Food Marketing Related with Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Food Marketing Related with Obesity - Essay Example This essay "Food Marketing Related with Obesity" outlines how the food advertising influenced the level of obesity. In the US, it is estimated that almost $2 billion is spent by the food and beverage industry annually towards marketing the beverages and food to the adolescents and children. The Institute of Medicine report advanced that the food and beverage advertising have effects on the food choices, diets, food purchase requests, and health of the children. According to Bouchard (62), â€Å"the food markets and its impacts have been established to vary by ethnicity†. For example, in America, the food marketing is more prevalent in the Latino and Black communities. Research indicates that every day, the Black children are exposed to twice as many high calorie advertised food commercials as White Children (Bouchard 62). The food products that are marketed most to the Blacks are the low nutrition high calorie foods and beverages. The Latinos are the main target for the marketers as a result of their relative spending power and population growth. It has been established that nearly 84 percent of children targeted marketing on Spanish-language TV promote food stuffs having low nutritional values. Within a three year period between 2010 and 2013, the research revealed that the overall advertising expenditures by the fast food restaurants on Spanish TV had increased by 8 percent. Moreover, the low income Latino neighborhoods bear nine t imes more outdoor sugar drinks and fast food advertising compared to the high-income White neighborhoods.

Changinng Life Style Essay Example for Free

Changinng Life Style Essay Indian Culture is time tested and represented the progressively refined way of life, that had unfortunately suffered a set back, a sub culture process as it were, drifting from its salutary ways of living. Did not Lord Mecaulay say in the UK parliament how the Indians had such a perfect social harmony and faith in their way of life, that they can not be subdued unless they were weaned from their prestige and made to adore the alien way of life, to feel subordinated to a superior culture, wherefore they could be easily subdued and dominated for the best advantage of the colonial rule! That was perfectly achieved and Indians forgot their own merits in a strange infatuation with alien culture! Foreign culture was best for them, unique to them, deserved respect, but not fit for absorption into our own way of life! Apart from an initiation into new unfolding findings of secular science and technology which was absent in our nation under colonial subjugation we had gained least in other spheres, particularly in the social and ethical qualities. We became divided, in the names of religion and castes losing the force of harmony that united us under the princely states! The increasing divorce culture, night clubs and pub culture, promiscuity and desertions etc among youth, the divide and rule policy among the politicians, the aggressive conversions (against more benign missionary activities a century ago) are the only major impacts in the social domain. So except the technological inputs, even economic exploitations under free trade or repressive regimentation under socialist govts that came from the west, have least served the society to achieve equality. Social impacts have been worse. The break down of joint family system due to new life styles, uncontrolled deviancies in the name of liberty etc have made youth defy control of society and family in a big way. In a chapter on Consequences of Innovations in the book by Rogers and Shoemaker entitled, Diffusion and  Adoption of Innovations, it is discussed how any change made in any aspect of social sphere agriculture or medicine or arts or whatever may end up in unexpected side effects as well. The chaos in the aborigins of Australia after replacement of traditional stone tool etc make interesting reading! In India itself, the introduction of rural TV programme for education of people in modern agricultre, health care etc was studied in UP state when Indiraji was Minister of Broadcasting, in 100 villages. The study revealed significant increase in knowledge and attitude of people in modern techniques and the project was cleared for large scale introdcution across the country. After govt project was ended, many behavioural scientists took up studies in change of life pattern in the villages. They came across many critical adverse changes traceable to exposure of untreated entertainment programmes given by TV apart from the educatinal inputs! Like that our adoration for the modern knowledge gained from the west, had made us adopt their other life styles as well to the detriment of society. So the demerits have been devastating as we see from the increase of family courts to deal with increasing divorce cases, the skewed development of trade and industy at the cost of other primary enterprises, policy of social divide by politicians for vote bank advantage etc! In my opinion, we had paid a heavy price for all the technological good we received from the west, by our own unwise emulation of their social perceptions and political strategies as well! have a good day! TRADITIONAL CULTURE AND MODERNIZATION R. BALASUBRAMANIAN BACKGROUND This paper focuses upon three issues. First, I want to show that the perennial elements in traditional cultures like those of India and China are  relevant even today as they play an important role in the achievement, on the one hand, of harmony between the individual and society at the social level, and, on the other hand, of harmony of spirit, mind, and body at the individual level. Second, we should not lose sight of the distinction between knowledge and information, between wisdom and knowledge, and more importantly between life and living. The perennial elements in the traditional culture have helped us to care for life, knowledge, and wisdom, which are essential for spiritual development. Third, modernization as interpreted by the West has a narrow connotation and is, therefore, a distorted concept. Through science, it brings in the colonial attitude, the imperialism of the West. It is possible for one to be modern without accepting all that is implied by modernization. Culture, which comprises philosophy and religion, art and literature, science and technology, social organization and political administration, is the mirror of the theory and practice of a people. It is originated, developed and sustained by the people over a period of time. In turn, the perennial elements which constitute its core inspire and sustain the posterity to whom it is transmitted from time to time. Traditional cultures like those of China and India are undoubtedly ancient, but not antiquated; their ideals and practices, which are relevant in any situation, help the people to meet the new challenges which surface from time to time. As a result they not only survive, but are admired, adored, and accepted by the people. There cannot be a better explanation of the way a culture is able to hold the people and sustain them than the one given by Sri Aurobindo: The culture of a people may be roughly described as the expression of a consciousness of life which formulates itself in three aspects. There is a side of thought, of ideal, of upward will and the soul’s aspiration; there is a side of creative self-expression and appreciative aesthesis, intelligence, and imagination; and there is a side of practical and outward formulation. A people’s philosophy and higher thinking give us its mind’s purest, largest, and most general formulation of its consciousness of life and its dynamic view of existence. Its religion formulates the most intense form of its upward will and the soul’s aspirations towards the fulfillment of its highest ideal and impulse. Its art, poetry, literature provide for us the creative expression and impression of its intuition, imagination, vital turn and creative  intelligence. Its society and politics provide in their forms an outward frame in which the more external life works out what it can of its inspiring ideal and of its special character and nature under the difficulties of the environment. We can see how much it has taken of the crude material of living, what it has done with it, how it has shaped as much of it as possible into some reflection of its guarding consciousness and deeper spirit. None of them express the whole spirit behind, but they derive from it their main ideas and their cultural character. Together they make up its soul, mind, and body.1 Of the various components of culture the role of philosophy and religion is significant. Philosophy and religion can never be separated though they can be distinguished. It may be that in a particular culture, philosophy is in the forefront and religion in the background. It can also be the other way with religion at the surface and philosophy in the background. The point to be noted here is that philosophy and religion interact with, and influence each other. Philosophy is made dynamic by religion, and religion is enlightened by philosophy. If it is admitted that there is the need for a unity of theory and practice, p hilosophy cannot remain merely as a view of life; it must also be a way of life. In other words, philosophy has to become religious if it is to mold, organize and regulate life. Religion is not an untouchable; its need for life can neither be ignored nor underestimated. It will be helpful to contrast the pursuit of philosophy in Europe with that in India and China. Unlike the Europe of the Enlightenment where philosophy did not touch life at all, there was a tremendous impact of philosophy on life both in India and China. In the words of Sri Aurobindo: Philosophy has been pursued in Europe with great and noble intellectual results by the highest minds, but very much as a pursuit apart from life, a thing high and splendid, but ineffective. It is remarkable that, while in India and China philosophy has seized hold on life, has had an enormous practical effect on the civilization and got into the very bones of current thought and action, it has never at all succeeded in achieving this importance in Europe. In the days of the Stoics and Epicureans it got a grip, but only among the highly cultured; at the present day, too, we have some renewed tendency of the kind. Nietzsche has had his influence, certain French thinkers also in France, the philosophies of James and Bergson have attracted some amount of public interest; but it is a mere  nothing compared with the effective power of Asiatic philosophy.2 There is no doubt that the average European who draws his guidance not from the philosophic, but from positive and practical reason, puts the philosophical treatises on the highest shelf in the library of civilization. The situation is entirely different in India. Sri Aurobindo says: The Indian mind holds . . . that the Rishi, the thinker, the seer of spiritual truth is the best guide not only of the religious and moral, but [also of] the practical life. The seer, the Rishi is the natural director of society; to the Rishis he attributes the ideals and guiding intuitions of his civilizati on. Even today he is very ready to give the name to anyone who can give a spiritual truth which helps his life or a formative idea and inspiration which influences religion, ethics, society, even politics.3 The phenomenon known as modernization is a product of the one-sided pursuit of both philosophy and science — philosophy purely as an intellectual affair without any bearing on life and science as the most effective instrument for the possession of unlimited power, eliminating the sacred. I shall take up the problem of modernization later. It may be added here that what is said about the Indian mind is equally true of the Chinese mind. Confucius, Mencius, and others are the great Rishis of China, the seers who exhibited the most uncommon insight into men and matters, into the moral and social problems of human beings. Drawing a distinction between two kinds of philosophers, systematic and edifying, Richard Rorty characterizes Wittgenstein as an edifying philosopher, like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and others. In a brief analysis of the spirit of Western civilization which is fully manifest in the industry, architecture, and music of our time, in its fascism and socialism, Wittgenstein openly admits that he has no sympathy for the current of European civilization, that he does not understand its goals, if it has any, and that it is alien and uncongenial to him.4 He goes on to say: A culture is like a big organization which assigns each of its members a place where he can work in the spirit of the whole; and it is perfectly fair for his power to be measured by the contribution he succeeds in making to the whole enterprise.5 Wittgenstein’s brief explanation of culture requires some elucidation. He says that culture is a whole, that every individual has a place in it, that every individual has to function as a member of the whole, and that what he does is significant socially as well  as morally. The two traditional cultures, Chinese and Indian, have recognized the importance of the ideas embedded in Wittgenstein’s explanation of culture. While the Indian culture appears to be predominantly spiritual and religious, the Chinese culture seems to be basically humanistic, with a clear emphasis on the moral and social dimensions of life. It must be pointed out in this connection that the difference between these two traditional cultures is only at the surface. Since the traditional culture comprehends the total life of a person, it provides a place for the different dimensions of life — spiritual, religious, moral, and social — which can be distinguished, but not separated. The spiritual and religious dimension of life presupposes the moral and social realm ; and the moral and social sphere of life points to the religious and spiritual goals. That the two realms, ethico-social and religio-spiritual, are complementary, has been recognized by both these cultures, even though the Indian culture lays emphasis on the spiritual and religious side of man while the Chinese culture focusses on the ethical and social side of man. The motif of the two cultures is the harmony of spirit, mind, and body; and it is to achieve this harmony that they take care of both realms of life. Once again what Sri Aurobindo says in this connection is worth quoting: A true happiness in this world is the right terrestrial aim of man, and true happiness lies in the finding and maintenance of a natural harmony of spirit, mind, and body. A culture is to be valued to the extent to which it has discovered the right key of this harmony and organized its expressive motives and movements. And a civilization must be judged by the manner in which all its principles, ideas, forms, ways of living work to bring that harmony out, manage its rhythmic play, and secure its continuance or the development of its motives.6 There is need to harmonize the eternal and the temporal, for the spirit works through mind and body, which belong to the temporal; and this is what every great culture has aimed at. There are four components in the traditional culture associated with India and China. They are: (1) the primal Spirit which is the source and support of the universe may be viewed both as transcendent to, and as immanent in, the universe; (2) this Spirit which is immanent in all human beings can be realized by every human being; (3) it lays down a discipline which is both moral and spiritual for realizing the Spirit; and (4) it has provided an organization of the  individual and collective life not only for the sake of the harmony between the individual and society, but also for the sake of the harmony of spirit, mind, and body. Each one of these components needs some explanation in the context of these two cultures. INDIAN CULTURE Though Indian culture as it is today is composite in character, comprising Hindu, Jaina, Buddha, Islamic, and Christian elements, it can be characterized as Vedic culture since not only Hinduism, which is predominant, but also Jainism and Buddhism, which originated in protest against Vedic ritualism, have been influenced by the Vedas, the basic and oldest scriptural text in the world. Islam and Christianity entered the Indian soil consequent on the invasion of India by the foreigners — by the Moghuls in the former case, and by the English, French, and Portuguese in the latter case. Though they try to retain their identity, the followers of these two religious traditions have been influenced by the Vedic culture. Kabir (1398-1518 AD), for example, who is a greatly respected personality in the religious history of India, is a product of both Hinduism and Islam. In recent times, Indian Christians talk about and practice inculturization, which is a new and growing phenomenon. The predominant