Absurdity of a Sivilized Society-an Analysis of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Absurdity of a Sivilized Society-an Analysis of Huckleberry Finn Essay The Absurdity of a â€Å"Sivilized† Society Authors often express their views on any given subject through their works, and Mark Twain is no exception. One may read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and believe it is simply a novel about a young boys childhood; however, a deeper analysis of the text reveals many of Mark Twain’s expressions about important moral and social issues. Perhaps one of the most prominent being the frailty of human justice and the hypocrisy we as a people foster in our societies. Throughout the novel, Huck meets people who appear to be good, civilized people, but always end up having a hypocritical fault about them. Though not every instance is a grave matter, Twain’s writing shows that societies in Huck’s world are based upon corrupted laws and principles that defy basic logic. Twain’s writing leaves the reader with an understanding that cowardice, illogical choices, and selfish as well as hypocritical people mark these societies. Twain begins weaving hypocrisies and cants early into the story; one of the most appalling being the issue of Huck’s custody. This flawed system of thought is first shown when the new judge in St. Petersburg rules that Pap has rightful custody of Huck. Although this would be bad for Huck if his father became his legal guardian, the judge asserts Pap’s rights to Huck as his biological son, despite the fact that this is placing Huck’s welfare below the so-called rights of his father. Ironically, this system would put Huck under his dad’s custody, leaving him worse off, whereas Jim is separated from his family despite being a far better father and person. However, the welfare of the individual isn’t highly valued in society, and thus they are placed in uncomfortable, often dangerous situations. The judge tries to put Huck back in contact with his horrid father and therefore abuse, but Jim, a loving parent, never receives help to be with his children and help rescue them from slavery and separation. This decision defies all logic one would find in a normal society, and yet this kind of thinking was commonplace. The values and welfare of a black person were nowhere near as important as those of a white man, and even though Jim is a grown man with the most in tune moral compass of any character in the book, Huck still has power over him simply because he is white. By comparing the situation of Pap and Huck with slaves and their masters, Twain hints that it is impossible for a society to be civilized so long as it practices slavery. Though not quite as harmful, another example of a hypocritical character can be found in the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. In an attempt to â€Å"sivilize† Huckleberry, Miss Watson reprimands him for smoking a cigarette and yet she snuffs tobacco. â€Å"Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. She said it was a mean practice and wasn’t clean, and I must try to not do it any more†¦ And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself† (Twain 2). She prevents Huck from doing what she believes is uncivilized and detrimental to his health, yet doesn’t think twice about proceeding to do something very similar simply because she herself enjoys it. This example of hypocrisy is not particularly malicious, but yet another example of how all the characters Huck is involved with has some form of a hypocritical flaw. Furthermore, Miss Watson is quite religious and, in efforts to teach Huck, tells him that all he must do is pray for something and he will have it. However, when Huck needs fishhooks and asks her to help pray for them, she calls him a fool. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warnt so. I tried it. Once I got a fish- line, but no hooks. It warnt any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldnt make it make it work. By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. (Twain 8). Miss Watson tells Huck that if he does something, he can expect a certain result but when things don’t work, he asks for her help and she chides him for it! The widow Douglas and Miss Watson are religious, educated, and yet, they are slave owners. They educate Huck, and teach him religion but find it perfectly acceptable to do things contrary to their teachings, such as snuff and practice slavery. The latter, being a more insidious humbug of St. Petersburg, is shown over and over again throughout Huck’s journey. As Huck begins to stray from his backwards, insincere town, he reaches different places with different people, all different in their own way and yet, very similar to those in St. Petersburg. The Duke and Dauphin are two despicable con men who join Huck and Jim as they continue to drift on the river. The Duke and Dauphin cause trouble for Huck and Jim, as well as the towns they visit. The fault here is that, the Duke and Dauphin are able to scam entire communities by lying, pretending to be someone they’re not, and cheating their guests. Though they spend most of the novel doing awful things or planning awful things, they both are hardly punished. After the first showing of The Royal Nonesuch, the first group of attendees realizes they have been cheated. However, instead of chastising the Duke and Dauphin, the audience that night chooses to lie about the performance in order to cheat a second group of attendees. Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen. † They stopped to listen. â€Å"We are sold—mighty badly sold. But we don’t want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. NO. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the REST of the town! Then we’ll al l be in the same boat. Ain’t that sensible? † (You bet it is! —the jedge is right! † everybody sings out. ) â€Å"All right, then—not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy. † (Twain 114). Most hypocritical, however, is the fact that the Judge of the town conceived this plan. He who stands as a pillar of justice and truth in the town decides to cheat the others in order to save face. By the third night, everyone in town has seen the play and the Duke and Dauphin make a large profit from their misconduct. Immoral acts committed by the Duke and Dauphin never yielded punishments, but brazen, drunk insults led to execution. Boggs, described as the â€Å"most easy going old fool in Arkansas†, began shouting insults and anathemas at Sherburn, the man who had cheated him. He [Sherburn] was standing perfectly still in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right hand—not aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky†¦ Boggs throws up both of his hands and says, â€Å"O Lord, don’t shoot! † Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the air—bang! goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. † (Twain 108). The Duke and Dauphin cheat entire communities and remain unpunished by their terrible acts; however, peccadilloes like shouting drunken insults result in execution. Twain’s writing exposes the issue of faulty justice and duplicitous nature of men. Furthermore, Sherburn’s speech to the angry mob around his house in relation to a lack of logic and cowardice capitulates Twain’s societal views. Twain’s use of hypocrisy helps express his views on societal issues. Though not every instance is harmful, such as Miss Watson’s snuff usage, other notable examples such as the execution of Boggs and the custody of Huck highlight his belief that cowardice, lack of logic, and selfishness are at the core of society, not the communal welfare that it should be. The repeated instances of insecure, logic defying justice are the root of the problem, as thoughtless crimes are punished severely whereas serious crimes go scot-free. Throughout the novel, Huck meets characters that appear good, yet Twain makes a conscious effort to prove they are prejudiced slave owners. The illogical choices and hypocritical people presented throughout the novel show the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the â€Å"sivilized† society.

Adaptation of Modern African-American Writers Essay -- Lucille Clifton

Adaptation of Modern African-American Writers Modern writers learn from the past by reading works written by authors of that particular era. Contemporary African-American writers gain knowledge and insight into the horrendous and sometimes harmonious conditions that plagued Africans during slavery and the slave trade. By reading the actual words, thoughts, and feelings of these enslaved Africans, modern writers receive information from the perspective of the victimized. Lucille Clifton's "slaveship" is a vivid example of a contemporary writer borrowing from the past to depict another account of the slave trade. The fact that Clifton's father told her stories about her family's struggle and she, herself, traced her lineage back to Dahomey, West Africa helped to impact the tone, ideas, and imagery used in her poem. Although "slaveship" is not written by someone who has experienced slavery herself, it does use similar elements found in Olaudah Equiano's Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Broug ht from Africa to America". Clifton's "slaveship" begins with the image of people tightly packed and close together in the bottom of a ship. The narrator says that they were "loaded like spoons into the belly of Jesus" (lines 1-2). Later in the poem, the narrator describes being "chained to the heart of the Angel" (line 8). Equiano also speaks of the crowded conditions he faced on his journey to America. He states that he "was soon put down under the decks" (p 157) where "this wretched situation was again aggravated by the gallings of chains" (p 159). The human cargo on these slave ships endured weeks and months of dreadful and disgusting odors as a result of these cramped conditions. Clifton's slav... ...Equiano at the end of Chapter Two. He says, "O, ye nominal Christians might not an African ask you, learned this from your God, who says unto you, Do unto men as you would men should do unto you" (p 161). In order to give an accurate depiction of life during the Atlantic Slave Trade, contemporary African ‚American writers must research and read to find out exactly how life was for those enslaved. The opinions and thoughts of those who endured and survived this wretched time are valuable pieces of information about what was happening. Modern writers, such as Lucille Clifton, adapt from previous writers. Without having lived during that particular time, modern African-American writers must rely on past authors and their knowledge of human nature to put forth accurate stories with the purpose of educating and informing today's readers about America's ugly history.

