Anna Quindlen Essay

When you think great American author, many people think of Anna Quindlen. She won many awards. They include but are not limited to a Pulitzer and two Clarion Awards. She is an older sister and a daughter, as well as a wife and mother. Anna Quindlen has published many, many literary works, including novels, children’s books, nonfiction works, columns, and new table pictorials. This woman is not only an author, but she is a role model and hero to some, having accomplished her dreams with great dignity and grace. Anna Quindlen was not always Anna Quindlen the famous author. First, she was Anna Marie Quindlen, the oldest of five children in Philadelphia, and later on, New Jersey. She has one sister and three brothers, all of which are younger than she is, her sister being the youngest of the five. When Anna was nineteen, her mother, an italian woman, died of ovarian cancer at age fourty. She uses that experience in much of her writing, such as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† This left her with only her father, and Irish man, as most of the characters in her books such as â€Å"Object Lessons’ are. Since she was a teenager, Anna Quindlen has been a feminist, and although her reasoning has changed quite a bit, she still remains one. Anna currently is married to a man named Gerald Krovatin and has three children. They all live in New York City. This incredible woman has written and published four best-selling novels. They are â€Å"Object Lessons,† â€Å"One True Thing,† â€Å"Black and Blue,† and â€Å"Blessings.† â€Å"Black and Blue’ was made into a movie as well as â€Å"One True Thing†. Anna also has three collection of her colums published. They consist of â€Å"Living Out Loud,† â€Å"Thinking Out Loud,† and â€Å"Loud and Clear.† She also wrote about her own personal experiences in â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life, â€Å"Being Perfect,† and â€Å"Imagined London.† â€Å"Being Perfect† is a national bestseller as well as â€Å"A Short Guide to a Happy Life.† She was a columnist for the New York Times from 1981 to 1994, and 1990 was a big year for her. In that year she was given the title of the third woman in New York Times history to write a column for the Op-Ed page. In 1995 Anna became a full-time book writer and left her column and journalism. In 1992, Ms. Quindlen won a very honorable prize. In the category of Commentary, Anna Quindlen won a Pulitzer Prize. However, she did not stop there . She went on to win a Mothers At Home Media Award in 2001, and two Clarion Awards. The first, in 2001 for Best Regular Opinion Column in a magazine, and the second in 2002 for Best Opinion Column from the Association for Women in Communications. Annna has received honorary doctorates from Moravian College, Smith College, Denison University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Mount Holyoke College. She was also give the University Medal of Excellence from Columbia. Ms. Quindlen was also a Victoria Fellow in Contemporary Issues at Rutgers, a Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale, and a Fellow of the Academy of Arts & Sciences. These things, among others, are what set her apart from others, and she has something to show for her achievements. And so Anna Quindlen accomplished more emotionally than any other woman on Earth. She was the third woman to write a certain column for the New York Times, and a best-selling author at the same time. As a role model for women everywhere, Anna Quindlen went from being little Anna Marie Quindlen to the great woman she is now. Her words have allowed the people of the twenty-first century to make great life choices and love people for who they are. Anna is thanked and revered for as long as she is remembered, which will definetly be for years and years to come.

