Peer Reviewed Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer Reviewed Articles - Essay Example it of exhibiting bureaucratic element who are underpinned on the planning budget of every financial year, controlling and organizing the institution management board. The dichotomy between the two has been backed by theories related to management that are consistent with scientific management proposed by Fredric Taylor. Jointly the finding has a revelation that present time is not getting updated information on 21st century. Abraham Carmeli, Roy Gelbar &Roni Reiter-Palmon. Leadership, Creative Problem-Solving Capacity, and Creative Performance. Human Resource management 2013, Vol. 52, No. 1. Pp. 95–122Â © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The article Leadership, Creative Problem-Solving Capacity, and Creative Performance: The Importance of Knowledge Sharing was written by Abraham Carmeli in collaboration with Roy Gelbard and Roni Reiter-Palmon who presented a dyad of studies. They examined the possibility of leaders that are supportive of their behavior to enhance knowledge sharing and the employee creative problem solving capacity could have an influence on enhancing creative performance. The two reviewed studies had a revelation that leadership with habitual supportive behavior is directly and indirectly related, however, both internal and external knowledge sharing to creative problem solving capacity. It was observed that creative problem solving was related was related to a duo dimension of creative performance that is fluency and originality. In overall, the finding highlighted the complexity of the process by which leaders facilitate both internal and external knowledge sharing and employee creative problem so lving in order to increase the employee performance. The reliability of the two article was determined by examining the authors. They were experts in the field of the authorship presented. Secondly, the article was reviewed by other authors in the same field before the article was published. This makes the article reliable (Weller, 2001). Two criteria

Politics and Religion Essay Example for Free

Politics and Religion Essay Do Religion And Politics Go Hand In Hand? Of Course They Do! Religion in politics has long been a taboo subject or elusive topic to most as they argue that they cannot cohesively coexist together when in all actuality they can and do coexist together. Religion and politics essentially belong together like mashed potatoes and gravy so to speak. However, all around the world the extent to which they coexist varies depending on the cultural influence as well as historical significance pertaining to their area. Religion plays a huge role in American politics. During the 2012 election year people were polled on the importance of religion in their lives and 56 percent said that it is â€Å"very important in their lives. † (Miller) Religion plays a substantial role in politics from influencing how some politicians will cast their vote on certain issues to persuading voters to vote for one candidate or another. Although America prides itself on its religious diversity and separation of church and state however it is a prove fact that religion helps determine who a voter will cast their ballot for. A Gallup poll from June of 2012 discovered that 58 percent of Americans would vote for a Muslim candidate while only 54 percent of Americans would vote for an atheist candidate. When polled it also found that only 1 in 5 Americans would vote for a Mormon candidate which could have essentially cost Romney millions of votes due to his religious preference. Indeed we have seen religion play a very influential role in politics in 2012. Religion and politics were very closely tied together during the presidency of George Walker Bush. â€Å"In the eyes of a lot of people religion played a bigger role in government than usual during the presidency of George W. Bush. President Bush evoked God in his speeches more often than other presidents, stated in interviews that God advised him on certain actions and that he firmly believed that he was enacting God’s will as the chief executive of the United States. (Oganesian) Even our Declaration of Independence closely ties religion and politics together with such statements as, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † Notice that Creator is capitalized and undeniably it states that we are endowed certain unalienable rights from our Creator. This can either be someone’s higher power if they choose to call it by that name or simply it could be God. Does religion truly belong in politics? This may very well be one of the toughest questions ever asked in this day and age. Religion delves on the belief in good and morality while politics are the workings and dealings of the administration of government. We are a Nation that was founded on Moral Values, Decency and the rule of law. God’s laws will always play a part in politics. If you examine our money even it says,† In God We Trust. † Truly separation of church and state will never be fully successful. When our President is sworn in to the oath of office even he has to swear on a Holy Bible. Is he not the highest ranking government official in our nation? Yet even he has to follow the rules and guidelines that deal with religion. Over and over again we see how closely religion and politics are actually entwined with one another. According to Djupe and Olson, psychological approaches to the study of religion and politics â€Å"view the key attachment point between religious faith and political commitments as the individual’s identification with religious reference groups† (2007:256). Leege and his colleagues noted that the psychological power of group identification is essential to religion’s effect on politics. For example, groups form the basis of cleavage in a larger society for a variety of cultural and political reasons: (1) whether based on voluntary affiliation or generational replacement, groups socialize members into their values ;( 2) through