Impact of Motivation on Job Satisfaction Essay

The term ‘motivation’ is derived from the word ‘motive’ which influences the behavior of individuals. Motives are the expression of needs of a human being. Motivation is a process of getting the needs of the people realized to induce them to work for the accomplishment of organizational objectives. Motivation is a behavioral psychological concept. It seeks to understand why people behave the way they do. The intention is to produce goal-oriented behavior. It aims at influencing good result and arises from within the individual. The inner feeling balances the perception of an individual and satisfaction of his needs that influence the direction, volume, behavior limitation and efforts of an individual. Hence motivation is an inducement of inner feeling of an individual. It cannot be forced upon from the outside. According to Steers and Porter (1991), there are two ways to view motivation. The traditional way is to define motivation as a process of directing (stimulating) people to action in order to accomplish a desired goal. Based on this definition, motivation is the function supervisors perform to get their employees to achieve goals and objectives. The second view looks at individual motivation. Such motivation represents an unsatisfied need that creates a state of tension (disequilibrium), causing the individual to move in a goal-directed pattern towards need-satisfaction and equilibrium. The goal of the behavior is to reduce tension by achieving a goal that will satisfy that need. Both approaches to the study of motivation are motivation. Harmer (2001) defines motivation as some kind of internal drive which pushes someone to do things in order to achieve something. This significantly refers to an individual’s desire and willingness to take action towards the accomplishment of a given task. Invariably, people’s behavior at work is controlled by their intrinsic motives that characterize the work as well as the working environment. The manager’s job becomes one of identifying the right chord to play to influence each group member to achieve the group goals. However, the study of motivation addresses the distinctiveness of each individual, for each individual has a number of motivators (Robert and Hunt, 1991). Armstrong(1998) considers motivation as ‘why people at work behave in the way they do in terms of their efforts and the direction they are taking and what the organization can do to encourage people to apply their efforts and abilities in ways that will further the achievement of the organization’s goals as well as satisfying their own needs. Cole (2002) relates this to human behavior and defines it as ‘a process in which people choose between alternative forms of behavior in order to achieve personal goals’. According to Spector (1997:2) job satisfaction is simply how people feel about their job. It is the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs. As is generally assessed, is an attitudinal variable. In this context, job satisfaction can be considered as a global feeling about the job or as a related constellation of attitudes about various aspects or facets of the job. The management dilemma in many organizations in today’s fast paced technological environment is how managers can improve the motivation of employees, so that companies employ and retain a fulfilled work force that contributes optimally to organizational stakeholders. Essentially, the questions that must be answered by this study are: What makes some employees perform better than others? What makes some employees seem better satisfied in their jobs than others? In what ways can management improve the motivation of their employees? All organizations are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people. This means that, there is the need to give close attention to how individuals can best be motivated either through such means as incentives, rewards, leadership and importantly the work they do and the organizational context within which they carry out that work. This is very important because according to Reece and Brandt (1996:234) they identified the importance of the emotional factor at work. Emotions play a critical role in the success of every organization, yet many people in key decision- making positions (leaders) with outstanding technical and financial skills fail to understand the important role emotions play in a work setting. In part, the problem can be traced to leadership training that emphasizes that doing business is a purely rational or logical process. These authors further emphasize that the cost of ignoring the emotional factor at work can be costly to companies in the form of lawsuits, resignation and death of valuable employees, etc. PROBLEM STATEMENT There are many and varied reasons why managers are continually under distress in many organizations. Resources both human and material as well as technology are but a few issues confronting managers daily. More importantly, the human aspect has questions that have perplexed and fascinated managers for a long time. These questions include: What makes some employees perform better than others? What makes some employees seem better satisfied in their jobs than others? How can we improve the motivation and overall job satisfaction of our employees? There are no easy answers to these questions, yet they plague managers in their day to day running of organizations. The reality is that the level of employee motivation affects their morale, performance and overall job satisfaction PROBLEM ANALYSIS DIAGRAM Employee Commitment Increases Profit Margins Effect of Motivation Increases Performance Job Satisfaction RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. To what extent does motivation lead to increases in job satisfaction? 2. To what extent does motivation lead to increases in performance? 3. Is there any relationship between increases in profit margins and job satisfaction? OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY GENERAL OBJECTIVES To establish the impact of motivation on job satisfaction and to propose alternative strategy or recommendation to enhance job satisfaction at the workplace. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1. To examine whether motivation leads to an increase job satisfaction. 2. To assess whether motivation leads to an increase in performance. 3. To investigate whether motivation is the factor to increases in profit margin. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The fundamental purpose of this research is to determine the main causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction amongst a group of employees within the frame work of the Herzberg study. This research is important or beneficial because: 1. It will broaden management’s insight that motivation plays a key role in the overall job satisfaction of employees. 2. It will enable managers to understand the factors and processes that are internal and external to the individual employee in an organization that have an effect in his/her behavior and performance. 3. It will also assist managers to devise strategies that sustain a highly motivated workforce so that the end result is that all stakeholders are content with the performance of the enterprise. 4. By understanding motivational issues behind employees, managers can systematically develop strategies to deal with motivational problems. RESEARCH DESIGN As part of our data collection method, we intend using qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research design we are going to use will be based on the descriptive design. For a comprehensive insight into our methodology kindly see the third chapter. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter looks at the background of the study, objectives of the study, the research hypothesis and significance of the study. Chapter two reviews existing literature in the area of the study, while chapter three discusses the methodology applied in collecting and analyzing data. Methodology is followed by the processing and analysis of the data as well as the findings from the study. The final chapter covers conclusions, recommendation and references. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 INTRODUCTION Understanding the theory and application of motivation is important in managing human resources for organizational success. This is more critical today due to the ever changing business environment organizations find themselves or operate. The relationship between job satisfaction, motivation, and efficiency or productivity is very important in the business industry as well as in personal life. Long term research has found that the single greatest predictor of longevity is work satisfaction. Work is one third to one half of a persons’ lifetime, and if frustrated the mental and physical effects are very costly. Job characteristics including skill variety, task identity, and task significance lead to psychological conditions in which in turn leads to increased motivation, performance and job satisfaction. It is important to investigate this area in order to determine how much of an effect does overall job satisfaction, motivation and productivity has on each other. It is also important to research the relationship between motivation and job satisfactions because it can assist businesses in designing and manufacturing an environment to maximize productivity and efficiency while keeping their employees satisfied. Finally, it is significant to study motivation and job satisfaction because it can help people better understand what job will best suit them to be motivated and satisfied while making a difference in the productivity level. As part of the research into establishing a correlation between motivation and job satisfaction, this chapter seeks to capture the relevant literature and concepts of motivation and job satisfaction. 2. 2 MOTIVATION THEORIES The fundamental approaches to motivation are underpinned by motivation theory. The most influential theories are classified as: content theories and process theories. Content theory: It focuses on the content of motivation and the nature of needs. It states that motivation is essentially about taking action to satisfy needs, and identifies the main needs that influence behavior that is those specific things that actually motivates the individual at the work place. Process theory: In process theory, the emphasis is on the psychological processes or forces that affect people’s perceptions of their working environment and the ways in which they interpret and understand it. According to Guest (1992a) in Armstrong M, process theory provides a much more relevant approach to motivation than the theories of Maslow and Hertzberg, which, he suggests, have been shown by extensive research to be wrong. Process or cognitive theory can certainly be more useful to managers than needs theory because it provides more realistic guidance on motivation techniques. MASLOW’S NEEDS THEORY The most famous need classification was formulated by Maslow (1954) in Armstrong M, a human relationist, argued that people are motivated to satisfy five need levels. Among these are: Physiological need, this talk about the basic needs of life which are need for oxygen, food, water, clothing, shelter and sex that present basic issues of survival and biological function. In organizations these needs are generally satisfied by adequate wages and work environment itself, which provides restrooms, adequate lighting, comfortable temperatures and ventilation. Safety, the need for protection against danger and the deprivation of physiological needs. Social, the need for love, affection and acceptance. A manager can help satisfy these needs by allowing social interaction and making employees feel like part of a team or work group. Esteem needs actually comprises two different sets of needs: the need for a positive self image and self respect and the need for recognition and respect from others. A manager can help address these needs by providing various extrinsic symbols of accomplishment; the manager can provide challenging job assignments and opportunities for the employees to feel a sense of accomplishment. Self-fulfillment (self- actualization), the need to develop potentialities and skills to become what one believes he is capable of becoming. The self actualization needs are perhaps the most difficult for a manager to address. In fact, it can be argued that these needs must be met entirely from within the individual. But a manager can help by promoting a culture wherein self- actualization is possible. For instance, a manager could give employees a chance to participate in decision making about their work and opportunity to learn new skills. Maslow (1954) in Armstrong M, suggests that the five needs categories constitute a hierarchy. An individual is motivated first and foremost to satisfy physiological needs. As long as they remain unsatisfied, the individual is motivated only to fulfill them. When satisfaction of physiological needs is achieved, they cease to act as primary motivational factors and the individual moves up with the hierarchy and become concerned with security needs. This process continues until the individual reaches the self actualization level. Maslow’s concept of the need hierarchy has a certain intuitive appeal and has been accepted by many managers. However, it has not been verified by empirical research and it has been criticized for its apparent rigidity. Different people may have different priorities and it is difficult to accept that people’s needs progress steadily up the hierarchy. Infact, Maslow himself expressed doubts about the validity of a strictly ordered hierarchy. Some research for example McClelland has found that, the five levels of needs are not always present and that the order of the levels is not always the same as postulated by Maslow. In addition people from different cultures are likely to have different needs categories and hierarchies. McClelland NEEDS THEORY. McClelland(1975) in Roberts,H. k. & Hunt identifies three needs that motivates managers and agrees with Maslow(1954) that needs motives are part of the personality, which he believes are triggered off by environmental factors. He further identifies these most important needs as: The need for achievement, The best known of the three, is the desire to accomplish a goal or task more effectively than in the past. People with a high need achievement have the desire to assume personal responsibility, a tendency to set moderately difficult goals, a desire for specific and immediate feedback, and pre occupation with their tasks. David McClelland, the psychologist who first identified this need, argues that only about 10 percent of the US population has a high need for achievement. The need for Affiliation Affiliation is a desire for human companionship and acceptance. People with strong need for affiliation are likely to prefer (and perform better in) a job that entails a lot of social interaction and offer opportunities to make friends. The need for power The need for power is basically a concern for influencing people- to be strong and influential. They are likely to be happy in jobs that give them control over budget, people and decision making. OTHER MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES ADERFER ERG THEORY Aderfer (1972), in John M. Ivancevich describes a three level hierarchy, compared to the five levels proposed by Maslow. These include: 1. Existence Needs- this category is grounded in the survival or continued existence, of the person. As such, it would include many of the issues covered by the physiological and safety needs identified by Maslow. . Relatedness Needs- this category is based on the need for people to live and function in a social environment. It would embrace the need to be part of a group and belong to a valued organization. It incorporates many of the issues covered by the safety, belonging and esteem described by Maslow. 