arises from feeling of inequality on reward. d) Describe HRM, IHRM and its importance and various HRM strategies and its importance in the current scenario. e) Identify and analyse various factors that drive employees to dissatisfaction f) Analyse various factors that motivates the employees to stay with the organisation. g) Reduce the perception gap on reward management system and develop a culture of high performance. In order to carry out the above objectives it is necessary to analyse:- >What are the human needs? >What are the organisation various approaches towards employee needs and satisfaction 1.6 Scope The project will cover the following a) Review of all associated literature reward management in service and related industries. b) Review of the front-end activities to understand the extent of the employees work related problems and other dissatisfaction if any. c) Review of current HR policy promises and approach to recognising good work of employees d) Establish links with enhanced HR strategy The project applies to All UK domestic and international employees working in Marriott Both emergency and normal working conditions in and out of the working hours. Establish synergies with employee Performance and HR Policy. Out of scope Developing processes or process mapping. Service delivery project to amalgamate employee and their locations / roles (Including transfers). 1.7 Overview This Report analyzed trends of reward management, and its influence in multi national companies in UK. It analyzed various approaches that the industry has taken to reward employees, primarily through literature reviews, and also through the analysis of questionnaire done with the employees from Marriott in UK .This dissertation also produced recommendations for the effective management of reward process for the improved business case. Chapter 1: This is the introductory chapter that explains the Significance of the chosen field, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, The reason for selection of multi national companies especially Marriott , and end with the Overview of the Project Report. Chapter 2: This chapter proceeds with a literature review about various HRM strategies and approaches taken for the reward scheme , and to maintain the needs of the employees in the organisation for the improved product quality and services etc. Chapter 3: This chapter illustrates the characteristics of Marriott, its business nature, global exposure and the various issues that the industry is currently facing in case of reward management Chapter 4: This chapter explains various research methodologies that are used for collecting data and information to carry out various analyses that are required to complete the research and documentation. Chapter 5: This chapter analyses various reasons in order to maintain a good reward management. This is carried out through literature analysis and through data analysis of the Survey conducted on various employees from the Marriott industry in UK. This chapter ends with the findings from the analysis with critical evaluations. Chapter 6: This chapter explains evaluated recommendations for the findings to the reward management of employees, as a management strategy for improving the brand standards. Chapter 7: this chapter gives conclusion about the future development in the industry if the reward management schemes have been allocated properly, which may provide a solution for the future possible issues. Literature Review The basic mantra for the success of any business organization is the appropriate allocation and usage of resources. The most important resources comprise of four Ms man, material, money and machine. The dissertation under consideration deals with the first ‘M that is the manpower or the employees of an organization. They are the backbone as they put every plan into action which is inevitable for the success of a company. So their importance in business cannot be ruled out and they form the backbone of every organization because they determine the success and failure rates. Since the most important set of public for an organization is its workforce which forms the key ingredient of its success, it is a necessary fact that the employees must be kept happy and well bonded. In todays competitive labour market, irrespective of the size of the organization it has become a major concern to attract and retain employees. One of the important reasons underlying the high turnover is low job satisfaction, appreciation and non competitive benefits package. Corporate should keep one point in mind that there is no lack of opportunities for a talented person. So if he/she is not satisfied means they will switch over to some other firm which provides them with more suitable job. So in order to retain the employees and make them happy, there are so many ways like appreciation, recognition, incentives and awards .In addition to that several motivational tools should be implemented from time to time to keep the employees morale high. These promotional items make for a smart tool because they serve as a token of gratitude and also show that you care. It is a great way of thanking the employees for their services .Moreover they are also expecting some sort of recognition from the company and promotional items help to do just that. Making the employees happy as well as a feel that they are cared is very important if the organization wants them to exhibit performance in a desired manner. Promotional items also give a sense of recognition to the employees. Thus it helps in the strong bonding between employees and the employer which ultimately leads to the smooth functioning and a pleasant work environment which is a must for an organization aiming to reach at the top. In the 1920s, the view on a persons role in the industrial working world started to change, the human was beginning to be seen as a subject with potential (Kressler, 2003). As described by Wilson† Technology can be replicated, capital can be acquired, and distribution channels can be created through new alliances, but the actions of people (what they do or fail to do) have become the critical factor in achieving enduring success† (Wilson, 2002, p.15). Todays competitive world demands the firm to invest in people and skills rather than spending huge capital on physical assets, then only they can achieve competitive advantage .Thus its no surprise that a reward strategy can help the organizations to attract and retain the talented ones and to motivate them to led the company to its desired goal . Companies in the service sectors require skilled and committed workforce to exhibit desired performance and also provide good services in a timely manner to their targeted consumers in various countries across the world .Commitment towards job and in return job satisfaction are unavoidable for the successful growth of the companies across the globe. All these facts interested the researcher to select this topic for research to analyze the reasons for the dissatisfaction of job and various factors which helps in motivating the employees of different sectors especially service sector. Kressler, H.W. (2003). Motivate and Reward Performance appraisal and incentive systems for business success. (S. Pearce, Trans). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. (Original work published 1988.) Wilson, T. B. (2002). Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace (2nd Ed.). Blacklick,OH, USA: McGraw Hill Companies. Retrieved 20071108,from http://site.ebrary.com.bibl.proxy.hj.se/lib/jonhh/Top?layout=documentid=10153055?nosr=1 2.1 Employee An employee can be defined as an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job(web.01). He has to do a specific job efficiently within a functional area or department to accomplish the goals of the firm. In most of the organizations a performance development planning process is undergone which will define the specific task of the employee as well as their expected performance. Employees trade their knowledge, skill and experience in exchange for compensation from the firm. If they are not satisfied with the compensation means the propensity to switch the company will be high, this will result in high turnover. So its high time to give importance to the rewards. Employees, considered as human resources of the organization are used for the benefit of the organizations, employees and the society. (Aswathappa, 2008). In order to drive the flow of business in the right direction for better results they have to be valued, respected, encouraged and appreciated .These can be done with the help of rewards. In a good working environment with efficient working methods and equipments employees will exhibit a better work performance and in addition to that natural motivation to do a job for an appropriate reward will surely pave the way for improved productivity and high profitability. For service sector employees are the most important factor, so implementation of new reward strategies and techniques are unavoidable for high quality performance of the employees, also to reduce the high turnover rate. 2.1.1 Impact of Changes on Employees Change is an inevitable part of life especially in the fast changing world. Todays commercial climate is compelling companies to implement changes in order to survive and grow in the global market. Changes always uproot a person and alter his lifestyle. The organizations adopt changes in order to meet the current standards; its employees also have to undergo change and should accept the new circumstances. Due to the technological, social and economic changes employees face a lot of insecurity and its the human nature to resist those changes without knowing about its real benefits. Its the duty of the management to handle this delicate situation in a tactful manner. One of the effective ways is to motivate and encourage the employees to put their best effort under the changing circumstances so that the net result will be high profitability and ultimate success of the business. By creating a good working environment and high morale, employees wont be negatively affected by the new changes. In order to cope up with the commercial changes companies need to be competitive and should attract employees to the job as well as should retain the employees. Employee compensation and benefit packages are the backing up factors for many potential employees who may face discomfort in their work environment due to the social, economical and technical changes without financially jeopardizing the success of the business. Today its a necessary fact that irrespective of the changes which companies are undergoing they should keep their employees motivated by providing them with rewards and recognition. So by communicating the change to the employees, by making them clearly understand about its impact on organization and its benefits, the company can encourage them to do the work in an efficient manner and in exchange employees will get the rewards for their expected performance. 2.1.2 Employee Management Engagement Employee management is the key to effective performance management and employee engagement. Employee engagement is the psychological commitment of employees towards their job. As said by Charles Kettering There is a great difference between knowing and understanding†. It holds true in the case of business and employees. Know your employees and make them understand about the goals to be accomplished. Understanding in business means the proper management of the employees and providing them with what they expect in return for their commitment and efficient work. Compensation can take the form of rewards, recognition, and reasonable benefits package. The first and foremost need for the employee management is the right employee for the right job. The keynote tip which helps to exercise a proper employee management are Structure establishment, which means that there should be a well defined structure for bringing out the desires performance from the employees such as setting of deadlines for a specific task etc. Another one is the value for employees. An organizations greatest asset are its employees so they should be motivated as well as their skills, knowledge and effort should be valued. Company should treat employees with respect by providing a positive work environment to the employees which will definitely boost their performance and to encourage them to meet the goals in an efficient manner. Listen to the employees and appreciate them for the effort they put to meet the goals and provide them ways to improve their potential, thereby creating belief that the company is taking care of them. If the organization wants to capture great heights, all it need is an engaged workforce. It is connected to three forces in an organization attrition, productivity and profitability. In order to reduce the attrition rate organizations should take care of the employees by incrementing their salaries, providing necessary incentives and bonus. Engaged workforce are always aware about the degree of expectation of work by the organization which yields high productivity. Thus they will result in an increase in the profitability of a concern which is the relative measure of success of a business. 2.2 Human Resource Management The overall management process represent five basic functions for the managers to perform: planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. This research focuses on one of those functions the staffing which is the personnel management or human resource management (HRM) function. Human Resource Management is the process of acquiring, training, appraising and compensating employees and of attending to their labour relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns (Dessler, 2008pg 2). Heathfield, (2008) defined â€Å"Human Resource Management (HRM) as the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization†. This can be further explained as â€Å"Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training†(Heathfield, 2008). HRM is vital to the organization. It is the function which focuses its direction towards the management of people working in an organization. Dessler and Chiat (2009) states that, ‘Without HRM, organizations may find themselves in different kinds of unwanted situations, such as hiring the wrong people, getting fined by government ministries for unsafe practices, finding out that people are not giving their best, or even over/under- paying their employees. The most valued asset of an organization is its employees because improved quality and productivity can be achieved through trained, motivated and committed employees. The function of HRM is nothing but to train, motivate and provide the employees with opportunities to be more productive and effective. Since each and every objective of business is achieved through its effective workforce, the needs of the employees should be satisfied. 2.2.1 HRM Models HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy (hence the name ‘matching model) (Armstrong, 2006). They further explained that there is a human resource cycle, which consists of four generic processes or functions that are performed in all organizations (Armstrong, 2006 pg 10). 