Ethical dilema Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Moral dilema - Research Paper Example Moral situations have various causes and rely upon the source, they can be named those from moral vulnerability, deliberate, world forced and those that are prohibitory in nature (Garber 29). Given the idea of the ethical quandary, one can take a position in regards to the circumstance that will introduce itself to him and pick to guard the activity with different ethics yet the reality remains that the clarification can't be completely understood to be a defense of the activity. It must be viewed as similarly as a superior clarification that can be viewed as the best next option renounced. The Moral Dilemma I have been engaged with a troublesome circumstance of moral issue in which contributed me a shaky circumstance in settling on a choice. This was required by the approach of messages that has truly made new reason for moral quandary in regards to data get to and the comparing protection. It is a typical information that getting to someone’s email without their assent is in itself encroaching on the individual right to protection and that itself is an infringement of guideline in a large portion of the spots that similarly forbids illicit access to ones sends. This is simply the circumstance that I found in and I needed to settle on a choice out of the precarious circumstance. For a short period, one of the significant Casinos employed me to be one of their information experts and I needed to work close by others in the Casino with respect to the work that I was to do. In the Casino, I made a companionship with a portion of the representatives in the Casino that I use to work with, in the branch of information investigation; we became companions that we did the majority of the things together and straightforwardly riding on the supreme trust that we have worked for a significant period. One of the primary guidelines that we attempted to during the acknowledgment of the agreement is that no captivating in the betting procedure as a worker of the Casino , especially those associated with the information investigation. This was especially such on the grounds that we used to work for the information and that taking part in betting would prompt direct irreconcilable situations (Garber 31). A similar Casino has a tough strategy with respect to security of sends and individual data and infringing into an individual employee’s individual data isn't endured. Above all again is the way that the administration of the Casino is exceptionally exacting about cutoff times that on the off chance that it passes you become at risk for any los that may be acquired. On a specific day, I was occupied with a specific task that was extremely basic to the organization before the 6pm and it was past ordinary working hours, all the representatives had left. I later understood that a portion of the basic information I required for the finish of the work were in Tony’s PC (Tony is an associates in the work place). I at that point chose to sign into my companions PC so I can send myself the information again into my PC and continue with the venture to finishing given its criticality, however I realized that it wasn't right to get to an employee’s framework without his assent. I logged into the record and sent the piece of the information that I required yet before I could log out, I saw a mail that Tony has been trading with others over betting procedure and read the email (Garber 33). Subsequent to perusing the message, it was clear the Tony was participating in the betting procedure against the company’s prerequisite as an information examiner and t would be shocking for him to be found

Market structures in practice at Unilever deviate

Market structures practically speaking at Unilever go astray Market structure is the way wherein an organization experience rivalry during the conveyance of products and enterprises. The structures are exceptionally powerful and the two limits do exist contingent upon the market in which one is working and the kind of products being managed. The hypothetically existing business sector structures are: flawless rivalry, monopolistic rivalry, oligopoly and restraining infrastructure. Out of these current market structures, it is unimaginable to expect to single out one to be winning in the Unilever items showcase. This so in light of the fact that there is no obvious separating between them. Be that as it may, immaculate rivalry is a far much unmistakable structure from the other three structures. Unilever has a wide scope of its shopper items in dissemination around the world. The companies complexities in authoritative structure combined with an extensive arrangement of items have made the Unilever organization work in all market structures asi de from immaculate rivalry. Flawless rivalry wins when there are numerous dealers and purchasers present in a market. This implies no single player will get a lot of impact the whole market. The nearness, withdrawal or change of procedure by a merchant in this market structure has an irrelevant impact in cost and request. The market powers are left to take their full swing activity. In this market, the shoppers see all items to be indistinguishable therefore determination of an item to be bought is aimless. In any case, this isn't case in most family unit customer items. Purchasers are extremely delicate in the choice of such items, particularly those that influence their wellbeing and outward presentation. The prior referenced extensive arrangement of Unilever house hold items influences the last buyers wellbeing and appearance. This impacts either moment or long haul are obvious in its promoting motto; adding essentialness to life. By considering the partnerships profile, Unilever isn't the sort where its qua lity in the market can't be felt by individual contenders just as shoppers. In this way, saying an ideal rivalry is the sort of market structure wherein Unilever is working will be a finished misrepresentation. Monopolistic rivalry wins when there are barely any limitations to the section of the market. The nearness of an organization in the market will consequently be dictated by it inventiveness and capacity to defeat the couple of existing limitation. Such limitations may not really be monetary yet rather anything which may hinder the development and execution of a player in that specific market. The numerous organizations working in this sort of market structure have little to impact since they have little piece of the overall industry. Unilevers piece of the overall industry can't be summed up as little all inclusive yet rather to a great extent factor. It is subject to geological enhancement portrayed by extension and wandering into developing markets. The part of little piece of the pie may not be completely excused yet can be expressed as a genuinely potential situation to happen. This is clear in the infiltration in to the new markets previously colonized by contenders just as circ umstances where others are demonstrating too solid to even consider eating into the companies piece of the pie. The items for this situation are particular in this way one can without much of a stretch separate between results of various organizations. The Unilever items can without much of a stretch be recognized and are accessible in a huge ocean of family unit items from which a buyer browses. The advertising specialists in Unilever should in this way apply non-value rivalry procedures. Promoting is the most widely recognized non-value system accessible for Unilever, where individual market players have close substitutes of its items. Another device being used by the enterprise is the turning out of an eager innovative work program which has seen it convey the most ideal creative plans of items. Every one of these attributes portray a monopolistic rivalry which gets one of the common market structures. Oligopolistic showcase structure exists when a couple of firm overwhelm market and along these lines appreciates a greater part of market income. This is clear in its piece of the pie which as indicated by Fortune 500 rundown of huge organizations in Europe, it income was at $ 45,679 million which set them at fifty-fourth space in the year 2000. This instructing piece of the pie combined with European Union severe normalization rules makes it difficult for new items to hit the market. The Syndication then again implies that there is just a single provider. In this way there is no opposition anticipated. The sole provider directs the costs, gracefully amounts and the quality control. This theoretical structure barely wins except if there are impacts from controllers like governments and different specialists engaged by settlements and universal understandings. There are high boundaries making it absolutely unthinkable for different firms to enter the market. It is difficult to encounter this sort of a market structure right now. It must be seen in particular items circulated by the administration because of their inclination to impact the national security. We can in this manner certainly excuse this structure to be non-existing in Unilevers items. To whole everything, all market structures aside from restraining infrastructure are by and by at Unilever. Anyway the ideal monopolistic structure conveys less weight in light of the fact that the combined piece of the overall industry of this enterprise is sufficiently large to shake off potential high gauge contender. Any association intrigued by the production and circulation of family unit merchandise can just best by either diversifying or converging with Unilever. The union of European assets through European Unions end of exchange hindrances and limitations has thought of broad open doors just as difficulties for standard associations. For Unilever, it is an extraordinary achievement all things considered for other global associations to see various areas get in to understandings of shaping exchanging alliances. The typically perplexing administration structure can be improved through production of provincial workplaces. The premise of such local workplaces will be the preset coalitions. Connection between showcase powers and Unilevers reaction Market powers are the interest and gracefully which is an impression of all cost cognizant dealers and purchasers of the items accessible in the market. The wants of merchants and purchasers are in the two outrageous closures. Dealers will need the most elevated potential costs while purchasers need to claim the merchandise for nothing if conceivable. Since taking merchandise uninhibitedly is preposterous they are hence requesting least costs conceivable. The cost is required to go up with an expansion sought after while an overabundance flexibly will make the cost to fall. Such fluctuated wants establish ceaseless market powers. It is worth to take note of that the market powers are just conceivable when there are no outside obstructions. The as of now referenced rich arrangement of Unilever items can be placed into the accompanying classes: washing powder and cleansers, refreshments and spread and margarine. These items must draw in numerous purchasers just as makers being the quick moving customer merchandise requested by purchasers day by day. Truth be told the interest is ready to rise given the regularly rising populaces of the world joined by quick urbanization. It is the fantasy of each association in business to make benefit and decrease money surges however much as could be expected. Unilever being no special case has invested in a ton of amounts of energy to remain up beat in order to keep up and develop its piece of the overall industry both in Europe and worldwide market. We are currently investigating its reaction to such unique difficulties going with varieties in showcase powers, the genuine impacts in income and long haul notoriety of the partnership. The partnership has a conscious exertion to watch its piece of the pie. The primary quality of Unilever is the far reaching geological broadening of its items. These will mean the last returns in light of the fact that; the poor aftereffects of one locale are probably going to be padded by those of the other. To delineate this, the enterprise was in activity in eighty eight distinct nations in the year 2002. Supervisory crews in each locale were given dynamic self-rule so the items accessible for dissemination in their particular areas are customized to simply meet the customer needs. This splendid methodology guarantees the evasion of out of date quality just as conveyance of the most important products in the market. Focusing on human capital offers huge chance to the drawn out procedure of the partnership. This worldwide association accepts that a profoundly energetic human capital is going to affect emphatically on the general standpoint. It is this explanation accordingly that has made the organization to contribute on HR advancement through enlistment and preparing of workers from changed controls and capabilities. To guarantee that each ability in the general public is used one can enter the companys stunning human asset through alumni learner program or concentrated aptitude direct passage. Another prominent technique which may look a greater amount of government assistance based than monetary is the plan and usage of a very much point by point wellbeing, wellbeing and natural arrangement. This has an enduring point of view and a wide concentration past what can be quickly observed. In any case, there are momentary advantages of this. A worker who is consistently wellbeing cognizant will convey preferable outcomes over the other who has no consideration regarding security. It is likewise significant that some monetary web journals like the European Union can't acknowledge a companys items if there isn't reasonable move to moderate and ensure the earth. The latest model is the dark tea sourcing manageability responsibility which dropped by through the affirmation by Rain Forest Alliance. Among the quick advantages of this tea sourcing economically, Unilever has had the option to dispatch its Rain Forest Alliance agreeable tea in the Europe

Sample Case Study Gas Natural BANs Strategy for Low Income

