The Circle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Circle - Essay Example The images and sounds are equally pitiful and terrifying for the viewer. In quick summary, the movie begins with a miraculous event- the birth of a child. Unfortunately, the joy never follows because the child is a girl, even though the doctors told the family it would be a boy. Then the viewers meet Arezou and Nargess who have escaped from prison. They try to find their way to what they hope might be a country paradise. Another woman, Pari, is pregnant, but since her husband has been executed, she cannot get approval for an abortion. She is trying desperately to get one anyway. Yet another woman is trying to abandon her young daughter with the hopes that another family will take pity on her and give her a happy home. A prostitute, a luckily remarried woman, and a woman whose husband remarried while she was in prison round out the cast. It should be noted that the cast was not one of Hollywood starts, but of real Middle Eastern women. This lends a feel of authenticity and reality to the film. All of the women in director Jafar Panahi's film suffer from two things: their gender and their marital status. Single females in Iran are open to torturous and demeaning treatment every day. Their dress, travel, work, and hobbies are all subject to male approval. Their struggles are incomprehensible to women in the western world who alternate between voicing dismay at their plight and conveniently avoiding it. For these reasons. Panahi's film stings so deeply into the cores of viewers everywhere, especially women. Western society cannot understand, let alone justify, these treatments of women. Fortunately, two Middle Eastern women can provide explanations about the substance of this film as it relates to life for women in Tehran and the Middle East as a whole. Suad Joseph is currently a Professor of Anthropology of Women and Gender Studies and the Director of Middle East/South Asia Studies at the University of California at Davis. She is a native of Lebanon and has spent years researching women, family and children in her native land. Her research focuses on their concepts of self, citizenship and rights. She has written several books on the subject including Gender and Citizenship in the Middle East and Intimate Selving in Arab Families. She is the founder of the Association for Middle East Women Studies and of four American universities in the Middle East. Shemeem Burney Abbas is a native of Saudi Arabia. She has taught at colleges in both Islamabad and in Texas. She spent the years from 1987 to 1992 at the University of Austin in Texas and then at the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad from 1992-1999 and then again from 2002-2003. She has given lecture of her article "The Female Voices in Sufi Ritual: An Ethnography of Speaking at the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina, Duke University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. She currently holds a Ph.D. in English Language. According to Joseph, in Gender Citizenship in the Middle East, an examination of the legal documents related to citizenship has revealed that citizenship is extremely gendered in all arenas, particularly the political, economic and cultural. Joseph argues that the struggle for women to gain a sense of self and identity through citizenship has been compromised by the nations' struggles for identity themselves. The nations of the Middle East, on

Dissertation plan, outline, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dissertation plan, outline, - Essay Example Romanosky, S, Telang, R, & Acquisti, A 2011, Do data breach disclosure laws reduce identity theft?, Journal Of Policy Analysis & Management, 30, 2, pp. 256-286, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2012. The study will cover the history of identity theft in cyber, and forms of these frauds. Some focus will be towards the public awareness about these forms of fraud and how to contain this. There will also be close examination on the effectiveness of the different techniques that have been employed in curbing these challenges. The climax of it all will be on how to educate public on use computing and network settings to avoid such frauds. Therefore most attention will be on educating the public the settings. First, I will do a background research to find out information of identity theft in the field of computing and networking. In this project, I will list down various techniques that can be used to avoid identity theft in this particular field. Secondly, Numerous testing will be carried out, mostly on electrical machines and internet such as computers, phones, iPads to find out major areas where identity theft is conducted. Lastly, I will then formulate techniques of preventing such occurrence and possibilities such as creating passwords and log in options in the machines. The proposed study does not entail ethical considerations since the research majors on finding out methods in computing and networking settings that assist an individual to avoid identity theft rather than promoting ethical manners in the field and society. 14. What study materials will you use? (Please give full details here of validated scales, bespoke questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group schedules etc and attach all materials to the application) 17. Declaration: The information supplied is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,

Kodak and Fujifilm Essay Example for Free

