Presenter Notes

Slide#1Good morning! My name is and I’m happy to be here today for this presentation. We will be discussing ways to maximize the use of our Human Resources department and I will concentrate on the ways our Human Resources department can be used for individual performance appraisals, ways of assessing our teams and succession planning.Slide#2What are performance appraisals? Simply put, they are the evaluation of goals that are pre-determined and set by both the employee and organization (Harvard Business Press, 2009). They are used to measure an employee’s performance and team performance.Why are performance appraisals needed? A performance appraisal can be used to provide documentation for any needed disciplinary or termination issues. It can also be utilized to identify the best employees. This will help management identify employee’s individual strengths and weaknesses. This will help employees reach their highest potential. Management is then able to take the information to identify proper training and feedback for every employee. We would cease to exist without our patients. Patient satisfaction is a major factor within the organization. Thus, patient satisfaction comments provide an important source of documentation when using performance appraisal.The performance appraisal can provide an objective evaluation. The goals should be consistent among all employees within each job description. Evaluation then would be conducted using the equal benchmarking. Utilization of the same goals and expectation within the job description helps management avoid discrimination complaints.The management team must take ownership of the performance appraisal system and emphasize its importance and usefulness to our employees. Our employees must realize the value of our appraisal system and be actively involved with  his or her own appraisal to take ownership of his or her own successes.A performance appraisal can provide clarification of expectations, management communication, increased consistency, and expand accountability. Our company will benefit through boosted productivity, retaining experienced employees, and the fostering of culture that allows employees and management to communicate and share ownership in the evaluation process.Slide#3Plan—A date and time should be decided upon in advance to minimize potential conflicts and allow for proper preparation. The appraisal should take place in a location that will provide privacy and limit interruptions.Document—Positive and negative documentation should be collected from the employee hire date. This allows for an accurate, solid performance appraisal to be delivered. Collection of this documentation can happen in many ways, but most often occurs through e-mails, feedback from team members, disciplinary paperwork, current job description and scope of practice, attendance, patient satisfaction surveys and management’s own notes. This information will allow the necessary information that will be needed to deliver an accurate and well-founded performance appraisal.Review Past Appraisals—Has the employee reached his/her goals from the last performance appraisal? Determine what actions need to take place for this employee to improve current performance, what management can do to help the employee reach these goals and provide praise for actions the employee has done well.There are potential drawbacks when using performance appraisals. It is often a hard task to differentiate between organizational performance and individual performance (Towney & Harris, 2000). A performance appraisal may be ineffective if it does not correspond with the culture within the organization (Schraeder, Becton, & Portis, 2007). Also, if not used correctly, a performance appraisal can be detrimental to a company. Complications arising:impede improvement: Soltani (2005) believes that performance appraisals will  adversely affect quality improvement within an organization due to negative perceptions. Negative perceptions: Performance appraisals can be stressful and uncomfortable for both the employee and management. This often is true if the employee being appraised does not trust management or they believe the appraisal is an exercise to be endured and executed. Erroneous information: Accurate information should be provided within the performance appraisal. It should be used to compare current performance to pre-established criteria and the employee should be rated honestly.Often, this is not the case and the employee will receive inflated ratings to please the employee to avoid conflict. Legal issues: When not conducted appropriately, performance appraisals can cause legal issues for the organization. Thus, the performance appraisal must be free from bias and discrimination. Professional goals: Performance appraisals are used to outline an employee’s performance goals. An overly challenging goal may affect the employeeâ€⠄¢s quality of work, knowledge and skills. This would not be beneficial for the organization or employee. New employees should focus on outcome goals rather than performance goals initially. Affect pay: A deficit in performance-based pay may be linked to the performance appraisal. This leads to tension among employees and management.Slide#4The employee should be informed of any performance pay increases after the appraisal. The rationale for not giving any increase in performance pay should be discussed with the employee and allow the employee any rebuttal if not in agreement with the appraisal.Goals must be communicated with the employee and must be in alignment with organizational culture. They must be specific, measurable, supported, and achievable. These goals will be motivators for the immediate time to come. Unobtainable goals are discouraging and provide no real way to achieve company goals. Documentation of the plan of action for the employee should be completed. This docume ntation will provide a record of what has been tried, lessons learned, and the direction in which the employee should take to meet goals.This will help the employee gain knowledge and experience prior to taking on additional responsibilities. Thus, providing the  employee with his/her strengths and weaknesses. Next the discussion for what the employee goals will be for the upcoming future should take place. New goals should be addressed. The employee should be willing to correct any performance issues.The performance appraisal process should include this step for an overall effective process. This allows management and the employee to be involved with the process.Slide#5The employee should know where he/she stands in obtaining performance goals. Thus, providing feedback is an integral part of the task. The feedback should be delivered to the employee to motivate the employee but also help him/her identify any weakness in his/her performance and to help contribute to growth. The em ployee should leave the appraisal with knowledge of what he/she specifically needs to improve on and the actions needed to improve. However, management may unknowingly make mistakes when delivering feedback. This may impede the employee’s performance. Some instances that may be counter-productive to providing feedback is not honestly providing accurate feedback because of a negative connotation, focusing on the individual rather than actions, generalizing the feedback given, and offering solutions with negative feedback only.Personality Appraisal: The employee’s personality may be appraised instead of his/her performance. This may leave the employee feeling attacked. Demoralizing: The appraisal may only provide feedback on what you are not doing well, instead of what you have done correctly. â€Å"I Talk, You Listen† Approach: The appraisal should allow for conversation to take place. The employee should be allowed to ask questions and not to have to sit quietly and listen to only what management wants to say. Surprises: The employer should not surprise the employee. The employer should provide feedback at times other than the performance appraisal, especially if the actions of the employee are negative.Performance appraisals are not often looked fondly upon. Management delivering the appraisals needs to use the appraisal as a way to provide  both positive and negative feedback. This will make the process more effective and beneficial to both the organization and employee.Slide#6The performance appraisal should be completed using simple language. Do not use jargon when speaking with the employee. The employee expects honesty, so don’t gloss over the appraisal if it is not as positive as the employee hoped. This isn’t the time to renegotiate the goals set at the beginning of the year, but to deliver the information on any deficits the employee had. The manager delivering the appraisal should not be afraid to praise the emplo yee for doing a good job. On the other hand, if the employee has not performed as expected, the manager should not feel the need to hide the bad news.The employee’s performance is not a reflection on that manager, but the employee. It is not ethical to inflate an employee’s performance detail to spare feelings. Doing so, actually will expose the organization to liability. Feedback should be given throughout the year so there is no surprise or likelihood for any confrontations during the appraisal review. The employee will respect the manager more when this takes place then waiting until the performance appraisal for all the information to be divulged.Slide#7Is the company concerned with employee successes? Yes! When the employee is able to succeed in attaining his/her goals, the organization succeeds as well. Increased efficiency and production are achieved when management and employees work together with a common goal. The organization will exist only when our company invests in our employees.Professional investing begins upon the employment of the new employee. The employee was hired for his/her individual set of skills and knowledge. The roles and responsibilities of the employee evolve and grow as the organization evolves. Thus, the organization continues to invest in the employee for both the organization and employee’s benefit.There is a benefit to helping an employee expand in professional development.  The organization invests in that employee and hopes to promote the culture of the company. This allows the employee to adapt to changing demands in the work environment. When the employee is successful, then the organization appears more successful.A successful performance appraisal will benefit the organization by providing professional development of the employee. This will help the organization create a employee that follows the culture of the organization. This leads to increased employee satisfaction and results in decreased e mployee turnover.Slide#8Teams of individuals compose an organization. There are organizational expectations for a team’s performance. Four areas need to be considered when assessing a team’s performance. These areas are financial health, market wins, service quality and personal development (Smith, 2004). Financial viability—Financial viability is important in measuring team performance. This tells management how well the team utilizes employees and keeping the overall costs reduced.Market wins—The assessment of the team in marketing gives the organization a picture of how well the team is doing in comparison to company goals. Service Quality—The team is assessed on how important they make the consumer feel and attention paid to needs of the consumer. Was the care appropriate and did the team provide the consumer an opportunity for communication of his/her needs? Personal Development—The team is assessed on the investment of each team member ’s personal development. Did the team members achieve his/her goals and how does this compare to the overall team efforts? Specific evaluations can be good indicators in overall team satisfaction.Slide#9A multi-source feedback model is one that gathers information on an employee from members within the employee’s immediate peer group. This type of feedback model will include direct feedback from peers, supervisors, and  subordinates. This model also gives the employee a chance to evaluate his/her own performance. Feedback may also come from external sources, such as patients. Multisource feedback may be contrasted by upward feedback, where feedback is given from direct reports and traditional performance appraisals, where his/her direct supervisor only evaluates the employee.This combination of appraisals ensures accurate assessments of employees and teams. Supervisors would be able to utilize feedback from the employee’s peers, patients, and his/her own indiv idual performance review. The employees must separate individual assessments from team assessments to ensure accuracy. This type of evaluation also allows for praise to be given when it is due.The multi-source feedback model can also be utilized for team performance evaluations. The multi-source feedback model allows supervisors see the performance of a team from all points of view. This model would be able to identify if the team is meeting organizational goals.Slide#10 Managers must be consistent when evaluating team performance and employees. The manager must understand the importance of the assessment strategy. For example, the employee evaluation focuses upon the individual employee while the team evaluation focuses upon the team as a whole. Thus, it is important to have a system in place for evaluations. The nature of the team type of evaluation needs to be focused on discussions rather than endless form filing. This makes sense because the manager will need to gain an underst anding of the whole team and the successes attained in meeting designated objectives.The discussions need to focus on what can strengthen the team and what individual opportunities exist for individual team members. The team members must feel comfortable and be encouraged to be candid during the discussions. Employee evaluations focus on the individual employee and conducted with that employee only. There are many types of evaluations available to assess an individual employee in an ongoing performance assessment. Individual assessments are aimed at providing feedback to the employee and management for administrative decision-making and employee development. The primary purpose of an employee performance  appraisal is to improve the employee to achieve goals.Slide#11Individuals are not happy doing the same job over and over again without the prospect of something more interesting or challenging being offered to them. Employees who anticipate a long-term career path will look at op tions available to them. They will likely be more motivated and productive. They will want to understand what is expected from them and think about what they need to do to remain with the company.Succession planning helps the organization plan what it must do to provide professional development for our employees. A successful strategy provides cross-training and mentoring to employees and prepares them to be ready to step into other jobs and responsibilities should the opportunity present itself. This allows the organization to function effectively. To ensure growth and sustainability, an organization should implement a succession planning strategy. This will guarantee the organization continued successes and allows the organization to develop more leaders within (Beck, 2013).Slide#12The organization can use succession planning through the development of more leaders within the actual organization. This allows the organization to invest in employees, which provides positive reinforc ement and satisfaction. This also allows to place employees in different positions should the necessity arise to fill positions due to unforeseen circumstances. The actual candidates selected must be chosen carefully, since the candidates will be expanding their competencies and skills to ensure they will be able to lead others. The candidates must be familiar with as many departments as possible so they are able to foster a greater understanding of the organization and culture.Successional planning should be a benefit within the organization. This can be used to help recruit valuable employees. This will help aid the  organization attain the mission and goals set forth.Slide#13 Identification of key positions should be completed. Next, key employees should be identified for these positions. The employees should have adequate development and training to attain the organizational mission and goals. This would ensure the employees identified for these positions would be prepared to step-in to these key positions. This assures the organization has created a group of highly competent employees to advance within the organizational framework.The employees selected must be willing to participate in succession training for the program to work. The organization must ensure the employees selected have the desired abilities and talents to follow the career paths set forth by the company. This is where professional development is key. The organization has created the opportunity for the employees and the organization must motivate the employee to grow. This will help the organization develop employee loyalty and reduce turnover.Senior leadership must be involved for succession planning to be effective and successful. This leadership must become integral in the training and development of the selected employees. The senior leaders must buy-in to the concept of succession planning and provide a positive attitude to the development and training.Slide#14The performance appr aisal system provides opportunities for professional development and training, encourages positive company attitudes, and provides the opportunity for a clear understanding of expectations to be seen. The actual appraisal provides the opportunity to reward, encourage, and clarify expectations for employees. Appraisals are meant to be as accurate as possible and be fairly administered.The appraisal system can be utilized in both individual and team evaluation  approaches. The appraisal system should always be given in a non-threatening manner and be a positive experience even when the appraised employee doesn’t meet expectations. The appraisal should provide a platform to help motivate and develop employees.The goals of employees and the organization should be aligned so both entities reap the rewards. Evaluation of both individual and team performance is beneficial in increasing productivity individually and organizationally. This leads to a more accurate evaluation.The mul ti-source feedback model can be utilized to evaluate team and individual performance. Peers, supervisors and the individual teal member is able to evaluate performance. This model can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses that can then be discussed and a plan of action be implemented to promote professional growth.Succession planning is the strategy utilized to fill vacant positions with qualified employees. The key positions are initially identified and then the employees are identified for these positions. Significant training and professional development will then take place for succession within the organization.The goal of this presentation is to foster the understanding of a successful performance appraisal process. Our organizational goal is to provide support to our employees by promoting professional development to attain our organization’s mission and goals.Slide#15 The Human Resources department is ready to help prepare performance appraisal forms, establish protocols, provide managerial training to improve communication skills to help deliver performance appraisals, and ensure the performance appraisal process complies with all laws.The attitude conveyed by the CEO and Board is a positive one that shows a commitment to our employees and has our employee’s best interests in mind.  They want employees to be vested in our organization and provide professional development to all involved.Our organization is taking a positive attitude to performance appraisals and is promoting them as a positive opportunity for constructive change. Performance appraisals are not to be used as a disciplinary measure.Our organization supports all employees and will continue to help our employees become engaged in a process that will retain them. Interventions will be implemented for those who need improvement. Positive reinforcement will be used at all times.

