Thursday, January 23, 2020
Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Feminism Feminis
Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper " was originally shunned by the American patriarchal literary powers present before the turn of the century. Despite editors' hesitation, Gilman's determination eventually led to the story's publication in New England Magazine in 1892. It was not until the early 1970's, however, that the story was adopted by the feminist literary movement and viewed as the author undoubtedly intended. A popularly held opinion among critics is that this delayed acceptance was "a case of misinterpretation by audiences used to 'traditional' literature. " Before the modern feminist movement in literature, readers would not have expected or looked for the kind of message found in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Were the story written a century later, the feminist message would likely be stronger. To get it published and portray the realities of her narrator, however, Gilman recognized the need for ambiguity in the story's feminist message. Gilman left the story ope n to patriarchal interpretations, but included enough commentary within and beyond the narration to convince the feminist reader of her true intentions. The submissive unnamed protagonist and narrator acts as an enabler to her patriarchal surroundings. Gilman clarifies on the first page the narrator's feminist disinclination, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage." This defines the woman's attitude towards her position in her marriage and society. The woman's defeatism also works to 'put her in her place' in the patriarchal society. After briefly explaining that her husband does not believe s... ...not discounting, does somewhat deflate, or mask, the argument that Gilman is offering a truism about the difference between males and females. Some of the greatest writers, artists, and musicians have been patently misread or ignored by their contemporaries, only to be discovered as visionaries decades or centuries later. By creating a submissive female narrator, Gilman makes a powerful statement to the modern reader about the realities of women before the 20th century. The narrator's acquiescent quality is simultaneously a common trait for women of the time and the catalyst of her insanity. Considering the state of women when the story was written, the narrator had to be as she was to be believable. Thus, the story's recent rise to popularity must be attributed to Gilman's subtle feminist assertions, almost a century ahead of their time.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Human Behavior and Environment Essay
1. Every person we come into contact with on a daily basis is able to teach us a little something about life. You just have to be open to learning. This particular counselor who was introduced to Steve for whatever cosmic reason, but left the encounter more knowledgeable about the human condition than when initially introduced. At first glance and without knowing any background on Steve the counselor could have just chalked Steve up as a special needs student who in no way was going to succeed being away from home. The councilor however took time out and got to know his student and found all the triumphs that he had been faced with and had overcome throughout the years. The counselor was able to determine that this student was in no way going to give up and fall between the cracks due to a series of unfortunate events. Every child I come in contact with on a daily basis has their own story, many of which are heart wrenching or unnerving, but yet many persevere and will become productive members of society because someone along the way has showed that they care. 2. Steve was able to benefit just as much as the counselor through this interaction. He was able to persevere and complete his education. All that Steve needed was for someone else to also see the end of the tunnel as well as he saw it. Having someone on the same page and able to stand with you through your goals is beneficial to all those involved not just the single individual with the goal. I think the biggest push anyone could ever get is having someone who does not know you say ââ¬Å"you canââ¬â¢t do thatâ⬠; it provides all the more motivation to prove them wrong. According to the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS), a code of ethics is an explicit statement of the values, principles, and the rules of a profession, regulating the conduct of its membersâ⬠(Barker, 2001, p. 84) There are two statements found in the NOHS though that best summarize this code and make it applicable to the field in which I am currently surrounded by. STATEMENT 45 Human service educators demonstrate full commitment to their appointed responsibilities, and are enthusiastic about and encouraging of studentsââ¬â¢ learning. STATEMENT 46 Human service educators model the personal attributes, values and skills of the human service professional, including but not limited to, the willingness to seek and respond to feedback from students. In reading Steveââ¬â¢s journey on the Heroââ¬â¢s Path there is an identifiable moment that relates to my current position that I have been witness to and assisted with. As a guidance secretary for a public school I have seen man types of students walk through our door. Our most recent students who have come in search of a chance to blend in with a traditional student body are two students who found themselves being best friends despite each otherââ¬â¢s complex issues. One is an overweight 16 year old and suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome and sneaks food from our cafeteria any chance he gets. The other a 17 year old was born with malformation of the mouth and hands. Both are part of our special education program. Because of their outward appearances, both are shunned by the other student, which has had very little effect on them. To assist them in this effort of blending in our Administrative Resource Teacher, who is popular and liked by the student body because of her understanding and helpful nature has essentially deputized these two during our busiest lunch period. In order to keep the child with Prader-Willi from stealing uneaten food and his friend from stealing anything for him, they eat their lunch and when they are done, are placed on crime watch patrol around the perimeter of the school, with our ART. The child with Prader-Willi gets exercise and it removes him from tempting treats left behind by students such as milk and chips. Both also get the satisfaction of knowing that despite their abnormalities they are regular students. During pep assemblies when the excited student body is a little overwhelming, these students also know that my office is a safe haven for them. They know that they must do work alphabetizing or organizing but they each have a task. Iââ¬â¢ve heard many of our administrators repeat this saying time and time again ââ¬Å"you need to know our students, in order to teacher themâ⬠, the same applies in any interaction with them. Students donââ¬â¢t just learn in the four walls of a classroom, they learn in every kind of environment. If you make that environment one in which they are comfortable students will return time after time to seek your guidance and model attributes they found and have seen demonstrated. References Halstead, Richard A. (2000, January). From tragedy to triumph: counselor as companion on the heroââ¬â¢s journey. Counseling & Values, 44(2), 100. http://www. nationalhumanservices. org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals.
