Alphabetical French-English False Cognates A Words

One of the great things about learning French or English is that many words have the same roots in the  Romance languages  and  English. However, there are also a great many  faux amis, or false cognates, which look similar but have different meanings.  This is one of the biggest pitfalls for students of French. There are also semi-false cognates, or words that can only sometimes be translated by the similar word in the other language. This alphabetical list includes hundreds of  French-English  semi-false cognates, with explanations of what each word means and how it can be correctly  translated  into the other language. To avoid confusion due to the fact that some of  the words are identical in the two languages, the French word is followed by (F) and the English word is followed by (E). Abandon (F) vs Abandon (E) Abandon  (F) is a noun that means  abandonment,  desertion,  neglect, or  giving up. It can also mean  abandon, especially with a verb: danser avec abandon   to dance with abandon.  Abandonner   to abandon.Abandon  (E)   abandon. Habiletà © (F) vs Ability (E) Habiletà ©Ã‚  (F) refers to a  skill,  cleverness, a  talent, or a  skillful move.Ability  (E) is a similar but weaker term, translatable by une  aptitude, une  capacità ©, or une  compà ©tence. Abus (F) vs Abuse (E) Abus  (F) can mean  abuse,  excess, or  injustice.Abuse  (E)   abus, while verbal abuse is des  injures  or  insultes. Abuser (F) vs Abuse (E) Abuser  (F) means to  exploit,  abuse,  take advantage of,  deceive, or  mislead. Sabuser means  to be mistaken  or  to delude oneself.Abuse  (E) can be translated by  abuser,  injurier,  insulter, or  maltraiter. Accà ©der (F) vs Accede (E) Accà ©der  (F) means to  reach,  attain,  get to,  access.Accede  (E) has three different meanings. (1) to agree/accept:  agrà ©er,  accepter. (2) to take on a new position:  entrer en possession/fonction. (3) to join:  adhà ©rer,  se joindre. Accidentà ©(F) vs Accidental (E) Accidentà ©Ã‚  (F) can be an adjective:  hilly,  undulating, or  damaged;  or a noun:  casualty,  injured person. Accidenter means to  injure  or  damage.Accidental  (E) means  accidentel  (bad) or  fortuit  (good). Achà ¨vement (F) vs Achievement (E) Achà ¨vement  (F) refers to the  completion  or  culmination  of something.Achievement  (E) has a more positive sense of attaining something that was sought after:  exploit,  rà ©ussite,  accomplissement. Achever (F) vs Achieve (E) Achever  (F) usually means to  finish,  end,  complete,  reach. It can also be more figurative:  to finish off,  destroy,  kill.Achieve  (E)   accomplir,  rà ©aliser,  atteindre. Acompte (F) vs Account (E) Acompte  (F) refers to a  deposit,  down payment, or  installment.Account  (E) un  compte. Action (F) vs Action (E) Action  (F) can mean  action  as well as  act  or a  share of stock.Action  (E)   action  or  effet. Actuellement (F) vs Actually (E) Actuellement  (F) means  at the present time, and should be translated as  currently  or  right now. Je travaille actuellement   I am currently working. A related word is actuel, which means  present  or  current: le problà ¨me actuel the  current/present problem.Actually  (E) means in fact and should be translated as  en fait  or  Ãƒ   vrai dire. Actually, I dont know him -  En fait, je ne le connais pas. Actual means real or true, and depending on the context can be translated as  rà ©el,  và ©ritable,  positif, or  concret: The actual value   la  valeur rà ©elle. Adepte (F) vs Adept (E) Adepte  (F) is a noun:  follower  or  enthusiast.Adept  (E) is an adjective:  compà ©tent  or  expert. Addition (F) vs Addition (E) Addition  (F) can refer to  addition, a  sum, or a restaurant  check  or  bill.Addition  (E) une  addition, une  augmentation, or un  surcroà ®t. Ado (F) vs Ado (E) Ado  (F) is an  apocope  of adolescent—teen  or  teenager.Ado  (E) is a somewhat rare word that is equivalent to  agitation  or  bruit  (figuratively) Adresse (F) vs Address (E) Adresse  (F) can refer to a  mailing,  email, or  spoken address  or to  deftness,  skill, or  dexterity.Address  (E) une  adresse  or un  discours. Affaire (F) vs Affair (E) Affaire  (F) can mean  business,  matter,  deal,  transaction, or  scandal.Affair  (E) is the equivalent of affaire only in the sense of an event or concern. A love affair is une  liaison, une  affaire damour, or une  aventure