Work Cultures and Social Loafing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Work Cultures and Social Loafing - Essay Example The study was important because it helps us to understand the behavior of people in different countries and different work culture and sought to find out remedies for this organizational menace. Research was never conducted before about this subject and it assumes significance from the fact that work culture is often ignored and it is further important because work culture changes from country to country and it can't be altered / modified . Research conducted in the United States indicates that members of cultures whose value emphases and social institutions have been characterized as "group-oriented" would tend to form more cohesive groups and be more likely to place group benefit over individual benefit than members of individualistic.(Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 3, 368-384 (1983) Social Loafing is a tendency or phenomenon of an individual, to work less when in group than when work alone. As such, group performance may not be satisfactory when compared to individual performance. Social loafing is the "tendency to reduce individual effort when working in groups compared to the individual effort expended when working alone" (Williams & Karau, 1991). "It is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually" (Karau & Williams, 1993) Social Loafing- "the tendency of individual group members to reduce their work effort as groups increase in size as displayed by the inclination to "goof off" when performance is needed in a group, miss meetings, show up late, or fail to start or complete individual tasks". J. Dan Rothwell, "In Mixed Company: Communicating in Small Groups," 3rd. ed., Harcourt Brace College Publishers, Orlando, .83 In their meta-analytic review of social loafing, Karau and Williams (1993) found that the degree to which the participants' dominant culture emphasizes individualistic versus collectivistic concerns moderated the loafing effect. The magnitude of this effect was found to be larger for participants from individualist-Western cultures than for participants from collectivist-Eastern or oriental cultures. Consistent with this, individuals attach greater importance to group performance and achievement in collectivist cultures (Triandis, 1989), where conceptions of individuality insist on the fundamental relatedness of people to each other (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). An experiment conducted on French students revealed that self - beliefs related to one's feeling of uniqueness play a vital role in performance than in group ( Karau and Williams' (1993) Collective Effort Model). Another research conducted by Kline, Ute-ChristineAnderson, Neil (2007) revealed that personality, cultural, social, and work- and organizational psychology of an employee not only affects social loafing but also addresses the motivational factors of situations that either foster or inhibit social loafing under typical vs maximum performance . With the increasing focus on international ventures and management (Hofstede, 1980; Adler, 1986), it is important that organizational researchers understand intercultural similarities and differences, particularly

Death and Absurdism in Camuss The Stranger Essay Example for Free

Death and Absurdism in Camuss The Stranger Essay In his novel The Stranger1, Albert Camus gives expression to his philosophy of the absurd. The novel is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mothers death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. The central theme is that the significance of human life is understood only in light of mortality, or the fact of death; and in showing Meursaults consciousness change through the course of events, Camus shows how facing the possibility of death does have an effect on ones perception of life. The novel begins with the death of Meursaults mother. Although he attends the funeral, he does not request to see the body, though he finds it interesting to think about the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of a bodys decay (8). It is evident that he is almost totally unaffected by his mothers death – nothing changes in his life. In other words, her death has little or no real significance for him. When he hears Salamano, a neighbor, weeping over his lost dog (which has evidently died), Meursault thinks of his mother – but he is unaware of the association his mind has made. In fact, he chooses not to dwell on the matter but goes to sleep instead (50). It is when he is on the beach with Raymond Sintà ¨s and M. Masson and they confront two Arabs (who have given Raymond trouble) that Meursault first seems to think about the insignificance of any action – therefore of human existence. He has a gun and it occurs to him that he could shoot or not shoot and that it would come to the same thing (72). The loss of a life would have no significance – no affect on life as a whole; and the universe itself is apparently totally indifferent to everything. Here he implicitly denies the existence of God, and thus denies morality, as well as the external meaning (if it may be so distinguished from the internal or individual existential meaning) of life and death. (This latt er, existential meaning is later affirmed, as we shall see.) Meursault kills one of the Arabs in a moment of confusion, partially out of self-defense, but does not regret it eve though it means going to prison and, ultimately, being executed. He has the fatalistic feeling that  whats done is done, and