The Kawasaki disease

The Kawasaki disease Kawasaki disease is an intense systemic paediatric vasculitis disease that is seen commonly in childhood. Kawasaki disease is one of the most common heart diseases. It is the inflammatory disorder but the aetiology of Kawasasaki disease is unknown. It first appeared in 1967 by report of Tomisaku Kawasaki who was a Japanese paediatrician. He also called Kawasaki disease as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. There is no diagnostic test; therefore, doctors are using the clinical criteria that were proposed by Dr. Kawasaki 45 years ago to diagnose the Kawasaki disease. There are many different diagnosis of Kawasaki disease such as viral infections, genetic predisposition or environmental factors. Many research proposed that Kawasaki disease is an infectious disease that may be caused by Epstein-Barr virus, measles, adenovirus, enterovirus. However, there is no confirmed evidence. Usually, KD can found more in Japanese society but it keep spread to western countries and the incidence of K D in western countries are increase dramatically. There are typical symptoms that can be seen in KD such as rash, edema, and mucosal membrane changes. But there are more symptoms that are involved which are not typically found from every KD patients. Therefore, it is hard to diagnosis patients if they have KD or not. The treatment of KD is different depends on if patients are complete or incomplete KD and also, the susceptibility of IVIG will make treatment different along patients. The etiology is not certain but there are several researches shown that KD is caused by infectious agents, genetic factors, or immune system disorder. Current knowledge on the subject   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several symptoms that can be found in patients with Kawasaki disease. When patients have more than 5 days of fever for more than 38C and have more than 4 symptoms such as bilateral nonexudative conjunctival injection, polymorphous exanthem, nonvesicular rash, strawberry tongue, edema of hands and feet, bilateral non-suppurative cervical lymphadenopathy, and mucosal membrane changes, patients will diagnosis as KD. Kawasaki disease can be divided into complete Kawasaki disease and incomplete or atypical Kawasaki disease depending on the number of symptom that are present in the patient. When patients have more than four symptoms or have developed coronary artery abnormality, patients will be diagnosed as complete Kawasaki disease. In contrast, patients who have less than four of the diagnostic criteria and still develop coronary artery abnormality is diagnosed as atypical or incomplete KD. Because of the cause of Kawasaki disease is unknown, di agnosis of Kawasaki disease in infants are very challenging. Kawasaki disease can be divided into three phases. First, from one week to two weeks from onset is called acute phase. Typical symptoms are highly febrile, irritable and the fever approaches more than 39 Celsius. Oral changes occurs and also rash can be found in perineal area. Secondly, from two to eight weeks from onset is called subacute phase. In this phase, fever start to decrease slowly and the perineal area, soles, and periungual areas start to peel off. Lastly, from months to years from onset, it is called convalescent phase. In this phase, laboratory value gets normal but there may be severe consequences. For example, patients who had aneurysms may continuously have, for rest of their life, persistent cardiac dysfunction, or myocardial infarction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coronary artery aneurysm can be highly found in incomplete Kawasaki disease patients. It is defined as coronary dilatation that the diameter of coronary vessel gets enlarged 1.5 folds. It can be diagnosed by angiographically and it is similar to patients with coronary artery disease. The end-diastolic pressure, end-diastolic volume, and ejection fraction levels are not normal and the left ventricular contraction is not normal. The coronary artery aneurysms are mostly caused by atherosclerosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are several associated symptoms that can be seen in Kawasaki patients. Diarrhea and abdominal pain and patients may develop arthritis. Also, myocardial dysfunction can be found in early phase of Kawasaki disease such as pancarditis which is the inflammation of all three layers of heart. Another symptom is periarteritis nodosa which is disease in connective tissue that is blocked by nodules in arteries thereby causing blood to not circulate properly. When Kawasaki disease shows periarteritis nodosa, other symptoms cannot be found.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kawasaki disease can be diagnosis by physical exam but also it can be diagnose by laboratory exam and imaging technique. First, complete blood count test should be performed to look at the amount of white blood cell in blood. Complete blood count is the calculation of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelet. The number of white blood cell increased to more than 15,000. Also, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein increase. After 2 weeks from onset of disease, the platelets level dramatically increases up to 1 to 2*106. There are other abnormalities such as sterile pyuria, increases of hepatic transaminases, hypoalbuminemia. In patients who have KD will have higher level of transaminase than normal person. Also, they will have higher level of ALAT and GGT than other patients who have other febrile diseases. When ALAT level increases, it will lead to coronary artery disease. Research proposed that almost 50% of incomplete KD p atients had pyuria in bladder urine. Pyuria can cause different diseases depends on where it is. When pyuria is in bladder, it can cause tubulointerstitial nephritis but when it is in voided urine, it will cause urethral inflammation. Another symptom to diagnosis incomplete KD is to look at acute anterior uveitis after the onset. Patients who have anterior uveitis do not have pain, photophobia, nor visual impairment. By using ophthalmological evaluation, it can detect if patients have different disease which have similar symptoms with anterior uveitis. One of the research in 2006 showed that there were 40% of KD patients had hyponatromia. It is caused by incorrect hormone secretion by cerebral vasculitis, dehydration, or tubular dysfuction. It is hard to diagnosis KD since there is no diagnosis test. To treat incomplete KD, the principle clinical criteria should be renewed in order not to miss out some patients who did not have principle symptoms. By missing out patients will develo p severe other diseases and will not be able to give proper treatments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  KD also can be found out by using imaging technique. At acute phase, chest x-ray or echocardiography (ECG) are used to look at heart problem. Patients may develop coronary artery abnormalities in acute phase and this can be showed by ECG. When patients are very severe, heart specialists sometimes use single photon emission computed tomography to look into bloodstream of patients. SPECT will provide an image in 3D by using gamma rays. Epidemiology Kawasaki disease is new disease that is predominantly found among Asian children1,2,3. It was first found in Japan by Dr.Kawasaki in 1961. In early 1970s, Pathologist Eunice Larson and Benjamin Landing at Los Angeles recognized it as a new disease. Still today, there is no evidence of how Kawasaki disease emerged but some researchers proposed that Kawasaki disease emerged from Japan and spread to Western countries through Hawaii after World War II. Kawasaki disease was nationwide epidemics but now it is more likely a regional outbreak. The mean annual incidence rate is different in variety of countries and districts3. There are 90 to 112 per 100,000 in Japan, 8.0 to 47.7 per 100000 in US, and 3.6 to 3.7 per 100000 in the United Kingdom and Australia for children who are less than 5 years old. Research in China indicates that the incidence rate is 18.2 to 18.6 per 1000003. The statistics shows that Japan predominantly has highest incidence rate among Asian. Kawasaki disease can be fou nd commonly in males than females and the reoccurrence rate is less than 1%3. The incidence of Kawasaki disease has been increasing annually. In 2000, the incidence rate was 73.7 per 100000 but in 2002, the number of occurrence increased to 95.5 per 1000003. There are relationships between season and occurrence of Kawasaki disease3. But there are variations among different countries. From Japanese reports, there were more patients in winter but in American data shows that patients will develop KD more in the spring and winter. For female the occurrence appeared to be high in March, and highest in July. For boys, the highest occurrence rate was in May and the lowest occurrence rate was in February. As the research indicated, the season and climates have relationship with the susceptibility to Kawasaki disease3. Genetics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patients with Kawasaki disease may develop coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) if patients are not treated early. Usually patients are treated with high amounts of intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG) as well as aspirin which are used to reduce the possibility of developing CAAs2. However, 10-20% of Kawasaki patients do not response to induced intravenous gamma-globulin. Coronary artery abnormality will develop more frequently to patients who are not responding well to IVGG than patients who respond well to IVGG. Recent research reported that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is involved in formation of CAA in acute phase of Kawasaki disease patients2. From research, the level of MMP-9 in serum who have Kawasaki disease have much higher than serum from children who does not have KD and patients who have other kinds of febrile diseases2. Using MMP-9 inhibitors might prevent the formation of CAA. However, MMP-9 inhibitors are not used clinically. MMP-9 is endopeptidase that depends on zinc that has zinc at the active site. MMP-9 have major role in tissue remodelling of extracellular membrane (ECM) 2. It can be seen in cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction, plaque destabilization of atherosclerotic lesion. The mechanism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is involve with the bind zinc to the active site and stabilize by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions in the active site. The ACE inhibitor can inhibit the activity of MMP-9 and MMP-2, which have major role in neointimal formation and angiogenesis. The effect of the ACE inhibitor on MMP-9 can be measure by using captopril to the enzyme2. Involvement of the immune system From the studies by Satoshi Sato, Kawasaki disease is commonly found from patients who are younger than 5 years old1. The average age of occurrence of this disease is 2 years. Kawasaki disease does not occur frequently from children who is less than 6 months and can hardly find patients who are less than 3 months1. Kawasaki disease usually does not occur for adults who have immunity to common infectious disease. This result explains that children are more susceptible to Kawasaki disease because they might not produced antibodies to common infectious viruses, and bacteria1. Mannose bind lectin (MBL) is an important component of the innate immunity and is a reactant for hepatic origin which can bind to multiple lectin domains1. MBL has very important role in complement activation and opsonization. Complement activation refers to as the biochemical activity that helps to get rid of pathogen from animal and opsonization have similar activity to complement activation that plays role of pa thogens to get rid of the organism by ingestion and destruction by phagocyte1. It is usually found in bacterial cells, fungus cells, and viruses. It has repeating pattern of mannose and N-acetylglucosamine sugar. There are three single polymorphisms in chromosome 10 for MBL gene at codon 52 (CGT to TCT), codon 54 (GGC to GAC), and codon 57 (GGA to GAA). This mutation will lead to reduction of the level of MBL concentration but polymorphism of the promoter region of MBL will lead to increase the level of MBL concentration in the serum1. When the base changes from glycine to aspartic acid in codon 54, it will distract the interaction between MBL and MBL-associated serine protease. The interaction between MBL and MBL-associated serine protease defend against infection when patients are young. But when patients become older, the interaction of these two molecules will not have impact on the innate immunity1. Because, the patients will develop the mature lymphocytes and immunoglobulins a nd they will engulf the invaded pathogen. Therefore, this research proposes the susceptibility of the Kawasaki disease will be influenced by the MBL polymorphism1. Children who have Kawasaki disease develop endothelial dysfuntion in early phase after onset of disease and this will caused by the production of nitric oxide (NO)5. As described earlier, the primary innate immune system is very important feature for Kawasaki disease. Tumour necrosis factor alpha, IL-1, 6, 8, monocyte, chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) will be activated to produce cytokine storm5. After cytokines are produced, it will release iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) in neutrophils, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells. Nitric oxide is produced by two enzymes which are endothelial NOS and iNOS5. Recent research found out that patients who developed Kawasaki disease have higher level of iNOS concentration in neutrophils in acute phase. Also, children have high level of nitric oxide metabolites such as NOx, NO3-, and NO2-. After production of Nitric Oxide, it will react with Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) to give more bi ochemical reactions. This will be measured by new device called fluorescent indicators5. There are new devices used to measure the concentration of NO and ROS. First, Hydroxyphenyl fluorescence (HPF) was used to measure the concentration of ROS. Another device is called Diaminofluorescin-Flu Diacetate (DAF-FM DA) which is used to measure the concentration of intracellular Nitric Oxide5.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are significant evidences that the production of ROS and NO by neutrophils were much higher in Kawasaki disease patients in compare to people who have non-KD febrile children or non-febrile children5. By treating with IVIG, NO level will decrease. But, the production of NO can be beneficial or harmful. Usually, NO is cytotoxic but sometimes, it can protect cells from toxic materials. NO may react with hydroxyl radicals to produce much higher toxicity. To control the influence of NO, the duration, the amount of NO synthesis should be controlled. Therefore, in acute phase of Kawasaki disease, NO and ROS is highly produced and will cause damage to endothelial cells5. Treatment and future research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When patients are diagnosis as complete or incomplete KD, treatment should be induced right away. Because when patients have more than 10 days of fever will develop CAA. Major treatment that doctors use to treat KD is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Intravenous immuglobulin induced into bloodstream which contains immunoglobulin antibody G that is brought from other control blood donors. IVIG is still a major recommended treatment but some patients do not response to this treatment. The effects of IVIG last for 2 weeks up to 3 months. The typical amount of IVIG is a dose of 1000mg per kg of patients bodyweight. High amount of IVIG with aspirin will reduce the rate of coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) which includes coronary artery dilatation or aneurysms from 20% to 3 to 5%. Also, depends of patients, IVIG can also used with acetylsalicylic acid to treat KD.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is one example about the incorrect treatment will cause severe disease. When IVIG was induced, patients could not cure coronary artery lesion. When patients induced with corticosteroid, they developed more coronary artery lesion3. There are two therapies which are antiinflammatory and antithrombotic therapy which are to treat Kawasaki disease instead of using IVIG. In antiinflammatory therapy, methylprenisolone, prednisone, prednisolone, and infliximab are used to treat Kawasaki disease. For antithrombotic therapy, Aspirin, heparin, warfarin, exoxaparin, tissue plasminogen activator, clopidogrel, and abciximab are used. Recently, infliximab proved by US Food and Drug administration to cure not only Crohn disease but also used to treat Kawasaki disease patients. It was not used at all in 2001 but today, the administration of infliximab usage increased up to 2.3% of total number of therapies used. It became favourable because of two reasons. First, it only administer to patients only one time. Secondly, by not using infliximab more than once, it reduce the complication as seen in other therapies which are used more than once. Infliximab is an antibody to tumour necrosis factor alpha, and cytokine in inflammatory response. It binds to tumour necrosis factor alpha and blocks the T-cell receptors to block the biochemical cascade. It will decrease the coronary artery abnormalities in patients who developed Kawasaki disease in early acute phase. To treat KD much better way, there should be more research. First, there should be more laboratory and echocardiographic data. Second, more development of clinical criteria and symptoms should be proposed. Even today, there is no perfect evidence that can explain the cause of KD; therefore, there should be more research on genetic factors by looking at KD patients family. Lastly, after treatment of KD in childhood, complication may be developed after several decades and there is not much information about complication. Therefore, by monitoring and keep in touch with KD patients are good way to find out more about complication after initial treatment. References Sato, S., H. Kawashima, Y. Kashiwagi, T. Fujioka, K Takekuma, and A. Hoshika. 2009. Association of mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphisms with Kawasaki disease in the Japanese. I. Jour. R. Dis. 12:307-310. Inoue, N., S. Takai, D. Jin, K. Okumura, N. Okamura, M. Kajiura, S. Yoshikawa, N. Kawamura, H. Tamai, M. Miyazaki. 2010. Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor on matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity in patients with Kawasaki disease. Clinica Chimica Acta. 411:267-269. Huang, G.Y., Ma, X.J., Huang, M., Chen, S.B., Huang, M.R., Gui, Y.H., Ning, S.B., Zhang, T.H., Du, Z.D., Yanagawa H., and Kawasaki T. 2006. Epidemiologic Pictures of Kawasaki disease in Shanghai from 1998 through 2002. Journal of Epidemiology. 16:No. 1. Yeo, Y.K., Kim, T.Y., Ha, K.S., Jang, G.Y., Lee, J.H., Lee, K.C., Son, C.S., and Lee, J.W. 2009. Incomplete Kawasaki disease in patients younger than 1 year of age: a possible inherent risk factor. Eur J Pediatr. 168:157-162. Yoshimura, K., Tatsumi, K., Iharada, A., Tsuji, S., Tateiwa, A., Teraguchi, T., Ogino, H., Kaneko, K. 2009. Increased nitric oxide production by neutrophils in early stage of Kawasaki disease. Eur J Pediatr. 168:1037-1041 Perrin, L., Letierce, A., Guitton, C., Tran, T.A., Lambert, V., Kone-Paut, I. 2009. Comparative study of complete versus incomplete Kawasaki disease in 59 pediatric patients. Joint Bone Spine. 76:481-485. Son, M.B.F., Gauvreau, K., Ma, L., Baker, A.L., Sundel, R.P., Fulton, D.R., Newburger, J.W. 2009. Treatment of Kawasaki Disease: Anlaysis of 27 US Pediatric Hospitals From 2001 to 2006. Pediatrics. 124:1-8. Ugi, J., Lepper, P.M., Witschi, M., Maier, V., Geiser, T., Ott, S.R. Nonresolving pneumonia and rash in an adult: pulmonary involvements in Kwasakis disease. EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL. 35:452-454. Climaz, R., Sundel R. 2009. Atypical and incomplete Kawasaki disease. Best Practice Research Clinical Rheumatology. 23 (5):689-697.

Witchcraft Ideas And Their Parallels Across The World :: essays research papers fc

Witchcraft is said to be the most widespread cultural phenomenon in existence today and throughout history. Even those who shun the ideas of witchcraft cannot discount the similarities in stories from all corners of the globe. Witchcraft and its ideas have spread across racial, religious, and language barriers from Asia to Africa to America. Primitive people from different areas in the world have shockingly similar accounts of witchcraft occurrences. In most cases the strange parallels cannot be explained and one is only left to assume that the tales hold some truth. Anthropologists say that many common elements about witchcraft are shared by different cultures in the world. Among these common elements are the physical characteristics and the activities of supposed witches. I will go on to highlight some of the witch characteristic parallels found in printed accounts from different parts of the world and their comparisons to some famous fairytales. First of all, throughout many cultures, physical characteristics associated with witches ring strangely the same. Anthropologist Philip Mayer says that witches typically bear a physical stigma, like a red eye for example (Mayer 56). In the Brother's Grimm fairytale "Hansel and Gretel," the witch shares this same beastly characteristic. Also, people usually cast off as witches are typically always old women. In Slovakia, Milan Mramuch accused his elderly neighbor of witchcraft and allegedly beat the old woman to death (Whitmore). In "Hansel and Gretel" the witch who lives in the tempting, candy house is an old crippled woman and in the Brother's Grimm fairytale "Snow White," the witch who was an elegant queen, performs her craft disguised as an old peasant woman. A second characteristic of witches - and what witches are most commonly known for - is that they cause horrible misfortune to their neighbors and others close to them. Death, sickness, and weather disasters are examples of natural occurrences that witches cause are often blamed for, especially when the occurrences seem strange or out of the ordinary. They can cause this harm simply by willing it to happen. "The witch only has to wish you harm, and the harm is as good as done" (Mayer 56). In Slovakia, Mramuch, who killed his neighbor Anna Tomkova, did so because he suspected the woman of casting a spell on his granddaughter. It was the only answer Mramuch had to counter his granddaughter's sudden suffering of epileptic seizures (Whitmore). In South Africa, Mmatiou Thantsa was accused of witchcraft and summoning lightning (Keller).

