Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Essay Example for Free

Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Essay Title of the Project Employee Engagement and Grievance Handling Process Statement about the Problem This topic has been chosen because in every organization, employee engagement activities are conducted as employee  productivity  is clearly connected with employee engagement. It is a  business management  concept. An engaged employee is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about his work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their  organizations interests. Thus, engagement is distinctively different from employee satisfaction, motivation and organizational culture. An integral part of employee engagement is a strong grievance handling mechanism. Objectives and Scope of Study a. Analyze the Employee Engagement activities that are being done at ‘Indigo’and the outcomes of these activities. b. Understand the process mapping for employee engagement. c. Techniques used for engaging employees in our organization d. Grievance handling process e. Introduction and types of grievances. f. Discuss the grievance handling process at organizational, process, project ; individual level g. Methods used in grievance handling h. Understand how Employee Engagement activities and Grievance Handling processes go hand in hand. Methodology Research methodology talks about data collection of the project work. The data collection as such is divided into: I. Primary Data a. Questionnaire survey b. Face-to-face discussion with existing employees who are there in the organization for more than six months or so. c. Discussion with Human Resource specialists. II. Secondary Data 1) Journals 2) Company records and reports 3) Internet Searches 4) External websites 5) On line survey conducted by company.

Impact of Social Security Privatization on the Elderly

Impact of Social Security Privatization on the Elderly Up until the Industrial Revolution, economic security for most people was maintained by working until old age and then being taken care of by ones’ children and family members. This type of economic uncertainty drastically changed when President Roosevelt pushed for and signed into law the Social Security Act of 1935. During the ceremony for Social Security Act’s signing, President Roosevelt stated that it is â€Å"a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide for the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness† (Roosevelt, 1935). Roosevelt also states in his speech that while the program is not a safeguard against all economic problems in our future, we do need it to protect our citizens who are or would be unable to work. Since President Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act, there has been much debate in reforming Social Security with many seeking privatization of the program. This paper aims to show why we should not privatize Social Security, but search for alternative means to strengthen it. We need to strengthen Social Security because it has and still protects future benefits against inflation, has proven to reduce poverty for our elderly, and is efficiently and soundly administered. Social Security appears quite similar to an employer-sponsored pension plan on the surface, but they are inherently different. The program calls for individuals to put part of our pay aside in the form of a payroll tax while working and then receive monthly payments after retirement. Balancing equity and adequacy is the primary benefit of Social Security. Equity allows people to receive more of what they put into Social Security. Hence, people with higher incomes would also put more into the program and also receive more benefits upon retirement. The Social Security formula, under the system of adequacy, dismisses periods of low income such as when a worker becomes disabled or unemployed. Instead, it uses an increased ratio of income for the poor than the wealthy. In addition to the aforementioned two principles, Social Security benefits are indexed against uncertainties regarding length of life and inflation and has proven to be our most beneficial anti-poverty program (Goda, 2011, pg.1). If we privatize Social Security, we would surely erode the basis of ensuring a sufficient base income for people whove struggled their whole lives. Low-income workers would not be able to make enough money to put into their accounts to maintaining their standard living for when they choose to retire. Also at a larger risk to poverty during their old age are the people in the middle-class. They would not get equal returns because of the inherent nature of the financial markets, and those who receive negative returns would not be able to survive from other sources. The financial markets fluctuate up and down, and some people would retire with meager returns during long economic downturns such as the Great Recession of 2009. For those who live to be very old, some well into their 80’s and 90’s, they would just outlast their investments. For example, if they invested into annuities during their retirement, the annuities would be greatly reduced by inflation. Before Social Security, the highest rates of poverty were in the elderly age group. People dont realize these days that Social Security has reduced the poverty of people over age 65 from 35 percent to about 10 percent (National, 2012). This percentage falls under the 12 percent value of the American population (Poverty, 2013). Social Security provides for the potentially destitute millions of American elderly who are no longer able to work and in retirement the financial stability they need to sustain their lives. Since the elderly do not have to depend on their working children, Social Security also provides an indirect benefit to their off springs. There are two other benefits in which Social Security provides to people under age 65. The first benefit is income during long-term disability and income for a worker’s dependents who die before their retirement. This type of benefit also doesn’t carry the stigma of similar programs such as welfare. For middle-class workers that have employer-sponsored retirement programs, Social Security should not be the primary source of income during retirement. Social Security’s value is clear when looking at it as a means of income that makes up a portfolio for retirement. The pensions from Social Security maintain their value since they are adjusted for the annual cost-of-living while other types of assets get eaten away and used up as a person becomes older into retirement. In addition, workers will come to bear more risk as their employers continue to move their pension plans to 401(k) plans and other types of programs with unreliable payouts. Against that backdrop, the Social Security program provides much more valuable protection against the sway of the economic markets. To privatize Social Security would be to allowing Americans the choice to withhold a percent of their pay as an investing into individual accounts, keyword being choice. So what is wrong with giving workers the choice to opt-in or not? This type of reform brings with it steep reductions for the younger workers who elect to stay in the