Family, Friends and Fame: Handel’s Roots and First Influences Essay

A composer’s influence doesn’t end within the pages of his composition. It stretches on, to musicians and other famous composers. Georg Frideric Handel is one famous example. Being a primary influence to many of the most famous composers of all time, such as Beethoven and Mozart, Handel has been one of the most acclaimed men in the history of music. The entire English nation, owes him a debt of gratitude because of the masterly way in how he encouraged and command them to assimilate and accept the beauty of the music he created. Even a master such as Handel, though, has simple and humble origins. He encountered obstacles and experiences during his early years that nearly cost him and prevented him from creating the masterpieces he gave the world. Most of these came during his early years of being a musician, and stemmed from close relationships. Handel Family Origins Handel’s roots originally belonged to Breslau, a city in southwestern Poland, found near the Oder river. For several generations, their family has been coppersmiths. Valentine Handel, the grandfather of the composer, was born in 1582, and in his later years migrated to Halle. Two sons of his followed in the coppersmith trade, but his third son, Georg, became a barber-surgeon instead. Georg married a woman who was the widow of the barber who acted as his mentor. She was 12 years older than he. After the death of his wife, he married his second wife, named Dorothea Taust, the daughter of a clergyman. From this marriage, sprung four children, one of them destined to become famous for his compositions. Birth and Family Ties On the 23rd of February 1685, Dorothea gave birth to George Frideric Handel, in the Duchy of Magdeburg, found at the Upper Saxony. Halle, the place where he was born, was not a very attractive place. â€Å"Travellers unanimously complained of its dusky impression, its sooty buildings, and its crooked narrow, ill-paved streets. † Nevertheless, Halle was home for the Handels, and this was where George Frideric spent his childhood. Handel had a half-brother and half-sister when he was born, Karl and Sophie Rosine, respectively, and both were already older than him. Despite having different mothers, Handel maintained a good relationship with his half-siblings. Karl Handel even played an interesting role in a crucial musical incident involving his younger half brother and his love for music. Relationship With His Parents Even at a young age, George Frideric already had great love for music. When he was still a baby, the toys found in his nursery were those that produce musical sounds, including flutes, drums, and trumpets. The first few years, it was amusing, but as he developed, it seemed to become more serious. Handel had intimate, but very different ties with his father and mother. While one urged him to pursue his dream of being a musician, the other greatly opposed it. Georg, the composer’s father, wanted his child to obtain a proper occupation, and pursue law. He had big ambitions for his boy. When he observed the child’s strong propensity for music, he greatly forbade and opposed it, commanding him to stay away from anything that might steer him towards that profession. He did not understood art, and does not understand the noble part artists play in the world, only seeing them as men of amusement, entertaining the world during idle moments. â€Å" ‘Music,’ said he, ‘was an elegant art and a fine amusement; yet if considered as an occupation, it had little dignity, as having for its subject nothing better than mere pleasure and entertainment. ‘† He forbade the child to attend the public schools, fearing that he would be drawn nearer to his musical dreams. The child was also forbidden to visit places where he can hear music. The musical instruments found in the house were also banished. Despite his father’s harshness towards the dream he loved so much, the child persisted. He knew music was his calling, and even if he knew he was going against his father’s wishes and putting himself in danger of being caught, he found ways. He would manage to lay hands on a dumb spinet or a clavicord, hiding it in a garret. Usually, these were given to him by his mother or godmother, a woman named Anna. At night, when the whole house is asleep, he would sneak out and tinker and play with the instrument. These hidden, stolen moments allowed the young man proper concentration, leading to better understanding of music, and therefore, paving way to greatness. Dorothea, Handel’s mother, was filled with love and ambition for her child. While her husband opposed the â€Å"low dignified† profession, she silently encouraged him to pursue it. Even when he died, Dorothea and her son’s relationship were as warm and devoted to each other, drawing strength from faith. Along with her, Handel’s two sisters also showered him with love and affection. This influence is perhaps the reason why the composer worked with women as singers, and became knowledgeable in the ways of women. â€Å"Sometimes a mixed blessing, he seemed to have thought, but an opportunity and professional relationship most men did not have in that time. † The Incident at the Duke’s Palace Another interesting incident in Handel’s childhood also played a crucial factor in his ambition to be a man of music. When his father was to visit Karl, the son from his former marriage, the seven year old George pleaded to be taken with him, even following the coach on foot when his father refused to take him with it. Eventually, the father agreed. When they arrived at the Duke of Saxe-Weisenfields’ Palace, where the son was a valet-de-chambre, the child wandered off, and started tinkering with the church organ, unable to resist it. The Duke heard the music, asked questions, and the child was brought to him. He asked the boy to play. The royalty recognized the child’s talent and addressed his father telling him that â€Å"it was a sort of crime against humanity to stifle so much genius in its birth†. The father conceded, and swore to respect the vocation. Handel was grateful to the Duke for his good advice to his father. In his later years, he even regarded the Duke as his benefactor. When they returned to Halle, his father allowed the child to be taught by Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, the Liebfrauenkirche’s organist and also permitted him to continue his school work. For the next five years, Handel acted as an assistant for Zachow, and finally got his first formal training in the field of