Marijuana as a Subculture Essay -- expository essay

A subculture is a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of larger society. Marijuana smokers can be considered a subculture for many reasons. Marijuana is used by millions of people around the world, either for recreational, spiritual, or therapeutic reasons. Some call themselves the cannabis connoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuana has. It is frequently praised by one side and condemned by the other, on the basis of emotional issues rather than an objective view of research. It was 1920 when smoking began to catch on in the United States. Its recreational use was restricted to jazz musicians and people in show business. â€Å"Reefer songs† became the rage of the jazz world. Marijuana clubs, called tea pads, appeared in every major city across the country. Authorities tolerated these establishments because it was not illegal or considered a social threat. In the early 1930’s marijuana became stereotyped as a violent drug, and by 1936 was illegal in all states. Marijuana research was at a stand still and the thought of it being a violent drug faded and the idea that it was a gateway drug emerged in the late 1940’s early 1950’s. In the 1960’s marijuana became very popular among the young college crowd. This was looked at as a challenge to authority and the government. The effects of marijuana are minimal. The high has a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and well-being. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in marijuana. It’s estimated that a person would have to ingest a dose 20,000 to 40,000 times the average dose before death would occur. In the early 1990’s sophisticated research on marijuana began. The scientists discovered THC stimulates special receptors in the brain. Researchers have now isolated a natural substance that appears to produce the same effects as THC in the brain. Recently the medical uses of marijuana are being more and more accepted, and many marijuana smokers wonder how it can be harmful if it helps/treats patients. Marijuana smokers are a subculture because they share sets of beliefs, values, language, and other things that are different from the views of the larger society. They look at things another way because they are pro marijuana, which differs from t... ... believes this to be very true. But the smokers do not want to be associated with the â€Å"pothead† stereotype. They want very much to destroy the connection of marijuana with the tie-dyed, hippy era. Society just assumes smokers are useless, lazy, uneducated bums; which is very inaccurate. There are many hard working people out there that smoke marijuana recreationally to relieve stress. First, this cannot be true because there are an inestimable amount of marijuana smokers that successfully keep their habit a secret. These people are able to blend with society, allowing them to make friends/acquaintances that don’t agree with smoking marijuana. People who use marijuana do not look negatively upon the rest of society. They relate and form bonds with the whole culture as normal people would. Marijuana smokers are a subculture for the reasons previously described above. They share a different set of values, beliefs, and etc. from the rest of society. For example, they have their own terms that describe their practices. They don’t mind society but part of society minds them, maybe one day marijuana use won’t be as frowned upon. All of these things make marijuana smokers a subculture. Marijuana as a Subculture Essay -- expository essay A subculture is a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of larger society. Marijuana smokers can be considered a subculture for many reasons. Marijuana is used by millions of people around the world, either for recreational, spiritual, or therapeutic reasons. Some call themselves the cannabis connoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuana has. It is frequently praised by one side and condemned by the other, on the basis of emotional issues rather than an objective view of research. It was 1920 when smoking began to catch on in the United States. Its recreational use was restricted to jazz musicians and people in show business. â€Å"Reefer songs† became the rage of the jazz world. Marijuana clubs, called tea pads, appeared in every major city across the country. Authorities tolerated these establishments because it was not illegal or considered a social threat. In the early 1930’s marijuana became stereotyped as a violent drug, and by 1936 was illegal in all states. Marijuana research was at a stand still and the thought of it being a violent drug faded and the idea that it was a gateway drug emerged in the late 1940’s early 1950’s. In the 1960’s marijuana became very popular among the young college crowd. This was looked at as a challenge to authority and the government. The effects of marijuana are minimal. The high has a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and well-being. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in marijuana. It’s estimated that a person would have to ingest a dose 20,000 to 40,000 times the average dose before death would occur. In the early 1990’s sophisticated research on marijuana began. The scientists discovered THC stimulates special receptors in the brain. Researchers have now isolated a natural substance that appears to produce the same effects as THC in the brain. Recently the medical uses of marijuana are being more and more accepted, and many marijuana smokers wonder how it can be harmful if it helps/treats patients. Marijuana smokers are a subculture because they share sets of beliefs, values, language, and other things that are different from the views of the larger society. They look at things another way because they are pro marijuana, which differs from t... ... believes this to be very true. But the smokers do not want to be associated with the â€Å"pothead† stereotype. They want very much to destroy the connection of marijuana with the tie-dyed, hippy era. Society just assumes smokers are useless, lazy, uneducated bums; which is very inaccurate. There are many hard working people out there that smoke marijuana recreationally to relieve stress. First, this cannot be true because there are an inestimable amount of marijuana smokers that successfully keep their habit a secret. These people are able to blend with society, allowing them to make friends/acquaintances that don’t agree with smoking marijuana. People who use marijuana do not look negatively upon the rest of society. They relate and form bonds with the whole culture as normal people would. Marijuana smokers are a subculture for the reasons previously described above. They share a different set of values, beliefs, and etc. from the rest of society. For example, they have their own terms that describe their practices. They don’t mind society but part of society minds them, maybe one day marijuana use won’t be as frowned upon. All of these things make marijuana smokers a subculture.

The Female Reproductive System

Shakeeta Morgan For life to have an on-going process, there must be the process of creating new life. This process is called reproduction. Human beings reproduce in much the same way as other mammals. There is need for both male and female to be involved in the human reproductive process. The Female Reproductive System The female reproductive system consists of the fallopian tube, ovum,ovary, uterus, cervix and vagina. Ovary This is the name for the sex gland that is similar in function to the male testicle. They are two in number and are located on either side of the uterus (womb). Each ovary is coverd by a tough protective capsule and contains many follicles. A follicle-sound is an egg cell sourounded by one or more layers of follicle cells. It is estimated that about 400,000 eggs (ovum) are stored in eachovary at birth. However, only one egg becomes ripe each month, once puberty begins, and departs from the ovary and travels into the fallopian tubes (oviduct). They also manufacture the female hormones estrogen and progesterone which is instrumental in the onset of the menstrual cycle. Ovum(ova) egg cell A microscopic egg cell is released from one of the two ovaries at an average cycle of once every 28 days. When sperm cells encounter an ovum in the fallopian tube, they swarm around it like bees around honey. Once one sperm cell breaks through the outer membrane of the ovum by using hydrolitic enzymes, the egg immediately produces a wall that blocks a second sperm from entering. When fertilization of an ovum occurs, menstruation stops and no other ovum can be discharged until the fetus has left the uterus. Luteinizing hormone (LH)-sound This hormone is responsible for triggering the release of the ripe egg from the ovary. Corpus Luteum-sound After the ovum (egg) is released from the ovary, a small temporary gland forms in the ovary and begins to produce the hormone progesterone. Progesterone-sound Progesterone is secreted to help prepare the endometrium to receive a fertilized ovum. Once menstruation occurs, progesterone levels decrease and slowly rise again to form a new endometrium. Fallopian tube (oviduct)-sound The ovum is transported from the ovary to the uterus over a period of one to five days via the fallopian tube. They are two in number and lead directly to the uterus. As the egg travels down the tube, hair-like cillia move the egg toward the uterus by a swaying motion. If one fallopian tube becomes blocked and an egg attempts to travel down to the uterus through it, the egg will not be able to make contact with a sperm cell. Occasionally, an egg will implant on the fallopian tube wall. When this happens, the tube painfully ruptures as the egg matures into an embryo. The embryo is expelled from the body and the fertilization process must begin again. Fertilization (conception) Fertilization occurs when one sperm unites with an egg. This usually happens in the fallopian tubules of the female. Ovulation Ovulation is a period of time when a female becomes fertile and can conceive (when a sperm cell and an egg can unite). It usually occurs two weeks before the onset of the female menstrual cycle and lasts for one to five days; the amount of time it takes for an egg to travel down the fallopian tube. Blastula-sound The name for a zygote after the process of clevage, cell division. The blastula is a hollow ball of cells and travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus. During this stage the growing egg implants itself into the endomertium. Zygote-sound The fertilized ovum that can divide into a group of human tissue cells and becomes an embryo is called thezygote. A zygote usualy forms in the fallopian tubules. Menstruation-sound Two weeks, on the average, after ovulation, if the egg is not fertilized, it dies and the blood rich cells of the membrane of the uterus and the microscopic unfertilized ovum pass through the uterus out through the vagina in a process called menstruation.. Uterus (womb)-sound The uterus is an thick, muscular organ in the reproductive system shaped like an upside down pear located within the abdomen of a female. It is the place where the membrane lining of the uterus endometrium becomes thicker as it amasses blood and nutrients to accommodate the embryo which will develop and grow into a fetus. It is also the origin of the bloody discharge that usually occurs monthly during the reproductive years of a female. The unique arrangement of hte When it is time for the fetus to be born, the uterus will contract to expel its contents. Cervix An opening at the top end of the vagina leading to the uterus is called the cervix. After an embryo has favorably been implanted in the uterus, the cervix is sealed off to stop infection and allow amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the fetus) to fill the uterus. During the first stage of labor, expulsion of the fetus from the uterus, the cervix dilates (increases in size) to form a passageway for the fetus into the vagina. Endometrium-sound This is the lining of the uterus that is prepared to receive the fertilized ovum. The rich endomerium is equipped with blood vessels which attach to the growing embryo and nourish it. Vagina-sound This tubular female sex organ serves many functions. It is the place where menstrual discharges pass out of the body. It also stretches to function as a birth canal when it is time for the fetus to be expelled from the uterus. It is the channel through which the sperm in the semen travel up toward the fallopian tube to fertilize an egg. Although its muscular tissue is much thinner than the uterus, the walls are strong enough to contract to hold a penis or allow passage of a babys head.

Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the future of the modern society. They are the driving forces behind Indian economy. Entrepreneurs are people who come out with an new ideas , innovations , do things, which are not generally done in the ordinary course of a business. Empowerment of women entrepreneur is an new mantra for development of economy. The present paper focuses mainly women entrepreneur ,they still represent a minority of all entrepreneurs. It is observed that women entrepreneur networks are major sources of knowledge about women’s entrepreneurship and they are increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for its development and promotion. Of the 1. 3 billion people who live in absolute poverty around the globe, 70 percent are women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, Women earn only 10 percent of the world’s income. Women own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. An effort has been made in this paper is to identify empowerment of women's entrepreneurship in Indian economy Introduction to Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship was previously considered to be unknown quality of an individual and hence it was believed that entrepreneurs are born and not made. But recent studies have proved that Entrepreneurial activities can be planned and developed in an individual through creation of opportunities, extended Facilities, Allowing Incentives, Developing Competence and group sensitiveness in an individual for all those factors Entrepreneurship is a social phenomenon and it is not inherent within a person, rather it exists in the interaction between people. It reflects a ray of hope for the unemployed to earn a living and maintain a dignified life and also for the economic development of the country. our vision of emerging as a superpower by 2020 will pivot momentously on Entrepreneurial shoulders. qual opportunity between men and women from the perspective of entrepreneurship is still not a reality. An Entrepreneur is the key figure in the process of economic growth. He/She is an economic person who tries to maximize his profits by innovation and thus aggressively contributing towards economic development. He is an organizer and speculator who is doing new things or doing things that are already being done in a new way. Women Entrepreneurship Women entrepreneurs play an important role in the entrepreneurial economy, both in their ability to create jobs for themselves and to create jobs for others. In Europe (both European Union countries and other European countries), estimates indicate that there exist more than 10 million self-employed women. In the United States 6. 4 million self-employed women provide employment for 9. 2 million people and create significant sales. Using the United States ratio between the number of employees and self-employment it may be estimated that employed women in surveyed European countries could employ around 15 million persons. Better qualitative information and quantitative data and statistics are required to profile women entrepreneurs (demographic information, barriers to start-up and growth). This would also assist in promoting awareness of the role of women entrepreneurs in the economy. Entrepreneur is held responsible for scanning the business landscape for unexploited opportunities. The improved way of doing is the innovation that the entrepreneur presents to the market. According to CWBR, there are 6. 2 million privately held majority (50% or more) women owned businesses in the U. S. employing 9. 2 million workers and contributing $1. 15 trillion to the economy. Half of all privately Owned business in the U. S. re owned by women, and between 1997 to 2005 women owned business grew at thrice the rate of all businesses. Together, women owned businesses and those owned equally by men and women number 10. 2 million employ more than 18 million workers and generate $2. 32 trillion. According to Women in the economy, a study conducted by Government of India, there are approximately 10 million homes based Business in India and 55,000 of them generate more than $1 million in revenue each year. Self-employment represents one of the most important job opportunities for women especially for women in developing economies. It is also observed that in all countries women still represent a minority of those that start new firms, are self-employed, or are small business owner-managers. Technology makes it possible for women to work productively from home and to stay actively involved in the lives of their children. 27% of women with home based businesses have children under the age of 18, 25% have children as young as 6 years old and 30% have children less than 6 years old. To a much greater extent than men (56 to 48%), women starts businesses to supplement income and to manage family responsibilities. Women-owned businesses are no passing fad. They are crucial to a healthy economy. They typically require little or no investment, they can be headquartered in the home, and they give women flexibility in balancing their work and family lives. Technology allows the cultivation of clients nationwide and even worldwide and there are lots of resources to help women get started. The greatest advantage of owning a business, According to Ashley:† Working for yourself makes all the difference because you can do things the way you know are right so that your work speaks your values, beliefs, and ethics at the same time you are providing a necessary service. Indian women are considered as Sakthi, which means source of power. Effectively coordinating the available factors and resources. Efficient execution of decisions imposed on them. Clear vision and ambition on the improvement of family and children. Patience and bearing the sufferings on behalf of others and ability to work physically more at any age. Women sector occupies nearly 45% of the Indian population. The literary and educational status of women improved considerably during the past few decades. More and more higher educational and research institutions are imparting knowledge and specialization. At this juncture, effective steps are needed to provide entrepreneurial awareness, orientation and skill development programs to women. According to the experts , there are five levels of the women's empowerment framework, namely- welfare, access, conscientisation, mobilization and control. Welfare means an improvement in socio-economic status, such as improved nutritional status, shelter or income, which is the zero level of empowerment, where women are the passive recipients of benefits that are ‘given' from on high. Access to resources and services stands for the women's empowerment framework, namely- welfare, access, conscientisation, mobilization and control. Conscientisation is defined as the process, by which women collectively urge to act to remove one or more of the discriminatory practices that impede their access to resources. Here, women form groups to understand the underlying causes of their problems and to identify strategies for action for gender equity. Mobilization is the action level of empowerment by forging links with the larger women's movement, to learn from the successes of women's similar trategic action elsewhere and to connect with the wider struggle. Control is the level of empowerment when women have taken action so that there is gender equality in decisions making over access to resources, so that women achieve direct control over their access to resources. More precisely, as a woman evolves through the entrepreneurial process she will face different obstacles related to the specific stage she is in (opportunity identification, opportunity exploitation and resource acquisition for example). Depending on the nature of those obstacles, only certain categories of women will enter into business and succeed consequently. In rural India, agriculture and allied industrial sectors employ as much as 89. 5% of the total female labour. In overall farm production, women's average contribution is estimated at 55% to 66% of the total labour. According to a 1991 World Bank report, women accounted for 94% of total employment in dairy production in India. Women constitute 51% of the total employed in forest-based small-scale enterprises. India's Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012) has recognized for the first time that women are not just equal citizens, but are also acknowledged as agents of economic and social growth. Any development strategy will be lop-sided without involving women, who constitute half of the world population. Women entrepreneurship has gained momentum since the early 1980s when countries in Asia – particularly India and China – and elsewhere started liberalizing their economies. The resultant globalization – propelled by foreign direct investment, technological innovations, and manufactured exports – has brought a wide range of economic and social opportunities to women entrepreneurs. TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), founded in Silicon Valley in 1992 by entrepreneurs and professionals with roots in the Indus region, announced the launch of India’s first women’s entrepreneurship platform called TiE Stree Shakti (TSS). is a forum for women entrepreneurs to create trust-based partnerships through active networks. Additionally, the forum founders recognize the immense contribution of women entrepreneurs to self, family and society. A study conducted by Ernst & Young titled ‘Groundbreakers’, observes: â€Å"At a time when our global economy is facing its greatest challenge in decades, we have to capitalize on the contributions women can make. It’s time to place renewed emphasis on women as a resource to move businesses and economies ahead. † A study conducted by TiE revealed that 90% of women at the grass root level need help in Training & Education to improve their business skills. 78% of them were keen to re-start their business again but need encouragement and support from family and other like minded women. A mere 15 per cent of women hold senior management positions in privately-held businesses in India; the global average is 24 per cent and Some of the key areas where women want to start a business include garment shops, catering and beauty salons. The biggest challenge that many literate and illiterate women in rural and urban areas faces in entering into small industry as entrepreneurs is due to the lack of knowledge on product, Market and Quality and it’s to be seen that some committee should be constituted and the recommendations which are placed should be implemented in phases to root out the above problems. Every woman has the potential to be an Entrepreneur and it can be developed through nurturing skills and ideas. Women in business attain success for their intelligence, efficiency, commitment and Honesty. There is still much poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and discrimination when it comes to women, but there is a certain segment of them that is making a mark in the corporate world, in the media, in literature and for many who are unaware they are making a huge impact in the IT sector. Globalization has provided opportunities for the educated, middle class woman to build her own dreams and excel in fields, which were earlier perceived as complete male domains. Though they are not the majority, Indian women professionals are definitely on the rise and are paving the way for future generations. Indian women are becoming increasingly visible and successful in the professional and public sphere. Whether it is Barkha Dutt, who has become a idol for several journalists, Arundhati Roy, a Booker Prize Winner and a social activist, or Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who became the wealthiest Indian woman after the initial public offering of her company, Biocon , they have all heralded the arrival of Indian women professionals. Women are becoming increasingly visible in the domestic and international sphere in media, entertainment, business, IT, politics and literature. Approximately one third of employees at Indian software companies today are women. In fact, NASSCOM puts the figure at 38%, which is a higher figure than their western counterparts. Some of the reasons for this attraction to the IT sector include India's education system. Number of women managers and entrepreneurs in the corporate sector. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's Biocon, a biotech firm is worth over $1. 1 billion, with her stake at $449 million. Vidya Mohan Chhabria, chairperson of the $2 billion Jumbo Group, and Naina Lal Kidwai, vice chairperson and managing director of HSBC Securities and Capital markets, are the two Indian women to feature on the list of the 50 most powerful women in international business by Fortune magazine. There are several others like Sulaijja Firodia Motwani and Mallika Srinivasan who figure prominently in the automotive industry while there are many other women who are successfully managing family run businesses. However, the emergence of India ‘s service sector – travel, tourism, hospitality, media, and entertainment as well as business process outsourcing and IT is witnessing an increased role for female employees at the entry and middle levels. They will hopefully pave the way for future female professionals.

