Review Assessment: Online Assignment One S2 2012 Essay

1.The service department cost allocation method that completely ignores reciprocal services between service departments is called the: Answer Selected Answer: direct method. 2.In order to have a high-quality finished product: Answer Selected Answer: the product’s design specifications must meet customers’ expectations AND the product must meet the standards of its design. 3.The ‘direct method’ ignores the fact that: Answer Selected Answer: some service departments provide services to other service departments 4.Refer to the following data. Direct material used$150 000 Selling costs$5 000 Indirect labour$7 000 Administrative costs$10 000 Depreciation on factory equipment$70 000 Direct labour$40 000 Overtime premiums paid$20 000 Indirect materials$45 000 The product costs are: Answer Selected Answer: $332 000 5.The Casual Furniture Company manufactures outdoor furniture, and incurred the following costs during the month of January. Timber$25 000 Paint$5 000 Glue$500 Wages—assembly personnel$20 000 Wages—factory supervisor$3 500 Factory cleaner’s wages$2 000 Sales commissions$10 000 Administrative staff salaries$4 000 Depreciation—factory equipment$3 000 Depreciation—sales office equipment$1 000 Utilities, insurance—factory$6 000 Utilities, insurance—sales office$2 000 Advertising$8 000 Total costs$90 000 The manufacturing overhead is: Correct Answer: $15 000 6.Cost of Goods Manufactured = Beginning Work in Process + Total Manufacturing Costs – Ending Work in Process. Answer Selected Answer: True 7.When recording inventory in the financial statements, the accounting standards prescribe that the companies use the lower of cost or net realisable value. Answer Selected Answer: True 8.The Lots More Store has a Janitorial Department and a Personnel Department that provide services to three Sales Departments. The Janitorial Department cost is allocated based on space and the Personnel Department cost is allocated based on employees. The following information is available. PersonnelJanitorialSalesSalesSales DeptDept#1#2#3 Budget$45 000$30 000 Space (sq m)4 0001 00020 00030 00050 000 No. of Employees510154530 Using the step-down method, calculate the amount of Janitorial Department cost allocated to Sales Department #2, if the Personnel Department is allocated first. Answer Selected Answer: $10 350 9.Quality of conformance refers to: Answer Selected Answer: the degree to which the product meets its design specifications. 10.Which of the following is not an objective of management accounting? Answer Selected Answer: Providing information for profit and loss statements 11.Appraisal costs refer to costs incurred: Correct Answer: in determining whether defects exist. 12.Leisure Life manufactures a variety of sporting equipment. The firm’s predetermined overhead application rate was 150 per cent of direct labour cost. Job 101 included direct materials of $15 000 and direct labour of $6 000. The manufacturing overhead applied to Job 101 during the year was: Answer Selected Answer: $9 000 13.Which of the following is not a cost of quality? Answer Selected Answer: Productive inefficiency cost 14.If production increases, variable cost will: Correct Answer: remain constant on a per unit basis. 15.The service department cost allocation method that fully accounts for the mutual provision of services between service departments is called the: Answer Selected Answer: reciprocal method. 16.Which of the following statements is correct? Answer Selected Answer: Cost accounting is a subset of management accounting. 17.Richardson & Sons purchased direct material worth $15 000 during the most recent period. At the end of the period the direct material account balance was $6 000 larger than the beginning balance. Cost of goods sold was $150 000. Overhead is applied at 50 per cent of direct labour cost. Other account balances are: BeginningEnding Work in process$75 000$20 000 Finished goods$110 000$60 000 What is the amount of prime cost added to production for the period? Answer Selected Answer: $33 000 18.Product costs comprise: Answer Selected Answer: direct materials, direct labour and manufacturing overhead. 19.The flow of manufacturing costs through the system is: Answer Selected Answer: raw materials inventory; work in process inventory; finished goods inventory; cost of goods sold. 20.Whether a cost is classified as direct or indirect will depend on: Answer Selected Answer: the nature of the cost object AND whether the cost can be economically traced to the cost object. 21.Barrett Industries began the month of June with a finished goods inventory of $15 000. The finished goods inventory at the end of June was $10 000 and the cost of goods sold during the month was $20 000. The cost of goods manufactured during the month of June was: Answer Selected Answer: $15 000 22.In the manufacturing firm, inventories consist of: Answer Selected Answer: raw materials, work in process and finished goods. 23.Which of the following statements is correct in relation to determining whether a cost is direct or indirect? Answer Selected Answer: The wider the definition of the cost object the more costs that will be direct costs. 24.Refer to the following data. Direct material used$150 000 Selling costs$5 000 Indirect labour$7 000 Administrative costs$10 000 Depreciation on factory equipment$70 000 Direct labour$40 000 Overtime premiums paid$20 000 Indirect materials$45 000 The prime costs are: Answer Selected Answer: $190 000 25.A courier company may view kilometres driven as a possible cost driver. Answer Selected Answer: True 26.Rappaport Corporation reported the following data for the month of February: The direct materials cost for February is: Answer Selected Answer: $88,000 27.During the month of August, direct labor cost totaled $13,000 and direct labor cost was 20% of prime cost. If total manufacturing costs during August were $88,000, the manufacturing overhead was: Answer Selected Answer: $23,000 28. Rappaport Corporation reported the following data for the month of February: The adjusted cost of goods sold that appears on the income statement for February is: Answer Selected Answer: $240,000 29.A partial listing of costs incurred at Peggs Corporation during September appears below: The total of the period costs listed above for September is: Answer Selected Answer: $318,000 30.The following data pertain to Harriman Company’s operations during July: The ending finished goods inventory was: Answer Selected Answer: $7,000 31.For the current year, Paxman Company incurred $150,000 in actual manufacturing overhead cost. The Manufacturing Overhead account showed that overhead was overapplied in the amount of $6,000 for the year. If the predetermined overhead rate was $8.00 per direct labor-hour, how many hours were worked during the year? Answer Selected Answer: 19,500 hours 32.Management of Berndt Corporation has asked your help as an intern in preparing some key reports for August. The beginning balance in the raw materials inventory account was $33,000. During the month, the company made raw materials purchases amounting to $62,000. At the end of the month, the balance in the raw materials inventory account was $30,000. Direct labor cost was $46,000 and manufacturing overhead was $74,000. The beginning balance in the work in process account was $13,000 and the ending balance was $19,000. The beginning balance in the finished goods account was $54,000 and the ending balance was $50,000. Sales totaled $270,000. Selling expense was $18,000 and administrative expense was $49,000. The net operating income for August was: Answer Selected Answer: $20,000 33.Management of Berndt Corporation has asked your help as an intern in preparing some key reports for August. The beginning balance in the raw materials inventory account was $33,000. During the month, the company made raw materials purchases amounting to $62,000. At the end of the month, the balance in the raw materials inventory account was $30,000. Direct labor cost was $46,000 and manufacturing overhead was $74,000. The beginning balance in the work in process account was $13,000 and the ending balance was $19,000. The beginning balance in the finished goods account was $54,000 and the ending balance was $50,000. Sales totaled $270,000. Selling expense was $18,000 and administrative expense was $49,000. The cost of goods sold for August was: Answer Selected Answer: $183,000 34.The corporate controller’s salary would be considered a(n): Answer Selected Answer: administrative cost. 35.Choice of allocation base should be made based on: Answer Selected Answer: whether the base actually drives the cost being allocated. 36.The three basic elements of manufacturing cost are direct materials, direct labor, and: Answer Selected Answer: manufacturing overhead. 37.An opportunity cost is: Answer Selected Answer: the benefit forgone by selecting one alternative instead of another. 38.Which terms below correctly describe the cost of the black paint used to paint the dots on a pair of dice? Answer Selected Answer: Choice B 39.Buford Company rents out a small unused portion of its factory to another company for $1,000 per month. The rental agreement will expire next month, and rather than renew the agreement Buford Company is thinking about using the space itself to store materials. The term to describe the $1,000 per month is: Answer Selected Answer: opportunity cost. 40.Cost of goods manufactured will usually include: Answer Selected Answer: some costs incurred during the prior period as well as costs incurred during the current period.

