Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Development of the Balanced Scorecard - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2277 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Did you like this example? Introduction The intention of this essay is to analyse the Balanced Scorecard and to review its effectiveness as a performance management tool. It will review briefly the short history of the Balanced Scorecard and then analyse each of the different aspects of the management tool and describe how they link together. History of the Balanced Scorecard The notion of the Balanced Scorecard first appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1992 in an article titled The Balanced Scorecard Measures that Drive Performance,authored by Robert Kaplan and David Norton (Kaplan and Norton 1992). They had conducted a year-long study with 12 companies at the leading edge of performance measurement, [and] devised a balanced scorecard'as a result of their research (Kaplan and Norton, 1992, p.71). A Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organisation, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organisation performance against strategic goals(Balanced Scorecard Institute, Unknown). It was brought out of the necessity to include non-financial indicators to measure performance, where in the past businesses and managers focused primarily on financially-based indicators to measure performance. These financially-based performance mea surement systems worked well for the industrial era, but they are out of step with the skills and competencies companies are trying to master today(Kaplan and Norton, 1992, p.71). After spending a year with various companies, Norton and Kaplan realised that Managers want a balanced presentation of both financial and operational measures(Kaplan and Norton, 1992, p.71). The recognition of the importance of operational measures was a milestone in performance measurement systems, as financially-based measurements help indicate the final outcomes of actions and processes already set in place, whilst operational measures help aid the driving of future financial performance. Since its inception in 1992 the Balanced Scorecard is now adopted by thousands of private, public, and non-profit enterprises around the world(Kaplan, 2010, p. 2). Which provides testament to its importance and effectiveness as a performance management system, it is likely that businesses that have implemented th e systems have seen profound impacts on their profit margins and the happiness and innovativeness of their workforce. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Development of the Balanced Scorecard" essay for you Create order The Four Perspectives The scorecard itself is made up of four different perspectives; Financial, Customer, Internal Business Processes, and Learning Growth. By looking at these different perspectives the balanced scorecard provide[s] answers to four basic questions; How do customers see us? What must we excel at? Can we continue to improve and create value? How do we look to shareholders?(Kaplan and Norton, 1992, p.72) By providing senior managers with information from four important perspectives, another benefit of implementing a scorecard is that it minimises information over-load by add[ing] value by providing both relevant and balanced information in a concise way for managers(Mooraj, Oyon and Hostettler, 1999, p.489). To understand more completely how the interaction of the phases helps an organisation create additional financial value whilst aiding in the learning and growth, internal business processes and customer satisfaction perspectives see the appendix for fig.1, and fig.2. The four diff erent perspectives and the way they interconnect are an important issue, as such it is also important to analyse each of them on an individual basis; first it must be recognised that each of the perspectives is made up of Objectives, Measurements, Targets and finally Programmes. Each of these areas within the perspective helps identify and measure a way in which a company can achieve its stated objective through the implementation of a programme. A basic example for customer perspective would be as follows; Objective Measurement Target Programme Reduce staff turnover Staff turnover ratio A ratio of less than 6 months To implement staff feedback and satisfaction surveys with the aim of creating an environment in which they feel productive and appreciated Learning Growth Perspective This perspective is the beginning of the scorecard and in conjunction with the cause and effect hypothesis (Fig.2), makes up arguably the most important aspect as its intended to drive improvement in financial, customer and internal process performance(Kaplan and Norton, 1993). This aspect focuses primarily on innovation and improvement of work level employees, essentially creating more efficiency within the internal business processes. However, in order to achieve required innovation and improvements in efficiency a motivated and empowered workforce is essential, one method of achieving this is to implement a staff attitude survey, a metric for the number of employee suggestions measured whether or not such a climate was being created(Kaplan and Norton, 1993). Other such methods which could be implemented are that of calculating revenue per employee, and as such it can then create a measurement which can be observed and recorded year on year to achieve a pre-set objective, thus fu lfilling each of the required facets of the balanced scorecard in relation to this perspective. By implementing a programme, in the form of a survey or other such measures it [can] identify strategic initiatives and related measures, these gaps can then be addressed and closed by initiatives such as staff training and development(Mooraj, Oyon and Hostettler, 1999, p. 483). Once work-force empowerment is achieved and employees are happy and informed about their roles and the overall strategic aim of the organisation and methods of observing, recording and measuring are in place it can now focus on the next stage of the balanced scorecard. Internal Process Perspective This perspective, once an empowered and informed work-force is achieved and employees are working to their full potential, focuses primarily on making business and/or manufacturing processes more efficient, creating more output for the input. In order to achieve these improvements a business may implement many changes that may range from moderate and localized changes to wide-scale changes in business process, the elimination of paperwork and steps in processes, and introduction of automation and improved technology(Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2002). In order to achieve this increase in efficiency an organisation managers must devise measures that are influenced by employees actions. Since much of the action takes place at the department and work-station levels, managers need to decompose overall cycle time, quality, product, and cost measures to local levels(Kaplan and Norton, 1992, p.75). By devising measurements aimed at work-station levels, such as delivery time turnaround or decrease in waste produced, managers are able to observe and monitor increases or decreases in efficiency and also locate where these increases or decreases stem from. Once a suitable measurement system is in place, managers are able to create targets to achieve and finally programmes in which to implement in an attempt to meet the pre-set targets. By implementing a programme which is easily communicated, achievable and produces results that can be monitored by all levels that are relevant to the process, it will find that employees will benefit from seeing the results they produce with the intention of further motivating the work-force to increase efficiency. Once efficiency within the internal business processes has been achieved and an objective, a measurement system, pre-set targets and a programme that is successfully implemented, it can focus on whether or not the increase in innovation and empowerment combined with efficiency has had its intended effect on the customer . Customer Perspective The next perspective is that of the customer perspective which could be argued to be one of, if not, the most important aspect as this is where an increase in sales revenue and thus an increase in income are generated. After creating an empowered, informed work-force and improving efficiency relating to business processes this should lead to improved products and servicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2002) which in turn should improve the quality of products and services and ideally, with reduced costs incurred from efficiency, lower the cost of products and services offered to customers. In order to achieve this increase in customer satisfaction or market share a similar method is needed in which an organisation must first create an objective, such as increase market share by 10% or maintain or increase repeat purchases. Once an objective is set in place then the organisation must create a measurement system to implement, one which can be reviewed annually, mo nthly or even weekly, an example of this may include a % increase in customer loyalty cards or a % increase in sales revenue. Finally, a programme must be implemented in order to drive toward the objective; an example of this may be an increase in market research to explore the possibility of new market opportunities or perhaps an investment in a new marketing campaign and special offers directed at repeat customers. Financial Perspective The final perspective is that of the financial perspective, in the eyes of the shareholders this is by far the most important aspect and where the effort in the earlier facets of the balanced scorecards cumulates in an increase in profit margins and ratios such as Return on Investment (ROI). This perspective included three measures of importance to the shareholder. Return-on-capital employed and cash flow reflected preferences for short-term results, while forecast reliability signalled the corporate parents desire to reduce the historical uncertainty cause by unexpected variations in performance(Kaplan and Norton, 1993). The first two are self-evidently of importance to shareholders with a return generated for shareholders and cash flow results which result in larger profits, while reducing the risk of uncertainty caused by a variation in performance is of particular importance and is something that can only be achieved through getting every employee focused and aligned with the o verall strategic aims of the company, through an informed, focused and appreciated workforce, an efficient internal business process, and a satisfied customer-base. The Cause and Effect Relationship It is clear that linkages are the most important aspect of the balanced scorecard and that the cause and effect relationship (fig.2) allows for strategic alignment throughout an organisation. This has been seen to be the common thread to the successful implementation of the balanced scorecard,(Murby and Gould, 2005, pp.10) another key element to the balanced scorecard is making sure that all employees understand [the] strategy and conduct their business in a way that contributes to its mission and objectives(Murby and Gould, 2005, pp.5). The importance of the cause and effect relationship in conjunction with ensuring that each and every employee is aware of the overall company strategy allows and an organisation to create a foundation for success in that the learning growth facet provides a company with informed, innovative and an enthusiastic work-force which allows the company to be in a position to progress into the future. A final key point would be allowing managers the ab ility to introduce four new processes that help companies make [an] important link(Kaplan and Norton, 2007). By being in a position to translate the vision, communicating the strategy and linking it to compartmental and individual goals, integrating business plans with financial goals and finally giving each employee the ability to provide feedback, a company has created an environment in which they can adjust and augment at each level should managers feel the need too. Conclusion In conclusion, the essay has covered the short history and fundamentals of the Balanced Scorecard and has shown how it is made up of different perspectives which provides management with basic questions regarding important stakeholders. It also provides management which a detailed measurement system and an ability to observe progress, or regression, within each of the different perspectives via the inclusion of objectives, measurement tools and targets which are created by management themselves. This also allows management to make changes where necessary in order to ensure that the overall strategic vision of the company is still being pursued. The essay has also highlighted the importance of the cause and effect relationship and provides the strategic-mapwithin the appendix which can help provide an illustrative view of how the balanced scorecardin conjunction with the cause and effect relationship can turn an empowered work-force into a long-term financially stable organisation. It also covers the importance of communication, something that most organisations overlook as can be seen by the removal of the work-level employee from the overall strategic vision, and something that most organisations only feel upper-level management should be informed of. Bibliography Balanced Scorecard Institute, (2002). The Balanced Scorecard and Knowledge Management.Available at: https://balancedscorecard.org/BSC-Knowledge-Management Balanced Scorecard Institute, (Unknown). Balanced Scorecard Basics.Available at: https://balancedscorecard.org/Resources/About-the-Balanced-Scorecard Kaplan, R.K. (2010). Conceptual Foundations of the Balanced Scorecard,Harvard Business School, pp. 1-36 [Online]. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/10-074.pdf Kaplan, R.K. and Norton, D.N. (1993). Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work. [Online] Available at: https://hbr.org/1993/09/putting-the-balanced-scorecard-to-work Kaplan, R.T. and Norton, D.N. (1992). The Balanced Scorecard Measures that Drive Performance,Harvard Business Review, pp.70-80 [Online]. Available at: www.alnap.org/pool/files/balanced-scorecard.pdf Kaplan, R.T. and Norton, D.N. (2007). Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System [Online]. Available at: https://hbr.org/2007/07/using-the-balanced-scorecard-as-a-strategic-management-system Mooraj, S.T. Oyon, D.O. and Hostettler,D.H. (1999). The Balanced Scorecard: a Necessary Good or an Unnecessary Evil?European Management Journal, 17(5), pp.481-491. [Online]. Available at: https://members.home.nl/j.s.sterk/AQM/The%20balanced%20scorecard%20a%20necessary%20good%20or%20an%20unnecessary%20evil.pdf Murby, L.M. and Gould, S.T. (2005). Effective Performance Management with the Balanced Scorecard Technical Report, CIMA, pp.1-43 [Online]. Available at: https://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/Tech_rept_Effective_Performance_Mgt_with_Balanced_Scd_July_2005.pdf Illustrations Balanced Scorecard Institute, (2002). Cause and Effect Hypothesisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . [Online] Available at: https://balancedscorecard.org/BSC-Knowledge-Management Kaplan, R.S. (2010). The Strategy Map links intangible assets and critical processes to the value proposition and customer and financial outcomes.Page 23. [Online] Available at: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/10-074.pdf Appendix (Figure 1) (Figure 2)

