Impact of Stress on Banking Employees - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2705 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Psychology Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Impact of stress on banking employees on their job performance with a special reference to HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Lanka) Pvt. Limited (HDPL). Table of contents Introduction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 03 Problem statementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 04 Problem justificationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 04 Project objectivesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 04 Literature reviewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 05 Methodologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. 08 References à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 10 Appendix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 13 1. Introduction Stress is the destructive physical, mental and emotional reaction that transpires when a poor match between job demands and competencies are met between employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ or resources to manage with job pressure. It is a condition ushered by suffering physical, mental, psychological or social problem that comes from individual feeling that doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be able to respond due to unexpected situations. The basic root cause of stress in the organization, when employees face difficulties and changes in his daily working routine, but always avoid and this condition creates stress, anxiety, fears, worries, tension, etc. (Akinboye et al., 2002). Kavitha(2009) states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“stress may have a positive or negative impact on performance and on the quantity of work done. When employees start feeling moderate levels of stress their efforts towards work and performance may increase. However, if stress becomes too high or persists for a lo ng time, the efforts put in by them decreases, resulting in increased labor turnover and absenteeismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  HSBCis one of the worlds largest banking and financial services organizations, with around 6,200 offices in both established and faster-growing markets. Global Service Delivery (GSD) is an integral part of HSBC Technology Services and delivers world class services for HSBCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s customers across Retail Banking Wealth Management, Commercial banking, Global Banking Markets and Global Private Banking. Global Service Delivery in Sri Lanka is represented by HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Lanka) Pvt.Limited (HDPL). It was established and commenced operations in 2004. The Group Service Centre is located in Colombo. And consist with more than 2500 employees doing different shifts and working for different countries. (HSBC Global Service Delivery website 2012) Working for 8 hours creates stress on employees where it can be positive or negative. And it is believed that it may arise from excessive workloads and day to day routines and continues stress might lead to employee dissatisfaction and finally can end up with turnover. Accordingly, this investigation covers how stress is being impacted on the employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance and suggestions to manage stress and increase the productivity level. 1.1 Problem statement What are the Impacts of stress on banking employees on their job performance and the productivity level with a special reference to HSBC (HDPL?) 1.2 Problem justification According to Cooper (1984) he described stress as an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“unacceptable occupational pressure or burden/trouble which badly affects the psychological the physical condition of a worker itselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ .This research topic is selected in order to research the impacts of stress on job performance the productivity level of banking employees by giving a special reference to HSBC (HDPL). And the importance of the res earch is to gather results or outcomes of job stress on the daily performance of an employee and to discuss strategies to overcome it or to manage it effectively. 1.3 Project objectives Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Impact of Stress on Banking Employees" essay for you Create order To examine the nature of job stress. To investigate the impact of stress on the employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance. To recognize the factors that are accountable for job stress To determine how stress can effectively be managed within the organization to enhance staff effectiveness and performance level. To commence primary research by means of interviews and questionnairesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ to gain quantitative and qualitative data relating to stress of banking employees on their performance. 2. Literature review. According to Fink (2010), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A research literature review is a systematic, explicit and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing the existing body of completed and recorded work produced by researchers, scholars, and practitionersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . According to Larson (2004) stress is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“situation that arises from the interaction of people and their jobs which is characterized by variations within people that force them to deviate from their standard operations. According to Luthans (1995) stress is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“an adaptive response to an external situation that result in, physical, psychological and / or behavioral deviations for organizational participantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . A unique classical definition of stress, which was emphasized by Hans Selye (1983), is defined as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“broad-spectrum response of oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s body to any demand that is made upon ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Thus , every demand made on each body is specified and unique. The factor produced under stress is termed as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“stressorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , either pleasant (eustress) or even unpleasant (distress), (Selye, 1983). The response of each human body to an agent or situation is the same, conferring to Selye. Varies is the degree of response. The sorting of stress (eustress or distress) which is depending on the nature of any situation, of an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s physical and psychological well-being, besides the characteristics of the family unit (McCubbin Patterson, 