Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics - Essay Example POGO filed a suit against the oil companies based on this fact, which resulted into the oil companies making a settlement of $440 million to the United States. POGO thereof honored its agreement with Berman and Berman received a check of $383,600, which on the face side of the the check indicated that it is a public service award to Berman for working for the government. It is on this basis the United States government filed a suit against Berman stating that Berman had violated section 209(a) by using his office for private gain since he had accepted the amount from POGO, which is a private entity. This led to his removal from office. Berman appealed the judgment passed, but to no gain. This is because the jury based his ruling on the fact that Berman did not consult any ethics official in the agency for advice before entering into the agreement. His agreement with POGO clearly showed that he intended to use his office for private gain. This showed how reckless Berman was in performing his duties. This case seeks to show how important it is for employees to observe the highest levels of ethical conduct. As evident in this case, despite Bermans 26 years of service in the government and having no record of crime earlier, it was not sufficient to prevent him from losing his job. Therefore, it is important that employees observe appropriate ethical behaviors while at work. This case seeks to show how important it is for the state also to be efficient enough in its duties. It shows that the state was not doing enough to curb fraud in the United States. Such fraud should be exposed at an early stage to avoid wrongful decision-making by the state. POGO argued that oil companies had committed fraud since they had undervalued the oil they got from the federal lands; hence, formulating undervalued reports and making undervalued payments to the state in terms of royalties. POGO considered this act as being totally unethical to have been

Monday, October 28, 2019

Labor Market in Gulf Countries

Labor Market in Gulf Countries India Steps Up Pressure for Minimum Wage for Its Workers in the Gulf The Labor Market in Gulf Countries This section of the report is about the labor market in the Gulf countries and how it is affected with changes in the labor policies by the governments of GCC countries. The GCC consists of six Arab countries including all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The labor market is growing with the rapid growth of the economies of GCC countries. The governments of GCC countries prefer their national to be part of their organizations because of their higher education, and the nationals are also attracted towards the government sector of GCC countries because of the higher wages and generous benefits, job security, early retirement with pension and many other benefits associated with the government jobs. However, the labor market of GCC countries also contains a significant portion of expatriate workers, therefore the private sector heavily rely on the working on expatriate workers and the expatriate labor work also att racted towards the private sector because of the jobs that are available on fixed terms, the contracts of the jobs are specific and they are under the sponsorship of nationals. The labor migration to Gulf countries is considered to be of vast importance. The factors related to its importance are the relatively larger size of the Gulf countries and better economic conditions prevailing there. According to the recent reports, foreign workers especially from South Asia and Philippines make up around 90 percent or more of the private sector in all GCC countries except Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the rate of increasing population and the birth rate of foreign citizens in the Gulf countries also among other factors of increasing labor migration in Gulf countries. An individual labor law for every country in GCC is designed in accordance with international labor laws and standards, conventions and recommendations of International Labor Organization that aim to eliminate unfair labor practices and equal treatment of laborers regarding to the nationality, social status or religious belief. This is also because of the Global Economic Crises which cause the working class of South Asian countries to be affected badly, as a result many of the workers were not paid and most of the foreigner laborers had to leave the country and they put Gulf countries on the priority because of the high economic level and better wages rates than the European countries. Gulf countries recent policies and regulations on the protection of rights emphasize on the regulation on the labor market and boost national man power in private sector, by keeping the balance in working relationships at work place, increasing the labor protection and safeguarding the employeesâ€℠¢ interests at all. The above figure shows the supply and demand of labor market in the Gulf countries. It has shown that the labor market of the Gulf countries is effecting accordingly to the number of workers or workforce present there. If the supply of the workforce is increasing in Gulf countries because of the rising migration workers in Gulf countries, the demand is also increasing because of the increasing effect of the economies of Gulf countries, and the demand is also increasing because of their high expertise and high education in their relevant fields. According to the reports issued by the World Bank, there is various numbers of factors that have been contributed to the situation of youth employment situation in the Gulf countries. If considering the supply side, a demographic wave has increased the share of young people in the population because of the migration youth individuals to the Gulf countries has resulted the labor supply pressures. And if the demand size of the labor market is considered, young people in the labor markets of Gulf countries widespread with structural distortions. And the fact is that the public and private sector of GCC continues to attract young people towards themselves, with higher wage and benefit packages and better job security. Labor Market in India This section of the report considers the level of labor force and labor market in the economy of India. The India is considered to be the second largest country