Affirmative action = discrim. essays

Affirmative action = discrim. essays Affirmative Action Endorses Discrimination Most people agree that the discrimination is a bad thing. The word carries a negative connotation. Therefore, the government should not put any laws or quotas in place that discriminate against its citizens. Yet affirmative action does just that. How can the government rationalize a policy to officially discriminate against people by race for special treatment (Graglia 47)? When politicians first conceived the idea of affirmative action, the intention was to promote equality and ensure that race was not a concern when hiring an employee. In JoAnn Bren Guernseys words, Affirmative action is a term used to describe techniques to remedy the effects of existing and past discrimination and to end such discrimination (8). In theory, affirmative action is an outstanding policy, but in reality, it inversely shows prejudice towards deserving and qualified white males. Affirmative action hinders equality in the workplace. Affirmative action officially started gaining popularity in the early 1960s. Discrimination against blacks was still rampant in the South, and the rest of the nation wanted to change that. Guernsey states, The term affirmative action was probably first used and linked to civil rights by President John F. Kennedy shortly after he took office in 1961 (30). Kennedy created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which said the construction industry should hire employees without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin (31). This idea was widely accepted. Kennedy thought, if the government banned discrimination, it could create a level playing field (32). Several decades later, President George H. Bush was pressured to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (43). He was incorrect; not all potential employees are on a level playing field. Sadly, race is slowly taking precedence over qualif...

Electrochemical Process of Anodizing Aluminum †Science Essay

Electrochemical Process of Anodizing Aluminum – Science Essay Free Online Research Papers Electrochemical Process of Anodizing Aluminum Science Essay In the 1920’s, aluminum quickly became one of the most important metals in the world due to its lightweight, strength, fabrication flexibility and durability. Shortly after, anodizing was developed to provide the alloy with an extremely hard, durable, corrosion resistant finish that was long lasting. After reading this paper, you will easily understand the anodizing process and why it makes for such a good finish on nearly all alloy metals. Anodizing also has many benefits with very few by-products and is very cost effective. You may ask yourself, what is anodizing and how is it accomplished? To simplify the process, anodizing is nothing more than an electrochemical process by which aluminum is converted into and aluminum oxide on the surface of a part. The process is fairly simple involving of an anodizing solution usually made of sulfuric acid. A cathode is placed to the negative terminal of a voltage source and placed in the solution, while an aluminum piece is connected to the positive voltage source and placed in the acidic solution. When the circuit is turned on, the oxygen in the acidic solution will be removed from the water molecules and combine with the aluminum on the part to form an aluminum oxide coating. The resultant finish increases corrosion resistance; increases wear resistance, can be colored through dying, and is also an excellent base for primer or other secondary coatings. Over the last few decades, many different types of anodizing processes have been developed, but there are three main variations used in aluminum anodizing. Chromic anodizing uses a chromic acid electrolyte to yield the thinnest coating out of the three main types of anodizing ranging from .05 to .1 millimeters thick. Chromic anodizing also reduces the fatigue strength of the aluminum less than the other three methods. Sulfuric anodizing produces a coating under 1 millimeter thick that is also more durable than a chromic finish. Sulfuric finishes produce excellent results from dyeing yielding deep and rich colors. The third common process is known as hard coat anodizing. An alloy with a hard coat finish will be the most resistant to wear and usually used in high wear situations. Anodizing is one of the few finishes that satisfy nearly all of the factors that should be considered when considering an aluminum finish. On of the most important factors is durability. Anodized products have an extremely long life span and require very little maintenance. Scars and wear marks from fabrication and handling are almost non-existent and a simple cleaning with mild soap and water usually returns the finish to its original condition. Another reason anodizing has become so popular is because of the many different ways and vibrant colors available to coat an alloy with. Coloring is typically obtained through two different methods. The first method is known as electrolytic coloring and is a two step method. After the alloy is anodized, the metal is immersed in a bath containing inorganic metal salt. Current is applied which deposits the metal salt in the base of the pores. The resultant color is dependant on the material used and the processing conditions. Commonly used metals include tin, cobalt, nickel, and copper. This process is the most versatile and the most technically advanced coloring quality. The second method, known as integral coloring, combines anodizing and coloring to simultaneously form and color the oxide cell. Integral coloring is the most expensive process since it requires significantly more electrical power to produce the same finish. Color coatings are very stable to ultraviolet rays and do not chip or peel. Currently, there are many color options and styles available with anodizing. However, anodizing offers the alloy to retain its metallic appearance unlike painting or powder coating. At first glance, anodizing may appear to be a very dangerous process. However, anodizing is very environmental friendly and relatively safe for human contact. Anodizing uses simple water-based chemicals that can be easily treated and release no harmful by-products. The liquid by-products are recycled and returned to the anodizing process. Solid by-products are separated and extracted for use in the manufacturing of aluminum, baking powder, cosmetics, newsprint, fertilizer, and water purification systems. The main by-product caused from the anodizing process composed primarily of aluminum hydroxide, some aluminum sulfate, and water. However, this by-product is harmless because it contains no significant amounts of heavy metals. Anodizing plants must be well ventilated and workers are carefully trained for acidic material use. Minimal protective equipment is needed and no expensive, heavy, safety equipment is required. Through many decades of work, anodizing has evolved into one of the best finishes available for alloy metals. It may be the durability of the finish, the unmatched adhesion, the vibrant colors, the extreme resistance to corrosion and wear, or the environmentally safe process used to obtain the finish. All of these qualities make anodizing the premier finish and sets the bar to which all other alloy finishes should be compared to. Research Papers on Electrochemical Process of Anodizing Aluminum - Science EssayIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemResearch Process Part OneGenetic EngineeringMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThree Concepts of PsychodynamicEffects of Television Violence on Children

