Most Influential People in European History Essay Example for Free

Most Influential People in European History Essay Charles Darwin Greetings peers. My name is Charles Darwin. I am a British scientist who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution and transformed the way we think about the natural world. I was born in 1809 into a very earthy and well-connected family. In 1809 after graduating from Cambridge University, I joined the HMS Beagle as the ships’ naturalist on a five-year voyage around South America. This is the trip in which I credit with establishing my working methods and knowledge that sustained my scientific career. My observations on the Galapagos Islands, gave me the first inkling of what would eventually become The Origin of The Species. My theory of natural selection states that a species adapts to its surroundings by making small genetic mutations in order to survive. The species that do not adapt will die and those who do will survive. Apparently this was very controversial. People claimed that it stripped away any room for fate and God. Because my ideas of evolution and natural selection rely on my observations and science rater than a pure irrational faith in Gods will, many were upset. However, I saw my findings as a way to prove Gods influence on earth and show how he operates. Even though  natural selection did not become a widely accepted principle until the 1930s, in the end my findings were becoming more accepted. I am definitely one of the most influential people in European history because my findings have not only influenced the world of science, but the world of religion. I also influenced later social theories such as Social Darwinism. Adolph Hitler Greetings to all who have come today. My name is Adolph Hitler. I should efinitely be considered to win the award for the most influential person in European history because I was the leader of Germany in the Third Reich and my action changed the world forever. Please allow me to elaborate. I was born on April 20, 1889 in Austria. When I was 16 both of my parents died, so I decided to move to study the art of painting at an art school in Vienna. However, fortunately for me, I was kicked out of art school due to my lack of artistic talent. I stayed in Vienna for some time, and this is when I was able to develop my personal views towards certain groups, such as my hatred for Jews and Marxists. In 1913 I moved to Munich and avoided Austrian military service during WWI at all cost. In 1914, I joined the 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment and ended up serving throughout the First World War. I was discussed with Germanys surrender and the Treaty of Versailles. This was when I became convinced I was destined to save Germany. Once discharged from the army,  I became heavily involved in the National Socialist Party, a small extremist group during the Weimar Republic. Quickly rose to a powerful position due to my impressive intelligence and people skills. I gave the party the symbol of a Swastika, which million came to fear and still fear to this day. It came to represent the personal army of storm troopers known as the SA or Brownshirts, whose job was to attack any opponents to the party’s objectives. Because the Weimar Republic was so weak and Germany was in a state of political and economic crisis, I thought that the National Socialist Party would be able to revolt and seize power of the government. In 1923, I led a small sect of the socialist party and attacked Munich, Germany. The attack was known as the Beer Hall Putsch. Unfortunately for myself, this attempt was a monumental failure. Fortunately for me, I only had to serve none months in prison. Prison turned out to be not that bad, and it provided me with loads of time to refocus my tactics. While in prison I wrote one of the most controversial and important books of all time, know as Mein Kampf or my struggle. In it I outlined my theories on race, specifically anti-Semitism, Germany, specifically how I wanted all true Aryan Germans to become one united pan-German state, and my goal to abolish the Treaty of Versailles. After I was released from jail, I was determined to seek power by infiltrating and corrupting the Weimar Republic. I cautiously reinstituted the Nazi party. In 1932 I acquired German citizenship and ran for president, coming only second to Hindenburg. Later that year the Nazi party acquired 230 seats in the Reichstag, making us the largest political party in Germany. I got lots of support from conservative politicians believing they could control me if I was given a high political position, so I was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30th 1933. I knew then that I was capable of achieving my goals. I moved with great acceleration to isolate and expel any other politicians who posed a threat to my power, shut trade unions down, and to remove all communists, conservatives and Jews. At this rate it was no wonder that I soon took over the role of president when Hindenburg died, thus merging my current role of chancellor to become the Furrier of Germany. I then did everything in my power to radically change Germany. I combined power positions to my benefit, locked up German enemies like Jews, rebuilt the army and broke the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. I tried to change the social acceptances in Germany by encouraging women to become more active and bringing in laws to secure racial purity. As promised I made employment fall to zero, despite the fact that Europe was in a great depression. In order to ensure nothing went wrong, I also made myself head of the army. After that I knew it was time to expand Germany and reassert its dominance as a world power. I used my keen tactical skills and put together a plan to expand Germany. I was able to unite Germany with Austria in what is now called an Anschluss, as well as divide Czechoslovakia. In 1939, I had German