Employee Benefit and Service Impact on Performances and Satisfaction

Employee Benefit and Service Impact on Performances and Satisfaction Performance and Satisfaction Job satisfaction is the attitude or the feeling of accomplishment within an employee in a quantitative and qualitative manner. Compensation holds a great significance in the lifestyle and self esteem of employees. The amount of money an employee earns will determine his/her level of their job satisfaction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Employee Benefit and Service Impact on Performances and Satisfaction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, performance is the desire, ability, capacity and motivation that an individual has to carry out a specific task. The performance of an employee depends on the work setting, the tools provided, and information required to carry out the job at hand. The benefits that an employee enjoys can only be reflected in their performance in the form of a certain level of result-based services. Impacts of Benefits and Service on Job Performance and Satisfaction In the contemporary world, people not only look for jobs that are in line with their profession or careers but also the jobs that will provide them with benefits. Such benefits motivate employees, hence increasing their productivity and their levels of job satisfaction. In most corporate organizations, the benefits and service compensation of employees highly depends on job satisfaction. Thus, enlightened managers receive equal levels of satisfaction from their employees due to the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits they reward them with. Furthermore, the employees of a given organization can have a sense of pride with their employer in an event where they work under a conducive working environment. Skill based compensation is usually linked to various risks especially when employees becomes discontented with their work or when they do not have the opportunity apply their expertise at work. Therefore, positive performance is equitably rewarded through a benefit structure. Consequently, the key aspect of employee job satisfaction comprises compensations, promotions, the level of supervision, and work conditions. It is evident that the form of rewards and benefits arrangements under which employees perform powerfully influences their level of satisfaction. Therefore, the increased satisfaction arising from benefits helps to boost the expectations of employees in terms of presentation. As a result of job satisfaction and contentment, employees usually put in more effort to their work hence meeting the goals and objectives of the organizations that they are working for. Benefits are effective incentives that play a critical role in the attainment of job satisfaction since the employees develop additional commitments and they become more satisfied. This makes them to kindle a sequence of positive actions (Gaurav, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Lea rn More Benefits enable employees to initiate diverse strategies that will enable them to enhance the performance of their organizations. Notably, desirable benefits will ultimately satisfy the esteem of employees by enhancing their strength and competence making them to be critical to the organizational performance. Employee satisfaction is as a result of how reasonably they are treated because satisfaction arises from individual perception regarding work outcomes and the relative inputs as compared to others. On the other hand, employee dissatisfaction can arise even with similar outcomes in turnover under enhanced benefits for the work environment can fail to offer flexibility and desirable basis of amusement especially when the organizational tone becomes demanding and tedious (Gaurav, 2012). Therefore, benefits should also provide employees opportunities to grow within an organization. This can be attained through performance reviews that accommodate diverse perspective s that help in correcting pessimistic behaviors in addition to rewarding productivity. Therefore, since employee satisfaction affects the bottom-line, it is crucial to have good leadership structures that appreciate the link between organizational performance and employee fulfillment (Kuballa, 2007). References Gaurav, K. (2012). Drivers of Employee Satisfaction and Attrition: A Quantitative Investigation. Chicago: GRIN Verlag. Kuballa, J. (2007). Employee Satisfaction: A Precondition for Economical Success of Service Companies. Boston: Cengage Learning.