amoureuse. Affluence (F) vs Affluence (E) Affluence  (F) is a  crowd of people: Il y avait une affluence attendant à   la porte   There were crowds waiting at the door.Affluence  (E) indicates a lot of something (usually wealth): Theres an affluence of information here   Il y a une abondance dinformation ici. His affluence is obvious   Sa richesse est à ©vidente. Agenda (F) vs Agenda (E) Agenda  (F) refers to a  datebook.Agenda  (E) means lordre du jour  or le  programme. Agonie (F) vs Agony (E) Agonie  (F) refers to  death pangs  or  mortal agony.Agony  (E) means severe physical or mental pain, but not necessarily just this side of death:  angoisse,  supplice. Agrà ©able (F) vs Agreeable (E) Agrà ©able  (F) means  pleasant  or  nice  when describing a thing, such as the weather or situation. Its not used to describe people other than in the construction  Ãƒ ªtre agrà ©able de  sa  personne   to be pleasant-looking/personable.Agreeable  (E) does not normally mean  agrà ©able, but rather in agreement, which doesnt have an exact equivalent in French. Im agreeable to doing it   Je le ferai volontiers. If thats agreeable/acceptable   Sil ny a pas dinconvà ©nient,  Si cela vous convient. Agrà ©ment (F) vs Agreement (E) Agrà ©ment  (F) refers to  charm,  attractiveness, or  pleasantness.Agreement  (E)   accord  or  harmonie. Aimer (F) vs Aim (E) Aimer  (F) means  to like  or  to love.Aim  (E) can be a noun:  but,  visà ©es;  or a verb:  braquer,  pointer,  viser. Allà ©e (F) vs Alley (E) Allà ©e  (F) is a generic term for any sort of road or path:  lane,  path,  avenue,  driveway, etc. It can also refer to an  aisle.Alley  (E) une  ruelle. Allure (F) vs Allure (E) Allure  (F) normally refers to  speed  or  pace:  Rouler  Ãƒ  Ã‚  toute  allure   to drive at full speed. It can also refer to an  appearance  or  look. Allures  refers  to  behavior  or  ways.Allure  (E) indicates  charm  or  attrait. Altà ©rer (F) vs Alter (E) Altà ©rer  (F) can mean  alter, but it nearly always has a negative connotation:  distort,  falsify,  tamper with,  spoil,  debase.Alter  (E)   changer,  modifier,  transformer, etc. Amateur (F) vs Amateur (E) Amateur  (F) is a semi-false cognate. It can mean  amateur  in the sense of non-professional, but it can also mean a  lover  of something: un amateur  dart   an  art lover.Amateur  (E) refers to someone who dabbles in a trade or activity: an amateur photographer: un  amateur de  photographie. Amitià © (F) vs Amity (E) Amitià ©Ã‚  (F) is the generic French word for  friendship.Amity  (E) is used more specifically to mean peaceful relations between nations   concorde  or  bons  rapports. Ancien (F) vs Ancient (E) Ancien  (F) can mean  old  in the sense of not young as well as in the sense of  former: mon  ancien  professeur   my old (former) teacher, mon  professeur  ancien   my old (aged) teacher. Learn more about  adjectives.Ancient  (E) means  antique  or  trà ¨s vieux. Animation(F) vs Animation (E) Animation  (F) is much more general in French than in English. In addition to  animation, life, liveliness, it can also refer to cultural or sports  activities  as well as  leadership.Animation  (E) means  animation  or  vivacità ©. Antique (F) vs Antique (E) Antique  (F) as an adjective  means  antique  or  ancient. As a noun, it refers to  antiquity  or  classical art/style.Antique  (E) means the same an adjective, but as a noun it refers to  une antiquità ©,  un objet dart ancien, or  un meuble ancien. Apologie (F) vs Apology (E) Apologie  (F) has three different meanings. The original meaning of  defense  or  plea  is related to the judiciary meaning of  vindication  or  justification. The current and most common meaning is  praise.Apology  (E) les  excuses. Appareil (F) vs Apparel (E) Appareil  (F) is an  apparatus,  device, or  appliance.Apparel  (E) is an out-dated term for clothing:  habillement. Are (F) vs Are (E) Are  (F) refers to an  area of one hundred square meters.Are  (E) is a conjugation of to be (à ªtre): we are (nous  sommes), you are (vous  Ãƒ ªtes), they are (ils  sont). Argument (F) vs Argument (E) Argument  (F) is a semi-false cognate. It means  argument  in the sense of a mathematical or philosophical argument. Also: argument  massue   sledgehammer blow;  argument  publicitaire   advertising claim; argument de  vente   selling point.Argument  (E) is une  discussion, une  conversation, un  dà ©bat, or une  dispute. Arriver (F) vs Arrive (E) Arriver  (F) can mean to  arrive  or to  happen, while arriver à   verb means to  succeed in  doing or to  manage to  do something.Arrive  (E) is translated by  arriver. Arroser (F) vs Arose (E) Arroser  (F) means to  water  or  spray.Arose  (E) is the past participle of arise:  survenir,  se prà ©senter,  sà ©lever. Assistance (F) vs Assistance (E) Assistance  (F) is a semi-false cognate. Its primary meaning is  audience.Assistance  (E) indicates  help  or  aid. Assister (F) vs Assist (E) Assister  (F) is nearly always followed by  Ãƒ  Ã‚  and means to  attend  something: Jai assistà © à   la confà ©rence I  attended (went to)  the conference.Assist  (E) means to help or aid someone or something: I assisted the woman into the building   Jai  aidà ©Ã‚  la dame à  Ã‚  entrer  dans  limmeuble. Assumer (F) vs Assume (E) Assumer  (F) only means to  assume  in the sense of taking on responsibility or assuming control. It also means to  hold a job  or  fulfill a role.Assume  (E) is a semi-false cognate. In addition to  assumer, it can also mean  supposer  or  prà ©sumer. Assurance (F) vs Assurance (E) Assurance  (F) refers to  self-confidence  or  insurance  in addition to  assurance.Assurance  (E) means  assurance  or  conviction. Attendre (F) vs Attend (E) Attendre  (F) à   means to  wait for: Nous avons attendu pendant deux heures   We waited for two hours.Attend  (E) is translated by  assister  (see above): I attended the conference   Jai assistà © à   la confà ©rence. Audience (F) vs Audience (E) Audience  (F) is a  semi-false cognate. In addition to the meaning of the English word, it can signify: Votre audience, sil vous plaà ®t   Your attention, please. Ce projet a une large audience -  This project has a lot of attention.  Donner audience  Ãƒ   quelquun   To meet with / listen to someone. Une audience publique   A public meeting.Audience  (E) is a group of spectators or listeners. Avertissement (F) vs Advertisement (E) Avertissement  (F) is a  warning  or  caution, from the verb  avertir   to  warn.Advertisement  (E) is une  publicità ©, une  rà ©clame, or un  spot publicitaire.

Using the Rare Apostrophe in Spanish

The apostrophe is almost never used in modern Spanish. Its use is limited to words of foreign origin (usually names) and, very rarely, poetry or poetic literature, such as palante. Spanish students should not imitate the common uses of the apostrophe in English. Foreign Words Me siento vieja. Pero, cest la vie. I feel old. But such is life.Un jack-o-lantern es una calabaza tallada a mano, asociada a la festividad de Halloween. A jack-o-lantern is a pumpkin carved by hand and associated with Halloween festivities.Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor es una cantante nacida en Dublà ­n, Irlanda. Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor is a singer born in Dublin, Ireland.McDonalds ofrece una gran variedad de alimentos de alta calidad. McDonalds offers a big variety of high-quality foods. Note that in all the above cases the words would be recognized as being of foreign origin. In the first two cases, the use of the words with apostrophes would be seen as a Gallicism and Anglicism, respectively. Literature and Poetry The apostrophe can occasionally be found in centuries-old poetry or literature as a way of showing that letters have been omitted. Such use is very rarely found in modern writing, and then only for literary effect. Nuestras vidas son los rà ­os / que van a dar en la mar, / ques el morir. Our lives are the rivers / that flow to give to the sea, / which is death. (From Coplas de Don Jorge Manrique por la muerte de su padre, 1477.) ¿ ... quà © me ha de aprovechar ver la pintura / daquel que con las alas derretidas ...? ... what could it help me to see the painting of that one with the melted wings ...? (From the 12th sonnet of Garcilazo de la Vega, c. 1500-1536.) One exception in modern usage is the slang spellings of mijo and mija for mi hijo and mi hija (my son and my daughter, respectively). Such a spelling should not be used in formal writing. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the apostrophe should not be used in the following instances, which are considered Anglicisms: To shorten years, such as using 04 for 2004. Simply 04 can be used instead.To make plurals. The Spanish word for apostrophe is apà ³strofo. An apà ³strofe is a certain type of insult.

