The Primary Causes of Terrorist Political Violence

Introduction The past decade has seen terrorism emerge as a serious threat to global security. The events of September 11, 2011 where terrorists devastated the city of New York especially highlighted the devastating effects of terrorism on social life. Since then, governments and scholars alike have tried to discover the underlying causes of terrorism by non-state actors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Primary Causes of Terrorist Political Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (NDRE) acknowledges that discussions on the causes of terrorism are controversial with different people seeing various underlying causes as the primary causes of terrorism (7). Trying to perceive the major motives of terrorist organizations is paramount to understanding and responding to terrorism (United Nations General Assembly 1). This paper sets out to determine what the primary reas ons for terrorist political violence in the modern world are. This paper asserts that terrorists carry out political violence primarily due to identity grievances of religion, culture, and ethnicity. I will show that identity grievances are the major causes of terrorism by analyzing some of the most prominent terrorist organizations in the world. Next, I will offer some counterarguments that claim that economic grievances are the primary motivators for terrorism and proceed to rebut these counterarguments through examples. The paper will conclude with a summary of the points made and a discussion of the implications of the arguments made. Identity Grievances as the Primary cause of Terrorism Religion Religion is the most important motivation for terrorists in our era. Brown notes that religion has emerged as â€Å"the predominant impetus for terrorist attacks† with present day terrorists demonstrating an increase in fanaticism (33). The fanaticism of the new terrorism has mad e it more dangerous and unpredictable with targets chosen in an indiscriminate fashion. Berman and David assert that religious terrorism has built on the already strong affiliations that individuals seek with their religion (1945). In a clash between the religious beliefs and those of the state or a foreign power, the religious beliefs are likely to triumph and garner the support of the majority. While religious grievances are not restricted to any one religion, Islam has stood out as the religion most inclined to use violence to highlight their grievances. Islamic Fundamentalism has led to the creation and proliferation of terror organizations such as Hamas and Al-Qaeda (Lutz and Brenda 132).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These organizations use an overt religiosity to justify and rationalize all forms of violence that they commit against innocent people. Brown reveals tha t by use of clerical guidance and Islamic scriptures, these groups are able to rationalize their acts of terror and elicit the support of the public (34). Because of their religious convictions, terrorists are able to carry out acts of religious violence such as suicide bombings. The most devastating act of terrorism, the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, were carried out by suicidal terrorists who were willing to kill themselves for an expressed religious duty (Sabucedo and Corte 557). The surge of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East aimed against the perceived theft of Arab resources by the Western world is justified through religious grounds where foreign companies are deemed to be defiling Muslim land (NDRE 26). The Taliban, which emerged as a liberating force in Afghanistan during the 1990s, emphasized on religion as the basis for its actions and authority. The first 12,000 recruits for this terrorist organization were â€Å"students from the religious schools of the radical Islamic Juma’at al Islamiya of Pakistan†. The Taliban case demonstrates the potency of religion since in this case, a group of less than 1000 religious students with little military experience were able to create an effective militia that at its peak controlled 90% of Afghanistan and caused trouble for Western forces (Berman and David 1946). Culture Cultural grievances have served as major causes of terrorism in the world. Culture plays a major role in the lives of individual since it influences the manner in which people behave, what they think and how they respond to what they encounter every day. A person’s understanding of life is greatly informed by his cultural influences since culture defines the rules by which the society lives by and the things that are considered important. Culture dictates the manner in which people view and relate with issues such as race, gender, sexuality, age, and religion. That is why individuals from a traditional Arabic culture might be offended by sexual conduct or orientations that are permissible in Western countries. Cultural homogenization, which aims at integrating different cultures into one whole, has been responsible for much strive among individuals of differing cultural backgrounds (Sherman and Terry 23). Kuran and Sandholm highlight that conflicts can develop when people are presented with and forced to conform to cultures they do not approve of (221). This is evident in most of the Arabic nations where some aspects of Western culture are viewed negatively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Primary Causes of Terrorist Political Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The prevalent culture contributes to the engagement in terrorism activities by community members. This observation is supported by the fact that terrorist behaviors are likely to be perpetuated in areas where political strife and actual terro rist activity are already commonplace. Victoroff documents that the culture of public glorification of terrorists in regions such as the Middle East has led to many youths seeking to engage in terrorism (18). It is hard to stop terrorism in a culture where songs celebrating the exploits of suicide terrorists who are hailed as heroes and martyrs of the people (18) are made. Hamas, arguably the deadliest terrorist organization in Palestine, engages in terrorism partly due to cultural grievances. Berman and David observe that this organization was formed to fight the â€Å"insidious force of assimilation into materialism Western culture† (1946). The organization emphasized on the supremacy of Islamic cultural practices and prohibited practices such as gambling, consuming of alcohol, and adultery. The group was able to gain significant public support due to this focus on cultural practices that are endorsed by the Muslim community. Ethnicity Ethnicity acts as a direct cause of te rrorism particularly when discontent and perceptions of injustice exist within an identifiable sub-group of the population. When such a group has no means of political participation, it might resort to terrorism as a means of airing its grievances. Engene observes that ethnicity is based on â€Å"distinctions between groups of people in terms of common ancestry or history, or shared linguistic, religious or even racial characteristics† (36). Research indicates that terrorism is more likely to take place in states that are experiencing ethnic tension. Ethnic polarization leads to a division among people based on their differences and peculiarities leading to a formation of bonds of loyalty between groups in society (Cohen 1). The probability of ethnicity serving as the basis for terrorism is high especially in societies where resources are divided inequitably amongst communities. Ethnic terrorism, if not effectively dealt with, might lead to full-scale civil war (Kirwin and Wo nbin 2).  