Research paper on Worker Attitude and Job Satisfaction

Research paper on Worker Attitude and Job Satisfaction Thesis Statements: Attitude and Job Satisfaction: A worker attitude towards work is directly linked to the job satisfaction; a worker who is satisfied with his job performs better and excels at what he does. It is therefore imperative for a company to understand the attitude of its workers and measure the job satisfaction of its employees, as job satisfaction is essential for productivity. Introduction Worker attitude and job satisfaction deals with how an organization behaves. It involves the management directing employees into improving organizational and personal effectiveness. It plays an enormous role in determining the attitudes of employees and their job satisfaction. When an employee is happy, it is usually because they are satisfied with their work. This also improves the quality of their work. Attitude and job satisfaction may not fall completely on the management but also on the employees. If employees enjoy their work, they will not need external motivation from management, but instead the satisfaction they attain from completing their work will motivate them (Robbins, 2004). Job satisfaction is an individual’s contentment with their work. Its effect on productivity is either positive or negative. The relationship between job satisfaction and job productivity is however not consistent. An individual may still obtain high job productivity without having the satisfaction in the work. This happens mostly when money is their motivation. Another motivator is improving in his or her work in order to receive a promotion. Other employees may increase their productivity due to the satisfaction they get from their work. A reason for job satisfaction may also come from an employee getting a good salary. It improves job satisfaction as long as an employee has knowledge of the fact that they get fair payment for their efforts at the end of the day. Job satisfaction has an effect on an individual’s satisfaction with life. If an employee does not get satisfaction in their work, they may seek for satisfaction in other work unrelated areas. This provides fulfillment and balance in their life. He or she may also be content with work as it relates with those work unrelated areas. Job dissatisfaction may also cause an employee to quit (Robbins, 2004). How Workers Attitude and Job Satisfaction Affect Their Work. An employee’s attitude towards authority may affect his or her relationship with management. Negative attitude towards authority will cause clashes in the work place. Psychology is another reason that affects an individual’s attitude. Another reason for a negative attitude towards authority is jealous for their position. This attitude affects job productivity in a negative way. If the workers attitude is a negative one so is their ability to produce positive results. Worker attitude and job satisfaction are two factors that affect a company’s productivity. There are different issues that affect worker attitude and job satisfaction either in a negative or positive way. These issues include the management, employee, sociology, communication, culture, and work environment. Management Role The management’s style of leading plays a huge role in worker attitude and job production. Empowerment is one factor that can motivate better productivity. If the management gives an employee opportunity to work according to their own standards, preferred that these standards measure up to those of the company, job productivity will increase. Human empowerment is satisfactory to every individual. Self-satisfaction leads to job satisfaction. We also have strategic planning by management. This is crucial when dealing with influencing job productivity. An example of a way to motivate employees is the management offering them opportunities for promotions and pay rise negotiations. This will encourage job productivity since employees will want to receive these rewards (Jackson, 2002). Organizational objectives also affect how the management relates with the employees. If the organizational goal is to achieve a certain percentage of profit in a business year, then it will exert pressure on the employees to increase productivity. Positive influence is not the only way to ensure an increase in productivity. Some organizations offer contracts that clear states the amount of productivity needed from employees. This is in the case of sales and marketing where a sales representative needs to achieve a target on a certain deadline. This may mount pressure on the employees and in turn affect their job satisfaction. In some cases, the management is not as strict with the employees. The problem with this is that the employees might eventually relax on the job. An organization may also decide to add more working days depending on their goals. Complying with such a decision is hard and it may leave the employees bitter and resentful towards management. This attitude will affec t job productivity, as the employees will arrive to work with no motivation. Another factor in work attitude is time away from work. Apart from free time on the weekend, which is compulsory according to work ethics, employees need to take time off from work. This normally is the leave period (Jackson, 2002). Employee Role Some individuals choose professions that they like while others end up in their profession due to pressure. Pressure may come from the need to make money or a parent or guardian deciding on what their kids will do. When one chooses something they love doing or has an interest in, then they are content and happy about what they do. Love for a profession encourages a positive attitude. This is all the motivation employees need when it comes to productivity. A happy employee is a productive employee. When an employee loves what they are doing, they attain job satisfaction. This automatically affects productivity in a positive way. Productivity however suffers with negative employees who only work to make money. Their aim is to increase their productivity in order to get more money but this eventually makes them stressful and bitter. Since they have no interest in the work, satisfaction is hard for them to achieve. This is another form of motivation but is not sufficient. The two major w ays for employees to improve, productivity in their professional areas is the choice of profession. Employees need ways to relieve their stress if they want to improve their work attitude and productivity. Work related stress is common among most employees. This is especially by employees that do not experience any job satisfaction from their work. Stress is something that may lead to more serious illnesses. This lowers productivity from the absence of employees in the work place. Stress is relieved by taking breaks from work, exercising, socializing with friends, and having fun. Psychological