Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Job Satisfaction in the Malaysian Retail Sector

Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1, 73–94, January 2011 HERZBERG'S MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY AND JOB SATISFACTION IN THE MALAYSIAN RETAIL SECTOR: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF LOVE OF MONEY Tan Teck-Hong* and Amna Waheed Sunway University, School of Business 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia * Corresponding author: [email  protected] edu. my ABSTRACT This paper examines what motivates employees in the retail industry , and examines their level of job satisfaction, using Herzberg's hygiene factors and motivators.In this study, convenience sampling was used to select sales personnel from women's clothing stores in Bandar Sunway shopping mall in the state of Selangor. The results show that hygiene factors were the dominant motivators of sales personnel job satisfaction. Working conditions were the most significant in motivating sales personnel. Recognition was second, followed by company policy and salary. There is a need to d elve more deeply into why salespeople place such a high importance on money.Further analysis was performed to assess how much the love of money mediates the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. Based on the general test for mediation, the love of money could explain the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. The main implication of this study is that sales personnel who value money highly are satisfied with their salary and job when they receive a raise. Keywords: Herzberg's motivation-hygiene; job satisfaction; love of money, mediator, pay satisfaction, retailing, MalaysiaINTRODUCTION This paper explores the effect of motivational variables on the job satisfaction of salespeople in the Malaysian retail sector. Retail is crucial to the economies of most countries, mainly because of its large scale at all levels; local, national and even international. The retailing sector in Malaysia has undergone continuous and significant change over the last few decades. N ew facilities ranging from superstores to retail warehouses have widened the retail landscape (Market Research, 2009).Retail has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the Malaysian economy because it is not only employs 20% of Malaysia's entire population, but is also the second largest contributor to the national GDP,  © Asian Academy of Management and Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed contributing about US$ 35 billion in 2009, with a projection of US$ 58 billion in 2014 (PwC, 2009). Tourism contributes greatly to Malaysia's retail sales growth, as shopping revenue, which totalled US$ 4. 6 billion in 2008 (Market Research, 2009), is the second highest component of the country's tourism revenue.Thus, the retail industry is considered to be a significant contributor to the growth, economy and stability of Malaysia. The retail industry is subject to various problems and challenges. First, intense competition has resulted in price wars between foreign and local retailers. The majority of modern retail operations are foreign-owned and located in urban areas, whereas local stores dominate outside urban areas. Foreign retailers in Malaysia include Daily Farm (Giant), Tesco, Jaya Jusco, and Carrefour. As reported by Bailey (2009), Giant has the greatest market share with 8%, follow by Tesco (4%), Jusco (3%) and Carrefour (2%).Most local retailers are not geared to meet the challenges of globalization and do not have sufficient knowledge to compete with foreign retailers. Second, consumers these days prefer spacious shopping areas, attractive and trendy products, and ample parking space; preferences that are a major concern of many local retail stores as they attempt to combat competition. Third, consumer demands and shopping patterns are changing. Retailers are struggling to change their marketing strategy to suit consumer preferences. Malaysian shoppers have become more knowledgeable and discerning, and are ot easily influe nced by advertisements and promotions. In addition to being price- and quality-conscious, and they also care about the service they receive in stores. According to ACNielsen (2006), 75% of customer purchase decisions are influenced by the service the customer receives. With the expansion of the retail industry, the issue of how retailers strive to capture and retain their best staff becomes relevant. The effort and contribution of employees is a key competitive advantage and is crucial to the success of the firm (Bent ; Freathy, 1997).In any institution, be it in the retail industry or any other industry, it is important for management to increase workers' productivity by allowing workers to achieve their maximum potential. Keeping sales people inspired is one of the most difficult tasks faced by retail organizations. In the retail sector, employees have a direct impact on the customer, and the employee-customer relationship is an important consideration in a company's success. Sale speople deal directly with customers, so salespeople's attitudes, behaviour, and how they treat customers will determine whether customers will be loyal to a particular retailer.Companies spend millions of dollars every year recruiting, training and compensating their sales personnel in an effort to inspire them to perform well and thus increase company profits (Susan, 2003). An unmotivated workforce could lead to high sales force supervision costs, high absenteeism, and high turnover rates. In Malaysia, sales jobs are far from 74 The mediating effect of love of money exciting, and the majority of retailers employ a large number of poorly paid parttime staff, which may contribute to low morale and high turnover.Organizations, regardless of their size, are facing retention challenges (Ramlall, 2004). Sempane (2002) mentioned that voluntary turnover is a major problem f or companies in Malaysia and that job-hopping has become a part of the country's culture. This paper explores what m otivates sales personnel in the retail industry, and explores their level of job satisfaction, using Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factor theory. Senior managers may benefit from the results of this research because they could alter their reward system to better motivate their staff, which could lead to higher job atisfaction and better performance. Based on previous research, salary seems to be very important to salespeople. However, it is reasonable to believe that the results of such findings by various scholars may be overstated. Therefore, further analysis has been conducted to examine whether there is a mediating variable affecting the relationship between salary and job satisfaction. As pointed out by Tang, Luna-Arocas, Sutarso and Tang (2004), one such mediating variable is the love of money. LITERATURE REVIEW Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory of MotivationAs pointed by Vroom (1964), the word â€Å"motivation† is derived from the Latin word movere, which means â₠¬Å"to move†. Motivation is an internal force, dependent on the needs that drive a person to achieve. Schulze and Steyn (2003) affirmed that in order to understand people's behaviour at work, managers or supervisors must be aware of the concept of needs or motives, which will help â€Å"move† their employees to act. According to Robbins (2001), motivation is a needs-satisfying process, which means that when a person's needs are satisfied by certain factors, the person will exert superior effort toward attaining organizational goals.Theories of motivation can be used to explain the behaviour and attitude of employees (Rowley, 1996; Weaver, 1998). The theories include content theories, based on the assumption that people have individual needs, which motivate their actions. Theorists such as Maslow (1954), McClelland (1961), Herzberg (1966) and Alderfer (1969) are renowned for their works in this field. In contrast to content theories, process theories identify relationship s among variables which make up motivation and involve works from Heider (1958), Vroom (1964), Adams (1965), Locke (1976) and Lawler (1973).The main focus of this paper, however, is on Herzberg's theory of motivation. 75 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, also known as the two-factor theory, has received widespread attention as having a practical approach toward motivating employees. In 1959, Herzberg published his analysis of the feelings of 200 engineers and accountants from over nine companies in the United States. These professionals were asked to describe experiences in which they felt either extremely bad or exceptionally good about their jobs and to rate their feelings on these experiences.Responses about good feelings are generally related to job content (motivators), whereas responses about bad feelings are associated with job context (hygiene factor). Motivators involve factors built into the job itself, such as achievement, recognition, re sponsibility and advancement. Hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job, such as interpersonal relationships, salary, supervision and company policy (Herzberg, 1966). In the retail setting, Winer and Schiff (1980) have conducted studies using Herzberg's two-factor theory. They found that â€Å"achievement† was the highest rated motivator.Likewise, â€Å"making more money† received the second-highest rating in the study, followed by â€Å"chances of promotion† and â€Å"recognition†. In contrast, Lucas (1985) discovered that the â€Å"supervisor-employee relationship† was a significant factor influencing worker satisfaction in a study of U. S. retail stores, and two hygiene factors were reported as significant, namely â€Å"company policy† and â€Å"relationship with peers†. Herzberg perceived motivational and hygiene factors to be separated into two dimensions affecting separate aspects of job satisfaction.This belief differed from the traditional approach of viewing job satisfaction and dissatisfaction as opposite ends of the same continuum (Herzberg, 1966). Hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction but they do not lead to satisfaction. They are necessary only to avoid bad feelings at work. On the other hand, motivators are the real factors that motivate employees at work. The two-factor theory was tested by many other researchers, who showed very different results. Some research has shown that some of the factors declared by Herzberg (1966) as hygiene factors are actually motivators.The results of Herzberg's theory can vary if the test is conducted in different industries. The differences are due to the intensity of the labour requirement and the duration of employment (Nave, 1968). Extensive commentary has emerged about how to distinguish between hygiene factors and motivators. While some factors have proved to fall clearly in one of the two categories, other factors, particularly salary, have proven to be ambig uous as to whether they are motivators or a hygiene factors. 