in the population growth after china and according to the reports of 2012, the labor workers who were working in India were 487 million, and 90 % of these workers were working in unorganized and unincorporated companies, while only 10 % of them are working in the organized private, state owned enterprises and government sectors. In local terms, the organized sector or formal sector are described as the sectors in India related to licensed organizations that are registered and pay income tax, and sales tax etc. These organizations of India include the publicly traded companies, corporations, factories, incorporated or formally registered entities, shopping malls, hotels, and large businesses. Unorganized sector, also known as informal sector or own account enterprises, refers to all unlicensed, self-employed or unregistered ec onomic activity such as owner manned general stores, handicrafts and handloom workers, rural traders, farmers, etc. If the labor market of India is to be seen, the matter of the fact is that there are two broad groups of migrant laborers working in India one group of migrant laborers is that who migrates to Gulf countries and overseas in order to work temporarily, and another group is that one who migrates on a seasonal and work available basis. According to the latest reports, the migrant workers who are Indian-origin laborers are about 4 million in number who are migrant workers in the Middle East and Gulf countries alone. They are accredited to been a part of Gulf countries and the majority of workers are those and are proud themselves who built many of Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, and Persian Gulf modern architecture, and major of their architecture is the Burj Khalifa, which is considered to be the tallest building in worlds history which has started its operation in 2010. It is the common factor that no one wants to leave his country and the reason of leaving home country and to go abroad is that of financial surplus. These migrant workers are also attracted towards the Gulf countries because of better salaries, and getting the opportunity of even better jobs in order to remit funds and financials to support their families in India. In 2009, the reports by Middle East analysts show that the Middle East-based migrant workers from India remitted about US$20 billion. In many cases they also have to face the challenges and problems in dong jobs that is labor abuses and problems such as unpaid salaries, poor living conditions and unsafe work conditions have been claimed by the Indian migrant workers. Moreover, it has also been seen that national migrant workers in India have been assessed to be about 4.2 million. These migrant workers work according to their capacity and abilities and they have shown the range from full-time to part-time workers, permanent and temporary workers. They are typically employed for remuneration in cash or kind, in any household through any agency or directly, to do the household work, but do not include any member of the family of an employer. While talking to the India workforce in GCC countries, the reports suggests that India is the principal and major country of South Asia origin for the 17 million migrants in GCC countries. The Indian states are also sending their individuals also to GCC countries in order to get better employment and better remunerations. In 2004, the Indian state of Kerala only consists of the 26 percent of all households that had at least one temporary international migrant. And 89 percent of these were found to be in GCC countries (Zachariah and Rajan 2009, pp. 35, 162). According to the Philippines reports, that there were about 1.5 million temporary Overseas Filipino Workers (POEA 2011), in 2011 represented themselves while working abroad through the act of Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and according to the entire national labor force (BLES 2012) there were about 4 percent of the GCC migrants are Philippines who were working there. The figure below shows that the financial flow comes to the India because of the remittances from abroad and it has been seen that in the period of 2009-2011, 31.4% has been received by India only from the remittances of FDI from all over the world, and in 2012, only 30 of the total remittances came from GCC countries only. The above figure shows that India receives about as much in remittances from the GCC countries as it receives in FDI from the whole world The demand and supply of the labor market of India is not elastic and that the supply of the labor market is high and that the demand is ot that much high because of the economic conditions of the country and that the wages rates as well not according to the demands of the workers as well. Moreover, the high rate of population and unavailability of employment caused the migrants o move towards the GCC countries and overseas. According to the latest reports, the Indian migrates are not getting paid according to their demands and that the wages rate is quite minimum in Gulf countries for them. References Grm.grc.net,. (2014). The Gulf Research Meeting 2014: Workshop Details. Retrieved 29 August 2014, from http://grm.grc.net/index.php?pgid=Njk=wid=Mjg= Labor Market Challenges and the policies in Gulf Corporation Council union. (2014) (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/FT/gcc/GCC3.pdf Ilo.org,. (2008). The Indian labour market: An overview. Retrieved 29 August 2014, from http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_098851/langen/index.htm

Friday, October 25, 2019