THE (ME )IN LEADERSHIP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

THE (ME )IN LEADERSHIP - Essay Example During the process, I learned to be more critical of myself because this was a necessary requisite of being an effective leader. I learned that â€Å"it is necessary for a â€Å"leader, who possesses a clear self-concept through private self-consciousness, to be more likely to possess a strong purpose-in-life. Having a strong purpose involves consistency in self-identity (i.e., self-concept clarity) (Campbell, 1990 :59; Frankl, 1992). This clear awareness of my â€Å"self† translates to a clearer sense of goal and purpose which will evolve as a Self-Belief. Self-belief which will improve my inner confidence therefore will succeed and overcome any obstacle to achieve the best outcomes for service improvement. I also learned that this â€Å"mirroring as the reflections of self that a group member encounters in other group members, in the group leader, or in the group as a whole (Bion, 1961) harmonizes us within and eliminates discord beginning from perception of how I observe myself through my peers. I learned that this awareness of my â€Å"Self† and environment is a necessary aptitude for leadership in addition to technical competencies. As Gardner (1983) expounds â€Å"expanding on the concepts presented in early intelligence work as well as social intelligence theory, developed a theory of multiple intelligences. ...one of the seven areas of intelligence discussed in multiple intelligence theory, personal intelligence, corresponds to earlier theories such as social intelligence†. This emotional intelligence also provided me with the competencies such as self-awareness, self-regulation, personal motivation, empathy and strong social skills that enable me to be a democratic leader; a leader that involve and commit others not only in achieving a desired result but also the process of achieving it. My belief in democratic leadership was reinforced when Lawler (2001: 16-17) argued that democracy is inevitable, even in the workplace . . . Hi erarchial organizations are simply too inflexible and rigid to compete effectively in today's business environment. They fail to attract the right human capital and to produce the right core competencies and organizational capabilities. As a result, they need to be replaced by lateral forms of organization that rely heavily on teams, information technology, networks, shared leadership, and involved employees . . . [These new organizational forms] will have flat, agile structures, open information, power that moves to expertise, and systems that create knowledge and employees throughout the organization. Democratic leadership â€Å"functions as a means of engendering compliance with dominant goals and values and harnessing staff commitment, ideas, expertise and experience to realizing these† (Woods, 2004). I preferred a democratic process in dealing and decision making because the seeming differences will make us aware of the different perspectives that may be unknown to us be fore. Therefore, better approach and solution to certain issues may crystallize after the free flow of ideas. This has to be understood because â€Å"  understanding and cooperation of superiors, peers, and subordinates, it takes time to build these relationships† (Kayser, 1973;24). In conclusion of the previous module, I learned that to effectively lead and manage others, I must lead and manage my â€Å"Self† first. To direct others, it is imperative that I must have