Kodak and Fujifilm Essay Kodak, which was once known as Eastman Kodak Company, was founded by George Eastman in 1888. This invention enabled inventor Thomas Edison to create the first motion picture camera in 1891. Kodak’s photography and imaging was its main big thing and was widely used from photography equipment to film, paper and color chemicals. Kodak set the standards high for quality when making its motion picture films. (Kodak) In the 1980’s, Kodak’s market share reached 90%. In the 1800’s he also invented an emulsion-coating machine which enabled him to mass-produce photographic dry plates, he was one of the first to prove the great convenience of gelatin dry plates over the cumbersome and messy wet plate photography prevalent in his day. Dry plates could be exposed and developed at the photographers convenience; wet plates had to be coated, exposed at once, and developed while still wet. The name Kodak was born and the KODAK camera was placed on the market, with the slogan, You press the button we do the rest. (Kodak) Kodak went on to become one of the biggest expanding the major impact it brought to pictures. It grew into helping the health industry by devising films that detected radiation exposure for developing the atomic bomb. (Kodak) Kodak went on to play significant roles with joint ventures from Nasa, Sun Chemical, and other big ventures. By 1962 the company’s U. S. consolidated sales exceed $1 billion for the first time. Its work force tops 75,000. Today Kodak’s estimated total market capitalization is about $900 million (Forbes) Kodak was a pioneer of photography and imaging and that was its core business. Kodak came before Fujifilm and was able to evolve and adapt quickly to the market changes. In January 2012, Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and in January 2013 it exited bankruptcy. Kodak’s downfall I think was that it was not able to keep up with the technology changes and multiple new waves of how it evolved. Ethics and social responsibility was on its side because of the good it did for the world through the company’s research and the profit margin showed that. Being able to help NASA and hospitals showed there ethical practices. Customers were satisfied and they trusted the brand. Obviously for them to have gone bankrupt means there was a breakdown in financial strategies and decision making. Fujifilm was established in 1934 with the aim of producing photographic films. Over the decades we have diversified into new markets and built a strong presence around the globe. It was founded by (Fujifilm. com) It emerged with its photographic film manufacturing industry and then began operating, producing photographic film, print paper, dry plates, and other photosensitive materials. It went through several name changes starting as Fuji Photo film and ending up as Fujifilm. Fujifilm may have started as a manufacturer of photographic film, but the companys decision to branch into many areas of business including a transition to a digital camera manufacturer in the past several years has been a successful one. (camersabout. com) Fuji has crossed over into hospitals providing x-rays and medical imaging. Fujifilm has offered photographic film, motion picture film, color reversal film slides, microfilm, color negatives, 8mm motion picture film, and videotape. Beyond film, the company also has offered computer storage tape, computer floppy disks, and offset printing plates. Fujifilm made its first digital still camera in 1988, the DS-1P, and it was the worlds first digital camera with removable media. The company also created the first one-time-use recyclable film camera, the Quick Snap, in 1986. (Cameras about. com) Fuji dominated overseas and has embraced change and diversity to become a more effective force for a better future. Fujifilm has continued to maximize other resources effectively to achieve healthy growth.. In 2007, Fujifilm cameras ranked eighth worldwide in number of digital cameras manufactured, with about 8. 3 million units, according to a Techno Systems Research report. Fujifilm cameras, sometimes shortened to Fuji cameras, held a market share of about 6. 3%. (fujifilm. com) they too have been innovators and there management strategies have kept them on top and out of trouble such as bankruptcy. Kodak was not quick as Fuji was to adapt and they adapted quickly to stay well liked in the marketplace. They went from just hot in Japan to being second in the lead below Kodak in film usage, Both companies show what their approach to ethics and social responsibility are by their profits and success. It takes good decision making, quick turn around, and constant change to ensure diversity with any company. Flexibility, the right marketing, and speed are important in decision making. Fuji was smart and aggressive going from overseas to the global market with their low prices that made for a powerful marketing strategy. 1984 Los Angeles Olympics put them on the map when they became the official film of the event. Kodak made bad investments that caused them to eventually go bankrupt. It acquired Sterling drug for 1. 5 billion in January of 1988 and it turned out to be a bad investment and they wind up selling it off. Once it started falling the CEO was not able to revive it. Both companies made photography and imaging as their core business but Fuji even though it started later had the better adaptability. Fuji stayed reinventing itself and evolved with the change to invent better products. Kodak seems to come to a standstill even when the smart phone was introduced. When making decisions to build in flexibility you need to access the option, define the problem, adjust your approach and have innovative thinking. (Houston chronicle, by Amber Keefer, Demand Media) Before proceeding with you of action you have to choose an adequate course of action, and then you define the problem. Gather information, evaluating possible solutions and estimating the outcomes are crucial steps in the decision-making process. The objective is to take a situation from its current circumstances and move it toward a future goal. When making decisions you have to understand what you need to change and come up with ideas on how to improve the situation. After analyzing the problem, the next step is to find a solution before making a decision and implementing changes. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options available. Think about the value of the actions you can take. After you decide on a solution, you might want to change your approach.. Evaluate new information as it becomes available to you. Flexibility in decision making allows you to learn from your mistakes and then move toward a successful outcome. When you prepare to implement change, it is important to consider your organization’s future needs and objectives. You have to consider various options as solutions to a problem tend to put more thought into making decisions. Critical thinking is important. Flexibility in problem solving is key and involves interpreting information, drawing conclusions and considering the implications. A decision maker must identify weaknesses of the situation and move to remove it from the equation. Then finally as you approach the final decision change often requires adjusting your approach to meet the unexpected. Keeping an open mind is important when considering the overall situation and looking at all facets of the problem. Building flexibility in decision making requires that you be receptive to change. Even the best-laid plans hit unanticipated obstacles. The key is to know when to adjust your approach. Effective decision makers demonstrate the ability to shift priorities as the need arises and show a willingness to achieve objectives by taking advantage of new opportunities. (Houston chronicle, by Amber Keefer, Demand Media) Kodak was first out the door in the business industry but made some financial mistakes that cost them in the end. They were not fast paced like Fuji with keeping up with the industryand keeping their technology current. Fuji looked for newer marketing strategies to please their customers and kept evolving. That would explain their success today. , Fujifilm has transformed itself into a solidly profitable business, with a market capitalization, even after a rough year, of some $12. 