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

President Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act

Women have been treated unfairly and unequally in history furthermore, there were many occasions when people joined together to make legislative changes. In 1848, a convention held in New York brought a call to action, making 12 resolutions that people wanted to see happen to provide women with the same amount of respect men had and the same rights. Later on in the nineteenth century Colorado is the first state to give women the right to vote, which led to other states following in Colorado’s foot steps. All these changes are continuing on into the present from 2009, President Obama signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows women who have been paid unfairly to file a claim to bring attention and get their fair amount to in 2013 when a Defense Secretary named Leon Panetta stated women in the military would now be slowly getting roles they were never allowed to be in before. All of these acts and laws are gradual however throughout time they increase to make a difference in someone s future. From the nineteenth century to the present women s rights has been a long journey, with the help of investigative journalism inequality between genders was exposed to help with fairness and help shape legislative change. Starting in the nineteenth century women’s rights was a very hushed subject, it wasn’t really talked about because everyone thought of women as being the homemakers, taking care of the family and making meals while the men went out and worked. DuringShow MoreRelatedPresident Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act1368 Words   |  6 Pagesfoot steps. All these changes are continuing on into the present from 2009, President Obama signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows women who have been paid unfairly to file a claim to bring attention and get their fair amount to in 2013 when a Defense Secretary named Leon Panetta stated women in the military would now be slowly getting roles they were n ever allowed to be in before. All of these acts and laws are gradual, however throughout time they increase to make a differenceRead MoreThe Struggle For Equal Pay1657 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle for equal pay between men and women began in the early 1900’s. When men left to fight in World War I, women took over the jobs the men had previously occupied. As females, they were expected to take less money for the same work. This resulted in equal pay strikes, starting with the female bus and tram conductors in 1918. In 1918, Mary R. Macarthur wrote a news article called â€Å"Bus Girls Strike† and how they reached a settlement with the Committee on Production for a pay raise to 5 shillings

Monday, December 9, 2019

Impact of HRM Practices on Organization-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Human Resource Management Impact on the Performance of an Organization. Answer: Introduction Human resource management practises are the organizational established policies, procedures and practices that impact the well-being, perception, and performance of employees (Armstrong, 2010). This proposal aims at examining the human resource management practices impacts on the performance of the organization. The significant HRM practices to the successful strategy of a business include recruitment, selection, training and development, reward and employee relations (Katou, 2008). This proposal discusses in details the HRM practices, their significance and contribution to the success of the organization. According to Ahmad, Schroeder (2003) an organization whose HRM is useful results to the satisfaction of both employees and customers, increased production and enjoys a good reputation with the society. Boxall, Purcell (2008) asserts that the key indicator on whether an organization is achieving its objective or not is the organizational performance (OP). Based on (Delaney and Husel id, 1996) organizational performance deals with the quality and improvement of products or services, the co-existence of employee and employer, attraction and retention of employees and customer contentment. Furthermore, the elements of HRM ensure that the organization thrives in the competitive market due to the valuable qualities of labour capital thus making HRM significant in the success of the business (Noe et al., 2003). Findings Do the Human Resource Management Practices affect the organizational performance? Statement of the Problem This projects purpose is to examine whether the hrm practices affect the performance of the organization and to ascertain and discuss the significance of the various elements of the HRM and how they impact the organizational performance. Significance and Justification of the Study The importance of the human resource cannot be over emphasized. Some of the reputable organizations have the HRM department wholly singled out to manage and recruit professionals for the business. However, most organizations are yet to appreciate the impact of HRM and the ineffective organizational policies and procedures of most of such organizations can be due to the absence of Human resource management professionals or office. Undeniable evidence based on research shows a close relationship between the HRM practices and the performance of the organization (Kiendi, 2012). The problem is as a result of the neglect by organizations do not value the importance of proper management of the HR policies and thus end up leaving them to the line managers who do not have the HRM expertise to adopt and supervise the HR policies, procedures, programs, and practices. The Human Resource Management is a very critical department in any organization. The manner in which the management of the employees and customers is conducted determines the success of the business. This efficient management necessitates skilled workforce. Many companies provide same quality or services, and therefore for customers to become loyal and be retained, organizations must distinguish themselves by gaining competitive advantages through proper management of the HRM practices. With time the organizations that will survive in the market will have to invest in customer satisfaction, and consequently, businesses must begin to work out ways on how to articulate their services or products in a sound, reliable, friendly and innovative manner. Therefore, it is for this reason that this project seeks to examine the HRM impacts on organizational performance by underscoring the importance of specific human resource practices. Research Questions How does recruitment and selection positively affect the performance of the organization? Hoe does training and development positively affect organizational performance? What are the Positive impacts of performance appraisal on the performance of the organization? How does compensation positively influence the performance of the organization? What are the Positive impacts of employment security on organizational performance? Methodologies and Methods Research area Research Method Applied Methodology Explanation 1. Significant relationship between HR practises and organizational performance Analytical Predictive Descriptive Secondary Qualitative Mainly descriptions 2. Positive influence of recruitment and selection on organizational performance Analytical Predictive Secondary Quantitative Requires statistics to prove existence of any positive prove 3. Positive influence of training and development on organisational performance Analytical Predictive Secondary Quantitative Requires statistics to prove existence of any positive prove 4. Positive influence of performance appraisal on organizational performance Analytical Predictive Secondary Quantitative Requires statistics to prove existence of any positive prove 5. Positive influence of compensation on organizational performance Analytical Predictive Secondary Quantitative Requires statistics to prove existence of any positive prov Primary Research Primary research (Types) Data collection Restrictions/Gap Justifications Questionnaires Administer forms physically Fixed time schedule of company -Obtaining information not observable. -Large sample -Easy analysis - Reduces chance of evaluator bias -More comfortable than interviews -Easy tabulation of close-ended questions Interviews (semi-structured) One-to-one interview Lack of openness In phenomena not directly observable -Respondent have room for description Participant Observation recordings Personal observations Uneasiness from respondents Own personal recordings -collect data on the go Survey Online survey-monkey Incomplete and untimely filling of forms Large sample Physical unavailability of responden Ethical Considerations of the Project General principles of ethical conduct in research are to be taken into account. The essential principle is that the study will be carried out in a way that all respondents are psychologically protected from foreseeable threats and respect one's cultural inclination (Behi Nolan, 1995). The ethical considerations are as explained below: Informed Consent All the participants shall fully be informed about the aims of the study alongside all features of the research that might influence the decision of the respondent to participate (Steane, 2004).Ethical issues in research. Surviving your thesis, 59-70.. All potential risks or discomforts should also be made known. Furthermore, the researcher must ascertain that the participant has understood their right to pull out of the research at any time. Deception No information shall be withheld from the prospective respondent after briefing even if they are likely to refuse involvement in the research. In case of any doubt then more consultation should be carried out. Confidentiality and privacy The information that shall be obtained from the respondents shall be private and confidential unless otherwise a consensus is reached prior. The participants must be guaranteed that it is their right to have the information they have provided treated with confidentiality and if anonymity is not possible then the staff must be notified before consenting to participate Participant protection Participants should be safeguarded against physical or mental harm by the researcher. The participants shall not be exposed to greater risks than those they experience in their day to day life. Additionally, the participants should be asked whether any risky part of the research procedure for instance, any pre-existing medical condition so that appropriate preventive measures are taken Honesty and integrity The data collected shall be treated with high level of honesty and integrity by reporting the exact method used, exact data collected. The data shall not be unreasonably extrapolated or construed in anyway with an intention of misleading. The researcher shall also adhere to any agreements with the place of research. Expected outcomes and limitations The expected results of the analysis of the collected data on the impacts of HRM on the performance of the organization include: Recruitment and selection practises Recruitment and selection is a procedure through which organizations acquire labour force which is significant to the performance of the company. It is expected from the research that employees of Huruma University who possess the required skills, information and attitude will increase the business performance because of being committed and encouraged. Therefore, the organizations that have a thorough process of recruitment and selection are more likely to have employees that perform and thus the general performance of the organization will increase as well (Ferris, Berkson Harris, 2002). Compensation and rewards According to Danish Usman (2010) the more satisfied the employees are through compensation and rewards the more they are likely to be devoted to assignments. Employees that are paid based on performance produces a ripple effect whereby the other colleagues are challenged as well to work hard. Such a ripple effect results in the general increase in the performance of the institution. Training and development According to Aguinis Kraiger (2009). The objective of training and development is to increase the value of the workers alongside their output. The HR department is expected to put in place strategies and relevant training programs to equip the employees of Huruma University with the latest and competitive knowledge to increase organizational performance. In order to identify employee needs as well, formal performance appraisals should be conducted or discussions held with the employees. Thus well informed employees enable the organization to compete favourably in the market and hence improved performance. Employment security The human resource department policy on employment security creates emotional and financial satisfaction of employees which makes them to concentrate fully on the current job thus improving their general performance which further positively affects the output of the company (Boselie, Hesselink Wiele, 2002). Furthermore, the assurance to the employees of employment security to employees of value ensures that company is equipped with experienced labour force which substantially determine the firms output. Performance appraisal A formal performance appraisal system which is appreciated by employees serves as a benchmark for improvement. The feedback provided back to employees acts as a checklist for development and is used for identifying training needs and job promotion which places the qualified employee in the right job position thus ensuring performance (Cleveland, Murphy, Williams, 1989). Limitations The general phases of quantitative research include planning and execution (Younus, 2014) and they phases have limitations as well (Simon 2011). Poor representation of the target population When the target population is poorly represented, it may affect the accuracy of the expected outcome and the aim of the research. The subject representation may be affected when the respondents are not well distributed leading to a false proposition. Unavailability of resources for collecting data Such a type of research requires a large sample size for the achievement of the desired outcomes. Resources will pose a challenge in such a case thus limiting the proposition of the expected outcomes. The institution may also lack the necessary finances to conduct such research (Science, 2001). Time The study will require a lot of time to organize, lead and execute (Morgan 1980). Since the research is quantitative meaning, it will need the proper representation which entails seeking permission, meeting the employees and administering questionnaires, data collection, and analysis. Uncontrollable environment Based on the kind of research it will be difficult to control the school environment where the participants will be providing answers during the survey (Baxter 2008). The environment will, therefore, determine the kind of answer given at specific times. Personal reflection The research on the human resource management impact on the performance of Huruma University is an essential one. Indeed there is a reason why organizations reserve a whole department for the HRM. The human resource has a relationship with the performance of the organization because it is responsible for the quality workers through the process of recruitment and selection and other human resource practices. Depending on the priority that the management places on human resource department will determine the output. The data collection methods used in this research is very efficient, and the respondents will find it easy to understand and respond. The secondary source of data also assisted in gaining knowledge on the link between hr. Practices and the organizational performance. The research process also requires that ethical guidelines are strictly followed to adhere to rules of data collection from people such as confidentiality. Based on the significance of the study, more funds sho uld be allocated for an in-depth study on this research to get a standard proposition. I believe that many organizations will benefit from this research to check on their performance. Conclusions The study has shown that HRM practice impacts the performance of the Huruma University. According to the study, the organizational performance can be accredited to HRM functions such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal and employee compensation. This research agrees with Khan (2010), and Huselid (1995). The objective of the research was to determine the impacts of the human resource management functions on the organizational performance. The five human resource functions were found to be significant for the organization to realize its maximum potential and to attain an advantage of competition over other businesses. Therefore organizations should start to adopt the HRM thinking and prioritize the HR function (Brockbank 1999). Recommendations The greatest assets of a company are the labor forces which are employees who are skilled, knowledgeable and able. The organization then makes maximum use of such an asset to improve performance. Therefore effective recruitment and selection ensure that only performance based employees are employed, and training and development continue to enhance such skills and abilities for the benefit of both the individual and the company. Therefore for an effective HRM Huruma University should develop and implement effective human resource management practice programs to advance the capabilities of the employees References Aguinis, H., Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams, organizations, and society. Annual review of psychology, 60, 451-474. Ahmad, O. and Schroeder, R. (2003) The Impact HRM Practices on Operational Performance: Recognizing Country and Industry Differences. Journal of Operations Management. 21:19-43. Armstrong, M. (2010), Armstrongs essential human resource management practice A guide people management, US Kogan Page Limited. Baxter, P., 2008. Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design and Implementation for Novice Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), pp.544559. Behi, R., Nolan, M. (1995). Ethical issues in research. British Journal of Nursing, 4(12), 712-716. Boselie, P., Hesselink, M., Wiele, T.V (2002) Empirical evidence for the relationship between customer satisfaction and business performance. Managing Service Quality, 12 (3) 184-193 Boxall, P., and Purcell J. (2008) Strategy and Human Resource Management.Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Brockbank, W. (1999) If HR Were Really Strategically Proactive: Present and Future Directions in HR?s Contribution to Competitive Advantage. Human Resource Management, 38: 337-352 Cleveland, J. N., Murphy, K. R., Williams, R. E. (1989). Multiple uses of performance appraisal: Prevalence and correlates. Journal of applied psychology, 74(1), 130. Danish, R. Q. and Usman, A. (2010), Impact of reward and recognition on job satisfaction and practices on productivity: A study on Steel Finishing Line, The American Economic Review, Vol.87, No.3, pp. 291-313 Delaney, J. T., Huselid, M. A. (1996). The impact of human resource management practices on perceptions of organizational performance. Academy of Management journal, 39(4), 949-969. Ferris, G. R., Berkson, H. M. and Harris, M. M. (2002), The recruitment interview process: Persuasion and organization reputation promotion in competitive labour markets, Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp.359-375. Huselid, M. A. (1995), The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Turnover, Productivity and Corporate Financial Performance, The Academy of Management Journal, Vol.38, No.3, pp.635-672. Katou, A. A. (2008), Measuring the Impact of HRM on organisational performance, Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, Vol.1, No.2, pp.119-142. Khan, M. A. (2010), Effects of Human resource management practices on organisational performance An empirical Study of oil and gas industry in Pakistan, European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, Vol.24, pp.157-175. Kiendi, K. R. (2012), Influence of Management Practices on Organisational Performance: A case of Compensation International in Lmenti North District, Meru Country, 1. Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. M. (2003). Gaining a competitive advantage. Irwin: McGraw-Hill. Science, J. of D., 2001. Invited Review: Integrating Quantitative Findings from Multiple Studies Using Mixed Model Methodology. Journal of Dairy Science, 84(4), pp.741755. Simon, M.K., 2011. Dissertation and scholarly research: Recipes for success, Seattle, W.A.: Dissertation Success LLC. Younus, M.A.F., 2014. Research Methodology. In Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Bangladesh: Processes, Assessment and Effects (Springer Theses). Springer, pp. 3576. Available at: https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-007-5494-2_2 [Accessed August 13, 2017].