3. Growth Needs- this category is grounded in the need for people to develop their poten tial. As such it would cover the self-actualization and much of the esteem needs described by Maslow. HERZBERGS TWO FACTOR MODEL The two-factor model of satisfiers and dissatisfiers was developed by Herzberg et al (1957) in Armstrong M, following an investigation into the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of accountants and engineers. It was assumed that people have the capacity to report accurately the conditions that made them satisfied and dissatisfied with their jobs. Accordingly, the subjects were asked to tell their interviewers about the times during which they felt exceptionally good and exceptionally bad about their jobs and how long their feelings persisted. It was found that the accounts of ‘good’ periods most frequently concerned the content of the job, particularly achievement, recognition, advancement, autonomy and the work itself. On the other hand, accounts of ‘bad’ periods most frequently concerned the context of the job. Company policy and administration, supervision, salary and working conditions more frequently appeared in these accounts than in those told about ‘good’ periods. These categorized into two types of motivation as Intrinsic Motivation: the self- generated factors that influence people to behave in a particular way or to move in a particular direction. These factors include responsibility (feeling that the work is important and having control over one’s own resource) autonomy (freedom to act), scope to use and develop skills and abilities. Interesting and challenging work and opportunities for advancement. Extrinsic Motivation- what is done to or for people to motivate them? This includes: rewards such as increased pay, praise or promotions, punishment such as disciplinary action, withholding pay or criticism. Frederick Herzberg theory had close links with Maslow’s and believed in a two factor theory of motivation. He stressed that, certain factors could be introduced into a business that will directly motivate an employee to work harder (Motivators) included are achievement, recognition, responsibility and advancement. However, other factors called (Hygiene factors) de-motivate an employee. The most common hygiene factors, or dissatisfies include: company policy and administration, supervision, salary, interpersonal relationship and working condition. Hygiene factors are factors which â€Å"surround the job† rather than the job itself. Importantly, Herzberg viewed pay as a hygiene factor which is in direct contrast to Taylor who viewed pay and piece-rate in particular. Herzberg believed that business should motivate employees by adopting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through certain methods. Some of the methods managers could use to achieve this are: Job Enlargement- workers being given a greater variety of tasks to perform (not necessarily more challenging) which should make the work more interesting. Job Enrichment- the design of jobs so that they contain a greater number of motivators which involves workers being given a wider range of more complex, interesting and challenging tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should give a greater sense of achievement. Empowerment- means delegating more power to employees to make their own decisions over areas of their working life. For the purpose of this research, emphasis will be laid on Herzberg two-factor model. Though recognition is identified as a motivator by Herzberg, Miller (2002:15) mentions four common incentives (money, contests and competition, recognition including praise and rewards, and disciplinary action) thought to motivate others, but they discourage intrinsic motivation. She says the key to performance is to create an environment for intrinsic motivation, using four incentives (competency, empathy, autonomy and fulfillment). Green (2000:155) captures this issue well when he says employees are motivated by what they intrinsically believe is going to happen, not by what managers promise (extrinsic) will happen. Managers can motivate employees by setting in motion the conditions required for motivation namely, confidence, trust and satisfaction and creating an environment that reinforces those conditions. Pollock (2002:10) recognizes three of Hertzberg’s motivators as being crucial in motivating people. These are recognition, interesting work and responsibility. He says, over and above monetary rewards, what people crave is praise. They need assurance that their efforts are known, valued, and appreciated. Sometimes all it takes to satisfy this deep desire is a sincere well done†, preferably delivered in front of their peers. Making peoples work interesting means driving away bore doom because it’s a great de-motivator. Make their work meaningful and you will spur them to realize their own highest potential. Giving people additional responsibilities implies not only giving them extra work, but work that is important and requires a higher level of knowledge and skill. GOAL THEORY Goal theory as developed by Latham and Locke (1979), states that motivation and performance are higher when individual set specific goals, when goals are difficult but accepted and when there is feedback on performance. The implication of goal theory is that, goals set by management should be challenging enough but realistic. Participation in goal setting is important as a means of getting agreement to setting higher goals. People strive to achieve goals in order to satisfy their emotions and desires. Goals guide people’s response and actions and also direct work behavior and performance which lead to certain consequences or feedback. The feedback should be complete, accurate and timely in order to provide a means of checking progress on goal attainment 2. 3 JOB SATISFACTION THEORY VIE THEORY This theory is derived from the expectancy theory of Vroom, by Porter and Lawler (1968)in Armstrong M. In addition to three basic components of valence, instrumentality, and expectancy, this model incorporates abilities and traits, role perceptions, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and the perceived equity of the rewards. The model assumes that, for an effort to translate into a desired level of performance, the person must have the ability to perform well (abilities and traits), and he must understand the demands of his job (role clarity). The model acknowledges that people work for both extrinsic rewards, such as money and promotions, and intrinsic rewards, such as pride in ones work and a sense of accomplishment. The model assumes that the level of performance a person attains will affect the level of rewards he perceives to be equitable. Specifically, if a person expends a great amount of effort that culminates in high performance levels, he will perceive that he deserves a substantial reward. (Dipboye, Smith, and Howell, 1994:( 116-177). Job satisfaction is the met expectations or desires of a job. I t is a collective term of specific attitudes about work or job and it varies as a function of other non-work attitudes (age, health, etc. ). Genetic research suggests that 30% to 40% of job satisfaction is inherited. Job satisfaction and life satisfaction are interrelated and influence each other. A Gallup poll indicates that approximately 10% to 13% of workers are dissatisfied, while about 85% of workers are satisfied. Other surveys asking questions in a different manner suggests that more workers are dissatisfied. Job satisfaction varies with the type of occupation, for example, higher management means more satisfaction. Personal characteristics of workers also have an impact on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction increases age. Whites have greater job satisfaction than non-whites. The level of education is slightly negatively related to job satisfaction. If personal skills and abilities are not required by a job, job satisfaction decreases. When a person is wage may be the most important variable to job satisfaction. High job satisfaction is associated with low turnover and low absenteeism and with high commitment. Although the evidence is not conclusive, high job satisfaction is associated with high performance and prosocial behaviors. . 4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTIVATION, JOB SATISFACTION AND MONEY The basic requirement for job satisfaction may include comparatively higher pay, an equitable payment system, real opportunities for promotion, considerate and participative management, a reasonable degree of social interaction at work, interesting and varied tasks and a high degree of autonomy: control o ver work pace and work methods. The degree of satisfaction obtained by individuals, however, depends largely upon their own needs and expectations, and the working environment. The level of job satisfaction is affected by intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors, the quality of supervision, social relationships with the work group and the degree to which individuals succeed or fail in their work. Purcell et al(2003)in Armstrong M, believe that discretionary behavior which helps the firm to be successful is most likely to happen when employees are well motivated and feel committed to the organization and when the job gives them high levels of satisfaction. Their research found that the key factors affecting job satisfaction were opportunities, job influence, teamwork and job challenge. 2. BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION. * Increases Productivity Skilled and motivated people work harder and better in improving productivity. Incentive programs promote productivity in a number of ways . Employees are often motivated for reaching targets or for good work done in general. These motivations vary but the main aim is to encourage employees to work towards company goals. With the promise of motivation and clearly defined targets, employees are more productive and motivated. * Reduce Absenteeism The bottom line with motivation programs comes down to the very simple fact that people like been rewarded for hard work and a job well done. The rewards are only part of the equation. Motivation schemes show employees the company cares and appreciates the work they are doing. If an employee feels appreciated and has clear targets that result in rewards then they are more likely to want to come to work. * Increased Company Morale Rewards, incentives and recognition make for a happy, harmonious working environment. Goal setting and targeting objectives helps with focus and purpose . Employee motivation programs offer all of these things and are highly conducive to company morale. Increases in company morale helps reduce absenteeism and overall company cost. Public Recognition. Investor in people status brings public recognition for real achievements measured against a rigorous national standard. Investing in people helps to attract the best job applicant. It may also provide a reason for customers to choose specific goods and services. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter explains how data was c ollected for the study. It also deals with the research tools used to gather the data, the method used or adopted in analyzing the data and the problems encountered during the process of data collection. The chapter distinctively discusses the following: * Sources of data * Research design * Population of the study * Sampling * Sampling procedures * Data collection techniques * Data analysis * Constraints The proposed methods adopted were structured towards the collection of data from primary and secondary sources. On the basis of the literature review, the existing acqiutance of the theme under discussion— definition, motivation, job satisfaction, motivation theories, job satisfaction theories thus its impact on employee job satisfaction fell under the following broad headings: * Definitions of motivation Job satisfaction * Motivation theories * Job satisfaction theory 3. 2 Data Sources The researchers used secondary and primary data to facilitate the data build up for the research. This was done through the use of questionnaires. The secondary sources of data collection included: * Textbooks of relevant importance to the research topic. * Published articles in Psychology and motivation journals 3. 3 Research Design The model used for this study was the descriptive research design. This design was chosen because it is on one of the best research designs which are deemed appropriate when a researcher attempts to describe some aspects of a population by selecting an unbiased sample of individuals who are asked to complete questionnaire. 3. 4 Population of the study The population of the study comprised of 50 employees of SSNIT. This population provided the researchers with all inclusive views from diverse perspectives on the effect of motivation on employee job satisfaction. 3. 5 Sample Size The sample size for the study was thirty (30) employees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). Due to responses of constraints the sample size was reduced to 20. 3. 