forces invade Poland, which caused much controversy amongst other nations who as a result declared war. I saw this as a great opportunity for Germany to assert its dominance through war. At first the war was going well. However, in 1941 when we unsuccessfully invaded Russia and lost battles in Western Europe it became clear that Germany was slowly loosing the war. I had never felt a greater disappointment in my life, so on April 30 1945 I decided to end my life. Although my efforts in Germany ended in the most disappointing way, there is not doubt that I forever influenced not only all of Europe, but the world. I will forever be remembered for being the most prominent catalyst of the Second World War, which was and still is the most costly conflict in European history. I will also be remembered for how I managed to manipulate and convince thousands of people the help me peruse my dreams of racial purity, which I was charged for the brutal execution of million of innocent people. It is for these reasons that I should be chosen for the most influential man in European history. Sir Isaac Newton Hello. For those of you who do not know my name is Sir Isaac Newton. I am so very pleased to be acknowledged by such an esteemed committee for my efforts to improve the world. I am an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer and theologian, who has been considered by many to be the greatest and most influential  scientist  who ever lived. I was born in 1642 in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. However, I made my true impact in the later years of my life. As an intellectual, I wanted to solve the problem that past intellectuals like Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo have developed. All of them made theories about how the planets revolve around the sun, but I always wondered How? I wanted to be able to give credibility to their theories, so I worked for almost two decades on trying to solve the problem. I eventually published my book Principa, in 1687, which is sometimes to be considered the most influential book of all time. In it I determined that all planets and objects are held in the elliptical orbit by a force called gravity. I also built the first practical  reflecting telescope  and developed a theory of color based on the observation that a  prism  decomposes white light into the many colors that form the  visible spectrum. My findings scared me because I was a man of God and I knew that the church would not be very pleased with my findings. However, my findings were very important and influential in the world forever changing how people view the whorl as well as contributing to future scientific efforts. I hope that you all will consider me as a viable nominee for most influential. John Locke Good evening. My name is John Locke (1632-1704). I definitely believe that I should be considered as the most influential people in European history because I am widely known as the Father of Classical Liberalism and am regarded as one of the most influential philosopher and physicians of the Enlightenment. I wrote the literary piece Two Treaties on Government  in, which was published before the Revolution of 1688, but after William and Mary came to power. In it I argue that all men are born free of sin and free in nature. I argued that all men are born with a tabula rasa, or a clean state of mind, and that fate is not predetermined by God, but up to how the person corrupts his mind. Because all men are born free, as soon as he joins society he enters a social contact with the state. The contract protects mans natural rights to life, liberty and property and as long as the social contract is kept there would be no controversy. However, I made it very clear that if a government begins to oppress a persons natural rights it is the peoples duty to rebel against the government. I believe that I am truly Europes most influential people of all time. My ideas and beliefs served as a defense for many a revolution, as well as the main basis for the English Bill of Rights. My work also played a critical part in the foundation in the United States Bill of Rights. Frederick William Good day to you all. My name is Frederick William. I am often referred to as the Great Elector since while I was a ruler of Brandenburg I served as one of the electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. Because my state of Prussia consisted of three loosely bordered chances of lard, I wanted to build up an army capable of unifying them. Because I did not have the considerable resources needed to achieve this goal on my own, I worked out an agreement with the Junkers. The Junkers provided me with revenue in exchange for my acceptance of their rule over serfs. This arrangement worked out very well for quite some time because it provided me with support and resources and them with economic reassurance and opportunity. I definitely should be considered as one of the most influential men in history because I build up the strong militarized empire of Prussia in which I built was left to my son Fredrick the Great, who was able to use the considerable resources left to him to further strengthen Prussia. Joseph Stalin Greetings. My name is Joseph Stalin. I served as the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from 1922 until my death in 1953. I am known for assuming the leading role in Soviet Politics after Vladimir Lenins death in 1924. As primary ruler of Russia, I integrated the Five-Year Plans that radically altered Soviet economic and social structures resulting in the death of millions. In the 1930s, I eliminated any threat to my power through purge trails and secret xecutions. In World War II I signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression pact of 1938, attacked Finland, and annexed parts of Eastern Europe to strengthen Russias western frontiers. When Hitler went against our nonaggression pact, I decided to take control of