Employee Engagement and Employee Voice (Contemporary HRM Research) Essay

Employee Engagement and Employee Voice (Contemporary HRM Research) - Essay Example The role of employee voice in employee issues therefore very important in the operation of human resource management units since it has a significant influence on employee performance, employee views and also regulates the relationship between employers and employees. This paper examines the concept of 'employee voice'. It attempts to identify what that concept actually is and how it has evolved over the past 60 years The research then goes on to examine the position of employee voice after the Second World War and how it has evolved to this day. It will examine key concepts and ideas that define the phenomenon. Also, the research discusses the role of employee engagement in organisations. This is done from two perspectives. The first is the position of employers and the facades within which they deal with employee demands. The second is how the organization and the human resource department specifically, deals with employee voice. Finally, the paper will focus on the role of employe e relationships and how it affects the strategic position of organisations. It will be done by examining the business case of employee relations and how it is integrated into the communication plan of organisations. Employee Voice â€Å"For working purpose, we define voice as the expression of ideas, information, opinions and concerns as well as silence, such as withholding† (Greenberg & Edwards, 2009 p4). This means that voice refers to communication in the wider sense. There is no clearcut definition of employee voice. However, using this preamble, we can say that voice refers to the kind of feedback or message that employees give or seek to give to their employers in the workplace. From another perspective, this also means that where employees refuse to communicate or make any demands, it can also be viewed as some kind of a voice. This implies that communication from employees is essential for the success of organisations around the world. Employee voice therefore takes a different connotation all together. Its scope is wider than just making demands and asking management or the owners of a business to come up with certain actions or activities. â€Å"Employee voice is the term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enables and sometimes empowers employees directly or indirectly to contribute to decision-making in the firm† (Armstrong, 2008 p200). This shows that employee voice is a kind of involvement of employees in the

Ethical Dilemmas Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Dilemmas - Assignment Example Due to her experience and her reputation on evaluation, Fiona is the best person to deal with the case as she will combine her prowess with the interests of her department and come up with a sound decision. Ethical behavior is not so much a matter of following principles as of balancing competing principles (Stake & Mabry, 1998). I would ensure that ethical values are observed and that they are balanced with the commissioner’s goals. I would critically assess the Human services program, how funds are used, whether there are areas where funds were wasted and if some projects are not benefitting the program. I would then moderate the usage of funds in the projects, ensure that all the resources are used effectively, and get rid of projects that are not important to the program. As a result, I would have cut back on the meaningless projects, retained useful projects, and ensured that there was effective use of resources. Fiona’s benefits after the evaluation process include job security during the commissioner’s period in office. There may also be other advantages such as salary increments and more jobs from the commissioner’s office. She will also able to make decisions based on her principles and the needs of the branch even if she is expected to cut back on the budget eventually. The implications include judgment from her team who may think that she is being influenced when making decisions. They may not trust her decisions in future. She will also start questioning her principles and wondering if she made the right decision. The agency shall benefit because its most urgent needs shall be met during the budget cuts. However, program cuts may lead to the loss of jobs because it may get rid of some projects that would have been important to the program in the long

Principle of Fashion Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Principle of Fashion Marketing - Essay Example The essay "Principle of Fashion Marketing" concerns the fashion marketing. The growth history of the Louis Vuitton has been awarded with the reward of world’s most valuable luxury brand for the six consecutive years from 2006 to 2012. The recognition as world’s most luxury brand has also enabled the company to gain high market valuation. The market valuation of the Louis Vuitton was about 25.9 billion USD in the year 2012. The underlying essay aims at analysing brand position of Louis Vuitton. The brand analysis of the company will be done in accordance with the stepwise framework of PEST analysis, MICRO analysis, market segmentation, target market strategy, etc. The marketing mix of the company will also be presented in order to specific ideas regarding product, pricing, place and promotional strategy being adopted by the company. The assessment of branding and marketing perspective of the company in light of the above mentioned frameworks will facilitate in identifyin g challenges likely to incur in the next three years and solutions in the form of recommendations to handle such challenges. PEST analysis is the most widely adopted tool of performing macro environment analysis of the company. PEST analysis represents the acronym of political, economic, legal and technological analysis of the concerned company. This dimension of PEST analysis takes into consideration political structure, stability