6 Sampling procedure Because the researchers wanted to select their sample from a population which is diverse based on management hierarchy, we used stratified sampling to group our sample population into a strata based on management hierarchy at SSNIT. The population was grouped according to low level management, middle level management and top level management. After stratified sampling, we then use simple random sampling to select our target group of thirty(30) from the sample population of fifty(50). The reason was to give everybody an equal opportunity of being chosen or captured. 3. 7 Method of data collection A combination of primary and secondary data was used to acquire information. The secondary data was collected by going directly to some of the data sources. The primary data on the other hand was collected by the use of questionnaires. All the questionnaires were designed with both open ended and closed ended questions. 3. 8 Data collection All data was collected concurrently, that is both secondary and primary data were collected simultaneously. 3. 9 Data Analysis Various respondents provided series of data for the making of the research report, all data collected was coded and edited to eliminate all errors and information that did not fall within the objectives. The researchers then used the information provided by respondents and analyzed the information by the use of report, using tables, charts and so on. 3. 10 Constraints In carrying out the research, the researchers encountered some problems. Thus, the refusal of the organization to release certain important data needed for the project, especially, the historical data pertaining to human resource. The researchers could not get these data as they were deemed too confidential because of fear of competitors getting hold of them. This therefore imposed a limitation on the study. Another problem was time constraint and also inabilities to respond to the questionaires. Only twenty were responded to. Financial constraint was also a factor. CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 4. 1 Introduction This chapter describes the responses to a series of questions designed to examine the impact of motivation on job satisfaction. The chapter begins with the findings about motivation and its impact on job satisfaction on SSNIT. The questionnaires administered were 50 employees through stratified sampling out of which 30 was picked based on simple random sampling. 4. 2 1. LENGTH OF SERVICE AT SSNIT TABLE 1. OPINIONS| NO. OF RESPONSE| PERCENTAGE (%)| 0-1 years| 4| 20| 2-4 years| 8| 40| 5-10 years| 5| 25| Above 10 years| 3| 15| Total| 20| 100| SOURCE OF DATA (FIELD DATA) DECEMBER 2010 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF TABLE 1 The respondents length of service at SSNIT were sought to determine how long they have been working there. According to the table above, 40 % of respondents constituted those who fall within (2-4 years). That is, they have been employees for two to four years. Those who have been employees for five to ten years made up 25% which was the next highest (5-10 years). Also, 20% represented those who fell between (0-1) years. They have only served a year at the time the questionnaires were administered. Lastly, 15% of respondents were within the above ten years group. From the above, it can be observed that the organization (SSNIT) has a young and fresh workforce which constitutes the bulk or majority of their employees. . Think of a time at work when you felt especially bad about your job, an incident or incidents which had a long lasting effect on you, and which led to bad feelings. Describe the circumstances, and how your work was influenced by it or them. TABLE TWO. INCIDENTS THAT CAUSED DISSATISFACTION OPINIONS| NO. OF RESPONSE| PERCENTAGE (%)| COMPANY POLICY| 8| 40| OTHERS| 6| 30| WORK IT SELF| 3| 15| INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS| 3| 15| TOTAL| 20| 100| SOURCE OF DATA (FIELD DATA) DECEMBER 2010 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF TABLE 2. INCIDENTS THAT CAUSED DISSATISFACTION COMPANY POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION (40%) The majority of cases (40%) in the sample mentioned this factor as a major cause of unhappiness at SSNIT. OTHERS (30%) This was mentioned as the second strongest factor that contributes to job dissatisfaction and was experienced by people who did not choose any of the stated factors. They responded to none of them. WORK ITSELF (15%) This contributed to job dissatisfaction in 15% of the cases and related to the content of the job. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS (15%) This also contributed to job dissatisfaction in 15% of the cases related alongside work itself. 4. 4 4. Which of the following gives you Job Satisfaction? TABLE THREE: CAUSES OF SATISFACTION OPINIONS| NO. OF RESPONSE| PERCENTAGE (%)| Work Achievement| 6| 30| Recognition| 4| 20| Work Itself| 2| 10| Promotion/Advancement| 3| 15| Salary| 3| 15| Others(please specify)| 2| 10| Total| 20| 100| SOURCE OF DATA (FIELD DATA) DECEMBER 2010 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF TABLE 3. Regarding the issue of which motivating factor gave them job satisfaction, 30% of respondents felt work achievement gave them satisfaction according to the table. This means they value a sense of achievement for the accomplishment of some milestone set by the individual himself or supervisor. Also, 20% of respondents felt recognition was what gave them satisfaction. They felt issues like recognition for job well done, good idea, appreciation, positive feedback and simply a tap on the back to acknowledge them was most important to them. Those who chose the work itself constituted 10% as can be seen from the table above. The design of the work and the demands is enough to keep them satisfied. Advancement and salary equally had 15%. Some based their satisfaction on increments in salaries whiles others taught promotion or advancement was their main satisfiers. They all recorded 15% each as can be seen from the table. Lastly, others represented 10% and they simply did not agree with the above motivation factors or had a different set of opinion. Bateman (2004) views motivation as forces that energize, direct and sustain a person’s effort. He says that all behaviors except involuntary reflexes like eye blinks (which usually have little to do with management) are motivated. A highly motivated employee will work hard towards achieving performance goals. With adequate ability and understanding of the job, such an employee will be highly productive. An aspect of the definition implies that people have certain beliefs about which behaviors or actions will help them satisfy their needs. This belief may or may not be accurate but they help guide behavior. From the table above, you find out that if the organization (SSNIT) wants to know whether their employees are satisfied or not then they must pursue the motivating factor of work itself. That is they have to continually design the work and its demand to suit employees. 5. which of the following gives you job dissatisfaction TABLE FOUR: CAUSES OF JOB DISSATISFACTION OPINIONS| NO. OF RESPONSE| PERCENTAGE | Lack of Recognition| 9| 45| Company Policy| 3| 15| Low Salary| 5| 25| Technical Supervision| -| -| Work Itself| 3| 15| Others(please specify if any)| -| -| Total| 20| 100| SOURCE OF DATA (FIELD DATA) DECEMBER 2010 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF TABLE 4 Respondents were also asked which of the above in table five gave them job dissatisfaction. In other words which of the above make them not fell satisfied about their work. Lack of recognition was the most important demotivator that caused dissatisfaction constituting 45% of respondents. They feel the contributions they make towards organizational accomplishment is not appreciated. They are not congratulated for good work done in the midst of their colleagues or their ideas accepted and appreciated. This was followed by 25% of respondents who felt low salary was a dissatisfier. Company policy and work itself represented 15% equally. The views were taken from a total of 20 respondents. From the above, it can be clearly seen that lack of recognition was the strongest dissatisfier. According to Herzberg (1959) this falls under extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is what is done to or for people to motivate them. This includes rewards, punishment and recognition or praise. In this case the failure of management of SSNIT to recognize their contribution is a dissatisfier. CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 5. 0 Introduction Motivation is a major issue in every organization. Any organization that fails to motivate its employees usually faces the severe consequence of low morale. Motivation plays a significant role in the attainment of competitive advantage and job satisfaction in every organization. Findings from the analyzed data were related to the objectives of the research in this chapter. It concluded with a general summary, findings, summary of findings, conclusion and recommendation providing suggestions on how motivation is a tool to achieve job satisfaction in SSNIT. 5. 1 SUMMARY The findings from the empirical research have indicated that 30% of the respondents ranked work achievement as number one motivator for job satisfaction from a list of five factors. This contrasts with what earlier researchers adduced that total compensation and emotions were the real motivators. The reason for this could be mainly due to the fact that workers have a desire to accomplish a goal or task. People with a high need achievement have desire to assume personal responsibility, a tendency to set moderately difficult goals, a desire for specific and immediate feedback, and pre occupation with their tasks. There is the need for a motivation model that considers work achievement as a motivator to achieve job satisfaction. On the other hand, 45% of the respondents ranked lack of recognition as number one de-motivator for job dissatisfaction from a list of five. Workers want to be recognized and their contribution and ideas appreciated and also praised for a job well done. If this is absent, then it could pose significant consequences to job satisfaction. Management should ensure that workers contributions are recognized and appreciated so that they do not feel disheartened. 5. 2 CONCLUSION The conclusions are based on the gaps in the motivation theory, the assumptions on motivation and the motivation framework. The theories reviewed in this study have not eluded criticism. Indeed none of the theories were developed in Africa. Before they are acted upon therefore their relevance should be evaluated and integrated into the local organizational circumstances. Managers (supervisors) often assume that it is difficult to motivate people and that motivated workers perform better contributing to achieve organizational goals. This study has indicated that (work achievement) is a fundamental ingredient in the motivation recipe. The question of whether work achievement should be number one motivator to achieve job satisfaction has remained complex. Jobs that provide a sense of achievement and recognition may be satisfying to some individuals, as the survey results have indicated, because there is a sense of achievement when they accomplish goals set by themselves or management. However others may ot find it satisfying as compared to salary or company policy. Motivating workers is critical to the organizations success but it is an enigmatic concept. This study has not provided specific answers given the complexity and the multi-facetted nature of motivation. Instead job satisfaction guidelines have been developed and murky areas highlighted to tri gger an innovative approach towards managing job satisfaction and motivation issues. 5. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS The points discussed indicates that debates on whether or not work achievement is a motivator are not yet resolved. Infact this study will instead set the debate in motion. In the discussion work achievement was the number one satisfier contributing 30%. For work achievement to ensure job satisfaction, certain conditions must be met: According to Frederick Hertzberg, business should motivate employees by adopting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through certain methods. Some of the methods managers could use to achieve this are: Job Enrichment-the design of jobs so that they contain a greater number of motivators which involves workers being given a wider range of more complex, interesting and challenging tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should give a greater sense of work achievement. The statistics of the responses given by the employees makes it significantly clear that motivation goes beyond work achievement to achieve job satisfaction. Many put significant premium on the work itself, recognition, advancement, salary, company policy among other needs. Managers must therefore make conscious efforts to understand the needs of employees at any point in time and meet them appropriately and not only rely on work achievement as the sole tool for job satisfaction. If the above conditions are fulfilled, then, work achievement can be used as a motivational tool for achieving job satisfaction and even competitive advantage. However, as already noted above some conditions are difficult to fulfill. On the otherhand,45% of respondents chose lack of recognition as the factor that gave them job dissatisfaction or dissatisfier. Dissatisfiers essentially describe the environment and serve primarily to prevent job dissatisfaction. This means that the workers at SSNIT feel their work is not appreciated or recognized. Workers want to be recognized whether a note or praise, for example a manager saying ‘good idea’, well done and was in the form of appreciation, positive feedback, positive compliments and admiration. The management of SSNIT should ensure that the contributions made by employees is recognized and appreciated and it will go a long way to achieve job satisfaction and competitive advantage. Skilled and motivated workforce can be a source of competitive advantage in today’s ever dynamic and turbulent business environment. 5. 4 TO FUTURE RESEARCHERS The findings in this research revealed a significant tradeoff between work achievement and other factors regarding those factors that gave them satisfaction. We recommend that subsequent research on this topic critically examines the rate of this tradeoff between work achievement and the other factors. And perhaps researchers may dare to exclude work achievement from the factors in subsequent studies in order to fairly examine the strengths of other factors against each other to achieve job satisfaction among employees.

