Stress related to workplace conditions

Introduction Stress in the workplace may be defined as a situation in which an individual has to strain to cope with workplace conditions. Michie (2002) describes work related stress as a situation in which an individual’s â€Å"psychological and physical resources are not sufficient to cope with the demands of the environment and the task being handled† (67). Psychological factors have a strain on a person’s mind or emotions. Physical factors are those related to the ability of the body to function correctly in the work environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stress related to workplace conditions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unpredictability and uncertainty of work situations are recognized as the main causes of stress in the workplace. Time limits that an individual considers inadequate may also be a cause of stress. There are individuals who will have a tendency to be frequently stressed because of their limited ability to withstand difficult situations. There are some work situations that will also increase the possibility of experiencing stress. Ergonomics involves designing space for the most efficient and comfortable use (Katsigris Thomas 139). In a restaurant business, there is increased need to move speedily and repetitively. It requires enough space and reduction of barriers to movement. However, space is costly and quick service shops tend to reduce the cost by choosing small-sized spaces. Some of the quick service shops are also associated with work overload. There is a need to reduce the pace of service and reduce work overload. Causes of workplace stress The causes of stress in the workplace that are related to work include poor physical environment, excess work assignment, inadequate time for completion of tasks, physical danger among others (Michie 68). An individual’s role in organization is another cause of stress in the workplace. It may be caused by uncertainty about the role that an individual plays in an organization. Michie (68) describes such a situation as role ambiguity. The type of work that an individual covers is not clearly defined or varies everyday. Role conflict is another cause categorized under role in organizations (MacDonald 19). It involves two or more employees playing the same role that ought to be exclusively covered by one person. The multiple individuals may not share the same opinion on how work should be done (Daft Marcic 358). Responsibility for people under your team or organization may also be another source of stress. This is the case where a team leader or manager has to take responsibility for the mistakes committed by someone else. MacDonald (20) argues that the management style used by an organization may be a source of workplace stress. Michie argues that â€Å"managers who are critical, unsupportive, or bullying may be a source of workplace stress† (69). Unpaid overti me is also a cause of stress. Internal and external reorganization may be a cause of stress when individuals are given different roles or new environment (Michie 68). Reorganization may take many forms such as mergers or downsizing.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another group of work-related stress comes from career development issues. They may include lack of job promotion opportunities. Michie (68) describes under promotion and over promotion as possible causes of stress in the workplace. Over promotion may be a cause in that the individual may lack expertise to carry out his/her new duties. Under promotion may be the situation where an individual feels he/she is qualified to fill a higher rank. Under promotion may be a cause lack of enough work which is also related to stress. Individuals who lack job security may be stressed depending on their well-being. Those who have other s ources of income may be less concerned about being laid off. When organization appears to undermine an individual’s ambition it may also result in stress. Relationships in the workplace are another source of work-related stress. Poor relationship with the supervisor, other employees, or customers may be a cause of stress (MacDonald 20). Environmental factors such as poor amenities, noise or other forms of pollution may also cause stress. Organization structure and climate may also be a cause of work-related stress (Michie 68). In this category, stress arises when the senior staff has a tendency of making decisions without consultation. Stress may arise by setting too many restrictions on employee behavior. Workplace stress may also be generated from the situation where an organization is facing financial difficulties (Michie 68). Financial difficulty may result in changes in organizational behavior to reduce costs that may be difficult for employees to adopt. Human reaction t o workplace stress Human reaction to sudden causes of alarm such as a verbal confrontation with the manager may result in many physiological responses. These may include increased breathing, heart rate, or widely opened eyes. When the causes of the sudden alarm are things that the employee can escape from such as fire, the employee muscles respond (Michie 67). Sometimes when the cause of stress is repeated from time to time, the employees may take an adaptive response. For example, if the verbal confrontations from a manager or supervisor are common, employees may soon describe it as the nature of their superiors which should not be taken seriously. Michie (67) argues that adaptation is a form of human reaction to stress that gradually tends to reduce the impact of a repetitive strenuous situation. When employees fail to adapt to the causes of workplace stress, it may develop into a third stage known as exhaustion (Michie 67). In this case, health complications and bad personal habi ts may replace the good character of an employee.