NEC ECC Contracts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

NEC ECC Contracts - Assignment Example General Construction. Contract Principles The Housing Grants, Reconstruction and Regeneration Act 1996 (HGRRA) focuses on payments under a construction contract. Specifically, the Act states that, when a construction contract is for 45 days or more that the party to the construction contract is entitled to installment payments (HGRRA 1996 Â §109). Section 111 of the HGRRA 1996 states that a construction contract shall stipulate the dates of the payments, and when the final sum comes due. Section 112 forms the basis on when and why one party may not pay the other party. Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 gives further protections to contractors. Another provision of this Act, section 142, appears to address the issue of subcontractors. Specifically, it states that any provision where payment is conditional upon performance of obligations under another contract, or a decision made by another person as to whether the obligations under another contract have been performed, is void. The terms are void, in that the time to make payment to the contractor cannot depend upon the performance of the other contract. This seems to specifically address subcontractors, and any kind of clause which might state that the general contractor will get paid if the subcontractor has performed his duties. The Design of the NEC3 ECC Contract. Main Options. The main options that would be used in this project would be Option C– the reason why Option C is appropriate in this case is because the work is only planned, and there is not an indication that there is a design in place. Option A assumes that there is a design in place, therefore the contractor would provide the works that are described in the contract. In Option B, the employer assumes the risk of the correctness of quantities, because the Contractor is the person who prices the bill of quantities and is responsible for the remeasurement of quantities if not correct. Therefore, this option is not appropriate for a design and build contract, as this contract appears to be. Option D also has a greater risk for the employer, as the target price is adjusted for changes in quantities and for compensation of events. Option E is not appropriate because it is only used when the work is not defined at the outset, and, since the pro ject is defined, this option shouldn't be used as it presents greater risks to the employer. Option F is inappropriate, because this option assumes that subcontactors do most of the work (Yuet, 1993). Option C is appropriate because, while there is a planned project in place, there is not yet a finished design. The employer can provide an activity schedule and the target price can be set according to this schedule. Moreover, costs are minimised to the employer, because the payments are made according to the actual costs that are incurred by the Contractor, and risks are shared by the Contractor and the Employer, because each party shares the burden of over-runs and each party also shares the benefits of savings. This also leads to fewer disputes. Secondary Options There are a number of secondary options which should be used, in order for disputes to be minimized. One of these is, Option P which should be negotiated, as this option provides for additional financial security should th e contractor not complete any part of the works, and other contractors have to complete the works. Option Q might be used as an incentive for the contractor to complete the work early, as Option Q provides for a bonus for early completion. This might be appropriate if the University is motivated to open the centre early for the students to enjoy, especially if this centre is going to be one of the selling points for the University. By the

Empowerment & Strategic Workforce Management Assignment

Empowerment & Strategic Workforce Management - Assignment Example An organization should make sure that the benefits that they accord to their employees are in line with their core values. For example an organization with environmental suitability as its core value should make sure that they give their employees benefits that are environmental suitability oriented. Employee reward plays a huge role in motivation of well performing employees. It makes them want to give more towards the achievement of the organization’s goals. Benefits are also very important in making the employees feel like they are appreciated by the organization and that they are part of it. As a result the organization will be in a position of improving the contribution of its employees to the achievement of the organization’s goals. Through employee development systems, an organization will have the capability of improving the performance ability of their employees. The skills and experience gained during the process would reflect in the overall productivity of an organization’s workforce. Cases when reward systems have failed to provide incentives include those that involved overspending financial resources on rewarding employee (Walker, 2002). Financial compensation is not the only form of reward that can be used in motivating employees. To avoid thi s, an organization might consider blending all the other forms of compensation and makes sure that all are in line with the organization’s goals and abilities. In a business organization, managers should make sure that they are able to strike a balance between their organization’s commitment to systems of control and to empowering employees. On way through which this can be possible is through making sure that various forms of empowerment have to be earned through employees’ performance (Oh, 2009). They can also keep the balance by making sure that they put in