Reasons For Choosing Corporate Human Resources

The grounds for taking Corporate HR – NCC are because NCC is the Norfolk local authorization where a broad scope of information and cognition is transmitted and managed every twenty-four hours. In add-on, Corporate HR is a squad that supports the bringing of Council services by pull offing, back uping and developing NCC ‘s employees. Therefore, it is convenient to happen out how people interact and learn from each other. Furthermore, the fact that Corporate HR – NCC are willing assistants facilitated the execution of survey in this administration. The visit to NCC was carried out on Thursday, 4 March 2010.Scope of Study ( what will you analyze, what will you cover and non cover )Since NCC is a big administration with different sections responsible for a assortment of services, it is impossible to detect and cover all activities of it. As a effect, this study simply concentrates on the cognition direction patterns within one unit of NCC – Corporate HR. The c ountries of cognition direction in NCC studied in this paper are knowledge types, acquisition degrees, cognition making and sharing, and cognition storing.Methodology of Study ( how you studied it and why )Methodologies used in this survey are detecting how Corporate HR Team communicate and learn from each other in their workplace, questioning an HR officer of Placements – Ms. Sarah Holloway and utilizing secondary informations from NCC web site and the available literature on cognition direction. After analyzing all collected primary and secondary informations, findings and recommendations are presented.Literature ReviewDefinition of KnowledgeKnowledge has become a concern of doctrine since the ancient Greek. However, there remains a deficiency of consensus about the nature of cognition. Harmonizing to traditional epistemic Western philosophers, cognition was described as ‘justified true belief ‘ whose indispensable property is truthfulness ( Alexander et al. , 1 991 ; Nonaka & A ; Takeuchi, 1995, p.21 ) . However, this position appears to be obscure and headlong since things people believe to be true may non be true cognition. Furthermore, it is difficult to warrant cognition claims because no 1 can gauge accurately how much grounds is sufficient to vouch the truth of a cognition claim ( Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) . Another school of idea defined cognition by separating it from information, and informations. ‘Data is a set of distinct, nonsubjective facts about events ‘ ( Davenport & A ; Prusak, 2000 ) . Information is meaningful informations that have been processed and organised to accomplish a peculiar intent ( Davis & A ; Botkin, 1994 ; Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) . Knowledge, likewise, is an collection of organizational information and expertness ( Firestone & A ; McElroy, 2003 ) ; accordingly, it can be stored, manipulated and applied ( Zack, 1999 ) . Again, this apprehension could non comprehensively explicate the significance of ‘knowledge ‘ as cognition and information do non chiefly differ in the content, construction or truth but in the location. As stated by Alavi & A ; Leidner ( 2001, p.109 ) , ‘knowledge is information possessed in the head of persons: it is personalized information ‘ . Furthermore, cognition is broader and deeper than inform ation ; it is besides created due to the impacts of external stimulations. As a consequence, towards a clearer working definition of cognition, this paper agrees that: Knowledge is a unstable mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a model for measuring and integrating new experiences and information. It originates and is applied in the heads of apprehenders. In administrations it frequently becomes embedded non merely in paperss or depositories but besides in organizational modus operandis, procedures, patterns, and norms. ( Davenport & A ; Prusak, 2000, p.5 )Knowledge Types and Oganisational Knowledge CreationDifferent attacks result in assorted categorization of cognition. Harmonizing to Garud ( 1997 ) , there are three types of cognition, consisting of know-what, know-how and know-why. Know-what refers to minimal apprehension of the facts such as cognition of targeted clients of a merchandise ( Neef et al. , 1998 ) . Such sort of cognition is generated by a procedure of ‘learning by utilizing ‘ , largely through interaction between manufacturers and users, Sellerss and clients. Know-how relates to accomplishments and accrued practical experience ; it is the consequence of ‘learning by making ‘ procedure and exists in persons, organizational modus operandis and fabrication patterns ( Garud, 1997 ) . Know-why, on the other manus, involves ‘scientific cognition of rules and Torahs of gesture in nature, in the human head, and in society ‘ ( Neef et al. , 1998, p.116 ) . It is deep cognition found in persons and acquired through ‘learning by analyzing ‘ . Polanyi ( 1967 ) and Nonaka & A ; Takeuchi ( 1995 ) , in contrast, argued that there are fundamentally two types of cognition: explicit and tacit. Explicit or codified cognition refers to knowledge that is easy to pass on, transportation and express in text signifier ( Ahmed et al. , 2002 ) . Tacit cognition, on the other manus, is embedded in human head through practical accomplishments and experiences, hence, is hard to be articulated. It is considered work-related know-how that is merely transferred among people through a long procedure of apprenticeship ( Polanyi, 1967 ) . Nonaka ( 1994, 1995 ) argued that cognition in an administration is created by persons through the interaction of tacit and expressed cognition in four transition procedures, get downing from socialization ( tacit/tacit ) , externalization ( tacit/explicit ) , combination ( explicit/explicit ) to internalization ( explicit/tacit ) . However, as argued by Gourlay ( 2006 ) , this position seemed to be flimsy since the categorization ignored the fact that cognition, in some instances, may non be wholly silent. In other words, whether there is such thing as silent cognition or merely cognition which is silent. Furthermore, the mechanism does non reflect how new ideals are created or how deepness of understanding develops. It is ill-defined why cognition transition has to get down with socialization instead than others ( Gourlay, 2006 ) and besides diffident whether silent cognition is wholly and accurately transmitted from a individual to another by merely observation, repeat and pattern s. Hence, it is said to be barely a representation of cognition creative activity.Degrees of LearningAs argued by Argyris & A ; Schon, there exist two degrees of acquisition in the administration: single-loop acquisition and double-loop acquisition. Single-loop acquisition is lower degree of larning which concentrates on problem-solving, chiefly detects and corrects mistake, and as a effect, consequences in incremental betterments. Double-loop acquisition is the higher degree one which emphasises on uninterrupted self-reflection and scrutiny of ways the administration defines and solves jobs ( Ahmed et al. , 2002 ) . Consequently, it frequently leads to transformative betterments which are critical to the success of the administration, particularly during times of rapid alteration.Knowledge CodificationKnowledge codification, as defined by Cowan & A ; Foray ( 1997 ) , is ‘the procedure of transition of cognition into messages which can so be processed as information ‘ . In the epoch of cognition economic system, as cognition residing in the human heads can greatly lend to the sustainability and development of administrations, the codification of cognition, viz. the transition of silent cognition to explicit cognition in a functional signifier, is truly indispensable.Knowledge ManagementKnowledge direction as presented by Huczynski & A ; Buchanan ( 2007 ) is the transition of single tacit cognition into expressed cognition in order to be shared among people in the administration. It is the procedure of identifying, pull outing and capturing the cognition assets of the house so that they can be to the full exploited and protected as a beginning of competitory advantage. In order to better the productiveness of cognition direction, it is necessary for the administration to use information engineering to increase the single and group ability of cognition creative activity and storage every bit good as to beef up the linkages among persons and between g roups ( Alavi & A ; Leidner, 2001 ) .Knowledge Management in Corporate HR – NCCA Typical Day at Corporate HR – NCCCorporate HR are responsible for all kinds of HR issues, embracing HR scheme and Policy, Learning and Development, Health & A ; Safety and the Employee Services Centre. Their purpose is to back up the bringing of Council services by pull offing, back uping and developing the people who work for NCC. A normal twenty-four hours at Corporate HR begins at around 8.00 am when people come to the office and look into all latest electronic mails they received. They answer the electronic mails and if there is any affair that they do non cognize, they email or ask their co-workers for information or their ain HR senior director for advice. Besides, they check assignments in their computing machines, answer the phones, talk to each other about work and how to cover with the undertakings. They besides complete their ain electronic flexitime sheet with the clip when they start working and go forthing. The employees here are encouraged to self pull off their working hours. However, they must non be absent from work during nucleus clip – between 10.00 am and 4.00 autopsy and must work for at least 37 hours a hebdomad. In add-on, HR staff have to go to the scheduled meetings with the whole Corporate HR squad or with people involved in their ain undertakings, or with the directors to info rm about the undertaking processs and advancement, other facets of work and show their feelings at work. During my visit, there was a meeting between HR officer, Corporate HR between Ms. Glenda Bennett – Corporate HR Manager, Ms. Jane Hanrahan – HR and Organisational Development Manager of Learning – Adult Social Services Department and Ms. Sarah Holloway, HR Officer of Placements about Apprenticeships at 10.00 am. After the meeting, Ms. Holloway came back and wrote