Realism and Ibsen’s a Doll’s House Essay

Ibsen: Keeping it Real Since 1879 Realism is a style of writing in which the author strays away from romance and fantasy and leans toward the everyday life of real people and the negative aspects of their lives. The Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen captures the true essence of realism in his famously controversial play A Doll’s House. Nora is an idealistic wife who bows down to her husband’s commands and fulfills his every wish. When Torvald, her husband, fell sick she did everything she could to save his life, going as far as forging her dead father’s signature to receive money to pay for their trip to Italy for better heath care. The story takes place during Christmas time, where Nora is now forced to come to terms with the crime she has committed once Krogstad, the man at the bank who gave Nora the money she needed, reveals to her his plan to tell Torvald about her forgery. A Doll’s House is a perfect example of realism, containing many of the key elements of this genre. Ibsen highlights the forced role of women, the deceptive appearances people use to hide their troubles behind, and uses a realist form and style of writing. Understanding the realism genre of literature allows the reader to enjoy a style of writing in which they can relate to and find comfort in, knowing that someone, somewhere, sometime experienced exactly what they themselves are going through Like many women of her time, Nora has to forget about her own wants and ideas and put on the role a women must play to please the people around her. Torvald constantly is putting Nora in her place. When Torvald comes home one afternoon he finds Nora sitting surrounded with bags from her trip to town. He reprimands her about her spending habits before comforting her, saying, â€Å"Now, now, my little song-bird mustn’t be so crestfallen. Well? Is the squirrel sulking? † (Ibsen 149). Torvald is trying to console his wife while also belittling her by using endearing terms. In reality, his words make Nora feel controlled and repressed. Ibsen wants his audience to see that by demeaning Nora, Torvald is trying to get her to mold to the role of a submissive wife who will listen to her husband as if her were her father. Torvald wants Nora to know that he is the one â€Å"on top† in the relationship; he is the bread winner, the man, and the more powerful person. He is always trying to suppress Nora and keep her dominance over him at bay. Not only must women be submissive to their husbands but they were expects to be obedient to him as well. Torvald is always telling this wife not to eat her favorite treat, macaroons, because her teeth with rot and fall out. When Nora buys the dessert in town, she hides them from Torvald. She lies to him when he asks if the thought crossed her mind that day to stop and get a treat. Nora tells her husband, â€Å"No, Torvald really; I promise you†¦ I wouldn’t do anything that you don’t like† (Ibsen 151). Nora is afraid of contradicting Torvald’s word and promises to him she would never do anything to go against him. Instead of being her husband’s equal Nora feels as if she were a child. Ibsen depicts Nora’s marriage as a relationship between a father and his child instead of a husband and his wife and mother of his young children. Torvald treats Nora like a little girl who cannot make her own decisions. She is forced to play this role of a child her whole life; fist under her own father’s roof and now under Torvald’s. The forced roles of women were enforced in society, as well as the idea of keeping one’s flaws concealed from the outside world. Deceptive appearances hide the troubles and pain Nora and Torvald both go through during the play. Mrs. Linde, Nora’s longtime friend, comes over to the Helmer household. Nora and her are chatting about New Year’s plans when Nora says, â€Å"Look, the people upstairs, the Stenborgs, are having a fancy-dress party tomorrow night, and Torvald wants me to go as a Neopolitan fisher-girl and dance the tarantella that I learnt in Capri† (Ibsen 183). Nora tells Mrs. Linde that her and Torvald plan on attending a masquerade party in which she will be dressing up to perform the tarantella as her husband had told her to. Ibsen is telling the reader that people hide behind clothes and masks to hide the hurt and pain going on in their own life, so as to please society and their own friends. Nora is suffering from an internal crisis et she is forced to dress up and go to the party so that her friends do not suspect anything is wrong with her. Torvald being the â€Å"doll player† that he is, controls Nora and basically forces her to put up a front for the world to see. He never sees Nora’s misery the week leading up to the revelation of Nora’s crime because she has been taught to hide the pain so well. Along with hiding from society, one must fulfill all its demanding expectation. When Torvald reads the letter from Krogstad revealing Nora’s forgery, he is enraged. He screams at Nora and tells her she can have no influence over the children and he loves her no longer. Then he remembers what others will think about this situation and says, â€Å"Somehow or other I must try to appease him- the thing must be hushed up at all costs. As for ourselves- we must seem to go on just as before†¦ but only in the eyes of the world of course† (Ibsen 221). Torvald is only concerned about keeping Krogstad quiet and the outside world remaining in the dark about his troubled marriage. He tells Nora they must continue on with life outside as it was before but once inside the house, it all does not matter; he could not care less. Ibsen communicates that along with wearing deceptive appearances, those who want to be accepted, like Torvald, must bow down to society’s expectations. These expectations include maintaining a perfect marriage, raising the children properly, and not allowing your wife to overpower you. Torvald’s only concern is to keep the peace, for the sake of his own last name. He does not care about Nora any longer. He only cares about keeping himself and his reputation safe. Along with outlining some of the key elements of the real world and the society one lives in, Ibsen uses a realistic style of writing. Staying true to realism literature, Ibsen uses a realistic form and style while writing A Doll’s House. One the first page of the play, one can find a detailed description of the set including, â€Å"A comfortable room, furnished inexpensively, but with taste. In the back wall there are two doors; that to the right leads out to a hall, the other, to the left, leads to Helmer’s study. Between them stands a piano† (Ibsen147). A long list of props preludes all of the acts of the play. Ibsen uses this detailed list of props to bring a sense of reality to his play. He allows the audience to feel as if they truly are sitting in the Helmers’ living room watching Nora fall prey to her husband. It allows one to sink completely in the story and become a part of it all. One of Ibsen’s viewers could easily identify with the characters seeing that they lived in the same middle class home and neighborhood as they themselves do. Ibsen also was able to identify with his audience by using a simplistic writing style. When talking to Nora about her children, the children’s nanny says, â€Å"The poor little mites are playing with their presents, but-† (Ibsen 181). The nurse speaks in a common, simple language. Unlike previous writing styles, realism uses everyday common language and interrupted thoughts, run on sentences, and expressions. Ibsen used this style of writing, again, to identify with the audience he was presenting to. His works were seen my middle class citizens, who were used to working hard long hours in filthy conditions. These people were not spending their days eating cakes and playing chess. They spoke in a ruffle-free, basic language, which is exactly the language Ibsen adopted for his realist play. Ibsen exposed the his audience to a new view of the very lives they were living by using this form of writing. Although Ibsen was not showing his audience anything new, he presented them their most inner secrets they kept hidden and shoved them in their own faces. Ibsen highlighted the role women were taught to play, the deceptive appearances the people wore daily, and expressed these ideas using the people’s realistic style of speech. Ibsen was a writer for the people of the 1800s, but his works are treasured and applicable even in today’s world. ALL QUOTES DIRECTLY FROM A DOLL'S HOUSE

