Motivation Essay Example for Free

Motivation Essay 1. Define and discuss motivation. Which theory of motivation offers the best chance, if handled properly, of increasing productivity in your workplace? Motivation can be described as a process that accounts for an individuals intensity, direction and persisitence of efforts towards attaining a goal (Robbins, 2004). While general motivation is concerned with motivation towards the achievement of any goal, this paper will be discussing motivation in relation to organizational goals, as the focus is on work related behavior (Robbins, 2004). With regards to the definition, there are 3 key elements related to motivation. Intensity is concerned with how hard a person tries to achieve a goal. But in order for intensity to trnaslate into better performance it has to be channeled in the right direction. So, the quality of the intensity is very essential. Persistence is another dimension to motivation. It is a measure of how long a person can maintain his or her efforts. There have been numerous theories on motivation, devised and tested multiple times. But the theory I find most relevant and important to a workplace, the work be of any nature, is the expectacy theory, put forward by Victor Vroom (Robbins, 2004). Expectancy theory focuses on three main relationships. The effort-performance relationship, performance-reward relationship and the reward-personal goal relationship. In more practical terms, expectancy theory says that when an employee puts in effort o his job it is partly because he believes his effort will translate into better performance, but this performance alone would be useless to him, until and unless there are obvious benefits attached to better performance, i.e. rewards. These rewrds may be monetary or non-monetary and may vary from a promotion or pay increment to a pat on the back from the boss and a word or two of appreciation from the supervisor. This would motivate the workforce, as every individual will perceive that with this job he would be able accomplish his personal goals. 2. Define and discuss leadership. Which style is presently used in your own workplace? Which style is needed, or which style do you believe should be used to increase productivity? Leadership theories have great applications in business settings. For example, some organizations look for leadership traits when choosing a candidate for a leadership position.   Most organizations that we normally encounter look for specific personality traits of individuals such as their openness to experience, social behavior, extraversion etc. These are the traits that are associated with good leaders. Extraversion is a trait that is mostly associated with leadership emergence because extraverted people are quick to establish contacts, have usually good communication skills and are emotionally aware of others. Similarly, openness to experience is a good indicator of a leader’s ability to encounter and deal with new situations. Contemporary theories of leadership such as Charismatic leadership and Transformational leadership fit very well in the dynamic situation of the contemporary world. Contemporary leadership theories view leaders as individuals who inspire their followers through their words, ideas and behaviors. And this is so true of today’s successful leaders (Kotter, 1995).   Charismatic leadership theory can be applied to leaders such as New York mayor Rudy Guiliani, African President Nelson Mandela, and African-American leader Martin Luther King. Through his rhetoric, Martin Luther king was able to consolidate the civil rights movement and became one of the most inspiring leaders (Kotter, 1995). Contemporary leadership theories are forward looking as they emphasize on leader’s vision. A clear vision is described as one of the qualities of charismatic leaders because it is their vision that binds their followers and becomes the impetus for change. Moreover, contemporary leadership theories put emphasis on leader-follower relationship as in Leader Exchange Theory (Robbins, 2004). As employees become more empowered, leader-follower relationship becomes even more important and contemporary leadership theories provide valuable information in this regard. So, in essence, leadership has a huge role to play when it comes to the employees’ attitude towards work. Because, if a leader can inspire and motivate his or her followers, it may help bring out a more positive attitude from them, and ultimately this would have a positive impact on the productivity of the company.

