Qualitative Research Proposal Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Research Proposal Essay For my field research observation site I chose the flea market (la pulga) located in Alamo, Texas. I chose this specific site because in our Mexican American culture families tend to go there to buy cheap merchandise. Although many people go there many of the things they buy there can or is related to crime. I chose this flea market because it is close to home and there are usually a high number of people there during the weekends. There were a number of issues with this place, but there were two who stood out above the rest. The main points were: do people realize that by buying certain objects they are committing a crime, and also is law enforcement doing anything to prevent these types of crimes from happening. There are mainly two types of individuals who go to these places. The first types of people who go to these places are mainly Mexican American. There is not one age group that stands out above the rest since Mexican American groups. Mexican American individuals tend to visit these places as a family. The second types of people are mainly Winter Texans. A rough estimate from my observation would be that Winter Texas are 30% middle aged (45-60), and 70% elderly. Winter Texans mainly go as couples and are usually there just pass time; Mexican Americans on the other hand are there because they want to buy cheap objects. Research Question or Topic My research questions are: 1. Are people well informed that purchasing pirated DVDs is a crime? 2. What is law enforcement doing to prevent these crimes from happening? Literature Review Bibliography One of the academic journals I found out to be possibly the most interesting out of my whole research was the one dealing with the piracy of CDs/DVDs. This journal does not only talk about the piracy of media, but also about the replicator, the user, and the technology used. It explains how the replicator uses computer software to copy the media and how it gets to the market from there. It talks about the types of users who buy the product and it also talks about the technology being enforced to make it harder and in some cases impossible for the replicator to create a copy of the media. Even though this journal is out there it still seems that some people are unaware of the consequences with the replication of this media, and also the problem it can cause in our society. One of the main points the article describes is whether copy-protection work or not. The answer to this question is that there is copy protection on DVDs which makes it harder for anyone to copy media, but since pirates (replicators) don’t play by the rules there are still some ways to bypass the copy-protection. Research done in this journal- 1. Copyright 2. Product Counterfeiting 3. Manufacturing Processes 4. Anti-counterfeiting Measures 5. Replicators 6. Users of the Pirated DVDs The second article I found is called Factor that Influence the Piracy of DVD/VCD Motion Pictures. Basically the title says what the article is about. It explain some of the major factors that cause people to burn these DVDs, and factors that cause people to buy them. The article says that people tend to buy these DVDs because of the cost benefit. This means that people are getting DVDs way cheaper than if you were to go and buy the real one at an actual store. The author’s findings are also used to support the social norms used to make an effort to stop the piracy of this media. Research done in this article- 1. Copyright Infringement 2. Pirated Video Recordings 3. Piracy 4. Empirical Research 5. Motion Picture Industry 6. Bootlegging and Methodology aspects The last article I read was talking about the structure about an American flea market. There are differences between flea markets up North and flea markets here in the valley. One of the most obvious differences would be the people that go to the flea markets. The article talks about the types of people that go to the flea market. It talks about the economic effect a flea market has on society. It talks about the behaviors of the buyers and sellers in a flea market. The research in this article was done by surveys across different flea markets and on the consumers in those flea markets. Not only were these studies done on U.S. flea markets they were also done on different countries for example Mexico. Research done in this article – 1. Flea Markets 2. Marketing 3. Case Studies 4. Economic Activity 5. Consumer Behavior 6. Business Cycle 7. Sociocultural Factors My Three Sources Block, D. (1997), CD?DVD/piracy:the replicator, the user, and the technology. Emedia Professional, 10, 92. Chih-Chein, W. (2005). Factors that Influence the Piracy of DVD/VCD Motion Pictures. Journal Of American Academy Of Business, Cambridge, 6(1), 231-237. Sherry Jr., J. F. (1990). A Sociocultural Analysis of a Midwestern American Flea Market. Journal Of Consumer Research, 17(1), 13-30 Research Design Step 1 Prepare myself by doing some background research on the site I am preparing to observe. Be prepared for anything that may come my way, and be prepared for opportunities that may arise while doing my research. I need to go organized and possibly focus on one point of interest. Need to prepare my looking and listing skills since they are essential for any field researcher. Go prepare to do constant writing since it is one of the most useful way of recording data. Step 2 Gain access to enter the observation site, in my case I don’t think it is a problem since it is open to the public. Other sites have different important sections but in a flea market everything is together so I just have to worry about getting inside. I need to get involved in normal activities to make myself unnoticeable and look like an everyday customer. Perhaps buy merchandise or other things regular customers do. Step 3 By looking as a customer I can build trust with the people working in this area, and this way they can go on doing their job like they normally do, and this can help me observe them in their normal working routine. Step 4 While walking around the site I can record anything I find to be deviant or criminal, in my case I found the distribution of illegal DVD copies. I’ll observe from afar, learn and record anything else. I have to make my findings very detailed this way I don’t miss anything of importance that can later help me answer my question, and this way I won’t have to return for small doubts I may have. Record any conversations I may have had with any of the people there. Step 5 Finally after I am done gathering data I just exit the observation site I just exit the site and start compiling my data. Step 6 After putting my data and getting a better understanding of my observation site. With a better understanding of what happens in the site I will be able to put together a detailed survey or interview questions. Of course the survey or interview will be anonymous and have to make sure the customer knows this. You need to make the customer know that the research is anonymous because if not the person might put false data and the data will be inaccurate. Step 7 After conducting all my research I can put together a conclusion and determine what it means. I’ll ask myself questions for example did I find the answer my questions, was my hypothesis correct, and is there more research to be done. The conclusion has to be precise this way if a person is interested in the same topic they will have all the information they need. Step 8 This is how will conduct my research and hopefully get a good grade on this assignment, if not I will need some research on how I can do better.

