Structural Geology in Petroleum Exploration Essay

Structural Geology in Petroleum Exploration - Essay Example These techniques constitute petroleum exploration, which in turn has several definitions. In one instance, oil exploration is defined as the process of searching for oil, among other petroleum related resources like gas, in the sedimentary basins of the earth. The mentioned exploration process depends on systematic utilization of technology based methods by innovative geoscientists (Larsen et al 52). It is this combination that paves way for viable drilling prospects and actual appraisal of oil zones or wells. In a different definition, petroleum exploration is considered to be a fundamental competency that should be carried out by qualified geoscientists for a prominent oil and gas organization. Evidently, there appears to be a general agreement in all definitions that geologists play a significant role in the oil exploration process. Another crucial factor to note is that, just like other exploratory studies oil searching is laden with uncertainties. It is difficult to tell whether gas or oil is present in a given place until drilling takes place. Prominent oil and gas companies usually spread the risks posed by the uncertainty over a collection of prospects, in order to manage the situation. This strategy is better than investing all capital, in terms of geology experts and equipment, in one oil drilling prospect. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of oil exploration, by examining geological aspects, historical development t of exploration techniques and other petroleum related subjects. Background Crude oil is a derivative of living things’ remnants, which contain a material referred to as kerogen and compressed over many years. The kerogen from dead organic materials usually matures over time to form a wide variety of hydrocarbon molecules, of different molecular weight and size. The smallest of these hydrocarbon molecules usually escape in gaseous form, hence natural gas, while those with large molecular weight form a dense oily s ubstance beneath the earth’s surface. It is this viscous liquid substance that is extracted and refined to form petroleum oil and it’s diverse by products. Rocks from which petroleum is derived could be of marine or terrestrial origin. Usually, terrestrial petroleum rocks are found in river basins, lakes and deltas, which have organic materials, and algae, among other dead matter. On the other hand, source rocks for petroleum that are found in the marine environment may contain algae and dead plankton, among other organic remnants. In both environments, the organic remains get buried under pressure from overlying disintegrated materials. This implies that, for oil to be formed organic matter must be compressed under high pressure and in absence of oxygen, conditions referred to anaerobic (Larsen et al 100-152). It is under conditions devoid of oxygen that, the kerogen in dead matter changes to an easily ignited substance known as bitumen. This is made possible by the h igh prevailing temperatures, natural catalysts and microbial activity in the earth sediments. The greater portion of the bitumen formed gradually transforms into asphalt, discharging molecules of hydrocarbon, in addition to carbon dioxide and water. The viscous and dense oils get formed first, while light oils are formed as the process progresses. High subsurface temperatures lead to production of gas, and since petroleum is lighter than surrounding rocks, it rises upwards through pores and faults in the crust. The

The Hilton Hhonors Loyalty Scheme Marketing Essay

The Hilton Hhonors Loyalty Scheme Marketing Essay This is an analytical study assessing Customer Relationship Management through the Hilton Hotels Loyalty scheme Hilton HHonors. This paper will give a thorough literature review on relationship marketing, a case study on Hilton Hotel loyalty scheme and within this, a framework of the brands role; position in the organization and the market will be discussed. Winer, (2001) customer relationship management framework will be used to analyze the Hilton HHonors scheme to which the nature of the difficulties and effectiveness will be covered as well. This paper will end with possible suggestions regarding the effectiveness of the Loyalty scheme. LITERATURE REVIEW There are several scholarly definitions of relationship marketing and (Shani and Chalasani, 1992) define it as a combined effort to maintain, identify and build up a linkage with separate customers and to continue to fortify the linkage for the common benefit of both sides, via interactive, one to one and value added contacts over a stretched out period of time. While (Gronroos,1990) described relationship marketing to be the establishing , maintaining, enhancing and commercializing of customer relationship so that the distinct purpose of the parties concerned are met which is done by a common exchange and fulfilment of agreements. This definition tries to encompass both the relational and transactional qualities of marketing. These two descriptions differ somehow but they both signify that relationship marketing centres on the individual customer and seller relationship and states that they both benefit. Plus the nature of the relationship is longitudinal. Moreover, they both indica te that the core of relationship marketing is on customer retention. On the other hand (Morgan and Hunt,1994), argue that relationship marketing represents all marketing activates destined towards launching, improving and preserving successful relational give and take or exchange. Taking into record that relational exchanges and transactional exchanges differ. From this definition relationship marketing is marketing plus Morgan and Hunt have as a result re described marketing and extended a paradigm shift. It is key for organisations to assess customer relationship stages (Figure 1.0) in order to evaluate the need for investment to make these customers move up the relationship ladder (Dwyer, Shurr and Oh, 1987, Kotler and Dubois, 2000) and turn out to be more profitable, or better implicit for cross-selling and offer them with personalized services establishing higher bond and switching cost. Suspects Prospects First-time Repeat Client Advocate Member Partner Customers Customers Traditional Marketing- Relationship Marketing- Figure 1.0.The relationship ladder: (Egan, 2001: p.59) However, marketing relationship is a give and take relationship parallel to intimate relationship (Clark 1984; Clark and Mills 1979; Kollock, Blumstein and Schwartz 1994). Each party involved in an exchange relationship provide value measurable to those received. Relationship Marketing and Customer Loyalty Relationship marketing recognises that a steady customer base is essential in business. The crux and feature of relationships and their business vale is summarized in the notion of customer loyalty and its correlated literature. The advantage of customer loyalty to a supplier of either which ever product or services, consist of enhanced organisational productivity or effectiveness, moderate expenditure on bringing together new customers and decreased customer price vulnerability.