Effect of Motivation on Employee Training Effectiveness

Effect of Motivation on Employee Training Effectiveness Training is an integral part of workforce development and creation of new competencies within the workforce to ensure that the organization keeps up with the changing needs of the times. Training is related to performance in two ways. Effective training has a direct impact on the performance output and any gap in an individuals performance can sometimes be filled with training. For employees, lack of training also causes a lack of self-satisfaction and productivity. Training is seen as a major cost center in most organizations in India even though its necessity is widely accepted. This negative view can mostly be attributed because of the apparent lack of direct linkage between training and the bottom-line of the company. In todays world, where the HR department needs to justify its expenses, especially in the wake of recession and lay-offs, it is essential that the trainings rendered are of optimum efficiency in achieving the set target and also that it be done at the least possible cost. Hence it is important to understand whether the methods of training employed are yielding the desired results or alternatively if the same results can be attained in more cost effective ways. One major factor influencing the training effectiveness is training motivation, as we have explained in the literature review below. But the attitude of employees towards formal training is another factor which will decide whether it is justified to spend so much money on formal training modules if the same end result can be obtained by informal on the job training if it is preferred by the employees. Hence we explore the links between these constructs. Theoretical Review and Hypothesis: Training Attitude: Development activities like training are significantly affected by attitudes and perceptual variables (Noe and Wilk, 1993).Eagly Chaiken (1998) defined attitude as the psychological tendency to evaluate an entity with a certain degree of favor or disfavor. These attitudes are good predictors of behavior (Ajzen, 1991).We can extend this line of reason to say that a person with a positive attitude to certain entity will show favorable behavioral response towards it and a person with a negative attitude to it will show an unfavorable behavioral response. Training attitude applies the definition of attitude to training. A persons attitude towards training is a measure or reflection of his or her attitude towards the formal process of knowledge and skill acquisition. Thus we can say that training attitude is indirectly a measure of liking an individual has for the formal process of training as opposed to say learning something on-the-job informally. It logically follows that those who ha ve a positive attitude towards training will be more likely to attend the training programs willingly and gain from it as compared to someone who has a negative attitude towards training which is to say, that training attitude determines the motivation with which a person attends training programs, especially in an organizational scenario where training programs are mandatory. Also this very attitude can be linked to how much learning happens in the training. The scale for measuring the training attitude construct was developed by Anupama Narayan and Debra Steele Johnson (2007) for their research. This was a 20 item scale addressing participants evaluation of 2 issues: How relevant and useful they perceived training programs to be. How much they desired to practice acquired skills on job. This scale with 7 point likert type response pattern had a high level of internal consistency (alpha =0.92) However some items were redundant and for the purpose of this research were omitted. The resulting 9 item scale was again tested for internal consistency and displayed a Cronbachs Alpha= 0.91 which is fairly high. The response to the 7 point likert scale was interpreted as a summated score which indicated the degree of positive attitude towards training among the respondents. Training Motivation: Quinones (1997) aptly described motivation to be an individuals choice to dedicate more energy to one set of behavior over others. In the training context, Blanchard Thacker (2004) explain motivation as an inspiration which is directed by trainees personal needs and decision processes they use to satisfy those needs. Or, as Colquitt (2007) puts it , training motivation is the persistence and intensity of learning -directed behavior in the context of training. Training motivation is affected by a diverse set of internal and external factors as suggested by various research papers. Work environment, organizational climate, supervisory support etc are a few of the external factors researched upon whereas the internal factors hypothesized to affect training motivation include self efficacy, personal mental ability and personality (Colquitt et al, 2000). One of the most popular theories to explain motivation is the expectancy theory of how people are motivated by the results of their behavior (Bandura, 1997). We can also view Vrooms expectancy theory as a theoretical framework for examining training motivation. Vrooms model suggests that expectation of an act being followed by a certain outcome often shapes the motivation for doing that act. To extend this to the context of training motivation, if a trainee expects that the effort he puts into attending training programs will yield valued outcomes to him then he will be motivated to attend the same. Hence this research attempts to understand the valence -instrumentality link associated with training. We measure what the trainee values and whether he perceives those things to be outcome of training programs. A 14 item scale, with 7 items each for valence and instrumentality of factors associated with training, was adapted from the research paper by Phyllis Tharenou (2001).The factors of valence included in the scale are Reaching career goals, Pay increase, Job security, Change to workplace, Promotion or advancement, Opportunities for different career paths, Supervisor praise. The responses for these questions were taken on a 7 point likert scale and scores were summated to arrive at the level of training motivation of the respondent. A higher score symbolizes that the respondent values the inherent factors highly and also perceives that training will help him achieve the same. Training Effectiveness: Training effectiveness is essentially a measure of how effective the training imparted was. Many researchers including Ford (1997), Noe (1986), and Tannenbaum (1992) have recognized training effectiveness as a crucial issue for organizations. Employee performance and productivity can be measurably improved if trainings are effective and organizations will be able to avoid wasteful spending on ineffective trainings. Most organizations would want to have a good return on their training investment. According to London (1989) and Noe (1999) training interventions in organizations are going to increase hence the training effectiveness is going to be an important feature in the organizations. Kirkpatricks (1976) four level approach is one of the most extensively used methods for evaluating training effectiveness (Alliger Janak, 1989). This four level approach measures training effectiveness vis-Ã  -vis the trainees reactions to a training program, the extent to which trainees can execute desired behaviors related to the training, the acquisition of skills and knowledge by the trainee and resulting change in the job behaviors of the trainee. It has been a common assumption among researchers that these 4 levels linked in a linear fashion hierarchically. Hamblin (1947) illustrated the cause and effect chain as training leading to reactions which in turn leads to learning and that leads to change in job behavior. But this empirical evidence for this proposed link has been inconclusive. This led Alliger Janak (1989) to conduct a Meta analysis and conclude that the four factors are not necessarily linearly linked. There are several factors like training motivation attitude, context of training and other influences which attenuate the link between trainees reaction and other criterion measures. A four item shortened version of the Kirkpatrick scale was used for measuring the training effectiveness. The measured effectiveness was the perceived effectiveness of the last im parted training program. Sample items in the scale included questions like Did I enjoy the course. The response was obtained on a 7 point likert scale varying from strongly disagree to strongly agree and the summated score of each item response was used as the measure of the training effectiveness and higher the score higher was the perceived effectiveness of the training. Training Attitude and Training Motivation: Individuals disposition or attitude towards formal training programs has been shown to have a direct influence on his training motivation (Ford Noe, 1987). Training attitude also displays his motivation to learn (Tannenbaum Yukl, 1992) and his motivation to attend training (Facteau et al, 1995) as distinct from training motivation. What the above mentioned research suggests is that there is a logical and empirical link between a person liking a training program and being motivated to attend the same. However the extant literature mentions this relationship in a very general and broad format. We would like to hypothesis a more specific relationship. Going back to our definition of training motivation , we have said that it is the perceived valence the trainee associates with certain outcomes and how instrumental he feels attending a training is in order to acquire them .We listed these outcomes as career development, superior praise, promotion or development, pay increase , job secu rity etc. Research suggests that there is very strong link between training attitude and training motivation .Carlson et al.(2000) found a high correlation between training attitude scores and training motivation scores in their research.Now most employees may find that there is a perceived strong connection between attending trainings and achieving these outcomes and hence may attend trainings when they are mandatory rather than volunteer for it. But otherwise, based on his experience he might feel that training programs are a waste of time over all and he learns more on his job. Especially in the context of Indian manufacturing industry where trainings are mandatory, employees might not be predisposed to attending trainings, but will attend them anyways due to perceived benefits. Hence in this research we are testing whether having a positive attitude towards training increases the individuals training motivation and how much is it correlated. Hence, Training Attitude of an individual positively impacts his Training Motivation: Training Motivation and Training Effectiveness: Based on our understanding of motivation, an individual is more likely to expend more energy for a task he is motivated to do and hence is more probable to do that task more effectively than other tasks. Extending this logic forward if a person is motivated to attend training then he is more likely to enjoy the training, learn most from it and apply it on to his job. In other words the effectiveness of the training imparted will be high if the trainees entering the training program are highly motivated for the same. In the organizational context it is imperative that different individuals enter the training with different levels of motivation. These differences in the level of motivation may be an outcome of various factors like personal characteristics and work environments. After studying these effects, Salas et al.1(1992) hypothesized that individuals motivated to do well in training will be the ones who end up learning the content of the program better than their lesser motivated counterparts. Training effectiveness is measured in terms of 4 parameters derived from the Kirkpatricks model. These parameters are namely, Learning, Behavior, Reaction and Applications of skills. Several studies put forth empirical support indicating a link between trainees motivation and learning (Rails Klien, 1991; Clark 1990; Hicks Klimoski 1987; Baldwin et al., 1991).The attention levels and openness to new ideas is increased by pre-training motivation. Hence theoretically trainees who are more motivated should be more ready or primed to learn and apply their learnings. Also a person motivated to attend the training will be more likely to enjoy it thus displaying a positive reaction. Whereas a person who is unmotivated to attend training will not learn much from the training even if he ends up enjoying the experience (Mathieu et al., 1992). Consequently we also hypothesize a direct relation between how much the trainee learns and how much he is motivated about the training to how much of the learned skills he will apply in his job. Thus training motivation can be hypothesized to bring about change in behavior of the trainee as well. Based on the above reasoning we state out second hypothesis as, Training motivation positively impacts training effectiveness Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. Hicks and Klimoski (1987) attempted to study the effect of choice of attending the training program with effectiveness of the training program. They hypothesized that if trainee had a choice of attending a training program then he will be more satisfied by it than otherwise. Ryman and Biersner (1975) also studied the effect of choice on training outcome. They found that giving a choice to attend the training program resulted in lesser dropouts from the program and greater training success. In a slight variation of this experiment, Baldwin, Magjuka and Lober (1991) reported that when trainees received their top choice from the available training programs they reported higher pre training motivation and. They also learned more as compared to other trainees who did not get their top pick. Tannebaum et al. (1992) showed by way of their research that individuals who nominate themselves for training actually attach a greater instrumentality to the program and report higher training motivat ion than others. This in turn leads to greater training effectiveness. The same was researched upon and confirmed by Gormley, Collins et al. (2009) on their study on Medical students undergoing E-learning programs. In our research we would like to extend the above findings to the context of training attitude. Training attitude can be seen as the pre disposition of the individual towards attending training. If the individual has a positive attitude towards training then he will choose to attend the same whereas if he has a negative attitude towards training he will not attend it or attend it grudgingly if forced to the same. Hence incorporating Tannenbaums findings, we can say that people who attend training against their choice will not undergo an optimally effective training. Hence we hypothesize that only people who choose to attend the training by way of their positive attitude towards it will be more motivated about the training and hence consequently the training imparted to them will be effective. No previous research has aimed to study this mediating effect of training motivation on the relationship between Training attitude and training