Cultural Changes That Influenced 20th Century Aesthetics Cultural Studies Essay

Cultural Changes That Influenced 20th Century Aesthetics Cultural Studies Essay Among the social and cultural highlights of Twentieth Century should be noted the loss of optimism, a confidence that since eighteenth centurys Enlightenment relied on the values of reason and progress. At the same time, a cultural relativism extends, by which Western man no longer sees himself as having a superior culture. A third transformation factor is the emergence of mass culture, a product of mass media and of the progressive availability of leisure time. This historical context led to a new artistic sensibility. European culture began exploring novel ways, looking for more modern forms of expression appropriate to the times. Because of the profound crisis that took place at the time, the ideas and society changed, and myriad of artistic trends were developed. You could no longer speak of an era, a movement or a tendency to guide the entire artistic production, but of a multiplicity of styles that increased over time. The loss of optimism and confidence in the values of reason and progress was due to the release that society experienced from traditional values, which began at the academy, and like every human release it had its origins as a liberation of thought whose leader was Nietzsche who denounced rationalism and ethnocentrism as unfit values of a society in decline. This shift meant the development of art as a search to find its own essence and authenticity in opposition to the established canons. Art refrained from representing experiences and the objects of experience as it was used before, especially during the Romanticism in a way that used to create human-like or more precisely Western-like representations, the new art desisted of such expressions and thus it became sort of dehumanized. Art looked for a lost authenticity of its own and it succeed, it became like itself. During this period art ceases to be affected by the values of Romanticism, beginning to base its work according to the Nietzchean thought of art as a representation of truth: a theory rooted in a return to the ancient Greek conception of tragic insight as Nietzsche conceived it, a theory of a performative art that would deliver a Dionysian interpretation of the world and would reveal the autogenerative fountain of existence and return art to the role it possessed in German idealist philosophy -the role of providing a doorway onto ontological truth there are now artistic accomplishments that follow the route which Nietzsche would have laid out had he composed a purely aesthetics volume in the last years of his life. (Ulfers Cohen, 2000) Popular concepts like progress or rationalist visions rooted in common sense came to be regarded as naive by critics and artists who came towards a creation in itself artistic, the new art is an artistic art (Ortega y Gasset, 1968), which means that instead of representing human experiences as we come to find them, art will make representations of the genuine traits that follow from an effort for catching what really happens, thus art becomes like itself. Because this selfness of art has been solely understood and contemplated by scholars, critics, artists and a few followers, art has vanished from the domain of common people, becoming exclusive. With minimal art, conceptual art, ephemeral art, the anti-art, a dematerialization of art is spoken about, an aesthetic of transparency, of disappearance and disincarnating, but in reality it is the aesthetic that has materialized everywhere under operational form. Thats why, moreover, that art has been forced to be minimal, to interpret its own demise. (Baudrillard, 1993) According to the study of Baudrillard the current state of things is after the orgy, where everything has been released, but then has left a void, which is needed to keep the excesses of simulations of dreams, situations, images, illusions and fantasies. Characterizing the current state of things, I would say that this is the post-orgy. The orgy is the explosive moment of modernity, that of liberation in all areas. Political liberation, sexual liberation, liberation of productive forces, liberation of destructive forces, and liberation of women, of children, of the unconscious impulses, liberation of art. (Baudrillard, 1993) This release refers originally to the liberation of thought as we saw how the philosophical thinking made critics and artists to carry forward their creation according to an ideal of authenticity, that is, according to their freedom. Once ethnocentrism was revealed as a fallacy of nineteenth centurys Rationalism, the artists saw that their way of seeing things, the way of the society to which they belonged, was no longer the only canon to perform, emerging the other side in the perception of creators, as unconscious, as indigenous, as woman and as folly. The emergence of mass culture from the media allowed the liberation of art to become massive in its operation, which generated a trivialization of art that reversed the initial impetus for transparency and authenticity to an emptiness of content and an evaluation of art that is not through the critics, but mainly by the market, whether it is a pastiche, if its a neo from any movement, if it says or doesnt say nothing, if whoever creates it or if its just nothing, the only thing that matters is that the market pays for it. At this point it is appropriate to distinguish and to warn of a critique of art that refers to what is not art, as if it was art. By mid-century art began to be valued for the amateur and profane production of dilettante items, artistic according to the propaganda, crossed in its creation by the neoliberal system and so devoid of meaning. So art in itself remains outside of this mass production, it only operates in part due to its own value set in the game, which so ciety learned to appreciate and which is owned for the trade. A recent example of art that remains in its original focus by matching its