Hindu culture which has a long and continuous history is the Vedic culture; and the Vedic culture, which has its beginning round about 2500 BC, may be characterized as primal culture, since it traces everything in the universe to the primal Spirit, which is variously called Brahman, Ä€tman, Being, and so on. Spirit or Being is the primal reality. It is that from which all beings arise; being supported by it, they exist; and all of them move towards it as their destination. In the language of T.S. Eliot, the beginning is the end. The Upanisad says: That, verily, from which these beings are born, that by which, when born, they live, that into which, when departing, they enter. That, seek to know. That is Brahman.7 Spirit or Brahman is primal in the sense that it is foundational. It is the sole reality; it is one and non-dual; and there is nothing else beside it. It is spoken of as the First Cause, Unmoved Mover, of the entire manifest universe. With a view to bring o ut the independent nature of the primal Spirit on which the manifest universe is dependent, it is referred to as the Ground. That which is independent is real; what is dependent is an appearance. The ground-grounded  relation brings out the reality of Spirit and the appearance of the universe. Ordinarily we distinguish the material cause from the efficient cause; the one is different from the other. The wood from which a table is made is the material cause; and the carpenter who works on the wood and makes a table according to a certain design is the efficient cause. The carpenter is different from the wood. What makes the primal Spirit unique is that it is both the material and efficient cause of the universe, because it alone existed in the beginning and nothing else beside it. Like wood, it is the material cause of the world; and like a carpenter, it is the efficient cause of the world. So, the Vedic culture traces all beings, living as well as non-living, to one source, viz. Spirit or Being. It may be pointed out here that in recent times quantum physics attempts to trace everything in the manifest universe to one source which is non-material or spiritual. Einstein declared: Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the Laws of the Universe — a Spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we, with our modest powers, must feel humble.8 That Spirit or Brahman is the source, support, and end of everything in the universe, is the major premise of the Vedic culture. Derived from the major premise are two minor premises, one relating to living beings called jÄ «va and the other, to non-living beings called jagat. Since Spirit or Brahman is immanent in jÄ «va and jagat, neither jÄ «va nor jagat is isolated from the primal Spirit. It means that all living beings, whatever the y may be — humans, animals, birds, reptiles, and so on — are spiritual or divine. Non-living beings which are material constitute the physical universe. They are the products of the five elements — ether, air, fire, water and earth — which are material. The divine principle is present not only in living beings, but also in non-living beings, and so they are also divine. Characterizing Brahman as the indwelling Spirit (antaryÄ min), the BrhadÄ nrayaka Upanisad says that Brahman is present in all beings — the sun, the moon, and the stars, the elements which constitute the physical universe, and the organs of the jÄ «vas. Just as our body does not know the Spirit inside it, even so the beings, whatever they may be, do not know Brahman, the indwelling Spirit in them. The following text is relevant here: He [Brahman or Spirit] who dwells in all beings, yet is within all beings, whom no beings know, whose body is  all beings, who controls all beings from within, he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal.9 That which dwells in material objects and controls them also dwells in all living beings and contr ols them. Just as all living beings are essentially divine, even so the entire physical universe is essentially divine. Whatever may be the differences among the species and within the individual members of a species, all are essentially one, because one and the same divine Spirit is present in all of them. The message conveyed by these two minor premises of the traditional culture deserves careful consideration. First of all, if the land and the water and the sky of the physical universe are divine, then we should take care of them in the same way as we take care of our body. The claim that human beings are rational, that they are superior to the physical world, and that they are, in the words of Descartes, the masters and possessors of nature resulted in the unscrupulous, cruel, and destructive despoliation of nature in the name of the quest for knowledge, scientific development, and technological progress. It is not nature that is red in tooth and claw, but the human being who is unabashedl y selfish and blatantly aggressive and makes nature bleed and scorch. Fortunately for us, there is a global awakening to the significance of the earth and the water and the sky as sources of sustenance and nourishment. Secondly, the application of this principle of the oneness to the human realm is of great consequence. The understanding that all human beings are essentially one and that differences of color and caste, of gender and race, of sharpness and dullness of mind, and so on are due to the mind-sense-body adjunct by which the Spirit is enclosed will help us to tackle the universally rampant problem of discrimination of all kinds — social, religious, economic, and political. VedÄ ntic philosophy, which is an important component of culture, tells us what a human being is, does, and should do in order to achieve the harmony of spirit, mind, and body. A human being (jÄ «va) is a complex entity consisting of Spirit and matter. The term used in VedÄ nta for Spirit is the Self or Ä€tman. Matter which is totally different from the Self i s referred to as not-Self, as other-than-the-Self. According to VedÄ nta, the not-Self, which is the material outfit of the human being, is made up of the mind, the senses, and the body. The Self in the human being requires a physical medium for its involvement in the day-to-day life as the subject of knowledge, the  agent of action, and the enjoyer of the consequences of action. The mind and the senses are the cognitive instruments. With the help of the mind, the five senses give us knowledge of the things of the external world. The work of the mind does not stop with the cognitive support it gives to the senses. As the internal organ (antahkaraa), the mind generates the knowledge of the subjective states such as pleasure and pain. It also does something more, which is very important from the moral and spiritual perspectives. It gives us knowledge of the right and the wrong, dharma and adharma as they are called. When chastened by the moral and spiritual discipline, it is the mind which helps us to realize the primal Spirit or Brahman. So the work of the mind is manifold. The mind is the most marvelous instrument that a human being possesses. The emergence of the mind has not only accelerated the evolutionary process in its upward movement, but also has given enormous powers to the human being, making him/her the crown of creation, unique among all living beings. In the course of his commentary on the scriptural account of the creation of the world, Sankara raises the question about the preeminence of the human being among all creatures and answers it by saying that the human being is preeminent because he alone is qualified for knowledge and the performance of prescribed duties (jnÄ na-karma-adhikÄ rah).10 Why is it that he alone has this competence? Sankara justifies the supremacy of the human on three grounds. First, he has the ability for acquiring knowledge not only of the things of the world, but also of the supreme Being, the primal reality. This is because he is equipped with the mind which, being inspired by the Self or Spirit in him is capable of comprehending everything including the highest reality. Secondly, he has the distinctive quality of desiring certain ends as a result of discrimination, deliberation, and choice. Thirdly, when he has consciously chosen an end, he is earnest about it, finds the right means for achieving the end, and persists in it till he reaches the goal. A scriptural text which is quoted by Sankara in this connection says: In man alone is the Self most manifest for he is the best endowed with knowledge. He speaks what he knows; he sees what he knows; he knows what will happen tomorrow; he knows the higher and the lower worlds; he aspires to achieve immortality through perishable things. He is thus endowed (with discrimination) while other beings have consc iousness of hunger and thirst only.11 According to  VedÄ nta, the Self in the human being is eternal, whereas his material outfit, the mind-sense-body complex, is temporal. The birth and death of a human being are connected with, and because of, the body. They are illicitly transferred to the Self with the result that we think of it as perishable and finite. The human being is caught in the cycle of birth and death because of ignorance (avidyÄ ) whose beginning is not known. The empirical journey of the Self through its association with the material adjunct is due to avidyÄ . It is avidyÄ  that pulls down the trans-empirical Self into the empirical realm, superimposes on it, which is non-relational, a relation with matter, and is thus responsible for the fall of the Self. What is above categorization is now categorized and made an object of knowledge; what transcends relation is now explained through the logic of relation; and what is beyond the scope of language is now brought within the grammar of language. Thus, just as a tree and a table are known through perception and other means of knowledge, even so Brahman or the Self, we claim, is known through the scriptural text called Sruti. The trans-relational reality is viewed as characterized by omniscience and other qualities and also as the cause of the world. What is trans-linguistic is now spoken of as real, knowledge, infinite, and so on. In other words, we employ the categories of substance and attribute, cause and effect, whole and parts for the purpose of understanding the highest reality. It will be of interest in this connection to refer to the views of two influential thinkers from the West — one belonging to the pre-sixth century and the other our own contemporary. Pseudo-Dionysius, who occupies an important place in the history of Western spirituality, observes: [The supreme reality] is neither perceived nor is it perceptible. It suffers neither disorder nor disturbance and is overwhelmed by no earthly passion. . . . It endures no deprivation of light. It passes through no change, decay, division, loss, no ebb and flow, nothing of which the senses may be aware. None of all this can either be identified with it nor attributed to it.12 Again, he says: It falls neither within the predicate of non-being nor of being. Existing beings do not know it as it actually is and it does not know them as they are. There is no speaking of it, nor name, nor knowledge of it. Darkness and light, error and truth — it is none of these. It is beyond assertion and  denial. We make assertions and denials of what is next to it, but never of it, for it is both beyond every assertion, being the perfect and unique cause of all things, and, by virtue of its preeminently simple and absolute nature, free of every limitation, beyond every limitation; it is also beyond every denial.13 Pseudo-Dionysius conveys in the most unambiguous terms the VedÄ ntic conception of Brahman or the Self. Instead of terms such as Brahman or the Self used by the VedÄ ntin, Wittgenstein uses terms such as the metaphysical subject, the I, the philosophical ‘I’ and contrasts it with the body. The human body, he says, is a part of the world among other parts , but the Self or the philosophical I is not a part of the world; it is outside the space-time-cause world. In the words of Wittgenstein: The subject does not belong to the world, but is a border of the world.14 The philosophical I is not the human being, not the human body, or the human soul of which psychology treats, but the metaphysical subject, the border — not a part — of the world.15 What is obvious from the foregoing account is that we have to make a distinction between two concepts, Brahman-in-itself and Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world, for the purpose of analysis. The latter concept is meaningful only on the presupposition of the fall of Brahman or the Self. When did this fall take place? No one knows, and no one can answer. Once there is the fall, the empirical journey of the Self goes on in different forms, conditioned by the space-time-cause framework. However, the promise of VedÄ nta is that the empirical journey of the lÄ «va can be put an end to, that the vicious cycle of birth and death can be broken by destroying avidyÄ  through knowledge of oneâ€℠¢s Self. That is why there is the scriptural instruction of Know thy Self. Not only does scripture say that the Self should be realized or seen, but it also suggests the means for realizing it. It will be difficult to understand the full significance of the distinction between Brahman-in-itself and Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world without a reference to the principle of standpoints which is enshrined in Indian culture. There are two sets of features, perennial and temporal, in Indian culture which contribute to its continuity as well as its change. While the basic doctrines constitute its perennial dimension, religious practices covering a wide range are temporal and transitory. Decadence sets in when the temporal and transitory features gain importance almost to the point of ignoring or sidetracking the  perennial features. Historical, social, and political changes call for modification, sometimes radical, sometimes minor, in the religious practices and social norms of the people, while the basic doctrinal side remains intact. Continuity of the essentials amidst the changing flow of life helps to preserve the cultural tradition. The essential structure which has endured through the vicissitudes of time contains the basic doctrines as stated in the major premise and the two minor premises to which reference was made earlier. The three basic doctrines are: primal Being or Spirit is the source, support, and end of everything, sentient as well as non-sentient; all living beings are divine; also, the physical universe which has originated from the primal Spirit is spiritual. The monistic vision, which is pervasive in the Vedic corpus, is a notable feature of Indian culture. The doctrine of levels or standpoints skillfully adopted by Indian culture helps to reconcile monism and polytheism as well as monism and pluralism. Though each pair contains two extremes in the religio-philosophical thinking, they have been accommodated as different standpoints at different levels. They are irreconcilable only when they are placed together at the same level. For example, one of the oft-quoted hymns of the Rg-veda provides a clue for reconciling the problem of one Godhead and many gods and goddesses. It says: What is but one, wise people call by different names — as Agni, Yama, MÄ tarisvan.16 Reference to gods, such as, Agni and Yama may be replaced by the well known gods of the Hindu pantheon such as Siva, Visnu, Sakti, and so on. Sankara explains the distinction between the supreme Godhead and its various forms such as Siva, Visnu, and so on, as the distinction between the unconditioned reality, what we referred to as Brahman-in-itself, and its conditioned forms such as Siva and Visnu, all of which can be brought under Brahman-in-relation-to-the-world. _iva, Viu, and other gods are conditioned beings endowed with a name and a form and other qualities, whereas the One is unconditioned, devoid of name and form, specifications and qualities and is, therefore, trans-empirical, trans-relational, and trans-linguistic. This mode of drawing the distinction between the supreme Godhead and its many forms for the purpose of worship and other religious practices of the devotees, which is unheard of in other religious traditions of other cultures, is of great consequence in the religious practice of the people.  