(Rowley, 2005) Although customers may show their loyalty in numerous ways; they may decide to remain with a supplier or provider, if this prolongation is described as relationship or not, or customers may escalate the amount of purchases or the regularity of their purchases or possibly both. Customers may become advocates of the brand or organization involved by performing an influential role in the decisions of others. (Hallowell, 1996; Reicheld et al, 2000). Even though there is substantial progress in the loyalty scheme. There has been an extensive argument about the benefit of loyalty schemes, to either customers or businesses. Certainly many have affirmed that such schemes have been unsuccessful (Divett et al, 2003; Worthington, 2000). Byrom, (2001) debated that with many organisations cancelling their scheme; those schemes were at somewhat of a crossroads. Critique of schemes fall down to three groups which are those that declare that the relationship among or between such schemes and the promotion of loyalty is vague; those that debate that organisations are not creating correct or proper use of data; and those that debate that the incentive structure in loyalty schemes are unsuitable. However according to (Jenkinson,1995) real brand loyalty is as a result of the emotional bond established by dialogue, trust , sense of value and ease of use, added satisfaction and frequency. Loyalty is the mirror image of the customers psychological and subconscious emotional necessity to trace a frequent source of satisfaction, identity and value. Samuelson and Sandvik, (1997) states that customer loyalty has been theorized as a collaboration of attitude and behaviour. There is a lot as to what makes up loyalty, this starts from repeat purchase to extended relationship (Dick and Basu, 1994). Furthermore (Hallowell, 1996) states that loyalty behaviours consist of relationship extension, enlarged scale or range of relationship, and suggestions. Although there is a positive link between customer loyalty and satisfaction (Soderlund, 1998). Moving on, the rewards or incentives are the basic structure or mechanism for motivating customers to indulge in the scheme. OBrien and Jones(1995) single out the following elements that add to the value of a loyalty scheme: choice of reclamation option( the list of incentives provided), cash value( How greatly the incentive stand for, as a part of spend), aspirational value ( how greatly the customer the incentive); relevance( the degree to which incentives are achievable) and convenience( simplicity of participation in the scheme). Parker and Worthington, (2000) debate that customer loyalty to an incentive scheme or reward scheme is most likely to be influenced by social factor, relative attitude and situational factors. Firstly customer loyalty is possibly influenced by satisfaction that a customer experiences regarding the level of return that they are accepting. Secondly, customer loyalty could be influenced by what is obtainable from other schemes and thirdly behaviour could be affected by other customers, social norms and the media. They continue to debate that the loyalty card that they examined did not pay its customers rightfully, as it was providing lower incentive values on products probably to be saved for. OMalley (1998) expatiates on the level to which many schemes have established customers who have come to anticipate an incentive as part of the regular shopping experience and assign a low value on rewards or incentives. Why Consumers enter into Relationship Marketing According (Sheth and Parvatiyar 1995), the basic axiom of relationship marketing should be or is that consumers like to cut back selection or choices by participating in a current loyalty relationship with marketers. This is a very fascinating and exciting argument and one that has intense suggestions for both the theory and marketing practice if correct. Moreover consumers sometimes go into relationships because it elevates the number of choices open to them. For each purchase decision, numerous options exist. CASE STUDY: HILTON HHONORS History: However Hilton Hotels and Resort from its name is into providing hotel accommodations and Hospitality to its customers which makes it a very good example, it is a worldwide company that has expanded vastly in every sector including its relationship marketing in order to retain customers through its Hilton HHonors loyalty scheme. Moreover this Hotel was founded by Conrad N. Hilton who opened the first Hilton hotel in Texas in 1925. Presently Hilton is one of the reputable hotel brands in the world. The hotel today is owned by Hilton Worldwide; they are managed, franchised or owned by several independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Currently there are over 500 Hilton hotels brands in the world (Hilton Worldwide, 2012). Over the years Hilton has created brands; today they have about ten brands in over 78 countries in the world. In 2009 Hilton was formerly known as Hilton Hotel Corporations but changed its name and Logo to Hilton World then moved their headquarters in Beverly Hills to Mc Virginia. (Hilton Worldwide, 2012). Hilton HHonors: Marketing is grown from a centre point on the single transaction to developing or becoming increasingly apprehensive with the growth and support of equally satisfying long term relationships with customers. The success story of charity organizations, Tesco, banks, Hotels and others exploiting loyalty schemes is driving companies to take careful note. The most productive relationship marketing campaign makes room for viable benefits and promotes long term relationship with customers which are difficult to replicate (Gilbert, 1996). However, looking at the value proposition of the Hilton organisation, they try to establish loyalty among their customers by striving to delight them and expecting their changing aspiration while making sure that team members, who are important contributors to attaining this objective, are satisfied as well (Huckestein and Duboff, 1999). From this proposition it is obvious that the essential elements of product leadership and customer relationship must be attained. For the Hilton organisation the value and importance of the customer relationship has been elevated via its Hilton HHonors Loyalty programme. Hilton HHonors Benefits: It allows customers to earn both miles and points for a holiday at about 3,750 Hilton hotel brands worldwide and airline miles with partners of over 50 airlines. They provide numerous exclusive ways to accumulate points. Firstly a customer can earn them through hotel stays or with participatory credit cards; or a customer can deliberate on purchasing them if he or she feels shy of the trip to the Caribbean. One can also transfer them to their family who happens to be a member as well. The hotel also provides room to donate extra points to numerous charitable organizations. This loyalty program allows a customer to join free by registering online or offline to get a list of services and benefits that assist with directing a customers travel and rewarding the customers for their loyalty and offering customers with the undivided attention they deserve (Hilton HHonors, 2012). Loyalty Programme Classification: Hilton HHonor can be classified under the type 3 programs, it awards points to members according to their previous purchase or past purchases. This type 3 program needs a complete database that can trace a members purchase history and points. Some type 3 program persuades customers to escalate their purchases or reward substantial purchasers by creating program tiers. Hilton HHonors program provides tiers where substantial or heavy users can without difficulty build up free hotel rooms or can reserve a room on a basis that is unrestricted (Berma,2006). There are other organizations that use the type 3 program and they include Hotels like (Hyatt, Marriott rewards,) Airlines like (American Advantage) Credit card companies like (Discover card: The Mile Card, Citibank Premier Pass Elite,). Lots of type 3 programs include the partnerships of complimentary marketers like airline, car rental and hotel chains etc to enable a members gathering of points and to escalate the category of rewards options (Berma, 2006). HiltonHHonors are in partnership with airline and car rental services to facilitate the gathering of points. (Hilton HHonors, 2012) However, the company has four membership levels which include the Blue, Silver VIP, Gold VIP and Diamond VIP. Its calculated according to the number of stays in a 12 month period. It starts from no smallest amount for the Blue membership to 60 nights in a calendar year for the