Organizational Behavior Performance Management Styles Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3565 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Organizational behavior is defined as a actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and towards the organization as a whole, and its effect on the organizations operation and performance (https://www.businessdictionary.com /definition/organizationalbehavior.html #ixzz16Vjf8nTW). So organizational performance always determined by organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is basically determined from the behavior of the people working for the organization. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Organizational Behavior Performance Management Styles Business Essay" essay for you Create order So while keeping in view organizational behavior, organizational performance includes multiple activities, which help in creating the goals of the organization, and monitor the advancement towards the target. In order to achieve goals more efficiently and effectively this is used to make adjustments. The frustration of most of the owners and business executives usually is for Organization Performance. This is so even as their employees are hard working and are busy doing their respective tasks, the company is unable to achieve the scheduled results. Results are achieved not due to the diligent efforts made by the employees but more due to unexpected events and good fortune. In order for the any business to be successful, tasks must be defined and accomplished. It is important for an organization to develop strategies that should be designed around the skills that would enhance the performance of the organization. This could be accomplished by introducing Organizational Perfo rmance Management Systems. These are a number of major movements and methods that could increase the performance of an organization. Each one of these methods includes regular recurring activities that are used to establish the goals of the organization. These activities are also required to monitor the progress of the organization towards the goals. They are used to make adjustments to achieve the desired targets more effectively and efficiently. (https://www.managementperformanceadvice.com/organizationperformance.html). So the organizational performance is determined by the organizational behavior and organizational behavior is determined by the following factors Management styles Motivations Organizational structure Culture Work environment Training and development 1.1 Management styles Management styles are democratic, autocratic and consultative. Selecting the correct management style may lead to greater motivation and productivity from your staff. However, it is not as easy as just picking a style. Managers personalities and characteristics will influ+ence the type of style adopted. For example a timid manager will find an autocratic management style difficult to adopt. Democratic Management Style A democratic manager assigns authority to his/her staff, giving them responsibility to complete the task given to them (also known as empowerment). Staff will complete the tasks using their own work methods. However, the task must be completed on time. Employees are involved in decision making giving them a sense of belonging and motivating individuals. Because staffs feel a sense of belonging and are motivated the quality of decision making and work also improves. Although popular in business today, a democratic management style can slow decision making down because staffs need to be consulted. Also some employees may take advantage of the fact that their manager is democratic by not working to their full potential and allowing other group members to democratic manager delegates authority to his/her staff, giving them responsibility carry them. Autocratic Management Style In contrast to the above an autocratic manager dictates orders to their staff and makes decisions without any consultation. The leader likes to control the situation they are in. Decisions are quick because staffs are not consulted and work is usually completed on time. However this type of management style can decrease motivation and increase staff turnover because staff are not consulted and do not feel valued. So the performance of organization decreased. Consultative Management style A consultative management style can be viewed as a combination of the above two. The manager will ask views and opinions from their staff, allowing them to feel involved but will ultimately make the final decision. This type of management increase staff motivation and commitment which increase the performance of organization. 1.2 Motivation Motivation is the way to energize the employees to work for the organization to achieve the required goals of the organization. There are following motivational theories for the organizations developed over the time Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslow believed that all people are motivated by the same things. He identified 5 human needs he believed people wanted to satisfy. As one set of needs was satisfied by an individual, it would stop acting as a motivator, but the individual would then be motivated by the next set of needs. Names for the Needs Meaning Relevance to Business Self Actualisation The need to fulfill your potential. Employers allow staff to work at what they are good at, and to organize their work in the ways they wish to do it. Ego (esteem) The need to be valued. Rewards if targets are met merit pay rises, promotion; employers offer praise and acknowledge the good work of the employee. Social (acceptance) The need to belong to and work in a group. Team meetings, company magazines, staff social events; working in groups. Safety (security) The need to be protected. Safe machinery; protection in employment; contracts etc Basic (physiological) Food, warmth, sleep, clothes Heating, toilets, canteen; wages Dual-Factor Theory Frederick Herzberg Frederick Herzberg and his associates began their research into motivation during the 1950s, examining the models and assumptions of Maslow and others. The result of this work was the formulation of what Herzberg termed theÂÂ  Motivation-Hygiene Theory (M-H). The basic hypotheses of this theory are that: 1. There are two types of motivators, one type which results in satisfaction with the job, and the other which merely prevents dissatisfaction. The two types are quite separate and distinct from one another. Herzberg called the factors which result in job satisfactionÂÂ  motivatorsÂÂ  and those that simply prevented dissatisfactionÂÂ  hygienes 2. The factors that lead to job satisfaction (the motivators) are: achievement recognition work itself responsibility advancement 3. The factors which may prevent dissatisfaction (the hygienes) are: company policy and administration working conditions supervision interpersonal relations money status security Douglas McGregor X and Y theory McGregors Theory X managers believes that an employee dislikes work and will avoid it if possible. As a result Theory X workers must be controlled, directed and threatened with punishment if necessary to make them work. McGregors Theory Y manager believes that an employee finds work as natural as play or rest. As a result they are able and willing to organize, control and direct themselves, and to accept authority and responsibility. By adopting the influencing factor from these theories, required motivation level can be achieved which increase employees commitment and organizational performance. 1.3 Organizational structure Business Culture Importance For the business culture importance it took a long time for it to be renowned as an important factor in business success (or lack of success). Building a Positive Corporate Culture 1. Culture Carriers. These are key people, usually managers, who represent and spread the core values of the corporate culture. 2. Stability of the group. It is more difficult for a culture to emerge if people are changing all the time. 3. Stories. A group packages up its culture into stories which are frequently told and re-told, 4. Heroes. Individuals who typify to an extreme the values of the group. 5. Symbols. These may be staff mottoes, the corporate mission statement or anything that symbolizes the core values. 6. Rites. These are specific occasions, such as the annual office party, when the core values are publicly displayed. 7. Rituals. This means a standard pattern of behavior at a specific occasion, such as the office party if things are always done in a particular pattern. 8. Courses. Attending in-house courses is an important way of team-building and communicating the core values. 9. Cultural Networks. This means the informal contacts between emp loyees where they reinforce core values, especially by passing them from older to younger group members. Types of Corporate Culture 1. Adaptive Cultures. These have as a core value the ability to adapt to change, especially in response to changing external circumstances. 2. Inert Culture. This is a dead culture totally unable to change. 3. Networked Organizations. These are very sociable networks of small teams. They are highly creative. But loyalty is low. 4. Mercenary Organizations. These are ruthless business machines dedicated to work and to success. But sociability is very low. 5. Fragmented Organizations. These are really loose alliances of very independent workers, such as lawyers. Sociability and loyalty are both very low. 6. Communal Organizations. These have high loyalty and high sociability. They act like one big happy family. Recruiting new staff with similar values is important. Advantages of Strong Corporate Culture 1. Instructions are interpreted in a common way, so work is done to a similar standard and in a similar manner. 2. Loyalty is increased, and replacing workers is an expense to be avoided. 3. Motivation, and therefore productivity, is increased. 4. Management control is increased. Disadvantage of Corporate Culture 1. In a Multi-National Corporation there will nearly be conflicts between the local national culture and the imported corporate culture. 2. Businesses are not places with a homogenous culture. Most businesses are too large for people to identify across the whole organization. Instead, people identify with smaller sub-groups. So a business is, in fact, a mixture of sub-cultures some of which may even be deviant. There is also a strong likelihood of conflict between some of the different sub-cultures. 3. The relationship between a improved business performance and strong corporate culture is, as far as the data can tell, very weak. It may be then that corporate cultures are less about improved performance and more about making the managers feel they have achieved something; a cynic might argue that managers like to be surrounded by copies of themselves. 4. Business is rarely simple, clear and unambiguous enough to allow of one simple message of the kind envisaged by proponen ts of the corporate Facilitates communication between functions improve decision makinge culture idea. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE Organizational structure is the formal system of task and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates, and motivates employees so that they cooperate to achieve an organizations goals. 