Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Needs Analysis Essay

Dominant part of understudies need comprehension of scientific language and show shortcoming in essential numerical calculation. The understudies make visit mistakes since they misread activity signs while including or taking away whole numbers or convey numbers erroneously while increasing entire number and decimals. Besides, these understudies experience issues understanding composed or verbal headings or clarifications, and discover word issues particularly hard to decipher. Current Conditions The present information shows that solitary 15 percent of the understudies had the option to comprehend and play out the fundamental calculation with insignificant blunders on application issues to finish the semester test with a 70 or above. Accordingly 85 percent were ineffective on the semester test that emphasis on calculation aptitudes and understanding application word issues. Wanted Conditions The ideal objective is to build the student’s execution from its present state by 200 percent. By expanding the student’s execution, the understudies ought to have the option to comprehend, characterize, and utilize numerical wording to take care of troublesome application issues without negligible calculation blunders. Information Collection Processes Conversation of Data Collection Instruments Used So as to figure out what issues understudies had in school and what instruments math instructors figured understudies ought to underscore, meetings and center gatherings were utilized because of the speed of accepting the outcomes. Grade information was assembled from the locale as it was at that point commanded by the area and results were at that point given. Grades and the information recovered from the locale is intended to be like the state appraisal that will be given towards the finish of the fifth a month and a half. Conversation of Sources of Data Studies and other short meetings were given to the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade math educators at the center school grounds. It is accepted that it is incompletely due the absence of looking into their own work is an expected wellspring of the low grades. Study question was presented by making a benchmark of how frequently educators accepted understudies ought to check their work. By first getting this, it would permit an assurance if there was in truth a distinction between students’ genuine evaluating designs and the real checking on designs. Furthermore, an issue with surveying would be if understudies are new to how to check their work. By figuring out which abilities the instructors consider to be the most beneficial while rehearsing their calculation, the educators will at that point have the option to make a vertical arrangement where guidance is based on those audit aptitudes. This would give understudies an establishment where their insight can be expanded without the difficulties of learning another approach to audit. Commonly the opposite activity would be done so as to check for the right answer. In any case, if there is an issue in the essential calculation it would impede understudies having the option to check their work. This was the motivation behind why understudies were likewise given overview questions and were met. Understudies would be asked how frequently they check their work and they would likewise distinguish their self-adequacy in calculation of issues with decimals. On the off chance that there is a need in that understudies don't check their work and on the off chance that they don't feel able in finishing the issues with decimals, at that point it would direct a need to reteach the material. Overviews and meetings were given to understudies because of their speed and their capacity to rapidly survey where a need was. Information Analy sis Techniques Used The principal overview question got some information about the level of the time they assessed their work in the wake of finishing a math issue. The appropriate response decisions included: between 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The History of Computer Programming Research Paper

The History of Computer Programming - Research Paper Example PC programming began in the nineteenth century, however researchers had begun planning a few gadgets, for example, number crunchers for different purposes before this period. Charles Babbage planned the main programmable PC in 1835, called the Analytical Engine. The Analytical Engine could be modified to tackle computational issues. Ada Lovelace planned the principal program for the Analytical Engine and developed the programming circle and subroutine. Herman Hollerith developed the idea of information recording on machine decipherable media in the late 1880s. He utilized punched cards and designed two machines to be specific the tabulator and keypunch to process the cards (Campbell-Kelly and Aspray 45). During the 1940s, PC coding was done physically and afterward went into the framework as the frameworks were moderate and had restricted memory. PC programming dialects, for example, Plankalkul, C-10, and ENIAC were created. A machine called Robinson was created in 1940 by the British so as to decode the messages scrambled utilizing the Enigma machine by the German military during World War II. Z3 was structured in Germany in 1941 by Konrad Zuse. He began creating Plankalkul (Plan Calculus) in 1945, which was the primary algorithmic PC programming language. His machines were annihilated during the World War II and just the Z4 endure. Researchers from IBM and Harvaerd structured a programmable PC in 1944 called Mark I (O’Regan 124). In 1945, John Von Neumann concocted the ideas of ‘shared-program technique’ and ‘conditional control transfer’. The common program strategy expressed that mind boggling guidelines should control basic equipment rather than the basic equipment being wired for each program. The restrictive control move empowered the advancement of circles with IF, THEN, and FOR articulations. This idea additionally proposed that little code squares could take any irregular request rather than the means requested sequentially. Von Neumann engineering was developed and it empowered the

Friday, July 31, 2020

Feeling Energized

Feeling Energized As the semester begins to wind down, it comes time to turn in projects, do those last minute problem sets, and perhaps design a wind turbine. This was my past week. So since early November, Ive had this design project for one of my classes, 2.005, where we had to design a floating buoy-like structure to support a 700,000 kilo tower and rotor combo. I started working on it Thanksgiving afternoon, and finished it this past Monday morning much to my delight. Originally, I kinda didnt take the design project seriously, and thought that itd be just plugging numbers into an equation, and then typing it out to make it look nice; however, it was far from that. I had to actually practice being an engineer, and needless to sasy the project wasnt all about typesetting some equations in Latex. 20 pages of chicken scratch later and a solid 1.5 weeks spent constantly thinking about the design, I managed to produce my final report where I derived equations about the natural oscillation, center of mass of the frustum, etc. I cant even begin to describe what joy it brought to me to be able to press print and be done with it, but the process from conception to design was one of the best parts. Now one thing MIT is known for is hands-on experience. I think this project is a great example of it. While I actually didnt build the wind turbine, I got a good idea of what it takes to bring engineering concepts to life. I got to revive my 733t programming skills to minimize a cost function of five variables, and also got to see what its like to watch the sun rise while youre still doing work (no all nighter still) While I didnt have the opportunity to build a wind turbine. Next week, Ill have the opportunity to check out the final presentations for 2.009 (Product Engineering Process) where students have designed and built banana harvesters and lentil sorters. Yes, it was in this class that they also built the death ray.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Influence Of Money On Electoral Process And Congress

Influence of Money on Electoral Process and Congress Monetary value has had significant influence in determining the outcome of elections. The input and strategies put forward by different forces determine the organizational scheme and the ability to grab most of the seats. Although money has been linked to corrupt deals in many countries, with leaders amassing power through corrupt and underhand methods, especially in Africa, this is not the case of the same monetary influence witnessed in America. The conventions of the U.S.A raise a lot of money in preparation for campaigns and elections to constitute a good number of representatives. The paper, therefore, looks at the effect of money in the recently concluded elections of the Congress, giving a deeper view of the 113th and 114th Congress election of the two major conventions. The election of members to Congress in the United States of America is contingent on the financial muscles of the candidates and their supporters. It all starts with a deep pocket investment. The recently concluded election will yield a new administration with new cabinet members. The election of Donald Trump as the next U.S President is partly attributable to the synergy and efforts made by some of the most influential people in the Republican Convention. With Trump already appointing some of his chief strategists, it is necessary to conduct a deeper analysis of the financial input of other members of the Congress in an attempt to gain seats. SomeShow MoreRelated‘Despite Several Attempts to Regulate Campaign Finance, Money Increasingly Dominates the U.S. Electoral Process and Is the Main Factor Contributing to a Candidates Success’ Discuss1270 Words   |  6 Pagesseveral attempts to regulate campaign finance, money increasingly dominates the U.S. Electoral process and is the main factor contributing to a candidates success’ Discuss (30 marks) Despite its popularity, there is no serious evidence that campaign finance regulation has actually accomplished any of the goals set out for it by its supporters. Efforts to regulate campaign finance have been little short of disastrous. They have distorted the political process, hindered grassroots political involvementRead MoreAmerican Politics And The United States Congress Essay952 Words   |  4 Pagesscholars have sought to understand the causes of increasing partisanship and polarization in the United States Congress. Since the 1970s, the ideological positions of the two major U.S. parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, have widened (Abramowitz and Saunders, 2008; Levendusky; 2010). This ideological divide also promotes a perception among the American public that Congress has increasingly become ineffective and polarized to a point where political parties in government no longer compromiseRead MoreThe Electoral College Of The United States1681 Words   |  7 Page sThe Electoral College The Electoral College in the United States is not a place but a process. It was a process our founding fathers established in the Constitution. It is a complicated voting system that most citizens today do not understand. The Electoral College has been in place for well over two hundred years and is unfortunately showing its age. Most people believe that when they vote in a general election for the President, they truly believe they are voting for the president. ThisRead MoreThe United States Political System935 Words   |  4 PagesThose who have control, have the ability to influence the way our nation is operated. While every citizen has the opportunity to impact politics, some citizens and groups are at a disadvantage. In America, we struggle to ensure that every individual has a chance to equally participate in the political process. Although anyone can run for political office in the United States, the cost of a campaign is expensive. Throughout their campaign, candidates spend money on research, ads, speaking engagements,Read MoreReforms For Stricter Campaign Financing Rules1657 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom $60 million in 1990 to $311 million in 2005 (Wall online). Electoral competition is achieved when qualified candidates have access to sufficient spending to become known to the voters (Does online). Therefore the candidate must resort to any means necessary to have sufficient funds to run a successful campaign. Stricter campaign financing guidelines are needed to limit the amount of donations to candidates because interest money is a dominant factor in campaigns. It steers the ideological viewsRead MoreAmerica Is Known For Its Freedom Of Speech1682 Words   |  7 Pagesfunctions and components of political parties, interest group activity, electoral politics, public opinion, political participation, and polit ical socialization, all are essential factors towards the influences of the American political system. A political party refers to a group of people that are organized to gather knowledge and exercise political power. These groups are formed by citizens that enable individuals to have influence on government affairs and processes. The goal of a political partyRead MoreDemocratic Republic Of The United States906 Words   |  4 Pagesdissatisfaction with the government. But â€Å"What is really wrong with government?†, â€Å"Why are people so dissatisfied with the government?† or, not least important, â€Å"how does interest groups, media, people and organizations who donate money to campaigns affect a democratic electoral process?† It is true that today in America, there exist four types of groups, known as â€Å"linkage† institutions that without them, a democracy would be very difficult to keep up. These institutions play a significant and importantRead MoreAn Individual s Freedom Of Expression953 Words   |  4 Pagesconstraint by government and prohibited Congress from making a law or in any way prohibiting such rights (â€Å"First Amendment†). That has not kept those freedoms from being challenged, however. Many court cases have been tied into the First Amendment, with a notable one being Citizens United v. FEC. The Supreme Court in 2010 ruled that political spending is a form of protected speech, and the government may not keep corporations or unions from spending money to support or denounce individual candidatesRead MoreIs A Perfect Government System?1524 Words   |  7 Pagesthe past 239 years to make â€Å"A more perfect Union.† I will do my best to explain what my idea a nd thoughts of a â€Å"perfect† government should be. 1. What type of person/people would you head your executive branch? How would they be chosen (which electoral system would be Utilized) How would they be held accountable to the public? This is a very simple choice for me. I’m a firm believer in the Office of the Presidency. Too many people forget it’s an office/Branch of Government and spend too much timeRead MoreAmeric The People, For The Corporations1738 Words   |  7 Pagesthe People, For the Corporations I. Introduction Corporate money in politics has become an increasingly prominent issue in the political spectrum of the United States after the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision which lifted the cap on political contributions from corporations, thus increasing the influence companies have on the US electoral process (Shekar 71). This controversial court case brought the issue of non-voter influence on elected officials to the political stage and gave worry

