Aligning Philosophies of Science with Research Approaches according to Coursework

Aligning Philosophies of Science with Research Approaches according to Creswell - Coursework Example Firstly, Creswell aligns his philosophies with empiricism. This is whereby in research approaches, one deals with complete truths, where explanation of these complete truths can be through quantitative methods (Creswell, 2009). In addition, empiricism application is possible in to qualitative exploration. From the name, quantitative approaches often deal with manipulation of numerical data. Additionally, Creswell uses Interpretism in alignment of the research design. This closely aligns with constructivism. In addition, it seems to align with qualitative research design, where it may also apply in mixed methods approach. It also incorporates personal or subjective value into findings. This further makes inferences and interpretations on data be with ease. For this reason, it tends to examine personal or subjective meanings. In conclusion, Creswell articulately discusses tendencies for specific types of exploration and their relation to methods and approaches in research approaches. Although the lines he uses do not acts as binding limits for research design. They act as guideline that suggests common tendencies for research approaches. Creswell helps people understand the improbabilities on scientists and their inventions as they begin research prior to the commitment of ontology. Naturally, the research designs used by most scientists often contribute to the appropriate research approach.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example In the light of the concepts mentioned above, this report will aim at analysing the different approaches to organisational design as well as organisational effectiveness in order to evaluate why most managers find rational approaches to organisations and organising appealing. Corporate strategy is among the important factors that affect organisational design; however, numerous other contingencies such as â€Å"environment, size and life-cycle, technology, and organisational culture† are found to be influencing organisational design. In order to manifest effectiveness, an organisation should be â€Å"designed to fit the contingency factors† (Daft, 2009, pp.73). This has been depicted in the form of the figure appended below. Organisational effectiveness is one of the major objectives of organisational design and efficient organisations have a tendency to generate growing amounts of riches to be shared out among employees, management, and the society as opposed to the fact that such organisations are relatively more occupied with their internal functioning in comparison to effective organisations. One of the major challenges faced by organisational evaluation is to find out the most practicable methods for differentiating between ineffective and effective organisations. Hence, managers should design the companies that they lead, taking into consideration the fact that this is predominantly a creative endeavour. It has been said that â€Å"by far the predominant view of how decisions ought to be made is the rational approach†, and Mintzberg et al. (1976) have summarised the stages associated with it as recognition, diagnosis, search, design, evaluation, choice, authorisation and implementation (Butler, 1991, pp.43). It has been theorised that â€Å"rationality as applied to organisations considered the actions of the

