Human Arrangements Essay Example for Free

Human Arrangements Essay The increase of poverty in the recent years is one of the major problems which the United States has to face. As the survey shows, the highest poverty rates in the United States were witnessed during the years of recession, for example 1960, 1975, 1983 and others. However, the poverty rates increased dramatically through 2001-2003. In 2002, the number of people in poverty reached 34. 4 million, which is 12. 1% of the population. The poverty rate was at its lowest level between 1970-1980 years, but since that time it never decreased until that level. In the last years, it was the lowest in 2000 (at the level of 11%) but since that time it kept increasing annually. In 2003, poverty rate reached 12. 5% which is 0. 4% higher than in 2002. The dynamics of poverty in the United States also shows that the most vulnerable members of the society are people under the age of 18 (17% of them are in poverty). Citizens aged 18-64 have had the lowest poverty rates up to 2002, when the level of poverty rates of seniors (aged 65 and older) reached their level. According to the regional characteristic, states in which poverty rates increased the most included Florida, Illinois, Utah, South Carolina and others. It is also necessary to analyze the dynamics of poverty rates among different races. According to the survey, poverty rates increased greatly among all of the races present in the United States. At the same time, the income level of White, Asian and Black households remained unchanged while the income of Hispanic households experienced some decrease. Among these groups, Black households have the lowest level of income and thus have the highest poverty rates among the groups in the society. In 2003, the median income of Black families reached only $30,000 which was only 62% of the $48,000 income of White households (non-Hispanic origin). The group with the highest income level, and thus the smallest number of people below the poverty line was Asians. Their average income reached $55,000 in 2003. It is possible to conclude that among all of the groups, Blacks are experiencing the most problems with obtaining income. Asian households receive almost the double income of what Black households receive. Due to the fact that poverty rates are increasing with years, it means that Black citizens are going to become more and more vulnerable in the society. In 2003, 24. 4% of Black people were below the poverty line, and the percentage has increasing by 2005. For comparison, only 11% of Asian people were below the poverty line in 2003. There are many reasons why the poverty rate among Blacks has changed the most during the recent years. First, due to discrimination, many Black people are still unable to get high-paying jobs which people of other origins get easily. The experience of New Orleans shows that despite the hopes of African Americans hat discrimination would be reduces with time, this process is very slow. Most of the people affected by hurricane in New Orleans lost their houses and jobs, and it will be very difficult for them to achieve their previous level of income in the following years. Unfortunately, the government did not take any measures to assist the people whose houses were devastated by the hurricane. Situation with New Orleans is only one of the examples of how discrimination occurs in the United States and Black population is unable to reach the same income level as other races. Another reason of high poverty rate among Blacks is their inability to enter prestigious establishments of higher learning. Due to the low income level of their families in comparison with other races, they are often unable to obtain good education which would lead them to high-paying jobs. At the same time, it is necessary to mark that due to the introduction of Civil Rights legislation, the poverty level of Blacks in the recent years is much lower than it was before the adoption of legislation. Even though the poverty rate has been increasing during the last years, the average rate is much lower than it was in the 50s. Despite the fact that Blacks are still experiencing some sort of discrimination, it is much less noticeable as it was before the adoption of Civil Rights legislation. Owing to the legislation, they finally got an opportunity to have the same rights as white people and thus the overall poverty level among Blacks declined dramatically in comparison with previous decades. Bibliography. 1. Poverty in the United States- 2002. Issued September 2003. Available at URL: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/popula.html 2. Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States 2003. Issued August 2004. Available at URL: http://www. census. gov/prod/www/abs/income. html.

Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Work Life Psychology Essay

Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Work Life Psychology Essay Job satisfaction and quality of work life go hand in hand when talked about real satisfaction since one is the outcome of other .The present paper attempts to examine the impact of job satisfaction and its attribute on quality of work life of employees working in management colleges in Faridabad region The basic objective of the study was to determine the difference in job satisfaction based on gender and its relation with quality of wok life between male and female workers. Also attempt is made to measure the level of quality of work life among the employees. Also the paper focuses on role of different demographic variables on job satisfaction and quality of work life with respect to male and female employees. .Data was collected using questionnaire. Data was analyzed using tools like t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, and regression analysis to test the hypothesis and reliability of the collected data. From the findings it is clear that there exists a positive relationship between job sati sfaction and quality of work life. Also it is seen that as the feeling of quality of work life increases satisfaction from job also gets enhanced. The results indicate that academic industry which demands high quality people in term of intellect and knowledge and are considered to be the turners in economy of any country require a qualitative work life first in order to be satisfied and give their best. Thus focus on measures like job monotony, unclarity in goals, employee attrition, and role stress need to be properly handled. Key words- Job satisfaction, Job stress Quality of work life, Academics JEL Classification INTRODUCTION India has been witnessing an upsurge in the departure of technical expertise in virtually all sectors over the last five years (Stilwell, 2003). This has resulted in qualified personnel seeking greener pastures abroad. Movement of people from developing countries towards the developed world especially Europe and the Americas has been conspicuous. Anecdotes show that during the 1990s, total migration of professionals towards Western Europe and North America accounted for 30% of the flows registered throughout the world (ILO, 1996). It is estimated that in 2000 approximately 175 million people, or 2.9% of the worlds population, were living outside their country of birth, compared to 100 million, or 1.8% of the total population, in 1995 (Stilwell, 2003). Assistant Professor, Lingayas University, Department of Business Administration, Faridabad *Assistant Professor, Lingayas University Whilst a number of factors such as the inimical macro-economic environment could explain the loss of human resources in the country, job satisfaction and quality of work life is often identified as one of the factors that influence the decision to quit. Various studies (Onu et al., 2005; Sur et al., 2004; Tutuncu and Kozak, 2006; Knowles, 1978, Salmond, 2006; Wiedmar, 1998; DeVaney and Chen, 2003; Greenberg, 1986) have identified factors that influence job satisfaction and quality of work life. These include inter-personal relationships, conditions of service, type of social insurance possessed, supervision, promotion, job design, organizational environment, age, gender, equal treatment by management, income and attitude. Much of the discussion on job satisfaction and work quality has been done in the context of the developed countries with few studies in the developing countries. The broad objective of this study is to ascertain the association between job satisfaction and quality o f work life among academic professionals teaching in management colleges in Faridabad region. The job satisfaction of an employee is a topic that has received considerable attention by researchers and managers alike. The quality of work life is concerned with type of work environment and its resulting impact on overall effectiveness of organization and equally on individuals as employees. This includes all such dimensions and parameter which are having an impact on employees decision to remain in organization and level of performance. There are several measures and means by which organization attempts to augment their performance like participative leadership style, job autonomy, clarity in career graph, equity based decision, good physical conditions, merit based promotion etc. The present study attempts to find role of different job satisfaction attributes like- Stressful nature of work, unclarity in direction and overall satisfaction from job that also affects quality of work life with respect QWL factors like- Compensation structure, policies of organization, role of trade union, security benefits, facilities, growth opportunities, Work load ,reward structure, type of supervision ,participation, recognition and reward and whether is relevance of these factors in making employees satisfied, making work life more qualitative. REVIEW OF LITERATURE According to study conducted by DeVaney and Chen (2003) on impact of different demographic variables as leading factors of job satisfaction affecting employees and its impact on quality of work life. They found that with respect to demographic factors like age, gender and education job satisfaction and feeling towards quality of work life varied. The findings of their study inferred that with increase in age employees satisfaction towards job also increased and similar such result were seen with education where highly educated workforce felt more satisfied than less qualified employees. Male workers were found to be more satisfied than female workers. Thus it could be inferred from the study that demographic factors affect to large extent the job satisfaction leading to a highly satisfied quality of work life. It was also found that certain attributes related to work like relations with management, job security (permanent or contract jobs), higher pay, a sense of control over ones wo rk were identified as main attributes of quality of work life and made employees more productive and satisfied with their jobs when these attributes as a tool for improving quality of work life were worked upon. Bharati T; Nagarathnamma B; Viswanatha Reddy S(2008) studied the impact of selected variables causing job satisfaction like retention ,higher performance, support, team work and task characteristics on job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life on 266 Israeli prison guards. It was found that extra organizational factors, especially clarity in direction, low stress level, low burnout, clear communication, timely feedback, career advancement were found to be strong predictors of job satisfaction and led to strong satisfied feeling towards quality of work life. It could be inferred from this study that job satisfying factors largely affects feeling of quality of work life. Thus job satisfying factors should be properly worked upon so that a better quality of work life can be felt by employees. Tett, R. Meyer, J. (1993) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life