Anaylsis of gambling industry Essay Example for Free

Anaylsis of gambling industry Essay Introduction A service is the result of applying human or mechanical efforts to people or objects. Services are intangible products involving a deed, a performance or an effort which cannot be physically possessed (s dibb, 1994). Within this report their will be a number of topics discussed including the marketing mix, the effects of gambling and the ongoing conflict between services and product. These topics will be referred to the specific service which is the gala casino in Edinburgh. Methodology. In the UK there are many different gambling bodies, such as Gala, William Hill and Betfred. The gambling industry is one of the most successful services in the Britain.. Gala casinos are owned by the Gala Group who in 2005 merged with another European gambling business Coral Eurobet to create Europes largest integrated betting group. At present, Gala employs over 17000 people and generates over ? 400 million per annum, serving over 2 million customers (Gala Group, 2005). The casino that this report will focus on will be the Maybury Casino in Edinburgh, which is owned by Gala. Despite it being a large city, there are only two casinos in Edinburgh, the Maybury being the bigger and more successful, rather than the William Hill casino closer to the centre of town. The casino has a high quality restaurant which is used all year round. Unlike some casinos, the Maybury has all the major casino tables, such as craps, roulette, blackjack and various types of poker. It has also has two function rooms mainly used for poker tournaments or mah-jong tables. Main body Marketing mix The marketing mix is key when developing any business whether it is a product based company or a service provider. The marketing mix is a very simple tool yet effect is basically a step to step guide on how to market the product(foxall, 1999). The following are the main marketing mix elements which refer to all business however in some cases a further 3 of physical evidence, people and process, all of these ingredients mask a major role of the retailer which is to select and acquire goods in order to sell their product (d Gilbert, 1999) Place For many different services the location of a business is a powerful marketing tool by itself( d Carson, 1991) . For example: the Waverley Hotel on Princes Street is on one of the busiest streets in the country and is therefore almost guaranteed to make a profit. Although this is not really the case for the Maybury Casino, it is still in a good position. It is situated in Corstorphine which is just out of the centre of Edinburgh. Despite this distance from the busy city centre, its location does allow for increased space. Most customers would want a casino closer to the centre of Edinburgh, but this would almost certainly mean that the venue would be smaller, with higher costs for the customer and the business. Having the business out of town allows for more space which in turn means the company can offer a better service to the customers. The other advantage of this location is that it is situated next to the main road into Edinburgh from Fife, going through Haymarket. This allows passers by to see the establishment. The benefit to having this out of town location is access: it is very simple to travel to the casino as Edinburgh has an award winning bus service with more than two buses running 24 hours a day that go past the casino. Price is one of the most difficult aspects of the marketing mix to tackle. Companies can do many things with promotion and can offer great products, but when it comes down to it, the cost of this is all that the vast majority of customers are interested in(j lee, 2002) Price is tricky when it comes to gambling, as it is an entertainment industry solely based on money. All casinos are always going to cost money when it comes to betting on tables, so there is nothing any one particular company can do differently, as it is generally up to the customer how much they spend. However, there are other aspects that are important in this industry, the main one being the membership price. The Maybury Casino does not charge a membership fee ? this is quite rare for most casinos. This is an enormous marketing tool in itself, as the amount of gamblers and money spent on gambling is increasing. Therefore, if it is free to play then this will entice gamblers even more, and at the end of the day free is free. Another aspect of price is the poker room. This room is used for weekly poker tournaments, which is something that a lot of casinos do. However the Gala Casino differs from others: poker is one of the fastest growing pastimes, which has encouraged Gala to offer poker tournaments every day of the week with different price levels. Having all these different price levels can encourage a larger range of customers, allowing those with less money to not miss out. One of the best reasons for the lower priced tournaments is the large amount of students this attracts. Students generally have less money than most members of the public, and as poker is becoming increasingly popular with younger people today, the casino is therefore an affordable place they can go with friends. The general misconception about casinos is that they are for older businessmen who enjoy an expensive lifestyle and are happy to have expensive food and drink prices, but this is not the case. The prices of the drinks in the casino are the same as most Edinburgh bars with similar ranges and well trained staff. The restaurant is of a high quality and not overpriced. Therefore, it cannot be said that the price of the establishment could be responsible for putting people off going to the Casino. Promotion in general is harder for a service rather than a product. This is especially the case when referring to casinos. The only way in which casinos tend to promote themselves is in the actual casino itself. Casinos cannot advertise in the same way that normal products can, due to legislations so they rely heavily on word of mouth. In some ways, promotion is actually very important to a service, (especially this type of service) as they are relying on their own performance to act as their promotion. Product This is the most important part of the marketing mix for a service, as this is all they have. In regards to a service this element is basically the result of the previous three elements of the marketing mix without this one they all fail. In all aspects of retail, whether it is in a service or providing a product, it is this that matters to the customer. It does not matter how they promote it or at what price they sell it at they will fail either way if the product is not up to standard. The three extra elements only really refer to services due to the intangible element of human behaviour, where quality and its control is off paramount importance(d Gilbert,1999 ) People are also vital in services as they are your promotion they do all the work. Again the service as a whole can be great but if it is not applied properly by the staff then this becomes irrelevant. They employees are the face of the service so they must look and act in the way that is suitable for the service such as in the bank clean and in a shirt and tie. Process is very similar to some of the other elements as this is the procedures that are undertaken in providing the service. Other elements of process are the information that is available about the service, if customers are not aware of the details of the service they are unlikely to take part. Physical evidence is reasonably self explanatory, it is the physical elements the tangible elements of the service for example in a hotel the cleanliness of the curtains would be an example of physical evidence. Effects of gambling on society Gambling is one service (unlike most) where it can be taboo in mainstream society to advertise or promote itself. There are many laws and regulations on gambling such as (Hanson, 2005). For casinos to make a profit and to attract customers they have to rely on peoples need for gambling. Many people feel that gambling is immoral and praying on the weakness of others and their lack of discipline; because of this many people feel that gambling should be abolished completely. However despite those people who do not agree with gambling, there are plenty of individuals who support it. Many people feel that it is their own choice to spend their own money, and the few who lack the discipline to control their gambling should not stop others who can. With the relatively recent boom of internet gambling, especially poker, gambling is becoming more and more of a hot topic with governments and groups throughout the world. Casinos should take advantage of this surge of interest in gambling in order to make a profit and keep it available to customers; however, they should also remember to do so without angering people. Difficulty of services compared to products Citizens of the Western world are living in increasingly service-based economies. Services are no longer a minor or superficial part of economies, but go to the heart of value creation within the economy. (Palmer 2004) What Palmer is suggesting here is that services are no longer viewed in the traditional way as an unproductive aspect of the economy, but are now the base of many economies. In spite of this it is still incredibly difficult to succeed in a service. In general it is much easier to sell a tangible product people can see, touch or taste before purchasing (c gronroos, 1978). Service providers must rely on the quality of their own performance with many variables that can scupper a good experience. This however can all depend on the economy of the country, i. e. providing a service in a country such as Portugal where many other nations go to vacation and for many parts of the country being a service provider is simpler such as bars in a busy tourist area. This is not so much the case in the more powerful countries such as the UK, U. S. A and France. These countries are very much consumer driven and succeeding as a service provider can be difficult in many ways due to the attitude of society in the 21st century. There are, like previously mentioned, so many variables which can effect a service provider and with most customers being viewed as fickle if the service in anyway is not more than their level of tolerance they will try bring this service down. There will always be a conflict between services and products and each has their day in certain societies. Conclusion The service provider chosen has pros and cons from many different topics. The difficulties that a casino like this faces will never change and it is not an attack on the way in which they are providing this service it is always going to be on the service itself and societys view of it. The service encounter was however more full of positive notes rather than negative. In order to get past people views on gambling, they have decided to divert all their efforts on how they provide this service and in this, there are few flaws. integral to the selling activity in all markets( dibb, 2001) They have utilised ever point of the marketing mix well and definitely to their advantage, providing the best service possible to customers. Their use of location is especially impressive, normally out of town locations can prove to be a stumbling block for many services but the casino has utilised it to their advantage and turned being an in-town location into the less popular of the two. The conflict between services and products is always going to be around. However services are growing and growing with 73% of the employees working in the UK are working in the service sector (ILO, 1999). To conclude, if services are to be performed in such a manner as the Gala casino then the service industry will continue to rise.

