Parable Of The Prodigal Son Analysis Religion Essay

Parable Of The Prodigal Son Analysis Religion Essay In the Bible, one can find many different ways in which the text of the Bible demonstrates basic principles and standards through stories, poetry, narratives, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature. The most common in the Gospels, of the teachings of Jesus Christ, is the parable. What is a parable? A parable is a fictitious story designed to teach a lesson through comparison or contrast. For this paper, we will examine the Parable of the Prodigal Son, found in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. In this paper, we will explore the theme of the theme the chapter in which the Parable of the Prodigal son is found, as well as the parables interpretation, and practical applications. The Parable of the Prodigal Son taught by Jesus was proclaimed to teach forgiveness. However, before we can further examine its theme, a historical and literary analysis of the Gospel of Luke must be conducted to enhance the readers approach to how one comprehends this books message. The dating of the third Gospel is important in grasping the historicity of it. While the exact year of authorship is not known, many scholars believe it was written between 60-85 A.D. One may also note that the third Gospel does not directly identify its author. (Roberts). We are left to examine the internal and external evidence in order to draw the most plausible conclusion. The piece of evidence, which drives some to Lukes authorship of the third gospel, is that the author presents himself as Pauls companion and is pointed out in Pauls writings in Philemon 24 and Colossians 4:14 as one of Pauls traveling companions. While the dating and authorship of the third gospel have been established, the context for the parable of the prodigal son and the elder brother in Luke 15:11-32 in Jesus ministry seems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to be a story designed by Jesus to put in perspectiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦what God was doing as he consorted with sinners. (Nolland). By the time the reader arrives at the fifteenth chapter of the gospel of Luke, they have already seen Jesus experience encounters with numerous situations of confronting sinners including: the angered people in the Temple on the Sabbath day in Nazareth in Luke 4:28-29, the judgmental Pharisees watching Jesus heal the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath in Luke 6:6-11, the sinful woman with an alabaster flask of ointment in Luke 7:36-50, and a Samaritan village which rejected Jesus in Luke 9:51-56. These events, which lead up to Jesus telling the parable of the prodigal son, seemed to build up to a strategic location of order for this parable for God to spea k through the author of the importance of forgiveness. While historical background of the Gospel of Luke is important, the literary background of it is equally exigent. The passage of Luke 15:11-32 is an allegorical, realistic story, which is rich in homely detail and characterization. (Drury). If the parable is read or heard as solely anecdotal, it may be entertaining, but it does not do accomplish the goal of the speaker. While the overall purpose of this parable is mainly to offer the reader or hearer a new understanding of the situation and to lead them to make a decision, the story also forms together to break into two separate stories of one family which ties together at the end of the parable. The first focuses on the prodigal son in verses 11-24, and second on the elder brother in verses 25-32. In both parts of the story the focus is first on the son and then on the father. (Talbert). Historically and literarily viewing what is commonly known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son is imperative in journeying through an examination of this parable. Authors Interpretation of the Parable Since the purpose of this paper is to express how Jesus told the Parable of the Prodigal Son to teach forgiveness, this portion of this paper will concentrate on verses 11-32 of Luke. This section of the paper will show the detailed specification of how Jesus taught people with relevant topics in every persons life, namely forgiveness. The parables beginning is one that shows the choices of the younger son. Verses 11-13 begin this parable. Verse 11 begins the parable by stating, A certain man had two sons. (The Holy Bible, KJV/AMP). This verse gives the reader the facts of the people involved in this story. There was a certain man, and this man had to have two sons. After the reader is introduced to the basic facts of the story, verses 12-13 show the choices of the younger son. The key portion of verses 12-13 is shown in the latter portion of verse 13 where the text states, there wasted his substance with riotous living The word riotous shows the sinful act of the younger son. This portion must be where the younger son first sinned in the story due to his ignoring that his father had a moral claim on his property, that his father, so long as he lived, had a right to call, in case of necessity, upon the sons labour and his savings. (Derret). Verses 14-16 shows the dilemma of the younger son. Verse 14 expresses the difficult dilemma the youngest son finds himself in is two-fold: he squandered the money, and a famine ensued. This famine is no ordinary famine. The famine is a severe famine. (The Holy Bible, NIV). As a result, the younger son is forced to feed pigs in verse 15. Because the feeding of pigs was highly frowned upon in the Jewish culture as is shown in Leviticus 11:7 and Deuteronomy 14:8, this act continues to lead the son further away from the father The next verse, verse 16, shows a true act of desperation and shows how quickly the younger son came to the realization that pigs were eating better than he did. Verses 17-19 express the younger son coming to his senses as to what is truly wise for his life not only for food, but also for seeking forgiveness and mending a relationship he had previously injured. Although he made a major mistake in his life, he finally came to the point of realization that he was wrong, and he must go to his father to seek forgiveness. Verses 18 and 19 represent what the younger son says he will say when he seeks his fathers forgiveness. Verse 19 shows where the prodigal son feels he has burnt his bridges, and he is literally no longer worthy to be called his fathers son.15 He is so humbled at this point that he asks for the opportunity to even be a hired servant. Verse 20 represents a reunion between a father and son who, despite conflict in their relationship, sought reconciliation beginning in this verse. The father was so excited about the return of his son that he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. (The Message). This action by the father was contrary to all custom; in the near East, a mature man loses all dignity when he runs. (Schweizer). This greeting from the father running to the younger son was one of warmth and forgiveness. Verse 21 contains the deliverance of the rehearsed speech from verses 18 and 19. The younger son finally asked for forgiveness after so much time of disobedience. The father did not interrupt the son to cause him to fail conclude the previously rehearsed speech of forgiveness. Not only was a kiss on the cheek a sign of forgiveness, but also a sign of reconciliation. As this action from the father represented the forgiveness and reconciliation, the robe represented a sign of honor, the ring represented a sign of authority, the shoes a sign of a free man, and the feast a sign of joy. Verses 