with reference to faculty members found that management style in form of leadership, 2-way feedback,informal climate setting, participation in organization decision making to large extent caused greater satisfaction towards job and employees perceived a better quality of work life when these attributes were worked upon by management to enhance quality of work life amongst employees. Management leadership was found to be major factor leading satisfaction towards job and improving quality of work life. Cooper and Marshal (1976) also in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life found that certain variables like work overload, role ambiguity, role conflict and poor working conditions associated with a particular job which reduces job satisfaction and affects low feeling towards quality of work life as well In their study majority of employees agreed that with less satisfying job, employees performance and initiative taking ability also reduces to a large extent. Thus management should focus on factors that lead to job satisfaction sine it also affects feeling towards quality of work life to large extent. Theoretically Lawler (1982) also identified QWL in terms of job characteristics and work conditions. He highlighted that the core dimension of the entire QWL in the organization is to improve employees well-being, satisfaction and productivity. An employee with high job satisfaction enjoys a qualitative work life in comparison of employees who are dissatisfied with job. Thus job satisfaction to a large extent is a strong predictor of quality of work life. Pelsma et al(1989).and Hart(1989) in their study on impact of selected QWL attributes found that psychological distress and morale contributed equally to teachers QWL. A balanced workload level, regular feedback, opportunities for training and improvement along with provision of suitable financial and non financial motivators largely enhanced employees satisfaction towards their job as well as improved employees quality of work life. These factors largely improved functional outcomes like improved productivity, better retention and initiative taking ability of employees. This also helped in improving occupational role and performance of employees. Winter et al(2000) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life with reference to academicians studied the role of selected variables like role stress, job characteristics, and role of supervision job characteristics, feedback, compensation structure, participation of employees and work environment as factors affecting job satisfaction and affecting quality of work life as well. They viewed QWL for academicians as an attitudinal response to the prevailing work environment and posited five factors that affected job satisfaction including role stress, job characteristics, type of supervision, structural characteristics that directly and indirectly shaped academicians experiences, attitudes and behaviour and resulting positive feeling of quality of work life. Rice (1985) tried to focus on relationship between work satisfaction and Quality of peoples lives. His study also focused and found a strong relationship between certain job related factors like work experience and work outcomes that affect persons general Quality of life. He also found that certain factors like family interactions, leisure activities and levels of health and energy also to a large extent affect employees satisfaction towards job and quality of work life that employees view and perceive and feel towards their job Thus this study emphasized the role of work related characteristic and employees experience as major determinant of job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life. Bhatia and Valecha (1981) studied the absenteeism rates of textile factory and recommended that closer attention should be paid to improve the Quality of Work Life since due to low feeling of work quality due to high stress, unclarity in direction, low participation workers derived low satisfaction from job and that affected efficiency. It is thus clear from this study that work related factors like high stress, unclarity in direction, low participation of workers caused low feeling of satisfaction towards their job and they perceived low quality of work life towards their core task..Thus studies like these focus on role of emphasizing job satisfying factors on quality of work life to make employees more productive, involved and committed towards work at large. In a study, Sirota (1973) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life found that underutilization of workers skill and abilities either due to lack of interaction or lack of instruction in performing job causes perception of low Quality of Work Life and suggested job enrichment program to correct the problems of workers skill and abilities to make them feel highly satisfied towards job. This study also emphasizes the role job satisfaction plays significantly in improving quality of work life. Thus studies like these focus on role of job satisfaction and feeling towards work life quality on employees satisfaction at large. Smith and Bourke (1992), also in their study on factors causing stress in teachers in academic institutes found that there were four major sources of stress and these work related factors created feeling of low work quality namely unclear instructions and work environment , time pressures and low opportunities for rewards and recognitions. These factors not only reduced satisfaction towards job but also caused dissatisfying feeling towards quality of work life. In a similar study determining impact of work related factors causing job satisfaction and its impact on quality of work life Kenneth, R. (1977),reported that unclarity of roles creates difficulty and was negatively associated with job satisfaction which makes satisfaction generated from qualitative work life quite low , especially among women. Thus impact of unclear directions, feedback, blocked communication channels and job misfit affected satisfaction towards job and quality of work life also. In another study conducted by Fraser, Draper and Taylor (1998) on factors affecting job satisfaction and its resulting impact on quality of work life among school teachers it was found that female teachers felt less satisfied with their influences over school policies which they considered as a major factor affecting quality of work life compared to male teachers. They also reported significant differences in work satisfaction based on work experience it was found that teachers who stayed longer at the job consistently had greater ratings of dissatisfaction. Thus this study gives a clear indication that work related and demographic factors like work experience and employees involvement to a larger extent affects employees satisfaction towards their job and resulting feeling towards work life quality. In a similar study conducted in Malaysia by Che Rose et al (2006) further concluded that the most important predictor of QWL is organizational climate, followed by career achievement, career satisfaction