Since it is the one reality that is worshipped in many forms such as Agni, Siva, and so on, one who worships Agni or Siva, should not quarrel with one who worships Yama or Visnu, because Agni, Yama, Siva, and Visnu are the conditioned aspects of the same reality. This significant idea of the Rg-Vedic hymn was accepted, fully elaborated, and further deepened by the Upanisads. It provides a theoretical framework for religious harmony, which is one of the characteristic features of primal culture and which has received special emphasis right from the beginning till this day. What makes primal culture valid for all times and in all places is its inclusiveness. It includes everything by providing a place for it in the whole. Religious, social, economic, scientific, and political activities are necessary and meaningful; but they must be made subservient to, and must be viewed and judged in the context of the spiritual goal of life. A culture which is mainly concerned with the bare economic necessities of life, social institutions, and political organization will be neither enduring nor elevating; it may look energetic and enterprising, but it is not worth the name, if it is not geared up to the spiritual side of life. Once again, what Sri Aurobindo says is worth quoting here: A mere intellectual, ethical, and aesthetic culture does not go back to the inmost truth of the spirit; it is still an ignorance, an incomplete, outward, and superficial knowledge. To have made the discovery of our deepest being and hidden spiritual nature is the first necessity and to have erected the living of an inmost spiritual life into the aim of existence is the characteristic sign of a spiritual culture. 17 The VedÄ nta philosophy solves the problem of monism versus pluralism on the basis of the distinction between two levels or standpoints called pÄ ramÄ rthika and vyÄ vahÄ rika, or absolute and relative respectively. The Upanisads make use of this distinction in the explanation of the epistemological, metaphysical, axiological, and soteriological problems. What is true at one level may not be so at another level. A dream-lion which is accepted as real in dream experience loses its reality at the waking level. What is accepted as a value at one time may turn out to be a disvalue at another time. The pluralistic universe which is accepted as real may cease to exist in the state of liberation following the spiritual ascent. The pÄ ramÄ rthika or absolute standpoint is higher, whereas the vyÄ vahÄ rika or the relative standpoint is lower. It must be borne in mind that the  higher standpoint which transcends the lower does not invalidate it. One who has moved from th e relative to the absolute standpoint knows the truth of the former; but one who is tied to the relative standpoint cannot understand the truth of the absolute standpoint. Consider the case of two persons who attempt to climb up a mountain in order to reach the highest peak. While one of them reaches the top, the other, due to some disability, is not able to proceed beyond the foothill. The person who has reached the summit knows what kind of experience is available to one at the foothill; but one who is at the foothill does not understand the kind of experience one has at the top. We have to apply this logic to the different kinds of experience without subverting the pÄ ramÄ rthika-vyÄ vahÄ rika hierarchy. The Upanisads describe the two levels as signifying higher wisdom and lower knowledge. Experience of plurality is quite common; it is quite natural; we have it in our daily life. No special effort or discipline is required for such an experience. But experience of oneness is uncommon. One does not get it without special effort or appropriate discipline. The transition is from the common to the uncommon. A text of the BrhadÄ rayaka Upanisad describes the two levels of experience as follows: For, where there is duality as it were, there one sees the other, one smells the other, one knows the other. . . . But, where everything has become just one’s own self, by what and whom should one smell, by what and whom should one know?18 Without disregarding the pragmatic value of day-to-day empirical knowledge, primal culture emphasizes the importance of higher wisdom. It will be of interest to quote Wittgenstein in this connection. He says: In religion every level of devoutness must have its appropriate form of expression which has no sense at a lower level. This doctrine, which means something at a higher level, is null and void for someone who is still at the lower level; he can only understand it wrongly and so these words are not valid for such a person. For instance, at my level the Pauline doctrine of predestination is ugly, nonsense, irreligiousness. Hence it is not suitable for me, since the only use I could make of the picture I am offered would be a wrong one. If it is a good and godly picture, then it is so for someone at a quite different level, who must use it in his life in a way completely different from anything that would be possible for me.19 The teaching of the VedÄ nta philosophy is positive. According to it, life in this world is meaningful  and purposive — meaningful for the reason that it serves as the training ground for one’s spiritual uplifting through the proper use of the objects of the world by the mind-sense-body equipment of which one is in possession, and purposive as one has to achieve freedom or liberation by overcoming the existential predicament. Freedom or liberation which is projected as the goal must be understood in the spiritual sense. It is true that human life is made difficult by economic constraints, political oppression, social hierarchy, and religious discrimination; and a situation of this kind points to, and calls for, freedom of different kinds so that a person can exist and function as a moral agent enjoying economic, political, social and religious freedom. However, the goal of life remains unfulfilled in spite of these different kinds of freedom. Though they are necessary, they are not sufficient. The highest freedom which is eternal and totally satisfying is spiritual freedom, which is called moksa in Indian culture. A socio-political system may ensure political freedom, social justice, economic satisfaction, and unrestricted religious practice; but still there is no guarantee of harmony of spirit, mind, and body which one can achieve only through the teaching of philosophy and religion. The socio-political machinery cannot be a substitute for religion and philosophy, though it can and should maintain a system of rights and obligations in which alone a human being can lead a moral life as formulated in religion and can pursue the goal of liberation as projected by philosophy. Sri Aurobindo says: The whole aim of a great culture is to lift man up to something which at first he is not, to lead him to knowledge though he starts from an unfathomable ignorance, to teach him to live by reason, though actually he lives much more by his unreason, by the law of good and unity, though he is now full of evil and discord, by a law of beauty and harmony, though his actual life is a repulsive muddle of ugliness and jarring barbarisms, by some law of his spirit, though at present he is egoistic, material, unspiritual, engrossed by the needs and desires of his physical being. If a civilization has not any of these aims, it can hardly at all be said to have a culture and certainly in no sense a great and noble culture. But the last of these aims, as conceived by ancient India, is the highest of all because it includes and surpasses all the others. To have made this attempt is to have ennobled the life of the race; to have failed in it is better than if it had never at all   been attempted; to have achieved even a partial success is a great contribution to the future possibilities of the human being.20 Excepting the CÄ rvÄ ka, which advocates a thoroughgoing materialism, all other philosophical systems in India accept the ideal of moksa. The Indian mind, right from the beginning, has accepted a hierarchy of values, ranging from the bodily and economic values at the bottom to the spiritual values of which liberation is at the top. The human being leads his life at two levels — organic and hyper-organic. Bodily and economic values which he pursues belong to the organic level. In so far as the pursuit of the organic values is concerned — values which are necessary for life preservation — his life and activities are in no way different from those of animals; at this level, hunger and sleep, shelter and sex are common to man and animals. Endowed as he is not only with the body, but also with the mind, he also lives at another level, pursuing higher values such as truth, beauty, goodness. The life-activity of man which is fully reflective of his cognition, desire, deliberation, and choice cannot stop short of the highest value called moksa. It is not necessary here to discuss the broad scheme of values accepted in the Indian tradition. Suffice it to say that, though artha and kÄ ma, which emphasize the importance of the material and hedonistic side of life, have been accommodated in the scheme of values, the moral and spiritual side of life has received special attention in Indian culture. That is why it has accepted two higher values, dharma and moksa, the former functioning as a moral guide, and also as a regulative principle of artha and kÄ ma pursued in our secular life, for the realization of the latter. All the philosophical systems, Vedic as well as non-Vedic, hold the view that moksa as the highest value is both ultimate and all-satisfying — ultimate since there is nothing else to which it can be the means, and all-satisfying since it comprehends all the higher values. Sankara says that one gets the feeling of the fulfillment of all values when one attains moksa.21 There are three questions that we have to consider in connection with the ultimate value. The first one is whether it can be realized at all. There is the view that the ultimate value is only an ideal to inspire and regulate our conduct and that it can never be attained. We can regulate our life so as to come nearer to it from time to time, from stage to stage; but we can never reach it. Suc h a view is untenable. Also, it goes against the spirit of Indian  culture. Realization of one’s true nature is liberation. We have already pointed out that the human being is a complex entity consisting of Spirit and matter. Spirit by its very nature is ever free and never bound. But it appears to be bound because of the material adjunct with which it is associated in the empirical life. Overwhelmed by ignorance, the human being does not realize that he is essentially Spirit and therefore free. When he attains the right knowledge and knows his real nature, he is no more under the limitation or bondage of the psycho-physical material outfit, because ignorance which conceals his real nature is removed by knowledge. It means that the ideal of moksa has a basis in the very constitution of the human being; also, the human being, not being satisfied with the material achievements, what the Upanisad calls preyas, longs for spiritual freedom, which is called Sreyas. The Upanisad says: Both the good and the pleasant approach a man. The wise man, pondering over them, discriminates. The wise chooses the good in preference to the pleasant. The simple-minded, for the sake of worldly well-being, prefers the pleasant.22 One cannot have both Sreyas and preyas. The pursuit of the former requires the renunciation of the latter. Spiritual illumination follows purgation. Speaking about the importance of the ideal and its close relation to human nature, Hiriyanna observes: Ideals are rooted in needs inherent in human nature. It is their reality that constitutes their true charm. Take this charm from them, and they reduce themselves but to pleasant fantasy. The reality of such a value may not be vouched for by common reasoning. But we should remember that neither is there any adequate proof for denying it. Not to admit the ideal would therefore be to be dogmatic in the sense that we deny it without adequate proof for the denial.23 The second question is wheth er the ideal of moksa can be realized by all. Here also the great philosophical traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, are unanimous in their affirmative answer. There is nothing in human nature which either disqualifies or incapacitates him from attaining this ideal. Whatever may be the differences among human beings at the bodily, vital, and mental levels, everyone has the right and duty to aspire for the highest value by virtue of what he/she is. As every human being is endowed with the mind, the most precious and unequalled instrument through which one can look before and after, know the things given to him, and choose from them after  discrimination and deliberation, he is not in any way incapacitated from pursuing the ultimate value. Indian culture looks down on the doctrine of the chosen few. Since ignorance is the obstacle that stands in the way of realizing one’s divine nature, realizing one’s Spirit, which is liberation, it can be removed by knowledge which anyone can acquire through moral and spi ritual discipline. The philosophy of VedÄ nta, according to which every human being is divine, is opposed to the theory of privilege — of birth, intellect, spirituality, etc. It is anti-hierarchical. In everyone there is a sleeping Buddha, a hidden Brahman, to which everyone can have access. That the doors to the spiritual realm do not remain closed to anyone is conveyed in a forthright manner by Sri Aurobindo: A wider spiritual culture must recognize that the Spirit is not only the highest and inmost thing, but all is manifestation and creation of the Spirit. It must have a wider outlook, a more embracing range of applicability and, even, a more aspiring and ambitious aim of its endeavor. Its aim must be not only to raise to inaccessible heights the few elect, but to draw all men and all life and the whole human being upward, to spiritualize life and in the end to divinize human nature. Not only must it be able to lay hold on his deepest individual being, but to inspire, too, his communal existence. It must turn, by a spiritual change, all the members of his ignorance into members of the knowledge; it must transmute all the instruments of the human into instruments of a divine living. The total movement of Indian spirituality is towards this aim. 24 The third question, whether the ultimate value can be realized here in this life or only hereafter, is answered in two different ways. Some philosophical systems maintain that the proper preparation that a person undertakes for achieving this end will help him to realize it only after death, whereas some other systems hold the view that it can be realized in this life itself, if one follows the prescribed moral and spiritual discipline. The former view is called the eschatological conception of moksa while the latter is known as lÄ «van-mukti. LÄ «van-mukti means liberation-in-life. The person who has attained enlightenment or wisdom is free even while he is in the embodied condition. It is not necessary to discuss these two views of moksa in detail. It may be pointed out here that the view that it is possible to overcome bondage and attain liberation here and now deepens the significance of the present life. A  lÄ «van-mukta does not run away from society. He lives in societ y for the benefit of others; when he is engaged in activities, he has no sense of I and mine; his activities, that is to say, are impersonal. Also, he imparts spiritual instruction to others, for, having realized the truth, he alone is competent to do this. The life of a lÄ «van-mukta, as portrayed in the Hindu tradition, is comparable to that of a Bodhi-sattva as explained in the MahÄ yÄ na tradition. The ideal of life goes beyond self-perfection; it also includes work for the universal good. According to the Indian tradition, knowledge is different from information, and wisdom is different from knowledge. We may say that information, knowledge, and wisdom constitute a hierarchy. To know a thing is to know it in a determinate way, as such-and-such — as a substance possessing qualities, as a whole consisting of parts, as the cause or effect of something, and so on. Every object has two kinds of relations, internal and external. A lump of clay, for example, is internally related to its color, its parts of which it is made. It is also externally related to the ground on which it is placed, its immediate surroundings, and so on. No object remains isolated from other things; on the contrary, it has a network of relations with other things in such a way that it is what it is because of other things. When the poet says that, to know a flower seen in a crannied wall, one must know the plant, root and all, and also the wall, its location, and so on, he draws our attention to the fact that every object is an integral part of the cosmic system and that, to get an insight into the nature of a thing, one must know the whole of which it is an integral part. Bits of information do not constitute knowledge. Piecemeal information about the roots, the trunk, and the branches of a tree cannot be viewed as the knowledge of a tree. Just as knowledge is different from information, even so wisdom is different from knowledge. Though knowledge is superior to information, it cannot be a substitute for wisdom. The Vedic tradition draws a distinction between two kinds of knowledge, higher (parÄ ) and lower (aparÄ ).

How can humans produce knowledge?