27-30 show the older brother with an opposite response than the father pertaining to the return of his brother. Instead of excitement, he was bitter and jealous. During this bitterness the older brother was just as sinful as his younger brother who sinned in other ways. Verses 31-32 conclude the parable of Luke 15:11-32 and marks the response by the father to the elder brother. The father reminds his eldest son all that I have is thine, signifying that all that is left is his to inherit. (The Holy Bible, KJV/AMP) Nevertheless, he also reminds him about his brother, who was thought dead, has returned alive to them. I believe Jesus included this parable in his ministry to remind the people that God, the Father, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, is willing to allow his children to venture off and explore the world. When his children make a mess out of their situation and are not worthy to come back Him, God stands waiting and watching for his children to return. And when they do, He is there to embrace them with open arms, clothe them with honor, and celebrate their return. Practical Application of the Parable The Parable of the Prodigal son is a story that expresses the reality of giving into temptation, the jealousy that comes as a result of sibling rivalry, the forgiveness of a loving father. The reality of giving into temptation is one that occurs by all people as all have sinned and fallen short of God glory. This story began with the younger son giving into temptation in verse twelve by saying, Father, give me the part of the estate that lays upon me. As Enron employees saw an easy opening of temptation cross their paths, they, too gave into temptation, and faced consequences for that. Although the parable of the prodigal son is a story which was told over 2,000 years ago, it still teaches the same lesson in the twenty-first century which was intended back then. Not only does the parable of the prodigal son and the elder brother teach the reality of giving into temptation, but it also teaches the reality of being jealous because of sibling rivalry. The jealousy the elder brother showed in verses 29 and 30 of Luke chapter 15 was apparent when the elder brother said to his father, I have been serving you for so many years and I have never passed by a command of yoursà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but when this son of yours cameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you sacrificed the fattened calf for him. These verses are similar to any sibling rivalry of children growing up and the situation occurs where one child receives more attention, a nicer Christmas present, or is just simply not favored as much as their sibling. This is present to different extents in many siblings relationships. As this was true in this parable, it is also true today. The parable of the prodigal son and the elder brother concludes by the father teaching the elder brother through his fatherly wisdom that its important to look past the previous mistakes of his younger brother and to celebrate the repentance and return of a fellow family member. Just like then, the Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the forgiveness of the Father in Heaven. When his children slip and fall from the grace of God, God does not turn his back on his children and forget about them. Instead, God is always waiting for us to return. Moreover, when we do return, He will welcome us into his arms and place us back at the table where we belong. Reflective Conclusion By doing this assignment,

An Undesirable Quality

Respect is perhaps one of the initial virtues taught to any individual. As a person living in a community, the aide of respect is a pre-requisite to be able to subsist in the light of socialism and harmoniously interact with other people. This form of virtue cannot be comprehended nor understand through readings and factual information alone—it needs to be done, experienced and be consistently noted in any person’s daily handbook of attitude so as to evaluate whether a person’s act is flowing on the stream of respect or on the unethical state of the opposite.In the case of the academic perspective, student discipline and classroom management have always been a concern for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators. Control has become a greater problem in the last half century, for troubling historical and sociological reasons that we do not attempt to explore here. Yet at the same time the problem has grown, and the public has become increasingly agitated, t he educational dialogue about discipline and management has attenuated.This is why the drive for respect must be taken in full force in any entity or in any group—this saves lives even, not only for this immediate purpose, but for the future generation as well (Lightfoot, 2000). Respect on the social context Social psychology stresses that respect is the key to etiquette across all of the class and ethnic divisions as well as with the basis of gender. Apparently, to be able to gain respect from others, one must have dignity—a social equivalent of the term, â€Å"rights†Ã¢â‚¬â€hence the receiving and granting leads to what is preferably called as â€Å"friendship† or interpersonal relationship.This kind of â€Å"taking and receiving† of respect is then characterized to be a vital factor in achieving a higher level of understanding with each other, and on the brighter side of the explanation, a form of â€Å"contentment† by which both of the individuals would later state as a â€Å"form of acceptance. † Further, respect does not come from facts or ideas or the exchange of such, it is how the person actually interacts with another in a manner wherein the other person does not pay high regard on what, who, or whatsoever it is the one has.In most cases, the virtue of respect helps a stranger identify a person’s personality. As philosophers state it, the idea of being accepted is considerably one of the highest achievements a person may have. It then proves the idea that individuals have the innate need of being â€Å"respected† in who he or she is, what he or she does, and of course, on what the other person preferably wants one to treat him or her. Mutual respect Like trust, many people say that respect has to be earned, but they never quite tell you what actions a person is required to take in order to earn this respect.It's probably also true that in most people's thinking, respect is not very disti nct from agreeing with or liking. For example, when people say, â€Å"I respect her opinion,† what are they really saying—that they agree with it, that they like it? And what do people mean when they say, â€Å"I respect him†? The essence of respect is accepting a person for what they are and what they present themselves to be. Respect exists in a range from mild acceptance to total admiration. On the acceptance end of the spectrum, we decide that the values and the behavior of someone is within the wide range of what we find to be tolerable.We may not fully understand the person or her motivation, but we've found a way to accommodate her that minimizes conflict. On the admiration side, we fully endorse the values and behavior of the person and hold them up as a model for ourselves and others. When I hear people say that they do not respect anyone, my guess is that they are saying that there is no one that they admire in all aspects of life. Very few people hold up to this high standard for respect, especially in these days when the private lives of public figures are put under the close scrutiny of the media.In coaching people, it's not necessary that you maintain this high-end