76 The mediating effect of love of money Job SatisfactionJob satisfaction is important to an organization's success. Much research has been conducted into ways of improving job satisfaction of workers in various sectors of the Malaysian economy, including the academic sector (Wong ; Teoh, 2009; Noordin ; Jusoff, 2009), the hotel sector (Abd. Patah, Radzi, Abdullah, Adzmy, Adli Zain, ; Derani, 2009), the government sector (Yahaya, A. , Yahaya, N. , Arshad, ; Ismail, 2009), the non-profit sector (Ismail ; Zakaria, 2009), the naval sector (Mohd. Bokti ; Abu Talib, 2009), and the automobile manufacturing sector (Santhapparaj, Srinivasan, ; Koh, 2005).There has been relatively little research into the determinants of job satisfaction in the retail sector using Herzberg's two-factor theory. Therefore, this paper endeavours to address this literature gap. Previous studies generally found that job satisfaction is associated with s alary, occupational stress, empowerment, company and administrative policy, achievement, personal growth, relationship with others, and the overall working condition. It has been argued that an increase in job satisfaction increases worker productivity (Wright ; Cropanzano, 1997; Shikdar ; Das, 2003).As mentioned by Dunnette, Campbell and Hakel (1967) and Robbins (2001), job satisfaction is an emotional state in which a person perceives various features of his/her work or the work environment. Therefore, job satisfaction has a major effect on people's lives. Locke (1976) indicated that job satisfaction most commonly affects a person's physical health, mental health and social life. Moreover, Rain, Lane and Steiner (1991) wrote that job satisfaction is connected to life satisfaction, whereby people who are satisfied with their jobs will tend to be happy with their lives as well, and vice versa.Coster (1992) supported the view that work can have on people's lives. Furthermore, Breed a nd Breda (1997) indicated that job satisfaction may affect absenteeism, complaints, and labour unrest. Therefore, it is understood that satisfied workers will be much more productive and be retained within the organisation for a longer period, in contrast to displeased workers who will be less useful and who will have a greater tendency to quit their jobs (Crossman, 2003). More importantly, satisfied workers not only perform better but also provide better service to customers, which could result in improving customer satisfaction.According to Dawson (2005), employee satisfaction is associated with positive employee behaviour. It is undeniable that satisfied workers generate customers who are satisfied and loyal. It is assumed that motivation and satisfaction are very similar and that, in many cases, they are considered to be synonymous terms. According to Hersey and Blanchard (1988), motivation and satisfaction are quite different from each another in terms of reward and performance . The authors pointed out that motivation is influenced by forward-looking perceptions about the relationship 77 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed etween performance and rewards, whereas satisfaction involves how people feel about the rewards they have received. In other words, motivation is a consequence of expectations of the future while satisfaction is a consequence of past events (Carr, 2005). Huselid (1995) believes that if workers are not motivated, turnover will increase and employees will become frustrated and unproductive. Various other researchers who have investigated motivation and job satisfaction support this statement (Maidani, 1991; Tietjen ; Myers, 1998; Robbins, 2001; Parsons ; Broadbridge, 2006).Under Herzberg's (1966) theory, workers who are satisfied with both motivation and hygiene factors would be top performers, and those who are dissatisfied with both factors would be poor performers. Christopher (2005) found no support for this, and his research concluded that Herzberg's results prove accurate only under his original methodology. Theories of worker motivation address a model connecting job satisfaction, motivation and performance. Considerable importance is attached to these concepts, and there is a need for clarification on how satisfaction and motivation differ from each other.Job satisfaction is an emotional response accompanying actions or thoughts relating to work, whereas motivation is the process that activates behaviour. As satisfaction is an attitude, it is possible for a worker to be satisfied with his job but not be motivated. Hence, motivation and satisfaction are not synonymous with each other. It is vital to clarify the distinction between the concepts so that it is easier to understand that motivation leads to satisfaction, which ultimately leads to enhanced performance.The Role of Salary, the Love of Money, and Pay Satisfaction It is undeniable that sales managers always use high salary to attract, retain and motivate wor kers. Robbins (2001) pointed out that money can be considered as â€Å"scorecard† through which workers can assess how much an organization values them. However, there have been quite a few nonconformist views on the role of salary. Kochan (2002) argued that money results only in temporary obedience from workers and that money does not transform workers' attitude and behaviour in the long term.He pointed out that money only motivates workers to seek further rewards and that, in the process, can undermine workers' intrinsic interest in their jobs. Money may or may not motivate people. According to the contingency view, workers from different countries, age groups, income levels, career stages, and cultural backgrounds may rank the desire for money differently. As mentioned by Furnham (1994), the desire for money is rated higher by young workers in Far East and Middle East as compared with those in North America and South 78 The mediating effect of love of moneyAmerica. Based o n a study of 1,000 employees, Kovach (1987) showed that younger workers with low incomes are more concerned about money, whereas older workers with high incomes and management positions are motivated more by job security, interesting work and recognition. Under Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, salary is associated with the lowerlevel needs, such as physical and security needs. Maslow (1954) stat ed that once the lower-order needs are met, higher-order needs will become most important. Thus, additional salary increases do not motivate employees any further.To improve job satisfaction and performance level of workers, managers must work on motivators by providing opportunities for career advancement and development, as workers value motivators more than hygiene factors (Ramlall, 2004). As indicated in most of the literature, salary plays an important role in motivating salespeople. However, the strength of the relationship between salary and job satisfaction may be influenced by a mediator. The mediator may serve to clarify and explain how and why such relationships occur. The concept of love of money was introduced by Tang et al. 2004), who argued that the love of money reflects an employee's wants and values, and stated that someone who values money highly will be satisfied with his salary and ultimately his job when he receives a desired raise. Sloan (2002) mentioned that a person never has enough money and wants to have more money as having money is considered to be the most important goal in life. According to Lawler (1973), employees' pay satisfaction usually influences their job satisfaction. Tang et al. (2004) found that pay satisfaction is a part of job satisfaction, which could lead to higher worker productivity.Workers are inspired to achieve more and to give full effort only if they are satisfied with their pay. Lawler (1973) reported that absenteeism can result when pay dissatisfaction is present. According to Mani (2002), workers who were absent from their works frequently were not satisfied with their pay, whereas 69% who were absent once or more in six months were not satisfied with their pay. Based on the discussion above, there are two research questions for this paper. The first research question is to determine job satisfaction of sales personnel by using Herzberg's two-factor theory.The second research question is to assess whether the love of money mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and money. Research Question 1: Which of Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factors is valued more by salespeople in Malaysia? 79 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Research Question 2: To what extent does love of money mediate the relationship between money and job satisfaction? METHODOLOGY In this study, 180 sales personnel from women's clothing stores in the shopping mall of Bandar Sunway in the state of Selangor were administered a questionnaire after they had been selected through convenience sampling.Of the 180 questionnaire s, 152 were found to be useful for analysis. The other 28 questionnaires contained incomplete information. The questionnaire, written in English, was handed to the salespeople at their place of work. Researchers did not ask permission from the store manager to conduct the survey. The questionnaire included a series of statements and the respondents were asked to indicate their degree of agreement with each statement. Responses were scored on a five-point scale: 1 for â€Å"strongly disagree†, 2 for â€Å"disagree†, 3 for â€Å"neutral†, 4 for â€Å"agree†, and 5 for â€Å"strongly agree†.All questions used in the survey pertaining to determinants of job satisfaction were derived from Ewen, Smith, and Hulin (1966), Graen (1966), Sergiovanni (1966), House and Wigdor (1967), Lindsay, Marks, and Gorlow (1967), Maidani (1991), Pizam and Ellis (1999), Klassen, Usher, and Bong (2010), and Tang et al. (2004). Linear regression analysis was performed to tes t the relationship between Herzberg's motivation-hygiene factors and job satisfaction. Further analysis was performed to assess to what extent the love of money mediates the relationship between money and job satisfaction.According to Baron and Kenny (1986), testing for mediation involves a four-step process. First, the relationship between the predictor variable and the criterion variable is examined to determine whether those two variables are correlated. Second, the relationship between predictor and mediator variables were examined to determine whether those variables correlate. Third, the relationship between the mediator and the predictor on the criterion variable, controlling for the predictor, is assessed to establish the effect of the mediator on the criterion variable.Fourth, the effect of the predictor on the criterion variable, controlling for the mediator, is examined to determine whether the mediator completely or partially mediates the relationship between the predict or and the criterion variable. The effects in both step 3 and 4 are estimated in the same equation to determine whether the beta levels change. If all four of these steps are fulfilled, then the mediator completely mediates the predictorcriterion relationship. If only the first three steps are satisfied, then partial mediation is shown. 