The Jury Trial Stage of a Criminal Case

A criminal trial is scheduled if a defendant continues to plead not guilty after the preliminary hearing and plea bargain negotiations have ended. If pre-trial motions have failed to get evidence thrown out or the charges dismissed, and all efforts at plea bargaining have failed, the case proceeds to trial. At the trial, a panel of jurors determines if the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or not guilty. The vast majority of criminal cases never get to the trial stage. Most are resolved prior to trial in the pre-trial motion stage or the plea bargain stage. There are several distinct phases of a criminal trial proceeding: Jury Selection In order to choose a jury, typically 12 jurors and at least two alternates, a panel of dozens of potential jurors are summoned to the court. Usually, they will fill out a questionnaire prepared in advance that contains questions submitted by both the prosecution and the defense. Jurors are asked if serving on the jury would present a hardship on them and they are usually asked about their attitudes and experiences that might lead them to be biased in the case before them. Some jurors are typically excused after filling out the written questionnaire. Questioning Potential Jurors Both the prosecution and the defense are then allowed to question the potential jurors in open court about their potential biases and their background. Each side can excuse any juror for cause, and each side is given a number of peremptory challenges that can be used to excuse a juror without giving a reason. Obviously, both the prosecution and the defense want to choose jurors who they think are more likely to agree with their side of the argument. Many a trial has been won during the jury selection process. Opening Statements After a jury is selected, its members get their first view of the case during the opening statements by the prosecution and the defense attorneys. Defendants in the United States are presumed innocent until proven guilty, so the burden is on the prosecution to prove its case to the jury. Consequently, the prosecutions opening statement is first and goes into great detail outlining the evidence against the defendant. The prosecution gives the jury a preview of how it plans to prove what the defendant did, how he did it and sometimes what his motive was. Alternate Explanation The defense does not have to make an opening statement at all  or even call witnesses to testify because the burden of proof is on the prosecutors. Sometimes the defense will wait until after the entire prosecutions case is presented before making an opening statement. If the defense does make an opening statement, it is usually designed to poke holes in the prosecutions theory of the case and offer the jury an alternative explanation for the facts or evidence presented by the prosecution. Testimony and Evidence The main phase of any criminal trial is the case-in-chef in which both sides can present witness testimony and evidence to the jury for its consideration. Witnesses are used in order to lay  a foundation for the admitting of evidence. For example, the prosecution cannot just offer a handgun into evidence until it establishes through witness testimony why the gun is relevant to the case and how it is linked to the defendant. If a police officer first testifies that the gun was found on the defendant when he was arrested, then the gun can be admitted into evidence. Cross-Examination of Witnesses After a witness testifies under direct examination, the opposing side has the opportunity to cross-examine the same witness in an effort to discredit their testimony or challenge their credibility or otherwise shake their story. In most jurisdictions, after the cross-examination, the side who originally called the witness can ask a question on re-direct examination in an effort to rehabilitate any damage that might have been done on cross-examination. Closing Arguments Many times, after the prosecution rests its case, the defense will make a motion to dismiss the case because the evidence presented did not prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Rarely does the judge grant this motion, but it does happen. It is often the case that the defense does not present witnesses or testimony of its own  because they feel they were successful in attacking the prosecutions witnesses and evidence during cross-examination. After both sides rest their case, each side is allowed to make a closing argument to the jury. The prosecution attempts to strengthen the evidence they presented to the jury, while the defense attempts to convince the jury that the evidence falls short and leaves room for reasonable doubt. Jury Instructions An important part of any criminal trial is the instructions that the judge gives to the jury before they begin deliberations. In those instructions, in which the prosecution and the defense have offered their input to the judge, the judge outlines the ground rules the jury must utilize during its deliberations. The judge will explain what legal principles are involved with the case, describe important concepts of law such as reasonable doubt, and outline to the jury what findings they must make in order to come to their conclusions. The jury is supposed to abide by the judges instructions throughout their deliberation process. Jury Deliberations Once the jury retires to the jury room, the first order of business is usually to elect a foreman from its members to facilitate the deliberations. Sometimes, the foreman will take a quick poll of the jury to find out how close they are to an agreement, and get an idea of what issues need to be discussed. If the initial vote of the jury is unanimous or very one-sided for or against guilt, jury deliberations can be very brief, and the foreman reports to the judge that a verdict has been reached. A Unanimous Decision If the jury is not initially unanimous, discussions between jurors continue in an effort to reach a unanimous vote. These deliberations can take days or even weeks to complete if the jury is widely split or has one holdout juror voting against the other 11. If the jury cannot come to a unanimous decision and is hopeless split, the jury foreman reports to the judge that the jury is deadlocked, also known as a hung jury. The judge declares a mistrial and the prosecution has to decide whether to retry the defendant at another time, offer the defendant a better plea deal or drop the charges altogether.

