Fool Chapter 15

FIFTEEN IN A LOVER'S EYE A warm wind blew in from the west, completely cocking up the Yule. Druids like snow round Stonehenge during the festival, and burning down the forest is all the more satisfying if there's a chill in the air. As it was, it looked like we'd have rain for the feast. The clouds rolling over the horizon looked like they'd been born of a summer storm. â€Å"Them look like summer storm clouds,† said Kent. We were hiding in the barbican above the gate, looking out over the walled village of Gloucester and the hills beyond. I'd been hiding since my encounter with Edmund. Evidently the bastard was somewhat put out with me. We could see Goneril and her train entering the outer gates. She rode with a dozen soldiers and attendants, but noticeably, the Duke of Albany was not with her. A sentry on the wall called out the approach of the Duchess of Albany. Gloucester and Edmund appeared in the courtyard, followed by Regan and Cornwall. Regan was working to keep her eyes off of Edmund's bandaged ear. â€Å"This should be interesting,† said I. â€Å"They swarm like vultures over a corpse.† â€Å"Britain's the corpse,† said Kent. â€Å"And we baited her to be torn apart.† â€Å"Nonsense, Kent. Lear's the corpse. But ambitious scavengers do not wait for his death to begin their dining.† â€Å"You've a deeply wicked side, Pocket.† â€Å"Truth has a deeply wicked side, Kent.† â€Å"There's the king,† said Kent. â€Å"No one attends him. I should go to him.† Lear shuffled into the courtyard wearing his heavy fur cape. â€Å"Like looking down on a lubricious chess set, isn't it? The king moves in tiny steps, with no direction, like a drunkard trying to avoid the archer's bolt. The others work their strategies and wait for the old man to fall. He has no power, yet all power moves in his orbit and to his mad whim. Do you know that there's no fool piece on the chessboard, Kent?† â€Å"Methinks the fool is the player, the mind above the moves.† â€Å"Well, that's a scratchy spot of cat wank.† I turned to the old knight. â€Å"But bloody well said. Go to Lear, then. Edmund won't dare molest you, and Cornwall must pretend some contrition for throwing you into the stocks. The princesses will be burning bright for Edmund's eye, and Gloucester – well, Gloucester proffers hospitality before jackals, he is well occupied.† â€Å"What will you do?† â€Å"I seem to have rendered myself undesirable, as impossible as that sounds. I need to find us a spy – someone more stealthy, devious, and underhanded than my own sweet nature allows.† â€Å"Good luck with that,† said Kent. â€Å"I loathe you, I despise you, I curse your existence and the foul demons that spawned you. You sicken me with anger and bilious hatred.† â€Å"Oswald,† said I. â€Å"You're looking well.† Drool and I had intercepted him in a corridor. There is an unwritten edict, that when negotiating with an enemy, one does not reveal his knowledge of that enemy's agenda, even unto death. It's a point of honor, of sorts, but I see it as petty play-acting, and I had no intention of indulging in it with Oswald. Yet, I had need of his spidery talents, so some finesse was required. â€Å"I would give an arm to see you hang, fool,† said Oswald. â€Å"Oh, an excellent starting point,† said I. â€Å"Don't you think, Drool?† â€Å"Aye, Pocket,† said Drool, who loomed between Oswald and me, a thick table leg unsuccessfully concealed behind his back. Oswald might make as to draw his sword, but Drool would have beaten his brains into bloody marmalade before the blade cleared its scabbard. Unspoken, but understood. â€Å"Smashing good start,† said the giant. â€Å"So, Oswald, let us go from there. Say you get what you want. Say you lose an arm, and I am hanged, how then is life better for your fine self? Your quarters more comfortable? Wine taste better, will it?† â€Å"It's unlikely, but let's explore the possibilities, shall we?† â€Å"Very well,† said I. â€Å"You first. Sever an arm and Drool here will hang me. You have my word.† â€Å"You have my word,† said Drool, in my voice. â€Å"Stop wasting my time, fool. My lady is arriving and I need to go to her.† â€Å"Ah, there's the rub, Oswald. What you want. What do you really want.† â€Å"You could never know.† â€Å"Your lady's approval?† â€Å"I have that.† â€Å"Ah, that's right, your lady's love.† Oswald became still then, as if I had taken the breath from the corridor in which we stood. To prove such was not the case, I pressed on. â€Å"You want your lady's love, her respect, her power, her submission, her bottom in the air before you, her begging for satisfaction and mercy – that about it?† â€Å"I am not so base as you, fool.† â€Å"And yet the very reason you hate me is that I have been to that place.† â€Å"You have not. She has not loved you, nor respected you, nor given you power. You were an amusement at best.† â€Å"Yet I know the way there, my coal-hearted friend. I know the way a servant might find such favor.† â€Å"She could never. I am of common blood.