Most Significant Immediate Consequences of the Civil War

Most Significant Immediate Consequences of the Civil War First of all, the freedom of slaves led to dilemmas concerning housing, clothing, food, employment; the financial difficulties which led to having no money, closure of banks, inadequacy of supply of basic commodities, destruction of railroads and bridges, devastation of plantation and crops; as well as, the defeat of the confederacy which consequently resulted in the South not having any government at all (Effects., 2006). The aforementioned direct consequences were very important because it established the country’s â€Å"Reconstruction† (Effects.., 2006). In turn, the â€Å"Reconstruction† made the following possible: 1) setting up of schools, 2) repairing of bridges and roads, 3) rebuilding of bridges, 4) repealing of the Black Codes, 5) setting up of new state constitutions that gave the right for men to vote, and 6) creation of new state constitutions that protected a person from being brought to prison for debt, etc (Encarta, 2007). Second, the Civil War gave rise to innovative technologies like: the harvester that Cyrus Mc Cormick invented, the oil refinery of John d. Rockefeller, etc (Effects.., 2006). It also augmented production because of the slaves that were freed, the devastation of the South, as well as, the confederacy being conquered (Effects.., 2006). Last but not least, women were given the chance to play the roles that they do not typically assume, for instance, farmers, factory workers, etc (Encarta, 2007).   This clearly defined gender roles and upheld gender equality (Encarta, 2007). The Most Important Consequence For me, the most important consequence of the Civil War is the third one. The fact that these women needed to assume the roles of men made people see that women can also do what men can (Encarta, 2007). This ended gender discrimination and led to gender equality (Encarta, 2007). It also contributed largely to the end of slavery (Encarta, 2007). Thus, it is the most important. Reference Effects of the Civil War. (2006). Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/USRA_Civ_War_Effects.htm Encarta. (2007). Civil War. Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567354_18/Civil_War.html   