and regulating or governing philosophy behind respective government. France is one of the developed country. with stable political environment. The political atmosphere of the country is favourable with no political trouble, crisis, conflict or any adverse situation. The favourable political climate has attracted many investors to invest money in the Louis Vuitton expansion strategies. The establishment of any business operation in the France requires a fixed investment limit of 1500000 Euros (France Country Report, 2011). The fixed investment limit act a s a obstacle for many international enterprises. But, France government has tried to convert this obstacle into opportunity by announcing various tax saving schemes to business organisations of France. Moreover, France government also do not hold any strict religious belief and customs and thus facilitates the entry of every business enterprise having any religious background and customs. The favourable political conditions have facilitated the Louis Vuitton to a wide extent in carrying the business operations and pursuing international expansion strategies in France without any difficulty. Economic Economic conditions and factors also play a significant role in determining success of any business operation. The economic variables take into account inflation and interest rates, unemployment condition, Gross domestic product (GDP), and many more. The GDP rate of France was being considered as stronger in the year 2011 with the surprising growth of about 1.85%. The economy of France w as considered as fifth largest in the world and second largest in the Europe. It is also being recognised as one of the wealthiest European country and world’s fourth largest wealthiest nation. The aggregate household wealth of the economy was about 2.6 million dollar in the year 2012 demonstrating growth history of France (France Country Report, 2011). The inflation and unemployment rate of the France economy was also

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Research Project - Essay Example ucted studies on the relationship between language anxiety and performance have indicated the existence of a negative relationship between language barrier and the overall performance of a learner. To an extent, the effects of language anxiety severely affect the performance of a learner. The extent of these effects is obvious during language tests, when learners are put under the pressure of time constraints and of success. This study focused on the issue of language anxiety and its effects on Saudi learners’ test performance. A questionnaire was used to identify learners’ different levels of language anxiety. Later, the learners were subjected to a standardised test to determine their anxiety levels. The results from the study indicated that the correlation between anxiety scores and test had adverse effects on the students’ performance in the tests. From the findings, suggestions were made on the need for more attention to be made on language anxiety. Methods of reducing language anxiety among students during tests to improve their performance are also suggested. Language anxiety, comprising of the various types of fears, worries, or nervousness related to learning or using a foreign language in communication has been the subject of research for a long time. The feeling of discomfort associated with a person using a foreign language both in learning and communication in comparison to the ease of using mother tongue is justified. Experts in the field of anxiety and psychology hold that learning anxiety successfully has negative effects in the performance of a student, which at times can lead to adverse results. The ease of understanding questions in a test, the time taken in understanding and answering a particular question and the comfort while answering questions are the various factors that affect the level of performance of a student. Time is essential in tests as success is determined by the ability to answer either all or most of the questions. If a

Collective responsibility Essay Example for Free

Collective responsibility Essay The roles of the characters shift during the play as well. Sheila, who is described at the start as a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited, suddenly assumes the role of the Inspector. She starts to understand that the Inspector knows all the right answers and is intrigued as to how. After he leaves she takes on his role and starts questioning her parents. It is almost as if she is leaving her fathers capitalist ideas and is stepping into the Inspectors shoes, conveying his socialist ideas. This shows the audience how socialism is better than Capitalism. Sheila is forced to follow her fathers capitalist ideas, nut upon given the choice; she would rather follow the Inspectors socialist idea. Also in that time women were meant to be seen and not heard, but socialism has given Sheila the chance to talk and state her feeling. This again shows that socialism is the better of the two as it shows equality between everyone. This is also evident in Eric as towards the end of the play, as Mr and Mrs Birling seem to be celebrating that the Inspector is not real; Eric is still mourning Evas death. He also points out to his parents that they are to blame for Evas death too. This is shown when Sheila says it wont bring Eva Smith back to life, and Eric adds that we all helped to kill her, This shows that the younger generation are perhaps more mature than their parents. It also shows that the younger generations habits can be changed, yet the older generation might stick to their beliefs and ideas. Another point of view may be that this shows how the world is changing and that we must change with it. The people that dont change their ways will end up like Mr and Mrs Birling, bitter and old. One of the most important devices that JB Priestley uses is the Inspector himself, for he is the pathway to truth and is almost like Jesus in the way that he gives people