80 The mediating effect of love of moneyMotivation levels of participants were measured using the scales developed by Ewen et al. (1966), Graen (1966), Sergiovanni (1966), House and Wigdor (1967), Lindsay et al (1967), Maidani (1991), and Pizam and Ellis (1999). For each factor, several questions were asked in order to compute an average and to enhance the accuracy of the measure. A person's attachment to money was measured using eight items and employees' satisfaction with their pay was measured using three items. Both of those scales were adopted from Tang et al. (2004). Job satisfaction was measured using four items from Klassen et al. 2010) (see Appendix 1). ANALYSIS AND RESULTS A reliability test was performed to check the consistency and accuracy of the measurement scales. Table 1 shows that the results of Cronbach's coefficient alpha were satisfactory (between 0. 70 and 0. 84), indicating questions in each construct are measuring a similar concept. As suggested by Cronbach (1951) and Nunnally (1978), the reliability coefficients between 0. 70–0. 90 are generally found to be internally consistent. Table 1 Testing reliability with Cronbach's coefficient alpha The job satisfaction factors Number of items Cronbach's alpha Achievement (AC) 0. 70 Recognition (R) 3 0. 71 Advancement (AD) 2 0. 70 Work Itself (W) 3 0. 72 Growth (G) 3 0. 71 Company Policy (P) 3 0. 72 Security at Work (S) 3 0. 76 Relations with Peers (RP) 3 0. 80 Money Factor (M) 2 0. 84 Relations with Supervisor (RS) 3 0. 74 Working Conditions (WC) 2 0. 80 Love Of Money Scale (LM) 8 0. 84 Pay Satisfaction (PS) 3 0. 80 Job Satisfaction (JS) 4 0. 75 Table 2 s hows the profile of respondents in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, education level, number of years of work experience, and monthly income. Of the 81 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed 152 respondents, 91 were men (59. %) and 61 were women (40. 1%). In terms of age, 73% of the respondents were between 15 and 24 years of age, 22% in the 25–35 age range, 3. 3% in the 35–44 age range, and 1. 3% aged 45 and above. Most respondents were Chinese (46%), followed by Malays (32. 2%), and Indians (21. 3%). The education level of 76. 3% of the respondents was below an undergraduate degree. In terms of number of years of work experience, most of the respondents had 5 years or less (79. 6%), followed by 6–10 years (16. 5%), and 10 years or above (3. 9%). As for the monthly income, 39. 5% of the respondents earned between RM1,000 and RM2,000, 37. % earned less than RM1,000, and 23% earned RM2,000 and above. In this survey, respondents were generally young and had received only a primary or secondary education, which is quite similar to the profile of the respondents in the study of Parsons and Broadbridge (2006). Because about three-fourths of the respondents were less than 25 years old, the analysis may not be generalizable to the whole population of sales personnel. Older salespeople may differ from their younger colleagues in attitudes, beliefs, behaviour, and attributes related to motivation and job satisfaction. Table 2Characteristics of the respondents Respondents' characteristics Number Percentages Male 91 59. 9% Female 61 40. 1% Gender Age 15–24 111 73% 25–35 34 22% 35–44 5 3. 3% 45 and above 2 1. 3% Malay 49 32. 2% Chinese 70 46% Indian 32 21. 3% 117 76. 3% 35 23. 7% Race Education Below Bachelor's degree Bachelor's degree and above (continued) 82 The mediating effect of love of money Table 2 (continued) Respondents' characteristics Number Percentages Years of Experience 0–5 years 121 79. 6% 6–10 years 25 16. 5% 6 3. 9% Below RM1000 57 37. 5% RM1000–2000 60 39. 5% RM2000 and above 35 23% 10 and above IncomeTable 3 presents the correlation matrix of the motivational factors and job satisfaction. Work itself (r = 0. 271) and recognition (r = 0. 055) correlated in a statistically significant manner with job satisfaction at the 0. 01 level, while only achievement (r = –0. 135) was significantly correlated to job satisfaction at the 0. 05 level. As far as hygiene factors are concerned, company policy (r = 0. 017), relationship with peers (r = 0. 381), money (r = 0. 383), and working conditions (r = 0. 376) were significantly and positively associated with satisfaction. Table 3 Correlation analysis Note: * Correlation is significant at the 0. 5 level (1-tailed); ** Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (1tailed) Regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between Herzberg's two-factor theory and job satisfaction in Malaysia. To assess whether the regressio n analysis suffers from multicollinearity, the variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated. As indicated in Table 4, all VIF values are less than 5, indicating there is no multicollinearity problem in the model. The results suggested that 54% of the variance in job satisfaction in Malaysia could be explained by Herzberg's motivational and hygiene factors. The F-ratio of 14. 0 83 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed (p = 0. 00) indicated that the regression model of work motivation and satisfaction on the motivational variables assessed was statistically significant. The results also revealed that only four of the ten motivational variables were found to be significant in the Malaysian context. The analysis demonstrated that the most significant motivational variable of job satisfaction was the working condition s, indicating that salespeople value most the working environment provided by sales managers. Recognition was the second significant factor, followed by company policy, and the m oney factor.Of four main motivational variables of salespeople in Malaysia, only recognition was a significant motivator. The evidence is sufficient to conclude that hygiene factors are more effective than motivators in motivating salespeople in Malaysia. Table 4 Regression analysis (Dependent variable: Job Satisfaction) Motivational factors B Std. error t VIF AC .063 R .241* .113 .563 1. 758 .100 2. 416 1. 543 AD .039 .089 .440 1. 637 W .067 .088 .759 1. 601 G .019 .091 .215 1. 736 .215* P S RP RS M WC F .094 2. 283 2. 745 –. 060 .085 –. 702 2. 572 –. 059 .060 –. 984 1. 754 .073 –. 191 1. 574 .199** .073 2. 711 1. 03 .262** .091 2. 888 1. 555 –0. 14 14. 9 R2 .540 Adjusted R2 .504 Note: *significant at the 0. 05 level (1-tailed); ** significant at the 0. 01 level (1-tailed) Similarly, the problem of multi-collinearity was addressed before performing mediation analysis. Again, VIF values are less than 5 for the variables of money (M), love of money (LM), and pay satisfaction (PS). As shown in Table 4, money was one of the significant factors in motivating salespeople in terms of job satisfaction. However, there is a need to delve more deeply into the reasons that salespeople place such high importance on money.To provide a clearer picture of the role of salary, the general test for mediation was performed to examine whether there is a mediating variable affecting the relationship between the money factor and job satisfaction. As indicated in literature, the love of money 84 The mediating effect of love of money may explain why there is a strong relationship between money and job satisfaction. Based on Tang et al. (1992), pay satisfaction was used in this study to indicate job satisfaction. As pointed out by Lawler (1973), pay satisfaction usually influences the job satisfaction of workers.Following Baron and Kenny (1986), mediation analysis was used to assess whether the love of money mediates the relationship between m oney and pay satisfaction. The results in Table 5 show that money was significantly and positively related to pay satisfaction (significant at ;lt; 0. 01). The results of the regression test of money (predictor) on love of money (mediator) showed that money significantly correlated with love of money at the 0. 05 level. The results also showed that the effect of love of money (mediator) on pay satisfac tion (criterion) was significant at the 0. 05 level after controlling for the money variable (predictor).Finally, the effect of money (predictor) on pay satisfaction (criterion), controlling for the love of money (mediator), was also statistically significant. As a result, it is reasonable to believe that the love of money may explain why there is a relationship between the money factor and job satisfaction among salespeople in the retail sector. In this survey, salespeople who value money highly are satisfied with their salary and job when they receive a desired raise. Table 5 Testin g love of money (LM) as a mediator on the relationship between money (M) and pay satisfaction (PS) DV: PS DV: LM DV: PS w/o mediator) (w mediator) B M t B t B t 0. 510** 7. 234 0. 137* 2. 496 0. 168* 2. 042 0. 21** 2. 638 LM Note: *. significant at the 0. 05 level; ** significant at the 0. 01 level) DISCUSSION This paper examines what motivates sales personnel in the retail industry in Malaysia and examines their level of job satisfaction as a result of Herzberg ‘s hygiene factors and motivators. The first research question addresses whether motivators actually do lead to job satisfaction, as proclaimed by Herzberg in his study on sales personnel in Malaysia, and addresses whether hygiene factors contribute to job satisfaction. 