Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Job Satisfaction in the Malaysian Retail Sector

Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1, 73–94, January 2011 HERZBERG'S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY AND JOB SATISFACTION IN THE MALAYSIAN RETAIL SECTOR: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF LOVE OF MONEY Tan Teck-Hong* and Amna Waheed Sunway University, School of Business 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia * Corresponding author: [email  protected] edu. my ABSTRACT This paper examines what motivates employees in the retail industry , and examines their level of job satisfaction, using Herzberg's hygiene factors and motivators.In this study, convenience sampling was used to select sales personnel from women's clothing stores in Bandar Sunway shopping mall in the state of Selangor. The results show that hygiene factors were the dominant motivators of sales personnel job satisfaction. Working conditions were the most significant in motivating sales personnel. Recognition was second, followed by company policy and salary. There is a need to d elve more deeply into why salespeople place such a high importance on money.Further analysis was performed to assess how much the love of money mediates the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. Based on the general test for mediation, the love of money could explain the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. The main implication of this study is that sales personnel who value money highly are satisfied with their salary and job when they receive a raise. Keywords: Herzberg's motivation-hygiene; job satisfaction; love of money, mediator, pay satisfaction, retailing, MalaysiaINTRODUCTION This paper explores the effect of motivational variables on the job satisfaction of salespeople in the Malaysian retail sector. Retail is crucial to the economies of most countries, mainly because of its large scale at all levels; local, national and even international. The retailing sector in Malaysia has undergone continuous and significant change over the last few decades. N ew facilities ranging from superstores to retail warehouses have widened the retail landscape (Market Research, 2009).Retail has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the Malaysian economy because it is not only employs 20% of Malaysia's entire population, but is also the second largest contributor to the national GDP,  © Asian Academy of Management and Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed contributing about US$ 35 billion in 2009, with a projection of US$ 58 billion in 2014 (PwC, 2009). Tourism contributes greatly to Malaysia's retail sales growth, as shopping revenue, which totalled US$ 4. 6 billion in 2008 (Market Research, 2009), is the second highest component of the country's tourism revenue.Thus, the retail industry is considered to be a significant contributor to the growth, economy and stability of Malaysia. The retail industry is subject to various problems and challenges. First, intense competition has resulted in price wars between foreign and local retailers. The majority of modern retail operations are foreign-owned and located in urban areas, whereas local stores dominate outside urban areas. Foreign retailers in Malaysia include Daily Farm (Giant), Tesco, Jaya Jusco, and Carrefour. As reported by Bailey (2009), Giant has the greatest market share with 8%, follow by Tesco (4%), Jusco (3%) and Carrefour (2%).Most local retailers are not geared to meet the challenges of globalization and do not have sufficient knowledge to compete with foreign retailers. Second, consumers these days prefer spacious shopping areas, attractive and trendy products, and ample parking space; preferences that are a major concern of many local retail stores as they attempt to combat competition. Third, consumer demands and shopping patterns are changing. Retailers are struggling to change their marketing strategy to suit consumer preferences. Malaysian shoppers have become more knowledgeable and discerning, and are ot easily influe nced by advertisements and promotions. In addition to being price- and quality-conscious, and they also care about the service they receive in stores. According to ACNielsen (2006), 75% of customer purchase decisions are influenced by the service the customer receives. With the expansion of the retail industry, the issue of how retailers strive to capture and retain their best staff becomes relevant. The effort and contribution of employees is a key competitive advantage and is crucial to the success of the firm (Bent ; Freathy, 1997).In any institution, be it in the retail industry or any other industry, it is important for management to increase workers' productivity by allowing workers to achieve their maximum potential. Keeping sales people inspired is one of the most difficult tasks faced by retail organizations. In the retail sector, employees have a direct impact on the customer, and the employee-customer relationship is an important consideration in a company's success. Sale speople deal directly with customers, so salespeople's attitudes, behaviour, and how they treat customers will determine whether customers will be loyal to a particular retailer.Companies spend millions of dollars every year recruiting, training and compensating their sales personnel in an effort to inspire them to perform well and thus increase company profits (Susan, 2003). An unmotivated workforce could lead to high sales force supervision costs, high absenteeism, and high turnover rates. In Malaysia, sales jobs are far from 74 The mediating effect of love of money exciting, and the majority of retailers employ a large number of poorly paid parttime staff, which may contribute to low morale and high turnover.Organizations, regardless of their size, are facing retention challenges (Ramlall, 2004). Sempane (2002) mentioned that voluntary turnover is a major problem f or companies in Malaysia and that job-hopping has become a part of the country's culture. This paper explores what m otivates sales personnel in the retail industry, and explores their level of job satisfaction, using Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factor theory. Senior managers may benefit from the results of this research because they could alter their reward system to better motivate their staff, which could lead to higher job atisfaction and better performance. Based on previous research, salary seems to be very important to salespeople. However, it is reasonable to believe that the results of such findings by various scholars may be overstated. Therefore, further analysis has been conducted to examine whether there is a mediating variable affecting the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. As pointed out by Tang, Luna-Arocas, Sutarso and Tang (2004), one such mediating variable is the love of money. LITERATURE REVIEW Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory of MotivationAs pointed by Vroom (1964), the word â€Å"motivation† is derived from the Latin word movere, which means â₠¬Å"to move†. Motivation is an internal force, dependent on the needs that drive a person to achieve. Schulze and Steyn (2003) affirmed that in order to understand people's behaviour at work, managers or supervisors must be aware of the concept of needs or motives, which will help â€Å"move† their employees to act. According to Robbins (2001), motivation is a needs-satisfying process, which means that when a person's needs are satisfied by certain factors, the person will exert superior effort toward attaining organizational goals.Theories of motivation can be used to explain the behaviour and attitude of employees (Rowley, 1996; Weaver, 1998). The theories include content theories, based on the assumption that people have individual needs, which motivate their actions. Theorists such as Maslow (1954), McClelland (1961), Herzberg (1966) and Alderfer (1969) are renowned for their works in this field. In contrast to content theories, process theories identify relationship s among variables which make up motivation and involve works from Heider (1958), Vroom (1964), Adams (1965), Locke (1976) and Lawler (1973).The main focus of this paper, however, is on Herzberg's theory of motivation. 