carefully in her computing machine what she took note while other people continued working at their desk until 4.00 to 4.30 autopsy.Knowledge Types and cognition CreationAfter one-day detecting how employees work and interact with each other, I recognise that cognition transmitted in Corporate HR is the combination of both expressed and silent cognition. It is clearly illustrated when the HR staff and her senior director discussed how to reply a inquiry she received via electronic mail, when the staf f showed an learner how to utilize a photocopier and asked her to show utilizing the photocopier to her, and particularly through the meeting between Ms. Holloway and other two directors about Apprenticeships undertaking. In the meeting, the tacit cognition was externalised into expressed cognition when Ms. Hanrahan explained the content of the Apprenticeships undertaking to Ms. Bennett and Ms. Holloway. Then, the combination procedure occured when Ms. Hanrahan gave them a cusp incorporating some activities of Apprenticeships programme and when Ms. Holloway wrote down the information and apprehension about the undertaking in her notebook. After that, the explicit cognition once more was converted into silent cognition as Ms. Bennett and Ms. Holloway repeated some contents of the undertaking Ms. Hanrahan has merely said to guarantee they understood right and exhaustively. From the world of Corporate HR, it could be said that Nonaka ( 1994 ) was right when asseverating the duologue be tween tacit and expressed cognition is uninterrupted and dynamic. Nevertheless, in this instance, the cognition making procedure did non purely follow the theoretical account of Nonaka since cognition is produced from the externalization procedure non stiffly from the socialization. This, once more, has strengthened the aforesaid unfavorable judgment of Gourlay ( 2006 ) toward the theoretical account of Nonaka and Takeuchi. Besides silent and expressed, cognition in Corporate HR besides includes know-what, know-how and know-why. Know-what and know-why are generated largely through different preparation classs designed by Corporate HR. For illustration, Corporate HR have cooperated with member co-workers such as UEA and City Colleges in Norwich to supply HR practicians with necessary HR formal makings – CPP ( Certificate in Personnel Practice – degree 3 ) and CIPD ( Postgraduate Certificate in Personnel and Development – degree 7 ) . Additionally, they have developed Learning Hub, a website offering e-courses such as informations protection and client services, and organised seminars and conferences sing some peculiar subjects to assist any NCC staff to better cognition at work. Know-how, conversely, is acquired through ‘learning by making ‘ . Namely, when an employee of a section has grudge and it can non be sorted out by his ain HR section, it will be passed to Corporat e HR to work out. After settling the grudge, HR staff will enter it as ‘a instance jurisprudence ‘ for them to work out similar jobs if go oning.Knowledge SharingPeoples in Corporate HR use legion ways to interact with each other and with other sections, from face-to-face treatments and meetings, electronic mail, telephone, facsimile to formal authorship. However, the most widely used manner is to portion knowledge electronically via PeopleNet. PeopleNet is an intranet site designed, updated and monitored on a regular basis to supply clear, concise HR information and cognition to all NCC staff. This site holds all HR related information from processs, policies to signifiers and often asked inquiries so that employees can happen the replies for their inquiries as a first point of contact. Furthermore, Corporate HR besides tailored an electronical newssheet called HR Matters. It is produced monthly and emailed to HR community to inform them about impending statute law, ass orted undertaking updates and messages from the Head of Human Resource & A ; Organisational Development. With other organisations and public, the squad chiefly interacts by utilizing electronic mail, telephone, meetings and presentation, seting information on the Press or Website ( extranet ) for enrolling or set uping work experience.Information and Knowledge StoringAll information and codified cognition of HR are stored in three systems – electronic filing system, paper filing system including papers booklets, books and transcripts, etc. and Outlook Calendar incorporating information of meetings, seminars and conferences. Storing information and cognition is really indispensable for any HR staff to recover if necessary and do it go their cognition indispensable at work.Knowledge LearningBased on the interview with Ms. Holloway, I found that most of larning activities in Corporate HR is merely single-loop acquisition. It is because Corporate HR is merely a unit within NCC. M ost of work and undertakings they handle are given by Senior Management in NCC or come from the authorities. Cardinal authorities develops enterprises and as a portion of local authorization, Corporate HR has duty to develop the enterprises that are relevant to them such as Apprenticeships. During the execution procedure of undertakings, if HR staff gain some arising jobs, they will speak to their directors about that. The directors can propose a solution or organize a squad meeting to discourse. Other members, so, will lend their sentiments and recommendations to work out the jobs or develop and hone thoughts of the undertaking. Furthermore, the acquisition activities, different from the theory of Agyris, are still ongoing even when there are no errors and no alterations made to the undertakings. As Ms. Holloway said, the employees continue lending their thoughts and sharing them to other squad members in order to better the quality of the undertakings even when the undertakings ar e in advancement. This reveals a spread in the theoretical account of Argyris and recommends that larning is a dynamic procedure and should be defined in footings of procedure itself.Summary and ConclusionDrumheadThis paper is about how Corporate HR – NCC pull off their cognition. The chief literature reappraisal chiefly refers to knowledge types, cognition creative activity, degrees of acquisition, cognition codification, and knowledge direction. The objects of observation and interview mostly concentrate on the nature of cognition shared, how cognition is created, managed and transmitted and the information system that supports it, how HR staff interact and learn from each other, and how they store information and cognition. Weaknesses in the organizational cognition creative activity theory of Nonaka and Takeuchi every bit good as in larning theoretical account of Argyris and Schon are pointed out and proved by the operations of Corporate HR.DecisionDue to the clip bound o n observation and interview, all aspects of cognition direction in Corporate HR – NCC could non be wholly discovered and discussed within the range of this paper. Given the fact that the NCC is a big administration with different sections, farther survey could concentrates on happening out more inside informations of cognition making and sharing procedure ; NCC ‘s norms, values, and modus operandis which are affected by the cognition direction as Davenport & A ; Prusak ( 1998 ) suggested about administration cognition ; every bit good as the larning procedure of the Corporate HR in peculiar and the NCC in general.

Antamina Case

In what way is the development of Antamina mine a real option? Compare it to a financial option. The Antamina mine case can be modeled as a real option. An option in financial terms is the right to buy/sell something, it is not mandatory to buy/sell, is a choice that the owner can do. If you can earn with the exercise of the option, you use your right, but if it is not the case you simply do not utilize it. In this way the return derived from an option is asymmetric.In real term an option is defined as the flexibility a manager has to take decisions. For example if he can choose if take the decision to invest or not in a project, if develop or not a product, if expand or not the variety of services offered. They are â€Å"real† because concern the project and are in project in the sense that design the element of the system, but the characteristics of asymmetric returns, choice of use and sunk costs are the same of financial option.The Net Present Value analysis not considers these options and believes that it is not possible to take decisions but they are predetermined. Instead the Real Options analysis takes in account of these flexibilities and evaluate their effect on the value of the project. The characteristics of a real option are mainly three: Timing Uncertainty Irreversibility In the Antamina case the characteristic of timing is two years, in fact is not necessary to take decision to develop or not the mine immediately.The uncertainty concerns the value of the mine, the costs of the opening and the price of the metal that will extract. The irreversibility is about the option premium that is a cost not recoverable, if it is exercised or not the option you have to pay it. The option used is a call-like option (right to buy something to a predetermined price), so it is possible compare a common financial call option with the Antamina real one.In a typical financial option the underlying asset is a stock, instead in the Antamina case it is the value of the mine, the value of the reserves of metal contained in it. The exercise price of a financial option is the strike price, the price at which you can buy/sell the option, instead in the case analyzed is the development cost of the mine. Comparing the maturities in the financial case is the time of the option, the time at which the option can be exercised, and in the real case is two years from now.The volatility concern the stock price in financial option, in Antamina mine is the volatility of metal price and the volatility of reserve value. The main differences between a financial option and the real option in general are: the period (years) that is much longer than a financial option (three-six months), and the difficulty to model the future value of the asset that cannot be forecasted basing on the past observations. It is very important to take in account these considerations in the valuation of a project.