Monday, December 2, 2019

Reasons Why Teenagers Addicted To Facebook Essay Sample free essay sample

The most addicting portion of Facebook is posting new positions ; uploading new exposures ; acquiring attending from people and desiring people to detect your position updates and exposures and remark on them. It builds your self-esteem and pride to see many people â€Å"like† your position updates and your exposures. It makes you experience popular and liked. Facebook dependence. like any dependence. has perceptibly damaging effects. It interferes with a person’s daily life and causes him or her to neglect duties. Bragging is so closely tied to pleasure. it’s non surprising that so many of us flock to Facebook to carry through our crack-like dependence to stating people how great our lives are. Harmonizing to assorted research workers. immature people and teens have the highest hazard for Facebook dependence and do up the largest group of users.This may be due to societal force per unit area or being born at a clip when societal media is detonating in popularity. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasons Why Teenagers Addicted To Facebook Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unfortunately. this may do teens and immature grownups less cognizant of the dangers of Facebook and internet dependence. because social-technology devices are so commonplace in society today. The format of Facebook allows users to catch up with friends and household with. let’s face it. minimum attempt. Posts are normally rather short. One speedy position update that goes out to all your friends. a short remark on a image. or a speedy â€Å"like† and you are done. Relationships that antecedently would hold of course died can be kept alive on Facebook. Bibliography: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lipsticking. com/2010/08/why-teens-are-addicted-to-facebook. html hypertext transfer protocol: //howto. cnet. com/8301-11310_39-57430499-285/why-you-might-really-actually-be- addicted-to-facebook/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www. tester. com/article/facebook-addiction-warnings-signs-and-treatment hypertext transfer protocol: //www. techaddiction. ca/why-is-facebook-addictive. hypertext markup languagehypertext transfer protocol: //www. healthism. com/articles/facebook-addiction

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Law justifies itself for being an Ass……..

Law justifies itself for being an Ass†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Free Online Research Papers Help! Help! Police help me from this police. No! To me the gone line is not bizarre. Well, I could hardly find a being on earth who will, in fact, claim it to be bizarre. The people of India enjoy the sporadic monsoons, the soothing downpours; they feel the gravity of the summer, the coldness and charm of the winters, and along with that, they are accustomed to the perennial and remorseless tortures of the so-called erratic police-officers, who claim themselves to be the reincarnation of some ancient God who has taken birth for saving the lives of people in the guise of police officials. Now, I implore your Almighty to once again step on the earth to keep an eye on those very people who, to me, are nothing more than wolves in a sheep’s clothing. To be sure, half the population is dying not of old age, but of police tortures, not of diseases, but because of the bruises in their body awarded by the batons of the officers. The crimes committed by the police officers afford an attention but unfortunately my eyes are staring at the inattentive masses of the country. When one sees law as a dead horse, it forces him to turn his PC on and start typing something which would at least snuggle down his anger and embarrassment. So what should one type is a million dollar question. As far as my views are concerned he should type nothing but the saying that goes without saying-Law is an ass! I read an author saying, law is invisible; it is in the air, in the atmosphere, to the normal touch, so to speak. The mystery (the presence of law) of my life was half-solved when my teacher quietly dictated in class: ‘Law remains undefined’. So if one cannot define law how is then the presence of law justified. Well, whatever is present in Earth, or for that matter, in Mars or Venus, nothing is left undefined. This forced me to modify the former definition a bit. It should rather beLaw is nowhere, therefore invisible. Examples have proved to be more helpful than mere discussion since time immemorial. I am not going to table something which is purely uncommon to the common people. I would rather seek to cite a few instances which are capable to substantiate my argument that law does not exist. Take for instance, when you go to a Railway ticket counter to purchase a ticket and you don’t have change. You take a ticket worth Rs.5 and give Rs.10 (I surmise, everyone agrees that the balance amount is not huge) to the person in counter. The latter wants to have a show of authority which no one could challenge and makes you wait for another 10-15 minutes. If question the wrongdoer, one would receive a short rude reply (the case has maximum application in West Bengal). Now, if law were there in the atmosphere, would then the victim would have to wait there for 15 minutes, missing his train, bearing the expenses of a taxi (he might be a regular bus-passenger), arriving late at office, getting scolded by his manager, losing his one day salary etc. Who is going to compensate for all the consequences? Well, law is, in all likelihood, not bothered about what the ticket seller does. But I am. What can I do? This probably is again a million dollar question. I should again type something in my PC which is likely to calm-down my annoyance. That ‘thing’ is the saying that goes without sayingLaw is an Ass! Research Papers on Law justifies itself for being an Ass........Unreasonable Searches and Seizures19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentThe Fifth HorsemanHip-Hop is ArtLifes What IfsNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Spring and AutumnMind TravelThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Drafting an Obscenity and Profanity Policy for Schools

Drafting an Obscenity and Profanity Policy for Schools Obscenity and profanity have become significant issues that schools must get a handle on. Profanity especially has become a problem in part because students hear their parents using words that are unacceptable at school and model what they do. Furthermore, pop culture has made it a more acceptable practice.   The entertainment industry, especially music, movies, and television glamorizes the use of obscenities and profanity.   Sadly, students are using profane words at a younger and younger age. Schools must have a strong policy to deter students from being profane or obscene primarily because they are often vulgar in nature, the use of these types of words/materials often leads to distractions, and can occasionally lead to fights or altercations. Educating our students is critical in eliminating or reducing the problem as is the case for almost any social issue. Students must be taught that there are other alternatives to using obscenities and profanity during school.   They must be taught that school is the wrong time and wrong place to practice the use of expletive language.   Some parents may allow their children to use profanity in the home, but they need to know that it will not be allowed or tolerated in school. They need to know that using inappropriate language is a choice. They can control their choices at school, or they will be held accountable. Many students are offended when other students use inappropriate language.   They are not exposed to it in their home and do not make it a regular part of their vernacular. It is especially important for schools to teach older students to be respectful and mindful of younger students.   Schools must adopt a zero tolerance stance when older students are knowingly using inappropriate language around younger students. Schools should have an expectation for all students to be respectful of one another.   Cursing in any form can be offensive and disrespectful to many students. If nothing else, all students should refrain from this practice because of this.  Ã‚   Getting a handle on the issue of obscenity and profanity will be an uphill and continuous battle.   Schools wanting to improve this area must draft a tough policy, educate their students on the policy, and then follow through with the assigned consequences no matter the context.   Once students see that you are cracking down on the issue, most will alter their vocabulary and comply because they do not want to be in trouble.   Obscenity and Profanity Policy Obscene materials including, but not limited to illustrations (drawings, painting, photographs, etc.) and oral or written materials (books, letters, poems, tapes, CDs, videos, etc.) which are commercially or student produced are prohibited. Profanity including, but not limited to, gestures, symbols, verbal, written, etc. is prohibited during school and at all school sponsored activities. There is one word that is strictly prohibited. The â€Å"F† word will not be tolerated under any circumstance. Any student who uses the â€Å"F† word in any context will automatically be suspended out of school for three days. All other forms of inappropriate language are highly discouraged. Students must choose their words carefully and consciously.   Students caught using obscenities or profanities will be subject to the following disciplinary code. 1st Offense - Verbal reprimand. Notice issued to parents.2nd Offense - 3 detention times.3rd Offense - 3 days in-school placementSubsequent Offenses - 3 days out-of-school suspension.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Why gas prices are so high in America Speech or Presentation

Why gas prices are so high in America - Speech or Presentation Example The rising fuel cost has compelled people to drive less. The rise in the prices of gas has resulted in a change in the American life style. (Keen and Overberg) The price rise resulted in a trade deficit in the country as it rose to 15 percent in January 2011. (U.S. trade deficit rose 15% in January on higher oil prices) Texas the second largest state in US experienced a steady rise in the gas prices. The latest data available shows that in the year 2011 the oil price in the state of Texas showed a slow but decreasing trend, where the retail gasoline price has changed from $3.727 per gallon on the 23rd of May 2011 to $3.589 per gallon on 6th June 2011. But considering the same month last year that is in 2010, the gas price has increased by 0.976 dollar per gallon. Houston the largest city of Texas has also experienced an escalation in the price of gas by 1.023 per gallon in 2011 from that of the previous year. (Retail Gasoline Historical prices)