processes of social identification; groups develop consciousness of kind so that it is possible for members to say â€Å"we hey†; (3) through the interaction of members, a sense of social cohesion develops that provides reinforcement for group identity and norms; and (4) through an advantageous political shorthand, political elites think of society in terms of groups. (2002:49–50) Political issues such as abortion and even same sex marriages are governed by some underlying religious values. For example, many laws dealing with these issues are either vetoed or not put into law by the people who in turn use their religious values to help them vote on the topic. Many states still outlaw homosexual marriages because when it is put on the ballot those who believe that it is wrong vote against it so such laws cannot be passed. Many top politicians think of society in terms of groups whether they be religious groups or political groups. We live in an increasingly religious world in which faith and belief affect every dimension of our existence, so our politicians better talk about it. (Marshall, 2008) Religion does not exist in solitude or expressly by itself. It molds our fundamental view of the essence of human life and the morality in which we should live our lives. Going back to the Constitution the First Amendment guarantees â€Å"the free exercise of religion and prohibits the establishment of religion by the government. † By guaranteeing the free exercise of religion and prohibiting the establishment of religion by the government these principles are working together to protect religious freedom as well as a diversely thriving and religious landscape. The role of religion in politics around the world is sometimes controversial at best however even in other countries politics and religion are closely tied together. Even in post-communist countries such as Latvia political parties and religious groups have alliances which can sometimes sway their supporters to vote for a certain political force. The â€Å"Harmony Center†, that positions itself as an alliance of several (but not all) Social Democratic parties, also demonstrates special courtesy to the church. (Tcraudkalns, pg5) Even in Australia where their reputation for â€Å"godlessness† dates back to the nineteenth century where most places had pubs before they had a church religion and politics are still tied closely together. Australia has a unique way of describing politics and religion in terms of masculinity and femininity. â€Å"This reference to Australian â€Å"maleness† suggests that discussions of the relationship between politics and religion are always also discussions about gender. The association of masculinity with the public realm and rationality, and of femininity with religious faith and the home, makes this impossible to avoid. † (Bellanta, pg10) Although there has never been an established church in Australia the churches that are large and established have had a specific presence and role in public matters. However secular Australia proclaims to be religion has a new found role for itself which proves it has not been abolished. Gustavo Gutierrez, a Peruvian theologian, has provided since the late 1960s a theological interpretation of the person of God and his work that has been closely linked with human history, and particularly with the poor and the marginalized. (Aguilar pg. 146) Gutierrez believed that a direct connection of the Christian faith and the practice of politics could be felt as a result of Christ’s incarnation. He closely tied together religion and politics through the human commonality and to the practice of religion and politics centered on the poor, on the commandment of love and of service to the marginalized as a way of life and in a new era of hermeneutics and commonality. Gutierrez relied heavily on biblical text to tie together religion and politics through the service of the poor. When reading Gutierrez’s writing there is no concise separation of religion and politics. He clearly stated that the practice of religion as well as the practice of politics must be conveyed through the Christian faith. In the words of Gutierrez: â€Å"We shall not have our great leap forward, into a whole new theological perspective, until the marginalized and exploited have begun to become the artisans of their own liberation—until their voice makes itself heard directly, without mediation, without interpreters—until they themselves take account, in the light of their own values, of their own experience of the Lord in their efforts to liberate themselves. We shall not have our quantum theological leap until the oppressed themselves theologize, until â€Å"the others† themselves personally reflect on their hope of a total liberation in Christ. For they are the bearers of this hope for all humanity. † Nigeria’s view on politics and religion are that they mix like â€Å"snake oil and fire water. † It is said that Nigerians are some of the most prayerful people on Earth however Olaye is upset that politicians speak godly words to one another without acting on it. We are taught in the U. S. enerally not to mix religion and politics I our conversation however that does not ring true in Nigeria because they do quite opposite of that. Although Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council is taking prayer from the beginning of public events they are still going to read the pious words of the second stanza of Nigeria’s national anthem. (Sample: â€Å"Oh God of creation. Direct our noble course. Guide our leaderà ¢â‚¬â„¢s right. †(Olaye) Olaye wishes that Nigeria politicians would stop the hypocrisy and says until they do that their country will continue to suffer. In Egypt even the Secretary General has an interesting view on politics and religion. He expressed hope that Muslims would draw a line so that â€Å"politics does not dominate religion, and religion does not dominate politics†. (Ihsanoglu) Two of the main fears in Egypt right now after the fall of Hosni Mubarak are actually related to religion. They