Examine workplace mindfulness and relation - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Examine workplace mindfulness and relation. Answer: The aim of this research essay is to gain a thorough understanding of Organization behavior (OB) in the workplaces. However, this essay will mainly argue on the fact that for enhancing the productive performance of the employees whether care needs to be taken with the job design, working environment, goal setting, motivation and rewards. Thus, keeping in mind the topic this essay will start will the theories of OB, which are suitable for organizational setting followed by identifying the organizational issues related to culture, ethics and social concerns along with their managerial interventions and finally comparing and contrasting on the present developments in OB. OB is an important concept to study because it teaches why employees behave like the way they do in an organization. Thus, it guides to understand the complicated nature of employees behavior by identifying their causes and effects of those behaviors. OB further helps in encouraging employees, improvising relations as well as guiding in effective exertion of human resources in the organization (Kinicki and Kreitner 2012). Douglas McGregor was the original proposer of the fact that an employees motivation gets an impact from the attitude of the manager. Thus, he came up with two motivational methods known as Theory X and Theory Y management, which seems to have opposing each other (Kopelman, Prottas and Falk 2012). The theory of X management states that for any individual work is inborn distasteful and so they tries to avoid it as much as possible. Therefore, most of the employees are not ambitious and needs to be directed, as they have no desire to take responsibility. However, as per this theory the main source of employees motivation is monetary then security. On a total contrary comes the theory Y of management, which states that work can become easier if the working conditions are comfortable. Employees are bound to self-directed if they are committed to the organizational objectives. Therefore, through this theory there are chances that an employee can align his or her personal goals with that of the organization by utilizing their own needs for fulfillment as their motivator. Another theory of organizational behavior is Hierarchy of needs theory by Abraham Maslow. This theory is also among those effective theories, which can be applied in the organizational setting (Deci and Ryan 2014). According to Maslow, every employee in the workplace has to cross through a series of needs in association with their employment in which they mainly move from the fulfillment of their very basic needs to survive until the final need of self-actualization. Under this theory, the employees are said to have utilized their time in enhancing their job roles and advance their careers. Victor Vrooms expectancy theory is also applicable for organizational settings for enhancing the productive performance because not like other theories but it focuses mainly on the results. As per this theory, Vroom has proposed that whether the employee will enhance his or her productivity will depend on three variables, which are expectancy, instrumentality and valence (HemaMalini and Washington 2014). Therefore, the interaction in between these three variables in an employees unconscious mind will create a motivating force that will in turn determine how much effort the employees will exert on their jobs. Lastly, Frederick Herzbergs Two-factor theory is there which is also very much applicable for organizational settings. This theory states that an employees motivation will come from his or her job design whereas their job satisfaction will come from the work environment like illumination, companionship and so on (Ozguner and Ozguner 2014). The cultural concerns can have an impact on the employees productive performance, which can raise problematic situations in the organizations. Employees needs to feel that they are an essential part of their organizational culture otherwise their performance will be hampered and they will fail to deliver productive results to achieve the organizational goals. For instance if organizational culture is like the employees can only raise their voice when it is necessary or if one department is more outspoken as well as socially active, then in such cases there can be conflict in the organization among the departments (Hogan and Coote 2014). Thus, here in one organization, each department will develop their own culture, which will affect the performance of the employees, as they will not feel that each one of them belongs to one particular culture and all are equal for the organization. Therefore, managerial intervention is an important part, which can solve these cultural issues in the o rganization. Managers should structure their recruitment process at the very beginning and thus, should hire those officers who have almost similar beliefs and values, which comprises the organizational culture (McFarlin and Sweeney 2014). Managers should act in a fair and uniform manner to all their employees to deal with workplace diversity successfully. Moreover, managers should also encourage interaction between the employees of various cultures backgrounds. The next crucial issue is related to the ethical concerns in a workplace. Good ethical culture can direct an employee towards productive performance as well as to built love and belonging among employees. Code of ethics is always a good indicator of employees commitment, which in turn will increase their productive performance. An employee