Write a criteria section for a feasibility study Article

Write a criteria section for a feasibility study - Article Example Availability of manpower- every renovation process requires manpower to carry out. It therefore imperative to look into such criteria as the process will majorly be dependent on. Different times of the calendar year present different opportunities for the manpower to be available. This will determine the speed at which the renovation of the bathrooms is carried in the institution without interfering with the study work of the students while also taking into account the benefits that would come as a result of this action. More manpower will ensure that the renovation is done very fast so that it may not have too much portion of the students’ time. It is therefore appealing to carry out this task during the holidays when there will be enough manpower to accomplish the mission. Cost of renovation- it is always considered economically healthy to weigh the cost that is expected to be incurred during any system change so as to determine how viable it is to take such actions. This will help evaluate economic implications of renovation. However, this institution is not majorly concerned about the cost of renovation as it seeks to improve on the quality of service it offers students with respect to bathroom standards. Renovation is found to cheaper than reconstruction thus a viable alternative. This will ensure the students get comfortable accommodation which is also the main goal of my client. Adaptability to the new system- it is always paramount to check whether the new system will make the life of its users easier than the old system and how fast they can adapt to it. However, the renovation is only aimed at improving on the existing bathrooms. Therefore the systems would easily to adaptable by the students thus improving the accommodation services they are rendered thus offer comfortable accommodations to students. Consistency to the goals of the organization- the main

Marketing 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing 3 - Essay Example This first recommendation makes sure that the product will have the taste and flavour benefits consumers expect of these products so that researchers can understand what portions of the new cola to redevelop or reflavour. This type of preliminary research should be conducted to improve the market availability to the RedBull brand of products and can be conducted with other ongoing integrated communications campaign that are having success. In the current marketing environment, viral marketing represents a low-cost business activity to create buzz about the brand. There is also, as identified earlier in the report, a shifting trend of consumers to favour natural drinks and those that claim natural benefits to health. It is recommended that the company develop a new website which only focuses on these benefits of RedBull products, especially since there is often mixed media reports about the potential health benefits of the brand. Through strategic alliances or other type of partnerships with lifestyle organisations, such as natural foods distributors, agreements can be developed which put RedBull advertisements on favourite UK natural foods-related companies. By linking to other natural foods organisations, RedBull can secure low-cost advertising space, create long-lasting strategic relationships with community or online vendors, and also use the linked website to create informational or humorous videos about the produ ct’s natural benefits. Seeking these partnerships can involve speaking with community distributors of RedBull products or pursuing online consulting meetings with interested parties looking to partner in this fashion with dual advertising campaigns. Because RedBull faces so much competition, both for its current brands on the market and those under consideration for the future, it is important to clearly differentiate the brand from other

Impact of Employee Participation on Job Satisfaction Dissertation

Impact of Employee Participation on Job Satisfaction - Dissertation Example One of the major challenges which the management of most of the organizations are facing is to develop and implement effective human resource strategies. Developing effective human resource strategies are required because they enhance the overall performance of organizations. Job satisfaction, employees participation, team empowerment are some important components of human resource strategy. Since most of the organizations are facing structural weaknesses and internal challenges, therefore, learning the determinants of job satisfaction has become very important for management. It is generally argued that employees’ participation in the organization, enhance their motivation level thereby, increasing the job satisfaction of people. The aim of this report is to evaluate whether there is a link between employees participation and job satisfaction or not and how participation may increase job satisfaction. This report is very important to understand the factors which may help the organization to increase job satisfaction to the workers. In addition to the impact of employees’ participation on job satisfaction, this report will also determine the role of the level of motivation and organizational trust of employees. Therefore, this report will be really worthwhile for the companies to learn the importance of employees’ participation at a workplace.  To achieve high individual and organization performance, companies are seeking to devise various strategies and employees’ participation in decision making is one of them. Huge literature work has been done to study the impact of employees’ participation on job satisfaction.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Case Study - Essay Example Leaders create visions and goals whereas the managers and administrators work towards achieving them. The fast changing pace of the technology can be observed in the study of the organizations and the changing role of leadership within the organizations. The role of leaders, managers and the administrators of the organizations become more challenging when new technologies are introduced in the organizations. The good leadership ensures effective communication with the employees with shared vision of the new technology, thus promoting better understanding among the employees for easy changeover. The managers and the administrators need to be guided by the group leaders within the organization to implement the changes in a smooth manner. In the contemporary environment of competitive business, the leadership style and leadership initiatives become major propellant of gaining effective leverage against business rivals. Discussion of leadership with reference to large organization is as important as that of small one for the simple reasons that the leaders within the organizations, not only provide an intangible stability among the employees and facilitate integration with the system, but they have been known to promote collective vision of the organization and provide the necessary impetus to the employees to strive towards it. Scholars assert that in the increasingly changing environment of global competitiveness one needs to ‘approach managerial leadership as a relational, ongoing social construction process rather than as a single clear cut phenomenon’ (Sjostrand and Tyrstrup). The emerging new managerial leadership has encompassed a very important aspect of organizations, that of making effort to involve employees in the decision making process. The leadership has recognized the importance of people’s participation in the overall strategy of having collective goals through shared

Importance of prenatal care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Importance of prenatal care - Essay Example So it is mandatory for every pregnant woman to receive prenatal care to have an healthy and secured pregnancy period. Prenatal care is the care provided to women during the period of pregnancy, this involves offering medication and nursing care to the women to experience a safe pregnancy period. Prenatal care is even known as antenatal care and is a regular provision of medical and nursing to pregnant women. It is a prevention care where pregnant women are protected from diseases and illnesses while being pregnant. It includes regular check- ups and midwife related services to introduce a healthy life style to pregnant women. The main objective of prenatal care is the health and wellness of mother and baby from conception to birth. The prenatal care is an important aspect of pregnancy and every women benefit from it throughout their pregnancy period (thesis). The prenatal care allows the mother and baby to be in better health. It gives psychological and physiological advantages to the mother and the baby. It have has been revealed with the help of survey that women who receive prenatal care has baby with perfect weight. According to (Schmitt,2009) â€Å"Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care†. When pregnant women get prenatal care, the doctor checks every problem arising with the health of mother and baby. There are cases where, mother and baby die due to the ignorance and the absence of prenatal care. Doctors can detect problems or complications in the health of baby and mother only if prenatal care occurs. Prenatal care is a kind of care which is recommended to every pregnant woman in order to have a healthy motherhood and baby. Healthy pregnancy is a want of every mother and prenatal care helps in having a healthy mother and healthy

Nursing medication administration and work flow using computerized Research Paper

Nursing medication administration and work flow using computerized physician order entry - Research Paper Example The research problem in this study was on how medication errors can be reduced plus the impact of the CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Entry). The Institute of Medicine had filed an earlier report showing that nearly 7000 patients every year die due to medication errors. In minimizing medication errors and time wasted by nurses in the course of administering medications. The CPOE system became introduced with the sole purpose of reducing the time taken by nurses in ordering and administering medications. According to the observation Keohane and colleagues did on nurses activities, they found out that nurses spent 26.9 percent of their time in medication related activities compared to other work. Hence, the introduction of the CPOE system ought to have eased the nurses’ workflow plus to minimize medication errors. In the study conducted by Dana et al. (2011), the author agrees to the fact that their exists advantages and disadvantages of the CPOE system on the nurses after it s introduction to help reduce the nurses work flow . The literature review in Dana et al. research is quite relevant and directly related to the problem being researched (2011). In this research, the author uses recent literature reviews to get hold of the reader’s attention concerning problems nurses faced before the introduction of CPOE system. An excellent example includes Keohane and colleague studies on the amount of time nurses spent in a variety of their activities. Another example includes a research conducted by Elganzouri et al. confirming that nurses spent a lot of time in issues dealing with medications. In the two literature review, the author would like the reader to be aware of the problems that faced the nursing team before the introduction of the CPOE system, which were spending more time on medication processes plus higher rates of medication errors. The author in the literature review critically compared and appraised key studies in a good way. Research questions in this research could have been what are the impacts of CPOE system on the nurses’ workflow? What are the disadvantages of using Computerized Physician Order Entry system to the nurses? The author’s hypotheses this case is justifiable after realizing that the introduction of CPOE systems in hospitals led to minimal interaction between nurses and physicians. In terms of the literature review, the hypotheses were not related since the literature review entirely talked of the problems nurses experience before CPOE system the introduction while the theoretical rationale speaks of the impact the system had on the nurses. The researcher offers in his justification statement that so far the CPOE system would reduce the time spent by the nurses in medication processes as evidenced by a study conducted by Bate and colleagues. By the use of DeLeon and McLean model, the research was meant to find the impact of CPOE system. The author’s hypotheses were directional since they predicted the impact of CPOE system on the nurses to be either negative or positive (Dana et al., 2011). The variable of interest from the research question will be the impact of CPOE system on the workflow of the nurses (Dana et al., 2011). In accordance to the Delone and McLean IS Success model framework, dependent variables of any information system are defined as its success. It goes further to define success as a combination of variables and include systems quality, information quality, use, individual impact, user satisfaction and organizational impact. From the author, these 6 variables are less dependent o n each other than interrelated. From the research, conducted by the author, the variable being investigated is well defined. The study is predictive in nature and tries to evaluate the impact of the system on the nurses and organization in general. From his research finding, the dependent variables are organizational quality and individual quality. The independent