The Pastoral Setting of Shakespeares As You Like It :: Shakespeare As You Like It Essays

The Pastoral Setting of As You Like It    Central to the pastoral vision of As You Like It is the setting in the Forest of Ardenne, especially the contrast between it and the ducal court. In the former, there is a powerful political presence which creates dangers. Deception lurks behind many actions, brothers have secret agendas against their brothers, and people have to answer to the arbitrary demands of power.    In the Forest of Ardenne, however, life is very different. For one thing, there is no urgency to the agenda. There are no clocks in the forest, and for the exiled courtiers there is no regular work. They are free to roam around the forest, prompted by their own desires. There is plenty of food to eat, so the communal hunt takes care of their physical needs. That and the absence of a complex political hierarchy creates a much stronger sense of communal equality hearkening back the the mythical good old days. The exiled Duke himself attests to the advantages of living far from the court, free of the deceits of flattery and double dealing and welcomes Orlando to the feast without suspicion.    And, most important here, especially in comparison with the history plays, is the importance of singing. As You Like It is full of songs-not performances by professional court musicians, but impromptu group singing which expresses better than anything else the spontaneous joy these people derive from life in the Forest and the joy they give back to others. The songs indicate clearly the way in which in the Forest people can shape their actions to their moods-a situation totally unlike the court where one has to consider one's actions much more carefully.    Hence, the Forest of Ardenne provides for the exiled courtiers an important freedom to experiment with their lives, to discover things about themselves. In the Forest people can talk openly with whoever they might happen to meet on a stroll through the trees, and that might be anyone, given that in the Forest no one owns any particular territory (there are no rooms, palaces, roads-unlike the court where there is a preoccupation with property) and thus one might well meet and have to deal with a person whom one would never get close to in the court (that can have comic results, of course, as Touchstone's conversations with Audrey and William demonstrate).

Conformity and Obedience

Conformity and Obedience. In order to answer the question it is first necessary to define conformity and obedience. According to Woods, (2001 p. 107): ‘ We often adjust our actions or opinions so that they fit in well with those of other people. This is known as social conformity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ’ And Gross, (2001 pg. 392) stated that: Obedience is affected by direction (from somebody in higher authority). This essay will explore circumstances in which we are likely to conform; or obey others. This will be done by drawing on research carried out by Milgram, Asch, Crutchfield and Zimbardo.There are many ways in which we conform; some are useful others are not. For example, if we did not conform and adhere to the Highway Code there would be absolute chaos on our roads and lives would be at risk. At the other end of the scale we have the horrific example of ‘blind’ obedience in relation to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s – 40’s. In this situation Hitler’s soldiers obeyed and carried out their orders without question because their orders came from a legitimate authority. (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999, pp. 79-80).In 1963 Stanley Milgram carried out a psychological experiment to try to discover why so many people co-operated and committed such atrocities in the concentration camps. This experiment involved groups of two people one – a confederate – played the part of a student trying to remember different words. The other person who was the subject played the role of a teacher and gave him the test. The teacher was told to ‘shock’ the ‘student’ every time he missed a word. Milgram thought that most people wouldn’t shock another human being and especially not all the way up to deadly levels of electricity.However, I transpired that 63% were obedient to their instructor (since he was the one in a position of power) and went all the way up to 450v which was lethal ( Hayes, 2000 pp. 50-51). Experiments carried out by Solomon Asch (1995) showed how easy it is to make people conform. In one of his experiments Asch used groups of 6-8 people who were told they were participating in a study on visual perception. He presented these subjects with 2 cards. On one card was a single ‘standard’ line; on the other were 3 ‘comparison’ lines. Participants were asked to judge which of the comparison lines were equal in length to the ‘standard’ line.Each of Asch’s groups only contained one real subject – the rest were confederates. Asch instructed each of the confederates to give the same wrong answer. There was a 75% conformity rate of the participants, meaning that they gave the same answer as the confederates, showing that people do not want to ‘appear different’ (Gross, 2001 pg. 382). However, researchers discovered that if the participants were alloed to give their answers away from the grou p, then conformity decreased. If people were allowed to give their answers in private, then it is found that they will be less likely to be swayed by other people’s opinions.Again, in experiments, researchers like Asch (1955) have discovered that if the task is ambiguous or the problem made harder, then conformity levels are likely to increase. Under conditions where the problem is less obvious, then people are likely to go with the majority of the group (Gross, 2001 pg. 383). An experiment carried out by Crutchfield (1954) found that pressure to conform can also occur without face to face communication. In this particular study each participant was placed in a separate booth facing a screen which displayed questions and what they believed were answers of the other participants.The questions were simple and the answers obvious. In around half the cases the answers were incorrect. Each participant was led to believe they were the last to answer having seen the other answers. C rutchfield in fact placed the answers there. This experiment suggests that in certain situations people will conform to avoid being the ‘odd one out’ and labelled as a social outcast. In addition, the fear of rejection by peers helps to assure that conformity is guaranteed. Crutchfields’ experiment found that 37% of the participants conformed all the time which shows that conformity can occur even without face to face contact.Both these experiments show that people will go with a group norm and conform to other people who they might not even know (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 73). Clearly, there are several reasons why we conform i. e. we don’t want to be seen as troublesome or a nuisance – the psychological term being ‘compliance’. Perhaps we simply wish to be accepted into a group ‘normative influence’ (Gross 2001 p. 386). We may also feel that we are amongst people who are more knowledgeable than us and that we have no rig ht to argue, which is termed ‘information social influence’ (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 4). It could be argued that conformity studies are often designed to illustrate the dangers of conformity, and the following study could be seen as an example of this. ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ was carried out in 1973 by Zimbardo. It involved taking at random 24 men who responded to a newspaper advertisement asking for volunteers to take part in a psychological study on prison life. A mock prison was created and the volunteers were given ‘roles’ of either guards or prisoners.This experiment found that the guards conformed to the roles expected of them in that they took charge of the prisoners and treated them cruelly and the prisoners conformed to their roles in that they allowed this to happen and did not say that they wanted to stop the experiment. Some even asked for parole instead of requesting that the experiment be terminated. The level of confo rmity in this study was exceptionally high to the extent that the ‘prisoners’ became very distressed and the experiment had to be aborted on day 6 – it was planned to last 2 weeks (Class notes, March 2005).Research also shows that levels of conformity are likely to increase if the status of the people in the rest of the group is high. Low status people are likely to conform more to high status people, especially if those people are in some form of authority (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 77). Without doubt all societies require a certain level of conformity in order to function as a society. If social norms are not adhered there would be confusion and disorder. However, what research has shown is that anyone is capable of conforming/obeying under the right circumstances or situations.It is also evident that the circumstances in which we conform or obey can be seen as positive or negative and although it is not always the case, it is usually a positive social influen ce. In the UK today we live in a society which places great value on the individual: ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. there is a great emphasis on individual responsibility to contribute to society. ’ (Alcock et al, 1999 pg. 41) we are expected to contribute, conform and obey. Following like sheep may be regarded s weak, however, the fact remains that many of us conform i. e. religion, fashion, politics.In addition to these factors it is important to mention that non-conformity also has its place in society because if there were total conformity there would be no change, no improvement, or new ideas. For many, life may well be a struggle – battling with the desire to be an ‘individual’ and also having to ‘conform’ to how society expects them to be, think and do. It could be argued that conformity and obedience are necessary elements of society as conformity and obedience helps create a stable society. From an early age we have been instructed to obey a nd conform as we grow up we continue to be exposed to these pressures i. . our parents demand obedience, friends require us to be ‘part of the crowd,’ teachers demand homework, our religion tells us what to believe and the government expects us to obey the law and pay our taxes. Culturally too we are expected to conform i. e. arranged marriages, customs, traditions and dress. In conclusion, with regard to the experiments that have been discussed in this essay it is important to remember that they are just that – experiments, and it is difficult to know for certain what would actually happen in the ‘real world. References. WOODS, B. Basics in Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. GROSS, R. 2001. PSYCHOLOGY. The science of the mind & behaviour. 4th edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. MCILVEEN, R & GROSS, R. 1999. Social Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. HAYES, N. 1994. Principles of Social Psychology. East Sussex. Psychology Press Ltd. ALCOCK, P. , ERKSINE, A. , MAY, M. 1998. The Students Companion to Social Policy. Oxford. Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Conformity and Obedience Conformity and Obedience Assignment In this assignment I intend to evaluate Stanley Milgrams studies of obedience and in particular the ethical issues broken. I hope to determine whether the knowledge gained justifies his experiments. After the destruction and atrocities committed in World War II many historians argued that there must be some sort of character defect that made the German people more obedient. Mailgram’s study was an attempt to test ‘the Germans are different’ hypothesis. The hypothesis states that Germans are more likely a person or people in authority regardless of what the act is. Social psychology handbook pg. 8) Milgram conducted an experiment into the nature of obedience in 1963 at the prestigious Yale University. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the level of obedience participant would go to in giving electric shocks to another person when ordered to by an authority figure. (Social psychology handbook pg. 8) Milgram issued an adv ertisement in a local paper requesting people aged 20-50 from all walks of life, excluding students to take part in an experiment at Yale University. The experiment would last an hour and the pay was four dollars fifty.The participants were told they were getting paid for coming to the laboratory regardless of the results of the experiment. (Gross, 2010, pg. 416) 40 male participants were selected; they arrived at Yale university psychology department and were greeted by a young man dressed in a lab coat. He introduced himself as Jack Williams, the experimenter. He was to appear stern and emotionless throughout the experiment. There was also another participant introduced as a likeable and mild-mannered man named Mr Wallace, he was a confederate and everything from here on has been pre-planned except the results of course. Gross, 2010, pg. 416) The participant were given a short introduction and told the aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of punishment on learning. The participant was then asked to pick a piece of paper out a hat to determine who would be playing the role of the teacher, and who was to play the learner. This was rigged in order for the experiment to work; Mr Wallace was always the learner and the participant the teacher. Next they were all led into an adjoining room and the learner (Mr Wallace) was strapped in full view of the participant into the electric chair and electrodes were attracted to his arms and legs.The teacher (the participant) was told that the electrodes were attracted to the shock generator next room. The generator was a convincing fake created by Milgram. The participant and the experimenter went into the next room where the generator was. The teacher gave a 45 volt shock to convince them that it was real. The volt was battery power and not attached to the mains. The generator switches were labelled with voltage levels and verbal descriptions from: 15-60 slight shock up in intervals of 15 volts to 435-450 XXX. Gr oss, 2010, pg. 416) The learner was asked to memorise a series of paired words. The teacher was to then test the learner by giving him one the words in a pair along with four different words. The learner then had to answer which of the four words had originally been paired with the first one. The learners answer was indicated by one of the four switches which lit up one of four lights on the generator machine. If the learner gave the correct answer, then they moved onto the next question.If the answer was wrong the teacher had to tell the learner the correct answer, and then say that they were going to give them a shock which went up higher 15 volts each time an incorrect answer was given. . (Gross, 2010, pg. 216). In the first experiment known as the ‘remote-victim condition’ the leaner was to give vocal response until 300 volts was used, then the learner was scripted to start pounding on the wall and after 315 volts were administrated to stop. In the second experiment the responses were voice recorded ‘voice feedback’ and the teacher was to believe these were the reactions of the learner from being shocked.For example at 75 volts