Intel Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This analysis of Intel Corporation is to educate the investor about the company and provide them with useful information that will enable them to make a decision as to whether they should invest in the company. Intel primarily manufactures semiconductors or integrated circuits containing silicon that are used in computers as computer chips.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this paper is to provide the investor with facts regarding the company profile, global presence, environmental policies, competitors, and stock performance. After review of the analysis the investor should be able to determine if Intel is a profitable investment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This analysis has been gathered through the use of primary and secondary resources. The primary resources used are mainly interviews with Intel CEO, Craig Barrett. Secondary resources have been the main source through articles that have been gathered using online sources and journals. Background In 1968 Bob Noyce, Gordon Moore and Andy Grove founded a new company that built semiconductor memory products, named NM Electronics Inc. Moore and Noyce had problems with the copyright of the company’s name as it already belonged to a hotel chain. Noyce, Moore and Grove then changed the name to Intel Corporation, short for Integrated Electronics. The small startup company was founded in Santa Clara, California with $500,000 and funds from investors. In 1971 they introduced the world’s first microprocessor, which revolutionized the computer industry. Moore sensed the impending growth of the semiconductor computer chip industry and predicted that the amount of transistors on a single computer chip would double every year. This fact helds true and has been coined as â€Å"Moore’s Law†. Intel's mission is to be the preeminent building block supplier to the Interne... ...lopment at a time when the semiconductor industry began to slow down. He persisted through the semiconductor industry’s slowdown and shifted focus on diversifying Intel’s market. Now as the semiconductor industry begins to surge ahead CEO Craig Barrett has been given praise for his foresight and perseverance. Barrett will be stepping down as CEO in the spring of 2005, and will sit on the board of directors with Intel founder Andy Grove. As reported by Intel, Barrett earned a salary of $610,000 and received a $1.5 million dollar bonus in 2003. Paul Otellini, Intel’s chief operating officer will be taking over the position of CEO. Otellini, is Intel’s first CEO without an engineering degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 2003 Intel Foundation and Intel Corporation contributed more than $90 million to primary and secondary education, higher education, and to non-profit organizations in communities where Intel operates. CEO Craig Barrett’s point of view on the nation’s education system, â€Å"A faulty educational system that does little to teach adequate math and science skills is a major problem the high-tech economy and the nation will need to address in the coming years† (Riucciti).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Effect of Titles and Subtitles of HIPAA on the IT Organization Essay

Effect of Titles and Subtitles of HIPAA on the IT Organization For my second internship meeting the CEO needs help with briefing the chief marketing officer on the effects that (HIPPA) have on the IT field involving health care. The chief marketing officer is coming from the retail industry so I will need to explain to him the important parts of the IT department that involves the health care industry. â€Å"The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act â€Å"(health.state.tn.us/hipaa/ )is â€Å"HIPAA is the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The primary goal of the law is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information ad help the healthcare industry control administrative costs.†( health.state.tn.us/hipaa/) HIPPA is used in all medical facilities to protect patients’ rights, it is extremely important that the medical facility follows the rules that HIPPA has put in place. HIPPA is used for patients’ rights and safety concerning their medical and personal information. A medical facility must follow the rules and guidelines that HIPPA has put in place to do just this for their patients. HIPPA is a strong privacy protections that is critical in maintaining individuals’ trust in their health care providers and to obtain needed health care services, and these protections are especially important where very sensitive information is concerned. HIPPA is very important in the IT part of health care industry, there are several entitles involved in IT and HIPPA. HIPPA Title 11 Subtitle F consists of Administrative Simplification Administration simplification purpose is the† purpose of this subtitle to  improve the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, the Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system, by encouraging the development of a health information system through the establishment of standards and requirements for the electronic transmission of certain health information.†(http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/pl104191.htm) The requirements for the HIPPA administration simplification consist of â€Å"†SEC. 1175. (a) CONDUCT OF TRANSACTIONS BY PLANS.– â€Å"(1) IN GENERAL.–If a person desires to conduct a transaction referred to in section 1173(a)(1) with a health plan as a standard transaction– â€Å"(A) the health plan may not refuse to conduct such transaction as a standard transaction; â€Å"(B) the insurance plan may not delay such transaction, or otherwise adversely affect, or attempt to adversely affect, the person or the transaction on the ground that the transaction is a standard transaction; and â€Å"(C) The information transmitted and received in connection with the transaction shall be in the form of standard data elements of health information. â€Å"(2) SATISFACTION OF REQUIREMENTS.–A health plan may satisfy the requirements under paragraph (1) by– â€Å"(A) directly transmitting and receiving standard data elements of health information; or â€Å"(B) Submitting nonstandard data elements to a health care clearinghouse for processing into standard data elements and transmission by the health care clearinghouse, and receiving standard data elements through the health care clearinghouse. â€Å"(3) TIMETABLE FOR COMPLIANCE.–Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to  require a health plan to comply with any standard, implementation specification, or modification to a standard or specification adopted or established by the Secretary under sections 1172 through 1174 at any time prior to the date on which the plan is required to comply with the standard or specification under subsection (b). â€Å"(b) COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS.– â€Å"(1) INITIAL COMPLIANCE.– â€Å"(A) IN GENERAL.–Not later than 24 months after the date on which an initial standard or implementation specification is adopted or established under sections 1172 and 1173, each person to whom the standard or implementation specification applies shall comply with the standard or specification. â€Å"(B) SPECIAL RULE FOR SMALL HEALTH PLANS.