who has good work ethics will always deliver good work through his or her physical, emotional and mental effort to their job. Thus, they will also look forward to deliver the best work to the organization (Simha and Cullen 2012). Therefore, managers should intervene and take charge of this as well as encourage employees work ethics so that they can deliver productive performance. Managers should act as the role model because if they r into unethical activities then other employees will also follow him because maximum employees have a tendency to mimic their higher authority. Managers should appreciate as well as recognize good ethics of the employe es, which can act as strong motivators for the employees to continue their good work. Lastly, another organizational issue comes from their social concerns, which also is directly affecting the performance of the employees. Lack of ethnicity, racism as well as gender biasness is among those crucial issues, which can have a major impact on the employees performance. Managers should be alert enough to avoid all these by equally treating and maintaining peace in the organization (Heilman 2012). According to Wood et al. (2012), job design has been said to be having a strong impact on work satisfaction, engagement and performance. Authors like Truxillo et al. (2012), have further supported this viewpoint and through his research have concluded that productive performance is related with two dimensions and they are design of the job and high involvement management. Job design highly motivates employees and enhances their performance through increasing the efficiency of work and job specialization. On a contrary to this Bakker, Tims and Derks (2012), have stated that why only job design, there is a major role of working conditions as well which help the employees to proactively balance their work and environment so that they can stay focused and their productive performance increases. Working condition is among the essential determinant for employees to deliver quality performance. If the working condition is, such where employees are able to concentrate totally that will autom atically decrease their rate of error, absenteeism and increase the rate of output, their level of motivation and their length of services. Another factor that has been highlighted in the literature is the setting of goals, which is also associated with productive performance. Leblebici (2012) has stated that having a set goal by the employees help them to enhance their performance because they can set their focus and priorities their work based on their goals and to attain that they will at any cost give their best quality work. Employees will become highly productive in order to reach their goal, which will make them perform well in the organization. Arguing with this statement Wong and Laschinger (2013), has said that primary factor for extracting productive performance is through empowerment of the employees. He has further stated that motivation, goals, rewards, job design or work settings are all secondary when it comes to employees actual performance. As per the findings of the research, it is said that empowering employees will make them more responsible regarding their work. Therefore, they will be more frank and less hesitant to share their suggestions or feedback related to their work or the organization. Being empowered the employees will be co nfident enough to find innovative ways for their tasks which will make their performance more productive and fruitful because they will have that liberty to innovatively handle their errors. Dane and Brummel (2014), has also stated another factor, which also has a major role to play to enhance employee performance, and it is the work engagement. He has stated that work engagement is positively related to that of work performance and active learning with the highly conscious employees.Thus, to conclude this research essay it can be said that as per the aim of this essay a detail understanding has been obtained regarding Observational behavior in the workplaces. The theories of OB, which are much suitable for organizational settings, are found to be the X and Y theory followed by hierarchy of needs theory, expectancy theory and the two-factor theory because these are highly relatable for productive performance of the employees. Moreover, the organizational issues are mainly observed t o be related to cultural, ethical and social concerns in the workplaces. Lastly, there have been contradictory states as well from the researchers who have stated that job empowerment and engagement also increases productive performance of employees in the workplace. References Bakker, A.B., Tims, M. and Derks, D., 2012. Proactive personality and job performance: The role of job crafting and work engagement.Human relations,65(10), pp.1359-1378. Dane, E. and Brummel, B.J., 2014. Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job performance and turnover intention.Human Relations,67(1), pp.105-128. Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M., 2014. The importance of universal psychological needs for understanding motivation in the workplace.The Oxford handbook of work engagement, motivation, and self-determination theory, pp.13-32. Heilman, M.E., 2012. Gender stereotypes and workplace bias.Research in organizational Behavior,32, pp.113-135. HemaMalini, P.H. and Washington, A., 2014. Employees' motivation and valued rewards as a key to effective QWL-from the perspective of expectancy theory.TSM Business Review,2(2), p.45. Hogan, S.J. and Coote, L.V., 2014. Organizational culture, innovation, and performance: A test of Schein's model.Journal of Business Research,67(8), pp.1609-1621. Kinicki, A. and Kreitner, R., 2012.Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills best practices. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Kopelman, R.E., Prottas, D.J. and Falk, D.W., 2012. Further development of a measure of Theory X and Y managerial assumptions.Journal of Managerial Issues, pp.450-470. Leblebici, D., 2012. Impact of workplace quality on employees productivity: case study of a bank in Turkey.Journal of Business Economics and Finance,1(1), pp.38-49. McFarlin, D. and Sweeney, P.D., 2014.International management: strategic opportunities cultural challenges. Routledge. Ozguner, Z. and Ozguner, M., 2014. A managerial point of view on the relationship between of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's dual factor theory.International Journal of Business and Social Science,5(7). Simha, A. and Cullen, J.B., 2012. Ethical climates and their effects on organizational outcomes: Implications from the past and prophecies for the future.The Academy of Management Perspectives,26(4), pp.20-34. Truxillo, D.M., Cadiz, D.M., Rineer, J.R., Zaniboni, S. and Fraccaroli, F., 2012. A lifespan perspective on job design: Fitting the job and the worker to promote job satisfaction, engagement, and performance.Organizational Psychology Review,2(4), pp.340-360. Wong, C.A. and Laschinger, H.K., 2013. Authentic leadership, performance, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of empowerment.Journal of advanced nursing,69(4), pp.947-959. Wood, S., Van Veldhoven, M., Croon, M. and de Menezes, L.M., 2012. Enriched job design, high involvement management and organizational performance: The mediating roles of job satisfaction and well-being.Human relations,65(4), pp.419-445.

Obedience to Authority Essay Example

Obedience to Authority Essay Obedience is a virtue, disobedience is a vice (Fromm 267). In Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem, the author Erich Fromm implies that to be a human an individual must be free to obey and disobey (272). Being obedient requires the removal of freedom, which comes from expressing your thoughts, feelings and emotions, without any boundaries or pressures from other individuals. An obedient individual is submissive towards anothers will and does not have very much freedom. Obedience occurs and can be analyzed when there is a setting of power and expectations to follow authority and a shift in viewpoint. The Stanford Prison Experiment can be interpreted in terms of Milgrams findings on submission to authority. In The Perils of Obedience, Stanley Milgram conducts an experiment where individuals are forced to violate their conscience and to either obey or disobey the dissolute demands of an authority. The experiment tests the extent to which individuals will obey immoral commands when they are ordered to inflict pain on to learners. The teacher is a genuinely naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve subject who has come to the laboratory for the experiment. The learner, or victim, is actually an actor who receives no shock at all (Milgram 223). The experimenter orders the teacher to ask word pairs to the learner; for every word pair wrong, the learner gets shocked with increasing intensity. We will write a custom essay sample on Obedience to Authority specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Obedience to Authority specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Obedience to Authority specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The individuals administering the shocks would do what was expected of them, [obeying] the orders of the experimenter to the end, punishing victim until they reached the most potent shock available on the generator. After 450 volts were administered three times, the experimenter called a halt to the session (224). The teachers did what they were told to do, even when the learners produced loud cries and screams; they simply obeyed the rules and performed their assigned tasks because it was expected of them. Milgram learned that, the experimenters physical presence has a marked impact on his authority (232). If the experimenter was present in the laboratory rather than on the phone, the teachers would refuse to do their assigned task less than if the experimenter were on the phone giving orders. In The Stanford Prison Experiment, Philip K. Zimbardo conducts an experiment where a group of males are selected to be prison guards or prisoners in a mock prison. The setting of the experiment was designed, as if it was a real prison. The prison guards were allowed to keep order in the prison by any means necessary; they obeyed the rules and performed their jobs as expected of them. They made the prisoners feel powerless, arbitrarily controlled, dependent, frustrated, hopeless, anonymous, dehumanized and emasculated (Zimbardo 256), simply because they were obeying rules. The authoritarian nature of the guards became serious when they insulted the prisoners, threatened them, were physically aggressive, used instruments to keep the prisoners in line and referred to them in impersonal, anonymous, deprecating ways (260). In order to fit into the setting the guards were in competition with each other to be stronger and more respected. They wanted to follow the behavior of the good guards [which] seemed more motivated by a desire to be liked by everyone in the system than by a concern for the inmates welfare (261). We learn that if the setting requires an individual to become an authoritarian, others will be submissive and obedient towards them. Also, the expectations to follow authority are