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stress related to workplace conditions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Different people have different levels of vulnerability to stress depending on their lack of resources. Michie (69) identifies lack of material resources such as lack of an alternative source of income may increase risk of experiencing stress. Michie (69) argues that psychological factors such as low self esteem may also increase vulnerability to stress. There are instances when work-related stress is transferred at home in the case of work overload. Women are recognized as likely to experience stress at work that merges with pressures at home (Michie 70). Hellriegel Slocum (199) discuss that having many roles to play may cause stress. For example, roles at home, church, or managing a sports team as well as the work may be a cause of pressure to an individual. Work-related stress may develop into complicated health problems if experienced for a long period such as diastolic blood pressure and mental illness. Some of the symptoms that may develop as a result of work-related stress include â€Å", escapist drinking, smoking, depressive mood, job dissatisfaction among others† (Michie 68). Some individuals may react to work-related stress by a change in attitude towards work. This may be followed by poor work performance and bad conduct. Absenteeism and lateness are also associated with work-related stress. Other effects of stress include memory loss and lack of concentration at the workplace. MacDonald argues that â€Å"lack of attention to detail may lead to increased mistakes† (21). Some individuals may show indecision or delay in making decisions. Individuals may also report physical aches and pains that may lack explanation. Individuals may show all these symptoms related to stress but it is likely that they may deny being stressed. MacDonald (21) argues that an individual may deny work-related stress because of the possibility of being perceived as incompetent. Others may be embarrassed to be seen as unable to work under pressure. Some employees may also be unable to recognize that they are actually stressed. Dealing with workplace stress Stress can be managed at the individual level and the organizational level. At the individual level, stress may be effectively reduced by training employees to deal with stress. The training program includes topics on awareness. Workers are taught to recognize the beginning of stress.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is necessary because an early discovery of stress makes it easier to treat. Training is also carried out on skills of relaxation, and a lifestyle that reduces the effect of stress. There is training to boost self confidence and motivation. It is a way of reducing risk of experiencing stress associated with lack of psychological factors (Michie 70). Individuals are taught how to analyze a situation that causes stress and how to minimize the impact of the source. At the organizational level increased support to employees may be seen as an effective way of reducing stress. Engaging groups in making decisions may reduce work-related stress. Teaching the staff communication skills and expressions of empathy may also reduce stress (Michie 71). Organizations should ensure that individuals are given roles on positions they are qualified. Individuals should have the necessary skills to complete a task. Organizations should also ensure that employees have the necessary equipment and mate rials to carry out the job. Organizational culture is recognized for creating stability and predictability within an organization. Organizational culture may include the beliefs, values and behavior associated with an organization that may be attributed to its success. Organizational culture determines â€Å"how we act, think, and behave as well as providing a structure that makes work predictable and stable† (Peterson Wilson 18). Organizational culture may reduce the impact of difficult situations by making them predictable. Organizations may have structures to help individuals under workplace stress. James Arroba (16) argue that supportive structure may not be enough unless it is integrated as part of the organization. It should be an on-going process. Before dealing with stress, the management needs to identify the context of stress. It involves carrying out assessment to identify causes of stress. It also involves evaluation to look at the effectiveness of the remedial action used. Benefits of workforce wellness Workforce wellness concerns the health and financial well-being of employees. Organizations ought to encourage employees to choose lifestyles that promote better health, financial well-being and physical fitness. Increased employee wellness is associated with reduced cost of insurance. When employees adopt habits that improve their health, the organization is likely to benefit from reduced insurance cost. Companies may reduce the number of employees as a result of increased premium. A study by Price Waterhouse Coopers in 2009 indicated that about 20% of large organizations in the U.S. were likely to reduce the number of employees because of increased insurance costs (Healey Zimmerman, Jr. 140). Reduced insurance costs are beneficial to individuals as well as organizations. Organizations may benefit from reduced risk of chronic disease on their workers as a result of conducting wellness programs. Individual wellness improves when organizat ions encourage healthy habits such as correct diet, physical fitness, and controlled smoking and alcohol use (Healey Zimmerman, Jr. 141). Practicing healthy habits results in reduced rate of chronic disease development as individuals grow older. The benefits may be reduced absenteeism and long productive lives for workers. Healthy employees are considered to be more productive. An organization is more likely to increase profits when it manages the wellness of employees. Workplace wellness is also associated with employee loyalty and motivation (Healey Zimmerman, Jr. 145). As a result of this, employers may find it easier to recruit and retain employees. Other benefits of workforce wellness at the individual level include reduced vulnerability to workplace stress, high