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Globalisation - Essay Example There are a number of factors that contribute to the existence of international business. The first is the degree of demand for a product across the world. The second factor focus on diversity in tastes and preferences and buying behaviour of consumers from in both the mother country and other countries. For instance, there has been an increase in the market of organic products all over the world in past years. Therefore, companies that engage in production of organic products will have a ready market all over the world. The third one is the removal of boarder barriers, such as import and export taxes, flight barring, and currency risks. However, transaction of business internationally has an impact on risks facing these businesses and in management of those risks. It is a fact that every business has risks involved in its operation. However, unlike local businesses where the business accountant or lawyer knows the risks to expect the global market is more complex and complicated in those different countries have different business environment. For example, a business in an industrialised county does not face similar risks and challenges in managing risks compared to those that a business in a developed country would face (Mclvor, 2000). According to a survey conducted by AON Company (2011), some of the risks that an international business would face are economic delays, regulatory changes, business interruptions, high completion, price risks, reputations damage, and cash flow risk, failure in supply chain, third party liability, and failure to retain the top talent. These risks are influence by the political diversities, cultural differences, legal issues, economic and financial issues, and differences definition of risks. In managing these risks, most international businesses prefer insurance despite the alternative methods of risk transfer and financing. There are a number of factors that would influence a business to opt insurance as part of their risk fina ncing strategy, these includes authorisation, coordinated global insurance programme, compulsory insurances, taxation issues, the condition of local insurance market, and influences of reinsurers. Most international businesses use captives insurance in purchasing and managing their insurance portfolio. Globalisation Globalisation is a terminology used to describe the interactions and integrations amongst government, companies and people from different countries. In business, globalisation is into two parts which include globalisation of the market and globalisation of the product. Globalisation in the market is where distinct markets from countries all over the world merge to form a global market. There a number of factors influencing globalisation of the market. The first one is falling of border barriers whereby businesses are free to conduct business transactions across the borders. The second is striving to satisfy the taste and preferences of the consumers worldwide. For exampl e, smart phone’s demand in the world has increased tremendously over the last few years. Therefore, forces of demand have led the smart phone company to become an international company. The last one is standardisation of product such that the products are acceptable worldwide. An excellent example of a company whose product meets the global standards is Coca-Coca Company (vogt, 2012). Production, packaging and distribution of Coca-Coca Company products allow it to fit in the global market. Globalisation of products occurs when a company from a developed country establish a production plants and start producing in a developing country. The developing countries mostly offer cheap labour, land and low start up cost. For example, outsourcing of cheap labour and technological innovations are becoming global

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Discussion Board Questions Essay Example for Free

Discussion Board Questions Essay 1. Ecological Approach: The work of the Chicago School and the impact of that perspective had a profound effect on research methods. What aspects of the ecological approach could be applicable today and why? Examples would be excellent! (You may have to search a bit for this. Please use not only our text, but do internet searches as well. ) The work of the Chicago School is even more useful in today’s society than it was when it was first pioneered, primarily because those efforts enabled the increased access we have to relevant information now, such as education levels, income levels, crime rates, etc. Most importantly, our world is growing rapidly, and the ability to track what problems a city has, and where, can help us to find effective solutions to those problems. For example, if research indicates that a certain area of the city has a higher high-school dropout rate, efforts to keep kids in school can be increased in those neighborhoods. The ecological approach maintains the paradoxical stance that a society has problems because its individual members have problems, but its members have problems because the society has problems. Thus, we must find solutions that work on both levels, which is essentially where the focus of the ecological approach lies. In addition, this allows us to address prevention issues. If we can map trends and growth, then we can put measures in place to effectively solve a problem before it occurs. A prime example of this is public education – projecting growth based on current trends could allow a school district to budget accordingly and thus reduce the financial strain that comes with unexpected expenses. On another level, being able to identify the demographic that will be growing in the school population can help educators to better address those students’ needs. 2. Stanford Prison Simulation: Look for some of the information on the Stanford Prison Simulation. Phillip Zimbardo maintains a website for the experiment, linking it to contemporary issues like the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib during US military action in Iraq. Please look at this website http://www. prisonexp. org and provide your reactions in terms of the legitimacy of this kind of research. Feel free to be TOTALLY HONEST. As far as the legitimacy of this kind of research goes, the reactions and psychological effects are surely genuine. However, ethical and moral values clearly indicate that research such as the Stanford Prison Simulation should not be undertaken. As professionals holding a position of trust, we have an ethical obligation to do only that which will benefit those whom we seek to help – and this is definitely harming people. From a moral standpoint as well, the information obtained was not worth the cost to the participants’ psychological health. Several studies have been done regarding the effects of imprisonment on actual prison inmates and guards, and history provides numerous real-life examples of exactly what the researchers found in the Stanford Prison Simulation. Take, for instance, survivors’ accounts of WWII concentration camps. Therefore, this project was entirely unnecessary. Basic human understanding tells us that when people are placed in highly stressful situations, where their basic human rights may be threatened or taken away, they will react in potentially volatile ways, and as a result, their psychological health will suffer. This is evident in prisoners and guards alike – the prisoners’ freedom is taken away, they rebel, causing the guards to feel that their personal safety is threatened, so they take away more freedoms – it is a cycle. However, this should be common sense and research should focus on ways to resolve these issues instead of trying to figure out why it happened. We know why it happened – because they’re human.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Way Life Goes :: Short Stories Shopping Papers

The Way Life Goes With the national economy stronger than it has been in decades, 1999 was a peak year for good old American consumerism. Timely for a generation of consumers. Nordstrom Inc., one of the nation’s oldest retail legends, approaches its 100th anniversary with over one hundred department stores across the country. Nordstrom profits by targeting untapped consumer resources in cities such as Providence whose shoppers previously crossed state lines to fill their closets and empty their bank accounts. The opening of one of their shiniest new branches, the first in Rhode Island, boasts milky marble floors, the latest in escalator design and Providence’s highest class of designer clad shoppers. Whether you are in Nashville or Anchorage, the quality of merchandise, service, and shopping environment at Nordstrom is set at a high standard. The air is thick with expensive perfume, sales clerks are smartly dressed and excitable, pink cashmere hangs delicately from the racks. Nordstrom Inc, which has done well in the stock exchange and on the internet, attempts to provide a pleasant shopping experience for customers. After a white chocolate mocha at the Nordstrom Cafà © and three expansive floors of warm overhead lighting, most agree. People come for the atmosphere, the fashion, and if they happen to know about Leroy, they come for the music. Sometime in November, a young man from East Providence wandered into Nordstrom with a group of friends, noticed that the black Steinway on the first floor was silent, sat down, and began to play. As his fingers rolled an eclectic mix of gospel, jazz, and blues across the ivory keys, a crowd of shoppers abandoned their purchases, literally dropped their bags, to surround the piano, drawn by the music to this magnetic musician. No one had heard anything like it, especially in a department store. Stephanie in jewelry dialed Merideth on the third floor. Nineteen year old Leroy Robinson landed himself a job. Three months later at 10:00 on a Tuesday morning, uncomfortable with the silence of slow business, Leroy evokes the same reactions for the few who meander in. Entranced stares. Commending nods. Grown men surround the Steinway to tap their feet, clench their fists, and in a few octaves above their natural ability, sing fragmented lyrics to old jazz tunes. He appears lost in a world of improvisational music but he looks up to acknowledge the customers and smiles at every last one. The Way Life Goes :: Short Stories Shopping Papers The Way Life Goes With the national economy stronger than it has been in decades, 1999 was a peak year for good old American consumerism. Timely for a generation of consumers. Nordstrom Inc., one of the nation’s oldest retail legends, approaches its 100th anniversary with over one hundred department stores across the country. Nordstrom profits by targeting untapped consumer resources in cities such as Providence whose shoppers previously crossed state lines to fill their closets and empty their bank accounts. The opening of one of their shiniest new branches, the first in Rhode Island, boasts milky marble floors, the latest in escalator design and Providence’s highest class of designer clad shoppers. Whether you are in Nashville or Anchorage, the quality of merchandise, service, and shopping environment at Nordstrom is set at a high standard. The air is thick with expensive perfume, sales clerks are smartly dressed and excitable, pink cashmere hangs delicately from the racks. Nordstrom Inc, which has done well in the stock exchange and on the internet, attempts to provide a pleasant shopping experience for customers. After a white chocolate mocha at the Nordstrom Cafà © and three expansive floors of warm overhead lighting, most agree. People come for the atmosphere, the fashion, and if they happen to know about Leroy, they come for the music. Sometime in November, a young man from East Providence wandered into Nordstrom with a group of friends, noticed that the black Steinway on the first floor was silent, sat down, and began to play. As his fingers rolled an eclectic mix of gospel, jazz, and blues across the ivory keys, a crowd of shoppers abandoned their purchases, literally dropped their bags, to surround the piano, drawn by the music to this magnetic musician. No one had heard anything like it, especially in a department store. Stephanie in jewelry dialed Merideth on the third floor. Nineteen year old Leroy Robinson landed himself a job. Three months later at 10:00 on a Tuesday morning, uncomfortable with the silence of slow business, Leroy evokes the same reactions for the few who meander in. Entranced stares. Commending nods. Grown men surround the Steinway to tap their feet, clench their fists, and in a few octaves above their natural ability, sing fragmented lyrics to old jazz tunes. He appears lost in a world of improvisational music but he looks up to acknowledge the customers and smiles at every last one.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How I Would Direct Act 5 Scene 1 From Macbeth Essay

