The Worst Beginning to Something Amazing free essay sample

I wake up to see a man in a white suit staring at me, and the sound of a young boy crying.Without realizing it at the time, that young boy was me. Then I remember, what seemed to be like a flash of light, with a bunch of pictures of me and random people fly by like a film clip rushing through my head. All of a sudden I hear my wife saying, â€Å"Why him? Why did he have to go so early?† With the sound of what seemed like dirt hitting wood above me. Then nothing†¦ This is life for most American men and women. They come into this world with no idea what they want to do in life, and before they know it, they are dead, and their life was boring and simplistic. Life to them is like a video game where they believe they can just â€Å"respawn† or come back to life as something or someone else, as if they never truly lived. We will write a custom essay sample on The Worst Beginning to Something Amazing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is the kind of life where their tombstone says â€Å"They never tried to accomplish anything.† Just imagine living a life where everything you do was not worth anything, and the only people who even think about going to your funeral are family members you believe that must go since they are family. That is the most tragic and painful torture I could ever endure, and that is something that I will never let myself have to go through. I want my tombstone to at least say, â€Å"He died trying, and never gave up.† Well, my story starts out sort of tragic, but ends with a beginning to an amazing story and life. It all begins on a dreadful scary night in my old home town. My friend Summer screams out, â€Å"Run Chris. Get out of here!† Then with the horrible throbbing pain in my leg, I limp over to her and hold her in my arms as she collapse to the floor. I turn her over to see a sharp object impaling her stomach and a bunch of red oozing blood slowly pouring out where the object has entered. She slowly raises her hand and touches my face and says,† I love you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  with her final breath. This day I promised to myself to never let anyone die or get hurt because of my lack of strength and knowledge of knowing what to do. This day I decided to join the Marines! Day after day, for years, I trained. Not just physically, but mentally. Waiting for the day to go and take my physical and mental test to be able to be a U.S. Marine.I worked my butt off to be able to have to knowledge to take the ASVAB and get the best possible score I can. I went to the gym and my martial arts to build my physical core up to max strength. Finally, I got a job and did any extracurricular activities I could so I could be well rounded and show everyone I could do anything they throw at me. After years of hard work, I have almost reached my goal, and I can honestly say that I have never given up on my belief of living a full and joyous life. I can and will know that whenever my time comes, people will show up to my funeral because they know that I was a truly kind man, and did what I did for other people and to make their lives easier. Lastly, I can rest in peace knowing that my tombstone at least says, â€Å"He died trying, and never gave up.†

Women in Agriculture Essays

Women in Agriculture Essays Women in Agriculture Essay Women in Agriculture Essay Women in Agriculture 1 Women in Agriculture Heather Heath Dr. Alston April 2010 AGED Women in Agriculture 2 Table of Contents Women Farmers3 One Woman in Agriculture6 Female Agricultural Educators7 Women as Agricultural Extension Agents11 Women in the Public Arena12 History of Women in the FFA15 Women Farmers in Florida16 Women in Agriculture in Arkansas17 Women in Agriculture in Minnesota20 Denise O’Brien22 The Power of Women in Agriculture in Foreign Countries 22 Women Farmers in Africa24 The Future27 Organizations for Women in Agriculture 29 History of Women in Agriculture30 Women in Agriculture 3 Women Farmers Women in agriculture are a diverse, important and often overlooked component of agriculture. Over the past several years there has been a growing acknowledgement of the important roles women play in agriculture. However, the US is still dominated by white males who are traditionally in charge of decision-making and operation. As of 2002, about 2% of farms were operated by women, according to the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS). Many of the farms operated by women in the United States are small scale farms that earn less than $50,000 annually. (Female Farmer, 2002) Many women are turning to sustainable and alternative farming because of the difficulties they are facing with traditional agriculture. Women who are Hispanic, African American, and Native American may be especially disadvantaged due to historical and structural racism in farm organizations and federal and state laws in the United States. Today only 1% of farms are operated by African Americans. (Female Farmer, 2002) Many women farm on their own or as partners in the work of family farms. Women on farms perform household tasks, tend gardens, livestock, and assist in the fields as needed. Often women help support the farm operations or households through paid farm work for others, or through off-farm and nonfarm businesses or paid employment. (Female Farmer, 2002) Women in Agriculture 4 Agricultural education was predominantly a male profession until recent years. With the number of female agriculture educators rising, the number of female students enrolling in agricultural education programs has risen. A challenge for women agricultural educators is balancing career and family. You have to have a good support system in place at home to travel to state and national FFA events. Buehler, 2008) A Department of Agriculture survey shows that the number of women-owned farms in the United States is growing close to a quarter million. These women have learned that they must be innovative in order to survive on the farm. Females make up nearly forty percent of the half-million members of the National FFA Organization. Many of these females hold key leadership positions in the FFA. (Women in Ag, 2008) For more women to become involved in agriculture gender and social equity must be implemented in AKST (Agricultural Knowledge Science and Technology) policies and practices. Priority must be given to women’s access to education, information, science and technology, and extension services. This will improve women’s access, ownership and control of economic and natural resources. Other things that will help women succeed in agriculture are improving women’s working and living conditions in rural areas, giving priority to technological development policies targeting rural and farm women’s needs and recognizing their knowledge, skills and experience. (2007 Census, 2007) The 2007 Census of Agriculture shows that the role of women is continuing to grow in U. S. agriculture. Women are running more farms and ranches, operating more land, and producing a greater value of agriculture products than they were five years ago. The 2007 Census Women in Agriculture 5 counted 3. 3 million U. S. farm operators and 30. 2 percent, more than 1 million, were women. The total number of women operators increased 19 percent since 2002. The number of women who were the principal operators of a farm or ranch increased by almost 30 percent. Women are now the principal operators of 14 percent of the nation’s 2. 2 million farms. 2007 Census, 2007) The 2007 Census also indicated that the majority of female farm operators are Caucasian. A growing percent are of other races and ethnicity. The largest number of women minority operators is American Indian, followed by operators who are Hispanic. (2007 Census, 2007) Farms operated by women have proven to be very diverse in what they produce. Women are much more likely than men to operate farmers classified as â€Å"other livestock farms,† a category that includes horse farms, or â€Å"all other crops,† which includes hay farms. Men are much more likely to run grain and oilseed farms and beef cattle operations. (2007 Census, 2007) The percentage of women operated farms is highest in the West and in New England. The states with the highest percentage of women principal operators are Arizona with 38. 5 percent, New Hampshire with 29. 7 percent, Massachusetts with 28. 9 percent, Maine with 25. 1 percent and Alaska with 24. 5 percent. (2007 Census, 2007) The states with the lowest percentages of women operators are in the Midwest. Women make up less than 10 percent of all farm operators in four Midwestern states: South Dakota with 7. percent, Nebraska with 8. 4 percent, Minnesota with 9. 1 percent, and Iowa with 9. 1 percent. (2007 Census, 2007) Women in Agriculture 6 One Woman in Agriculture As I conducted research for this paper I began to realize that the history of my career in agriculture was important. I began my career in Agriculture in 1999 as a Horticulture Student at Lenoir Community College in Kinston , NC. I fell in love with plants and knew that this was a career I would never abandon. Horticulture is an extension of agriculture and an extremely challenging career. Much of the research I have found on agriculture indicates that women are a minority in the field of agriculture and that it can be a difficult career choice for many women. I agree with this. I have had success in the field of agriculture but many of the girls I went to school with are no longer in the field and have gone back to school to do different things. Agriculture and horticulture are generally considered to be careers for men. However, men are not the only ones who can do the job well. My first job out of college was managing a garden center. This was an extremely interesting job and I learned so much. I then moved to Atlanta Georgia and managed an Interiorscaping Plant Company. I enjoyed the indoor plant business very much and continued to do that for three years. I then moved back to Kinston and began teaching horticulture on a part-time basis. I have taught horticulture at the community college level both part-time and full-time. I decided to begin working on my bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education three years ago. I have learned so much about the field of agriculture through the classes I have taken at Women in Agriculture 7 North Carolina Aamp;T. I plan to continue my career in agriculture and hopefully pursue my master’s degree in agriculture as well. Agriculture is an exciting and ever changing career with many options. I am not sure if I want to work in extension or at the high school level when I complete my degree. Both would be wonderful career choices with state benefits and retirement. Whatever I chose it will be in the field of agriculture as I know it is the best career choice for me. Female Agricultural Educators A study was recently conducted by the University of Georgia to determine facts about women in agricultural education in Georgia. The study found that the average female agricultural educator in Georgia was 32 years old, had never been married or was married with one child, had a Master’s degree and six years of teaching experience. The study also found that the average female agricultural educator had previous experience with FFA or 4-H in high school, had previous experience in some agricultural related industry area, and spent an average of 43 hours per week completing her professional duties. Females in the study were satisfied with their careers and felt accepted by students, administrators, parents of students and the community. The population of the study was all female agricultural educators in Georgia. The survey was administered and data was collected at local agriculture teachers meetings hosted by the State Department of Education. The study found that 21 percent of agricultural education teachers in Georgia were female. Of the 84 percent that responded to the survey, 43 percent were married and 44 percent had never been married, and 34 percent of them had children. The ages Women in Agriculture 8 f the teachers ranged from 23 to 51 with an average age 32. 