Boeing Learns

Boeing Learns From 787 Mistakes: Using Technology to Create Supply Chain Success Introduction The Boeing Company is one of the largest Aerospace and Defense enterprises in the world. Presently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois; they have contributed to some of the largest breakthroughs in aviation technology † breakthroughs that greatly enhance the lives of the world's people. Boeing began as a small startup in 1916; but by the Korean War, defense efforts had grown Boeing to one of only 23 companies with $1 Billion in annual revenue.Boeing parlayed this growth into being ne of the premier designers and manufacturers of commercial aircraft. Designs such as the 707, 737, and 747 cemented their role as the leader in the industry until 2003 when Airbus first surpassed Boeing in annual sales and order backlog. (Nolan 2012) CEO Phil Condit saw Airbus making progress well prior to 2003, however. In 1996 Condit determined that the Boeing Company needed to be refocused in order to comp ete with the European conglomerate.Airbus had an advantage in innovation and manufacturing because it used collaboration amongst many suppliers to roduce quality aircraft in the most cost effective way possible. In order to continue in its global leadership position, Condit set Boeing along a path to leverage their core competencies, â€Å"with detailed customer knowledge and focus on operating lean and efficient systems. † This plan would be called the â€Å"2016 Strategy' and it would see Boeing change its relationship with suppliers from third-party contract-based to close, strategic partners. Nolan 2012) In future designs, Boeing would rely on these partners to not only build, but also design subcomponents for aircraft. Boeing knew hat it must have a way of coordinating the design process among all suppliers, which cleared the way for a powerful Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) tool. Boeing selected Exostar's Supply Chain Management Solution to coordinate the design and supply chain for the first project under the 2016 Strategy, the 787. (PRNewswire 2013) The 787 was conceived as a revolutionary design that would be a replacement for the aging 767, cost about the same, but be 2 more tuel efficient.It would accomplish this by utilizing a construction of 50% composite – something never before attempted in the commercial aviation arena. In summary, Boeing was endeavoring to build a brand new clean-sheet aircraft from materials never used, using methods never attempted, and using a supply chain more far reaching than ever experienced by the plane maker. In retrospect, it may be easy to see why the 787 has had so many problems. The problems are so large that Forbes was prompted to publish an article titled, â€Å"What Went Wrong at Boeing. (Denning 2013) Boeing has worked through most of its supply chain woes and has delivered over 60 787s to date. Boeing is now designing a next generation version of its supremely popular 777, the 777-8/9. B oeings desire to reduce costs and production time by relying risk-taking suppliers to design and produce major aircraft components has led to many failures and cost overruns in the 787 program. In order for Boeing to avoid the pitfalls of the 787 program, Boeing must take the lessons of the past in concert with good technology to ensure good management of the new 777 supply chain.Literature Review Boeing's move toward a supply chain that relied on utilizing risk-taking suppliers for the 787 was meant to reduce the design timeframe and shorten the production cycle, owever it actually placed the future competitive ability of Boeing in peril. The present paper specifically focuses on the practice of outsourcing design of the aircraft to the aforementioned suppliers and how improper oversight of the process led to delay, cost overruns, and the loss of intellectual property. The literature reviewed during this investigation is both peer-reviewed and Journalistic in nature.The following r eview is presented in a logical flow to show why Boeing chose this new strategy, some select major problems that occurred, and finally the actions that were taken to rectify those problems. Christopher S. Tang and Joshua D. Zimmerman (2009) begin their Journal article, Managing New Product Development and Supply Chain Risks: The Boeing 787 Case, by laying out the drivers for the 787 design strategy. In the 1990s, Boeing had decided that it must offer more customer value to compete with EADS' Airbus in the commercial aircraft industry.Ultimately, Boeing settled on designing a new mid-size, wide body Jet that would offer a superior passenger experience and burn 20% less fuel. To bring the Jet to market faster and cheaper, Boeing wanted to move away from its role as a manufacturer and become ore of a systems integrator. Tang, et al. say this strategy intended to save $4 billion in development cost and shave 2 years off the design period. (Tang, Zimmerman, ; Nelson, 2009) Boeing refers to these risk-sharing partners as â€Å"Global Supply Partners† (6SP).During an interview with World Trade; Steven Schaffer, then vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Global Partners, said the name change â€Å"reflect[ed] a deeper business relationship. † (Bernstein, 2006) In Chapter 8 of Cases on Supply Chain and Distribution Management: Issues and Principals, the nature of he relationship is further discussed. The suppliers are called â€Å"risk-sharing†, because they invest much of their own money into the success of the final assembled product. In fact, Boeing was able to get $4. billion of the $10 billion design budget from 6SPs around the world. These suppliers nave significant risk since they don't see any income until the aircraft are delivered. (Garg ; Gupta, 2012) In a seminal ex post analysis of the 787 outsourcing plan, Ehsan Elahi (2012) of the University of Massachusetts Boston asserts that improper monitoring and suboptimal supplier ele ction led to the appearance of many â€Å"hidden costs† and that Boeing didn't have an adequate understanding of the operational risks associated with outsourcing new product development.He concludes that these oversights led to poor stock performance, a drop it Boeings credit rating, and late delivery penalty payments for customers. The research by Elahi in the UMASS paper, along with his contribution to the Chapter in Miti Garg and Sumeet Gupta's book, lays out a great case for how too much reliance on outside design can lead to a loss of intellectual property. On pages 67-169 of the book, Elahi discusses how these partners were given the opportunity to learn how to build aircraft from composites without Boeing retaining any exclusivity rights.

Greenhouse Business Challenge and Carbon Footprint Assignment - 1

Greenhouse Business Challenge and Carbon Footprint - Assignment Example For brand protection, the company ensures that all their products are free from any form of toxic material that may cause harm directly to the user or even indirectly by first implicating on the environment and subsequently on the user. These materials are not only toxic to the consumers but also lead to a low lifespan of the products and thus the company shareholders work to ensure that several elements are not present in the products. These elements include lead, polyvinyl chloride, mercury and Brominated Flame Retardant (Jackson, 2012, 7). The best description for the Apple carbon footprint is by identifying the manner in which it is determined. For the company, a comprehensive life cycle analysis is put in place to assist in acknowledging the source of greenhouse emissions. The carbon footprint for Apple has received a lot of response from many people including long life shareholders who have committed themselves to the purchase of Apple products (O’Grady, 2008, 133). Most shareholders are afraid of the contemporary plan of incorporating cloud computing to the new generation i-pad. The processes that will bring around cloud computing will involve the purchase of other gadgets that will lead to increased global warming from them and as an end result in environmental degradation (Wharton, 2012, 8). The best practice that the company has incorporated in the manufacture of their commodities is the minimization of growth impact. The company has done this by ensuring that its commodities cause less harm through improving the environmental performance of its products. This has been done through packaging them in small-sizes, there is also the use of materials that are both energy saving and fit for recycling.  

From These Beginnings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From These Beginnings - Essay Example Thomas Jefferson suggested that new nations should have a written constitution. During the war, congress exercised a high level of political, diplomatic, military and economic authority. Among the many things that happened was adoption of trade restrictions, developed and established an army, created a military code among others. The constitution had major omissions especially in the clauses regarding fugitives of the law would be punished. The bill of rights of 1787 empowered the constitution that said that; no excessive bail will be required, no excessive fines or no cruel and unusual punishments to the fugitives. The bill of rights also made sure that all people were treated as the constitution dictated. The powers not given to the state by the constitution was reserved to the people. Alexander Hamilton was the first treasury secretary. He convinced congress to pass an elastic interpretation of the constitution. Thomas Jefferson rejected the motion because what they were about to do was unconstitutional. Hamilton was a federalist while on the other side Jefferson was an anti-federalist who advocated for the poor and the rights of the state. When Jefferson was voted in office, he did not change the federalists programs. The only thing that he changed was revoking the excise tax (Howard 72). Jefferson philosophy in leadership was due to the weak central government of his administration. As most of the power was in the state. The philosophy stated that the power should be limited, to prevent undermining the state and its people. Hamilton philosophy differed greatly from Jefferson, who advocated for the strict interpretation of the constitution. When Jefferson was elected in office, he hardy touched the federalists programs. The major thing that he did was to revoke the excise tax. It led to outraging of the federalists. By cancelling or revoking the excise tax, which meant that no more taxation from alcohol and cigarettes hence little money for the

The development of language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The development of language - Essay Example Today, millions of people speak one of the twenty-eight Mayan languages as their primary language. Apart from for the Waxtek speakers of Veracruz, Mayan languages occupy a large geographical zone in eastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, western Honduras, and western El Salvador (Sharer & Traxler 23). Mayan language family includes 31 languages spoken in Guatemala, Belize and southern Mexico. According to general classification, it has five major branches. It is frequently believed that Huastecan split off in the very beginning, followed by Yucatecan and then all other groups branched out (Campbell 71-72).Most of the Mayan speakers are partially bilingual and their second language is Spanish or English in case of Belize(Sharer & Traxler, 23). Other languages have great influence on all Mayan languages. For instance, there is grammatical evidence for prehistoric connections between the Mayan and the adjoining language family, MixeZoquean. Borrowing words started between these groups in the Pre-classic age and was generally from Mixe-Zoquea to Mayan. For instance, in addition to ajaw (lord) and kakaw (cocoa or chocolate), quite a few basic Mayan kinship and body-part terms came from Mixe-Zoquean. Most of the Mayan languages have few numbers of loanwords from Nahuatal. Nahuatal is the language of native peoples from Central Mexico, particularly post-classic Mexica, or Aztecs. Most probably these loanwords refer to the rising importance of the Central Mexican states in the Post-classic era. The Maya not only borrowed but also influenced other languages. For instance, more or less extinct language of southeastern Guatemala, Xinca does not belong to Mayan language family but it has a large number of loanwords from Mayan. Since European contact, the process of this exchange continued with Spanish and English. A very good example is the word kakaw that has entered English as cocoa just like Mayan word xook as the

Exercise is now known to benefit cognitive function in people of all Essay

Exercise is now known to benefit cognitive function in people of all ages. Describe the evidence that supports this statement - Essay Example Along with VO2max and brain oxygenation, the adults who participated in the study showed an improvement in their cognitive function after they finished the exercise program that was designed for them for four months (â€Å"Exercise Improves† & â€Å"Exercise makes†). Another research was conducted for people with mild cognitive problems such as those diagnosed with about an average of ten times the risk of having dementia. During the intervention of an aerobic exercise to the adult participants with mild cognitive impairment, the result of the study found that there was an improvement on the cognitive function of the participants. For the women, there was an observed change in the physical and chemical reaction that includes â€Å"better disposal of glucose, decreased fasting plasma levels of insulin, cortisol, and brain –derived neurotrophic, while men showed an increase in their plasma level of insulin-like growth factor (Bankhead n.d).† Similarly, Kramer, Erickson, and Colcombe (2006) obtained a result showing an improvement of people, this time with anemia, found to have a positive effect of exercising to those who are already affected by dementia. Specifically, the controlled studies conducted by Baker, et al (n.d.), the effect of high-intensity aerobic exercise though geared towards the improvement of cognitive function, specifically identified the specific effects of exercise to men and women. While men’s plasma levels of insulin-like growth is increased, women’s disposal during the metabolic clamp is increased and the function of fasting plasma levels of insulin is decreased (Baker et al,