75 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, also known as the two-factor theory, has received widespread attention as having a practical approach toward motivating employees. In 1959, Herzberg published his analysis of the feelings of 200 engineers and accountants from over nine companies in the United States. These professionals were asked to describe experiences in which they felt either extremely bad or exceptionally good about their jobs and to rate their feelings on these experiences.Responses about good feelings are generally related to job content (motivators), whereas responses about bad feelings are associated with job context (hygiene factor). Motivators involve factors built into the job itself, such as achievement, recognition, re sponsibility and advancement. Hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job, such as interpersonal relationships, salary, supervision and company policy (Herzberg, 1966). In the retail setting, Winer and Schiff (1980) have conducted studies using Herzberg's two-factor theory. They found that â€Å"achievement† was the highest rated motivator.Likewise, â€Å"making more money† received the second-highest rating in the study, followed by â€Å"chances of promotion† and â€Å"recognition†. In contrast, Lucas (1985) discovered that the â€Å"supervisor-employee relationship† was a significant factor influencing worker satisfaction in a study of U. S. retail stores, and two hygiene factors were reported as significant, namely â€Å"company policy† and â€Å"relationship with peers†. Herzberg perceived motivational and hygiene factors to be separated into two dimensions affecting separate aspects of job satisfaction.This belief differed from the traditional approach of viewing job satisfaction and dissatisfaction as opposite ends of the same continuum (Herzberg, 1966). Hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction but they do not lead to satisfaction. They are necessary only to avoid bad feelings at work. On the other hand, motivators are the real factors that motivate employees at work. The two-factor theory was tested by many other researchers, who showed very different results. Some research has shown that some of the factors declared by Herzberg (1966) as hygiene factors are actually motivators.The results of Herzberg's theory can vary if the test is conducted in different industries. The differences are due to the intensity of the labour requirement and the duration of employment (Nave, 1968). Extensive commentary has emerged about how to distinguish between hygiene factors and motivators. While some factors have proved to fall clearly in one of the two categories, other factors, particularly salary, have proven to be ambig uous as to whether they are motivators or a hygiene factors. 76 The mediating effect of love of money Job SatisfactionJob satisfaction is important to an organization's success. Much research has been conducted into ways of improving job satisfaction of workers in various sectors of the Malaysian economy, including the academic sector (Wong ; Teoh, 2009; Noordin ; Jusoff, 2009), the hotel sector (Abd. Patah, Radzi, Abdullah, Adzmy, Adli Zain, ; Derani, 2009), the government sector (Yahaya, A. , Yahaya, N. , Arshad, ; Ismail, 2009), the non-profit sector (Ismail ; Zakaria, 2009), the naval sector (Mohd. Bokti ; Abu Talib, 2009), and the automobile manufacturing sector (Santhapparaj, Srinivasan, ; Koh, 2005).There has been relatively little research into the determinants of job satisfaction in the retail sector using Herzberg's two-factor theory. Therefore, this paper endeavours to address this literature gap. Previous studies generally found that job satisfaction is associated with s alary, occupational stress, empowerment, company and administrative policy, achievement, personal growth, relationship with others, and the overall working condition. It has been argued that an increase in job satisfaction increases worker productivity (Wright ; Cropanzano, 1997; Shikdar ; Das, 2003).As mentioned by Dunnette, Campbell and Hakel (1967) and Robbins (2001), job satisfaction is an emotional state in which a person perceives various features of his/her work or the work environment. Therefore, job satisfaction has a major effect on people's lives. Locke (1976) indicated that job satisfaction most commonly affects a person's physical health, mental health and social life. Moreover, Rain, Lane and Steiner (1991) wrote that job satisfaction is connected to life satisfaction, whereby people who are satisfied with their jobs will tend to be happy with their lives as well, and vice versa.Coster (1992) supported the view that work can have on people's lives. Furthermore, Breed a nd Breda (1997) indicated that job satisfaction may affect absenteeism, complaints, and labour unrest. Therefore, it is understood that satisfied workers will be much more productive and be retained within the organisation for a longer period, in contrast to displeased workers who will be less useful and who will have a greater tendency to quit their jobs (Crossman, 2003). More importantly, satisfied workers not only perform better but also provide better service to customers, which could result in improving customer satisfaction.According to Dawson (2005), employee satisfaction is associated with positive employee behaviour. It is undeniable that satisfied workers generate customers who are satisfied and loyal. It is assumed that motivation and satisfaction are very similar and that, in many cases, they are considered to be synonymous terms. According to Hersey and Blanchard (1988), motivation and satisfaction are quite different from each another in terms of reward and performance . The authors pointed out that motivation is influenced by forward-looking perceptions about the relationship 77 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed etween performance and rewards, whereas satisfaction involves how people feel about the rewards they have received. In other words, motivation is a consequence of expectations of the future while satisfaction is a consequence of past events (Carr, 2005). Huselid (1995) believes that if workers are not motivated, turnover will increase and employees will become frustrated and unproductive. Various other researchers who have investigated motivation and job satisfaction support this statement (Maidani, 1991; Tietjen ; Myers, 1998; Robbins, 2001; Parsons ; Broadbridge, 2006).Under Herzberg's (1966) theory, workers who are satisfied with both motivation and hygiene factors would be top performers, and those who are dissatisfied with both factors would be poor performers. Christopher (2005) found no support for this, and his research concluded that Herzberg's results prove accurate only under his original methodology. Theories of worker motivation address a model connecting job satisfaction, motivation and performance. Considerable importance is attached to these concepts, and there is a need for clarification on how satisfaction and motivation differ from each other.Job satisfaction is an emotional response accompanying actions or thoughts relating to work, whereas motivation is the process that activates behaviour. As satisfaction is an attitude, it is possible for a worker to be satisfied with his job but not be motivated. Hence, motivation and satisfaction are not synonymous with each other. It is vital to clarify the distinction between the concepts so that it is easier to understand that motivation leads to satisfaction, which ultimately leads to enhanced performance.The Role of Salary, the Love of Money, and Pay Satisfaction It is undeniable that sales managers always use high salary to attract, retain and motivate wor kers. Robbins (2001) pointed out that money can be considered as â€Å"scorecard† through which workers can assess how much an organization values them. However, there have been quite a few nonconformist views on the role of salary. Kochan (2002) argued that money results only in temporary obedience from workers and that money does not transform workers' attitude and behaviour in the long term.He pointed out that money only motivates workers to seek further rewards and that, in the process, can undermine workers' intrinsic interest in their jobs. Money may or may not motivate people. According to the contingency view, workers from different countries, age groups, income levels, career stages, and cultural backgrounds may rank the desire for money differently. As mentioned by Furnham (1994), the desire for money is rated higher by young workers in Far East and Middle East as compared with those in North America and South 78 The mediating effect of love of moneyAmerica. Based o n a study of 1,000 employees, Kovach (1987) showed that younger workers with low incomes are more concerned about money, whereas older workers with high incomes and management positions are motivated more by job security, interesting work and recognition. Under Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, salary is associated with the lowerlevel needs, such as physical and security needs. Maslow (1954) stat ed that once the lower-order needs are met, higher-order needs will become most important. Thus, additional salary increases do not motivate employees any further.To improve job satisfaction and performance level of workers, managers must work on motivators by providing opportunities for career advancement and development, as workers value motivators more than hygiene factors (Ramlall, 2004). As indicated in most of the literature, salary plays an important role in motivating salespeople. However, the strength of the relationship between salary and job satisfaction may be influenced by a mediator. The mediator may serve to clarify and explain how and why such relationships occur. The concept of love of money was introduced by Tang et al. 2004), who argued that the love of money reflects an employee's wants and values, and stated that someone who values money highly will be satisfied with his salary and ultimately his job when he receives a desired raise. Sloan (2002) mentioned that a person never has enough money and wants to have more money as having money is considered to be the most important goal in life. According to Lawler (1973), employees' pay satisfaction usually influences their job satisfaction. Tang et al. (2004) found that pay satisfaction is a part of job satisfaction, which could lead to higher worker productivity.Workers are inspired to achieve more and to give full effort only if they are satisfied with their pay. Lawler (1973) reported that absenteeism can result when pay dissatisfaction is present. According to Mani (2002), workers who were absent from their works frequently were not satisfied with their pay, whereas 69% who were absent once or more in six months were not satisfied with their pay. Based on the discussion above, there are two research questions for this paper. The first research question is to determine job satisfaction of sales personnel by using Herzberg's two-factor theory.The second research question is to assess whether the love of money mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and money. Research Question 1: Which of Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factors is valued more by salespeople in Malaysia? 