program. Workers who have higher incomes would not want to participate in the program but rather go for personal accounts. While it may appear to be a choice, privatizing Social Security would make it such a bad investment for high income people. They would just all bail out so they don’t have to invest their earnings to balance the pool for the low-income workers’ retirement pensions. In essence, this would leave a large reduction of future benefits for low income funders who choose to remain in the program thereby defeating the purpose of the program and eventually dissolve it. The participation of individuals from all income brackets is the reason why Social Security works and is sustainable. The program would be similar to welfare if the wealthy and high income individuals choose to not participate. The participation of individuals from all age groups is another reason why Social Security. For years now, the retirees of the program were paid by the taxes from workers which is the entire the basis of Social Security. Those workers would, in turn, be paid by the taxes in the next generation of workers for their Social Security retirement benefits. However, in 1983, payroll taxes were increased by Congress beyond the levels needed to maintain the immediate Social Security benefits. The tax hike was proposed to increase savings for retirement of the baby-boom generation. The extra money generated from the increased taxes were used to buy Treasury bonds. Essential, the government is lending itself money. This act generated controversy among proponents of Social Security privatization yet it is the same as workers using the money to buy the bonds themselves. The government is required to pay back what is due and in this case is required to pay back to the retirees it borrows from. In the end, this principally articulates that the program’s future recipients rely on the taxes of the workers who come after them to keep the Social Security benefits ongoing. Since its inception, many people such as former Kansas Governor Alf Landon had outspoken views against Social Security (Landon, 1936). Landon and initial critics of Social Security have argued that the program is a fraud and that the overhead costs are too high to sustain the program. Yet, the program itself has only seen reductions in administrative expenses year after year and as of 2013 accounted for only 0.7% of the trust fund’s total expenditures (Kunkel, 2013). This percentage is still below the costs of the average 401(k) fees of 0.72% per year, with highs close to 2% per year, charged by plan administrators (Deloitte, 2009). With such a low overhead cost over private plan administration, the government clearly shows how efficiently it administers the Social Security program. Definitely, Social Security has provided Americans protection against destitution with adequate supplemental income and allowed people who have worked their entire lives to maintain their standard of living during retirement. While Social Security has undergone many reforms and continues to need improvement, privatization is not the key. In its proven history of increasing efficient, decreasing the poverty of our elderly, and hedging benefits against inflation, Social Security must continue to be strengthened with centralized government policies and administration.

B2B v. B2C Supply Chains Essay example -- Compare Contrast Business Co

B2B v. B2C Supply Chains Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the age of technology business has come a long way and evolved tremendously. It used to be that brick and mortar was the only way to open and run a business. However, the internet has changed all of that now businesses can use technology to reach customers and other businesses all over the world. This has caused a great surge in the world wide economy. In 2003 Business to Business (B2B) commerce tipped the scales at $1.41 Trillion. This is in comparison to Business to Consumer (B2C) that was $90.1 Billion (Naraine, R.2003). All of these purchases need to get transported and that is where businesses supply chains come in play. Contrary to popular belief the supply chains of B2B and B2C are not the same both have unique qualities. This paper will define the term supply chain. Then it will define the terms B2B and B2C. Finally, it will explain how the supply chain differs on a B2C site compared to a B2B site and provide examples. Supply Chain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to learnthat.com a supply chain is the series of channels a product takes from its initial production to reach it’s finally destination (Learn That, 2004). A typical example of this chain of events that occurs in everyday life would be when a guest walks into a Target Store and purchases a X Box Game. The supply chain begins with the guest and the need for the game. Then it continues to the brick and mortar store. This Target store receives its product from the Target Distribution Center. The Target Distribution center receives the product from the manufacturer. Finally, the manufacturer receives the raw products from several other suppliers. This basic supply chain is liquid and continuously goes back and forth. B2B   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people hear B2B or business to business they might recall the classic image of an old style ice salesman traveling from business to business delivering ice in order for them to keep their merchandise cold. Fast forward 60 years and now B2B eCommerce occurs when companies are buying from and selling to one and other online. B2B eCommerce has evolved past just basic purchasing. It now encompasses supply chain management as more organizations continue to outsource parts of their supply chain to their trading partners (Varon, E., 2001). B2C   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B2C is pretty straight forward with the title business to consumer, it conjur... ... scale b2b versus the smaller and ever longer b2c. These both are still extremely successful in creating a more global economy and with improvements should provide continuing success. References Naraine,R., 2003, B2C Goes From Rags to Riches, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.internetnews.com/stats/article.php/2196821 Global Market, 2004, B2B Market Trends, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.ewowfacts.com/pdfs/chap04/33.pdf Learn That, 2004, Definition of Supply Chain, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.learnthat.com/define/view.asp?id=339 Varon, E., August 2001, The ABCs of B2B, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.cio.com/ec/edit/b2babc.html Patton,S., August, 2001, The ABC’s of B2C, retrieved from the World Wide Web on:http://www.cio.com/ec/edit/b2cabc.html Marketing Profs, 2005, What differentiates B2C supply chain from B2B? retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=7770 CIO Decisions, 2005, Executive Guide B2B Integration, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://searchcio.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid19_gci1067719,00.html?bucket=REF

The system I am designing for MR Cork can be done by using many :: Computer Science

