Effect of Middle level managers on Employee Turnover

Effect of Middle level managers on Employee Turnover Abstract Management at any organization can be classified into three levels and they are Top level, middle level and low level management. Each level of management has its roles and responsibilities to be executed for the better functioning of the organization. Middle level mangers play a key role in any organization. They are point of contact for many of the resources across the top level and low level management. There were many cases where high level management contacts the middle level mangers for several operational issues with low level management and even low level management has made the middle level managers as the single point of contact in order to resolve their issues. Usually the job profiles in middle level management differ based on the organization structure and number of employees operating in a particular division. There were many research and theoretical aspects, that has proved middle level management has nothing to do with turnover of an organization. This particular turnover is not and no where related to revenue terms and this entire discussion is based on the turnover of employees and their work done. Here, we can review an article â€Å"Effect of Middle level managers on Employee Turnover† published by Mr. Morgen S. Johansen. In this particular article author mainly concentrates on High level and middle level manager and their impact on the overall employee satisfaction that results in the turnover of the organization. This review is published in â€Å"Department of Political Science, Texas AM University†. The results and their impact are discussed in the public management literature. Introduction Public management is a vast subject and if any one is interested in studying this particular subject, the most important area to be concentrated is the relationship and level of interactions between mangers and workers, and the result of work done which is affected by their levels of interactions.(Frederickson and Smith 2003, p98 ). After much research, the most important aspect came in to light is that, maximum study of public management is concentrated on the relationship between management activities and output of work and has neglected the relationship between management and workers (Meier and OToole 2002, 2001; Goerdel 2006; Brewer and Selden 2000; Walker and Boyne 2006; Moynihan and Pandey 2005; see also Lynn, Heinrich, and Hill 2001; although see Ingraham, Joyce, and Donahue 2003). This particular negligence of management on employees has become the main drawback and is affecting the organization performance a lot. The management should understand this effect of performance on organization turnover and proper steps are required to get rid of these activities. Lack of attention on workers may definitely affect the employee performance. A deep focus on relationship between management and workers is required to understand the few aspects like whether management is effecting the employee performance or employee performance is effecting the management. To concentrate more on this, the basic management activity like Human Resource can be considered, as it is the core functionalitys of any management (Daley 2005). Typical management activities include providing better workplace needs, recruiting right resources, training them to develop their skills and finally motivating and encouraging them in many aspects (Ingraham, Joyce, and Donahue 2003). In simple words Human Capital can be considered as biggest asset of any organization. Short Literature Review As per the previous discussion, Human Resource can be considered as the biggest asset of any organization and maintaining it effectively will always result a positive impact on both employee and organization performance (Ingraham, Joyce, and Donahue 2003;Daley 2005). According to Author, for better understanding of relationship between management and work outcomes, one should concentrate on the missing term i.e. Workers. Thus, in determining how management matters, the question becomes, what effect does management have on workers? In order answer these questions, author mainly concentrated on the effect of management on the turnover of street level. Turnover has a major role in building the organization performance. As per author, turnover is directly related to work satisfaction and this particular work satisfaction from workers side is essential for any organization for its effective operations and performance. Workers may not perform well and in some cases, they may leave the org anization, if the work or job satisfaction is not up to the level. All these factors make turnover as a bad thing for any organization and should be managed properly (Mobley 1982). Consequences and causes of Turnover As per author reviews, high turnover always poses a negative impact on organization performance (Meier and Hicklin 2008; Brill and McCartney 2008). Turnover has much importance, as it could be considered as the main factor that affects the costs in many aspects like lost recruiting, interviewing, training, and socialization investments (Mobley 1982). Apart from all these factors, turnover can also affect the morality of any company (Rainey 2003) and can cause a huge of scope of disturbance is in the smooth flow of the organization like social and communication platforms (Mobley 1982). Economy, inflation and labor force composition can be considered as external cause, that cant be controlled with in management. Several organization factors also effects the turnover and few of them are size of organization and each department, work pressures and salary (Mobley 1982). The compensation workers receive is a strong predictor of turnover (Mobley 1982; Moynihan and Pandey 2008; Selden and M oynihan 2000; Theobald 1990). Workers should be at a satisfaction level of their pay. This particular satisfaction can be measured with respective to their cost of living and the work place conditions. Even the fiscal resources of the organization affect the turnover. The fiscal resources of an organization matter because an organization with more resources is more likely to provide supplies, training, and other resources that better enable workers to do their jobs. Apart from these, there were many individual factors that effect the turnover and one among them is the work satisfaction (Nigro, Nigro, and Kellough 2007 ), for all these managers are responsible for building up the confidence levels and turnover too. Methodologies and drawbacks The basic methodology implemented by author is to study the relationship between management and workers and their total effect on the turnover. He has collected data from many aspects and concluded that middle level management poses a negative impact on the turnover. Turnover and Management Turnover is something that must be managed (Mobley 1982). The impact study of Human resource management can be considered as the best among the methodologies used by author to explain the turnover. HR management is directly related to job satisfaction and it strongly influences the organization performance (Mobley 1982; Riccucci 2005). In simple words, management can impact the job satisfaction, as mangers are the key persons who can make the workers not to dissatisfy (Riccucci 2005). Job satisfaction can be considered as a typical measurement factor, that how an organization body behaves and treats the employees (Mobley 1982; Morrell, Loan-Clarke, and Wilkinson 2001). Hiring the right persons, who can adjust to the organization environment and worker, is the primary task of any manager. Moreover, the support workers have from management (Parker 2002; Moynihan and Pandey 2008) also matters. Apart from HR management, budgeting also effects the job satisfaction of employees (Donahue et al. 2004). As per author methodology, there is a very tight relation between pay of the organization and turnover (Mobley 1982; Moynihan and Pandey 2008; Selden and Moynihan 2000; Theobald 1990). Managers are responsible here because, they were the key persons t decide the word on budgeting and many other aspects like distributing the available budget to several departments, employee salaries and reserves etc (Gulick 1937; Mintzberg 1979; Donahue et al. 2004). Drawbacks and un-answered questions on this methodology Author has given an excellent discussion, on the relationship between mangers and covered all important aspects of management activities. Apart from the positive aspects, there were many aspects author could not cover and few questions that were un-answered, and few of