Sunday, May 10, 2020

School Violence Essay - 1154 Words

Preventing school violence has been an issue in our society for so long it has almost become commonplace. According to an article on www.infoplease.com, since the year 2000, there have been a recorded 64 shooting related incidents that involved publicly occupied areas. That is an occurrence of almost five per year. Of those 64, 94% of these incidents were school related shootings. The violence goes from elementary schools all the way up to college universities. The statistics are not pretty by any means. So what are we to do? Should we institute better security? For all of these tragedies, it is time reasonable measures are finally taken to implement new methods of prevention and to address the school violence issues as a severely†¦show more content†¦Of the schools that have already implemented these checklists, many have begun to identify and suspend possible threats within the school. Of course, these threats are the students themselves. But what does this solve? What are the alternatives to using this checklist and helping a potentially dangerous student? Is this a solution or an excuse? The alternatives to profiling students can be divided up. You can have a parental approach, an approach by lawmakers, or a teacher’s approach. Seeking a parental approach is a touchy subject. An obvious positive parenting technique is that the parents are more involved in the lives of the children. That is so obvious it hurts. Many parents are not involved as much because of work, being a single parent, money, time, etc. If you are going to have a child in today’s society you should be prepared to do everything in your power to be involved. Carolyn Pereia, from the Educational Resources Information Center, suggests two things when raising children. Recognizing positive accomplishments and expectations academically and socially. â€Å"If key people in a child’s environment give clear and constant signals that violence is not the norm, children will be more likely to develop anti-violent patterns of behavior.† (Pereia 1) Being involved with your child is so much more than just going through the motions of daily lives. Parents need to do all that they are able when it comes to their children. There are experiments out thereShow MoreRelatedSchool Violence And Schools Violence2781 Words   |  12 PagesSchool violence has become a topic that many people are engaged in a debate about. It is difficult to make a definitive definition of school violence, because there are so very many components to it. For one thing, we can be sure that school violence and bullying is something that only takes place amongst peers; this type of violence typically does not involve adults, and happens as a result of interactions from school or within the peer group. This part of the definition seems obvious. However,Read MoreSchool Violence2444 Words   |  10 PagesSchool Violence Victoria Griffin Fayetteville State University The Importance to Be Aware Of School Violence in Education Today By Victoria Griffin December 1, 2014 Abstract: The importance of knowing about school violence, the cause of school violence, forms of school violence and they ways teacher can prevent school violence was observed. A recent act of school violence is announced and the content of why it is important for teachers to be aware of school violence. School violenceRead MorePrevention of School Violence717 Words   |  3 Pages Violence is a major issue in educational institutes. Over the years, school violence has continued to increase at an alarming rate. â€Å"Every year, 3 million young people in the United States fall victim to crimes at school. Almost 2 million of these incidents involve violence† (â€Å"The Challenge of School Violence†). Violence in schools must be prevented. Teachers and parents play a significant role in a student’s life, and they need to take a full on approach on having a healthy relationship with eachRead MoreThe Problem Of School Violence886 Words   |  4 Pages The somewhat recent event of Sandy Hook has been a major focus of debate among any serious discussion about school violence in America. Yet, just since Columbine, there has been over 100 school shootings, not including stabbing, rape, or even fist fights (in which there was serious injury or death). Despite this unprecedented level of aggression among our nation’s youth, the nation, in its entirety, has not dedicated an appropriate amount of time and energy to coming up with a solution. The bulkRead MoreSchool Violence1125 Words   |  5 PagesFinding a Solution to School Violence Anita Lopez Kaplan University CM-220 School is a place where children should go to learn, educate themselves, make lifelong friends and most importantly they should feel safe. The violence in schools has increased over the years and many schools aren’t sure how to handle this growing problem in an appropriate manner. School violence may come in various forms and some of the most common forms of school violence include physical abuses, bullying, brawlRead MoreSchool Violence2187 Words   |  9 PagesSchool Violence Violence in schools has spread widely throughout the nation. School violence is a big problem we are facing now. This has caused many problems among students, families’ faculty of schools and residents of the community. School violence includes gang activity, locker thefts, bullying and intimidation, gun use, assault, and drugs. In my paper I will discuss the reasons why violence in schools exists, describeRead MoreThe Violence Of Public Schools871 Words   |  4 PagesIn recent times, several mass shootings have occurred in several places. Sadly, public schools in America have been venues for these mass shootings. How do we reduce these shootings? How do we ensure that the lives of our kids are safe? These are the questions parents all over America are asking. A lot of suggestions have been made to the government concerning the issue of mass shootings. Some say government have to ban the purchase of guns, others say there should be background checks, while othersRead M oreEssay on School Violence837 Words   |  4 Pagesclassmates and one teacher. School violence changes our youths morals. From bullying to peer pressure, youth are exposed to school violence everyday. What is school violence? School violence varies from accounts of â€Å"death, homicide, suicide, weapon related violence, in the US.† (c1) School violence can occur to and from school, while attending a school sponsored event, on a bus, or at an activity. Violence in school goes back to the 1800s’. The first publicly funded schools for delinquents was builtRead More Essay on Gender and School Violence1060 Words   |  5 Pagesmost recent acts of violence by children have prompted us as a nation to look at the causes and possible solutions to this crisis in our schools. In fact, according to Public Agenda, a national organization that conducts public opinion research on educational issues, school safety was identified as the most important issue affecting schools by those surveyed (Johnson Immerwahr, 1994/1995). Yet school violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is directly related to the violence in our society. AndRead More School Violence Essay2056 Words   |  9 PagesSchool violence has become a matter of increasing concern in recent years. With the occurrence of incidents such as Columbine, more schools are becoming aware of and concerned with a rise in teenage/school violence. Violence is a broad term to define but in it’s simplest terms, can be defined as â€Å"a verbal, visual, or physical act intended to demean, harm, or infringe upon another’s civil rights,† (Kopka, 175). In 1977, the National Alliance for Safe Schools was founded by Peter Blauvelt. This

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Death Of A Salesman †Play Review Free Essays

The play Death of a salesman is written by Arthur Miller. It is a massively touching play all about a man constantly chasing the American dream. The Sympathy the audience begins to feel for Willy Loman is shown by the way we feel about him at the end of this play. We will write a custom essay sample on Death Of A Salesman – Play Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is truly an amazing play written the talented Arthur Miller. We start the play seeing Willy Loman, his two sons and wife at their home as Willy arrives home from a hard days selling, at least this is what he leads Linda, his wife, into thinking. We join the play at the beginning of his failure. We see his get progressively disheartened and borrows money from his neighbour, Charley, and has convinced himself he will eventually be in the position to repay him, although as the audience we can see that this is highly unlikely. Our sympathy for Willy fades gradually as we realise he doesn’t seem to help himself. We get increasingly annoyed with Willy chasing the American dream; we see he does not accept help as when Charley offers him a job, after Willy is fired from his company. Willy gets extremely offended by this and gets angry wit Charley for insulting his ability to regain his job. Both Charley and Willy now that Charley will never see his money again, and the fact that Charley offers Willy a chance to get his life back on track and Willy refuses makes us feel that Willy is almost lazy and seems unfazed by his situation. The fact that Willy had an affair makes us feel sorry for Linda and as an audience we feel like Willy deserves all he gets, but we see the way it affects the whole family and when biff and happy both try to get jobs and fail we see that the effort Willy put in with both of them when they were younger has made almost no difference to them. They may have been better of if Willy, like Charley, had just left them to it. Bernard who is Charley’s son is extremely successful but never boasts, the main difference between the two sets of sons its that both Biff and Happy find it necessary to boast non stop, it seems, and Bernard is more laid back and tends not to make a big deal of the fact he can play tennis at a friends house. Willy treats Linda badly, always starting fights and just generally making little digs. The only time we see a mixture of love, anger and guiltiness on Willy’s part is when Linda is mending her stockings and he remembers that he gave a pair to ‘the women’ and he seems to get a pang of guilt and therefore tells Linda to take off the stockings. The main problem in Willy’s life is money, but it seems he would rather scrounge of people like Charley than get a real job, like the one Charley offers him. He plays an act when it comes to money as he lies to his family, especially Linda. He wants everyone to think he is rich and successful but really he is unsuccessful and becoming increasingly poor. Overall this play in touching and also infuriating, we find ourselves getting angry and points in the play, when we see Willy lying to friends and family it seems that the only person he is true to is Charley and that’s only to try and get money and sympathy from him. We feel extremely sorry for Willy and his family, especially Linda when noone turns up to Willy’s funeral. This seems like the almost perfect end to realistic play. When we see the full picture of Willy’s affair we become almost at one with Linda and tend to feel the same emotions as her, but mostly anger. How to cite Death Of A Salesman – Play Review, Papers