and career balance which all lead to job satisfaction. This study also focused on role of job satisfying factors on employees feeling towards his work life quality. Thus, management of organization should focus on identifying important job satisfaction causing variables and design policies, procedures and management style in such a way so that employees feel high and positive about quality of wok life. OUTCOMES OF LITERATURE REVIEW- The above selected studies focus on role of job satisfaction on quality of work life. Most of the studies irrespective of different work related variables helped in determining impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life. It can be concluded from these studies that when employees feel highly satisfied from their jobs their feeling towards quality of work life also becomes high which results into better productivity, performance , commitment , involvement and initiative taking ability of employees. It was found in most of the studies that when employees feel less or dissatisfied with their jobs either due to organization related, work related or individual factors the quality of work life also gets negatively affected. Thus irrespective of the sector management should strive harder to make jobs more enriching thus employees getting higher satisfaction and resulting into highly satisfying feeling towards quality of work life as well. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY To assess the level of quality of work life among men and women To determine the association between job satisfying factors and attributes of quality of work life(Nature of work, level of participation, working condition, work schedule, Grievance procedure. To identify the impact of different demographic factors on quality of work life and job satisfaction. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For the present study 15 different management colleges were selected in and around Faridabad region. Employees including lecturer, Assistant Professor and Professor between age group 25-55 were selected for the study. The data was collected through structured questionnaire which was personally administered by researcher. The reliability of the questionnaire was found to be 0.76 which is good enough for study. The questionnaire consisted of close ended question (Likert scale) to gauge the reaction of employees. A pilot study was conducted with 25 respondents (faculty members) to check the reliability of questionnaire. Total 250 questionnaire were distributed out of which 238 were returned and usable questionnaire were 220 in total .So sample of 220 is considered for present study. Details about Questionnaire The scale used for measuring attitude of employees for present study is LEA (Long employee attitude scale) developed by Dr.H.C Ganguli which is a 26 item job satisfaction scale. The items of LEA were earlier standardized on Indian employees on Nepalese female subject working as Bank officers, college teachers and Nepal government officers. The areas covered are Nature of work 2 items Income 5 items Security 1 item Organization aspect 5 items Personal aspect 1 items Colleagues /co-workers 2 items Promotion and training opportunities 3 items Welfare facilities, health and canteen facilities 2 items Union management relation 1 item Company policy and practices 4 items Scoring of responses The present scale is scored according to Likert scale of summated rating .The total score of a subject is an addition of score value of respondent from the alternative choosen.25 items of LEA scale has 5 response alternative( 1,2,3,4,5) and 1 item has 3 alternatives (2,3,4) higher is the score greater is the satisfaction. The subject has to answer all the 26 items and no omission is allowed. If there is any omission then a score of 3 has to be provided as the middle value Validity Reliability of scale used About the scale Dr. H.C Gangulis job attitude scale which helps in assessing job satisfaction of employees at different level has test retest reliability of r = 0.90 and odd even reliability after Spearman -Brown correction was r = 0.81 and has proved validity. The validity of this scale was checked through internal consistency method, by way of item analysis which requires low correlation between items and high correlation between item scores and total scale scores TOOLS USED In order to analyze the collected data SPSS 16.0 was used. In order to determine significant relation between satisfaction with QWL attributes) between male and female t-test was used. .Further, Chi-square test was used to determine the association between level of job satisfactions (job characteristic factors) and quality of work life dimensions. Also regression analysis was used to determine impact of different variables like overall job satisfaction, unclarity in direction and job stress on quality of work life. Further, to determine significant difference between demographic factor and job satisfaction (job characteristic) t-test ANOVA and Levens test for equality of variance was used. Hypothesis formulated Null hypothesis 1 -There is no significant difference between male and female with respect to feeling towards quality of work life in academic industry Null hypothesis 2 There is no association between job characteristic /satisfying factors and QWL Null Hypothesis -3 There is significant impact of demographic variables like age and nature of work on feeling towards quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.1 Employees of higher age groups expect more qualitative work life Null Hypothesis 3.2 Employees with stressful nature of work require high quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.3 Employees with long tenure needs more quality of work life ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Null hypothesis 1 -There is no significant difference between male and female with respect to feeling towards quality of work life in academic industry. As clear in Table -1 t-test was used to determine the significant difference between genders with regard to feeling towards dimension of QWL feeling. Table-1 t-test showing significant difference between gender with regard to feeling towards dimension of QWL feeling QWL dimension Male Female t- value P value Mean S.D Mean S.D Satisfaction from job 31.25 3.65 29.34 4.23 2.04 0.035* Unclarity in direction 44.65 5.84 42.45 5.35 2.76 0.002** Job Stress 20.45 2.98 18.67 2.65 2.68 0.004** Overall QWL feeling 96.53 10.87 91.46 11.12 3.24 0.001** ** denotes significance at 1% level * denotes significance at 5% level It is clear from the table-1 that since the value of P is less than 0.01 with respect to unclarity in direction, level of stress in job and overall feeling of QWl thus null hypothesis is rejected and it can be inferred that there is a significant difference between feeling towards QWL dimensions between male and female workers. Also since the value of P is less than 0.05 with respect to feeling of job satisfaction it is clear that null hypothesis is rejected. Female workers are more affected by feeling of lack of satisfaction, unclarity in direction and job stress than male