1. Selection matching available human resources to jobs. 2. Appraisal performance management 3. Rewards the reward system is one of the most under-utilized and mishandled managerial tools for driving organizational performance; it must reward short as well as long-term achievements, bearing in mind that ‘business must perform in the present to succeed in the future. 4. Development developing high quality employees. 2.2.2 Nature and Scope The role of HRM has grown broader and more strategic over time. In the earliest firms â€Å"personnel† first took over hiring and firing from the supervisors, ran the payroll department, and administered benefit plans (Dessler, 2008pg 12). As technology in areas like testing and interviewing began to emerge, the personnel department began to play an expanded role in employee selection, training and promotion. Today globalization, technological and nature of work trends mean that human resource managers have taken on several new responsibilities (Dessler, 2008pg 12). Human resource management involves all management decisions and action that affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and its employees-its human resources (Armstrong, 2006). Human Resource Management is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises. Its focus is on results rather than on rules. HRM helps employees to develop their potential fully.HRM try to help employees develop their potential fully and to encourages employees to give their best to the organization. It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups. It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results. It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-motivated employees. It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization. It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from, for example psychology and economics. The Human Resource Management activities extend from selection to layoff of an employee in an organization. This includes the fixation of remuneration, training, motivation and induction of employees. Thus it helps to develop other industrial relations for employees to acquire more skills and competencies (Aswathappa, 2008).The functional diagram of HRM is given in 2.2 which clearly defines the interrelation between various functions which enable the organization to achieve its objectives by providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees. The scope of HRM can be limited to three aspects: 1. Personnel which mainly deals with the selection, recruitment, manpower planning, placement, promotion, training, development, remuneration, incentives, productivity, layoff and retrenchment. (web 02) 2. Welfare which is concerned with working conditions and amenities such as crà ¨ches, canteens, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities. (web 02) 3. Industrial aspect that covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc. (web 02) Web 02- http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function 2.2.2 Objectives of HRM The objectives of HRM are to help the organization to reach its goals, to ensure effective utilization and maximum development of human resources, to ensure respect for human being, to identify and satisfy the needs of individual, to ensure reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization, to achieve and maintain high morale among employees, to provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees, to increase the employees job satisfaction and self-actualization to the fullest, to develop and maintain a quality work life, to be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of society, to develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect, to enhance employees capabilities to perform the present job, to equip the employees with precision and clarity in transaction of business and to inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration. The above mentioned aims can be summarized as â€Å"the overall aim of human resource management is to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong, 2006 pg8) 2.2.3 HRM Functions In order to achieve the above objectives, Human Resource Management undertakes some functions; some of them are Human resource or manpower planning, recruitment, selection and placement of personnel, training and development of employees, appraisal of performa Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation How can Multi National Companies use Reward management to motivate the Employees of Different Countries? : A Case of Marriott Hotels in UK. Abstract Employees are always considered as people who play a vital role in each and every organisation. The relationship between employee and employer changes frequently through out the years. Several concepts of employees are also varying time by time. Now a days employees are having the bargaining power and they are more concerned about their individual needs and well being of their working environment. This dissertation analyses various factors which motivates an employee to work within an organisation. Employee will stay in an organisation only when their expectations are satisfied or otherwise there is a chance for him/her to leave the company. High employee turnover is a big issue in companies today. Organisations will look forward to retain only the potential key employees who will make real difference to their customers and their stake holders. This dissertation proposes a frame work to retain the employees and to reward those employees for their potential by which they are taking the organisation to a different level. This research has been progressed through literature study on employee concepts, Human Resource Management and Reward management of employees. The data from the primary research has been analysed compared and verified with the findings of secondary research and produced recommendations for the effective management of employee in multi national companies. Introduction Reward management is nowadays considered as an important topic in order to achieve the goals of a company. Employees are considered as the main factor which plays an important role in the organisation. The success of each and every organisation is its dedicated employees .Current world is filled with changes and competition. In order to survive in the current situation companies should be having employees who are loyal and expert in their own field. New technologies are developed constantly and the companies are eagerly trying to catch up those talented employees with right expertise in their own areas. Human resources as an important factor should get increased attention in managing business (Lindergen Paulson ,2008)`. Multinational companies are facing increased challenges from all around the world due to globalisation. 