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Negotiation Session

Introduction The reason why a lot of prior preparedness is done before the actual business negotiation is to ensure that there is a flow of events during the actual phase of negotiation. The main steps that are followed by the parties to the negotiation are drawn from the activities that are done prior to business negotiation, like planning and rehearsal. In this paper, the key steps and strategies that are used during the actual negotiation are discussed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Negotiation Session specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper begins by bringing out the desired steps during the opening of business negotiations. This is followed by a discussion about the vital steps to be adhered to in conducting the actual negotiation. In addition, the steps that ought to be followed in closing the negotiation session are brought out in the discussion. The discussion ends with an exploration of the attribut es of a negotiation that entail a non-American partner in the negotiation. Key steps in opening a business negotiation session The opening of business negotiation is a critical step since it is the determinant of the mood and the pace that is set for the negotiation. Business negotiations often take place on formal grounds. Therefore, the first step in business negotiation is to ensure that all the parties to the negotiation are identified and introduced. It is important to engage a trained mediator to lead the negotiations owing to the fact that business negotiations are formal. This emanates from the fact that firms are highly driven by the profit motive, which can be a hitch during the negotiations and probably resulting in a stalemate. Therefore, the importance of a mediator, probably a person who has established a reputable profile in leading business negotiations, is critical. The negotiator helps is steering the process by moderating the interests on each side to attain mutua lity in terms of the objectives of each party (Lewicki Hiam, 2006). According to Cellich and Jain (2012), introduction of the parties to the negotiation is often followed by introduction of the main issue to negotiate about. Business negotiations revolve around issues like business mergers and negotiations, as well as business contracts. Therefore, comprehending the key negotiation issue is important as far as setting of the continuity of the negotiation is concerned. The parties to the negotiation have to comprehend the key negotiation issues before getting into the formal talks to help in focusing the negotiation and avoid side interests that derail the process from focusing on the main attributes of the negotiation. Each side to business negotiations come on the table with an idea of what they need to negotiate about, thus the explanation of the key issues is an emphasis on the need for the parties to draw and support their arguments based on the key issues only as they seek to secure the broader business goals and objectives from the negotiation (Cellich Jain, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main parties to the negotiation also have to be given a chance to explain their goals and objectives as they appertain to the negotiation. This happens when each party is given a chance to present their case. This entails the explanation of the objectives of a firm, as well as what the firm is willing to give up to foster successful progression of the negotiation. The mediator can help to note down the cases for each firm so that they can be used as a point of reference in the main negotiation phase. The rules and code of conduct are rolled down in order to guide the behavior of each party as the negotiation progresses (Lewicki Hiam, 2006). Key steps in conducting a business negotiation session According to Dutta and Folden (2012), the actual nego tiations phase elicits a lot of arguments that are supported by the documented evidence that comes from the research that is done by the parties during prior stages of negotiation. Negotiations entail deployment of different persuasive tactics and techniques, most of which are based on the knowledge of each team. The first thing in the actual negotiation is definition of the relationship between the parties. The relationship between parties is founded in the attributes of business that link the goals and business interests of the parties. When the parties understand the relationship that prevails between them, it becomes easy for each party to pursue its interests with the consideration of the interests of the other party. This is vital since it helps to set apart the interests of the parties as aligned with the negotiation. The firms also understand the value of mutuality as outlined in the business objectives of each firm that is party to the negotiation. The acceptable modes of c ommunication are then outlined to guide the manner in which the parties present their cases and arguments (Cellich Jain, 2012). After setting the rules on the modalities of engagement, the negotiation progresses by focusing on the interests. The interests of each party are contained in their arguments. Each party is left to bring out its argument, from which the interests are identified. Identification of interests leads to the other critical step, which is exploration of options. This is the core part of negotiation since rationalization of issues is done as each party engages in a give and take exercise in order to propel the process towards a successful conclusion. The development of a common ground in business negotiations depends on the level at which each partner is willing to absorb the interest of the other firms as they work on modalities of ensuring that each firm gains out of the deal that is reached.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Negotiation Ses sion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dovetailing of each party’s business has the potential to lead to mutual gains. This is the ultimate goal of forging business negotiations. Negotiation calls for the parties to explore one issue completely and reach an agreement over the issue before progressing to the next issue. This is called successive progression (Lewicki Hiam, 2006). Key steps in closing a business negotiation session Business negotiation is a continuous process. In this sense, it is important to make substantial conclusions or agreements, which act as part of the final conclusion and agreements that will be reached after completion of the negotiation process. Therefore, there has to be an assessment and recording of the progress reached during that session before any session is closed. This aids in offering a leeway for the negotiators to focus on other issues as they move towards conclusion of the process. Therefor e, the first step in closing a business negotiation session is to ensure that a recap of the issues that are negotiated during the session is done. This helps in the identification of the progress in terms of the agreements reached and the hitches encountered. Complete agreements have to be separated from pending contentious issues because agreements form part of the concluded sub-processes, while the contentious issues still form the subjects of negotiation in progressive sessions. This is followed by setting of the agenda for the proceeding sessions. The agenda for the proceeding session is set by giving priority to the pending issues. The pending issues denote underlying problems whose solutions must be sought by the parties. This paves way for the parties to progress to other issues set out by the mediator (Dutta Folden, 2012). Business negotiation in the international context Shi (2001) observed that business negotiations that involve parties from different business cultures a re quite complex because of variations in the attributes of business that are embraced by each party. Engaging in business negotiations that involve parties from outside the United States requires comprehension of the context within which international business negotiations take place. The first thing in such a situation is identification of variations between the business culture of the United States and the business culture from which the non-United States’ party comes from. Each country has set a culture that defines the accepted codes of behavior that ought to be adhered to by firms engaging in business practices and deals. Therefore, it is important to hire a mediator who has a background of the business culture in which the parties are drawn from. This can aid in setting standards of negotiation that are acceptable to both parties, thereby avoiding an early stalemate that is common in such negotiations (Shi, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Cellich, C., Jain, S. C. (2012). Practical solutions to global business negotiations. New York, NY: Business Expert Press. Dutta, A., Folden, H. W. (2012). Winning strategies: Secrets to clinching multimillion-dollar deals. Singapore: John Wiley Sons, Asia. Lewicki, R. J., Hiam, A. (2006). Mastering business negotiation: a working guide to making deals and resolving conflict. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Shi, X. (2001). Antecedent factors of international business negotiations in the China context. MIR: Management International Review, 41(2), 163-187. This essay on Negotiation Session was written and submitted by user Laura Oconnor to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Good Second Jobs to Earn Extra Cash Outside Your 9-to-5

Good Second Jobs to Earn Extra Cash Outside Your 9-to-5 If you have a full-time job, but you’re still looking to make some extra money, you might be wondering where to look for side job ideas. In a January 2016 survey released by research and employment company  Indeed, 33.6 percent of the 3058 Americans surveyed moonlight, or work a second job. For the majority of that crowd, the second job helped make ends meet. For others, they saw it as a way to start their own business or make money doing something they enjoy. For me, I was often working a second gig because I liked the idea of being my own boss and having some extra cash on hand to pay off debt or save. I also love experiencing new things, and I even worked part-time as an independent jewelry consultant to have some extra money to donate to charities one year. Whether you’re looking to pay down those ever lingering student loans, want to build that emergency fund of at least $1000, as recommended by personal finance expert Dave Ramsey, or you’re looking to sav e some money for your dream vacation or home, you definitely have options.What type of side job ideas would you be good at or enjoy?There are a number of good second job opportunities available. To begin the process of identifying what’s best for you, brainstorm and make a list that includes all of your competencies and the tasks you enjoy doing. For example, do you love helping others succeed and enjoy your current line of work? Maybe part-time coaching is in your future. Do you enjoy hosting parties for your friends and family? Maybe the service industry or wedding planning would be right for you. Are you good at photography, graphic design, or writing? Then freelance work might be a great fit for you.If you still need help coming up with side job ideas, peruse the Job Posting page of your local Craigslist ads to see what employers or individuals are currently requesting. You might also consider asking friends or family members what they think you might be good at. Mind Too ls and My Career Quizzes have some fun (free!) quizzes that might help you answer this question, as well. Below, I’ve also provided a list of potential opportunities to help you lay out your roadmap to part-time income success.Part-time and Work from Home OpportunitiesFreelance workWriting, graphic design, video editing, photography, web design, coding, and internet marketing are just some of the areas where freelancers are making some nice part-time, and often full-time, income. Sites such are Outsource.com,Guru.com, Writersaccess.com and Peopleperhour.com are sites where companies and individuals turn to for help in completing various tasks and projects. Each site works a bit differently, but for the most part, freelancers build a profile page and pay to post bids for jobs. It can take some time to understand the process and build a portfolio, but with time, these can be lucrative opportunities. Personally, I’ve had success in securing freelance writing work from sit es such as these. You can also do an online search for training resources to help you start a freelance business. For example,   Workingwriterhappywriter.com is one resource for those looking to secure freelance work. You can also search for jobs on your local newspaper job posting boards, as well as on Craigslist mentioned earlier.Personal and Business CoachingIf you have a knack for business or are the go-to person for advice, then you might consider business or life coaching as a good second job. A quality coach can make anywhere from $100 to $300 per hour and upward. Workshops and Webinars are also a way to make some extra money by offering your services or expertise to a group.If you think this might be a good fit for you, there are certifications available to help boost your credibility. When researching coaching and certifications, not all programs are created equal. The International Coach Federation holds a particular set of standards for accrediting organizations that of fer coaching certifications. That’s not to say that programs without accreditation aren’t of value, so do your homework and find a program that’s affordable and a good fit for your current circumstances and needs.If you have a skill in the arts, such as acting or singing, then you might also consider being a voice or acting coach.Serving and BartendingIf you have experience in the service industry or think waiting tables or bartending would be fun for you; then finding part-time work in the evenings or on weekends at a local restaurant might be a good fit. The great thing about these side job ideas is the fact that the schedule is often flexible, and you can request others to pick up shifts when you need to. Not to mention, at a steady restaurant, servers can easily make $15 an hour plus on average, and bartenders tend to make even more. I’ve held this type of job in the past and made good money while having fun doing it.Direct SalesIt’s not for ev eryone, but network marketing and direct sales can be a nice way to make some part time income. I have several friends who do it, and they love it. They make anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand per month. Some even use it as their primary source of income. Another great thing about becoming an independent consultant for a reputable direct sales company is the fact that they can have reasonably priced marketing materials that are already designed for you, such as websites and business cards.Having personal experience in direct sales, it does take some time and effort, but if you’re a good self-starter, it’s worth looking into for a good second job. It can be a fun way to make some extra money while also building your professional network. Plus, there are direct sales companies for a variety of niches, from health and wellness (Isagenix) to cosmetics (Jafra, Mark Kay) to jewelry (Stella Dot). There are service-based direct sales companies, as well, such as Leg al Shield, a company offering pre-paid legal services to individuals and businesses. Do some research to determine what companies have the best reputations and support that you need.Child and Senior CareTutoring, babysitting and offering senior care services is another way to make some extra cash. Sites such as Care.com can be a helpful place to secure these types of jobs. They also require a background check, which provides peace of mind to those hiring for such services.Driving and Courier ServicesUber and Lyft have become popular means of transportation for the night time party goer to the frugal business traveler. I recently used Uber quite frequently when in Los Angeles, and I made it a habit of asking the drivers how long they’d been driving and if they enjoyed it. With one exception, every one of them seemed to enjoy it. They made their own schedules and decent money on the side if they were consistent in their pick-ups. To join a company like Uber, it’s relativ ely straightforward, and the process is laid out on their website. They are location specific and require you to have a driver’s license in the state in which you’ll be driving. There are also certain vehicle requirements.Courier services, such as PostMates, has also had success in recent months. These types of companies offer courier services to customers. Your job would be to accept a job via their app, pick up the order, check it twice, pay for it with the company card PostMates gives you at orientation and then deliver the order. ForPostMates, you’re paid a percentage of the customer’s fee, and your income is deposited weekly into the account you set up when you sign up.   They serve several areas throughout the United States, and once you’re a PostMates, you can work in any of those locations.Other OptionsTeaching a fitness class (lots of options by entering â€Å"become a fitness instructor† for an online search), mowing lawns, house cleaning or becoming a virtual assistant (check out freelancer.com) are additional side job ideas that allow you to make some extra cash.Words of Wisdom (or Caution)The good news is, as you can see, there are numerous ways to make money outside of a full-time job. At the same time, you do want to clarify how much you can handle, so you don’t stretch yourself thin. Keeping your stress level manageable with a full-time job can be challenging enough, the last thing you want to do is add stress to the situation. Get clear on how many hours you can manage outside of your current job, determine the days per week you’re available, stick to a schedule, and cut back if you begin getting sick or feel overwhelmed. Take it from me, your health needs to be a priority.You also want to play it safe. Do your due diligence and beware of scams. Proceed with caution before providing your personal information, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. All the organizations and resources provided here are ones that I, or someone I know, have had some experience with. However, everyone’s experience is different, and organizations can change over time. It’s important for you to find reputable organizations and opportunities that work for you. Also, check with your current organization’s Moonlighting and Conflict of Interest policies to ensure you’re not out of alignment with those policies when choosing your desired part-time gig(s).Now that you have some side job ideas and resources to work with, give yourself some time and be patient as you venture into this brave new world; and don’t forget to have fun with it!Note: this article was originally published on TopResume.TopResume is a Talent Inc. company, the personal branding destination for all career-driven professionals. Through our extensive network of professional writers, we offer career advice and analyze and write more resumes and LinkedIn profiles than any other s ervice in the world. Ready to get started? Request a free resume critique today.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Tips for Attaining Editorial Consistency