workers. It is due to the fact that female workers need to create a balance between a good professional as well as a good homemaker so the burden is more on them to manage. This is the reason they expect and require more quality in work life that will result into effective performance. Thus, if organization provides them with certain provisions like flexi timing, suitable arrangement of crà ¨ches and safe work environment with less stress the feeling of qualitative work life will definitely enhance. Null hypothesis 2 There is no association between job characteristic /satisfying factors and QWL From Table -2 it is clear that value of P is less than 0.01 thus rejecting the null hypothesis at 1% level, thus there is a significant association between job satisfying dimension and quality of work life. Table-2 Chi-square showing association between job characteristic and quality of work life Level of job characteristics Level of QWL Row total Chi-square value P value Low Average High 91.503 0.000** Low 39 12 6 57 Average 10 74 40 104 High 13 17 29 59 Column Total 62 103 55 220 It is clear from the table that as the level of quality of work life increases job satisfaction among employees also gets increased .Thus it becomes imperative that if the organization works for introducing innovative ways to make work life more qualitative then job satisfaction will also increase which will result into improvement in performance and in development of a desired behaviour in individuals. Further to confirm the relation between job characteristic and quality of work life multiple regression model was applied. From Table -3 it is clear that in this model quality of work life is taken as dependent variable and job satisfaction(X1), unclarity in direction(X2), job stress(X3) are taken as independent variable and predictor variables .The calculated value of multiple R was found to be -0.342 ,R squared value was -0.124.The calculated F -value was -10.120 and P value was -0.000**.. The estimate of model coefficient is 109.136 for ao, for a1 is 0.821, a2 is -0.182 and for a3 is -0.258.So the estimated model becomes 109.136 = 0.821 (X1) 0.182 (X2) 0.258 (X3) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (I Table-3 Multiple regression table Variable Unstandardized coefficient Standardized coefficient t-value P-value B Std. error of B Beta X1 0.821 0.165 0.311 3.284 0.000** X2 -0.182 -0.132 0.102 1.213 0.161 X3 -0.258 0.281 -0.062 -0.812 0.342 Constant 109.136 5.525 14.304 0.000 The R squared value of 12.4% indicates that predictor variable explains 12.4 % variance in QWL. From the ANOVA table (Table -4) it is quite clear that F-value 10.120 and P value 0.000 is highly significant less than 0.01. Table-4 ANOVA Table Sum of Squares d.f Mean square F Sig. Regression 4163.414 3 1326.162 10.120 .000** Residual 31257.612 216 138.420 Total 35421.026 219 It can be interpreted from this that the estimated model line is not equal to zero indicating linear relationship between the predictor variable and QWL. It is also clear that Beta value for job satisfaction is highest (0.311) followed by unclarity in direction (0.102).The Beta value of job stress has made least contribution in this (-0.062). The value of p is less than 0.01, so the independent variable job satisfaction is highly significant for the stated model. The rest of independent variables are not significant at 95% confidence level. Thus it can be concluded that as quality of work life will increases job satisfaction will also increase whereas with unclarity in direction and job stress it will reduce. Null Hypothesis -3 There is significant impact of demographic variables like age and nature of work and tenure on feeling towards quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.1 Employees of higher age groups require more quality in work life Null Hypothesis 3.2 Employees with stressful nature of work require high quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.3 Employees with long tenure needs more quality in work life In order to determine impact of demographic variables on quality of work life t-test ANOVA and Levens test for equality of variance was applied .This was applied to see whether there is any impact of demographic variable on response of employees towards quality of work life . From table 5, 6 and 7 it is quite clear that demographic variable except gender did not have a significant influence on quality of work life. The significant value for age which is 0.854 reveals that all age groups exhibited similar kind of behaviour with respect to quality of work life. This clears that irrespective of age each employees looks for better quality of work life which definitely increases job satisfaction. Table-5 Independent sample test for determination influence of age on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig(2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. -.180 .854 -..0302 .15076 QWL Equal variance not assumed .002 .956 Equal variance not assumed -.180 .854 -.0302 .15071 The significant value of nature of work which is 0.972 and its influence on quality of work life indicates that nature of duty and work do not influence quality of work, this further indicates that whatever may be the nature of work in academic industry with respect to different position, qualitative work life is most required. Table -6 Independent sample test for determination influence of nature of work on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig. (2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. .032 .972 .0047 .15792 QWL Equal variance not assumed .113 .735 Equal variance not assumed .032 .972 .0047 .15765 With regard to tenure of employees it is again seen that the significant value is 0.842 whether the tenure is long or whether the employee is a newcomer. Thus demographic factors (age, tenure, nature of work) do not influence quality of work life particularly with any higher age, long tenure or with stressful work. Table-7 Independent Sample test for determining influence of tenure on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig.(2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. .178 .842 .0220 .11701 QWL Equal variance not assumed .206 .638 Equal variance not assumed .175 .844 .0220 .11746 FINDINGS OF STUDY Based on the objectives and hypothesis formulated for the study the following findings were observed With respect to gender male and female differed significantly towards feeling of quality of work life and job satisfaction. Male employees were found to be more satisfied and feeling towards quality of work life was higher in comparison to female counterparts ,it may due to the fact that women folk has to perform dual responsibilities and with increase in work pressures and expectations from organization it is quite obvious that they feel less satisfied in terms of unclarity in direction, communication gap, flexibility, timings and different facilities provided by the organization which is not too satisfactory and leads to comparably low feeling of quality of work life. On the basis of regression analysis and Chi-square which was used to assess association between job satisfying factors and quality of work life, it was found that among different selected factors of job related aspects level of job satisfaction consisting of different attributes like compensation structure, reward structure, a administrative policies, flexibility, participation of employees, challenging work assignment were considered to be affecting job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life much more than factors like unclarity in direction, job stress etc. Maximum variance was explained by job satisfying factors towards quality of work life, establishing that job satisfaction contributes utmost towards making work life more qualitative. Further the impact of different demographic factors like age, tenure, and nature of work on quality of work life was also studied. After analysis it was found that except gender there was no significant difference between feeling and significance of quality of work life among employees. Thus, irrespective of the age group, nature of work and tenure each empl