highly regarded until a shift in viewpoint occurs within the individuals. A shift in viewpoint occurs when an individual realizes what they have done or are doing is not civilized and wrong. The essence of obedience is that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another persons wishes, and he therefore no longer regards himself as responsible for his actions (Milgram 231). After the shift in viewpoint, obedience follows and the individuals dont regard themselves as being responsible for their own actions. The individuals feel responsible to the authority thats directing them but not responsible for their actions done in return to the command of the authority. An example in Milgrams experiment was a woman, Gretchen Brandt, who refused to continue on with the experiment after she administered 210 volts. We came here of our free will. If he wants to continue Ill go aheadIm sorry. I dont want to be responsible for anything happening to him. I wouldnt like it for me either. (Milgram 223). She kept proceeding at the experimenters command until she realized that she had the freedom and right to refuse. She did not want to be held responsible for the harm of the learner so she implicitly tried to leave the blame on the experimenter. In Zimbardos experiment, a prison guard gave his perspective on what it felt like to be a guard in the experiment: What made this experiment most depressing for me was the fact that we were continually called upon to act in a way that was contrary to what I really felt inside. I dont feel like Im the type of person that would be a guard-it just didnt seem like me, and to continually keep up and put on a face like that is just really one of the most oppressive things you can do. Its almost like a prison that you create yourself-you get into it, and it becomes almost the definition you make of yourself. (261)  The guard implies that you become a prisoner of your own obedience. He treated the prisoners unfairly because he wanted to be seen as a good prison guard. As a result, at the end of the experiments, the teachers and prison guards dont see themselves as being responsible for their actions; they hold others responsible for their actions. The teachers implicitly blame the experimenter and the prison guards implicitly blame the higher authority. In order to be obedient, individuals must be provoked by some sort of authority for the shift of viewpoint to prevail and become successful. Milgram implies that, [obedience is] socially organized evil in modern society (233). Therefore, in conclusion, obedience is a vice because it is an immoral practice, which causes human beings to play the blame-game in life.

Learn a Popular, Demanding French Idiom

Learn a Popular, Demanding French Idiom The French verb demander means to ask and is used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to apologize, ask for mercy, wonder and more with this list of expressions using  demander. Demander  is a regular -er verb and takes regular (classic) endings for its tenses.   One frequent mistake that English speakers make when using this verb is demander une question.  This construction doesnt exist in French. Instead, you would say poser une question. But someone can ask why:  Il ma demandà © pourquoi (He asked me why).  And you can ask someone for something:  Je vais demander un stylo Michel  (Im going to ask Michel for a pen). The Many Meanings of Demander to askto ask for, requestto apply forto require, needto send for Common French Expressions With Demander demander de laideto ask for help, assistance demander aide et assistanceto (formally) request aiddemander parler quelquunto ask to speak to someonedemander quelquun de infinitiveto ask someone to do somethingdemander voir quelquunto ask to see someonedemander le divorceto apply for divorcedemander grà ¢ceto ask for mercydemander limpossibleto ask for the impossibledemander la luneto ask for the moondemander pardon quelquunto apologize to someonedemander la paroleto ask for permission to speakdemander une permission (military)to request leavedemander la permission de infinitiveto ask for permission to infinitivedemander une questiondemander un service / une faveur quelquunto ask a favor of someonese demanderto wonder, to ask oneselfse demander bien pourquoito not be able to figure out why; to ask yourself whyCela ne se demande pas  !Thats a stupid question!Il est parti sans demander son reste.He left without a murmur.Que demande le peuple  ?What more could you ask for?Je ne demande qu vous voir.All I ask is to see you. Je ne demande pas mieux que infinitiveI ask for nothing more than to infinitiveune demanderequest, claim, applicationun demandeurplaintiff, petitioner, callerdemandà © (adj)in demand, sought after

Battle of Zama in the Punic Wars

Battle of Zama in the Punic Wars The Battle of Zama was the deciding engagement of the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) between Carthage and Rome and was fought in late October 202 BC. After a string of early Carthaginian victories in Italy, the Second Punic War settled into a stalemate with Hannibals armies in Italy unable to deliver a deathblow again the Romans. Recovering from these setbacks, Roman forces achieved some success in Iberia before launching an invasion of North Africa. Led by Scipio Africanus, this army engaged a Carthaginian force led by Hannibal at Zama in 202 BC. In the resulting battle, Scipio defeated his famous foe and forced Carthage to sue for peace. Fast Facts: Battle of Zama Conflict: Second Punic War (218-201 BC)Dates: 202 BCArmies Commanders:CarthageHannibalapprox. 