Thursday, November 28, 2019
How Managers Should Treat Employees
Introduction Increased productivity is a major goal for all organizations and companies. This is especially the case in the current economic environment where a lot of competitive forces exist and each business has to look for means to avoid being forced out of the market. The management of an organization is critical in ensuring that the goals of increased productivity are met.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Managers Should Treat Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Managers are the individuals who are charged with the important task of organizing the human resources of an organization to ensure growth and development (Pugh Hickson, 2007). However, these managers have to work through employees so as to accomplish organizational goals. It is therefore in the best interest of the manager to ensure that the employees are successful in their tasks. Invariably, they act in differing ways in their quest to get increase employee productivity. While some are aggressive and stern, others are caring and set out to command the respect of their employees. Each approach used by the manager has different outcomes since the manner in which managers treat their employees affects the output obtained from them. This paper will set out to demonstrate that a manager who is considerate and respectful to his employees will get higher productivity than one who engages in aggressive behavior towards his staff. The paper will also suggest leadership styles and other approaches that managers can use to increase employee productivity and therefore aid in the increased profitability of the organization. Effects of Aggression on Employees Positive effects Aggressive behavior by the manager can at times yield in improved employee performance. This is because such behavior will prompt the employees to act in a desirable manner. For example, a manager can make use of negative consequences so as to mo dify the behavior of his employees to what he/she sees as desirable. This desirable behavior will ideally result in higher productivity for the organization. Fournies (1999) reveals that punishments work since employees will be keen to decrease the frequency of the behavior that brings about the negative consequence. People who receive negative consequences become more apprehensive and are therefore more likely to avoid making future mistakes. The manager will also benefit from using punishments since other employees are less likely to engage in the behavior that brought about punishment to their co-worker.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fournies (1999) asserts that it is sometimes necessary for the manager to be strict and uncompromising with his staff. Such a stance might be necessary when the manager is fulfilling Fayolââ¬â¢s commanding role which is the proc ess of ââ¬Å"maintaining activity among the personnel in order to obtain the optimum returns from the employees (Pugh Hickson, 2007, p.145). In this role, the best results are achieved if the manager is able to push his staff to work according to set schedules. The manager might find it necessary to be strict and stern so as to obtain the best results. Being stern may also be productive when the manager wishes to express the severity of a situation. Negative Effects Using punishments will decrease the frequency of the behavior that is causing the punishment (which is undesirable) to the employees. However, using punishments to modify the behavior of employees may have some negative repercussions. Fournies (1999) demonstrates that punishments may cause employees to react aggressively by holding work back, causing disruptive actions or even sabotaging work performance. These actions by the employees will be aimed at reducing performance and therefore injuring the boss or his/her rep utation. Fournies (1999) suggests that instead of using punishments to modify employee behavior, it would be more beneficial to use positive reinforcement to increase the desirable employee behavior. Managers who display aggressive, belittling and blaming behavior towards the employees under their command obtain devastating effect. Research indicates that such behavior results in increased job dissatisfaction and it might also lead to high turnover rates among employees. In addition to this, employees engage in deviance behavior which is primarily aimed at hurting the reputation of the aggressive boss. Donaldson-Feilder, Lewis and Yarker (2011) go on to reveal that aggressive behavior by managers results in a range of psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, burnout and somatic health complaints in the employees. Such outcomes further reduce the performance of the employees and therefore reduce the overall productivity of the organization. Effects of Considerate Treatment Genuine concern for the employees by the manager will increase the productivity of the workers significantly. Research by Kellerman (2007) demonstrated that when managers showed concern for their staff, the staff reciprocated by increased productivity. The reason for this is that all employees at some point experience levels of stress and even de-motivation as they carry out their work.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Managers Should Treat Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When the manager shows concern, the employees feel that he/she can identify with their circumstances. They will therefore be more willing to be guided by such a manager and work hard to achieve the set goals and objectives. Another considerate treatment that the manager can use to increase employee productivity is to show consideration for work-life balance. Employees suffer from conflicts between work and non-work respo nsibilities with such conflicts resulting in stress and burnout. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) reveals that stress and overwork are increasing in prevalence among todayââ¬â¢s workforce. Anderson et al. (2002) demonstrates that stress and burnout result in cognitive difficulties and lead to decreased performance of the employees. Work-life balance has therefore gained great significance since this stress and overwork has a negative impact on the productivity of the workers. Research indicates that provision of work-life practices has the potential of generating positive attitudes by the employees towards the manager and by extension the organization (Donaldson-Feilder et al., 2011). When employees perceive that the manager is treating them fairly, the social exchange theory explains that they will feel obliged to reciprocate by engaging in behavior that is beneficial to the manager. They will therefore be more willing to increase performance and therefore achieve set organizatio nal goals. Approaches for increasing production Managers are tasked with marshalling the organizationsââ¬â¢ resources to accomplish some goals and it is therefore imperative that they be able to make sure that their employees have a high degree of motivation in their performance. Motivation is defined by Martocchio (2005) as ââ¬Å"the process of arousing, directing and maintaining behavior towards a goalâ⬠(p.22). An important point to consider is that motivations should not only be restricted to monetary benefits. While it is true that money is the core motivating factor for many employees, there are other important aspects that employees look at.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Donaldson-Feilder, et al. (2011) suggests that many employees are also concerned about their professional growth. A manager who considers this will take on a mentoring role to the employee and also ensure that the employees are provided with schedules that improve and encourage growth. Managers should also engage in regular evaluations of the performance of their employees. These evaluations should be aimed at improving the productivity of individual employees. It is therefore critical for the manager to provide feedback on the evaluations to the staff. Moss and Sanchez (2004) reveal that the manner in which the manager delivers feedback determines whether it will aid or hinder improvement. While failures are bound to be observed in employees, this should be seen as learning opportunities. The manager should therefore try to capture and reveal to the employee the lesson behind any failure (Moss Sanchez, 2004). The manager should ensure that there are set performance standards which the employees should seek to achieve. Performance evaluations should then be measured by these set standards as opposed to comparing employeesââ¬â¢ performances against each other. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) note that there are times when a manager may feel overwhelmed and fail to control their negative emotions to the team. In such a situation, it is crucial for the manager to be honest and communicate with the employees what happened. Even more important is that the manager should have the capacity to take responsibility and apologize for their behavior. Apologizing for poor behavior will show employees that the manager is willing to take responsibility for his actions and it will reestablish the perceived integrity of the manager. Many performance problems are blamed on poor communication between managers and employees. Communication is critical for the success of all relationships and its prominence in organizations cannot be over emphasized. Lack of communication by ma nagers may cause low levels of morale among the staff (Fournies, 1999). This is especially the case when there are increased levels of uncertainty about what is going on in the organization. Through open and regular communication, the manager can boost the level of confidence that employees have in the organization and therefore foster positive attitudes. Most managers only talk to their employees when they are issuing instructions or when the employees have done something wrong. This makes it hard for employees to know when they have done a good job since the manager does not provide any feedback at such times. The level of engagement that employees have to the organizations is determined by communication. Kellerman (2007) demonstrates that managers who communicate to their employees on a frequent basis foster followers who are passionately committed and deeply involved in the organizational affairs. Managers should make use of motivating language so as to increase employee job sat isfaction and performance. Leadership Styles for Increasing Productivity A leadership approach that would be beneficial for increasing employee performance is transformational leadership. This style is highly favored by many Western nations and the transformational leader looks for ââ¬Å"potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the followerâ⬠(Harris Nelson 2007, p.356). A manager who practices transformation leadership is able to not only steer the followers towards achieving set goals but also identify with their needs and concerns both at the job and outside. Such a manager is able to show consideration to his followers. This will require the manager to take on the role of a considerate leader that is; one who is able to show concern and respect for his followers. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) articulate that this kind of leaders is able to look out for the welfare of his staff and express appreciation and support for their efforts. This leadership behavior is associated with many positive employee outcomes including: higher job satisfaction, reduced burnout and tension and most importantly, increased performance and productivity. In addition to this, research indicates that considerate behavior by managers has been consistently linked with improved employee well-being. The transactional leadership approach can also assist the manager to obtain superior results from his employees. Harris and Nelson (2007) define this form of leadership as one where the interaction between leaders and subordinates is characterized by a transactional exchange of rewards for services. The manager is about to offer rewards such as promotions, granting favors, and continued employment in exchange for continued good performance by the employee. This approach helps the manager to get the most out of employees since it clarifies to the staff what is expected of them (Harris Nelson, 2007). However, the manager should ens ure that the set goals are tangible, verifiable, and measurable. If the manager sets goals that are too aggressive, the employees will be discouraged and may therefore not even try to reach them. Creating Boundaries While it is important for the manager to establish a good relationship with the staff, it is important for work boundaries to be set. Without boundaries, the employees may fail to afford the manager the respect that is required for his/her to fulfill his managerial duties effectively. Donaldson-Feilder (2011) suggests that boundaries can be established by ensuring that employees follow protocol when they wish to bring up issues with the manager. In addition to this, the manager should be afforded the authority that comes with his position with the organization. In disputes between or among employees, the manager should act as the dispute handler. Conflicts are a reality in all environments where people are working together. Martocchio (2005) declares that while contentio us issues are bound to occur in all organizations, the way in which these conflicts are handled may influence the future success or failure of the organization. A manager who is skilled at conflict resolution will be able to reconcile fighting employees and therefore ensure that disputes do not hamper productivity. Conclusion The success of an organization depends on the productivity of its workforce. With this consideration, this paper set out to discuss how managers should treat employees so as to get more productivity from them. This paper has conclusively shown that managers who are aggressive and use punishment to try and increase performance from their employees fail. Instead, managers who establish relationships with their employees and make use of positive reinforcement are more successful in getting increased productivity. Transformational leadership and transactional leadership have been highlighted as two leadership styles that can be used to increase performance from emp loyees. The workplace is full of many stressful situations and an understanding and considerate manager will motivate his employees to increase their performance. The paper has underscored the important role that communication plays in motivating employees. By applying the approaches highlighted in this paper, the manager can increase employee performance and therefore achieve the desirable goal of increased organization productivity. References Anderson, S., Coffey, B. Byerly, R. (2002). Formal organizational initiatives and informal workplace practices: Links to work-life conflict and job-related outcomes. Journal of Management, 28(6), 787-810. Donaldson-Feilder, E., Lewis, R. Yarker, J. (2011). Preventing stress in organizations: how to develop positive managers. Boston: John Wiley Sons. Fournies, F.F. (1999). Coaching for improved work performance. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Harris, T.E. Nelson, M. (2007). Applied organizational communication: theory and practice in a glo bal environment. London: Taylor Francis. Kellerman, B. (2007). What Every Leader needs to know About Followers. Harvard Business Review, 85(12), 84-91. Martocchio, J. J. (2005). Research in personnel and human resources management. Washington: Emerald Group Publishing. Moss, S.E. Sanchez, J.I. (2004). Are your employees avoiding you? Managerial strategies for closing the feedback gap. Academy of Management Executive, 18 (1), 34-54. Pugh, D. Hickson, J. (2007). Great writers on organization. NY: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. This research paper on How Managers Should Treat Employees was written and submitted by user Harvey Cole to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Free Essays on Birth Control
Womens health concerns Birth control is a way to prevent pregnancy. While there are many different types of birth control, they all fall into two different categories: barrier and hormonal. Barrier methods basically block the sperm from getting to the egg. Condoms (both male and female), diaphragms and cervical caps are all barrier methods of birth control. Hormonal methods basically change the menstrual and ovulation cycle to prevent a female from releasing an egg from her ovaries, known as ovulation. That makes it nearly impossible for a pregnancy to happen. Birth control pills (the Pill), Depo-Provera (the shot), and the birth control patch are all hormonal methods of birth control. Certain types of birth control, like Depo-Provera and The Pill, are 98 to 99 percent effective. But, only if theyââ¬â¢re used properly. Human error is a huge factor in whether birth control works. Itââ¬â¢s so important that manufacturers actually have two different rates of effectiveness. One is with perfect use in a laboratory, where thereââ¬â¢s no room for mistakes. The other is the ââ¬Å"real worldâ⬠rate, which takes into account the occasional broken condom and the couple of nights you forgot your pill. Of course, the perfect use rate is always higher. Condoms are 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly. That drops to 86 percent with "typical" use, which means making mistakes, not using them every single time. So you have to use them right, every single time you have sex, to get that kind of pregnancy protection. Condoms protect people from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that are spread through body fluids - semen and vaginal f luids. That includes HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. Some STIs, like herpes and genital warts, are spread through skin-to-skin contact. A condom may not cover areas of the skin that are infected, such as the scrotum, labia, or even the inside of the thigh. So condoms canââ¬â¢t protect aga... Free Essays on Birth Control Free