music. Following His Father’s Wish Handel’s father ruled him with an iron grip, and even if he allowed the child to practice his ambition of being a musician, he still wished for him to continue a career in law. On February 11, 1967, the composer’s father died in his sleep, perhaps of old age. He left behind his widow, two daughters and son, who was then barely 12 years old. Handel became them the man of the household, and was forced into an adult world at a tender age. Five years after his father’s death, February 1702, he entered the University of Halle, as a student of law or â€Å"Studiosus Juris†. This career choice, however, was not meant to last long. In July 1703, the eighteen year old Handel moved to Hamburg, where he took a job in the theater as a â€Å"violon di ripieno†. Without his father keeping an eye on him, he was able to leave his home and his family, and become a musician. Friendship with Georg Philipp Telemann Handel was not the only musician who was imprisoned in his deceased father’s dreams of studying law. Another young man by the name of Georg Philipp Telemann was also in the same plight, unsure of his plans of studying law. His mother was insisting that he give up his dreams of music, in respect to his deceased father’s dreams for him. Telemann was born at Magdeburg in 1681, and was four years older than Handel. When they met, he was reluctantly traveling to the University of Leipzig to pursue law. Telemann says that while with Handel, he â€Å"imbibed so much of the ‘strong poison’ of music as to nearly overset all his resolutions†. Handel’s enthusiasm for the profession influenced the other man so much, that he became tempted to go against what her mother wanted. However, Telemann’s mother’s wishes prevailed. Fortunately for him, a friend discovered one of his psalms and presented it to a burgomaster, who declared it a fine harmony and inquired about the composer. He was employed to compose something for the church, and was given compensation. When he sent word to his mother (who was then supporting his finances) about this, he was able to prove to her that the profession she had been unfavorable to, yields good results and steady income after all. She finally gave him her blessing to pursue his dream. Handel and Telemann then renewed their friendship, corresponding regularly and meeting often with each other. One composer’s influence upon another is always extraordinary, as seen in Handel and Telemann. Like, their music, their friendship lasted a lifetime. They exchanged advice and encouragement, giving one another the much needed push to pursue the profession they both love. Meeting Johann Mattheson When Handel moved to Hamburg in 1703, one of the first people he made friends with was Johann Mattheson, a composer, theorist and singer. Despite Mattheson’s young age, he had also become one of the most influential men in Hamburg. Like Telemann, he was four years older than Handel. Mattheson was gifted, but vain. Nevertheless, Handel was eternally grateful to Mattheson, because the latter introduced him to the musical life in the new place he was in. Mattheson recounts that the first time he met Handel, the young man was â€Å"strong at the organ, stronger than Kuhnau in fugue and counterpoint, especially es tempore, but he knew very little about melody†. Mattheson helped Handel pursue his dreams, even introducing him to the English ambassador Sir Cyril Wyche. Their family music was assiduously cultivated, and here, Handel was able to get engagements and students. They worked at the opera together, and also went to social excursions and musicals, despite numerous controversies that surrounded their friendship. They also traveled to Lubeck together, to contest each other for the post of the organist at the Marienkirche, to succeed Dietrich Buxtenhude, who was about to retire. They both withdrew, though, upon learning that Buxtenhude wanted the successor to marry his daughter. During the time they spent together, the two became very good friends and inseparable companions. All good friends have their disagreements, and so did these two fervent individuals. Their personalities, fueled by the same music, can be very different at times, and often became the result of conflict. In the marketplace, in front of a large crowd, they fought with swords after a quarrel while conducting â€Å"Cleopatra†, Mattheson’s opera. The fight ended when a metal button on Handel’s coat broke Mattheson’s sword. Perhaps, they both realized the stupidity of their actions. Hence, the two musicians resolved the issue, buried the hatchet, and emerged better friends than ever. During his stay in Hamburg, Handel was able to produce a cantata on the Passion, four operas and several minor compositions. These, and the exposure and experience from this place would not have been possible, if not for the guidance and help of his good friend and colleague Johann Mattheson. Concluding A Life Of Music George Frideric Handel died on April 14, 1759, peacefully in his sleep. He left behind a life’s worth of compositions, the most acclaimed and famous one being the â€Å"Messiah†. If a study on his operas and dramatic works was made, people will discover a Handel that’s very unknown: a composer with an unparalleled sense for dramatic human character. Perhaps, majority of it came from a life of experiences, but a tremendous part of it came from the people closest to him. His family origins and closest friends influenced him, in such a way that he emerged as one of the most famous and celebrated composers in the world. References Bray, Anna Eliza. (1857). Handel: His Life, Personal and Professional. Harvard University. Dent, Edward Joseph. (2007). Handel. BiblioBazaar, LLC. Harris, Ellen T. (2001). Handel As Orpheus: Voice And Desire In The Chamber Cantatas. Harvard University Press. Hogwood, Christopher. (2005). Handel: Water Music and Music for The Royal Fireworks. Cambridge University Press. Lang, Paul Henry. (1996). George Frideric Handel. Courier Dove Publications. Sadie, Stanley & Hicks, Anthony. (1987). Handel: Tercentenary Collection. Boydell and Brewer. Schoelcher, Victor. (1857). The Life of Handel. Oxford University. Streatfield, R. A. (2005). Handel. Kessinger Publishing. Van Til, Marian. (2007). George Frideric Handel: A Music Lover’s Guide to His Life, His Faith and the Development of Messiah and His Other Oratorios. WordPower Publishing. Vaughan, Robert, & Allon, Henry. (1862). The British Quarterly Review. Hodder and Stoughton. Williams, Charles Francis Abdy. (2008). Handel. BiblioBazaar, LLC.