Establishing A Pay Structure Commerce Essay

Establishing A Pay Structure Commerce Essay Compensation is an important factor for HR people. Indeed, it is a way to motivate employees and increase their job satisfaction. However, determine the right compensation for each individual inside the company is not an easy task: it will depend on several factors that will be discussed in this paper. Organizations make decisions to define a job structure, or relative pay for different jobs within the organization. They establish relative pay for different functions and different levels of responsibility for each function. Organizations also must establish pay levels, or the average paid for the different jobs. These decisions are based on the organizations goals, market data, legal requirements and principles of fairness. Together, job structure and pay level establish a pay structure policy. To be effective, the compensation must be competitive in the market, perceived as fair by employees, accurately based, motivating and easily understandable. Thus, in order to achieve it a pay structure policy can help in this process. A pay structure dresses a hierarchy of job types and grades with the associated compensation and benefits. It is a term for the array of pay rates within the organization and representing the degree of slope in its pay policy (Milkovich Newman, 2002). Characteristics of a particular pay structure include the number of levels in the structure, the size of the pay differentials between each level in the structure, and the rate at which employees can progress through each level in the structure (Gerhart Milkovich, 1992). In order to realize this paper, I interviewed to HR managers that gave me their thoughts about the subject and experience. The paper will begin with the legal requirements that a company has to respect when setting compensation in the United States, and then it will focus on the factors. Legal Requirements At work employees are protected by several regulations in terms of selection, health and safety, labor, etc and of course pay. When establishing a pay structure, organizations face some laws put in place by the government that may vary according to the country where the employees of the company work. There are mainly five types of constraints that companies have to take into consideration in order to avoid troubles: equal employment opportunity, minimum wages, pay for overtime and prevailing wages for federal contractors and child labor. Equal Employment Opportunity The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) gathers several laws from the Civil Rights Act, American With Disabilities Act, Age discrimination in Employment Act and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. These laws protect employees from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment according to employees race, color, religion, sex, origin, disability, genetics and age. Thus, to meet the standard of EEO, employers must provide equal pay for equal work, regardless of these criteria. However it does not guarantee equal pay between men and women or young and old, etc. Indeed, differences in pay may appear but they must have good explanations relative to the business such as job responsibilities, skills, performance etc. To summarize, two employees doing the same job cannot be paid differently because of the previous criteria mentioned otherwise it would be considered as illegal. However, if one of the employees has some particular skills, or other business related considerations, the two employees might have a different pay. Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is administered by the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and establishes the federal minimum wage, overtime pay and child employment standards that most of companies must comply with. It applies to most of companies operating in the US and exempts some employees such as executives, professionals and outside sales persons. Under the FLSA, the employer must pay at least the minimum wage established by the law. Nonetheless some states and local governments have established higher minimum wages. In cases of where an employee works under state and federal minimum wage law he should be paid with the highest one. A minimum wage corresponds to the lowest compensation an employee can receive for the work s/he has performed. In 2012, the current minimum wage set by the FLSA in the United States is $7.25. In addition, the FLSA establishes a youth minimum wage for the first 90 consecutive days of employment of people under 20 years old which represents around 85% of the minimum wage. The FLSA also requires overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in each week. Thus employees should be paid at a different rate for extra hours. This rate is set at one and a half times the employees regular pay rate including bonuses. Overtime pay is required even if the employer did not ask the employee to work more. Moreover, there is no limit on the number of hours an employee can work during a week. Finally, employers must meet FLSA requirements concerning child labor (children younger than 18 years old) which basically restrict the use of child labor within a company. They must be paid at the minimum wage, as adults, or youth minimum wage (for the first 90 days). Any violation of the act may result to penalties and sanctions. Prevailing Wages for Federal Contractors The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment Standards Administrations Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers laws and regulations requiring minimum wages to be paid to workers performing construction work on federally-funded contracts or providing services to the federal government. Federal contractors must meet the requirements to pay at least the prevailing wages in the area where there employees work, that is to say the hour rate paid to the majority of workers in a specific area. It is defined by regulatory agencies. It exists two federal laws that cover employees pay policy in this field: Davis-Bacon Act for construction contractors that receive more than $2,000 in federal money. Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act for all government contractors receiving $10,000 or more in federal funds. Economic Factors on Compensation An organization cannot make spending decisions independent of the economy. Organizations must keep costs low enough so that they can sell their products profitably, however they must be able to attract workers in a competitive labor market. Thus, to remain competitive, employers must meet the demands of product and labor markets. Product Markets Product market is a market in which competing final goods and services are exchanged. Companies must be competitive in product markets so that they can generate enough profit in order to pay their employees. The more the competition, the more companies will reduce costs because they are unable to increase prices without losing money. In addition, product markets seek to buy at the lowest price, so organizations must limit their costs as much as possible. Indeed, an organization that has high labor cost will have to raise its prices for similar products already available on the market. In this way, product markets place an upper limit on the pay an employer can afford to offer for a specific job. Labor Markets In order to define labor market, we need to define its