“Amotivational Syndrome”

Jesse Love â€Å"Amotivational Syndrome† and Marijuana use: An Ongoing Debate November 30, 2008 The positive or negative effects of marijuana usage are a common point of discussion among psychologists. One of the more common debates surrounds â€Å"Amotivational Syndrome† (i. e. the purported lack of motivation that results from marijuana use). The existence or non-existence of this â€Å"syndrome† has been discussed for over a century among both users and non-users alike (Duncan, 1987, p. 114).The two articles chosen for this essay attempt to determine whether amotivational syndrome is a by-product of marijuana use by applying two separate methods of analysis. By analyzing these articles it will be clear that there is no conclusive evidence that suggests a direct correlation between amotivational syndrome and marijuana use. In 1987, David F. Duncan sought to critique previous studies of marijuana use that claimed amotivational syndrome was a prevalent phenomenon among acute marijuana users.He aimed to challenge previous studies that assumed, in their conclusions, that users of marijuana possessed characteristics of â€Å"introversion, passivity, and lack of achievement-orientation† (Duncan, 1987, p. 114). In his introduction, Duncan introduced cross-cultural examples where marijuana use is actually used as a stimulant; for instance in Jamaica, where he compares marijuana use to North American coffee consumption (Duncan, 1987, p. 115). Duncan concludes that only by conducting a comparative study, i. . by taking a sample of subjects who are both users and non-users, could real evidence for â€Å"marijuana-related antimotivational syndrome† be determined (Duncan, 1987, p. 115). Duncan pointed to the flaws a study conducted by Halikas et al. In 1982. Halikas wanted to determine the â€Å"lifetime prevalence† of amotivational syndrome in lifetime users of marijuana. To do so, he posed a single question meant to encompass th e criterion of amotivational syndrome.The question encompassed elements such as: â€Å"Have you ever had a period when you weren’t depressed or unhappy, but you just seemed to lose your motivation although you weren’t particularly upset by that feeling? † (Duncan, 1987, p. 116). Duncan argued that Halikas et al. ’s study, in particular, was a failure because it failed to offer a comparison between users and non-users. Therefore, Duncan used the same questionnaire and applied it to a series of high-achieving subjects to determine the frequency of amotivational syndrome within a larger population of both users and non-users.Duncan selected two hundred thirty-eight athletic students (some former Olympians) from a European university. All subjects were required to speak English and came from various parts of the world. He began by requesting all subjects to fill out a questionnaire regarding past marijuana consumption. The subjects were subsequently divided i nto three groups: 1) those who had never used marijuana, 2) those who used marijuana daily for a thirty day period in their life and, 3) those who used marijuana but could not fill the requirements for group 2 (Duncan, 1987, p. 17). The results of this initial questionnaire indicated that 47. 7% had never used marijuana, 23. 8% were occasional/experimental users and 24. 1% had been daily users. These three groups also responded to the questionnaire borrowed from Halikas et al. It was determined that there was no significant variation in the frequency of amotivational syndrome among marijuana users (Duncan, 1987, p. 117). These results only serve to debunk the initial findings of Halikas et al. and other psychologists who had followed similar methods of analysis.Indeed, Duncan made this explicit in the conclusion of his report. It is clear from Duncan’s work that a new methodology is required to determine whether amotivational syndrome is more prevalent among marijuana users. The limitations of this research are therefore quite clear. Future studies will require both long and short-term analysis of both users and non-users. Also, a controlled definition of motivation will be required to determine what a lack thereof implies. To make improvements one would therefore need to have access, as Duncan had, to a large body of subjects. It would then e necessary to track these subjects, both users and non-users alike, over a sustained period of time to determine whether or not the likelihood of amotivational syndrome is more common among users or non-users, if there is in fact a difference at all. Duncan ultimately argued that he was still prepared â€Å"†¦to relegate the antimotivational syndrome to the growing scrap heap of discarded marijuana myths† (Duncan, 1987, p. 118). In 2002, Cherek et al. conducted a much more dynamic study of amotivational syndrome, following a number of the suggestions offered years earlier by Duncan.They offered a vague definition of amotivational syndrome as a â€Å"set of characteristics† including â€Å"general apathy†¦loss of productivity†¦lethargy (and) depression† among others (Cherek, Lane and Dougherty, 2002, p. 26). Despite these agreed upon attributes of amotivational syndrome, Cherek et al. also found it difficult to pinpoint the amotivational â€Å"phenomenon†. They recalled some of the studies referred to by Duncan that found a positive correlation between marijuana usage and amotivational syndrome.By recognizing that amotivational syndrome occurred among users and non-users alike, the researchers concluded that amotivational syndrome was ultimately a question of frequency. Cherek et al. also sought to arrive at a conclusive definition of motivation, both theoretically and methodologically. To cross this hurdle, Cherek et al. opted to follow a behavioral approach in conjunction with a progressive ratio schedule (PR) and a fixed-time schedule (FT). In this way, they could â€Å"†¦define and measure motivation by measuring changes in PR responding across changes in reinforcer magnitude† (Cherek et al. , 2002, p. 27).Monetary reward would be used as an operational reinforcement and data would be based on subject response rates. The first experiment involved five males who were occasional marijuana users. It was used to confirm the initial â€Å"proposed operational definition of motivational behavior† which meant that there was a direct ratio between the response time and the motivation (Cherek et al. , 2002, pp. 27-28). The results proved that their initial suppositions were correct and that the changes in response rate and ratios were â€Å"consistent with the operational method† established from the outset of the experiment (Cherek et al. 2002, p. 30). The following two experiments used a different subject base but retained the same reinforcer values. The researchers controlled the THC supply, dividing it i nto three strains of potency. They argued that a decrease in PR response following â€Å"acute marijuana administration† while the keeping the reinforcer at a constant level would indicate decreased levels of motivation (Cherek et al. , 2002, p. 30). The results of Experiment 2 Phase 1 indicated that acute marijuana consumption did alter behavior. However, the results were not dose dependent.Experiment 2 Phase 2 showed that the â€Å"marijuana-induced decreases in responding can be overcome by increasing the reinforcer† (Cherek et. al, 2002, p. 35). This meant that although it was clear that there were overt behavioral differences between marijuana induced subjects and the placebo subjects, these differences could be overcome by offering a motivational stimulus. The researchers concluded that acute marijuana users do exhibit some forms of amotivational behavior. This behavior could be usurped if there was an increase in the reinforcement.They pointed out that other stu dies had achieved results that disconfirmed this conclusion. However, those studies did not offer â€Å"the availability of at least one alternative response† for the subjects. [1] Cherek et al. suggested that one could â€Å"construe† their study as an indication that marijuana does induce amotivational behavior. Still, this is not entirely conclusive because the study solely examined the effects of short-term acute marijuana use. Most of the controversy surrounding marijuana use generally questions whether long-term use, rather than short-term use, effects amotivational behavior. 2] The fact that only short-term marijuana use was studied here is its greatest limitation. It was also limited because of the small number of subjects and the environment in which they were tested (a small room). These articles are particularly interesting for me because I am an occasional marijuana user and have always been concerned about how I will be affected in the long-term. I tend to agree with various elements from both studies. I am convinced, like Duncan that many myths concerning marijuana consumption have circulated for political reasons rather than because of empirical data.I also believe that amotivational syndrome is common among both users and non-users alike. Whether or not users are more disposed to this phenomenon is still up for debate. Cherek et al. ’s study was also intriguing because it demonstrated that amotivational syndrome (whether induced by marijuana or not) could be overcome by increasing the reinforcement. This makes a lot of sense in my world-view, as quite often the individuals I have known will become motivated only if they believe they will reap reasonable rewards. If the rewards are not worth the effort, â€Å"amotivational syndrome† may set it.These studies have demonstrated that there is still much more research to be conducted on the effects of marijuana consumption both in the short- term and the long-term. It appe ars as if there is more speculation regarding marijuana than there is empirical evidence. The topic of amotivational syndrome is particularly troublesome because of the tricky nature of defining motivation. This problem is compounded when conducting a controlled study because there is very little motivation, nor may it be possible, for the participants to behave in a controlled environment as they would in the real world.References Cherek, Don R. , Lane, Scott D. and Dougherty, Donald M (2002). Possible Antimotivational Effects Following Marijuana Smoking Under Laboratory Conditions. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 10(1), 26-38. Duncan, David F. (1987). Lifetime Prevalence of â€Å"Antimotivational Syndrome† Among Users and Non-Users of Hashish. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 1(2), 114-119. ———————– [1] Cherek et al. , 35. [2] Cherek et al. , 36.