1983b). Entities and families instinctively define stress, which is imitated by their morals and experiences in meeting emergencies and dealing with change of immediate variation. Subjectively an unpleasant or undesirable event by the each individual or family, the reaction of stress becomes distress (McCubbin Patterson, 1983b). The ambiguity in the term stress is its use to name both an external force applied to an object and the effect of that force on the body (Kahn, 1986). Stress researchers have added to the difficulty by disagreeing among themselves with respect to the meaning of the word. Some researchers believe that stress should be subjectively defined, while others believe it needs an objective definition. Job stress is considered to be an internal state or reaction to anything we consciously or unconsciously perceive as a threat, either real or imagined (Clarke Watson, 1991). Robbins (2001) defines stress as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“dynamic condition in which the individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and importantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Stress can be caused by environmental, organizational, and individual variables (Matteson Ivancevich, 1999; Cook Hunsaker, 2001). Organizational base factors which are known to induce job stress of employees at the workplac e (Greenhaus Beutell, 1985). Such factors are generally termed as organizational stressors since these serve as agents who trigger a variety of stress reactions (Von Onciul, 1996). Many employees agree that one of the most common problems in the workplace today is stress. Stress causes loss of productivity, loss of efficiency, increased employee absenteeism, and many other problems. Stress comes from several aspects of an employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life: the workplace, social factors, and personal factors. Luthans (1995) states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“stress has become a major buzzword and legitimate concern of the timesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . A recent estimate is that stress is costing corporate America, staggering $68 billion annually in lost productivity due to absence from work and stress claims costing up to 10% of a companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s earnings. Unlike some of the other aspects in organization stress directly translates into dollars and cents to the organization and affects physi cal and psychological well-being of individual employees. Manshor and Alam (2003) stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“more and more employers are concerned about stress in the workplace. Stress can lead to employee illness and even death. Employers are becoming concerned not only for humanitarian reasons, but also because of the costs to their companies. In several reasons court cases based on work-related stress charges companies involved lost their cases and paid settlements to employees. Thus the company suffered direct monetary loss as well as loss of the employees. Only if a manager does not care about employee productivity and well-being would ignore employee stress. However, if managers are genuinely interested in high performance they must care about stress in the workplaceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . According to James (1987), the most significant workplace stress factors are the amount of control over an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own abilities. However, other factors such as the relation ship between co-workers and supervisor; workplace environment, role conflict, work schedule may also lead to workplace stress. Prior researchers have found that, almost manufacturing job condition can lead to workplace, yet depending upon the workers reaction to it. There are a few criteria of work conditions that almost cause stress for workers, which includes time deadlines, work overload, poor relationship between supervisor, repetitive work, machine paced task, lack of control, rotating shift work, cognitive demand, role ambiguity and physical environment (House 1981; Sutton and Rafaeli, 1987). Cox et al.(2000) reports à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“that 50% 60% of determining percentages which were captured on all lost working days which related due to stressà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . The effect stress illnesses have now exceeded to back problems as Britainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most common workplace ailment, estimate costing an industry  £370 million on a yearly basis. A survey revealed in 630 UK safety council (Sparks Cooper, 1997) showed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“that 66% of named stress elements are the main health worry for workers. Stress is also a concern across all employment sectors and job-related levels have been a commonly reported cause of lost workdays and high staff turnover rateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . However, The ability of each employee in coping with specific hours worked in measuring the productive rate expected, within the physical environment, as well as the anticipation of work desired by the management. In order for the research further defines that night shifts in particular have a high probability of resulting a negative impact towards the fitness/ health of each employee. In relation to this, 20 percent of the night shift workforce has experienced psycho-physiological claims, including heart illnesses. Such extreme factors contain to affect the competence levels of workforces. Going forward, it is important to mitigate stress in working place in order to enhance job performance and the productivity level of employees. And further it will be discussed in detail in professional project which is to be conducted. 3. Methodology According to Kumar (2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“research is an intensive and purposeful search for knowledge and understanding of social and physical phenomena. Research is a scientific activity undertaken to establish something, a fact, a theory, a principle or an application. It is an academic activity.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Sekaran and bougies (2010, p.2) states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“research is the process of finding solutions to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the situational factors.