Monday, January 6, 2020
Lowering the Drinking Age Appears to be Best Solution Essay
Lowering the Drinking Age Appears to be Best Solution Despite offering many solutions to the ongoing problem of underage drinking, there seems to be no chance for a law to pass that will lower the drinking age. Pete Coors of Coors Brewing Co. ran for senator in the Colorado election and campaigned that he was not pushing to lower the drinking age, however many of his quotes are not consistent with this point of view. No matter what the ultimate decision is for the drinking age, fake IDs and parents who condone drinking are going to cancel out any legitimacy for this law to work. Furthermore there are many drugs in testing now that may perhaps eliminate any of the dangers that are common with drinking. Due to liquor companies targetingâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Salazar doesnââ¬â¢t give a specific number of accidents caused by minors, but more a broad and obvious statement that underage drinking leads to deaths. The fact of the matter is that as long as there is a rule to be broken, kids are going to break it. That seems to be a co mmon trend of teens, they wonââ¬â¢t let them do it, well then theyââ¬â¢ll find a way to do it anyways. This leads into an article from CNN.com which recalls all of the ways in which teens purchase and consume alcohol. The first of these methods are high quality fake IDs. Not only can people make high quality IDs, but they are quite easy to get a hold of as well. The second thing bringing down the drinking age law, are parents who are willing to allow their children to consume alcohol, as long as they do not drink and drive. A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving released a statement saying, ââ¬Å"We have to stop sending mixed messages to our kids by downplaying the dangers of alcohol use by our youth.â⬠Yet, people are wondering if it is safer to allow kids to drink in their homes, rather than them sneaking around either in parks or parentless houses, where there is a greater chance of them getting caught by an authority figure. Despite the greatest efforts of law enforcement and parent formed organizations to deter children from drinking, kids are still drinking, and at an earlier age. According to CNN.com underage drinking is now beginning inShow MoreRelatedAnalyzing the Demand to Lower the Drinking Age to 181933 Words à |à 8 Pagesï » ¿Analyzing the Push to Lower the Drinking Age to 18 Introduction According to Andrew Mark Lisa in the preface to his online petition to see the national drinking age limit lowered, it is not only young people but also colleges across America who are interested in promoting legislation that will lower the drinking age. Lisa references a Time magazine article, which quotes Dartmouth College President James Wright as stating that a lowered age limit would help prevent alcohol abuse because campusesRead MoreThe Smoking Age Should Be Legal Drinking Age2456 Words à |à 10 PagesRight to Serve, Not of Age to Drink Before the year 1984 if a person was 18-years-old in the United States, they were once allowed in certain areas to be able to drink. However, after 1984 the Federal Government passed a law that made the whole nation raise the legal drinking age to 21 (Daniloff). From then on there have been two sides arguing this law. One side says that if a person is allowed to vote at the age of 18 they should be allowed to vote. That same side also says that if a person isRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Should Be Legal1983 Words à |à 8 Pages The minimum age limit has been a topic of debate for years even though the choice is simple. Did you know that most parents living in Kansas nowadays grew up in a time in Kansas when they could drink a little alcohol when they were only 18 years old? Many people believe that if we allow drinking at younger ages such as 18 or 19 it would get rid of the ââ¬Å"forbidden fruitâ⬠effect on alcohol. This is a way of thinking for fools about the pr oblem of legal age of alcohol consumption. The reasonsRead More Alcohol Consumption Essay2409 Words à |à 10 Pagesforecast into the future of American public health somewhat similar to the obesity epidemic. Obesity and alcohol consumption act as a comparison between two similar, yet contradictory issues, much like public health and public health law. High-risk drinking results in many consequences for public health and unlike obesity and soda tax, a multitude of systematic literature reviews conducted by highly-regarded scholars and published by credible organizations or peer-reviewed journals prove taxes thatRead MoreThe Food Of Meat, And The First Tiered Look Into The Ethics Of Eating Meat Essay2125 Words à |à 9 Pagesanimal product-producing utopia, while an oxymoron of sorts, these humane farms may offer a practical solution to a raging societal debate. First off, many factions of people abstain from some or all parts of meat. Religion and complex health conditions aside, many abstain from all animal products. This is traditionally known as veganism, a vegan is a term used to define people, which is best stated by the veganpeace.com website, a prominent