Sunday, January 26, 2020

Performance Appraisal: Textile Sector

Performance Appraisal: Textile Sector The present study was under taken with such a task in mind and it aims at unearthing the strengths and weakness of the current performance appraisal system in textile industry Coimbatore that is prevalent in the organization that sponsored this research work. Since organizations exist to achieve goals. The degree of success that individual employees have in reaching their individuals goals is important in determining organizational effectiveness. The assessment of how successful employees have been at meeting their individual goals, therefore, becomes a critical part of Human Resource Management. This leads us to the topic of Performance Appraisal. This project aims at knowing Performance Appraisal System in this research has studied the work atmosphere and the welfare measures provided by the organization. It also aims at finding out the employees relationship with the management. This survey is done within the organization. The sample size is 110. The data was collected by administering questionnaire and by adopting direct personal contact method. The persons met are all employees of the industry. Collections of data were analyzed and tabulated in a sequential manner and the interpretations are given along with the tabulation. The conclusion observations are also given in this report for the improvement of this system in the organization. Key Words: Appraiser, Self reliant, Appraisal, Judgmental, Distributive, Interactional INTRODUCTION The performance appraisal plays a vital role in identifying the productivity of workers; it also helps the company for its overall growth. It is the systematic evaluation of the performance of employees and to understand the abilities of a person for further growth and development. Performance appraisal is generally done in systematic ways which are as follows, the supervisors measure the pay of employees and compare it with targets and plans, the supervisor analyses the factor behind work performance of employees, and the employees are in the position to guide the employees for a better performance. In India, Textile Industry is one of the oldest and foremost industries and it provides tremendous opportunities for employment and huge amount as revenue. The Indian Government is also playing a major role in promoting the textile industries. Cotton is the most popular fiber and used to make clothing. Textile Industry is providing one of the most basic needs of people and it hold import ance. Maintain sustained growth for improving quality of life. It has a unique position as a self-reliant industry, from the production of raw materials to the delivery of finished products, with substantial value-addition at each stage of processing; it is a major contribution to the countrys economy. TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN COIMBATORE: Coimbatore is called the South Indian Manchester. The climate in Coimbatore city is very favorable for the development of textile industries. The easy availability of raw materials, sufficient skilled laborers, humid and soft wind prevailing in Coimbatore district are the other major factors for the development of the textile industry in Coimbatore. There are 98 textile firms in Coimbatore district in which few of the industry are taken into account for the study on the same. India has abundant natural resources in terms of availability of natural fibers like cotton, silk, wool etc. India is the third largest producer of cotton in the world and accounts for about 12% of the total world production. The availability of cheap cotton has been one of the biggest advantages to Indian exporters. OBJECTIVES To study about the employees opinion about performance appraisal. To gain practical knowledge about the various factors that forms part of performance appraisal To study about how they view the present appraisal method To provide opportunities for the employees to express their ideas REVIEW OF LITERATURE: Mowday, R.T., Steers, R.M., Porter, L.M. 1979 an employees perception of justice in the performance appraisal process will also affect the effectiveness of the performance appraisal process. Justice is thought to have three categories, procedural, distributive, and interactional justice. In a performance appraisal setting, a lack of justice in one area is predicted to have the same effect as a violation of justice in all areas. If an employee perceives that the system processes are fair, the supervisors efforts to distribute rewards and punishments based on outcomes of the process, and that the employee is treated fairly, the employees perception of justice will be high. Craig Eric Schneier and Richard W. Beatty, July 1979 Despite its standard practice in most public and private organizations for more than 50 years, performance appraisal still has many problems. Raters show resistance to criticizing subordinates, and the judgmental aspect of evaluating human performance is subject to both covert (subjective and individual) and overt (prejudice and bias) errors. Raters often arent trained in employee counseling and may be forced to conduct performance appraisals with inadequate or erroneous information about rate performance. American Institutes for Research, Washington, D.C.: AIR, 1979 In a 1984 study in New England, 16 raters (Extension administrators designated by their state Extension director as having agent performance appraisal responsibility) completed EABRARS on 141 rural New England Extension agents.5 Reliability analysis of the total ratings indicated that EABRARS was an