† â€Å"Oh, I'm not saying I could make you duke, only that you would be her lord in body, heart, and mind. You know her weakness for scoundrels, Oswald. Did you yourself not pimp your lady to Edmund?† â€Å"I did not. I only delivered a message. And Edmund is heir to an earldom.† â€Å"Just this bloody week he is. And don't act as if you don't know what was in that message. I have the power, Oswald, given me by three witches in the Great Birnam Wood, to put a spell upon your lady so she will adore and desire you.† Oswald laughed, not something he did often. His face was not fit for it and he looked like he had something caught in his back teeth. â€Å"What kind of fool do you think me? Out of the way.† â€Å"And all you have to do is what your lady would have you do anyway, serve her desires,† said I. I needed to make my case quickly. â€Å"She is bewitched already, you know? You were there.† Oswald had been backing away from Drool, off to find another route to the courtyard and Goneril, when he stopped. â€Å"You were there, Oswald. At Albany. Goneril was having a grab at my tackle and you came in. You'd just come through the door, I heard it. I had this purse in my hand.† I held up the silk pouch the witches had given me. â€Å"Remember?† â€Å"I was there.† â€Å"And I handed your lady a letter and said it was from Edmund of Gloucester. Remember?† â€Å"Aye. And she dumped you on your arse.† â€Å"Right you are. And sent you here, to deliver a message to Edmund. Had she ever made a note of the bastard before, Oswald? You are with her nearly every waking moment. Had she noted him before?† â€Å"No. Not once. She gave some notice to Edgar, but not the bastard.† â€Å"Exactly. She is bewitched to love Edmund, and I can do the same for you. You'll die a frustrated toady any other way, Oswald. I've one more spell left.† Oswald took careful steps back to me, like he was walking a wire rather than the stone floor of a castle corridor. â€Å"Why wouldn't you use it for yourself?† â€Å"Well, for one, you would know, and I presume you would not be slow to inform Lord Albany, who would quickly have me hanged. And second, I had three such spells, and I have used one for myself already.† â€Å"Not the Duchess of Cornwall?† I could tell Oswald was aghast at the idea, yet there was an excitement in his eye. I showed him a sly grin and flicked the bells of my hat with Jones. â€Å"I've a rendezvous with her this very night after the Yule feast – midnight, in the abandoned North Tower.† â€Å"You dastardly little monster!† â€Å"Oh sod off, Oswald. Would you have a princess of your own or not?† â€Å"What do I have to do?† â€Å"Almost nothing,† said I. â€Å"But it will take some strength of character for you to see this through. First, you must counsel your lady to keep peace with her sister, and convince her to relieve Lear of the remainder of his force. Then, you must have your lady rendezvous with Edmund at the second bell of the watch.† â€Å"Two in the bloody morning?† â€Å"Watch how she leaps at the chance. She's bewitched, remember. It is critical that she ally herself with the house of Gloucester, even if it is in secret. I know that will be difficult for you, but you must endure it. If you are going to have the lady and her power, someone will have to dispatch the Duke of Albany – someone who will be of no loss when hanged. The bastard Edmund is perfect for the part, is he not?† Oswald nodded, his eyes getting larger with my every word. His whole life he had carried messages and run errands for Goneril, but at last he could see reward in sight for being intrigue's pawn. Fortunately, the possibility blinded him to reason. â€Å"When will the lady be mine?† â€Å"When all is in place, catch-fart, when all is in place. What do you know of a military force coming from France?† â€Å"Why, nothing.† â€Å"Then skulk and eavesdrop. Edmund knows of such a force, or he has constructed a rumor. Find out what you can. Find out, but do not speak to Edmund of his rendezvous with your lady, he thinks it a secret.† Oswald stood to his full height (he'd been bending over to talk face-to-face with me). â€Å"What do you gain from this, fool?† I had hoped he wouldn't ask. â€Å"Like you, even with love, there are those who would stand in the way of my happiness. I need you and those affected by your deeds to help them out of my way.† â€Å"You would kill the Duke of Cornwall?† â€Å"He is one, but no matter who loves me, I am bound to Lear – I am his slave.† â€Å"So you would kill the king, too? No worries, fool, I can do that. You have a deal.† â€Å"Fuckstockings!† said I. â€Å"Jolly good show, Pocket,† said Kent. â€Å"Go looking for a messenger and end up setting a bloody assassin loose on the king. A born diplomat, you are.† â€Å"Sarcasm is very unattractive in the elderly, Kent. I couldn't very well call him off, my sincerity would have been questioned.† â€Å"You weren't being sincere.† â€Å"Well, conviction then. Just stay by Lear during the Yule feast and don't let him eat anything unless you've eaten it first. If I know Oswald, he'll try to slay the king using the most cowardly means.