Using Satire to Create Awareness of Gender Roles: Egalia’s Daughters

Egalia’s Daughters and â€Å"Sultana’s Dream†Egalia’s Daughters and â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† both portray examples of what it would be like to have gender roles reversed in societies. They both criticize gender roles and show people how gender discrimination leaves the submissive gender in suppressed conditions. Poking fun at gender role reversal was one way these books helped in educating the readers. â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† has a time of setting of the early twentieth century. The author of Egalia’s Daughters is Gerd Brantenberg, born on October 27th, 1941 and is presently still alive. She was born in Oslo but grew up in Fredrikstad which is the largest city in Norway. Some of her greatest accomplishments are establishing women’s shelters, working in lesbian movements, in 1978 she created a literary Women’s Forum, her drive being to encourage all women to write and publish, and lastly she has also published ten novels and two plays. In 1983 she was awarded the Mads Wiel Nygaards Endowment. Rokeya Hossain was born in 1880 and died on December 9th, 1932. She was born into a Bengali Muslim upper-class family in the village of Pairaband. Her main accomplishments were establishing the Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School in 1909, in 1916 she founded the Anjuman-e-Khawatin-e-Islam, and even though English was her 5th language she still wrote a book in English to show her proficiency in English to her husband. In Gerd Brantenberg’s novel she clearly shows that in her society women were put on the back burner just like the men were in her novel. Gerd was born back when women had very little rights. She lived during a time where women were stepping up and rallying against the fact that they were not allowed certain rights that men were allowed and this showed in her book. For example in Egalia’s Daughters the guys or the â€Å"menwim† have the â€Å"burning of the pehos† along with other â€Å"masculist activities. † 1 In Rokeya Hossain’s short story she is trying to relate to her readers about the inequality of her society and the dominance of one gender over another. â€Å"In ladyland men are a part of the society but are shorn of power, as women were in Rokeya’s India. They live in seclusion and look after the house and the children, again, just like the women in Rokeya’s India. † 2 Her society must have had a lot of sins and hatred along with harm because in the short story it says â€Å"this is Ladyland, free from sin and harm. 3 In â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† women became dominant when men failed to win the war against a nearby country. The women then became the dominant gender by using science and advanced technology to then win the war. At first they were taunted for being smart and into science instead of being focused on military strength like the men. In the end it paid off being smart because â€Å"they directed all of the rays of the sunlight and heat toward the enemy. The heat and light were too much for them to bear. They all ran away panic-stricken, not knowing in their bewilderment how to counteract the scorching heat. 4 This was a major turning point in the story because at that moment the men thought that there was no hope for their country which is why they went into the zenanas without protest and were locked in. The men then remained in seclusion and got used to the â€Å"purdah system†. 4 The women then â€Å"rule over the country and controlled all social matters. † 5 Since that point there had been â€Å"no more crime or sin† and that is how it remained. 5 In Egalia’s Daughters women being the dominant gender went a little differently. The women in this novel ruled from the beginning. There was never a time in their culture that males ruled before the females. Spinnerman Owlmoss explained to the boys that â€Å"the menstrual cycle in wom was precisely what bound the huwom race to life, to nature’s own great cycle and to the phases of the moon. By virtue of this endlessly recurring rhythm in her body, she was bound in a very different way, to nature, and this contact with her natural surroundings gave her an inner power and strength, which allowed her to dominate nature and the environment. In the same way that she dominated her own body by releasing an egg once a month. Wim therefore had greater control over everything; over their own bodies, over the cultivation of the soil, and over the world. 6 Therefore, the wim were in charge from the very beginning. In â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† women’s religion was â€Å"based on love and truth. † 7 The women say â€Å"we don’t take pleasure in killing a creature of god, especially a human being. † 7 They believe this works because unlike the men who were violent and fought in the war, they used science to win without hurting anyone. As far as biology goes, basically the women explained their power over the men because of the simple fact that they were smarter and that women’s brains are rather quicker than men’s. They pretty much said men are good for nothing. All of that together was their argument for why they were biologically better. In the novel, Sister Sarah explains why women are smarter than the males. She says â€Å"our good Queen liked science very much. She circulated an order that all the women in her country should be educated. Accordingly a number of girls’ schools were founded and supported by the Government. Education was spread far and wide among women. And early marriage also stopped. † This is her explanation of why the women are so much smarter than men and now are the dominant race. Religion in Egalia’s Daughters is quite different. In this novel, God is a wim instead of a manwim. Donna, who is wim and also God’s daughter who is like Jesus for Egalia, and they are the ones all Egalia are supposed to look up to. The reason wim in Egalia are more biologically dominant is because they bear the children and have the menstrual cycles. For some reason the people of Egalia felt that since they had a monthly natural cycle it connected them to nature and made them powerful, more powerful than any man. This in their thoughts made them the dominant gender as if they were the chosen ones. As far as history goes Spinnerman Owlmoss taught his class the history of the wim. Like we in our society have fore fathers they had a version of those except they were women. Those women created rules and regulations for Egalia that were always followed. In Ladyland the men and the women both had very different jobs. The men â€Å"do no skilled work† and â€Å"they look after the house and children. † 2 They â€Å"mind babies, cook, and do all sorts of domestic work. † 2 The women in Ladyland embroider; engage in scientific researches and garden. Sister Sarah says that â€Å"our noble Queen is exceedingly fond of botany; it is her ambition to convert the whole country into one grand garden. † 5 Therefore, they are never sitting still and constantly gardening and such. In the town of Egalsund, the wim and menwim had very different jobs. The menwim do nothing but sit at home and take care of their children. Once they receive â€Å"fatherhood protection† from the wim, they are to stay home and raise the children while the wim goes to work and does as she pleases. 8 The wim of course, do all the things a man would do in our society now. They were sailors too. Menwim were never sailors and hardly allowed to be either because the wim said â€Å"they’re always trouble! They never leave the us in peace and there’ll be strife and quarrelling and jealousy in the crew. † 9 The wim also hold government positions and hunt as well. In both the short story and novel the women’s jobs were viewed as more important even though staying home and taking care of the kids was a really big and important job as well. It was just not viewed that way by the women. In both Egalia’s Daughters and â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† the women/wim were very happy. They were at the top of the pecking order and they liked it that way. Women/wim ruled and things happened as they wanted it to, not the other way around. On the other hand, the men/menwim were by any means happy with their lives. The men in â€Å"Sultana’s Dream† at first protested. The men wanted to be free, but Her Royal Highness told them if their services were ever needed they would be sent for, so therefore, they should remain where they were. After that they slowly became accustom to the â€Å"purdah system. † 4 In Egalia’s Daughters at first they were accustom to the way things were. Then later on in the book, the menwim began to protest. They give speeches, burn pehos, and strip down at the menstrual games out of chicken costumes as a way of protesting. 10 Women have always been suppressed throughout history, constantly having to fight for their rights. Women in history have always been taken advantage of and also been able to be rough housed a lot easier than men because of their gentle nature. Therefore, these fictional books are related in the sense that in these books, the men’s roles are actually what women’s roles have been all along throughout history. Women are the ones that have always been raped and beaten but in the novel Egalia’s Daughters the boys are actually the ones that are terrorized. Is satire an effective way of drawing attention to gender inequality? Yes, it is because it makes things appear even more ridiculous which in turn makes it more entertaining to read. For example if both books had it where women’s and men’s roles were normal, the books would have been boring and lacked in attention grabbers. But since it was a bizarre setting, it makes you immediately more interested and it puts a twist on things so that it captures your attention. . Brantenberg, Gerd. Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, translated by Louis Mackay. (California: Seal Press, 1977), 218. 2. Jahan, Roshan. â€Å"‘Sultana's Dream': Purdah Revisited,† in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones. Edited and translated by Roushan Jahan. (New York: The Feminist Press, 1988), 4. 3. Jahan, Roshan. â€Å"‘Sultana's Dream': Purdah Revisited,† in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones. Edited and translated by Roushan Jahan. (New York: The Feminist Press, 1988), 8. 4. Jahan, Roshan. â€Å"‘Sultana's Dream': Purdah Revisited,† in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones. Edited and translated by Roushan Jahan. (New York: The Feminist Press, 1988), 14. 5. Jahan, Roshan. â€Å"‘Sultana's Dream': Purdah Revisited,† in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones. Edited and translated by Roushan Jahan. (New York: The Feminist Press, 1988), 15. 6. Brantenberg, Gerd. Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, translated by Louis Mackay. (California: Seal Press, 1977), 168. 7. Jahan, Roshan. ‘Sultana's Dream': Purdah Revisited,† in Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones. Edited and translated by Roushan Jahan. (New York: The Feminist Press, 1988), 16. 8. Brantenberg, Gerd. Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, translated by Louis Mackay. (California: Seal Press, 1977), 37. 9. Brantenberg, Gerd. Egalia' s Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, translated by Louis Mackay. (California: Seal Press, 1977), 72. 10. Brantenberg, Gerd. Egalia's Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes, translated by Louis Mackay. (California: Seal Press, 1977), 251.

