How to Use Focus Groups in Marketing Research

Focus groups are a form of qualitative research that is commonly used in product marketing and marketing research, but it is a popular method within sociology as well. During a focus group, a group of individuals—usually 6-12 people—is brought together in a room to engage in a guided discussion of a topic. Lets say youre beginning a research project on the popularity of Apple products. Perhaps you want to conduct in-depth interviews with Apple consumers, but before doing that, you want to get a feel for what kinds of questions and topics will work in an interview, and also see if consumers might bring up topics that you wouldnt think to include in your list of questions. A focus group would be a great option for you to talk casually with Apple consumers about what they like and dont like about the companys products, and how they use the products in their lives. The participants of a focus group are selected based on their relevance and relationship to the topic under study. They are not typically chosen through rigorous, probability sampling methods, which means that they do not statistically represent any meaningful population. Rather, participants are chosen through word-of-mouth, advertising, or  snowball sampling, depending on the type of person and characteristics the researcher is looking to include. Advantages of Focus Groups There are many advantages of a focus group: As a socially oriented research method, it captures real-life data in a social setting.It is flexible.It has high face validity, meaning that it measures what it is intended to measure.It generates quick results.It costs little to conduct.Group dynamics often bring out aspects of the topic or reveal information about the subject that may not have been anticipated by the researcher or emerged from individual interviews. Disadvantages of Focus Groups On the downside: The researcher has less control over the session than he or she does in individual interviews.Data can sometimes be difficult to analyze.Moderators require certain skills.Differences between groups can be troublesome.Groups can often be difficult to pull together.The discussion must be conducted in a conducive environment. Basic Steps In Conducting a Focus Group Some basic steps should be involved when conducting a focus group, from preparation to data analysis. Preparing For the Focus Group: Identify the main objective of the focus group.Carefully develop your focus group questions. Your focus group should generally last 1 to 1 1/2  hours, which is usually enough time to cover 5 or 6 questions.Call potential participants to invite them to the meeting. Focus groups generally consist of six to 12 participants who have some similar characteristic (e.g., age group, status in a program, etc.). Select participants who are likely to participate in discussions and who don’t all know each other.Send a follow-up invitation with a proposed agenda, questions up for discussion, and time/location details.Three days before the focus group, call each participant to remind them of the meeting. Planning the Session: Schedule a time that is convenient for most people. Plan the focus group to take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. Lunchtime or dinnertime is usually a good time for people, and if you serve food, they are more likely to attend.Find a good setting, such as a conference room, with good airflow and lighting. Configure the room so that all members can see each other. Provide nametags as well as refreshments. If your focus group is at lunch or dinnertime, be sure to provide food as well.Set some ground rules for the participants that help foster participation and keep the session moving along appropriately. For example- 1. Stay focused on the subject/question, 2. Keep the momentum of the conversation going, and 3. Get closure on each question.Make an agenda for the focus group. Consider the following: Welcome, review of agenda, review of the goal of the meeting, review of ground rules, introductions, questions and answers, and wrap up.Don’t count on your memory for information shared at the focus group. Plan to record the session with either an audio or video recorder. If this isn’t possible, involve a co-facilitator who takes good notes. Facilitating the Session: Introduce yourself and your co-facilitator, if you have one.Explain your need and reason for recording the focus group discussion.Carry out the agenda.Carefully word each question to the group. Before a group discussion, allow everyone a few minutes to carefully record his or her responses or answers. Then, facilitate discussion around the answers to each question, one at a time.After the discussion of each question, reflect back to the group a summary of what you just heard. If you have a note-taker/co-facilitator, he or she may do this.Ensure even participation among the group. If a few people are dominating the conversation, then call on others. Also, consider a round-table approach in which you go in one direction around the table, giving each person a chance to answer the question.Close the session by thanking the participants and telling them that they will receive a copy of the report generated as a result of the discussion. Immediately After the Session: Verify that the audio or video recorder worked throughout the entire session (if one was used).Make any additional notes on your written notes that you need.Write down any observations you made during the session, such as the nature of participation in the group, any surprises of the session, where and when the session was held, etc. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Is Human Cloning Ethical or Not - 551 Words

Introduction /â€Å"A human clone is really just a time-delayed identical twin of another person. What is Cloning? Although there have been no confirmed cases of cloned human beings, cloning in theory allows scientists to create a genetic copy of another human individual. The clone would not be an exact physical copy and he/she would have his/her own individual personality and unique fingers prints and toe prints in spite of sharing DNA with the person from whom he/she was cloned. The issue of human cloning can be seen as either ethical or un-ethical, depending on who is being questioned; Secular Humanists would not mind human cloning because it would be the rational thing to do and Collectivists would base their decision on what benefits society most by comparing the benefits and negatives that would occur from the procedure both of these perspectives will be viewed as well as the Roman Catholic Church’s view on this controversial issue. Secular humanists can be described as those who think for themselves, they do not need a greater power to make decisions for them. Dolly The Sheep Dolly a Finn –Dorset ewe, was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell. Dolly was formed by talking a cell from the udder of her biological mother. Her embryo was created by talking the cell and inserting in into a sheep ovum, The embryo was them then placed inside a female sheep that went through a normal pregnancy. She was cloned at the Roslin Institute is ScotlandShow MoreRelatedHuman Cloning And Its Ethical Issues1194 Words   |  5 Pagesarguments in the world about human cloning and its ethical issues. In an issue there will always be pros and cons, but the question is, is this experiment right for humanity? This paper will give in detail about what is cloning, human cloning and how it is done. It will provide my point of view in this topic and two other different arguments from both sides of the issue and finally determine which ones are great arguments. I present my argument with we all are humans and deserve to be exemplifiedRead MoreThe Ethical Implications Of Human Cloning1305 Words   |  6 Pagesbe duplicated. Cloning sheep and other nonhuman animals seemed more ethically benign to some than potentially cloning people. In response to such concerns in the United States, President Clinton signed a five-year moratorium on federal funding for human cloning the same year of Dolly s arrival [source: Lamb]. Human cloning has become one of the most debated topics among people in the world regarding the ethical implications. In past polls by TIME magazine (The Ethics of Cloning, 1998), it was shownRead MoreWhat Are the Ethical Issues of Human Cloning1463 Words   |  6 Pagesregarding the issue of human cloning in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia which have made attempts or have done research in reproductive cloning. Countries like Australia have prohibited human cloning in 2006. (NHMRC, 200 7) Advocates who involve congress members, editorial writers, fertility specialists...and so on gave benefits of human cloning, yet not enough to justify the moral and ethical issues underlying the controversy. Human cloning refers to the creationRead More The Medical and Ethical Perspectives of Human Cloning Essay1807 Words   |  8 Pagesand Ethical Perspectives of Human Cloning      Ã‚  Ã‚   In our modern day world, the technology of genetic engineering and human cloning for the use of asexual reproduction has reached a point to where we must ask ourselves if it is a good practice for medical purposes, or if it presents issues of ethical and moral concern.   Human cloning is a very cmplex process; it is very multilayered in the promises and threats that are suggested by scientists (Kolata 8).   In the basic definition, cloning is accomplishedRead More The Ethical and Theological Implications of Human Cloning Essay4880 Words   |  20 PagesThe Ethical and Theological Implications of Human Cloning Introduction Advances in science and technology have often caused revolutionary changes in the way society views the world. When computers were first invented, they were used to calculate ballistics tables; today they perform a myriad of functions unimagined at their conception. Space travel changed the way mankind viewed itself in terms of a larger context, the universe. In 1978, the first test tube baby was born in England makingRead More Human Cloning is an Ethical Nightmare Essay examples3115 Words   |  13 Pagesidea of human cloning. The fantasy that some people had about having clones of themselves or of animals a few years ago is not a fantasy anymore; it is a reality. With the recent cloning of a sheep named Dolly by scientists in Scotland, the powers of cloning are becoming more prevalent. As daunting as this may seem, the human race must now face all the issues related to human cloning, and the one question that comes up amidst all of the relative confusion about the issue is t his: Is human cloningRead MoreEssay about Ethical Issues of Human Cloning2729 Words   |  11 PagesThe word cloning is commonly used in everyday communication to mean many different technological procedures. Cloning is more specifically defined as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Simply explained by Glenn McGee in his article Primer on Ethics and Human Cloning as the starvation and subsequent implantation of DNA from one organism (e.g., cells specialized to make that organisms hair or milk) into an egg whose DNA nucleus has been removed. The resulting egg and nucleus are shocked or chemicallyRead More Animal and Human Cloning: Moral, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues2517 Words   |  11 PagesAnimal and Human Cloning: Moral, Ethical, and Regulatory Issues Dolly, woolly, innocent, and sweet, strongly contrasts with the severity of the issues that she has raised. Ever since the news surfaced that Dr. Ian Wilmut had succeeded in cloning a sheep, people around the world have been participating in a frenzied debate over the morality of cloning animals, and more importantly human beings. The cloning of animals and humans could help the world in unprecedented ways, but could also give riseRead MoreEssay on Does Artificial Human Cloning Challenge Ethical Boundaries?2112 Words   |  9 PagesDoes Artificial Human Cloning Challenge Ethical Boundaries? Are you one of the millions of humans that take their individuality for granted? If so, adding a replica of a loved one no big deal. Or is it? Human cloning, will it be the wave of the future which will create a human being that will genetically superior or simple replace a loved one that died? What would a parent pay to replace a lost child $1000.00, $10,000.00, or as much as one million dollars, and if so would this be justifiable, moralRead MoreEthical Issues Related to the Cloning Debate1389 Words   |  6 PagesThe act of cloning a human being comes dangerously close to human beings acting as God. Do human beings have the right to tamper with nature in this way? This essay explores the various ethical issues related to the cloning debate, and seeks answers to this deep philosophical question at the heart of bioethics. As a student of genetic biology and future biologist, this question also has personal relevance. Our science is evolving at a rapid pace. As human cloning become s increasingly possible, it