Byman observes that Ethnic terrorists attempt to â€Å"influence rival groups and hostile governments by forging alliances based on some ethnic identity and fostering ethnic mobility† (150). The communal bonds created by ethnic terrorism make it very dangerous and hard to fight.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When governments take up action against the ethnic terrorists, the perceived persecution that follows gives the ethnic terrorists the much needed public attention and leads to increased support for their cause. Ethnic terrorism presents a major threat since any reaction to it by the government could heighten awareness of the terrorist’s cause and increase their support therefore making them even more dangerous than they were before (O’Boyle 27). The case of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lankan demonstrates the significance of ethnicity in terrorism. This group was created in 1976, engaged in terrorist activity with the aim of seceding from Sri Lanka and forming an independent state for the Tamil people. Hanley, Kongdan and Caroline document that the ethnic strife sparked by government policy led to the popularity of the LTTE (13). In a bid to create a monoethnic Tamil state, the LTTE engaged in acts of terror against civilian and ethnic cleansing o perations. In spite of the atrocities carried out by the Tamil population, this terror group continued to receive the support of Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad, demonstrating the great role that ethnicity plays in political violence. Counterarguments Poverty Proponents of economic grievances as the primary cause of terrorism declare that rampant poverty predisposes people to engaging in terrorism. They argue that the income inequality experienced in some countries leads to political violence by the lower classes as a form of protest against their economic condition. This suggestion is supported by studies that indicate that there is a correlation between support for political violence, and personal economic well-being with individuals with lower GDP are likely to support a revolt compared to those with higher GDPs (NDRE 28). Solimano notes that the risk of terrorism incidents decreases as the level of economic development in a country increases (19). Such studies propose that econom ic deprivation makes it easy for people to turn to terrorism in order to protest their conditions or make a living.  The economic motivation of terrorists has also been called into question considering the fact that some of the most infamous terrorist organizations are very well funded and organized. Even individual terrorists sometimes come from affluent families. For example, the world’s most renowned terrorist, Osama Bin Laden did not come from a poor background but rather from a rich family that had connections to the Saudi royal family (Mamdani 770). Further negating poverty as a cause of terrorism, Benmelech, Claude and Esteban reveal that many suicide bombers in the Middle East come from privileges backgrounds and it is inconceivable that their terrorist activities are motivated by financial considerations (114). The incidents of terrorism in Latin America both during and after the Cold War years are also proof enough that economic conditions are not the main cause o f terrorism. Many Latin American countries were faced with multiple incidents of terrorism perpetrated against the state (Salimano 23). Scholars blamed these acts on the Cold War, which had led to poor economies and economic inequalities. However, terrorism incidents continued to prevail even after the end of the Cold War. Researchers therefore contend that there is no association between economic conditions and incidents of terrorism in Latin America (Feldmann and Maiju 101). Unemployment Some scholars suggest that high unemployment rates and a lack of job prospects even among the educated are the root causes of political terrorism rather than identity grievances. High unemployment leads to resentment of authority by the many people who are unable to make a living due to the poor economic conditions that exist. Enders and Hoover argue that unemployed people might perceive that others limit their economic prospects and therefore turn to terrorism as a way to protest this (267). Unem ployment also fosters terrorism by creating a large human pool from which terrorist organizations can recruit. Benmelech, Claude and Esteban document that when unemployment rates are high, there are more educated and mature people willing to take up terrorism and act as suicide terrorists (116). This argument is reinforced by revelations by Tawil that the crumbling economy in Yemen has led to high rates of unemployment, which has made it easier for Al-Qaeda elements to find sympathizers in the country. Even when unemployment is rife, it is ideological grievances that encourage acts of terrorism. This point can best be elaborated upon by comparing the terrorism rates in an impoverished country like Haiti and the Middle East. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and the country’s economy has been in disarray due to the political instability suffered by the country for decades. The country has an unemployment rate of over 50% and even the employed few have very low -income levels. In spite of this rampant poverty and unemployment, the citizens of Haiti do not engage in terrorism to air their grievances. On the contrary, Palestinians engage in acts of terrorism against the Israelis. The religious component among the Palestinians explains their tendencies to resort to terrorism. Capella and Emile state that while tactics such as suicide terrorism are not confined to religious groups; religion offers significant motivation and increases the willingness of the terrorist to sacrifice themselves for their cause (277). Conclusion This essay addressed the primary reasons for terrorist political violence in the world and argued that terrorists carry out political violence primarily due to identity grievances of religion, culture, and ethnicity. Through this paper, I showed that religion is the major motivator for some of the most infamous terrorist organizations in the world. I also proved that cultural grievances serve as a major cause of terrorism, e specially in the Middle East where some Western cultural practices are abhorred. The essay demonstrated that ethnicity also contributes to terrorism since it divides people along some shared characteristics and leads to polarization. Preventing terrorism means dealing with the primary causes and for this to occur; these causes have to be articulated. Once the primary grievances are identified, it is possible for effective preventative measures to be adopted. The arguments made in this paper have important implications for the development of successful counterterrorism measures and policies by governments. Research needs to be pursued on measures through which this primary grievances can be alleviated and therefore mitigate the incidents of terrorism in the world. Works Cited Benmelech, Efraim, Claude Berrebi, and Esteban F. Klor. â€Å"Economic Conditions and the Quality of Suicide Terrorism.