Oliver Stone’s Alexander and it’s Accuracy in portraying Alexander the Great Essay

The 2004 film Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, depicts the life of Alexander the Great. This essay will discuss the accuracy of Oliver Stone’s artistic vision in this depiction of Alexander’s life and achievements. The discussion will focus on: Alexander’s 7 year campaign, particularly its battles; his relationship with others, including his sexuality within the film; and the legacy Alexander and his armies left on the world. Historically, there are many omissions within Oliver Stone’s Alexander, however, the majority of these are accounted for through Stone’s artistic vision. Many minor campaigns during the 7 year period were completely left out, and only two battles were shown throughout the movie. Within these two battles, many major components of other battles were in some way conflated so as to equate to having experienced those battles as well, since if Stone were to include every battle, not only would the film be far longer than its current form, but it would also have required a much larger budget. This absence of battles is the major inaccuracy in Stone’s Alexander. Whilst Stone only conveys two battles in the movie, history conveys that Alexander participated in a vast quantity of battles, pitched battles as well as sieges, throughout the 7 year march. Stone choice in depicting only these two battles of the many others was through his aim to convey the key points of Alexanders major campaigns in a condensed form as possible. Whilst the battles themselves were inaccurate, many of these inaccuracies were choices of Stone’s. The main inaccuracy for the the Battle of Gaugemela, the first battle depicted in Alexander, is the Persian army itself. Alexander shows them as a disorganised rabble, when, historically, the Persians would have been exceedingly well organised. Members of the Persian army would have had uniforms, rather than the variable clothing they wore, and musicians would play so that the army would march in rank. Conversely, many of the events before, during and after the battle were accurate. For example, before the battle, the night before in the tent where Alexander converses with his generals, he is urged to make a night attack and steal a victory: Alexander, if we must fight, do so with stealth. Use your numbers well; we should attack tonight when they least expect us†. Alexander refuses. This conversation is accurate in at least it’s meaning, as is recorded by Arrian: â€Å"It is said that Parmenio came to him in his tent, and urged him to make a night attack on the Persians†¦ but the reply which he made to him†¦ was that it would be mean to steal a victory† (Arrian, Book 3, Section 10). The conversation is as such a recorded event, and though Stone changed dialogues, the meaning behind each is the same. The major inaccuracy in the Battle of Hydaspes, the second battle, is that it takes place in a jungled terrain, fighting the people of India. In historical fact, the Battle of Hydaspes occurred on a open plain. Stone is said to have chosen the location of the battle to be in a forest as a contrast to the Battle of Gaugemela, which also occurred on a plain. Arrian records the battle to have taken place near the river Hydaspes, with Alexander making a secret crossing in the night, however Alexander makes no mention of the crossing, or even of the existence of the river. Arrian also mentions that the the forces from both armies were split, but the film shows no evidence of this. A second inaccuracy was the conflict between the leader of the Indian army and Alexander. According to reports by Arrian, Alexander never confronted nor charged the king of the Indians as is shown in the film, but instead treated him with dignity and honour, eventually giving him the rule over a large territory. Nor did Bucephalus die from the major wound as shown in Alexander, but from old age and minor wounds he sustained throughout his life. The film shows Alexander charging the king, and Buchephalus saving his master’s life at the cost of his own. This was most likely done as a method to increase the dramatic effect of the scene, but also as a method of including another major battle in Alexander’s timeline, the siege of Malli. Within the battles depicted in Alexander, Stone directed minor changes in the factuality of battle events. For example, he depicts Alexander being gravely wounded in the Battle of Hydaspes. This grave wounding of Alexander occurred later, at the siege of Malli. This event is combined into the Battle of Hydaspes to portray more of Alexander’s history, and those knowledgeable of it could notice and appreciate this and other acknowledgements of history even though they aren’t accurate. Apart from the battles, there were other events of history or legend in Alexander’s life which are not represented. For example, the Gordian knot. This well known legend of Alexander slicing open the untie-able knot with his sword and its linked prophecy of ruling Asia is not included. This may be because the truth is not known of the event, whether Alexander cut it, pulled apart what it was tied to and then untying it or whether it existed at all, although there is evidence that it existed. Apart from these events not included or merely conflated there are portion of Alexander in which the way Alexander is depicted historically, or not as the case may be. To the points where it was inaccurate, Alexander is scripted throughout his speeches to encourage his men in their campaign to conquer the world. These scripts lead to him being given a purpose behind the campaign, that of a â€Å"brotherhood of man†. Historically, there is no evidence to this. Alexander was known to merely have conquered because he could, â€Å"a brilliant commander traveling an endless path of conquest† (Eugene N. Borza, Movie Commentary: Alexander, page 4). The personality of Alexander is almost completely unknown, and as historians we are unable to characterise what made him the charismatic leader capable of leading his armies on his 7 year march. Another aspect of Alexander’s personality was his relationships with individuals. The