Essays on Birth Control Womens health concerns Birth control is a way to prevent pregnancy. While there are many different types of birth control, they all fall into two different categories: barrier and hormonal. Barrier methods basically block the sperm from getting to the egg. Condoms (both male and female), diaphragms and cervical caps are all barrier methods of birth control. Hormonal methods basically change the menstrual and ovulation cycle to prevent a female from releasing an egg from her ovaries, known as ovulation. That makes it nearly impossible for a pregnancy to happen. Birth control pills (the Pill), Depo-Provera (the shot), and the birth control patch are all hormonal methods of birth control. Certain types of birth control, like Depo-Provera and The Pill, are 98 to 99 percent effective. But, only if theyââ¬â¢re used properly. Human error is a huge factor in whether birth control works. Itââ¬â¢s so important that manufacturers actually have two different rates of effectiveness. One is with perfect use in a laboratory, where thereââ¬â¢s no room for mistakes. The other is the ââ¬Å"real worldâ⬠rate, which takes into account the occasional broken condom and the couple of nights you forgot your pill. Of course, the perfect use rate is always higher. Condoms are 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly. That drops to 86 percent with "typical" use, which means making mistakes, not using them every single time. So you have to use them right, every single time you have sex, to get that kind of pregnancy protection. Condoms protect people from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that are spread through body fluids - semen and vaginal f luids. That includes HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. Some STIs, like herpes and genital warts, are spread through skin-to-skin contact. A condom may not cover areas of the skin that are infected, such as the scrotum, labia, or even the inside of the thigh. So condoms canââ¬â¢t protect aga...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
IT Failures in History and How They Could Have Been Avoided Research Paper
IT Failures in History and How They Could Have Been Avoided - Research Paper Example Why did the companies never focus on advertising as they would have? While researching this topic, I realized that some of the products were not globally recognized. Why were the products not globally known to consumers all around the world? May be the communication was not good enough. The most important question that prevails in my mind is that why the communication networks were not used as extensively as they would have to market the high-tech products? (Flyvbjerg, 2011). From this situation of products of IT falling in the market, we can derive that there was a lack of communications all across the globe. Particularly, there is a desperate need for efficient teamwork which makes sure that the whole organization thinks the same way. Famous leaders, such as Cameron have comprehended that a mutual structure for a strong hand by the government will ensure enhanced communications. The communications process should be well recognized and well integrated all across the organization (So urcing Shangri-La, 2011). The worldwide language of end-to-end business procedure has to be holistic particularly. The whole communication process has to be well integrated within the organization so that it spends enough on advertising and promotion to let people know of the companyââ¬â¢s products. The combination of risks, analysis, compliance, quality, and document has to well integrate in the firm. Different stakeholder groups have to be treated differently by the management of the firm to support IT processes with the businesses. Also, bolster the people through continuous improvement of the organization (Sourcing Shangri-La, 2011). These problems, issues and questions have been answered by prestigious leaders in the field of Information Technology. As described earlier, an integrated system of communications has to be used by the company. Obviously, this is not an easy task practically. Theoretically, it seems like it is clear and neat but realistically, it is not. Complete execution of communications also goes through confrontation which is beyond the normal pace of work (The TIME Magazine). It is difficult to shift the whole culture of information technology communications to welcome simplicity and new levels of accountability and visibility in the organization. But, there is an even greater reason for just adhering to things and viewing change as hazardous. It is because management wants to keep a level of control and certainty to itself which is prevalent in the cases of bigger projects. The project control cannot be lost and so all activities need to be coordinated within the organization for a much wide viewpoint. This is the prime way that huge IT failures can be avoided or eschewed and millions of dollars could be saved (The TIME Magazine). Approximately ninety percent of all SMEs close down almost two years after losing data that could never get recovered. According to the Manager Director at City Lifeline, Roger Keenan, SMEââ¬â¢s are the ones most susceptible to data losses as six hours of downtime makes pay for a working day. It is important for SMEs to save files not only on hard drives but also on secure and protected locations which are off the site. Also, collocation data centers assist in these disasters when all the information is gone by safeguarding the servers and equipments which are