later explains that he has never regretted anything because he has always been to absorbed by the present moment or by the immediate future to dwell on the past (127). In a sense, Meursault is always aware of the meaninglessness of all endeavors in the face of death: he has no ambition to advance socio-economically; he is indifferent about being friends with Raymond and about marrying Marie; etc. But this awareness is somehow never intense enough to involve self-awareness – that is, he never reflects on the meaning of death for him – until he is in prison awaiting execution. Of course, the meaning of anothers death is quite difference from the meaning of ones own death. With the former, one no longer sees that person again; with the latter, ones very consciousness, as far as we know, just ends – blit! – as a television picture ends when the set is switched off. Death marks all things equal, and equally absurd. And death itself is absurd in the sense that reason or the rational mind cannot deal with it: it is a foregone conclusion, yet it remains an unrealized possibility until some indeterminate future time. The meaning of death is not rational but, again, is existential – its implications are to be found not in abstraction but in the actuality of ones life, the finality of each moment. Before his trial, Meursault passes the time in prison by sleeping, by reading over and over the newspaper story about the (unrelated) murder of a Czech, and by recreating a mental picture of his room at home in complete detail, down to the scratches i n the furniture. In this connection, it must be admitted that he is externally very sensitive and aware, despite his lack of self-understanding and emotional response. This is evidence by his detailed descriptions. He is especially sensitive to natural beauty – the beach, the glistening water, the shade, the reed music, swimming, making love to Marie, the evening hour he like so much, etc. He even says that if forced to live in a hollow tree truck, he would be content to watch the sky, passing birds, and clouds (95). After his trial (in which he is sentenced to be executed), he no longer indulges in his memories or passes the time in the frivolous way he was accustomed to spend Sundays at home. At first, he dwells on thoughts of escape. He cannot reconcile the contingency of his sentence (Why guilt? Why sentenced by a French court rather than a Chinese one? Why was the verdict read at eight pm rather than at five? etc.) with the mechanical certainty of  the process that leads inevitably to his death (137). When he gives up trying to find a loophole, he finds his mind ever returning either to the fear that dawn would bring the guards who would lead him to be executed, or to the hope that his appear will be granted. To try to distract himself from these thoughts, he forces himself to study the sky or to listen to the beating of his heart – but the changing light reminds him of the passing of time towards dawn, and he cannot imagine his heart ever stopping. In dwelling on the chance of an appeal, he is forced to consider the possibility of denial and thus of execution; therefore, he must face the fact of his death – whether it comes now or later. One he really, honestly admits deaths inevitability, he allows himself to consider the chance of a successful appeal – of being set free to live perhaps forth more years bef ore dying. Now he begins to see the value of each moment of the life before death. Because of death, nothing matters – except being alive. The meaning, value, significance of life is only seen in light of death, yet most people miss it through the denial of death. The hope of longer life brings Meursault great joy. Perhaps to end the maddening uncertainty and thus intensify his awareness of deaths inevitability (therefore of the actuality of life), or, less likely, as a gesture of hopelessness, Meursault turns down his right to appeal (144). Soon afterwards, the prison chaplain insists on talking to him. Meursault admits his fear but denies despair and has no interest in the chaplains belie in an afterlife. He flies into rage, finally, at the chaplains persistence, for he realizes that the chaplain has not adequately assessed the human condition (death being the end of life) – or, if he has, the chaplains certainties have no meaning for Meursault and have not the real value of, say, a strand of a womans hair (151). Meursault, on the other hand, is absolutely certain about his own life and forthcoming death. His rush of anger cleanses him and empties him of hope, thus allowing him finally to open up completely and for the last time to the benign indifference of the universe (154). He realizes that he always been happy. The idea of death makes one aware of ones life, ones vital being – that which is impermanent and will one day end. When this vitality is appreciate, one feels free – for there is no urgency to perform some act that will cancel the possibility of death, seeing as though there is no such act. In this sense, all human activity is absurd, and the real freedom is to be aware of life in its actually and totally, of its beauty and its pain. Albert Camus The Stranger What if the past has no meaning and the only point in time of our life that really matters is that point which is happening at present. To make matters worse, when life is over, the existence is also over; the hope of some sort of salvation from a God is pointless. Albert Camus illustrates this exact view in The Stranger. Camus feels that one exists only in the world physically and therefore the presence or