development is also another factor that affects attitude. Since psychology is what determines human behavior, it affects how we react and relate with others. Every one of us reacts differently to different situations. An example is when management is brutally honest about an employees work, some may take it is a warning to do better others may take it as criticism and give up. This depends on how an individual makes decisions. External factors such as the family, relationships, financial stat us are a few of other things that also affect the employees’ attitude. A healthy employee is a productive employee and a happy one. Social Role Our social behavior affects our work. This is in regard to introverts and extroverts. An introvert will not easily socialize with people. This affects their performance in a situation that needs teamwork. Teamwork requires all individuals to communicate with each other. If employees cannot work well together, it affects productivity. A company that encourages teamwork experiences higher productivity. Extroverts are aggressive people and some people may try to avoid them. Relationships in the work place affects attitudes and in turn productivity. If employees have a close relationship with each other, employees work well together and their attitudes improve as well. An improvement in attitude improves job productivity and satisfaction. In order to improve this relationship, some organizations encourage team building by dedicating a few days for members to socialize. This is through encouraging games in this sessions or providing projects for them to do. Interaction between employees h elps them know each other better and beyond the work place. It improves their relationship and attitude towards each other (Edwards, 2004). Social role also involves the relationship between employees and management. In most organizations, this relationship is usually strictly professional. The only time the two interact is while it involves work. This is a way for the management to ensure that they have an upper hand towards the employees. This may lead to employees withdrawing from the management due to fear. Fear affects productivity, as the employee cannot approach the management if he/she is having trouble. They may imagine that the management will see this as a weakness. A good relationship is one where the management associates with its employees openly. Respect is the only thing that needs establishment between the two. This way, it is easy for employees to approach the management. A good relationship will improve employee productivity by improving their attitude and encouraging job satisfaction. Another social factor is competition. This is due to human nature to prove themselves. Employees may compete amongst e ach other for appraisal or a chance to grab an available higher position. This is a way for productivity to improve. Their attitude will depend on whether the competition is a healthy or an unhealthy one. An unhealthy one will lead to stress (Edwards, 2004). Communication Communication is how information transmits between the management and employees or between the employees themselves. Employees need to be free with the management in order to approach them when they are having trouble. Good communication has a positive effect on the employee’s job satisfaction. When all their needs a met, they can easily perform their duties efficiently. This increases job productivity and in turn improves the workers attitude. Communication is also important between employees. Employees need to maintain a good relationship with each other in order to communicate efficiently. Respect is an important factor in communication. In every organization, respect needs to drive how they communicate. A good way to implement communication between management and employees is by planning meetings. These meetings should allow employees to ask questions and express their opinion. Management should ask employees for their input and suggestions in matters concerning them. This will make the employees feel even more part of the organization. It will improve the relationship of everyone in the organization. Good communication leads to a good relationship that in turn improves employee attitude and job productivity (Mitchell). Culture The differences in culture affects people’s attitude. Different cultures have different practice. Some cultures do not allow their employees to work for certain amounts of hours. This may affect an individual if a transfer occurs and they get to a work situation that encourages more working hours. He/she will develop a negative attitude towards work. In some cultures, individuals are risk takers. They enjoy doing things beyond their capabilities. They attain satisfaction both in life and in work. There is no better motivation to improve their job productivity than this. In others, employees are hardworking. Their attitude towards work is usually a positive one (Jackson, 2002). Work environment A positive work environment improves on employee attitude. This depends on other employees, the management and the available resources. If an organization takes care of their employees by providing all needed resources, then their productivity will improve. Job productivity increases a business performance and profits, which in turn ensures that employees receive their salary frequently. When the business performs well then the employees are happy. A good performance in the organization gives the employees a positive attitude that improves their individual performance. As long as the employees are happy and performing, job productivity will increase. Job satisfaction improves employee’s relationships with customers. A good working relationship such as that one will increase on the sales of goods and services. Some company’s offer their employees bonuses especially during the holidays. This acts as an encouragement to the workers and improves their relationship with mana gement. In departments such as sales and marketing, employee’s performance can improve if given bonuses or commission when they bring in more sales clients. With this knowledge, the employee’s performance is sure to improve drastically (Edwards, 2004). Conclusion The duty of management and the employee in improving workers attitude is debatable. Some may argue that it is up to the employee to ensure that they attain job satisfaction from their work, as they are the only ones in control of their attitude and performance. It is also possible to say that all the responsibility is entirely the managements. They decide on the nature of the environment in which the employee works. The management holds the power to control employee salary, off time and promotion. External factors such as the environment, social situations, and culture also affect worker attitude and job satisfaction. In my opinion, it is up to both the parties to decide on worker attitude and job satisfaction.