Designing Pay Levels, Mix and Pay Structures

CHAPTER 8 DESIGNING PAY LEVELS, MIX AND PAY STRUCTURES LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the major decisions in establishing externally competitive pay. 2. Describe the purpose(s) of a salary survey. 3. Discuss the importance of defining the relevant market in a pay survey. 4. Explain the steps involved in designing a pay survey. 5. Describe the key issues involved in interpreting the results of a pay survey. 6. Explain how the market pay line combines the internal structure with external market rates. 7. Discuss the use of pay grades and pay ranges and their relationship to internal alignment and external competitiveness. . Discuss the pros and cons of the market pricing approach to establishing a pay structure. OUTLINE I. MAJOR DECISIONS A. There are seven major decisions involved in setting externally competitive pay and designing the corresponding pay structures 1. specifying employer's external/competitive pay policy 2. define the purpose of the survey 3. select the relevant marke t competitors 4. designing and conducting surveys 5. interpreting survey results and constructing the market line 6. constructing a pay policy line that reflects the external pay policy 7. alancing competitiveness with internal alignment through the use of ranges, flat rates, and/or bands Definition:A survey is the systematic process of collecting and making judgments about the compensation paid by other employers Steps in conducting wage and salary surveys: 1. select the jobs to be surveyed 2. define the relevant markets 3. select the firms to be surveyed 4. determine the information to ask 5. determine the data collection technique 6. administer the survey II. SPECIFY COMPETITIVE PAY POLICY an external pay policy requires information on the external market †¢ surveys provide the data for translating that policy into pay levels, pay mix & pay structures III. THE PURPOSE OF A SURVEY? A. Conducting a salary survey is necessary to obtain data to set an organization’s pay p olicy relative to its competitors. B. An employer conducts/participates in a survey for the following reasons †¢ its an opportunity to collect information to make judgements regarding compensation †¢ to adjust pay to changing external pay rates & recognize pay trends in marketplace to establish/develop or price an adequate pay structure †¢ to analyze personnel problems that may be pay related †¢ defending pay practices in a court of law †¢ to attempt to estimate the labor costs of product market competitors †¢ hiring and retaining competent employees †¢ promoting worker productivity C. Adjust Pay Level – How Much to Pay? market surveys provide information so that an employer will be able to adjust the firm's pay levels relative to competitors (ex. AACSB salary survey) 1. most organizations make adjustments to employees’ pay on a regular basis . these adjustments can be based on one, or more, of the following issues: a. overall upward movement of pay rates caused by competition for people in the market. b. performance. c. ability to pay. d. terms specified in a contract. D. Adjust Pay Mix – What Forms? 1. the mix of forms and their relative importance makes up the â€Å"pay package† 2. adjustments to the different forms that competitors use (base, bonus, benefits, etc) & the relative importance they place on each form occur less frequently than adjustments to overall pay level . it is unclear why changes to the pay mix occur less frequently than changes in the pay level 4. since some pay forms may affect employee behavior more than others, collecting information on total compensation, the mix of pay competitors us, and costs of various forms is increasingly important E. Adjust Pay Structure 1. survey information used for directly valuing jobs in some cases 2. in other instances, used to validate job evaluation results (see if market rates vary greatly from those obtained in the firm’s job eva luation)Study Special Situations 1. information used to review competitor pay scales in case of high turnover or to justify differentials between certain gender dominated jobs in legal situations 2. many special studies appraise the starting salary offers or current pay practices for targeted groups, such as patent attorneys, sales managers, or software engineers G. Estimate Competitors' Labor Costs 1. surveys allow for organizations to compare labor costs especially in a highly competitive industry, as input for decisions making, etc. 2. hey may use salary survey data to benchmark against competitors’ product pricing and manufacturing practices IV. SELECT RELEVANT MARKET COMPETITORS A. To make decisions about pay level, mix, and structures, a relevant labor market must be defined that includes employers who compete in one or more of the following areas Relevant markets are expressed as: †¢ employers who compete for the same occupations and skills required †¢ the ge ographic distance employees are willing to commute/relocate †¢ employers who compete with the same products/servicesB. As the importance and complexity of qualifications increase, the geographic limits also increase C. Competition tends to be national or international for managerial and professional skills and local or regional for clerical and production skills D. The generalizations do not always hold true. Examples include: 1. in areas with high concentrations of scientists, engineers, and managers, the primary market comparison may be regional, with national data used only secondarily 2. some larger firms ignore local market conditions E.Research suggests that if skills are tied to a particular industry, as underwriters, actuaries, and claims representatives are to insurance, the market should be defined on an industry basis 1. if certain skills, i. e. accounting, sales, clerical, are not limited to one particular industry, then industry considerations are less important. 2 . from the perspective of cost control and ability to pay, competitors in the product/service market should be included since the pay rates of these competitors will affect both an employer’s costs of operations and its financial condition. F.While the quantity of data available for international comparisons is improving, using the data to adjust pay requires a lot of judgment. G. Fuzzy Markets 1. new organizations and jobs fuse together diverse knowledge and experience, so â€Å"relevant† markets appear more like â€Å"fuzzy† markets 2. organizations with unique jobs and structures face the double bind of finding it hard to get comparable market data at the same time they are placing more emphasis on external market data V. Design the Survey A. Consulting firms offer a wide variety of surveys covering almost every job family and industry group imaginable.B. Survey design involves considering the following issues: 1. Who should be involved in the survey design? 