The Host Chapter 19: Abandoned

Who is the Seeker in black? Why is it still searching?† Jared's shout was deafening, echoing at me from all sides. I hid behind my hands, waiting for the first blow. â€Å"Ah-Jared?† Ian murmured. â€Å"Maybe you should let me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Stay out of it!† Ian's voice got closer, and the rocks grated as he tried to follow Jared into the small space that was already too full. â€Å"Can't you see it's too scared to talk? Leave it alone for a sec -â€Å" I heard something scrape the floor as Jared moved, and then a thud. Ian cursed. I peered through my fingers to see that Ian was no longer visible and Jared had his back to me. Ian spit and groaned. â€Å"That's twice,† he growled, and I understood that the punch meant for me had been diverted by Ian's interference. â€Å"I'm ready to go for three,† Jared muttered, but he turned back around to face me, bringing light with him; he'd grabbed the lamp with the hand that had struck Ian. The cave seemed almost brilliant after so much darkness. Jared spoke to me again, scrutinizing my face in the new illuminations, making each word a sentence. â€Å"Who. Is. The. Seeker.† I dropped my hands and stared into his pitiless eyes. It bothered me that someone else had suffered for my silence-even someone who had once tried to kill me. This was not how torture was supposed to work. Jared's expression wavered as he read the change in mine. â€Å"I don't have to hurt you,† he said quietly, not as sure of himself. â€Å"But I do have to know the answer to my question.† This wasn't even the right question-not a secret I was in any way bound to protect. â€Å"Tell me,† he insisted, his eyes tight with frustration and deep unhappiness. Was I truly a coward? I would rather have believed that I was-that my fear of pain was stronger than anything else. The real reason I opened my mouth and spoke was so much more pathetic. I wanted to please him, this human who hated me so fiercely. â€Å"The Seeker,† I began, my voice rough and hoarse; I hadn't spoken in a long time. He interrupted, impatient. â€Å"We already know it's a Seeker.† â€Å"No, not just any Seeker,† I whispered. â€Å"My Seeker.† â€Å"What do you mean, your Seeker?† â€Å"Assigned to me, following me. She's the reason -† I caught myself just before I spoke the word that would have meant our death. Just before I could say we. The ultimate truth that he would see as the ultimate lie-playing on his deepest wishes, his deepest pain. He would never see that it was possible for his wish to be true. He would only see a dangerous liar looking out through the eyes he'd loved. â€Å"The reason?† he prompted. â€Å"The reason I ran away,† I breathed. â€Å"The reason I came here.† Not entirely true, but not entirely a lie, either. Jared stared at me, his mouth half-open, as he tried to process this. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Ian was peering through the hole again, his vivid blue eyes wide with surprise. There was blood, dark on his pale lips. â€Å"You ran away from a Seeker? But you're one of them!† Jared struggled to compose himself, to get back to his interrogation. â€Å"Why would it follow you? What did it want?† I swallowed; the sound seemed unnaturally loud. â€Å"She wanted you. You and Jamie.† His expression hardened. â€Å"And you were trying to lead it here?† I shook my head. â€Å"I didn't†¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How could I explain it? He'd never accept the truth. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I†¦ didn't want to tell her. I don't like her.† He blinked, confused again. â€Å"Don't you all have to like everyone?† â€Å"We're supposed to,† I admitted, coloring with shame. â€Å"Who did you tell about this place?† Ian asked over Jared's shoulder. Jared scowled but kept his eyes on my face. â€Å"I couldn't tell-I didn't know†¦ I just saw the lines. The lines on the album. I drew them for the Seeker†¦ but we didn't know what they were. She still thinks they're a road map.† I couldn't seem to stop talking. I tried to make the words come slower, to protect myself from a slip. â€Å"What do you mean you didn't know what they were? You're here.† Jared's hand flexed toward me but dropped before it closed the small distance. â€Å"I†¦ I was having trouble with my†¦ with the†¦ with her memory. I didn't understand†¦ I couldn't access everything. There were walls. That's why the Seeker was assigned to me, waiting for me to unlock the rest.† Too much, too much. I bit my tongue. Ian and Jared exchanged a look. They'd never heard anything like this before. They didn't trust me, but they wanted so desperately to believe it was possible. They wanted it too much. That made them fear. Jared's voice whipped out with a sudden harshness. â€Å"Were you able to access my cabin?† â€Å"Not for a long time.† â€Å"And then you told the Seeker.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No? Why not?† â€Å"Because†¦ by the time I could remember it†¦ I didn't want to tell her.† Ian's eyes were frozen wide. Jared's voice changed, became low, almost tender. So much more dangerous than the shouting. â€Å"Why didn't you want to tell her?† My jaw locked hard. It was not the secret, but still, it was a secret he would have to beat out of me. In this moment, my determination to hold my tongue had less to do with self-preservation than it did with a stupid, grudging kind of pride. I would not tell this man who despised me that I loved him. He watched the defiance flash in my eyes, and he seemed to understand what it would take to get this answer. He decided to skip it-or maybe to come back to it later, save it for last, in case I wouldn't be able to answer any more questions when he was done with me. â€Å"Why weren't you able to access everything? Is that†¦ normal?† This question was very dangerous, too. For the first time so far, I told an outright lie. â€Å"She fell a long way. The body was damaged.† Lying did not come easily to me; this lie fell flat. Jared and Ian both reacted to the false note. Jared's head cocked to the side; one of Ian's ink black eyebrows rose. â€Å"Why isn't this Seeker giving up like the rest?† Ian asked. I was abruptly exhausted. I knew they could keep this up all night, would keep this up all night if I continued to answer, and eventually I would make a mistake. I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes. â€Å"I don't know,† I whispered. â€Å"She's not like other souls. She's†¦ annoying.† Ian laughed once-a startled sound. â€Å"And you-are you like other†¦ souls?† Jared asked. I opened my eyes and stared at him wearily for a long moment. What a stupid question, I thought. Then I shut my eyes tight, buried my face against my knees, and wrapped my arms around my head. Either Jared understood that I was done speaking or his body was complaining too loudly to be ignored. He grunted a few times as he squeezed himself out of the opening of my cave, taking the lamp with him, and then groaned quietly as he stretched. â€Å"That was unexpected,† Ian whispered. â€Å"Lies, of course,† Jared whispered back. I could just barely make out their words. They probably didn't realize how the sound echoed back to me in here. â€Å"Only†¦ I can't quite figure out what it wants us to believe-where it's trying to lead us.† â€Å"I don't think it's lying. Well, except the one time. Did you notice?† â€Å"Part of the act.† â€Å"Jared, when have you ever met a parasite who could lie about anything? Except a Seeker, of course.† â€Å"Which it must be.† â€Å"Are you serious?† â€Å"It's the best explanation.† â€Å"She-it is the furthest thing from a Seeker I've ever seen. If a Seeker had any idea how to find us, it would have brought an army.† â€Å"And they wouldn't have found anything. But she-it got in, didn't it?† â€Å"It's almost been killed half a dozen -â€Å" â€Å"Yet it's still breathing, isn't it?† They were quiet for a long time. So long that I started to think about moving out of the cramped ball I was curled in, but I didn't want to make any noise by lying down. I wished Ian would leave so I could sleep. The adrenaline left me so worn out when it drained from my system. â€Å"I think I'm going to go talk to Jeb,† Ian eventually whispered. â€Å"Oh, that's a great idea.† Jared's voice was thick with sarcasm. â€Å"Do you remember that first night? When it jumped between you and Kyle? That was bizarre.† â€Å"It was just trying to find a way to stay alive, to escape†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"By giving Kyle the go-ahead to kill her-it? Good plan.† â€Å"It worked.† â€Å"Jeb's gun worked. Did she know he was on his way?† â€Å"You're overthinking this, Ian. That's what it wants.† â€Å"I don't think you're right. I don't know why†¦ but I don't think she wants us to think about her at all.† I heard Ian get to his feet. â€Å"You know what's really twisted?† he muttered, his voice no longer a whisper. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"I felt guilty-guilty as hell-watching her flinch away from us. Seeing the black marks on her neck.† â€Å"You can't let it get to you like that.† Jared was suddenly disturbed. â€Å"It's not human. Don't forget that.† â€Å"Just because she isn't human, do you think that means she doesn't feel pain?† Ian asked as his voice faded into the distance. â€Å"That she doesn't feel just like a girl who's been beaten-beaten by us?† â€Å"Get a hold of yourself,† Jared hissed after him. â€Å"See you around, Jared.† Jared didn't relax for a long time after Ian left; he paced for a while, back and forth in front of the cave, and then sat on the mat, blocking my light, and muttered incomprehensibly to himself. I gave up waiting for him to fall asleep, and stretched out as well as I could on the bowl-like floor. He jumped when my movement made noise, and then started muttering to himself again. â€Å"Guilty,† he grumbled in scathing tones. â€Å"Letting it get to him. Just like Jeb, like Jamie. Can't let this go on. Stupid to let it live.† Goose bumps rose on my arms, but I tried to ignore them. If I panicked every time he thought about killing me, I'd never have a moment's peace. I turned onto my stomach to bend my spine in the other direction, and he jerked again and then lapsed into silence. I was sure he was still brooding when I finally drifted to sleep. When I woke up, Jared was sitting on the mat where I could see him, elbows on knees, his head leaning against one fist. I didn't feel as if I'd slept more than an hour or two, but I was too sore to try to go back to sleep right away. Instead, I fretted about Ian's visit, worrying that Jared would work even harder to keep me secluded after Ian's strange reaction. Why couldn't Ian have kept his mouth shut about feeling guilty? If he knew he was capable of guilt, why did he go around strangling people in the first place? Melanie was irritated with Ian, too, and nervous about the outcome of his qualms. Our worries were interrupted after just a few minutes. â€Å"‘S just me,† I heard Jeb call. â€Å"Don't get worked up.† Jared cocked the gun. â€Å"Go ahead and shoot me, kid. Go ahead.† The sound of Jeb's voice got closer with every word. Jared sighed and put the gun down. â€Å"Please leave.† â€Å"Need to talk to you,† Jeb said, huffing as he sat down across from Jared. â€Å"Hey, there,† he said in my direction, nodding. â€Å"You know how much I hate that,† Jared muttered. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"Ian already told me about the Seekers -â€Å" â€Å"I know. I was just talkin' with him about it.† â€Å"Great. Then what do you want?† â€Å"Not so much what I want. It's what everybody needs. We're running low on just about everything. We need a real comprehensive supply run.† â€Å"Oh,† Jared muttered; this topic was not what he'd been tensed for. After a short pause he said, â€Å"Send Kyle.† â€Å"Okay,† Jeb said easily, bracing himself against the wall to rise again. Jared sighed. It seemed his suggestion had been a bluff. He folded as soon as Jeb took him up on it. â€Å"No. Not Kyle. He's too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jeb chuckled. â€Å"Almost got us in some real hot water the last time he was out alone, didn't he? Not one to think things through. Ian, then?† â€Å"He thinks things through too much.† â€Å"Brandt?† â€Å"He's no good for the long trips. Starts getting panicked a few weeks in. Makes mistakes.† â€Å"Okay, you tell me who, then.† The seconds passed and I heard Jared suck in a breath now and then, each time as if he was about to give Jeb an answer, but then he just exhaled and said nothing. â€Å"Ian and Kyle together?† Jeb asked. â€Å"Maybe they could balance each other out.† Jared groaned. â€Å"Like the last time? Okay, okay, I know it has to be me.† â€Å"You're the best,† Jeb agreed. â€Å"You changed our lives when you showed up here.† Melanie and I nodded to ourselves; this didn't surprise either of us. Jared is magic. Jamie and I were perfectly safe while Jared's instincts guided us; we never came close to getting caught. If it had been Jared in Chicago, I'm sure he would have made it out fine. Jared jerked his shoulder toward me. â€Å"What about†¦?† â€Å"I'll keep an eye on her when I can. And I'll expect you to take Kyle with you. That oughta help.† â€Å"That won't be enough-Kyle gone and you keeping an eye on her when you can. She†¦ it won't last long.† Jeb shrugged. â€Å"I'll do my best. That's all I can do.† Jared started to shake his head slowly back and forth. â€Å"How long can you stay down here?† Jeb asked him. â€Å"I don't know,† Jared whispered. There was a long silence. After a few minutes, Jeb began whistling tunelessly. Finally, Jared let out a huge breath that I hadn't realized he'd been holding. â€Å"I'll leave tonight.† The words were slow, full of resignation but also relief. His voice changed slightly, got a little less defensive. It was as though he was making the transition back to who he'd been here before I showed up. Letting one responsibility slide from his shoulders and putting another, more welcome one in its place. He was giving up on keeping me alive, letting nature-or rather mob justice-take its course. When he returned, and I was dead, he wouldn't hold anyone responsible. He would not mourn. All this I could hear in those three words. I knew the human exaggeration for sorrow-a broken heart. Melanie remembered speaking the phrase herself. But I'd always thought of it as a hyperbole, a traditional description for something that had no real physiological link, like a green thumb. So I wasn't expecting the pain in my chest. The nausea, yes, the swelling in my throat, yes, and, yes, the tears burning in my eyes. But what was the ripping sensation just under my rib cage? It made no logical sense. And it wasn't just ripping, but twisting and pulling in different directions. Because Melanie's heart broke, too, and it was a separate sensation, as if we'd grown another organ to compensate for our twin awarenesses. A double heart for a double mind. Twice the pain. He's leaving, she sobbed. We'll never see him again. She didn't question the fact that we were going to die. I wanted to weep with her, but someone had to keep her head. I bit my hand to hold the moan back. â€Å"That's probably best,† Jeb said. â€Å"I'll need to get some things organized†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Already Jared's mind was far, far away from this claustrophobic corridor. â€Å"I'll take over here, then. Have a safe trip.† â€Å"Thanks. Guess I'll see you when I see you, Jeb.† â€Å"Guess so.† Jared handed the gun back to Jeb, stood up, and brushed absently at the dust on his clothes. Then he was off, hurrying down the hall with his familiar quick step, his mind on other things. Not one glance in my direction, not one more thought for my fate. I listened to the fading sound of his footsteps until they were gone. Then, forgetting Jeb's existence, I pressed my face into my hands and sobbed.