Development and Training – Essay

Effective training plans teach employees the skills ND behaviors that help the organization achieve their defined goals. Struck is the number one specialty coffee retailer serving millions of people in 16,000 locations in 50 countries (Struck, 2010). Struck employees go through vigorous training to ensure that each cup of coffee Is brewed to perfection. While Struck may have a well-trained staff, errors can be made, and additional training may be needed.The needs assessment is the process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and employees' tasks to determine what kind of training, if any, is necessary. An organizational analysis of Struck shows that It Is an organization that concentrates on serving a niche market and needs to continually update its workforce on specialized skill sets. Effective training objectives have three components and should include the following measurable performance standards: 1 A statement of what the employee Is expected to do, the perform ance or outcome. . A statement of the quality or level of performance that Is acceptable. 3. A statement of the conditions under which the trainee is expected to apply what he or she learned. Data gathered from the organization, and task analysis will help identify raining materials needed to develop an effective training program. Struck Is a successful company not only because it serves a great cup of coffee but also because the company has developed a great culture with a leading training program for its managers and employees.One of the first things that a new employee at Struck learns is that all employees are called partners. Struck calls their employees partners because they openly value and respect each partner and acknowledge that their success would not be possible without the contributions they make on a daily basis. Partners are coached on the Star Skills, three guidelines for on-the-job interpersonal relations: (1 ) maintain and enhance self-esteem, (2) listen and acknow ledge, and (3) ask for help (Struck, 2010).Struck has numerous proprietary processes and recipes so they do not often contract or outsource their training. Most of the training partners receive is hands-on and provided by experienced partners and the management team at the store. The bulk of a new partners training Is spent on proper beverage preparation. This training Involves such satellites as grinding the beans, steaming milk, learning to pull perfect shot of espresso, remembering the correct amount of shots and syrup pumps the different FIFO Arles require, Ana practice, practice, practice on making ten core coffee Diverges.Struck sets drink standards to be memorized and followed. Milk must be steamed to at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit but never more than 170 degrees unless the customer requests it to be hotter. Always pull a perfect espresso shot if the shot is shorter than 18 seconds or longer than 23 seconds it must be tossed out. Always have fresh coffee a new pot is to be b rewed every 20 minutes. If a customer is satisfied with his or her experience or beverage partners are empowered to compensate them with a Struck coupon for a free drink (Thompson & Strickland, 1999).Additional lessons are provided on how to clean the milk wand on the espresso machine and how to calibrate the espresso machines for the perfect grind. The amount of information that a new partner has to process can oftentimes be overwhelming so to help out they are provided with laminated recipe cards for all the drinks on the menu and a pocket-sized green apron book that covers the star skills and fits perfectly their green apron, online training for the cash register and loneliness standards, and the support of all the other partners on the floor.The training received by partners can seem intense but the teamwork and culture created leaves customers with such great impressions the often return Just for the enjoyable experience As the staff becomes seasoned, some of the training gets forgotten and mistakes happen. â€Å"In its campaign to revive the intimate, friendly feel of a neighborhood coffee shop, Struck orchestrated the closing of 7,100 of its American stores at precisely 5:30 p. M. Or a three-hour retraining session for employees† (Grumman, 2008, Para. 2). The training objective is primarily focused on recipe consistency so Struck decided their plan would be more effective by incorporating in-house expertise as part of the training medium. The program will combine the presentation and hands-on training methods where employees receive information individually, and in a group sessions to have the opportunity to actively practice the specific skills being taught.The group sessions allow employees to discuss new techniques to improve the taste and texture of drinks as well as share best practices for maintaining beverage consistency while adhering to the standards or espresso shots and milk quality. Refresher training is an excellent tool to keep seas oned staff trained on the basics and to reduce the amount of errors made. This type of training is very informal and can be done at the store as opposed to in a classroom. An on-the-spot correction is a type of refresher training that can be done relatively quickly.If an employee makes an error making a cup of coffee, he or she can be given refresher training immediately. Managers will have to ensure that this training is not done to demean the employee, but to re-inform him or her of the proper steps. Another on-the-spot correction that can be made is with customer service. Each employee is given four hours of customer service training before entering a store. Sometimes, the basics can be forgotten, and human nature can override training on any given day.In this case, managers can pull an employee aside and remind him on how important customer satisfaction is to Struck. Again, this is not meant to embarrass the employee, but simply to retrain the basics. It is important that refres her training be done at the store and not in a different location. On-the-spot corrections cannot be trained in a classroom because it loses its efficiency. This training needs to happen immediately (or a few hours) after an error NAS occurred so ten employees can learn ten proper steps quickly Ana prevent Torture errors of that nature.It is also important to note that employees learn better in their own environment and would be able to use their refresher training immediately. Once the training needs and objectives are identified, training materials are created, and the training medium is agreed upon the next step is implementation of the training process. The way people learn is an important factor to consider in the implementation process of any training program. Learning objectives must be communicated clearly and presented distinctly so that trainees link the subject matter to their Jobs and the organization's goals.Multiple delivery techniques can be used to train employees su ch as traditional presentations or lectures that are given in classroom settings, the use of computer-based training (CB) on-line, internships or work-study mentoring programs, simulation training, or hands on-the-Job training (JOT) techniques. The training context or physical environment should mirror the work environment. Training sessions and materials should use familiar terms, concepts, and examples.Any of the techniques Struck selects is dependent on their training objective, the materials covered, and the timeshare in which the employee is expected to develop the learned traits. When the course objectives call for presenting information on a specific topic to many trainees, classroom instruction is one of the least expensive and least time-consuming ways to accomplish the goal. The refresher training program Struck developed is centered primarily on JOT techniques and is expected to be more effective because the trainers will enhance heir lectures with Job-related examples an d trainees have opportunities for hands- on learning.The on-site instructors or facilitators are available to answer questions and give immediate corrective feedback. Evaluation is an integral part of the training and development process. Evaluation tools help to determine the effectiveness of the training programs and materials that employees receive. Evidence suggests that because of insufficient budget or time, lack of expertise, blind trust in training solutions or lack of methods and tools, the evaluations are often inconsistent or missing (Ma, 2006).At Struck it is all about the customer experience customer satisfaction is how Struck evaluates the effectiveness of their training processes. They have implemented a few processes to get feedback from their customers these include secret shoppers, customer comment cards, customer care phone number, and online surveys that print on random customer receipts throughout the day. All of the information is gathered together and sent dir ectly to the store management, the management to assess the training needs for their store then uses the comments and feedback provided.The first order of good service in the food industry is employee knowledge. Employees should know about the organizational goals, the products, and their preparations as well as the ability to share that knowledge with customers. If an employee does not know or understand what they are talking about they cannot sell or serve effectively (Turning, 2000). Struck offers a dizzying array of coffee drinks and expects their employees to be fully versed in how to make the drinks consistently because this is the foundation of the Struck concept.