† The Journal of Politics 74.1 (2012): 113-28. Print. Berman, Eli, and David D. Laiti n. â€Å"Religion, Terrorism and Public Goods: Testing the Club Model.† Journal of Public Economics 92.10 (2008): 1942-67. Web. Brown, Cody. The New Terrorism Debate. Turkish Journal of International Relations 6.4 (2009): 28-43. Print. Byman, Daniel. The logic of ethnic terrorism. Studies in conflict Terrorism 21.1 (1998): 149-169. Web. Capella, Matthew B., and Emile Sahliyeh. â€Å"Suicide Terrorism: Is Religion the Critical Factor?† Security Journal 20.4 (2007): 267-83. Web. Cohen, David. The war on Terrorism. Mar. 2009. Web. Enders, W., and GA Hoover. â€Å"The Nonlinear Relationship between Terrorism and Poverty.† American Economic Review 102.3 (2012): 267-72. Print. Engene, Oskar. Terrorism In Western Europe: Explaining The Trends Since 1950. NY: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004. Print. Feldman, Andreas E., and Maiju Perà ¤là ¤. â€Å"Reassessing the Causes of Nongovernmental Terrorism in Latin America.† Latin American Politics and Society 46.2 (2004 ): 101-32. Print. Kirwin, Matthew and Wonbin Cho. Weak States and Political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. London: Afrobarometer publications, 2009. Print. Kuran, Timur and Sandholm William. â€Å"Cultural Integration and Its Discontents.† Review of Economic Studies 75.1 (2008): 201-228. Print Lutz, James and Brenda Joan. Global Terrorism. Routledge, 2004. Print. Mamdani, Mahmood. â€Å"- Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: A Political Perspective on Culture and Terrorism.† American Anthropologist 104.3 (2002): 766-75. Print. Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (NDRE). Causes of Terrorism: An Expanded and Updated Review of the Literature. Kjeller, Norway: n.p., 2004. Web. O’Boyle, Garrett. â€Å"Theories of Justification and Political Violence: Examples from Four Groups.† Terrorism and Political Violence 14.2 (2002): 23-46. Web. Sabucedo, Blanco and Corte Luis. â€Å"Beliefs which Legitimize Political Violence against the Innocent.† Psicothema 15.4 (200 3): 550-555. Print. Sherman, Daniel and Terry Nardin. Terror, Culture, Politics: Rethinking 9/11. Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2006. Print. Solimano, A. Political Violence and Economic Development in Latin America: Issues and Evidence. Geneva: United Nations Publication, 2004. Print. Tawil, Camille. â€Å"London conference on Yemen tackles root causes of terrorism.† Al Shorfa. N.p., 28 Jan. 2010. Web. United Nations General Assembly. As Debate Concludes, Delegates Urge Capacity-building Partnerships, Eradication of Root Causes in Fight against Terrorism. 9. Oct. 2012. Web. Victoroff, Jeff. â€Å"The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches.† The Journal of Conflict Resolution 49.1 (2005): 3-42. Print. This essay on The Primary Causes of Terrorist Political Violence was written and submitted by user Trey Love to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Flextime Policies Achieve Better Work Life Balance Management Essay The increased attention of issues relating to the implementation of flexible time arrangements to support work-life balance reflects significant economic and social changes at the individual and organizational level. Since 1950s, there has been a significant change of the standard working time (Bittman and Rice 2001; Blyton, 1994), resulting from the demand to increase flexibility without undermining cost factor.  As a result of the extended operating hours, businesses have experienced a much wider range of working hour arrangement, especially in the case of part-time and hourly workers.   The changes in the profile of labor market due to the increase in female participation in the workforce, the rise of single-parent and dual-income families and the increased number of workers in sandwich generation ,the growth on expenditure and debt levels, and the prospect of boundary-less work organizations in the future pose critical questions about peoples current and future ability to satisfactorily integrate their work and home-lives, the support system available to facilitate that integration, and more broadly, the role and value of work and consumption in contemporary society (Ransome, 2005; and Schor, 1999).   There is no one that fits for all solution to the issue of implementing flexible time policy in the workplace. The case study demonstrates that different policies, practices, and strategies will be needed to address the issue of flex-time conflict. Furthermore, we will analyze the role of communication, monitoring, and information sharing to achieve optimal benefit from flextime. By using flexible work arrangements, employers give employees a sense of control and empowerment.  This will lead to reduced cost from absenteeism, lower level of productivity, increased stress level, increased turnover and replacement. Introduction We have seen the images of working adults, trying to balance the burden of having a spouse, children, or elders to support, and work-related issues, usually coping with deadlines and increased work pressure, on the other. The balance is brittle, if they spend too much time at work, their family will suffer and vice versa. The role of work has changed, from zero-sum game to win-win interactions largely because of changing economic and social conditions (Harris Marmer, 1996). Win-win situations can be achieved by arranging work-schedules to meet work-family demands, making priorities, using employment-related resources, and having access to behavioral and emotional support from others especially employers (Friedman Greenhaus, 2000). One of the biggest challenges for organizations has been how to respond to the economic and social changes that alter the working environments. In response, many work organizations are introducing a variety of innovative approaches to cope with the changes in working roles and structures. Once perceived as a matter of necessity and survival, work is now seen as a source of personal satisfaction. One of the vehicles to attain balance and fulfill personal satisfaction is flexible-time arrangements. In the next section we concentrate on how this fashionable term has evolved and discuss problems related to the implementation of the program.    