Employee Retention

SUBMITTED TO: Dr. RAMZAN SUBMITTED BY: FAHAD KHALID (MSBA) MUHAMMA ASAD KHAN (MSBA) ADEEL JAVED (MBA) ZAIN SOHAIL (MBA) SUPERIOR UNIVERSITY LAHORE How the employee retention in educational institutions affects Organizational effectiveness Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to put forward a framework of employee retention in the educational institutions which enables them to work for longer time periods and less chance of leaving the place.It also discusses the factors that how the retention of employee affects the organizational effectiveness. Three different levels of schools have been chosen to collect the information from the employees to analyze the organizational effectiveness. The close-ended questionnaire has been established for this purpose. The sample size of 214 will be taken. The SPSS is used to analyze the data and findings of that are given in the context. The limitation of the study is time constraint. The data collection procedure becomes very muc h difficult.This study is only for the education sector in developing countries like Pakistan. Key words: Leadership style, Recognition, Motivation, educational institutions. Introduction This study is about producing and retaining human resource. Hence the research is about the study for the retention of employees in the educational sector. The educational sector is the source of producing human capital for the country which leads to economic development. The employees in that sector should be retained so that the organizational effectiveness is increased.The problem of academic staff retention is a global one which affects both developing and industrialized countries (wisdom 2006 p-11). The most critical for all; is the human resource factor. Without strengthening human resources and retaining critical skills and competencies with in any organization, other components stand to suffer. In academic institutions, the critical human capital includes academic, administrative and techni cal staff resources. The institutional governance, management and financial reforms undertaken as seen above will be more sustainable if there is stability in the area of human resource. Paschal B. Mihyo 2008 p-10) The issue of academic staff attrition and retention in developing countries has been less well documented in the literature. This is because the issue tends to be subsumed under the general category of ‘brain drain’, without particular attention being devoted to it. This subsumption reflects the close relationship between the brain drain and staff retention in many countries. (wisdom 2006 p-12). The employees who are not satisfied with the organizational retention policy they tend to leave the organization.Many research shows that the employees with the higher age are less tends to leave but the lower rank employees are more tends to leave the organization. There is always a certain amount of employee turnover due retirements, promotions and career developmen t; however specific industries and occupations experience attrition rates far greater than others. One business expert author identified ten primary reasons of the employee resigns (MacCann). * Basic financial needs not met. * Lack of competitive salary * Poor benefits * Poor communication * Negative work environment Lack of recognition * Unfair treatment * Lack of challenge in job * Lack of job security * Life conflicts (Gary S. Trulson p-12) There is a vast literature on the causes of voluntary employee turnover dating back to the 1950s. By developing multivariate models that combine a number of factors contributing to turnover and empirically testing the models researchers have sought to predict why individuals leave organizations. Many studies are based on only a small number of variables which often only explain a small amount of variability in turnover.Another criticism of turnover studies is that they do not adequately capture the complex psychological processes involved in i ndividual turnover decisions. Literature Review â€Å"An effective Employee Retention Program is a systematic effort to create and foster an environment that encourages employees to remain employed by having policies and practices in place that address their diverse needs. † (George C. Sinnott, Commissioner & George H. Madison, Director September 2002 p-2) Employee retention is perhaps the most frequently studied phenomenon in the organizational effectiveness.Most organizations find it difficult to measure and improve employee attitudes related to work. Most of the organizations are working on their retention plans for improving employee`s performance and employee`s satisfaction which leads to organizational effectiveness. Increasing employee satisfaction and thereby reducing employee turnover is critical. Long-tenured employees develop personal associations with customers. These relationships are the Groundwork for a reinforcing cycle of positive links between employees and customers. Employees who recognize relationships with customers provide better service.Customers who receive better service express fewer complaints and thereby create fewer problems for employees. Employees in turn react more constructively to tackle with customers. These reactions result in better service which again leads to privileged organizational revenues. Ultimately it is of importance in the educational institutions where teachers have develop direct relation with the students, if turnover of the teachers increases it will also decrease the satisfaction level of the students as well. So the organizations with the long term teachers have ultimately gain the good success in the market.Teaching staff: In the academia the teaching staff is main factor for improving the organizations effectiveness. The institutions with the satisfied and retained staff work more effectively than other. If teaching staff works for the longer period of time then it will be able to produce the desi red results for the students, if students are satisfied who are the customers and it will increase the reputation of organization in the market. â€Å"Teaching bright students and seeing their students develop are the positive aspects of teaching.The negative aspects relate to assessment, both of the amounts required of the students and that of the staff themselves. Administrative tasks and organizational change tend to be viewed as negative aspects of the job by most academics. Hours of work spent on administration have a negative effect on satisfaction with almost all dimensions of academics’ job satisfaction. † (Hilary Metcalf et al. Research Report RR658 p-xvi). Retention: Employee retention refers to the various policies and practices which let the employees stick to an organization for a longer period of time.The organization is completely at loss when the employees leave their job once they are fully trained. Employee retention takes into account the various mea sures taken so that an individual stays in an organization for the maximum period of time. The completely trained employees should be given more time to stay by contracting them for longer period. As the research shows, â€Å"About two-thirds of academics expected to remain in UK academia until retirement. This was higher in new universities. We would estimate that between three and six per cent would leave the sector in the year following interview.This comprised two to three per cent of those on permanent contracts and five to 11 per cent of those on fixed-term contracts. Forty-three per cent of those who thought they might leave the sector in the following year expected to move to another job; this was most commonly to a UK job outside research and teaching, to an academic job abroad or for fixed-term contracts staff, to a UK research job. Contract staff could be seen as being driven out of the sector due to insecurity: they tended to leave due to their contract ending, the desi re for a permanent job or pessimism about job opportunities in UK academia. (Hilary Metcalf et al. Research Report RR658 p- vii). Employee benefits: In the educational institutions employees are looking forward for monetary as well as non-monetary rewards. The organizations which develop the reward system for the employees are better able to reduce the employee turnover. These monetary and non-monetary rewards may include followings: according to (paschal B. Mihyo 2008 p-xiii) * Free or subsidized education facility provided to staff children. * Private pension fund and health insurance schemes should be developed. Reward and recognition system should be decentralized. * Loan guarantee schemes that can enable staff acquire respectable shelter and means of transport need to be developed. â€Å"Institutions should work towards a reasonable improvement in the working conditions (salary and non-salary) of staff, because this is likely to result in more than proportionate levels of job satisfaction. It is necessary to implement some system of differential rewards. This is inevitable, if certain academic fields are to attract and retain staff.Universities should maintain, or institute, non-salary benefits such as tuition waivers/remissions, preferential admission for staff and their families, and access to childcare and primary school facilities provided by their institutions. †(Wisdom J. Tettey 2006 p-4) Motivation of the staff: Employees who stay with a firm because of motivational reasons derive their satisfaction primarily from the work itself. An average of 75 percent of the respondents identified internal/motivational factors such as achievement, recognition, challenging work, and advancement prospects as the main reasons for staying. Matthew H. Sauber , Andrew G. Snyir & Mohsen Sharifi p-36). Motivation can increase the employee satisfaction and also its efficiency at work place. There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot f orce it to drink; it will drink only if it's thirsty – so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. The motivation can also have an impact on the job performance of employees. The job performance depends upon the ability and ability in turn depends on experience, education and ; training. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly.There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. The Present Study The aim of this study to investigate some factors that have an influence on employee retention. Based on the previous research and literature, both employee retention and organizational factors are taken into account. On the organization side it has to focus on the leadership style, motivation and reward system. On the employee side the age, experience and level of job had not given a clear conclusion. So there is no source of expectation from these variables.But other variables are leadership style, motivation and recognition are considered. It has been shown that the employees with higher age are less satisfied with the leadership role of their boss in the educational institutions. It has also shown that the employees with more experience got more recognition in the organization. But due to ineffective reward system they are less satisfied. Following research questions are established. RQ1. To what extent can retention be predicted by the variable â€Å"organization effectiveness†? RQ2 What is the relationship between selected employee variables (age, experience and level of job) with retention?RQ3 Is there a difference between different groups of employees (groups differing n seniority, level of education and whether or not being seen as High Potential) regarding their retention? MODEL RETENTION OF EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP STYLE MOTIVATION AT WORK PLACE RECOGNITION ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS Methodology Data col lection Data were collected by means of a questionnaire that was distributed on a voluntary basis in educational institutions and among employees, in hard-copy, in the year 2011. The study sample consists of 214 employees which will be in the categories of high level, middle level and low level employees.The high level employees consist of directors, principal and vice-principal of the institutions. The middle level employees include teachers and instructors. The low level employees will be as clerks, cashier, and front desk representatives. The data collected from the secondary schools and higher secondary schools. The participant’s 87. 4% is male and 12. 6 % is female. The majority of the employees (81%) worked full time and other worked part time (19%). gender | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| male| 187| 87. 4| 87. 4| 87. 4| | female| 27| 12. | 12. 6| 100. 0| | Total| 214| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Instruments The questionnaire used for the study to c ollect data is designed with the help of expert researcher. The questionnaire consists of 13 items which would be categorized into three different variables used for analysis. Results and Analysis The first issue for data analysis was the presence of missing figures in the form of NR answers. The most frequent case of missing data was the use of N/A for items related to ‘‘leaders in this organization are role models†7 respondents choose N/R for one or the other.The responses are categorized as it is â€Å"strongly agree† =1 , â€Å"Agree†=†2† , â€Å"Neutral†=3, â€Å"Disagree†=4, â€Å"Strongly Disagree†=5. The value of Cronbach’s alpha is . 724 (72. 4%) which shows reliability of data. The correlation which shows that participation will have negative weak relation with the experience of employees with r=0. 01;0. 05 (5%) and value of correlation is (-. 255). The results also shows that as the age of employee in creases the less satisfied with the leadership style and the value of correlation is -. 285 with significance level 0. 01;0. 05(5%). The reward system of the organization has also n impact on employees and result shows that as the age of employee’s increases they are more satisfied with the reward system. Is reward system of the organization is adequate? age| Strongly agree=1| Agree=2| Neutral=3| Disagree=4| Strongly Disagree=5| 20-2526-3031-3536-40| 863017| 442111076| 00000| 55204887| 2070027| Does your employer make effort for employee's awareness about their work? Cross tabulation | | Does your employer make effort for employee's awareness about their work? | Total| | Strongly agree=1| Agree=2| Neutral=3| Disagree=4| Strongly disagree=5| Strongly agree| age| 20-25| 32| 63| | 30| 6| 131| 26-30| 13| 30| | 11| 0| 54| | 31-35| 7| 11| | 0| 0| 18| | 36-40| 4| 4| | 0| 0| 8| Total| 56| 108| | 41| 6| 211| This result also shows that if employer make awareness for the employees abou t their tasks and assignments at work place. The organizations with who gives the employees clear vision about their job description, the employees in that organizations work with greater efficiency. The educational institutions are more concerned about retaining their employee’s b providing them with clear idea about their vision. Conclusion and FindingsThe study shows that retention of employee in the educational sector has an impact on the organizational effectiveness. The retention depends on the reward system of the organization, motivation and recognition of employee at work place. Another useful focus for further work is a comparison of conditions of services between academic staff and their counterparts, with similar qualifications and experience, who are employed outside of universities. This will help determine, with substantive evidence, whether the views expressed by respondents in this study are indeed supported by the facts.It has been shown that higher potentia l employees are less satisfied with the leadership style and they get less recognition in organization. The educational institutions are the source of developing human resource for the economic development of a country. So importance has been given to that sector for improving and retaining employees in that sector. The age has also has an impact on the retention the employees with higher age are not willing to leave organization because they are now being able to get retirement benefits.The employees with lower age try to get the more and more and they are always trying to get good jobs, and are less dependent. The retention of employee has an impact on the organizational effectiveness. If the employees retained in the organization than the organization effectiveness increases by increase in revenues, increase in competency. It can also get a competitive edge in the market. So the organizations with better motivated employee are able to work better in this competitive world. Refere nces * http://www. managementstudyguide. com/employee-retention. tm * http://www. accel-team. com/motivation/index. html * (George C. Sinnott, Commissioner ; George H. Madison, Director September 2002 p-2) * Employee retention in the Joplin,Missouri public safety communication center (Gary S . Trulson) * NYS Department of Civil ServiceGeorge C. Sinnott, Commissioner * NYS Governor’s Office of Employee RelationsGeorge H. Madison, Director * George E. Pataki, GovernorSeptember(2002) * Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidencefrom UK companies Emmanuel Ogbonna and Lloyd C. Harris Int. J. f Human Resource Management 11:4 August 2000 766–788 * The International Journal of Human Resource Management * ISSN 0958-5192 print/ISSN 1466-4399 online  © 2000 Taylor ; Francis Ltd * http://www. tandf. co. uk/journals * Roland T. Rust and Greg L. Stewart Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Heather Mi ller M/A/R/C Group, USA, and Debbie Pielack MBA Enterprise Corps, Lithuan * Natalie Govaerts and Eva Kyndt(Influence of learning and working Climate on the retention of alented employees) (-39_p-42) * www. emeraldinsight. com/1366-5626. htm