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Research Methodology is a way to see the result of a specific problem or issue on a specific problem and is also referred as research problem. In methodology, the researcher uses different criteria in order to solve / search a particular research problem. Various sources use different methods to solve this problem. And if we think of the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“methodologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“It is the mode of searching the problem and solving it through a researchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . (Industrial research institute, 2010). When accompanying a research it is essential to decide which approach is being applied. According to Saunders, et al. (2009) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“research approaches are mainly based on the research philosophies, whereby the deductive approach is commonly used by researchers with traditional natural scientific views (positivism), while the inductive approach is usually based on phenomenology (interpretivism)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . In this research interpretivism will be used as the research philosophy. Furthermore, interpretivism studies generally focus on meaning and may employ numerous methods in order to reveal different traits of the issue. Therefore an inductive approach will be used which is frequently denoted as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“bottom-upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  appro ach to knowing, where the interpretations are used to build a perception or to designate a picture of the phenomenon that is being deliberated. In other words, in inductive studies no recognized theories or patterns need to be verified during the research process. (Lodico et al, 2010, p.10) According to Krishnaswamy et al (2009, p.168), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a research survey is an organized effort to analyze, interpret and report the present (current) status of managerial or social institutions, organizational groups, or management areas. It deals with a cross-section of the population at the current timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Accordingly, for this research, a survey of primary data collection will be conducted using both the quantitative and qualitative methods. Jackson (2011, p. 17) states, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Qualitative data analysis usually involves reading through the notes taken and trying to conceptualize from the data. And qualitative data are verbal in nature rather than numerical and consist of very detailed notes on what was observed via the particular methodology usedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . He also states that unlike quantitative analyses in which data analyses cannot take place until after all data have been collected, with qualitative analyses the results of early review of the data might guide what data are collected later in the study. Therefore questionnaires will be analyzed and implied to observe the current status in HSBC (HDPL). A focus group of the population in HSBC (HDPL) will be targeted and their personal opinions regarding the research problem will be interpreted. The questionnaire survey altered for this research on job stress and performance level will expect to measure the prospect cause of job stress, which will upshot into counterproductive conclusions. A convenient sampling method will be used in order to collect data and further analyze the observations. According to Jackson (2011, p. 122), a convenient sampling method is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ a sampling technique in which subjects are obtained wherever they can be found and normally wherever is convenient for the researcherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Throughout, the research will be conducted in an ethical manner where the credit will be given for the information generated from other researchers and authors as per Harvard referencing style and where the respondents will be willingly participate in the survey. Further the questionnaires will be conducted in a manner where no harm is being exposed for research participants. 4. References Arnold, J., Robertson, I. T., and Cooper, C. L. (1992). Understanding the human behavior in the work place. Work Psychology. London: Pitman publishing Bass, S. M. (2003). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free press Beach, D. S. (1980). The management of people at work. New York: McGraw Hill Inc Clarke Watson, (1991).On becoming depressed or anxious in late life: similar vulnerability factors but different e ffects of stressful life events. Published 1 November 2001. Cooper, C. L. (1984). Executive stress: Human Resource management Dubrin, J. (1997). Executive stress and how to survive it. Journal of executive development Joy, P. J. (2013). A Study on impact of work stress among Tile Factory Workers in Trichur District in Kerala. Issue 10. Larson, L. L. (2004). International auditors job stress. Managerial auditing journal, 19 (9). 1119-1130 Luthans, F. (1995). Organizational behaviors. (7th Ed) Matteson and Ivancevich, 1999; Cook Hunsaker, 2001. Organizational Stressors and job among managers; The moderating role of Neuroticism. McCubbin and Patterson. (1983a, 1983b). Individual and Family Stress and Crises. By Janice G. Weber Nnuro, E. K. (2012). Occupational stress and its effects on job performance: A case of Koforidua Polytechnic Opatha, H.H.D.N.P. (1997). Strategic HRM as a part of strategic management Sheena, J., Cary, C., Sue, C., Ian, D and Paul, T. (2005). The experience of work-related stress across occupations. Journal of Managerial Psychology Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 178-187 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (The NIOSH booklet). Publication No. 99-101 Shepard, E. And Clifton, T. (2000). Working hours, overtime, and productivity and manufacturing industry. International journal of manpower, 21(7) Stone, R. J. (2002). Human Resource Management, (4th Ed). Australia: John Wiley Sons Vikrant Baghi. (2014). Causes and Effects of Work Stress in Organization. https://www.scribd.com/doc/46644902/Causes-and-Effects-of-Work-Stress-in-Organization-Vikrant-Baghi. (Accessed on 05th March 2015) Kavitha (2009).Occupational Stress and Coping Strategies. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House. HSBC. (2012).Who are we.Available: https://hsbcservicedelivery.com/WhoareWe.aspx. Last accessed 14th march 2015. Arlene Fink (2010).Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 3rd Ed. USA: SAGE. 3. Kumar (2008).Research methodology. New Delhi: s. b. Nangia. 3. Sekaran, U., Bougie, R. (2010). Research methods for business: A skill building approach (5th Ed.). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Industrial Research Institute (2010) research management. Michigan . Industrial research Institute Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2009), Research Methods for Business Students, Pearson Education, London. Lodico, M. G., Spaulding, D. T., Voegtle, K. H. (2010). Methods in educational Research: from theory to practice. In Introduction to educational research (pp.5-21). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. K. N. Krishnaswamy, Appa Iyer Sivakumar, M. Mathirajan (2009).Management Research Methodology: Integration of Principles, Metho ds and Techniques. India: Pearson Education India. 168 Jackson, SL, (2011), Research Methods and Statistics: A Critical Approach, 4thedition, Cengage Learning. Sherri Jackson (2014).Research Methods: A Modular Approach. 3rd ed. usa: Cengage Learning. 122. Appendix Proposed timeline for the project Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Submit the proposal Preparation of the introduction Search of the literature Writing the literature review Preparing questionnaires for the survey Gathering primary data Preparing methodology chapter Write up the findings from primary data collection Evaluate deliberate findings from primary data collection Prepare conclusions recommendations Submit the project 1