standard of respect. What is required is that we respect clients in the domain of activity in which we will be coaching them, and within the day-to-day relationship that we personally have with them. Understanding the need of â€Å"respect† There are many people who do not understand the exact and precise definition of respect. It may be taken to assumption that this is because they lack the immense establishment of such or either they are not yet mature enough to understand how important it is to respect.In most cases, respect is only sought in one’s life if the person experiences the opposite of it—being disrespected. Several cases have been noted with regard to â€Å"fights† or â€Å"misunderstandings† because one person has hu rt another person’s feelings. In critical analysis of similar situations, the misunderstanding starts by either the person, making an act which is undesirable or not giving importance to what is called â€Å"laws† or rules. By not following these rules, the person is then marked with the concept that he or she is not giving importance to what is â€Å"righteous† or â€Å"deferential† in the majority.The level of respect comes in various forms, normally, a person who is selfish and is not properly oriented with the â€Å"flow† of respect often times commit the mistake—all forms of culture, race and religion is demanding for it. Respect has always been an issue. Moreover, it has been in written in the face of literature and of history, it is odd to realize that there are still those who is not enlightened by its importance that they continue to commit the fury of â€Å"disrespect. † The exact opposite of respect Our parents are the most important teachers in one’s life.Parents teach their offspring the desirable quality that their children must possess and correct them for any form of undesirable quality which may eventually come along the life of the child. Disrespect is not taught in schools, nor at home, is happens when a person is not able to understand its importance. Tracing back history there commenced numerous civil wars on the issue of â€Å"disrespect†Ã¢â‚¬â€black Americans were treated â€Å"with no respect† by making them slaves—and so they fought for their freedom. That certain point of glitch which has been found between both parties has caused lives.As a matter of fact, there were numerous works in literature by famous authors who presented the agony of those who were â€Å"disrespected† so to speak that it fired up their emotions, making them have the cry for respect on the battlefield. Furthermore, as portrayed on movies, when a child talks back to the parent, t hat is a form of disrespect. It only denotes that idea that the child does not give importance on what his or her parent is trying to say. In cultural scenario, once somebody steps on a religious group’s sacred entity, it is punished—also termed to be disrespect on their supernatural being.Ecuadorians are known for being particular in the degree of ‘respect’, the Chinese community is also famous for this certain point of characteristic that tourists must have. One significant example of the practice of respect would be the isolated vicinity of North Korea, wherein each citizen is obliged to pay respect over their hailed leader that whosoever shall cross the borderline of this â€Å"respect† shall be hated by all of their nationality. Aside from the mentioned instances, this form of undesirable quality often happens in the basis of status quo or social hierarchy.In the social aspect of the country, there is a demarcation line between the elites, the average, and the oppressed—whether it is taken on the account of financial, social, mental or religious subject. Moreover, the most important basis of this argument all boils down to the focal and fundamental passage and fact in humankind, the 10 Commandments of the Holy Bible (Exodus 20: 1-17). The Ten Commandments or the basic laws deliberately and literally stress the fact that respect is a must. It has been literally emphasized that individuals must respect—all these commandments show the need of respect.There are several forms of disrespecting others—stealing another person’s property is a from of disrespect, by not adhering to what is â€Å"legal† is disrespecting the law, to commit others’ rights as one’s own is disrespecting one’s own worth, not to remember important and necessary dates is disrespecting them as to not giving them importance—hence, some may not be able to notice the grave effect of one’s ac tions, one may be able to realize these things if he or she experiences the pain of being reprimanded or not respected, at that. How to avoid being disrespectfulSometimes, we oversee the importance of respect in our lives. We disregard others’ feelings that we are unaware that we are stepping on them. For a person to be able to avoid committing ‘disrespect’ or disrespecting others, one must keep in mind the importance of it. Perhaps by facing one’s shoe on one’s foot, by then, a person may realize if he or she is about to say or do something which is disrespectful. Oftentimes, the act of being disrespectful is triggered because of swank personality or arrogance that one is not able to see the â€Å"mistake† hitting the ground.To expunge away from committing such, one must fall in the streamline of the â€Å"basic laws† or to glue their rationality in the vortex of tradition and linger on the virtues taught by our parents—to resp ect other people especially the elders. These merits are taught in almost any form of organization or in any subject. Reason enough to be remembered and inculcated in any person’s being. Being able to get knowledgeable of others’ culture, or others’ belief shall also serve of good help.Primarily, trying to understand the differences of every individual and trying to decipher the meaning behind this diversity that unfolds any human being shall open the doors of respect. As a matter of fact, greetings and other respectful words are taught to individuals so as to use them in dealing with others. Respect for human rights that can be understood as a moral imperative from the perspective of the ethic of justice. From a feminist orientation, the ethic of care in schools is a moral necessity. An ethic of care fleshes out the skeleton of justice, adding relationship, motivation, and meaning to the educational mission.The ethic of justice forms the crucible for practices of care. Precisely, both the ethic of justice and an ethic of care need to be differentiated and articulated in order to imagine the valuable insights each has to offer to teachers. The ethic of justice is externally visible in practices and behavior while the ethic of care is fundamentally inside the one-who-cares and the one-cared-for. This â€Å"insideness† of care is not initially visible to an observer, but remains a highly potent aspect of the relationship.The ethic of care does eventually become observable in the growth of belonging, motivation, and empathy in learners. Conclusions and further remarks It is indeed true that for a person to understand respect in the most concise definition of the word, one must be able to understand the exact opposite of it. It may have compromised my self-admitted arrogance and desolate form of understanding on how to care to other people, but indulging my own self on how to keep my mouth closed, or not to follow what I want is a benef icial thing to do in order to achieve respect from others.If I want to be respected by other people, then I must give them the exact point of respect that they want. Not only on the sole basis of my rationality and understanding on the term, but on comprehending their understanding