45 years. Forty percent of respondents had taught one to five years, 15 percent of respondents had taught six to ten years, 10 percent had taught eleven to fifteen years, 7. 5 percent had taught sixteen to twenty years, and 7. 5 percent had taught over twenty years. (Journal of South, 2006) Fifty one percent of respondents had agricultural education courses in high school and were former members of The National FFA Organization. Sixty-six percent of the respondents had previous experience in some area of the agricultural industry. Thirty-six percent of the women held Bachelor’s degrees, 44 percent held Masters degrees, 17 percent held Specialist degrees, and 3 percent held doctorate degrees. (Journal of South, 2006) The study found that in addition to spending 22. 5 to 30 hours per week in the classroom, female agricultural education teachers spend an average of 21 hours per week on related activities. The reported spending an average of 7 hours per week on preparing for class, 7 hours per week on FFA activities, 5 hours per week on SAE (supervised agricultural education) activities, 2 hours per week in committee meetings, and 11 hours on other work related activities. Courses taught by the women in the study were: FFA/Leadership/SAE, Greenhouse Production, Landscape Design, Floral Design, Plant Science, Animal Science, Forestry, Natural Resources, Agricultural Mechanics, Soil Science, Companion Animals, Nursery Production, Agricultural Business/Marketing, Aquaculture and Food Science. (Journal of South, 2006) There is a significant teacher shortage in many states throughout our country. The findings in this study would be a good recruitment tool for programs of agricultural education. Female students looking for a career need to be made aware of the fact that females in Women in Agriculture 9 griculture education are a relatively young group of professionals who value and complete advanced degrees, who work about 43 hours per week, and who have the option to teach a wide variety of topics. (Journal of South, 2006) Agricultural education programs were originally designed for males and have been traditionally male dominated since their creation. Whe n the national FFA Organization was established in 1928, it was a social outlet and club for male students enrolled in Vocational Agriculture classes. Women were not allowed into the program until after the Civil Rights movement. Vocational Agriculture changed dramatically when women were admitted in 1969. Many male teachers become uncomfortable in dealing with the females in the program as female enrollment continued to increase. The need for female agricultural educators began to increase and agricultural education became a viable career option for women. (Journal of South, 2006) In the early years women found it difficult to break down gender barriers and establish their worth among the men in the industry. Agriculture is considered by the general public to be a male career choice even though the influence of women is far reaching. Even when women began being accepted into agriculture education, there was still the bias that women were only suited to teach horticulture classes, because employers thought they could not physically handle other agricultural areas, that others would not accept women within other areas, that marriage would end women’s professional careers, and that women would be a distraction for men within the workplace. (Journal of South, 2006) The number of female educators has risen in recent years. Data reveals that 43 percent of the newly qualified potential teachers that graduated in 2001 were female. In the 2003 Foster’s Women in Agriculture 10 report of national datum, it was estimated that approximately five percent of secondary agriculture teachers were female and the Camp et al. found 22 percent to be female in their survey in 2002. If so many females are being educated to be agricultural education teachers what is happening to the ones that wanted a career in agricultural education after they graduate from college? (Journal of South, 2006) The need for female educators is great in agricultural education because 38 percent of the National FFA Organization’s membership is female. These females hold more than 50 percent of the state leadership positions across the country. Today agricultural education teachers are teaching, training, developing and working with male and female students on an almost equal basis. (Journal of South, 2006) Foster, Pikkert and Husmann studied self-perception of gender bias among women agriculture educators in 1991 and found that female agriculture teachers were satisfied with their current positions. They also determined through the study that gender bias was a deterrent for women entering the agricultural education profession. Significant factors that have been found to contribute to the occupational success or failure of a female include: the pressure or support received from co-workers, family members, and friends, and level of perceived discrimination and sexual harassment. The major concern shared by women who teach agricultural education, was acceptance by their co-workers, namely male agricultural educators. Even with these problems, the Foster’s national study conducted in 2001 found that the majority of women in agricultural education loved their work. Journal of South, 2006) Women in Agriculture 11 Women as Agricultural Extension Agents In 2004 female county agents with agricultural program responsibilities consisted of only about 11. 4 percent of the population. A questionnaire was sent to these women and although the majority of them sited a high level of job satisfaction, almost 60 percent felt they had experienced barriers and challenges as a result of their gender. The majority of fema le county agricultural agents that participated in the survey were married, 68. 1 percent. Only a little over 50 percent of the subjects reported having children. The majority of the women fell into three age categories: 26-30, 41-45, and 46-50. The ethnicity was mostly Caucasian with 93. 2 percent. Minority populations of Hispanic, African-American, and Native American reported between 1. 3 and 1. 8 percent of the total population. The largest number of respondents reported salaries between $40,000 and $44,000 per year. (Journal of Extension, 2004) The women extension agents reported spending 70 percent of their time working with adults in agricultural programs. They stated that they spent 18 percent of their time working with 4-H and youth programs. Research indicated that extension agents were involved in assessment, planning, teaching, evaluation, serving on boards and committees, making farm/ranch visits, conducting research, and working with clients, volunteers, media, and the larger community. Sixty eight percent of the female agents held Master’s degrees. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Fifty-seven percent of female extension agents indicated that they felt they had experienced barriers or challenges in their profession due to their gender. The most common challenges were: lack of acceptance from male colleagues and clients; the need to â€Å"prove yourself†; no monitoring or inclusion by male peers; and the â€Å"good ole boy system. † Women in Agriculture 12 Women were also asked to identify any sacrifices they had made to reach their current level of achievement in their career. Most women stated time away from family; lack of personal or social time; the decision to not have more children or to delay having a family; and a firm commitment that the pay offered is too low for the educational requirement of the job. Almost 85 percent of all respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Women in the Public Arena Now more than ever, farm women are being called upon to educate the public about farm issues and farm life and to represent agriculture in the public policy arena. As the business of producing food and fiber has changed, so have the issues facing rural America. Consumers are showing concern about food safety, the use of farm chemicals, the treatment of farm animals and farming’s effect on the environment. In many cases, rural women are accepting the responsibility for communicating messages to young people and the non-farm public. (Buehler, 2008) Rural women are very involved in promotional activities. There are several events that are celebrated in various states to bring recognition to farmers and their accomplishments. These are events like National Agriculture Week and National Farm City Week. Organizations celebrate in many different ways from state to state. National Farm City Week is conducted to help bridge the gap between urban and rural populations. Buehler, 2008) The women of the Farm Bureau organization have made special progress in determining and supporting public policy issues. More and more women are serving as directors of their local Women in Agriculture 13 Farm Bureaus and are involved in the policy debates. Farm Bureau’s primary purpose has always been to improve the quality of life in rural communities. Farm Bureau women are not only indirectly involved wit h this process but a growing number are serving in political leadership positions on the local and state levels. (Female Farmer, 2002) The biggest concern of Farm Bureau is finding ways to attract young farm women. In many cases, the young farm wife has an off-farm job and is juggling that with raising children and assisting with the farm operations. Farm Bureau is going more to try to shape their programs and activities to fit in with people’s busy schedules. (Female Farmer, 2002) The first female U. S. Department of Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture was put in place during the Bush administration. Ann M. Veneman is the Secretary of Agriculture. She grew up on a peach farm in a small rural community. She has spent much of her career dedicated to food and agriculture issues and advancing sound U. S. farm and food policies. The U. S. Department of Agriculture which she is head of employees 100,000 people. The U. S. D. A. has many programs. It leads the federal U. S. hunger effort with the Food Stamp, School Lunch, School Breakfast, and the WIC program. It brings housing, modern telecommunications, and safe drinking water to rural America. It is responsible for the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products. It also helps to ensure open markets for U. S. agricultural products and provides food aid to needy people around the world. (Female Farmer, 2002) Rural women make up one-quarter of the world’s population and in some countries they produce up to 80% of the food. In the United States there are around 130 cooperatives that are Women in Agriculture 14 owned and run by women. They do everything from growing sweet potatoes, to being quilters, to crabmeat producers, to being weavers. (Female Farmer, 2002) Women are key to addressing the food security and nutrition goals that are central to U. S. and international commitments to cut hunger in half by 2015. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, women grow 70% of the food for family and local consumption. We must ensure that the concerns and needs of rural women are brought into every stage of agricultural development programs. Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) Today, in many parts of the world , there is an increasing trend towards what has been named the â€Å"ferminization of agriculture. † Conflict, the search for paid employment in the cities, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic have all contributed to a rapid decline in the male population in rural areas in Africa. As men’s participation in agricultu re declines, the role of women in agricultural production is increasing. (Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) In the spring of 1973, ten women that were majoring in agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison felt a need to unite. The group included Phyllis Agnew, Sue Hyslop, Emily Uhlenhake, Donna Cooper, Sue Gall, Lois Legatt, Sue Alderman, Barb Lee, Maureen DeBruin, and Patty Prust. They wanted to encourage their personal development to prepare themselves for careers in agriculture. (Women in Ag, 2008) These women formed an organization called the Ag Women’s Cooperative. They sought to form a unified group that would help women in agriculture to achieve their goals and to improve communication among agriculture women, men and faculty. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women in Agriculture 15 In 1974, the name was changed to the Association of Women in Agriculture. An early goal was to find a house for the group. One early challenge of the Association of Women in Agriculture was being recognized by the Ag Hall as being eligible for the Ag living unit grade point traveling trophy. After they were recognized, the Association of Women in Agriculture won the award often. The Association of Women in Agriculture hosted its first National Ag Women’s Conference in 1985. It also organizes an annual career conference. (Women in Ag) History of Women in the FFA Over the years many state FFA associations allowed girls to become members. However, the national association did not allow female members. In fact, in 1930, at the 3rd National FFA Convention, the all-male delegation amended the organization’s constitution to restrict the membership to boys only. (Ricketts, Stone, Adams, 2008) At this time, many women were full partners on the family farm, working alongside their husbands and sons. The magazine Successful Farming even represented the impact women had on agriculture in 1940 when they had a female farmer on the cover of their magazine. The picture was of Marguerite Craig who raised chickens and she helped pave the way for the future women in agriculture. (Ricketts, Stone, Adams, 2008) Although girls were allowed to participate in chapter and state FFA activities, they were not admitted to membership in the national organization. Therefore, they could not compete in contests, attend national leadership seminars and programs, nor become national FFA officers. Women in Agriculture 16 In 1967, a resolution was presented at the FFA National Convention to allow girls into the organization. It was defeated. Two years later in 1969 an amendment was passed allowing full membership rights and benefits to women in FFA. Today the National FFA Organization has more than 450,000 members. Women make up 35 percent of the membership and 47 percent of the leadership. (Ricketts, Stone, Adams, 2008) Women Farmers in Florida Women farmers are making their presence known in Florida. They are changing the way food is grown and sold and even how it tastes. In Homestead, Teena Borek is growing heirloom tomatoes in all shapes and colors to supply Miami’s five-star restaurants and gourmet markets. In Monticello, Dr. Cynthia Connolly is producing organic muscadine wine in Florida’s only certified organic farm winery. Betty O’Toole of Madison is producing organic herbs and hosting workshops, day internships, and tours of the farms display gardens. (Buehler, 2008) Dr. Cynthia Connolly, who owns and operates Ladybird Organics, a 50-acre organic farm in Monticello, says part of the problem for female farmers is the absence of national support program for small and medium-sized farmers. During the 17 years she has been running her business, she has often been forced to supplement her income with off-farm jobs simply to make ends meet. Buehler, 2008) Creativity is a quality that women farmers seem to possess in abundance. It’s the special something they bring to this once tradition-bound, male-dominated industry. As women become business owners there is a constant stream of new ideas in the agriculture industry. Women are Women in Agriculture 17 not afraid to think outside the box. They are willing to challenge conventional growing methods and marketing techniques. It is no surprise that women are a driving force in alternative and sustainable agriculture. Studies show that women are more likely than men to farm organically and on small acreages. They are also more likely to farm part time and without the help of large, expensive equipment. (Buehler, 2008) Growing a delicious high-quality product isn’t enough. To succeed in small-scale farming these days you have to be a good marketer. Many small farmers are involved in some form of direct marketing. The farmer’s success ultimately hinges on their ability to build personal, trusting relationships with their customers. . (Buehler, 2008) Since 1985, Florida has recognized women who have made outstanding contributions to the state’s agricultural community through its Women of the Year in Agriculture Award. Sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida State Fair Authority, the award is presented during the opening-day luncheon of the Florida State Fair in Tampa. . (Buehler, 2008) Women in Agriculture in Arkansas The roles women hold in Arkansas agriculture are as diverse as the women themselves. The number of women principal operators grew about 6 percent in Arkansas between 1997 and 2002. There are women who hold prominent positions in firms that support agriculture, such as agricultural lending institutions, farm input suppliers, veterinary/animal clinics, and agricultural processors. Female Farmer, 2002) Women in Agriculture 18 To respond to the increase in women involved in agriculture, researchers need to understand the challenges women face and the goals they hold so as to be successful in their business endeavors. Three conferences were recently held for Arkansas women in agriculture with the goal of enriching lives and empowering women in Arkansas in all aspects of agriculture including production, processing, marketing and retailing. Of the 754 female conference attendees, 344 agreed to participate in survey research that examined their roles, challenges and successes. Female Farmer, 2002) Of the 344 participants in the survey, 54 were principal farm operators, 156 were agribusiness owners, and 134 were farm/business employees. Most principle operators were involved in livestock production, but some also listed rice, soybean, cotton, forest and vegetable production. Agribusiness owners included farm input supply, medical services, marketing services, and credit services. (Female Farmer, 2002) Three factors explain why women’s importance in agriculture in Arkansas is growing. First, more women in the state are inheriting these operations due to death, divorce, and illness. Second, women are making voluntary career changes into agriculture, beginning with small-scale production and increasing land base and production each year. Third, more women are choosing college programs that prepare them for important positions in agricultural industries. At the University of Arkansas, the number of female agriculture graduates grew by 50 percent between 1997 and 2005. Women are feeling confident in their roles in agriculture. When as whether they would keep their business in the event of their life partner, 77 percent said definitely yes. Women in Agriculture 19 When women in Arkansas were asked to gauge their success they focused more on individual growth and community then on traditional profit measures. When asked about 13 ways to measure success, these women chose ability to apply talents and skills directly to their work, being excited about their work, trying new ways of doing things, being involved in their communities, and improving their family’s standard of living as the most important measures of success. (Female Farmer, 2002) The women were also asked about 13 challenges that they might face in their work. Being respected as a female business owner and keeping good employees were the largest challenges faced by all women. (Female Farmer, 2002) The research indicated that Arkansas women are involved in every aspect of agriculture and their influence is growing. While some common measures of success and challenges were identified, the results suggest that different types of agricultural women hold different attitudes about business and face different challenges. (Female Farmer, 2002) There are approximately 300,000 women farm operators across the United States, which is over 17% of the family farmer population. This is the largest group of minority farmers in the country, and their number is growing. An estimated 43,000 of these farmers have been discriminatorily denied more than $4. 6 billion in farm loans and loan servicing from the USDA over the years. Many women were told that money or applications had run out, even though men seemed to be finding them with no trouble at all. Others were told to return to the loan office with their fathers, or husbands, or brothers, so that the men could file the applications on their Women in Agriculture 20 behalf. And some were even subjected to crude and horrible advances by loan administrators, who demanded a sexual quid pro quo in return for approving their loans. (Buehler, 2008) Women in Agriculture in Minnesota Women have farmed alongside their husbands and families since people started cultivating the land. Native Americans were the first women farmers in Minnesota. Historians agree that the success of the American family farm was dependent on the help of women. Research shows that women have been filing the roles of farmers in their own right, farm manager or partner than society gives them credit for. Women in Ag, 2008) As many as 2,400 women homesteaded their farm in Minnesota without a husband between 1863 and 1889. These women were in addition to the thousands of other women that farmed alongside their husbands or families as Minnesota was settled. Women were often left to manage their farms as husbands went off to war, prospecting, and serving in government or when their husbands m oved to town or back East to earn money. In the 2002 Census of Agriculture 6,370 women were reported as principal operators. This represents 7. % of the total number of principal operators. (Women in Ag, 2008) Restructuring of the farm economy has had an effect on women’s exposure to agricultural tasks. In the past, during times of economic crisis, farm women increased participation in alternative agricultural enterprises, such as chicken and egg production to provide additional income. Research indicates that farm women do not have the same access to transfer of knowledge that men do. A major constraining factor for transfer of knowledge was the attitudes Women in Agriculture 21 arents held about what was acceptable farm work for girls. People reported that sons were given more opportunities to learn about farming than daughters were. Others report that daughters were less likely to be taught about tractors as well. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women in agriculture make tremendous co ntributions to American society, especially within rural communities. Their involvement on the farm is expanding to include more decision making and hands-on participation, and these roles have opened the door for many more women to become farmers. In the mid 1980s, educators began to notice the changing role of American women in agriculture and began to host more conferences for women. These programs represent the first step in meeting the needs of women in agriculture. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women are also venturing off the farm to provide additional income for the household and to give leadership to and participate in organizations that support regional agriculture in rural communities. The 2002 Census of Agriculture showed a 40% increase in the number of women operators in the last decade. The organizations that farm women participate in give them the skills and networking opportunities needed to help their farmers succeed. Even though women often met separately from men in agricultural organizations and did not hold leadership positions in the early years, they are still vital members of the organizations today. The number of women receiving agriculture-related degrees has more than doubled since 1993, to reach 28,801 degrees given to females in 2000. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women in Agriculture 22 Denise O’Brien Denise O’Brien is a passionate advocate for family farms and sustainable agriculture. She has been farming organically in Iowa for 30 years with her husband. She served as president as the National Family Farm Coalition from 1993 to 1995. Her interest in farm issues led her to travel with delegates Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Seeing only a few women speaking out about agriculture, Denise addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations on behalf of farmers. She also founded the Women’s Farming and Agriculture Network in 1994. The organization works to connect and inspire American women who are building all aspects of a sustainable food system. Women in Ag, 2008) One of the most helpful developments for women working in agriculture today is the advent of women’s agricultural networks. These groups aim to increase the number of women who own and operate profitable farms and farm related businesses. The networks sponsor meetings, workshops, and tours focused on education. Members also help each other overcome obstacles by sharing their experiences. They offer mentors and resources for new farmers and others who need help. (Women in Ag, 2008) The Power of Women in Agriculture in Foreign Countries Around the globe the typical farmer is a woman and not a man. This is particularly true in poor countries, where agriculture is mostly women’s work. It is estimated that rural women produce 60 to 80 percent of the food in developing countries, and they are primarily responsible Women in Agriculture 23 for their families for security and nutrition. In parts of Africa women produce 80 percent of the food supply. However, they receive less than 10 percent of the credit going to farms and own an estimated 2 percent of the land. Research also indicates that when women earn extra income they are more likely than men to invest in education, food and health care for their children. This creates a positive cycle of growth and may help lift and entire generation out of poverty. Helping women farmers access the resources they need to grow food and other crops is crucial to ending hunger, improving child nutrition, and helping many poor economies grow. (Women in Ag, 2008) In 1999 the national and provincial departments of agriculture began celebrating the role of women in agriculture. Each year, top female farmers are honored in the Female Farmer of the Year competition. The project was initiated by the national Department of Agriculture to empower women in agriculture by recognizing their contributions and increasing their visibility. The National Female Farmer of the Year event is a combination of six months of intensive work undertaken in the provinces to mobilize women at grassroots level to participate in nominating their peers for the awards with the assistance of the cooperative extension workers. Individuals and groups are nominated in three categories. The first is top producer for the export market and she must export more than 50 percent of her production. The second is top producer for national markets and they must have an impressive quality of production on the local market. The third is top producer for informal markets and they must produce an impressive quality of produce to support their household and must be economically active. An overall winner is also picked from the three national winners. (Female Farmer, 2002) Women in Agriculture 24 Women Farmers in Africa The Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network is sponsoring a three year pilot project to help rural women farmers influence agricultural policy development in southern Africa. Funding for the program is provided by a $900,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) The project seeks to strengthen women farmers’ ability to advocate for appropriate agricultural policies and programs. The goal is for women farmers to have access to the tools that help farm more successfully, such as access to credits and better seeds, by ensuring that local and national policies and services address their needs. (Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) In Africa, the majority of rural farmers are women. Research demonstrates women are often excluded from the decision-making process and local governance. By empowering women farmers to advocate for their concerns this project aims to ensure women farmers have what they need to increase their income and provide for their families. Women have little access to land, seed, fertilizer, credit, and technology. Due to a combination of logistical, cultural and economic factors, they are often not able to benefit fully from development programs and services. Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) Women’s agriculture jobs in developing countries cover production, processing, preparation, and preservation of foodstuffs and other farm products. They are also often responsible for marketing produce from the farm. Women in most parts of the world have a longer working day than men and so lack of time can be a major cause of declining food Women in Agriculture 25 production. Women may work up to 18 hours per day in busy seasons. It is no surprise that women in developing countries in their reproductive years have health worse than that of men. The roles of women farmers in Nigeria vary considerably by ethnic group. The Hausa Fulani women do little work in the fields because of the plough/grain culture and the restrictions on women of the Islamic religion. The well-to-do urban Muslim women in seclusion do not engage in agricultural work of some kind. Poor Muslim women are heavily involved in agricultural work in food processing and preparation. The Yoruba women are becoming more and more involved in agricultural work with the increase of cash crop production and the expansion of food production and raw materials for industry. The Ibo women play a dominant role in food production. Most women’s work in agriculture is unpaid, but some women are employed as agricultural laborers. In the Philippines, women play a major role in agriculture, mostly as unpaid family workers or self-employed farmers. The crops with the largest number of women workers are rice, coconut and banana. Women in the Caribbean are responsible for more than 50 percent of food production and are also involved in food processing and marketing, including inter-island marketing. Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) The WFAN is a pilot project to develop â€Å"Women’s Learning Circles† in three counties in eastern Iowa. The project is called â€Å"Women Caring for the Land†. The original goal, to directly improve water quality by educating and empowering women landowners to enact their own values for conservation of the land. At least three women who participated in the project made significant changes in the way their land was farmed. Several women made appointments with their District Conservationists to go over their conservation plans or to have farm visits. Women in Agriculture 26 Women are interested in learning new agriculture information in many ways. They expressed a desire to hold frequent meetings where they could meet face to face to focus on relevant single topics rather than covering several topics at once. The women preferred meeting at tables in small groups of 6-8 to foster discussion. Many of the women stated that they enjoyed learning in the company of other women. They felt that limiting participation to women would create a supportive atmosphere. They also stated that they would like to listen to women presenters. They wanted to hear from women farmers, farm wives, managers, marketers, conservationists, bookkeepers, and community college teachers. Women expressed the desire to be interactive in meeting. The women also wanted to exchange stories with their peers to create stronger social bonds. The women suggested meeting in peaceful places such as nature centers, retreats, and community center. Finally, they mentioned that child care support would be helpful to them allowing them to attend meetings. (Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) In the Philippines, women control 79% of street enterprises. In Senegal, 53% of vendors are women. Due to the socio-economic status of women and their traditional gender roles, they dominate informal sector of which urban agriculture is part. Urban agriculture has become an important survival strategy of the poor who are mostly women. Even though women face lack of extension services, lack of land, and the practice being considered illegal, they are not willing to stop farming in the city. Women participate in urban agriculture as a means of income diversification to contribute to the food consumed by their families. It is clear that urban agriculture improves women’s socio-economic status in a number of ways. It gives them a chance to participate in decision-making, improves their economic status and enables them to acquire independent income. (Women Thrive Worldwide, 2010) Women in Agriculture 27 The Future To enable urban farmers to benefit and improve their socio-economic status, the Urban Authority Act that governs land-use practices in the city should be amended to incorporate urban agriculture as an important informal sector. Buehler, 2008) Women’s roles in society continue to change. Women have always played an important, yet often unrecognized role in agriculture. As families and communities face an ever changing world, agriculture and women’s positions in this sector need more critical attention. There is variability among women farmers, and there is a need to develop a better understanding of their place within society, in agriculture and particularly within the br oader population of traditionally underserved farmers, including small-scale, limited resource and minority producers. In a 2001 national survey of women on farms conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, 30 percent were full partners and 40 percent were involved as business managers or helpers. Census data shows that women’s participation in farm programs has increased as well. A qualitative/quantitative study of women farmers in Minnesota suggests that there is a tendency for some women producers to be involved in agricultural activities outside of the mainstream of the dominant forms of agriculture and to express interest in conservation-oriented and alternative enterprises. Investigations of women’s participation in the move toward conservation and sustainable agriculture suggest that they are likely to pursue improvement of quality of life for their families and communities as a main goal. (Buehler, 2008) Women in Agriculture 28 Approximately half of women in the research project conducted in 2001 and 2003 held off the farm jobs, while just over one-third of participants in the women in agriculture project reported the same status. Over 60 percent of participants in both the risk management survey and the most recent focus groups reported that their spouse worked an off-farm job. Buehler, 2008) In an exercise where women in agriculture focus group participants were asked to identify themselves as farmers, farm wife or friend of a farmer, a large majority of them indicated that they thought of themselves as farmers. When asked how they began farming, 70. 