Using Italian Reflexive Pronouns

Using Italian Reflexive Pronouns In a reflexive sentence the action of the verb reverts to the subject, as in the following examples: I wash myself. They enjoy themselves. In reflexive sentences, Italian verbs, like English verbs, are conjugated with reflexive pronouns. Reflexive pronouns (i pronomi riflessivi) are identical in form to  direct object pronouns, except for the third person form  si  (the third person singular and plural form). SINGULAR PLURAL mi myself ci ourselves ti yourself vi yourselves si himself, herself, itself, yourself (formal) si themselves, yourselves (formal) Just like direct object pronouns, reflexive pronouns are placed before a conjugated verb or attached to the infinitive. If the infinitive is preceded by a form of  dovere,  potere, or  volere, the reflexive pronoun is either attached to the infinitive (which drops its final  Ã¢â‚¬â€œe) or placed before the conjugated verb. Note that the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject even when attached to the infinitive. Mi  alzo.  (I’m getting up.)Voglio alzarmi.  Mi  voglio alzare.  (I want to get up.) Mi, ti, si,  and  vi  may drop the  i  before another vowel or an  h  and replace it with an apostrophe.  Ci  may drop the  i  only before an  i  or  e. Si  lava tutti i giorni.  (He washes  himself  every day.)Ci  divertiamo molto qui.  (We enjoy  ourselves  a lot here.)A casa,  m’annoio.  (At home, I get bored.)

The Case Against Physicalism By Jacky Chang Assignment

The Case Against Physicalism By Jacky Chang - Assignment Example While there are many arguments against physicalism, the largest and most consistent one seems to be that of consciousness, intellect, freedom of choice, and all the qualities that make a human being fully human. The physicalist reasoning relies too heavily on reduction thinking. They define physical as either being expressed in physical terms or else in the broad sense as being anything that is part of a physical system or process. In this way, they reduce all beingness to a matter of physical nature. In fact, there are non-physical things. Alter(2005) uses Descartes’ argument, that phenomenal consciousness is not physical due to the fact that one can conceive of the body as well as the mind independently of each other, therefore, phenomenal consciousness is neither functional nor physical, to prove that we have a fully conscious mind and a fully present body. According to physicalists, all knowledge is a mental function of learning by processes involving the five senses. How, then, can we account for human intuition, experiential knowledge and the sense of general knowingness that comes with the journey of life? According to Alter(2005), human intuition and knowingness are justifiable by reason alone, with no empirical evidence needed; we don’t intentionally learn everything, How does the physicalist account for freedom of choice? Melynk (2007) uses the argument that choice cannot be free as it refers to a causal agent or, in the case of theism, a supposed intentional agent that predesigned or had prior knowledge of that choice. Yet, Goetz and Taliaferro(2007) argue that choice is not causal or determined, but rather a function of our conceptual and intentional qualities, which in reality are abstract forms and therefore non-physical objects. How can the qualities that make us fully human be explained in physicalist terms? Melnyk(2007).

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 28

English - Essay Example The animals come here to quench their thirst; some lapping up the water with their tongues, others taking a deep in the relieving water. Birds from all corners of the forest come to make their nests near her; for there is always plenty food where she passes. The little boys and girls are always lost in wonder at the graceful flow of the river, creating shallow pools in its wake where they spend most of their time splattering around without a care in the world. Their parents nearby are going on with their daily chores of fishing, cleaning, and singing in unison joining nature in its never ending orchestra by the river. It has many sacred places and shrines where elders come to perform rites to their ancestors, where initiates come to be one with nature, to ask for her permission before taking the bold step into adulthood. It is the place where people feel at most with nature and their gods. It is where all life culminates and where it is most vibrant; it is felt in the inner core of the soul of everything there. River Ptoon is a home away from home. In an eerie calm by the river bank a scream shatters the silence another victim falls prey to the unusually calm river. Lurking in the deeper pools of the river there are ravenous predator fishes and alligators ready to snap their jaws at anything that comes near them. The ever present birds always ready to play the role of â€Å"garbage collectors†, nibbling the bones of the dead animals to scorched white, cleaning away the wine; the water stinks of death after the massacres. The stones by the banks are marked by bird droppings like a mad painter’s work of art. Only the tall old trees remain alive with their long deep tap roots reaching the pure water underground, and their shadows casting sinister looking impressions. Parents bring their children to play but pretend to be busy with their chores, but they are hawk eyed for any sign of danger from within or out of the