To what extent is our nation one that is unsettled in its sense of Essay

To what extent is our nation one that is unsettled in its sense of history and culture Is that something to fear, or is this no - Essay Example The typical American is an individualist. Because of this, it would be difficult to come to a precise definition of Americans as a people, aside from the fact that they live in the same country under the same government. In this regard, it is clear that America is still unsettled in its sense of history and culture, two things that are supposed to unite a people and provide them with a common identity. However, this is not something to be feared or loathed. In fact, this is what makes America grow continuously and, with such evolution; this is also what makes Americans achieve progress that will distinguish them from other peoples. Lewis Lapham’s Who and What is American is an article that points out the various theories raised regarding the American character. Lapham manages to accurately identify the misconceptions according to the subjective views of those who wish to come up with a definition of the American character but he does not go to the extent of actually pointing o ut his own alternative concept. Jack Hitt’s Dinosaur Dreams, on the other hand, may discuss about the America’s fascination about the extinct gigantic reptile but it points out the tendency of the American individual to adapt to the situations that surround him in order to seize opportunities that will work to his advantage. Wedded to an Illusion by Fenton Johnson explains, however, that although the nation’s culture can indeed change, the process can be long and tedious considering that there are also powerful forces that will arise as obstacles to such transformation. Despite the fact that the United States has been a country for about four centuries already, it is very obvious that it still does not really have culture that is really commonly practiced by its people and one that it truly American. Nevertheless, certain influential sectors who wish to address the people tend to emphasize on general traits in order to connect with the majority. In so doing thou gh, they also create the misimpression that Americans have really settled with a common cultural characteristic. Lapham explains that Americans â€Å"were always about becoming not, being; about the prospects for the future, not about the inheritance of the past.† (Who and What is American) Through this statement, Lapham puts emphasis on the notion that it is not correct to conclude that the American people can already boast of having a culture that transcends races, genders, ethnicity, classes, or religions. This is because there is even no common history to speak of. American society is becoming more and more multiracial. Even those who may consider themselves genuinely Americans could not come to agree in their interpretation of history due to the fact that they are influenced by prejudice based on their own political, ethnic, class, or religious background. Because Americans are about becoming, to state that they already have a common culture and understanding of history now is a fallacy. Hitt, on the other hand, raises a point that may be considered as supportive to Lapham’s premise. Hitt writes that through the fascination with dinosaurs as seen in the popular culture, â€Å"we sculpt their meaning; like outsized Schrodinger's cats, their existence depends on whether or not we have decided to look at them.†

NBA Lockout Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

NBA Lockout - Research Paper Example In other words, globalization has altered the concept of business law and its application comprehensively in the light of internationally recognized rights and regulations. Such features of business law are covered by legislation enacted by central and state governments. Sources of Business Law; The subcategories of the sources of business law are derived from statutory law, case law, natural law, English mercantile law and the law of custom and usage. All the areas and functions of a business are enforceable under business law through regulations of contracts, bailment, agency, sales of goods, partnerships, companies, negotiable instruments, pollution control etc. Union have been the prime focus of government and private sector because of the power and rights allocated by them from law. The history have been marked by unfair practices and social discrimination towards labor force that was intended to be secured with the assistance of law in good perception The objective behind the p ermission to form Union was to form an equal powerful body of labor against the corporate organizations to secure the interest of both the concerns faithfully concerning the fact that an individual worker have no power and authority to bargain against unfavorable terms and conditions. The National Labor Relation Act; The National Labor Relation Act was passed in the year 1935 with the features that illustrates the rights of employees in relation to the establishment and functioning of Union that includes right to form Union and join Union, to bargain collectively with authorities through union and to engage in strikes for securing fair decisions. The