Problems American Society facing In Today World Essay

Presentation: In today society there are many explanation we can bring up and state, this is the issue that society resembles it is today, yet in all actuality we needs realities, not feeling. There are measurement on why families resembled they were in 1960 and what changes have come to fruition in today time. There will be changes in families till the day we pass on, changes comes about each second of everybody life. Distinguish Important or noteworthy changes in families since 1960? What components are answerable for this change? Male predominance has assumed a significant job as of local around the globe. We have in numerous societies inversion sexual orientation jobs with respect to family unit tasks. Family unit errands were work only for the lady not the man, yet In today society we have, men currently remaining at home, either in light of the fact that they are laid off or have not been fruitful in discovering business, they are dealing with the children, doing the cooking, family tasks. More ladies are monetarily autonomous now, since certain men feel increasingly predominant then ladies, and having a spouse who is the provider gives a few men a substandard complex. With all these feeling undetermined, before long comes misuse (for a few), consent to petition for legal separation, become an integral factor. Today measurement expresses that separate in United States is the most noteworthy modern in the country. Separations at times cause kids to respond to that separation feeling that it is their shortcoming, so they go out take medications to take the torment way, some truly goes into a maniacal breakdown, you experience some that simply become difficulty kids or when they get more seasoned gain from what they seen their folks do and experience very similar things due to what they had seen when they were youthful. On the parity, are families getting more fragile or basically extraordinary in the public eye? What proof would you be able to refer to? Today’s numbers have given us that our families have gotten more fragile, in our American culture. There are several different ways oneâ could make a proposition on the most proficient method to reinforcing the family, one could begin by going into a marriage with adoration and genuine understanding, through various challenges. Likewise attempt to be in the same spot with respect to when you are set up to have a youngster and ensure that you are monetarily prepared, Now people needs to figure out how to have a place with one another, so they can bring forth as well as raise the cutting edge together. If families somehow managed to make penances to save family prosperity, at that point their youngsters would proceed to set up amicable groups of their own. Ultimately, they state a family that supplicates together will remain together. End: On the off chance that guardians don’t step up and bring up their youngsters all together, this new age will be a fiasco already in the works. Let’s adhere to the pledges that one brings when individuals goes down the passageways to be brought together Reference: Ken Fuchsman†The Family Romance Transformed American Domestic Arrangements, since 1960, Clio’s Psyche: Understanding the â€Å"why of culture, recent developments, history and society.Vol.17, no.4 March 2011 www.wnd.com/2010/12/243621 www.gwu.edu/~ccps/pop_rel.html

Three Top Financial Scandals in the Recent Past

Three Top Financial Scandals in the Recent Past Synopsis Financial embarrassments have been basic in enterprises for a significant period of time. In this specific paper, deceitful money related exercises that have influenced three organizations have been examined. The apparatus of budgetary markets and huge settled organizations is certifiably not another wonder. In any case, the pattern is by all accounts gaining out of power in the cutting edge economy.Advertising We will compose a custom research project test on Three Top Financial Scandals in the Recent Past explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are developing claims that methodical burglarizing of budgetary organizations has been occurring in the previous 3 decades or somewhere in the vicinity. One of the most noticeably awful effects of monetary misrepresentation in these foundations is that the worldwide intrigue promotion trade rates have consistently been persuasively fixed by a couple of deceitful people. At the end of the day, the market powers o f interest and gracefully are not really left to assume their jobs in the contemporary changed economies. This paper offers a concise conversation of three top money related outrages that have been seen in the ongoing past. Presentation When banks in London are occupied with the way toward acquiring from one another, there is a particular charge that is required on the administration. This normal financing cost is alluded to as Libor. The Thomson Reuters as a rule assume the job of figuring this worth (Snyder, 2012). There are a few occasions when Libor matters a great deal particularly with regards to the net estimation of an item or when acquiring credits from banks and other money related organizations. For occurrences, all things considered, Libor influences charge card utilization and property credits in a few different ways. Indeed, even the US economy is altogether influenced by Libor. Different outrages talked about in this paper incorporate the Enron and WorldCom embarrassm ents. The London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) To start with, it is maybe important to investigate the offenders behind the Libor outrage. The fixing outrage for loan fees is accepted to have included near twenty significant banks both in Europe and the United States. It has additionally been discovered that banks spread across three mainlands were entangled in the embarrassment. The outrage astoundingly imperiled the vocation of Bob Diamond who was filling in as the CEO around then. Tension built every day for the CEO to give up his office while other a few top experts in the financial division over the world were being constrained to stopped their workplaces with the goal that examinations could be begun (Snyder, 2012).Advertising Looking for research project on business financial matters? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In request to help the exchanging position of the bank preceding the beginning of worldwide monetary emergency in 2007, entries that were never evident were made to the council accused of the job of setting loan costs for Libor. This was a basic method of controlling loan fees so the general monetary exhibition of the bank could improve. In addition, this move supported the benefit of the Barclays Bank (Snyder, 2012). This was a genuine extortion remembering that Libor is a main loan fees benchmark over the worldwide budgetary markets. The trustworthiness of the loan fees was antagonistically influenced by the Barclays’ conduct since it by and large represented a gross budgetary danger to other market players. Enron Scandal The Enron embarrassment has likewise been noted as one of the most famous monetary fakes that occurred in the most recent decade. At the beginning of the new century, Enron was an organization to deal with in a few different ways because of its exhibition and market strength (Foster, 2010). It recorded a huge achievement that few different organizations c ould scarcely accomplish. In any case, a harbinger of expand difficulties was perceived by financial specialists when income rehashing was reported by Enron in mid 2001. Inside a time of only one and a half months, Enron was announced bankrupt and unfit to run its money related commitments disregarding the way that it was incredible market entertainer and overflowed with satisfactory riches. The false monetary exercises that occurred at Enron could be assembled into two classes. To start with, fundamental creation of numbers occurred in the money related records of the organization (Salter, 2008). For example, when its endeavor with Blockbuster didn't succeed, it was inadequately valuated. Second, complex monetary moves were additionally seen preceding the fall of the organization. Regardless, the American financial framework is to a great extent accepted to have essentially added to the decrease of Enron (Foster, 2010). The people’s trust in the exhibition of the whole econo my was likewise debilitated after the outrage. The officials of the organization were depicted as ravenous people who couldn't keep up their honesty as laid out in the code of morals (Fox, 2003). WorldCom outrage Both the bookkeeping extortion and disintegration of benefits influenced the exhibition and market soundness of WorldCom organization. Illusionary profit adding up to billons were made according to speculators though the organization was gone to genuine territory of bankruptcy.Advertising We will compose a custom research paper test on Three Top Financial Scandals in the Recent Past explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the significant effects of this misrepresentation was felt in the media communications area. A large number of clients were adversely influenced by the declined exhibition of WorldCom Company (Romero, 2002). As per the money related records of this organization, the net estimation of benefits possessed by the firm was evaluated at $10 7 billion. Before this documenting could be discharged to investors, the organization announced that costs adding up to about $3.8 billion had been inappropriately represented in the records. Phone organizations, providers, and banks were unfavorably influenced by the false exercises at the firm after the embarrassment was uncovered. Prior to its liquidation, the complete obligations amassed by the organization remained at $41 billion. This denoted the start of its ruin (Romero, 2002). End In recap, it very well may be seen that the budgetary embarrassments examined caused major financial hitch in all the three organizations. Be that as it may, the basic crediting factor was poor administration of the firms’ assets. References Foster (2010). The decades most noticeably terrible money related embarrassments. Web. Fox, L. (2003). Enron: The Rise and Fall. New York: John Wiley Sons. Romero, S. (2002). WorldCom’s breakdown: the outline; WorldCom petitions for financial pro tection; biggest U.S. case. Web.Advertising Searching for research project on business financial aspects? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More Salter, M. (2008). Advancement Corrupted: The Origins and Legacy of Enrons Collapse. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Snyder, M. (2012). The Biggest Financial embarrassment ever? Web.

Sault Sainte Marie

Sault Sainte Marie Sault Sainte Marie, city (1990 pop. 14,689), seat of Chippewa co., N Mich., Upper Peninsula, a port of entry on the St. Marys River opposite Sault Ste Marie, Ont.; inc. as a city 1887. A variety of light manufactured goods are produced, but the city's economy is principally based on tourism and lake shipping. The famous Soo locks on the St. Marys River draw visitors who watch heavily laden ships pass through the intricate system that links lakes Superior and Huron. Particularly impressive is the 21-ft (6.4-m) lift to the level of Lake Superior. The region was first explored (1615) by Etienne Brulé , and Father Jacques Marquette established a Jesuit mission there in 1668. French occupation ended in 1763. The British remained in control until 1783, when the area was ceded to the United States. Fort Brady was built in 1822. The discovery of great mineral deposits in the northwest stimulated the construction (1853â€"55) of the Sault Ste Marie Canal to facilitate the flow of ore; the locks have since been enlarged. An international bridge connects Sault Ste Marie with its Canadian counterpart. Lake Superior State Univ. in the city occupies the historic site of Fort Brady. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography

Sleep Deprivation Symptoms And Can Lower Your Body s...