The system I am designing for MR Cork can be done by using many different solutions. The different solutions and both their good and bad points are mentioned below. Possible Solutions Solution for current system After reviewing the way in which the current system operates in the analysis section, I believe that by organising the current diary system and making it more organised would be a major benefit to Mr Cork. A folder of customer details can be implemented into the system and would store such information customer details, including phone numbers, addresses and any other relevant information required by Mr Cork. Information on bookings made by customers can also be stored in these files and the cost of the jobs as well in order for bills and receipts to be produced more efficiently and accurately. Advantages - · The system and the process of customer detail storage is more organised leading to it being more efficient. - · End user will not need to learn any special computer skills or go through any computer training in order to benefit form this solution. - · This solution would add minimal additional costs to the end user as no specific machinery is needed for it to be implemented. Disadvantages  · As documents are being stored in manual files and in the form of paper work and not stored on a computer database or spreadsheet then the end user may have an overload of paper documents especially if Mr. Cork holds many customer's details.  · This approach does not really modernise MR Corks approach to doing things more efficiently.  · Talking in terms of speed and organisation is still not as efficient as a computerised system.  · Computer system would give the company a better image. Solution using Microsoft Access Microsoft access is a form of relational database management system. A database can be defined as a collection of data which can be shared amongst different applications. As a result of this electronic data store relationships between data entities can be formed. When two different entities can be related to one another a link can be made. As a result of this data redundancy is minimalised, which involves repeating data. By using Microsoft access the user is able to produce reports forms and tables as well. Advantages . Developing or modifying the data stored in Microsoft Access can be done much easier than if database was conducted manually. - Reports can be also be added, modified, or new ones created based on already existing data. - The way in which data is added to the database is reasonably easy

Computer Network Management Essay -- Networks Telecommunications

The Basics of Network Management In the computer world, networks are the primary means of inter-computer communications. The building and maintenance of a network is the responsibility of the network manager. The network manager must have the expertise to design and implement an appropriate network for his client. The proper design of a network is based on more than a few principles. However, the job of the network manager encompasses more than simply building a useable network, although that is the end result. The network manager must have many characteristics in order to fulfill his job. After years of training, a network manager will know how to select the proper network topology for the client. After some investigation into the company’s needs, the topology should become more apparent. Being able to choose a configuration means nothing, however, if the network manager is unable to convince the client. Persuasion is a necessary trait, but a strong sense of ethics must also be present. If a network manager tries to sell something other than what the client needs legal proceedings may be close behind. Selecting a network topology and convincing the client of their needs are the technical functions of the job. After selecting a network plan, the network manager needs to assemble a staff that is capable of implementing the network and maintaining that network. A crew with the appropriate training is a must, but the network manager has to find the best candidates. The network can grow to be a large and complex web. Job specialization will increase productivity and the total amount of knowledge available to the company. A network manager is also a personnel manager. Most clients have a limited budget set aside ... ...Accounting management collects the information about the clients’ usage of the services to keep track of billing. Tariffs, pricing, and collections may also be controlled. Finally, common management is applicable across more than one area of management such as autonomous events. The external communications functions are those necessary to convey the management information, to provide an infrastructure to the network. Together, these functions, the logical, management, and external communications, are the building blocks of a network. A network manager is responsible for being aware of the functions of each aspect of network management in order to build a successful network. Bibliography Ramon, Lakshmi. Fundamentals of Telecommunication Network Management. New York: IEEE Press, 1999. Rhodes, Peter. Building a Network. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.

Research on the Effects of Media Violence

Whether or not exposure to media violence causes increased levels of aggression and violence in young people is the perennial question of media effects research. Some experts, like University of Michigan professor L. Rowell Huesmann, argue that fifty years of evidence show â€Å"that exposure to media violence causes children to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later. Others, like Jonathan Freedman of the University of Toronto, maintain that â€Å"the scientific evidence simply does not show that watching violence either produces violence in people, or desensitizes them to it. † Many Studies, Many Conclusions Andrea Martinez at the University of Ottawa conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific literature for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1994. She concluded that the lack of consensus about media effects reflects three â€Å"grey areas† or constraints contained in the research itself.First, me dia violence is notoriously hard to define and measure. Some experts who track violence in television programming, such as George Gerbner of Temple University, define violence as the act (or threat) of injuring or killing someone, independent of the method used or the surrounding context. Accordingly, Gerber includes cartoon violence in his data-set. But others, such as University of Laval professors Guy Paquette and Jacques de Guise, specifically exclude cartoon violence from their research because of its comical and unrealistic presentation.Second, researchers disagree over the type of relationship the data supports. Some argue that exposure to media violence causes aggression. Others say that the two are associated, but that there is no causal connection. (That both, for instance, may be caused by some third factor. ) And others say the data supports the conclusion that there is no relationship between the two at all. Third, even those who agree that there is a connection between media violence and aggression disagree about how the one effects the other.Some say that