are religious identity politics and the largest minority of the religious demographic Coptic Christians. He believes in mutual respect and non-interference between the Islam religion and Egyptian political order. These beliefs are showing us that all over the world no matter how separate people try to keep church and state they are actually inevitably entwined together with no line of separation in sight. Some well-known republicans such as Mike Huckabee and Billy Graham are well known Christians who also turn their values of faith into the public’s eye. During the 2012 election season Graham was quoted as saying, â€Å"I believe it is vitally important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel. I urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman. Vote for biblical values this November 6, and pray with me that America will remain one nation under God. † Some would even say that Democrats do the best to live by biblical principles of taking care of the less fortunate among us who are already among the living. However it could be argued that Republicans take a better stance on the biblical principle of protecting the unborn. Jesus warns against those who aspire to political correctness. He says: †¢let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. (Matthew 15:14) †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9) †¢Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? (Luke 6:39)(The Holy Bible) Even as far back as in Jesus time he himself laid out the foundation of politics and religion being one in the same. In church it is taught that going against what is the law such as speeding is considered sin and goes against the political laws which have been set forth in our society. Therefore religious people must abide by the political values set forth in our society. If you turn the table’s politicians must even be religious to a degree because they consider killing, stealing, etc. to be wrong and thus are religiously entwined to the Ten Commandments. In conclusion I say religion in politics has long been a taboo subject and elusive topic to most as they argue that they cannot cohesively coexist together when in all actuality they can and do coexist together. Religion and politics essentially belong together as they date back to even biblical times. However, all around the world the extent to which they coexist varies depending on the cultural influence as well as historical significance pertaining to their area. We have seen that I places such as Latvia, Egypt, and even Nigeria that religion and politics do go together however the extent of their union depends on their different cultural influences. Religion and politics even though we have been taught do not need to bring up as a singular subject and in fact they actually can be brought up together and should be because they are essentially a married union to one another. Whilst some critics will still argue that religion and politics are a disaster when they are meshed together their will always be people who disagree o the subject. Everyone will never be o the same page when it pertains to religion in politics or politics in religion.

The HIV & AIDS Virus :: HIV, AIDS, Health

Citations AIDS.org - news, treatment information, and other resources. www.aids.org/ HIV and AIDS Activities - information from the FDA Office of Special Health Issues. www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/hiv.html Specialized Information Services Home Page - US National Library ... - ... Library of Medicine (NLM) is responsible for information resources and services in toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and specialized ... www.sis.nlm.nih.gov CDC-NCHSTP-Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) Home Page - ... CDC - Divisions of HIV / AIDS Prevention Home Page; logo: HIV / AIDS Prevention National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention. ... www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm AIDSinfo - federally approved information on AIDS research, clinical trials, and treatment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Created by merging the AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service (ACTIS) and the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS). www.hivatis.org/ HIV InSite - comprehensive and reliable information on HIV/AIDS treatment, policy, research, epidemiology, and prevention from the University of California, San Francisco. hivinsite.ucsf.edu/ HIV & AIDS Virus AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - was first reported in the United States in 1981 and has since become a major worldwide epidemic. AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By killing or damaging cells of the body's immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers. People diagnosed with AIDS may get life-threatening diseases called opportunistic infections, which are caused by microbes such as viruses or bacteria that usually do not make healthy people sick. More than 790,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in the United States since 1981, and as many as 900,000 Americans may be infected with HIV. This epidemic is growing more rapidly among minority populations and is a leading killer of African-American males ages 25 to 44. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AIDS affects nearly seven times more African Americans and three times more Hispanics than whites. Transmission of HIV Having unprotected sex with an infected partner most commonly spreads HIV. The virus can enter the body through the lining of the vagina, vulva, penis, or mouth during sex. HIV also is spread through contact with infected blood. Before donated blood was screened for evidence of HIV infection and before heat-treating techniques to destroy HIV in blood products were introduced. HIV was transmitted through transfusions having the contaminated blood or blood components. Today, because of blood screening and heat treatment, the risk of getting HIV from such transfusions is extremely small.