† â€Å"Or not at all.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"What makes you think Oswald was telling you the truth any more than you were telling it to him?† â€Å"I'm counting on his lying to a degree.† â€Å"But to what degree?† I paced in a circle around our little tower room. â€Å"What a wimpled wagon of nun wank this is. I'd rather juggle fire blindfolded. I'm not built for these dark dealings – I'm better suited for laughter, children's birthdays, baby animals, and friendly bonking. The sodding witches got it wrong.† â€Å"And yet, you've set a civil war in motion and sent an assassin after the king,† said Kent. â€Å"Grand ambition for a children's birthday clown, don't you think?† â€Å"You've become bitter in your dotage, you know?† â€Å"Well, perhaps my duties as food taster will end my bitterness.† â€Å"Just keep the old man alive, Kent. Since the Yule feast is still on, I take it dear Regan didn't tell Lear that she was taking his knights yet.† â€Å"The lady tried to make peace between Goneril and her father. She only served to calm the old man enough that he agreed to come to the feast.† â€Å"Good. No doubt she'll make her move on the morrow.† I grinned. â€Å"If she's well enough.† â€Å"Wicked,† said Kent. â€Å"Justice,† said I. Regan came up the spiral stairs alone. The single candle she carried in a storm lantern cast her shadow tall up the stone wall like the very specter of a shaggable death. I stood outside the solar door, candelabra in one hand, the door latch in the other. â€Å"Happy Christmas, kitten,† said I. â€Å"Well, that feast was complete crap, wasn't it? Bloody Gloucester, pagan twat, calling it the feast of St. Stephen instead of Christmas. There's no presents on the feast of bloody Stephen. Without presents I'd rather celebrate Yule for the winter solstice; at least then you get to sacrifice a pig and build a cracking huge fire.† â€Å"Gloucester was being deferential to your Christian beliefs as it was, love. The holiday is Saturnalia[39] for him and Edmund, proper orgy it is. So perhaps there's a present for you yet to be unwrapped.† She smiled then. â€Å"Perhaps. Edmund was so coy at the feast – barely looking my way. Fear of Cornwall, I suppose. But you were right, his ear was bandaged.† â€Å"Aye, lady, and I'm to tell you that he's a bit modest about it. He may not wish to be fully seen.† â€Å"But I saw him at the feast.† â€Å"Aye, but he's hinted that there may have been other self-punishment performed in your honor and he's shy.† A joyous child at Christmas she suddenly was – visions of a bloke lashing himself dancing in her head. â€Å"Oh, Pocket, do let me in.† And so I did. I opened the door, and slipped the storm lantern from her grasp as she passed. â€Å"Ah, ah, ah, love. No more light than that one candle. He's ever so shy.† I heard Edmund's voice say from behind the tapestry, â€Å"Oh, my sweet lady, Regan, thou art more fair than moonlight, more radiant than the sun, more glorious than all the stars. I must have you or I shall surely die.† I slowly closed and latched the door. â€Å"No, my goddess, undress there,† said Edmund's voice. â€Å"Let me watch you.† I'd been all evening coaching Drool on what to say and exactly how to say it. Next he would comment on her loveliness, then ask her to blow out the single candle on the table and join him behind the tapestry, at which point he was to unceremoniously snog her soggy and shag her silly. It sounded rather like what I'd guess would be the auditory effect of a bull elk trying to balance a wildcat on a red-hot poker. There was no little bit of yowling, growling, squealing, and screeching going on by the time I saw the second light coming up the stairs. I could see by the shadow that the lantern bearer was leading with a drawn sword. Oswald had been true to his treacherous nature, just as I had calculated. â€Å"Put down that blade, you git, you'll put someone's eye out.† The Duke of Cornwall rounded the stairs with blade lowered, a bewildered look on his face. â€Å"Fool?† â€Å"What if a child was running down the stairs?† I said. â€Å"Awkward explaining to Gloucester why his beloved toddler grandson was wearing a yard of Sheffield steel through his gizzard.† â€Å"Gloucester doesn't have a grandson,† said Cornwall, surprised, I think, that he was engaged in this discussion. â€Å"That doesn't diminish the need for basic weapons safety.† â€Å"But I'm here to slay you.† â€Å"Moi?† said I, in perfect fucking French. â€Å"Whatever for?† â€Å"Because you are shagging my lady.† There was a great bellow from the tower room, followed by a female feral screech. â€Å"Was that pain or pleasure, would you say?† I asked. â€Å"Who is in there?† Cornwall raised his sword again. â€Å"Well, it is your lady, and she is most certainly being shagged, by the bastard Edmund of Gloucester, but prudence would have you stay your blade.† I laid Jones across the duke's wrist and pushed his sword hand down. â€Å"Unless you care nothing for being King of Britain.