self-esteem, and improved self-image (â€Å"Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs† par. 5). The benefits at the individual level may also benefit the organization through increased productivity. Restaurant er gonomics Ergonomics involves the design of the workplace in such a way that it increases safety and efficient use of energy. It is concerned with designing the working space â€Å"with safety, comfort, and productivity in mind† (Katsigris Thomas 139). Working in a restaurant involves a lot of repetitive movement. As a result of the speed required to reach demands, workers are likely to experience strain from quick movement. Strain may also be caused by static postures. Injury may come from bumps, burns or cuts (â€Å"Restaurant Ergonomics† 1). Ergonomics is carried out on a hypothetical small-sized cafà © known as ‘Smallings’ located in the U.S. on a busy street. Because of its small-sized space and location on a busy street, ‘Smallings’ is likely to be overcrowded if it is not well designed. Space is costly and available space has to be used optimally. To increase capacity, ‘Smallings’ has designed a table-format that is attach ed to the walls. It uses elongated tables that are attached at the corners leaving space only for the outside door and entrance into the kitchen. To avoid boredom of facing walls, the cafe has used transparent glass walls by a big percentage. Its location at the corner of the building allows two sides to be transparent. The waitress was complaining of work overload during busy hours. The manager added another waitress but also made changes to seats-arrangement. The manager has decided to add an additional elongated table at the center which may be used on opposite sides by different people. When there was only one waitress, she was required to move speedily to cope with the demand. The space at the center allowed for swift movement. The floor was designed for aesthetic value and ease in cleaning but it could be slippery when wet. For sanitation standards, a person cleaning should not serve food. The manager decided that the person cleaning utensils could also be cleaning the tables and wiping the floor in case of spills. Ergonomics of ‘Smallings’ The additional table has reduced space of movement and it is likely to cause injury as a result of repeated bumping onto sides of the table as the waitress tries to maintain the same speed. It may also increase work strain from being unable to keep up with reduced speed and the number of orders given by customers. As a result of reduced space, it is difficult to notice spills on the floor such that it makes it necessary for the waitresses to report wet floors the person who is supposed to clean. The manager did not solve the problem of increased workload because he added another waitress but also increased work. The waitresses are most likely to have a strain coping with work demands. With more customers placing their orders at the same time it could result in frustration both for the employees and customers. The sitting arrangement is manageable with additional manpower. The sitting arrangement has no pr oblems because the cafà © serves customers who are in a rush to work and have no need for comfort. Using rough floors demands more effort in cleaning. However, smooth floors increase the risk of falling when wet and may require immediate cleaning in case of spills. The person cleaning will also have additional work load. He needs to concentrate more to notice dirt on the floor. The manager has set background music as a way of reducing the impact of noise in the streets. The employees as well as customers find it effective in reducing the impact of street noise. Noise from the table in the kitchen may be reduced by sound-reducing materials placed on the underside of tables. Separation of dishwashing and drop-off points from other areas (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 2). In the Foodservice industry, sanitation is a process of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces after they have been used. Disinfecting surfaces may be carried out at a convenient time to ensu re that they do not contaminate food because most disinfectants are poisonous. In the U.S., restaurants are expected to maintain high sanitation standards. The National Sanitation Foundation International (NSFI) sets sanitation standards such as prevention of rodent access to stored food, and use of non-corrosive materials on surfaces that come into contact with food (Katsigris Thomas 154). A restaurant also needs to have an effective waste management department that aims to reduce waste. Conclusion and recommendations The manager needs to hire two additional employees to reduce the need to hurry. Workers can avoid workplace strain if they hire enough employees or redesign work allocation. Those in the kitchen can make early preparations so as to shift to serving customers if necessary. It may also reduce injury as a result of bumping into objects. One of the newly hired employees may exclusively work for cleaning purposes and the others may reduce the workload of the waitresses. T here is a need to design patterns of movement to allow balanced use of space between the waitresses to avoid crossovers in the circulation path. The flow of food, people and materials should â€Å"follow a logical sequence† (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 1). The waitresses will move easily if there is a predictable pattern of movement during busy hours. It will result in less waiting time for customers and increased speed for employees. Easing cleaning requires smooth surfaces that prevent sticking of dirt. Utensils and crockery need to have smooth surfaces. Smooth surfaces are easy to wash as they reduce the need for scrubbing. A smooth floor may be easy to clean but it increases chances of slipping. Quarry tiles may be used for the floor and ceramic tiles for the walls to reduce effort needed to clean them. Floors need to be maintained with dryness and cleaning of food spills immediately after they spill. The surfaces