the chance to change, but it is up to them to accept and make the necessary changes. The Inspector is almost like Priestleys socialist voice. The name of the inspector is of significant importance. Goole suggests a ghostly, phantom almost omniscient character as he seems to know the outcome of events beforehand. The inspector turns the family against each other and is almost the puppeteer of the whole play. He controls what the family do and say. This is evident at the end of act three when Eric needs a drink and Mr Birling refuses but the inspector says Yes! I know hes your son and this is your house but look at him. He needs a drink now just to see him through, at which point Mr. Birling allows him to have a drink. Sheila also realises the Inspectors ability to make people say what he wants them to. This is shown in act when she is talking to Gerald and she says I know. Somehow he makes you. The Inspector cleverly makes the Birlings and Gerald reveal their crimes; he only gives them a menial amount of information such as a name and somehow makes them confess everything. The Inspector pushes the blame of Evas death from one character to another, introducing the idea of collective responsibility. It almost seems like the inspector is the characters conscience or a lawyer cleverly putting forward a case. In act 3 Priestley uses the Inspectors speech to convey his socialist ideas. This speech gives an opposite message to that which Birling gave whereby he said that a man has a mind to his own business and look after himself and his own. He said that we are members of one body. This is an ironic reference to the army. This shows how Priestley believes that we are all part of one community and like parts of the body we should all learn to work together. I think it also shows that no one is any more important than another, like in a body each person has a specific, unique job in life and without everyone working together, we would not be able to function properly, and our world will collapse. His speech is almost structured like an argument. The Inspector shows both sides of the rich and poor, and leaves it up to the audience to decide the final verdict. The Inspector almost represents the wars. This is as when the first war came, no one responded or changed their ways, so another war was sent to make them pay in fire, blood and anguish. This very effectively sums up what the wars were about, and how people should have seen the error of their ways and changed while it was possible, but the Second World War tried to get the message across at the end which is almost shown as at the end, the Birlings find out that an inspector is on his way to question them on Evas death. This is also a very important and powerful statement, as it would seem that the Inspector is implying that the war was sent to punish people for not working together and at the same time was forcing them to do so. The war broke down barriers between classes and people all had to work together for their country, not for personal gain, so what the Inspector spoke of was largely accurate. I think Priestley used the idea of war to convey his message because it was a major issue when the play was written and everyone would have suffered from it and would care greatly about it. This shows that the audience should change their opinions about one another; it also shows that if they had stuck together and shown equality between one another, then maybe the wars wouldnt have happened. Also some people may think that this speech shows that although the war may be sent down to punish the people, it may also have been sent down to guide the people. To show them that they should respect one another and they will all eventually have to work together. Some may say that the war may have been a blessing in disguise. In conclusion there are many dramatic devices used to contribute the raising political awareness in this play, and to help emphasise J.B Priestleys particular view, which is that the world needs to stop being Capitalist and start looking at the world form a socialists point of view. I think that Priestley has done well in showing how Socialism will always be better than Capitalism and has used a variety of ways to shows this. Possibly one of the best device used is the juxtaposition between the Inspector and Mr. Birling for this directly shows his personal views on the difference between Capitalism and Socialism. He also tries to show this by having the Inspector say that we are all part of one community, while Mr. Birling says as if we are bees in a hive, as if the community is vulgar, while the Inspector is showing just how wrong he is. Priestly has constructed an almost complete contrast between Mr. Birling and the Inspector, one representing Priestleys opinions and the other representing Pre World War One social opinions. Mr. Birling is ridiculed in the play with his speeches about the future. Mr. Birling is very explosive in his speech, which shows the uncomfortable nature of Capitalism, and how it can be upset by minimal things. The Inspector is given authority in his speeches and shows he is always calm and in control. This shows the audience that of the two ideas socialism is the better. I think that the main dramatic device used is the idea of collective responsibility. This is a major theme of the play. As well as trying to make the Birling family take personal responsibility for Evas death he also wants them to know that together they killed her. Priestley wants the audience to take responsibility for their mistakes, he wants them to feel guilty and work together to make things right. The fact that Priestley questions the morality of the audience is what makes them interested throughout the play. The audience feel as if theyre the ones that are being judged, and questioned, and that they need to confess and accept their responsibility. This involvement and idea of responsibility in my opinion is what makes An Inspector Calls an incredible, thought provoking play.