The Role Of Social Hierarchal Tensions Through The...

Donnie Darko by director Richard Kelly is a thriller film that explores many aspects of social hierarchal tensions through the presentation of Donnie Darko’s life. The film consists of the his universe and a tangent universe; it shows how his social, family, and school interactions effects his role in society. From â€Å"Looking at Movies: An Introduction,† by Richard Barsam and Dave Monahan, film technique such as mise-en scene, cinematography and sound are used by Kelly in the lifeline sequence to dramatizes Donnie’s rebellion against inane ideals of the shallow authority figures at his school. The lifeline sequence, comprised of fourteen shots, exhibits Donnie’s rebellion against his teacher, Ms. Farmer, about how the lifeline is not†¦show more content†¦Turner, editing and sound techniques are used in shots three, four, and five. As display the argument in a professional manner, AB shot sequence is used. Shot A (shot three and five) is composed of Donnie and shot B (shot four) is composed of Ms. Farmer. These enhances the argument by showing only the individual who is asserting their views. As Donnie and Ms. Turner assert their views, the voice in these shots allows the audience to understand that the tension is building up. This is displayed in shot five when Donnie’s voice rises as he states that, â€Å"there are other things that need to be taken into account for like the whole spectrum in human emotion.† By the end of his sentence about human emotion, his voice is twice as loud as his voice at the beginning of the shot. This creates the e ffect that Donnie’s temper is shortening and he is extremely frustrated. To over dramatize Donnie’s rebellion against Ms. Turner’s lifeline, the camera dollies in to the right as Donnie voice rises and walks toward Ms. Farmer; closing the gap between them and placing them in a two shot. In these few shots of the sequence, Kelly used editing and sound techniques such as volume increase, AB shot sequence, and two shot to enhance and dramatize the clashing values between Donnie’s realistic belief and Ms. Turner’s inane belief of what type of emotions should be on the lifeline. To help

The American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman...

The American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman The American Dream ~ for many, it is the unlocked door that leads to happiness. It is the hope for a future filled with success and fortune. Although most people have a similar idea of what the American Dream is, they may have different ideas on how to achieve it. For Willy Loman, a struggling salesman, achieving this dream would be a major accomplishment. Unfortunately, his unusual ideas of how this dream can be achieved prevent him from reaching his goal. Out of all of Willy’s unusual ideas, one major pattern we can notice is how Willy truly believes that popularity and physical appearance are what make people wealthy. We are first introduced to this†¦show more content†¦An example of how Willy depends on popularity to help achieve the dream is seen when Willy is having a flashback in which he’s speaking to both Biff and Happy about having his own business. The boys ask their father if his business will be like their Uncle Charley’s. Willy responds by saying that he’ll be, â€Å"Bigger than Uncle Charley! Because Charley is not- liked. He’s liked, but he’s not- well liked.† From this example, it becomes evident that Willy thinks being â€Å"well liked† can make you successful. The most significant example, however, is also one that takes place in one of Willy’s flashbacks. Again, he is speaking to his sons about becoming successful. He tells them, â€Å"...the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. You take me...I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. ‘Willy Loman is here!’ That’s all they have to know, and I go right through.† From these examples, it becomes very apparent that appearance and popularity are unusually important to Willy when it comes to being successful in the business world. 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Causes of the French Revolution Essay Example For Students