purpose of the Act is to secure labor from being a victim of unfair practices and allocated certain rights to work with prestige through negotiations and bargaining. Union Issues; The types of issues that can be regarded as important pertaining to the nature and scope of Union activities are categorized below; Mandatory Issues; any issu e that has been raised by either side is mandatory and the other party is bound to negotiate in good faith with honest efforts. The types of mandatory issues are usually working condition such as overtime, layoff, safety and security etc. Permissive Issues; this category encompasses issues that are not pressed to impasse and is only considered if both the parties are agreed on negotiation. The types of issues covered under the spectrum are the amount of dues to be paid to Union, Union related procedures and company’s product price related issues. Prohibited (illegal) issues; This category points over the issues that cannot be legally negotiated such as that of illegal discrimination in hiring and other union related technical agreement like close shop agreement or union security agreement. Types of Bargaining; The various types of bargaining involved in the procedure of negotiations are illustrated below for an over view. Distributive bargaining; This bargaining refers to the condition when there is a conflict of goal among the management and union. Integrative bargaining; This bargaining refers to the condition when there is no conflict of goal among the management and union, that is both the parties have common objective. Attitudinal Structuring; This bargaining refers to the condition when the objective is to impact the attitude of the other party. Intra organizational bargaining; This bargaining refers to the state when the objective is to resolve the conflict of the members of same side. Globalization and its impact on law of international business; International business today is an intertwined process that pervades nearly every

Contract case study

Contract case study Contract Case Study Contracts are a legal binding agreement made between two or more parties to work on and to accept all the terms binding to it. All business needs to form a contract during its business life cycle. The two important aspects of a contract are the offer and acceptance. The party that makes an offer in a contract is called the offeror and the party who accepts the offer made by the offeror is called the offeree. There are many terms and conditions stated in the contract which have to be accepted by both the parties to enter in to a legal binding contract. The offeror must state his readiness to create a binding contract by accepting the terms to the offeree. The offeree can offer to form a binding contract an individual, group of people and to the public. Offers made to the public are considered as an invitation to treat since it welcomes offers by many people within a stated time in which the offers need to be made. But there is a significant difference among offer and invitation to tre at. The response to an offer is usually acceptance whereas in the case of invitation to treat, the response would be an offer. Invitation to treat is more as an invitation to make an offer by understanding the terms. Invitation to treat helps in getting a variety of offers and therefore increasing the chance to accepting a better and a more profitable contract. In the case study given, Golden Antiques had posted an advertisement on Monday through the internet which had stated For sale, three Victorian style beds, gorgeous,  £5000 each, cash, will brighten up any bed room! This advertisement is an invitation to treat since it was made to the general public and a response to this invitation to treat would be considered as an offer. This relates to the case of Partridge v Crittenden [1968] ¹ An advertisement by Partridge appeared in the magazine Cage and Aviary Birds, which contained the words quality British, bramble finch cocks, 25 shillings each. Partridge was charged with illegal offering for sale of a wild bird against s.6(1) of the Protection Birds Act 1954 Therefore this will form a unilateral contract since the offer to be in a legal binding contract has been decided by only one party. David, the manager of White Halls Ltd sends an email to Golden Antiques immediately saying that he is interested in buying all three Victorian style beds at the cost of  £4500 each and enquires about any credit facility available upon this purchase. This is an offer made by White Halls Ltd to Golden Antiques. Therefore in the current situation, White Halls is the offeror and Golden Antiques is the offeree. The offeree ( Golden Antiques) must decide upon the offer made by White Halls Ltd and can take any decision since accepting or rejecting the offer is completely in their hands. The reply made by White Halls Ltd must be considered just as a request for information about the terms and other opinion available in the contract. White Halls have not accepted the original terms and cannot be considered to be a counter offer. Therefore a request of information cannot enforce a binding contract. A similar case related to this would be the case of Stevnson, Jacques and Co V McLean [1880] ² Mclean