Doryphoros Essay - 793 Words

Doryphoros by Polykleitos was originally a Greek bronze made around 450-40B.C. The only way we can see it today is through the Roman marble copies (which is common of many Greek statues.) Some supports had to be added for the change in material, resulting in the addition of the form resembling a tree trunk, the support on the left foot, and the small bar bridging the gap between his right wrist and hip. Doryphoros was originally holding a spear in his left hand; appropriate, given that his name means, literally, â€Å"spear-bearer.† The sculpture is a well-known and early example of classical Greek contrapposto (the shifting of weight onto one leg and off-axis shoulders and arms.) One leg nearly appears to be lifting off the ground, giving the†¦show more content†¦Plato felt that artists knew nothing worth mentioning because all they do is imitate, and so their work was worthless. Additionally, Plato believed that we, as humans not of the metaphysical realm, can not know what true beauty is because we have not experienced the true, beautiful form of anything. Plato would say that Doryphoros was worthless for those very reasons. It is an imitation of a perfect form, and therefore cannot be beautiful. Although Doryphoros is anatomically and proportionally realistic, Plato would not be appreciative of it as art and would not see it as an object of beauty. He would likely scorn Polykleitos for even bothering to sculpt it in the first place. To examine the thoughts of another Greek philosopher, Aristotle would have a much different perspective on Doryphoros. Aristotle felt that imitation was natural for us as humans. He felt that we could learn from imagery that is realistic because it may influence us to examine it more closely. He felt that the creative individual could express the universal, fundamental qualities of human nature, and did not see their work as worthless as Plato did. Polykleitos sculpted athletic nudes such as Doryphoros in ordina nce to his mathematical canon, aShow MoreRelatedMen Sculptures From Ancient Art867 Words   |  4 Pagesfound in the 1790 in Tivoli, Italy near the Roman emperor’s villa. The statue underwent restoration by Varlo Albacini, a renowned restorer. The next sculpture is the Doryphoros. It dates back to the 440 B.C also known as the high classical period. The artist behind the art is Polykleitos.   It is recorded that he made the Doryphoros as an example of perfect proportion. I think this sculpture is most similar to the Lansdowne Herakles. The sculpture sits on right side of the leg, making the similarRead MoreFinal Business Plan1230 Words   |  5 Pages | False | 13. | Cyclopean | | are huge boulders that were used in the construction of fortified walls and masonry. | 14. | Cyclopean masonry was used on the Citadel in Tiryns. | | True | 15. | Doryphoros | | s the perfect example of the canon of proportions. | 16. | Egyptian art will have a profound influence on Greek art. | | True | 17. | Egyptians were not concerned with the afterlife. | | False Read MorePortrait of Augustus as General1323 Words   |  6 PagesRoman religion. Looking in details, his standing pose and the entire composition are similar to another portrait, â€Å"Polykleitos Doryphoros†, which came from Greek art; He stands in a contrapposto pose with all of his weight on his right leg and with his right arm rose demonstrate that the emperor is addressing his troops. His idealized hair is also similar to Doryphoros’, and they were both portrayed as youthful and flawless individuals with the perfect body because the artist wanted to depict AugustusRead MoreUsing Art For A Message2077 Words   |  9 Pagesancient Greece is also known for the ideal human body, the most notorious work reflecting this idea is Doryphoros. Though the Greeks were not the first to sculpt their ideal body, they were the first to base their canon on proportions. Like the Parthenon, Doryphoros also follows the teachings of Pythagoras, and was therefore calculated to be perfectly proportional by the sculptor, Polykleitos. Doryphoros also exemplifies cont rapposto, counterbalance, which, â€Å"impose[d] order on human movement†¦ to ‘perfect’Read MoreAn Analysis of the Play Medea by Euripides1410 Words   |  6 Pagescom/2010/02/04/man-knowledge-the-greek-philosophers/ Unknown. (2009). Medea- An Abandonment of Gender Roles. Retrieved from Big Wonk: http://www.bigwonk.com/show.php?eid=1683 Unknown. (2009, February 9). The Doryphoros. Retrieved from Arts Connected: http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/5851/the-doryphoros Whitley, T. (2011, September 8). The Ideal Greek Man. Retrieved from Thomas Whitley: http://thomaswhitley.com/2011/09/08/the-ideal-greek-man/Read More Art and History Displayed at the Pompeii Exhibition at LACMA819 Words   |  4 Pagesgreeting to the exhibitors. She stood in the middle welcoming us with a soft and warm smile. Through this sculpture we view how the Pompeii artist was following the Greek perception of the human body such as what we see in Polykleitos’ sculpture, Doryphoros; Aphrodite stands with the weight shifted on to her left foot portraying the cross balance of the human body. Once we appreciate the first art room we are then presented with various pieces of the gardens that were found around the Bay of NaplesRead MorePrehistoric Art Study Guide883 Words   |  4 PagesPediment sculpture from Temple of Zeus, Olympia (Lapiths and Centaurs; Chariot Race) †¢ Acropolis at Athens: architecture and sculpture (including the layout of the complex and arch itectural styles used); special focus on the Parthenon †¢ Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-bearor) †¢ Lysippos, The Scraper †¢ Praxiteles, Hermes and Infant Dionysos †¢ Apollonius (?), Old Boxer †¢ Altar of Zeus, Pergamon (including sources, subjects of the sculptures and their Hellenistic stylistic features) †¢ Dying Gaul (from monumentRead MoreHellenistic Times And Classical Times844 Words   |  4 Pagesexplain the differences between the two and showcase the contributions that both eras gave to the world at the time they were made. One example of a piece of art that displays the differences between Classical Times and Hellenistic Times would be the Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer) (c. 450-440 