How can humans produce knowledge? There are only two ways in which humankind can produce knowledge: through passive observation or through active experiment.† To what extent do you agree with this statement? What is knowledge? Knowledge from what we understand is a thick concept as it is the understanding of or information about a subject that you get by experience or study, either known by one person or people genrally dictionary.cambridge.org(add citation). Though in the T.O.K text by Richard van de Lagemaat knowledge can be said to be â€Å"justified true belief† and hence if something is observed, an idea that is believed, that it is true and if justified then that is knowledge. These two meanings can both can be said to be correct definitions of knowledge. Though how do we gain this understanding or belief in the first place? The tittle of this TOK essay it states that â€Å"there are only two ways in which humankind can produce knowledge: through passive observation and active experimentation.† Active experimentation can be seen as an act where there is voluntary cognisant engagement on the activity at hand while passive observation be seen as proccesses that are more fixed by environmental forces and therefore involuntary. Though knowledge questions based of this deduction on what are passive observation and active experimentation are; is it ever possible for a cognisant mind to be in a passive state? And are there forms of knowledge production in addition to passive observation and active experimentation? In both scientific and behavoural experiments is it ever possible for a cognisant mind to be in a passive state? Experiments such as the bobo doll experiment could be brought into question in this case as well as certain simple highschool science experiments. A bobo is an inflatable toy that is approximately five feet tall and usually made of a soft durable vinyl or plastic. This experiment was headed and created by Albert Bandura in 1961 and 1963 in which he studied the behaviour of children. This experiment involved two different observational rooms both would have a bobo doll, adult role model, a child and the same toys. In one room the adult role model acted in a violent manner towards the doll verbally abusing it and acting aggresive physically using the toys or his/her fists. While in another room the adult role model simply played by his or herself showing no direct signs of aggresion after a small period of time both adult role models left the room. The room which contained t he violent role model the child acted violently towards the bobo doll while in the room with the adult that did not show aggresion the child would either keep doing what he was doing or played in friendly with the bobo doll. It was seen by Bandura that through the passive observation of the children they learned how to act towards an object or person. The child was not able to control the environment he/she was is it was fixed. Though is it possible to say that all these children did not have a cognisant mind when it came to behaviour? What had not been taken into account in the experiment where the experiences that the child had gone through at his/her home with their respective parents what had effected them emotionally. Say for example in the case a home where parents had been violent to each other and so this child would have percieved what to do when he/she saw violence, to act back with violence. Would it be a lie to say that this child’s mind is not congnisant in this case? I believe so. At this point he/she actively experiments the position of his/her mother or father by acting violently based on what he/she had percieved, this could be the case with some of the children who acted violently towards the bobo doll and hence the child’s cognisant mind would be not in a passive state this also brought in the ways of knowing both perception and emotion affecting each childs reponse in the experiment. In a situation I was forced against my will to swing a bung tied to a string around in a circle and keep it going in a circular motion. It is not possible for me to passively observe as I know the mechanics behind it learnt though my physics class at school hence I am able to deduce that a certain force is required to keep the bung swinging in a uniformly circular motion and as such I do not need to apply a larger force than what is needed. Therefore the velocity of the bung will not make it more difficult to hold the string and apply the force and it won’t stop or go out of control suddenly. Though another question remains. Are there forms of knowledge production in addition to passive observation and active experimentation. As innate knowledge comes in to question, and so does the knowledge given to us by authority. It is hard to judge if the evidence is sufficient enough for many new things such as theories or if this is knowledge that has been produced through this active experimentation during this time due our explosive growth of knowledge, over that last hundred years, a short time when compared to the creation of the universe, expert opinion’s changed the ways we think of things such as Isaac newton who came out of nowhere one day and uprooted the laws of physics, but it is rare for that to happen again in this millennia since Albert Einstein. Experts are human beings and therefore imperfect so we can also say that they can be wrong, just because they might specialize in a certain field and they have been in that field for years doesn’t mean that everything they state is â€Å"just ified true belief† or correct information. This knowledge was brought on by a transition from a passive observation to an active experimentation for the authorities but given to us as second hand information so do we say that it is through passive observation that we learned this or active experimentation or does it fall under both? As expert’s opinions tend help shape the world so does the news media, stating what is currently happening in the world; bad news, extraordinary news or relevant news. As they can be seen as authority giving knowledge to persons who watch or read about what is reported. In the case of innate knowledge it tends to be a mystery as to when did it begin? Was the only reason that it had been passed down was that it was necessary for life? Innate knowledge is produced through a species evolution. Can other knowledge that is not nessecary for life be transmitted down through the DNA, from a Father to a son? As baby birds hatch they function the same as almost every animal in terms of eating and excreting. Though the only reason as to why the nest does not fill with excrement is innate knowledge that was in their DNA, no one or thing had tought them do to such a thing they just knew they had to do it. Other cases include a babies knowledge that they can suckle at their mother’s breast in order obtain nutrients or satisfy their hunger. So due to this knowledge that is innate is possible to say that it was produced through evolution or through the DNA? Another example of innate knowledge is the swimming reflex for small toddlers, stated when face down in water that covers their face’s they instictively paddle and or kick in a swimming motion. These reflexes were neither gained through passive observation nor active experiment but what are some examples of such knowledge producing situations in which there was either passive observation or active experiment. In basic physics we learn of the law of gravity and hence in an experiment to test the law you would release an object from your hand such as a ball we would have prior knowledge and expect the ball to drop due to the force of gravity. If your hear the sound of rain drops outside hitting the pavement or objects which are outside we can passively deduce that it is raining. Or for when you are outside in the middle of the day when the sun is supposed to be out though there dark gray clouds blocking the sun’s rays of light then it rains now knowledge is produced where the person knows that with dark gray clouds rain follows soon after. These three situations are one active experiment and two passive observations in which knowledge was produced. I agree to an extent seeing as how most knowledge is usually produced through passive observation or active experimentation. Through both obeservation and active experiment we use many ways of knowing such as perception, emotion, intuition and memory. Though these are not the only ways that humankind can produce knowledge. As innate knowledge that is passed down through the DNA whether learned through the passive observation of someone dying before them or a near death experience which etched into their very DNA. I believe that the roots of all knowledge production stems from either passive observation or active experimentation. What is American Exceptionalism? What is American Exceptionalism? American Exceptionalism Definition American exceptionalism is a concept which depicts that the United States is unique and different from the rest of the world. According to various research conducted over the years, it can be deduced that most Americans believe the United States is an exceptional nation (Onuf, 2012: 1). The question now remains- what makes it unique? Is being different really a good thing? Based on the above definitions, it can be considered more on the positive view since it is portrayed as having predominance over others. On the contrary, exceptionalism tends to come with its own disadvantages, for instance the United States has been particularly exposed with negative qualities like racism, discrimination, violence and so forth. Even though, Americans had a different aim or purpose, which is to uphold human rights and display liberty and democracy. Thanks to Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, in 1948 the United States started the process of becoming a United Nations by writing a universal declaration of human rights (Ignatieff 2005: 1). This decision made America to be at the top in international level. If being exceptional means that Americans believe their country is special, then there is nothing special about this exception since all nations treasure their national myth. If this  means that the U.S. is very benevolent, gifted, dedicated to civil and religious freedom, equality, justice, prosperity, social mobility, peace and harmony with all countries, and then plays by the book, then it is very contradictory to the facts because the United States has time without number fallen so short from these ideals. On the other hand, American exceptionalism refers to its strength, values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and indispensable status, and the United States are exempt from the rules of conduct and implementation of other countries, the enemy, neutral, and allies must be pushed back (Hodgson 2009: 14). For these reasons, the exception becomes a burden, may be even more dangerous than it is worth. American exceptionalism is indeed a complex topic and shall need not to explore all the twist of it, from a historian point of view says that the United States of America can be exceptional in the sense that they know where they are coming from and the development they have gone through without associating it with ethnical involvement. OVERVIEW OF EXCEPTIONALISM Throughout American history, idealists and materialists have changed the theme of exceptionalism. Their different interpretation relative importance of the nationalist intention ideological and material interests dominance of foreign policy historians obsessed republican principles and national interest. They served as or disguised export and universal focus. At one extreme, a materialist view that, in the United Kingdom the United States is unique in facts on the ground never is replicated elsewhere: Patriot propaganda of the role is remind fellow colonists to the interests endangered and arouses them in their defence. After series of terrorist attacks in the Iraq war, American exceptionalism has become one of the dominant issues discussed. This abstraction is not just a popular idea, but, on the hostile, a concept common in the United States. These deep historical roots can be traced back to its origin and development of the main characteristics and influence. On one hand, freedom and equality of the highest priority. However, many U.S. citizens feel proud to consider their way of life is superior to other countries, and actively seek to share on the basis of the Constitution, which often is not logically consistent with equality and freedom. The term American exceptionalism was actually founded from the brilliant work of Alexis de Tocqueville which stands for qualitatively different from all other western countries. One of the important reasons of this exceptionalism was the freeing of the United States from the British. Exceptionalism itself was sought out from colonial period up to 1776 when American became a separate independent country from the British. Since then, the concept became more popular and replaced the idea of apparent destiny. The essence of uniqueness went back to 16th century, when John Winthrop expressed his opinion to his peer Puritans, that there will be a city upon a hill were they would never have to experience the bad things they had gone through in old Europe. One of the main factors that influenced the National identity of America at that time was that they had vast pool of resources, which Europe didnt have at that moment. America now as a nation which supports human rights can refer to the fact that the first people who populated North America were usually eager seekers of a new destiny, better living and the dominant encouragement for their risky location was basically land and the possibility of recognition of their own values and ideas. So now North America was called new world and this cut the eyes of those who were against the old world. The illustration regarding society, liberties, wealth, government and God were polished to create a better place for surviving than old Europe. Now the question is what makes a country to be exceptional? For a country to be exceptional is has to have these four qualities. Firstly, is to have the eagerness to stand on its own to face variety of issues, along with the perceived liberty to withstand the pressures and strong evaluation of others. Secondly, it also believes that its national values and routine are widely known and its policy positions are right, not just beneficial. Thirdly, is to have strong ability to visualize things inwards, domestic political study and development, being persuasive in international meetings. Lastly, but not the least is the national policy which states that makers and legislators are not obligated to follow their nations interest and acting through multilateral institution is just an option. It is a well-known fact that, exceptionalism is not only in the United States, but what makes it different from others is the wideness and magnitude of American power, with the interest it has are without prior, they influenced ideology and idealism with deep efforts, and also they are sharpened by political system, established by the separation of powers and by prejudiced difference over foreign policies. Now for many Americans exceptionalism has been a part of their perspective, values and national character which receives only questions and comments. As earlier mentioned, many countries are considered exceptional but in the case of Americas position its shows its exceptionalism in the real world not only in some international meetings. So till this date no other country has come close to America in international power and for the past few years the gap is just been increasing wider (luck 2003: 4). However, the concept of exceptionalism change as time goes on. Although out of the United States during the colonial era, the United States was considered as a symbol of opportunity, wealth and political weight, the border was closed to many outsiders as to their origin, racial reasons, and practical considerations. At this point, the exception means power and protectionism. However, in the contemporary context, what is known as American exceptionalism can be seen in the current policy and ideology, ignoring any difference between the past and present, the reasons and opportunities resulting in symbolic values, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and the principle of contradiction and controversy. Exception tend to maintain a positive view of the past, present and future, which is an essential element of the social doctrine and propaganda (Shafer 1991: 1) THE TYPES OF EXCEPTIONALISM Exceptionalism can be distinguished into two forms which are the substantive and methodological exceptionalism. In contradiction to substantive exceptionalism and methodological exceptionalism are very different in approach, even if it is the court or by the legislative bodies in finding solution to freedom of expression arguments. In some countries like Canada, South Africa and Europe it is admitted that the American methodology has a deeply different acceptance of structure of freedom of expression judgement. besides the substantive view, it is mostly considered in some liberal democracies that the united states is an outlier not only with respect to freedom of expression opinion and policies, but with respect to freedom of expression methodology as well. Unlike substantive exceptionalism in which more is needed to be explained the methodological exceptionalism is more briefly explainable in terms of natural course of rights complexification- where simply understandable rights beco me into a more elaborate ones as a problem of policy makers face a greater value perception mode in this array, making rules, principles and presumptions necessary for them to handle that larger array (Ignatieff 2005: 31). IDEALISM AND REALISM Americans have been fighting over the relative importance of ideas and the definition of interests of the meaning of the United States. Idealists and materialists may not agree about human nature, but they provide complementary national narrative that supports exceptionalism. An idealist now looks idealists to celebrate the revolution in the past Patriot they waved the principle of self-determination is a universally applicable Equal World. Their self-understanding converted to American ideology an inspiring new concept of states role in the history of the world. This was significantly expressed by  Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. While on the other hand materialism points out realistic story to articulate the interests even more than the ideas, but also to be devoted to the basic principles of self-determination. Paying attention to the first settlers to conquer the wilderness, they celebrate history of elf management, self-sufficiency and continuous improvement. The empire of British has been an empty shell, not mandatory act, serious damage to the vital interests of rights awareness settlers population. Patriots challenge is to remind his fellow citizens internal threats and overcome habitual loyalty gently jurisdiction the aggressive theme better things to do: Our ancestors, Jefferson wrote in 1774, are farmers, rather than the lawyer. moment of lawyers, such as Jefferson Empire crisis. They talk about common sense. the principle of self-evident to a mobilization of people, causing them sleeping and a new sense of collective strength. (Onuf, 2012: 83) EQAULITY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY The idea of equality in America back then might be imaginary for others. Equality meant a personal identity, free arbitrary class distinctions. There is equally disorientation because of the breakup of cultural diversity. Still