Tips for Attaining Editorial Consistency Tips for Attaining Editorial Consistency Tips for Attaining Editorial Consistency By Mark Nichol How much time and effort should a writer put into consistency? And how much energy should an editor devote to it? The answer, as with many editorial issues, is not that simple, but it is easy to elucidate. A book or a book-length publication, such as an extensive report, must for the sake of a reader’s respect for the authority of the argument and/or the regard of the care taken by the writer, strive for flawless consistency in all regards. But note that â€Å"flawless consistency† does not necessary mean â€Å"precisely the same every time.† If not, what does it mean? When an entity, whether a person or a company or organization, is mentioned repeatedly in one document, of course the name should be spelled correctly each time. But there are acceptable variations to the treatment of the name. When a biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for example, names him for the first time, the reader should see those four components of his name. But his last name alone is sufficient thereafter with exceptions. An emphatic reference to his strength of character may require a stylistic flourish: â€Å"But Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wasn’t about to let her get away with that.† A quotation in the book may refer to him before he was knighted, or the person quoted may simply have omitted the honorific. Complicating matters, it appears that later in life, the creator of Sherlock Holmes preferred to use â€Å"Conan Doyle,† though without a hyphen, as his surname, so the writer must decide whether to use the single surname or the double version and must do so consistently. By the same token, a company or organization name is often spelled out only the first time it is used, and is then referred to by a short form (for example, Dow, rather than Dow Chemical Company) or an acronym or initialism (NASA, rather than the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, for instance). As with a personal name, there’s no reason to revert to the full name outside a quotation or some other anomalous usage. And what if a book is a collection of essays by various writers? The editor of the anthology is responsible for establishing a style that remains consistent throughout unless, of course, one or more contributions are previously published in a differing form of the language, such as an essay by a British English writer among American English authors. The editor may edit the essay to conform to American English style, but it’s easier to leave it as is and acknowledge the discrepancy in the introduction or in a note. As for treatment of names, an anthology’s editor might choose to resume full forms at the beginning of each chapter to reacquaint the reader, then resort to short forms or abbreviations after each chapter’s first reference. In the case of words with more than one correct spelling, such as adviser/advisor, the copy editor simply notes the preferred spelling on a style sheet while working on a manuscript and performs a word search for any instances of the nonpreferred spelling and corrects them. Alternatively, the copy editor can simply note that the manuscript, as edited, conforms to the primary spelling in the dictionary. (Many publications use this policy as a simplifying default setting to prevent ambiguity about which spelling to employ.) Periodicals, as well as book publishers and many other companies and organizations that publish, generally have a style guide, which prescribes treatment of pertinent names and terminology; for example, an industry-focused magazine about architecture may routinely refer to the American Institute of Architects by its initials alone because the publication’s readers do not require a complete identification, and a journal about US history will dictate that all references to indigenous bovines specify bison, rather than the inaccurate popular variant buffalo. A carefully compiled style guide will document these policies, and a diligent copy editor will consistently honor them. (Writers are often unaware of the rules governing editorial inconsistency, or are not careful about applying them, and in the worst cases do not think doing so is their responsibility, or even necessary.) Web sites with user-generated content, as opposed to those that, like print publications, have an editorial staff, cannot expect all contributors to conform to style and will thus be flexible about consistency, though any text generated by the site staff should adhere to the prescribed style. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?15 Types of Documents25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert

Monday, February 17, 2020

Analysis of Airbus and Boeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Analysis of Airbus and Boeing - Essay Example The reactions from the airline industry for previously launched planes by Airbus and Boeing have also been discussed and then the opportunities that 787 has, have been the main point of the study. This report basically has been divided into four sections. In the first part of the report, important variables that could influence the decision of Airbus and Boeing have been discussed in detail. In the second part of the report, the risks faced by both these firms have been discussed and how the risks faced by Airbus and Boeing are identified and analysed and then model has been used to know how firms should manage risk (McLaney, 2009). In the third part of the report, stakeholders of both Airbus and Boeing have been discussed and how these stakeholders could influence the firm have been described in detail. However, in the fourth section of the report, critical financial analysis about Boeing has been discussed as it introduces the Dreamliner in the market. In the end, conclusion of the report along with recommendations has been discussed. Contents Management attitude and perception 6 Market analysis 7 Traffic of passengers 8 Change in Idea to Point to Point 8 Market Deregulation 8 Product Portfolio 9 Cost and the return 9 Technological ability 10 Risks faced by boeing and airbus 12 Technological Risk 12 Market Risk 12 Economic Risk 12 Environmental Risk 12 Financial Risks 13 Political Risks 13 Economic Risk 14 Social Risks 14 Technological Risk 14 Legal Risk 15 Environmental Risk 15 Managing Risk 15 TARA Model: 15 Predict 15 Prevent 16 Detect 16 Response 16 List of Stakeholders 18 Impact of each Stakeholder 18 Government: 18 Airlines 19 Society 19 Shareholders 19 Employees 19 STAKEHOLDER MAPPING 20 Group A 21 Group B 21 Group C 21 Group D 21 Tallman GmbH Model: 22 How has each stakeholder been affected 23 Government 23 Competitors 24 Airlines 24 Society 24 Shareholders 24 Employees 25 Recommendations 28 Conclusion 28 Reference List 30 Introduction The report is a bout Airbus and Boeing and it is primarily based on a case when Boeing introduced its Dreamliner. The case discusses the background and how things shaped up that lead towards a fuel efficient aircraft, 787 Dreamliner. The report discusses how the management feels and what variables they considered when they were preparing the feasibility of introducing a new fuel efficient plane as well as variables that influenced their decision to not go for a jumbo sized aircraft, 747. The second section of the report discusses about the risks that the company faces and how Airbus and Boeing need to manage their risk properly in order to have consistent profits in the long run. The importance of managing and identifying risks has been described in this section. The third section of the report discusses important stakeholders of both the aircraft manufacturing firms; Boeing and Airbus and analyses how they could impact the firm’s operations. Also stakeholders have been prioritised using a t heoretical framework to identify the level of their impact and their power to influence the firm’s operation. The fourth section of the report discusses the critical financial analysis of Boeing as it introduces a new fuel efficient plane and what impact the plane would make in the long run profitability of the firm. The report then gives recommendations for Airbus and Boeing

Monday, February 3, 2020

Kandinsky's and Severini's Paintings Comparison Essay

Kandinsky's and Severini's Paintings Comparison - Essay Example The essay "Kandinsky's and Severini's Paintings Comparison" compares two paintings - "Picture with an Archer" by Vasily Kandinsky and "Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin" by Gino Severini. Picture with an Archer, 1909 constitutes a vibrant depiction that presents a patchwork surface. Such dematerialization of true forms is vividly depicted in the painting. On the other hand Severini's Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin, 1912 falls into an art movement in which artists were concerned with portraying the motion sensation. They were motivated by innovative techniques of photography as well as other types of new technologies along with transportation. They selected dynamic and dynamic themes such as the train station hubbub as well as nightclub energy. Before the advent of advanced photography, the movement of humans and animals could be studied only through observation for an action as it occurred before people. This article investigates these two paintings based on the way th ey are depicted, the technique used to portray them and their unique features. The depiction constitutes a mix of nostalgia, promise, and excitement and evokes an intimate environment of a dream. During the year of the painting, the artist was residing in Germany and was far from his home Russia. However, in the presence of the vivid picture's color energy offers some promise and excitement. The setting of the scene is an abstract landscape consisting of multi-hued trees and mountain that have a little house along.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Equal Opportunities for Women in Management Positions