1.1 Reward management Reward system usually means the financial reward on organization gives its employees in return for their labour.The term rewards system, not only includes material rewards, but also non-material rewards. The components of a reward system consist of financial rewards (basic and performance pay) and employee benefits, which together comprise total remuneration. They also include non-financial rewards (holiday trips, moving to large office, recognition, promotion, praise, achievement responsibility and personal growth) and in many case a system of performance management. Pay arrangements are central to the cultural initiative as they are the most tangible expression of the working relationship between employer and employee. Many papers examine the role of organizational culture that is, the demand for monitoring compensation. Such investigations conclude that organizational culture places a significant role in determining the level of economic demands. Recent researches on industrial un rest indicate that reward criteria of the organisations both financial and non-financial rewards have tremendous influence upon the employees and employers performance. Reward is a broad construct that can include anything an employee may value and desire that an employer is able or willing to offer in exchange for employee contribution. A conceptual distinction can be made between the three main constituents of rewardtype, system, and criterion. (Henderson 1989, p.2) Chiang, Flora F.T. ; Birtch, Thomas A (2006) An empirical examination of reward preferences within and across national settings. Management International Review Reward type refers to the nature of the reward itself (e.g., financial and non-financial; extrinsic and intrinsic). Financial rewards include direct (e.g., basic salary) and indirect (i.e., benefits and services) as well as incentive (e.g., variable pay) and non-incentive (e.g., fixed pay) categories. Non-financial rewards, on the other hand, do not benefit employees in a monetary sense and consist of both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic non-financial rewards are tangible rewards attached to the job and are given and controlled by a firm. Examples include employment security, promotion, status, relationships, and work conditions. By contrast, intrinsic rewards accrue from performing the task itself and are self-reinforcing. Job challenge, variety, and sense of achievement are good examples of this category. Reward system represents the method or mechanism (e.g., seniority-based, performance-based) by which organizations determine employee reward outcomes (e.g., pay increases). Systems can be either performance or non-performance oriented. Where performance-oriented reward systems compensate employees based on how well they perform on the job, non-performance systems compensate employees based on a different set of criteria, such as seniority/years of service, and skills/competencies. Reward criterion then, refers to the basis of allocation (i.e., individual or group) used to determine the reward. 1.2 Marriott International Marriott International is a leading, worldwide, hospitality company and has more than 2,300 operating units located in the U.S. and 59 other countries and territories. It employs approximately 154,000 workers. Fortune magazine has recognized Marriott as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (1997-2001), one of the Top 80 Companies for Minorities (2000), and one of Americas Most Admired Companies overall (2001). In addition, Sales and Marketing Management magazine has named Marriott Sales as one of the top 25 sales forces in the U.S. (1997-2000).(mariott.com 13th jan 09) Marriott is and always has been an equal opportunities employer in all aspects of employment. The company is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all its associates, and where every associate is treated with appropriate respect and dignity. It is the companys policy that there should be no unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any associate, job applicant, customers, providers of service or member of public, whether in connection with recruitment, placement, training, benefits or promotion, either directly or indirectly, on grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital or family status(Marriott handbook for employees 2009) Marriott is committed to fair treatment of associates and to providing training and advancement opportunities to all. Marriott has an unshakeable conviction that there associates are the most important assets for them. Marriott always look forward to an environment which will always supports associates growth and development. Marriott is a reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy and is always keen to give a home like atmosphere and friendly workplace relationships. They always try to achieve a performance reward system that recognizes the important contributions of both hourly and management associates. There are two types of associates as explained above. Hourly associates are those employees who are paid on the basis of the hours they worked. In the other hand management associates are those who are paid a fixed salary on the basis of job content assigned to them. Marriott has been selected for the research as they are having employees from all over the world. They employ people not on the basis of ethnicity, caste and religion but on the basis of experience. As they have employees from different parts of the world their needs will be different. They will be looking forward to different types of reward schemes which will suit to their needs and will satisfy them to stay with the organisation. Research has been conducted by taking Marriott as the company because they are facing a high risk of satisfying the needs of employees who are having different tastes regarding rewards which they are looking forward from the organisation. As stated earlier, Marriott has been recognized as one of the 100 companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine. This states that the employees are satisfied to an extent with the rewards which they are allotted by the organisation. As the reward management plays a role in the organisation it will be worth doing a research on the company who cares and gives equal opportunities to each and every employee in the organisation. 1.3 Current postion 1.3.1Current Policy At present Marriott do not have an existing policy for reward system to their employees. However, their ‘unofficial approach can be viewed below. But they are considering reward management on the basis of â€Å"Spirit to serve†. It is based on the service which the associate delivers to the customer to keep the good will of the firm. The manager will nominate the name of the associate to the Human Res department according to their service. Associates name will be displayed in the notice board and sometimes this is valued more than money as an individual and as an employee. 1.3.2 Current Issues a) There is no documentation for reward management policy. b) There are currently no KPIs (key performance indicators) for monitoring and rewarding for employees performance activities. c) Human resource policy document is rarely provided to employees or its not updated. d) Literature tends to be piecemeal Employee guidelines are a separate document to the job without any details on employee recognition/reward. e) Employee recognition is applied inconsistently. f) Difficult to assess the employee performance and its questionable. g) Employee satisfaction stands at very low rate. 1.4 Expected Results Results are expected by looking through the issues regarding the current policies and try to make changes in order to get it done properly to satisfy the employees. Enhancements are required for the policies for the well being of the relationship between the employees and the employer. After this research it should be helpful for the company to implement activities and to sort out the responsibilities to the concerned parties. Reward management should be monitored and evaluated regularly .Employer should go to the next level to satisfy the reward and needs of the employees to get them done with the job allotted. 