36,000 infantry4,000 cavalry80 elephantsRomeScipio Africanus29,000 infantry6,100 cavalryCasualties:Carthage: 20-25,000 killed, 8,500-20,000 capturedRome Allies: 4,000-5,000 Background With the beginning of the Second Punic War in 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal boldly crossed the Alps and attacked into Italy. Achieving victories at Trebia (218 BC) and Lake Trasimene (217 BC), he swept aside armies led by  Tiberius Sempronius Longus and  Gaius Flaminius Nepos. In the wake of these triumphs, he marched south looting the country and attempting to force Romes allies to defect to Carthages side. Stunned and in crisis from these defeats, Rome appointed Fabius Maximus to deal with the Carthaginian threat.   Hannibal. Public Domain Avoiding battle with Hannibals army, Fabius raided the Carthaginian supply lines and practiced the form of attritional warfare that later bore his name. Rome soon proved unhappy with Fabius methods and he was replaced by the more aggressive  Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus. Moving to engage Hannibal, they were routed at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC. Following his victory, Hannibal spent the next several years attempting to build an alliance in Italy against Rome. As the war on the peninsula descended into a stalemate, Roman troops, led by Scipio Africanus, began having success in Iberia and captured large swaths of Carthaginian territory in the region. In 204 BC, after fourteen years of war, Roman troops landed in North Africa with the goal of directly attacking Carthage. Led by Scipio, they succeeded in defeating Carthaginian forces led by Hasdrubal Gisco and their Numidian allies commanded by Syphax at Utica and Great Plains (203 BC). With their situation precarious, the Carthaginian leadership sued for peace with Scipio. This offer was accepted by the Romans who offered moderate terms. While the treaty was being debated in Rome, those Carthaginians who favored continuing the war had Hannibal recalled from Italy. Scipio Africanus - detail of painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Scipio Africanus is shown releasing the nephew of the Prince of Nubia after he was captured by Roman soldiers. Walters Art Museum Carthage Resists During this same period, Carthaginian forces captured a Roman supply fleet in the Gulf of Tunes. This success, along with the return of Hannibal and his veterans from Italy, led to change of heart on the part of the Carthaginian senate. Emboldened, they elected to continue the conflict and Hannibal set about enlarging his army. Marching out with a total force of around 40,000 men and 80 elephants, Hannibal encountered Scipio near Zama Regia. Forming his men in three lines, Hannibal placed his mercenaries in first line, his new recruits and levies in the second, and his Italian veterans in the third. These men were supported by the elephants to the front and Numidian and Carthaginian cavalry on the flanks. Scipio's Plan To counter Hannibals army, Scipio deployed his 35,100 men in a similar formation consisting of three lines. The right wing was held by Numidian cavalry, led by Masinissa, while Laelius Roman horsemen were placed on the left flank. Aware that Hannibals elephants could be devastating on the attack, Scipio devised a new way to counter them. Though tough and strong, the elephants could not turn when they charged. Using this knowledge, he formed his infantry in separate units with gaps in between. These were filled with velites (light troops) which could move to allow the elephants to pass through. It was his goal to allow the elephants to charge through these gaps thus minimizing the damage they could inflict. Hannibal Defeated As anticipated, Hannibal opened the battle by ordering his elephants to charge the Roman lines. Moving forward, they were engaged by the Roman velites who drew them through the gaps in the Roman lines and out of the battle. In addition, Scipios cavalry blew large horns to frighten the elephants. With Hannibals elephants neutralized, he reorganized his infantry in a traditional formation and sent forward his cavalry. Attacking on both wings, the Roman and Numidian horsemen overwhelmed their opposition and pursued them from the field. Though displeased by his cavalrys departure, Scipio began advancing his infantry. This was met by an advance from Hannibal. While Hannibals mercenaries defeated the first Roman assaults, his men slowly began to be pushed back by Scipios troops. As the first line gave way, Hannibal would not allow it to pass back through the other lines. Instead, these men moved to the wings of the second line. Pressing forward, Hannibal struck with this force and a bloody fight ensued. Ultimately defeated, the Carthaginians fell back to the flanks of the third line. Extending his line to avoid being outflanked, Scipio pressed the attack against Hannibals best troops. With the battle surging back and forth, the Roman cavalry rallied and returned to the field. Charging the rear of Hannibals position, the cavalry caused his lines to break. Pinned between two forces, the Carthaginians were routed and driven from the field. Aftermath As with many battles in this period, exact casualties are not known. Some sources claim that Hannibals casualties numbered 20,000 killed and 20,000 taken prisoner, while the Romans lost around 2,500 killed and 4,000 wounded. Regardless of casualties, the defeat at Zama led to Carthage renewing its calls for peace. These were accepted by Rome, however the terms were harsher than those offered a year earlier. In addition to losing the majority of its empire, a substantial war indemnity was imposed and Carthage was effectively destroyed as a power.