Everyone has had a time in their life when they felt a little sleep deprived; there was a time in their life when they felt more tired than usual. It was either just a busy work week, or one night accidentally stayed up a few hours longer, but college students bring a new meaning to sleep deprivation. We are reported to be the highest number of sleep deprived people. Sleep deprivation comes in two stages: chronic and acute, whichever category, both come with extreme side-effects. The effects of chronic sleep deprivation form long-lasting symptoms and can lower your body’s natural defense system. One of the more obvious signs of sleep deprivation is yawning and increased irritability. As well as the obvious signs, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to parts of the brain that decreases coordination and decision-making abilities. How many times have we reached a stage of exhaustion and called it â€Å"slap happy?† For the other stage of sleep deprivation, acute depr ivation is more noticeable as it shows through appearance. Skin can start showing signs of hypoxia, which is when not enough oxygen is reaching the surface of the skin. Sleep deprived people’s skin can appear to be a pale, dull grey color. It is almost expected of college students to be sleep deprived and barely getting five hours a sleep a night. It is true, college students are almost walking zombies during the week. With the balance between classes, social life, working out, extra activities, and those that areShow MoreRelatedPsychology Workbook Essay22836 Words   |  92 PagesI. INTRODUCTION Objective I.1 Define psychology: the science of behavior and mental processes. |Margin Learning Question(s) (if applicable) |Page(s) | |None | | Key Terms Psychology: the science of behavior and mental processes. Exercises 1. 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Social Biases Paper - 1320 Words

Social Biases George T. Jackson Psych/555 Social Psychology October 24, 2011 Diana Dobier Social Biases A social bias is a prejudice attitude aimed at a particular race, culture, ethnic group, religion, or sexual orientation. People with limited vision often form negative opinions toward a group of people without knowing who they are. People have to be careful with the thought process because it can lead him or her to make a judgmental statement toward an individual, or a group of individuals, without the person realizing that the statement or comment was prejudicial. In this paper the concept of social biases,†¦show more content†¦Stereotyping is the generalization about others, which leads to a predictable characteristic of other people. Stereotypes only represent one aspect of an individual that is usually the negative aspect. Stereotypes also cause an individual to make a harsh statement toward individuals without recognizing the damage those words can cause. Example someone who accuses Middle Eastern men to be terrorists has made a negative stereotype against these people, when every Middle Eastern men are not terrorists. Discrimination is the ill treatment or denying of some ones rights because of his or her race, creed, color, sexual orientation, disability, and ethnic background. Fiske, (2010) â€Å"discrimination entails acting on the basis of one’s stereotypes, and prejudices denying, equality of treatment that people wish to have.† Discrimination wears many faces and can take on different forms that can be overt and subtle. This behavior can be very hurtful to various groups, organizations, and individuals. Example A person is denied housing because he is an openly gay individual. Subtle and Blatant Bias Any individual on any given day can display subtle biases; these biases are generally automatic, meaning they are done in a manner that can be unbeknownst to the individual who has acted upon them. 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Contributors to the Evolution of American Higher Education System Free Essays

The evolution of Higher Educational System the United States can be attributed from several components. Among these attributes are the 1944 GI Bill of Rights and the appointment of the President’s Commission on Higher Education by President Truman in 1946. Such significant contributions not only greatly affected the American Education System during those times but also served as catalysts that continue to benefit the modern society. We will write a custom essay sample on Contributors to the Evolution of American Higher Education System or any similar topic only for you Order Now These also paved the way improvement, acceleration and the widening the system of education as well as has opened opportunities for Americans of past, present and future generations. The significant development of the American higher education system can be traced from the enactment by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 22, 1944 of the â€Å"GI Bill of Rights† which was also called as the â€Å"Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944† (cited in Greenberg, 2007, p. 47). The law changed the American economic and social standpoints since among its provisions provided veterans of World War II an easy and immediate financial assistance by means of unemployment insurance. Most importantly, the law gave American veterans big opportunities such as vocational and practical activities relating to college learning as well as free access to housing and business loans (Greenberg, 2007). One of the permanent legacies of the GI Bill of Rights is now the ordinary impression that anyone can and should have education irrespective of â€Å"age, sex, race, religion, or family status† (Greenberg, 2007, p. 49). The law was also noted for bringing back the veterans’ interest in education, majority of who have not achieved even secondary diplomas because of the World War II. With the provision of a better quality of higher education which the veterans have longed for, the law provided a broad and lasting acceptance of the notion that learning, particularly post-secondary or college education is the Americans’ pathway to an improved employment and life (Greenberg, 2007). Aside from providing Americans from all walks of life a practical access to higher education, the GI Bill of Rights has also altered the definition of college learning in public awareness starting from 1950s until today. Before the war, the system was characterized mostly by â€Å"private, liberal arts, small-college, rural, residential, elitist, and often discriminatory from institution to institution with respect to race and religion† (Greenberg, 2007, p. 50). However, the current higher education system now is noticeably public that centers on â€Å"occupational, technical, and scientific education, huge, urban-oriented, suitable for commuter attendance, and highly democratic† (Greenberg, 2007, p. 50). At present, the system focuses and offers quality cultural, learning and financial aspects of higher education instead of just authorization of the upper members of the society. Lastly, the law is best noted as one factor that led to tremendous social change. Since there was shake up of perspectives as regards â€Å"sex, religion, and race,† the law subjected even the ordinary Americans to liberated ideas of the society by means of higher education (Greeberg, 2007, p. 51). Meanwhile, a lot of veterans returned to college or post-secondary education in 1946. The heavy influx of students and industrialization of the economy, however, overstressed the system, curriculum and facilities. Additionally, the increasing number of war veterans studying again aggravated the existing educational problems being experienced by regular college students. This is because the group of veterans has to struggle it out with the American youth in their pursuit of a quality higher education. Hence, both the two groups increased the demands of college education. However, government assets and means of instrument are unable to adapt with the requirements such as an increased enrollees as well as variety of needs and involvements of both the veterans and youth as college students (Alexander, 1998). With the above situation in 1946, President Truman established a â€Å"President’s Commission on Higher Education† and said that â€Å"we should now reexamine our system of higher education in terms of its objectives, methods, and facilities; and in the light of the social role it has to play† (President’s Commission on Higher Education, 1947). The committee was composed of 28 prominent and outstanding Americans such as professionals and laymen like George F. Zook. The group immediately worked and in December of 1947, made a 377-page report titled â€Å"Higher Education for American Democracy† which was composed of six volumes under the following titles: â€Å"Establishing the Goals, Equalizing and Expanding Individual Opportunity, Organizing Higher Education, Staffing Higher Education, Financing Higher Education and Resource Data† (President’s Commission on Higher Education, 1947, pp. 1-3, 5-8, 25-29, 32-39, 47-49). With a task to carry out what President Truman has said and define the obligations of colleges and universities, the commissions worked it out with the said educational facilities but were initially unsatisfied with the results. This is because education experts noted an apprehensive sense of failure or defect in the system. They also felt that the facilities are unable to keep up with the pace of the ever-changing state of the system as the society. Additionally, they see a need to re-pattern everything in order to meet the needs and address the concerns of the veterans and youth students which eventually will bring out the effectiveness of the modern education and system and society Moreover, the escalating desire of Americans to aspire for college education and critical necessity for such effective system became the determining factors for the need to improve the execution of the conventional tasks. This, in effect, eventually enabled the system, to assume the new challenge such the as re-entry in college of war veterans as the growing number of youth students, who are both motivated to improve their worth as a free and educated Americans (Alexander, 1998). The above-cited commission and measure are both significant as they greatly contributed on the evolution of the American Higher Education System. This is because the improved system of American higher education enabled the achievement of a more quality of living and democracy in the country for the reason that the benefits equally extended to all citizens. The GI Bill of Rights and 1947 President’s Commission on Higher Education have proven their existence and worth because they paved the way for renouncing the unfair education practices of discrimination and separation. Moreover, the said two contributors have resulted in leaders’ realization of the importance of quality and accessible college education system and equal opportunities in life. Ultimately, higher education system should be targeted at weakening as well as getting rid of learning discrimination and eventually establishing attitude that will offer the system freely accessible to all Americans. References Alexander, F. K. (1998). The President’s Commission Higher Education for Democracy, 1947. The American College and University EOL 474. Retrieved June 20, 2008 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign database. Greenberg, M. (2007). The GI Bill of Rights. Historians on America: Decisions that Made America (pp. 46-54). Washington, DC: U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs President’s Commission on Higher Education. (1947). Higher Education for American Democracy: A Report of the President’s Commission on Higher Education. Washington, D. C. : Government Printing Office.a How to cite Contributors to the Evolution of American Higher Education System, Papers