Free Essays on Homers Odyssey: Death and Rebirth :: Odyssey essays

Odyssey Death and Rebirth in the Odyssey The Odyssey, by Homer, is a classical piece of Greek literature. Throughout The Odyssey, the Blind Bard makes use of many literary techniques in order to lend meaning to the poem beyond its existence as a work of historic fiction and aid his readers in the comprehension of the tale. One of these techniques is the use of motifs. A motif is a recurring theme that is used throughout the work. In The Odyssey, Homer makes use of many motifs including eating/drinking, Odysseus's anger, bathing, and disguise, just to name a few. However, perhaps the most important of Homer's motifs is the symbolic death and rebirth theme. This motif is used throughout The Odyssey to emphasize the growth and enlightenment of the characters. The first example of this motif occurs with Telemachos early in the text. Telemachos, in book I, is visited by the goddess Athena in disguise. In their conversation, Telemachos reveals the pain and suffering that he is experiencing as a result of living without knowing the status of his father, fearing that he is dead. ". . . and he left pain and lamentation to me. Nor is it for him alone that I grieve in my pain now (The Odyssey, Latimore, I. 242-3)." Symbolically, at this point in the text, Telemachos is dead. He is willing to take no action to save his home from the suitors or take any initiative to determine the status of his missing father. However, his symbolic death is not without a rebirth. Athene, disguised as Mentes, brings Telemachos back to life. She convinces him that he must take action to preserve his household and determine the fate of his father. This prompts Telemachos to take over his father's role in the household and journey forward to gather information about his missing father. His rebirth is further carried out in the story when he is reunited with his father; together, the two act to regain control of their household from the derelict suitors. The next example of the death and rebirth motif occurs with our introduction to the story's main character and hero, Odysseus. Homer introduces Odysseus on the Kalypso's island. On a purely literal level, Odysseus's stay with Kalypso

Lost in the labyrinth Essay

Emily is sitting in the park thinking about the argument she had just had with her mum and how she didn’t mean anything she had said to her. She all of a sudden realised the time â€Å"oh no I’m ten minutes late now mum will be even more annoyed with me† she says. Emily quickly starts to run home trying not to run into people or things. She arrived home but to her amazement there isn’t an angry mum waiting to tell her off at the front door. â€Å"Mum† Emily shouts â€Å"mum† but there was no reply so she shouts again â€Å"mum are you there†. Emily starts to look around the house but she can’t find her anywhere â€Å"ok then if she’s not here there will be a note† thinks Emily. So she begins looking for a note but there isn’t one anywhere. Emily then spots something on the floor â€Å"what’s this† says Emily. To her surprise it was her favourite book on the floor â€Å"I’m sure I didn’t leave this here† says Emily confusedly. Emily picks up the book and looks at the open page and there was her mum in the picture on the page and in shock she drops the book on the floor. Then Emily remembered the story in her book about the pixie king who desperately wanted a wife and who had a secret labyrinth. Emily starts crying and mutters to her self â€Å"why my mum out of all the people he could pick why my mum. When she had finished crying she turned around and there was the pixie king staring at her and laughing. â€Å"What have you done with my mum?† she cries. â€Å"If you really want to know ill take you there just close your eyes† says the pixie king. Emily closes her eyes. Emily opens her eyes and finds her self in a dusty field where all the grass is dead and in the distance she spots at the entrance of a labyrinth. The pixie kind returns and says â€Å"your mum will be turned in to my wife and will forget you and everything unless you get there in time which you wont,† laughs the pixie king. The pixie king vanishes â€Å"well how hard can it be† says the pixie king. The pixie kin g then reappears and says â€Å"oh and one last thing you have till 12:00 to get to my castle and give your mum this apple it will be too late†. Emily take the apple he gives her and as soon as she takes it he vanishes. â€Å"First I need to get to the labyrinth,† thinks Emily and she starts her walk to the labyrinth. Finally Emily arrives at the gates of the labyrinth â€Å"well this is it† Emily says worriedly and with a big deep breath Emily enters. Emily gives a sigh of relief â€Å"this isn’t so bad† Emily says. The labyrinth is brightly a colour and everywhere she looks there is different types of berries. â€Å"Yum just what I need† Emily says in delight. She reaches out for some strawberries. â€Å"NO NO NO don’t eat them do you have no common sense† says a voice from no where â€Å"Hello who said that† shouts Emily. Out of nowhere a pink and purple butterfly appears and says â€Å"it was me† â€Å"you can talk† says Emily in shock â€Å"of course I can talk says the butterfly†. â€Å"Fine then but I do have common sense and I know that when your hungry your suppose to eat† â€Å"oh you must be new around here I’m Pippy. You can’t eat those berries they make you forget,† says the butterfly. â€Å"Hello I’m Emily and thank you† thanks Emily. â€Å"One last thing how do you get to the pixie kings castle† asks Emily â€Å"well first you go left and I’m really sorry but you’ll have to work out the rest because I don’t want the king after me but if you ever need help just call, bye† says pippy and fly’s of. Emily follows pippy’s instructions and goes left. Emily then notices that every single path she takes is a different colour. Emily continues walking and when she turns the corner she hears an â€Å"oww†. She looks down and notices a worm wearing a black jacket and a top hat â€Å"this place just gets stranger and stranger† mutters Emily. â€Å"I’m not weird and you just kicked me which hurt† shouts the worm â€Å"I am very sorry† apologises Emily â€Å"are you ok† â€Å"yes yes I’m fine, I’m wiggle† replies the worm. â€Å"Hi wiggle, I’m Emily† says Emily â€Å"do you know the way to the castle† asks Emily â€Å"yes you go left and follow the path† says wiggle â€Å"thank you† says Emily thankfully. Emily turns left and follows the path. Emily arrives at the end of the path but she comes across a dead end. â€Å"Well that’s great,† she says. A voice from nowhere then says, â€Å"well you shouldn’t trust strangers† Emily turns around and sees wiggle. â€Å"Why would you do that† Emily says Shockley â€Å"well I couldn’t really tell you the way, I mean who knows what the pixie king would do to me but I’m telling you it wouldn’t be nice?† says wiggle. â€Å"Fine then I’ll do it by my self, GOOD BYE† shouts Emily. Emily goes back down the path and turns the corner and she sees a little pixie wearing a red and green outfit jumping on ladybirds. â€Å"Hey stop† Emily shouts at him â€Å"why should I there horrible things† replies the pixie. Emily picks up the ladybird, the ladybird pricks her. â€Å"Oww it pricked me† she drops the ladybird. â€Å"Well what do you expect† the pixie says â€Å"well not that† says Emily. â€Å" Who are you any way† asks Emily â€Å"who me† says the pixie â€Å" I don’t see any one else around† says Emily â€Å"oh I’m pixel† replies the pixie. â€Å"Please can you help me get to the castle† asks Emily.