absence of meaning in ones life is alone revealed through that event which he or she is experiencing at a particular moment. These thoughts are presented through Meursault, a man devoid of concern for social conventions found in the world in which he lives, and who finds his life deprived of physical pleasurewhich he deems quite importantwhen unexpectedly put in prison. The opening line of the novel sets the tone for Meursaults dispassion towards most things. The novel is introduced with the words: Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know (3). Although the uncertainty originates with an ambiguous telegram, it seems that the ton middle of paper or their emotions in general. He does not follow conventional social beliefs nor does he believe in God, nor salvation. Meursault however loves his life. It is a pure love derived from enjoying his existence on a day-to-day basis, rarely looking back and never looking forward. His love is not dependent on doing what society or some religion has deemed correct, but on what he feels he wants to do despite what most would consider common. In Albert Camus’ â€Å"The Stranger† the â€Å"story of an ordinary man who gets drawn into a senseless murder† is told. Taking place in Algeria this man, Meursault, is constantly in a climate of extreme warmth, as are all the inhabitants therein. The sun, the source of light and the cause of this warmth, is thus a vital and normal part of his life. It brings warmth and comfort yet it can also cause pain and sickness. Throughout most of his life Meursault has lived with the conflicting forces of the sun and light, as a friend and foe. However in Chapter 6 these forces become unbalanced and the sun becomes an aggressor causing Meurault physical pain and jolting him into violent action. Although the sun becomes increasingly aggressive as the novel transpires, in the beginning its forces were balanced causing some good and some bad effects. The most evidence of the sun as a foe is found during Meursault’s mother’s wake and funeral. During the wake Meursault is constantly â€Å"blinded† by the bright light. This combined with â€Å"the whiteness of the room† â€Å"[makes his] eyes hurt.† However, this same light also creates a â€Å"glare on the white walls†¦.making [him] drowsy† and allowing him respite from the knowledge of his mother’s death. So, all at once light was good as well as bad for Meursault. Again, during the funeral â€Å"with the sun bearing down† the heat was â€Å"inhuman and oppressive,† causing Meursault great physical discomfort. Yet, in the same token, the heat is also â€Å"making it hard for [Meursault] to †¦think straight† thereby allowing him an escape from his mo ther’s death. Not all of the sun’s effects have a flip side however; throughout the novel â€Å"the sun [does Meursault] a lot of good,† by warming him and making him feel alive. Thus, although both positive and negative situations come from the Work Cited Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage International, 1989.

Scars Of War :: essays research papers

The ride through the countryside was quite amazing. If you did not know, you would swear you were driving down a back road in Pennsylvania. The only visible difference were signs written in Cyrillic for little shops along the road. As the contours of Sarajevo came into focus, you could not miss the gaping, rubble-filled holes that were once buildings. I was not ready for the scenes of destruction that I was about to witness. I have hiked the hollow fields of Gettysburgh, read stories of the war in Vietnam, listened to stories from friends and colleagues that had served in Panama and Somalia, and watched the “100 Hour War'; on CNN. Who really witnesses the effect and the price a city pays years after the bombs stop falling? As you walk around the once beautiful city, five years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords ended the war, the physical, damage cannot be ignored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 5, 1992 Sarajevo, the capital of the Republic of Bosnia- Herzegovina, was attacked. The city lies in the valley of the Miljacka River and is surrounded by mountains. The 260 tanks and many other weapons placed on these mountains could destroy the city. On May 2, 1992 Serbs completely blockaded the city. The parts of the city that could not be occupied by the Serbs were exposed to a barrage of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 shelling and artillery fire. Everyday the city was hit by some 4,000 shells. Targets included hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, synagogues, libraries, and museums.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you cross the last crest coming into the city, the first image you see is the Unis Skyscrapers. These two skyscrapers are of equal height and were built to symbolize the brotherhood and unity of Sarajevo. Before the war, citizens called the buildings by the names of two famous characters from Sarajevo jokes, Momo and Uzeir. The names are of different national origin to show the multi-ethnic background of the city. The skyscrapers were continually hit by artillery fire because of their equal height to break apart the united spirit of the city. Both still stand like skeletons above the city. The progress of rebuilding is slow as only the first ten floors have been repaired. Fragments of concrete and glass still hang from iron pillars high above the street.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Grabavica Cemetery, which dates back to the 17th century, was used extensively by snipers.