Grand Valley Dani Peaceful Warriors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Grand Valley Dani Peaceful Warriors - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the people of the Grand Dani are believed to have resided in this area of New Guinea for centuries, according to Karl Heider. The technology of these people is very limited and the only resources that were basically utilized in the 70’s era were stones and bamboo instruments. Also, their way of preservation deals almost entirely on horticulture for sustenance. Their culture and previous style of life have practically vanished away, due to Western missionaries’ encroachments and the degree of far-reaching variables in the environment due to World War II. The sociological structure of the Dani people differs greatly from American society. They are not totally united as a social network and do not necessarily have to rely on one another’s individual contributions to the clan in order to persevere. The main lifestyle objectives of the Dani women are kept separate from the men. While the men do more technical and constr uctive work, the women’s primary attentiveness is on tending to the children, gardening, tending and feeding the pigs, making salt, and weaving carrying baskets. The work among these people is almost always assigned to gender or in an age categorization. What unites them as a whole is the similarity that they have in regards to their values, beliefs, and rituals. Though it might be hard to believe, the men are the ones that normally weave the skirts that the women wear. Furthermore, they are the ones that also perform the myriad of ceremonies and rituals. The men also build the wood and grass houses and ready the fields by plowing, for the women to be able to plant the sweet potatoes (Heider 2004). One quite notable difference between the Dani people and American’s is the definite lack of specialized skills within their community. The Dani’s primary food source is sweet potatoes, although they do have other fruits and vegetables as well. Their only meat source comes from the pigs that they raise (Heidi 1970). The Dani Valley consists of a huge network of fields which the Dani improvise on and develop into harvested areas for gardening purposes. This is a year round process and there is always a field in the procurement of being harvested (Heidi 2004). Their irrigation technique involves constructing ditches around the fields so that there will be a proper route for excess water to drain. These same ditches are utilized to allow needed water into the harvested fields in the dry season of the Dani Valley. The social organization of the Dani is divided into two groups. The Wida or the Waija, which are the two designated social circles within the community. This simply means that each individual person is an aspectual part of their father’s moiety. They are required to marry outside the moiety that the reside in (Heider 1996). Though this works well for their people and their belief system, there are instances when complications arise among this type of social structure. For example, every Dani is born into the Wida moiety, no matter the specification, of which group, the father is bound too. The separation of social recognition does not occur until marriage, during the pigs feast (Heider 1996). In regards to the political aspects of the Dani people, there are different allegiances. Extended family compounds become part of a large confederation, usually equaling 1000 individuals (Heider 2004). It is the confederations that co-exist in a stable and peaceful, multi unit society. Although they might present more stability in family life, the allegiances among them often change (Heider 1970). There are no written laws or any real legal constraints, unless verbalized. Also, they share the same unique culture and belief system despite what group they are affiliated with. Their belief in marriage has a very distinct variation from an American perspective. They believe in Polygony, which is the custom of having more

Too much media influence on political campaigns Research Paper

Too much media influence on political campaigns - Research Paper Example Created:   2011-07-11 09:56   Deadline:    2011-07-21 07:58 Time Left:   9 days 14h 22m Style:   MLA   Language Style:    English (U.S.)   Grade:    n/a   Pages:   2   Sources:    3   â€Å"The media have always played a powerful role in politics,† says Hart. â€Å"Even before radio, we had the penny press. There’d be great wars between various newspapers about politics. So even back then, the media were important.† Throughout the history, the relationship between media and politics has been very extremely sensitive. Both the media and politics have been the major culprit for public opinion. Without a doubt, the media has continued to dramatically impact politics through legislation, information, and impacting voter turnout. Unquestionably, the media plays a vital role in politics as it impacts legislation through various ways. The media is notorious for picking out flaws or any sort of corruption that has plagued the society. As socie ty has evolved, the media has played a vital role towards reform. All of the American media is owned and run through wealthy individual.

Marketing Strategy - Orange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Strategy - Orange - Essay Example However, through the course of time, the success of online retailers proved to be a factor of its resources and how it employs these to achieve its specific goals and objectives. From its humble beginnings, Tesco Plc has gained the reputation of being the largest British retailer in terms of global and local shares. It is estimated that in every  £8 UK retail sales,  £1 is spent on Tesco (Tesco Plc 2007). Recognizing the growth opportunities in the virtual marketplace, the giant retailer has decided to establish online presence during 1994. Three years after, Tesco has started an online shopping which it named Tesco Direct (Tesco Plc 2007). Since then, Tesco has started offering grocery and food items in its virtual store, Tesco.com. On August 2006, the company announced the offering of non-food items in its online store under the name Tesco Direct. This marketing strategy has proved to be very efficient and profitable for the retailing giant. During the fiscal year 2006, the company announced a total annual turnover of  £33.974 billion and reported a pre-tax profit of  £1.962 billion. Out of this,  £1.2 billion is shared by Tesco.com in terms of total revenue and  £83 million in terms of profit. Even though the share of Tesco.com is meagre compared to total turnover and profit generated by Tesco Plc, its growth has been remarkable. The fiscal year 2006 reports online sales double-digit growth of 29.2% while profits soar by 49.5% (Tesco Plc Annual Report 2006). Compared to its rivals in the UK retail industry, Tesco.com captures a higher market share at 65%. Walmart-owned Asda chain lags behind with 16% while Sainsbury corners 14% (Best 2006). Its success has also been documented as it has been named the only retailer which has been able to make online shopping profitable (Walker 2006). The recent trends and developments in the global market stress the huge emerging opportunities in online retailing. In the UK alone, there has been a sharp rise in the number of