source of vegan information. In dietary terms, it refersRead MoreEthics And Stakeholders Of The Beef Industry Essay2133 Words à |à 9 Pagesof an animal product-producing utopia, while an oxymoron of sorts, these humane farms may offer a practical solution to a raging societal debate. First, many factions of people abstain from some or all parts of meat. Religion and complex health conditions aside, many abstain from all animal products. This is traditionally known as veganism; a vegan is a term used to define people. The best definition is offered by veganpeace.com website, a prominent source of vegan information: In dietary termsRead MoreThe Day That Wal-Mart Dropped the Smiley Face4464 Words à |à 18 Pagesto their own opinions about our company, but they are not entitled to make up their facts.â⬠Not the sort of message many would expect from a company whose television ads often feature a yellow ââ¬Å"smiley-faceâ⬠flying around a Wal-Mart store lowering prices. But it is a clear sign that Wal-Mart believes it can no longer afford to ignore several societal trends that threaten the companyââ¬â¢s success and profitability. Wal-Mart is the largest and most successful retailer in the world. ItRead MoreThe Old Style Of Medicine3112 Words à |à 13 Pagesmost of the current methods used in treatment of hypertension have been derived from principles in Chinese medicine. It appears that traditional medicine is working in solving hypertension issues, especially evidenced by the progress made by patients. This worldwide problem needs to be effectively handled, lest individuals will remain prone to the problem without any long-term solution to hypertension. This paper examines the classical medical treatments as well as herbal or natural cures used in treatingRead MoreThe Natural Health Products Industry2393 Words à |à 10 Pagesreport I have taken the basis of the definition from the Natural Health and Supplementary Products Bill which was developed in New Zealand in 2011 and has since been updated. ââ¬Å"Natural health and supplementary product means any product that is [â⬠¦] or appears to be, m anufactured for human use and for the primary purpose of bringing about a health benefit to the person who uses the product.â⬠(Natural Health and Supplementary Products Bill 2011, No. 324-2) There are many sectors, but one of the main onesRead MoreMarketing Plan: Leinenkugel Brewing Company4560 Words à |à 19 PagesForces. The political forces affect the beer industry to a large extent. The rates of the beer in various parts of the country are affected by the taxes and duties applied by the Government. The political forces also affect the pricing of the beer by lowering the duties or deregulating the distribution channel. This leads to lower margins for the distribution channel partners. Leinenkugel will need to set up a distributor in the New England area to effectively distribute to this area. 4. Legal and
Sunday, December 29, 2019
How Poetry Can Create An Atmosphere Of Awareness - 884 Words
Poetry, written by many people from all walks of life, and times of history. Each piece serves a purpose. Weather to inform us of our impending doom, or to lighten our hearts on the subject of death. Some poets use this tool to express love to their significant others, and many use the tool to create an atmosphere of awareness. Poetry can have many different meanings. They come in epics, short phrases, misguided sentences, abstract pictures, song lyrics, haikus and regular five line paragraphs. Poetry is a form of entertainment that we use, in some ways to express ourselves and connect to others. Poetry can also be a way for people to be creative and contribute to society if they arenââ¬â¢t good at painting or acting. Not to say that poetry is for the cast off artists, instead there is a certain breed of crazy and disturbed you have to be in order to create lasting poetry. Aristotle states that poetry is ââ¬Å"not to report what has happened, but what will.â⬠Pg. 688. That i s to say that a poet can predict the future and warn people of what could come of their actions, which is one purpose of poetry. J. M. ARMSTRONG agrees with Aristotle, that a poet shouldnââ¬â¢t tell what happened but what will, ââ¬Å"The poet, on the other hand, looks for causal relations among fictional or non-fictional events, for he cares whether his composition has a plot with events that happen because of other events and not merely after themâ⬠. This is really important in the evidence that poetry is more than justShow MoreRelatedpoetry terms slide 11277 Words à |à 6 PagesThe imaginative response to experience reflecting a keen awareness of language. Types of Poetry â⬠¢ Ballad ââ¬â Songlike poem; tells a story â⬠¢ Lyric - musical verse; expresses observations feelings of a single speaker. â⬠¢ Haiku - 3-line verse form. First 3rd lines have five syllables; 2nd has 7. Topic is always nature â⬠¢ Limerick ââ¬â a rhymed nonsense poem of five lines. Types of Poetry â⬠¢ Sonnet - 14 line lyric poem (usually unrhymed iambic pentameter) ââ¬â Petrarchan (Italian) octave sestet; octaveRead MoreImpact Of The French Revolution On The West Wind By Percy Bysshe Shelley1520 Words à |à 7 PagesRomantic writers