Causes of the French Revolution Essay The Causes Of The French RevolutionIn the 17th and 18th centuries, France was ruled by an absolute government. The king had all the political power. And the kings who came after him were despots. For example, anyone who criticized the government could be arrested and put in prison without trial. Louis XIV at least ruled this country efficiently. Last French kings were not good rulers. Louis XIV (1774-1793) was king at the time of the French Revolution. He was more interested in hunting than governing France. He and his Austrians queen, Marie Antoinette, lived an extravagant life at the Palace of Versailles. This doesnt work because the Inspector knows what is coming to them, doesnt care or allows himself to be influenced about Birlings titles and has morals on his side so he doesnt need to be forceful so he keeps calm. He knows that their secrets will come out and destroy them and this is metaphorically shown by the director in the play by the actors having the risk of actually falling off the house. With the higher classes; also came the assumption and expectance of being allowed to do what they want Both Gerald rise to have a look They are surprised and rather annoyed. The characters in the play are rather ugly which doesnt fit to the text Gerald Croft is an attractive chap but in the film they arent ugly because the black and white film was set in a generation were movie stars meant to be handsome. In the play, Sheila tries to run away but the Inspector gently but firmly pushes her and forces her to confess. He is half in the light, half in the shadow because he is helping her face up to what she did. She is dressed all in white, which makes her naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, pure and innocent, and as her gloves are also white, it accentuates her hand gestures so we are drawn to the fidgeting. As the confession goes on, her voice begins to get more shrill and croaks as she tries to self-justify herself But she was very pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldnt be sorry for her. She talks straight to the audience so they can witness it too. In the play, the audience are not made sympathetic towards Sheila because she is portrayed as uncaring because she pities herself and so doesnt seem sorry or feel guilty but the black and white film is more true to text because Sheila is more docile, ashamed and accepts blame but there is a flashback of her shopping which does not happen in the text. This shows her trying on a hat not a dress and the director could have put this in to make the audience sympathetic to Eva as well. However, we do see that Eva did laugh at her and that she is mimicked by the music as she walks out so people do feel pity for her. She also faces a mirror when she is making a confession, forcing her to look at herself and accept it. When the Inspector questions her, she admits that she did for her own purposes Because I was in a furious temper It was my own fault. And that she did it without thinking about the effect on Evas life And so you used the power you had just because she made you feel like that? John adams revolution EssayNeither the play nor the film is true to the ending. They are all supposed to be there at the end when they receive the telephone call As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls but in the play the curtain falls leaving just Sheila isolated at the front because she is the only one who has changed. When you think its finished the curtain keeps going, showing a different setting with just one kid standing in the house where previously it had been packed. Sheila turns around and sees that things will change. It is also the only time when you hear their normal voices because they are shocked. In the film the inspector before being locked in the study gives them a sardonic smile as if he knows what is happening. When they find out the truth about him, he mysteriously disappears with the chair he was sitting in still rocking. The music has a dramatic tone in both things and is staccato in the film at the end. Different images were used from the text in both the film and play because the directors were trying to get the message across to different audiences; but it is still the same message.

Competitive Business Force Model

Question: Discuss about the Competitive Business Force Model. Answer: Porters Competitive Force Model The industry is given industry plans to the Australian customers. The porters competitive force model is used to analyse the aspects of the competitive structure and environment of the industry. Bargaining power of suppliers: It is low. The suppliers of the company are computing hardware and software providers only. It threatens the industry by raising price and reduces the quality of services. Bargaining power of customers: It is medium. The customers are not so much pressurizing the company to provide high quality internet plans and quality services. Threat of new entrants: It is high. The company decides to make suggestions on internet plans based on needs of customers, as it is easy for new company to enter into the industry. Threat of substitutions: It is high. The buyers are looking for alternative products in the market. If they find any alternative product, then they will switch to them. Rivalry: It is medium. Until there are no such rivalries of the industry those are giving similar internet plans as the company.

The Notion of the Work

Introduction The past three decades have seen organizations take a huge interest in the working and personal lives of their employees. The understanding that work issues and personal life issues affect the performance of the individual employee has sparked this interest. Lack of work-life balance negatively influences the individual’s performance at the workplace as well as in their personal life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Notion of the Work-Life Balance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many organizations have therefore launched work-life balance programs aimed at resolving the conflicts between work and family life. The importance of these programs has been accentuated by the increasing demands on employees by the organization as well as the demographic changes in the workplace. This paper will explore the notion of work-life balance with a detailed review on how the practice has influenced the way that management is conducted. It will then offer a critical view of the ethical and moral implications of the practice and conclude by giving an outlook on the sustainability of work-life balance practices. Brief Introduction to the Practice Before the 1970s, â€Å"work† and â€Å"family† were treated as separate entities and the organization was not concerned about non-work related issues affecting the employee. This situation began to change when researchers highlighted a spill over effect where aspects of work affected family life while aspects of family affected work life (Pranav 2010). This theory led to further investigations, which revealed that occurrences on one segment (either work or life) could have a negative or positive consequence on the other segment. The revelations led to a change in the organizational outlook of work and personal life and work-life balance issues begun to receive significant attention by employers during the 1980s. A number of ac tivities in the labour market also precipitated this attention. To begin with, the second half of the 20th century witnessed a marked increase in work demands on individuals. This resulted in an increasing encroachment of work demands on family and personal time. The strong rise in women’s labour market participation in the industrialized world also brought to the forefront the issue of work-life balance since the increase in women workers raised the number of people who combine work and family life (Pascale, Laura Tanja 2009). This observation is corroborated by Bird (2006) who observes that the initial focus on work-life balance was precipitated by the struggles faced by working mothers who had a hard time balancing their work obligations with those of raising a family.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the onset, work-life balance was structured to address the ne eds of working mothers. By the mid 1980s, organizations were making significant changes to their workplace polices so as to accommodate the needs of the working mother. These changes included extended maternity leaves, onsite child-care services, and flexible work hours to help the women manage their family obligations. By the end of the decade, men also began to voice concerns about their work-life issues. This resulted in work-life balance becoming viewed as an issue that affected both genders and not only women. By the late 1980s, researchers begun to acknowledge that work-life issues were not only limited to working women but also men. Bird (2006) documents that the early 1990s were characterized by an appreciation of the importance of work-life balance for all employees regardless of their gender. Expansive research on the topic led to numerous work-life programs being proposed and implemented by many organizations. Lotte (2011) observes that the practice of integrating work de mands with people’s personal needs yielded to positive results for both employees and the organization. How Work-Life Practices have Influenced Management For the work-life programs to have the desired positive impact, managers must implement them. Failure to this, employees will continue to experienced burnout and feel out of touch with their non-work lives therefore reducing their productivity. Work life balance has therefore had some significant influences on how management of employees is conducted. Organizations have had to include work-life balance policies in order to attract new workers and reduce the turnover rate among their current employees. Research in the area of work-life balance reveals that many individuals in the labour market make work decisions based on work-life issues (Perry-Smith, Jill, Blum, 2000). Lotte (2011) theorizes that the reason for this is that employees today are seeking to seamlessly combine their work and family lives. As such, organizatio ns that fail to offer work-life balance programs that will enable the prospective employee to balance their career and family chase away a pool of talented employees who are seeking family supportive organizations. Management is therefore forced to adopt family supportive policies in order to attract a greater pool of prospective employees than it would have if it were only offering traditional career paths. One of the objectives of work-life balance practices is to change work activities so that they help employees with their personal lives but without degrading the effectiveness of work (Lotte 2011). With this consideration, organizations have adopted cultures that are supportive of work-life activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Notion of the Work-Life Balance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In some cases, this has meant doing away with deeply entrenched long working hour cultures and adopting an a ttitude that is accommodative of work-life balance. Visser and Laura (2007) confirm that work-life balance policies are having an impact on how organizations operate by forcing them to adopt practices that take into consideration the personal needs of the employees. Work-life balance policies have obligated managers to come up with more flexible working options for their employees. A report by Visser and Laura (2007) revealed that because of the progress made in work-life, 73% of the employees interviewed were offered some form of ad hoc arrangements by their employers. These arrangements included part-time options, flexible working hours, job sharing, and working from home option. In some cases, management has been required to include voluntary reduced hours in order to maintain certain workers. Yeandle (2002) notes that some women find it hard to go back to work after having children. In order to retain such employees, the organization might have to adopt family-friendly policies such as the presence of onsite childcare centres and voluntary reduced hours. Without such programs in place, such employees who have dependent children would not be able to keep working for the organization. The relationship between employees and employers has also been forced to change by work-life practices. Specifically, employees have been given more leeway in controlling their schedule. Management is today forced to work closer with employees and be prepared to reach a compromise concerning their working hours. Traditionally, employees had a fixed work schedule and they were required to always report to work at specific times and leave after a given number of hours. Special permission had to be given for employees to break this cycle and provision of this permission was at the discretion of management. Work-life balance policies have given employees a right to request for work flexibility and managers are obligated to give such requests due consideration (Visser Laura 2007). Work-life practices have therefore led to increased flexibility in work hours with employees having a greater say over how they manage their time. The motivational methods used by management have also changed due to work-life practices. Managers recognize that work-life practices can be used as a motivational tool for the employees. By offering flexible work plans, the employee is able to reduce work-life conflict. Yeandle (2002) asserts that the perceived control leads to greater employee satisfaction with their work schedule. This positive feeling leads to improved attitudinal and behavioural outcomes from the employee and these lead to higher productivity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is because the practices lead to employees feeling that they have been treated well by the organization. In return, they feel obligated to act in a manner favourable to the organization and these involve working hard to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Work-life practices have therefore led to changes in motivational methods used to inspire employees to reach set organizational goals. Organizations have also been obligated to foster open environments where personal issues are considered together with work issues. While the organization traditionally sort to separate work from personal life, the work-life practice has led to the two being integrated to some degree. Poelmans (2005) observes that an organizational culture that allows employees to discuss their non-work lives with each other resulted in more satisfied employees who exhibited higher performance. Managers have therefore made changes to the organization by adopting open cultures where work lives and non-wo rk lives can coexist. This approach has led to favourable results since, as Poelmans (2005) reveals, employees who discuss their non-work related issues at work have greater satisfaction with their jobs and demonstrate higher productivity than those who keep their personal issues compartmentalized. Management has had to make use of quality of work life indicators to keep track of their employees well being. Such an approach has been necessitated by the revelation that poor work-life balance elevates potential impairments to health and safety. Wirtz and Katharina (2011) report that work-life conflict is associated with an increase in several health impairments, poor well-being, sleep disorders, and fatigue. All these conditions compromise the productivity of the employee. By utilizing quality of work life indicators, management can assess the effectiveness of work-life balance policies and make relevant adjustments. Ethical and Moral Implications of Work-Life Practices Work-life bala nce practices have a number of significant ethical and moral implications for the employees and employers. A significant ethical issue arising from work-life balance is who should be entitled to benefits accrued from this practice. Waumsley, Houston and Marks (2010) observe that most research on family-life balance defines a family as a unit which includes children and the issues faced by people who do not live within a family structure are rarely addressed. To make matters worse, most of the programs created have concentrated on the problems faced by families that include children. This omission of individuals not living within the traditional family structure with children is discriminatory since employees are supposed to be treated equally. Research indicates that single employees who have no children receive limited support for work-life balance from their employers. Waumsley, et al. (2010) documents that in the USA, childless single employees perceived â€Å"less equity in soc ial inclusion, work opportunities, access to benefits, respect for non-work life and work expectations than did employees with families† (p.4). Such findings suggest that lack of work-life support for certain employee groups is perceived negatively. The assumption that only individuals with children and/or who live within traditional family structures experience work-life conflict is wrong. Measures should therefore be taken to come up with work benefit packages that consider all members of the organization. Utilizing work-life balance policies might have a negative impact on the career advancement of the individual. While an organization will make work-life options available to everyone, most employees will avoid making use of these opportunities since they might lead to other employees assuming that they are not committed to the organization. This fear is best elaborated by Kodz, Harper and Susan (2007) who stress that many workers are de-motivated by the opinion that making use