79 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Research Question 2: To what extent does love of money mediate the relationship between money and job satisfaction? METHODOLOGY In this study, 180 sales personnel from women's clothing stores in the shopping mall of Bandar Sunway in the state of Selangor were administered a questionnaire after they had been selected through convenience sampling.Of the 180 questionnaire s, 152 were found to be useful for analysis. The other 28 questionnaires contained incomplete information. The questionnaire, written in English, was handed to the salespeople at their place of work. Researchers did not ask permission from the store manager to conduct the survey. The questionnaire included a series of statements and the respondents were asked to indicate their degree of agreement with each statement. Responses were scored on a five-point scale: 1 for â€Å"strongly disagree†, 2 for â€Å"disagree†, 3 for â€Å"neutral†, 4 for â€Å"agree†, and 5 for â€Å"strongly agree†.All questions used in the survey pertaining to determinants of job satisfaction were derived from Ewen, Smith, and Hulin (1966), Graen (1966), Sergiovanni (1966), House and Wigdor (1967), Lindsay, Marks, and Gorlow (1967), Maidani (1991), Pizam and Ellis (1999), Klassen, Usher, and Bong (2010), and Tang et al. (2004). Linear regression analysis was performed to tes t the relationship between Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factors and job satisfaction. Further analysis was performed to assess to what extent the love of money mediates the relationship between money and job satisfaction.According to Baron and Kenny (1986), testing for mediation involves a four-step process. First, the relationship between the predictor variable and the criterion variable is examined to determine whether those two variables are correlated. Second, the relationship between predictor and mediator variables were examined to determine whether those variables correlate. Third, the relationship between the mediator and the predictor on the criterion variable, controlling for the predictor, is assessed to establish the effect of the mediator on the criterion variable.Fourth, the effect of the predictor on the criterion variable, controlling for the mediator, is examined to determine whether the mediator completely or partially mediates the relationship between the predict or and the criterion variable. The effects in both step 3 and 4 are estimated in the same equation to determine whether the beta levels change. If all four of these steps are fulfilled, then the mediator completely mediates the predictorcriterion relationship. If only the first three steps are satisfied, then partial mediation is shown. 80 The mediating effect of love of moneyMotivation levels of participants were measured using the scales developed by Ewen et al. (1966), Graen (1966), Sergiovanni (1966), House and Wigdor (1967), Lindsay et al (1967), Maidani (1991), and Pizam and Ellis (1999). For each factor, several questions were asked in order to compute an average and to enhance the accuracy of the measure. A person's attachment to money was measured using eight items and employees' satisfaction with their pay was measured using three items. Both of those scales were adopted from Tang et al. (2004). Job satisfaction was measured using four items from Klassen et al. 2010) (see Appendix 1). ANALYSIS AND RESULTS A reliability test was performed to check the consistency and accuracy of the measurement scales. Table 1 shows that the results of Cronbach's coefficient alpha were satisfactory (between 0. 70 and 0. 84), indicating questions in each construct are measuring a similar concept. As suggested by Cronbach (1951) and Nunnally (1978), the reliability coefficients between 0. 70–0. 90 are generally found to be internally consistent. Table 1 Testing reliability with Cronbach's coefficient alpha The job satisfaction factors Number of items Cronbach's alpha Achievement (AC) 0. 70 Recognition (R) 3 0. 71 Advancement (AD) 2 0. 70 Work Itself (W) 3 0. 72 Growth (G) 3 0. 71 Company Policy (P) 3 0. 72 Security at Work (S) 3 0. 76 Relations with Peers (RP) 3 0. 80 Money Factor (M) 2 0. 84 Relations with Supervisor (RS) 3 0. 74 Working Conditions (WC) 2 0. 80 Love Of Money Scale (LM) 8 0. 84 Pay Satisfaction (PS) 3 0. 80 Job Satisfaction (JS) 4 0. 75 Table 2 s hows the profile of respondents in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, education level, number of years of work experience, and monthly income. Of the 81 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed 152 respondents, 91 were men (59. %) and 61 were women (40. 1%). In terms of age, 73% of the respondents were between 15 and 24 years of age, 22% in the 25–35 age range, 3. 3% in the 35–44 age range, and 1. 3% aged 45 and above. Most respondents were Chinese (46%), followed by Malays (32. 2%), and Indians (21. 3%). The education level of 76. 3% of the respondents was below an undergraduate degree. In terms of number of years of work experience, most of the respondents had 5 years or less (79. 6%), followed by 6–10 years (16. 5%), and 10 years or above (3. 9%). As for the monthly income, 39. 5% of the respondents earned between RM1,000 and RM2,000, 37. % earned less than RM1,000, and 23% earned RM2,000 and above. In this survey, respondents were generally young and had received only a primary or secondary education, which is quite similar to the profile of the respondents in the study of Parsons and Broadbridge (2006). Because about three-fourths of the respondents were less than 25 years old, the analysis may not be generalizable to the whole population of sales personnel. Older salespeople may differ from their younger colleagues in attitudes, beliefs, behaviour, and attributes related to motivation and job satisfaction. Table 2Characteristics of the respondents Respondents' characteristics Number Percentages Male 91 59. 9% Female 61 40. 1% Gender Age 15–24 111 73% 25–35 34 22% 35–44 5 3. 3% 45 and above 2 1. 3% Malay 49 32. 2% Chinese 70 46% Indian 32 21. 3% 117 76. 3% 35 23. 7% Race Education Below Bachelor's degree Bachelor's degree and above (continued) 82 The mediating effect of love of money Table 2 (continued) Respondents' characteristics Number Percentages Years of Experience 0–5 years 121 79. 6% 6–10 years 25 16. 5% 6 3. 9% Below RM1000 57 37. 5% RM1000–2000 60 39. 5% RM2000 and above 35 23% 10 and above IncomeTable 3 presents the correlation matrix of the motivational factors and job satisfaction. Work itself (r = 0. 271) and recognition (r = 0. 055) correlated in a statistically significant manner with job satisfaction at the 0. 01 level, while only achievement (r = –0. 135) was significantly correlated to job satisfaction at the 0. 05 level. As far as hygiene factors are concerned, company policy (r = 0. 017), relationship with peers (r = 0. 381), money (r = 0. 383), and working conditions (r = 0. 376) were significantly and positively associated with satisfaction. Table 3 Correlation analysis Note: * Correlation is significant at the 0. 5 level (1-tailed); ** Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (1tailed) Regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between Herzberg's two-factor theory and job satisfaction in Malaysia. To assess whether the regressio n analysis suffers from multicollinearity, the variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated. As indicated in Table 4, all VIF values are less than 5, indicating there is no multicollinearity problem in the model. The results suggested that 54% of the variance in job satisfaction in Malaysia could be explained by Herzberg's motivational and hygiene factors. The F-ratio of 14. 0 83 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed (p = 0. 00) indicated that the regression model of work motivation and satisfaction on the motivational variables assessed was statistically significant. The results also revealed that only four of the ten motivational variables were found to be significant in the Malaysian context. The analysis demonstrated that the most significant motivational variable of job satisfaction was the working condition s, indicating that salespeople value most the working environment provided by sales managers. Recognition was the second significant factor, followed by company policy, and the m oney factor.Of four main motivational variables of salespeople in Malaysia, only recognition was a significant motivator. The evidence is sufficient to conclude that hygiene factors are more effective than motivators in motivating salespeople in Malaysia. Table 4 Regression analysis (Dependent variable: Job Satisfaction) Motivational factors B Std. error t VIF AC .063 R .241* .113 .563 1. 758 .100 2. 416 1. 543 AD .039 .089 .440 1. 637 W .067 .088 .759 1. 601 G .019 .091 .215 1. 736 .215* P S RP RS M WC F .094 2. 283 2. 745 –. 060 .085 –. 702 2. 572 –. 059 .060 –. 984 1. 754 .073 –. 191 1. 574 .199** .073 2. 711 1. 03 .262** .091 2. 888 1. 555 –0. 14 14. 9 R2 .540 Adjusted R2 .504 Note: *significant at the 0. 05 level (1-tailed); ** significant at the 0. 