Relationship Of Employee Voice And Employee Performance

Relationship Of Employee Voice And Employee Performance Human resource is a very essential part of any company and the people within the company play a very important role. This paper aims at analyzing the relationship of employee voice in an organization and the employee performance. The paper will firstly deal with the various methods that the employees can express themselves and be heard. This will be followed by the importance of employee voice, and the various views that have been presented by authors about the importance. A thorough analysis of the impact of employee voice on the performance has also been made. Employee Voice: Over the years, there has been a high interest in the notion of employee voice both in terms of higher levels of performance and also better employee representation (Beardwell 1998, Sako 1998, Benson 2000; Roche, 2000). There has been a vast amount of literature that has been set down on the topic of Voice. A study by Professor Margaret has highlighted that collective voice achieves what the lone voice could never do: it humanises and civilises the workplace, arguing that collective representation is the foundation of a partnership relationship that brings positive benefits for business (Prosser, 2001). There have been several different meanings that have been set down for the term Employee voice. Each definition and explanation of the terms has provided a different view on the purpose and underlying meaning of employee voice and the need of one rather than an individual voice. For an organisation to develop and be successful it is essential there is a freedom to speak and participat e for all employees. The twentieth century has seen numerous initiatives to involve employees and has also tried to promote better performance. According to Lavelle, Gunnigle and McDonnell, have defined employee voice as, as any type of mechanism, structure or practice, which provides an employee with an opportunity to express an opinion or participate in decision-making within their organization (Lavelle, Gunnigle and McDonnell, 2010). Employee voice can be distinguished into two main types, Direct Voice: this refers to any mode of mechanism where the employees can directly involve and work with the management in various aspects like their jobs. Work environment, teams, appraisal systems, and even the meetings between the employees and the managers. Here most of the involvement of the employees is through the individual themselves rather than via any other intermediate. Indirect Voice: This form of voice is one where there is a collective employee representation and these include representation like trade unions, non union structures of collective representations like work councils, and consultative committees. There are several different mechanisms that are available for employee voice within an organization. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the various mechanisms of employee voice can be classified into two main headings, a) Upward Problem Solving and b) Representative Participation. These two also fall into the above categories that have been discussed, i.e. direct and indirect voice. The CIPD has also brought out the various mechanisms that are complementary to employee voice and these are as discussed below: Upward problem-solving or Direct Method: This refers to any technique that is adopted by the managers to gain the ideas of the employees and also to gain an opinion of the employees, This allows for a two way communication and it encourages the employees to participate by setting up through communication systems. Here the communication is more between the individual employee and the managers rather than with any kind of representatives. There are numerous methods and techniques that can be used to allow this form of communication. One of the first methods that can be used is the Electronic media. This allows disseminating and also permits for ideas to be shared and provided using an online medium. Here as compared to the face to face medium, there is very less interaction and all questions and proposals are sent out using emails. The other form of communication is a two way communication, where the staff and managers can get together and discuss their views and opinions on various is sues. These are mostly in the form of regular meeting and these not only allow for improved issue management but also work on the improvement of performance of the team as such. Here employees can suggest problem solving for issues that are faced or even discuss ideas to improve the processes. Another very famous and presently adopted method is the suggestion schemes. These allow the people to discuss and make suggestion and contribute to the growth of the team. Here however there are incentives for the contributors if the suggestions are accepted and implemented. Another very effective form of encouraging the employee voice is using questionnaire surveys. Here the company can discover the levels of satisfaction of the staff particularly in terms of work and work environment. This is a very strong way of increasing the employee voice and being able to reach out to the employees. Another effective manner of direct communication includes the project teams. Here a group of people can b e brought together on a regular basis and