Broken Globe Stage 2 Essay

Characterization is the process by which authors make characters come alive for readers. Authors have many techniques available to portray characters, and they can broadly be divided into indirect and direct presentation. In the short story â€Å"The Broken Globe†, author Henry Kreisel brillantly develops the two principle characters, Nick Solchuk and his father, through indirect presentation. Consistency is the key to good characterization. From ? rst person point of view, the reader obtains a full portrait of both Nick and his father indirectly by learning what the narrator sees and hears somewhat objectively. Nick, the narrator’s friend, is a successful geophysicist studying the curvature of the earth. He demonstrates persistance, passion, and determination in the study of the earth. He asks the narrator â€Å"eagerly† with â€Å"his face reddening† about his paper to the International Congress. Even under the torture of his father, he still keeps his goal of proving that the earth moves. He even retorts his father by saying â€Å"You can beat me and break my globe, but you cannot stop [the earth] from moving. † This passage shows his determination in his belief. On the other hand, Nick’s father adopts personas of sophistication during the short visit of the narrator. His father is stubborn that he only believes what he sees is the truth: â€Å"[the earth] is ? at, and she stands still. † He is also imptuous and fractious that he â€Å"[beats] Nick like he is the devil† when he wants Nick to accept the same concept of the earth as he believes. Both characters are consistent and static, for they are still living in their own world: one lives in a ? at world and the other lives in the world of science. Another signi? cant objective of characterization is to reveal motivation. Kreisel’s story is set mainly in Alberta, a â€Å"land ? attens until there seemed nothing. † Living in Alberta, Nick’s father sees only the open prairies and ? elds every day; thus he perceives that the earth is exactly ? at and still as what he sees. Moreover, the reader learns that he is hard to change his mind because â€Å"he received an education of sorts when he was a boy. † Therefore, he believes that the earth is the center of the universe and the center is still. Similarly, Nick’s motivation is intrigued by a teacher who teaches him the earth is round and is moving. This teacher’s â€Å"enthusiasm [is] infectious† as Nick says. The teacher shows Nick a world larger than the ?at prairies, a world that is exuberent. Although the two characters’ own views of the world contradict one another, they do care and love each other. To build characters that convincing, the author must make their actions realistic and believable. Nick and his father are plausible due to their backgrounds. Nick’s father is taught that â€Å"the earth is ? at and still,† and what he sees outside in Alberta is only the far-distant prairies with â€Å"neither hill nor tree nor bush. † Furthermore, Nick, suffering from the violence of his father, always illustrates indomitable perserverence in seeking the truth. He continually shows to his father a globe can move, even though he knows his father will be mad. People with bond ? de determination can achieve their goals, just like Nick achieves his goal and becomes a geophysicist (to prove his father wrong? ). Altogether, they both are rounded characters in that they demonstrate many attributes and traits. Nick’s father is a stubborn, impulsive, and fractious father whereas Nick is a passionate, indomitable, and persistent geophysicist. In the story â€Å"The Broke Globe† Henry Kreisel effectively utilizes many techniques to develop characters, and further reveals a thoughtful insight into life. Nick’s father who insistently believes that the world is ? at and still lives in his own â€Å"broken globe†, where â€Å"Satan has taken over all the world† but him. 1. Sample Task for English 12 Writing Prepared by Seaquam Page 15 Characterization: A Father and a Son, How the Apple Falls Characters can make a short story rich and worth reading. In Henry Kreisel’s â€Å"The Broke Globe† the differences in ethics between a man and his father is seen through the eyes of a somewhat neutral narrator. Nick Solchuk is a brilliant man of science, while his father is the polar opposite. His father is a pious prairie farmer who does not value higher education or the values its teaches. Even though these characters are presented indirectly, Kreisel utilizes other methods to develop the characters. He shows them as static and round characters who are plausible and who remain consistent. Being ? rst person narrative, no direct presentation is used because the author cannot speak directly. He simply assumes the persona of a a narrator and therefore all presentation is indirect. One can ? nd out a lot about a character by what others say about him. Nick’s father is developed in the beginning during the conversation between Nick and the narrator. At this point the reader discovers that Nick and his father differ in many ways. Obviously, Nick is a man of great intelligence as the narrator say, â€Å"he studied at Cambridge and got his doctorate there and was now doing research at the Imperial College. † The reader also learns that despite being a brilliant man, nick whistfully remembers his simple childhood growing up in Three Bear Hills, Alberta. Nick’s father is developed much the same way later on in the conversation. Nick reveals that his father is a polar opposite. Nick’s father is shown as a religious prairie farmer with â€Å"a strange imagination. † Nick also explains why there is tension between himself and his father. â€Å"Curious man my father. He had strange ideas and a strange imagination too. He couldn’t understand why I was going to school or university. † â€Å"I suddenly realized that the shape of the world he lived in had O been O ? xed for him by some medieval priest in the small Ukranian villiage he was born in O But he still lived in the universe of the medieval church. : The reader now knows that Nick and his father are very different. Dialogue becomes a very important part of this story. The reader learns a lot about the father by what he says and by what he says he does. The ? rst meeting between the father and the narrator shows a lot about the father. â€Å"You friend of NickOWhat he do now? O still tampering with the earth? † Now, it has been con? rmed that Nick’s ideas differ greatly from his father’s. Nick’s father may be a simple prairie farmer, but that does not mean that he is rude. The father acts very formally when inviting the narrator inside his house. He stands as the narrator comes in, which is a sign of respect; he even brings out coffee for the narrator. The reader continues to learn about the relationship Nick’s father has with his son, and certain other people. The father explains how he exploded at a teacher for â€Å"letting Satan in† and for teaching Nick science at school. This act shows how the father deals with other people. The father goes on to elaborate on how he dealt with Nick as a child. â€Å"I grab him by the arm and I shake him and I beat him like he was the devilOAnd he made me madder and madder because he doesn’t cry or shout or nothing. † â€Å"I would of killed him right there for sure. † The reader now knows how he handles his son. Nick and his father are both static, round characters. They do not change at the end of the story, but they have many traits. Nick’s father proves he does not change by saying to the narrator â€Å"Satan has taken over all the world. † Then he suddenly rousled himself and hits the table with his ? st crying passionately, â€Å"But not me! Not me! † The characters act consistently throughout the story. â€Å"The Broken Globe† is a deeply driven character story. Both main characters are well developed. In some cases, the apple falls very far from the tree.

Shurgard self storage Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shurgard self storage - Case Study Example This work tells us about the founder of Shurgard, who has proven that goals can be achieved by proper investing and waiting. Shurgard Self Storage has proven its success. Like other business, it is important to create an image and allow shares. He created an image by creating a large lighthouse that could be used by customers to identify the business.Shurgard also wanted the services of the Self Storage to be similar and close to one another so they could be easily accessed. Easy access and fair pricing is a part of Shurgards business strategy. Sucess usually brings expansion. It was not a surprise that Shurgard had decided to expand. Europe had a huge market for self storage units. Shurgard knew what it took to grow and had a great chance at becoming successful in a foreign area such as Europe. Keeping the same business ethics in Europe should mean for a promising expansion.will be successful in Europe with the help of investors. Investors can help the company grow. Growing the comp any will allow Shurgard to expand its Europe operations and make more profit. They will only be successful if they wait for tenants to rent and give the self storage units time to pay for themselves. Current views on the firm’s expansion plans in Europe are promising. This means that an investor will need to help provide necessary funds. Expanding too fast in a foreign location could turn out to be unsuccessful. This is for many different reasons. Europe may only show an increase in tenants for a short length of time. If this happens, Shurgard will not do as well in Europe as the firm did in the United States. It is realistic to plan for an expansion if the expansion will be beneficial to the business. The management of Shurgard faces many expansion challenges. The challenges will bring opportunities but only if Shurgard can become successful. Challenges include, maintaining the storage units, advertising, and handling customers. Managers will be from another country and have to be taught American ways. Opportunities include expansion, and obtaining a good foreign reputation. d. The consortium is proposing to invest 122

The Role of Thusong Community Centre in advancing development to Essay

The Role of Thusong Community Centre in advancing development to communities - Essay Example ratic government in 1994. Black and rural area residents did not have the opportunity of the urban people to receive quality government services. Principal challenge of new democratic government is to reduce the gap created by the previous government in receiving services irrespective of location of regions, status and race of people. In 1999 government introduced Multipurpose-Purpose Community Centers (MPCC) to reduce the gaps. Today, those community centers; are called Thusong Service Centers (TSC). ... These centres are established as communication development hubs based on Batho Pele values and principles, which place people first. TSC’s primary focus was on rural and underserviced communities to address their historical, social and economic factors thru access to information and citizen participation. It also included these communities’ socio-economic problems such as poverty, high unemployment, low standards of living (people living below the poverty line), poor access to basic services, remote settlement patterns, lack of access to technology and information, poor health services, insufficient education and skills and poor infrastructure (GCIS, 2001; 5). Since its introduction, TSC has undergone several changes to improve national coordination at the local level. In this regards TSC program created two phases’ activities. The phases are called first generation and second generation. According to a document released by the GCIS (2006: 7), the first generatio n phase is developed to establish one TSC in each district by December 2004. In fact, by December 2004, sixty-five centres were established that provides services to more than 700 areas not served previously. As of September 2009, countrywide 139 TSCs are established. The further roll-out of TSCs in each local municipality is a target set for 2014. In 2006, Cabinet approved the second generation Thusong Service Centres Business Plan. It describes different participants roles and responsibilities, provides guidelines on the sustainability of existing TSC, and focuses on the role of future centers. Second-generation TSC Program entails government’s commitment to build a responsive state where citizens and the

Human prompting behavior research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human prompting behavior research paper - Essay Example Human behavior is exhibited throughout a person’s lifetime and is impacted with certain traits that people have. Factors that determine human behavior include heredity, social norms, culture, religion, and attitude. Except for heredity, the other factors can altered through effective prompt processes to ensure that people demonstrate the desired behaviors. Human resource training is a critical component of organizational prosperity. Sitzmann and Ely focused their research on the effects of prompting self-regulation on regulatory processes, learning, and attrition. The authors defined prompting self-regulation as asking trainees reflective questions with the aim of stimulating their self-regulatory engagement during the learning process (Sitzmann and Ely 132). Reflective questioning implies taking some information gathered previously and using it in answering the question at hand. Reflective practice enables trainees to pay critical attention to practical values and theories through reflexive examination of human actions. Polaha, Amanda and Rachael argue that reflective practice is the most common tool applied in practice-based professional learning contexts where trainees learn from professional experience (336). Sitzmann and Ely concluded that continuously prompting self-regulation had the greatest effect on learning and attrition (140). This is because trainees applied the principles of reflective practice in their learning processes, leading to increased learning. Prompting behavior, however, did not significantly increase the self-regulatory activity. The subsequent modules were characterized by moderate self-regulatory activity and attrition. Continuously prompted trainees tend to continue with the training even if their performance is low. Thus, prompted trainees continue to apply other strategies to enhance their performance in learning, which helps them to remain engaged