creation to what is really happening the massification of the artistic operation- are the paintings of Andy Warhol synthesizing popular images as expressions of beauty and authenticity. The progressive availability of leisure time generated by the process of industrialization and the subsequent massification of society helped to ensure a space and time for the individual creation while transforming the leisure time to an experience that was decimated by alienated labor, with no broad access to the insights and knowledge that was being generated in the academy and in the circles of artists and critics, the mass man, the proletarian man only knew about art and took it for his action and enjoyment without having an accurate impression of it, and without really caring for it, he wanted to use it for the same purposes of the market to which he was submitted, namely that art was used and held in ordinary products that entertained the desire for consumerism and the emotionality of the current common man. It would be very different if the leisure time had been exercised as a Dionysian experience. The avant-garde artists who transformed art towards the end of the XIX century have carried out the reassembly of the heroic and tragic nature of the ancient Greek creators. It sounds as if the emergence of mass culture made this release of the arts accessible to all, but rather the case is that the value placed by the market on the production of art has generated a production of works that lack of critical review since it merely responds to the purist measures of the economic system. In modern, Western societies, according to Bourdieu, the field of culture likewise operates according to a disguised logic of deferred interest. The market of symbolic goods assigns cultural value to those works, and those authors, that defer immediate returns: high art is differentiated from low culture with the formers apparent distance from or denial of temporal rewards. In The Rules of Art (1992), Bourdieus most sustained examination of literature, he shows how the novelist Gustave Flaubert, among other late nineteenth-century writers, sought to constitute a literary field whose autonomy was defined by its rupture with the economic order (121). With the triumph of moder nism, literature (and art) would no longer be subject either to financial patronage or to the emerging mass market. (Beasley-Murray, 2004). Accordingly, art disappears from the common domain, and this disappearance reaches its antithetical expression in the work of Warhol, as referring to the alternative destination in which the masses of humanity would reach the learning and enthusiasm for works of art without that their approach has been crossed by the created urgencies and obligations of a business or economic system, therefore a mass production of artworks by a genuine and autonomous view, generating a collective exaltation and inspiration, so as to the mood of the avant-garde. The cultural changes that occurred towards the end of the nineteenth century have a thoughtful, academic, philosophical and traditional source. The thoughts generated from that source have a countercultural nature as they opposed to the established values. The criterion of truth and authenticity became a basis for the work of artists and critics. The masses turned out to be excluded from the proper creation or contemplation of artworks, which became distinctive of a circle of artists and critics. Valuation of art by the market so as to achieve its operation and claim its ownership, but without achieving a valid operation, as a result: a mere consumption, abandonment, and indifference. Relevance of art and artists in that they initially focus on that hint of inspiration rejection of the biased way to artistic creation provided by modern thinking, and that this momentum of genuineness can turn on the same common process that overlooks art at present, so that to achieve its representa tion.

Hara-kiri - the spirit of Japan :: essays research papers

Almost one million people die in Japan every year. In other words, people die every 31 seconds. Some people die because of illness. Some people die because of car accident. Some people commit suicide. There are many kinds of death in this world. I believe most of those deaths are disconsolate and absurd. However, the honorable but unbelievable death existed in Japan in the middle ages. We call that hara-kiri. Hara-kiri is basically an act of killing your self by cutting open your stomach with a sword, performed especially by the warrior, to avoid shame or losing honor. Before I start talking about hara-kiri, I need to explain about the history of Japan. Japanese society has a history of only 120 years since shedding its feudal system. The origin of feudal system is more than 1,000 years ago, so it is still underlying thought of Japanese. Hara-kiri performed especially by the warrior called samurai as indicated above. The samurai were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword. Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. There are many reasons to commit hara-kiri. For example, after a defeat, some samurai decide to commit hara-kiri rather than being captured or dying a dishonorable death. Japanese culture sometimes called â€Å"shame culture† as oppose to the Western â€Å"guilt culture.† According to this thought in western countries, the absolute moral standard of guilt is the principle of people’s behavior, but in Japan, the behavior is ruled by the external feeling of shame. Particularly for samurai in the feudal period, being put to shame in public was as good as being dead. These are examples of hara-kiri from Japanese history. In 1580, Bessho Nagaharu who governed southern part of Japan and his men were cut off from their food supply in a beleaguered castle by their enemy for 20 months. At last, Bessho ran out of provisions. The longer he stayed, the more men were starved to death, and it was a taboo to surrender at that period. However, there was one way to save his men and avoid shame of surrender.