on which employees work on should be adjustable to match the varying needs of employees with different heights. The height of surfaces to work on should range between 28-44 inches (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 2). Giving an employee a working surface that matches his/her height increases comfort and productivity. Employees can work for long hours without feeling strained. The counter area should be designed in such a way that an attendant can use less effort to reach the waitress or customer. A radius of about 21 to 25 inches for the right-hand movement and a radius of about 13 to 17 inches for the left hand movement may be necessary (see appendix 1). There are cold and hot seasons among other conditions. Unfavorable temperature and humidity can increase the â€Å"risk of musculoskeletal injuries† (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 2). It is recommended that businesses in the food service industry use HV AC systems in the dishwashing areas to regul ate moisture levels and temperature. Noise may be reduced by separation of noisy kitchen tasks from the other areas. Walls can be carpeted to reduce penetration of noise to the other areas. Conveyers may be used to move dishes from one point to another in the kitchen area. There should be shifts from tasks that require more standing to those that require less. Employees working in areas with less movement may use stools to reduce fatigue (â€Å"Restaurant Ergonomics† 1). Furniture with light weight is recommended for restaurants to allow ease of movement when cleaning (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 3). In ‘Smallings’ case, there is the use of heavy furniture to avoid movement of furniture during service. Moving furniture may be an inconvenience to the customer. The furniture should have curved edges and vertices to reduce the impact of bumping. Employees working at the kitchen should use sharp knives to reduce effort needed to cut foo d. They should use cutting boards to avoid cut injuries. Employees should use both hands when lifting large or heavy objects such as a tray or a jug. Because of the speed required to work in a cafà ©, frequently used items should be reachable to the waitresses or other users. Proper lighting is required for the safety and comfort of employees. The quick service dining space should have a recommended lighting that ranges between 40-50 foot candles. The ware washing area should have a lighting that ranges between 70-100 foot candles (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 3). Proper lighting ensures that eyes do not strain after staying in an area for long hours. Different areas in a restaurant have different lighting recommendations (see appendix 2). There is need of an adequate space for easy movement and less strain due to the swiftness of passing through barriers. A coffee shop with 100 seats may be required to have a dining room size of 1225 square feet and k itchen size of 850 square feet (see appendix 3). Cafes are quick service shops and may try to utilize less space to increase profitability. Appendices Appendix 1: Creating space that allows free movement of hands at the counter (â€Å"Restaurant Ergonomics† 1). Appendix 2: Recommended lighting for different areas and dining spaces (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 3). Appendix 3: The recommended size of dining spaces (â€Å"Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines† 9). Works Cited Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs 2013. Web. Daft, Richard, Dorothy Marcic. Understanding Management. Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Dining Services Ergonomics Design Guidelines 2012. Web. https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucehs/files/145309.pdf. Healey, Bernard Robert Zimmerman, Jr. The New World of Health Promotion: New Program development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Sudbury: Jones and Barlett Publishers, 2010. Print. Hellriegel, Don, John Slocum. Organizational behavior. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. James, Kim, Tanya Arroba. Energizing the Workplace: a Strategic Response to Stress. Hampshire: Gower Publishing. Print. Katsigris, Costas, Chris Thomas. Design and Equipment for Restaurants and Foodservice: a Management view. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, 2009. Print. MacDonald, Lynda. Wellness at Work: Protecting and Promoting Employee Health and Wellbeing. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2005. Print. Michie, Susan. â€Å"Causes and Management of Stress at Work.† Occupational Environmental Medicine Journal. 59.1 (2002): 67-72. Web. Peterson, Michael, John Wilson. â€Å"The Culture-Work-Health Model and Work Stress.† Am J Health Behav. 26.1 (2002): 16-24. Web. Restaurant Ergonomics 2010. Web. https://ehs.ucr.edu/safety/recipes/Restaurant%20Ergonomics.pdf. This essay on Stress related to workplace conditions was written and submitted by user Demi Byrd to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Less is More When it Comes to Unique

Less is More When it Comes to Unique Less is More When it Comes to Unique Less is More When it Comes to Unique By Maeve Maddox The word unique is related to a whole class of words derived from the Latin word for one, (unus) for example: uniform, unilateral, and unicorn. Soldiers tend to look alike when they are in uniform. Among allied states, a unilateral action is one taken by one member or side only. (Latin latus = side) A unicorn has one horn. (Latin cornus = horn of an animal) The word unique has the meaning one of a kind. It is a useful word and the widespread misuse of it tends to dissipate its usefulness. Listen to any talk show and you will hear people say that something or other is very unique, or rather unique, or somewhat unique. Such usage corresponds to saying that a woman is somewhat pregnant. With unique (as with pregnancy) there is no middle ground. If something is unique, thats it. To precede the word with an intensifier like very or a comparative like less or more, defeats the purpose. That is not to say that one mustnt ever use a word to modify unique. One CAN say that a thing is: nearly unique really unique perhaps unique in some respects unique but never ever very unique. TIP: Preserve the unique usefulness of the word unique by thinking twice before putting a modifier in front of it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Congratulations on or for?Latin Words and Expressions: All You Need to KnowWhen to Spell Out Numbers