wrote to Stevenson asking if he wanted to buy iron ore at 40S per ton in cash, and the offer was open till Monday. Stevenson asked if the goods were available on credit. They received no answer. On Monday afternoon they contacted the defendant to accept the offer, but the iron had already been sold to someone else. The plaintiff won the case against McLean Golden Antiques responded to the email sent by White Halls Ltd seeking information about the price and the credit facility being available. Golden antiques in response said the following We are not prepared to sell for less than  £5000 each. Credit facility only available if your guarantor is acceptable to us. Please confirm by close of business today if interested. By stating this Golden antiques have made a counter offer to their initial offer. This counter offer states that the contract can be enforced only at the original price mentioned and their terms. They have taken into consideration about the credit facility and have stated that it is available only if White Halls Ltds guarantor is acceptable to them. They have also mentioned that the acceptance to the counter offer has to be conveyed by Tuesday. Stating the time frame for the acceptance, Golden antiques have made it very clear that the acceptance to this offer will not be accepted after Tuesday and therefore be communicated properly. Counter offer is an offer made against the previous offer by the former offeree after taking into consideration the request of information by the offeror. This counter offer is usually the final offer made in the good interest of both the parties to form a legal binding contract. The counter offer nullifies the previous offer made by the offeree. No contr act can be formed if this counter offer is not accepted by the offeror. A relevant case would be the case of Hyde V Wrench [1840] ³ Wrench offered to sell his farm for  £1,000 but Hyde declined. He offered  £950 and then Wrench refused to accept. Finally Hyde agreed to buy the farm at old price but Wrench refused, therefore a counter offer destroys the original offer. After providing a counter offer, Golden antiques will now be the offeror and White Halls Ltd will be the offeree. The counter offer will become a legal binding contract if White Halls Ltd accepts the counter offer made by Golden antiques. Golden Antiques have specified that the offer is valid till Tuesday and any acceptance received after this date will not be taken into consideration. This says that they need a response immediately through effective and fast means of communication. The case related to this will be the case of Tin V Hoffman [1873]4 in this case the offeree was specified to reply by post, any method which to be more effective or faster than post was also acceptable. In this case, the offeror had specified the means of communication through which the acceptance had to be communicated. The court ruled that the offeree must accept this technique of communication or the next best alternative to communicate to the offeror. Relating this to the case study, Golden antiques h ave said that the acceptance to the counter offer need to be made by earliest on the Tuesday which made it obvious that a reliable and fast communication was necessary. If this was not communicated properly or was delayed due to a slower means of communication, the offer becomes invalid due to lapse of time. A contract come into existence only when the latest offer or counter offer is accepted. Acceptance conveys that two or more parties have agreed to all the terms and condition specified in the contract. The most important part of acceptance would be the method of communicating. This is important because acceptance is not effective if it is not communicated. The other important aspect of acceptance is that the parties must obey to the way of communication decided upon i.e. if the offeror has specified a means a communication through which the acceptance has to be communicated, it must be followed. This has to be communicated effectively and within the time frame in which the offer will be valid or it will be cancelled due to lapse of time. If revocation is made before the acceptance takes place, the offer will be cancelled. After receiving the counter offer made by Golden antiques, David faxes the acceptance stating his willingness to purchase the three Victorian style beds at  £5000 each. This acceptance letter also includes the letter from Black Halls Ltd, the guarantor for White Halls Ltd which states It is our policy to ensure that our subsidiary, White Halls Ltd remains solvent at all times. This letter of acceptance by the offeree was not transmitted properly and therefore was not received by Golden antiques. A case that relates to this situation will be the case of Felthouse V Bindley [1862]5 Felthouse tried file a case on the basis of breach of contract however Bindley had the case favoured to his side since it was stated that acceptance was not communicated thus a contract was never really formed. David posted his acceptance on the same day at 5pm even when he was aware of the fact that there was a postal strike on that day. David was well aware that the letter of acceptance would not reach the offeror, Golden antiques at the right