Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Culture in Negotiation - 7014 Words
This article was downloaded by: [UQ Library] On: 09 September 2011, At: 16:52 Publisher: Psychology Press Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK International Journal of Psychology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/pijp20 Culture and Negotiation Jeanne M. Brett Available online: 21 Sep 2010 To cite this article: Jeanne M. Brett (2000): Culture and Negotiation, International Journal of Psychology, 35:2, 97-104 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/002075900399385 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions ofâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦This article develops a conceptual model to explain how culture impacts negotiation . It draws on previous research on culture and on negotiation to develop an understandin g of how culture affects negotiation processes and outcomes. The article begins with a review of fundamental concepts in the literature on negotiation and culture. These concepts provide a language for what we know and what we do not know about culture and negotiation and allow us to build a model of factors affecting inter-cultural negotiation process and outcome. A MODEL OF INTER-CULTURAL NEGOTIATION Negotiation Negotiation is a form of social interaction. It is the process by which two or more parties try to resolve perceived incompatibl e goals (Carnevale Pruitt, 1992). In order to understand the effect of culture on negotiation, it is useful to have a mental model of negotiation. What is it that people mean when they say they negotiate? What is involved in negotiating? What is a good outcome in negotiation? What does it take to get a good outcome? What goes wrong in a negotiation that has a poor outcome? However, if culture has an effect on negotiation, the mental models of negotiators from one culture may not map on to the mental models of negotiators from another culture, making the specià ® cation of a single mental model problematic. There are two ways to approach this problem of specifying a mentalShow MoreRelatedNegotiations in an Organizational Culture1556 Words à |à 6 Pagesï » ¿NEGOTIATIONS The term organizational culture is related to the study and understanding of the dynamics involved at a personal as well as a group level in work settings. The term also deals with the nature of the work as well (Kudisch et al. 1995). There are several factors that come into play when people interact in works. Understanding organizational culture is becoming increasingly important since the work is becoming a global village and people with diverse background and culture have to interactRead MoreThe Influence of Culture on Negotiation1342 Words à |à 6 Pages The Influence of Culture on Negotiations Negotiation Elements and Cultural Dimensions adopt a much less confrontational style in order to avoid direct, aggressive conflict. These cultures may adopt a more collaborative orientation toward the negotiations. In developing a strategy, it must also include levels of risk a party is willing to take for sharing the information, revealing positions, and general considerations on how to best approach a collaborative negotiation strategy. AccordingRead MoreCulture Difference in Business Negotiation1456 Words à |à 6 Pagesbusiness negotiation ã⬠Abstractãâ¬âInternational business negotiation is playing a more and more important role in modem society. We can see clearly that there are great differences in international business negotiation. Specially, culture can influence negotiating styles in different ways, because negotiators who may come from another nation is different from us in language, beliefs, behaviors manners, Privacy, Food custom, time, thinking, value and attitudes and so on. Different cultures express differentRead MoreCulture And International Business Negotiations1188 Words à |à 5 PagesCulture and International Business Negotiations Global trades account for more than 60% of the worldââ¬â¢s Gross Domestic Product (The Economist, 2014, para. 2), therefore, the important role of International Business Negotiations (IBN) in the global economy. Manrai and Manrai article The Influence of Culture in International Business Negotiations (2010) discusses the art and sciences aspects of successful IBN from a cultural perspective. Culture has been classified in innumerable ways and the comprehensionRead MoreNegotiation and Culture: Case Study24152 Words à |à 97 PagesCulture and Negotiations Why do Japanese negotiators behave in the manner they do? How does culture affect negotiating behavior and outcomes? MASTER THESIS Authorââ¬â¢s name: Patrycja J. Krause Studentââ¬â¢s number: 258891 Academic advisor: Sà ¸ren O. Hilligsà ¸e Faculty of English Aarhus School of Business May 2006 I would like to thank my Mom, Barbara, for her understanding, encouragement and eternal support, as well as my advisor, Sà ¸ren O. Hilligsà ¸e, for his academic help, advice and faith in me keepingRead MoreHow Culture Affects Negotiation Styles3614 Words à |à 15 PagesHow culture affects negotiation styles? Comparing New Zealand with Thailand in business negotiations 15066443 Maria Mishell Albores Assignment 3 Literature Review 219.703 Advanced Business Communication Lecturer: Mingshing Li Semester One 2015 Abstract This literature review paper will review the effects of culture on negotiations, using New Zealand and Thailand as the key countries of comparison. It will first cover how culture general affects negotiations. Then, it will compare the general cultureRead MoreInfluence Of Japanese Culture On Business Relationships And Negotiations1781 Words à |à 8 Pages possible to meet a buyerââ¬â¢s wishesâ⬠(The Influence of Japanese Culture on Business Relationships and Negotiations, 1992, p. 56). Because the seller is in the lower position, they should use honorific language when addressing the buyer or they risk alienating a potential customer. Japanââ¬â¢s vertical structure can also lock Americans out due to the reciprocal relationships many businesses have with large banks and corporations. This structure is called keiretsu, of family of companies. AlthoughRead MoreThe Strong Need For Proper Negotiations Between Different Cultures949 Words à |à 4 Pagesstrong need for proper negotiations between different cultures. This topic is one that needs everyoneââ¬â¢s full attention, especially for those professionals involved in negotiations or government. Yes, this matter touches governments, because such negotiations, in many occasions involve other countries. For this particular exploration, one will focus on negotiations with Mexico. Therefore, it is for this affair that everyone must understand how important cross-culture negotiations are for this countryRead MoreDifferences Between Business Negotiations Between Different Cultures902 Words à |à 4 PagesDifferences in Business Negotiations between Different Cultu res ââ¬Å"Negotiation is a process where two or more parties with different needs and goals discuss an issue to find a mutually acceptable solutionâ⬠(Queensland Government, 2014). This has proven to be an effective mechanism in contributing to firmsââ¬â¢ success. However, with the introduction of globalization, there is a consistent concerned of upon how negotiations should be conducted between separate countries and cultures (Chang, 2006, para.1)Read MoreNegotiation Process and the Role That Culture Plays in Each Stage977 Words à |à 4 PagesCross cultural negotiation stages Explain each stage of the negotiation process and the role that culture plays in each stage. Give example to support your answer There are 6 distinct stages to the negotiation process and they are all about effective communication. Since peopleââ¬â¢s culture has a strong bearing on how they communicate, the culture of the negotiating parties impacts how they negotiate and also determines whether they are successful in achieving the goals of their side. : (1) preparation;
Monday, December 23, 2019
The Motivations And Satisfaction Of Lic Students Essay
To investigate the motivations and satisfaction of LIC students when studying in the UK Introduction There is a prevalent trend of students going abroad for further study in the UK. In fact, the UK has become the second most common option for overseas students to study which is just behind the United Stateï ¼ËKing et al., 2010). According to the data from UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) (2015), 19 percent of the students in the UK are from abroad. Studies have shown that oversea study experience can help students improve English proficiency, gain cultural experience, enhance individual competency, construct self-consciousness and notional consciousness, embrace diversity, and promote the sense of responsibility (Rhodes et al., 2012). As there are many benefits of overseas study, it is significant for the UK government and universities to understand the motivations of international students when they decide to study in the UK as well as the degree of satisfaction of their learning experience, so that they are able to realize their attractions and weaknesses. In particular, for Liverpool International College, this research will be able to give the college managers insight into the factors appealing to oversea students and then optimize its performance. For students, it can help them prepare before departing from their origin countries and adapt quickly to the UK courses. The objectives of this research are: To determine the motivations of LIC studentsShow MoreRelatedIntroduction And Design Of The Study3406 Words à |à 14 PagesINTRODUCTION The human resource is considered as the backbone of any economic enterprise i.e., public, private or corporate. The term human resource management refers to the task of handling people who belong to different strata of the society, i.e., students, employees, employers, the self-employed, sportsmen, housewives etc. For the successful functioning of any business organization, finance, machines, materials and manpower or the human resource occupies a very important place. The term ââ¬Å"human resourceâ⬠Read MoreA Project Report on Study of the Axis Bank Its Financial Services and Consumer Perception of Its Services.12807 Words à |à 52 Pagesfor the award of Master of Business Administration in (Finance) is a record of original work done by me under the supervision of Mr.â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦. of â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã ¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ Enrolment No.: 2209370009 Date: 03-05-2011 Signature of the Student CONTENTS CHAPTER I ïÆ'Ë CORE BANKING SOLUTION (CBS) ïÆ'Ë REAL TIME GROSS SETTLEMENT SYSTEM ïÆ'Ë ATM DEBIT CARDS ïÆ'Ë INTERNET BANKING SERVICES ïÆ'Ë CHEQUE TRUNCATION ïÆ'Ë EASYACCESS SAVINGS ACCOUNT ïÆ'Ë PRIME SAVINGS ACCOUNT ïÆ'Ë SALARY SAVINGS ACCOUNTRead MoreAnalysis of Recruitment Selection Strategies of Icici Prudential Life Insurance Ltd.10344 Words à |à 42 Pagesright job, which reflects some of the unique ways for recruiting the candidates to fill up various vacancies. The aim of the company is to achieve overall organizational goal not only by way of fulfilling the targeted top line but also employee satisfaction towards various position of job to the maximum level. OVERVIEW OF INSURANCE INDUSTRY With largest number of life insurance policies in force in the world, Insurance happens to be a mega opportunity in India. Itââ¬â¢s a business growing at the rateRead MoreVerall Performance Review of Ksfe Ltd Thrissur8171 Words à |à 33 Pagesfinancial services including investment. All such intuitions are intermediaries and when they lend, they are known as Non-banking financial intermediaries (NBFIs) or investment intuitions. 1. UNIT TRUST OF INDIA ( UTI) 2. LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION (LIC) 3. GENERAL INSURANCE CORPORATION (GIC) A part from these NBFIs, another part of Indian financial system consist of a large number of privately owned, decentralized, a relatively small-size financial intermediaries. Most work is different, minusculeRead MoreHr Practises in Garments Industry in Bd7236 Words à |à 29 PagesOrganizations need people to make them operated. It is the organizational function that deals with issues such as compensation, recruitment, selection, hiring, training and development, performance management, organization development, benefits, employee motivation, performance appraisal communication, administration, and industrial relation in an organization. All of these are under HR department which is very much important to make organization like garments industry successful. This assignment aim at explainingRead MoreEarly Signs of Stalking9072 Words à |à 37 Pagesrecogà ¬nized and even experienced first-hand by many people while growing up. In Norway, for example, 15% of students encounter prob lems with bullyà ¬ing (Olweus, 1993). Oliver, Hoover, and Hazier (1994) reported data from research in the United Kingdom revealing that 23% of students experience bullying in school. In the United States, the rates of bullying might be highà ¬er, with 75% of students reporting being the victims of bullying and 14% experiencing severe trauma from bullying (Hoover, Oliver, Read MoreAtm Card Project5374 Words à |à 22 Pagesguidance support cooperation of many people. This is the opportunity to thank all those who had directly or indirectly helped me in completing this work. First and foremost I am grateful to my project guide Mr.Rahul Deo whose kind guidance, help motivation helped me to complete this project. I express my sincere gratitude to Dr.Rajendra Kumar Jain,H.O.D(M.B.A Department ) and all the faculty members of SVIM for their kind support. I am grateful to Director Ret.Major General Dr.J.R.Bhatti of ShriRead MoreRetail Banking of Axis Bank15349 Words à |à 62 Pagesoperations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank was promoted jointly by the Administrator of the specified undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (UTI - I), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and other four PSU insurance companies, i.e. National Insurance Company Ltd., The New India Assurance Company Ltd., The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. and United India Insurance Company Ltd. The BankRead MoreBusiness Studies Notes Full Syllabus22444 Words à |à 90 Pagesvestibule training, apprenticeship training and internship training. 3à XIIà ââ¬âà à Businessà Studiesà AK Unit 7: o o Directing Concept and importance Elements of Directing Supervision - concept, functions of a supervisor. (Periods 16) Motivation - concept, Maslows hierarchy of needs; Financial and non-financial incentives. Leadership - concept, styles - authoritative, democratic and laissen faire. Communication - concept, formal and informal communication; barriers to effective communicationRead MoreHuman Resource Management11911 Words à |à 48 Pagescooperation across the company, instituting quantitative performance measurements, or taking some other actionââ¬âare also commonly cited as key components in business success. HRM, summarized Armstrong, is a strategic approach to the acquisition, motivation, development and management of the organization s human resources. It is devoted to shaping an appropriate corporate culture, and introducing programs which reflect and support the core values of the enterprise and ensure its success. HUMAN
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Meals Free Essays
Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels was a very good community service that taught me some good things. Meals on Wheels is a voluntary work service that deals with elderly people who are sick, from diabetes to cancer. We as voluntary workers drop food off to these sick people who are registered through the hospital. We will write a custom essay sample on Meals or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many different types of patients you meet. They all happen to be around the same area as well. As we stop by the meals on wheels headquarters we first sign in and then pick up cooler full of cold food and a warm lunch bag to put the hot meals in. We then drive over to SST. Jude hospital where we pick up the hot food that has the patients names labeled on them. From here we drive to each patients house or apartment complex and drop off their assigned foods, which is one cold food meal pack, one milk, and a hot meal pack. Some places are so easy as getting off and dropping it off in the ice box they have set in front of their house or apartment complex while other patients e have to ring the door bell and hand it to them. Some days we will talk to some of these patients. For instance, at one of the first stops an older lady would come outside as we drop the food off and explain to me as sheââ¬â¢s very sick and doesnââ¬â¢t feel well. Then go to explain how we walk with Jesus because we are doing this for her and how we are very blessed for doing it. It goes to show me how lucky I am for being young and healthy at the age I am and not take life for granted. Another Instance loud be an elderly guy who sits outside with his dog everyday before we pull up to drop his food off. He always seems to be In a very good mood and explains to me how I should be at the beach and not here doing this service. It shows the different kinds of people that are out there and there perspective towards things. Most of the people have their kids or husbands answer the door for them to get their food. At the end of the day we have delivered the food to twelve different people and head back to the Meals on Wheels headquarters where we drop off the lunch bag and the cooler. That Is the typical day of the Meals on Wheels service work. Hopefully some day In the future I can do this again on my free time. How to cite Meals, Papers
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Superhero Genre Essay Georgia Jury Putter free essay sample
Women from the superhero genre in the sass were all about being the Dam sell in Distress,but todays modern superhero genre seem to be about Femme Fatal e and the woman relying less on the man. Accept women are objective to always being t he Damsel in Distress or are highly sexualities to target the male audience as the superhero o genre does have a male skew, this is why we most commonly see the hero be very muscular nine and very dominant. Masculinity cannot exist without femininity. On its own,masculinity has no m meaning, because it is but one half of a set of power relations.Masculinity pertains to male doom once as femininity pertains to female subordination This is a statement from feminist Sheila Jeffrey which explains how the hero saves the Damsel in Distress from a perilous situation and the man can never be seen a s dominant without taking control. This has been rooted into our society that women are seen as being the weaker sex and have been untouched on in the superhero genre whereas the men are very masculine and look dominant to the female.Superhero sitcoms that show this is The Adventures of Captain Marvel:The cue rise of the Scorpion (1941 ) directed by William Whitney John English, Agent Carter (2015 created by Christopher Markus Stephen McNealy also Kim Possible (2002) created by M ark McCormick and Superwoman is getting her first movie in 2017. Damsel in Distress is one of two main representations of Women in the super hero genre, the D. I. D is placed in a life threatening situation in which she cannot escape on he r own so needs to be saved by the hero.She would usually be very intelligent also feminine accept she knows her own mind but usually remains a love interest that of to the hero. This is of importance to the genre because it shows the hero as being strong and tough avian the poor innocent helpless women. But what type of message is this SE ending to young girls that we need to rely on a male to save us and not actually stick up for our selves. This is roles of gender, specifically the women is the damsel in distress and is seen a s shy, obedient and feminine.This convention is shown in the character Betty Wallace from the Adventures of Captain Marvel, Betty didnt have much of an opinion and followed the orders that she was glen. Even when Betty tried to voice her opinions they were not listened to and had to be saved by the hero as she was in a life threatening situation. Another scenario where this convention is shown is the character Carter from Agent carter, Carter was only accepted to do administrative duties as the Men took the do maintain roles and dont accept women as being agents because it was set in the 1 940s1950s err a,this is when Men took charge.She was foreseen as a damsel in distress and they treated h err like she wasnt capable. The difference between Carter and Betty is that Carter has a voice and didnt give up on pursuing to become an agent,she didnt give in to the obedience most women obliged to and stuck up for herself and what she believes in. Carter becomes an undercover agent and doesnt give up on proving she is right whereas Betty just goes along with ha tavern the males say do and doesnt stick up for what she believes in.The significance of this is truly the most widely used gender ed cliche that women are just most commonly seen as Dad messes in Distress, Betty was only shown when she needed saving or was in a life threat engine situation. The effect of this convention is to make the hero look heroic, You most dont c molly see a female superhero saving a man because weve been given the idea that isnt RI twitch really is not gender equality. Audience expectations of this convention which as been core to the popularize action and development of the superhero genre is that a D. I.D will need to saved, this ATT races the male market as they get to look masculine also be the big hero whereas the women n kick weaker, this helps to sell the genre because in reality Men and Young Boys enjoy Loki nag masculine also appearing as the dominant gender. The importance of this convention impacts society through Feminism because e the superhero genre sends a message to young girls and women that we need to rely on a m el hero to save us and not actually stick up for ourselves, because in reality we have to b e our own hero as no can save us. But in a Masculine world theyre always seen as the domino ant gender and more empowered.These issues would be reflected by the director because in the sasss asss era it was time of the working man who provided for their familial sees whereas the women would stay at home and look after the children ,clean or just do at ho me duties. The effects of this in the early superhero genre women were more untouched on and was mostly just about the hero and saving the day. The Hero represents the ideals of masculinity, most of the time. They uphold t he ideals that society deems good and what is right in the world. Theyre almost exclusively aligned with the government and their costume is usually bright or bold.They represent all the at is right in the world. This is of importance to the genre because without the hero there would be n o superhero genre,it gives people a sense of hope because the hero is trying to do good of r the greater mankind. This convention is shown in the Disney character Jim Possible from the cartoon TV rise on Disney channel. Jim was the first female superhero I saw that saved the world from Super Villains and had a male as a sidekick, Ron Stoppable who was the side k kick was almost like the Damsel in Distress as he always needed saving. This was differ .NET than the usual Masculine hero saves the Feminine women.Another famous superhero where this convention is shown is Wonder Women n, she has been the most famous heroine of all time also been a feminist icon since 1941. Yet, even though Wonder Women has had one Of the most gross selling comic books Of all time and even her wan TV series she is the only one out of the justice league who hasnt had her own movie. The difference between Kim Possible and Wonder Women is Kim was recognize zed as a strong independent hero and is the first female hero to have a sidekick specifically a male,Kim was a role model for younger girls and the younger generation.Although wonder w Oman was so popular she is still seen as the least important in the Justice League because t he male gender seem to be more dominant. The significance of this is that as the superhero g inner changes over time Women are more accepted to being a hero, Wonder Women is even eating her first movie in 2017 thi s is because society is started to change and more women a re edging for womens rights, what broader way to send that message than Wonder Women n have her own movie and appealing for the female audience over male. This is breaking the c lichen that women are only ever the Damsel in Distress and finally starting to show gene err equality. The audience expectations of this convention is that the Hero will save the dad y and all of greater mankind, Most of the audience usually attracts a male skew as most s upper heroes in the genre are male but as more female superheroes start evolving this will give women a sense Of empowerment and more feminist icons to look up to.The impact of this convention on society through gender equality because the superhero genre is starting to recognize female heroes and are playing equal parts to the e male, Jim possible is a prime example of a role model to young girls as she had to deal with typical pressure of school, family and social life also fighting the world. Kim is for see n as an independent young women which isnt usually done for women in the supers ere genre.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Assignment Coursera free essay sample
Score Explanation 6. 34 Correct 5. 00 Correct. This is where a spreadsheet comes in handy. Total 5. 00 / 5. 00 Question Explanation This is a simple IRR calculation. Drawing a time line helps. Question 3 (5 points) Austin needs to purchase a new heating/cooling system for his home. He is thinking about having a geothermal system installed, but he wants to know how long it will take to recoup the additional cost of the system. The geothermal system will cost $20,000. A conventional system will cost $7,000. Austin is eligible for a 30% tax credit to be applied immediately to the purchase. He estimates that he will save 1 ,500 per year in utility bills with the geothermal system. These cash outflows can be assumed to occur at the end of the year. The cost of capital (or interest rate) for Austin is 7%. How long will Austin have to use the system to Justify the additional expense over the conventional model? ( i. e, What is the DISCOUNTED payback period in years? Discount future cash flows before calculating payback and round to a whole year. We will write a custom essay sample on Assignment Coursera or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) Answer for Question 3 Your Answer Score 6 Correct. You discounted before calculating payback, but it still is a very myopic measure. Total Simple payback calculation, but with discounting. Question 4 (10 points) In high school Jeff often made money in the summer by mowing lawns in the neighborhood. He Just finished his freshman year of college and, after taking a Business 101 class, he has some ideas about how to scale up his lawn mowing operation. Previously, he had used his fathers push mower, but he is thinking about getting a r101ng mower tnat wlll save tlme ana allow nvm to 00 more lawns. He Touna a used, zero turn, riding mower on Craigslist for $1,200. He will also need a trailer to pull the mower behind his pickup; that will cost him an additional $600. With the new ower he can take on an additional 20 lawns per week at an average cash inflow of $20 per lawn he will receive at the end of each week. He has 14 weeks of summer in which to mow lawns. (For convenience, assume that the mower and trailer will have no value after Jeff is done with his work this summer. ) The discount rate for Jeff is 10% (Keep in mind this is an annual rate). What is the Net Present Value of the mower/trailer project? Your Answer -1147 3117 4320 3720 10. 00 Correct. You know how to set up and calculate wv, at a weekly interval. Total 10. 00 / 10. 00 A fairly common NPV problem, with weekly compounding. Question 5 (10 points) Yassein is looking to refinance his home because rates have gone down from when he bought his house 10 years ago. He started with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of $288,000 at an annual rate of 6. 5%. He can now get a 20-year fixed-rate mortgage at an annual rate of 5. 5% on the remaining balance of his initial mortgage. (All loans require monthly payments. ) In order to re-flnance, Yassein will need to pay closing costs of $3,500. These costs are out of pocket and cannot be rolled into the new mortgage. How much will refinancing save Yassein? (i. e. What is the NPV of the refinancing decision? Your Answer 16467 17517 16975 Correct. This is a very common situation we all face all the time. 15463 A problem we saw last week, but I expect you to do this routinely now. It is a value generating opportunity through financing only because interest rates changed. Question 6 (10 points) Chandra has the opportunity to buy a vacant lot next to several commercial properties for $50,000. She plans to buy the property and spend another $60,000 immediately to put in a parking lot. She has talked to the local businesses and has some contracts lined up to fill the parking spaces. The profits from the ontracts will provide $25,000 per year and the contracts will last 10 years. What is the NPV of Chandras plan if the appropriate discount/interest rate is 10%? (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 43614 Correct. You know how to calculate NPV. Questlon Explanatlon A standard NPV problem. Question 7 (10 points) This question introduces you to the concept of an annuity with growth. The formula is given on p. 3, equation (7), of the Note on Formulae, but I would encourage you to try doing it in Excel as well. (If the first cash flow is C, the next one ill be C(l+g), and so on, where g is the growth rate in cash flow). As an example, the present value of an annuity that starts one year from now at $100, and grows at 5%, with the last cash flow in year 10, when the discount rate is 7%, is $860. Confirm this before attempting the problem using both the formula and excel. What is the NPV of of a new manufacturing project that costs $100,000 today, but has a cash flow of $15,000 in year 1 that grows at 4% per year till year 12? Similar investments earn 7. 5% per year. (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 7 0486 Correct. Hope you used both methods. This is a set up and calculation problem, nothing new conceptually. Question 8 (1 5 points) Diane has Just 18 and also completed high school and is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with numbers, and driven by financial considerations only, so she sits down to calculate whether it is worth the large sum of money. She knows that her first year tuition will be $12,000, due at the beginning of the year (that is, right away). Based on historical trends she estimates that tuition will rise at 6% per year for the 4 years she is in school. She also estimates that her living expense above and beyond tuition will be $8,000 per year (assume this occurs at the end of the year) for the first year and will increase $500 each year thereafter to keep up with inflation.
