Research Paper Format Examples - How to Find the Best Format For Your Paper

Research Paper Format Examples - How to Find the Best Format For Your PaperWhen it comes to research paper format, I find myself baffled by all the different options. I do understand that there are two options for formatting a research paper. The first is that you can use one of the rigid formats of papers, with the stiff word processor like Word or Power Point.The second option is to use graphics. There are some programs out there, such as Evernote, that let you do a huge number of things in graphics. All these features make a world of difference when it comes to style and presentation. One of the issues that a lot of students face is that the graphic designer was not able to get all of their notes down.So, if you have a writer that wants to add a new note or maybe just tweak the layout of the page a bit, you might want to consider using format examples. What are these things? The format examples are a series of examples of things that other people have done that would help you find the layout you desire in your own research paper. For example, the reason why I am writing this article right now is because I have recently been working on a new research paper and my main goal is to get it finished in a day.That is not to say that you will never be able to complete a research paper. You just need to realize that if you want to be able to finish a research paper on time, you will have to have a strong grasp of research paper format examples.Another good reason to learn format examples is that research paper format has become so complex that it is almost impossible to figure out in your head what each and every function on the page is. What is interesting about research paper format is that there are just so many different things that you will have to look at. If you get all of these examples, you will be able to simplify the research paper so that you can see the point that you are trying to make and you will have a much easier time finishing the research paper.Al so, when it comes to research paper format examples, you will be able to find out which elements work well together and which ones are terrible in the research paper. You may have been doing well with a research paper with some of the things that are bad and trying to figure out a way to improve it. With format examples, you will be able to figure out what needs to be changed and how to go about making it work.Last but not least, these format examples are a great resource to consider for figuring out if your research paper needs to be rearranged. If you think about it, everything you look at is an example for that specific task that you are trying to accomplish.

Integrating Essay Samples Into Teacher Training

Integrating Essay Samples Into Teacher TrainingIntegrated essay samples of brilliant writing style and teaching skills are powerful tools for all teachers, especially those who need to test their students' writing skills. They teach the student how to write good essays and that writing is a collaborative process that takes place between the writer and the reader. Integrated essay samples are given out to help teachers improve the writing skills of their students. These essays will enable teachers to see where the students need improvement and how they can improve in the future.In many cases, integrated essay samples have been provided to teachers. This allows them to test the writing skills of their students. This also enables them to identify problems with the students' essays and find out what can be done to improve the student's skills. These can be used by teachers in various ways as an assessment tool.Some instructors' main point is to assess the writing skills of their students so that they can adjust them according to the expectations of the students. This will then create a link between the instructor and the student. They will also have an idea of how well the students learn, how they respond to their classmates and how they interact with other teachers. With this knowledge, they will know what areas need to be worked on in the next class. The integrated essay samples are most effective in these situations as well.Sometimes, an instructor's main point is to judge a student's performance based on the nature of the assignment. A teacher will give out these samples in order to know which students can do better, which ones can do worse and which ones do not need any improvement. The students who have not achieved good grades for their writing, are then assigned a writing review. This is where the student is required to rewrite the essays and give a final assessment based on the written material.Usually, an instructor's main point is to improve the students ' learning experiences. This helps teachers better understand how they can help their students develop. It also provides a foundation for instructors to make the student's learning experience more memorable and fun. This way, the instructor can make their lessons more interesting and better related to the students' learning needs.Integrated essay samples will also assist teachers in understanding the students' interests and other aspects of the student's learning experiences. They will also help the students to know about their strengths and weaknesses. This can be important in improving students' skill levels.There are lots of benefits that come with using integrated essay samples. One of them is that they can help students improve their writing. They are given out to make sure that the students understand the basics of writing. These can be useful to teachers in various ways such as assessing the students' writing skills, as well as learning about students' interests and other are as of their learning experience.