American Dream Narrative

Georgeanne Harter AP Language and Composition Tlumack – 2X 11 March 2013 My Personal American Dream In the book, The Epic of America, written in the year of 1931, author James Truslow Adams was the first to give a â€Å"clear† definition of what the American Dream really is. He stated that the American Dream is â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement† (Truslow 214).Although his definition describes what the American Dream is, it does not explain what everyone’s American Dream is throughout the world. This is because each person has their own idea of a perfect life, therefore giving them their own distinct Dream and ways to achieve it. For some people, the ideal and perfect life may mean finally leaving their home country and traveling to America to be successful and prosperous. For others, it may mean getting married, having two beautiful chi ldren living in a three bedroom house with a white picket fence.Although several people may have the same outcome they would like to accomplish, it is how they get there that distinguishes them from the rest. As a young, only child, I determined what I wanted my American Dream to be and that was to grow up underneath the influence of my parents and have the perfect family with a dog, but I still have yet to make it there. Sometimes, some people just have to wake up and realize that their American â€Å"Dream† is more like an American â€Å"Nightmare. † I was doing everything in my power to make sure I kept a good realtionship with my mother and father.Seeing as I was only in first grade when I realized what I really wanted my life to be like, I made sure I did everything possible to keep my parents happy, which in turn would be a cause for a good relationship. I was doing well in school and I very rarely ever got into trouble so I figured I was on the right track. It w as one day after I came home from a wonderful day at school, when I noticed things at home were rapidly rolling downhill. Immediately, I came home to two annoyed parents, who no sooner became to argue leading to them both screaming at ach other at the top of their lungs. These arguments came to be more frequent. At that point, being so young and an only child, I thought these occurrence were all my fault and thought it would be best to try and fix things. That plan quickly backfired on me when, one day, my father stormed out of the house with rage. I was lost and confused and wanted things to be better so I could continue with my idea of a perfect life, but it seemed as though my parents did not want to partake in my efforts. I figured sooner or later one of them would give in and that ended up being my father.I knew that he still loved me no matter what but he had to get out of the house. He began to realize the mental damage that these arguments were causing me. When I was seven y ears old, my parents were officially separated and when I found out, it crushed me. Rather than holding my head up high and keeping a positive mindset, I let it hang and attack every perfect thought I ever had in my mind. Immediately following the loss of my father’s presence in the house, I went into a stage of shock. It took me a little while to bounce back because I missed him.He was my best friend and I was his. A while later, the feeling of not wanting to be with my mother grew inside of me, more and more each day I woke, and I was having a hard time figuring out why. Not too long after, my parents officially got divorced. It wasn’t until much later when my family isolated the problem. As hard as it was for me to believe, my mother, Eileen, was actually diagnosed with a mental disorder. It is called Psychosis which is known for its loss of contact with reality. It is marked by delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, and distorted perceptions of reality.Although it was extremely unfortunate for all of us to experience, the disorder answered my question as to why there were so many screaming matches between my parents. Although her mental health was not deteriorating at a fast rate, I quickly realized that I was not interested in living with her anymore. Even though my â€Å"Dream† was pretty much shot, I just was not living my childhood the way I wanted to when I was with her. In the summer of 2006, when I was nine years old, I decided that I missed my father too much and wanted to move in with him.It was nice because I was still attending the same school and still had all the same friends. I loved Eileen very much and I know she loved me too, it’s just that her mental disorder did not allow her to convey it properly. Being at such a young age, I did not realize that she can’t help it. This disorder is who she is and there is really nothing that can stop it. As I tried very hard to free Eileen from my mind, I began to foc us more on my school work and continuing my life with my father and it was great. I was the happiest I had been in a very long time.Several months after I had moved in with my father, he told me that he had met someone while he was at work. He had been talking to her for a while without me knowing of it because he wanted to make sure that it was someone he was interested in having in our life before he introduced me to her. Her name is Mya. When I met her, I immediately noticed everything he loved about her. She