01 level (1-tailed) Similarly, the problem of multi-collinearity was addressed before performing mediation analysis. Again, VIF values are less than 5 for the variables of money (M), love of money (LM), and pay satisfaction (PS). As shown in Table 4, money was one of the significant factors in motivating salespeople in terms of job satisfaction. However, there is a need to delve more deeply into the reasons that salespeople place such high importance on money.To provide a clearer picture of the role of salary, the general test for mediation was performed to examine whether there is a mediating variable affecting the relationship between the money factor and job satisfaction. As indicated in literature, the love of money 84 The mediating effect of love of money may explain why there is a strong relationship between money and job satisfaction. Based on Tang et al. (1992), pay satisfaction was used in this study to indicate job satisfaction. As pointed out by Lawler (1973), pay satisfaction usually influences the job satisfaction of workers.Following Baron and Kenny (1986), mediation analysis was used to assess whether the love of money mediates the relationship between m oney and pay satisfaction. The results in Table 5 show that money was significantly and positively related to pay satisfaction (significant at ;lt; 0. 01). The results of the regression test of money (predictor) on love of money (mediator) showed that money significantly correlated with love of money at the 0. 05 level. The results also showed that the effect of love of money (mediator) on pay satisfac tion (criterion) was significant at the 0. 05 level after controlling for the money variable (predictor).Finally, the effect of money (predictor) on pay satisfaction (criterion), controlling for the love of money (mediator), was also statistically significant. As a result, it is reasonable to believe that the love of money may explain why there is a relationship between the money factor and job satisfaction among salespeople in the retail sector. In this survey, salespeople who value money highly are satisfied with their salary and job when they receive a desired raise. Table 5 Testin g love of money (LM) as a mediator on the relationship between money (M) and pay satisfaction (PS) DV: PS DV: LM DV: PS w/o mediator) (w mediator) B M t B t B t 0. 510** 7. 234 0. 137* 2. 496 0. 168* 2. 042 0. 21** 2. 638 LM Note: *. significant at the 0. 05 level; ** significant at the 0. 01 level) DISCUSSION This paper examines what motivates sales personnel in the retail industry in Malaysia and examines their level of job satisfaction as a result of Herzberg ‘s hygiene factors and motivators. The first research question addresses whether motivators actually do lead to job satisfaction, as proclaimed by Herzberg in his study on sales personnel in Malaysia, and addresses whether hygiene factors contribute to job satisfaction. 5 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed The results obtained reveal that only four of the 11 determinants are found to be significant in the context of Malaysian retail workers. Contrary to the finding of Herzberg (1966), the analysis demonstrates that the stro ngest motivation factor with the highest significance level on job satisfaction in the women's clothing store was the working conditions, which is a hygiene factor. It was observed that retail outlets in the surveyed mall are air-conditioned and have music playing and that salespeople deem the stores to be comfortable.In line with the findings of Winer and Schiff (1980) and Lucas (1985), recognition, company policy, and the money factor seem to be important factors in motivating sales personnel in this survey. Of four significant factors, only recognition is a motivator as defined by Herzberg's two-factor theory. Therefore, it is observed that hygiene factors dominate the motivators in terms of job satisfaction among sales personnel in Malaysia. This observation is supported by Islam and Is mail (2008).They say that compared with American workers, Malaysian workers are generally more concerned about hygiene factors (money and working conditions) than about motivators (full appreciat ion of work done). Similar findings are also reported in Bangkok (Sithiphand, 1983) and Yemen (Al-Mekhlafie, 1991). This study observes the importance of money in the lives of sales personnel. The second research question examines whether the love of money mediates the relationship between money and pay satisfaction among employees in the retail sector. Similar to the findings of Tang et al. 2004), the love of money appears to be identified as a mediator influencing the relationship between money and job satisfaction. Sales personnel generally are not the highest paid people in Malaysia, and they may experience pay compression even if they have been in service for a long time. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Salespeople in Malaysia place greater emphasis on hygiene factors than motivators, namely working conditions, money and company policy. Among the motivators defined by Herzberg, only one – recognition – was found to be significant in this survey.The study also foun d that the love of money has a mediating effect on the relationship between money and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that any retail organization in Malaysia preparing a reward scheme may need to consider the four motivational factors of working conditions, recognition, company policy, and money and emphasize them over other motivational factors. Those four factors can be used to help improve job satisfaction, productivity and performance of salespeople.The main implication of this study is that sales managers and supervisors need to keep salespeople happy and take care of workers' concerns and needs. Satisfied 86 The mediating effect of love of money salespeople will talk about how great their j ob is and they will perform better in their jobs. That will result in retailers making higher profits due to customer satisfaction. Additionally, if retailers improve working conditions, employee turnover will be lower, which, in turn, will reduce the considerable costs that retai lers incur in training new salespeople.The importance of money to salespeople in the Malaysian retail sector is clearly shown in this study. Sales managers and supervisors should consider: 1. Providing salespeople with a flexible working schedule 2. Linking the performance of salespeople with the appropriate monetary rewards and incentives 3. Providing salespeople with opportunities to grow in their job In addition, the morale of salespeople can be improved if company policy toward salespeople is productive. A good policy can exert significant influence on how salespeople perform their jobs.For example, a company needs to build a strong sales culture as the first step to improving performance. Without the right sales culture, sales managers will not build a powerful sales force. In many smaller retail companies, the sales leader does not know how to build a sales force and relies heavily on hiring experienced salespeople in the hope that they will build the company. In mid-size and large-size retailers, the typical culture is â€Å"nothing matters but results†. Most of these sales managers want results but they do not adequately train or motivate the salespeople.If a company develops a strong sales culture, sales leaders and salespeople can work together successfully to achieve the company's goals. The results discussed here indicate that workers can be concurrently intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. With that in mind, managers should use a mixture of methods – including monetary rewards, praise and recognition – to effectively motivate workers and promote job satisfaction. LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH Given the scarcity of empirical studies on the Malaysian retailing industry, there is a need to undertake more research addressing the motivations of sales personnel.Although quantitative research was used in this study, it is believed that qualitative research would be beneficial in helping to enhance our understanding of how sal espeople are motivated. Observing employee behaviour and interviewing employees can enable researchers to gain insight that typically is difficult to acquire through quantitative analysis. The findings obtained from the questionnaire administered in this study are limited by the perceptions and opinions of the respondents. It is assumed that the respondents have answered the questions accurately and honestly. The findings 87Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed apply only to sales personnel in Bandar Sunway in Selangor. This means that the results may not be generalizable to other regions in Malaysia. Future research needs to obtain information relating to sales personnel in other regions of Malaysia to permit a comparison of perceptions and expectations from salespeople throughout Malaysia. Additionally, further research could include a study comparing job satisfaction levels of salespeople in Malaysia and other countries. Another concern is that the questionnaires used in this study were available only in English.Although the respondents could understand English, it is recommended that in the future the questionnaire be translated into Malay, Chinese and Tamil to minimize the risks of misunderstanding and misinterpretation that might influence the results. It also must be noted that the research focuses only on Herzberg's theory. 