Importance of balance of trade

Importance of balance of trade Balance of trade data is a very important piece of understanding the global puzzle of international trade, and thus, forex. Much like an income statement, balance of trade data clearly defines whether a trade deficit or trade surplus is in play. Why Balance of Trade Matters Balance of trade data shows the imports and exports of goods and how a country competes in a global marketplace. Balance of trade numbers can run a trade deficit, showing that a country imported more than it exported, or they can reflect a trade surplus, exporting more than was imported in a specific time period.Imports and exports can include physical goods and intangible services. Luxembourg, which is a popular banking destination, has one of the highest per capita service exports because its banking system is used internationally. Likewise, Middle Eastern nations have stronger physical exports due to the international oil trade. Just as a negative balance of trade is a bad sign fo r a country's long run economic health, high export figures can be equally poor for domestic trade. China, which has for a long time been a net exporter, has fought several bouts of domestic inflation as money flows into the country from all over the world.When the supply of money rises internally at pace faster than the relative increase in wages, internal consumption and demand can be temporarily stymied, causing recessions. However, all things considered, a country would much prefer to attract too much foreign export purchases than too few, as a negative balance of trade cannot be sustained forever. In addition, negative trade increases the possibility of high national debts or inflation from the central bank to maintain domestic currency levels. Making Use of the DataBalance of trade data is released once per month and may be revised as time passes and the numbers become clearer. Since tallying all the exports flowing out of a country and all the imports flowing in requires a su bstantial amount of record keeping and manpower, these reports on trade surplus or trade deficit may be revised for years following their first release. From a forex trading point of view, balance of trade statistics are best used in conjunction with balance of payments. While a net importer cannot show a positive balance of trade, it can, and in many times does, show a positive balance of payments.This is because net importers have to borrow from other countries to sustain their current consumption, and they routinely borrow more funds than are needed in a single time period or calendar year Factors that can affect the balance of trade include: Measuring the balance of trade can be problematic because of problems with recording and collecting data. As an illustration of this problem, when official data for all the world's countries are added up, exports exceed imports by almost 1%; it appears the world is running a positive balance of trade with itself.This cannot be true, because all transactions involve an equal credit or debit in the account of each nation. The discrepancy is widely believed to be explained by transactions intended to launder money or evade taxes, smuggling and other visibility problems. However, especially for developed countries, accuracy is likely. * The cost of production (land, labor, capital, taxes, incentives, etc. ) in the exporting economy vis-a-vis those in the importing economy; * The cost and availability of raw materials, intermediate goods and other inputs; * Exchange rate movements; Multilateral, bilateral and unilateral taxes or restrictions on trade; * Non-tariff barriers such as environmental, health or safety standards; * The availability of adequate foreign exchange with which to pay for imports; and * Prices of goods manufactured at home (influenced by the responsiveness of supply How to calculate BOT Trade balance shows how countries interact with each other in the international market place. Trade balance is also kno wn as net exports. The trade balance shows if a country exports more than it imports.A positive trade balance means the country exports more than it imports. A negative trade balance shows a country imports more than it exports. Having a positive or negative trade balance is neither good nor bad. Trade balance is also part of the calculation for gross domestic product. 1. Use the U. S. Census Bureau to find net imports for the period for which you seek the U. S. trade balance. The Census Bureau releases these statistics periodically on its website. On the Census Bureau website, click â€Å"Balance by Partner Country† on the left-side of the screen. Then select a country.For example, select Ivory Coast. Then select the year to analyze. In the example, select 2010. In the example, for January 2010, the United States had net imports of $221. 9 million from the Ivory Coast. 2. Use the U. S. Census Bureau to find net exports for the period. In our example, U. S. net exports to the Ivory Coast were $24. 3 million 3. Subtract net imports from net exports to determine the trade balance. In our example, $24. 3 million minus $221. 9 million yields a trade balance of negative $197. 6 million, which the Census Bureau rounds to $197. 