2. How many employers should be included? 3. Which jobs should be included? 4. What information should be collected? C. Whom to Involve? †¢ compensation specialist or HRM manager †¢ operating managers †¢ employees (task managers) †¢ outside consultants (avoid wage fixing allegations) D. How Many Employers? †¢ depends on circumstances, no set/magic numbers (problematic for global companies) †¢ in small markets with few employers: 2 or 3 firms in larger local markets with 200-300 positions: 12-24 firms †¢ in national labor market and some regional survey: 100+ firms †¢ salary surveys reflect industry, geographical area Publicly Available Data a. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the major source of publicly available compensation data and publishes extensive information on various occupations in different geographic areas b. While some private sector firms may track the rate of change in BLS data as a cross-check on other surveys, the data are n ot specific enough to be used alone â€Å"Word-of-Mouse† a.A click of the mouse makes a wealth of data available to everyone and means that managers must be able to explain the salaries paid to employees compared to those a mouse-click away. b. The quality of salary data on the Web is highly suspect. Where Are the Standards? a. Opinions about the value of consultant surveys are rampant b. Many firms select one survey as their primary source and use others to cross-check of validate the results c. Some firms routinely combine the results of several surveys and weight each survey in a composite based on a judgment of the quality of the data reported . For staffing decisions, employment test designers report the test’s performance against a set of standards (reliability, validity, etc. ) For market surveys and analysis, similar indices and standards do not exist E. Which Jobs to Include? Keep the survey simple and include only enough jobs necessary to accomplish the purpo se of the survey and to encourage participation 1. Benchmark Jobs Approach †¢ include only benchmark (stable in content) jobs in the surveys †¢ ensure that benchmark jobs represent all unction/levels in the firm †¢ slotting of remaining jobs 2. Low-High Approach †¢ useful for skills based structure that has no match with competitors †¢ identify highest and lowest paid benchmark jobs for the relevant †¢ skills and use these as anchors for skills based structures †¢ slot the remaining wage rates into the structure 3. Benchmark Conversion Approach †¢ traditional approach †¢ perform job evaluation on all jobs and use benchmarks on survey †¢ transfer salary info from benchmark jobs & convert internal structureF. What Information to Collect? Collect information about: †¢ the nature of the organization (size, structure, financial) †¢ information about the total compensation system (bonus, benefit) †¢ actual rates paid to each incumbent for jobs included in survey No survey includes all the data included in the discussion; the data collected depend on the purpose of the survey. Organization Data – data includes company identification, financial information, size of company, and the structure of the organization. .Total Compensation Data †¢ all the basic types of pay forms are required to assess the total pay package and competitors’ practices †¢ data collected includes: (1)Base pay – amount of cash competitors decided each job and incumbent is worth. (2)Total cash – includes base plus bonus; indicates competitors’ use of performance-based cash payments. (3)Total compensation – includes total cash plus stock options and benefits VI. INTERPRET SURVEY RESULTS & CONSTRUCT A MARKET LINE There is no single best approach that is used to analyze data.There are steps that the organization should take to ensure that use of the information is justified. A. Verify Data †¢ test for quality & accuracy of data (examine distribution patterns) †¢ check for accuracy of job matches (titles vs. descriptions) †¢ if jobs are similar but not identical, then leveling can be used to weight data according to closeness of match B. Anomalies 1. perusing actual salary data provides an analyst with a sense of the quality of the data and helps identify any areas for additional consideration. 2. nomalies may include: 1) does any one company dominate? 2) do all employers show similar patterns? 3) outliers? 3. analysis of the anomalies may indicate additional information about competitors’ pay policies, ex. a competitor may deliberately differentiate itself with pay as part of its strategy C. Statistical Analysis †¢ frequency distribution (organizes data into intervals) †¢ central tendency (mean, mode, median, weighted means) †¢ dispersion (get some idea from mean and dispersion value, the distribution of wages; ex. tandard dev iation, quartiles/percentiles) †¢ outliers/extreme values can distort mean value †¢ using this information to establish a single wage value D. Update the Survey Data †¢ to counteract â€Å"aging† of data, adjusts need to be made Extent of updating depends on: †¢ historical trends in the marketplace †¢ economic outlook for the future in the employer's market †¢ consumer price index (CPI) †¢ manager's judgement E. Construct a Market Pay Line Development of a market pay line involves making decisions about which benchmark jobs to include, which companies to include, and which measures of pay to use usually a straight line but can be curvilinear or hinged †¢ statistical techniques such as regression analysis can be used to derive a market pay line †¢ pay level policy will reflect positioning of pay line (percentile) Definition: A market line links a company’s benchmark jobs on the horizontal axis (internal structure) with market rates paid by competitors (market survey) on the vertical axis. It summarizes the distribution of going rates paid by competitors in the market F. Combine Internal Structure and External Wage RatesThe internal consistency and external competitiveness components of the pay model are combined through the development of the pay structure. The pay structure achieves two objectives: 1. produces pay policy line to reflect market wages to internal structure 2. allows for pay ranges, and give the firm some internal flexibility VII. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: THE PAY POLICY LINE A. The pay policy line reflects external competitive position in the market B. There are several ways to translate external competitive policy into practice 1.Choice of measure – based on Colgate’s stated policy, Colgate would use the 50th percentile for base pay and the 75th percentile for total compensation as compensation measures in its regression 2. Updating – the approach used by an organiza tion to update salary survey data reflects its pay policy. C. Policy Line as Percent of Market Line. 1. another way to translate pay-level policy into practice is to simple specify a percent above or below the regression line (market line) that an employer intends to match and then draw a new line at this higher (or lower) level 2. here are alternatives among competitive pay policies, and there are alternative ways to translate policy into practice 3. if the practice does not match the policy, then employees receive the wrong message VIII. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: GRADES AND RANGES Creating pay ranges is also part of designing a pay structure that reflects the organization’s policies on maintaining internal alignment and external competitiveness A. Why Bother with Grades and Ranges? 1. grades and ranges offer flexibility to deal with pressures from external markets and differences among organizations quality differences among jobholders †¢ productivity differences among individuals †¢ differences in the mix of pay forms competitors use 2. ranges provide managers the opportunity to: †¢ recognize individual performance differences with pay †¢ meet employee expectations that pay will increase with time †¢ encourage employees to remain with organization 3. from an internal alignment perspective a range reflects differences in: †¢ performance †¢ experience 4. from an external competitiveness perspective, a range is a control device 5. ranges are not used by all employers skill-based plans establish single rates for each skill level regardless of performance or seniority †¢ flat rates are favored by unions (use regression formula) †¢ broad bands are being adopted for greater flexibility B. Develop Grades †¢ fairly similar jobs (comparable value) are grouped together †¢ lateral moves without change in pay †¢ allows for certain degree of flexibility †¢ some subjective decisions in designing pay gr ades makes it tough †¢ jobs grouped together for traditional purposes, career pathing C. Establish Ranges Midpoints, Minimums, and Maximums midpoint of each range serves as control point to correspond with †¢ the pay policy line following a matching(competitive) policy †¢ midpoint reflects pay level at which competent person is paid †¢ range spreads vary according to jobs (spread increasing with worth) †¢ determine degree of overlap desired (arithmetic, geometric, random) D. What Size Should the Range Be? a. size of the range is based on judgment about how the ranges support career paths, promotions, and other organization systems. (1)top-level management positions typically have ranges of 30 to 60% above and below the midpoint 2)entry to mid-level professional and managerial positions typically have ranges of 15 to 30% above and below the midpoint (3)office and production work typically have ranges of 5 to 30% above and below the midpoint b. compensation ma nagers use actual survey rates, particularly the 75th and 25th percentiles, as the range minimums and maximums c. another approach is to establish the minimum and maximum separately, with the amount between the minimum and the midpoint a function of how long it takes a new employee to become fully competent E. Overlap (re: rules of thumb) degree of overlap to mirror commonality between grades †¢ high degree of overlap indicate small differences in the value of jobs in adjoining grades – ex. title change but not much change in pay †¢ overlap beyond three adjacent grades should be avoided †¢ jumps in pay grade should involve at least 10% differential †¢ size of differentials should support career movement thru’ structure †¢ difference between supervisor and worker: approx. 1 grade or 15% IX. FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: BROAD BANDING A. Broad banding is a new technique 1. his approach consolidates approximately 4 – 5 traditional pay grades int o a single band with one minimum and one maximum 2. since a band encompasses many jobs of differing values, a range midpoint is usually not specified B. Contrasts between ranges and broad bands are highlighted in Exhibit 8. 19 C. Supporters of broad bands list several advantages: 1. they provide flexibility to define job responsibilities more broadly 2. they support redesigned, downsized, or boundary-less organizations that have eliminated layers of managerial jobs 3. they foster cross-functional growth and development. a. mployees can move laterally across functions within a band to gain depth of experience b. emphasis on lateral movement with no pay adjustments helps manage the reality of fewer promotions in flattened organizational structures 4. flexibility eases mergers and acquisitions since there are not a lot of levels to argue over D. The most important difference between the grades and ranges and broad-banding approaches is the location of controls 1. grade and range approa ch has guidelines and controls designed into the pay system 2. band approach has only a total salary budget that provides constraints. E.Banding involves two steps: 1. Set the number of bands a. examples indicate the use of 5 to 6 bands for pay purposes (1)Merck uses 6 bands for its entire pay structure (2)General Electric replaced 24 levels of work with 5 bands b. the challenge is how much to pay employees who are in the same band but different functions performing different work 2. Price the bands and reference market rates a. each band will likely include multiple job families. b. based on external market differences in pay rates, the different functions within each band are likely to be priced differently collapsing several traditional grades into one or two career bands †¢ objective is to provide more flexibility in moving people among jobs †¢ don’t need to change band or make pay adjustment when moved Steps 1. Set number of bands – usually three to eigh t for pay purposes. 