Discuss the role of histopathology in the diagnosis and prognosis of Essay

Discuss the role of histopathology in the diagnosis and prognosis of adenocarcinoma of the colon - Essay Example According to Burns (2011) adenocarcinoma of the colon is the cancer that affect the gastro intestines especially its mucosa. Development of adenocarcinoma is associated with development of polyps. Polyps are the growth that are found on the inner side of the colon and protrude into it. These structures form when epithelial cells that line the colon, change to abnormal. This process of change in the epithelial cells is known as mutation. In any living organism, the cells are programmed to generate, multiply, mature and die in a normal way (Willet, 2005, 29). However, in the case of the polyps, there is inconsistency with the designed program of the cells because polyps are permanent. Their existent also makes the death of other cells impossible and hence there is an accumulation of cells in the colon. This has a negative effect on the functioning of the body because it renders conducive supply of oxygen and consumption of nutrients to the cells. This then leads to accumulation of imma ture cells and consequent development of more polyps. If not treated, the polyps develop into the tumor in the inner tissues of the colon. Some of the symptoms of this cancer include; rectal bleeding, constipation, anemia, angina amongst others. Histopathology of the tumor According to Greaves (2011, 29) histopathology of the adenocarcinoma is achieved through taking a biopsy from the colon tissues and carrying out various procedures, which help to differentiate between normal tissues from cancerous one. Fixation of the cells is the first step during specimen processing. Formaldehyde is used to fix the specimen that will undergo pathology study. The purpose of this chemical is to preserve the cells by the process known as irreversible cross-linking of proteins. In this process, the amino groups are cross-linked in proteins through the formation of the methylene bridges. The aim of this process is to retain the integrity of the cells. It ensures that the whole process of specimen pre paration does not distort a normal cell. As such it ensures that at the end of the test, a normal cell is clearly differentiated from abnormal one. However, the disadvantage of fixation through formalin is that, it may degrade RNA, DNA and other components of the cells. Hence it requires for the recommended protocols to be followed when carrying out such process. According to Jones and Morson (2003) an alternative way of fixing specimens is by using suitable freezing medium such as nitrogen. This method is mostly used to preserve the tissues. It is used in conjunction with staining methods such as antibody linked immunoflorescence staining. This process is important in diagnosis and prognosis because when the integrity f a specimen retained, an accurate conclusion is drawn at the end of the examination of the specimen. This then will show whether the cells are cancerous or not, which will later help in forecasting the course of the disease. After fixation, dehydration and clearing o f the cells follow. The importance of this step is to ensure that cells are dry hence easing the process of specimen sectioning. It eases the process sectioning the specimen for easy visualization through the microscope. In histopathology, this process is important because when cells are cut into the recommended thinness, the various infections and abnormalities can be identified accurately when the specimen section is viewed under microscope (Keggar, 2006, 237). This helps

Zara Incorporation as a Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zara Incorporation as a Business - Essay Example The discourse would discuss the reasons why Zara’s business model could be disruptive to the apparel industry. Likewise, the essay would also describe how Zara’s business model is different from the others from a risk management perspective and why is this so important to Zara’s success. Amancio Ortega, considered the richest man in Spain, founded Zara in 1975 in La Coruna, Galicia, Spain. As revealed in the Zara CaseQuest (Doiron: Introduction, n.d.), â€Å"Zara is one of the most successful apparel manufacturing and retail business in the world today. They are not the biggest, but their profit margins and growth rates are industry leading† (par. 3). The task was explicitly stated as identifying what business is Zara in. To enable to accurately respond, one needs to follow the identified process with twelve distinct learning tasks, including expounding on the disruptive business model; the apparel industry business model (with Gap, as the proxy for player s within the industry); the customer characteristics of Zara; the unique customer behaviors and behavior drivers; and finally Zara’s core competencies and its distinct business model to assist in responding to the task. As a retail chain of Inditex, Zara’s major competitors were revealed as Gap, H&M, and Benetton (as shown in Exhibit 4 of the Case) (McAffee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007, p. 15). The case analysis would examine the business model of the apparel industry with Gap as the predominant player. Using comparative financial performance, the following bar chart would reveal the comparative performance of these firms using net operating revenues and net income within the apparel industry from 2001 to 2002: Figure 1: Inditex and Key Competitors: Net Operating Revenues in Millions for 2001 and 2002 Source of Financial Data: (McAffee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007, p. 15) Figure 2: Inditex and Key Competitors: Net Profits in Millions for 2001 and 2002 Source of Financial Data: (McAffee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007, p. 15) It can be deduced from the column charts that despite Gap’s reflecting dominance and leadership in terms of net operating revenues for both 2001 and 2002, one could observe that net income reflected in 2002 for both Inditex (Zara) and Gap are closely comparative; indicating their stiff competition despite differences in applications of business models. After reading the instructions and process outlined in the Zara CaseQuest (Doiron, n.d.), the paper is hereby presented to describe both the business model for the industry and the business model for Zara. The discourse would discuss the reasons why Zara’s business model could be disruptive to the apparel industry. Likewise, the essay would also describe how Zara’s business model is different from the others from a risk management perspective and why is this so important to Zara’s success. Zara’s Business Model Zara is a retail chain of Inditex, a multinational clothing retailer and manufacturer headquartered in La Coruna, Spain, that was founded in 1975 and designs and manufactures clothes for women, men and children according to customers’ desires. Zara eminently applies a disruptive business model, a theory originally adopted by Clayton Christensen from the concept of disruptive innovation. In Christensen’s official website, disruptive innova