5 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed The results obtained reveal that only four of the 11 determinants are found to be significant in the context of Malaysian retail workers. Contrary to the finding of Herzberg (1966), the analysis demonstrates that the stro ngest motivation factor with the highest significance level on job satisfaction in the women's clothing store was the working conditions, which is a hygiene factor. It was observed that retail outlets in the surveyed mall are air-conditioned and have music playing and that salespeople deem the stores to be comfortable.In line with the findings of Winer and Schiff (1980) and Lucas (1985), recognition, company policy, and the money factor seem to be important factors in motivating sales personnel in this survey. Of four significant factors, only recognition is a motivator as defined by Herzberg's two-factor theory. Therefore, it is observed that hygiene factors dominate the motivators in terms of job satisfaction among sales personnel in Malaysia. This observation is supported by Islam and Is mail (2008).They say that compared with American workers, Malaysian workers are generally more concerned about hygiene factors (money and working conditions) than about motivators (full appreciat ion of work done). Similar findings are also reported in Bangkok (Sithiphand, 1983) and Yemen (Al-Mekhlafie, 1991). This study observes the importance of money in the lives of sales personnel. The second research question examines whether the love of money mediates the relationship between money and pay satisfaction among employees in the retail sector. Similar to the findings of Tang et al. 2004), the love of money appears to be identified as a mediator influencing the relationship between money and job satisfaction. Sales personnel generally are not the highest paid people in Malaysia, and they may experience pay compression even if they have been in service for a long time. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Salespeople in Malaysia place greater emphasis on hygiene factors than motivators, namely working conditions, money and company policy. Among the motivators defined by Herzberg, only one – recognition – was found to be significant in this survey.The study also foun d that the love of money has a mediating effect on the relationship between money and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that any retail organization in Malaysia preparing a reward scheme may need to consider the four motivational factors of working conditions, recognition, company policy, and money and emphasize them over other motivational factors. Those four factors can be used to help improve job satisfaction, productivity and performance of salespeople.The main implication of this study is that sales managers and supervisors need to keep salespeople happy and take care of workers' concerns and needs. Satisfied 86 The mediating effect of love of money salespeople will talk about how great their j ob is and they will perform better in their jobs. That will result in retailers making higher profits due to customer satisfaction. Additionally, if retailers improve working conditions, employee turnover will be lower, which, in turn, will reduce the considerable costs that retai lers incur in training new salespeople.The importance of money to salespeople in the Malaysian retail sector is clearly shown in this study. Sales managers and supervisors should consider: 1. Providing salespeople with a flexible working schedule 2. Linking the performance of salespeople with the appropriate monetary rewards and incentives 3. Providing salespeople with opportunities to grow in their job In addition, the morale of salespeople can be improved if company policy toward salespeople is productive. A good policy can exert significant influence on how salespeople perform their jobs.For example, a company needs to build a strong sales culture as the first step to improving performance. Without the right sales culture, sales managers will not build a powerful sales force. In many smaller retail companies, the sales leader does not know how to build a sales force and relies heavily on hiring experienced salespeople in the hope that they will build the company. In mid-size and large-size retailers, the typical culture is â€Å"nothing matters but results†. Most of these sales managers want results but they do not adequately train or motivate the salespeople.If a company develops a strong sales culture, sales leaders and salespeople can work together successfully to achieve the company's goals. The results discussed here indicate that workers can be concurrently intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. With that in mind, managers should use a mixture of methods – including monetary rewards, praise and recognition – to effectively motivate workers and promote job satisfaction. LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH Given the scarcity of empirical studies on the Malaysian retailing industry, there is a need to undertake more research addressing the motivations of sales personnel.Although quantitative research was used in this study, it is believed that qualitative research would be beneficial in helping to enhance our understanding of how sal espeople are motivated. Observing employee behaviour and interviewing employees can enable researchers to gain insight that typically is difficult to acquire through quantitative analysis. The findings obtained from the questionnaire administered in this study are limited by the perceptions and opinions of the respondents. It is assumed that the respondents have answered the questions accurately and honestly. The findings 87Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed apply only to sales personnel in Bandar Sunway in Selangor. This means that the results may not be generalizable to other regions in Malaysia. Future research needs to obtain information relating to sales personnel in other regions of Malaysia to permit a comparison of perceptions and expectations from salespeople throughout Malaysia. Additionally, further research could include a study comparing job satisfaction levels of salespeople in Malaysia and other countries. Another concern is that the questionnaires used in this study were available only in English.Although the respondents could understand English, it is recommended that in the future the questionnaire be translated into Malay, Chinese and Tamil to minimize the risks of misunderstanding and misinterpretation that might influence the results. It also must be noted that the research focuses only on Herzberg's theory. 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(2008). Employee motivation: a Malaysian perspective. International Journal of Commerce and Management, 18, 344–362. 89 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Ismail, A. , ; Zakaria, N. (2009). Relationship between international justice and pay for performance as an antecedent of job satisfaction: an empirical study in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Management. 4(3), 190–199. Klassen, R. M. , Usher, E. L. , ; Bong, M. (2010). Teachers' collective efficacy, job satisfaction, and job stress in cross-cultural context.T he Journal of Experimental Education, 78, 464–486. Kochan, T. A. (2002). Addressing the crisis in confidence in corporations: root causes, victims, and strategies for reform. Academy of Management Executives, 16(3), 139–141. Kovach, K. A. (1987). What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers. Business Horizons, 58–65. Lawler, E. E. (1973). Employee reactions to job characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 55, 259–286. Lindsay, C. 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APPENDICES Appendix A Measurement scales of the study Factor Questions Motivators Achievement I am proud to work in this company because it recognizes my achievements I feel satisfied with my job because it gives me feeling of accomplishment I feel I have contributed towards my company in a positive manner Advancement I will choose career advancement rather than moneta ry incentives My job allows me to learn new skills for career advancement Work itself My work is thrilling and I have a lot of variety in tasks that I do I am empowered enough to do my jobMy job is challenging and exciting Recognition I feel appreciated when I achieve or complete a task My manager always thanks me for a job well done I receive adequate recognition for doing my job well Growth I am proud to work in my company because I feel I have grown as a person My job allows me to grow and develop as a person My job allows me to improve my experience, skills and performance Hygiene Factors Company policy The attitude of the administration is very accommodative in my company I am proud to work for this company because the company policy is favourable for its workersI completely understand the mission of my company (continued) 92 The mediating effect of love of money (continued) Factor Relationship with peers Questions It is easy to get along with my colleagues My colleagues are he lpful and friendly Colleagues are important to me Work security I believe safe working at my workplace I believe my job is secure My workplace is located in an area where I feel comfortable Relationship with supervisor I feel my performance has improved because of the support from my supervisor I feel satisfied at work because of my relationship with my supervis or My supervisors are strong and trustworthy leadersMoney I am encouraged to work harder because of my salary I believe my salary is fair Working conditions I feel satisfied because of the comfort I am provided at work Job Satisfaction I am satisfied with my job I am proud to work for my company because of the pleasant working conditions I am happy with the way my colleagues and superiors treat me I am satisfied with what I achieve at work I feel good at work Love of Money Money reinforces me to work harder I am motivated to work hard for money Money reflects my accomplishments Money is how we compare each otherMoney is a sy mbol of success for me Money reinforces me to work with more enthusiasm and vigor Money is attractive Money is an important factor in our lives Pay Satisfaction I am satisfied with my pay The pay I receive is appropriate for the work I do My pay is high in comparison to my colleagues pay for doing a similar job 93 Tan Teck-Hong and Amna Waheed Appendix B Conceptual Model Advancement Work Itself Achievement Recognition Job/Pay Safisfaction Working Condition Growth Love of Money Policy Peer Relationship Work Security Supervisor Relationship Money 94