who existed in the wake of the pan-European movement, found a new awareness in nature and viewed it as a sublime entity that mirrored the power and terrors of the human soul. Romantic poetry commonly characterised the beauty of the natural environment as akin to human life and aesthetic experience. This contemplation of the sublime in nature in relation to finding a deeper awareness of self, can be examined through the poetic works of William Wordsworth in his poem ââ¬ËThe Preludeââ¬â¢Read Morethe Glass Jar by Gwen Harwood and Ariel by Sylvia Plath Speech1177 Words à |à 5 PagesSo we ask ourselves, how does poetry gain its power? To answer this question, we examine the work of poets Harwood and Plath. ââ¬ËThe Glass Jarââ¬â¢, composed by Gwen Harwood portrays its message through the emotions of a young child, while the poem ââ¬ËArielââ¬â¢, written by Sylvia Plath, makes effective use of emotions to convey artistic creativity and inspiration. Through my personal reading of Harwoodââ¬â¢s poem ââ¬ËThe Glass Jarââ¬â¢, I view it as an examination of maturation ââ¬â the inevitable change driven by painfulRead MoreCultural and Linguistic Differentiations1419 Words à |à 6 Pagesnetwork. Companies can benefit in a great extend from understanding the nature and dimensions of a specific culture and how these affect the daily work and organizational processes. Culture awareness enables the development of advanced company policies and practices, in order to deal effectively and efficiently in an abroad business environment. In many cases the lack of cultural awareness has cost businesses great money and expanding opportunities. The exact knowledge, of how the principles of interculturalRead MoreAnalysis of John Clares I Am973 Words à |à 4 Pagesthe dark, profound poetry that came from his institutionalization. When a poet sets to writing a new work, everything must be taken into consideration, including things like punctuation and the effect it will have on the structure and understanding of the poem. Clare, especially within the first stanza, is very effective in creating a certain feeling through his use of the punctuation, or lack thereof. Two of the significant poetic elements that his punctuation helps to create are enjambment, foundRead MoreShakespeares Techniques in Much Ado About Nothing Essay1171 Words à |à 5 Pages I will also be focusing on how the modern day as well as the Elizabethan audience would respond to this play write. Shakespeare is known as one of the worlds best play writers, he has written tragedies, histories, sonnets and comedies. Writing comedies was by far his best talent of all. He used many techniques in writing his comedies, which can be seen in many of his other plays. The basic structure of this play is that love creates conflict in society. In thisRead MoreSamuel Wagan Watson Night Racing Essay1187 Words à |à 5 PagesConstruct a close reading of this poem that demonstrates your awareness of the poetââ¬â¢s body of work. 1,207 Words Cars and roads traverse the poetry included in the anthology, Smoke Encrypted Whispers, by Samuel Wagan Watson, a self-identified aboriginal man of German and Irish descent. The narrators of the poems are frequently on or beside the road, and the bitumen itself becomes a metaphor for everything from addiction and memory to the search for love. The poem Night Racing is present inRead MoreEssay A Research on Spoken Word Poetry2126 Words à |à 9 PagesSpoken Word Poetry This research paper will be about the Spoken Word Poetry culture which has been around for many years. Ancient Greeks are said to have recited epic poems aloud just as actors from the days of Shakespeare recited Shakespeares soliloquies aloud in front of an audience. As a preteen I became a part of the spoken word community because it was a way for me to express myself through words. However it wasnt until I was fifteen or sixteen that I truly traveled over to the Spoken WordRead MoreEssay on The Poetry in Harlem Renaissance1981 Words à |à 8 PagesRenaissance poetry musically. However, focus also needs to be placed on more controversial topics, such as religion and gender, as poets challenged oppression. When discussing the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, due to the strength of their relationship, one must look at Blues and Jazz. Many viewed this genre as a voice for the black communities and as ââ¬Å"the New Negro poets expressed a deep pride in being Blackâ⬠(Smith, 1983, p. 37) it is easy to see how this influenced their poetry. The mainRead MoreEssay Dichotomy in Seamus Heaneyââ¬â¢s Poetry3663 Words à |à 15 PagesDichotomy in Seamus Heaneyââ¬â¢s Poetry How much does an artistââ¬â¢s life affect the art they produce? Oneââ¬â¢s art certainly can be an expression of oneââ¬â¢s surroundings and in this manner the surroundings are woven like a thread into their body of work. Seamus Heaney, born and raised in Northern Ireland, has grown up with many strong influences in his life that are visible in his poetry. As Robert Buttel claims in his article on Seamus Heaney ââ¬Å"the imprint of this poetââ¬â¢s origins is indelibly fixed in
Saturday, December 21, 2019
The Play Macbeth Naked Ambition, And The Oral...