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example Current Situation Electronic Boards plc is electrical engineering company and it has been in the business since 1970’s. Company has almost 200 employees and it has been profitable over the last several years. Since establishment to 1985 company has been conducting operations without maintaining true accountancy systems. However, financial crisis has hit the company and it recorded a loss of ?1.7 million. This loss also had an impact the liquidity position of the company. The company’s management director Jack Watson has recently decided to develop the management accounting system for the firm to keep the track record of entire operations and to make sure that the company is able to understand how different products are performing. This report will analyze and outline the main factors that the company needs to consider in establishing a useful management accounting function within the company. ... Investing In Different Projects It has been found that the company directly purchases new technology or equipment in order to improve the productivity without analyzing the cost and benefit ratio of the investment. Therefore after establishing accounting system, the management would be able to make decisions by analyzing the cost and return of the investment and thus it can be helpful in increasing the profitability as only profitable investment will be accepted and others will be rejected (Jaffe, 2007). Moreover, it will be helpful in reducing the interest charges and high bank charges as the company will not be investing in every other technology that comes up. Identifying Areas Of Improvements As the company will have proper management accounting system, so with this the company will be able to identify areas where it can reduce costs and thus it can be helpful in increasing profitability. CONCLUSION Management accountings system, once developed, will provide more insight about th e current status of business and would enhance its capacity to ability to develop and enhance its capacity to compete and forecast its future needs. Moreover, the company would be able to improve its profitability and at the same time manage situations like recession in a better way. References Jaffe, J. (2007). Corporate Finance, Pashupati Printers Pvt Ltd: Delhi. Keown, A., Martin, J., & Petty, J. (2011). Foundations of finance (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (2001). Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. 6edition, Prentice-Hall:

Strategic Dependency Model and Strategic Rationale Modeling Assignment

Strategic Dependency Model and Strategic Rationale Modeling - Assignment Example The train driver opens the train door of the train only when the speed of the train is equal to zero. Platform signage, queue lane and gates have been designed to ensure that passengers disembark and embark the train within the given time limit. The system has to be efficiently designed so that all the movements take place in the prescribed time limit so that the train does not get delayed. The performance of the of the system can be measure by the timely performance of these actions : The system should be effectively networked so that an effective management can also be done at the station so that passengers are well aware of the arrival of the train and they manage themselves in front of their platform signage in the queue lanes. The point to be noted about the performance reliability is that when referring to system here refers to a centralized system. This system would help to send a message to the arrival station about the arrival of the station 5 minutes prior to its arrival, So that passengers gather themselves according to their platform signage in the queue lanes in front of the gates. The train driver opens the door when he records the speed of the train to be zero. ... So that all the passengers disembark and embark the train. Type Performance Measurable fit criterion The train driver opens the train door of the train only when the speed of the train is equal to zero. Platform signage, queue lane and gates have been designed to ensure that passengers disembark and embark the train within the given time limit. The system has to be efficiently designed so that all the movements take place in the prescribed time limit so that the train does not get delayed. The performance of the of the system can be measure by the timely performance of these actions : The system should ensure that an appropriate announcement is made 5 minutes prior from train making it to station so that passengers planning to disembark the train can gather near the train gates. The train door should open when train reaches the station and its speed becomes equal to zero. The system should be effectively networked so that an effective management can also be done at the station so that passengers are well aware of the arrival of the train and they manage themselves in front of their platform signage in the queue lanes. The point to be noted about the performance reliability is that when referring to system here refers to a centralized system. This system would help to send a message to the arrival station about the arrival of the station 5 minutes prior to its arrival, So that passengers gather themselves according to their platform signage in the queue lanes in front of the gates. The train driver opens the door when he records the speed of the train to be zero. This all is done to enhance the performance of the system to be designed so that all the movements including the disembarking and embarking the train takes place in 2

Letter from Hagar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter from Hagar - Essay Example â€Å"Pride was my wilderness, and the demon that led me there was fear. I was alone, never anything else, and never free, for I carries my chains within me, and they spread out from me and shackled all I touched†(page 292). My dear child, you are young and the fountain of youth flows upon you. Waste it not your youth on matters that will chain your heart and soul. You must know that I loved your grandfather dearly though I never really found the right way to show him how much. I could not at that time for I believed that I must maintain restraint and never allow my feelings flow as freely as a cascading waterfall. I exhort you not commit the same mistakes I did. I could have shown your grandfather the ecstasies I felt when making love. â€Å"It was not long after we wed, when first I felt my blood and vitals rise to meet his. He never knew. I never spoke aloud, and I made certain the trembling was all inner†¦ I prided myself on keeping my pride intact, like some mainden hood† (page 81). Alas, I was wrong. I could have soared to the skies and explode that a super nova in the skies and then come down from heaven to dance with the daffodils but I was too proud to do such things. I made myself believe that pride is more important than showing warmth and accepting the same like an all consuming fire that runs through your veins searing you blood until you scream not in agony but in ecstasy. Now, as I look back into the empty years where I held my feeling locked and sealed inside me, tears come welling up and spilling down my weathered cheeks unbidden. I strived to hide them but could not. I could have given more but did not. I could not bring myself to show much love and say the right word a t the right time. Like a stone angel made of hard marble, I am doubly blind. But then again, would they have reacted differently had I said and done things differently? Would they? I think not. So it is perfectly all right. Child, I want you

Cyber Incident Response for Blue Moon Financial Term Paper

Cyber Incident Response for Blue Moon Financial - Term Paper Example The company has been faced with several challenges with respect to addressing the network intrusion attacks and cyber security issues because it is ill equipped to deal with such issues. This paper discusses how I will deal with the active network intrusion attack in the company under various sub-topics. The first steps to take in the current scenario are to identify the nature of attack. I am the only person who is qualified and well trained to deal with such issues. Therefore, before informing anyone else about it, I will first find out the type of the attack targeted towards the company. This will be the first step towards stopping the attack because further steps cannot be initiated if the type of attack is not known well. Secondly, I will localize the source. This means that I have to use firewall and IDS logs to try to find out where the attack is coming from to be able to know whether the attack is coming from a compromised host or from the outside world. This is also essential in ensuring that the attack can be stopped as soon as possible (Sharma, et.al, 2015). After this, the next step that I will take entails blocking the attack. Once it source and the nature of attack is clarified, I will take the necessary actions towards blocking it (Youssef, & Emam, 2011). These actions will include pulling the machines that have been attacked from the network, block the access to the network from that IP address if the attack is coming from outside. Depending on the type of the attack, I may have to use ISP if the attack is a DDoS attack. I will also backup the evidence of the attack by keeping the logs generated to ensure that I have a detailed account of the attack. I will also find other compromised machines and use appropriate tools to root out any other machines that have been attacked. The last aspect is to ensure that I do not