he made a grunt, at 150 he cried out and refused to be part of experiment asking to be set loose, at 315 he screamed out in pain and finally after 330 volts no sound could be heard. The teacher was instructed that if an answer was not given then it was to be treated as an incorrect answer and a shock was still to be given. If the teacher was to turn to the experimenter for guidance on whether to carry on giving shocks or indicate that they didn’t want to go on the experimenter would reply with a series of ‘prods’.The ‘prods’ were responses such as ‘please continue’ ‘the experiment requires that you continue’ or ‘It’s absolutely essential that you continue’. These ‘prods’ were to be repeated in a sequence for example if ‘prod 1’ was unsuccessful then only could ‘prod 2’ be used if the learner disobeyed after the fourth ‘prod’ the experiment was to end. There was also a special prod used in case the participant was concerned on the physical state of the learner, which was ‘although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so please go on. ((Social psychology handbook pg. 11/12). After experiment the participants were introduced to the victim again to prove that he was unharmed. They were debriefed using open ended questions and psychometric measures were used to make sure the participants left the experiment unharmed. Milgram found the results quite shocking and unpredictable. In the first ‘remote victim’ experiment all participants went up to at least 300 volts when the learner pounded on the wall, 65 per cent went all the way to 450 volts.In the second ‘voice feedback’ condition 62. 5 per cent went to the lethal 450 volts. He also found even though the participants hesitated and objected they still continued with the experiment. Although many were observed to tremble, stutter, dig their nails into their palms and even laugh, one participant had a seizure. (Gross, 2010, pg. 416/417). Milgram evaluated his own experiment and devised nine factors that could explain the reason why such high levels of conformity were visible. To test the factors he devised further versions of his experiment.I believe that this strengthens the experiment the amount of control that Milgram was able to give and the different variations helped to strengthen Milgrams conclusion as to why we obey people in authority. (Gross, 2010, pg. 417). A weakness of the experiment is the sample used is not representable to the rest of the American population and can’t be generalised. Only males who read the advert and were prepared to take part in a laboratory experiment were used Milgrams have been accused of d eliberately using an ethnocentric sample. Class notes) I also believe that the experiment was not ecologically valid as laboratory is not considered a normal situation and this could contributed to the experiment having demand characteristics as the participant might have thought that they were in an controlled safe environment and were also encouraged to do so by the experimenter. Another big weakness of the experiment and one that Milgram has been heavily criticised on is ethics. Ethical guidelines are necessary to clarify the conditions under which psychological research is acceptable. British psychological society) (Ethics PowerPoint Moodle). Baumrind (1964) argued that Milgram’s participants had been abused, their feelings not taken into consideration, and not enough was done to protect them from emotional and psychological stress. (Gross, 210, pg. 779) Part of the reason ethical guidelines were brought into force was because of Milgram’s experiment. In my opinion certain ethical guideless were broken, such as no deception should be used, and participants should be informed of all aspects of the experiment unless there is no alternative.Milgram clearly didn’t tell the participant that the learner was an actor and the ‘shock generator’ a fake. I’m sure that this breaks another ethic which is protection, meaning that the participants must not suffer any physical of psychological damage. I believe the participants did receive some emotional stress from the experiment to begin with. It’s argued that Milgram did not take suitable measures to ensure this didn’t happen, but Milgram argues that didn’t predict his results and they were unexpected.That could be believable that Milgram believed the participants would not need protection, but after seeing the distress caused in his first experiment why continue repeating it 17 more times? The participant’s right to withdraw was also breached. All pa rticipants must be informed of their right to withdraw without losing any payment and the results from these must be removed from the records. This wasn’t made clear and the ‘prods’ used strongly suggest to the participant that withdrawal isn’t possible.There is also another important issue broken; consent was not given as the participants were not fully informed of what was happening in the experiment. However milgram argues that the participants were shown that Mr Wallace was unharmed after experiment and a debriefing was issued. A year after the experiment an independent psychologist interviewed the participants used, and found that no evidence of any lasting psychological damage was apparent. He also argues that the experimenter didn’t make the participant shock anyone, they choose to do it themselves milgram wanted everyone to have free will. Social psychology handbook pg. 14/15) To answer the question is Milgrams experiment justified the answe r I believe is yes. Although certain ethical issues are apparent such a situation was unavoidable, and as Milgram says â€Å"the central moral justification for allowing my experiment is that it was judged acceptable by those who took part in it† (â€Å"The Individual in a Social World†, Milgram 1977) Its seems that it was necessary to brake certain rules in order for the experiment to be completed and more real to life.If Milgram’s participants were to be fully informed his results would not be real to life and his experiment a failure. I believe the experiment was very powerful and although unethical the results were important in the study of obedience. Bibliography Ethical Guidelines and Social Research, PowerPoint Presentation on Moodle available @ https://moodle. lincolncollege. ac. uk/AAE/course/view. php? id=361 Gross, R. (2010) Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour, sixth edition, London, Hodder Education. Social Psychology Unit Handbook handed o ut September 2011 by Lynn Train-Brown. Conformity and Obedience Conformity and Obedience. In order to answer the question it is first necessary to define conformity and obedience. According to Woods, (2001 p. 107): ‘ We often adjust our actions or opinions so that they fit in well with those of other people. This is known as social conformity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ’ And Gross, (2001 pg. 392) stated that: Obedience is affected by direction (from somebody in higher authority). This essay will explore circumstances in which we are likely to conform; or obey others. This will be done by drawing on research carried out by Milgram, Asch, Crutchfield and Zimbardo.There are many ways in which we conform; some are useful others are not. For example, if we did not conform and adhere to the Highway Code there would be absolute chaos on our roads and lives would be at risk. At the other end of the scale we have the horrific example of ‘blind’ obedience in relation to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s – 40’s. In this situation Hitler’s soldiers obeyed and carried out their orders without question because their orders came from a legitimate authority. (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999, pp. 79-80).In 1963 Stanley Milgram carried out a