Key Concepts Research on work-life balance started in the mid-1960s ( Rapoport Rapoport, 1965 ) and developed from the focus on women and work-family conflict, to a more recent focus on all employees. However, the term work-life balance is a misnomer. The phrase indicates that work is separate from life, although work is increasingly dominating peoples lives. Furthermore, the word balance seems to imply that there is a trade-off between work and life, yet they are not necessarily mutually exclusive (Kanter, 1977). Parasuraman and Greenhaus introduced the term work-life integration to overcome the problem of work-life balance (1997). The idea is to integrate work and personal lives rather than seeing them as two separate domains that rule out one another, thus have to be balanced. However, one misunderstanding of the term integration is that it implies work and personal life must be integrated in the sense of merging each other, eliminating the possibility of integrating the two by deliberately keeping these domains separate (Lewis Cooper, 1999). As a result, the word harmonization has been introduced to relate work and personal life domains in harmonious ways without ruling out one another or merging these domains together (Gambles, Lewis, Rapoport, 2003). For simplification purpose, we will not delve into the issue of these terms and use the term work-life balance interchangeably with work-life harmonization or  work-life integration.   Ballard and Seibold (2004) stated that flexibility pertains to the degree of rigidity in time structuring and task completion plans.   Flexibility is categorized into flex-time, job sharing/part-time work, and telecommuting  (Hall Richter, 1988; Sullivan Lewis, 2001). Flex-time is a simplified term that describes flexibility in work schedules and hours. Employees can manage their work days within core-hours the hours which employees must present at work, usually between 10:00-14:00- and a bandwidth the earliest and latest starting and finishing times built around core-hours to which they can choose to adjust (Christensen Staines, 1990). There is no universal definition of standard work days due to different legislations across countries.however, we assume that it is defined by 40-hour and five-day working week. The Current Flextime Trend in Canada Flex-time programs are common in Canada and the trend reflects employers belief on that flex-time implementation results in better business performances. According to Statistics Canadas 2003 Workplace and Employee Survey (WES), which sampled 20,834 employees from 6,565 workplaces, approximately 57% of all working Canadians are already using flex-time programs, including compressed workweek and flexible work schedule. In the study, Flexibility: Whose Choice Is It Anyway? conducted by Cooke and Mann, they analyzed the WES data and discovered that flex time programs are implemented to improve business performances and minimize cost rather than to assist employees with their work-life balance. The Demographic Change The sandwich generation and workaholics are the two main groups of employees that are experiencing low satisfaction due to their poor work-life balance. According to Statistic Canadas General Social Survey (GSS), the sandwich generation population has increased from 670,000 in 2002 to about 2.7 million Canadians in 2007 (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). In 2002, it was estimated that approximately 27% of people age 45 and above are struggling to support both their children under 25 years old and their aging parents while working a full-time job (Williams, 2005). In fact, the latest GSS published in 2008 indicates a steady increase of sandwiched caregivers due to the late marriage trend, currently baby boomer generation are sandwiched in between family and work.   In addition to that, the increasing population of females in the workforce today also constitute to the proportion of the sandwich generation. There is an 11.6 % increase of all working women from 1976 to 2006 (Table 1). Increased education, desire for personal fulfillment, increased consumption, the high cost of living, and the high rate of divorce has contributed the growth in women participation in the workforce. In fact, according to the Statistics Canadas data collected in 2006, 73% of all women with children are part of the workforce (Almey, 2006). This indicates that families with children are more likely to have dual income from both the wife and the husband, leaving lesser time for individuals to take care of the family. 2005 GSS also collected data showing that there are 31% working Canadians aging 19 to 64 who think they are workaholics. Comparing to the non-workaholics, the majority of workaholics are unsatisfied with their current work-life balance. The large proportion of working Canadians who are unhappy with their work-life balance indicates the possibility that flextime can be a feasible solution to help with their stress in time management. Society also witnesses the increasing number of boomerang generation. Boomerang generation or boomerang kids are young adults age 20 and above that have returned from independence to live together with their parents. The growth of the boomerang generation is partly due to the economic condition and also to the multicultural family structure of Canada. According to Statistic Canada, 73% of Asian-Canadian families have adult children living with their parents whereas only 26% of Canadian born parents are allowing their adult children to live with them (Turcotte, 2006). Nevertheless, the boomerang generation relies partially on their parents in order to save the cost of owning and renting a house which helps maintain their desired lifestyle. Due to the emergence of the boomerang generation the burden has doubled for the aging baby boomers who have to continue working in order to take care of their adult children and the elders in the family (Canada Year Book: Society and community, 2008 ). The Caregivers Wish List In order to assist with the growing number of employees with work-life balance concern, Statistic Canadas 2007 GSS provides further data which include 712,000 caregiver aged between 45 and 64 and explore their major concerns with their work and personal life.   According to the statistics, 70% of sandwiched employees believe if the company provides more support and flex time programs, their work performance will improve (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). The following statistic is from Cara Williamss article, The sandwich generation, which shows the significant cost for sandwiched employees when they do not have access to resources that help them balance their work and personal life (2005).   Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 % reduced their work hours  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   20 % changed their schedules  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10 % lost income  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   70 % are stressed out  Ã‚   Table 2 (refer to the Appendices ), The Caregivers Wish list, is a comparison of the needs from sandwiched employees to employees with elder care needs. The highlighted percentage of sandwiched employees shows that the top two wishes for both sandwiched employees and employees with elder-care responsibility are some form of workplace support such as flexible schedule and elder care to help accommodate their overwhelming responsibilities (Williams, 2005). Overall, both statistic and employee survey suggest that flexibility is a major attribute that potential employees consider in a company. Flextime Policies The adoption of flexible time policies differ widely by the level of public provision and culture of the organization. Some researchers argue that laissez-faire market stimulates employees concern of work-life programs, whereas others argue that public provision creates a climate which employers become active in pursuing this entitlement (Lewis, 1997). Den Dulk (2001) further reinstates that active government provision does not translate into the disappearance of the motivation for employers to implement work-life programs. Poelmans and Sahibzada (2004) summarize all factors that may influence the adoption decision. They argue that the probability of an organization to address work-life conflict is a function of the macro-level context in which the organization runs the business. The country level context is related to employees sense of entitlement to receive support from their employers, whereas the labor market context affects employees choice and negotiation power over organizati ons work-life policies, thus increasing the pressure on firms to implement them (Poelmans Sahibzada, 2004). The complete factors that influence organizations adoption decision is presented in Table 3 (refer to the Appendices ). Organizations need to decide the flexible work arrangements that suit their business model and the needs of the workforce. Business model that requires employees to meet fluctuating demands from clients outside work hours may implement flexible work arrangements. In fact, flextime is ranked more favorably than reduced-time schedules because many (full-time) employees with family responsibilities cannot afford to work less than standard full-time schedule (Rodgers, 1992). Benefits Employees that benefit from flex-time include working parents, especially working mothers, who want to be involved in their childrens lives while having the balance of having a family and a career at the same time. At Bristol Myers Squibb, 72% of those who worked flexible hours in 2003 were female (Poelmans Beham, 2005). Flextime options are excellent recruiting and retention tools. An article in the Long Island Business News interviewed many executives and found that they agree that investment in such programs shows that the company cares about their employees well-being and increases the companys attractiveness to highly skilled people who might not be ready to go back into the workplace on a full-time basis or just need flexible schedules (Starzee, 2009). In a survey by Careerbuilding.com in 2008, 54% of 7600 workers felt that companies offer flexible work arrangements to help manage stress levels and work life balance. 90% of American employees also feel that they are more value d by their companies if given the option of flexible schedules (Sweeney, 2003). Benefits offered depend on the type of job, industry or the employees.. With the right employees and good implementation on the part of management, costs of flex-time policies should be much less than replacement costs, which includes recruitment, hiring, training, and orientation. Even for an entry level position, replacement costs can exceed $10,000, not including lost time, energy and effort of management (Bednar, 2010). Using this strategy, companies can keep their top talent happy and reduce turnover. When the same employees stay with the company for a long time, they can provide better service for clients due to increased experience. Absenteeism is also likely to decrease since employees are more motivated to work when they feel they are valued by the company by giving them options to help them juggle their home and work demands. Table 4 in the Appendices lists the possible advantages of flexible work arrangements. Costs There are also costs to implementing flex-time policies. First of all, it is not one size fits all. Most employers identified through years of experience that many employees might not have the same motivation to work hard and get work done by staying late if they were given the option of coming in after the official start time (Bednar, 2010). Therefore, monitoring is essential to ensure that employees are not taking advantage of the policy. In order to properly and effectively implement a flex-time policy, employers need to introduce a series of new rules and procedures to manage the flexible workers and culture change, such as stricter punctuality and related provisions to ensure the equal, or even higher level of productivity. It is a burden and a risk for management. They are also required to monitor the performance of flexible employees with different measures to reduce scheme risks and achieve work goals. Secondly, starting such programs requires a great amount of communication to the employees about the availability and details (Bitti, 2008). Regardless of the results, management must spend time and effort in the attempt to make flex-time work. Productivity could decrease, service level might be lowered and lead to customer dissatisfaction, and employee dissatisfaction might also arise if they believe the arrangements were unfair.  Flex-time is not always supported by all employees, even though it is mostly considered as a benefit for employees. In 2008, a Deloittes survey of more than 1600 workers showed that 39% respondents agreed that taking advantage of formal flexible work policies including flex-time would harm their career. Based on the survey, employees are more comfortable with informal policies, such as taking time off for personal activities, if leaders are more open about their own needs and practices (CFO, 2008). To further complicate the matter, flex-time was seen as both alleviating and generating stress and was generally seen to have a negative impact on opportunities for learning and advancement (Kelliher Anderson, 2008). Some businesses cannot adjust their employees work schedules, because such a change would not fit their business (Wensley, 2008). A client may call in looking for something immediately, and the person with the flexible schedule is absent (Starzee, 2009). These potential negative effects may lead managers to be more conservative about implementing flex-time options. Despite all costs associated with the implementation of flex-time policies, employers that provide greater flexibility have been found to be related with higher perceived organizational performance (Perry-Smith Blum, 2000); resulted in increased shareholder return (Arthur, 2003). In addition, flextime