Compare de Beauvoir's position with the position of either Mill or Essay

Compare de Beauvoir's position with the position of either Mill or Rawls - Essay Example For a utilitarian what is good is what gives pleasure, happiness, contentment or welfare. Utilitarianism contains a theory of good and a theory of right. It is characteristic of the utilitarian theory of right that rightness is derived from goodness. They base what is either good or right on human experience (Nabor-Nery, 2003). People tend to approve the things which bring about pleasure but disapprove which do not. Hobbes says that, a man fears depends on his individual character and upbringing page 2. For example if a person is comfortable with taking a bottle of wine they are happy and enjoy the pleasure that comes forth. Others hate taking whine therefore it will be obvious that they will disapprove that idea. They shall consider that as a wrong act to follow. Therefore, a person is free to do what they desire as long whatever they are doing gives them pleasure and are comfortable with it. Happiness will lead to calmness and a very stable community. When people are happy they are most likely to leave good lives which have no crime thus creating a society which can be confided in. For example, Hobbes tells us to seek peace and follow it in Page60. For the De Beauvoir position under freedom, the author argues that everyone has the ability to take note of them and choose what to do (Keltner, 2006). We are free, but our freedom is always enacted in a world. This limits the level of freedom as compared to Mills point of view. We have to follow the rules brought about by for example, the government. She also says that freedom is the universal absolute end. You are able to do what you desire to do. There seems to be a little contradiction of the ideas which are presented by Mill and De Beauvoir. Consequentiality theory For the Consequentialism theory Milldefines, it as those moral theories that hold a particular actions consequences usually form the basis of any valid moral judgment regarding that particular action. He argues that for whatever you do it is a must you pay for it. For example, when you steal something which is not yours you must suffer the consequences of that action which is not acceptable in the society. It also focuses on the outcomes of the actions, emphasizes on results instead of the types of acts involved. Before you do something you should be able to consider the consequences that follow the reaction. Mill insists that it is always fair for what to pay for your actions (Nabor-Nery, 2003). This will create a good society and will make everybody watch what they are doing for that fear. It will make people more organized and answerable in what they do. It also creates a stable government and reduces the problems and risks of political instability in the country. A person is always responsible for what they do. No one can pay for your mistakes. It is only you who will suffer for your own misconduct. De Beauvoir argues that the reaction of other people to another person based on the fact that you cannot help but be affected by those reactions, the author says that they are forced not to be satisfied by your actions (Keltner, 2006). She also argues that other people responses are positively necessary for one to keep on acting. For both authors, they contradict on ides as we have seen above. They all