Welfare to Work Midterm Essay Example for Free

Welfare to Work Midterm Essay 1. President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) P.L. 104-193 on August 22, 1996. What are the basis and implications of this law? On August 22, 1996, President William Jefferson Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) (P.L. 104-193, 110 Stat. 2105) into law, thus fulfilling his campaign promise to end welfare as we know it. The PRWORA changed both the substance and administration of the national welfare system. The act eliminated the prior welfare system, which had been attacked for decades by policy-makers, the press, and the public for increasing government spending while making the poor dependent on government charity. The stated purposes of the PRWORA were to reduce welfare dependency and out-of-wedlock births and to encourage the formation of two-parent families. In line with these goals, the PRWORA required welfare recipients to work within two years of receiving assistance, and it put a five-year lifetime limit on the receipt of benefits. It also ended the entitlement status of welfare benefits. In addition, the act made other, less publicized changes to several social welfare programs, both restricting the availability of benefits (making it harder for disabled children to qualify for assistance, limiting eligibility for food stamps, denying welfare benefits to most legal immigrants) and strengthening programs that aid children (reorganizing and increasing funding for child care, toughening the enforcement of rules for child support). In addition to the acts primary emphasis on putting welfare recipients to work, the PRWORA also radically altered the way government delivers welfare benefits in three important ways: (1) Increased role of states. To fund welfare the PRWORA provided the states with fixed block grants called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to fund welfare, totaling $16.5 billion annually over six years. Congress also included a provision in the act that would result in TANF funding cuts if the states failed to move a required percentage of recipients into the workforce and off welfare. Nevertheless, TANF gave states extensive discretion to design and operate their own programs. This transfer of authority from the federal government to the states is called devolution. Under devolution, states have many choices to make in shaping their welfare policiesncluding being more stringent than federal law requires. For instance, some states have chosen to limit the receipt of benefits to less than five years, to cut benefits to families with truant children, or to mandate that parents take parenting classes. (2) Increased role of local entities. The PRWORA allowed states to devolve their authority even further to counties, local governments, or even private entities. The private entities involved in welfare administration include a wide range of for-profit companies, nonprofit companies, and religious groups. As a result, welfare programs vary widely not only from state to state but also within local jurisdictions. This transfer of authority to private providers, an approach called privatization, has raised questions about accountability. In other words, some critics argue that PWROWA has made it more difficult for the government to oversee programs so as to ensure quality service to recipients. The accountability of for-profit entities is of particular concern, because the incentive to earn profits can lessen the quality of services provided. Critics also charge that privatization may cause private providers to lose their independent character as they become increasingly bureaucratic and reliant on government funding. In addition, there has been sharp debate over whether religious groups should receive government funding for delivering social services. Opponents charge that this violates the separation between church and state. Proponents hold that a spiritual approach to the delivery of social services is more effective than secular approaches. (3) Changes in the role of welfare workers. The work-first emphasis of the PRWORA has dramatically changed the role of front-line workers, those low-level welfare office workers who interact directly with welfare clients. Before the PRWORA, front-line workers focused on two tasks: (1) verifying whether applicants met objective criteria to become eligible for assistance, and (2) issuing checks in a timely manner. By contrast, under the PRWORA these front-line workers must perform a variety of tasks, including evaluation and counseling, designed to put people to work. As a result, they have a much bigger say in decisions affecting applicants than they had previously 2. What is the relationship between Aide to Families with Dependent Children AFDC) and Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS)? 3. What is the difference, if any, between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Welfare-to-Work Grant Programs? Explain in detail. PRWORA replaced AFDC with TANF and ended entitlement to cash assistance for low-income families, meaning that some families may be denied aid even if they are eligible. Under TANF, states have broad discretion to determine who is eligible for benefits and services. In general states must use funds to serve families with children, with the only exceptions related to efforts to reduce non-marital childbearing and promote marriage. States cannot use TANF funds to assist most legal immigrants until they have been in the country for at least 5 years. TANF sets forth the following work requirements in order to qualify for benefits: 1. Recipients (with few exceptions) must work as soon as they are job ready or no later than two years after coming on assistance. 2. Single parents are required to participate in work activities for at least 30 hours per week. Two-parent families must participate in work activities 35 or 55 hours a week, depending upon circumstances. 3. Failure to participate in work requirements can result in a reduction or termination of benefits to the family. 4. States, in fiscal year 2004, have to ensure that 50 percent of all families and 90 percent of two-parent families are participating in work activities. If a state meets these goals without restricting eligibility, it can receive a caseload reduction credit. This credit reduces the minimum participation rates the state must achieve to continue receiving federal funding. While states are given more flexibility in the design and implementation of public assistance, they must do so within various provisions of the law: 1. Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; 2. end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; 3. prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; 4. and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Funding for TANF underwent several changes from its predecessor, AFDC. Under AFDC, states provided cash assistance to families with children, and the federal government paid half or more of all program costs. Federal spending was provided to states on an open-ended basis, meaning that funding was tied to the number of caseloads. Federal law mandated that states provide some level of cash assistance to eligible poor families but states had broad discretion in setting the benefit levels. Under TANF, states qualify for block grants. The funding for these block grants are fixed and the amount each state receives is based on the level of federal contributions to the state for the AFDC program in 1994. States are required to maintain their spending for wel fare programs at 80 percent of their 1994 spending levels, with a reduction to 75 percent if states meet other work-participation requirements. States have greater flexibility in deciding how they spend funds as long as they meet the provisions of TANF described above. Welfare recipients and certain non-custodial parents are going to work, gaining job skills, and receiving the temporary help they need to become economically independent through local initiatives supported by Welfare-to-Work grants from the U.S. Department of Labor. These outcomes have been a primary goal of Federal welfare policy since the enactment of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Act which ended welfare as an entitlement and set lifetime limits on an individual’s benefits. Additional welfare reform legislation in 1997 authorized the Department of Labor to provide Welfare-to-Work grants to help the hardest-to-employ, long-term welfare recipients get education, training, work experience, and private-sector jobs. These grants to States and communities are intended to provide welfare recipients with training, transitional employ ment, job placement services, and support services. Local communities have the flexibility to design programs that fit their particular needs. Approximately three-fourths of the $3 billion authorized for Welfare-to-Work was allocated to States on the basis of their poverty populations; the States are required to spend $1 of non- Federal funding for every $2 in Federal funds. Nearly one-fourth of the total funds were awarded competitively to local governments, private industry councils, or community-based organizations; 1 percent of the funds was awarded to Indian tribes, and 0.8 percent was set aside for evaluation. The Welfare-to-Work Initiative evolves to meet society’s needs, even though virtually all of the grant funds had been distributed by the end of 1999. At least 70 percent of grant funds were required to be spent on services to long-term recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and non-custodial parents. The remainder could be spent on TANF recipients who have characteristics associated with long-term welfare dependency, youth who have received foster-care services, and custodial parents with incomes below the poverty line. Eligibility criteria were simplified under the Welfare-to-Work and Child Support Amendments of 1999. Under related programs, Work Opportunity and Welfare-to-Work tax credits provide 4. How are the Welfare-to-Work Programs being carried out in the State of Mississippi? Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides cash benefits to families once they have been approved for the program. The benefits can be used for any legal personal reason, such as rent, food, child care or medical bills. The benefit amount is determined by a familys monthly income and the size. In Mississippi, if a familys income does not meet the standard of need used for eligibility, the state itself may supply benefits. In 2011, the maximum state allowance for needy families was $110 per month for the first person in the program, $36 for the second and $24 for every additional person. Time Limit The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act imposed new time limits for TANF. No state can offer benefits for longer than the federal limit, although they may be extended under certain circumstances for a limited time. Mississippi uses the federal guideline for TANF benefits, although the time limit in some other states is shorter. TANF participants in Mississippi cannot receive help for more than 60 months, or five years. Eligibility Not all needy individuals qualify for TANF. Only families with children may apply, and the children must be deprived of one or both of their parents because of unemployment, absence or inability to perform their parental duties. In 2011, the family cannot exceed a maximum monthly income level or hold more than $2,000 in assets, such as real estate or cash. Mississippi rules also require that any parent or relative caretaker who takes TANF money because one or more of the parents are absent must assign support rights to the state and aid the state in obtaining child support payments from the absent parent, which may require legally establishing paternity. Work Requirements All adults who participate in Mississippis TANF program must meet the work requirements or lose their benefits. There are exceptions for women who are in their third trimester of pregnancy and have complications. You also do not have to meet the work requirements if you are the victim of domestic violence, in treatment for substance abuse, disabled, elderly or caring for a disabled household member or child under 12 months of age. Participants have 25 months to meet all work requirements before losing benefits. The program does help participants with skills assessments, developing an Employability Development Plan and job training. Vocational education, work experience programs, community service and job searches qualify as work activities for TANF. 5. â€Å"Promoting marriage and helping those with substance abuse were the secondary goals of the reform.† Referring to the US Welfare Reform in 1996, how was secondary goals achieved? In conjunction with supporting work, new policies deny assistance to people who do not work. The work requirements in TANF are stricter than those in AFDC, fewer recipients are exempted from them, and failure to comply with them can lead to financial sanctions. In addition, PRWORA limits nonworking able-bodied adults without dependents to three months of food stamps, and state General Assistance programs have declined. States have done less to achieve welfare reforms family structure goals—encouraging marriage, reducing the number of births outside of marriage, and keeping children in their own homes or the homes of relatives—than they have to promote work (chapter 3). Many states make TANF available on a fairly equal basis to families with single and with married parents, which reverses a longstanding bias in the welfare system against serving two-parent families and thereby possibly discouraging marriage. Twenty states have adopted family caps that deny additional benefits to adults who have children while they are on welfare. Another PRWORA provision strengthens the child support system, with the federal government developing a data registry to facilitate collections from working noncustodial parents, states being required to adopt new child support enforcement tools, and individual welfare recipients facing sanctions if they fail to cooperate with the child support system. 6. How successful was the 1996 Welfare Reform? Declining Welfare Demand In 1994, about 5.1 million families were receiving cash assistance from the government. Most beneficiaries have since been forced to leave the welfare rolls for low-paying jobs, following the 1996 welfare reforms. By 2006, USA Today estimates that 1 million more had been removed either because of failure to follow state rules, or they had depleted all the benefits allowed under time limits. At the 10th anniversary of the PRWORA, only about 1.9 million families were getting cash benefits: 38 percent were blacks, 33 percent were white and 24 percent were Hispanic. Between 1994 and 2004, the welfare caseload recorded an unprecedented decline of 60 percent. Working Single Mothers Of the families on welfare in 2006, unmarried women headed three out of four. However, statistics indicate earnings for the poorest 40 percent of single mother households doubled between 1996 and 2006. Statistics also revealed that about 60 percent of adults leaving welfare were employed at any given moment, according to the Brookings Institution, and that over several months, about 80 percent held at least one job. Rising Income Levels Between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of low-income single mothers with a job grew from 58 percent to nearly 75 percent, an increase of almost 30 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This was a direct result of welfare reforms. The overall income of low-income families increased by more than 25 percent over the period, and by 2006, child poverty fell significantly. According to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, welfare reforms have succeeded mainly because the presumption of government assistance as an entitlement has been reversed. The Knowledge Gap The University of Michigan argues that research on welfare reforms is too focused on poverty reduction rates, lower out-of-wedlock childbearing and greater family stability, while overlooking spousal abuse and child neglect. The university argues that poverty levels remain high among single mothers and their children and that welfare recipient faced impediments to stable employment. Similarly, the Employment Policies Institute suggests more research must be conducted in an effort to understand the relationship between minimum wages and welfare recipiency. The minimum wage research data is currently more focused on high school dropouts, with only limited attention paid to poor adults.