6 billion to Kodak’s $220m (petapixel. com) Kodak filed a lawsuit against Fuji claiming they had infringed on Kodak’s digital photography patents.

Teachers Attitude Towards Children With Disabilities Education Essay

Teachers Attitude Towards Children With Disabilities Education Essay This section presents the literature that has been published in relation to the teachers perceptions /attitude towards special education and children with disabilities. Special Education is a complex and broad area of study. It is a distinctive provision that involves a range of foundational disciplines that encourage and assist the progress of children with special needs and other children to grow hand in hand and attain proficiency at the academic, social, personal and inter-personal level. This requires that special educators undergo specialised training and receive support from the school management to ensure that such children with special needs benefit and thus ultimately receive the best of education and care that civil society can provide to them without disparity (Routledge, 2003). There is a general consensus that complete justice to the children with special needs seeking inclusivity by this system can be done only if teachers who are involved in mainstream education are a lso aware of specialist knowledge and possess the skills required to cater to atleast a minimum set of special needs. Although educators specializing in particular special needs would be considered as best equipped to help the children with certain special needs, a cooperative approach with colleagues is vital in a school setting to ensure the best interests of the children in question (Sage, 2004). A teachers role is very critical in identifying and recognizing the special needs of a child and in assessing the impact of the disability in detail so that ways and means can be devised to help the possible implications in learning (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Keeping this consideration in mind, the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (House Bill 1350) directed that students with disabilities must be taught by teachers who hold complete certification in special education or who have passed a state teacher licensing examination and hold a state licence. In particular, special education teachers teaching core academic subjects, are expected to hold certifications in both the subject in question and in special education (Chapman R, 2008) so that complex core subject matter can be presented in a way that meets the individualized need of the child. Further, the special educators must be equipped, competent and confident in the use of adaptive equipment, information and communication technology and multisensory environments to effectively put to use technology as and where the curriculum or the requirements of the child with special needs demand, so that the education of children with special needs can be aided by the use of such services to increase the autonomy of the child and thereby build confidence, enhance learning and thereby improve knowledge acquired and thus effecting integration in its essential sense. Access: The new age concept of special education is based on the thought that any improvement made to the special education system is an improvements made to the education system as a whole in accordance with the fact that special education is not merely education of children with special needs but a collective effort of the community in helping different children with different abilities and tempraments to mutually benefit in the process of education. The view of the education community on special education today is based on the a variety of service options that must be made available in accordance with the special education laws such that a least restrictive environment may be constructed that enhances the scope of mutual interaction and considers the social well-being of the student community as a whole (Hallahan Kauffman, 1998); As good as this sounds, this concept is far from being fully accepted (Yellin et al, 2003) by the civilized modern community and is still riddled with doubts, f ears and litigative questions. The IDEA laws recommend inclusive mode of education as a solution rather than a problem for special educators, in which children with special needs are no more isolated, but educated in conjunction with children who are not disabled and special classes, separate schooling, or removal from the regular environment may be considered only when the nature or severity of the disability interferes with the education process. The new philosophy is to practice education on a general basis where (Bryant, Smith, Bryant, 2008; Lipsky Gartner, 1997; Rogers, 1993; Salend, 2001) the flexibility of an organization and special resources tchild should be an equally valued member of the school culture. However, the success of such inclusive methods of education depends largely on the attitude and willingness of special educators to make children with special needs feel welcome, accepted and included meaningfully. Addition or inclusion of material facts are mutually ben eficial to children with special needs and also it help them benefit from being able to learn in a regular classroom and meet up with their peers without disabilities who can also gain from the exposure to children with diverse characteristics. School and community environments must be designed in such a way that they are physically and programmatically more accessible so that they will help children with physical