military operations. I allied Russia with Britain and the U. S. , which ended up being a very smart move, seeing that we won the war. After the war I consolidated Soviet Power in Eastern Europe and built up the Soviet U nion as a world military pose. I should definitely be considered the most significant person in European History because I brought the Soviet Union into world prominence, even if it was at the cost of my people. I left a legacy of repression and fear as well as making Russia an industrial and military power, which made Russia more prominent in future world conflicts such as the Cold War. Napoleon Bonaparte Bonjour mes Amis!! I am so pleased to be given the opportunity to speak for you today. My name is Napoleon Bonaparte and I was born August of 1769. I was the French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French revolution. I was the sole Emperor of France from 1804-1815. While in power I made many legal reforms, specifically the Napoleonic code, which has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions, but I am best remembered for my role in the wars led against France by a series of coalitions, now known as the Napoleonic Wars. During the wars, I  established authority over most of Europe and sought to spread the ideals of the French Revolution, while building an empire. Because of my consistent success in these wars, I am  generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. I  was born in Corsica to parents of noble ancestry and trained as an officer in France. I rose to a high level political standing under the French First Republic and led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions. In 1799, I staged a  coup detat  and put myself as First Consul. Five years later, the French Senate proclaimed me as emperor. In the first decade of the 19th century, the  French Empire engaged in some conflicts-the Napoleonic Wars-involving every major European power. After a few victories, I made sure France secured a dominant position in Europe, and I maintained French influence to rule other European countries. The fight against Spain and my invasion of Russia was the turning point for me. My impressive army was damaged and was never able to fully recover. In 1813, the Sixth Coalition defeated my forces and invaded my dear France. As a result I was forced to give up my position as Emperor and exiled to an island called Elba. However, I was not quite done fighting yet, as I escaped less that a year later and returned to power, but made the mistake if not building up more support and as a consequence lost the battle of Waterloo in 1815. I spent the rest of my life on an English island called Saint Helena, where I eventually died of stomach cancer. I believe that I should definably be considered as the most influential person in all of European History because I was one of the greatest military commanders of all time and I was twice the Emperor of France, whose military actions and sheer personality dominated Europe for a full decade. Mussolini For those of you who do not know, my name is Benito Mussolini. Although I am not surprised for my nomination, I am completely honored to have the opportunity to try and convince you why I was the most influential person in history. I am an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party, as well as being credited as one of the key figures in the creation of fascism. I was among the founders of Italian Fascism, which included elements of nationalism, corporatism, expansionism, social progress, and anti-socialism in combination with censorship of conspiracies and propaganda. My formation and release of the fascist ideology resulted in many political figures having a deep admiration for me. I eventually became the fortieth Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and had many domestic achievements. I started many public works programs, improved job opportunities, public transportation, and fixed Italys economic battles. I also solved an ongoing problem with the church with the Lateran Treaty between the state of Italy and the Pope. In 1940, I led Italy into World War II. I was aware that Italy did not have the military capacity to carry out a long war with France and the UK, so I waited until both were on the verge of imminent collapse and surrender because of the German invasion before declaring war on France and the UK. I  believed that after the imminent French surrender, Italy could gain some territorial concessions and then concentrate its forces on a major offensive in Egypt where British forces were outnumbered by Italian forces. In 1943,  soon after the start of the  Allied invasion of Italy,  I was defeated in the vote at the  Grand Council of Fascism, and the day after the vote the King had me arrested. Hitler rescued me, installed me as puppet dictator of northern Italy. I then  facilitated significant war production for the Germans and the creation of large, ruthless Fascist counterinsurgency forces. The April 1945 German surrender in Italy forced me to flee. I was then captured and shot. I should definitely be considered as the most influential person in history because my actions as an Italian dictator unified Italy, borough Fascism to be one of the leading political parties of the time, and had a significant impact in WWII. Karl Marx Hello. My name is Karl Marx. I was a German philosopher born in 1818 and was by far on e of the most influential political writers in history. My ideas played a significant toll in the development of social science and the socialist political movement. I grew up in a pretty well of family that could afford to have things like a prized education, so as a result I ended up going to study at the university of Berlin to study for four years. My studies allowed me to become a very thoughtful and intelligent person capable of seeing perspective. After I finished my studies I went to go work at a newspaper, and began to work out my