was and still is a beautiful, intelligent, and strong woman who didn’t let anything or anyone else define her and I quickly understood that those were the reasons why he was so enamored by her.Before really thinking about everything that was so quickly occuring, I was just estatic for my father because he was finding someone to love and is happy with again. I took a step back and realized that I no longer seemed like my father’s first choice, although he told m e I was. I was acting extremely immature and began to grow a large attitude towards Mya. In my mind, I had to compete with her for my father’s attention. One evening, the three of us decided to go out for dinner. This way I could get to know Mya a little bit better. Needless to say, I blew up and the three of us had an all time low point.We had a long talk about whether or not I could handle something like this in my life. As I was crying my eyeballs out, I expressed my true feelings; that I really wanted her to stay in my life but more importantly my father’s. I was so happy to see him happy and she was the reason why. We agreed on that night that we would focus on building a family bond because not too long later did my father propose to marry her. In the summer of 2007, my father and I moved to Virginia where Mya lived and the three of us found the best house to move into.I was really grateful for her stepping in and taking over as my mother figure, especially since I was at such a young age. Although I still had several attention and attitude problems, they were becoming far and few in between and we were working on having a great realtionship. It was definitely a difficult task, though. Starting my American Dream over again sounded like a good idea so I did just that. I focused in school and did everything I was supposed to do, making my parents happy and also setting up for a great relationship. To this day, I am still experiencing a struggle with Eileen.Due to her mental state, I have a hard time having the mother-daughter relationship that I have always wanted. Even though I know she cannot help the way she is, I have pretty much ceased all communication with her. Her brain is just not wired the same as mine and there is nothing I can do to change that. We think differently and that hinders my plan to becoming successful. It’s just what’s best at the moment. I have Mya now to look up to and although it will never be the same because she is not my biological mother, it is pretty darn close and that’s all I can ask for.Of course I miss and love Eileen, she’s my mother and always will be, but I have to do what I have to do to ensure that I set up a successful life for myself in the future and keeping her out of my everyday life for the time being will allow me to accomplish that. Back then, I thought thought my life was turning into the American â€Å"Nightmare† but I guess the most recent occurrences was just God’s way in telling me to keep my head up because currently, I am on my way to getting back on track to achieve my American Dream. Works Cited Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America,. Boston: Little, Brown, and, 1931. 214. Print.

Mechanical engineering

Are you interested in Jobs that require athletic or mechanical ability, working with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or being outdoors? You enjoy working with your hands, tools, machines, and things that are practical, mechanically and physically inclined. Careers you would enjoy Architecture Chef / / Hospitality Management Engineering Information Technology Mechanical / Automobile Engineering Music Pharmacy Pilot / Aviation Veterinarian Are you interested in jobs with people who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyses, evaluate or solve problems?You enjoy working with theory and information. You are analytical, intellectual and scientific. Computer Science Economy Mathematics & Statistics Medicine / Dentistry Psychology Sciences Journalism Are you interested in Jobs involving artistic, innovative or intuitive abilities, and like to work in unstructured creative situations? You are non-conforming, original, independent and creative though sometimes chaotic. Acting Advertising Writing / Authoring Architecture / Interior Design / Graphic Design Dancing Designing / Photography Reporting Do you like to work with people to inform, help, train, enlighten, develop or cure or are you skilled with words? You enjoy working in cooperative environments and are supportive, helpful, healing and nurturing. Therapy Counseling Education Hospitality Psychiatry Sociology Public Relations Client Servicing Are you interested in Jobs where you work with people to influence, perform, persuade or lead for organizational goals or economic gain?You enjoy working in competitive environments and are good at leading, persuading, dominating and rumoring. Administration Business Communication Hospitality & Tourism Banking / Investment Law / Politics Marketing / Advertising Management / Construction Management Are you interested in Jobs that involve data, clerical tasks or numerical ability; carrying things out in detail or following instructions? You like working with data and have clerical or numerical ability. You are precise, detailed, orderly and organized. Actuary Banking Clerical Retailer Secretarial Quantity Surveying