time. Therefore, David must have opted for a better means of communication which would be reliable, effective and fast. The time frame being given in the counter offer shows the urgency and importance of communicating the acceptance as fast as possible. But posting the letter is considered as being received according to the postal rule thereby leading to forming a legal binding contract. Postal rule apply where the means of communicating the acceptance to the offer is post or telegram. Postal rule states that the acceptance is effective on the date and time at which the letter is posted and not when the letter of acceptance is received. The postal rule ignores the facts of the time taken to deliver the post and any other circumstances such as post b eing lost. The case that satisfies this will be case between Adams V Lindsell [1818]6 because to the wrong address the post by the Lindsell reached Adams by 5th of September. Adams replied back to Lindsell but the letter reached by 8th of October and the time limit was till 7th of October. The defendants argued that the time limit specified had been passed and they didnt heard a reply hence the offer was already lapsed. However if Lindsell would have addressed the first letter correctly then the plaintiffs could have managed to reply back in time. However the plaintiffs won the case since the postal rule was being applied. On the other hand, there are many exceptions to the postal rule. The postal rule does not apply if the method to communicate the acceptance has been specified by the offeror. White Halls Ltd and Golden antiques had initially started communicating through e-mails and ways a very reliable and fast way to communicate among the parties. Golden antiques showing the urgency and the given time frame show that they were expecting a response from White Halls Ltd through e-mail or a fax. This can be seen when Golden antiques said Please confirm by close of business today if interested and can therefore be taken as an exception to the postal rule. The fax sent by White Halls Ltd was not clear and hence the acceptance was not communicated effectively. David from White Halls Ltd must have tried to send through a different fax machine or might try another time. David must have e-mailed the acceptance letter to Golden antiques which was their initial way of communication. This could have been bett er than posting a letter of acceptance when he was assured about the delay which will be caused due to the postal strike. Therefore, the postal is not applicable in the case of White Halls Ltd and Golden Antiques. A similar case would be Entores ltd V Miles far East Corporation [1955]7 In this case it shows that both the parties had instant communication method (that is telex in this case). Entores sued the M E C for breaching from the contract. The court stated that the negotiations were made by telex so instant communication was available. The defendants tired to argue with postal rule, however it was ruled that if acceptance was made on telex then the postal rule wont doesnt apply. Postal rule does not apply in the above detailed case and the acceptance was not communicated. There has been lapse of time and no contract was formed. Therefore the offeror, Golden Antiques is eligible to form a new contract with the third party and has no legal binding contract existing with the previous party. Roger an accountant who has prepared the financial statements for Golden Antiques called up on Wednesday morning saying that he is interested in buying the Victorian style beds. In this situation, Roger is the offeror and Golden Antiques is the offeree. Roger has provided the service of preparing the financial statements are half the cost he usually charges. This is an example of past consideration and a past consideration has no value in the future. There can be no consideration given for an activity performed in the past. Its the parties own will to charge for an activity to be performed and form a contract for which he will get a return from the other party which are agreed upon by the parties. A relevant case here would be the case of Re McArdle [1951]8 the agreement to pay the money was not enforceable as a contract as the work had been completed and the consideration was wholly passed. The offer made by Roger is valid since there has been no contract between Golden Antiques and White Halls Ltd. To accept this offer, Golden Antiques sends a letter of revocation of the offer on Wednesday to David of White Halls Ltd saying that the Victorian style beds are no longer for sale. A revocation is the termination of an offer. Once a revocation has been communicated, the acceptance of an offer will be ignored and is no longer possible. Revocation is an exception to the postal rule and is considered only when revocation is received by the other party. In a situation where offer and revocation was made on the same day, the decision will depend on whether the offer or the revocation was received first. This will be further explained by the case of Byrne Co V Leon Van Tienhoven [1880]? Tienhoven tried to withdraw the offer, they posted the letter by 8th of October which was received by Byrne Co by the 20th of October. It was ruled that the offer couldnt be