Diamond VIP membership. Moreover each category of membership has its own exclusive benefit which is: the Silver, Gold and Diamond VIP members are qualified for health club access while the Gold and diamond VIP members are qualified for accommodation upgrades and Only the Diamond VIP members can be assured reservations with their points with no collapsed or blackout dates. (Berma, 2006), Hilton HHonors Credit card: Hilton is known to also have co branded cards and the term co branding may simply mean the use of two or more brand names in marketing activates. This happens with the juxtaposition of brand names by labelling them side by side on a product (Blackett, 1999). Moreover Hilton has a number of co branded cards with financial companies in specific locations like Hilton HHonors cards from American Express, Citibank in the U.S, Platinum Visa card in the UK, Credit card in Germany, Visa card from Sunitomo Mitsui card co. Ltd in Japan etc. However this co branded cards allows customers earn bonus points from everyday purchases like groceries, gas, eating out etc. Customers can claim or redeem these points for flights, free hotel nights or merchandise. (Hilton HHonors, 2012). In further light, According to (McCleary and Weaver, 1991) they claim that Hotel and restaurant loyalty program were inspired by the success of airlines that give customers benefit for repeat purchase. However, these Programs look to improve the customers membership in an exclusive club with rewards from this membership such as gifts, free hotel accommodations etc. For the organisation or company the main aim is to compliment customers for their patronage and make it obvious that the company is very much interested in establishing and sustaining long term relationship with them. Hilton HHonors E- presence: Hilton HHonors has an e-presence (www.HHonors.com). The value of customer relationship has also been escalated through its loyalty program website. Via this website customers can sign up or register for rewards, hotel reservations, room preferences and so on. The characteristics of the Hilton Honors web site portray product leadership (Hilton HHonors, 2012). This site creates opportunity for interactivity between its members and the scheme in order to encourage brand and customer relationships plus customer data is also being collected and stored for future purposes for direct marketing via emails, Customized emails are sent based on a customers preferences. From the perspective of relationship, it lets customers retrieve their information and statements on the scheme. From the perspective of the brand, the brand web is duplicated and improves in the virtual world (Rowley, 2005). ANALYSIS EMPLOYING (WINER, 2001) CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MODEL Winer, Russell (2001) elaborated on the Customer Relationship Management process Model below; Figure 1.1 (Winer, 2001) Create a Database: Involves construction of customer information file which is the bedrock of customer relationship management. The database ideally should contain Customer transactions (Hotel Reservations), Contacts, explanatory information and rely to marketing incentives over time. However according to (Winer, 2001) Customer interaction quadrant, Hilton should be classified under the High-indirect box (Figure 1.2) Figure 1.2 (Winer, 2001) Customer Interactions Direct Indirect Banks Telecom Retail Airlines Packaged Goods Hotels Drugs Personal computers Internet Infrastructure Furniture Autos High Interaction Frequency Low Meaning they have to work harder to establish an Information file unlike the High -direct box which has quick and easy access to customer database E.g. Tesco. Hilton Database is also collected online up registration for the HHonors program. Analysis: Involves the analysis of established customer data with the aim of segmenting the customers by grouping those with the same behavioural pattern. This is then used to create several product offerings via direct marketing. Hilton does target the most valuable prospects for catalogue mailing and customizes the catalogues to several groups. Customer Selection: having established and analyzed the customer database information, the next step is to deliberate on which Customer group to target with marketing programs. The customers with most preferred segment (Highest purchasing rate) would be chosen first for retention programs followed by other segments. However Hilton applies this before embarking on marketing programs to encourage retention and customer acquisition. This is evident in their four membership levels. Customer Targeting: There are several ways of targeting customers after selection; they involve direct marketing techniques including telemarketing, direct mail and direct sales. This enables a company interact with customers rather than talk at them via television or radio. Hilton mainly invests time and money into telemarketing (Customer service) and direct mails in order to reach a desired audience. However today they seek permission from customers before sending mails. Relationship programs: these are techniques for executing Customer relationship marketing, the aim of this is to provide a higher level of satisfaction to customers than competing firms do. More over research has proven that there is a clear-cut positive relationship between profits and customer satisfaction (Winer, 2001). Mangers need to weight satisfaction levels by delivering performance ahead of customer expectation. Loyalty programs include frequency/Loyalty programs, Rewards programs, Customer service and Community Building. Hilton has taken the frequency/Loyalty program and Customer service as its Relationship Method which has worked to improve profitability. The Hilton HHonors as stated above provides rewards for repeat purchase. Privacy Issues: This extends through the CRM Model (Figure 1.1), Hilton uses database to provide service customers request and as a global brand they share this database with other Hilton worldwide brands to ensure same level of service. Hilton makes sure that personal information are handled according to the law. Usernames and passwords are however created for customers personal use. Metrics: This is the traditional ways managers employ in measuring the success of their product and service. Market Metrix uses Loyalty program effectiveness. It identifies the percentage of customers who affirm that their loyalty membership was the primary reason for picking the hotel. Market Metrix,( 2012) identified that Hilton hotel in 2009 had 34.6%, 2010 had 35.8% and in 2011 had 39.2% showing an increase in profitability. DRAW BACKS There are potential draw back in loyalty schemes, they are expensive, difficult to correct mistakes as the company may be seen by customers as taking away. Benefits; however there is the question whether the scheme actually works to escalate loyalty or spending behaviour plus it is also kind of difficult to have competitive advantage. (Winer, 2001) RECOMMENDATIONS These Loyalty schemes can be successful by elevating customers switching cost and building entry barriers. For the Hotel industry it has become a competitive necessity to create loyalty programs so incentives could also be encouraged for repeat visits to websites even though this has not been greatly successful. CONCLUSION This paper has reviewed some past literature on loyalty schemes along with some scepticism from a few scholars. The idea of the loyalty scheme is growing and becoming more refined each day. Hilton Hotel has created brand web through their loyalty scheme which has be expatiated above (Hilton HHonors) plus they have an E-presence. From the consumer relationship, those that the hotel refers to as most valued customers have considerably escalated their spending at the hotel. This increased or escalated spending is no doubt as a result of the customers envisioning an escalated value in their relationship with the hotel.