psychological experiment to try to discover why so many people co-operated and committed such atrocities in the concentration camps. This experiment involved groups of two people one – a confederate – played the part of a student trying to remember different words. The other person who was the subject played the role of a teacher and gave him the test. The teacher was told to ‘shock’ the ‘student’ every time he missed a word. Milgram thought that most people wouldn’t shock another human being and especially not all the way up to deadly levels of electricity.However, I transpired that 63% were obedient to their instructor (since he was the one in a position of power) and went all the way up to 450v which was lethal ( Hayes, 2000 pp. 50-51). Experiments carried out by Solomon Asch (1995) showed how easy it is to make people conform. In one of his experiments Asch used groups of 6-8 people who were told they were participating in a study on visual perception. He presented these subjects with 2 cards. On one card was a single ‘standard’ line; on the other were 3 ‘comparison’ lines. Participants were asked to judge which of the comparison lines were equal in length to the ‘standard’ line.Each of Asch’s groups only contained one real subject – the rest were confederates. Asch instructed each of the confederates to give the same wrong answer. There was a 75% conformity rate of the participants, meaning that they gave the same answer as the confederates, showing that people do not want to ‘appear different’ (Gross, 2001 pg. 382). However, researchers discovered that if the participants were alloed to give their answers away from the grou p, then conformity decreased. If people were allowed to give their answers in private, then it is found that they will be less likely to be swayed by other people’s opinions.Again, in experiments, researchers like Asch (1955) have discovered that if the task is ambiguous or the problem made harder, then conformity levels are likely to increase. Under conditions where the problem is less obvious, then people are likely to go with the majority of the group (Gross, 2001 pg. 383). An experiment carried out by Crutchfield (1954) found that pressure to conform can also occur without face to face communication. In this particular study each participant was placed in a separate booth facing a screen which displayed questions and what they believed were answers of the other participants.The questions were simple and the answers obvious. In around half the cases the answers were incorrect. Each participant was led to believe they were the last to answer having seen the other answers. C rutchfield in fact placed the answers there. This experiment suggests that in certain situations people will conform to avoid being the ‘odd one out’ and labelled as a social outcast. In addition, the fear of rejection by peers helps to assure that conformity is guaranteed. Crutchfields’ experiment found that 37% of the participants conformed all the time which shows that conformity can occur even without face to face contact.Both these experiments show that people will go with a group norm and conform to other people who they might not even know (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 73). Clearly, there are several reasons why we conform i. e. we don’t want to be seen as troublesome or a nuisance – the psychological term being ‘compliance’. Perhaps we simply wish to be accepted into a group ‘normative influence’ (Gross 2001 p. 386). We may also feel that we are amongst people who are more knowledgeable than us and that we have no rig ht to argue, which is termed ‘information social influence’ (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 4). It could be argued that conformity studies are often designed to illustrate the dangers of conformity, and the following study could be seen as an example of this. ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ was carried out in 1973 by Zimbardo. It involved taking at random 24 men who responded to a newspaper advertisement asking for volunteers to take part in a psychological study on prison life. A mock prison was created and the volunteers were given ‘roles’ of either guards or prisoners.This experiment found that the guards conformed to the roles expected of them in that they took charge of the prisoners and treated them cruelly and the prisoners conformed to their roles in that they allowed this to happen and did not say that they wanted to stop the experiment. Some even asked for parole instead of requesting that the experiment be terminated. The level of confo rmity in this study was exceptionally high to the extent that the ‘prisoners’ became very distressed and the experiment had to be aborted on day 6 – it was planned to last 2 weeks (Class notes, March 2005).Research also shows that levels of conformity are likely to increase if the status of the people in the rest of the group is high. Low status people are likely to conform more to high status people, especially if those people are in some form of authority (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 77). Without doubt all societies require a certain level of conformity in order to function as a society. If social norms are not adhered there would be confusion and disorder. However, what research has shown is that anyone is capable of conforming/obeying under the right circumstances or situations.It is also evident that the circumstances in which we conform or obey can be seen as positive or negative and although it is not always the case, it is usually a positive social influen ce. In the UK today we live in a society which places great value on the individual: ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. there is a great emphasis on individual responsibility to contribute to society. ’ (Alcock et al, 1999 pg. 41) we are expected to contribute, conform and obey. Following like sheep may be regarded s weak, however, the fact remains that many of us conform i. e. religion, fashion, politics.In addition to these factors it is important to mention that non-conformity also has its place in society because if there were total conformity there would be no change, no improvement, or new ideas. For many, life may well be a struggle – battling with the desire to be an ‘individual’ and also having to ‘conform’ to how society expects them to be, think and do. It could be argued that conformity and obedience are necessary elements of society as conformity and obedience helps create a stable society. From an early age we have been instructed to obey a nd conform as we grow up we continue to be exposed to these pressures i. . our parents demand obedience, friends require us to be ‘part of the crowd,’ teachers demand homework, our religion tells us what to believe and the government expects us to obey the law and pay our taxes. Culturally too we are expected to conform i. e. arranged marriages, customs, traditions and dress. In conclusion, with regard to the experiments that have been discussed in this essay it is important to remember that they are just that – experiments, and it is difficult to know for certain what would actually happen in the ‘real world. References. WOODS, B. Basics in Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. GROSS, R. 2001. PSYCHOLOGY. The science of the mind & behaviour. 4th edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. MCILVEEN, R & GROSS, R. 1999. Social Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. HAYES, N. 1994. Principles of Social Psychology. East Sussex. Psychology Press Ltd. ALCOCK, P. , ERKSINE, A. , MAY, M. 1998. The Students Companion to Social Policy. Oxford. Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

Functionalist Perspective On Children, Regulation Of...