the mechanism is a psychological one, rooted in the ways we learn. For example, Huesmann argues that children develop â€Å"cognitive scripts† that guide their own behaviour by imitating the actions of media heroes. As they watch violent shows, children learn to internalize scripts that use violence as an appropriate method of problem-solving. Other researchers argue that it is the physiological effects of media violence that cause aggressive behaviour. Exposure to violent imagery is linked to increased heart rate, faster respiration and higher blood pressure.Some think that this simulated â€Å"fight-or-flight† response predisposes people to act aggressively in the real world. Still others focus on the ways in which media violence primes or cues pre-existing aggressive thoughts and feelings. They argue that an individual’s desire to strike out is justified by media images in which both the hero and the villain use violence to seek revenge, often without consequences. In her final report to the CRTC, Martinez concluded that most studies support â€Å"a positive, though weak, relation between exposure to television violence and aggressive behaviour. Although that relationship cannot be â€Å"confirmed systematically,† she agrees with Dutch researcher Tom Van der Voot who argues that it would be illogical to conclude that â€Å"a phenomenon does not exist simply because it is found at times not to occur, or only to occur under certain circumstances. † What the Researchers Are Saying The lack of consensus about the relationship between media violence and real-world aggression has not impeded ongoing research.Here’s a sampling of conclusions drawn to date, from the various research strands: Research strand: Children who consume high levels of  media violence are more likely to be aggressive in the real world In 1956, researchers to ok to the laboratory to compare the behaviour of 24 children watching TV. Half watched a violent episode of the cartoon Woody Woodpecker, and the other 12 watched the non-violent cartoon The Little Red Hen. During play afterwards, the researchers observed that the children who watched the violent cartoon were much more likely to hit other children and break toys.Six years later, in 1963, professors A. Badura, D. Ross and S. A. Ross studied the effect of exposure to real-world violence, television violence, and cartoon violence. They divided 100 preschool children into four groups. The first group watched a real person shout insults at an inflatable doll while hitting it with a mallet. The second group watched the incident on television. The third watched a cartoon version of the same scene, and the fourth watched nothing. When all the children were later exposed to a frustrating ituation, the first three groups responded with more aggression than the control group. The children who watched the incident on television were just as aggressive as those who had watched the real person use the mallet; and both were more aggressive than those who had only watched the cartoon. Over the years, laboratory experiments such as these have consistently shown that exposure to violence is associated with increased heartbeat, blood pressure and respiration rate, and a greater willingness to administer electric shocks to inflict pain or punishment on others.However, this line of enquiry has been criticized because of its focus on short term results and the artificial nature of the viewing environment. Other scientists have sought to establish a connection between media violence and aggression outside the laboratory. For example, a number of surveys indicate that children and young people who report a preference for violent entertainment also score higher on aggression indexes than those who watch less violent shows. L. Rowell Huesmann reviewed studies conducted in Australia, Fi nland, Poland, Israel, Netherlands and the United States.He reports, â€Å"the child most likely to be aggressive would be the one who (a) watches violent television programs most of the time, (b) believes that these shows portray life just as it is, [and] (c) identifies strongly with the aggressive characters in the shows. † A study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2003 found that nearly half (47 per cent) of parents with children between the ages of 4 and 6 report that their children have imitated aggressive behaviours from TV.However, it is interesting to note that children are more likely to mimic positive behaviours — 87 per cent of kids do so. Recent research is exploring the effect of new media on children’s behaviour. Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman of Iowa State University reviewed dozens of studies of video gamers. In 2001, they reported that children and young people who play violent video games, even for short periods, are more likely to behave aggressively in the real world; and that both aggressive and non-aggressive children are negatively affected by playing.In 2003, Craig Anderson and Iowa State University colleague Nicholas Carnagey and Janie Eubanks of the Texas Department of Human Services reported that violent music lyrics increased aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings among 500 college students. They concluded, â€Å"There are now good theoretical and empirical reasons to expect effects of music lyrics on aggressive behavior to be similar to the well-studied effects of exposure to TV and movie violence and the more recent research efforts on violent video games. Research Strand: Children who watch high levels of media violence are at increased risk of aggressive behaviour as adults In 1960, University of Michigan Professor Leonard Eron studied 856 grade three students living in a semi-rural community in Columbia County, New York, and found that the children who watched violent television at home behav ed more aggressively in school. Eron wanted to track the effect of this exposure over the years, so he revisited Columbia County in 1971, when the children who participated in the 1960 study were 19 years of age.He found that boys who watched violent TV when they were eight were more likely to get in trouble with the law as teenagers. When Eron and Huesmann returned to Columbia County in 1982, the subjects were 30 years old. They reported that those participants who had watched more violent TV as eight-year-olds were more likely, as adults, to be convicted of serious crimes, to use violence to discipline their children, and to treat their spouses aggressively. Professor Monroe Lefkowitz published similar findings in 1971.Lefkowitz interviewed a group of eight-year-olds and found that the boys who watched more violent TV were more likely to act aggressively in the real world. When he interviewed the same boys ten years later, he found that the more violence a boy watched at eight, th e more aggressively he would act at age eighteen. Columbia University professor Jeffrey Johnson has found that the effect is not limited to violent shows. Johnson tracked 707 families in upstate New York for 17 years, starting in 1975.In 2002, Johnson reported that children who watched one to three hours of television each day when they were 14 to 16 years old were 60 per cent more likely to be involved in assaults and fights