2.0 TYPES OF STRUCTURE Functional Structure Functional structure groups people together because they hold similar positions in an organization, perform a similar set of tasks, or use the same kind of skills. This division of labor and specialization allows an organization to become more effective. Advantages of a Functional Structure Coordination Advantages Easy communication among Quick decisions -. Learning Makes it easier for people to learn from one anothers experiences. Motivation Advantages Facilitates performance evaluation for supervisor Facilitates performance evaluation for peers Creates teamwork that promotes high performance. Creates a career ladder Disadvantages of a Functional Structure Difficulty in serving needs of all products efficiently Coordination customer with varied needs are attracted to the organizations , they may find it hard to service these different needs by using a single set of functions. As companies grow, they often expand their operations nationally, and servicing the needs of different regional customers by using a single set of manufacturing, sales, or purchasing functions becomes very difficult. 3.0 Divisional Structures: Product, Market, and Geographic A divisional structure that overlay functional grouping allows an organization to coordinate intergroup relationships more effectively than does a functional structure. Product Structure Each product division contains the functions necessary to that service the specific goods or services it produces. Market Structure Group functions into divisions that can be responsive to the needs of particular types of customers. Geographic Structure Each geographic division has access to a full set of the functions it needs to provide its goods and services. Advantages of a Divisional Structure Coordination Advantages Quality products and customer service Facilitates communication between progress decision making functions, thereby increasing performance. Customized management and problem solving Facilitates teamwork Facilitates decision making As divisions develop a common identity and approach to solving problems, their cohesiveness in- creases, and the result is improved decision making. Motivation Advantages Clear connection between performance and reward Customized service regional managers and employees are close to their customers and may develop personal relationships with them. Identification with division employees close identification with their section can increase their commitment, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Disadvantages of a Divisional Structure High operating and managing costs Poor communication between divisions Conflicts among divisions 4.0 Matrix Structure A intricate form of differentiation that some organizations use to control their activities, results in the matrix structure, which simultaneously groups people in two ways- by the function of which they are a member and by the product team on which they are currently working. In practice, the employees who are members of the product teams in a matrix structure have two bosses-a functional boss and a product boss. Coordination Advantages Facilitates rapid product development Maximizes cooperation and communication between team members Facilitates innovation and creativity Facilitates face-to-face problem solving (through teams) Provides a work setting in which managers with different functional expertise can cooperate to solve non-programmed decision-making problems. Facilitates frequent changes of membership in product teams Disadvantages of a Matrix Structure Increase role conflict and role ambiguity High levels of work stress Limited opportunities for promotion Organizational Structure of Tarmac Ltd In Tarmac Ltd., the organizational structure is of divisional as it has been divided into different division like production division, engineering division etc. In this structure, all the employees are free to work and give their ideas for the future planning. In this way on one side the management gets different ideas but the ideas lack the professional approach as all the employees would not have professional qualification. In this way the implementation of those ideas can lead the organization away from the main goals of it. Enterprise: In case of enterprise the organizational structure is mixed- divisional, functional and geographical. The owner of enterprise makes the main decision and it is transferred to all the employees in different division and geographical locations. But on the other hands the employees are also given the authority to decide on the spot according to the situation. This type of organization structure helps the organization to grow and get more profit in the near future but on the other hands the control of the management loses on the employee. 5.0 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND CULTURE: The task of a manager is to create an organizational structure and culture that: Encourages employees to work hard and to develop supportive work attitudes Allows people and groups to cooperate and work together effectively. Structure and culture affect: Behavior Motivation Performance Teamwork and cooperation Intergroup and Interdepartmental relationships The way a structure or culture is designed or evolves over time affects the way people and groups behave within the organization. Once an organization decides how it wants its members to behave, what attitudes it wants to encourage, and what it wants its members to accomplish, it can then design its structure and encourage the development of the cultural values and norm to obtain these desired attitudes, behaviors, and goals. In case of Tarmac Ltd; the divisional structure and sharing culture describe the organizational in best. Its culture describes Shared values Participative work Takin g care of employees Follow rules and regulations Career development This type of culture motivates the employees to work and enhance the performance of the organization. On the other hands in case of Enterprise mixed structure and open communication developed the culture of Customer satisfaction Growth Employee development Profit But the company does not care about the social factor as to help the society and take care of the environment. This