Paul the apostle Essay Example For Students

Paul the apostle Essay INTRODUCTIONJohn Wycliff was a theologian and early proponent of reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He initiated the first translation of the Bible into the English language and is considered the main precursor of the Protestant Reformation. Wycliff was born at Ipreswell, Yorkshire, England, between 1320 and 1330. He died at Lutterworth December 31, 1384. John Wycliffs family was of early Saxon origin, long settled in Yorkshire. In his day the family was a large one, covering a considerable territory. 1324 is the year usually given for Wycliffs birth. Wycliff probably received his early education close to home. It is not known when he first went to Oxford, with which he was so closely connected till the end of his life. He was at Oxford in about 1345, when a series of illustrious names was adding glory to the fame of the university, such as those of Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Thomas Bradwardine, William of Occam, and Richard Fitzralph. Wycliff owed much to Occam. He showed an interest in natural science and mathematics, but applied himself to the study of theology, ecclesiastical law, and philosophy. Even Wycliffs opponents acknowledged the keenness of his dialectic. Wycliffs writings prove that he was well grounded in Roman and English law, as well as in native history. A family whose seat was in the neighborhood of Wycliffs home, Bernard Castle, founded Balliol College, Oxford to which Wycliffe belonged, first as scholar, then as master. He attained the headship no later than 1360. When he was presented by the college (1361) with the parish of Fylingham in Lincolnshire, he had to give up the leadership of Balliol, though he could continue to live at Oxford. His university career followed the usual course. While as baccalaureate he busied himself with natural science and mathematics, as master he had the right to read in philosophy. More significant was his interest in Bible study, which he pursued after becoming bachelor in theology. His performance led Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, to place him at the head of Canterbury Hall in 1365. Between 1366 and 1372 he became a doctor of theology. In 1368 he gave up his living at Fylingham and took over the rectory of Ludgershall in Buckinghamshire, not far from Oxford, which enabled him to retain his connection with the university. It was not as a teacher or preacher that Wycliffe gained his position in history; this came from his activities in ecclesiastical politics, in which he engaged about the mid-1370s, when his reformatory work also began. In 1374 he was among the English delegates at a peace congress at Bruges. He may have been given this position because of the spirited and patriotic behavior with which in the year 1366 he sought the interests of his country against the demands of the papacy. It seems he had a reputation as a patriot and reformer; this suggests the answer to the question how he came to his reformatory ideas. Even if older evangelical parties did not exist in England before Wycliffe, he might easily have been influenced by continental evangelicals who abounded. It is highly probable that the older type of doctrine and practice represented by the Iro-Scottish Christians of the pre-Roman time persisted till the time of Wycliffe and reappeared in Lollardism.The root of the Wycliffes reform ation movement must be traced to his Bible study and to the ecclesiastical-political lawmaking of his times. He was well acquainted with the tendencies of the ecclesiastical politics to which England owed its position. He had studied the proceedings of King Edward I of England, and had attributed to them the basis of parliamentary opposition to papal usurpations. He found them a model for methods of procedure in matters connected with the questions of worldly possessions and the Church. Many sentences in his book on the Church recall the institution of the commission of 1274, which caused problems for the English clergy. He considered that the example of Edward I should be born in mind by the government of his time; but that the aim should be a reformation of the entire ecclesiastical establishment. Similar was his position on the enactments induced by the ecclesiastical politics of Edward III, with which he was well acquainted, which are fully reflected in his political tracts.Wycl iffe wanted to see his ideas actualizedhis fundamental belief was that the Church should be poor, as in the days of the apostles. He had not yet broken with the mendicant friars, and from these John of Gaunt chose Wycliffes defenders. While the Reformer later claimed that it was not his purpose to incite temporal lords to confiscation of the property of the Church, the real tendencies of the propositions remained unconcealed. The result of the same doctrines in Bohemiathat land which was richest in ecclesiastical foundationswas that in a short time the entire church estate was taken over and a revolution brought about in the relations of temporal holdings. It was in keeping with the plans of Gaunt to have a personality like Wycliffe on his side. Especially in London the Reformers views won support; partisans of the nobility attached themselves to him, and the lower orders gladly heard his sermons. He preached in city churches, and London rang with his praises. The first to oppose hi s theses were monks of those orders which held possessions, to whom his theories were dangerous. Oxford and the episcopate were later blamed by the Curia, which charged them with so neglecting their duty that the breaking of the evil fiend into the English sheepfold could be noticed in Rome before it was in England. Wycliffe was summoned before William Courtenay, bishop of London, on Feb. 19, 1377, in order to explain the wonderful things which had streamed forth from his mouth. The exact charges are not known, as the matter did not get as far as a definite examination. Gaunt, the earl marshal Henry Percy, and a number of other friends accompanied Wycliffe, and four begging friars were his advocates. A crowd gathered at the church, and at the entrance of the party animosities began to show, especially in an angry exchange between the bishop and the Reformers protectors. Gaunt declared that he would humble the pride of the English clergy and their partisans, hinting at the intent to secularize the possessions of the Church. Most of the English clergy were irritated by this encounter, and attacks upon Wycliffe began, finding their response in the second and third books of his work dealing with civil government. These books carry a sharp polemic, hardly surprising when it is recalled that his opponents charged Wycliffe with blasphemy and scandal, pride and heresy. He appeared to have openly advised the secularization of English church property, and the dominant parties shared his conviction that the monks could better be controlled if they were relieved from the care of secular affairs. The bitterness occasioned by this advice will be better understood when it is remembered that at that time the papacy was at war with the Florentines and was in dire straits. The demand of the Minorites that the Church should live in poverty as it did in the days of the apostles was not pleasing in such a crisis. It was under these conditions that Pope Gregory XI, who in January, 1377, had gone from Avignon to Rome, sent, on May 22 five copies of his bull against Wycliffe, despatching one to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the others to the bishop of London, Edward III, the chancellor, and the university; among the enclosures were 18 theses of his, which were denounced as erroneous and dangerous to Church and State.The reformatory activities of Wycliffe effectively began here: all the great works, especially his Summa theologiae, are closely connected with the condemnation of his 18 theses, while the entire literary energies of his later years rest upon this foundation. The next aim of his opponentsto make him out a revolutionary in politicsfailed. The situation in England resulted in damage to them; on June 21, 1377, Edward III died. His successor was Richard II, a boy, who was under the influence of John of Gaunt, his uncle. So it resulted that the bull against Wycliffe did not become public till Dec. 18. Parliament, which met in October, came into sharp conflict with the Curia. Among the propositions which Wycliffe, at the direction of the government, worked out for parliament was one which speaks out distinctly against the exhaustion of England by the Curia.Wycliffe tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract, accompanied by explanations, limitations, and interpretations. After the session of parliament was over, he was called upon to answer, and in March, 1378, he appeared at the episcopal palace at Lambeth to defend himself. The preliminaries were not yet finished when a noisy mob gathered with the purpose of saving him; the kings mother, Joan of Kent, also took up his cause. The bishops, who were divided, satisfied themselves with forbidding him to speak further on the controversy. At Oxford the vice chancellor, following papal directions, confined the Reformer for some time in Black Hall, from which Wycliffe was released on threats from his friends; the vice-chancel lor was himself confined in the same place because of his treatment of Wycliffe. The latter then took up the usage according to which one who remained for 44 days under excommunication came under the penalties executed by the State, and wrote his De incarcerandis fedelibus, in which he demanded that it should be legal for the excommunicated to appeal to the king and his council against the excommunication; in this writing he laid open the entire case and in such a way that it was understood by the laity. He wrote his 33 conclusions, in Latin and English. The masses, some of the nobility, and his former protector, John of Gaunt, rallied to him.Before any further steps could be taken at Rome, Gregory XI died (1378). But Wycliffe was already engaged in one of his most important works, that dealing with the truth of Holy Scripture. The sharper the strife became, the more Wycliffe had recourse to Scripture as the basis of all Christian doctrinal opinion, and expressly proved this to be t he only norm for Christian faith. In order to refute his opponents, he wrote the book in which he showed that Holy Scripture contains all truth and, being from God, is the only authority. He referred to the conditions under which the condemnation of his 18 theses was brought about; and the same may be said of his books dealing with the Church, the office of king, and the power of the popeall completed within the space of two years (1378-79). Wycliffe wrote, The Church is the totality of those who are predestined to blessedness. It includes the Church triumphant in heaven and the Church militant or men on earth. No one who is eternally lost has part in it. There is one universal Church, and outside of it there is no salvation. Its head is Christ. No pope may say that he is the head, for he can not say that he is elect or even a member of the Church.

Little Women essays

Little Women essays Zlata's Diary is a book about a young girl's life during a war in Sarajevo. As the book begins, Zlata Filipovic is a normal little girl going to school and having fun. She has lots of friends, does well in school, has a wonderful family life, and is as happy as any little girl could want to be. Slowly, throughout the book, things start to get worse. She starts out talking about her grades and how happy she had been with school, and how the biggest of her worries is that she is sick on her birthday. Then she moves on to talk about the war in Dunbrovnik and how she is praying for them. Slowly, the war starts to move to Sarajevo. The book goes from, "I am tired, but happy," to, "My life is one of no electricity, no water, no gas, no school which isn't school, rice, macaroni, a bit of green beans from Meleca's garden, the occasional sweets, my piano, and of course you, Mimmy." I really enjoyed the begining of the book, but I felt that after awhile it was the same thing over, and over again. For example, June 23, "The electricity went out at eight o'clock last night." July 7, "There was no water yesterday, or the day befor, or the day befor that."She goes on to say the same thing repetitivly only days later and throughout the whole book. I think the book would have been better for younger kids. I think kids that were more around Zlata's age could have related to her better. I was also dissapointed about the emotion she had, To explain that she was sad she would simply say, "Boo-Hoo." Her friends would die ir her family members would leave and that was the only emotion she would express. She didn't really write how she felt in a way we could relate to. I think, if she would have had more emotion, and also not so much repetitive writing, we ...

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S.

Abstinence Only Education and Sex Education in the U.S. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April 2012 that teen birth rates in the U.S. hit a new low in 2010 and revealed which states had the highest and lowest rates, it prompted a question: Were these outcomes affected by individual states requirements for sex education (sex ed) and/or abstinence-only education? That was soon answered by the Guttmacher Institutes State Policies in Brief paper on Sex and HIV Education in May 2012. The institute has kept the numbers constantly updated since as the trend of lowered teen birth rates has continued to drop nationwide. Required Sex and/or HIV Education Sex ed is mandated in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, the following 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate both sex ed and HIV education: CaliforniaDelawareGeorgiaHawaiiIowaKentuckyMaineMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOhioOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeUtahVermontWest Virginia Two states mandate sex ed only: MississippiNorth Dakota HIV education is mandated in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Of that total, 12 mandate only HIV education: AlabamaConnecticutIllinoisIndianaMichiganMissouriNew HampshireNew YorkOklahomaPennsylvaniaWashingtonWisconsin Must Include Contraception When sex ed is taught, some states have specific content requirements. In addition to the District of Columbia, 18 states require that information on contraception be provided when sex education is taught: AlabamaCaliforniaColoradoDelawareHawaiiIllinoisMaineMarylandNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest Virginia One state allows local schools to include contraception with the permission of the State Department of Education: Mississippi Must Include Abstinence When sex ed is taught, 37 states require that information on abstinence is provided. Of those, 26 states require that abstinence be stressed: AlabamaArizonaArkansasDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKentuckyLouisianaMaineMichiganMississippiMissouriNew JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaOregonRhode IslandSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasUtahWashingtonWisconsin These 11 states require only that abstinence is covered during sex education: CaliforniaColoradoHawaiiMarylandMinnesotaMontanaNew MexicoNorth DakotaVermontVirginiaWest Virginia No Mandate There are nine states with no sex education or HIV education mandate: ArizonaArkansasColoradoFloridaIdahoLouisianaMassachusettsTexasVirginia Five of the states listed above also rank among the top 12 states with the highest teenage birth rates, and four rank in the top 6 (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Arkansas (3)Texas (4)Louisiana (6)Arizona (12) An earlier report issued by the Guttmacher Institute in September 2006 compiled teen pregnancy statistics state by state. Among the top 10 states with the highest rates of teen pregnancy among females age 15-19, five are states without mandated sex education or HIV education (ranking indicated in parentheses): Arizona (2)Mississippi (3)Texas (5)Florida (6)Arkansas (10) That same report ranked the top 10 states with the highest rates of live births among teenage girls age 15-19. Again, five are states that do not require sex ed to be taught in schools. If and when it is taught, these states do not require information on contraception be provided, but they do require that abstinence be stressed (ranking indicated in parentheses): Mississippi (1)Texas (2)Arizona (3)Arkansas (4)Louisiana (7) Only one state that does not mandate sex education or HIV education appears in the listing of states with the lowest teenage birth rates: Massachusetts ranked at number 2. Sources Guttmacher Institute, State Policies in Brief: Sex and HIV Education. Office of Adolescent Health, Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing

Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Story - Essay Example However, upon arrival in America in 1855, Fernando directed Chilam to the city of California in the gold mines. The journey took 10 months since they were new to America and pretended to be cow boys. Their lifestyle in America was pathetic since they were immigrants in America. Therefore, they had to obey and withstand all the frustrations at the gold mines. Chilam survived the invasion of the intruders who killed his Chinese friends and left him hopeless. All was not lost since he remained with a good amount of gold when his friends were murdered. Over time, he opened a gold refinery firm that grew to larger heights attracting the American government into his business in San Francisco. After some years, Chilam’s gold mines grew into a larger investment and became popular in the West coast side of America. He signed an agreement with the government to incorporate him as part of the Golden Spike ceremony that involved the railroad project. This involved creation of last four spikes of gold in America. This meant that two golden spikes would come from San Francisco, silvered spike from Nevada and one from Arizona full of iron, silver and gold. Chilam opted for the last golden spike that was placed into the railroad that connected Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad (California digital Newspaper collection, 34). In conclusion, it is evident hat the journey of Chilam to richness was tough but had a soft landing. This is evident from displacement of their family and friend s in Mexico to a new land of opportunities in

I will upload the file Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I will upload the file - Essay Example The orientation program will be conducted on all new employees upon arrival at the company. The orientation program covers a presentation on the company history, the mission statement, vision statement and goals. The program will also include a recruitment process, in which the employee learns about the scope of their new jobs, their personal responsibilities and rights. Another aspect of the orientation program is to familiarize the new employee with the organizational structure and the chain of command. The program will also include a visit to all the departments so that the employee can learn about their interdependence. After going through the orientation program, the employee is bound to be more comfortable working in the company. According to McDonald & Hite, training forms an integral part of any career development system since it lays the foundation for good performance within an organization (420). At Superior Roses, both new and current employees will undergo intensive training in their areas of specialization. As for the new employees, training will come right after the orientation process. As soon as the new employee settles in their specific department, then the department members under instruction from the departmental manager will guide the employee on how to go about their duties. For example, an employee joining the sales department will be trained on how to book customer orders, how to prepare order forms, and how to ensure proper shipment of flowers. The employee will also be trained on how to ensure proper coordination of activities in all departments to guarantee customer satisfaction. For those employees who have worked longer in the company, training will also be conducted to ensure that they keep up with variations in the industry. For example, the people within the production department, which basically deals with the production of flowers, will require frequent training on the effects of weather change on flower quality. Most

High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry

High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry Executive Summary This dissertation has been written to determine why the employee turnover in the retail industry is so high. The reason for this is that managers are not following the basic human resource principles such as offering employees competitive wages, opportunities of promotion or challenging work in order to keep employees motivated. As individuals are not motivated at work, they look elsewhere for better paid jobs where they can develop themselves further so they can progress with their careers. The researcher has also recognised that employees want flexibility at work. This is due to many of the participants of the survey having personal priorities that are more important to them such as children or studying while working. There are clear recommendations for employers stating what can be done with the intention of reducing the employee turnover rate. The most vital are that managers find out specifically why employees are leaving, this can be done by using exit interviews. Once this is determined, they will be able to pinpoint the causes for employees leaving them so that they can then make the necessary changes to keep staff attracted to the job. The study has also shown that it is of vast importance for employers to offer more flexibility in the workplace in order to be able to cater for the employees requirements. The estimated basic turnover cost for a retail assistant is  £1,425 per individual. (Taylor, S 2002:47) This total only includes the expenses of the employee leaving i.e. the paper work and the recruitment process to replace the individual. The total does not account for overtime being paid out to the individuals colleagues or temporary staffs who may be hired to fill the vacancy on a short-term basis. The employee turnover rate for people working in retail is considerably high at 31.3%; retail has the highest employee turnover rate throughout all sectors. (CBI Labour and Absence Survey 2004) The researcher has been working in sales for almost four years now and it is of great interest to the individual as to why staff turnover is so high and what can be done to prevent it and how the company can benefit from retaining staffs. To the researcher, it seems more practical to retain staffs rather then recruit new employees. If employers invested money into staffs, they may find that this will save a lot of money in recruiting and training new staffs. Aims The aims of the dissertation are to: Identify the cause of high employee turnover rates within the retail sector Find out what employees in this sector want from an organisation Establish what can be done by employers to retain people in this particular segment of the labour market. Rationale This dissertation seeks to inform businesses of how high employee turnover can be costly and time consuming which is why the well-known idiom can be used to express the basis of the dissertation: â€Å"prevention is better then cure.† In the business context, this relates to investing more in staff in order to retain them rather then recruiting, selecting and training new staff. High staff turnovers can influence a businesses performance as it is the employees who are in direct contact with the customers and if they are not satisfied with their jobs, they will not be providing the best service possible to the customers. Limitation: This dissertation is concerned with the retail sector as motivation and retention methods vary in different environments. The proposal does not focus on a particular company but on the retail segment as a whole in order to establish the factors, which account for retention within the sector. The study will be based in London; and will focus on individuals who have had experience of working within the retail sector. Literature Review 7.1 Definition of Employee Turnover When employees leave an organisation, several factors need to be considered which all lead to expenses on behalf of the organisation. The organisation will need somebody to cover the workload of the employee that has left the company and the process of recruiting will need to take place in order to fill the vacancy. The higher the employee turnover rate is of a business, the higher the costs will be to replace these workers which is why it is so important for businesses to calculate. To evaluate the labour turnover, the following calculation can be used: (CIPD 2004) â€Å"Crude Wastage Method† ___Number of leavers in a set period_____ x100 Average number employed in the same period Once labour turnover rates have been identified, it will then be possible for the organisation to recognise the extent that staff turnover can affect them by. Reducing labour turnover will mean that less people are leaving the organisation therefore; there will be less wastage of employees so that money can be saved, as less people will need to be recruited. However, not all organisations calculate the cost of employee wastage. In fact, over 50% of organisations believe that this information is not relevant and 31% believe that it takes up too much time and is not worth the effort. (Recruitment, retention and turnover Survey, CIPD, 2004:33) If organisations do not calculate the employee turnover rate, it will be difficult for them to distinguish its affect and recognise the benefits of reducing it. 7.2 The Effect of Employee Turnover on Staff When an individual leaves a job, either a temporary replacement is hired or the workload is split between the individuals colleagues until a suitable replacement is found. Hiring temporary staff can be expensive while at the same time, giving the individuals colleagues, an increased workload will cause them further stress. If this was to happen consistently, it could be another cause for people leaving the organisation. The graph shows how employee turnover can have a knock on effect because of the impact it has on staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The employer must ensure that people are replaced as soon as possible to prevent other staffs from being put under additional stress and pressure. However, if employers tried harder to retain staffs then they would have to put less time and resources into replacing the workforce. 7.3 The Effect of Employee Turnover on the Organisation The impact of employees leaving organisations is that it leads to expenses. Replacing staffs takes up time and money, which are both valuable resources that should be saved wherever possible in order to achieve a more efficiently operated business. When a position is vacant, the amount of paid overtime can rise up to 25%, which accounts for the usual workload that is to be completed by less staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The graph shows the adverse affects that happen because of employee turnover. Reducing employee turnover will decrease expenses as the company will not have to spend as much money to hire temporary staffs, recruit new staffs or pay so for so much overtime. 7.4 The Importance of Retention from the Recruitment Stage It is important in an organisation to recruit the right person with the right skills and qualifications for the job. â€Å"People who represent the best ‘match in terms of their personality attributes, skills and experience are those who are likely to perform best in the job against a range of criteria. They are also the people who are most likely to remain employed for some time and the least likely to take the first available opportunity to leave.† (Taylor, S 2002:171) This is essential as recruiting a person whom is inadequate to do the job would be pointless as they would not be able to complete the tasks of the job to meet the expectations of the company. Therefore, recruiting a person who is not right for the job would be a waste of time and money as the right person for the job will still need to be found for the long-term. 7.5 The Importance of Inductions Once a suitable candidate is found and hired, they will require preliminary training, which is known as an induction. This is where the employee is introduced to the company, its culture and procedures. This will help to familiarise the employee with the company and the job requirements. As a result, the employees will learn the various procedures of how the company wants to operate. Inductions are used to welcome the new employee into the organisation and ensure that they feel comfortable in performing their job role successfully. â€Å"Labour turnover is frequently highest amongst those who have recently joined an organisation. The term ‘induction crisis is used to describe the critical period when new starters are most likely to leave. A well planned induction course can help to decrease labour turnover by ensuring that new starters settle quickly in their jobs and reach an efficient standard of performance as soon as possible.† (Kenney, J and Reid, M 1990:241) The induction is a very significant part of training as if it is not carried out it can lead to the new employee feeling pressured and may lead to feeling that the job difficult to undertake. Poor or even no induction training can be the result of an employee leaving the company within the first few days or weeks of the start date. 7.6 Affects of a Quality Induction Programme Clarks is a well-established shoemaker company that has developed a valuable induction programme to ensure that its store employees are capable of achieving the companys targets. Just over 40% of the companys retail staff has already taken part in the training scheme called Shine. The programme is significantly recognised as it won a UK National Training Award. The scheme is part of a strategic plan to improve performance, productivity and employee retention. New starters receive Shine on the first day off work as on-the-job training. The new trainees are given a workbook which is similar to an employee handbook as it covers safety, the job, pay, hours, rules, selling steps, finding stock and equipment knowledge of products, shoe-care, deliveries, credit cards, cheques and refunds. The programme encourages teamwork and helps the new employees to bond together. It is clear that Clarks has recognised the importance in induction training in order to retain employees which is why the com pany has devised such a satisfactory training scheme. (â€Å"Shoe shop staffs shine! In training† 2004:91) 7.7 Retention Plan In order to retain employees, the company must first find out what is causing them to leave. As there can be a wide variety of reasons for people leaving a company, the plan is broken down into key factors: Pay and benefits: the company must be able to offer a competitive rate of pay. This is essential as if an employee can perform the same job and be paid more elsewhere then they will most probably leave the company. The company must be able to keep compete with the pay and benefits offered by rival companies. These benefits can consist of; share options, pension schemes, retention bonuses and flexible benefits Recruitment and selection: when recruiting employees it is crucial to ensure that the employees skills and abilities match what is required of the post in the company. If this is not done then the employee will have problems in carrying out the job role successfully. It is also vital to produce a truthful image of the job as if it is made to sound more glamorous or exciting then it actually is, the employees expectations will not be met therefore they will not be fulfilled in the new job thus causing them to look for a better job elsewhere. Training and development: a good induction process is imperative. Employees also need to have the chance to progress through promotion so that they will not feel like they have to be trapped in the same job. Job design: the work may be too boring or undemanding therefore the position may need redesigning or a new approach such as teamwork. This makes it easier for job-share therefore employees will be able to work when it suits them better as the job will be flexible. Management: ensure that managers and supervisors have the skills and ability to manage effectively and fairly. (Bevan, S. 1997) These are the key features, which the organisation has the control to change. The company has no control over circumstances such as people wanting to move to a different location or ill health therefore these factors cannot be influenced in order to retain employees. Motivation With the intention of retaining employees, keeping individuals motivated is another way to prevent them from leaving the organisation and to ensure that the employer is getting the best from each individual. â€Å"Boredom and frustration at work is often the result of an employees lack of involvement with the companys goals and feelings that their ideas are not wanted or listened to. Companies that involve their employees in achieving company goals are able to motivate employees.† (Chapman, M 1997) For individuals to fulfil their full potential this must be motivated thus The harder an employee works, the more / bigger reward(s) they should gain which will keep them motivated to continue working hard. Motivated staffs lead to a more productive workplace therefore; it will be more profitable. (Maslows Hierarchy 1954) states that people first needed to fulfil there basic needs before they can progress to achieve self-actualisation. This is best shown in a pyramid, each person first starts from the bottom and through work, the individual fulfil each stage and works his or her way up. (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs 1954) Physiological needs: food, water, air, rest Safety needs: security, job security Social needs: affection, love and friendship Esteem: recognition, achievement and status Self-actualisation: personal growth and self-fulfilment. The hierarchy of needs shows that: Employees need money to pay for necessities such as food, rent etc. This is the basis of satisfaction Employees need to know that their job is safe so that they do not have to worry about looking for a new job. It is best to work in teams to encourage socialising between employees as individuals can learn from one another and share knowledge. Employees will be motivated to work harder if they know there is a possibility of promotion. This is the hardest to achieve, as most people want to be the boss. This will take a lot of time and very hard work to achieve. Maslows theory explains how individuals have needs and by employers meeting these needs, they are able to motivate them to keep on progressing. It is vital for the needs of individuals to be met as if they are not it will lead to individuals feeling unfulfilled thus leading them to look elsewhere for another job. (Herzbergs Two Factor Theory 1968) This consists of satisfiers and hygiene factors. A satisfier is what motivates an employee, e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, personal growth and the actual work itself. Hygiene factors are elements that do not motivate people e.g. pay and conditions, status in the organisation, job security and benefits. The theory expresses that employees will be motivated by good wages, promotion and other benefits etc. Employees are not motivated by poor wages, poor working conditions, no job security etc. Ultimately, employers need to offer staff satisfiers to motivate them to work hard. As long as individuals are happy and fulfilled in their jobs and feel that they are progressing, they will continue to work hard and stay within the organisation. 7.9 How to find out why Employees are Leaving The organisation needs to find out why its staffs are leaving so they can then devise a plan to try to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. The methods of finding out why employees are leaving can consist of: Exit interviews: these interviews are normally held soon after the employee has resigned. The interviewer can take the opportunity to find out why the employee is leaving, the conditions under which they would have stayed and improvements the company can make in the future. Leaver questionnaires: these are either completed during the interview or sent to people once they have left the company and normally consist of closed questions to make it easier to analyse. (Leavers questionnaire are also known as Attitude Surveys) â€Å"The exit interview is an increasingly common procedure when an employee leaves an organisation. Ostensibly these are conducted to gain information about the reasons for the employees departure, information which can then be used to improve human resource management.† (Furnham, A 2001) Once the reasons for employees leaving has been established, they can be put into separate categories so the organisation can see what the most popular reasons are for people leaving. They can then go on to make relevant changes in order to help retain workers. 7.10 Conclusion of literature Overall, it seems that in order for the retail industry to grow, organisations must improve their retention methods to ensure they have enough employees to cope with the increase in productivity. It is the sales assistants that have the majority of contact with customers which is why it is so vital to ensure that they receive sufficient training in order to serve customers effectively and efficiently while at the same time providing a service to encourage them to come back. A key way to reduce employee turnover is to keep staffs motivated, so the industry will be investigated to find out how this is done and how successful current methods are. The employee turnover rate is so high within the industry so there must be something that is going wrong to cause such a high turnover rate. Exit interviews seem to be the most crucial method of finding out why people are leaving the industry. It is vital to find out why people are leaving so that action can be taken to prevent staffs to from leaving for the same reasons in the future. Therefore, it will be important to find out if retail organisations carry out exit interviews; and if they do not, then why not? 8. Methodology 8.1 Introduction There are varieties of methods that can be put into practice to assist the researcher to seek out relevant information in order to find out the answer to the research question. Examples of such methods are; observations, case studies, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. If would be difficult to make observations to find out why people are leaving their retail jobs as people resigning can happen randomly so its not guaranteed to happen when the researcher has scheduled to make an observation. Case studies will not be used as the dissertation is based on the retail industry as a whole, not on specific shops or department stores. Interviews will not be used either as although they lead to a large amount of information being uncovered, they take up quite a lot of time of so the amount of people being interviewed will be limited. A broad selection of peoples opinions need to be taken into consideration therefore, the researcher has chosen to use focus groups and questionnaires in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information. As the study is based on the whole retail industry, a wide variety of people who have worked or still work in retail need to be targeted to find out the main causes of employee turnover within the sector. The study will be based on primary research, which will be put into practise to find out peoples viewpoints of the topic. 8.2 Primary Research It will be ideal to use questionnaires to find out information, as it seems to be the most efficient way to use a large sample so a wide amount of information can be collected. Another advantage of using questionnaires is that they are not very time-consuming therefore; more people are likely to respond to them. In addition, they are relatively cheap to produce so the researcher will not need to worry too much about the costs. The questionnaires will be anonymous so people will not feel obliged to answer in a specific manner; hence, they will be able to express their own opinions without feeling obligated. An additional feature of a questionnaire is that people can randomly be asked to fill one out as long as they have had a job in retail. This means that no appointments need to be arranged and that the survey can be conducted at any time or place. However, there are some disadvantages with questionnaires such as the structure of the questionnaire needs to be simple and easy to understand so that people do not get confused. This could ruin the results of the questionnaire as if people misunderstand the questions or the layout they will not answer or complete it properly. If people have literacy problems, it may make it difficult for them to complete the survey accurately. Some people may leave out some of the questions, which could cause a problem when recording the data. This could also lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn to as if people skip questions the results will differ. Consequently, this will need to be taken into consideration when recording the results of the survey. Another possible problem is that the response rate is not guaranteed to be one hundred per cent so some questionnaires maybe wasted. The questionnaire will need to be short and straight to the point, if there are too many long questions it may disc ourage people from completing it as they may feel that it will take up too much of their time. One more problem with questionnaires is that they are limited so people will only be able to give feedback on what they have been asked so a different perspective may be overlooked. With the intention of preventing any issues being overlooked, two focus groups will be instigated before the questionnaires are created. This will be done with the intention to stimulate the topic and look at it from a variety of angles. The focus groups will allow for the upward and downwards approach to be put into use, as the information gathered from the focus groups will then be used to develop the questionnaire. One focus group will be made up of university students whom have worked or still work in retail; therefore, the viewpoint of part-time retail workers whom have other commitments can be established. The other focus group will consist of full time retail workers so that their perception of the issues raised can be distinguished. These group members may have responsibilities such as children, another job, a mortgage etc that is why the researcher feels it is relevant to use two focus groups. Each focus group will have between four to six group members. The focus group will be started by introducing everybody to each other, followed by a summary of the topic. A Dictaphone will be used to record the discussion so that all the information can be recorded so that nothing is left out. The following questions have been prepared to ensure that the discussion is kept on track; Q1) Where does everybody work? / Where has everybody worked? Q2) How long have you all been at these jobs? Q3) Do/did you enjoy it? Q4) What do you like best about it? Q5) What do you hate about it? Q6) Do you feel that your organisation seems to constantly be recruiting new people? Q7) Do you feel that this affects you? i.e. do you have to help train them? Are you often left with a bigger workload? How does this make you feel? Q8) When you have left a job did u receive and exit interview? Q9) Do you think this procedure would help the organisation to find out why they are loosing staffs? Q10) If you were the manager, what would you do to retain staffs? A copy of the minutes of the meeting is available in appendix A. The problems associated with focus groups are that some of the members may feel uncomfortable, as they do not know each other so they may keep their opinions to themselves. However, the researcher will introduce all the members to each other and start the conversation off in a relaxed way to help everyone feel more at ease. Another problem is that it may be difficult to get all the members together at the same time as some people maybe working or have other responsibilities like studying or children. 8.3 Pilot Study When the focus groups have been carried out, the information will be used as the foundation for the first draft questionnaire. This will then be tested in order to get feedback on it for improvements. This process will continue until all feedback has been taken into account and all the necessary changes have been made. When this is all completed, the questionnaire will go through a pilot study of about ten people to ensure that all the questions run smoothly and are not misunderstood. The final version of the questionnaire is available in appendix B. 8.4 The Survey After the required changes if any have been edited, the survey will be carried out at Charing Cross train station on a sample of one hundred people whom work or have worked in retail as a sales assistant. The people completing the survey must meet the specific criteria, which are that everybody who takes part must work or have worked in retail. The location was chosen as it is very busy and it should be easy to find a variety of people that meet the criteria that could spare five to ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire while waiting for their train. 8.5 Analysis of Data Once the survey has been carried out, the data gathered would be entered into an Excel spreadsheet where the data will be put together to analyse it and to find out what are the main reasons for employee turnover within the industry and what can be done by employers to reduce the amount of employee wastage. The data will then be evaluated in order to identify if there are any trends or relationships that can be established. This information will then be examined to find out what the industrys employees require so that employee turnover can be reduced. 8.6 Limitations It was too difficult to get a group of full time workers from different retail segments together at the same time to hold the second focus group. Some people refused to be part of it and others who said they would participate were not able to agree to a specific time where they would all be free. Therefore, only one focus group of university students could be conducted. The survey will be carried out on one hundred people whom have worked in the retail industry. In addition, the survey will be based in central London, if the survey was carried out around the whole of England, the results could differ. 8.7 Secondary research The dissertation focuses on primary research carried out by the researcher however, secondary data in the form of academic books, reports, articles and CIPD studies have been used to look at the existing trends in the labour market. Information has been gathered from various human resource textbooks to look at employees behaviours more closely and to define what factors motivate individuals within the working environment. The Internet was used to find out reliable facts and statistics about the retail industry in order to examine it closer and determine what has already been established so the researcher could identify if these trends were also shown in their research. 9. Analysis and Findings 9.1 Introduction From the information found out through the focus group, the researcher decided to use open-ended questions in the questionnaire as a means to find out what people really thought. Peoples opinions have then been categorised so that relationships can be identified more easily. One hundred questionnaires were handed out and fifty-four were handed back fully completed thus the response rate for the survey is 54%. 9.2 Demographics The results from the survey show that out of the fifty-four respondents, only 22% were male. In 2003, the retail workforce was made up of 63% females and only 37% males. (Learning and skills, research report, 2004:8) According to the survey, just over a third of the industry was made up of men meaning that women dominated the workforce. These results are not biased, as the researchers sample resembles the trends in the industry, as just over three-quarters of the sample are female. Therefore, although the gender is not evenly split, it will not affect the findings of the survey. The results of the survey also showed that the majority (fifty per cent) of the sample fell between the twenty-one to thirty age-range. However, the sample did consist of a variety of ages as shown in the graph below: This graph clearly shows that women dominate the sample and that no men over the age of forty-one took part in the survey. In fact, only seven per cent of the sample are over the age of forty-one. The under twenty category is the only age range which shows there is an even gender split; nine per cent are male and eleven per cent are female. Overall, the survey was completed by respondents with a variety of ages to ensure that different generations of workers could give their viewpoints on employee turnover within the sector. The majority of participants have no children under the age of fourteen: only seventeen per cent have children; forty-four per cent are male and fifty-six per cent are female. Out of these candidates, fifty-six per cent are married, twenty-two per cent are single and twenty-two per cent are divorced. Forty-four per cent have left the industry due to having children while twenty-two per cent are working full time and thirty-four per cent are working part-time. The thirty-four per cent that are working part-time consist of the individual that are single or divorced. These candidates have to work part-time as they are single parents and they have their children to care for. 9.3 The length of time people have worked in the industry and the amount of different retail jobs they have experienced Almost a third of the participants have worked in retail for between three to five years and only four per cent of participants have worked in the industry for ten years or more. This is a very small amount considering that the most amounts of jobs undertaken in retail by a participant were twelve. This was by only one person who worked in the industry for between five to seven years. Seventy-six per cent of respondents have had between one to four retail jobs which seems to be fairly high considering the fact that over a quarter have worked in retail for a year or less. Out of the whole sample of respondents, only eighteen per cent are still in the retail industry, which means that just over two thirds of the sample have actually left the sector and changed careers. 9.4 The reasons for employee turnover Seven per cent of the survey is still in their first retail job, of which, eighty-five per cent have only been in the first job for one year or less. These candidates are all under twenty, therefore the reason they may still be in their first retail job is that they are so young and are just coming to terms with working life. The research has shown that older candidates are likely to have had more jobs in retail as High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry Executive Summary This dissertation has been written to determine why the employee turnover in the retail industry is so high. The reason for this is that managers are not following the basic human resource principles such as offering employees competitive wages, opportunities of promotion or challenging work in order to keep employees motivated. As individuals are not motivated at work, they look elsewhere for better paid jobs where they can develop themselves further so they can progress with their careers. The researcher has also recognised that employees want flexibility at work. This is due to many of the participants of the survey having personal priorities that are more important to them such as children or studying while working. There are clear recommendations for employers stating what can be done with the intention of reducing the employee turnover rate. The most vital are that managers find out specifically why employees are leaving, this can be done by using exit interviews. Once this is determined, they will be able to pinpoint the causes for employees leaving them so that they can then make the necessary changes to keep staff attracted to the job. The study has also shown that it is of vast importance for employers to offer more flexibility in the workplace in order to be able to cater for the employees requirements. The estimated basic turnover cost for a retail assistant is  £1,425 per individual. (Taylor, S 2002:47) This total only includes the expenses of the employee leaving i.e. the paper work and the recruitment process to replace the individual. The total does not account for overtime being paid out to the individuals colleagues or temporary staffs who may be hired to fill the vacancy on a short-term basis. The employee turnover rate for people working in retail is considerably high at 31.3%; retail has the highest employee turnover rate throughout all sectors. (CBI Labour and Absence Survey 2004) The researcher has been working in sales for almost four years now and it is of great interest to the individual as to why staff turnover is so high and what can be done to prevent it and how the company can benefit from retaining staffs. To the researcher, it seems more practical to retain staffs rather then recruit new employees. If employers invested money into staffs, they may find that this will save a lot of money in recruiting and training new staffs. Aims The aims of the dissertation are to: Identify the cause of high employee turnover rates within the retail sector Find out what employees in this sector want from an organisation Establish what can be done by employers to retain people in this particular segment of the labour market. Rationale This dissertation seeks to inform businesses of how high employee turnover can be costly and time consuming which is why the well-known idiom can be used to express the basis of the dissertation: â€Å"prevention is better then cure.† In the business context, this relates to investing more in staff in order to retain them rather then recruiting, selecting and training new staff. High staff turnovers can influence a businesses performance as it is the employees who are in direct contact with the customers and if they are not satisfied with their jobs, they will not be providing the best service possible to the customers. Limitation: This dissertation is concerned with the retail sector as motivation and retention methods vary in different environments. The proposal does not focus on a particular company but on the retail segment as a whole in order to establish the factors, which account for retention within the sector. The study will be based in London; and will focus on individuals who have had experience of working within the retail sector. Literature Review 7.1 Definition of Employee Turnover When employees leave an organisation, several factors need to be considered which all lead to expenses on behalf of the organisation. The organisation will need somebody to cover the workload of the employee that has left the company and the process of recruiting will need to take place in order to fill the vacancy. The higher the employee turnover rate is of a business, the higher the costs will be to replace these workers which is why it is so important for businesses to calculate. To evaluate the labour turnover, the following calculation can be used: (CIPD 2004) â€Å"Crude Wastage Method† ___Number of leavers in a set period_____ x100 Average number employed in the same period Once labour turnover rates have been identified, it will then be possible for the organisation to recognise the extent that staff turnover can affect them by. Reducing labour turnover will mean that less people are leaving the organisation therefore; there will be less wastage of employees so that money can be saved, as less people will need to be recruited. However, not all organisations calculate the cost of employee wastage. In fact, over 50% of organisations believe that this information is not relevant and 31% believe that it takes up too much time and is not worth the effort. (Recruitment, retention and turnover Survey, CIPD, 2004:33) If organisations do not calculate the employee turnover rate, it will be difficult for them to distinguish its affect and recognise the benefits of reducing it. 7.2 The Effect of Employee Turnover on Staff When an individual leaves a job, either a temporary replacement is hired or the workload is split between the individuals colleagues until a suitable replacement is found. Hiring temporary staff can be expensive while at the same time, giving the individuals colleagues, an increased workload will cause them further stress. If this was to happen consistently, it could be another cause for people leaving the organisation. The graph shows how employee turnover can have a knock on effect because of the impact it has on staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The employer must ensure that people are replaced as soon as possible to prevent other staffs from being put under additional stress and pressure. However, if employers tried harder to retain staffs then they would have to put less time and resources into replacing the workforce. 7.3 The Effect of Employee Turnover on the Organisation The impact of employees leaving organisations is that it leads to expenses. Replacing staffs takes up time and money, which are both valuable resources that should be saved wherever possible in order to achieve a more efficiently operated business. When a position is vacant, the amount of paid overtime can rise up to 25%, which accounts for the usual workload that is to be completed by less staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The graph shows the adverse affects that happen because of employee turnover. Reducing employee turnover will decrease expenses as the company will not have to spend as much money to hire temporary staffs, recruit new staffs or pay so for so much overtime. 7.4 The Importance of Retention from the Recruitment Stage It is important in an organisation to recruit the right person with the right skills and qualifications for the job. â€Å"People who represent the best ‘match in terms of their personality attributes, skills and experience are those who are likely to perform best in the job against a range of criteria. They are also the people who are most likely to remain employed for some time and the least likely to take the first available opportunity to leave.† (Taylor, S 2002:171) This is essential as recruiting a person whom is inadequate to do the job would be pointless as they would not be able to complete the tasks of the job to meet the expectations of the company. Therefore, recruiting a person who is not right for the job would be a waste of time and money as the right person for the job will still need to be found for the long-term. 7.5 The Importance of Inductions Once a suitable candidate is found and hired, they will require preliminary training, which is known as an induction. This is where the employee is introduced to the company, its culture and procedures. This will help to familiarise the employee with the company and the job requirements. As a result, the employees will learn the various procedures of how the company wants to operate. Inductions are used to welcome the new employee into the organisation and ensure that they feel comfortable in performing their job role successfully. â€Å"Labour turnover is frequently highest amongst those who have recently joined an organisation. The term ‘induction crisis is used to describe the critical period when new starters are most likely to leave. A well planned induction course can help to decrease labour turnover by ensuring that new starters settle quickly in their jobs and reach an efficient standard of performance as soon as possible.† (Kenney, J and Reid, M 1990:241) The induction is a very significant part of training as if it is not carried out it can lead to the new employee feeling pressured and may lead to feeling that the job difficult to undertake. Poor or even no induction training can be the result of an employee leaving the company within the first few days or weeks of the start date. 7.6 Affects of a Quality Induction Programme Clarks is a well-established shoemaker company that has developed a valuable induction programme to ensure that its store employees are capable of achieving the companys targets. Just over 40% of the companys retail staff has already taken part in the training scheme called Shine. The programme is significantly recognised as it won a UK National Training Award. The scheme is part of a strategic plan to improve performance, productivity and employee retention. New starters receive Shine on the first day off work as on-the-job training. The new trainees are given a workbook which is similar to an employee handbook as it covers safety, the job, pay, hours, rules, selling steps, finding stock and equipment knowledge of products, shoe-care, deliveries, credit cards, cheques and refunds. The programme encourages teamwork and helps the new employees to bond together. It is clear that Clarks has recognised the importance in induction training in order to retain employees which is why the com pany has devised such a satisfactory training scheme. (â€Å"Shoe shop staffs shine! In training† 2004:91) 7.7 Retention Plan In order to retain employees, the company must first find out what is causing them to leave. As there can be a wide variety of reasons for people leaving a company, the plan is broken down into key factors: Pay and benefits: the company must be able to offer a competitive rate of pay. This is essential as if an employee can perform the same job and be paid more elsewhere then they will most probably leave the company. The company must be able to keep compete with the pay and benefits offered by rival companies. These benefits can consist of; share options, pension schemes, retention bonuses and flexible benefits Recruitment and selection: when recruiting employees it is crucial to ensure that the employees skills and abilities match what is required of the post in the company. If this is not done then the employee will have problems in carrying out the job role successfully. It is also vital to produce a truthful image of the job as if it is made to sound more glamorous or exciting then it actually is, the employees expectations will not be met therefore they will not be fulfilled in the new job thus causing them to look for a better job elsewhere. Training and development: a good induction process is imperative. Employees also need to have the chance to progress through promotion so that they will not feel like they have to be trapped in the same job. Job design: the work may be too boring or undemanding therefore the position may need redesigning or a new approach such as teamwork. This makes it easier for job-share therefore employees will be able to work when it suits them better as the job will be flexible. Management: ensure that managers and supervisors have the skills and ability to manage effectively and fairly. (Bevan, S. 1997) These are the key features, which the organisation has the control to change. The company has no control over circumstances such as people wanting to move to a different location or ill health therefore these factors cannot be influenced in order to retain employees. Motivation With the intention of retaining employees, keeping individuals motivated is another way to prevent them from leaving the organisation and to ensure that the employer is getting the best from each individual. â€Å"Boredom and frustration at work is often the result of an employees lack of involvement with the companys goals and feelings that their ideas are not wanted or listened to. Companies that involve their employees in achieving company goals are able to motivate employees.† (Chapman, M 1997) For individuals to fulfil their full potential this must be motivated thus The harder an employee works, the more / bigger reward(s) they should gain which will keep them motivated to continue working hard. Motivated staffs lead to a more productive workplace therefore; it will be more profitable. (Maslows Hierarchy 1954) states that people first needed to fulfil there basic needs before they can progress to achieve self-actualisation. This is best shown in a pyramid, each person first starts from the bottom and through work, the individual fulfil each stage and works his or her way up. (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs 1954) Physiological needs: food, water, air, rest Safety needs: security, job security Social needs: affection, love and friendship Esteem: recognition, achievement and status Self-actualisation: personal growth and self-fulfilment. The hierarchy of needs shows that: Employees need money to pay for necessities such as food, rent etc. This is the basis of satisfaction Employees need to know that their job is safe so that they do not have to worry about looking for a new job. It is best to work in teams to encourage socialising between employees as individuals can learn from one another and share knowledge. Employees will be motivated to work harder if they know there is a possibility of promotion. This is the hardest to achieve, as most people want to be the boss. This will take a lot of time and very hard work to achieve. Maslows theory explains how individuals have needs and by employers meeting these needs, they are able to motivate them to keep on progressing. It is vital for the needs of individuals to be met as if they are not it will lead to individuals feeling unfulfilled thus leading them to look elsewhere for another job. (Herzbergs Two Factor Theory 1968) This consists of satisfiers and hygiene factors. A satisfier is what motivates an employee, e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, personal growth and the actual work itself. Hygiene factors are elements that do not motivate people e.g. pay and conditions, status in the organisation, job security and benefits. The theory expresses that employees will be motivated by good wages, promotion and other benefits etc. Employees are not motivated by poor wages, poor working conditions, no job security etc. Ultimately, employers need to offer staff satisfiers to motivate them to work hard. As long as individuals are happy and fulfilled in their jobs and feel that they are progressing, they will continue to work hard and stay within the organisation. 7.9 How to find out why Employees are Leaving The organisation needs to find out why its staffs are leaving so they can then devise a plan to try to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. The methods of finding out why employees are leaving can consist of: Exit interviews: these interviews are normally held soon after the employee has resigned. The interviewer can take the opportunity to find out why the employee is leaving, the conditions under which they would have stayed and improvements the company can make in the future. Leaver questionnaires: these are either completed during the interview or sent to people once they have left the company and normally consist of closed questions to make it easier to analyse. (Leavers questionnaire are also known as Attitude Surveys) â€Å"The exit interview is an increasingly common procedure when an employee leaves an organisation. Ostensibly these are conducted to gain information about the reasons for the employees departure, information which can then be used to improve human resource management.† (Furnham, A 2001) Once the reasons for employees leaving has been established, they can be put into separate categories so the organisation can see what the most popular reasons are for people leaving. They can then go on to make relevant changes in order to help retain workers. 7.10 Conclusion of literature Overall, it seems that in order for the retail industry to grow, organisations must improve their retention methods to ensure they have enough employees to cope with the increase in productivity. It is the sales assistants that have the majority of contact with customers which is why it is so vital to ensure that they receive sufficient training in order to serve customers effectively and efficiently while at the same time providing a service to encourage them to come back. A key way to reduce employee turnover is to keep staffs motivated, so the industry will be investigated to find out how this is done and how successful current methods are. The employee turnover rate is so high within the industry so there must be something that is going wrong to cause such a high turnover rate. Exit interviews seem to be the most crucial method of finding out why people are leaving the industry. It is vital to find out why people are leaving so that action can be taken to prevent staffs to from leaving for the same reasons in the future. Therefore, it will be important to find out if retail organisations carry out exit interviews; and if they do not, then why not? 8. Methodology 8.1 Introduction There are varieties of methods that can be put into practice to assist the researcher to seek out relevant information in order to find out the answer to the research question. Examples of such methods are; observations, case studies, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. If would be difficult to make observations to find out why people are leaving their retail jobs as people resigning can happen randomly so its not guaranteed to happen when the researcher has scheduled to make an observation. Case studies will not be used as the dissertation is based on the retail industry as a whole, not on specific shops or department stores. Interviews will not be used either as although they lead to a large amount of information being uncovered, they take up quite a lot of time of so the amount of people being interviewed will be limited. A broad selection of peoples opinions need to be taken into consideration therefore, the researcher has chosen to use focus groups and questionnaires in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information. As the study is based on the whole retail industry, a wide variety of people who have worked or still work in retail need to be targeted to find out the main causes of employee turnover within the sector. The study will be based on primary research, which will be put into practise to find out peoples viewpoints of the topic. 8.2 Primary Research It will be ideal to use questionnaires to find out information, as it seems to be the most efficient way to use a large sample so a wide amount of information can be collected. Another advantage of using questionnaires is that they are not very time-consuming therefore; more people are likely to respond to them. In addition, they are relatively cheap to produce so the researcher will not need to worry too much about the costs. The questionnaires will be anonymous so people will not feel obliged to answer in a specific manner; hence, they will be able to express their own opinions without feeling obligated. An additional feature of a questionnaire is that people can randomly be asked to fill one out as long as they have had a job in retail. This means that no appointments need to be arranged and that the survey can be conducted at any time or place. However, there are some disadvantages with questionnaires such as the structure of the questionnaire needs to be simple and easy to understand so that people do not get confused. This could ruin the results of the questionnaire as if people misunderstand the questions or the layout they will not answer or complete it properly. If people have literacy problems, it may make it difficult for them to complete the survey accurately. Some people may leave out some of the questions, which could cause a problem when recording the data. This could also lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn to as if people skip questions the results will differ. Consequently, this will need to be taken into consideration when recording the results of the survey. Another possible problem is that the response rate is not guaranteed to be one hundred per cent so some questionnaires maybe wasted. The questionnaire will need to be short and straight to the point, if there are too many long questions it may disc ourage people from completing it as they may feel that it will take up too much of their time. One more problem with questionnaires is that they are limited so people will only be able to give feedback on what they have been asked so a different perspective may be overlooked. With the intention of preventing any issues being overlooked, two focus groups will be instigated before the questionnaires are created. This will be done with the intention to stimulate the topic and look at it from a variety of angles. The focus groups will allow for the upward and downwards approach to be put into use, as the information gathered from the focus groups will then be used to develop the questionnaire. One focus group will be made up of university students whom have worked or still work in retail; therefore, the viewpoint of part-time retail workers whom have other commitments can be established. The other focus group will consist of full time retail workers so that their perception of the issues raised can be distinguished. These group members may have responsibilities such as children, another job, a mortgage etc that is why the researcher feels it is relevant to use two focus groups. Each focus group will have between four to six group members. The focus group will be started by introducing everybody to each other, followed by a summary of the topic. A Dictaphone will be used to record the discussion so that all the information can be recorded so that nothing is left out. The following questions have been prepared to ensure that the discussion is kept on track; Q1) Where does everybody work? / Where has everybody worked? Q2) How long have you all been at these jobs? Q3) Do/did you enjoy it? Q4) What do you like best about it? Q5) What do you hate about it? Q6) Do you feel that your organisation seems to constantly be recruiting new people? Q7) Do you feel that this affects you? i.e. do you have to help train them? Are you often left with a bigger workload? How does this make you feel? Q8) When you have left a job did u receive and exit interview? Q9) Do you think this procedure would help the organisation to find out why they are loosing staffs? Q10) If you were the manager, what would you do to retain staffs? A copy of the minutes of the meeting is available in appendix A. The problems associated with focus groups are that some of the members may feel uncomfortable, as they do not know each other so they may keep their opinions to themselves. However, the researcher will introduce all the members to each other and start the conversation off in a relaxed way to help everyone feel more at ease. Another problem is that it may be difficult to get all the members together at the same time as some people maybe working or have other responsibilities like studying or children. 8.3 Pilot Study When the focus groups have been carried out, the information will be used as the foundation for the first draft questionnaire. This will then be tested in order to get feedback on it for improvements. This process will continue until all feedback has been taken into account and all the necessary changes have been made. When this is all completed, the questionnaire will go through a pilot study of about ten people to ensure that all the questions run smoothly and are not misunderstood. The final version of the questionnaire is available in appendix B. 8.4 The Survey After the required changes if any have been edited, the survey will be carried out at Charing Cross train station on a sample of one hundred people whom work or have worked in retail as a sales assistant. The people completing the survey must meet the specific criteria, which are that everybody who takes part must work or have worked in retail. The location was chosen as it is very busy and it should be easy to find a variety of people that meet the criteria that could spare five to ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire while waiting for their train. 8.5 Analysis of Data Once the survey has been carried out, the data gathered would be entered into an Excel spreadsheet where the data will be put together to analyse it and to find out what are the main reasons for employee turnover within the industry and what can be done by employers to reduce the amount of employee wastage. The data will then be evaluated in order to identify if there are any trends or relationships that can be established. This information will then be examined to find out what the industrys employees require so that employee turnover can be reduced. 8.6 Limitations It was too difficult to get a group of full time workers from different retail segments together at the same time to hold the second focus group. Some people refused to be part of it and others who said they would participate were not able to agree to a specific time where they would all be free. Therefore, only one focus group of university students could be conducted. The survey will be carried out on one hundred people whom have worked in the retail industry. In addition, the survey will be based in central London, if the survey was carried out around the whole of England, the results could differ. 8.7 Secondary research The dissertation focuses on primary research carried out by the researcher however, secondary data in the form of academic books, reports, articles and CIPD studies have been used to look at the existing trends in the labour market. Information has been gathered from various human resource textbooks to look at employees behaviours more closely and to define what factors motivate individuals within the working environment. The Internet was used to find out reliable facts and statistics about the retail industry in order to examine it closer and determine what has already been established so the researcher could identify if these trends were also shown in their research. 9. Analysis and Findings 9.1 Introduction From the information found out through the focus group, the researcher decided to use open-ended questions in the questionnaire as a means to find out what people really thought. Peoples opinions have then been categorised so that relationships can be identified more easily. One hundred questionnaires were handed out and fifty-four were handed back fully completed thus the response rate for the survey is 54%. 9.2 Demographics The results from the survey show that out of the fifty-four respondents, only 22% were male. In 2003, the retail workforce was made up of 63% females and only 37% males. (Learning and skills, research report, 2004:8) According to the survey, just over a third of the industry was made up of men meaning that women dominated the workforce. These results are not biased, as the researchers sample resembles the trends in the industry, as just over three-quarters of the sample are female. Therefore, although the gender is not evenly split, it will not affect the findings of the survey. The results of the survey also showed that the majority (fifty per cent) of the sample fell between the twenty-one to thirty age-range. However, the sample did consist of a variety of ages as shown in the graph below: This graph clearly shows that women dominate the sample and that no men over the age of forty-one took part in the survey. In fact, only seven per cent of the sample are over the age of forty-one. The under twenty category is the only age range which shows there is an even gender split; nine per cent are male and eleven per cent are female. Overall, the survey was completed by respondents with a variety of ages to ensure that different generations of workers could give their viewpoints on employee turnover within the sector. The majority of participants have no children under the age of fourteen: only seventeen per cent have children; forty-four per cent are male and fifty-six per cent are female. Out of these candidates, fifty-six per cent are married, twenty-two per cent are single and twenty-two per cent are divorced. Forty-four per cent have left the industry due to having children while twenty-two per cent are working full time and thirty-four per cent are working part-time. The thirty-four per cent that are working part-time consist of the individual that are single or divorced. These candidates have to work part-time as they are single parents and they have their children to care for. 9.3 The length of time people have worked in the industry and the amount of different retail jobs they have experienced Almost a third of the participants have worked in retail for between three to five years and only four per cent of participants have worked in the industry for ten years or more. This is a very small amount considering that the most amounts of jobs undertaken in retail by a participant were twelve. This was by only one person who worked in the industry for between five to seven years. Seventy-six per cent of respondents have had between one to four retail jobs which seems to be fairly high considering the fact that over a quarter have worked in retail for a year or less. Out of the whole sample of respondents, only eighteen per cent are still in the retail industry, which means that just over two thirds of the sample have actually left the sector and changed careers. 9.4 The reasons for employee turnover Seven per cent of the survey is still in their first retail job, of which, eighty-five per cent have only been in the first job for one year or less. These candidates are all under twenty, therefore the reason they may still be in their first retail job is that they are so young and are just coming to terms with working life. The research has shown that older candidates are likely to have had more jobs in retail as