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter discusses about organizational commitment and pay satisfaction and dimensions under these two variables. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT Meyer, Allen, Smith (1993) say that the three types of commitment are a psychological state that either characterizes the employees relationship with the organization or has the implications to affect whether the employee will continue with the organization. Meyer et al (1993) continue to say that generally the research shows that those employees with a strong affective commitment will remain with an organization because they want to, those with a strong continuance commitment remain because they have to, and those with a normative commitment remain because they fell that they have to. Meyer Allen (1997) define a committed employee as being one stays with an organization, attends work regularly, puts in a full day and more, protects corporate assets, and believes in the organizational goals. This employee positively contributes to the organization because of its commitment to the organization. Organizational commitment is a psychological state that binds an individual to the organization. It is a link between an employee and the organization that makes turnover less likely (Allen Meyer, 1990). Affective commitment is defined as an employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization (Allen Meyer, 1990). Continuance commitment is a desire to continue to engage in consistent lines of activity as a result of the accumulation of Aside [emailprotected] which would be lost if the activity were discontinued (Allen Meyer, 1990; Becker, 1960). A considerable amount of research in the field of organizational commitment, which is aimed at locating the antecedents and the correlations with variables like turnover and absenteeism. In order to have a good understanding of the construct of organizational commitment, Table 2.1 was constructed to presents the historical definitions of organizational commitment. Liou Nyhan (1994), Guffey, et al. (1997) A. The attitudinal approach refers to the attitude that an employee has towards ones organization. B. The Behavioral approach states that an employee becomes attached or committed to an organization based on one;s individual investment of time, money or training that would be lost of one left the organization. A) an employee who has a high organizational commitment will: strongly belief in and accept the organizations goals and values exert a significant effort for the firms benefit desire to remain as a member of the organization Porters, Steers, Mowday and Boulian (1974) The relative strength of an employees identification with and involvement in a particular organization. Three factors influencing organizational commitment: acceptance of the organizations goals and values willingness to work on behalf of the organization strong motivation to remain in the organization. Development of organizational commitment is a process that evolves through stages over a period of time. Sheldon (1971), Buchanan (1974) Positive evaluation of the organization and the intention to work toward its goals. Buchanan (1974) a) identification adoption as ones own the goals and values of the organization b) involvement psychological immersion or absorption in the activities of ones work role c) loyalty a feeling of affection and attachment to the organization. Hrebeniak and Alluto (1973) The unwillingness to leave the organization for increments in pay, status, or professional freedom or for greater colleague friendship. Kantor (1968) Willingness of social actors to give energy and loyalty to the organization. Becker (1960) Employees organizational commitment develops through their actions and choices over time. Commitment is viewed as a function of employee behavior. Multiple definitions of organizational commitment are found in the literature. Bateman and Strasser (1984) state that organizational commitment has been operationally defined as multidimensional in nature, involving an employees loyalty to the organization, willingness to exert effort on behalf of the organization, degree of goal and value congruency with the organization, and desire to maintain membership. Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1979) identified commitment-related attitudes and commitment-related behaviors. Porter et al. (1974) discuss three major components of organizational commitment as being a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals, a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization, and a definite desire to maintain organizational membership. Sheldon (1971) defines commitments as being a positive evaluation of the organization and the organizations goals. According to Buchanan (1974) most scholars define commitment as being a bond between an individual (the employee) and the organization (the employer), though his own definition of commitment. According to Maume (2006) Organizational Commitment is typically measured by items tapping respondents willingness to work hard to improve their companies, the fit between the firms and the workers values, reluctance to leave, and loyalty toward or pride taken in working for their employers (Maume, 2006). Meyer and Allen (1991) and Dunham et al (1994) identified three types of commitment; affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Normative commitment is a relatively new aspect of organizational commitment having been defined by Bolon in 1993. AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT Affective commitment is defined as the emotional attachment, identification, and involvement that an employee has with its organization and goals (Mowday et al, 1997, Meyer Allen, 1993; OReily Chatman). Porter et al (1974) further characterize affective commitment by three factors (1) belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values, (2) a willingness to focus effort on helping the organization achieve its goals, and (3) a desire to maintain organizational membership. Mowday et al (1979) further state that affective communication is when the employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals in order to maintain membership to facilitate the goal. Meyer and Allen (1997) continue to say that employees retain membership out of choice and this is their commitment to the organization. CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT Continuance commitment is the willingness to remain in an organization because of the investment that the employee has with nontransferable investments. Nontransferable investments include things such as retirement, relationships with other employees, or things that are special to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Continuance commitment also includes factors such as years of employment or benefits that the employee may receive that are unique to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Meyer and Allen (1997) further explain that employees who share continuance commitment with their employer often make it very difficult for an employee to leave the organization. NORMATIVE COMMITMENT Normative commitment (Bolon, 1993) is the commitment that a person believes that they have to the organization or their feeling of obligation to their workplace. In 1982, Weiner discusses normative commitment as being a generalized value of loyalty and duty. Meyer and Allen (1991) supported this type of commitment prior to Bolons definition, with their definition of normative commitment being a feeling of obligation. It is argues that normative commitment is only natural due to the way we are raised in society. Normative commitment can be explained by other commitments such as marriage, family, religion, etc. therefore when it comes to ones commitment to their place of employment they often feel like they have a moral obligation to the organization (Wiener, 1982). PAY SATISFACTION To fully understand the concept of pay satisfaction, it is necessary to review research on the construct. From the inception of organizational science, pay has been considered an important reward to motivate the behavior of employees (Taylor, 1911). Yet it was not until theorists began exploring fairness in social exchanges (Adams, 1963) that the specific cognitive mechanisms through which pay motivates workers began to become clear. Soon after, organizational researchers hypothesized that feelings of fairness lead to organization relevant attitudes such as job satisfaction (Locke, 1969) and, more specifically, pay satisfaction (Locke, 1976), and that these attitudes impact employee behavior within organizations (Farell Stamm, 1988; Judge Bono, 2001; Scott Taylor, 1985; Tett Meyer, 1993). Pay satisfaction has received considerable research attention since the constructs introduction into the literature, although conceptualization of the construct has changed over time. Table 2.2 constructed by Faulk II (2002) traced the development of the pay satisfaction construct from pay level research to current multi-dimensional approaches. The first model includes pay and recognizes that pay has implications for employee behavior in organizations but does not explain why this is so. Initial research on pay satisfaction relied upon equity (Adams, 1963) and discrepancy theories (Lawler, 1971) to explain how individuals determine satisfaction with pay. Treated as a global construct in these models, pay satisfaction motivates individuals to engage in certain behaviors, but these approaches do not specify which behaviors will be chosen. In the late 1970s, Heneman and Schwab (1979) built upon the work of Lawler (1971) and Dyer and Theriault (1976) to develop the modified discrepancy model that proposes that pay is multidimensional; Heneman and Schwab (1979) describe five related but unique dimensions whose antecedents and consequences depend on the different ways they are administered within organizations. PAY Pay has long been considered one of the most important organizational rewards (Heneman Judge, 2000) because it allows employees to obtain other rewards (Lawler, 1971). Frederick Taylor (1911) was one of the earliest to recognize the motivating effects of pay when he proposed that workers put forth extra effort on the job to maximize their economic gains. Although this premise lost favor in the late 1920s with the emergence of the human relations school (Wren, 1994), money remains the fundamental way that