Language Beliefs Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Beliefs Paper - Essay Example f adult learning and literacy are more expected to be providing an appropriate framework for second language learning compared to those concerned with child development. Linguistic-oriented theories of language learning tend to highlight genetic mechanisms, which are the so-called "universal grammars" in explaining language acquisition. Behavioral theories dispute that association, reinforcement, and imitation are the primary factors in the acquisition of language. Cognitive theories put forward that schema, rule structures, and meaning are the distinctive characteristic of language learning. Memory processes have been singled out as the basis for language intellectual capacity. There are a number of principles, which are related, with second language acquisition of children but in the following paragraphs, only the most imperative ones are stated. The first principle states that bilingualism is an asset hence it must be promoted at all levels. The topic of the use of language for bilingual children has now been a debate for the last so many years and there are no simple and definite answer. At times, parents as well as members of a community start feeling pretty strongly about their children who could not speak English in school. At other points of time, it has been witnessed that there is a robust attitude attached with the strengthening of the home language, while at the same time teaching English. The decision as to how to introduce English to children who come to school with limited proficiency in English should be left to local discretion of the parents as well as at times, to the children themselves, the latter being the case when they have serious p roblems understanding the second language or have trouble speaking and/or writing or both. If we talk about acquiring English, the child might come into sight as having some degree of know-how and adeptness in both the languages, thus signifying it as a transitional chapter for the duration of which requirement

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction Assignment

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction - Assignment Example Architectural engineers have a tremendous responsibility when it comes to sustainable development, particularly its implementation, because of their central role in construction, as well as their skills and knowledge (Donnelly & Boyle, 2006: p149). This report seeks to examine the aspects required to construct a sustainable building for Apple Corporation. The report will focus on the issues that the Apple building must take into consideration in keeping with the sustainability of construction pioneered in Sydney’s walking tour. First, the engineers must assess the CO2 lifecycle of concrete from the production of raw materials, their transport to the construction site, and concrete production (Park et al, 2012: p2941). This will be done with the aim of pinpointing the processes that require more effort in reduction of CO2 emissions. After this, is completed, the engineers should now use this information to come up with the appropriate concrete technologies that will reduce emis sions and improve energy efficiency. Finally, the engineers will also have to design a diagrid faà §ade that increases the energy efficiency and sustainability of the Apple building by reducing electricity needs. ... According to Park et al, the process of concrete production is divided into various stages, including raw material production, material transportation, and concrete production, all of which must be assesses to reduce emissions (Park et al, 2012: p2942), as shown in appendix 1. Park et al (2012), build on Donnelly & Boyle’s assertion on the importance of architectural engineers in sustainable construction by asserting that they will have to assess the CO2 emissions in concrete lifecycle, especially as they seek to increase the compressive strength of concrete. This can be done through computing for the emitted CO2 and consumed energy for production of cement, admixture, and aggregate as shown in appendix 2. During transportation, the fuel used by trucks, distance travelled, and their fuel efficiency is important. Finally, with regards to production, the total consumption of energy and CO2 emission is measured for the storage, transportation, measurement, and mixing stages (Park et al, 2012: p2943). These emissions are assessed with the aim of reducing emissions and improving sustainability of the environment. The engineers will also have to come up with ways to accurately assess these emissions during the construction of the Apple building so as to ensure that it fits within the confines of allowed emissions in the area covered by the Sydney walking tour. In this case, the engineers will have to analyze the emissions from the cement, coarse aggregate, fly ash, blast furnace slag, water, fine aggregate, and water with reduction of admixture in different proportions (Park et al, 2012: p2944). The engineers will also be required to analyze the lifecycle of CO2 emissions. Taking into account the lifecycle of

A Response To the Promp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Response To the Promp - Essay Example He believes that to be unhelpful, and wants the readers to focus on confronting the fact that everyone’s mind works differently and following the same morals - regardless of their perception of life - can be considered as dangerous. This, he thinks, is a much better approach as everyone should not be judged similarly, peoples’ situation in life is different thus, their thoughts about what is right and what is wrong may differ, too. One of the themes that is most talked about in his book is about the master-slave morality. He believes that the good and evil forces in the world are in a constant struggle against each other. The definition of good and evil is different for the rich and the poor. The aristocrats are the ones with the power, the wealth and even the health and are, thus, considered as good. This reminds one of Aristotle’s ethics which stated that only the noble could achieve moral excellence; the poor had no hope of doing that. The bad are those who we re poor, unwell and weak, which would be the slaves in Nietzsche’s time. This was master-morality. In reference to the master-morality came the slave-morality, this seemed to be a contrast to the master-morality. The concept behind this is that the good are those who are meek and submissive; they are not worldly and are pious. These are, of course, the people who are a part of the lower caste group. The evil, on the other hand, are those who are rich and cruel, are worldly and egotistical. Nietzsche considered slave morality to be pessimistic as well as fearful; he believed it to be of value to only those who suffered from similar circumstances. In his book, he says that slave-morality was introduced by the slaves themselves who were resentful of their low station in life. He argues that this concept of equality allowed the slaves to be in peace with their current conditions without being hateful towards themselves. Believing that those who were successful or wealthy were bad allowed them to be content with their own lack of progress in the society, allowed them not feel inferior about themselves when compared to the rich. They tried to convince themselves that their position in society was by choice that they were meek because they wanted to be, and should not be thought of as weak. He writes about how slave-morality is the reason behind nihilism, which has taken over Europe. There are tensions due to the contradictory nature of the master-slave morality, which is an issue as both have values which are followed by most of the Europeans. Nietzsche says that the extraordinary people should not be ashamed of their individuality when concerning the morality which is followed by the general public. It may work for them but can be harmful for the exceptional people. However, he also says that morality in itself is not bad for the public, but it should not be forced on people. Those people, who do not find it right, should not be forced to follow it, but inst ead choose to believe in their own version of morality. The master-slave morality should not be followed to the point. Of course, there are some very successful people who are rich and that may lead them to be selfish or cruel or possessing any other number of bad qualities, but one cannot just write them off. The fact of the matter is that they are successful and rich, they must be doing something right to achieve that. So there is a positive and negative side – both – in master morality. On the other hand, if these people are thriving by doing bad things such as stealing,

Hamlet (A Critical Analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hamlet (A Critical Analysis) - Essay Example Hamlet never intended to kill Claudius before his father’s ghost appeared and urged him to do so. In fact, it was his internal battle (introspection) that didn’t let him succeed in deciding what he wanted to. There are different theories about Hamlet’s delay in taking revenge. It is believed that he was afraid of being what he was accusing Claudius for; the murderer. Because murdering Claudius would not have made him better than him. In five brother’s story he experienced the darker side of revenge. He wanted to be quick in taking action but was cautious enough to identify emotion and illogical thought attached to it (Westlund 244-256). The story of five sons of a murdered man is narrated within Hamlet. All of sons have their own interpretation and way of taking revenge. Among all of them, Hamlet’s understanding and way of taking revenge is portrayed to be the most balanced one. Neither he acts promptly nor stays completely inactive, rather waits for the right time to act (Rasmussen 463). Hamlet is being criticized for delaying revenge due to his procrastinating nature or belief not to murder a disarmed man as Hamlet rationalize his decision in speech. Another reason for the delay can be the fear of destroying a man (Claudius) who was experiencing a spiritual awakening. It may be true because, according to McCullen the idea of revenge in Elizabethan era required spiritual and physical destruction for absolute revenge (24-25). Thus, Hamlet quit the idea of killing Claudius while he was praying. Hamlet wants to wait for the right time. It does not reflect his being inactive or a procrastinator because strangely, he was active enough to murder Polonius and two spies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Besides being two of the most crucial characters, Shakespeare keeps readers unaware of Ophelia and Gertrude’s feelings and inner

Launching New Ventures Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Launching New Ventures - Dissertation Example In order to identify and develop a business opportunity, it is necessary to follow certain processes. These processes are analytically described below. At a first level, it is necessary to choose the approach on which the processes will be based. The effectual approach of decision-making has been chosen under the terms that the future conditions of the market involved cannot be precisely defined in advance – taking into consideration the strong market turbulence because of the global recession. Each of the phases of the processes is justified using relevant literature; additional literature is analytically presented in a separate section. 2.1 Effectual approach The effectual approach of the decision-making process is based on the proposition that since certain elements of the future are known, there are measures that can be taken for controlling it, even if its precise characteristics are not known. In the terms of the business environment, the above approach means that the future performance of business plans can be guaranteed – at an important level - by taking measures which are appropriate in terms of the common market conditions. The above approach is not based on the perspective that the exact future conditions of the market can be known, a perspective accepted in the causal approach of decision making. For this reason, the effectual approach has been chosen as most appropriate for checking a business opportunity, since this approach has the following benefits: a) it does not require accurate decisions but just effective plans; emphasis is given on the construction of the business projects and not on the development of a series of decisions; this fact can help to save time in realizing the projects, b) it does not require precise goals or stable market environment; this fact is an advantage of the effectual approach taking into consideration the turbulence in the global market, c) it does not require extensive market research, a fact that could also save time/ resources in the completion of the business project involved(Doke et al. 2007).