Monday, November 25, 2019
U.S
U.S The basis of North Koreaââ¬â¢s nuclear program The United States should not interfere with North Koreaââ¬â¢s nuclear weapon research and development in any way. North Korea is justified to explore into the nuclear weaponry due to its past experiences. Given the early partnership between the U.S and South Korea on International capital, this ended up hindering the growth and development of this nation. Hence, North Korea as a nation figure that it had a powerful nation for an enemy and just as any other nation went ahead to establish security strategies ( Thiroux, 2009, p.3).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on U.S North Korean relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition to this, North Korea until 1991 was a communist country. Thus with the fall of the Berlin wall, this particular nation could not produce enough goods for its own people. Therefore, a good majority of the supplies were imported from the n eighboring countries: from agricultural inputs to manufactured goods. This clearly drained the economy and therefore the just like any other nation that would do anything for its economic survival, so did North Korea through investing in nuclear weaponry (Nikisch, 2002, p. 8) In addition to this, North Korea hasnââ¬â¢t had much to be proud of as a nation. Be it its history or resources. Therefore, the development of the nuclear weaponry does not necessarily mean that they are preparing for war. It is probably the sense of innovation that is driving them. At least with the supply of nuclear gas, the nation has been able to manufacture this weaponry. This has also made the nation very popular as its relations with the United States gets sour day out. Therefore, it is probably going against the rules that the nation can gather enough attention. Therefore, the United States has no business dictating what North Korea should do otherwise there would be no improvements on the already so ur relations. The U.S- North Korean relations The U.S has always wanted to be the only world super power given that it also has some of the most sophisticated weapons. Therefore, this clearly illustrates that it will definitely stand at nothing to foresee that no nation surpasses it. ( Thiroux, 2009, p. 1).They have therefore done this by claiming that North Korea is preparing itself to go to war, which is most certainly not true. However, this powerful nation has been able to brainwash all other nations for support in stopping the development of these weaponry. Some political scholars have also mentioned that North Korea could be preparing itself for the third world war. These are probably the American based scholars who for sure do not understand why North Korea is doing what it is currently doing in terms of technological advancement. Surely, North Korea could be doing this with the sole aim of quenching their thirst for knowledge and innovation. So clearly the United States assu mes that it is the only nation that should to do this worldwide. The human rights concern In addition to this, the United States has that bad habit of poking its nose in matters that does not even concern it. This shows that it is very insecure of losing its position as the global hegemon. Therefore, it has gone ahead to establish spy networks across the world which are normally very expensive to maintain.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore they end up using the taxpayersââ¬â¢ money on very irrelevant issues. This in itself is an abuse of human rights principles because the Americans end up being taxed so highly for very irrelevant missions in these hard economic times (Habib, 2009, p.6). More on matters regarding human rights, North Korea has not done anything so far to signify that it is abusing human rights principles. As a matter of fact, a good n umber of North Koreans have been able to provide for their families through these programs. Science and technology has also become an integral part of the North Korean community. In a couple of decades, the nation will be as far much ahead as China is in economics and this seems to depress the United States so much. Given the quick rise of China from nothing to something the global arena, the U.S just cannot stand any more competition, especially from the East. Future international relations Despite the fact that the United States has made North Korea look like the guilty party, the future international relations between North Korea and other nations seems to be picking up very fast in a positive direction. For example China has been for a while a good source foreign assistance towards North Korea for quite some time now. This has definitely made the U.S lose its mind given that China is an emerging economic super power. The aid from China is furthermore very appealing given that it rarely comes along with some strings attached and in addition to this, the goods are normally very affordable to North Korea. In a nutshell, the United States should accept that the global trends are changing really fast. Instead of focusing on matters that hinders other nationââ¬â¢s growth and development it should channel the resources to the improvement of its so badly damaged economy due the recession. It should be focusing on important issues within its boundaries and let North Korea do what it has to do because clearly there is no sign that it is ready to stop at any given point. References Habib, B.(2009) North Koreaââ¬â¢s Nuclear Weapons Program: The futility ofà Denuclearization negotiation. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on U.S North Korean relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nikisch, L. ( 2002) North Koreaââ¬â¢s Nuclear Weapons Program. Web. Thiroux, T. Krasema.J. (2009) Theory and Practice (10th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson publishers.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Women's role in Hinduisim and Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Women's role in Hinduisim and Judaism - Essay Example This work intends to look into the role of women in Hinduism and Judaism. In order to understand what views the religions hold, the work primarily focuses on religious texts rather than contemporary social reality. This is so because what is practiced in the society is often slightly different from what is prescribed. Admittedly, Hinduism and Judaism are much older than many other religions. (Tuyizere 66). A look into the position of women in Hindu religion will provide the researcher with a number of contradicting views because while women enjoy equal status with men in some places, cultures, and texts, they seem to face many restrictions in some other cases. The reason may be that Hinduism is not a single religion, but is a union of various religions possessing considerably different views. Anyway, Vedas and Upanishads are considered as the basic tenets of Hinduism, and hence, the research on any subject in Hinduism should begin there. To begin with, a look into Vedas shows that a daughter is considered inferior to a son. To illustrate, Rig Veda presents the reader with a number of prayers for the birth of sons (Rig Veda I.91.20; III.1.23). These brave and religious sons are considered important because a son is necessary to perform religious rites to the ancestors. Thus, without a son, salvation of ancestors becomes a difficult task (Rig Veda V.85.25). As a result of this position, there is a degree of uneasiness associated with the birth of a girl child (Atharva Veda. VIII. 6. 25). Similarly, a look into Atharva Veda shows various charms and rituals in order to ensure the birth of a son (Atharva Veda VIII.6). Despite these differences, one can find references indicating equal position enjoyed by boys and girls in the Vedic society. For example, Atharva Veda (XI.5.18) shows that girls spent their early years in Brahmacharya ashram
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Identify and outline the benefits and problems of using psychological Essay
Identify and outline the benefits and problems of using psychological tests as part of the selection process within an organisation - Essay Example At the same time a person performs many roles at the same time the happenings in one role are bound to affect the behaviour in others' roles of the person. At this point of time, it may be noted that inspite of all human beings being similar in the outer case, each one is different from the other taking into consideration each one's mind. Every individual is to be treated differently although two persons may have the same behavioural problems. Everyone has a different quality of nature, different quality of intelligence, different perception and even different ways of behaviour. This is the most important reason that the organisations need to study the individual's psychology, so that they come to know about the nature of the individual as the psychological tests are the best possible means to know about the mind of the person who will be joining the industry. This has become even more essential with the huge competition in the market where the organisations are always in the fight to have the most competent professionals in their company who would take the company to new altitudes. The psychometric tests (1) are the tests which are specifically designed to gauge the ability, personality and the aptitude of the persons. The objective of the psychometric tests is to have the complete knowledge and information about the style of behaviour that one has. These tests are the guide to the employers to know about the person as to how he relates himself to his work and even the other employees. This apart the employer also comes to know of the style of work that the person can do and as to what kind of motivation does he have. The questionnaires that are prepared for such tests are basically untimed and there are no right or wrong answers in it. The employers in this way will can choose their right candidate as they have the most appropriate profile of the person that they want to get involved in the company and the results of such psychometric tests along with the others selection tools, enable the employers to make the right decision as to how does one fit to the requirements of the role. The process of the psychological testing or the psychometric tests are made a part of the selection process by the employers in order to test the ability, motivation, potential and the style of their behaviour of the candidates. These tests may be used in the first step in the recruitment process along with the first and/or the second interview. The psychometric tests provide the employer with evidence that are normally missing in the application forms and which also can not be judged by an interview. These evidences give the correct opinion ass to which person is the most capable for the organisation and who can take the organisation through all the roughs and toughs that it may face. Because of the psychometric tests that are conducted, the employers have the opportunity to get the best for their organisation as they can study about the personal qualities, abilities, potential and the motivation to effectively carry out the job given to him. The selection process will consist of various kinds of tests and interviews etc, along with the psychometric tests and there needs to be a comparative grade taken or one has to perform well in
Monday, November 18, 2019
Christian Believes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Christian Believes - Essay Example He gave them the ability to control nature, which was created in order to allow people to have everything necessary for their lives. Many modern scholars believe that Christianity is responsible for the deterioration of the environment and the emergence of serious problems such as global warming, pollution of the planet, etc. However, if one reads the Bible attentively, he/she will see that the Bible urges people to respect nature and the environment based on a rational and careful use of natural resources. God created nature and gave the man the ability to control it: The Bible focuses particular attention on the responsible attitude of people to nature. In particular, in the Old Testament, Jewish people had been instructed to give the land an opportunity to rest for 50 years, so it could be used after (Lev. 25. 8-11). In addition, God forbade the Jews to destroy the trees growing in the cities that they wanted to capture (Deut. 20.19). Thus, Christianity justifies the need to take care of nature, because nature gives people all that they need for their harmonious life. Unfortunately, violence continues to be one of the most common forms of misunderstanding between people. Throughout the world, one can observe various forms of violence that often lead to casualties. As an example of violence, one can consider the type of violence caused by racial hatred. Many countries have faced this serious problem. United States is no exception. In the US, racial hatred led to the death of many people. Many people who have been victims of such violence believed that they had the right to use violence in response. Nevertheless, Christianity represented by the Bible and especially the New Testament opposes any form of violence, in particular caused as a result of racial hatred. Jesus Christ has marked a completely new approach to the problem of violence. He urged people to eradicate violence in the community and learn to love each other,
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Non Monetary Incentives in the Workplace