Rewards Influence Comparison Older And Younger Management Essay

Rewards Influence Comparison Older And Younger Management Essay Abstract Due to the increasing lifespan and lower birth rates, the world is facing a new challenging era in regard to managing the labor force. Many organizations are in a process of developing new and strategic policies in retaining and motivating the aging work population. Currently, the largest working generation comprises of Baby Boomers who will retire in the following 10 to 15 year. The increasing amount of older people in the labor market causes a shift in the motivation tools that upper management of any organization makes use of. This research paper focuses on how intrinsic and extrinsic rewards influence the motivation of elderly employees in comparison to younger. Key words: aging workforce, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, job satisfaction, job motivation, Baby Boomers generation, Xers generation, generational differences. Introduction The issues related to the global aging workforce are growing significantly in the past few years. Research shows that in the next decade, half of the world workforce will consist of above 55 year old employees (Kanfer Ackerman, 2004; Arnone, 2006; Streb, C. K, Voelpel, S. C., Leibold, M. 2008). The current aging generation of Baby Boomers consists of people who are well educated and trained but also they outnumber the following Xers generation. This fact affects the labor market and will force organizations (Arnone, 2006) to employ new strategies when meeting the expectations of their personnel. Research shows that the larger the number of elderly workers the more implications companies will face (Ng, Thomas W. H., Feldman, Daniel C., 2008). The main threats for managers in the knowledge based economies are the rising organizational costs, lack of well trained young personnel and difficulties to support the older employees (Goss, 2001). Preserving the older employees is an asset to an organization due to their knowledge and experience. To maintain and stimulate this group of people, on other hand is a difficult and costly task for the upper management. Rewards are perceived to motivate employees but little is known which type of reward most likely affects the performance of an older employee compared to a younger one (Giancola, 2008). According to Lord Farrington (2006) the retention and level of productivity of an employee is the result of how effectivelly the individual is motivated. Most of the researchers in this field focus on the factors which motivate personnel in general but age is often not taken into account. Little research has been conducted on age differences and factors that stimulate motivation (Lord Farrington, 2006). There is a substantial amount of academic literature which examines the perceived link between employees job expectations and the actual exchanged rewards in return. According to Wallace (2006) the exchanged rewards are highly correlated with job motivation. There are two main types of rewards intrinsic and extrinsic (ODriscoll, Michael P., Randall, Donna M. 1999). Both types reflect the degree of motivation of an employee. In order to improve the resource strategies, companies and researchers will have to test the relationship between employees perception of rewards, motivation and their age (Lord Farrington, 2006). It is assumed that people belonging to different work generations have also diverse rewards preferences. Therefore, the goal of this research is to investigate whether rewards that trigger job motivation among older workers are different to those that stimulate younger employees. Research gap An issue which arises from the current ageing workforce (Baby Boomers) in the world is the relatively lower percentage of younger specialists (generation X) in variety of business fields (Wallace, 2006). This fact leads to the overall shift in the organizational strategies and structures to retain older people longer on their job positions. It also implies further complications such as knowledge transfer and the retirement process of the Baby Boomers generation. Thus, successful retaining of these employees is strongly connected to motivation and rewards. There is an extensive research conducted on topics such as job motivation and job rewards. However, relatively little attention has been given to understand the impact of worker age on factors that affect worker motivation (Lord Farrington, 2006). There is a substantial empirical gap in studying the influence of aging on work motivation (Kanfer Ackerman, 2004). Job motivators differ between people from the two main working generations Baby Boomers and Xers (Wallace, 2006). The latter has a severe impact on the organizational strategies since the global workforce is ageing and there is immense necessity of retaining older people. Current literature focuses on four main topics: The effect of the global aging workforce on organizational structures and strategies The factors which stimulate job motivation Types of motivation Existing rewards and rewards systems employed by organization This paper deals with describing the effects of rewards on the job motivation in regard to the two working generations mentioned above. The research carried out focuses on the possible differences between rewards preferences of aging personnel. The nowadays average baby boomer is 55 years old while the average Xers is 38 years old. This age difference might influence the affiliation of different job rewards which stimulate the work motivation among both groups. The presented research gap leads to the following research question and conceptual model. Research question and Conceptual Model The main research question addressed in this paper is: What type of rewards influence job motivation among older employees in contract to younger? Who is considered an old and young employee? What are the main age-related working groups? What kind of rewards exists? How is motivation stimulated among employees? Which rewards stimulate the different work generations? Are there any differences between reward preferences of older and younger workers? The conceptual model describes the relationship between rewards and performance. As mentioned before, rewards