policies create a favorable view of the organization, thereby suggesting that the organization is more attractive to job seekers (Casper Buffardi, 2004). In fact, many of the industry leaders listed in the Best 100 Companies to Work For in Fortune Magazine provide excellent flextime policies that better integrate work-family life of their employees. Case Study:   Kraft Foods, Inc. Kraft began to support work-life balance programs after a national employee survey in 2000 showed that the major challenge for most Kraft employees was finding balance between home and work-life. The survey also indicated that Kraft hourly workers that account for 59% of Kraft employees were the least satisfied with their work-life balance among all the employee groups. To overcome the problem, Kraft introduced the Fast Adapts program. Initiated in December 2002, Fast Adapts allows workers to swap shifts, take single day vacations, and request job sharing arrangement from their supervisor. Fast Adapts program was published in the company newsletters and broadcasted on the video monitors. The program was also communicated in the regular plant-wide meetings.    The flexible arrangement enables employees who are out on leave because of extended illness, family issues, or taking vacations to switch shifts with other employees. All hourly workers are eligible to use Fast Adapts program, given that the arrangements are aligned with work process, plant policy, or union contract. If not, employees are encouraged to discuss their situation with Human Resource managers to find alternative work solutions. To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, information about employee satisfaction was collected in the first quarter of 2003. The biannual survey showed improvement in hourly employees satisfaction with work-life balance. Conclusion The repetitive nature and inflexible schedule of the job in Krafts working site contributed to the decreased level of work-life balance satisfaction among hourly employees. Krafts Fast Adapts program has been successful for some reasons. Employees receive more autonomy over their work schedule, thus they are able to better integrate work-life demands. Plant managers also need to be more accountable, as they have to develop flexible work arrangements that work best for each individual plant. Fast Adapts program also encourages employees to communicate their needs to employers. The other key issue is to understand that flexibility should be an ongoing and mutual commitment between Kraft and its employees, win-win situation can only be achieved if both sides work toward Krafts vision of a supportive culture. Appendices Table 1: Employed Women by age group in percentage 1976 1986 1996 All women 41.9 50.2 52.1 15 to 24 51.4 58.1 52.0 25 to 44 50.0 66.4 70.9 45 to 54 45.6 55.9 66.3 55 to 64 30.3 30.3 33.5 Source: Statistics Canada. (2006). Women in Canada: Work Chapter Updates.   Ã‚     (Catalogue no. 89F0133XWE). Retrieved April 2, 2010 from Statistics Canada:   Ã‚     http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89f0133x/89f0133x2006000-eng.htm Table 2: The Caregivers Wishlist Employed (%) Sandwiched Respite Care 52 Flexible work or study arrangements 46 Information on long-term disabilities 43 Information on care giving 42 Financial compensation / tax breaks 36 Counselling 28 Other 12 Source: Williams, C. (2005). The sandwich generation. Perspectives on Labour and Income.(Catalogue number 75-001-XIE).   Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Statistics Canada: www.statcan.ca:8096/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=75-001-X20041097033. Table 3: Macro-context factors that influence adoption decision Country Level Extensive government-supported policies, as in social democratic countries Egalitarian gender-role ideology Low in masculinity Low in power distance Countries high in individualism Labor Market Scarcity of talent or skills High diffusion of work-family benefits High percentage of women in the active population High reliance on knowledge work High reliance on quality of customer service Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431. Table 4: Advantages of flextime policies Benefits for employers Cost savings because of increased retention of valuable employees Improved morale, employee satisfaction, productivity and employee commitment because of better integration of work and family lives. Better scheduling for the department A public relation tool to attract new employees Savings in office space and equipment Less time lost in traffic jam can be invested at work, also improved parking options Government incentives to encourage flexible employment fuelled by concerns about traffic, air quality, etc Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431 various.

A Gap of Sky by Anna Hope Essay

A Gap of Sky is a short story by Anna Hope which deals with the pressure from society and the consequences of it. In our modern society many young people feel the pressure to be perfect like a heavy weight on their shoulders. You need a long, good education. You need to be attractive, be social and have lots of friends. Sometimes the pressure can become too much and you forget what is important in life and gets on the wrong track. In A Gap of Sky we meet Ellie a nineteen year old girl clearly struggling with the pressure from society and her own dreams. She seems in conflict with herself about what she really wants. She studies at a university in London but is close to getting expelled due to her lack of activity and finished assignments and when she wakes up after a long night of partying, she remembers that she has an assignment about Virginia Woolf and if she does not hand it in, she will very likely be expelled. The short story is written chronological and by an omniscient third person narrator but A GAP of Sky also uses the stream of consciousness. We are inside the head of Ellie and are constantly hearing her inner thoughts. For example on page 2 line, 36 â€Å"Should she do the essay first, print it in the morning? No. No time. Needs to be handed in at nine.† We are inside the head of Ellie and hearing her steam of thought. It easily feels like Ellie are the narrator also because of the language used. There is a lot of swearing â€Å"How the fuck did she manages to sleep for so long† (page 1, line 16), â€Å"coffee plunged, poured, slurped; hot, fuck that’s hot† (page 1, line 35). The narrator is not just telling what is happening but how Ellie perceives it. Ellie are having troubles in her life. She is doing drugs, having a hard time performing well in school, and that she does not have a profound social relationship. And it seems she has a difficult relationship with her parents. I will later discuss her relationship with her parents further. In text 4 â€Å"Consequences of youth substance abuse† It mentions that people who frequently use addictive substances often experience problems such as academic difficulties, health problems and low social life. This is all things that Ellie are affected by.