Introduction to Operating Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Introduction to Operating Systems - Assignment Example Also, we need to keep in mind various other aspects such as cost, values speed, security, and compatibility while choosing an operating system. I have conducted a lot of research and found that the Windows platform is much better than Linux for the development of games. It is an admitted fact that DirectX plays a significant role in the development of games. Additionally, the DirectX supports a wide variety of video games functional PIs, similar to the present advanced versions of game with 3D support. In this scenario, we need Direct3D that offers DirectXs 3D support API for game development and execution. Additionally, the Direct3D is developed by Microsoft and is available free of cost, same as its pervious DirectX APIs. In fact, the main advantage of Microsoft operating system is its support for the DirectX that is mostly used and required by game programmers to develop more interactive games (Loki Software, Inc., 2001). Beside this Microsoft offers support for an integrated authoring tool â€Å"Unity† that is commonly used for the development of 3D video games’ contents. In this scenario, Unity offers an excellent support for game development with much more real-time 3D and architectural visualizations or simply animations support. The main reason for the selection of Microsoft for our gaming development platform is the Unitys development environment support for only Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. However, we cannot choose Mac OS X for the reason that our team members are not familiar with this operating system. Thus, additional operating system training and support will increase the overall expenditures. Another reason for not selecting Mac OS X is the overall cost increase due to purchase of new hardware systems to run this operating system. Thus, it is really feasible to select Microsoft Windows because it can be used on any

Osteomyelitis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Osteomyelitis - Term Paper Example Various types of osteomyelitis are there and some are more prone to strike children like hematogenous osteomyelitis while direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis are more likely to be found in adults (King & Johnson, n.d.). Epidemiological Overview Process Ostermyelitis is a disease associated with bones. It is an infection that affects the bones and which occurs as a result of bacteria or other germs. Fungi can also cause this disease. Bacteria can spread to a bone in various manners. Skin that is suffering from infection can spread bacteria to a bone. Bacteria can also reach the bone from muscles or tendons that are placed near the bone. This disease can also happen under a skin sore. The infection can actually happen in any area of the body and from that area the infection can be carried to the bone by blood. There is another way this infection can start and that is from complications arising from surgery of the bone. The risk of this infection tends to gets more likely i f the surgery is done after there is an injury. Infection can also happen from metal rods and plates that are placed in the bone to fix fracture of the bone. In case of children, this disease more often occurs in the long bones of the arms or legs which give strength and provides mobility. Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis can mostly be seen in children. Direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis affect mostly adults and adolescents. (Osteomyelitis, 2012) Morbidity of the disease can be substantial. The infection can spread in a localized manner to the related soft tissues of joints. The infection can also end up as a chronic infection causing acute pain and can cause disability. The areas of the body that gets extremely infected may have the need to be amputated to stop the spread of the infection to other parts of the body. The infection can also be generalized or sepsis. Figures show that around 10 to 15 percent of patients who have this disease in the bones of their vertebr a can develop disorder in the nervous system or frank spinal-cord compression. Recent studies have shown that complications in the vascular system seem to be more common with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) than it was earlier known. Patients suffering from osteomyelitis generally have low rates of mortality unless there is an associated sepsis. The disease can also be mortal if the patient has a history of a prevalent medical condition (King & Johnson, n.d.). Osteomyelitis in children In children, this disease is more commonly carried by blood and is typically found in long bones like the femur, tibia and humerus. Generally bacteria enter the bones of children through surgical manipulations or penetrating wounds. In case of infants, this disease can spread more as the anatomical resistance power to deflect infection is less in infants. Osteomyelitis is more focal in older children with fever and bacteremia as common symptoms (Kaplan, 2005, p p.787-788). Pathophysiologic Processes Risk Factors The common risk factors for osteomyelitis are diabetis, poor blood supply, injury received in recent past and use of illegal drugs by means of injection. People whose spleen has been removed are also vulnerable to osteomyelitis. (Osteomyelitis,

Graphics Image in the Media Essay Example for Free

Graphics Image in the Media Essay The graphical portrayal of hostility, disaster and even death is generally essential to broadcast and print media. People are attracted to a gruesome but actual picture of life and it is where the public draws its sense of reality. A visual representation or picture normally has more effect than a broadcasted or published story. This is because its power to influence people surpasses spoken or written words. The media industry is subjected to the unwanted but common principle of â€Å"if it bleeds, it leads and is fatally attracted to the harsh journalism world where photographers, who produce graphic images of grim and emotional moments, are the ones being acknowledged and awarded more. As a result, the broadcast and print media is faced with a dilemma of commercially promoting the industry by inevitably sacrificing its ethical standard. Thus, viewers and readers tend to be offended and attracted to such graphical representations of real life events at the same time. The public wants to learn and feel the drama behind an incident but refuse to accept and confront its awkward details. However, the power of the media to influence people with its graphical depiction of events entails a responsibility. Media is bound by its obligation to present to the public what it deserves to know. Graphic images in the media, as a representation of reality, should never cease to exist despite the controversies and objections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media organizations are oftentimes assailed or criticized after airing or publishing a controversial graphic image that presents, for instance, a dead person or grieving victims of real-life events such as violence and calamities. Viewers and readers attack the editors and most specifically the photographers for being apathetic or insensitive and for making the pain of the person(s) worse by displaying the picture. Nevertheless, the photographer responsible and his or her editor are both obliged to present reality as it truly happens. On the other hand, these media practitioners defend themselves by arguing that it is innate for humans to have morbid enchantment with hostilities and calamities. It is just sad to note that these are the same critics who charge the media people for being insensitive and for taking advantage of the sufferings of others. The Boston Photographs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No matter how gruesome, graphic images are commonly used and known to ignite more dramatic reactions from people than stories. According to Nora Ephron, disturbing pictures of any incidents need to be shown to the public either through broadcast or publication. The fact that such graphic images affect or move the feeling of the public is exactly what pictures should be which in turn make photojournalism much more powerful than print media.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ephrons article titled â€Å"The Boston Photographs† talks about the legality and ethical justification of printing controversial graphic images. Ephron discussed the pictures of a rescue attempt, captured in consecutive manner that unfortunately went wrong. â€Å"The Boston Photographs† depicts a woman who was attempting to get out from her burning apartment building. However, while escaping and during her rescue, the woman fell to her death after her flat’s fire escape crumbled. The publication of the graphic images of the dead woman resulted into a lot of dispute from offended people who felt and reasoned that it was inappropriate and uncalled for to publish images of a dead person. However, despite the negative reactions and criticisms, Ephron confirmed the publication of the photographs and reasoned that they were exemplary representation of reality that needs to be printed. Ephron is justified in promoting and fighting for the printing of the said pictures simply because of the fact that human accident and even death are major realities of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regardless of the dramatic intensity created by the said graphic images and their alleged ethical violation, the public has the right to view the actual happenings of the real world including death. A lot of people were offended with the coming of the â€Å"The Boston Photographs† where in Ephron defended that â€Å"death happens to be one of life’s main events.† Again, it was just unfortunate to state that many people in our society usually let their emotions prevail and ignore the basic responsibility of the media to present the truth to the public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ephron wrote about three arguable graphic images of a failed rescue attempt that were captured by Boston Herald American Newspaper photographer Stanley Forman. With the use of a motor driven camera, Forman was able to take three frames per second of the famous â€Å"Fire on Marlborough Street!† on July 22, 1975.   The first graphic image pictured a fireman who is trying to rescue a woman and a child. A collapsing fire escape was shown on the second graphic image. The last graphic image was the most controversial as it showed how the rescue attempt failed as the woman and her daughter fell from their apartment window resulting in the woman dying on the spot while her daughter survived as she landed on her mothers body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Criticizing from the graphic images of the helpless victims alone, it can be ethically challenged that such gruesome pictures were used and published to gain commercial prominence or profit. A critic can even argue that the pictures were not representations of reality as they were captured with the primary intention of getting ones attention. However, Ephron was able to make her article very easy to be understood. Ephron succeeded in presenting all the components of the incident. She initially told about the details of the particular fire accidents. She continued by presenting how the readers reacted to the graphic image. Ephron further presented another angle when she disclosed the views as well as reactions of the newspaper editors. Citing a particular example, Ephron also included in her article how former managing editor of the Washington Star explained his personal view about publishing the three graphic images. In whole, the Ephron article was able to justify the existence and utilization of graphic images by the media industry by defending its necessity and importance in reminding people that such reality happen in everyday life. 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Aside from the famous Forman fire photo, another incident in the American history that was vividly presented in a lot of graphic images was the events of September 11. According to the news article by Jim Rutenberg and Felicity Barringer, the news producers had a difficult time sorting out the graphic images taken after the attack on the World Trace Center on September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, in her article from the Christian Science Monitor, Susan Leach cited Moeller who said that the controversies and arguments about the graphic images of tragic incidents such as the September 11 terrorist attacks resulted from the public notion that the media is using such gruesome pictures for commercial purposes. These marketing strategies are used primarily to gain profit such as to grab the peoples attention, lure the readers to buy the publication and prevent the viewers to switch their channels. Moeller, a professor of media and international affairs at the University of Maryland, adds: â€Å"[e]ven when the public is distressed by difficult images, if that news outlet is transparent about its reasons for running those pictures there has generally been very little outcry and protest, and often support for that ethical decision.† (qtd. in Leach).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The previous article also stated that one important component in justifying and deciding how the media uses graphic images of a tragic event is the nearness of the incident. Moeller further explained that if something is geographically distant and psychologically distant as well [with] no close emotional ties to the area, then the home media is a lot more likely to use graphic images.†Ã‚   One particular example is the coverage of the Madrid bombing incident as an aftermath of the September 11 US attacks. Moeller commented on how reserved the British media were, just like the American media when it covered and presented the 9/11 incident. â€Å"In other words, they really didnt show body parts, Moeller noted (qtd. in Leach).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, a comprehensive coverage of the collapse of the World Trade Center was depicted in a lot and more graphic images outside the U.S. According to editor Naureckas, the worldwide audience of the 9/11 attacks did not need to receive a discreet graphic images of falling pieces of the twin towers and carnage of thousands of people in order to be updated of the event. Rather, the use of more vivid and even gruesome pictures is necessary for other people to feel the pain and sympathize with the American people (qtd. in Leach). To cite an an example, Naureckas said: â€Å"if you were in another country where people who live in New York might be an abstraction, then seeing the actual person jumping out the window might have brought you closer to the event† (qtd. in Leach). Limitations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier, the use of graphic images in the media is a privilege but it requires responsibility. Thus, it has to have some limitations. Effective limitations and conditions can be considered an otherwise absolute interpretation of â€Å"freedom of the press.† The restriction, editing, or censorship of graphic images (especially gruesome and controversial pictures) may be done by an independent body that governs and has authority over the media industry or it can start from the media organization itself by depending on the fair, critical and objective wisdom and judgment of its management as well as editors. In doing so, concerns whether graphic images in the media should be aired or not, or print or not can be addressed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ethical behavior may be in accordance with standards put up by the media organizations. These standards may be useful but usually vague thus they cannot anticipate any eventuality. Citing as an example is the Code of Ethics that media members generally follow. However, it fails particularly identify gruesome situations as depicted by graphic images. Generally, the â€Å"Code of Ethics† includes a provision where photographers â€Å"should at all times maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct.† Photojournalism â€Å"is worthy of the very best thought and effort, and members should â€Å"maintain high standards of ethical conduct (qtd. in Lester).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of ethical standards, in the media in line with its choice to use graphic images, was what The Post freelance columnist Nick Clooney emphasized in his column titled â€Å"Media should use ethics standards.† According to Clooney, it is the responsibility of the media to abide with a set of ethical standards. He added that the moral guidelines should emanate and practiced within the industry and thus should not be violated by his colleagues. In citing a particular case that called for the setting of ethical standards in the media, Clooney   mentioned the publishing of a tabloid of a picture of a rape trial victim which he said violated the privacy of that person. Clooney stressed that such instance of showing a graphic image by print media made him angry. This is because such sensationalism by what he called the â€Å"news quacks or the scandal-mongers and entertainers posing as journalist† violated not only ones privacy but the moral standing of the media. Clooney was not at all opposed to the use of graphic image in the media but rather concern that there is still a need for ethical standards that will guide and uphold the dignity of the media profession. Finally, Clooney did not give up the situation as he hoped that news media people will have sufficient ethical or moral standards and regard to the privacy of the public (Clooney).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addressing conditions and graphic images of events and calamity victims, media practitioners are faced with the dilemma or arguments whether to capture and publish the picture or not (Lester). According to Lester and from the circumstances presented, media should generally expect that the public is inclined to criticize a controversial graphic image if some conditions are present. These include the following conditions: â€Å"[if] it was taken by a staff photographer; [if] it comes from a local story; [if] the image is printed in color; [if] the image is printed in a morning paper; [if] the image is printed on the front page; [if] it has no story accompaniment; [if] it shows people overcome with grief; [if] it shows the victim’s body; [if] the body is physically traumatized; [if] the victim is a child; and [if] nudity is involved.† Taking into consideration the said limitations, it can be resolved that the use of graphic i mages in the media is essential but not absolutely free. These limitations are proven useful in order not to be hit by possible firestorms or reactions coming from the offended public (Lester). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A picture, indeed, is worth a thousand words. However, no one can ever determine how much history account, feeling, idea, and gut wrenching response some images are worth or can interpret. While the use of graphic images in the media is necessary and critically important in conveying a message or even replacing a whole story, broadcast and print journalists are still bound by a sense of responsibility. Media has the obligation to be sensitive and conscious to the possible negative effects of using gruesome graphic images. Thus, certain limitations have to be in place. However and most importantly, media is still obligated to present the truth even to the extent of painfully showing the realities of life. Works Cited Sophronia, Nora. â€Å"The Boston Photographs.† Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World. Ed. Alfano, Christine and Alyssa O’Brien. New York: Longman Publishers, 2005. Leach, Susan Llewelyn. â€Å"How to tell story of the dead without offending the living.† The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian Science Monitor. 19 January 2005. www.csmonitor.com Lester, Paul Martin, â€Å"Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach.† 1999. College of    Communications, California State University, Fullerton. 24 March 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/chapter4.html Rutenberg, Jim and Felicity Barringer. â€Å"After the Attacks: the Ethics; News Media Try to Sort out Policy on Graphic Images.† The New York Times. 25 March 2008 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE2DE1038F930A2575AC0A9679C8B63