1.5 Objectives The objective of this research is to recommend improvements to Marriotts Human Resource policy. Ultimately, the policy will aim to: a) Reduce the dissatisfaction of the employees on promotion criterion, on appraisal system and on salary, bonus and other fringe benefits. b) Improve the work performance and productivity c) Reduce the level of occupational stress that arises from feeling of inequality on reward. d) Describe HRM, IHRM and its importance and various HRM strategies and its importance in the current scenario. e) Identify and analyse various factors that drive employees to dissatisfaction f) Analyse various factors that motivates the employees to stay with the organisation. g) Reduce the perception gap on reward management system and develop a culture of high performance. In order to carry out the above objectives it is necessary to analyse:- >What are the human needs? >What are the organisation various approaches towards employee needs and satisfaction 1.6 Scope The project will cover the following a) Review of all associated literature reward management in service and related industries. b) Review of the front-end activities to understand the extent of the employees work related problems and other dissatisfaction if any. c) Review of current HR policy promises and approach to recognising good work of employees d) Establish links with enhanced HR strategy The project applies to All UK domestic and international employees working in Marriott Both emergency and normal working conditions in and out of the working hours. Establish synergies with employee Performance and HR Policy. Out of scope Developing processes or process mapping. Service delivery project to amalgamate employee and their locations / roles (Including transfers). 1.7 Overview This Report analyzed trends of reward management, and its influence in multi national companies in UK. It analyzed various approaches that the industry has taken to reward employees, primarily through literature reviews, and also through the analysis of questionnaire done with the employees from Marriott in UK .This dissertation also produced recommendations for the effective management of reward process for the improved business case. Chapter 1: This is the introductory chapter that explains the Significance of the chosen field, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, The reason for selection of multi national companies especially Marriott , and end with the Overview of the Project Report. Chapter 2: This chapter proceeds with a literature review about various HRM strategies and approaches taken for the reward scheme , and to maintain the needs of the employees in the organisation for the improved product quality and services etc. Chapter 3: This chapter illustrates the characteristics of Marriott, its business nature, global exposure and the various issues that the industry is currently facing in case of reward management Chapter 4: This chapter explains various research methodologies that are used for collecting data and information to carry out various analyses that are required to complete the research and documentation. Chapter 5: This chapter analyses various reasons in order to maintain a good reward management. This is carried out through literature analysis and through data analysis of the Survey conducted on various employees from the Marriott industry in UK. This chapter ends with the findings from the analysis with critical evaluations. Chapter 6: This chapter explains evaluated recommendations for the findings to the reward management of employees, as a management strategy for improving the brand standards. Chapter 7: this chapter gives conclusion about the future development in the industry if the reward management schemes have been allocated properly, which may provide a solution for the future possible issues. Literature Review The basic mantra for the success of any business organization is the appropriate allocation and usage of resources. The most important resources comprise of four Ms man, material, money and machine. The dissertation under consideration deals with the first ‘M that is the manpower or the employees of an organization. They are the backbone as they put every plan into action which is inevitable for the success of a company. So their importance in business cannot be ruled out and they form the backbone of every organization because they determine the success and failure rates. Since the most important set of public for an organization is its workforce which forms the key ingredient of its success, it is a necessary fact that the employees must be kept happy and well bonded. In todays competitive labour market, irrespective of the size of the organization it has become a major concern to attract and retain employees. One of the important reasons underlying the high turnover is low job satisfaction, appreciation and non competitive benefits package. Corporate should keep one point in mind that there is no lack of opportunities for a talented person. So if he/she is not satisfied means they will switch over to some other firm which provides them with more suitable job. So in order to retain the employees and make them happy, there are so many ways like appreciation, recognition, incentives and awards .In addition to that several motivational tools should be implemented from time to time to keep the employees morale high. These promotional items make for a smart tool because they serve as a token of gratitude and also show that you care. It is a great way of thanking the employees for their services .Moreover they are also expecting some sort of recognition from the company and promotional items help to do just that. Making the employees happy as well as a feel that they are cared is very important if the organization wants them to exhibit performance in a desired manner. Promotional items also give a sense of recognition to the employees. Thus it helps in the strong bonding between employees and the employer which ultimately leads to the smooth functioning and a pleasant work environment which is a must for an organization aiming to reach at the top. In the 1920s, the view on a persons role in the industrial working world started to change, the human was beginning to be seen as a subject with potential (Kressler, 2003). As described by Wilson† Technology can be replicated, capital can be acquired, and distribution channels can be created through new alliances, but the actions of people (what they do or fail to do) have become the critical factor in achieving enduring success† (Wilson, 2002, p.15). Todays competitive world demands the firm to invest in people and skills rather than spending huge capital on physical assets, then only they can achieve competitive advantage .Thus its no surprise that a reward strategy can help the organizations to attract and retain the talented ones and to motivate them to led the company to its desired goal . Companies in the service sectors require skilled and committed workforce to exhibit desired performance and also provide good services in a timely manner to their targeted consumers in various countries across the world .Commitment towards job and in return job satisfaction are unavoidable for the successful growth of the companies across the globe. All these facts interested the researcher to select this topic for research to analyze the reasons for the dissatisfaction of job and various factors which helps in motivating the employees of different sectors especially service sector. Kressler, H.W. (2003). Motivate and Reward Performance appraisal and incentive systems for business success. (S. Pearce, Trans). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. (Original work published 1988.) Wilson, T. B. (2002). Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace (2nd Ed.). Blacklick,OH, USA: McGraw Hill Companies. Retrieved 20071108,from http://site.ebrary.com.bibl.proxy.hj.se/lib/jonhh/Top?layout=documentid=10153055?nosr=1 2.1 Employee An employee can be defined as an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job(web.01). He has to do a specific job efficiently within a functional area or department to accomplish the goals of the firm. In most of the organizations a performance development planning process is undergone which will define the specific task of the employee as well as their expected performance. Employees trade their knowledge, skill and experience in exchange for compensation from the firm. If they are not satisfied with the compensation means the propensity to switch the company will be high, this will result in high turnover. So its high time to give importance to the rewards. Employees, considered as human resources of the organization are used for the benefit of the organizations, employees and the society. (Aswathappa, 2008). In order to drive the flow of business in the right direction for better results they have to be valued, respected, encouraged and appreciated .These can be done with the help of rewards. In a good working environment with efficient working methods and equipments employees will exhibit a better work performance and in addition to that natural motivation to do a job for an appropriate reward will surely pave the way for improved productivity and high profitability. For service sector employees are the most important factor, so implementation of new reward strategies and techniques are unavoidable for high quality performance of the employees, also to reduce the high turnover rate. 2.1.1 Impact of Changes on Employees Change is an inevitable part of life especially in the fast changing world. Todays commercial climate is compelling companies to implement changes in order to survive and grow in the global market. Changes always uproot a person and alter his lifestyle. The organizations adopt changes in order to meet the current standards; its employees also have to undergo change and should accept the new circumstances. Due to the technological, social and economic changes employees face a lot of insecurity and its the human nature to resist those changes without knowing about its real benefits. Its the duty of the management to handle this delicate situation in a tactful manner. One of the effective ways is to motivate and encourage the employees to put their best effort under the changing circumstances so that the net result will be high profitability and ultimate success of the business. By creating a good working environment and high morale, employees wont be negatively affected by the new changes. In order to cope up with the commercial changes companies need to be competitive and should attract employees to the job as well as should retain the employees. Employee compensation and benefit packages are the backing up factors for many potential employees who may face discomfort in their work environment due to the social, economical and technical changes without financially jeopardizing the success of the business. Today its a necessary fact that irrespective of the changes which companies are undergoing they should keep their employees motivated by providing them with rewards and recognition. So by communicating the change to the employees, by making them clearly understand about its impact on organization and its benefits, the company can encourage them to do the work in an efficient manner and in exchange employees will get the rewards for their expected performance. 2.1.2 Employee Management Engagement Employee management is the key to effective performance management and employee engagement. Employee engagement is the psychological commitment of employees towards their job. As said by Charles Kettering There is a great difference between knowing and understanding†. It holds true in the case of business and employees. Know your employees and make them understand about the goals to be accomplished. Understanding in business means the proper management of the employees and providing them with what they expect in return for their commitment and efficient work. Compensation can take the form of rewards, recognition, and reasonable benefits package. The first and foremost need for the employee management is the right employee for the right job. The keynote tip which helps to exercise a proper employee management are Structure establishment, which means that there should be a well defined structure for bringing out the desires performance from the employees such as setting of deadlines for a specific task etc. Another one is the value for employees. An organizations greatest asset are its employees so they should be motivated as well as their skills, knowledge and effort should be valued. Company should treat employees with respect by providing a positive work environment to the employees which will definitely boost their performance and to encourage them to meet the goals in an efficient manner. Listen to the employees and appreciate them for the effort they put to meet the goals and provide them ways to improve their potential, thereby creating belief that the company is taking care of them. If the organization wants to capture great heights, all it need is an engaged workforce. It is connected to three forces in an organization attrition, productivity and profitability. In order to reduce the attrition rate organizations should take care of the employees by incrementing their salaries, providing necessary incentives and bonus. Engaged workforce are always aware about the degree of expectation of work by the organization which yields high productivity. Thus they will result in an increase in the profitability of a concern which is the relative measure of success of a business. 2.2 Human Resource Management The overall management process represent five basic functions for the managers to perform: planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. This research focuses on one of those functions the staffing which is the personnel management or human resource management (HRM) function. Human Resource Management is the process of acquiring, training, appraising and compensating employees and of attending to their labour relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns (Dessler, 2008pg 2). Heathfield, (2008) defined â€Å"Human Resource Management (HRM) as the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization†. This can be further explained as â€Å"Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training†(Heathfield, 2008). HRM is vital to the organization. It is the function which focuses its direction towards the management of people working in an organization. Dessler and Chiat (2009) states that, ‘Without HRM, organizations may find themselves in different kinds of unwanted situations, such as hiring the wrong people, getting fined by government ministries for unsafe practices, finding out that people are not giving their best, or even over/under- paying their employees. The most valued asset of an organization is its employees because improved quality and productivity can be achieved through trained, motivated and committed employees. The function of HRM is nothing but to train, motivate and provide the employees with opportunities to be more productive and effective. Since each and every objective of business is achieved through its effective workforce, the needs of the employees should be satisfied. 