Developing Managers in Business Essay

â€Å"Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves, their strengths, their values, and how they best perform† (Peter Drucker) The main aim of this report is to focus on a particular management development programme and by identifying how it works to determine whether it has been effective in developing the manager for its business. The report looks at how certain management development programmes have been used to become shift/duty manager for a particular organisation. It identifies a range of formal and informal approaches that have been used to ensure effective outcomes. It also includes examining the main external and internal factors that have influenced management development. Furthermore the report identifies any shortcomings and changes that are required to improve the process of developmental management. The main method used to conduct this report was obtaining first hand information from a shift/duty manager at a local food industry; however, relevant literature resources have also been used to support views, evaluations and recommendations made. Rosemary Stewart who has been noted for studies of organisations and managers in action. Based on: Managers and their Jobs, (1967/1987) identified four approaches to defining the term management. Theses are as follows: 1. Theoretical approach: – this is based on the development of theories of management, using approaches focused on political, economical, sociological, psychological or anthropological theory and philosophy. 2. Descriptive approach: – has been given a very simple definition, ‘the job that managers and supervisors do’. 3. Comparative approach: – based on the hierarchical organisation and structure within an organisation, also focused on comparison and evaluation methods: 4. Action-based approach: – this focuses more on the way that those defined as managers spend their time: management as the activities carried out by managers What is management development? According to Lessem, R (1990) â€Å"developmental management is humanistic in essence† in other words the developmental manager values the whole team and values them for their inter-dependence. In order to fully understand the concept of management development it is essential to know of its historical roots. In the workplace individuals and managers unaware of certain behaviour patterns will unintentionally damage their personal effectiveness. When a manager understands the unique differences between individuals then they are in a more powerful position. They are better able to manage, understand, and lead people towards higher level of productivity, lower frustration, higher morale, and better retention rates. The type of management development programme focused on in this report is ‘basic management training from shift/duty managers’. The course itself was split into residential and in-store training with a mentor. The total residential training lasted for eight days at a national training centre and head office. The time limit given to complete the modules specified for this particular programme was twelve weeks, in-store with a mentor. However, twelve weeks being a rough guide as some required more time and candidates regularly completed the modules outside this limit. The course was tailored not only for people with experience but also for example graduates who would have had little or no experience in managing a shift. However, as this particular programme was centred towards the duty manager level its main focus was around people management, whereby it would deal with; staff motivation levels, training, receiving and giving feed back, appraisals etc, rather than actual business management i.e. managing a profit and loss account. There were seventeen modules that needed to be completed, below is a table explaining briefly what these modules were: Modules: Programme: 1-3 Orientation and Getting Started. (was completed during residential) 4-5 Cleanliness, Sanitation and Food Safety. Begins by basic training as would be for all members of staff within the organisation, then becomes more involved in how to effectively manage a team to ensure food safety and cleanliness standards are high as they are constantly observed and monitored. 6-7 Safety, Security and Crisis Management. How to ensure the safety of staff and customers on shift, including health and safety. Basically teaches the manager how to deal with anything from a power cut to an armed robbery. 8-9 Product Excellence. Begins quite basic as to how to identify an out of date product, then becomes more in depth regarding basic stock control, ordering procedures etc. 10-12 Basic Human Resource and Labour Management. Dealt with how to effectively manage a team, including exercises on legal responsibilities of a manager with regards to discrimination, grievance procedures and disciplinary action as well as staff training issues, coaching, how to motivate a team and managing cost of labour on a shift-to-shift basis. 13 Service Recovery. How to prevent, anticipate and deal with customer complaints and how to effectively observe and analyse team member performance to reduce the risk of a complaint. 14 Opening the Restaurant. 15 Shift Change. 16 Closing the Restaurant. The above three points (14-16) are self explanatory. Trainee managers were expected to work through these whilst observing the mentor complete the tasks in order to see how the aspect of previous modules were put into practice for example; stock control, security, cost of labour etc. 17 Floor Management. Dealing with problems prior to them becoming formal complaints or even accidents. This included the ‘figure of eight walk’, prioritising new unexpected tasks and team member recognition. The modules were very general, however, before putting theory into practice observation played a vital role, whereby trainees were to observe their mentors completing certain tasks in order to learn how to tailor tasks to suit the environment. Upon completing the training there was a test followed by an interview with the Area Manager in which the test results were discussed and the standards of completed modules were assessed. The informal approaches used whilst completing the management development programme was the mentor advising best practices for within the restaurant. The formal approaches used were the completion of modules and work books as well as observations where both candidates were observing the mentor and the mentor observing the candidate. The programme in itself prepared the trainees for a position as duty manager. The programme was learner centred and in some cases lack of motivation or resources meant that it lasted longer than the original given deadline of twelve weeks. There were both external and internal factors that influenced the development of duty/shift managers working. The main external factors were that being a food preparation industry, there were many laws and government regulations pertaining to food, safety and obviously regulations for health and safety and employment laws that needed to be learned and put into practice. The main internal factors that influenced management development were the standards set by the company which every manager and team member were expected to have extensive knowledge of. This covered every aspect of the business from the way tables were set to uniform standards to dealing with complaints in a professional manner, which involved more in depth training for management trainees. Although the training provided to trainee managers was quite extensive, practical experience gained via mentors seemed more knowledgeable, as stated quite clearly in the quote below from a previous trainee manager: â€Å"I feel that I learned a lot from the course, the modules and the work books as it introduced me to a lot of legal aspects of the food industry which I would not have learned otherwise, but I found that I learned more from the time spent with my mentor about how to be a manager that team members respected†. As recognised by A.Mumford (1993) there are five stages in the ‘evolution of thought about what managers do’; these are [1] The generalisation stage [2] The scientific stage [3] The management by objective stage [4] The contingency/ realistic stage [5] The competency stage †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Many organizations are turning to behaviour assessments and personality trait testing for both hourly workers and managers. Back in the late ’90s, only 5 percent of 500 companies used some type of assessment. Today, that figure is climbing to 65 percent. A year 2000 study by American Management Association showed nearly half of 1,085 employers polled use at least one assessment in their interviewing process. Assessments can help: * Individuals identify their strengths, know which jobs they are best suited for, and design a development plan to overcome shortcomings. * HR managers predict a job applicant’s success before they are hired. * Business owners understand the temperament and work style of individual employees and managers. * Supervisors can give performance feedback to people in a style they understand and accept for improving performance and accelerating professional development. * People enhance communication, understanding, and improve personal relationships. * Sales managers select, hire, develop, and motivate super sales people. For example a company would use the assessment process to improving their hiring and recruitment process. If for instance, previously they made decisions based on the candidates resume and then hired the person based on their ‘gut’ reaction. Once hired, many of these new people created friction, had bad work ethics, and their attitudes had a negative impact on their co-workers. Conclusion: Developing people is less expensive than firing them. By understanding behaviour differences an organization can align an employee’s motivations with the company’s mission. Assessments also help individuals reduce conflict and get along better. Furthermore, co-workers appreciate each person’s unique strengths and abilities. With this knowledge organizations and managers can maximize the abilities of their workforce in ways to help make all employees star performers. References: > Lessem, R. (1990) Developmental Management: principles of holistic business Oxford, Basil Blackwell > Managers and their Jobs (Penguin, 1977, new edition 1988); > The Reality of Organisation (Penguin, 1972, new edition 1986); > The Diversity of Management 1994.