Delivering Banking Facilities for the Disabled

Delivering Banking Facilities for the Disabled Healthy Banking:  The way towards increased financial inclusion Contents Abstract Introduction Recommendations A. Sight Impaired B. Hearing loss C. Physical disabilities Conclusion References Abstract The Bank of Mauritius’ initiative ‘Banking Your Future’ to promote a fair and inclusive banking sector has been launched in June 2014 to investigate the 100 possible ways in which the banking sector could be improved. Based on the above project, this report aims at analyzing the nature, dynamics and degree of financial exclusion of people bearing a disability and examines the significance of access to banking facilities within this group of people that is more often than not marginalized. Thus, this study further explores Pillars 1, 5 and 6 of the eight pillars set out in the Task force produced by the Bank of Mauritius in June 2014. These include, accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection respectively. In simpler terms, this report explores how the delivery and operation of banking facilities could be developed and/or improved to attend to the constant needs of people with a physical or learning disability with the view to promote their financial inclusion in the banking sector. Introduction Banking is a fundamental part of the fabric of routine life for most people, nevertheless certain people in Mauritius are deprived the access to a bank account and to fair banking services due to the difference they present. Indeed, 4.8%[1] of the Mauritian population has been recorded as having a disability in 2011. With an ageing population, the statistics look set to grow further. This group of people therefore embodies a substantial segment of any bank’s consumer base and it is in the interest of these institutions to satisfy the needs of their clients. People with a disability require access to banks and their services in order to become autonomous by managing their finances as well as to keep track of their regular benefit remittances. For many of them, finance issues are a substantial source of worry and stress at the time when they should be concentrating on their health rather than their financial stability. Sadly though, some providers are not very effective when dealing with people having health difficulties. To this issue, this research aims at promoting the financial inclusion of the disabled population by identifying how banking institutions could improve their services to alleviate the problems faced by this minority population that is too often left behind. Supporting disabled people is not just about doing the right thing for consumers facing hardships but can be beneficial for banking businesses as well. Not only will such an initiative reduce debt, improve staff contentment and breed customer loyalty but will also guarantee regulatory compliance. It is to be highlighted that banks are in a good posture to help make a change since they have the tools to provide support to these people. Therefore, throughout this report some measures that could be implemented by banks to help and support disabled people pertaining to their personal finances will be discussed with a view to stimulate accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection. Recommendations The recommendations throughout this report will be subdivided into distinct sections relating to a specific health impairment namely sight, hearing and physical limitations. A. Sight Impaired The Population Census conducted in 2011 showed that approximately 14000 people had a sight problem even when wearing glasses. This situation undeniably has a severe impact on their everyday lives and with years going by like in the blink of an eye this number is certainly on the rise. Indeed banks are not oblivious to such an issue for they have invested in talking ATMs, whereby what appears on the screen is read aloud by the machine to facilitate the daily transactions of people suffering from sight impairment. However, not all banks in Mauritius have taken such an initiative thereby penalizing their clients. Thus, these speech enabled ATMs ought to become more pervasive throughout the island while providers not extending such a service to their clients need to consider this enhancement that could make easier the lives of people having sight problems. JAWS[2] and earphones could be introduced in Mauritius so that blind and low-vision users can conduct ATM transactions in such a way that they have a feeling of privacy and security during the process. It is to be noted that navigating around an ATM pad is facilitated by the fact that the number 5 has an elevated dot so that the central number on the number pad can be located by touching it. This is the case with most if not all ATMs found in Mauritius. Moreover, some ATMs also have other tactile support for instance an elevated circle that indicates ‘OK’ thereby confirming the transaction while an elevated cross denotes abortion of the transaction. However, certain ATMs lack these latter facilities as the ‘OK’ and ‘Cancel’ buttons both have a slit rectangle on the pad making the difference between both imperceptible. Moreover, it should be highlighted that people having sight problems, especially those affected with blindness, may not even be able to get to a branch on their own. To such an issue, banks could send booklets, bank statements and pamphlets, whenever these are required by the client, in larger text prints for those whose eyesight is damaged, Braille for those who can read Braille as it should be noted that not everyone can read Braille, particularly if sight problems have developed in a late stage of life- , or simply as an audio CD so that those concerned do not have to provide additional effort on their own. Visually disabled users also encounter barriers such as access to internet banking transactions. It will certainly sound pretentious and expensive to include to these recommendations facilities like computer voice recognition softwares to facilitate the use of online banking services by people having sight impairment. Such an initiative may lead to a tradeoff between easing the use of online banking and the bank’s security system. However, what is more accessible to banks is changing the formatting of their websites by altering the display in such a way that the websites are more easily read. This could be in the form of text size where propositions at the top of the page could include normal, large and extra-large which could spearhead into a change in the text size throughout the website. Visually impaired people require patient human contact and continuous customer care. Implementing the above recommendations will not only promote the financial inclusion of people suffering from sight impairment but will also provide a competitive edge to the banks providing such facilities. B. Hearing loss According to the population census of 2011, there are more than 4000Mauritians with some form of hearing problem. Banks are considered as service providers, according to The Equal Opportunities Act 2008, and are consequently required to take actions to make sure that their services are as accessible and fair as possible to customers suffering from hearing loss so that the latters are not given a less favourable treatment as compared to non-disabled customers. Deaf customers report that banks tend to discriminate them against other customers, consequently making them feel aggrieved and embarrassed by banks’ indifference to their hearing limitations. The plight of deaf bank customers include banks’ over-reliance on telephone use for security issues, unfair treatment, the absence of hearing aid systems and poorly trained, dismissive and discourteous staff. Also, deaf customers protest that their communications frequently go unanswered and that they are requested to call in to discuss their issues. Recommending a relative or friend to address the bank on their behalf is not always the best solution due to confidentiality matters and this will not promote the financial inclusion of deaf customers but will make them over-dependent on third parties. It is to be highlighted that measures taken by banks in Mauritius to satisfy the needs of people with hearing loss are apparently inexistent. To this issue, in order to increase the financial inclusion and promote the fair treatment and welfare of people with hearing loss, the following measures could be considered with the hope that these recommendations do not fall on deaf ears. The text relay service can be a crucial aid for people with hearing problems. It is a service whereby the customer can call any of the bank agents’ numbers using text relay and when the call is answered, an operator will join in and communicate the request of the customer- received in written-form to the bank in oral form. As wisely said by Israelmore Ayivor (Shaping the dream), â€Å"Don’t despise little things that contain tiny miracles. Enjoy little actions!† Similarly banks need not take noticeable actions to help their customers suffering from hear loss. Indeed, an efficient Note Writer at the counter could facilitate the communication with an individual that cannot communicate orally. This particular teller could jot down the transaction’s purpose, fees and issues on paper so that the customer understands what the transaction consists of and what is required from him. Similarly, when dealing with people having hearing impairments simple actions that may seem futile could facilitate the transaction between both parties. Indeed, the bank staff should make sure they are in a well-lighted zone where the deaf customer can see their faces during communication. Looking directly and speaking directly to the disable person instead of his interpreter will make him feel valued during the transaction. Staff at the counter ought also to avoid putting their hands or any document in front of their face or mouth when speaking. Moreover, counter staffs could be initiated to sign language. If at least