the team can work on discussion of the quality of work within the organization. Representative Participation or Indirect Method: This form as mentioned is more of an indirect method. Here there is no interaction between the individual employee and the managers however are more based on the employee representative and the managers. A few of the possible methods that are used in companies include as follows. The partnership scheme is one where an emphasis is made on a mutual gain and a mutual gain and a tackling the issues and problems in a cooperative manner. Another form is referred to as joint consultation. This has been expressed as, to consider issues that are deemed to be of common interest or of key importance to the parties (CIPD, 2010). Also the last form is the collective representation. This is where employees negotiate and work together work towards the pay. Here they act as employee representatives. These mechanisms only permit a better chance for the employees to voice their requirements. There is a high need for the employee voice to be heard and these have a major impact on the performance of the company and the employee themselves. The next section will deal with the impact of providing employees with a chance to have their voice heard and how it would affect the working and performance of the employees. Impact on Employee Performance: As said very rightly by Dulewicz (1989), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a basic human tendency to make judgements about those one is working with, as well as about oneself. It is noted that appraisals are inevitable and is universal. People evaluate how well a job is done to set performance standards. The process was linked to the material outcomes, i.e. if an employees performance is to less than ideal then there would be a cut in pay, however if the performance was better than the ideal level set by the supervisor, then there would be a rise in pay. In the current situation the definition of employee contribution is not only dependent on the output i.e. the end results achieved but also depends on the inputs by the employee i.e. what the employee is willing to contribute to the business. Several studies have highlighted that the performance of employees is based not only on the level of pay that they receive but also equally on the level of motivation which in turn is related directly to the level of motivation of the employees. The performance of a company and its relationship with the employee voice has been a topic of high debate over the last decade. The voices of the employees of a company affect the performance of the company directly. Performance here is in terms of two mains aspects, a) the employee performance and b) the company performance. These are inter related in a way that the better the employee performance the better will be the company performance. Human Resource Management mainly aims at ensuring that all aspects of employees from recruitment to retention are taken care of. The HR team would take all necessary steps to ensure that the employee performance is better. The HR has a very clear and very big affect on the performance of the company and t he employees, as they bare in some form a major point of contact for the employees (Boselie, Paauwe and Jansen, 2000). The HR has a direct influence on the performance of the company. Since the HR is responsible for recruitment and selection of the employees, it is completely dependent on the HR teams to select employees who would perform, also they are the ones who need to ensure that the employee needs and voice are heard and met and should also support the managers and the top management to encourage and hear the voices of the employees. This is mainly because employee performance is directly related to the needs of the employees and if an employee is not heard the employee can feel disheartened which would cause levels of distress. According to Beale (1994) employee involvement represents, a significant challenge to the traditional influence of trade unions in the workplace. Employee involvement programmes provide an alternative source of information, ideas and interpretation of workplace experiences, an alternative to that provided by the union. Employee involvement programmes actively promote a new culture in competition with the traditional explanations and culture communicated by the union (Beale, 1994). It is also essential to understand that irrespective of how much the management might try to avoid any form of unions or representative participation, the level of commitment is not seen to have increased. In the current times employees prefer to have a representative participation, i.e. part of unions, and other representative structures. Hence when a company does not allow or pay head to the employee voice through the indirect measures, it is seen that there is also a clear reduced commitment to work and lowered levels of motivation. It has also been explained by Storey and Sisson (1994), highlight the same point and explain that the enhanced worker commitment will reduce directly if the management attempts to overlook the unions and try to go in for a direct form of contact with the employees. Ackers, Marchington, Wilkinson and Dundon (2003) explain, On the other hand, where unions stand outside the EI [Employee involvement] initiative, their indifference