Black People and Dorothy Allison Essay Example for Free

Black People and Dorothy Allison Essay Race, class and gender have been a topic for most books that have been written. A lot of books talk about these topics because it is something most people face. Whether youre at work and cant get a promotion because of your gender, excluded from a place because of your class or hated because of your race. Know matter what you will be faced with one if these topics in your life time. Dorothy Allisons Bastard out of Carolina deals with these issues in a very intriguing way. She uses them to keep the story flowing and keep the reader interested. In the novel BOC, Allison uses race, class and gender in a very stereotypical way. The story of Bone takes place in a time where race was a conservational topic. You can say America was split in two groups, the whites and blacks. If you were black life was not easy. Black people were discriminated against. Even though slavery was over the black nation was not accepted by the white people. Racism means Discrimination or prejudice based on race (2). This word was not really used in this book because the narrative was Bone, a white girl. When Bone would visit Aunt Almas apartment she would come to face black children. There and then is when the stereotypes of black people started. The grown ups in Bone had nothing good to say about the niggers that lived by Aunt Alma. Running off with a mans children, living in the dirty place with niggers all around. My little girls having to go up those stairs past those nigger boys. My wife walking the street past those peckerwoods! (Allison 89). The family really did not approve of Aunt Alma living around black people. They were thought to be dirty and uncivilized people. Black people were also thought to be stupid and worthless. Bone was young at the time and did not know what to think about them. But she did not feel the same as her elders. Instead she made friends with them and learned to like them. I think Allison is trying to show the innocence of a child. Most kids are caring and loving until they are taught to hate. Bone grew up in a poor family. They would be considered in todays society as trailer trash. The stereotype of poor white folks was present in Bastard out of Carolina. Anne and Glen did not really have money so it was hard to support the kids. They basically lived with very little. They couldnt settle down at one house so they moved from one run down house to another. A lot of the characters described in this book had a lot of resemblance to what we would consider a red neck. For instance Uncle Travis has a big Chevy. Bone says it was jacked up so high that it easily cradled little kids or pregnant woman (Allison 1). Almost all the boys in the family had trucks. Thats typical for a red neck. Bone describes the Boatwright men as rugged, kind of dirty strong boys. They loved to fight and drink beer. The Boatwright family was big which again stereotyped poor white families. Also poor people are known to have kids out of wedlock. That was the situation Bone was. She was born out of wedlock and she never knew who her father was. That is the significance of the title Bastard out of Carolina. Gender also played a big role in this novel by Dorothy Allison. The male and female gender played a very distinctive role. In the Boatwright family the men are thought to be the physically strong. They take care of the family. They get into fights and are feared by a lot of people in town. Women of that time were supposed to stay at home cook and clean. They were supposed to wait for their husbands and never talk back. But I think Allison reversed the stereotype about women by making the Boatwright women very different. Most of them had jobs and were supporting them selfs. Aunt Raylene and Aunt Alma were some of the girls that lived by themselves. The women were strong too and they stuck together. Another way gender played a role was the relationship between Anne and Glen. From all the Boatwright women Anne was the weakest one. In the relationship Glen basically controlled Anne. Every time he did something bad she would end up forgiving him. Even after she found out he has been beating Bone she forgave him. Glen had all the power and Anne couldnt do anything because she loved him. Bastard out of Carolina faces issues about race, class and gender. Allison builds a world where all these issues are faced. Through the main character Bone, we see how race, class and gender affect her and her family. Race played a role when Bone meets black people for the first time and instead of judging them she became friend with them. The Boatwrights social status is not the best but they are feared by the community. They are considered poor and red necks. The last big issue that is seen in BOC is gender. Allison changed things up by making the women in the family stronger and more independent than other women of that time. In the end I think Allison decided to stereotype race, class and gender to show us it makes things worse then they already are. Work Cited 2 entries found for racism. 2003. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 19 Feb. 2006 http://owl. english. purdue. edu/handouts/research/r_mla. html Allison Dorothy. Bastard out of Carolina. New York. Penguin Group. 1993.

Single Men Vs. Committed Men Essay -- essays research papers

Single men lead different lifestyles compared to men that are committed to one woman. When a guy is single, he might wish he had a girlfriend. When that same guy finds a girlfriend, he might want to be single again. This is a strange cycle that many young men go through for many years. Although there are many differences between these two lifestyles, one similarity is apparent. That is the transition from one lifestyle to the other. The transition is often very difficult. These transitions often cause many aspects of a man’s life to change. This means that there are many contrasts when you compare lifestyles of single men and men in a relationship with one woman. A guy may enjoy or hate living his life single. Often times a single lifestyle consists of merely hanging out with guys and girls just as friends, and having fun. If a guy really enjoys partying and getting a little crazy on the weekends, this is what he will do when he is single. Single men usually do and say whatever they want to, and don’t worry about what others may think about them. He just wants to be with his buddies and have a good time. Sometimes single men will not be seeking potential girlfriends. Other times he will be on the lookout for girls he is interested in. In either case, girls will be on his mind. For that guy who is not looking for a relationship, he will not mind not seeing any girls for a period of time. A guy who is looking for a commitment will want to go to ...