Duke Ellington: the Music, Politics, and His Story Essay

Duke Ellington was a musical and political genius; he was â€Å"America’s only original musical mind. † He was not only a performer, but a composer. He learned the craft of composing by observing others instead of disciplined study. One important factor of Ellington’s music was its relation to black heritage and African American history. His symphony â€Å"Black, Brown, and Beige† displayed the African American struggle in America. Not only did Ellington use his music to portray the struggle, voice, and triumph of black Americans, he used his professionalism, originality, persuasiveness, and political performances. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 and composed, arranged, and performed music for the majority of his life. Ellington was born and raised in a middle-class family in Washington D. C. , and that is where he first acquired his racial beliefs. During his grade school years, an emphasis of identity, pride, and history was instilled in the minds of him and his classmates. He was taught to command respect, not demand it. This meant that he was to act and speak in a respectable manner if he expected to be respected. He first began taking piano lessons at the age of seven but did not have particular interest in the trade at that time. In high school, he became interested in ragtime music. Also in his high school years, he acquired the nickname â€Å"Duke† because of his exotic choice of attire, and today, many believe that is his actual name. At age sixteen, Ellington was inspired by a â€Å"hot† pianist and decided that he wanted to be able to play like that. His knowledge of music was predominantly learned by ear, although he eventually learned to read music and took harmony lessons. Although he did have some music lessons, most of his musical mastery was self-taught by experimentation. Ellington became a professional pianist by the remarkable age of seventeen. Music was not his only artistic interest; he also excelled at visual arts. He was awarded an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute, but he preferred to play gigs instead. Duke eventually started a band of his own, originally containing only four players other than him. As the band expanded, he used the new members as resources to create a better product. Ellington and his band began a six-month residency at the New York Hurricane restaurant. There, he accompanied floor shows until he became the featured artist and broadcasted on the radio. In 1927 after the residency, he and his orchestra known as the Washingtonians moved to the Cotton Club in Harlem. He and his band were said to have â€Å"put the Cotton Club on the map†. While at the Cotton Club, his music was often referred to as â€Å"jungle music† due to his band’s trademark use of plunger mutes to create growling sounds. Often while his orchestra played, there would also be a skit being performed that was nearly primitive. At the Cotton Club, the families of African American performers had to sit in a separate section of the audience. Although Ellington was upset by this, he continued to perform at the Cotton Club because it was his opportunity to enhance his career and popularity. Duke always made sure that he and his band were dressed and behaved as gentleman in order to represent African American pride, beauty, and artistry. Unlike other African American artists of the time, Ellington’s compositions were used for the sake of listening purposes, in comparison to just background music. Silence was demanded. People who broke the silence were given a warning and then asked to leave if they disregarded that warning. This was the first time an African American band was regularly broadcasted nationally. As Duke’s music gained popularity, this became many white Americans’ first encounter with African American music. A radio popularity poll concurred: â€Å"They are heartily admired by the white as the colored people. † One of Ellington’s most prominent composing techniques was that he composed parts for the particular individual in the band rather than the different instruments. When he wrote a composition, he did so with the characteristic sound of the soloist in mind. An example of a musician with a distinctive sound is Johnny Hodges. Johnny Hodges was a member of Duke’s orchestra who had â€Å"complete independence of expression†, Ellington said. Ellington also stated that Hodges was the only man he knew who could pick up a cold horn and still play in tune. The specific sound of the individual was so important to a piece that if a member was to leave, the composition would almost always be omitted. Solos were atypically transferred to another musician. When Ellington composed pieces, he only had his own band in mind. This is why his orchestra’s sound cannot be imitated without sounding watered down. The unique style and tone qualities of the individuals made the orchestra nearly impossible to replicate. One thing that was often misunderstood about Ellington’s career was that he had two of them: bandleader and composer. He was famous for recording his own compositions as well as endorsements. He often composed music all through the night, and it has been said that he never went a day without composing something, whether it be a couple lines of a song or an entire piece. He would write music whenever and wherever he had the time to do it. Once, he even had to write a piece by the light of his band manager consecutively lighting matches. Ellington believed that music allowed him to express himself without reservation. Music, unlike words, provided Ellington with a way to express himself in a less controversial manner. It was a non-confrontational approach to expressing his beliefs to the world. In his compositions, he rarely wrote articulations, dynamics, or tempos. He expected the section leaders to decide the style indications. It is commonly know that Duke had finesse for placing an emphasis on colors in his compositions. The colors he used in the titles of his pieces often symbolized racial issues. He did a lot of experimenting with tone and color. Most of his music was instrumental and few incorporated lyrics. Some say his music is reminiscent of Bach. He mostly wrote short compositions with improvised solos, but when he did compose larger arrangements, they were often criticized for having a lack of inner coherence. He used the element of surprise instead of chorus succession to unify the arrangements. Ellington relied on sudden contrasts in theme, tempo, and key. He would also interchange swinging and non-swinging melodies. Some critics argued that his music should be danceable all of the time. Ellington clearly disagreed. Ellington’s compositions differed from other artists’ of his time because he employed a variety of instruments. Not only did he integrate a reed section, brass section, and rhythm section; he featured a valve trombone, a saxophone trio, and a baritone saxophonist who unusually played high notes. The reed section often provided the melody rather than the typical brass section. Ellington would apply asymmetrical themes such as parallel saxophone parts and improvised piano parts. He eventually stopped referring to his music as jazz. He called it â€Å"freedom of expression†. Ellington wanted to express the struggle of the Negro in his music, â€Å"We put the Negro feeling and spirit in our music. † Although his message was very serious, his music generally uplifted and entertained audiences around the world. When Ellington wrote compositions, he allocated certain measures for improvised solos. While it may seem that all of the solos in Ellington’s pieces are improvised, he actually composed the solos to seem as if they were improvised. This became known as â€Å"preconceived improvisation†. Only minor improvisations were allowed during the solos. In 1940, Ellington reached the peak of his compositional career. African American media deemed Duke Ellington the â€Å"race man† because he changed the image of African Americans in mass media. He was the first African American artist taken seriously without stereotypes. His music described the life of black Americans. He exuded his love of Harlem through is compositions. He used color in his music to radiate his appreciation and understanding of African Americans. His early arrangements represented the struggle of blacks during the Great Depression. Ellington was a strong believer that music could undermine the labels associated with how African Americans dressed and acted. His concern with blacks being portrayed as primitive encouraged him to strive to create a new identity for blacks in America through music. Ellington learned at a young age that a positive demeanor was crucial in order to earn respect. Since he was taught this so early, he always tried to be professional and as efficient as possible. He spoke of the significance of having a dignified stature and level of sophistication. Through radio, sound recordings, sheet music, advertising, and stagecraft; Ellington changed people’s conceptions of race and culture. In his advertising techniques, he focused on creating an image of desegregation. Black and white entertainers began to share advertising space, which was one step toward African American equality. His overall goal was to conquer racial and cultural stereotypes in and out of the media. He was forced to break through the barriers of the Eurocentric idea that African American music was not a form of art. He stopped using minstrel stereotypes that he had previously used at the Cotton Club. By the 1930s, he had differentiated many stereotypes from reality. It was important to Ellington that his marketing approach attracted all races and classes. He eliminated some prejudice by proving that music has no race. He always made sure to articulate the achievements, history, and value or African American culture. He trusted that the most efficient manner to protest was to â€Å"live and create in a way that undermined racial barriers and stereotypes†. Ellington, contrasting from many other African American artists, succeeded without using the white-dominated recording style. He was actually playing African American music and his pieces were on the record charts. Normally African American traveling performers struggled while on the road. Hotels and restaurants would not allow them. They would be physically and verbally attacked which often led to alcoholism. When Duke traveled in the South, he also brought two Pullman cars, a baggage car, lighting equipment, a stage, and an electrician. These assets made for a more secure trip. Ellington received the high honor of the Spingarn Medal which was the highest achievement for the American Negro. During his acceptance speech, he stated that he makes music for freedom. He later joined the Emergency Committee of the Entertainment Industry. This committee was opposed to race riots and poor treatment of minorities. This group advertised on stage, screen, and radio. In 1929, he played at a benefit performance. The proceeds when to the memorial fund for Home for Negro Performers. Another political act he did was assisting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by performing during the Montgomery Bus Boycott to raise funds for the Montgomery Improvement Association. Duke was described as a â€Å"symbol of power of multiracial appeal, the artistry and respect that African Americans could achieve, the money that could be made from the neglected African American market, and the possibility of a comfortable and mutually profitable meeting point for African Americans and whites. † This quote explains how the integration of blacks and whites could be beneficial to society as a whole. When Ellington traveled internationally, he came to realize that jazz music was more popular outside of the United States of America than inside. His overall goal of disproving African American stereotypes was a world project, not just a national project. He and his orchestra became the first jazz band to perform at Carnegie Hall when they premiered â€Å"Black, Brown, and Beige†. Ellington’s success created a new market for African American musicians. One of the first mixed race performances was â€Å"Cotton Club Medley† by Ellington. At this point in time, African American music had become a popular music genre. Racial lines were crossed within music advertising. White and black performers were featured on entertainment ads. Not only had Ellington become the most written about celebrity in this phase of time, his earnings were in the five figures. At the age of sixty, Ellington composed and recorded a song with John Coltrane and Charles Mingus for a motion picture. In the 1960s, he was considered the best known musician and composer in the world. In 1964, he composed a piece to defend the termination of segregation and discrimination entitled â€Å"Non-violent Integration†. Listening to the music of Duke Ellington began to symbolize looking at African Americans in a new light. Ellington’s final works submitted his vision of music, peace, brotherhood, and love. Ellington said, â€Å"The Negro is not merely a singing and dancing wizard but a loyal American in spite of his social position. I want to tell America how the Negro feels about it. † When he stated this, he denoted that black people were more than just a device for entertainment purposes; they were American citizens. One of Duke Ellington’s longest and influential pieces was â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†, which was composed and performed in 1943. Ellington described this work as â€Å"a tone parallel to the history of the American Negro. † This composition was established to portray the history of the Negro from Africa to the present. The title â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† symbolized the different skin tones of African Americans. Each color in the title also represented a different movement of the composition. When composing this work, Ellington incorporated music from the opera â€Å"Boola† and transformed it into a tone poem. He did not finish editing the arrangement until the day of his Carnegie Hall performance. This explains that Duke believed a piece could be altered numerous times in order to create a great product. Ellington and his orchestra premiered the full symphony, â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† at Carnegie Hall in 1943. Five days later, they performed once again, only this time at Boston’s Symphony Hall. These two performances became the only full performances of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† for many years to come. Duke decided to only play excerpts from the piece in the future. The six most popular excerpts were â€Å"Work Song†, â€Å"Come Sunday†, â€Å"The Blues†, â€Å"West Indian Dance†, â€Å"Emancipation Celebration†, and â€Å"Sugar Hill Penthouse†. The premiere of the piece was deemed confusing and disappointing by critics. People who were not accustomed to Ellington’s musical style were also perplexed by â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†. Ellington and his band began performing sections of â€Å"Black† and â€Å"Brown†, but rarely performed sections of â€Å"Beige† until 1965. He refused to play â€Å"Brown† in its entirety because he claimed that people did not understand the important story behind it. Ellington often spoke of his message prior to performing a piece, also called programming. His first biographer, Ulanov, said that â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† was â€Å"more successful without programming†. Ulanov also stated that people â€Å"didn’t need to know about the American Negro to understand the music. † The first movement of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†, â€Å"Black† was worked at the most thoroughly of the movements. The first movement interpreted the sorrows and joys of the Negro when brought to America from Africa through work songs and spirituals. According the Ellington, the second movement, â€Å"Brown†, represented the recurring hopes and disappointments of blacks in America. It also symbolized the pain suffered through whippings, the bravery of the African Americans who attempted and/or succeeded at escaping, and the triumph of their emancipation. The last movement, â€Å"Beige†, was said to be a â€Å"vague and unfinished working of ideas†. Originally, the finale of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† consisted of the lyrics, â€Å"We’re Black, Brown, and Beige, but we’re red, white, and blue. † Although Ellington was advised to remove the line from the performance completely, he simply omitted it from the finale and instead, announced it in his programming prior to the final movement. This line was evidently very significant to Duke Ellington. It represented the point that although African Americans were different shades than white people, they were still Americans and deserved equal rights. â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† was performed in segments for a few decades. The version recorded in 1958 was criticized because it was believed to have expanded the flaws of the original premiere at Carnegie Hall. During the 1958 recording, there were only four other musicians, excluding Ellington, remaining from the original orchestra that performed in 1943. These musicians were Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Johnny Hodges, and Harry Carney. Ellington took another large step toward presenting the African American struggle when he and his orchestra performed â€Å"Black† at the Festival of the American Arts in 1965. The audience included approximately four hundred members including President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Human Resource and Management Essay