Family Business Plan Essay

Besides that, Ming Yi Feeds is operated in the category of control and management of family member. All the important thing and decision is making by themselves but not the outsider. The business is the first generation and established for 8 years. The founder of Ming Yi Feeds Sdn Bhd is not currently planning his retirement and is not deciding to pass the ownership of the company to anyone since he is still young and is able to run the business. The succession factor of the company is the father of the CEO is highly support for the business. And one of the biggest customers of the company is the BM Lean Huat Chan a chicken farming company own by the CEO’s father. The supportive family members of the CEO is participating themselves in the business and the support from their father made the company successful. The business is kept private and confidential to the public as well as their family. The only persons able to access the business information are the CEO and his father. This is because all the business information is crucial to the company like their supplier and customers. The founder does not have any interested to sell their family business, because the owner dreams to remain the business in their family. However, in order to expand their business, shareholder may be required to gain some capital, but the family will still holding the majority share compare to other shareholders. The company is implementing a basic compensation method which is base salary and allowances. However, there is a bonus to every employee every year and the amount is based on the performance in the particular year. Background Information Company address: Plot 31, Jalan Perindustrian Bukit Minyak 9, Taman Perindustrian Bukit Minyak, 14100 Simpang Empat. Telephone No: 04-5078488 Fax No: 04-5086488 Types of Business Entity: Sendirian Berhad Work Force: Presently 20 Staff Member Building Particular: offices 24 X 98 feet Turnover per year: RM 100 million Profit Margin: 0 ~ 1 % Quality Policy Mr. Seah said that they are committed to consistently provide the quality product and services to satisfy or exceed customer’s expectations through continuous process improvement, adequately trained and developed work force and on time delivery. Vision Ming Yi wants to be a competitive manufacturer in agriculture product in Malaysia. Mission Ming Yi Feeds is committed to bringing the best and safe agriculture product to Malaysia agriculture industry through its innovative R&D department, facilities and services offering. Objective Ming Yi Feeds wants to further boost its sale by 10% in the next two years. Organization Chart Role of Family Members Chief Executive Officer – Seah Yeok Chee the CEO is responsible in making decision and ensures the smoothness of the business operation as well as the sale of the company. He is the eldest son in the family. General Manager – Kuo Yee Mei the GM is assisting the CEO in daily operation. She is responsible in maintaining stock level. She is the wife of the CEO Mr. Seah. Financial & Human Resources Manager – Seah Ai Ling the financial and human resources manager is responsible in the financial division in the company as well as recruitment and selection of new employees. She is the sister of the CEO. Operation Manager – Seah Yeok Chew the operation manager is responsible in the feed production process and ensures the quality of the product to meet the standard. He is the younger brother to the CEO. Conflict * Connectivity There is lack of connection between the company and the entire market, because most of materials are come from family member (other business entity in the same family). So, the cost is slightly higher. * Management problem The hierarchy level and the authority are unclear. Which are the difference / gap between first generation (father) and second generation (son). * Concept The company is implementing a conservative approach. The company is not actively sought for new customer and do not take risk in new investment. Solution * The company communicates to the market and gets other suppliers in order to minimize the cost. By this the company found different supplier and compare the price. * The authority among father and son are differentiated clearly. So, the decision made by the son is not affected by the father. In order to achieve the company vision and mission, they do some investment in marketing their product to new customer. Business Activity * Selling feeds * Selling Raw Material to others supplier especially Maize and Soya bean * Others services Raw Material The main raw materials are Maize, Soya bean meal, Corn gluten meal, Broken Rice, Feed Wheat, Salt, Meat and Bone, DCP, Feed Oil / Cooking Oil and Vaccine all the ingredients of grain are l ocally available at low prices but some vitamins other ingredients will need to be imported. Product Manufacturing Process The compound feed preparation process requires 1. High accuracy and precision of weighing 2. Feed ingredient handling and processing 3. Mixing 4. Packing 5. Labeling Process Flow Diagram Compound Feed Process flow of UBM Formula of Feeds R1 – 12 – 10 ( 8107C ) Group| Name| Amount| Big Scale| Corn| 1058| | SBM Hipro| 478| Liquid| Olien / Cooking Oil| 48| Bin| C. G. M | 70| | Feed Wheat| 100| | DDGS ( Low-Pro )| 100| | MBM| 70| Hand-add| D. C. P 18%| 14| | Limestone Powder| 9| | Salt| 0. 50| | Sodium Humate| 10| Premix | Premix Merah| 1 X| | Premix 8107| 1 X| L-Lysine| 9. 84| | DL-Methionine| 6. 58| | Choline Chloride 60%| 2. 40| | Toxisorb| 3. 00| | Natuphos ( 5000G )| 0. 30| | | 1979. 62| Types of Feeds * 8107 Crumbles * 8207 Crumbles * 8207 Pellet * 8307 Pellet * 8107 c is for the chicken ( 1-8 days old ) * 8207c is for the chicken ( 9-14 days old) * 8207p is for the chicken ( 15- 21 days old ) * 8307p is for the chicken ( 22days – selling ) Location Tanker for storage raw material Packaging process Photo of the storage exist Loading process Working condition Weight the feeds and truck before send to the farm