Essay on Leadership Vision - 1194 Words

Leadership Vision Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 504: Leadership Nursing Practice Summer Semester 2011 Leadership Vision What is an organization without a vision? The vision objective puts the organizations values and goals into simplified terms every member of the team can understand and share. The same holds true for our own personal goals and aspirations. We should develop our own personal vision statements to ensure we are staying current in the growing changes of nursing and healthcare technology/techniques, to educate and lead in the most efficient means possible. My vision revolves around the mission statement, â€Å"To provide the highest level of care,†¦show more content†¦AORN recognizes the importance of commitment to patient safety as a primary goal (AORN, 2011). The program was launched in 2002 with the goal of directing an approach towards safety activities in compliance with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals. (Hunt, 2011). Further, according to Richard B. Willner, President, The Center for Peer Review Justice, Inc., â€Å"The healthcare system in Am erica today has come under attack for a multitude of reasons, including charges that the system has become corrupt due to the advent of HMOs, PPOs, and other â€Å"managed† care systems. Many of the criticisms leveled against our system are grounded in the manner in which citizens are afforded treatment by physicians who try to function in the best possible way in today’s healthcare system. The actions of some physicians may warrant the criticism they receive for overutilization of health care or providing inadequate health care. Others, on the other hand, clearly do not deserve the abuse and maltreatment visited on them by the current Peer Review system utilized in virtually every hospital in America today.† (Willner, 2011). Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to add a critique of my references. Upon gathering empirical evidence, I found that these varied sources appeared to have a â€Å"real† sense of what was happening in the nursing industry today. While all were stressing the importance of quality patientShow MoreRelatedNoble Leadership Vision616 Words   |  3 PagesMy Noble leadership Vision Nowadays a lot of people seeking to understand their leadership vision, Noble leadership vision. And I guess such question rises both in young’s minds and minds of very experienced ones who already went through a lot of events, successful and not really, who still looking for right direction to follow. 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