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

American History - Essay Example This condition was exacerbated by the creditors’ reluctance to accept the currency of Continentals. The problem arose from the fact that the Articles of Confederation did not stipulate the jurisdiction for printing money among the 13 states. Furthermore, the Articles constrained the Confederation Congress from raising taxes and initiating legal proceedings in disputes between states. The inadequacy of the Articles was further exposed by the Shays’ Rebellion, â€Å"in which farmers refused to pay taxes and took up arms to protect their right not to pay those taxes. The national government called out the federal militia and stopped the rebellion, but the entire episode made very clear the fact that a stronger national government was needed† (www.socialstudiesforkids.com). These weaknesses inherent in the Articles impelled the drafting of a more robust framework of governance in the form of the Constitution. The purpose of the convention for the drafting of the Constitution was to elicit a consensus on the preferred mode of government and the process of electing representatives. Fifty five delegates in total attended the convention. Considering the diverse range of views and opinions expressed, as well as taking into account the handful of radical proposals made in these sessions, the delegates considered it prudent to maintain utmost secrecy. While the convention initially set out to amend the Articles of Confederation, its thrust soon shifted to replacing it completely. Intense debates raged between the delegates from Virginia and New Jersey. While the former wanted a more democratic and representative Constitution, the latter preferred the status quo. James Madison and Edmund Jennings Randolph, both of whom represented Virginia, argued that â€Å"no confederacy could endure if it acted upon states only and not directly upon individuals. Madison and Edmund Jennings Randolph were able to enter the Constitutional Convention with a plan of government

How has the debt problem in Europe evolved Using appropriate theories, Coursework

How has the debt problem in Europe evolved Using appropriate theories, assess how governments and institutions have responded t - Coursework Example He stated that â€Å"Europe faced a â€Å"moral crisis† as much as an economic crisis and hence â€Å"European leaders needed to make up their minds on the type of union they really wanted† (Beesley 2013). According to him, there was a need for â€Å"radical economics† and a â€Å"radical rethink† of how Eu leaders were handling the economic crisis† (Ibid). The debt problem was generated as a result of so many complicated factors from different sectors of Eurozone. The introduction of Euro or the formation of monetary union, without uniting the fiscal policies of the countries was one among them. European Union did not give proper attention to confirm whether the member states were obeying EU’s rules and regulations and during the crisis they also accepted the high budget deficits by many countries. The global recession of course has a role in the problem from the year 2008 to 2012. The debt crisis faltered the lending and economic growth bec ause of the bank’s liquidity problems (ACCA 2012). The loans made to both governments and private organizations had assumed certain levels of growth when these expectations failed problems arose regarding the repayment and servicing debts (Ibid). In general, problems from the banking sectors had caused remarkable effects on the whole European economy. The rating agencies utilized the crisis occasion in a way that led rise in bond yields and tensions in the bond market and also made the government to hesitate in raising money because of the distrust on creditors about the payment. European Politics had a sound influence on worsening the dept dilemma. Different political parties with different ideas and suggestions always created conflicts between the decision makers. Germany went ahead with their austerity-led strategy to deal with the crisis and also protected against the anti-austerity parties through their strikes. The responsible authorities or leaders could not take relev ant measures at the right time in order to tackle the problem, and it spread uncontrollably. The decisions made by them seemed to be unsuitable and non-practical. The European Union’s attempts to find proper solutions for the debt crisis resulted in increasing the minimum level of bank capitalization in order to make capable of handling future problems (ACCA 2012). Another step forwarded by the EU was the formation of European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to raise funds needed to provide loans to the European countries and later developed a mechanism in conjunction with both EFSF and Internal Monetary Fund for the same purpose (Ibid). As the banking section founded to be a key solution for debt crisis management, the European Central Bank decided to assure low interest rates to aid and boost economic growth and tried to solve problems regarding liquidity by bringing government and private debt securities to the open market. But ECB lacked other important options like f orming fiscal union or banking union. Internal Monetary Fund is also lending money in appropriate manner joining with EFSF and they are expected to do much more in upcoming years. Morris Goldstein, a former deputy director of research at the IMF said that â€Å"If the IMF wasn’t participating at all, the crisis would have been worse† (Eving 2013). While IMF had insisted that the aid recipients must cut government spending and raise taxes Ms. Lagarde

Art for the Sake for Society and Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art for the Sake for Society and Beauty - Essay Example Tolstoy stressed the emotional importance pivots on the value of communication as "infection". This aesthetic conception led Tolstoy to widen the criteria of what art exactly is. Good art, he claims foster feelings of universal brotherhood. Bad art inhibits such feelings. Tolstoy believes that it is unfitting of people in his society to continue to embrace the Greek tradition of art. He was also of the opinion that the most important quality of art is sincerity and he claims that professionalism causes a sense of sincerity in the artist as art which is produced for a living is more likely to be false and disingenuous. Oscar Wilde blames the public for this. He says that the art should never try to make it popular. The public should try to make itself artistic. The insistence of public to exercise its authority on art is immoral and the fault lies in the up bringing. Tolstoy's view of art mirrors the very idiosyncratic and sovereign nature of his own interpretation of Christianity. He was of the view that a good art must be religious art. He also claims that criticism or interpretation of art is irrelevant and superfluous. Oscar Wilde in The Soul of Man under Socialism also shares the same view on professionalism of art. He says, an individual who has to make things for the use of others and with reference to their wants and wishes does not work with interest and thus cannot put his best into his work. Upon the other hand, when a community or a government of any kind, attempts to dictate the artist what he should do, then art either wholly dies out, or becomes stereotyped or degenerates into a low and dishonorable appearance of art. Wilde too supports the view by regarding art as a matter of demand and supply. Tolstoy says, "A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want." The moment art is made on demand and personal choice of the audiences; the artist looses the claim to be called an artist and is merely a craftsman and a tradesman. Art is the most inten se mode of individualism that the world had known. The artist is the only one who can fashion a beautiful thing and he does not do it for his own pleasure than he is not an artist at all. Art on order, as per Wilde, is aggressive, offensive and brutalizing. The art that has escaped best are the arts in which the public take no interest. (Oscar Wilde, The Soul of a Man Under Socialism) According to Tolstoy, art cannot be defined as an activity that produces beauty. Beauty cannot be defined objectively, and hence cannot be used as a criterion to define what art is and what it is not. The aim of art is not merely to produce beauty or to provide pleasure and enjoyment. He wished that art should be served as a means of communication and as a means of expression of experience. Like speech, art also serves as a means of union by transmitting the thoughts and experiences of men, the peculiarity of art being that whereas words transfer thoughts and ideas, art transfers feelings. Art develops a certain kind of relationship between the emitter who has produced it or is producing it and with all those who subsequently, simultaneously or

What does it mean to be the best qualified Assignment

What does it mean to be the best qualified - Assignment Example Managers know that they would do their best to maintain their integrity once they are offered a chance for they know that they do not have many alternatives waiting for them in the market. Also, people who are not the toppers in their academic career are generally more active and brilliant on the practical side. â€Å"Testing for job skills is appropriate, although employers need to be wary of testing for attributes which do not relate to the requirements of the job.† (Rey and Mignin, 2008, p. 62). It is not fundamentally important for an individual to be pre-equipped with all the knowledge and expertise required for a particular job. What is more important for managers is to make sure that the individuals they hire, have enough spark and talent to fit into the organization as a responsible employee and develop the necessary skills in the least possible time. Such people are indeed, the best qualified for the

United Arab Emirates Country Profile Essay Example for Free

United Arab Emirates Country Profile Essay The Middle East stirs interest because of its important historical and contemporary role in global affairs. The region caught the interest of the United States only during the Second World War but the region has hosted and witnessed significant world events. Many of the early civilizations emerged from the region such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations. Influential religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Zoroastrianism developed in the Middle East. The region also formed part of various empires, in succession, as territorial control changed from the Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Mongol, Tatar empires and then to the Turkish empire. The succession of empires led to the fusion of civilisations and cultures leading to various radical changes in the region and human history. (Peretz 1994) During the middle ages, Europe took interest in the Middle East in opening pilgrimage paths to the Holy Land through the Crusades. This increased trade with Western European countries and opened contact of the Middle East with Asia. Napoleon occupied parts of Palestine in the hopes of defeating the British Indian Empire growing in Asia. These expressed recognition of the region’s value as Europe’s gateway to the greater Asian region. Tsarist Russia also moved southward in attempts to take control of Iran and Turkey. (Peretz 1994) With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Suez Canal trading route opened opportunities for various European countries establishing interest in the Middle East. Competing interests fuelled various wars and diplomatic conferences to settle control of the Turkish Straits. Nazi Germany also sought to gain a foothold into the Middle East and then into Asia. During the First and Second World Wars, weapons and supplies passed through the trading routes of the Middle East. In the 1940s, the Middle East gained more importance with the discovery of its vast oil reserves, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. The Middle East gained strategic value not only for its trading routes but also for its massive oil resources. Many foreign companies sought concessions to extract oil from the region. Oil exports supported the growth of industries in European countries and the United States since at least eighty percent of oil consumed in these western regions came from the Middle East. In the early 1960s, the states comprising the Arabian Peninsula and Iran produced one-quarter of the total global oil production with an unknown volume of reserves. During the Cold War, the clashing ideological interests sought to capture the acquiescence of the Middle East, with Russia exerting pressure from the north and the United States exerting pressure from the west. (Peretz 1994) Due to these events, the Middle East became an important region in world affairs. Middle East is the regional name given by Western European states to the block of territory located at the South Western border of Asia, North Eastern border of Africa, and Western border of South Asia. As a collective term, Middle East is a large region comprised of the countries Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. This area, previously called Far East, is located in between the European and East Asian regions. The term also connotes countries sharing a predominantly Islamic culture. (â€Å"Middle East† 2007)

Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry Essay Example for Free

Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry Essay Throughout human history, hospitality has made a great and significant impact on all cultures. The events in Sundiata and The Odyssey both show how the importance of hospitality can influence or determine one’s fate. For instance, Odysseus fate, which states that he will be returned home to be with his family, is impacted by Telemachus hospitality towards Athena. Similarly, in Sundiata, hospitality plays a major role in his path towards founding the empire. Although hospitality was a vital custom in older transitions, they also varied and were carried out differently in both books. In present-day hospitality was treated as simply a small act of kindness towards the guest, whereas in ancient times it was an unwritten law. â€Å"Straight to the door he came, irked with himself to think a visitor had been kept there waiting, and took her right hand, grasping with his left her tall bronze bladed spear. Then he said warmly: â€Å"Greetings, stranger! Welcome to our feast. There will come time to tell your errand later.† (1: 150-155)†As one can see, those who were being entertained expected to be provided with food, shelter and the basic needs. Telemachus offered these services without questioning his guest’s background and identity. In addition, Telemachus sincerity portrays him as a trustworthy and excellent host, despite having little left to offer from Penelope’s suitors. This contributed to the success of Odysseus fate, which was determined by the Gods that he would return home safely to be with his family. â€Å"The tale was that your father had come home, therefore I came. I see the gods delay him but never in this world is Odysseus dead – only detained somewhere on the wide sea (1: 238-239).† Furthermore, if Telemachus had failed to honor and acknowledge Athena disguised as the mortal Mendes, then she would not offer to guide Telemachus in bringing his father home, as well as, give him the knowledge and assertiveness needed to fulfill the fate of Odysseus. In fact, the legend of The Odyssey would never be known today, considering Odysseus would not make it home without the guidance and protection of Athena, together with the support of Telemachus. Similarly, Sundiata’s fate was already predicted before he was born and it was told that he would be one of the great rulers of Mali. Hospitality also plays a major role in his path towards founding the empire. For instance, when Sundiata and his family were exiled, they searched for places to stay but when they visited Mema, the King’s sister welcomed them lavishly. â€Å"A great escort was sent to meet the travelers and a proper reception was held before Mema (Niane 36).† In addition, â€Å"The whole Mema was at the city gate and you would have thought it was the King’s homecoming (Niane 36).† This depicts hospitality at its peak. Moreover, because Sundiata’s family was welcomed into the palace, he was given the opportunity to meet the King who was a great warrior and admired strength. Hence, the king trained and taught Sundiata to fight in an army and enhanced his intelligence, which in turn helped towards achieving his destiny – ru ling the Mali Empire. Had Sundiata not been welcomed into the palace, he would not have gained the wisdom to fight in an army and acquired the principles of a king, which once again, paved the way to making his fate an actual reality. Although hospitality was a vital custom in older transitions, they also varied and were carried out differently. Sundiata escaped death at the hands of his host, Mansa Konkon and the guest-host relationship was changed. However, Sundiata did not show any hatred or anger towards his host. Rather, he responded in a kind and intelligent way to show the king that he is above all the deception. â€Å"No king, do not accuse anybody (Niane 30), Sundiata also said, â€Å"It is nearly up to three months I have been living with you and you have never up to now suggested a game of word (Niane 30-31).† Whereas, in the Odyssey, the suitors were being a nuisance to Telemachus and Penelope, which led to them both showing their anger towards each other. To demonstrate, it was mentioned, â€Å"Go feasting elsewhere, consume your own stores. Turn and turn about, use one another’s house (2: 424-426).† Sundiata showed respect towards his host despite all the threats, anger and plan to end his life, whereas Telemachus vented his anger towards the suitors as they did to him. Though different, the events in both these books eventually influenced the fate of both characters in the long run.

What Gives a Region a Large-Scale Competitive Advantage?