Six Gilded Bits analysis free essay sample

Eatonville, Florida, early 1930s during the great depression â€Å"It was a Negro yard around a Negro house in a Negro settlement that looked to the payroll of the G. and G. fertilizer works for it support. But there was something happy about the place.† (86) â€Å"The fences and house whitewashed the porch and steps scrubbed white.† (86) Pleasant, happy joyful mood; â€Å"blooming cheerily† â€Å"open to the sunshine†(86) Symbolism Money = Power = Women â€Å"And whut make it so cool, he got money ‘cumulated. And women’s give it all to ‘im.†(90) Food = Comfort and therapeutic â€Å"Meat and lard, meal and flour, soap and starch. Cans of cans and tomatoes. All the staples. He fooled around town for awhile and bought bananas and apples.† (97) â€Å"Candy kisses†(87) vs. â€Å"molasses kisses† (97) – maintaining vs. repairing â€Å"He considered a surprise attack upon the big clown that stood there laughing like a chessy cat.† (93)- mischievous, sly; appearance vs. reality/ hypocritical Irony Fun happy enjoyable stark contrast, tricksters â€Å"Cape jasmine bush†(87) symbolizes luxury and goodness. We will write a custom essay sample on Six Gilded Bits analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Imagery and Personification â€Å"Yo’ water is on de fire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (88) Contrast between two elements representing Missie May vs. Joe. War imagery â€Å" †¦ dying dawn saw him hustling home around the lake where the challenging sun flung a flaming sword from east to west across the trembling water,† (92)-foreshadowing, Hurston preparing us for what is about to come. Juxtaposing between initial setting and uneasy setting. â€Å"From beyond the no-man’s land between them came a voice. A strange voice that yesterday had been Joe’s.† – war imagery Light motif- â€Å"a lean moon rode the lake in a silver boat† (92) – lean moon suggesting a subdued reality and the silver boat representing Slemmons – foreshadowing the affair. Light motif -â€Å"The sun, the hero of the day, the impersonal old man that beams as brightly on death as on birth, came up every morning and raced across the blue dome and dipped into the sea of fire every evening. Water ran down hill and birds nested.† (95)- juxtaposition between life and death, the circle of life, nature of life, new beginnings, fresh starts. â€Å"The great belt on the wheel of Time slipped and eternity stood still†(93) his  inability to move on from what he saw as he talks about wanting a child. â€Å"†¦rusty ankles.â€Å"(94) The shock of the incident froze them and caused the temporary corrosion of their relationship. The tears had caused their unconditional l ove to rust. â€Å"Finally the suns tide crept upon the shore of night and drowned all its hours.†(94)- chaos no time when a crisis occurs, at night which shows the misery of Missie May has led to Joe becoming a living corpse as his love and life with May have become distant from him. â€Å"Red light turned to yellow, then white.†(94) White represents permission from Joe, red meaning anger and yellow the fading of the anger ‘its shadow was in the house whether or no.’ (95)- the gold bits haunt her and ironically brings misery to her home and her marriage instead of happiness and wealth. Alliteration Wails of weeping without words. (93) – Emphasizes her grand scale of the sorrow, regret and guilt Missie May feels. Diction: wails- giant animals, great grief Furious mass of male and female energy (87) the immense depth to their love and affection. Shouting, laughing, twisting, turning, tussling, tickling (87) Characterizes their fast paced and fun, teasing relationship â€Å"Big pitcher of buttermilk beaded with pale drops of butter from the churn.† (88)- contrasting their relationship now and after. Repetition Four- bit piece repeated thrice throughout the story signifying the importance of deceit and the misleading interpretation of money being more valuable than love and marital relationships. Numbers and Titular Significance Missie May had a baby a full year after the incident with Slemmons, proving to be Joe’s baby. â€Å" Who else could it look lak?† (96) Throws 9 bits in the beginning and 15 at the end  15-9= 6 – Gilded six-bits. The renewal of their relationship was established six months after the incident with Slemmons when Missie May learns about her pregnancy. Diction â€Å"Dats de first time ah ever seed gold money.† (91) – The seed (idea) of acquiring money from Slemmons is planted in his head â€Å"White washed,†Ã‚  discloses their economical situation of their home. They still want a clean and nice look to their home, but they cannot afford actual paint. Also emphasizes the typical economical situation of the typical black family. â€Å"Rich black man† during depression would be contradictory Oxymoron â€Å"Mock alarm†(87), â€Å"mock anger†(87), â€Å"joyful mischief†(87), â€Å"friendly battle†(88), â€Å"play fight†(88) emphasizes their relationship being joyful and flirtatious; play fights adds towards their youthfulness, and strengthens their marriage by making it fun. Themes Marriage and Love Constant expression of love – candy, gold, mock battles and games. â€Å"Gointer buy my wife some good ole lasses kisses wid it† (98)- repairing the relationship by buying her off. Parable being that marriage and love is stronger than anything and is more valuable than gold â€Å"Don’t you mess wid mah business, man. You git in yo’ clothes. Ah’m a real wife, not no dress and breath. Ah might not look lak one, but if you burn me, you won’t git a thing but wife ashes.† ( 88) – female dominance in their relationship â€Å"They were man and wife again.† (96) – renewal of marriage and vows. Revenge Subtle revenge: ‘In fact the yellow coin in his trousers was like a monster hiding in the cave of his pockets to destroy her.’ (95) – Although Joe doesn’t directly make her feel guilty, his passiveness acts as constant reminder of her offence. Appearance versus reality â€Å"All that glitter is not gold† Two faced coins just gilded half dollars covered in gold Slemmons, appears to be the â€Å"rich white man† (89)   The story starts off with â€Å"It was a Negro yard around a Negro house in a Negro settlement that looked to the payroll of the G and G. Fertilizer works for its support.