It is widely accepted that functions involving management include planning goals of the organization, organizing its employees so that efficiency can be achieved, leading involves employee motivation and influence, whereas control function makes sure that all other functions help bring success to the organization . Another viewpoint is that there is a fifth function which is staffing. Staffing involves the HRM department making sure that the appropriate people with valuable skills are placed on jobs (Bartol, 2004). Human resource department has become more important today as it is integrated and much more strategically involved. The HRM department sees it very important in order to be successful as an organization much effort should be put on recruitment of employees, then they should be motivated to perform their task, and trained to execute their responsibilities effectively. To built an efficient work force and maintain it on that level the HRM needs to influence employee behaviour when they seem off track. The few ways in which they can do is by organizing which includes job design/redesign, remuneration and benefits, training and development, and performance management. Job Design Job design is method which involves organizing employee tasks and giving them responsibilities. It also focuses on changing duties of employees so that job satisfaction is gained, which therefore increases efficiency. It focuses on the content of job and effect it has on employee motivation and effectiveness. If job satisfaction is achieved productivity can also be achieved, some people prefer jobs which they feel comfortable at, identifying what makes a good job for the employee can be helpful in improving performance, this can make difference on cost resulting from absenteeism and low turnover. The job fit matches characteristic of people with characteristic of jobs. A person not fitting a job can be disastrous for the company and the employee. By re-designing the job the person/job fit can be may be improved, this can affect employee motivation as the job becomes favourable for employee, catering to their need of job-related satisfaction, for example a person who does not likes to talk much may find it awkward and frustrating at a bank teller job because there he may have to interact with people all day long (Keaton, 2001). Read more:Â  Areas of Human Resources Management Business The ways to re-design a job includes job enlargement and job enrichment, this involves reducing the problems faced by the employee on job. Broadening the scope of the job by expanding the tasks to be performed may reduce the monotonous job experience, as their would be new tasks for the employee to perform, this may help influence behaviour as the employee may achieve job satisfaction and also feel more important as a part of the organization. Job enrichment deals with the employee given more responsibility then before, by adding planning, controlling and evaluating to his job function. Job enrichment may include giving the employee the entire job rather then a part of work, expanding the assignment so that the employee can learn from new tasks, moreover developing new areas of expertise. It may also include giving the employee more autonomy so that he can organize work according to his will, along with giving feedback to higher officials. The more these characteristics are in the job the more motivating it becomes. For the employees motivational value comes from job enrichment due to the feeling of employees that work is now more meaningful, due to the fact that they are more responsible for outcomes. These changes therefore satisfy the employees need for growth, work motivation, work satisfaction, and work effectiveness (Schuler, 2008). Remuneration and Benefits The HR department has also the responsibility of setting employee remuneration, which is the financial payment to employees for their work. This can be used in influencing employee behaviour, it is necessary for the organization to reward employees fairly. If the employee feels he hasn’t been rewarded well he will be de-motivated. Organizations work towards keeping their skilled employee the time, they do not want to lose employee who have worked with them and are good at what they do, also for motivating employees to be more effective and efficient at work HR department tries to best set the wages inline with the expectance of the employees. Well paid employees feel more satisfied with work and are also more willing to give something extra to the organization, in long term this can increase employee commitment and built a trusted relationship between employee and employer. The other option which the HR department uses in influencing behaviour is the benefit system. Employee benefits are does part of the process that reward in addition to cash pay. These benefits may include insurance, medical, pension schemes, a company car or loan, and paid holidays. These benefits care for personal security and needs (Armstrong, 2000). The aim of employee benefits is to contribute to a competitive reward package, also to provide tax-efficient method of remuneration. This is also to provide for the employees need and also for their request for financial help, thus demonstrating that they are part of a caring organization so in turn they can be motivated to carry out work. This also increases the commitment of employee to the organization. The benefit strategy should be directed at the goal of achieving objectives of the business by ensuring it has high quality, committed people in their ranks. A flexible benefit plan helps employee choose between two or more benefits. An employee will be more motivated if he has a say in his benefit package, this way employee can gain better appreciation for the value of benefit he is be being rewarded. Benefits can also be aligned with work, such as giving paid holidays, this can be helpful in achieving short term targets of organization (Robert, 2008). The HR department has therefore the responsibility to work out the best reward system so that employees can benefit and feel satisfied with their work effort (Armstrong, 2000). Training and Development Training and developing employees so that they can deliver their best to the organization is one of the main functions of HR department. The HR department has to continuously work towards perfecting their work force, training them so that they can adapt to the changing business environment. HR department uses training and development to bring about a permanent change in the employees behaviour. Training is defined as helping employee do their current or future work better, where as development involves acquisition of knowledge, skills, personal development, and the right attitude so that the employee is prepared for future opportunities (Bacal, 1998). Training is used in altering the behaviour of the employee in a direction that will help achieve organizational goals. Training helps employees master their present skills or acquire new skill for the execution of another job. Learning is a part of training which brings about a permanent change in employee behaviour. Before training the personal analysis should be conducted so that it could be determined who requires training and their readiness for training. For training to be successful immediate reinforcement is needed so that appropriate behaviour is learned. The learner must be awarded in ways which satisfy needs, such as pay, promotion and recognition. Standards of performance should be set for the employee, as when these standards are met the employee gets a feeling of accomplishment. The training should be meaningful and should also give employee enough time to absorb. The employee should be encouraged to practise the behaviour again and again so that he could perfect his skills. This way a permanent change is brought about in the employee’s behaviour. There are different approaches to training, which includes on-job training and behavioural modelling. On-job training is that an employee is placed in a real work situation and is showed the job and tricks of the trade by a supervisor. This method widely uses the employee’s learning capability to understand and retain the task execution. The other method is behaviour modelling. This is used in increasing interpersonal skills by observing an experienced employee. These methods help bring about a favourable response from the employee. For this training and development procedure to be successful the HR department should ensure that training is linked to business objectives so that everyone is pointed in the same direction. The training should be focused on outcomes and not activities, also allowing employees enough time to adapt. Training should be motivating so that employee expectations could be met, of providing career pathways, increasing job satisfaction and also improving job security. Employee must be shown how to acquire new competencies and what are the benefits of gaining them The HR department should ensure that not only the organizations needs are respected but also the employees and what they want to achieve, so that positive change is brought about in behaviour. Performance Management and Appraisal The HR department knows how much it costs to acquire employees and retain them as a good working unit, they want to be sure that the outlay on staff is achieving an appropriate return. For this HR departments concentrates on performance management and appraisal, which is about creating relationships and ensuring effective communication within the organization. HR department cite as a process which ensures success for everyone, valuing the effort put in by the employees and also influencing and motivating them for their hard work, they feel it helps asses the employees so that they could be rewarded fairly. This is a communication process between employees and their supervisors, which helps built a clear understanding about the job function and what the employee is expected to do. How they can work together to build, improve or sustain employee’s positive conduct. It focuses on employee’s achievement on the preset objectives and how he can bring about a change in his behaviour so that necessary results can be achieved, with continued reviewing of performance against the plans the HR department ensures that objectives are met. The process of discussing work in progress, and how employees can enhance productivity with regular feedback can help determine where the employees stand, and also assess their accomplishments. Appraising an employees job makes them aware of how a task should be executed, also giving them a degree of empowerment which is the ability to make day-to-day decisions. It also helps employees on how to enhance performance, which in turn presents a chance to the employee to develop new skills and appropriate attitude towards work. If the employee understands his duties he can act more freely within the given framework. Performance appraisal is a part of performance management, it is a judgemental process of the performance of the employee on job. It is mainly done for the employees behaviour is moulded according to the companies determined objectives (Bacal, 1999). Performance appraisal brings about favourable attitude of the employee, in the form of commitment and motivation. This is why it important to appraise employees, its importance can be identified as a development to clarify why it is essential to have an effective training program (Banfield, 2008). It is also important for reward purpose as it identifies the deserving employee to receive a reward and who should be trained to achieve high efficiency. Employee motivation is the key behind his compliance to change and this appraisal system stimulates effort to perform better. Employees can be given a legally acceptable reason for promotion or reward and also in case of discharge or transfer so that the employee can’t feel of being treated unfairly. The basic compliance to change of behaviour for an employee comes with monetary incentives, therefore this system helps identify what to pay the employee. This system also encourages communication so that a sense of trust builds between the employee and supervisor, this can be beneficial for the organization as they can work towards carefully shaping the behaviour of the employee so that needs of the organization are catered for, as the employee will respect his supervisor’s decision and will work with commitment and desire. Conclusion The employees are the most important resource of any organization, their commitment and sincerity to the organizations objectives is much sought after. The HR department’s role in this is significant as it sets a benchmark of high standards for the organizations employees. Ensuring that change in behaviour they want is achieved in manner which is acceptable to the employee. The HR department first has to identify the lacking, if it’s concerned with the job they can use job design to influence employee behaviour as an inappropriate person/job fit can be de-motivating for the employee and costly for the organization. If they feel their employees value monetary benefits more they can alter their remuneration and benefit packages according to the need of the employee to generate a feeling of importance in the employee, thus motivating them to achieve organizational goals. The HR department can also analyse the skill level and competence of the employee so that any lacking can then be corrected by employing training and development methods, thus equipping their workforce with new skills and knowledge, readying them to face the challenging business environment. Lastly HR department can use performance management to mould the behaviour of employee according to the need of the organization. With a continuous judgmental system employee motivation and work efficiency can be measured, and then rewarded accordingly. A motivated workforce is the key to any achievement for the organization, so this is what organizations should continuously strive to achieve employing the discussed techniques to influence them.