The Motivational Self Fear of a Poe Narrator Essay -- Tell Tale Heart

Poe has given his narrator in â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† multiple currently diagnosable psychological disorders: bipolarity, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychopathy, paranoia. Although he is a psychopath by Hare’s definition, among the disorders, the narrator’s sense of fear is overwhelmingly the most motivating. On a first reading, it might seem that the narrator committed murder because of his unjustified hatred towards the victim, or more specifically, the victim’s â€Å"evil eye.† And later, he confesses to his crime because of the overwhelming guilt he feels which causes him to hear the beating of the dead man’s heart. However, as a psychopath, the narrator is incapable of feeling guilt. I will demonstrate that it is not hatred toward what is outside of the self that drove the narrator to murder and confession but the hatred and the immense fear of the insane side of himself that drove him to such irrational actions. After the burying the corpse beneath the floorboards, the narrator, being proud of his work, states that â€Å"no human eye – not even his – could have detected anything wrong.† To the narrator, the old man is able to see beyond what the average person can see. One might assume that it was the fear of the eye’s judgement that caused the narrator to resort to murder. Although this is true, a stronger motivation was the fear of his own insanity. The fact that he feared the eye made him see the irrational side of himself. In refusal to acknowledge his mental disorder, the narrator gives an alternative name to his paranoia, characterized by an oversensitivity to sound: â€Å"nervousness.† The phrase â€Å"I have nothing to fear† right after the murder as well as in the presence of the police is repeated because he’s trying to convince... ... but the torment of being labelled insane. The eventual anxiety attack, characterized by irrational behaviour such speaking frequently, and later foaming, raving, swearing and violent actions towards his chair, which is, ironically, the typical behaviour of the insane. Works Cited Haycock, Dean. â€Å"Hare Psychopathy Checklist.† Healthonline. 2003. http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/hare-psychopathy-checklist/3 Jerga, Josh. â€Å"Accused Chainsaw Murderer Had 'Shark' Eyes.† News.smh. 11/15/2010. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/accused-chainsaw-murderer-had-shark -eyes-20101115-17u4c.html. Merriam-Webster. 2010. http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/antisocial%20personality%20disorder Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. vol. B. Ed. Baym, Nina. New York: Norton, 2007. Print. The Motivational Self Fear of a Poe Narrator Essay -- Tell Tale Heart Poe has given his narrator in â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† multiple currently diagnosable psychological disorders: bipolarity, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychopathy, paranoia. Although he is a psychopath by Hare’s definition, among the disorders, the narrator’s sense of fear is overwhelmingly the most motivating. On a first reading, it might seem that the narrator committed murder because of his unjustified hatred towards the victim, or more specifically, the victim’s â€Å"evil eye.† And later, he confesses to his crime because of the overwhelming guilt he feels which causes him to hear the beating of the dead man’s heart. However, as a psychopath, the narrator is incapable of feeling guilt. I will demonstrate that it is not hatred toward what is outside of the self that drove the narrator to murder and confession but the hatred and the immense fear of the insane side of himself that drove him to such irrational actions. After the burying the corpse beneath the floorboards, the narrator, being proud of his work, states that â€Å"no human eye – not even his – could have detected anything wrong.† To the narrator, the old man is able to see beyond what the average person can see. One might assume that it was the fear of the eye’s judgement that caused the narrator to resort to murder. Although this is true, a stronger motivation was the fear of his own insanity. The fact that he feared the eye made him see the irrational side of himself. In refusal to acknowledge his mental disorder, the narrator gives an alternative name to his paranoia, characterized by an oversensitivity to sound: â€Å"nervousness.† The phrase â€Å"I have nothing to fear† right after the murder as well as in the presence of the police is repeated because he’s trying to convince... ... but the torment of being labelled insane. The eventual anxiety attack, characterized by irrational behaviour such speaking frequently, and later foaming, raving, swearing and violent actions towards his chair, which is, ironically, the typical behaviour of the insane. Works Cited Haycock, Dean. â€Å"Hare Psychopathy Checklist.† Healthonline. 2003. http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/hare-psychopathy-checklist/3 Jerga, Josh. â€Å"Accused Chainsaw Murderer Had 'Shark' Eyes.† News.smh. 11/15/2010. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/accused-chainsaw-murderer-had-shark -eyes-20101115-17u4c.html. Merriam-Webster. 2010. http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/antisocial%20personality%20disorder Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. vol. B. Ed. Baym, Nina. New York: Norton, 2007. Print.

To What Extent Was Slavery the Cause of the American Civil War?

In the context of the period 1763-1865, how far was the American Civil War caused by long term divisions over the issue of slavery? In his second inaugural address in March 1865, Abraham Lincoln looked back at the beginning of the Civil War four years earlier â€Å"all knew,† he said, that slavery â€Å"was somehow the cause of the war. † This essay will endeavour to discuss the role of long term divisions caused by the slavery debate in the eventual outbreak of the Civil War.In doing so this analysis will encompass the period between the birth of the nation beginning with the start of the American Revolution in 1763 and the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865. This being a period in which the newly independent nation struggled with its state system, with each of the former colonies possessing the rights to a significant level of self-governance that inevitably led to disagreements and conflicts of interest.One such conflict was the disagreement over slavery which James Ford, like Lincoln, believes was crucial in creating a clear North-South divide that would eventually lead to the Civil War. Whilst recognising slavery’s overwhelming contribution to the outbreak of the American civil war in 1861, one must acknowledge alternative factors beyond slavery, which contributed to the nations descent towards armed conflict. Revisionists such as William Gienapp and William Freehling emphasise the political contribution to the outbreak of the war and the influence of sectional ideology on ante bellum politics.It was this differing ideology that created the tensions between Southern and Northern parties creating political chaos during the 1850s, the North believing they were attempting to save democracy whilst the South campaigned for increased States’ rights, all of which provoked the outbreak of war. As well as the long-term divisions over slavery and the short term political contributions to the outbreak of war, historians such as Charles an d Mary Beard placed emphasis on the fundamental differences between the North and South economic systems, disregarding the moral and political contributions.This analysis will argue that ultimately the issue of slavery was the main reason for the outbreak of war in 1861; however the short term political blunders and failure of the political system created a chaos that made war inevitable. Had the American political system thrived, the divisions over slavery could have been resolved without war being waged. Slavery is the moral dimension that lies at the heart of the historiographical debate. James Ford Rhodes identified slavery as the central and virtually only cause of the war. If the Negro had not been brought to America,† he wrote, â€Å"the Civil War could not have occurred. † Introducing slavery to America created differences of opinion between the North and the South, on the morality of slavery. It was these differences that created tensions between the regions an d ultimately fuelled the outbreak of war in 1861. The Northern climate was not suited to plantation agriculture which resulted in Congress passing an Ordinance in 1787, keeping slavery out of the North West Territory.The Northern belief insisted that the South was ruled by a ruthless ‘Slave Power’ which, conspiratorial in its methods, consisted of slaveholding planters and political leaders who were determined to convert the whole United States in to a nation of masters and slaves. The aggressive attitude of Southerners arising from the decision by Chief Justice Taney in the Dred Scott case of 1857 that all blacks, slave as well as free, were not and could not be citizens of the United States increased rather than allayed Northern suspicions.This conspiracy, as the Northerners believed it to be, was fundamentally an aristocracy founded upon these principles; that slavery was not morally wrong, it is a right possessed by the slaveholder, and that it is constitutional. Ad