disabilities function more effectively and enable others who do not have disabilities to access their environment even more readily (Ferguson, 1996). Apathy: Conceptually speaking, it can be said that the social and civil progress of any society can be measured by the way a society treats its weak and dependent citizens. Hence the emergence of inclusive education may be seen as a way to ensure school practices against discrimination and toward social justice and thus build a society that is indicatively progressing in the right direction. The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the teaching fraternity who must learn to identify the barriers that social taboos have placed in the way of children with special needs in a constructionist perspective discouraging the use of labeling and categorization so that children can be allowed to communicate, interact and advance to the best of their abilities (Berger and Luckmann, 1971). Inclusive education like any other new reform has been supported and criticized equally in both developing and developed countries. For those people who support inclusive education, (Stainback and Stainback, 1991), always stress on the fact that inclusion is a tool that can play an effectively role in the combat of discrimination, sow the seeds to create a warm and welcoming attitude in young minds: which replaces their past experience of isolation. (Smith, 2007), always insists on an inclusive society as it helps children to learn social skills adapting themselves to an environment that is close to normal conditions of development and growth (Mitchell Brown, 1991) and achieve the ultimate commitment to educate every child (Ajuwon, 2008). The critics on the other hand overlook the problem of stigmatization and base their arguments on the idea that inclusive schools will not be able to adequately pay attention to or meet the needs of the disabled as can be done in therapy in segregated schools. This debate is vital in terms of determining the attitude of the teaching fraternity towards the idea of including children with special needs in general education as a child with a disability will bene fit optimally from inclusion only when general education teachers are equipped to teach a wider array of children and be willing to collaborate effectively with special educators (Bender, Vail Scott, 1995; Brophy Good, 1991). Appeals: The crux of inclusivity is the human right to education. Apart from ethical, moral, human, economic, social and political reasons, it brings about development at the personal level, helps build relationships and ultimately turns schools into instruments of political and social change towards democracy (Slee, 2002). Inclusivity stresses on a collective community responsibility to develop a productive informed society (Raey, 2003). It stands for community innovation where diversity is the norm and stresses that programs must be developed to be exceptional and to suit the diversity so that all may be able to participate and thus benefit. Class rooms must be treated as mirrors of social reality where high expectations, high achievements and full participation of all learners is appreciated and teachers must understand and play the esteemed redefining role of working to enable rather than disable students so that social justice does not remain rhetoric but becomes practical. Awareness is the cry in the academic community today and the current appeal is to equip the teaching fraternity medically, contextually and logistically to help the students gain more out of existing infrastructure and thereby effectively realize the goals of special education. Although technology plays a vital role in special education, it can act as a means of social isolation too; hence it is vital that technology be used with care so that its positive social advantages are maximized and its alienating aspects minimized. Achieving this goal however, lies in the critical and analytical capability of the instructor so that use of technology is ensured in a way that is positive outcome oriented by assessing and re-assessing benefits on a regular basis and re-thinking/ planning new strategies in cases where no improvement is perceived. Assessment: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), has guided that inclusive instruction be implemented and assessed. Even today this system of education elicits mixed responses in that it is lobbied for by some and against by some in courts, debated about in social forums and variously interpreted by the common man. The diversity of an inclusion class leads to a question of various students receiving different benefits (Rogers, 1993); however, unless the social, academic, functional, or life skill outcomes are better perceived clearly, it would end up limiting the teaching fraternitys assessment and thereby impairs the improvisation aspect that is vital for the progress and success of special education. Research shows that present day schools and teachers are struggling to respond to the wide array of students (Wills Cain, 2002). An inclusive school without the adequate facilities in terms of technology equipment and incentives and inadequate specially trained teachers cannot rise up to the challenge of presenting fair knowledge distribution to all. Hence a universal design (Centre for Universal Design, 1997; Waksler, 1996) that includes physical, curricular and pedagogical changes must be evolved so that children with different learning styles can cope without adaptation or retrofitting. Child centered education practices must be ingrained in every teachers mind so that education approaches are based on a clear analysis of where each of their students stand in terms of academics, social and cultural factors so that learning can be best facilitated (Gildner, 2001). At the school level the learning needs of all children can be addressed only if a specific focus is placed on those children who are vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion (UNESCO, 1994). Research on special education strategies over the years says that assessments must be developed based on curriculum, team teaching must be encouraged, learning styles must be understood and cooperative strategies m ust be devised such as peer tutoring or skills training for inclusive education to work in a manner that speaks success. Classroom instruction must be planned and be well organized so that it meets each childs need, and helps in their wellbeing.