Blood Doping in Endurance Sports

Blood Doping in Endurance Sports Blood doping has become a consistant part of sports and fair play. Blood doping enhances your performance by increasing red blood cell mass and as a result delivering more oxygen to muscle. This â€Å"boost† of energy has sparked major controversy in the sports world for what it can do for an athlete during endurance events such as running. The risks involve putting the cardiovascular system of the athlete being in severe danger because of this procedure. Still, there are athletes out there that will put themselves at risk just to experience the prestige feeling of being number one, regardless of the circumstances. Fortunately, the last few years’ studies have made great strides and it has been discovered that athletes can increase their blood’s oxygen level without any side effects. Over the course of many years the use of blood doping and substances have been extremely controversial in endurance sports, how is it monitored and should they be allowed, but more importantly what are the risks? Each year, athletes in the endurance sports, increase their performances greatly. There is always better training, better conditioning tactics, and healthier athletes. Most athletes in the endurance world take one, if not all, of these methods to improve their races. Some of these ways consist of altitude training and the High Altitude Bed which is a bed that stimulates being 10,000 or more feet above which helps endurance athletes increase EPO in their bodies. Both the altitude bed and altitude training are safe and practical ways to achieve what some athletes accomplish through a highly dangerous and somewhat controversial way. However, there are some athletes that will do anything to find an easy way out, which may hinder their performance rather than help them achieve their goals. Plasma injections or blood doping is a complicated process, which if done right, can give great benefits for the short term. The process is very precise, in that, if done incorrectly, can be deadly to the recipient of the blood. â€Å"Blood doping, often called induced erythrocythemia, is the intravenous infusion of blood to produce an increase in the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity† (Smith). Putting that in black and white, you increase the amount of oxygen in your body, making it easier to race harder. The procedure begins with between 1 to 4 units of a person’s blood (1 unit = 450 ml of blood) being withdrawn. Most athletes go through the drawing of blood several weeks before a key competition so they have time to rebuild their normal level of red blood cells. The blood is then centrifuged and the plasma components are immediately reinfused while the remaining red blood cells are placed in cold storage (McArdle). The red blood cells are then reinfused back into the body, usually one to seven days before a high endurance event. If done correctly, this process can increase the hemoglobin level and red blood count by up to a staggering twenty percent creating the optimum oxygen levels. That percentage can make an average to slightly above average athlete look great and even make a very successful athlete have a performance of a lifetime. The WADA, the world anti- doping agency, is starting to crack down on endurance athletes trying to hurdle over some of the regulations to get a better time or place in their event. Athletes will do anything in their power to get the best seed time, place and to finish at a desired time and place when the final competition is held. Seed times can be crucial in endurance sports or faster, shorter races; this seed can determine where they are positioned throughout the race. But to prevent the hurdling of regulations a â€Å"World Anti- Doping Code† was set in place which all endurance athletes must follow especially when it comes to prestigious events. The purposes of the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Program which supports it are: to protect the athletes' fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness and equality for athletes worldwide, and To ensure harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping programs at the international and national level with regard to detection, deterrence and prevention of doping† (USADA). The code is the fundamental and universal document upon which the World Anti-Doping Program in sport is based. The purpose of the Code is to advance the anti-doping effort through universal harmonization of core anti-doping elements. It is intended to be specific enough to achieve complete harmonization on issues where uniformity is required, yet general enough in other areas to permit flexibility on how agreed-upon anti-doping principles are implemented. † (USADA). Without this code athletes will not fear being tested or fear the risk of being exposed as a â€Å"cheater†. This Code implies that at any time a major athlete in a race can be tested if suggested or there is a high possibility the athlete could have used this method to â€Å"get ahead†. The international standards for this Code are to ensure every athlete across the globe understands this is illegal so every athlete in their race has a fair chance. The WADA does not want an athlete to break a world record in another country just because blood doping is legal in that country, therefore the Code applies to all endurance athletes world-wide. There are two ways to decide whether an athlete has used blood doping prior to their race and/or the day of their race. The athlete is either needed to take a blood or urine sample. There are such things as IC testing and OOC testing which refers to in-competition and out-of-competition. Yes, even if an athlete is out of season, blood doping is illegal, at all times, this includes the athlete is not competing in an upcoming race when they are found to have blood doped. In-Competition testing plans are primarily developed by coordinating with each National Governing Body (NGB) and are often in accordance with IF rules. Athletes may be selected for testing by USADA, the US anti- doping agency, based on a criterion that typically includes established rules set forth by each â€Å"IF†. An example of how athletes would be selected for in competition or event testing could be: Placed finishers, such as the top three finishers and randomly selected athletes, such as ninth, twelfth, fourteenth, etc. Out of Competition testing-USADA’s Test Distribution Plan establishes the number of tests per sport based upon the number of athletes in the USADA Registered Testing Pool and in evaluation of the International Standards. USADA also carefully considers selection formulas or requests for target selection of particular Athletes which are proposed by the USOC or a particular NGB. Tests are then allocated to periods throughout the year when OOC Testing is most effective (USADA). This testing is taken extremely serious; the USADA is determined to make endurance sports as natural as possible, to give everyone in the races a fair advantage, with no exceptions. Not just anyone can perform blood or urine tests for blood doping on the athletes. â€Å"The United States Olympic Committee (USOC), National Governing Bodies (NGBs), and the World Anti-doping agency (WADA) Code have authorized USADA to test any athlete, but only under certain circumstances†, (USADA). These circumstances are ostly done in the United States but when there is an international event or team, these also qualify for random testing. Random testing can occur quite often, especially the week before a major competition or after the competition ends. The United States is most determined to catch unfaithful athletes, but it is a constant mission to get all countries to take this as seriously as the United States does. The USADA can test anyone who: Is a member of a license holder of a NGB; Is participating at an Event or Competition sanctioned by the USOC or a NGB or participating at an Event or Competition in the United States sanctioned by an IF. This rule does not exclude competitors outside of the United States. If the athlete is a foreign athlete who is present in the United States, the athlete can still be tested. If the Athlete has given their consent to testing by USADA or who has submitted a Whereabouts Filing to USADA or an IF within the previous 12 months and has not given their NGB written notice of retirement or been named by the USOC or an NGB to an international team or who is included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (USADA RTP) or is competing in a qualifying event to represent the USOC or NGB in international competition. That is one problem as well, out of the country athletes under certain circumstances must agree to be tested, in order to be tested. But there are so many ways the USADA can test an athlete. For most athletes there is still no way around the random testing. Even if a United States Athlete or foreign Athlete present in the United States who is serving a period of ineligibility on account of an anti-doping rule violation and has not given prior written notice of retirement to the their NGB and USADA or the applicable foreign anti-doping agency or foreign sport association, the athlete can still be tested. Athletes can only be tested by USADA under authorization from the USOC, an NGB, IF, any NADO, WADA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee, (IPC), or the organizing committee of any Event or Competition (USADA). As said before, this is taken extremely seriously to keep endurance sports clean and natural. There are many substances such as anabolic agents, hormones or steroids, Beta-2 agonists, gene doping, stimulants, narcotics, cannabinnoids, etc. Blood doping seems to be on the top of the lists because it has the least side effects, hence why athletes resort to blood doping. But the side effects may be few, but they are extremely dangerous to an athlete’s heath and life. The side effects of blood doping include, â€Å"increased heart rate, blood clotting, and stroke,† (USADA). Those three side effects may seem like they can only happen to older athletes but they apply to anyone who considers blood doping. Although, this system is a great prevention of future doping it also causes controversy when an athlete wins an event and is immediately suspected of blood doping or using a substance. These tests and committees let athletes know they are serious about this controversy and are stopping at nothing to make athletes get the performance they want the real way, no cheating, no cutting corners, just hard, hard work. These accusations not only affect the runners ego it also puts an unwanted spotlight on the athlete which make fans and other runners question the athletes character. There are plenty of athletes accused of blood doping such as, â€Å"Lasse Viren, the famous Finnish distance runner, (who was tripped and got back up to still win the 10,000m in the Olympics, and won the 5,000m against Prefontaine in 1972 & also won both again in 1976) was suspected of blood doping because he was still running elite even as he got older when most runners started to decline,† (Athletic Runner). Even though Lasse Viren was innocent, unfortunately we have this Code because that is not always the case. In other races such as the steeplechase even world champion steeplechaser, Marta Dominguez and his doctor have been accused of blood doping. At the center of cycling’s biggest doping investigation were among a reported 14 people detained across Spain by the Spanish Civil Guard in a new investigation. The Spanish news media reported that, â€Å" she was detained along with her trainer, Cesar Perez, and Eufemiano Fuentes, a doctor involved with Operation Puerto, which implicated more than fifty cyclists after raids in May 2006 that netted steroids, blood bags and blood doping equipment. It led to bans for Alejandro Valverde and Ivan Basso. Dominguez, thirty-five, is skipping the 2011 season because she is pregnant,† (New York Times). The urine sample to find out whether an athlete has violated the blood doping Code was a huge phenomenon in 2009. In recent studies, The World Anti-Doping Agency, found a new method that would allow wider testing of the banned blood-boosting hormone EPO. Arne Ljungqvist, vice president of WADA, said that, â€Å" if the new technique proved successful, it could be used much more widely than the existing system, which is expensive and complicated,† (New York Times). Before this testing became available it took days to figure out whether an athlete has cheated, but the urine testing has made big strides in speeding up the process for less controversy and stress for the athletes. Athletes like Cyclist Jesus Monzano have had bad experiences with blood doping. Blood doping can be lethal even for a healthy and fit athlete. He nearly died after being injected with poorly stored blood in 2003. It is found that, â€Å"an extraordinarily high level of RBCs in the blood can tax athletes' hearts. Its hard work for the organ to push sludgy blood through an athlete's veins† (Kois). Other athletes like Tyler Hamiliton face the loss of Olympic and prestigious medals, â€Å"He lost his medal in the cycling time trial because two separate blood tests suggested that he might be guilty of blood doping. Hamilton, who has up to now enjoyed a squeaky-clean image, denies the charge† (Kois). Although this can be done in almost any sport, the USADA’s considerations are consistent with WADA’s international Standards for testing (IST). These standards at minimum include: Physical demands of the sport and possible performance-enhancing effect that doping may elicit, available doping analysis statistics, available research on doping trends, training periods and competition season, the history of doping in the sport and/or discipline, training periods and the competition calendar, information received on possible doping practices, resources aimed at the detection of doping may be specifically targeted and USADA retains the right to test any athlete at any time. Currently, blood doping is a controversial issue. With great strides in science and sports medicine, this will probably be a dilemma for years to come. Many present and future athletes will have to use their best judgment when this procedure becomes an issue in their lives. Blood doping is illegal but is also somewhat undetectable. Even though there are ways to catch an athlete blood doping, the USADA still cannot catch everyone, as with any substances or ways to â€Å"get ahead†. Their goal is to make athletes realize this is an unfair advantage to athletes not blood doping. The potential risks of such a procedure seem to outweigh any potential benefits, above and beyond the ethical issues involved† (Wilmore). With all the things that can happen to a professional athlete, why risk it? If a distinct advantage is needed in endurance events, altitude training and the altitude sleep chamber seem to have far fewer risks and are currently safe and legal. And, if all else fail s, hard work and determination still count for something. Works Cited â€Å"Blood Doping. † USADA, 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. ;. Brien Anthony J, Simon Toby L: The Effects of Red Blood Cell Infusion on 10- K. Race Time. JAMA 1987; 257:20:2761-2765. Catlin Don H, Murray Thomas H: Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Fair Competition, and Olympic Sport. JAMA 1996; 276:3:231-237. â€Å"Effects of Blood Doping and Gamow’s High Altitude Bed. † Blood Doping. http://spot. colorado. edu/~gamow/doping. html (9 Mar. 1997). Ghaphery Nick A: Performance-Enhancing Drugs. The Orthopedic Clinics of North America 1995; 26:3:433-442. Gledhill Norman: Blood Doping and Related Issues: a brief review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1982; 14:3:183-189. â€Å"Killer drug should be tackled now, say’s expert. Blood Doping. http://www3. nando. net/newsroom/sports/oth/1996/oth/mor/feat/archive/031296/mor44236. html (9 Mar. 1997). Kois, Dan. â€Å"What Is Blood Doping? † Slate Magazine. 23 Sept. 2004. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. ;. McArdle William D, Katch Frank I, Katch Victor L: Exercise Physiology; Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance. Second Edition: Lea and Febiger Copyright 1986; Philadelphia, PA. p. 409-411. Mirkin Gabe. â€Å"New Tests to Detect EPO Use. † Blood Doping. http://www. wdn. com/mirkin/fc51. html (9 Mar. 1997). â€Å"Prof’s Invention to Train Athletes While They Sleep. Blood Doping. http://spot. colorado. edu. /~gamow/bedpr. html (9 Mar. 1997). Smith Daniel A, Perry Paul J: The efficacy of Ergogenic Agents in Athletic Competition; Part II: Other Performance-Enhancing Agents. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 1992; 26:5:653-658. Wadler Gary I: Drug Use Update. The Medical Clinics of North America 1994; 78:2:439-455. Wilmore Jack H, Costill David L: Training for Sport and Activity; The Physiological Basis of the Conditioning Process. Third Edition: Wm. C. Brown Publishers Copyright 1988; Dubuque, IA. p. 255-257.