causes to create a negative image in the mind of the customers and can decrease the market share of the Enterprise. On the other hands the employees are not involved in the decision making and are supposed to follow the rules set by top management without employees involvement which cause the de-motivation in the employees. Work environment Basically the culture determines the working environment of the organization. Positive and friendly working environment always increase the output of the employees. So because of the positive and friendly environment the performance of organization improves. Development and Training From the performance appraisal the deficiencies of the employees are assessed. To fill the skills gap of the employees for the job, suitable training is designed. The process of training assessment normally starts from the recruitment process, to fill the skill gap. The need for training assessment and development of training strategy is explained by the flow chart as below (https://www.e-bigfish.com/en/what-is-art.asp) Development and training Process After assessment of the training and development, training strategy is developed and individuals are selected for training. The development of training strategies starts from the review of business strategy which determines the skills requirement and help in the development of training strategy for the employees. After developing training strategy, top management select the traininr for the effective training. Training may be of two types On the job training Off the job training The type of training depend upon the availability of traininer and level of training required. It is axplianed by the flow chart below. (https://www.performanceweb.org/events/training/workforce-performance/sub7/) The delivery methods are selected, either practical training on job or class room training. Training contents are developed according to the new skills required by the trainee and dynamic nature of the job. If the development and training strategy is implemented, the performanc e of the organization increase because of the availability of right skills required for the jobs in the organizations. This also increases the employee motivation level. 6.0 Role of technology in business performance: Technology plays an important role in the success of the business. In this era of technology and modern ways of communication, technology plays its role for the success of the business in the following ways. Cheep and mass communication with the customers by advertisement on line on the internet and on the TV etc Easy and quick communication by using different ways like telephone, internet etc Attracting more customers Online shopping facility Management the business from one location in different geographical location In the case of Tarmac Ltd, it is using the technology in the following ways for the success of the company Managing the utilization and production functions effectively and efficiently by using the latest computer technology Online survey of the customers and feedback from the customers so that the management of Tarmac ltd would be able to assess the market needs and produce the products required by the customers Alignment of the different divisions for the proper functioning of the company to achieve its goals. Effective supply chain management to save the cost and increase its profit along with the customers satisfaction. In this way the technology is playing its part for the success of the business. Obstacles in organizational performance There are following limitation which limit the improvement of organizational performance Cost Time limitation Behavioural factors Legal requirements Technological changes Cost: Cost limits the performance of the organizations because the organizations are performing tor the profit motives. If the cost of the organizations is high, the profit will decrease, so it will not be possible to for the organization to achieve it profit goals. On the other hands the availability of the finance is not free of cost. If organizations run out of cash during the normal activities of business, it will cause the default of the organization. In this way the cost is the main obstacle in the performance of the organization. Time limitation: The main goal of the organizations is to achieve its targets as planned by the organization. If the tasks are not achieved according to the planning, it means the organization is not performing well. Some times to achieve the targets, organization required extra resources like more employees and machinery. The acquirements of extra resources incur cost to the company, so it is restricted by the financial resources. In this way there is always an opportunity cost for the organization in using the resources which decrease the performance of organization. Legal requirements There are always legal requirement for every activity of the organization. These legal requirements put an upper and lower cap on the performance of the company. 7.0 Role of Management in Change process: Management plays an important role in the change process. In technological dynamic environment it is the responsibility of the management to assess the change in the technology and arrange training for the employee so that employees can have required competences to perform their job efficiently and effectively. On the other hands everybody wants career development for better job and better performance. So in the modern dynamic environment most of the employees of the companies look into the requirement of the market and acquire new skills to fill the skill gap in the market. The training for the new skill helps them to get better position in the organizations. So it is both employer and employees who assess the need for new skills to fill the skills gap in the dynamic modern society. 8.0 Conclusion On the basis of above analysis it is clear that organizational behavior play an important role in the performance of the organization. The management styles, organizational structure, employee motivation level and training for the new skill are the key factors which help in the improvement of the organizational performance. In the modern dynamic society employees and employers (managers) play equally important role to fill the skill gap in the dynamic technology through training and improve the performance of the organization.