Equal Opportunities for Women in Management Positions Women in Management This paper looks at the issue of women in management within the financial services sector, focusing on high street banks in the United Kingdom, in the context of addressing the issue of gender discrimination within top management. This is done by looking at past and present published papers that revolve around the subject matter under a theoretical hypothesis. The theoretical hypothesis, which is based on published material on women in management, is used to explain the issues surrounding women in management. Three high street banks were assessed as case studies to identify the issue of gender discrimination within UK banks. The outcomes are also categorised under specific themes. Finally a critical review of matches and mismatches is used to compare and contrast similarities between the theoretical hypothesis and the empirical evidence gathered for this paper. Chapter 1: The Concept of Women In Management Since the end of the Second World War, organisations all over the world have been slow to recognize the importance of women in the development and building of strong solid leadership from within. This has raised serious issues with regard to top management particularly within the financial services sectors, being male dominated, not allowing women into positions of authority, or top management. Although, organisations all over the world have moved on since then, and there have been positive results so far in today’s modern day society, however the relative percentage of women in relation to men in top management positions still remains unsolved. In the United Kingdom, certain sectors seem to have made substantial progress with regard to addressing these issues, e.g. the financial sectors, and the health and social services. However, this is not the case across the whole spectrum of job sectors. E.g. the military, production services, distribution, Information and communication technology, and agriculture. Aims and Objectives The aim of this paper is to address the issue of top management, which is predominantly male dominated, within the financial services sector allowing and encouraging women to progress into management positions in their field of expertise. I.e. Understanding the problems associated with women breaking through the glass ceiling into top management within the financial services sector. The objective of this research is to first provide a detailed analysis of the theoretical aspects that women face when it comes to stepping into management positions within banks in the United Kingdom. Secondly, to understand the processes and mechanisms that are inherent within financial organisations that slowdown the pace of women into management positions. Thirdly, to highlight the issue of gender discrimination associated with the latter mentioned. Lastly, I will critically appraise the validity of published material so far covering women in management in the context of equal opportunity policies and flexible work patterns. Chapter 2: Existing Literature Reviewed Over the past 50 years gender inequalities i.e. women in management, particularly within the UK banking sector has been the subject of bureaucratic scrutiny to a certain degree. For example Crompton (1989)states that UK banks have increasingly become the major employers of female labour. However, women in banks have not historically had the same career opportunities as men, for a variety of reasons, ranging from deliberate male exclusion practices to the broken and often short-term nature of many women’s work histories. Additionally, the contrast between the experiences of men and women in the same occupation is used to question the conventional view of occupational class analysis, where the (male) occupational structure is treated as if it were the class structure. Rutherford’s (1999) case study of banking, also illustrates how the discourses of gendered biological and psychological difference might be used to justify the scarcity of women in management grades and in so doing reproduce the status quo of male domination. After all, if women were not suited to management in banking what would be the point of creating policies to attempt to improve their representation there? Thus jobs become infused with stereotyped characteristics, which are believed to be linked to gender, race (Liff and Dickens, 2000) and to some extent age. Alvesson and Billing (1997) talks about the pressures for homogeneity and cultural competent behaviour. This involves individuals, consciously or unconsciously, conforming and adapting to organisational norms in order to fit in or progress their careers, for example by adopting the expected and desired language, work style, appearance and so on. The demand for cultural competence reinforces and reproduces the dominant, from which those who do not comply, or conform, remain excluded. Collin son (1990) argues about the cultural assumptions underlying male manager’s stereotypes of male and female attributes. He states that when evaluating male candidates, involvement in sport was a definite advantage, whereas females sporting achievements we reread as indicative of a very narrow existence. Another example was behaviour of men which was described as ‘pushy’ when exhibited by female candidate and as ‘showing initiative’ when a male candidate was involved. Thus women were less likely to be recruited to what were viewed as gender-incongruent jobs. It must also be recognised that policy approaches, which focus on certain groups of employees most typically women and ethnic minorities, tend to engender employee resentment (Cockburn, 1991; Miller and Rowney, 1999). Webb (1997) adds that ironically the radical feminist agenda, which asserts women’s differences from men and their potential for creating a better world, had been adapted to the concerns of liberal feminism with providing rationale for the promotion of women in management, on the grounds that women’s nurturing capacities contribute to the diversity needed by post-modern organisations. Webb (1997) goes on to state that we need to move beyond the ultimately limiting debate about whether women are the same as or different from men to a renewed concern with the material conditions of women’s lives and with the construction of equality initiatives which address the continuing exclusion of many women from adequate standards of living. Rees (1998) argues that relative strenuous efforts to tackle discrimination and disadvantage within the organisation are hampered by structural inequalities at societal level, in particular the interrelationship between education, training and employment. The continued existence of social inequalities could be said to indicate that as a society we are not yet ready to value gender diversity, or ethnic diversity, adopting the language will not make it happen. However, this should not be used as an excuse for organisational inertia or fatalism. Businesses have social responsibilities (one of these is to treat employees fairly) and they also have a need for social legitimacy in order to survive in the longer term (Miller and Rowney, 1999). This would point to need for organisations to value workforce diversity, irrespective of the purchase of short-term solutions. Sisson (1995) also adds that the problem with regard to women in management within the UK banking industry is that most organisations are predominantly concerned with the bottom line, short-term profitability and this orientation militates against long-term agendas. This renders it all the more important that the retrograde step of abandoning or neglecting equal opportunity policy should be avoided. Dickens (1994) argues that there is not a business case but a series of business rationales that are contingent. Organizational and managerial receptiveness to them is uneven, and they lead to only selective action. He goes on to state that the business case ‘carrot’ shares a similar weakness to the legal compliance ‘stick’. Calls for action beyond the individual organisation in a multi-pronged approach requiring state action, in which equality legislation and business case rationales each have apart to play. Chapter 3: Research Approach and Methodology Employed Research Approach The research approach will be carried out using the positivist case research approach. According to Cavite (1996), positivist epistemology tries to understand a social setting by identifying individual components of a phenomenon and explains the phenomenon in terms of constructs and relationships between constructs. The theoretical constructs describing the phenomenon are considered to be distinct from empirical reality. Hence, empirical observations can be used to test theory. This looks at the world as external and objective. Positivism employs four major research evaluation criteria: a good research should make controlled observations, should be able to be replicated should be generalizable and should use formal logic. Under positivism, case research findings are not statistically generalizable to a population, as the case or cases cannot be considered representative of a population, however, case research can claim theoretical generalizability. This will also include comparing, contrasting and critically evaluating past and present papers, articles, journals, and established theories that have been published on the subject matter. Methodology Employed Multiple-Case Study Design This project uses the multiple case study method in order to enable analysis of data across cases and relating it to the theoretical perspectives in the available literature of Information systems strategy. This enables the researcher to verify that findings are not merely the result of idiosyncrasies of research setting (Miles andHuberman, 1984). According to Yin (1994), in such a method it is important to use: multiple sources of evidence. Due to the time constraint attached with this paper, only three case studies of Women in management within the UK banking sector were gathered. The appropriate number of cases depends, firstly, on how much is known about the phenomenon after studying a case and secondly, on how much new information is likely to emerge from studying further cases(Eisenhardt, 1997). The paper provides three case studies of UK high street banks namely HSBC, NatWest Bank, and Lloyds TSB. Comparing and contrasting the roles of the women who are in the top management in these banks. Qualitative Data Cavite (1996) states that qualitative investigation refers to distilling meaning and understanding from a phenomenon and is not primarily concerned with measuring and quantification of the phenomenon. Direct and in-depth knowledge of a research setting are necessary to achieve contextual understanding. Hence, qualitative methods are associated with face-to-face contact with persons in the research setting, with verbal data being gathered. Qualitative data can be collected in a number of forms. One major form of qualitative evidence is interviews, which may be recorded and later transcribed. Qualitative data are rich, full, holistic ‘real’ their face validity seems impeachable; they preserve chronological flow where that is important. In spite of the above mentioned, qualitative data have weaknesses (Miles1979; Miles and Huberman, 1984). Collecting and analysing data is time-consuming and demanding. In addition, data analysis is not easy, as qualitative data analysis methods are not well established. Recognised rules of logic can be applied to verbal data in order to make sense of the evidence and to formally analyse the data. Rubin and Rubin (1995) state that it is most desirable to disclose the identities of both the case and the individuals interviewed because, †¢ The reader is able to recall any other previous information he or she may have learned about the same case from previous research or other sources in reading and interpreting the case report. †¢ The entire case can be reviewed more readily, so that footnotes and citations can be checked, if necessary, and appropriate criticisms can be raised about the published case. Nevertheless, there are some occasions when anonymity is necessary. The most common rationale is that when the case study has been on controversial topic, anonymity serves to protect the real case and its real participants. The second reason is that the issuance of the final case report may affect the subsequent actions of those that were studied. In the case of this paper, the positions of the participants within the organisations interviewed are mentioned. However, anonymity is adopted to protect the Identities of the participants and the real case. Why? Because the issue of women in management within Banks in the UK has been a long standing problem, in which revealing their names could hinder future revelations on their part and their jobs. The remainder of this paper proceeds as follows: Chapter 4: Theoretical Hypothesis on Women in Management Chapter 5: Empirical Analysis (Three Banks) Chapter 6: Comparing and contrasting Theoretical Hypothesis and Empirical Analysis Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusion. Chapter 4: Theoretical Hypothesis of Women In Management In order to have a clear understanding of women in management, we will first need to identify the meaning attached to this phenomenon. Since the mid 1990s, women’s representation amongst executives has doubled and amongst company directors it has tripled. At the same time there has been an overall increase in women working in management jobs. However, women still comprise less than a quarter of executives and only one in ten company directors. The ‘glass ceiling’, the situation where women can see but not reach higher level jobs and so are prevented from progressing in their careers, appears still to exist in many organisations. This is what led to the creation of the terminology ‘women in management’. Several key factors account for the continuing low representation of women in management. Firstly, like most other occupations, there is a tendency for some types of management jobs to be associated with either women or men. For example, whilst women are comparatively well represented in personnel and the public sector, men still predominate in production management and Information and communication technology. Secondly, opportunities to work part-time are limited, with only six present of managers and senior officials employed part-time. Although it may be difficult to carry out some management functions on a part-time basis, there are still far too few opportunities for flexible working at senior levels in organisations. With this in mind, we can now move on to discuss the theoretical perspectives of women in management. There are several already established theoretical perspectives that have been used to gather a better understanding of this issue, however, the ones used in this paper are: 1) Issues and problems facing women reaching the top (manager) 2) Why so few women reaching the top? 3) Why are women workers still going cheap? 4) What causes the gender pay gap? 5) Have women achieved equality in the UK banking industry? 