film shows intense relationships with his mother and father, as well as childhood friend Hephaistion. Alexander’s relationship with his mother and father both vary throughout the film, but focus mostly on pleasing his mother and either avenging or surpassing his father. During his early life, Alexander is shown very close to his mother, with her urging him on to succeed and whispering propaganda in his ear against his father, while Alexander is taught to be a leader through the actions of his father. Later on, he grows separate from both, however influenced by them tremendously. For example, when Philip dies, Alexander falls into a rage, even though he had fallen out recently with his father in a drink influenced conflict, and it embitters him against his mother, this bitterness continuing into the film. Further, in developing the relationship with Hephaistion, Stone also spends a lot of time enforcing the point that Alexander is bi-sexual, through the homoerotic subtext, though this was not limited to Hephaistion but incorporated others within the film. Whilst this may have been the case in history, as in Ancient Greece sexuality was merely a matter of course, and you were either sexual or you weren’t, without vastly distinguishing between the genders, Stone pushes the limits of this concept in order to outline a known part of Alexanders life. It is known that Alexander had at least two male physical relationships, and this may have pushed Stone into depicting the sexuality of Alexander, though in contrast to the homosexual relationships, Alexander’s relationship with his first wife Roxanne was inaccurate and over-zealous. Roxanne, his first wife, is historically known as a devoted wife and mother, rather than as the character displayed in Alexander (Eugene N. Borza, Movie Commentary: Alexander, page 3). In all, Oliver Stone’s depiction of Alexander in his film Alexander has both accuracy and inaccuracy. The major inaccuracies was the events, or lack thereof, as Oliver Stone either chose not to or was not able to include them, whilst the main accuracies of the film were the inclusion of key points in Alexander’s life and relationships. Alexander shows some of Alexander and his armies impact on the world, and it is a well researched attempt at conveying the incredible life of Alexander the Great accurately.

Free Essays on Trifles

Sitting Alone in Thought The truth about male and female relationships really comes to life by author Susan Gaspell in â€Å"Trifles†. Gaspell examines male and female relationships, how a controlling spouse, and lack of communication can lead to the deterioration in relationships, which inevitably leads too a woman seeking change in her life. Gaspell shows that some relationships are not warm and loving, but are dominated by a controlling spouse. The Author makes you feel that all John wanted to do was control someone’s life, exactly as he had been doing to Minnie. He controlled her life to the extent that he would not allow her to even have a â€Å"party telephone† (952) placed in their home, this would have allowed her access to the outside world, and he did not want that. It was apparent that John did not allow Minnie to have a social life, as she once had when she was Minnie Foster, the woman that sang in the â€Å"choir† (956). Minnie was isolated from the rest of the world; their house was â€Å"down in a hollow† (958) unable to be seen from the road. There house was a lonesome place where no visitors ever came, not even the people that knew they were there. Gaspell shows that Minnie was controlled by John so much that when she made the decision to buy a canary that â€Å"sangâ₠¬  (960) to her, he â€Å"choked the life out of it† (960), just as he had been doing for many years to Minnie. A controlling relationship never ends happily; at Kearney 2 least that is how Gaspell perceived their relationship. Besides a controlling spouse, lack of communication can be an oblivious reason for relationship problems. Gaspell examines this, and the result of what can happen in marriages and friendships that suffer when a communication breakdown occurs, she does this through three different couples. The first couple she examined was John and Minnie Wright who lived in â€Å"peace and quite† (952), they had no friends or visitors ... Free Essays on Trifles Free Essays on Trifles Worrying over Trifles In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, she without a doubt challenges the morals, beliefs, and values of her audience. The play begins in an old Midwestern farmhouse. George Henderson, Henry Peters, Lewis Hale, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Hale enter the Wright residence to try to unravel a murder mystery. As the play unfolds, readers learn more of how isolated and unhappy Mr. And Mrs. Wright was. Although these two characters have no lines and are never seen on stage, the audience carefully learns who the assassin is through careful observations by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. The others, George Henderson, Henry Peters, and Lewis Hale, seem to overlook significant details that may lead them to solving the murder. In spite of the terrible tragedy, one must come to a decision whether the murder is a sin or a blessing. In Trifles, the men and women demonstrate their many differences through their thought process and the women’s sympathy for the accused. The men portrayed in the play show few differences in their views and opinions. George Henderson plays the county attorney. He is at the Wright house to investigate the murder and question the witness. Henry Peters accompanies the county attorney as the sheriff in hope to solve the crime. The witness, Lewis Hale, is the one who found Mrs. Wright sitting in her rocking chair after her husband passes. All three men prove themselves condescending and proud throughout the play. In the opening of the play, the men comfortably walk in the home as if nothing tragic has occurred. Throughout the rest of the performance, there are many references to women and how they are less significant to men. Glaspell, through Lewis Hale’s character, gives a passive statement that confirms early judgment of women: â€Å"Well, women are used to worrying over trifles† (1240). The sheriff and the county attorney both support Hale in other statements directed towards the women. COUNT... Free Essays on Trifles Sitting Alone in Thought The truth about male and female relationships really comes to life by author Susan Gaspell in â€Å"Trifles†. Gaspell examines male and female relationships, how a controlling spouse, and lack of communication can lead to the deterioration in relationships, which inevitably leads too a woman seeking change in her life. Gaspell shows that some relationships are not warm and loving, but are dominated by a controlling spouse. The Author makes you feel that all John wanted to do was control someone’s life, exactly as he had been doing to Minnie. He controlled her life to the extent that he would not allow her to even have a â€Å"party telephone† (952) placed in their home, this would have allowed her access to the outside world, and he did not want that. It was apparent that John did not allow Minnie to have a social life, as she once had when she was Minnie Foster, the woman that sang in the â€Å"choir† (956). Minnie was isolated from the rest of the world; their house was â€Å"down in a hollow† (958) unable to be seen from the road. There house was a lonesome place where no visitors ever came, not even the people that knew they were there. Gaspell shows that Minnie was controlled by John so much that when she made the decision to buy a canary that â€Å"sangâ₠¬  (960) to her, he â€Å"choked the life out of it† (960), just as he had been doing for many years to Minnie. A controlling relationship never ends happily; at Kearney 2 least that is how Gaspell perceived their relationship. Besides a controlling spouse, lack of communication can be an oblivious reason for relationship problems. Gaspell examines this, and the result of what can happen in marriages and friendships that suffer when a communication breakdown occurs, she does this through three different couples. The first couple she examined was John and Minnie Wright who lived in â€Å"peace and quite† (952), they had no friends or visitors ... Free Essays on Trifles In reading the play â€Å"Trifles† the reader learns that two of the main characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, suppress evidence that will help the county attorney establish the motive behind the murder of John Wright. I feel that the two women are morally obligated to tell the county attorney what they know. It’s the law plain and simple, and I believe in following the law. However, if it were me in the same situation I would have hidden the evidence too. To understand the moral dilemma that faces Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, a few key topics need to be brought to light. Such as some of the major symbols which are used as metaphors in this play, the role of women in 1916, and some character analysis on the two women. The first one is the comparison between Mrs. Wright and a bird. Mrs. Wright is described by Mrs. Hale as â€Å"kind of like a bird herself†. This was before her marriage to John Wright. However, birds are forced to live in cages, just as Minnie was forced to live in an abusive relationship in which her husband takes away all of her freedom. Another important metaphor in this play is the rocking chair. â€Å"The chair sagged to one side†. Mrs. Hale stated that the chair was not anything like she remembered. This can be compared to how Mrs. Hale remembered Minnie years ago. â€Å"I wish you’d seen Minnie Foster when she wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up there in the choir and sang†. Notice how she refers to Minnie by using her maiden name. This shows how Minnie Foster, who was once something to look at, became the run down looking Minnie Wright. Just as the rocking chair depreciated, so did Mrs. Wright. Next, it is important to discuss the role of females at the time the play was written. We can start with the title. While it is known that the word trifle simply means something unimportant or of little value, the word is used in this play to convey how the men considered women’s dut... Free Essays on Trifles Literary Analysis of â€Å"Trifles† In Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, two women battle with a decision that could change the fate of a woman who is assumed to have killed her husband. They are at the Wright house to gather some things to bring to Minnie and start to analyze the things in her kitchen. Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hale talk about how Minnie was such a good woman before she married. They start to battle with the thought that she may have actually killed her husband. Women in the early 1900’s were considered second class. They were house wives and nothing more. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discuss everyday things in Minnie’s kitchen such as her fruit and her bread that was set and ready to be baked. Suddenly Mrs. Peters asks Mrs. Hale â€Å"Do you think she did it?† These two women know that Minnie would have had a motive but did not want to say it out loud. They continually bring up how â€Å"Minnie Foster† used to be. â€Å"†¦one of the town girls singing in the choir.† It is constantly inferred that John Wright was bad husband who changed her. Ables 2 They had no children which left her home lonely along with the fact that he was not much company when he came home. There is a large amount of foreshadowing in this play. The women find a bird cage in the cupboard with a broken door. They know that this is an abnormal finding. They come to the conclusion that she had a canary to keep her company. It also sang beautifully, something to remind her of how her life was before she was with John Wright, she used to sing and be sweet. Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale also discover her quilting and find one that is messy and out of place. Mrs. Hale also knows that this is out of place and begins to fix it. Somehow these two women know that if the men see these things they will use them against her. Unknowingly they hide things that are potentional evidence. They know, but never say, that Minnie killed her husband ...