–In the case of a small health plan, paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting ’36 months’ for ’24 months’. For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall determine the plans that qualify as small health plans. â€Å"(2) COMPLIANCE WITH MODIFIED STANDARDS.–If the Secretary adopts a modification to a standard or implementation specification under this part, each person to whom the standard or implementation specification applies shall comply with the modified standard or implementation specification at such time as the Secretary determines appropriate, taking into account the time needed to comply due to the nature and extent of the modification. The time determined appropriate under the preceding sentence may not be earlier than the last day of the 180-day period beginning on the date such modification is adopted. The Secretary may extend the time for compliance for small health plans, if the Secretary determines that such extension is appropriate. â€Å"(3) CONSTRUCTION.–Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit any person from complying with a standard or specification by– â€Å"(A) submitting nonstandard data elements to a health care clearinghouse for processing into standard data elements and transmission by the health care clearinghouse; or â€Å"(B) Receiving standard data elements through a health care clearinghouse.†(http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/pl104191.htm) This is very imprtonat with following the HIPPA rules and regulations â€Å"PROCESSING PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS â€Å"SEC. 1179. To the extent that an entity is engaged in activities of a financial institution (as defined in section 1101 of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978), or is engaged in authorizing, processing, clearing, settling, billing, Transferring, reconciling, or collecting payments, for a financial institution, this part, and any standard adopted under this part, shall not apply to the entity with respect to such activities, including the following: â€Å"(1) The use or disclosure of information by the entity for authorizing, processing, clearing, settling, billing, transferring, reconciling or collecting, a payment for, or related to, health plan premiums or health care, where such payment is made by any means, including a credit, debit, or other payment card, an account, check, or electronic funds transfer. â€Å"(2) the request for, or the use or disclosure of, information by the entity with respect to a payment described in paragraph (1)– â€Å"(A) for transferring receivables; â€Å"(B) For auditing; â€Å"(C) In connection with– â€Å"(i) a customer dispute; or â€Å"(ii) An inquiry from, or to, a customer; â€Å"(D) In a communication to a customer of the entity regarding the customer’s transactions, payment card, account, checks, or electronic funds transfer; â€Å"(E) For reporting to consumer reporting agencies; or â€Å"(F) For complying with– â€Å"(i) a civil or criminal subpoena; or â€Å"(ii) A Federal or State law regulating the entity.† (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.– (1) REQUIREMENT FOR MEDICARE PROVIDERS.–Section 1866(a) (1) (42 U.S.C. 1395cc (a) (1)) is amended– (A) by striking â€Å"and† at the end of subparagraph (P); (B) By striking the period at the end of subparagraph (Q) and inserting â€Å"; and†; and (C) By inserting immediately after subparagraph (Q) the following new subparagraph: â€Å"(R) to contract only with a health care clearinghouse (as defined in section 1171) that meets each standard and implementation specification adopted or established under part C of title XI on or after the date on which the health care clearinghouse is required to comply with the standard or specification.†. (2) TITLE HEADING.–Title XI (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) is amended by striking the title heading and inserting the following 🙠 http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/pl104191.htm) â€Å"EFFECT ON STATE LAW â€Å"SEC. 1178. (a) GENERAL EFFECT.– â€Å"(1) GENERAL RULE.–Except as provided in paragraph (2), a provision or requirement under this part, or a standard or implementation specification adopted or established under sections 1172 through 1174, shall supersede any contrary provision of State law, including a provision of State law that requires medical or health plan records (including billing information) to be maintained or transmitted in written rather than electronic form. â€Å"(2) EXCEPTIONS.–A provision or requirement under this part, or a standard or implementation specification adopted or established under sections 1172 through 1174, shall not supersede a contrary provision of State law, if the provision of State law– â€Å"(A) is a provision the Secretary determines– â€Å"(I) is necessary– â€Å"(I) to prevent fraud and abuse; â€Å"(II) To ensure appropriate State regulation of insurance and health plans; â€Å"(III) For State reporting on health care delivery or costs; or â€Å"(IV) For other purposes; or â€Å"(ii) Addresses controlled substances; or â€Å"(B) Subject to section 264(c) (2) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, relates to the privacy of individually identifiable health information. â€Å"(b) PUBLIC HEALTH.–Nothing in this part shall be construed to invalidate or limit the authority, power, or procedures established under any law providing for the reporting of disease or injury, child abuse, birth, or death, public health surveillance, or public health investigation or intervention. â€Å"(c) STATE REGULATORY REPORTING.–Nothing in this part shall limit the ability of a State to require a health plan to report, or to provide access to, information for management audits, financial audits, program monitoring and evaluation, facility licensure or certification, or individual licensure or certification. (http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/pl104191.htm) The HIPPA Title 11 subtitle F consist of six parts, I have mentioned three of these parts that I think that are the most important parts that pertain to HIPPA and the IT part of HIPPA. References http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/214069689/fulltextPDF?accountid=458 http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/securityrule/nist80066.pdf http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/pl104191.htm