two counter staff trained for sign language are present at counters, this will undoubtedly be an advantage for the client but this will also be a serious competitive gain to the bank itself. However, notice often need to be given if the service is needed. In the same optic, since disabled people prefer transacting from home, an online service could be implemented whereby with a computer and a webcam, the disabled customer is able to speak to a bank staff that is trained for sign language and can thereby communicate a request or make a bank transaction. Pertaining to advertising campaigns made by banks, visual advertisements ought to be subtitled so that deaf people don’t feel excluded and can thus understand the advertisement with the same ease a non-disabled customer does. Hearing loss is an emergent problem so it is vital that banks take actions to ensure people having hearing disabilities can access their services without hindrance for if only a few thousand of the population suffering from hear loss took legal action against the pitiable treatment they receive, these financial institutions could end up paying substantial compensation to customers with hearing impairments. C. Physical disabilities There exist several types and degrees of physical disabilities. It is widely thought that people with physical disabilities require a wheelchair. However, this is not always the case since people suffering from arthritis, heart or lung conditions and those having undergone amputations also have difficulty with moving, sitting or standing. Indeed according to the population census conducted in 2011, a rough 42% of the disabled population are physically impaired and require assistance in their routine life. Banks in Mauritius do cater for the needs of people with such difficulties. For instance, the large Mauritian banks design their branches in such a way that their services are more accessible to their customers having physical disabilities. Indeed, ramps have been included in their architectures to facilitate access to wheelchairs and some banks make it a must to provide level access to their clients while meeting spaces are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs. Sadly though this architecture is not found in smaller banks. Therefore, ramps should be available on bank premises where steps are the only means of access. However, there are still gaps that ought to be filled in order to promote the financial inclusion of having physical problems. In a first instance, queuing aisles should be designed wide enough for wheelchairs for some of the aisles present in our banks are rather narrow. Moreover, banks should consider investing in providing comfort to people in physical discomfort. Wheelchair lifts could be installed where client service is not done on the ground floor while specific washrooms should be accessible to the public for some people may be physically unwell when attending a bank branch. It should be noted that certain people do not suffer from apparent physical disabilities but are naturally short in height without mentioning those born with dwarfism. For them and for the disabled population using wheelchairs, banks should consider low level teller counters in their branches as well as at least a low-level ATM machine that could be easily accessed by such people with measures that assure privacy and security during the transaction process. Given that all these recommendations are taken into consideration in a near future, people with physical difficulties will certainly feel more included financially and will find banking services more accessible and fairer bearing in mind that customer protection ought to be one of the prime objectives of a bank. Conclusion Barriers are hindrances that prevent people with disabilities from doing many of the routine activities, like daily banking transactions, that most of us tend to take for granted. A disability can occur to anyone at any time. In fact, as the Mauritian population greys, many of us could eventually face some kind of physical or mental limitation. This foresight report therefore, looks out to banking in the future years and defines the revolution that could ultimately lead to healthier banking practices. To this issue banks are called to recognise the needs of disabled clients and use judicious endeavours to improve their access to banking services. This report thus sets out potential actions that banks could and should explore and adopt for a brighter future. These changes will certainly present increased facilities for the disable population while presenting opportunities for the Mauritian banks to develop competitive assets, but they will also present considerable challenges to these institutions. It will be essential for the Mauritian banks to make a collective step to forge new policy frameworks and develop actions so that people having some kind of disability can feel financially autonomous thereby rebalancing fairness among clients in banking activities. Not only will such measures