Summarize chapter one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summarize chapter one - Essay Example A network of packet switches and communication links work hand in hand with end systems since they are effectively connected together. Some of the communication links include optical fiber, radio spectrum and cooper wire and they are made up of different physical media types. This links differ since each one of them transmits data at different rates in bits/second. A route or path is referred to as a sequence at which packet switches and communication links are traversed by a packet from the sending end system to the receiving end system. A Services description defines the internet as an infrastructure which provides various services to different applications such as social networks, remote login and video streaming. An application Programming Interface helps in specifying how a program running on one end system asks the Internet infrastructure to deliver certain data to specific program running on another end system destination. By considering some human analogies, humans in all times, execute protocols in order to understand the notion of a computer network protocol. The actions taken by humans when they send or receive messages through the internet contributes to the practice of human protocol role. Different humans have got different protocols since they respond differently when they send or receive these messages. In network protocols, the entities used in exchanging messages and taking actions are software components like computers or hardware, unlike human protocols. A network protocol largely governs all activities in the internet which involve two or more entities in communicating remote. Through internet network connection, digital subscriber line (DSL), cable, Dial- up and satellite has been developed. For example a residence may obtain DSL Internet access from the same local telephone company which provides its local phone access that is wired. On the other hand, cable Internet access enhances us e of the cable television

Characterization of the Automotive Interior Cabin Noise Research Proposal

Characterization of the Automotive Interior Cabin Noise - Research Proposal Example Consequently, interior trims such as the car-seats and roof covering play a very vital role in the observation of interior noise and vibrations specifically in relatively heightened frequencies (>400Hz). This therefore means that the automotive industry has had to focus on the redesigning the interior of this personal cars to make the cars as quiet as possible. The automotive industry has been compelled to enhance their interior trim products with better designs due to eco-friendly factors such as whether these products are recyclable, the fact that the noise and vibrating levels have the possibility of resulting to serious health issues and price of products. However, there is still a lot of research that need to be done in order to get a more profound understanding of the consequences of the interior trim design on the noise and vibrating levels. Once this improved and refined trim designs and concepts are recommended for the automotive industry, this need to enhance their interior trim products with better designs will become even more obligatory. Hence, this research paper is anticipated to deliver a practicable process which can estimate and optimize the interior cabin noise level for dissimilar interior trims and seating arrangement. In carrying out this research we first have to understand the effects of vehicle interior trims in minimizing interior cabin noise. In doing so, we will begin by establishing the noise characteristics. In establishing the noise characteristics of interior design, I will peg my research on a paper published by Jha and Priede which investigated the simplest mechanism of understanding how noise is generated in a car. This noise is majorly caused by the vibration of the cabin walls. While this research was carried out over 30 years ago the findings from this research are still applicable with the design and features of an ordinary modern day vehicle. Jha and Priede carried out experiments of internal noise spectra of a number of vehicles. The internal noise spectra of the vehicles were also done at contrasting speeds. The internal noise spectra was seen to elevate to an all-out level of 20 Hz and later decrease at a constant rate of averagely 25 Db per decade to a level exceeding 1 kHz. Although, the frequency at which the highest level of noise is experienced normally depends on the size of the car, the corresponding interior noise spectra for all personal vehicles as investigated by Jha and Priede are all alike. The rotation of the wheels are one of the major contributors of interior noise and vibrations whereby they result to noise peaks of about 20 Hz which in combination with various harmonics result to a lot of noise and vibrations within the car. The engine is also a major contributor of these noise and vibrations within the car whereby when an engine fires it produces harmonics of a low order that account for a frequency of about 100Hz. The second part of this research will be identifying the role of different trims in absorbing noise and vibrations produced within the cabin. The most commonly used trims are Acoustic Insulation materials. These materials that are applied in the reduction of noise and vibration levels within a personal car have the following mechanism; they first absorb the energy produced which is then transformed into heat energy. This transformed sound energy is reflected away from the vehicle. The acoustic insulation

Paraphrasing my Business administration Capstone assignment Essay - 2

Paraphrasing my Business administration Capstone assignment - Essay Example For the Stilsim Company to be able to create a generic strategy intended at enhancing their competitiveness in the market, the following are essential: Differentiation is aimed at appealing to clients by distinguishing between the corporation’s product and services and those that are provided by the rivals, thus giving clients a clear option as well as gaining their favor. In addition, the corporate level strategy the other strategy that can possibly used in place of the generic strategy, which is also known as the grand strategy. This strategy consists of the corporation’s supply-chain mechanism and the organizational structure. In using this strategy, the company is able to choose the business areas to be pursued, and determines that benefits that are realized by the company together with the amount of its competitiveness. At corporate level, strategic management is critical for the corporation since it is the foundation of the corporate as well as unit level financial strategic planning. Different from the corporate level strategy and generic strategy, we find that functional strategy is the functional strategy, which describes the strategy that is applied in each function of the like a strategy of product development and strategy of human resource, and these come from the major business strategy so as the company to be in a position of gaining a competitive advantage in the market as well as be able to create value. The Stilsim Company has many crucial matters that should be addressed. The identification of the issues that face the company has been done by the use of rational, internal and external analysis. The most disturbing, out of these issues is that with the Capital City Office, the main office which is no longer productive. However, this gives the company a less competitive advantage. If the company wants to gain comparative advantage over its

Article Summary Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Summary Paper - Essay Example The study aimed at investigating effects of investors’ perceptions over stock and the stock’s returns in the international scope. One of the study’s hypothesis predicted relationship between the sentiments and stock returns in the international market while the other two hypotheses predicted effects of environmental factors to the relationship between investors’ attitude towards stock and returns. The following economic question can therefore be inferred for the study (Schemeling 394, 395). The author expected an inverse relationship between invertors’ sentiments and stock returns and their conceptual framework and reviewed literature informs this. The author noted deviation from the standard finance theory that argues for the role of arbitrageurs in eliminating irrationality in the stock market. Literature suggested that investors’ opinions are persistent and that arbitrage is not effective in managing irrationality. These suggested effects of investor sentiments on stock returns and reported inverse relationship from the United States’ stock market, being inferred to the international market, informed the expectation (Schemeling 394, 395). Stock returns and investor sentiments were the study’s main theoretical variables and consumers’ confidence was used as the empirical proxy for investor sentiments. Background information on availability of the proxy, both on cross sectional and time series scope, and its consistency informed use of the proxy. Unlike consumer confidence, other possible indicators of investor sentiment are not consistent. â€Å"Agreegate stock market,† â€Å"portfolio of value stock† and â€Å"portfolio of growth stock† were however proxies for stock returns (Schemeling 397). Professor Kenneth French’s website was the data source for stock return proxies while Directorate Generale for Economic and Financial Affaire, Datastream and Ecowin were the data sources for consumer confidence (Schemeling 397). Where rt+1 defines

Family violence Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family violence - Research Proposal Example In this regard, Tjaden and Thoennes (2000) notes, â€Å"Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States† (p. 34). The primary victims of these violence and crimes in the families are mostly women and children. In 2001, â€Å"intimate partner violence made up 20% of all nonfatal violent crime experienced by women† (Rennison, 2003). Exposure of Children to family violence is supposed to have adverse impacts on their psychophysical health and cognitive development. These adverse impacts include emotional disorder and distress, delays of physiological and cognitive growth, post-trauma stress, and disruptive external behaviors such absentmindedness, aggressive behaviors and unruliness. The internal symptoms of the violence-affected children include somatic disorders, mental depression, anxiety, etc. Aim of the Study This study aims at contributing to the current literature on the impacts of family on children with new information which will help researchers, scholars and other people who are involved in intervention programs for children exposed to family violence. The author of this study will focus on the following areas: a. What are the most common causes and consequences of family violence? b. The violent partners’ perception of the effects of their behaviors on their children. c. The violent partners’ perception about the way-out of the violence. Inalienability of Family and Children’s Wellbeing from each other: A Theoretical Exploration Children’s wellbeing and sound parental relationship are closely intertwined with each other. Epistemologically, children’s wellbeing refers to an overall psychophysical growth of a child such as cognitive growth, socialization, moralization, etc. Scholars in the field of child’s development, assumes family as an entity that stimulates and facilitate a child’s psychophysical development in many explicit and implicit processes. A family, if viewed from a child-developmental perspective, can be considered as an amphitheater which contains both visible and subconscious components of a child’s growth (Lerner, 1989, p. 34). Researches in this field show that a child’s personality traits, attitude, belief, behavior are grossly influenced first by the interplays between a child and its surrounding in a family. In this regard, Marian (1995) et al says, â€Å"The family is seen as a dynamic context in which the child is both transformer and transformed† (p. 23). Consequently, ‘parenting’ –both directly and indirectly- is supposed to exert huge influence on the development of a child. In his book, Belsky (1984) focuses on what factors of parental behavior and how they influence the child-rearing and the development of a child. In this regard, Belsky as well as Bronfenbrenner emphasize on two factors, husband-wife relationship and parent -child relationship, as most influencing. In order to elucidate the reasons of child-abuse, Belsky (1984) notes, Specifically, marital relations, social networks, and jobs influence individual personality and general psychological well-being of parents and, thereby, parental functioning and, in turn, child development.† (p. 84) Importance of Healthy Parental Relationship on Children’s Wellbe

Chrysler&Fiat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chrysler&Fiat - Essay Example â€Å"The marriage was based on ego the egos of the two men at the top of the companies at the time who got rich on the deal not compatibility† (Krebs, 2013). Cultural differences made things even worse. This fact limited communication between Daimler and Chrysler. However, when two car companies merge they should have strong relationship and similar cultures. Both sides should understand each country’s traditions before they implement new concepts to their new styles of their cars. A year later, Chrysler decided to move on with Fiat Italian automakers. This time the company should build a solid rock foundation before they further unite. In my perspective if they don’t want to repeat the same costly failures, Chrysler should reflect about there past mistakes that negatively impact their business. They should engage in deep understanding and embrace equalities. Therefore, in order accomplish their goals the company should start to apply business strategies in effe ctive ways to promote a better level. It is important not to forget the cultural differences that created concerns. After the analysis above about the issues at Chrysler, I came out with effective business strategies that may resolve Chrysler’s problems. ... re to improve Chrysler & Fiat relationships through better communication, apply the Hofstede’s theory in business, and follow the current regulation. In my opinion before companies go public they need to have strong structures to support their plans. In business communication is one of the most important things. The initial steps that the CEO of Chrysler should take are to understand Fiat’s background. The firms need to promote open-minded for each other. Furthermore, these two companies should share their visions and missions so they will implement a new hierarchy system that is going to satisfy both companies’ needs. â€Å"This companies merges can harm communications within the companies, especially if the companies adopt distance working and mobile sales and service teams† (MacKechnie, 2013). Chrysler & Fiat need effort and time to fulfill this goal. Both sides should embrace flexibility and equalities because I believe that these will solve the mergin g issues that would cause conflicts at the initial stage. After they overcome the internal structure goals they could minimize bigger conflicts in the future. This first step is the simplest business strategy, but it is the most important aspect of business. It is better for them to consider this step rather than decide to quickly go out to find the profit as soon as possible. It is going to raise unexpected circumstances that would negatively impact the alliance between Chrysler & Fiat. Thus, in order to achieve short term and long term benefit this step is the one that needs serious consideration. I believe that they will have better understanding in the future when they need to overcome the company’s problems. In addition, by understanding both sides’ views, they will focus to pursue one objective that