Little Falls Hospital

For the past six months, Lydia, who is paralyzed from a car accident and can only communicate through nodding her head, has been receiving life sustaining support from the staff at Little Falls Hospital. It is uncertain if Lydia is able to understand any information about her current situation and is able to make any decisions for herself. Lydia prepared an advance directive before the accident, but the advance directive cannot be located. There are two laws that can be taken into account for this situation, the New York Health Care Proxy Law and the New York’s Family Health Care Decision Making Act (FHCDA).Under the New York Health Care Proxy Law, Lydia’s husband, Mr. Bevins, who is her legal guardian, which also makes him the surrogate decision maker under the New York Health Care Proxy Law, has the legal right to make the decisions on her health care in her behalf. Being respectful of his wife’s wishes, Mr. Bevins is asking that the life sustaining support be withdrawn. However, Lydia’s mom, Eileen Redfield, believes that her daughter has a chance to recover and does not support Mr.Bevins’ decision. New York’s Family Health Care Decision Making Act (FHCDA) â€Å"establishes the authority of a patient’s family member or close friend to make health care decisions for the patient in cases where the patient lacks decisional capacity and did not leave prior instructions or appoint a health care agent. This â€Å"surrogate† decision maker would also be empowered to direct the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment when standards set forth in the statute are satisfied.†With Mr. Bevins being the appointed guardian, it gives him the right to make the decisions on his wife’s behalf. Since there is uncertainty as to whether Lydia can make her own decisions, the doctors would have to confirm that Lydia is no longer capable of making decisions for herself before this right can be enacte d.It is critical that the physician determines whether Lydia is incapacitated and that her treatment is ineffectual before any life support decisions can be made. If it is found that Lydia is capable of making her own decision, she would need to give informed consent for any procedures or withdrawals of treatment. When the physician determines that Lydia is incapacitated and that treatment is ineffectual, there are three options to consider. The first option would be to continue with the current active treatment