Marketing Intelligence Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Intelligence Report - Essay Example They should devise suitable plans and choose appropriate methods in order to gain high quality marketing information to analyse and evaluate. To this end, the process of Marketing Intelligence is essential. This paper will identify appropriate marketing intelligence requirements for business decision-making that are required to design, plan and implement a marketing intelligence programme. This will be done by focusing on how quantitative and qualitative information can be interpreted and coherently presented with the appropriate intelligence that leads to effective marketing and business decisions. The process, quality and outcomes of a marketing intelligence project will be evaluated to substantiate the report. The paper will examine the marketing intelligence issues relative to financial institutions in the UK. The Marketing Concept and Marketing Intelligence Marketing is the procedure through which an organization plans and executes the creation, promotion, pricing and distribution of goods and services to sell and create satisfaction for consumers and to meet organizational objectives. It is thus required for the organization to focus on consumers in order to understand their needs and to make them satisfied in the shortest possible time and in the most efficient ways that prove to be beneficial for both consumers and the organization. This implies that any organization has to get involved in gathering information relative to consumer needs and collect marketing intelligence in order to efficiently meet the given needs. Marketing research is a crucial element of marketing intelligence and helps in improving the management’s decision making process through the availability of timely, specific and authentic information. All decisions taken by the management create specific needs for information without which the pertinent strategi es cannot be developed. In the context of financial institutions in the UK, market intelligence implies the ability of the institution to collect market information in objective and systematic ways and to effectively analyze and interpret the same. This information should be applied in the right context to come up with strategic proposals and action strategies. The application of the information in the right context is the element that differentiates marketing intelligence from market research. It essentially refers to the aspect of information gathering relative to the wider market intelligence processes. A market intelligent financial institution has the ability to ascertain the kind of efficient marketing research tools that are most applicable to resolve its current problems. It implements the most efficient strategies in ensuring outcomes that are reliable and of high quality. Eventually, such institutions are able to incorporate the outcomes of the research to develop efficien t strategies (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004 ). The process of gathering marketing intelligence The process of gathering marketing intelligence for financial institutions is characterized with a gap in terms of tools that enhance their operations. In most cases, the research outcomes are not fully scattered across the entire institution, which prevents them from being effectively included in the business operations. Mostly, marketing research is an isolated effort that does not allow the results to be acted upon effectively. In addressing this issue, it is important to develop a systematic strategy that takes the institution through the complete procedure of marketing activities from designing to implementing and applying. The institution should determine the objectives and

Accountability in Reporting Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Accountability in Reporting Memo - Assignment Example However, that was not the case for either of the two entities. Over the years, the press has helped to expose the corrupt and malicious behavior and activities that go on in these organizations. Some of this behavior includes people bribing managers in order to be employed or be given contracts and discrimination in terms of ethnicity, gender and tribe (Mishra, 2005). The activity that has raised the greatest outrage from the public is embezzlement of government funds by top executives and employees. These activities caused the public to demand accounting information from government entities and non-profitable organizations. The public became keener in the activities carried out by these organizations and how funds are used. It became mandatory for governmental entities and non-profitable organizations to adjust their financial accounting policies so as to satisfy the demand of the public. Over the years, non-profitable organizations and governmental entities have worked towards ensu ring that they produce financial information that is clear by following all the accounting standards (Ruppel,