The Strategic Implication of E Commerce for the Design and Essay

The Strategic Implication of E Commerce for the Design and Construction Industry Article Analysis - Essay Example The main research question which is being asked by the authors of the article by Johnson and his colleagues is if the AEC industry can benefit itself and integrate e-commerce platforms into the business plans and strategic objectives of the enterprise. If the construction industry and its participants can achieve greater integration of e-commerce it is able to raise overall profits in the industry by streamlining activities that used to take greater efforts which led to unnecessary expenses now become automated activities that provide added value services to the customers. The power of the e-commerce solution is based on the achieved growth in the utilization of the platform after the turn of the century. In 2001 e-commerce in the United States generated $7931 million in revenues (Plunkett Research, 2007). Six years later in the 1st quarter in 2007 the sales volume had grown to $27,092, an overall increase of 242% over a six-year span or an average yearly growth of 40% (Plunkett Rese arch, 2007). These figures clearly illustrate evidence of the worldwide tendency to increase e-commerce dependence by all companies around the globe. The article effectively described the industry in order to evaluate possibilities that are going to integrate e-commerce solutions to increase efficiency in the AEC industry. Various case studies of different participants of the  value-added supply chain that allowed the players in the industry to obtain efficiencies associated with economies of scope, integration of resources, technological advances, information technology and other competitive advantages. The literature provided a very clear and descriptive analysis of the construction industry. The construction industry is a mature fragmented industry which is closely held with less than 25 public trading companies and plenty of small and medium closed held private enterprises.  Ã‚  

Competing Values Framework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competing Values Framework - Essay Example However, for successful implementation of this strategy, leaders have to do so by keeping the organizational culture in mind as well as understanding that the daily tensions that exist in the within their organization greatly affect their plans (Hartnell & Kinicki, 2011). The competing values framework comprises of these competing positive tensions, divided into four quadrants. For over 5 years of research and testing, results prove that competing values framework is a successful way of fostering good leadership, improving organizational effectiveness and promoting value creation. According to model, the four quadrants comprise of four hotly competing values within every organization which include collaborate, create, compete and control. In an organization’s limited resources including time, finances and labour, these four values really compete with each (Thakor, 2010). How effectively the leaders of the organization allocate for these resources determine their level of succe ss as business leaders. Their ability to respond to the tensions created by these competing values shapes the organization’s culture, practices, products and its efficiency in growing its operations (Rai, 2011). AÂ   Competing Values Framework Questionnaire developed for this purpose measures three important organizational aspects; purposes, people and practices. Purpose measures the future outcomes that a company hopes to achieve in future, practices measures the current organizational practices while people determine the individual leadership approach.... Their ability to respond to the tensions created by these competing values shapes the organization’s culture, practices, products and its efficiency in growing its operations (Rai, 2011). A Â  Competing Values Framework Questionnaire developed for this purpose measures three important organizational aspects; purposes, people and practices. Purpose measures the future outcomes that a company hopes to achieve in future, practices measures the current organizational practices while people determine the individual leadership approach of all members of the organization in their respective capacities (Moore, Kizer, & Jeon, 2011). According to Sharimllah et al (2011),the developers of the model urge business leaders to use the CVF model in measuring their level of effectiveness. Although there are different ways of defining organizational effectiveness as the competitive value model points out, companies ought to align themselves in the right definition of effectiveness. After align ing themselves, companies can thereby find an innovative potential in achieving their desired growth and outcomes. There are two ways of measuring the competing values assessment. One is at the individual level and the other at the team level. Individually, assessment focuses on the personal development and career planning ability while at the team level assessment focuses on the team development and creating a shared vision and shared valued among the group members. The initial step in competitive value framework is completion of the competing value assessment, which takes place either by the entire organizational members or by strategic business units. After

Role of Education in Society Essay Example for Free

Role of Education in Society Essay Society has certain requirements which must be met if it’s to survive; hence the role of education in society is examined in terms of how it helps to meet those needs. Firstly, society needs a certain degree of social solidarity or unity. People must feel a sense of belonging to society and a sense of loyalty to the social group. Common norms and values provide this. Secondly, every society requires a system for socializing new members. In an industrial society in which occupational status is largely achieved, young people must learn to value individual achievement. Thirdly, every society requires a system for placing people in roles best suited to their talents and abilities. This is particularly true in industrial society with a specialised division of labour. The right people must be matched with the right jobs. Lastly, for society to operate efficiently and effectively, its members must possess the necessary skills to perform essential tasks. (Harambos et al, 1986) Education attempts to develop the personality of the pupil and prepare him for membership into society. This function corresponds to the double role a person has to play in life, both as an individual and as a member of society. Schools in western societies emphasize individual achievement. The student achieves his/ her status based on their ability, talent, determination and effort. Achievement is measured by the student’s performance in examinations. Education can be seen as a system for sifting, sorting and grading people in terms of their ability. Students leave school having been thoroughly tested. In theory, the most talented will achieve the highest qualifications; the least talented will come away with little or nothing to show for their efforts (Harambos et al, 1986) The vision for the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocation Training and Early Education (MESVTEE) is â€Å"to guide the provision of education for all Zambians so that they are able to pursue knowledge and skills, manifest excellence in performance and moral uprightness, defend democratic ideals and accept and value other persons on the basis of their personal worth and dignity, irrespective of gender, religion, ethnic or any other discriminatory characteristic (Ministry of Education, 2000) The Ministry of Education emphasizes that the child is placed at the center of the entire education process which exists solely for the sake of the learner. It also recognizes that each child is unique. This contributes a rich diversity to the whole education system. The aim of school education is to promote the full and ell rounded development of the physical, intellectual, social, effective, moral and spiritual qualities of all pupils so that each can in turn develop into a complete person, for his/ her personal fulfilment and the good of society (Ministry of Education, 1996) The education system in Zambia is divided into four major parts. These parts include lower and middle basic school; upper basic school; high school; and higher education. The education system for the lower and middle basic levels is concerned with the pupils’ complete needs: those of the body, mind, affective, social; moral and spiritual needs. The system at this stage allows for adaptation of some aspects of the curriculum to match local needs and circumstances. This stage provides pupils with a substantial and recognizable preparation for life. Ministry of Education, 1996) The upper basic system builds on the foundation laid at the lower levels, though the programme of activities is just broadened and balanced to allow for treatment at an in-depth appropriate for the level of education, age and experience of the pupils. Education at this level includes issues like Education for democracy, which allows these young Zambians to acquire an understanding of the values that have shaped society and the practices that have preserved it; literacy and numeracy which allows them to read and write correctly, clearly and confidently in both their Zambian language and in English, and to acquire basic numeracy and problem solving skills for them to function effectively in society; science and technology helps the pupils develop processes of scientific thinking. This ability to think scientifically and understand scientific processes has become a condition for survival in society; practical and technical subjects provide compensation for traditional knowledge and practical skills that students would have acquired if they had not been attending school. They also provide a way of experiencing and dealing with the physical world. (Ministry of Education, 1996) Since upper basic education may be the only formal education the majority of pupils will likely get, the basic education system should adequately prepare the pupils for life after school; hence issues such as health and personal well being, Sexuality and personal relationships are tackled at this level. This is coupled with helping the students to develop socially acceptable habits. In these studies, effort is complemented by the home, community and society at large. This enables the pupils shape for themselves their own personal philosophy of life, by internalizing and adopting their own set of values and attitudes which would direct their own lives. (Ottaway, 1962) Performing and creative arts helps the pupils develop knowledge of and a deeper appreciation for Zambia’s rich cultural heritage and thereby contribute to the preservation and development of this heritage. Co-curricular activities also help pupils develop life skills which equip them with positive social behaviour and coping with negative pressure. High school builds on the foundation laid in upper basic school. High school aims at the integrated and comprehensive development of each pupil’s potential, enabling the pupil adopt adult life and make a useful contribution to society. It also develops the intellectual skills and qualities, foster creativity, imagination resourcefulness and innovativeness and provide occasion for their practical exercise. It also promotes extensive knowledge, exact skills and accurate understanding of areas of study. (Ministry of Education, 1996) When progressing from one level of the education system to the next, evaluation and assessments are conducted. This is in order to determine whether the education system is achieving its objectives, and that it is producing the right caliber of graduates expected by society. Society’s interest is on the public exams that mark the end of one stage of education and serve as a selection instrument for the next stage. (Ministry of Education, 1977) In conclusion, the education system in Zambia is inclined towards the new sociology of education because emphasis is placed on the individual development of the pupil’s potential. Throughout the whole progression from lower basic to high school, focus is placed on the development of the pupil’s skills individually. Pupils therefore develop knowledge of and a deeper appreciation for Zambia’s rich cultural heritage and thereby contribute to the preservation and development of this heritage throughout the whole education system.