the quality of interpretation of free exceptionalism is very strange, in some respects, because the centre of attention and analysis of the historical tradition to support this argument. The argument essentially is that the United States began to open political culture and everyone thought at this time to continue to shape the political debate and public policy. Such an interpretation can visually quite attractive. However, if we begin to consider by analysing the logic, such an explanation, we must question the mechanism, it is said to work here. What is the mechanism of dissemination and continuation of the political culture? Culturalism is not, of course, to say simply, each generation to the next through a fixed set of beliefs. Their argument is significan tly more complex. Cultural theory in one of the most interesting attempts to defend the charges that is too static (Ekstein, 1988: 791) Proposed this explanation is that, in an attractive and suspicious continuity. It is reasonable to expect that these basic interpretive filter through multiple generations handed down, is not to adjust to change, even to fundamentally change the course of history. The culture will change, but also shows a mechanism, which should make us rethink the rest mass of the exceptions to the free parameters. He told us that substituting learning is clearly important, but a persons world view is not dependent on exactly what their elders to teach them, but to shape their entire life experience, sometimes the formation of the younger generation of experience and profound from previous generations The point here is that the values, culture, and the concept of change and experience. Therefore, we cannot say that the United States is a nation built on the set of the value of freedom, and therefore, we believe that these values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹today. A certain extent, we found a strong liberal / principle of individualism in American political culture in the late twentieth century, need more than their origins explained. We also need to understand that it is what the American experience, and encourage Americans to reinterpret these values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹into anti-statist policy preferences. (Inglehart, 1990: 4) POLITICAL UNSTABILITY All the promising difficulties of religion and politics have been resolved by refusing that religious thought has had a very big impact in the political field. From a point of politics, business and government in the United States is like no other country, whose sates have made an important impact in the modernization process. Now because other countries were not influenced by business attraction than in the United States, so this made foreign government to push their workers to be in unions and they actually did it before the United States (Jacoby, 1987: 9) The citizens of America have actually pointed out that in the survey that was carried out it persistently favours a non-united government and weak states. Most of the times when some majority of the populations are asked by the survey takers of their opinion in whether they want the President houses of congress to be commanded by one single party or dividend between two, in this case they select the last minute feedback by massive majority. In addition to that, they always show a difference for small governmental units to larger ones. A very interesting and clever article written by J.P. Nett The state as a conceptual variable This article explains the huge difference between the American and the European conception of the state. He also pointed out that the latter is distinguished by the relative statelessness. Now the thing is that in the United States only their law is dominant. So what makes America and its people exceptional is the unique power their lawyers have (Shafer 1991:8) You see what made American exceptionalism different is that it is unlike what we have in Europe and Britain, in the United States I could say that the most influential factor that affect the political and social change are the lawyers and its experts. As we can see several times they have been the master mind for bringing it about. So these have opened a bigger argumentative guarantee of human right and civil liberties than the rest of the world. (Shafer 1991:9) Clinical Psychology: History, Applications and Research Clinical Psychology: History, Applications and Research Clinical Psychology What is clinical psychology? Clinical psychology is the â€Å"discipline that utilizes what is recognized in relation to the human behavior principles to assist people with their several concerns and troubles they incidence throughout the path of life in their emotions, relationships, and physical selves† (Plante, 2011). The paper will talk about the history and budding nature of clinical psychology and how psychology is yet overtime changing. Next, the paper will talk about the functions that research and statistics participate into clinical psychology. Lastly, the paper will comprise the differences amid clinical psychology and additional health professions types, such as psychiatry versus clinical psychology, social work versus clinical psychology, and school psychology versus clinically psychology. History and Evolving Nature of Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology has transformed above the last 25 years. To begin with the DSM-III was published in addition to the standards of APA were revised. The American Psychological Society was founded, in addition to the APA published the Presidential Task force findingsfor evidence-practice. Two of the major approaches evolved would be the Approach of Cognitive-Behavioral in addition to the Humanistic Approach. In the 1970s the Approach of Cognitive-Behavioral was well-liked and they were utilized for depression in addition to â€Å"treatment spotlighting on feeling, changing thinking, and expectations become as significant as the objective of changing explicit actions† (Plante, 2011). The Humanistic Approach was further founded off of theory and the philosophy that humans can develop from understanding behaviors and experiences. The humanistic approach supposed in considering compassion in addition to positive unconditional reinforcement. With regards to evolving of psychology, â€Å"subsequent World War II, above 40,000 veterans was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons in VA hospitals. The irresistible want for services of clinical for these men effected in a enormous enhancement in clinical psychologists offering a complete variety of inclusive psychological services, as well as psychotherapy, psychological testing, consultation, and research† (Plante, 2011). Subsequent that, above 4,000 psychologists was occupied in the course of the VA. In the 1950s throughout 1970s, there were considered approaches of intervention that made psychotherapy an preservative in services in â€Å"behavioral, the family systems, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic approaches to intervention materialized as popular and compelling alternatives to the additional customary interventions and theories† (Plante, 2011). This demonstrated a huge influence on clinical psychology. Finally, in the biopsychosocial approach in the 1970s was deemed the most excellent approa ch to understanding psychological illnesses. In addition, it was decisive that all illness shoot from an fundamental problem such as, psychological, biological,or social issues. Role of Research and Statistics in Clinical Psychology Research is â€Å"activity of clinical psychology use of the scientific method to counter questions of interest to society and researchers† (Plante, 2011). â€Å"The broad objective of research in clinical psychology is to obtain knowledge regarding human behavior and to employ these facts to help advance the lives of families, individuals, and groups. The scientific method is a set of procedures and rules that explain, clarify, and forecast a exacting phenomenon† (Plante, 2011). Consecutively to recognize totally how clinical psychologists discover research, there requires being a hypothesis, in a few cases requires to alter hypotheses and to recognize new data that will be assembled and examined. The primary stage of research is that psychologists have got to affirm a phenomenon. A device that is usually utilized is the DSM-IV-TR which was circulated by the American Psychiatric Association. â€Å"The instruction manual explains several clinical syndromes and catalogs extremely precise criteria of diagnostic for every psychiatric problem, consequently enable researchers to superiorly make certain that the similar criterion are used to describe each population researched† (Plante, 2011). The research will then slim down precise features that contract with emotions, thoughts, and behavior that are connected with the definite syndrome that was initially assessed hypothetically. â€Å"Once a cautious explanation is constructed, a hypothesis has got to be extended and tested to sufficiently enlighten the behavior of interest. For instance, researchers might be interested in learning additional regarding changes in the sexual response incidence by patients using Prozac versus Elavil, two extremely diverse antidepressants† (Plante, 2011). Sometimes In regards to research, there might be additional pressing issues that can be influence cognitive functions. Just the once the hypothesis is concluded, then it is tested to perceive if there is correctness or even inconsistent and consistent findings. â€Å"Precisely forecasting behavior founded on hypotheses turn out to be an index representing that individual hypotheses are certainly valid. Several diverse types of research investigations and experiments are utilized to check hypotheses† (Plante, 2011). Differences Between Clinical Psychology and Other Mental Health Professions Clinical Psychology Versus Social Work Social work is â€Å"in general a discipline of master’s-level that has traditionally centered on patient advocacy, patient case management, and a link to finest social service benefits and agencies† (Plante, 2011). Clinical psychology is utilized on a daily basis in social work. The Social Work Practice Research Module applies to the training of social work from courses of clinical psychology. â€Å"Examples of execution of a Practice Research Module at diverse training levels (e.g., practicing clinical social workers, master’s level students, and doctoral students) are provided. It is concluded that the want for a PRM is expected to add to experience of social work practitioners pressure to account for their efficiency in clinical psychology† (Turnbull Dietz-Uhler, 1995). Clinical Psychology versus Psychiatry Psychiatry is a â€Å"medical area of expertise that spotlights on abnormal behaviors† (Plante, 2011). Psychiatry and Clinical psychology are two major disciplines in psychological study and health. In regards to researching both clinical psychology and psychiatry â€Å"journals of psychiatry tended to have superior influence than journals of clinical psychology, and their effect was uneven: journals of clinical psychology quoted psychiatry journals at a a great deal superior rate than the reverse† (Haslam Lusher, 2011). With regards to clinical journals, â€Å"journals of clinical psychology were lesser assimilated than journals of psychiatry, and health psychology/behavioral medicine and clusters of neuropsychology were comparatively marginal to the network† (Haslam Lusher, 2011). Clinical Psychology Versus School Psychology School psychologists are â€Å"experts who utilize knowledge regarding human behavior and affect that knowledge in a setting of school† (Plante, 2011). Many high schools about the world, have either a school counselor or a school psychologist to assist children with listening, counsel and a fit way to liberate internal feelings. In a latest study to observe if college undergraduates recognize the distinction amid clinical and school psychology, the results were equally surprising low in knowledge and disciplines. â€Å"Undergraduates used diverse sources of information to study of school psychology and clinical as a graduate choice school. Additional, psychology majors rated clinical psychologists as being additional engaged in individual therapy, consultation, assessment, and research than school psychologists† (Gilman Handwerk, 2001). Conclusion This paper In conclusion, has conversed the history and evolution about clinical psychology that to this day, psychology is varying every moment. It also discussed how research and statistics are essential to understanding clinical psychology. Lastly, the paper discussed distinctions amid clinical psychology and diverse mental health professions types. References Haslam, N. N., Lusher, D. D. (2011). The structure of mental health research: networks of influence among psychiatry and clinical psychology journals. Psychological Medicine, 41(12), 2661-2668. doi:10.1017/S0033291711000821

Designers, unlike artists, can’t follow their creative impulses, they E

Designers, unlike artists, can’t follow their creative impulses, they work in a commercial environment, which means there are a huge number of considerations influencing the design process† The work of a fashion designer is influenced by the demands of the industry in which they work, which has both positive and negative influences on the creative process. This essay looks at some of the key parameters that the fashion designer must work within, and the effect that these factors have on the creative process and the finished product. One key factor that affects the work of a designer is an element over which the individual had a certain degree of control: The company that they choose to work for. There is a vast spectrum of elements that vary from company to company and have on a knock on effect on what is expected of the designer; from company practices, culture, values and policies to the public perception of the company to the size and resources available within a given business. Ipsuis are a small British company that design and manufacture casual wear, and provide an example of how company policy effects design. The company was set up with the aim of producing a completely fairly traded product. In addition to ensuring that all labourers are fairly paid, Ipsuis will only use fairly traded fabrics which means a far more limited choice for the designer and considerably longer lead times for a new fabric. Designers in the upper end of the market, rely on their design team to produce work that is in keeping with the image they have worked hard to create. From a designer’s perspective it is beneficial to be able to move between different companies- giving the opportunity to find a business that supports a designers vision. The next thing to consider after which company a designer works for is their competition, both internal and external. Fashion design is a highly competitive job market. Designers are often given temporary contracts and only have a short time to prove themselves before their employer looks elsewhere. This, coupled with a high rate of redundancy due to the volatile nature of the market means that designers are under constant pressure to be at the forefront of their industry. The advantage of working in this competitive environment is that it spurs the designer on to achieve their best and results in hi... ...osts, so that is Tesco that benefits from increased profits. In this scenario, the designer does not see any benefit from the change to the law. Ultimately, the situation highlighted above leads onto the single most important factor that drives the fashion industry and therefore what is expected of a designer: Profit. It considered acceptable by critics that the work of the artist often has a limited appeal. A designer work must have a certain amount of mass appeal in order for the garments to sell well and make a profit. All the other considerations looked at in this essay in some way tie in to the issue of profit and the best way in which to maximise this. This inevitably puts the designer under certain pressures, which to varying extents limits their creativity. However this is a small price to pay for working in a commercial environment that gives designers a platform to get their ideas off paper and into the shops, that allows the designer freedom to concentrate on their work whilst other business related considerations are taken care of by others and most importantly allows the designer to make a living out of the very thing they are most passionate about.

Chris Mccandless’ Death “Into the Wild” Essay

Many people have come to the conclusion that Chris McCandless’ untimely death was a result of his arrogant nature or a possible psychological disorder. However, his death was caused by a simple mistake, his lack of geographical knowledge, and his desire to find himself. When Krakauer’s moving article in Outside magazine was published, copious amounts of hate mail was received regarding McCandless’ cause of death. Initially it was believed that he mistook two similar plants, the wild potato and the toxic wild sweet pea, then accidentally poisoned himself when consuming their seeds. Alaskan residents dubbed McCandless as â€Å"ignorant† and â€Å"unprepared† for supposedly confusing the similar plants. After further research Krakauer discovered that McCandless was poisoned by the wild potato plant’s seeds, which were not described as toxic in any published text. This ill-fated blunder does not show incompetence specific to McCandless, as most people would have made the same decisions. There have been scores of young men lacking common sense who wander out into the wilderness to attain meaning and do not return. Several of them, including John Waterman and Carl McCunn, were similar to Chris, but in pivotal ways their stories were deviating. John Waterman was severely traumatized and obviously mentally ill. Chris was neither of those things. Additionally, Chris was not expecting to be rescued after making a dim-witted mistake, like Carl McCunn. Krakauer stated that â€Å"It is not unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders.† Chris may have lacked some common sense, but conceited qualities did not contribute to his downfall. His drive to push himself past his limits contributed to his demise, not superciliousness. Perhaps the most tragic notion of McCandless’ death is how simply it could have been avoided. Unbeknownst to Chris, there were multiple cabins a few miles from the Fairbanks bus 142. Each was stocked with food and survival supplies. This knowledge could have easily prevented his death. Crossing the Teklanika River was one of the important factors that inhibited McCandless from leaving the wild. He was not aware that downstream in the vicinity of the bus there was a gorge that allowed safe transit across the river. A gauging station was also close by. It would have allowed him to cross the river with ease since hunters had placed the basket on the bus-side of the river. It is overwhelming to imagine the extents to which McCandless suffered physically and mentally, when salvation was so near to him. A simple topographic map would have almost certainly saved his life. McCandless was not arrogant, a sociopath, or an idiot, like so many have stated. He may have lacked the common sense to buy a map, but was in no way incompetent. He also made some mistakes that anyone who was not a trained botanist would have made, and was like many young men in that he pushed himself to the extreme limits. Chris McCandless’ story is not unique because he ventured out into the unforgiving wild. It is captivating because McCandless gave up everything to find himself, even if he ended up being lost on the way.