Feminist Geographies: Applications and Theories

Feminist Geographies: Applications and Theories Modern feminism began in 1960s in the United States with the Women’s Liberation Movement. This political movement subsequently spread to Europe and initially focussed on equality between men and women. Women saw themselves as ‘subordinate’ and nothing more than â€Å"imaginary figures, the objects of another’s desire, made real† (Mackinnon, 1987) and thus tried to raise awareness of the social inequality experienced by women. Social feminist geography (adopting a Marxist ideology) revolved around the question of how best to articulate gender and class analyses, with the theorisation of a ‘sexual division of labour’. Haraway (1991) thus claims â€Å"a feminist is one who fights for women as a class and for the disappearance of that class†. From these roots drawing inspiration from women’s movements of the 1960s, feminist geographies have developed considerably and diversely over the last 30 years and now hold, without doubt, a considerable institutional presence. This essay will overview the development and progression of feminism as a ‘critical discourse’ and argue that although scholars such as Bondi, in McDowell and Sharp (eds) (1997), contend â€Å"†¦feminism has never achieved a high profile in geography†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that the â€Å"†¦potential of feminism is ignored†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this is NOT necessarily the case. I will argue feminist theory has shaped theory and practise in geography through raising the awareness of gender issues, helping remove blatant sexism from academic journals and institutions and contributing hugely to the ‘cultural turn’ within the discipline. A huge volume of literature has amassed on feminist geographies over recent decades meaning that in the current era there are numerous ‘feminist geographies’ spanning across the discipline. This is clearly apparent in the number of books that have been published on the topic, the formation of the journal Gender Place and Culture in 1994 and the volume of articles that can be found in other contemporary human, cultural and social geography journals. Although feminist perspectives and outlooks vary in theory and content, common concerns cut across them all (Johnston et al., 2000). Developing out of the radical separatist ideas and oppositional politics associated with the ‘global sisterhood’ of the 1960s and 70s, came a more theoretical outlook associated with the ‘cultural turn’. Feminism thus developed as a critical discourse. The discipline of geography itself was criticised for its inherent masculine bias and for â€Å"excluding half the huma n from human geography† (Monk and Hansen, 1982). Haraway (1991) argued that women â€Å"do not appear where they should in geographical literature†. However, as part of the cultural turn, the shift away from grand theories and a concentration on diverse and interconnecting global micro-geographies, gender was understood to interact with race and class and therefore to understand gender, one â€Å"had to constantly go beyond gender† (Connell, in McDowell and Sharp, 1997). The massive literature on contemporary feminism thus reflects criticisms that ‘Western feminism’ has played down sexual, racial and class differences. Western feminism had been strongly criticised for being ethnocentric, as it obscured or subordinated all other â€Å"Others† (Haraway, in McDowell and Sharp (eds) 1997). Black women argued they were not constituted as ‘women’ as white women were, but instead constituted simultaneously racially and sexually as marked female (animal, sexualised and without rights), but not a women (human, potential wife, conduit for the name of a father). This critique expanded into development studies where it was argued although ‘cultural barriers’ can impede policy progress, many of these barriers may in fact have been magnified and reinforced by Western interventionist ‘gender blind’ development policies, through an ignorance of local traditions (Crewe and Harrison, 1999). The further development of ‘feminist geographies’ and the attempt to make women visible through ‘geographies of women’ has also resulted in a large literature on feminist methodologies (Moss, 1993; Nast, 1994, Farrow, Moss and Shaw, 1995, Hodge, 1995), including experimental writing and self-reflexivity (Rose, 1997). Work by Rose (1993) criticised geographical fieldwork as being â€Å"masculinity in action†, using historical examples such as Tansley’s (1939) ‘Man and Nature’. McDowell (1992) also details sexist biases in research methods, culminating in an