Character Analysis of Rose Essay

August Wilson’s Fences is a story of an African American family, primarily centered around Troy Maxson and his difficulties as a black man in a predominantly white society. The story focuses on many themes and puts an emphasis on the relationships between Troy and his family. As the story revolves around Troy, we see that many of the decisions he made start to affect those around him and the relationships of his friends, family, and loved ones slowly disintegrate. One of the most prominent relationships that were destroyed was the marriage between Troy Maxson and his wife Rose Maxson. Loving, caring and understanding, Rose in August Wilson’s Fences is a character that remains a strong woman for her family despite the issues in her household. With Rose in Fences, she is a mother that exhibits strength and sacrifice, as she puts her own needs aside for the well-being of her family. As the play moves forward we see that Troy’s decisions concerning marriage, infideli ty, and family slowly shatters the relationship with Rose and directly affects her role as a housewife, mother, and woman. In the beginning of Fences, Rose is identified as Troy’s wife as â€Å"her devotion to him stems from her recognition of the possibilities of her without him,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1114). Here she introduced during the conversation between Troy and Bono and states that without Troy, Rose wouldn’t have what she does now and she would be leading a worse life; which she also recognizes. 1 Based on her introduction alone, her identity stems from the fact that she is married to Troy. During this time Rose, as a character, is not seen for her character traits or personality, yet she is already given the label of ‘housewife’. This label is further reinforced by the introduction of Act 1, Scene 2 where the scene begins with Rose hanging clothes and singing softly to herself. After she sees Troy, she follows up with â€Å"’Morning, You ready for breakfast? I can fix it soon as I finish hanging up these clothes?† (Kirszner and Mandell 1122). In this scene, she is shown as the regular housewife; cooking food, doing laundry, etc. Her role and identity here is defined by her marriage with Troy through her actions and dialogue as she is expected to play her role as the wife and typically cook food for  the family while tending to other household chores. As the play moves forward, Rose maintains the static role of housewife despite Troy’s treatment towards Cory and actions of infidelity. Infidelity, adultery, extramarital sex, unfaithfulness, cheating. These actions are all of the same and are all abhorred. In marital relationships, it is commonly assumed that both partners remain exclusive although this is not always met. So when Rose comes to find out that her husband, Troy, has been cheating on her and his mistress is now pregnant, she is absolutely devastated. The marriage between Rose and Troy has been destroyed. After this, Rose’s role as a woman and wife start to connect. In Act Two, when confronting Troy, Rose talks about her life and marriage as she compares it to planting when she says â€Å"I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams and I buried them inside you . . . I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom. And it didn’t take me no eighteen years to find out the soil was hard and rocky and it wasn’t never gonna bloom. But I held on to you, Troy. I held you tighter. You was my husband.† (Kirszner and Mandell 11 47). When Rose told Troy that she took her feelings, wants, needs and dreams and 2 buried them inside him, she was telling him that she’d given her life for their marriage and their family. She put his needs and the needs of their children consistently over hers. Here it is understood that Rose sacrificed herself and her identity for the sake of marriage. But as she noted, there was never a bloom. In Rose’s day and age, it was uncommon for women to stand up for themselves. When she found that her husband had impregnated Alberta, she told him that she would no longer live with him as his wife with â€Å"But you a womanless man,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1151) and they lived separate lives. When Alberta died, Rose adopted Troy’s daughter as her own, and took care of her, only allowing Troy to provide for them as Rose ended up accepting the role of mother. After the affair and the birth of Raynell, Rose’s role as a mother will stay static. She will still care for and nurture Raynell. But before that happens, many aspects of herself change. During this time, we start to see  Rose waver from the role of housewife and begin to identify as a woman and a person herself. When Rose stands up to Troy, her identity as a wife starts to diminish. Rose tells Troy, â€Å"And you know I ain’t never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half. Everybody got different fathers and mothers my two sisters and my brother. Can’t hardly tell who’s who. Can’t never sit down and talk about Papa and Mama. It’s your papa and your mama and my papa and my mama.† (Kirszner and Mandell 1145). At this point, we start viewing Rose for her beliefs and see her as a person; not Troy’s wife. We see that she had needs and wants as well. Rose wanted family and she wanted to keep her family together, which was torn apart after Troy’s affair. This affair also helps her identify more as an independent woman now. Following the affair, Rose becomes cold towards Troy as she tells him that â€Å"Your dinner’s on the stove. All you have to do is heat it up,† and then leaves the house to do what she wants. Troy is asking questions here, but not receiving answers as his â€Å"wife† leaves. In Fences, Rose’s relationship with Troy diminishes with every decision that he makes. These decisions start to affect the characters and change their roles in the household. Rose stays as a mother, but is no longer a wife. She becomes her own person, with beliefs, and starts thinking of herself. She makes a stand for herself and her family and realized where she went wrong in her marriage after Troy’s death. She told Cory that she’d made the mistake of not making Troy think of her. â€Å"When your daddy walked through the house he was so big he filled it up. That was my first mistake. Not to make him leave some room for me,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160). Rose gave up love for comfort as she followed up with â€Å"But at that time I wanted that. I wanted a house that I could sing in. And that’s what your daddy gave me,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160) and soon her identity was established after their marriage as wife because â€Å"that’s w hat life offered me in a way of being a woman,† (Kirszner and Mandell 1160). Based on her needs, wants, and beliefs, Rose could have been her own person from the beginning. But she didn’t do that; she married Troy to become wife and mother. For her then, her marriage with Troy was her entire identity. But afterwards Troy’s decisions for his family and himself helped make Rose develop into a more rounded character.

Population Is a Source Not Burden

Population; A Human Source Or Burden Zawar Hussain The world population milestone that is sparking a global discussion on today’s most pressing environmental, health and justice issues, Pakistan’s population has continued to grow at break-neck speed. This has put immense pressure on the resources Pakistan has or can generate. Some would argue that every birth produces a consumer. Increasing population is actually a blessing in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. So in religious sense its good. Also if we analyze it, increasing population is actually good.Man power is a resource and not a burden, It is a burden if the wealth is distributed in an unjust manner, like for instance in Pakistan, India and through out the world. So if we want to follow capitalism there will always be an unjust distribution of the wealth. But if we follow the Islamic concept of Zakat. 2. 5 % tax on savings (gold, money, silver property etc)not on salary, and we quit corruption then its a blessing. And man power can be used in agriculture, industries and other productive things. In this way there won’t be capitalistic pyramide and jobless people.Population, A Human Resource; A huge population can prove to be a nation’s biggest asset. For the all-round progress of a large nation, it is essential that all its people contribute significantly to diverse areas and sectors of the economy—like agriculture, service industry, construction and other industries, to name a few. The talented and hardworking people of a nation can emerge as a highly competitive human resource. A country marches ahead largely on the strength of its talented, educated and enterprising manpower. Many nations like Japan and Israel have proved it time and again.These nations are poor in natural resources: they lack land and other natural resources such as minerals, metals and water, and various sources of energy like natural gas and crude oil. But these nations have shown that the general p opulace could be turned into a valuable human resource. Further, huge populations of young people, a majority of whom are hardworking and enterprising, can make a nation that finds respect worldwide, often evoking the envy of other nations which are under populated and lack the valuable human resources necessary for taking a nation forward. Highly talented and educated people can be proved valuable y providing their expertise and technical and no technical know-how to various industries and vocations, and can tremendously add to the overall growth of nation. Nation has to excel in many fields by making the most imaginative use of its large human resource. If the huge rural population is suitably educated, trained and equipped in agriculture know-how, the nation would achieve excellence in agriculture of an unforeseen kind. This way the burden on the economy will ease and the nation will progress by leaps and bounds as all its people will have a significant role to play in the nation - building process.A few lakh young people graduate every year in Pakistan,a sizeable section of them in professional disciplines. Very few nations of the world can boast of such a feat. Conclusion; According to my point of view and above all discussion,population is a human source, not burden. Some great personality had said –  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Population is not a burden in itself† It means that a large population is not a burden on its own. A large population can be turned up as an asset for the country. The biggest example we can cite is China.It has a bigger population than even India has, but we can see the level of development that China has when compared to India. It does not take its population to be a burden. It does not get tensed and does not think about what to do with such a big population, but it uses its population as an asset. Population can be used as an asset if we have an attitude. we don't actually understand that population can be used as an asset instead o f taking it as a burden. We can use our population as an asset by planning a good system of classification and sending people to various fields, as per their qualifications.We need to provide better education system and we need to keep it up continuously. We need to produce good human resource. . This we do easily. We are producing so many professionals every year, but the problem is that we are not able to send them to work in different fields, we are not able to employ them. So I think that a population can be used as an asset only and only if we understand this theory. We will need to train our people and fix them to work and then we won't take up our population as a burden.