of it as well. There may be no exact and similar definition on ‘respect’ but there is a universal one on ‘disrespect’—stepping on other people’s rights would be the most fitting term. To be able to prudently understand â€Å"disrespect,† one may base the fact on the literal basis of the term, in any dictionary that may possibly define such; it shapes up to exponentially negative thoughts:â€Å".. boldness, coarseness, contempt, discourtesy, dishonor, flippancy, hardihood, impertinence, impiety, impoliteness, impudence, incivility, insolence, irreverence, sacrilege† To have these characteristics is driving away other people from the circle of â€Å"mut ual understanding. † As I have researched on the different synthesis of â€Å"disrespect† and the effects that I may have, I am fortunate enough to be given the chance to correct this undesirable quality which is in no doubt unadvisable.Nobody would want to befriend a disrespectful person, worst, if not corrected in the soonest time possible, then the consequences may not be paid much attention and rigor repair. I have learned that it is important to follow rules and to follow what our parents and our teachers tamed us to be. Not to take the course of life like a game or that of â€Å"trial and error† scenario. Being a person living in a community, interaction with other people is imperative—not unless a person lives in an island with nobody to interact and respect, then the wrath of superciliousness and arrogance may keep one on his or her leash. Reference Lightfoot, S. L.-. (2000). Respect: An Exploration (1st ed.). New York, NY: Perseus Publishing.   

Definition, Examples, and Observations on Writing

(1) Writing is a system of graphic symbols that can be used to convey meaning. See the observations below. Also, see the following topics related to the writing system: AlphabetGraphemicsHandwritingIdeogramLanguageLetter (2) Writing is the act of composing a text. See the observations below. Also, see the following topics related to composition: Academic WritingThe Advantages of Slow Reading and Slow WritingBasic WritingBusiness WritingCollaborative WritingComposition-RhetoricDraftingOnline WritingOverwritingPrewritingRevisionTechnical WritingWriterWriting ProcessYour Writing: Private and Public Writers on Writing Quotes About WritingWhat Is the Secret of Good Writing?What Is Writing Like? (Explaining the Writing Experience Through Similes and Metaphors)Writers on RewritingWriters on WritingWriters on Writing: Overcoming Writers Block Etymology and Pronunciation From an Indo-European root, to cut, scratch, sketch an outline Pronunciation: RI-ting Observations Writing and Language Writing is not language. Language is a complex system residing in our brain which allows us to produce and interpret utterances. Writing involves making an utterance visible. Our cultural tradition does not make this distinction clearly. We sometimes hear statements such as Hebrew has no vowels; this statement is roughly true for the Hebrew writing system, but it is definitely not true for the Hebrew language. Readers should constantly check that they are not confusing language and writing.(Henry Rogers, Writing Systems: A Linguistic Approach. Blackwell, 2005) Origins of Writing Most scholars now accept that writing began with accountancy. . . . In the late 4th millennium BC, the complexity of trade and administration in Mesopotamia reached a point at which it outstripped the power of memory of the governing elite. To record transactions in a dependable, permanent form became essential... [E]ssential to the development of full writing, as opposed to the limited, purely pictographic writing of North American Indians and others, was the discovery of the rebus principle. This was the radical idea that a pictographic symbol could be used for its phonetic value. Thus a drawing of an owl in Egyptian hieroglyphs could represent a consonant sound with an inherent m; and in English a picture of a bee with a picture of a leaf might (if one were so minded) represent the word belief.(Andrew Robinson, The Story of Writing. Thames, 1995) The Literate Revolution in Ancient Greece By Aristotles time, political orators, including Demosthenes, were publishing written, polished versions of speeches they had earlier delivered. Though writing had been introduced into Greece in the ninth century [BC], publication long remained a matter of oral presentation. The period from the middle of the fifth to the middle of the fourth centuries B.C. has been called the time of a literate revolution in Greece, comparable to the changes brought in the fifteenth century by the introduction of printing and in the twentieth century by the computer, for reliance on writing greatly increased in this period and affected the perception of texts; see Havelock 1982 and Ong 1982. . . . Rhetoric gave increased attention to the study of written composition. The radical effects of greater reliance on writing can, however, be exaggerated; ancient society remained oral to a much greater degree than modern society, and the primary goal of the teaching of rhetoric was consistently an ability to speak in public. (George A. Kennedy, Aristotle, On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Oxford University Press, 1991) Plato on the Strange Quality of Writing Thamus replied [to Theuth], Now you, who are the father of letters, have been led by your affection to ascribe to them a power the opposite of that which they really possess. For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. . . . You offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant. Writing, Phaedrus, has this strange quality, and is very like painting; for the creatures of painting stand like living beings, but if one asks them a question, they preserve a solemn silence. And so it is with written words; you might think they spoke as if they had intelligence, but if you question them, wishing to know about their sayings, they always say only one and the same thing. And every word, when once it is written, is bandied about, alike among those who understand and those who have no interest in it, and it knows not to whom to speak or not to speak; when ill-treated or unjustly reviled it always needs its father to help it; for it has no power to protect or help itself.(Socrates in Platos Phaedrus, translated by H. N. Fowler) Further Reflections on Writing Writing is like a drug, too often employed by quacks who dont know what is true and what is false. Like a drug, writing is both a poison and a medicine, but only a real doctor knows its nature and the proper disposition of its power.(Denis Donoghue, Ferocious Alphabets. Columbia University Press, 1981)Writing is not a game played according to rules. Writing is a compulsive, and delectable thing. Writing is its own reward.(Henry Miller, Henry Miller on Writing. New Directions, 1964)Writing is really a way of thinking--not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.(Toni Morrison, quoted by Sybil Steinberg in Writing for Your Life. Pushcart, 1992)Writing is more than anything a compulsion, like some people wash their hands thirty times a day for fear of awful consequences if they do not. It pays a whole lot better than this type of compulsion, but it is no more heroic.(Julie Burchill, Sex and Sensibility, 1992)It is nece ssary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? for the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows; he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.(Vita Sackville-West, Twelve Days, 1928)You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality. This latter means: theres no free lunch. Writing is work. Its also gambling. You dont get a pension plan. Other people can help you a bit, but  ­essentially youre on your own.  ­Nobody is making you do this: you chose it, so dont whine.(Margaret Atwood, Rules for Writers. The Guardian, February 22, 2010)Why one writes is a question I can answer easily, having so often asked it myself. I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me--the world of my parents, the world of war, the wor ld of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere where I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself when destroyed by living. That, I believe, is the reason for every work of art. We also write to heighten our awareness of life. We write to lure, enchant, and to console others. We write to serenade. We write to taste life twice, once in the moment and once in retrospection. We write to be able to transcend our life, to reach beyond it. We write to teach ourselves to speak to others, to record the journey into the labyrinth. We write to expand our world when we feel strangled or restricted or lonely.(Anaà ¯s Nin, The New Woman. In Favor of the Sensitive Man and Other Essays. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976) The Lighter Side of Writing Writing is like the worlds oldest profession. First, you do it for your own enjoyment. Then you do it for a few friends. Eventually, you figure, what the hell, I might as well get paid for it.(Television scriptwriter Irma Kalish)

Benefits Of Job Analysis Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 15 Words: 4532 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Edwin B. Flippo defined Job Analysis as the process of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. According to Michael J. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Benefits Of Job Analysis Business Essay" essay for you Create order Jucius, Job Analysis refers to the process of studying the operations, duties and organisational aspects of jobs in order to derive specification or job description . According to Blum, A job Analysis is an accurate study of the various job components. It is concerned not only with an analysis of the duties and conditions of work, but also with the individual qualifications of the worker. As defined by John A Shubin Job Analysis is the methodical compilation and study of work data in order to define and characterise each occupation in such a manner so as to distinguish it from all others. In the words of Scott, Clothier and Spriegel, Job Analysis is the process of critically evaluating the operations, duties and relationship of the job. Job Analysis is the systematic process of collecting and making judgments about all the important information related to a job. Job Analysis is the procedure through which one determines the duties and nature of the jobs. It also determine s the kinds of people who should be hired for those jobs. General purpose of job Analysis is to document the requirements of a job and the work performed. Moreover job Analysis is fundamental to the preparation of job specification and description. Objectives of job Analysis: Work simplification: Job Analysis provides the information related to job which can be used to make the job or the process simple. Work simplification refers to fragmenting the job into small parts i.e. different operations in a product line or process with the objective of improving the production or job performance. For setting standards: Standard refers to minimum acceptable qualities or results or performance or rewards regarding a particular job. Job Analysis provides the information about the job which can be used to set standards for each job category. Support to personnel activities: Job Analysis information provides support to various personnel activities like recruitment, selection, training and development, wage administration, performance appraisal etc. Situations under which Job Analysis is conducted: these are the various scenarios in which Job analysis is conducted. When the organization is founded When organizations are created complete information ab out the jobs to be performed When new jobs are created When jobs are changed significantly as a result of new technologies, methods, procedures, or systems. Steps in Job Analysis The process of job Analysis is essentially done by collecting data then analyzing it. The data provided by the analyst may be related to job identification, nature of the job, materials and equipments to be used in doing the job and relations with other jobs, time and place of accomplishment and so on and so forth. The steps involved in job Analysis are as follows: Planning and organizing of Programme: The first step is to plan and organize the Job Analysis programme. A person is designated as in-charge of programme and required degree of authority and responsibility is assigned to him. Schedule of the programme and budget estimation is prepared. Obtaining current information: Current job design information is collected with the study of job description, job specification, process used, manuals and organisation flow charts. Job Analysis information is reviewed and verified with job incumbents to confirm that it is factually correct and complete. Conducting research: The an alyst determines that which manager or department requires the job Analysis. Purpose of the job Analysis is determined, extent to which job analysis is to be done is decided and how the information will be used concluded. Establishing priorities: Identification and priorities of the jobs to be analyzed should be established by the executives of human resource department and with the help of various executives of the related departments. Collecting Job Data: The next step is to collect the data related to the job selected for the analysis as they are being performed in the organisation at present. The job is analysed by collecting data on job activities, required employee behaviours, working conditions, and human traits and abilities needed to perform the job. Preparing Job Description: job descriptions are prepared by using information obtained from job Analysis. It states the full information of job including working conditions, nature of job, processes used machines and m aterials used for the job. Developing Job Specification: Job Specifications are developed using information given in job description. Job specification is statement regarding human qualities that are required for a particular job. Such information is used to select the person matching the requirements of the job. Job Analysis outcomes are as follows: Job Description Job description is a broad statement of the purpose, duties and responsibilities of a job or position. A job description is based on a detailed job analysis and usually summarises the essential information gathered through job analysis. It describes the main tasks and responsibilities of the job clearly and concisely in order to facilitate the systematic comparison of jobs for evaluation purposes. The kind of information and amount of details contained in the job descriptions depend on the job evaluation plan to be used. Job Description is snapshot of a job. Current and accurate job Descriptions maximizes employee effectiveness and productivity as it outlines the positions responsibilities and accountabilities. Job Descriptions clearly and concisely communicate what the job entails. In addition, job Descriptions help in attracting and retaining the best talent as it shows that a company is organized, well-run, and fair. Job Descriptions promote responsibility; improve morale and th e corporate image. Job Description is a written statement of what