as adults than those who watched less TV. Kansas State University professor John Murray concludes, â€Å"The most plausible interpretation of this pattern of correlations is that early preference for violent television programming and other media is one factor in the production of aggressive and antisocial behavior when the young boy becomes a young man. However, this line of research has attracted a great deal of controversy. Pullitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes has attacked Eron’s work, arguing that his conclusions are based on an insignifica nt amount of data. Rhodes claims that Eron had information about the amount of TV viewed in 1960 for only 3 of the 24 men who committed violent crimes as adults years later. Rhodes concludes that Eron’s work is â€Å"poorly conceived, scientifically inadequate, biased and sloppy if not actually fraudulent research. Guy Cumberbatch, head of the Communications Research Group, a U. K. social policy think tank, has equally harsh words for Johnson’s study. Cumberbatch claims Johnson’s group of 88 under-one-hour TV watchers is â€Å"so small, it's aberrant. † And, as journalist Ben Shouse points out, other critics say that Johnson’s study â€Å"can’t rule out the possibility that television is just a marker for some unmeasured environmental or psychological influence on both aggression and TV habits. Research Strand: The introduction of television into a community leads to an increase in violent behaviour Researchers have also pursued the link b etween media violence and real life aggression by examining communities before and after the introduction of television. In the mid 1970s, University of British Columbia professor Tannis McBeth Williams studied a remote village in British Columbia both before and after television was introduced. She found that two years after TV arrived, violent incidents had increased by 160 per cent.Researchers Gary Granzberg and Jack Steinbring studied three Cree communities in northern Manitoba during the 1970s and early 1980s. They found that four years after television was introduced into one of the communities, the incidence of fist fights and black eyes among the children had increased significantly. Interestingly, several days after an episode of Happy Days aired, in which one character joined a gang called the Red Demons, children in the community created rival gangs, called the Red Demons and the Green Demons, and the conflict between the two seriously disrupted the local school.Universit y of Washington Professor Brandon Centerwall noted that the sharp increase in the murder rate in North America in 1955 occurred eight years after television sets began to enter North American homes. To test his hypothesis that the two were related, he examined the murder rate in South Africa where, prior to 1975, television was banned by the government. He found that twelve years after the ban was lifted, murder rates skyrocketed. University of Toronto Professor Jonathan Freedman has criticized this line of research.He points out that Japanese television has some of the most violent imagery in the world, and yet Japan has a much lower murder rate than other countries, including Canada and the United States, which have comparatively less violence on TV. Research Strand: Media violence stimulates fear in some children A number of studies have reported that watching media violence frightens young children, and that the effects of this may be long lasting. In 1998, Professors Singer, Sl ovak, Frierson and York surveyed 2,000 Ohio students in grades three through eight.They report that the incidences of psychological trauma (including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress) increased in proportion to the number of hours of television watched each day. A 1999 survey of 500 Rhode Island parents led by Brown University professor Judith Owens revealed that the presence of a television in a child’s bedroom makes it more likely that the child will suffer from sleep disturbances. Nine per cent of all the parents surveyed reported that their children have nightmares because of a television show at least once a week.Tom Van der Voort studied 314 children aged nine through twelve in 1986. He found that although children can easily distinguish cartoons, westerns and spy thrillers from reality, they often confuse realistic programmes with the real world. When they are unable to integrate the violence in these shows because they can’t follow the plot, they a re much more likely to become anxious. This is particularly problematic because the children reported that they prefer realistic programmes, which they equate with fun and excitement.And, as Jacques de Guise reported in 2002, the younger the child, the less likely he or she will be able to identify violent content as violence. In 1999, Professors Joanne Cantor and K. Harrison studied 138 university students, and found that memories of frightening media images continued to disturb a significant number of participants years later. Over 90 per cent reported they continued to experience fright effects from images they viewed as children, ranging from sleep disturbances to steadfast avoidance of certain situations.Research Strand: Media violence desensitizes people to real violence A number of studies in the 1970’s showed that people who are repeatedly exposed to media violence tend to be less disturbed when they witness real world violence, and have less sympathy for its victims. For example, Professors V. B. Cline, R. G. Croft, and S. Courrier studied young boys over a two-year period. In 1973, they reported that boys who watch more than 25 hours of television per week are significantly less likely to be aroused by real world violence than those boys who watch 4 hours or less per week.When researchers Fred Molitor and Ken Hirsch revisited this line of investigation in 1994, their work confirmed that children are more likely to tolerate aggressive behaviour in the real world if they first watch TV shows or films that contain violent content. Research Strand: People who watch a lot of media violence tend to believe that the world is more dangerous than it is in reality George Gerbner has conducted the longest running study of television violence. His seminal research suggests that heavy TV viewers tend to perceive the world in ways that are consistent with the images on TV.As viewers’ perceptions of the world come to conform with the depictions they s ee on TV, they become more passive, more anxious, and more fearful. Gerbner calls this the â€Å"Mean World Syndrome. † Gerbner’s research found that those who watch greater amounts of television are more likely to: * overestimate their risk of being victimized by crime * believe their neighbourhoods are unsafe * believe â€Å"fear of crime is a very serious personal problem† * assume the crime rate is increasing, even when it is not Andre Gosselin, Jacques de Guise and Guy Paquette decided to test Gerbner’s theory in the Canadian context in 1997.They surveyed 360 university students, and found that heavy television viewers are more likely to believe the world is a more dangerous place. However, they also found heavy viewers are not more likely to actually feel more fearful. Research