Feasibility of Nationalising the South African Mining Sector Essay

Introduction The mining industry forms the foundation of South Africa’s economy. Currently South Africa is the biggest producer of platinum in the world and one of the top producers of gold. Julius Malema, the leader of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) was at the forefront of having a detailed perspective on the nationalisation of mines in South Africa at the beginning of 2010. Malema believes the nationalisation of mines will solve all economic disparities in South Africa. There are many South Africans who agree or disagree with this idea. The following discussion will provide answers to why it should be done and who benefits or why it should not be done and what the shortcomings are and the costs that the country will incur if it were to be done as well as examples of nationalisation in other countries (Roberts, 2011). Discussion Nationalisation is the operation of transferring ownership from the private sector to the public sector. According to the minister of finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan stated on the March 14, 2011 that nationalisation of South Africa’s mines and other economic assets are not government policy. â€Å"Nationalisation of mines means the democratic government’s ownership and control of Mining activities, including exploration, extraction, production, processing, trading and beneficiation of Mineral Resources in South Africa†(ANCYL, 2010). Therefore this would mean that no mines would be publicly owned but they would be owned by the state. It has been sixteen years since apartheid and the white minority of 10% of the population owns 80% of the country’s economic wealth. The Freedom Charter is a document that expresses the economic, social and political will of South Africans and according to the document, the mineral wealth of South Africa belongs to the people as a nation. â€Å"It is against this background upon which a concrete position on the nationalisation of Mines is formulated in order to guide the ANC in the transfer of mineral wealth beneath the soil to the ownership and benefit of the people as a whole† (ANCYL, 2010). If the state owns the mines it would allow them to manage the economy by controlling the important industries. They could also invest a larger amount of money and make their services more efficient. Nationalisation of the mines does not mean all sectors are in the hands of the country’s citizens and that they will benefit from all the sectors. It does not yet say anywhere what the ratio (between state owned and privately owned) of the division will be when nationalisations occurs, if it does. Therefore people shouldn’t think that the state will automatically have over half or a larger percentage. An important factor is whether nationalisation will be with or without compensation. It would almost be impossible to nationalise with compensation as the government currently doesn’t have the figure of about R 2-trillion which is how much it would cost to purchase the mines. But on the other hand, expropriation without compensation would cause a collapse of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This would bring down provident and pension funds at the same time. A large number of servants and citizens would be without their retirement investments as well (ANCYL, 20 10). Therefore this poses a big problem already. Some people might think why the mines should be nationalised. Below are three reasons. 1. â€Å"Nationalisation to increase the State’s fiscal capacity and better the working conditions† (ANCYL, 2010). It states that the money received from taxes is not enough to help each and every single South African citizen, which it is not. Education, healthcare, safety and security and housing will not be provided to the masses if the government is not in control of the important sectors. There have been other success stories, such as in Botswana where nationalising the mines provided mineworkers with a safer working environment and higher wages. 2. â€Å"Nationalise to Industrialise and Create more jobs† (ANCYL, 2010). More jobs will be created and industrial investors will be attracted to add to education, expertise and the economy. 3. â€Å"Nationalisation to transform South Africa’s unequal spatial development patterns† (ANCYL, 2010). This means the areas that will be focused on will be ones which will be sustainable in the future as well as effective. Smaller areas that have never been mined before could be targeted as it will provide more jobs in these areas which rarely see economic activity (ANCYL, 2010). Malema believes that everybody in South Africa has the right to the wealth that is produced and that the state should own the larger part of the mines. â€Å"South Africa is divided as we speak. We’ve got two economies in one country, two nations in one country, and it is nationalisation that will unite us† (Andrew, 2011). He also believes many jobs will be created once the mines are nationalised. Patrice Motsepe, a South African businessman, states that he would back Malema’s decision as long as it is in the best interests of South Africa. The ANCYL believes South Africa’s minerals, water, land and marine resources should be used to maximise growth of South Africa’s economy and not purely for profit (Shivambu, 2010). If the mines are nationalised, new economic centres will be developed, new industrial development zones will be established, jobs will be created as the mines owned and controlled by the state will increase local beneficiation and industrialisation of the available mineral resources, and local economies will be developed (Shivambu, 2010). General Secretary of Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU), Zwelinzima Vavi says that â€Å"Nationalisation can bolster our economy and it will always ensure development† (Beukes, 2011). He said that the nationalisation of the mines will make available money to all the people of the country, not only those who are currently working in the private sector (current mine owners) (Beukes, 2011). One of the ANCYL’s argument is that nationalisation was a demand found in the Freedom Charter and that South African citizens should share the mineral wealth of the nation between each and every one (Achary, 2010). Thus there are valid reasons for the mines to be nationalised but the major concern is the cost that the country would incur to make nationalisation happen. â€Å"Nationalisation is an unaffordable, untimely and frankly unnecessary suggestion, which has already undermined market