Performance Appraisal System Essay Example

Performance Appraisal System Essay Example Performance Appraisal System Essay Performance Appraisal System Essay â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† DONE FOR â€Å"BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED† PROJECT REPORT Submitted in the partial fulfillment for the award of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Submitted By SOFIYA TARRANNUM (Roll No- 2128-11-672-018) Under the guidance of ASHARA ANJUM HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G. COLLEGE (Affiliated to Osmania University Hyderabad, and approved by AICTE. DECLARATION I here by declare that the project work entitled â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM†, submitted by me under the supervision of, ASHARA ANJUM, Department of MBA, HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE. HYDERABAD submitted for the requirement for the award of the Master of Business Administration of OSMANIA UNIVERSITY and it is entirely original and has not been submitted earlier by any one for any Degree or Diploma. PLACE: HYDERABAD DATE: (SOFIYA TARRANNUM) ROLL NO : 2128-11-672-018 CERTIFICATE This is certify that the project work entitled â€Å"A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† is bonafide work done and submitted by SOFIYA TARRANNUM, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of â€Å"MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION† in â€Å"HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE† (Affiliated to Osmania University, Hyderabad and approved by AICTE, during the year 2012-2013. ASHARA ANJUM ARSHAD UR REHMAN Project Guid Head of Department Hyderabad Presidency P. G College Hyderabad Presidency P. G College Hyderabad-500089. Hyderabad -500089. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I think almighty god who has blessed me all through my life. I wish to express my sincere indebtedness to our principal, prof. ARSHAD UR RAHMAN. HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY COLLEGE. My profound thanks and deep sense of gratitude of , Head of the Department, HPC for his valuable support and encouragement . I express my sincere thanks to my guide, ASHARA ANJUM, associate professor for their valuable guidance and suggestions and being instrumental in having shape to my project work. I would like to thank entire faculty members in Hyderabad Presidency p. g college. for their support and inspiration for successful completion of the project they were the most caring and the best critics during the course of y project and enabled me to be creative and multi-dimensional in my approach. I will remain always debited to them. Last but not the least, I wish to acknowledge with gratitude for the support and encouragement extended by my family members for the successful completion of the project. (SOFIYA TARRANNUM) EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS HYDERABAD PRESIDENCY P. G COLLEGE A STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL DONE FOR BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITE D. NAME: SOFIYA TARRANNUM UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF ROLL NO -2128-11-672-018 ASHARA ANJUM TABLE OF CONTENT TOPICSPAGE NO. CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION 9-16 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY17-19 CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW14-25 CHAPTER-3 THE COMPANY/ ORGANIZATION/ SYSTEM26-43 CHAPTER-4 DATA ANALYSIS44-68 CHAPTER-5 FINDINGS,SUGGESTION CONCLUSION 69-74 BIBLIOGRAPHY76 QUESTIONARE 77 LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPH Sl No. FiguresPage No 1. Project Goals are different from functional Goal45 2. Position on the basis of performance46 3. Scope of using the innovating skills in making Decesion47 4. Percentage of Target matching with Goal48 5. Discuss personal problem with superior49 6. Superior contribute to see their goal50 7. Methods of appraisal51 8. Interpersonal team Relationship 52 9. Employee appreciation53 10. Feedback given by appraiser54 11. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system55 12. Opinion on performance linked performance policy56 13. Training needs57 14. Employee opinion on appraisal system58 15. Appraisal System59 16. Rating system60 17. Planning61 18. Value of employee in the organization62 19. Improvement in Job performance63 20. Self appraisal64 21. Effectiveness of Appraisal65 22. Employee Satisfiction66 LIST OF CHARTS Sl No. FiguresPage No 1. Process Flow Chart of Appraisal24 2. Service at Bajaj Finserv Limited25 3. Performance Rating against individual item 27 4. Summary detail of portfolio32 5. Organization Structure of Bajaj Finserv35 6. Appraisal by first Assessor37 7. Appraisal by second Assessor38 CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION RESEARCH METODOLOGY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Research design : Descriptive in nature Research instrument : A well structured questionnaire Population size : 275 Sample size : 100 Sampling unit : Technical Sample procedure : convenience sampling Sources of data : Primary Secondary data Primary data : Primary data is collected from the respondents through Questionnaire interacting with the associates. Secondary data : Secondary data is collected from the various text books On performance appraisal, Company reports, company Broachers and company websites. ww. bajajfinserv. com Statistical tool : weighted average method and simple percentage method. This chapter deals with the Title of the study, the Need of the study i. e. for what purpose the study is actually carried out, the Scope of the study, the Objectives of the study, the Various sources of data collection, the Study instruments used for conducting survey like Questionnaire, Interview etc, the way the data is analyzed, the Presentation of the study and finally the limitation involved in the study. TITLE OF THE STUDY: The Title of the study is â€Å"STUDY ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM† At â€Å"BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED †, Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh. NEED FOR THE STUDY: ?Performance appraisal has been considered as a most significant and dispensable tool for an organization. It is highly useful in making decisions regarding various personal aspects. Performance appraisal developing criteria for promotion and career development. ?It provide a synthetic feed back to the employees regarding there performance with in a limited period of time. It prevent grievances and increases the analytical abilities of the supervisors The overall objectives of performance appraisal is to improve the efficiency of an enterprise by attempting to mobilize the best possible effort from individuals employed SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The scope of the study has been confined to the associates of Bajaj Finserv limited. It includes associates of various departments with different cadres only top-level executives are excluded from the study. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: ?To study the existing performance appraisal system at B F L. ?To evaluate the effectiveness of appraisal system. To offer suggestion for improvement in performance appraisal system. RESEARCH DESIGN: Descriptive study â€Å"A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure†. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT: Making researches have a choice of two main research instrumen ts in collecting primary data. They are questionnaire and mechanical devices. Hear the research instrument used in a structure questionnaire, which is carefully and well designed. It includes both open and close ended questions. The questionnaire is personally administered to the respondents and clarify the doubts if any , and the responses were solicited. SAMPLING DESIGN: POPULATION: In statistical uses the term population is any finite or infinite collection of individuals. The populations of this study are associates of the technical department of the company. Population size: Population size constitutes 275 associates Sample size: A sample size is 100 Sample unit: A sample unit is service department. SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION Data for the present study is collected through two sources i. e. through primary data and secondary data. Primary Data: The primary data is collected through Questionnaires and interacting with the associates. Secondary Data: For the study on performance Appraisal System the secondary Sources used are various Textbooks on Performance Appraisal, company reports, company policies, brochures and various websites. STUDY INSTRUMENTS: The questionnaire is framed to find out the effectiveness of Performance Appraisal of Bajaj Finserv Limited. It contains 24 questions. It is distributed into four sections. Setting Of Goals Role Of Superior Feedback and Evaluation Organizational Effectiveness ANALYSIS OF DATA: The collected data is tabulated and then analyzed by simple percentage, weighted average and represented by different types of graphs and charts. The analysis of data is on the basis of the questionnaire collected from the associates. CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK DEFINITION OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL To define the concept of performance appraisal the management gurus have taken certain common parameters and on the basis of that they have defined the term. The terminology of the definitions may differ but the overall meaning of the definition remains same. Some of the leading definitions are given below ?Performance appraisal is a systematic review of a person’s work and achievements over a recent period, usually leading to plans for the future. ?In, its most basic form, performance appraisal includes documenting achieve results (Hopefully, by also including use of examples to clarify documentation) and indicating if standards were met or not. ?The appraisal usually includes some form of development plan to address insufficient performance. ?The evaluation of an individual’s work performance in order to arrive at objective personnel decisions. PURPOSE OF TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS Performance appraisal for evaluation using a traditional approach has served the following purposes: ?Promotion, separation, and transfer decisions. ?Feedback to the employee regarding how to organization viewed the employee’s performance. ?Evaluation of relative contributions made by individuals and departments in achieving higher organization goals. ?Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of selection and placement decisions, including the relevance of the information used in the decisions within the organization. Reward decisions, including merit increases promotions and other rewards. ?Ascertaining and diagnosing, training and development decisions. ?Criteria for evaluating the success of training and development decisions. INSIGHT INTO APPRAISAL THEORY Organizations in their day-to-day activities working handle loads of activities. The employees working in the organizations carry on these activities. Organization activities done by the employees are termed as â€Å"performance† the buzzword that is all time in the heads of the management. â€Å"The success of the organization depends upon the performance of its employees† Earlier organizations did not have any kind of specific methodology to handle the issues relating to measuring of performance because they did not had an understanding that the performance of the employees plays an significant role in the overall functioning and meeting goals and objectives of the organizations. Performance is measured basically on the basis of the goals by an individual, which contribute to the overall organizational goals. The main focus is on meeting the overall goals and objectives of the organization in the specific time span. In doing so the organization must also see that the individual self-development and personal goals are also fulfilled. When the individual is able to synchronize his personal goals with that of the organizational goals then the working of the system will be apt. PREFACE OF THE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS The appraisal is both inevitable and universal. In the absence of carefully structured system of appraisal, people tend to judge the work performance of others ,including subordinates, naturally, informally and arbitrarily. Without a structured appraisal system there is a little chance of ensuring that the judgments made will be lawful, fair, defensible and accurate. The history of performance appraisal is quite brief. Its roots in the early 20th century can be traced to Taylor’s pioneering time and motion studies. But this is not very helpful, for the same may be said about almost everything in the field of modern human resource management. The practice of appraisal is an ancient art. In the scale of things historical , it might well lay claim that appraisal is the world’ second oldest profession. Performance appraisal systems began as simple methods of income justification. That is, appraisal was used to decide whether or not the salary or wage of an individual employee Was justified. Little consideration, if any, was given to the developmental possibilities of appraisal. It was felt that a cut in a pay, or a rise, should provide the only required impetus for an employee to either improve or continue to perform well. Pay rates were important, yes; but they were not only the element that had an impact on employee performance. It was found that other issues, such as morale and self-esteem, could also have a major influence. APPRAISALS IN TODAY’S CORPORATE WORLD The modern system of performance appraisal is defined as a structured formal interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvements and skill development. In many organizations – but not all – appraisal results are used, either directly or indirectly, to help determine reward outcomes. That is, the appraisal results are used to identify the better performing employees who should get the majority of available merit pay increases, bonuses and promotions. By the same token, appraisal results are used to identify the poorer performers who may require some form of counseling, or in some cases demotion, dismissal or decreases in pay. (Organizations need to be aware of laws in their country that might restrict their capacity to dismiss employees or decrease pay. FLAW EXIST IN TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM oWork scheduling plans oBudgeting oHuman Resource planning MOSTLY USED METHODS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL RATING SCALES: The rating scale method offers a high degree of structure for appraisals. Each employee trait or characteristics is rated on the bipolar scale that usually has several points ranging from â€Å"poor † to â€Å"excellent â€Å". The traits assessed on these scales include: ? Cooperation ?Communication ability ?Initiative ?Punctuality ?Technical competence The nature and scope of the traits selected for inclusion is limited only by the imagination of the scale’s designer or by the organization’s need. BEHAVIORAL ANCHORED RATING SCALES The term used to describe a performance rating that focused on specific behaviors or sets as indicators of effective or ineffective performance, rather than on broadly stated adjectives such as â€Å" average, above average, or below average â€Å". GRAPHIC RATING SCALES The term used to define the oldest and the most widely used performance appraisal method. The evaluator are given a graph and asked to rate the employees on each of the characteristics. The number of characteristics varies from one to hundred. The rating can be a matrix of boxes for the evaluator to check off or a bar graph where the evaluator checked off a location relative to evaluators rating. CHECKLIST The term used to define a set of adjectives or descriptive statements. If the rater believed the employee possessed a trait listed, the rater checked the item; if not, the rater left the item blank. The rating score from the checklist equaled the number of checks. WEIGHTED CHECKLIST The term is used to describe an alternative method of performance appraisal where the supervisor or personal specialists familiar with the job being evaluated prepare a large list of descriptive statements about effective and ineffective behavior of jobs. RANKING METHOD The term ranking has been used to describe an alternative method of performance appraisal where the supervisor has been asked to order his or her employees in terms of performance from highest to lowest. CRITICAL INCIDENT METHOD The term is used to define a method of appraisal that made lists of statements very effective and very ineffective behavior for employees. The lists have been combined into categories, which vary with the job. Once these categories are developed and a statement of effective and ineffective behavior has been provided, the evaluator recorded examples of critical behaviors, and the log has been used to evaluate the employees at the end of evaluation period. NARRATIVE OR ESSAY EVALUATION This method requires the evaluator to write a short essay describing each employee’s performance during the raring period. This format emphasizes evaluation of overall performance, based on the strengths and weaknesses of an employee performance. Some companies still use this method exclusively, whereas in others, the method has been combined with the graphic rating scale. MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES The management by objectives performance appraisal method has the supervisor and the employee get together to set objectives in quantifiable terms. The appraisal method has worked to eliminate communication problems by the establishments of regular meetings, emphasizing results, and by being an ongoing process. Cascading of organizational objectives oSetting up of subordinate objectives oReviewing and evaluating the performance oFeedback and rewards oSetting up of new MBO. 360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Performance Appraisal by all the parties like supervisors, peers, subordinates, employees themselves, users of service and consultants is called 360 degree Performance Appraisal. The appraiser should be capabl e of determining what is more important and what is less important. He should prepare reports and make judgments without any bias. SELF APPRAISAL If individuals understand the objectives they are expected to achieve and the standards by which they are to be evaluated, they are to a great extent in the best position to appraise their own performance. Also, since employee development means self-development employee who appraises his or her own performance may become highly motivated. MERITS OF AN APPRAISAL SYSTEM Perhaps the most significant benefit of appraisal is that, in the rush and bustle of daily working life, it offers a rare chance for a supervisor and subordinate to have â€Å" time out â€Å" for a one-on-one discussion of important work issues that might not otherwise be addressed. Almost universally, where performance appraisal is conducted properly, both supervisors and subordinates have reported the experience as beneficial and positive. Appraisal offers a valuable opportunity to focus on work activities and goals, to identify and correct the existing problems, and to encourage better future performance. Thus the performance of the whole organization is enhanced. The value of this intense and purposeful interaction between a supervisor and subordinate should not be underestimated. Motivation and Satisfaction Performance appraisal can have a profound effect on levels of employee