internally consistent, highly reliable instrument. Differences between New England agents were detected at the .05 confidence level with respect to age, subject-matter area, years of experience, and state of employment. Nemeroff Wexley, 1979 study shows that employees are likely to feel more satisfied with their appraisal result if they have the chance to talk freely and discuss their performance. It is also more likely that such employees will be better able to meet future performance goals. Employees are also more likely to feel that the appraisal process is fair if they are given a chance to talk about their performance. This especially, when they are permitted to challenge and appeal against their evaluation. Proper feedback has to be given about their performance to the appraises. Robert M. Guion, the State of the Art, November 5-6, 1982, pp. 3-4Twenty years ago, nearly all civil servants in the central government of OECD member countries were paid according to service-incremental salary scales. This is not to say that civil servants previously lacked performance incentives. Promotions, and especially those into senior management, were rigorously controlled, serving partly as an incentive but partly also as a way of ensuring the independence of the public service with regard to the executive and thus its ability to serve governments of different political persuasions. Remuneration has been seen as an alternative or a complementary incentive to promotion. Socio-economic pressures have led to the need for types of incentives other than promotion to strengthen performance management. Craig Eric Schneier and Richard W. Beatty, May 1988 To try to rectify some of the problems, Smith and Kendall developed Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales, better known as BARS. The BARS format deals with measurable behaviors, not personality, provides raters and rates with clear statements of performance goals, and is based on a specific, thorough job analysis. Using BARS, raters focus on specific rate behaviors. These behaviors are compared to specific examples (job dimensions and anchors developed from the job analysis) that provide concrete benchmarks for making appraisal judgments. BARS are mainly used to measure the behaviors of rates. Dulewicz (1989), a basic human tendency to make judgments about those one is working with, as well as about oneself. Appraisal, it seems, is both inevitable and universal. In the absence of a carefully structured system of appraisal, people will tend to judge the work performance of others, including subordinates, naturally, informally and arbitrarily. This study, by Heneman, Greenberger Anonyou (1989) reported that in groupers are subordinates who seem to be favored by their supervisors. In their relationship with the boss, they enjoy a high degree of trust, interaction, support and rewards. Tsui, A.S. OReilly, C.A. 1989 most studies focus on the performance appraisal where the supervisor evaluates his or her employees. In this paper, based upon two research projects, we look at both sides of the coin. In one study subordinates evaluated their supervisors, in the other one the focus was upon supervisors perception of their subordinates. The contribution aims to determine whether age-related stereotyping plays a significant role in performance appraisals. In both studies, it was determined whether the assesses age is negatively related with the assessors view on his or her competencies. Age is taken into consideration for appraisal rating in the above study. Longenecker (1989) argues that accuracy in performance appraisal is impossible to achieve, since people play social and political games, and they protect their own interests. No savvy manager, says Longenecker, is going to use the appraisal process to shoot himself or herself in the foot.Accuracy in performance appraisal is a major drawback to the system. Recent research (Bannister Balkin, 1990) has reported that appraisees seem to have greater acceptance of the appraisal process, and feel more satisfied with it, when the process is directly linked to rewards. Such findings are a serious challenge to those who feel that appraisal results and reward outcomes must be strictly isolated from each other. Rewards and work performance are directly linked with each other. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY: The study was more of a descriptive in nature and it was the survey research design that was used in, by taking a sample of elements at one point of time. The researcher adopted this type of research design to systematically gather the information from the respondents for the purpose of understanding and predicting some aspects concerned with the performance appraisal system in their organization. The sample unit of the study was 110 employees of Textile Company in Coimbatore Primary data: Primary data has been collected through a structured questionnaire. Secondary data: Secondary data has been collected from the books, journals, project reports and Internet. Data was collected through structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into three parts First section dealt with the queries relating to the personal details of the employees Second section dealt with the queries relating to the awareness about performance appraisal Third section dealt with queries relating to views about the present appraisal system. TOOLS FOR ANALYSIS: The primary data for the study was collected through structured questionnaire and has been analyzed using percentages and represented by pie charts and bar diagrams are used wherever necessary. Mean score value