Evidence Based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evidence Based Practice - Essay Example Research revealed that the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy in treating PSD patients in evident. However, augmented and tailored cognitive behavior therapy can play a vital role in improving treatment outcomes of PSD patients Post Stroke Depression increases the risk of mortality and morbidity. Recovery from stroke decreases the rate of mortality of the patients but depression highly increases the rate of morbidity of the strokes patient. It also impairs the functional capacity of the patients and hinder with the social cognition attitude of the patients with stroke. The PICOT question to address the problem is: In stroke, survivors (P) does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I) as compared to anti-depressants (C) will increase the treatment outcomes of Post-Stroke Disorder (O) after treatment of stroke (T)? Stroke is a leading cause of death and adult disability in the UK. Around 1,30,000 people met the stroke every year. The National Health Service has given an estimate of around  £2.8 billion expenditure by hospitals and around  £2.4 billion cost spent on informal care by the caregivers to the PSD patients (Broomfield, Laidlaw, Hickabottom, Murray, & Gillespie, 2011). Several studies have focused on the impact of stroke on the social recognition and quality of life of the patients. Therefore, it can be said that cognitive behavioral therapy may play a major role in decreasing the rate of prevalence of PSD focusing on the cognitive and psychological treatment of patients. The psychological impairment also appears in the patients of Post-Stroke Depression showing the signs of depression, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, isolation, alienation, etc. The cost and expenditure served on the treatment of PSD patients is also very high. Mostly the geriatrics and adults have been found as the victim of PSD however in some studies young adults also report the symptoms of

Christian Medical Ethics Case Analysis Coursework

Christian Medical Ethics Case Analysis - Coursework Example M and the application of Christian ethics on the case. In this case study, Mrs. M was 54 years old and had suffered a heart attack as well as having multiple secondary diagnoses. Mrs. M had experienced a history of depression and anxiety, which had resulted in an attempt at suicide ten years prior. She had also discussed end-of-life situations with her husband, and did not wish to remain alive if her quality of life was below a certain point. Her treatment options led to her requesting to be withdrawn from ventilator support, a decision that had full support of her daughter and husband. Despite this, four days after she had entered the hospital, the doctor began to question her decision-making ability and/or competence. Mrs. M’s case is complicated by the fact that there are multiple secondary diagnoses in addition to her primary diagnosis. This makes the prediction of outcomes difficult. Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the kidneys, which is able t o be reversed. The survival chance for this diagnosis is high (Carroll et al. 1513), and Mrs. M has previously recovered from this problem. In the case, Mrs. M was suffering from severe pain as a result of the inflammation. Diagnosis involves the use of a range of clinical markers, which are increased when acute pancreatitis is occurring. ... Other treatments that can be used include nutritional management, aggressive volume repletion and the use of antibiotics (Carroll et al. 1516). This suggests that the recommendations for treatment for Mrs. M were not necessarily extensive, and there may have been alternative options that could have increased Mrs. M’s quality of life. Another issue is that although the treatment options given to Mrs. M do not appear to be complete, no second opinion was sought or given. The provision of a second opinion is important because research has indicated that medical decision making is influenced by a range of factors that are outside of the medical field. This includes aspects such as the personality of the physician, the organizational setting and the age of either the physician or the patient (Feldman et al. 343). This means that a patient such as Mrs. M might not be given all of the treatment options or alternative diagnoses available. This is a particularly important part of the c ase, because Mrs. M and her family are making decisions that will influence her future, and it is critical that they have all the information possible when they are doing this. At the time of the case study, Mrs. M was in a position where her quality of life was considerably compromised and did not want to spend the rest of her life in this state. However, there are several factors that suggest that her condition may improve over time, and lead to an increase in quality of life. The first of these indications is physician’s perception that Mrs. M had the ability to rally medically, which indicates that over time her quality of life would improve. The second aspect is that the pancreatic surgery, if successful, would

Music paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Music paper - Essay Example atthews band applies tragic irony, paradox that is representational and imagery in a bid to express the infinite struggle by human beings in pursuit of joy and the horrific occurrences underlying the extent of discontent in the society (Wvu.edu). Additionally, the Matthew’s band inculcates multiple techniques in order to express their notions. They apply the concealed devices that allude to the other techniques through the entire masterpiece. They apply paradoxical statements, irony and oxymoron to expound on their notions. In a bid to express a contradictory notion, the band inculcates ironic imagery, paradox and mood departure as a refrain to express their sentiments in the song (Hayes). Notably, the application of imagery in the song kicks off in the beginning of the song where a picture of kids lying in a magnificent park on a beautiful day with sun shining on the grass is displayed. Then, the imagery translates immediately to that of a siren blaring and a house blazing (Wvu.edu). This notion of imagery is purely ironic since a listener does not imagine of houses blazing and a beautiful day occurring consecutively. The emergent contrast between the two instances is pertinent. Another instance of ironic imagery is in the 3rd verse where two different people are involved, one enjoying a meal and the other starving. The eventual instance of ironic imagery is the one in the sixth verse where it espouses a kid trekking ten miles to school while another drops out (Lildrizzle). Mood is somehow a longer lasting emotion or feeling that differs from simple feelings in that they are not as intense and specific. The refrain inculcates a mood departure by altering the melody and the notions depicted in the song, comparing them to the present day life (Wvu.edu). The refrain happens both in the middle and towards the end of the song. It alters the mood completely since the music increases tempo and the words are projected closer together for the need of implying that