The growing role of PM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The growing role of PM - Essay Example Project management is the planning, organizing, directing and controlling of company resources for a relatively short-term objective that has been established to complete specific goals and objectives. For planning and organizing the resources, Program evaluation and review technique(PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM) are widely used techniques for better planning and control in project management. It forms the basis for all planning and predicting and these techniques provide the management with the ability to plan for the best possible use of resources to achieve a goal within the stipulated time and allotted budget. These techniques which were used for defense during the World War II, are now used by business managers across the world to get a visibility of the activities involved in the project so that repetition of activities is reduced. It helps the management to handle the uncertainties involved in the program by analyzing how much time is required for each activity and which activity is crucial for the timely completion of the project. It is useful for the management to collect all the relevant information for making decisions. The major deficiency of other methods such as the Gantt, milestone or bubble chart is the inability to show the interdependencies between event s and activities, which is overcome in the network analysis. The foremost advantage of PERT is that it requires planning in detail to create a network of activities. Network development and critical path analysis reveal interdependencies and problem areas that are not very clear if other methods are used. The technique lays its focus on determining where the greatest effort should be made for a project to stay on schedule. The next greatest advantage of network analysis is that the business manager can know about the probability of meeting specified deadlines by development of alternative plans. Another advantage of this analysis is that we can evaluate the effect of changes in the program. For example this

Darwin's Rib by Robert S. Root-Bernstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Darwin's Rib by Robert S. Root-Bernstein - Essay Example The present research has identified that a student declares that males have one fewer pair of ribs than women, based on the Biblical assertion that God took a rib from Adam to create Eve. This paper illustrates that in order to support the fact of biological evolution; Root-Bernstein employs evidence and reason. Firstly, he cites the proven failure of the Lamarckian theory of inheritance. Egg cells, containing unalterable genetic information, are formed before birth, and somatic modifications cannot be inherited by offspring. The researcher states that on this basis, men can only have the normal number of ribs, irrespective of whether God removed one of Adam’s ribs. Secondly, as ribs are not a sex-linked characteristic, there is no reason for males and females to differ in this aspect. Sexual dimorphism is not necessary for ribs. Professor Robert S. Root-Bernstein, in line with his belief in religious freedom, goes on to reason that the above scientific evidence does not neces sarily contradict religious beliefs. From the research, it can be comprehended that Professor Robert S. Root-Bernstein reasons that the Bible does not specify the number of ribs Adam initially had. From the research, it can be comprehended that there is no biblical basis to infer that Adam had the same number of ribs as modern humans and that his male descendants should be short of a rib after God removed a rib from Adam.  

Dystopian Elements and Basic Characteristics Essay Example for Free

Dystopian Elements and Basic Characteristics Essay A dystopia is an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives. Dystopian literature shows us a nightmarish image of what might happen to the world in the future. Usually, the main themes of dystopian works are rebellion, oppression, revolutions, wars, overpopulation, and disasters. George Orwell depicts a dystopian world its citizens are constantly brainwashed and live in constant fear. In 1984, propaganda and lies are used to brainwash the citizens and control them. There are many elements of criticisms in this book, but I will be focusing on the Marxist, feminist, and psychoanalytic criticisms. Marxism was developed by Karl Marx in 1848 during the Red Revolution. Marxism is about having social and economic power. In 1984, there are three social classes. The Inner Party, The Outer Party, and the Proles. The Inner Party is the upper class, they have a lot more freedom than the Outer Party and the Proles. They make up 2% of the population and are the elite class. They get better things such as food, coffee, and cigarettes. The Outer Party is the middle class; they live in bad neighborhoods, and barely get any food. They make up 13% of the population. They are constantly watched by telescreens and can’t turn theirs off like the Inner Party can. The Proles are the lower class they do all the manual labor work they aren’t as watched by the Party as the Outer Party because the government doesn’t see them as a threat and they make up 85% of the population. However, everyone in Oceania lives in fear because The Party terrorizes them. The Party has three principles that they follow and everyone in Oceania have been brainwashed into believing: WAR IS PEACE, IGNORANCE IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. This is a form of ideology. In