motivation and satisfaction. It provides employees with recognition as an incentive has been long noted. In fact, there is evidence that human beings will even prefer negative recognition in preference to no recognition at all. Training and Development Performance Appraisal offers an excellent opportunity – perhaps the best that will ever occur – for a supervisor and subordinate to recognize and agree upon individual training and development needs. Recruitment and induction Appraisal data can be used to monitor the success of the organization’s recruitment and induction practices. For example, how well are the employees performing who were hired in the past two years? Appraisal data can also be used to monitor the effectiveness of changes in recruitment strategies. By following the yearly data related to new hires it is possible to assess whether the general quality of work force is improving, staying steady, or declining. Employee Evaluation Though often understated or even denied, evaluation is a legitimate and major objective of performance appraisal. But the need to evaluate is also an ongoing source of tension, since evaluative and developmental priorities appear to frequently clash. Yet at its most basic level, performance appraisal is the process of examining and evaluating the performance of an individual. It is been said by some that appraisal cannot serve the needs of evaluation and development at the same time; it must one or other. EXPECTATIONS FROM MANAGER IN DOING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Translate organizational goals into individual job objectives Communicate management expectations regarding employee performance. Provide feedback to the employee about the job performance in light of management’s objectives. Coach the employee on how to achieve job objectives/requirements. Diagnose the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. Determine what kind of development activities might help the employee better utilize his or her skills to improve performance on the current job. CRITERIA OF A SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OBJEC TIVE Specific; What specifically is to be achieved? Not just what actions are to be performed, but what results are to be achieved through these actions? Keeping objectives simple ensures they are clear and specific. This also reduces the chance for disputes or confusion come performance appraisal time. Measurable How will you know how well an objective has been achieved? Although it may not be readily apparent, every object can be measured. Some measures can be measured quantitatively; others must be measured qualitatively. Accountable Accountability for performance objectives must be crystal clear and specifically state who is accountable. The more detail the better. A clear definition of what he or she is specifically accountable for will help reduce confusion cum performance appraisal time. Defining accountability will ensure a sense of urgency and purpose on the part of the employee. Realistic For an objective to be meaningful, it must be realistic and reasonable. A well-written performance objective focuses on the goals and objectives required to meet the objective. In highly efficient organizations, performance objectives ultimately link back to the company’s overall strategy and business plan. Objectives should challenge employees towards continuous improvement, but should not be unrealistic or unattainable. Time based An achievable time frame must be set for reaching the objectives. Consider assigning specific target dates not only for the performance objective itself, but also each lesser milestone linking the entire goal. Remember to be specific towards achieving results and guide action in a results oriented ways towards the objective. PROCESS FLOW CHART OF APPRAISAL GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS The performance rating against individual item in the appraisal is to be done on a 1-5 point scale as follows: RATINGEXPLANATION 5OUTSTANDING- Exceeds requirements significantly and consistently in all critical work aspects. Showed tremendous initiative and is very proactive . 5EXCELLENT- Performance at the highest standards. possesses and effectively utilized where needed, the knowledge in areas beyond those required for the discharge of critical responsibilities. Exceed requirements in most critical areas. Plans and executes well 4VERY GOOD- Demonstrates effective skills in most and essential responsibilities. Some skill areas still need improvement in order to excel at the job. 3. 5GOOD- Demonstrates skills in some essential areas. There is scope for improvement in some critical responsibility areas. Shows initiative. ABOVE AVERAGE- Demonstrates skills in some of the essential responsibilities. Performance is adequate for the current review period. Supervision is required to execute tasks in many areas. 2AVERAGE- Demonstrates average skills in most of the essential responsibilities. Meets targets with continuous supervision. Intensive training is required, 1 BELOW AVERAGE- Demonstrates Level of skills that has been unsatisfactory and inadequate for the discharge of the essential responsibilities. Consistently fall short of requirements. High level of supervision is required. Assessments duly completed in all respects, are to be forwarded to HR, in sealed envelopes. CHAPTER-3 The Company/ Organization/ System COMPANY PROFILE AN INTRODUCTION TO BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED INTRODUCTION  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬INTRODUCTION: Bajaj FinServ will strive to be one of the top financial services businesses in India focused on delivering superior customer experience through competitive products and class leading services while providing consistent and superior returns to our shareholders and maintaining the high levels of integrity of Bajaj. Company profile: Bajaj Finserv Limited (Bajaj Finserv) is a holding company. Bajaj Finserv is the financial services arm of the Bajaj group. Its financial services businesses include lending, protection, and financial advisory and wealth management. The Company operates in four segments: Insurance, Windmill, Retail Financing and Investments others. It does lending business Under Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL). Its protection business consists of life insurance, under the Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company (BALIC), and general insurance, under the Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company (BAGIC). The Company’s Financial Advisory and Wealth Management business consists of Bajaj Financial Solutions Limited (Bajaj Finsol), which offers financial products and advises clients on financial and wealth management. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, Bajaj Finserv had wind-farm assets, incorporating 138 windmills in Maharashtra with an installed capacity of 65. 2 megawatt. Bajaj Finserv endeavors to become a full fledged financial services company and be the financial partner to the Indian consumer and help him across his financial needs throughout his lifecycle. Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. Bajaj Finserv Group companies share common values of Reliability, Innovation and Efficiency and provide customers with high quality products and services. Key focus areas for Bajaj Finserv are Lending, Investment, Protection and Advisory. Bajaj Finserv also has interests in Wind farms with 138 windmills and a total installed capacity of 65. 2 MW BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED VISION: Bajaj Finserv has a vision to become a full fledged financial services company and be the financial partner to the Indian consumer and help him across his financial needs, whether for finance, for investment management, for protection or for post retirement support, throughout his lifecycle. Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. MISSION: â€Å"Bajaj Finserv is a consumer focused company with emphasis on profitable growth and operational efficiency to deliver best results to all its stakeholders. COREVALUES: ?Trust ?Integrity ?Commitment ?Respect for people ?Innovation OBJECTIVE: â€Å"To create value and delight for our stake holders† QUALITY POLICY: â€Å"To excel in providing Financial services that meets or Exceeds customer requirements through continual improvements† NATURE OF ACTIVITY ?Our Products Services: ?Loans Against Property ? Personal Loans ? Business Loans ? Home Loans ? Infrastructure Equipment Finance ? Loans Against Securities ? Consumer Durable Loans As a value-added service we also provide insurance services like ‘Group Term Policy’ and ‘Group Term Suraksha’ bundled with our products. VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ?Operations ?Human resources ?Finance ?Networking and systems ?Quality ?Corporate services ?Collection ?Sales ?Product ?Marketing PEOPLE: considered as â€Å"Associates† BAJAJ FINSERV believes â€Å"our people are our strength,† this is the very reason why Bajaj term them as â€Å"Associates† rather than employees. The work culture is people oriented, where individual aspirations are matched with organizational Objectives. Our associates exemplify our customer-oriented work style. The employees at BFL are comfortable working across cultures and across contexts; their consistency and dependability lies in their emphasis on creating solutions that are problem-focused, high on quality and quick in terms of time-to-market. Bajaj Group. Its insurance joint ventures with Allianz SE, Germany namely Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited are engaged in life and general insurance business respectively. Its subsidiary Bajaj Finance Limited is a Non Banking Finance Company engaged in consumer finance, SME finance and commercial lending. Bajaj Financial Solutions Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Limited is engaged in wealth advisory business. SERVICES AT BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED Bajaj Finance Limited We are the most diversifed non-bank in the country, the largest financier of consumer durables in India and one of the most profitable firms in the category. Hereunder are summary details of our portfolio of businesses, with a brief description on each. Consumer FinanceConsumer Durables Finance Lifestyle Finance EMI Card Personal Loans Cross Sell Co-branded Credit Cards Two and three wheeler Finance Salaried Personal Loans SME FinanceMortgage Business Loans Commercial LendingConstruction Equipment Finance Infrastructure Finance Vendor Financing Awards and Accomplishments The recognition that matters the most to us is the one we receive from our customers. That was how it was when we started. That will be even when we have a treasure trove of Industry Recognition and awards Awards: Recently, we won the CIO 100 Innovation award for two of our innovations – countries such as Canada, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hungary and India, the CIO 100 Awards is a truly global recognition. It is an acknowledged mark of excellence in enterprise IT. Management Profile Sanjiv Bajaj: Managing Director Kevin D’Sa: CFO and President Business development Ranjit Gupta: President (Insurance) S. Sreenivasan: President (Finance) V. Rajagopalan: President (Legal) Sonal R Tiwari: Company Secretary OFF SHORE POLICIES PERSONAL BENEFITS ?Leave ?Onsite return leave policy ?Personal leave policy ?Loans for house rental deposit ?Home pc ?Telephone at residence ?Facilities to the associates TRAVEL RELATED ?International travel ?Domestic travel ?Conveyance reimbursement ?Car hire Relocation policy ?Relocation allowance WORK PLACE BASIS ?Working hour ?Dress code ?Identity card ?Business card ?Late/holiday working ?Work ethics ?Shift allowance OTHER POLICIES ?Reward and recognition ?Staff welfare allowance ?Associate referral ?Work ethics ?Higher education BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED OFFERINGS Organisation Structure Performance Appraisal System at Bajaj Finserv Ltd: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: APPRAISAL PROCEDURE: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR ASSOCIATES OF HOD LEVEL: PURPOSE: To appraise the performance of all the associates at HOD level in BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED PROCEDURE: General: Annual appraisal is done during the month of April, every year for all the confirmed associates who are on the rolls as on 31st December of the previous year. Distribution of Appraisal Forms: for annual appraisal, the HR will distribute the appraisal forms to the CEO for further distribution to the concerned appraisers. Self-Documentation: At the start of the appraisal process, every assessee will fill a self-documentation form and give it to the concerned Appraiser. Appraisal by Assessor: The Assessor will perform the assessment upon receiving the self Appraisal Form from the assessee. The forms to be used for appraisal is as given in the table below: Sl. NoTitle of the formUsed for Appraisal of 1Self Documentation formAll Associates at HOD Level 2Performance Appraisal Form(HOD)All Associates at HOD level Acceptance of Appraisal: The Assessor will discuss the assessment results with the assessee. If the assessee agrees to the assessment, then the assessee and the concerned assessor will sign on the Performance Appraisal Form and the first assessor (CEO) will also give his final authorization. The appraisal form, complete in all respects is received from the CEO. Follow-up of Appraisal: The HOD (HR) will issue the revised salary/ promotion letters to the assesse based on the performance Appraisal form and discussions with the concerned first assessor. HR informs the revised salary/ promotion details of an assessee to finance for processing the same by updating the Associate database. Appraisal Records: the HOD (HR) will maintain the performance appraisal records in the personal file of each associate. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR ASSOCIATES BELOW HOD LEVEL: PURPOSE: To appraise the performance of all the associates below HOD level in BAJAJ FINSERV LIMITED. PROCEDURE: General: Annual appraisal is done during the month of April, every year for all the confirmed associates who are on the rolls as on 31st December of the previous year. Distribution of Appraisal Forms: For annual appraisal, the HR will distribute the appraisal forms to the HOD for further distribution to the concerned appraisers. Self-Documentation: At the start of the appraisal process, every assessee will fill a self-documentation form and give it to the concerned Appraiser. Appraisal by Assessor: the Appraiser first assessor) will perform the assessment upon receiving the self Appraisal Form from the assessee and forward the performance appraisal form to the reviewer (second assessor). The forms to be used for appraisal is as given in the table below: Sl noTitle of the formUsed for appraisal of 1Self Documentation form – technicalAll technical Associates below HOD Level 2Self Documentation form – Non technicalAll non- technical Associates below HOD Level 3Performance Appraisal Form (PL/PM)All associates at designer and above level but below HOD Performance Appraisal Form (Team members)All Associates at Team member (Manager/asst manager) level 5Performance Appraisal Form (Non Technical)All Associates below HOD Level in non- technical Dept The level of the associate to be appraised in areas other than technical is as per the policy Guidelines . Appraisal by second Assessor: The reviewer (second Assessor) will review the assessment upon receiving the performance appraisal form from the appraiser (first assessor). During annual appraisal, the first/ second assessor will give the performance rating based on joint assessment. Acceptance of Appraisal: The appraiser (first assessor) will discuss the assessment results with the assessee. If the assessee agrees to the assessment, then the assessee and the concerned appraiser (first assessor) wi ll sign on the performance appraisal form and the form will be forwarded to the second assessor/ HOD for final authorization. In case of conflict, the appraisal form will be referred to the concerned reviewer (second assessor). The second assessor will be responsible for further action on the same. For all cases of conflict and where no second assessor exists, concerned HODs will act as the second assessor. The appraisal form, complete in all respects is received by HR form the respective head of the department. Follow-up of Appraisal: The HOD (HR) will issue the revised salary/ promotion letters through reporting managers to the assesses based on the performance Appraisal form and discussions with the concerned head of the department. HR informs the revised salary/ promotion a detail of an assessee to finance for processing the same by updating the Associate database. Appraisal Records: the HOD (HR) will maintain the performance appraisal records in the personal file of each associate. APPRAISAL FORMAT: SELF DOCUMENT FORM: The self-document form mainly includes all those contents, which are needed for the evaluation of performance appraisal. The employees through the online facility fill this document form. This includes the general information like the associate id, name, des ignation, department, role/level, qualification, and date of joining, location, and relevant experience. This form also includes the assessee remarks that have evaluated the form. The various areas like the employees achievement, area where the employee have not performed up to the expectation, assessee’s strengths, areas of improvement are also included. These areas are evaluated both by the Assessee, Assessor 1 and Assessor 2. The training programs attended and which the employee would like to attend is also included. The career aspiration of the employee is also a part of the self-document form . GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FORTECHNICAL ASSOCIATES The Self-documentation form should be complete in all respects. 1. What do you see as your major achievements for the period under review? . What Factor(s) enabled you in your achievement? 3. Constraints, which affected your overall performance. List your own efforts to exploit the opportunities and overcome the difficulties? (Include y our strategies and tactics) 4. Your initiatives and contributions to the organization during the review period e. g. Cost savings, revenues, profits, technology enhancements, process improvements etc 5. Project related data for the periodic review, which includes name of the project, role played by you in each of the project and number of hours put in. 6. What have you gained from the training programmes you have attended and where you have applied the learning? 