Teamwork and Motivation Essay Example for Free

Teamwork and Motivation Essay An organization should take steps that would best benefit the organization as a whole to strategize a motivation plan. It first must identify what employees value and then determine how the organization can reciprocate that what the employees want is being heard. This can be done by taking the initiative to communicate first-hand with employees so that the plan is clear and concise. In the following motivation plan, I will explain how the plan encourages high job satisfaction, low turnover, high productivity, and high-quality work. Stacy Harris (2013) tells us that â€Å"the work environment is an important talent retention tool for any workforce, but it is particularly important for the skilled labor workforce. Work environments for the high-tech, healthcare, and manufacturing industries share several common issues: long hours, high stress, and often lower pay scales than positions that may require higher levels of education†. That is why creating and structuring a plan that is intended to motivate employees is such a significant piece to retaining skilled employees. When developing this plan I had to first answer the question, what behaviors will be rewarded and how. In this organization, we manufacture and sell a commodity and although sales are high, our products and delivery services are losing credibility. We are incurring costs that are avoidable and may be losing the trust of our customers if we don’t do something fast. Therefore, employee motivation is significant in rectifying the issues at hand. Quaratul-Ain Manzoor (2012) explains that â€Å"a motivated employee is responsive of the definite goals and objectives he/she must achieve, therefore he/she directs its efforts in that direction†. To achieve high job satisfaction and high quality work, we have created a system that will reward points for incentives that will be very appealing to our employees and we found this out by taking a poll of the most desired perks. Since no one motivation plan will satisfy all employees we have taken the initiative to strategize our plan to cater to each department in different ways. Each department has goals that need to be met and when employees exceed these goals their acts will be recognized and rewarded. In our sales department, we have employees that are experiencing frequent interaction with our consumers. In order for us to know what is really happening in those interactions we have implemented a survey system that is completed by consumers in reference to how our employees handled them. Once we receive surveys we will reward those exceeding the 91 percentile rating of satisfaction with points towards obtaining a free vacation day. Also, in all departments attendance will be recognized, especially since sales and assembly are high-priority human resource areas. When an employee misses no days within a six month to one year period we will have an award presented at our annual employee recognition program. Also, employees will be recognized every quarter for outstanding service according to their points and consumer ratings. This recognition will be displayed on our STAR employee board and they will receive gift certificates to the restaurant of their choice. For those employees that do not meet those requirements, throughout the year gas cards will be given to employees who are meeting targets, showing growth. In our assembly department the key to increasing the morale is encouraging employee motivation. Keeping employees engaged at the organization will satisfy their need to feel a part of the organization and also the company’s need of high-productivity. As suggested by Philip Mirvis (2012), â€Å"there is a daunting â€Å"employee engagement gap† in business†. To close this gap at WooWoo we are striving to promote from within. Giving employees the opportunity to rise up in the assembly department to become trainers, supervisors and line leaders will be an intrinsic reward available to them. Encouraging team members to treat everyday like an interview day will keep them aware that they have the potential to move up the ranks as fast as they produce high-quality work. To effectively motivate our administration team we decided to analyze their position to the organization and what they view as perks. Since this group of employees is more focused on the processes running smoothly we have decided to reward their dedication to the company in regards to recognizing and resolving human resource issues in a timely manner. From our research the most desired perks for this group are employee recognition and developmental pay increases. Our technology department is a significant piece to the puzzle and the most difficult to chose a motivational strategy for. This department focuses on the logistics of the organization and maintaining the functioning of equipment we use. Therefore, to encourage and motivate this department we focused on the tools they need to excel. When it comes to training and recertification for this group of employees it’s really important to maintain their credibility, so we have decided to reward their outstanding services with tuition reimbursement, and free certification for every 6 months they meet and exceed their goals. To address achieving low-turnover, we as an organization have decided to create a sense of job security for our employees. We have managed to do this by offering benefits such as employee assistance programs, on-site child care, extended severance pay (should we ever have to downsize), and a defined contribution plan that