Analysis of Price Setting, Poverty and Obamacare

Analysis of Price Setting, Poverty and Obamacare Question : 1 Nike’s charge a price Considering the Nike’s charging a price of a Air Jordan Basketball Shoes, economically we shall have to discuss about the price determining factors that why and how the Nike’s and under what circumstances is defining the price. The followings are the factors which can influence the Nike’s price determination: Cost of Product: This means calculation of all costs including procurement of raw material, manufacturing, distribution, labor, and other miscellaneous expenses. If the rate is not inclusive of break-even there would be trouble. So Nike while fixing the price must have notice the cost. Profit Margin: After measuring the cost, the business wants the profit taking as to what extant there should be the earning. So that it may influence the Nike’s strategy while determining price. Market Demand: It plays also a vital role as in case of less demand the price shall be lower while in case of high demand the price shall be high. Demand & Supply concept affects the price determination. Experience & Market Credibility: This is also a known factor to the price determination because the credibility in the market gives the seller sound position and the buyer trust the goods produced by well experienced and well reputed manufacturer so that they also influence the price determination factor. Market Competition: In case of excess of business rivals, there is a strong competition occurs in the market so that the prices are to be determined in a way to attract the buyer maximum. [1] The all above factors generally influence the price determination therefore we can say that Nike can charge the price as it may has considered the above factors. Its cost & profit margin as well product demand may influence and would demand the price that Nike is going to fix. Que: 2 Explain in detail what is being done to combat poverty? But also add why poverty is so hard to define and ultimately solve. Th e poverty is a state of person in which is becomes unable to meet his necessities from the resources available to him. The necessities include, food to maintain the hunger, education, healthcare facilities, shelter to reside, clothes and the means to live and improve. It is a hard task to define and measure the poverty since past because the growth rate of the population is increasing with a high margin than the growth in resources. All around the world especially the third world countries are facing this problem more. The United Nations has been planning and working to reduce the poverty in collaboration with IMF, World Bank and other financial institutions. A statistical figure printed by â€Å"One Day’s Wage† show that the 2.4 billion people around the world have been living on less than $ 2/day and approximately 1.2 billion are living on less than $ 1.24. (Extreme Global Poverty) [2] . About 3.4 million people die every day because of water related disease and appr oximately 768 million people have no access to clean water. The number of dead due to HIV/AIDS is 11,700 while 61 million children having the age of primary education are not attending the schools. In every minute at least one women is being die due to pregnancy or labor complications. 29.8 million People are enslaved. (The World Bank Survey and One’s Campaign). Strategy of One day’s Wage is to get the donation of one day from the individuals at global levels to combat the poverty and provide the aid to the people.

Year 3 - Abnormal Psychology Essay (Dementia vs Cognitive impairments)

Year 3 - Abnormal Psychology (Dementia vs Cognitive impairments) - Essay Example nvolves the problem as those concerned seldom seek proper guidance as it has become a common practice to resolve into the belief that such changes are consequent to the aging process. There is a degree of negligent perception from the medical practitioner responsible for the patient and for the family of those who suffer that become complacent into thinking it is normal and to be expected. It is relative to our mortality that for the luckiest of us, we follow the cycle of life and we grow old and then wither. The lack of concern that society often disregards old people is nothing less than an irony of our life. We refuse to acknowledge older people as we dismiss them easily in favor of the everyday problems that we face and regard as matter of life and death. It is a bittersweet reality that whether we like it or not, we are one day to replace those older people as we age ourselves. In this we experience the same physical and mental problems that they endure in their life. It thus seems more than proper to be empathic in their complaints and gripes that may be possibly remedied with proper attention. The aging process entails many changes that occur and radically alters everyday living. Imperative changes in the body results to physiological mechanisms declining that are common as a person ages. These should be identified as it is helpful in the management of problems that arise with it. The least problematic of this is gestation as taste receptors are replaced on a regular basis disparate to neural cells. A somatosensory problem that compromises their ability to regulate their temperature is also diminished. This could affect their tolerance for pain which may hinder their capacity to recognize symptoms and result to problems progressing before detection. Another includes sensory deficiency in auditory and visual facility (How may sensory changes affect the everyday lives of older people?). It was found that 1 out 8 Americans over 65 have Alzheimer’s disease