promote Pillars 1, 5 and 6 of the eight pillars set out in the Task force including, accessibility of banking to all, fair treatment of customers and customer protection respectively but these will fundamentally help meeting essential human needs. As from tomorrow and ever after, open your eyes to the world surrounding you, hear the cry of those who need you and walk together towards something new, something true: Healthier Banking- the way towards increased financial inclusion. References Global Rainbow Foundation. (2011) Handbook of Rights for Person with Disability in Mauritius Government of Mauritius. (2008) National Policy Paper Action Plan on Disability: â€Å"Valuing People with Disabilities† Jones. P., A., (2009) Still banking on a fresh start Livingstone. J. (2007) Banking matters to me: The experiences of people with a learning disability seeking to use banking products and services. Friends Provident Foundation. ISBN 978-1-906249-01-4 Livingstone. J., Dean. L. (2008) Banking on good decisions: How can the Mental Capacity Act help you with your bank, building society or post office account? Mental Health Foundation. ISBN 978-1-906162-17-7 MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (2012) Statistics Mauritius: 2011 Housing and Population Census. Volume IV: Disability REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS (2011) Population Census: Main Results RNIB. (2012) Safe Statistics and key messages about sight loss Samuel. C., (2009–2010) Making Bank Notes Accessible for Canadians Living with Blindness or Low Vision. THE BANK OF MAURITIUS (2014) Banking Your Future: Towards a fair inclusive banking sector THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK (2013) Talking ATMs for the blind and partially sighted: Because banking with us should be as easy as possible for all Westpac Banking Corporation. (2008) Day-to-Day Bank Accounts: Easy banking for customers with disability. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION. (2014) Country Cooperation Strategy at a glance: Mauritius. [1] Republic of Mauritius 2011 Population Census whereby 3.6% are aged between 15-59 years and 17.5% forms part of an elder population [2] Job Access With Speech (JAWS) screen reader

Multiple Regression :: Gender

Introduction For this study researchers were interested in assessing whether self-reported health behaviours and health literacy are able to predict self-rated physical health, after controlling for the effects of gender and age. They are further interested in knowing which of the variables provide a statistically significant contribution to the equation. Also of interest to the researches was the interaction between gender and health literacy, that is, the degree to which individuals are able to obtain, process and understand the information needed to make appropriate decisions about their health, and the impact of this interaction on health. Data was collected from 350 people randomly selected from a dataset from a population-based study of health and health determinants. Health was measured on a scale of 1 to 10, where higher scores represent better health. Health behaviours include healthy diet, physical activity and relaxation and are measured on a scale from 1 to 15. Health literacy is measured on a scale from 10 to 45. Gender and age in years were also collected from the respondents. Data Screening & Assumption Testing The initial step in this data analysis involved screening the data for possible missing values, out of range values, univariate and multivariate outliers and multicollinearity. Three variables used for this study contained missing values; both system and identified missing. These variables were health literacy, physical activity and age in years, one case for each of these variables. Each of these missing values were recoded with a missing value code of 999. Descriptive statistics produced for each of the variables used for the analysis revealed out of range values for the variables healthy diet, physical activity and relaxation. These values were also recoded to the missing value code 999. Testing for the presence of outliers was done by generating a scatterplot matrix for all variables (Figure 1), and plots of Cook’s distances (Figure 2) and Mahalanobis distances (Figure 3). There are no cases which indicate a particular cause for concern. On the Mahalanobis distance chart there are no cases that is substantially larger than the rest and on the Cook’s distance there is no case with a distance above 1 which would indicate an influential point. Multicollinearity was tested and there were no variables with a tolerance of less than 0.3. It is also necessary to check the regression assumptions to ensure that any results from analysis are valid. The first assumption is that all variables are measured on a metric scale or that categorical variables are dichotomously coded. This is true for the data in this study. The second assumption is that each observation in the sample is independent of the other observations, the