† This automatically sets an image of the house as nothing but that and restricts and limits the success and happiness of the family in the house by emphasizing this divide. However, Hurston then welcomes us inside the house and what appears to be a place with limited happiness, in reality is actually rich with joy and love. Societal and Racial Segregation â€Å"But there was something happy about the place.†(87) It is described as something unusual and against the norm of the typical black family in a black community. â€Å" Joe looked down at his own abdomen and said wistfully, Wisht Ah had a build on me lak he got. He ain’t puzzle-gutted, honey. He jes’ got a corperation. Dat make ‘m look lak a rich white man. All rich mens is got some belly on’em.† (89) – Food and money makes a white man wealthy, which Joe aspires to be. â€Å"Wisht I could be like these darkies. Laughin’ all the time. Nothin’ worries ‘em.† (98) – Irony because at the beginning, Joe being a back man aspired to be like Slemmons â€Å"rich white man† whereas the clerk here wishes to be like Joe who is pleased with his life at this point. Gender roles â€Å"Ah’m de one ehut’s hungry.[†¦] Have it on de table when Ah git out de tub.† (88) â€Å" you ain’t hungry, sugar,† (88) â€Å"Nope, sweetinin’ is for us men-folks. Y’all pretty little frail eels don’t need nothin’ lak dis. You too sweet already.† (89) , â€Å"Women ain’t got no business in a man’s clothes nohow.† (88) – Norms of the roles in the household. Men’s work is more valued, and acknowledged than women’s housework. Joe tries to sugar coat his comments reflecting women’s roles at that time. â€Å" Don’t you mess wid mah business, man. You git in yo’ clothes. Ah’m a real wife, not no dress and breath.† (88) â€Å"You de one dat pushes de needles around heah.† (87) -Missie May challenges these roles and often dominates in the relationship as shown by their friendly battles and her getting what she desires and is not a bused, or oppressed. She demands to be valued as an individual woman and not a part of the man. In the Banks household, the genders compliment each other instead of contradicting one another. Characterization

Understanding Assonance 6 Examples, Analyzed

Understanding Assonance 6 Examples, Analyzed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Analyzing literature can be pretty confusing, especially if you’re reading something that’s pretty complicated. That’s why it’s important to understand literary devices, which are tools designed to help you unlock the meaning of a text. Think of literary devices like tools in a toolbox. Each device has a different use, so it’s important that you have a bunch of different options to choose from...especially when you’re crunched for time, like during an AP Literature exam. That’s why we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about assonance, which is a literary device that helps a writer create both rhythm and tone. To do this, we’ll: Define assonance and talk about why it’s helpful in analyzing literature, Walk you through assonance examples in poetry and prose, and Give you four expert tips to help you find an analyze assonance in any text. Ready? Let’s dive in! What Is Assonance: Definition and Meaning What is assonance, exactly? Luckily, the assonance definition is pretty straightforward! Assonance is defined as the repetition of similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences. (Remember that vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.) When the same vowel sound is repeated multiple times in close proximity, you’ve found assonance. The best way to understand how assonance works is to see it in action. Let’s look at the following sentence: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Read this sentence a few times. What vowel sound do you hear repeatedly? The answer: the long "e" sound (which you hear in words like â€Å"eek† and â€Å"creek†). Here’s the sentence again where we’ve bolded the repeated vowel sounds: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. As you can see, the long "e" sound repeats four times in the line, which is a textbook example of assonance! Want another example? Check out this clip from My Fair Lady, which has a whole song that revolves around assonance: Did you hear the assonance in the line, â€Å"the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain†? Eliza Doolittle really helps that long â€Å"a† vowel sound shine! How Does Assonance Help You Analyze Literature? Now that you know what assonance is, you’re probably wondering how it helps you analyze literature. There are three major ways assonance works: by creating rhythm, drawing attention to specific words, and by shaping the tone- or feeling- of the work. How Assonance Creates Rhythm Because assonance involves repetition, it can be used to create rhythm. This is especially important in poetry, where the rhythm often affects the meaning of the poem. Take these lines from Edgar Allen Poe’s â€Å"The Raven,† for instance: And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; There’s quite a bit of assonance here, especially with the short â€Å"i† sound, which we’ve highlighted in bold above. The assonance gives the poem a drumming, march-like rhythm that mimics the terrified pounding of the speaker’s heart! How Assonance Draws Attention to Specific Words Secondly, the repetitive nature of assonance draws the reader’s attention to those words and phrases. In some cases, it can be the equivalent of the writer waving a red flag at the reader, signalling that there’s something important going on in that part of the text. Let’s look at the first two lines of William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Daffodils† to see this in action: I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, Here, the assonance is in the long â€Å"o† sound, and it