Transcendentalism and Transcendental Meditation :: essays research papers fc

Transcendentalism and Transcendental Meditation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.†(Emerson 196). These two lines written by Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplify the whole movement of transcendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to them they could have been fighting for the betterment of human health. The transcendentalist writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have directly affected the health of modern society through the idea of transcendental meditation. Through modern science, scientists have linked increases in health among individuals through the use of transcendental meditation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The term transcendental came from the German Romantic philosopher Immanuel Kant. The term refers to the idea that matters of ultimate reality, God, the cosmos, the self transcend, or go beyond, human experience.†(www.geocities.com). Transcendental later developed into Transcendentalism, which is The transcending, or going beyond, empiricism, and ascertaining the fundamental principles of human knowledge. Kant (1724-1804) was born and educated in East Prussia. He founded critical philosophy and Transcendental Logic. â€Å"Kant made significant revisions to just about every branch of philosophy.† (www.philosophy.ucdavis.edu). In the Critique of Pure Reason (1781) Kant showed the great problems of metaphysics: the existence of God, freedom, and immortality and how they are insoluble by scientific thought. Kant’s writings had a major influence on Emerson and Thoreau during the time of Transcendentalism and â€Å"still have an influence on modern philosophy to the present day.† (www.ilt.columbia.edu).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerson gives notice to Immanuel Kant in his lecture The Transcendentalist by stating â€Å"It is well known to most of my audience, that the Idealism of the present day acquired the name of Transcendental, from the use of that term by Immanuel Kant, of Konigs berg.† (Emerson 199). Most transcendentalist were idealist that believed in the perfectibility of man, and they were often engaged in projects intended to make this ideal a reality. On of which was a self-governing, experimental community that met in Emerson’s house. This community mainly believed in a monistic universe, or one in which God is immanent in nature, which means that God is permanently and directly present in all things. One of the members of the community and a close friend of Emerson was Henry Thoreau.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau was born.

The Warning of Fahrenheit 451 :: Fahrenheit 451 Essays

The Warning of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a novel about a materialistic society that has forgotten social interaction with each other. This materialistic society is where Bradbury believed society today is headed<THE TENSES HERE ARE A LITTLE CONFUSING.>. The materialistic society in Fahrenheit 451 created through Bradbury's cynic views of society<THIS IS A FRAGMENT SENTANCE.> His views of society are over-exaggerated in contrast with today's events, especially in the areas of censorship and media mediocrity. The purpose of media is quite SIMPLY, "a warning signal--information--that alerts the citizens that something is wrong which needs attention and resolution. An aware and informed populace could then influence its leaders to act upon that information in an effort to solve that problem" (Jensen, Project Censored). But Media has often been criticized for promoting a mass mediocrity, because it only tells the public what it wants to hear. The idea of Media promoting mass mediocrity is a reoccurring image in Fahrenheit 451. Such is not the case in today's society. One of the most successful freedom fighting campaign has been the Tibetan Freedom Concert, a rock concert where artists and citizens converge, sharing their views for Tibetan freedom from Chinese oppression. Over the three years of its existence, the concert has generated so much publicity that it has forced President Bill Clinton to step in and try to hasten the negotiation between the Chinese government and the Dal ai Lama. In a Sonicnet Music News article, the Dalai Lama said, "'Through this live show, many, many Chinese will have gained a better awareness of President Clinton's feelings about Tibet, and also President Jiang's feelings, and I think that can be enormously helpful in the long run.'" (Media Inclusion 1) The Dalai Lama expresses the importance of publicity that has first been generated by the Tibetan Freedom Concert. Not only did it create awareness for the Chinese as the Dalai Lama suggested; it also created awareness around the world, especially in North America. Ask any North American teenager,"What they feel towards the idea of Tibetan oppression from the Chinese?", just ask him "Where Tibet is?" three years ago and he would probably look confused and answer by asking "Would you like fries with that?".<THIS MADE VERY LITTLE SENSE.> Ask that same teenager now, and he would likely give an educated response. The Tibetan Freedom Concert is just an example of how powerful modern media is if it can be used properly.