The Harvard Model of HRM Management Essay

The Harvard Model of HRM Management Essay Introduction The closing of the twentieth century has given rise to a vast debate concerning the response of human resource management to the changing external and internal environment of the firm. The late 1990s found the literature somehow settled on the necessity of strategic HRM, but concerned about the new roles that the HR function should adopt in order to meet contemporary organizational challenges (e.g. Kochan, 1997).The strategic role of the HR function means being involved in strategic planning from the outset and not only during the implementation phase and matching employee resources with business needs. This role is expected to occupy significantly more of the HR practitioners time in the future (Anderson, 1997). However, this does not mean that the administrative role will cease to exist, although there is an inherent tension between the outlook required for a strategic HR role and that of the HR specialist in a traditional role (Beer, 1997). One of the important aspects of the chan ging environment especially relevant to management is the information revolution HRM MODEL The early HRM Model Devanna( 1984) emphasizes the interrelatedness and coherence of HRM activities. The HRM cycle in this model consists of four key components: Selection, appraisal, Development and rewards. (figure ). These four HR activities aim to increase organisational performance .The weakness of the model is its apparent perspective nature, it ignores the shareholders interest. The strength of the model, however, is that it express the coherence of internal HR policies. Figure Devanna (1984) model of HRM. The Harvard model of HRM The analytical framework of the Harvard model offered by Beer et al .consists six basic components: Situation factors Stakeholder interests HRM policy choices HR outcomes Long-term consequences Feedback loop through which the output flow directly into the organisation and to the stakeholders Source: (Beer et al 1984) Rationale for  HRM evaluation The notion that HR function should move beyond its administrative and controlling roles and value has been popular in the US management for long time. Druker, theAmerican management guru, suggested , for example that HR Department should behave differently and demonstrate its strategic capabilities , needing itself away from concern with the cost of employees to concern with their yield . According to Phllips (1999) , there are seven points in the management thinking and practices that changed the role HR. Organisational change Flexibility and productivity improvements The adoption of HR strategies The increased importance of human capital Increased accountability Partnership relationships The growing use of HR information systems HR Strategy HR strategies are here taken to mean the patterns of decision regarding HR policies and practices that are used by management to design work and select , train, develop, appraise, motivate and control workers Resource based model of HR Strategy Barney argues that four characteristics of resources and capabilities value, rarity, inimitability and non- substitutability- are important in sustaining competitive advantage. From this perspective, collective learning in the workplace on the part of managers and non managers, basically on how to coordinate workers diverse knowledge and skills and integrate diverse information technology , is strategic asset that rivals find to difficult to replicate. Figure 3summarizes the relationship between resources and capabilities strategies and sustain competitive advantage Figure: The relationship between resource endowments, strategies and sustained competitive advantage.. SHAPE Firms resources and capabilities Value Rarity Inimitability Non-substitutability Strategies Sustained competitive advantage Source: Barney (1991) An integrated model of HR Strategy Bamberger and Meshoulam (2000) integrate the two main models of HR strategy , one approach focusing on logic of managerial control , other focusing on the acquisitions of employees . These two dimensions have four different ideal types of dominant HR strategy. Commitment Collaborative Paternalistic Traditional Figure: Categorizing human resource management strategies. Source (Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000.) The commitment HR strategy is characterised as focus on the internal development of employee and outcome control Traditional HR is focusing on employee competencies and process bases control The collaborative HR strategy focusing on the organisation subcontracting work and the performance of the company The paternalistic HR strategy involves the learning opportunities and internal promotion of the company. HRM and Performance model For HR measure , demonstrating the link between HRM strategy and organisational performance requires the measurement of some sets of variables. The methodology for ensuring high internal validity would ideally permit a calculation of how different HRM strategies or individual practices affect economic performance while controlling the other factors that might influence those performance outcomes. Figure 4 demonstrates a basic model showing that relationship HRM practices and organisation performance. The HRM value model indicates the overall relationship between three elements. HRM HR performance measures at both individual employee and work team levels Organisational performance measure Figure Human Resource management-organisation performance model (Source; Phillips 1999) SHRM SHRM and Organisational performance link HR strategy, through a diverse range of best practices, shapes employee knowledge and skills, enhances work motivation and provides the opportunity and the means for employees to contribute. These three interrelated processes are shown in figure. Central to the model is the notion that HRM research is required to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of SHRM in order to ensure its contribution and value added to the organisation.( Bratton and Gold 2007) Figure 2. A general theory of SHRM -organisation performance link Source :Bratton and Gold 2007, p 552 Strategy: A strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to exploit core competencies and gain a competitive advantage. In the sense, strategies are purposeful and precede the taking of actions to which they apply (Slevin and Covin, 1997). Business-level strategy is designed to provide value to customers and gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific, individual product markets (Dess et al., 1995). Thus, a business-level strategy reflects a firms belief about where and how it has an advantage over its rivals. Business strategies are concerned with a firms industry position relative to competitors (Porter, 1985). Thus, favourably positioned firms may have a competitive advantage over their industry rivals Hierarchy of strategy: Another aspect of strategic management in the multidivisional business organisation concerns the level to which strategies issues apply. Various authors identify different level of strategy. See figure Corporate Business Functional Figure: Hierarchy of strategy decision making. (Bratton and Gold 2007) Corporate level strategy describes a corporations overall direction in terms of its general philosophy towards the growth and the management of its various business units. Such strategies determine the types of business a corporation wants to be involved in and what business unit should be acquired, modified or sold.( Bratton and Gold 2007) Business level strategy deals with decision and actions pertaining to each business unit, the main objective of a business level strategy being to make the unit more completive in its marketplace. Therefore, Porter (1985) formulates the frameworks that describe three competitive strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and focus. (see figure) Figure: Porters competitive strategies. Strategy-HRM fit The link between strategy and human resource practice has been discussed by a number of researchers. Devanna et al.1984 state that the strategy- HRM relationship is essentially an extension of Chandlers structure follows strategy thesis. They argue that management theorists and practitioners begin to realize the importance of human resources as they grapple with the problem of strategy implementation. It was realized that besides establishing a compatible structure, the successful implementation of a strategy also has to be supported by an appropriate human resource system. Relationship between business strategy and HRM According to contingency theory ( Porter, 1985; Schuler and Jackson, 1987), HRM practices must be combined with specific business strategies if they are to enhance organizational performance. Firms that use a cost-reduction strategy must rigorously control and minimize expenses, and strive for greater economies of scale. Efficiency is important for firms to succeed. Behaviour control increases predictability by routinizing the transformation process, this includes the following HRM practices: standard operating procedures, behavioural performance appraisal, close supervision, and feedback. By attempting to regulate action, this approach to HRM focuses on issues such as reliability and efficiency. These arguments lead to the following hypothesis: HRM based on behaviour control is positively related to performance for firms emphasizing cost-reduction as business strategy. HRM based on input control is positively related to performance for firms emphasizing innovation as business strategy HRM based on output control is positively related to performance for firms emphasizing quality-enhancement as business strategy Organisation change perspective SHRM SPERSPECTIVE HRM and TQM According to Dale (1999, p. 9), TQM is the mutual cooperation of everyone in an organization and associated business processes to produce products and services which meet and, hopefully, exceed the needs and expectations of customers. According to Dessler (2000, p. 678), HRM is the policies and practices one needs to carry out the people or human resource aspects of a management position including recruiting, screening, training, rewarding and appraisals Linkage between HRM and TQM HRM and TQM tend to focus on creating such a high performance culture or system. This can be done by the introduction of so-called Best Practices or high performance work practices (HPWPs) that will deliver sustainable competitive advantage towards the organization. In other words, both HRM and TQM focus on creating sustained competitive advantage through high performance work practices such as leadership, empowerment, teamwork, employee development, rotation and pay for performance. Thus, TQM and HRM both underline the existence of forms of HPWS that drive organizations towards excellent performance (Boselie and van der Wiele,2002). Many commentators argue that in order to be fully successful and self-sustaining TQM requires an extensive refashioning of HRM practices (e.g. Dale et al., 1994;), whose elements consist of essentially dimensions of human resource management. Empowerment Empowerment is one of the HRM/TQMs powerful instruments for a quality culture that encourages employee involvement, motivation, satisfaction, deliberate wilfulness to stay and loyalty towards the organization (Geralis and Terziovsky, 2003). One way of empowering employees is to give them the resources, responsibility and authority to plan, organize, implement, measure their work and make decisions that are necessary for them to maximize their contribution towards the organization with efficient and effective operation Training and development Training and development have been recognized as essential to the implementation of HRM/TQM (Snape et al., 1995). It leads to increase employees job involvement, facilitates the updating of skills, leads to an increased sense of belonging, well-being and benefit, increase commitment towards the organization and strengthen the organizations competitiveness (Acton and Golden, 2002). According to Cherrington (1995), a successful training and development program would create more favourable employee attitudes; loyalty and help employees in their personal development and job involvement. Moreover, Zhang (1999) stressed the importance of training and development for continual updating and improvement, identifying one source of human motivation at work as intrinsic motivation and involvement; growing; learning and developing ones self. Reward and recognition Reward and recognition can be defined as benefits, such as increased salary, bonuses and promotion resulting from the annual review of performance, which is conferred for public acknowledgement of superior performance with respects to goals (Juran and Gryna, 1993). Rewards for quality efforts appear to have a significantly positive relationship to employee morale (Kassicieh and Yourstone, 1998). According to Herzbergs (1996) hygiene/motivator theory, recognition is one of the four motivators, which can contribute to employee attitudes (i.e. job involvement) when it is present. Reward and recognition activities are valued by employees, and therefore provide motivation or incentives, if executed appropriately, can, to a certain degree, secure employees involvement to their jobs and make their jobs more enjoyable and thus, creating an overall involvement within the respective organization. Organizational communication Organizational communication can be defined as the process of sharing information with other individuals (Troutt et al., 1995). It is critical within organizations for connecting employees and permits organizations to function, as well as an essential element to the implementation of HRM/TQM (Gray and Laidlaw, 2002) Employee participation Employee participation is a process for empowering members of an organization to make decisions and to solve problems appropriate to their levels in the organization. Cassar (1999) reported employee participation is one of the most researched contemporary management practices, primarily because it is often associated with enhancing employees positive attitudes and behaviours in the workplace. Also, through participation, employees will envision their jobs as more enjoyable, resulting in increasing levels of job involvement towards the organization Customer focus According to Philips (1995), customer focus can be defined as the degree to which a firm continuously satisfies customer needs and expectations. Morrow (1997) reported that customer focus is evident in the job design principle, which emphasizes on (among other things) establishing client relationship and feedback and, in turn, is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, communication, job involvement and more favourable perceptions of the work outcome. SHRM AND CULTURE SHRM- CULTURE FEXIBILITY RECREMENT AND SELECTION VALUE ANAYSIS HR PLANNING JOB DESIGN EMPLOYEEMENT RELATION TQM INNOVATION Flexibility Rapid advance in technology and the pressure exerted to respond to global markets are said to be having a significant effect on work patterns, work location and work times ,although some survey evidence suggests such claims may be exaggerated ( Taylor 2002) . In planning how to respond, many organisations involve the idea of flexibility . Type of flexibility The flexible firm by Atkinson 91985) identifies four types of flexibility; Functional : a firms ability to adjust and deploy the skills of its employee to match the tack required by its changing workload and production methods Numerical: a firms ability to adjust the level of labour inputs to meet fluctuations in output. Distancing strategies: the replace of internal workers with external subcontractors, referred to as outsourcing Financial: support for the achievement of flexibility through the pay and reward structure. Employment flexibility and HRM Flexibility is an ambiguous and ill-defined concept ( Mayne et al., 1996). The flexibility debate tends to concentrate on the notions of functional and numerical flexibility and the implications of adopting either one or the other. Functional flexibility is usually seen as the ability to respond to changes in business needs by having multi-skilled, adaptable and internally mobile employees (Blyton and Morris, 1992). It requires a skilled and committed workforce that can only be achieved by investing in training and long-term employment relationships and is, therefore, connected with the establishment of internal labour markets and primary sector employment. Numerical flexibility, on the other hand, is the ability of the firm to vary the quantity of work employed to match changes in the business needs. It represents a cost-cutting approach that looks to externalise the employment relationship, and is associated with short-term and precarious employment conditions in the secondary labo ur market segment, under which workers have little incentive or opportunity to be functionally flexible. Flexible working Stredwick and Ellis(2005) suggest key advantages of flexing working . For business, there is the chance to exploit the 24 hours economy and open new labour markets that avoid traditional working hours patterns. Employee seem to like flexible working too, achieving far more in the flexible mode with no desire to go back traditional working patterns. According to the (Department of Trade and Industry, 2003, P 12) there are ranges of possible ways of working hours. They are as bellow. Annualized hours Compressed hours Flexitime Home working Job- sharing Shift-sharing Staggered hours Term-time working INNOVATION