them are discussed below †¢ Author has missed to clearly explain the exact level of management that was affecting the turnover and job satisfaction. He always refers that it the responsibility of management, but no where he mentioned that middle level mangers are responsible and this does not fit as per the article title. †¢ Human resource management is directly focused in this article. Even there were many cases, where HR is not morally responsible for job satisfaction. The best example could be, even there exists a separate policy to motivation and job satisfaction, the attitude of any single employee can effect the entire division. †¢ There were no special case studies included, where the author can support that budgeting can effect the job satisfaction. Even a good budget can meet the requirements of workers. Multi-level management The second methodology considered by author is the important aspect and is Multi-level management. In a multinational organization, there could be always a scope for multi levels of management. At each level there are different managers with their own roles and responsibilities (Riccucci 2005; Lynn, Heinrich, and Hill 2001). Thus, to really determine if management affects workers, we need to look at managers at more than one level and their effect on street level bureaucrats. So, they can directly effect the salaries and the respective job satisfaction with respective to the pay outs. Organization goals are also set by top level management and as per first hypothesis of author â€Å"Hypothesis 1: Upper level managers will have an impact on turnover†. Apart from Upper level manger, middle level mangers are also responsible for many factors that directly affect the turnover. This is because; middle level mangers are the key persons, with whom the low level managers and workers are in contact (Mintzberg 1979; Barnard 1938). As middle level managers are close to workers, all the issues related to worker job satisfaction are directly influenced by middle level managers and thus author concludes his second hypothesis as â€Å"Hypothesis 2: Middle level managers will have an impact on turnover †. Drawbacks and un-answered questions on this methodology Author has justified the classification of levels in management in an organization and their respective impact on the job satisfaction and turnover. Apart from these, there were many points that were missed and few of them are highlighted below: †¢ Author could have classified the roles and responsibilities of different management levels, but failed to explain their respective level of impact on the overall job satisfaction. †¢ There was no percentages sort of things, like what percentage of upper management affects the turnover when compared to middle level management. †¢ Again the focus has been divided among upper and middle level mangers, but there is no special theory that could explain the view of author, that only middle level management has imposed negative effect on turnover. Organization size The third and most important methodology considered by author is the Organization size. Organization size badly affects the turnover of any organization and this is due to the reasons that big organizations are designed in a critical and more complicated manner (Rainey 2003). Considering all these reviews, author concludes that smaller organization pose more negative results on turnover when compared to larger organizations and came up with his third hypothesis on this as â€Å"Hypothesis 3: Management will have an impact on turnover in smaller organizations but not in larger organizations.† But when inner details are considered and also in ideal cases, even there exists many issues that effect the turnover with HR managers and this does not support the third hypothesis and author has came up with his fourth hypothesis as â€Å"Hypothesis 4a: In large organizations, upper level management will have an impact on turnover †. As already discusses by author, upper level ma nagers are always responsible in setting high level standards like budgeting and financial issues. But if a smaller organization is considered, both the upper level and middle level managers are responsible and author came up with newer version of his hypothesis as â€Å"Hypothesis 4b: In small organizations, upper level and middle level management will have an impact on turnover †. Drawbacks and un-answered questions on this methodology In this particular methodology, author has came with good hypothesis on the organization size and its relation with upper and middle level management, apart from these, there are many issues with his and few of them are discusses below †¢ As per author, organization size effects the turnover and here he could not explain the how the organization size is effecting the job satisfaction of employees. †¢ Author has mixed his hypothesis with the previous methodologies and could not justify the hypothesis as it was done in the previous case. †¢ Again upper level and middle level management were brought into picture, but no justification was done how, only middle level managers are responsible for turnover of employees. Review and critics on methodologies followed When the employee turnover does become complicated? Author could not to able to explain the intensity of effect caused by the employee turnover. As per the review of author, he could not explain the range of turnover tolerable in any organization. There were cases, where employee turnover can positively affect the organization performance and author could not cover the positive side of this article. (http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/turnover/empturnretent.htm) How to measure employee turnover? Author is successful in explaining the levels of management and their effect on turnover, but failed to explain the methodologies adopted to measure the employee turnover. The best way to measure this employee turnover is as below (Total number of leavers over period/Average total number employed over period) * 100 (http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/turnover/empturnretent.htm) Author could not justify the reasons for which the employees leaving the organization and special definition is derived for this. How employee turnover does effects the cost to organization? Author could not explain the effects of employee turnover on the cost perspective of any organization. As per this article, middle level mangers are posing negative employee turnover rates, and let us the actual ones as below The following are the cost terms to be measured †¢ recruiting costs †¢ training cost †¢ administrative costs †¢ induction costs If one can observe these cost factors, all these are related to middle level managers and at the same time, cost cutting activities are no where related to middle level management and directly related to upper level of mangers, as they are responsible for budgeting issues. Thus even HR activities and their impact on employee turnover are related to upper level management indirectly and could not justify the authors review discussion. (http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/turnover/empturnretent.htm) Why do people leave organization? Usually employees resign, to the job because of many reasons like getting a good offer and may be due to many personal reasons. All these are missing in authors discussion, where he just concentrated on the management defects. How to retain employees? Author is successful in explaining the bad affects of employee turnover, and failed to give methods to retain the employees. When coming to management side, even they are responsible to retain the employees and this part is completely missed in authors review of the article. (http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/turnover/empturnretent.htm) Lack of any survey reports Author has missed the practical implementation of things. He could have managed to explain the hypothesis derived by him, and failed to submit any practical reports on his discussions. The actual survey reports may not be in synch with authors discussion and few of them can be downloaded from the below referred URL (http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/hrpract/turnover/empturnretent.htm) How to prevent turnover? Author could not explain and suggest any preventive mechanisms for low employee turnover rate and few of them can be found under (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnover_(employment)) Arent Middle level managers employees in an organization? Author has concluded that middle level managers are more responsible for high employee turnover. Here, he