What Is Operations Research Essay -- essays research papers

This is an Engineering Research Paper. What is operations research? Operations research is the application of the methods of science to complex problems arising in the direction and management of large systems of men, machines material, and money in industry, business, government and defense. The distinctive approach is to develop a scientific model of the system, incorporating measurements of factors such as chance and risk, with which to predict and compare the outcomes of alternative decisions, strategies or controls. The purpose is to help management determine its policy and actions scientifically. (Ravindran, Phillips and Solberg 1987). How does operations research apply to highway systems inefficiency? Let’s find out! â€Å"Automakers don’t build roads and governments don’t build autos, yet we expect cars and roads to mesh together seamlessly to form a transportation network.† For year’s automakers and regional transportation planners have been working to put information age technology to work solving traffic problems. All over the world people are choosing to travel by automobile because this flexible mode of travel best meets their needs. But grid locked expressways threaten to take the â€Å"mobile† out of â€Å"automobile.† This presentation will try to show reasons why our expressways are so congested, what the Federal Highway Administration proposals are to alleviate congestion and the advantages and disadvantages of these proposals under review. Firstly what are some of the causes of urban highway congestion? Rush hour traffic is one of the leading contributors of highway congestion. It isn’t our imagination. Every year commute times to work take longer and longer. Since 1986 car travel has increased almost 40%, while highway capacity has barley grown. As a result most major interstate routes in Metropolitan areas are jammed during rush hours. Grid locked cost Americans almost the equivalent of $51 billion a year in lost wages and wasted fuel. And the situation is only going to get worse. (Steisand, Betsy. 1996). What causes rush hour traffic? Simply put, at specific times of the day be it in the morning or evening motorists in general are either on their way to work or home. There is such a glut of vehicles on the expressways at this time. They all need to get to their destinations at peak times of the day. It is a simple equation: Too many cars incorp... ...napp. Crain’s Chicago Business. , v 22 no2 (Jan. 11 ’99) p. 13. (4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Moving forward smartly: The role of ITS in the NEXTEA† by: Jeff, Lindley. Public Roads. , Wntr 1997, v60 n3 p57(4). (5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Message in a bottleneck: It’s time to start charging rush hour commuters† by: Betsy, Steisand. U.S News and World Report; Dec 30 1996, v121, n26, p47(2). (6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fighting road rage† by: William B. Cassidy. Traffic World,v. 251 (Aug. 11 ’97) p. 31. (7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"For Florida a second chance† by: William C. Vantuono. Railway Age. , v. 196 (Apr. ’95) p. 59-60. (8)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Actual hands-off steering- and other wonders of the modern world† by: Bob, Bryant. Public Roads; Nov-Dec 1997, v61, n3, p32(6). (9)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"91 Express ways do not work well† by: Mackprang, Peter and Harry, Parker. American City and County. , v. 114 no12 (Oct. 1999)p. 6. (10)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Operational models and traffic control in intelligent vehicle systems† by; Zhang, L. Transportation Research PartA: Policy and Practice; (Jan 1997), v31, n1, p64.

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

Heart of Darkness By: Joseph Conrad The novel Heart of Darkness, was written by a man named Joseph Conrad in 1894. Conrad was born December 3, 1857 into a family of polish decent in the northern Ukraine. The backgrounds of his family members consisted of a father that was an avid translator of Shakespeare as well as poet, along with a mother, that while was prone to illness still was well read and very intelligent. When Conrad was five, his father was exiled into a prison camp in Northern Russia for alleged revolutionist plots against the government. Due to the harsh conditions of the prison, Conrad’s mother died within three years and his father four years later. It was the death of his father that sent Joseph into a fit of melancholy, and it was within this sadness that Joseph turned to writing to ease his grief and carried his pain and suffering into most of his novels. After finishing his education in Krakow, Poland, Joseph went to sea, and from there sailed on and off for the next twenty years. These tw enty years were the basis if not the absolute pure nautical theme that flows throughout many of his novels. Stories such as Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness are based upon true to life experiences that Joseph had while at sea. Another unique aspect of Conrad’s writing, would be the lack of simple romance within all of his novels. This lack of emotional passion is most likely due to a drastic love affair when he was 17 that ended with an attempt to end his own life. Of Conrad’s many works some include Nostromo, Typhoon, The Secret Agent, and perhaps his most famous work Chance, which made him an instant celebrity within literary circles. From his world-renowned success, Conrad became very rich, and paraded himself as the typical aristocratic high-hat, and for the most part was allowed to play this role, until his death in 1524 from a heart attack. He died and was buried at his home in Canterbury, England. Within the actual story, Heart of Darkness, Conrad takes us into the mind and morals of a sailor named Marlow as he treks through the literal "Heart of Darkness." This actual land is found deep within the dark jungles of the Congo River region of Africa, and serves as the central setting for this story.