Communicaton between animals and humans by Aisha A Essay Example For Students

Communicaton between animals and humans by Aisha A Essay l-suleimany (UniversINTRODUCTIONThe importance of communication between animals cannot be underestimated. Through communication, animals are able to concentrate on finding food, avoiding their enemies, mating and caring for their young. The study of communication between animals and humans is a never ending fascination and a way to learn more about ourselves. The development of human communication is what makes us exclusive to any living thing on this planet. The ways in which we communicate with one another is uniquely important in our everyday lives. Without its presence, the world would have no development, holding the same appearance as one million years ago. We would be lacking a sense of society and most probably be still in the Stone Age. The mystery of the development of human language constitutes how we are uniquely human from other animals. Human beings have a daily working vocabulary of 1000 words, and with our knowledge on how to use grammatical rules is what makes our sense of communication more sophisticated than any animal. Verbal communication between humans is the central, most relevant factor in a sophisticated society. People have evolved into expressive and capable members of society. The human language has been around for five thousand years and it is apparent that language has been complex long before that. The human language is quite problematic as grammar and syntax play a major role in defining language. Animals have an extremely primitive way of communicating compared to humans, and the way in which we communicate. Animals cannot verbally speak like us humans and studies verify this. HUMAN AND ANIMAL COMMUNICATIONIt is the existence of human communication that has made the world the place it is today. Through communication, human beings have created skyscrapers, long bridges to complicated forms of transportation. We have also had the ability to start world destruction and encourage world peace. It is through learning how to communicate with other humans for almost five thousand years that a persons way of thinking has expanded and information has been passed on from generation to generation. Without a well-advanced language system, we would not be able to function as a successful society that is constantly making advanced and technological developments. The ways in which we communicate to each other begins from the day we are born. A baby will communicate to us through cry, body gestures and play. For example, when an infant is tired, hungry, upset or uncomfortable, they will cry to let us know how they are feeling. When a baby needs our attention, they will automatically kick and move around until we pick them up or play with them. It is through a parents instinct that we are able to read these signs of baby communication. Through the babies first year of life, they will constantly use baby talk as a way of communicating. They learn to speak through babble, as they are beginning to expand on vowel sounds which form words. According to Preyer (1956), Sigismund had found, As the first articulate sounds made by a child from Thuringen, ma, ba, bu, appa, ange, anna, brrr, arrr : these were made about the middle of the first three months. Sigismund is of the opinion that this first lisping, or babbling consists in the production of syllables with only two sounds, of which the consonant is most often the first; that the first consonants distinctly pronounced are the labials.A child will imitate the words we use or sounds they hear and add them to their vocabulary. It may sound like babble to us, but this is the way in which a child gains an understanding 11/12/2002linguistic meanings, it still includes syllables and other word like sounds. A common example is Dink for drink, duce for juice and nana for banana . They seem to use alternative words that are easier to pronounce as their vowel sounds hasnt developed properly. In time, children will learn their grammatical skills from nursery rhymes or playing with other children. The American linguist Noam Chomsky exclaimed that, Human language is a special faculty that has a specific biological basis and that has evolved only in humans. Language arose because the brain passed a threshold in

Principle of Utmost Good Faith Essay Example

Principle of Utmost Good Faith Paper We are glad to submit it as part of completion f the requirements for our Insurance Risk Management (F-210) course with you. Insurance industry. Writing this report has been a great pleasure an interesting experience. This project helped us tremendously to understand the implication of theoretical knowledge in the practical field. It has also shaped some of our basic views like how to communicate carry ourselves in the world of business. We have tried our best to put up a good report with as much information as we could gather during the short time span allotted for writing this report. Thank you for your kind support and help throughout the course, we remain. We hope you will appreciate this sincere effort. Sincerely, Group: 13 Section: A Batch: 18th Roll Signature Generalissimos Similarities Farmland Circumnavigates Almighty ALLAH for giving us the opportunity to accomplish such an enjoyable task of preparing this report in time. We would like to pay our gratitude to all of the people who helped us a lot and for the completion of this report before, during, and after the working period. At first we would like to acknowledge the Almighty, who helped s every time and was with us and gave us moral support and strength every moment. We are especially grateful to our honorable course teacher Ms. Valetudinarianism giving us valuable suggestions and support to prepare this report. Without her advice and support, it would not be possible for us to prepare this report. Contents Page No. Concept of Principle Of Utmost Good Faith The Principle Of Utmost Good Faith A Brief History 10 The law relating to utmost good faith Material fact 12 Facts required to be disclosed not to be disclosed 13 Breach Of Duty 14 We will write a custom essay sample on Principle of Utmost Good Faith specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Principle of Utmost Good Faith specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Principle of Utmost Good Faith specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Principle of utmost good faith under life insurance 16 Principle of utmost good faith under the Marine Insurance 17 Analysis Of Insurance Company a) Sanding Life Insurance Company Company profile 19 Main Analysis 21 b) Statesmanship Corporation 26 Conclusion 29 utmost good faith for analyzing it make a comparative analysis between Sanding life insurance company limited Corporation about the application of this principle. We have tried our best to complete the report properly but because of our lack of enough experience to this work, there may have been some mistakes in the report. The duty of utmost good faith is implied into all insurance contracts by Section 13. It applies to both the insurers and to insured. A higher duty is expected from parties to an insurance contract than from parties to most other contracts in order to ensure the disclosure of all material facts so that the contract may accurately reflect the actual risk being undertaken. The basis of this rule can be found in the famous case of Carter v. Boone (1766) 3 Burr 1905, where L. Mansfield stated that Insurance is a contract of speculation. The duty of utmost good faith applies in both situation in pre intercultural post contractual stage. A failure to comply with the duty of utmost good faith on the part of policyholders may result in the refusal or reduction of a claim or cancellation of their policy. In this report the practical application of principle of utmost good faith of a life insurance company (Sanding Life Insurance Company limited) a general insurance company (Statesmanship Corporation) are described briefly. In case of general insurance company we took two types of policy fire insurance policy marine hull insurance policy and discuss about the covers under this types of policies. We also discuss what types of question generally asked by the insurance company to the proposes in time of effecting these policies to ensure principle of utmost good faith. Management (F-210). The Topic Principle of utmost good faith- a comparison between Shanghai life insurance company and Statesmanship corporation was assigned to us by our honorable course teacher Platitudinous. While preparing the report, we gave our best effort to incorporate all relevant aspects of the topic. The objectives of the report are as following: Enriching the knowledge about an insurance company by reviewing its company refill products offered by them. Enriching capability to interpret about a company by reviewing annual reports. Application of utmost good faith in insurance Industry. Knowing the basic difference Differences in application of utmost good faith. Primary: Visiting the company Internet Secondary: Public Survey to know the popularity of the insurance companies Interviewing some employees of insurance companies. There are some limitations of this study. Therefore the report may lack some crucial data. We couldnt find enough source of information for preparing the report. As a exult, we mainly had to depend on the internet and some business Journals for the The term paper was prepared within a very short time considering the topics related to report. So we cant describe all the parts of the report in detail. The officials had sometimes been unable to provide information because of their huge routine work. The assignment has encountered these limitations that may have hinder progress. But with constant effort, our goal was to minimize the negative efforts of these limitations. Insurance contracts are a special class of contracts which are guided by certain basic reminisces like those of utmost good faith, insurable interest, proximate cause, indemnity, subrogation and contribution. As such, an insurance contract is generally a combination of more than one of these principles and no single principle can be used at one time. The rest is dependent on the contract between the parties. These principles are mostly guided by common law principles from which they have developed. They have also been modified by principles of contract and by statutes as in the case of the Marine Insurance Act, 1963 which has to a certain extent relaxed he basic principles of insurance law. The most crucial principle of insurance is the principle of utmost good faith. The duty of good faith is central to and regulates all aspects of the contract of insurance, from inception through to the terms of the contract, to each partys responsibilities in the event of a claim under the contract of insurance. Information that is of vital importance is only known to one party to the contract. To make the dealings as fair as possible, the principle of utmost good faith was developed whereby the party possessing the knowledge owes a duty to disclose he material and relevant facts to the other party of the contract so that the other party can make an accurate assessment of what they are undertaking. In the insurance market, the doctrine of utmost good faith requires that the party seeking insurance discloses all relevant personal information. For example, if anyone is applying for life insurance, he/she is required to disclose any previous health problems he/she may have had. Likewise, the insurance agent selling anyone the coverage must disclose the critical information he/she needs to know about his/her contract and its terms. The Word-Bridesmaids : Sometimes seen in its genitive form bridesmaid is a Latin phrase meaning utmost good faith literally, most abundant faith. It is the name of a legal doctrine which governs insurance contracts. This means that all parties to an insurance contract must deal in good faith, making a full declaration of all material facts in the insurance proposal. This contrasts with the legal doctrine caveat emptor I. E. Let the buyer beware. Thus the insured must reveal the exact nature and potential of the risks that he transfers to the insurer, while at the same time the insurer must aka sure that the potential contract fits the needs of, and benefits, the assured. A higher duty is expected from parties to an insurance contract than from parties to most other contracts in order to ensure the disclosure of all material facts so that the contract may accurately reflect the actual risk being undertaken. The duty of utmost good faith is implied into all insurance contracts by Section 13. It applies to both the insurers and to insured. The duty covers all aspects of the insurance relationship and is additional to all other duties that the Act imposes. The principle of utmost DOD faith (beriberi fide) implies into each insurance contract a requirement to act with the highest degree of integrity towards the other party, to be full and frank in disclosure and to act with fairness. There must be no intention to mislead or to deceive. The courts have held that while innocent errors or mere carelessness will not be sufficient to demonstrate a lack of utmost good faith, reckless conduct is likely to do so. Conduct that is fraudulent or dishonest is a breach of duty of utmost good faith. Section 14 states that if the reliance by a party on any provision of the contract loud fail to be an act of good faith, then the party cannot rely on that provision. This is generally aimed at the insurer and is merely another way of saying that the insurer must have due regard to the insureds interests when the insurer is placed in a position of conflict such as deciding whether to pay out on a claim. A Brief History : At common law a contract of insurance is based on the principle that the insurer and insured act with the utmost good faith towards each other which is known as bridesmaids. A greater duty is cast on the assured to make known to the insurer ill the date of validity of the policy about all such material facts connected with the subject matter of the insurance which the insurer does not know or is not deemed to know. Evolution of the doctrine under Common Law : where the duty of disclosure lies on both the parties. A failure to disclose such fact, even if done innocently, will entitle the insurer to avoid the contract within a reasonable time period. The basis of this rule can be found in the famous case of Carter v. Boone (1766) 3 Burr 1905, where L. Mansfield stated that Insurance is a contract of speculation. The Renville was settled by the Judgment of Lord Mansfield in Carter v Boone (1766) Case. The principles underlying this rule were stated by Lord Mansfield in the leading and often quoted case of Carter v Boone Insurance is a contract of speculation The special facts upon which the contingent chance is to be computed lie most commonly in the knowledge of the assured only; the underwriter trusts to his representation and proceeds upon confidence that he does not keep back any circumstance in his knowledge to mislead the underwriter into a belief that the circumstances do not exist. The keeping back of such circumstances is fraud, and therefore the policy is void. Although the suppression should happen through mistake, without any fraudulent intention, yet still the underwriter is deceived and the policy is void; because the risk run is really different from the risk understood and intended to be run at the time of agreement. The policy would be equally void against the underwriter if he concealed. Good faith forbids either party; by concealing what he privately knows to draw the other into a bargain from his ignorance of the fact, and his believing the contrary. Clearly so, L. Mansfield here talks only about the obligation of the insured towards the insurer at the time of making of the contract. This statement fails to cover such disclosures as are ought to be made by the assured after the completion of the contract and during the validity of the policy. The statements of the principles governing non-disclosure by Lord Mansfield is to be considered as in the context of the inception of the contract of insurance. At common law the duty of utmost good faith applies after the inception of a contract and during its currency. The duty of principle of utmost good faith: The relationship between the assured and the insurer is one of bridesmaids, or of utmost good faith. In the event that either party does not observe utmost good faith, the innocent party may avoid the contract . The principle of utmost good faith implies into each insurance contract a requirement to act with the highest degree of integrity towards the other party, to be full and frank in disclosure and to act with fairness. There must be no intention to mislead or to deceive. A failure to comply with the duty f utmost good faith on the part of policyholders may result in the refusal or reduction of a claim, or in cancellation of their policies. If insurers breach their duty of utmost good faith to policyholders they may not be able to rely on particular provisions of their insurance contracts.