Sample Case Study Gas Natural BAN’s Strategy for Low Income Gas Natural BAN’s Strategy for Low Income Aug 13, 2019 in Case Studies Case Study: Bottom of Pyramid Bottom of pyramid (BOP) is a term that refers to the poorest people in society who live by less than $2.5 a day. It is the largest social economic group. The term is used mostly by businesses which target this as a potential market (Prahalad, 2006). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a companies policy geared towards helping society by means of taking care of its needs such as environment, education, and security among others. In this way, the companies impact positively to society by elevating its social welfare. Ethical concern is the expected behavior of a person or an entity in a particular society. In regards to BOP, it stipulates that firms should not avoid doing business in the BOP areas because profits are small, instead they should find better mechanism of doing business with this group intending also to uplift their living standards. A question of ethics arises whenever a company provides commodities to people, and the commodities do not play a part in alleviating their problems (Hughes Beatty, 2005). (a) Definitions and components of critical elements of the ethical concern that apply to the real world situation in the Gas natural BAN case. Distribution concern; Gas natural BAN had developed a gas distribution network in the neighborhoods of Argentinas Buenos Aines province a low income sector providing service to almost 3000 families with plans to continue expanding. To expand its existing networks to neighborhoods, it engaged the families and local administrators who offered support. For example in La Juanita, the municipal administration was very supportive and active (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). The company provided skillful certified technicians who would make installations at an affordable price for the internal connections to the people. The external connections were also supported by the local administration in Tigres municipality. Proper distribution is a critical issue while investing in low income sector (LSI).The areas occupied by the poor especially in towns have poor accessibility network. Firms should make every effort to ensure that their products are accessed by customers (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). Order now Live Chat Advertising and promotion; this is a way of creating awareness to the communities about your products. People cannot buy goods and services without their knowledge, it is necessary for them to be informed about them, means and terms of accessing them should also be made available (Hughes Beatty, 2005). Gas natural BAN came up with very good ways of reaching out to communities. For example, in the mid and late1990s, the company initiated a campaign advertising and promoting access of piped gas service. It connected the service to approximately 100,000 families. The company, also, approached poor neighborhood areas to market and educate families on how to consume the gas efficiently in order reduce their consumption bill; this made the service affordable and sustainable over time. In Los Troncos, Las Tunas, and Los Tabanos neighborhoods, Tigres municipal administration provided financial support (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). While further expanding the program, the company used other methods of reaching out to people, for example by social organization identification and neighborhood engagement for briefing meetings. These social organizations provided it with access to the neighborhoods (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). Appropriate product refers to a commodity that provides solution to people in need. Providing the piped gas to LIS (low income sectors) in Argentina was a very noble idea because it was cheaper than bottled gas and it would raise their standards of living. Therefore, the project by Gas natural BAN was very important, it provided appropriate product to the people because the piped gas was affordable and more economical to use than the bottled gas. Fair pricing. Even though this remains a challenge to investors who provide services in low income sectors, Gas natural BAN came up with a good strategy of enlightening the families on how to use the gas appropriately to avoid high bills which they would not afford to pay and hence lose the noble service. It was an ethical and a social responsibility issue to the company; it went ahead and extended its break even duration from 68 months to 83 months while providing service to the poor. Providing the same service to regular customers took approximately 68 months to break even. With financial support from local administration like the Tigres municipal, connections to the neighborhood became even cheaper (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). BOP as vulnerable market. It is a vulnerable market because it has many risks, and the cost of running business is very high compared to the middle income market. Habitants of this segment of a market also have low purchasing power. In this case, it refers to the poor neighbourhoods of Argentinas Buenos Aines province. Their demand power is very low but despite this, a firm can make massive profits out of their big population. It may happen by providing the service in smaller packages that are affordable and sustainable over time. Shying away from LIS areas because their purchasing power is low is unethical. Firms should come up with profitable ways of providing the essential services to the poor (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). The products should be provided to the poor in small quantities to make it cheap and affordable, otherwise selling it in bulk would make it hard for the poor to access it. (b) Whether Gas Natural BANs LIS strategy properly addressed the specific Ethical Concern. The company provided gas to the poor in small affordable quantities; it invested in proper gas piping network that made gas accessible to most of the people. With the help of the community and the local administrator, the cost of providing the service was reduced. For example, in Los Troncos, Las Tunas, and Los Tabanos neighborhoods, Tigres municipal administration provided financial support that helped in easing out the cost burden to the community. The company also offered corporate social responsibility program to the people by initiating several programs such as gas at school, breast feeding promotional program and community orchard project. Gas natural BAN properly reached out to people by raising the awareness about the gas supply, this made it to be accepted by the locals (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). (c) Discuss why you do or do not think Gas Natural BANs strategy to serve the Low-Income Sector is a BOP strategy, considering that BOP strategies use non-tradition product delivery strategies, serve as CSR strategies that impact poverty and they are profitable. Gas Natural BANs strategy to serve the Low-Income Sector is a BoP strategy because it successfully served the low income sector. The company was able to provide piped gas to the people at a more convenient and efficient method than the bottled method used previously. It would not be ethical failing to provide gas to this class of people simply because the profit margin of doing business there is so small when compared to high and middle level classes. The project also helped in improving the living standards of people hence it had a direct impact on poverty. It is done by lowering the cost of energy. It paved way for other companies to provide services to these people using the same method Gas natural BAN had used. It had involved local people in solving challenges that it faced such as collecting installation fees and debts. As observed from the financial data analysis, the total net revenue from sales and service was Ar$ 492.7 in 2006 and Ar$ 559.7 in 2007. It shows the company was making profits which were increasing annually (Berger Darmohraj, 2009). Looking for custom case study? Then Writessay.org would be the best choice for you as it provides quality custom case study help for students.

Diversity, Creativity, And Necessity Essay - 1626 Words

CHAPTER 2 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT 2.1. Introduction Difference is diversity, creativity, and necessity. Every person needs to be respected and accepted as he/she is. Discrimination is treating someone unethically, or harassing him/her, due to his/her belonging to a specific group. Under anti-discrimination legislation, it is against the law for any employer to discriminate against an employee or job applicant because of the: age, gender, sexual preference, pregnancy, disability, ace, marital status, religion, family responsibilities, or political principles (Focus Act, 2014). While globalization has let fall the cultural and economic boundaries among the countries, traditions and ethnic identities are no longer trendy; retro stereotypes likewise. Thus, we have become universal strangers with leading similarities. Equal employment opportunity gives the chance to every employee to serve his/her community based on unique abilities and aptitudes. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is defined by the University of Cambridge Policy Library in 2015 as â€Å"a systematic results oriented set of actions that seeks to identify and eliminate discriminatory barriers in the workplace so that equality of opportunity is provided†. EEO concept is principally to grant equality at the workplace by protecting the employee’s civil rights and their access to the job benefits, such as and job responsibilities, insurance, promotions, compensation, promotions, disability accommodations. In some developedShow MoreRelatedCreativism a Constant Company of Humans Throughout History1486 Words   |  6 PagesAs Carl Gustav Jung wisely stated, there is a certain fascination with regard to creativity. Creativity expresses itself in many different forms, shapes, sizes, colours and sounds. It is a concept difficult to grasp as it is broad. However most people would think of themselves as being able to judge who and what is actually creative. But what exactly is â€Å"creativity†? Amible (1983) defines creativity as the production of ideas, insights and also products that are both, original and adaptive. OriginalityRead MoreWorkplace Diversity : The Visible Or Invisible Differences Among Employees Of An Organization1653 Words   |  7 PagesWorkforce Diversity defines the visible or invisible differences among employees of an organization and could be divided in to three major components such as Primary, Secondary and Organizational and Community. Factors such as Age, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Ethnicity represents Primary while Appearance, Educational Background, Marital Status, Work experience represents Secondary and Job position, Specialization, Nationality, Life stage represents Organizational and Community. In recent years, organizationsRead MoreWe Need Diversity in the Workplace Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesTodays workplace is more diverse than it has ever been in history. While the workforce has made strides in the direction of equality, it is still far from attaining total equality in the workplace. A company must value diversity. The main objectives of valuing diversity include awareness, education, and positive recognition of the differences among people in the workforce. Organizations are increasingly emphasizing group work or teamwork as a source of competitive advantage in a diverse workforceRead MoreHow the Concept of Diversity Rises with Globalization1285 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Etsy,et al. 1995). The idea of diversity emerged when globalisation came into the picture in 1990-91 (Bhatia, 2008). As globalization began to affect organisations, there was a coverage of workplace from diverseRead More Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - The Struggle of Sexual Minorities710 Words   |  3 Pagesdeserving respect. . . . We belong in a world whose very structure, whose essence, is diversity almost bewildering in extent, and it is to live in a fools paradise to ignore this basic fact. The archbishops words lay bare an essential, wonderful truth about humanity, ignorance of which continues to create suffering for people everywhere. One group of people for whom the question of respect for diversity and individual freedoms comes into stark relief are those belonging to so-called sexualRead MoreImplementation Of A Diverse Learning Environment872 Words   |  4 PagesSolution #2 Implementation of a Diverse Learning Environment Another goal to rectify the lack of diversity within public education is to identify the informal policies that do not promote diversity. An entity of the concept is to realize the makeup of the faculty that imposes our education system in the United Stated. In 2009 data indicates that there is a considerable amount of discrepancy between populations of students verses the teaching workforce; to include administrators. Results specify thatRead MoreCompetitive Global Market: THe Case of Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation1084 Words   |  5 Pagesperformance-management goals include a 20 percent weighting toward people-related objectives, which have specific diversity objectives†. Company has the Diversity Inclusion department and the Executive Diversity Inclusion Council. This department helped develop a strategic planning process and build diversity-training curriculum. Rhonda Crichlow, Vice President and U.S. Head of Diversity Inclusion at NPC, says that â€Å"company b elieves that diverse backgrounds and experiences bring value in many waysRead MoreWhat Company s Reputation On The Society It Serves1718 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunities for both employers and employees (Acas, 2015). However, for any HRM to avoid discriminations and keep fair work environment there are some suggestions such as: Creating a modern non-judgemental work culture by promoting equality and diversity in workplace. This can be done by training all employees and managements, from HR Personnel to line managers to senior managers. Spreading awareness through the company to be expanded to societies will definitely improve the understanding of discriminationRead MoreThe World s Largest Rate Of Migrant Workforce1075 Words   |  5 PagesABSTRACT For a city like Dubai managing diversity in a population so diverse and unique has become not only a challenge but a priority. The future stability and prosperity of Dubai rests on how and what the authorities will react in the years to come. The UAE with the world’s largest rate of migrant workforce continues to show upward trend with workers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, USA, Europe and others. Along with the migration there is the mingling of differentRead MoreKarl Marx And Mill Had A Great Impact With Their Work Influencing New Generations Of Thinkers1509 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophers during the 19th century all around the world, particularly in Europe were many great philosophers came to this world with many ideas and political philosophies in how the individual has to be treated in order to satisfy its necessities and the necessities of its family. Freedom, alienation and many others factors were many of the threats that society was going through in the 19th century. Philosophers like Marx and Mill had a great impact with their work influencing new generations of thinkers

Traditions in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and A Rose...