The Day I Was Born - 1312 Words

The Day I Was Born Almost twenty-two years ago, on July 4th, 1994, I was born. I have heard many stories over the years about that day, but after interviewing my mom and dad I learned things I had not known whether they are accurate or not. When explaining the assignment to my parents I told them to email me everything they can remember on their own about the day I was born. After reading what they sent I found that I needed more details so I asked them both the same questions, separately. I asked questions such as: how was the weather, what did the room look like, who visited me, etc. My parents remembered the general things from that day but when asked about specific things they either remembered them one way or not at all. I found that†¦show more content†¦My mom, on the other hand, remembers hearing a nurse ask her what was wrong after she screamed in pain (B. Lehmann, personal communication, March 23, 2016). She also remembers the response she gave the nurse which was, â€Å"Contractions are painful; I don’t recommend having them!† She can also remember calling the doctor that morning and asking if she had time to shower before she came down to the hospital (B. Lehmann, personal communication, March 23, 2016). Though she may not remember what the nurse’s voice sounded like she still remembers those exact words. I think my parents were able to remember these things because it was a big day for them and when asked certain questions they were able to draw out more memories. Visual codes also as defined in my notes are memories of mental pictures for example, childhood neighborhood. My father remembers the sterilized room the nurses took me to after I was born because I was jaundice, but my mother does not (C. Lehmann, personal communication, March 23, 2016). She remembers more so what her hospital room looked like. The room I was put in, according to my father, had an incubator in the center and a window that my family could see through from my mom’s hospital room. No one was allowed to touch me because it had to be a sterile environment and the nurses did not want people coming and going. My parents called the incubator I was in a ‘French fry heater.’ They always told me I

Strategy for Conducting Market Research

Question: Describe the Strategy for Conducting Market Research. Answer: Introduction Market research is a technique that companies adopt in order to determine market demand for particular products and services(Brace 2008). Market research can be for diagnosing a problem or to find data regarding a particular solution. The current report deals market research approach for Caterpillar new product of earth digging equipment introduction in Turkey. Turkey is a new international market for the company hence relevant market research approaches needs to be analyzed for entering with the new product. Introduction to Company : Caterpillar Caterpillar Inc. is an American based corporation established in the year 1925 by Benjamin Holt(Caterpillar Retrieved on 5 th August 2016). The company is into designing, engineering, manufacturing and developing of engines, machinery worldwide. The companys revenue as on 2015 is US$3.25 billion and employs around 114,233 employees worldwide. Market Research Approaches Market research approaches is used by managers and leaders in organizations in order to make strategic decisions regarding products and in taking informed decisions in dynamic environment with fluctuating macro variables. Market research can be of qualitative or quantitative nature that a company can adopt in its market research approach. Y McGivern in his article, The practice of market research :an introduction discussed the several qualitative techniques employed in conducting market research(McGivern 2013). The several qualitative tools discussed by him are interviews, social groups, questionnaires and so on. B.Cova and R.Elliott in their article, Everything you always wanted to know about interpretive consumer research but were afraid to ask also discussed the several qualitative techniques and their applicability(Cova 2008). H. Mc Milan and S. Schumacher in their article, Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry discussed the various quantitative approaches that are used in market research(McMillan 2014). Quantitative techniques as data collection and thereafter their analysis are discussed in the article. Introduction of Product Idea in International market Caterpillar is identified as an international brand name in engineering, manufacturing equipment and is a pioneer brand. The company on the basis of market research has identified the need of earth digging equipment in Turkey. The product has substantial market demand and can generate immense revenues for the company. However, Turkey is relatively new market hence qualitative and quantitative research was pertinent for development of the new product category. Turkey is one of the fast developing economies amongst the MINT countries and significant research has been going around the several development stimulants(Durotoye 2014). The country has a stable political and economic situation which is attracting large amount of foreign investments. The country is ideally suited to MNEs to start their operations. Figure 1: Turkey growth rate Source: (Durotoye 2014) Market Approaches Caterpillar has used relevant articles in order to develop a new product for its brand in international market of Turkey. The research included qualitative survey regarding the demand gap in the market and quantitative analysis, on basis of the market demand that could be met by the product. The quantitative market research helped in assessing the market size and growth potential. Whereas qualitative market research has been used by the company to analyze the brand strength of Caterpillar, customer segment and characteristics in Turkey. Competitors and use of digital marketing to market the products was also assessed by qualitative research. Conclusion Market research approaches offers companies with data and significant information that allows them to take important strategic decisions. Caterpillar in its new product introduction in a new international market has deployed quantitative as well as qualitative data in order to yield valuable strategic information. The market research approaches have enabled the company to develop a new product idea and decide on a new international country to enter such that it can significantly be profitable to the company. References Brace, I 2008, Questionnaire design: How to plan, structure and write survey material for effective market research., Kogan Page Publishers. Caterpillar Retrieved on 5 th August 2016, 'Company Brands', https://www.caterpillar.com/en/companybrands.html. Cova, B. and Elliott, R., 2008. Everything you always wanted to know about interpretive consumer research but were afraid to ask.Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,11(2), pp.121-129. Durotoye, A 2014, 'The MINT Countries as Emerging Economic Power Bloc: Prospects and Challenges.', Developing Country Studies, vol 4, no. 15, pp. 99-107. McGivern, Y 2013, The practice of market research: an introduction. , Pearson Higher Ed. McMillan, J.H. and Schumacher, S., 2014.Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry. Pearson Higher Ed.