theory of dialectal materialism. I then moved to Paris in 1843, where I began working for a few other radical newspapers. Because of my radical views, I was exiled to Brussels and became the leading figure in the Communist League. It was at this point where I began to write and formulate my theories about the nature of society and how I believed it could be drastically improved through a series of changes. When I saw the working conditions in London, I became a leading figure in the International Workingmens Association. My theories about society, economics and politics, now known as Marxism, state that societies progress through class struggle, or a conflict between the upper classes reign and the lower classes abuse. In other words I believe that capitalism is true oppression instigated by the upper class for there sole benefit, and thus increasing mass tensions in society. As a result of these tensions society would lead to self-destruction and eventually be replaced by a new system called socialism. I believed that under socialism, the working class or â€Å"the workers’ democracy† would govern society. Eventually, I believed that socialism would turn and be replaced by a stateless, classless society called communism. I eventually wrote all of my ideas down in  a highly influential book known as  The Communist Manifesto. Unfortunately, I was never able to see communism take true form. However, throughout world history, I have proved to be very influential, as revolutionary governments have used my concepts leading to the formation OD socialist states such as the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China. Countless workers parties have also been influenced by my ideas making me a viable candidate for most influential person in European History. Otto von Bismarck Hallo. My name is Otto Von Bismarck. I was born in Brandenburg Germany in 1815. I studied law and agriculture and in 1847 entered the new Prussian Parliament as an ultra-royalist. When I entered parliament I was extremely opposed to democracy because I had little to know faith in allowing peasants and unintelligent people run the great German state. During the 1848 Revolutions, I even tried to argue against constitutional reform, but the Frankfurt Assembly demanded equal rights. For a while I served as a foreign ambassador in Russia and France, but was recalled in 1862 so I could become the President of Prussia. As president of Prussia, I instigated wars that made Prussia dominant over Austria and France. In 1867, I also become the Chancellor of the North German Confederation. I practically designed and created the German Empire in 1871, becoming the first chancellor and largely controlling all of its affairs until the arrogant Kaiser Wilhelm II removed me from office. My diplomacy of Realpolitik and powerful rule eventually gave me the nickname the iron chancellor           As leader of revolutionary conservatism, I became a hero to German nationalists, I was primarily responsible for the unification of the German states and I used balance of power diplomacy to keep Europe peaceful. It is for these reasons that I should be a serious candidate for the most influential person in all of European history.

The Significance of The Blue Dress in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watchin

The Significance of The Blue Dress in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee Their Eyes Were Watching God: Janie (talking to Phoebe about Tea Cake): â€Å"He done taught me de maiden language all over. Wait till you see de new blue satin Tea Cake done picked out for me tuh stand up wid him in. High heel slippers, necklace, earrings, everything he wants tuh see me in. Some of dese mornin’s and it won’t be long, you gointuh wake up callin’ me and Ah’ll be gone.† (pp. 109-10) Seraph on the Suwanee: â€Å"Over her mother’s outraged protests, Arvay put on the blue mull dress the next day. She thought that it was very becoming to her looks. She was ready away ahead of time, but ate no dinner. She was excited and curious about this buggy ride, and besides her corset was laced very tight. She put on the new leghorn-intention hat with the big pink rose on the floppy brim and waited.† (pp. 47-8) Two impatient brides-to-be, puttin’ on the blue dress – but what different wedding nights and marriages await them. From the moment Janie and Tea Cake meet in Chapter 10, they delight in each other’s company and conversation. By Chapter 12, Janie joyfully acknowledges him as her partner and her teacher. His â€Å"lessons† consist not of imparting new information, but of reinstructing Janie â€Å"all over again† in something that she formerly possessed: â€Å"de maiden language.† This phrase recalls the biblical origins of the world (â€Å"In the beginning, there was the Word†), suggesting that through her relationship with Tea Cake, Janie’s own world and even her relation to the cosmos are being reordered. â€Å"Language† also refers to the verbal delight that Janie and Tea Cake take in each other. In contrast with Arvay and Jim, whose communi... ...e can, however, signal her virginal status by dressing in a way that represents its equivalent: as a southern belle. In addition to her low-cut blue dress, with its feminine, puffed sleeves, Arvay wears a floppy-brimmed â€Å"leghorn-intention† (straw hat), decorated with a â€Å"big pink rose† (suggestive of reproduction). Most tellingly, we are told that she is wearing a corset that is â€Å"laced very tight† – so tight that she cannot eat her dinner. Corsets hold in the flesh and nip in the waistline to an attractively small diameter. By narrowing the waist, they emphasize the swellings of the hips and breasts, a contrast intended to stimulate sexual arousal. Thus Arvay’s wedding/reception attire emphasizes her fragility and innocence while highlighting her desirability. The clothing signs her as an object for consumption, rather than celebrates her as a beautiful companion.