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Attitude Towards Work Essay

Attitude towards work and interpersonal relations as factor in job performance Statement of the problem: This study aims to determine the relationship of attitude towards work and interpersonal relations to the job performance of the employees. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the Employees in Drug Maker Company in terms of the following personal circumstances? 2.1 Age and Sex 2.2 Civil Status 2.3 Educational Attainment 2.4 Years of Experience 2. Do attitude towards work and interpersonal relations affect job performance? 3. To what extent do the work attitudes affect the job performance? 4. To what extent do the interpersonal relations affect the job performance? 5. What is the perception of the employees towards work attitude and interpersonal relation? 6. Is there any significant relationship between attitudes toward work, interpersonal relations and job performance? WORK ATTITUDE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP QUESTIONNAIRES Personal Information Name:________________________________________ Gender:MaleFemale Age: 20 yrs. and below 41-50 years 21-30 years 51 and above 31-40 years Civil Status: Single Married Widow Educational Attainment: High School Graduate College Graduate Course: _______________________________________________ Year of Experience: 1-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16-20 years Others please specify: _____________________________________ Direction: Please check the appropriate answers to the item questions. The following are the symbols/letters use: SYMBOLS | | SD| Strongly Disagree| D| Disagree| SA| Strongly Agree| A| Agree| | SD D SA A| A. Work Attitudes:| 1. Your current hob is interesting and challenging.| | | | | 2. The qualifications you possess are appropriate and relevant to the job.| | | | | 3. The skills required match the tasks to be performed and consistent with the job description.| | | | | 4. The efforts demanded by the job are commensurate to the pay received.| | | | | 5. The responsibilities assumed in the job are well defined and clearly delineated| | | | | 6. The working condition (illumination, ventilation, temperature and humidity, etc.) in the office is conducive to work.| | | | | 7. There is close supervision by the office head to ensure efficiency of performance in the job assigned. | | | | | 8. You dislike your job and looking forward to a better employment elsewhere.| | | | | 9. The routine or daily task is dull, boring and monotonous.| | | | | 10. You consider work as something natural and necessary in life. | | | | | 11. The job provides you a sense of responsibility in performing the duties.| | | | | 12. A fee ling of satisfaction is attained as a result of completing the task (sense of achievement).| | | | | 13. The job offers opportunities for promotion in position as well as pay increase based on merits.| | | | | 14. The remuneration for the job position in just and position is just and fair with the nature of the work being undertaken.| | | | | 15. The interaction in the office among co-workers is cordial and harmonious.| | | | | 16. The job itself becomes a means for personal growth and professional advancement (self-actualization/Self-fulfillment).| | | | | 17. The office head being very supportive and tolerant enables you to feel confident in the job. | | | | | 18. There were opportunities for a right job which you missed by working in the present set-up. | | | | | 19. In the present job, there is no chance to improve and learn more in terms of better aptitudes and new skills.| | | | | 20. The need for recognition is much felt in the office.| | | | | B. Interpersonal relationship with peers and heads:| 1. The office head is very flexible and approachable making so easy for the workers to have closer interpersonal relationship with him/her.| | | | | 2. The working relationship within the office is formal and cautious (careful) between the head and the rank and file. Resulting in uneasy situation.| | | | | 3. The need for others to turn to for advice and direction is the reason for maintaining a particular group to interrelate with.| | | | | 4. Interpersonal relationship is part and parcel of a work place in order to establish harmony and foster cooperation with fellow workers.| | | | | 5. The head picks or chooses somebody personally close to him/her to interrelate with group.| | | | | 6. You feel insecure with group activity whether work related or personal interaction.| | | | | 7. Your admiration and respect for the office head draws you further apart from him/her.| | | | | 8. Due to office interpersonal relationship with other workers, job dissatisfaction arises as an outcome of comparison or jealousy/envy.| | | | | 9. An informal group consisting of selected employees is intended to establish some type of conformity to ideas, beliefs, personal activities which may serve mutual interests. Thus, ostracizing or excluding others.| | | | | 10. Interpersonal relationship is resorted by you with colleagues as a form of recognition and acceptance of personal identity in your part (Feeling of importance).| | | | | 11. The latest gossip or rumor is the mutual bound for interpersonal relationship. | | | | | 12. The office head or superior maintains aloofness or distancing himself/herself thus, creating gap in terms of interpersonal relationship with the rank and file.| | | | | 13. The saying that â€Å"intimacy breeds contempt† really applies between a head and subordinates in close interpersonal relationship.| | | | | 14. You prefer to be on your own; a loner or introvert, and do not establish any relationship with others.| | | | | 15. Camaraderie or comradeship makes you to experience sense of belonging by sharing common interests. This way, the informal group is the basis for interpersonal relationship.| | | | | 16. You feel nervous and insecure in the presence of the office head. As a consequence a very impersonal and uncomfortable situation in the office becomes evident.| | | | | 17. You stick to the present job or stay on because of the interpersonal relationship with loyal friends within the institution or work area.| | | | | 18. Interpersonal relationship among your peers or co-workers for solidarity or a total sense of group allegiance for a common purpose.