Reduplicatives And Their Meanings

Reduplicatives And Their Meanings Reduplicatives And Their Meanings Reduplicatives And Their Meanings By Sharon After my recent post on reduplicatives, Jaguar asked for definitions of the terms in the post. Of course, now Im wishing that I hadnt included quite so many examples, but here goes: Repeating reduplicatives: ack-ack anti aircraft fireaye-aye yes (often used by seamen)bang-bang sound of a gunberiberi disease caused by vitamin B deficiencybonbon a sweetboo-boo a blunderbye-bye goodbyecha-cha Latin ballroom dancechoo-choo train, or sound of the trainchop chop quickly (from pidgin English)froufrou elaborate (usually of a dress)goody goody someone virtuous or smugha-ha the sound of laughterhush hush confidentialmuumuu loose, bright Hawaiian dressnight-night goodnightno-no forbiddenpapa fatherpawpaw papaya Rhyming reduplicatives: airy-fairy unrealistic; light and delicateargy-bargy verbal disputeartsy-fartsy pretentiously artistic (also arty-farty)boo hoo crying soundboogie-woogie piano jazz stylebow-wow the sound of a dogeasy-peasy very easyfuddy-duddy conservative or dull personhanky-panky suspicious behaviourheebie-jeebies nervousnesshelter-skelter haphazardhiggledy-piggledy muddledhocus-pocus trickery; a magicians incantationhodge-podge a confused mixturehoity-toity haughtyitsy-bitsy tinyjeepers creepers exclamation of surprisemumbo-jumbo derogatory reference to a religious or spiritual ritualnamby-pamby feeble, weaknitty gritty the factsokey-dokey OKsuper-duper very pleasingwilly-nilly whether its wanted or not Vowel change reduplicatives: chit-chat gossipy talkclip clop sound of a horses hoovescriss-cross a pattern of lines that cross each otherdilly-dally to loiterding-dong the sound of a bellflim-flam foolishnessflip-flop this has several meanings, including a backward somersaut and a sandal with a piece between the toeship-hop type of musicknick-knack trinketmish-mash a confused mixtureping pong table tennispitter-patter a light, tapping soundriff-raff rabble; people who are worthlessriprap broken stones on water used to protect riverbankssee-saw a piece of wood with a central balance which allows it to move up and downshilly-shally to hesitatetick tock sound of a clocktittle-tattle chat, gossipzigzag sharp turns in alterating directions Phew! That took some doing. The definitions are from the Collins English Dictionary, and Ive tried to stick to the most common ones. Enjoy1 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowStory Writing 101Glimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

Timeline of Events in Ancient Babylonia

Timeline of Events in Ancient Babylonia [Sumer Timeline] Late 3rd Millennium B.C. Babylon exists as a city.Shamshi-Adad I (1813 - 1781 B.C.), an Amorite, has power in northern Mesopotamia, from the Euphrates River to the Zagros Mountains. Â   1st Half of 18th Century B.C. 1792 - 1750 B.C. Collapse of Shamshi-Adads kingdom after his death. Hammurabi incorporates all of southern Mesopotamia into the kingdom of Babylon. 1749 - 1712 B.C. Hammurabis son Samsuiluna rules. The course of the Euphrates River shifts for unclear reasons at this time. 1595 Hittite king Mursilis I sacks Babylon. Sealand Dynasty kings appear to rule Babylonia after the Hittite raid. Almost noting is known of Babylonia for 150 years after the raid. Kassite Period Mid-15th Century B.C. The non-Mesopotamian Kassites take power in Babylonia and re-establish Babylonia as the power in the southern Mesopotamian area. Kassite-controlled Babylonia lasts (with a short break) for about 3 centuries. It is a time of literature and canal building. Nippur is rebuilt. Early 14th Century B.C. Kurigalzu I builds Dur-Kurigalzu (Aqar Quf), near modern Baghdad probably to defend Babylonia from northern invaders. There are 4 major world powers, Egypt, Mitanni, Hittite, and Babylonia. Babylonian is the international language of diplomacy. Mid-14th Century Assyria emerges as a major power under Ashur-uballit I (1363 - 1328 B.C.). 1220s Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I (1243 - 1207 B.C.) atttacks Babylonia and takes the throne in 1224. Kassites eventually depose him, but damage has been done to the irrigation system. Mid-12th Century Elamites and Assyrians attack Babylonia. An Elamite, Kutir-Nahhunte, captures the last Kassite king, Enlil-nadin-ahi (1157 - 1155 B.C.). 1125 - 1104 B.C. Nebuchadrezzar I rules Babylonia and retakes the statue of Marduk the Elamites had taken to Susa. 1114 - 1076 B.C. Assyrians under Tiglathpileser I sack Babylon. 11th - 9th Centuries Aramaean and Chaldean tribes migrate and settle in Babylonia. Mid-9th to End of the 7th Century Assyria increasingly dominates Babylonia.Assyrian king Sennacherib (704 - 681 B.C.) destroys Babylon. Sennacheribs son Esarhaddon (680 - 669 B.C.) rebuilds Babylon. His son Shamash-shuma-ukin (667 - 648 B.C.), takes the Babylonian throne.Nabopolassar (625 - 605 B.C.) gets rid of the Assyrians and then strikes against the Assyrians in a coalition with Medes in campaigns from 615 - 609. Neo-Babylonian Empire Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadrezzar II (604 - 562 B.C.) rule the western part of the Assyrian Empire. Nebuchadrezzar II conquers Jerusalem in 597 and destroys it in 586.Babylonians renovate Babylon to suit the capital city of an empire, including 3 square miles enclosed in city walls. When Nebuchadnezzar dies, his son, son-in-law, and grandson assume the throne in rapid succession. Assassins next give the throne to Nabonidus (555 - 539 B.C.).Cyrus II (559 - 530) of Persia takes Babylonia. Babylonia is no longer independent. Source: James A. Armstrong Mesopotamia The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996. Oxford University Press.

In Support of Abortion Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In Support of Abortion Rights - Essay Example Hopefully, society is evolving and someday soon the vast majority will agree that laws that force women to carry their pregnancy to term not only contradict the precepts of the U.S. Constitution but any definition of compassion and decency as well. It is unconscionable that a nation founded on and dedicated to civil liberties could allow its citizens to resort to dangerous self-abortion procedures. Two questions arise when debating whether the Constitution legally protects a woman’s right to have an abortion performed. The first involves reasoning whether the fundamental interests of women are affected by the restricting of abortion. The other inquires if laws preventing legal abortions are justified even if the Constitution does in fact address this issue. Answering the first question is rather simple. Courts regularly hear cases so as to decide whether or not the rights of an individual are protected by the Constitution. If courts are engaged in recognizing if the fundamental rights of individuals are protected, then the personal interest of a woman being forced by the government to have an unwanted child certainly applies. Recognizing that courts do indeed have the authority to intervene in decisions involving individual rights citing the Constitution as precedence, could laws preventing abortions still be justified in spite of this egregious encroachment on the civi l liberties of women? After all, constitutional rights are not unconditional. Why doesn’t the government have an interest in protecting the rights of those not yet born? The Fourteenth Amendment answers this question. It begins by referring to â€Å"All persons born ... in the United States† (â€Å"Fourteenth Amendment†, 2006), indicating that the protections under the Constitution refer only to persons who are ‘born.’ Those opposed to Roe also argue that if the Constitution does not directly address an