Course Note on Organizational Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Course Note on Organizational Behaviour Essay DEFINITION OF ORGANISATION According to Gary Johns, Organisations are social inventions for accomplishing goals through group efforts. This definition covers wide variety-of groups such as businesses, schools, hospitals, fraternal groups, religious bodies, government agencies and so on. There are three significant aspects in the above definition, which require further analysis. They are as follows: Social Inventions: The word social as a derivative of society basically means gathering of people. It is the people that primarily make up an organisation. Accomplishing Goals: All organisations have reasons for their existence. These reasons are the goals towards which all organisational efforts are directed. While the primary goal .of any commercial organisation is to make money for its owners, this goal is inter-related with many other goals. Accordingly, any organisational goal must integrate in itself the personal goals of all individuals associated with the organisation. Group Effort: People, both as members of the society at large and as a part of an organisation interact with each other and are inter-dependent. Individuals in themselves have physical and intellectual limitations and these limitations can only be overcome by group efforts. MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour is concerned with peoples thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions in setting up a work. Understanding an individual behaviour is in itself a challenge, but understanding group behaviour in an organisational environment is a monumental managerial task. As Nadler and Tushman put it, Understanding one individuals behaviour is challenging in and of itself; understanding a group that is made up of different individuals and comprehending the many relationships among those individuals is even more complex. Ultimately, the organisations work gets done through people, individually or collectively, on their, own or in collaboration with technology. Therefore, the management of organisational behaviour is central to the management task—a task that involves the capacity to understand the behaviour patterns of individuals, groups and organisations, to predict' what behavioural responses will be elicited by  various managerial actions and finally to use this understanding and these predictions to achieve control. Organisational behaviour can then be defined as: The study of human behaviour in organisational settings, the interface between human behaviour and the organisational context, and the organisation itself. The above definition has three parts—the individual behaviour, the organisation and the (interface between the two. Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of beliefs, values, attitudes and other personal characteristics and these characteristics of all individuals must interact with each other in order to create organisational settings. The organisational behaviour is specifically concerned with work-related behaviour, which takes place in organisations. In addition to understanding; the on-going behavioural processes involved, in their own jobs, managers must understand the basic human element of their work. Organisational behaviour offers three major ways of understanding this context; people as organisations, people as resources and people as people. Above all, organisations are people; and without people there would be no organisations. Thus, if managers are to understand the organisations in which they work, they must first understand the people who make up the organisations. As resources, people are one of the organisations most valuable assets. People create the organisation, guide and direct its course, and vitalise and revitalise it. People make the decisions, solve the problems, and answer the questions. As managers increasingly recognise the value of potential contributions by their employees, it will become more and more important for managers and employees to grasp the complexities of organisational behaviour. Finally, there is people as people an argument derived from the simple notion of humanistic management. People spend a large part of their lives in; organisational settings, mostly as employees. They have a right to  expect something in return beyond wages and benefits. They have a right to expect satisfaction and to learn new skills. An understanding of organisational behaviour can help the manager better appreciate the variety of individual needs and expectations. Organisational behaviour is concerned with the characteristics and behaviours of employees in isolation; the characteristics and processes that are part of the organisation itself; and the characteristics and behaviours directly resulting from people with their individual needs and motivations working within the structure of the organisation. One cannot understand an individual’s behaviour completely without learning something about that individuals organisation. Similarly, he cannot understand how the organisation operates without; studying the people who-make it up. Thus, the organisation influences and is influenced by individuals. ELEMENTS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The key elements in the organisational behaviour are people,, structure, technology and the environment in which the organisation operates. People: People make up the internal and social system of the organisation. They consist of individuals and groups. The groups may be big or small; formal or informal; official or unofficial. Groups are dynamic and they work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. Structure: Structure defines the formal relationships of the people in organisations. Different people in the organisation are performing different type of jobs and they need to be (elated in some structural way so that their work can be effectively co-ordinated. Technology: Technology such as machines and work processes provide the resources with which people work and affects the tasks that they perform. The technology used has a significant influence on working relationships. It allows people to do more and work better but it also restricts people in various ways. Environment: All organisations operate within an external environment. It is the part of a larger system that contains many other elements such as government, family and other organisations. All of these mutually influence each other in a complex system that creates a context for a group of people. NATURE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of personal characteristics, experiences from other organisation, the environment surrounding the organisation and1 they also possess a personal background. In considering the people working in an organisation, organisational behaviour must look at the unique perspective that each individual brings to the work setting. But individuals do not work in isolation. They come in contact with other individuals and the organisation in a variety of ways. Points of contact include managers, co-workers, formal policies and procedures of the organisation, and various changes implemented by the organisation. Over time, the individual, too, changes, as a function of both the personal experiences and the organisation. The organisation is also affected by the presence and eventual absence of the individual. Clearly, the study of organisational behaviour must consider the ways in which the individual and the organisation interact. An organisation, characteristically, exists before a particular person joins it and continues to exist after he leaves it. Thus, the organisation itself represents a crucial third perspective from which to view organisational behaviour. NEED FOR STUDYING ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The rules of work are different from the rules of play. The uniqueness of rules and the environment of organisations forces managers to study organisational behaviour in order to learn about normal and abnormal ranges of behaviour. More specifically, organisational behaviour serves three purposes: What causes behaviour? Why particular antecedents cause behaviour? Which antecedents of behaviour can be controlled directly and which are beyond control? A more specific and formal course in organisational behaviour helps an individual to develop more refined and workable sets of assumption that is directly relevant to his work interactions. Organisational behaviour helps in predicting human behaviour in the organisational setting by drawing a clear distinction between individual behaviour and group behaviour. Organisational behaviour does not provide solutions to all complex and different behaviour puzzles of organisations. It is only the intelligent judgement of the manager in dealing with a specific issue that can try to solve the problem. Organisational behaviour only assists in making judgements that are derived from tenable assumptions; judgement that takes into account the important variables underlying the situation; judgement that are assigned due recognition to the complexity of individual or group behaviour; judgement that explicitly takes into account the managers own goals, motives, hang-ups, blind spots and weaknesses. IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour offers several ideas to management as to how human factor should be properly emphasised to achieve organisational objectives. Barnard has observed that an organisation is a conscious interaction of two or more people. This suggests that since an organisation is Ihe interaction of persons, they should be given adequate importance in managing the organisation. Organisational behaviour provides opportunity to management to analyse human behaviour and prescribe means for shaping it to a particular direction. Understanding Human Behaviour Organisational behaviour provides under ­standing the human behaviour in all directions in which the human beings interact. Thus, organisational behaviour can be understood at the individual level, interpersonal level, group level and inter-group level. Organisational behaviour helps to analyse why and how an individual behaves in a particular way. Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon and is affected by a large number of factors including the psychological, social and cultural implications. Organisational behaviour integrates these factors  to provide* simplicity in understanding the human behaviour. Interpersonal Level: Human behaviour can be understood at the level of interpersonal interaction. Organisational behaviour provides †¢ means for understanding the interpersonal relationships in an organisation. Analysis of reciprocal relationships, role analysis and transactional analysis are some of the common methods, which provide such understanding. Group Level: Though people interpret anything at their individual level, they are often modified by group pressures, which then become a force in shaping human behaviour, Thus, individuals should be studied in groups also.. Research in group dynamics has contributed vitally to organisational behaviour and shows how a group behaves in its norms, cohesion, goals, procedures, communication pattern and leadership. These research results are advancing managerial knowledge of understanding group behaviour, which is very important for organisational morale and productivity. Inter-group Level: The organisation is made up of many groups that develop complex relationships to build their process and substance. Understanding the effect of group relationships is important for managers in todays organisation. Inter-group relationship may be in the form of co-operation or competition.