My Definition of Nursing :: Definition Nursing Medicine Narrative Essays

I realized I wanted to be a nurse after I had my 2nd ACL surgery, my senior year of high school. I had to stay in the hospital 3 days in order to recover, and I was very lucky to have such a wonderful and caring nurse. She made me feel as if I was her only patient. I will never forget how well I was taken care of and how comfortable she made me feel. I was young and scared, but she was reassuring, because she made me feel as if I had my own mother taking care of me. She was the reason I wanted to become a nurse, because I wanted to make others feel the way she made me feel. My personal definition of nursing is encompassed within that one nurse. A nurse should be loving, compassionate, dependable, competent, empathic, responsible, joyful and comforting (just to name a few). A nurse not only cares for the physical aspect of the patient but the mind and spirit as well. I believe a nurse should promote physical and emotional well-being. Nursing is more than just administering medications and performing different procedures; it is being with people, talking and visiting with them. I believe it is very beneficial to the patient to be treated as a human being rather than just â€Å"another patient†. It allows the patient to feel that the nurse truly cares about their well-being, and I believe that makes a difference in the patient’s recovery. When people have to be in the hospital or nursing home, they tend to feel very vulnerable and may sometimes feel ashamed or embarrassed. Some may not have any family or friends to visit them during their stay; this is the time for the nurse to be reassuring and make them feel comfortable. I believe that making a patient feel as comfortable as possible is one of the most important aspects of nursing care. I think it makes a tremendous difference when nurses act joyful and happy around the patient. A patient notices when a nurse is having a bad day or is unhappy, and most patients do not want someone taking care of them that does not bring joy into the room. It is reassuring to the patient to know that the nurse enjoys caring for them. I believe nurses also need to show competency and confidence. It makes the patient feel at ease and relaxed to know that the nurse knows what to do.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act :: essays research papers

Religious Freedom Restoration Act In this paper I will describe the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This Act was used to contradict the decision of the court case of Employment Division v. Smith, which allowed the government to forbid any religious act without giving a reason. The RFRA brought back the requirement that the government provide an adequate reason to forbid any religious act. The government once again had to show that the act was of compelling interest against the state. In 1993 one of the most important acts that has gone thorough Congress was passed (Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA). This was the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993 (Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA). This act was passed to answer the 1990 court case Employment Division v. Smith (Questions and Answers, Map of the RFRA). Employment Division v. Smith was a court case in which the issue was whether â€Å"Sacramental use of peyote by members of the Native American Church was protected under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, which provides that ‘Congress shall make no law...prohibiting the free exercise of religion'.†(Questions and Answers, Map of the RFRA). According to Justice Scalia, â€Å"if prohibiting the exercise of religion was merely the incidental effect of a generally applicable and otherwise valid provision, the First Amendment was not offended.† (Questions and Answers, Map of the RFRA). Thus, "...the government no longer had to justify most burdens on religious exercise. The free exercise clause offered protection only if a particular religious practice was singled out for discriminatory treatment. In short, free exercise was a sub category of equal protection. This placed religious rights in an inferior position to other First Amendment rights such as freedom of speech and press." (Questions and Answers, Map of the RFRA). This court case caused a series of court cases about religious freedoms (Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA). Congress enacted the RFRA to contradict the negative affect that court cases had recently had on religious freedoms(Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA). The RFRA is what it states it is in the title, a restoration act(Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA). Congress decided that in Employment Division v. Smith, "the supreme court virtually eliminated the requirement that the government justify burdens on religious exercise imposed by laws neutral toward religion and the compelling interest test as set forth in prior Federal court rulings is a workable test for striking sensible balances between religious liberty and competing prior governmental interests."(Religious Freedom, Map of the RFRA) In other words, the government did not have to have a reason to impose laws

New friends vs Old friends Essay

Friendship is one of the most important relationships of people in their daily lives. It’s certainly a blessing if you have a lot of friends in your life. People make friends because they want to interact with someone who has the same interests and share their experiences and feelings. Some people think it is more important to keep one’s old friends than it is to make new friends. However, in my opinion, I cannot agree with this view one hundred percent, I think making new friends is also important in my life. First of all, encountering a new environment is a big challenge for many people. They will face a lot of troubles when trying to adapt to this new circumstance. Making new friends is a way that helps people to deal with those problems. For example, when I was a freshman in university, I felt strange about everything on campus since the campus is much larger than my high school. At that time, I made some new friends in my classroom. We often do some interesting things like playing electric games, hiking and fishing. Thanks to my friends, I had an exciting first year in my university and I did not felt frustrated any more. Secondly, making new friends is a good chance to practice social skills. In modern society, no task can be done by a single person. More and more business require people who not only specialists in their fields, but also skilled in social interaction. Given the need for collaboration, social skills and team spirit are necessary qualities for any successful person. Through the process of making new friends, we could learn how to catch people’s attention, how to introduce yourself, how to start a conversation, how to be a good listener and how to pursue common interests. The social skills will be a foundation stone in our successful career life. Thirdly, even though you have a great deal of friends, it doesn’t mean you have good quality friends. The best friendships are the ones that nurture you and help you grow to be a more complete person. Perhaps you have not met those one or two key friends who â€Å"get† you and will help you to feel comfortable. Therefore, don’t be afraid to get out and meet new friends, because one of them might unexpectedly change your life for the better.