or hostility may be a maj or reason for its failure. Social partnership theory suggests that union involvement can make EI [Employee involvement] work better, for both management and employees. The main intension of any firm is to have high performance working within the organization. Having high performance working in an organization is in a number of ways the opposite of the employment practices set down by Taylor. CIPD explain high performance working as, HPW can be characterised as everything that Taylorist employment practices are not. This is an unfair reflection on the substantial influence of F W Taylor on management thinking in the early part of the last century. However, HPW is the diametrical opposite of employment strategies based on short cycle times, skill minimization and one right way. This approach is appropriate to the high volume repetitive working usually associated with products and services sold on the basis of low cost and narrow range. HPW is better suited to product and service sectors that are at least concerned with mass customization and more often designed to meet the needs of individual customers (CIPD, 2010). Several authors over the years have provided several different views and notions on the topic of the relationship between employee voice and employee performance. Several authors also concentrate more on the direct voice effect. It has been studied that direct employee voice is relatively much more effective and than the indirect employee voice and shows higher, better and enhanced performance outcomes. Heller (1998) observed that high degrees of influence sharing are associated with a better quality and effectiveness of decisions and a significant reduction in the underuti ­lization of peoples experience and skills (p. 1439). Also Cotton et.al (1988) explains that in the case of direct voice, the employees tend to feel more satisfied and also gain a feel of involvement in the decision making. They also explain that when the employee influence is high, there is a higher level of group cohesion and the level of commitment to those decisions is noted to be enhanced and improved. In another research conducted by Bryson, Willman, Gomez, and Kretschmer (2007), the hypotheses has highlighted that there is a strong link between employee voice and HRM. This as mentioned earlier also has a direct impact on the employee and the performance of the employees. A research conducted by Freeman and Medoff (1984) and adapted Hirschmans (1970) model. Hirschmans (1970) model of exit voice has been the base of the research by Freeman and Medoff and this has mainly be done to link the union voice, higher levels of productivity and lower quit rates. Kim, MacDuffie Pil, (2009), explain, Without collective voice through the agency of worker representation, employees lack the incentive to pursue public goods, such as enhanced working conditions and workplace policies that affect the well-being of all employees, for example, grievance and arbitration procedures, just cause for discipline and discharge, and seniority clauses (Batt et al., 2002) (Kim, MacDuffie Pil, 2009). Conclusion: Based on the research and the extensive discussion that has been presented above, it is clear that the various researches that have been presented in the past it is clear that the relationship between the employee voice and productivity is ambiguous. Kim, MacDuffie Pil, (2009), explain, Union presence may lower labor productivity via restrictive work practices or lower firm investments due to lower firm profitability. On the other hand, it has also been noted that the union voice can also be associated with the adversarial relations within the industries and the if there is no clear flow of information between the workers and the management, there is also a clear lack of complete diversity in terms of the input of the workers. There have also been other findings from studies by Brown and Medoff, which suggest that the unions have a close relationship with the employee morale, needs, motivation and also cooperation (Metcalf, 2003). There have thus been several positive and negative v iews on this topic and there has not been any clear evidence on the certainty of the effect of employee voice on employee performance.

Essay --

Kevin Cherry Animal Welfare and Rights There has recently been a lot of dispute between those who believe in animal welfare and those who believe in animal rights. Most farm animals today are raised in confinement on huge manufacturing systems that are more like factories than farms. Animal welfare is based on the belief that animals can contribute to humans by providing us with food, work, and entertainment. It also ensures that humans who work with animals follow those moral obligations to provide the animal well-being. Animal rights on the other hand is based on the belief that animals should have the same or similar rights to humans. Animal rights activists believe that humans have no right to use animals at all, no matter how humane their operations are. Animals have always played an important role in agriculture. Much concern for animal welfare is based on the belief that animals have the ability to feel and perceive what is happening to them. This is why it is considered that attention should be paid to their well-being. While the killing of animals for food does not n...