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

International Marketing - Essay Example While marketing goods and services to the various countries, there are instances whereby adaptation may be necessary, like when we want the new market to become acclimatized with our new products. At other times, we may opt to employ a standardization strategy, especially if the product being marketed has a national appeal, or in a known global brand. This is a term that is used in reference to the practice of importing unauthorized products that ideally should be sold at a lower price, with the intentions of selling these at a higher market price. The implication of a grey market is that to some extent, the company is question is offering competition to own products in the market (Cateora & Graham 2002). A grey market shall have an effect both the manufacturers and the distributors in different ways. For the manufacturer, there is the risk of having their brand value lost in the market. This is in addition to the ensuing competition that the products in the grey market give to a manufacturer’s own products. Moreover, the manufacture is forced to redesign his/her pricing strategy on a global scale, with the intention of containing this new competition that appears to ape the existing price strategy. This is in addition to the manufacturer having to spend so that he/she may be able to solve this problem of parallel import (Terpstra & Sarathy 2002). To the distributors, the effect of a grey market is that a competition n incentive comes into effect. This is because now, we have competition that is offering to the market a similar product to that being offered by the distributors, but alt a lower price. Another effect of the grey markets to the distributors is a potential loss of customers and consequently, their market shares for a given region. In addition the revenues generated by a distributor plummet, along with the associated profits (Cateora & Graham 2002). What this means is that the distributors shall

English Academic Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Academic Purpose - Essay Example The following is a research study that focuses to establish of the various practices adopted by the English community in communicating amongst themselves and the extent upon which some of the media links are mostly favored against others. Further, the research study seeks to denote on the prevailing differences amongst the media links and the prevailing differences that favor or harbor involvement into communicating via a range of the available social platforms. The subject of social media importance in human lives is critical and the British population has consequently reflected positive involvement in the digital world of communication (White, King, and Tsang, 2011:56). Therefore, the following research study establishes on the implemented approaches to ascertain and resolve the controversies on whether the social media is beneficial or harmful to the human society, and precisely, the British society. Literature review The research study on social media shall maintain precise focus on the influence of social media. The researchers shall focus on implementing the various findings that different study samples of the research expedition denote as feedbacks to the various questions asked in the questionnaire. During the research expedition, the researchers shall focus on establishing the various social networks used, the number people using these networks and the networks that seem to be more significant to others (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:34). The study shall focus on the frequency of access to the social networks, and probably the reasons for using certain media through questionnaire interviews. The figure below establishes of the prospective extend of involvement by online users upon various social sites. Fig.1 showing the marginal share difference on involvement Eventually, the study shall establish of the successes of the research expedition and depict the findings of the study process reflecting from an analysis to the questionnaire findings. F urther, the study establish an analytical approach on the study findings, employ on the methodological and recommendation approaches of social practices and the extent at which the findings suit the desired findings of the study. Finally, the research shall evaluate on the entire process of establishing whether the social media is beneficial or harmful, and the corrective measures of whose use shall lead to the establishment of appropriate resolutions. Methodology to the social media research With the prevalence and availability of the social media communication devices, the research process seemed to be applicable as the population exercising the use of social media as a mode of communication was relatively high (Poore, 2012:53). The use of questionnaires to interview the prospective sample population of study remained the most accurate tool to conducting the research as the questions did not focus on personal issues, but rather focused on general issues as to whether the social me dia was beneficial or harmful to the society (Qualman, 2011:46). Therefore, the data collection method laws primarily the questionnaire as it established precise information instead of focusing on other researchers’

Organizational Behavior Forces Discussion Term Paper

Organizational Behavior Forces Discussion - Term Paper Example Ikon had incurred a loss of $94 million because of restructuring. The resulting effect on the organization was enhancing the communication system that would enable organizational learning and also clarify accountability of results (Abstracts, 2010). Organizational mission- The aim of Great Lakes Landscaping is to provide total satisfaction through its services. The company tries to attain top results from its performance. This mission serves as the driving force behind its organization behavioral activities. This is demonstrated by the company’s focus on the development of a highly trained staff and maximizing the expertise in their respective fields (Great Lakes Landscaping, 2008). Similarly, the mission of capital One Financial Corp is lending the best possible of financial services to its customers. A wide of variety of service has been designed considering this mission. Fiscal Policies- External factors like fiscal policies greatly affect the way companies operate. This is most relevant for companies like Ikon. Fiscal policies would mean injection of money in the economy where individual incomes would also be high. Thus, people would be in a better position to buy luxury items. Thus fiscal policies influence the decision making in organizations. The price strategies are determined by the decision making. ... The rates of interest in the market, the purchasing power of consumers, etc would influence their strategies. During recession, a number of companies were seen to alter their interest rates to lend more support to the consumers. However, during times of prosperity their competitive strategies remain different. Also, during recession, employees are faced with a lot of insecurity and instability. During these times, the management is required to focus on greater security of employees. Employee relations are given greater priority. Economic factors influence the designing of pricing structures of Great Lakes Landscaping in order to remain competitive in the market. The price structure not only determines the competitive position of the company but helps in retaining and maintaining a constant customer base. The company goes out of its way to demonstrate how investments can be minimized and results can be maximized (Great Lakes Landscaping, 2008). Customer demands- Consumer demands would play a major role for a company like Starkey. This is because the product is very demand specific. It is very crucial that the company makes a thorough analysis of the market conditions, like the demand in the market for such products or the population demographics. An ageing population would necessarily mean that there would be a greater demand for hearing aids in the market. It also holds true for a company like Great Lakes Landscape. It would depend on consumer awareness about the society’s environment. Globalization- globalizations and communication has made the availability of foreign product more easily accessible to consumers in different countries. Goods and services can also now be available at cheap prices. The price of a product produced by Ikon would