4.1 Issues and problems facing women reaching the top (manager) Several factors account for the continuing low representation of women reaching the top. One of the key issues is that women consider family obligations and the predominance of ‘male values’ in corporate culture to be the main obstacles to career advancement for them. The nature of the obstacles blocking women’s progress to higher management varies, however, from those encountered at lower levels. Higher ranking female bank managers seem to experience discrimination to a greater extent, both on terms of structural and cultural barriers, where insufficient personal contacts and dominance of ‘male values’ adversely affect their advancement. The difficulties women face in reaching the top is also reflected in the higher levels of education and effort often demanded of them. The hurdles facing women aspiring to management jobs can be so formidable that they sometimes abandon efforts to make it to the top of large firms. They often take their energy and know-how to smaller and more flexible companies or set up their own businesses. Another principal constraint on the level and type of labour market participation of women is the responsibility they carry for raising children and performing household tasks. An important feature of professional and especially managerial work is the extended working hours that seem to be required to gain recognition and eventual promotion. It can be practically impossible to reconcile the long hours often required of management staff with the amount of time needed to care for a home and children, not to mention care of the elderly. Yet the availability of part-time managerial work varies across organisations. Women who desire both a family and a career often juggle heavy responsibilities in both domains. Those who opt for part-time work early in their careers may find their advancement hampered, even after a return to full-time employment, since their male counterparts will have invested heavily in career building during the same period. 4.2 Why so few women reaching the top? Few women gain access to the highest positions as executive heads of organizations and, despite some improvements, many would claim that the pace of change is still far too slow given the large number of qualified women in the labour market today. Where figures are available (ILO data, 2002), they show women holding from 1 present to 5percent of top executive positions. While it must be acknowledged that time is still needed for women at junior and middle management levels(those in the pipeline) to move into executive positions, the fact still remains that women are not moving quickly enough nor insufficient numbers into line or strategic positions. Yet this factories crucial for enlarging the pool of women aspiring to senior positions and for building a critical mass of senior women for networking and providing role models for those down the line. Speeding up women’s movement towards the top requires that recruitment and promotion methods be objective and fair. Above all, there has to be awareness and commitment from directors of companies as to the benefits for their organizations from promoting women to high-level managerial positions. Women seem to experience the most difficulty in obtaining executive jobs in large corporations, even though they often have greater opportunities at junior and middle management levels in these same corporations. Another reason for this purge is the educational attainment required for top management positions. Evidence provided byte Equal opportunities Commission in the United Kingdom suggest that, in some cases women do not have the educational qualifications to get into management positions, and even when that is not the case, they still do find it hard to break into management, due to the fact that its predominantly male dominated. Another reason is that few senior women are in the so called ‘line’ positions that involve profit and loss or revenue generating responsibilities, and which are critical for advancement to the highest level. Additionally, in the United Kingdom, the share of women among financial managers rose from 11 present to 17percent in the 1980s and still increasing, although they are still outnumbered by men in top management positions in the 21st century. 4.3 Why are women workers still going cheap? Much of women’s work has historically tended to be undervalued or unrecognized. While the United Nations system and governments are making more systematic efforts to value and account for women’s work in national statistics, research on women in management is a relatively new field and comparisons over time and across countries are limited. This is further made complicated by the range of definitions employed and the non-availability of statistics for different countries overtime. Under a report provided by the United Nations in 1996 called the Human development report, it states that ‘no society treats its women as well as men’. A gender related development index was created to record achievements and monitor progress. This is based on life expectancy, educational attainment and income, but adjusts the latter mentioned for gender equality. They noted that life expectancy rates are positively affected by care in different forms, such as social support and social relationships. For example, unmarried adults have higher mortality rates than married ones and, according to them, children in a caring environment fare better in terms of health than those who lack this attention. It is not only the weak and sick that need care to prosper; even the healthiest of adults need a certain amount of care. A deficit in care services not only destroys human development, but it also undermines economic growth. That these factors are overlooked has considerable implications for gender equality, as women still carry the main responsibility for care. Gender discrimination is perpetuated through the lack of value placed on women’s caring role in society. As managers, women are affected byte common assumption that in the event of building families they will bear the main burden of responsibility arising out of this. Thus, there is not the same degree of investment in women. They are less likely to receive the same encouragement or career advice through mentoring as men. Another important factor is that in some countries equal opportunity policies tend to be established within organizations, however, in some countries they are not strictly adhered to. In the Ukase scheme known as ‘Opportunity 2000’ was launched in 2000. Its member included 300 organizations ranging from the financial services to the educational departments. They agreed to increase the number of women into management positions, and between 1994 to 2000, women’s share of management positions increased from 25 present to 35 present. Therefore, one can say although women are still going cheap in certain jobs in other parts of the world this is not the case universally. 4.4 What causes the gender pay gap? A difference in management positions does tend to contribute to earnings differentials. Although rates of pay may be similar, actual earnings can vary because of the different salary packages offered to managers, which provide various fringe benefits and access to certain schemes for boosting bonuses. Earnings gaps may also reflect differences in seniority and concentration of women in low-paid managerial sub-groups. Additionally, certain jobs tend to be affiliated with men and to women, i.e. productions and manufacturing jobs tend to be affiliated with men, while nursing, and household jobs tend to be affiliated with women, this contributes to the pay gap between men and women. Within the Banking sector in the United Kingdom, there has been an increase of the number of women into both middle and top management. However, the positions they tend to head are not profit-making positions or revenue generating positions, which are positions of higher pay and responsibility. They tend to be based within the retail, customer services, and bookkeeping departments, which are areas of significance to the organization, but are of less repute. 4.5 Have women achieved equality in the UK banking industry? In the area of finance, women have certainly increased their share of management positions, although at a varying pace. In the United Kingdom, the share of women among financial managers rose from 11 present to 17 present during the 1980’s and at the turn of the century increased to 25 present. While women have captured an ever-increasing share of the labour market, improvements in the quality of women’s jobs have not kept pace. This is reflected in the smaller representation of women in management positions, particularly in the private sector, and their virtual absence from most senior jobs, i.e. Directorships, or Presidents of Banks. Wage differentials in male and female managerial jobs stem from the reality that even when women hold management jobs, they are often in less strategic lower-paying areas oaf company’s operations. They are also linked to the fact that women managers tend to be younger on average, as most senior jobs tend to be dominated by older men. Despite the persistent inequalities at managerial level, the continuous entry of women into higher-level jobs is being addressed; however, they still remain under-represented in senior management. With few exceptions, the main challenge appears tube the sheer slowness in the in the progress of women into senior leadership positions in organizations, which suggests that discrimination is greatest where the most power is exercised. However, the growth in entrepreneurship and increasing numbers of women running their own businesses, both large and small, heralds a different future for societies. The economic power gained by women will play a key role in the struggle to sweep aside gender inequalities in all walks of life in which the UK banking sector is no exception. Chapter 5: Empirical Analysis In this chapter I present (3)case descriptions from my research on Women in management within the Banking Sector. The descriptions are organised in terms of the following headings; Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience, the position of women in the financial industry in general, the position of women in the UK banking sector, the changing role of women in the UK banking sector, pay differentials, women broken through glass ceiling, employment law and maternity right, and balancing work and family responsibilities. Due to the short timespan to collect data and incorporate to this paper I have been limited to three UK high street banks. The names of the individuals interviewed are not mentioned to protect confidentiality. It must be said that there are some differences in the both the quality and quantity of data available between the cases described, but in each case there is sufficient data for comparability across the features mentioned above. Women managers or the most senior of positions with regard to women in the three high street banks are analysed to address the issue of women in management. See Appendix A for the questions used. All interviews lasted approximately 40 minutes. 5.1 Case Study 1: Natwest Bank Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience The Woman interviewed was the manager of the branch. She is responsible for 25 people in the branch. She argues that in the past there were no female managers, most women, were household wives and lacked career progression. She believes that a lot has changed over the past 20 years and that within the bank a lot of progress has been made with regard to women into management positions. Additionally, she states that there is a continuing need to have women in management positions because it depicts the bank as being an equal opportunities bank. The position of women in the financial industry in general She argues that they are a lot more women in Finance ministries, central banks, and banking supervisory agencies, which are among the most important political institutions with regard to the coordination and regulation of the financial system than the case maybe in the past. The position of women in UK banking sector She states that although there has been a huge increase in the number of women in management positions within the bank, relative to male managers, it is small percentage that are in this category compared to over 50 years ago. The changing role of women in the UK banking sector She believes that the role of women in the bank has changed over the years. In the past women within the bank were more concentrated in the retail department, but more and more women are going into the trading of stocks and products which are revenue generating departments within the bank. Pay Differential She states categorically, that she is quite happy and content with how much she is being paid and comparing herself to her male counterpart sat other branches of the bank, there isn’t a difference with regard other pay package (it’s the same). Women broken through glass ceiling She believes that within NatWest bank the case of women breaking through the glass ceiling is not an issue. As far as she is concerned if you have the right qualifications and attributes, you will make it through regardless of gender differences. Employment law and Maternity right She argues that there are policies within the bank that ensures equal opportunities for both male and female employees to get into top management. And that women are encouraged to take maternity leave if needs be, and when they are ready to come back to their previous position the job would still be there. Flexible part-time work is available for those who fall under this category she says. Balancing work and Family For the hours she works, it could affect family life being the manager of the branch, however, for the top directors within the bank the want staff to have a good work and family life balance. They do encourage women, if they need to go out on maternity leave and come back to their previous job. 5.2 Case Study 2: Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience The Woman interviewed was the branch counsellor (Customer services/accounts); she is the most senior woman (retail). She is responsible for 5 people. She argues that in the Bank there were few female managers compared to their male counterparts. Although she believes a lot has changed over the years with regard to women getting into management positions, she states that due to the lack of proper qualifications and starting a family, women have not in general been able to move into management positions. The position of women in financial industry in general She argues that there are not enough women in the financial industry. She acknowledges that there have been improvements but that there is still barrier. The position of women in the UK banking sector She believes that only the determined ones (women) get through. However, from heron knowledge of the bank, there are not a lot of women in top management positions. The changing role of women in the UK banking sector The branch counsellor states that when a woman says she works in a bank it would be depicted that she works as a secretary. This is due to the lack of qualifications and top management being male dominated, the role of women within the bank has remained static. Pay Differential She states that there are certain grades within the bank and each and every person is categorised into one of those grades. The salary band is applied in that manner. She states that for the job responsibilities, she is quite content and happy with what she is being paid, however there is still need for improvement. Women broken through glass ceiling She argues that there is a glass ceiling within the bank and women can only go so far. She adds that women tend to leave to have children and look after the home. Also, she says that there are gender diversity policies within the bank, but they are not adhered to from top management. Employment law and maternity right Within the bank there is policy that allows for part-time flexible work patterns. Legally, they have to keep the position for you, if for example you left to have baby. Equal Opportunities for Women in Management Positions Equal