Motivation Theory Essay

Introduction Nowadays, most companies’ goal is to maximise its profit. To do so, the component of the company must cooperate with each other. The senior (CEO and managers) must build a good relationship with the junior (employees) in order to know the thought of the employees. After understanding the thought and the needs of the workers, the next step is applying motivation theory to the employees in order to achieve the goal of the company. There are many motivation theories in managing human resources, but none is universally accepted. Each theory has its strength and weakness. It depends on the senior thought to decide which theory they will use to motivate their workers. This essay will discuss about the content theory of Herzberg Motivation-Hygiene Theory and the process theory of Adam’s Equity Theory. It also discusses how job design can affect employee’s motivation and the similarities and differences from both theories. Content theories Content theories explain the needs of individuals that required individual to fulfil them, factors that motivate people in workplace and what drive people behaviour. There are four pioneers in content theory of motivation: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Alderfer’s ERG Theory, McClelland’s Theory of Needs, and McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. The Motivation-Hygiene Theory Frederick Herzberg was an American psychologist and professor of management (Herzberg 1968). He was known for acquainting job enrichment and Motivation-Hygiene Theory into business management. This theory is a result from a research study made by Frederick Herzberg and his partners (Mausner & Snyderman) at the University of Pittsburgh in 1950s. Some studies do find similarities between Herzberg’s and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory which divides the need of an employee into two level, high-order needs (self-actualisation needs and esteem needs) and lower-order need (social needs, salary needs and physiological needs), but yet there is no strong evidence to support those similarities. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory was based on the result of the survey of 200 engineers and accountants in Pittsburgh that he made in 1950s. Each subject was asked to describe the time in their work is when they felt happy and unhappy and the description of events that give them positive and negative feeling. And as a result from the survey, Herzberg concluded that there are two-factor theory that affects an employee performance on workplace. Satisfier or motivator on the job What satisfies and motivates employees in workplace is called motivation factors. Each subject from the research study pointed a different factor that motivates them in workplace. As a conclusion from the survey, Herzberg concluded that there are 6 factors that motivate workers on their work. These factors related to job content; intrinsic factors that are related to workers’ work. Motivator factors leads to a higher effort, performance and satisfaction of an employee to their job. Motivation factors are required if managers want to maximise workers performance in workplace. According to Herzberg, workers will not perform maximum in their work if one of these factors are absent (Wood 2006). An absence of one of these factors can caused dissatisfaction on work. Similarly, if all the factors are present, it can cause job satisfaction (Ivancevich & Matteson 1999). These factors are similar to Maslow’s higher order need. Based on Herzberg’s survey, the 6 factors that motivate a worker in workplace are: * Achievement Employee performing well on their jobs in order to achieve something such as: promotion, bonus, reward, self-esteem. * Recognition Employees will be more motivated if they feel they have received the appropriate recognition from company. * Responsibility Employees will perform maximise if they realize that they have responsibility for their work and to the company. * Work itself Job satisfaction will be achieve if the employees itself feels comfortable and enjoy their work itself. * Advancement Employees are motivated because there is promotion on their job. * Personal growth Employees point out that the job itself gives them a new knowledge. Workers will get motivated when there is a reward for their work. An extra authority of the job from managers will motivated them as they realized that they have responsibility for their work. As they are more motivated for their work, their performance will improve and this will give them more skill which affect their personal growth. Dissatisfier of hygiene factor on the job Without hygiene factors, workers will become dissatisfied and they will not perform well on their job. Hygiene factors which include the environment of workplace do not higher the worker motivation, but they do have big influence on workers performance because without them, workers will not perform maximises. According to Herzberg’s theory, beside a strong motivation that motivates the employees to perform maximise on their work, a comfortable and supporting workplace also affect their performance. Lambert (2008) stated that dissatisfiers are not the main cause that caused employee leaving an organisation, but they are the main causes that caused employees unhappy on their work and absenteeism. The 8 factors that prevent