† â€Å"What are you on about, fool?† The duke very much wanted to do some killing, but his ambition was trumping his bloodlust. â€Å"Oh ride me, you great, tree-cocked rhinoceros!† screamed Regan from the next room. â€Å"She still says that?† I asked. â€Å"Well, usually it's ‘tree-cocked stallion,'† said Cornwall. â€Å"She does get good wear out of a metaphor.† I put my hand on his shoulder for comfort. â€Å"Aye, a sad surprise, for you, I'll wager. At least when a man, after looking into his soul, finally stoops to fuck a snake, he hopes at least not to see pairs of boots already lined up outside her burrow.† He shook me off. â€Å"I'll kill him!† â€Å"Cornwall, you are about to be attacked. Even now Albany prepares to take all of Britain for his own. You'll need Edmund and the forces of Gloucester to prevail against him, and when you do, you'll be king. If you go in that room now, you will kill a horn-beast, but you will lose a kingdom.† â€Å"God's blood,† said Cornwall. â€Å"Is this true?† â€Å"Win the war, good sirrah. Then kill the bastard at your leisure, when you can take your time and do it right. Regan's honor is, well, malleable, is it not?† â€Å"You're sure about this war?† â€Å"Aye. It's why you need to take Lear's remaining knights and squires, just as Goneril and Albany took the others. And you mustn't let Goneril know you know. Even now your lady is assuring Gloucester's allegiance to your side.† â€Å"Really? That's why she's shagging Edmund?† It hadn't occurred to me until I'd said it, but it really did work quite nicely. â€Å"Oh yes, my lord, her enthusiasm is inspired by her fierce loyalty to you.† â€Å"Of course,† said Cornwall, sheathing his sword. â€Å"I should have seen it.† â€Å"That doesn't mean you can't kill Edmund when it's over,† said I. â€Å"Absolutely,† said the duke. When Cornwall was gone and some time after the first bell had rung for the watch, I knocked on the door and peeked my head in. â€Å"Lord Edmund,† said I. â€Å"There's a stirring in the duke's tower. Perhaps you should say your farewells.† I held Regan's storm lantern at the crack of the door so she could find her way out, and a few moments later she stumbled out of the solar with her gown on backward, her hair in knots, and a slick of drool running in a river between and over her breasts. Overall, in fact, she looked quite slippery. She was dazed and limping in a way that seemed she couldn't quite figure which side to favor, and she was dragging one shoe by its strap around her ankle. â€Å"Lady, shall I get your other shoe?† â€Å"Sod it,† she said, waving drunkenly, or what seemed like drunkenly, almost falling down the stairs. I steadied her, helped her get her gown turned around, swabbed her down a bit with her skirt, then took her arm and helped her down the stairs. â€Å"He's quite a bit larger close up than he appears across the room.† â€Å"That so?† â€Å"I shan't sit down for a fortnight.† â€Å"Ah, sweet romance. Can you make it to your quarters, kitten?† â€Å"I think so. You're clever, Pocket – start thinking of excuses for Edmund if I'm not able to get out of bed tomorrow.† â€Å"My pleasure, kitten. Sleep well.† I made my way back upstairs where Drool was standing trouserless by the candle, still sporting enough of an erection to bludgeon a calf senseless. â€Å"Sorry, I came out, Pocket, it were dark.† â€Å"No worries, lad. Good show.† â€Å"She were fit.† â€Å"Aye. Quite.† â€Å"What's a rhinoceros?† â€Å"It's like a unicorn with armored bollocks. It's a good thing. Chew these mint leaves and let's get you wiped down. Practice your Edmund lines while I look for a towel.† When the watch rang the second bell, the scene was set. Another storm lantern illuminated the stairs and cast a buxom shadow up the wall. â€Å"Pumpkin!† â€Å"What are you doing here, worm?† â€Å"Just keeping watch. Go in, but leave your lantern with me. Edmund is shy about the injury he has inflicted on himself in your honor.† Goneril grinned at the prospect of the bastard's pain and went in. A few minutes passed before Oswald crept up the stairs. â€Å"Fool? You're still alive?† â€Å"Aye.† I held my hand up to my ear. â€Å"But listen to the children of the night – what music they make.† â€Å"Sounds like a moose trying to shit a family of hedgehogs,† said the scoundrel. â€Å"Oh, that's good. I was thinking more of moo cow being beaten with a flaming goose, but you may have it. Ah, who's to say? We should leave, good Oswald, and give the lovers their privacy.† â€Å"Did you not meet with Princess Regan?† â€Å"Oh, we changed the rendezvous to the fourth bell of the watch, why?†

Culture as a Determinant of Motivation Essay