A study on motivational factors influencing work place behaviour of employees

This project is entitled A STUDY ON MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK PLACE BEHAVIOUR OF EMPLOYEES with reference to â€Å"TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,†, located at Neyveli. In this company there are 145 employees including the staff members. For this study, I have chosen a sample size 30 employees through a systematic sampling. This study helps to know the factors that are influencing the motivational level of employees in the organization. This project had been undertaken by me to find out the needs and wants of the employees to motivate them. Under this Study a questionnaire that contained the questions relating to the employees expectations are given to them and their responses are recorded. The gathered data had been analyzed relating to employee motivations. CHAPTER-1 1. INTRODUCTION The project work titled as A STUDY ON MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK PLACE BEHAVIOUR OF EMPLOYEES with special reference to TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,, is mainly conducted to identify the factors which will motivate the employees in that organization. Management’s basic job is the effective utilization of human resources for achievements of organizational objectives. The personnel management is concerned with organizing human resources in such a way to get maximum output to the enterprise and to develop the talent of people at work to the fullest satisfaction. Motivation implies that one person, in organization context a manager, includes another, say an employee, to engage in action by ensuring that a channel to satisfy those needs and aspirations becomes available to the person. In addition to this, the strong needs in a direction that is satisfying to the latent needs in employees and harness them in a manner that would be functional for the organization. Employee motivation is one of the major issues faced by every organization. It is the major task of every manager to motivate his subordinates or to create the ‘will to work’ among the subordinates. It should also be remembered that a worker may be immensely capable of doing some work; nothing can be achieved if he is not willing to work. A manager has to make appropriate use of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Hence these studies focus on the employee motivation among the employees of Premier Buildings Materials Ltd. , The data needed for the study has been collected from the employees through questionnaires and through direct interviews. Analysis and interpretation has been done by using the statistical tools and data’s are presented through tables and charts. 1. 1INDUSTRY PROFILE: Energy has been universally recognized as one of the most important inputs for economic growth and human development. There is a strong two-way relationship between economic development and energy consumption. On one hand, growth of an economy, with its global competitiveness, hinges on the availability of cost-effective and environmentally benign energy sources, and on the other hand, the level of economic development has been observed to be reliant on the energy demand. Coal India now ranks third amongst the coal producing countries in the world. Being the most abundant fossil fuel in India till date, it continues to be one of the most important sources for meeting the domestic energy needs. It accounts for 55% of the country’s total energy supplies. Through sustained increase in investment, production of coal increased from about 70 MT (million tonnes) (MoC 2005) in early 1970s to 382 MT in 2004/05. Most of the coal production in India comes from open pit mines contributing to over 81% of the total production while underground mining accounts for rest of the national output mainly from Neyveli (MoC 2005) 1. 2COMPANY PROFILE: TAQA Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, PJSC (TAQA) Type state-owned Traded as ADX: TAQA Industry Energy Founded 2005 Headquarters Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Owner(s) Government of Abu Dhabi Employees 2,800 (Aug 2011) Subsidiaries TAQA North, TAQA Bratani Website www. taqa. ae The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, PJSC (TAQA) (ADX: TAQA) is a government controlled energy holding company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. TAQA is one of Abu Dhabi’s flagship companies and as such has an important role to play in helping to deliver the economic strategy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. [citation needed] History TAQA was founded in June 2005 pursuant to the provisions of Emiri Decree in 2005 as a public joint stock company. In May 2006 TAQA appointed Mr. Peter E. Barker-Homek, an American businessman, as its first CEO. TAQA expanded quickly under the guidance of Mr. Barker-Homek, making several key acquisitions in Africa and North America In Canada, TAQA acquired Northrock Resources Ltd. (US$ 2 billion) Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc (US$ 540 million) and PrimeWest Energy Trust (US$ 5 billion). In 2008 TAQA acquired several North Sea assets from Shell U. K. Limited and Esso Exploration and Production (UK) Limited. The purchase included all equity, associated infrastructure and production licenses relating to the Tern, Eider, Cormorant North, South Cormorant, Kestrel and Pelican fields and related sub-sea satellite fields. [citation needed] In late 2009 Mr Barker-Homek relinquished his position as CEO and was replaced by Carl Sheldon. Operations TAQAs main focus of investments is the companies engaged in power generation, water desalination, and production and storage of oil and gas. In addition, it has invested in mining, metal, and services sectors. TAQA has investments in over 60 companies. Its principal wholly owned subsidiaries include Emirates Power Company, Gulf Power Company, Arabian United Power Company, Al Shuweihat Power Company, Taweelah United Power Company, Union Power Holding Company, TAQA Bratani Limited, TAQA Energy B. V. , TAQA North Ltd. and Takoradi International Company, operator of the Takoradi Power Station II. TAQA owns majority stakes in assets that provide about 85% of Abu Dhabis power generation and 90% of its water desalination capacity. In addition to the Persian Gulf region, TAQA has assets in Europe, Asia and Africa. It has interests in the Tern Alpha, Eider Alpha, Cormorant North, Cormorant Alpha, Kestrel and Pelican fields and related sub-sea satellite fields in the North Sea. On 3 August 2009, TAQA took over operatorship of the North Sea Brent Oil Pipelines System. In addition, in 2006 TAQA acquired BP Nederland Energie B. V. Through this acquisition, TAQA get onshore and off-shore production assets, including the Piek Gas Installatie facility in Alkmaar, the project of the largest offshore LNG Regas facilities utilizing the depleted field P15/P18 just off the port of Rotterdam, and partnership in the Bergermeer gas storage project. In August 2009, it bought a 15% interest in North Sea assets from the L11b Group took over the operatorship of the L11b-A production platform. Through the acquisition of CMS Generation, TAQA has assets in the UAE, Ghana, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and India. On January 3, 2013, TAQA signed an agreement with Turkey to invest about $12 billion to develop the coal fields in the Southern Turkey. This deal is considered as the second biggest Arab investment in Turkey in the energy sector. Shareholders TAQA is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The company is 75. 