draws your attention to an important simile in the poem. In this comparison, the speaker imagines himself as a â€Å"lonely† cloud that â€Å"floats† high â€Å"o’er† the landscape. Through assonance, the speaker reveals that he sees himself as separate and isolated from the world around him. How Assonance Shapes Tone and Meaning Writers also use assonance to help create tones, or feelings, in their work. By stringing together different words and vowel sounds, writers can evoke everything from happiness to fear. Here’s an example of this at work in Dylan Thomas’ â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night†: Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage, against the dying of the light To see how this creates a tone, try reading this passage out loud. The assonance of the long â€Å"a† makes you emphasize the sound as you read it, especially since those are also stressed syllables. (Not sure what a stressed syllable is? Check out our guide to iambic pentameter.) The assonance makes these lines sound forceful, which adds to the lines’ insistent- almost desperate- tone. When it comes to poetry, determining a poem’s tones is an important step to uncovering the work’s themes and messages. In the case of Thomas’ poem, the tone of these lines helps us understand how Thomas feels about death. For him, death isn’t something a person should accept passively- they should fight against it and embrace life as long as possible. So in this instance assonance helps us determine the poem’s tone, which in turn leads us to one of the poem’s major themes! Assonance Examples in Poetry Assonance is a pretty common literary device in poetry, especially because it helps poets shape a work’s rhythm, rhyme, tone, and theme. Let’s read one more poem to see how assonance examples help us analyze a poem and its themes. â€Å"The World Is Too Much With Us† by William Wordsworth The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;Little we see in Nature that is ours;We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,The winds that will be howling at all hours,And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,For this, for everything, we are out of tune;It moves us not. - Great God! I'd rather beA Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;Or hear old Triton blow his wreathà ¨d horn. When you analyze a full poem, there’s a good chance that assonance will only occur in certain parts of the work (rather than from start to finish). So don’t panic if you only find assonance in a few lines. Remember that assonance is often used to draw your attention to a specific moment or set of words, so just think of it as a clue to read that section a little closer. In Wordsworth’s poem, assonance occurs in the very beginning of the poem with the long â€Å"a† and at the end of the poem with the long â€Å"o†. Let’s take a closer look at the poem’s last three lines: Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;Or hear old Triton blow his wreathà ¨d horn. This poem is about how people have become too enmeshed with civilization (that focuses on â€Å"getting and spending†) and have lost touch with nature. The assonance in last lines emphasize the poem’s theme and help reinforce the piece’s tone. The long â€Å"o† adds a mournful sound to the concluding lines, which reiterates the forlorn tone of the poem. The assonance also reinforces the speaker’s opinion that the way of the past is better than life in the present. By mentioning Proteus and Triton, two Greek gods, the speaker highlights how the modernization of the world has caused it to lose more than its connection to nature: it’s lost its wonder and mystery, too. Assonance Examples in Prose While assonance is most common in poetry, you can also find assonance in prose. In prose works like novels, short stories, and nonfiction, authors use assonance to make their work more vivid. It helps their ideas leap off the page, and it creates tones and feelings that resonate with readers (just like in poetry)! Here’s an assonance example in literature that demonstrates how it can work outside of poetry. Example : A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man tells the story of the religious and intellectual awakening of Stephen Dedalus, a young man who values beauty and art. Throughout the book, Stephen questions and rebels against the Catholic and Irish conventions of his childhood, and he eventually leaves Ireland for Europe. Given Stephen’s love of art, it’s no surprise that the book often relies on poetic techniques to tell his story. Joyce often uses assonance, which we see in the following line: Soft language issued from their spitless lips as they swished in low circles round and round the field, winding hither and thither through the weeds. The assonance here comes from the repetition of the short â€Å"i,† which occurs eight times in this one sentence! The assonance mimics the sound of whispering, which helps readers experience the â€Å"soft language† Joyce is writing about. Assonance causes this sentence to swish â€Å"in low circles round† the reader, too- which adds to the seductive tone of this short passage. 4 Expert Tips for Analyzing Assonance Now that you know what assonance is, here are a few expert tips to help you find assonance and use it to analyze literature like a pro! Tip 1: Read It Out Loud Assonance is something you hear, rather than something you see. While you can look for similar vowels in words, English is a strange language where pronunciation can vary wildly, even when spelling is almost identical. Take â€Å"laughter† and â€Å"slaughter,† for example. Add one letter...and the pronunciation becomes insanely different! By reading a poem out loud or listening to a recording of it, it becomes a lot easier to find the repetition of vowel sounds. It also is a lot easier to discern how assonance affects the poem’s rhyme, rhythm, and emphasis. Trust us: reading a poem out loud is the best way to find assonance! Tip 2: Look at How Assonance Affects How a Passage Sounds Once you’ve found the assonance, it’s time