dissatisfaction of workers in workplace which related to job context; the environment and extrinsic factors of the job according to Herzberg’s research: * Company policy and administration * Supervision * Relationship with supervisor * Work conditions * Salary * Relationship with co-workers * Status * Security Process theory Process theory provides the understanding of how thought processes of people mind influence an individual behaviour and how it motivates the individual. Two famous process theories of motivation that are known in business management are Adam’s equity theory and Vroom’s expectancy theory. Equity theory Equity theory is a thought where workers’ motivation is affected by the work outcomes that they receive from the company as the exchange rewards for their work. This theory was also considered as one of the justice theories because it believes that workers will be more motivated if they have received a proper treatment as they have contributed to the company. Equity theory was developed in 1963 by John Stacey Adams; a workplace and behavioural psychologist. Workers tend to compare their efforts and performance with their co-workers. A comparison with others results to three conclusion: * Under-rewarded: input > outcomes * Over-rewarded: input < outcomes * Equitably rewarded: input = outcomes Negative inequity is a result from the unequal rewards that an employee received for the inputs that the employees have contributed to the company (Wood 2006). The following ways are you to recover negative felt inequity of an employee: – changing inputs – changing outcomes – changing attitudes of the workers itself Motivating with equity theory To motivate workers with equity theory, managers are required to design an appropriate reward for workers. There are 3 steps in motivating workers with equity theory: * Setting rewards for workers. * Workers make equity comparison. * Workers’ job satisfaction and performance are affected. (Wood 2006) How can job design affect employee’s motivation? Job design is a process which provides way to make a planning for specific job task to ensure that the job itself is well organized. It also removes the obstacle that might obstruct the work. A proper job design will lead job satisfaction, improve employee motivation, reduced employees turnover and absenteeism (Brannick & Levine 2002). There are four methods that are used to improve work efficiency and job satisfaction: * Job simplification * Job enlargement * Job rotation * Job enrichment Job enrichment Job enrichment was also introduced by Frederick Herzberg. Job enrichment is the practice of building motivating factors into job content (Wood 2006, p. 162). This strategy of job design is focusing on expanding and evaluating the employee’s tasks. This action is made to improve the work processes and environments to that the employees are satisfy and perform well on their work. Some workers might feel bored and unsatisfied with their work due to lack of a challenge, repetitive work procedures. Job enrichment makes work more challenging so that the workers are more motivated. Job enrichment is an on-going management process, so the result will affect the workers for a long time (Herzberg 2008). Because the effects are long lasting, managers should decide carefully before making decision to apply job enrichment to the workers. There are three steps techniques to apply job enrichment to workers: 1. Turn employees’ effort into performance. 2. Link employees’ performance directly to reward. 3. Make sure the employee wants the reward. Managers should apply job design to every worker in order to achieve job satisfaction and to avoid skills mismatch of employee and their job which will decrease the productivity level of the employee. Job design can be done by doing observation and interviews to employees to know what are their skills and needs (Hackman 1976). This will help managers to decide which job is appropriate for the workers. Job design makes workers work easier as their task has been planned and scheduled so that the obstacle that will face less obstacle during their work. Comparison Both Adam’s Equity Theory and Herzberg’s motivation factors believes that one of the factors that affects worker’s performance is the payoff that they received from the company as a payment for their contribution to the company. If they feel that they have received unequal payoff for their hard work, they will not perform well and this tend to make them decrease their work performance. The reward can be in form of bonus, promotion, and reward. There are two types of rewards that can boost workers’ performance: intrinsic rewards and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are rewards that are part of the job itself and it can increases personal satisfaction and self-esteem and is self-rewarded. Some example of intrinsic rewards is: feedback, responsibility, praise or rewards that are self-administered. Extrinsic rewards are rewards external from the job, i.e., bonus, promotion, awards, pays, days off. Frederick Herzberg founds out that intrinsic rewards are stronger than extrinsic rewards because rewards like money tend to be â€Å"zero out†. If a worker always get praise by their manager or co-workers which increase the personal satisfaction, this will keep motivated them to perform well and as the payoff is, they get more bonus from the company. To