Nokia’s Mission Statement

NokiaNokia’s Interim Report (2013) showed a decline in the first quarter for group net sales, device and services net sales and networks net sales. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Nokia’s mission statement places a strong emphasis on shareholder value and social responsibility to increase the company’s stronghold within its industry.Shareholder ValueIn order to gauge the company’s performance in these two areas, there are a couple of specific indicators that Nokia is looking for. Shareholder value is increased through the success of the business. Nokia gives four areas that will become the primary focus of each of the business areas and gauge its success. These areas are: (1) leading and winning in mobile devices, (2) growing consumer internet services, (3) accelerating adoption of business solutions and (4) leveraging scale and transforming solutions in infrastructure (Grant, 2010, p. 24). This focus in these business areas allows for Nokia to inc rease shareholder value through a strong business strategy.Nokia also wants to strengthen their strategic capabilities in the areas of: (1) consumer understanding, (2) brand recognition, (3) technology and architecture and (4) channels and supply chain (Grant, 2010). This will also help to increase shareholder value by allowing for a competitive advantage when dealing with the above business areas.Social ResponsibilityNokia also wants to focus on their social responsibility as a mediator between the unconnected and connected. They envision a world where everyone is connected and allow everyone to feel close to what matters to them. I believe that they can gauge this through the same manner they gauge shareholder value. Essentially, Nokia’s business strategy will fulfill their  social responsibility of connecting people. Leading the industry in mobile devices, Internet services, business solutions and solution infrastructure will all help connect people throughout the world. MissionWith the new Nokia Lumia reaching number four on the list of largest smartphone brands in the USA, one can say that Nokia’s mission is working on increasing the connectivity amongst people through their smartphones (Shah, 2013). However, the company as a whole is not doing so well. With all their sales dropping, the only thing that is increasing is the sale of their Nokia Lumia. Even at the number four spot, Nokia only holds a measly 4.1% of the smartphone industry in the US, and their overall sales are declining (Shah, 2013). Therefore, I would say they are not doing a very good job at fulfilling their mission statement. If Apple had the same mission statement, leading the sales of smartphones in the US at a whopping 33.7%, the statement would be more accurate in saying that they plan to connect people around the world and lead the industry.RecommendationIn order to improve the mission statement, I believe that Nokia should add more tangible short-term goals to boost morale. Short-term wins not only boost morale, but also provide more attainable objectives to satisfy shareholders. Therefore, instead of stating that Nokia plans to, â€Å"Lead and win in mobile devices,† they can state that Nokia will, â€Å"increase the smartphone market value partnering with Android AND Microsoft to expand Nokia’s global reach.† Providing short-term wins that are not as broad as Nokia’s current mission statement will help also strengthen the company’s brand and make them a stronger company as a whole. Overall, Nokia is doing well within the smartphone realm, and losing in everything else. It is either time that they specialize in a specific industry (smartphones), or take the market by storm with something that has not been offered before. Only the future will tell, and the mission statement is what will reflect these plans. Nokia’s Mission Statement NokiaNokia’s Interim Report (2013) showed a decline in the first quarter for group net sales, device and services net sales and networks net sales. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Nokia’s mission statement places a strong emphasis on shareholder value and social responsibility to increase the company’s stronghold within its industry.Shareholder ValueIn order to gauge the company’s performance in these two areas, there are a couple of specific indicators that Nokia is looking for. Shareholder value is increased through the success of the business. Nokia gives four areas that will become the primary focus of each of the business areas and gauge its success. These areas are: (1) leading and winning in mobile devices, (2) growing consumer internet services, (3) accelerating adoption of business solutions and (4) leveraging scale and transforming solutions in infrastructure (Grant, 2010, p. 24). This focus in these business areas allows for Nokia to inc rease shareholder value through a strong business strategy.Nokia also wants to strengthen their strategic capabilities in the areas of: (1) consumer understanding, (2) brand recognition, (3) technology and architecture and (4) channels and