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APPENDICES Appendix A Measurement scales of the study Factor Questions Motivators Achievement I am proud to work in this company because it recognizes my achievements I feel satisfied with my job because it gives me feeling of accomplishment I feel I have contributed towards my company in a positive manner Advancement I will choose career advancement rather than moneta ry incentives My job allows me to learn new skills for career advancement Work itself My work is thrilling and I have a lot of variety in tasks that I do I am empowered enough to do my jobMy job is challenging and exciting Recognition I feel appreciated when I achieve or complete a task My manager always thanks me for a job well done I receive adequate recognition for doing my job well Growth I am proud to work in my company because I feel I have grown as a person My job allows me to grow and develop as a person My job allows me to improve my experience, skills and performance Hygiene Factors Company policy The attitude of the administration is very accommodative in my company I am proud to work for this company because the company policy is favourable for its workersI completely understand the mission of my company (continued) 92 The mediating effect of love of money (continued) Factor Relationship with peers Questions It is easy to get along with my colleagues My colleagues are he lpful and friendly Colleagues are important to me Work security I believe safe working at my workplace I believe my job is secure My workplace is located in an area where I feel comfortable Relationship with supervisor I feel my performance has improved because of the support from my supervisor I feel satisfied at work because of my relationship with my supervis or My supervisors are strong and trustworthy leadersMoney I am encouraged to work harder because of my salary I believe my salary is fair Working conditions I feel satisfied because of the comfort I am provided at work Job Satisfaction I am satisfied with my job I am proud to work for my company because of the pleasant working conditions I am happy with the way my colleagues and superiors treat me I am satisfied with what I achieve at work I feel good at work Love of Money Money reinforces me to work harder I am motivated to work hard for money Money reflects my accomplishments Money is how we compare each otherMoney is a sy mbol of success for me Money reinforces me to work with more enthusiasm and vigor Money is attractive Money is an important factor in our lives Pay Satisfaction I am satisfied with my pay The pay I receive is appropriate for the work I do My pay is high in comparison to my colleagues pay for doing a similar job 93 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Appendix B Conceptual Model Advancement Work Itself Achievement Recognition Job/Pay Safisfaction Working Condition Growth Love of Money Policy Peer Relationship Work Security Supervisor Relationship Money 94

International Law Essay

International Organizations are attempting to target and eliminate child labour beginning by pinpointing the problem itself and understanding the reasons for it. UNICEF’s latest statistics from 2011 indicate that one in every six children aged five to fourteen are engaged in child labour in developing countries. The International Labour Organization (ILO) says there are over two hundred and fifteen million children working worldwide either part time or full time jobs. Furthermore, seventy percent of them work in dangerous environments. The ILO is leading the fight in eliminating child labour in an organized fashion. Their research suggests the damaging effects of child labour must be systematically eliminated beginning with the worst forms of child labour. The process begins with understanding the problem itself, the causes and consequences, socio-political aspects, and all the variables involved. The hard work of the ILO has helped create Treaties and Conventions banning child labour and â€Å"identifying concrete measures for Governments to take (UNICEF, 2011).† Through socio-legal challenges, the ILO is working tirelessly as they are at the forefront of the fight against child labour. This has resulted in various forms of success as they still have a long way to go. Using labour standards, Conventions, Recommendations, creating organizations, getting member states involved, raising awareness, and stressing basic human rights, the International Labour Organization has created a formula in the fight to end child labour. UNICEF- Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF, acronym of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, has a mission to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, â€Å"to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential (UNICEF, 2011).† Just like the ILO, UNICEF is a special programme of the United Nations. This international organization relates to the ILO because of their devotion to aiding children internationally and aiding national efforts to improve health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children (UNICEF, 2012). Although UNICEF’s goals are not based on targeting and eliminating child labour itself, they take a huge part in helping the cause. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (2012), since 1996 UNICEF programmes have been guided by the â€Å"Convention on the Rights of the Child,† which affirms the right to all children to â€Å"the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facili ties for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health (UNICEF 2012).† The Convention on the Rights of the Child is built on various international legal systems and cultural traditions. This Convention is a â€Å"universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations (UNICEF, 2011).† These are basic standards which are also referred to as human rights which set minimum entitlements and freedoms that are expected to be respected by all governments. UNICEF (2011) states that it is founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, color, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability. Therefore, they apply to every human being no matter where they are located. Not only are governments obligated to follow this Convention, but so are all individuals and employers regarding the rights of all humans. Furthermore, UNIFEC (2011) says that â€Å"we cannot ensure some rights without – or at the expense of – other rights.† Many countries including Canada have had to make changes to their common and civil law as a result of ratifying this Convention. However, this has been done for the better because local laws have been created to follow up with this Convention. For example, youth criminal laws in Canada underwent major changes resulting in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which defines Canada’s different commitments under the Convention. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a legally binding instrument which is the first international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights. This includes civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. This is a special Convention, particularly for that reason that world leaders agreed on the fact that children under the age of eighteen years old often need the protection and care that adults do not. Furthermore, this would be a Convention for the world to recognize that children also have human rights. It sets out these human rights in 54 articles and two optional protocols. The first optional protocol restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the second optional protocol prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The articles identified by UNICEF (2011) spell out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: The right to survival; to develop to the fullest; protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. UNICEF (2011) states that â€Å"every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child.† The Convention protects children’s rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services. National governments have agreed to undertake the obligations of the Convention, therefore have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring children’s rights. They have also agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community. It is the governments’ obligation to make sure they do their part after signing or giving formal consent to the Convention, therefore treating it as a treaty, contract, or agreement and making it officially valid. Both the protocols have been ratified by a hundred and ninety four nations. These nations that have ratified this Convention are bound to it by international law. Furthermore, compliance is monitored by the United Nations committee on the Rights of the Child because it is important to make sure the member states are acting and complying according to the Convention. As far as the child labour topic goes, focusing on the International Labour Organization is far more important than focusing on UNIFIC. As suggested earlier, UNICEF’s focus is on advocating and paying attention to the general welfare of children globally. This includes children that do not work, whereas the ILO focuses on child labour issues among other labour issues of the world. The global importance of both of these international organizations is immeasurable. Therefore, understanding the fact that this topic is on child labour issues, it only makes sense to focus on the ILO. The ILO Structure The International Labour Organization’s work is based on encouraging and promoting the development of social and economic progress. It is important for governments, employers’, and workers’ organizations to cooperate in order for this structure to function. Furthermore, their aim is to ensure that it serves the needs of working men and woman by â€Å"bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes (International Labour Organization, 2012).