Plato and Aristotle: An Analysis Essay

Determining the best form of political association was important to the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and each of them expressed his opinion in important works such as the Republic and Politics. In explaining, comparing, and contrasting the political philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, it is evident that each of them shared the same goal of identifying and promoting the best form of political government. They also shared in common the same philosophy regarding the origins of a political state. The State arises, Plato says through Socrates in the Republic, â€Å"out of the needs of mankind. † (Plato) Aristotle agrees, and declares that the state is a political partnership that exists for purposes of self-sufficiency as well as for the sake of living well. In other words, the State exists in order to provide for the well-being of its citizens. Aristotle expresses this in Politics when he argues, â€Å"the good life is the purpose of the city-state. † (Aristotle) Furthermore, both Aristotle and Plato agreed that Man is by nature a political animal, because he has the ability to express his thoughts about justice. Their respective analyses reflected their respect for justice, and their elevation of it to the highest priority. In the Republic, Plato defines just political rule as a system in which each interest is satisfied to the proper extent and everyone has what is theirs. The philosophers have the knowledge they want; the warriors have the honors they want; and the commoners have the goods and pleasures they want, under the enlightened guidance of philosophers and warriors. The methods of Aristotle and Plato were similar in many ways. They both utilized logic, evaluations of contemporary politics, and lengthy comparisons of various types of political rule to arrive at their conclusions. As citizens of ancient Greece, they both shared much the same outlook on society, religion, morality, and politics. They also shared similar historical perspectives, and their perceptions of contemporary events were formed through the same philosophical context. One of the contrasts between their methods is that Plato used analogies to make his points. He examined a political state by comparing the state with the human soul. Unlike Aristotle, he also used a style of approach in which he made his points through dialogues involving Socrates. He also designed an ideal state run by people he referred to as â€Å"The Guardians† which differed from Aristotle’s approach in Politics, in which style and form more closely resembled an essay or monologue. In Politics, Aristotle emphasized that correct political rule involves pursuing policies which are to the common advantage of the most people. Aristotle reasoned that rulers who placed their own interests above everyone else’s had no political legitimacy, for their tyranny brought suffering upon their own people. Aristotle described the best forms of political rule as kingship, aristocracy and polity, and described the worst forms as tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. Plato was also harshly critical of tyranny, and described it in the Republic as, â€Å"not a matter of minor theft and violence, but of wholesale plunder, sacred and profane, private or public. † (Plato) Both men’s methods involved a comprehensive analysis of the consequences of each form of rule. Aristotle criticized Democracy because its consequences were rule by the multitude, which causes injustice. He criticized Oligarchy because its consequences were rule by the wealthy, which also causes injustice; and he criticized Tyranny because its consequences were dictatorship, which again causes injustice. In terms of the merits of the citizenry, Aristotle notes that the people may collectively be the best judges of certain things, so it is justified for them to take part in deliberations. But like Plato, he feels that the common people are not qualified to share in the highest offices. Both Plato and Aristotle also agree that laws need to be made in accordance with the regime, and agree that the more just a ruler is, the more just the laws will be. Essentially, both Aristotle and Plato asserted that the goal of politics should be justice. One difference between them is that Plato believed that the best claim to rule was education and virtue, although he conceded that there is also a claim to rule based on wealth and on numbers. Another difference is that Aristotle emphasized that the most important task for a leader was to be a lawgiver, and to frame the appropriate constitution for the city-state. In Aristotle’s system, it was the leader’s duty to provide enduring laws, customs, and institutions for the citizens. According to Aristotle, once the constitution was in place, the ruler needed to take the necessary steps to maintain it, to implement reforms when he considered them necessary, and to guard against any subversion of the political system. Aristotle’s emphasis on a constitution sets him apart from Plato, who considered philosopher kingship the best form of political rule. Aristotle described a constitution as â€Å"a certain ordering of the inhabitants of the city-state,† and as â€Å"the way of life† of the citizens. (Aristotle) He also speaks of the constitution of a community as â€Å"the form of the compound† and argues that whether the community is the same over time depends on whether it has the same constitution. (Aristotle) It should be noted that despite the fact that Aristotle’s political views were influenced by Plato, he was very critical of the ideal city-state set forth in Plato’s Republic. He based his criticism on the grounds that Plato’s ideal city-state overvalued political unity, embraced a system of communism that was impractical and inimical to human nature, and neglected the happiness of the individual citizens. In contrast, in Aristotle’s view of the ideal State each and every citizen would possess moral virtue and the equipment to carry it out in practice, and thereby attain a life of excellence and complete happiness. All of the citizens would hold political office and possess private property because â€Å"one should call the city-state happy not by looking at a part of it but at all the citizens. † (Aristotle) In conclusion, the ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle were both concerned with identifying and promoting the best form of political association. In works such as the Republic and Politics, they used similar methods of analysis to evaluate the best form of political rule. For Aristotle, the best form of political rule corresponded to the best way of life for a human being. Since the best way of life is living nobly and according to virtue, the best political form of rule is the one which promotes this kind of life. For Plato, the best form of political rule was Aristocracy, for it involves rule by the best people in the political community. Bibliography Aristotle. Politics. New York: Dover Publications, 2000. Plato. Republic. New York: Viking Press, 1955.

Vermont State Health Policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Vermont State Health Policy - Term Paper Example Single-payment will be funded from tax collections, diversion of financial aids from Federal governments and hence, it will be based on equitable financing and 100% of healthcare of Vermonters will be met by Vermont State.   Vermont’s governor Shumlin conceived the single -payer system, and he promised all the 620,000 Vermonters with a gift of $3,225 each and every year to pay for free healthcare by Vermont State. However, Shumlin has not come out with his plans how he is going to fund the same. Only time has to tell us whether Shumlin dream project is going to stand as a model for all the remaining states in the USA or going to drain out the state’s exchequer’s resources.   As per United States Census Bureau, as of 2013, Vermont population was estimated at 626,011.This indicates a growth of 0.004% as compared to 2010 census. About 67.7 people were residing per sq. mile as of 2013. (Quickfacts.census.gov 2014).   From the following figure, we can understand that Vermont State spent $2210.9 million or $2.2 billion on human services (which includes healthcare expenses also) which is equivalent to 41.8% of the aggregate of the expenses of Vermont during 2013. Human service expenses include health care, food stamps, Child protective and housing services.   Medicaid: This offers insurance coverage for kids, adolescents under age 21, pregnant women, caretaker relatives, parents, disabled or blind people and those aged 65 or above. For qualifying under this, the income level should be below the protected income level† (PIL) or below the Federal Poverty Level. (FPL)†. The Vermont Health Access Plan (VHAP): This scheme is available to those adolescents above the age of 18 and older who are not eligible under Medicaid program and those who are having income below 150% of FPL.   

Is it possible to achieve belonging or cultural acceptance without a Essay

Is it possible to achieve belonging or cultural acceptance without a sense of individuality - Essay Example (Grammich, Clifford A.. 2010, 14) The question that one would want to ask is whether it is possible that one would be accepted in a group without losing their individuality. Responding to this message requires appreciation of the fact that being accepted in the group while one is individuated will mean to be accepted in the group without conforming to the norms of that particular group. The possibility that individuals would conform to group norm depend on a number of factors’ first, the group cohesiveness. This is the degree to which individuals are attracted to the group and the benefits that are drawn from that group. The size of the group would also determine whether individuals would conform or not. Smaller groups tend to pile a lot of pressure for conformity than large groups. The concept of individualism has been studied in details by two main theorists, Locke and Mills. According to Locke, individualism has been overcome by the pressure particularly that of the government. He suggests that government is a necessary evil that rope people together to conform. His view of individual’s conformity is authoritarian. Mills however reveals that individualism was grounded on theories of pleasure and pain. He suggests hat individuals are the arbiters of their own actions and therefore they are considered to be one of the strongest  proponents for liberalism, checked only by his harm principle. (Mills, Gordon H, 26) Grammich, Clifford A.. 2010 U.S. religion census: religious congregations & membership study : an enumeration by nation, state, and county based on data reported for 236 religious groups. Kansas City, Mo.: Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, 2012.

What, if, any are the logical fallacies inherent in current australian Essay

What, if, any are the logical fallacies inherent in current australian law which permits company directors and officers to evade liability using asset protectio - Essay Example may arise out of past transactions or events, the settling of which may involve in transferring and usage of one’s assets, providing services or other economic benefits. A liability is not necessarily legally enforceable, but most probably will be based on equable or constructive obligations in terms of future projects or transactions. Asset protection, on the other hand, denotes immunity from asset liability. This may be called as protecting one’s property from legal or monetary claims, problems and taxes during life and even after death of the asset â€Å"owner†. It is a form of financial â€Å"self-defense† which places one’s assets beyond reach of the creditors. Traditionally, there have been two major strategies employed to protect personal assets, namely, gifting and the use of trusts Asset protection, though legally justified in terms of its owners, is not morally rationalized when viewed on behalf of the creditors. Asset protection, thus, is a method, by which an individual or an entity, protect their assets, through procedures such as having layers of multiple entities by which the actual perpetuator always remains anonymous, and therefore, unaccountable, for their assets, or by having trusts and insurances. This article aims at identifying and zeroing in upon the logical fallacies and loopholes in the current system of asset liability and asset protection in Australia, if any, and the reforms necessary to correct the same. It has now become almost an undeniable reality that one will be sued for something or the other during his/her lifetime. And in most cases, this type of lawsuit involves asset liabilities. Asset protection has thus become a necessity. Asset protection is no longer a luxury to be afforded to the very rich.   It has become a necessity for upper middle class and even middle class.  Ã‚  Simply put, asset protection devices are strategies and legal structures designed to put one’s assets out of reach of creditors and business

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Discussion Board - Essay Example Internet has emerged as the conveyer of leadership, synchronizer of teamwork, and facilitator of communication. Rapid networking has integrated most of the managerial and communication processes in and around the organization. No doubt, Internet has thus expanded the scope of organizational behavior manifold. (Nelson and Quick, 2007) In this context, the example of ObWeb can be readily furnished, which is an entire website dedicated to the cause of organizational behavior. The website serves two main purposes: First, it helps thought sharing, communication, and research in the field of organizational behavior. Second, it strengthens the organizational behaviorist patterns of the academics and professionals by serving as an interactive social media platform. Hence, the web portal provides a forum for the members to ask questions, get answers, post announcements, and engage in a dialogue to address the issues related to organizational behavior. (Leana, 2010) Internet is perhaps one of the strongest tools of information technology (IT). Internet has enabled us to access huge amounts of data, communicate with each other across thousands of miles, and facilitate trans-platform integration of different technologies like email, ecommerce, etc. However, in regards of organizational behavior, the potential effects of IT and Internet are not uniformly positive. Organizations that rely on sophisticated information technologies are more vulnerable to vandalism, espionage, and sabotage. Moreover, IT can create new social divisions. For example, the computer savvy may be put vis-Ã  -vis the nonuser and the educated may dominate the uneducated in newer ways. Faster ways to communicate through the Internet cannot substitute the critical human qualities like common sense and good judgment. Rather, too many channels of communication may lead to contradictions and confusion. Hence, advent of Internet has introduced new problems related to network

Research Paper for Ethics Criminal Justice Class

For Ethics Criminal Justice Class - Research Paper Example â€Å"According to Bloxham & Kushner (2005), it was very unethical for the commanders to follow the laws and orders of the Third Reich during the Holocaust.† The following quote show the hatred developed by most Germans against the Jews â€Å"A Jew is for me an object of disgust. I feel like vomiting when I see one. Christ could not possibly have been a Jew. It is not necessary to prove that scientifically – it is a fact.  I do not need to prove this with  science  or scholarship. It is so!† The Third Reich was the official Nazi designation for the regime ruling Germany from January 1933 to may 1945 under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. This Third Reich was a presumed successor of the medieval and early modern Holy Roman Empire of 800 to 1806, which was the First Reich, while the German empire from 1871 to 1918 formed the Second Reich. The Third Reich operated on laws and orders that were discriminatory to people who were of different races from the Germans, especially the Jews and the polish. As such, the obedience by their commanders of these laws and regulations to continually persecute and exterminate the Jews and polish in German concentration camps was very unethical. These laws and orders as followed by the Third Reich were extremely immoral and unethical. Furthermore, they were particularly against the Jewish people. â€Å"Bergen (2003) argues that their defense during the Nuremberg trials was utterly wrong and unsuccessful, as law or no law; it is unethical an d inhumane to persecute and execute others just to follow orders†. The word Holocaust originates from the Greeks, comprising a combination of two Greek words, â€Å"holos† which means whole, and â€Å"kaustos† which means burned. The Greek used this word historically to refer to or describe a sacrificial offering that they offered burned on an altar. However, this term acquired a new and horrendous meaning during the Nazi regime and

Diversity Leadership - No African-Americans Here Case Study

Diversity Leadership - No African-Americans Here - Case Study Example Beliefs, with regards to an organization, are the plans based on the values that will see the organization attain its visions. Attitudes, in an organization, are the positive and negative thoughts of business proceedings that people have (Thomas, 1991). Finally, values are the issues that organizations put first when forming a basis of their ethical actions. Culture can be defined as a pattern of shared assumptions that an organization learns as it deals with its daily issues of internal integration and external adaptation, which has worked well enough to be perceived as valid. Therefore, culture refers to the correct way of thinking, perceiving and feeling with regards to organizational issues (Hofmann & Nelson, 2001). Climate, on the other hand, is the long-lasting quality of the overall organizational environment. This is in proportion to the experience of the workers, an influence of their behaviour, as well as the attributes of the organization (Johnson, 2009). In addition, climate can be referred to as the phenomenological, but external factors that take place around an organization, for instance, the way social environment is experienced by members of the organization. Cultural competence is at the centre of managing diversity within an organization (Dreachslin, 1996). Whereas a few individuals appear to be born with cultural competence, a great number of people have had to put consideration attempt into developing cultural competence. As perceived by many scholars, cultural diversity could have stern effects on an organization if not tackled correctly. However, the best results of an organization could be achieved if its workers portray cultural diversity. This is because cultural competence can motivate staff members or prevent them from being dissatisfied with the organization’s policies (Evans, 2003). Cultural competence attracts prospective workers, and this is beneficial to the organization.  Ã‚  