Introduction If I were to direct a new version of Scene 1 of Act 5 in Macbeth I would make it a modernised version. The characters would wear modern clothes and live in modern surroundings and the story would have to be slightly altered to fit this modern setting. I think that I could still let the characters use archaic language as in the original Macbeth script. The scene would be less formal as it seems to be in the RSC version, it would be a lot more relaxed. I would try to make the scene more interesting for younger people and the target audience would be around 12-18. The film would not be a comedy or an action film it would be a tragedy film. To make the scene interesting for this audience I would have to change many parts of the scene like the camera angles, colours and costumes. Casting I would like Lady Macbeth to be a small person who seems defenceless but has a strong mind rather like Sarah Siddons who first played the part of Lady Macbeth in 1785. Lady Macbeth would be a very harsh person who deteriorates throughout the film and in this particular scene is very weak, defenceless and also very stressed. She would not be as old as the Lady Macbeth from the RSC version and would be a lot more like that of the Polanski version. She will also look very pale as she is worried about what she is going to do and she will also have make-up on so she looks tired with â€Å"bags† under her eyes. Also in this scene would be the Gentlewoman who, in my version would be like a Maid in a large modern houshold. She would be quite large (but not too big) and she would be a very friendly and comforting person who was very lively and hyperactive. The Maid would be a very sure and decisive person who would be confident in her own decisions. Also the Maid would be very reliable and a trustworthy person. She would talk a lot in the scene and would be very loyal to Lady Macbeth. She would be very shocked by Lady Macbeth’s unusual behaviour just like the Gentlewoman in the RSC version. You would be able to see her concern for Lady Macbeth in the actors eyes. The Maid would probably not be English as many Maids in modern times are from foreign countries. The last person to be cast in this scene would be the Doctor. In my version the Doctor would be a very sympathetic man who cares for his patients he would reassure the maid and would be very informed and helpful for Lady Macbeth. As with the maid the doctor would be very shocked and would be worried by Lady Macbeth’s behaviour unlike the doctor in the Polanski version. The doctors would look very professional but also very caring. The doctor would also be a quite an old man. Costume The costumes in my scene would be quite light and modern and would not be too dark as I thought the costumes used in the RSC version were (or was that because it was in black and white?). I think that Lady Macbeth would wear a night-gown or something similar and would have long hair, probably blonde unlike the RSC version as I did not think that short brown hair would fit with my scene or settings. Lady Macbeth would be quite small also, giving the impression of a defenceless person. The Maid would be wearing the typical maid clothes, probably a dress that was white and blue or black She would be holding a tray of some sort with drinks on. The Doctor would probably be wearing a Hugo Boss suit and have grey hair. He would also wear small glasses that he would wear on the end on his nose which is always shown as a sign of intelligence. He would enter the room with a black suitcase and would have a professional image. I would also like the Doctor to have a small beard aswell. Movement I’m my scene the Maid and the Doctor would enter the bedroom of Lady Macbeths house quickly and as they were walking the would be talking. Then Lady Macbeth would enter rubbing her hands in a jerky way and very quickly like the Polanski version. Lady Macbeth would be shivering while the Doctor and Maid were looking on at her. Then Lady Macbeth would go to bed – talking in her sleep. After this the concerned Doctor would exit and the scene ends. Language And Performance I’m my scene Lady Macbeth would have a quiet tone of voice and would whisper some of her lines. She would not cry out as loud as in the RSC version as I think that it was a bit too exaggerated in that interpretation of the scene. The tone of her voice would be horrified and frightened and would be very alarming to watch. Her voice would be as if it was on the edge and she was about to snap and go completely mad. She needs to show fear aswell when she says â€Å"Hell is murky† because this is showing her fear of death and going to hell for what she has done. The Doctor in this scene would be calm on the outside but he would feel very shocked and he would be asking the Maid questions very quietly – almost whispering. The Maid’s tone of voice would also be shocked and she would almost scream from seeing the distressed Lady Macbeth. She would look away and would seem to be suffering pain from Lady Macbeth’s suffering. Her voice would show this. I think my version of this scene would be more emotional that the Polanski version but less emotional than the RSC version, it would be a balance between the two. Even though it would be set in modern times the language would remain the same as the original Macbeth script and no parts would be edited from the scenes except for censorship. I would direct some parts of the scene to be how I want them to be shown. At the start of the scene when the Doctor says â€Å"What have you heard her say† the Maid must look extremely worried about what she might tell the doctor. As Lady Macbeth walks out the doctor and Maid will talk in a whisper so that they do not disturb her. Lady Macbeth must look alone and have a blank look on her face. When she says â€Å"Yet here’s a spot† referring to the blood which cannot seem to be removed from her hands she must seem angry and frustrated but also sorry for herself. It should seem as though Lady Macbeth is announcing her troubles. The Maid must seem very forgiving and concerned at this point. As the speech of Lady Macbeth goes on she needs to get more and more built up before crying at the end (but not too loud as in RSC). Camera Angles My version of this scene would have a long shot of the Macbeth household at the start of the scene and then would have close up’s of the characters faces as in both the Polanski version and the RSC version. This way you can see the characters faces close up so you can almost see what they are thinking. I could also have a Lady Macbeth camera where there is a camera that seems as if it its inside Lady Macbeth’s head, showing what she sees and hears, this would let the audience know what Lady Macbeth was thinking and seeing and would involve them more in the film. For example when she is trying to wash the blood off her hand but in her dreams she cannot, I could switch to the Lady Macbeth camera to show her saying â€Å"Out, damned spot!† And showing the camera pointing at her hand with the blood on it. Then I could switch back to the bemused Doctor and Maid wondering what is going on. I think this would be a good way of showing the scene. Relationships With Other Characters Lady Macbeth in my cut of the scene would be very close to her Maid and they would care for each other. The Maid would care for Lady Macbeth a lot more than Lady Macbeth would care for the Maid because Lady Macbeth is in my version a very harsh person who does not care much for anyone except for her husband Macbeth. The Maid would be exceptionally loyal to Lady Macbeth and follow all of her orders. The Doctor would also be very caring for both characters and he would trust the Maid although he would be slightly confused as to what is going on and he would rely on the Maid to inform him. Staging, Setting and Lighting I would set the scene in the Macbeth household which would be in the Scottish Highlands. As the setting is so modern the story before this scene would have had to be altered slightly – for example instead of killing the King, Macbeth could have killed his boss and become the Manager of a company. The house would be very large and modern and the scene would be mainly set inside Lady Macbeth’s bedroom. The furniture would be very expensive and modern and the room would be quite light but would have red curtains which the sun would shine through making the whole room seem the colour of blood which would symbolise danger and insecurity. The bed would be a very ornate but modern four poster bed. The Macbeths would be a very upmarket family. This setting would be very different to the setting of the RSC version which seemed to be set on a stage with not much scenery. My version will be alike the Polanski version in that it would be in a proper film set. I would also have a good soundtrack that was one of the things (I think) was missing from both versions of the scene that we saw. The music would be included in the scenes to create more atmosphere but it would be good music that would add atmosphere without really being noticed. General Impression The general impression hopefully made from my scene would be that the audience feels sympathetic towards Lady Macbeth. They should be drawn in so that they end up feeling sorry for her when earlier on in the play they thought she was a deceitful and cold blooded person. It should show people that you can’t hide murder – or at least she couldn’t. I would also keep ideas of blood, sleep and water in the play as these devices add to the drama of the film.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

African Literature Essay

Despite the ignorance of most so called â€Å"literati† to the domain of African literature, African literature in fact is one of the main currents of world literature, stretching continuously and directly back to ancient history. Achebe did not â€Å"invent† African Literature, because he himself was inundated with it as an African. He simply made more people aware of it. The Beginnings of African Literature The first African literature is circa 2300-2100, when ancient Egyptians begin using burial texts to accompany their dead. These include the first written accounts of creation – the Memphite Declaration of Deities. Not only that, but ‘papyrus’, from which we originate our word for paper, was invented by the Egyptians, and writing flourished. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa feature a vibrant and varied oral culture. To take into account written literary culture without considering literary culture is definitely a mistake, because they two interplay heavily with each other. African oral arts are â€Å"art’s for life’s sake† (Mukere) not European â€Å"art’s for art’s sake†, and so may be considered foreign and strange by European readers. However, they provide useful knowledge, historical knowledge, ethical wisdom, and creative stimuli in a direct fashion. Oral culture takes many forms: proverbs and riddles, epic narratives, oration and personal testimony, praise poetry and songs, chants and rituals, stories, legends and folk tales. This is present in the many proverbs told in Things Fall Apart, and the rich cultural emphasis of that book also is typically African. The earliest written Sub-Saharan Literature (1520) is heavily influenced by Islamic literature. The earliest example of this is the anonymous history of the city-state of Kilwa Kisiwani. The first African history, History of the Sudan, is written by Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi in Arabic style. Traveling performers, called griots, kept the oral tradition alive, especially the legends of the Empire of Mali. In 1728 the earliest written Swahili work,Utendi wa Tambuka borrows heavily from Muslim tradition. However, there are little to no Islamic presence in Things Fall Apart. The Period of Colonization With the period of Colonization, African oral traditions and written works came under a serious outside threat. Europeans, justifying themselves with the Christian ethics, tried to destroy the â€Å"pagan† and â€Å"primitive† culture of the Africans, to make them more pliable slaves. However, African Literature survived this concerted attack. In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa was the first slave narrative to be published. Kidnapped from Nigeria, this Ibo man wrote his autobiography in Great Britain in English, and like Achebe used his narrative as a platform to attack the injustices of slavery and cultural destruction. Back in Africa, Swahili poetry threw off the dominating influence of Islam and reverted back to native Bantu forms. One exemplar of this was Utendi wa Inkishafi (Soul’s Awakening), a poem detailing the vanity of earthly life. The Europeans, by bringing journalism and government schools to Africa, helped further the development of literature. Local newspapers abounded, and often they featured sections of local African poetry and short stories. While originally these fell close to the European form, slowly they broke away and became more and more African in nature. One of these writers was Oliver Schreiner, whose novel Story of an African Farm (1883) is considered the first African classic analysis of racial and sexual issues. Other notable writers, such as Samuel Mqhayi and Thomas Mofolo begin portraying Africans as complex and human characters. Achebe was highly influenced by these writers in their human portrayal of both sides of colonization. Emerging from Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, the negritude movement established itself as one of the premiere literary movements of its time. It was a French-speaking African search for identity, which ofcourse took them back to their roots in Africa. Africa was made into a metaphorical antipode to Europe, a golden age utopia, and was often represented allegorically as a woman. In a 1967 interview, Cesaire explained: â€Å"We lived in an atmosphere of rejection, and we developed an inferiority complex. † The desire to establish an identity begins with â€Å"a concrete consciousness of what we are–†¦that we are black . . . and have a history. . . [that] there have been beautiful and important black civilizations†¦that its values were values that could still make an important contribution to the world. † Leopold Sedar Senghor, one of the prime thinkers of this movement, eventually became president of the country of Senegal, creating a tradition of African writers becoming active political figures. Achebe was doubtless familiar with the negritude movement, although he preferred to less surrealistic and more realistic writing. In 1948, African literature came to the forefront of the world stage with Alan Paton’s publishing of Cry the Beloved Country. However, this book was a somewhat paternalistic and sentimental portrayal of Africa. Another African writer, Fraz Fanon, also a psychiatrist, becomes famous in 1967 through a powerful analysis of racism from the African viewpoint – Black Skin, White Masks. Camara Laye explored the deep psychological ramification of being African in his masterpiece, The Dark Child (1953), and African satire is popularized by Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono. Respected African literary critic Kofi Awoonor systematically collects and translates into English much of African oral culture and art forms, preserving native African culture. Chinua Achebe then presents this native African culture in his stunning work, Things Fall Apart. This is probably the most read work of African Literature ever written, and provides a level of deep cultural detail rarely found in European literature. Achebe’s psychological insight combined with his stark realism make his novel a classic. Post-Achebe African Literature Achebe simply opened the door for many other African literati to attain international recognition. East Africans produce important autobiographical works, such as Kenyans Josiah Kariuki’s Mau Mau Detainee (1963), and R. Mugo Gatheru’s Child of Two Worlds (1964). African women begin to let their voice be heard. Writers such as Flora Nwapa give the feminine African perspective on colonization and other African issues. Wole Soyinka writes her satire of the conflict between modern Nigeria and its traditional culture in her book The Interpreters (1965). A prolific writer, she later produces famous plays such as Death and The King’s Horseman. Later, in 1986, she is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. African Literature gains more and more momentum, and Professor James Ngugi even calls for the abolition of the English Department in the University of Nairobi, to be replaced by a Department of African Literature and Languages. African writers J. M. Coetzee, in his Life and Times of Michael K. written in both Afrikaans and English for his South African audience, confronts in literature the oppressive regime of apartheid. Chinua Achebe helps reunite African Literature as a whole by publishing in 1985 African Short Stories, a collection of African short stories from all over the continent. Another African writer, Naguib Mahfouz, wins the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988. In 1990 African poetry experiences a vital comeback through the work I is a Long-Memoried Woman by Frances Anne Soloman. African Literature is only gaining momentum as time marches onwards.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Letter from a Birmingham Jail essays