Research Bank Sohar

Research Project Contents Table ContentsPage number Acknowledgement Abstract Action Plan Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1Introduction 1. 2Rationale of the Study 1. 3Objectives of the Study Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2. 1 Introduction to the company 2. 2 Meaning of the topic 2. 3 Objectives and research of the topic 2. Different types of employee motivation Chapter 3 METHOD OF RESEARCH 3. 1 Design of the study 3. 2 Methods of collected data 3. 3 Types of research 3. 4 Sample size used in interview 3. 5 Limitation 3. 6 Analyzing the data Chapter 4 FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS 4. 1 Findings 4. 2 Recommendations Conclusion Bibliography ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At the outset, I would like to thank my Guide who explained to me about this Research Project in a very clear manner and assisted me at every step in completing it successfully, and my thanks are especially due to ———————————–for all his cooperation, in spite of his heavy schedules of work, and ———————– the Trainer who was very helpful in providing me with accurate information to use in this Research, and I convey my thanks to all the colleagues who cooperated with me by participating in the research by way of responding to my interviews and to the questionnaires which helped to lead me to findings and conclusions. Finally I thank all the people whoever helped me and stood by me to provide all the needful assistance to my requirement. ABSTRACT The productivity of the staff depends upon many factors for the bank. Humans are complex beings which ne ed continuous motivation to work without being burdened. Therefore, the Human Resources Department should not only impart motivational triggers but also should encourage the various groups of the staff to maintain a healthy competition; these ensure a continuous boosting of the staff’s energy levels. Dedication and loyalty to the company can also be cultured by providing staff with encouraging means to develop themselves as well as the company. The staff which feels comfortable with the bank will unlikely shift to other banks. Dedicated employees willingly work for the bank. By comparing with other banks, the bank should modify its policy’s and plans so as to not only attract more customers but also attract more staff from the other banks. Motivation thus plays an important role thus in maintaining a productive staff. A dedicated staff will anticipate not only customers’ needs but also try to develop bank through innovative ideas. This research is conducted to study the motivational aspects of Bank Sohar. The findings of the study demonstrate that proper strategies and right procedures are followed in this Bank Sohar. ACTION PLAN ID Task Name Start Finish Duration 1 Introduction: †¢Discussion with the guide about the topic. †¢Determine the requirement and objective. †¢Prepare questionnaires. †¢Planning for interview and making interview. †¢Determine and justify the research methodology. 2 Literature Review: 3 Data collection: †¢Determine and justify the research methodology. †¢Collection of both primary and secondary dates by appropriate methods. †¢Selection and preparing detailed and relevant objectives. 4 Analysis of the research project: †¢Analysis and interpretation of data and carry the research into specified areas. Making reviews with the guide regarding the project. 5 Documentation: †¢Prepare the full project in one accept format. †¢Present and evaluate findings and recommendations. 6 Presentation: Chapter 1: 1. 1 Introduc tion Bank Sohar was established on 9 April 2007. Although it is a very short time since it started its operations, it has been an extraordinary time as this new bank changed the ground rules for banking in Oman. Dr Mohammed Abdul Aziz Kalmoor, the CEO of the bank declared this year that their income of operating profit showed up a 31. 3% increase in 2010 from that of 2009. The bank’s net loans and advances grew by 14% in the last year. Customer deposits have augmented by 20% in 2010. Bank Sohar has introduced friendly financial solutions for everything from the purchase of cars to higher education. Their increased network has given it an added presence and opportunity to reach out their customers. Their new branches in prime locations of the county have given the bank an edge in the market and strengthened its position in the banking sector of the economy. Bank Sohar has developed a tradition of meeting the customers from different parts of the country at informal gatherings and road shows. This has turned out to be a model for modern marketing. Bank Sohar believes that customer satisfaction is the critical measure for bank’s success. All the decision-making processes at Bank Sohar are taken up by its finance team which assists the executive management and the board in planning and provides information and critical analysis of the Bank’s performance on a continuous basis. It is committed to providing quality banking solutions to help customers achieve their financial goals. A small example is that it is the Bank Sohar which introduced for the first time the cash deposit facility through their ATMs. All other banks in Oman emulated this bank soon. By adopting a lifecycle approach to the household sector they have created value-added services such as various savings deposits options, mortgages, consumer lending, insurances and wealth management products etc. In addition, they keep their clientele of small and medium entrepreneurs well informed of the market developments that may affect their enterprises. Bank Sohar always tries to tailor its services to suit the requirements of not only individual customers but also potential customer groups like the business communities. Thus they adopt sector-specific approach to corporate banking. As the network of the bank has increased through opening of several new branches, staff strength has automatically increased to over 500 by the end of 2010. Bank’s Omanisation ratio has steadily improved to 88% year after year. These achievements are due to the efficient management of human resources at the bank. The Human Resource Management (HRM) of Bank Sohar has been strengthening the profile of the bank by implementing its strategic goals through best international practices in human resource management. The bank encourages its staff to expose to the new and rapidly changing areas of banking industry. Facilities for learning and developing professional experience are regularly arranged by the staff at different levels. In short, Bank Sohar can be described as a bank, deeply committed to delivering excellent services with convenience and integrity to their customers. In no time it is sure to achieve their vision statement: â€Å"One stop financial super mall having boutiques of products and services across various segments, each with a unique set of propositions† 1. 