1% indirectly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi through ADWEA owns 51%, ADWEA transferred 24. 1% of its shareholding to the Fund for the Support of Farm Owners in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The balance (24. 9%) is traded publicly on the Abu Dhabi Securities Market. Finance Standard Poors has assigned A+/A-1 corporate credit ratings to TAQA. Moodys has assigned a rating of Aa3 to TAQAs long term foreign and local currency obligations. Combining world-class expertise and a dynamic and exciting portfolio of assets, TAQA has been transformed from a start-up into a truly global operator within the space of seven years. TAQA AT A GLANCE Full name Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC Nature of business Oil and gas exploration and production, power generation and water desalination and Energy Solutions 2012 revenue AED 27. 8 Bn USD 7. 6 Bn 2012 profit AED 649 Mn USD 176. 7 Mn Total assets as at 31 Dec 2012 AED 122. 6 Bn USD 33. 4 Bn Number of employees 2,800 Operating in North America, Europe and Greater MENA (Middle East, North Africa and India) Founded June 2005 Listed August 2005 Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Principal shareholders Abu Dhabi Government and Government agencies 72. 5% Public shareholders 27. 5% Power generation capacity 16,395 MW Water desalination capacity 887 MIGD Oil Gas production 135,400 boe/d * US$1. 00 (United States dollar) = AED3. 6725 (UAE dirhams) 1. 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To study , analyze and to understand the motivational factors of employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. , that affects their work place behavior. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: To identify the various motivational schemes that already exists in the organization. To measure the level of motivation experienced by the employees in the organization 1. 4 NEED FOR THE STUDY: To study and know the employee motivation scenario in TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,, To know that the employees satisfaction level with the motivation factors undertaken by the company. To identify steps taken by the organization to motivates its employees. To identify the factors that influence the work place behavior of employees. 1. 5 SCOPE FOR THE STUDY: This study helps the researcher to realize the importance of effective employee motivation. This study explores the views expressed by the Respondents about the motivation and providing solutions in an attempt to develop a better system. The importance of studying employee motivation is to understand the internal satisfaction of every employee. The findings of this study help the company to fulfill the expectations of the employees. It helps to provide insights to support future research regarding strategic guidance for organizations that are both providing and using reward/recognition programs. 1. 6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: The limitations of the study are the following As the data was collected through questionnaire, the responds from the respondents may not be accurate. The sample taken for the study was only 30 and the results drawn may not be accurate. Another difficulty was very limited time-span of the project. Lack of experience of Researcher. CHAPTER-2: 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2. 1 THEORETICAL REVIEW Rensis Likerthas called motivation as the core of management. Motivation is the core of management. Motivation is an effective instrument in the hands of the management in inspiring the work force . It is the major task of every manager to motivate his subordinate or to create the will to work among the subordinates . It should also be remembered that the worker may be immensely capable of doing some work, nothing can be achieved if he is not willing to work . creation of a will to work is motivation in simple but true sense of term. Motivation is an important function which very manager performs for actuating the people to work for accomplishment of objectives of the organization . Issuance of well conceived instructions and orders does not mean that they will be followed . A manager has to make appropriate use of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Effective motivation succeeds not only in having an order accepted but also in gaining a determination to see that it is executed efficiently and effectively. In order to motivate workers to work for the organizational goals, the managers must determine the motives or needs of the workers and provide an environment in which appropriate incentives are available for their satisfaction . If the management is successful in doing so; it will also be successful in increasing the willingness of the workers to work. This will increase efficiency and effectiveness of the organization . There will be better utilization of resources and workers abilities and capacities. 2. 1. 1 The concept of motivation The word motivation has been derived from motive which means any idea, need or emotion that prompts a man in to action. Whatever may be the behavior of man, there is some stimulus behind it . Stimulus is dependent upon the motive of the person concerned. Motive can be known by studying his needs and desires. There is no universal theory that can explain the factors influencing motives which control mans behavior at any particular point of time. In general, the different motives operate at different times among different people and influence their behaviors. The process of motivation studies the motives of individuals which cause different type of behavior. 2. 1. 2 Definition of Motivation â€Å"Motivation in the real world is the art of getting the extra effort from everyone including yourself†. Management Research, October 2007, ICFAI University press. 