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Cultural Sensitivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Cultural Sensitivity - Essay Example Health care disparities encompass inequalities in regards to rank, social status and age. Disparities in the health care system are closely linked to equity. There are various factors that lead to the differences among individuals. The US population is highly multi-ethnic, and it is mandatory to understand the various cultures (Diller, 10). In spite of the advancements made in the health care system, there are increasing differences in health status among Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, Haitians, Jamaicans and Pacific Islanders (Diller, 10). Additionally, the challenges facing the healthcare sector have increased over the years as the population becomes more ethnically diverse. The future of the health care system in the US will be influenced significantly by advancements in ethnic minorities.The composition of the US population has been changing dramatically over the years. This is true from the statistics shown by the recent studies conducted on the population. In t he past decade, there was a relative increase in ethnic groups as follows: non-Hispanic White 5.5%, African American, 16.4%, Hispanic, 65.3% and Pacific Islanders 123.5% (Diller, 11). If this development continues in the future, the number of ethnic minorities will continue rising. Statistics from the census conducted in 2000 reinforce this argument. This further emphasizes the need for cultural competency in the health care system. The table below shows the expected figures by 2042 (Diller, 11). Composition of the US population Ethnic group 2009 (%) 2050 projections (%) Native Americans 1.6 2.0 Asians 5 9 Hispanics 15 30 Non- Hispanic Whites 66 46 Source: Diller, 12 There are five key challenges facing health practitioners in ensuring cultural sensitivity. The main challenge is communication; different ethnic groups have their native languages and hence may not communicate fluently in English. This calls for the need of interpreters for various languages (Weinstein, 447). Secondly, patients from different groups are conservative and are reluctant to talk about sexual matters and other personal problems. Thirdly, there exist clinical differences among the different ethnic groups, for example, the prevalence to some diseases including hypertension and diabetes. The fourth challenge is ethics; Medical practitioners should have respect for different cultures and beliefs while handling their patients. Last but not least is the problem of trust; Patients from different ethnic groups tend to be afraid of the figures in authority and fail to trust the care givers in hospitals. The issue of cultural diversity in the health care sector is here to stay, and there are numerous solutions to the problems emanating from this diversity. Health care providers should
Monday, November 18, 2019
My Ideal Government System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1
My Ideal Government System - Essay Example For example, monarchy system will lessen quarrels of its people since there is only one person ruling such as a king. There will be an ideal government system if people can just forget the disadvantages of each system. My ideal system will be the making of a system that does not have rebellion, conflict, crime, corruption and discrimination. By only then it can be called the ideal government system. An ideal government system ensures that the aspects of discrimination conflicts discrimination rebellion and crime are absent (Behrouzi 10). In discrimination, the people face prejudice due to their gender, race, or sexual orientation. An ideal government looks into these issues, and makes sure that every citizen lives a comfortable life (Behrouzi 12). An ideal government should be a democratic government that respects the ideas of citizens. All citizens regardless of race or gender should be allowed to participate in matters that concern the government. For example, the regime that allows voters to elect leaders without the presence of election anomalies is an ideal regime. Looking into the platforms of Obama and Romney; it is evident that Obama supports gay marriages thus; the government that Obama intended to form does not discriminate the gay community (Behrouzi 15). The platform respects abortion rights. The platform is in line with the Supreme Court ruling that declared abortion as a legal right. In contrast, the Romney platform abhors gay marriages. This is evident as the party platform gives the rights to states plus the federal government to decline same sex marriages. Romneyââ¬â¢s platform supports constitutional changes that would refer the aspect of marriage as unification between a man and woman. The aspects found in Romneyââ¬â¢s platform cannot lead to an ideal regime (Becker and Michael 23). This is because the platform discriminates gays plus lesbians and fails to respect the decision of a woman concerning abortion. Obamaââ¬â¢s
Friday, November 15, 2019
Child Labour in India: Effects on Education
Child Labour in India: Effects on Education Growing up, I truly believed that every child had the same advantages I did: clothes, books, toys, food, a home, and most importantly, the chance to go to school. I remember the first time I realized this wasnt the case: I was seven years old, sneaking downstairs to watch Saturday morning T.V when I stumbled upon an infomercial urging people to donate on behalf of World Vision. I remember the commercial showing a little girl, approximately six years old and explaining how she went to work at a factory every day for little to no compensation. I was bewildered to say the least; I thought every child went to school. Naturally, this prompted several unanswered questions to my parents, and a general curiosity as to why there is this unequal divide between the affluent and those who are forced to work from as young as five years old. Child Labour is undoubtedly present in countries such as India. I am curious to research the implications on the life of a child worker in India- specifically the implications on said childs education. Child labour, according to Free the Children (2005), is seen as work that is done by children under the age of fifteen (fourteen in some developing countries) which restricts or damages a childs physical, emotional, intellectual, social and/or spiritual growth (Free the Children 2005). Currently, it is estimated that there are upwards of 12.6 million child workers in India today, which is the largest number