Managerial Economics Chapter 5 and 6 Homework Essay Example for Free

Managerial Economics Chapter 5 and 6 Homework Essay

Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance

Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance Introduction Nowadays, it is very difficult to find dedicated employees who could be relied on when the going gets tough. It takes an encouraging supervisor to motivate an employee to stay on his job position and to do his job well. Likewise, it takes a committed worker to persist in his job no matter how difficult it may be, as long as he is properly motivated and satisfied with his job. Just what makes a worker motivated to do his job well? What makes him satisfied in his job? This paper attempts to investigate the aforementioned questions within a certain corporation, Reliance Industries, Ltd. It will take on a qualitative study. It will be employing the use of questionnaires and a focus group interview to probe into the issues of job motivation and job satisfaction and if this translates to performance and efficiency. Research Objectives: The objectives of the study will be: To examine the strategies that organisations use to motivate their employees To explore the relationship between employee motivation and job satisfaction. To examine organisational performance and efficiency. To examine organisational performance and efficiency entails. To examine the impact of employee job satisfaction and motivation on organisational performance and efficiency. Statement of the Problem: How does employee job satisfaction and motivation affect his performance and efficiency in the organization? The study will seek to answer the following questions: What are the strategies that organisations use to motivate their employees? What is the correlation between employee motivation and job satisfaction? What is organisational performance and efficiency? What does organisational performance and efficiency entail? What is the impact of employee job satisfaction and motivation on organisational performance and efficiency? Research Methodology Data collection will be carried out by use of questionnaires. A focus group interview shall be implemented so that a selected group of employees can give in-depth answers to issues pertaining to job satisfaction and motivation and how it affects their own performance and efficiency. It will also draw out much information from the thorough review of literature, so analysis of the results of the questionnaire and interview will be done in the backdrop of a rich tapestry of motivation models and principles. Descriptive research design will then be used where qualitative analysis will be made basing on the variables that aim at examining the impact of employee job satisfaction and motivation on organisational performance and efficiency. This is because descriptive methods are quite effective in identifying concrete socio-economic issues such as the impact of employee job satisfaction and motivation on  organisational performance and efficiency (Silverman 1993; Beverley 1998; Strauss and Corbin 1990). Significance of the Study The study aims to benefit organizational development purposes, specifically the human resources department. A thorough review of literature on motivation shall be done explaining theories, models and principles of how an individual is encouraged to do something for himself and for others. This research will enlighten employers on how to motivate their employees so they do better in their jobs and result in job satisfaction on the part of the latter. It becomes an win-win situation for everyone concerned if motivation is appropriate and effective and will elicit initiative on the part of the employee. Chapter Two Review of Literature Motivation comes from the enjoyment of work itself and from the desire to achieve goals set by the person (Dawson, 2009). Each individual has different goals. Some are financial, like working longer hours for extra income or exerting more effort just to push sales. Some set their sights on a promotion of rank believing that if they do well on their jobs and accept the challenge of more responsibilities that eventually, they level up to a position of more power and authority. This paper argues the need for employers to understand how their workers are motivated and how they can use such information to produce better results for the organization. Knowledge of employee motivation is an advantage for employers. When this knowledge is applied, it becomes a win-win situation for both parties since the employees are motivated to pursue shared organizational goals while the employer encourages the productivity in his organization. Handy (1999) reports that the initial goals of motivation research was to encourage individuals to provide better service to their employers by exerting more effort and maximizing their talents at work. Having a well-motivated workforce may be equivalent to better work productivity and success in product salability in the market. Additional advantages are lower level of absenteeism and staff turnovers because the employees are satisfied with their work. This also means that training and recruitment costs are lowered because work positions are always reliably staffed (Dawson, 2009). Douglas McGregors Theory X and Y gained much attention in the 1960s. He claimed that an individual falls under either of 2 categories, X or Y. The X individual needs a lot of controlling, directing, coercion and thereat just so he gets work done. On the other hand, individuals under Theory Y do not see work as tedious and instead, commits to the goals they have set. Meeting these goals becomes the reward in itself. The average individual stays in the middle ground. He prefers to be directed and avoids responsibility as much as he can. However, when left with no choice, he learns to accept it and carry it out. Further, even if imagination or creativity is widely distributed across the population, individual potentials of people are only partially used in work (Dawson, 2009). This now begs the question of how employers can find employees who fall under the Theory Y category, those who are motivated enough to give their best to the job. Other early motivation theories include the Satisfaction Theory, the Incentive Theory and the Intrinsic Theory. The Satisfaction theory posits that a satisfied worker works even harder and proves his loyalty to the organization he belongs to by staying longer there. Who would want to leave a work environment that provides satisfaction? If one is happy there, there would be little no motivation to leave, and utmost motivation to stay on. The Incentive theory claims that an individual will increase his efforts to obtain a reward, which are mostly compensation packages such as salary increases or access to more company benefits. The Intrinsic theory is culled from Maslows theory of Hierarchy of Needs. He categorized human needs as hierarchal from the basic physiological needs moving to safety, belongingness and love, esteem and finally self-actualization. Maslow contends that these needs serve as motivators (Handy, 1999). For example, a man is motivated to work to earn money for his fam ily to provide for their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. However, as the man becomes richer and is able to meet his and his familys physiological and safety needs, he ensures that his higher needs are likewise met. As one level of needs is met, the individuals needs move up to the next level until he has met most of his needs and just strives for self-actualization. As an application to work, an employee likewise moves up the organizational ladder and strives to reach the highest position he can achieve. At that point, he is earning enough money, has gained enough belongingness and recognition and as a reflection of his need for self-actualization, is motivated to leave a legacy behind. In relation to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory, a real-life example from the international company, IKEA, is illustrated. This Scandanavian-based company is known to be the largest supplier and manufacturer of furniture worldwide. In 2004, IKEA in Denmark took the initiative to give their entire checkout staff a 25% raise. IKEA has more of them than any other group and it meant a sizeable increase in total monthly overhead expenses. However, it was a business decision that delighted the checkout staff. It follows that happy employees are bound to create positive results for the company (Kjerulf, n.d.). One is lower employee turnover. This provides tremendous savings for the company of time and money recruiting new staff. It also means that the longer workers stay with a company, the more experienced they become and the more they identify with the company. Hence, the company develops a more experienced and loyal staff. Being so, they provide better service, gaining higher customer s atisfaction. The companys reputation of providing high quality of service to its customers is spreads rapidly by word of mouth, thereby incurring more sales and profit for the company. Although IKEA incurred a humongous expense with the implementation of the raise, it paid itself within six months. Analyzing why this worked for IKEA, Kjerulf gives three reasons. The first is that the raise obviously gave the staff a significant improvement in their standard of living. The recipients were the least paid in the company, so a 25% raise made a huge difference in terms of their quality of life. Secondly, the salary increase gave people recognition. IKEA acknowledged that they were the most important group of employees since they are the only employees customers are likely to talk to at the end of the sale because customers help themselves with the products anyway. This acknowledgement makes the checkout staff feel valued and trusted. Finally, IKEA promoted the value of fairness. The recipients of the raise were suddenly paid as well as other employees, and even higher than the market average of their counterparts. So it is not really the salary increase that motivated the employees. More than that, they gained much in terms of self-esteem and the feeling of being valued as a worker. Albert Martens, one of IKEAs HR heads posits that giving financial incentive to staff does not actually increase the motivation of a worker who values customer-focused attitude more than money. Because they feel important due to such great service given them, customers come back not only for the quality of IKEAs products but for the kind of service they get from the staff. The staff in turn, gets intrinsically rewarded by this (Whitehead, 2006). According to Judge et al. (2001) the happier people are in the workplace, the more satisfied they are. Weiss (2002) and Rain et al. (1991) concur with this argument that employee job satisfaction and employee motivation are clearly linked. Rain et al. (1991) and Fried and Ferris (1987, pp. 287-322) agree with Porter (1997) that human resources are the most important assets that any organisation can boast to own and to maintain because people utilise and turn the organisations resources into products that the organisation needs in order to perform and to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of its customers. Workers expect some sort of psychological contracts from their employers. Consciously or unconsciously, they anticipate more than the benefits and compensation that the job usually presents. Workers expect support from management, work that is challenging and interesting and communication that is open and honest. These non-monetary rewards have become very significant to the motivation of workers. Of course their economical needs have to be fulfilled (as in the basic physiological and security needs in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs), however, their socio-emotional needs have to be given attention as well (as in the sense of belonging and esteem needs referred to by Maslow). Lester, Clair Kickul (2001) contend that the implication of this is that from the beginning, employers do not only discuss the workers compensation package also emphasize the aspects of the company that will be intrinsically satisfying to the workers. Money and other status symbols like higher job positions and titles, more spacious and opulent offices, and the like do not really increase ones motivation (Kohn, 1999). This may seem unbelievable, but each time a person is extrinsically-rewarded for doing something, it reduces their intrinsic motivation. Employers need to remember that intrinsic motivation spurs an individual to perform well and to high standards because the person does something on his own volition and commits to doing his best in the task (Kjerulf, n.d.). It is essential that employers realize the importance of such psychological contracts! They should keep in mind that all employees desire work that is meaningful, recognition and credit for such work, creative freedom and opportunities for personal growth. As a start, open and honest communication must be established and maintained in the organization. This must include encouragement and boosting of self-esteem of workers. Lack of communication may suggest to employees that the employer is susceptible to breach their psychological contract. Porter (1997) asserts that job satisfaction is a key indicator of how employees feel about their jobs and a predictor of work behaviours such as organisational loyalty, absenteeism and employee turnover. Fried and Ferris (1987, pp. 287-322) concur with Porters view that job satisfaction can partially mediate the relationship of personality variables and deviant work behaviours. According to Weiss (2002, pp. 173-194) and Porter (1997), there exists a huge correlation between job satisfaction and productivity. Job satisfaction amongst employees of Reliance Industries as a result of effective motivation packages has increased growth due to the commitment that workers exercise. According to Reliance Industries Limited (2010), this has come as a result of various motivation packages such as competitive compensation packages and world-class exposures that offer employees opportunities to learn and experience the world. Porter (1997) states that one source of an organisations competitive advantage is job satisfaction. Reliance Industries Limited recognises this and that is the reason why the company walks an extra mile to ensure that employees are satisfied on the job and this has enabled it to attract and retain excellent talent that places the company at a more competitive position that has enabled it to invest in innovative and lucrative ventures in areas such as Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), bio-technology-led research, life sciences and many more (Forbes 2010; Reliance Ind ustries Limited 2010). Investment of more time and effort in the establishment and sustenance of healthy relationships with workers keeps employers updated of their workers progress in both personal and professional areas. Motivating workers can be a challenge for leaders. However, it is well worth the time and effort in the end, as the workers themselves will bear fruits for the organization. Introduction About Chosen Organisation (Reliance Industries) Reliance Industries Limited was founded in 1966 by Dhirubhai Ambani, the Indian industrialist and was the pioneer in the introduction of financial instruments such as fully convertible debentures into the Indian stock markets (Forbes 2010). It is alleged by critics that the success of Reliance Industries Limited at the top position in terms of market capitalisation is the ability of the founder to manipulate the levers of a controlled economy to its advantage. The major subsidiaries and associates of Reliance Industries Limited include Reliance Petroleum Limited (RPL); Reliance Life Sciences; Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited (RIIL); Reliance Institute of Life Sciences (Rils); Relicord; Reliance Solar; Reliance Clinical Research Services (RCRS); Reliance Logistics (P) Limited (Cable News Network 2010). Reliance Industries Limited has 3 million shareholders and 1 out of every 4 investors in India is a Reliance shareholder (Cable News Network 2010). This makes it the company the organisation in which most stock is widely held in the whole world. According to Forbes (2010), the subsidiaries and associates of Reliance Industries Limited are the best performers in the Indian stock market. By market value, Reliance Industries Limited is the largest private sector company in India with an annual turnover of US$ 44 billion and profit of US$ 3.6 billion for the year ending in March 2010 and assets valued at US$ 43.61 (Forbes 2010). The company is ranked at 264th position in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2009 and at the 126th position in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2010 (Cable News Network 2010; Forbes 2010). Reliance Industries Limited is one of the main players in the oil and petrochemicals industry in