Dr Jack Perry Motivation case Essay

This case revolves around Dr. Jack Perry, the protagonist, is proprietary dentist clinic. Dr. Perry is a successful dentist in a small town of Cromwell in Canada. He had purchased the practice from a retiring dentist and has been successful in his practice considerably. However, he now faces a management problem of motivating his employees who are suffering from low morale and do not seem to be working as hard as they could to help increase the revenue of the clinic. Dr. Perry, had attended a dental conference in Chicago in 2005, and recalled two approaches to profit sharing which would help in motivating the employees. He now faces the dilemma as to which one of the two pay structures would be best suited for his practice as selecting a wrong pay structure could lead to further de-motivation of his employees. BACKGROUND OF THE CASE Dr. Jack Perry has managed to run a thriving dentistry practice in Cromwell which had a population of only 3000 and served an additional 7000 people from the surrounding areas. He had little competition in the form of 3 other dentists. Dr. Perry has sound financials and is witnessing a growth rate of 15 % annually. In conformance with industry norms Dr. Perry employs three categories of employees namely, receptionists, hygienists and assistants. At present he employs two part time receptionists, two full time hygienists, one full time assistant and one part time assistant. His employees were paid their wages at competitive hourly rates prevalent in the market. In addition to their hourly wages, they were given an Annual cash bonus of $400 during Christmas which was well appreciated by his employees. Dr. Jack Perry was quite involved with his staff by regularly discussing their work and salary on an informal basis. He allowed his employees 3 weeks holidays in a year. As a result Dr. Perry had virtually no staff turnover. Despite the his easy going manner, competitive salary and a pleasant work environment, Sandi the receptionist, had concluded that the morale was low among the staff, an observation Dr. Perry had made himself. OBJECTIVES To study the benefits and drawbacks of the two pay structures , its financial impact on the employees and how they would help him resolve the issue of low morale in the organization. To suggest the best suited pay-structure for Dr. Perry’s practice which would help him increase his collections by motivating his employees. CHARACTER SKETCH OF DR.PERRY Dr. Jack Perry is a dentist who has completed his graduation from an Ontario University dental school in 2011. He was a sole practitioner dentist in Cromwell, Ontario. Becoming a dentist in Canada was a rigorous process which required a lot of hard work and which included three years of study at the undergraduate level, followed by four years at an accredited dental school. Perry was happy with his work as he was giving competition to other three dentists in Cromwell. He was doing far better than his competitors and was proud of the financial success which came along with it. His business was now growing at 15 per cent annually. Perry had created a comfortable and easy going environment at the workplace. He used to have informal meetings with the staff annually to discuss the work and salary. His staffs were given three weeks of holiday per year. Not only this, but he also allowed his staff to take further unpaid vacation time as long as they can provide him with another staff member to handle their shifts. This gave the flexibility to the staff members as this thing made easier for them to spend some time with their families. All the team plans and organize the Christmas party before Christmas holidays. He used to give cash bonus for their hard work throughout the year. He was a benevolent boss. CASE ANALYSIS 1. The main reason for the decaying employee morale was the quick growth of the business. Dr. Perry’s employees were well compensated at competitive market rates and enjoyed a pleasant working environment. The annual growth of the business (15%) meant that his employees were making relatively less money than Dr. Perry himself. The current pay structure did not have any provision for any category of employees to earn a proportion of the profits. Every employee has a fixed hourly salary. Thus, a bigger business meant that they felt like slave labourers since they were aware of the increase in the practice’s revenues and number of patients. 2. Dr. Perry’s revenues largely depended on the hygienists who generated about 40% of the revenues. Even the receptionists played a vital role in adding to the revenue by filling in cancelled appointments. His assistants too contributed by playing the role of nurses by comforting the patients which further helped in patient retention. Thus it would seem only fair that a part of the profits must be shared with the employees in the form of a variable pay structure. 