has also been used. 1) Score value = No. of respondents*score Mean score value = score value/No. of respondents 2) Percentage value = no of respondents/total no of respondent*100 CHI-SUARE [X2] TEST: X2 test is based on the Chi- Square distribution and it is a parametric test. It is used for comparing a sample variance to a theoretical population variance. In a non- parametric test, no assumption about the parameters of the population is made. These tests have become very popular because, they can be applied in any type of distribution, they are easy to compute and they can be used in situations when parametric test cannot be applied. Conditions to be satisfied for applying chi-square test Data should have been collected at random. Items constituting the sample should be independent. The total number of items should be at least 50. From the chart above it is understood that most of the employees in textile industry fall under the category of the age group between 46-55 years and also most of the employees are from the under graduate background. TABLE INDICATING THE YEARS OF SERVICE AND THE INCOME OF EMPLOYEES: From the chart above it is clearly understood that the workers with more than 10 years of experience only earning a return of Rs. 8001 and more. The employees with more years of service are expected to perform well as they have very good experience in their work. FACTORS INFLUENCING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL The ranking of factors given by the respondents show that behavior with peers, dependability, behavior and attitude towards superiors, initiative, and attendance were ranked very high. They felt those factors have to be given higher weightages in the appraisal form. There are respondents who have ranked quality of work and cooperation on lower side. There were respondents who felt that all the factors in the appraisal system should be given equal weightage and there was no meaning in awarding high weightages to few factors. OPINION ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL RATING The above table clearly shows that opportunities to increase job satisfaction, need of appraisal for employee, encouragement by raters and knowledge about the appraisal system, are high for employees. Assistance by organization, monetary reward unbiased assessment and satisfaction with the present system were rated average. This may be due to reasons like the employees are not given feedback about their performance since it is maintained confidentially. But the need of appraisal, knowledge about system, encouragement and opportunities to employees were rated high because they want to know about their work performance. CHI-SQUARE ANALYSIS GENDER AND YEARS OF SERVICE TEST STATISTIC: Null hypothesis (Ho): There is no significant relationship between gender and years of service. Alternative hypothesis (H1): There is a close relationship between gender and years of service. RESULT: The result that the calculated value is less than the tabulated value, we accept the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is no significant difference between the gender and years of service. MARITAL STATUS AND MONTHLY INCOME (in Rs) TEST STATISTIC RESULT: The result that the calculated value is more than the tabulated value, we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. Therefore there is a significant difference between the marital status and monthly income. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS: From the study it if found out that, most of the respondents feel that the appraisal system creates confidence and hence increase the production level of the employees which in turn will increase their income in one hand. Many employees in the textile industry are not aware of the errors that is caused by performance appraisal like halo effect, horns effect, central tendency and leniency. Majority of them have no idea about errors and its types in the appraisal system. Good training can help improve the appraisal system to prevent errors while rating. Raters are expected to observe the performance in order to judge ones effectiveness and skill in the work condition. Also the superior should avoid bias in appraising their subordinates. The system could be made open to a possible extent and discussions could be encouraged. The employees can come to know about their performance appraisal, how are they rated and what other improvements they can do to their performance. The organization m ight take up steps to arrange discussions and make the employee aware of how he is getting along and what improvements he needs, where and how he can best utilize his capabilities and skills. Most traditional methods emphasize either the task or the personality of the individual while making an appraisal. In such evaluations, bias always prevails. To bring about a balance the evaluation of task and personality and the modern methods of appraisal by results of MBO can be used. Performance appraisal motivates employees and influences their productivity and ensures that they are producing at acceptable levels. Performance evaluation system could be linked to company objectives to get better results and good performance of the employees. Effectiveness of any appraisal system depends on how all the users of the system understand the purposes, accept and strive for achieving them. For designing any system, employee and managerial performance should be taken into consideration. From the study, it is found that feedback to the employees is not proper in the organization. Periodical and routine feedback can be given to the employees for their good performance in the work, which motivates the employee to enrich the relationship between the superiors and subordinates.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Human learning and survival Essay