demand and supply. The demand side focus on the employers actions, that is to say how much he is willing to pay and how much employees he is looking for. The supply side consists of workers who want to earn as much as possible. To attract and keep workers, employers must pay at least the going rate in their labor markets. That is to say, to remain competitive in the labor market, organizations in a similar area have to pay this minimum amount to hire the most qualified employees. In this way, labor markets place a lower limit on the pay an employer must be willing to offer for a specific job. Pay Policy Identification Organizations make decisions about whether to pay at, above or below the pay rate set by these market forces. Paying above the market rate may make the organization less competitive in product markets but give it an advantage in labor markets. The organization benefits only if it can attract the best candidates and provide the system that motivate and enable them to do their best work. Furthermore, the efficiency wage theory (A. Marshall, 1920) explains that paying employees above the market rate increase productivity and efficiency for firms. Indeed, thanks to that they would be able to avoid shirk, reduce employees turnover, attract the best people, provide motivation for employees and allow them to eat so that they are less willing to be sick. Organizations that pay below the market rate need creative practices for recruiting and training workers so that they can find and keep enough qualified people. It is the less recommended strategy. If an organization choose it, it is probably because it has not enough financial resources to pay its employees, however in order to keep employees or even attract them the company must provide other non-financial advantages. Companies that are using this strategy experience high rates of employees dissatisfaction, high turnover and low productivity. The most use strategy is to match the market by paying the same pay for same jobs. Indeed by setting the same pay level, companies are able to remain competitive while managing their labor costs. Benchmarking In order to define the going rate in the market, companies use benchmarking. It consists for them to compare their own practices in terms of pay with the ones practiced by their competitors. Benchmarking is done through pay surveys to the right competitors, for the right jobs, and through the right methods (phone interviews, personal interviews, questionnaire, etc.). This is usually done by some agencies, especially the US bureau of labor statistics, with National Compensation Survey; rather than by the company itself. While developing a pay survey, companies must take into the two previous factors mentioned in pay level decisions (product market and labor market). Indeed, according to the goal of the company, it will focus more on product markets or labor markets comparisons. Pay structure related to jobs Along economic forces, organizations must consider the relative contribution each job should make to the organizations overall performance. Creation of a pay structure requires that the organization develop an internal structure showing the relative contribution of its various jobs, called job structure. One way to do it is through job evaluation. Job evaluation Job evaluation has several objectives, it can help to: Define what positions and job responsibilities are similar Decide right pay grades and other compensation issues Develop job classifications Help employees along their career path Organizations typically begin with a job evaluation to measure the relative worth of their jobs. A job evaluation committee identifies each jobs compensable factors and rates each factor. These compensable factors are the specificities that each job requires and that the company decided to value most and pay for its employees, such as education, skills, effort, job complexity, responsibilities, working conditions, experiences of the employee, etc. Then, for each factor the organizations define several degrees (usually no more than five) in order to judge the degree of a factor existing in a job. Once it is done, the committee assigns points for each factors and degrees. In order to simplify this process the committee may write down a job evaluation manual and use it to evaluate each job according to their significance into the organization. Pay Structure Creation The committee can research market pay levels for key jobs, then identify appropriate rates of pay for other jobs, based on their number of points relative to the key jobs. The organization can do this with a pay policy line, which plots a salary for each job. The pay policy line is a graph that shows the relationships between job evaluation and pay rate. It is then used to define the compensation for non-key jobs, for which the company has no data. The organization can combine jobs into several groups, called pay grades. For each pay grade or job, the organization typically establishes a pay range that will determine a minimum, midpoint and maximum of pay for a specific job or job within a specific pay grade, using the market rate or pay policy line as a midpoint. Thus, the salary of an employee may change according to some factors such as performance, seniority, etc. However, for some reasons, it is possible that an employees pay fall outside the pay range that the organization established. For instance, when an employee pay rate fall below the pay range for the job, it is called green-circle rate. It can happen when the employee has been promoted to a new position that is under a new pay grade. Conversely, when the employee pay rate fall above the pay range for the job, it is called red-circle rate. It can happen when the employee is demoted and keeps his/her current compensation. When these kinds of situation happen it is im portant for the company to solve the problem, nonetheless it is still rare. Differences in working conditions or labor markets sometimes call for the use of pay differentials to adjust pay levels. For instance, some companies pay a differential for night work to compensate them. Alternatives to Job-Based Pay To obtain more flexibility, organizations may reduce the levels in the organizations job structure. This process of delayering creates broad bands of jobs with a pay range for each. Other organizations reward employees according to their knowledge and skills. They establish skill-based pay systems, or structures that set pay according to the employees level of knowledge and what they are capable of doing. This encourages employees to be more flexible and adapt to changing technology. However, if the organization does not also provide systems in which employees can apply new skills, it may be paying them for skills they do not actually use. Monitoring Compensation Costs The Human Resource Department should routinely compare actual pay with the pay structure to see that policies and practices match. A common way to do this is to measure a compa-ratio for each job or pay grade. The compa-ratio is the ratio of average pay to midpoint of the pay range. Assuming the pay structure supports the organizations goals, the compa-ratio should be close to 1. When compa-ratios are more or less than 1, the HR department should work with managers to identify whether to adjust the pay structure or the organizations pay practices. http://www.dol.gov/whd/flsa/index.htm#.UPHgI-TxajM