Motivational techniques used by infosys Essay

Staff surveys are usually very helpful in establishing whether staffs in your company are motivated and therefore performing to best effect. Aside from the information that questionnaires reveal, the process of involving and consulting with staff is hugely beneficial and motivational in its own right, (see the ‘Hawthorne Effect’). Whilst your survey will be unique to your company, your staff issues, your industry and culture, some useful generic guidelines apply to most situations. Although not exhaustive, the following ten points may help you cover the relevant subject areas and help towards establishing facts rather than making assumptions about motivation when designing your own questionnaires on employee motivation. Ten tips for questionnaires on employee motivation 1. What is the ‘primary aim’ of your company? Your employees may be more motivated if they understand the primary aim of your business. Ask questions to establish how clear they are about your company’s principles, priorities and mission. 2. What obstacles stop employees performing to best effect? Questionnaires on employee motivation should include questions about what employees are tolerating in their work and home lives. The company can eliminate practices that zap motivation. 3. What really motivates your staff? It is often assumed that all people are motivated by the same things. Actually we are motivated by a whole range of factors. Include questions to elicit what really motivates employees, including learning about their values. Are they motivated by financial rewards, status, praise and acknowledgment, competition, job security, public recognition, fear, perfectionism, results†¦ 4. Do employees feel empowered? Do your employees feel they have job descriptions that give them some autonomy and allow them to find their own solutions or are they given a list of tasks to perform and simply told what to do? 5. Are there any recent changes in the company that might have affected motivation? If your company has made redundancies, imposed a recruitment freeze or lost a number of key people this will have an effect on motivation. Collect information from  employees about their fears, thoughts and concerns relating to these events. Even if they are unfounded, treat them with respect and honesty. 6. What are the patterns of motivation in your company? Who is most motivated and why? What lessons can you learn from patches of high and low motivation in your company? 7. Are employee goals and company goals aligned? First, the company needs to establish how it wants individuals to spend their time based on what is most valuable. Secondly this needs to be compared with how individuals actually spend their time. You may find employees are highly motivated but about the â€Å"wrong† priorities. 8. How do employees feel about the company? Do they feel safe, loyal, valued and taken care of? Or do they feel taken advantage of, dispensable and invisible? Ask them what would improve their loyalty and commitment. 9. How involved are employees in company development? Do they feel listened to and heard? Are they consulted? And, if they are consulted, are their opinions taken seriously? Are there regular opportunities for them to give feedback? 10. Is the company’s internal image consistent with its external one? Your company may present itself to the world as the ‘caring airline’, ‘the forward thinking technology company’ or the ‘family hotel chain’. Your employees would have been influenced, and their expectations set, to this image when they joined your company. If you do not mirror this image within your company in the way you treat employees you may notice motivation problems. Find out what the disparity is between the employees image of the company from the outside and from the inside.  © Blaire Palmer 2004-12.  tips on structure, format and style of employee questionnaires Use the questionnaire guidelines above when creating content and subject matter for your employee motivation and satisfaction questionnaires and surveys. Here are some additional tips about questionnaires and surveys structure, format  and style: Create a clear, readable ‘inviting’ structure. Use ‘white-out’ boxes for answers, scores, and for check-boxes, which clearly show the parts which need completing. Use a clear 11 or 12 point (font) typeface. 10 point is difficult to read for some people. Avoid italics and fancy graphics – they just make the document more difficult and more time-consuming to read. Look at the writing tips and techniques for other useful pointers in creating good printed communications. Apply the same principles if your survey questionnaire form is online (ie., screen-based). Where possible try to use specific questions with multiple-choice answers, rather than general ‘open-ended’ questions. Specific questions improve clarity and consistency of understanding among respondents, and a multiple-choice format enables the answers to be converted into scores which can be loaded into a spreadsheet and very easily analysed. General or vague questions on the other hand tend to lead to varying interpretation (or confusion) among respondents; also, by inviting an open-ended answer you will generate lots of narrative-based and subjective opinions, which might be very interesting, but will be very time-consuming to read, and even more time-consuming to analyse, especially if you are surveying a large group of employees. Here is an example: Open-ended question: What do you think of the Performance Appraisal System? (This will produce varied narrative responses = difficult to analyse.) Multiple-choice question: Rate the effectiveness of the Performance Appraisal System in providing you with clear and agreed training and development: Good/Okay/Not Good/Poor (By asking respondents to check boxes or delete as necessary the multiple-choice answers will produce extremely clear answers to a specific question that can be converted into scores and very easily analysed) Use four options in multiple-choice questions rather than three or five. Three and five options typically offer a middle ‘don’t know’ or ‘average’ selection. Using four, with no middle cop-out will ensure that everybody decides one way or the other: satisfactory or not, which is what you need to know. Mid-way ‘average’ non-committal answers are not helpful, so avoid giving respondents that option. If you go to the trouble of creating, managing and analysing a huge staff survey surely it’s a good idea to produce as much meaningful data as possible. Certain questions are suitable for numerical or percentage scoring by respondents, in which case  use such a system (again ensure you avoid offering scores which equate to ‘average’ or ‘don’t know’). For example: Score-based question: Score the extent to which you enjoy your work: 1-5 = don’t enjoy, 6-10 = enjoy. (By providing a clear differentiation between do and don’t, this 1-10 scoring system gives a wide range of choices, and at the same time a clear result.) Check with a sample of respondents that they understand the draft questions in the way you intend, before you print and issue the questionnaire to all six hundred or however many staff. Designing questionnaires and communications in isolation can produce strange results – not just politicians get out of touch – so check you are actually on the same planet, in terms of your aims, language and meaning, as the people whose views you seek. Make sure you explain to all staff beforehand that you’ll be publishing the survey findings, and then afterwards ensure you do so. And then act on the findings. If your MD/CEO is not fully behind your initiative, then go work for a different company whose MD/CEO properly supports the concept of consulting the folk whose efforts underpin his success (not to mention his share options, second home and Porsche etc.) Allow people to complete the survey questionnaires anonymously. If helpful to you and you have a purpose for doing so, you can ask people to identify which department/region/office they belong to, assuming such information is genuinely useful to you and you can handle the analysis. KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. Break complex questions into digestible parts. Keep the survey to a sensible length – probably 20 minutes to complete it is a sensible limit of most people’s tolerance. You can always follow up later in the year with another survey, especially if people enjoy completing it, and they see that the feedback and analysis process is helpful to them as well as the employer (see the point about MD/CEO support above). By all means at the end of the questionnaire invite and allow space for ‘any other comments’, or better still try to guide respondents towards a particular question. On which point, wherever it is necessary to ask an open-ended question, use the words ‘what’ and ‘how’ rather than ‘why’, if you want to discover motives and reasons. What and How will focus respondents on the facts objectively, whereas ‘why’ tends to focus respondents on defending themselves. Examples: It’s okay to ask: What factors could be changed to help staff enjoy their work more in the XYZ depot? Whereas it’s not very clever to ask: Why is there such a crap attitude among staff at XYZ depot? The second example is daft of course, but you see the point. managing (just), or leading? In this excellent guide article by motivation expert Blaire Palmer, ten central points (for some, myths) of employee motivation are exposed and explained, many with real case study references and examples. employee motivation principles – a short case study – sounds familiar? When Michael started his own consultancy he employed top people; people he’d worked with in the past who had shown commitment, flair and loyalty and who seemed to share his values. But a few months down the line one of his team members started to struggle. Jo was putting in the hours but without enthusiasm. Her confidence was dropping; she was unfocused and not bringing in enough new business. Michael explained to Jo the seriousness of the situation. Without new business he would lose the company and that would mean her job. He showed her the books to illustrate his point. He again ran through her job description and the procedures she was expected to follow. He told her that he was sure she was up to the job but he really needed her to bring in the new business or they would all be out on their ear. Jo told Michael that she understood. She was doing her best but she’d try harder. But a month later nothing had changed. After an initial burst of energy, Jo was back to her old ways. No matter how experienced a leader you are, chances are at times you have struggled to motivate certain individuals. You’ve tried every trick in the book. You’ve sat down one-to-one with the individual concerned and explained the situation. You’ve outlined the big vision again in the hope of inspiring them. You’ve given them the bottom line: â€Å"Either you pull your finger out or your job is on the line†. You’ve dangled a carrot in front of them: â€Å"If you make your targets you’ll get a great bonus†. And sometimes it works. But not every time. And there have been casualties. Ultimately if someone can’t get the job done they have to go. The granddaddy of motivation theory, Frederick Herzberg, called traditional motivation strategies ‘KITA’ (something similar to Kick In The  Pants). He used the analogy of a dog. When the master wants his dog to move he either gives it a nudge from behind, in which case the dog moves because it doesn’t have much choice, or he offers it a treat as an inducement, in which case it is not so much motivated by wanting to move as by wanting choc drops! KITA does the job (though arguably not sustainably) but it’s hard work. It means every time you want the dog to move you have to kick it (metaphorically). Wouldn’t it be better if the dog wanted to move by itself? Transferring this principle back in to the workplace, most motivation strategies are ‘push’ or ‘pull’ based. They are about keeping people moving either with a kick from behind (threats, fear, tough targets, complicated systems to check people follow a procedure) or by offering choc drops (bonuses, grand presentations of the vision, conferences, campaigns, initiatives, etc). 