Non Monetary Incentives in the Workplace Mr. Ignacio Falgueras Sorauren conducted this research in 2000 in which he investigates the problem related to motivation in organizations. Actually this problem occurs when people tend to follow their own interests rather than firm s common goals. Primarily author try to address this problem by giving them some economic proposals but the study showed that economic proposal doesn t decrease conflict of interest and not able the people to purse firm s common goal rather than follow their personal interest. These economic proposals further create more problems but after that researcher through thorough study reveals that non-monetary incentives are most important to motivate people towards organizational goals because money is not the solution of every problem. As you can find lot of variables in this article, but with respect to my topic Motivation through monetary and non-monetary benefits help me to identify the dependent variable as organizational goal and independent variable is Employees interest towards job and their motivation towards organizational goals . So it shows that organizational goal is dependent on employee s interest towards job and their motivation towards organizational goals through some non-monetary incentives. Apart from monetary benefits there is a strong need of non-monetary benefits to purse employees towards firm common goals. Some non-monetary benefits include making job challenging and interesting so in this way they know what they are doing and produce positive results for the organization. In order to make job interesting and challenging money would not always play a big role because money is neither the motivator nor the major one. Researchers reveal that most of the time money leads to conflict of interest and the most important opposition of money is its incapability to reduce the conflict of interests born in any organization. So organization needs to set a common goal communicated with their employees, thus enables them to bring unity among their employees and in this way conflict problem has also resolve. Non-monetary incentive in shape of communicating organizational goal and setting targets for the team, make the employees to work for organizational interests rather than pe rsonal interest. This article is extremely relevant to my topic which helps me to understand that non-monetary incentives have great role to play for the achievement of organizational goals. Through these incentives inject motivation in employees to prefer organizational goals over their personal interest. Along with that the best way to motivate people is treating them as human beings because it is really essential to consider all human aspects to gain excellent results. Article 2 Judy Cameron., W. David Pierce. (1994). Reinforcement, Reward, and Intrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analysis, Vol. 64, No. 3. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1170677 Two Researchers Judy Cameron and W. David Pierce wrote a research paper titled as Reinforcement, Reward, and Intrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analysis in 1994 to examine the effects of reinforcement and reward on intrinsic motivation. So in this paper they have conducted 96 experimental studies from different groups to compare rewards and non-rewards effect on intrinsic motivation. In this article I found Intrinsic Motivation as dependent variable, whereas reinforcement and rewards are independent variables. Thus, it shows that in order to bring intrinsic motivation there is need to be some good reinforcement and rewards. As I mentioned above they conducted 96 experiments and the results showed that reward does not decrease intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the motivation that comes from inside the person and he gets pleasure while doing job or performing any particular task. When researcher scrutinizes the communication process he finds out that intrinsic motivation can increase through verbal praise. The reward is given to an employee on the completion of the task and it has an insignificant negative effect on intrinsic motivation as measured by the amount of time spent on the task. Because that person is self motivated so there is no need to give any rewards to that person but on the other way around concentration of employee s increases towards there job and they try to do the same task in shorter span of time and also in this way bring the efficiency in their work and higher intrinsic motivation. They further conducted five more studies about reinforcement and results reveal that rein forcement does not effect any individual intrinsic motivation. So it shows that you can reinforce your employee regarding the completion of job and that will not hurt their intrinsic motivation. In the end article leave us with one question it is not clear yet what effect reinforcement or reward have on intrinsic motivation. They consider some studies have opposing trend and not relevant because of outside of the researcher paradigm. This article is highly relevant to my study on motivation through monetary and non-monetary benefits. As intrinsic motivation does not increase when employee gets a reward but some times brings efficiency. Whereas reinforcement does not hurt employees intrinsic motivation so intrinsic motivation has a mix trend with respect to benefits. Article 3 Scott Jeffery. The Benefits of Tangible Non-monetary incentives, Retrieved from http://www.businessgroupinc.com/PDFs/The%20Benefits%20of%20Tangible%20Non%20Monetary%20Incentives.pdf Mr. Scott Jeffery the writer of the article which is titled as The Benefits of Tangible Non-monetary incentives talks about that some tangible non-monetary benefits are much more motivational for employees as compare to monetary incentives. And by doing that we can bring better reward system through which the organization easily gains their desired Objectives. One thing we have to keep in mind that in order to increase more performance, non-monetary incentive must be equal or greater than cash incentives because if you provide lower value non-monetary incentives that might be not as effective as high value cash incentives. In this important article I establish tangible non-monetary incentives as independent variable where as motivation is our dependent variable. Therefore motivation in employees is depending on your independent variable non-monetary incentives and this statement sounds true because there is high probability of bringing motivation in employee s trough non-monetary benefits. There are some very important points discussed in this article like, nowadays organizations use very small amount of tangible non-monetary benefits which are very small percentage of total employee compensation. In this research researcher discussed some explanations through which we get an idea that nowadays firms are not using this kind of incentives. Psychological process which increased motivational power of tangible non-monetary incentives is both emotional and cognitive (involves mental process). As you get to know about the power of tangible non-monetary benefits and when these two different cognitive and emotional processes gets together this mean that they toil together in decision making. Justifiability is cognitive because people have to consider the difficulty they have face in order to justify the purchase of tangible non-monetary benefits. On the other way around the nature of these justifiability concerns are more effective. The writer mentioned in this article that th e prize which is earned on the basis of good performance makes an employee to think about his achievement, consider as a cognitive process and even have a higher utility when other people get to know about your achievement. So, it shows that motivation or organizational goals are our dependent variables, whereas non-monetary incentives are independent. So I can conclude the article by saying that tangible non-monetary incentives boost employee motivation and has the ability to improve the efficiency of the organization. The article is highly relevant to my research which helps me to understand the role of emotional Psychology in order to motivate employees and how it enables the organization to achieve their desire goals. Article 4 Rizwan Saleem. (2005). A study on the effect of monetary Benefits (pay) and work motivation on job satisfaction. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1529064 Mr. Rizwan Saleem from Mohammad Ali Jinnah University in 2005 wrote a research paper titled as A study on the effect of monetary Benefits (pay) and work motivation on job satisfaction . This study is conducted from the banking sector with respect to understand the effect of pay and work motivation on job satisfaction. For that they done exploratory research by developing the questionnaire in order to measure the level of pay, work motivation, and job satisfaction as well as achieve the effect of pay and work motivation on job satisfaction. In this article I discover dependent variable as Job satisfaction where as monetary benefits and work motivation is our independent variables. This means that job satisfaction is depending upon monetary benefits that employee is getting and along with that how well the employee is motivated towards the job. So the combination of both helps to achieve Job satisfaction for an employee. As the study showed about the psychology of human mind regarding job satisfaction is that person is self motivated to do that job or task and gets pleasure while doing that job. The rule of the thumb is that the more satisfied the employee, the higher the organizational performance. Further research reveals that there is a difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In this article intrinsic motivation is defined as the motivation to perform an activity in order to experience the pleasure inherent in the activity. The cognitive evaluation theory says that rewards interpret an employee s competence and determine their intrinsic motivation. In this article we conclude that pay is independent variable and job satisfaction is depending upon it. Facts reveal that extrinsic incentives often crowd out intrinsic motivation which then reduces discretionary effort of workers. Research has revealed that motivation has different intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. According to Deci, Connell, Ryan intrinsic motivation can be defined as the motivation to perform an activity for it, in order to experience the pleasure and satisfaction inherent in the activity. According to cognitive evaluation theory and self determination theory it is rewards that are interpreted as information about one s competence and satisfy individuals need for autonomy, will enhance intrinsic motivation. In this article we conclude that pay is independent variable and job satisfaction is depending upon it. According to experiential facts, extrinsic incentives often crowd out intrinsic motivation which in turn reduces discretionary effort of workers. Researcher also found that overall the employees were satisfied with their jobs and have their interest in their job. By employing these two independent variables showed that job satisfaction comes automatically and study also proves that i n this way employees were more motivated to work for the organization. This article is relevant to my study in a sense that how motivation along with monetary benefits creates job satisfaction for an employee. It helps me to understand that monetary benefits also play a vital role in order to motivate employees and enhance their job performance. Article 5 Thomas Li-Ping Tang., Randy K. Chiu. (2003). Income, Money Ethic, Pay Satisfaction, Commitment, and Unethical Behavior: Is the Love of Money the Root of Evil for Hong Kong Employees?, Vol. 46, No. 1. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25075086 Mr. Thomas Li-Ping Tang and Mr. Randy K. Chiu in 2003 through empirical study come up with a research titled as Income, Money Ethic, Pay Satisfaction, Commitment, and Unethical Behavior: Is the Love of Money the Root of Evil for Hong Kong Employees? . The research scrutinize a model involving income, the love of money, pay satisfaction, organizational commitment, job changes, and unethical behavior among 211 full-time employees in Hong Kong, China. In this article I found Organizational commitment as a dependent variable whereas pay satisfaction monetary benefits and love of money are independent variables. So pay satisfaction and good monetary benefits enable the employees to meet the organizational commitment. The study shows quite a few relation between important variables, to mention a few important ones it showed that love of money was negatively related to income and pay satisfaction and the love of money was also negatively related to ethical behavior which means that if you have a strong love for money you cannot easily resist unethical behavior. Pay satisfaction was positively related to organizational commitment. These relations show that income or money is not the cause of evil but the lust for money is the root to all unethical behavior within an organization. It has been highlighted in the article that the findings of this research shouldn t be interpreted that money is an evil as money itself is a key motivator for employees. There has been an increase regarding the importance of money as a career goal.Pay dissatisfaction has numerous undesirable consequences, e.g., turnover, theft, workplace deviance, and unethical behaviors in organizations and might have direct impact on com pany s strategic decisions and image. So there is need to provide good pay and monetary benefits to your employees in order to get the desired objectives. This article is related to my topic in a sense that by providing good monetary benefits to your employees, you eliminate the negative consequences such as high turnover, theft and dissatisfaction this further help them to meet the organizational commitment. Article 6 Hoimonti Ganguly. (Oct., 1974). Role of Status and Money as Motivators among Middle viromnmManagement, Vol. 10, No. 2. Retrieved by http://www.jstor.org/stable/27765445 Ganguly has conducted a research on the relative importance of Money and status on the motivation level of the middle managers of an organization. The study aimed at measuring the effect of both money and status separately on the commitment level of the employees and then to see which one is more important. Research revealed that status plays a more important role than money for middle managers and this is explained by the fact that the lower-end needs of the middle managers are reasonably fulfilled thus their satisfaction from the job will increase more if their status is improved as compared to the same increase in monetary reward. Money and most importantly Status are the independent variables of the research and the dependent variable is the motivation of managers towards the organizational goals. It has been observed that the correlation between status and motivation is particularly strong in case of middle managers. So it shows that in order to achieve organizational goals and motivate people towards their assigned task, there need to give them a status or position in the company that status is going to be self motivator. It has been further observed that the findings of this research hold true across all the stratifying variables like age, income, experience and qualification thereby strengthening the credibility of the research. The research also shows that younger managers are particularly sensitive to status. Managements that are trying to raise the motivation of its employees towards the organization goals should try to cultivate a corporate culture that meets the managerial needs of status. The research was further taken to define the different components of status and it was revealed that intrinsic factors like power, self-esteem, and self-actualization were important in defining status, rather than extrinsic incentives such as fringe benefits and white-collar work. Another important thing that should not be overlooked is that that status is to a great extent defined by the type of work assigned, task performed and result achieved. It has been suggested that linking status with performance tend s to improve motivation greatly. This article supports my topic in a way that motivation of middle level managers is not only depending upon the monetary and non-monetary incentives but also depend upon the higher status which is one of the non monetary reward. However it s crucial to take into consideration the different components of status which may vary from organization to organization. Article 7 S. K. Bhatia. (Jan., 1985). Job Motivation of Executives: An Empirical Study, Vol. 20, No.3. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27768826 Increased motivation of the executives of an organization is very essential for its success not only because they make all the strategic decisions for the firm but also because of the fact that they influence and motivate all the employees working under them. S.k.Bhatia conducted empirical research on the job motivation of the executives. In the study he has aimed to identify a wide variety of factors that affects the motivation level of the executive and the importance they attach to these factors. He has conducted the research by primarily using surveys as his research tool. The article highlighted that monetary benefits, better job security, good working environment, job content, recognition, work-itself, responsibility, opportunity for growth and advancement and sense of achievement are significant factors that should be considered while making policies to increase motivation for the executives. I t has been observed that job content plays a very significant role in determining the level of satisfaction. Majority of employees who find their work duties boring and not contributing towards their advancement tend to have lower levels of motivation where as the ones who were satisfied with their job content directly derived job motivation and were more than willing to bend their energies for organization s benefit. Apart from the job content majority of the respondents answered that a positive perception of the executives is really important. Positive perception was a factor that was further researched upon by Bhatia and it was revealed that it encompasses a wide variety of factors, some of them that the employees mentioned were recognition, responsibility, opportunity for growth, work-itself, advancement, sense of doing good for the society and a sense of achievement. In this article Perception of the job is considered as a very vital factor controlling and defining the motivation of the executives thus in this empirical study it is taken as an independent variable which is determined by a wide variety of factors and vary from person to person and the variable that is dependent upon the perception of the employee is the job motivation. This means if the person changes his perception about their job and particularly if it changes in positive manner than organization performance definitely increases. Perception of the job is considered as the most significant psychological factors identified by all the Motivational theories. The findings of the research make it imperative to lay emphasis on intrinsic motivating factors identified by Herzberg in his two-factor theory. Along with that there is the marked difference in the degree of perception of executives belonging to three categories (i.e. first level, second level and middle level and above).The general trend is that higher the category of executives, the better the degree of perception of job and consequently the higher level of motivation. A large majority of executives are willing to shoulder greater level of responsibility showing their positive attitude towards the job. In the same way a large percentage of the survey population responded that they do not experience stagnation in their jobs and thus get enough opportunities for advancement in their careers which meet their need of self actualization. However on the other end of the spectrum are some respondents who said that they are over burdened and experience less opportunities for growth and advancement. Some first level executives complain that they need more training courses to improve their abilities. The executives have given useful and practical suggestions for bringing about an overall improvement in their job performance and functioning of the respective departments. Article 8 Harvey S. James, Jr. (2003). Why Does the Introduction of Monetary Compensation Produce A Reduction in Performance? Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=481942 Mr. Harvey S. James conducted the research in 2003through which he tries to find the answer of the question that why monetary benefits lead to decrease in performance. Through his observational study he revealed that extrinsic incentives usually crowds out intrinsic motivation. This article demonstrates that how the increase in monetary incentives starts displacing intrinsic motivation to act in the interest of principal. And basically they found out that the motivation of the person distracted when his intrinsic motivation is attacked by extrinsic incentives and in this way his preferences, objectives diverted towards incentives. In this article intrinsic motivation is our independent variable whereas explicit incentives is a dependent variable. It is observed that lot of people want to work without explicit incentives and when you increase their monetary benefits it will lead to decline in their effort. This change of effort takes place because now his motivation towards work is dependent upon extrinsic incentives e.g. lot of employees are interested towards certain job but there is a prize for one, then each and every one of them try to dominate each other and start working for personal interest rather than organizational interest. This decline in responsibility shows that there is a tradeoff people face either by intrinsically satisfied at a higher cost or get extrinsic satisfaction from being compensated. But on the other way around when the people have strong intrinsic motivation then it becomes difficult for explicit incentives to crowd out intrinsic motivation of people. Further he explains that teaching uncritically to workers in the interest of organization; incentives are also align if the workers work according to organization interest and such thing might be lead to counterproductive.Murdock s in 2002 through its analysis revealed that incentive contracts and intrinsic motivation are complementary because focusing on healthy work ethics rather than organization interest is followed by most of the organizations these days but on the other way around by giving these incentives increase the intrinsic motivation. And the major cause behind these kinds of incentives is to increase organizational efficiency and to produce the best result for the organization. This article is highly relevant to my study through which I come to know that the basic purpose of incentives is to employee s motivation towards organizational goals but most of the time it proves wrong for highly intrinsic motivated people, on the other way around author says that sometimes extrinsic incentives don t crowd out intrinsic motivation as well. Article 9 Dan Ariely, Anat Bracha, Stephan Meier. Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary Incentives in Behaving Prosocially. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1010620 This article titled as Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary Incentives in Behaving Prosocially written by Dan Ariely, Anat Bracha and Stephan Meier. This paper scrutinize image motivation in which the focus is to be liked by others and treated well regarded, in their eyes. Prosocial behavior (doing good) is one of their drivers. Also determine whether extrinsic monetary benefits (doing well) have unfavorable effect on Prosocial behavior because of crowding out of image motivation. According to definition image is the presentation of ones behavior to other people. So this exclusive property showed that image is most important part of motivation to behave prosocially. Research also showed that when extrinsic motivation relate with image motivation then it is less effective in public than in private. I derive Motivation and extrinsic motivation as dependent variable whereas monetary incentives and behaving prosocially are dependent variable. It is revealed in the study that motivation is crowded out by monetary incentives which illustrates that monetary incentives are counterproductive for public prosocial activities as compare to private one. Through exploratory research researcher finds out that there hypothesis supports them because monetary incentives severely depends on visibility, monetary incentives are much more effective helping them privately rather than publicly Prosocial activities. As we know extrinsic motivation is a motivation that comes from outside of an individual and other way around people wants to be seen doing good without extrinsic incentives, these people want to be respected in the eyes of other people, they want other people to appreciates them and to consider them they are doing good job. But with extrinsic incentives there motive to work well deteriorates because extrinsic incentives makes them work for money or some other factors but they don t want people to consider that they are doing well . so in this way they are not get effective and their image value decreases. The signaling element of a product greatly influences its purchase thus if the government gives a subsidy on a particular technology that is environment friendly then the fact that whether the particular product is a publicly used product or not will greatly influence the buyers motivation to buy the product. The purchase of the environment friendly technology will confuse the buyer that how does his purchased is viewed by the public, is that made because the buyer is genuinely concerned about the environment or is it just to avail the tax benefit or is it bought just to create an image that you are a responsible citizen. Thus the government should carefully consider all its policies and should take into account the unintentional damage to signaling that their policy results in. Another option for providing the extrinsic incentive is to provide it without making it public, it will give the same effect as if the extrinsic incentive does not exists. This could be further elaborated by using the example that most of the donors for social causes do not make their identity public so that the signaling effect does not crowd outs their true cause. To conclude it is better to have less extrinsic incentives for visible Prosocial activities so that these incentives do not erode the moral aspect. This article is highly relevant to my study which gives me further knowledge about the effect of extrinsic incentives on motivation and if the person is not extrinsically motivated he wants to appreciate and considered that he is doing a good job. So different people is motivated through different ways. Article 10 Andrew Ballentine., Nora McKenzie., Allen Wysocki., Karl Kepner. The Role of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives in the Workplace as Influenced by Career Stage. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hr016 This article titled as The Role of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives in the Workplace as Influenced by Career Stage written by Andrew Ballentine, Nora McKenzie, Allen Wysocki and Karl Kepner. In the corporate environment manager these days constantly trying to create strong motivational environment in the organization through which all the workforce work towards the organizational goal together. For that they use monetary and non-monetary benefits to motivate them in workplace. There can be diverse kinds of monetary benefits which have a similar impact on associates. An example could be a mutual fund is one of monetary benefits provided through company insurance program or pension plans. Different people in an organization has different needs and there are different incentives for the employee of different age group. Nowadays organizations are replacing their traditional motivational incentives to newer ones according to the needs of younger generation. Along with that article also states that there are different monetary and non-monetary benefits at each stage of employee career e.g. a nature of an incentive is different for higher management of organization hierarchy as compare to lower level management. So I derive dependent variable as motivation, interest, and job satisfaction whereas career stage and Generation in which you born are Independent variables in this article. The basic reason of monetary benefit is to reward the employee s for excellent performance in their job by giving them money. Profit sharing, stock options, project bonuses and warrants are some types of monetary incentives. On the other way around the rationale behind non-monetary incentives is to reward the employees for excellent performance in their job by giving them opportunities. Flexible work hours, pleasant work environment and training are some of the examples of non-monetary benefits. Furthermore author also revealed that monetary and non-monetary incentives differ in the efficiency, functions and correctness depending upon the nature of incentive. Another researcher Alfie Kohn in 1993 presents his point of view that monetary incentives encourage Obedience to the work in an organization rather than risk-taking approach because most rewards are given on the basis of performance and people don t want to take risk their jobs. So in this way employees are not encouraged from being creative in work place. One of the most important aspects of the study is desired monetary incentives differ from career stage of employee and also from which generation he belongs to. Survey conducted by American Association of Retired Persons has shown that retired people are motivated to work for flexible schedules, part time hours, and temporary employment and they are known as Mature workers who were born between 1930 and 1945. Whereas baby boomers those who were born between 1946 to 1963 wants retirement planning , flexible retirement options, sabbaticals and job training as their non-monetary incentives. Further the next generation Generation X ers those who were born between 1964 and 1981 like flexible work schedule, professional development, feedback, tangible rewards and work environment as their non-monetary incentives. And Generation Y ers those who were born after 1982 wants flexible work schedules, professional development, feedback, tangible rewards and work environment as their non-monetary incentive to get motivated. This article is highly relevant to my research; it increases my understanding that motivation is different for different people. We have to give different non-monetary incentives to different generations and employees of different career stages to motivate them about specific task. Hypothesis Tentative Hypothesis: Ho: Monetary Benefits increases more employee motivation than Non-Monetary Benefits at an organization H1: Non-Monetary Benefits increases more employee motivation than Monetary Benefits at an organization Ho: there is no significant relation between communicating organizational goals and employee motivation level H1: there is significant relationship between communicating organizational goals and employee motivation level Ho: there is no significant relation
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Shakespeares King Harry :: William Shakespeare Plays Literature Essays
Director and playwright Kenneth Haigh once said, ââ¬Å"You need three things in the theatreââ¬âthe play, the actors and the audience, and each must give something.â⬠(Robertson 159) How true that these three components must work together toward the success of a play; each contributing to the beauty of live theatre. Upon directing a play, one ought to have complete control of the first two aspects (namely, the play and the actors) as they are consciously chosen and painstakingly molded and manipulated. However, the audience is an entirely separate matter. One does not necessarily get to hand-pick oneââ¬â¢s audience; yet, control is still possible. Theoretically, theatre-goers will contribute two things to a production: first, they will bring with them a personal history, and secondly, they will have a reaction informed by this history. Thus, an awareness of what the audience might bring to the play is crucial in anticipating their response. Of course, every spectator will be differentââ¬âculture, age, race, politics, religion, gender and any number of factors will all play a part. But with careful consideration of these possibilities, a good director ought to expect what response the audience will have to different aspects of the production. This can only be an advantage, as preparing for the crowdââ¬â¢s contribution will allow one to direct the play and actors in a manner that will produce the desired response. An audienceââ¬â¢s tears, laughter, horror, confusion, shock, applause, etc. should all be controlled (to a certain degree) by the director. In taking this into consideration, plays written in the pastââ¬âintended for theatres and audiences of the pastââ¬âcan take on great and exciting changes when brought to audiences of the present and future. William Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Henry V is no exception to this rule. In light of recent circumstances in the United States of America, a contemporary performance of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Henry V would be quite poignant by staging the character of King Harry as a mediocre (but at times likeable) leader, in order to expose the humanity of men in times of war. The parallels between Henry V and the United States of Americaââ¬â¢s current political affairs are quite notable. Drawing upon these in a present day performance of Henry V would be quite engaging and inviting to the appropriate audience. Initially, King Harry is remembered as a ââ¬Å"vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youthâ⬠(2.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Black House Chapter Eleven
11 BEEZER'S JOURNEY BEGAN with Myrtle Harrington, the loving wife of Michael Harrington, whispering down the telephone line to Richie Bumstead, on whom she has an industrial-strength crush in spite of his having been married to her second-best friend, Glad, who dropped down dead in her kitchen at the amazing age of thirty-one. For his part, Richie Bumstead has had enough macaroni-tuna casseroles and whisper-voiced phone calls from Myrtle to last him through two more lifetimes, but this is one set of whispers he's glad, even oddly relieved, to listen to, because he drives a truck for the Kingsland Brewing Company and has come to know Beezer St. Pierre and the rest of the boys, at least a little bit. At first, Richie thought the Thunder Five was a bunch of hoodlums, those big guys with scraggly shoulder-length hair and foaming beards roaring through town on their Harleys, but one Friday he happened to be standing alongside the one called Mouse in the pay-window line, and Mouse looked down at him and said something funny about how working for love never made the paycheck look bigger, and they got into a conversation that made Richie Bumstead's head spin. Two nights later he saw Beezer St. Pierre and the one called Doc shooting the breeze in the yard when he came off-shift, and after he got his rig locked down for the night he went over and got into another conversation that made him feel like he'd walked into a combination of a raunchy blues bar and a Jeopardy! championship. These guys Beezer, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill looked like rockin', stompin', red-eyed violence, but they were smart. Beezer, it turned out, was head brewmaster in Kingsland Ale's special-projects div ision, and the other guys were just under him. They had all gone to college. They were interested in making great beer and having a good time, and Richie sort of wished he could get a bike and let it all hang out like them, but a long Saturday afternoon and evening at the Sand Bar proved that the line between a high old time and utter abandon was too fine for him. He didn't have the stamina to put away two pitchers of Kingsland, play a decent game of pool, drink two more pitchers while talking about the influences of Sherwood An-derson and Gertrude Stein on the young Hemingway, get into some serious head-butting, put down another couple of pitchers, emerge clearheaded enough to go barrel-assing through the countryside, pick up a couple of experimental Madison girls, smoke a lot of high-grade shit, and romp until dawn. You have to respect people who can do that and still hold down good jobs. As far as Richie is concerned, he has a duty to tell Beezer that the police have finally learned the whereabouts of Irma Freneau's body. That busybody Myrtle said it was a secret Richie has to keep to himself, but he's pretty sure that right after Myrtle gave him the news, she called four or five other people. Those people will call their best friends, and in no time at all half of French Landing is going to be heading over on 35 to be in on the action. Beezer has a better right to be there than most, doesn't he? Less than thirty seconds after getting rid of Myrtle Harrington, Richie Bumstead looks up Beezer St. Pierre in the directory and dials the number. ââ¬Å"Richie, I sure hope you aren't shitting me,â⬠Beezer says. ââ¬Å"He called in, yeah?â⬠Beezer wants Richie to repeat it. ââ¬Å"That worthless piece of shit in the DARE car, the Mad Hungarian? . . . And he said the girl was where?â⬠ââ¬Å"Fuck, the whole town is gonna be out there,â⬠Beezer says. ââ¬Å"But thanks, man, thanks a lot. I owe you.â⬠In the instant before the receiver slams down, Richie thinks he hears Beezer start to say something else that gets dissolved in a scalding rush of emotion. And in the little house on Nailhouse Row, Beezer St. Pierre swipes tears into his beard, gently moves the telephone a few inches back on the table, and turns to face Bear Girl, his common-law spouse, his old lady, Amy's mother, whose real name is Susan Osgood, and who is staring up at him from beneath her thick blond bangs, one finger holding her place in a book. ââ¬Å"It's the Freneau girl,â⬠he says. ââ¬Å"I gotta go.â⬠ââ¬Å"Go,â⬠Bear Girl tells him. ââ¬Å"Take the cell phone and call me as soon as you can.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah,â⬠he says, and plucks the cell phone from its charger and rams it into a front pocket of his jeans. Instead of moving to the door, he thrusts a hand into the huge red-brown tangle of his beard and absent-mindedly combs it with his fingers. His feet are rooted to the floor; his eyes have lost focus. ââ¬Å"The Fisherman called 911,â⬠he says. ââ¬Å"Can you believe this shit? They couldn't find the Freneau girl by themselves, they needed him to tell them where to find her body.â⬠ââ¬Å"Listen to me,â⬠Bear Girl says, and gets up and travels the space between them far more quickly than she seems to. She snuggles her compact little body into his massive bulk, and Beezer inhales a chestful of her clean, soothing scent, a combination of soap and fresh bread. ââ¬Å"When you and the boys get out there, it's going to be up to you to keep them in line. So you have to keep yourself in line, Beezer. No matter how angry you are, you can't go nuts and start beating on people. Cops especially.â⬠ââ¬Å"I suppose you think I shouldn't go.â⬠ââ¬Å"You have to. I just don't want you to wind up in jail.â⬠ââ¬Å"Hey,â⬠he says, ââ¬Å"I'm a brewer, not a brawler.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't forget it,â⬠she says, and pats him on the back. ââ¬Å"Are you going to call them?â⬠ââ¬Å"Street telephone.â⬠Beezer walks to the door, bends down to pick up his helmet, and marches out. Sweat slides down his forehead and crawls through his beard. Two strides bring him to his motorcycle. He puts one hand on the saddle, wipes his forehead, and bellows, ââ¬Å"THE FUCKING FISHERMAN TOLD THAT FUCKING HUNGARIAN COP WHERE TO FIND IRMA FRENEAU'S BODY. WHO'S COMING WITH ME?â⬠On both sides of Nailhouse Row, bearded heads pop out of windows and loud voices shout ââ¬Å"Wait Up!