Amish: A Culture Worth Learning From Essay -- Amish Culture

Social process theory views criminality as a function of people's interactions with organizations institutions and processes in society. Social process theorists believe that children learn to commit crime by interacting with, and modeling the behaviors of others they admire or respect. Social process theory focuses on upbringing and socialization, which stems from parents, peers, or teachers (Siegel, 2011, p. 13-14). American psychologist B.F. Skinner 1904-1990, developed social process theory he studied behaviorism, which included responses to environmental stimuli and the controlled scientific study of response. This study was termed operant conditioning created through both social and non-social reinforcements. Most learning of criminal behavior occurs in social interactions with other people (B.F. Skinner). Skinners studies included the study of pigeons that helped develop the idea of operant conditioning and shaping of behavior. His study entailed making goals for pigeons, if the goal for the pigeon is to turn to the left, a reward is given for any movement to the left, the rewards are supposed to encourage the left turn. Skinner believed complicated tasks could be broken down in this way and taught until mastered. The main belief of Skinner is everything we do is because of punishment and reward (B.F. Skinner). Edwin Sutherland American criminologist 1883-1950 opposed dominant, biological and psychological explanations for crime. He believed criminal behavior is a product of learning through social interactions and peers influence behavior by social interaction. If a peer group is criminal, the individual will perceive this behavior as normal. Sutherla... ...ademic OneFile. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. Ordnung ord-nu. (2004). In Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/mwcollegiate/ordnung_ord_nu. Ronald L. Akers. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 04, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://ep.fmcc.edu:5149/EBchecked/topic/1340874/Ronald-L-Akers . Sachs, A. (2010). Management, Plain and Simple. Time, 175(15), Global 4. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Shactman, T. (2006). Rumspringa. New York: North Point Press. Siegel, L. J. (2011). Criminology: the core (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. The Amish: Massacre at the Amish school in Nickel Mines, PA. (n.d.). ReligiousTolerance.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved December 4, 2010, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish3.htm

Mending Wall Poetry Analysis Essay

The neighbour keeps resorting back to the same simple argument and point of his father’s saying, â€Å"Good fences make good neighbours. † The speaker continues to remain unconvinced and presses the neighbour’s old-fashioned stubborn claims to be overlooked despite his reluctance to be swayed. The piece remarkably is quite simplistic in the way that the vocabulary of the poem contains no real fancy words, most are short and the majority can be used in conversion in everyday life. There are no stanza breaks, obvious ending rhymes or overall rhyme scheme observed either. The repetition of whole lines is surveyed twice throughout the poem however. â€Å"Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,† is the opening line of the piece and is repeated on line thirty-six. This is a reoccurring idea that this wall should not be up standing in the first place as it is unnecessary. Frost says that there is a natural force that tears down these walls as they are unnatural. The repetition emphasises that it only separates us from being able to build last longing relationships from those who may be on the opposite side to that fence. The other replication noticed is of the motto of the neighbour’s father, â€Å"Good fences make good neighbours. † This phrase holds a very strong importance to the speaker’s neighbour. In no way, shape or form does the man over the wall want to change his sturdy built tradition of his father’s trusty and wise wisdom. Frost would rather the neighbour think for himself and for him to grasp the opportunity to do something different rather than continue to â€Å"move in darkness† and let go of the unneeded barrier between that lies between them. One interpretation is that Frost could be trying to convey is one of unnecessary barriers and dead-ends. Excuses not to alter their lives, not to form new friendships or develop and build even stronger ones. The title Mending Wall could mean anything but fixing the fence between the two blocks of land but refer instead to the broken relationship that exists between two human beings.