2.2.1 HRM Models HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy (hence the name ‘matching model) (Armstrong, 2006). They further explained that there is a human resource cycle, which consists of four generic processes or functions that are performed in all organizations (Armstrong, 2006 pg 10). 1. Selection matching available human resources to jobs. 2. Appraisal performance management 3. Rewards the reward system is one of the most under-utilized and mishandled managerial tools for driving organizational performance; it must reward short as well as long-term achievements, bearing in mind that ‘business must perform in the present to succeed in the future. 4. Development developing high quality employees. 2.2.2 Nature and Scope The role of HRM has grown broader and more strategic over time. In the earliest firms â€Å"personnel† first took over hiring and firing from the supervisors, ran the payroll department, and administered benefit plans (Dessler, 2008pg 12). As technology in areas like testing and interviewing began to emerge, the personnel department began to play an expanded role in employee selection, training and promotion. Today globalization, technological and nature of work trends mean that human resource managers have taken on several new responsibilities (Dessler, 2008pg 12). Human resource management involves all management decisions and action that affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and its employees-its human resources (Armstrong, 2006). Human Resource Management is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises. Its focus is on results rather than on rules. HRM helps employees to develop their potential fully.HRM try to help employees develop their potential fully and to encourages employees to give their best to the organization. It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups. It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results. It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-motivated employees. It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization. It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from, for example psychology and economics. The Human Resource Management activities extend from selection to layoff of an employee in an organization. This includes the fixation of remuneration, training, motivation and induction of employees. Thus it helps to develop other industrial relations for employees to acquire more skills and competencies (Aswathappa, 2008).The functional diagram of HRM is given in 2.2 which clearly defines the interrelation between various functions which enable the organization to achieve its objectives by providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees. The scope of HRM can be limited to three aspects: 1. Personnel which mainly deals with the selection, recruitment, manpower planning, placement, promotion, training, development, remuneration, incentives, productivity, layoff and retrenchment. (web 02) 2. Welfare which is concerned with working conditions and amenities such as crà ¨ches, canteens, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities. (web 02) 3. Industrial aspect that covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc. (web 02) Web 02- http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function 2.2.2 Objectives of HRM The objectives of HRM are to help the organization to reach its goals, to ensure effective utilization and maximum development of human resources, to ensure respect for human being, to identify and satisfy the needs of individual, to ensure reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization, to achieve and maintain high morale among employees, to provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees, to increase the employees job satisfaction and self-actualization to the fullest, to develop and maintain a quality work life, to be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of society, to develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect, to enhance employees capabilities to perform the present job, to equip the employees with precision and clarity in transaction of business and to inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration. The above mentioned aims can be summarized as â€Å"the overall aim of human resource management is to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong, 2006 pg8) 2.2.3 HRM Functions In order to achieve the above objectives, Human Resource Management undertakes some functions; some of them are Human resource or manpower planning, recruitment, selection and placement of personnel, training and development of employees, appraisal of performa

Amy Tans The Kitchen Gods Wife Essay -- Kitchen

Amy Tan's The Kitchen God's Wife      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amy Tan's The Kitchen God's Wife is the story of a relationship between a mother and daughter that is much more than it seems. This touchingly beautiful narrative not only tells a story, but deals with many of the issues that we have discussed in Women Writers this semester. Tan addresses the issues of the inequality given women in other cultures, different cultures' expectations of women, abortion, friendship, generation gaps between mothers and daughters, mother-daughter relationships, and the strength of women in the face of adversity. Tan even sets the feminist mood with the title of the book, which refers to a woman in Chinese Mythology who cared for a selfish man who became a minor god. She pulls from her own life experiences, relatives, and emotions to write this story, a factor that probably contributes to the realness of the plot and the roundness of the characters. Tan's mother's previous marriage to an abusive man, her father's death, and her loving relationship with her relatives (specifically her mother) all show themselves in the intricately woven story of a mother named Winnie, and a daughter named Pearl, and their struggles as Chinese-American women.    Much of this story stems from Tan's love for her own mother, Daisy Ching, who gave birth to the brilliant Amy in 1952 in California. Daisy Ching, a great inspiration for this novel, has a vividly detailed recollection of her life in China which she shares with her daughter. Tan, in turn, shares some of this with her readers in The Kitchen God's Wife through the voice of the mother-figure, Winnie. Like Daisy Ching's eldest son (Amy Tan's brother), the main character, Winnie, experiences the de... ...rength will preserve her memories forever. Tan teaches her readers that women have the strength, despite the fact that society has said otherwise, to overcome all obstacles. She also shows the sad plights of our predecessors who have committed sins out of love in their oppressed existence. With the love of a mother and a daughter, both real and imaginary, Amy Tan demonstrates these three things (and more) that we have discussed this semester: women's strength in the face of adversity, the idea that taking a life is better than giving a bad one, and the incorporation of one's own experiences into writing. Tan has written a beautiful piece of literature worthy of being read by men and women alike.    Works Cited 1. Tan, Amy. The Kitchen God's Wife. Thorndike Press: Maine 1991. 2. "1st Person: Amy Tan" Http://www.sunherald.com/1ptan/html/la.htm

Arrogance or Persistance?