Literature Review of Research related to Performance Appraisal - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4210 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? This chapter served as the foundation for the development of this study. An overview of the extensive historical research related to performance appraisal,as well as the theories of motivation related to performance appraisals is presented. 2.1 Performance Appraisal System 2.1.1 Meaning of performance: There are different views on what performance means. According to Brumbrach (1988, cited in Armstrong, 2000): Performance can be actions as well as their consequences. Behaviours originate from a performer and convert performance from a concept to an act. Not just the instruments for results, behaviours are also outcomes in their own right the product of mental and physical effort applied to tasks and can be judged apart from results. The above definition considers performance to be involving both the actions, in other word behaviours, taken during the process in attempting to achieve goals and outputs obtained as a result from the effort. Following this, Armstrong (2000) emphasizes the need for managers to deal with the potential of employees and accomplishments while managing performance. To determine if performance has been achieved, measures have to be developed to appraise the accomplishments and establish the rate at which it has been accomplished. Above all, performance should be about the decision and action taken with available information at any existing situation. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Literature Review of Research related to Performance Appraisal" essay for you Create order 2.1.2 Performance Management System (PMS) Noe et al (2006) define performance management as the process through which managers ensure that employees activities and outputs are congruent with the organisations goals.The concept of performance management has contributed a lot in the development Human Resource Management in recent years. The concept was first coined by Beer and Ruh in 1976. However, it is barely in the mid 1980s that it had been accepted as a distinctive approach. Performance Management is widely being used in organizations so as to obtain the best results by trying to improve performance of the workforce. Goals and standards are being planned well beforehand in order to get satisfied outcomes. 2.1.3 Performance Appraisal System (PAS) Performance appraisal also known as performance review, formally documents the achievements of an individual with regards to set targets. It is a component of PMS. The system has become an essential management tool in todays organizations. Managing employees performance can be said to be as important as any other work that all managers execute during the year. Grote (2002) describes performance appraisal as a formal management tool that helps evaluate the performance quality of an employee. Schneier and Beatty as cited in Patterson (1987) define it as a process which apart from evaluating also identifies and develops human performance. According to Karol (1996) performance appraisal includes a communication event planned between a manager and an employee specifically for the purpose of assessing that employees past job performance and discussing areas for future improvement. 2.1.4 History of PAS The history of performance appraisal is fairly concise. Appraisal really began with the Second World War. It was used to assess results. Dulewicz (1989) says that there is an indispensable human inclination to judge the work of other people as well as ones own work.It can thus be said that appraisal is both unavoidable and universal. Even without the existence of a planned appraisal system, one can have a tendency and find it natural to evaluate the job performance of another easily and subjectively. Performance appraisal was seen in the industry in early 1800. Randell (1994) identified its use in Robert Owens use of silent monitors in the cotton mills of Scotland. The Silent monitors were in terms of blocks of wood with different colours painted on each visible side and it was hung above each employees work station. At the end of the day, the block was turned so that a particular colour, representing a grade of the employees performance, could be seen by everyone. (Weise and Buckley, 1998) Subjective evidence indicates that this practice had a facilitating influence on subsequent behavior. Spriegel(1962) and Weise and Buckley(1998) affirm that by the early 1950s, 61 per cent of organizations regularly used performance appraisals, compared with only 15 per cent immediately after World War II. DeVries et al. (1981) pointed out the primary tool to be the trait-rating system, which focused on past actions, using a standard, numerical scoring system to appraise people on the basis of a previously established set of dimensions. The main tool, used under here was trait rating system. The concept of Management by Objective (MBO) was first proposed by Peter Drucker in 1954. Mcgreror then used it in the appraisal process in the year 1957. He suggested that, employees should be appraised on the basis of short-term goals, rather than traits, which are jointly set by the employee and the manager. Weise and Buckley (1998) affirm that this method was very advantageous as it lead to a transformation of a managers role from being a judge to a helper. It also showed that employees productivity ultimately leads to performance. However, when employees performance was measured on the basis of units, then MBO was ineffective. This lead to new development in the appraisal process and the employees were evaluated on the basis of behaviour based rating. Smith and Kendall (1963) designed the first tool to focus on behaviors and it was the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS). 