Plot Summary of Play Boy of the Western World

Play boy Of the Western World Plot summary The play is set in County Mayo in a country shebeen or pub. Pegeen Mike is engaged to Shawn Keogh a rich farmer, but she is not in love with him. Pegeen’s father Michael James owns the pub, and spends his time going to wakes and getting drunk. A young man arrives one evening as Michael James and his two pals Jimmy Farrell and Philly Cullen are about to go off to a wake. This young man calls himself Christy Mahon and claims that he has killed his da.Everyone including Pegeen are fascinated and admire Christy for this heroic deed. The men set off for the wake leaving Pegeen with Christy. The widow Quinn a local woman who is supposed to have murdered her husband arrives and tries to get Christy to stay the night in her hut. Pegeen has taken control of Christy at this stage and refuses to let him go. The following morning some local girls arrive to visit Christy and bring him presents. Christy is a hero in the eyes of the villagers and th ey beg him to participate in their local games.In the meantime Old Mahon who is Christy’s father arrives and meets the widow Quinn. Old Mahon has suffered a blow on his head from being hit by Christy and wishes to punish him. He tells the widow about Christy and describes him as a weak character, ‘a dirty stuttering lout who would get drunk on the smell of a pint. ‘ When Christy meets his father towards the conclusion of the play he gives him another blow on the head and it truly looks as if he is dead.The villagers including Pegeen decide to capture him and bring him to prison. Pegeen disowns him for being a liar. Old Mahon recovers however and he and Christy leave the shebeen mocking the villagers who are unable to accept reality when it lands on their own door. The play concludes with Pegeen lamenting the loss of the ‘only playboy of the western world. ’ She is left with her loveless alliance to Shawn Keogh.

Musical Controversy Essays - Grammy Award For Best Rap Album

Musical Controversy Essays - Grammy Award For Best Rap Album Musical Controversy There is a kind of music, which is commonly referred to as Pop music. It attracts a variety of Americans of very different geographical, racial, and economical backgrounds. Some of the most popular artists these days that are considered Pop are NSync, Britney Spears (who, having recently turned eighteen, doesnt seem to mind letting the guys know that shes legal now), Cristina Aguilera, Eminem, Limp Bizkit, and Tupac Shakur. It would take a thousand pages to describe the entire commercial and cultural aspects of the music industry, so I will talk about the hip-hop community. Some hip-hop is commonly referred to as Pop music, simply because it is popular with a wide variety of crowds. I intend to show you how the different types of crowds under the Pop category interact with one another, especially at popular awards ceremonies, such as the recent MTV Video Music Awards 00. MTVs largest show and party of every year is their Video Music Awards, celebrated in 1999 on 9/9/99. In 2000, it was highlighted by performances by Eminem (aka Marshall Mathers), NSync, a side of Britney Spears which brought a chuckle from a few early Madonna haters, and others. In an interview with reporters before the show, 26 year-old white rapper Eminem stated It aint often you get so many people that I dont like into one room together. Eminems relationship with the music industry is a strange one you either love him or you hate him. He openly hates gays, women, and children. He is being petitioned to be arrested by a national gay rights activist group for his homophobic lyrics and attitude. So, you ask, why is he such a loved character if he is so shady? His most recent album, The Marshall Mathers LP, sold 1.7 million copies its first week the most for any single artist in history. Also notable for comment is that he achieved this at a time when illegal music piracy is so common ly practiced that the government cannot even begin to regulate it. This is another issue however. The recent media chase over Shawn Fanning, an innocent-looking 19 year-old college dropout, is amazing for one who has not been along for the ride the whole time. Shawn Fanning released Napster in 1999, it was one of the top 10 most quickly downloaded programs of 1999. Its ability to share music files, called mp3s, digitally over the Internet made it become absolutely essential for anyone between the ages of 12-24 to have. Gone were the days when you had to listen to the radio or buy a single now you could just go online, wait anywhere from two to thirty minutes, and have the song that you wanted, for play on your own computer or to burn to a blank CD. In steps ancient rock legends, Metallica. Metallica drummer, Lars Ulrich, took a stand against Napster. He claims that it is violating copyright laws set by the United States. Fannings creation, by allowing fans to disperse their music to one another, is equivalent to stealing right from the band. In a sense, he is correct. In reality, if it werent for the popularity that the program has already achieved, it would have been shut down long ago without a multi-million dollar court case. Now it becomes just one of the many media-hyped incidents in the music industry. The pop music industry is a complicated web of underground culture. Because America is such a diverse nation, the music industry reflects the diversity of the country. From white rappers to thirteen year-old black rappers, to seventy year old country singers, there is definitely a type of music that most people enjoy. Bibliography Marshall Mathers, spoken in pre-show interview before MTV VMA 2000

The Fujita Scale for Tornado Damage