effectiveness and this is the gap we propose to fi ll by means of our research. We hypothesize that Training effectiveness is impacted by Training Attitude of the individual via the mediating variable of training motivation. Training attitude positively affects training effectiveness. Training Motivation acts as the mediating variable on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. Moderating Effect of Prior Work Experience: Goldstein (2002) stated in his research that training transfer happens more effectively if tasks in the training environment are congruent with those in the actual work environment. Typically the young Indian professional fresh out of college will prefer the formal training programs as he is not exposed to any other way of learning. However as we have talked about training attitude it is important to study the effect of previous trainings on the individuals attitude. Employees who have undergone much training and have worked for enough years in the organization may have seen other methods of learning their job or skill apart from formal training programs to form different attitudes about training than those who have very little work experience. Learning On -the-job takes place within the workplace while the employee is doing actual work in the actual work environment under normal working conditions. This is important because it ensures that skills taught in such informal training can be readily transferred to the job (Kleiner Read, 1996). Work based learning focuses on reviewing and learning from experience and is cantered on learning from action rather than simply developing competencies (Dymock Gerber, 2002). Since the employee is trained in normal working condition, there is a high sense of relevance and validity to the employee (Clifford Thorpe, 2007) and is a tool to increase the productivity (Jain, 1999). Learning on the job happens on an individual level and the greatest advantage of this is that it enables each participant to determine the speed with which learning can proceed, at the same time providing a high level of feedback and trainee involvement (Kleiner Read, 1996). Other advantages are that the employee is being productive during training, and thus the associated costs may be less (Kleiner Read, 1996); this training may be given to more people than it is possible at a training institution (Jain,1999). Thus we can see that on the job learning may be perceived to be more effective than formal trainings by employees with greater years of work experience behind them. This could also possibly affect their attitude towards formal training programs and its utility. Hence the effect of training attitude on training effectiveness may be moderated by the prior work experience of the individual. We hypothesize that more is the prior work experience of an individual the more likely he has understood how to perform on his job and how to acquire skills on the job and hence the more it is likely that he will not have a favourable attitude towards formal training programs. Thereby the effectiveness of training programs on such individuals will be subdued. Thus, in this research we will aim to study the moderating effect of Prior work experience on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. The prior work experience of individual has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. We would also like to study whether the Mediating Effect of Training Motivation on the relationship between Training attitude and Training effectiveness is valid for different groups of people with varied work experience. For this purpose we propose to study the said relationship by dividing the data set into groups of people with differing work experience. According to our theoretical study we expect to observe a more significant mediated relationship between training attitude and effectiveness for people with lower work experience than those with higher work experience. For people with lower work experience the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness mediated by training motivation is more significant. Methods: Sample: Around 200 participants from various manufacturing organizations were contacted in person and via e-mail and the questionnaire was administered. Out of the 200 people contacted 122 (61%) people chose to participate. Most of the participants were chosen from the technical background who have undergone some sort of training at their work place. To maintain anonymity the questionnaire did not contain any identifiers. The researchers themselves administered the questionnaire and they themselves collected the responses. Measures: All the scale used to measure the various constructs were measured using a 7 point Likert scale ranging from 1(Very Strongly Disagree, Very Strongly Unlikely) to 7(Very Strongly Agree, Very Strongly Likely). Training Attitude: Training attitude was measured using a 9 item scale developed by Anupama Narayanan and Debra Steele-Johnson (2007). A sample item is I enjoy participating in training programs offered at work. Training Motivation: Training motivation was measured using a 14 item scale developed by Phyllis Tharenou (2001) which was adopted from Noe and Wilk (1993) 17 item scale. This scale was based on the valence instrumentality expectancy theory and had 7 items each for valence and instrumentality. A sample item for instrumentality is How likely you will obtain a pay increase from KSA from TD. A sample item for valence is How important is obtaining pay increase to you. Training Effectiveness: The training effectiveness was measured through a 4 item scale. This scale was a shortened version of the Kirkpatricks scale and was developed by Alan Chapman. The training effectiveness was measured on different parameters namely reaction, learning, behavior and productivity. Prior Work experience: The prior work experience was measured using a single question to the participants asking them of the number of years of prior years of work experience. Analysis: The study was intended to find the mediation effect of training motivation between training attitude and training effectiveness. The procedure followed to study the mediation effect was adopted from the study by Baron and Kenny (1986). Further the researchers also studied the moderation effect of years of prior work experience on the direct relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. This was done through a 2 model approach using the standardized multiplied values for training attitude and years of prior work experience. All the analysis was done using SPSS software. Further the entire sample of respondents was divided into 2 classes based on the work experience, one having work experience more than the median and one having less than the median. The median value was ignored and the mediation analysis was carried out using the Baron and Kenny model (1986). Results: The means, standard deviations and correlations .All the variables were found to be significantly correlated with each another. It can be easily seen from the table 1 that the correlation among all the variables is very high. To test the internal consistency of the scales measuring the constructs, the Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient was calculated and it was found that all the scales were reliable as the Cronbachs Coefficient was greater than 0.7. The results of the measures of internal consistency. Again it can be seen that the Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient is very high indicating that the internal consistency of the scales is very high. Mean, Standard Deviation and Correlations: Measures of internal consistency Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient: In this research we have primarily hypothesized the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness with training motivation as the mediating variable. Apart from the mediation effect, the moderation effect of number of years of prior work experience on the direct effect of training attitude on training effectiveness has been studied. The results of the mediation effect of training motivation on the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness. The mediation effect was studied using the 4 step Baron and Kenny model of regression analysis. In the first step, the independent variable training attitude was shown to affect the outcome variable i.e. training effectiveness significantly. In the next step, the independent variable was shown to affect the mediator variable i.e. training motivation significantly. In the third step, the mediator variable was shown to have a significant effect on the dependent variable. These steps showed that the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness was mediated by training motivation. In the 4th step, the mediation effect was calculated through a regression analysis in which the mediator and the independent variable were the predictors and the criterion variable was the dependent variable. Regression results to study mediation effect: The mediation is significant and the mediation effect was calculated to be 0.923 standard deviations. Also in the fourth step, since the effect of training attitude on training effectiveness becomes insignificant we can safely infer that full mediation is present. The step I shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the criterion variable and the training attitude was taken as the independent variable. From this step we saw that training attitude was significantly related to the training effectiveness. Here the value of R2 was found to be 0.796 with F = 468.143 at p The step II shows the regression results when training motivation was taken as the dependent variable with training attitude as the predictor variable. In this step it was seen that training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness. The R2 value was found to be 0.883 with F = 904.66 at p The step III shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable with training motivation being the predictor variable. In this step it was found that the training motivation is significantly related to training effectiveness. The R2 value was found to be 0.909 at p The step IV shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the criterion variable with both training motivation and training attitude as the predictor variables. From this step we could conclude that training motivation was significantly related to training effectiveness and also we see that training attitude loses the significance of its effect that it had on training effectiveness in step I. The R2 value was found to be 0.909 at p The above 4 steps show that the mediation effect of training motivation between training attitude and training effectiveness is a full mediation effect as the independent, variable training attitude, becomes insignificantly related to the criterion variable (Baron and Kenny, 1986). The steps I, II and III are used to test the first 3 hypothesis. In step I it was shown that training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness hence H3 is accepted. Similarly in the step II it was shown that training attitude was significantly related to training motivation and hence H1 is accepted. In the third step, it was found that training motivation was significantly related to training effectiveness and hence H2 is accepted. Training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness in the first step and to training motivation in the second step but it was non-significantly related to training effectiveness in the fourth step. From this we could infer that training motivation fully mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. Thus H4 is supported. The Sobels test was used to just verify the mediation effect. The test showed that the mediation effect is statistically significant (Mediation effect = 0.923; Z-score = 8.68; p In addition to the above mediation analysis, we also tried to understand the role of work experience on the mediation analysis. Hence 2 more mediation analysis were carried out in which the entire data set was broken down in 2 sets, one with respondents having 2 or more years of work experience, second with respondents having less than 2 years of work experience. This was so done because the median work experience of the sample studied was 2 yrs. Impact of years of work experience on the mediating role of training motivation on training effectiveness was studied. First we take the case of respondents having less than 2 years of work experience. The same steps as stated above according to the Baron and Kenny Model were repeated and the results. Regression results to study mediation effect on respondents with work experience of less than 2 years: Again as we can see that training motivation fully mediates the relation between the training attitude and training effectiveness. In the first step we used training effectiveness as the criterion variable with training attitude as the predictor variable. The relation was found to be significant and positively related with R2 = 0.468; p In the next step, training motivation taken as the criterion variable and training attitude was taken as the independent variable. This relation was again found significant and positively related with R2 = 0.639; p In the third step, training motivation was now taken as the predictor variable and training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable. It was found that this relation was significant with R2 = 0.660; p In the last step, both training attitude and training motivation were taken as the predictor variables and training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable. In this step, the relation between training attitude on training effectiveness became insignificant hence it was proved that training motivation fully mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. The mediated effect was found to be 0.592 and the overall mediation was found to be significant using the Sobels test. Using the Sobels Test the Z score was found to be 4.7498. Thus showing that the mediation effect of training motivation on the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness is significant. Another mediation analysis was done to test the mediation effect of training motivation on the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness for respondents having more than 2 years of work experience. This was again a 4 step analysis as per the Baron and Kenny model and the results. As we can see in the table 5, in the first step it was found that training attitude significantly affect training effectiveness. In the second step it was found that training attitude significantly affects training motivation. In the third step, it was found that training motivation significantly affects training effectiveness. And in the fourth it was found that training motivation significantly affects effectiveness but impact of training attitude on effectiveness becomes insignificant. This showed that training motivation mediates the relation between attitude and effectiveness. Regression results to study mediation effect on respondents with work experience of more than 2 years: From the fourth step we can see that training motivation mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness fully. The overall significance of the mediation was checked using the Sobels test. Effect of Motivation on Employee