Starbucks Growth Strategy free essay sample

(Nasdaq: SBUX) reported strong fourth-quarter and fiscal 2003 results yesterday after the bell, with annual revenues jumping 24% to $4. 1 billion and earnings growing 26% to $268. 3 million. Shares are dipping about 2% so far today, presumably because the companys $0. 17 in Q4 EPS met, rather than beat, expectations. Despite the markets lukewarm response, theres much to praise here, and opportunities for more growth abound. The companys comparable-store sales results were again impressive, and the future of its international expansion looks promising. Further, Starbucks plans for domestic growth are encouraging, thanks to the rollout of more drive-through stores. Starbucks (which I happily own shares of) posted an 8% comparable-store sales gain for the year, marking the 12th year in a row the companys comps have been 5% or better. Its projecting 3%-7% comps growth for fiscal 2004 the same guidance it gave for the just-completed year. Starbucks same-store sales success is primarily transaction-driven, meaning that its not relying only on higher prices to drive growth. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Growth Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thats an important factor in the quality of its comps gains. We already know it entered its first quarter upbeat, with same-store sales growth of 9% for the month of October. With the rollout of its famed holiday drinks (dont come between me and a Gingerbread Latte), and the continued success of the Starbucks card, Q1s likely to be another winner. Starbucks international operations will turn profitable this year, a significant milestone for the company. It will add 350 international locations to its lineup, with 300 of them being licensed stores. Troubles in Japan havent squashed Starbucks belief that it can be a welcome part of diverse cultures the world over. The company will continue to partner locally in order to achieve this balance between a consistent Starbucks experience and a locally tailored one. In the U. S. and Canada, Starbucks will add 950 locations this year. About a third of those will be drive-through locations, which have some of the best unit economics of all of Starbucks concepts. Its surprising to me that Starbucks just now seems to be catching on to the fact that drive-throughs can be hugely successful for it. Yes, its contrary to the whole coffeehouse culture the company wants to cultivate, but from the customers point of view, the convenience factor is attractive. Starbucks finished the year with 7,225 stores, and as laid out above, plans to add 1,300 new locations globally in fiscal 2004. Thats all while maintaining its excellent comps growth and producing total revenue growth of 20% and earnings growth of at least 20%. Ambitious, to be sure, though Starbucks hasnt given us a reason to doubt it yet. At 38 times the 2004 estimate of $0. 85, its stock, predictably, isnt allowing for much doubt, either.

Polanskis Interpretations of Shakespeares Macbeth Essay Example

Polanskis Interpretations of Shakespeares Macbeth Paper Polanskis film version of Macbeth is interesting when studied closely. It contains a lot of references to themes in the play, but also illustrates Polanskis own interpretation of the play. Polanski made a few noticeable changes when converting text to film, with some scenes being added to the film and others being left out of the film version. I will attempt to demonstrate the ideas and thoughts behind this particular version of Macbeth and in doing so I hope to intensify my own viewing experience. A good way of improving a films effect is to analyse the different scenes and find some hidden interpretations and effects. The film begins with a scene that was not in the original text, but was added by Polanski. It starts with a hazy, foggy beach, and we can hear the waves against the shore, giving us an idea of the surroundings. The witches slowly appear from this fog as the camera pans out. Once they reach the foreground, they begin to dig a hole in the sand. Once the hole is complete, they place in it a severed forearm clutching a dagger, along with a hangmans noose. The severed hand has many opportunities for interpretations, but it seems to symbolise murder more than anything else. The dagger itself is a tool for murder, and the arm is gruesomely detached from its owner, so is, in a way, connected with murder. The hangmans noose is another murder tool but also carries with it the theme of justice, as it was used as a form of punishment. We will write a custom essay sample on Polanskis Interpretations of Shakespeares Macbeth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Polanskis Interpretations of Shakespeares Macbeth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Polanskis Interpretations of Shakespeares Macbeth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then, the witches pour blood over the murder ensemble as if to complete a spell. After filling the hole, they fade out in to the background, much the same way as their entrance. The use of blood so early on in the play is intriguing, as this image recurs a lot throughout Shakespeares text version. The witches appearance is anything but glamorous. There are three, each seeming to differ in age. There is the younger one, a more middle-aged one and the last seems to be an old crone. The witches clothes are made of rags, leading us to believe that they are not associated with normal society. After this added scene, the film moves on to the battle report, and following that, we see Macbeth on the Scottish moors. This is the stage in the text where he meets the witches for the first time. The scene in the film is accompanied by a depressing bagpipe tune which places an uncertainty in to the viewers mind. The first soliloquy of the film is shown as a close-up of Macbeth. The speech is presented as a voiceover. I think Polanski uses this method of presenting the soliloquy because it shows that Macbeth is actually thinking the words and not saying them. This is not the case in most stage productions as voiceovers are difficult in front of a live audience. This method enhances the atmosphere of the play and makes it seem more realistic. Going back to the subject of the witches, Macbeth meets them again in Act IV, but extra witches have been added to the scene. This makes the whole thing seem like some sort of ceremony or celebration. One interesting aspect of this scene is that none of the witches are wearing clothes. They are all completely naked. This portrays a sense of poverty, but also puts across the theme of the super-natural. When Macbeth arrives at this congregation of witches, they are concocting a potion, which he duly drinks. This