The Language Of Shop Signs English Language Essay

The Language Of Shop Signs English Language Essay In the present study, the linguistic landscape will be established as a field of sociolinguistic inquiry. The focus will be on one aspect of urban language contact on written medium: the language of Tunisian shop signs. This paper will also examine the effect of such practice on young Tunisian people. The broad objective is to investigate the current status of English in relation and in contrast with French and Tunisian Arabic. 1.2. Background Many studies have been conducted to investigate the use of foreign languages on private shop signs and displays (Dimova, 2007; Hasnova, 2010; McArthur, 2000; Stewart and Fawcett, 2004; Schlick, 2002). McArthur (2000) examined this sociolinguistic practice in Sweden and Switzerland, Stewart and Fawcett (2004) in northern Portugal, McGregor (2003) in Japan. Common sociolinguistic patterns are observed. This evidences the important effect of globalization on visual aspect of trade. Scholars interested in LL show differences in perspectives. Some of them choose to compare the findings between cities belonging to the same country; while others limit their investigation to the shop signs that exist in a single city. The comparison between cities will be then drawn in forthcoming studies. There are also scholars like Schlick (2000) and McGregor (2003) who confine their surveys to examine the degree of the use of foreign terms on shop signs. Others like Dimova (2007) further explore whether there is a correlation between the languages used and types of shop. Rationale The linguistic landscape is part of our everyday experience and its importance as a social practice has been overlooked by sociolinguists. The study of LL enlightens the linguistic situation prevailing in a particular area. Torkington ( 2009) maintains that through an examination of these practices that symbolic power relations may be revealed (Torkington, 2009:123). This study will then use LL as a platform for sociolinguistic study. Expected young readers will be given voice through a questionnaire exploring their attitudes towards the languages used on shop signs in general, and English language in particular. The city is generally known as a place of language contact. Tunis center forms then a perfect field of investigation. Not only is it a place for talk but also a place where written forms do exist. From an academic perspective, writing is of equal importance to the spoken mode. Public written signs provide useful contextual information pertaining to the investigated environment. They would help the researcher to decode the multilingual situation. So, the analysis of the cityscape or one element thereof would provide a unique perspective on the coexistence and competition of different languages and their scripts, and how they interact and interfere with each other in a given place (Backhaus, 2007:145). Language attitude among expected young readers will be taken into consideration. It will be investigated to know whether visual interfaces influence language beliefs of these people. This stems from the general assumption that younger generation is fascinated by visuals. Along with the analysis of shop signs, language attitude investigation will hopefully provide a more valuable picture of the multilingual situation in Tunis. Traditional sociolinguistics is geared towards analyzing aspects of speech, such as pronunciation and accent, in order to determine how language varieties are expressed and represented within communities. LL research (Backhaus, 2007; Gorter Shohamy, 2009), on the other hand, examines language in its written form. Its broad objective is to determine the degree of multilingualism found on street signage in a specific area. The present study will be different than precedent sociolinguistic studies that focus on spoken mode of a language or a variety at the expense of its written form. It will examine scripts displayed on shop signs in Tunis. Literature review This literature review introduces the concept of linguistic landscape research in relation to sociolinguistics. It examines the similarities between linguistic landscape and advertising. It also discusses a number of empirical studies related to one component of LL: the language of shop signs. It finally tackles language attitudes in relation to shop signs. 2.1. Linguistic landscape and Sociolinguistic: Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to society (Hudson, 1996). One of the key values of this field is the social context in which language is learnt or used. Sociolinguists study language in relation to social factors such as age, gender, class, social distance, and social status. They are also concerned with identifying the social functions of language and the way they are used to convey social meanings. But, it is important to note that sociolinguistics focuses on speech at the expense of written form of language. The bias is displayed even in the definition of language. The language is what the members of a particular society speak (Wardhaugh, 2010:1). The study of public signage has emerged presumably in the seventies. However, the term linguistic landscape was introduced by Landry and Bourhis (1997). Linguistic landscape is also used interchangeably with the term cityscape because the mainstream of LL literature selects urban public space as a place of investigation (Coulmas 2009: 13). The LL research is mainly descriptive: it observes and records how language is actually used. Coulmas (2009:14) defines LL research as the study of writings on displays in the public sphere. The constituents of LL are more detailed in the definition of Landry and Bourhis as follow: The language of public road signs, advertising billboards, street names, place names, commercial shop signs, and public signs on government buildings combines to form the LL of a given territory, region, or urban agglomeration(Landry and Bourhis 1997: 25; as cited in Backhaus, 2007:9). Ben-Rafael et al (2006) refute this definition as it consists of texts that are only o utside buildings. They maintain that LL does incorporate signs that are inside and outside public institutions or private businesses. Sociolinguistics and LL research have common threads. They both seek to understand how language is actually used. They also focus on urbanized settings as a place of analysis. They may be then combined to analyze distribution of languages and varieties in the city. Language in public signage can be a fertile ground for sociolinguistic investigation. The study of LL may even help the sociolinguist to more understand the nexus between language use in public signage and other social attributes like identity. 2.2. Shop signs versus advertising A successful ad is expected to accomplish five functions: attracting attention, commanding interest, creating desire, and provoking action (Vestergaard Schroder 1985:1, as cited in Sandhya, 2000). Likewise, a business name is good if it succeeds to catch the eye of the reader, stimulates his or her desire to buy goods from the shop. It is not a random use of words and expressions, but rather an art that aims to catch the readers eye. Shop owners are certainly aware that language has a powerful influence over people and their behavior. They try to be selective when naming their shops. They tend to use eye-catching phrases and word-triggers. Economy of words is also to be taken into consideration. Business naming is like usual ads, in that the language in use may not be correct. Business names are then a form of display advertising. But, this type of ads has certain specificity. It does not adopt any prescriptive or normative approach to language use (Bhatia, 1987:35, as cited in Thon us: 1991). 2.3. Anglicization of shop signs: With the growing interest in the concept of signage in public sphere, there have appeared a number of interesting articles in various journals, especially in English Today. Most of them focus on English spread in environment space in general and on shop signs in particular. This spread is obviously due to the political and scientific power of United States (Thonus, 1991). The appeal of Anglo-American cultures, lifestyle and values has further boosted the status of English language worldwide (McArthur, 2000). In Portugal, shop signs are mainly monolingual; mostly are in Portuguese and the larger remainder is in English (10%) (Stewart and Fawcett, 2004: 57). Two striking features are depicted in the aforementioned study. First, the six investigated cities are near to Spain, but Spanish words were never seen on any shop sign. Second, roughly two-thirds of English shop signs displayed Snack bar. This shows the lack of creativity. The authors found that even stop signs for the control of traffic in Portugal and those in United States are the same. This ascertains the widespread of English language not only in Portuguese shop signs, but in the overall Portuguese landscape. Even Post-Soviet states, like Uzbekistan, no longer view English language as the language of Western imperialism but a language of modernity and elitism (Hasanova, 2010:1). Hasanova (2010) examined 97 shop signs scattered in five districts in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The number of shop signs in English (55.6%) is more important than those in native languages: Uzbek(17.5%) and Russian(24.7%). One may find that this is unusual insofar as English in not even a second language in the country. According to the author, English language is abundantly used in shop signs because it is the most widely learned foreign language in Uzbekistan. It is worthy to mention that English language appear not only on signs of stores but also in front of bazaar covered stalls. The superiority of English language is displayed in terms of frequency and appearance. This is manifested in non-English writings that appear in small scripts across the awnings and marquees of the investigated shops. Besides, most Englis h names were written in Roman letters and not transliterated in Uzbek or Russian. Hasanova (2010) found out that the choice of language used in naming depends on the store type. Shops that basically sell electronics and computers were named in English language. Surprisingly enough, none of them was named in Uzbek. On signs of Internet cafà ©s, the dominant language was English (62.5%), followed by Russian, than Uzbek (12.5%). Most English names were either compound nouns or meaningful words. On the other hand, Uzbek names either were proper names or simply indicated the type of the shop. Dimova(2007) examined the use of English language in a larger sample: 346 shop signs in Veles, Macedonia. It is worthy to mention that the data corpus include brand names and window slogans. The results of her investigation showed that English is the most dominant foreign language in shop signs (36.9%). According to Schlick (2003), using English in business names is a tendency to Westernize Veles and other cities, like Ljubljana and Kranjarea, after the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. This can be evidenced by the extensive presence of Western consumerism marked by the important presence of American brand names such as Coca Cola. The study also showed that bilingual English shop signs are more common than unilingual ones. Remarkably, none of the investigated shop signs feature words from English and other foreign language like Spanish or Italian. Dimova noted six patterns of use among English- Macedonian bilingual shop signs in the sample. One of these patterns is juxtaposing Macedonian names with brand names. Dimova focused on the subdivisions of business signs that were in English language. But, her study did not show how these English texts appear. It did not indicate whether Macedonian words are spelled in original, i.e. Roman Latin, or Cyrillic. Like the study of Hasanova (2010), it proved that Anglicization of shop signs depends on the type of business. English words and expressions appear in all signs of Internet cafà ©s. They are likely present in all signs of fashion and entertainment businesses. Hasanova (2010) also noted incorrect spelling of certain English words like cafà © which was written as caffee in almost all signs. McGregor (2003) examined 120 shop signs in central Tokyo. The findings of her research show that shop signs appear primarily in Japanese (43.3%) then in English. One-quarters of the investigated shops, especially womens clothing stores and hair salons, are named in only English language. This echoes the common belief that western Fashion is superior to Japanese one. English words are believed to ornament goods, namely clothing. They function as status-enhancing embellishment (McGregor, 2003: 21). Creativity is manifested in English-looking signs, called also made-in-Japan English signs. McGregor explains that those signs comprise loanwords from English language but with new meanings. Sometimes those words are meaningless. What is important is their visual charm (McGregor, 2003: 21). Thonus(1991) collected her business signage data from Yellow Pages telephone directories of seven Brazilian cities. She confined her investigation to the use of English in relation with Portuguese. The results show that only 10% of the investigated shop signs contain English terms. Hybridized business names are the most pervasive (56%). In these names, the generic element appears in Portuguese; and the specific element in English. Thonus noted that the spelling of 9 % of the investigated English naming in Porto Alegre is deviant in a way that it looks more Portuguese ,for example My-Deia instead of my dear (Thonus, 1991:72). There are cases that display the incorrect use of the genitive such as Silvascar (Thonus, 1991:72). Kashru (1992) distinguishes between a mistake and a deviation which is the result of the new un-English linguistic and cultural setting in which English language is used ( Kachru, 1992:62). He explains that The reincarnations were essentially caused by the new bili ngual (or multilingual) settings and by the new contexts in which English had to function (Kachru, 1992:6). But, among deviations characteristic is being systematic and not idiosyncratic (Kachru, 1992:62). According to Thonus, this deliberate spelling deviancy is simply perceived as an attention-getting device. Fused compounds and doublets consist of roughly 6% of the sample. They are mechanisms used in modernization (Dsouza, 1987:64, cited in Thonus, 1991). She noted confusion about word-order restrictions not only in English but also in their own language. For instance, a hotel is named Hotel Center Park instead of Center Park Hotel (Thonus, 1991:73). It is not clear whether the name-givers are attempting to adopt English nomenclature consciously, or merely to imitate English sounding words like the case in Japan. However, what is clear is that English terms in a business sign serve as a modern ring to the offered products in order to impress the passer-by. According to Thonus, En glish is used on shop signs to impress the Brazilian everyperson not the tourist (Thonus, 1991: 68). In the main, the aforementioned studies examined languages displayed on shop signs and their relative weight. English names are used in token of modernity and fashion (Dimova, 2007; Hasanova, 2010). They may be incomprehensible for some people, but attractive for the entire population (Hasanova, 2010). The English language depends on the type of the shop (Dimova, 2007; Hasanova, 2010). But, the name itself at times has no relation with the type of business. For example, SAPIX is an acronym formed from Science, Art, Philosophy, Identity, plus X despite the fact that science, art, and philosophy are not taught at cram schools in Japan (McGregor, 2003: 21). 