2. 1. 3 Saul W. Gellerman According to â€Å"Saul W. Gellerman†, â€Å"Motivation is the process of attempting to influence others to do their work through the possibility of gain or reward†. HRM Review, July 2008, by Saul W. Gellerman . 2. 1. 4 Motivation According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, a motive is â€Å"something a need or desire that causes a person to act†. â€Å"Motivate, in turn, means â€Å"to provide with a motive,† and motivation is defined as â€Å"the act or process of motivating†. Consequently, motivation is the performance or procedure of presenting an intention that origin a person to capture some accomplishment (Shanks. N. H. ). According to Butkus Green, motivation is derived from the word â€Å"motivate†, means to move, push or influence to proceed for fulfilling a want Business Management and Strategy ISSN 2157-6068 2012, Vol. 3, No. 1 2. 1. 4 Significance of Motivation Motivation involves getting the members of the group to pull weight effectively, to give their loyalty to the group, to carry out properly the purpose of the organization. The following results may be expected if the employees are properly motivated. 1. The workforce will be better satisfied if the management provides them with opportunities to fulfill their physiological and psychological needs. The workers will cooperate voluntarily with the management and will contribute their maximum towards the goals of the enterprise. 2. Workers will tend to be as efficient as possible by improving upon their skills and knowledge so that they are able to contribute to the progress of the organization. This will also result in increased productivity. 3. The rates of labor’s turnover and absenteeism among the workers will be low. 4. There will be good human relations in the organization as friction among the workers themselves and between the workers and the management will decrease. 5. The number of complaints and grievances will come down. Accident will also be low. 6. There will be increase in the quantity and quality of products. Wastage and scrap will be less. Better quality of products will also increase the public image of the business. 2. 1. 5 Motivation Process. 1. Identification of need 2. Tension 3. Course of action 4. Result –Positive/Negative 5. Feed back 2. 1. 6 Theories of Motivation. Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne study results (Terpstra, 1979). Six major approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Mcclelland’s Achievement Need Theory, Behavior Modification theory; Abraham H Mallows need hierarchy or Deficient theory of motivation. J. S. Adam’s Equity Theory, Vrooms Expectation Theory, Two factor Theory. McClelland’s Achievement Need Theory. According to McClelland’s there are three types of needs; Need for Achievement ; This need is the strongest and lasting motivating factor. Particularly in case of persons who satisfy the other needs. They are constantly pre occupied with a desire for improvement and lack for situation in which successful outcomes are directly correlated with their efforts. They set more difficult but achievable goals for themselves because success with easily achievable goals hardly provides a sense of achievement. Need for Power It is the desire to control the behavior of the other people and to manipulate the surroundings. Power motivations positive applications results in domestic leadership style, while it negative application tends autocratic style. Need for affiliation It is the related to social needs and creates friendship. This results in formation of informal groups or social circle. Behavioral Modification Theory; According to this theory people behavior is the outcome of favorable and unfavorable past circumstances. This theory is based on learning theory. Skinner conducted his researches among rats and school children. He found that stimulus for desirable behavior could be strengthened by rewarding it at the earliest. In the industrial situation, this relevance of this theory may be found in the installation of financial and non financial incentives. More immediate is the reward and stimulation or it motivates it. Withdrawal of reward incase of low standard work may also produce the desired result. However, researches show that it is generally more effective to reward desired behavior than to punish undesired behavior. Abraham H Maslow Need Hierarchy or Deficient theory of Motivation. The intellectual basis for most of motivation thinking has been provided by behavioral scientists, A. H Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, who’s published works are the â€Å"Bible of Motivation†. Although Maslow himself did not apply his theory to industrial situation, it has wide impact for beyond academic circles. Douglous Mac Gregor has used Maslow’s theory to interpret specific problems in personnel administration and industrial relations. The crux of Maslow’s theory is that human needs are arranged in hierarchy composed of five categories. The lowest level needs are physiological and the highest levels are the self actualization needs. Maslow starts with the formation that man is a wanting animal with a hierarchy of needs of which some are lower ins scale and some are in a higher scale or system of values. As the lower needs are satisfied, higher needs emerge. Higher needs cannot be satisfied unless lower needs are fulfilled. A satisfied need is not a motivator. This resembles the standard economic theory of diminishing returns. The hierarchy of needs at work in the individual is today a routine tool of personnel trade and when these needs are active, they act as powerful conditioners of behavior- as Motivators. Hierarchy of needs; the main needs of men are five. They are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, ego needs and self actualization needs, as shown in order of their importance The above five basic needs are regarded as striving needs which make a person do things. The first model indicates the ranking of different needs. The second is more helpful in indicating how the satisfaction of the higher needs is based on the satisfaction of lower needs. It also shows how the number of person who has experienced the fulfillment of the higher needs gradually tapers off. Physiological or Body Needs: The individual move up the ladder responding first to the physiological needs for nourishment, clothing and shelter. These physical needs must be equated with pay rate, pay practices and to an extent with physical condition of the job. Safety: The next in order of needs is safety needs, the need to be free from danger, either from other people or from environment. The