constitutes the organization matching the employees contribution. Turnover can take a huge toll on an organization and we have taken the necessary steps to decrease our turnover rates and to increase our employees’ satisfaction. Methods Two methods that could be used to motivate all of the employees here are: (1) addressing their needs and wants and (2) encouraging goals to be met by praising the work they currently are doing. The most significant method would be to address the employees’ needs and wants. Once a person feels a sense of belonging; they long to know that the interested party cares about them. Employees especially have a need to know that they are not just viewed as a number that makes money for the company. Also, taking the time to recognize the work employees have already completed motivates them to do more so that they can continue to receive praise and not criticism. In return, the organization has an opportunity to yield high-satisfaction from the employees that value this type of motivation. The minimum wage worker is not motivated by the perks that are appealing to regular full-time employees. Therefore, it is a task and requirement to be creative in catering to motivate them. Three ways to motivate the minimum wage worker are: (1) encouraging participative leadership/learning, (2) employee recognition, and (3) showing them that there is potential to grow and make a career in the industry wherein they will have full benefits. These methods are used in combination to cater to what appeals to this group of workers. In today’s workforce, most minimum wage workers are in the Generation Y age group and they are not working to stay in that pay grade, so turnover is inevitable. However, using these methods to show employees how you value them can sometimes encourage them to consider making a career in the industry. The theory that best fits this scenario is the Hierarchy of Needs Theory. This theory focuses on individual needs and it places them in order of importance. In this theory the two needs classified as the higher-order needs, are closely related to the suggested methods that could be used to motivate minimum wage workers. The first need addressed in this theory, self actualization, coincides with the first suggested method of motivating minimum wage employees. This need highlights that employees have a sense of fulfillment. The need which is entitled, esteem, would benefit from the second suggestion of employee recognition. Today’s Individual Worker – Organizational Relevance In today’s organizational context the individual worker is still significant and it would not be possible to consider otherwise. Individuals are what make organizations diverse and they keep the operating procedures flowing. Today’s businesses mainly depend on teamwork and teams are made of individuals. Without individuals, organizations would produce mediocre results and have no differentiation whatsoever. I believe that is why a lot of organizations are recruiting more diverse populations so that in return they aren’t hiring employees that are like them. It is wise of organizations to value each individual in their organization especially if those individuals are growing with the organization and not benefiting from the status quo. Conclusion In conclusion, organizations truly have their work cut out for them when analyzing the best method to use when creating a motivation plan. This task is not a one-size-fits-all deal and company executives must factors in all of the key questions to reach their ultimate goal of retaining employees. Motivating employees can be a difficult task if an organization does not ask themselves the right questions. Having a clear and concise plan that is encouraged and communicated throughout the organization on a regular basis is grounds for the retaining of highly-satisfied employees.

Anabolic Steroids :: Papers Research Drugs Essays

Anabolic Steroids "Anabolic steroids" is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (androgens). They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects), and also have some other effects. The term "anabolic steroids" will be used through-out this report because of its familiarity, although the proper term for these compounds is "anabolic-androgenic" steroids. Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. The primary medical uses of these compounds are to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals, which led to use of the compounds first by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other sports. Steroid abuse has become so widespread in athletics that it affects the outcome of sports contests. More than 100 different anabolic steroids have been developed, but they require a prescription to be used legally in the United States. Most steroids that are used illegally are smuggled in from other countries, illegally diverted from U.S. pharmacies, or synthesized in clandestine laboratories. What are steroidal supplements? In the United States, supplements such as dehydroepian-drosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (street name Andro) can be purchased legally without a prescription through many commercial sources including health food stores. They are often referred to as dietary supplements, although they are not food products. They are often taken because the user believes they have anabolic effects. Steroidal supplements can be converted into testosterone (an important male sex hormone) or a similar compound in the body. Whether such conversion produces sufficient quantities of testosterone to promote muscle growth or