My spring break Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My spring break - Essay Example Immediately after finishing my mathematics exam, I packed my books and other learning materials and rushed for my Friday prayers. I hurriedly changed my clothes and went to Melbourne Florida to visit my uncle. I was accompanied with my cousins who were also eager to go to Melbourne for their first time. My uncle is a very hospitable and likable man who would create time for young people and visiting him was a great opportunity for me to socialize with a wise man who has time for young people. I had not seen my uncle for the last 7 years and I was not sure how much he had changed in terms of physique and age because I understand that old people age very fast. I really love swimming and cycling. They are actually my favorite sports and hobby. However, listening to smooth songs especially RnB as well as some cultural music relaxes my mind. Every evening after studies and hard work, music usually soothes me and provides me with the perfect peace of mind. Moreover, I really like travelling because it makes me learn more in terms of cultures, technological improvements, and geographical features. I was therefore looking forward to enjoying myself to the fullest at my uncle’s place. He also loved music, riding and swimming during his free time. No wonder he looked younger than his age and stayed youthful. In Melbourne, we enjoyed staying with my uncle’s welcoming family and interacted a lot concerning world politics, Europe soccer and other wonderful things that made our stay enjoyable. We played games with my uncle’s children who later took us around the beautiful Melbourne region for the three days we spent in there afte r having a great time in their garden. My first day at uncle’s place in Melbourne, we went gardening with him after retiring from job. He told me gardening is one of the things he loves doing because of his passion towards

Access to Insurance versus Access to Care Research Paper

Access to Insurance versus Access to Care - Research Paper Example Insurance and access to healthcare serve a basis of intensive debate that is tailored towards addressing pertinent issues in healthcare. Access to insurance and access to care are two different concepts. Health insurance is risk mitigation measure where an individual transfers health risks to another party, and makes premium payments to that party in return. In other words, insurance premiums guarantee healthcare coverage by the insurer. The ability to pay for insurance covers measures access to insurance. When premiums are high, then the number of people that can afford the insurance cover is low, and vice versa. The affordability of insurance measures the relative accessibility. On the other hand, access to care refers to the ease of receiving care by a patient when in need. Access to health encompasses primary care, healthcare specialists, and emergency treatment (Berenson & Rich, 2010). Access to care measures the ease or difficulties associated with getting services across the three variables. In this regard, holding an insurance cover does not necessarily guarantee access to care. For instance, Medicare program caters for the elderly and disables populations in the United States (Getzen, 2010). However, the program is divided into various parts, each of which outlines the extent of healthcare variables provided for by that part. Each part provides healthcare insurance, but limits care services accessed under that part. The federal health care reform legislation of 2010 seeks to promote universal coverage and regulate health insurance policies offered by insurance companies (The Joint Commission, 2012). The legislation also seeks to enhance the extent of health complications covered, as well as push for affordable insurance premiums. Low income earners remain uncovered by insurance, a scenario that has negatively affected the health sector in the United States. The ultimate interest of the legislation is to promote insurance

Audience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audience - Assignment Example mon point in all these appeals is that they try to persuade the customer that his or her life will be better off and so much simpler, convenient and complete that he or she cannot afford to miss the opportunity of trying out the product or service at least once to see for themselves. It then remains to be seen if the manufacturer or advertiser’s claims are valid and this decision will be made by the user after he or she tries the product or service and records his or her feelings, measures of satisfaction and desire to purchase or not once again. This paper will comment on the advertisements in popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan and the like and make comments on their specific appeals to audiences based on seven separate characteristics: age, culture or ethnic background, social status and education, income and occupation, religion, political affiliation, and gender. It is natural and desirable for marketers and advertisers to aim their advertisement at specific groups of potential or actual customers called the Target Market, based on common characteristics as defined by their particular demographics, psychographics, and lifestyle values. Trying to target everyone with one advertisement would admittedly be difficult- people are different and have distinct needs, desires and aspirations that have to be catered to. One may be influenced by price, another by quality, and a third by size and convenience of the product or service being offered. We will now try to choose and understand the audience appeals of five advertisements based on the various appeal characteristics as outlined above. Both verbal and visual appeals are generally used to attract and ensnare buyers into trying out a product or service. While it was previously okay just to advertise the benefits of a product or service and nothing more, hoping that the buyer would buy and try the product or service out of sheer need or curiosity, today’s marketers try to

Lobbying has lead to the corruption of the American political system Essay

Lobbying has lead to the corruption of the American political system - Essay Example Lobbying drastically dents the system affecting the fair pattern that had been initially previously. Lobbying and corruption is the framework of any society that goes hand in hand. They are the only reason so as to why and how a commoner can approach and thereby influence the working mechanism of the equipment's of the state. (Aidt, pg 8). The reason of this might lie in the difference that is present in the two domains that is lobbying and corruption which are not very important. In economics this perception has been supported by the most precise and accurate model which lays stress on lobbying (Grossman and Helpman, pg 833–50. ) but this could most likely itself be a model leading to corruption. As put forward by Aidt in his article â€Å"The view that corruption can be ef?ciency-enhancing has a long tradition in economics† (Aidt 2). This clearly shows that corruption has a very old history with economics. According to this theory a person who is lobbying has influenc e on the decision makers therefore providing them with the resources required. This model states that the politicians are only concerned about the resources but not about what actually tempts them towards such resources. These resources can be anything from money to bribes or political programs. These resources are used efficiently and the corruption is rather created by the interest groups involved. Grossman and Helpman put forward the role of interest groups in practicing corruption in the following words â€Å"Interest groups participate in the political process in order to influence policy outcomes† (Grossman & Helpman 833). Bribing is a controversial subject when it comes to lobbying. One of the most common lobbying practices is bribery. Nownes puts the practice of bribing in the following words â€Å"Among the most common questionable lobbying practices are bribery and the use of sex and alcohol to gain favorable treatment from government..† (Nownes,118). The rea son that bribing can be completely irrelevant to the policy makers is lobbying. At times bribing is the only reason because of which lobbying tends to happen. Benefits that come to a lobbying organization come directly from those who are bribed. This can be seen in the following words â€Å"Each industry must pay enough in bribes to ensure that the government plus other bribing industries together are at least as well off as they would be if they refuse the bribe† (Ito and Rose, 23). The facts states that lobbying is targeted towards the bodies that are responsible to make policies apart from the Bureaucracy that brings about and sets another dissimilarity because the legislature is responsible to pitch in the policies which the lobbyist might be interested in and also to set the rules which make bribing easy or more difficult. Corruption has its own extensive effects on the decision of joining a lobbying organization. American political system has been merely affected by cor ruption particularly because of lobbying. Such organizations which work on promoting lobbying have been really successful as all the high decision making bodies having superiority over the common citizen play this game very shrewdly. â€Å"By official estimates, lobbying is the third largest enterprise in our nation’s capital, after government and tourism (Genovese and Myers,180). It is because of this high rate of corruption, people do not have any faith in the government and

The Integration of Culture in Organizational Innovation Context Research Paper

The Integration of Culture in Organizational Innovation Context - Research Paper Example Schein (2010) found it difficult to derive a definition of culture due to conceptual and semantic confusions while the scholar also argued that it is not possible to define different social groups under the roof of universally accepted definition of culture. In such context, Alvesson and Sveningsson (2008) suggested that the focus should be on defining culture within organization rather than understanding the culture of social groups sharing similar kind of traditions, rituals, history and customs. Brooks (2009) also tried to define the organizational culture in terms of norms, behavior of members and knowledge sharing, yet, such definition is far from capturing full dimensions of culture. To clear out confusions regarding definition and characteristics of organizational culture, the research paper will use Schein’s (2010) idea for organizational culture. According to Schein (2010), organizational culture has dimensions like behavioral regularities, group dynamics, espoused va lues, ideological principles, unwritten rules of the organization, communication between members, special competencies displayed by group members, shared cognitive frames between members, the way team members celebrate within organization, emotional and aesthetic response etc. Now, the fact is that it is very difficult to integrate all the mentioned elements within same organizational context but there is no doubt that these factors play vital role in shaping the organizational culture. Schein (2010) also identified three levels of culture such as, Artifacts, Espoused Beliefs & Value and Underlying Assumptions. Artifacts- structure of the organization and business process can help the firm to define its culture. For example, W.L. Gore & Associates which is known for its lattice organizational structure and business process fostering innovation and creativity (Gore, 2013). Espoused Beliefs & Value- strategies of the organization and vision statement can be termed as the brickwork beh ind culture.  Ã‚  