Egg Osmosis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Egg Osmosis - Lab Report Example Because of these changes that extracellular conditions may incur, animals such as humans have in them mechanisms like kidneys by which the interstitial fluid which bathe the cells remain isotonic to the cytoplasm. A differentially permeable plasma membrane is an important feature of cells as it encloses all the organelles to increase the concentration of reactants (by decreasing the volume) available for chemical processes specific to the organelle. In addition, it protects the cell from the constantly changing external milieu. The unregulated entry of big and ionic molecules is prevented by the hydrophobic interior of the membrane. Impermeable molecules that are nonetheless essential are transported through proteins embedded in the membrane. The most common example is water, which passes through the transmembrane aquaporins. The water molecule is an 18 g/mol molecule, which is small compared to a 32 g/mol O2 that can pass through the membrane much more freely than water. So how come water molecules still need aquaporins to be able to pass through the amphiphilic plasma membrane? Despite their neutral charge, water molecules are polar molecules which have a transient negative on the O side and a transient positive in between the two H molecules. This polarity makes them attractive to other polar solutes, producing a transient solute-water binding that decreases the thermodynamic activity (or movement). The more impermeable solutes are present the less is its activity. Because energy spontaneously flow from high to low thermodynamic activity, water movement, or osmosis, should go from a low (hypotonic solution) to high concentration (hypertonic solution) of solutes. If no osmosis was observed, the cytoplasm is said to be isotonic to the surrounding solution. Osmosis happening in cells was replicated in this experiment, with unshelled eggs

Inequality in our Education System Essay Example for Free

Inequality in our Education System Essay Education is vital to all individuals. It is the foundation of ones development in order to achieve personal distinction. In addition, it also equips people the capacity to properly interact with other people. Education serves as a weapon for survival. It empowers ones capacity and provides an edge in any endeavor that one wishes to get involved in. For example, in securing a job, a decent   and impressive educational attainment is one of the qualifications necessary in order to get hired.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schools are designed to provide the adequate needs for attaining quality education. Schools should provide competent teachers, rigorous curriculum and modern facilities and equipments. But few   Americans are aware of the massive disparity and inequality that are consuming the educational system. Although it is not proper and ideal, the social status of an individual greatly affects the quality of education that one receives (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tracking, in the area of education, recognizes the gap between the low-income, minority students and their well-off peers. Ethnic and linguistic minority students coming from low-income background oftentimes only afford admission to general and vocational courses, thus decreasing their chance, if not totally depriving them from pursuing college education (Mehan and Hubbardm, 1999, n.p). Schools with high concentration of low-income and minority students receive fewer and poor quality learning resources than the other schools within the same district (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with medical assistance and social welfare, ideally the education sector should be alloted with a larger portion from the state budget and should be appropriately divided among all the schools. But ironically, educational fund in the United States has also been unequally distributed to all schools. 10% of the wealthiest school district in the most industrialized country spend 10 times more than the 10% least fortunate. The number of poor and minority students are definitely higher in the least funded schools, mostly located at the central cities and rural areas, which is lowly funded than the schools in the suburban districts. Recent study shows that Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, and Texas and schools with higher ratio of students of non-White American descent receive fewer resources than schools serving a greater number of White Americans (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To address the issue of racism within the educational system, the idea of hidden curriculum was coined. Hidden curriculum pertains to the messages passed on by the organization or pedadogical institution apart from their public statements. The hidden curriculum is aimed to teach the students of school routines and to enable students in getting along in school and in the society in general. The messages in hidden curriculum may complement or contradict each other. In a way, it opens the minds of students to the possibility that some of the innate principles and natural laws enclosed within the democratic political system, may not at all times be practiced (Cornbleth. 2008, n.p).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Earlier studies proved that hidden curriculum conveyed in public and private schools were different. Public schools mainly focuses on academic classrooms with an emphasis on things like race, ethnicity, disability, and gender or sexual orientation as well as social class, politics, and culture (Cornbleth, 2008, n.p).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the years, we have overcome indecency caused by racism. As our culture succumbs to the tenets of globalization, people of different faces and races have been drawn closer towards each other. And this trend would ideally suggest equality among people born out of different ethnicities. The irregularities in our education systems rooted from unjust   policies have caused inequality in our schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tracking, has kept the students separated from others based on their skin color and income. Tracking is therefore a form of racism, wherein students coming from different race and low-income background can never avail of the same oppurtunities, benefits and treatment that other students get. School funding policies branch from tracking, where schools serving more students who they believe are from inferior color and race, receive lesser funds than other schools. And last, hidden curriculum disposes messages that rationalized disparity among students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In any way, the school shall serve as an institution where values and culture formation is hastened. But if an important and delicate institution like schools inculcate disparity amongst the people, then students and the whole society will be deprived of the rights that everyone must equally enjoy. References Cornbleth, Catherine. (2008). Hidden Curriculum. Retrieved May 3 2008 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1899/Curriculum-School-HIDDEN-CURRICULUM.html Darling-Hammond, Linda. (2001). Inequality in Teaching and Schooling: How Opportunity Is Rationed to Students of Color in America. In The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do Enhancing Diversity in the Health Professions (pp. 208-233). National Academy. Mehan, Hugh and Lea Hubbard. (July 1999). Tracking Untracking: Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Innovation. Retrived May 3 2008 from http://crede.berkeley.edu/research/tier/rb3.shtml

How does Elie Wiesel change in response to his concentration camp exper

Everyday, we go through situations and experiences that affect us in someway, perhaps even change us. Different situations have different effects. The more difficult the situation is, the more of an effect it has on us. Those hard times can be called adversity. How do we, as humans, react to adversity? What are the possible effects it may have?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of adversity is the Holocaust - Hitler‘s plan to exterminate the Jews. In the memoir, Night, we discover how Elie Wiesel changes in response to his concentration camp experiences. The separation from his loved ones and the horrible conditions of these camps affect Elie immensely. Elie is affected in the following ways: physically, emotionally and spiritually. The Holocaust had changed him into a completely different person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physically, Elie basically changes from a healthy human being into a walking skeleton. The Jews can be described as â€Å"skin and bones†. They were also extremely weak. Being forced to work at their labor camps must have been extremely difficult. The lack of food served at the camps, as well as the poor quality of what is being served made him that way. The Jews were only fed bread and soup. It gets to the point where everything revolves around food and each person’s own survival. For example, on page 104, Elie’s father claims that the other prisoners were beating him. Elie’s then says â€Å" I began to abuse his neighbors...

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

The short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty depicts the struggle of a black woman in a white society. The protagonist in the story is an old black woman, Phoenix Jackson who travels through a worn path in the woods to acquire medicine for her grandson.The hardships she faces during her journey through the woods is symbolic of the struggle, she faces in her life as a black woman. Eudora Welty brings forth the notion that the fortitude, wisdom and courage of Jackson aid her in winning the struggle against a racist society.FortitudePhoenix Jackson displays fortitude when she faces hardships in her life, and during her journey through the woods. Phoenix was aware that it was dangerous to travel in the deep woods, as there were wild animals lurking in the forest. But still she decides to travel through the forest and calls on the wild animals to stay out of her way, â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!† (Welty).The f act that the â€Å"The woods were deep and still† never deterred her from continuing with her journey. â€Å"At the foot of this hill was a place where a log was laid across the creek†, but Phoenix crosses the log with great dexterity. (Welty). It is the determination of Phoenix that provides her with the strength to carry on with her journey in spite of being faced by numerous obstacles in her path.Phoenix Jackson emerges as a wise woman who bears with her hardships patiently, hoping that the future will bring an end to her troubles. Even while her dress is caught up in a bush, she thinks that the thorns are carrying on their work, â€Å"Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass, no sir†. (Welty).She is wise enough to understand that the thorns were doing their duty and it was her duty to make her way through the thorns. She frees herself from the thorns, â€Å"Finally, trembling all over, she stood free†. (Welty). Instead of co mplaining about the impediments in her path, she endeavors to find a way out of them. She finds a way to pass through a barbed-wire fence, â€Å"spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps†. (Welty). The wisdom of Phoenix aids her in overcoming the adversities of her journey and life.CourageAnother trait that aids Phoenix in her struggle is her courage. Even when the white man holds a gun towards her, she stays still. When asked by the white man whether she was frightened by the gun, she replies, â€Å"No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done†. (Welty).Looking at her age, the white man advises Phoenix to stay at home so that she will be safe. But Phoenix refuses to listen and insists on continuing with her journey, â€Å"I bound to go on my way, mister.† (Welty). Phoenix never stopped until she reached her destination, â€Å"She walked on.† (Welty). Phoenix is a courageous w oman who faces the dangers in her journey bravely.ConclusionIn her short story â€Å"A Worn Path†, Eudora Welty brings forth the struggle of a black woman, Phoenix Jackson in a society where blacks were considered as inferior beings. The obstacles that she encounters during her journey through the woods are representative of the hardships she has to face in her society while leading her life as a black woman.With the aid of her fortitude, wisdom and courage, Phoenix emerges victorious in her journey through the forest and the journey of life. She reaches her destination after travelling through the dangerous forest. As far as her life is concerned, she is positive about her future in spite of the fact that she is struggling in the present times.Works CitedWelty, Eudora. A Worn Path. 2 March 2009.http://www.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Stories/WornPath.html