| | | | | 19. The interpersonal relationship that exists in the institution is factional or consisting of small fragmented, splintered groups having each its own motives and objectives.| | | | | 20. Interpersonal relationship may become a recourse or outlet to confide problems and an avenue to express opinions on work related issues. | | | | | CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: Work AttitudeRespectfulnessCommitmentInnovationHelpfulnessInterpersonal RelationsWork ethicsChemistryFriendshipLoyalty| INDEPENDENT VARIABLESDEPENDENT VARIABLES Job PerformanceAccuracy of workQuality of workQuantity of workTimeliness| The effect of attitudes on interpersonal relationships in the workplace is well documented in scholarly psychology literature. However, opinions regarding the types of effects that result from different attitudes vary somewhat. Regardless of the opinion of scholars, it does help for business owners to know how attitudes affect these relations among workers so that they can hire the right kinds of people and also head off any potential problems among existing employees. 1. Cooperation * One way in which attitudes affect interpersonal work relationships is evident in the way a positive attitude can engender a sense of cooperation among workers. The tendency to think positively and approach each task with a â€Å"can-do† attitude can be infectious. When it comes to collaborating on projects, the positive attitude can spill over into the way employees cooperate with one another. Those who start projects with the expectation of completing the project on time and correctly will find no excuses for not getting the work done. Those who cooperate with one another on these types of projects will generally have more positive relations with one another. Division * Workers with a poor attitude about work and the tasks they are required to complete will have a negative effect on those around them. Just as a positive attitude is infectious and spreads to others, so too do poor attitudes have a negative effect on worker relations. This can cause division in the workplace, making it difficult for employees to collaborate with one another, as the poor attitudes spill over into how they treat one another. * Sponsored Links * 3-Minute Chakra Test Take the Free Chakra Test to Find Out Which of Your Chakras Are Weak www.ChakraHealing.com Similarity * Studies show that workers who have similar attitudes, positive or negative, will inevitably attract people with similar attitudes. A 2010 article published in the International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology reveals that workers tend to develop relationships with colleagues who share the same outlook on the world. The recognition that others have similar attitudes and values will inevitably lead to the establishment of potentially long-term relations with these employees. The article points out that the establishment of such relationships has the reciprocal effect of elevating self-esteem and strengthening the beliefs and values of those who did the attracting. Communication * Shared attitudes and values can strengthen interpersonal relations among workers by opening up the lines of communication. Communication is essential for the growth of relationships among people, regardless of whether they are colleagues. Those who have positive attitudes and are open to interpersonal communication with others will be more effective in developing positive interpersonal work relationships. Those with a negative attitude can be harder to communicate with because of their tendency to shut down or close themselves off from interacting with others. In short, the communication necessary for interpersonal relations is affected by the attitudes of the workers. Abstract Purpose – Through the lens of social exchange theory and organisation support theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the passive, aggressive, and assertive styles of managers/supervisors that influence perceived supervisory support and to test whether the support increases employees’ satisfaction with the communication of supervisors and their organisation-based self-esteem. It also assesses whether employees’ communication satisfaction and their self-esteem influence employees’ performance, commitment and absenteeism. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 400 employees from ten manufacturing firms in India were studied through questionnaire survey. Standard instruments were used to assess the constructs. A scale was developed to measure the communication style of managers and a single item to assess absenteeism. Findings – Results revealed that assertive style of communication lends maximum support to employees. Perceived supervisory support at the workplace enhances employees’ satisfaction with communication of supervisors and organisation-based self-esteem. Satisfaction with communication fosters a strong emotional bond with organisations and the emotional bond with organisations reduces employees’ absenteeism. Originality/value – The paper shows that employees’ organisation-based self-esteem increases their job performance. Organisations can conduct training programs to develop an assertive communication style in their managers/supervisors to increase the support to subordinates; thereby its positive consequences will follow in increasing employees’ performance and commitment and reducing absenteeism. Introduction Today we are faced with the pre-eminent fact that, if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships (Roosevelt, 1945). Interpersonal relationships including social relations with one another are an essential part of organisational life and sustainable success. As far as communication is concerned, words are only superficial aspects. Without human function, words can never convey the exact meaning to the other person. Effective communication builds relationships. Wyatt (2006) stated the following: Effective communication is the lifeblood of a successful organization. It reinforces the organization’s vision, connects employees to the business, fosters process improvement, facilitates change, and drives business results by changing employee behaviour (p. 6). Managerial communication drives relationships and frames the attitudes and behaviours of employees in the workplace. Attitude has three components: affective, cognitive, and