stability† (Time, 2009). It would cost South Africa R1.4 to R2 trillion to nationalise the mines which seems silly if you think South Africa has the fifth biggest mining industry in the world. This figure does not include extra running costs as well as the costs that go with running loss-running mines. This shows it is a big part of the economy and would be tough to be nationalised. This figure is the same as trebling South Africa’s national debt over a single night, which is unrealistic (Time, 2009). â€Å"The debate on the thorny issue heated up with business executives and analysts warning that nationalisation would damage the economy† (Isa, 2011). Many say it is a disaster and has been for every country who has tried to pull it off. Susan Shabangu said â€Å"consideration of the step was misguided, as the real issue was to address povert y, unemployment, and inequality† (Isa, 2011). This shows that the debates that are ongoing will deter foreign investments. The ANC do realise that it’s close to impossible to nationalise the mines and come off on the right foot but are currently looking at models of how it could be implemented effectively (Isa, 2011). The nationalisation of mines has also been seen as a ploy to try and save Black Economic Empowerment (which has been in place in South Africa for a while, but has not achieved what it hoped to) and not focusing on the amount of poor in the country as well as the amount of unemployed workers (Business Day, 2011). The market value of South African mines (listed) is almost 850 billion rand which is above a third of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore the government should be more concerned over matters such as the education level and the health of the countries people. â€Å"Zambia nationalised the copper mines, which supplied 90% of its exports, in the early 1970s. It ended up hiring back the multinational copper companies to manage them† (News24, 2010). Zambia is the world’s 11th largest producer of copper. The mines were nationalised in 1969 and at this time were exporting about 700 000 tonnes of copper per annum. By the year 2000, exporting figures had constantly decreased to 225 000 tonnes. The result of the decline was partly because of a lack of investments as well as mismanagement of the mines. â€Å"Zambia has neither the capital nor the skills to run the mines by itself† (Time, 1969). Other factors were the drop in the price of copper, a lack of skills among the citizens in Zambia and they were unable to raise capital. They lacked a strong plan with which to back up their initial aim (Time, 1969). Restrictions were placed on exports and imports which resulted in exchange rates rising and therefore gains from exports reduced. Zambia also failed to save earnings when the copper price was high and thus when the price fell, they suffered immensely. Even though the situation is not exactly the same, it does show that to nationalise mines a lot of debate needs to occur as well as research and obviously the country needs the required funds to make sure it can be made possible. South Africa does not have these funds at the moment and thus would not be able to nationalise the mines unless they are willing to operate with huge debts which is unfeasible (Osei-Hwedie, 2003). Conclusion â€Å"Nationalisation is an unaffordable, untimely and frankly unnecessary suggestion, which has already undermined market stability† (George, 2009). This statement sums up the idea of nationalisation of mines in South Africa. It obviously has its advantages such as giving higher wages and creating more jobs but it is clearly evident that the positives are outweighed by the negatives. With so many jobs in South Africa’s mining sector at stake, it is irresponsible to talk about placing this key sector of the economy in the hands of government people. The country does not have nearly enough funds for this project to take place and thus in my view should not take place in even in the near future (Marais, 2010). Reference List ACHARY, N. (2010). Nationalising the Mining Sector in South Africa [Online]. Available: http://www.suite101.com/content/nationalising-the-mining-sector-in-south-africa-a281585 [Accessed 25 September 2011]. ANCYL (2010). Towards the Transfer of Mineral Wealth to the Ownership of the People as a Whole: A Perspective on Nationalisation of Mines. [Online]. Available: http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?oid=158357&sn=Detail [Accessed 22 September 2011]. ANDREW, M. (2011). Nationalisation will unite SA, says Malema [Online]. Available: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-08-05-nationalisation-will-unite-sa-says-malema [Accessed 21 September 2011]. 3 BEUKES, W. (2011). Vavi joins ANCYL in calls for nationalisation [Online]. Available: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-08-06-vavi-speaks-in-favour-of-nationalisation [Accessed 25 September 2011]. BUSINESS DAY (2010). Nationalisation won’t help poor – Nzimande [Online]. Available: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=147053 [Accessed 26 September 2011]. GEORGE, D. (2009). Nationalising South Africa’s mines would cost R1.4-trillion [Online]. Available: http://da.wwc.co.za/newsroom.htm?action=view-news-item&id=6967 [Accessed 25 September 2011]. ISA, M. (2011). Nationalisation talk ‘costing SA jobs’ . [Online]. Available: http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=150052 [Accessed 27 September 2011]. MARAIS, E. (2010). Budget Speech: Nationalisation of SA’s mines [Online]. Available: http://www.da.org.za/newsroom.htm?action=view-news-item&id=8231 [Accessed 23 September 2011]. NEWS24 (2010). Zambia’s nationalisation woes: ANC [Online]. Available: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Zambias-nationalisation-woes-ANC-20100730 [Accessed 20 September 2011]. OSEI-HWEDIE, B. (2003). Development Policy and Economic Change in Zambia [Online]. Available: http://www.dpmf.org/images/Zambia-devt-bertha.html [Accessed 24 September 2011]. ROBERTS, J. (2011) SA’s mining industry losing ground [Online]. Available: http://www.businesslive.co.za/southafrica/sa_markets/2011/08/04/sa-s-mining-industry-losing-ground [Accessed 25 September 2011]. SHIVAMBU, N. (2010). The case for the nationalisation of mineral resources [Online]. Available: http://mg.co.za/article/2010-09-21-the-case-for-nationalisation-of-mineral-resources [Accessed 23 September 2011]. TIME MAGAZINE (1969). Mining: Nationalization in Zambia. [Online]. Available: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898567,00.html#ixzz1YgJNdxqy [Accessed 22 September 2011].