of child labourers under the age of 14 in the world. (CBC 2005: 2) Through my research, I intend to show that the employment of children, though used to advance the production of goods ultimately impacts a childs ability to access education. I will argue this thesis by providing a brief history of the child labour laws in India, as well as providing a quotation by the Indian government describing the thoughts and laws concerning child labour. I intend to juxtapose this testimonial with one given by UNICEF, an international organization that is dedicated to ending child labour in t he global south. I then intend to show the impacts of child labour on developmental indicators such as education. India is currently one of the countries described in the Free the Children quotation that attempts to enforce child labour laws for children less than fourteen years of age. In 1979, the Indian Government formed the Gurupadswamy Committee; a committee that was formed in the hopes of suggesting measures to end child labour. While the Government has put forward several goals towards the end of child labour, it is recognizably a difficult endeavour. On the Indian Government Website, it states that à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦poverty is the root cause of child labour [and] the action plan emphasizes the need to cover these children and their familiesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ (Ministry of Labour and Employment 2005) From this quote, it is clear that the Government of India recognizes that the amount of poverty in India is a determining factor in the amount of child labourers in the country. In a CBC article, The End is within Reach? (2005), speaks of the relationship between poverty and child labour in India, s uggesting that one cannot exist without the other. If this is the case, and if the Indian government considers reducing and eventually eliminating child labour a concern and goal, then it becomes necessary to consider the factors that lead to poverty in India before pursuing the elimination of child labour. A law enacted in 1986, based upon the recommendations of the Gurupadswamy Committee, states that children less than fourteen years of age cannot be employed in hazardous occupations. (Ministry of Labour and Employment 2005) Hazardous occupations, according the Government, refers to any work that involves unsafe activities or working conditions, and includes such activities as operating transportation vehicles, work that involves proximity to a railway line and work that involves handing toxic and hazardous substances. These are only some examples of hazardous occupations that are part of an expanding list. Since this law, several others, for example the Legislative Action Plan, a plan for enforcing Child Labour laws in India, have been enacted and are now referred to as The National Policy on Child Labour. According to the 2005 Indian Census, the National Child Labour Projects now covers 41% of the country. The Indian Government, in the attempt to enact long term legislative changes on the subject of child labour, acknowledges that these changes will take time to fully come into effect. The Government also acknowledges that the amount of poverty in India is a definite factor to this debate in that the revenue gained from the work of children is necessary income to their families welfare. UNICEF is one of the organizations, governmental and non-governmental, that has taken a strong interest into the affairs of the millions of children currently being employed in India. UNICEF sees child labour as a violation against a childs right to education. They are of the opinion that, though the Indian Government has implemented such efforts as the National Child Labour Projects- more commonly referred to as NCLP-intervention by organizations in the pursuit of partnerships with the national, as well as state governments are necessary. They believe that in order for a child to have a nurturing childhood, they need to build a protective environment in which children can live and develop according to their fundamental rights. (UNICEF 2007) .UNICEF provides three examples of intervention plans in order to provide children with fundamental rights that they see as lacking due to working from a young age. Their primary focus is to promote a childs right to basic education; second is th e implementing of community initiatives in order to empower communities to be active against child labour; and thirdly addressing [the] existing attitudes towards child labour and facilitat[ing] peoples behavioural change towards a more protective environmentà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ (Ministry of Labour and Employment 2005) Through such projects and initiatives such as the World Day against Child Labour, these groups aim to raise awareness in the hopes of ending child labour. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines child labour as follows: the official definition of child labour asà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦(1) activity which violates the minimum standards of the 1973 Minimum Age Convention, and (2) activity which is considered prohibited child labour under national law. (Simolin 2000: 942) The ILO runs the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), which was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labour (ILO 2008). Currently they have partnerships with several NGOs, as well as the governments of nations where child labour is prominent. With their partnerships, IPEC and their partners have operations in 88 countries, including India. They believe that child labour perpetuates poverty, and have therefore come up with several priorities to combat the worst forms of child labour (ILO 2008), such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage, as well as practices of slavery, amongst others . IPEC is also in partnership with UNICEF and assists in the annual World Day against Child Labour. In recent years another form of child labour has risen in India. Bonded Child Labour refers