supply chain (Grant, 2010). This will also help to increase shareholder value by allowing for a competitive advantage when dealing with the above business areas.Social ResponsibilityNokia also wants to focus on their social responsibility as a mediator between the unconnected and connected. They envision a world where everyone is connected and allow everyone to feel close to what matters to them. I believe that they can gauge this through the same manner they gauge shareholder value. Essentially, Nokia’s business strategy will fulfill their  social responsibility of connecting people. Leading the industry in mobile devices, Internet services, business solutions and solution infrastructure will all help connect people throughout the world. MissionWith the new Nokia Lumia reaching number four on the list of largest smartphone brands in the USA, one can say that Nokia’s mission is working on increasing the connectivity amongst people through their smartphones (Shah, 2013). However, the company as a whole is not doing so well. With all their sales dropping, the only thing that is increasing is the sale of their Nokia Lumia. Even at the number four spot, Nokia only holds a measly 4.1% of the smartphone industry in the US, and their overall sales are declining (Shah, 2013). Therefore, I would say they are not doing a very good job at fulfilling their mission statement. If Apple had the same mission statement, leading the sales of smartphones in the US at a whopping 33.7%, the statement would be more accurate in saying that they plan to connect people around the world and lead the industry.RecommendationIn order to improve the mission statement, I believe that Nokia should add more tangible short-term goals to boost morale. Short-term wins not only boost morale, but also provide more attainable objectives to satisfy shareholders. Therefore, instead of stating that Nokia plans to, â€Å"Lead and win in mobile devices,† they can state that Nokia will, â€Å"increase the smartphone market value partnering with Android AND Microsoft to expand Nokia’s global reach.†Providing short-term wins that are not as broad as Nokia’s current mission statement will help also strengthen the company’s brand and make them a stronger company as a whole. Overall, Nokia is doing well within the smartphone realm, and losing in everything else. It is either time that they specialize in a specific industry (smartphones), or take the market by storm with something that has not been offered before. Only the future will tell, and the mission statement is what will reflect these plans.

35 Numerical Prefixes

35 Numerical Prefixes 35 Numerical Prefixes 35 Numerical Prefixes By Mark Nichol This post lists prefixes of Greek and/or Latin provenance used in expressions of numerical relationships, with examples. 1. uni-: â€Å"one† (unicycle) 2. mono-: â€Å"one† (monogamy) 3–4. du-: â€Å"two† (duplicate); sometimes duo- (duopoly) 5–6. deuter-: â€Å"two† (deuterium); sometimes deutero- (deuterograph) 7. bi-: â€Å"two† (bicycle) or â€Å"twice† (biannual) 8. di-: â€Å"two† (dilemma) 9. tri-: â€Å"three† (triangle) 10. quadr-: â€Å"four† (quadrant) 11. tetra-: â€Å"four† (tetrahedron) 12–13. quin-: â€Å"five† (quintet); sometimes quinque- (quinquelateral) 14. penta-: â€Å"five† (pentathlon) 15. sex-: â€Å"six† (sextuplets) 16. hexa-: â€Å"six† (hexagram) 17. sept-: â€Å"seven† (septuagenarian) 18. hept-: â€Å"seven† (heptarchy) 19–20. oct-: â€Å"eight† (octennial); sometimes octo- (octopus) 21. nona-: â€Å"nine† (nonary) 22–23. nove-: â€Å"nine† (novennial); sometimes novem- (novemdecillion) 24. ennea-: â€Å"nine† (enneagram) 25–26. dec-: â€Å"ten† (decennial); sometimes decem- (decemvirate) 27. deca-: â€Å"ten† (decade) 28. cent-: â€Å"hundred† (centipede) 29–30. hect-: â€Å"hundred† (hectare); sometimes hecto- (hectoliter) 31–32. mill-: â€Å"thousand† (million); sometimes mille- (millennial) 33. kilo-: â€Å"thousand† (kilowatt) 34. chili-: â€Å"thousand† (chiliad) 35. myri-: â€Å"ten thousand† (myriad) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:80 Idioms with the Word TimeList of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

Timeline for Applying to Graduate School

Timeline for Applying to Graduate School Applying to graduate school is a lengthy process that begins well before application time. Your graduate school application is the culmination of years of study and preparation.   What You Need to Do (and When) for Grad School Applications Heres a handy checklist to help you keep track of what you need to do and when. First, Second, and Third Years of College In your first and second year of college, your choice of major, courses and out-of-class experiences influence the quality of your application. Research and applied experiences can be important sources of experience, material for admissions essays, and sources of recommendation letters. Throughout college, focus on obtaining mentoring and other experiences that will let faculty get to know you. Letters of recommendation from faculty hold a great deal of weight in graduate school admissions decisions. Spring Prior to Applying to Grad School In addition to obtaining research and applied experiences and maintaining a high GPA, plan on taking the necessary standardized tests for admissions. You will either take the GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT, or DAT, depending on what your program requires. Take the necessary standardized exam early so that you have time to retake it if needed.   