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay

Math Journal Review The purpose of this article was to explain the use and importance of programs such as the, â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program instituted at the Bennington Library in Vermont. The â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program aims to provide librarians with techniques and tools for introducing preschool and kindergarten students to science and math through literature. Picture books and stories are used a lot because stores are great conveyors to memorable messages about since and math. It also gives children the tools they need to be able to look at books and seek out math and science concepts and connections within the text. The program focuses on child directed and hands on explorations rather that adult directed instruction allowing the children to gain personal acts of discovery through play. â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† focuses on four main math and science concepts; numbers and operations, patterns and relationships, changes over time, and geometry and special sense. For each topic there are activities, projects, and books that correspond with the chosen topic. There are different activity centers that are also set up. Some are set up for large group and small group and some are set up for independent exploration. They offer things such as interactive graphs, geoboards, jars with small objects for sorting, blocks, and other manipulatives. Something new that I learned was that I didn’t know that libraries offered programs like that. I knew that had reading groups and programs but I didn’t realizes that there were also libraries that offered programs to also promote math and science concepts as well. I like how they use books first to gain an idea and then tie it into math and science by exploring the concepts in the story a little further to better their understanding not only of the story but of the math and/or science behind it. A way that I can see this information being useful in the future is to have programs like this available to all libraries nationwide. In the article it said that it started out in Vermont and spread to libraries in New York, Delaware, and Texas. With children having access to programs like this from the preschool level they will then enter kindergarten with a greater knowledge base and with deeper understanding of the math and science concepts that they will need for the rest of their lives.

Transportation Changes in Morocco essays

Transportation Changes in Morocco essays Transportation is a movement from place to place by some type of vehicle - car, boat, plane, train, motorcycle, skateboard - whatever moves us from point A to point B. The transportation system has changed and developed in many ways over the past two or three decades. In Morocco, which is my country, transportation has changed dramatically from my grandmother's day to the present including the cost of transportation, it's rules and regulations. Some of those changes have improved the transportation system while other changes have been detrimental. First, the time component is an important consideration and it's associated with service. In the past, 40% of the roads in Morocco were in poor condition. This issue led to wasting time getting from one place to another. Today, it's easier than ever because back roads have improved and freeways have been built to solve the congestion issue. As a result, this change helped improve the entire economic system in Morocco. For example, most companies are no longer wasting time delivering their products by using old, dangerous roads, or poorly constructed freeways. Second, the cost of transportation in my Grandmother's day was much less expensive than today. In the past, people visited their families every holiday and during the summer because the cost of transportation was affordable; but today, the cost of transportation in Morocco has increased two or three times to what it was before due to high fuel costs, security and safety issues. So families with low incomes can't afford transportation - leading them to work and shop as close to home as possible. In this way, improved transportation in Morocco has stopped the overall betterment of the country. Finally, the new rules and regulations of transportation in Morocco are not accepted by all the Moroccan people. In addition, in my Grandmother's day, people were afraid of breaking the law. That is why most of them followed rules and ...

Highly Successful Parent Teacher Communication

Highly Successful Parent Teacher Communication One of the most beneficial aspects of teaching is building positive relationships with parents. Effective parent-teacher communication is essential for a teacher to be successful. A good relationship between parents and a teacher is invaluable towards maximizing the time that the teacher has with that student. A student who knows that the teacher communicates on a regular basis with their parents and who knows that their parents trust the teacher will likely put more effort into school. Likewise, a student who knows that the teacher rarely or never communicates with their parents and/or their parents do not trust the teacher will often pit the two against each other. That is counterproductive and will create problems for the teacher and ultimately issues for the student as well. Many teachers underestimate the value of building relationships with their students’ parents. Parents can be your best friends, and they can be your worst enemy. It is hard work for a teacher to build trusting cooperative relationships, but it will be well worth all the effort in the long run. The following five tips can help teachers build solid relationships with the parents of the students they serve. Build Their Trust Building a parent’s trust is often a gradual process. First of all, parents need to ensure that you have their child’s best interest at heart. Proving this to some parents can be challenging, but it isn’t impossible. The first step to building their trust is simply letting them know you on a more personal level. There are obviously personal details that you don’t want to give to parents, but don’t be afraid to talk casually with them about hobbies or interest outside of school. If a parent has a similar interest, then milk that for all its worth. If a parent can relate to you, then the communication and trust between you will likely be solid. Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile to help a student. This can win trust and respect faster than anything. Something as simple as a personal call to check on a student who has missed a few days due to illness will stand out in a parent’s mind. Opportunities like this present themselves from time to time. Don’t waste those opportunities. Finally, allow them to see you’re a terrific teacher with their child’s best interest in mind. Demand respect from your students and push them to succeed, but be flexible, understanding, and caring in the process. Parents who care about education will trust you if they see these things. Listen to Them There may be times that a parent has a question or concern about something. The worst thing you can do in this case is to be defensive. Being defensive makes it seem as though you have something to hide. Instead of being defensive listen to everything they have to say before you react. If they have a valid concern, assure them that you will take care of it. If you made a mistake, admit it, apologize for it, and tell them how you plan to remedy it. Most of the time a parent’s questions or concerns come down to miscommunication or misconceptions. Don’t be afraid to clear up any issues, but do so in a tone that is calm and in a manner which is professional. Listening to them is just as powerful as explaining your side. You will find more times than not that the frustration is not with you, but instead with their child and that they simply need to vent. Communicate Often Effective communication can be time-consuming, but it is crucial. There are many ways to communicate these days. Notes, newsletters, daily folders, phone calls, emails, visitations, open room nights, class web pages, postcards, and parent-teacher conferences are some of the most popular means in which to communicate. An effective teacher will likely use several means over the course of the year. Good teachers communicate frequently. If a parent hears it from you, there is a lesser chance of something getting misinterpreted in the process. An important thing to note is that most parents get sick of only hearing unpleasant news about their child. Pick three to four students per week and contact their parents with something positive. Try not to include anything negative in these types of communications. When you do have to contact a parent for something negative like a discipline issue, try to end the conversation on a positive note. Document Every Communication The importance of documenting cannot be underscored. It doesn’t have to be anything in depth. It needs to include the date, parent/student name, and a brief summary. You may never need it, but if you do, it will be well worth the time. No matter how strong of a teacher you are, you will not always make everyone happy. Documenting is invaluable. For example, a parent may not be happy about a decision you have made to retain their child. This is a process that often spans the course of the year. A parent could claim that you never talked to them about it, but if you have it documented that you did four times throughout the year, the parent has no basis for their claim. Fake It When Necessary The reality is that you are not always going to get along or like every parent of every child that you teach. There will be personality conflicts, and sometimes you just don’t have any similar interest. However, you have a job to do and avoiding a parent is ultimately not what is best for that child. Sometimes you will have to grin and bear it. While you may not like being fake, building some sort of positive relationship with their parent will be beneficial to the student.  If you try hard enough, you can find some kind of common ground with just about anyone.  If it benefits the student, you must be willing to go the extra mile even it is uncomfortable at times.