whether the supplements themselves promote muscle growth is unknown. Little is known about the side effects of steroidal supplements, but if large quantities of these compounds substantially increase testosterone levels in the body, they also are likely to produce the same side effects as anabolic steroids. What is the scope of steroid abuse in the United States? Recent evidence suggests that steroid abuse among adolescents is on the rise. The 1999 Monitoring the Future study, a NIDA-funded survey of drug abuse among adolescents in middle and high schools across the United States, estimated that 2.7 percent of 8th- and 10th-graders and 2. Anabolic Steroids :: Papers Research Drugs Essays Anabolic Steroids "Anabolic steroids" is the familiar name for synthetic substances related to the male sex hormones (androgens). They promote the growth of skeletal muscle (anabolic effects) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgenic effects), and also have some other effects. The term "anabolic steroids" will be used through-out this report because of its familiarity, although the proper term for these compounds is "anabolic-androgenic" steroids. Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. The primary medical uses of these compounds are to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals, which led to use of the compounds first by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other sports. Steroid abuse has become so widespread in athletics that it affects the outcome of sports contests. More than 100 different anabolic steroids have been developed, but they require a prescription to be used legally in the United States. Most steroids that are used illegally are smuggled in from other countries, illegally diverted from U.S. pharmacies, or synthesized in clandestine laboratories. What are steroidal supplements? In the United States, supplements such as dehydroepian-drosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (street name Andro) can be purchased legally without a prescription through many commercial sources including health food stores. They are often referred to as dietary supplements, although they are not food products. They are often taken because the user believes they have anabolic effects. Steroidal supplements can be converted into testosterone (an important male sex hormone) or a similar compound in the body. Whether such conversion produces sufficient quantities of testosterone to promote muscle growth or whether the supplements themselves promote muscle growth is unknown. Little is known about the side effects of steroidal supplements, but if large quantities of these compounds substantially increase testosterone levels in the body, they also are likely to produce the same side effects as anabolic steroids. What is the scope of steroid abuse in the United States? Recent evidence suggests that steroid abuse among adolescents is on the rise. The 1999 Monitoring the Future study, a NIDA-funded survey of drug abuse among adolescents in middle and high schools across the United States, estimated that 2.7 percent of 8th- and 10th-graders and 2.

Classroom Observation Report

INTRODUCTION The school that we have chosen for our classroom observation is SMK Mutiara Rini which is situated at Jalan Persiaran Utama, Taman Mutiara Rini, Skudai Johor Bahru. This school consists of 2250 students from various level of proficiency. We have decided to observe Miss Niwashini Nambiar d/o Aravindan whom are one of our group mates for this classroom observation assignment. Miss Niwashini Nambiar has been teaching English language for both lower and upper secondary for three years. We observed the lower secondary group students whom are in form 2 UKM. There are 32 students in 2 UKM and their English language proficiency level is intermediate. TEACHING METHODOLOGY Before we went to observe Miss Niwashini, we already prepared an observation checklist to make sure that by the end of the observation, we will be able to discuss on the methodology used by the teacher during teaching and learning session. Throughout the lesson, we observed that the teacher minimized the use of mother tongue. She only used it when it was the last resort to make the students understand a particular term or word used during the lesson. The teaching techniques were organized for learners to learn communicative function. During the set induction for example, the teacher came out with something that triggered students' prior knowledge, thus we can see that the students were mostly eager to speak and participate in the conversation. This is parallel with the principle underpinning Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) where according to Brown (2001), CLT involves the use of language productively and receptively where the teacher facilitates and guides the learners to practice language skills in the classroom. For the activities chosen by the teacher during the lesson, we observed that it involved real life communication and also rich mix of classroom activities were implemented, where group work, pair work were all integrated during the lesson. For the group work activity, it allows the students to interact with one another, even some of them still communicate using their mother tongue but, we observed that some of them did tried to use English as much as they can. The lesson was not focused mainly on the form of language but its function as well, where the teacher tried to make the students able to use the target language using the activities done during the lesson. We found that the set induction as well as the activities