6 percent of women focus group participants indicated that they grew up on a farm. One-quarte r of participants indicated that they had inherited a farm. Nearly half of the focus group participants said that their spouse farmed. Eighty-five percent of the participants stated that they made decisions about farm management. Buehler, 2008) When women were asked about barriers they faced in trying to achieve their goals, they identified several problems. They included limited access to the expertise needed for many entrepreneurial marketing endeavors. Some people also stated that they did not receive adequate support from their families. (Buehler, 2008) Women farmers emphasized the need for more respect for their position in agriculture among family members, community residents, organizational representatives and government agencies. The women in every group expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together for a group reflection on issues they faced in agriculture. They wanted more networking opportunities at the local, state, regional and national levels, and interest was expressed in more research. (Buehler, 2008) Women in Agriculture 29 Organizations for Women in Agriculture In 2009 an organization and website was established for women farmers called The Women Farmers. All members are women who own, run or operate farms, from the small farm that sells at the local farmers market to the huge farms that are thousands of acres. The website is http://womenfarmers. org/ . (Women in Ag, 2008) American Agri-Women officially began November 14, 1974. Today, American Agri-Women has 50 state and commodity affiliate organizations as well as individual member throughout the country, representing tens of thousands of women involved in agriculture. Throughout the history of AAW, the members have been actively involved and making a difference in legislative and regulatory matters at the local, state, and national levels. They have also been instrumental in student and consumer education about agriculture, having initiated the Agriculture in the Classroom program at the national level. (Women in Ag, 2008) The Women’s Agricultural Network uses educational, technical assistance and networking opportunities to increase the number of women owning and operating profitable farms and ag-related businesses, as well as their profile in leadership positions throughout the agricultural sectors of business, government and community. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women in Agriculture is the USDA’s resource for women involved in agricultural activities in the U. S. The Website offers links to the Third International Conference on Women in Agriculture and other USDA organizations. (Women in Ag, 2008) Women in Agriculture 30 History of Women in Agriculture As early as 1903, more than fifteen states were offering â€Å"institutes† especially for women. Early organizations for women in the Midwest, called â€Å"domestic science associations,† were formed to teach better methods in the home and to promote domestic science in the schools. Other names for these organizations included neighborhood study clubs, homemaker clubs, farm women clubs, and home bureaus. Journal of Extension, 2004) The first home demonstration clubs associated with Extension in the South developed from the girl’s tomato clubs, the home demonstration agents took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate improved methods of housework. The success of this method of teaching rural America gained support for a national system of Extension work. The agricult ural colleges and experiment stations requested federal funds for an Extension unit of the land-grant system through the American Association of Agriculture Colleges. Journal of Extension, 2004) When World War I was declared, large numbers of men joined the service. By 1916 over 3,000,000 men had joined the army. The country was desperately short of labor. The Government decided that more women would have to become more involved in producing food and goods to support the war effort. It was suggested that as reward for their effort, women would he given the right to vote after the war. Over 250,000 women became farm labors during the war. In some areas, farmers were unwilling to employ women. In 1916 the Board of Trade began sending agricultural organizing officers around the country in an effort to persuade farmers to accept women workers. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Women in Agriculture 31 At St. Michael’s Parish Hall in Sussex, Miss Bradley, agricultural organizing officer for the Board of Trade, said that Sussex had been one of the best countries for recruiting for the army and navy, and she hoped that with the cooperation of the farmers it would occupy a similar position with regard to women working on the land and filling the places of the men who had gone to war. She believed that the home grown food supply would be a quarter below the average that year. She realized that the difficulties and prejudices were being gradually overcome and that when farmers realized that women could do useful work they would accept their service more and more readily. Women were proving that they could perform useful work- in offices, in ammunition work, and in assisting in tarring and repairing roads. On farms, too, they could be of great assistance. Three pence an hour was the minimum wage for untrained helpers. In March of 1864, two years after the creation of the USDA, the Commissioner received authority to employ women as clerks. By 1891, there were 169 women in the USDA, which was roughly 12 percent of the employees. Legal changes in the 1960s and 1970s began to open more opportunities for women. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Women operators are generally full owners of their farms and live on their property. Many inherited the farms as widows and chose to continue the family business. Beginning in 1982, the average age of women farmers began to decrease and by 1997 more than 40 percent were under 55 years old. More women are making the choice to own and manage their own farms, and one of the goals of NIFA’s goals is to provide them with the tools they need to succeed. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Women in Agriculture 32 Nearly half of these women regard farming as their primary occupation, though the financial rewards are not great. Most women-owned farms are small, diversified, and financially at-risk. Nearly 70 percent of them have less than 140 acres, nearly 80 percent report annual sales under $25,000, and they are more likely than other farms to raise livestock or high-value crops. NIFA addresses the special needs of women and other minority farmers through core funding to support research, education, and extension at the land-grant colleges, and through competitive funding opportunities such as the Agriculture Risk Management Education and Funding Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. An example of the program is the North Central Risk Management Education Center at the University of Illinois. Center funding and coordination have generated extension programs in all 12 states across the region focusing on the needs of women in agriculture, working with women to identify the specific risks they face, and providing them with the necessary information and tools to overcome these risks. (Journal of Extension, 2004) The programs include educational workshops and online information and networking through the â€Å"Heart of the Farm† project in Wisconsin. The education center also sponsors annual Women in Agriculture conferences in South Dakota, and grass roots Risk Management Clubs led by women farmers in Nebraska. (Journal of Extension, 2004) The â€Å"Women in Ag† program at the University of Nebraska provides risk management education to women farmers, giving them the tools and information they need to make informed decisions. NIFA funding recently supported the program’s 19th Women in Ag Conference and the expansion of the program’s networking capacity. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Women in Agriculture 33 In several northeastern states, Women in Agriculture Networks provide education, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to increase the number of women owning and operating profitable farms and agriculture-related businesses. While these programs are closely tied to their state extension office, they are often strengthened by collaboration with other agencies. (Journal of Extension, 2004) Conclusion Women working in agriculture are not a new concept. Women have been helping on the farm since the beginning of civilization. Many women who work in agriculture fields are extremely satisfied with their careers. However, women face many challenges in agriculture. Women are interested in more studies and more support from society. The USDA must provide better outreach, technical assistance and other forms of support to women farmers. The future is bright for women in agriculture. Women in Agriculture 34 References Small Farm Digest. (2008). Women in Agriculture. Retrieved March 5, 2010 csrees. usda. gov/newsroom/newsletters/smallfarmdigest/sfd_sp08. pdf Journal of Extension. (2004). A Profile of Female County Agricultural Agents in Today’s CES. Retrieved March 5, 2010. joe. org/joe/2004december/a3. php Female Farmer, (2002). A Celebration of Women in Agriculture. Retrieved March 5, 2010. nda. agric. za/docs/ff2002-2. pdf Women Thrive Worldwide. (2010). Women Feed the World. Retrieved March 6, 2010. womenthrive. org/index. php? opinion=com_contentamp;tas=viewamp;id=654amp;Itemid=174 Ricketts, John C, Stone, Rhonda, Adams, Elaine. (2006) Female Agricultural Educators in Georgia. Retrieved March 6, 2006. http://pubs. aged. tamu. edu/jsar/pdf/Vol56/56-01-052. pdf | America’s Heartland. (2008). Women in Ag. Retrieved May 7, 2010. americasheartland. org/episodes/episode_319/women_agriculture. html Buehler, Deb Brandt. (2008). The Evolving Role of Women in Agricultural Education. Retrieved May 7, 2010. ffa. org/ageducators/mad/issues/0804/story3. cfm 2007 Census of Agriculture. (2007). Women Farmers. Retrieved March 7, 2010. agcensus. usda. gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/women. pdf

Catchment Health and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Catchment Health and Management - Essay Example These concerns and conflicts gradually led community leaders to recognize the need for integrated catchment management (ICM), which is the planning and management of a river or groundwater catchment's natural resources to achieve sustainable use for social and economic development. 1. Give an example of a sequence of events relevant to catchment management that conform with a complete Adaptive Cycle. Describe the sequence in terms of the three properties or dimensions of the Cycle. The development of catchment-scale stream rehabilitation programmes in many parts of the world marks a shift from the application of reach-based engineering principles towards an adoption of ecosystem-centred, adaptive and participatory approaches to river management. From a biophysical viewpoint, this represents recognition of the importance of the inherent geodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and the benefits that are gained through enhancing natural recovery mechanisms. As this approach to river management matures, it is important that its key elements and assumptions are subjected to critical appraisal. In this paper, the main features of contemporary catchment-wide programmes are examined through a review of pertinent literature and through examination of various case studies from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Emerging challenges and tensions include those of generating an authentic and functional biophysical vision at the catchment scale, of developing a proactive a daptive management approach, of achieving genuine community participation and of integrating biophysical and social factors in a transdisciplinary framework. Issues of scale, natural variability and complexity must be addressed in meeting these challenges. The effects of a non-station ary climate on a water management system in the Warta River Catchment in Central Poland which already suffers from seasonal water deficits are exam ined in this paper. To determine a range of possible implications of global change on the region of interest, two scenarios were selected for the study: the warm-dry scenario predicted by the GFDL model, and warm scenario obtained from the GISS model. It is shown that the basin's water supply and demand are both sensitive and vulnerable to clim atic changes. Possible adaptation options to cope with further degradation of domestic, industrial and agricultural water supplies are recommended. 2. There is increasing pressure to restore disturbed areas to aesthetically-pleasing and functional ecosystems. Although the former objective may be relatively easily met, the second is not so simple. Outline some of the complexities that the rehabilitation officer might encounter when trying to restore a disturbed area to a fully-functioning ecosystem. The effects associated with land-use change are multiple and have an impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems over continental, regional and local scales. Separating and ascribing a particular effect to any individual causal factor is difficult as it requires consideration not only of geographical scale but also the historical aspect of the land-use change. Increasingly, government