leads to the visions of apparitions, the eight kings. As Macbeth sinks into a dream world, the camera spins around him in a wild fashion, making it look like Macbeth is extremely dizzy. This nudity is also shown by Lady Macbeth when she goes mad, which may mean that Polanski saw Lady Macbeth as being linked with the witches somehow. Also, Lady Macbeth tends to speak of evil throughout the text. The film, of course, is full of supernatural references. It both begins and ends with witches (which are both scenes added by Polanski). There are also many other references to the supernatural elements, which include the apparitions that appear before Macbeth, and the Ghost of Banquo that appears in the banquet scene. The banquet scene is done very well in the play, especially with the appearance of Banquos Ghost. The audience can see the ghost, as can Macbeth, but the guests sitting around the table act innocent. The audience then feels the same perplexity as Macbeth, and the truth is only exposed as Macbeth realises the truth. When Macbeth gets a closer look at the Ghost of Banquo, the camera also pans in for a close up. The audience gets a chance to witness the brutality of Banquos injuries, and this intensifies the atmosphere of the scene. Macbeth now realises that it is in fact a ghost that stands before him. His reaction to this information is brilliantly shown, and makes the scene look much more realistic. One scene I thought was shown inadequately was the soliloquy scene in which Macbeth decides to assassinate Duncan. The dagger involved in this scene (Macbeth visualises a dagger and this then influences his decision to kill Duncan) is extremely poorly portrayed. Even though the film was made in 1971, the technology used to generate the dagger was dreadfully utilised. The scene would have looked much better had it not contained a dagger at all. If Macbeth had pretended to see a dagger (which the audience would not see) then the tension would have been increased. The scene would have a peculiar and eerie appearance to it as Macbeth seems to be interacting with thin air. The audience would soon recognize that there is actually a dagger in Macbeths mind and once this is realised, Macbeth would have decided to kill Duncan. This would have made the scene a lot better, compared to the superimposed dagger that was originally used. In my opinion, I think Polanskis film version of Macbeth is very well produced. It has its faults, which can be more or less put down to the available technology. The supernatural effects in the film are shown in a way that captivates the audience and increases the atmosphere of the play. His version, as a conversion from the text, is brilliant in its content. He brings in nearly all of the scenes from the text, and adds more of his own, to great effect.

Relationship Between Rewards and Employees Motivation

Relationship Between Rewards and Employees Motivation Literature review Employees are among the fundamental stakeholders in almost all organisations and their wellbeing is normally paramount if an organisation wants to succeed in the vibrant business world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Relationship Between Rewards and Employee’s Motivation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As the commerce world and its management grow towards a more complicated business and organisational environment, which has been a challenge to thrive through, a continuum of challenges is gradually becoming eminent. Hence, keeping employees on board is essential for corporate growth (McCooey, 173). Organisational management together with its competence and its strategies towards managing human capital coupled with how it maintains the paramount rapport amongst workforces has been forming numerous global businesses controversies (Zingheim, Schuster, and Dertien 3). A culminating numb er of researches like studies by Elton and Gostick (56-98), Gordon (84-112), and Kaye (106-139) have actively engaged on common approaches that organisations employ to recruit, retain, and retrench their employees with substantial evidence indicating that these factors have been invariable core controversies in numerous organisations. The willingness of an employee to remain loyal and dedicated to his or her organisation depends on reasonably several factors and most of them have always remained underrated and miscalculated by organisations and governments. On global synopsis, surveys and studies conducted within developed nations, especially the United States of America have indicated that despite the audacious unemployment rates that are constantly becoming pandemonium to economic growth, there is considerably an acute talent shortage in these countries. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) â€Å"reports an increasing trend in voluntary terminations, and the rate of unemplo yment for people with college degrees is about half of the national unemployment rate and is decreasing† (Scott, Mullen, and Royal 2).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From this statement, one would then understand that retention of critical talents especially the skilled and experienced employees who are active performers is paramount during economic recoveries particularly in the recent decades where aggressive market competition is eminent. As stated by Scott, Mullen, and Royal, key talent normally contributes to current and future organisational performance since they become reliable movers of firm success (2). A continuum of studies demonstrating a positive correlation between employee reward strategies and employee Retention is growing exponentially. Employee retention and its status in ME Any organisation determined towards achieving its missio n, vision, and objectives or even gaining a competitive edge in the market, has to understand the imperativeness of respecting and bearing in mind the significance of having potential employees, customers and other stakeholders. The quest to improve performance in organisations is driving the business world into understanding aspects concerning employee attraction and retention, and successive years may rip much from the current interventions (Philips and Connell 93). In its most straightforward manner, employee retention may refer to management strategies placed by organisations to maintain their personnel, workforce, or labour force. Naris and Ukpere assert, â€Å"Qualified employees are scares and therefore institutions should be proactive when developing retention strategies and that retention should start with the job descriptions, orientation program, recruitment and selection† (1078). Human resources retained and respected by their organisations, while provided with di verse professional and economic expansion opportunities including empowerment and rewards on their substantial performance, feel motivated and in turn reward their firms through positive working (Hafisa, Shah, and Jamsheed 327).