to think about how it affects the text you’re reading. One way to do this is to start thinking about how assonance contributes to how the passage and/or poem is read. Does it create short, staccato sounds or long, mournful ones? How do these sounds help show readers what the poem is about? For instance, when assonance happens in short words right next to each other (like â€Å"the hard, stark markings on the car assembly line†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) can mimic the sound of factory, whereas longer, spread out assonance (the cool breeze moved along hills and moors) echoes the peacefulness of a breezy day! Tip 3: Examine the Word Choice Assonance only exists if a poet chooses a specific word that contains the same vowel sound as another word. That means each word in an assonant passage is important! Take a minute to examine the words the poet chooses. Are they related to each other in any way? Pull out a dictionary and look up each word. Along with their definition, do the words have connotative, or implied, meanings that change the way you might interpret the passage? How would using a synonym change the meaning of that line? Investigating why a writer uses the words he doesand paying close attention to what those words meancan help you uncover a poem’s important themes. Tip 4: Consider How Assonance Shapes the Poem as a Whole Look at passage, section, sentence, or line that contains the assonance. Like we mentioned before, assonance is often a way for authors to signal that a specific part of their work is important. Keeping that in mind, ask yourself what you think the purpose of that passage is in the overall scheme of the poem. What is the poet saying in this passage? Does it come at a key moment or an important turning point? Often, poets use assonance to make a point, so there’s a good chance they’re using assonance to communicate a specific message or idea! Now What? Remember: the best toolbox is a full toolbox. That’s why it’s important to understand more literary devices than just assonance! Here’s a list of the literary devices everyone should know and another in-depth guide to get you started. If you’re getting ready for the AP Literature exam- and you probably are!- it’s a good idea understand what’s on the test before you take it. That’s why we’ve put together an expert guide to the AP Literature exam that tells you everything you need to know to ace it! One of the most intimidating parts of the AP exam is the written portion, which requires you to use books you’ve read to answer essay prompts. But which books should you read to prepare? Check out this list of the best books to read for the AP Literature exam to help you build the best reading list possible.

Policy advice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policy advice - Research Paper Example East Asia countries and other western countries had established a course towards progressive development, amongst them Japan, Italy, West Germany and France (Zakaria 49). It should be noted that after the fall of the Bretton Woods system in 1970s, occasioned by the growing international trade, the stock market crash of 1973-1974 and monetary economics, countries that emerged later focused on strong economic policies. The rise of BRICs especially China was therefore a progressive and steady economic growth having learnt from the various depressions. It appears that such economies thrived on protective policies. The US may consider analyzing such foreign policies to unravel their contributions to economic growth and see whether they may be applicable for the US case (Masters 1). Emerging economies such as China, Russia, and India have established competitive economic policies. India has a steadily rising economy, which is poised to be very competitive in the next decade. China’s economic rise in the global market has boomed in what appears to be a plan that was awaiting implementation. China is has practically overtaken the US and other western countries on the African continent and other areas. It has steadily rising middle class. The US should not sit back and watch or accept that global economics have changed, but conduct an assessment aimed at reclaiming her position on global economic front. It may take time to recover but it will certainly reverse the US economic trend (Zakaria 98). In the meantime, the US should formulate policies aimed at short-term recovery of micro-economy of the small states as leader negotiates a fair global competition for goods and patent rights of all countries. Should countries realize real global integration, it would still be wise to formulate acceptable rules of economic engagement for equitable benefit to enable all countries realize benefits of economic integration. The US may consider treating developing countries as

Benefits of learning Macroeconomics in my life Essay

Benefits of learning Macroeconomics in my life - Essay Example Based on the fact that I am pursuing a course in economics, my dream has always been to become one of the most successful economists in the country. Being a successful economist would involve being a Chief Executive Officer of a manager in the most respected organizations in the world. These roles necessitate one to have a wide range of knowledge in macroeconomics as well as other fields associated with economics. Being a top official in a highly respected organization involves a lot of interviews in televisions and radio stations. In doing so, an individual offers insight into the happenings of his organization and hence this can be considered a form of marketing. Furthermore, one of the units learnt in macroeconomics is leadership. Therefore, learning macroeconomics has enabled me to learn and gain leadership skills and abilities. Learning macroeconomics will ensure that I familiarize myself with all aspects of preceding and current economic issues of benefit in my future role as a top executive. Successful organizations in all parts of the world are governed by distinct rules and regulations. For managers to