mitting Missouri as a slave state and introducing the Fugitive Slave Act in the Compromise of 1850, only exacerbated Northern suspicions which is illustrated through what John Rankin believed, â€Å"The Slave Power has already seized upon the General Government, and has overthrown the rights of Free States†¦the struggle between the slave and free institutions is for existence.They are antagonistic principles and cannot exist long together – one or the other must fall. † ‘Slave power’ heightened through media influences such as the non-abolitionist Cincinnati Daily Commercial claiming â€Å"There is such a thing as THE SLAVE POWER† encouraged the Northern populace that action needed to be taken against the South in order to preserve the existence of their personal liberty. On the other hand, many Southerners like historian Ulrich Bonner Phillips, viewed slavery as a hierarchic order thus making it wholesome practice.Phillips recalls setting off to school as a young child and burdened by the prospect that his â€Å"sable companion† was able to play all day long. According to Hugh Tulloch, the Southerners had evolved a unique form of social relations based on slavery; whereby the master’s role was essentially paternal, â€Å"without slavery the black would either lapse into African savagery. † It is this view and that of Edward Channing’s, â€Å"the slaves were often happier than their masters† that appears so distorted in comparison to the Northern interpretation on slavery.It was this that became an important factor in consolidating antislavery sentiment in the North, thus widening the sectional rift between the North and South. â€Å"If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I cannot remember when I did not so think and feel. † Lincoln’s view on the peculiar institution further heightened the issue as Southern states regarded his election as a threat to their power, and pr ovoked the secession of South Carolina from the Union, shadowed by a further 10 states.Modern fundamentalists such as James McPherson and Eric Foner similarly describe the two sections as â€Å"different and deeply antagonistic societies† agreeing that slavery was the root of that antagonism. The North's commitment to capitalism and modernisation, these scholars explained, was the context for abolitionism and for the free labour ideology of Abraham Lincoln's Republican Party. The South's commitment to agriculture and slave labor was reflected in the region's distinctive cult of honour, its preoccupation with localism and states' rights, and its defense of social inequality.Had African slave trade been declared illegal long before 1808, the million plus slaves that were in the USA in the early 19th century would not have existed, therefore would have had no effect on population influxes which stimulated an industrial and economic change, nor the geographical expansion which ca used the conflict within the different states. Although Rhodes placed his greatest emphasis on the moral conflict over slavery, he suggested that the struggle also reflected fundamental differences between the Northern and Southern economic systems.In the 1920s, the idea of the war as an irrepressible economic rather than moral conflict received fuller expression from Charles and Mary Beard, insisting there were â€Å"inherent antagonisms† between Northern Industrialists and Southern planters. Undoubtedly, the issue of slavery itself would not have created divisions and differences within the nation had someone, or a group of people spoke up and shared their desire to â€Å"fight the gross evil of slavery† thus the influence and the rise of abolitionists need to be taken in to account when assessing the causation of the war.Abolitionists were committed to the doctrine of ‘moral suasion’; the idea that Southern slaveholders could be persuaded that slavery w as morally wrong. Arguably, it was the abolitionist’s actions that publicised and brought slavery in to the political arena and through their anti-slavery postal campaign in 1835, the Democratic administration could not avoid the issue. By building these campaigns, abolitionists turned themselves into an organised movement, urging the national government to debate slavery and heightening the nation’s opinion on the institution.The Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, became one of the most powerful weapons in the hands of the Abolitionist Movement. The Constitution introduced a clause stating that fugitives from slave labour must be sent back to the South if captured in the North. It forced citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitives and denied fugitives who claimed to be freemen the right to a fair jury trial. This caused outrage among the Northern black community who were no longer able to legally prove that they were free. Foner stated the act gave slavery what is called â€Å"extra-territoriality†, thus making slavery a national institution.Even though the Northern States could abolish slavery, they still could not avoid their Constitutional obligation to enforce the slave laws of the Southern States. The Act drew more attention to the inhumanity of slavery and caused increased tension between the North and the South. Northern whites resented having to be forced into hunting slaves against their will by the officials enforcing the Act. It was also significant because it helped to create legendary abolitionists and anti-slavery orators such as Frederick Douglas and Henry Highland Garnet and generated the release of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ in 1852 by Harriet Beecher.Beecher’s book expanded support and contributed to the outbreak of the war by personalising the political and economic arguments of slavery whilst providing depiction of the horrors of slavery. Installments were published weekly from June 1951 in an abolitio nist newspaper. In November 1862, President Lincoln famously said, â€Å"so you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War. † More importantly, the Act allowed Northerners who had always thought slavery was so far away to see it personally for the first time.This display of cruelty convinced more people of the evils of slavery and made them opposed to the Southern institution of slavery and the Act as it had now cemented slavery within the law. This increased support for the abolitionists' cause would infuriate the South and increased sectional tensions. Despite slavery existing in America since the 1600s, economic and social paths taken by the North and the South increasingly began to change towards the 1800s and as a result created significant sectional differences between the states.Southerners did not necessarily go to war to defend slavery, nor did northerners go to war to end it. It is often suggested that we have ignored the well-known facts th at most southerners did not own slaves and that most northerners shared the era’s racist attitudes. After all, only about 25% of southern white families owned slaves and 50% of these owned less than 5 slaves. Consequently, one must consider the basic differences between the economies and the practical issues that divided the sectional leaders.Charles and Mary Beard came to the conclusion that there had existed an â€Å"irrepressible conflict between a static, agrarian South and the expanding, industrialising North. † The Beards insisted that â€Å"inherent antagonisms† between Northern industrialists and Southern planters contributed to the outbreak of war. Massive changes in transport help to explain the agricultural and industrial changes. The development of steamboats revolutionised travel on the great rivers; by 1850 over 700 steamships were operating on the Mississippi and its tributaries and the North were able to boast more than two-thirds of the railroad tracks in the country.Less than one in ten Americans lived in towns in 1820; one in five did so by 1860, but it was this urbanisation that was more prevalent in the North as opposed to the South with the percentage of population living in towns of 2500 or more being 26% in 1859 on Northern states, compared to only 10% in the Southern states. Unlike the South, the North had a growing number of immigrants; between 1830 and 1860 most of the five million immigrants to the USA settled in the North. Slave labour was the foundation of a prosperous economic system in the South.In 1793 the invention of the cotton ‘gin’ revolutionised the region; it is significant to recognise the relationship between the invention of the cotton gin and when cotton became America’s leading crop with the number of slaves in the South. In 1790 America produced 1,500 pounds of cotton. By 1815 production had reached over 100,000 pounds and in 1848, production exceeded an astonishing 1,000,000 pounds. Simultaneously, slavery spread across the Deep South as the cotton engine fuelled slave labour, pushing the North and South’s industrial methods even further apart.By itself, the South's economic investment in slavery could easily explain the willingness of Southerners to risk war when faced with what they viewed as a serious threat to their â€Å"peculiar institution† after the electoral victories of the Republican Party and President Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Economically, the taxes on imported and exported goods contributed greatly to the North- South divide. From the time of the first Congress in 1789 to the outbreak of the Civil War there was dissension between the Northern and the Southern