† In other words, the ILO has created a form of a governing system for the international workforce to ensure safety and to protect all individuals. The ILO structure emphasizes equality where the workers and employers have equal voices with the governments. The ILO also encourages promoting a social dialogue between the trade unions and employers (International Labour Organization, 2012). Where appropriate, they implement national policy on social, economic, and other issues. There is no international organization that is like the ILO because it resulted in the tripartite organization, â€Å"the only one of its kind bringing together representatives of governments, employers, and workers in its executive bodies (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies which are â€Å"The International Labour Conference,† â€Å"The Governing Body,† and â€Å"The Office.† These main bodies oversee progress and changes in the global fight against child labour. This allows governments’, employers’, and workers’ representatives to settle disput es and reach agreements by mutual concessions. ILO Conventions and Recommendations Conventions and Recommendations are drawn up by representatives of governments, employers and workers and are adopted at the ILO’s annual International Labour Conference (International Labour Organization, 2012). The ILO has its own Constitution which gives them the authority required to eliminate child labour. Member States are required under this Constitution to submit them to their parliament for consideration. Once a Member State ratifies a Convention, it takes a year after the date of ratification for it to come into force. Therefore, there is a process involved and nothing happens overnight in the fight to eliminate child labour. After ratifying, nations must apply the Convention in their national law and practice. Furthermore, the countries must report on its application at regular intervals as required by the ILO. The ILO provides technical assistance if necessary. In addition, â€Å"representation and complaint procedures can be initiated against countries for violat ions of a convention they have ratified (International Labour Organization, 2012).† Fundamental & Governance Conventions The ILO’s Governing Body has identified eight Conventions as â€Å"fundamental,† covering subjects that are considered as fundamental principles and rights at work. The fundamental Conventions include â€Å"freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (International Labour Organization, 2012).† They date back to 1930 and go to the latest Fundamental Convention that was issued in 1999. These principles are also covered in the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). The ILO launched a campaign in 1995 to achieve a worldwide ratification of these eight Conventions. This would be a huge breakthrough in the fight to eliminate child labour as there would be worldwide support of at least the fundamental princi ples and rights of work. There are currently over 1,200 ratifications of these Conventions, representing 86% of the possible number of ratifications. The ILO’s Governing Body also came up with four Conventions as â€Å"priority† instruments, thereby encouraging member states to ratify them because of their importance for the functioning of the international labour standards system (International Labour Organization, 2012). Since 2008, they are referred to as Governance Conventions. These Conventions were identified by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization as the standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance. The Governance Conventions include â€Å"Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144).† As the titles suggest, the ILO finds it is just as important to inspect what Member States are doing as it is to create laws. There is no sense in creating a law that is not monitor ed, inspected, or enforced. International Labour Standards International labour standards are â€Å"legal instruments drawn up by the ILO’s constituents and setting out basic principles and rights of work (International Labour Organization, 2012).† International labour standards refer to either Conventions or Recommendations. Conventions according to the ILO are legally binding international treaties which can be ratified by member states. Recommendations are non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a Convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries. A related Recommendation completes the convention by providing more detailed guidelines on how it could be applied (International Labour Organization, 2012). The intent of labour standards is to establish a minimum level of protection from inhumane labour practices, basic rights, enhancing job security, and improving the terms of employment on a global scale. The workplace globally needs equal basic rights, which must be on ethical grounds according to the ILO. The International Labour Standards consist of twenty three subjects which are further broken down into more specific subtopics. Each topic and subtopic has its own Convention. A Convention is an agreement between states, governments, parties, or military forces, especially an international agreement dealing with specific subjects, such as child labour (Mifflin, 2000). International organizations use these Conventions as their weapons in order to fight child labour. It is their legal instrument to hold governments and partners who agree and consent to them liable if they fail to act according to the Convention. The twenty three international labour standards include freedom of association, collective bargaining, and industrial relations; forced labour; elimination of child labour and protection of children and young persons; equality of opportunity and treatment; tripartite consultation; labour administration and inspection; employment policy and promotion; vocational guidance and training; employment security; wages; working time; occupational safety and health; social security; maternity protection; social policy; migrant workers; HIV and AIDS; seafarers; fishermen; dockworkers; indigenous and tribal peoples; specific categories of workers; and final articles Conventions. Origins of ILO and its Conventions Conventions are a part of the international labour standards and all nations that accept them must apply them to their laws. Many of the Conventions date back to the beginning of the ILO. The ILO was created in 1919, â€Å"as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War 1, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The term peace well describes their goals because they seek a peaceful global workforce where no one is exploited or put to work in dangerous circumstances. The Constitution was drafted in the same year the ILO was created by the Labour Commission set up by the Peace Conference. According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2012), the Constitution signifies â€Å"the body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state.† Furthermore, a treaty which establishes an international organization is also it s Constitution in that it would define how that organization is constituted. Advocacy for an international organization dealing with labour issues dates back to the nineteenth century. Therefore, the ILO is not the first and only organization who recognized the importance of dealing with worldwide labour issues. However, they are the first organization to take significant actions to make a change. The ILO formed after considering the security, humanitarian, political and economic problems of the world. The ILO Constitution’s Preamble says â€Å"the High Contracting Parties were moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well as by desire to secure the permanent peace of the world (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The ILO’s mission has remained consistent as most of the areas of improvement listed in the Preamble remain relevant today. For example, regulations of the hours of work including the establishment of a maximum working day, dates back to the beginning of the ILO. International Labour Standards Directly Concerning Child Labour Some international labour standards deal with the issue of child labour directly, while others do indirectly. â€Å"Elimination of child labour and protection of children and young persons† deals directly with the issue of child labour as the title suggests. This is the labour standard number three which has four fundamental Conventions on child labour and related Recommendations. The four Conventions include the Minimum Age Convention created in 1973 (â€Å"No. 138†), Minimum Age Recommendation created in 1973 (â€Å"No. 146†), Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention created in 1999 (â€Å"No. 182†), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation created in 1999 (â€Å"No.190†). The Minimum Age Convention is concerning the minimum age for admission to employment. Convention 138 (â€Å"C138†) was created on the fifty-eighth session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office. The goal of this Convention was to establish a general instrument on the subject, which would gradually replace the existing ones applicable to limited economic sectors (International Labour Organization, 2012).