Marxism, ideology is a belief system and belief systems are products of cultural conditioning. In this case, The Party conditioned the people of Oceania into thinking that those three principles are true. The people of Oceania have been programmed into believing those Principles and believing in whatever Big Brother tells them to believe. They are not allowed to think for themselves or have their own opinions, and if they do they will end up getting killed. Oceania is a capitalist, totalitarian society because depending on what party you are in, that’s how you get treated. This is an example of classism. Classism is an ideology where youre prejudiced or in favor of someone depending on what social cl ass you are in. If you are a prole, you’re not looked at in the same way as a person in the Inner Party would be looked at. You would be deemed untrustworthy and you wouldn’t be able to have items like Inner Party people would. One of the core principles of Marxism is, society shapes our consciousness and that’s true. Society tells us what’s hot in fashion, what’s beautiful and what’s not and that shapes how people view themselves and others. In 1984, the government shapes the people’s consciousness by coming up with new words. Words such as, â€Å"doublethink†, â€Å"newspeak†, â€Å"stop crime†, etc. The Thought Police, Youth League, and Big Brother are some of the ways used to keep the people of Oceania in constant fear and keep them in line. Because of this, the people of Oceania suffer from â€Å"groupthink† which is a psychological condition that’s fueled by the Inner Party’s social and economic conditions. â€Å"Groupthink† shapes the lower classes beliefs that the Inner Party is always right. Big Brother is used as a tactic to put fear and paranoia in the people of Oceania’s heads that Big Brother is always watching them. That’s how the government control the people and shape their consciousness. The government does this, so the people will never want to speak out and voice their opinion on Big Brother, because if they do they’ll be considered a criminal, and they will always have complete control and dominance over the people of Oceania. Feminist criticism is a literary form of criticism that gives the perspective of writing from a feminist perspective. It’s a political form of literature that analyzes the questions of how male and females relate to each other and the world and how women are portrayed in literature. History shows that men consider women as â€Å"inferior† and because of that, the stereotype that women are weaker than men was created. Society taught itself that masculinity is related to the weakness of females. (Csaszar, 40). In 1984, Orwell reversed this way of thinking. He made the main character a weak man whose main purpose in life was to obey Big Brother. Orwell also uses compelling, stereotypical, female characters which drives the man to act. Even though the women in the book have a lack of power, they’re the only characters that have a strong influence over Winston which makes the female characters an important part of this book. In the begin and end of 1984, fear controls the main character. Winston is shown as weak and passive-aggressive. He goes to work and rewrites history and he obeys Big Brother. His only purpose is to serve society until he denies conformity later in the book. Winston would’ve continued to obey the government without question as well as lack masculinity if it weren’t for the women in his life. Winston’s mom, ex-wife, and Julia each played a role in Winston’s search for freedom. Winston feels guilty for what happened to his mother, and this is where we first see how women influence Winston (Whitney). Him wishing he could’ve helped his mom causes him to have rebellious thoughts. His ex-wife, Katherine, believed everything that The Party said, and this influenced Winston’s choices he makes throughout the book. Julia is the one character that influenced Winston the most. Julia’s influence on him made him rebel against Big Brother. She also m ade him realize how unhappy he was under Big Brother’s watch and that is the reason he starts to rebel. These women are also described in different ways to show how different their personalities are and show the influence they had on Winston. His mom was the first person to have an impact on Winston. She couldn’t stand up for herself and this showcases the â€Å"women are weak† stereotype and she died because of it. Winston feels guilty and believes he’s responsible for her death and he lets this guilt take over his thoughts. His ex-wife, Katherine, conforms to the servant stereotype. She was a beautiful woman, however, Winston hated her because of her obedience. She was considered the model citizen of The Party. Her talk of their â€Å"duty to the party† encouraged Winston’s rebellious thoughts and his thought crimes increased. All of these women had a huge impact on Winston, but the woman who influenced Winston the most was Julia. She is the ultimate influence that led to Winston’s fall. Julia is the opposite of Winston. She’s fearless, rebellious, and free-spirited, traits Winston wished he had and eventually he gains the courage he lacks. Julia becomes the stereotypical temptress who turns Winston into this brave new person. Whenever he’s around Julia, he’s able to share his hatred for the party and he thinks for himself. Orwell ends the book with, â€Å"He loved Big Brother† (Orwell, 370). By doing that, Orwell shows defeat that ultimately destroyed Winston. When Winston is with Julia, he had a sense of freedom and he was brave, but without her, he goes back to being an obedient citizen because, in the end, Winston doesn’t have anybody else but Big Brother. Orwell’s portrayal of women who fit into these stereotypical roles causes Winston to find himself. His purpose of serving society and obeying Big Brother was greatly influenced by the women in his life. Society destroyed him while women helped shape him into the man he is. Through the guilt he felt when he mom died, Katherine’s lack of emotion, and Julia’s love for