Opportunities for Women in Management Positions Women in Management This paper looks at the issue of women in management within the financial services sector, focusing on high street banks in the United Kingdom, in the context of addressing the issue of gender discrimination within top management. This is done by looking at past and present published papers that revolve around the subject matter under a theoretical hypothesis. The theoretical hypothesis, which is based on published material on women in management, is used to explain the issues surrounding women in management. Three high street banks were assessed as case studies to identify the issue of gender discrimination within UK banks. The outcomes are also categorised under specific themes. Finally a critical review of matches and mismatches is used to compare and contrast similarities between the theoretical hypothesis and the empirical evidence gathered for this paper. Chapter 1: The Concept of Women In Management Since the end of the Second World War, organisations all over the world have been slow to recognize the importance of women in the development and building of strong solid leadership from within. This has raised serious issues with regard to top management particularly within the financial services sectors, being male dominated, not allowing women into positions of authority, or top management. Although, organisations all over the world have moved on since then, and there have been positive results so far in today’s modern day society, however the relative percentage of women in relation to men in top management positions still remains unsolved. In the United Kingdom, certain sectors seem to have made substantial progress with regard to addressing these issues, e.g. the financial sectors, and the health and social services. However, this is not the case across the whole spectrum of job sectors. E.g. the military, production services, distribution, Information and communication technology, and agriculture. Aims and Objectives The aim of this paper is to address the issue of top management, which is predominantly male dominated, within the financial services sector allowing and encouraging women to progress into management positions in their field of expertise. I.e. Understanding the problems associated with women breaking through the glass ceiling into top management within the financial services sector. The objective of this research is to first provide a detailed analysis of the theoretical aspects that women face when it comes to stepping into management positions within banks in the United Kingdom. Secondly, to understand the processes and mechanisms that are inherent within financial organisations that slowdown the pace of women into management positions. Thirdly, to highlight the issue of gender discrimination associated with the latter mentioned. Lastly, I will critically appraise the validity of published material so far covering women in management in the context of equal opportunity policies and flexible work patterns. Chapter 2: Existing Literature Reviewed Over the past 50 years gender inequalities i.e. women in management, particularly within the UK banking sector has been the subject of bureaucratic scrutiny to a certain degree. For example Crompton (1989)states that UK banks have increasingly become the major employers of female labour. However, women in banks have not historically had the same career opportunities as men, for a variety of reasons, ranging from deliberate male exclusion practices to the broken and often short-term nature of many women’s work histories. Additionally, the contrast between the experiences of men and women in the same occupation is used to question the conventional view of occupational class analysis, where the (male) occupational structure is treated as if it were the class structure. Rutherford’s (1999) case study of banking, also illustrates how the discourses of gendered biological and psychological difference might be used to justify the scarcity of women in management grades and in so doing reproduce the status quo of male domination. After all, if women were not suited to management in banking what would be the point of creating policies to attempt to improve their representation there? Thus jobs become infused with stereotyped characteristics, which are believed to be linked to gender, race (Liff and Dickens, 2000) and to some extent age. Alvesson and Billing (1997) talks about the pressures for homogeneity and cultural competent behaviour. This involves individuals, consciously or unconsciously, conforming and adapting to organisational norms in order to fit in or progress their careers, for example by adopting the expected and desired language, work style, appearance and so on. The demand for cultural competence reinforces and reproduces the dominant, from which those who do not comply, or conform, remain excluded. Collin son (1990) argues about the cultural assumptions underlying male manager’s stereotypes of male and female attributes. He states that when evaluating male candidates, involvement in sport was a definite advantage, whereas females sporting achievements we reread as indicative of a very narrow existence. Another example was behaviour of men which was described as ‘pushy’ when exhibited by female candidate and as ‘showing initiative’ when a male candidate was involved. Thus women were less likely to be recruited to what were viewed as gender-incongruent jobs. It must also be recognised that policy approaches, which focus on certain groups of employees most typically women and ethnic minorities, tend to engender employee resentment (Cockburn, 1991; Miller and Rowney, 1999). Webb (1997) adds that ironically the radical feminist agenda, which asserts women’s differences from men and their potential for creating a better world, had been adapted to the concerns of liberal feminism with providing rationale for the promotion of women in management, on the grounds that women’s nurturing capacities contribute to the diversity needed by post-modern organisations. Webb (1997) goes on to state that we need to move beyond the ultimately limiting debate about whether women are the same as or different from men to a renewed concern with the material conditions of women’s lives and with the construction of equality initiatives which address the continuing exclusion of many women from adequate standards of living. Rees (1998) argues that relative strenuous efforts to tackle discrimination and disadvantage within the organisation are hampered by structural inequalities at societal level, in particular the interrelationship between education, training and employment. The continued existence of social inequalities could be said to indicate that as a society we are not yet ready to value gender diversity, or ethnic diversity, adopting the language will not make it happen. However, this should not be used as an excuse for organisational inertia or fatalism. Businesses have social responsibilities (one of these is to treat employees fairly) and they also have a need for social legitimacy in order to survive in the longer term (Miller and Rowney, 1999). This would point to need for organisations to value workforce diversity, irrespective of the purchase of short-term solutions. Sisson (1995) also adds that the problem with regard to women in management within the UK banking industry is that most organisations are predominantly concerned with the bottom line, short-term profitability and this orientation militates against long-term agendas. This renders it all the more important that the retrograde step of abandoning or neglecting equal opportunity policy should be avoided. Dickens (1994) argues that there is not a business case but a series of business rationales that are contingent. Organizational and managerial receptiveness to them is uneven, and they lead to only selective action. He goes on to state that the business case ‘carrot’ shares a similar weakness to the legal compliance ‘stick’. Calls for action beyond the individual organisation in a multi-pronged approach requiring state action, in which equality legislation and business case rationales each have apart to play. Chapter 3: Research Approach and Methodology Employed Research Approach The research approach will be carried out using the positivist case research approach. According to Cavite (1996), positivist epistemology tries to understand a social setting by identifying individual components of a phenomenon and explains the phenomenon in terms of constructs and relationships between constructs. The theoretical constructs describing the phenomenon are considered to be distinct from empirical reality. Hence, empirical observations can be used to test theory. This looks at the world as external and objective. Positivism employs four major research evaluation criteria: a good research should make controlled observations, should be able to be replicated should be generalizable and should use formal logic. Under positivism, case research findings are not statistically generalizable to a population, as the case or cases cannot be considered representative of a population, however, case research can claim theoretical generalizability. This will also include comparing, contrasting and critically evaluating past and present papers, articles, journals, and established theories that have been published on the subject matter. Methodology Employed Multiple-Case Study Design This project uses the multiple case study method in order to enable analysis of data across cases and relating it to the theoretical perspectives in the available literature of Information systems strategy. This enables the researcher to verify that findings are not merely the result of idiosyncrasies of research setting (Miles andHuberman, 1984). According to Yin (1994), in such a method it is important to use: multiple sources of evidence. Due to the time constraint attached with this paper, only three case studies of Women in management within the UK banking sector were gathered. The appropriate number of cases depends, firstly, on how much is known about the phenomenon after studying a case and secondly, on how much new information is likely to emerge from studying further cases(Eisenhardt, 1997). The paper provides three case studies of UK high street banks namely HSBC, NatWest Bank, and Lloyds TSB. Comparing and contrasting the roles of the women who are in the top management in these banks. Qualitative Data Cavite (1996) states that qualitative investigation refers to distilling meaning and understanding from a phenomenon and is not primarily concerned with measuring and quantification of the phenomenon. Direct and in-depth knowledge of a research setting are necessary to achieve contextual understanding. Hence, qualitative methods are associated with face-to-face contact with persons in the research setting, with verbal data being gathered. Qualitative data can be collected in a number of forms. One major form of qualitative evidence is interviews, which may be recorded and later transcribed. Qualitative data are rich, full, holistic ‘real’ their face validity seems impeachable; they preserve chronological flow where that is important. In spite of the above mentioned, qualitative data have weaknesses (Miles1979; Miles and Huberman, 1984). Collecting and analysing data is time-consuming and demanding. In addition, data analysis is not easy, as qualitative data analysis methods are not well established. Recognised rules of logic can be applied to verbal data in order to make sense of the evidence and to formally analyse the data. Rubin and Rubin (1995) state that it is most desirable to disclose the identities of both the case and the individuals interviewed because, †¢ The reader is able to recall any other previous information he or she may have learned about the same case from previous research or other sources in reading and interpreting the case report. †¢ The entire case can be reviewed more readily, so that footnotes and citations can be checked, if necessary, and appropriate criticisms can be raised about the published case. Nevertheless, there are some occasions when anonymity is necessary. The most common rationale is that when the case study has been on controversial topic, anonymity serves to protect the real case and its real participants. The second reason is that the issuance of the final case report may affect the subsequent actions of those that were studied. In the case of this paper, the positions of the participants within the organisations interviewed are mentioned. However, anonymity is adopted to protect the Identities of the participants and the real case. Why? Because the issue of women in management within Banks in the UK has been a long standing problem, in which revealing their names could hinder future revelations on their part and their jobs. The remainder of this paper proceeds as follows: Chapter 4: Theoretical Hypothesis on Women in Management Chapter 5: Empirical Analysis (Three Banks) Chapter 6: Comparing and contrasting Theoretical Hypothesis and Empirical Analysis Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusion. Chapter 4: Theoretical Hypothesis of Women In Management In order to have a clear understanding of women in management, we will first need to identify the meaning attached to this phenomenon. Since the mid 1990s, women’s representation amongst executives has doubled and amongst company directors it has tripled. At the same time there has been an overall increase in women working in management jobs. However, women still comprise less than a quarter of executives and only one in ten company directors. The ‘glass ceiling’, the situation where women can see but not reach higher level jobs and so are prevented from progressing in their careers, appears still to exist in many organisations. This is what led to the creation of the terminology ‘women in management’. Several key factors account for the continuing low representation of women in management. Firstly, like most other occupations, there is a tendency for some types of management jobs to be associated with either women or men. For example, whilst women are comparatively well represented in personnel and the public sector, men still predominate in production management and Information and communication technology. Secondly, opportunities to work part-time are limited, with only six present of managers and senior officials employed part-time. Although it may be difficult to carry out some management functions on a part-time basis, there are still far too few opportunities for flexible working at senior levels in organisations. With this in mind, we can now move on to discuss the theoretical perspectives of women in management. There are several already established theoretical perspectives that have been used to gather a better understanding of this issue, however, the ones used in this paper are: 1) Issues and problems facing women reaching the top (manager) 2) Why so few women reaching the top? 3) Why are women workers still going cheap? 4) What causes the gender pay gap? 5) Have women achieved equality in the UK banking industry? 