The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks - Essay Example The poem provides an insight into what a mother actually experiences after an abortion and the extent of love that a mother has for her children despite the fact that she never gave birth to them. Gwendolyn Brooks marks the theme of the poem in its very first line which states that an abortion for a mother is an experience of her life that she can never get over with. The first stanza deals with the emotions of the mother in which a mother is explaining about the things that she would never be able to do since she does not have children. The women is presenting with motherly activities that she is longing to perform but would never be able to do that. This can be seen in these lines, â€Å"You will never neglect or beat them, or silence or buy with a sweet.† She is clearly presenting that she would not be able to nurture children due to the abortion which includes looking after them, feeding them and being with them all the time. This shows her remorse over her incapability of performing all the activities with a child that is the desire of every mother. In the next stanza she explains that she understands that she has actually stolen away the rights of children who would have been like other beings in this world and performed all the worldly activities. They would have enjoyed this world and would have started their journey of life like other people which begins with being a helpless child till the time that he grows up and gets engaged in a relationship up to the end of his life when he reaches his deathbed. She knows that she has killed a human life which would have actually developed emotions, feelings and sensations if they had been given the chance to do so. But with all regret she tries to provide an explanation that at that point of her life she had no other choice. She justifies herself with these words, â€Å"Believe that even in my

Discuss the relationship between the informal economy in the socialist Essay

Discuss the relationship between the informal economy in the socialist states and the emergence of capitalism in these states after 1989 - Essay Example This was referred to as the socialist experiment that became defunct in the year 1989 throughout the Eastern Europe for unidentified reasons, eventually resulting in the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. This in turn, unlocked new doors of transitions and socio cultural transitions in the region. The formal economy is the essence of the contemporary perceptive of the states following the capitalist concept to influence the globe whereas the informal economy is the unpredictable or irregular perception designed and practiced by specific people although these are less powerful than the ones endorsed by dominant power and wealth. The study of the same era and the historical accounts help one to understand the theory of socialism and its practice as well as the changes that occurred from region to region. For instance China, the largest country in East Asia developed into a socialist state in 1949 and the Republic of Cuba witnessed the Cuban Revolution that led to the overthrow of the Dictator government of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July movement and other revolutionary organizationsin 1959, and was declared a socialist state in 1961. The trends occurring in socialist and post socialist Eastern Europe and akin in the capitalist West, such as privatization, the growth of neo-liberalism or the weakening of the welfare state resulted in many changes over the years. According to Pine (1996) the importance of class and gender equality became bona fide in the Eastern European states after the end of socialist states therefore allowing equal rights to the women with the likes of men in the society. As in Poland where previously extremely progressive rights were practiced that failed to be implemented in the socialist period. The Eastern Europe observed the same with women consigned to the private sphere, depriving them of basic rights. The same observation has been derived by Foucault (1991) regarding the improvement in the governmental operations in terms of practicality and efficiency through the historical perspective by learning and inventing innovative likewise improved plans of governing. Disparagement further sti mulates such progress through the modifications in actions and extensions of limits. If we study the comparisons of some post socialism countries, using ethnographic examples we come to know that vast diversities from Hungary, Romania and Transylvania considering each nation has a different backdrop of the post socialism period along with specific array of tribulations. The Hungarian ethnographers demonstrated dissimilarities in personalities, interests and specializations between the North American and native European ethnographic studies. In Eastern Europe citizens were faced with colonialists, Western and capitalist society settings. Considering similar issues the anthropological studies and comparisons of the Eastern Europe with the Third and fourth world countries were conciliatory. As Verdery (1999) points out the presence of additional features of socialism that made general ideas significant for normal people living in regions having ethnic groups amalgamated rather than territorially

Some Things to Laugh About Essay Example for Free

Some Things to Laugh About Essay After reading the three articles one cannot help but realize that laughter is a serious but comical subject worth debating on. All in all, these three documents unite in one concept: that laughter can be used as a tool for social interaction for acceptance and as reinforcement to achieve certain positive responses. According to Richard Penson, et.al., many people believe that laughter is one of the best medicines that can cure not only physical ailments but human relationships as well.    Although laughing does not always result to healing, many consider good sense of humor as a great way to put their problems in better perspectives which in turn helps in better handling of awkward or grave situations. Gregory Berns supports Penson’s claim that laughter is a popular tool that is being used to gain social acceptance even though it can also jeopardize human interactions with misuse and abuse such as when jokes are delivered to embarrass a person. Jaak Panksepp’s article about rats supports Berns’ and Penson’s idea that laughter can be used in social interactions to gain certain rewarding results because his observations showed that rats tend to chirp (their version of laughter) when they are faced with threatening situations against fellow rats.   Panksepp implicates that rats try to lighten an aggressive encounter with a fellow rodent with their own way of laughing. Although studies about laughter and humor have been done, many researchers find it difficult to pursue their studies because of the ambiguity of how laughter originates from humans.   The scientific world has previously assumed that only humans experience emotional highs like laughing but Panksepp’s research on rodents can pave the way to show that other mammals also have their own forms of laughter.   Knowing that rats can also use their form of laughter called â€Å"chirping† as a tool for social acceptance and alleviating threatening situations can be helpful because this means that more research and observations can be done using animals instead of people which tend to be tedious and yield inconsistent results due to many uncontrollable factors. Panksepp’s frequent use of side comments such as referring to his insight as â€Å"delusion† was funny and it showed how humor can really help lighten even heavy subject matters like his research. However, his study needs to be validated and followed up by other scientists because as he has pointed out, it seems that he is the only one who can tell when rats are chirping even under direct provocation.   Although it is Panksepp’s perception that the scientific community is not very open to suggestions that animals can feel emotions, to reach out to his colleagues in the field by not mentioning this setback can probably boost his research’s acceptance. Berns’ article about how laughter or sense of humor says that â€Å"any discussion of humor would be incomplete without at least the mention of sex† because humor can actually originate from man’s hedonic brain processes. Berns’ assumption makes one realize that even common things such as laughter can be subconsciously used to gain social acceptance or even sexual attraction. However, it would take more studies to strongly validate these findings because of many uncontrollable factors that need to be considered when experimenting with human behavior.   Some of these factors include the personal family history of the participants, personality type and their probable experiences with the subject such as the comic strip’s theme.   Finding humor in a joke or comic strip relies on subjective perception. Therefore, many repeated studies must be done to show that these responses are really common enough to be validated as true. Although doctors and other caregivers showed how laughter can be a great tool to lighten the mood or atmosphere in their morbid situations, this writer believes that it is insulting to the patients when these professionals wager on the success of their treatments. The matter of life and death rests on the hands of these professionals and although gambling on a successful surgical operation may help lighten the stress the activity imposes, it comes across as disheartening to patients who would rather that their doctors pay attention to the risks involved and not on their wagers. More study on how medical professionals can use sense of humor in a better way to cope with their stressful jobs is evident so that gallows humor can be alleviated. More studies on laughter and how it originates must be done to help the human race use this very powerful tool to the fullest. The medical world will benefit from it by helping doctors, patients, and caregivers avoid or alleviate depression. The political arena, wherein everything is a serious matter, may also benefit if people become trained to use laughter as a device in peace talks and negotiations instead of dangerous artillery. More studies on laughter can be one of the most serious contributions that scientists can do to make the world a happier place.