withdrawn since the acceptance was already into existence due to the postal rule. In this case the time gap between the revocation and offer being received is very small and is therefore harder to judge whether revocation is effective or not. Golden Antiques received the acceptance letter by post at 3:45pm on Thursday and the fax on revocation is received until 4:00pm. In my opinion revocation should be effective since the posting of the letter is not considered as a means to communicate acceptance in this case. Advise on the parties legal position: There are three parties in this case which are Golden Antiques, White Halls Ltd and Roger. The above detailed case shows that there is more evidence in the favour of Golden Antiques than that of David. Golden Antiques have obeyed the terms of forming a contract and on the part of revocation. They have made it clear on the terms of the contract and also have given the time frame in which the other party must respond and give in their acceptance. The advertisement made by Golden Antiques is an invitation to treat. David the manager of White Halls Ltd makes an offer and negotiates the price of the Victorian style beds. But this is rejected by a counter offer made by Golden Antiques to David and specifies the time frame in which he must convey his acceptance. David tried to fax the acceptance letter but due to technical difficulties was unable to do so. He then posted the letter to convey the acceptance which he was well aware of not being able to make on time. This offer was not affective after Tuesday due to lapse of time. David must have used a better means to deliver the acceptance. He could have adopted the initial way of communication which was email. Revocation letter was then sent by Golden Antiques to David of White Halls Ltd stating that the beds are no longer available for sale. According to the postal rule, the revocation has to be received before the acceptance was received. But in this scenario, the postal rule should be ignored since posting a letter was not an acceptable form of communication in a situation with a short time frame. Therefore David will not be able to take any legal action against Golden Antiques. On the contrary, it will be considered as Davids fault of not considering the terms of the contract. Legal advice to the parties: The three parties involved in this case are Golden antiques, White Halls Ltd and Roger the accountant. From the given clear picture of the case above, it is quiet comprehensible that The Golden Antiques side of the case was more convincing as compared to that of David. If the manager of white halls ltd, be likely to sue golden Antiques, they will not be accused for any claims. Golden antiques had made its companys intentions very clear from the very beginning, i.e. when they had first advertised their invitation to treat. David first makes an offer showing his interest towards the purchase of the Victorian style beds, which was immediately rejected by making a counter-offer by golden Antiques. In the offer it was very well stated that if acceptance not conveyed by Tuesday which in turn makes the postal rule irrelevant. When the acceptance sent by fax was not communicated due to transmission errors, David should have used some other means of communication which would have been equall y fast and effective. As the acceptance was not communicated on time the offer has lapsed. Golden antiques then sent a letter stating the revocation of the offer as they had now decided to sell the beds to Roger and are legally contracted with White Halls. Even though the Revocation of the offer was received or conveyed after the receipt of the acceptance letter from David, this will be regarded as Davids fault for not complying with the terms of the offer. Therefore, it is not advisable to take any legal actions against Golden Antiques because the judge verdict will be on the favour of Golden Antiques. TABLE OF CASES Partridge v crittenden {1968} 1 WLR 1204,{1968}2 ALL ER 421,(1968)112 SJ 582 Stevenson,jacques Co v Mclean {1880) 5 QBD 346 Hyde v Wrench (1840) 3 Beav 334 Tin V Hoffman (1873) Felthouse v Bindley (1862) 11 CBNS 869 Adams v Lindsell (1818)1 B Ald 681, {1818} 106 ER 260 Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation {1955} 2 QB 327,{1955} 3 WLR 48,{1955} 2 All ER 493, CA McArdle,Re {1951} Ch 669,{1951} 1 All ER 905, (1951) 95 SJ 651, CA Byrne Co v Van Tienhoven Co (1880) 5 CPD 344 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ewan McIntyre, Business Law, 4th ed. Pearson Longman, 2008 Catherine Elliot Frances Quinn, Contract Law, 7th edition, Pearson Longman, 209 Charles Wild Stuart Weinstein, Smith and Keenans Company Law, 14th edition, Pearson Longman, 2009

Passion for Baseball