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Relationship Between Rewards and Employee’s Motivation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employers employ reward strategies for employee retention. Employee retention in companies operating within the Middle East countries where market for both human capital and industrial products is growing significantly has been an affair of great socio-economic concern. Drawing lessons from their counterparts in most developed nations including Germany, The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China, companies in the Middle East have slightly began noticing the significance of utilising reward strategies in retaining their workforce. However, it is still a paradox. According to a recently concluded 2012 survey conducted by Deloitte, â€Å"employee morale has been dwindling in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as Europe struggles with debt crises, the future of the euro, and increased borrowing costs† (11). In this same survey, of all industrial workforce, interviewed, approximately half of EMEA that accounts to 47 per cent reported decreased levels of morale for the past year, as contrasted to 38 per cent in American companies and only 33 per cent Asian Pacific zones (Deloitte 11). For the successful companies with these nations, reward strategies were eminent. Common Forms of reward strategies As a way of appreciating and recognising the imperativeness of rewarding key talents and skilled workforce that are core features of firm’s growth, some companies have been using a variety of rewards strategies. Typically, two forms of reward strategies are employed by organisation in compensating their workforce and t hey include financial and non-financial rewards (Hafisa, Shah, and Jamsheed 332).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Financial rewards are monetary endowments that employers offer to their workforce depending on different organisational rewarding protocols principally to enhance motivation. According to studies by Podmoroff (72-108) and Thomas (63-127), rewards that do not involve monetary payoffs form part of the critical reward strategies that employers use to motivate employees. This form of intrinsic motivation is the best form of motivation and it applies socio-psychological approaches. Not surprisingly, â€Å"financial incentives help drive employee satisfaction, with nearly seven in ten (68 per cent) highly satisfied employees†¦reporting good pay package, but the quality of a company’s non-financial incentives s also a strong indicator of overall satisfaction† (Deloitte 5). This aspect means that both of these rewarding employee schemes have always been significant in ensuring employee job satisfaction, motivation and more importantly, organisational success or aims accom plishment. Reward strategies and high employee turnover While trying to understand the significance of reward strategies as approaches towards employee retention, one must understand the unforeseen challenges resulting from employee turnover. Since employee turnover simply implies to the rate at which an organisation depending on its employment policies lose or acquire its workforce, a subject of interest from current research is rising from this angle (McCooey 172; Silverstein 84). An auspicious relationship linking lack of reward strategies and the continually growing challenges regarding controlling high employee turnover is diverse and convincing. Employer’s lack of commitment to improve their rapport with their workforce is raising questions about the high labour turnovers experienced recently within the contemporary global employment realm. Rewarding dedicated, competent, and skilled critical professionals in a given organisation have associated with greater possibiliti es of reducing high employee turnover and enhancing productivity as well (Naris and Ukpere 1081). With organisations blindfolded and incapable of seeing the direct cost relating to high turnover resulting from tyrannical leadership ignorance studies reveal that constant lose and gain of workforce results in organisational ineffectiveness since production becomes inconsistent. High labour turnover influenced by highly qualified and experienced employees, coupled by poor management in organisations normally results to loss of morale among workers. Reward strategies on retention As prospective affirmative correlation exists between reward strategies and employee satisfaction, motivation, empowerment and finally retention, much has protracted on the levels of labour turnover that is becoming difficult to manage. Labour turnover has been on regular debates in companies operating within Europe, Middle East, and Africa, with evidence revealing that high turn is becoming unmanageable due to lack of strategic management approaches that involve employee retention measures (Shields 130). From the same investigation by Shields (130), failure to provide favourable working conditions, coupled with minimal or non-existence of employee motivation-centred initiatives is creating unimaginable paradox in maintaining human resources in organisations, as organisations are overwhelmed to succeed with high staff turnover than keeping miniature, but skilled workforce. Most successful organisations have recorded paranormal perseverance in economic adversities by ensuring that they have engaged in employee comfort and motivation. Both financial and non-financial rewards have been key actors on motivating employees across broad business spectrums, with researchers and philosophers linking firm’s success to comprehensive utilisation of reward strategies. For employers to understand the significance of rewarding employees to maintain their rapport and retain them, one thing they ha ve never noticed is that hiring momentary workers with skills and professionalism becomes much expensive as they bargain for soaring payments on unreasonable contracts. Naris and Ukpere assert, â€Å"Implementing an innovative retention strategy will motivate staff members and commit them towards improving their qualifications† (1083). To understand well how rewards can or have been movers towards employee recruitment, or most importantly employee retention, literature has provided numerous cases in which awards contribute to employee retention. Prior literature from researchers has been crucial in explaining the correlation between reward strategies and employee retention. Some of the probable ways through which individuals can understand this aspect