conducted by the teacher bounded to what has been suggested by Larsen-Freeman (2000) that true communicative activities have three main features: information gap, choice and feedback, using authentic material in a small group activities. By taking the first activity conducted for example, where the students get into a group of five, it applied task-based learning which the students need to complete the task at the same time used the target language and the language acquisition will eventually happen. Another thing that we observed during the class lesson was that the teacher's goal of teaching was to develop students' communicative competence. The opportunities for the students to develop fluency and accuracy were provided by the teacher especially when the students were given a chance to present their work to the class and they got to receive feedback from peers as well as from the teacher. Parrish (2004) advocates that in CLT class, teacher's role is mainly as facilitator to guide the students in the interaction that takes place during teaching and learning session. This can be seen throughout the lesson, where Miss Niwashini did not dominated the lesson and the students' speaking time is maximized by being the main communicator in classroom. From what we have observed, we can conclude Miss Niwashini had integrated Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in her teaching and learning session where she had emphasized on the communication in real-life situation to deliver the lesson. In this report, we also included her lesson plan for that particular lesson to give a clearer view on her teaching and learning session that day. As what is believed by Mustapha ; Yahaya (2013) that the successful implementation of CLT in English language teaching depends largely on the teacher's understanding. We can say that Miss Niwashini's lesson truly has almost all the beliefs under CLT which it was reflected through the way she conducted her lesson in the classroom. This can be seen from her methods and techniques applied during the lesson, the way she designed the activities for her students and the materials used for the activities. LESSON PLANCLASS TIME DURATION ATTENDANCE SUBJECT DAY DATE2UKM 2.20 pm- 3.20 pm 60 M32/32 ENGLISH THURSDAY 5/4/2018LESSON [LESSON 23] LANGUAGE AWARENESS NON-TEXTBOOK BASED LESSONMAIN SKILL(S) FOCUS SPEAKING , READING ; WRITINGTHEME PEOPLE AND CULTURE TOPIC LIVE WELL(HEBAT)LANGUAGE FOCUS Vocabulary related to the topic the health.CONTENT STANDARD Main Skill Writing 4.1Communicate intelligibly through print and digital media on familiar topics.Complementary Skill READING 3.1Understand a variety of texts by using a range of appropriate reading strategies to construct meaning.LEARNING STANDARD Main Skill Writing 4.1.5Connect sentences into two coherent paragraphs or more using basic coordinating conjunctions and pronounsComplementary Skill READING 3.1.1Use with some support familiar print and digital resources to check meaning.LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, students should be able to :Create a balanced meal.Identify healthy and unhealthy foods in each of the food groups.SUCCESS CRITERIA At the end of the lesson, students will be able to :Create a balanced meal and explain about the meal with accurate pronunciation based on the given reading text.REFERENCES Access to bilingual dictionaries. CROSS CURRICULAR ELEMENT Technology EducationHOTS Analyzing and Applying MORAL VALUES GratitudeI-THINK Double Bubble Map PAK-21 Round table activity.ACTIVITIESPRE- LESSON LESSON DEVELOPMENT POST- LESSONGreet the students and introduce the topic â€Å"Balanced Meal† for the students.Teacher asks the students at random what do they really understand with the phrase â€Å"Balanced diet† Students will provide the examples of healthy and Unhealthy food. Students will get into group of 5.Students are assigned to create their own balanced meal.They should create a menu card based on the balanced meal that they are going to create. In groups, students are required to explain about the meal that they have created with accurate pronunciation.ASSESSMENT Worksheets REFLECTIONSCLASS : 2UKM 32/32 students able to answer random questions given by their respective teacher. The students able to provide a list of healthy and unhealthy food based on the alphabet shown by their teacher on the whiteboard. Apart from that, students able to identify and classify the healthy and unhealthy food shown by the teacher through random pictures. Students able to create a menu card based on the balanced meal for obesity patients via group work. Students able to present their work within the given time frame and only used English fully throughout the entire lesson.REFERENCESBrown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (2nd Ed.). New York: Longman.Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (2nd Ed.).Oxford: Oxford University Press. Parrish, B. (2004). Teaching Adult ESL: A Practical Introduction. 3L Journal of Language Teaching 3(103-109). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mustapha, S. T. ; Y ahaya, R. A. (2013).Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Malaysian Context: It's Implementation in Selected Community Colleges. Social and Behavioral Sciences 90(788-794). Malaysia: Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Where Does Space Begin