The Fujita Scale for Tornado Damage Note: The U.S. National Weather Service has updated the Fujita Scale of tornado intensity to a new Enhanced Fujita Scale. The new Enhanced Fujita Scale continues to use F0-F5 ratings (shown below) but is based on a additional calculations of wind and damage. It was implemented in the United States on February 1, 2007. Tetsuya Theodore Ted Fujita (1920-1998) is famous for developing the Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale, a scale used to measure the strength of a tornado based on the damage it produces. Fujita was born in Japan and studied the damage caused by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. He developed his scale in 1971 while working as a meteorologist with the University of Chicago. The Fujita Scale (also known as the F-Scale) typically consists of six ratings from F0 to F5, with damage rated as light to incredible. Sometimes, an F6 category, the inconceivable tornado is included in the scale. Since the Fujita Scale is based on damage and not really wind speed or pressure, it is not perfect. The primary problem is that a tornado can only be measured in the Fujita Scale after it has occurred. Secondly, the tornado can not be measured if there is no damage when the tornado occurs in an area without any features to be damaged. Nonetheless, the Fujita Scale has proven to be a reliable measurement of the strength of a tornado. Tornado damage needs to be examined by experts in order to assign a Fujita Scale rating to the tornado. Sometimes tornado damage appears worse than it actually is and sometimes, the media may overemphasize certain aspects of the damage tornadoes can cause. For example, straw can be driven into telephone poles at speeds as low as 50 mph. The Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale F0 - Gale With winds of less than 73 miles per hour (116 kph), F0 tornadoes are called gale tornadoes and cause some damage to chimneys, damage sign boards, and break branches off of trees and topple shallow-rooted trees. F1 - Moderate With winds from 73 to 112 mph (117-180 kph), F1 tornadoes are called moderate tornadoes. They peel surfaces off of roofs, push mobile homes off of their foundations or even overturn them, and push cars off of the road. F0 and F1 tornadoes are considered weak; 74% of all measured tornadoes from 1950 to 1994 are weak. F2 - Significant With winds from 113-157 mph (181-253 kph), F2 tornadoes are called significant tornadoes and cause considerable damage. They can tear the roofs off of light frame houses, demolish mobile homes, overturn railroad boxcars, uproot or snap large trees, lift cars off the ground, and turn light objects into missiles. F3 - Severe With winds from 158-206 mph (254-332 kph), F3 tornadoes are called severe tornadoes. They can tear the roofs and walls off of well-constructed houses, uproot the trees in a forest, overturn entire trains, and can throw cars. F2 and F3 tornadoes are considered strong and account for 25% of all tornadoes measured from 1950 to 1994. F4 - Devastating With winds from 207-260 mph (333-416 kph), F4 tornadoes are called devastating tornadoes. They level well-constructed houses, blow structures with weak foundations some distances, and turn large objects into missiles. F5 - Incredible With winds from 261-318 mph (417-509 kph), F5 tornadoes are called incredible tornadoes. They lift and blow strong houses, debark trees, cause car-sized objects to fly through the air, and cause incredible damage and phenomena to occur. F4 and F5 tornadoes are called violent and account for a mere 1% of all tornadoes measured from 1950 to 1994. Very few F5 tornadoes occur. F6 - Inconceivable With winds above 318 mph (509 kph), F6 tornadoes are considered inconceivable tornadoes. No F6 has ever been recorded and the wind speeds are very unlikely. It would be difficult to measure such a tornado as there would be no objects left to study. Some continue to measure tornadoes up to F12 and Mach 1 (the speed of sound) at 761.5 mph (1218.4 kph) but again, this a hypothetical modification of the Fujita Scale.

Modern Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern Architecture - Essay Example The essay "Modern Architecture" explores the modernism impact on architecture. A better understanding of what can be understood by the term modern architecture can be found by studying how the form function follows it. A vivid example was the World Trade Center in New York. In terms of its physical structure, Berman describes the towers as "isolated" in that the center was difficult to get to and difficult to use, "it gave off hostility" compared to Chrysler and the Empire State Buildings, which everyone saw as being in the middle of life and Part of the whole system. "Their idea of security included repelling people. The molded form of the towers and their isolation grew out of the aesthetic sound, best expressed by Le Corbusier, who said that for modern planning we need to "kill the streets". For him, the street was a mess and chaos. " In contrast, Battery Park City Complex was also designed by the Port Authority in much the same way as the World Trade Center, but was much more use r-friendly because it had parks, museums, restaurants and other amenities that invited people to come in. And Stay some time. Berman notes that the city is perceived as a melting pot with different cultures, people, ideas, practices and many other concepts. He also represents "an endless series of completely sterile and empty giant spaces around the world." We can conclude that Berman assumes that this equanimity, inherent in the structures of the World Trade Center, led to the fact that in 2001 the terrorists chose them as targets.

Literature review in E-commerce in saudi arabia Assignment - 1

Literature review in E-commerce in saudi arabia - Assignment Example en established, but there is limited empirical research that assesses the e-commerce adoption in developing nations in the Arab word such as Saudi Arabia. The study examined the perception of mobile phone users and their concerns regarding the gadget’s authentication and security. The results supported various studies in the previous literature mobile devices authentication. Therefore, the users need an advanced security for their mobile devices. Adel A. B., Rayed A., and Salem A. (2014). Adoption Factors for e-Malls in the SME Sector in Al-Somali, S., Gholami. R. and Clegg B.T (2009). â€Å"An Investigation into the Acceptance of Online Banking in Saudi Arabia†, Technovation, 29 (2), 2009, pp.130-141. Rayed, A. Drew, and Waleed A. (2011). Factors Influencing E-Commerce Adoption by Retailers In Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Analysis. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries. Rayed, A. Drew, S., and Alhussain, T. (2012). A Conceptual Framework for the Promotion of Trusted Online Retailing Environment in Saudi Arabia.International Journal of Business and Management. Retrieved February 8, 2012 from URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v7n5p140. Rayed, A., Nguyen, A., and Jones, J. (2013). A Study of Influential Factors in the Adoption and Diffusion of B2C E-Commerce. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications. Saudi Arabia .International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technologies. Zhu, K and Kraemer, K. (2005). â€Å"Post-Adoption Variations in Usage and Value of E-Business by Organizations: Cross- Country Evidence from the Retail Industry†, Information Systems Research, 16(1),2005, pp.