Throughout the world there have been bazaar rituals or traditions that don’t usually happen in the United States. To us it may seem wrong and cruel but to those countries seems to be the right thing to do because that is what they believe in. Some countries do their rituals or traditions like every single year. Most of them are somewhat similar or different but still have the same aspect. There are many people who still follow these traditions or try to escape to another place so they can be free to do whatever they want. There are a lot of comparisons between The Lottery by Shirley Jackson to the short story A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. In the short story â€Å"the Lottery† by Shirley Jackson has a very unique twist and different traditions. This story is about how the whole community is coming together for a gathering every once a year. It is not any happy gathering that people might think it would be. The lottery is a tradition that the community has picked up after years back and still follows this tradition. They forgot most of the whole rituals but they don’t forget the important part which is the part of stoning the person to death. The lottery is a cruel thing they do every year and they don’t plan of stopping. This involves the whole community to join in a circle in the middle of town. There is a black box which is the replacement of the old box that was used years ago. In the box is a bunch of paper that the people have to grab one and depends on the personShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson And A Rose For Emily By William Faulkner960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner The use of symbolism is used in literature to enhance writing and add meaning to a story, this is evident in the two short stories â€Å"The Lottery† written by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Rose for Emily† written by William Faulkner. With the authors use of symbolism Jackson and Faulkner are able to add depth to their writing in a way that connects with the readers. By adding symbolism to the short storiesRead More Tradition in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and Shirley Jacksons The Lottery656 Words   |  3 PagesTradition in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and Shirley Jacksons The Lottery People throughout the world do things for many different reasons. Religion, peer pressure, or tradition are some of the reasons the people do things. In the U.S. we have many traditions such as Christmas. Some people have strange or out of the ordinary traditions. The two short stories ?The Lottery? and ?A Rose for Emily? both portray tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In ?The Lottery?, tradition is showed in three main waysRead MoreAmerican Gothic Compare and Contrast Essay 930 Words   |  4 Pagesthe truth is, how things really happened and it doesn’t sugar coat anything. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Emily becomes a sad and depressed person who will do something completely unexpected. In â€Å"The Lottery† the townspeople have a twisted tradition that takes place once a year. These two stories have a lot of comparison and contrast dealing with theme, foreshadowing and imagery. Both â€Å" The Lottery† and â€Å" A Rose for Emily† are American Gothic, they focus more on the dark side of life. For example â€Å" ThenRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Rose For Emily And Shirley Jackson s `` The Lottery ``1061 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s, â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery† short stories have a unique way of sharing similarities but have their differences. Both authors open up their stories as a quite everyday small town with everyday people. Faulkner and Jackson both use an individual type of foreshowing and use a great deal of imagery to pull the reader into their story. There is a history behind each story and each with their own family backgrounds. Tradition has a major role in each asRead MoreEssay about A Rose for Emily vs the Lottery940 Words   |  4 Pages There are many ways that a reader can be prepared for the ending of a story, â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å" A Rose for Emily† are two very grueling short stories with a long suspense and a similar plot. The narrator’s stance in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† was first-person observer, which is defined as a single character point of view in which the narrator was is not involved with the story and the narrator’s stance in â€Å"The Lottery† was third-person anonymous which is involves a narrator that does not enter any mindsRead MoreA Rose for Emily, A Worn Path, and The Lottery1175 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Rose for Emily,† â€Å"A Worn Path,† and â€Å"The Lottery† by William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and Shirley Jackson all have similar writing styles in their literature. In these three short stories the authors all use contrasting nature within their literature to predict the outcome and to learn for the upcoming events in the readings. The authors take subliminal phrases and subliminal symbolic text to have the reader become more attac hed and understand more of what the characters, setting and theme of theRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesRichard Gould, Kenneth King, Marjorie Lee, Elizabeth Perry, Heidi Wackerli, Perry Weddle, Tiffany Whetstone, and the following reviewers: David Adams, California State Polytechnic University; Stanley Baronett, Jr., University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Shirley J. Bell, University of Arkansas at Monticello; Phyllis Berger, Diablo Valley College; Kevin Galvin, East Los Angeles College; Jacquelyn Ann Kegley, California State University-Bakersfield; Darryl Mehring, University of Colorado at Denver; Dean

Informatie Management Free Essays

Does Telework increase productivity? Assignment 2: The proposition Bachelor Thesis â€Å" Does Telework increase productivity† Erasmus University Rotterdam Boudewijn Schuitmaker348393bs Robin Kettenes335450rk Marlot Sep 337273ms Bachelor Thesis â€Å"Does Telework increase productivity† Erasmus University Rotterdam Team: Group 6 (BA-02-06) Assignment number: 9 Date: 13-06-2012 Disclaimer: â€Å"This document is written by Marlot Sep, Robin Kettenes and Boudewijn Schuitmaker, who declare that each of them takes responsibility for the full contents of the whole document. We declare that the text and the work presented in this document is original and that no sources other than mentioned in the text and its references have been used in creating it. RSM is only responsible for supervision of completion of the work but not for the contents. We will write a custom essay sample on Informatie Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now † Index Summary of the research proposal4 1. Preface6 2. Abstract7 3. Introduction8 4. Literature review12 5. Methods17 6. Results19 7. Discussion26 Appendix28 Bibliography35 * Summary of the research proposal In this chapter a summary of the research proposal can be found. Summary| | Name instructor| Dhr. Nick van der Meulen| Team number| 6| Name student 1| Robin Kettenes| Name student 2| Boudewijn Schuitmaker| Name student 3| Marlot Sep| Proposition| Telework will lead to an increase in productivity| Focal unit| Employees who perform their work at other places than at the office itself, for at least one day a week| Theoretical domain| All employees who work at other places than at the office itself, for at least one day a week, in the Netherlands. | Concept 1 | Telework| Concept 2 | Employees’ Productivity| Type of relation | Causal| Minimum size of the effect for having managerial relevance| The minimal size of effect for having managerial relevance is 20 % increase of productivity. Typical parameter of effect size used in previous tests| Items scales difference in productivity means is used between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. | Range of effect sizes obtained in the replication history| In the replication history on average an effect of productivity increase of 20% is measured by teleworking. (Newman, 1989), (Dubrin, 1991) and (Hartman, 1 992)| Preferred research strategy| Longitudinal survey| Actual research strategy| Considering the research time (two months time) and the context of this research (a Bachelor thesis project) a cross-sectional survey is chosen. | Population that is surveyed, or from hich subjects are recruited| Population that is surveyed are executive employees of the department of Operations Services of the organization of TNT Express Benelux in Houten, the Netherlands. The number of subjects is 22. | Expected pattern (or â€Å"hypothesis†)| The expected pattern for the hypothesis â€Å"teleworking will lead to more productivity† is a regression of 0. 20, meaning that an increase in teleworking will lead to an increase of 0. 20 in an amount of productivity. The expected pattern for the hypothesis â€Å"distraction will have a negative influence on the relation between teleworking and productivity† is a regression of -0. 0, meaning that an increase in distraction will lead to a n decrease of 0. 20 in a amount of productivity, when teleworking. | Observed pattern| The observed pattern for the hypothesis â€Å"teleworking will lead to moreproductivity† is a negative relation with a regression beta score of -1,311,meaning that if the degree of teleworking increases with one unit, the productivity will decrease with 1,311. The observed pattern for the hypothesis â€Å"distraction will have a negative influence on the relation between teleworking and productivity† is a positive relation with a regression beta score of 0,188. Thus, for the increase of one unit distraction, the productivity will increase with 0,188. | Test result| Teleworking has a negative effect on productivity and distraction has a positive relation on productivity. | Non-response bias assessment (worst case analysis)| The number of missing cases is 5. The worst case analysis show that if the five respondents joined the survey, and where very different form the obtained ones, a positive effect of teleworking on productivity (2,775) and a negative effect of distraction on productivity (-0,173) could be found. Your contribution to what is known about the proposition| Our contribution to the proposition â€Å"Telework will lead to an increase in productivity† is that teleworking does not always lead a positive change in productivity such as suggested in many scientific articles. In our research a negative relation is found on productivity when teleworking. | Most important recommendation for further research| The most important reco mmendation is, in order to do a replication study, a longitudinal survey. The longitudinal survey enables the future researchers to measure the change in productivity that takes place at a later point in time when employees telework. In this research the measure of productivity towards teleworking is only done once. | Preface This bachelor thesis is written as part of our studies Business Administration at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The main subject of this thesis is â€Å"Telework†. We selected this subject out of many other subjects because we wanted to write our thesis about a topical subject and teleworking has become a major hype in the last few years. Many businesses implement teleworking in their company for various reasons. So, is assumed that teleworking will lead to cost reduction, more productive employees and more satisfied employees. But, the main question is does telework provide all these benefits? In this thesis we will look at the effect of teleworking on the productivity of employees. Abstract The relation between teleworking and productivity is of critical concern for organizations that might be planning to implement teleworking of for those who have already done. In this research the relation between teleworking and productivity is examined, controlling for age, gender and family status. The effect of distraction on the productivity of employees was also measured. A survey among 17 teleworkers at TNT express was conducted online to gather data. In result of different multiple regression analysis’, a negative impact of teleworking on productivity was discovered. Furthermore, a slight positive impact of distraction on productivity was found. The results look paradoxical, but there are several reasons to explain these results and shed a new light on the telework-productivity research. Introduction In the last few years there has been an increasing demand for flexible work and flexible organizations. The concept of teleworking offers a solution to this increasing demand. At this moment 20 to 30 million people in the U. S. currently work from home at least one day a week (Telework Research Network, 2011). In the literature several definitions of telework are used. The most common definition of telework defines telework as work performed at home, a satellite office or other places than the office itself, to reduce commuting (Shin, 2000). There are several motives companies could have to adopt the concept of telework. Obvious motives are cost reduction and increased productivity. Additional benefits for teleworking employees are increased job satisfaction and a better work-life balance (Harpaz, 2002). In this thesis a proposition, regarding telework and productivity, will be tested. The proposition that will be tested is: â€Å"Telework will lead to an increase in productivity†. In general this means that this research measures if employees have a higher productivity if they telework, and thus have the opportunity to work besides the office, than if they are office-bound. The increase in productivity is often measured due the comparison of output produced by a given amount of input, often office hours. If the employee, who teleworks, uses exact the same time as an office-bound employee for a job, while delivering a