There is a common belief that the ability to learn is what makes human survival possible. I believe that survival is not based solely on learning. Human survival especially in times of vast environmental change is the result of a combination of learning, logic, reasoning and subsequent application of knowledge. The thing that sets humankind apart from other living things is intellect, which according to the dictionary is the ability to learn and reason. Learning is simply the ability of animals (humans included) to acquire and retain new information. Whenever we try to learn a new dance step, learn a new language or simply remember the names of people we meet, we in fact use our learning faculties. So do animals when they figure out that scrounging around in garbage cans can reward them with food. Darwinian theory proposes the idea of evolution wherein living things adjust biologically, mentally and physiologically to environmental conditions and demands. When the concept of â€Å"survival of the fittest† and natural selection is discussed, it pertains to animals that are not just physically fit but mentally as well (Arrizza). In fact most biologists and anthropologists support this thinking by citing the example of how humans have always depended on their wits in order to survive. More often than not, it is the more dull-witted ones who perish even before they have given birth to offspring, which probably is a good thing for succeeding generations (Thorndike, 1931, p. 184). It was stunningly simple. Nature does what animal breeders do, but gradually, and over longer periods of time. In a species, those individuals who are best adapted in their hereditary endowment will succeed, and survive, better than their fellows. That is the â€Å"struggle for existence. † Those successful individuals will leave more offspring, and this will move the mode, the central tendency of the species, in their direction. Following generations will continue to undergo selection for still better adaptation: running, swimming, seeing, hiding, chewing, or all together. (Howells, 1993, p. 6) Supposing this theory was correct however, it would imply that the â€Å"weak† or learning challenged humans would have been weeded out a long time ago. The thing is that in today’s times, learning challenged humans still exist and even thrive. There are some quarters that may opine that intelligence and the development of skill are products of mental evolution. Evolution refers to progress to something more functional, advanced and suited to the current environment (â€Å"Human Evolution†). The fashioning and use of primitive tools are just a few hallmarks of how human intelligence has evolved and applied â€Å"learning† into something that helped their survival. For all practical purposes, learning is often seen as an attempt to create a memory or store information that lasts as it is invariably linked with memory. Dr. Eric R. Kandle, vice chairman of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives sums it as: â€Å"Learning is how you acquire new information about the world, and memory is how you store that information over time† (â€Å"What is learning†) Simply put, it is just the accumulation of facts and information. At this point it is important to point out the difference between learning and memory. Kandle points out that not all learning can get stored into long term memory. Such is the case of things a person learned in school. Unless these lessons are used in day to day life, many will have trouble remembering them some years after. Kandle adds that â€Å"There is no memory without learning, but there is learning without memory. † (â€Å"What is learning†) True learning cannot exist without memory but Thorndike (1911) scorns the idea that human learning is the same as real human intellect. He states that learning alone does not include the more complex processes of reasoning or inference. No real thought is given to the relationship and causality of things, neither is there an appreciation of the progress the application of learning is causing. He further posits that learning is based solely on factors that are present in the environment. It is human intellect that makes it possible for humans to think and develop further learning â€Å"outside the box’ or beyond what are present in his environment. Rychlak (1994) supports this contention with his own theory of â€Å"Logic Learning. † Rychlak believes that learning is an inherent quality in both humans and animals alike. Humans however possess the power and capability of logic that enables them to make sense and assign purpose and function to information that is learned. (p. 35) Learning is not limited to humans. Every living organism has the capability to â€Å"learn. † It has been proven that animals including dogs, cats and even bees have information and skill acquiring capabilities. While most animal characteristics are arguably innate or instinctive like a newborn baby or puppy’s nipple searching and sucking reflex, many later skills are learned. What sets people apart is rather not limited to the capacity to learn and store information but rather in the processing of this information afterwards and figuring out what to do with it. Animal learning is mostly based on impulses and instinct. There are three different ways by which organisms learn: â€Å"by trial and error, by observation and imitation, and by instruction. † (Campbell, 1998, p. 39) Trial