Develop a Business Plan Before You Buy a Website :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Develop a Business Plan Before You Buy a Website Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com In recent years, I've written a number of business plans based on ideas I've had for various websites. Most of these ideas were small, but I learned a great deal just writing the plans. I didn't proceed with those websites because either the market or cash flow wouldn't support them. However, the only way for me to know this was by writing the plans. Completing the initial plan for my current website was time-consuming. I spent about 40 hours over a three-week period researching and writing it. It's a living document, since I revise it every month or two. Free Web resources, plus word-processing and Excel spreadsheet software, allowed me to create a unique plan. The resources I used included VotanWeb and the Small Business Administration's site. The business-planning software programs that provide templates to insert your information seemed "cookie cutter" and formulaic to me. They didn't seem to offer anything that wasn't free on the Web. The first half of a business plan is geared towards developing and supporting a business strategy. A website can face serious competition if the business concept is not creative. I critically examined my market, industry, customers and competitors. I reviewed the benefits of my current merchandise and tied them to customer needs. I visited my competitor’s websites to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and find opportunities they were neglecting. I asked myself: Is there a niche that allows me to compete less directly against similar websites? Can I use different sales or marketing pitches? Is there a secondary market that can help us grow? Can I position my websites in new ways that offer customers additional benefits? The Financial Picture A balance sheet shows a website's net worth and is prepared once annually. In my business plan, I also included a personal balance sheet that showed my personal financial commitment by documenting my own assets and liabilities. A cash-flow statement shows how much cash will be needed and when and where it will be generated. It examines cash and revenue sources, minus the business's expenses and capital requirements (a cash-flow statement differs from a profit-and-loss statement because it doesn't include when the revenue is collected or expenses paid). I show my cash flow going forward on a 12-month basis. This allows me to see when my cash flow might not be adequate to meet expenses and pull back on spending until it builds up again.

Maria Full Of Grace Essay

Maria is a spirited seventeen years old who lives in a small town in Colombia. She works for very low wages at a large industrial rose plantation. Maria comes from a family of four who desperately depend on her every paycheck just to get by in life. After so many years of working and struggling, she becomes dissatisfied with her life. Maria begins to seek more out of their daily routines. She makes drastic decisions out of desperation for a new life. Maria quits her job when her supervisor refuses to let her go to the bathroom. This was a point of finally letting go of what makes her miserable. Although, everyone around her is not as determined as she is for a better life, she continues to look for more. After an argument with her boss, she decided to quit her job in hopes for something better, more exciting. She decides to finally follow her heart and make a change. Maria later on goes to find out she is pregnant from her boyfriend. While her boyfriend purposes to her after hearing the news, she declines after realizing he doesn’t even love her. Maria is looking for something new, but marriage is not the answer. She notices how miserable her sister is with a baby and the idea doesn’t settle in with her. The situation only makes her look for something different. In the process of looking for a new job in Bogota, Maria comes into contact with a friend she met in a party the night before. Franklin sensed that she wanted to do something different, so he tells her about a job as a drug mule. From what they were talking about Franklin saw that she was tired of her everyday life. A drug mule is someone who carries drugs into another country. While knowing the risks, Maria unhesitatingly accepts after hearing the pay and opportunity of going somewhere other than Colombia. This shows that Maria knows what she wants; she is willing to accept anything out of her norm. She later meets with Javier, the one in charge of the operation. As he deliberately explains the risks, confidentiality, and pay of carrying drugs to America, she consciously accepts the offer. To Maria she sees this as a way out of her regular routine, and a chance to be somewhere new. She secretly speaks with Lucy, another girl who has carried drugs to America and survived all the dangers of the work for an insight of the job. During the process Maria has to swallow 62 nuggets of heroin sealed with latex and dental floss. In New York, Maria is stopped at the airport in suspicion that she is smuggling drugs. They intimidatingly interview her in an isolated room, questioning her and scolding her about why she is in New York from Colombia. During the whole interview with immigration, Maria remains calm, showing a sense of courage. After knowing the possibilities of getting caught, she persists with the x-ray they demand, to verify that she is in fact not smuggling drugs. Prior to the x-ray they take a urine test, watching her as she urinates into the cup to prove it is really her urine. When the officers receive the urine test, they find out that Maria is pregnant, and because of that they aren’t able to proceed with the x-ray. She saw this as a sign from god, as if someone was watching over her. Maria exits the airport where there are two men in a van waiting for her. In the process of retrieving the drugs from her body and from the two other girls, Lucy gets ill. When a nugget brakes in your stomach, you will eventually die, so to save the drugs the two men cut her stomach open to retrieve the drugs. Maria awakes to see the two men carry Lucy out of the hotel room. This was the first time Maria has panicked because she felt that Blanca and herself have to pay, so they run away. Maria shows leadership because she decides they need to go, and what they need to do. After running they realize the danger they were going to put their families into so they decided to contact the two men to return the drugs. Maria and her friend meet up with the men, with a lot of courage after running away from the drug dealers, and returning the drugs to receive payment. Their job is done and they are okay to go back home. While in the airport waiting for her flight to board she thinks about going back to her miserable ways. She thought about her baby, and the opportunities her baby will have in America. After thinking about it thoroughly, Maria makes the biggest decision of her life, and that is to stay in America. Maria shows how courageous and determined she is to forge a new life for herself no matter the cost. She comes close to encountering death, danger, betrayal, and violence in this process of finding herself and what she wants. Maria fights for her escape and frees herself, standing alone just as when she started this adventure. Maria breaks her norm and now will give her child the life she always wished for. She can finally close that chapter in her life, and start over new.