What Gives a Region a Large-Scale Competitive Advantage? The paper titled ‘The Limits of Autarky’, written by AnnaLee Saxenian (1994)[1], considers the issues surrounding clusters of industries specifically those seen in Silicon Valley and on Route 128. By studying the two areas the author aims to discover why one region can be considerably more successful than another, despite having the same mix of technologies. It has long been recognised that there is competitive advantage to having clusters of companies working together in the same geographic region. However, what is not so clear is exactly why some areas experience considerable competitive advantage while others see little or no notable benefits. By taking a detailed look at Silicon Valley and comparing it directly with Route 128, the author aims to answer this key question, namely, what exactly gives a region such large-scale competitive advantage over other regions? Underlying this analysis, the author makes the important decision to rebut earlier presumptions made by other scholars in relation to the boundaries between internal and external economies. The author notes that in previous research there has been a tendency for scholars to draw strong distinctions and boundaries in relation to where the internal firm ends and the external economy begins. By suggesting that there is no clear-cut point between internal and external and that the region is, in fact, more akin to a social network with blurred boundaries, the author is able to take a novel and arguably more useful position when it comes to explaining differences in regions (Powell, 1996)[2]. The first area of research that the author undertakes is looking at the traditional limits of external economies and the analysis that has traditionally been done on the impact of such external economies and localised industrialisation. On a basic level of external economy of scale, analysis explains why firms will tend to cluster together so they can share resources such as transport or even talent; this is not disputed by the author and, in fact, is given greater importance by the author than it has by other modern researchers. The author does not dispute that both Silicon Valley and Route 128 are classic examples of external economies and even reinforces this concept by recognising that they are similar to 19th century industrial districts. However, the author states that there are limits to this analysis which restrict the potential use of external economies as a means of determining why one region would be so much more successful than another. Both Silicon Valley and Route 128 b enefited from the self-reinforcing position that they found themselves in, due to these external economies. For example, as new firms joined the area there was greater venture capital available allowing yet more firms to join. This in turn attracted some of the best talent in the country which allowed the areas to expand (Piore Sabel, 1984)[3]. However, the real question that the author is focusing on is how Silicon Valley became so much more successful than Route 128, despite seemingly having the same underlying situation. Starting at the same position, between the years 1975 and 1990 Silicon Valley expanded offering 150,000 new jobs in the technology field, whereas on Route 128 only 50,000 jobs were created (Saxenian, 1994)[4]. By 1990, Silicon Valley produced one third of all electronic products from the USA, with a total value of $11 billion. By which time, Route 128 had seen considerably less growth producing just $4.6 billion. It is this divergence that the author focuses on; how did two areas that were so similar in 1975 become so different? One of the first concepts that the author explores is that of a network approach. This furthers the concept stated earlier by the author that firms are not individual, autonomous entities and that the boundary between internal factors and external factors is considerably more blurred than previous research might suggest. The author successfully argues that one of the key differences between Silicon Valley and Route 128 is their approach to the way in which individual organisations network with each other within the region. Previous researchers have alluded to this difference, but the author notes that they tend to be disregarded largely as cultural differences, e.g. with California being known for its particularly laid back approach and Massachusetts for being much more risk averse. Whilst the author agrees with this and believes it may have had a bearing on the differences, she feels culture alone is not the main issue. By taking a detailed look at the culture of Silicon Valley, the author identifies that one of the fundamental differences between this region and Route 128 is that Silicon Valley actively encouraged firms to learn jointly and to share experiences. This type of mutual adjustment is something that the author believes is fundamental to the competitive advantage that Silicon Valley has established. Not only has this allowed Silicon Valley to develop some of the most complex technological products, but it has also encouraged very free labour markets ensuring that the right people are commonly found in the right jobs. Contrasting this with Route 128, the author notes that there was considerable more secrecy amongst the firms and much less in the way of sharing. These cultural differences and the way in which the networks operate in these two regions have been noted by the author to be the main reason that Silicon Valley became so much more successful than Route 128. The way in which the individual firms perceive themselves within the Route 128 region and the way in which they keep themselves distinct from other similar companies has been developed as a way of ensuring that each individual firm maintains corporate secrecy. Whilst this protective approach may seem logical, it has inadvertently caused the region to stagnate with little in terms of job movements and little or no sharing of knowledge between firms (Florida Kenney, 1990)[5]. Capturing this, the author identifies Silicon Valley as being a regional network-based system rather than being an independent firm-based system. In establishing this analysis, the author questions why Route 128 firms would employ such a strategy for victory when it was clear to see that the diametrically opposed strategy was working so well in Silicon Valley. Having recognised that this is the fundamental difference between Silicon Valley and Route 128, the author explores this competitive advantage further. It is identified that the rigidity seen within Route 128 was entirely suitable when technology was not moving quickly. Where there was no need to adapt rapidly, maintaining individual firms with their own internal knowledge base was key to maintaining a competitive advantage. However, during the 1970s, technological developments were moving rapidly and the need to share resources between firms became critical; this was not something that the firms within Route 128 were able to a dapt to, primarily down to the systems that they had established and the high levels of corporate secrecy that were inherent in their business structures (DeBresson Walker, 1991)[6]. In order to confirm what the author suspects may be the reason for Silicon Valleys competitive advantage, the author looked at Japanese industry (Imai, 1989)[7]. Networking is recognised as critical for all Japanese industries. Moreover, many smaller medium enterprises are linked together, either with agreements or joint ownership structures in order to share a greater variety of resources. This often results in geographical clusters but is not essential. What is clear, however, is that these types of collaborative clusters produce considerable efficiencies. For example, the Japanese car market is one of the best in the world and uses this network-based structure to remain competitively advantaged. Having seemingly found the reasons for Silicon Valley’s success, the author then moves on to compare and contrast two specific companies in order to see if the theory holds up in practice. The author chose to consider Apollo Computer and Sun Microsystems as the two companies were essentially similar in the 1970s; they were both technology-based start-ups with Apollo computer being established on Route 128 and Sun Microsystems established in Silicon Valley. In keeping with Route 128 culture, Apollo established itself as a very independent company even in so far as actually producing the workstations, not simply designing them. Whilst this initially offered considerable competitive advantage over competitors, it did mean that they developed systems that were entirely incompatible with any other. In contrast, Sun Microsystems, which was established in Silicon Valley, operates a very open policy for sharing information with neighbouring companies and establishing a system that is fully compatible with all other available systems. Sun Microsystems also looks at other companies actually to produce the systems as sticking to the pure design prototype building enables them to concentrate their efforts and expertise. Initially, there was very little difference in the actual performance of the two companies, but over time, Sun became considerably more profitable, as it was able to adapt much more quickly to changes in the industry. By keeping everything internally, Apollo was unable to adapt and this caused considerable decline in sales (Granovetter, 1985)[8]. These structural differences were clearly important to the relative success of the two organisations. The author then takes this one step further by stating that she actually believes the differences lie in the management style and not in the physical structure of the organisation. Apollo, for example, was very strict about business dress codes and very tight on quality controls; the new manager of Apollo, in 1984, was Thomas Vanderslice and he brought in an exceptionally strict regime which was entirely opposite to the casual and relaxed atmosphere seen in Sun Microsystems (Schein, 1985)[9]. Although this in itself should not indicate the relative success of the organisation, it was indicative of the willingness to adapt and change that Sun Microsystems had and Apollo did not. This again is typical of Silicon Valley companies in contrast with Route 128 companies. In fact, Sun’s success was so substantial that many Apollo managers left during the 1980s to join the rival compan y. This caused even further splits between the two regions as expertise began to collect in the Silicon Valley area (Nohria Eccles, 1992)[10]. Hewlett Packard was another example that the author cited as being a success for Silicon Valley. Despite being a huge organisation, it did not fall foul of becoming rigid and unable to adapt to this ever-changing industry. It maintained a nexus of almost entirely independent departments all working together but maintaining sufficient independence to enable them to react rapidly to any necessary changes (Sabel, 1988)[11]. The author draws contrast with DEC a large technological company based on Route 128, which was highly hierarchical in structure and failed to compete at this game due to its unwieldy and rigid internal structures. Conclusions By drawing together both the case studies mentioned above as well as previous research, the author has successfully demonstrated that the way in which an organisation views itself and the way in which it views its relationships with other firms in the same geographical region is critical to the ultimate success of the firm and the region in which it exists. The author concludes, correctly in my opinion, that network-based approaches offer considerable competitive advantage to a firm and the region, in particular, in industries where rapid adaptation is necessary. Collaboration vertically is essential to the success of the industry, as a whole. Corporate secrecy as is seen on Route 128 is a substantial barrier to the development of the technological industries and this has been proven to be the case. Although the author recognises that the physical structure is important to ensure openness and networking between firms, companies should also understand that management style of key firms is more influential than was originally thought. It should be noted that the author does recognise that this network-based approach may not always be suitable and that whilst it is evident that the network-based approach worked very well in the technology industry, in slower moving industries where firms must closely guard their corporate secrets, a much m ore individual firm-based approach is likely to be more successful. Comparing and contrasting Silicon Valley with Route 128 has allowed the author to explore fully and to explain successfully the potential impact of a network-based approach. The value of this comparison is immensely important for the understanding of the network-based approach and has provided valuable insight for other industries moving forwards. Bibliography DeBresson, C. Walker, R. eds. (1991). Special issue on networks of innovators. Research Policy, 20 (5). Florida, R. Kenney M. (1990). Silicon Valley and Route 128 wont save us. California Management Review, 33 (1), 68-88. Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: the problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91 (3), 481-510. Imai, K. (1989). Evolution of Japans corporate and industrial networks. In B. Carlsson, ed. Industrial Dynamics Boston, MA: Kluwer. Nohria, N. Eccles, R., eds. (1992). Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Piore, M. Sabel, C. (1984). The second industrial divide: Possibilities for prosperity. New York: Basic Books. Powell,W., (1996). Trust-Based Forms of Governance in Kramer, R,M. Tyler,T.R. eds, Trust in Organizations. London: Sage. Sabel, C. (1988). Flexible specialization and the reemergence of regional economies. In Hirst, P. and Zeitlin, J., eds. Reversing industrial decline?: Industrial structure and policy in Britain and her competitors. Oxford, UK: Berg. Saxenian, A. (1994). Regional advantage: Culture and competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Saxenian, A., (1994). The limits of Autarky: Beyond Networks and Industrial Adaptation in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Available at: http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~anno/. Schein, E. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Footnotes [1] Saxenian, A., (1994). The limits of Autarky: Beyond Networks and Industrial Adaptation in Silicon Valley and Route 128. [2] Powell,W., (1996). Trust-Based Forms of Governance in Kramer, R,M. Tyler,T.R. eds, Trust in Organizations. London: Sage. [3] Piore, M. Sabel, C. (1984). The second industrial divide: Possibilities for prosperity. New York: Basic Books. [4] Saxenian, A. (1994) Regional advantage: Culture and competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [5] Florida, R. Kenney M. (1990). Silicon Valley and Route 128 wont save us. California Management Review 33 (1), 68-88. [6] DeBresson, C. Walker, R. eds. (1991). Special issue on networks of innovators. Research Policy. 20 (5). [7] Imai, K. (1989). Evolution of Japans corporate and industrial networks. In B. Carlsson, ed. Industrial Dynamics Boston, MA: Kluwer. [8] Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: the problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology 91 (3), 481-510. [9] Schein, E. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. [10] Nohria, N. Eccles, R., eds. (1992). Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. [11] Sabel, C. (1988). Flexible specialization and the reemergence of regional economies. In Hirst, P. and Zeitlin, J., eds. Reversing industrial decline?: Industrial structure and policy in Britain and her competitors. Oxford, UK: Berg.

The Social Interaction of a Men’s Soccer Team Essay -- Anthropology Sp

The Social Interaction of a Men’s Soccer Team In the field of Anthropology, there have been numerous studies on soccer and the different social plays that the sport contains. Groundbreaking and controversial writings such as Marcelo Mario Suarez-Orozco’s, A Study of Argentine Soccer: The Dynamics of Its Fans and Their Folklore (1982) study the fans and symbolism that surround the game. However, a key element that is often disregarded by anthropologists is the players themselves. Dismissed as the realm of journalists, most studies seem to shy away from the social interaction and symbolism that occurs within the team, and instead focus on how the fans view the game and the games role and symbolism within society as a whole. As a senior soccer player on the Occidental College men’s soccer team, I have a unique insider’s viewpoint on the social world inside a soccer squad, and this perspective can add much to the current argument about the presence of latent homosexuality within the world of soccer. Soccer at Occidental is an intercollegiate NCAA division three sport. During the season, â€Å"the boys† practice together, eat together, hang out together, take road trips together, and many live together. As an example of this closeness, during the season I lived with the six other seniors on the soccer team in a small, cramped house. In the off-season, the team is not as tight, but teammates remain friends, hang out, party, and play soccer a couple of times a week. As a lifetime soccer player and fan, as well as a senior on the Occidental team, I can provide a unique insider’s perspective to the world of soccer. This insider’s view into the social lives and interactions of soccer players offers a contrastive view to some of ... ...ritique or response to Suarez-Orozco’s theories. I merely wanted to examine whether they existed in the lives of the players at Occidental. I found no evidence to support his theories that the goal symbolizes the anus of the opponent, but I did find considerable evidence to support his secondary theories on masculinity and femininity. Other than sharing the love for a sport, I do not see much connection between what he studied, the fans in Argentina, versus what I studied, college players at Oxy. I was merely interested to see how his theories existed here. Therefore, I am not saying that he was wrong in any way, just that in America, soccer is slightly different. Bibliography Suarez-Orozco, Marcelo Mario. 1982. A Study of Argentine Soccer: The Dynamics of its Fans and Their Folklore. The Journal of Psychoanalytic Anthropology 5 (1):8-28.