2. Price bands using reference market rates and zones 3. Determine within band (lateral) movement since purpose of banding is to encourage cross-functional movement X. BALANCING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PRESSURES: ADJUSTING THE PAY STRUCTURE A.Adjustments may be necessary in the pay structure to balance internal consistency and external competitiveness. B. A distinction has been made between the job structure and the pay structure 1. A job structure orders jobs on the basis of internal organizational factors that are reflected in job evaluation or skill/competency certification 2. A pay structure is anchored by an organization’s external competitive position and reflected in its pay-policy line C. Reconciling Differences †¢ Internal JE & external market survey results may not agree and may therefore produce two different structures †¢ pay structure vs. ob structure (ex. labor shortage may impact this) †¢ review of the JA and JE may be necessary to see if a job was accurately evaluated or to a/c for differences between market rate & internal rate †¢ managers tend to weigh market data more heavily than internal J. E. D. Locality Pay †¢ problems with governmental transfers (NYC vs. Des Moines) †¢ GS system makes no allowance for performance factor †¢ federal government pay system less sensitive to market changes †¢ Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA) E. Compression †¢ caused by pressure of external forces vs. nternal factors †¢ outside wages increasing faster than internal ones †¢ pay differential among jobs are smaller relative to KSA differences XI. MARKET PRICING †¢ strong emphasis on market de-emphasizes internal consistency. †¢ price as many jobs as possible in external market, then rank to mark the unique jobs †¢ appropriate for firms with lots of jobs comparable to external market †¢ down side is that it allows competitors (market) set pay policy XI. YOUR TURN: Word-Of-Mouse: Dot-Com Compensation Comparisons YOUR TURN 2:Are Compensation Surveys Upward Biased?

Michael Jackson Biography

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 29 August 1958 in Gary, Indiana, USA. His father was Joe Jackson. His mother was Katherine Jackson. His siblings are Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael, Rebbie, La Toya, Randy, and Janet Jackson. American superstar Michael Jackson has entertained audiences his entire life. In the early 1960s, the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964, Michael and Marlon had joined in. Michael's singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature, and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of The Jackson 5.In 1969, the boys were producing back-to-back chart-busting hits as Motown artists (â€Å"I Want You Back,† â€Å"ABC,† â€Å"Never Can Say Goodbye,† â€Å"Got to Be There,† etc. ). Behind the scenes, Joseph Jackson pushed his sons to succeed. He was also reportedly known to become violent with them. Michael and his brothers spent endless hours rehearsing and polish ing up their act. At first, the Jackson 5 played local gigs and built a strong following. They recorded one single on their own, â€Å"Big Boy† with the B-side â€Å"You've Changed,† but it failed to generate much interest.The Jackson 5 moved on to working an opening act for such R artists as Gladys Knight and the Pips, James Brown, and Sam and Dave. Many of these performers were signed to the legendary Motown record label, and it has been reported that Gladys Knight may have been the one to tell Motown founder Berry Gordy about the Jackson 5. Impressed by the group, Gordy signed them to his label in 1968. At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work with the Jackson 5. He made the charts in 1971 with â€Å"Got to Be There† from the album of the same name.His 1972 album, Ben, featured the eponymous ballad about a rat. The song became Jackson's first solo No. 1 single. In August 1994, Jackson announced that he had married Lisa Marie Pr esley, daughter of rock icon Elvis Presley. The couple gave a joint television interview with Diane Sawyer, but the union proved to be short-lived. They divorced in 1996. Some thought that the marriage was a publicity ploy to restore Jackson's image after the molestation allegations. Later that same year, Jackson wed Nurse Debbie Rowe. The couple had two children through artificial insemination.Son Prince Michael Jackson was born in 1997 and daughter Paris Michael Jackson was born in 1998. Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999 with Jackson receiving full custody of their two children. He would go on to have a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, with an unknown surrogate. In 2002, Jackson made headlines when he seemed confused and disoriented on stage at an MTV awards show. Soon after, he received enormous criticism for dangling his son, Prince Michael II, over a balcony while greeting fans in Berlin, Germany.In a later interview, Jackson explained that â€Å"We were waiting for tho usands of fans down below, and they were chanting they wanted to see my child, so I was kind enough to let them see. I was doing something out of innocence. † But many were unforgiving of the star's behaviour, with former fans and media outlets clamouring to have Child Protective Services take Jackson's children from him. That is some information of the big list of accomplishments of Michael Jackson. By Doron Cassell

Problem Analysis Contract Law

An offer must be firm and demonstrate clear intent, whereas an acceptance must accept the term of the offer unqualifiedly. It should be noted that in the usual case, communication of acceptance and consideration are also essential to constitute a valid acceptance. If all elements are found to exist, the contract will be complete, and Lain will be bound to fulfill his promise. Offer The first issue to address is whether an offer exists. Lain would presumably argue that his statement was merely a puff and lacked intention to be acted upon as he announced it impulsively under the influence of alcohol, and the offer does not give him any benefit.This is, however, a weak argument. The general rule is that the intention of the parties should be assessed objectively, as in Smith v Hughes (1871) LORD 6 CB 597 where Blackburn] stated that the promises conduct should be considered in a way that appears to a reasonable man. The phrase â€Å"would pay El 0,000† exhibits both certainty and intention, because it has stated the exact amount of reward and the wordings shows immediate readiness to be bound. His claim is particularly convincing given his