greater amount of work, an increase in productivity due telework can be concluded. The first who formulated the concept of telework in 1973 was Jack M. Nilles from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He defined Teleworking as â€Å"any form of substitution of information technologies for work-related travel† (Madsen, 2003). The one clear motive for the expansion of teleworking, mentioned by Nilles, was the reduction of transportation congestion, particularly in overcrowded urban areas. Although these public benefits were not sufficient enough to implement teleworking. Economic benefits like cost reductions, space savings and reduced rental rates for office space ensured that companies were more likely to introduce the concept of teleworking. According to Nilles productivity will increase as a result of working harder and working more hours per day, because of less distraction, interruptions and stress (Nillis, 1988). After Nilles formulated the proposition that telework increases productivity for the first time, it has often been examined. Some articles stated that telework increased productivity. For example at ATT, a telecommunication company, telework increased productivity with almost 10 percent, according to ATT’s annual telework survey among 1,500 employees. Another example of increased productivity is IBM where 87 percent of the employees report that they believe that their productivity have increased significantly (Apgar, 1998). In fact several articles stated that the productivity of employees is higher when they work at home. Only one research shown a decrease in productivity. However this decrease was later followed by an increase of productivity (Bailey, 2002). Despite several articles have examined the relation between telework and productivity, it is dificult to measure productivity. Like mentioned earlier, productivity is based on the relation between input and output. There have been problems when measuring the productivity of today’s knowledge workers. First of all, most knowledge workers do not produce â€Å"units† per given period (e. . per hour, day or month). Because output is often measured in â€Å"units†, the productivity of knowledge workers is hard to measure. Secondly, there is not a direct correlation between units of labor and units of output for these knowledge workers. Extra input from one additional worker does not necessary lead to more output. The classic defini tion does not enable to measure knowledge workers’ productivity, certainly not when measuring besides the office (Gordon, 1997). In the research on the relation between telework and productivitity a number of methodological weaknesses have been discovered. Most studies use self-report suverys to collect data from teleworkers. These self-report surveys can result in false responses from teleworkers in their productivity evaluations. This so called self-response bias has not been taken into account in many productivity research. Data collection from both, teleworker and manager will be a better way to measure productivity. Next to that sample populations are selected under specific personality and task criterea, which could be related to a higher work motivation and therefore contributes to increased productivity. Another explanation for increased productivity could be the relegation of other tasks to office-bound employees. Higher productivity can also be explained by the increase in working hours, due less commuting (Shin, 2000). Due the difficulties of measuring productivity some articles falsly claim the fact that telework increase productivity. Like mentioned earlier, productivity measurement for knowledge workers has been a dilemma. In measuring input and output the term â€Å"productivity† is inadequate for knowledge workers. Therefore this research measures â€Å"productivity† not only due the quantity of work, but due several concepts. The concepts used in this research to measure productivity are: quantity, quality, timeliness and multiple priorities. The questions how much can be done (quantity), how well it is done (quality), when it is done (timeliness) and how many things can be done at once (multiple priorities) are being covered. Using multiple concepts enables to put the quantity factor in the context of a bigger picture and not just simply focus on an increase in output (Gordon, 1997). As stated earlier, there are several definitions for teleworking. Most definitions focus on the fact that employees have the possibility to work everywhere and not as much on the fact that employees can work whenever they want. In this research the most common definition of Shin, Sheng and Higa will be used. Shin et al. defines telework as work performed at home, a satellite office or other places than the office itself, to reduce commuting (Shin, 2000). Figure 1 Causality Model The causality model of this thesis, shown in figure 1, consist of two concepts: teleworking and productivity. The independent concept in the causality model is teleworking and the dependent concept is productivity. The focal unit of this research theory is the entity of which the range of values of one or more variable attributes is explained by the theory (Hak, 2011). The focal unit consists of employees who perform their work at other places than at the office itself, for at least one day a week. The minimum number of days teleworkers work besides the office is chosen because several instances use this minimum, like the Telework Research Network. The national average number of days a teleworker works besides the office is 2,4 days a week (Telework Research Network, 2011). The productivity of teleworkers is measured due the comparison of their productivity when working besides the office and when working at the office. There is not chosen for the comparison of the productivity of teleworkers and office bound employees, because this is not valid. The variation in productivity between teleworkers and office-bound employees should not necessarily come from teleworking, but can be explained by several other factors for instance by personal ifferences. The theoretical domain of this research, the universe of instances of the focal unit, consist of all employees who work at other places than at the office itself, for at least one day a week, in the Netherlands. Literature review After Nilles claimed that productivity increased as a result of teleworking in 1973, it has often been examined. In 1982 Olson researched the effect of tele work on productivity. Although there were no measures of performance data, employees and managers pronounced that teleworkers are more productive than office-bound employees. The study also revealed that teleworkers are more responsible and conscientious about schedules, had better documentation and scheduled their time better. Employees felt that they worked more efficiently or produced higher quality work, when working at home. Few employees found the office very distracting and therefore could be more productive at home (Olson, 1982). This results are consistent with Olson’s later longitudinal study of three pilot teleworking programs, which revealed that teleworkers believed that their performance was enhanced due teleworking (Olson, 1989). In 1989 Bailyn also researched the effect of telework on productivity among 89 system developers, including 49 teleworkers. More than a quarter of the software developers reported that their most productive work times fell out of the traditional office days. Bailyn assigned this productivity increase to the fact that teleworkers have individual control over time and the ability to allocate work over all time periods, including the weekends. The survey also indicated that employees needed quiet and privacy to be productive (Bailyn, 1989). Bailyn also noted that only tasks that do not require extensive interaction will benefit from teleworking (Bailyn, 1988). One year later Newman stated that teleworking is ideally for those whose jobs require them to handle a flow of information, like programmers, engineers, speechwriters and business analysts. The personality of the teleworker must include being capable of handling autonomy. According to Newman, experienced workers make the best candidates for teleworking. Similar to Olson, Newman stated that the work-at-home programs often result in increased output from staff, naming eing less distracted meant being more productive. In Newman’s study at the Travelers Insurance Company productivity increased with 20 percent. Despite of the increased productivity, limiting the geographic boundaries of the company’s hiring pool due offering work-at-home arrangements to employees was the prime reason for teleworking (Newman, 1989). In Dubrin’s research the reasons for teleworking were to solve staffing, space, and other business problems including keeping motivated employees away from the distractions of other workers (McKee, 1988). According to Dubrin an implicit assumption about teleworking programs is that employees who work at home will be equally more productive that office-bound employees. Dubrin’s observation of company records suggests that home workers increased their productivity from 5 to 100 percent (Dubrin, 1991). Dubrin tested the hypothesis â€Å" telecommuters are more productive than are employees performing comparable work on company premises† among employees of the NPD Group. The participants in this research were mainly women. The fact that only women are represented in Dublin’s studies makes it difficult to separate findings between males and females. The degree of distraction was measured due different statements in the questionnaires. The questionnaire items ‘Being able to keep busy all the time’ show that telework has a positive influence on the productivity. The work-at-home group scored significantly higher (13. 81) than the group in-house workers (6. 36) at the t-value of 4. 20. The research found that productivity was increased by 30% when projects were moved from company premises to homes. The productivity was measured in transactions per hour, occurred when a project was shifted from in-house to at-home. The results are consistent with findings of Newman. In Dubrin’s research the productivity findings showed that people who worked at home part-time are more productive than those who worked at home full-time. It is concluded that productivity increases when work is structured, repetitive and measurable. In order to conclude evidence that telecommuting increases productivity, it is necessary to move in-house workers into their homes and then measure the productivity changing (Dubrin, 1991). Accoring to Frolick, Wilkes, Urwiler productivity is expected to increase when teleworkers work according to a flexible schedule in an informal setting. The question whether telecommuters are more productive than office-bound employees was researched in a semi-structured telephone interview among 45 individuals in 10 organizations. The average time that each of the interviewees had spent in the telework programs was 2,3 years. The results of the interviews revealed that every teleworker and every telework manager reported that productivity had increased as a result of their telecommuting programs. In each case the respondents stated that teleworker productivity was higher than the productivity of office-bound employees. The average increase of productivity was approximately 20 percent. This result is consistent with other researches like Niles 1990 (Frolick, 1993). Frolick et al. attributed this productivity increase to lack of interruption and the ability of the teleworker to schedule his or her work in a flexible manner. In this study all the teleworkers cited ‘fewer interruptions’ as a contributing factor to their productivity and 17 of them cited ‘greater flexibility’ in performing their jobs (Frolick, 1993). Hartman, Stoner and Arora noticed two fundamental problems in the previous study, namely an extraordinary small sample size and maintaining a broad, non restrictive definition of telecommuting that leads to clouded outcomes and conclusions. In their study telecommuters were selected from 11 different organizations, both public and private, including telecommunications, insurance, banking, publishing, and city an state governmental units. The research was done due a self-report survey among 262 telecommuters. Telecommuting productivity was measured by the respondent’s feeling about how the output per hour was changed, working at the office versus working at home. An overwhelming 84 % reported that productivity was increase while working at home, 12 % reported no change and just 4% reported a lower productivity. Hartman recognized that the self-reported perceptions of comparative productivity might be biased, but the outcomes were consistent with the productivity increase in other studies (Hamilton, 1987)(Moody, 1986). Neufeld and Fang focused on the influence of distraction, gender and family status on teleworker’s productivity. Their research assumed that gender and family status (defined as social factors) are negatively correlated with teleworker productivity. When working at home, the family status is important because family is often around. Therefore they may have a large effect on the teleworkers, and their productivity. The results of the study are obtained by semi-structured interview. For measuring the social factors, direct questions are used (such as do you have children at home? ). For measuring distraction, questions are used like; is your environment distraction free? The results showed that teleworker productivity is not associated with family status and gender, but on the other hand, a distraction free environment was associated with teleworker productivity (Neufeld, 2005). Another study of Derrick J. Neufeld, which examined productivity among four different kinds of organizations, showed that claims of a higher productivity correlated to teleworking are overblown. In this study, productivity is measured among 200 Canadian employees, and the results show that