Functionalist believe that families perform certain functions that are a necessity when it comes to society. It focuses on children, regulation of sexual activity, as well as giving its affiliations a sense of identity. Functionalist â€Å"emphasize the importance of the family in maintaining the stability of society and the well-being of individuals.† They see the family as the key part of society, and how it evolves. Most of these ideas were brought up by Emile Durkheim that believed â€Å"division of labor contributes to greater efficiency in all areas of life.† Sociology of family is defined as â€Å"the sub-discipline of sociology that attempts to describe and explain patterns of family life and variations in family structure.† and from the functionalist perspective there are four, key functions of a family. The four key functions of a family are sexual, social status, socialization, and economic and psychological support. Firstly, sexual function focuses on the ruling of sexual activity, and which guidelines and regulations everyone should follow. There are norms about having sex between non-marital couples, but the norms usually come with any society, and the family is the preeminent teacher when having to teach the norms to children. Secondly, social identity is about â€Å"what† a child is born into or with. Such as â€Å"what† religion they’re born into, â€Å"what† ethnicity they are born, â€Å"what† kind of family they were born (poor, middle, wealthy). And within any society, there are someShow MoreRelatedPostmodernism Is An Argument For Understanding Contemporary Families1169 Words   |  5 Pagesheterosexual conjugal unit based on marriage and co-residence.’ (Silva and Smart, 2004) Which follows on and connects with the definition tha t a family is a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children. (Oxford Dictionaries / English 2017) However, in today’s society, this definition excludes many other modern family structures. Another definition of family is ‘two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one anotherRead MoreA Report On The Crime On Children1291 Words   |  6 PagesCasey Shackleford were both accused of tying their son’s genitals with a rope and waterboarding the boy (Boroff, 2016). According to the case, the couple was charged with injury to a child. Shackleford had additional charges for violating parole regulations that required him not to harm a family member or engage in violence (Boroff, 2016). The boy said that the reason for the punishment was that the boy inappropriately touched a dog. The boy said that Shackleford told his mother to pour water overRead MoreMajor Theoretical Sociological Pe rspectives: Similarities and Differences2432 Words   |  10 PagesMajor Theoretical Sociological Perspectives: Similarities and Differences Sociology: the scientific study of the development, structure and functioning of human society (Oxford). When the topic of discussion is sociology, Auguste Comte, the â€Å"father of positivism† would come to mind, as it was he who first coined the term â€Å"sociology† (Kreis, 2009). Comte also emphasized that the study of society must be scientific and he pushed sociologists to employ the use of qualitative methods such as observationRead MoreCrime and Deviance4103 Words   |  17 Pagesguided by laws and regulations, therefore, breaking of the law is known as crime or deviance. Crime and deviance will be defined with examples and how what is crime and deviance depend on culture and society will be analysed. Thus, a criminal act in one place is a norm in another place. Crime and Deviance changes as the society evolve, there were some activities that were classified as crime or deviance historically in England but are no longer crime and vice versa some activities th at were not crimeRead MoreFamily Structures Experienced By One Individual1782 Words   |  8 Pagesunit and consists of a mother, father and their children. Extended family, which is a large family that is related by a marriage or birth such as grandparents, aunts/uncles that live in close distance to one another. One-parent family, which is when the child/children are brought up single handedly by one parent, who will have to play the role of mother and father the majority of the time. Reconstituted family, this is when the child or children from either one or both the parents in the relationshipRead MoreHnc Social Care Values Essay2444 Words   |  10 Pagessituation. This petition has received a positive reaction from the petitions committee and is still going through the committee processes. The core values of our organisation are underpinned by the National Care Standards, which were set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland)Act 2001. This Act came about to regulate the care and social work force and set out the principals of good care practice. The Care Commission was set up under this Act to register, regulate, and inspect all care services listedRead MoreEssay about Mass Media Sociology4896 Words   |  20 Pagesvalues and way of life has changed to a great extent in comparison to the past generations. Media has distinctly created its mark in the socialization process. The mass media has social, developmental and various other forms of mental effects on children. A very important aspect of media society has embraced is the fact that it brings upon great awareness and understanding of the world around us. The media has exposed individuals of all ages to different aspects of the world that the previous generationRead MoreSocial Institution3293 Words   |  14 PagesFunctions †¢ Simplify social behaviors for the individual person †¢ Provide ready-made forms of social relations and social roles for the individual †¢ Act as agencies of coordination and stability for the total culture †¢ Tend to control behavior Functionalists: †¢ Social institutions exist because they meet universal needs. †¢ The major task of society is its survival: – Replacing members – Socializing new members – Producing/distributing goods and services – Preserving order – Providing sense of purposeRead Morebullet theory7360 Words   |  30 Pagesï » ¿Bullet Theory The magic bullet perspective, also called the hypodermic needle model, is a model for communications. Magic bullet theory has been around since the 1920s to explain amp;ldquo;how mass audiences might react to mass media,amp;rdquo; reports Media Know All. According to University of Twent in the Netherlands, the theory states that mass media has a amp;ldquo;direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. History Several factors, including widespread popularity of radioRead MoreTracing Theoretical Approaches to Crime and Social Control: from Functionalism to Postmodernism16559 Words   |  67 Pagescrimes. However, many social theorists view crime and the notion of the criminal to be products of the institutional structures and cultural values that enforce capitalism. Accordingly, this thesis explores a variety of social theorists, from functionalists to postmodernists, in an attempt to understand the gaps present within criminological and sociological discourse; and offers the reader a multi-dimensional view of the individual criminal. To accomplish this, Chapter 1 offers the reader introductory

Creative Writing A Short Story - 774 Words

â€Å"WOW! This van is really something else.† Crystal said as she looked at all the surveillance equipment in the CIA RV. There were city grid maps flashing across one of many computer screens and telephones were ringing. â€Å"Are we going to really need all this power doctor?† â€Å"It holds all of us comfortably...what’s the problem?† Luke chimed in. â€Å"One can never be too prepared. But probably not. It’s the best I could do on such short notice.† Dr. Bond said. Crystal grinned, â€Å"All we need is Billy. With his remote viewing and ESP, he’ll be able to seek out any distant or unseen problems and hopefully the talisman.† Billy smiled, â€Å"That’s a pretty tall order young lady. I can’t promise anything. But I’ll do my best.† Meanwhile, the phones†¦show more content†¦She thought. Bond pointed, at the tail, they picked up. â€Å"John, take a look. Any idea who they are?† â€Å"It could be anyone. Someone’s looking for the same thing we are, it would seem. Why don’t you pull over to the side of the road and see what they do. If they pull over too, we’ll know for sure, they’re following us.† â€Å"I thought you didn’t buy into the talisman thing?† Luke said. â€Å"Hey, it doesn’t matter what I believe. If whoever is following us believes in this magical amulet, that’s all that counts.† â€Å"Any idea who it might be?† â€Å"Possibly.† Luke shot John a quick glance, â€Å"Possibly? Can you narrow that down a bit?† â€Å"Sure, but it’s still early on in the investigation. All the facts aren’t in yet.† â€Å"Just give us what you’ve got.† â€Å"I’ve got two suspects, at this point, someone from an International company dealing with funding for mergers and acquisitions, and Dr. Estella Bernard.† Luke’s eyes got wide, â€Å"Are you serious!? I think you’re dead wrong John. I don’t believe for a second she’s involved in that way. How do you figure she fit into all this?† â€Å"Are you sure about this?