individual want to assured, once his bodily needs are satisfied, that they are secure and will continue to be satisfied for foreseeable feature. The safety needs may take the form of job security, security against disease, misfortune, old age etc as also against industrial injury. Such needs are generally met by safety laws, measure of social security, protective labor laws and collective agreements. Social needs: Going up the scale of needs the individual feels the desire to work in a cohesive group and develop a sense of belonging and identification with a group. He feels the need to love and be loved and the need to belong and be identified with a group. In a large organization it is not easy to build up social relations. However close relationship can be built up with at least some fellow workers. Every employee wants to feel that he is wanted or accepted and that he is not an alien facing a hostile group. Ego or Esteem Needs: These needs are reflected in our desire for status and recognition, respect and prestige in the work group or work place such as is conferred by the recognition of one’s merit by promotion, by participation in management and by fulfillment of workers urge for self expression. Some of the needs relate to ones esteem e. g. ; need for achievement, self confidence, knowledge, competence etc. On the job, this means praise for a job but more important it means a feeling by employee that at all times he has the respect of his supervisor as a person and as a contributor to the organizational goals. Self realization or Actualization needs: This upper level need is one which when satisfied provide insights to support future research regarding strategic guidance for organization that are both providing and using reward/recognition programs makes the employee gives up the dependence on others or on the environment. He becomes growth oriented, self oriented, directed, detached and creative. This need reflects a state defined in terms of the extent to which an individual attains his personnel goal. This is the need which totally lies within oneself and there is no demand from any external situation or person. J. S Adams Equity Theory Employee compares her/his job inputs outcome ratio with that of reference. If the employee perceives inequity, she/he will act to correct the inequity: lower productivity, reduced quality, increased absenteeism, voluntary resignation. Vrooms Expectation Theory Vroom’s theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards (Vroom, 1964). Reward may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Two Factor Theory Douglas McGregor introduced the theory with the help of two views; X assumptions are conservative in style Assumptions are modern in style. X Theory Individuals inherently dislike work. People must be coerced or controlled to do work to achieve the objectives. People prefer to be directed Y Theory People view work as being as natural as play and rest People will exercise self direction and control towards achieving objectives they are Committed to. People learn to accept and seek responsibility Types of Motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is morally significant. Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because of factors external to him or her (like money or good grades) Incentives An incentive is something which stimulates a person towards some goal. It activates human needs and creates the desire to work. Thus, an incentive is a means of motivation. In organizations, increase in incentive leads to better performance and vice versa. Need for Incentives Man is a wanting animal. He continues to want something or other. He is never fully satisfied. If one need is satisfied, the other need arises. In order to motivate the employees, the management should try to satisfy their needs. For this purpose, both financial and non financial incentives may be used by the management to motivate the workers. Financial incentives or motivators are those which are associated with money. They include wages and salaries, fringe benefits, bonus, retirement benefits etc. Non financial motivators are those which are not associated with monetary rewards. They include intangible incentives like ego-satisfaction, self-actualization and responsibility. INCENTIVES Financial Incentives Non-financial incentives Wages and Salaries. * Competition Bonus * Group recognition Medical reimbursement *Job security Insurance *Praise Retirement benefits *Workers participation *Suggestion systems Motivation is the key to performance improvement There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if its thirsty so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Whether it is to excel on the workshop floor or in the ivory tower they must be motivated or driven to it, either by themselves or through external stimulus. Are they born with the self-motivation or drive? Yes and no. If no, they can be motivated, for motivation is a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: Job performance = f (ability) (motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. There are broadly seven strategies for motivation. Positive reinforcement / high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating people fairly Satisfying employee’s needs Setting work related goals Restructuring jobs Base rewards on job performance Essentially, there is a gap between an individual’s actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. 2. 2 RESEARCH REVIEW The research problem here in this study is associated with the motivation of employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,. There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of motivation; some of these factors include 1. The level of pay and benefits, 2. The perceived fairness of promotion system within a company, 3. Quality of the working conditions, 4. Leadership and social relationships, 5. Employee recognition 6. Job security 7. Career development opportunities etc. Motivated employees are a great asset to any organization. It is because the motivation and Job satisfaction is clearly linked. Hence this study is focusing on the employee motivation in the organization. 2. 