Precis Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Precis Paper - Assignment Example the Governor raises concerns of whether the government will beat the time scheduled to pay the $1.7 billion which will be just a third of what the government is supposed to pay by 2018. In his state of the state speech last month, the governor said that education and other needs will be shortchanged by the rising payments. He is expected to continue with the speech on Tuesday during the annual budget address. Over 40 states have overhauled their pension systems but experts say that this is just deferment of costs of pension to the future. Pension overhauls have failed because the cost of benefits and money set aside for payment has grown from $3.1million in 2009 to $4 trillion this year according to Joshua D. Rauh, a finance professor at Stanford University. The gap keeps widening from year to year and many states are in dept of amount equal to or more than their annual revenue. Pension overhauls experts’ advice that the most effective solution is to raise taxes substantially or do away with future retirement benefits of public workers. This is illegal in the government but is practiced in companies in some states. There are many reasons why pension overhauls have failed. One is state contributions are deferred to pension funds and end up in depth in the long term. Pension investments earning estimates are also overly optimistic. Another reason is politics. Governors and legislatures are unwilling to spend on financing their failing pension systems. New Jersey for example diverted the pension systems money to other programs promising better benefits in 1992.By 2010, the whole system was unfunded and the state accused of securities fraud by federal regulators. The system was redeemed in 2011 with several changes. Retirement age for new workers rose to 65 years with 30 years of service from 55years with 25years of service. There was also compulsory increase in contribution from current workers and suspension of cost of living increase for retired workers. This

The Causes of Occupational Stress and Its Effects on Overall Dissertation

The Causes of Occupational Stress and Its Effects on Overall Performance within Oil and Gas Industry - Dissertation Example Stress can be described as a reaction or feeling that an individual experiences. The examples of workplace stressor include being overworked and time pressures. It is a condition or difficult situation that disturb or is expected to upset the normal physiological functioning of an individual. It is the response of a body which is harmful in nature that tends to disturb its physiological equilibrium (Cooper & Et. Al., 2010). Response Based Stress Response based stress is the form of strain, pressure and tension. The approach of response based stress is to understand stress which appears to describe an intangible happening hence it can be analysed as outcome. In research terms, it can be explained as dependant variable, where the major hypothetical field is the sign of stress (Cooper & Et. Al., 2010). . Occupational Stress There is a negative upsetting experience within an individual in a workplace which is complex as well as dynamic process and directly or indirectly affects the physiological factors of individuals such as gastrointestinal disorders, mental trauma, musculoskeletal pain and cardiovascular diseases. It is risky to work in a stressful environment as it may be physically harmful which is called as symptom for psychological distress (Clarke & Cooper, 2004). According to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the number of cumulative trauma of the US employees has increased and there were large number of personal injuries in the United Kingdom. The cumulative trauma mentally affects a person due to continuous exposure to occupational stress (Clarke & Cooper, 2004). A various number of studies in the earlier days have shown that occupational stress has been considered as the prime risky aspect for mental illness among the workers in an occupation. It has been analysed by Stansfeld and Candy that combining high demands with low decision latitude along with high efforts with low rewards were eventually a factor which causes mental disorders (Stansfeld & Candy, 2006). Causes The cause of stress depends upon structure of the workplace and type of job that an individual does in an organisation. The stress is caused due to following reasons: Demand: The demand factor is the main cause for stress; it depends upon workload of an in dividual. The work can expose an individual to different physical risks such as fire, noise, chemicals and others. Control: An individual gets involved in making decision and influences others in a workplace. Relationship: The bad relationship with team members,