5 million.The balance is negative because net imports is greater than net exports. Goods and Services Deficit Decreases in February 2013 The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $43. 0 billion in February from $44. 5 billion (revised) in January, as exports increased more than imports. | Goods and Services * Exports increased to $186. 0 billion in February from $184. 4 billion in January (revised). Goods were $132. 2 billion in February, up from $130. 8 billion in January. Services were $53. 8 billion in February, up from $53. 6 billion in January. February imports were $0. 1 billion more than January imports of $228. 9 billion (revised). Goods were $192. 4 billion in February, down from $192. 5 billion in January. Services were $36. 5 billion in February, up from $36. 3 billion in January. * For goods, the deficit was $60. 2 billion in February, down from $61. 7 billion in January (revised). For services, the surplus was $17. 3 billion in February, up from $17. 2 billion in January. Goods by Category (Census basis) * The January to February increase in exports of goods reflected increases in industrial supplies and materials ($1. billion); other goods ($0. 5 billion); and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($0. 2 billion). Decreases occurred in capital goods ($0. 8 billion); consumer goods ($0. 3 billion); and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0. 1 billion). * The January to February decrease in imports of goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials ($2. 6 billion) and other goods ($0. 3 billion). Increases occurred in automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($1. 1 billion); consumer goods ($0. 7 billion); capital goods ($0. 3 billion); and foods, feed s, and beverages ($0. billion). Services by Category * Exports of services increased $0. 2 billion from January to February. The increase was mostly accounted for by increases in other transportation ($0. 1 billion), which includes freight and port services, and travel ($0. 1 billion). Changes in the other categories of services exports were relatively small. * Imports of services increased $0. 2 billion from January to February. The increase was more than accounted for by increases in other transportation ($0. 1 billion), travel ($0. 1 billion), and passenger fares ($0. 1 billion).Changes in the other categories of services imports were relatively small. Goods by Geographic Area (Not Seasonally Adjusted) * The goods deficit with Canada decreased from $4. 8 billion in January to $2. 6 billion in February. Exports were virtually unchanged at $23. 1 billion, while imports decreased $2. 2 billion (primarily crude oil) to $25. 7 billion. * The goods deficit with China decreased from $27 . 8 billion in January to $23. 4 billion in February. Exports decreased $0. 1 billion (primarily soybeans and nonmonetary gold) to $9. 3 billion, while imports decreased $4. billion (primarily cell phones and other household goods) to $32. 7 billion. * The goods deficit with Mexico increased from $3. 6 billion in January to $4. 3 billion in February. Exports decreased $0. 3 billion (primarily computer accessories, electric components, and semiconductors) to $17. 7 billion, while imports increased $0. 4 billion (primarily automobiles, automotive parts, and accessories) to $21. 9 billion India Balance of Trade India recorded a trade deficit of 561. 19 INR Billion in March of 2013. Balance of Trade in India is reported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.Historically, from 1978 until 2013, India Balance of Trade averaged -113. 01 INR Billion reaching an all time high of 13. 91 INR Billion in April of 1991 and a record low of -1111. 46 INR Billion in October of 2012. India had been recording sustained trade deficits due to low exports base and high imports of coal and oil for its energy needs. India is leading exporter of petroleum products, gems and jewelry, textiles, engineering goods, chemicals and services. Main trading partners are European Union countries, United States, China and UAE. This page includes a chart with historical data for India Balance of Trade

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s style of making the reader want to read on is a world apart from Dahl’s efforts, although the actual plot hooks you immediately in any Sherlock Holmes story. Doyle focuses on the man himself to ensure the reader’s full attention to the story. He uses Holmes’ superb character, a man sharper than a knife, more cunning than a fox and an untouchable track record to reel in the readers. The way he talks, he acts and follows out investigations and eventually solving them gives the reader an air of unpredictability around Holmes. Questions roll through your mind as you advance through a story featuring the famous detective, of how he ever unveiled something so sealed from view, its beyond belief, how he cheated death in the most frightening circumstances. Sherlock Holmes’ intelligence as a detective is matched by none and it’s this that Doyle uses to keep the reader entertained and on the edge of his/her seat throughout all of his Sherlock Holmes novels. Which proves that characters in a book, not always its plot make a story memorable. The endings of the two stories were an underlining big factor in what set them apart. ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ saw Mary Maloney murdering her husband spontaneously with a bizarre object, which proved much to her advantage as the story ended with the local police, who were investigating the murder, eating the only evidence to actually put Mary Maloney away for the ultimate crime. â€Å"And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle. † As I read this, my feelings towards Mrs Maloney suddenly doubled back and began moving in the opposite direction. From the point when Mr Maloney sternly gave his loving wife the cold shoulder early on in the story, I had been resentful to him and a supporter of Mrs Maloney. Even when she had murdered her cold husband and proceeded to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes with her guilty conscience, I remained faithful, but as I read that last sentence, Mary’s crime came into perspective and it repulsed me to see her get away with such a terrible crime and be smug about it. This however, in my opinion was intended by Dahl. In a clever twist he had been playing with our emotions throughout and had left it until the last moment to cease his spell over the reader. This ending was certainly unexpected and made the story twice as enjoyable and successful as it already was. ‘The Speckled Band’s ending, as mentioned earlier is immensely diverse from that of ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’s. From the outset, the result of Holmes’ investigation was clearly obvious. No case goes unsolved when Sherlock Holmes takes it by the horns. The point of reading Holmes’ stories is in order to experience Sherlock himself, as explained earlier this is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s way of making the reader want to read on. Once again, Holmes didn’t disappoint us by solving the case. He picked up on the detail much forgotten by myself, the fact that Dr Roylott, Miss Stoner’s father had a collection of animals inspired by his work in India. Once Sherlock had studied the room in which the death of Helen Stoner’s sister had taken place, he had it in mind that a venomous snake was the culprit. This was in fact the reality of the matter and Sherlock had saved the day again. The way in which Holmes solved the case, as always provided the superb story we have come to expect from Doyle. â€Å"Some of the blows of my cane came home, and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr Grimesby Roylott’s death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience. † These final sentences of the story, not only demonstrate Holmes’ renowned intelligence, but wit as he printed a smile on my face with the final quip about the doctor’s death weighing on his conscience. The ending had me imagining a film adaptation of the story, Sherlock stepping from view, leaving a bemused Watson to follow, trusty notepad in hand, as credits rolled across the screen. To say what my favourite ending was would be unfair as I am evidently a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, but both stories were fantastic and worth the hour or so I spent on each. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section. Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Now that you’ve read â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter† and studied the nuances of crafting a persuasive argument, pretend you are the defense attorney for Mary Maloney. You will craft your closing arguments as a persuasive speech to be delivered to the judge and jury in her murder trial. Your defense is that Mary Maloney is NOT guilty by reason of temporary insanity. If you need to look up the stipulations for such an argument, please do so. You will be held accountable for them. You must include a minimum of three quotes from the story to craft your argument. In Short: * Your Role: Defense Attorney for Mary Maloney * Your Audience: Judge and Jury * Your Job: Persuade the audience that Mary Maloney is NOT guilty by reason of temporary insanity. Requirements: * Must include a minimum of three (3) quotes from the story that help support your argument * Must include at least two (2) counterarguments * Must include at least one (1) concession * Must include at least one (1) example of polysyndeton and one (1) of asyndeton * Must include at least two (2) examples EACH of ethos, logos, and pathos * Must be organized in a manner that is coherent and supports your argument * Have a clear beginning, middle, and end to the speech * Transitions between paragraphs are effective and more advanced that â€Å"next† and â€Å"then† Notes: * Answer the following questions about your writing before delivering your speech: * Did my introduction hook my reader? * Did I divide the body of the essay into coherently organized paragraphs? * Are my transitions more interesting than words like â€Å"and† and â€Å"then†? * Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end to my essay? * Does my conclusion wrap up my argument in an effective way? * Rule of Length: Juries are easily bored, so keep your closing remarks to between 2-3 minutes in length. * SPEECHES WILL BE DELIVERED ON FRIDAY AND MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AND 12. * 100 POINTS and 10 bonus points will be awarded to the closing argument deemed most effective by the class!