Allie’s Basketball Dream Essay -- Literary Analysis, Barbara Barber

Allie’s Basketball Dream Just by looking at the cover of the story â€Å"Allie’s Basketball Dream† by Barbara Barber I could already tell that the story itself seems to be an ideology. The ideology is not hard to figure out; even the name of the story gives it away. Most girls dream of being a ballerina, a princess, or even a vet but with Allie’s case she wants to be professional basketball player. When I first picked up this book, the name of the book intrigued me to want to read it because I never would have guessed a girls dream would be to be a professional basketball player. As I started to read this book I noticed that the book is based on adults and children of African-American race in urban and inner-city areas. In urban and inner-city areas, playground basketball is a popular form of recreation. Many children and adults in these areas play neighborhood games in parks, alleys, driveways, backyards, and playgrounds. In the neighborhood I was brought up in, I never saw basketball played anywhere besides at school or if you had a basketball hoop in your driveway. The story starts out with Allies father giving her a gift of a basketball that she really wanted. Allies father brought her a gift and said â€Å"Because I love you (Baber 2)† and kissed Allie on her nose. This shows that Allies father is already portrayed as strong and caring which makes this book adult-centered already. When I look at the picture of Allie and her father at the beginning of the book I can see the loving relationship they have with each other (1). The colors of the background of the picture are yellow and soft which makes the picture safe. Allie and her father are in the center of the page along with the basket ball. This shows that Allie, her fat... ...he first time her father brought her to a basketball game she said "No way i'm getting rid of this ball! It's a gift from my dad. Someday I'm going to be the best basketball player ever (Barber 20)." Even though Allie doesn’t say something like "I don't want to be girly" she is still resisting the ideology that â€Å"only guys play basketball† or â€Å"girls don’t play basketball.† In this book gender role interpellation is shown. Up to now, it has been assumed that boys are more dominant and powerful then girls. For example, boys â€Å"are stronger† and can protect better then woman because they are men and they are built differently. However, females have been seen are the care takers, compassionate, and taking on the role of being feminine which means acting and doing all the things girls are supposed to do. Also, females are portrayed as being more â€Å"emotional† then males.

Consumer product safety act :: essays research papers fc

Consumer Product Safety Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Consumer Product Safety Act states that any company that receives numerous complaints about a products defects must report these claims to the CPSA. According to the CPSA reporting responsibilities belong to manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of consumer products. Each is required to notify the Commission if it obtains information which reasonably supports the conclusion that a product fails to comply with a consumer product safety standard or banning regulation. Also if the product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury, or death to the consumer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Commission's interpretative regulation explains the company's obligations and those of the Commission.. This requires manufacturers of a consumer product to report to the Commission if a particular model of a consumer product is the subject of three civil actions that have been filed in Federal or State court, each suit alleges the involvement of that model in death or serious injury to the body. Then at least three of the actions will result in a final settlement involving the manufacturer; or in a judgment for the plaintiff within any one of the two year periods specified. The first two year period began to run on January 1, 1991 and ends on December 31, 1992. The second two year period starts on January 1, 1993; the third, on January 1, 1995; and so forth. Manufacturers must file a report within 30 days after the settlement or judgment in the third civil action to which the reporting requirement applies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why is the reporting required? The intent of Congress was to encourage widespread reporting of potential product hazards. Congress sought not only to have the Commission uncover substantial product hazards, but also to identify risks of injury which the Commission could attempt to prevent through its own efforts, such as information and education programs, safety labeling, and adoption of product safety standards. Although CPSC relies on sources other than company reports to identify substantial product hazards, reporting by companies is invaluable because firms often learn of product safety problems long before the Commission does. For this reason, any company involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution or sale of consumer products should develop a system of reviewing and maintaining consumer complaints, inquiries, product liability suits and comments on the products they handle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a firm reports to the Commission it does not necessarily mean there is a substantial product hazard.

Peace On Earth Essay

Peace is something that many of us hope for on Earth. It is something that many people work for, strive for and die for. But is it possible? Is it possible to unite the countries of the world and live in peace and harmony? Is it possible to unify religions, cultures, and races to ultimately achieve, what many beauty pageant contestants, call, â€Å"World Peace†? Good evening adjudicators and fellow students. Peace is defined as â€Å"a state of mutual harmony between people or groups†. This statement tells us that Peace on Earth is something that cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by mutual understanding among people. There are many different ways to reflect on the word ‘peace’. I always thought of peace as a state of which our world got along, one country to another. I also thought of peace as a state of calmness between people where fighting or disagreement does not exist. I feel that today the pen is mightier than the sword; and many treati es and negotiations have ended wars because people are willing to sit down and discuss their issues. However, I believe in our lifetimes, the entire world will not be completely at peace, since there are so many different opinions between world leaders. Peace in the world starts with each and every one of us. It is a blossoming flower whose quintessence can be felt by each and every soul. As I find my own inner peace, I spread that into the world outside of myself. After all, â€Å"Peace comes from within. Do not seek without it† as The Buddha once said. So from our own inner peace, we therefore become messengers of peace among the people with who we interact with. So from our small group of family and friends, to casual acquaintances, to our various communities. As those communities become more peaceful, then cities and states become more peaceful. As cities and states become more peaceful, nations become more peaceful. As nations become more peaceful, the world becomes more peaceful. And this whole snowball effect, begins with our own search for inner peace. Thus we each ne ed to plant the seeds of kindness and peace in the world, one thought at a time, one decision at a time, one act at a time, and one day at a time. The United Nations is an organisation born to save the world from the scourge of war. After the Cold war, fought between USA and USSR, the world was plagued with conflict, and peace had been lost on earth. The United Nations was an instrument to regain and maintain peace and harmony on earth. Today, the United Nations plays an important role (directly or indirectly) in shaping  the events of the world to promote harmony, the protection of human rights and peace on Earth. In the words of Ronald Regan, â€Å"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.† Even recently the United Nations has used its power to try settle ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, by calling an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. This temporary truce has been enforced since the 12th of February this, however conflict still remains in the region. This fragile true has allowed vital humanitarian efforts by the UN to increase, to the victims. With the death toll set to soar over the already, staggering number of 5700, this ceasefire has given hope to thousands of innocent people, caught in the crossfire. Our power of love has been completely replaced by our love for power. I feel that this conveys the idea that, depending on life’s challenges, peace is truly hard to achieve at all times. The fragile condition of our earth; bloodsheds, and terrorism, are threatening the very foundations of world peace. The things we could do if some nations could put an end to their power hunger, and plundering of neighbouring countries to expand their territories. Take the likes of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi. These are all glittering examples of patriots who sacrificed their lives for peace in their country. In Summation, Peace on Earth is the mother of progress. Without it, a nation, let alone a world cannot make any progress. For peace is a blossoming flower, growing in each and every one of us. Also, our power of love has been completely replaced by our love for power. However, I think we can change this, correction I know we can change this. Nevertheless some believe that human nature ultimately prevents world peace. What do I think about world peace? I think there is indeed no such way to peace, rather peace is the way to make a better world.