2.1.5 Modern Appraisal Todays performance appraisal process has evolved into a more planned and formal process. It is used as a means which helps identify and compare employees performances. The appraisals data are frequently being used to review several Human Resources decision. It can determine any need for career developments and trainings. For issues such as raise in salaries, rewards and promotions, employers are more and more making use of the appraisals results. Appraisals have now developed into a regular and intervallic system in organizations, normally carried out at least once a year. When talking about the modern approach to appraisal, the term feedback cannot be ignored. The one-to-one discussion between supervisors and subordinates gives rise to feedback and is referred to as the feedback process. This process can improve communication all through the organization but also it can reinforce employees relationships with their superiors. This is so as the workers have the feeling that they do matter to the organization and that their needs are being taken into consideration. The performance appraisal system has most likely become a future-oriented approach as it aims to improve future performances by considering present problems. 2.1.6 Purposes of PAS The most known purpose of performance appraisal is to improve performance of individuals. Cummings and Shwab (1973) held that performance appraisal has basically two important purposes, from an organizational point of view and these are: 1. The maintenance of organizational control 2. The measurement of the efficiency with which the organizations human resources are being utilized. Still, there are also a variety of other declared purposes for appraisal as per Bratton and Gold (2003) and Bowles and Coates (1993) and some are; improving motivation and morale of the employees, clarifying the expectations and reducing the uncertainty about performance, determining rewards, identifying training and development needs, improving communication, selecting people for promotion, discipline, planning corrective actions and setting targets. Furthermore, Bowles and Coates (1993) conducted a postal survey of 250 West Midland companies in June 1992, where organizations were asked ques tions pertaining to the use of Performance management in the organization. These questions included the apparent purpose of PA in the management of work, its strengths and weaknesses. Through their survey they found out that PA was beneficial in the following ways: PA was favorable in developing the communication between employer and employee It was useful in defining performance expectations It helped identified training needs. Performance appraisal can thus be used as an effective tool to improve employees job performance by identifying strengths and weaknesses, meeting of targeted goals and providing training if needed. 2.1.7 Techniques of PAS There are several commonly used techniques of performance appraisal as reviewed by Oberg (1972). They are as follows: Essay Appraisal, Paired Comparison, Graphic Review Scale, Weighted Checklist, Person to Person Rating, Forced Ranking, Critical Incidents. The above techniques were the traditional ones but the methods most widely used today are: Management by Objectives Employees are requested to put up their own performance objectives. They are then judged through these objectives by verifying whether they were satisfied or not. However, in many cases organizations themselves set their standards and goals even after consulting employees. 360 Degree Feedback 360 Degree Feedback is a process in which employees receive private and anonymous feedback from the people who work around them. Kettley (1997) says that when an individual receives feedback from different sources of the organization, including peers, subordinate staff, customers and themselves, the proce ss is called 360 degree feedback or appraisal. The employee is then assessed using those received feedback 2.1.8 Feedback Feedback about the effectiveness of an individuals behavior has long been recognized as essential for learning and for motivation in performance-oriented organizations. Ilgen et al.(1979) stated that feedback is considered as an important tool in performance appraisalprocess. Feedback can be a useful tool for development, especially if it is specific and behaviorally oriented, as well as both problem-oriented and solution-oriented according to Murphy and Cleveland (1995). One of the basic purposes of formal appraisal process is the provision of clear and performance based feedback to employees. Carroll and Scheiner(1982) affirmed that some organisations use feedback as a development tool,while in some organizations it is used for merit evaluation and compensation adjustment. McEvoy and Buller(1987),Wohlers and Gallagher( 1990) contributed that feedback is very essential for the employees because it forms a baseline for the employees which help them to get a review of their past per formance and chance to improve their skills for the future. Ashford (1986) says that when feedback is considered as a valuable resource, then only the individuals feel motivated to seek it, which helps in reducing uncertainty and provides information relevant to self-evaluations. There is also evidence that performance feedback (if given appropriately) can lead to substantial improvements in future performance (Guzzo et al., 1985; Kopelman, 1986; Landy et al., 1982) Fedor et al. (1989); Ilgen et al. (1979) identified that it is commonly accepted that negative feedback is perceived as less accurate and thus less accepted by recipients than positive feedback.Furthermore, Fedoret al. (1989) found that negative performance appraisal feedback was less accepted and perceived as less accurate than positive performance appraisal feedback. 