sum up, intrinsic rewards may lead to extrinsic rewards. Contrast Based on Herzberg’s research survey, most of the factors which can lead to workers dissatisfaction are related to work environment. The condition of workplace environment is very influential to worker performance because if the workers feel uncomfortable with the environment workplace, they will not perform well on their work (Locke 1976). As an example, a workplace without any fan or air conditioner will make workers cannot focus maximise as the temperature is hot. While Adam’s Equity Theory only claims that workers’ performance is affected by the outcome that they received from the company. Bibliography Brannick, M. T. and Levine, E. L., 2002. Job analysis. CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Hackman, J. R. 1976. Work design. Santa Monica, CA: Goodyear. Herzberg, F. 1968. One more time: how do you motivate employees?. Harvard Business Review, vol. 46(1), pp. 53–62. Herzberg, F., 2008. One more time: how do you motivate employees?. Harvard Business Review, 65(5), pp.109-120. Ivancevich, J. M. and Matteson, M. T., 1999. Organizational behaviour and management. 5th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co. Lambert, L., 2008. Exit stage right. HRMonthly, February Issue, pp. 28-31. Locke, 1976. Organizational behavior: affect in the workplace. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, p. 282. Wood, J. et al., 2006. Organisational behaviour core concepts and applications. Milton Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Global financial crisis-causes and remedies - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1376 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? Introduction After the collapse of the twin towers and the tech bubble the American economy was in dire need of a stimulus. The Fed under Alan Greenspan reacted to this crisis by pumping liquidity into the system. This response would have worked well under normal circumstances, since it helps in the growth of the economy, however since due to previous overinvestments in the economy the extra money was not put to productive use. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Global financial crisis-causes and remedies" essay for you Create order The central role that finance plays in upholding the American economy led to the collapse of a few financial institutions imperilling the economic system of the country and eventually the world. Americas financial system failed in its two crucial responsibilities: managing risk and allocating capital leading to the current global recession the world in facing today. ( Stiglitz, 2008 ). This essay is structured in four parts , the first dealing with the background of the preceding years leading to the crisis. The second part tackles the causes of the financial crisis followed by the solution that can be adopted by the United Kingdom to prevent a recurrence of such a crisis in the future. The final paragraph of the essay is the conclusion that concentrates on the global cooperation that is essential for this financial crisis. The Post Industrial Society: The paradigm shift from an industrial society to a post industrial one had a major implication on the global crisis that was about to come. This resulted in a majority of the labour force being involved in the service industry rather than in the manufacturing sector. The structure of the capitalist economy was altered because more than 60% of the workforce today is employed in the service sector and less than 10% in the agriculture and manufacturing sector. This impacted the employment relationships between the large corporations and the millions of blue collared workers in the country. The long-term mutual obligations of old were replaced by expectations of more temporary attachments ( Davis,2009,p.28 ).The practice of off-shoring to countries offering cheap labour that began during that time also aggravated the problem further. This shift was reflected in the eventual bankruptcy of large auto manufacturing industries in the country. The rise in pension funds: During the 1980s most companies provided pensions to their employees through a system of defined-benefit plans that paid retirees benefits according to their tenure with the company ( Davis, 2009, p. 31 ).This changed in the early 1980s with the 401 ( k ) plan in which employees were responsible in making investments based on the options offered to them by the corporations. This change helped promote the development of mutual funds as an attractive investment option. This system came to be known as defined-contribution pension plans and resulted in the mutual fund companies becoming the most prominent owners of corporate America ( Davis , 2009,p.32 ).These companies were shareholders in many of the companies and this resulted in a complex interconnected financial system which would have severe repercussions later on the American economy. Securitization: The traditional model of banking was replaced by a system called securitization which meant that assets were turned in securities and traded in the market ( Davis,2009,.35). Securitization inthemortgage market involvesthepoolingofmortgages into mortgagebacked securities (MBSs) in whichtheholderof these securities is entitled to some fractionofalltheinterest and principal paid out bytheportfolioofloans. Someofthese securities are