Why is the study of Different Theories of Motivation important to managers? The World has changed at a very fast pace and will continue to do so. The view point that many prominent researchers had on motivation has also evolved with changing times. There has been a phenomenal change in the way organizations and individuals function in the twenty first century if we made a comparison with how organizations functioned back in the day. There is a significantly greater focus today on employee satisfaction, work life balance, cross cultural values, virtual teams and formal performance management processes to name a few. Globalization is one the key factors which has brought a prominent change in many organizational practices in the twenty first century. Hershey and Blanchard (1977) mentioned that â€Å"motives can be defined as needs, wants, drives or impulses within the individual which are directed towards goals which may be conscious or sub conscious†. Motivation has been defined by Robbins, Decenzo and Coulter (2011) as â€Å"motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained towards attaining a goal â€Å" In this paper we will define motivation as the force which helps an individual focus on his immediate and long term goals and helps him run the extra mile. Also in this essay we will be focusing on the impact of culture on organizational behavior and the reasons why managers need to be aware of various motivational theories so that they are well equipped to handle this impact of culture change. Motivation is a very important tool that is not effectively utilized by managers. Motivation if used effectively can significantly improve the performance of teams and employees. It was thought earlier that motivation could be directed only by external factors, but it is now understood that every employee has his own set of motivators which if addressed correctly can significantly improve a manager and his team’s performance. It is the manager’s responsibility to correctly identify these motivating factors and take all steps possible to address them. But this is easier said than done. As observed in today’s environment there are many issues which create a hindrance for managers to motivate their respective teams. In most organizations because of the growing impetus of globalization and the fact that individuals from different cultures, ethnic backgrounds come on the same platform and work together, it is becoming increasingly difficult for managers to be on top o f these growing trends and continue to motivate their respective teams. It is very important for managers to understand how important the concept of culture plays in the way an employee thinks and behaves. Only when a manager is aware of the subtle changes in an individual’s behavior because of their cultural background, can he actually make a concentrated effort to analyze and evaluate methods to motivate that particular individual. Geert Hofstede’s (1980) theory of cultural dimensions describes how a particular society’s culture influences the behavior and values of individuals using a structure derived from factor analysis. This theory proposed four concepts on the basis of which cultural values could be evaluated; Individualism- collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, power distance and masculinity- feminity. As per Sledge, Miles and Coppage (2008) power distance is â€Å"the degree to which control and influence are distributed unequally in society†. In countries with high power distance it would not be recommended to give employees a lot of freedom with respect to their work. The employees would be more comfortable when they are abiding by a strict protocol and set guidelines and procedures whereas in countries with low power distance decentralization of power would be recommended where employees can be empowered and inspired to come up with creative ideas in their work. Countries like Venezuela and Malaysia are examples of nations which show High Power distance whereas Denmark and Great Britain are nations which show very low power distance. Sledge, Miles and Coppage (2008) defined the concept of individualism versus collectivism as â€Å"I and Me versus We and Us’†. Cultures where the beliefs are that one is responsible for his own decisions and the general tendency is to take care of only oneself and his own family are individualistic cultures. Collective cultures are those where people rely more heavily on groups and the general tendency is to take care of each other. Individualism is common in USA, Canada and mostly in the West whereas collectivism is more common in Pakistan, India and Brazil. In collective cultures promotions and appraisals are generally done on the basis of seniority, age and loyalty whereas in individualistic cultures appraisals are done only on the basis of merit. In countries where the culture is individualistic strong individual recognition and rewards would be very strong motivators. Sledge, Miles and Coppage (2008) expounded that uncertainty avoidance was â€Å"the degree of risk aversion†. Individuals from Countries with high uncertainty avoidance are generally very wary of ambiguous situations and they create beliefs and situations to increase their sense of security. They have very strong belief in experts and they generally arrive at decisions only with consensus of their entire group. Denmark and Great