Letter from a Birmingham Jail essays Letter from a Birmingham Jail was written on April 16, 1963 by Martin Luther King Jr. in response to a letter published in a Birmingham, Alabama, newspaper in 1963. Eight Birmingham Clergymen presented a letter to the public, previous to Kings letter, as a means of protesting the progression of desegregation in Birmingham through the peaceful demonstrations brought on by the Negro community. King responds to the numerous claims made by the clergy men throughout their letter in a clear and intelligent way that allows his readers to make their own judgments on the issues at hand. The clergymen saw the demonstrations as an unwise, untimely, and a disrespectful way for the Negro community to get their message across to the powers that be. King felt that it was important to allow the public to see the other side of the argument because the clergy men failed to give the demonstrators any credit for their actions. The clergy men thought the issues plaguing their community were ones tha t would be dealt with in a court room and not on a street corner. The undisputable message King was sending to his readers when he wrote this letter was that the Negro community would no longer stand idly by as the white leaders of their community deny them their God-given rights. It was implied by the clergy men that King was an outsider in Birmingham and the issues that he was involving himself in were such that should be dealt with by the people who lived in Birmingham and no one else. It was stated that bringing in an outsider to solve a towns problems will only lead to more trouble, but King repeatedly justifies his involvement in the Human Rights Demonstrations with evidence backing his presence in the town. King points out the fact that he was invited by the leader of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights to be a prominent guiding figure for the Negro community throughout the demonstrations. He also notes that t...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Most Popular Argumentative Essay Topics of 2017 The List

The Most Popular Argumentative Essay Topics of 2017 The List Top-50 topics you would love to work on PLUS useful tips on writing a flawless argumentative essay. As you may already know, an argumentative essay is a writing genre where the student establishes a position on a given or chosen topic and then uses evidence to persuade the audience to see things from his/her point of view. To write a great argumentative essay, the student first has to investigate several sides of the argument, which allows making an educated stance. Then, one has to collect evidence, including facts, statistics, and claims from experts in the topic’s field. Generally, the primary objective of writing an argumentative essay is to learn how to convince people to change their mind about things which many of them are pretty sure about. What Substitutes a Good Argumentative Essay Topic? When you are asked to choose a good topic for your argument, start with something you are familiar with. Even if you hire a professional writer to help you with this assignment, speaking about something you know will be a much better sounding presentation of your arguments. Choosing an emotional topic is also a good idea. Appealing to the readers’ emotions connects them to the side of the writer and draws them in. One of the best ways to change anyone’s mind is with an emotional investment. Pick Your Favorite Topic or Get Your Essay Done For You We offer a great list of topics for writing your argumentative essay. Did you also know you can get your essay written for a small fee? We employ hundreds of professional writers who specialize in essay, dissertation and research writing. They have written hundreds of academic papers for students worldwide. Therefore, we know how to write a perfect custom-written argumentative essay that will meet your requirements and help get you the grade you want. Contact us now to request professional essay writing help! If you want to write the paper on your own, take a look at the full list of argumentative essay topics along with the samples below: Middle/High School-Level Argumentative Essay Topics   Should teenagers be required to get their parents’ permission to obtain contraceptives?   Should the number of passengers be limited in cars driven by minors?   Should high school education be mandatory? College-Level Argumentative Essay Topics When is military force justified? Should parents hold responsibility for the crimes of their children? Should academic achievement be a primary consideration for college admission? Argumentative Topics to Avoid Is our political process fair? Do athletes make too much money? Can science go too far? Funny Argumentative Essay Topics Should you believe every word in an infomercial? Should funny cat videos be allowed on YouTube? What is the worst song in the world? Classic Argumentative Essay Topics Computer games harm individuals Sex education is the only way to eliminate many issues, including teenage pregnancy Are abortions legal? Arguments on Bioethics Is the use of animals for research purposes justified? Cloning should be banned Arguments on Issues in the IT Area Some of Google services raise privacy and security concerns for people Download sites violate copyright rules Should YouTube comments be regulated? The Internet has been overly commercialized. Agree or disagree?   Argumentative Topics for Legal Discussions Is gun control an effective method of reducing crime? Is the death penalty justified?   Do you believe euthanasia (assisted suicide) is right?   The book â€Å"Twelve Angry Men† represents democracy with its flaws Should same-sex marriages be made legal? Torture is never justified Smoking in public places should be banned Society is becoming over-regulated Legalization of marijuana in some states is wrong Production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal Argumentative Topics on Social Concerns Cross-cultural marriages contribute to racial tolerance Single-parent children behaviour is different than that of children with both parents Women are less engaged in criminal activity than men Young people are predisposed to negative influence because they are more rebellious by nature Violence in the media destroys children Sexual content on TV harms teenagers Homeschooling is an ideal way to obtain a quality education Ecological Issues Forests are the lungs of the Earth. Should rainforests destruction be prohibited? Should countries drill for oil in protected areas to reduce gas prices? Global warming is a myth   To what extent are electric cars a solution to global pollution? Society and the Media Media influences the female perception of the body image. Agree or disagree. Violent video games directly correlate to violence in schools. Agree or disagree. Other Topics Should cities preserve old buildings? Diets don’t help to lose weight Financial rewards are the only way to gain employee`s loyalty Life-long learning is no longer required for career success Correspondence Theory of Truth appears to be plausible and defendable Dokdo islands are Korean property and should not be claimed by Japan Ghost hunting is pure fiction Now, once you have chosen a good topic from the list, try to lay down your thoughts on your screen or paper. Here are some tips on how to do it properly: Adhering to the above structure of an argumentative essay will keep your creative process together: The first paragraph offers a brief review of the topic, explains its importance, and shares the essay’s clear and concise thesis statement. After the introduction come the body paragraphs, in which the writer develops his/her arguments and supports them with valid and reliable evidence. The support should be anecdotal, logical, statistical, or factual, depending on the essay’s topic. Following the argument paragraphs, the writer shares the opposing views. Ending the paragraph is the conclusion. This paragraph is quite important since it leaves the reader with the most immediate impression. The writer should synthesize the information shared in the body of the essay, as they restate the topic’s importance, review main points, as well as review the thesis. No new information should be shared in the conclusion. Here is another cool tip to make your arguments sound stronger: use connection words! How To Use Connection Words While Writing an Argumentative Essay? Transition or connection words and phrases hold your essay together. They provide flow as they connect thoughts and ideas. Function Connection Word Addition additionally; also; and; as a matter of fact; as well as; equally; equally important; furthermore; identically; in addition; in the first place; like; likewise; not only†¦but also; not to mention; similarly; together with; too Contrast above all; after all; albeit; although; although this may be true; as much as; be that it may; besides; but; conversely; despite; different from; even so/though; however; in contrast; in reality; in spite of; nevertheless; nonetheless; notwithstanding; of course†¦, but; on the contrary; on the other hand; or; otherwise; rather; Cause or Purpose as; as/so long as; because of; due to; for fear that; for the purpose of; given that; granted (that); if†¦then; in case; in view of; in order to; in the event that; in the hope that; lest; only/even if; owing to; provided that; seeing/being that; since; so as to; so that; unless; when; whenever; while; with this in mind Examples or Support another key point; as an illustration; by all means; chiefly; especially; for example; for instance; for this reason; in fact; in other words; notably; specifically; surprisingly; to point out; truly Consequence or Result accordingly; as a result; because the; consequently; due to; for; for this reason; hence; in effect; in that case; since; so that; therefore; with the result that Conclusion / Summary / Restatement after all; all things considered; as a result; as can be seen; as shown above; consequently; for the most part; generally speaking; given these points; in conclusion; in fact; to summarize; How Is This Information Going to Help Me Write My Essay? Writing a good argumentative essay develops your argumentative thinking. It is a useful skill that you will need in your life not only to survive among your peers today but also to have a successful future in general. Most of the businesses and partnerships prosper through argument. Getting the right arguments will help you prove your point and win. The intellect rules the modern world. Those who stay focused on becoming stronger in chosen profession win. It requires no distraction on things of little importance. To succeed, you need to stay focused on what you feel is right for you and what you are willing to devote your life to. And it should take up most of your time. Seriously. The more research you can do to get better at your future profession, the better. Our professional ghostwriting company has been writing papers for students since 2005. You are welcome to use our essay writing service as a helpful tool for your career success strategy. Here is a fun fact: Most of the world-known geniuses are college drop-outs. They were too focused on what mattered to them most and couldn’t get their homework done on time. However, it is a bad example to follow. No matter if you run a successful business, have a busy job, need to visit your family or have an emergency – failing your module is a horrible possibility. That is why our writers are here to help you 24/7. If Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates knew about our service, we bet they could have gotten their degree on time and without problems.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Law in social work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Law in social work - Essay Example Under Subsection 2 of the same proviso, it is stated that the court would only be willing to make a Care Order or a Supervisory Order, if it is convinced, inter alia, that the child is not being well looked after by its parents. Regarding "Legal representation of children there have been a number of cases, concerning the ability of children or young persons to appoint guardians or solicitors to act on their behalf." (Brayne & Carr 2007, P. 80). In this case we find that Janine's mother is not capable of taking good care of her, including her physical, intellectual, emotional social and behaviour development. Therefore, if needed, an application under Section 31 (1) may be made, to hand over the care of Janine, to the care of a local authority or other authorised person. (Care and supervision orders. 1989) In this case, Althea is widowed and, besides, she also has to care for her aged mother, Beatrice, and a small child, Janice.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Civil Liberties Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civil Liberties - Research Paper Example In addition, the amendment also protects citizens from the use of evidence against them, which may have been acquired through unlawful means. Since the enactment of the fourth amendment, the United States citizens cannot to be subjected to unlawful acts by the law enforcement officers (Woody, 2006). The Fifth Amendment states that only an indictment by the Grand Jury can detain people when found to have committed capital offences. The only exception to this rule comes in handy when there is a case of civil emergency or war. Under the Fifth Amendment also, an accused person cannot be forced to testify against himself in a court of law by the government. This amendment has a clause that also prohibits the government from engaging in confiscation of property belonging to citizens, facilitating the detention of people, or even facilitating their execution when the process is not followed. The impact of this amendment is that it has ensured that citizens can be prosecuted only by the cour ts. No other entity, except the court, has the ultimate right to prosecute a person without any adherence to the judicial process. As a result, offenders have been accorded their rights since there is no violation of the court procedure (Woody, 2006). According to the Sixth Amendment, accused persons have the right to be tried in a speedy manner, which will avoid delays in the trial process. In addition, the amendment stresses the need for having a jury that is not partial conducting the trial. Moreover, the accused has the right to know what has caused his or her accusation, as well as the nature of the accusation to which he is subjected by the jury. This amendment has had an impact on the trial process; as it has ensured that accused persons have the right to access the services of a Counsel during their defense. In addition, this amendment has ensured that trail takes place in a speedy manner and that accused persons can be tried publicly. The Sixth Amendment has also ensured th at the jury to try the accused is impartial and does not pass judgment that is biased; the accused can also know the charges, which are pending (Vile, 2010). Under the Eighth Amendment, the constitution of the US states that there should be no application of excessive bail and suspects should not be given punishments that can be regarded as unusual, and the fines imposed on the accused should not be excessive. The impact of this amendment is that it has ensured there is no severe punishment on the accused. This amendment has also limited amount of fines, which can be imposed on the accused persons (Vile, 2010). The 14th Amendment states that for a person to qualify as a United States Citizen, he or she should be born and naturalized in the America. In addition, such a person should be under the United States jurisdiction. The impact of this amendment is that it has protected the citizens from unlawful denial of their rights by their respective states (Lee, 2011). Due process refers to the reasons for enforcing laws, as well as the process followed when enforcing these laws. In the United States, due process tends to be applicable to corporations and United States citizens. There are several due process rights contained in the United States constitution. These rights include the right to personal privacy, right to life right to liberty, as well as right to own property. Procedural due process