the increase in productivity is statistically insignificant. Cynics predicted that distractions from working at home will reduce productivity. But despite these distractions, productivity is not reduced, but slightly increased. This study of Neufeld shows that teleworking is significantly more correlated with organizational flexibility than with productivity (Cassiani, 2000). Kelley Butler also looked at the relation between distraction and teleworker productivity. Butler stated that the top 6 distractions, while working at home, are household chores, television, pets, errands, internet and children. The data was collected from a CareerBuilder survey. Some of the teleworkers (17%) was so distracted by these factors, that the distraction costs one hour of their working hours (Butler, 2011). Thompson, Vivien and Lim examined the differences in gender on the perception of teleworking. Their data was collected from a questionnaire survey among IT professionals in Singapore. Results showed that males perceived that teleworking improved the quality of life and their productivity in a greater extent than females. Also, in this research productivity increases while teleworking, because an employee can plan the work schedule during the hours when one is most productive. But on the other hand, the study also shows that distractions at home may be harder to solve than distractions at the office. An analysis of the covariance was used to measure the difference between gender, and the relation to the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking. The results show that there is no significant difference in gender (Thompson, 1998). Author| Literature effect found| Olson, 1983| Preliminary evidence from the exploratory study shows that individuals can be as or more productive when working at home| Olson, 1988| Telecommuting experts and practitioners regularly cite at-home productivity gains ranging from 15-25%| Newman, 1989| Work-at-home programs often result in increased output from staff| Newman, 1989| The Travelers Insurance Company productivity increased with 20 percent among 80 commuting staff| Di Martino, 1990| A two-year pilot project (†¦ ) reported productivity gains averaging 43 per cent per participant. Teleworkers (†¦) noted productivity increases varying from 12 per cent to 20 per cent. State employees working at home have been rated (†¦) as 3 to 5 per cent more effective than they would have been if they worked from nine to five in the office. | Dubrin, 1991| Productivity was increased by 30% when projects were moved from company premises to homes| Dubrin, 1991| Observation of company records suggests that home workers increased their productivity from 5 to 100 per cent| Hartman, 1991| A significant negative correlation between the ratio of telecommuting hours to total work hours and telecommuting productivity was revealed. Hartman, 1991| The full-time employed telecommuters reported higher levels of productivity (3. 59) in comparison with part-time employed telecommuters (2. 65). | Hartman, 1992| Telecommuters were asked whether they felt their productivity (output per hour) at home was higher or lower than at the office. An overwhelming percentage (84%) reported highe r productivity while working at home, only 4 % of the telecommuters reported lower productivity, and 12 % reported no change. Frolick, 1993| The findings indicate a significant increase in productivity (20%) among teleworkers| Apgar, 1998| 87 per cent of employees (†¦) report that they believe their productivity and effectiveness have increased significantly| Baruch, 2000| How teleworking influences the way people work after opting to telework were examined (†¦). Compared with previous arrangements of work effectiveness 34 per cent and 42 per cent felt it was much better or better (respectively), totaling a positive impact for 76 per cent, with just 5 per cent suggesting no difference and 3 per cent worse. | Pearlson, 2001| A survey in 2001 of 150 executives in large U. S. companies found that 36 percent saw no difference in productivity levels between telecommuters and onsite employees, while 26 percent felt that telecommuting could compromise job performance| Table 1 Reported effect sized of the effect of Teleworking on Productivity Author| Effect| Olson, 1983| Some of the individuals interviewed cited problems with motivation and numerous distractions at home that made concentration difficult| Newman, 1989| Work-at-home programs often result in increased output from staff, naming being less distracted meant being more productive| Hartman, 1991| Family disruptions and their association with telecommuting productivity and satisfaction, the correlation with productivity is -. 20 (p = . 06). Frolick, 1993| Most claims of productivity to date have been attributed to a lack of interruption and the ability of the teleworker to schedule his or her work in a flexible manner. | Baruch, 2000| Better performance was attributed mostly to the elimination of distractions, which are typical at the workplace and subsequently the ability to focus on work. | Young Lee, 2005| The results indicated no significant effect of perceived distractions on perceived performance| Wilson, 2004| Could be more productive without such ‘di stractions’. Fonner, 2010| Results show that working remotely the majority of the time alleviates forms of stress and distraction including acting as a buffer from workplace injustice which may provide a more productive and satisfying work environment| Table 2 Reported effect sized of the effect of Distraction on Productivity Methods The research strategy is to test the proposition that assumed that teleworking will lead to an increase of productivity. The replication history research has indicated that this theory has empirically been confirmed for various populations. If the proposition is true in the domain, then it must be true for the population in the domain. In order to claim whether a proposition is true, empirical evidence is required to show its correctness. This research deduces a hypotheses regarding teleworking, distraction and increasing productivity by an empirical research. Ideally a causal relationship between teleworking, distraction and productivity is measured in a longitudinal survey. The longitudinal survey is defined as a research strategy in which a change in value of the relevant concepts is observed in all members (or in samples) of a population of instances of a focal unit. In a longitudinal survey it is possible to find a population of comparable cases in the theoretical domain in which the value of teleworking (named here as variable X) has changed over time. A causal relation â€Å"X influences Y† (variable Y is employees’ productivity) is observed in the cases, if the value of Y has changed after the change of value X. Considering the research time (two months) and the context of this research (a bachelor thesis), this research uses a cross-sectional design to measure the relationship between teleworking, distraction and employees’ productivity. A scatter plot is a useful tool to show a possible correctness of the proposition. The cross-sectional design enables to concentrate on variations of cases within one particular population. In this research the population is a department within an organisation. The population consists of all executive employees of the department Process ; Policies of TNT Express Benelux in Houten, the Netherlands. The number of employees/cases is 22. #| Name employee:| | | | | 1| Bert Schut | 14| Koos Jansen | 2| Corne Vroegh | 15| Marielle Sitskoorn | | David Roofthoofd | 16| Marina Elegeert | 4| Erik van Duin| 17| Martijn Otte | 5| Geug Leendertse | 18| Maurice Hidma | 6| Guy Gevaers | 19| Mette Kok| 7| Harrie Dasselaar| 20| Michiel Bierman| 8| Henk Jansen | 21| Tessa Koster | 9| Jack Beks| 22| Thomas Goossens | 10| Jan Harmen Hietbrink| 11| Jef Kleinschmidt | 12| John Meisters| 13| John van Oeffel | Figure 2 Employees of the Process ; Policies department at TNT express In the cross-sectional resea rch, qualitative and quantitative data of respondents is collected more or less simultaneously. The self-report survey will be sent out to all cases at the same moment and held during the same time of period. The independent variable (teleworking) is a quantitative variable measured in percentages. The other independent variable (distraction) is a qualitative variable, measured in likert schales with categories like: never, sometimes, regularly, often and always. Productivity is a qualitative variable. The controlling variables are gender, age and family status. Gender is divided into male and female (0=male and 1= female). Family status is measured in four different values, namely single, single with children, married or co-habiting, and married or co-habiting with children. The conceptual model of this research can be found in Figure 3. To test the five different hypothesis based on the conceptual model, a multiple regression analysis will be used. Figure 3 Conceptual Model The hypothesis concentrates on the relation between teleworking and the productivity. Assumed is that teleworking lead to an increase in productivity. This means that employees can do more work, do their work better, schedule their own work and do multiple things at once. The hypothesis is formulated as following: There is a positive relation between teleworking and productivity if the ? is ? 0,20. In the conceptual model age, gender, family status are taken into account as controlling variables. Gender could have an influence on productivity. Women, for example, are better in multitasking and could therefore have a higher score on â€Å"multiple priorities†, which influences the productivity. Family status could have an impact on distraction, therefore it is also used as controlling variable. This also accounts for age. The assumption is that lder employees are less productive compared to younger employees, which are more involved with technology. Two different regression analyses’ with different variables are plotted. * The variables teleworking / gender / distraction / age / family status in relation to productivity. (nain regression) * The variables teleworking / distraction in relation to productivity The main regression model is sh own below: Productivity = ? + ? 1 Teleworking + ? 2 Gender + ? 3 Family status + ? 4 Age + ? 5 Distraction + ? ? ~ iin( 0, ? ) The regression analysis will show which variable will have the highest influence on the dependent variable productivity, corrected for the influences of the other variables. The expectation is therefore that the beta of teleworking will be the highest in the model. Results The data in this research is collected due a self-report survey among employees of the Process ; Policies department of TNT Express Benelux. The self-report survey was conducted online on the Belgian website of â€Å"enquetemaken. be†. A textual version of this survey can be found in appendix 2. A link to this survey was send to the 22 employees of the department by mail. This research chose for an anonymous survey in order to ensure that respondents could be honest about their answers. This would secure the reliability of this survey. Besides that the interview was conducted in Dutch because all employees at TNT are Dutch. The employees filled in questions concerning telework and productivity. Several non-related questions, concerning job satisfaction and work-life balance, were added in order to cover the real purpose of the research. In order to guarantee the reliability and validity of this research, the questions of the survey are based on questions used in other research. The productivity measurement is divided into four determents that are each tested individually. These four determents are quantity, quality, timeliness and multiple priorities (Gordon, 1997). Lee and Brand used questions like â€Å"Compared to my typical work right now, I would rate the quality of my work as† and â€Å"Compared to my typical performance right now, I would rate my job performance as† are being used. In the survey of this research four questions are used in order to measure work productivity. The exact questions can be found in the appendix. The questions in the survey concerning distraction, were like â€Å"How frequently are you unable to concentrate because of interruptions from your family? †. These questions were extended to other factors, like distractions from colleagues, phone calls/e-mails/texts, sounds and other factors (Neufeld, 2005). According to Young Lee ; J. L. Brand, is noise one of the main distractions (Lee et all, 2010). Therefore, we devoted one question on noise. Also, the question ‘I am easily distracted from my work’ is used in their research, which we decided to put in our own survey. In the article ‘from knowledge to distraction’, written by Jonathan Spira in 2007, is stated that knowledge workers are often distracted by e-mails, phonecalls, instant messages etc. For this reason, there is decided to investigate the amount of distractions by these influences in the survey. In this article, also is stated that ‘colleagues popping in’ might be a factor of distraction. This factor is also added to the survey. The last question regarding distraction, is about ‘other distractions’. This is to make sure that there are not any parts of distraction missed. The non-response bias of this survey was 22,7 percent. Five employees did not fill in the survey because they were not available in the two weeks the survey was online. If the non-response bias is very high it can effect the representativeness for the population. A data grid of the results of this survey can be found in table 4. A detailed calculation of the degree of productivity and distraction can be found in appendix 3. Total Work hours| Telework hours| Degree of distraction (1=low, 5=high)| Degree of Productivity (1=low, 5= high)| Gender (1=male, 0=female)| Age| Family status * | 40| 20| 3. 2| 4| 1| 58| 3| 50| 33| 3. 4| 3. 75| 1| 40| 1| 50| 30| 2. 4| 3. 5| 1| 53| 3| 42| 7| 2. 