behavioural. Whi le the cognitive component represents the evaluation of stimuli in the mind, behaviours are actions or reactions that occur in response to those stimuli. In measuring attitudes, only affective/feeling components are assessed in connection with communication, organisations, managers, and situations. Positive attitudes manifest in well-adjusted behaviours and negative attitudes lead to the reverse. An historical overview of managerial communication shows that the way managers communicated with subordinates is markedly different from how they do today. While employees were previously regarded as the greatest asset of an organisation, the asset metaphor has been elevated to a new level. Organisations have started recognising employees as human capital owners and investors (Davenport, 1999). As a result, the emphasis on communication â€Å"content† has shifted to â€Å"behaviour† as a part of the communication process because employees’ interpretation of supervisory communication depends not only on â€Å"what† is said but also on â€Å"how† it is said. A people-centred strategy is an important source of competitive advantage because, unlike technology, costs, or new product development, it is difficult to imitate (Pfeffer, 1998). Managers can create an environment through communication where employees feel happier and more passionate about their jobs and exhibit attitudes and behaviours necessary for improved organisational performance. Background Blau’s (1964) social exchange theory is among the most influential conceptual paradigms for understanding workplace behaviours. Social exchange theory is based on a central premise that the exchange of social and material resources is a fundamental form of human interaction. When two parties who are in a state of reciprocal interdependence interact with each other, obligations are generated (Saks, 2006). Organisational support theory, derived from social exchange theory, explains how the support of organisations affects the behaviours of employees (Eisenberger et al., 1986). It suggests that employees form a global perception of the extent to which the organisation cares about their well-being and demonstrates appreciation, called perceived organisational support (POS). Supervisors are regarded as representatives of the organisation. If employees perceive the supervisor/organisation as supportive, they feel an obligation to return this support (Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002) i n the form of favourable attitudes and behaviours that promote employees’ performance. POS manifests in increase in in-role and extra-role performance and decrease in stress and withdrawal behaviours such as absenteeism and turnover. Assessing such constructs quantitatively, the effects of managerial communication on employees’ attitudes and behaviours can be gauged. Although relational concerns have been at the heart of management research for decades, the power of relationships has become even more salient both for employees and organisations. Accordingly, going beyond the social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and organisation support theory (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002; Shore and Shore, 1995), this study investigates the impact of perceived managerial communication styles on employees’ attitudes and behaviours through perceived supervisory support (PSS) vis-à  -vis POS. Social exchange theory suggests that if a superior (on behalf of the organisation) confers a social gift on a subordinate, the latter will feel obligated to reciprocate. POS is defined as employees’ perceptions about the degree to which the organisation cares about their well-being and values their contributions. Organisation support theory suggests that the development of POS is the employees’ tendency to assign humanlike characteristics to the organisation (Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002). POS represents an indispensable part of the social exchange relationship between employees and the employer because it implies what the organisation has done for its employees. The supervisor on behalf of the organisation extends support to subordinates. Subordinates perceiving support of supervisors vis-à  -vis organisations cultivate positive attitudes and engage in extra-role behaviours. Subordinates are unlikely to hold favourable attitudes and behaviours when the treatment is negative or neutral (Rhoades and Eisenberger, 2002). Reciprocity and strong mutual care are emphasised in Indian culture (Srivastava et al., 2008). Indian culture stresses interdependence, sharing, and harmony with the surrounding world. While horizontal orientation and rationalism are valued by Indians, hierarchical orientation and emotionalism are also being valued (Sinha and Kanungo, 1997). The family structure in India is a close knit unit. Decisions are made only after prior consultation with the family members. Making important decisions without talking to the family is considered offensive and implies a lack of respect. These human aspects of Indian culture may have implications in the workplace. This study stresses the â€Å"human function† of managerial communication, a concept neglected in communication style research. The human function embedded in communication of managers/supervisors can affect the work relationships that can facilitate or retard employees’/subordinates’ attitudes and behaviours (Varona, 2002). While human relations practices play a key role in developing and maintaining the exc hange relationship between the employee and the organisation (Aggarwal and Bhargava, 2009), extant research offers little insight on appropriate managerial communication style that can help to build high levels of support. The role of social relationships is yet to be explicitly investigated. An issue that needs to be addressed is the specific styles of managerial communication that can promote or demote relationship building. To address this issue, one potentially helpful approach is to establish a link between the effective managerial communication styles and development of positive supervisor-subordinate relationships. Review of literature and development of hypotheses Communication styles Management is a process of working with and through others to achieve organisational objectives in an efficient manner (Lwehabura and Matovelo, 2000). Managing