create satisfaction which increases the job motivation (Herzberg F. , 1987). Rewards are seen as an independent variable and job motivation is the dependent variable. The moderator presented in this model is the age. It is argued that older and younger employees are motivated by different rewards. Consequently, age influences rewards which positively affect the job motivation. In this paper, the addressed questions are analyzed and answered by the use of a literature. Type of rewards and job motivation are further discussed and described in the literature review. By the use of this literature several hypotheses are constructed and a plan how to test these relations is presented in the methodology. Theory Aging population and workforce generations Developed countries all over the world are currently dealing with an exceptional change towards a new era of ageing work population. Research shows that the effect of aging will lead to a smaller ratio of the population being employed in the years after 2010 / 2020 (Kunà ©, 2009). In Europe, old-age dependency ratios are expected to reach 50 per cent by 2050 and the projection for the rest of the industrial countries worldwide has similar estimations (Kunà © 2009, Arnone 2006). For example, in America in 1977, 37% of the workforce was under age 30 compared with only 21% in 2002, and only 38% was 40 or older in 1977 versus 56% in 2002 (Perry, Lance S. 2010; Bond, Thompson, Galinsky, et al, 2003). Research shows that by the next two decades the aging population will double and around 80% of the Baby Boomers will remain professionally active even when they reach 65 years of age (Moberg, 2001). The projected demographic situation will create serious complications in the scope of the or ganizational polices, retirement plans, retaining personnel and knowledge transfer. Baby boomers generation comprise a large percentage of the knowledge-based labor market (those people born between 1946 and 1964) (Head, Baker, Bagwell, Moon, 2006) and since this group ages and retires it is the Xers generation (those people born between 1964 -1981) who will be expected to fill these positions (Wallace, 2006). However, this generation is much fewer in numbers than the previous generation and they are described as being more concerned about work-life balance. The most essential generation differences are related to the role that work plays in ones life (Kennedy, 2003) and as a result, Gen Xers are viewed as less loyal and committed to work, their careers and their employers compared to the Baby Boomers (Wallace, 2006). The latter generation is qualified as being open to challenges and pressure, performance driven and workaholic behavior (Lamm Meeks, 2009). On the other hand, Xers are described as the people who are creative but also like the fun and informality; Fo r them work is a complex challenge and they overcome it with demands for more free time (Lamm Meeks, 2009). Rewards and Motivation Some forty years ago, Hertzberg suggested that suggested that two types of rewards, intrinsic and extrinsic, may be used to motivate workers (Herzberg, 1966;1987). Use of rewards systems would be expected to lead to better organizational results. Later in the years, many researchers concluded that job rewards and motivation are strongly and positively related. Intrinsic rewards are those that exist in the job itself (Herzberg, 1987a). Examples are achievement, variety, challenge, autonomy, responsibility, and personal and professional growth (ODriscoll Randall, 1999; Mahaney, 2006). They also include status, recognition, praise from superiors and co-workers, personal satisfaction, and feelings of self-esteem (ODriscoll Randall, 1999). Employees are thought to be motivated to work hard to produce quality results when they have pride in their work, they enjoy their jobs, they believe their efforts are important to the success of the project, and their jobs are fun, challenging, and r ewarding (ODriscoll Randall, 1999). According to Herzberg, the job satisfaction resulting from these rewards is the source of employee motivation (Bassett-Jones, 2005). On the other hand, extrinsic rewards are external to the job itself. The comprise elements such as pay, fringe benefits, job security, promotions, private office space, and the social climate (Herzberg, 1987; ODriscoll Randall, 1999). Other examples include competitive salaries, pay raises, merit bonuses, retirement plans, and such indirect forms of payment as vacation and compensatory time off, (ODriscoll Randall, 1999). Employees are trained to be motivated to work hard to produce quality results when extrinsic rewards are present and provided because the failure to receive those rewards disappoints them. In other words, extrinsic rewards are not direct motivators but the lack of them causes people being disincentive (Herzberg F. , 1987). However, both types of rewards, intrinsic and extrinsic, have been shown to have positive effects on motivation (Wiersma, 1991). In relation to intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, motivation can be described in the same manner: intrinsic motivation shows the relationship between employees and their job itself (Hui, 2000) (Hui and Lee 2000), and is developed from the individuals perceptions and needs (Sansone Harackiewicz, 2000); and extrinsic motivation refers to the relationship between individuals and external compensations such as salary (Komaki, 1982) Rewards, motivation and age As mentioned earlier there is a limited research done on the interrelations between rewards, motivation and age. A few researchers paid more attention to this issue by discussing the different trends in the values among Baby Boomers and Xers. According to Wallace (2006), Xers value more their flexibility and autonomy to work on their own, while Boomers are strongly committed and attached to the organization they work at. Smola Sutton (2002) describe Xers as being creative and innovative, technically savvy and multi-tasking orientated, while Boomers are seen as hard workers, long office hours and loyal to their employers. Managers are concerned that Xers have a lower level of work ethics and do not find work as significant as the Boomers (Wallace, 2006). Kanfer and Ackerman, (2004) argue that younger employees are more motivated by performance-contingent incentives, such as salary and are strongly motivated by structured supervision. In contrast, older employees value the structured supervision which eliminates effort demands. Jurkiewicz (2000) states that Baby Boomers demand more benefits in regard to their retirment plans, while Xers are interested in child care support. 