Analysis of the Housing Market in the UK

Analysis of the Housing Market in the UK Introduction For most people in the UK, as in other countries, the purchase of a house is the single largest expenditure they ever make. In contrast with other purchases, a house is not only something that provides highly desirable services – convenient and independent housing – but it is also the single largest element of household wealth. For homeowners, this asset motive for buying a house is becoming increasingly important. As a store of value, houses are increasingly becoming both a critical component in households’ long term financial planning as well as a basis for raising consumption. Just like possessing a portfolio of valuable stocks and bonds, owning a house whose market price amounts to greater wealth. It follows, then, that a change in the market value of a house will change the owner’s wealth, and, consequently, the owner’s consumption expenditure. While the housing market in the U.K. has experienced several dramatic phases in the past three decades[1], its behavior in the last decade or so is not only without precedence but it is also a reflection of a fundamental transformation in the economy’s financial system. Whether being labeled as the product of ‘irrational exuberance’[2] or being described as a ‘bubble’, housing market developments have spawned a wide body of thinking that is increasingly taking on a nervous tone – especially among economists. A quick survey of the macroeconomic literature related to the housing market reveals that the period from the late 1990’s to around 2004 saw a confluence of several phenomena that seem to be related via a series of strong theoretical linkages. Key among these are historically high levels of home-ownership and housing wealth, an extreme housing-price boom, a generously liberal credit regime, unanticipated levels of borrowing, the lowest interest rates in generations, massive consumption expenditures/dangerously low savings rates, general economic prosperity, and, a rising trend in bankruptcies and house possessions. The objective of this project is to highlight the linkage between housing wealth and consumption expenditures with special focus on the events of the last decade. Given the nature of macroeconomic linkages, it turns out that in order to study this relationship in the context of UK, it is necessary to tell an economic tale that incorporates all of the phenomena mentioned above. While there are rather straightforward theoretical reasons as to how and why the national housing wealth affects aggregate consumption, the historical and institutional realities of the financial industry, the changing consumer behavior with respect to credit, the evolving demography etc. have played an important role in shaping this relationship in the UK. Over two-thirds of UK households owned their home and it is typcially their biggest investment they make. At the aggregate level, housing wealth is now greater than the size of their financial holdings[3]) and it is distributed in a considerably more equitable manner across socioeconomic and demographic segments as compared to the latter. Such investments bring reasonable returns over the long term, and in the last five years house price appreciation has more than doubled the value of the stock. It follows, then, that changes in housing wealth have the potential, in theory, to have sizeable effects on consumption, GDP, unemployment etc. The theoretical mechanism by which changes in housing wealth are transmitted into consumer demand, called the ‘wealth effect’ (discussed in detail later in the paper), is of critical importance to the economy because its impulses also affect an array of other macroeconomic variables and processes. Clearly, the ability to draw on this major store of purchasing power has serious implications for the financial health and prosperity of homeowners and, hence, the economy. With respect to access to the ‘frozen’ housing equity, the UK experience has been uniquely successful as compared to those of almost all other OECD countries. A series of policy moves to deregulate and ‘liberalize’ lending practices resulted in democratizing the credit market such that loan products once provided to the privileged, became common-place. Households that had faced credit barriers could now affordably borrow large amounts thus unleashing the power of the wealth effect. Therefore, the ways in which UK households obtain and dispose off the equity is of particular interest to this study.[4] This paper is organized as follows: the next section lays out the key issues involved in this study; the third section discusses the theoretical and analytical matters concerning the wealth effect in the context of the recent UK housing boom; the fourth section surveys the empirical research in this area; the fifth section presents the empirical work done for the study, including a description of the findings from regression analysis using Microfit; and the last section offers some conclusions from the work. (There are graphs and figures associated with the text and they are appended at the end.) A Review of the Peculiar Issues and Macroeconomics of the UK Housing Market Nature of the boom With focus on the 1995-2004 period, this section lays out the key issues involved in understanding of the structure and strength of the relationship between housing wealth and consumption. At the outset it is necessary to have an overview of developments in UK’s housing market during the pertinent period to highlight the generation of housing wealth, the manner in which it is accessed in the form of equity, and channels of disbursement of the equity. The UK housing market became truly energized in the mid-to-late 1990’s, beginning with a property boom in the London area and then gradually spreading to virtually every region. Homeownership levels reached historic levels and so did the share of ‘buy-to-let’ residential investments in the country’s portfolio. Using data published by Halifax-Bank of Scotland, Graph 1 provides the salient market metrics: the price boom accelerated to push the price of the typical house from around  £61,000 in 1995 to over  £161,000 by 2004 – an increase of over 160%; not only was the speed and tenacity of housing prices unprecedented, the annualized percentage growth rate seem to rise with the level of prices. Far from being a localized phenomenon, this housing boom covered the entire UK, as Graph 2 demonstrates. While, the origin of the boom was in Greater London and the Southeast in the mid 1990’s, it quickly enveloped East Anglia and the Southwest. However, by 2001 the boom entered its most vigorous phase as it spread to the peripheral regions with prices almost doubling in a five-year period. Since most of the home purchases are financed through mortgages, the two variables that shape housing demand decisions are the interest rate and property prices. As it turned out, with historically low nominal lending rates (see discussion later), the home prices was the chief determinant behind purchases. The feeding frenzy that was the housing market pumped prices to such a level that placed typical accommodations out of reach of most would-be buyers. The Affordability Index, calculated as the ratio of housing prices to household disposable income, rose from 3.09 in 1995 to 5.45 in 2004. It is useful to note that higher aggregate housing wealth can be a product of a rise in housing prices and/or a growth in the stock of housing. As is displayed in Graph 3, the early 1980’s saw housing wealth grow due to a steady rise in prices while in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s we see stability in it despite declining prices. There was rising home ownership during all three intervals; in the early 1980’s it was engendered by the privatization of some public housing [5, p. 12] while the late 1980’s and early 1990’s it was due to stimulated demand spurred by declining prices and interest rates. With housing prices rising at around 20% per annum, vast slices of society saw the value of their homes reach unseen levels as the market injected equity. This store of equity was virtually a battery filled with purchasing power that was steadily getting charged by the market and that could be tapped into, if needed, to finance purchases. Halifax (2005) reports on it website that at the end of 2005, UK’s housing wealth reached a historic peak at  £3,408 billion which amounts to triple the figure in 1995 with the last five years seeing a 60% increase. As Graph 3 illustrates, since the mid-1990’s the unprecedented spurt in housing wealth can be attributed mainly to rising prices. Clearly, an index of housing prices is an excellent proxy for housing wealth. [5] What generated the price boom? As compared to the preceding 15 years, the last decade saw the housing market subjected to a variety of macroeconomic and financial forces. Following Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) and Farlow (2004), one can identify demand- and supply-side factors responsible for shaping the current housing market. On the demand side, the key market forces were: According to Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) the early 1980’s saw a sustained campaign of liberalization of the credit market that led to increased competition among banks and non-traditional lenders, rampant development of new credit products, and enhanced capacity of banks to create liquidity; all of which made obtaining housing loans easier and a more egalitarian process by lowering transaction costs. [6] Low and declining interest rates pushed down the cost of mortgage credit thereby stimulating housing demand; Macroeconomic prosperity with higher disposable income and lowered unemployment rates allowed for more purchasing power; Expectations of continuous expansion and future employment created an optimism among households Despite an ageing population, members of typical home-buying age-cohort (especially baby-boomers) saw their households grow, thus creating a greater demand for family housing; And lastly, the explosion in ‘buy-to-let’ purchases led to a massive speculative demand fueled by expectations of sustained housing price increases. On the supply side, the major market forces according to Farlow (2004) and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003)were: a low price-elasticity of supply due to a combination of policy regulations, regional scarcity of land, and lags in obtaining licence/local approval; Scarcity of existing housing available for purchase i.e. low vacancy rate; Rising costs of construction, especially due to labour shortage and rising prices of materials. When a strong level of demand and a limited and inelastic housing supply are combined, one can see why prices have risen so quickly. Housing wealth vs. Financial Wealth To understand the rising significance of the recently acquired housing wealth, it is interesting to compare it with the ownership of financial assets in UK. Housing remains UK’s greatest asset with the total of shares, bonds, and cash amounting to  £1.6 trillion. In the past, financial assets pensions and holdings of shares, bonds, and bank accounts accounted for bulk of the nation’s wealth. However, recent history has created housing as the asset that is held more widely and equitably – across geographic regions, age cohorts, and income groups – than financial wealth. Pensions were clearly concentrated among the older age groups and the bulk of other financial assets were held largely by a small opulent minority. Data provided by National Statistics (www.statistics.gov.uk) and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2004) describe UK’s home ownership as widespread across all income and age categories with older segments having a larger rate. Whereas shares and bonds are owned largely by people in higher income groups – for obvious reasons – the housing boom has proved to be a moderating or equalizing force as all homeowners have benefited from rising property values.[7] The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002) provides some supporting evidence in this respect. The study finds that because of the relatively even distribution of recent gains, housing wealth has become more important than non-pension financial wealth, especially in the 50+ age group. The following table shows that not only is the typical size of housing wealth ownership greater than net financial wealth (non-pension), but that it is far less concentrated across society as reflected by the lower inter-quartile ratio and lower Gini coefficient. Table 1. Net Housing Wealth approx. Net Financial Wealth – approx. Mean  £73,000  £44,000 Median  £52,000  £12,000 Inter-quartile ratio 5.14 69.3 Gini Coefficient 0.575 0.761 Source: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002), IFS. The data shown in Graph 4 reveals though financial wealth had dominated all through the 1990’s, the rapid growth of housing wealth since the mid 1990’s coupled with the stock market bust has again placed the two neck and neck. Even with parity in value, the prominence that housing wealth commands in the national balance sheet is the consequence of its relatively equitable distribution and the fact that in spite of recent volatility in housing prices, it is historically far more reliable as an investment than the market value of corporate shares – the dominant component of financial assets. With growth in house prices outstripping the growth in mortgage debt, mortgage equity has increased from  £700 billion in 1995 to  £2.4 trillion at the end of 2005 – a 250% increase. In real terms, the last five years have seen the value of housing stock rise by over 60%. Thanks to housing values rising faster than mortgage debt in each of the last ten years, UK homeowners now have a greater financial buffer for leaner times. Ten years ago, the typical home was worth 2.8 times as much as the typical mortgage; at the end of 2005, this ratio had increased to 3.5, underlining the fact that the country has more equity than a decade ago. Tapping into housing wealth A survey of related literature from Bridges et al (2004), Davey (2001), Farlow (2004), Nickell (2004), and Salt and Macdonald (2004) reveals a variety of ways in households can access the equity stored in the residences. The manner in which a particular household harvests equity depends on the circumstances under which the action is taken. Table 2 below has categorized the possible scenarios. The table explains that households that continue to occupy their home can draw equity by re-mortgaging, i.e. borrow by treating their property as collateral. Households who move could access equity either by over-mortgaging the new home, or by buying a cheaper house in the new location, or by selling their house move to a rental unit (thereby liquidating their asset and obtaining the entire stock of equity). The last possibility covers cases where the owner id deceased or leaves the country, leading to the final