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Punnet squares experiment lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Punnet squares experiment - Lab Report Example The phenotype is the way of the expression of the combination of the genes. When the two alleles for a particular characteristic are identical, it is called as homozygous allele and if different it is called as heterozygous allele. If two different alleles are present in a trait, then only characteristics is expressed. It is called as Dominant allele and the other is called as the recessive allele. In the scenario 1, the heterozygous gray-bodied fly and the homozygous black-bodied fly are crossed and the first felial generation was obtained. The Punnet square for this crossing is given below. The F1 generation contains 2 heterozygous gray-bodied fly and 2 homozygous black-bodied fly as the offsprings. In the scenario 2, two heterozygous gray bodied flies are crossed and the first felial generation was obtained. It was found that the F1 generation contains 2 heterozygous gray bodied flies 1 homozygous gray bodies fly and 1 homozygous black-bodied fly as the offsprings. The Punnett Square for this crossing is given below In the scenario 3, homozygous long-winged fly and the homozygous vestigial – winged fly are crossed and the first felial generation was obtained. The F1 generation was found to have 4 heterozygous long-winged flies. The punnett square for this crossing is given below. The fourth scenario is based on the mating of homozygous long-winged fly with the heterozygous long-winged fly. The F1 generation obtained was found to contain 2 homozygous long-winged fly and 2 heterozygous long-winged fly. The punnett square is given below. In the scenario 5, the mating of the heterozygous long-winged flies was carried out and the first felial generation obtained was found to contain 1 homozygous long winged fly, 2 heterozygous long-winged flies and 1 homozygous vestigial-winged fly. The punnett square for this mating is given below. The 6th Scenario is based on the mating of the homozygous gray bodied fly with the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Ihrm In The Multinational Context Today Commerce Essay