the job holder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed. There is no standard format for writing job Description. It is an organized factual statement of job contents in the form of duties and responsibilities of a specific job. The preparation of job Description is very important before a vacancy is advertised. It tells in brief the nature and type of job and usually includes: Title/ Designation of job and location in the concern Job summary and achievable results The nature of duties and operations to be performed in that job The nature of authority- responsibility relationships Main tasks of job and standard to be achieved Terms and conditions including salary, hours of work, leave, etc Limits of discretion i.e budgetary responsibilities Necessary qualifications required for job. Combination, co-relation and relationship of that job with other j obs in a concern. Specification of machines, tools, materials and their applications. The provision of physical working conditions or the work environment required in performance of that job. Job Specification Job specifications usually involve a listing of the personal qualifications regarded as necessary for satisfactory performance. Job specifications are mainly used in selecting and recruiting staff and are accordingly not essential for job evaluations. But certain personal attributes, such as experience, education and aptitude, may occur in both in job description as well as in job specification. Many job evaluation plans accordingly use job specifications to complement job description. Job Specification describes the desired attributes of the person doing the job. It is a statement which tells minimum acceptable human qualities that helps to perform a job. Such requirements are usually established for individual jobs on the basis of judgments made by staff analysts, but in some instances they are based upon statistical validation procedures. Job Specification translates the job description into human qualifications so that a job can be performed in a better manner. Job Specifica tion helps in hiring an appropriate person for an appropriate position. The contents are: Educational qualifications and experiences for job title Physical and other related attributes Physique and mental health Special attributes and abilities Interpersonal skills Maturity and dependability Family background Work-output job context and other job characteristics Job Specification should be used as a guideline to the knowledge, skills and aptitudes required to perform a specific job. Job Analysis, job Description and job Specification, together form the basis of recruitment, selection and placements of persons in an organisation. Methods of Job Analysis / Data collection techniques There are different methods used by different organizations to collect information and conduct the job Analysis. These methods are: Personal observation: In this method the observer actually observes the concerned individuals while performing a job. He makes an extensive list of the duties performed by the workers and the qualities required to perform those duties .Based on the information collected, job analysis is prepared. In some instances this method is very useful, but under certain conditions it does not work or becomes more difficult. This is especially true with jobs in which some elements of the complete job cycle occur at infrequent or unpredictable intervals. By simply observing an assembly line worker may not reveal his monthly inventory duty which is very much integral part of the job. Actual performance of the job: In this method the observer who is in charge of preparing the job Analysis actually does the work himself. This gives him a clear idea of the requir ed skills, the difficulty level of the job, the efforts required and so on and so forth. Interview method: In this method an interview is conducted of the employees who are performing the job or the supervisor or both. There are group of experts to conduct the interview. They ask questions about the job, skill levels required, and difficulty levels associated with the job. They put questions and cross questions and collect information and based on this information job Analysis is prepared. This technique may be time consuming, and the danger exists that employees may exaggerate the importance of their jobs. In addition, certain important elements of the job may be missed both by the interviewer and persons interviewed because of its infrequent occurrence. For example an assembly line worker may also be required to do inventory supplies on a monthly basis. Although this responsibility may be extremely important, it may be overlooked during the interview since it occurs on an infre quent basis. Critical incident method: In this method the employees are asked to write one or more critical incidents they have encountered while performing the job. These incidents give ideas about the problem, level of difficulty, how to handle it, qualities required to deal with the incidents and so on and so forth. Critical incident method gives an idea about the job and its importance. Questionnaires method: Most probably questionnaires method is the least costly method of collecting Job Analysis data. Well designed questionnaires have been claimed to be the most efficient way to collect a wide array of job data and information in a short time. In this method a questionnaire is provided to the employees and they are asked to put their remark. The questions may be multiple choice questions or open ended questions. The questions decide how exactly the job Analysis will be done. However, there is the danger that many of the respondents may not complete the questionnaire, may complete it inaccurately, or take an excessively long time to return it. Although questionnaire is less expensive than interviewing, sometimes questionnaires contain the same problem of providing incomplete information and inaccurate in describing the actual tasks performed. However, it is considered as an effective method because of the simple logic that people would think twice before putting anything in writing. The Position analysis questionnaire (PAQ): Quantification of the process of job Analysis has gained momentum in recent years. One such technique utilising a structured questionnaire is the position analysis questionnaire (PAQ). It was developed in the early 1970s through the efforts of McCormick and others. It consists of 194 job elements of a work-oriented nature which are divided into six major categories. The job elements are normally rated by the analyst on a scale of 0 to 5. Major drawbacks of the use of the PAQ involve its length and the high level vocabulary an d complicated scoring requirements. Log records/Daily Diary: Companies can ask employees to maintain log records or daily diary mentioning their daily activities along with those activities performed at infrequent intervals and Job Analysis can be done on the basis of information collected from the record. A log record is a book in which an employee records and writes all the activities performed by him while performing the job. The records are extensive and provide a fair idea about the duties and responsibilities associated with any job. HRD record: Records of every employee are maintained by HR department. The records contain details about educational qualification, job title, years of experience, duties handled, any mistakes committed in the past and if any actions taken. It also includes number of promotions received by employees, their area of work and as well as their core competency etc. Based on these records job analysis is done. Managerial