† Dr. Bond said. â€Å"Sure I’m sure. She got caught up in the paper trail I have on Zagan. While checking on his bank statements I discovered Zagan received two large amounts of money were wired into his bank account. One deposit was for $50,000 and another amount came in a day apart for $200,000, both were from different accounts. IShow MoreRelatedCreative Writing : A Short Story1020 Words   |  5 PagesThe girls sat seperated in two stark, cold rooms. Each of the girls was sat at a table with a clear plastic cup of water sitting at arm’s length from them, both cups untouched. How could they drink when their best friend was no where to be seen? They had been having an innocent night of fun at Mercedes’ house three weeks ago, the first of many planned for the spring break, watching movies on Netflix and eating a pizza they ordered. The night was full of rambling about how classes were, drama floatingRead MoreShort Story : Creative Writing1550 Words   |  7 PagesIn the wood s when the sun was just starting to set, there was a van driving on a long-abandoned road, behind the wheel of said van was a tired looking girl who seemed to be about 19. She took a sip of the long cold coffee, and turned to the turquoise haired girl sitting next to her. Hey uhhhh Cas, Cassie? Where are we? Noting the headphones, she stopped the car and turned around to inquire of the two boys in the back, Kenny, Timmy, do either of you have an idea where we are? It seems like weveRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1281 Words   |  6 PagesSMACK! I was on my back, peering up at Josh as he laid on top me. â€Å"Gotc....† He begins to say but stopped. The look of victory slowly vanished from his face at the realization of how little space was between us. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest or maybe it was mine. Because, Josh was now searching my eyes as if he was looking for an answer to a question. His lips were only inches from mine and I could feel the heat coming off of them. Everything inside of me screamed to move awayRead MoreShort Story : Creative Writing865 Words   |  4 Pages Brrring! Brrring! Brrring! Brrring! â€Å"What is someone doing calling at 2am† whispers Dave groggily as he wipes his eyes and p icks up the phone. Yawning, somehow he manages to make something comprehendible come out of his mouth, â€Å"Hello? This is Dave speaking.† â€Å"Dave! This is Joe†¦ your old roommate from college. How are you doing?† â€Å"I am doing fine.† says Dave thinking and thinking about who Joe is when suddenly he remembers. At that moment he groans but manages to put out a polite response,Read MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1037 Words   |  5 PagesThere she goes again. Mother can’t ever mind her own business, Seriously will it kill her to just leave her thoughts to herself. Little Mike came up tugging at her sleeve, his soft little fingers grasping at the cloth, a pull then another. â€Å"Yes sweetheart.† Mike looked at her, his finger pointed forwards, just at the edge of my vision. â€Å"It’s our turn now mommy.† She looked up; Mike quickly ran forward. â€Å"Woah slow down buddy, you can’t walk away by yourself.† Mike came to a sudden stop;he turned toRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1102 Words   |  5 PagesWhen their parents entered their room, Charlie watched as Maggie walked to the window and kept her back to them. They could al l tell she was upset about something. Looking at Elliot, she pushed herself up further in the bed, as Callum grabbed Ian and took a seat on the chair next to her. Ben clasped his hands in front of him as he took a deep breath. â€Å"Ive been asked to stay here in order to help Rachel on her work supplying the Republic with power. I plan on asking Miles to let all of you andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1148 Words   |  5 Pagesbench nearby. And that’s what she was doing now. She sighed and stood up to go home. The next day she went to school and her best friend Sarina asked, â€Å"What’s wrong?† She then told her the whole story as she didn’t know what happened yesterday because she was absent. Hearing the story she said, â€Å" It’s a good thing that I upgraded my remote few days ago. You should go to the remote shop today after school.† Then they both went to class. When Maya entered her first class she saw Tasha andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1583 Words   |  7 Pagesforbid, if you don’t find it within two seconds, then youre most definitely an incompetent driver. Almost needless to say, Jason didn’t follow in the outlier’s footsteps, and he aced the questionnaire. Though he did take note that his examiner was creative with her questions. She was probably was deeply saddened that there wasn’t a convoluted touch screen to inquire about, Jason thought to himself. Finally all the formalities were complete, consequently, he took a second to get himself mentally, andRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1440 Words   |  6 PagesPayday arrived for both me and Patsy, giving us the opportunity to attend the luxurious cinema and a wider variety of movies. As we stand before the array of movie posters, deciding between an action or comedy, somehow, how conversation shifts over to John. â€Å"He was so excited about the other night,† says Patsy. I abandon the posters and give her a questioning look. â€Å"About what?† â€Å"Well, first of all spending the evening with you, and then because you hugged him the way you did.† She taps her fingerRead MoreCreative Writing : A Short Story1615 Words   |  7 Pagestown to barter, we’ll ask around.† Shocked that her husband knows about Miles tattoo on her arm, Rachel clings to him in the silence, her mind racing at the possible implications. XXX Rachel sits stunned at the table, listening to Ben relay the story that he’s heard over and over in the village nearest to the house they’ve decided to ride out the winter in. â€Å"Soul Marks? How is that possible? These are just replicas of tattoos,† she replies with a disbelieving shake of her head. Ben shrugged

Health Disparities And Health Care - 1015 Words

Health disparities are present in our health care system. Whether it be racial, educational, or environmental, these disparities exist and are detrimental to health care outcomes. While there have been recent advancements in how to eliminate or reduce these disparities, there is still a major inequity in health care for all individuals. This paper will include definitions of health equity and health inequity, steps to reduce health inequity, and two important decisions used to decrease in health inequity and why this reduction in health inequity occurs. It will also include further discussion on certain steps and decisions used to decrease health inequity. Defining Health Equity and Inequity According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), â€Å"health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances† (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Satcher (2010) reports that health inequities are â€Å"systematic, avoidable, and unjust† disparities (p. 6). He also states that the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that social conditions are the most important determinant of a person’s health. Social conditions â€Å"determine access to health services and influence lifestyle choices† (Satcher, 2010, p. 6). These determinants must be addressed in order to reduce health inequity. Inequity can beShow MoreRelatedHealth Disparities And Health Care895 Words   |  4 Pagesethnic health needs, including culture norms, religious mandates, and health disparit ies. The health disparities refers to specific differences in disease incidence, health outcomes, quality of health care and access to health care services that exist across racial and ethnic groups (Mandal, 2014). Disparities may result from inadequate access to care, poor quality of care, cultural issues and social determinants. Health Policy Issues Disparity Despite improvements, differences persist in health careRead MoreHealth And Health Care Disparities1102 Words   |  5 PagesHealth Health Care Disparities throughout the Region Plaquemines Parish The leading causes of death of residents in Plaquemines are heart disease and cancer. In addition, 15.6% of residents have been diagnosed with diabetes compared to the 12.3% state rate. Diabetes was identified as a community health issue, particularly among the uninsured, Black residents, and those living at the southern end of the parish. Also, 40.8% of residents are considered obese compared to the state rate of 31.7% OtherRead MoreHealth Disparities And Its Impact On Health Care1508 Words   |  7 Pagesarray of health issues that is associated with it. A variety of issues that could come with a multicultural society could include, but not limited to: health disparities, access to healthcare, getting equal and quality care, and cultural appropriation. Likewise, there are factors involved that prevents people of minority groups from gaining access to the health care they need like a language barrier or no health insurance. One of the major factors involved that prevents access t o proper health careRead MoreHealth Disparities And Health Care For Minorities917 Words   |  4 Pagesto worse care for minorities is an article from U.S News world report on the website http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-02-11/racial-bias-in-medicine-leads-to-worse-care-for-minorities. In this article, the experience of a medical doctor is used to shed light on the subject of racial bias/ discrimination in health care and how it is affecting health outcome of racial and ethnic minority. â€Å"Race or ethnic group is a major social factor that influences health in the URead MoreBarriers And Disparities Of Health Care826 Words   |  4 PagesBarriers and Disparities in Healthcare Barriers to healthcare include factors that restrict or hinder people from receiving adequate and quality health care service. Health care disparities are those differences that negatively affects less advantaged group (Mehta, 2014). Health care barriers play a significant role in comprehending causes of disparities. This paper will discuss the obstacles and disparities that exist and affects healthcare. Barriers that Exist and Affected Healthcare FinancialRead MoreBiases And Health Care Disparities1222 Words   |  5 PagesBiases and Health Care Disparities between the Black and White Communities Amy Raddatz Denver School of Nursing â€Æ' Biases and Health Care Disparities Between the Black and White Communities A notable discrepancy exists between health care received by the black population in comparison to the white population. However, the foundation of health care inconsistencies has yet to be firmly established. 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However, existing barriers to attaining health care services oftenRead MoreRacial And Ethnic Disparities Of Health Care2282 Words   |  10 Pages Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Ksenia Bruner University of St. Francis Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Introduction Although the United States is a leader in healthcare innovation and spends more money on health care than any other industrialized nation, not all people in the United State benefit equally from this progress as a health care disparity exists between racial and ethnic minorities and white Americans. Health care disparity is defined as â€Å"a particular

Discuss what empowerment means to you, and provide free essay sample

Empowerment means a lot to me personally. It is definitely one way to motivate me. I detest micromanagement and enjoy the freedom of doing my tasks without close supervision. I am very passionate about what I do and given the opportunity, resources, and authority I will perform much better with less supervision and will always give more than expected. Probably the most comprehensive deflation of empowerment In the literature can be found in Thomas and Pilothouses (1990) article entitled Cognitive elements of empowerment: An interpretive model of intrinsic task motivation.The definition hey provide is: To empower means to give power to. Power, however, has several meanings Authority, so that empowerment can mean authorization . Capacity .However, power also means energy. Thus to empower also can mean to energize. This latter meaning best captures the present motivational usage of the term. Our perception is that the word empowerment has become popular because it provides a label for a nontraditional paradigm of . We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss what empowerment means to you, and provide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Change [has] forced a search for alternative forms of management motivation That encourage commitment, risk-taking, and Innovation The newer paradigm Involves relaxed (or broad) controls and an emphasis on Internalized commitment to the task Itself .We use the word empowerment to refer to the motivational content of this newer paradigm of management. (p. 667). Given Thomas and Pilothouse definition, empowerment to me also means the ability to make simple yet rule based decisions for my team. It also means that I have the authority to allow changes to be made for the interest of the team functioning. Though I cannot make changes to deadlines and project functioning I am able to make decisions that would improve productivity.This means that the team management has faith In my leadership to me this is empowerment. Appropriate application of task oriented or relationship oriented leadership Into diverse situation will help In gaining desired success by the team. Furthermore, many of us use the term empowerment without understanding what It community development, psychology, education, economics, and studies of social movements and organizations, among others. How empowerment is understood varies among these perspectives. In recent empowerment literature, the meaning of the term empowerment is often assumed rather than explained or defined.Rapport (1984) has noted that it is easy to define empowerment by its absence but difficult to define in action as it takes on different forms in different people and contexts. Even defining the concept is subject to debate. Zimmerman (1984) has stated that asserting a single definition of empowerment may make attempts to achieve it formulaic or prescription-like, contradicting the very concept of empowerment. A common understanding of empowerment is necessary, however, to allow us to know empowerment when we see it in people with whom we are working, and for program evaluation.According to Bailey (1992), how we precisely define empowerment within our projects and programs will depend upon the specific people and context involved. As a general definition, however, we suggest that empowerment is a multi- dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is, the capacity to implement) in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important.We suggest that three components of our definition are basic to any understanding f empowerment. Empowerment is multi-dimensional, social, and a process. It is multi-dimensional in that it occurs within sociological, psychological, economic, and other dimensions. Empowerment also occurs at various levels, such as individual, group, and community. Empowerment, by definition, is a social process, since it occurs in relationship to others. Empowerment is a process that is similar to a path or Journey, one that develops as we work through it. Other aspects of empowerment may vary according to the specific context and people involved, but these remain constant. In addition, one important implication of this definition of empowerment is that the individual and community are fundamentally connected. In business today, employee empowerment is a key to successful outcome. Linda Handhold indicates, to be successful, each organization must create and define it [empowerment] for itself. Empowerment must address the needs and culture of each unique entity. (1997, p. 202). Employee empowerment is a process whereby: a culture of empowerment is developed; information in the form of a shared vision, clear goals, boundaries for decision making, and the results of efforts and their impact on the whole is shared; competency in the form of training and experience is developed; resources, or the competency to obtain them when needed to be effective in their Jobs, are provided; and support in the form of mentoring, cultural support, and encouragement of risk-taking is provided. Thought of as delegation. No organization of more than one person can survive without some employee empowerment.When the owner of a Mail Boxes, Etc. Hires someone to work the weekends, that person is empowered. When a manager hires an accounting graduate to maintain the departmental ledger, that person is empowered. When the director of advertising chooses which slogan should go on the web banner, that person is empowered. In each of these instances the empowered person has been provided with the training and experience they need to be effective in their position. Each has the information to know how their decisions will impact the larger whole. Each has access to the resources he or she needs to be effective.And the assumption is that each will be supported in the decisions they make. Empowerment, if it is to be implemented effectively, calls for a culture change for the typical organization. Many managers will require training to enhance their ability to facilitate empowerment within their organization. Leaders must learn to be visionaries who can provide an idea to which employees will want to dedicate themselves. Supervisors must change their ways of supervising and learn to be coaches and mentors. All members of the organization must dedicate themselves to sharing information and to training.A lot can take change if organizational power can grow, in part, by being shared .By empowering others, a leader does not decrease his power; instead he may increase itespecially if the whole organization reforms better. (Canter, 1979, p. 73). Canter then uses the logic that, The productive capacity of nations, like organizations, grows if the skill base is upgraded. People with the tools, information and support to make more informed decisions and act more quickly can often accomplish more. (Canter, 1979, p. 73). My manager must see potential in me and work to bring that potential out.