â⬠ââ¬Å"Holy Shit!â⬠and ââ¬Å"Yo!â⬠Four vast men in leather jackets, jeans, and boots come barreling out of four front doors. Beezer almost has to smile he loves these guys, but sometimes they remind him of cartoon characters. Even before they reach him, he starts explaining about Richie Bumstead and the 911 call, and by the time he finishes, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill are on their bikes and waiting for the signal. ââ¬Å"But this here's the deal,â⬠Beezer says. ââ¬Å"Two things. We're going out there for Amy and Irma Freneau and Johnny Irkenham, not for ourselves. We want to make sure everything gets done the right way, and we're not gonna bust anybody's head open, not unless they ask for it. You got that?â⬠The others rumble, mumble, and grumble, apparently in assent. Four tangled beards wag up and down. ââ¬Å"And number two, when we do bust open somebody's head, it's gonna be the Fisherman's. Because we have put up with enough crap around here, and now I am pretty damn sure it's our turn to hunt down the fucking bastard who killed my little girl â⬠Beezer's voice catches in his throat, and he raises his fist before continuing. ââ¬Å"And dumped this other little girl in that fucking shack out on 35. Because I am going to get my hands on that fucking fuckhead, and when I do, I am gonna get RIGHTEOUS on his ass!â⬠His boys, his crew, his posse shake their fists in the air and bellow. Five motorcycles surge noisily into life. ââ¬Å"We'll take a look at the place from the highway and double back to the road behind Goltz's,â⬠Beezer shouts, and charges down the road and uphill on Chase Street with the others in his slipstream. Through the middle of town they roll, Beezer in the lead, Mouse and Sonny practically on his tailpipe, Doc and the Kaiser right behind, their beards flowing in the wind. The thunder of their bikes rattles the windows in Schmitt's Allsorts and sends starlings flapping up from the marquee of the Agincourt Theater. Hanging over the bars of his Harley, Beezer looks a little bit like King Kong getting set to rip apart a jungle gym. Once they get past the 7-Eleven, Kaiser and Doc move up alongside Sonny and Mouse and take up the entire width of the highway. People driving west on 35 look at the figures charging toward them and swerve onto the shoulder; drivers who see them in their rearview mirrors drift to the side of the road, stick their arms out of their windows, and wave them on. As they near Centralia, Beezer passes about twice as many cars as really ought to be traveling down a country highway on a weekend morning. The situation is even worse than he figured it would be: Dale Gilbertson is bound to have a couple of cops blocking traffic turning in from 35, but two cops couldn't handle more than ten or twelve ghouls dead set on seeing, really seeing, the Fisherman's handiwork. French Landing doesn't have enough cops to keep a lid on all the screwballs homing in on Ed's Eats. Beezer curses, picturing himself losing control, turning a bunch of twisted Fisherman geeks into tent pegs. Losing control is exactly what he cannot afford to do, not if he expects any cooperation from Dale Gilbertson and his flunkies. Beezer leads his companions around a crapped-out old red Toyota and is visited by an idea so perfect that he forgets to strike unreasoning terror into the beater's driver by looking him in the eye and snarling, ââ¬Å"I make Kingsland Ale, the best beer in the world, you dimwit cur.â⬠He has done this to two drivers this morning, and neither one let him down. The people who earn this treatment by either lousy driving or the possession of a truly ugly vehicle imagine that he is threatening them with some grotesque form of sexual assault, and they freeze like rabbits, they stiffen right up. Jolly good fun, as the citizens of Emerald City sang in The Wizard of Oz. The idea that has distracted Beezer from his harmless pleasures possesses the simplicity of most valid inspirations. The best way to get cooperation is to give it. He knows exactly how to soften up Dale Gilbertson: the answer is putting on a baseball cap, grabbing its car keys, and heading out the door the answer lies al l around him. One small part of that answer sits behind the wheel of the red Toyota just being overtaken by Beezer and his jolly crew. Wendell Green earned the mock rebuke he failed to receive on both of the conventional grounds. His little car may not have been ugly to begin with, but by now it is so disfigured by multiple dents and scrapes that it resembles a rolling sneer; and Green drives with an unyielding arrogance he thinks of as ââ¬Å"dash.â⬠He zooms through yellow lights, changes lanes recklessly, and tailgates as a means of intimidation. Of course, he blasts his horn at the slightest provocation. Wendell is a menace. The way he handles his car perfectly expresses his character, being inconsiderate, thoughtless, and riddled with grandiosity. At the moment, he is driving even worse than usual, because as he tries to overtake every other vehicle on the road, most of his concentration is focused on the pocket tape recorder he holds up to his mouth and the golden words his equally gold en voice pours into the precious machine. (Wendell often regrets the shortsightedness of the local radio stations in devoting so much air time to fools like George Rathbun and Henry Shake, when they could move up to a new level simply by letting him give an ongoing commentary on the news for an hour or so every day.) Ah, the delicious combination of Wendell's words and Wendell's voice Edward R. Murrow in his heyday never sounded so eloquent, so resonant. Here is what he is saying: This morning I joined a virtual caravan of the shocked, the grieving, and the merely curious in a mournful pilgrimage winding eastward along bucolic Highway 35. Not for the first time, this journalist was struck, and struck deeply, by the immense contrast between the loveliness and peace of the Coulee Country's landscape and the ugliness and savagery one deranged human being has wrought in its unsuspecting bosom. New paragraph. The news had spread like wildfire. Neighbor called neighbor, friend called friend. According to a morning 911 call to the French Landing police station, the mutilated body of little Irma Freneau lies within the ruins of a former ice-cream parlor and caf?à ¦ called Ed's Eats and Dawgs. And who had placed the call? Surely, some dutiful citizen. Not at all, ladies and gentlemen, not at all . . . Ladies and gentlemen, this is frontline reportage, this is the news being written while it happens, a concept that cannot but murmur ââ¬Å"Pulitzer Prizeâ⬠to an experienced journalist. The scoop had come to Wendell Green by way of his barber, Roy Royal, who heard it from his wife, Tillie Royal, who had been clued in by Myrtle Harrington herself, and Wendell Green has done his duty to his readers: he grabbed his tape recorder and his camera and ran out to his nasty little vehicle without pausing to telephone his editors at the Herald. He doesn't need a photographer; he can take all the photographs he needs with that dependable old Nikon F2A on the passenger seat. A seamless blend of words and pictures a penetrating examination of the new century's most hideous crime a thoughtful exploration into the nature of evil a compassionate portrayal of one community's suffering an unsparing expos?à ¦ of one police department's ineptitude With all this going on in his mind as his mellifluous words drip one by one into the microphone of his upheld cassette recorder, is it any wonder that Wendell Green fails to hear the sound of motorcycles, or to take in the presence of the Thunder Five in any way, until he happens to glance sideways in search of the perfect phrase? Glance sideways he does, and with a spurt of panic observes, no more than two feet to his left, Beezer St. Pierre astride his roaring Harley, apparently singing, to judge from his own moving lips singing huh? Can't be, nope. In Wendell's experience, Beezer St. Pierre is far more likely to be cursing like a navvy in a waterfront brawl. When, after the death of Amy St. Pierre, Wendell, who was merely obeying the ancient rules of his trade, dropped in at 1 Nailhouse Row, and inquired of the grieving father how it felt to know that his daughter had been slaughtered like a pig and partially eaten by a monster in human form, Beezer had gripped the innocent newshound by the throat, unleashed a torrent of obscenities, and concluded by bellowing that if he should ever see Mr. Green again, he would tear off his head and use the stump as a sexual orifice. It is this threat that causes Wendell's moment of panic. He glances into his rearview mirror and sees Beezer's cohorts strung out across the road like an invading army of Goths. In his imagination, they are waving skulls on ropes made of human skin and yelling about what they are going to do to his neck after they rip his head off. Whatever he was about to dictate into the invaluable machine instantly evaporates, along with his daydreams of winning the Pulitzer Prize. His stomach clenches, and sweat bursts from every pore on his broad, ruddy face. His left hand trembles on the wheel, his right shakes the cassette recorder like a castanet. Wendell lifts his foot from the accelerator and slides down on the car seat, turning his head as far to the right as he dares. His basic desire is to curl up in the well beneath the dashboard and pretend to be a fetus. The huge roar of sound behind him grows louder, and his heart leaps in his chest like a fish. Wendell whimpers. A rank of kettledrum s batters the air beyond the fragile skin of the car door. Then the motorcycles swoop past him and race off up the highway. Wendell Green wipes his face. Slowly, he persuades his body to sit up straight. His heart ceases its attempt to escape his chest. The world on the other side of his windshield, which had contracted to the size of a housefly, expands back to its normal size. It occurs to Wendell that he was no more afraid than any normal human being would be, under the circumstances. Self-regard fills him like helium fills a balloon. Most guys he knows would have driven right off the road, he thinks; most guys would have crapped in their pants. What did Wendell Green do? He slowed down a little, that's all. He acted like a gentleman and let the ass-holes of the Thunder Five drive past him. When it comes to Beezer and his apes, Wendell thinks, being a gentleman is the better part of valor. He picks up speed, watching the bikers race on ahead. In his hand, the cassette recorder is still running. Wendell raises it to his mouth, licks his lips, and discovers that he has forgotten what he was going to say. Blank tape whirls from spool to spool. ââ¬Å"Damn,â⬠he says, and pushes the OFF button. An inspired phrase, a melodious cadence, has vanished into the ether, perhaps for good. But the situation is far more frustrating than that. It seems to Wendell that a whole series of logical connections has vanished with the lost phrase: he can remember seeing the shape of a vast outline for at least half a dozen penetrating articles that would go beyond the Fisherman to . . . do what? Win him the Pulitzer, for sure, but how? The area in his mind that had given him the immense outline still holds its shape, but the shape is empty. Beezer St. Pierre and his goons murdered what now seems the greatest idea Wendell Green ever had, and Wendell has no certainty that he can bring it back to life. What are these biker freaks doing out here, anyhow? The question answers itself: some creepy do-gooder thought Beezer ought to know about the Fisherman's 911 call, and now the biker freaks are headed to the ruins of Ed's, just like him. Fortunately, so many other people are going to the same place that Wendell figures he can steer clear of his nemesis. Taking no chances, he drops a couple of cars behind the bikers. The traffic thickens and slows down; up ahead, the bikers form a single line and zoom up alongside the line crawling toward the dusty old lane to Ed's place. From seventy or eighty yards back, Wendell can see two cops, a man and a woman, trying to wave the rubberneckers along. Every time a fresh car pulls up in front of them, they have to go through the same pantomine of turning its occupants away and pointing down the road. To reinforce the message, a police car is parked sideways across the lane, blocking anyone who should try to get fancy. This spectacle troubles Wendell not at all, for the press has automatic access to such scenes. Journalists are the medium, the aperture, through which otherwise prohibited places and events reach the general public. Wen-dell Green is the people's representative here, and the most distinguished journalist in western Wisconsin besides. After he has inched along another thirty feet, he sees that the cops riding herd on the traffic are Danny Tcheda and Pam Stevens, and his complacency wavers. A couple of days ago, both Tcheda and Stevens had responded to his request for information by telling him to go to hell. Pam Stevens is a know-it-all bitch anyhow, a professional ball-breaker. Why else would a reasonably okay-looking dame want to be a cop? Stevens would turn him away from the scene for the sheer hell of it she'd enjoy it! Probably, Wendell realizes, he will have to sneak in somehow. He pictures himself crawling through the fields on his belly and shivers with distaste. At least he can have the pleasure of watching the cops giving the finger to Beezer and crew. The bikers roar past