Die Frau Ohne Schatten

Die Frau Ohne Schatten, since its elements appear to be similar to those of fairy tales, but with a darker twist, implies the concept of penance, human corruption and agony. The characters symbolize several flaws of humanity that tend to have destructive consequences. The empress and the nurse for instance epitomized the corrupt tendencies of humans, particularly those seated in power as the latter parts of scene one's act two showed the empress and the nurse display innovation and creativity in achieving their self-serving ends.In addition, the troubled state of the empress while posing as a servant for the dyer's family went to show that she refuses to give up the royal and glamorous life despite the importance of the consequences at stake. The dyer's familial and economic conditions in the presentation meanwhile resembles the suffering and torment as experienced by humans especially the middle to lower class members of society.The physical deformities of the three brothers, as wel l as the poverty stricken life of the dyer's family reflect the brutal reality of human life. The dyer's wife's sudden attack of consciousness when hearing the lamentations of the unborn children however mirror fear in a general context simply because she fears responsibility over something she has not yet experienced and understood.Likewise, humans also fear something they do not understand or have not yet experienced, a prime example of such fear is on the concept of death which often becomes the center of people's misconception. In the third act it is the spiritual element which offers the solution, that souring into the regions of light and harmony, the succession of fairytale pictures, the intervention of the children’s voices, all these varying elements combined will not fail to engage the public, even supposing the music were to fall off (without a doubt it will not).Nevertheless, one, on any account, should not be daunted, either by personal doubts (regardless if an i ndividual, no matter how good his inspirations may be, always plunders himself or herself down in to the abyss of malcontentment), or even by the possible rash, all-too-spontaneous verdict of the wife. A direct comparison between what still remains to be done and what has already been successfully accomplished, in this case with the trio in Rosenkavalier, is invariably dangerous.The comic opera's situation is a sentimental one, while Die Frau ohne Schatten is heroic and spiritual, akin to the atmosphere of Fidelio or The Magic Flute. One lesson, as was seen, drew from textual accounts, namely that it is not the situation itself so much which compellingly operates upon the composer’s imagination, but the action wording of the libretto. Strauss' entails in his July 28, 1916 letter that â€Å"Characters like the Emperor and Empress, and also the Nurse, can’t be filled with red corpuscles in the same way as a Marschallin, an Octavian, or an Ochs.No matter how I rack my br ain and I’m toiling really hard, sifting and sifting my heart’s only half in it, and once the head has to do the major part of the work you get a breath of academic chill ( what my wife very rightly calls ‘note-spinning’) which no bellows can ever kindly into a real fire. Well, I have now sketched out the whole end of the opera and it’s got verve and a great upword sweep but my wife finds it cold and misses the heart-touching flame-kindling melodic texture of the Rosenkavalier trio. I’m willing to believe her, and I keep probing and searching but believe me does not go to music like†. Strauss 28. 7. 1916 pp. 258). Orchestra in Die Frau ohne Schatten was primarily used for dramatic purposes, to emphasize more emotion (Corse, 112).Strauss also utilized orchestration for the sake of character build (Corse, 112), considering that Die Frau ohne Schatten has five main characters, the absence of orchestration may cause confusion on the part of the audience specifically on distinguishing the main characters and their respective representations, such as the case of the the dyer's wife and the empress who both sing in the high dramatic soprano voice range..

Free Essays on College Essay

My name is Nicole. I am a senior, living in Bricktown, New Jersey. Thinking back to life as a freshman makes me realize how many things have changed. My social and emotional growth has been affected by many factors. I think my family, and the experiences I’ve had growing up, have had the most significant influence on my sense of values. During my early years I was totally dependent on my parents. I also needed social and moral guidance. I was born into a single parent family 17 years ago. My mother and I had the love and support of my grandparents and four uncles. I realize now, each and every day, how lucky we are to have them in our lives. Being an only child I felt extremely well cared for. I was spoiled with love and affection. For years I did not have to compete for my mothers time or attention. When my mother married in 1993 when I was 9 years old. It was a very difficult time for me. I felt that Bob was invading our lives. He loved me like his own and adopted me shortly after. It took years for our relationship to grow. Lots of love, patience, and caring, eventually led to my love of my new dad. Heredity and environmental influences determine personalities. I tested many different kinds of behavior on people closest to me. As I became more social I wanted to imitate friends, adults, characters on TV, in movies, or that I read about in books. Friends sometimes seemed more important than schoolwork, hobbies, sports, or other activities. Friendships are an important aspect of everyone’s life. For me, they have been a source of both pleasure and frustration. Friends have allowed me to experience myself as a leader and follower, a winner and loser, and as an equal. Mutual respect between friends has been very important. I learned the negative aspects of friendships, as well as the positive ones. Through trial and error I have gradually come to understand the complexities of friendship. Lik... Free Essays on College Essay Free Essays on College Essay A quality that I possess which allows me to contribute to the university community is the ability to adapt to a new environment. My father’s occupation required us to move at a moment’s notice. I developed a skill for adapting to new surroundings. I was two years old when my father’s bank transferred him from Brazil to the Cayman Islands. I quickly began speaking English and Portuguese, becoming bilingual by five. With a sudden turn of events, my father’s bank asked him to return to Brazil after three years in Cayman. In Brazil, I attended a new school with a completely different culture and environment. Fortunately, I rapidly made friends and acclimatized to my new life. My newly formed friendships were short-lived, however. After spending one year in Brasil, my father was once again relocated to the Cayman Islands. Again, I attended a new school and made new friends. My Brazilian culture easily blended in with the relaxed Caymanian culture. For the next nine years I indulged in the easy-going island lifestyle. After my freshman year of high school, I moved to Tampa, FL in hopes of making tennis a career. I roomed with others from all over the world that shared the same goal I did. My roommates became my best friends but we parted after one year. They left for college while I came to Miami. I enrolled in my third high school in just as many years. Once again, I made new friends and adapted to my new environment. Since I had multicultural experiences, and Miami is culturally diverse, it only made sense that I fit without difficulties. In college, I hope to increase my cultural knowledge and share what I have learned with others.... Free Essays on College Essay As far as I can remember, the words â€Å"knowledge is priceless,† had always seemed to come out of my mother. Perhaps it was due to my lack of interest in school all the way up until the end of high school, or perhaps it was from her own experience, of knowing how harsh life can be without an education. The words had always slipped through my mind though, and after high school, I had moved down to Virginia Beach where I had worked as a telemarketer for almost a year. In November of 2001, my mother, who still remained in New Jersey, had decided to take me to India. I had spent almost five months in India, which were the most life changing five months that could have ever happened to me. Looking at all of the poverty and children that could not afford an education, I realized that I was taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to me in America. I decided to come back to America and change my life for the better. My interest was mainly in business, and I had intentions of becoming a financial analyst and later an investment banker. I moved back to New Jersey in March of 2002 hoping to enroll into Camden County College. The next semester that I was eligible for was the summer semester which did not start until the end of May. So in the meantime, I had worked at Eckerd Pharmacy as a pharmacy technician. With work and school, I pushed my self to finish 12 credits over the summer with a GPA of 3.25. In August, I realized that I wanted to aim higher and dedicate myself only to school. In the fall semester of 2002 I had taken 15 credits and finished with a GPA of 4.0 and my name had been published on the president’s honor list. Today I maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.67 and I am striving to finish, as well as I did in the fall, in this spring semester. My goal is to take two more classes in the summer and hopefully start attending Temple University in the Fall of 2003. As of today, I now know that my mother had alw... Free Essays on College Essay As I stepped off the plane at the age of five, I knew I had reached "the land of opportunity" I knew I had reached the place where anything was possible, and the opportunities endless, that was the way my mom would describe the United States to us. She would empasize the fact that hard work would pay off. Even though she was raisin six children she gave us all the same amount of attention. When it was time to attend school, my twin brother and i didnt know a word of English. As a result we were placed in bilingual classes. We were always taught to do our best, for this reason, by the time we had reached the third grade we were already speaking Enlgish, and in mainstream classes. Then we were in the seventh grade, we were well past the English barrier and were on our way to mastering the language. When we reached the high school level everything was different. We got right in to our studies. The first thing my twin brother and i did was to join the football team and i went on be elected freshmen class treasure. I was ready for the challenges that would be presented to me in high school. I took many computer courses which i believe will aid me in my pursuit for a career in the computer i ndustry. I got my first job when i was 15 at a super market. Then i went on to work with children at a summer camp. My responsibilities included organizing sport activities and look after the children. I believe that my experiences as an immigrant in the United States and my work ethics have helped prepare me for what lies ahead in the future. In retrospect I have decided to improve upon my past performances so I can realize graduation and placement in a good four year undergraduate program.... Free Essays on College Essay My name is Nicole. I am a senior, living in Bricktown, New Jersey. Thinking back to life as a freshman makes me realize how many things have changed. My social and emotional growth has been affected by many factors. I think my family, and the experiences I’ve had growing up, have had the most significant influence on my sense of values. During my early years I was totally dependent on my parents. I also needed social and moral guidance. I was born into a single parent family 17 years ago. My mother and I had the love and support of my grandparents and four uncles. I realize now, each and every day, how lucky we are to have them in our lives. Being an only child I felt extremely well cared for. I was spoiled with love and affection. For years I did not have to compete for my mothers time or attention. When my mother married in 1993 when I was 9 years old. It was a very difficult time for me. I felt that Bob was invading our lives. He loved me like his own and adopted me shortly after. It took years for our relationship to grow. Lots of love, patience, and caring, eventually led to my love of my new dad. Heredity and environmental influences determine personalities. I tested many different kinds of behavior on people closest to me. As I became more social I wanted to imitate friends, adults, characters on TV, in movies, or that I read about in books. Friends sometimes seemed more important than schoolwork, hobbies, sports, or other activities. Friendships are an important aspect of everyone’s life. For me, they have been a source of both pleasure and frustration. Friends have allowed me to experience myself as a leader and follower, a winner and loser, and as an equal. Mutual respect between friends has been very important. I learned the negative aspects of friendships, as well as the positive ones. Through trial and error I have gradually come to understand the complexities of friendship. Lik...