2 Study the rationale As an employee in the Bank Sohar, I have the personal knowledge and understanding of the bank’s organization and its activities. Bank Sohar is he fastest upcoming bank in our country. It follows its own strategy to deal with the customers directly. Everybody working in this bank like me is treated respectfully and cordially. Their treatment can be said to be the main key for the progress of our bank during this short span of five years. 1. 3 Goals of the study –The main goal of this study is to recognize the methods of motivating and encouraging the staff at Bank Sohar. –Also it is to identify what makes the Bank Sohar achieve success in all branches in general and in Ruwi Branch in particular. Chapter 2: 2. 1 Introduction to the company: At Bank Sohar, banking is made easy. All the employees in the bank are committed to making the banking experience much smooth and efficient. Bank Sohar is well-reputed for its open and communicative relationship with the customers. They know that you are the best possible source to inform them the best way to cater your needs. Here you get specialized divisions ready to serve you. Customer’s requirement and queries are met by specialized Relationship Manager of the concerned division. They also try to solve all your banking issues with a click. With their e-Channels, your bank has become portable. Accessing your bank account has been made easy as you can access through the ATMs, Internet. Customers can also have online connectivity to their account through mobile phones. They offer a wide range of treasury services to large corporate clients, small and medium enterprises and various government departments and fund managers. †¢RO clearing and settlement †¢ RO payments to Bank Sohar accounts as well as to accounts at other banks having a presence in Oman †¢ Treasury and Foreign Exchange related services †¢ Local cheque collection †¢ Prompt query handling †¢ High degree of automation and straight-through processing †¢ On-line view only access to your account 2. 2 The meaning of the topic: Employee motivation plays vital role in the development of the company in many ways. ttp://www. managementstudyguide. com/importance_of_motivation. htm 2. 3Objectives and research of the topic: Bank Sohar provides the opportunities improvement to the productive staff. It’s in general trying to recognize the achievements and to earn more profitab le results which depends on the on the quality of staff performance, that’s why it always tries to provide their employees a good environment in order to promote personal growth. Bank Sohar gives importance to the group interest which is placed above the individual level. The officials at the bank always treat their customers, suppliers and even their colleagues very fairly and objectively. Behind all of the mentioned above, the following points are the main objectives of Bank Sohar which they are always trying to keep specific principles to help in improving their performance: †¢Provide healthy and safe workplace. †¢Make sure that the work environment is preventing the disabled people work practices and don’t present the prejudices and unreasonable barriers for which they are qualified within the bank. †¢Decrease the number of contribution for employees which can be made to the organization. †¢Recruit and return the right staff at the right time to the right place to work. †¢Promote the qualified and skilled staff based on there performance very fairly, which will gain their trust of fair treatments. 2. Different types of employee motivation: 1. Thanks award letter: Bank Sohar awards their staff monthwise by choosing the employee of the month, quarter and end of the year ,so that it provides them a voucher and including a Shukran (Thank You) Award Letter. Example: Mr / Ms†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bank Sohar, Danq Branch NSC Department ,Oman 20 February 2010 Dear,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Shukran (Thank You) for your initiative and good support. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work. We hope that your willingness and initiative serve as an example to your colleagues. We appreciate your commitment and dedication in cooperating the department in the absence of two staff who have resigned. You demonstrated that you were willing to shoulder additional responsibility and support the smooth running of the department. In token of our appreciation, this Bank Sohar awards you a Shukran Certificate, Smiley Badge and a Gift voucher. Yours Sincerely, HEAD HUMAN RESOURCE DEPT. 2. Long Term Services Award Upon the completion of 10, 20 and 30 years, staff will be given the following awards: 30 Years: Certificate signed by the Group Chairman, a gift of the employees choice (Approximately cost USD 1,000) and one month’s basic salary. 20 Years: Printed Certificate signed by the Deputy Chairman & CEO, Bank Sohar. 10 Years: Printed Certificate signed by the Area CEO. 3. Training: Overall Aim: To establish and maintain a key competitive advantage, Bank Sohar is committed to investing in human resources development through relevant ,planned and systematic training and other activities, which will contribute directly to the achievements of Banks business objectives, as well as meeting the demands of the Omanisation process. The basic training will be conducted by the Learning and Development Manager. Where necessary, regional training centre trainers at Muscat will conduct courses throughout Oman depending on the training needs. In addition, staff may be nominated to attend various training course held in Muscat and the group training at the Management Development Centre, Liverpool ,UK. External training may also be provided mainly through College of Banking and Financial Studies and other local institutes in Muscat, Salalah etc. On the job training may also be arranged, if line managers identify any such needs. Details of the training courses are available on the intranet or may be obtained from the Learning and Development Manager. 4. Career Development: †¢Employees retiring within two years from the date of drawing up or reviewing the rotation plan will be exempt from further job rotation unless it is deemed necessary to permit the rotation of others. †¢Should line managers be unable to rotate any of their staff in accordance with these guidelines he or she must justify the exceptions ensuring that the department head supports the exceptions made. In small or specialist departments such as HR,TSY, Legal, IT or for translators ,job rotation may have to be less frequent than the guideline suggested above. 5. Retirement: Staff will retire from Bank’ s employment on attaining 60 years (for male staff) and 55 years (for female staff). This is not applicable to temporary employees. Your age is the number of years elapsed since the date of your birth as stated in your identify cards, birth certificate or passport. The bank will write to you not less than one month in advance confirming the date on which you will retire. End of services benefits will be handled in accordance with the laws regulations of Public Authority for Social Insurance. 