In my report I will analyse and investigate characters facing adversity throughout their life or at some point and relating them to our society we live in at this time period. The four texts I have used were Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Gandhi: Naked Ambition, a biography written by Jad Adams, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger and the oral documentary, Kevinââ¬â¢s Sentence by Bob Carty. Across these texts the main theme of ââ¬Ëfacing adversityââ¬â¢ was portrayed through characters, language and how the authors/directors/playwright presented their work to the audience introducing guilt building up within the plots. Interpreting the themes into our society and how we deal with situations that could make changes in our lives and showing theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦But few thy voice.à ¨. There is a slight difference on the type of language but Shakespeare commands that every man should be given an ear to listen to others but mouths to some as we tend to give neg ative opinions. Gandhi had to put himself straight on what he is supporting since he was putting the whole of India at risk against the British. Similar to Macbeth, but instead Macbeth had a lot of greed in himself and did not think about the outcomes of his actions which put his whole army and family at risk, soon as it led to his wife committing suicide and Macbeth losing the crown and his life. In relation to our modern society, people tend to take risks if they really want to get something done and out of their way which can be from driving hard towards your goals to even committing unlawful crimes. In the documentary, Kevinââ¬â¢s Sentence by Bob Carty, we are presented with a 19 year old teenager named Kevin Hollinsky who went out for a night of drinking, lost control of his car on the way back home and killed two of his lifelong best friends, Andrew and Joe. Kevinââ¬â¢s decisions had cost him the lives of his two best friends and he took total responsibility as he says ââ¬Å"Because of me they died. Because of my decision I have put everyone in this situation.â⬠. Kevin was given three yearsââ¬â¢ probation and 750 hours of community service, as he had put himself in a very complex and torturous situation. When he mentioned ââ¬Å"this is worse than jailâ⬠, Kevin referred to the 1 hour
Friday, December 13, 2019
Concussions Research Free Essays
Every year ââ¬Å"hundred of thousands college and high school student athletes receive sport related concussionsâ⬠(Meadows 107-108). Not only do the athletes who play the hard hitting contact sports such as football and hockey receive concussions, the basketball players and soccer players receive them as well. Even though most of the concussions received were mild or grade 1 concussion ââ¬Å"athletes still receive severe symptoms due to being able to participate too soonâ⬠(Solomos 2435-2436). We will write a custom essay sample on Concussions Research or any similar topic only for you Order Now In order to protect college and high school athletes, colleges and high schools have to take concussions more seriously and adopt new safety guidelines for concussions injuries. It is necessary for athletes to know the dangers of concussions. A concussion happen when an ââ¬Å"impact to the head makes the brain move around in the skullâ⬠(Vance A36-A38). Due to the force of the impact concussions can cause minor or major head trauma. There are three different stages or grades of concussions ââ¬Å"A minor concussion or grade one concussion may involve being dazed, head ringing, a minor headache, and a very brief loss of consciousness. A more severe concussion such as a grade 2 concussion may cause being blacked out, confusion, a pounding headache, and blurred vision. The most server concussion or grade 3 concussion may cause being blacked out, nausea or vomiting, loss of short term memory, and saying the same thing over and overâ⬠(Cunha 581-585). The most dangerous symptoms occur when a player is cleared to play before he/she has fully recovered from their concussion. When an athlete is cleared to play before he/she has fully recovered that is when death can occur. Not only are concussions common in college sports but concussions are more common and more dangerous in high school sports. In an experiment done by American Family Physician writer Richard Sadovsky found out many interesting facts about college and high school athletes who suffer from concussions. ââ¬Å"According to Sadovsky college athletes had a higher rate of loss of consciousness than high school athletes, but at 24 hours after injury, longer memory impairment was higher in high school athletesâ⬠(171-172). Also Sadovsky found out that ââ¬Å"post concussion symptoms lasted longer in high school athletes then in college athletesâ⬠(171-172). Sadovsky also concluded ââ¬Å"that neuropsychological recovery was slower in high school athletesâ⬠(171-172). To explain the difference between college and high school, the author stated that there is ââ¬Å"more prolonged cerebral swelling in less mature brainsâ⬠(Sadovsky 171-172). Another reason why high school athletes have more dangerous symptoms is because not all athletes in high school are well trained or in shape for the sport they play. Male athletes arenââ¬â¢t they only ones who have to worry about concussions, according to Time ââ¬Å"female athletes suffer from more