Summer/September Prior to Attending Grad School If you havent done so already, take the GRE or other standardized exam needed for admission.Gather information about graduate programs online. Review department websites, peruse faculty web pages and examine program curricula and requirements. Narrow your choices.Consider which faculty members to ask for letters of recommendation. September/October Research sources of financial aid.Carefully examine each of the program applications. Note any questions or essay topics that will require your attention.Write a draft of your graduate admissions essay.Ask a faculty member or the career/grad admissions counselor at your school to read your essays and provide feedback. Take their advice!Ask faculty for letters of recommendation. Provide faculty with a copy of your transcript, links to program information and forms (all clearly labeled in one email), and your admissions essay.   Ask faculty if theres anything else that you can provide to help them. November/December Arrange for your official transcript to be sent to each program to which you apply. Visit the Registrars office to request your transcript. Request that the Registrar hold your transcript until the Fall semester grades are in (unless the application is due December 1, which is common).Finalize your admissions essay. Dont forget to seek additional input from others.Apply for fellowships and other sources of financial aid, as applicable.Check and record the due date for each application. December/January Complete the application for each program. Most will be online. Pay attention to spelling errors in your name, address, email, and email addresses for professors who will write your recommendation letters. Reread your essays and statement of purpose. Spell check! If you are to cut and paste it into an online form, check the spacing and formatting. If its all text, include a blank line between paragraphs. If you are to upload a pdf, be sure to review your document to check for formatting errors.Relax and breathe!Most schools send an email upon receipt of each application and will follow up as files are completed. Keep track of these. If needed, follow up with faculty who have not submitted their letters. February Depending on your field, start planning for the admissions interviews. What questions will you ask? Prepare answers to common questions.Fill out the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. Youll need your tax forms to do this. March/April If needed, visit schools where youve been accepted.Discuss your decisions regarding programs to which you were accepted and reasons why you may have been rejected by a faculty member or the career/graduate admissions counselor at your school.Notify the program of your acceptance.Notify programs that youre declining.

Economics of State and Local Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics of State and Local Government - Essay Example If the schools do not make acceptable grades then corrective action or school improvement will be implemented. Data will also be sorted according to each demographic, (race, sex, poverty, ethnicity, disability and English proficiency) to better recognize groups that aren’t meeting standards. Each State will also be measured against each other. Charter school programs, rural education programs, education provision for homeless children and youth, programs and funding designed to provide children attending unsafe school opportunity to attend a safe school, and safe and drug free school policy guidance are each provisions of the No Child Left Behind. Numerous States have fought the act, calling it unfunded. The claim and reasoning behind this is that there is no reinforcement in the act should the federal government not provide the funding. States are specifically written out of the act and not required to fund the act in any circumstance. Therefore the act is thought of as an un funded act. 2. The reason that guaranteed tax based formulas have failed is because there are differences in the actual dollar cost of providing educational services in schools, districts, and student populations. Some groups of students will have much higher needs than others and small school districts might not see the same benefits as that of a larger one on a comparative scale. These differences are accounted for by associating funding with certain types of students and schools, as mentioned prior and setting up separate programs that bring in dollars for certain student populations, districts and schools. Weighting and adjustment programs usually assign a specific numerical value to portions of the student population by certain attributes and qualities. This helps to illustrate where financial resources are needed and can be directed. Students who have special needs may be weighted 1.5, while students who have no special needs may be weighted as 1.0 (Hightower, Mitani, Swanson) . This helps in deciding how much funding is actually needed when taken all factors into consideration. Weighing programs such as this are a better way of allocating funds and reducing inequity in education funding. 3. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Family’s (TANF) program was created to help families reach self-sufficiency by providing individual states with grants to reach certain goals. One being to assist families so that children can remain in the home with families, two, promoting job preparation, work and marriage, three, preventing pregnancy in unmarried individuals, and encouraging the formation and maintenance of two parent family’s (About†¦). Federal rules regarding TANF requires work participation hours standards that states must meet to continue to be eligible for TANF grants. The all-family requirement states that half of all families that contain an adult or head of household must participate in work related activities 30 hours per week if child ren are over six and 20 hours for children under six. The separate two parent family standard is that 90% of families must be participating in these work activities each week. Child support enforcement activities must be cooperated with and parents who do not have child support ordered are required to get an order (Temporary†¦). Assistance can only be received for a total of five years in

Fallacy arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fallacy arguments - Essay Example This was also the time when Lindsey decided to go to university. The fallacy that the speaker commits here is the oversimplified cause fallacy. First, the speaker believes that since the relationship went downhill at the same time that Lindsey went to university, then the university thing must have been the reason behind the failure of the relationship. However, these may have only been a coincidence, and that nobody could really actually say that two events happening together in close succession would be both a cause and an effect. Second, the speaker falsely labels Lindsey’s decision to go to university as something that violates the traditional female role. Perhaps, the speaker equates female tradition with submission to the male gender or prioritizing one’s boyfriend instead of going to school. Either way, the meaning of â€Å"traditional female role† is vague. The fallacy is therefore committed as the speaker labels this decision of Lindsey’s to go to university as something that violates the traditional female role, and somehow hastily ascribing to this abandonment of the traditional female role as the cause of the failure of a relationship. 2. Mayor Ford: Reporters from the Toronto Star, and Globe and Mail newspapers have claimed that I use crack cocaine, and that my brother dealt drugs in the 80’s. But those reporters are just a bunch of maggots. So, nobody should listen to those little sleaze bags. Premise 1) The reporters of certain newspapers claim that Mayor Ford uses cocaine and implicates his brother in this. 2) These reporters are a â€Å"bunch of maggots† and â€Å"little sleaze bags.† Conclusion: Nobody should listen to them, or what they are saying is not true. Fallacy: Ad hominem According to the mayor himself, the reporters of the various newspapers whom he named were accusing him of using drugs and even implicate his brother in this. However, instead of stating whether these accusations are t rue or not, or instead of giving his statement on the matter, the mayor decided to resort to committing the fallacy of ad hominem by calling these reporters a â€Å"bunch of maggots† and â€Å"little sleaze bags† – which are extremely derogatory terms. These bad names were used by the mayor in order to discredit these reporters and to somehow make the reader feel that these reporters do not deserve to be heard at all. Thus, the tendency of those who will believe the mayor’s statement will be to refuse to believe the reporters. The mayor is perhaps committing this fallacy deliberately in order to evade the true issue, or perhaps the possible truth that he really was a crackpot. 3. Keesha: I’ve just started using Weight Watcher’s weight loss program. You should really try it. Martin: Why Weight Watchers? Aren’t there lots of different weight loss programs out there? Keesha: Well maybe, but I know Weight Watchers is the best because the sales associate at Weight Watchers told me that their program is the only way to lose weight safely and effectively. Premise 1) The sales associate at Weight Watchers told Keesha that their program is the only way to lose weight safely and effectively. 2) Weight Watchers is the best. Conclusion: Keesha has started using Weight Watcher’s weight loss program. Fallacy: Inappropriate Appeal to Authority According to Keesha, the Weight Watchers weight loss prog