straight passthrough, while others are collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) or collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) in whichthepools are trenched and cash flows get paid out according to some priority structure ( Archarya and Richardson, 2009,p.62 ).Mortgage backed bonds were the best form of this system. This resulted in a tangled financial system in which there was little differentiation between traditional commercial banking and the investment banks that sprouted later. Everything from student loans to life insurance schemes got involved in the com plex American financial system. Because of this system individuals as well as corporations got entangled and were caught in the web of this financial world and were to be affected when the financial crisis hit the economy. Subprime problem : the 2008 financial collapse originated with a political effort to expand mortgage lending to consumers who could not meet normal standards of creditworthiness ( Yandle,2010,p.346 ).In an attempt to make home ownership more affordable interest rates were lowered for potential buyers and in many cases there were no checks initiated to see whether the customer was financially capable of repaying the loan. The risk assessment methods that were used by the banks were deeply flawed under this system. Borrowers were told not to worry about paying the ever mounting debt, because house prices would keep appreciating.( Stiglitz, 2008 ). However the housing bubble crashed and this resulted in a lot of home owners unable to payback the loan and the financial institutions also unable to profit from the assets that they held. Because these mortgages were ingrained and were at the core of the American financial system it resulted in a subprime mortgage problem causing the crash of the entire econom y. Proposals to prevent recurrence of financial crisis: The policies and measures that should be adopted to avoid another crisis should focus on macro and micro issues that have arisen due to the crisis. The micro management involves supervision of individual institutions and banks, whereas the wider policies at the national level should tackle the systemic problem in the financial sector in the country. Regulation of the financial sector: The framework for ensuring efficient regulation should be based upon curbing the unnecessary risk taking incentives that caused the crisis. Given their inherently high leverage andtheease with whichtherisk profileoffinancialassets can be altered, banks andfinancialinstitutions have incentives to take on excessive risks ( Archarya et al,2009, p.110 ). A strong governance from the Financial Services Authority in the UK should be adopted to prevent such practices. This should be coupled with a stringent internal governance system adopted by the financial institutions themselves to prevent collapse and bankruptcy. Because of the global scale of this problem, in terms of the British context it will be easier to implement this type of regulation if it supports the development of a single financial market within the EU. Irregularity in the implementation of regulations between the different member will undermine the effectiveness of the regulatory proposals (European Union Committee, 2008, p.11 ). State aid in the financial crisis: The bailout that has been a major government intervention as a measure to prevent the spread of the crisis. These have included nationalisation as well as recapitalisation of banks and in some cases purchase of the defaulted assets by the government. However it must be understood that these practices must not serve as an encouragement to the financial institutions to return to their old practices. This federal policy of providing aid should not encourage a recurrence of inefficient risk management decisions by firms (Poole,2007,p.149 ). The other step that should be taken by the government is too avoid infusing the economy with too much liquidity. As a lender of the last resort the government must ensure that such a solution may in fact prolong the solvency crisis. Control of the shadow banking sector: The financial crisis has been a problem of traditional banks as well as shadow banks. The government should ensure that financial trading between such institutions must be controlled. The toxic loans that these institutions dealt in should not be allowed to be spread this time around. Along with traditional banks there should be efficient regulation of the bad accounting practices and poor underwriting standards in such lending institutions within the UK by the FSA. Along with such macro policies individuals brokers should also be supervised as a micro management of this crisis. Conclusion: Given the global nature of the financial crisis the solutions that must be adopted should on a global level. Individual nations must not retreat form an international solution and try to implement regional policies. This will prove to be a setback than a way forward in tackling this problem. Consumers as well as institutions that thrive on interaction within the financial network will be thwarted by such efforts. Transparency between the various regulatory and financial bodies should also be encouraged to prevent another crisis. Involving global partners and seeking multi lateral solutions are critical if we are to reach a common goal of financial stability in the near future.