Space launches are exciting to watch and feel. A rocket leaps off the pad to space, roaring its way up and creating a shock wave of sound that rattles your bones (if youre within a few miles). Within a few minutes, it has entered space, ready to deliver payloads (and sometimes people) to space.   But, when does that rocket actually enter space? Its a good question that doesnt have a definite answer. There is no specific boundary that defines where space begins. There isnt a line in the atmosphere with a sign that says, Space is Thataway!  Ã‚   The Boundary between Earth and Space The line between space and not space is really determined by our atmosphere. Down here on the surface of the planet, its thick enough to support life. Rising up through the atmosphere, the air gradually gets thinner. There are traces of the gases we breathe more than a hundred miles above our planet, but eventually, they thin out so much that its no different from the near-vacuum of space.  Some satellites have measured tenuous bits of Earths atmosphere out to more than 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) away. All satellites orbit well above our atmosphere and are officially considered in space. Given that our atmosphere does thin so gradually and there is no clear-cut boundary, scientists had to come up with an official boundary between atmosphere and space. Today,  the commonly agreed-upon definition of where space begins is around 100 kilometers (62 miles). Its also called the von Kà ¡rmà ¡n line. Anyone who flies above 80 km (50 miles) in altitude is usually considered an astronaut, according to NASA. Exploring Atmospheric Layers To see why its difficult to define where space begins, take a look at how our atmosphere works. Think of it as a layer cake made of gases. Its thicker near the surface of our planet and thinner at the top. We live and work in the lowest level, and most humans live in the lower mile or so of the atmosphere. Its only when we travel by air or climb high mountains that we get into regions where the air is quite thin. The tallest mountains rise up to between 4,200 and 9,144 meters (14,000 to nearly 30,000 feet).   Most passenger jets fly at around up around 10 kilometers (or 6 miles) up. Even the best military jets rarely climb above 30 km   (98,425 feet). Weather balloons can get up to 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) in altitude. Meteors flare about 12 kilometers up. The northern or southern lights (auroral displays) are about 90 kilometers (~55 miles) high. The International Space Station orbits between 330 and 410 kilometers (205-255 miles) above Earths surface and well above the atmosphere. It is well above the dividing line that indicates the beginning of space.   Types of Space Astronomers and planetary scientists often divide the near-Earth space environment into different regions. There is geospace, which is that area of space nearest Earth, but basically outside the dividing line. Then, theres cislunar space, which is the region that extends out beyond the Moon and encompasses both Earth and the Moon. Beyond that is interplanetary space, which extends around the Sun and planets, out to the limits of the Oort Cloud. The next area is interstellar space (which encompasses the space between the stars). Beyond that are galactic space and intergalactic space, which focus on the spaces within the galaxy and between galaxies, respectively. In most cases, the space between stars and the vast regions between galaxies are not really empty. Those regions usually contain gas molecules and dust and effectively make up a vacuum. Legal Space For purposes of law and record-keeping, most experts consider space to begin at an altitude of 100 km (62 miles), the von Kà ¡rmà ¡n line. Its named after Theodore  von Kà ¡rmà ¡n, an engineer and physicist who worked heavily in aeronautics and astronautics. He was the first to determine that the atmosphere at this level is too thin to support aeronautical flight.   There are some very straightforward reasons why such a division exists. It reflects an environment where rockets are able to fly. In very practical terms, engineers who design spacecraft need to make sure they can handle the rigors of space. Defining space in terms of atmospheric drag, temperature, and pressure (or lack of one in a vacuum) is important since vehicles and satellites have to be constructed to withstand extreme environments. For purposes of landing safely on Earth, the designers and operators of the U.S. space shuttle fleet determined that the boundary of outer space for the shuttles was at an altitude of 122 km (76 miles). At that level, the shuttles could begin to feel atmospheric drag from Earths blanket of air, and that affected how they were steered to their landings. This was still well above the  von Kà ¡rmà ¡n line, but in reality, there were good engineering reasons to define for the shuttles, which carried human lives and had a higher requirement for safet y.   Politics and the Definition of Outer Space The idea of outer space is central to many treaties that govern the peaceful uses of space and the bodies in it. For example, the Outer Space Treaty (signed by 104 countries and first passed by the United Nations in 1967), keeps countries from claiming sovereign territory in outer space. What that means is that no country can stake a claim in space and keep others out of it. Thus, it became important to define outer space for geopolitical reasons having nothing to do with safety or engineering. The treaties that invoke the boundaries of space govern what governments can do at or near other bodies in space. It also provides guidelines for the development of human colonies and other research missions on the planets, moons, and asteroids.   Expanded and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.