Internal, External Essay

| Identify the key actors and forces in the company’s marketing environment that affect its ability to serve its target customers effectively.The marketing environment can be defined as everything that surrounds an organization’s environment and can affect its operation.The business environment consists of the actors and forces that affect an organization’s ability to develop and maintain business with its targeted customers. These are the Micro Environment, the Macro environment and the internal environment.The micro-environment of an organization can best be understood as comprising all those other organizations and individuals who directly or indirectly affect the activities of the organization. The following key groups can be identified as: their suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customers, competitors and the public. * Neil Saab, PROCTER’s European head of laundry products development * Edward Arwell, PROCTER’s Chief Marketing Officer * scientists and over 60,000 consumers * Dutch press * PR Firm hired by PROCTER * Europe targeting consumers’ associations, washing machine manufacturers, retailers * and anybody else who would listen * Dutch consumers’ union * Six test institutesThe Macro environment is the non specific aspect in the company’s surrounding that have the potential impact on the organizations strategies. This environment comprises general trends and forces which may not immediately affect the relationships that a company has with its customers, suppliers and intermediaries, but sooner or later, macro-environmental change will alter the nature of these relationships. These are demographic forces, economic factors, natural, technological, political and socio cultural factors. * For ULTRA WASH, they had claimed a technological lead based on their formula and this was keeping them ahead * Environmental campaigners in Sweden were keen on the effects of the product * Freedom of speech allowed Procter to lobby openly against their competitorThe Internal Environment refers to those activities within the local influence which includes it marketing plans and strategies, how they are implemented and its research and development. Actors in the internal environment include: * David Fritz, ULTRA WASH’s global coordinator of detergent marketing * Top executives at ULTRA WASH Head Office in the UK * Other management and staff of ULTRA WASH Show how each of the actors/forces you have identified in question 1, directly (or indirectly) impacted on ULTRA WASH’s final decision to revamp and relaunch the defective Eno/Ersil Power.For ULTRA WASH, the SWOT analysis summarizes the main environmental issues in the form of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.Strengths of ULTRA WASH: * Power branded in Netherlands, UK and France * Biggest advance fabric detergent over 20 years * They had the technological lead Weaknesses of ULTRA WASH: * Did not act on private warning from Procter before they went public * Did not effectively counter Procter’s negative campaign against their product * Ultra Wash image damaged and undermined as they were slow to act Opportunities of ULTRA WASH: * To launch Power in 11 other countries Threats of ULTRA WASH: * Flaw discovered in technology by rival competitor * The need to withdraw their once successful product from the market * Leading supermarket emptying shelves of the product * Various tests confirmed damaging effects of their products With all the negative publicity that ULTRA WASH had received from Procter, various media agencies as well as tests that proved the product was in fact damaging, it was in ULTRA WASH’s best interest to revamp and re-launch their product.The Impact of the Actors in the Micro EnvironmentThe lobbying and negative campaigning done by Procter’s executives sensitized the public on the damaging effects of ULTRA WASH’s product therefore reducing the demand in the market.Various Scientists confirmed that the product was faulty also confirming to the public that this product was not ide al for their laundry.The Press and PR Firm hired by Proctor hammered bad publicity that contributed to the decline in sales of this product. As the Customers are the most important to consider, a re launch was necessary to correct the past manufacturing errors and reclaim their loyalty. It was also important to create a new image in the minds of the target market by changing their perception. The Impact of the Actors in the Macro Environment * Legal: ULTRA WASH also had on going legal battle with PROCTOR, it was important to end that chapter and show some differentiation in their rebranded product. * Technological: Advances in Technology would create opportunity for ULTRA WASH to develop a new detergent with the correct product mix that would meet environmental specifications. * Social and Cultural: PROCTOR was able to freely express their opinions and change the perception of the general product thereby reducing the market share of ULTRA WASH. The Impact of the Actors in the Internal EnvironmentThe entire series of events proved that  the Executives and marketing personnel at ULTRA WASH were not fully equipped to handle all the negative publicity and did not act expeditiously to recover from this problem. Top Executives should have heeded the secret warnings of PROCTOR and test their product privately to prevent an international outburst. The strategies were not enough to protect their product. Internal branding was important as ULTRA WASH needed to re create a core product with distinctive values that distinguishes it from its competition. ULTRA WASH needed to highlight the true benefits to be from using their product. Brand strategies must be communicated to staff so that they understand the company character on which the company brand is built. Investment in staff training is required to achieve the service levels required for the brand strategy.In order to be successful and to reclaim their market share, ULTRA WASH would need to revisit their team strategies, review their research and development strategies and improve on their technological advances.| Question #1 A company’s marketing environment refers to factors outside of marketing, which has either a direct or indirect affect on the company’s ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with its target market. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) An understanding of a company’s marketing environment is instrumental in the development of its SWOT analysis as the marketing department would be able to identify the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. The marketing environment can be divided into three sub- categories which are internal environment, micro- environment and macro- environment. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) Ultra Wash Power detergent was affected by factors and actors from these three marketing environment which hindered the company from serving its target market. The internal marketing environment of a company refers to factors and actors that are part of the company, which the company has control over. These factors have an influence on the operations of the organization and a high level of control is placed over this environment, as the organization can change it strategies to ensure that these factors support marketing. (The marketing environment, n.d.) (Various Environmental factors Affecting  Marketing Function, 2012) Ultra Wash was affect by the following in its effort to serve its target market: – Research and Development: this is the creation of products, improvements to existing products or the production process through a combination of basic and applied research. The aim of research and development is to position the company as a market leader through competitive advantage. (Research and Development , n.d.) – Company’s Imagine- refers to what consumers think about your business when they hear the name of the product or business. (Image , n.d.) – Top Management: this refers to marketing decisions taken by members of the Board of Directors, shareholders and executives. Micro- environment refers to factors and actors that are closely linked to the organization and their decisions and operations directly affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. (The marketing environment, n.d.) Ultra Wash was affected by the following three factors in this environment: – Consumer Behavior- this is how consumers select, purchase and use goods and services to satisfy their wants and needs. (Consumer Buying Behavior) – Market intermediaries: these are third party persons or organizations between the final customer and manufacturer and given the responsibility of promoting, selling and distributing of the goods and services. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) – Competitors: firms which sell same or similar goods and services in the same market. (Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function, 2012) Marco – Environment are factors which are uncontrollable external to the company. Although these factors directly influence the company marketing decisions, they do not directly affect the company’s ability to serve its customers. (The marketing environment,n.d.) This environment is analyzed through the STEEPLE analysis. The seven areas of focus in the STEEPLE analysis are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and ethical. (Williams, 2013) Of which, technological, environmental, and ethical affected the ability for Ultra Wash to serve its target customers. (The marketing environment, n.d.) Question#2 Internal Environment: – Research and development directly affected the ability of Ultra Wash  to serve its target market as the company did not undertake sufficient research when developing the product. This was evident when they were faced with the facts about how the enzyme â€Å"dirt buster† affects clothing. Also they did not take heed to the warning made by PROCTER, had the company research the information made by their competitors it could have saved them thousands of dollars in damage control and advertising. – Company’s Imagine- With the information about the effects of their detergent being published in the media, the company’s image began to plummet in the eyes of consumers. The company had to take steps to try to rebuild the company’s imagine by offering a new revamped detergent gave them a chance to do this. – Top Management- David Fritz the global coordinator of detergent marketing and the Ultra Wash executives decided to ignore the warnings about the product made by Edward Artwell with the belief that recalling the product would be costly and humiliating to the company and for David Fritz his career. Micro- Environment: – Consumer Behavior- Ultra Wash revenues for the Power detergent was reducing radically due to the information on the detergent which PROCTER released and their campaign against detergent with â€Å"dirt buster†. In order for any company to be able to remain competitive they must be able to attain profits and with the constant decline in Ultra Wash revenues and profit, the company had to make changes to the product to realize an increase the sales and revenues when advertising and promotions did not work. – Market intermediaries- Many supermarket chains considered removing the products from their shelves after being informed by PROCTER about the harmful effects of the Power detergent. In order to maintain relationships with these market intermediaries, who in turn wants to ensure that they are able to maintain good relationship with their customers, Ultra Wash needed to make sure that the standard of the product was improved. This would satisfy customer wants as well as allow Ultra Wash to maintain good relationships the market intermediaries. – Competitors- The actions of the competitors PROCTOR played the biggest part of the decision to revamp and re-launch the defective Power  detergent. PROCTOR tried to assist the Ultra Wash Company by providing them with research concerning the effects of â€Å"dirt buster†; however the company did not listen and proceeded to mass launch the product. As a result of the launch PROCTER released a statement providing the public with the effects of the detergent. Although Ultra Wash made their own releases refuting those claims, increasing advertisement and promotions they were not able to convince consumers otherwise and realized deduced sales. PROCTOR continued to provide the public, including consumers, retailers and consumers’ associations with information on this product until Ultra Wash finally decided to remove the product from all markets. Marco- Environment – Technological- Ultra Wash believe that this new technology would be able to provide them with competitive advantage of being more advanced that they rest of the market. However, in the hurry to become the market leader the technology was not properly research and developed causing the company to experience major losses. – Environmental- Many environmental lobbyist in European and Sweden released public statements about the effects the Power detergent and its affects on clothes. These statements can persuade consumer behavior against a certain product as in this case. – Ethical- Consumer groups such as the Dutch consumer’s union confirmed the damaging effects of the upgraded Power detergent. Ultra Wash needed to ensure that the product standard are to the level the consumers expect as statement against a product will persuade the consumers decisions against the product. All these factors played a major part in the decision taken by Ultra Wash to revamp and re-launch the defective Power Detergent as Ersil tablets. These tablets were able to provide them with the competitive advantage as well as become the market leader for this product. References: Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing Function. (2012, July 19). Retrieved June 10, 2013, from ebstudies: http://ebstudies.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/various-environmental-factors-affecting-marketing-function/ Consumer Buying Behavior. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2013, from BusinessDictionary.com: