Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Business Ethics - Essay Example Other research on lobbying behaviour and the effect of a proposed financial accounting standard on pro forma net income provides mixed results. For example, Watts and Zimmerman (1978) report that economic self-interests motivate a large firm to lobby for an accounting standard that reduces pro forma net income. Yet, other studies (Martens and Stevens, 1993; Dechow et al., 1996) find no relationship between lobbying behaviour and the effect of the proposed standard on net income. The present study extends prior research by examining whether economic self-interests affect corporate lobbying on disclosure, especially on Prior to the 1993 Exposure Draft (ED) on FAS 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, corporations provided relatively little information on the value of stock-based compensation (SBC) held by top management. Essentially, corporations reported the SBC for only the top five executives and only in annual proxy statements as required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The ED proposed recognizing for the first time in annual reports the amount of SBC for all employees. Comment letters to the FASB on FAS 123 almost exclusively opposed recognition of SBC. However, as Walker and Robinson (1993) note, a careful analysis of the substance of comment letters (i.e., analysis beyond simply counting ‘yes/no’ votes on recognition) can provide additional insights into the politics of the standard-setting process. The current analysis of the comment letters reveals that managers supported varying venues and formats of disclosure. Thus, the varying responses to the FASB on the ED for FAS 123 provide a unique opportunity to examine whether economic self-interest motivates lobbying on venues and formats of disclosure of information (Breton Wall Street Journal, 5 November 1993). The results of this study indicate that differences in corporate lobbying positions on disclosure are related to the value of corporate SBC. In

Junior Seminar class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Junior Seminar class - Essay Example l Wild Animals made up 58.3% of the animals featured, Real Domesticated Animals made up of 8.3% of the animals featured, Fantasy Wild Animals made up of the animals featured, and Fantasy Domesticated Animals made up 25.0% of the animals featured. The magazine was made up of 62 pages which means that there was an animal featured for every 5 magazine pages. It is also interesting to note that except for the bird, no other animal was featured twice in the magazine. Other animals featured include the Marine Iguana, Wild Tortoise, Ocelot, Crab, Sea Lion, Elephant, Shark, Monkey, Crocodile, Water Buffalo, and the Horse. Given the nature of the statistics taken from these data, it can be inferred that the publication places a focus on nature and its elements because of the high rate of animals featured in it. The society may also be expected to be a nature loving one because of the emphasis placed on exotic creatures. It may also be noted that a great degree of importance is placed on the animals because of the advertisements and articles made that feature

Performance Appraisal System

Performance Appraisal System Procedural justice and Interactional justice: Assessing employees perception of fairness of performance appraisal; an empirical study of a small manufacturing company. ABSTRACT This research identifies procedural justice and interactional justice influences on perceived fairness of performance appraisal at a small private manufacturing company located in Newcastle, UK. Distributive justice refers to the perceived fairness of procedures used to determine the appraisal ratings. Interactional justice refers to the perceived fairness of the raters interpersonal treatment of the ratee during the appraisal process. A qualitative and quantitative case study method was used to obtain an understanding of employee perceptions of the fairness of their performance appraisal. Data from both interviews with nine employees was collected along with questionnaires completed by these participants. Two hypotheses were developed. Both hypotheses were supported by research data. 1.1 Aim of the researcher The researcher will assess the relationship between perceived fairness of justice among employees of the performance appraisal system. The aim of this research is to prove through this study that level of employees satisfaction with the appraisal system is influenced by the employees perceived fairness of procedural and interactional justice of the performance appraisal session. 1.2 Introduction Performance appraisal is a process designed to evaluate, manage and ultimately improve employee performance. It should allow the employer and employee to openly discuss the expectations of the organisation and the achievements of the employee. That is, the primary emphasis is on future development of the employee within the objectives of the organisation. There is no universally accepted model of performance appraisal. However, more often than not this process is designed around the following elements: setting performance goals and objectives; measurement of performance against those goals and objectives; feedback of results; amendments to goals and objectives. Performance appraisal systems can provide organisations with valuable information to assist in the developments of organisational strategies and planning. The information gained from this process can assist: in identifying and developing future management potential; in increasing performance and overall productivity; it works towards identifying strengths and managing weaknesses; in providing clarity to employees about an organisations expectations regarding performance levels; in providing an opportunity to audit and evaluate current human resources and identify areas for future development. Managers may conduct appraisals primarily to affect employee input through the feedback process, or justify some sort of human resource action (termination, transfer, promotion etc). Jawroski and Kohli (1991) identify other benefits that can be obtained from performance appraisals. Among these benefits are increase in role clarity, performance, and job satisfaction. Given the positive returns obtained from performance appraisals, one could reasonably expect that organisations would devote considerable resource to the appraisal process. Correspondingly, it may be anticipated that managers try to make certain that the dimensions of the appraisal process are known, understood, and supported by the participants. Theres probably no management process that has been the subject of more research than the performance appraisal. At the best managed companies, the performance appraisal is no joke it is a serious business that powers the success of the organization. (Montague, 2007) It has been suggested that to enhance satisfaction, managers should consider expanding the evaluation criteria to include those criteria which are important to the employee, perhaps creating a participatory performance appraisal system. (Thomas and Bertz 1994) In fact, employee input into the process has been described as having an impact on the perceived fairness of the evaluation (Latham at el. 1993). It has been stated that the opinions of employees, as they pertain to the appraisal system, may be greater determinant of the systems effectiveness than the validity or reliability of the system itself (Wanguri 1995). As stated by Thomas and Bretz (1994) without a sense of ownership, both managers and employees may view the process with fear and loathing. Thus, they contend that a major concern in the evaluation process is an acceptance of the system by those employees being evaluated. To this end, if employees believe they are evaluated based upon inappropriate criteria, it would fol low that their commitment to and satisfaction with the organisation supporting this particular evaluation system would be correspondingly reduced. Academic background 2.1 The social context of performance appraisal Levy Williams (2002) argue that identifying, measuring, and defining the organizational context in which appraisal takes place is integral to truly understanding and developing effective performance appraisals. Further, it is believed that this has been the framework driving the performance appraisal research since about the 1990 and into the beginning of the 21st century. Whether it is discussed as the social-psychological process of performance appraisal (Murphy Cleveland, 1991), the social context of performance appraisal (Ferris, Judge, Rowland, Fitzgibbons, 1994) the social milieu of performance appraisal (Ilgen at al. 1993), performance appraisal from the organisational side (Levy Steelman, 1997) the games that rates and rates play (Kozlowski, Chao Morrison, 1998), or the dues process approach to performance appraisal (Folger, Konovsky Cropanzao, 1998) it is argued along with other scholars that performance appraisal takes place in a social contact and the context plays a major role in the effectiveness of the appraisal process and how participants react to the process (Farr Levy, 2004). It has been suggested elsewhere that research over the last 10 years has moved noticeable away from a limited psychometric scope and toward an emphasis on variables that compose the social context (Fletcher, 2001). Distal factors Levy Williams (2002) definition of distal variables is generally consistent with Murphy and Cleveland (1995). Specifically, distal variables are broadly construed as contextual factors that affect many human resource systems, including performance appraisal. In other words, distal variables are not necessarily related to performance appraisal, but they may have unique effects on the performance appraisal process that are useful to understand and consider. Distal factors include but are not limited to organisational climate and culture, organisational goals, human resource strategies, external factors, technological advances, and workforce composition. Levy Williams (2002) believe these factors have an effect on rater and rate behaviour, although not directly. For instance, an organisation that espouses a continuous learning culture may structure and implement a very different type of performance appraisal system than an organisation without such a culture. A review of the performance appraisal literature over the last 7-10 years reveals little systematic empirical work on the distal variables other than some studies on culture, climate and technology issues (see, e.g. Hebert Vorauer, 2003). While this is at some levels disappointing, it is rather understandable. First, there is little theory specific to performance appraisal to methodically guide this level of research. Second, the breadth of the constructs Levy Williams (2002) construe as distal make it difficult to measure and implement within the research setting. Third, given the distal nature of these factors, their direct effects on performance appraisal behaviour may be small. Perhaps closer examination of the relationships between distal and proximal relationships would prove more fruitful. Even with the difficulties regarding this type of research, however, it is believed it will be important to continue examining these factors to fully understand the social context in which performance appraisal operates. (Levy Williams, 2002) Process proximal variables The next two section of the paper will underscore those proximal variables (both process and structural) receiving attention in the recent appraisal literature. Some researchers chose to categorize the proximal variables as either process (i.e. having a direct impact on how the appraisal process is conducted including things such as accountability or supervisor subordinate relationships), or structural (i.e. dealing with the configuration or makeup of the appraisal itself and including areas such as appraisal dimensions or frequency of appraisal). Rater issue Rater affect is one of the most studied rater variables. Although the literature has not been consistent regarding a formal definition of affect in performance appraisal (Lefkowitz, 2000), a good general definition linked to most of this research involves liking or positive regard for ones subordinate. The Affect Infusion Model (Forgas Georges, 2001) suggests that affective states impact on judgements and behaviours and, in particular, affect or mood plays a large role when tasks require a degree of constructive processing. For instance, in performance appraisal, raters in good moods tend to recall more positive information from memory and appraise performance positively. Consistent with the Affect Infusion Model, a few recent studies have examined the role of mood or affect in performance appraisal. Lefkowitz (2000) reported that affective regard is related frequently to higher appraisal ratings, less inclination to punish subordinates, better supervisor subordinate relationships, greater halo effect, and less accuracy. A couple of recent studies have looked at the role of similarity in personality and similarity in affects levels between raters and rates, finding similarity is related to appraisal ratings. Antonioni and Park (2001) found that affect was more strongly related to rating leniency in upward and peer ratings than it was in traditional top-down ratings and the this effect was stronger when raters had observational time with their subordinates. They concluded from this that raters pay so much attention to their positive regard for subordinates that increased observations result in noticing more specific behaviours that fit their affect-driven schema. It was also found that although affect is positively related to appraisal ratings; it is more strongly related to more subjective trait-like ratings, then to ostensibly more objective task-based ratings. Further, keeping performance diaries tended to increase the strength of that relationship between affect and performance ratings leading the authors to conclude that perhaps affect follows from subordinate performance level rather than the other way around. A second broad area related to raters that has received considerable research attention has to do with the motivation of the raters. Traditionally, research seemed to assume that raters were motivated to rate accurately. More recently, however, researchers have begun to question whether all or even most raters are truly motivated to rate accurately. One line of research related to raters motivation has focused on the role of individual differences and rating purpose on rating leniency. Most practitioners report overwhelming leniency on the part of their raters and this rating elevation has been found in empirical papers as well as surveys of organisations (Murphy Cleveland, 1995). The role of attributions in the performance appraisal process has also attracted some recent research attention. In some of these studies investigators have examined how the attributions that raters make for ratees behaviours affect their motivation to rate or their actual rating. For instance, using a traditional social psychological framework, researchers found that whether individuals opted for consoling, reprimanding, transferring, demoting, or firing a hypothetical employee depended in large part on the extent to which rater believed that the exhibited behaviour was due to ability or effort. It was found that both liking and attributions mediated relationships between reputation and reward decisions. More specifically, raters consider ratees behaviour and their reputations when drawing attributional inferences and deciding on appropriate rewards. The implications of this line of research are clear: attributional processing is an important element of the rating process and these attributions, in part, determine raters reactions and ratings. (Murphy Cleveland, 1995) A second line of research related to rater motivation has to do with rater accountability, which is the perceived potential to be evaluated by someone and being held responsible for ones decisions or behaviours (Frink Ferris, 1998) With respect to performance appraisal, accountability is typically thought of as the extent to which a rater is held answerable to someone else for his or her ratings of another employee. They concluded that accountability can result in distortions of performance ratings. It is demonstrated that raters told that ratees had been rated too low in the past responded by inflating ratings while others told that they would have to defend their ratings in writing provided more accurate ratings. In a follow up to this study it was hypothesized that the accountability pressure on raters to justify ratings may operate through an increased motivation to better prepare themselves for their rating task. This was manifested in raters paying more attention to performanc e and recording better performance-related notes. A related study looking at accountability forces in performance appraisal found that raters inflated ratings when they were motivated to avoid a negative confrontation with poor performers, but did not adjust ratings downward when good performers rated themselves unfavourably (Levy Williams 1998). Ratee issues A second major of focus of performance appraisal research consist of research centred on the performance appraisal ratee. Two areas were covered, in particular, the links between performance ratings and rewards; those elements of the performance appraisal process which increases ratees motivation such as participation. Related article argues the while pay is an important motivator along with recognition, work enjoyment , and self-motivation, very few organisations actually link the performance appraisal system to pay or compensation in a clear, tangible way (Mani, 2002). Both traditional academic research (Roberts Reed, 1996) and more practitioner-focused research (Shah Murphy, 1995) have identified the significance of participation in the appraisal process as an antecedent of ratees work motivation. It suggests that participation is simply essential to any fair and ethical appraisal system. It was identified that participation and perception of fairness as integral to employees pe rceptions of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Roberts Reed (1996) take somewhat similar track in proposing that participation, goals, and feedback impact on appraisal acceptance which affects appraisal satisfaction and finally employee motivation and productivity. Performance appraisals are no longer just about accuracy, but are about much more including development, ownership, input, perceptions of being valued, and being a part of an organisational team. Focus on reactions to the appraisal process Cardy and Dobbins (1994) arguing that perhaps the best criterion to use in evaluating performance appraisal systems was the reactions of ratees. The claim was that even the most-psychometrically-sound appraisal system would be ineffective if ratees (and raters) did not see it as fair, useful, valid, accurate, etc. Good psychometrics cannot make up for negative perceptions on the part of those involved in the system. Folger et al. (1992) define three elements that must be present to achieve higher perceptions of fairness: adequate notice, fair hearing, and judgement based on evidence. Although they identified specific interventions that should be implemented to increase due process, they cautioned that â€Å"due process mechanisms must be implemented in terms of guiding principles (i.e. designed with process goals in mind) rather than in a legalistic, mechanical, rote fashion. In general studies have found that both ratees and raters respond more favourably to fair performance appraisal systems (e.g. less emotional exhaustion, more acceptances of the feedback, more favourable reactions toward the supervisor, more favourable reactions toward the organisation, and more satisfaction with the appraisal system and the job on the part of both rater and rate) (Taylor et al. 1995, 1998). Trust issue Researchers have posited that trust is the key element in managing the supervisor employee relationship. According to Mayer and Davis (1999) trust is made up of three components: ability, benevolence, and integrity. In other words, if an employee believes a supervisor has the skills to properly appraise, has the interests of the employee at the heart, and believes the supervisor upholds standards and values, the employee is likely to trust that supervisor. Interest in understanding the processes related to trust are the result of research that support both direct and indirect effects of trust on important organisational and individual outcomes. For instance it is supported by research the relationship between trust and outcomes such as employee attitudes, cooperation, communication, and organizational citizenship behaviours. As with appraisal perceptions and reactions it is also believed that trust issues can limit the effectiveness of performance appraisal. If ratees have low level s of trust for their supervisor, they may be less satisfied with the appraisal and may not as readily accept feedback from the source. More to come 2.2 Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) performance appraisal Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are a relatively new approach to performance evaluation. They are in effect a combination of the graphic rating scales and the critical incident method. An actual description of important job behaviour is developed and â€Å"anchored† alongside the scale. The evaluator is then asked to select the description of behaviour which best matches actual employee behaviour for the rating period. In a controlled field study, Silverman and Wexley (1984) used BARS to test the effect of rate participation on the appraisal process. BARS were developed for each of the following job classifications: clerical, non-clerical staff, technical and professional, nursing, management/supervisory. Those employees who participated in creating, and were evaluated by, the behaviourally-based scales, had a more positive reaction to the entire performance appraisal process. Specifically, they felt that the performance appraisal interviews were more useful, that their supervisors were more supportive, and that the process produced more motivation to improve job performance. BARS address many of the problems often found in traditional evaluation approaches such as the halo effect, leniency, and the central tendency error. In addition, research suggests that many employees prefer this evaluation method (Rarick Baxter, 1986) BARS are however not a panacea for management and do possess both advantages and disadvantages. According to Rarick and Baxter (1986) advantages of BARS are: clearer standards both subordinate and superior have a clearer idea of what constitutes good job performance. Ambiguity concerning expectations is reduced; more accurate measurement because individuals involved with the particular job develop the BARS instrument they have a good understanding of the requirements for good performance; better performance feedback since the BARS is based on specific behaviour it provides a guideline for improving future work performance; better consistency BARS have been shown to be more consistent in terms of reliability than more traditional e valuation methods. In other words, when more than one supervisor rates the same employee, the results are more similar when BARS is the evaluation method. Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales are, however, not without drawbacks. Disadvantages of BARS are: more costly more time and effort, and eventually more expense is involved in the construction and implementation of BARS; possible activity trap since BARS are more activity oriented, they may cause both supervisor and subordinate to become more concerned with activity performance rather than accomplishing actual results; not exhaustive behaviour scale even if the rator posses lengthy listing of behaviour examples he/she may not be able to match the observed behaviour with the stipulated anchor. As Rarick and Baxter (1986) note Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales have the potential to increase both the accuracy of employee appraisal and ultimately the effectiveness of the organization. BARS are equally useful as a judgemental instrument and as an employee developmental device. They are designed to make performance appraisal more accurate by minimising ambiguity and focusing on specific behaviour. BARS move employee performance appraisal away from the subjective opinions of the evaluator and closer towards on objective measure of true performance. 2.3 Limitations in performance appraisal The advantages and disadvantages of using performance assessment in making employment decisions are well documented (e.g. Murphy Cleveland, 1995). The limitations of performance assessment, such as inflated ratings, lack of consistency, and the politics of assessment (Tziner, Latham, Price Haccoun, 1996), often lead to their abandonment. Managers responsible for delivering performance reviews who are uncomfortable with the performance rating system may give uniformly high ratings that do not discriminate between rates. Poor ratings detract from organisational uses and increase employee mistrust in the performance appraisal system (Tziner Murphy, 1999). Employees on the receiving end of the appraisal often express dissatisfaction with both the decisions made as a result of performance assessment and the process of performance assessment (Milliman, Nason, Zhu De Cieri, 2002), which may have longitudinal effects on overall job satisfaction (Blau, 1999) and commitment (Cawley, Keepin g Levy, 1998). The extensive research on performance appraisal (Arvey Murphy, 1998: Fletcher, 2001: Fletcher Perry, 2001, Murphy Cleveland 1995) has not addressed the fundamental problems of the performance appraisal process the performance appraisal is influenced by a variety of relevant, non-performance factors such as cultural context (Latham Mann, 2006), that it does not provide either valid performance data or useful feedback to individuals (Fletcher, 2001) , or that performance appraisal instruments often measure the â€Å"wrong things† (Latham Mann, 2006). Murphy and Cleveland (1995) state that â€Å"a system that did nothing more than allow the making of correct promotion decisions would be a good system, even if the indices used to measure performance were inaccurate or measure the wrong set of constructs.† No assessment system, however, would meet with success if it did not have the support of those it assessed. In developing a new performance appraisal system it is important to use past research on performance appraisals that identified a number of factors that lead to greater acceptance of appraisals by employees. Firstly, legally sound performance appraisals should be objective and based on a job analysis, they should also be based on behaviours that relate to specific functions that are controllable by the rate, and the results of the appraisal should be communicated to the employee (Malos, 1998). Secondly, the appraisals must be perceived as fair. Procedural fairness is improved when employees participate in all aspects of the process, when there is consistency in all processes, when the assessments are free of supervisor bias, and when there is a formal channel for the employees to challenge or rebut their evaluations (Gilliland Langdon, 1998). In addition to perceptions of fairness, participation by employees in the appraisal process is related to motivation to improve job performance, satisfaction with the appraisal process, increased organisational commitment and the utility or value that the employees place on that appraisal (Cawley et al. 1998). 2.4 Blended approach Competencies To overcome the problem of job-specific performance dimensions, the performance assessment system was based on behaviourally defined core competencies (Dubois 1993; Klein 1996). The core competencies had been previously identified through an extensive process as being common to all positions; these competencies were to become the basis for training new recruits and for the continuous development of existing members (Himelfarb, 1996). Fletcher Perry (2001) stated the â€Å"the elements constituting what we normally think of as performance appraisal will increasingly be properly integrated into the human resources policies of the organisation using the same competency framework for all HR processes, linking individual objectives with team and business unit objectives framing the input of appraisal to promotion assessment in an appropriate manner, and so on† making it â€Å"more effective mechanism and less of annual ritual that appears to exist in a vacuum.† Along the s ame lines, Smither (1998) went on to note that the same competency model should guide â€Å"numerous human resource initiatives†. The competency development process used for this study followed the suggestions of Fletcher Perry (2001) and Smither (1998) and included a review of functional job analysis data for general police constables that covered a majority of the different job positions. In this sense, the competencies were blended by incorporating the values and specific attributes (Schippmann et al., 2000). A blended approach is one that couples and organisations strategy in the derivation of the broad competencies with the methodological rigor of task analysis. As Lievens, Sanchez, and De Corte (2004) note, blended approach is likely to improve the accuracy and quality of inferences made from the resulting competency model because a blended approach capitalizes on the strength of each method. Strategy is used as a frame of reference to guide subject matter experts to identify those worker attributes or competencies that are aligned with the organisations strategy and the to use the task statements to pro vide more concrete referents for the associated job behaviours (Lievens et al., 2004) 2.5 Justice of fairness The study of justice of fairness has been a topic of philosophical interest that extends back at least as far as Plato and Socrates (Ryan, 1993). In research in the organizational sciences, justice is considered to be socially constructed. That is, an act is defined as just if most individuals perceive it to be on the basis of empirical research (Cropanzao Greenberg 1997). Each approach propose a different way of conceptualizing justice, from the provision of process control (Thibaut Walker, 1975) to a focus on consistency control (Leventhal et al. 1980) and an examination of interpersonal treatment (Bies Moag, 1986). Performance appraisal systems are among the most important human resource systems in organizations insofar as the yield decisions integral to various human resource actions and outcomes (Murphy and Cleveland 1995). Reactions to appraisal and the appraisal process are believed to significantly influence the effectiveness and the overall viability of appraisal systems (Bernardin and Beatty 1984; Cardy and Dobbins 1994; Carroll and Schneier 1982, Lewer 1994), For instance. Murphy and Cleveland (1995:314) contended that â€Å"reaction criteria are almost always relevant and an unfavourable reaction may doom the most carefully constructed appraisal system†. Perceptions of fairness are important to all human resource processes, e.g., selection, performance appraisal, and compensation, and particularly so, to the performance appraisal process. Indeed, a decade ago, Cardy and Dobbins (1994:54) asserted that â€Å"with dissatisfaction and feelings of unfairness in process and inequity in evaluations, any appraisal system will be doomed to failure.† Other researchers have also acknowledged the importance of fairness to the success or failure of appraisal system (Taylor et al. 1995). 2.6 Procedural justice Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the procedures used to determine appraisal outcomes (Greenberg 1986a), independent of favourability or fairness of the performance rating or its administrative consequences (Skarlicki, Ellard and Kelln 1998). Folger et. al (1992) have developed a procedural justice model for performance appraisal, rooted in the due process of law, and possessing three basic factors: adequate notice, a fair hearing and judgment based on evidence. Adequate notice involves giving employees knowledge of appraisal system and how it affects them well ahead of any formal appraisal. More specifically, it entails developing performance standards and objectives before the appraisal period commences. These standards and objectives must be well documented, clearly explained, fully understood and preferable set by mutual agreement, with employees only held accountable for standards and objectives properly communicated to them. Adequate notice also involves hi gh appraisal frequency and giving employees constant feedback on timely basis throughout the performance evaluation period, so that employees can rectify any performance deficiencies before the appraisal is conducted (Folger et al. 1992). Studies show that adequate notice is important to employee perceptions of procedural fairness. Williams and Levys (2000) study of 128 employees from three US banks revealed that system knowledge significantly predicts appraisal satisfaction and procedural fairness, controlling for the much smaller effect on organizational level. The second factor that affects employee perceptions of procedural fairness is a fair hearing. A fair hearing means several things in a performance appraisal context. These include: an opportunity to influence the evaluation decision through evidence and argument, access to the evaluation decision, and an opportunity to challenge the evaluation decision (Folger et al. 1992). Fundamentally, a fair hearing entails two-way comm unication, with employee input or voice in all aspects of the appraisal decision-making process. Several researchers have consistently found the ‘voice effects procedural justice in a variety of work contexts (Greenberg, 1986; Korsgaard and Robertson, 1995). In a study of 128 food service employees and their 23 supervisor at a large, US university, Dulebohn and Ferris (1991) found that the informal voice provided by influence tactics affected employee perceptions of fairness in the appraisal process. Two types of influence tactics were differentiated: the first on the supervisor and the second on the job. Influence of the supervisor focused on, for example, efforts at ingratiation. Influence on the job focused on, for example, manipulating performance data. Uses of supervisor-focused, influence tactics were positively associated with employees perceptions of procedural justice, but uses of job-focused influence tactics were negatively associated. The authors argue that this negative association may result from reverse causation: perception of unjust appraisal procedures ma y encourage employees to adopt job-focused influence tactics. The third procedural justice factor is the judgment based on evidence. This means convincing employees that ratings do accurately reflect per

Survey of American History Essay -- US History

Over the course of American history many radical movements have forever changed the historical landscape of the United States of America. Since the beginning of American history, radical movements have played an important role in bringing about change in U.S. society and the U.S. relationship with other countries. They have also experienced major failures and defeats. Major concrete achievements and failures of radical movements have been present in changing the mainstream of the society since the end of WWI. Radical movements such as, labor/socialism, women’s rights, civil rights and peace have played a significant role in the development of U.S. politics and society and forever changed the past, present and future of the United States of America. The Labor/Socialism movement, supported mainly by the lower classes was a prominent radical idea that manifested itself into American society around the conclusion of WWI. â€Å"The very fact that the Soviet Union, the revolutionar y successor to Imperial Russia, was the first country to establish a Communist political and economic state was a major threat to the United States† (Brown 4). Influenced by the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the Socialist movement gained momentum from oppressed workers and thus managed to successfully run hundreds of candidates around the nation for several decades. â€Å"The Socialist Movement was painstakingly organized by scores of former Populists, militant miners and blacklisted railroad workers, who were assisted by a remarkable cadre of professional agitators and educators† (Zinn 340). Socialism became extremely popular especially due to its endorsement by writers like Mark Twain, W.E.B. Dubois and Upton Sinclair as well its representation by Eugene Debs. With ... ... Great Society and Obama’s health care reform came into existence. Without the socialism/labor movement the civil rights, women’s rights and peace movements and their lasting impacts on society would never have happened. Works Cited Bloom, Alexander, and Wini Breines. "Takin' it to the streets": A Sixties Reader. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1995. Print. Brown, Archie. The Rise and Fall of Communism. New York: Ecco, 2009. Print. Burkett, Elinor. "Women's Movement." Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. . Guttmann, Allen. "Protest against the War in Vietnam." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 382.1 (1969): 56-63. Print. Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492-present. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. Print.

Life at Dhaba Essay

Life at Dhaba(local restaurant) Shisha(water pipe).! For my ethnography I chose to study the life at restaurant popularly known for its shisha (water pipe). It is located near my building at clifton which is quite vissable from my gallery as the restaurant is in open air. The main focus of this ethnography is to compare the norm (expected patterns of behavior) of people who come to smoke. The restaurant is more popularly known as dhaba (local restaurant) which serves local cuisine chicken karahi, mutton, paratha’s, all varieties of heavily spiced pulses and tea; it is provided to meet the every food necessities of the people. Dhaba is open 24 hours a day and shisha’s are served after 6pm. Two three kids and young boys wearing torn kurtas functioned as waiters and cleaners and kept the place in order. Tables and chairs are placed in an open environment while on the corner a long table with fancy water pipes and around 30 different flavored tobacco packets placed on it. My observation for this report spanned over a twelve day period. Four of these days I started my observation in morning and continued till evening, while other eight days I observed at night. The first things that I took note were the different jobs and the special tasks that the employees are expected to carry out. There are many jobs including four cooks for B-B-Q, tea, tandoor (is used for cooking and backing) and cook for other dishes such as Karahi, pulses, etc. Two persons run the water pipe counter one serves and the other makes it with loose flavored tobacco. Three to four dish washers are also present. I observed people of different ages at dhaba teens and young male were usually gathered in groups while aged male were mostly sitting alone. Waterpipe was usually ordered by teens and young males, no aged person was observed smoking water pipe they usually ordered tea or meal. While watching groups of people smoking water pipe one thing common in every group was playing card, poker (a card game played by two or more persons, in which the players bet on the value of their hands, the winner taking the pool) was usually played as poker chips were observed on most of the table’s playing card. Continuous voice prevailed around calling waiters by their name to either place their orders or make seating arrangements and different group of boys were yelling enjoying their game and water pipe. Different flavors (apple, mint, watermelon, strawberry etc) of water pipe were being ordered and the common thing I noticed among all ages of people was cigarette smoking even the teens were involved in cigarette smoking may be due to peer pressure. Mostly people came to enjoy the open air and smoke (as shisha is addictive and contains stimulant nicotine which makes person relax). Tea and paratha was the most ordered item as I could see waiters wearing torn kurta’s carrying tray with five to six cups almost to every table. After 8pm many people come to have their dinner as the dhaba serves almost all local dishes at a reasonable rate. My observation at night lasted eight days, one thing strange that I observed these eight days was that a police mobile came usually after 10 pm with three to four policemen in uniform to have their dinner and tea and, left without paying, questioning the waiter I came to know that police had threatened to empty the open space occupied by the dhaba so the owner of the dhaba had to compromise. Beggars move from table to table begging some people pay them money and some order food for them. The other four day my observation started from morning to evening, the first thing that I noted were few people at morning compared to night as the only thing available in morning were tea, paratha and egg(half fry and omelet). Water pipes were not served in morning, people came to have their breakfast and enjoy the morning sunrise. Between 11 am to 2pm dhaba is usually empty and the cooks prepare dishes between these hours because after 2 pm there is a sudden rush of people at dhaba due to office breaks. People from different offices come to have their lunch most of them are from Pakistan state oil head office (PSO) as it is at a walking distance from dhaba. Third morning I observed group of eight teens in uniform bunking from school at dhaba were having breakfast after which they forced the waiter to make them a shisha and the waiter agreed , they smoked for almost two hours and left giving waiter a huge tip. The waiters serving there have inborn quality of serving their customers. They have not passed through any waiter workshop or hotel management courses; still respond the best under intense pressure. The customers in these tea points cross the entire limit and even abuse the waiters for the quick delivery of their orders. The waiters however in retaliation remain calm and kind to their customers with a genuine smile on their face. The last day of my observation I interviewed a waiter named Rabnawaz, I asked him to state the difference between the orders of different age people visiting dhaba, he replied â€Å"mostly young males and teenagers in group of 3 or more order shisha, tea and parathas. If the shisha is not available we only earn 40% as compared to the days when shisha is available while aged people usually order dishes karahi, pulses etc with tandoor roti. † In conclusion I have found that Water pipe smoking is gaining popularity among the young generation, school and college students and it is easily available in the restaurants, hotels. Mostly people visit dhaba to taste the flavors of local dish with enjoying in an open air and young male visit to enjoy with their friends in gathering relaxing in an open environment playing cards and smoking water pipe.

Research Paper and Essay

Pakistan literature, that is, the literature of Pakistan, is a distinct literature that gradually came to be defined after Pakistan gained nationhood status in 1947, emerging out of literary traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of British India was inherited by the new state. Over a period a body of literature unique to Pakistan has emerged in nearly all major Pakistani languages, including Urdu, English, Punjabi, Balochi, Pushto and Sindhi. Pakistani English writing has had some readership in the country.From 1980's Pakistani English literature began to receive national and official recognition, when the Pakistan Academy of Letters included works originally written English in its annual literary awards. The topic ‘ Repersentation of Muslim Woman through Pakistan fiction novelists’ leads to describe every aspect of Muslim Woman’s life whether she lives in Islamic country or any other country. There a re many fiction novels written by Pakistani Writers available on Muslim Woman such as Zohra by Zeenuth Futehally; Rummana Futehally Denby,Fall of Imam by Nawal Sa?dawi,Does my head look big in this?y Randa Abdel-Fattah,Amina by Mohammed Umar,Mpas for lost lovers byNadeem Aslam,Things I never told my mother byUm Daoud, The girl in the tangerine scarf by Mohja Khaf, My name is Salma by Fadia Fariq, The writing on my forehead by Nafisa Haji, Marriage on the street corner of Tehran by Shahram Nadia, Sunlight on a broken coloumn by Attia Hosain, Dear prophet-A Woman’s story, Awife for my son by Ali Ghanem and Size of a mustard seed by Umm Juwayriyah, in which authors have described different situations of Muslim Women dealing in their lives.The aim of my paper is to discusss the way in which various representations of Muslim Women are constructed in Pakistan English novels through Pakistan novelist. This paper construct the Muslim women as universal, ahistorical, and undifference category who become essentialized through the uniqueness of their difference. Literature Review: The literature discussing Muslim Women in online context, similarly to that on Muslim Women ‘offline’ , seems to be focused on head and face covering, adding to the existing bodies of themes some new ones, notably reflections on islamic dress from marketing and fashion design perspectives.POOL writes that â€Å" Heavy black hijab dominates the representations of Muslim Women internationally. † Result: Muslim women in all over the world possess all the capabilities to cope up with everyday life , though she is being exploid in some islamic country but she has the power to deal with every evil with strength and courage. Research methodology: Paradigms I have used for my research is qualitative. Tools from which I have gathered my source are iternet- wikkipedia,Amazon. com, Desistore internet service, University of Texas press, Bookclubs and Clearmart.Method of my study is document analysis. Discussuion: The representation of muslim woman begins to become a more generic gendered difference largely uncomplicated by religious or racial difference. Muslim womem are depicted through same referents as European women with little textual difference or as, Khaf puts it, with â€Å"their Muslim-ness hovering in the background† is punctuated by certain shifts in the Muslim women sexuality. For example , she becomes less of a passive object of male desire and, in some scenario , recuperates some control over her sexuality’s development.According to Kahf the â€Å"traditional myths of Islam warned or went into latency during this period because the forces producing them( e. g. ,the church) has stalled†. During this curious lull†, she argues, â€Å"older myths of islam cut off from their sources, mulate, transform and seems to float randomly, while emerging new myths are still vague and unsteady†. Following the work of Mohj Kah f , I argue that the politics of representing Muslim Women has been tied to the material and ideological conditions characterizing the relationships between â€Å"the west† and islamic societies.Drawing upon the work of Fdir Faqir , we can become aware of the courage of the Muslim Woman in his novel â€Å"MY NAME IS salma†. It is the story which throws light on the inequalities and the dangers faced by Muslim Woman in some cultures when they have a child before marriage. The novel reveals the story of Muslim girl ‘salma’ who when become pregnant before marriage in her small village in LEVANT, her her innocent days swimming in the spring are gone forever. She is swept into prison for her own protection . To the sounds of her screams , her new born baby snatched away .In the middle of the most English of towns , EXETER, she learns good manners from her landlady and settles down with an Englishman . But deep in her heart the cries of her baby daughter still e cho. When she bear them no longer , she goes back to her village to find her. It is the journey that will change anything- and nothing . Slipping between the olive groves of the LEVANT and then rain-sticked pavements of EXETER, MY NAME IS SALMA is a searing portrayal of a Muslim woman’s courage into the face of insurmountable odds.DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? is the story of 16-year-old Amal, an Australian-Palestinian who struggles with standard high school drama, in the context of being a Muslim girl who has recently adopted the hijab. So, before anything, masha’Allah! Muslim teenage girls are finally represented in young adult/teen fiction. Not as terrorists. Not as child brides. Instead, they’re average high school girls. Author Randa Abdel-Fattah takes this responsibility seriously and she tries to tackle every issue facing Muslim teen girls.It’s understandable that Abdel-Fattah would have a lot to achieve in a book like this. She takes on the hijab (the decision to go from non-hijabi to full-time hijabi, the reactions, the consequences), the image of Islam in the context of modern-day terrorism, boys and dating, culture vs. Islam, sexism within the Muslim community, racism, Islamophobia, prayer and wudu, fasting, and being the lone Muslim in an upper-class Australian prep school. She’s a Muslim teenager and she watches Sex in the City. She has a mad crush on her classmate Adam, showing that Muslims are in fact not asexual!It’s interesting to see how Abdel-Fattah handles the conflicting forces within Amal: she is intensely attracted to Adam (from forearm lust to his personality), but she does not believe any romantic relationship is appropriate outside marriage. Unfortunately, the hundred books about Muslim teenagers do not exist. Does My Head Look Big in This? is what we have, the only book to cover so many issues of Western Muslim teenagers. And, despite its flaws, the book succeeds in one of its very important goals: normalizing Muslim girls. Here is Amal.She’s not a â€Å"fanatic,† she’s not a terrorist, and she doesn’t lead a life of misery and abuse. She’s just a teenage girl, dealing with standard high school problems — but she navigates them her own Islamic way. Drawing upon the wrork of UM DAOUD, with her years of living and working among Muslims, we get the realistic picture of life for Muslim women. This time, in THINGS I NEVER TOLD MY MOTHERâ€Å"she illustrate the life of thousands of Muslim women who live in more secular Muslim countries and the struggle they face between Western influences on their societies and what little they know of islam.Things I Never Told My Mother is a story set in the North African country of Tunisia. Deception has become a way of life for Iman. Ignored in her early years by her career-minded parents, the sudden intrusion of her mother into her life pushes Iman to become something she never imagined. Though Muslim, her loose lifestyle leads her into many dangerous encounters with the opposite sex. When true love does finally come her way, she finds herself incapable of returning it, perhaps losing forever the best opportunity to escape her mother’s reach. Desperation leads to desperate measures and even a reanalysis of her own faith.Could God love her? This is the question Iman asks herself as she things back over all the things she never told her mother. This book brings us face-to-face with a side of Islam many of us do not realize is there–secular Islam. Yet, many Muslim live in areas that allow a freedom that sometimes causes them to swing from the very conservative norms of the religion to a lifestyle that looks virtually nothing like what we would consider normal for the average Muslim. The author writes in such a realistic way that I was instantly drawn into the plight of the women.This novel reveals that the Muslim community is much more complex than the stereo-ty pical terrorist version portrayed in the media. Things I never told my mother will do much to increase the reader’s understanding the Muslim world. It was a fascinating exploration into the lives of women in the Muslim culture. This book shows the secular Muslim lifestyle and a young woman who lives it, until she comes in contact with people with a living faith. The author has lived among these people and understands their varied lifestyles. This book is for older youth and adults, as there are sexual situations.These situations are important to the understanding of the culture and lifestyle. The size of a mustard seed by Umm Juwayriyah , is a story of being a Muslim in the city, in America here and now: the struggles, the joys, the sorrows, the complexities. It's very realistic, and hard to believe that it's a fictional account! The characters are well-rounded, complex, and multicultural. Sullivan ushers in a new era of fiction–urban Islamic fiction–with this t ale about Jameelah, a 27-year-old Muslim woman born to what appears to be one of the inner-city's stronger blended American-Muslim families.She works as a hair stylist with her two best friends in the city's only Muslim women's owned and operated hair salon, Covered Pearls. On appearance and material possessions alone Jameelah seems to be doing big things; she has a loving family, owns a fly car, she has her own apartment and she's not too far off from getting her second degree. What most don't know is that she is one traffic jam away from losing control of her life. Being a single Muslim woman isn't easy plus post 9/11 stresses still seem to haunt her. Jameelah prays for a change, but what will she do if change actually comes?When a prominent Imam proposes marriage to Jameelah she feels as if it's the blessing that she has been waiting for from Allah. She knows marrying him will change her life, but when an unexpected family crisis erupts and secrets are exposed, Jameelah is forced to make hard choices and put her complete faith in the only One unable to break it. The author has made the characters stunningly realistic, and has given them the ability to draw you into their plights and dilemmas. Not only do we have Jameelah, the main voice of the story, we also have her sister, Khadijah, their younger brother Adam, and a lovely young Muslim convert named Shevon.Follow Jameelah as she struggles with her personal demons of attitude, family obligations and the single life. Learn about the struggles of a young Muslim convert named Shevon whose family does not accept her chosen faith. Understand what it means to be a Muslim in a post 9/11 world. A fictional story about a young Muslim woman facing everyday life and spiritual challenges in her Muslim community in Central Massachusetts. This bookit opened a window for many of the non-Muslims in our group into the ways that Islam infuses everyday life for Muslims. Marriage on the street corners of Tehran by Nadia shahr amAlthough fiction, this book is a real eye-opener to how pervasive the discrimination of women is in the modern-day culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The author creatively uses the format of a novel as a vehicle to tell the true stories of women who have lived the harsh reality of a society and culture that demonizes and oppresses females. The shock of reading about modern men and women following the practices of sixth- century tribal Persia in the modern city of today's Tehran will make you realize how little we average American readers know about the everyday lives of ordinary Iranian girls and women.The ancient practice of â€Å"siggeh† allowed men to contract marriage with multiple women – a practice originally intended to provide male protection to widows and children who otherwise couldn't support themselves. This novel exposes how â€Å"siggeh† is now widely used by men simply as a man's way to legally â€Å"marry† multiple women and have s ex with them at his will – it is, in fact, a legal and religiously-sanctioned form of prostitution. The heart of the novel is the story of Ateesh, a strong, thoughtful and proud young woman, who struggles to find some modicum of independence in an overwhelmingly male-dominated society.Her father marries her off at the age of twelve to an older man she has never met, and she finds herself degraded, abused and isolated in the home of her husband. She finds the courage to escape and flees back to her home, but then finds herself rejected by her father and responsible for her own future. With limited options as a young, unmarried woman, she eventually turns to the practice of temporary marriage (â€Å"siggeh†), in which she contracts herself as a â€Å"temporary bride† to different men, and in this way is able to support herself and even save some of the money she earns to put herself through school.What is so amazing is that this practice of â€Å"temporary marria ge† is practiced openly and legally in this Islamic society, allowing married men to contract with â€Å"temporary brides† whenever they want in order to legally have sex outside of marriage — shocking, in a society where adultery is itself punishable by stoning to death. In the course of the book, the author explores many other practices that oppress and harm women in these societies, including blood money and honor killings.This novel is not only an interesting, thought-provoking story, but is also a moving exposition of the more positive aesthetic aspects of the Islamic culture, especially their beautiful gardens and dramatic poetry and music. The novel is an easy read but do not be fooled, Nadia Shahram deals with complex cultural, religious, and legal issues pertaining to Muslim women. The novel,ZOHRA BY Zeenuth Futehally, is first published in 1951, is set in Hyderabad in the early part of the twentieth century.It is the story of a young high-class Muslum w oman, who is forced to marry and thus put aside her natural inclination to read and write and lead an independent life. Zohra, whose emotional growth and development mirrors the development of the Indian national consciousness. Zohra is forced to marry against her wishes at the age of eighteen at the cost of her creative inclinations. What follows is her increasing distance from her husband who does not share her creative interests and her friendship and love for her brother-in-law Hamid, who is very much the face of modern India.Zohra subjugates her desire for Hamid in the face of her sense of inviolable duty, and finally escapes the social conventions that bind her, but only through the ultimate tragedy – death. What makes this novel valuable is the rich depiction of the way of life of Zeenuth Futehally's native Hyderabad, as well as her compassionate understanding of how women were restricted by the wishes of their parents and husbands. It evokes a period of civicunrest th at preceded Indian independence. Fictionalized account of a true story of a Muslim woman, victim of disguised evils in Islamic society.AMINA by Mohammed Umar is the dramatic story of the efforts of the heroine and her friends to bring about change in the social conditions of women in Nigeria addresses pressing political issues which rarely appear in fiction – the legal status of Muslim women, the limitations imposed on them by traditional and religious conventions, the restrictions on their economic activities, the effects of a corrupt patriarchal system on the society at large and women in particular, the humiliations visited on women as a result of unquestioned male power in personal relationships – from a woman's point of view.Ingeniously conceived and deftly written, this is a story about the emancipation of women in Nigeria from within. Not simply a social document, it engages the reader's sympathy through its portrayal of the attractive and believable woman after whom it is titled–Amina. Amina is a timely novel, and the execution of the narrative is so convincingly crafted that parallels with the historical legendary life of the 16th century Hausa ruler and famous warrior Queen Amina of Zazzau seem unavoidable. The novel leaves you feeling that there is hope for change in Nigeria.The Fall of the Imam by Nawal Sa?dawi is surrounded by a coterie of ministers, the Imam rules over an imaginary earthly kingdom. Bint Allah is the Daughter of God, a beautiful illegitimate girl. She is falsely accused by the Imam of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning. Then, during the annual Victory Holiday, the Imam himself is killed. The story of each of these deaths is told repeatedly, as this powerful and poetic novel reveals the underlying hypocrisy of any male-dominated religious state, and the insufferable predicament of women in a society that must ultimately self-destruct.In the preface to The Fall of the Imam, Saadawi explains that the text comes out of her experience in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East during a period of ten years before the novel appeared in 1987. She speaks of her many conversations with victims of Arab culture, such as the Iranian woman whose â€Å"little girl† was raped by her jailers, and the Sudanese woman who accompanied Saadawi on a visit to the â€Å"Association for People with Amputated Hands,† where she saw many of those who had been punished under Muslim law, called â€Å"Shariat.Confronting the horrors of what men can do to men, but also what they can do to women and children, Saadawi constructed a fantasy narrative of a girl called Bint Allah, who is stoned to death for fornication, as well as crimes against God and the State–God and the State being virtually synonymous with those in power. The decision to employ fantasy as the means of representing the horrors of a repressive State entailed some risk for Saadawi in her efforts at bearing witness to atrocitie s against women.Ali Ghalem's A Wife for my Son is a sensitive account not only of how the traditional constraints of hierarchical marriage affect an intelligent, independent young woman, but also of how economic exile into a â€Å"post-colonial† society stifle the ambitions and the personality of a young husband. â€Å"Western† readers are mostly unfamiliar with the details of how marriage and family lives work in North Africa, and may be surprised at the modernity and subtlety with which the author presents his themes.A young, well-educated, woman is suddenly — and apparently without reason — converted into a bride-to-be in a conventional arranged marriage. In a patriarchal society like that of contemporary Algeria, this means not only submission to her husband's desires and neglect, but also a radical shift away from her beloved home to that of her new in-laws. Fatiha chafes under the discrimination and even dislike she encounters in her new environment , especially since her husband has gone back to seek work in France and left her â€Å"alone. â€Å"Hocine understands that e, too, is alienated by custom and by distance, but he does not have the sensitivity nor the education, nor the modernity, to characterize his loneliness in the way his young wife does. Ali Ghalem carefully and patiently describes a young woman's maturing in hostile circumstances which she is, finally, able to alter and re-create into a a network of support and even pleasure and fun. In the end, it is the young men, isolated from their customs, food and language in a hostile and discriminatory environment, who have the greatest difficulties in maintaining their customs, their personality, their birthright.This is an unusually sensitive and informative account of how inflexible gender roles affect a young generation and of the innate strengths, particularly of the young women, which can bend those roles into fulfilment and even comfort. Blasphemy promises to g enerate the same degree of excitement as her first book. Set in South Pakistan, Blasphemy is an enticing novel by Tehmina Durrani. Angry and courageous in outlook, it establishes Ms. Durrani among the foremost writers of the Subcontinent.Inspired by a true story, Blasphemy is a searing study of evil, an uncompromising look at the distortion of Islam by predatory religious leaders. In prose of great power and intensity, the author tells the tragic story of the beautiful Heer, brutalized and corrupted by Pir Sain, the man of God, her Husband. Blasphemy depicts the struggle of a Muslim Woman against all that is contrary to what Islam stands for. It is an amalgamation of fact and fiction, blending to disguise and protect the victims of a horrible human tragedy, while exposing the powerful religious imposters who prey on a wretched and powerless people.A shocking tale of cruelty, sex and violence. In order to find a cure for any disease its imperative that you detect it early, isolate it and then try and cure it. It is in this regard that credit should go to Ms. Durrani for getting to the root of a disease that has been rampant in many of the urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Blasphemy is a tale that demands concentrated effort from its readers to try and rid the country of the menace of female abuse. It gives a horrific account of how the custodians of religon are using their ‘special knowledge' to exploit the lliterate masses.The central character, Heer, is one such victim of this form of designed oppression by the antagonist Pir Sain. It’s her exceptional beauty that catches Pir Sain’s eyes at first. After abusing her body on the night of their marriage, Pir Sain sets out to control her mind and soul as Heer is forcibly adapted to a life alien to her and unbearable to any human being. Blasphemy is a tale where day after day the body keeps surrendering and the soul keeps rebelling as Heer searches for a moment of peace.Through Heer’s e xperience the author brings out a blasphemous way of life, unknown to the layman, practiced not only by Pir Sain but also by his followers. Pir Sain’s abstinence from going to his wife during Ramadan is the action of any orthodox Muslim. His beating of Heer for missing her prayers further secures his image in front of the extremists. But then there is his demand that Heer aborts their child so he may satisfy his carnal desires, demands immediate retribution. Despite all his vices, he is holy and almost divine by his followers.Blasphemy is a tale where Heer exposes the evils of these ‘holy-men' – first to herself and then to us. CONCLUSION: The evolving muslim women archetype has undergone several transmutations. Her textual presence has emvodied and symbolized the political , economic, cultured and ideological relations between Europe and the Muslim world at a particular historical momonts. Muslim woman have been represented discursively as products of both the m ale and feminist gaze within the context of varying relations power and domination.