and error is by far the most common method of learning among living organisms. An example of this is when a mouse tries to figure its way out of a puzzle by trying out first one path, then another until it hits upon the correct path to follow. Observation and imitation is illustrated by how the young of animals and humans alike acquire learning by watching and imitating the actions of their parents. This is most commonly the basis of the development of behavioral patterns and actions. Finally, and what is arguably the method unique to humans is the method of instruction through language. Why is it unique? Instruction needs conscious thought and full intention of teaching. What is more is that instruction is a big factor in the propagation of a culture yet the topics and methods of instruction are also largely dependent on culture (p. 40). Language is also another important and distinctive part of both human culture, instruction and in effect, human learning (Alland, 1973, p. 209). Using language in instruction speeds up the learning process thereby allowing for more potential information to be learned and assimilated. Instructions and responses are direct and accurate. In the same way, a shared language serves both as a unifying element of culture and â€Å"shared experience† between individuals. Learning and Adaptation Enough mention has been made of adaptation with regard to human survival†¦what is adaptation? Adaptation is lexically defined as an adjustment to conditions present within an environment or a reaction to a persistent and present stimulus. It allows an organism to â€Å"adapt† or change components or behaviors within itself to match the demands of its environment. Survival is an organism’s ability to exist and propagate in relation to its surroundings and environments. Is learning the key to adaptation and in effect human survival? No. But it is one of the fundamental and major contributors to it. Like most living organisms, humans have physical limitations that are challenged by natural elements and processes such as climate, hunger and other environmental conditions. Unlike other animals however, humans are relatively less sensitive and attuned to environmental changes (Piantadosi, 2003, p. 1). It is at this point that the human ability to learn, reason and compare their living conditions and determine problems that may exist and threaten their survival. Like people in modern days, primitive men had their environment with its own accompanying problems. If modern people today are challenged by more high tech issues like traffic, work, and finances, our primitive ancestors had to figure out ways of keeping warm in the winter and putting food on the table (or rock). There were challenges in how to hunt and capture prey effectively as well as make sure that they do not become prey to carnivorous predators of their time. From plain materials and tools fashioned with flint and animal bone, primitive humans graduated to working with copper which was more malleable yet as tough as stone, and then to the much stronger bronze which was formed by melting copper with tin and finally, iron (Hartman, 1996). Supporters of learning as the keystone of survival wold point this out as a way by which learning improved human existence. But basing on definitions alone, learning meant that they simply realized that stone is not so easy to work with, copper is malleable but pretty weak, and bronze and iron are harder metals. It is logic and reasoning that made it possible for them to realize that 1. ) there are problems with the materials they are using, 2. ) they need to find a better solution to their requirements, hence the search and formulation of copper and bronze. Without logic and reasoning people then would have simply stopped at knowing. One may look at this the same way as the differentiation between science and technology. Science is that wide and impressive body of knowledge which will remain meaningless unless applied and utilized in technology.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Examination of the Literature Review Essay

I selected Guidetti and Tham’s (2002) paper because I am fascinated by the work of occupational therapists. They are tasked, by the nature of their profession, to assist people with impairments or disabilities in achieving competence in their daily activities and consequently, they empower these individuals to grab hold of their limitations and transform them in a fashion that nurtures their sense of control and brings peace of mind to their loved ones who lives with them. The paper sought to elucidate the strategies utilized by occupational therapists in their self-care intervention process with neurologically-impaired clients, specifically those who had had stroke or spinal cord injury. The study tapped the qualitative research design. Specifically, it employed a modified phenomenology approach called EPP (empirical, phenomenological, psychological) method in generating and analyzing the data. The purpose of EPP method is â€Å"to describe the essence, structure and character of the studied phenomenon† (Guidetti & Tham, 2002, p. 260). Although it informs the research question, the literature review (as well as the reference list) is not sufficient to build a platform for the â€Å"need to provide a definition and description of the concept of self-training and the typical therapeutic strategies used by therapists† (Guidetti & Tham, 2002, p. 258). It lacks relevant scientific texts. It is understandable that there is no existing study on the subject, but there is more scientific information in the literature about the