employees is enacted through communication (Holladay and Coombs, 1993). â€Å"The way one verbally, non-verbally and para-verbally interacts to signal how literal meaning should be taken, interpreted, filtered or understood, is known as the communication style† (Norton, 1983, p. 58). Norton (1983) classifies communication styles into ten different types – dominant, dramatic, contentious, animated, impression-leaving, relaxed, attentive, open, friendly, and precise. McCallister (1992), combining Norton’s (1983) styles, classifies communication styles into noble, reflective, and socratic. Comstock and Higgins (1997), merge Norton’s styles to four clusters of communication styles – cooperative, apprehensive, social, and competitive. Analogous to McCallister’s threefold typology of communi cation styles, Heffner (1997) groups the communication styles into aggressive, passive, and assertive (Ibrahim and Ismail, 2007). Noble style is directive and straightforward and may be equated with aggressive style. Reflective style is non-directive and may be parallel with passive style. Socratic style emphasises on analysis of details and debates and may be similar to assertive style. To understand the human aspects of managerial communication and the formation of interpersonal relations in organisations, Heffner’s classification of communication styles can be adopted to study perceived managerial communication styles. Heffner’s communication styles appear simpler and emphasise more on human relations in workplace than McCallister’s communication styles. Managers practice various communication styles. However, often one type dominants and becomes habitual. In passive communication style, managers avoid to express their needs, feelings, and feel shy to protect their rights. In aggressive communication style, managers express their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that violates the rights of employees. While passive managers are usually unable to convey the full thrust of their message, causing irritation, delays, and rework, aggressive managers tend to be less concerned with moving things along than in preserving their own status and power over employees, though they may be successful in completing short-term goals (Newbold, 1997). Between these two extreme styles, is the assertive style. Assertiveness is a behaviour that enables managers to act in their own best interest and to stand up for themselves without denying rights of others (Arredondo, 2003). It facilitates good interpersonal interaction (Lwehabura and Matovelo, 2000) and is characterised by honesty, objectivity, openness, tolerance, accuracy, self- expression, and respect for self and others. Assertiveness can be used for creating mutual understanding and fulfilling objectives (Lwehabura and Matovelo, 2000). Assertive managers respect the needs of employees and go through the mental process of assessing what they need to know and how. Assertive managers also have the skills and confidence to challenge ambiguity and misunderstanding (Newbold, 1997). When the communication style of managers is straightforward and accurate, employees view managers as trustworthy (Tschannen-Moran and Hoy, 2000). This openness facilitates employees’ understanding of tasks and enables responsible decision making (Moye and Henkin, 2006). Assertive managers differ from aggressive managers. Aggressive managers attack or ignore employees’ opinions in favour of their own. They usually react to the given situation in a rude, derogatory, and sarcastic manner which escalates employees’ anxiety. On the other hand, assertive managers state their opinions while being respectful to employees. While aggressive managers fail to establish relationships with their employees, assertive managers build long-term relationships. The assertive communication style enables a manager to express his/her opinions and thoughts in a direct way without attacking others, refuse an unreasonable request without feeling guilty, give employees â€Å"constructive feedback† instead of â€Å"criticism†, give recognition and praise to employees at the right time and create a motivational climate, deliver a firm message by asking â€Å"questions† through a clever approach or ask effective questions to probe for facts and provoke for ideas, trust employees, and create a collaborative and congenial working environment. Employee attitudes can make or break business profitability and sustainability efforts. Although it can be difficult to change the atmosphere in a toxic workplace, it’s possible with positive thinking and actions. Listening to employee complaints and offering constructive feedback and resolutions encourages positive thinking. Learning how to appease and motivate employees can salvage talent from even the most negative work environments. Once you manage to change employee attitudes, your business can move in a positive direction. Today’s business world has just one constant–change. No matter what industry your company competes in, the business environment is always evolving. In order to survive, your business must also evolve. Too often your employees will encounter these environmental changes and respond with a negative attitude. Poor employee attitudes can derail your business efforts. This makes the managing of employee attitudes a critical management function. A negative attitude in the workplace is expressed as cynicism about job tasks, a disinterest in working with others and insubordination toward authority. The negative attitude may be subtle; for example, the employee may come in late or make frequent sarcastic comments. Both overt and discreet expressions have ramifications on an office environment. Dorene Ciletti, author of â€Å"Market Yourself,† states that a worker who exudes a negative attitude tends to be monitored carefully and is unlikely to be promoted. Coworkers also express caution about working with an individual who may weigh the project down with his bad attitude. An employee with a positive attitude shows enthusiasm and curiosity about her job. She is invested in the outcome of projects and the company as a whole. Harold Wallace, author of â€Å"Personal Development for Life and Work,† explains that an employee with a positive attitude has the potential to electrify the entire workplace. Such an attitude has the potential to increase worker productivity and overall job satisfaction.