â€Å"What is one thing you are passionate about, and why? † Around this time in September, thirteen years ago, I saw a beautiful event happen. I was sitting in front of the small television in my living room and I witnessed Mike Piazza hit a homerun in Shea Stadium. At that moment, I was hooked for life. The game of baseball is rich in history and full of legends, yet is still accessible to almost anyone on this planet. For me, baseball is more than a game; it's a lifestyle.I began playing T-ball at the raw age of six years old and advanced to a new level of play every year. My passion for baseball flowed through my body more and more as I dvanced to new levels of play. However, being on the field was not the only place that cemented my love for America's pastime. In fact, the front of my TV actually influenced me a lot. I would watch almost every depressing Met's game and sit in front of my computer playing two-dimensional Backyard Baseball 2003.Thank god my brother shares m y enthusiasm or who knows what sport I would be playing right now. Year after year, there is something special about baseball that has kept me fascinated. I think there are many reasons why baseball captivates millions of people around the world. I think one of the reasons is that baseball is an eerily perfect game. How did the inventors of baseball know that 90 feet between each base was the perfect length? There are countless plays that come down to a matter of inches.Baseball is often referred to as â€Å"the game of inches† because a matter of inches can be the difference between being safe or out, or even a win or loss. Another reason I like baseball is because I truly believe it brings people together. Just think about twelve years ago today (September 1 1, 2011). Planes crashed into iconic buildings in New York City and Washington D. C. When baseball started back up again, guess who was there to throw out the first pitch in Yankees Stadium? Our president, George W. Bus h. He threw an impeccable strike and the crowd went wild.Through all of the grieving and horror of that week, New York had something to cheer for again. I still get chills Just thinking about that special day. It's magical moments like that, that make baseball so extraordinary. Baseball is often referred to as â€Å"America's Pastime†. I really like that saying because baseball is engrained in America's history. I think its funny that baseball almost has a history as vast as the United States. The idea of playing catch in the backyard or going out to the ballpark with your family is etched into my idea of America†.As a kid that loves the idea of America, it seems fitting that baseball is part of my life. The history is another aspect that keeps me playing. Abner Doubleday first adapted baseball from the British game, â€Å"Rounders†. From then on, baseball has evolved into the modern game that I have grown to love. When I visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, I real ized how important the history was. Every time I step on a baseball field, I think about the other people hat have stepped on a similar field in the past.I think of heroes like Jackie Robinson and Ty Cobb, but I also think of soldiers in World War II that continued to play overseas. I feel honored Just to think that I am playing the same game that they myself not playing baseball and it makes me nauseous Just thinking about it. Like I said, baseball is part of my lifestyle. Even shopping for baseball pants or cleats gets me excited. During my lifetime, I guarantee that I will flip on the TV every morning and watch the highlights of every game, Just like I did as a kid. My passion for baseball will never stop running through my veins.

Open Ended Questions in Research Essay

Questionnaires and surveys are useful for determining the attitudes, characteristics, profiles, beliefs from a sample of people. In designing a questionnaire that focuses on open ended questions the main concern should be on determining the way the responses will be quantified. Open ended questions are often used in research to clarify closed questions or as a means of generating ideas. In both cases it is generally assumed that the longer and more detailed the response to an open ended question the better (Graziano et al, 2000). However, relatively little is known about the effect of factors such as question wording or questionnaire design on the response to open ended questions. There is a need to ask open ended questions when the researcher desires to probe deeper into a subject area. The use of open ended questions is more common in subjects which are relatively unrehearsed. Open ended questions are also of value, where response cannot be predicted, or maybe to the reduce potential for researcher induced bias. This method makes it possible to explore a range of ideas about a certain issue or topic. Open ended questionnaire questions can be also be quantified but in more indirect way. â€Å"Converting raw, open ended data from large sample sizes into meaningful categories that the researcher can utilize to quantify the results presents a challenge† (Culp, 1998). Several strategies can be used to convert these responses into meaningful information. Using qualitative data analysis software is rapidly becoming feasible. Using software applications that support content analysis and data linking and those that offer advanced linguistic analysis. The content-analysis applications allow an analyst to assess the number of times a participant uses a particular word or phrase in written material or transcribed remarks. By counting the frequency of words and noting the association of certain words, one can categorize themes and concepts. By thus â€Å"quantifying† the qualitative communication, an