2.1.9Views Organisations Employees have on P.A.S Evans (1986) asserts that many employees believe that their promotion or salary increments depend mostly on their performance. Employees therefore are in a dilemma and consider this situation as survival of the fittest. They know for a fact that, their performance will only be taken into consideration at the end of the day. So, in order to grow in the company they need to be proactive towards their work. The feedback the employee receives from his superior, may simply describe the level of performance achieved. Hence, it becomes important for the managers to conduct the appraisal technique correctly. Employees can only accept criticism if it is useful and important to them. Managers should therefore know how to give information regarding progress made in performance and how to present criticism as well. Meyer et.al (1965) carried out a study in General Electric Company where certain points relating to performance feedback was highlighted. In this study, 92 employees were appr aised by their managers on two occasions over two weeks. The study was carried out using questionnaires, interviews and observation. The first appraisal highlighted performance and salary while the second one underlined performance and improvement. It was observed that lots of criticisms were pointed out by the managers, which lead to defensive behaviour of the employees. The conclusion of the study was that criticism leads a negative impact on the motivation and performance of the employees. Also feedback sessions designed to improve performance should not at the same time consider salary and promotion issues. Ilgenet. al (1979) add that employees who believe that the appraisal system is under any kind of bias, are most likely to be dissatisfied by their work and can also leave their jobs. On the other hand Murphy and Cleveland highlighted one possible reason for the widespread dissatisfaction with performance appraisal in organization as the systems used by these help neithe r them nor their employees in meeting the desired goals. Landy et al. (1978), Klasson et al. (1980), and Tang and Sarsfield-Baldwin (1996) found evidence that the assignment of raters influences perceptions of fairness and accuracy in performance appraisals and hence about the whole process itself. Nevertheless, according to Jacobs, KafryZedeck (1980) employees perceive PA to give them a proper understanding of their duties and responsibilities towards the organization. Likewise, organization sees it as a tool to assess employees on a common ground and one which helps in salary and promotions decisions, training and development programs. In many circumstances appraisal plans are interpreted by managers as a system that helps an organization to change regular priorities and usual ways of working and in so doing to alter its strategic direction. Hence, in circumstances where change cannot be attained by managerial proclamation, appraisal takes on the character of an engine of change. When managers look at appraisal from this angle they hope that it will bring about a change in strategic direction and organizational behaviour. Researchers have suggested that reaction to performance appraisal is critical to the acceptance and use of a performance appraisal system (Bernardin Beatty, 1984; Cardy Dobbins, 1994; Murphy Cleveland, 1995). Reactions may even contribute to the validity of a system (Ostroff, 1993). Cardy and Dobbins (1994) suggest that with dissatisfaction and feelings of unfairness in process and inequity in evaluations, any performance appraisal system will be doomed to failure (p. 54). Murphy and Cleveland (1995) stated that reaction criteria are almost always relevant, and an unfavorable reaction may doom the carefully constructed appraisal system. 2.1.10Benefits of PAS Possibly the most important benefit of appraisal is that, in the rush and pressure of todays working life, it allows the supervisor and subordinate to have time out for a one-on-one discussion of indispensable work problems that might not otherwise be addressed. Likewise, the existence itself of an appraisal system indicates to employees that the organization is genuinely concerned with their individual performances and advancement. This only can have a positive impact on the employees sense of worth, commitment and belonging. Appraisal offers the rare chance to focus on employment activities and objectives, to spot and correct existing problems and to enhance favorable future performance. Thus the performance of the whole organization is improved. Performance appraisal usually provides employees with acknowledgment for their work efforts, if any and as a result it brings them satisfaction. Actually, there are facts supporting that human beings will even prefer negative re cognition in rather than no recognition at all. During performance appraisals, feedbacks are obtained. These provide vital information on whether training and development needs should be considered. The presence or lack of working skills, for example, can become very obvious. The supervisor and subordinate can thus agree upon any demand for training. As far as the organization is concerned, the overall appraisal results can provide a regular and efficient training needs audit for the organization as a whole. The information obtained from appraisals can also give indication on an organizations recruitment and selection practices. This can be done by screening the performance of recently hired workers. The general quality of the workforce can also be monitored by assessing any improvement or decline performances. Changes if needed in the recruitment strategies can then be considered. 