6. End of services benefits: For the Omanis Pension Scheme: Bank will pay 10% of the monthly deducted salary and contributes to the pension scheme of the retired Omani employees who will be receiving their monthly pension as per the rules and regulations of PASI. For the Expatriate employees Terminal Benefit: Bank will pay the expatriate employee a gratuity at the of half a month’s basic salary for the first five years of service, which will be granted at the time of quitting the job. 7. Occupational Health & Safety at Work: Making sure that they protect there staff health and safety at work is essential . We make the same commitment to our customers and any other visitors who come into our branches or offices. It’s the Bank’s objective is to promote a healthy working environment and a high level of safety management and fire prevention. As an employee of the bank, you have a major responsibility for maintaining health ,safety and fire precaution guidelines of the work place. These are essentially to: †¢Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and those who may be affected by your action. †¢To follow any laid down procedures and guidelines communicated to you. †¢To bring to the attention of management any defects in the building, electrical system and machinery. Chapter 3: 3. 1 Design of the study: Primary Data: This is the data acquired through the distribution of questionnaires and from the personal interviews. The personal interviews are always not possible and require more time. Therefore, Primary data is the un-analysed data obtained from research methods. Secondary Data: The data which on analysis gives perception and information to the grounds of research is called Secondary data. This data is classified into qualitative and quantitative; therefore the Secondary data is important for the formation of new grounds in the research. 3. 2 Methods of the collecting data: Primary Data: 1. Questionnaire: It is a list of questions containing all the possible parameters that the researcher wants to consider. It is the easiest and fastest way to do a research. The advantage is that only desired fields are considered and hence the data obtained is more focused. 2. Interview: In this type, the researcher communicates with the employee or customer for their opinions and thus researcher can obtain personal opinions of the fields that the researcher wants consider. But the data is not focused. 3. Observation: Observation is the method in which the researcher observes the fields without interfering with the process. The researcher deduces the data from his observation. This does not require searching for contacts. 4. Experimentation: It’s a technique used to do the investigations, which will observe the changing and find out where the influences are including the regards. Secondary Data: †¢Magazines: -Business Today Magazine (April 2011) –Times of Oman (dated 23 April 2011) †¢Internet websites: –www. banksohar. com –www. zawya. com –www. ameinfo. com – (http://www. humanresources. hrvinet. com/ questionnaire-method/) †¢Books: – Booklet of summery review of Bank Sohar’s Brand and Values in 2009 (Provided by the HR) 3. 3 Types of research: Questionnaires: In Bank Sohar, the service quality is of utmost importance. To achieve this many strategies are used. The Human Resources Department of Bank Sohar mostly uses questionnaires to collect the data from both the employees and customers. This method, as mentioned above, is easy and efficient. The data thus collected is then further analysed. Such method helps the bank to review its performance and also to know of the popularity of its various services. 1. In comparison with other banks does Bank Sohar provide you best way to get staff motivation: A. Yes B. Some times C. No D. At all 2. What do you think Bank Sohar should focus to achieve more staff motivation? A. Promotions B. Rewarding system C. Salary review D. All above 3. Is Bank Sohar providing the following selections to their employees fairly? A. Yearly bonus B. Promotions C. Increment of allowances D. Pension 4. Compared with other local banks, Bank Sohar provides good conditions to ts staff? A. Yes B. No C. No comments D. No answer 5. What makes you feel proud to work for Bank Sohar? A. Work environment B. Policies and conditions C. Team Work D. Rewards system 6. Does your current position satisfy your motivation level using the specific conditions? A. Yes B. No C. Sometimes D. No comments 7. Which of the followi ng banks would you like to apply in future? A. Current bank (Bank Sohar) B. Bank Muscat C. HSBC D. Nothing from the above. 1. Do you think that the bank is providing you a very fair performance appraisal? †¢Yes they are discussing with us before confirming Human Resources about the final performance results. They are using a very fair system where you can load what you have done during the year including the extra improvements, so it will be very clear for them to apprise each one among the bank. 2. Is Bank Sohar setting a fair targets for each staff? †¢Actually there are some people in the management departments dividing the work not in order to be covered by all staff, so in this some of the staff will feel demotivated as he will be pressurized in compare with others. 3. Does you line manager update you about your performance from time to time? †¢Yes, whenever any mistake is done he will keep me updated and insure that it won’t happen again. 4. Does Bank Soha r provide you a chance to develop your skills? †¢Actually, they are always promoting an online courses which you can go through it any time, but before the due dates. †¢They are sending their staff for external courses in the College of Banking and Finance. In addition they also provide us chances to graduate with higher diploma certificates for such specialized subjects. †¢They are rewarding their staff annually one person from one department by sending them for an attachment to one of the Europe branches, in order to learn more and gain more knowledge. 4. What are the returns which you can provide to the bank if you are satisfied with them? †¢I will do my best to increase the number of quality customers which will help in increasing the profit of the bank. Also I will be proud in front of my family and friends to work for the bank in order to keep a good view for people who are thinking to apply for the same bank specially qualified and experienced people. 3. 4 Sample size used in interview method as follows: Sl NoOrganisationDesignationName of the Employee 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Loan Department Salary & Deposit Cards Department Corporate Department Remittance Assistant Officer Manager Officer Manager Ibrahim Issa Ibrahim Al Zidjali Yusuf Suleiman Salem Al Wahibi Anas Hamad Seif Al Wahibi Juma Ra’shid Juma Al Saadri Fahma Al Mugheini Sl. noLocationCustomer/StaffName of the Employee 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Main Branch Main Branch Main Branch Qurum Branch Qurum Branch Main Branch Al Sarooj Branch Al Khuwair Branch Al Khuwair Branch Main Branch Al Khuwair Branch Al Seeb Branch Al Khuwair Branch Al Khuwair Branch MQ Branch Main Branch Al Khuwair Branch Qurum Branch Qurum Branch Main Branch MQ Branch MQ Branch MQ Branch Main Branch Al Seeb Branch Al Seeb Branch Main Branch Main Branch Main Branch Qurum Branch Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Eyas Sayid Saud Al Mashri Sara Teasdale Iman Seif Al Lamki Tariq Mohd. Al Balushi Assim Ahmed Ali Al Wahibi Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Wahibi Abdullah Ahmed Al Wahibi Abdullah Siddik Al Balushi Narjees Sa’ad Al Harthy Abdullah Mohd. Al Balushi Amina Seif Al Mussallum Majd Salem Saleem Al Wahibi Mohd. Salem Khamis Al Saithani Mohd. Salem Mohd. Al Wahibi Mohd. Mubarak Sayid Al Oufi Mohd. Mousa Yahya Al Harbi Mohd Nasser Humeid Al Badaae Masoud Salem Al Harthy Frhat Ali Al Zidjali Nadia Issam Al Balushi Dawood Ibrahim A’Salmi Ali Salem Al Shammaqi Salem Manal Al Tourqi Juma Ra’shid Juma Al Saadri Hussain Sayid Al Lawati Saad Salem Al Balushi Sayid Ra’shid Mohd Al Oufi Saifuddin Hisham Aziz Diwidaar Seif Sayid Nasser Al Wahibi Yusuf Yaqub Al Alaawi 3. 