is first by examining the prevailing association between reward strategies and motivation, reward strategies and employee-satisfaction reward strategies and cooperation as well as reward strategies and productivity. The aforemen tioned elements, according to Breaugh and Starke (367), are pointers that underscore how rewards contribute to employee retention. Reward strategies and motivation Motivation comes from the word motive, which may refer to a force or intention that pushes individuals towards undertaking activities or performing certain duties. Reward schemes or programs are essential since any form of compensation, incentive, or remuneration given to promote talent or as recognition towards job well done creates substantial employee motivation (Randall 45). Both financial and non-financial rewarding strategies have a significant impact on employee motivation. Employees are normally willing to continue serving their organisations competently and diligently and dedicatedly, if they notice that there leaders trust them, respect them, and feel concerned about their wellbeing (Randall 41). A motivated worker usually possesses a self-driven motive towards performing specific organisational duties including voluntary ones, feels secure, appreciated and in turn respects his or her employer, and hence a reciprocated relationship subsists. It is only in organisations where workers have motivation, created through financial and non-financial incentives that constancy, trustworthiness and competence become part of organisational culture. Labour turnover is becoming a controversial matter in numerous organisations and empowering a little, but competent workforce is paramount for success of an organisation. According to Scott, McMullen, and Royal, labour turnover is always costly in its management and it usually affects business performance directly, especially during economic hardship moment (3). Therefore, retention of key employees and skilled labour force becomes the most appropriate way of ensuring that organisations are in a position to control labour turnover, and subsequently enhances trustworthiness. A survey undertaken by Scott, McMullen, and Royal reveal that major issues that lea d to employees having a sense of job insecurity is lack of organisational appreciation, towards employees, lack of motivation and unawareness of their performance abilities (5). When reward strategies, policies and programs are in place, organisational workforce remains loyal to its company even when there is a significant downturn in the economy. In their study, Naris and Ukpere noticed that financial rewards, job contentment, and short of career opportunities motivate employees to relinquish (1082). Reward strategies and employee satisfaction Job satisfaction has been a critical matter in the contemporary organisation management paradigm and its pursuit is rising. Akin to issues pertaining motivation at work, rewards are focal in determining employee satisfaction in the sense that material and psychological wellbeing are crucial in employee performance and subsistence in a company as noted by research (Brown 211; Brown and Armstrong 90). After having a deep sense of motivation, wh ich is brought about by recognition where organisations compensate workers efforts through reward schemes, job satisfaction thereby becomes evident (Zingheim et al. 10). Poor working environment, unconcerned employers, coupled with challenging socio-economic issues in persistence, motivate workers to turn down their jobs. A substantial number of studies have revealed a significant correlation between availability of reward strategies in organisations and job satisfaction, which in turn results to high employee retention (Hafisa, Shah, and Jamsheed 329). By organisations dedicated their resources to improve employee’s welfare by offering rewards as employee compensation techniques, cases of misconduct especially relating to material and financial swindling, impunity and cheat reduce and thereby enhancing trustworthiness. Human satisfaction depends on material wellbeing and psychological comfort, and the two are paramount to social success and potency in undertaking duties. Dra wing empirical evidence from studies undertaken by Hafisa, Shah, and Jamsheed, external or extrinsic rewards including good pay package or simply comfortable salary, incentives, bonuses, job security, fringe benefits and job promotions are part of job satisfaction which results to employee’s willingness to stay in an organisation (327). Reward strategies that involve the provision of bonuses, fringe benefits, and incentives by organisations normally enhance the employee’s commitment and dedication towards their job and subsequently increase their possibility of staying within their organisations. Every employee seeks for jobs that provide favourable working atmosphere including excellent salaries, bonuses and other incentives (Zingheim et al. 8). Rewards involving on-job promotion gives an employee a sense of greater job security, confidence, and comfortability knowing very well that their organisation trusts them. Given the vibrantly growing competitive markets, manag ers in HR must consider rewards to improve workforce retention. Reward strategies and Cooperation Reward strategies have been much imperative in developing and maintaining cohesion and teamwork among workers, with research insisting that collaboration results in a positive working environment and changed attitude among workers, hence high possibilities of employee retention (Scott, McMullen, and Royal 9). Employees usually are willing to continue offering their services to an organisation where aspects of cooperation, teamwork, collaboration, assistance and mutual aid prevail that allows them to share ideas, engage in decision making and interactively build working alliances in an organisation. Using a contingency model of pay system design, Boyd and Salamin (780) noted that, coupled with high levels of motivation that rewards provide to workers, psychological and physical comfort, employees create positive feelings about their work and working environment and thereby enhancing rete ntion. Employees manage to share their skills and talents when they engage in autonomous groups that result from cooperation and any feeling of misused abilities may lead to resignations. A company survey by Deloitte revealed that a â€Å"majority (42 per cent) of respondents seek new employment for their organisations make diminutive use of their skills and abilities† (12). Moreover, in the same survey, â€Å"a considerable number of respondents (employees) cited their willingness to switch jobs and companies following lack of career progress (37 per cent) and insufficient job challenges (27 per cent)† (Deloitte 17). These are core factors that generally influence their career decisions, whereby if maximum cooperation triggered by rewards and motivation are capable of minimising their influence. Drawing lessons from a survey undertaken by Scott, McMullen, and Royal, who surveyed finance, insurance, real estate, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas companies among oth ers, the aspect of interactive working in relation to employee retention eminently appears (9). Of all the respondents interviewed in this study (approximating to 38 per cent in total) strongly agreed and agreed that lack of organisation cultures such as trust, work cohesion, teamwork, and collaboration are core motivators of employee acquiescence from their jobs. A strong intuition is that the existence of reward strategies increases competence, especially with the presence of teamwork and this aspect makes employees become competitive and focus on their present jobs. Reward strategies and productivity The primary objective of any organisation is to prove productive within its market share (Boyd and Salamin 780). The gradual development of the above-mentioned factors fuelled by rewarding employees in an organisation is what brings about the achievement of company’s stated targets, aims, missions and its anticipations. Given the growing number of empirical evidences from stud ies that are constantly culminating on these issues, denoting a greater positive correlation between rewards and high employee retention, productivity is what concludes the entire argument. Employee’s willingness to make decisions to continue offering services to an organisation principally hinges on the levels of personal productivity and organisational reputation. According to Ramlall, all organisations normally like affiliating with highly productive workforce and workers, in turn, feel attracted to organisations with a good public reputation that may be high productivity, good corporate social responsibility, among other related issues (66). It is with no concession or any compromise whatsoever, that very few managers would prefer hiring unproductive workers (Schuster 183). On the same note, as noted by Smith (119), the productivity of any given workforce hinges on the administrative techniques that the management team adopts. Numerous prior studies have concluded that th e chances of managers frustrating or disbanding an industrious workforce are minimal and the mutual understanding between management and workers is what determines the productivity of an organisation and retention of workers. It is only through rewarding and appreciation strategies aimed at motivating workers that make them to feel safe and trusted by their management. A study conducted by Ramlall noted that a good number of the respondents, accounting to 22 per cent believe that employees feel motivated, rejuvenated and advanced when they associate with competitive organisations, something which improves their productivity as they reciprocate through hard work and thus increase their chances of continuity with an organisation (66). Deloitte argues, â€Å"Rewards can reap the benefits of greater employee productivity and engagement by improving their talent strategies, developing leadership opportunities, and tailoring their retention practices† (14). Therefore, reward strate gies as postulated earlier are possible movers to successful organisations as they enhance employee productivity that in return triggers corporate efficiency. Research Methodology In a bid to examine the effects of reward strategies on employee retention, this study will employ a first study to ascertain the presumptions protracting from different prior studies over this topic. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the effects of reward strategies in employee retention, employee turnover and its impact in Air Arabia international Company. Certain principles and approaches will lead this study into achieving desirable finding over the argument inherent in this research. Reward strategies and employee retention are two distinct and independent variables in this study. This research will be a case study research design where only Air Arabia international Company will be the primary respondent to this study, with a large number of employees involved in enriching data to this a rgument. The study will utilise a triangulation method to collect data pertaining to the status of reward strategies and retention from different working departments in Air Arabia international Company. Research design In this case study research design, the study will include both qualitative and quantitative approaches to ensure that all the necessary information is in place for a thorough analysis to yield data that will result in knowledgeable conclusions. There will be a review of available literature on reward systems backed by the findings of this study. Research has revealed that much of the industrial and organisational research studies have always been successful when researchers employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches (Borrego, Douglas, and Amelink 54). A combination of qualitative and quantitative research design as postulated by researchers and as per the aim of this study will aid in enriching the argument since descriptive data and prescriptive data are always imperative in industrial research. The study will combine figures and facts achieved from the collected data to solidity its argument in relation to the two variables identified in this case. Targeted Respondents and selection technique In determining the effects of rewards on employee retention in Air Arabia international Company, identifying specific respondents to participate in the study will be significant since perception may differ from different levels of working in this company. There is a possibility that a manager may provide information in favour of their justification towards the related subject, and employees likewise. To avoid capriciousness of data collected from the study, the study will involve all employees in Air Arabia international Company, especially lower management and subordinates who may have no personal interests in the company, since top management may fail to confide essential data. In selecting respondents, this study will use random s electing method where any employee may be capable of providing substantial facts about the prevailing situation. Purposive selection will only apply in managers since there are normally few and distinctive managers in organisations. Stratified sampling will be useful in assisting workers to discuss important responses before coming up with informed data. About 150 respondents from Air Arabia international