Growth Strategy To Be Market Leader In Retail Marketing Essay

Growth Strategy To Be Market Leader In Retail Marketing Essay Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd is a local business organization in retail industry under the leadership of chief executive, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin. The business starts its operation since 1957 in retail and wholesale. In the economic environment, Mydin face challenge from other key players such as Giant, Tesco, Carrefour and Econsave. Currently Mydin has 4 hypermarkets and its total stores are 55 which located at Klang Valley, Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Seremban, Nilai, Johor, Alor Setar, Melaka, Penang, Pahang and Kelantan. To compete, the company plans to expand their business and grow organically. Mydin imposed low pricing strategies and provide economically price goods to its customers. Surely, the expansion and growth will influence the business objective. Below is the comparison data of retailers with its number of stores in Malaysia. Retailer Number of stores Giant. 40(hypermarket/superstores) Total Giant stores: 100 Tesco. 35(hypermarket) Carrefour. 23(hypermarket) Econsave. 38(supermarket hypermarket) Mydin. 4 hypermarkets. Total Mydin stores : 55 Hypermarket list is not exhaustive. [Business Times , Saturday, July 31, 2010] Therefore I would like to investigate whether Mydins expansions and growth strategy is viable to the business to gain market share and emerge as market leader. RESEARCH BACKGROUND. This commentary will be based on these following supporting documents; MYDIN EXPECTS 10pc RISE IN PROFIT, QA with Datuk Ameer Ali (Mydin)/SKORCAREER Mydin to built its biggest hypermart in Kota Baru/Business Times. New logo,motto for Buy Malaysian Campaign/mydin.com.my INTERNAL CENTRE OF LEADERSHIP(ICLIF)-2009/MYDIN CASE STUDY. Microsoft Supports Malaysian Retailers Aggressive Plans to Expend. Malaysia mulls bar-code system for halal, products Business Times MARKETING. Marketing Planning. As a retail company in Malaysia, Mydin had implement several marketing planning to boost their sales and obtaining bigger market share. Therefore, this commentary will examine the marketing mix approached by Mydin to successfully market their product and formulate their marketing strategy. Therefore, Mydin can moves towards becoming a market leader. Marketing mix: Product. Mydin has a wide range of product line such as food line, soft line, hard-line and household items. Due to the wide range of product, Mydin will benefits from larger customer base. This will give positive advantage to Mydin as its customer can obtain all products needed here at lower and cheaper price. As a local player, Mydin provide items that are complement with its customers need. Majority of Malaysian are Muslims. Therefore, Mydin provide local prayer mats, prayer garment for women and traditional product which are rarely found elsewhere. However, Mydin should consider its non-Muslim customers due to the image of the place where only Muslim shops. Place. Besides, Mydin is currently expending their business into different format namely hypermarkets, emporium, and My Mart (24 hour convenience stores). As referred to growth of Mydins chain by the year 2009 to 2020, the business forecasted to have 26 Hypermarket, 60 Convenience Store, 20 Emporium and 5 My Mart  [1]  . This investment cost the business a large amount of cash which is RM 200million for supermarket and 60 million for the building of hypermarket  [2]  . The managing director tries to emulate the growth strategies of Kmart by having My Mart although Kmart experience bankruptcy. This expansion can help Mydin, reachable for its customers with various channel of distribution. For example, the choice to build the biggest hypermarket in Malaysia at Kota Baharu  [3]  is due to high demand and larger land available. However, Mydin should consider their large expansion as they may be affected by diseconomies of scale. Promotion. In terms of promotion Mydin apply me-to-promotion where Mydin follow and respond to their rivals marketing strategies such as purchasing similar advertisement board and article from newspaper  [4]  . One of its outlets in Subang Jaya has a digital billboard, controlled digitally from its office. This provides fast response toward its rivals advertisement. Besides, Mydin should consider having other marketing strategies such as advertisement through website or radio to provide detailed information and awareness of their existence. Price. Mydin is well-known for selling its product at wholesale price (40% of its business is wholesale). As compared to its rival, (Giant, Tesco and Carrefour) Mydin is a favorite place for shopping especially in period of economic down turn. They gain RM 1.3 billion in 2009 from RM 1.1.in 2008  [5]  . This proves that as Mydin grow organically, they gain strength in volume, thus can sell cheaper as compared to its rivals. Therefore, the situation is inciting its marketing objective. Positioning. Market positioning is crucial to portray a good corporate image and differentiate Mydins product over rivals. The unique selling point (USP) of Mydin that makes the business stand out from others is the embracing the concept of Halal (following the dietary law in Islam)  [6]  . As most Malaysian are Muslim and very particular in Halal product, the USP is an added advantage. Mydin popular slogans: Where everybody can buy  [7]  also provide a perception towards the customers that in retail industry, you can buy product cheaper at Mydin. But Mydin need to sustain the image by providing items cheap and not providing cheap items with low qualities. Mydin can perceive its brand to be a bargain brands (at high quality but with low price) although its hard to sustain. Therefore, with the growth and expansion strategies, Mydin is moving from Economy brands towards Bargain brands.  [8]   Quality High Low High Premium brands Cowboy brands Low Bargain brands Economy brands Price Figure 1: Perception map showing relationship between price and quality. The slogan is in line with governments campaign, Buy Malaysian  [9]  which educates Malaysian to buy local product (Mydin provide local product on its shelves). Mydins outlet at Subang Jaya has been chosen as the place for exhibition attends by Prime Minister to launch the campaign  [10]  . Besides, Mydin together with Halal Development Council (HDC) organized Halal training program course for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs)  [11]  . The corporate social responsibilities (CSR) done by Mydin enhance its image and will attract customers to choose Mydin instead of others. OPERATION MANAGEMENT. Product Planning. As Mydin grow, the business may affected by overtrading due to stockpiling  [12]  . This situation can increase cost and later absorb on the price of product. Hence, Mydin decide on Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail to applied Just-In-Time stock management  [13]  . The software provides information for its suppliers and decision-makers so that the distribution of stocks runs smoothly from stores to supply chain  [14]  . By this, Mydin can be more responsive to its customers, reduce their break-even point, and improve cash flow and the working capital cycle  [15]  . Consequently, provide competitive advantage towards its rival. HUMAN RESOURCES. Organizational Structure. Besides, Mydin interfere coordination problem of its managers as the business grow hierarchal taller and wider span of control. Communication across the organizational structure will become time consuming and in certain case may be distorted. To overcome this, Mydin decide on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007  [16]  that allows massive information to be provided to all layer of the organization and its suppliers. Motivation. In becoming a market leader, Mydin must have a productive employees to generate larger working capital.16.2% of its workers are foreigners and the remaining are locals  [17]  . To create sense of belonging to work and generate teambuilding between workers, the company provides financial and emotional support  [18]  . According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, people are motivated more than just money  [19]  . Mydin meets the social needs of its worker by conducting birthday parties, cultural dance and inter-branch sports.  [20]   CONCLUSION. Mydin has implemented huge expansion and organic growth of its company. They try to gain their market share by becoming more competitive toward its rival. In becoming so, a transformation throughout the organization is done. Based on the marketing planning carried out, Mydin is currently on the right direction towards its corporate objectives. We can notice how Mydin develop strategic marketing mix to successfully market their product. However, there is some areas that should be improved and focus on. In terms of product, Mydin can try to attract non-Muslim customers by having a promotion or creating an image of Mydin as a place for anyone. Besides that Mydin has wide channel of distribution. However, Mydin should also consider dealing with diseconomies of scales. One of the choices is by introducing measures to remove productive inefficiencies. Mydin might count the effectiveness of each of the business format. The marketing strategies indicate that Mydin can gain higher market share from its competitive advantage in promotion and price. In positioning their product, Mydin had done it well through their USP, slogan and CSR played. They manage to give clear perception of the business to public. Hence, they can gain more customers in the future. In operation management and human resources, Mydin try to centralize their management to hinder business runs at loss and to generate efficiencies. Their decision to cooperate with Microsoft Corp. is a right choice to place Mydin at top amongst other key players. Also, without neglecting its employees needs and demands. Overall, based on the analysis of marketing planning, operation management and human resource Mydin expansion and growth strategies is viable for the business to be a market leader in retail industry.