states over the matter of protective tariffs, or import duties on manufactured goods.Northern industries wanted high tariffs in order to protect their factories and labourers from cheaper European products. Demanding that â€Å"American labourers shall be protected aga inst the pauper labour of Europe,† tariff proponents argued that the taxes gave â€Å"employment to thousands of mechanics, artisans and labourers. † The vast majority of American industry was located in the Northern states, whereas the economies of the agricultural Southern states were based on the export of raw materials and the importation of manufactured goods.The South held few manufacturing concerns, and southerners had to pay higher prices for goods in order to subsidise Northern profits. The collected tariffs were used to fund public projects in the North such as improvements to roads, harbours and rivers. From 1789 to 1845, the North received five times the amount of money that was spent on southern projects, â€Å"Sectional legislation, such as subsidies to ship-owners and manufacturers, took money from the pockets of the planters and farmers and transferred it to the pocket of Northern capitalists. This economic policy heightened tensions and exacerbated the sectional disagreements over the best type of government. The stark differences in their economies resulted in supporting either the Democrats or Whigs which brings in to play the revisionist interpretation that political blunders and the breakdown of the system ultimately divided the sections, increasing their hostility to one another. The structure of American politics and the antebellum party realignment provides a way to assess the relationship between the American political system and the origins of the war.Modern revisionists like Stampp attempt to recapture the eventualities of antebellum politics, placing emphasis on the shared values of the North and South and the failure of political leaders to reach compromises which could have averted war. Erin Foner argued the coming of the Civil war constituted the greatest failure of American democracy; â€Å"the intrusion of sectional ideology into the political system brought about the war. The fundamental issues can be traced bac k to the standoff over sovereignty during the American Revolution, and from this founding era the disagreement over how much authority the national government should have on the one hand and how much sovereignty and independence the individual states should retain on the other began. An unworkable arrangement followed, whereby states tried to coordinate a national war effort, a national economy, and a national government without sacrificing their individual sovereignty.However, continental currency became worthless and states became free to do their own thing. Shays' Rebellion in 1786-87, occurred as a protest to rising debt and economic chaos and due to the failure of the national government was unable to gather a combined military force amongst the states to help put down the rebellion. This was a catalyst for the Founding Fathers to scrap the Articles of Confederation and devise a new Constitution. However, the Constitution contained a number of provisions that strengthened the f orces of sectional division within the nation.It was the American political system that was particularly vulnerable to sectional strains and tensions and thus the Civil War was able to occur within a particular political framework. William Gienapp believes it was â€Å"the Constitution’s provision for amendment that significantly contributed to the outbreak of war. † The constitution’s ambiguity on whether Congress could impose conditions on a new state or refuse to admit a new state to the Union became a source of controversy which stimulated the growing conflict between the sections.More important, believed Gienapp, was the ambiguity of whether a state had the right to leave the Union. It was this silence that contributed to the debate over secession as it allowed Southerners to plausibly maintain that secession was a legal right of each state, and thus fuelled Southern extremism. Political blunders from the 1820s widened sectional differences, according to Ga bor Boritt; â€Å"the crystallisation of rival sectional ideologies orientated towards protecting white equality and opportunity. Each section began to see the other as a threat to its vital social, political and economic interests. A view had been produced that one section or the other has to be dominant. The Missouri Compromise, so Rodger Ramson believed, allowed in the long term, â€Å"the right of Congress to pass legislation allowing or prohibiting slavery in the western territories. † However in 1854 the Kansas Nebraska Act nullified the Missouri Compromise and is claimed to be a political miscalculation of massive proportions. Alan Nevins labelled the entire episode as a â€Å"disaster†.The political effects of this Act were enormous, irrevocably splitting the Whig Party. Every northern Whig had opposed the bill; almost every southern Whig voted for it and due to the competition of the Know-Nothing party and their failure to respond to nativist concerns, the pa rty was effectively killed off. With the emotional issue of slavery involved, there was no common ground to be found and Northern Whigs reorganised themselves to become the Republican Party committed to blocking westward expansion of slavery. Animosity between the North and South was again on the rise.The North felt that if the Compromise of 1820 was ignored, the Compromise of 1850 could be ignored as well. The Dred Scott case in 1957 brought the Missouri Compromise in conflict with the Fifth Amendment that upheld that no one be deprived of his or her right to life, liberty, and property. Political historian, Michael Holt notes, â€Å"The issue that drove the deepest wedge between North and South in the two decades before the Civil War was not the institution of slavery itself, but the question of whether slavery should be allowed to expand westwards beyond the boundaries of the slave states. Without the discipline of a strong party system, more outspoken views on slavery and seces sion began to be heard. Holt declares that the breakdown of the party system, no longer operating on economic issues, allowed demagogues to arise who accentuated the differences between North and South. Politicians in both sections â€Å"kept the country in constant turmoil and whipped up popular emotions for the selfish purpose of winning elections† thereby bringing about the Civil War. Lincoln declared before his unanimous nomination, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand.I believe this Government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved- I don’t expect the house to fall- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. † Despite Holt placing emphasis on the breakdown of the second party system, Stampp focuses on Lincoln’s actions as president, ‘inviting’ by his proposition a war of sections; â€Å"Thus Mr Lincoln invites a war between the free States and the slave States, a war between North and the South, for the purpose of either exterminating slavery in every Southern state, or planting it in every Northern State. The existence of national political parties became increasingly focused on the contest for Presidency. The coming of the war In April 1861 was seen as both sides waging war in an attempt to save democracy as they understood it. For southern secessionists, at stake was the right of self-government and the fundamental right of southern whites to control their own destiny. For the North, the war was a struggle to uphold the democratic principles of law and order and majority rule, as well as preserving the Union, which they believed was inseparably linked to democracy.Boritt noted, â€Å"few northerners failed to appreciate the fundamental irony that they were ready to kill their fellow Americans in order to prove democracy was a workable form of government†. Due to this rivalry of sectional ideologies, each came to think that one section or the other had to be dominant. Residents of each section feared the other, and before the physical fighting the sectional conflict represented a struggle for control of the nation’s future. On December 20, 1860, in response to Lincoln's victory, South Carolina seceded from the Union.By the time of his inauguration on March 4, 1861, six more states had also seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. Ramson states, â€Å"the attempt by the southern states to create a Confederacy separate from the American Union failed because the slave society of the South was unable to sustain an effort in the face of a determined foe. The promise of eliminating slavery eventually provided a unifying force behind the North’s efforts to hold the union together. † In conjunction with the fight for democracy, revisionists like Holt, Gienapp and William W.Freehling have focused on those political debates within each section that do not fit into the a direct narrative of the slavery controversy. Political historians have shown Northern voters were preoccupied with and motivated by issues such as nativism; slavery was not their overriding concern and did not explain their voting behaviour. The Southern electorate, too, was deeply divided on the basis of class, economic setting, and sub-region. The differences between the Upper South and the Deep South in particular make it dangerous to generalise broadly about the