2.1.11Criticisms related to P.A.S There are several problems in the actual performance appraisal primarily due to rater bias. Some supervisors are too lenient and thus have a tendency to rate all employees positively rather than really measuring their performance. Another problem is the central tendency where supervisors position the majority of the employees in the center of the performance scale, even though they deserve a better or worse grade. The halo effect is another error usually made during appraisals. This arises when a supervisors general feeling about an employee influences the overall judgment. Performance appraisal systems are at times criticized for weaknesses in the system design itself. Sometimes they assess the wrong behaviours or consequences, or focus on employees personality instead of on their work performances. Very often standards for appraising employees are not related to the work itself. As a consequence employees may not likely be interested in such a system where performance stand ards are unsuccessful in highlighting important aspects of the jobs. Some organizations founds that PAS is a constant cause of tension, since evaluative and developmental concerns come often into disagreement. It is said that the appraisal can serve only one of them at a time. Also they find it dehumanize and demoralize to pass on judgments which then become source of apprehension and stress to employees. Many researchers such as Derven (1990) expressed doubts about the effectiveness and dependability of the appraisal process. Some found the process to be imperfect in nature. Moreover, Gabris Mitchell found a disturbing bias in the appraisal process called the Matthew Effect. It is said to take place in cases where employees keep on receiving the same evaluation each year. This denotes that there is the belief that if an employee has work well, he or she will continue on that pace. The Matthew Effect advocates that even if employees struggle to do well, their past appraisal reports will discriminate their future progress. Accuracy is important in appraisals. However for raters to appraise employees accurately, they should give unbiased results. Unfortunately accurate ratings are quite impossible as researchers affirm that personal liking, look, former impressions, gender and race will certainly manipulate appraisals, that is, there will always be some kind of biasness. 2.1.12Conclusion about PAS There are various schools of beliefs as to the validity and reliability of performance appraisals. While Derven (1990) doubts about its dependability, Lawrie (1990) finds it to be the most important aspect of organizations. A recent survey concluded that more than fifty per cent of the workforce wishes that their supervisors list the performance objectives much more specifically and clearly. The same survey revealed that 42 per cent of the employees were rather disappointed their organisations performance appraisal system. Many supervisors make the wrong use of appraisal. They use it as a punitive tool rather than helping their subordinates to improve their performance and overcome work problems. According to Shelley Riebel, as in the Detroit News (April 11, 1998) often managers are unsuccessful to explain what they really expect from their employees and fail to well describe the criteria used for assessing their performance. The data obtained during the appraisal proce ss should be wisely used and considered. Still, for performance appraisal to be successful, it is important to carry it out on a regular and consistent basis. This will allow supervisors to follow and review employees work. Raters often make the mistake of emphasizing too much on mistakes committed by the employees. Rather, if ever some problem is spotted by the supervisor, the issue should be discussed with the employee concerned and both should try work on a solution. 2.2 Motivation Performance Appraisal System 2.2.1 Introduction to Motivation Motivation can be defined as the driving force that moves us to pursue a certain goal, or trigger a particular action. It can be considered as the desire within a person causing him or her to act. People generally act for a motive and that is to achieve a specific objective. Two main types of motivation have been noted, namely intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from the inner self while extrinsic motivation arises when external factors require one to perform something. According to Passer and Smith (2004) the concept motivation refers to a course of action that influences the determination, direction and dynamism of goal-directed behaviour. Similarly, Kreitner and Kinicki (2007) assert that motivation represents psychological practices that stimulate voluntary actions. In the work context, as confirmed by Coetsee (2003), motivation entails the readiness of individuals and groups to put much effort so as to achieve organizational goals. From the above, it can be construed that there exists no single and general definition for motivation. Yet, Boje and Rosile (2004) regard motivation as an authoritarian ideology, a way to manipulate performance and where visions of self-actualisation need gratification. This view might be too negative to consider, but the rise in capitalism has been driven by high concentration motivation programmes which sometimes turn employees into production machines. 