Hazards of Drinking While Driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hazards of Drinking While Driving - Essay Example Due to the several amounts of accidents experienced by drunk drivers, states have taken several measures to counter the issues and to decrease the problems associated with alcohol drinking and to counter alcohol abuse. This report will focus on the consequences that have occurred due to driving under the influence of alcohol and why these consequences occur. Prevalence According to a report provided by WHO, every one accident out of three are a result of driving under the influence of alcohol in the region of European Union (Tobutt 47). WHO reported that a total of 17000 accidents have taken place due to driving under the influence of alcohol and the number of males that have experienced death in these accidents were 15000 and only 2000 females have experienced death due to these accidents (Eurocare, 2013). The European Transport Safety council reported during the year of 2003 that out of all the journeys that take place within European Union, two to three percent of the times, the d river of the vehicle drives under the influence of alcohol (Tobutt 45). The report further stated that the issue is on a rise and the number of drivers driving under alcohol influence is increasing on rapid basis. For example: in the case of Latvia, the number of accident caused due to the issue of drinking and driving stood at 11% of all the road accidents and out of these 11%, 32% accidents were tremendously serious in nature and 39% of these accidents were deadly in nature (Tobutt 46). Loss of life is not only the issue caused due to accidents caused by drunk drivers, property loss is even a major concern of this issue. During the period of 2003, a loss of total of â‚ ¬ 10bn of property loss was experienced as a result of the accidents caused due to driving under the influence of Alcohol (Tobutt 45). During the period of 2007, W.H.O reported that number of accidents taking place due to drinking and driving issue has declined substantially from 34 persons out of a total populat ion of 100,000 as witnessed during the period of 1980 to 20 persons as witnessed during the period of 2004 (Tobutt 42). Loss of Skills Required for Driving According to a review of total of 109 studies conducted by Moskowitz during the period of 2000, people start losing certain amount of skills required for driving as their blood alcohol level increases from zero (Moskowitz 5). During the period of 2002, Solomon reported that skills that are considered essential for driving start experiencing impairment as soon as an individual consumes alcohol (Solomon 2). One of the skills that an individual looses as a result of alcohol consumption is skill of being able to track movements. When an individual is under the influence of only 0.3g/l to 0.5g/l of alcohol, he experiences difficulty in moving his eyes in a voluntary manner and thus experiences the inability to constantly track movement of targets (Moskowitz 10). The skill of being able to track moving objects is very essential in driv ing as drivers are required to track moving objects such as other motor vehicles in order to drive in compliance with the motor vehicles moving ahead and on the back side of the driver’s vehicle. When a driver is under alcohol influence, the alcohol in his system relaxes the muscle that is used to maintain control of the lens of an individual’s eyes. Another issue with those who drink and drive is that they concentrate on one object

Performance Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance Management - Assignment Example There are various types of performance management plans that a corporation may select to use. The two most prominent types of performance management plans are strategic performance management plans and administrative plans (Customwritingtips, 2013). Strategic plans place emphasis on the long term. As part of a strategic performance plan an organization must assess the external factors that affect the organization. Administrative performance plans focuses on the short term and on the internal factors that can be altered to achieve positive change in a company. The use of performance management impacts the employees of an organization in a variety of ways. Performance management helps improve the motivation of the workers. It does a more effective job of rewarding employees that are performing. The corporate culture of a firm is enhanced by the use of performance management. Firms that implement performance management typically experience a productivity boom. Using performance manageme nt can help track employee performance better. The total compensation of employees increases. Despite the benefits associated with performance management there are also cons associated with its implementation. Often work related stress increases as a direct consequence of the use of performance management. Cooperation and teamwork decreases among the employees. When performance management is used competition among the laborers rises. ... Employees also feel a greater pressure to perform. Three ways to determine individual performance are personal observation, feedback, and performance reviews (Aprioritylearning). Performance management affects the compensation that the employees receive for their labor. The traditional compensation system of paying a fixed salary or by the hour has proven to be ineffective. When employees are paid a fixed compensation for their work they lose motivation. In a company that uses performance management the workers that achieve higher productivity receive higher reward. Low performers are adversely affected because they receive lower compensation. The compensation system under performance management is fairer. Companies obtain greater efficiency from its compensation plan under performance management. A lot of factors should be considered when starting a performance management plan. It is very important to properly train the workers on the different aspects and implications of the perfor mance management plan. During the first few weeks of implementation the employees should undergo an orientation period. The skills of the workers should be aligned with the job requirements of the program. The company has to determine if the firm has adequate financial resources to pay for the added compensation of the workers. The corporate culture of the business is another factor that should be considered. The impact the plan will have on employee relations must be assessed. Administrative expenses are likely to increase under performance management. The effectiveness of the plan must be tracked. Companies must study the long term impact of using performance management and they also have to deal with the short term consequences. It is important to include a balanced

HP computer systems organization

HP computer systems organization 1. Is this the time for HP-CSO to institute more changes? Based on the customer and sales audit it was identified that considerable opportunities existed in the area of Repurchase, replacement and expansion projects as well as the Innovation projects. But, there exist many challenges Customers were moving towards consolidating their supplier base increasing pricing pressure on HP 80% of the customer sales were initiated by the customer themselves Although HP was a preferred vendor, customers doubted its ability to deliver incase of Innovation projects With increasing demands on price and delivery terms, HP would find it difficult to meet customer needs due to the small sales force Sales force was spending significant amount of time doing things other than sales Sales force was having difficulty in converting sales opportunities in replacement and expansion projects Sales team was spending less time in the early stages of the sales cycle for Innovation projects Sales team lacked prioritization of opportunities Hence, it is critical for HP-CSO to make the right changes in the sales organization to capture opportunities in the high potential segments. How are selling instruments (HP traditional business) different from selling computer systems? Selling instruments can be viewed more like selling commodities. Selling instruments was engineering driven and marketing the product was on the basis of technological features. Selling computer systems involved marketing the product as solutions that could be highly customized to the customers needs to solve their issues. Why does HP treat its sales force as a cost center? What are the implications of such a structure? HP was grouped into three main divisions and each had its own sales force and others support departments and divisional business units. Divisional business units were measured as profit centers. HP allocated field personnel and capital expenditures among the divisions under the promise of additional profits. This type of mechanism ensured that sales force was kept as a cost center, responsible for revenues, field marketing and customer service. Such a structure resulted in two distinct cultures co-existing in HP. One centered in the product divisions focused on long-term profit objectives and the other in the field, on meeting short-term sales quotas. Sales force concentrated on achieving sales target without worrying about making profits and spending time in non-core activities. 3. Critically evaluate HP-CSOs approach to building relations with its Enterprise Customers HP reorganized its sales approach by providing greater autonomy to its divisions. CSO could draw on HPs resources while operating in a more entrepreneurial fashion. Freed from the constraint of a drawn-out approval process, CSO began to race to the market with new computers. By 1994, HPs business was growing at 40% annually against an industry growth of 5%. To capitalize on the new market position, sales force was re-organized and other dramatic changes were instituted in the manner in which CSO sold to customers. HP wanted to transform its salespeople from order takers into consultants. Advantages Sales reps were relieved of the unproductive tasks Centralized configuration support specialists enabled increase in the sales reps direct customer contact by 30-50% The domain specific approach enabled HP to focus and service large customers more effectively. Generate more sales through the specialized and competent sales force. Sales force was able to nurture the relationships developed over time with the enterprise customers. . Disadvantages Sales force was averse to change and didnt wanted to lose power over their regional fiefdoms Smaller customers resented being relegated to the channel partners or telephone reps. To transform salesperson from order takers to consultants required specifically designed training programs to de-emphasize on traditional focus on HP product capabilities and specification in favor of teaching salespeople how to evaluate customers circumstances and suggest ways that HP might improve them. Do you agree with the findings of two audits? Findings of the first audit are agreeable. However, the methodology adopted for the second audit is not convincing. The customer that was selected for the audit was the largest with whom HP had good relationship, HP was strong in the industry selected and the study chose only one region that HP was good in. This leads to an audit that encompasses a perfect customer, industry and region. The finding might not apply across all customers, industry and regions giving an obscure audit. What about the consultants recommendations? The recommendations provide deep insights into the strong and weak links in the sales strategy of HP-CSO The recommendations of the consultant seem very broad based and not properly structured The consultant hasnt provided an action roadmap based on his recommendations. How is this approach different from the current approach to managing enterprise customers? The approach of entering downstream and slowly making inroads upstream will face a lot barriers put up by competitors. The new approach would require re-training the sales force considerably. The effort and time involved in beating competition might be considerable. There is a high risk of failure and would require considerable time to bring in the change Comments on conclusions of audit The first audit conclusion is convincing, but the second audit conclusion is not detailed and devoid of an action plan. Recommendations Increase conversion rate in downstream and midstream segment Develop competence in midstream and upstream segment of the market to capture the high potential market share, instead of building the way through downstream Create a value proposition for the upstream market Eliminate the non productive tasks of sales reps and train them effectively

Using Listservs and Discussion Groups in the English Classroom Essay

Using Listservs and Discussion Groups in the English Classroom Virtually everyone is on the Internet these days from my 85-year-old grandfather to my five-year-old nephew. We are checking our emails from long lost friends and next-door neighbors. As adults we are paying our bills, filing our taxes, and scheduling our appointments. But the phenomena is not exclusive to adults; teens are on there more than ever communicating with one another, shopping, and finding out information about endless topics in just a click of a few buttons. We are so technologically centered that it makes sense to transfer this pastime to school, right? Online learning: the wave of the future? Many say yes as students from kindergarten to the graduate level continue to participate in communication via the Internet. They range from small projects to entire online courses and degree programs. In the college classroom, the Internet has taken on a sort of â€Å"replacement† role to the traditional classroom set up, while in the secondary classroom, teachers are finding ways to incorporate the Internet, namely listservs and discussion groups to supplement the time spent in the actual classroom. This insurgence of technology helps students to become familiar with the Internet and software programs, it gives the shy student a chance to shine where he/she may not normally have a chance, and it has allowed for more student-generated discussion. Many of us already use Internet Chat rooms to discuss certain issues with people of similar interests. These rely on what is called real-time interaction or synchronous which means that all users are online at the same time discussing topics back and forth. Discussion groups or listservs are similar to this, ... ...o, Regina F. and Alberto M. Bento. "Using the Web to extend and support classroom learning." College Student Journal 34.4 Dec. 2000: 603-8. Burnett, Tim. "Running Your Own Listserv." Classroom Connect 7.4 Dec. 2000/Jan. 2001: 11. Dutt-Doner, Karen M. and Susan M. Powers. "The use of electronic communication to develop alternative avenues for classroom discussion." Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 8.2 (2001): 153-72. MacDonald, Lucy and David C. Caverly. "Expanding the online discussion." Journal of Developmental Education 25.2 Winter 2001: 38-9. Robinson, Doug. "Listservs 101: What they are and how to make the best use of them." Feliciter 47.6 (2001): 292-3. Tiene, C. Drew. "Online discussions: a survey of advantages and disadvantages compared to face-to-face discussions." Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 9.4 (2000): 371-84. Using Listservs and Discussion Groups in the English Classroom Essay Using Listservs and Discussion Groups in the English Classroom Virtually everyone is on the Internet these days from my 85-year-old grandfather to my five-year-old nephew. We are checking our emails from long lost friends and next-door neighbors. As adults we are paying our bills, filing our taxes, and scheduling our appointments. But the phenomena is not exclusive to adults; teens are on there more than ever communicating with one another, shopping, and finding out information about endless topics in just a click of a few buttons. We are so technologically centered that it makes sense to transfer this pastime to school, right? Online learning: the wave of the future? Many say yes as students from kindergarten to the graduate level continue to participate in communication via the Internet. They range from small projects to entire online courses and degree programs. In the college classroom, the Internet has taken on a sort of â€Å"replacement† role to the traditional classroom set up, while in the secondary classroom, teachers are finding ways to incorporate the Internet, namely listservs and discussion groups to supplement the time spent in the actual classroom. This insurgence of technology helps students to become familiar with the Internet and software programs, it gives the shy student a chance to shine where he/she may not normally have a chance, and it has allowed for more student-generated discussion. Many of us already use Internet Chat rooms to discuss certain issues with people of similar interests. These rely on what is called real-time interaction or synchronous which means that all users are online at the same time discussing topics back and forth. Discussion groups or listservs are similar to this, ... ...o, Regina F. and Alberto M. Bento. "Using the Web to extend and support classroom learning." College Student Journal 34.4 Dec. 2000: 603-8. Burnett, Tim. "Running Your Own Listserv." Classroom Connect 7.4 Dec. 2000/Jan. 2001: 11. Dutt-Doner, Karen M. and Susan M. Powers. "The use of electronic communication to develop alternative avenues for classroom discussion." Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 8.2 (2001): 153-72. MacDonald, Lucy and David C. Caverly. "Expanding the online discussion." Journal of Developmental Education 25.2 Winter 2001: 38-9. Robinson, Doug. "Listservs 101: What they are and how to make the best use of them." Feliciter 47.6 (2001): 292-3. Tiene, C. Drew. "Online discussions: a survey of advantages and disadvantages compared to face-to-face discussions." Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 9.4 (2000): 371-84.

Job Satisfaction Essay

INTRODUCTION Job satisfaction is one of the most important areas of research for many researchers, and as such it is one of the most frequently studies work attitude. We observe closely that in most organizations the job satisfaction is highly depend upon employee’s performance, employee’s attitudes, organizational support & job commitment. (Muhammad Masroor Alam).We are studying about that factors which the employee is satisfied with his/her job. Some more important factors are HR management policies & relationship with co-workers. Primarily pay has been considered as the major factor for job satisfaction however other related Factors like promotion, work efforts and the importance/challenge of the job are also taken into Account. Through HR management policies increase effectiveness in employees relationship, personal communication & strong decision making. (Effects  of job satisfaction). The main objective of our research is known how different factors affect an employee during his /her job. Job satisfaction and its related factors like style of management style, leadership behavior & coworker relationship played important role to increase satisfaction level of employee. Job satisfaction is influenced by many organizational contextual factors, ranging from salaries, job autonomy, job security, workplace flexibility, to leadership. In particular, leaders within organizations can adopt appropriate leadership styles to affect employee job satisfaction, commitment and productivity.it is true to said that A satisfy employee is an important resource of employee for achieving organizational goals. High job satisfaction enhances employees’ psychological and physical wellbeing (Ilardi, Leone, Kansser, & Ryan, 1983)Primarily pay has been considered as the major factor for job satisfaction however other related factors like promotion, work efforts and the importance/chal lenge of the job are also taken into account. The banking sector in Pakistan after changing rapidly into a services sector has a lot of emphasis on its customers both internal and external. A common phrase implied in the corporate world is that satisfied employees increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customer retention is highly dependent on how employees deal with customers. Satisfied employees are more likely to be friendly, upbeat, and responsive which the customers appreciate. (Kamal) Morale of employee is also played a role as an important factor that influences the employee satisfaction. Employee morale is the spirit, or tone, of an organization. According to a January 2005 article in Entrepreneur, morale is an effect, or end result, of workplace conditions, relationships, changes or other elements. Job Satisfaction is the most common way of measurement is the use of rating scales where employees report their reactions to their jobs. Questions relate to rate of pay, work responsibilities, variety of tasks, promotional opportunities, the work itself and co-workers. Some questioners ask yes or no questions while others ask to rate satisfaction on 1-5 scale (where 1 represents â€Å"not at all satisfied† and 5 represents â€Å"extremely satisfied†). To sum up each element of the organization environment and system can contribute. To or detract from job satisfaction (William B. Werthe, 2000) Every organization tries to achieve their objectives. In this connection they must concentrate in many aspects. As human resource of an  organization is considered as an importance resource,organizations wish to keep well trai ned and effective work force. LITRATURE REVIEW Employee satisfaction is the terminology used to describe whether employees are happy and contented and fulfilling their desires and needs at work. Many measures purport that employee satisfaction is a factor in employee motivation, employee goal achievement, and positive employee morale in the workplace. Employee satisfaction, while generally a positive in your organization, can also be a downer if mediocre employees stay because they are satisfied with your work environment (Airborne) In this review we discuss that that a number of researcher have emphasized the importance of factors affecting job satisfaction. Job satisfaction involves several different spheres such as satisfaction with pay, promotion opportunities, fringe benefits, job security and the importance/challenge of the job. (Nguyen, 2000). In today’s turbulent, often chaotic, environment, commercial success depends on employees using their full talents. Yet in spite of the myriad of available theories and practices, managers often view motivation as something of a mystery. In part this is because individuals are motivated by different things and in different ways. In addition, these are times when delayering and the flattening of hierarchies can create insecurity and lower staff morale. Moreover, more staff than ever before are working part time or on limited-term contracts, and these employees are often especially hard to motivate. Twyla Dell writes of motivating employees, â€Å"The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service.† (An Honest Day’s Work (1988)). Career development involves managing your career either within or between organizations. It also includes learning new skills, and making improvements to help you in your career. Career development is an ongoing, lifelong process to help you learn and achieve more in your career. By creating a personal career development plan, you can set goals and objectives for your own personal career growth. (Career Development) Colleague morale of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character: moral scrutiny; a moral quandary.  (Weekly Electronics). The focus of literature on promotion systems is their validity in predicting performance, another factor to consider is the length of time that a system will continue to be used. Over time, one would expect promotion and selection systems to be modified or replaced entirely. The cost of administering performance testing is considerable, and management periodically evaluates a system’s validity and its ability to assess employee attitudes, qualifications and perception of business need (Smith, 2007). It is worth considering why firms might use promotions for incentives. Individualistic schemes, especially ones that do not depend on job assignments, allow more flexibility in providing incentives. In other words, promotions are often used to achieve two goals simultaneously that in principle might be separated: putting employees in the right jobs, and generating motivation. Thus, it is not immediately obvious why promotions should be used as incentives. (Gibbs). An important reason that promotions are sources of incentives is worker reputation, or â€Å"career concerns† (Fama, 1980). Where does reputation come from? Often it is the worker’s history of positions or promotions which provides the greatest evidence on productivity and potential. (Waldman, 1984).Social interaction with colleagues is a highly valued job aspect for many workers. Research in psychology, sociology, and management shows that receiving affective support from colleagues and having good interpersonal relationships at work are positively associated with job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. (Sol, August 3, 2009). Social interaction with colleagues is also one of the most missed job aspects under retired workers in Australia. (Shacklock, 2005). Lastly, using time-use data for France and the US, Krueger and Schkade (2007) show that worker who are in jobs that entail more frequent interactions with co-workers are more satisfied with their jobs and in a better mood during work time. (Sol, August 3, 2009). These findings have a clear managerial implication: In their struggle to attract and retain workers, managers should strive to create and maintain high-quality co-worker relationships. Employees, who satisfy with their job, may exert high effort to organization wish to satisfy their employees for getting effective more work done. To make the best use of people as a valuable resource of the organization attention must be given to the relationship between staff and the nature and content of their jobs. The organization and the design of jobs can have a significant effect on staff. Attention needs to be given to the quality of working life. According to organizational commitment can be defined as an employee’s level of identification and involvement in the organization. Mowday et al.defined organizational commitment as a strong belief in an organization’s goals, and values, a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of an organization and a strong desire to remain a member of the organization . Age and job tenure are significant predictors of organizational commitment. Job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience. It is a result of employee’s perception of how well their job provides those things that are viewed as important. Several researchers have reported mixed findings on the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment. For instance, Curry, Wakefield, Price and Mueller found no significant relationship between the two. However, other researchers. Many studies use different facets of job satisfaction to predict organizational commitment. Job satisfaction is a key instrument to gauge the organizational health as service quality largely depends upon the human resources. (Crossman & Abou-Zaki, 2003). Since the transformation of personnel into HR, and its inception in the industry new concepts related to human capital has been emerging day by day. Apart from the bread and butter the organization used to act as their sanctuary and no one was much concerned about the job itself or job satisfaction. Locke (1976) defined job satisfaction as â€Å"a pleasurable or positive emotional state, resulting from the appraisal of one’s job experiences.† In general, therefore, job satisfaction refers to an individual’s positive emotional reactions to a particular job. In Pakistan the concept of HR is also flourishing day by day and employers as well as the employees are getting awareness of their rights and demands. Job satisfaction involves several different spheres such as satisfaction with pay, promotion opportunities, fringe benefits, job security and the importance/challenge of the job (Nguyen, 2000).Job satisfaction can lead to cost reduction by reducing absences, task errors, and turnover. Since work is an important aspect of people’s lives and most people spend a large part of their working lives at work, understanding the factors involved in job satisfaction is crucial to improving employees’  performance and productivity. Job satisfaction has often been linked to organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and absenteeism. These variables are costly to an organization, as they could lead to low morale, poor performance, lower productivity, and higher costs of hiring, retention, and training. (Opkara, 2002).Recent studies emphasize that job satisfaction may be an important determinant of the choice between self- and wage-employment (Blanch-flower 2000, 2004; Georgellis et al. 2007; Taylor 1996, 1999). THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK JOB SATISFACTION JOB SATISFACTION Relationship with Co-workers Relationship with Co-workers FAIR PROMOTIONS FAIR PROMOTIONS Organizational research indicates that employees develop attitudes toward such job facets as work variety, pay, promotion, co-workers, company policies, and supervisors (Johnson & Johnson, 2000;Taber & Alleger, 1995). Job design affect the job satisfaction, as jobs that are rich in behavioral Elements such as variety autonomy, task unimportance and feedback contribute to employees satisfaction. (Kamal) .Locke (1976) defined job satisfaction as â€Å"a pleasurable or positive emotional state, resulting from the appraisal of one’s job experiences.† Job satisfaction has significance towards human health both physical and mental and is positively or negatively correlated. . Satisfied employees are more likely to be friendly, upbeat, and responsive which the customers appreciate. (R. T. Mowday, 1982 New York) The purpose of study is to investigate about the relationship of job satisfaction with fair promotion & relation with coworkers of the organization. HYPOTHESIS Based on the literature discussed this study attempted to answer the following questions: 1) Increase in promotion increases job satisfaction. 2) Increase in relation with coworkers increases job satisfaction. So there is a positive relationship between fair promotion, Relationship with coworkers & job satisfaction. METHODOLOGY A sample of 60 employees was randomly selected from different education institutes & different public offices in Rawalpindi & Islamabad. Purpose of study is descriptive because we know something but exactly we want to prove this about the characteristic of employees. Convert it in exactitude i.e. Mean, Median, Mode. Sampling used in this research is convenience sampling. Different educational institutes in Pakistan were targeted in the vicinity of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. . The target audience was officer level & Teachers. . A tested questionnaire has been used with a number of variables related to job satisfaction, Promotion & Relationship with Coworkers. Questionnaires were circulated among the employers and their responses were collected. A total of one hundred questionnaires were distributed out of which sixty questionnaires were filled by the respondents, which is successful ratio in social research. The major problems faced during the data collection procedure were mostly peoples’ unwillingness to fill and not taking this as a serious research. Another problem was that employees were reluctant to write the truth as their supervisors might know and would create problems for them in future. However, once they were realized that this effort is done purely for research purposes and their responses should not bear their identity as well as will be kept confidential then they filled the questionnaires with ease. Data analysis in a quantitative research is essential as the interpretation and coding of responses can be very critical. The analysis part has been dealt with using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The questions and responses were coded and entered in SPSS for analysis followed by the interpretation of the results. The variables were coded in SPSS and certain statistical methods were applied on the data to get the results which were analyzed. In the first instance the reliability of the tool used was measured to find out whether the instrument used is reliable or not. Their satisfaction with promotional opportunities, co-workers was also compared. Linear regression analysis was employed to examine the  relationship between different overall job satisfaction, promotion and co-workers. ANOVA along with its extensions has been used for comparing means and the results. Simple correlation has also been applied to the data to find out relationships among different variables and a comprehensive regression model with its extensions is applied. Reliability Analysis In the first instant the reliability analysis using the SPSS was done to find out the reliability of the instrument used for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha is the most common form of internal consistency reliability coefficient. The value of alpha should lie between 0 and 1. * Reliability of job satisfaction is 0.645 & the no. of items is 8 * Reliability of promotion is 0.667 & the no. of items is 2 * Reliability of relation with coworkers is 0.537 & the no. of items is 4 Correlation Analysis Correlation is a statistical tool which can determine the strength and direction of relationship between two variables. The value of correlation ranges from +1 to -1 and both these values show strong positive and negative relationships. While the value 0 show no relationship. Results shows that the correlation between relation with coworkers, Promotion, Job Satisfaction. The value of correlation coefficient for coworkers & promotion with job satisfaction is 0.209 and 0.420 simultaneously, which shows a positive relationship of both variables with job satisfaction. This relationship is significant at ÃŽ ± 0.01.for coworkers & 0.110 for promotion. Promotion & coworkers are equally correlate with each other at 0.232 & level of significance is 0.074 of both. Regression Analysis The value of is 0.436, and R Square is 0.190. The value of R shows a moderate to strong positive relationship between two variables and job satisfaction. The value of R Square shows that model explains 19% variance in job satisfaction. The rest of variance is explained by other variables not included in the model. This results support our alternate hypothesis which assumed a causal relationship between our model (independent and dependent variables). CONCLUSION This research accepted that the employee’s promotion and relation with  coworkers has positive impact on job satisfaction. That is high level of fair promotion, good working condition leads to high level job satisfaction. So we accept our H1 that shows positive relationship b/w job satisfaction, promotion and relation with coworkers. There are several factors affecting employees’ satisfaction, but as a researcher we consider only two independent variables: promotion, relationship with coworkers. We take minimum sample of 60 and it take less time through less financing. The entire formulated hypothesis have been accepted, it is necessary to improve job satisfaction through promotion and relation with coworkers. Following are some suggestions given to improve job satisfaction. * Organization should develop good working condition. This facilitates employees to do their work effectively. * Organization should develop good relationship among employees. 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