Colonial Differences from North to South Essay Example for Free

Colonial Differences from North to South Essay During the 1700’s, many colonies began to show their true differences with one another. Although the colonies were settled by English origin only, the regions became two distinct societies within years. Of the colonies, the Chesapeake and the New England region were strongly diverse. The Chesapeake and the New England regions differed in the 1700’s because of religious debates that had occurred, different motives that were placed when going to the New World, and the different economies that had developed within the colonies. First, religious debates became a huge distinguishing factor in the two regions. During the 1700’s, Maryland was considered to be a Catholic Haven in the Chesapeake region. Founded by Lord Baltimore in 1634, Maryland quickly became the rescue place for Catholic-English men and women whom faced execution from Protestant England. Faced with death, the Catholics of Maryland stood behind the Act of Toleration that was passed in 1649. In John Winthrop’s document, â€Å"A model of Christian Charity†, he describes how each man needs to come together for religion. God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind†¦ we must knot together in this work as one man. †(Document A). In Maryland’s Act of Toleration, the statute guaranteed all toleration to Christians. With the act, Maryland could be Catholic without a word being said. Unlike Maryland, The New England region had nothing to hide with religion. New England was mainly Puritan, spanning out of Calvinism. Predestination and â€Å"visible saints† were just two of many popular phrases used in the Puritan religion. Puritans believed in being predestined for heaven or hell when a said person was born. Also, Puritans had the decision to be Separatists and Non-Separatists. Many Puritans were Non-Separatists, meaning they wanted to reform the Church of England but not completely break away from it. Along with Non-Separatists, Separatists were also common. Separatists were groups of people that wanted to completely break away from the Church of England. One of the most famous groups of Separatists was the Pilgrims. In the end, the colonies were very different religion and the differences in religion molded America’s freedom of religion. Next, another factor that made the two regions different, were the motives that were placed going to the olonies. In the Chesapeake region, the Virginia Company was immediately put in place when they had arrived in Virginia. The Virginia Company was a joint stock company that had one motive in America; gold. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada, England was craving for outside profit and America was the answer. In John Smith’s document about Virginia, he describes what life was like revolving around gold. â€Å"There was no talk, but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold. † (Document F). Although the gold process was almost a complete disaster within Jamestown, the colony became the first permanent settlement. But, in the New England region, the English men and women were migrating to the New World for completely different reasons. First, the Separatists of England that were living in Holland to avoid royal English rule, departed to America. The Separatists, later known as Pilgrims, set off on the Mayflower. The original plan was to land off of the coast of Virginia. However, the Mayflower eventually made land fall in the New England region. Living off the land and poor, the Pilgrims became friends with local Native Americans and later, made their own government and set the foundation for the New England colony. After the Massachusetts Bay colony was formed, the main motive of the colony was to build it full of life and families. As quoted in the â€Å"Articles of Agreement†, â€Å"2. We intend that our town shall be composed of forty families, rich and poor. † (Document D). Known as the â€Å"Great Migration†, around twenty thousand Puritans migrated to the New England region from England. John Porter created a large list of Emigrants that were bound for New England. A family decided to migrate and John Porter recorded it: â€Å"1. Joseph Hull, of Somerset, a minister, aged 40 years old. 2. Agnes Hull, his wife, aged 25 years. . Joan Hull, his daughter, aged 15 years old. Etc. † (Document B). Many young families migrated from England to receive freedom of religion and break away from the clutches of royal England. Between gold, religious freedom and the â€Å"Great Migration†, the New England and Chesapeake had many different reasons for migrating to the New World. Lastly, the two regions became two separate worlds when economies began to develop. The Chesapeake region was known for one thing, and that was tobacco. Tobacco was vital to the colony’s economic foundations. A rich man’s crop, tobacco was very labor-demanding. When indentured servants rebelled, African slaves were put to use and the Chesapeake became home to slaves. As well as labor, tobacco sparked plantations and the need for land. When slaves were imported, this became the splitting factor between the north and south. However, New England, with its’ cooler falls and winters, could never plant tobacco, especially with the historic New England â€Å"stony† soil. The â€Å"stony† soil prevented any farmers from successfully planting a lot of plants. New England’s economy thrived on shipbuilding, fishing, commerce and trading. The region also contained dense forests, helping the shipbuilding industry skyrocket. Also, the economy was very organized and everything affected it. In the document of â€Å"Wage and Price Regulations in Connecticut†, they discuss the prices and wages being regulated so that the people of the colony can understand their religious callings. â€Å".. in the interim recommends that all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings which is that receiving such moderate profit as may enable them to serve God and their neighbors with their arts and trades comfortably.. †. (Document E). In the New England colony, everything was interconnected, including religion, economy and politics. The Chesapeake’s hot, humid weather enabled the farms to grow tobacco to form their economy. But, New England’s cooler weather enabled their workers to focus on shipbuilding, trading, and even religion. In conclusion, the two regions faced many differences within their cultures when compared. Their religions, motives, and economies were a few of the distinguishing factors. As the colonies prospered in their own individual ways, the differences grew larger and became two different societies.