2.2.2 Motivation and P.A.S in Organisation Today Motivation can be the key to a successful organization. It is often claimed that the best businesses have the best motivated workers. Well motivated employees are said to be more productive and perform quality work. It remains however one of the most challenged tasks for managers to motivate their staffs as everyone is unique. A supervisor should strive to tie in the companys goals together with the employees individual goals through performance management. Moreover, the whole performance appraisal process and its result can affect an employees motivation. As highlighted by Cummings and Swabs (1973), employees performance is the outcome of the employees motivation to perform. In an organisational context, the performance is appraised by assessing the employees aptitudes and potentials to achieve the set goals. 2.2.3 Theories of Motivation related to P.A.S 2.2.3.1 Edwin Lockes Goal Setting Theory A main element for efficiently coaching employees is by using goal setting. Edwin Locke (1968) introduced the Goal Setting Theory whereby employees get motivated to work for the organisation when they are given specific and pronounced goals to achieve. This theory emphasizes that hard goals produce a higher level of performance than easy goals. Secondly, particular hard goals produce higher level of output and lastly, behavioural intentions lead to choice behaviour. Many, who study the relationship between performance and motivation in organizations, will agree that goal-setting and explanation creates confidence in the workers. By clearly explaining the meaning of the goals, employees will have a clear view on what the organization wants to achieve. Coetsee (2003) affirms that the most performing workers are goal-directed. Set goals allow employees to accomplish organisational vision, aims and strategic objectives. The assumption made here is that when people recognise and unde rstand what is expected from them and how they are to be met, they will be motivated to achieve them within the time-limit. With regard to coaching, goal-setting theory has been used more than any other as a framework to motivate employees to improve their performance. The early work of Maier (1958) and Meyer et al. (1965) emphasized goal setting in the appraisal process. In a study, Latham et al. (1978) found that consistent with the theorys predictions, employee participation in setting the goals resulted in higher performance than assigning them, not because of greater goal commitment, but rather due to high goals being set. According to Dossett et al. (1979), a similar result was observed with Weyerhaeusers word processing employees. Goals and objectives set by the employers and employees should be discussed regularly. Erez (1977) asserted that for difficult goals to result in high performance, sufficient feedback is very important. 2.2.3.2 Behaviour Maintenance Model (BMM) Cummings and Swabs presented the Behaviour Maintenance Model (BMM) to illustrate how people are motivated to perform efficiently in an organisation. This model emphasises on the significance of outcomes in the motivational process. Fig.1: Behavior Maintenance Model This framework shows that goal aspirations results in goal attainment and motivation. When goal attainment is achieved by the employee, it leads to job satisfaction which in turn leads the employee to become motivated. 2.2.3.3 Victor Vrooms Expectancy theory Expectancy theory is an idea that was introduced by Victor Vroom. The theory as explained by KreitnerKinicki (2007) is based on the assumption that people are motivated to act in ways that will be followed by valued and desired outcomes. The theory says that an employee might be motivated when there is a belief that a better performance will result in a good performance appraisal which will help in the realization of personal goals. The theory focuses on motivation as the combination of valence, instrumentality and expectancy. Valence is the value of the alleged result. Instrumentality is the point of view of an individual whether he or she will really obtain what they want. It shows that successful act will eventually lead to the desired result. Expectancy refers to the different level of expectations as well as confidence regarding ones capability. Employees believe that these create a motivational force and this force can be represented by the formula: Motivation = Valence x Exp ectancy The theory focuses on three things: ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Efforts and performance relationship ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Performance and reward relationship ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Rewards and personal goal relationship 2.2.4 Conclusion: Performance Appraisal as Motivator? From the above reviews, it can be seen that no such research has been done to show if performance appraisal really acts as a motivator to employees. Bratton and Gold (2003) and Bowles and Coates (1993) claimed motivation to be one of the purposes of appraisals. It remains unconditional to know whether performance appraisal has a role to play in employees motivation. The research will therefore try to answer the following research questions: Does the Performance Appraisal System affect employees motivation? Does the system affect more a specific category of employees? How do employees perceive the PAS at the MRA? How do employees perceive feedback? Does the level of importance given to the system directly affect the employees motivation? Does the trust put on the appraiser influences the employees motivation?