has just failed to explain, if the job satisfaction of middle level mangers is low, even there are chances, where they may skip the organization and he could not suggested how upper level managers are responsible in retaining the middle level employees. Conclusion Employee turnover, which is rate of gaining or loosing the employees in an organization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnover_(employment)) has become major disadvantage for many organizations and there were many factors to cause this. The most important aspects to be considered are the management issues (Riccucci 2005). Different levels of organization have their own impact on employee turnover these days. As per discussion on the review part, it the middle level mangers, who effect the employee turnover of the organization. There were multi-level organization and each of them has their own standards to measure the turnover. Upper level management is responsible for high end activities like budgeting and designing organization size. Middle level management is mainly responsible for typical HR acts like hiring, training and development. The main focus is done middle level managers as per the title of the article, but fewer topics were covered to explain the same, as per author. Proper set of standards while hiring the employees can be the best solution for this situation. The quality in training and motivation to employees can stop them in jumping here and there. Good development opportunities and job satisfaction for employees can make middle level managers more confident in reducing their part in turnover aspects. If author could have covered inner details of management, this article could be the best. Author has given excellent justifications for many aspects like, level of management and organization size and their effect on turnover. All the methodologies covered by him are much qualitative approaches and could have suggested methods for less employee turnover rate. Examples could have helped for better understanding of the article. References Aldrich, Howard and Ellen R. Austere. 1986. â€Å"Even Dwarfs Started Small: Liabilities of Age and Size and Their Strategic Implications.† Research in Organizational Behavior 8: 165-198. Bamboo, Thomas, William R. Clark, and Matt Gilder. 2006. â€Å"Understanding Interaction Models: Improving Empirical Analyses.† Political Analysis 14: 63-82. Brewer, Gene A. and Sally Coleman Selden. 2000. â€Å"Why Elephants Gallop: Assessing and Predicting Organizational Performance in Federal Agencies.† Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 10(4): 685-711. Brill, Sam and Abby McCartney. 2008. â€Å"Stopping the Revolving Door: Increasing Teacher Retention.† Politics and Policy 36(5): 750-74. Daley, Dennis M. 2006. â€Å"Strategic Human Resources Management.† In Public Personnel Management: Current Concerns, Future Challenges, 4thed. Ed. Norma M. Riccucci. New York: Pearson Education. Donahue, Amy K., Willow S. Jacobson, Mark D. Robbins, Ellen V. Rubin, and Sally C. Selden. 2004. â€Å"Management and Performance Outcomes in State Government. † In The Art of Governance, Patricia W. Ingraham and Laurence E. Lynn, Eds. Georgetown University Press. Ehrenberg, Ronald G., Richard P. Chaykowski, and Randy A. Ehrenberg. 1988. â€Å"Determinants of the Compensation and Mobility of School Superintendents.† Industrial and Labor Relations Review 41: 386-401. Frederickson, H. George and Kevin B. Smith. 2003. The Public Administration Theory Primer. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Goerdel, Holly. 2006. â€Å"Taking Initiative: Proactive Management and Organizational Performance in Networked Environments.† Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 16(3): 351-67. Hayes, William. 2004. So You Want to be a Principal? Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. Ingraham, Patricia W., Philip G. Joyce, and Amy Kneedler Donahue. 2003. Government Performance: Why Management Matters. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Jencks, Christopher and Meredith Phillips. 1998. The Black-White Test Score Gap. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. Johansen, Morgen S. 2008. â€Å"Measuring Middle Manager Quality and Its Effect on Organizational Performance.† Paper presented at the Third Conference on Empirical Studies of Organizations and Public Management, College Station, TX, May 2-3. Meier, Kenneth J. and Alisa Hicklin. â€Å"Employee Turnover and Organizational Performance: Testing a Hypothesis from Classical Public Administration.† Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 18(4): 573-90. Meier, Kenneth J. and Laurence OToole, Jr. 2002. â€Å"Public Management and Organizational Performance: The Effect of Managerial Quality.† Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 21(4): 629-43. - 2001. â€Å"Managerial Strategies and Behavior in Networks: A Model with Evidence from U.S. Public Education.† Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 11(3): 271-93. Mobley, William H. 1982. Employee Turnover: Causes, Consequences, and Control. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Moynihan, Donald P. and Sanjay K. Pandey. 2008. â€Å"The Ties that Bind: Social Networks, Person-Organization Value Fit, and Turnover Intention.† Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 18(2): 205-228. Nigro, Lloyd, Felix Nigro, and J. Edward Kellough. 2007. The New Public Personnel Administration. 6thed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadwsorth. Parker, Victoria A. 2002. â€Å"Connecting Relational Work and Workgroup Context in Caregiving Organizations.† Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 38: 276-97. Rainey, Hal G. 2003. Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. 3rded. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Riccucci, Norma. 2005. How Management Matters: Street Level Bureaucrats and Welfare Reform. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Selden, Sally C. and Donald P. Moynihan. 2000. â€Å"A Model of Voluntary Turnover in State Government.† Review of Public Personnel Administration 20(2): 63-74. Theobald, Neil D. 1990. â€Å"An Examination of the Influence of Personal, Professional, and School District Characteristics on Public School Teacher Retention.† Economics of Education Review 9(3): 241-50.

Germany :: essays research papers

And in the midst of the Japan crisis there is Germany. Germany had no idea that they were really losing WWI. They finally found out by reading it in the paper and this caused great psychological shock. Their leaders had lied to them. Germany thought they had lost in an unfair fight. Nazi’s said that the Jews had stabbed them in the back. And they were humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles. In 1923 the currency was so inflated that it wiped out the savings of the middle class of Germany. They did recover some prosperity during 1923-1929 but the economy had not completely recovered. By the 1930s their economy had stabilized due to American loans. The Great Depression had really hit Germany hard. This is what gave Hitler is chance to move. He promised to restore jobs to Germans, which he did to some degree. Hitler was a Nazi. Nazi’s denounced communism, rejected democracy, believed in the right of the individual, and anti-seminitism (Jews were to blame for all the Germany’s problems). Germany had no universal knowledge. They said that there was only a German science and a German math. And that Physics was a Jewish discipline. Germany lost some of it’s leading physicists because of this view, and even today in 1999 they have never regained their stature in science. Hitler wanted to reunite all the German people. He wanted to restore Vokdeutsch. So he took over the Rhineland and Austria. Then he stepped into Sudetenland and that’s when problems began. He said that they were German and that it should be his land. Well, Chamberlain basically gives Sudetenland to Hitler because he thought it was a way to avoid war with him. But Hitler wants a war really bad. But March 15, 1939 Hitler takes over ALL of Czechoslovakia. This is a clear sign of aggression. But he didn’t want to fight a two front war, so on Aug 23, 1939 he signed a non-aggression pact with Joseph Stalin of Russia. This amazed the world because this was his biggest enemy. Well, this freed Hitler’s hands to make war in the east. And on Sept 1, 1939 German army invades Poland. Poland quickly falls to Hitler’s blitzkriegs. Well, Britain and France had given Poland sovereignty so they go to war with Germany. Well, Russia then moves in to Poland and basically splits it down the middle with Germany.