organizations reward employees. Yet, despite the long-standing importance of pay, the way pay impacts the behavior of employees remains to be explained. Reinforcement theory and expectancy theory emerged as the earliest theories to shed some light on how pay influences employee behavior. REINFORCEMENT THEORY Reinforcement theory (Skinner, 1953) suggests that pay acts as a general reinforcer because of its repeated pairing with primary reinforcers. People learn from life experiences that a primary need, such as food or shelter, can be satisfied if money is obtained. Other theorists suggest that through similar experiences a drive for money itself develops (Dollard Miller, 1950). Whether treating pay as a means to an end or as an end itself, reinforcement theory does not provide a clear explanation for how pay acts as an impetus for action. People engage in behaviors because of past experiences, but the process by which past experiences determine an individuals future behavior remained unclear. EXPECTANCY THEORY Vrooms (1964) expectancy theory helped clarify how pay influences future behavior. According to expectancy theory, three components determine motivation: 1) a judgment regarding the likelihood that an effort leads to a certain level of performance (expectancy); 2) a judgment regarding the likelihood that this level of performance leads to a certain outcome (instrumentality); and 3) the importance of the outcome to the individual (valence). Life experience, the key determinant of behavior as suggested by reinforcement theory, influences the determination of both expectancy and instrumentality. If an individual has prior experience which leads him or her to believe that a certain level of effort will lead to a given level of performance and that this level of performance will lead to a given outcome, that person will be more likely to engage in that behavior, if the outcome is desirable (high valence). Vroom (1964) suggests that pay motivates behavior only if valued by the employee or if pay allows individuals to obtain some other highly valued outcome. UNIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION One key component not specifically delineated by either reinforcement or expectancy theory is the desirability of the outcome. This suggests an affective reaction to the outcome that influences an individuals behavior. Herzbergs (1968) two-factor motivational model provides an important link between pay research and pay satisfaction research by suggesting that it is the individuals affective reaction to pay, pay satisfaction, that impacts motivation. Herzberg (1968) suggests pay is a hygiene, or contextual factor, that prevents an employee from being motivated by such things as the work itself. Herzberg (1968) suggests that if an organization wishes to motivate employees, the organization must first make sure pay and other hygiene factors are at such levels that dissatisfaction does not occur. Along with reinforcement (Skinner, 1953) and expectancy theories (Vroom, 1964), Herzbergs (1968) two-factor theory begins to explain why pay is generally regarded as a major mechanism for rewar ding and modifying behavior (Opsahl Dunnette, 1966). However, it is difficult to relate pay directly to outcomes. It is actually attitudes such as pay satisfaction that have been shown to be important intervening variables in the relationships between pay and outcomes. Once research recognized an employees affective reaction to pay is what is important, not simply objective pay, it was necessary to determine the nature and domain of pay satisfaction, its antecedents, and consequences. Initially, pay satisfaction was conceived as a unidimensional construct. It was assumed an individual has a general feeling about his or her pay and that this overall feeling is an important determinant of the individuals attitudes and behaviors (Lawler, 1971). Equity and discrepancy theories offer insight into how pay satisfaction is determined and suggests possible consequences of pay dissatisfaction. EQUITY THEORY Equity theory suggests that individuals are interested in maintaining fairness in their relationships with organizations. Fairness is determined by social comparison (Festinger, 1957) based on a social exchange (Homans, 1961). The exchange takes place between the individual and the organization. As shown in Figure 2.1, the individual examines the ratio of what is received from the organization (outputs) to what is contributed to the organization (inputs). Outputs include pay, time-off, benefits, and recognition, while inputs include experience, tenure, effort, and education. Once the ratio is determined, the individual compares his or her ratio to a referent others ratio. This referent other can be someone doing a similar job within or outside the organization, someone doing a different job in the organization, or even the focal individual at a different point in time. The more similar the ratios are, the greater the satisfaction. However, if the ratios are significantly different, t ension will result, and the individual will be motivated to reduce that tension. To reduce this tension, the individual may change his or her behavior, cognitively adjust his or her inputs and/or outputs or those of the referent, change the referent, or exhibit withdrawal behaviors (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976). Clearly, providing an employee with a satisfactory pay package is important to the operations of an organization. If employees do not feel they are being treated fairly, they will act to reduce the tension caused by inequity. For example, if the employee feels the output/input ratio is below the referent other, the employee may reduce the number of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) exhibited (Organ, 1994; Williams Anderson, 1991). Alternatively, the individual may come in late, miss work altogether, or quit the job. If the employee is a strong performer, none of these activities benefit organizational operations. Equity theory is an important advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it explains how individuals form an attitude regarding pay. Equity theory also suggests that once an attitude regarding pay is formed, this attitude will cause individuals to act in certain ways, either maintaining their current behavior or changing their behavior in order to reach a state of satisfaction. Although equity theory offers a range of behaviors that individuals may engage in to reduce perceived inequity, it does not suggest how strong an influence perceived inequity has on each of the outcomes. DISCREPANCY THEORY Another relevant social cognitions theory that is important in the development of pay satisfaction research is discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971). As shown in Figure 2, discrepancy theory builds on equity theory by incorporating inputs and outputs to form a perception of fairness and uses a referent other in this assessment. However, discrepancy theory adds important variables, revises the mechanism by which individuals determine their level of satisfaction, and incorporates expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964). The focal individual assesses his or her level of inputs and uses a referent others inputs and outcomes to partially determine the amount of pay that should be received. A difference between this model and equity theory is that the individual also takes into account perceived job characteristics including job level, perceived difficulty of the task, and perceived responsibility when determining the perceived amount of pay that should be received. This set of perceptions forms one half of the key comparison in the discrepancy model that determines pay satisfaction. The other half of the comparison is the perceived amount of pay received that is determined by actual pay received as compared to the perceived pay of a referent other. If there is a discrepancy between an individuals perception of how much he or she receives and how much he or she feels should be received, the individual will be motivated to reduce the dissonance in much the same way explained by equity theory. According to discrepancy theory, and unlike equity theory, motivation to engage in behaviors to reduce tension is not solely determined by a difference between what is expected and what is actually received. Lawlers discrepancy model further enhances equitys explanation of pay satisfactions relationship with behavior by incorporating a component of expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), valence, to determine whether a person will react to the discrepancy. If the outcome is has a low valence, the individual will not react strongly to the discrepancy. If pay is important, a discrepancy will have an impact on the individuals behavior; if it is not, the individual will not be motivated to change his or her behavior. The incorporation of valence is important because it explains why two individuals in the same inequitable or discrepant situation react differently. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS The majority of global pay satisfaction research focuses on its antecedents. Considerable progress has been made in identifying the causes of pay satisfaction (Berkowitz et al., 1987; Dreher, 1981; Dyer Theriault, 1976; Sweeney et al., 1990). For example, perceptions of future inequity (Berkowitz et al., 1987), education (Lawler Porter, 1966), occupational level (Schwab Wallace, 1974), actual pay level (Berger Schwab, 1980; Dreher, 1980; Dreher et al., 1988; Hemmasi, Graf Lust, 1992; Rice, Phillips, McFarlin, 1990), and the sources of an individuals information regarding compensation (Capelli Sherer, 1988) have all been found to explain variance in pay satisfaction. Although several articles emphasize the importance of determining the impact of global pay satisfaction on outcome variables (Blau, 1994; Heneman, 1985; Shaprio Wahba, 1978), very few have explored the question empirically. Using a sample of 2000 middle managers, Miceli, Jung, Near Greenberger (1991) found global pay satisfaction related positively to global job satisfaction (r = .28), lack of job search (r = .23), and intent to stay until retirement (r = .26). Motowildo (1983), using a sample of 89 salespeople, analyzed the relationship of pay level satisfaction and withdrawal behavior. He found that pay satisfactions relationship with turnover is indirect through turnover intent, and that relationship between quantity of pay and turnover intention is mediated by pay satisfaction. Pay satisfaction explains an additional 15.9% of the variance in turnover intention after age, tenure, general satisfaction, pay, and pay expectation have been entered in the regression equation. Althoug h positively correlated with termination (r = .23, à Ã‚  Global pay satisfaction research has advanced the understanding of pays importance in organizations in significant ways. First and foremost, the shift in focus from objective pay to the affective reaction to pay provides an important intervening variable between pay and outcomes. Secondly, the theoretical underpinnings of this research stream, equity theory (Adams, 1963) and its close derivative, discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971), expand on the theories used in pay research to provide a process by which pay satisfaction is determined. Finally, these theories offer suggestions regarding the effect of pay satisfaction on outcomes (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976; Lawler, 1971). What this stream of research does not explain is which of these possible behaviors will be chosen. Two other concepts in equity and discrepancy theory are left unexplored if pay satisfaction is conceptualized as a unidimensional construct. First, equity theory allows the comparison of other variables such as recognition, time-off, and benefits when determining whether or not the individual is treated fairly. A unidimensional conceptualization of pay satisfaction focuses solely on pay; arguably pay level (Heneman, 1985). Secondly, discrepancy theory borrows the concept of valence from expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) to explain differing reactions to the same inequitable situation. To determine pay satisfactions domain and nature, researchers needed to explore the possibility that pay satisfaction may include other dimensions that will impact outcomes differentially. This need led to the creation of a multidimensional approach of pay satisfaction. MULTIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION Soon after Locke (1969) hypothesized that pay was a facet of job satisfaction that warranted singular attention, he suggested that pay satisfaction might be a multidimensional construct. The first to explicitly explore this possibility were Heneman Schwab (1979). They suggested that pay satisfaction consists of four related, but distinct dimensions, and developed the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) to test the hypothesis (Heneman Schwab, 1985). Their model has received considerable attention but is not universally accepted. The basis the models is the administrative independence concept, which builds upon discrepancy theory. ADMINISTRATIVE INDEPENDENCE The premise of the administrative independence concept is similar to that of equity and discrepancy theories (Heneman, 1985). An individual makes comparison with referent others based on what the individual offers an organization and what he or she receives in return (Adams, 1963; Lawler, 1971; Heneman Schwab, 1979). According to the administrative independence concept, it is how these outcomes are administered, not simply whether or not the individual receives a certain amount of compensation, that has consequences in an organizational setting (Heneman Schwab, 1979). While discrepancy theory focuses on a unidimensional conceptualization of pay, administrative independence suggests pay is multidimensional and divided into two categories: direct compensation, consisting of salary, wages, and raises, and indirect compensation consisting of benefits such as time off, health insurance, and retirement plans (Heneman, 1985). One must distinguish between the different components of pay be cause the components have different determinants and consequences (Judge, 1993). To look at the components as a single construct compromises attempts to explain pay satisfaction and its influences (Ironson, Smith, Brannick, Gibson, Paul, 1989). An individual may be satisfied with one component of his or her pay while being dissatisfied with another. Administrative independences extension of discrepancy theory is the basis for subsequent multidimensional models of pay satisfaction. MODIFIED DISCREPANCY MODEL Heneman and Schwab (1979) expanded upon the discrepancy model (Lawler, 1971) by suggesting that pay can be broken into four distinct categories: pay level, pay structure, pay system, and pay form. Heneman and Schwab (1979) defined these dimensions as follows (pp. 1-2): Pay level is the average of several wages or salaries in the organization. The average may be based on individual pay rates for a single position or on pay averages for a number of positions. Pay structure is the hierarchy of pay rates or levels among jobs in an organization. Pay system is the method the organization uses to determine pay raises for individuals which can be computed in terms of the amount of time the employee spends on the job (time-based systems) or for his performance or efficiency (performance-based systems). Performance-based systems include individual and group incentive systems, merit systems, commissions, cost-reduction schemes, and profit sharing. Pay form is the type of pay that is received by the employee. Pay may be viewed as direct remuneration for time worked or performance, or it may be viewed as indirect remuneration in the form of fringe benefits or services. Pay Policies and administration (added on 1985). Based on the conceptual work of Dyer and Theriault (1976) and a subsequent empirical study by Weiner (1980), Heneman (1985) added a fifth dimension, pay policies and administration. In a study using Canadian and American managers, Dyer and Theriault (1976) tested a category of variables previously not included in the study of pay satisfaction: perceptions of pay system administration. Their hypothesis that employees may be dissatisfied with their pay because they do not agree with, or understand, how it is administered is supported by their initial test. Weiner (1980) provided further support for Dyer and Theriaults (1976) hypothesis when it was found that including pay system administration in Lawlers (1971) model explained more variance in absenteeism than did the original discrepancy model. Comparing Figures 2.2 and Figure 2.3 shows that the same mechanism that drives satisfaction in the discrepancy model remains, but there are now comparisons made for each of the dimensions. Heneman (1985) proposes that it is necessary to divide pay satisfaction into these dimensions because the components frequently have separate policies, procedures, and practices (p. 131), because employees may experience a separate satisfaction for each dimension, and because these affective reactions may be related, but unique, feelings. If Heneman (1985) is correct, it is necessary to treat each dimension as a separate construct and to determine the antecedents and consequences of each. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS Most of the work testing the modified discrepancy model focuses on antecedents. Although the point of the model is to treat pay satisfaction as a multidimensional construct, much of the research does not. Studies take one component of the model, usually pay level, and attempt to determine the relationship of that dimension with other variables, or collapse the four dimensions into a summed scale. If researchers only wish to study pay level satisfaction or collapse all of the dimensions into a unidimensional construct, the object of conceptualizing pay satisfaction as multidimensional is lost. One study that attempted to test the discriminant validity of the modified discrepancy models dimensions by relating them to other variables was Judge (1993). He attempted to relate ten antecedents with the four dimensions. Using a LISREL (Joreskog Sorbum, 1999) model, Judge was able to demonstrate that the predictors differentially related to the factors as hypothesized. These differential relationships support the importance of treating the dimensions as related, but distinct, dimensions of pay satisfaction as suggested by the modified discrepancy model. The above study provides support for the modified discrepancy model beyond a factor analysis. If only one dimension is studied, proving differential relationships exist is difficult. Using the modified discrepancy model, two studies explore the relationship between pay satisfaction and outcome variables by collapsing the dimensions into a global factor. Miceli, Near and Schwenk (1991) found pay satisfaction is negatively related to whistle blowing, while Welbourne and Cable (1995) suggest pay satisfaction may be positively related to OCBs. Although these studies use the mechanism specifically designed to measure the multidimensional conceptualization proposed by the modified discrepancy model, the PSQ, collapsing the dimensions provides no information to either prove or disprove the possibility that pay satisfaction is multidimensional and that those dimensions impact outcomes differentially. Several studies have been done since the modified discrepancy model was introduced, but the model is not being used to its full potential to offer insight into how pay satisfaction fits into the overall picture within organizations. More studies need to follow the design of Judge (1993) in order to test the assumptions of the model. Several studies have attempted to validate the factor structure of the PSQ, but only Judge (1993) has used the measure to relate the hypothesized dimensions to a wide variety of antecedents proposed to differentially relate to the four dimensions. To provide further support for the model, a similar study should be undertaken to test the differential relationships pay satisfaction dimensions have on consequences. Despite the failure of researchers to adequately test the model, the modified discrepancy model represents a major advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it proposes that pay is not a unidimensional construct, but is composed of mult iple related, but unique components and that each has a separate influence on outcomes of interest. The modified discrepancy model also suggests that these dimensions may have differential impact on outcomes. If this is the case, how managers approach compensation policy may be altered based on future research findings. It has been suggested that general pay satisfaction will