How Cloze Reading Can Be Used to Solidify Learning

How Cloze Reading Can Be Used to Solidify Learning Cloze reading is an instructional strategy where users are required to fill in the blanks within a passage with correct words from a word bank. Cloze reading is used to assess a students understanding of vocabulary. STAR Reading is an online assessment program that embraces cloze reading passages. Many teachers create cloze reading passages to assess student vocabulary understanding within a particular story or passage or a group of spelling words. Cloze reading passages are easily created and can be adjusted to specific content and/or grade level. Cloze Reading Passages Teachers can also have students create their own cloze reading passages as they read a story. This makes the learning more authentic. It also helps students find and make connections between key vocabulary within in the story and how their meaning enhances the story. Finally, students can exchange their cloze reading passages with other classmates. This naturally reinforces the critical components of the story including key vocabulary as students interact with each other and share what they created. This gives students ownership in the learning process. Cloze Reading as a Study Tool Cloze reading can also be used to help students study and prepare for a test. Students can be taught to create their own study guide using the cloze reading process. They can essentially build their own version of the test from their notes. As they put together the guide, it cements the content, makes the connections, and helps them remember it. Providing students with this skill will help them develop better study habits that can help them succeed throughout life. Most students struggle with test and quizzes because they do not know how to study. They simply read through their notes and call it studying. True studying is a much more rigorous and time-consuming process. Developing cloze reading passages that align to a test is one way to study more authentically. Five examples of cloze reading: 1. An elephant is a ____________________________ mammal with a trunk and large ears. A. microscopic B. enormous C. vigorous D. small 2. The radius of a circle is one-half the ___________________________________. A. circumference B. chord C. diameter D. arc 3. A dog chased a cat down the alley. Luckily, the cat was able to escape by climbing over a fence. The word alley refers to a ___________________________________? A. sidewalk running through a neighborhood B. narrow road that between buildings C. open field in a park D. long hallway connecting two parts of a building 4. ______________________________ was the twenty-seventh president of the United States of America and later became the only former president who also became a Supreme Court justice? A. George H. W. Bush B. Theodore Roosevelt C. Martin Van Buren D. William Howard Taft 5. The phrase time is money is an example of a ________________________________. A. Metaphor B. Simile C. Alliteration D. Onomatopoeia

Usability Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Usability Engineering - Assignment Example Each day, about 400 members register in the site (Dream in code: Online). Registered members normally enjoy full access to thousands of tutorials in programming, code snippets, and definite forums topics where members can engage in constructive discussions in regard to the topics of concern to the members. In the last eight years, DIC has become very reputable in providing expertise for many students and professional in a very friendly and timely manner. Members of this site have profiles and depending on their activities online, they are categorised as badges, contributors, authors, experts, mentors, alumni, administrators, moderators and webmasters. Badges occur below the usernames f the members. Contributors are members who submit tutorials and code snippets on the site (Dream in code: Online). Authors on the other and are members who have taken their time to write a number of tutorials or some unique code snippets. Experts are members who answer questions accurately and are seen as being experts in a particular forum. Members who are categorised as mentors are given privilege to moderate forums. The alumni are members who were previously members of the DCI staff. Moderators help the community to understand the rules of engagement and dedicate a number of hours daily in moderating the sight (HCI in the software process: Online). Administrators are awarded a green badge and are very active in the site. They help in the daily operations of the site and suggest improvements. The webmaster oversees the daily operations of the site. This project involves a number of issues that are related to usability engineering. It ranges from the development of the appropriate method and a detailed description of the same. This project is deeply motivated by the desire to analyse the usability of DCI and determine ways in which the target community group can be satisfied more effectively (HCI in the software process: Online). Therefore, the research work will involve two

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment Example There are certain numbers of characteristics that are involved with the effectiveness of entrepreneurs, such as self confidence, sense of ownership, continuous learning skills, communication abilities, goal and system oriented cognitive skills, and dedication towards the objectives with an optimistic point of view among others. According to the concept of Peter Drucker, entrepreneur can be regarded as the person who essentially looks for changes and attempts taking appropriate actions on it developing those changes as a prospect of growth and success (Marks and Hunter, 2011). Among the various notable entrepreneurs of this era, Lord Alan Sugar has been one. Born in the not so famed East London, he rose up to the occasion to be a member at House of Commons and to hold 89th place in Sunday Times Rich List of 2011. Amstrad has been his most successful venture. The paper on entrepreneurship should also mention about the Virgin group Chairman Richard Brasnon, the 4th richest person of UK. Virgin Megastores, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Mobile and the expanded Virgin Records are few of his successful ventures. 1.2. Critically Evaluate Entrepreneurialism as an Agent of Change in Both Public and Private Health and Social Care Sector. In the modern day context of healthcare and social organizations, the entrepreneurs are highly inclined towards gaining increased revenue or profit for the organization. However, social enterprises, now-a-days, entail with certain significant attributes related to the governmental public policies. The enterprises of the globalised world focusing on a developed entrepreneurship are different from traditional and socio-economic approaches which motivated the European countries to adopt developed legal frameworks. The contemporary scenario of the healthcare organizations is highly required to be conscious with regards to the environmental changes and implement suitable plans and strategies for the organization concentrated on its social be nefits. Significant plans along with the appropriate strategies are more effective for the organization to put up internal strengths along with external opportunities taking into account the surmounting peripheral threats as well as interior weaknesses possessed by the concern. For instance, in the context of health and social care divisions of UK, it has been observed that the current circumstances have perpetually increased the requirements for more efficient and cost control strategies. The reasons behind such inclination relate with the reduction in government’s financial support to the sector, involvement of private firms as well as expansion of National Health Service (NHS) (Department of Health, 2009). Therefore, in the modern phenomenon, the UK based healthcare organisations within the private sector as well as public sector continue to strive for achieving the competitive advantages through cost-limitation and growth sustainability. The strategic decisions are the cr ucial factors which can encompass a long term effect on the prospects of an organization with regards to its utilization of the resources,

Recruit, select and induct staff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Recruit, select and induct staff - Essay Example The immediate task of the receptionist would be to answer phone calls, deposit and receive checks. The receptionist will be responsible for handling all the immediate task related to the day to day meetings and would also require to disseminate information to an entire department. Interview Rounds The interviewing questions would be categorized into two types; job related and non job related. There would be two interviewing rounds; Human Resource (HR) and technical round. The HR round would be conducted by the Human Resource manager that would focus on non job related questions and the technical rounds would be conducted by the senior managers of the organization, who are proficient in the knowledge of the subject related to the post being offered to the candidate (Ashton and Morton, 2005). (2) Interviewing Questions: Job & Non Job Related Job Related Non Job Related Why have you applied for this position? What is your age? What is your qualification and how it is related to the job? What is your religion, nationality, marital status? Why would you want to leave your previous organization? Do you have a physical disability? What interests you most about this position? Do you have any membership any organization or political membership? Why do you consider yourself suitable for this job position? (3) Interview Guide Basic Education Graduate in Business Administration Work history Minimum experience of 2 years Communication Skills Must have a soothing voice along with fluency in English Leadership Skills Any kind of leadership activity would be an added advantage Activity 4: Recruitment Schedule (1) Recruitment Process The curriculum vitae (CV) would be gathered from the internet portal of the recruiting agency, official website of the company and referral of employees The CV would be sorted after tallying the requirements of the job post with the qualification and experience After sorting out the curriculum vitae, the selected candidates would be called for a te lephonic round and written round The written round will constitute of aptitude test, which will be divided into numerical and non numerical segment (Bennett, 2002). The selective candidates performing well in these rounds would be proceeded for the human resource and technical round The candidates passing these rounds would be selected for the job position The selected candidates would be provided the required training and an induction program prior would be conducted before assigning them any task. (2) Timetable for Recruitment Process Task Handling Manager Time Frame Collection & sorting of CV HR manager 01/09/2013 to 7/09/2013 Telephonic interview & written round Assistant Manager of HR department 07/09/2013 to 08/09/2013 Invigilating the written round HR manager 09/09/2013 Human Resource round HR manager 09/09/2013 Technical Round Senior managers of the HR departments 10/09/2013 to 12/09/2013 Training, Development & Induction HR manager and respected managers of the department 1 5/09/2013 to 23/092013 Activity 5: Letter of Offer