Agency Problem Essay

Financial Management (Agency problem) Prepared by: Sami Hassan Saeed Singabi August 2008 Introduction Economic science teaches us that due to their subjective needs, individuals have subjective preferences, and hence different interest. Occasionally different subjective interests give rise to conflicts of interest between contracting partners. These conflicts of interest may result in turn, in one or both parties undertaking actions that may be against the interest of the other contracting partner. The primary reason for the divergence of objectives between managers and shareholders has been attributed to separation of ownership (shareholders) and control (management) in corporations. As a consequence, agency problems or principal-agent conflicts exist in the firm. Agency theory deals with such problem. Agency theory is concerned with how these agency problems affect the form of the contract and how they can be minimized, in particular, when contracting parties are variously informed (or uncertain). Agency problem A problem arising from a conflict of interest between principals such as investors and agents acting for them, such as brokers or managers. Agency problem refers to a conflict of interest arising between creditors, shareholders and management because of differing goals. It exists due to problems in corporate governance. A typical problem is that of senior management of a company, who are charged with running the business in the interests of shareholders; choose instead to operate to maximize their own interests. A simple example is the hired anager who fills his pockets at shareholders’ expenses. For example, an agency problem exists when management and shareholders have conflicting ideas on how the company should be run. Agency problems that arise in a corporation have troubled economists for some time. There are a number of mechanisms that have been used to try and reduce these agency problems. Many of these mechanisms try to link the manager’s compensation to the per formance of the firm. Typical examples include performance shares, restricted stock grants, and executive stock options. This dissertation is an empirical study of whether the use of executive stock options has in fact reduced the agency problems between managers and stockholders. In this dissertation, two different testing methodologies are used to address the agency problem reduction issue. One methodology looks at some significant event such as a merger or divestiture to see if an executive’s holding of stock options affect what decisions are made. For example, do larger holdings of stock options motivate managers to take on riskier investments? By increasing the risk of the firm, managers can increase the value of the stock options. Another question of interest is whether in taking on risky investments; do executives increase the leverage of the firm? By increasing the leverage of the firm, the executive might increase the risk of the firm and thus the value of the option holdings. An agency relationship An agency relationship arises whenever one or more individuals, called principals, hire one or more other individuals, called agents, to perform some service and then delegate decision-making authority to the agents. The primary agency relationships in business are those :- (1) Between stockholders and managers and 2) Between debt holders and stockholders. These relationships are not necessarily harmonious; indeed, agency theory is concerned with so-called agency conflicts, or conflicts of interest between agents and principals. These relationships are not necessarily harmonious; indeed, agency theory is concerned with so-called agency conflicts, or conflicts of interest between agents and principals. Expansion increase potential agency problems, if you expanded to additional locations you could not physically be at all locations at the same time. Consequently, you would have to delegate decision-making authority to others. Creditors can protect themselves by: (1) Having the loan secured. (2) Placing restrictive covenants in debt agreements. (3) They charge a higher than normal interest rate to compensate for risk. Agency cost A type of internal cost that arises from, or must be paid to a manger acting on behalf of shareholders. Agency cost arises because of core problems such as conflicts of interest between share holders and management. Shareholders wish for management to run the company in away that increases shareholders value, but management may wish to grow the company in away that maximize their personal power and wealth that may not be in the best interest of shareholders. Agency costs are inevitable within an organization whenever shareholders are not completely in charge; the cost can usually be best spent on providing proper material incentives and moral incentives for agents to properly execute their duties, thereby aligning the interests of shareholders (owners) and agents. The principals (the shareholders) have to find ways of ensuring that their agents (the managers) act in their interests. This means incurring costs, ‘agency costs’, to (a) monitor managers’ behavior, and (b) create incentive schemes and control for managers to pursue shareholders’ wealth maximization. Various methods have been used to try to align the actions of senior management with the interests of shareholders, that is, to achieve ‘goal congruence’. Linking rewards to shareholder wealth improvements: Owners can grant directors and other senior managers share options. These ermit the managers to purchase shares at some date in the future at a price, which is fixed in the present. If the share price rises significantly between the dates when the option was granted and the date when the shares can be bought the manager can make a fortune by buying at the pre-arranged price and then selling in the market place. The managers under such a scheme have a clear interest in achieving a rise in share price and thus congruence comes about to some extent. An alternative method is to allot shares to managers if they achieve certain performance targets, for example, growth in earnings per share or return on shares. Sackings: The threat of being sacked with the accompanying humiliation and financial loss may encourage managers not to diverge too far from the shareholders’ wealth path. However this method is seldom used because it is often difficult to implement due to difficulties of making a coordinated shareholder effort. Selling shares threat and the take- over: Most of the large shareholders (especially institutional investors) of quoted companies are not prepared to put large resources into monitoring and controlling all the firms of which they own a part. Quite often their first response, if they observe that management is not acting in what they regard as their best interest, is to sell the share rather than intervene. This will result in a lower share price, making the raising of funds more difficult. If this process continues the firm may become vulnerable to a merger bid by another group of managers, resulting in a loss of top management posts. Fear of being taken over can establish some sort of backstop position to prevent shareholder wealth considerations being totally ignored. Corporate governance regulations: There is a considerable range of legislation and other regulatory pressures (e. g. the Companies Act) designed to encourage directors to act in shareholders’ interests. Within these regulations for example, the board of directors is not to be dominated by a single individual acting as both the chairman and chief executive. Also independently minded non-executive directors should have more power to represent shareholder interests; in particular, they should predominate in decisions connected with directors’ remuneration and auditing of firm’s accounts. Information flow: The accounting profession, the stock exchange, the regulating agencies and the investing public are continuously conducting a battle to encourage or force firms to release more accurate, timely and detailed information concerning their operations. An improved quality of corporate accounts, annual reports and the availability of other forms of information flowing to investors and analysts such as company briefings and press announcements help to monitor firms, and identify any wealth-destroying actions by wayward managers early. Conclusion Diffuse ownership of publicly held companies reduces the owners’ ability to monitor managers because they would have to bear the full monitoring costs while gaining only a small marginal benefit. Managers may therefore act to maximize their wealth through personal use of corporate assets, stock manipulation and sub optimal decisions at the owners’ expense. Thus agency theory practical mechanism is weak, because it is unable to provide practical conclusions with regard to agency problems. References: 1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. htm 2. www. referenceforbusiness. com 3. Financial-dictionary. The free dictionary. com