concussions than male athletes doâ⬠(Gregory 69-70). Even though contact sports such as football and hockey have the highest rates of concussions studies show that female athletes actually suffer from concussions more then males do in sports that both males and females can play. One reason is that female athletes are more common to report a concussions then male athletes. But there are ââ¬Å"anatomical reasons that explain why females are more likely to have a concussion diagnosedâ⬠(Gregory 69-70). The top reason why females receive more concussions then males is because research proves that menââ¬â¢s necks are 20% larger and 50% stronger then womenââ¬â¢s necksâ⬠(Gregory 69-70). This is important because with bigger stronger neck muscles the athlete can balance the head during impact and lower the chances of brain being moved around during a collision. Another reason why girls suffer more concussions is because of the way they play. Kevin Guskiewicz, director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, ââ¬Å"has found that female athletes are more likely than male athletes to land on the floor or field with their knees lockedâ⬠(Gregory 69-70). This is important because with their knees lock they have less balance, and with less balance increases there chances of hitting the ground or another player. Reference http://www.emedicinehealth.com/concussion/article_em.htm How to cite Concussions Research, Essay examples
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Effectiveness of Pay for Performance
Question: Discuss about the Effectiveness of Pay for Performance. Answer: Introduction For workers globally, a high pay acts a motivating instrument for better work performance and enhanced productivity. In labor economics, the efficiency wage hypothesis highlights the fundamental relationship between workers performance and their pay. By and large, it elucidates that paying workers beyond the market clearing rate helps to increase employee productivity and boost their morale. Furthermore, the model suggests that organizations should offer their workers higher wages than the equilibrium wage to enhance workplace cohesiveness, reduce shirking, and increase employee responsibility and loyalty to the firm. In contrast, paying wages below the market rate will result in employee dissatisfaction, increase shirking and escalate the turnover rate. Overall, the theory suggests that offering employees higher wages than the market rate is beneficial to both the firm and the worker. Notably, paying wages and salaries is one of the major costs of running a company. Normally, in a competitive labor market, the remunerations of the employees are dictated by the forces of demand and supply[1]. Thus, such markets offer its workforce an equilibrium wage. However, this phenomenon is not usually existent and applicable in the modern economy. Instead, the actual amounts that employers pay its employees vary significantly from one firm to another. For this reason, the efficiency wages theory provides an illumination to the fact that it might be beneficial for firms to pay its workers more than the equilibrium wage. More specifically, if the business pays its workers a high wage, they work harder and produce more output than if they are paid the market rate. Therefore, according to this hypothesis, there is a positive relationship between worker productivity and pay. The Concept of Pay for Performance To a large extent, the theory of efficiency wages serves as a justification as to why certain organizations prefer to pay workers more than prevailing market rate. Profoundly, paying employees a pay premium boosts their efficiency, increases workplace unity, enhances loyalty and moderates shirking[2]. Conversely, low wages contribute substantially to reduced productivity and worker dissatisfaction which may then give rise to shirking, disruption as well as high turnover rates[3]. In this regard, there are various efficiency wage models that help illustrate the relationship between pay and performance. Currently, the most prominent models include the shirking model, labor turnover model, the adverse selection model and the sociological hypothesis. The Shirking Model In most occupations, the labor force has some discretions regarding its performance. Mainly, these discretions arise from the fact that work contracts cannot explicitly specify all characteristics of an employees performance[4]. For this reason, piece rates become unrealistic because monitoring may be too expensive or imprecise. Furthermore, they may not be viable since the basis on which they are founded are not verifiable by employees, thus generating the problem of moral hazard. Consequently, in this case, the payment of a wage that is above the equilibrium wage acts as a way for businesses to offer its workers motivation to work. According to Cheat-threat theory,' employees can choose to work or not to work. However, employees who do not work run the risk of getting caught, which may, in turn, lead to loss of their jobs[5]. Hence, if there is a risk associated with shirking, the fear of being caught and fired motivates the employees not to shirk. Instead, they would remain diligent in their work. Conversely, if all firms paid the same wages to its workers, and the labor market operates at full employment, then there would be no cost associated with shirking[6]. In turn, this