Ownership of Property in Islamic Law

Ownership of Property in Islamic Law Abstract Property ownership has been highly debated in recent years especially when it comes to women. The case of Muslim women has been alarming in certain Islamic countries because though women are allowed to own property some traditions when put together with some Islamic Laws are highly restricting womens ownership property. Property in this light includes land, house and other tangible properties. This paper based on illustrating the different sources of property acquisition which has been hindered due to, in most case deliberate confusion of Islamic laws and customary laws which had restricted the ownership of property by Muslim women in different Islamic regions. INTRODUCTION Women in many countries still face inequality at home, in their communities and the society at large. They are usually left in the background because of state laws, customary laws and religious beliefs. This inequality also affects their right of property ownership. The rights of women to own, inherit, manage and dispose of property whether tangible or intangible has been minimized by individuals, customs and laws in many countries of the world today. These women who most often constitutes a greater population of the country, are not give the opportunity to own land, houses, cars, bank account, cattle, crops and many other forms of property. Womens right to property most often depends on the relationship they share with men around them. Religion too has also had an impact on the ownership of property by women when put together with customary beliefs. These two when put together in extreme cases greatly limits the right of a women to own property. Religion has been interpreted to the detriment of the Islamic woman but to the advantage of the Islamic man. These several interpretation of Islam under different customary laws has reduced the rights of women to own property. This paper therefore brings out the role of Muslim religion on the ownership of property by Muslim women. Examine what the Islamic religion says about women owning property and what is the real situation at hand. That is how the Islamic religion is integrated with tradition and state law and its impact on the ownership of property by Muslim women in Muslim regions. The Role of Islam in Property Ownership amongst Muslim Women Historically, the Quran acknowledges the right of women to own property. The Quran explains important post held by women during the period of the prophet which made them to acquire property. In general terms the Islamic law allows women to hold, use and dispose of property but when you go into details the terms become very complicated and this therefore restrict these women. The Islamic law acknowledges the fact that a woman should be given what she earns and which can be a mans when she willingly transfers it to the man. But when we consider the fact that Muslim women are suppose to be very reserve, their right of property ownership which can be gained only when they are exposed is restricted. To own a property in any form means you need to manage this property and this management cannot be adequately established in the private space you need the public space. The following analyses discuss the different ways in which property can be acquired but which women are being restricted in societies where Islam and tradition are being practiced in extremes. Inheritance In Islam the man is considered the head of the family and has the right to own property. Inheritance which is a form of property ownership highly favors the man. Though women have the right to inherit property of a deceased member of their family, their own share is usually half of what the man inherits. Though women have the right to inherit from their father, it is usually two shares for men and one for women. They believe that women do not have any obligation to take care of the family as the men do, therefore the men should be given more. In most traditional Islamic countries the combination of customary and Islamic law against women concerning this issue makes women to be totally refused the right of property ownership. For them since these women do not take care of the family, they should not be given the right to own any property. Also in most law courts like in Northern Nigeria where Islam is practiced, the right of women to inherit property is denied by some judges though Is lam accepts these rights. Most often, the inheritance is done in theory and not in practices. The women are just told that they have been assigned this portion of property which in most cases is never given to them. Property ownership is consider as a mans business since women are considered to be dependent and weak and needs the support of a man to handle property issues. Annelies Moors (1995) also explains that while in Islamic law women have inheritance rights, these then are generally more limited than those of men. This she explains that, looking into the shares of the widows and daughters, the male preference is usually very clear. This is because, in the case where the husband dies it is difficult for the woman to inherit the husbands property because she can get married to another man or better still she is suppose to stay under the protection of the men in the husbands family be it her sons or the husbands brothers. According to Islam, wives are entitled to one-eighth of the property of their husband s when the deceased husbands have children and to one-fourth if they are childless while daughters on the other hand are entitled to only half the share of their brothers share. Also, when there is an only daughter she gets half of the deceased fathers property and the rest goes to the fathers male relatives while an only son gets the entire property of the deceased father showing a biased against these women. This is because the property the woman with children owns goes to her children especially if they are boys and if she does not get married, she is given less and most often refused because she can be remarried. The case of a childless woman is worst because she is left with nothing as property even if she contributed in the acquisition of the property. Also, owning a property means giving the woman an upper hand and changing her private space to a public space. A woman is suppose to be very reserve in her private space and not exposed by owning property to the public space which is considered a mans space. This perception is different with urban and rural Muslim women. Annelies Moors (1995), discusses that although the women in both area knew their rights of