No name woman by Maxine Hong Kingston Essay

No name woman, by Maxine Hong Kingston, exposed the harsh culture of the Chinese in the 1920’s. Women were treated as breeders and slaves to their husbands. The unborn is the narrator’s aunt; whom she never had the chance to meet. The mother tells the story while her daughter listens to the devastating suicide of her aunt. The narrator of the story struggles to find the morals of her deceased aunt; she attempts to reveal and understand the Chinese culture in the 1920’s versus the American culture she currently lives in. Chinese culture in the 20’s has always been a patriarchal society. The men are completely dominant; they provide money and shelter for the women and children. Women, on the other hand, do not have any power in decision-making, â€Å"women in the old China did not choose† (825). They had no say in who their husband would be or how many children they had to have. When they were commanded to do a chore or to cook they were forced to only follow their husband’s wishes. During the adolescent age, â€Å"brothers and sisters, newly men and women, had to efface their sexual color and present plain miens† (828). Everyone in the Chinese society looked the same; there was no make-up or trendy hairstyles to make a unique appearance. The hair must be pulled up in a bun when young and when they married, women could cut their hair. A common characteristic of the Chinese was the temptation to grab attention by speaking loudly or shouting at family gatherings (828). The narrator even admits her mother still shouts in the library or other quiet areas. The adjustment from Chinese culture to Chinese-American culture has been different for her family. In the 1970’s the â€Å"first American generations have had to figure out the invisible world the emigrants built around [her] childhood in solid America† (824). The narrator feels like her immediate family is not adjusting to the American culture effectively. The narrator’s family has a secret. Her aunt became a disgrace to their family and village in China. Her mother states, â€Å"your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born† (823). In the Chinese culture, committing sexual relations outside of marriage is considered dishonoring your family’s name. Family values are very important and committing infidelity equals banishment from the village. When the narrator’s aunt becomes pregnant, and her husband had been away for years, â€Å"no one said anything. [They] did not discuss it† (823). The father of the baby was unknown, but, the family did not even attempt to find him. Not only did the aunt sin, but her baby would forever live in sin because of her mother’s actions. In the Chinese culture, their past stayed with them forever; they couldn’t start over like the Japanese and become a Samurais or Geishas (826). They were forced to the outcast table during family feasts and were basically shunned. On top of becoming impregnated by another man, the aunt had a daughter; which, â€Å"to have a daughter in starvation time was a waste enough† (825). Producing a male was more beneficial to the village and carrying on the family name. Obedience is the main factor in this story. The dominance of the male required, â€Å"she [obey] him, she always did what she was told† (825). Therefore, the chain reaction occurred, the aunt became pregnant and cursed the village. Even throughout childbirth she never revealed the father’s identity. Just hours before she delivered, the village ransacked and raided her home. They screamed, â€Å"Look what you’ve done. You’ve killed us. Ghost! Dead ghost. You’ve never been born† (830). This disgrace only left her to commit suicide with her child. If she decided to stay in this world she would forever be an outcast and her daughter would be treated as a living curse. Even though she took her and her child’s life, â€Å"infidelity had already harmed the village, the waves of consequences would return unpredictable, sometimes in disguise†¦ to hurt her† (830). The damage was already done. She disrespected her family’s name. Also, the village had to suffer penalties from her actions. They believe the breaking of the village code would set a curse on them. Her mother voiced this particular story to ensure her daughter does not make the same mistake. Even though they are now experiencing Chinese-American culture, the Chinese culture still remains dominant in their family. Her aunt sinned over 50 years ago when this story was told; however, the ramifications are still affecting her family. This story was mentioned to prevent another family crisis and to keep the family name free of sin.