401(k) retirement plans are mainly employer-sponsored and boomers are stimulated by them; in contrast, Xers could not care less (Jurkiewicz, 2000). Research shows that money is seen as the main extrinsic motivator for any generation (Sansone Harackiewicz, 2000). However, only money is not enough for most of the employees. Other age related differences in motivating employees is the example that Boomers are genuinely more concerned with their quality of time than money and Xers are willing to trade their financial benefits for more leisure time (Jurkiewicz, 2000). Yet, according to Jurkiewicz (2000), younger adults are more concerned about financial compensation than the older workers. According to Giancola (2008), there are most-valued rewards at work for each age group. Baby Boomers for instance, consider flexible retirement plans and assistance, job training and sabbaticals as the most valued rewards (Giancola, 2008). In comparison, Xers find rewards such as flexible working arrangements, skills development, real-time feedback, work-life balance and tangible, immediate rewards as the most important motivators. In addition, Reynolds (2005) argues that management stimulates Boomers by creating a sense that they are needed in the organization and that their contribution is of a vital importance. Xers, are inspired by direct feedback as stating that results are imporant, not the actual time spent on a task; or indications of how well they perform and what skills they can develop (Reynolds, 2005 ). Based on the current literature findings the following hypotheses are generated: H1: There is a significate relationship between employees age and reward preferences. H2: There is a significant difference in the importance of types of job rewards for what? between younger and older knowledge workers. H3: Intrinsic rewards are more strongly related to job motivation for Xers generation compared to Baby Boomers. H4: There is no difference in the level of job motivation between younger and older workers in their current jobs. I would skip this one, and concentrate on the relations between varaibels and not go into descriptions of situations H5: Satisfaction obtained from each reward is the same for Xers as it is for Boomers. In relation to H5 but also a more general remark: there is a difference between satisfaction and motivation. Your model is focusing on motivation, stick with that. Moreover, the relation between satisfaction and motivation is not clear. Some research states that they are positively related with satisfaction leiding up to motivation, some research indicates a relationship that is reverse, and some research states that they are negatively related with a higher dissatisfaction leading up to a higher motivation to act. Methodology The primary method to obtain information and insight regarding job rewards, motivation and older employees is by using secondary data. This data is collected from articles published in academic journals. The main research engine used to collect data is Business Source Premium. The information extracted from the literature found will be applied in constructing surveys and interviews. Please make a concrete plan to collect and analyse primary data with: questionnaire items and scales to measure the variables (stated all explicitly in an appendix), an indication of the sample (number of respondents and how the sample is determined), a description of the statistical analytical techniques that will be used. Parts you already have stated here but add and elaborate when necessary. These tools will be used to collect primary data. A sample of 150 well will be taken across different organization across West European countries. No random sampling will be used, due to the specific of the measur ement criteria. The companies which are meant to participate in this research should employ people from two main age groups and with no less than 50 employees. The age groups consist of employees between 29 and 46 (generation X) and 47+ (Baby Boomers) years of age. The reason why 47 is limitation age is because the youngest Baby Boomers at the moment are 47 years old. The selection of employees will not be random and there will be an equal distribution between participants who belong to either of the mentioned aged groups. These boundaries are set so that motivation versus rewards can be investigated where people have multiple hierarchical levels, age diversity and where decision making is done by more than one person. The reason why well educated people are the primary focus of this research is because skilled jobs are more jeopardized by the aging workforce. Thus, a loss of experienced and well educated employees will occur in the future. The participants in the undertaken research will be either surveyed or interviewed. The time limit for performing these actions will be between four to six months. It is assumed that this is a sufficient time to collect the data. The opinions gathered will be from members of both age groups so that comparison can be made. The survey will consist of open and close ended questions. The purpose of that is to collect ordinal and ratio data which will allow the researcher to perform future correlation and regression analysis. The program used to analyze the data will be SPSS. The last step of this research will be to use both primary and secondary data. This information will allow the researcher to analyze and summarize all the findings. These findings will be included in the Findings and Analysis chapter. The latter will be used to draw conclusions and recommendations. Findings and Analysis This chapter deals with the outcomes of the primary research. Conclusion This chapter presents all the results and conclusions drawn from the literature and primary research. Discussion This chapter describes any additional questions that can be research in the future.