sale of the house and the release of 100% of the equity. Table 2. Category of Homeowners Method of Extracting Equity Houseowners retaining possession Re-mortgaging: by taking out additional mortgage(s), borrowers could access equity up to a maximum percentage of value Houseowners that move Down-grading: these households move to a cheaper home, thereby harvesting the equity that equals the difference between the value of sale and the portion of mortgage that was owed Over-mortgaging: these households move to a new residence but manage to obtain a mortgage loan that exceeds the value of the new purchase. This typically occurs in regional markets where there is strong expectations of continuous property-value appreciation Final sale with return to rental: some households sell their houses in order to move to a rental property ostensibly due to either lack of affordability (those with diminished earnings) or convenience (mostly the elderly and the infirm) Households in which the owner(s) are deceased Final sale: when the owners dies, the property is sold with the receipts being used for purposes other than purchase of a house Having harvested the equity, how a given household’s chooses to allocate it across possible uses depends on a range of socio-economic and demographic factors like income level, family size, amount and composition of wealth, age(s) of the members, their geographical location, and even their ethnicity. The following section provides a detailed discussion of the conversion of equity into a specific one use – consumption. Housing wealth and the consumption function: Theory, Analysis, and UK Evidence In this section we begin with outlining the macroeconomic theory behind the consumption function with special reference to the wealth effect. The aim is to both explain the causal relationships behind the various ways in changes in the housing market can impact consumption as well as to identify the factors and circumstances under which the wealth effect might be weakened. The issues in this discussion are with explicit reference to the specific case of the UK. The original Keynesian consumption function was presented as: C = a + bYd(1) Where C denotes real consumption, ‘a’ is the autonomous consumption expenditures, ‘b’ is the parameter symbolizing the marginal propensity to consume (hereafter, mpc) that was postulated as being a constant fraction, and Yd the real disposable income. Shifts in the consumption function are considered as being caused by ‘shocks’ or changes in variables other than Yd. Given the historical period when Keynes first conceived this relationship, it is not surprising that income was the chief driver of consumer spending. Presumably, because wealth was highly concentrated within the aristocracy and credit was a privilege for the few, Keynes decided to lump all non-income influences on consumption into the autonomous term. Over time, with growing sophistication of macroeconomic theory and of market-based economies in general, the consumption function came to be recognized as the following general formulation: C = Æ’(Yd, Real Interest Rate, Price Level, Wealth, Expectations)(2) This explicitly recognized the influence of, among other variables, wealth on consumption decisions, i.e. the wealth effect. However, the formulation stuck with the original assumption of the mpc being constant. That, after all, was acceptable because Keynes’s thinking was anchored in short run considerations and the assumption of unchanging consumers’ sensitivity to income changes was consistent with the model. However, empirical testing of the formulation revealed that not only did the mpc vary with the length of time over which the estimation was conducted (it increased with time), but that its value tended to approach one. This certainly cast a cloud over the consumption function’s relevance and reliability in terms of explaining behaviour.[8] With new thinking about consumption expenditures and about the time-horizon over which a household’s economic decisions were made, two new theories emerged. The Life Cycle Hypothesis (LCH)[9] and the Permanent Income Hypothesis (PIH)[10] both began from the fundamentally un-Keynesian assumption that households make decisions based on their assessment of not only the present but also the anticipated or likely future circumstances. In addition, both also held that rational spending and hence saving decisions necessarily involved long term planning – plausibly for rainy days, growth in family size, and old age. According to Miller (1996) and Gordon (2003), the LCH assumes that permanent incomes are determined over the entire lifetime of the consumer, with allowance for a transitory element that depends on the consumer’s professional status. While the lifetime-oriented income could rise or fall in response to changes in productivity and unexpected events, consumption is smoothed and maintained at an even keel with dissaving (or borrowing) making up any shortfall in spending power. Similarly, in boom periods households save and accumulate purchasing power as wealth for future use. The long term level of income is assumed to follow a smooth path. Clearly, wealth plays a critical part in this model as the household accumulates savings in periods when smoothed consumption is below income. Similarly, as needed, wealth is accessed or made liquid for spending when planned consumption exceeds earnings.[11] The theoretical significance of the LCH – which forms the basis of much of the empirical research reviewed – is easy to see because the way it explicitly incorporates the wealth effect into the household’s lifetime decision horizon with respect consumption, it makes it convenient to model housing wealth. Like the stylized household in the model that begins income-earning phase of her life with modest income and some debt (incurred because of current consumption expenditures exceeding lifetime income), the typical new homeowner is relatively young with a mortgage debt that is several times her annual income and little in terms of savings. Over time, in the absence of tumultuous booms, population and income growth in the economy lead to a steady rise in property values and mortgage equity accumulates. With growing needs for durables, the homeowner then has the possibility of ‘cashing in’ some of the stored housing wealth when current income and savings prove inadequate, much in the same way as the theoretical consumer enters a life-phase during which dissaving takes place. The key idea here is that just like the accumulated housing equity is part of purchasing power for the lifetime, the consumption decision also cannot be inconsistent with a long term budgetary process. This model also suggests that there are periods (or life phases) in the household’s lifetime when wealth is accumulated and when it is used up in the form of consumption. This clearly defines when and under what circumstances mortgage equity is spent. For a young family that continues to occupy a house, the prime motivation is to accumulate equity and harvest it for emergencies or for planned increases in spending that are in balance with expected lifetime earnings which presumably are adjusted for the debt service associated with the additional mortgage. This scenario is consistent with, say, a home improvement project that allows for a larger or growing family or with purchase of durables for a similar purpose. For older homeowners who are approaching retirement or are actually retired, withdrawing equity is consistent with their position in the ‘life-cycle’. Since the income stream is either expected to end or has ended, spending decisions warrant the use of sa vings and/or mortgage equity withdrawals (MEW). Critical to this model is how it treats the rapidly accumulated wealth gains due to a market-driven housing price boom like UK just experienced. Analyzing the housing wealth effect in the context of the LCH, Bridges et al (2004) liken the rise in housing wealth to raising the household’s lifetime budget constraint. Assuming easy access to credit, they identify two pertinent theoretical relationships: one between housing price increases and the lifetime incomes of the wealthier households and the other between housing wealth and the newly acquired debt obligations of the re-mortgaging households. In theory, then, higher housing prices generate wealth effects depending on whether or not the price change is interpreted as permanent or temporary. If households perceive the gains to be permanent or unlikely to be reversed by a sudden housing bust (like what the UK witnessed in the 1980’s and early 1990’s), then it amounts a rise in lifetime income and higher consumpti on expenditures induced by it are ‘allowed.’ On the other hand if the price (and wealth) increases are due to random market activity and will most likely be followed by a decline, then the realized buildup of mortgage equity ought to be regarded as a temporary development and no serious consumption outlays need be planned to spend it. LCH holds that households that are pleasantly surprised by equity gains and choose to borrow against it for extravagance or pleasure spending are fully aware of the future debt-service implications and have made the necessary budgetary calculations that reveal that these actions related to the wealth-effect are compatible with their lifetime income. Curiously, O’Sullivan and Hogan (2003) report that Ireland also experienced a housing boom (though not as extreme as the one in UK), but that there were no signs of a wealth effect. This was presumably because Irish consumers did not put much faith in the housing market’s longevit y and construing the recent price gains as transitory, let the accumulated equity stay ‘frozen.’ However, it is possible that there were indeed impulses related to a housing wealth effect but simultaneously counteracting forces offset it, resulting in generally unchanged aggregate consumption.[12] The above discussion opens up three related and important issues: (i) the process by which accumulated housing wealth translates into consumption expenditure, i.e. the anatomy of the wealth effect in the housing context, (ii) the implications of multiple possible uses of MEW for the strength of the wealth effect, and (iii) other macroeconomic factors that can offset the wealth effect or perhaps prevent it from materializing. Anatomy of the Housing Wealth Effect There are two channels through which homeowners are able to raise their consumption via the wealth effect. As explained above, one way for homeowners to convert their housing wealth is by harvesting mortgage equity MEW. Table 2 outlined the variety of ways in which households obtain equity. Benito and Power (2004), Bridges et al (2004), and Davey (2001) provide insight into how MEW has become a major source of consumer financing in the UK. Graph 5 clearly shows the close relationship between housing prices and MEW[13]. Throughout the last three decades, except for the 2003-2004 interval, UK’s homeowners have reacted to the housing market’s wealth rewards. As Davey (2001) explains, MEW was relatively unimportant in the 1970’s but rose sharply in the following decade. In the early 1980’s despite a recession, MEW climbed because the period coincided with the privatization of public housing. The first half of 1990’s, however, saw a steep decline in hou seholds use of withdrawn equity.In fact there was a brief period when there was a net injection of equity into the housing stock. It could be argued that this was a reflection of a rational economic behaviour on the part of homeowners’ as they assessed a downward trend in housing prices as being detrimental to their long term finances. With a declining value of their housing wealth, UK’s homeowners cut back on withdrawals. Since the mid-1990’s price boom, that downward trend in MEW was quickly reversed. This period saw MEW grow faster than housing prices hinting at the possibility of a overly optimistic body of borrowers who expected housing prices and equity accumulation to continue rising at an ever increasing rate. Since at least part of the MEW is withdrawn by homeowners re-mortgaging their houses (see Table 2), this translates into loans secured by their properties. Halifax – BOS (2005) offer compelling evidence in this respect. They report that in 2 004, total gross lending secured by dwellings was an astronomical  £291 billion – 4% more than the previous year. The figure that was a mere  £57 billion in 1995, doubled by 1999 and with growth rates sometimes exceeding 35% had risen to five times that level in 2004. This monumental withdrawal can be interpreted as a major windfall for the homeowners who suddenly found themselves swimming in an ocean of purchasing power made available by the housing market. The other channel through which housing wealth engenders greater purchasing power in the hands of homeowners is comparatively subtle mechanism. Bridges et al (2004) discuss in great detail, how even without using their property s collateral, homeowners have gained access to ever rising amounts of unsecured credit. The rising value of housing wealth was interpreted by banks and other lenders as indicative of greater borrowing ability, i.e. greater creditworthiness. Naturally, this perception of the lenders was shaped, in part, by expectations of continuous a housing boom. A side implication of this phenomenon is that homeownership in the UK had become a screening device or filter for lenders’ decisions about whom to consider for loans. It follows that this would place renters at a disadvantage with respect to access to credit. Several studies, including Bridges at al (2004) have cited evidence of homeowners being supplied credit on terms far more favorable than those offered to non-owners. It can be reasonably expected that a large portion of the unsecured borrowing was directed toward consumption. Critical to both these channels is the issue of the ease with homeowners are able to obtain credit in lieu of their housing wealth. The mere existence of mortgage equity must be complemented with an efficient system to gain access to it for the wealth effect to take place. Benito (2004), Bridges et al (2004), and Her Majesty’s Treasury (2003) all stress that the liberalization of UK’s financial system that began in 1979 (see footnote 6 in Sec. 2) has been instrumental in creating a credit market that has facilitated the historic levels of MEW. With rising competition among banks and building societies and tremendous product innovation, the lending industry has created a series of affordable and accessible ways in which homeowners can obtain credit. All three studies portray the boom in housing prices and MEW in the UK as unique as compared to all other OECD economies. The coincidence of rising housing prices created huge reserves of withdrawable mortgage equity and supply-side changes in the form of lower restrictions on lending practices and other financial reform is responsible for the explosion in MEW sin