Special Occasion Speech

Before beginning, I'd like to offer my sincerest gratitude to ChMlotte and Justin for allowing me 10 be pan oflhls special occasion. Aho, I wouJd like to say thank you 10 Charlotte' 1 parenU for . 11 that you've done to make this ! he special day tha! il is. And, of course. my gntefuln~ to Justin' s parentS for all oryour suppon and all that you've done to make this, by all accounts, the perfect day. I love 1 wedding – especially when it happens to such great people. From the moment [ saw you two together, Charlotte, I knew this would happen. Charlotte has been. great rriend in. w many ways. We've come to know one another so wen, that we have an undemanding that goes beyond wOf'ds. We don't judge. and we don't have 10 explain. So. when Clwiotte found her soul-mate, she didn't really have 10 say much to make it clear to me that Justin was the one and only for her. The love in her beart and the joy in ber spirit were obvious from the beginning. I've seen that same Jove and happiness in JUSlin. Charlotte and Justin, I am elCtremely happy for both of you. You truly complement one another. You rod u friends and it evolved into a love that so many people r1U'eIy find today. Love after a1~ doesn't make the world go around †¦ Love is what makes the ride wonhwhile. And it's a wonderful thing when two people who were made for each othefmanage to frnd each other and ! all io love. So, I'd like to make a toast. And I'd like to make it with this thought in mind: If there is such a thing as a good marriage, then it cqmes from unconditional and enduring love that grows from commitment and friendship. So this is to you, Justin and Charlotte, your love Bnd friendship have always been special and your future as busband and wife promises to be bright. Here's to a wonderful, enchanted life together rich with love and happiness . Special Occasion Speech Before beginning, I'd like to offer my sincerest gratitude to ChMlotte and Justin for allowing me 10 be pan oflhls special occasion. Aho, I wouJd like to say thank you 10 Charlotte' 1 parenU for . 11 that you've done to make this ! he special day tha! il is. And, of course. my gntefuln~ to Justin' s parentS for all oryour suppon and all that you've done to make this, by all accounts, the perfect day. I love 1 wedding – especially when it happens to such great people. From the moment [ saw you two together, Charlotte, I knew this would happen. Charlotte has been. great rriend in. w many ways. We've come to know one another so wen, that we have an undemanding that goes beyond wOf'ds. We don't judge. and we don't have 10 explain. So. when Clwiotte found her soul-mate, she didn't really have 10 say much to make it clear to me that Justin was the one and only for her. The love in her beart and the joy in ber spirit were obvious from the beginning. I've seen that same Jove and happiness in JUSlin. Charlotte and Justin, I am elCtremely happy for both of you. You truly complement one another. You rod u friends and it evolved into a love that so many people r1U'eIy find today. Love after a1~ doesn't make the world go around †¦ Love is what makes the ride wonhwhile. And it's a wonderful thing when two people who were made for each othefmanage to frnd each other and ! all io love. So, I'd like to make a toast. And I'd like to make it with this thought in mind: If there is such a thing as a good marriage, then it cqmes from unconditional and enduring love that grows from commitment and friendship. So this is to you, Justin and Charlotte, your love Bnd friendship have always been special and your future as busband and wife promises to be bright. Here's to a wonderful, enchanted life together rich with love and happiness .