Training Effectiveness Effect of Motivation on Employee Training Effectiveness Training is an integral part of workforce development and creation of new competencies within the workforce to ensure that the organization keeps up with the changing needs of the times. Training is related to performance in two ways. Effective training has a direct impact on the performance output and any gap in an individuals performance can sometimes be filled with training. For employees, lack of training also causes a lack of self-satisfaction and productivity. Training is seen as a major cost center in most organizations in India even though its necessity is widely accepted. This negative view can mostly be attributed because of the apparent lack of direct linkage between training and the bottom-line of the company. In todays world, where the HR department needs to justify its expenses, especially in the wake of recession and lay-offs, it is essential that the trainings rendered are of optimum efficiency in achieving the set target and also that it be done at the least possible cost. Hence it is important to understand whether the methods of training employed are yielding the desired results or alternatively if the same results can be attained in more cost effective ways. One major factor influencing the training effectiveness is training motivation, as we have explained in the literature review below. But the attitude of employees towards formal training is another factor which will decide whether it is justified to spend so much money on formal training modules if the same end result can be obtained by informal on the job training if it is preferred by the employees. Hence we explore the links between these constructs. Theoretical Review and Hypothesis: Training Attitude: Development activities like training are significantly affected by attitudes and perceptual variables (Noe and Wilk, 1993).Eagly Chaiken (1998) defined attitude as the psychological tendency to evaluate an entity with a certain degree of favor or disfavor. These attitudes are good predictors of behavior (Ajzen, 1991).We can extend this line of reason to say that a person with a positive attitude to certain entity will show favorable behavioral response towards it and a person with a negative attitude to it will show an unfavorable behavioral response. Training attitude applies the definition of attitude to training. A persons attitude towards training is a measure or reflection of his or her attitude towards the formal process of knowledge and skill acquisition. Thus we can say that training attitude is indirectly a measure of liking an individual has for the formal process of training as opposed to say learning something on-the-job informally. It logically follows that those who ha ve a positive attitude towards training will be more likely to attend the training programs willingly and gain from it as compared to someone who has a negative attitude towards training which is to say, that training attitude determines the motivation with which a person attends training programs, especially in an organizational scenario where training programs are mandatory. Also this very attitude can be linked to how much learning happens in the training. The scale for measuring the training attitude construct was developed by Anupama Narayan and Debra Steele Johnson (2007) for their research. This was a 20 item scale addressing participants evaluation of 2 issues: How relevant and useful they perceived training programs to be. How much they desired to practice acquired skills on job. This scale with 7 point likert type response pattern had a high level of internal consistency (alpha =0.92) However some items were redundant and for the purpose of this research were omitted. The resulting 9 item scale was again tested for internal consistency and displayed a Cronbachs Alpha= 0.91 which is fairly high. The response to the 7 point likert scale was interpreted as a summated score which indicated the degree of positive attitude towards training among the respondents. Training Motivation: Quinones (1997) aptly described motivation to be an individuals choice to dedicate more energy to one set of behavior over others. In the training context, Blanchard Thacker (2004) explain motivation as an inspiration which is directed by trainees personal needs and decision processes they use to satisfy those needs. Or, as Colquitt (2007) puts it , training motivation is the persistence and intensity of learning -directed behavior in the context of training. Training motivation is affected by a diverse set of internal and external factors as suggested by various research papers. Work environment, organizational climate, supervisory support etc are a few of the external factors researched upon whereas the internal factors hypothesized to affect training motivation include self efficacy, personal mental ability and personality (Colquitt et al, 2000). One of the most popular theories to explain motivation is the expectancy theory of how people are motivated by the results of their behavior (Bandura, 1997). We can also view Vrooms expectancy theory as a theoretical framework for examining training motivation. Vrooms model suggests that expectation of an act being followed by a certain outcome often shapes the motivation for doing that act. To extend this to the context of training motivation, if a trainee expects that the effort he puts into attending training programs will yield valued outcomes to him then he will be motivated to attend the same. Hence this research attempts to understand the valence -instrumentality link associated with training. We measure what the trainee values and whether he perceives those things to be outcome of training programs. A 14 item scale, with 7 items each for valence and instrumentality of factors associated with training, was adapted from the research paper by Phyllis Tharenou (2001).The factors of valence included in the scale are Reaching career goals, Pay increase, Job security, Change to workplace, Promotion or advancement, Opportunities for different career paths, Supervisor praise. The responses for these questions were taken on a 7 point likert scale and scores were summated to arrive at the level of training motivation of the respondent. A higher score symbolizes that the respondent values the inherent factors highly and also perceives that training will help him achieve the same. Training Effectiveness: Training effectiveness is essentially a measure of how effective the training imparted was. Many researchers including Ford (1997), Noe (1986), and Tannenbaum (1992) have recognized training effectiveness as a crucial issue for organizations. Employee performance and productivity can be measurably improved if trainings are effective and organizations will be able to avoid wasteful spending on ineffective trainings. Most organizations would want to have a good return on their training investment. According to London (1989) and Noe (1999) training interventions in organizations are going to increase hence the training effectiveness is going to be an important feature in the organizations. Kirkpatricks (1976) four level approach is one of the most extensively used methods for evaluating training effectiveness (Alliger Janak, 1989). This four level approach measures training effectiveness vis-Ã  -vis the trainees reactions to a training program, the extent to which trainees can execute desired behaviors related to the training, the acquisition of skills and knowledge by the trainee and resulting change in the job behaviors of the trainee. It has been a common assumption among researchers that these 4 levels linked in a linear fashion hierarchically. Hamblin (1947) illustrated the cause and effect chain as training leading to reactions which in turn leads to learning and that leads to change in job behavior. But this empirical evidence for this proposed link has been inconclusive. This led Alliger Janak (1989) to conduct a Meta analysis and conclude that the four factors are not necessarily linearly linked. There are several factors like training motivation attitude, context of training and other influences which attenuate the link between trainees reaction and other criterion measures. A four item shortened version of the Kirkpatrick scale was used for measuring the training effectiveness. The measured effectiveness was the perceived effectiveness of the last im parted training program. Sample items in the scale included questions like Did I enjoy the course. The response was obtained on a 7 point likert scale varying from strongly disagree to strongly agree and the summated score of each item response was used as the measure of the training effectiveness and higher the score higher was the perceived effectiveness of the training. Training Attitude and Training Motivation: Individuals disposition or attitude towards formal training programs has been shown to have a direct influence on his training motivation (Ford Noe, 1987). Training attitude also displays his motivation to learn (Tannenbaum Yukl, 1992) and his motivation to attend training (Facteau et al, 1995) as distinct from training motivation. What the above mentioned research suggests is that there is a logical and empirical link between a person liking a training program and being motivated to attend the same. However the extant literature mentions this relationship in a very general and broad format. We would like to hypothesis a more specific relationship. Going back to our definition of training motivation , we have said that it is the perceived valence the trainee associates with certain outcomes and how instrumental he feels attending a training is in order to acquire them .We listed these outcomes as career development, superior praise, promotion or development, pay increase , job secu rity etc. Research suggests that there is very strong link between training attitude and training motivation .Carlson et al.(2000) found a high correlation between training attitude scores and training motivation scores in their research.Now most employees may find that there is a perceived strong connection between attending trainings and achieving these outcomes and hence may attend trainings when they are mandatory rather than volunteer for it. But otherwise, based on his experience he might feel that training programs are a waste of time over all and he learns more on his job. Especially in the context of Indian manufacturing industry where trainings are mandatory, employees might not be predisposed to attending trainings, but will attend them anyways due to perceived benefits. Hence in this research we are testing whether having a positive attitude towards training increases the individuals training motivation and how much is it correlated. Hence, Training Attitude of an individual positively impacts his Training Motivation: Training Motivation and Training Effectiveness: Based on our understanding of motivation, an individual is more likely to expend more energy for a task he is motivated to do and hence is more probable to do that task more effectively than other tasks. Extending this logic forward if a person is motivated to attend training then he is more likely to enjoy the training, learn most from it and apply it on to his job. In other words the effectiveness of the training imparted will be high if the trainees entering the training program are highly motivated for the same. In the organizational context it is imperative that different individuals enter the training with different levels of motivation. These differences in the level of motivation may be an outcome of various factors like personal characteristics and work environments. After studying these effects, Salas et al.1(1992) hypothesized that individuals motivated to do well in training will be the ones who end up learning the content of the program better than their lesser motivated counterparts. Training effectiveness is measured in terms of 4 parameters derived from the Kirkpatricks model. These parameters are namely, Learning, Behavior, Reaction and Applications of skills. Several studies put forth empirical support indicating a link between trainees motivation and learning (Rails Klien, 1991; Clark 1990; Hicks Klimoski 1987; Baldwin et al., 1991).The attention levels and openness to new ideas is increased by pre-training motivation. Hence theoretically trainees who are more motivated should be more ready or primed to learn and apply their learnings. Also a person motivated to attend the training will be more likely to enjoy it thus displaying a positive reaction. Whereas a person who is unmotivated to attend training will not learn much from the training even if he ends up enjoying the experience (Mathieu et al., 1992). Consequently we also hypothesize a direct relation between how much the trainee learns and how much he is motivated about the training to how much of the learned skills he will apply in his job. Thus training motivation can be hypothesized to bring about change in behavior of the trainee as well. Based on the above reasoning we state out second hypothesis as, Training motivation positively impacts training effectiveness Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. Hicks and Klimoski (1987) attempted to study the effect of choice of attending the training program with effectiveness of the training program. They hypothesized that if trainee had a choice of attending a training program then he will be more satisfied by it than otherwise. Ryman and Biersner (1975) also studied the effect of choice on training outcome. They found that giving a choice to attend the training program resulted in lesser dropouts from the program and greater training success. In a slight variation of this experiment, Baldwin, Magjuka and Lober (1991) reported that when trainees received their top choice from the available training programs they reported higher pre training motivation and. They also learned more as compared to other trainees who did not get their top pick. Tannebaum et al. (1992) showed by way of their research that individuals who nominate themselves for training actually attach a greater instrumentality to the program and report higher training motivat ion than others. This in turn leads to greater training effectiveness. The same was researched upon and confirmed by Gormley, Collins et al. (2009) on their study on Medical students undergoing E-learning programs. In our research we would like to extend the above findings to the context of training attitude. Training attitude can be seen as the pre disposition of the individual towards attending training. If the individual has a positive attitude towards training then he will choose to attend the same whereas if he has a negative attitude towards training he will not attend it or attend it grudgingly if forced to the same. Hence incorporating Tannenbaums findings, we can say that people who attend training against their choice will not undergo an optimally effective training. Hence we hypothesize that only people who choose to attend the training by way of their positive attitude towards it will be more motivated about the training and hence consequently the training imparted to them will be effective. No previous research has aimed to study this mediating effect of training motivation on the relationship between Training attitude and training effectiveness and this is the