2.4. Multilingualism in Shop Signs: The LL literature sheds light on multilingual practices in the written form. It reports that shop signs are increasingly multilingual worldwide. In urban space, written language mixing is examined in terms of types and functions. Recent studies of shop signs have documented a growing tendency to language mix in business naming (Shlick, 2003; McArthur, 2000). Apparently, one language is presumed to be not enough visible without the support of a foreign language, namely English. Apart from visibility, there is another function of language support especially when the local language and foreign language are used together. This combination makes it easier for the local community to understand the shop name (McGregor, 2003). This explanation is more valid for countries where the foreign language education is primarily given in translation. McArthur explains mixing languages on shop signs, apart from trendiness, as an attempt to revive the local language (Schlick, 2002). Multilingual signs contain real or coined words from two or more languages (Schlick, 2002:5). Certain messages are traditional and bland like Farmacia; while others are unusual and quirky such as Restaurant le bourjolais (McArthur, 2000:35). The stu dy McAthur(2000) focuses on the strength of macaronic usage in street and shop signs (McArthur, 2000:34). Such vigor is mainly due to two features: the creativity and the interplay (McAthur, 2000:41). Signs with macaronic tendencies are believed to be doubly eye-catching (Schlick, 2002:5). However, shop signs may lose their macaronic quality when translated. Besides, if they are naturalized into a language, they are no longer seen macaronic by native speakers (McArthur, 2000). Addison 1710 states that the great art in writing ads is finding out a proper method to catch the readers eye; without which a good thing may pass over unobserved'(as cited in Bassiouney, 2009:283). Alternating two or more languages on a shop sign seems to be a proper method to get the customers attention. This tendency is flourishing (McArthur, 2000:43). But, the degree of multilingualism differs from a city to another and from a country to another. For example, the study of McArthur (2000) shows that shop signs in Zurich are highly multilingual. The linguistic nature of Switzerland accounts for the great number of multilingual shop signs. Switzerland is known for being a multilingual country where English, French, German and Italian are in daily use. Japan, however, is different in terms of linguistic ecology. It has been known as one of the prototypes of monolingual society (Backhaus, 2007). This explains the predominance of Japanese language in business naming: Japanese is the la nguage used in 43.3% of unilingual business names. The research of McArthur (2000) is highly original in the conceptualization of the language of shop signs. The language of shop signs appears to be universal, whimsical, and translinguistic (McArthur, 2000:36). It is simply called interanto (McArthur, 2000:36). The opening element inter- refers to the internationalism and interplay of the language of shop signs. The suffix -anto , as in the artificial language Esperanto, adds an exotic meaning to the word it is attached to. The universality is depicted through the use of key international words like parking, restaurant, boutique, etc. Such words are no longer perceived foreign especially in urban environment. Whimsicality is the outcome of language mixing, and particularly when such mixing is unpredictable. It is often displayed in a sign that contains words from mother tongue and foreign language. Such a sign would mark trendiness and being rooted with ones soil at the same time (Schlick, 2002:5). A word is said to be translinguisti c when it has no precise canonical form or meaning. The translinguistic aspect is particularly manifested in bilingual and trilingual European shop names. Biona Reformhaus, a healthy food store in Zurich, is one of the hybrid constructions (McArthur, 2000:35). It includes Greek (bio- and -na), French (reform-), and German (haus). Language mixing can be at the level of lexicon, syntax or script. McArthur states that hybridization is a phenomenon happening on top of an ancient inclination to hybridize (McArthur, 2000: 35). Ancient hybridization actually refers to word adaptation. Hybridization comprises all cases of clipping, tacking, deviant spelling, and fused compounds. For example, sole in Studio Sole refers to the French word Soleil. The spelling is modified in order to match the phonetic reading of its Japanese counterparts, so-ray (McGregor, 2003:22). Besides, Language mixing can be at the word-order level. For example, the STEAK HOUSE POLAIRE sign in the study of McGregor comprises not only a French adjective: POLAIRE, but also French word-order (McGregor, 2003:22). However, it is worth to mention that a linguist may be often trapped in possibilities. In the aforementioned case, McGregor states that the context can be also Japanese. Transliteration is another type of language mixing. Backhaus (2007) con tends that a transliterated or translated text on a shop sign is designed for people with foreign backgrounds. Transliterated shop signs are considered clever names in Japan as they often acquire double meaning (McGregor, 2003:19). This accounts for the significant number of transliterated Japanese business names to Roman letters. The name manpuku, for example, means Im full and happiness. Transliteration is also depicted from Roman letters to Japanese script. The American giant McDonalds appear in Katakana. Shop owners in other countries avoid the transliteration to the local language script. For example, Uzbek shop owners avoid the transliteration of shop names to Uzbek or Russian script (Hasanova, 2010). In summary, the language of shop signs is universal, whimsical, and translinguistic. Multilingualism should be approached lexically, syntactically, and in terms of orthographically. It is very interesting to study unusual and quirky texts. 2.5. Methodological difficulties: The investigation of shop signs seems easy. The scholar would stroll along two or more streets and collect names of businesses, and analyze them afterwards. But, many methodological hurdles should be considered and dealt with first. To begin with, the unit of analysis can be a problem. The definition of a shop sign is controversial. Some scholars consider window-filling slogans part of shop signs (McArthur, 2000; Schlick, 2002, Dimova, 2007). Others exclude the names of internationally known products from the analysis of shop signs such as Coca Cola, Kodak, Fujifilm, etc. (Hasanova, 2010; Stewart and Fawcett, 2004). However, if brand names are eliminated from the data corpus, the linguistic impact of trademarks on individuals and groups would be denied. The overall understanding of shop signs would be then affected. Besides, when the term shop sign varies in scope from one study to another, the comparison between those surveys becomes impossible. Besides, the taxonomy of shop signs is difficult. Business names do not always fall into neat categories because of the word formation. For instance, there are true English loanwords and quasi-English words which are usually the result of back clipping (Gorach, 1989:303, cited in Thonus, 1991). Words pertaining to the second type are called so as they do not conform to the English norms. Adoption and adaptation process impedes an easy classification of shop signs. The term glass, a shop name in Sweden introduced in the survey of McArthur (2000:38), illustrates this ambiguity. One may think that it is an English word; while it is rather an adapted form of French glace. Ateljà © is another translinguistic word; and it is a Swedish adaptation of French atelier (McArthur, 2000:38). The ado in this case is whether or not to classify the adapted word if recognized in the class of etymon, i.e. the language of origin. McArthur (2000) suggests that an adapted cognate is naturalized into a di fferent language; and accordingly it must not be attributed to the language of origin. So, glass and Ateljà © are Swedish; they belong to German and not to French language. Besides, certain terms, such as restaurant and cafà ©, have become international and are no longer seen foreign (Schlick, 2002). So, to attribute cafà © or bar to English language can be also discussed as these words have the same form and the same pronunciation in a number of languages (Stewart and Fawcett, 2004). Furthermore, methodological decisions seem to heavily depend on the investigators perspective. In most LL research, the sites of investigation are chosen in central cities because they are the busiest streets or squares according to the scholar. Dimova (2007), for example, opted for a large city situated in central Macedonia. Others, like McArthur (2000), chose the more touristy streets in the city (McArthur, 2000:33). Besides, most studies of shop signs are based on quantitative approach. The perplexing question is whether the selected streets are representative of the whole city. Besides, some scholars tend to include all businesses they encounter; while others like Dimova (2007) limit their counting to only one sign per business. In conclusion, the study of texts on shop signs is difficult because different languages have the same form and pronunciation of certain words. Besides, the representativeness of investigated shop signs can be questioned because the site selection and the sample size depend on the investigators perspective. Moreover, the comparison between certain studies becomes impossible because the unit of analysis differs in scope from one survey to another. 2.6. Language attitude: Language attitude was introduced by the Canadian social psychologist Wallace Lambert. It started to intrigue the sociolinguists only in 1970s. Since then, many sociolinguists have been studying the language attitude that communities share. The mainstream of the studies; whereas, is geared towards attitudes towards speech styles. LL research provides an insight into the actual use of languages in environmental print. But, it does not indicate how these languages are perceived by the local community. The investigation of language attitude would help to produce a more complete picture of multilingualism in the city of Tunis. The present study will not be confined to the mere listing and enumeration of languages. The language used on shop signs is a standing point for a comprehensive understanding of linguistic situation in the city of Tunis. Gorter (2007) ascertains that language used in open environment affects language perception. He maintains that LL has some bearing on peoples perception and attitude about language, influences the use of language in society. He states that [t]he linguistic landscape has an added value because of the impact it can have on the people who see the signs (Gorter, 2007:24). So, the investigation of language attitude of the young expected readers of shop signs would be significant ly relevant to the study of language choice in a multilingual society. It would determine whether there is a nexus between linguistic choice of the shop owner and linguistic preference of young customers in Tunis. It would also examine whether there is a significant effect of visible signage in public space on language beliefs among the young readers (Coulmas, 2009: 28). In other words, it would clarify whether seeing abundant use of foreign terms in public space changes the customers language attitude favorably. The visibility of these scripts on shop marquees in great number must have some bearing on the individuals language attitude. This stems from the belief that Language has a powerful influence over people and their behavior. In a nutshell, the investigation of language attitude would foremost give a more comprehensive insight into the multilingual situation within the territory of Tunis. Baker (1992) states that attitude can be either instrumental or integrative or both. An instrumental language attitude is characterized by a desire to acquire or learn a particular language in order to fulfill material needs. An integrative attitude, on the other hand, reflects a desire to be identified as a member of the culture and community related to the language. According to Baker (1992), the language attitude is a construct of three components: cognition, feelings and readiness for action (Baker, 1992: 13). The cognitive component is made up of the beliefs and opinions about an object. The second component clearly refers to the emotions that the individual feels about that object. The behavioral component refers to ones actions or behavioral intentions towards the object. Questionnaires are generally used to explore one of the intricate and fascinating ways in which language can influence the individuals everyday thoughts, feelings and behavior. This is illustrated in the stat ement of Al-Saidat Emad (2009): An attitude is individual, but it has origins in collective behaviour. In the present study, it is hypothesized that the visibility of English language in streets develops positive attitudes towards English. When language becomes part of the individuals experience, one would embrace it to his/her linguistic repertoire. In conclusion, individual language attitude is a psychological construct that affects the reality of language for the whole society. Its investigation would help to understand the language growth, restoration or destruction. Methodology 3.1. Research questions: Q1: What is the linguistic classification of shop signs in Tunis? Q2 : Are unilingual signs more pervasive than multilingual ones? Q3: What is the most prominent language of store signs in Tunis? Q4: Is English the most attractive language in Tunisian shop signs? 3.2. Research hypotheses: H1: Shop signs in city center of Tunis can be divided into unilingual, bilingual and multilingual signs. H2: Shop owners prefer to mix two or more languages than to use a single language. H3: French is the most frequent language, then English, then Tunisian Arabic in business naming. H4: English is the most attractive language in Tunisian shop signs. Linguistic data: will be captured by a digital camera from two central shopping streets in Tunis City: Habib Bourguiba Avenue and Paris Street. More than three shopping centers happen to be situated in the survey area. Accordingly, the present study will compile a large electronic corpus of signs.  All signs of private businesses will be analyzed except those that display brand names. The classification will be according to the language used and the dominant language in each sign. Attitudinal data: will be collected from Tunisian informants through a questionnaire designed to investigate their attitudes towards the languages seen on shop signs: Tunisian Arabic, French and English. The investigation of language attitude can be at all the linguistic levels: accent, grammar, pronunciation, spelling, etc (Garrett: 2010). The present study will tackle how people perceive languages used on shop signs in terms of words and spelling. The research instrument is a questionnaire. The sample: will consist of pupils and students selected in the survey area. This study is interested in the language perception of youth. So, the age of the respondents will range from 15 to 25 years old. The selection will be based on convenience sampling. The questionnaire: comprises two parts. The first section consists of ten items that examine how young people perceive the languages used on shop signs in general. The measurement is five-point Likert Scale. The second part consists of multiple choice questions. The choices are real shop names that are seen in the survey area. This section is an evaluation of the responses given in the first part of the questionnaire. It examines how the informants perceive words from Tunisian Arabic, French and English in terms of likes and dislikes.