therapeutic strategies in adjacent fields which could add valuable background to the introductory problem identification as well as to the incisive discussion of the results later on. In the introduction section, the scholars presented the important variables of the research question finely (i. e. , meaning of self-care, therapeutic strategies), but failed to include a review of empirical literature, simply stating that â€Å"there is a lack of empirical studies identifying the therapeutic strategies in self-care training† (Guidetti & Tham, 2002, p. 258). Although the statement may be correct, there are still many relevant studies worth reviewing that would guide the inquiry. It may not necessarily be those on self-care therapeutic strategies utilized by occupational therapist with persons who have neurological disorders, but also those studies on strategies used by the same professionals on rehabilitating persons with orthopedic injuries, lymphedema or amputees which do not specifically addressed the phenomenon, but may have implications for the study. In addition, the physical therapy literature on similar issues could also add important insights. A look at the reference list of the article reveals that it is limited in three ways. First, five of the papers in this list were written by either one of the same two authors, in collaboration with other scholars. Second, there are only three occupational therapy journals where they garnered articles for the review (i. e. , Occupational Therapy International, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, and Clinical Rehabilitation). Finally, the doctoral dissertations/theses reviewed in the paper came only from Sweden. This is not ideal especially in a journal with international circulation. The authors could have scoured articles from other journals of similar discipline that are available like British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of Occupational Science, OT Practice, International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Journal of Integrated Care, etc. Further, they could have utilized the abstracts available in the Dissertation Abstracts International to offset the Swedish-focused dissertation reviews in the study. In qualitative studies, an in-depth, exploratory literature review is vital to discover what currently exists in the body of knowledge about the concerned phenomenon (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998). Thus, the article’s literature review and reference list in this regard only supported halfway the research question. Much could have been done. References Guidetti, S. , & Tham, K. (2002). Therapeutic strategies used by occupational therapists in self-care training: A qualitative study. Occupational Therapy International, 9(4), 257-276. Taylor, S. J. , & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative research methods (3rd ed. ). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Hispanic American Diversity Essay examples - 1121 Words

In America today, we are faced with several different minority groups arriving to the United States. The most common of all minority groups are the Hispanics. America is known for their language being English, but as the years approach, that language has faded and a new face in English language has taken over, its called Spanish. We as the people of America have become controversial over this major change, and due to that major bilingualism and political movements that have occurred from the government to the education departments. In this paper, I am going to talk about the four most common Hispanic groups in our country today and the political, social, linguistic, economic, religious, and familial conventions and/or statuses that they†¦show more content†¦Puerto Ricans are another major Hispanic group that has also arrived to the U.S and brought less work for Americans. Puerto Ricans current association with the United States, like that of the Mexican people, began as the result of the outcome of a war. The island of Borinquen, subsequently called Puerto Rico, was claimed by Spain in 1493. The native inhabitants, the Taino Indians, were significantly reduced in number by conquest, slavery, and genocide. (Schaefer, R. 2006, p.266). After Puerto Rico had been ruled by Spain for four centuries, the island was seized by the United States in 1808 during the Spanish-American War. The value of Puerto Rico for the United States, as it had been for Spain, was mainly its strategic location, which was advantageous for maritime trade. (Schaefer, R. 2006, p.226). The most significant difference between the meaning of race in Puerto Rico and on the mainland is that Puerto Rico, like so many otherShow MoreRelatedHispanic American Diversity1211 Words   |  5 Pagesamong American’s is that all Hispanics are alike. 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American Indians have gone through a lot of hardship in this country and continue to struggle with modern day America as they try to uphold theirRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The All American Movie Experience 943 Words   |  4 Pages Two American cities Tulsa and Miami competed in the All-American City (AAC) Contest set by the famous director Steven Spielberg for the purpose of shooting his movie â€Å"The All-American Movie Experience† in one of these cities. Through this competition, each city committee tried to present that their city reflects the American culture more than other. Throughout my essay I will argue that Tulsa should be chosen to be the All-American city rather than Miami. This will be demonstrated by contrasting