wealth. A reasonable man would therefore believe that Lain did intend to pay the reward if the stated condition was fulfilled.Similar to Williams v Cowardice (1833) 5 Car & P 566, there is only a promise made by one party. Lanai's statement appears to represent a unilateral offer that would be converted into a binding contract once the required act has been performed. This would be further discussed in the following. Acceptance In unilateral contracts, performance of the stipulated act constitutes the acceptance of offer (Cargill v carbonic smoke gall co. [1893] 1 CB 256 (CA)). Both crews have performed the act of â€Å"crossing the finish line† ahead of Lanai's yacht.However, it is highlighted that the current case differs from Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. In that it is arguable whether or not anyone who has completed the performance can claim the reward. On one hand, it can be said that since Lanai's offer does not state any conditions, crossing the finishing line is sufficient in itself. This argument is, however, suggesting that any random yacht that happens to cross the finish line by incident is also entitled to the reward, which makes little sense. The court is more likely to accept that only qualified competitors who crossed the knish line ahead of Lanai's yacht should be considered.This is indeed supported by the fact that the crew of † Moon Amour† joined the competition upon knowing the offer. It shows that the offered also understands that being a qualified competitor is a prerequisite. By entering the race, both crews have agreed to the Race Rules and therefore, they should be bound by such rules. In Clarke v Dungaree [1 897] AC 59, the court stated that when the party understands that the race is to be run under a particular set of regulations, and that he delibe rately enter for the race upon those terms, he is bound by such rules.Whilst the crew of â€Å"Bell Raider', being a qualified competitor, had fulfilled the conditions of Lanai's offer, since the French crew was not officially recognized by the race officials due to a breach of the Race Rules, it can hardly be said that the latter has validly accepted Lanai's offer. Communication of acceptance Whilst communication of acceptance is needed in the usual case, in unilateral contract, the offer showed by his language and from the nature of the contract that he waived the need to communicate (Cargill v Carbonic Smoke Ball Co. ).Whether Lain received notice of the performance is irrelevant to the matter at hand. Consideration The agreement has to be supported by consideration in a legally enforceable contract. To determine if there is consideration, it brings up the debate of whether reliance is essential. Lord Dunedin, in Dunlop Pneumatic Tree Co. Ltd v Selfridges & Co. Ltd [191 5] AC 84 7, 855 defined consideration as â€Å"an act or forbearance of one party, or the promise thereof, is the price for which the promise of the other is brought, and the promise thus given for value is enforceable†.Following his definition, obviously, both crews' act Of crossing the finish line, in return for the reward, is treated as good consideration. The answer would be less certain if reliance is required. In the book The Law of Contract, Triple asserts that an act or forbearance would not be consideration â€Å"where the promises would have accomplished the act or forbearance anyway†. This view was supported by R v Clarke (1927) 40 CLC 227, where the court held that the claimant could not recover the reward because his concern was not the reward when he gave the information.In other words, the claimant had not â€Å"act in reliance upon† the offer. It is a matter of debate if this prevailing view is in fact erroneous, as argued by Paul Mitchell and John Philip s in â€Å"Is reliance essential? † , but this is not the current concern. Assuming that this general view is still correct, the French crew's acceptance was clearly motivated by the offer as they did not intend to participate in the race until Lain ‘s announcement. But in the case of â€Å"Bell Raider†, there is insufficient information to tell if their crew did act in reliance to the offer.There may be three different situations depends on the facts. Firstly, if the situation is identical to that of the French crew, they act in reliance to the offer for the same reason. Secondly, if evidence shows that â€Å"Bell Raider will join and win the match even without Lanai's offer, their performance cannot be regarded as consideration as there is no reliance. Thirdly, if â€Å"Bell Raider† will join the match but not necessarily reach the destination ahead of Lanai's yacht, it can still be argued that the reward motivated the crew to outperform themselves and thus, there is reliance.

Psychology of aging Essay

As people age, they become vulnerable to various diseases such as diabetes among others. Diabetes is a disease that affects many of individuals all around the world and arises when there is a high level of sugar in the blood for an extended period of time. There exist three known types of diabetes- Type1, which affects mostly the younger population; Type II, that affects population above 40; and gestational diabetes which affects women during the third trimester of their pregnancy. Factors that give rise to diabetes include hereditary factors, being overweight and problem with beta cells located in the pancreas (Jack, 2006, 45). I) Type I This occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Thus patient of this type of diabetes have to receive daily injections of insulin. The most affected are the children and young adults but can also affect people of other ages. Type I diabetes is caused by destruction of beta cells resulting from malfunctioning of the body’s immune system (Jack, 2006, 71). II)Type II In this case, the beta cells do not produce enough insulin to meet the needs of the body. Moreover, the cells in the body do not react appropriately to the available insulin because they cannot admit glucose through their cell membranes. The type II nature of diabetes is most vulnerable to aging people (Jack, 2006, 71) Though diabetes has no cure it can be controlled through diet, proper medication and exercise. Campaigns on how to best manage the disease is important in avoiding adverse effects on the body. Old and aging people need to take excessive care with their diets and how they exercise their bodies. Care and attention should also be given to the aging people especially those who are diabetic.