rebellion, Winston learned the nature of masculinity for himself. In psychoanalytic criticism, we look at a book from a psychological perspective. Sigmund Freud created the principles of psychoanalysis in 1896. He believes that people are motivated by powerful, unconscious drives and conflicts. When reading through a psychoanalytic lens, the citizens of Oceania are the victims psychological manipulation. The party believes that as long as a person’s perception of the truth can be externally verified, then even a lie can become the truth. For example, one of The Party’s methods of control is Newspeak. The party invented Newspeak to control the way people think. If anyone should think for themselves, then that person has committed thoughtcrime. Thoughtcrime is a thought that doesn’t fit into Big Brother’s ideologies. This controls the people directly through the citizen’s actual thoughts and it also dictates them physically through how Big Brother determines if a citizen is committing a thought crime. Big Brother determines a thought crime by using telescreens that are placed throughout Oceania and they examine the reactions on the face of the people and what they say to find out how they feel about what Big Brother is doing. This controls the people because it makes them not display any opposition to the government. By doing this, fear is instilled in the people and this takes a psychological toll on them. Citizens are constantly reminded that Big Brother is watching them, and that also takes a toll on the people psychologically because they live in fear and paranoia. Another example of Big Brother controlling the people was by the way that he had children brought up. The government brought the children into the organization called the â€Å"Junior Spies†. Once the children were in this organization, they were trained and taught to betray their parents by being additional eyes and ears for Big Brother. This form of control psychologically manipulates families not to talk a bout anything that would display individuality. Big Brother controls the citizens by taking away the passion and the enjoyment out of sex as well. In Oceania, Big Brother establishes sex as something that should only be used for the reproduction to help populate Oceania. Sex isn’t supposed to be enjoyed and can only be done by specified members of the dinner party. Sex expresses individualism and free thought, so by manipulating the people do not like sex, they’re taking away the citizens individualism. Big Brother takes the problems in the society and uses them to say that other parties and cultures are the reasons for their faults. This creates hatred in the people and stirs up emotional responses against the other parties and cultures. The government does this in a way that’s similar to the propaganda tactics used by Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany and Joseph Stalin in Communist Russia. The most obvious way Big Brother psychologically manipulates the citizens is observed through the posters that the government hangs up. Throughout Oceania, there are posters that say, â€Å"Big Brother Is Watching You† This is a scare tactic that the government uses to put fear in the citizens of Oceania. Big Brother uses fear by creating a place in which the citizens are constantly reminded that they are being watched for disloyalty and other crimes. By using psychological manipulation, the citizens of Oceania are trapped in a place where they can’t think for themselves nor can they question the government, because if they do, they will die.

An Analysis of Burger King :: Business Management Studies

An Analysis of Burger King Burger King is a reliable burger company which has had its ups and downs. In 1974, it came out with a slogan of "Have it your way" and at this time it also had a 4 % market share. Burger King's idea was to have the customer have their burger done their way rather than a standard burger. In the early 80's Burger King was trying to keep sales growing so they had to keep changing their advertising. In 1982 "Battle of the burgers" and "Aren't you hungry for a Burger king now?" were the slogans used. In 1983 "Broiling vs. frying" and 1985 "The big switch". All these ads throughout the years helped increase market shares from 7.6% to 8.3% from 1983 to 1985. "Search for herb" was a slogan used by BK about a person that has never tasted a whopper burger, this campaign was supposed to increase market share by 10% but in reality only increased it by 1% it was a disaster. In 1986-1987 "this is a burger king town" and "best food for fast times" brought a lot of attention to the company. In 1988 "We do it like you do it" was used often but a year later they came out with two new slogans which confused the customer. In 1989 "Sometimes you gotta break the rules" and "BK tee vee" with MTV and Dan Cortese with "I love this place". This was another huge setback for BK because people on the go and parents found this ad loud and irritating. BK at this time has failed to establish a solid image that would differentiate it from its competitors. Ads if anything only confused consumers as to what advantages BK offered. In 1993 it had a market share of 6.1% were McDonalds had 15.6% and BK's sales were growing slower than its rivals. Failed advertising campaigns weren't the only problem's, they also had internal problems. Management lacked focus and direction and has struggled with marketing mix decisions. Franchises became confused and angered, service was slow and food preparation wasn't consistent. Burger King lost its core product-flame broiled burgers, made the way the customer wanted them. Another thing that hurt them was the fact they didn't lower prices to keep competing with their competitors this led to a below average sales growth. Many in store promotion also failed. In 1993 a new CEO was introduced, this allowed for huge turnaround and in fact it did. He helped please the franchises and responded to their problems and listened to their recommendations. Then later he lowered prices and hired a new advertising agency.