Planning International Pricing Decisions

Planning International Pricing Decisions Outline and discuss the main factors a marketing firm would have to take into account when planning international pricing decisions. (50% of the available marks for this question) Introduction Many organizations emphasize that price is the most independent, variable yet convenient element of marketing mix. Pricing plays a main role in the international marketing and implementing effective marketing strategies. Price is one of major part of marketing mix. This is mainly based on the fact that pricing changes appear rapid and immediate in the market. Too many managers find pricing decisions very challenging and often difficult to make. This is in conjunction due to the fact that most of the modern organizations believe and know the importance of the strategic role of pricing in international marketing. For many small companies operating in local markets, pricing decision are based on the relatively straight forward for allocating the total estimated cost of producing, managing and marketing a product or service between the fore cast total volume of sales, and adding an appropriate profit margin. Such as fluctuation in exchange rate, acceleration inflation in certain countries and the use of alternative payment methods such as leasing, exchange and counter-trade. For these reason, it is important to know at the outset that development and implementation of pricing strategies in international market should follow the following stages. Analyse the factors which influence international pricing, such as the cost structures, the value the product, the market structure, competitor pricing levels and a variety of environmental constraints. Confirming what impact the corporate strategies should have on pricing policy. Evaluating the various strategic pricing option and selection the most appropriate approach. Implementing the strategy through the use of a variety of tactics and procedure to set the prices at small business unit level. Managing prices and financing international transaction. The factors effecting international pricing include following Corporate and marketing objectives Insurance Firm and product poisoning Product range, life cycle, substitute, product differentiation Marketing product development Available resources Inventory Shipping cost Pricing objectives The pricing decisions in general can analyse and viewed by two ways pricing as an achievement of marketing objectives or pricing as a fixed element in a business decision. If the previous view is followed, the company uses price to achieve a specific objective. Pricing decision should be consistent with the marketing objectives of the firm in a particular market as well as the overall policy of the company. Price escalation Price escalation is defined as changes in the price of specific goods or services in a given economy over a period of time. Excess profits do exist in some international markets, but generally unequal differences in price between the exporting country and importing country. Shipping from one country to another country the cost arises specifically, the term relates to situations where ultimate price are raised by shipping costs, insurance, packing, tax. The majority of this cost arise as a direct result of moving goods across borders from one to another country and join to escalate the final price to a level significant higher than local market. Competition The nature of market structure in particular is an important determinant of price. It refers to the number of competing firms, their size and relative position. In the case of an oligopoly structure, the entering firm would have little freedom to choose a price depending on the income levels, a certain market can takes only a certain level of pricing . A company can also use competitor`s prices as a landmark for poisoning its product as compare to competitors for example, if it wants to poison its product as being of higher quality than its competitors. When a company entering in to a market and using competitive prices, a company needs to check on the cost structure of its competitor`s. Price is just one of the element of marketing mix and has thus to be matched with other element of it. Pricing controls Companies doing business in foreign countries encounter a number of different types of government price setting. To control prices, government may establish margin, set prices and floor or ceiling, restrict price changes, compete in the market great subsidies or act as purchasing of monophony or selling monopoly. A company entering of entering a foreign market with a penetration strategy with a lower price Target Customer Marketers have to calculate and understand a particular portion or target customer group in the market that they are entering. Knowledge of demand elasticity the price is vital, as is knowledge of how customer will react in the case of price change. But with differentiated product, market share of a company can even be improved through higher prices. Brand names and image of high quality are two of the factors that characterise differentiated product that can be sold at the quality prices. References Chris Philips, Isobel Dooley and Robin Lowe, International marketing strategy, Pg 420,421 Ghauri and Cateora, International marketing 2nd Edition, Pg 442 452 Discuss the causes of and solutions for parallel imports and their effect on price. (50% of the available marks for this question) Introduction Parallel import is a non- imitation product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner. Parallel imports are often referred to as grey product, parallel imports develop when importers buy products from distribution in one country and sell them in another distribution which are not part of the manufacturer`s regular distribution system. Parallel imports are legitimately produced goods imported legally into a country without the authorization of a trademark, copyright, or patent holder. This practice is lucrative when wide margins exist between prices for the same product in different countries. For example the price of a Volkswagen car is in Germany showroom is 107.4 and in Spain that car price is 102.6 the same in France 103.9 and in UK 130.9. A variety of conditions can create the profitable opportunity for parallel imports in the market. Causes of Parallel imports There are several causes of parallel imports including: Fluctuation in currencies value Restricted import quotas High tariff Price differentials Restricted supply The possibility of parallel imports occurs when the price differences are greater than the cost of transportation between two markets. In Europe, because of different taxes and competitive price structures, price for the same product vary between countries. The variation in the value of international currencies between countries frequently leads to condition that make parallel imports profitable. Restriction brought about by import quotas and high tariff can lead to parallel imports and make illegal imports attractive. Example India has a three-tier duty structure on computer spare parts ranging from 40 to 70 percent on imports. As a result estimates are that as much as 30 percent of India domestic computer hardware sales are accounted for by grey market. Purposefully restricting the supply of a product in a market is another practice that causes abnormally high prices and thus makes a parallel market profitable. Such was the causes with Mercedes-Benz cars whose supply was limited in the United States. The grey market that involved in Mercedes cars was partially supplied by Americans returning to the United States with cars they could sell for double the price they had paid in Germany Possible Solution of parallel imports is as follow Reduce the price differentials between market Materially alter the product Educate the dealer Terminate the dealer agreement Buy back the grey market goods This is not strange for companies to find them self competing in one country with their own product imported from another country at lower prices. Most probably such prices differentials will cease to exist once all restrictions to trade are eliminated in the Europe union and a full fiscal union is achieved. To prevent parallel markets from developing such marketing and pricing strategies are used, companies must maintain strong control systems. These control systems are difficult to maintain and there remains the doubt that some companies are less anxious with controlling grey markets than they claim. Price Changes due to parallel imports The parallel imports have a negative effect on the original product. Sometimes grey market upset prices level and result from ineffective management and lack of control, observed evidence shows that the treats of parallel imports do decrease retail prices. In itself, these price effects are not enough to justify a free organization concerning of parallel trade.. The possibility of parallel imports occurs whenever price differences are greater than the cost of transportation among two markets, and the price of product are higher in domestic than neighbour countries. Example Japanese merchants have long maintained very high prices for consumer. As a result, prices for Japanese product sold in other country as lower price than they are in Japan. For example, Japanese can buy canon cameras from New York catalogue retailer and have them shipped to Japan for a price below that of the camera purchased in Japan. In addition to the higher prices for product at home, the rising value of currency makes these price differential even wide References Marketing across Cultures 5th Edition Jean-Claude Usunier and Julia Anne Lee Pg 297 198 International marketing strategy by Chris Philips, Isobel Dooley and Robin Lowe chapter 11 page 436,437) Question 4. Distinguish and explain the differences between tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. What strategic options are open to marketing firms when attempting to deal with the problems of non-tariff barriers in economically developed and industrialised countries? Choose at least one industrialised country to illustrate the points made. . Introduction Tariffs have always played an important role in generating revenue for the country. In most of the under developed countries, tariffs plays an important role in developing the economic policies of the country. For political reasons, tariffs are applied on imports, but sometimes they are also applied on exports. It is generally the easiest form of revenue generations. When a shipment comes on the border of the country, the custom officers analyze the products and charge tax on it on the basis of the formula. Since the goods cannot enter in the country without the written authorization of the tax authorities, thus it is very easy to collect the duty. Nowadays the free trade organizations discourage the tariffs applied on the goods. World trade organization (WTO) has played an important role in persuading the countries in reducing the tariffs imposed. But nowadays countries are more focused on the non-tariff trade barriers. These barriers are imposed on countries which do not comply with the guidelines laid down by the world trade organization. Tariff barriers to trade Tariffs are the restrictions imposed by the country on the imports and exports of goods and services. Tariffs have always been used as an instrument to increase the revenue generation and also to protect the local industry from the foreign competition. There are different types of tariffs which can be imposed by a country but the most common one are as follows. Ad valorem: it is set on the basis of the percentage of the value of the products being imported in to the country. But sometimes it isnt that useful because if the international price of the commodity decreases, than the tariff applied on it also reduces. Specific tariff: it is the specific amount of money that imposed on a product. Thus if the price of the product decreases than it does not affect the tariff. Revenue tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed specifically to generate revenue for the country. E.g. if a country does not grow coffee, than the government can impose a duty on the import of coffee beans to generate revenue. Prohibitive tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed to restrict the import of a specific product. Usually the tax imposed is so high that it is almost impossible for the companies to import or export the product. Protective tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed to specifically protect the local industries from the foreign influence. All the governments use this option to facilitate the local industries from the foreign competition. Environmental tariff: this kind of tariff is imposed on the imports and exports to the countries which have substandard environmental controls. These kind of tariffs are also known as eco-tariffs or green-tariff Retaliatory tariff: this kind of tariff is based upon revenge. E.g. if United States impose a tariff on Chinese imports than the China will also impose a tariff on the imports from USA. Sometimes countries use this option to influence the tariffs imposed by other countries. Non-tariff trade barriers: Non-tariff trade barriers are the types of barriers which are imposed by a country to restrict the imports but they are not like the usual tariff barriers. Some common examples of the Non-tariff barriers are anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties. The use of non-tariff barriers have significantly increased over the past few years because of the work done by World Trade Organization (WTO) to reduce the tariff barriers imposed by different countries. Some Non-trade barriers are permitted in limited circumstances, especially when it is required to protect health, safety, sanitation or natural resources. But generally it is criticized because it violates the free trade rules set by the Worlds Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Examples of Non-tariff Barriers: The most common examples of non-tariff barriers are as follows. General/product specific quotas. Products standards Ban on imports Packaging conditions Labelling conditions Rules of origin Additional trade certificates like Certificate of origin, Certificate of Authencity. Dealing with the Non-tariff barriers: We are living in a very competitive environment. All the companies in the world are working hard to have a competitive edge over each other. Tariff and Non-tariff barriers play an important role in achieving the overall goal of the company in the foreign and domestic market. If a company wants to enter into a foreign market, it has to develop a strategy to enter into the market and makes profit. Governments use the Non-tariff barriers to facilitate the local industry from the foreign competition and also impose duty on their products to generate revenue. China has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. For the last three decade, chinas economy has grown at approximately 10 percent per year. The main reason of chinas success is that it has dramatically penetrated into the foreign market while protecting its local industry. Most of the western countries and independent think-tanks blame china for manipulating with its currency and use cheap labor to boom it exports. China has very strict barriers on imports. A company has to go through very strict procedure to invest into the local market. (http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/lardy0507.pdf). China has imposed a lot of Non-trade barriers on the imports from the foreign countries. This has played an important role in developing the local industries. The Chinese government has helped the local industry to improve its efficiency by giving them financial and tax relief. The imports from China have drastically affected the American manufacturing industries. Although the imports from China has significantly increased in US but US exports isnt catching up at the same ratio. This has caused a huge trade deficit between the US and Chinese trade. Now USA has imposed anti dumping tariff on Chinese products. Recently the US international trade commission has ruled that the Chinese imports are hurting the American firms by selling the oil well pipes at a very low rate. Thus the Chinese steel pipe producers will face anti dumping tariffs of up to 99.14 %. This type of tariff barrier is called protectionist barrier. This kind of move can damage the relationship between the countries. (http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html). The request for protection imports have significantly increased during the 2009. Many countries are targeting Chinese producers/exporters and trying to limit the imports from China to help their local industries to grow. (http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html) Conclusion: To conclude we can say that non-tariff barriers play an important role in the revenue generation of the country. Most of the countries use tariff and Non-tariff barriers to protect their local industries and also to generate revenue. The most common type of Non-tariff trade barrier is protectionist barrier. Governments use this option to protect their local industries from the foreign competition. Tariff has been used by countries to generate revenue but sometimes it can also be used for political gain. Some countries can use these tariffs to unfairly restrict the imports from certain countries for personal reasons. Thus World Trade Organization played an important role in persuading the member nations to reduce the tariffs. This move has not only encouraged the trade between the countries but also helped in increasing the friendly relationship. Reference: http://www.bea.org.mk/Upload/Content/Documents/Report%202007%20NON-TARIFF%20BARRIERS.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff http://www.e-to-china.com/tariff_changes/data_tariff_changes/2010/0505/78017.html http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL31403.pdf http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/06wp438.pdf Question 5. Q5: under what circumstances might an international marketing firm consider using joint ventures to exploit business opportunities within a big emerging market (BEM)? Choose a particular product or service industry and a specific BEM as a vehicle for discussion. Introduction International operations have become one of the most integral part of a businesses and all the organizations adopt different strategies to penetrate into the foreign market. The success of an organization depends upon how well it has understood the market situation and modified its strategy accordingly. All the foreign markets have a unique risk and opportunities. Thus the companys main goal is to minimize the risk and explore the opportunities to attain the overall goals and objectives of the company. Thus the most commonly used strategy to enter into a foreign market is Joint Venture. A joint venture is an arrangement where two or more firms join forces for manufacturing, financial and marketing purposes and each has a share in both the equity and the management of the business There are many ways to approach a business opportunity in the market but Joint venture is considered to be the most appropriate and less risky. However one needs to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of joint venturing before entering into the relationship. When a company enters into a market, they make a series of contractual relationship with the local business by either licensing or distribution agreement. The main benefit is the parent company has limited integration with the local companies. They only pay them a limited amount of money but do not share profit. However if the company wants a more dynamic relationship, than it can form equity joint venture, so that both can work together to increase the profitability of the company, and also share the profit and loss together. Advantages and Disadvantages of Joint Venture There are many advantages and disadvantages of having a joint venture. On one hand, it enables a company to outsource it operations to other companies to reduce its overall cost, but its also very risky. The main risk is the ability and willingness of the other company to follow the guidelines and procedure laid down by the company. Capital requirement Advantage One of the most important advantages of having a joint venture is that the financial resources can be shared. E.g. A Company may be interesting in opening a business that requires a significant amount of money. Although it might have the required labor and technical resource but it doesnt have the financial capacity to fund the project. This kind of project is a good candidate for a joint venture. To start this project, the company can look for other companies which can share the financial cost to start the project. Disadvantage The most obvious disadvantage of having a joint venture is that the companies have to share their profits generated from the operations. A lot of issues can arise from this aspect because both the companies are not only sharing financial resources but they also share some technical know-how and intellectual property rights. These types of resources are difficult to value thus it can create some misunderstandings between the companies. Reduction of business risk Advantage A joint venture allows the investor to diversify its risk. The most important way of reducing the risks faced by the investor in the market is to diversify its portfolio by investing in different markets. Another advantage of joint venture is that when a company collaborates with a local firm than it can benefit from its local knowledge. The main risk that a company can face in the foreign market is the little knowledge of local needs. Economies of scale Advantage One of the most significant advantages of joint venture is achieving economies of scale for both companies. E.g. if the manufacturer gives the contract of sales and distribution to its local partner, it can focus mainly on bringing the product to its local partner. With proper planning, joint ventures can effectively reduce the cost associated with the product from the production to the end user. Control over Functional activities Advantage In joint ventures, the companies can also have a more dynamic relationship with each other by giving direct access to each others processes. E.g. a company can reduce its manufacturing cost by giving the production contract to the local company, but instead it can also seek a way to have some control on the manufacturing and production process of the local partner. Thus the foreign company can benefit from the local companies knowledge about the market and they can also share their business practices to strengthen their relationship. Sharing technology and management skills Advantage In joint venture, both the companies can share their expertise to improve the overall efficiency of the business. The main advantage of having a joint venture is that the foreign company can learn from the experience of its local partner about the local market. And the local partner can also take benefit from the foreign company to improve its technical and managerial skills. Both companies can share important information regarding their businesses to strengthen their relationship. Disadvantage Although sharing technology between the businesses can be a good idea, but sometimes the practices learnt from joint ventures can be used beyond Joint venture in other business. This is the main factor that discourages the companies to form joint ventures. Joint venture in Big emerging market International operations are one of the most important part of business strategies of the company. As the world has become a global village, the companies are faced with an intense competition and thus companies are continuously in search of exploring new market opportunities. Joint ventures have become an integral part of the businesses. Most of the big brands in the industry had joint ventures in past with other companies which helped them to increase the profitability. China is one of the largest economies in the world. Its products are exported all over the world. It has enjoyed approximately 10 percent growth rate for the 3 decades. It is one of the biggest exporters to United States. Chinas market is considered to be the best emerging market in the world and most of the big names have already entered into the market. These companies have effectively used the local companies and utilized their knowledge to increase the profitability of the companies. General Motors, Toyota, Motorola, IBM etc have affectively used joint venturing to reduce their production cost and increase the profitability of the companies. Chinese has significantly gained a huge market share in the telecom industry. Mobile phone giants like Apple, Motorola, Siemens, and Sony Ericson all operate in China. They assemble their products in China to enjoy cheap labour and manufacturing cost. Conclusion To conclude we can say that joint venture is one of the most important tools used by the companies to improve the productivity and profitability. It helps the foreign companies to enter in to a foreign market with the help of the local knowledge. Thus both the companies can use utilize each others resources to increase the productivity. In this way, the local companies can learn from the international business practices and managerial skills of the foreign company and the foreign companies benefit from the local knowledge of the local company. Although there might be some complications involved in joint venturing but if both companies work together, they can easily overcome any challenge.