The Effects of Online Banking Example

Essays on The Effects of Online Banking PowerPoint Presentation ï » ¿The Effects of Online Banking Prologue There has been global awareness that our environment is endangered. All the spheres of human activity have started incorporating measures that would help reduce the pressure on our environment. The corporate world has also been bitten by the bug to preserve mother Earth. The concept of online banking is seen by many as a step towards providing a safer and greener earth to our progeny. The banking sector plays an essential role in any nations economy .Consequently if this sector adopts measures that reduce the negative impact on nature and help preserve environment then the other business are more likely to respond to the global concern regarding the issue of conservation of environment. The Wall Street Journal (May 15, 1998) reports that according to the editor of The On-line Banking Report, between 4.5 and 5 million customers used online banking in May 1998, as compared to 200,000 people who used it in 1995. According to a survey conducted by â€Å"Pew Internet and American Life† in 2004, during past five years online-banking is the highest rising motion on the Internet in United State of America. Among all users of the Internet around 44% are utilizing online banking some way or the other, that is, 53 million (McGann, p 9-13). As the number of people using online banking increases the level of pollution comes down. How is this possible? The ‘online banking effects’ section discusses this in detail. Banking industry through out the corporate world is leading the way for the environmentally conscious people. More and more banks throughout the world are wooing its client to are subscribe to online payments of utility bills .The banks are requesting its client to use online bank statement to keep tract of monetary transaction. Technology Impact on Environment There is a growing awareness that the technology should not negatively affect our environment. The internet boom is contributing very positively to making our planet greener. There is less use of paper and it is also reducing the use of fuel as the people now don’t need to go to banks as often as they needed to do so in the past. Many banks like the Citizen’s Bank of Canada are realizing they were contributing to greenhouse gas emission. It has offered its customers an option of online banking and it reports that its there has been able to cut down its use of paper by 30% .Bank of America also followed the same trajectory and says that there has been a 32% reduction in its paper use (The paper planet, n.p). Apart from the environmental effects, online banking also has a positive impact on the business itself. Among all other latest advancements in technology internet occupies a prominent position and thus has its impact on business also. It is quite predictable that it is going to serve as a main dynamic forcing transformation in the near future (Jayewardene and Foley, p 12-20). Online Banking versus Retail Branch Banking A traditional retail bank provides its services through a vast banking structure in different areas of a country both rural and urban. Such banks are usually large customer based and enjoy presence of high street there is a feeling of safety and brand acceptance among the customers. Though there is a constant interaction with the bank staff, but the general 8 hour operating timings may not suit all. There is a traditional â€Å"sales-oriented† pursued in this system. Whereas, the geographical borders are eliminated by online banking and people can perform their required transactions from anywhere and whenever they want. It has shifted the culture of business to be â€Å"customer-oriented† (The U.S. Online Retail Banking Market, p1).This has led to immediate access to account of the customer and has made it more environment friendly .It is one of the few technological advancement which is cost effective as well as conserves environment. Effects of Online Banking Online banking can effect our environment positively. Below are some of the effects of online banking. i. Online banking can help reduce the paper cost. It has been calculated that almost 53% of American citizens use online banking systems. This means that the country saves up to 2.3 million tons of wood, which was not cut down from the forests in order to make paper. It is a known fact that trees help in the reduction of carbon dioxide from the environment. If every citizen starts using online banking system, then the paper usage will get limited to only schools and some corporations. This will save millions of tress and hundreds of forests from destruction (Environmental leader, n.p) ii. Fuel consumption can be reduced by almost 26 million BTUs. According to Environmental Leader report, this is enough electricity to for the entire city of San Francisco for almost one year. As fuel in a natural resource hence not consuming it wisely will result in fuel crisis in the future. However most importantly, every gallon of fuel burned adds extra pollution in the atmosphere. Therefore adapting online banking will reduce the consumption of fuel and hence reduce toxic air pollution (Environmental leader, n.p) iii. Online banking also reduces toxic wastewater. This waste water can fill up almost 20,000 swimming pools. As the solid waste generation (be