10 management motivation examples to illustrate that there are better ways to motivate employees Blaire Palmer’s experience has enabled her to work with a wide range of individuals and groups from a variety of backgrounds. Some of these people are highly motivated themselves, but struggle to extend this state of mind to the people they manage. Other people are at the receiving end of KITA motivation strategies that (obviously) aren’t working on them. These people know they ‘should’ be more engaged with their work. Sometimes they fake it for a few months but it’s not sustainable. In this paper Blaire identifies some common assumptions about motivation and presents some new paradigms that can help motivate more effectively. By adding these coaching tools and motivation principles to your capabilities you should find the job of leading those around you, and/or helping others to do the same, more of a joyful and rewarding activity. Instead of spending all your time and energy pushing and cajoling (in the belief that your people’s motivation must come from you) you will be able to focus on leading your team, and enabling them to achieve their full potential – themselves. Ultimately, motivation must come from within each person. No leader is ever the single and continuing source of motivation for a person. While the leader’s encouragement, support, inspiration, and example will at times motivate followers, the  leader’s greatest role in motivating is to recognise people for who they are, and to help them find their own way forward by making best use of their own strengths and abilities. In this way, achievement, development, and recognition will all come quite naturally to the person, and it is these things which are the true fuels of personal motivation. By necessity these case studies initially include some negative references and examples, which I would urge you to see for what they are. How not to do things, and negative references, don’t normally represent a great platform for learning and development. In life it’s so important always to try to accentuate the positive – to encourage positive visualisation – so, see the negatives for what they are; silly daft old ways that fail, and focus on the the positives in each of these examples. There are very many. motivation example 1 – ‘everyone is like me’ One of the most common assumptions we make is that the individuals who work for us are motivated by the same factors as us. Perhaps you are motivated by loyalty to the company, enjoying a challenge, proving yourself to others or making money. One great pitfall is to try to motivate others by focusing on what motivates you. Marie, a director in her company, was being coached. She was a perfectionist. Every day she pushed herself to succeed and was rewarded with recognition from her peers. But she was unable to get the same standard of work from her team members. In the first few weeks of her coaching she would say, â€Å"If only people realised how important it was to put in 110% and how good it felt to get the acknowledgment, then they would start to feel more motivated†. But it wasn’t working. Instead people were starting to become resentful towards Marie’s approach. Acknowledgment was a prime motivator for Marie so to help her consider some other options, she was helped to brainstorm what else might motivate people in their work. Marie’s list grew: ‘learning new skills’, ‘accomplishing a goal as part of a team’, ‘creativity’, ‘achieving work-life balance’, ‘financial rewards’ and ‘the adrenaline rush of working to tight deadlines’. Marie began to see that perhaps her team were indeed motivated – it was simply that the team members were motivated in a different ways to her own. If the leader can tap into and support the team members’ own motivations then the leader begins to help people to realise their full potential. motivation example 2 – ‘no-one is like me’ Since the 1980’s, research has shown that although we know that we are motivated by meaningful and satisfying work (which is supported by Herzberg’s timeless theory on the subject, and virtually all sensible research ever since), we assume others are motivated mainly by financial rewards. Chip Heath, associate professor at Stanford University carried out research that found most people believe that others are motivated by ‘extrinsic rewards’, such as pay or job security, rather than ‘intrinsic motivators’, like a desire to learn new skills or to contribute to an organisation. Numerous surveys show that most people are motivated by intrinsic factors, and in this respect we are mostly all the same. Despite this, while many leaders recognise that their own motivation is driven by factors that have nothing to do with money, they make the mistake of assuming that their people are somehow different, and that money is central to their motivation. If leaders assume that their team members only care about their pay packet, or their car, or their monthly bonus, this inevitably produces a faulty and unsustainable motivational approach. Leaders must recognise that people are different only in so far as the different particular ‘intrinsic’ factor(s) which motivate each person, but in so far as we are all motivated by ‘intrinsic’ factors, we are all the same. motivation example 3 – ‘people don’t listen to me’ When some people talk, nearly everyone listens: certain politicians, business leaders, entertainers; people we regard as high achievers. You probably know people a little like this too. You may not agree with what they say, but they have a presence, a tone of voice and a confidence that is unmistakable. Fundamentally these people are great sales-people. They can make an unmitigated disaster sound like an unqualified victory. But do you need to be like this to motivate and lead? Certainly not. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the only people who can lead others to success and achieve true excellence, and are the high-profile, charismatic, ‘alpha-male/female’ types. This is not true. James was a relatively successful salesman but he was never at the top of his team’s league table.  In coaching sessions he would wonder whether he would ever be as good as his more flamboyant and aggressive colleagues. James saw himself as a sensitive person and was concerned that he was too sensitive for the job. James was encouraged to look at how he could use his sensitivity to make more sales and beat his teammates. He reworked his sales pitch and instead of focusing his approach on the product, he based his initial approach on building rapport and asking questions. He made no attempt to ‘sell’. Instead he listened to the challenges facing the people he called and asked them what kind of solution they were looking for. When he had earned their trust and established what they needed he would then describe his product. A character like James is also typically able to establish highly reliable and dependable processes for self-management, and for organising activities and resources, all of which are attributes that are extremely useful and valued in modern business. When he began to work according to his natural strengths, his sales figures went through the roof. Each of us has qualities that can be adapted to a leadership role and/or to achieve great success. Instead of acting the way we think others expect us to, we are more likely to get others behind us and to succeed if we tap in to our natural, authentic style of leadership and making things happen. The leader has a responsibility to facilitate this process. motivation example 4 – ‘some people can’t be motivated’ While it’s true that not everyone has the same motivational triggers, as already shown, the belief that some people cannot be motivated is what can lead to the unedifying ‘pep-talk and sack them’ cycle favoured by many X-Theory managers. Typically managers use conventional methods to inspire their teams, reminding them that they are ‘all in this together’ or that they are ‘working for the greater good’ or that the management has ‘complete faith in you’, but when all this fails to make an impact the manager simply sighs and hands the troublesome employee the termination letter. The reality is that motivating some individuals does involve an investment of time. When his manager left the company, Bob was asked by the site director, Frank, to take over some extra responsibility. As well as administrative work he would be more involved in people management and report directly to Frank. Frank saw this as a promotion for Bob and assumed  that he would be flattered and take to his new role with gusto. Instead Bob did little but complain. He felt he had too much to do, he didn’t trust the new administrator brought in to lighten his workload, and he felt resentful that his extra responsibility hadn’t come with extra pay. Frank was a good manager and told Bob that he simply had to be a little more organised, and that he (Frank) had complete belief in Bob to be able to handle this new challenge. But Bob remained sullen. So Frank took a different approach: He tried to see the situation from Bob’s point of view. Bob enjoyed his social life, but was no longer able to leave the office at 5pm. Bob was dedicated to doing a good job, but was not particularly ambitious, so promotion meant little to him. Bob was also expected to work more closely now with a colleague with whom he clashed. Then Frank looked at how Bob might perceive him as his boss. He realised Bob probably thought Frank’s hands-off management style meant he didn’t care. To Bob it might look as if Frank took no direct interest except when he found fault. Finally, Frank looked at the situation Bob was in to see if there was anything bringing out the worst in him. He realised two weeks of every month were effectively ‘down-time’ for Bob, followed by two weeks where he was overloaded with work. Having set aside his assumptions about Bob and armed with a more complete picture from Bob’s point of view, Frank arranged for the two of them to meet to discuss a way forward. Now the two were able to look at the real situation, and to find a workable way forward. While there is no guarantee that this approach will always work, ‘seeking to understand’, as Stephen Covey’s ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ puts it, is generally a better first step than ‘seeking to be understood’. It’s easier to help someone when you see things from their point of view. motivation example 5 – ‘but I am listening’ We are always told how valuable listening is as a leadership tool and encouraged to do more of it. So, when we remember, we listen really hard, trying to catch every detail of what is being said and maybe follow up with a question to show that we caught everything. This is certainly important. Checking your email, thinking about last night’s big game and planning your weekend certainly stop you from hearing what is being said. But there is another important aspect to listening and that is: Listening Without  Judgement. Often when an employee tells us why they are lacking motivation we are busy internally making notes about what is wrong with what they are saying. This is pre-judging. It is not listening properly. Really listening properly means shutting off the voice in your head that is already planning your counter-argument, so that you can actually hear, understand and interpret what you are being told. See the principles of empathy. This is not to say that ‘the employee is always right’, but only when you can really understand the other person’s perception of the situation are you be able to help them develop a strategy that works for them. Listening is about understanding how the other person feels – beyond merely the words that they say. motivation example 6 – ‘if they leave I’ve failed’ What happens if, at their meeting, Bob admits to Frank that he doesn’t see his future with that company? What if he says the main reason he is demotivated is that he isn’t really suited to the company culture, and would be happier elsewhere? Has Frank failed? Not necessarily. It’s becoming more widely accepted that the right and sustainable approach is to help individual employees to tap in to their true motivators and understand their core values. Katherine Benziger’s methodologies are rooted in this philosophy: Employees who ‘falsify type’ (ie., behave unnaturally in order to satisfy external rather than internal motives and drivers) are unhappy, stressed, and are unable to sustain good performance. Effort should be focused on helping people to align company goals with individual aspirations. Look at Adam’s Equity Theory to help understand the complexity of personal motivation and goals alignment. Motivation and goals cannot be imposed from outside by a boss – motivation and goals must be determined from within the person, mindful of internal needs, and external opportunities and rewards. Sometimes the person and the company are simply unsuited. In a different culture, industry, role or team that individual would be energised and dedicated, whereas in the present environment the same person doesn’t fit. Sometimes ‘success’ doesn’t look the way we expect it to. A successful outcome for an individual and for a company may be that a demotivated person, having identified what sort of work and environment would suit them better, leaves to find their ideal job elsewhere. You  succeed as a leader by helping and enabling people to reach their potential and to achieve fulfilment. If their needs and abilities could be of far greater value elsewhere, let them go; don’t force them to stay out of loyalty. Helping them identify and find a more fitting role elsewhere not only benefits you and them – it also enables you to find a replacement who is really suited and dedicated to the job. True leaders care about the other person’s interests – not just your own interests and the interests of your organization. motivation example 7 – ‘the same factors that demotivate, motivate’ When asked what brought about lack of motivation at work, the majority of people in research carried out by Herzberg blamed ‘hygiene factors’ such as working conditions, salary and company policy. When asked what motivated them they gave answers such as ‘the sense of achievement’, ‘recognition’, ‘the opportunity to grow and advance’ and ‘greater responsibility’. Herzberg’s findings about human motivation have been tested and proven time and gain. His theory, and others like it, tell us that the factors that demotivate do not necessarily motivate when reversed. The conventional solution to dissatisfaction over pay levels would be to increase pay in the belief that people would then work harder and be more motivated. However, this research shows that whilst increasing wages, improving job security and positive working relationships have a marginal impact, the main factors that characterise extreme satisfaction at work are: achievement, recognition, interesting work, responsibility, advancement and growth. So it follows that leaders who focus on these aspects – people’s true motivational needs and values – are the true leaders. Help people to enrich their work and you will truly motivate. motivation example 8 – ‘people will rise to tough challenges’ Many managers hope to motivate by setting their people challenging targets. They believe that raising the bar higher and higher is what motivates. Tracey was an effective and conscientious account manager. Her boss habitually set her increasingly tough objectives, which Tracey generally achieved. However, in achieving her targets last month Tracey worked several eighteen-hour days, travelled extensively overseas, and had not had a single weekend break. Sometimes Tracey would mention to her boss that the effort was taking its toll on her health and happiness. When Tracey handed in her latest monthly report, her boss said, ‘You see? It’s worth all the hard work. So, don’t complain about it again.’ Her boss’s belief was that Tracey would get a sense of satisfaction from completing an almost impossible workload. He was relying on her sense of duty – which she had in bucket-loads – to get the job done. But this is the KITA style of motivation. It doesn’t really acknowledge a dedication to the job or a sense of pride. Its leverage or ‘motivation’ is simply a lack of choice. Job enlargement is different to Job enhancement. Herzberg’s research shows that improving the ‘meaningfulness’ of a job (see also motivation example 7) has the motivational impact, not simply increasing the amount of pressure or volume of the tasks. Achievement for achievement’s sake is no basis for motivation – a person’s quality of life must benefit too. motivation example 9 – ‘I tried it and it didn’t work’ When you try new things – new motivational ideas, especially which affect relationships and feelings – it is normal for things initially to get a little worse. Change can be a little unsettling at first. But keep the faith. People are naturally sceptical of unconventional motivational approaches. They may wonder why you have suddenly taken such an interest in them. They may feel you are giving them too much responsibility or be concerned that changes in the way they work may lead to job losses. Herzberg’s research is among other evidence, and modern experience, that after an initial drop in performance, people quickly adjust and respond to more progressive management and motivational attitudes. Supporting and coaching people through this stage of early doubt is vital. Encourage and help people to grow and develop, and performance improvement is inevitable. motivation example 10 – ‘this type of motivation takes too much time’ If you’ve absorbed the ideas above, you might wonder where you would find the time to motivate people using these approaches. It is true that this style of leadership, sustainable motivation, commitment and focus is in the beginning more time consuming than ‘KITA’ methods; this is bound to be,  since KITA methods require far less thought. Engaging fully with your staff, understanding their wants, desires and values, getting to know them as individuals and developing strategies that achieve a continuous release of energy is more intensive and takes time to work. But consider the advantages. This investment of time means you will eventually have less to do. Instead of constantly urging your people along and having to solve all the problems yourself, you’ll be the leader of a group performing at a higher level of ability and productivity, giving you the chance to step back from fire-fighting and to consider the bigger picture. Herzberg was not alone in identifying that leaders need invest in the development of their teams, and also of their own successors. See leadership theories. Douglas McGregor’s X-Y Theory is central too. So is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, from the individual growth perspective. And see also Bruce Tuckman’s ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing’ model. All of these renowned theories clearly demonstrate the need for teams, and the individuals within them, to be positively led and developed. Your responsibility as leader is to develop your team so that it can take on more and more of your own responsibility. A mature team should be virtully self-managing, leaving you free to concentrate on all the job-enhancing strategic aspects that you yourself need in order to keep motivated and developing. The technical content of this article was provided by UK-based expert in organizational development Blaire Palmer, which is gratefully acknowledged. Name:- Sunil Kumar Sharma EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This project is an attempt to give knowledge about Motivational technique of Tata steel company on their employees. It aims to make its reader well versed with each and every aspect of Kingfisher Airlines. It throws light on the following:- 1. In 1st Chapter you will find the objective of doing the project on Tata Steel 2. In 2nd Chapter of this report, you will find that the research methodology of the report is mentioned. 3. In 3rd chapter you will find an  overview of Tata Steel, in which you will find it’s the history of Tata Steel, current destination, departments, motivational technique, steps dose HR manager takes to manage employee of organization. In it you will also find about the Events, Awards, about the Management Team. 4. In 4th Chapter you will find conclusion and suggestion on the project on Motivational Technique of Tata Steel 5. In 5th Chapter you will find some of the limitations of project being face by me. 6. In 6th Chapter you will find the various sources I referred for gathering information. This project is overall an attempt to make you aware or to cover every possible aspect of Tata Steel in Delhi. OBJECTIVE 1. To understand the importance of employee motivation in Tata Steel 2. To analyze the monetary method of motivating employee 3. To analyze the non-monetary method of motivating employee 4. To understand the difficulties/challenges found in caring out the strategies 5. Finally, to recommend how Tata Steel can improve its motivational strategies LIMITATION 1. The data could be gathered from secondary source thus any error in the information would have also got replicated in this report 2. Time constraint was the major limitation faced by the researcher 3. Another problem was knowledge constraint and this report was an attempt to gather as much of relevant data as possible 4. Another constraint was the lack of information regarding proper route map by the organization due to which it could not be included in the project report 5. Difficult to meet right people at Tata Steel for project concern 6. Very expensive CONCLUSION AND SUGESTION After doing a study of this project representing on Motivation technique of leading company Tata Steel, I have come to a conclusion that Tata Steel is one of the largest and most widespread of the manufacturing company and well planned in motivational tools, Tata Steel have adopted various technique for all different level of management In all Tata Steel Organization, new approaches to motivation are being used. In many territories, the strategies  are manual but, as automated methods become more pervasive, those mechanisms that support its use will assume greater popularity Whatever the strategies selected for use, the objective is to motivate employees and make him more qualified, committed individuals into the organizations and ensure that the provision of Tata Steel to the their employee is timely and effective, that the goods are of consistent high quality and that the organizations achieve the objectives for which they have been established Tata Steel also manage their Monetary and non monetary methods of motivation system between all level of management according to their preference RECOMMENDATION 1. From the above research on motivational technique of Tata Steel they should be categorized their employee according to their motivational methods and make a research on it that which employee wants monetary method of motivation and which employee prefer non monetary method of motivational technique 2. Most probably all employee should be motivated by both method somehow that create a balance between employees thinking 3. There are many levels of management in Tata Steel organization I prefer him to take care of separate department 4. Tata Steel needs to undertake aggressive motivational technique at a time of emergency 5. New approaches should be identified and rewarded so that it serves as example for others Motivation Techniques at Microsoft Motivation Techniques at Microsoft With more than 4,000 of its 27,000 employees already millionaires, Microsoft faces the challenge of figuring out how to motivating its employees though means other than pay raises. While this problem is not unique to Microsoft, the circumstances under which this problem evolved however, are. As a company that must caters to the needs of the ‘professional’ worker, Microsoft’s motivational strategy should center around recognition of individual employee achievements, the work itself, responsibility, growth, and other characteristics that people find intrinsically rewarding. By simple virtue of its position as a high-tech company – where highly trained, highly skilled ‘professional’ workers account for the vast majority of its  employees – under normal circumstances money factors would play only limited role in actually motivating employees. As a company composed of ‘paper millionaires,’ Microsoft is in a unique position – while many Microsoft employees may be labeled ‘professional’ employees, the company’s financial position will play a special interest to many of its employees. As Microsoft stock-holders, the average Microsoft millionaire (the so called paper millionaire’) has a vested interest in helping the company succeed and advance its financial position. This is true because the stockholder will directly correlate the amount of money they earn with the perceived worth to the organization. Driven by the idea that their financial success or failures are directly related to the performance (as well as public image) of the company, these employees will work with great vigor to maintain the success of their company. Until their financial position no longer depends on the company’s stock performance – that is, until theses employees sell their stock and secure their fortunes – the Microsoft millionaires will likely view themselves as masters of their own destiny. Hard work, they are likely to reason, will translate into better company performance which in turn, will translate into steady (if not increasing) stock performance. Clearly, money plays an important role in motivating job performance. But as mentioned earlier, money has its limitations as a motivator, especially in the world of the ‘professional’ worker. In the work of management theorist Frederick Herzberg, a fair salary is considered a â€Å"hygiene† factor – something people need as an incentive to do the jobs they are hired to do. Hygiene factors include adequate workspace, light and heat, and the necessary tools such as a computer or telephone. Without any of these items, employees will be demotivated and unable to do their jobs. Having all of these items, however, will enable employees to do their jobs but will do nothing to help them do the best job possible. Getting people to do their best work is more a function of what Herzberg call â€Å"motivators.† These include praise and recognition, challenging work, and growth and development opportunities. As ‘professional’ workers Microsoft’s employees have, for the most part, meet their hygienic needs. Microsoft employees are largely skilled workers who derive satisfaction from their work itself. Such workers possess a strong sense of commitment to not only their field of expertise but also to their employer as well. As such, Microsoft’s employees will want to identify with the success of their profession and their organization. Since professionals often enjoy the challenge of problem solving, some of the rewards of their job will likely come from the work itself. This implies that managers should provide professionals with new assignments and challenging projects. Managers should give the professional autonomy to follow their interests and allow them to structure their work in ways they find productive. Professionals should be rewarded with recognition and educational opportunities that allow them to keep current in their fields. Recognition boosts employees’ esteem and performance. Recognition, on the other hand, is what you do above and beyond what people are paid to get the best effort from employees. Compensation is a right, but recognition, however, is a gift which validates the importance of their work.