BCE), a sculpture made by Polykleitos. Polykleitos made this art piece during the Classical Times and based it on two core principles of the Canon, composition and commensurability, both residing in mathematical proportionsRead More Comparing Roman and Greek Art Essay example1185 Words   |  5 Pagesaccomplishment in itself showed strong advancements in intellectual thought, and inspired future generations to further explore aesthetic and order. Artist such as Polyclitius later envisioned human perfection as a series of mathematical proportions. The Doryphoros, a sculpture done by Polycleatus himself, serves as an excellent example of how art reflects philosophical thought. This sculpture was constructed using a strict mathematical formula that was believed to represent the perfect male body. (CunninghamRead MoreThe Sublime And The Beautiful1457 Words   |  6 Pagessublime moves us more profoundly than the beautiful. Beautiful objects tend to be smooth, small and delicate, while sublime ones are vast, gloomy, dark and threatening. Put in perspective, beautiful objects can be dolls, porcelain sets or Polykleitos’ Doryphoros, which produce immediate pleasure. Sublime scenes relate to thunderstorms and mountaintops, which overwhelm us, paradoxically however, peaking over a mountaintop one can find delight in terror, and the sheer power is exhilarating. The sublime is

Reflect on and Develop Practice free essay sample

Why is it important to reflect on your own practice and evaluate its effectiveness? It is important to reflect on your own practice and evaluate its effectiveness because it helps to see how well I am doing, what I have done and if there is anything I need to change or do differently to improve my practice. How do you learn and increase professional knowledge and skills through reflection? Reflection on my working practice helps me to see the areas of strength and weakness in the way in my professional practice. How does reflection and personal experiences enhance your own confidence and self esteem within your job role? Reflecting on my professional practice enables me to look at my weaknesses and build upon the to turn them into my strengths. On reflection of my achievements and strengths will build my confidence and self esteem and enable me to go from strength to strength. Give examples of techniques you use of the listed reflective analysis: Questioning what, why and how Seeking alternatives-Seeking alternative ways to do an activity Keeping an open mind-Keeping an open mind, you may find a better way to do the activity or use different ideas. Viewing from different perspectives-viewing from different perspectives such as the way you handled the activity, was the activity well supported, and was the activity interesting enough. Thinking about consequences- thinking about consequences such as if small handled paintbrushes were used then young children would not be able to hold them properly and if we have too many children at the table at one time then there may not be enough room for the c=activity to be done or may not be enough resources to go around. Testing ideas through comparing and contrasting- testing ideas through comparing for e. g. I should test my ideas and compare and contrast them to perhaps different activities that have already taken place and their success. Asking â€Å"what if†- Asking what if, I ask the children if they are enjoying the activity or what other members of staff thought about the activity and took on board their views to how successful it was Synthesising ideas/Seeking, identifying and resolving problems- gathering ideas from different sources, using them and then reflecting on them afterwards. Being able to improve ones practice and improving and getting better each time. Sharing your ideas with others and ensuring the outcome is successful. Identify problems and eradicating them as soon as possible. Activities are planned in order for them to be successful and to give the child a sense of achievement when taking part.   How can you use reflection as a tool for contrasting what we say, do and actually do? Policies, procedures and values that I know that should be followed are sometimes not followed by some professionals that we work with, I know that by reflecting on what we have learnt and experiences will identify this, it is important that I challenge my working practice and analyze my actions to Why should you use reflection to challenge your existing practice? Using reflection I can identify my strengths and weaknesses and improve them, areas of weakness could be improved by attending courses to strengthen my weaknesses.   What difficulties may occur as a result of you examining your own beliefs, values and feelings? We all have faults and weaknesses, different beliefs and feelings and therefore it can be difficult to agree with others or receive criticism about the way we work. It may be difficult to seek advice from others but we should share information with others to help us improve our practice and understanding that any criticism received should not be taken to heart but instead should be helping us to improve. How can you use reflection and feedback to assess further areas ofor development in your skills and knowledge? I reflect on my practice daily, any feedback given to me by my work colleagues is appreciated and taken on board to help me improve or build my confidence. I enjoy going on different courses to help me to develop further skills, and I also use the internet to help me source any information I feel I need to know or improve upon. How do you set yourself SMART targets in relation to your personal development? (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timescale). The way in which to develop a personal development plan are: stating the specific areas of development that I want to achieve, measurable, not setting my goals to high but at a level that is realistic and achievable, as it is beat to work your way up gradually. That is why in childcare there are levels such as 1, 2, 3 etc to help you to realistically achieve instead of jumping to a qualification level that is too hard and that you cannot understand. Setting a realistic time scale so that the work is not rushed and it is understood. K3p231 What training and development opportunities are available to you in your local area and how can you access them? There are many training and development opportunities available in my local area such as colleges and training programmes, they are easy accessible by enrolling or maybe paying a small fee. And some of the courses are free of charge. Why is it important to integrate new learning and information as soon as it is available to you? Courses offer me the opportunity to update my training to new legislations, policies and procedures are put into place, they also offer me more qualifications and skills, better knowledge and understanding and better job prospects. They also ensure that I do not fall behind national standards.