† Previously there had been Minimum Age Conventions for certain industries and areas where people could work. For example, Minimum Age Sea Convention or the Minimum Age Non-Industrial Employment Convention. Instead of focusing on every sector individually, the Governing Body came up with a specific Minimum Age Convention concerning all children and all forms of work. This Convention includes eighteen judicial articles in which the nations that ratify this Convention must follow. The Minimum Age Recommendations include fourteen national policies for which nations can follow but are not bound to by law. The Recommendations mostly explain what countries should do to follow the articles of the Convention itself. For example, national policy one says â€Å"high priority should be given to planning for and meeting the needs of children and youth in national development policies and programmes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This Convention is regarded as being of high importance because in the past, children as young as five years old became child labourers. The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Convention 182 (â€Å"C182†) was created at the eighty-seventh Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office. The goal of this Convention and its sixteen articles is in a sense created to compliment the Convention and Recommendation concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment. The Governing Body was â€Å"considering the need to adopt new instruments for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, as the main priority for national and international action (International Labour Organization, 2012).† In other words, they needed solutions to the problem and recognizing that child labour is to an extent caused by poverty. Therefore, â€Å"long-term solution lies in sustained economic growth leading to social progress, in particular poverty alleviation and universal education (International Labour Organization, 1973).† This Convention really pushes nations that ratify it to take actions in eliminating the worst forms of child labour. The most notable articles state â€Å"the term child shall apply to all persons under the age of 18,† and â€Å"each Member shall, after consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, establish or designate appropriate mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the provisions giving effect to this Convention.† Overall, all the articles of this Convention are instructing the members about what they must do in detail and the processes for these actions are to begin immediately. The second part to the Elimination of Child Labour and Protection of Children and Young Persons labour standard is â€Å"Protection of Children and Young Persons.† This is mostly â€Å"Up-to-date instruments† which means these Conventions were created between 1919 and 1965 and therefore needed to be revised and updated. These Conventions include the Medical Examination of Young Persons, Minimum Age, and Night Work of Young Persons. It is important for the Governing Body to go over previous Conventions and address the changes that need to be made or have been made in order to monitor the progress. Nearly all international labour standards have an impact on child labour in one way or another. For example, â€Å"Equality of Opportunity and Treatment† is an international labour standard that concerns all individuals. If an adult is treated with equality, gets the opportunities and treatment that they deserve, their children will not have to earn a living and can pursue an education. This opens up doors for the following generations of children where they can receive education because their parents have good jobs. Relatively, this connects to the international labour standard of â€Å"Forced Labour† because the ILO’s evidence suggests that children and families as a whole are often forced into labour. The reasons can include unpaid debts, poverty, or any other reason from the list of causes of child labour. Therefore, these individuals face mistreatment and are often neglected from their basic human rights. Since these international labour standards connect wi th one another, it helps the cause because even if one of them is accepted by a Member State, it automatically helps another problem that we may be unaware of.

Is the Arab world changing for the better) Research Paper

Is the Arab world changing for the better) - Research Paper Example If ever Qatar does not agree, Saudi Arabia may push for economic sanctions and limits in the use of air space as well as borders1. Although this may involve a bitter conflict, the fact that Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East are opposed to terrorism means that terrorism is never viewed in the same way by all Muslim countries, and so it is not related to religion. Inspiration through sports is another proof that some Arab countries are improving. Particularly, in Afghanistan, where the Afghan national football team won their first trophy ever on September 11, 2013, many Afghans especially young ones were inspired to either play football or engage in sports. In fact, an official who works for the HAFO, or the Humanitarian Assistance and Facilitating Organization, based in Kabul, said, â€Å"Afghans are hard-working and their talents make them winners†2. As this can serve to inspire those in the other Arab countries, this event is indeed another proof that the Arab world is getting better. Although the HAFO may have overlooked the influence of culture and religion on the Afghans, certainly it has given them a very good and very healthy alternative in the name of sports. The Arab world is also improving in terms of safety for everyone. The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia met on August 26, 2013 and agreed on banning all kinds of abuse, whether these are physical, psychological, sexual or even in the form of threat. The sanctions are strict but the law itself needs a few changes in terms of vocabulary, according to Amnesty International3. Safety in Saudi Arabia can possibly inspire other Middle Eastern countries to do the same thing until there comes a time when even domestic workers to these countries are not any more looked upon with contempt or discrimination. A fourth proof of improvement in the Arab world shows in the increasing concern

How Environmental Factors Can Affect the Business Organization Essay

How Environmental Factors Can Affect the Business Organization - Essay Example By 2005, it had over 80 employees and several customers, which ranges from supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, and households. The company will be used as a case study to answer the questions in the subsequent paragraphs. Open system approach to organizations An open approach system to organization implies that an organization interacts with its outside environment, which in turn influences the structure and operations of the organization. The fact that an open system interacts with the outside environment implies that an organization is an open system should always adapt to changes in the environment. For a long time, Icy Foods Ltd. has been operating on informal basis judging, by the way, operations are loosely divided into five departments with no clear-cut framework. Moreover, the company used to accept orders with less or no regard to quality or quantity specifications of the product. This lack of organization explains why the company lacked customers from major supermarket chains . The other apparent misgiving that characterized Icy Foods Ltd. is the lack of clear division of labor and specialization. This fact is inherent in the way the company conducts job rotations (Weiner, 2002). Job rotation is not a good concept because it does not give the employees the chance to gain experience in a given line of duty. The fact that the company did not embrace quality and efficiency in its operations negatively affected its business performance. Before the takeover by Megastores Plc., the company had adopted an organic organization structure in managing the various operations. The management, prior to the takeover, operated an open-door policy. The management was keen on hearing employee’s ideas on new products and operational improvements. There was also a flexible approach to handling employees’ issues such as working hours and leave. After the successful takeover, the management came up with a raft of new changes that were more bureaucratic as oppose d to the organic system that the management had used to all along. The company adopted strict operational procedures that all the workers were compelled to follow to the latter. The new management placed much emphasis on operational efficiency, and work was based on performance. Decisions at the company were made unilaterally by the management without any consultations whatsoever, with the stakeholders. The human-resource department was formed to manage the human-resource issues. This bureaucratic approach to management led to high turnover at the organization. Moreover, it resulted in low motivation levels among the employees (Cassidy & Kreitner, 2009). It is worth noting that bureaucratic approach to management of the organization has one critical advantage, which is an improvement of efficiency in operation and management of the resources of the organization. Since the adoption of the bureaucratic leadership style at the organization, the efficiency at the organization has improv ed by a whopping 35%. How environmental factors can affect the business organization The year, 2005-2010 saw several changes in the business environment that adversely affected the business performance of Icy Foods Ltd. The fact that major supermarket chains dominated the ready foods market drove out of the market the smaller retail outlets from a business.  