The Anthropogenic Impacts On Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay

The Anthropogenic Impacts On Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction Anthropocentrism or being Anthropogenic in nature refers to the way of thinking that regards humans as the source of all value and is predominantly concerned with human interests. (Carter, N, 2003, p. 14) Biodiversity is the abundance of different species and ecosystems in nature making it the earths most valuable resource. Biodiversity is of very much importance as it boosts the productivity of the ecosystem where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. In other words, there would be no population of humans without biodiversity but the irony is that, the biodiversity is decreasing at an alarming rate due to the various human activities which is also referred as the biodiversity crisis. The three main factors impacting the biodiversity as a whole may be listed as: population growth, overconsumption and technology. This essay will describe how and where the biodiversity has been impacted at very great extents because of the above mentioned factors. Population growth of the humans can be considered as the root of the problem of the loss of biodiversity. According to Ehrlich (The Population Bomb, 1968 as cited in Cahn, A and OBrien, R, 1996), the human population has been doubling every 37 years and if this continued for the next 900 years, then the world population will be nothing less than sixty million billion people implying that there will be about 100 persons for each square yard of the Earths surface, land and sea. The human population now is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate of 1.8%, three more people that are added to the earth every second. (Quebec biodiversity, 1994) The simple fact that the countries are not able to feed their populations shows that they are overpopulated. With such high rates of increase in human inhabitants, the problem of the need to convert the natural habitats to land for human consumption becomes obvious. This ultimately results in five primary processes of degradation namely: over harvesting, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction, alien species introduction and pollution. (Biodiversity and Human Health, 2001) It is the anthropogenic nature of the humans to rule the environment by spreading to new habitats in order to find newer food sources. The innovative man has always been discovering various types of technologies right from the technology of the spear and arrow to the modern technology of the harpoon, gun-powder and the drift nets helping him to over harvest on the various species. According to the Fisheries Agency, Japan consumes about 60,000 tons of fish a year, mainly the three blue fin tuna species which is more than 75% of the worlds annual catch and also other countries, such as the U.S. and Russia, are catching up with the Japanese as a result of which the blue fin tuna has been becoming very hard to find and the prices for these species have hit the extremes. (Tuna Shortage in Japan, 2007) Apart from overconsumption, humans have also been de monstrating their anthropogenic nature by wasteful mass kills where the entire herds of some species are slaughtered. A classic example of this is the Dumfries fish killing festival of Scotland where individuals have been killing fish in the Galloways River Urr as a part of the Grande Internationale World Flounder Tramping Championships where the person who captures the most number of fish by the unorthodox method of treading on the fish is awarded by giving three bottles of whisky,  £150 and also the title of The Undisputed Champion Of The World. (Facebook, 2010) Also the Denmarks Gruesome Festival of mass killing dolphins and whales to prove adulthood, where nearly 1,000 whales and dolphins are killed annually. (Think about it, 2009) This clearly shows the mans exploitation of the natural resources exceeding their cycling capacity. Natural resources are classified as renewable and non-renewable resources. Forests and wild-life are considered as renewable resources because of the ir ability to regenerate by reproduction but the rate at which humans have been utilizing the so called natural resources is very much of a concern. The extensive use of forest lands for timber and other valued wood resources has resulted in the loss of habitats for hundreds of species. And with the increase in human inhabitants arises the need to convert natural habitats to land for more human consumption. The innovative man has been able to exploit the forests and its resources for his selfish needs with the use of new machines and better means of transport. Clearing a dense forest has become much easier now. Humans have been able to sustain their growth by converting natural habitats to fields where food can be produced. At least 23 percent of the earths land is being used for agriculture. Most tropical forests were not greatly disturbed in the past mostly because of their inaccessibility and other factors but now the trend has been changing with the increase in the demand for th e various raw materials used in plastic production. Tropical forests have been disappearing rapidly as a result of the need of the humans to make room for more farms of timber used for construction and also used as a fuel. Deforestation has alarming global consequences such as: extinction of species (plants and animals) and climate change. Although the tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of the Earths dry land, they are home to half of all the species on Earth. Many species have micro-habitats or in simple terms, they are present only in those small areas in these forests and due to this their extinction is very much at stake because of the deforestation here. The edges of the deforested fragments dry out because of incoming hot winds as a result of which the matured rain forest trees die standing at the margins and eventually the biodiversity is lost. This also has a devastating effect on the tropical soils as the soil cover in the tropical rain forests is very thin and wit h deforestation, over time all the minerals in the soil are lost because of the high temperatures and heavy rains. (Deforestation in the Amazon, 2010) (Tropical Deforestation, 2007) (Deforestation in the Amazon, 2010) A large portion of deforestation in Brazil has been primarily because of land being cleared for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests. Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 km2 of forest and over 600,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. About 60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches and the want for palm oil while the rest mostly results from small-scale agriculture. The numbers of endangered species in the forests of Brazil have been increasing at alarming rates because of the various anthropogenic activities of the humans as reported by the Associated Press. (Mongabay website, 2010) Deforestation and fragmentation is increasing at an alarming rate in Amazon. In Amazon nearly 2 million ha of land is deforested annually (Fearnside et al. 2005). Habitat fragmentation is a serious threat to species persistence in tropical forests (Ewers Didham 2006). According to Wilcox and Murphy (1985), the effects of f ragmentation are loss of original habitats, creation of edge effects, and isolation of habitat patches and this will affect the species composition. According to Turner and Corbett (1996), forest patches are further affected by invasion of further plant and animal species, and increased human exploitation such as hunting, burning, grazing, and extraction of resources. The greatest human impact in Southwest Australia has been the clearing of native vegetation for agriculture. Forest fragmentation differentially affects seed dispersal of large and small-seeded tropical trees (Cramer et al. 2007) Due to fragmentation, not only are individual species are affected but the plant- animal interactions are also affected (Andresen and Levey, 2004). In tropical regions, fragmentation affects the dispersal of large seeds to a greater extent than the small seed. Cramer et al. (2007), studied the seed dispersal of two Amazonian tree species, the large-seeded, mammal dispersed Duckeodendron cestro ides and the small-seeded, avian dispersed Bocageopsis multiflora. The percentage, distance and distributions of Duckeodendron cestroides seeds were all reduced in fragments when compared to Bocageopsis multiflora. This is supported by facts such as, large seeded plant species are prone to extinction, fragmentation affects large animals dispersers than small animal dispersers; and large and small seeded plants are linked differentially to primary and secondary habitats (Cramer et al. 2007). Large animals are for needed for dispersal of large seeds, and these animals need large home range but are affected by edge effects caused by fragmentation and also due to hunting. Primates are often absent from fragments (Gilbert and Setz, 2001). From Meehan et al. (2002), it is known that the extinction of frugivorous pigeons in Tonga (Polynesia) left 18 large-seeded plant species with no dispersers. From the work of Babweteera et al., (2007), the loss of elephants in Ugandan forests has left Balanites Wilsoniana regeneration concentrated under parent plants and is greatly affected. Bush fires have been used for hunting and clearing land here. Although native plants are highly adaptive to fires, intensified burning changes the composition and condition of the natural vegetation. This has resulted in the spread of a root disease called jarrah dieback caused by the root fungus called Phytophthora cinnamomi which has been spreading to other habitats, particularly in the Stirling Range National Park, where it has caused the loss of plants like the Banksias. (Conservation International, 2007) The tiger population in India is declining so fast that the whole population may be extinct here in the next 10 years because of deforestation and poaching. (Animal of the Day, 2010) In the forests of Armenia, habitat loss poses a particular threat to a range of species. Many species have been threatened to extinction because of the increasing use of land for agriculture. (National Repor t, 2002) The forests in Succulent Karoo have been affected badly by the diamond mining carried out in these areas. Approximately two-thirds of the South African coastline and almost the complete Namibian coastline have been mined for diamonds and other minerals like gypsum, marble, monazite, kaolin and titanium threatens the regions biodiversity. (Conservation International, 2007) Destruction of habitats for requirements such as building of canals, dams and houses is the most important threat to biodiversity. The Aswan High Dam located in Egypt, is an example for habitat destruction where the environmental side effects of the project have been disastrous with the spread of the disease called, schistosomiasis which is spread by snails living in the irrigation channels here. (Quarterdeck, 1995) A major contributor to depletion and extinction, after habitat loss, is the introduction of alien species. Man has always tried to introduce animals and plants familiar to him where ever he is. It started with the goats and pigs for familiar animal protein. These alien species damage the flora and fauna of the local area where they are introduced. The spread of these alien species replaces healthy, diverse ecosystems with biologically weak landscapes. Prior to the arrival of humans, there were a range of species of birds, invertebrates and plants in Hawaii but with the introduction of many plant and animal alien species, more than half the bird species and also many species of snails have become extinct. (Biodiversity and Human Health, 2001) Rabbits being introduced into Australia, Asian fish species put into the waters of Florida, introduction of Africanized bees into Brazil and also the introduction of rhododendrons into England are few examples of alien species that have destroyed the local plant and animal species. It is estimated that about 4,000 plant and 2,300 animal alien species are present in the United States at this time resulting in the endangering of more than 42% of the animal and plant species here. (Biodiversity Web, 2005) Also in the Nile river, despite the presence of a wide variety of fish, the regions fishing industries struggled to grow because the fish that lived there were small-bodied and bony, not the kind they wanted thereby, there was a need for a larger and a more commercially desired fish for the fishing economy to grow. They introduced the fish species called the Nile perch, Lates niloticus. It grew far larger than many of the other Nile fish, and was perfect for commercial fishing purposes. Being carnivorous, the Nile perch made the smaller native fish its prey. As the population of the Nile perch grew, the populations of the other 150-200 of the native species have vanished entirely. Introduction of foreign species has had simil ar impacts in other waterways worldwide by making the simplified ecosystems unstable indefinitely. (Human Impacts on the Nile River, 2010) ArcGIS map examining modern day fish biodiversity. (Human Impacts on the Nile River, 2010) Climate change has significant impacts on ecosystems. It is predicted to be the greatest long-term threat to biodiversity in many regions and is listed as a key threatening process under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth). The various technological developments made by man giving him an upper hand over other species come only at a price and this price is undoubtedly pollution. The use of various fossil fuels, petrochemicals and many other heavy metals has been increasing the greenhouse gas emissions. The drastic increase in the emission of green house gases has resulted in global warming and thereby causing a sea level rise and ultimately leading to melting. The oceans are being acidified due to the tremendous increase of the carbon content in the atmosphere which leads to the loss of biodiversity.   (Biodiversity Web, 2005) (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) The quantity of oceanic plankton on earth is being affected by the depleting ozone layer.  The tiny organisms that float in the oceans are known as planktons and they play a vital role in maintaining the marine biodiversity as they are major sources of food here. Therefore, a decrease in quantity will cause a domino effect in the marine food chain species which is dangerous for the marine plant and animal species. Even though there have been global warming instances in the past, the rate at which the temperature has been increasing now is what is alarming. (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) Strategies adopted by humans to mitigate these impacts: Educational programmes are being introduced by governments to educate the populations on the importance of biodiversity. One such educational programme was initiated in the 1990s by the US Congress where they had set up an environmental education office to promote environmental education at all levels. The Plant Conservation Alliance and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were the partners to the U.S government. In 2002, the UK along with all other Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), made a commitment to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth. This commitment was subsequently endorsed by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. At its meeting in Gothenburg in 2001 the European Council agreed to halt biodiversity decline with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010. The 2010 biodiversity target has become incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as one of the targets under MDG 7 (Ensure environmental sustainability). (Natural Environment Research Council, 2007) The concept of protected areas has been introduced for the conservation of the biodiversity. These are locations which receive protection by the enabling laws of each country or rules of international organizations. They include parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries and they also Marine Protected Areas whose boundaries include some area of ocean. There are over 147,000 protected areas in the world with more added daily, representing a total area of 19,300,000  km2 (7,500,000 sq  mi). (Green Facts, 2009) The governments have also been purchasing property rights for the sake of conservation taking over all the rights from the owner or it can purchase a conservation easement where it acquires rights necessary to protect the target species or ecosystem while leaving the owner free to use the land. This law also allows water rights to increase stream flows, and permits for grazing or the emission of air pollutants can be bought and retired. Like acquisition, regulatory approaches a re being used by governments to limit the manner in which any activity can be carried out. Regulations are being enforced by governments by a wide range of sanctions. Sanctions carry additional internal (guilt) and external (bad publicity) costs for the individuals or the companies who violate the regulations. The example of biodiversity regulation is the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2009) Another major strategy is to encourage private conservation action through incentives like tax credits and regulatory reliefs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Safe Harbor program is an example of a regulatory relief incentive. Safe Harbor agreements assure landowners who improve habitat that they will not be responsible for protecting the increased populations of endangered or threatened species those lands may attract. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2009) Finally, with the help of genetic engineering, using the various DNA techniques, different kinds of bacteria capable of synthesizing plants to be able to restrain to the changes in climate and also to avoid various diseases are being created by the modification of their genes. I would like to conclude by saying that, the very little the governments do to save biodiversity, What matters is the initiative taken by each individual human to save himself and his future generations (or) Only if the last tree has been cut down and the last river has dried to a trickle will man finally realise that we cannot eat money!