of the work-life balance practices offered by their organization will hurt their career objectives. The moral nature of the work-life balance programs is therefore called into question since it appears to offer benefits to the employee but at the same time, the employee is penalized for taking advantage of these benefits. The effectiveness of the programs is greatly diminished since most employees avoid making use of the programme since they do not want to hurt their future career advancement prospects. Another issue that may arise from work-life balance practices is that they might increase conflict in some employees’ lives if they are universally adapted (Lauzun 2010). For example, work at home arrangements might be used to help the employee spend more time at home. However, such an arrangement might be seen as intrusive by other employees who will perceive that the boundary between work and home is being blurred through such practices. Bird (2006) observes that withou t consulting with the employees, work-life balance practices will be ineffective since work-life balance is â€Å"an individual issue that affects the organization than it is an organizational issue that affects the individual† (p.3). Work-life balance programs also raise the moral question of which employees are more deserving. Visser and Laura (2007) document that in many organizations, employee grade is a consideration when solutions such as flexible work time are being offered. Employees who have post high school education are more likely to be offered these facilities that those without. This is discriminatory practice since all employees experience work-life conflict and the employee grade might not be a factor in the degree of the conflict experienced. Sustainability of the Practice The significance of work-life balance programs can be expected to increase in the coming years as the demographic changes in the workplace become more pronounced. Many countries have experi enced an increase in the pension age and this is likely to result in an older workforce. With the increase in an ageing workforce, work-life issues will become more important and management will have to react accordingly in order to sustain the productivity of the employees. The present day economic scenario requires organizations to increase their productivity in order to survive in the increasingly competitive business environment. In order to achieve this desirable increase in productivity, the organization relies on the input of the individual employee. Employees with improved work-life balance are more likely to make a positive contribution towards organizational performance and therefore ensure its future growth and success. Elliot (2012) argues that work-life practices may indeed be the only way to ensure a sustainable economy for the country. She notes that without such practices, many working mothers would be forced to quit paid employment and this would come at a huge fina ncial cost to the economy. As such, while the work-life practices may be costly for the organization to implement, their long-term benefits for the individual, organization, and society outweigh any cost incurred in their implementation. Conclusion This paper set out to discuss the notion of work-life balance, its implications on management and any ethical and moral issues that it might raise. It began by tracing the birth of work-life practices to the 1970s when the relationship between work and life was established with the revelation that aspects of work affected family life and aspects of family affected work. The paper has demonstrated how part-time work, flexible working hours, and home based teleworking are instruments that have been exploited by Human Resource departments in organizations to help reconcile work and family life. The paper has documented the various ethical and moral issues raised by work-life practices including exclusion of some employees, victimization, and discrimination. It concluded by noting that work-life issues will continue to be prevalent in the organizational setting and as such, organizations cannot ignore work-life issues without suffering consequences. It can therefore be expected that work-life balance will remain at the forefront of public policy issues for many decades to come. References Bird, J 2006, ‘Work-life balance doing it right and avoiding the pitfalls’, Employment Relations Today, vol. 33 no.3, pp. 1-9. Elliot, A 2012, Flexible working and sustainable working practices. Web. Kodz, J Harper, H Dench, S 2007, Work-life balance: Beyond the rhetoric. London: IES. Lauzun, H 2010, ‘Seeking Work-Life Balance: Employees’ Requests, Supervisors’ Responses, and Organizational Barriers’, The Psychologist-Manager Journal, vol. 13 no. 1, pp. 184–205. Lotte, B 2011, ‘Redesigning work for gender equity and work-personal life integration’, Work Family, vol. 14 no. 1 , pp. 97-112. Pascale, P Laura, D Tanja, L 2009, ‘The effects of time-spatial flexibility and new working conditions on employees’ work-life balance: the Dutch case’, Work Family’, vol. 12 no. 3, pp. 279-297. Perry-Smith, J Blum, T 2000 ‘Work-life human resource bundles and perceived organizational performance’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 43 no.6, pp. 1107-1117. Poelmans, S 2005, Work and family: an international research perspective, Sidney: Routledge. Pranav, N 2010, ‘Overview of Work-Life Balance Discourse and Its Relevance in Current Economic Scenario’, Asian Social Science, vol.6 no.6, pp. 148-155. Visser, F Laura, W 2007, Work-life balance: Rhetoric versus reality? Web. Waumsley, J Houston, D Marks, G 2010, ‘What about Us? Measuring the Work-Life Balance of People Who Do Not Have Children’, Review of European Studies, vol. 2 no. 2, pp. 3-17. Wirtz, A Katharina, R 2011, ‘Working on Sundaysâ⠂¬â€œEffects on Safety, Health, and Work-life Balance’, Chronobiology International, vol. 28 no.4, pp. 361–370. Yeandle, S 2002, Employed careers and family-friendly employment policies. London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Policy Press. This essay on The Notion of the Work-Life Balance was written and submitted by user Leyla Ward to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.