Patents and Intellectual Property Essay Example for Free

Patents and Intellectual Property Essay Patents and Intellectual Property Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A patent is a set of rights given exclusively to an individual or firm by an independent nation to the inventor or discoverer for a given duration in exchange for detailed information on the details of the inventions or discovery (Foray 28). Inventions that can be patented are new products, processes of manufacturing, improvements to an existing product or process, new chemical compounds or compositions, or processes relating of an existing manufacturing process (Perelman n.p.). This form of intellectual property encourages the economic and technological development by rewarding intellectual creativity. Patents are a crucial part for advancements in science based professions such as medicine, biotechnology, computers and even drug chemistry. These advancements have born great fruits which have all been aimed at improving the life of mankind. In this paper, the strengths and weaknesses of patent laws and foreign investment, trade, innovation, public health, generic resources and traditional knowledge will be discussed. Patent laws have improved the life of investors greatly, this has led to greater determinations in patenting other products, and in the process, greater, and discoveries that are more useful have been made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patents laws are set up to ensure that the owner of intellectual property benefits from his or her invention. The law gives the owner freedom of choice to do what they require with the invention as long as it does not conflict with other existing laws. The inventor can sell the patent at any market price they believe is commensurable, they can license the patent to others for use and in the process collect royalties from the users which increases their financial stability (Gold 135). Patent laws also offers a sense of protection to the inventors for the stipulated time (usually twenty years), and this approach usually is a disadvantage to the competitors in the same line of work. These laws also prohibit dealing with patented goods without permission from the patent holder and this ensures that pirating of patented goods or services is a prosecutable case whereby one can be sentenced to jail or heavily fined (Perelman n.p.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong patent laws are a major attraction to foreign investors who are assured of the protection of their goods or services. They are thus confident about imitations of their product, which has lead to an increased net demand of their products leading to higher marginal profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intellectual laws act as an attraction and assurance to foreign investors as their business is enabled a fair play ground to compete with existing indigenous firms (Smarzynska 41). Strong patent laws also offer a location attraction to foreign investors opting for areas with enhanced patent laws. This has lead to further development and improvement of economies of such areas as compared to areas whose laws are not well established. Stronger intellectual property rights can be a deterrent to new foreign investors since existing firms may have already established large market bases which may not be easy to break through. With this kind of market, monopolistic ventures may mushroom to the disadvantage of consumers since they may overprice their commodities due to lack of competitors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patent laws create ownership advantages conferring to firms serving the foreign markets (Cooter, Ulen 124). Through the provision of legal redress against any violations, markets are expanded and increase in both multilateral and bilateral trades. Patent laws increase bilateral exchange to foreign markets by reducing the costs associated with preventing loss of knowledge assets. Such costs consist of foregone revenues resulting from reduced bilateral exchange and or expenses incurred to make knowledge assets difficult to imitate especially when the destination country has strong imitative abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong intellectual property laws can increase market power and even though strong laws enhance ownership advantage, this enhanced ownership can increase or decrease bilateral exchange. The market power concept holds that strong rights reduce bilateral exchange by ensuring a temporary monopoly over the protected knowledge. This market power is attributed to the patent holder, whether domestic or foreign. Firms that secure strong patent protection in foreign markets can exercise their market power by restricting quantity and increasing the unit price of bilateral exchange to that market (Fink and Primo 26).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Forays (13), strong patent laws provide incentives for people and firms to invest in research. Where there exists strong patent laws, inventors and innovators are energized since any benefits are accrued to them. With weak patent laws a free market economy fails to induce an optimal investment in research, development and innovation, since investors would not be able to recoup the full benefit from their investment. Patent laws also give strong ownership advantages to firms in developed countries, which encourage them to transfer their technology to developing countries through market channels at a cost. Strong patent laws may also be a disadvantage since they may lead to increased market power which results in high cost of technology transfer. In cases where there exist weak patent laws, this provides a loophole for technology transfer in non-market channels which would greatly disadvantage the innovators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patents are important to pharmaceutical firms as they help in appropriating the benefits to the innovators. Moreover, products and the development process are protected from imitators in order to avoid replication of same drug. The process of drug development is quite costly averaging at about 1billion US dollars for the actual discovery, development and regulation approval (Shimasaki, 123). However, patenting novel drugs is essential and only beneficial in developed countries where many firms may want to set up drug manufacturing firms. According to Vernon (14), the expensive process of research and development is usually compensated by profits, which arise from patent protection. Patent laws in drug development are quite complicated since while patenting new drug protects the producers from unscrupulous firms may also increase the cost of the drugs thus making them unaffordable to needy people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of patenting innovations in public health may be long and tiresome which may discourage innovations. However due to emergence of tropical diseases in the developing world patenting may act as an incentive for continued research in both drug development and innovations of new procedures for their early diagnosis and treatment. All this will lead to improved health care for patients especially in developing countries where cost of drugs is beyond the reach of the majority who are struggling. Patent laws encourage the development of medicinal compounds or products. These conditions being rare are not economically viable for the pharmaceutical firms since the profits margins are so minimal thus little research is channeled towards them. However, through patenting, firms that delve into this kind of research because they are protected exclusively thus giving them the sole ownership rights to manufacture and distribute them at a give n cost (Gold 131-132). This enables them to make profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weak patent laws in the health sector have been associated by rise of firms, which exploit the whole process of drug development. Drug imitators can benefit from innovators’ free approval and produce duplicate drugs at a much lower cost relative to the real cost of discovering and developing the new product. Patenting the genetic resources and traditional knowledge ensures that people who participated in the development of the new information are acknowledged for the work they have done. To scholars being acknowledged builds confidence in them and is a motivator for them to work even harder. By them being acknowledged, it shows that they become authorities in their specific fields, which further leads to production of more accurate and high quality new knowledge. Patent laws regarding information are in conflict with human rights since patent information should be made public for the benefit of all. It is not easy to relate patent l aws and human rights since it exist in different perspectives on the same depending on the contributors (Gold 186). As such, information should be easily accessible at minimal cost affordable to all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In production of pharmaceuticals, patents laws restricted patent term to 20 years, this was disadvantageous to people who developed drugs for infrequent illness because sales of the drugs could not give adequate returns within the period. It was until 1984 that the congress amended the drug act by coming up with orphan drugs act that extended the period of patents to 25 years in order to allow developers to pay-back the cost of development and get profits (Gold 132). In addition, patent restricted use of available drugs for research of new drugs development. This presented a challenge to development of new and generic drugs until when the congress amended the patent laws to allow use of drugs for research purposes. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Patent laws have more strength compared to weaknesses but it depends on the patent issue. Through patenting, the innovators and inventors are not only recognized as the owner of the emerging products but they also have various benefits such as financial gains to payback on the capital invested. The patent are only limited to 20 years, which in some cases is disadvantageous to products with weak marketing such as orphan drugs. The government intervention has resulted in developers reaping high profits for their ideas, and products over a given period. The weakness of patent is limitation on research where they restrict third party from using the original product or idea to develop new product thus slowing research and improvements of the existing ones. Hence, caution is necessary to ensure that patenting does not give rise to monopolies, which would discourage competition at the expense of the consumers. References Cooter, Robert and Ulen, Thomas. Intellectual Property in Law and Economics 5th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2008. Fink, Carsten. and C.A. Primo Braga. ‘How Stronger Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Affects International Trade Flows’. In C. Fink and E. Mansfield (eds) Intellectual Property and Development: Lessons from Recent Economic Research. New York: World Bank/Oxford University Press. (2004). Print. Foray, Dominique. Technology Transfer in the TRIPS Age: The Need for New Types of Partnerships between the Least Developed and Most Advanced Economies. Geneva international Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (2009). Gold, Richard E. Patents and Human Rights: A Heterodox Analysis. Journal of Law,Medicines and Ethics, 41(1) (2013):185-198. Perelman, Michael. â€Å"In Patents We Trust: How the U.S. Government Learned to Stop Worrying about Monopoly and Love Intellectual Property.† MR Zine (2005). Shimasaki, Craig D. The Business of Bioscience: What Goes into Making a Biotechnology Product. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print. Smarzynska Javorcik, B. ‘The Composition of Foreign Direct Investment and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: Evidence from Transition Economies’. Journal of European Economic Review 48(1) (2004): 39–62. Vernon, J.A. ‘Examining the Link between Price Regulation and PharmaceuticalResearch and Development Investment’. Journal of Health Economics 14(1) (2005): 1–16. 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