â€Å"fundamental† nature of Southern Society.When historians assert that slavery caused the Civil War, most are saying that only the presence of the â€Å"peculiar institution† made it impossible to resolve peacefully the constitutional, political, and economic issues that had long animated sectional tensions. Conversely, Historians like Jefferson Davis have been keen to refute the argument that the war was caused by the long term divisions of slavery and support the political argument that it was the Republican Party that e ngineered the war by furthering Northern political and economic aggrandisement against the South.As soon as the question of slavery expansion in to western territories entered the political agenda, voters were unwilling to drop the issue without protest but when waging war, the North and the South were fighting for what they believed to be a democracy and were motivated by nativism to defeat the opposition; which posed threat and disunion to their democracy. To conclude, the divisions over slavery in America ultimately contributed to the outbreak of war in 1861. This long term factor influenced the economic and social paths taken by both Northern and Southern States during the 1800s and as a result widened sectional differences.This greatly impacted the American political system resulting in the breakdown of the two-party system through blunders made by politicians in the 1850s in an attempt to win elections and save their democracy. This breakdown heightened tensions between the tw o sections and was exacerbated by the increasing influence of the abolitionist movement from 1830s onwards. It would be a limited assumption to deem the breakout of the Civil War purely on the divisions of slavery, as many fought in an attempt to save their own democracy.However, had slavery never been introduced in to American civilization the nation would never have been divided over the institution, the economic paths taken by both North and South wouldn’t have been so diverse, thus eliminating political differences and an abolitionist movement would never have been formed. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Hugh Tulloch, ‘The debate on the American Civil War era’, p. 110. [ 2 ]. James Ford Rhodes, ‘History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850’, p. [ 3 ].Kenneth M. Stampp, ‘The Causes of the Civil War’, p. 21. [ 4 ]. Ibid. , p. 23. [ 5 ]. Hugh Tulloch, ‘The debate on the American Civil War Era’, p. 37. [ 6 ]. Ibid. ,p. 35 [ 7 ]. Ibid. , p. 38 [ 8 ]. Ibid. , p. 37 [ 9 ]. Eric Foner, ‘Politics and Ideology in the age of the Civil War’, p. 35. [ 10 ]. Charles and Mary Beard, ‘The rise of American Civilization’, p. [ 11 ]. Hugh Tulloch, ‘The debate on the American Civil War Era’, p. [ 12 ]. Eric Foner, ‘Politics and Ideology in the age of the Civil War’, p. 61. [ 13 ].Kenneth M. Stampp, ‘The causes of the Civil War’ p 93 [ 14 ]. Ibid. , p. 86. [ 15 ]. Eric Foner, ‘ [ 17 ]. Gabor S. Boritt, ‘Why the Civil War Came’, p. [ 18 ]. Roger L. Ransom, ‘Conflict and Compromise: The Political Economy of Slavery, Emancipation, and the American Civil War’, p. [ 19 ]. Michael F. Holt, Political Parties and American Political Development from the Age of Jackson to the Age of Lincoln (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univers ity Press, 1992), p. 4. [ 20 ]. Kenneth Stampp, ‘The causes of the Civil War’ p

Lord of the Flies: Civilization vs. Savagery Essay

Civilization vs. Savagery William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies is a novel that displays the power and importance of the rules of civilization and its role in preventing humans from following their natural inclination toward savagery. This novel displays how the rules of civilization are overcome by savagery when rules and authority get displaced, and savagery starts to become inevitable. When the boys were first ‘placed’ on the island it was the boy’s original instinct to be civil and just. The boys voted on a leader, Ralph, and established rules and jobs for the boys to do and follow. This civility between the boys can be seen deteriorating throughout the course of the six hunts. Jack, who was obsessed with hunting pigs to prove himself as a hunter, is the leader of this deterioration. This deterioration started first when the three of the boys were on an expedition to search the island for any signs of other people. The three boys came across a piglet stuck in the brush but Jack f roze â€Å"because the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood† (Lord of the Flies, page 29). Jack was scared of the idea of killing and spilling blood of a living animal. This action shows that Jack was still held back by the rules of civilization. This close call is what started to fuel Jacks obsession to hunt to kill. After Jack killed his first pig, and realized that he can kill without any negative consequences, he brutally killed a mother sow with piglets. He then cut the head off and placed it on a stick that was sharpened at both ends as a sacrifice to the beast. This shows Jacks savage obsession to kill pigs was beginning to take over, and his fear of blood was no more. This brutal kill was savage and reckless. Jack became so confident that he can kill anything, that it lead him to want to hurt a human. Jack ended up becoming so savage that he hunted Ralph. This was when almost all of the rules that held Jack back from killing had left him and he made up his own rules. The changing effectiveness of the conch and its ability to govern over the boys is another example that displays the deterioration of the rules of civilization. The conch was first the most important item and symbol of authority that the boys had on the i sland. The conch was used to call meetings and govern over the boys. But, eventually over time people like Jack started to ignore it and break the rules. He and other boys faulted away and the conch became useless â€Å"And I’ve got the  conch- ‘You haven’t got it with you,’ said Jack sneering. ‘You left it behind. See, clever?- And the conch doesn’t count on this side of the island-â€Å" (Lord of the Flies, page 166). The conch eventually is destroyed, along with Piggy killed, and the last symbol of authority over the boys is vanished. The destruction of the conch symbolizes the final loss of authority Ralph has and the final event that led Jack to be overcome fully by savagery. The last example of the deterioration of the rules of civilization is the boy’s fear of the great beast and how they began to offer sacrifices to the beast. Throughout the novel, the beasts caused a great amount of fear within the boys. The fear started within littleuns being afraid of the dark and many other objects on the island. The fear began in the big-uns when Sam and Eric claim to be chased by a flying beast. This fear kept the boys from having a fire on mountain and gave some of the littleuns nightmares. This fear also made Jack give offerings to the beast, a pig’s head. This gruesome act had been believed to work so when the time came Jack wanted to put Ralph’s head on a stick to. This savagery is what lead to the final conflict with Ralph and Jack as Ralph held on to the last bit of goodness on the island, his life. In conclusion the deterioration of the rules of civilization and its role in preventing humans from following their natural inclination toward savagery can be seen through these three examples: the six hunts, the loss of effectiveness of the conch, and the drastic actions caused by fear.

Name of the Rose summary essays

Name of the Rose summary essays The Name of the Rose was set in the 13th century monastery. The movie is told as a flashback from Adso, as an old man, looking back to when he was child. The movie starts off with Brother William of Baskerville and his novice, Adso of Melk, riding to an abbey in north Italy. Once they arrive in their room they are welcomed by the lord bishop who also informs them of a mysterious death that has just happened. The people that live in the abbey believe that it is just the presence of evil but Brother William begins to investigate the place. Another man is then found head first in a pot of hogs blood. Brother William is led to some evidence written on a piece of paper in lemon juice from a book that he thinks is the reason for the deaths, so Brother William asks to see the library but it is forbidden. Meanwhile, another man is found drowned in a tub of water. Brother William has noticed that all the victims have had black fingers and black tongues, so he proclaims that the next person to die will have a black tongue and finger. Another man finds the book that Brother William has been looking for but before he can notify Brother William he is stabbed and killed. When Brother William comes to look at the man he finds that he does have a black finger and black tongue, so the town people start to believe that Brother William is the murderer. Brother William and Adso continue to try to find the source of the murders, but each time they try to ender the library they are threatened by Bernardo Gui, who is protecting the book. While they are searching, the novice is seduced by a peasant girl, which is considered to be the ultimate sin, but the novice thinks that he is in love with her. The towns people also find this peasant girl with a hunchback monk, they believe that they have committed the sin and they also declare them guilty for the murders. They are tied to a cross and burned to death. Meanwhile Brothe...