7. Your key result areas for next review period. One of the key result areas should be for self-development. GENERAL INSURANCE FOR NON TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES The Self-documentation form should be complete in all respects. I. What do you see as your major achievements for the period under review? II. What Factor(s) enabled you in your achievement? III. Constraints, which affected your overall performance. List your own efforts to exploit the opportunities and overcome the difficulties? Include your strategies and tactics) IV. Your initiatives and contributions to the organization during the review period e. g. Cost savings, revenues, profits, technology enhancements, process improvements etc V. What have you gained from the training programmes you have attended and where you have applied the learning? VI. Your key result areas for next review period. One of the key result areas s hould be for self-development. CRITERIA OF APRRAISAL RELATED AREAS Task related areas: Achievement of results Output of work Quality of work Quality system Conceptual skills: Total perspective Integrated skills Proactive skills Analytical and Planning skills Human skills Leadership Ability to inspire and motivate Interpersonal relationship Tact and cooperation Training and development of subordinates Communication Resolution of conflict Functional skills: Job knowledge Planning and organizing Decision-making Personality attributes: Openness Empathy and sensitivity Integrity (intellectual and moral) Flexibility/Adaptability/Positive outlook Perseverance Creativity/Innovativeness Capacity to withstand stress Discipline Dependability Loyalty and Commitment Self-confidence Appearance and Bearing. CHAPTER-4 DATA ANALYSIS INFERENCES Section -I : Regarding Setting Goals 1. Project goals are different from functional goals a)Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 1 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Strongly agree9218 Agree61161 Strongly disagree7-2-14 Disagree23-1-23 GRAPH 2. 1 Inference:Majority of the respondents opined that project goals and functional goals are one and the same with a mean of 0. 42. 2. If I can perform consistently it will see me in higher position sooner than later a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree22+244 Agree54+154 Strongly disagree12-2-24 Disagree12-1-12 GRAPH 2. 2 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agreeing that they can expect themselves in higher position if they perform consistently with a weighted average of 0. 62. 3. My job presents scope for using my innovating skills in making my Decisions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) str ongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 3 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree22+244 Agree13+113 Strongly disagree11-2-22 Disagree51-1-51 GRAPH 2. 3 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined their job does not showing present scope for using their innovating skills in making decisions with a mean of 0. 16. 4. Percent of target matching with goals in 2008 09 a) 80%-100% b) 60%-80% c) 40%-60% d) 20%-40% TABLE 2. 4 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage 80%-100%3333% 60%-80%2929% 40%-60%3131% 20%-40%77% GRAPH 2. 4 Inference: 33% of respondents 80%-100%, 31% of respondents 40%-60%, 29% of respondents 60%-80% and 7% of respondents 20%-40%. The analysis shows that only few employees can meet their target on time. Section B: About the role of superior 5. I don’t hesitate to discuss any of my personal problems with my Superior a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 5 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree14+228 Agree61+161 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree20-1-20 GRAPH 2. 5 Inference: Majority of the respondents agree that they do not hesitate to discuss their personal problems with their superior with a weighted score of 0. 6. 6. My superior acknowledging and contributing to set the goals a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. Options No of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree9+218 Agree 77+177 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree 9-1-9 GRAPH 2. 6 Inference :Majority of the respondents agree that their superiors acknowledge and contribute to set their goals with a weighted average of 0. 76. 7. My immediate superior frequently motivates me a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 7 Options No of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree15+230 Agree 67+167 Strongly disagree6-2-12 Disagree 12-1-12 GRAPH 2. 7 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that their immediate superior frequently otivates them with a mean of 0. 73. 8. I want my appraisal to be a) Confidential b) open TABLE 2. 8 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Confidential6666% Open3434% Total100100 GRAPH 2. 8 Inference: 66% of employees desire that their Performance Appraisal must be confidential and remaining 34% accept it to be open. 9. My interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and subordinates a) Very good b) good c) adequate d) inadequate TABLE 2. 9 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree29+258 Agree59+159 Strongly disagree12-2-24 Disagree0-10 GRAPH 2. 9 Inference: Majority of the respondents have a positive opinion towards the interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and sub- ordinates is good with a mean of 0. 93 . 10. I feel proud and motivated when my superior appreciates my work a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 10 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree35+242 Agree57+162 Strongly disagree4-2-18 Disagree4-1-8 GRAPH 2. 10 Inference: Majority of the respondents feel proud and get motivated when their superior appreciates their work with weighted average of 1. 15. Section c: feedback and evaluation: 1. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely TABLE 2. 11 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Always6464% Some times3030% Rarely66% GRAPH 2. 11 Inference: 64% of the respondents always, 30% of the respondents sometimes, 6% of the respondents rarely. Majority of the respondents are open to their feedback â€Å"always†. 12. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system a) Annually b) half-yearly c) quarterly TABLE 2. 12 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Annually2828% Half-yearly5858% Quarterly1414% GRAPH 2. 12 Inference: 8% of the respondent’s half-yearly. 28% of the respondents annually, 14% of the respondents quarterly. The analyst gives a clear picture that most of the associates like to get appraisal â€Å"half-yearly†. 13. Opinion on performance linked promotional policy a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 13 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree21+242 Agree62+162 Strongly disagree9-2-18 Disagree8-1-8 GRAPH 2. 13 Inference: Majority of the respondents agree that the promotions are based on the rating derived from performance appraisal with weighted average of 0. 8. 14. The HRD department follows up the training needs Identified using appraisal seriously a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 14 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree7+214 Agree21+121 Strongly disagree18-2-36 Disagree54-1 -54 GRAPH 2. 14 Inference: Majority of the respondents are moderately agreed that the HRD dept follows the training needs identify the appraisal with a mean of 0. 55. 15. According to my opinion the following system is useful for our organization a) Team appraisal b) 360 degree appraisal c) self appraisal TABLE 2. 15 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage Team appraisal2929% 360 degree appraisal3636% Self appraisal3535% GRAPH 2. 15 Inference: 36% of respondents 360 degree appraisal, 35 % of the respondents self appraisal , 29% of the respondents team appraisal, majority of the respondents opined that the 360 degree appraisal is suitable for their organization. 16. Team work is considered as a factor in appraising employee performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 16 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree24+248 Agree58+158 Strongly disagree8-2-16 Disagree10-1 10 GRAPH 2. 16 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that team work is considered as a factor in appraising their employee performance with a mean of 0. 8. 17. My opinion on present rating system a) Very good b) good c) fair d) poor TABLE 2. 17 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Very good13339 Good562112 Fair18118 Poor13-1-13 GRAPH 2. 17 Inference: Most of the responden ts are opined that their present rating system is good with a weight age score of 1. 56 Section D: organization effectiveness: 18. At BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the Appraiser and appraise ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 18 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree18+236 Agree67+167 Strongly disagree8-2-14 Disagree7-1 -7 GRAPH 2. 18 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agree that at BFL the appraisal system provides for a open discussion between the appraiser and appraise with a mean of 0. 82. 19. The appraisal system at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected Of him next year a) Very true b) true c) partly true d) not true TABLE 2. 19 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Very true15345 True532106 Partly true22122 Not true10-1-10 GRAPH 2. 19 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined that A. S at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected of him next year with a weighted average of 1. 63 20. Up to what extent do the higher authority implement the Suggestions provide By employee a) All times b) some times c) none TABLE 2. 20 OpinionNo of respondentsValue in percentage All times1818 Some times6767 None1515 GRAPH 2. 20 Inference: 67% of the respondents sometimes, 18% of the respondents all times, 15% of the respondents none. Majority of the respondents agreeing that the higher authority implement the suggestion provide by employee â€Å"sometimes†. 21. Management support to improve the job performance a) strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 21 OptionsNo of respondentsWeightsTotal score Strongly agree20+240 Agree67+167 Strongly disagree5-2-10 Disagree8-1 -8 GRAPH 2. 21 Inference: Majority of the respondents are agree that the management supports to improve their job performance of employees with a mean of 0. 89. 22. Performance appraisal helps me to know my strengths and weakness after the Appraisal ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 22 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree17+234 Agree61+161 Strongly disagree11-2-22 Disagree11-1 -11 GRAPH 2. 22 Inference: Majority of the respondents opined performance appraisal helps to know their strengths and weakness after the appraisal with a mean of 0. 62. 23. The performance app raisal is based on the real records and facts but not on Impressions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 23 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree14+228 Agree66+166 Strongly disagree9-2-18 Disagree11-1-11 GRAPH 2. 23 Inference: Most of the respondents agree that performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not an impressions with a weighted of 0. 65. 24. Iam paid worth my contribution a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree TABLE 2. 24 OptionsNo of respondentsweightsTotal score Strongly agree10+220 Agree66+166 Strongly disagree13-2-26 Disagree11-1-11 GRAPH 2. 24 Inference: Most of the respondents are moderately accepting they paid worth their contribution with a weighted average of 0. 49. CHAPTER-6 Findings, Suggestions Conclusion Findings 1 Majority of the respondents opined that project goals and functional goals are one and the same with a mean of 0. 42. 2. Majority of the respondents are agree that they can expect themselves in higher position if they perform consistently with a weighted average of 0. 62. 3. Majority of the respondents opined their job does not showing present scope for using their innovating skills in making decisions with a mean of 0. 16. 4. 33% of respondents 80%-100%, 31% of respondents 40%-60%, 29% of respondents 60%-80% and 7% of respondents 20%-40%. The analysis shows that only few employees can meet their target on time. 5. Majority of the respondents agree that they do not hesitate to discuss their personal problems with their superior with a weighted score of 0. 6. 6. Majority of the respondents agree that their superiors acknowledge and contribute to set their goals with a weighted average of 0. 76. 7. Most of the respondents agree that their immediate superior frequently motivates them with a mean of 0. 73. 8. 66% of employees desire that their Performance Appraisal must be confidential and remaining 34% accept it to be open. . Majority of the respondents have a positive opinion towards the interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and sub- ordinates is good with a mean of 0. 93 . 10. Majority of the respondents feels proud and get motivated when their superior appreciates their work with weighted average of 1. 15. 11. 64% of the respondents always, 30% of the respondents sometimes, 6% of the respondents rarely. Majority of the respondents are open to their feedback â€Å"always†. 12. 58% of the respondent’s half-yearly. 28% of the respondents annually, 14% of the respondents quarterly. The analyst gives a clear picture that most of the associates like to get appraisal â€Å"half-yearly†. 13. Majority of the respondents agree that the promotions are based on the rating derived from performance appraisal with weighted average of 0. 78. 14. Majority of the respondents are moderately agree that the HRD dept follows the training needs identify the appraisal with a mean of 0. 55. 15. 36% of respondents 360 degree appraisal, 35 % of the respondents self appraisal, 29% of the respondents team appraisal, majority of the respondents opined that the 360 degree appraisal is suitable for their organisation. 6. Most of the respondents agree that team work is considered as a factor in appraising their employee performance with a mean of 0. 8. 17. Most of the respondents are opined that their present rating system is good with a weight avg score of 1. 56 18. Majority of the respondents is agree that at BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the app raiser and appraise with a mean of 0. 82. 19. Majority of the respondents opined that A. S at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected of him next year with a weighted average of 1. 3. 20. 67% of the respondents sometimes, 18% of the respondents all times, 15% of the respondents none. Majority of the respondents agreeing that the higher authority implement the suggestion provide by employee â€Å"sometimes†. 21. Majority of the respondents are agreeing that the management supports to improve their job performance of employees with a mean of 0. 89. 22. Majority of the respondents opined performance appraisal helps to know their strengths and weakness after the appraisal with a mean of 0. 62. 23. Most of the respondents agree that performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not an impressions with a weighted of 0. 65. 24. Most of the respondents are moderately accepting they paid worth their contribution with a weighted average of 0. 49. SUGGESTIONS 1. Implementation of innovative ideas in decision making may be encouraged by the management. 2. The management may design the performance linked promotions. 3. The involvement of HRD department may be considered by management in assessing the training needs of employees based performance appraisal system. 4. The superiors should be more approachable when the employees come to them with improvement technique. On the whole the Performance Appraisal system at Bajaj Finserv Limited is Satisfactory. There are few areas which need due attention. The rating must be based purely on the performance. CONCLUSION: The conclusions that emerged from the study of Performance Appraisal System at Bajaj Finserv Limited are that the sampled associates prefer that some change should be brought down in the existing system. The associates feel that the best source of motivation is encouragement by superiors. A 360-degree appraisal system has been recommended by some of the associates. Training needs to be identified based on the ratings and effective training programs must be conducted where in the associates can fulfill self development needs as well as organizational needs. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY: ?Options expressed by the employee in the questionnaire may not be very genuine. ?What the associates actually feel may not be truly expressed and hence there is the conclusion drawn from them need not apply to the whole organization. Could reach to a limited number of documents of different insurance companies in regard to the management and other policies and resultant figures so as to identify the exact cause of their lag in performance. ?Non-Proficiency in technical aspects of insurance companies might have hindered the best analysis of the findings. . Bibliography WEBSITES: www. bajajfinserv. com www. answers. com www. performanceappraisal. com www. google. com www. yahoo. com NEWSPAPER S AND MAGAZINE: The Hindu Personnel management Business today ICFAI magazines BOOKS: Personnel Management – Edwin Flippo Human Resources and Personnel Management-k. Ashwathappa Essential of Human Resource Management-P. SubbaRao Personnel Management-C. Memoria Performance Management and Coaching-Prem Chadda Appendices Questionnaire Section -I : Regarding Setting Goals 1. Project goals are different from functional goals a)Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 2. If I can perform consistently it will see me in higher position sooner than later a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 3. My job presents scope for using my innovating skills in making my Decisions ) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 4. Percent of target matching with goals in 2007 08 a) 80%-100% b) 60%-80% c) 40%-60% d) 20%-40% Section-II: About the role of Superior 5. I don’t hesitate to discuss any of my personal problems with my Superior a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 6. My superior acknowledging and contributing to set the goals a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 7. My immediate superior frequently motivates me a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 8. I want my appraisal to be a) Confidential b) open 9. My interpersonal team relationship with peer, superiors and subordinates a) Very good b) good c) adequate d) inadequate 10. I feel proud and motivated when my superior appreciates my work a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 11. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely Section-III: Regarding Feedback and Evaluation 11. Iam open to the feedback given by the appraiser a) Always b) sometimes c) rarely 12. Employee opinion about frequency of appraisal system ) Annually b) half-yearly c) quarterly 13. Opinion on performance linked promotional policy a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 14. The HRD department follows up the training needs Identified using appraisal seriously a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree 15. According to my opinion the following system is useful for our organization a) Team appraisal b) 360 degree appraisal c) self app raisal 16. Team work is considered as a factor in appraising employee performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 17. My opinion on present rating system a) Very good b) good c) fair d) poor Section –IV organization effectiveness 18. At BFL the appraisal system provides for an open discussion between the Appraiser and appraise a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 19. The appraisal system at BFL given each appraise an idea of what is expected Of him next year a) Very true b) true c) partly true d) not true 20. Up to what extent do the higher authority implement the Suggestions provide By employee a) All times b) some times c) none 1. Management support to improve the job performance a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree .22. Performance appraisal helps me to know my strengths and weakness after the Appraisal a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 23. The performance appraisal is based on the real records and facts but not on Impressions a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree 24. Iam paid worth my contributio n a) Strongly agree b) agree c) strongly disagree d) disagree