absence of statistics about women, for example, detailing their unpaid labour (i.e. housework). In many studies there also seems to be a lack of women that were interviewed. For example, William Whyte’s Street Corner Society (1955), in which he seemed unaware that he had only interviewed men! There has thus been an application of feminist ideas to research and fieldwork. F eminist enquiry now works for an egalitarian research process between the researcher and her ‘subjects’. A further similarity between ‘feminist geographies’ is that they trace the inter-connections between all aspects of daily life, across sub-disciplinary boundaries of economic, social, political and cultural geography. From Linda McDowell’s extensive research on the feminist geographies of the labour force involving ‘glass ceilings’ and discrimination (McDowell, 1997), to Hoschchild’s (1997) ‘dual role’ women and the ‘second shift’ (women having to be carers and mothers as well as career women). There has also been a huge volume of literature over recent years regarding the rise of women workers in the service industry (for example, call centres) and women as the ‘new proletariat’. Conversely, as part of this new ‘identity politics’, gender is argued by some to be a competitive advantage for women in the current workforce in terms of their roles as ‘emotional managers’ (Hochschild, 1983). McDowell (2001, 2004) has also recently tracked the development of a ‘crisis of masculinity’ associated with the collapse of Fordism, unemployment and a ‘lost generation of males’. Thus, it is argued by some the best ‘man’ for a job is now a woman. This thorough, multi-disciplinary application of ‘feminist geographies’ at a variety of different scales in various sub-fields of the discipline clearly highlight its impact in shaping modern theory and practise within geography. From its beginnings of liberal feminism and oppositional politics (1960s and 70s), feminist geography has developed through feminist Marxism involving a gender/class interface (late 70s/80s) to feminist geographies of difference (late 80s-present) as part of identity politics and the ‘cultural turn’. Feminist geography now concentrates on gendered identities within a post-structural, post-colonial, cultural theoretical framework, studying gender relations across races, ages, ethnicities, religions, sexualities and nationalities. Most recently of all, the discipline has undergone further internal-critique, calling for more intensive study of relations and equality between women themselves. It is for these reasons I believe ‘fem inist geographies’ have had a huge ideological impact on geographical theory and practise over recent decades and will continue to do so for years to come. References: Crewe, E. and Harrison, E. (1999) Whose development?: an ethnography of aid, London, St Martin’s Press. Farrow, H., Moss, P. and Shaw, B. (1995) Symposium of feminist participatory research, Antipode, 18:2, 186-211. Haraway, D. (1991) Simians, Cyborgs and Women: the reinvention of nature, London, Free Association Books. Hochschild, A.R. (1983) The Managed Heart: Commercialisation of Human Feeling, University of California Press, Berkeley. Hochschild, A.R. (1997) The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work, Henry Holt, New York. Hodge, D. (ed) (1995), Should women count? The role of quantitative methodology in feminist geographic research, The Professional Geographer, 47, 426-66. Johnston, R.J., Gregory, D., Pratt, G., Watts, M. (2000), The Dictionary of Human Geography, Blackwell. Mackinnon, C.A. (1987) Feminism unmodified: discourses on life and law, Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press. McDowell, L. (1992) Defining women: social institutions and gender divisions, Cambridge, Polity Press. McDowell, L. and Sharp, J. (eds) Space, gender, knowledge: feminist readings (London: Arnold, 1997). McDowell, L.M. (1997) Capital Culture: Gender at Work in the City, Oxford, Blackwell. McDowell, L.M. (2001) Father and Ford Revisited: Gender, Class and Employment Change in the New Millennium, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 26, 448-64. Monk, J. and Hansen, S. (1982) On not excluding the other half from human geography, The Professional Geographer, 32, 11-23. Moss, P. (1993) Feminism as method, The Canadian Geographer, 37, 48-61. Nast, H. (ed) (1994) Women in the field: critical feminist methodologies and theoretical perspectives, The Professional Geographer, 46, 54-102. Rose, G. (1993) Feminism and Geography, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press. Rose, G. (1997) Situating knowledges: positionality, reflexivities and other tactics, Progress in Human Geography, 21, 305-20. Whyte, W.F. (1955) Street Corner Society: the social structure of an Italian slum, Chicago, University of Chicago Press.