Strand: Family attitudes to violent content are more important than the images themselves A number of studies suggest that media is only one of a number of variables that put children at risk of aggressive behaviour.For example, a Norwegian study that included 20 at-risk teenaged boys found that the lack of parental rules regulating what the boys watched was a more significant predictor of aggressive behaviour than the amount of media violence they watched. It also indicated that exposure to real world violence, together with exposure to media violence, created an â€Å"overload† of violent events. Boys who experienced this overload were more likely to use violent media images to create and consolidate their identities as members of an anti-social and marginalized group.On the other hand, researchers report that parental attitudes towards media violence can mitigate the impact it has on children. Huesmann and Bacharach conclude, â€Å"Family attitudes and social class are stronger determinants of attitudes toward aggression than is the amount of exposure to TV, which is nevertheless a significant but weaker predictor. † Undoubtedly that th e media has an effect on our lives. The debate that rages is whether or not the media has a negative and discernible effect on us as human beings. How much does the media effect out actions, our houghts, our decisions and, in general, our lives? We live in a society which praises individuality and freedom, and therefore to most people it is a scary thought that an outside source, such as the media, has such a large effect on our lives, and therefore it is no surprise that most people do not believe that the media has a strong effect on them. But when it comes to children, the debate becomes more personal. It is common knowledge that children are very impressionable, and that the people they meet, their parents, and teachers can have a huge impact in the lives of Children.I myself can attribute much of my current interests and behavior to the effect my parents had on my when I was a child. Today, though, many children are in poor families (the child poverty rate in America is now aro und 35%), and, as a result, many children often do not have parents that reside at home. Often both parents work long hours, and the children have nothing else to occupy their time except for the media, especially television media. How does what the child sees on TV effect his or her behavior?The real question that faces society is does the increasing amount of violence and sex on TV effect children? My personal opinion is that violence and sex in the media greatly effects a child's development. The amount of sex and violence on TV today dwarfs what was on when I was little. Does a day not pass when their is a story about a child killing another child, or an even younger girl becoming pregnant? When I go an elementary or middle school I am shocked at the types of clothing that the children wear, and the way that they talk and act.Even elementary school children know about things that I did not learn about till I was in High School, and in my opinion things they should not know ab Ki ndergarten teachers in many school across the country, often in poor immigrant neighborhoods, no longer get to deal with innocent, wide eyed six year olds, but instead have to become conflict resolvers between children who see violence and intimidation as the only way to solve any problems. Teachers and Parents cannot compete with television.A study by the Mediascope Institute found that many children have already, by age six, spent more time watching TV than time they will spend talking to their fathers in their entire lifetime. Dean Geoffrey Cowan spoke in class about how the media does not effect everyone uniformly. He said that the effects of violence in the media may be stronger on some individuals than others, but that this effect is still significant. I agree with Dean Cowan, and I want to add that this effect is stronger in younger children than in any other age group.Many students in the class did not seem to believe that the media had a very strong effect on their lives an d as a result seem to assume that this effect is uniformly weak, and unfortunately I believe that it is thinking like that is making it so difficult for us as a society to tackle this problem. Studies have shown that the effect of violence in the media on children can be small, leading to more violent behavior in maybe 15% of children. But other studies have shown that this effect can be greater when children are â€Å"raised by the media†.It is hard to say whether a certain child will become more violent or aggressive due to the media, and I believe that other factors contribute to violence in children, such as problems at home, the influence of peers, or lack of a positive source of morals. But as a society we need to make sure that there are options for children in the media so that they do not have to exposed to so much mature content, and I believe that currently the protections in place are terribly inadequate. The effects of our modern media on our children is somethin g that we will not truly know for many years, if ever.History might give us a clue – the parallels between the advent of todays new media and the advent of books show that we could be in for a paradigm societal change. But no other media absorbed ones life in such a passive, complacent way as television and the Internet do to thousands of children. More research needs to be done in this field, but I believe that it is self apparent to everyone that the media does have a large impact on our lives. We determine our identity in relation to the media – our favorite television show, favorite band, favorite book, all are determined by the media to some extent.Ideally, as adults we would learn the skills to discern the effect of media on our lives and learn to control and to resist its temptations. Unfortunately most children and too many adults have not learn these skills. Everyone agrees that in today’s society, television has a significant impact on us all. How it a ffects children is of primary concern, as it is in childhood that we are given the tools we need to become successful, respectful citizens as adults. How exactly does television impact childhood, and what should we do to ensure that that impact is a positive one?Television is one of the first ways in which children learn about gender roles and stereotypes. Although family and peer groups also teach these roles, it is through television that children are inundated with the sex roles and stereotypes that reflect the ideas of a handful of people in charge of creating and programming this medium. Although these portrayals have broadened in the last ten or so years to include more diversity in gender stereotyping, there are still many television icons that denote negative gender images, such as the Bratz.Bratz are a Saturday morning cartoon and a glut of heavily marketed toys and clothing products that represent tweens and early teens as overly sexualized independent young women with att itude. Although I admire the strength and empowerment they embody, I am also incredibly concerned with the revealing clothing, heavy makeup, and defensive postures the characters