Britain are examples of low uncertainty avoidance cultures whereas Germany, Japan and Spain are examples of High Uncertainty avoidance countries. Sledge, Miles, and Coppage (2008) elucidated on masculinity versus femininity as â€Å"the desire for material possessions and recognition versus the desire for relationships and family† In masculine societies monetary rewards would make very good motivators whereas in predominantly feminine societies Flexible working hours or more time away from work for family would be very strong motivators. A feminine society is more concerned with family and personal relationships as against masculine societies where jobs are more or less gender based. Examples of such masculine cultures are China, Japan, Philippines, India, Bangladesh whereas examples of more feminine cultures are Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia. Some researchers like William Ouchi (Theory Z) and Peters & Waterman(Excellence theory) developed theories on the difference between management practices between Japanese and American business corporations . They firmly believed that most American and Japanese corporations functioned similar to the McGregor’s Theory X & Theory Y where the American companies firmly believed that workers are generally unwilling to work and can be motivated only with economic benefits whereas the Japanese corporations were of the belief that the workers can be motivated by a sense of duty and loyalty. The major difference in the functioning of these organizations was also the fact the managers from the west which are predominantly individualistic cultures could not generally think about the bigger picture and this probably showed in the treatment of their employees. Hence the intrinsic factors of most employees were not catered to. Companies from the East like Japan which is a collective culture showed that managers used to generally behave with their workers like they were a part of a collective unit and this made the employees think about the companies as an extension to their individual self. This made them believe that money and economic benefits were not primary motivators. Such employees were motivated with other factors like by knowledge sharing, improving their self esteem, self respect, achievement, recognition and opportunities for more challenging work. Organizations need to pay utmost attention to the cultural and ethnic sentiments of their employees. Let’s say for instance Multinational Companies who have their setup in India also have to take many factors into consideration like the fact that every state in India has some festivals which have a very strong regional and cultural flavor. Organizations have to keep in mind that even within Cultures there are many sub cultures and the sentiments of the employees within these sub cultures also need to be taken care of. Like for instance in India in the state of Maharashtra the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is of very high cultural and emotional significance whereas in the state of Punjab Baisakhi as a festival is of very high importance. Organizations need to take these aspects also into consideration and keep a correct balance when they are deciding holidays for the employees in a particular culture or sub culture. If the management does not pay attention to the sentiments of their employees, this will send the wrong signals to their employees and they will be unable to identify themselves with the ideals of the company. In such situations motivating employees would become very difficult. Having seen the impact of culture on the behavior of employees and individuals it would be very advantageous for managers to understand the underlying and basic crux of motivation theories. These theories when used in the right context with employees will help motivate them and improve their performance. Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory of Motivation (1968) emphasizes on core job factors and distinguishes them into two categories Hygiene Factors and Motivational Factors. Herzberg further added that the Hygiene Factors like Pay, Company Policies, Fringe Benefits, Physical working conditions, Status, Interpersonal Relations, and Job Security were only factors that were extrinsic to the work environment and on ly prevented dissatisfaction. These factors never motivated individuals but only prevented the individuals from getting dissatisfied which might further lead to de-motivation. He further added that the motivational factors were intrinsic to an individual and were inherent in work. The motivational factors like recognition, Growth Opportunities, Responsibility, Leadership Quotient, and Meaningfulness of work were what were instrumental in creating satisfaction in an employee and motivating him. What is interesting to know is that in different cultures the motivators and hygiene factors are slightly different. In collective cultures sense of fulfillment and working towards company goal is considered