Current U.S Policy towards Libya Research Paper

Current U.S Policy towards Libya - Research Paper Example I am prompted to write your good office to recommend that our government should take a direct participation in Libya because I am concerned with the recent political development in Libya particularly the unclear circumstances that led to the death of the dictator Muammar Ghaddafi and NTC’s handling of its political prisoners that has been reported as being abused (CBS News, November 29, 2011). I believe that if the US government will take a proactive role in Libya, it will prevent the dissolution of its political gains that was earned by the revolution against the tyranny of Muammar’s government. I believe that it is only with US government direct participation that will ensure that Libya will follow the democratic process of justice and ensure its smooth transition into a real democracy. III. Argument why the official should act as you suggest. This should also have several parts:Â   - a) sketch the public problem, as you see it;Â   The newly founded government of Li bya is still very young and still carries the vestiges of the old regime. Being such, it is prone to excess with a predilection towards summary execution as a way of meting justice. This was clearly demonstrated with the unclear circumstances of Muammar Ghaddafi’s death where he was captured alive and was later reported dead alleging that he was caught in the cross fire (El Gamal). Many of us are not convinced. Given the political culture of Libya, we both know that there was a big probability that he was executed. Such, the US government must act so that similar acts or incidents would not happen again. As what we have seen, Libya’s newly installed government is lukewarm in investigating the circumstances of his death if indeed he was caught in the cross fire or summarily executed. It would be better to take a preventive step than to react to an incident that has already happened. The recent development of prisoner abuse is already beginning to surface. With the less open political environment of Libya, I suspect that there are more abuses than what is actually reported. Already, UN had reported that Libya’s new leaders acknowledged that prisoners are being abused (Associated Press November 29, 2011). If these abuses will continue, I am anxious that Libya will lose its political gains if it will degenerate and slide back to its former dictatorial nature of carrying out justice. In effect, nothing changed but only those who are in power. To keep Libya’s political gains, it has to maintain a steady course towards democracy and proper implementation of justice. For Libya to achieve this, it is imperative that the United States government should be directly involved in setting up the justice system of Libya and its government. b) describe the inadequacy of the actions taken on it to date The United States government must learn from history, particularly the lessons taught by the experience of Iraq when the US government left after it l iberated the country from Saddam Hussein. Iraq disintegrated and fell into chaos without a clear government (Rashidian). We should not let this happen to Libya. Libya have started a revolution and able to win it under the slogan of freedom and democracy. But we have to understand that this was a close country that only had a bare idea of what democratic process and justice

The identification of pathological liars in the criminal justice Essay

The identification of pathological liars in the criminal justice system - Essay Example It is very important for the courts to determine whether a witness is telling the truth because he may make the courts sentence an innocent man. Therefore, detection of liars is of paramount significance in order to serve justice. It cannot be said with certainty whether pathological lying is really a disorder. There have been opposing views in this regard. This debate has some serious implications on the criminal law because if pathological lying is not a disorder and is deliberate, it should be punishable by law as far as witnesses are concerned. There is no reliable definition of pathological lying as yet but there is agreement in respect of certain core elements that constitute it. This concept was first described by a German physician, Anton Delbruck, who observed that some of his patients could not help themselves from telling such outrageous lies that he had to put them in a special category. These lies were later described by him as "pseu- dologia phantastica." (Dike, 2008) T he first step to determine whether a person is a pathological liar is to take a look at his history. The history of a pathological liar is full of lies that are told without any purpose. Normally, a lie is told in order to obtain a certain benefit or advantage. For pathological liars, telling lies is a disease and they tell them even if they provide no benefit to them. What makes this behaviour even more questionable is the fact that some lies play a role in incriminating their teller. This means that yet another feature of pathological lying is that lies are told without any regard to what their consequences might be. There are many real-life stories in which people have lost their jobs because of their pathological lying. Probably the biggest problem with a lie is that it needs many other subsequent lies for support. The people who have this problem do not only include the unfortunate; many successful people have also succumbed to this problem. Judge Patrick Couwenberg of Californ ia, for instance, was removed from his office because he lied both in his official capacity and while being under oath to speak the truth during the investigation of his behavior. He was later diagnosed with pseudologia phantastica (Dike, 2008). Being a judge is one of the most prestigious of statuses in the society. One who has achieved this status would never do anything to sabotage it in normal circumstances. Therefore, it was a curious situation that Judge Couwenberg deliberately compromised his position and, all things aside, damaged his reputation. His case makes a strong argument in favor of pathological lying being a mental disorder. Pathological liars are also known as compulsive liars or mythomaniacs. While detecting a pathological liar, there is a great danger of making a wrong diagnosis. However, there are a few very common symptoms of a pathological liar. Firstly, a pathological liar uses a lot of detail in his lie. He fears all the time that he might not be believed by others. This is why he uses a lot of extra information to supplement his lie. Secondly, pathological liars usually want to make their lives look better than they actually are. They feel that they are not being given the right amount of respect by others. Hence, they tell such lies that help them look important and more respectful. Thirdly, pathological liars are in a desperate need of attention. While some of them lie about how great their life is, others lie to make their liv