Business Performance Measures

Business Performance Measures Introduction The world has become very competitive in almost all aspects of human life that has necessitated the need to boost performance in order for businesses to continue with their daily operations. Governments, non governmental organizations and individual firms have had to devise cost effective ways of ensuring their business operations are viable despite the high rate of inflation that seems to run out of control.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Performance Measures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is common knowledge that modernization has brought stiff competition in the quality and quantity of goods and services produced and those firms that meet the required production standards remain in operations. While some companies have taken to monopolization others have merged under different banners in order to increase efficiency in their delivery of services. Regardless of the approach taken by a co mpany to boost its performance there are various measures it must put in place in order to assess its performance. This essay outlines some of the performance measures a company may adopt, benefits such measures bring to the company and the actions it can take with regard to the outcomes of these measures. Performance is a common term used in business to refer to the value of business out put that is used to assess the viability of any business venture in terms of profits or losses. It is measured in two ways in terms of the volume of goods and services produced and profits or losses generated from the sales made. A measure is any approach taken towards realization of any goal by a business (Cokins 2009). Therefore, performance measures are steps taken by a business organization in the attempt of seeking to identify its position as far as business operations are concerned. This discussion covers the human resource and product and service measures as essential tools of evaluating the performance of any business. Human resource plays a very important role in the daily running of business operations in all organizations. Therefore, it forms an important aspect that can not be isolated from performance.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is due to the fact that human beings constitute a grater percentage of sources of labor in all operations and in areas where machines are used human beings are in charge of controlling them. Performance measures in terms of human resource has various dimensions that include, performance evaluations, productivity reports, turnover, absenteeism and employee satisfaction surveys. Performance evaluations are important measures that businesses undertake in order to assess the levels of production of its workers. Performance is evaluated on the basis of worker’s academic qualifications, experience, interests a nd skills that are essential in ensuring workers deliver quality work (Luecke 2006). Any worker who does not have the required skills is more likely to deliver poor quality work while an experienced person stands high chances of better performance. This is an essential tool of evaluation as it enables the management to identify the worker’s potentials and this helps them in allocation of duties and responsibilities according to the worker’s abilities to perform. A business may decide to train its employees further in order to increase their skills and knowledge by sponsoring their part time education programs and giving them more off duty allowances in order to attend their classes. Timely and accurate information regarding employee’s performance will help the management identify its weak performance areas and plan on how to develop them in order to ensure all workers do their best. Worker’s productivity reports may be prepared by the management as measur es towards assessing business performance. It should be noted that every employee plays an important role in determining the productivity of a business regardless of the person’s position in a company. All positions in a business are created with a view of boosting performance and there is no department or position that should be treated as inferior to others. The business is like a body while workers are like the organs that make the body to function properly and be healthy. Worker’s productivity reports help management identify the specific abilities of every worker and avoid generalization of workers performance (Cokins 2009). Employees who consistently perform below the company’s expectations should be given essential advice and warned in advance but if they seem not to improve they should be laid off and other people with prospects of better performance hired. This measure helps management plan on future expansions of the company in terms of its work force and production.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Performance Measures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All workers are supposed to spend quality time at their work place in order to boost production and efficiency. It should be noted that time is a very important factor in the process of production and should be spent wisely (Luecke 2006).Therefore, employees should ensure they do constructive activities when at work. Work attendance records will help the management assess their employees in terms of the number of hours they dedicate to work. Those frequently absent from duty should be sacked immediately as this shows laxity and lack of interest and personal initiatives by employees. This measure helps to identify the amount of work an individual is capable of doing in a given time. More time spent at work means more service or goods will be produced and vise versa. The company is able to plan a head with re gard to production of its services or goods. A company may also conduct turnover surveys to identify its ability to produce goods and services within a given time frame. This survey helps the company to identify its potentials and assess whether it is performing according to its expectations. This measure will help the company identify areas that are productive and those that are dormant. It gives management an insight into future planning in terms of budgetary allocation to various departments to boost their efficiency in production. The second approach of measuring performance is through the use of product and service measures. The first step in this approach is conducting surveys on the levels of customer satisfaction with regard to the quality and quantity of goods and services offered by a company (Cokins 2009). This may be done through questionnaires or through conducting interviews that aim to establish the levels of satisfaction their clients attain with regard to the compan y’s services. This measure helps the company to identify weaknesses of a product or service and correct them as soon as possible. It helps a company in planning on how to avoid the occurrence of such errors in future. It enables the business to know the tastes preferred by clients. Rates of returns help businesses asses their performance as it offers an insight to the level the product or service has penetrated the market. Through conducting this survey the management will identify the various marketing strategies that will enable it deliver its services to almost all regions accessible by it. Timely awareness of the problems arising from this survey will help a business change its marketing strategies or use different strategies to market their products.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A company may choose to asses its performance through surveying the product rates of failure that will enable it identify the effectiveness of its services. This will enable the company to know the reasons why the products are failing and analyze whether it is as a result of poor quality or lack of information on the use of the product and thus address the issues as soon as possible (Cokins 2009). Products’ rates of failure helps to eliminate future assumptions by correcting the client’s current perceptions regarding the quality of services offered. The number of clients served within a particular period of time is an essential step in measuring the performance of any business. This measure offers relevant information regarding the volume of sales made in a given time. This survey measure will enable a company to assess whether the price of goods, timing of their sales, efficiency of employers or the volume of goods produced determine the number of clients served (Luec ke 2006). Timely and accurate information obtained through this survey will help the management plan ahead and decide whether to increase the number of workers to eliminate long queues of clients waiting to be served or extend the time of operations in order to serve many clients within the shortest time possible. Conclusion All business investments are founded on the basis of utilizing all opportunities to make profits and at the same time offer quality goods and services to their clients. If essential steps are not taken early to monitor the performance of a business huge losses may be incurred leading to termination of its operations. Therefore, it is important that businesses conduct performance surveys to determine their viability. References Cokins, G. (2009). Performance Management: Integrating Strategy Execution, Methodologies, Risk and Analytics (Wiley and SAS Business Series). New York: Wiley Publishers. Luecke, R. (2006). Harvard Business Essentials: Performance Managemen t: Measure and Improve the Effectiveness of your Employees. Boston: Harvard Business Review.