it in form of papers etc) is reduced this will result lesser garbage and lesser the garbage trucks have to load. The lesser trucks required and hence again lesser fuel consumed. Moreover, solid waste also adds pollution to the environment. Hence adapting online banking will result in lesser solid waste generation (Environmental leader, n.p) iv. Almost 8.5 million particulates (which act as pollution) will be removed form air. v. Keeping in view the time consumed in traditional banking, the online banking seems to be quite speedy as transactions are usually very quickly approved and completed through it. A number of sophisticated tools are now provided by various sites, comprising portfolio managing programs, account aggregation, rate alerts, and stock quotes to assist the customers in managing their assets more successfully. vi. Further, the customer can use the online banking facility to make electronic payments of bills, make electronic check payments, or transfer money to accounts in other banks. Thus, they are in a position to save some vital resources as under. At present it is a common practice that both spouses work to make both ends meet and thus, are always short of time not only for each other but fir their kids also which may lead to anxiety and stress. By saving traditional banking hours they can spare these for the family vii. Ink usage and other things such as rubber stamps, envelops, ATM cards etc will be reduced. All of these add up in the environmental pollution. Most of these inks contain lead and hence combined all the banks generate a lot of solid toxic lead waste. viii. Apart from all the above effects, online banking will help save a lot of land space which is currently being used by corporate banks. The government can plant trees and make parks in these areas and hence contributing positively to the environment. Works Cited â€Å"Introduction to Internet Banking†. 13 June 2008. http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/Finance/Article48.html Environmental leader (2007). Online banking’s environmental benefits can drive market growth. retrieved June 18. 2008 from: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/08/09/study-online-bankings-environmental-benefits-can-drive-market-growth/ Jayewardene, Chanaka. Foley Paul, "Changes in the banking sector: The case of Internet banking in the UK". 13 June 2008. www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/10662240010312048 McGann, Robb. â€Å"Online Banking Increased 47 Percent Since 2002†. 2005. 13 June 2008. http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3481976 â€Å"Paper-Free Service†. 13 June 2008. http://www.halifax.co.uk/aboutonline/paperfree.asp Stewart, Kate. â€Å"Online Banking. 2002. Emerald Publishing Limited. 13 June 2008. http://site.ebrary.com.library.capella.edu/lib/capella/Top?channelName=capellacpage=1docID=10052682f00=textfrm=smp.xhitsPerPage=20layout=documentp00=online+bankingsortBy=scoresortOrder=desc â€Å"The U.S. Online Retail Banking Market†. 2005. 13 June 2008. http://www.packagedfacts.com/sitemap/product.asp?productid=959462 What is online banking†? 13 June 2008. http://www.bankrate.com/brm/olbstep2.asp The paper planet (2008). Online banking saaves trees and carbon emissions- and money. Retrevied June 18, 2008 from: http://thepaperplanet.blogspot.com/2008/06/online-banking-saves-trees-and-carbon.html

Night World Daughters of Darkness Chapter 2 Free Essays

You see, we’re both lonely guys,† Todd said from the back. â€Å"†There aren’t any girls our age aroundhere, so we’re lonely. And then when we comeacross three nice girls like you-well, we just natu rally want to get to know you better. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Understand?† â€Å"So if you girls play along, we can all have fun,† Vic put in. â€Å"Fun-oh, no,† Rowan said, dismayed. Jade knew she had caught part of Vic’s thought and was tryingvery hard not to pry further. â€Å"Kestrel and Jade are much too young for anything like that. I’m sorry, butwe have to say no.† â€Å"I won’t do it even whenI amold enough,† Jade said. â€Å"But that isn’t what these guys mean anyway they mean this.† She projected some of the images she was getting from Vic into Rowan’s mind. â€Å"Oh, dear,† Rowan said flatly. â€Å"Jade, you know we agreed not to spy on people like that.† Yeah, but look what they’re thinking, Jade said soundlessly, figuring that if she had broken one rule, she might as well break them all. â€Å"Now, look,† Vic said in a tone that showed he knew he was losing control of the situation. He reached out and grabbed Jade’s other arm, forcingher to face him. â€Å"We’re not here to talk. See?† He gave her a little shake. Jade studied his features a moment, then turned her head to look inquiringly into the backseat. Rowan’s face was creamy-pale against her brownhair. Jade could feel that she was sad and disap pointed. Kestrel’s hair was dim gold and she was frowning. Well?Kestrel said silently to Rowan. Well?Jade said the same way. She wriggled as Victried to pull her loser. Come on, Rowan, he’s pinching me. I guess we don’t have any choice,Rowan said. Immediately Jade turned back to Vic. He was still trying to pull her, looking surprised that she didn’t seem to be coming. Jade stopped resisting and lethim drag her in close-and then smoothly detached one arm from his grip and slammed her hand upward. The heel of her hand made contact just under his chin. His teeth clicked and his head was knocked backward, exposing his throat. Jade darted in and bit. She was feeling guilty and excited. She wasn’t used to doing it like this, to taking down prey that was awake and struggling instead of hypnotized and docile. But she knew her instincts were as good as any hunter who’d grown up stalking humans in alleys. It was part of her genetic programming to evaluate anything she saw in terms of â€Å"Is it food? Can I get it? What are its weaknesses?