Maximizing Profits as the Main Goal Essay -- Economics Business Manage

Maximizing Profits as the Main Goal The traditional theory (neoclassical) assumes that firm’s primary objective is to maximize profits. That is if the firm is owner controlled. This assumption is based on that firms makes the output and price decisions. Also, that firm takes all necessary actions to earn the greatest profit possible. The managerial theory assumes firms do not necessarily act in order to maximize profits. The basic tenet behind this is the separation of ownership from management, complexity of the organisation and the firm’s manager maximizes his own utility and growth rather than profits. The reason for this is that managers may be judged by the level of sales revenue. I will be providing supporting arguments for and against this assumption â€Å"that the firm’s main motivation is to maximise profits† and draw a conclusion by analysing the firms behaviour as well as further discussing the theories of firms. Profit maximising assumption is based on two premises, firstly that owner is in control of day-to-day management of the firm and secondly that the main desire of owners is to make a higher profit then the amount they invested in the firm. Since this assumption is based on two assumptions, therefore if these two premises don’t hold is it understandable to believe that firms goals is not to maximize profits. Well, this will depend on the motivation of individual firms. If a firm’s ownership and control are in the hands of a single person or small groups of people, then it’s reasonable to assume that the firm’s owners’ goal is to maximize profits. But most of today’s firms are owned by shareholders and other large cooperation, but day-to-day control of the firm is under management. Therefore, the objectives of managements may differ from the shareholders and conflicts may arise. â€Å"For example Baumal (1959) suggest that the manager-controlled firm is likely to have sales revenue maximization, as its main goal than profit maximization favoured by shareholders† (Applied Economics 7th ed. p54). Also, studies of 177 firms between 1985 and 1990 by Conyon and Gregg (1994) found that the pay of top executive of large firms in UK was mostly related to sales growth. Other studies have found that profit was the most important determinant of executive income. For example â€Å"A survey by Management Today in 1990 asse... ..., argued that regardless of how actual firms may behave and constraints on rationality they may be subject to, the surviving firms are those who attained high profits. Due to the strength of these arguments, we tend to accept profits maximization theories are justifiable. Bibliography Alchian, A (1950), â€Å"Uncertaintity. Evolution, and Economic Theory†, Journal Of Political Economy. 58(3), 211-221. Buzzel, R, & Gale, B. (1987). The PIMPS Priciples, Strategic Planning Insitute. Conyon, M & Gregg, P. (1994). Pay at the top: a study of the sensitivity of top director remuneration to company specific shocks, National Institute Economic Review, August. Friedman, Milton (1953), Essay in Positive Economics, Chicago: Chicago University Press. Griffith, Alan & Wall, Stuart (1997). Applied Economics: An Introductory Course. 7th Ed. Lipsey & Chrystal (1999). Priciples of Economics. 9th Ed. Marris, R. (1964) The Economic Theory of Managerial Italism, Macmillan. Sloman, J (2003).†Economics†. Prentice Hall. 5th ed William, K. â€Å"Objectives†. Can be found on: http://william-king.www.drexel.edu/top/prin/txt/MPch/firm2.html. Accessed 4th of February 2005.