Ihrm In The Multinational Context Today Commerce Essay The back bone of an organization is its human resource management thus within an organization HRM activities include human resource planning, staffing, performance management, Training and development, compensation and benefits, Industrial relations. Having these things in hand HRM then walks in to International with IHRM. The class discussion was lead under the main topics of Defining key IHRM terms (HRM, IHRM, HCN, PCN, TCN, Expatriates and impetrates) which gave me a broader understanding on the basis of what IHRM really meant. The lecture further explained on review expatriate management evolution which gave us the understanding of the review trends in the international management. Then the discussion moved in to understanding the difference between domestic and international HRM, the functions and the differences these two has was then clearly brought out with examples. Then the discussion linked in to discovering the increase complexity and potential challengers of current IHRM. The importance of the topics guided me to think critically on how it could be implemented to the work place performance. Having being able to use the knowledge what I learnt in class at my work place gave me a real life experience. Learning outcome of the increased travels, advancement of global technology telecommunication, the rapid development of new technologies, the impacts of free trade, the effectiveness of new education system further helped me to advance my knowledge in IHRM context. Learning of global village lead me in further search on new market performance when a company is thinking global and it helped me to significantly comprehend when I need to converge with global lifestyle and values during my performance at my work place. Most importantly at the use of E- Commerce to lower the cost being business globally helped me when I had to communicate with the upstream customers in negotiation on purchasing products. When working in a multinational company IHRM can be implemented in many ways thus it would implemented to my work by assisting me when I need a broader perspectives on curtain things. When handling the boarder external influences this would be very important. I will also be exposing to risks in the field and this knowledge would enhance me with what I have to do when an IHRM issue comes up. In analysis the learning outcome of the session brought out a vast knowledge in IHRM mainly focusing on the IHRM in the multinational context. The inter relationship in approaching to the field with the idea of domestic and international IHRM brought out a very argumentative yet very interesting points and examples to prove the importance of it as a whole. 3.0 Cultural differences Sri Lanka is a country which is originated from a collectivist culture however the counties culture has now evolved more in to individualistic subcultures which had become more powerful in certain cities i.e. Colombo compared to Anuradhapura. The cultural dimensions in a country has a greater impact when discussing, the focusing on the individualism vs. collectivism, power distance, short term vs. long term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and femminity. (Hofsted) The video which was showed to us in class on Saudi women and their ability to educate themselves cleared us on that they have their own freedom to learn, Islamic word explains it to everyone. The discussion then moved to understanding limited dimensions as a critical analysis and brought out the fact that conquering nature is an approach to certain societies which lead to an interesting argument on how nature can bring out different dimensions. Then the atmosphere of the class turned in to an exciting point where counter agreements came up with general beliefs and how it deprives with trust. I.e. when the society is driven as being bad it is a good opportunity for the lawyers to succeed. The discussion further evolved around how Japaneses people around the world has more respect to the history of them and how people believe that they are more trustworthy. Understanding of different cultural dimensions in IHRM context helped me significantly as I had to communicate and make purchases from different cultured individuals around the world at my work place. Knowing from what country that supplier comes from and what context he belongs to I can adjust the way I think when dealing. I now have an understanding on the cultural differences globally and it helps me to respect each culture as it is a crucial thing in culture. My broader perspective helps me to make a difference in day to day work place performance. In analysis the overall cultural differences which are unique to each country brought up the idea that it is significant when communicating and making agreements globally and how human nature would effect to the overall outcome of the company cultural perspective. 4.0 The organizational context This weeks lecture was based on organizational context and the class discussion went ahead relating to a case study on how Chinese companies work in western counties. Then we discussed on how the global matrix structure coordination and corporation is highly needed in an organization. Then the organizational context as a whole was discussed with regard to the path to the global status. Then the class argued on how does a networked organization bring strength and good will to a company and the answer was with a lot of understanding and negotiation companies can differentiate work, responsibilities and authorize them across the network subsidiaries only then a company could cherish its strengths and good will. Controlled mechanism was then added in to the discussion to see how the formal and informal mechanisms within the organization coordinately function when going global. Global area division structure became the next sub topic conversation in relation to how it is geographically implemented in the organizational context i.e. within these structures political problems occurs turf battle is one of those on which colleagues fight on who get the opportunity first and on the contrarily when a hot issue comes along nobody will be waiting to take it which will cost in loss of accountability. The discussion became very interesting as I could relate some of my work experience to the debate as I know that having a good knowledge of the organizational context I can make decisions which could bring profit to the organization. This would further enhance on my experience when I relate what I have learnt in class without any issue. Having a good understanding on the organizational context it is easy for me to avoid risky situations where I might end up doing something that would ruin the image of the organization and my skill level. In my point of view I believe that understanding on the organizational context is very important to a business personal as they should be trained to face any problems within the organization through such a thing. The structural responses to international growth, Control and coordination mechanisms, including cultural control and effect of responses on human resource management approaches and activities had critically analyzed on how the organizational context should be functioning. 5.0 HRM in the Host Country Context International human resource management has become one of the most important subjects in the degree as it had brought many of us the intelligence of how to deal with human resources when working in a subsidiary. The class discussion took off with describing the Standardisation and localisation of HRM practices,Factors driving these, Retaining, developing and retrenching local staff, The HR implications of language standardisation and Monitoring the HR practices used by intl subcontractors. The hamlets question standardize or not to standardize HRM? Was put across to the students to argue by bringing up their own justifications. As Mr. Chandana would always recommend the students to do so. He expects us to answer with deep understanding of the broader perspective. The breakdown of IHRM was then elaborated to us with its segments of Host country, parent country and third country nationals. When elaborating the Host country national HSBC (the worlds local bank) can be taken as an example where HSBC practice a standardized culture as a host country company. This is done in order to capture the market within a shorter period of time. Uniliver is another company which would use the localization aspect when it comes to marketing as they bring out the village atmosphere in most of their advertisements. Nestle however stands at standardization in marketing methods. The strategy most of the foreign company s uses to get close to the host country is by getting along with their culture and lifestyles i.e. HSBC. Thus it will lead a very strong business relationship among the country and the company as well as the parent country. In contrary at some point even though they make it visible to the out sides that they are using the customs in with the host county culture, It comes out otherwise when they malpractice cultural values. Then standardization vs. Localization took in to discussion making everyone speak up of their own view. Where everyone understood that companies go through various marketing campaigns to localize their product yet keep the internal culture standardizes i.e. the dress code, believes of standard charted bank is standardized all over the country The best part being a student of Mr. Chandana Kumara is that for every answer or argument we come up with we are presented with some marks. This motivates a lot of students and at the same time it helps the students to understand on the topic much more clearer than when he just teach the subject. When foreign companies start recruiting the local human resource they would first mold the local the way they want this is done so that they can practice the same policys around the world, It will further help them and to us to make the decision making process easier. This is done in order to retain and develop the person as well as the organization. Furthermore we were asked to come up with what extend the localization is imposed and to what extend the standardization is imposed. It is a must for a HRM to support the corporate Operations and HRM should go line in line and to an extend both localization and globalization should go in order to retain the market leadership. Thus its the only way to have a successful approach. Companies move in to villages as a strategic objective i.e. HNB gami pubudu. Branch managers being recruited with different criterias. I.e. Salary, expertise and culture. HR has described on 5 s, quality circle, 6 sigma. (High quality products) Sunlight is another global product where global products being localized has brought out significantly. It was truly a privilege to have being in the class as I have learnt a lot out of it and at the work place I saw certain things that can be implemented and this discussion helped me to understand the process and way . The overall class has knowledge and we believe that Mr. chandana has done a very great job. In the analysis of the days session we can now come to a conclusion that even though a company can stay standardizes it is essential for them to look in to Host-country culture workplace environment in regard to Mode of operation, involved Size and maturity of the firm, Relative importance of the subsidiary. Only then a successful host country context can be seen through a company. 6.0 Sustaining International Business Operations and staffing As a full time working student Thursday nights seem to be long but the moment I step in to the class our lecture pitch a high note. This had always being a wakeup call for me. Thus the discussion took in to place and this time its quite different as Staffing approaches, Reasons for Intl assignment, Types of intl assignments, Role of expatriate, non-expatriates and corporate HR took off and I loved it because I can imagine what is happening at my work place and relate it to the lecture. As Mr. Chandana would say relate my lectures to real life experience The discussion took lead with understanding PCN (Expatriates) to understand the talent available from them impact to the performance of the organisation and how it could be of use to greater control over the others. PCNs could bring alot of company experience and their special talent of mobility has a greater impact in the organisation. On the other hand this could be looked in to as experience provided to corporate executives. I.e. The CEO at Ceylon Tobacco Company is British and he is an expatriate who has given a task from the British American Tobacco company. Working with him at CTC has made me understand the true nature of an expat the way he behaves and the way he relates to the company culture is just the right experience I get. Speaking of HCN (Locals) it is quite a different approach as they would know what is happening in the culture aspect preference aspect and the intimate knowledge of the environment. They would be masters in language skills to make the company perform w ell when working with HCNs and TCNs. Our supply chain director is from Bangladesh and he is the best example I could find for a TCN he has Broad experience as he worked in Pakistan Tobacco Company and now working at Ceylon Tobacco Company with a broader perspective in international outlook, multilingualism. The discussion then moved to factors affecting approaches of staffing which elaborated on Ethnocentric, Polycentric, Geocentric and Regiocentric which focuses on positioning subsidiaries. The reasons for international assignments was then taken in to consideration with regard to Position filling, Management development and Organizational development , when an expatriate is working in an organization to full fill above reasons they would also undergo mental stress as Home and family issues frequent absences , Work arrangements domestic side of position still has to be attended to, Travel logistics waiting in airports, etc., Health concerns poor diet, lack of sleep, etc. and Host culture issues limited cultural training come in to action. The role of expatriates differ vasty when compared to the role of non expatriates who do not relocate to another country, the only reason they would go to another country is for business meetings and periodic visits to foreign operations , so the stress level is less. Therefore we can now understand the importance of expatriates in a sustaining international business operation as his unique effort of playing different roles Agent of direct control, Agent of socialization, Network builder, Boundary spanner, Language node and Transfer of competence and knowledge leads the company to a better passion in the global market situation. According to Charles M. Vance (2006) as with all other management decisions and practices, global staffing should be linked to the overall strategy and the objective of the multinational enterprises. These strategies and objectives are of cause influenced by and set within the context of overall business environment. This weeks lecture was an interesting and a important leasson about recruiting staff for international assignments. working and exposing my self in a forign country as an employee will give me a different experience rather than being a tourist. Working in a alian soil wont be a simple task due to the culture, demographic, social interfierences and the mantality has to compete with their environment. according to Dessler (2003) he has identified five important personalities that would need to be considered when selecting a manager for a foreign assignment they are job knowledge and motivation, relational skills, flexibility, extra cultural openness and finally family situation. If we consider Desslers points almost all the recruits have an idea about the job they also motivated and they also have relational skills but most of them dont have flexibility in the sense they cant adjust to the alien environment. Also most of the recruits go through a cultural shock which almost led them to withdraw for the host country. And finally the family situations, as we all are from the Asian region; we belong to a collectivist cultural dimension we expect and like to live with the family and be a part of it. Especially when it comes to a females perspective unlike the western world most of the Asian women are married and committed to their family and children, in a situation like this most of Asian woman will be reluctant to take the opportunity even its a better offer or else they make an early return. Mr. Chandana also explained the above mentored criterias also can be known as expatriate failure. He also mentioned most of all cultural shock plays important role in expatriate failure. Cultural shock also can turn a good employee to a worst employee. Also he explained how some employees adjust themselves with the culture and overcome the situation. Basically in a phase on cultural adjustment there are four stages, those are entering the culture, facing the cultural shock, accepting or exiting the culture, adjusting to the host culture. By reviewing the class discussion I understood when a company selects its employee on a foreign recruitment it has to spend fair amount of time in selecting the correct candidate also they have to take some counter measures like training the candidate properly and making awareness of the host culture and the job specification. By taking these counter actions the company can increase in its productivity and efficiency. As a conclusions from this discussion I learnt how important is to select a proper candidate for an international assignment. Also as an IHRM student I understand the importance of knowing the alien culture and work environment and adjust to accomplish my goals and to do a better job. 7.0 Training and Development The lecture took off at 6.00pm and everyone is ready for another session of arguments examples and real life experience stories. This weeks lecture was based on Training and developing the individuals who falls under International Human Resource management. We were thus made to understand that within a global market more firms are focusing on human resources as a critical part of their competence and as a source of competitive advantage. In order to do so a firm must focus on the Role of expatriate training, Components of effective pre-departure programs, The effectiveness of pre-departure program, Developing staff though intl assignment and Trends in Training and development. In order to develop the Human resource a company must focus on Expatriate orientation, Cross-cultural training and Development of global managers. The firms originally use expatriates as trainers because they show how system and procedures work and they would monitor the performance of (HCN). We were thus enlightened on that the use of job rotation is a form of management development. The training is done to have a better skilled manager whom is capable of developing with various procedures. Before going in to training programs the trainers undergo training mainly on cultural awareness and language skills furthermore for successful cross cultural Intercultural business skills are highlighted and looked in to with greater concern and also making them understand the cultural variations for those with regional responsibilities. Reflective my learning to my work experience our supply chain director Mr. Khalid is always full of questions. The moment we step in to quotation committee meetings he would unfold his set of questions making all of us very uncomfortable but the learning at class has now made me understand that they are trained to put across such questions in order to showcase their global managerial skills. His experience in other country operations speaks through his questions and it is important for him to ask them and make everyone understand what to be inquired before purchasing a product i.e. the country of origin, The make , the brand , the part number why is it cheaper in India than china etc in regard to a machine . IHRM had made me feel that I am not a fresher to the multinational world as now I understand why certain managers behave that way and why they would question such things and so on. Thus I can happily say that the discussion at class are very effective as it made me understand the real concepts behind training and developing an individual in order to make him a successful global manager . 8.0 Performance management Its Thursday again and I am ready to learn IHRM, listening to all arguments justifications broader perspectives and so on. A class a session a time period full of hot arguments and explanations. This weeks discussion was based on the differences between performance appraisal, performance evaluation and the broader perspective of Performance management. Re entry and career issues were discussed along with this Performance appraisal is used to evaluate the output of the behavior of an individual within a company A format is sketched in order to showcase the way in which appraisal is conducted Difference appraisals could come in with appraising with different languages i.e. English is spoken with different accents/ pronunciations. According to the performance the company will decide whether to keep a specific individual or not. However the performance appraisal has its drawbacks too since it is capable of demotivating individuals. This happens if performance appraisal is used in a wrong country context the employees will suffer due to the fact that they are demotivated with evaluation of their own behavior. However using the correct format one can overcome this situation. The discussion thus moved in to Factors which makes the Performance evaluation critical. I.e. Culture of an organization the Language they use in day to day work environment, the format they follow in the work area and the specific believes the company has from years. Taking Performance appraisal discussion with regard PCN s and HCN s I came to the understanding of that they will be affected when the format changes according to the TCN s further in to consideration how we understand the emotional attitude of them is by understanding who gets appraised and who matters. Then we moved on to discuss on the concepts of whole Vs part. whole is when the company is taking decision as a whole which will give them a long term perspective and Part is when the company is taking subsidiary dictions as a part which will give the company a short term perspective Dowling Welch (2004) However when performance appraisal comes in to action the performance management can be used when evaluating. If this is such you cannot expect a good evaluation. In this factor year on year increase and decrease is not relevant Substitutes are made open to make yourself felt to your clients. You can get company information then it is possible to learn the strengths weaknesses of the competitors as well as the customer behavior even though it wont give a financial contribution. In performance network the contribution of the substitutes are not handling in good grounds when compared to other subsititiues i.e. Airtel being expand to Sri Lanka they are still running at a loss for 5 years. This how ever could be a different strategic approach, in order to research the market For my account this information has helped enormously as a trainee at a multinational company my performance has also being evaluated to see who can do better and who has the capacity in doing a project and what is the limit I could go at a stretch. The discussion in class assists me in a greater perspective as I can understand how the performance appraisal and performance evaluation is done with regard to performance management Therefore Performance management is a combination of individual performance and subsidiary performance and the outcome could motivate or demotivate an individual of an organization and it would also give the current status of a company 9.0 Re-entry and Career Issues This weeks discussion was in relate to re entry and career issues in IHRM and MR. Chandana began to explain that the expatriate process also includes repatriation which is the activity of bringing the expatriate back to the home country . This process needs careful management as re entering in to a country and to an organization is not as easy as it seems. As global managers it is with great difficulty they struggle to settle down in their assigned country and when returning they will have to face culture shock again for what they have missed while they were away. It is very challenging for them to re enter as they would face the reverse culture shock this will also lead some individuals to exit the company. If an expatriate need to repatriate first he needs to prepare himself by developing plans for the future and gathering information about the new position however if this is done accordingly he would have a less cultural difficulties when adjusting back. We were them made to under stand that physical relocation, Transition and readjustment are some of the crucial aspects a repatriate should look in to. Say the repatriate adjusted to the culture of the home country again but he will again face career issues when he needs to look for a job to settle down. He will thus have a career anxiety which post will he be assigned to do will he get the same job back or will he get a lesser position and will his experience be enough to compete with others repatriates. In reflection the same scenario is being evident at my work place our production manager just returned from his foreign assignment and he is yet again starting to readjust himself with the company culture and etiquettes. According to him what he misses most is coming to work from home and going back to his family every day. The understanding I got through this discussion further enhanced me in with what kind of procedure a repatriate would go through before completely feeling home again. The language the customers which were away for a long time is now right there in front of him and he still cannot practice them as he is taking time to readjust. When analyzing on repatriation it is necessary to understand that in IHRM it is a must to take up such challengers as it brings positive aspects to an individual in both financially and also in career wise. The experience an expatriate gets cannot be compared with the person who had not begin assigned to such operations. However in order to help the repatriates to settle down in the home country they should be given counselling, their family also should go through counselling and it is important for them to have a family repatriate programmes. If such necessary actions are taken in to consideration settling a repatriate will not take such a long time. 10.0 Compensation This week the lecture is all about money, as for all I am also an employee at a multination company I was excited about the lecture today. Thats because the subject is mainly based on how a compensation package is made, what are the elements that must include init and the problem which occurs when selecting a proper compensation package. As we all know while working for a firm a good employee will expect a reasonable compensation from the employer. When preparing the compensation package the HRM manager has to consider many things mainly how it has to be, what are the benefits it must include and whom it will be most suitable for ?, are like some of the main questions to clarify at the first step. When we consider the situation as an international compensation package a HRM manager must understand the environment before preparing. When a company recruits an employee from a foreign country or sending someone to a foreign country, the HRM managers job is to find out some basic elements such as inflation, life style, cost of living, taxations, currency value and mainly the housing and education costs if the employee have any family. Mr. Chandana very clearly explained this point and also spotted us how to overcome this situation by arranging multiple paying schemes, compensating in multiple currencies, multiple taxations schemes and multiple expatriate benefits. When selecting a compensation package it should be always designed wisely, as an example the CEO at C.T.C is an Englishman though hes working for Sri Lankan Tobacco Corporation hes been paid according to their compensation system while all the other employees are paid according to the Sri Lankan system. By this I understood the company has managed to fulfill the employee interests. Also its very important to consider how the compensation package meets certain objectives that will motivate the employee to move to the host county. This can be covered by giving an incentive which will make the employee to consider the opportunity also considering to full filling family and other needs and facilitating them on their re entry. When considering compensation there are two well recognized approaches one is going rate approach the other one is the balance sheet approach. As we all know, these methods hold its own advantages and disadvantages. In order to simplify the methods the company can also follow an international compensation method which will include the base compensation, this consists of salary, benefits and other need depending on the job requirement. This can be added with more benefits or can be deducted according to the companies prospective with the addition of incentive components and equalities adjustments. By adding up these two components its always easy to satisfy an employee. As the final conclusion of this chapter I learnt how a HRM manager prepares the compensation packages for their recruits. I also understood when a employee is selected for a operation like this, the responsibility is high, risky and important, because not all the employees gets a chance like that. Also I understood satisfying both the employee and the employer can be tough job for the HRM manager. 11.0 Business Etiquette Social Custom It is the final day of interesting IHRM lectures and the interesting arguments, IHRM related stories will come to an end. However to make the last class interesting the lesson played a huge role Business etiquette and social customs was explained in class with interesting examples of food fashion and lifestyle one would face in different cultures Manners and behavior considered acceptable in social and business situations (Dowling Welch, 2009) this is what business etiquette Social custom means from the authors point of view. However Business etiquettes and social customers can be further elaborated under believes values and the way people think in certain cultures. This lesson became more interesting as Mr. Chandana showed us a video of how culture can affect different personal globally. Having a basic idea of culture from a previous semester as I learnt cultural framework through a counties point of view. The discussion at this lecture made me clear out doubts and clearly understands on some of the concepts. The learning on netiquettes the electronic communication techniques further added on to the intriguing aspect of the discussion. The verbal expression and non verbal expression made me understand that when dealing with suppliers at work premises I should follow the same instructions in order to retain and attract more suppliers. The discussion also helped me to understand the high context and low context cultural aspect when dealing with expatriates in my working place. In analysis I believe that if a business ind