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter discusses about organizational commitment and pay satisfaction and dimensions under these two variables. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT Meyer, Allen, Smith (1993) say that the three types of commitment are a psychological state that either characterizes the employees relationship with the organization or has the implications to affect whether the employee will continue with the organization. Meyer et al (1993) continue to say that generally the research shows that those employees with a strong affective commitment will remain with an organization because they want to, those with a strong continuance commitment remain because they have to, and those with a normative commitment remain because they fell that they have to. Meyer Allen (1997) define a committed employee as being one stays with an organization, attends work regularly, puts in a full day and more, protects corporate assets, and believes in the organizational goals. This employee positively contributes to the organization because of its commitment to the organization. Organizational commitment is a psychological state that binds an individual to the organization. It is a link between an employee and the organization that makes turnover less likely (Allen Meyer, 1990). Affective commitment is defined as an employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization (Allen Meyer, 1990). Continuance commitment is a desire to continue to engage in consistent lines of activity as a result of the accumulation of Aside [emailprotected] which would be lost if the activity were discontinued (Allen Meyer, 1990; Becker, 1960). A considerable amount of research in the field of organizational commitment, which is aimed at locating the antecedents and the correlations with variables like turnover and absenteeism. In order to have a good understanding of the construct of organizational commitment, Table 2.1 was constructed to presents the historical definitions of organizational commitment. Liou Nyhan (1994), Guffey, et al. (1997) A. The attitudinal approach refers to the attitude that an employee has towards ones organization. B. The Behavioral approach states that an employee becomes attached or committed to an organization based on one;s individual investment of time, money or training that would be lost of one left the organization. A) an employee who has a high organizational commitment will: strongly belief in and accept the organizations goals and values exert a significant effort for the firms benefit desire to remain as a member of the organization Porters, Steers, Mowday and Boulian (1974) The relative strength of an employees identification with and involvement in a particular organization. Three factors influencing organizational commitment: acceptance of the organizations goals and values willingness to work on behalf of the organization strong motivation to remain in the organization. Development of organizational commitment is a process that evolves through stages over a period of time. Sheldon (1971), Buchanan (1974) Positive evaluation of the organization and the intention to work toward its goals. Buchanan (1974) a) identification adoption as ones own the goals and values of the organization b) involvement psychological immersion or absorption in the activities of ones work role c) loyalty a feeling of affection and attachment to the organization. Hrebeniak and Alluto (1973) The unwillingness to leave the organization for increments in pay, status, or professional freedom or for greater colleague friendship. Kantor (1968) Willingness of social actors to give energy and loyalty to the organization. Becker (1960) Employees organizational commitment develops through their actions and choices over time. Commitment is viewed as a function of employee behavior. Multiple definitions of organizational commitment are found in the literature. Bateman and Strasser (1984) state that organizational commitment has been operationally defined as multidimensional in nature, involving an employees loyalty to the organization, willingness to exert effort on behalf of the organization, degree of goal and value congruency with the organization, and desire to maintain membership. Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1979) identified commitment-related attitudes and commitment-related behaviors. Porter et al. (1974) discuss three major components of organizational commitment as being a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals, a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization, and a definite desire to maintain organizational membership. Sheldon (1971) defines commitments as being a positive evaluation of the organization and the organizations goals. According to Buchanan (1974) most scholars define commitment as being a bond between an individual (the employee) and the organization (the employer), though his own definition of commitment. According to Maume (2006) Organizational Commitment is typically measured by items tapping respondents willingness to work hard to improve their companies, the fit between the firms and the workers values, reluctance to leave, and loyalty toward or pride taken in working for their employers (Maume, 2006). Meyer and Allen (1991) and Dunham et al (1994) identified three types of commitment; affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Normative commitment is a relatively new aspect of organizational commitment having been defined by Bolon in 1993. AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT Affective commitment is defined as the emotional attachment, identification, and involvement that an employee has with its organization and goals (Mowday et al, 1997, Meyer Allen, 1993; OReily Chatman). Porter et al (1974) further characterize affective commitment by three factors (1) belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values, (2) a willingness to focus effort on helping the organization achieve its goals, and (3) a desire to maintain organizational membership. Mowday et al (1979) further state that affective communication is when the employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals in order to maintain membership to facilitate the goal. Meyer and Allen (1997) continue to say that employees retain membership out of choice and this is their commitment to the organization. CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT Continuance commitment is the willingness to remain in an organization because of the investment that the employee has with nontransferable investments. Nontransferable investments include things such as retirement, relationships with other employees, or things that are special to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Continuance commitment also includes factors such as years of employment or benefits that the employee may receive that are unique to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Meyer and Allen (1997) further explain that employees who share continuance commitment with their employer often make it very difficult for an employee to leave the organization. NORMATIVE COMMITMENT Normative commitment (Bolon, 1993) is the commitment that a person believes that they have to the organization or their feeling of obligation to their workplace. In 1982, Weiner discusses normative commitment as being a generalized value of loyalty and duty. Meyer and Allen (1991) supported this type of commitment prior to Bolons definition, with their definition of normative commitment being a feeling of obligation. It is argues that normative commitment is only natural due to the way we are raised in society. Normative commitment can be explained by other commitments such as marriage, family, religion, etc. therefore when it comes to ones commitment to their place of employment they often feel like they have a moral obligation to the organization (Wiener, 1982). PAY SATISFACTION To fully understand the concept of pay satisfaction, it is necessary to review research on the construct. From the inception of organizational science, pay has been considered an important reward to motivate the behavior of employees (Taylor, 1911). Yet it was not until theorists began exploring fairness in social exchanges (Adams, 1963) that the specific cognitive mechanisms through which pay motivates workers began to become clear. Soon after, organizational researchers hypothesized that feelings of fairness lead to organization relevant attitudes such as job satisfaction (Locke, 1969) and, more specifically, pay satisfaction (Locke, 1976), and that these attitudes impact employee behavior within organizations (Farell Stamm, 1988; Judge Bono, 2001; Scott Taylor, 1985; Tett Meyer, 1993). Pay satisfaction has received considerable research attention since the constructs introduction into the literature, although conceptualization of the construct has changed over time. Table 2.2 constructed by Faulk II (2002) traced the development of the pay satisfaction construct from pay level research to current multi-dimensional approaches. The first model includes pay and recognizes that pay has implications for employee behavior in organizations but does not explain why this is so. Initial research on pay satisfaction relied upon equity (Adams, 1963) and discrepancy theories (Lawler, 1971) to explain how individuals determine satisfaction with pay. Treated as a global construct in these models, pay satisfaction motivates individuals to engage in certain behaviors, but these approaches do not specify which behaviors will be chosen. In the late 1970s, Heneman and Schwab (1979) built upon the work of Lawler (1971) and Dyer and Theriault (1976) to develop the modified discrepancy model that proposes that pay is multidimensional; Heneman and Schwab (1979) describe five related but unique dimensions whose antecedents and consequences depend on the different ways they are administered within organizations. PAY Pay has long been considered one of the most important organizational rewards (Heneman Judge, 2000) because it allows employees to obtain other rewards (Lawler, 1971). Frederick Taylor (1911) was one of the earliest to recognize the motivating effects of pay when he proposed that workers put forth extra effort on the job to maximize their economic gains. Although this premise lost favor in the late 1920s with the emergence of the human relations school (Wren, 1994), money remains the fundamental way that organizations reward employees. Yet, despite the long-standing importance of pay, the way pay impacts the behavior of employees remains to be explained. Reinforcement theory and expectancy theory emerged as the earliest theories to shed some light on how pay influences employee behavior. REINFORCEMENT THEORY Reinforcement theory (Skinner, 1953) suggests that pay acts as a general reinforcer because of its repeated pairing with primary reinforcers. People learn from life experiences that a primary need, such as food or shelter, can be satisfied if money is obtained. Other theorists suggest that through similar experiences a drive for money itself develops (Dollard Miller, 1950). Whether treating pay as a means to an end or as an end itself, reinforcement theory does not provide a clear explanation for how pay acts as an impetus for action. People engage in behaviors because of past experiences, but the process by which past experiences determine an individuals future behavior remained unclear. EXPECTANCY THEORY Vrooms (1964) expectancy theory helped clarify how pay influences future behavior. According to expectancy theory, three components determine motivation: 1) a judgment regarding the likelihood that an effort leads to a certain level of performance (expectancy); 2) a judgment regarding the likelihood that this level of performance leads to a certain outcome (instrumentality); and 3) the importance of the outcome to the individual (valence). Life experience, the key determinant of behavior as suggested by reinforcement theory, influences the determination of both expectancy and instrumentality. If an individual has prior experience which leads him or her to believe that a certain level of effort will lead to a given level of performance and that this level of performance will lead to a given outcome, that person will be more likely to engage in that behavior, if the outcome is desirable (high valence). Vroom (1964) suggests that pay motivates behavior only if valued by the employee or if pay allows individuals to obtain some other highly valued outcome. UNIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION One key component not specifically delineated by either reinforcement or expectancy theory is the desirability of the outcome. This suggests an affective reaction to the outcome that influences an individuals behavior. Herzbergs (1968) two-factor motivational model provides an important link between pay research and pay satisfaction research by suggesting that it is the individuals affective reaction to pay, pay satisfaction, that impacts motivation. Herzberg (1968) suggests pay is a hygiene, or contextual factor, that prevents an employee from being motivated by such things as the work itself. Herzberg (1968) suggests that if an organization wishes to motivate employees, the organization must first make sure pay and other hygiene factors are at such levels that dissatisfaction does not occur. Along with reinforcement (Skinner, 1953) and expectancy theories (Vroom, 1964), Herzbergs (1968) two-factor theory begins to explain why pay is generally regarded as a major mechanism for rewar ding and modifying behavior (Opsahl Dunnette, 1966). However, it is difficult to relate pay directly to outcomes. It is actually attitudes such as pay satisfaction that have been shown to be important intervening variables in the relationships between pay and outcomes. Once research recognized an employees affective reaction to pay is what is important, not simply objective pay, it was necessary to determine the nature and domain of pay satisfaction, its antecedents, and consequences. Initially, pay satisfaction was conceived as a unidimensional construct. It was assumed an individual has a general feeling about his or her pay and that this overall feeling is an important determinant of the individuals attitudes and behaviors (Lawler, 1971). Equity and discrepancy theories offer insight into how pay satisfaction is determined and suggests possible consequences of pay dissatisfaction. EQUITY THEORY Equity theory suggests that individuals are interested in maintaining fairness in their relationships with organizations. Fairness is determined by social comparison (Festinger, 1957) based on a social exchange (Homans, 1961). The exchange takes place between the individual and the organization. As shown in Figure 2.1, the individual examines the ratio of what is received from the organization (outputs) to what is contributed to the organization (inputs). Outputs include pay, time-off, benefits, and recognition, while inputs include experience, tenure, effort, and education. Once the ratio is determined, the individual compares his or her ratio to a referent others ratio. This referent other can be someone doing a similar job within or outside the organization, someone doing a different job in the organization, or even the focal individual at a different point in time. The more similar the ratios are, the greater the satisfaction. However, if the ratios are significantly different, t ension will result, and the individual will be motivated to reduce that tension. To reduce this tension, the individual may change his or her behavior, cognitively adjust his or her inputs and/or outputs or those