far more important that individual pay and remuneration like in western cultures. Managers need to strike the right balance with employees to properly inspire them to perform better. In order to be able to do this they need to have sufficient background knowledge of the culture quotient of an employee along with certain theories of motivation which might be applicable to those employees. In recent times of financial crisis it has become even more important for managers to understand the key factors which can motivate their employees. Organizations in recent times have become hard pressed to offer economic benefits and rewards to their employees. In such situations it would a great advantage to managers if they have sufficient knowledge of motivation theories like the Equity theory of Motivation which states that every individual has an ingrained instinct to continuously evaluate what is it that he is gaining from the company with respect to what he investing in the company. Individuals also continuously compare themselves with their peers and colleagues. Such theories will help manages keep a right balance and ensure that certain factors which can give impetus to an employee’s dissatisfaction are sufficiently curtailed. They will then start focusing on improving an employee’s soft skills like interpersonal communication, instilling a sense of duty and loyalty towards the organization, making the employees strive for self improvement. Recognition and praise for good work will also be used more effectively used to motivate employees. The uses of motivation theories have become even more important as in most organizations virtual teams have become the order of the day. Employees work with their associates and colleagues whom they have never even met. It has become even more instrumental for managers to instill a sense of collectivism in their teams so that individuals working in a group can transform into a team in an actual sense. As per the survey done by Mckinsey(2010) it was found that most employees in organizations feel de motivated when they are unable to idolize themselves with the leadership of the company. It was also found that the many employees in the organization would feel even more motivated if they were offered a few words of praise from their boss. Like for instance if a manager appreciates the efforts of an employee who is a part of his virtual team whose first language is not English, this will really do wonders for that specific employee. All the small bits when put together make a collage. The study of motivation theories has now become of paramount importance to managers as they really need to understand that small bit which will motivate their team and their associates to do better than they actually can. This is what will separate a manager from a leader and will elevate the performance of a group of people to a team. Bibliography References * Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American Theories Apply Abroad? Organizational Dynamics, 9(1), 42-63 * Hersey P, Kenneth Blanchard (1977). Management of Organisational Behaviour. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall * Sledge, S., Miles, A. K., & Coppage, S. (2008). What role does culture play? A look at motivation and job satisfaction among hotel workers in Brazil. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 19(9), 1667-1682. doi:10.1080/09585190802295157 * Blackwell RJ, Miniard PW, Enrgel JF (2007). Consumer Behaviour, 9thed., Thomson Press, London. * Decenzo DA (2001). Fundamentals of Management: Essentials Concepts and Application. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. * Deresky H (2007). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures (6th Edition). New Jersey; Prentice Hall * Koenigs, R. (1982). An Interview with Dr. William Ouchi. Training & Development Journal, 36(3), 38 * Herzberg F (1968). ‘One more time: how do you motivate e mployee?’ Havard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 53-64 * Hofstede G (1991) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind.McGraw Hill. * Hofstede G (1980). Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Relate Values. Newbury Park CA: Sage. * Dewhurst, M., Guthridge, M., & Mohr, E. (2010). Motivating people: Getting beyond money. Mckinsey Quarterly, (1), 12-15