analyst can associate the resulting information with other quantitative data. A more sophisticated analysis is possible with linguistic analysis, which examines the semantics, syntax, and context of participant’s verbal communications. Linguistic analysis applications help the analyst  identify the key ideas in a text, gain an indication of the relative importance of each idea, and then develop a prediction of a participants attitude and or behavior based on the context of the remarks† (Gale, 2005). The author would also consider scoring qualitative open ended question with coded values. For example expression strong emotional response against an idea could be valued as a 3, while a moderate response could be scored as 2, and a neutral or vague response a 1. Another idea that could be utilized is coding using a Likert type scale based on how overtly strong an idea or opinion is expressed. This method could induce bias if the person doing the interview or scoring the questionnaire has a personal preference in this idea. The research question should not be made known to the person doing the scoring in order to reduce the possibility of bias. The author believes that bias could also be minimized if several individuals do the scoring and the score then be averaged. Summary The topic chosen by this author lends itself well to open ended questions as it solicits responses in terms of attitudes, opinions, and beliefs about the economy. The following open ended questions are an example of questions that might be used in an interview about this topic. †¢How do you feel about the current state of the economy?†¢What do you think caused the recent economic downfall?†¢How has the economy affected your budget?The author would use scoring qualitative open ended question with coded values. For example, strong response could be valued as a 3, while a moderate response could be scored as 2 and a neutral or vague response a 1. The author would then do an analysis of the content based on the categorizations of opinions and attitudes. In a full scale research project, the author would use a mixture of quantitative and qualitative question in order to establish opinions, thoughts, or beliefs on the subject. This would aid in the analysis of attitudes on the topic. The validity of this type of research is only in the accurate analysis of the opinions and attitudes of the participants. References Culp, K. & Pilat, M. (1999). Converting feedback into quantifiable  categories [Electronicversion]. Journal of Extension 37(4). Dilts, R., Grinder, J., Bandler, R., Delozier, J. (1980). The Study of the Structure of SubjectiveExperience, Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Vol I. CA: Meta PublicationsGale, T (2005). Let me count the words: quantifying open ended interactions with customers,Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly Pub 01-Aug-2005, RetrievedMay 3, 2009 fromwww://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-245360/Let-me-count-the-words.htmSmith, R. A. & Davis, S. F. (2007), The Psychologist as Detective. New Jersey: PearsonEducation, Inc. Graziano, Anthony M. & Raulin, Michael L. (2000) Research Methods: A Process ofInquiry. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.

The Usefulness of Participant Observation as a...

The Usefulness of Participant Observation as a Sociological Method Unlike other research methods participant observation allows the sociologist to look at people in their natural environment. It is often referred to as a naturalistic approach. The research does not artificially interfere with people’s lives and they are free to act as normal. This allows the researcher to gain an insight which surveys cannot produce. This is illustrated by a well-known quote: â€Å"As I sat and listened, I learned the answers to questions I would not have the sense to ask if I had been getting my information solely on an interview basis.† By W.F. Whyte, â€Å"street corner society† 1981. The kind of data produced by†¦show more content†¦Furthermore participant observation is useful carried out before a survey to help design questionnaires and identify issues. There are a number of different ways of carrying out participant observation. Some researchers for example hardly participate at all in the group they are observing while others are very much a part of the group. Some observers announce who they are and explain their research to their research subjects to the group; which is overt and some observers act secretively pretending to be a group member and write down what they observe; this is covert. An example of covert participant observation that has been carried out is James Patrick’s research. The purpose of the research was to discover what life was like in a Glasgow gang. An example of overt participant observation is Eileen Barker’s study in â€Å"The making of a Moonie† (1984) where she investigated into the Unification church to discover if participants were ‘brainwashed.’ Participant observations however also has disadvantages to its ‘usefulness.’ The problem is representativeness. It is not possible to generalise as the research carried out only gives information about a small group of people. 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