to the phenomenon of children working in conditions of servitude in order to pay off a debt. In India, there are an estimated fifteen million bonded child labourers, and possibly more. (Tucker 1997: 574) According to Lee Tucker, author of Child Slaves in Modern India: The Bonded Labour Problem (1997), bonded child labour occurs as a result of the Government spending less than half its budget on primary education, spending it instead on high school and secondary education institutes. As a result, India is subsidizing the maintenance of a small class of highly educated people, while simultaneously marginalizing the literacy needs of the majority. (Tucker 1997: 576) Secondly, is the lack of employment opportunities for children who have gone to school, which therefore not only makes working in the labour industry a more alluring choice, as well as a last-resort option for children and their famil ies. In this same report, author Lee Tucker also addresses the myths surrounding all areas of child labour in India, specifically that of the nimble fingers: Nimble fingers theory is applied to some of the harshest industries employing children. This includes the carpet, silk, beedià [1]à , and silver industries. This theory asserts that children make the best product in these occupations, thanks to their small and agile fingers, which are, theoretically, better able to tie the tiny knots of wool, unravel the thread from the boiling silk cocoons, or solder tiny silver flowers to thin chains. Under this view, child labour is a production necessity. (Tucker 1997: 570) Tucker believes that this myth makes it so that more children ultimately sign up for labour positions, as children are encouraged to view their bodies are a needed commodity. This then creates a situation where more children are forced to work long-term; in an environment that can be highly exploitative, as well as emotionally and physically harsh. Another myth surrounding child labour is the need to be trained at the right age, which is usually around six or seven. This myth contends that children who go to schoolà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦will either be unable to adequately learn a skill or will be at an irreparable disadvantage in comparison with those who did begin working as younger children. (Tucker, 1997: 577) By this quotation, Tucker discusses the implications behind the choice to attend school from a young age and how that decision can affect a childs schooling, and by extension literacy, as well as choosing job opportunities and that childs marketability into later life. In Child Labour and Education for All, Lorenzo Guarcello (2008) argues that when children are forced to work, it is a direct violation to their right to education. Guarcello states: Education is a key element in the prevention of child labour; at the same time, child labour is one of the main obstacles to Education For All (EFA). Understanding the interplay between education and child labour is therefore critical to achieving both EFA and child labour elimination goal. (Guarcello 2008) Guarcello continues to say that there is an overwhelming consensus among such organizations, such as UNICEF and the International Labour Organization that the single best means of stopping child labour is to improve school access and quality (Guarcello 2008) When education costs are high, families are less likely to send to send their children to school, and are more likely to pull them out of school at a young age. The costs involved in a childs education can be high for a number of reasons, such as a countrys minimal investment in primary education, living costs being too high in areas surrounding schools and the unavailability of public transportation for the majority. Additionally, school fees can be incredibly pricey, and therefore school cannot be an option for some families. Guarcello continues in his analysis of child labour and the relationship to education in reflecting on a child workers ability to attend school in countries where child labour is common. He identifies the work settings that he believes are the most detrimental to a child workers attendance (Guarcello 2008) and by extension success in the education system. Firstly are children that are solely responsible for non-economic, household duties. These children, according to Guarcello, are the least impacted in terms of school attendance, as their duties can be more flexible and less binding than economical work. Additionally, families are less likely to interfere with their childs education. The second category of working children is broken up into three groups: children that will never enter school, children who enrol late into their childhoods and those who are forced to leave school early. Children who are never enrolled in primary school are the worst off, says Guarcello, as they are de nied the benefit of formal education altogether, and therefore constitutes a particular policy priority (Guarcello 2008). The Third and final category of child workers are those that attend classes irregularly. Though these groups differ in terms of how much school is actually missed, Guarcello believes that the lack of schooling is ultimately a determent to the learning of a child, as a working child is less likely to learn at school due to the irregularity and lack of repetition that comes from attending class on a daily basis. Furthermore, child labour does not only affect a childs ability to getting to school, but also their ability to absorb material, thereby learning effectively, while at school. To sum up his findings, Guarcello states that his findings supported the notion that child labour, both economic work, as well as household duties is a detriment to a childs education, and suggests that more work should be done to integrate more child workers into the education system . In addition to putting a greater effort into incorporating more child workers into the education systems, some scholars believe that more work needs to be done in western nations if child labour should be eliminated. In