Cuba :: essays research papers

Cuba   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cuba is the largest island of the West Indies, lying south of Florida and east of Mexico's Yucatà ¡n Peninsula. The Republic of Cuba is combined with the surrounding islands. On the East, Cuba is separated from the island of Hispaniola by the Windward Passage. The U.S. maintains a naval base at Guantà ¡ namo Bay in the Southeast. The capital and largest city of Cuba is Havana.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The island extends about 760 miles from Cabo de San Antonio to Cabo Maisà ­ , the western and eastern extremities. The average width is about 50 miles. The total area is 44,218 square miles including the area of the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) and of other islands of the country. Land and Resources   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About 1/4 of the surface of Cuba is hilly, the remaining consists of flat or rolling terrain. The hilly areas are scattered throughout the island and do not come from a central mass. The main 3 ranges are the Sierra de Trinidad in the central part of the island, the Sierra Maestra, in the Southeast, and Sierra de los Órganos in the West. The first two ranges are under 3000 feet. The Sierra Maestra, has the greatest in altitude and mass, and contains Pico Turquino (6561 ft), the highest point in Cuba. Most of the soil of Cuba is relatively fertile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the natural features of the island is the large number of limestone caverns. Most of the many rivers of Cuba are short and unnavigable. The main river is the Cauto, located in the Southeast. The coast of Cuba is very irregular and is indented by numerous gulfs and bays. Cuba :: essays research papers Cuba   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cuba is the largest island of the West Indies, lying south of Florida and east of Mexico's Yucatà ¡n Peninsula. The Republic of Cuba is combined with the surrounding islands. On the East, Cuba is separated from the island of Hispaniola by the Windward Passage. The U.S. maintains a naval base at Guantà ¡ namo Bay in the Southeast. The capital and largest city of Cuba is Havana.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The island extends about 760 miles from Cabo de San Antonio to Cabo Maisà ­ , the western and eastern extremities. The average width is about 50 miles. The total area is 44,218 square miles including the area of the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) and of other islands of the country. Land and Resources   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About 1/4 of the surface of Cuba is hilly, the remaining consists of flat or rolling terrain. The hilly areas are scattered throughout the island and do not come from a central mass. The main 3 ranges are the Sierra de Trinidad in the central part of the island, the Sierra Maestra, in the Southeast, and Sierra de los Órganos in the West. The first two ranges are under 3000 feet. The Sierra Maestra, has the greatest in altitude and mass, and contains Pico Turquino (6561 ft), the highest point in Cuba. Most of the soil of Cuba is relatively fertile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the natural features of the island is the large number of limestone caverns. Most of the many rivers of Cuba are short and unnavigable. The main river is the Cauto, located in the Southeast. The coast of Cuba is very irregular and is indented by numerous gulfs and bays.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: Philosophic and Political Contexts :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby: Philosophic and Political Contexts Attempting both a sustained close reading of the novel, and the relocation of that reading within wider philosophic and political contexts, one must therefore consider the impact of a broad mystical strain of Western thought upon Fitzgerald's political analysis. For while it is a commonplace that Fitzgerald was fascinated, throughout his life, with what is variously conceived as the "ideal," "the Dream," "inspiration," the "visionary," or "Desire," a tradition with which the book opens, the political uses of the ideal have largely escaped notice. It seems hard to believe in our period, when a three-decade lurch to the political Right has anathematized the word, but F. Scott Fitzgerald once, rather fashionably, believed himself to be a socialist. Some years before, he had also, less fashionably, tried hard to think himself a Catholic. While one hardly associates the characteristic setting of Fitzgerald's novels, his chosen kingdom of the sybaritic fabulous, with either proletarian solidarity or priestly devotions, it is clear that a tension between Left and religiose perspectives structures the very heart of the vision of The Great Gatsby. For while Gatsby offers a detailed social picture of the stresses of an advanced capitalist culture in the early 1920s, it simultaneously encodes its American experience, at key structural moments, within the mitigating precepts of a mystic Western dualism. Attempting both a sustained close reading of the novel, and the relocation of that reading within wider philosophic and political contexts, one must therefore consider the impact of a broad mystical strain of Western thought upon Fitzgerald's political analysis. For while it is a commonplace that Fitzgerald was fascinated, throughout his life, with what is variously conceived as the "ideal," "the Dream," "inspiration," the "visionary," or "Desire," a tradition with which the book opens, the political uses of the ideal have largely escaped notice. Fitzgerald's excitably visionary sensibility, nourished in high school years by Catholic mysticism, fashioned him into a superbly perceptive critic of the appropriation of human need of the ideal by developments in American capitalism in the 1920s. In response to economic crisis in the early years of this decade, the national advertising media developed and promoted a new cult of glamour, seeking through its allure to create a mass consumer market and revivify the foundering work ethic. Fitzgerald's entrancement by the suggestive power of beauty sensitized him both

Reflection by Christina Aguilera & Song Birds of Pain by Garry Kilworth

The Songbirds of Pain by Garry Kilworth and Reflection by Christina Aguilera shares the same theme of â€Å"finding one’s self (identity)†, the subject of both the selection and the song has been expected to act in ways which are opposite or afar from their true personalities. The Songbirds of Pain is about a woman who has her identity created for her, while Reflection is about a girl who was hiding who she was in order to reach the expectations of the people surrounding her. I have related some of the song’s stanzas to the event or occurrences that happened to Anita in the Songbirds of Pain.In the song Reflection on the first 4 lines â€Å"Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me. † I have related these lines in Songbirds of Pain because Anita (the protagonist) has had her identity created for her by Philip. Philip, Anita’s lover, has molded her to be someone who he wants to be with. He did not really know Anita from who she really is because (1) Anita was young when he met her and she has not found herself yet, and (2) he chooses to see what he wants to see and not what things really are.Anita did not complain about this, she did not mind that her opinions were just barrowed from Philip but then she had come to realize that one day Philip would leave her, and she would not have anything, except her beauty. But beauty fades away with youth, and she is growing older so she have decided to have an operation that will make her more beautiful and that will make her beauty last longer. In the third stanza â€Å"I am now, in a world where I have to hide my heart and what I believe in. But somehow I will show the world what's inside my heart and be loved for who I am†.Anita has this identity where she cannot show what she really feels and thinks. I think that Anita wanted an operation not just because she wanted everlasting beauty but because she wanted to finally show who she really is, I think she want to know what will happen if things in her life happened differently. Like what if, before Philip found her, she has already found herself? I think that she wants to use this opportunity to find out if Philip would still love her or if things would be the same as it was. In the sixth stanza â€Å"There's a heart that must be free to fly that burns with a need to know the reason why†.I think that when Anita was at Algarez, Brazil for her operation she felt free, because for the first time she has finally made a decision for herself. Even though she had second thoughts about the operation she still pushed it through, because I think that Anita felt that she needs to do this for herself and for her own good, and I think that she is testing herself if she could make the right choices for herself or choices that will make her feel satisfied and happy. In the last stanza â€Å"Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel? Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time. When will my reflection show who I am inside? When will my reflection show who I am inside? † In the end Anita found herself, her world and she used pain (due to the operations) to get there. Secretly she loved that world, because she was herself, she did not have to act in ways that other people (Philip) expects her to be. She hid her love for pain, I do not think that she was proud of it, but she was able to fake just enough to go back to London. Philip was waiting for Anita at the Airport; he was waiting for Anita to arrive.When Anita saw Philip she felt how much she loves him, and what pain she will experience if she loses him. Pain, Anita has learned to love pain, and Anita was leaving Philip for the pain that it will cost her. She will be in pain, but at the same time she would be herself, forever. She would be in the world of Anita where â€Å"She was the sun, the moon, the stars, the Earth. She was voi d, she was matter, she was light. † She is going to be the center of her own universe. Anita has been a naive girl from the start of the selection but her character evolved after a series of occurrences that have been life changing for her.She managed to found herself even though it took her a long time. Like in the song Reflection, the subject was able to justify that she wants to be seen and to break free from the status quo that is holding her. The moral of this is; you should show who you really are and do not think that it’s too late because as the saying goes â€Å"it’s better late than never†. And do not expect that the path would not be rocky because it is always hard to get something that is worthwhile. We just have to be patient.