would create an incentive for workers to shun their duties. For this reason, it is beneficial for the firm to raise its wages over and above the market clearing rate as it eliminates shirking. When all companies do this, then the level of wages rises while the unemployment increases. Notably, firms prefer to hire workers at wages above the market price. If the organization were to employ personnel at lower wages, it would be beneficial for the employee to abscond his duties. Given that the firm is aware of this, it maintains a relatively high wage portfolio for its workers to avoid discretions on the employees part[7]. Since all firms raise their salaries to prevent shirking, involuntary unemployment may arise. Subsequently, the prevalence of high unemployment in the market increases the opportunity cost associated with shirking. More precisely, it creates a small or no alternative income for the unemployed, which makes losing ones job more costly. In turn, this serves as an instrument that disciplines workers against shirking. Critics of the model argue that moral hazards may shift to employers. Fundamentally, organizations are responsible for monitoring employees efforts. Thus, unambiguous incentives may arise for organizations to proclaim shirking even when the workers work diligently. Typically, firms may have reasons to fire older employees and replace them with more energetic younger workers. Particularly, one can attribute this to the fact that older workers are often paid above their marginal productivity level, thus creating substantial costs for the firm. As a result, this may create credibility problems in the firm. However, the gravity of this issue largely depends on the degree to which external auditors can evaluate employees efforts. This way, companies may reduce their cheating and declare shirking among its workers only when it is true. Labour Turnover Model Aside from reducing shirking, the firm may also offer above average wages to reduce the costs of labor turnover. Prominently, the formal structure of the two models is almost similar. More specifically, workers will be more keen on maintaining their current employment if it offers a high wage above the average wage rate[8]. Also, they would be discouraged from quitting their employment if the economy depicts a high aggregate unemployment rate. Thus, if all firms offer an equal pay above the equilibrium rate, then there would be a high rate of involuntary unemployment. Consequently, this would serve as a deterrence for a high turnover since employees would prefer to maintain their current wages than becoming unemployed. Contrary to this view, Salop provides an alternative solution for the involuntary unemployment. More precisely, he argues that more sophisticated job contracts may offer Pareto-superior solutions to the problem[9]. Instead of paying both new and old workers an identical wage, the firm may differentiate their salaries. Thus, the new employees should be offered a pay equal to the disparity between training costs their marginal product. Specifically, a seniority salary system may help achieve this. Unlike in the shirking model, a training or employment fee may be initiated to reduce the risk of a moral hazard[10]. According to this model, it is not in the interest of the firm to dismiss its trained workers, as it would be disadvantageous. As such, training costs are expensive for the firm, and thus, try to avoid them as much as possible. The business may also draw explicit term contracts with the employee to insure themselves against high labor turnover. Besides, the great pay and salar ies offered by the firm act as a perfect deterrent to turnover as workers who to remain in employment than become unemployed. Adverse Selection Model Remarkably, this model further builds on the concept of pay for performance by highlighting the relationship between wages and employee productivity. Performance highly depends on workers abilities and the labor force has a heterogeneous ability. Notably, the workers reservation wage and their ability are positively correlated. Thus, firms offer high pay attract skilled applicants. Mainly, this model assumes that each firm compensates its workers with an efficiency wage. For this reason, the employer rejects persons who offer their expertise for below average wages. Predominantly, one can attribute this to the fact that employees who offer their services and expertise below the market clearing wage have doubt in their ability to perform productively, thereby raising the firms suspicion that they are unproductive. Primarily, this model provides that wage rigidity may be as a result of social principles and conventions of proper actions that are not typically individualistic. More profoundly, employees effort relies on their work standards[11]. Likewise, the partial gift exchange model suggests that the business can be successful in enhancing the average work effort and elevate group work norms by offering its employees a gift. In this case, the gift is a salary above the equilibrium wage rate to award employees for their effort above the minimum expectation. Predominantly, this hypothesis applies to public sector workers and firms. According to economic literature, monetary incentives may crowd in workers enthusiasm when they view the rewards as an acknowledgment of their high productivity and effort[12]. This