3. As per the conference which Dr. Perry had attended, the first approach of remunerating the employees focused on the contribution of the hygienists only. As per this approach, the hygienists would be paid purely on a commission basis of around 40% of the total earnings. The main advantages of this system are: It recognises the direct effect of the hygienists’ efforts on the revenues of the practice and rewards them for the same. A 40% commission would be financially more beneficial to the hygienists assuming the current level of collections. Also it is forecasted that such a pay structure would result in an increase in the billings by about 13%. The major drawback of this system is that it simply does not completely recognize the contribution of the receptionists and the assistants in the revenue generation of the firm. The pay structure does not clearly define how commission would be linked to the total earning of the receptionists and the assistants. Also, by making the earnings of the hygienists completely dependent on the revenue, it may lead to dissatisfaction of the hygienists of the collections did not increase. 4. The second approach states that the employees should be given a share of the profits at a pre established percentage over and above their hourly wage rates. This method ensured that : Some parts of the profits were distributed to all the categories of employees. At the same time since the employees would receive their hourly rates in any case, it would give them a sense of security and eventually help in maintaining the pleasant work atmosphere. However, this method did not distinguish between the categories of employees who contributed more to the revenues than those who contributed comparatively less. This could lead to de-motivation of the hygienists who had a direct impact on the revenues of the companies. Solutions/Suggestions For Hygienist : 1. Perry’s Clinic should recognise best skilled hygienists. Perry should conduct special trainings for the underperformers and bring them to the same level. 2. Targets of hygienists need to be on a similar alignment as that of the firm. 3. Teamwork needs to be motivated through annual bonus. 4. Incentives can be introduced to keep the results persistent. 5. The firm should control the cost through effective pay strategy. The above decisions could have the following effect on the hygienists – their income would increase; the effort put in by an individual would benefit him/her i.e. every individual is responsible for his/her incentives. Thirdly they would get an opportunity to work with an efficient peer group thereby nurturing each other. For Assistants & Receptionists: 1. The firm should encourage wage earners to spend time on highly skilled tasks. 2. Decrease interoffice concern about peer pay. Pay should be based on training level. 3. The weekly payroll should be known. 4. Annual bonus would motivate team work and coordination. By implementing these they would have stable pay, little daily pressure to up sell services. Their pay easily calculated each week. It would allow them to take time off providing high quality of work. CONCLUSIONS In the scenario where Dr. Perry business is growing at a healthy rate it is important to continuously monitor pay structure of the firm and revise it from time to time since remuneration is directly related to the motivation level of the employees. Dr. Perry must change the pay structure to accommodate profit sharing with the employees in the form of a bonus which would be a percentage of the total profits of the practice, in the case of increased revenues for that particular year. This method is better for the business at this stage because the practice is still in a growth stage. The profits can be divided among the different categories of employees in a number of ways. A drastic change in the pay structure from fixed to completely variable is not recommended because in case of lower collections in any particular year, it may lead to lower earnings for the employees. This pay structure can be further revised in the future to increase the profit sharing element in the remuneration of the employees as the firm grows bigger. MANAGERIAL LEARNINGS 1. Monetary benefits motivate people to perform better in most cases. It is important for managers to understand the link between the pay structure and the motivation levels of employees. Merely high wage rates may not be sufficient to motivate the employees and they must given a fair share of the profits earned by the firm. 2. Performance linked Variable Pay (PLVP) is a salary component present in most of the MNCs. This keeps the employees motivated to continuously increase their productivity rather than a fixed salary which may lead to a laid back style of working thereby impacting the performance negatively. 3. It is important for mangers to know the contribution of individual employees and different categories of employees and must frame the pay structure in accordance with the same. This would ensure that employees are rewarded sufficiently for better performances. 4. Keeping the market standards in mind, pay – structures must be constantly monitored and should be revised along with the growth of the firm in terms of revenue earned and the volume of business for employees of all levels. 5. Firms disclose their revenue generated through Quarterly/Semi Annual Meets. Managers must make sure that the employees understand not only the revenue aspect of a growing firm but also the increased costs associated with them and therefore emphasise on the need for higher productivity from the employees.