3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS A hypothesis is a preliminary or tentative explanation or postulate by the researcher of what the researcher considers the outcome of an investigation will be. It is an informed/educated guess. It indicates the expectations of the researcher regarding certain variables. It is the most specific way in which an answer to a problem can be stated. Research hypotheses are the specific testable predictions made about the independent and dependent variables in the study. Hypotheses are couched in terms of the particular independent and dependent variables that are going to be used in the study. The research hypothesis of this study is as follows. HYPOTHESIS: There is significant relationship between income and motivation level of the employees CHAPTER -3 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Research is a systematic method of finding solutions to problems. It is essentially an Investigation, a recording and an analysis of evidence for the purpose of gaining knowledge. According to Clifford woody, â€Å"research comprises of defining and redefining problem, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, reaching conclusions, testing conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulated hypothesis. † 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN: A Research design is plan that specifies the objectives of the study, method to be adopted in the collection of the data, tools in analysis of data and helpful to frame hypothesis. â€Å"A research design is the arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to research purpose with economy in procedure†. Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various project operations, thereby making the project as efficient as possible yielding maximal information with minimal data collected. 3. 2 Sampling Design. A sample design is a finite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population. Simple systematic sampling is used for this study. 3. 3 Universe. The universe chosen for the research study is the employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. , 3. 4 Sample Size. Number of the sampling units selected from the population is called the size of the sample. Sample of 30 respondents were obtained from the population. 3. 5 Sampling Procedure. The procedure adopted in the present study is probability sampling, which is also known as chance sampling. Under this sampling design, every item of the frame has an equal chance of inclusion in the sample. 3. 6 Methods of Data Collection. The data’s were collected through Primary and secondary sources. 3. 6. 1 Primary Sources. Primary data are in the form of â€Å"raw material† to which statistical methods are applied for the purpose of analysis and interpretations. The primary sources are discussion with employees, data’s collected through questionnaire. 3. 6. 2 Secondary Sources. Secondary data’s are in the form of finished products as they have already been treated statistically in some form or other. The secondary data mainly consists of data and information collected from records, company websites and also discussion with the management of the organization. Secondary data was also collected from journals, magazines and books. 3. 6. 3 Nature of Research. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how. Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, descriptive research cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity. 3. 6. 4 Questionnaire. A well defined questionnaire that is used effectively can gather information on both overall performance of the test system as well as information on specific components of the system. A defeated questionnaire was carefully prepared and specially numbered. The questions were arranged in proper order, in accordance with the relevance. 3. 6. 5 Nature of Questions Asked. The questionnaire consists of closed ended, dichotomous questions and open ended question. 3. 6. 6 Pre-testing A pre-testing of questionnaire was conducted with 10 questionnaires, which were distributed and all of them were collected back as completed questionnaire. On the basis of doubts raised by the respondents the questionnaire was redialed to its present form. 3. 6. 7 Sample A finite subset of population, selected from it with the objective of investigating its properties called a sample. A sample is a representative part of the population. A sample of 30 respondents in total has been randomly selected. The response to various elements under each questions were totaled for the purpose of various statistical testing. 3. 6. 8 Variables of the Study. The direct variable of the study is the employee motivation, Indirect variables are the motivational schemes, motivational level and job satisfaction and effectiveness of employees. 3. 6. 9 Presentation of Data. The data are presented through charts and tables. 3. 6. 10 Tools and Techniques for Analysis. Statistical method: Percentage method Bar chart Statistical tool used: To arrange and interpret the collected data the following statistical tool used is ANOVA. CHAPTER-4 4. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: 4. 1 PE

Application of theory Paper Guidelines & Scoring Rubric Essay

Application of theory Paper Guidelines & Scoring Rubric - Essay Example This theory has been used to solve staffing issues in acute health care settings. Watson’s theory of human caring believes that interpersonal dealings are the major facets of caring (Watson, 2008). This theory assumes that nursing is centered on caring. According to this theory, caring can be delineated in ten carative aspects that facilitate wholeness, health, healing and the process of progression and growth of an individual and family. An examination of nursing literature reveals that supporting nurse staffing is an issue present in the nursing practice that leaders face and if handled well it ensures that patients receive quality care (Burtson & Stichler, 2010). Low nurse staff and lack of compassion towards the nurses is shown as a factor that negatively affects customer satisfaction and outcomes (Douglas, 2010). The traditional techniques of handling nurse staffing issues have been the use of financial incentives as retention and recruitment plans, and they have not born any fruit. However, it has proved fruitful to use the theory of human caring in solving nurse staffing issues. In reference to Douglas (2010), this theory offers significant insights and solutions that many managers and administrators can use to enhance the delivery of care and support nurses. Watson (2008) notes that Watson’s theory of human caring offers a structure through which leaders can reinstate the value-guided vision of nursing care that permits the leaders to care for the staff members and patients and enhance healing, wholeness and permit the leaders to reclaim their factual aptitude. Through using this theory, nurse leaders can offer an ethical and moral support to handle numerous practice issues in the delivery of care and administration (Boykin et al., 2003). Consequently, it is necessary for the nurse leaders to act human. Being human refers to being able to feel. The nurse leaders can assist