† The only problem was that she shouldn’t been joying this feeding, because it was exactly the opposite of what she and Rowan and Kestrel had come to Briar Creek to do. She was tangentially aware of activity in the backseat. Rowan had lifted the arm Todd had been using to restrain her. On the other side Kestrel had done the same. Todd was fighting, his voice thunderstruck. â€Å"Heyhey what are you-â€Å" Rowan bit. â€Å"What are you doing?† Kestrel bit. â€Å"What the freak are you doing? Who are you? What the freak are you?† He thrashed wildly for a minute or so, and then subsided as Rowan and Kestrel mentally urged him into a trance. It was only another minute or so before Rowan said, â€Å"That’s enough.† Jade said, Aw, Rowan †¦ â€Å"That’senough.Tell him not to remember anything about this-and find out if he knows where Burdock Farm is.† Still feeding, Jade reached out with her mind,touching lightly with a tentacle of thought. Then she pulled back, her mouth closing as if in a kiss as it leftVic’s skin. Vic was just a big rag doll at this point, and he flopped bonelessly against the steering wheeland the car door when she let him go. â€Å"The farm’s back that way-we have to go back tothe fork in the road,† she said. â€Å"It’s weird,† she added, puzzled. â€Å"He was thinking that he wouldn’t get in trouble for attacking us because-because of something about Aunt Opal. I couldn’t get what.† â€Å"Probably that she was crazy,† Kestrel said unemotionally. â€Å"Todd was thinking that he wouldn’t get in trouble because his dad’s an Elder.† â€Å"They don’t have Elders,† Jade said, vaguely smug.†You mean a governor or a police officer or something ? Rowan was frowning, not looking at them. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"This was an emergency; we had to do it. But now we’re going back to what we agreed.† â€Å"Until the next emergency,† Kestrel said, smiling out the car window into the night. To forestall Rowan, Jade said, â€Å"You think we should just leave them here?† â€Å"Why not?† Kestrel said carelessly. â€Å"They’ll wake up in a few hours.† Jade looked at Vic’s neck. The two little wounds where her teeth had pierced him were already almost closed. By tomorrow they would be faint red marks like old bee stings. Five minutes later they were on the road againwith their suitcases. This time, though, Jade was cheerful. The difference was food-she felt as full of blood as a tick, charged with energy and ready to skip up mountains. She swung the cat carrier and her suitcase alternately, and Tiggy growled. It was wonderful being out like this, walking alonein the warm night air, with nobody to frown in disapproval. Wonderful to listen to the deer and rabbits and rats feeding in the meadows around her. Happiness bubbled up inside Jade. She’d never felt so free. â€Å"It is nice, isn’t it?† Rowan said softly, lookingaround as they reached the fork in the road. â€Å"It’s the real world. And we have as much right to it as anybody else.† â€Å"I think it’s the blood,† Kestrel said. â€Å"Free-range humans are so much better than the kept ones. Whydidn’t our dear brother ever mention that?† Ash, Jade thought, and felt a cold wind. She glanced behind her, not looking for a car but forsomething much more silent and deadly. She realized suddenly how fragile her bubble of happiness was. â€Å"Are we going to get caught?† she asked Rowan. Reverting, in the space of one second, to a six-yearold turning to her big sister for help. And Rowan, the best big sister in the world, said immediately and positively,†No. â€Å" â€Å"But if Ash figures it out-he’s the only one whomight realize-â€Å" â€Å"We are not going to get caught,† Rowan said. â€Å"Nobody will figure out that we’re here.† Jade felt better. She put down her suitcase and held out a hand to Rowan, who took it. â€Å"Together forever,† she said. Kestrel, who’d been a few steps ahead, glanced over her shoulder. Then she came back and put her hand on theirs. â€Å"Together forever.† Rowan said it solemnly; Kestrel said it with a quicknarrowing of her yellow eyes. Jade said it with utter determination. As they walked on, Jade felt buoyant and cheerfulagain, enjoying the velvet-dark night. The road was just dirt here, not paved. They passed meadows and stands of Douglas fir. A farmhouse on the left, set back on a long driveway. And finally, dead ahead at the end of the road, another house. â€Å"That’s it,† Rowan said. Jade recognized it, too, from the pictures Aunt opal had sent them. It had two stories, a wraparound porch, and a steeplypitched roof with lots of gables. A cupola sprouted out of the rooftop, and there was a weather vane on the barn. A real weather vane, Jade thought, stopping to stare. Her happiness flooded _back full force. â€Å"I love it, she said solemnly. Rowan and Kestrel had stopped, too, but their expressions were far from awed. Rowan looked a hairs breadth away from horrified. â€Å"It’s a wreck,† she gasped. â€Å"Look at that barnthe paint’s completely gone. The pictures didn’t show that.† â€Å"And the porch,† Kestrel said helpfully. â€Å"It’s fallingto pieces. Might go any minute.† â€Å"The work,† Rowan whispered. â€Å"The work it would take to fix this place up †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And the money,† Kestrel said. Jade gave them a cold look. â€Å"Why fix it? I like it. It’s different.† Rigid with superiority, she picked up her luggage and walked to the end of the roadThere was a ramshackle, mostly fallen-down fence around the property, and a dangerous-looking gate. Beyond,on a weed-covered path, was a pile of white pickets as if somebody had been planning to fix the fencebut had never got around to it. Jade put down the suitcase and cat carrier and pulled at the gate. To her surprise, it moved easily. â€Å"See, it may not look good, but it still works-â€Å"She didn’t get to finish the sentence properly. The gate fell on her. â€Å"Well, it may not work, but it’s still ours,† she said as Rowan and Kestrel pulled it off her. â€Å"No, it’s Aunt Opal’s,† Kestrel said. Rowan just smoothed her hair back and said, â€Å"Come on.