4.1 Issues and problems facing women reaching the top (manager) Several factors account for the continuing low representation of women reaching the top. One of the key issues is that women consider family obligations and the predominance of ‘male values’ in corporate culture to be the main obstacles to career advancement for them. The nature of the obstacles blocking women’s progress to higher management varies, however, from those encountered at lower levels. Higher ranking female bank managers seem to experience discrimination to a greater extent, both on terms of structural and cultural barriers, where insufficient personal contacts and dominance of ‘male values’ adversely affect their advancement. The difficulties women face in reaching the top is also reflected in the higher levels of education and effort often demanded of them. The hurdles facing women aspiring to management jobs can be so formidable that they sometimes abandon efforts to make it to the top of large firms. They often take their energy and know-how to smaller and more flexible companies or set up their own businesses. Another principal constraint on the level and type of labour market participation of women is the responsibility they carry for raising children and performing household tasks. An important feature of professional and especially managerial work is the extended working hours that seem to be required to gain recognition and eventual promotion. It can be practically impossible to reconcile the long hours often required of management staff with the amount of time needed to care for a home and children, not to mention care of the elderly. Yet the availability of part-time managerial work varies across organisations. Women who desire both a family and a career often juggle heavy responsibilities in both domains. Those who opt for part-time work early in their careers may find their advancement hampered, even after a return to full-time employment, since their male counterparts will have invested heavily in career building during the same period. 4.2 Why so few women reaching the top? Few women gain access to the highest positions as executive heads of organizations and, despite some improvements, many would claim that the pace of change is still far too slow given the large number of qualified women in the labour market today. Where figures are available (ILO data, 2002), they show women holding from 1 present to 5percent of top executive positions. While it must be acknowledged that time is still needed for women at junior and middle management levels(those in the pipeline) to move into executive positions, the fact still remains that women are not moving quickly enough nor insufficient numbers into line or strategic positions. Yet this factories crucial for enlarging the pool of women aspiring to senior positions and for building a critical mass of senior women for networking and providing role models for those down the line. Speeding up women’s movement towards the top requires that recruitment and promotion methods be objective and fair. Above all, there has to be awareness and commitment from directors of companies as to the benefits for their organizations from promoting women to high-level managerial positions. Women seem to experience the most difficulty in obtaining executive jobs in large corporations, even though they often have greater opportunities at junior and middle management levels in these same corporations. Another reason for this purge is the educational attainment required for top management positions. Evidence provided byte Equal opportunities Commission in the United Kingdom suggest that, in some cases women do not have the educational qualifications to get into management positions, and even when that is not the case, they still do find it hard to break into management, due to the fact that its predominantly male dominated. Another reason is that few senior women are in the so called ‘line’ positions that involve profit and loss or revenue generating responsibilities, and which are critical for advancement to the highest level. Additionally, in the United Kingdom, the share of women among financial managers rose from 11 present to 17percent in the 1980s and still increasing, although they are still outnumbered by men in top management positions in the 21st century. 4.3 Why are women workers still going cheap? Much of women’s work has historically tended to be undervalued or unrecognized. While the United Nations system and governments are making more systematic efforts to value and account for women’s work in national statistics, research on women in management is a relatively new field and comparisons over time and across countries are limited. This is further made complicated by the range of definitions employed and the non-availability of statistics for different countries overtime. Under a report provided by the United Nations in 1996 called the Human development report, it states that ‘no society treats its women as well as men’. A gender related development index was created to record achievements and monitor progress. This is based on life expectancy, educational attainment and income, but adjusts the latter mentioned for gender equality. They noted that life expectancy rates are positively affected by care in different forms, such as social support and social relationships. For example, unmarried adults have higher mortality rates than married ones and, according to them, children in a caring environment fare better in terms of health than those who lack this attention. It is not only the weak and sick that need care to prosper; even the healthiest of adults need a certain amount of care. A deficit in care services not only destroys human development, but it also undermines economic growth. That these factors are overlooked has considerable implications for gender equality, as women still carry the main responsibility for care. Gender discrimination is perpetuated through the lack of value placed on women’s caring role in society. As managers, women are affected byte common assumption that in the event of building families they will bear the main burden of responsibility arising out of this. Thus, there is not the same degree of investment in women. They are less likely to receive the same encouragement or career advice through mentoring as men. Another important factor is that in some countries equal opportunity policies tend to be established within organizations, however, in some countries they are not strictly adhered to. In the Ukase scheme known as ‘Opportunity 2000’ was launched in 2000. Its member included 300 organizations ranging from the financial services to the educational departments. They agreed to increase the number of women into management positions, and between 1994 to 2000, women’s share of management positions increased from 25 present to 35 present. Therefore, one can say although women are still going cheap in certain jobs in other parts of the world this is not the case universally. 4.4 What causes the gender pay gap? A difference in management positions does tend to contribute to earnings differentials. Although rates of pay may be similar, actual earnings can vary because of the different salary packages offered to managers, which provide various fringe benefits and access to certain schemes for boosting bonuses. Earnings gaps may also reflect differences in seniority and concentration of women in low-paid managerial sub-groups. Additionally, certain jobs tend to be affiliated with men and to women, i.e. productions and manufacturing jobs tend to be affiliated with men, while nursing, and household jobs tend to be affiliated with women, this contributes to the pay gap between men and women. Within the Banking sector in the United Kingdom, there has been an increase of the number of women into both middle and top management. However, the positions they tend to head are not profit-making positions or revenue generating positions, which are positions of higher pay and responsibility. They tend to be based within the retail, customer services, and bookkeeping departments, which are areas of significance to the organization, but are of less repute. 4.5 Have women achieved equality in the UK banking industry? In the area of finance, women have certainly increased their share of management positions, although at a varying pace. In the United Kingdom, the share of women among financial managers rose from 11 present to 17 present during the 1980’s and at the turn of the century increased to 25 present. While women have captured an ever-increasing share of the labour market, improvements in the quality of women’s jobs have not kept pace. This is reflected in the smaller representation of women in management positions, particularly in the private sector, and their virtual absence from most senior jobs, i.e. Directorships, or Presidents of Banks. Wage differentials in male and female managerial jobs stem from the reality that even when women hold management jobs, they are often in less strategic lower-paying areas oaf company’s operations. They are also linked to the fact that women managers tend to be younger on average, as most senior jobs tend to be dominated by older men. Despite the persistent inequalities at managerial level, the continuous entry of women into higher-level jobs is being addressed; however, they still remain under-represented in senior management. With few exceptions, the main challenge appears tube the sheer slowness in the in the progress of women into senior leadership positions in organizations, which suggests that discrimination is greatest where the most power is exercised. However, the growth in entrepreneurship and increasing numbers of women running their own businesses, both large and small, heralds a different future for societies. The economic power gained by women will play a key role in the struggle to sweep aside gender inequalities in all walks of life in which the UK banking sector is no exception. Chapter 5: Empirical Analysis In this chapter I present (3)case descriptions from my research on Women in management within the Banking Sector. The descriptions are organised in terms of the following headings; Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience, the position of women in the financial industry in general, the position of women in the UK banking sector, the changing role of women in the UK banking sector, pay differentials, women broken through glass ceiling, employment law and maternity right, and balancing work and family responsibilities. Due to the short timespan to collect data and incorporate to this paper I have been limited to three UK high street banks. The names of the individuals interviewed are not mentioned to protect confidentiality. It must be said that there are some differences in the both the quality and quantity of data available between the cases described, but in each case there is sufficient data for comparability across the features mentioned above. Women managers or the most senior of positions with regard to women in the three high street banks are analysed to address the issue of women in management. See Appendix A for the questions used. All interviews lasted approximately 40 minutes. 5.1 Case Study 1: Natwest Bank Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience The Woman interviewed was the manager of the branch. She is responsible for 25 people in the branch. She argues that in the past there were no female managers, most women, were household wives and lacked career progression. She believes that a lot has changed over the past 20 years and that within the bank a lot of progress has been made with regard to women into management positions. Additionally, she states that there is a continuing need to have women in management positions because it depicts the bank as being an equal opportunities bank. The position of women in the financial industry in general She argues that they are a lot more women in Finance ministries, central banks, and banking supervisory agencies, which are among the most important political institutions with regard to the coordination and regulation of the financial system than the case maybe in the past. The position of women in UK banking sector She states that although there has been a huge increase in the number of women in management positions within the bank, relative to male managers, it is small percentage that are in this category compared to over 50 years ago. The changing role of women in the UK banking sector She believes that the role of women in the bank has changed over the years. In the past women within the bank were more concentrated in the retail department, but more and more women are going into the trading of stocks and products which are revenue generating departments within the bank. Pay Differential She states categorically, that she is quite happy and content with how much she is being paid and comparing herself to her male counterpart sat other branches of the bank, there isn’t a difference with regard other pay package (it’s the same). Women broken through glass ceiling She believes that within NatWest bank the case of women breaking through the glass ceiling is not an issue. As far as she is concerned if you have the right qualifications and attributes, you will make it through regardless of gender differences. Employment law and Maternity right She argues that there are policies within the bank that ensures equal opportunities for both male and female employees to get into top management. And that women are encouraged to take maternity leave if needs be, and when they are ready to come back to their previous position the job would still be there. Flexible part-time work is available for those who fall under this category she says. Balancing work and Family For the hours she works, it could affect family life being the manager of the branch, however, for the top directors within the bank the want staff to have a good work and family life balance. They do encourage women, if they need to go out on maternity leave and come back to their previous job. 5.2 Case Study 2: Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Continuity and Change in Women’s twentieth century in comparison to now experience The Woman interviewed was the branch counsellor (Customer services/accounts); she is the most senior woman (retail). She is responsible for 5 people. She argues that in the Bank there were few female managers compared to their male counterparts. Although she believes a lot has changed over the years with regard to women getting into management positions, she states that due to the lack of proper qualifications and starting a family, women have not in general been able to move into management positions. The position of women in financial industry in general She argues that there are not enough women in the financial industry. She acknowledges that there have been improvements but that there is still barrier. The position of women in the UK banking sector She believes that only the determined ones (women) get through. However, from heron knowledge of the bank, there are not a lot of women in top management positions. The changing role of women in the UK banking sector The branch counsellor states that when a woman says she works in a bank it would be depicted that she works as a secretary. This is due to the lack of qualifications and top management being male dominated, the role of women within the bank has remained static. Pay Differential She states that there are certain grades within the bank and each and every person is categorised into one of those grades. The salary band is applied in that manner. She states that for the job responsibilities, she is quite content and happy with what she is being paid, however there is still need for improvement. Women broken through glass ceiling She argues that there is a glass ceiling within the bank and women can only go so far. She adds that women tend to leave to have children and look after the home. Also, she says that there are gender diversity policies within the bank, but they are not adhered to from top management. Employment law and maternity right Within the bank there is policy that allows for part-time flexible work patterns. Legally, they have to keep the position for you, if for example you left to have baby.