Company will participate. Variables, data instruments, and collection methods Reward strategies and employee retention are the two main variables that will remain significant in gathering information in this study. Self-designed questionnaires and interactive face-to-face verbal interview will be so useful in ensuring achievement of reliable data to comprehend this argument. Questionnaires have been the most common utilisable data instruments that are simple to design, easy to interpret and undemanding in analysis data incorporated using simple questions (Lietz 250). The study will administer questionnaires to all respondents targeted in this study acquire quantitative data while face-to-face interviews will yield qualitative data. The study will conduct a piloting study in some few departments in Air Arabia international Company, which is always an essential approach in familiarising with the study area and useful in validating the reliability of research instruments. Before the collection of data from the company, the researcher will avoid breaching valuable company and intuitional regulations by ensuring that both sides provide convincing permission. Borrego, Maura, Elliot Douglas, and Catherine Amelink. â€Å"Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Methods in Engineering Education.† Journal of Engineering Education 98.1 (2009): 53-63. Print. Boyd, Brian, and Alain Salamin. â€Å"Strategic reward systems: a contingency model of pay system design.† Strategic Management Journal 22.8 (2001): 777-792. Print. Breaugh, James, and Mary Starke . Research on Employee Recruitment: So Many Studies, So Many Remaining Questions. Journal of Management 2.1(2000): 305-434. Print. Brown, Duncan, and Michael Armstrong. Strategic Reward: Implementing More Effective Reward Management, London: Kogan Page Publisher, 2006. Print. Brown, Duncan. Reward Strategies: From Intent to Impact, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2001. Print. Deloitte. Surveying the talent paradox from the employee perspective, 2012. Web. Elton, Chester, and Adrian Gostick. Managing with carrots: using recognition to attract and retain the best people, Utah: Gibbs Smith, 2001. Print. Gordon, Gil. â€Å"Managing for improved employee retention.† Employment Relations Today 17.4(2011): 285-290. Print. Hafisa, Nadia, Syed Shah, and Humera Jamsheed. â€Å"Relationship between rewards and employee’s motivation in the non-profit organisations of Pakistan.† Business Intelligence Journal 4.2 (2011): 327-334. Print. Kaye, Beverly . Love em or Lose em: Getting Good People to Stay, San Francisco: Berret-Koehler, 2002. Print. Lietz, Petra. â€Å"Research into questionnaire design.† International Journal of Market research 52.2 (2010): 249-272. Print. McCooey, Dawn. Keeping Good Employees On Board: Employee Retention Strategies to Navigate Any Economic Storm, New York: Morgan James Publishing, 2010. Print. Naris, Sylvia, and Wilfred Ukpere. â€Å"Developing a retention strategy for qualified staff at the Polytechnic of Namibia.† African Journal of Business Management 4.6 (2010): 1078-1084. Print. Philips, Jack, and Adele Connell. Managing employee retention: a strategic accountability approach, Burlington: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. Print. Podmoroff, Dianna. 365 ways to motivate and reward your employees every day: With little or no money, Florida: Atlantic Publishing Group, 2005. Print. Ramlall, Sunil. â€Å"Managing Employee Retention as a Strategy for Increasing Organisational Competitiveness .† Applied H.R.M. Research 8.2 (2003): 63-72. Print. Randall, Stacey. â€Å"Understanding Employee Attraction and Retention as Drivers in a Down Economy.† World at Work Journal 2.1 (2009): 41-47. Print. Schuster, Jay. Pay People Right! Breakthrough Reward Strategies to Create Great Companies, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000. Print. Scott, Dow, Tom McMullen, and Mark Royal. â€Å"Retention of Key Talent and the Role of Rewards.† World at Work Journal 2.1 (2012): 1-11. Print. Shields, John. Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. Silverstein, Barry. Best Practices: Motivating Employees: Bringing Out the Best in Your People, New York: Harper Business, 2007. Print. Smith, Gregory. Here today, here tomorrow: transforming your workforce from high turnover to high-retention, Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2001. Print. Thomas, Kenneth. Intrinsic Motivation at Work: What Really Drives Employee Engagement, San Francisco: Berret-Koehler, 2002. Print. Zingheim, Patricia, Jay Schuster, and Marvin Dertien. â€Å"Compensation, Reward, and Retention Practices in Fast-Growth Companies.† World at Work Journal 18.2 (2009): 22-39. Print.

Water Transport Laboratory Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Water Transport Laboratory - Lab Report Example With water being carried from the root, the plant has a consistency of water so it does not die out. Variations in xylem conduit diameter can change the effectiveness of the conducting system. Even a small increase in diameter has exponential effects on hydraulic conductivity. In this experiment, it was determined how the location of where a plant grows affects the diameter of the sample. If the hypothesis does not prove to be correct, then it is expected the data to show no change in diameters, or dry land samples having a greater diameter length than wet land samples. In order to do this experiment efficiently, a method must be understood. To locate the Red Maple trees used in this lab, the lab group trekked the area near the Soccer fields for a stream with flows through the woods up towards the Hillside Dorms. From there the group collected samples from the wet and dry locations. The samples were taken from trees that were 5-8 feet off the ground. The group will collect a total of 12 different stems replicated from the wet area and 12 stem replicates from an area near the hills that reside in a dryer climate (See Fig.1). Then test statistics will be used, such as the average xylem diameter, and the results will be compared between both environmental types. In order to obtain the xylem diameters, the group needs to prepare microscope slides of a cross section of the stem. After observing the xylem, measure the xylem conduits per stem (5-10 stems from different plants). Measure 2-3 xylem conduits per sample and average for one data point. When measuring the conduits, the largest diameter and the diameter perpendicular to the line will be averaged. To obtain the hydraulic conductivity, is simple. Collect branches that will be measured and wrap in wet paper towel. Submerge the branch under water, cut a 2-4 cm segment of the stem 9with at least 2 cm pruned end of the branch) Measure step length (l).