Applied Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Statistics Summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Climate change - Essay Example The human factor is highly credible in causing this climate change. One of the human causes is the ever-growing population. This trend has been observed all over the world from census statistics. The increasing number of people results in a growing need for more space and demand for usage of natural resources to sustain them. In these modern times of the 21st century, more settlement will be needed. The process of building houses releases gases from machines. Settlement brings about purchase of cars, use of electricity brings about release of vehicle gases, and the process by which electricity is created causes pollution of the air. Overpopulation also contributes to deforestation to create space for settlement and farming activities. Deforestation decelerates rate of carbon dioxide-oxygen conversion (Seymour 23). Pollution is another major factor contributing to global warming. It falls under the broad categories of air and land pollution. The glasshouse effect affects the atmosphere where the expulsion of greenhouse gases whose high concentration entraps heat in the earth’s atmosphere. The gases are released from automobiles, residential areas, and industrial plants, which are the major contributor. Because the human race is highly dependent on energy, constant production requires high combustion of coal, generally fossil fuels, to meet the high demand. A higher percentage is taken by vehicle emissions, and in overall the transportation industry. Fields contain landfills, which are nowadays occupied by garbage waste. The erosion of compost soils, together with the burning of this waste releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition to this, clearing of trees or deforestation increases amount of carbon dioxide in the air (McKibben 30). Although many may argue that agricultural farming is a life-sustenance practice, it is a surprising fact that it is a

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Knowledge of American Historysocialcultural, economic, literary, Essay

Knowledge of American Historysocialcultural, economic, literary, political, and religious changes that have occurred in American History over the time periods 18651992 - Essay Example These well-intentioned ideals would evolve into hate groups, whose mission was to control elected offices through the intimidation of voters and election fraud.built on violence. Taking the law into their own hands, they pledged to protect their property, life, and well-being in the face of inadequate government institutions and a legal system that they viewed as hostile. Groups, such as the KKK, would soon succumb to a power hungry leadership that was driven by ethnic fanaticism and racial hatred. Their priority would soon shift from regulating the social order to white supremacy. Since the Civil War, white supremacists and their organizations have openly denied constitutional rights to minority citizens, instilled fear, and advocated extreme violence, and now occupy legitimate positions within the highest ranks of the American political and social system. The KKK emerged after the Civil War as the most powerful, and well organized, white supremacist group of that era. Confederate soldiers, returning home from the war, were driven into a prolonged period of forced inactivity. Lacking capital for agriculture, and denied participation in business or the professions, a group of young men formed the KKK in Pulaski Tennessee in June 1866 as a social group to share ideas and promote their local economy (Wilson & Lester, 1884, p399). The KKK spread quickly throughout the South with an escalating membership that was propelled by bitter feelings of swelling resentment towards the freed slaves that lingered after the war's end. Using intimidation and violence, the KKK's primary goal was to control political offices in the South by preventing African-Americans and their sympathizers from expressing their recently acquired constitutional right to vote. The KKK was infamous for its 'Midnight Rides', in which they would ride through the countryside , masked, and violently attack their opposition with beatings, arson, and lynchings. Their membership and ritual were highly secretive, which not only added to their mystique and fear, but also gave them an additional layer of protection from public scrutiny (Wilson & Lester, 1884, p.400). Though membership lists were not kept, and few official records were maintained, it is estimated that by the 1920s Klansmen and their sympathizers numbered in the millions (McClymer, 2001). The power of the KKK's membership fueled the racial discord of the 1920s and made it possible to elect KKK candidates to some of the highest political offices in the country. The peak membership of the 1920s would dissipate as the KKK, and other white power groups, experienced a steady decline in membership due to social pressures and public perceptions. The KKK suffered a series of financial setbacks, such as a federal tax judgement that prohibited them from forming a national chapter, and lawsuits that deprived the national KKK from the right to own property. Over time, the members migrated to approximately 300 different organizations, which have 25,000 hard-core ideological activists that support the white supremacist movement (Carlie, 2002).1 These organizations have tended to act less violently, though they have continued to preach an agenda that includes violent revolution. This accompanies a conflicting philosophy that includes biblical scripture and Christian