4| 3. 75| 1| 54| 3| 40| 5| 2. 4| 4. 5| 1| 48| 4| 50| 25| 2. 2| 4| 1| 44| 4| 40| 15| 2. 2| 3. 75| 0| 40| 4| 40| 25| 2| 3. 75| 1| 28| 3| 40| 32| 2. 4| 3. 5| 0| 32| 3| 40| 8| 3. 2| 4| 1| 42| 3| 45| 8| 2. 4| 4| 0| 32| 3| 40| 2| 2. 4| 3| 1| 32| 1| 45| 8| 2. 4| 3. 75| 1| 51| 4| 60| 36| 2. 6| 4| 1| 31| 3| 45| 8| 2. 6| 3. 5| 1| 36| 4| 45| 35| 3. 8| 4| 1| 38| 4| 50| 5| 2. | 4. 75| 1| 40| 3| 44. 82353| 17. 76471| 2. 623529| 3. 852941| -| 41. 11765| -| *= (1= single, 2=single with children, 3=married or co-habiting, 4= married or co-habiting with children)| Table 3 Data Grid of the survey at TNT Express The expected pattern Hypothesis 1: Teleworking will lead to more productivity The expected pattern for the first hypothesis â€Å"telew orking will lead to more productivity† is a regression of 0. 20, meaning that an increase of an hour teleworking will lead to an increase of 0. 20 in an amount of productivity. In the literature review several articles reported that teleworking increase productivity. However, there are also articles that claim a negative effect of teleworking on productivity. A summary of the reported effect sizes can be found in table 1 in the literature review section. The effect sizes of the relation between teleworking and productivity, found in the literature, vary from a negative relation to a positive relation. The majority of effects are positive, which means that productivity was increased due to teleworking. Although the majority of effects were positive, the claimed productivity increase ranges from 5 % to 20 %, up to 100 %. There is one article by Hartman (1991) that claims a negative correlation between telecommuting and telecommuting productivity. Derived from the literature review the expected pattern, in which the hypothesis is true, is a regression coefficient of 0. 20 or more. This means that if the degree of teleworking increases with one hour, the productivity will increase with 0,20. The hypothesis 2: Distraction has a negative influence on productivity The second hypothesis is aimed at the independent variable distraction on the dependent variable productivity. The correlation is expected to be -0. 20, meaning that an increase of one unit distraction will have a decrease of 0. 20 in the amount of productivity. In the literature several effects of distraction on productivity are found. A summary of the reporter effects can be found in table 2 in the literature review section. The effects found in the literature review suggest that distraction has a negative influence on productivity. The effects vary from no significant effect on performance to being more productive when distraction is eliminated. The expected effect of distraction on productivity is expected to be negative in this research. The correlation is expected to be -0. 20, meaning that an increase of one unit distraction will have a decrease of 0. 20 in the amount of productivity. The observed pattern Hypothesis 1: Teleworking will lead to more productivity The results of the main multiple regression analysis show that 26 per cent of the variance is declared by the model. The correlation between the observed and expected values of dependent variable is 0,509. In appendix 4 the SPSS output of this research is shown. Surprisingly, the degree of teleworking has a negative influence on productivity. This can be interpreted by the beta of the quantity of teleworking, which is -1,311. This means that if the degree of teleworking increases with one hour, the productivity will decrease with 1,311. The hypothesis 2: Distraction has a negative influence on productivity Another surprising output is the influence of distraction on productivity, which has a beta of 0,188, where a negative beta is expected. Thus, for the increase of one unit distraction, the productivity will increase with 0,188. A partial regression analysis, without the controlling variables gender, age and family status, shows that there is a slight difference in the variance declared by the model and the correlation between the observed and expected values of the dependent variable. These figures fall to 0,259 and 0,067. The betas of the degree of teleworking and distraction fall to -1,287 and 0,148. For this reason, the controlling variables will be added to the other regression analyses. There are several ways to explain the surprising betas of teleworking and distraction. First of all, the results are based on the answers of only 17 respondents. In the partial regression plot (with the variables distraction and productivity) is clear that because of a few amount of outliners, the R2 linear is climbing a little. Without these outliers, there is a large possibility that the distraction beta will be negative, which was expected. Another explanation is that the employees of TNT express do not relate distraction to their productivity. They tend to give themselves a high overall score on productivity, regardless of the degree of distraction and teleworking. Another possibility is that the amount of distraction actually does not influence the productivity. Figure 4: The relation between distraction and productivity Because of the little number of respondents, the few outliers pull the mean of the productivity up. These respondents have a small quantity of teleworking, but tend to give themselves high scores on productivity. Therefore, the linear line of the quantity of teleworking is declining, where it would have been rising without these three outliners. This can be an explanation for the negative effect of teleworking on productivity. But on the other hand, it might be possible that the teleworking does have a negative effect on productivity. In a worst-case analysis, the five missing respondents could dramatically influence the results of the regression analysis. This would be, if the respondents all would score low on productivity and on high distraction (or vice versa), or if degree of teleworking among the employees is high and their productivity is high too (or vice versa). Figure 5: The relation between teleworking and productivity The worst-case analysis of the effect of telework on productivity shows that, when the five missing respondents would have been very different from the ones obtained, there is a positive effect (2,775) of telework on productivity. This positive effect is shown in figure 6. This in contrast with the results of this research, without the missing five respondents, where a negative effect was discovered. If the five missing respondents participated in this research and were very different from the ones obtained they could have a drastic impact of the results of this research. The expected positive effect of telework on productivity could be discovered in this scenario. Figure 6: Worst-case analysis of the effect of telework on productivity The worst-case analysis of the effect of distraction on productivity shows that, when the five missing respondents would be very different from the ones obtained, there is a negative effect (-0,173) of distraction on productivity. The worst-case analysis is shown in figure 7. This negative effect corresponds to the expected effect of distraction on productivity, but not to the observed effect in this research. This means that if the five missing respondents participated in this research, the outcomes of this research could be dramatically different and the expected negative effect of distraction on productivity could be measured. Figure 7: Worst-case analysis of the effect of distraction on productivity Overall can be concluded that if the five missing respondents participated in this survey they could have changed the outcomes of this research dramatically. The expected effects of this research could be found when adding the five missing respondents. Discussion The test results found in the multiple regression analysis? , claim roughly that TNT express should increase the distraction among employees, and decrease the degree of teleworking. But, as shown in the results chapter, the results only show a slight negative relation. Which can be easily influenced by the missing data, as shown in the worst case scenario analysis?. Therefore, the results should be interpreted as if distraction does not have a high influence on the productivity of employees. There is not a valid relationship in the test results showing that distraction has a positive influence on productivity, because of the very low negative beta (as a result of the regression analysis’) and the possible influence of the missing values on the test results. The relationship between teleworking and productivity did show a large coherency. This large coherency was interpreted as if teleworking is not productive for TNT express. Thus, in this research, distraction is recommended and teleworking is discouraged. But it is recommended to keep in mind that the worst case scenario analysis’ (showing the missing values can turn around findings as much as possible) presume a positive influence of teleworking on productivity, and a negative influence of distraction on productivity. For further investigation it will be recommended to use more respondents, as much as possible. When more respondents are used, the results will be less influenced by outliers. A very low response bias is also recommended, so that a worst case analysis’ are not necessary and therefore will not show complete opposite results compared to the research. In this research, the response bias was 28 per cent. Another recommendation would be to make a connection between distraction and productivity for the respondents themselves. In this research, the respondents did not link distractions to their productivity (which can explain the divergent relation between distraction and productivity). When questions are formulated with the factors of distraction and productivity in one sentence, the link is automatically made for the respondents. Theorems for example like ‘when I am distracted by phonecalls, I feel like I can do less work’. Besides that all respondents report that they were very productive, even if they suffered from a lot of distraction. A solution for this self-response bias, that often occurs in self-report surveys, is to involve the opinion of the manager of the respondents in the research as well. Because of time constraints this was not possible in this research, but it will be a good way to eliminate the self-response bias in future research. In previous research, many positive effects of teleworking on productivity were found. This research contradicts this and reveals a negative effect. Although the worst case analysis showed that there could be a positive effect, when the five missing respondents were very different from the ones obtained, the observed negative effect could also be an indication that there really is a negative relation between teleworking and productivity. In 1991 Hartman also claimed a negative correlation between teleworking and productivity. Because the research of Hartman also reported this negative effect, it could be true that teleworking has a negative impact on productivity. This would generate a new insight into the telework-productivity research, in which was assumed that teleworking increased productivity. In contradiction to earlier research on the effect of distraction on productivity, this research shows a slightly positive effect of distraction on productivity. The fact that more distraction leads to more productive employees seems contradictory, but interruptions are not necessarily bad. Little interruptions, for example, could provide a fresh new insight into someone’s work. Therefore the observed positive effect could be real and is interesting to further investigation. Because the observed effect is slightly positive and in the worst case analysis slightly negative, it could also be an indication that distraction has no effect on productivity. This is supported by the research of Lee and Brand, which indicated that there was no significant effect of perceived distractions on perceived performance. This finding could also contribute to the research on the effect of distraction of productivity. In conclusion the findings of this research do not fully correspond to the main findings in the literature. This is actually very interesting because a new insight in the research on teleworking and productivity is generated. It can be questioned if the main findings in the literature are true. Maybe teleworking is not good for the productivity of employees and distractions are not as bad as everybody’s thinking. In order to do a replication research towards the effect of teleworking on productivity in the future a replication strategy is useful. The preferred replication strategy for the future is a longitudinal survey. The longitudinal survey enables the future researchers to measure the change in productivity that takes place at a later point in time when employees telework. In the longitudinal survey all members of a focal unit can be observed over time. Additional theoretical insight is advised in order to determine how much time should elapse between the change in value of productivity and the subsequent change in the value of teleworking. * Appendix Appendix 1: Several definitions of Telework and/or Productivity | Author(s)| Definition of telework| Definitions of productivity| 1| Newman (1989)| Working home with the aid of computers, modems and facsimile machines. | | 2| Dubrin (1991) | Performing job-related work at a site away from the company, then electronically transferring the output to another location| | 3| Frolick, Wilkes, Urwiler (1993)| | The number of tasks effectively completed in a given timeframe| 4| Har tman, Stoner and Arora (1992) | Work arrangement where organizational employees regularly work at home or at a remote site one or more complete workdays a week instead of working in the office. Telework managers reported using ‘deadlines’ or ‘agreed upon deadlines’, and ‘on-time work and quality’ to manage and measure teleworker productivity. | 5| Nilles (1975)| Telework is any form of substitution of information technologies for work-related travel| | 6| Mokhtarian (1991)| Telework is defined as the use of telecommunications technology to partially or completely replace the commute to and from work. | | 7| Sing, Sheng, Higa (2000)| Telecommuting is the reduction of commuting distance by working home, in nontraditional satellite offices, in telecottages, or in neighborhood offices. | * Appendix 2: Self-report survey at TNT express. Onderzoek Het Nieuwe Werken bij TNT express. Voor onze bachelor thesis, onderdeel van de studie bedrijfskunde, doe n wij onderzoek naar Het Nieuwe Werken bij TNT Express. Dit onderzoek is onderdeel van ons afstuderen aan de Erasmus Universiteit te Rotterdam. Voor ons onderzoek willen we graag uw medewerking vragen door middel van het invullen van een vragenlijst. Het invullen van de vragenlijst zal ongeveer 5 minuten duren. Deze vragenlijst is geheel anoniem. Alvast bedankt, Robin Kettenes, Boudewijn Schuitmaker en Marlot Sep __________________________________________________________________________ Het Nieuwe Werken is een breed begrip voor het tijd en plaats ongebonden werken, als gevolg van het gebruik van moderne communicatie technologieen. In ons onderzoek spitsen wij ons echter alleen toe op het plaatsongebonden werken. Het plaatsongebonden werken houdt in dat u zelf kunt bepalen waar u werkt. ___________________________________________________________________________ 1) Hoeveel uur werkt u over het algemeen per week? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. uur 2) Heeft u de mogelijkheid om buiten  kanto or te werken? Ja Nee ) Hoeveel uur per week werkt u over het algemeen buiten uw kantoor ? †¦. †¦.. uur 4) Op welke plaatsen werkt u als u buiten uw vaste werkplek werkt? Thuis Onderweg Internet Cafe Elders 5) Waar vindt u het het prettigst om te werken? Op kantoor Buiten kantoor 6) Ik ben makkelijk afgeleid van mijn werk Nooit Soms Regelmatig Vaak Altijd 7) Ik word tijdens mijn werk afgeleid door geluid Nooit Soms Regelmatig Vaak Altijd 8) Ik word tijdens mijn werk afgeleid door telefoontjes/e-mails/berichten etc. Nooit Soms Regelmatig Vaak Altijd 9) Ik word tijdens mijn werk afgeleid door collega’s Nooit Soms Regelmatig Vaak Altijd 10) Ik word tijdens mijn werk afgeleid door andere factoren Nooit Soms Regelmatig Vaak Altijd 11) Ik zou de hoeveelheid werk dat ik kan opleveren werk beschrijven als Erg veel Erg weinig 12) Ik zou de kwaliteit van mijn werk beschrijven als: Erg goed Erg slecht 13) Ik heb mijn werk altijd op tijd af Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 14) Ik ben in staat meerdere taken tegelijk uit te voeren Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 15) Ik vind het erg fijn om op kantoor te werken Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 6) Ik vind het erg fijn om thuis te werken Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 17) Ik vind het prettig werk en prive gescheiden te houden Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 18) Het is makkelijk voor mij werk en prive gescheiden te houden als ik op kantoor werk Helemaal juist Helemaal onjuist 19) Kunt u een schatting geven van de verhouding tussen de tijd dat u op uw  op kantoor  werkt en de tijd dat u buiten  kantoor werkt? (Bijvoorbeeld; 40-60 / 50-50 ) â € ¦. / †¦. 20) Wat is u geslacht? Man Vrouw 21) Wat is u leeftijd? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. jaar 22) Wat is u burgerlijke staat? Alleenstaand Alleenstaand met kinderen Getrouwd/samenwonend Getrouwd/samenwonend met kinderen Appendix 3: Detailed calculation of the degree of productivity and distraction Calculation: The Degree of Distraction|   |   | 3| 3| 4| 3| 3| 3. 2| 3| 4| 4| 4| 2| 3. 4| 2| 3| 3| 2| 2| 2. 4| 2| 2| 3| 3| 2| 2. 4| 2| 2| 3| 3| 2| 2. 4| 2| 2| 2| 3| 2| 2. 2| 2| 2| 3| 2| 2| 2. 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2| 4| 2| 2| 2. 4| 4| 3| 3| 3| 3| 3. 2| 2| 2| 3| 2| 3| 2. 4| 3| 2| 2| 3| 2| 2. 4| 3| 2| 2| 3| 2| 2. 4| 3| 2| 3| 3| 2| 2. 6| 3| 2| 3| 2| 3| 2. 6| 4| 4| 3| 4| 4| 3. 8| 3| 2| 4| 2| 2| 2. 6| 2. 647059| 2. 11765| 3| 2. 705882| 2. 352941| 2. 623529| Calculation: The Degree of Productivity|   | 4| 4| 3| 5| 4| 4| 5| 2| 4| 3. 75| 4| 4| 2| 4| 3. 5| 5| 4| 2| 4| 3. 75| 4| 4| 5| 5| 4. 5| 4| 4| 3| 5| 4| 3| 4| 4| 4| 3. 75| 4| 4| 3| 4| 3. 75| 4| 4| 2| 4| 3. 5| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 3| 3| 3| 3| 3| 4| 4| 3| 4| 3. 75| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 3| 3| 3. 5| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 4| 5| 5| 5| 4. 75| 3. 941176| 4. 058824| 3. 294118| 4. 1 17647| 3. 852941| * Appendix 4: The SPSS Ouput Model Summaryb| Model| R| R Square| Adjusted R Square| Std. Error of the Estimate| 1| . 509a| . 259| -. 078| 1. 64400| a. Predictors: (Constant), SumDistr, Leeftijd, Status, MateTelewerk, Geslacht| b. Dependent Variable: SumProductiviteit| Coefficientsa| Model| Unstandardized Coefficients| Standardized Coefficients| t| Sig. | | B| Std. Error| Beta| | | 1| (Constant)| 10. 929| 3. 105| | 3. 519| . 005| | MateTelewerk| -1. 311| 1. 749| -. 212| -. 750| . 469| | Geslacht| . 288| 1. 177| . 071| . 244| . 811| | Leeftijd| -. 002| . 052| -. 013| -. 042| . 967| | Status| . 764| . 474| . 448| 1. 613| . 135| | SumDistr| . 188| . 193| . 287| . 972| . 352| a. Dependent Variable: SumProductiviteit| * Bibliography Apgar, M. 1998, â€Å"The alternative workplace: changing where and how people work†, Harvard Business Review May- June, , pp. 121-136. Bailey, D. E. ; Kurland, N. B. 2002, â€Å"A review of telework research: findings, new directions, and lessons for the study of modern work†, Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, pp. 383-400. Bailyn, L. 1989, â€Å"Toward the perfect workplace†, Communications of the ACM, vol. 32, no. 4. Bailyn, L. 1988, â€Å"Freeing work from the constraints of location and time†, New technology, Work, and Employment, vol. 3, pp. 143-165. Baruch, Y. 2000, â€Å"Teleworking: benefits nd pitfalls as perceived by professionals and managers†, New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 35-49 Bongsik, S. , Sheng, O. ; Higa, K. 2000, â€Å"Telework: Existing Research and Future Directions†, Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 85-101. Butler, K. M. 2011, â€Å"Tel eworkers confess biggest at-home distractions†, Editor in Chief, employee benefit news, . Calnan, C. 2002, August 6-last update, AT;T Telework Survey Indicates Productivity Is Up; Technology Barriers Force Some Teleworkers to Return to the Office PR [Homepage of AT;T inc. , [Online]. Available: http://www. csrwire. com/press_releases/26871-AT-T-Telework-Survey-Indicates-Productivity-is-Up [2012, 3/5]. Cassiani, L. 2000, â€Å"Teleworkers happy but no more productive†, Canadian HR Reporter, vol. 13, no. 19, pp. 2. Di Martino ; Wirth. 1990, â€Å"A new way of working and living†, International Labour review, vol. 129, no. 5, pp. 529-553. Dubrin, J. 1991, â€Å"Comparison Of The Job Satisfaction and Productivity of Telecommuters versus House Employees: A Research Note on Work in Progress†, Psychological Reports, vol. 68, pp. 1223-1234. Fonner, K. L. ; Roloff, M. E. 2010 â€Å" Why Teleworkers are More Satisfied with Their Jobs than are Office-Based Workers: When Less Contact is Beneficial†, Journal of Applied Communication Research Publication Frolick, M. N. , Wilkes, R. B. ; Urwiler, R. 1993, â€Å"Telecommuting as a workplace alternative: an identification of significant factors in American firms’ determination of work-at-home policies†, Management Information Systems and Decision Sciences, . Gordon, G. E. 1997, , The Last Word on Productivity and Telecommuting [Homepage of Gil Gordon Associates], [Online]. Available: http://www. gilgordon. om/downloads/productivity. txt [2012, 3/5]. Hak, T. 2011, How to design and conduct an empirical test of a business theory 3rd edn, Erasmus University, Rotterdam. Hamilton, C. 1987, † Telecommuting†, Personal Journal, , pp. 90-101. Harpaz, I. 2002, â€Å"Advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting for individual, organizational and society†, Workstudy, vol. 51, no. 2. Hartman, R. I. ; Stoner, C. R ; Arora, R. 1991, â€Å"An investigation on selected variables affecting telecommuting productivity and satisfaction, Journal of Business and Psychology, vol. 6, no. 2 Hartman, R. I. ; Stoner, C. R. ; Arora, R. 1992, â€Å"Developing successful organizational telecommuting arrangements: worker perceptions and managerial descriptions, S. A. M. Advanced Management Journal, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 35. Lee, S. Y. ; Brand, J. L. 2005, â€Å"Effects of control over office workspace on perceptions of the work environment and work outcomes†, Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 25, pp: 323-333. Lee, S. Y. ; Brand, J. L. 2010, Can personal control over the physical environment ease distractions in office? , Ergonomics, vol 53, no 3, pp. 24-335 Madsen, S. 2003, â€Å"The Benefits, Challenges, and Implications of Teleworking â€Å", Literature Review, vol. 9. McKee, K. 1988, â€Å"Setting Up Work At Home†, Personal Administrator, vol. 33, no. 12, pp. 58-62. Moody, H. G. 1986, â€Å"Homework†, Information Strategy: The Executive’s Journal, , pp. 20-23. Neufeld, D. J. ; Fang, Y. 2005, â€Å"Individual, Social and Situational Determinants of Telecommuter Productivity†, Information ; Management, vol. 42, pp. 1037–1049. Newman, S. 1989, â€Å"Telecommuters Bring the Office Home†, Management Review, vol. 78, no. 12, pp. 40. Nilles, J. M. 1988, â€Å"Traffic reduction by telecommuting: a status review and selected bibliography†, Transportation, Research A, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 301-317. Olson, M. 1989, â€Å"Work at Home for Computer Professionals: Current Attitudes and Future Prospects†, ACM Transactions on Office Information Systems, vol. 7, pp. 317-338. Olson, M. 1982, New Information Technology and Organizational Culture, Leonard N. Stem School of Business, New York. Pearlson, K. E. ; Saunders, C. S. 2001, â€Å"There’s No Place like Home: Managing Telecommuting Paradoxes† The Academy of Management Executive, vol. 5, no. 2, pp 117-128 Spira, J. 2007, From knowledge to distraction, KM World 16, pp. 1-32 Telework Research Network, The latest telecommuting statistics2011, [Homepage of Telework Research Network], [Online]. Available: http://www. teleworkresearchnetwork. com/research/people-telecommute [2011, 3/5]. Thompson, S. H. Vivien, K. G. 1998, â€Å"Factorial dimensions and differe ntial effects of gender on perceptions of teleworking†, Gender in Management, vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 253-263. Wilson, 2004, â€Å"Gender and teleworking identities in the risk society: a How to cite Informatie Management, Papers

Noise Pollution on Students Essay Example

Noise Pollution on Students Paper The word noise is derived from the Latin word nausea meaning seasickness. Noise can be defined as an unwanted or undesired sound. Decibel is the standard unit for measurement of sound. Usually 80 db is the level at which sound becomes physically painful. With overly populated schools and the increase of average classroom sizes, many students suffer from noise pollutants that can be found inside and nearby from their schools. Larger classrooms inherently breed more noisy atmospheres, and the Issue of noise pollution can negatively impact a dents academic experience. However, classroom size is not the only factor that contributes to noise pollution in the learning environment. Schools that is close to highways, airports, hospitals or railroads, experience a lot of external noise that cannot be controlled. Here in metro manila many schools suffer from this problem, many schools lack the ability to accommodate all the students so the rooms are overly crowded and w/ this students have the hard time in the learning their lessons. Because noise does not result to any obvious and immediate danger to health as polluted water and air, public awareness of noise and commitment to noise prevention and reduction has been small. Hypothetically an ideal educational setting accordingly should be conducive, and free from any disturbances. But through the ongoing increase of our population ; the ongoing developments of the country, the setting for educational place is changing and is rapidly affecting the students. We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution on Students specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution on Students specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution on Students specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Concordia College for example the nuisance that the train, makes it difficult for the students to focus on the discussions, for the sound of the train is bugling ; very much disturbing. A train produces already a 100 db which can be the cause of a radial hearing loss. In the school, listening is the most important ability of the students because most of the time, the teachers use the concept of lecturing and in which the communication between the students and the teacher is emphasized. If for any reason this ability may be affected, the students will definitely have a hard time coping up with the discussions and lectures. It is important to have some understanding of the contributing factors that determine the success (or failure) of the school environment. Humans merely share the earth. We can only protect the land, not own it. Noise pollution is a disturbance to the human environment that is escalating at such a high rate that it will become a major threat to the quality of human lives. Noises in all areas, especially in urban areas, have been increasing rapidly. And the outcome varies on how we act on this kind of situation. Even animals were affected in this kind of problems, certain reports and findings had been gathered. Human-induced noise pollution is one of many factors contributing to the depletion of wildlife populations. Laboratory studies and limited field research have uncovered these problems and the results keep us blinded. Some animals that are adversely affected with problem behavioral effects, which vary greatly between species and noise characteristics, resulting in, for example, abandonment Of territory and lost reproduction. But human clamor doesnt just affect animals. Because many animals also eliminate plants or eat or disperse their seed, , certain studies were conducted and researcher found out that because plants cannot move they just rely on birds and other animals, those animals that were affected by noise pollutants derive the effect to plants and these results to plants to pollinate slowly or even die. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The following objectives were formulated by the researchers: TO inform learners readers the importance of listening skills in the school. Also, to give added information regarding the impact of noise pollution in the learning activities of the students. To share with others best practice of positive cooperation to inspire changes that enhances the quality, livability and capability of everyone. To inform readers and students the harmful effects that they encounter each day in school. This study may help inform may bring knowledge to everyone in order to lessen its effects causes. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The scope of this study underlies the academic progress of each students/ learners most probably those in the public high schools. And on the other hand this study delimits itself in other educational institutions such s formal and informal education that includes mechanical practices, because as we all know there are several learning areas that usually have sound involvement. Evil. REVIEW OF RELATED Noise pollution LITERATURE Essay by eligible, Junior High, 9th grade, B+, December 2006 Traveling home from work provides no relief from the noisiness of the office. The ordinary sounds of blaring taxi horns and rumbling buses are occasionally punctuated by the ear-piercing screech of car brakes. Taking a shortcut through the park will bring the weary worker face to face with chanting elisions cults, freelance musicians, screaming children, and barking dogs. None of these sounds can compare with the large radios many park visitors carry. Each radio blasts out something different, from heavy- metal rock to baseball, at decibel levels so strong that they make eardrums throb in pain. If there are birds singing or wind in the trees, the harries commuter will never hear them. Student travels to Grand Canyon to research noise poll suction issues By: Nikkei Mitchell Once in the Grand Canyon, Lynch said, the other students and a guide made their way down the river, stopping to sleep on the beach under the tars. Each student was equipped with clothes, a sleeping bag tarp and a small air mattress, he said. Their main project was to do first-hand research about the sounds in nature and how those sounds are affected by noise pollution from helicopter tours and other man-made distractions. The Grand Canyon is facing problems with the helicopter tours and the wildlife in the canyon is affected by the noise, Lynch said. In addition to the research in the canyon, students shared personal stories about what it is like to live with a hearing impairment and the stereotypes that come with it. Several Skips meetings were held to prepare the group for the trip as well as work on the educational curriculum that taught the students how to become ambassadors and create campaigns to raise awareness before and after the trip. After participating in the trip, Lynch hopes to help to create a Hear the World organization on Gnus campus and college campuses across the country, he said. Laura Portal, the program director at Leading the Way, worked with Global Explorers to coordinate the trip. She also participated in the trip as the expedition leader. The Grand Canyon Was chosen because of the noise pollution issues and because it eave the students an opportunity to look at issues in specific places, she said. A $1,700 program fee was charged to students in the group, as well as the cost for airfare to fly in and out of Phoenix. The program fee covered food expenses, a travel guide and educational curriculum. Full scholarships were given to many of the participants, according to Portal. Noise Pollution in the Classroom By Kathy Able Karen Juliann doesnt need a team of scientific researchers to tell her that her daughters school has a noise problem. In fact, she doesnt even need to venture into the classroom. If you stand outside my daughters elementary school, you see the planes fly directly over the building, says this Rhode Island mom. Her sixth, graders school, the John Brown Francis Elementary, stands near the rapidly growing T. F. Green Airport in Warwick. On stormy or foggy days, school staffers observe, the jets fly even lower. In a survey taken several years ago, every one of the schools teachers said they were forced to stop lessons because of noise from planes, as often as ten times a day. Do the disruptions affect the learning process? Many parents and teachers believe they do. Research dating back more than 20 years confirms Sultanas impressions. A landmark 1975 study by Arlene Bronzing, Ph. D. , found that students at a New York City school whose classrooms faced elevated train tracks suffered significant reading delays, when measured against students not exposed to the same exterior noise. Six years later, after the school installed soundproofing and rubber resilient pads were placed on the train tracks, a follow-up study revealed that childrens reading deficits had been eliminated. Noise Pollution and Hearing Protection posted by RAT Cunningham on June 9, 2009 Many of my relatives in the Philippines, as well as a lot of other people, are binging (hard of hearing) due to being exposed to continuous noise pollution without wearing any kind of hearing protection. My wife is included in that mix. Do you know how frustrating it is to have to repeat yourself in a language which isnt your first language? I cant be sure whether the other person didnt hear what I said or that I said it wrong. The people that live away from the city (further away than I do) dont suffer from hearing loss caused by noise pollution. I can tell the difference when Im talking to omen who comes to the city on rare occasions. I just wish my relatives would listen to me when tell them to avoid the noise. Wonder if theyd wear earplugs even if I went out of my way to get them some. Some people are just too papayas (hard-headed) to do whats necessary no matter what I tell them. When Noise is Too Much: Noise pollution and what you can do about it By JANE OMNIPOTENCE In some highly urbanize cities like New York and Paris, measures have been adopted regarding this problem. But since noise pollution is an intangible dilemma, unlike other societal problems like garbage, the enforcement is questionable. In the Philippines, the National Pollution Control Commission used to regulate noise. When the commission became non-operational, the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMBED-EDEN) took its functions. Section 5 of the Philippine Environment Code (PDP 1 152) promulgated in 1977 states that with regard to community noise standards, appropriate standards for community noise levels shall be established considering, among others, location, zoning and land use classification. One can file a pollution case before the EDEN regarding annoying noise. However, this kind of conflict usually ends with negotiations among the parties involved instead of actually filing criminal charges and going to court. The Effect of Noise on Wildlife: A Literature Review Author: Autumn Lyn Raddled Noise pollution, as it affects humans, has been a recognized problem for decades, but the effect of noise on wildlife has only recently been considered a potential threat to animal health and long-term survival. Research into the effects of noise on wildlife, which has been growing rapidly since the 1 sass, often presents conflicting results because of the variety f factors and variables that can effect and/or interfere with the determination of the actual effects that human-produced noise is having on any given creature. Both land and marine wildlife have been studied, especially in regards to noise in the National Parks System and the onslaught of human- made cacophony in the oceans from military, commercial and scientific endeavors. Most researchers agree that noise can effect an animals physiology and behavior, and if it becomes a chronic stress, noise can be injurious to an animals energy budget, reproductive success and long-term survival. Armed with this understanding it should follow that humans would attempt to minimize the threat to wildlife by reducing the amount of noise that they are exposed to in natural areas; but this has not been the situation. Natural areas continue to be degraded by human-made noise, wildlife continues to suffer from these disturbances, and to date the majority of the debate revolves around the egocentric demands of people to either produce more noise in nature (through motorized recreation, scientific research, military exercises etc. ) or experience natural areas in the absence of anthropogenic Jose. Neither side has adequately addressed the issue from the obstetric view of wildlife and the known, or as yet undiscovered, damage that our increasingly noisy human-altered environment is inflicting upon them. Noise Pollution: The Sound behind Heart Effects M. Nathaniel Mead More than 15 million Americans currently have some form of coronary heart disease (COD), which involves a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Risk factors for COD include diabetes, high blood pressure, altered blood lipids, obesity, smoking, menopause, and inactivity. To this list we can now add noise, thanks to a recent study and assessment of the evidence by the WHO Noise Environmental Burden on Disease working group. The findings, first presented at the Interpose 2007 conference in August 2007, will be published in December. Were new data indicate that noise pollution is causing more deaths from heart disease than was previously thought, says working group member Deep Brasher, a professor of ideology at university College in London perhaps hundreds of thousands around the world. Until now, the burden of disease related to the general populations exposure to environmental noise as rarely been estimated in unconditional settings at the international level. A Literature Survey of Noise Pollution. CATHOLIC UNIVAC OF AMERICA WASHINGTON D C INSIST OF OCEAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Personal Author(s): Shih,H. H. Physically, noise is a complex sound that has little or no periodicity. However, the essential characteristic of noise is its undesirability. Thus, noise can be defined as any annoying or unwanted sound. In recent years, the rapid increase of noise level in our environment has become a national public health hazard. Noise affects mans state of mental, physical, and social ell-being. The problem forms a special type of air pollution. Noise study is a rather new subject among other branches of science. The transition from art to near-science started from before the World War II. The work is an attempt to arrive at an understanding of the general situation on the problem of noise. The survey consists of four major parts: the present status of noise pollution, its sources, its effects, and the control. Many urgent research needs are also identified. Finally, lists of terminology and bibliography relating to noise pollution problems are provided. (Author) Noise Pollution: A Modern Plague By: Lisa Goings, RUN; Louis Haggler, MD Noise is defined as unwanted sound. Environmental noise consists of all the unwanted sounds in our communities except that which originates in the workplace. Environmental noise pollution, a form of air pollution, is a threat to health and well-being. It is more severe and widespread than ever before, and it will continue to increase in magnitude and severity because of population growth, arbitration, and the associated growth in the use of increasingly powerful, varied, and highly mobile sources of noise. It will also intention to grow because of sustained growth in highway, rail, and air traffic, which remain major sources of environmental noise. The potential health effects of noise pollution are numerous, pervasive, persistent, and medically and socially significant. Noise produces direct and cumulative adverse effects that impair health and that degrade residential, social, working, and learning environments with corresponding real (economic) and intangible (well-being) losses. It interferes with sleep, concentration, communication, and recreation. The aim of enlightened governmental controls should be to rooter citizens from the adverse effects of airborne pollution, including those produced by noise. People have the right to choose the nature of their acoustical environment; it should not be imposed by others. Case Study on Noise Level in Moser City By: Nave G. M 1, Avian Kumar B. MM Sound comes from the vibrations in molecules, and is always traveling through a substance, whether it is a solid, liquid, or gas. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum because there are no molecules for the sound to travel through. Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human-, animal- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. A common form of noise pollution is from transportation, principally motor vehicles. Noise health effects are both health and behavioral in nature. The unwanted sound is called noise. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, hearing loss, sleep disturbances. In the present study, attempts are made to study the noise level range at different roads of the Moser city. Traffic behavior and characteristics at various roads near schools, hospitals, railway tracks, offices, courts, etc. Sing Sound Level Mete. Then, the maximum value of noise level in decibels is estimated.