‘Modern democracy’ develop in America Essay

The English colonies on the eastern coast of American can be divided into three groups, the North, the Middle Colonies and the South. They all have very different attitudes but they all came here to America to escape from the oppression back in Europe and to develop a new, democratic country. To establish democracy, they all have to face the same enemy, the British. Modern democracy involves the right to vote, check and balance, and an elected representative. The main reasons for development of modern democracy in America were religion, wealth, political freedom, pragmatism and secularism. Religion and political freedom are strongly related to each other because Christianity provided an essential moral foundation for liberal democratic government. The Pilgrims who reached New England in 1620 escaped from religious persecution by the English church and government and the corruptions of Holland. Soon they decided to set up their own government base on Christian ideas, particular the idea of equality. It was one of the early steps towards modern democracy in America. The Pilgrims drew up an important agreement called the Mayflower Compact. The agreement stated that the government would make â€Å"just laws and equal† with the consent of the colonists. In practice this meant that adult male Pilgrims met from time to time to elect a governor and a small group to assist him. The Puritans also hated the hierarchy system in the English church. But comparing to the Pilgrims, the Puritans were more ambitious. They thought it was destiny and God’s will that brought them to America. Religion and the idea of â€Å"city upon the hill† caused them to form a democratic government. â€Å"City upon a hill† was proposed by John Winthrop. He meant that the new colony would be an example for the rest of the world of how God meant men and women to live. The Puritans should build their city well and it would become a model which England might follow. Wealth also hindered the movement of democracy. First of all, the colonists in the south went to American hoping to find wealth and success which they found by growing tobacco and slave trade. Once they got wealth, they wanted to protect their property and to gain further profit. The only way to do  this is to have a government system where it will concern about people’s self interest. As a result, a democratic government is developed where most issues were approved or discussed by the people before it was passed. Pragmatism means human taking practical actions to problems. America is a new, strange land to the colonists. The colonists had to be very flexible to cope with the wilderness. Secularism means the exclusion of religious and supernatural beliefs. These two ideas combined to develop another characteristic of modern democracy that is religious freedom. It was first suggested by William Penn, a Quaker. They believed all men are equal no matter what race or what religion they believed in. The Quakers thought religion does not dictate political decisions, though the moral views originating in Christianity remain. Rather then concentrating on the religious aspect, they concentrate on improving their lives in this new country. The Shakers held a similar idea with the Quakers. They believed in â€Å"Hands to work, heart to God.† This developed the idea of you can believe in any religion or none at all, with little legal or social sanction, that is the freedom of religion. The main cause of the American War of Independence is how the British treated Americans after the Seven Years War. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) had the French on one side and Prussia backed by British gold on the other. The Seven Years War was mainly the result of trading rights. The British colonials (Americans) were pinned up against the Atlantic seaboard, with only the Hudson Bay Company in the north challenging the French trading. The colonists were running out of land. British found the need to expand. But doing so, they would enter the Ohio Valley, controlled by France. In the end, France was defeated. Although Britain won the war, they found themselves in an unfavourable situation. The war was longer than the British had expected and was expensive. Even worse, the colonists were moving west. In order to maintain their new land in America British must send troops to protect it, this was another huge spending. Since Britain had defended the thirteen colonies, they thought tha t the colonists should pay for the troops by various taxes. Starting from 1763, Britain tried to apply its own policy onto the American colonists. The American colonists were unpleased because the reason why there were here in America was to escape from English rule but now the British government was making decisions, disregarding the assemblies that they established earlier. A few events highlighted the colonists’ resentments and anger toward Britain. In 1764, the Revenue Act was introduced. It stated that colonists have to pay duty for molasses which is used to make rum. It was the first time that the colonists felt the unjust of British rule. The next year, British introduced another tax through Stamp Act. This Act made colonists to buy stamps for newspaper and many other essential items. They even have to buy license for playing cards and dice. The colonists became outrageous, they believed only their assemblies can tax on them, not the London Parliament which is few thousands miles away and they had not much power in it. The anger towards British rule was intense by Britain demolishing all duties in the Townshend Act apart from tea. The colonists regarded this as a bribe to make them end the boycott with British government so that the British can tax them. As a result, a first actual rebellion was broke out and it was known as the Boston Tea Party. Few colonists disguised themselves as Indians and threw cargos of tea into the harbour. This rebellion alerted the British. The British decided to make a harsher plan towards America. The Intolerable Acts were made in 1774 to gain total control over American colonists. The British block ports and only allow American assemblies to meet once a year. This is the ultimate reason for making the American wanted to go to war with Britain. The Acts caused the colonists to stop all trade with Britain and raise their own troops. Americans felt that Britain was taking their democracy away by simply ruling them in British way. Under British rule, Americans did not have the right to vote or to elect government. They did not have religion freedom and must follow the English church. They could not have their own trade. The colonists’ feelings could be expressed through the Philosophes’ arguments. As the famous philosophe, Voltaire said, â€Å"I disagree with everything you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it!†, he believed that the Church stood in the way of truth by telling people what to believe instead of allowing them to think for themselves. The American extended this  idea even further and thought that Britain was in the way of their democracy and that the welfare of the colony and the Empire were not always synonymous. The philosophes also emphasised on human rights and this related to how the American thought when a government does not consent the governed, it sho uld be change. The colonists fled from the oppression back in Europe and wanted to start a new life. Their religion, ambition and attidtues finally led them to the road to modern democracy. But Britain disregarded their rights and democracy and this is the immediate cause of the American War of Independence.