HND Business Human resource management Essay

Personnel Management Personnel Management is essentially an administrative record-keeping function, at the ground level. Personnel Management professionally manages employee’s activities for individual departments for example in Bhs you will have a personal manger for customer services. It is assumed that the outcomes from providing justice and achieving efficiency in the management of personnel activities will result ultimately in achieving organizational success. Human Resource Development – Human resource management is concerned with the Training, promotion development and implementation of people strategies, which are incorporated with business strategies, and guarantees that the culture, values and structure of the organization, and the quality, incentives and commitment of its members contribute fully to the achievement of its goals. Human Resources Management is focused with carrying such task as, job analysis, recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, employee appraisals, compensation management, training and development. But, the Human Resources method performs these functions in distinct way, when compared with Personnel management. Personnel management is about the continuance of personnel and administrative systems, Human Resources Management is about the anticipation of organizational needs, the continual monitoring and adjustment of personnel systems to meet current and future requirements, and the management of change. Differences between Personnel management and Human Resources management Personnel management is more workforces focused, aimed mainly at the organization’s employees; such as, arranging for them to be paid, and justifying management’s actions etc. Whereas, Human Resources management is more resource centered, Personnel Management is fundamentally an operational function, concerned principally with carrying out the day to day people management activities. While on the other hand, Human Resources Management is strategic in nature, that is, being concerned with directly assisting an organization to gain competitive advantage. HRM is a more strategic and proactive form whereas personnel management is a reactive. Human Resources Management has been considered as the strategic and logical approach to the management of an organization’s most valued. The personnel management has functions which are conventional and systematic whereas HRM deals with innovative ideas and are committed to enforcing better business conditions. Personnel management has evolved from being an independent function of the company to human recourses management which is an integral part of the company. 20 Points of Difference between Personnel Management & HRD Dimension Personnel Management Human Resource Development Beliefs & Assumptions 1. Contract Careful delineation of written contracts Aim to go ‘beyond contracts’ 2. Rules Importance of devising clear rules ‘Can-do’ outlook; impatience with ‘rule’ 3. Guide to management Action Procedures Business – need 4. Behaviour Referent custom & practice Values/Mission 5. Managerial Task vis-à  -vis Labour Monitoring Nurturing 6. Conflict Institutionalized De-emphasized STRATEGIC ASPECTS 7. Key Relations Labour Management Customer 8. Corporate Plan Marginal to Central to 9. Speed of Decision Slow Fast LINE MANAGEMENT 10. Management Role Transactional Transformational leadership 11. Key Managers Personnel/IR Specialists General/business/line managers 12. Communication Indirect Direct 13. Standardisation High (e.g. ‘parity’ an issue) Low (e.g. ‘parity’ not seen as relevant) 14. Prized management skills Negotiation Facilitation KEY LEVERS 15. Selection Separate, marginal task Integrated, key task 16. Pay Job Evaluation (fixed grades) Performance – related 17. Labour Management Collective bargaining contracts Towards individual contracts 18. Job categories & grades Many Few 19. Communication Restricted flow Increased flow 20. Job Design Division of Labour Teamwork AC1.2 The Role of Human Resource Management in Organizations Managers in the Human Resources profession have the essential job of organizing people so that they can effectively perform their job description. Human resources professionals work together to develop employees’ skills. For example, HR professionals advise managers and supervisors how to assign employees to different roles in the organization, thereby helping the organization adapt successfully to its environment. In a flexible organization, employees are shifted around to different business functions based on business priorities and employee preferences. Human resources professionals also suggest strategies for increasing employee commitment to the organization. This begins with using the recruiting process or matching employees with the right positions according to their qualifications. Human resources management team helps a business develop a competitive advantage, which involves building the ability of the company so it can offer a unique set of goods or services to its customers. They can do this by hiring the right individuals but it’s not just about hiring talent; it is about keeping people and helping them grow and stay committed over the long term. The Human resources team has to identify needs of the employees regarding career goals and work upon them to make the employees feel important and motivated by providing them with training related to their field of interest. If the employee does not feel their skills are being utilized fully towards performing their duties they will start to underperform due to lack of motivation. Human resources duties also concern understanding and defining the overall objectives of the organization, its mission as well as vision. It does not only include the present organization requirements but also forecasting the future needs and making strategies for fulfilling them. Human resources team is also responsible for ensuring the availability for  training the employees. Human resources management team understand that if the employees are properly trained and developed, it can prove to be the best investment made by the company which will definitely furnish quality returns in future. Human resourc es team is responsible for selecting the best workforce from the prospective employees by using the recruitment options like, Personal interviews and group interviews Trial etc. Human resources team is responsible for ensuring employee health and safety by abiding to the employee health and safety regulations and managing grievances and ensuring provisions benefits to keep employees motivated. Human resources team keep a record of the employee profiles and database so that it can be readily available at the time of recruitment and staffing and also ensuring its confidentiality. AC1.3 The role of line managers in HR Resource The Line managers are managers to whom individual or teams of employees directly report to and who have responsibility to a higher level of management for those employees or teams. Line Managers are authorized to direct the work of subordinates and are responsible for accomplishing the organization’s tasks. Typically the management responsibilities carried out by line managers might include: Employee management Managing operational costs Providing technical expertise Organisation of work allocation and rotas Monitoring work processes Checking quality Dealing with customers/clients Measuring operational performance. Line managers also carry out activities that such as providing coaching and guidance, undertaking performance appraisals and dealing with discipline and grievances. Line Managers are responsible for: ensuring that any staff  experiencing performance difficulties are managed appropriately and working with the employee to identify measures that could be used to improve performance. Ensuring the staff member has a full understanding of the consequences of not improving, Setting realistic and measurable standards of performance and an action plan incorporating targets, standards, deadlines. Line managers manage operational functions that are crucial for the company’s survival. Line Manager Responsibility 1. Ensuring that any staff experiencing performance difficulties are managed appropriately 2. Ensuring the staff member has a full understanding of the consequences of not improving 3. Placing the right employee on the right job 4. Starting new employees in the organization 5. Training employees for jobs that are new to them 6. Improving the job performance of each person 1.4 Impact of the legal and regulatory framework on HRM British legislations have employment laws, affecting topics such as employee criminal record checks, preventing offenders from working in certain professions these legislations are supposed to protect vulnerable people like children or stop unwonted people from obtaining the job. National minimum wage Act was brought into force to ensure that employees are getting a fair wage in relation to their work. Wage and Hourly rates The national minimum wage establishes the amount of the minimum wage an employee receives per hour. Human resources managers should continuously verify the accuracy of the amount paid to employees Race Relations Act 1976 Prevents discrimination because of race in employment. The impact this has in the workplace is a Varity of different cultural backgrounds in the work place and this can have a really positive effect if managed effectively Anti-discrimination Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Protects men and women from discrimination because of sex in the workplace, this legislation is about equal opportunities in the work place across the sexes men and women in the workplace should be treated equally. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Prevents discrimination against people because of disabilities in employment. The impact this Act will have in the workplace would be there would be a few more disabled individuals in the workplace which will benefit the economy. Equal Pay Act (1970) Aspect of the Sex Discrimination Law Gives the right for men and women to be paid the same rate of pay, for the same, or equivalent, work Gives individuals the right to the same pay and benefits as a person of the opposite sex in the same employment where the man and woman are doing; 1. Same grade work 2. Work rated as equivalent under a job evaluation study 3. Work that is proved to be of equal value Developing policies Human resources develop policies to make sure that managers and employees are aware of how these legal restrictions and how to deal with potential violations AC 4.1 There are many reasons for termination. Employee termination also can be voluntary, when an employee decides to leave a company for some reason. Reasons can include unacceptable performance or as a result of a change in business conditions for example a recession. Termination with just cause In law, termination with just cause means that an action or error by the employee has irreparably damaged the employment relationship between the  employer and the employee. Usually, termination with cause occurs when an employee is dismissed for a serious reason related to the employee’s conduct. There are seven main Examples of misconduct. 1. Theft and dishonesty 2. Violence 3. Drug and alcohol abuse 4. Breach of confidence 5. Insubordination 6. Absenteeism 7. Misconduct outside of the workplace Some common grounds used in termination with cause are: 1. Fraudulence – stealing or fraud by the employee that is serious enough to authorise dismissal from organisation. 2. Noncompliance – an employee frequently breaks organizational policies and discipline has not resulted in a change in behaviour 3. Incompetence – an employee is incompetent at their job and performance has not improved even though the employee has been given the direction, foundations, training and time needed to improve. Incompetent Job Performance Employee’s contracts may get cut because the person is unable to perform some or all of the necessary aspects of the job. Before dismissal the employer, should point out their deficiencies during a performance evaluation and provide counselling to help her improve. If they show little or no improvement, consider moving them to a more suitable position, if possible. When employees are hired to work for a company, they are given a job description that outlines the duties they’re expected to fulfill. When employees fall short in achieving their goals, managers are faced with deciding whether or not an employee’s performance warrants his termination. Poor performance can include everything from not hitting target sales goals and overlooking project details to not missing deadlines. Employees may also be terminated because they lack the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill assigned tasks. Business Conditions Unfavourable business conditions may force you to lay off employees for economic reasons as opposed to poor performance. The layoff may be permanent, or the employee may be called back to work if business conditions improve Merger/Buyout A merger or a buy-out usually requires changes within the Company’s’ structure, which might affect employment. Although the employer is not legally required to do so, some employers offer a severance package to employees terminated under these circumstances. Layoffs if there is a lack of work, or the company is undergoing financial problems the company might lay off employees. The employer must ensure the layoff is fair and legal. Employers must give employees advance notice of closings and mass layoffs. This gives the employees and their families’ time to adjust to loss of employment and to seek alternative support. Unacceptable Behaviours / for cause You may need to fire an employee due to unacceptable behaviour; actions can include stealing company property, or verbally or physically threatening another employee. The employee may also display a pattern of disrespectful or insubordinate behaviour directed toward you or your supervisors that results in a disruption of your work environment. Absenteeism An employee who misses work frequently or is habitually late negatively affects your business’s productivity and can place an unfair burden on your other workers. Chronic absenteeism could be a sign that the employee is dealing with job dissatisfaction. Voluntary redundancy In a voluntary termination, an employee hands in their notice from their job. Reasons for resignations have that included: a new job, returning to full time education, and retirement. If a contract isn’t renewed This is considered to be a dismissal, and if the employee has 2 years’ service the employer needs to show that there’s a reasonable reason for not renewing the contract Workers have the right: not to be unfairly dismissed after two years’ Dismissal when your employer ends your employment – they don’t always have to give you notice. If you’re dismissed, your employer must show they have a valid reason that they can justify and also that they have acted reasonably in the circumstances They must also: be consistent – not dismiss you for doing something that they let other employees do Fair and unfair dismissal A dismissal is fair or unfair depending on the reason for it and how the employer acted during the dismissal process. Constructive dismissal This is when an employee resigns because you’ve breached their employment contract. This could be a single serious event or a series of less serious events. An employee could claim constructive dismissal if you: cut their wages without agreement unlawfully demote them allow them to be harassed, bullied or discriminated against Wrongful dismissal This is where you break the terms of an employee’s contract in the dismissal process, eg dismissing someone without giving them proper notice. AC 4.2 describe the employment exit procedures used by two organisations The exit procedures of ASDA Step One, Resignation handed to personnel manager Step Two Personal manager informs human resources department. Step Three Employee has to return the companies possession of equipment and supplies. Human Resources team is responsible for initiating and following through  with the exit process. If the resignation is voluntary HRM invites employee to attend an exit Interview to gather information and improve quality of work life at the organization. The secondary reason is to provide closure to the separating employee The exit interview Primary Purpose is to gather information to improve employee relations practices Spot developing trends Identify areas of weakness Identify areas of strength Exit interviews are also used to understand, and try to identify patterns in, reasons for resignation they are conducted face -to-face, by telephone, or as a survey. Focus is on reasons for leaving, reflections on the positive and negative aspects of the organization, level of satisfaction with various aspects of the organization. Processing a Resignation NHS West Midlands Step one The Line Manager gives notice to the Human Resources department upon receipt of a resignation. Step two the Line Manager recognizes resignation in writing and forwards the letter of resignation to the Human Resources department. Step Three Line Manager forwards confirmation of employee’s last working day and details of any other relevant information to the Human Resources department. The Human Resources department prepares a Termination Form on the basis of the information provided by the Line Manager and ensures it is forwarded to the Payroll department in time to meet the monthly deadline Step Four the Human Resources Department writes to the employee offering them An exit Interview and enclosing an exit Interview Questionnaire for them to Complete in preparation for the interview. The Human Resources Department forwards the Line Manager a confirmation of Service Proforma to complete and return.   