Community of practic Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Community of practic - Literature review Example The researcher found that learners create a safe interaction space by working in a community that shares and co-constructs some common understandings. The aim of this research was to find and analyze the factors that enables or hinders the participation of people in the Foundations of Communities pf Practice workshop. To explore the experiences of the participants, the researcher used semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and posting data methods. Through the research, the researcher found that connectivity, emotions, technology, learning tensions, and understanding of norms are the five key factors that make participants join or ignore the program. The findings make it essential for the tutors to assess technical expertise of learners, identify and assess their emotional responses, formulate effective induction processes, and ensure that learners are fully aware of the community’s norms and values. Guldberg, K & Pilkington, R 2006, ‘A community of practice approach to the development of non-traditional learners through networked learning’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 19, pp.

Are laws that protect us from our own dangerous behaviors (such seat Essay

Are laws that protect us from our own dangerous behaviors (such seat belt or helmet) morally acceptable - Essay Example Controversies over the laws which are basically designed for protecting people from dangerous behavior are problems of paternalism. Paternalism is interference in people’s freedom though it is for their own good. It is like a father making decisions for his kids instead of letting the kids make decisions for them, considering one important thing that father knows best. Wide range and variety of laws, practices and actions are taken into account which is under the principles of paternalism. More like a doctor or physician deciding what is best for his patients and the laws which are designed to restrict the use of cocaine, marijuana, heroin and other drugs. Such plans also include compulsory retirement plans, mandatory seatbelt laws which are designed to protect one’s interest whether they are liked by the people or people detest them. All these paternalistic practices are common, but the question is whether these practices are morally accepted or not. There is conflict of two important values attached with paternalism which include the value is taken into account for protecting and also promoting well being of others, along with the value which is associated with the freedom of persons which make their lead their life according to their wish and choice. When the people are ready to act in certain ways oppose to their own well being and security , an important question arises that are the laws justified which interfere in people’s private choices and matters. This is what leads to the problem of paternalism. There is a majority who would agree that paternalism becomes a justified thing when it is about a person who has limited and also impaired freedom of choices whether the cause of this is limited cognitive capacities or even the ignorance of facts, effects of a disease, influence of drugs and another reason can be due to coercion. Paternalism varies depending on the person, their emotional stability and behavior along with the capacity to understand and know what is best for them. According to many moral philosophers, a competent and a knowledgeable person should be allowed to make decisions freely and they should not be over ridden, though they are for their own person’s good. There was a case voiced by John Stuart Mill who was a British philosopher during the nineteenth century, according to him the only reason due to implement and make laws for the citizens and people of civilized community is to prevent problems and harm to others. Will of one’s own being is not enough physically and even morally. The laws are made for a collective society and laws which are beneficial and important for protecting the society over all. According to Mill, it was important to provide freedom as it is important and crucial for people’s individual personality development. Along with that people should be given a free hand for making choices they wish and like even if the choices are not the best ones. All these individual choices creates ability for people to make decisions and their decision making power will only improve their practices and experiences. Another important view which he holds was that individuals are the best judge for

Argument Paper on the Safety That Comes with Seat Belts Essay Example for Free

Argument Paper on the Safety That Comes with Seat Belts Essay Seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the person that is using it from hitting the hard interior things of the vehicle or other passengers also by preventing the passengers in the mid section and next to the driver seat from shooting out of the car’s windshield. There had been many accidents where the driver or the passenger had not worn their seat belt and because of that they had suffer severe injuries. They had severe injuries that they would have to be hospitalize for weeks and even months. In my opinion I feel that it is mandatory, that the passengers and the drivers wear their seat belts. Its not for our benefit its for the safety of them. Seat belts are great safety devices in vehicles today. They save about 9,500 lives every year, but only 48 percent of the drivers have their seat belts buckled. More than 60 percent of the drivers are killed in fatal crashes because they did not buckle their seat belts in 1996. Most drivers say that they drive carefully, but that doesn’t mean the people in your lane on the highway drive carefully. I feel like that its necessary to wear your seat belt. It does not even take that long for someone to put on his or her sear belts. I strongly feel that people who don’t wear their seat belts should get ticketed because it’s their safety we are trying to protect. Even though that a seat belt penalty is only about 50 dollars and 2 points, people still don’t wear their seat belts. As if this penalty is not enough. I feel that the penalty should be more then 50 dollars because if we have a law for you to follow that is meant for your safety it should be more, because like I said it’s a law for your safety. Wearing your seat belt is very important because most of the Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death in the US for people for people who don’t wear their seat belts. More then half of the people that had been killed in 2000 due to not wearing their seat belts. â€Å"We should be allowed to ruin our own lives, but we shouldnt be allowed to ruin the lives of others. So, yes, its tragic when someone dies because he refused to wear a seatbelt, but its much more tragic when a reckless driver kills innocent people. † Exerted from http://www. reason. com/news/show/32805. html I want you to imagine if your son or daughter went to a party where they had alcohol, but your son or daughter decided not to consume any alcohol because they were going to drive home. They did not want to get into an accident. Unfortunately he or she decided not to wear her seat belt because he or she thought that there were no cars and he or she didn’t see the point of it. He or she thought that it was safe outside because it was late and there should be very few cars on the street. She or he thought it that nothing could happen because he or she only lived a few blocks away from the party. Unlike your son or daughter some kids did consume alcohol. They got in a car but even though they did consume alcohol and they were under the influence of it they did remember to put on their seat belts. The driver wanted to beat the yellow light and wanted to drop home his friends faster. He also thought that there should be very few cars in the roads and decided to go for it. Unfortunately by the time he got to the light it had turned red and he still went to cross the red light. Meanwhile your daughter or son was crossing the same intersection and there was a big collision. Your son or daughter rear was hit hard and the car spun around and hit a tree. Your son or daughter then was projected out the windshield and into the sidewalk. The intoxicated diver and his passengers were all injured but not as severe as your son or daughter. Your son or daughter would have to be in the hospital for several weeks or even months while the intoxicated kids would go home with a few cuts and bruises. Most of this could have been avoided if your son or daughter would have been smart and would have been wearing their seat belt. It is in my interest that adults and especially teens should be wearing their seatbelts. A seat belt is sometimes called a safety belt the reason is because the seat belt is used to prevent most severe injuries, which I have just explained that could happen to anyone even those you love.