India. Although the companys main focus is oil, it has diversified its operations in recent times as a result of severe differences between the founders sons, Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani after the company was divided between them in 2006 (Cable News Network 2010). Chapter Three Methodology Strauss and Corbin (1990) stated that qualitative research is any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification. Glesne (1999) stated that qualitative researchers seek out a variety of perspectives; they do not reduce the multiple interpretations to a norm. Strauss and Corbin (1990) claimed that qualitative methods can be used to better understand any phenomenon about which little is yet known. They can also be used to gain new perspectives on things about which much is already known, or to gain more in-depth information that may be difficult to convey quantitatively, or where the researcher has determined that quantitative measures cannot adequately describe or interpret a situation. a. Questionnaires The use of questionnaires as a means of collecting data from the research participants, with an aim in obtaining their personal views on job satisfaction and motivation and how it affects their performance and efficiency has been selected for this particular research. (Campbell et al., 2004) describe questionnaires as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a very versatile data-gathering method; they are cheap, easy to administer, whether it be to three people or 300, and can be used to gather a great variety of data of both quantitative and qualitative nature. (Campbell et al., 2004, p. 146). Cohen et al. (2000) also praise the use of questionnaires for their efficiency. They allow an efficient use of the researchers time, as they can collect a significant amount of information in one attempt, rather than conducting interviews over a period of weeks. Gillham (2000) also highlights that questionnaires make efficient use of the respondents time, as they can complete the questionnaire at a time that is suita ble to them and does not require the researcher and respondent to match free periods of time to conduct the research. Cohen et al. (2000) and Gillham (2000) emphasize the usefulness of questionnaires for ensuring the participants anonymity, which in this study, may be requested due to its very sensitive and controversial nature. If the respondents cannot be identified, they may be more willing to write about issues and opinions more openly than they would in a face-to-face situation. It could be argued then that questionnaires are therefore most likely to generate more truthful answers as there is no personal contact with the interviewer. However, a disadvantage of using questionnaires is that the only data collected is a variety of tick boxes and brief responses, which means the data tends to have more breadth than depth. This results from the lack of an interviewer to prompt for further information or more detail in their answers, and they cannot interpret questions for the participant who is unclear about what is being asked. This may result in each participant having to decipher what they are being asked independently and may resort to their own subjective understanding of the questions. The following questions will be asked in the questionnaires and will be discussed in detail in a focus group interview conducted later: Are you satisfied with your job right now? Why or why not? What motivates you to do your job well? What are the strategies that your organisations use to motivate their employees? Do you think employee motivation leads to job satisfaction? Explain. How do you define organisational performance and efficiency? What does organisational performance and efficiency entail? How would you rate yourself in terms of job performance and efficiency? What do you think is the impact of employee job satisfaction and motivation on organisational performance and efficiency? b. Interviews To pursue the questions in depth, a selected group of participants who answered the questionnaires will be asked to join a focus group interview. The interview method involves questioning or a discussion of issues with one or more people.   It is useful to collect data which may not be accessible through observation or questionnaires (Blaxter et al, 2006). Robson (2002) points out how the interview is a flexible and adaptable research tool.   In face to face interviews, there is the possibility of following up interesting responses.   Frey and Mertens-Oishi (1995) comment how respondent participation can be enhanced by the interviewer sensitively guiding the questioning, and being able to answer any questions which the respondent may ask.   Oppenheim (1992) suggests that the response rate is higher in interviews than in questionnaires, due to the fact that participants become more involved. c. Qualitative Content Analysis of Literature The content analysis of findings from several studies in the review of literature is another great source of a wealth of information for this current study. Content analysis is a research technique for making replicable and valid inferences from texts (or other meaningful matter) to the contexts of their use (Krippendorff, 2004, p. 18). Constructs researched on and analyzed may be derived from existing theories or practices, the experience or knowledge of experts and previous research (Krippendorff, 2004). Content analysis aims to provide knowledge, new insights, a representation of facts and a practical guide to action (Elo Kyngas, 2008). Qualitative content analysis flows from a humanistic tradition. Replacing hypotheses associated with quantitative research methods are open questions that guide the research and influence the data that are gathered (White and Marsh, 2006). The researcher reads through the data and analyzes them thoroughly to identify concepts and patterns. He or she may discover patterns and concepts that emerge but were not foreshadowed but are nevertheless important to consider and report. For this study, available literature already reports data which has been gathered and analyzed by competent researchers in the field. The researcher is in a position to compare existing literature and discern which information will best answer the questions pertaining to this current research study. Procedure Firstly, permission to conduct the research should be sought from the rightful authorities of Reliance Industries Limited by way of written correspondence. The letter includes the aims and objectives of the study and the methodology to be used. The company will also be assured that they will be furnished a copy of the final research paper. Questionnaires will be distributed to the employees of the company either by hand or by email. Demographic data of the participants shall be collected like their gender, age, civil status and length of time they have served with the company. A small group of 7 to 10 employees shall be randomly selected from the pool of participants to engage in a focus group interview. This small group interview will be to follow up on their responses in the questionnaire and to further probe into their insights regarding motivation and job satisfaction and how these affect their performance and efficiency in their jobs. The focus group interview will be audio-recorded and transcribed in verbatim. The interview questions already stated above will be asked of the participants to guide the flow of the interview and the participants will take turns answering them and responding to others answers as well. An interviewer will be hired to facilitate the interview and may ask follow up questions to clarify some answers. This interviewer will be briefed beforehand on the objectives of the research and how to conduct the focus group interview to elicit candid responses from the participants. The participants are ensured of the confidentiality of their responses as their real names will not be used in reporting the responses as data. This occasion is to give students the opportunity to elaborate and freely express their insights with regard to student-teacher relationships. The focus group discussions are believed to add pertinent information to the study. Data Analysis Responses from the questionnaires and focus group interview will be culled and sorted according to themes that may surface (ex. motivations, company strategies to motivate employees, etc.). Each theme will be analyzed with the backdrop of the information gathered from the literature review.