Sparks was In the same commercial space for over 75 years. One day in February 2006, a man entered Sparks and started measuring the doors and windows. I asked him why he was measuring my bar's door and windows. He stated, â€Å"l am planning to redecorate my new bar. † He introduced himself as Eric Hamburger, stepson of my late landlord. A couple of days later, I received an eviction letter that demanded that I remove the bar equipment and furnishings from the space in 60 days. I immediately started the process of buying a commercial building o move my bar in to.I bought a commercial building in the city of Lemon Grove. I had managed to save about $50,000. 00 while I owned Sparks. This money was earmarked for funding the Small Business Administration loan and to cover the application fees for all of the required permits and licenses. I completed all of the appropriate applications, forms, and paid the fees. I was confident that I would be in business within the 60 days that I had to move. I could not have been more wrong In my inure life. The city of Lemon Grove's Mayor, Ms. Mary awesome and the LemonGrove city council had a plan for the property that I had Just purchased. They had an agreement with Tipping Point Partners, a developer in La Jolly, to develop the property Into a mixed use mega project. I did not know that 6 months prior to my attempt to buy the property at 3496 Main Street, the Supreme Court had upheld Keel vs†¦ New London. This law allows a city to use eminent domain to redistribute personally owned real estate to develop additional tax revenue. The city of Lemon Grove intentionally denied me any permit to operate a business in Lemon Grove.The repose behind their decision was to force default on the commercial property that I had purchased. I had no legal recourse. I had to suck it up and take it. $60,000. 00 was gone before it was over. Losing the bar cost 200 points on my credit score. My liquor license and business equipment have yearly and storage fees. Devastating! Attraction's hired me and my life stabilized. My thoughts were about the way that I was treated by some selfish connected people. This made me really mad. The callous way that I was treated made me want to know how the process worked and abbey throw a monkey wrench here and there.I chose to run for San Diego City Council. My campaign budget was $1,000. 00. My wife and four of my friends became my campaign staff. It took 11 days walking in the district collecting 2000 signatures necessary to run on the ballot without paying a fee. We attended every 1 OFF for all of the offices that were up for election. There was a lot to learn about San Diego politics. It appeared as if all of the candidates were either owned by a special interest, or were powerless and ineffectual. It was apparent at the first candidate's arum who was going to win the election.Todd Gloria was next in line for the office. He was on Congresswoman Davis' staff. He was the darling of the unions, LEGIT, and the tourism industries. He had 26 endorsements one year prior to the race. Man, was he connected! Money was no object in making Mr†¦ Gloria a city councilman. This fact shaped my strategy. I chose to use my candidacy as a pulpit to be completely honest and bring issues up that I thought needed to be addressed. Some of the positions that I took during the election was placing grid tie solar electric systems on every city owned building.San Diego Gas & Electric was not happy about that. That did not matter, they endorsed Todd Gloria. I received a standing ovation at Earth Day in Balboa Park for advocating the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. This reaction caused Todd Gloria to restate his position from zero tolerance to allowing medical marijuana legalization. Our major campaign issue was the San Diego Wastewater Treatment Plant in Point Loam. This wastewater treatment plant is not currently up to code in the National Pollution Disch arge Permitting Elimination System.In 2008, most people did not see the coming secession and were making money by overdeveloping every market and resource in San Diego. My campaign staff was working for ideas back then that are popular now. We did not win the election. We received 7. 8% of the vote. We felt like we made a big difference. I have used this experience to mentor and coach every person who is serious about making a change in their political leadership. Being perceived as arrogant is not a bad thing. You don't have to win an election to be a winner. Ideas are contagious. You do make a difference, sometimes a small one I grant you, but you do make a difference.

Explication of “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood Essay

Margaret Atwood’s â€Å"Siren Song† is a lyric that consists of nine three-lined stanzas that neither possess any recognizable rhyme scheme nor rhythm. The speaker of this poem is a mythical creature, a Siren, who addresses us, the audience, when she speaks of the victims whom she lured through the enticing song she sings. The overall tone of this poem is sarcastic and quite sinister. The title itself immediately depicts the theme and speaker of the poem. The whole poem is an example of classical allusion, referring to Homer’s Odyssey. The Sirens within the Odyssey are said to be captivating women who sit on an island and lure men with their tantalizing song and beautiful voices, causing them to jump out of their ships and die. The title of the poem forewarns us, and with a name like â€Å"Siren†, the audience should comprehend its literal meaning: â€Å"Danger! Warning! Avoid if you can!†, but we, as readers, want to know more about the Siren’s song, anyway. With naà ¯ve arrogance, we approach the subject, thinking we are strong enough to turn away if things take a turn for the worse, after all, it is just a song. In the first three stanzas, the Siren introduces and briskly elaborates on her tempting song. â€Å"This is the one song everyone would like to learn: the song that is irresistible†, she says. She begins to lure us into her trap as we become curious as to why the song is so compelling. The Siren explains how men jump overboard after hearing her song, even though they see the skulls that are scattered around the island. Most would think that this is an obvious indication as to the outcome for the â€Å"squadrons [of men]† as well. Her song is one that â€Å"nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead†, which should also deter the audience from wanting to hear her song, but we are still, of course, tempted. These first three stanzas serve as an â€Å"alluring warning†, in a sense. Through the next five stanzas, she continues to say that if we assist her â€Å"out of [her] bird suit†, she â€Å"shall tell [us] the secret†. We are left, curiously, to find out what the secret is. The image of a â€Å"bird suit† is a symbol for the conformity the Siren endures, or rather, what she wants us to believe she endures. She says she doesn’t enjoy â€Å"squatting on [an] island, looking picturesque and mythical, with two [other] maniacs†. She makes us believe that all she wants is to be freed from being trapped in her â€Å"bird suit†. She tries to convince us to â€Å"come closer†, and continues to make us feel special, saying that we are â€Å"unique†, and that â€Å"only [we]† can help her. She insists that her song is really â€Å"a cry for help†, and that she’ll tell us her secret – all we have to do is lean in and continue to listen to her tantalizing song. â€Å"Alas it is a boring song but it works every time†, says the Siren in the final stanza. Her song, her cries for help – they all have been a ploy to lure in her next victims. Maybe, her promise to reveal her secret was kept, after all. Perhaps her secret was the fact that her song will always work. She describes her song as â€Å"boring†, and seems almost amused with the outcome of her trap, as though her devious ways are second nature. Regrettably, however, we fell victims to her conniving personality and enthralling song, even after being warned from the moment we read the title. â€Å"Siren Song† by Margaret Atwood is a beautiful poem that cleverly describes the method the Siren uses to catch her victims. The poem takes on a sinister and seductive nature, which leaves us to be quite the opposite of â€Å"unique† – another victim of the Sirens.