House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors

House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors PROJECT JUSTIFICATION The South Platte Wildlife Management Area (SPWMA) is a 5,908 Ha property consisting of about 40km of floodplain forest with surrounding upland prairie (Knopf 1986). Riparian forests such as that which occurs along the South Platte River have been of particular interest to researchers investigating avian use of riparian corridors during migration (Machtans et al. 1996, Skagen et al. 1998), and juvenile dispersal (Machtans et al. 1996). A riparian corridor is a strip of vegetation that connects two or more larger patches, and through which an organism will likely move over time (Fischer and Fischenich 2000). Regardless of size or degree of connectivity, many studies have shown these vegetation strips along rivers support a higher diversity and abundance of birds than adjacent upland forests or grasslands (Stauffer and Best 1980, Tockner and Ward 1999). Periodic inundation of alluvial landscapes creates a shifting mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial transition zones (Tockner and Ward 1999 ). This ever-changing mosaic paired with increased water quality (Fischer and Fischenich 2000) results in the increased biodiversity. In 1980, researchers inventoried breeding bird communities at the South Platte River WMA in both riparian and upland areas and compared species densities between them (Knopf 1980). Their results indicated that the floodplain forest is valuable habitat for both resident and migratory species; while 38 species occurred along the rivers edge, only 9 species were present in the adjacent upland. In addition, 30 species were observed only in the floodplain, suggesting that these birds may not have been present at SPWMA in the absence of a riparian forest. Yet another surprising finding of this study was that House Wrens made up more than 20% of the bird community within the floodplain with an estimated density of 3.3 birds/Ha. House Wrens are secondary cavity nesters (SCN), and further studies have found that density of large trees, length of dead limbs and cavity density are the most important habitat variables for density of House Wrens at SPWMA (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Furthermore, cottonwoods are probably critical in creating suitable nesting habitat, and a lack of regeneration due to inundation could reduce the overall density of cavity nesters (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Many bird species not requiring cavities however, such as Brown Thrasher and Spotted Towhee, do not appear to be as immediately affected by flooding (Knopf and Sedgewick 1987). In 1992, researchers at SPWMA found that SCN bird density was indeed being limited by cavity availability along the river (Sedgewick and Knopf 1992). Knopfs studies over 30 years ago continues to be relevant to this day. As modern day urban sprawl encroaches on to natural landscapes, research on areas important to wildlife remains crucial. It is our goal to continue this study by assessing House Wren use of the area, by estimating House Wren density both within the wooded area, and in the adjacent upland using point counts. Furthermore, we would like to gain insight into whether House Wrens use this riparian corridor for dispersal movements through grasslands. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to estimate House Wren density along the South Platte River floodplain near Crook, Colorado using circular plot surveys. Specifically, our objectives are to: Compare House Wren use of a riparian forest and the adjacent prairie within the SPWMA; Estimate density of House Wrens within the riparian woodland and extrapolate this to other floodplain regions in the United States; and Compare this density with that of previous densities estimated in 1980. METHODS Survey Design Woodland vs. Upland Point Counts Building off of Knopfs 1980 study at this location, we will conduct 60- 6 minute (Thompson and Schwalbach 1995) point counts along the riparian woodland area encompassing about 3,800 Ha, and 60 counts within the adjacent upland area of 22,560 Ha. Points in both areas were created using the create random points tool in ArcMap 10.4.1, with a 300m allowance between points (Fig. 1). Any points falling in the river were moved to another random location. These surveys will be conducted between 24 May and 27 May. Riparian Woodland Use Point Counts Using a similar survey design, another set of 155 surveys will be conducted within the riparian woodland only. Although the efficiency in detecting new birds decreases after 3 visits to the same point (Smith et al. 1995), surveys will be replicated 4 times between 10 May and 26 May to adhere to Knopfs study. These survey locations were placed within the riparian buffer using a 200m allowance (Gutzwiller 1991) between points. These surveys will give a more accurate depiction of House Wren use of the woodland. Figure 1- Point count design Point Count Protocol Observers will use Garmin GPSMAP64 GPS units (Garmin Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland) to navigate to each point. Observers will arrive at the first point of the day 30 minutes before sunrise, and wait silently for 5 minutes to allow birds to reposition themselves. Using a stopwatch, observers will recording all birds they see or hear for 6 minutes. All birds detected within 200m will be recorded (Savard and Hooper 1995, Thompson and Schwalbach 1995, Wolf et al. 1995), along with the radial distance to the bird from the point using a Nikon Aculon AL11 620 laser range finder (Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Surveys will continue until 3 hours after sunrise (Lynch 1995). Additional environmental information will be recorded according to the provided survey data sheet (Appendix A). Assumptions in Survey Design In order to extrapolate the House Wren use of the surveyed area to the entire study area, we must meet two assumptions in regards to our survey design. These assumptions are critical to address before implementing the survey to ensure extrapolation is possible. First, the points must be randomly located. This states that to the best of our knowledge, the surveyed area is representative of the entire study region. In addition, we need a large sample of points (>20 points) that are evenly distributed across the study region. A sample of 60 points in each habitat meets this criteria, and an even distribution was achieved through use of a 200m allowance between points. Analysis Detection Function The probability of detecting a bird, given that it is a distance r from the observer is the detection function, denoted by g(r). This value will tell us how many House Wrens we are detecting relative to the real number of House Wrens in a survey. This is important to know, as not every individual is usually detected. We expect to see a detection function that has a broad shoulder and then decreases as distance increases (Thomas et al 2010). This means that the observer detects birds that are nearby at a higher rate, and as the distance from observer to bird increases, detection ability falls. Distance Sampling Assumptions In order to obtain reliable density estimates from point counts, we must meet several critical assumptions. The first is that birds are distributed independently of the point, which we did by placing the points at random locations. Secondly, we assume that birds directly on the point are detected with certainty, or g(0)=1. Third, all objects are recorded at their original location, prior to movement in response to the observer. Since observers are not moving, and utilize a resting period before a survey begins, point counts for a House Wren seems to be advantageous over a line transect. Next, all distances recorded are assumed to be accurately measured. This assumption will be met since observers will be using a range finder. Lastly, all detections are assumed to be independent from one another. This means that the presence of one House Wren will not attract or deter another wren from being present. Density Estimates Density estimates will be attained using DISTANCE 7.0 (CREEM, St. Andrews, Scotland). Since we already know that density and habitat differs to some degree between the forested and upland areas, we made sure to stratify the survey area into upland and riparian. Thus, density estimates will be calculated separately for each habitat. Density in point counts are calculated using the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): where k is the number of points, w is the radius of each plot, and n is the number of birds detected within the plot. Once we have calculated House Wren density for both prairie and woodland habitats, we can also obtain global(overall) density for the entire area. This is done using the individual area sizes, and overall density for both habitats, in the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): EXPECTED RESULTS AND BENEFITS With the South Platte River watershed encompassing such a large area, it is important to know how any land management practices would alter the bird community and secondary cavity nesters such as the House Wren. The proposed study will increase our knowledge of avian use of the woodland area surrounding the Platte River, which in turn will aid in future habitat alteration decisions. If funding for the proposed project is given, the project would start right away. Reports of raw abundance and estimated density will be submitted annually, and a final report in the form of a thesis will be presented at project closure. Project Deliverables will include: Annual Report of House Wren abundance and densities in each habitat. Final report by end of study discussing results and future considerations; final report will be in the form of a thesis. ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSIDERATIONS No special considerations need to be taken for the project in regards to endangered species, as our surveys will be non-invasive and do not require capture of animals. NECESSITY AND ETHICAL USE OF ANIMALS We will not be trapping or coming in contact with the study animals, however all federal and state guidelines regarding use of animals will be properly followed. PERSONNEL This study will require 3 avian survey technicians in order to meet the goals of the project. Two biologists already trained in identification of Colorado birds will be obtained through the Texas AM job board. The third person involved in this project will be a masters students at Texas AM University- Kingsville, and will act as the project leader. 2 field technicians to conduct point count surveys and enter data 1 project leader (M.S. student) to conduct surveys and coordinate survey methodology BUDGET Year1:$2.91 Flagging tape (Walmart), 3 at $0.97 $509.97 Laser rangefinder (Nikon Aculon AL11 620), 3 at $169.99 $599.97GPS unit (Garmin GPSMAP64), 3 at $199.99 $1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$6512.85 Year 2:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Year 3:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Project Total:$17,312.85 TIME SCHEDULE 2017Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312017 annual report turned in 2018Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312018 annual report turned in 2019Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData Analysis July 312019 annual report turned in DecemberFinal report turned in as M.S. thesis LITERATURE CITED Fischer, R.A., and J.C. Fischenich. 2000. Design recommendations for riparian corridors and vegetated buffer strips (No. ERDC-TN-EMRRP-SR-24). Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Engineer Research and Development Center. Gutzwiller, K.J. 1991. Estimating winter species richness with unlimited-distance point counts. The Auk 108(4):853-862. Knopf, F.L. 1986. Changing landscapes and the cosmopolitism of the eastern Colorado avifauna. Wildlife Society Bulletin 14(2):132-142. Knopf, F.L., and J.A. Sedgewick. 1987. Latent population responses of summer birds to a catastrophic, climatological event. The Condor 89: 869-873. Lynch, J.F. 1995. Effects of point count duration, time-of-day, and aural stimuli on detectability of migratory and resident bird species in Quintana Roo, Mexico. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Machtans, C.S., M.A. Villard, and S.J. Hannon. 1996. Use of riparian buffer strips as movement corridors by forest birds. Conservation Biology 10(5):1366-1379. Savard, J.L., and T.D. Hooper. 1995. Influence of survey length and radius size on grassland bird surveys by point counts at Williams Lake, British Columbia. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1992. Cavity turnover and equilibrium cavity densities in a cottonwood bottomland. The Journal of Wildlife Management 56(3):477-484. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1990. Habitat relationships and nest site characteristics of cavity-nesting birds in cottonwood floodplains. The Journal of Wildlife Management 54(1):112-124. Skagen S.K., C.P. Melcher, W.H. Howe, and F.L. Knopf. 1998. Comparative use of riparian corridors and oases by migrating birds in southeast Arizona. Conservation Biology 12(4):896-909. Smith, W.P., D.J. Twedt, R.J. Cooper, D.A. Widenfeld, P.B. Hamel, R.P. Ford. 1955. Sample size and allocation of effort in point count sampling of birds in bottomland hardwood forests. Monitoring bird populations by point counts. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. Albany, CA. USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station p. 7-18. Stauffer, D.F., and L.B. Best. 1980. Habitat selection by birds of riparian communities: evaluating effects of habitat alterations. The Journal of Wildlife Management 44(1):1-15. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, K.P. Burnham, D.R. Anderson, J.L. Laake, D.L. Borches, S. Strindberg. 2006. Distance sampling. Encyclopedia of Environmetrics. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, E.A. Rexstad, J.L. Laake, S. Strindberg, S.L. Hedley, J.R. Bishop, T.A. Marques, and K.P. Burnham. 2010. Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology 47:5-14. Thompson, F.R. and M.J. Schwalbach. 1995. Analysis of sample size, counting times, and plot size from an avian point count survey on Hoosier National Forest, Indiana. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Tockner, K., and J.V. Ward. 1999. Biodiversity along riparian corridors. Large Rivers 11(3):293-310. Wolf, A.T., R.W. Howe, G.J. Davis. 1995. Detectibility of forest birds from stationary points in northern Wisconsin. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. Albany, CA. Apendix A- data sheet for avian point counts at South Platte Wildlife Management Area SOUTH PLATTE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BIRD SURVEY Site #: ________________Habitat Type: Prairie / WoodlandDate: __________________ Observer Name: __________________________Start Time: _________________________ Wind: calm light moderate strongTemperature: 70 Cloud %: _________Precipitation: drizzle snow fog   Ã‚   SPECIES TIME Visual/ Aural DISTANCE (meters) NOT IN HABITAT (Flyover/ adjacent habitat) COMMENTS