Wuthering Heights in Relation to Brontes Life free essay sample

Hindley- Bronte used the character of Hindley to represent her brother. Emily Bronte’s brother drank himself to death just as Hindley did. 2. Edgar- When Catherine died, Edgar became exceedingly private and quiet. Edgar represents Emily Bronte’s own father. When Bronte’s mother died, her father followed the same pattern that Edgar did by secluding himself and becoming very quiet. 3. Catherine- Emily Bronte personifies her dislike for women’s position in society through Catherine’s love for Heathcliff. Because women are not listened to, Bronte represents herself as a man, Heathcliff, in order to be listened to. 4. Catherine’ Cold- Emily Bronte caught a cold at her brother’s funeral. Setting: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily lived in an isolated area called Haworth in the West Riding area of Yorkshire. Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange both reflect the isolated area where she lived. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because they were isolated socially by there geographical location, Emily and her siblings created fictional worlds. We will write a custom essay sample on Wuthering Heights in Relation to Brontes Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Emily and her sister Anne created Gondal which is a land of moors, and the world is reflected in moors surrounding the two houses. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wuthering Heights literally means stormy heights. Emily’s life had many hardships or â€Å"storms† throughout her life, such as, her brother’s alcoholism and some of her family dying from tuberculosis. †¢   Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily was home schooled because she easily became homesick when away at normal schools. This can be seen through young Catherine because Catherine is home schooled and not aloud to see the outside world without her father’s supervision. Mood: I. Tragic A. Death in Wuthering Heights B. Death during Emily’s lifetime C. Tuberculosis-caused death of characters D. Tuberculosis-caused death of family E. Drunkeness of Hindley Earnshaw F. Drunkeness of Bronte’s brother II. Isolated 1. Cathy and her father 2. Bronte and her father 3. Characters and their reading 4. Emily and her reading Tone: 1. Defiant tone: Book: Catherine is naughty, does not behave. She is against society â€Å"They both promised fair to grow up as rude as savages † (46, chapter 6). She also believed she could do what she wanted. if I marry Linton I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power† (82, chapter 9). Life: Emily was persistent in her goals and beliefs. She and her sisters attempted to open a school, but it failed because of isolation. Before setting the school up she attended an academy to finish studying French and German. In addition, the three sisters published their works under fals e names because women writers were discriminated against during the time. 2. Humorous tone: Book: Both Catherine and Cathy have a â€Å"humorous tone† in some scenes. The two have the tendency to not take everything seriously all of the time. â€Å"Her spirits were always at high-water mark, her tongue always going-singing, laughing, and plaguing everybody who would not do the same† (42, chapter 5). Cathy has a joyful mood in many instances; the first talking about the Crags. Life: Emily had two imaginary worlds, although she broke off from the first when she was 13 (Angria) The second one, Gondal, she kept on with until she died. 3. Dark, depressing tone: Both Emily’s life and the novel are filled with the â€Å"dark† tone. Death is consistent and parallels with one another. Structure: Symbolism: The cold dark kitchen that is described at the beginning of the book is a symbol of the hatred Emily had for the woman’s â€Å"station† that is symbolized by a kitchen. Heathcliffs starving of himself symbolizes his hunger for life, and in his case his life is Catherine. This relates to Bronte through her own hunger for greater experiences, love, and happiness. She was also anorexic, so heathcliffs physical starvation relates to her own.

John Proctor Sinner Or Saint Essays - Salem Witch Trials

John Proctor: Sinner Or Saint? John Proctor, Sinner or Saint No person can completely steer clear of the trials and tribulations of his or her society. He who does may be vulnerable to serious allegations. If a man is to work well in his surroundings, he must partake in all aspects of his society or he is leaving himself open to unfavorable charges. In Arthur Millers, The Crucible, John Proctors lack of involvement in the Salem witch trials ultimately leads to his execution. John Proctor tries to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for this attempt is motivated by his past fault of committing adultery with Abigail Williams. The guilt connected with his lechery makes Proctor hesitant to speak openly because he would condemn himself as an adulterer. Basically, then, in the first act he attempts to isolate himself from the primary proceedings, saying to Reverend Hale Ive heard you to be a sensible man, Mr. Hale. I hope youll leave some of it in Salem (Miller; 1106). Proctor tries to wash his hands of the entire affair, than to instead deal with his own personal problems. His wife Elizabeth constantly badgers him about his adulterous affair and he retorts with Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not (1117). Rather than interfering in the witch trials he is still trying to defend himself in the dangerous love triangle. In Act I, Proctor attempts to retire to the private world of his farm and remain completely oblivious to the events arising in Salem. This refusal to become involved is brought to an end when his servant, Mary Warren, announces that she is an official of the court and that Elizabeth Proctor has been somewhat mentioned(1119) by the woman who with whom he had copulated. Proctor still wishes to dismiss the hearings, but his wife uses his guilt about infidelity to extract a covenant that he will expose Abigail as being an impostor. Proctor is being coerced by his wife to become involved, it is not his free and open decision. Indirect characterization can be surmised in the aforesaid situation that Elizabeth is very influential upon Proctors character. This demonstrates that Proctors sense of guilt is central to any understanding of him as a dramatic character (Bloom; 26). Before Proctor is forced to take the next step, Reverend Hale arrives and then, Herrick with a warrant for Elizabeths arrest. In anger over his wifes conviction and arrest, Proctor accuses Hale of being a Pontius Pilate(1127) and later tells him that he is a coward by saying: though you be ordained in Gods own tears, you are a coward now!