of the referent, change the referent, or exhibit withdrawal behaviors (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976). Clearly, providing an employee with a satisfactory pay package is important to the operations of an organization. If employees do not feel they are being treated fairly, they will act to reduce the tension caused by inequity. For example, if the employee feels the output/input ratio is below the referent other, the employee may reduce the number of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) exhibited (Organ, 1994; Williams Anderson, 1991). Alternatively, the individual may come in late, miss work altogether, or quit the job. If the employee is a strong performer, none of these activities benefit organizational operations. Equity theory is an important advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it explains how individuals form an attitude regarding pay. Equity theory also suggests that once an attitude regarding pay is formed, this attitude will cause individuals to act in certain ways, either maintaining their current behavior or changing their behavior in order to reach a state of satisfaction. Although equity theory offers a range of behaviors that individuals may engage in to reduce perceived inequity, it does not suggest how strong an influence perceived inequity has on each of the outcomes. DISCREPANCY THEORY Another relevant social cognitions theory that is important in the development of pay satisfaction research is discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971). As shown in Figure 2, discrepancy theory builds on equity theory by incorporating inputs and outputs to form a perception of fairness and uses a referent other in this assessment. However, discrepancy theory adds important variables, revises the mechanism by which individuals determine their level of satisfaction, and incorporates expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964). The focal individual assesses his or her level of inputs and uses a referent others inputs and outcomes to partially determine the amount of pay that should be received. A difference between this model and equity theory is that the individual also takes into account perceived job characteristics including job level, perceived difficulty of the task, and perceived responsibility when determining the perceived amount of pay that should be received. This set of perceptions forms one half of the key comparison in the discrepancy model that determines pay satisfaction. The other half of the comparison is the perceived amount of pay received that is determined by actual pay received as compared to the perceived pay of a referent other. If there is a discrepancy between an individuals perception of how much he or she receives and how much he or she feels should be received, the individual will be motivated to reduce the dissonance in much the same way explained by equity theory. According to discrepancy theory, and unlike equity theory, motivation to engage in behaviors to reduce tension is not solely determined by a difference between what is expected and what is actually received. Lawlers discrepancy model further enhances equitys explanation of pay satisfactions relationship with behavior by incorporating a component of expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), valence, to determine whether a person will react to the discrepancy. If the outcome is has a low valence, the individual will not react strongly to the discrepancy. If pay is important, a discrepancy will have an impact on the individuals behavior; if it is not, the individual will not be motivated to change his or her behavior. The incorporation of valence is important because it explains why two individuals in the same inequitable or discrepant situation react differently. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS The majority of global pay satisfaction research focuses on its antecedents. Considerable progress has been made in identifying the causes of pay satisfaction (Berkowitz et al., 1987; Dreher, 1981; Dyer Theriault, 1976; Sweeney et al., 1990). For example, perceptions of future inequity (Berkowitz et al., 1987), education (Lawler Porter, 1966), occupational level (Schwab Wallace, 1974), actual pay level (Berger Schwab, 1980; Dreher, 1980; Dreher et al., 1988; Hemmasi, Graf Lust, 1992; Rice, Phillips, McFarlin, 1990), and the sources of an individuals information regarding compensation (Capelli Sherer, 1988) have all been found to explain variance in pay satisfaction. Although several articles emphasize the importance of determining the impact of global pay satisfaction on outcome variables (Blau, 1994; Heneman, 1985; Shaprio Wahba, 1978), very few have explored the question empirically. Using a sample of 2000 middle managers, Miceli, Jung, Near Greenberger (1991) found global pay satisfaction related positively to global job satisfaction (r = .28), lack of job search (r = .23), and intent to stay until retirement (r = .26). Motowildo (1983), using a sample of 89 salespeople, analyzed the relationship of pay level satisfaction and withdrawal behavior. He found that pay satisfactions relationship with turnover is indirect through turnover intent, and that relationship between quantity of pay and turnover intention is mediated by pay satisfaction. Pay satisfaction explains an additional 15.9% of the variance in turnover intention after age, tenure, general satisfaction, pay, and pay expectation have been entered in the regression equation. Althoug h positively correlated with termination (r = .23, à Ã‚  Global pay satisfaction research has advanced the understanding of pays importance in organizations in significant ways. First and foremost, the shift in focus from objective pay to the affective reaction to pay provides an important intervening variable between pay and outcomes. Secondly, the theoretical underpinnings of this research stream, equity theory (Adams, 1963) and its close derivative, discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971), expand on the theories used in pay research to provide a process by which pay satisfaction is determined. Finally, these theories offer suggestions regarding the effect of pay satisfaction on outcomes (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976; Lawler, 1971). What this stream of research does not explain is which of these possible behaviors will be chosen. Two other concepts in equity and discrepancy theory are left unexplored if pay satisfaction is conceptualized as a unidimensional construct. First, equity theory allows the comparison of other variables such as recognition, time-off, and benefits when determining whether or not the individual is treated fairly. A unidimensional conceptualization of pay satisfaction focuses solely on pay; arguably pay level (Heneman, 1985). Secondly, discrepancy theory borrows the concept of valence from expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) to explain differing reactions to the same inequitable situation. To determine pay satisfactions domain and nature, researchers needed to explore the possibility that pay satisfaction may include other dimensions that will impact outcomes differentially. This need led to the creation of a multidimensional approach of pay satisfaction. MULTIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION Soon after Locke (1969) hypothesized that pay was a facet of job satisfaction that warranted singular attention, he suggested that pay satisfaction might be a multidimensional construct. The first to explicitly explore this possibility were Heneman Schwab (1979). They suggested that pay satisfaction consists of four related, but distinct dimensions, and developed the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) to test the hypothesis (Heneman Schwab, 1985). Their model has received considerable attention but is not universally accepted. The basis the models is the administrative independence concept, which builds upon discrepancy theory. ADMINISTRATIVE INDEPENDENCE The premise of the administrative independence concept is similar to that of equity and discrepancy theories (Heneman, 1985). An individual makes comparison with referent others based on what the individual offers an organization and what he or she receives in return (Adams, 1963; Lawler, 1971; Heneman Schwab, 1979). According to the administrative independence concept, it is how these outcomes are administered, not simply whether or not the individual receives a certain amount of compensation, that has consequences in an organizational setting (Heneman Schwab, 1979). While discrepancy theory focuses on a unidimensional conceptualization of pay, administrative independence suggests pay is multidimensional and divided into two categories: direct compensation, consisting of salary, wages, and raises, and indirect compensation consisting of benefits such as time off, health insurance, and retirement plans (Heneman, 1985). One must distinguish between the different components of pay be cause the components have different determinants and consequences (Judge, 1993). To look at the components as a single construct compromises attempts to explain pay satisfaction and its influences (Ironson, Smith, Brannick, Gibson, Paul, 1989). An individual may be satisfied with one component of his or her pay while being dissatisfied with another. Administrative independences extension of discrepancy theory is the basis for subsequent multidimensional models of pay satisfaction. MODIFIED DISCREPANCY MODEL Heneman and Schwab (1979) expanded upon the discrepancy model (Lawler, 1971) by suggesting that pay can be broken into four distinct categories: pay level, pay structure, pay system, and pay form. Heneman and Schwab (1979) defined these dimensions as follows (pp. 1-2): Pay level is the average of several wages or salaries in the organization. The average may be based on individual pay rates for a single position or on pay averages for a number of positions. Pay structure is the hierarchy of pay rates or levels among jobs in an organization. Pay system is the method the organization uses to determine pay raises for individuals which can be computed in terms of the amount of time the employee spends on the job (time-based systems) or for his performance or efficiency (performance-based systems). Performance-based systems include individual and group incentive systems, merit systems, commissions, cost-reduction schemes, and profit sharing. Pay form is the type of pay that is received by the employee. Pay may be viewed as direct remuneration for time worked or performance, or it may be viewed as indirect remuneration in the form of fringe benefits or services. Pay Policies and administration (added on 1985). Based on the conceptual work of Dyer and Theriault (1976) and a subsequent empirical study by Weiner (1980), Heneman (1985) added a fifth dimension, pay policies and administration. In a study using Canadian and American managers, Dyer and Theriault (1976) tested a category of variables previously not included in the study of pay satisfaction: perceptions of pay system administration. Their hypothesis that employees may be dissatisfied with their pay because they do not agree with, or understand, how it is administered is supported by their initial test. Weiner (1980) provided further support for Dyer and Theriaults (1976) hypothesis when it was found that including pay system administration in Lawlers (1971) model explained more variance in absenteeism than did the original discrepancy model. Comparing Figures 2.2 and Figure 2.3 shows that the same mechanism that drives satisfaction in the discrepancy model remains, but there are now comparisons made for each of the dimensions. Heneman (1985) proposes that it is necessary to divide pay satisfaction into these dimensions because the components frequently have separate policies, procedures, and practices (p. 131), because employees may experience a separate satisfaction for each dimension, and because these affective reactions may be related, but unique, feelings. If Heneman (1985) is correct, it is necessary to treat each dimension as a separate construct and to determine the antecedents and consequences of each. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS Most of the work testing the modified discrepancy model focuses on antecedents. Although the point of the model is to treat pay satisfaction as a multidimensional construct, much of the research does not. Studies take one component of the model, usually pay level, and attempt to determine the relationship of that dimension with other variables, or collapse the four dimensions into a summed scale. If researchers only wish to study pay level satisfaction or collapse all of the dimensions into a unidimensional construct, the object of conceptualizing pay satisfaction as multidimensional is lost. One study that attempted to test the discriminant validity of the modified discrepancy models dimensions by relating them to other variables was Judge (1993). He attempted to relate ten antecedents with the four dimensions. Using a LISREL (Joreskog Sorbum, 1999) model, Judge was able to demonstrate that the predictors differentially related to the factors as hypothesized. These differential relationships support the importance of treating the dimensions as related, but distinct, dimensions of pay satisfaction as suggested by the modified discrepancy model. The above study provides support for the modified discrepancy model beyond a factor analysis. If only one dimension is studied, proving differential relationships exist is difficult. Using the modified discrepancy model, two studies explore the relationship between pay satisfaction and outcome variables by collapsing the dimensions into a global factor. Miceli, Near and Schwenk (1991) found pay satisfaction is negatively related to whistle blowing, while Welbourne and Cable (1995) suggest pay satisfaction may be positively related to OCBs. Although these studies use the mechanism specifically designed to measure the multidimensional conceptualization proposed by the modified discrepancy model, the PSQ, collapsing the dimensions provides no information to either prove or disprove the possibility that pay satisfaction is multidimensional and that those dimensions impact outcomes differentially. Several studies have been done since the modified discrepancy model was introduced, but the model is not being used to its full potential to offer insight into how pay satisfaction fits into the overall picture within organizations. More studies need to follow the design of Judge (1993) in order to test the assumptions of the model. Several studies have attempted to validate the factor structure of the PSQ, but only Judge (1993) has used the measure to relate the hypothesized dimensions to a wide variety of antecedents proposed to differentially relate to the four dimensions. To provide further support for the model, a similar study should be undertaken to test the differential relationships pay satisfaction dimensions have on consequences. Despite the failure of researchers to adequately test the model, the modified discrepancy model represents a major advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it proposes that pay is not a unidimensional construct, but is composed of mult iple related, but unique components and that each has a separate influence on outcomes of interest. The modified discrepancy model also suggests that these dimensions may have differential impact on outcomes. If this is the case, how managers approach compensation policy may be altered based on future research findings. It has been suggested that general pay satisfaction will