Job Analysis: Because m anagerial jobs are different in nature from jobs with clearly observable routines and procedures, some specialized methods have evolved for their analysis. One of the most well known and widely used methods was developed at Control Data Corporation and is labelled as the Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ). This is composed of a listing of over 200 job statements. The MPDQ examines a variety of managerial dimensions, including decision making and supervising. Computerized Job Analysis: With the growth of the information communication technology, researchers have developed computerized job Analysis systems. An important feature of computerized job Analysis is the specificity of data. All of this specific data is compiled into a Job Analysis database. A computerized job Analysis system often can reduce the time and effort involved in writing job descriptions. These systems have banks of job duty statements that relate to each of the task and specify scope statement s of the questionnaires. Computer technology with job Analysis methodology allows firms to develop more accurate and comprehensive job descriptions, linked to compensation programs, and performance appraisal systems. These processes can also provide better data for legal defensibility. Combination Methods: There are indeed a number of different ways to obtain and analyze information about a job. Each of the methods has its own strength and weaknesses. Therefore, generally, a combination of methods is preferred over one method alone. Benefits of Job Analysis Organizational structure and design: Job Analysis data helps in preparing the organization chart and the organizational structure. Classification of the jobs, relation of each job with one another and various positions and hierarchy of the positions is determined in order to avoid overlapping of authority- responsibility relationship and to avoid distortion in chain of command. Man power planning: Job Analysis data provides the qualitative aspects of the jobs in an organisation. It determines the demands of job in terms of duties to be performed, qualification and personal skills required in the employees. It is a tool which is used for matching job with men. Recruitment and Selection: Job Analysis helps in hiring future human resources of an organisation. Job Description and job Specification provides necessary information that helps to recruit and select the right kind of people for the available jobs. Training and Development: Based on the job requirements identific ation of the training needs of the persons can be done easily. Training can be provided in those specific areas which will help to improve the job performance. Job Evaluation: Job evaluation refers to studying in detail the job performance by all individual. Information regarding the level of difficulty, skills level, qualities required to perform the job are obtained from job analysis to establish relative worth of different jobs. Promotions and Transfer: promotion is given to an employee on the basis of the skill and talent required for the future job. Similarly when an employee gets transfer to another branch the job must be very similar to that of his previous job. To take these decisions the information is collected from job Analysis. Performance Appraisal: By comparing actual performance of the employees to the standard set by organisation, the personnel activities like promotion, increments, incentives or corrective actions to enhance job performance is decided. Thes e standards are established using information provided by job Analysis. Career path planning and Employee counselling: Many companies have not taken up career planning for their employees. Employee counselling is done to prevent the employee from leaving the company. Employees are informed about the limitations of jobs in terms of development and are guided to take required steps for their future development. Job Analysis provides such information regarding the areas in which a person requires modification for better career options. Health and safety: -Job Analysis points out the risk factor associated with a particular job and thus the action required for the safety of the employees can be taken. Unsafe operations can be eliminated or can be replaced by safe one or the safety equipments can be installed. Labour relations: When companies plan to add extra duties or remove certain duties from a job, they require the help of job Analysis, when this activity is systematically done using job Analysis, it does not affect adversely to the union members and do not hamper labour relations. Acceptance of job offer: Appointment letter issued by an organisation always mention the duties to be performed by him. This information is collected from job Analysis, which is why job Analysis becomes important. Discovering Unassigned Duties: Job Analysis can help to reveal unassigned duties if any. However, the end result of job Analysis is effectiveness and efficiency i.e. doing the right thing and doing it rightly and respectively. The underlying motive at the long run is increase in companys profitability, productivity and sustainability. Job Evaluation Job Evaluation is the process of analyzing and assessing various jobs systematically to ascertain their relative worth in an organization. Job Evaluation means systematically determining relative worth of jobs to create job structure and to develop job hierarchy. In Job Evaluation process the relative worth of job is identified based upon job comparability. According to relative worth, importance of job and relative value compensation is designed and selected. Hence it involves determination of relative worth of each job for the purpose of establishing wage and salary differentials. Basically, relative worth is determined on the basis of Job Description and Job Specification. Job Evaluation helps to determine wages and salary grades for all jobs. Employees need to be compensated depending on the grades of jobs they perform. Remuneration must be based on the relative worth of each job. Ignoring this basic principle arrives at inequitable compensation practice. A perception of inequi ty is a sure way of de-motivating an employee and a profound ill effect on employees morale. According to Alford and Beatty, Job Evaluation is the application of the job Analysis technique to the qualitative measurement of relative job worth, for the purpose of establishing consistent wage rate differentials by objective means. It measures the differences between jobs on the job requirements, and establishes the differential numerically (job rating), so that it can be converted to wage rate after the wage level is determined. According to Kimball and Kimball Jr., Job Evaluation represents an effort to determine the relative value of every job in a plant and to determine what the fair basic wage for such a job should be. According to Bethel, Atwater and Smith et at, Job Evaluation as a personal term has both a specific and genetic meaning specifically, it means job rating or the grading of occupations in terms of duties, generally it means the entire field of wages and salar y administration along modern lines. Edwin B. Flippo defines. Job Evaluation is a systematic and orderly process of determining the worth of a job in relation to other jobs. In the words of Maurice B. Cumming, Job Evaluation is a technique of assessing the worth of a job in comparison with all other jobs throughout an organisation. According to Scott, Clothier and Spriegel, Job Evaluation or job rating is the operation of evaluating a particular job in relation to other jobs either