BHE 415 - Community and Domestic Violence (Module 4-CBT) Essay

BHE 415 - Community and Domestic Violence (Module 4-CBT) - Essay Example So abuse is more serious than the neglect even though neglect is also termed as an abuse. Mr. Jones is an 80 year old male who has recently experienced a decline in health status. His daughter Jane, who abuses alcohol, has recently moved in with him, as she lacks the monetary resources to live alone. She has assumed a care-giving role. Mr. Jones senses that she resents caring for him, and has become somewhat fearful of her. He seeks information concerning his fears. It is extremely important to let Mr.Jones know what is termed as abuse and what are the typical characteristics of the abusers. This information will not only help him to know his rights but also will help him to call for help immediately if he finds the signs of abuse hence preventing major injury. Physical abuse is the type of abuse where the caregiver or any other person uses physical force with the intention of causing harm to the person who is old. Not only slapping, beating and striking but also physical restraint, tying with rope, force feeding and inappropriate use of drugs is also considered physical abuse. This kind of physical violence can result in bruises, scars, injuries and also death (Quinn & Tomita 1997 p49). Sexual abuse is defined as a sexual contact with the elderly person which is not consensual. This includes rape, forced nudity, sexually explicit photography, touching the genitals or breast etc. This is one of the most traumatic kind of abuse as it is not evident from physical examination. It can cause depression and sadness and can make elderly person to lose hope about life. The emotional abuse are of

Exams questions answer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exams questions answer - Assignment Example PEST is one of such mechanism that is used for the analysis of the macro environmental factors. Apart from this the internal analysis of the industry is also important to understand the profitability of the industry and factors impacting it (Graham, 2008). The study also focuses on Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the luxury car market of India. PEST Analysis PEST focuses on four important environmental factors that are to be scanned like political, economic, social and environmental. Each of these parameters are defined via this analysis and it influences the scope and activity of the organization. By having a broad view related to the categories that are studied under PEST the managers will be able to bring out innovative ideas and frame strategies that can fit into the situation most appropriately (Reddi, 2013; Solomon, Marshall and Stuart, 2009). Political The political factors signify the government rules and regulations that are framed and the company needs to work under that rules (Waters, 2006). The Indian automobile industry has been under the strict rules of the Indian government. In 1940 the assembly plant opened by the foreign manufacturers had been closed by the Indian government for not manufacturing car in India. The government even framed regulations regarding what type of car the manufacturers should design to protect themselves from the competition. During the period of 1950s and 1960s the industries along with the support from the government made significant effort towards the manufacturing the components to be supplied to the auto manufacturers. However, owning a car was considered luxury due to the restrictions from the government over granting licence and restricting both production and import that hampered the growth of the industry. The industry at that point of time was facing high sales tax, excise duties and custom duties on imports. In 1980s government policies and regulations were liberalised and further liberalization occurr ed in 1990s that allowed cars to be manufactured without licence but import restrictions remained intact. In the year 2002 new policy reforms were announced, which allowed 100% FDI in the automobile sector. In 2007 the sector emerged as a buoyant industry (Parmar and Thadamalla, 2008). Economic Until early 1980s the growth of the automobile sector was restricted. After that liberalization was initiated by the government. In 1990s economic liberalization took place that initiated growth in the sector. After the liberalization many players entered the Indian automobile market like Honda, Daewoo, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai etc. Apart from the government regulations, availability of retail finance and low interest rate were the major reasons that lead to the development of the automobile industry. During the period of 2001-2006 the Indian automobile sector has shown a growth at CAGR of 18%. In 2006-07 India was at the fifth position in production of commercial vehicles. During the same period the production of passenger

The Nature of Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Nature of Knowledge - Essay Example In the seventeenth century, Western scientists started deeper inquiry into earlier postulates. Thus ,it was only when Copernicus came and gave them proof that the earth goes round the sun , that the scientists' opinion changed into knowledge. America was discovered when opinion that the earth was flat, changed into knowledge that it was round, Epistemology is the study of the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge. We come to the question, "What is Knowledge" Is it something concrete or is it something abstract To define knowledge, we must study the uses of knowledge. Knowledge can be 'know him' or 'know that' or 'know how.' It is the task of philosophy to discuss this question- what is knowledge Is it intuitive or acquired through experience How is knowledge different from opinion While Plato answers the enigma of knowledge in his Republic, Aristotle refutes Plato's theories in his writings. Although Aristotle 's empirical theories have been the basis of modern science, I think that Plato is right when he says that knowledge involves true belief, since no one can know what is false. Now, the question, "What is knowledge " poses a conundrum which needs a lot of thinking. To understand the concept of knowledge, we must look at the language. Language is the medium in which a concept can be formed. By studying how the words are used, we can get a fair idea of a concept. To answer the question 'What is knowledge' , we should go to the uses of knowledge. Knowledge is 'know that', or ' know how' or ' know where'. There is an important difference between ' know that' and ' know how'. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "'Know that 'denotes the possession of specific pieces of information , and a person who has knowledge of this sort can generally convey it to others."(p. 473) Epistemology is focused on 'knowing that'. On the other hand, 'know how' is knowledge related to a skill or ability. A person can have a knowledge of swimming and be a good swimmer , but he may not be able to convey this skill to others. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, 'know how' is a knowledge or ability, "One can have knowledge without being able to explain to other people what it is that one knows"(p. 473) Plato explains knowledge in many of his books including The Republic and the Theaetetus .His works are in the form of dialogues between the pupil and the preceptor The Republic is the most famous of his works. The Theaetetus is one of Plato's greatest works on epistemology probably written in 369 B.C. In this work which is the form of a dialogue, Plato discusses the question "What is knowledge" The question and answer exchange takes place between Socrates, the main questioner , and two of his young pupils. The key question of the dialogue is "What is knowledge" When Socrates asks this question, the pupils are bewildered. The one of them comes out with the answer that it is a knowing something such as geometry or astronomy. Socrates objects to this saying that examples are not definitions. At Socrates' prompting, the young pupil comes out with a proposal that , "Knowledge is perception". When Socrates criticizes this proposal, the pupil comes up with a second proposal that "Knowledge is true belief"., which provokes Socrates to say "What is false