all seem to take. I can’t help but wonder what a ten-year-old watching these girls would take away as being the feminine traits that they represent.Will she want to identify with the strength and independence or with the heavy-handed sexuality that she sees? Add to that television’s fascination with glamorous girl icons such as Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton, and what are young girls supposed to believe about being a girl? Boys likewise have macho images to imitate—superheroes and wrestlers and sports heroes. What does that teach them about being male? How does the repetition of these images teach boys how to respect others, cooperate, and engage with those around them?These problems with television’s sex and gender stereotypes can only make it more difficult for these children to develop socially and emotionally. Being taught these gender stereotypes may make it almost impossible for some children to break out of those roles and become comfortable with all their traits and individualities. If a boy is taught by television that men are always strong, what does he do with his own characteristics that defy that stereotype—does he continue to build his nurturing qualities or quash them in an effort to fit in?Do children learn that relationships only work when both people are behaving according to television’s ideas of their gender stereotypes, or do children learn to accept and respect people along the entire continuum of gender traits? If children are lost in this quagmire of conflicting information about who they should be and how they should act, clearly they will not be able to develop the strong self-esteem they need to be successful, either at school or in relationships. There is a strong bond between all three of these developmental area s.There are lots of arguments made that television is a bane to the moral development of children. Violent television, especially, has been examined in over 1000 studies and reviews, and has been found guilty on the charges of increasing fear and aggression in children who watch too much violent. However, in many shows and in children’s programming especially, morality is key, with the entire story line being written around one character’s moral dilemma and the healthy resolution of that dilemma, offering children a way to see how morality works in action in ways that apply to their lives.Cognitively, there is some ambiguity of the impact of television. There is the argument that television is responsible for the â€Å"dumbing down† of America, that television is responsible for shutting down our brains and acting as a tranquilizer. But there are also a great many good educational and instructional shows that teach children interactively in ways that books simpl y cannot, and a perceptive look at television programs today verses those created twenty years ago reveals that shows have actually gotten more complex, with layers of storytelling and subtle nuances that audiences have to work harder to comprehend.Clearly, television is a powerful tool that can alter a child’s ideas about the world. How those ideas change and how the child changes in response demonstrate how the tool was used. Television can be detrimental to childhood; in fact, too much television watching is strongly correlated with childhood obesity. The time spent in front of the television could often be better spent in other ways—with friends, actively playing, or doing homework—and this often has negative consequences for the child, such as poor relationships or worse performance in school content. However, television watching can also be productive for children.Television can offer children the chance to see other parts of the world and other cultures w ithout having to leave home. Children’s educational programs and documentaries can teach them about animals, science, math, reading—just about any subject the child has an interest in. The key to making the time spent watching television rewarding is the manner in which it is done. If parents take the time to choose carefully the programs they want their children to watch, and then sit down and watch the show with them, asking questions to promote understanding, then that time is highly beneficial for the child.However, if parents don’t take the time to choose the child’s programs and just sit Junior down and let the television act as babysitter, then the time spent watching television will not only probably not teach that child new things, but he will also not be participating in the powerful social interaction he craves. In a 2001 article in The Nation, author Maggie Cutler makes the point that although television viewing is a rite of passage for Americ an kids today, parents need to remember â€Å"the rule of the real†: that real life is always more powerful. A real conversation is always better for children than watching one on television.Parents don’t need to go to the extreme of keeping their children from watching television completely; they just have to keep in mind moderation and attention is best. For parents, the question of whether or not to let a child watch television is like the question of whether or not to let a child eat at McDonald’s. There are potentially good and bad effects of each, and both decisions weigh on a child’s health. A cheeseburger and fries every once in awhile won’t do any lasting damage; nor will an hour of cartoons just for entertainment every now and then.However, a menu with little more than that will cause grave damage to a child’s development physically, emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Negative Impact of Television on Children something with pl ay – dough. Since there is no scope for imaginative games in the lives of busy parents television seems to be the most inexpensive way of filling the gap and playing the role of an ideal baby sitter. Watching WWF fights, is on the other hand watching a show full of thumps, knocks, hurting an opponent, and jumping on senselessly. This program clearly sends out the message that ‘fighting is fun'.If children are constantly brought up in front of a television then reading habits are not instilled in them, and they are not encouraged to participate in outdoor activities. Only the world of television is their own private world. Of course when television replaces human companionship there is also a good chance of the child being influenced by it. Young children cannot process the information which they are imparted by the television, same way as adults. They think that whatever they are watching is true and this may lead to the corruption of their minds if too much violence is viewed by them.Parents should take strict action so they can limit the negative impact of television as much as possible. They should set rules as to what should be watched and what should be avoided. Alternative to television should be provided, for example if a parent starts spending more time with the child, reads books with him or her, indulge in creative games and indoor crafts, there is every possibility that the child will start shunning television for the better means of entertainment provided. To end it, I say that parents attitude towards the children acts as the building block of their futures.