Property Market Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Property Market Analysis - Essay Example Taking this into consideration, property market is evolving into various distinct fields. Various specialists usually have the responsibility of valuating property market as well as facilitating transactions involved in buying and selling in the property market. Some of the most common types of property market businesses include appraisal, development, net leasing, property management, real estate marketing, real estate investing, relocation services and corporate real estate among other businesses (Abdul 2002). In every field of property market, businesses usually specialize in certain types of property market. These include residential, commercial and industrial property (Abdul 2002). Moreover, most of the construction businesses usually have a significant connection to property market (Adams 2007). Current research on the property market indicates that lack of effective property market laws usually have a substantial barrier to investment to most of the developing countries all over the world (Adams 2007). In most societies worldwide, a significant portion of the total wealth is usually in terms of land and building. Taking this into consideration, land as well as a building is highly valued in many societies all over the world (Abdul 2002). In more advanced economies, the primary source of capital used by individuals as well as small companies to buy and improve building and land is mortgage loans. Most of the banks are willing give these loans as the real property usually act as security if the borrower fails to pay the money borrowed. Efficient market theory is one of the most discredited theories (Siegel 2009). The theory assumes that all participants in the market receive and act effectively on relevant information in the market as soon as it becomes available to them (Siegel 2009). If this is actually the case, then the best investment would be just a coin toss.

The need for imigration refom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The need for imigration refom - Research Paper Example From the findings of the analysis carried out in the paper, it has been viewed that the aspect of rapid illegal immigration has been the cause of various illegal activities in the nations. Additionally, it has also been determined that reform in the current immigration policies would not only facilitate in decreasing the illegal activities but would also aid in developing an environment that would be safe for both the civilians and immigrants who migrate legally from other nations either for professional or academic purpose. Introduction The facet of immigration plays a vital role for every nation as it not only involves financial benefits but also aids in developing the country technologically and culturally among other aspects. In general, immigration is the process through which the people belonging to a particular nation move to another country owing to economic, political, natural disaster or other factors. With the advent of globalization and the increasing literacy rate, peopl e tend to emigrate from their home country to another nation because of the need to progress their professional or academic life. ... However, in recent years it has often been viewed that the lure of reaching the land of American dreams has propagated many individuals to tread the forbidden path of illegal immigration. Subsequently, in the act of immigration, people who belong to different terrorist groups move to the country either legally or illegal and cause great harm to the citizens. This has given rise to the debate amid many political critics to implement strategies and policies that would help in reforming the immigration policies effectively along with helping to maintain a safe place for the civilians to live in (U.S Department of Homeland Security, 2012; Library of Congress, n.d.). The purpose of the paper is to depict the need for immigration reform which allows legal immigration in the United States, while enabling to protect the nation from the people of groups that aim at causing it harm. Discussion History of Immigration in the United States The aspect of immigration in the United States can be div ided into four major parts. From the Colonial era to 1880, most of immigrants came from northern part of Europe especially from countries such as England, Germany and Ireland. It is worth mentioning that the Africans were also brought in America in this period through salve trade and Chinese began migrating towards the end of this period. The second period started from 1880 and ended in 1920. In this era, people especially from the southern and eastern part of Europe especially from countries such as Italy, Russia immigrated in America. The third wave of immigration can be categorized during the World War I targeting Asians, southern and eastern Europeans to strengthen the military force of the country. And, the fourth ended after the conclusion of the World War II. The Immigration