Buying out Child Labour, Stà ©phanie Pallage and Christian Zimmermann (2007) discuss their views concerning child labour. Through economical calculations, these authors suggest that countries that trade with the West ultimately have a high comparative advantage in the production of goods if they choose to pay children minimal compensation. Due to the low cost of employing children, the product efficiency is high because these companies can sell these goods at a cheap rate and at the same time, pay their workers close to nothing. A solution, according to these authors, is for countries, such as India, to shift a portion of their GDP to reinvest into their own economy as well as education sectors, and to slowly attempt at distancing themselves from trading nations. In conclusion, the material that I reviewed largely supports the notion that that child labour, in terms of both economic work, as well as household duties serves largely as a detriment to a childs education. Child labour does not only affect a childs ability to getting to school, but also their ability to absorb material, thereby learning effectively. Moreover, families who are in an economic state where they require their children to work are less likely to afford the necessary costs involved in a childs education such as transportation, a uniform, supplies, as well as tuition. However, the impacts of going to school versus a childs work involvement remained largely unanswered in the literature I reviewed. More research needs to be done in this field in order for any solution to be successful. Additionally, more programs that integrate child workers into education systems should arise in India in order for current child workers to have the opportunity for literacy. Although the Indian Government has successfully enacted laws, such as The National Child Labour Projects to protect their minors from hazardous working environments, more time is needed in order for these laws to be enforced to serve the entire country. The partnerships between the state and such organizations as UNICEF and IPEC, through their mission to end child labour, should continue to work closely in order to enable more children the opportunity for an education. However, if these missions are to be successful, they should ensure the proper research as to Indias reasoning for employing child workers and understanding the broader implications behind the need for child workers before suggesting such solutions. As for the more economic solutions, being the reinvestment of GDP into national markets and distancing from international trading nations; I believe that more time, as well as more planning is needed before cutting off all economic ties with the international corporations, as the disruptions could easily provide huge detriments to Indias economic sector. Perhaps India could begin with reinvesting more into primary education, while remaining an international trading nation, and slowly progress to becoming economically independent. In terms of initiatives intended to raise awareness, such as the World Day against Child Labour, there needs to be included the same research into Indias reasoning for employing children stated clearly on the websites of organizations, rather than just a statement that it is simply a cruel practice against children going against childs rights. If awareness in western citizens is the goal of these initiatives, then a more inclusive report on child labour in India is needed in order for the issue to be fully understood.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
The History of Ballooning :: Historical Balloon Hot Air Essays
The History of Ballooning It all started in 1783, when two brothers conceived the idea of human flight with smoke. Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier came from a family of paper-makers in Annonay, France. They tried to capture smoke from the fireplace in a paper bag, and soon found that it rose. It soon became obvious to them that when the smoke cooled down, the sack would fall. They created the first real balloon in 1783. "It was 35 ft in diameter and had a capacity of 23,000 cubic ft, and it was made of linen lined paper" (Fraser). These brothers had impeccable will and continued working with unbelievable progress. Within a few short weeks they released a balloon to 6,000ft, and it traveled for 2 miles. The world was becoming aware of these tests and everyone was catching "balloon fever." Within the same time frame, two brothers by the name of Robert acquired the help of a noted physicist named JAC Charles. The Robert brothers coated the silk balloons with rubber in order to prevent the leakage of gas (Josephy). Charles had large hopes for applying his idea of using hydrogen to float these balloons. Charles later became very famous for his ideas and test flights in which silk balloons filled with hydrogen released from iron filings would be called charlieres (Fraser). This seemed to be a much more technical idea since logic would tell us that a gas that was 18 times lighter than air, should indeed rise, especially when the Montgolfier's have already discovered that hot air rises. By this time everyone was impressed, including Benjamin Franklin(who was an American Statesman living in Paris at the time) and the King of France (Fraser). Franklin, who had already done his kite experimen ts, was especially astounded. Now it was time for the Montgolfiers to regain their fame. The third balloon carried the first living things in a basket, which was attached to the bottom. The basket carried a lamb, rooster, and duck, and they all landed safely (Fraser). After this, the King's historian felt that it was time for a human to fly, and felt that there was no better person than he. So, on October 15, 1783, De Rozier became the first aeronaut, and he landed safely after a four-hour flight (Fraser). Things were progressing quickly, and the first actual voyage occurred on November 21, 1783 with De Rozier and a man named Marquis D'Arlandes (Fraser).
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