way, both the employer and employee benefit from higher wages. Characteristically, the worker thrives on the feeling of acknowledgment and appreciation while the firm benefits from a hig her level of worker productivity. Application of Efficiency Wages in Real life For a long time now, economic models and theories have been implemented in the real world to achieve desired objectives for the firm and the economy as a whole. In the same way, the efficiency wage hypothesis is applied in various enterprises and sectors of the economy to achieve improved productivity, enhance labor force morale and reduce turnovers[13]. One famous example of the application of the theory of efficiency wages is Henry Fords US$5-a-day wage[14]. Notably, Ford Motors utilized the model to reduce the high turnover ratio that the company was experiencing. Often, working in the assembly sector is tedious and repetitive, thus unattractive for many workers. As a result, the firm was spending a lot of money in training new workers now and then[15]. New workers were also slow and less productive compared to old workers. Indeed, this was too expensive for Ford Motors. Eventually, the firm introduced an efficiency wage to reduce the high turnover and ultimately drive down costs associated with training new workers. Hence, it compensated its employees with a pay above the market-clearing rate for their skill level. Sequentially, this brought about significant benefits for the company[16]. First, the company achieved a lower turnover of its workers. What is more, the workers exhibited better performance of their duties which significantly improved their productivity. Eventually, the firm achieved high productivity alongside reduced training costs following the reduction of the turnover rate of its labor force. Conclusion Normally, in the contemporary business world, firms seek to maximize their profitability by minimizing costs and maximizing productivity. Essentially, the efficiency wage theory provides a foundation for businesses to achieve this goal[17]. As a whole, the hypothesis depicts the effectiveness of pay for performance incentives and highlights how incentive compensation is essential to business. In addition, it outlines the various benefits associated with paying workers an efficiency wage. Typically, by paying its workers a salary above the market clearing rate, the firm can achieve high employee productivity, improved workplace cohesiveness, enhanced employees loyalty and responsibility. Furthermore, a favorable pay helps the organization in reducing the level of shirking among its employees. If the firm pays its employees low wages, it runs the risk of creating worker dissatisfaction and diminished employee loyalty which in turn results in high turnover. Typically, high turnovers are expensive and disadvantageous for the firm. Therefore, all factors considered, it is highly imperative for a company to pay its workers a high wage to induce high performance. Generally, this is explained in the adverse selection model, sociological model, labor turnover hypothesis and the shirking model[18]. Through these examples, one can understand that the firm reaps more benefits from paying its workers above average wages since it results in greater productivity while significantly reducing costs. For this reason, it is rational to portend that pay for performance in both public and private sector firms will result in high profitability of organizations. Thus, companies should endeavor to pay its workers an efficiency wage, pay for performance. Bibliography Alfred, Marshall. Principles of Economics. London: Macmillan, 2008. Beggs, Jodi. The Efficiency-Wage Theory. ThoughtCo, 2014 Fan, Simon. Sticky Wage, Efficiency Wage, and Keynesian Unemployment. Journal of Economic Literature Classification E24, no. J64 (1984): 1-26 Kumar, Manoj. Top 3 Theories of Wages. Economics Discussions, 2012. Kurtzman, Ellen, OLeary Dennis, Sheingold, Brenda, Devers Kelly, Ellen, Dawson and Johnson, Jean. Performance-Based Payment Incentives Increase Burden and Blame For Hospital Nurses. Health Affairs, 2011. Lawrence Katz. Efficiency Wage Theories: A Partial Evaluation. National Bureau of Economic Research 1906 (1986): 1-62. Mankiv, Gregory, and Taylor, Mark. Macroeconomics. Europe, 2008. Megan, McArdle. Push for higher wages: Not all will benefit. Bloomberg, n.d. Morgensen, Gretchen. Pay for Performance? It Depends on the Measuring Stick. The New York Times, 2014. Pacitti, Aaron. Efficiency Wages, Unemployment and Labor Discipline. Journal of Business Economics Research 9, no. 3 (2011): 1-10. Salop, Stephen. A Model of the Natural Rate of Unemployment. American Economic Review 69, no. 1 (1979): 119-120 Stephen, Miller. Study: Keys to Effective Performance Pay. Society For Human Resource Management, 2010. Stiglitz, Joseph. Alternative Theories of Wage Determination and Unemployment in LDC'S: The Labor Turnover Model. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 88, no. 2 (1978): 199-220. Taylor, Jeanette, and Ranald, Taylor. Working Hard for More Money or Working Hard to Make a Difference? Efficiency Wages, Public Service Motivation, and Effort. Review of Public Personnel Administration 31, no. 1 (2011): 67-86 Yellen, L Janet. Efficiency Wage Models of Unemployment. The American Economic Review 74, no. 2 (1984): 200-205.
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