within or outside the organisation. According to International Labour Organisation, Job Evaluation may be defined as an attempt to determine and compare the demands which the normal performance of particular job makes on normal workers without taking into account of the individual abilities or performance of the workers concerned. In the words of Dale Yoder, Job Evaluation is a practice which seeks to provide a degree of objectivity in measuring the comparative value of jobs within an organisa tion and among similar organisations. In the words of John A. Shubin, Job Evaluation is a systematic procedure for measuring the relative value and importance of an occupation on the basis of their common factor (skill, training, efforts) for the purpose of determining wages and salary differentials. According to Bureau of Labour Statistics, Job Evaluation is the evaluation or rating of job to determine their position in job hierarchy. The evaluation may be achievement through assignment of points or the use of some other systematic rating method for essential job requirements such as skill, experience and responsibility. Features of Job Evaluation The primary objective of job Evaluation is to find out the value of work, but this is a value which varies from time to time and from place to place under the influence of certain economic pressure. The main features of job Evaluations are as follows: It attempts to assess jobs, not people. Job Evaluation is the output provided by job Analysis. It provides bases for wage negotiation founded on facts. Job Evaluation does not design wage structure, it helps in rationalising the system by reducing number of separate and different rates. Job Evaluation is done by group of experts. Job Evaluation determines the value of job and the value of each of the aspects of job such as skill and responsibility levels are also related and studied in connection with the job. Job Evaluation helps the management to maintain high levels of employee productivity and employee satisfaction. The objectives of job Evaluation To provide a standard procedure for fixing salary: job Evaluation aims at providing a standard procedure for fixing salary of employees doing a particular job and belonging to a particular level in the organization. This is required to remunerate the employees according to his capabilities and therefore making them satisfied on the job. To reconcile the pay in accordance with employees efforts: The rate of pay is decided by looking into various factors on the job. To ensure that wages and salaries are paid according to the qualification and work: Job Evaluation recognizes the importance of qualification of the employees and the efforts put by him on the job and decides the salary based on these factors. This   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  ensures that the employees are judged on similar factors and there is no bias. To decide salary using scientific methods of evaluation:   The job Evaluation methods are scientific in nature. It must be decided after  looking into the iss ues concerned with a scientific approach not based on  personal bias or personal choice. To have a fair study of the job factors to avoid ambiguity: Job Evaluation studies the job factors in a fair and just manner and thereby tries to avoid all sorts of ambiguity. When the factors for judging the jobs are very clear and accurate, it assigns more credibility to the entire job evaluation process. Advantages of job Evaluation Job Evaluation is advantageous to management, workers, trade unions and organisations as well. Management has the advantage of greater order in its pay arrangement and more stable wage structure. Unions benefit from a greater sense of fairness and reasons in pay matters. Union can play a more important role in determining the relation between different levels of pay and in the joint regulation of work place conditions. Employees benefit because job evaluation provides an agreed framework for setting questions affecting jobs and so helps to prevent arbitrary decisions. It also helps to ensure that differences in skill and responsibility are properly recognised. Everyone benefits from a system which enables the pay for new and revised jobs to be settled in the same way as for existing job by preventing anomalies. Job Evaluation Methods The essence of compensation administration and establishment of the pay structure is job Evaluation. It systematically determines the value of each job in relation to all jobs within the organization by using job Analysis information. In short, Job Evaluation seeks to rank all the jobs in the organization and place them in a hierarchy that will reflect the relative worth of each. The techniques which have been commonly used are as follows: Non-analytical or Non-quantitative or summary methods. Non-analytical methods are: Job Ranking Job Classification or grading Analytical or quantitative methods. Analytical methods are: Factor Comparison Point rating or assessment Job Ranking Method This is the oldest and simplest method of job Evaluation. This is generally used in smaller units where the job raters know all the jobs quite well. In this method no such effort is made to break a job into its elements or factors. The sole aim is rather to judge the job as a whole and fix the relative value by ranking one whole job against another whole job. Job at the top of the list has the highest value and obviously the job at the bottom of the list will have the lowest value. Jobs are arranged from highest to lowest, in order of their value or merit to the organisation. Jobs also can be arranged according to the relative difficulty in performing them, in order of importance beginning with the most important to the least important jobs in the organisation. This procedure is followed for jobs in each department and an attempt is then made to equate or compare jobs at various levels among the several departments. When this is completed, grade levels are defined and salary gro ups are formed. Jobs are placed into different salary ranges more or less on a predominated basis in their rank order. The most obvious limitation to the ranking method is its sheer inability to be managed when there are a large number of jobs. Other drawbacks to be considered are the subjectivity of the method. There are no definite or consistent standards by which to justify the rankings. An example of ranking of jobs where additional jobs between already ranked may be assigned. Rank Monthly salary range Manager 9.000-12.000 Assistant Manager 7.000-9.000 Superintendent 6.000-8.000 Assistant 5,000-7.000 Clerk/typist 4,000-6,000 Peon 3.000-4.000 Advantages: 1.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The system is quite simple to adopt. 2.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Once the workers understand the process, it is very easy to administer. 3.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Less time consuming in evaluating the jobs. 4.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   This system is suitable for smaller organisation where the raters are fully acquainted with all the existing jobs in the enterprise. Disadvantages: 1.  Due to lack of scientific approach jobs may be arbitrarily ranked resulting in differences in similar jobs. 2.  Since the ranks judgements of the jobs are subjective, the fairness of the judgement is questionable. 3.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  In a complex and large organisation, it is not possible to be familiar with all the jobs and thus general description will not enable correct assessment of the relative importance of the jobs.