property ownership, some those in the urban areas accepted their own share of the estate but most in the rural areas stayed retrained from acquiring their own shares. This I believe was the result of their customary law in those rural areas which prohibited them. Education Education is a form of property acquisition because when you are educated you are exposed to issues of knowing your rights. In most parts of Africa where Islam is practiced, the number of girls going to school has been relatively low compared to the Christian areas. The people do not see the need of educating the girl child since she is believed to be the property of the man. Education is not a priority but early marriages are encouraged. Going to school is meant for the boys who will eventually become a family head and needs education and property to take care of the family. This is very common with Muslims especially in the rural areas who strongly believe in their customary and Islamic laws. Most of them are not aware of any state law or international human rights laws or even the Islamic which give them the right to own property. Vanessa Maher (1974), explains that Berbers in Morocco equivalent of seclusion, and preserving family honor intact in keeping their girl child at home s ince schools are considered as a corrupting influence and giving access to the public sphere making education very irrelevant. Work According to the Islamic law, women are allowed to work but this is usually under certain circumstances and under very strict conditions. In many Islamic countries, job opportunities for women and men are not the same. They are not given equal opportunities because women are highly restricted from public life. A woman is not supposed to work alone with a man because according to the Quran they might be tempted. A woman is not supposed to do any job that will expose her honor of womanhood but she is supposed to remain modest. Islam generally recommends that women stay at home and take care of the home. When Vanessa Maher carried out her field work on Women and Property in morocco in 1974, she pointed out that women do not work for wages because their participation in the public sphere is considered immoral. This alone prohibits these women from doing anything that will make them acquire property. Also the man has is oblarged according to Islam to uphold his obligation of maintaining t he woman. The husband is responsible for maintaining his wife and the entire family not the other way round even when the wife has the means, so this also discourages Muslim women from working. According to the Islamic law, women are allowed to work but this is usually under certain circumstances and under very strict conditions. In many Islamic countries, job opportunities for women and men are not the same. They are not given equal opportunities because women are highly restricted from public life. A woman is not supposed to work alone with a man because according to the Quran they might be tempted. A woman is not supposed to do any job that will expose her honor of womanhood but she is supposed to remain modest. Islam generally recommends that women stay at home and take care of the home. When Vanessa Maher carried out her field work on Women and Property in morocco in 1974, she pointed out that women do not work for wages because their participation in the public sphere is considered immoral. This alone prohibits these women from doing anything that will make them acquire property. Also the man has is oblarged according to Islam to uphold his obligation of maintaining t he woman. The husband is responsible for maintaining his wife and the entire family not the other way round even when the wife has the means, so this also discourages Muslim women from working. Even the dower and maintenance gift in which the woman is entitled to be given to her for marriage is only owned by her in theory and not in practice. Annelies Moors 1995 when she carried out her research in Palestine explained that younger village women rarely expressed an interest in selling their gold (which was their dower) to buy productive property; they would rather invest it in their husband and his house. This is because when she gets married to the man this property automatically goes back to the man since he is supposed to control the familys resources. At times the dower and maintenance gift are orally given through promises and the woman never receives it. The dower is gradually losing its value because most contemporary Muslim women will prefer their husbands to invest his resources in the up keep of the family. They do not really care about the dower especially in the urban areas. More so, in case of divorce since the wife does not have any right of property compensation or sharing all what was given to her as dower is taken by the husband. This is because, during marriage the properties she contributes to the family are not regarded as hers but the husbands property. Annelies Moors (1995), in her research in Palestine explains that women no longer sell their gold dower to buy productive property because independent female ownership of such property clashes with their definition as dependent wives. They instead use it to invest in their families therefore reducing their access to property. CONCLUSION Though efforts are being made to enhance property ownership by Muslim women, this issue is more complicated in the rural areas since there are strong customary laws which restrict women. When these customary laws are put together with the Islamic laws, these women are completely isolated in the ownership of property. This is because there is a deliberate confusion between Islamic laws and customary law by men which suppress a womans right of owning property making the customary law to predominate. Actual control of property has still remained in hands of the men. Womens less right of property according to Islamic thoughts is seen to be compensated with the fact that they are under the custody of the men. Property is considered as power, and the more property you own the more powerful you are. REFERENCES DUPRET, B., BERGER, M., Al-ZWAINI, L. (Eds.), Legal Pluralism in the Arab World, The Hague, Kluwer International, 1999 ROSEN, L. (2000): The Justice of Islam. Comparative Perspectives on Islamic Law and Society, Oxford U.P Vanessa Maher (1974); Women and Property in Morocco: The Changing Relation to the Process of Social Stratification in the Middle Atlas. Cambridge University Press. Annelies Moors (1995); Women Property and Islam: Palestinian Experience 1920-1990. 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