(1128). What Proctor fails to see is that he too has been acting as a Pontius Pilate and as a coward because he has been attempting to escape any type of involvement. These events force an involvement upon John Proctor, since the trials he has tried to ignore what have now invaded his private haven. His first step is still to avoid commitment. Proctor still refuses to go into the court and accuse Abigail openly, but instead tries to coerce Mary to go to the court. When reminded that Abigail will accuse him of lechery, however, he realizes how wicked Abigail is, and finally resolves to go with Mary Warren to the court where he takes his final step and denounces Abigail as a whore. As a result of his involvement, John finds himself accused of being a witch. After being tried and condemned to death, John refuses to confess because of his pride and stubbornness. However, he does not want to die for such an absurd reason. He is therefore faced with the predicament of being completely against the other condemned witches, and by his confession, becoming partly responsible for the deaths of his fellow prisoners. The other route open to him is to align himself completely with the condemned witches. There is finally no middle ground open to John Proctor. He must commit himself to one side or the other. His choice is to commit himself to his friends and die an honest man. The significant self-laceration which John Proctor undergoes while struggling to make his choice

Biography of Attila the Hun

Biography of Attila the Hun Attila the Hun was the fierce 5th-century leader of the nomadic, barbarian group known as the Huns, who struck fear in the hearts of the Romans as he plundered everything in his path, invaded the Eastern Empire and then crossed the Rhine into Gaul. Occupation:  RulerDates:  We dont know when Attila was born. It could have been around 406 A.D. He ruled from about 433 until his death in 453. Offices and Titles Attila was the king of the Scythian hordes known as the Huns, who frightened those in their paths even with their appearance. For devastating much of Europe - mostly while on horseback shooting javelins, composite bows and arrows, Attila the Hun is also known as the Scourge of God. Jordanes says the following about Attila: His army is said to have numbered five hundred thousand men. He was a man born into the world to shake the nations, the scourge of all lands, who in some way terrified all mankind by the dreadful rumors noised abroad concerning him. He was haughty in his walk, rolling his eyes hither and thither, so that the power of his proud spirit appeared in the movement of his body.The Origin and Deeds of the Goths Military Attila successfully led his forces to invade the Eastern Roman Empire, whose capital was in Constantinople, in 441. In 451, on the Plains of Chà ¢lons (also known as the Catalaunian Plains), which was located in Gaul (modern France), although the exact location is disputed, Attila suffered a setback. Attila was ranged against the Romans and the Germanic Visigoths who were settled in Gaul. This didnt stop him, though; he made progress and was on the verge of sacking Rome when, in 452, Pope Leo I [d. 461]) dissuaded Attila from proceeding. Death The death of Attila was the following year, on his wedding night in 453, supposedly of a nosebleed. There are other explanations, including an assassination plot. With Attilas death, the Huns fade from prominence as a foe of the Romans. Sources We know about Attila through Priscus (5th century), a Roman diplomat and historian, and Jordanes, a 6th-century Gothic historian, and author of the Getica. Biography of Attila the Hun Attila the Hun and his warriors rose from the plains of Scythia, modern-day southern Russia and Kazakhstan, and spread terror across Europe. The citizens of the weakened Roman Empire gazed in fear and disdain upon these uncouth barbarians with tattooed faces and top-knotted hair. The Christianized Romans could not understand how God could allow these pagans to destroy their once-mighty empire; they called Attila the Scourge of God. Attila and his troops conquered vast swaths of Europe, from the straits of Constantinople to Paris, and from northern Italy to islands in the Baltic Sea. Who were the Huns? Who was Attila? The Huns Before Attila The Huns first enter the historical record far to the East of Rome. In fact, their ancestors probably were one of the nomadic peoples of the Mongolian steppe, whom the Chinese called the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu launched such devastating raids into China that they actually motivated the construction of first sections of the Great Wall of China. Around 85 A.D., the resurgent Han Chinese were able to inflict heavy defeats on the Xiongnu, prompting the nomadic raiders to scatter to the west. Some went as far as Scythia, where they were able to conquer a number of less fearsome tribes. Combined, these peoples became the Huns. Uncle Rua Rules the Huns At the time of Attilas birth, c. 406, the Huns were a loosely organized coalition of nomadic herder clans, each with a separate king. In the late 420s, Attilas uncle Rua seized power over all of the Huns and killed the other kings. This political change resulted from the Huns increasing reliance on tribute and mercenary payments from the Romans  and their decreased dependence on pastoralism. Rome paid Ruas Huns to fight for them. He also got 350 lbs of gold in annual tribute from the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople. In this new, gold-based economy, people did not need to follow the herds; thus, power could be centralized. Attila and Bledas Rise to Power Rua died in 434 - history does not record the cause of death. He was succeeded by his nephews, Bleda and Attila. Its not clear why the older brother Bleda was unable to take sole power. Perhaps Attila was stronger or more popular. The brothers tried to extend their empire into Persia in the late 430s, but were defeated by the Sassanids. They sacked Eastern Roman cities at will, and Constantinople bought peace in exchange for an annual tribute of 700 lbs of gold in 435, rising to 1,400 lbs in 442. Meanwhile, the Huns fought as mercenaries in the Western Roman army against the Burgundians (in 436) and the Goths (in 439). The Death of Bleda In 445, Bleda suddenly died. As with Rua, no cause of death is recorded, but Roman sources from that time and modern historians alike believe that Attila probably killed him (or had him killed). As the sole King of the Huns, Attila invaded the Eastern Roman Empire, seizing the Balkans, and threatening earthquake-ravaged Constantinople in 447. The Roman Emperor sued for peace, handing over 6,000 pounds of gold in back-tribute, agreeing to pay 2,100 pounds annually, and returning fugitive Huns who had fled