another half-dozen cars without slowing down, so Wendell supposes they plan on going into a flashy, skidding turn, dodging right by those two dumbbells in blue, and zooming around the patrol car as if it didn't exist. What will the cops do then, Wendell wonders drag out their guns and try to look fierce? Fire warning shots and hit each other in the foot? Astonishingly, Beezer and his train of fellow bikers pay no attention to the cars attempting to move into the lane, to Tcheda and Stevens, or to anything else up there. They do not even turn their heads to gape up at the ruined shack, the chief's car, the pickup truck which Wendell instantly recognizes and the men standing on the beaten grass, two of whom are Dale Gilbertson and the pickup's owner, Hollywood Jack Sawyer, that snooty L.A. prick. (The third guy, who is wearing an ice-cream hat, sunglasses, and a spiffy vest, makes no sense at all, at least not to Wendell. He looks like he dropped in from some old Humphrey Bogart movie.) No, they blast on by the whole messy scene with their helmets pointed straight ahead, as if all they have in mind is cruising into Centralia and busting up the fixtures in the Sand Bar. On they go, all five of the bastards, indifferent as a pack of wild dogs. As soon as they hit open road again, the other four move into parallel formation behind Beeze r and fan out across the highway. Then, as one, they veer off to the left, send up five great plumes of dust and gravel, and spin into five U-turns. Without breaking stride without even appearing to slow down they separate into their one-two-two pattern and come streaking back westward toward the crime scene and French Landing. I'll be damned, Wendell thinks. Beezer turned tail and gave up. What a wimp. The knot of bikers grows larger and larger as it swoops toward him, and soon the amazed Wendell Green makes out Beezer St. Pierre's grim face, which beneath its helmet also gets larger and larger as it approaches. ââ¬Å"I never figured you for a quitter,â⬠Wendell says, watching Beezer loom ever nearer. The wind has parted his beard into two equal sections that flare out behind him on both sides of his head. Behind his goggles, Beezer's eyes look as if he is aiming down the barrel of a rifle. The thought that Beezer might turn those hunter's eyes on him makes Wendell's bowels feel dangerously loose. ââ¬Å"Loser,â⬠he says, not very loudly. With an ear-pounding roar, Beezer flashes past the dented Toyota. The rest of the Thunder Five hammer the air, then streak down the road. This evidence of Beezer's cowardice brightens Wendell's heart as he watches the bikers diminish in his rearview mirror, but a thought he cannot ignore begins to worm its way upward through the synapses of his brain. Wendell may not be the Edward R. Murrow of the present day, but he has been a reporter for nearly thirty years, and he has developed a few instincts. The thought winding through his mental channels sets off a series of wavelike alarms that at last push it into consciousness. Wendell gets it he sees the hidden design; he understands what's going down. ââ¬Å"Well, hot doggy,â⬠he says, and with a wide grin blasts his horn, cranks his wheel to the left, and jolts into a turn with only minimal damage to his fender and that of the car in front of him. ââ¬Å"You sneaky bastard,â⬠he says, nearly chuckling with delight. The Toyota squeezes out of the line of vehicles pointed eastward and drifts over into the westbound lanes. Clanking and farting, it shoots away in pursuit of the crafty bikers. There will be no crawling through cornfields for Wendell Green: that sneaky bastard Beezer St. Pierre knows a back way to Ed's Eats! All our star reporter has to do is hang back far enough to stay out of sight and he gets a free pass into the scene. Beautiful. Ah, the irony: Beezer gives the press a helpful hand many thanks, you arrogant thug. Wendell hardly supposes that Dale Gilbertson will give him the run of the place, but it will be harder to throw him out than to turn him away. In the time he has, he can ask a few probing questions, snap a few telling photos, and above all! soak up enough atmosphere to produce one of his legendary ââ¬Å"colorâ⬠pieces. With a cheerful heart, Wendell poodles down the highway at fifty miles per hour, letting the bikers race far ahead of him without ever letting them pass out of sight. The number of cars coming toward him thins out to widely spaced groups of two and three, then to a few single cars, then to nothing. As if they have been waiting to be unobserved, Beezer and his friends swerve across the highway and go blasting up the driveway to Goltz's space-age dome. Wendell feels an unwelcome trickle of self-doubt, but he is not about to assume that Beezer and his louts have a sudden yearning for tractor hitches and riding lawn mowers. He speeds up, wondering if they have spotted him and are trying to throw him off their trail. As far as he knows, there is nothing up on that rise except the showroom, the maintenance garage, and the parking lot. Damn place looks like a wasteland. Beyond the parking lot . . . what? On one side, he remembers a scrubby field stretching away to the horizon, on the other a bunch of trees, like a forest, only not as thick. He can see the trees from where he is now, running downhill like a windbreak. Without bothering to signal, he speeds across the oncoming lanes and into Goltz's driveway. The sound of the motorcycles is still audible but growing softer, and Wendell experiences a jolt of fear that they have somehow tricked him and are getting away, jeering at him! At the top of the rise, he zooms around the front of the showroom and drives into the big lot. Two huge yellow tractors stand in front of the equipment garage, but his is the only car in sight. At the far end of the empty lot, a low concrete wall rises to bumper height between the asphalt and the meadow bordered by trees. On the other side of the tree line, the wall ends at the swoop of asphalt drive coming around from the back of the showroom. Wendell cranks the wheel and speeds toward the far end of the wall. He can still hear the motorcycles, but they sound like a distant swarm of bees. They must be about a half mile away, Wendell thinks, and jumps out of the Toyota. He jams the cassette recorder in a jacket pocket, slings the Nikon on its strap around his neck, and runs around the low wall and into the meadow. Even before he reaches the tree line, he can see the remains of an old macadam road, broken and overgrown, cutting downhill between the trees. Wendell imagines, overestimating, that Ed's old place is about a mile distant, and he wonders if his car could go the distance on this rough, uneven surface. In some places, the macadam has fissured into tectonic plates; in others, it has crumbled away to black gravel. Sinkholes and weedy rills radiate out from the thick, snaking roots of the trees. A biker could jounce over this mess reasonably well, but Wendell sees that his legs will manage the journey better than his Toyota, so he sets off down the old track through the trees. From what he took in while he was on the highway, he still has plenty of time before the medical examiner and the evidence wagon show up. Even with the help of the famous Hollywood Sawyer, the local cops are mooning around in a daze. The sound of motorcycles grows louder as Wendell picks his way along, as if the boys stopped moving in order to talk things over when they came to the far end of the old back road. That's perfect. Wendell hopes they will keep jawing until he has nearly caught up with them; he hopes they are shouting at one another and waving their fists in the air. He wants to see them cranked to the gills on rage and adrenaline, plus God knows what else those savages might have in their saddlebags. Wendell would love to get a photograph of Beezer St. Pierre knocking out Dale Gilbertson's front teeth with a well-aimed right, or putting the choke hold on his buddy Sawyer. The photograph Wendell wants most, however, and for the sake of which he is prepared to bribe every cop, county functionary, state official, or innocent bystander capable of holding out his hand, is a good, clean, dramatic picture of Irma Freneau's naked corpse. Preferably one that leaves no doubt about the Fisherman's depredations, whatever they were. Two would be ideal one of her face for poignancy, the other a full-body shot for the perverts but he will settle for the body shot if he has to. An image like that would go around the world, generating millions as it went. The National Enquirer alone would fork over, what two hundred thousand, three? for a photo of poor little Irma sprawled out in death, mutilations clearly visible. Talk about your gold mines, talk about your Big Kahunas! When Wendell has covered about a tenth of a mile of the miserable old road, his concentration divided between gloating over all the money little Irma is going to siphon into his pockets and his fears of falling down and twisting his ankle, the uproar caused by the Thunder Five's Harleys abruptly ceases. The resulting silence seems immense, then immediately fills with other, quieter sounds. Wendell can hear his breath struggling in and out, and also some other noise, a combined rattle and thud, from behind him. He whirls around and beholds, far up the ruined road, an ancient pickup lurching toward him. It's almost funny, the way the truck rocks from side to side as one tire, then another, sinks into an invisible depression or rolls up a tilting section of road surface. That is, it would be funny if these people were not horning in on his private access route to Irma Freneau's body. Whenever the pickup climbs over a particularly muscular-looking length of tree root, the four dark heads in the cab bob like marionettes. Wendell takes a step forward, intending to send these yokels back where they came from. The truck's suspension scrapes against a flat rock, and sparks leap from the undercarriage. That thing must be thirty years old, at least, Wendell thinks it's one of the few vehicles on the road that looks even worse than his car. When the truck jolts closer to him, he sees that it is an International Harvester. Weeds and twigs decorate the rusty bumper. Does I.H. even make pickups anymore? Wendell holds up his hand like a juror taking the oath, and the truck jounces and dips over another few rutted feet before coming to a halt. Its left side sits noticeably higher than the right. In the darkness cast by the trees, Wendell cannot quite make out the faces peering at him through the windshield, but he has the feeling that at least two of them are familiar. The man behind the wheel pokes his head out of the driver's window and says, ââ¬Å"Hidey-ho, Mr. Bigshot Reporter. They slam the front door in your face, too?â⬠It is Teddy Runkleman, who regularly comes to Wendell's attention while he is going over the day's police reports. The other three people in the cab bray like mules at Teddy's wit. Wendell knows two of them Freddy Saknessum, part of a low-life clan that oozes in and out of various run-down shacks along the river, and Toots Billinger, a scrawny kid who somehow supports himself by scavenging scrap metal in La Riviere and French Landing. Like Runkleman, Toots has been arrested for a number of third-rate crimes but never convicted of anything. The hard-worn, scruffy woman between Freddy and Toots rings a bell too dim to identify. ââ¬Å"Hello, Teddy,â⬠Wendell says. ââ¬Å"And you, Freddy and Toots. No, after I got a look at the mess out front, I decided to come in the back way.â⬠ââ¬Å"Hey, Wen-dell, doncha ââ¬Ëmember me?â⬠the woman says, a touch pathetically. ââ¬Å"Doodles Sanger, in case your memory's all shot to hell. I started out with a whole buncha guys in Freddy's Bel Air, and Teddy was with a whole ââ¬Ënother bunch, but after we got run off by Miss Bitch, the rest of 'em wanted to go back to their barstools.â⬠Of course he does remember her, although the hardened face before him now only faintly resembles that of the bawdy party girl named Doodles Sanger who served up drinks at the Nelson Hotel a decade ago. Wendell thinks she got fired more for drinking too much on the job than for stealing, but God knows she did both. Back then, Wendell threw a lot of money across the bar at the Nelson Hotel. He tries to remember if he ever hopped in the sack with Doodles. He plays it safe and says, ââ¬Å"Cripes, Doodles, how the hell could I forget a pretty little thing like you?â⬠The boys get a big yuck out of this sally. Doodles jabs her elbow into Toots Billinger's vaporous ribs, gives Wendell a pouty little smile, and says, ââ¬Å"Well thank-ee, kind sir.â⬠Yep, he boffed her, all right. This would be the perfect time to order these morons back to their ratholes, but Wendell is visited by grade-A inspiration. ââ¬Å"How would you charming people like to assist a gentleman of the press and earn fifty bucks in the process?â⬠ââ¬Å"Fifty each, or all together?â⬠asks Teddy Runkleman. ââ¬Å"Come on, all together,â⬠Wendell says. Doodles leans forward and says, ââ¬Å"Twenty each, all right, big-timer? If we agree to do what you want.â⬠ââ¬Å"Aw, you're breakin' my heart,â⬠Wendell says, and extracts his wallet from his back pocket and removes four twenties, leaving only a ten and three singles to see him through the day. They accept their payment and, in a flash, tuck it away. ââ¬Å"Now this is what I want you to do,â⬠Wendell says, and leans toward the window and the four jack-o'-lantern faces in the cab.
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