implement plans of actions geared towards enhancing and maintain organizational structures, incorporation of skills and knowledge in macroeconomics is critical. The study of macroeconomics involves investigating behaviours of various organizations and other successful institutions. Therefore, learning macroeconomics presents me with knowledge on how to create and implement organizational rules. and guidelines associated with macroeconomics. In general, the study of Macroeconomics is involved with investigating comportment, performance, or conduct of the economy. It would be hard for me to implement economic policies without understanding various market conditions such as fluctuating prices of commodities and services. Conditions in the economy are always changing. This can be attributed to the current advancements in technology and globalization. These are some of the factors that determine the price of commodities and services. Researchers have in the past been involved in methodical investigations geared towards identifying why market conditions are ever changing. Results from these studies are very important and are incorporated in the study of economics (Mankiw, 2011). Learning economics has enabled me to gain skills and abilities that will help me predict market conditions in future. Learning macroeconomics comprises of identification, measurement, and comparison of economic assessments from a range of markets and from different countries or regions. It also involves tracking various aspects that affects market conditions and how to create and implement strategies in practice that would mitigate effects of poor market conditions. An individual can effectively understand market conditions through observing previous market trends. Understanding or analyzing these trends requires one to have certain skills and knowledge that can only be acquired through learning macroeconomics. Therefore, I will be able to follow these trends in future and identify opportunities for investments. There are times market conditions are dilapidated and at other times the market is stable. Understanding the concept of supply and demand is of benefit to businessmen today (Madariaga, 2005). As an economist and businessman in future, I

Employee Rewards Essay Example for Free

Employee Rewards Essay Introduction The purpose of this essay is to critically examine the processes used by Scotia Learning and identify if their rewards are appropriate to those of the market. The report will begin by discussing the background of Scotia Learning and follow on to define reward management highlighting the objective and constraints within the reward strategy. We will then consider the legal framework and examine why there are variations in pay and how job evaluation can ensure equity and fairness is achieved. Finally we will discuss the concept of motivation and the implications of pay for performance within the reward strategy. The report ends with an analysis of the key issues of the topic. Scotia Learning is the case study for this essay and is one of a network of university-based study centres offering preparation for students wishing to study undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for progression into university degree courses. The company has joint venture partnerships with top universities throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States of America. â€Å"Reward management is concerned with the formulation and implementation of strategies and policies that aim to reward people fairly, equitably and consistently in accordance with their value to the organisation† (Armstrong Murlis, 2007, p3). Research by Redman Wilkinson (2009) indicates that reward is an enormously complex issue and has to take account of three fundamental principles in determining systems and structures: internal equity, external equity and business strategy. In addition Thorpe Homan (2000) state that the organisation should identify what objectives and behaviours the payment system should have for example, labour market competitiveness and management skills whilst Perkins White (2009) highlight the importance of legal regulations that can put constraints on organisations, for example minimum wage (legal), collective bargaining (trade unions), and the external labour markets. Scotia Learning does not recognise a trade union however it does recognise that collective bargaining has been influential in discussing and setting pay arrangement due to internal and external rates of pay not being equal. Within the employment legislation pay has always been an area of controversy especially when one considers employee’s collective concerns (Brown et al., 2003). The introduction of The Equal Pay Act 1970 outlawing unequal pay for men and women having since evolved into equal pay for equal work and the Equal Pay (Amendment) Regulations 1983 after the UK joined the EU in 1973 (Perkins White, 2009), now gives employees a certain degree of protection in their employment relationship. To strengthen current legislation The Equality Act 2010 was introduced highlighting human rights and discriminatory factors, such as equal pay, sex discrimination, race, disability and equality (religion, sexual orientation, and age) (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2012). In response to this Scotia Learning are aware that they have a ‘duty of care’ to all employees and comply with the Equal Opportunities Policy by ensuring the relevant training is undertaken by managers and employees ensuring everyone understands the importance of and their responsibilities under this Policy. This is also promoted in all recruitment documents, ensuring that wording of job advertisements does not discriminate against any potential applicants. As part of this legislation, employers are legally required to ensure their pay structures are not discriminatory against men and women in terms of valuing work between them in their employment and in order to defend themselves against equal pay claims, organisations must be able to prove that the jobs within their grading system are valued according to the job rather than the gender of the person doing the job. Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in a tribunal claim and if proven the organisation will have to pay all money accrued which can be backdated six years in England and five years in Scotland. In the case of (Birmingham City Council v Abdulla and others [2012] UKSC 47), the Supreme Court ruled that equal pay claims brought in the High Court more than six months after the end of the claimants employment, which would have been out of time in an employment tribunal, should not be struck out under section 2(3) of the Equal Pay Act 1970. The reasons for a claimants failure to bring a timely claim in a tribunal are not relevant in any way to the notion of convenience under section 2(3). (PLC Employment Law Weekly email). Within Scotia Learning pay and benefits are provided on the basis of objective criteria, free from discrimination taking into account the principle of equal pay for equivalent work or work of equal value. In addition we ensure transparency within the reward system is clear to all employees in that they understand how their pay is worked out and what is required from them to achieve this. Job profiles and person specifications for each new vacancy are drawn up in keeping with other jobs of a similar size and responsibility which focus on the skills, experience and qualifications that are directly relevant to the job. Armstrong Murlis (2007, p115) state that â€Å"the payment system is important as it not only conveys a signal to the employees what the organisational priorities are but also acts as a catalyst for wider organisational change† a view reiterated by Armstrong (1996) in which he proposes that the foundations of reward management are to achieve the individual and organisational behaviour that a company needs if the business goals are to be met. Therefore the term ‘employees are the key to enhanced organisational performance’ becomes relevant with links to Kessler and Purcell (1994) where they emphasise that payment systems are related to recruitment, retention and motivation of staff and that the determination of pay is not only the interaction of market forces but also employers. It is also acknowledged that variations in pay can occur for a variety of reasons and from a legal perspective it is important to understand why (Redman Wilkinson, 2009). Firstly the power scenario, in that if labour is scarce, employees will have more power and hence may be able to demand higher pay, in contrast with an over-supply of labour employers have the power and hence may be able to hold pay at lower rates (Redman Wilkinson, 2009). Secondly, it has been acknowledged that ‘the rate for the job’ should be the same for employees doing the same job but considering organisational performance is reliant on the employ ee’s effort, skills and competencies, it is not logical to assume that effort should be rewarded and pay should vary accordingly. A view shared by Redman Wilkinson (2009, p161) who advocate that â€Å"variable pay schemes (VPS) are said to hold out the promise towards the creation of internal labour market that is fairer in rewarding people as it is only ‘fair’ that rewards should have a direct link with effort†. The argument with this theory is that ‘risk adverse’ workers will be less willing to ‘gamble’ on pay related performance than a set amount of pay. Thirdly, we should also take into consideration the external market rate of pay and uneven market pressures such as differing regional or occupational rates of pay as Kessler (2007, p167) states â€Å"external equity is an organisational imperative as failure to respond the labour market changes will leave organisations at a disadvantage competitively†. Scotia Learning responds to these challenges by regularly benchmarking and studying the market rate of pay within the educational sector. Data collected i s beneficial in determining pay to ensure pay scales are in line with and competitive with similar jobs. For example, when recruiting teaching staff, the use of organisations such as SATEFL and other educational websites are particularly useful, for administration staff we would use S1jobs.com and jobseeker.gov.uk website and with management we would use agencies. However, although the aforesaid strategy is very useful, Scotia Learning is a relatively large organisation with Centres worldwide and other factors have to be taken into consideration, such as location and cost of living. In determining the value of jobs within our organisation, although we consider the external market pay rates, decisions concerning pay are done through a coherent wage and career structure internal to our organisation which ensures consistency and fairness in our reward systems. It has been reported that issues with this reward system have arisen within the banking sector resulting in Government intervention to deal with inequalities of pay setting at senior management/director level and low pay via the nati onal minimum wage. This is not an area of concern for Scotia Learning as the annual salary increase is a % rate consistent throughout the organisation and our pay structure process involves a job evaluation â€Å"a systematic process for establishing the relative worth of jobs within an organisation† Redman Wilkinson (2009, p141). In addition Scotia Learning is accredited to the British Council and British Accreditation Council and all HR policies and personnel files are properly documented and filed. Our job evaluation comprises of an analytical (i.e., jobs are broken down into individual components) broad-band pay structure with a range of factors such as knowledge and skills, problem solving, decision making and then allocating points to them. It is interesting to note that research by IRS (2007) showed that an average of 86% of organisations use this form of job evaluation. Within this broad-band pay structure we have 6 wide overlapping salary bands made up of management, HR, teaching staff , finance, student services and cleaning staff with a salary range for each bank of at least 75%. Progression up the bands will be by skills and qualifications, performance and competence enhanced through individual career development thus supplying the motivation for continuous learning. To support this, the annual performance review takes place, however it is not linked to pay or rewards and is based on the objectives of skills and competence which are linked to organisational performance. In terms of equity and fairness the rate of pay for full-time and part-time teaching staff is calculated on the same hourly rate therefore ensuring consistency and fairness within the system. It is interesting to note that research by Redman Wilkinson (2009, p139) argues that by paying an hourly rate â€Å"employers control over pace and performance is reliant on either direct supervision or the willingness of employees to engage with the task† synonymous with the argument surrounding ‘risk adverse’ workers. This point of view may be viable in organisations such as ‘call centres’ where technology enables the monitoring and regulating of work by measuring output and input and within the customer service industry where we have the ‘secret shopper’, but within the education sector autonomy is part of the job as is their professional code of ethics which includes commitment, motivation and discretionary behaviour which is contradictory to the argument by Thorpe Homan (2000) who suggest that non-financial aspects are secondary and rarely given the same prominence in the design of payment systems. Managing rewards is largely about managing employee expectations linking to their psychological contract which is concerned with pay, performance and the development of skills (Armstrong Murlis, 2007). The argument then becomes, if reactions to rewards depend on the psychological makeup, values and needs of individual, one cannot wholly rely on performance related pay schemes to enhance all employees’ performance as not everyone is motivated by money. Motivation only takes place if rewards are worthwhile to the individual and if the process is seen to be fair, therefore, it would require to be customised for every individual in the organisation (Armstrong Murlis, 2007). For example, an employee nearing the end of their career may be more interested in job satisfaction (intrinsic reward), whereas a graduate beginning their career may be more interested in training and development (extrinsic reward). For that reason it can be argued that both intrinsic rewards such as respect, recognition, job satisfaction and responsibility are just as important as extrinsic rewards such as pay rises, bonuses, training and development opportunities and benefits such as annual holidays, company sick pay and company pension. This highlights the importance of implementing an equitable and fair reward strategy in that by incorporating financial and non-financial rewards is that they can be used as a tool to enhance employee motivation resulting in improved organisational performance. Finally the importance of management skills cannot be undermined as they are a fundamental element of human resource management. The management strategy within Scotia Learning is based on autonomy, communication and high levels of trust between management and employees. Evidence to support this is the turnover rate of staff with one employee resigning over the past two years and the annual absence levels within Scotia L earning for all staff inclusive stands at 0.1% of working hours, which is the lowest in the entire organisation. Conclusion This objective of the report was to establish the processes that ensure equity and fairness in the reward systems. We have covered the legal aspects, strategies, market awareness, motivation, job evaluation and performance appraisal and it has become evident that Scotia Learning complies with all legal legislation, and displays equity and fairness within the reward systems. However there was an air of negativity surrounding performance and reward as within Scotia Learning the annual appraisal is not yet connected to pay for performance. It is possible that issues could arise if this was implemented, namely, it could seriously affect the dynamics of the office environment between a very closely-nit team of employees, managers and directors in that, how does the manager justify their decision in the event of a low reward without affecting the equilibrium of the office environment and within a unionised organisation all trade unions argue against performance linked to pay. Schemes relating pay to performance, although generating a tremendous amount of interest have very little in the way of conclusive evidence concerning their effects on performance (Redman Wilkinson, (2009). This echoes Thompson (1992) findings in which he states, â€Å"research fails to provide convincing evidence of a link between individual performance-related pay schemes and improvements in productivity†. The evidence supports that other approaches should be considered in rewarding employees, for example a one-off bonus payment which would not affect the employees’ annual salary. References Armstrong, M. (1996) Employee Reward, London: Kogan Page/IPD Armstrong, M., and Murlis, H. (2007) Reward Management. 5thedn. London: Hay Group Brown, W., Marginson, P., and Walsh, J. (2003) The management of pay as the influence of collective bargaining diminishes. In: P.K. Edwards, Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice, Oxford: Blackwell IRS (2007) Job evaluation is thriving, survey finds: Employment Review, 667 Kessler, I. (2007) Reward Choices: strategy and equity. In: Storey, J. HRM: a critical text 3rd edition, London: Thomson Learning Kessler, I., and Purcell, J. (1994) Performance Related Pay: Objectives and application, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol.2, No.3 Perkins, S. J., and White, G. (2009) Employee Reward: Alternatives, consequences and contexts, 2nd edn. 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