to Constantinople. These refugee Huns were probably the sons or nephews of the kings killed by Rua. Attila had them impaled. Romans Try to Assassinate Attila In 449, Constantinople sent an imperial ambassador, Maximinus, supposedly to negotiate with Attila over the creation of a buffer zone between Hunnic and Roman lands, and the return of more refugee Huns. The months-long preparation and journey were recorded by Priscus, an historian who went along. When the gift-laden train of Romans reached Attilas lands, they were rudely rebuffed. The ambassador (and Priscus) did not realize that Vigilas, their interpreter, had actually been sent to assassinate Attila, in collusion with Attilas counselor Edeco. After Edeco revealed the whole plot, Attila sent the Romans home in disgrace. Honorias Proposal A year after Attilas not-so-close brush with death, in 450, the Roman princess Honoria sent him a note and a ring. Honoria, the sister of Emperor Valentinian III, had been promised in marriage to a man she didnt like. She wrote and asked Attila to rescue her. Attila interpreted this as a marriage proposal  and happily accepted. Honorias dowry included half of the provinces in the Western Roman Empire, a very nice prize. The Roman Emperor refused to accept this arrangement, of course, so Attila gathered his army and set out to claim his newest wife. The Huns quickly overran much of modern-day France and Germany. Battle of the Catalaunian Fields The Huns sweep through Gaul was halted at the Catalaunian Fieds, in northeastern France. There, Attilas army ran up against the forces of his former friend and ally, the Roman General Aetius, along with some Alans and Visigoths. Unsettled by ill omens, the Huns waited until almost dusk to attack, and got the worse of the fighting. However, the Romans and their allies withdrew the next day. The battle was not conclusive, but it has been painted as Attilas Waterloo. Some historians even have claimed that Christian Europe might have been extinguished forever if Attila had won that day! The Huns went home to regroup. Attilas Invasion of Italy - The Pope Intervenes (?) Although he was defeated in France, Attila remained dedicated to marrying Honoria and acquiring her dowry. In 452, the Huns invaded Italy, which was weakened by a two-year long famine and epidemics of disease. They quickly captured fortified cities including Padua and Milan. However, the Huns were dissuaded from attacking Rome itself by the lack of food provisions available, and by the rampant disease all around them. Pope Leo later claimed to have met Attila and persuaded him to turn back, but its doubtful that this ever really happened. Nonetheless, the story added to the prestige of the early Catholic Church. Attilas Mysterious Death After his return from Italy, Attila married a teenaged girl named Ildiko. The marriage took place in 453  and was celebrated with a grand feast and plenty of alcohol. After dinner, the new couple retired to the wedding chamber for the night. Attila did not show up the next morning, so his nervous servants opened the chamber door. The king was dead on the floor (some accounts say covered with blood), and his bride was huddled in a corner in a state of shock. Some historians theorize that Ildiko murdered her new husband, but that seems unlikely. He may have suffered a hemorrhage, or he could have died of alcohol poisoning from the wedding night revels. Attilas Empire Falls After Attilas death, his three sons divided up the empire (reverting, in a way, to the pre-Uncle Rua political structure). The sons fought over which would be the high king. Eldest brother Ellac prevailed, but meanwhile, the Huns subject tribes broke free from the empire one by one. Only a year after Attilas death, the Goths defeated the Huns at the Battle of Nedao, driving them out of Pannonia (now western Hungary). Ellac was killed in battle, and Attilas second son Dengizich became the high king. Dengizich was determined to return the Hunnic Empire to the glory days. In 469, he sent a demand to Constantinople that the Eastern Roman Empire pay tribute to the Huns again. His younger brother Ernakh refused to get involved in this venture  and took his people out of Dengizichs alliance. The Romans refused Dengizichs demand. Dengizik attacked, and his army was crushed by Byzantine troops under General Anagestes. Dengizik was killed, along with the majority of his people. The remnants of Dengiziks clan joined Ernakhs people  and were absorbed by the Bulgars, ancestors of todays Bulgarians. Just 16 years after Attilas death, the Huns ceased to exist. The Legacy of Attila the Hun Attila is often portrayed as a cruel, bloodthirsty and barbaric ruler, but its important to remember that our accounts of him come from his enemies, the Eastern Romans. The historian Priscus, who went on the fateful embassy to Attilas court, also noted that Attila was wise, merciful, and humble. Priscus was amazed that the Hunnic king used simple wooden table implements, while his courtiers and guests ate and drank from silver and gold dishes. He did not kill the Romans who came to assassinate him, sending them home in disgrace instead. It is safe to say that Attila the Hun was a much more complex person than his modern reputation reveals.

Microeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microeconomic - Essay Example Policymakers intervene in the market by establishing market controls. When the government think that the prevailing market price if unfair to buyers and sellers, they enact price controls which involves setting a price ceiling or a price floor. This paper will look at how price ceiling affect market outcomes specifically focusing on the case of rent controls in the short and long run. A price ceiling is "a legal maximum on the price at which a good can be sold" Supply Demand and Government Policies 4). It should be noted that setting a price ceiling can bring two different outcomes in the economy. The price ceiling becomes not binding if it is set above the equilibrium price. The price ceiling is only binding if it is lower than the equilibrium price. However, this situation brings about shortages because quantity demanded is greater than quantity supplied. It should be noted that a binding price ceiling also leads to non-price rationing in the forms of long lines, black markets, and seller discrimination. The primary goal of rent control policy is to make housing more affordable to the less fortunate. Thus, the government enacts rent control which establishes the price ceiling that tenants can charge their landlords. However, as will be illustrated below, one economist says that rent control is "the best way to destroy a city other than bombing" (Mankiw 84). In the short run, both the demand and supply for housing is inelastic.