5 Limitation: No matter what method the researcher uses, there are always certain disadvantages. And moreover, in most cases the time is limited and therefore it becomes hard to manage the collection and analysis of data. Other limitations that I faced are: Some information about the bank is not accessible and is difficult to find As I chose the method of interview I got mixed up answers. As the level of knowledge and skill differ from one person to another, the responses varied greatly. In order to trace the trend in my data, I had to use large numbers of samples or interviewees. 3. 6 Analyzing the data: 1. In comparison with other banks does Bank Sohar provide you best way to get staff motivation? Conclusion : In the above chart it shows that most of the staff was satisfied with the motivational level which is been provided by Bank Sohar, as the negative answers are least chosen by the employees question (represented by C and D series in graph) are not very satisfied with motivation. 2. What do you think Bank Sohar should focus more in order to achieve staff motivation: Conclusion: Bank Sohar, staff are not happy with their salary as it wasn’t a good review for their salaries, but at least the rewarding system was playing a good part in their emotions. This can be easily understood by looking at the number who was happy with their salaries. 3. Is Bank Sohar providing the following selections to their employees fairly? Conclusion : Bank Sohar staff are not happy at all with the pension policies,where the level of satisfaction in the yearly bonuses was covering that percentage of motivation level which follows the promotion level, then it decreased again in the allowances increments. 4. Compared with other local banks, Bank Sohar provides good conditions to its staff? Conclusion: Bank Sohar staff is happy with the conditions which are provided to them as the calculation was very high in that level. Where some of them only are not satisfied at all, and at the lowest level was calculating in no nswers as most of them didn’t answer the question. 5. What makes you feel proud to work for Bank Sohar? Conclusion: The level of team work satisfaction was very high between Bank Sohar staff as one of the bank’s aim’s is to create a good environment and a strong team work, as it shown in the results that they are ha ppy with that strategy. 6. Does your current position satisfy your motivation level using the conditions? Conclusion: Bank Sohar staff are very happy with the conditions provided to them in their current passion where it was fluctuating between no answers and no comments, but in general they are happy with the conditions provided to them. 7. Which of the following banks would you like to apply in future? Conclusion: The staff are mostly satisfied and wish to continue working in the same environment in Bank Sohar. They are not satisfied to work with other banks in comparison. The highest result was calculating for Bank Sohar, so in general they are satisfied with the future chances which are provided to them. Chapter 4: 4. 1 Findings: On referring the observation depicted in the graphs, the human resources department of Bank Sohar is taking appropriate steps for maintaining the motivational levels of the employees. It closely monitors the employees and then relates their levels to their performances. The staff is happy with the policies and conditions provided to them and the staff satisfaction is in high levels. Highest levels of staff satisfaction in the bank can be achieved through continuous comparison the facilities which are provided to their staff with those of other banks, thus the bank will be able to identify the positive triggers which attract employees and consumers. The bank through this can identify its weak areas. Therefore the bank should look after other bank’s issues seriously and try to learn to not commit same mistakes and plan wisely to leap in the market. Some other measures to ensure staff motivation include: †¢The bank should do salary review from time to time. By improving the level of motivational facilities such as; increase the level of allowances, promotions, more development skills programs and rewarding system show positive levels of motivation. †¢Throughout the year, the staff is to be updated regularly about their performance. â⠂¬ ¢The bank needs to do more comparison with its competitor banks in term of motivating their staff. In general Bank is doing a very good job and they are always trying to motivate their staff and try to keep them for ever specially the experienced and skilled people. 4. 2 Recommendation : 1. Regular surveying is necessary to measure the motivational levels of the staff. This enables management to update various hindrances which cause de-motivation. 2. Personal opinion gatherings are essential to make the bonds between the management and employees which is essential for long term performance development. 3. By increasing the factors that cause the motivation, the company can instill motivation. For example vouchers limit can be enhanced. 4. By involving various levels of employees in the meetings to induce motivation into the lower levels of employees and help in overall staff development. 5. By sending the staff to other institutions for development and other educational programs, the motivation levels can be increased. Conclusion: Motivation level can be developed easily in Bank, as the management should keep in their minds that they are dealing with humans who need a special and very respective standard level. Generally management should follow a proper strategy in treating their staff by following the right procedures so as to intensify motivation and competition. Bank Sohar prioritizes the motivation of the employees as an important aspect in the whole bank’s functioning. The Human Resources Department of the bank regularly surveys and finds various ways to ensure the continuity of the motivational levels among the staff. The bank well understands that healthy competition and motivational are vital for dedicated performance. Bibliography: –www. banksohar. com –www. zawya. com –www. ameinfo. com –http://www. humanresources. hrvinet. com/questionnaire-method/ –Business Today Magazine (April 2011) –Times of Oman (dated 23 April 2011)