The completed proforma will be retained on the employee’s personnel file and will provide the basis for any employment references given by the Board Interview is conducted by an appropriate member of the Human Resources team. All information collected remains confidential and is stored in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. 4.3 AC 2.1 analyse the reasons for human resource planning in organisations Human Resource (HR) Planning is the practice of determining and analyzing the requirement for and supply of workforce in order to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives, fulfill its mission and reach its vision (Mathis & Jackson, 2000). Human resource department know that planning is of paramount of importance to achieving an organizations objective. This part of my assignment will discuss the importance of HR planning and the six steps of HR planning which consist of: 1. Forecasting; 2. inventory audit, 3. HR Resource Plan; 4. Implementation of Plan; 5. Monitoring 6. Control. HR Planning involves gathering information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives types of questions HRM may consider 1. How many staff does the Organization have? 2. What type of employees as far as skills and abilities does the Company have? 3. How should the Organization best utilize the available resources? 4. How can the Company keep its employees? The most important reason why HR Planning should be managed and implemented is the costs involved. Because costs forms an important part of any Organizations budget. Whenever there are staff shortages, the organization should be in a position to utilize the skills of employees available more readily. HRM planning determines future employment needs by analyzing current business conditions and current trends within the business, for example over the Christmas period most big high street retailers will employ more short term staff because the demand for goods over the Christmas period. Identifying these trends and planning for them will let the business be in a more positive position to be conducting business. HRP is also concerned with employee turnover within the business as management needs the right employees at the right place to make a profit and benefit the organization. (2.2) Steps in HR Planning Forecasting HR Planning requires that we gather data on the Organizational goals objectives. One should understand where the Organization wants to go and how it wants to get to that point. The needs of the employees are derived from the corporate objectives of the Organization. They stern from shorter and medium term objectives Therefore, the HR Plan should have a mechanism to express planned Company strategies into planned results and budgets so that these can be converted in terms of numbers and skills required. Inventory After knowing what human resources are required in the Organization, the next step is to take stock of the current employees in the Organization. The HR inventory should not only relate to data concerning numbers, ages, but also an analysis of individuals and skills. Skills inventory provides valid information on professional and technical skills and other qualifications provided in the firm. It reveals what skills are immediately available when compared to the forecasted HR requirements. Audit HR inventory calls for collection of data; the HR audit requires systematic examination and analysis of this data. The Audit looks at what had occurred in the past and at present in terms of labor turn over, age and sex groupings, training costs and absence. Based on this information, one can then be able to predict what will happen to HR in the future in the Organization. HR resource plan Here we look at career Planning and HR plans. People are the greatest asserts in any Organization. The Organization is at liberty to develop its staff at full pace in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities. The main reason is that the Organization’s objectives should be aligned as near as possible, or matched, in order to give optimum scope for the developing potential of its employees. Therefore, career planning may also be referred to as HR Planning or succession planning. The questions that should concern us are: a) Are we making use of the available talent we have in the Organization? b) Are employees satisfied with our care of their growth in terms of advancing their career? Actioning of Plan There are three fundamentals necessary for this first step. 1) Know where you are going. 2) There must be acceptance and backing from top management for the planning. 3) There must be knowledge of the available resources Monitoring and Control. This is the last stage of HR planning in the Organization. Once the programme has been accepted and implementation launched, it has to be controlled. HR department has to make a follow up to see what is happening in terms of the available resources. The idea is to make sure that we make use of all the available talents that are at our disposal failure of which we continue to  struggle to get to the top. 2.3 Recruitment and selection process. Recruitment is the process of approximating the available vacancies and making suitable arrangements for their selection and appointment. Recruitment is understood as the process of searching for and obtaining applicants for the jobs, from among whom the right people can be selected. The result is a few eligible applicants from which new employees are selected The difference between recruitment and selection: Recruitment is identifying and encouraging potential employees to apply for a job. And Selection is selecting the right candidate from the collection of applicants. Goals of selection are to select a candidate that will be successful in performing the tasks and meeting the responsibilities of the position. Selection process Selection process involves a number of steps. The basic ideais to solicit maximum possible information about thecandidates to ascertain their suitability for employment 1).Screening of Applications Prospective employees have to fill in some sort of application forms. These forms have information about the applicants like their achievements, experience. 2) Selection Tests Selection tests to know more about the candidates or to reject the candidates who cannot be called for interview. 4) Interview The basic idea here is to find out overall suitability of candidates for the jobs. It also provides opportunity to give relevant information about the organization to the candidates 5) Approval by appropriate Authority Suitable candidates are recommended for selection by the selection committee or personnel department. Functional heads concerned may be approving authority. When the approval is received, the candidates are informed about their selection and asked to report for duty to specified persons. 6) Placement After all the formalities are completed, the candidates are placed on their jobs initially on probation period may range from three months to two years. During this period, they are observed keenly, and when they complete this period successfully, they become the permanent employees of the organization. Recruitment and selection process at Tata Having received the applications, the next step is to evaluate applicants experience and qualifications and make a selection. Screening purpose is to evaluate the application and eliminate applicants whose profiles do not match the job requirements, Short-listing of CVs received from various sources are screened by the HR function within a week of commencement of sourcing activity. Knowledge and aptitude test is conducted for all trainees and laterals recruits. The result of test will be criteria for short listing /screening candidates for the purpose of interview. Psychometric Test is done to find out the â€Å"CRISP† fit. While hiring at Tata, they look for the following attributes C – Customer Focus R – Result Orientation I – Initiative and Speed S – Self Confidence P – Passion for achievement Interview This is powerful technique used to assess the capabilities/skills of the candidate and to understand the softer aspects that a difficult to measure from resumes. After finalizing a date and time, short-listed candidates are invited for an interview Selection Process and interviews for Tata motor cars Duration of written/online tests and interviews 1) Aptitude Test 0-30 Minutes Aptitude Test 2) Technical Test 30-60 Minutes Technical Written 3) Psychometric Test 4) Group Discussion 5) HR Interview 0-30 Minutes HR Interview 6) Technical Interview 0-30 Minutes Technical Interview Technical subjects to study for written test Theory of Machines, Automobile engineering, Fluid Dynamics and Machinery. The Psychometric test questions the test the way you handle situations under different circumstances. Recruitment at Asda Phase one Applications are registered through Asda’s online recruitment system, Asda’s HR team then shortlist appropriate candidates for interview or an assessment centre. Two documents are vital here: a job description and a personal specification. These inform applicants and help managers select the candidates that best match the requirements for the position. Step two attend the assessment centre known as either ‘Asda Reality’ this provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their strengths which align to Asda’s culture, beliefs and way of working. Step three interview  once selected, the final part of the recruitment process involves providing appropriate training. At Asda, each new colleague is put into a specific training plan designed for their role. (2.4) The first phase of recruitment at Asda is automated you can upload your curriculum vitae and edit your personal details on line, this way it makes it simper for the recruiters to narrow down the employees they would like. Asda’s online recruitment process has improved the speed and efficiency of recruitment, making applications easier for candidates and selection faster for management. On the second phase is really about meeting your potential employer and selling your skills and experience to see if you could fit in with the organisations overall vision. The recruitment and selection at Tata is far more complicated than that at Asda this is because of the more highly skilled aspects of the work. Phase one is based on receiving applications for the vacant position. Phase two evaluate applicants experience and qualifications and make a selection. Screening purpose is to evaluate the application and eliminate applicants, whose profiles do not match the job requirements, Phase three are tests to test the competence of potential employees theses test consist of technical and written aspects Phase four is the Human resources interview and phase five is the technical interview. L03 Appraisals and rewards system at Tata Motors are based on key results area. There are reviews at regular intervals, promotions are based on performance, and productivity and rewards comes in the form of profit linked incentives schemes. Positive appraisals can affect your career pathway with fast track options for high performers and interviews for positions above manager’s positions. Tata motor company employees have appraisals twice a year whereby employees get feedback which gives them a chance to look at their approach of working, The necessary steps are also undertaken for employees who deviate from their goals Tata motors have introduced a comprehensive system of quarterly appraisals whereby each employee selects their own key results areas or goals and every quarter they have the chance to go back and asses their own performance against the parameters. For many front line employees these performance related quarterly payouts designed to reward them with incentives for their performance. Tata Motors have midterm reviews for all employees that have had positive appraisals creating an expectation of a salary rise twice a year if they perform well. At Tata employees and supervisors can set up joint participations goals this method often leads to employee commitment along with smart goals Specific – precise and detailed Measurable – with criteria for determing progress and success Achievable – attainable Realistic – Relevant Time related – Grounded in a time frame This system is commonly known as 90 degree appraisal system. Performance rating Process at Tata Motors Exceptional contributor Significant contributor Performs consistently and substancly above all exceptions in all areas Performs exceptionally well in all areas. Achieves a final score of greater than or equal to 115% Achieves final score between 100-114% Consistently delivers on stretch targets Versatile in their area Proactive Little or no supervision Spots and anticipates problems, implements solutions Sets examples for others Sees and exploits opportunities. Take ownership of own development Delivers ahead of time Coaches other Sees wider impact across business Demonstrates business initiative Focuses on what’s good for the business Self motivated Herzberg motivation theory Frederick Herzberg in 1966 came up with a theory that job motivators were closely connected to job And the motivator’s appeared to produce motivated behavior whereas hygiene factors produced dissatisfaction From the way Tata motors conducts its appraisals and gives incentives I can see they firmly believe in some key points Herzberg mentioned in 1966 regarding Achievement, recognition, advancement and growth, giving employees with good appraisal reports promotions and pay rises will motivate employees and lead to extreme job satisfaction Factors leading to extreme dissatisfaction Hygiene Factors Factors leading to extreme satisfaction Motivators Company-policy & administration Achievement Supervision Recognition Relationship with supervisor Work itself Work conditions Responsibility Salary Advancement Relationship with peers Growth Personal life Relationship with subordinates Status Security Asda used 360 degree feedbacks for appraisal in this process employees are assessed based personal and professional skill sets, customer service and multitasking skills to see if they can perform multiple tasks under pressure. For slightly senior employees they consider coaching skills to be an essential part of leadership skills. In this process they judge how a person can train the subordinates. Apart from that it also judges the counseling skills of the people that help them in guiding the subordinates in expanding responsibility and capacity and delegate work according to their individual potential. Asda has redesigned 360 degree program to develop the employee performance through the process like Individual bonus, program The individual bonus factor is used to promote the best employee from their performance. This process aims the organisational objectives through the employee performance. As the Result of this process, the employee survey conducted in ASDA that shows the individual bonus process will be a great success through the high level of employee commitments and improvements through the self-motivation. In 1911 the engineer Frederick Taylor published one of the earliest motivational theories. According to Taylor ´s research, people worked purely for money this approach of paying workers by results was good for the business. The outcome was greater production but gave little opportunity, encouragement or time for employees to think for themselves or be creative in what they did. This limited people’s development and their use within the company Peer recognition Peer recognition is the modern performance appraisal process also includes in the 360 degree process. This process is to award and acknowledge an individual for their outstanding performance in the company. This would be could be more non-financial factors based which can motivate employees to improve their output. One such factor may be the desire to serve people; others may be to improve personal skills or achieve promotion. Employees  are more motivated if they feel content in their work. This often happens when their employer creates a good working environment where employees feel valued, generally through increased communication and being asked for their opinions. Employee motivation is also likely to be higher if the organisation invests in its staff through training and development. In turn this enhances their knowledge, skills and their sense of job satisfaction. Positive and negative reinforcement plays a vital role in motivation in the work place in the form of 1. Praise for good work 2. Encouragement 3. Constructive criticism The organisations leader should always communicate the organisations culture, values and beliefs to the group members. Performance feed back Team leaders should constantly provide feedback to members on: 1. How they are doing in their task and in the team 2. How results are progressing in comparison to plans and standards set out for them Feed back is essential both for motivational and for learning and development to adjust performance and bring it back in line where necessary to the original plan. The manager should motivate his or her team, both individually and collectively so that a productive work place is maintained and developed and at the same time employees derive satisfaction from their jobs. . References Phillip, Harris. Managing the Knowledge Culture. Human Resource Development Press, March 2005. Johnston, John. Time to Rebuild Human Resources. Business Quarterly. Winter 1996. Mathis, Robert L., and John H. Jackson. Human Resource Management. Thomson South-Western, 2005 Ulrich, Dave. Delivering Results: A New Mandate for HR Professionals. Harvard Business School Press, 1998. Gary, Dessler. Human resource management, Eleventh Edition 2005 Subba, rao. Essentials of HR Management and Industrial Relations, Fourth Edition 2007