gap we propose to fi ll by means of our research. We hypothesize that Training effectiveness is impacted by Training Attitude of the individual via the mediating variable of training motivation. Training attitude positively affects training effectiveness. Training Motivation acts as the mediating variable on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. Moderating Effect of Prior Work Experience: Goldstein (2002) stated in his research that training transfer happens more effectively if tasks in the training environment are congruent with those in the actual work environment. Typically the young Indian professional fresh out of college will prefer the formal training programs as he is not exposed to any other way of learning. However as we have talked about training attitude it is important to study the effect of previous trainings on the individuals attitude. Employees who have undergone much training and have worked for enough years in the organization may have seen other methods of learning their job or skill apart from formal training programs to form different attitudes about training than those who have very little work experience. Learning On -the-job takes place within the workplace while the employee is doing actual work in the actual work environment under normal working conditions. This is important because it ensures that skills taught in such informal training can be readily transferred to the job (Kleiner Read, 1996). Work based learning focuses on reviewing and learning from experience and is cantered on learning from action rather than simply developing competencies (Dymock Gerber, 2002). Since the employee is trained in normal working condition, there is a high sense of relevance and validity to the employee (Clifford Thorpe, 2007) and is a tool to increase the productivity (Jain, 1999). Learning on the job happens on an individual level and the greatest advantage of this is that it enables each participant to determine the speed with which learning can proceed, at the same time providing a high level of feedback and trainee involvement (Kleiner Read, 1996). Other advantages are that the employee is being productive during training, and thus the associated costs may be less (Kleiner Read, 1996); this training may be given to more people than it is possible at a training institution (Jain,1999). Thus we can see that on the job learning may be perceived to be more effective than formal trainings by employees with greater years of work experience behind them. This could also possibly affect their attitude towards formal training programs and its utility. Hence the effect of training attitude on training effectiveness may be moderated by the prior work experience of the individual. We hypothesize that more is the prior work experience of an individual the more likely he has understood how to perform on his job and how to acquire skills on the job and hence the more it is likely that he will not have a favourable attitude towards formal training programs. Thereby the effectiveness of training programs on such individuals will be subdued. Thus, in this research we will aim to study the moderating effect of Prior work experience on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. The prior work experience of individual has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between Training Attitude and Training Effectiveness. We would also like to study whether the Mediating Effect of Training Motivation on the relationship between Training attitude and Training effectiveness is valid for different groups of people with varied work experience. For this purpose we propose to study the said relationship by dividing the data set into groups of people with differing work experience. According to our theoretical study we expect to observe a more significant mediated relationship between training attitude and effectiveness for people with lower work experience than those with higher work experience. For people with lower work experience the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness mediated by training motivation is more significant. Methods: Sample: Around 200 participants from various manufacturing organizations were contacted in person and via e-mail and the questionnaire was administered. Out of the 200 people contacted 122 (61%) people chose to participate. Most of the participants were chosen from the technical background who have undergone some sort of training at their work place. To maintain anonymity the questionnaire did not contain any identifiers. The researchers themselves administered the questionnaire and they themselves collected the responses. Measures: All the scale used to measure the various constructs were measured using a 7 point Likert scale ranging from 1(Very Strongly Disagree, Very Strongly Unlikely) to 7(Very Strongly Agree, Very Strongly Likely). Training Attitude: Training attitude was measured using a 9 item scale developed by Anupama Narayanan and Debra Steele-Johnson (2007). A sample item is I enjoy participating in training programs offered at work. Training Motivation: Training motivation was measured using a 14 item scale developed by Phyllis Tharenou (2001) which was adopted from Noe and Wilk (1993) 17 item scale. This scale was based on the valence instrumentality expectancy theory and had 7 items each for valence and instrumentality. A sample item for instrumentality is How likely you will obtain a pay increase from KSA from TD. A sample item for valence is How important is obtaining pay increase to you. Training Effectiveness: The training effectiveness was measured through a 4 item scale. This scale was a shortened version of the Kirkpatricks scale and was developed by Alan Chapman. The training effectiveness was measured on different parameters namely reaction, learning, behavior and productivity. Prior Work experience: The prior work experience was measured using a single question to the participants asking them of the number of years of prior years of work experience. Analysis: The study was intended to find the mediation effect of training motivation between training attitude and training effectiveness. The procedure followed to study the mediation effect was adopted from the study by Baron and Kenny (1986). Further the researchers also studied the moderation effect of years of prior work experience on the direct relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. This was done through a 2 model approach using the standardized multiplied values for training attitude and years of prior work experience. All the analysis was done using SPSS software. Further the entire sample of respondents was divided into 2 classes based on the work experience, one having work experience more than the median and one having less than the median. The median value was ignored and the mediation analysis was carried out using the Baron and Kenny model (1986). Results: The means, standard deviations and correlations .All the variables were found to be significantly correlated with each another. It can be easily seen from the table 1 that the correlation among all the variables is very high. To test the internal consistency of the scales measuring the constructs, the Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient was calculated and it was found that all the scales were reliable as the Cronbachs Coefficient was greater than 0.7. The results of the measures of internal consistency. Again it can be seen that the Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient is very high indicating that the internal consistency of the scales is very high. Mean, Standard Deviation and Correlations: Measures of internal consistency Cronbachs Alpha Coefficient: In this research we have primarily hypothesized the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness with training motivation as the mediating variable. Apart from the mediation effect, the moderation effect of number of years of prior work experience on the direct effect of training attitude on training effectiveness has been studied. The results of the mediation effect of training motivation on the relationship between training attitude and training effectiveness. The mediation effect was studied using the 4 step Baron and Kenny model of regression analysis. In the first step, the independent variable training attitude was shown to affect the outcome variable i.e. training effectiveness significantly. In the next step, the independent variable was shown to affect the mediator variable i.e. training motivation significantly. In the third step, the mediator variable was shown to have a significant effect on the dependent variable. These steps showed that the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness was mediated by training motivation. In the 4th step, the mediation effect was calculated through a regression analysis in which the mediator and the independent variable were the predictors and the criterion variable was the dependent variable. Regression results to study mediation effect: The mediation is significant and the mediation effect was calculated to be 0.923 standard deviations. Also in the fourth step, since the effect of training attitude on training effectiveness becomes insignificant we can safely infer that full mediation is present. The step I shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the criterion variable and the training attitude was taken as the independent variable. From this step we saw that training attitude was significantly related to the training effectiveness. Here the value of R2 was found to be 0.796 with F = 468.143 at p The step II shows the regression results when training motivation was taken as the dependent variable with training attitude as the predictor variable. In this step it was seen that training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness. The R2 value was found to be 0.883 with F = 904.66 at p The step III shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable with training motivation being the predictor variable. In this step it was found that the training motivation is significantly related to training effectiveness. The R2 value was found to be 0.909 at p The step IV shows the regression results when training effectiveness was taken as the criterion variable with both training motivation and training attitude as the predictor variables. From this step we could conclude that training motivation was significantly related to training effectiveness and also we see that training attitude loses the significance of its effect that it had on training effectiveness in step I. The R2 value was found to be 0.909 at p The above 4 steps show that the mediation effect of training motivation between training attitude and training effectiveness is a full mediation effect as the independent, variable training attitude, becomes insignificantly related to the criterion variable (Baron and Kenny, 1986). The steps I, II and III are used to test the first 3 hypothesis. In step I it was shown that training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness hence H3 is accepted. Similarly in the step II it was shown that training attitude was significantly related to training motivation and hence H1 is accepted. In the third step, it was found that training motivation was significantly related to training effectiveness and hence H2 is accepted. Training attitude was significantly related to training effectiveness in the first step and to training motivation in the second step but it was non-significantly related to training effectiveness in the fourth step. From this we could infer that training motivation fully mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. Thus H4 is supported. The Sobels test was used to just verify the mediation effect. The test showed that the mediation effect is statistically significant (Mediation effect = 0.923; Z-score = 8.68; p In addition to the above mediation analysis, we also tried to understand the role of work experience on the mediation analysis. Hence 2 more mediation analysis were carried out in which the entire data set was broken down in 2 sets, one with respondents having 2 or more years of work experience, second with respondents having less than 2 years of work experience. This was so done because the median work experience of the sample studied was 2 yrs. Impact of years of work experience on the mediating role of training motivation on training effectiveness was studied. First we take the case of respondents having less than 2 years of work experience. The same steps as stated above according to the Baron and Kenny Model were repeated and the results. Regression results to study mediation effect on respondents with work experience of less than 2 years: Again as we can see that training motivation fully mediates the relation between the training attitude and training effectiveness. In the first step we used training effectiveness as the criterion variable with training attitude as the predictor variable. The relation was found to be significant and positively related with R2 = 0.468; p In the next step, training motivation taken as the criterion variable and training attitude was taken as the independent variable. This relation was again found significant and positively related with R2 = 0.639; p In the third step, training motivation was now taken as the predictor variable and training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable. It was found that this relation was significant with R2 = 0.660; p In the last step, both training attitude and training motivation were taken as the predictor variables and training effectiveness was taken as the dependent variable. In this step, the relation between training attitude on training effectiveness became insignificant hence it was proved that training motivation fully mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness. The mediated effect was found to be 0.592 and the overall mediation was found to be significant using the Sobels test. Using the Sobels Test the Z score was found to be 4.7498. Thus showing that the mediation effect of training motivation on the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness is significant. Another mediation analysis was done to test the mediation effect of training motivation on the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness for respondents having more than 2 years of work experience. This was again a 4 step analysis as per the Baron and Kenny model and the results. As we can see in the table 5, in the first step it was found that training attitude significantly affect training effectiveness. In the second step it was found that training attitude significantly affects training motivation. In the third step, it was found that training motivation significantly affects training effectiveness. And in the fourth it was found that training motivation significantly affects effectiveness but impact of training attitude on effectiveness becomes insignificant. This showed that training motivation mediates the relation between attitude and effectiveness. Regression results to study mediation effect on respondents with work experience of more than 2 years: From the fourth step we can see that training motivation mediates the relation between training attitude and training effectiveness fully. The overall significance of the mediation was checked using the Sobels test.

Security on the Internet

The Internet has had security problems since its earliest days as a pure research project. Today, after several years and orders of magnitude of growth, is still has security problems. It is being used for a purpose for which it was never intended: commerce. It is somewhat ironic that the early Internet was design as a prototype for a high-availability command and control network that could resist outages resulting from enemy actions, yet it cannot resist college undergraduates. The problem is that the attackers are on, and make up apart of, the network they are attacking. Designing a system that is capable of resisting attack from within, while still growing and evolving at a breakneck pace, is probably impossible. Deep infrastructure changes are needed, and once you have achieved a certain amount of size, the sheer inertia of the installed base may make it impossible to apply fixes. The challenges for the security industry are growing. With the electronic commerce spreading over the Internet, there are issues such as nonrepudiation to be solved. Financial institutions will have both technical concerns, such as the security of a credit card number or banking information, and legal concerns for holding individuals responsible for their actions such as their purchases or sales over the Internet. Issuance and management of encryption keys for millions of users will pose a new type of challenge. While some technologies have been developed, only an industry-wide effort and cooperation can minimize risks and ensure privacy for users, data confidentiality for the financial institutions, and nonrepudiation for electronic commerce. With the continuing growth in linking individuals and businesses over the Internet, some social issues are starting to surface. The society may take time in adapting to the new concept of transacting business over the Internet. Consumers may take time to trust the network and accept it as a substitute for transacting business in person. Another class of concerns relates to restricting access over the Internet. Preventing distribution of pornography and other objectionable material over the Internet has already been in the news. We can expect new social hurdles over time and hope the great benefits of the Internet will continue to override these hurdles through new technologies and legislations. The World Wide Web is the single largest, most ubiquitous source of information in the world, and it sprang up spontaneously. People use interactive Web pages to obtain stock quotes, receive tax information from the Internal Revenue Service, make appointments with a hairdresser, consult a pregnancy planner to determine ovulation dates, conduct election polls, register for a conference, search for old friends, and the list goes on. It is only natural that the Web’s functionality, popularity, and ubiquity have made it the seemingly ideal platform for conducting electronic commerce. People can now go online to buy CDs, clothing, concert tickets, and stocks. Several companies, such Digicash, Cybercash, and First Virtual, have sprung up to provide mechanisms for conducting business on the Web. The savings in cost and the convenience of shopping via the Web are incalculable. Whereas most successful computer systems result from careful, methodical planning, followed by hard work, the Web took on a life of its own from the very beginning. The introduction of a common protocol and a friendly graphical user interface was all that was needed to ignite the Internet explosion. The Web’s virtues are extolled without end, but its rapid growth and universal adoption have not been without cost. In particular, security was added as an afterthought. New capabilities were added ad hoc to satisfy the growing demand for features without carefully considering the impact on security. As general-purpose scripts were introduced on both the client and the server sides, the dangers of accidental and malicious abuse grew. It did not take long for the Web to move from the scientific community to the commercial world. At this point, the security threats became much more serious. The incentive for malicious attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in the underlying technologies is at an all-time high. This is indeed frightening when we consider what attackers of computer systems have accomplished when their only incentive was fun and boosting their egos. When business and profit are at stake, we cannot assume anything less than the most dedicated and resourceful attackers typing their utmost to steal, cheat, and perform malice against users of the Web. When people use their computers to surf the Web, they have many expectations. They expect to find all sorts of interesting information, they expect to have opportunities to shop and they expect to be bombarded with all sorts of ads. Even people who do not use the Web are in jeopardy of being impersonated on the Web. There are simple and advanced methods for ensuring browser security and protecting user privacy. The more simple techniques are user certification schemes, which rely on digital Ids. Netscape Communicator Navigator and Internet Explorer allow users to obtain and use personal certificates. Currently, the only company offering such certificates is Verisign, which offers digital Ids that consist of a certificate of a user’s identity, signed by Verisign. There are four classes of digital Ids, each represents a different level of assurance in the identify, and each comes at an increasingly higher cost. The assurance is determined by the effort that goes into identifying the person requesting the certificate. Class 1 Digital IDs, intended for casual Web browsing, provided users with an unambiguous name and e-mail address within Verisign’s domain. A Class 1 ID provides assurance to the server that the client is using an identity issued by Verisign but little guarantee about the actual person behind the ID. Class 2 Digital IDs require third party confirmation of name, address, and other personal information related to the user, and they are available only to residents of the United States and Canada. The information provided to Verisign is checked against a consumer database maintained by Equifax. To protect against insiders at Verisign issuing bogus digital IDs, a hardware device is used to generate the certificates. Class 3 Digital IDs are not available. The purpose is to bind an individual to an organization. Thus, a user in possession of such an ID could, theoretically, prove that he or she belongs to the organization that employs him or her. The idea behind Digital IDs is that they are entered into the browser and then are automatically sent when users connect to sites requiring personal certificates. Unfortunately, the only practical effect is to make impersonating users on the network only a little bit more difficult. Many Web sites require their users to register a name and a password. When users connect to these sites, their browser pops up an authentication window that asks for these two items. Usually, the browser than sends the name and password to the server that can allow retrieval of the remaining pages at the site. The authentication information can be protected from eavesdropping and replay by using the SSL protocol. As the number of sites requiring simple authentication grows, so does the number of passwords that each user must maintain. In fact, users are often required to have several different passwords for systems in their workplace, for personal accounts, for special accounts relating to payroll and vacation, and so on. It is not uncommon for users to have more than six sites they visit that require passwords. In the early days of networking, firewalls were intended less as security devices than as a means of preventing broken networking software or hardware from crashing wide-area networks. In those days, malformed packets or bogus routes frequently crashed systems and disrupted servers. Desperate network managers installed screening systems to reduce the damage that could happen if a subnet’s routing tables got confused or if a system’s Ethernet card malfunctioned. When companies began connecting to what is now the Internet, firewalls acted as a means of isolating networks to provide security as well as enforce an administrative boundary. Early hackers were not very sophisticated; neither were early firewalls. Today, firewalls are sold by many vendors and protect tens of thousands of sites. The products are a far cry from the first-generation firewalls, now including fancy graphical user interfaces, intrusion detection systems, and various forms of tamper-proof software. To operate, a firewall sits between the protected network and all external access points. To work effectively, firewalls have to guard all access points into the network’s perimeter otherwise, an attacker can simply go around the firewall and attack an undefended connection. The simple days of the firewalls ended when the Web exploded. Suddenly, instead of handling only a few simple services in an â€Å"us versus them manner†, firewalls now must be connected with complex data and protocols. Today’s firewall has to handle multimedia traffic level, attached downloadable programs (applets) and a host of other protocols plugged into Web browsers. This development has produced a basis conflict: The firewall is in the way of the things users want to do. A second problem has arisen as many sites want to host Web servers: Does the Web server go inside or outside of the firewall? Firewalls are both a blessing and a curse. Presumably, they help deflect attacks. They also complicate users’ lives, make Web server administrators’ jobs harder, rob network performance, add an extra point of failure, cost money, and make networks more complex to manage. Firewall technologies, like all other Internet technologies, are rapidly changing. There are two main types of firewalls, plus many variations. The main types of firewalls are proxy and network-layer. The idea of a proxy firewall is simple: Rather than have users log into a gateway host and then access the Internet from there, give them a set of restricted programs running on the gateway host and let them talk to those programs, which act as proxies on behalf of the user. The user never has a account or login on the firewall itself, and he or she can interact only with a tightly controlled restricted environment created by the firewall’s administrator. This approach greatly enhances the security of the firewall itself because it means that users do not have accounts or shell access to the operating system. Most UNIX bugs require that the attacker have a login on the system to exploit them. By throwing the users off the firewall, it becomes just a dedicated platform that does nothing except support a small set of proxies-it is no longer a general-purpose computing environment. The proxies, in turn, are carefully designed to be reliable and secure because they are the only real point of the system against which an attack can be launched. Proxy firewalls have evolved to the point where today they support a wide range of services and run on a number of different UNIX and Windows NT platforms. Many security experts believe that proxy firewall is more secure than other types of firewalls, largely because the first proxy firewalls were able to apply additional control on to the data traversing the proxy. The real reason for proxy firewalls was their ease of implementation, not their security properties. For security, it does not really matter where in the processing of data the security check is made; what’s more important is that it is made at all. Because they do not allow any direct communication between the protected network and outside world, proxy firewall inherently provide network address translation. Whenever an outside site gets a connection from the firewall’s proxy address, it in turn hides and translates the addresses of system behind the firewall. Prior to the invention of firewalls, routers were often pressed into service to provide security and network isolation. Many sites connecting to the Internet in the early days relied on ordinary routers to filter the types of traffic allowed into or out of the network. Routers operate on each packet as a unique event unrelated to previous packets, filtered on IP source, IP destination, IP port number, and a f few other basic data contained in the packet header. Filtering, strictly speaking, does not constitute a firewall because it does not have quite enough detailed control over data flow to permit building highly secure connections. The biggest problem with using filtering routers for security is the FTP protocol, which, as part of its specification, makes a callback connection in which the remote system initiates a connection to the client, over which data is transmitted. Cryptography is at the heart of computer and network security. The important cryptographic functions are encryption, decryption, one-way hashing, and digital signatures. Ciphers are divided into two categories, symmetric and asymmetric, or public-key systems. Symmetric ciphers are functions where the same key is used for encryption and decryption. Public-key systems can be used for encryption, but they are also useful for key agreement and digital signatures. Key-agreement protocols enable two parties to compute a secret key, even in the face of an eavesdropper. Symmetric ciphers are the most efficient way to encrypt data so that its confidentiality and integrity are preserved. That is, the data remains secret to those who do not posses the secret key, and modifications to the cipher text can be detected during decryption. Two of the most popular symmetric ciphers are the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA). The DES algorithm operates on blocks of 64 bits at a time using a key length of 56 bits. The 64 bits are permuted according to the value of the key, and so encryption with two keys that differently in one bit produces two completely different cipher texts. The most popular mode of DES is called Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) mode, where output from previous block are mixed with the plaintext of each block. The first block is mixed with the plaintext of each block. The block uses a special value called the Initialization Vector. Despite its size and rapid growth, the Web is still in its infancy. So is the software industry. We are just beginning to learn how to develop secure software, and we are beginning to understand that for our future, if it is to be online, we need to incorporate security into the basic underpinnings of everything we develop.

An Open Discussion Meeting Of Alcoholic s Anonymous At...

I spent the early evening this past Friday at an open discussion meeting of Alcoholic’s Anonymous at Boone’s own Club 12 establishment. I attended this meeting as an able-bodied young woman capable of hearing and seeing the happenings around me. The pressing concern on my mind for the evening was to consider barriers I might experience if I were attending this meeting as a deaf person. I immediately became aware upon entering the building and taking seat at a round, conference-style table arrangement that there was no sign language interpreter available. I asked the authority figure as to whether or not one could be provided and she was unable to accommodate. If I required a translator, it would be my responsibility to access a person to provide that service and bring them along with me to the meeting. This information immediately got me thinking about what course of action I would have to take if I were not only deaf but experiencing a socioeconomic crisis. As I sat in anticipation for the meeting to begin, I noticed a lot of sidebar conversations taking place. Women were chatting about various subjects simultaneously and I was only able to discern the beginning of the meeting from the cacophony when the group leader announced that it was time to begin. When she made that announcement, my gaze was fixed on another part of the room. I was only cued into the beginning of the meeting because I received an auditory signal. If I had been unable to receive this signal andShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesmoney From multiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experiencedRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesCongress Subject Headings: Principles and Application, Fourth Edition Lois Mai Chan Developing Library and Information Center Collections, Fifth Edition G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro Metadata and Its Impact on Libraries Sheila S. Intner, Susan S. Lazinger, and Jean Weihs Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide, Second Edition Ingrid Hsieh-Yee Introduction to Cataloging and Classification, Tenth Edition Arlene G. Taylor LIbRaRy and InfoRMaTIon

Ernesto Schiaparelli A Professor Of Ancient History

Ernesto Schiaparelli Nationality: Ernesto Schiaparelli was born on July 12, 1856 in Occhieppo Inferiore, Italy. His father, Louis was a professor of ancient history at the University of Turin thus resulting Schiaparelli to have a close connection to history at a young age. Schiaparelli started his studies with Francesco Rossi at the University of Turin however, continued to study them in Paris in the years of 1877 and 1880 with Gaston Maspero, a French Egyptologist. Background: Ernesto’s father was a professor of ancient history at the University of Turin, his cousin was the eminent astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, another one of his cousins was the Arabist Celestine and his grandson was an illustrator of scholars of palaeography and diplomatic Luigi Schiaparelli, including teacher at the most eminent of the University of Florence. Early career: For countless years, Schiaparelli was a director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. In 1884, it is known that Ernesto Schiaparelli was at Thebes for the first time. Due to common belief, it is thought to be of the reasoning as he was head of the Egyptian Department of the Archaeological Museum in Florence, therefore, he was seeking to gain antiquities for the Florentine collection. While Ernesto was at Thebes, he gained contact with the Friars of the Francisan Mission in Luxor; this was the foundation creating a friendship, allowing for acquisitions and future career opportunities within the field. For years, he was also head ofShow MoreRelatedErnesto Schiaparelli : A Professor Of Ancient History1192 Words   |  5 PagesErnesto Schiaparelli Nationality: Ernesto Schiaparelli was born on July 12, 1856 in Occhieppo Inferiore, Italy. His father, Louis was a professor of ancient history at the University of Turin thus resulting Schiaparelli to have a close connection to history at a young age. Schiaparelli started his studies with Francesco Rossi at the University of Turin however, continued to study them in Paris in the years of 1877 and 1880 with Gaston Maspero, a French Egyptologist. Background: Ernesto’s father

September 11, 2001. A National Newspaper Journalist Had

September 11, 2001. A national newspaper journalist had taken an infamous image during the destruction of the attacks on the twin towers. The image depicted an unknown man jump from one of the towers, choosing which way he wanted to die, because he was going to even if he didn t jump. The image was published in a newspaper the next day, shocking the nation. This upset the nation, due to the insensitivity of the produced image and story, as well as the alarming position that the unknown man was in as he plummeted to his death. This controversy has impacted our society in many ways, and has taught the future generations in journalism a very important lesson in the power that they have over the American people. Censorship is a common theme†¦show more content†¦The potential of such content being exposed without any censorship could be monumentally catastrophic. Some argue that censorship is placing false information or opinions that could be morally incorrect. Yet, that is just bad information, and not censorship. Bad information and hate speech are described, â€Å"Its aim is to compromise the dignity of those at whom it is targeted, both in their own eyes and in the eyes of other members of society. And it sets out to make the establishment and upholding of their dignity... much more difficult. It aims to besmirch the basics of their reputation, by associating ascriptive characteristics like ethnicity, or race, or religion with conduct or attributes that should disqualify someone from being treated as a member of society in good standing.† (Waldron.) Some information would also be available that would normally be restricted for specific reasons, such as porn. Pornography would not be restricted, and it would be open to the public as a television show is. Which would expose children and those who would rather not view such images to profanity. In cases of extreme images published, the lack of censorship could violate the privacy of victims depicte d and their families. The constant exposure to images that show things we would usually censor are seen as just images, and dull ourShow MoreRelatedRemembering September 11, 20012625 Words   |  11 Pages September 11, 2001 is a date in history that changed the lives of people from all over the world and especially the lives of Americans. On this day nineteen militant men associated with al-Qaeda, an Islamic extremist group, hijacked four airplanes and carried out multiple suicide attacks on different locations in the United States. Two of the planes directly struck the World Trade Center located in New York City, one of the other two planes hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the final planeRead MoreThe Chilean Press1602 Words   |  7 Pageseditorial freedom ever since the country’s first newspaper,† (RoughGuides). 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While there are new types of media available to the public, â€Å"Newspapers†¦ remain important†¦ because they are influential among the political elite† (GinsbergRead More Telling It Like It Is Essay3702 Words   |  15 PagesIt Is â€Å"My country, right or wrong,† is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, â€Å"My mother, drunk or sober.†Ã¢â‚¬â€G. K. Chesterton, The Defendant These are indeed desperate times. On September 11, 2001, America witnessed the worst act of terrorism in U.S. history. Grief-stricken, angry, and shocked, people from all over America came together in the face of tragedy and solidly affirmed their pride in the U.S.A. The outpouring of patriotismRead MoreTaliban Terrorist Operative Mullah Muhammad Omar1274 Words   |  6 PagesIn 2004, Omar stated that the Taliban were â€Å"hunting Americans like pigs.† Omar has been wanted by the FBI since 2001 for sheltering Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda members years prior to the September 11 attack. In Omar’s past, following the Soviet’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, the country fell into chaos as various factions fought for control. According to a legend, in 1994 he had a dream in which a woman told him. â€Å"We need your help; you must rise. You must end the chaos. God will help youRead MoreMoral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting3407 Words   |  14 PagesDeontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 8 Conclusion†¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 10 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...page 11 Introduction Journalists covering wars and conflicts are faced with numerous ethical dilemmas regarding professional codes of conduct, laws regulating national security and personal commitments to ideals such as the public’s right to know, and acting as the fourth estate (with the first three estates being the executive, legislativeRead MoreEssay on Politics and Religious Faith in the Media2880 Words   |  12 Pagessomberly watching the man on the screen. 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Literature review- burnout among construction workers Free Essays

string(132) " have been done to measure specifically the level of burnout among project managers within the South African construction industry\." A case of burnout among project managers in the South African construction Industry. Burnout Is a syndrome which Is commonly found among Individuals working In high pressure environments and is defined as a negative experience which results from the interaction between the individual and the environment (Yip and Rollins, 2009). Burnout is known to be a syndrome characterized by three dimensions; these dimensions being emotional exhaustion, cynicism and personal inefficacy; burnout affects individuals in a way that they are likely to feel as if they have a lack of energy, cynical attitude which causes distancing from work and are inclined to view themselves in a negative light causing them to feel dissatisfied with their achievements in the workplace (Miasmal et al, cited in Yip and Rollins, 2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Literature review- burnout among construction workers or any similar topic only for you Order Now The construction Industry Is a complex and demanding environment which consists of long working hours and as a result can cause mental and physical exhaustion (YIP and Rollins, 2009). Characteristics of the construction Industry which Include multilevel subcontracting, time pressure, constant worker rotation and an unstable work environment are what could contribute to the psychological stress experienced y managers in the construction industry; these stress causing factors are what justify studying the prevalence of burnout in the construction industry (Amelia and Bacterial, 2007). The level of burnout among project managers in the construction industry: Existing literature discusses burnout in terms of the three dimensions, emotional exhaustion, cynicism and personal inefficacy, and relates these constructs of burnout to turnover Intention, Job satisfaction, demographic characteristics, work engagement and organizational commitment; the literature also considers the prevalence of runt In the construction Industry and the effects thereof on the performance of employees. Emotional exhaustion occurs when an individual has been under too much burden and as a result their emotional resources have been used up (Kill, Pent and Selves, 2011). Cynicism is representative of the interpersonal dimension of burnout and refers to â€Å"a negative, callous, or excessively detached response to various aspects of the job† (Letter and Miasmal, 2004, p. 93). In addition, Letter and Miasmal (2004) notes that personal inefficacy relates to self-evaluation and refers to linings of incompetence, a lack of productivity and a lack of achievement in the work place. According to COB (cited In Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011) the construction Industry Is a stressful Industry where often, many of the professionals suffer from stress. Project managers in the construction industry take on the role of a middle ground departments, construction professionals, consultancies, contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers (Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011). Hamilton (cited in Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011), noted that a construction project manager acts as the leader of a empowers construction team during the different phases of a project life cycle. In addition to dealing with demanding time schedules, limited site resources and uncertainties, project managers also need to plan, organize and supervise the progress and safety of the work as well as motivate the teams on the construction site (Ritz, cited in cited in Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011). For construction project managers, interpersonal relationships is also needed to accomplish good performance (Disbarred, 1996; Lung et al. , 2009), thus, burnout among construction project managers can be considered to include exhaustion, cynicism, reduced reflections efficacy (Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011). According to Cherries and Brandenburg (cited in Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011), burnout starts with exposure to excessive Job stress which results from long and irregular working hours and produces strain among construction project managers which eventually leads to burnout. This is supported by Bowen, Edwards and Leningrad (2013) who states that in the construction industry, work hours are long and the inability to meet project objectives is sometimes caused by unexpected events. Based on a study of 108 construction project managers, the results showed that burnout mongo construction project managers occurs as a result of Job stress, the occurrence of burnout then acts as a catalyst for physiological stress (Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011). The study by Lung, Chain and Dungy (2011) correlates with the argument presented by Monster, Peters and Roost (201 1), which states that burnout results from high work demands which need to be dealt with under limited resources which leads to negative experiences which accumulate and results in burnout. Lung, Chain and Dungy (2011) states that it is important for project managers to recognize their Job stress in the early stages, from this point they recommend that takeovers assess the stress shown by the project managers and rearrange the work allocation accordingly; subsequent to this, firms should regularly monitor the level of stress and burnout shown by the project managers and offer sources of social support which could include non-work related gatherings. Contrary to the views shared by Lung, Chain and Dungy (2011) as well as Monster, Peters and Roost (201 1), which state that long working hours and high demands are what leads to Job stress and ultimately burnout, IBM et al (2011) argue that long working hours is not the main source of stress but rather budget related pressures ND ambitious deadlines. IBM et al (2011) do however agree with Ritz (cited in Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011), that factors which contribute to Job stress include high work volume and safety and security concerns on site. Brand-Leprechauns, Monster and Earthman (2012) discussed that over the past decade, work related well-being specifically related to burnout and work engagement Construction Regulations in South Africa introduced psychological well-being in the Occupational Health Safety Act; the purpose of this Act was to create a framework which ensures higher levels of health and safety in the industry (Deacon and Eke 006, cited in Brand-Leprechauns, Monster and Earthman, 2012). According to Bowen, Edwards and Leningrad (2013), the construction industry is known as a high- stress working environment which affects the health and well-being of the people in it. Based on the literature reviewed for the purpose of this study, it is evident that there are studies which discuss burnout within the context of the South African construction industry, however not many studies have been done to measure specifically the level of burnout among project managers within the South African construction industry. You read "Literature review- burnout among construction workers" in category "Literature" The existing research does however show that there clearly is evidence of burnout within the construction industry. Research done in Hong Kong by Lung, Chain and Dungy (2011) shows that burnout is highly prevalent among project managers in the construction industry and discusses the negative effects it has on the managers and the working environment as well as possible solutions to address the level of burnout experienced. Lung, Chain and Dungy (2011) states that for a study of this nature, questionnaire surveys as a method of data collection proves difficult to eliminate potential errors and therefore and recommend that qualitative data using semi-structured or non- structured interviews be used for rather research. Understanding the effects and consequences of burnout can thus be viewed as a preventative measure and the study thereof is therefore important and relevant in the South African context. Relationship between burnout and turnover intentions: A big question to the management of many firms is what influences an employee to leave the firm. Numerous studies have found that burnout and Job satisfaction are among the major influencer of turnover intentions. According to studies done by researchers such as Cotton and Tuttle (1986), turnover intention is the likelihood of an employee staying or leaving a company. However, Teeth and Meyer (1993) stated that turnover intention is when the employee is determined to leave the company. In addition, Fishbone and Zen, (1975) found an indication that employees make a conscious choice to leave before actually leaving their Jobs. Bark et al. (2001) discussed that several research that has been done used intent to leave instead of actual turnover as measures for turnover intentions. For example, Cotton and Tuttle (1986) found that people are more likely to leave an organization when their expectations have not been met. However, Ghana and Fen (2011) indicate that many, UT not all factors of both Job satisfaction and burnout prove to be relevant factors affecting turnover intention. Choc et al (2012) found that managing Job burnout is important for decreasing turnover intentions and show that turnover intentions can be explained by the factors of Job burnout: emotional exhaustion, diversification, and reduced personal accomplishment. Between Job burnout and turnover intentions in various settings. Sings et al. 1994) stated that Job burnout is a generalized construct including emotional exhaustion, diversification, and decreased achievements and proved that Job burnout has did detrimental effects on Job outcomes, through increased employee turnover, reduced Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and Job performance. Schaeffer and Beaker (2004) stressed that Job burnout specifically including emotional exhaustion and diversification is an important predictor of turnover intentions for companies. The argument by Choc et al (2012) agrees with that of Schaeffer and Beaker (2004) which states that burnout is a predictor of turnover intention, however Choc et al (2012) discusses that all the dimensions of burnout are positively related to turnover intentions. In addition, Letter and Miasmal, (2009) established that burnout and high workload increase the level of employee intention. Furthermore, Leather and Mach (2009) discuss that all burnout factors are among the main causes for turnover intentions and that these results are supported by other studies within different industries. However, Demerit et. Al (2001) states that high Job stresses together with lack of resources most likely cause burnout. Briar et al (2013) tested the impact of very stressful Jobs and found that emotional Job demands are causes for burnout, specifically related to exhaustion and cynicism. Lachrymal and Aryan, (1986) and Sorensen Sorensen, (1974) both argue that the reasons for turnover intention rely on the assumption that the basic conflict between loyalties experienced mostly by professionals negatively affects their work attitudes, and hence leads to turnover intentions. Ghana and Fen (2011) show that many but not all factors of Job satisfaction and burnout are applicable dynamics affecting turnover intention. Letter and Miasmal (2009) also found that there may be limited mediation effects of burnout, mainly through emotional exhaustion, within the impact of Job satisfaction on turnover intention, Choc et al (2012) showed that financial prizes were effective in decreasing turnover intentions under diversification. However, financial rewards increased turnover intentions under reduced personal accomplishment. In addition, career paths were effective in decreasing turnover under both diversification and reduced personal accomplishment. Choc et al (2012) goes on to show how complex it is for managers to implement Just one set of policies to reduce all problems. Many studies that have been conducted, (Briar et al. (2013), Cotton and Tuttle (1986), Cohen(1999), Choc et al (2012)) all conclude that there is a positive relationship teens burnout and turnover intention in which they add that if the burnout factors are not managed properly it is likely to cause an increase in turnover intention. Relationship between burnout and organizational commitment: According to Corded (1993), emotional exhaustion is the main characteristic of burnout. Emotional exhaustion is characterized by a somatic and psychological are depleted, when the possibility of resources being depleted is high, in scenarios whereby an individual’s resources are insufficient enough to carry out work requirements or when expected results are not acquired by the resources (Hobble, 1988). Hobble (1989) described these resources as an individual’s personal attributes, circumstances, limitations or vigor that represents the individual’s ability to achieve work demands. Social support, promotions, the level of participation during decision making processes, independence and reward incentives are all examples of resources (Lee and Seaports, 1996). Wright and Cropland (1998) described compromising situations in the workplace, workload and conflict as work demands. Emotional exhaustion takes place when individuals believe they do not have the adequate resources to meet work demands (Hobble, 1989). Organizational ointment has a negative relationship with an individual’s resources that are required to meet organizational demands (Wright and Cropland, 1998). The pressure to meet organizational demands eventually leads to Job stress which, if left untreated, could lead potentially lead to emotional exhaustion (Wright and Cropland, 1998). Emotional exhaustion, in turn, diminishes organizational commitment (Lee and Seaports, 1996). Miasmal (2003) speculated that organizational commitment has a negative relationship with burnout. Individuals who experience high levels of burnout affect their fellow colleagues negatively, bringing about conflict n the workplace and disturbing work activities (Miasmal, 2003). Wright and Cropland (1998), however, argue that despite the fact that emotional exhaustion diminishes organizational commitment, practical evidence for this particular research is lacking. Research on burnout has classically been based on the principle that it affects employees’ organizational commitment negatively (Lee and Seaports 1996). As is apparent with the research analyses above, studies have obtained evidence that burnout causes decreased levels of organizational commitment Jackson et al. 1987, Letter and Miasmal 1988). However, there are studies which show that the relationship between burnout and commitment could possibly operate in the opposite direction, that is; organizational commitment could possibly cause burnout (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). In a study conducted by Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie (1998), results verify that organizational commitment had equally direct and indirect consequences on burnout. The study, which focused on nurses, demonstrated that a huge commitment to the organization had a positive relationship with levels of emotional exhaustion (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). Put simply, these results maintain the argument that, in extremely demanding work environments, organizational commitment may be a major attributer of burnout (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). Schaeffer and Bunk (1996) suggested that employees with low levels of commitment tend to withdraw from the work environment and are likely to experience the penalties of heavily stressed work environment a whole lot more than their fellow employees who are highly committed to the organization. This is quite similar to the results found by Begley and Chukka (1993), which discovered that organizational commitment intensified the correlation teens stress and Job discontentment among nurses. In a study involving technicians, results demonstrated that organizational commitment has varying Gillespie, 1998). Different elements of burnout are not only more outstanding for varying professions, in addition, the possible attribution to burnout and the penalties of burnout could be highly variable (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). Lee and Seaports (1996) asserted that additional research should make the methodical contrast of the burnout occurrence of a variety of professions a focal point of research. Currents studies have several restrictions (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). Finally, while preceding studies have focused largely on the consequences of burnout on employees’ level of organizational commitment, other studies have established that it is likewise imperative to take into consideration the effects of organizational commitment on burnout (Goliath, Drilldown and Gillespie, 1998). Relationship between burnout and Job satisfaction: A pleasurable or positive emotional state as a result of Job experience or the appraisal of the Job is known as Job satisfaction (Digitalis, Ketosis’s and Toga, cited in Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes, 2013). According to War (cited in Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes, 2013), Job satisfaction can occur as a result of remuneration, work relationships, working conditions, Job security, promotional prospects, training opportunities and the nature of the Job. Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes (2013) who conducted a study based on work well-being in a medical laboratory setting in South Africa, states that the results of the study in this environment found that exhaustion and cynicism which are dimensions of burnout are significantly negatively related to Job satisfaction. Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes (2013) also state that Job satisfaction is the strongest component of well- being in the work place. Oozed, Graciously and Wildfire (2013) agrees with the argument put forward by Digitalis, Ketosis’s and Toga (cited in Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes, 2013) which states that Job satisfaction is an emotional state, however according to Oozed, Graciously and Wildfire (2013), Job satisfaction is also a behavioral expression which shows an individual’s evaluation of their work, working life and working environment. According to Oozed, Graciously and Wildfire 2013), who conducted a study in Turkey based on the relationship between burnout and Job satisfaction among nurses found that nurses who suffer with emotional exhaustion and diversification have lower scores for Job satisfaction whereas those nurses who experience higher levels of personal achievement have greater levels of Job satisfaction. Thus, the study conducted by Oozed, Graciously and Wildfire (2013) supports the findings by Marinas and Van Deer Westernizes (2013) which states that a negative relationship exists between Job satisfaction and the dimensions of burnout. Similarly, a study conducted by Digitalis, Ketosis’s and Toga (2004) among librarians in academic libraries in Greece shows that Job satisfaction is negatively related to emotional exhaustion and diversification while a positive relationship exists between personal achievement and Job satisfaction. To further confirm the findings by other researchers, a study conducted in the hospitality industry in Istanbul by Kill, Polite and Selves (2011) notes that the study of the relationship between burnout and Job satisfaction is important for business managers and practitioners and furthermore found that within this industry, runt. Few studies have been conducted which focus specifically on the relationship between burnout and Job satisfaction among project managers in the construction industry; a study was however conducted based on construction project managers’ health in the UK by Love and Edwards (2005). According to Love and Edwards (2005), Job satisfaction among construction workers is defined as a â€Å"match between the rewards offered by the work environment and the individual’s preferences for those rewards†. The study by Love and Edwards (2005) used a measurement scale developed by War et al (cited in Love and Edwards, 2005) to assure Job satisfaction; the scale includes the factors of work conditions, management, promotion, salary, Job security and co-workers as variables of Job satisfaction. Recommendations for managing stress, health and Job satisfaction among project managers in the construction industry includes training construction project managers to adopt and implement strategies to cope with their stress as well as providing support mechanisms within the firm (Love and Edwards, 2005). A South African study which looks at burnout and Job satisfaction among nurses shows that two factors were yielded when measuring Job satisfaction; these factors include reflections advancement and reward as one factor and leave as another factor (Sloppier et al. , 2012). The results of the study show that the most dissatisfaction was experienced with regards to wages, opportunities for advancement and study leave (Sloppier et al. , 2012). Sloppier et al. (2012) argue that Job satisfaction and burnout are related and furthermore that a positive environment leads to increased Job satisfaction and lower levels of burnout. In agreement with Oozed, Graciously and Wildfire (2013), the study by Sloppier et al. (2012) states that the degree of burnout in he nursing industry in South Africa is strongly correlated to that of Job satisfaction. A review of existing literature on burnout and the constructs thereof show that there are many arguments by various researchers which correlate with each other. In this review, the dimensions of burnout are clearly identified as emotional exhaustion, cynicism and personal efficacy (Letter and Miasmal, 2004). The review of literature with regards to the level of burnout among project managers in the construction industry shows that the complex nature of the Job is likely to cause Job stress which is a predictor of burnout (Lung, Chain and Dungy, 2011). A gap was identified in the lack of literature which exists based on project managers in the construction industry in South Africa and specifically the levels of burnout among them. Furthermore, the review of existing literature shows that researchers have adopted different definitions for the term turnover intentions’, despite this a clear correlation in results exists which shows that a relationship does exist between turnover intention and burnout. Similarly, the review of literature relating organizational commitment and burnout shows that a relationship does exist between the two variables. A clear lack f literature when reviewing the literature based on burnout related to turnover intention, Job satisfaction, organizational commitment and demographic factors is evident. This lack of literature shows that there is a need for further research on these work-related outcomes not only among project managers but within the construction industry in South Africa as a whole. Service employees’ burnout levels related to demographic characteristics: According to Miasmal (2003), individuals to the working environment alone. These attributes include demographics, personal traits as well as beliefs that stem from the working environment (Miasmal, 003). Miasmal (2003) affirmed that a number of these attributes are correlated to burnout. The area of interest in this instance is demographic characteristics. Miasmal (2003) put forward that age is the variable that is most constantly correlated to burnout, among the available demographic variables. It was reported that younger employees, under the ages of 30 and 40, experience high levels of burnout (Miasmal, 2003). This is attributed to the fact that age is disconcerted with the individuals level of work experience and it is for this reason that the younger employees experience higher levels of burnout (Miasmal, 2003). Miasmal (2003) allowed up with the sex demographic and concluded that this particular demographic was not an efficient forecaster of burnout. Results from previously conducted research suggested that female employees are characterized with higher levels of burnout, while other results characterized men with higher levels of burnout (Miasmal, 2003). Also, some research results were inconclusive, with very little difference between the levels of burnout experienced by men and women (Miasmal, 2003). Regarding marital status, Miasmal (2003) discovered that individuals who were not married experienced higher levels of burnout than those who were aired. Furthermore, single individuals experienced higher levels of burnout than divorced individuals (Miasmal, 2003). Miasmal (2003) then explored the level of education and came to conclude that individuals with a higher level of education experience higher levels of burnout than those who are less educated. In a study conducted by Corded (1993), she suggested that there are certain demographic variables that have proven to contribute to the Justification of why certain individuals experience high levels of burnout and why others are somewhat immune to burnout demographic variables. Men and women have frequently reported discrepancies in the levels of burnout experienced, however, there is inconclusive evidence pertaining to the pattern and complications of relationships (Lemmas, Rafter, Purdue, and Ruddiest, 1987). Studies conducted by Anderson and Knick (1984) also suggested that younger employees constantly reported higher levels of burnout compared to employees who were much older. Employees who were more experienced reported extremely low levels of burnout thus concluding that, the older and more experienced an employee, the lower the reported levels of burnout (Anderson and Knick, 1984). Miasmal and Jackson (1985) further asserted that individuals who were married experienced very low levels of burnout compared to individuals who are not married and experienced considerably higher levels of burnout. Individuals who have children experienced lower levels of burnout compared to individuals who had no children and experienced higher levels of burnout (Miasmal and Jackson, 1985). To conclude, Corded (1993) affirmed that based on the available literature today, she believes that the burnout trend requires more consideration by researchers whose focus of study is stress processes in the work environment. Burnout seems to be a extinctive kind of a stress pattern that takes into account the awareness of emotional of reduced personal achievement (Corded, 1993). How to cite Literature review- burnout among construction workers, Essays

Message Boards and their Abuse Trolls Essay Example For Students

Message Boards and their Abuse: Trolls Essay Lee ThomasSep. 28 2001Message Boards and their Abuse: TrollsNowadays, anybody with and internet connection can go online and chat with a variety of peers. One of the most common places to chat is bulletin pages known as message boards. Messages written on these boards stay on the boards for everyone to view. Overtime, as people on the boards get to know each other, message boards usually end up being a part of a community. Yet, with all the activity and chatter a message board supplies, there are nuisances as well. Adolescents who go on the computer usually want to start trouble or irritate others. These people are called trolls. Trolls are a very troublesome problem in the message board community. Trolls usually post beliefs that are not well respected within the message board community. Take a sports message board for example. A troll on a sports message board would usually say that the team that specific board supports sucks and the troll would go on to brag how his or her team is superior. Trolls usually do this on consistent bases to annoy the other members on the board. Trolls also can abuse a message board by spamming or flooding the board. Some message boards have website problems where one can click the submit button a thousand times and then his or her message would be posted the amount of times the spammer clicked submit. Trolls can also find ways to exploit message boards into using censored words. If a message board censors out bad language, one can put message board code like i/i between the censored word and it will bypass the censor system. Smart trolls can also program scripts to post a specific message during a specific time frame (every 30 seconds, for example). Egotistical trolls usually try to imitate other members on the board by making screen names that look similar to the members being impersonated. This can be done by such methods as putting an underscore before after the persons name or exchanging syllables with letters ( for example, exchange the letter L with the number 1). When impersonating, a troll will usually try to act li ke the normal person at first to fool the community and then try to wreck that persons image by posting obscene remarks. Trolls are just trying to cause trouble on the message boards. Trolls are the main cause of message board abuse. They do not try to work with the community, but rather try to destroy it. A trolls activity can lead some members of a message board community to leave the message board for good. If enough people leave, the message board could end up having a lonely death. Some message boards are trying to stop trolling by banning insecure members and blocking IP addresses, but anonymous web surfing tools can wither this obstacle for trolls. Other message boards attempt to go private, but without new members, the community would fade and eventually die. Overall, the abuse of trolling is wrecking the experience of using message boards for many members and there is little to do to stop it. Word Count: 522 Bibliography: none