† There was a board missing from the porch steps, and several boards gone from the porch itself. Jade limped around them with dignity. The gate had given her a good whack in the shin, and since it was wood,it still .hurt. In fact, everything seemed to be made of wood here, which gave Jade a pleasantly alarmed feeling. Back home, wood was revered-,and kept outof the way. You have to be awfully careful to live in this kindof world, Jade thought. Or you’re going to get hurt. Rowan and Kestrel were knocking on the door,Rowan politely, with her knuckles, Kestrel loudly, with the side of her hand. There wasn’t any answer. â€Å"She doesn’t seem to be here,† Rowan said. â€Å"She’s decided she doesn’t want us,† Kestrel said, golden eyes gleaming. â€Å"Maybe she went to the wrong bus station,†Jade said. â€Å"Oh-that’s it. I bet that’s it,† Rowan said. â€Å"Poorold thing, she’s waiting for us somewhere, and she’s going to be thinking that we didn’t show up.† â€Å"†Sometimes you’re not completely stupid,† Kestrel informed Jade. High praise from Kestrel. â€Å"Well, let’s go in,† Jade said,to conceal howpleased she was. â€Å"She’ll come back here sometime.† â€Å"Human houses have locks,† Rowan began, but this house wasn’t locked. The doorknob turned in Jade’s hand. The three of them stepped inside. It was dark, even darker than the moonless nightoutside, but Jade’s eyes adjusted in a few seconds. â€Å"Hey, it’s not bad,† she said. They were in ashabby but handsome living room filled with huge, ponderous furniture. Wood furniture, of course dark and highly polished. The tables were topped with marble. Rowan found a lightswitch, and suddenly the roomwas too bright. Blinking, Jade saw that the walls were pale apple green, with fancy woodwork andmoldings in a darker shade of the same green. It made Jade feel oddly peaceful. And anchored, somehow, as if she belonged here. Maybe it was all the heavy furniture. She looked at Rowan, who was looking around tall graceful body slowly relaxing. Rowan smiled and met her eyes. She noddedonce. â€Å"Yes.† Jade basked for a moment in the glory of having been right twice in five minutes–and then she remembered her suitcase. â€Å"Let’s see what the rest of the place is like,† she said hastily. â€Å"I’ll take the upstairs; you guys look around here.† â€Å"You just want the best bedroom,† Kestrel said. Jade ignored her, hurrying up a wide, carpeted flight of stairs. There were lots of bedrooms, and each one had lots of room. She didn’t want the best, though, just the farthest away. At the very end of the hall was a room painted sea-blue. Jade slammed the door behind her and puther suitcase on the bed. Holding her breath, she opened the suitcase. Oh. Oh, no.Oh, no †¦ Three minutes later she heard the click of the doorbehind her, but didn’t care enough to turn. â€Å"What are you doing?†Kestrel’s voice said. Jade looked up from her frantic efforts to resuscitate the two kittens she held. â€Å"They’redead!† she wailed. â€Å"Well, what did you expect? They need to breathe, idiot. How did you expect them to make it through two days of traveling?† Jade sniffled. â€Å"Rowan told you that you could take only one.† Jade sniffled harder and glared. â€Å"I know.That’s why I put these two in the suitcase.† She hiccuped. â€Å"At least Tiggy’s all right.† She dropped to her knees and peered in the cat carrier to make sure he was all right. His ears were laid back, his golden eyes gleaming out of a mass of black fur. He hissed, and Jade sat up. He was fine. â€Å"For five dollars I’ll take care of the dead ones,† Kestrel said. â€Å"No!† Jade jumped up and moved protectively in front of them, fingers clawed. â€Å"Not likethat,† Kestrel said, offended. â€Å"I don’t eat carrion. Look, if you don’t get rid of them somehow,Rowan’s going to find out. For God’s sake,girl, you’re a vampire,† she added as Jade cradled the limp bodies to her chest. â€Å"Act like one.† â€Å"I want to bury them,† Jade said. â€Å"They shouldhave a funeral.† Kestrel rolled her eyes and left. Jade wrapped the small corpses in her jacket and tiptoed out after her. A shovel, she thought. Now, where would that be? Keeping her ears open for Rowan, shesidledaround the first floor. All the rooms looked like the living room: imposing and in a state of genteel decay. The kitchen was huge. It had an open fireplace and a shed off the back door for washing laundry. It also had a door to the cellar. Jade made her way down the steps cautiously. Shecouldn’t turn on a light because she needed both hands for the kittens. And, because of the kittens, she couldn’t see her feet. She had to feel with her toe for the next step. At the bottom of the stairs her toe found something yielding, slightly resilient. It was blocking herpath. Slowly Jade craned her neck over the bundle of jacket and looked down. It was dim here. She herself was blocking the light that filtered down from the kitchen. But she could make out what looked like a pile of old clothes. A lumpy pile. Jade was getting a very, very bad feeling. She nudged the pile of clothes with one toe. It moved slightly. Jade took a deep breath and nudged it hard. It was all one piece. It rolled over. Jade looked down, breathed quickly for a moment, and screamed. A good, shrill, attention-getting scream. She addeda nonverbal thought, the telepathic equivalent of a siren. Rowan! Kestrel! You guys get down here! Twenty seconds later the cellar light went on andRowan and Kestrel came clattering down the stairs. â€Å"I have told you and toldyou,† Rowan was sayingthrough her teeth. â€Å"We don’tuse our-† She stopped, staring. â€Å"I think it’s Aunt Opal,† Jade said. How to cite Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 2, Essay examples