A Guide to Caring for Pet Millipedes

If youve never cared for an arthropod pet before, a millipede is a good first choice. Millipedes are herbivorous, so they are easy and inexpensive to feed. Theyre fairly low maintenance pets and can be handled even by young children, with supervision, of course. Many pet stores sell African giant millipedes, which grow to 10 inches or more in length. You can also try keeping millipedes you collect in the wild, but keep in mind that brightly colored millipedes usually secrete hydrogen cyanide, which can cause an unpleasant burning sensation on sensitive skin. Things You Should Know About Keeping Pet Millipedes Before bringing home any live animal, its important to know what to expect. Does a millipede require a lot of care? Can you keep more than one in the same enclosure? Do they bite or sting? Though pet millipedes are a good choice in most circumstances, you should weigh the pros and cons of keeping them before you bring one home. Choosing a Millipede at the Pet Store As with any pet, its important to choose a healthy individual. In general, millipedes have few health issues, and youre unlikely to find sickly millipedes at your local pet store. Still, its good to know how to recognize an unhealthy millipede before you make a purchase, so you can avoid problems once you bring one home. Housing Your Pet Millipede The key to caring for millipedes successfully is to provide them with the appropriate habitat. Millipedes require ample floor space, while the height of the terrarium is less important. You can use a number of different materials for the substrate. An appropriate water source for your millipede is important as well. Maintaining the Proper Environment for Your Pet Millipede Most large millipedes you can purchase from pet stores or science catalogs come from the tropics. They require a higher temperature and humidity level than other arthropods commonly kept as pets. All pet millipedes need adequate moisture, which means you must use a proper substrate and mist the terrarium regularly. Feeding Your Pet Millipede The herbivorous millipede will happily munch on almost any fruit or vegetable you offer, although they do have favorites. They also require calcium in their diets in order to molt and grow properly. Youll need to know how to prepare their food, how to supplement their diet with calcium, and how often to feed them. Handling Your Pet Millipede Even a millipede can feel nervous! You should always strive to keep your millipede feeling secure and comfortable, even when you are handling it. Its also important to know how millipedes defend themselves, in the event your pet millipede does feel threatened in your hands.

Auditory, Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Styles

One way to be truly successful in the classroom is to wrap your head around the three different learning styles according to Flemings VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) model. If you know how you learn best, you can use specific methods to retain what you learn in class. Different learning styles require varied methods to keep you motivated and successful in the classroom. Here is a bit more about each of the three learning styles.   Visual Fleming states that visual learners have a preference for seeing the material in order to learn it. Strengths of the visual learner:  Instinctively follows directionsCan easily visualize objectsHas a great sense of balance and alignmentIs an excellent organizerBest ways to learn:  Studying notes on overhead slides, whiteboards, Smartboards, PowerPoint presentations, etc.Reading diagrams and handoutsFollowing a distributed study guideReading from a textbookStudying alone Auditory With this  learning style, students have to hear information to truly absorb it. Strengths of the auditory learner:Understanding subtle changes in tone in a persons voiceWriting responses to lecturesOral examsStory-tellingSolving difficult problemsWorking in groupsBest ways to learn:Participating vocally in classMaking recordings of class notes and listening to themReading assignments out loudStudying with a partner or group Kinesthetic Kinesthetic learners tend to want to move while learning. Strengths of the kinesthetic learner:Great hand-eye coordinationQuick receptionExcellent experimentersGood at sports, art, and dramaHigh levels of energyBest ways to learn:Conducting experiments  Acting out a playStudying while standing or movingDoodling during lecturesStudying while performing an athletic activity like bouncing a ball or shooting hoops Generally, students tend to favor one learning style more than another, but most people are a mix of two or maybe even three different styles. So, teachers, make sure youre creating a classroom that can engage any type of learner. And students, use your strengths so you can be the most successful student you can be.

Lady Macbeth as the Driving Force Behind the Murder of...

Lady Macbeth as the Driving Force Behind the Murder of Duncan in William Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth is a very exciting play containing all kinds of plots and murders. Many of the characters deceive one another in some form, and are generally very treacherous. Two of the most dangerous characters in the play are Lady Macbeth and her husband, Macbeth. Together they commit a most dreadful crime by killing the King; Duncan. It is for this reason that it is difficult to determine if Lady Macbeth is the real driving force as they each do their own part in committing the crime. Lady Macbeth prepares and directs the plan, encouraging Macbeth to go through with it. Macbeth does the actual murdering; he†¦show more content†¦She was delighted to hear what the witches foretold and started analysing the possibilities that lay before them. She immediately thinks of Macbeth’s capability towards committing a crime, and suggests that she has no intention of gaining the crown the fair and honest way. â€Å"yet I do fear thy nature, It is too full o’th’milk o f human kindness† This shows that Lady Macbeth knows Macbeth very well and that she thinks he will need to be persuaded to kill Duncan, as he is too kind hearted to commit such a horrendous crime. Because of this statement, it is interesting to see what she says to him, as it is clear that she would have planned this too. This portrays Lady Macbeth as very cunning and devious, maybe more so than Macbeth. After Lady Macbeth hears news of Macbeth coming back she panics slightly and a sudden rush of planning comes over her. She realises that she must put into affect her plan and asks for the spirits to â€Å"unsex† her and give her the strength to be evil. There is no doubt in her mind that what she wishes to do is very evil as she then asks for the night to cover her tracks and for her not to be found out, â€Å"my knife see not the wound it makes†. Here Lady Macbeth refers to the murder as her knife. This could show that she was intending to murder Duncan herself; however this cannot be as she would not need Macbeth, so therefore itShow MoreRelatedLady Macbeth Ambition Essay1029 Words   |  5 PagesLady Macbeths own abition is the real driving force behind Macbeths actions Discuss In play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most dominant and frightening female characters, known for her ambitious nature. As Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. ThoughRead More Butcher and His Fiend Like Queen in William Shakespeares Macbeth1034 Words   |  5 PagesFiend Like Queen in William Shakespeares Macbeth I do agree with this judgement of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, but only in some aspects of the play by William Shakespeare. There are many arguments for this judgement; these will be discussed in this essay. In act one scene two Macbeth is portrayed as a heartless, merciless and brutal warrior. We get this impression of Macbeth from the report that is given to King Duncan by the captain; For brave Macbeth (well he deservesRead MoreEssay about Driving Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth1433 Words   |  6 Pagesto strive towards achievement or distinction. On the contrary, driving ambition is the outright desire to achieve a certain goal, regardless of any possible consequences. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, driving ambition caused Macbeth and his wife to murder King Duncan because of their desire for power. In an attempt to retain his power Macbeth also murdered Banquo and Macduff’s family. Through both of these cruel actions, Macbeth and his wife displayed that they are not concerned about the costRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth, also known as The Scottish Play is one of the most distinguished1500 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth, also known as The Scottish Play is one of the most distinguished pieces of literature ever created in history. Written in the early 1600’s, this play embellished tragedy touching upon themes such as death, fat e, war, and power. Characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth became iconic and often imitated in theatrical work. Today, Macbeth still reigns supreme throughout the globe, and known to be on of Shakespeare’s many treasures. The production has been put on worldRead MoreGender And Gender Roles In Macbeth By William Shakespeare1043 Words   |  5 PagesIn Macbeth by William Shakespeare, gender plays a pivotal role in the development of the overall plot and as the play advances, certain characters, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience a reversal in traditional gender behaviors. Additionally, we see gender confusion among other characters that enhances conflict in the play. Originally, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed in ways that enforce their respective masculinity and feminism in accordance to the society around them. As MacbethRead MoreEssay on Macbeths Murder of Duncan in William Shakespeares Macbeth669 Words   |  3 PagesMacbeths Murder of Duncan in Will iam Shakespeares Macbeth Various different influences act upon Macbeth causing him to murder Duncan. The main ones are his ambition, his wife and the witches. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a brave warrior, described as noble and valiant, who knows his place and is a loyal servant to the king. Then a small seed planted in his very fertile head, grows very quickly. In other words, Macbeth has a hidden desire deep inside, Read MoreEssay On Corruption In Macbeth1109 Words   |  5 Pagesthis theme is William Shakespeares Macbeth. The play Macbeth follows Macbeth, a brave warrior as he gains power from his deeds both good and bad. By killing the Duncan, the former king, Macbeth rises to power and takes control of his country. With every bit of power that the Macbeth’s gain, they become more and more corrupt. Simply learning about the possibility of power, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin thinking and acting with corruption. The first thoughts of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after learningRead MoreMacbeth as a Tragic Hero in William Shakespeares Play Essay935 Words   |  4 PagesMacbeth as a Tragic Hero in William Shakespeares Play The play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare charts the rise and fall of the Scottish general Macbeth, through a tale of treachery, deceit and death. First performed in 1606 ‘Macbeth’ is inspired by a story of the Scottish monarchy. A tragic hero is one who at the outset is not wholly good or bad but has a character fault that causes them to make tragic mistakes resulting in their eventual downfall. ‘Macbeth’ is a renaissanceRead MoreMacbeth Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesCorradi ENG 3UE-01 Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 The Demise of Noble Macbeth Credited as one of William Shakespeare’s bloodiest and darkest works, The Tragedy of Macbeth is an emotionally tense, gripping play about loyalty, betrayal and ambition. Blinded by his vaulting ambition and encouraged by his wife, Macbeth attempted to remove the obstacles preventing him from being king; these obstacles happened to be other characters in the play. Macbeth accepted the prophecies of witches as a guide for what wouldRead MoreMacbeth as a Tragic Hero985 Words   |  4 Pages In William shakespeare’s Macbeth,Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero in shakesperean work.Macbeth display the major characteristics of a tragic hero throughout the play until his tragic end.The play potrays Macbeth as a lost cause by showing how he fell from being a honest and just man who fought for whats right, to a cruel,superstitious,ambicious dictator.In william shakespreares Macbeth,Macbeth is a tragic hero because he compromises his honor and negates his moral values in order

Liberal Arts and the Advantages of Being Useless Essay Example For Students

Liberal Arts and the Advantages of Being Useless Essay The oil in the lamp burns itself, The cinnamon tree is edible, so it is cut down The varnish tree is useful so it is cut apart, All know the advantage of being useful, but no one knows the advantage of being useless. (364-230 BCC), Gazing, Transactions in the World of Men When we are young, its easy to figure out vat to do next. At least, that Vass my experience. In high school, knew what was going to do after each school day: sports practice (I was a sock), then eat, then watch some TV, then sleep. And I knew what was going to do after high school graduation: go to college. And I knew What was going to do after each school day again: go to work (I was poor), then eat, then watch some TV, then sleep. Even knew what I was going to do after college graduation: go to graduate school. Of course, ended my undergraduate schooling with a philosophy degree. So it wasnt much of a surprise to anyone that went to graduate school. After all, what else was I going o do with a philosophy degree? Law school, maybe. But anyone who knew me also knew I didnt have a penchant for layering. And everyone knew I also had no desire to flip burgers or deliver pizzas, It seems my hand was pretty much forced: graduate school or bust. Liberal Arts, and the Advantages to Being Useless 2 Lucky for me got admitted to a graduate program. Thinness, who knows might still be unemployed, or stuck flipping burgers like all the other philosophy majors who dont go to graduate school. I mean, if theres any college major thats totally useless, its got to be Philosophy! Of course, I dont mean to be biased toward Philosophy. There are lots of useless college majors: History, English, Music, Sociology pretty much the entire repertoire of Liberal Arts bet there are some of you who disagree, who think Liberal Arts degrees arent useless. Youre wrong. Also bet that, among those Of you who agree, who think Liberal Arts degrees are useless, youre prong about why they are useless. One Of my goals, accordingly, is to explain Why Liberal Arts degrees really are useless and why people are right to say so. But dont want to BEA Negative Ned. Want to give you something positive. o I have two Other goals. Im going to tell you what the Liberal Arts are whats so liberal about them, and why theyre arts. This is going to support my explanation of why Liberal Arts degrees are useless: and its also going to help with a third goal Because Im going to convince you that the uselessness of Liberal Arts degrees is advantageous. Im going to argue that people who major or minor in a liberal arts discipline are better off than people who dont. And Im going to argue that these people are better off precisely because Liberal Arts degrees are useless. 2 What Are YOU Going TO DO With That Degree? Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good. seems different in different actions and arts; it is different in medicine, in strategy, and in the other arts likewise. What then is the good Of each? Surely that for Whose sake everything else is done. In medicine this is health, in strategy victory, in architecture a house, and in any other sphere something else, and in every action and pursuit the end. [Aristotle) (384-332 BCC), Mechanical Ethics Book I Probably one of the most useless people in the history of the world is an ancient Greek guy by the name of Aristotle. Even though he initiated many of our modern scientific disciplines biology, zoology, psychology, and 50 on he sucked at being a scientist. Pretty much every theory he ever proposed has turned out to be false, bla me Aristotle teacher, Plato, getter yet, I blame Plats teacher, Socrates. Socrates is the only philosopher to make a guest appearance in Bill Tees Excellent Adventure. He earned a reputation among Athenians for asking people all sorts of annoying questions Socrates was so annoying that he was nicknamed the gadfly of Athens, and he was 50 good at being an annoying daffy that he got himself executed for annoying everyone. Aristotle was no different well, he didnt quite get himself executed (he wasnt that annoying); but he was very fond of asking people questions. Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being useless 3 Among his many intellectual pursuits, Aristotle liked to ask people whether they were doing anything useful With their lives. This is pretty ironic, since Aristotle was doing philosophy with his life and philosophy, many people tell me, is more useless than just about anything else. Taut lets set aside the irony. Aristotle had a method. He thought that a good way to figure out whether an activity was useful was to ask people why they were doing it: if the goal of the activity was worthwhile, and the activity really was a way to achieve that goal, this would be good evidence that the activity itself was useful. Heres an example. Want to know whether furniture-making is useful? Ask people what the goal of furniture- making is. Obviously, to make furniture. Dont care about having furniture? Well, then, furniture-making is pretty useless. Heres another, Want to know whether medicine is useful? Ask people what the goal to medicine is. Most will say, to make people healthy, Care about health? Think that medicine really is a way to make people healthy? If so, medicine is pretty useful. If not, I guess you may as well do philosophy. This is all pretty abstract to some people. When I teach Aristotle in my Introduction to Philosophy course, like to have them apply Aristotle method to their lives as college students (This is called making the course relevant to students. ) So ask them whether their college education is useful in any way, I start with their Introduction to Philosophy class. Ask, Why are you in this class? They typically answer, Because it satisfies a General Education requirement for my degree. Since not every class satisfies a General Education requirement, I ask something more general. I ask, Why do you want a college degree? The standard answer is: TO get a good job. And since have serious doubts that students are in college just to be able to work, ask: Why do you want a good job? The standard answer is economic: Because I want to make good money. Now were getting somewhere. This is an incredibly popular reason people give for pursuing a college degree. In 201 1, a poll by Gallup found hat 50% of people want a college degree in order to earn more money. The poll also found that want a degree in order to get a good job. Few, very reasonably, assume that good jobs are jobs that pay well, it seems that about of people in college agree: the goal of a college education is making good money. Supposing that my students are pursuing their college degree for the sake of making good money, I ask them how their degree is going to help them achieve this goal, If their major is something in Business Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Management the ans wer is pretty easy: Im owing to get a job in , Good answer; these jobs (CPA Money Market Manager) make good money. Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being useless 4 If their major is Nursing, the answer is also pretty easy: Im going to get a job in Nursing Another good answer; nursing jobs (Pediatrics Nurse, nurse in Huntsville Hospital ERR) make good money. If their major is something in Engineering - Chemical Material, Civil Environmental, Electrical Computer, Industrial Systems, Mechanical Aerospace the answer is, once again, easy: Im going to get a job in Yet another good answer; engineering jobs (at NASA, s Product Designer at an RD company) are some of the highest paying jobs there are. If their major is something in Science Atmospheric Science, Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry. Computer Science, Earth Systems, Materials Science, Mathematics, Modeling Simulation, Optics, Physics, Software Engineering the answer is a bit more complex, but still relatively easy: Im going to get a science- related job. The job area might be harder to name, but the students are pretty confident that the jobs exist nonetheless. And, whatever these jobs are, certainly they pay good money. Every once in a while, of course, a few students will be pursuing a major in Liberal Arts Art Art History, Classics, Communications, Education, English, Foreign Languages, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Compared to majors in other Colleges, far more Liberal Arts degrees lack an obvious answer regarding how possessing that degree will help one make good money. I mean, what jobs are there in History, or English, or Philosophy, or Sociology? There are teaching jobs, sure. After all, teaching is what I did with my degree. But nobody seriously thinks that teaching is a way to earn good money. If anything, teaching is for people who cant make good money Whence the adage: those who can, do; those who cant, teach. In some rare cases, like Communications or Art, people can answer: Im going to get a job in But doubt anyone really thinks that these jobs (Journalist, Web Designer) are Vass to make good money. This is a serious problem for Liberal Arts majors. When someone asks, What are you going to do with a Liberal Arts degree? , seems that the answer has to be either Im going to teach or l have no idea. Neither answer inspires very much confidence that the Liberal Arts degree is a way to make good money. Whence the joke: The Science major asks, Why does it work? The Engineering major asks, HOW does it work? The Business major asks, How much does it cost? The Liberal Arts major asks, Would you like fries With that? Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being Useless 5 If a degree doesnt make a person good money, then, if were following Aristotle method, it follows that a Liberal Arts degree is pretty useless. 3 Why Liberal Arts Degrees are Useless A Lame Explanation The thought experiment for applying Aristotle method to the life of a typical college student is pretty fun. Bradstreet Feminism EssayCadenced, CAPE CHIC, LESS (De. ), Captivity: The Extreme Circumstance (United States Navy: 2001) People means lots Of different things When they characterize something as liberal: leafleting politically, as in liberal Democrat: free or generous in giving, as in liberal philanthropist; a large or copious amount, as in liberal dinner serving. But the Liberal Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being useless 9 Arts arent liberal in any of these senses. Instead, theyre liberal in a sense that dates back to the fourth century Algerian philosopher Augustine: liberal: worthy of or suitable for a free person, An art is liberal, in this sense, when it prepares a person to be an active and responsible citizen, capable to participating articulately and reasonably in civic and political activities, In a pluralistic democracy like ours, where a multiplicity of cultures and beliefs sustains deep and persistent disagreements, active and responsible citizenship demands: proficiency and patience for hearing others on their own terms, wisdom and compassion for fairly weighing and critically evaluating competing priorities, clarity and gracefulness for communicating and reasoning with those who do not share ones beliefs and values, as bevel as creativity and imagination in searches for compromise. People who study the Liberal Arts acquire these capacities Consider, for example, five disciplines in Shahs College of Liberal Arts (my home institution), and some information about those disciplines Ive taken from departmental homepages. Art Art History. The goal of studying Art Art History is the ability to understand the forms, concepts, methods, and records Of human visual expression. Achieving this goal fosters creativity, confidence, self-discipline, and individuality. Language Literature. The goal Of studying Language Literature is the ability to understand, conceptualize, interpret, and create literature. Achieving this goal fosters intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and eating, linguistic proficiency, awareness of alternative ways of life, as well as clear, graceful, persuasive writing and speaking. History. The goal of studying History is the ability to understand past cultures as well as social and political developments through time. Achieving this goal fosters skills for crafting narratives, weighing conflicting interpretations, explaining and identifying trends, and discerning between the important and the inconsequential. Music. The goal of studying Music is the ability to understand, appreciate, and enact the artistic and communicative values to music. Achieving this goal fosters an integration f physical capacities (such as instrument technique), emotional expression (such as musical performance), and intellectual abstraction (such as reading the structure and notation of musical language). Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being Useless 10 Philosophy. The goal of studying Philosophy is the ability to understand and evaluate assumptions that structure the range of human experiences. Achieving this goal fosters skills for articulating assumptions, evaluating assumptions and reasoning, proposing and defending alternatives, and explaining ideas and principles to Others. The goals one aims to achieve in pursuing a Liberal Arts degree transcend the particular content of those degrees; they are goals Which ought to be achieved by any active and responsible citizen. For example, understanding records of human visual expression is relevant not only to appreciating works of art but also to engaging critically with visual methods of political communication. Likewise, interpreting and conceptualizing literature is relevant not only to reading books but also to engaging critically with written forms of political communication and people with diverse cultural backgrounds; understanding coloratura dynamics is relevant not only to knowing our past UT also to assessing proposals about how to move forward as a society; and understanding and evaluating assumptions is relevant not only to reading and writing about esoteric philosophical texts but also to assessing critically political ideologies. Furthermore, the skills one develops while pursuing a Liberal Arts degree are skills worthy of and appropriate to free citizens. They foster development of ones personal identity as well as development of ones identity within a political community, Exposure to people and traditions with different beliefs and value priorities enhances awareness of the assumptions, priorities, ND possibilities accepted by oneself and ones culture. Such exposure also encourages a sense of wonder and amazement; it enables one to think clearly, comprehensively, and compassionately about public goods and the relation of ones political community to the wider world; and it develops capacities for succeeding in leadership roles. Am reminded off Winnie the Pooh-inspired poem about making ones way in life: How can you get very far, If you dont know Who You Are? How can you do what you ought, layoff dont know What Youve Got? And if you dont know Which TO DO Of all the things in front Of you, Then what youll have when you are through Is just a mess without a clue Of all the best that can come true If you know What and Which and Who. Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh, Costless Pie (1982) These consequences of pursuing a Liberal Arts degree do not occur, except by accident, in the pursuit of more technical or vocational degrees. For example, the goal of Engineering is to understand an array of engineering principles and methods, and pursuing this goal fosters specialized skills for engineering applications and, perhaps, Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being Useless 11 for improving the world in planned ways. The goal of Nursing is to understand an array to nursing principles and methods, and pursuing this goal fosters skills for therapeutic interventions, disease prevention, and health promotion - and, perhaps, for caring about others. The goal of Business is to acquire knowledge of various business theories and practices, and pursuing this goal fosters skills specialized skills for business applications and, perhaps, for making money. Yet, despite the value of these goals and skills, achieving the goals is not necessary for being an active and responsible citizen, and the skills do not foster the placement Of, or insight into, ones personal or political identity. Why Liberal Arts Majors/Minors Are Better Off You have noticed, hope, that man is only an amateur animal; all the others are professionals. They have no leisure and do not desire it. When the cow has finished eating she chews the cud; when she has finished chewing she sleeps; when she has finished sleeping she eats again. She is a machine for turning grass into calves and milk in other words, for producing more cows. C. S. Lewis, Our English Syllabus, Rehabilitations and Other Essays (1939) Technical and vocational disciplines Engineering Nursing, Business make people useful to others for specialized purposes; but they do not make people better citizens. Nor should they. When ones primary aim is to acquire a specialized knowledge-base and skill-set, abilities associated with active and responsible citizenship are at best accidental side effects, at worst irrelevant distractions, For example, an engineering student might, as a result of working on a project about how to improve the living conditions of impoverished citizens, acquire some insight into and compassion towards the lives of poor people; UT this insight and compassion is largely irrelevant to completing the project. A business student might, as a result of studying penal incentives in a game theoretic framework, acquire a critical attitude toward the ways in which public laws adversely and disproportionately affect minorities; but this attitude is largely irrelevant to developing a good game theoretic model. And a nursing student might, as a result of interning at a local hospital, acquire compassion for others and respect for people from different backgrounds; but these outcomes are largely irrelevant to competence in administering health care. Liberal Arts disciplines, in contrast, make people better citizens: but they do not make people useful to Others for any particular purpose. Nor should they. When ones primary aim is to think clearly, comprehensively, and compassionately about ones self and ones community, knowledge and skills associated With particular vocations or professions are at best one means among many others for understanding society, at worst irrelevant distractions. It should come as no surprise, then, that Liberal Arts degrees are useless. Their names do not readily suggest what one is able to do with them, because the ultimate aim of a Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being Useless 12 Liberal Arts degree is not to make its holder useful to others tort some particular purpose, That said, there is a sense in which people with a Liberal Arts degree, or at least some background in Liberal Arts, are better off than people without. People with a Liberal Arts degree have extensive and focused training for reading with comprehension, reasoning properly, communicating creatively and effectively, exploring possibilities, interpreting and assessing, incorporating and weighing different perspectives, and sustaining intellectual curiosity. They evolve these skills while completing their course work. There is also good evidence that employers especially in the business sector find these skills to be valuable, so much so that employers often express a preference for people with these skills rather than more specialized skills the thought being, I assume, that a short training program Will suffice to impart the more specialized skills. Consider this anecdote from Tom Gillis, writing for Forbes magazine: In the coming decades, success Will be defined by the ability to understand the complex problems that customers face, and the ability to solve these problems elegantly. Technology development is important, as is finance, manufacturing, and distribution. But these areas are not core competencies for the industry leaders. The next billion-dollar company will be run by history majors who are skilled in wading through a massive jumble of facts and who have the ability to distill these facts down to a clear set of objectives that a global team can fulfill.