Different types of business information, their sources and purposes Essay

Introduction Having just started as a trainee at the Corporate Communications Department of Emirates Group, my line manager has tasked me with preparing this set of introductory training materials, on business information in general, for new members of staff in the department, to increase my knowledge and enhance communication skills. Different types of business information, their source and purpose will be discussed throughout this paper, outlining various types of communication that can take place. I will also deliberate how KFC source and communicate effectively, with a true purpose, summarizing with a conclusion. Definition of Information Information comes from a wide variety of sources, in varying shape and form, with numerous qualities. Communicated in time, being fit for purpose, and containing the right level of detail it becomes critical in decision making. Although there is contrast between the value and cost of information, it needs to be: Available Accurate Reliable Objective Relevant Complete On time As defined in the Business Dictionary, information is, â€Å"Data that is accurate and timely, specific and organized for a purpose, presented within a context that gives it meaning and relevance, and can lead to an increase in understanding and decrease in uncertainty†. Once prepared and, structured accordingly, data becomes information. Information adds value, and once facts and figures have been organised into information it has meaning, intended to be interpreted. Information gathering may be performed internally, within an organization, collecting information on sales performance, production output, or maintenance reliability. It may also be accomplished externally, outside the organisation, harvesting information on markets, competitors and customers. Information is valuable because it can affect behavior, a decision, or an outcome. For example, if a maintenance manager is told the reliability of the fleet has weakened, they may use this information as a reason to increa se the maintenance budget or up-skill and further develop the maintenance engineers. However, information is considered valueless if matters remain unchanged, following its consumption. Information Types Organisations, such as KFC, use various types of information, alongside ways to communicate. Verbal – This is the easiest and quickest way to communicate; however, it may not always be more effective; KFC communicate verbally to their customers, over the counter. They inquire about your current order – what you would like to eat and drink. The server will also try to up-sell, possibly suggesting to super-size or add a desert, over-and-above your original request. Written – Words, pictures, charts; from sources such as publications, books, journals, and newspapers; Once an order is taken on the EPOS system the information is transferred to the kitchen, as text on a screen. MultiMedia – Multiple forms of media, together; data, text, graphics, audio, video, etc. like an interactive webpage, with audio; You can order online, through the KFC website, which combines names and prices, alongside pictures of their products. On-Screen – Multimedia TV and CD-ROMs that combine text, graphics, animation, audio and video; Routinely you will witness advertisements on television of offers and new promotional activity for the food chain. Web-Based Information – Combines multimedia technologies and streams them over the Internet; access to rich information anywhere, anytime; When surfing websites you will notice many interactive banner advertisements for KFC, which when clicked will take you to their website, gathering valuable information on their consumer, of where they were transferred from and when. There may also be an interactive flick-book menu to browse. Information Sources Information comes from four different sources: Internal – An organisation’s own intellectual property, such as financial records, customer records, order information, maintenance records, etc. usually gathered from their respective department records – Production, Sales, Finance, Marketing, Maintenance, Administration or HR. KFC have all of this information at hand, within their database systems. Their Electronic Point-of-Sale tills gather all the order and some production information. They have Accounting applications connected directly to the Sales database, which generates the organisation’s financial information. The website gathers consumer intelligence on who wants what, from where, at what time. External – Collected from outside an organization, such as market research, the Internet, newspapers, bulletins, reports, publications, usually from the government, trade groupings, or commercial databases. When you are stopped in the street and asked if you would like a menu, and the issuer asks you a few questions, the information if being gathered to provide market intelligence to the company, which in turn aides decision making. Primary – Collected first-hand by the investigator, by possibly interview or questionnaire, gathered for a specific purpose. It generally is a more costly method, but provides more specific, quality information. Secondary – Gathered second-hand, by someone else, for another purpose, however can still be used – lower cost, though generally not as specific and of reduced quality. Information Purpose In one word, ‘measure’. It is critical in a business to measure and compare actual performance against what was budgeted for. Using historical records is one method, to make comparisons; however, targets may be set to stretch the performance of an organisation. If costs are more than expenditure then it must take action to remedy the situation. Market research reports can monitor altering market conditions, or possibly an increase or demise in demand of products and services. This will help KFC identify whether there current offerings are suitable for that specific time, or if they should pull some from their current available product list. Maintaining records of what currently employed is a legality, to calculate salaries and benefits. Records hold any details, including: Date of joining Name Address Salary Benefits Qualifications Department Title Days absent, with reasoning Holiday entitlement Training and development records Conclusion Managers must have timely, reliable, quality information, as they have to make important decisions. In order to make the business successful the right decisions need to be made, at the right time – correct decisions are only made when this sort of information is both available and used, in time. We live in the Information Age – with the types of complex processing systems available today, at your fingertips, to the majority of people, it is important to realize that the only thing standing in anyone’s way is that they must learn how to interpret the information to make the right choices. List of references Business dictionary, viewed 22nd of October 2013,