From Brand Values to Customer Value Essays

From Brand Values to Customer Value Essays From Brand Values to Customer Value Essay From Brand Values to Customer Value Essay From brand values to customer value Martin Christopher Recently there has been a growing tide of articles, papers and even conferences devoted to the question of the future of marketing (see, for example Brady and Davis, 1993; Coopers Lybrand, 1993; Mitchell, 1994). Essentially, the point at issue is whether â€Å"traditional† marketing is appropriate for the conditions that now prevail in the late twentieth century. The basic principle of marketing still applies, that is the focus of the business on the satisfaction of customer needs, but, it is argued, the way in which marketing is practised may need to change fundamentally. It has to be recognized that there have been some radical changes in the marketing environment since marketing first came to prominence in the early 1960s. Organizations which had even the most rudimentary understanding of the marketing concept were able to reap the harvest of fast-growing markets comprising customers who had money to spend. In such conditions it was easy to believe that the company’s marketing effort was the main driver of this success. In reality that success was due as much to the fact that the business was being carried along with the tidal wave of market growth. The most significant change to impact western companies has been the maturing of the markets in which they compete. Mature markets have certain characteristics which mark them out as being significantly different from growth markets. Chief among the characteristics of mature markets are: Customer sophistication. In the majority of western economies, today’s customer and consumer has seen it all, they have been there and â€Å"bought the T-shirt†. In industrial markets, as well as fast-moving consumer goods markets, the supplier is now faced with a buyer who is much more demanding and less easily persuaded by marketing â€Å"hype†. One consequence of this change is the gradual decline in brand loyalty in many markets (Industry Week, 1993). Decline in the impact of advertising. It has been suggested by some industry commentators (Maddox, 1995) that, with the decline of the mass market and the consequent fragmentation of markets into smaller segments, conventional media-based advertising, particularly TV, is costing more and more to deliver the requisite ratings. This is causing a rethink in many organizations as to how they allocate their marketing budget. For example, it is reported that in the UK, Heinz is planning to divert most of its arketing communications budget from TV and apply it instead to direct marketing. From brand values to customer value 55 Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, Vol. 2 No. 1, 1996, pp. 55-66.  © MCB University Press, 1355-2538 JMP: AMS 2,1 56 Perceived product equality. Mature markets exhibit similar characteristics to commodity markets in that customers pe rceive little difference between competing offers. In such conditions, while customers might have brand preferences they have less brand loyalty – meaning that if the preferred brand is not available, they will willingly accept a substitute. : Even product/markets with high rates of innovation do not seem immune from this tendency to â€Å"commoditization†; take, for example, the personal computer market, where clones and â€Å"me-toos† now account for significant market shares. Price competition. Almost by definition the combined effect of the previous three factors is a downward pressure on price. As a result, there is a temptation to seek to achieve tactical gains in sales volume through discounting in one form or another which is compounded by the continuing demands for price reductions by powerful customers. Paradoxically, the more that organizations compete on price, the more they reinforce the customers’ view that they are indeed commodity suppliers. Concentration of buying power A further significant difference in today’s marketing environment, compared to the past, is the continuing concentration of buying power in many markets. Concentration has occurred as organizations merge or grow through take-overs, and as the inevitable result of a competitive process that leads to the â€Å"survival of the fittest† (The Economist, 1993). This process of concentration seems to be present in just about every industry. The grocery retail market is a very visible example. Figure 1 shows the percentage of the total market in western European economies accounted for by the top five retailers in those countries. In that same market, there are beginning to emerge pan-European buying groups which will add to the concentration effect. These groups seek to use their combined buying power to gain better prices than they might be able to achieve by acting alone (Thornhill, 1990). The process of concentration in other industries in western Europe has been further accelerated through the process of European economic integration. Previously, countries had tended to develop their own industrial base independently from their neighbours, but now that the barriers to trade have mostly been removed there exists significant over-capacity in many industries. If a comparison were to be made between the USA and the countries of the European Union – in total the size of their populations are roughly similar – then it will be found that in many comparable industries there tend to be more players in Europe than in the USA. A good example is provided by the turbine generator industry where there are ten companies competing in that market compared to only two in the USA (Cooper et al. , 1991). 120 100 96. 7 From brand values to customer value 80 70. 2 65 62 52. 9 50 46. 7 80 57 45. 2 45. 1 42. 5 60 40 20. 4 20 12. 7 10 0 SF SW Key SF SW A CH UK A CH UK IRE IRE B D NL FR B D NL FR DK SP DK SP P I P IT = Finland = Sweden = Austria = Switzerland = United Kingdom = Ireland = Belgium = Germany = The Netherlands = France = Denmark = Spain = Portugal = Italy Source: AIM report Figure 1. Market share of top five retailers The fragmentation of consumer markets Paradoxically, while buying power in business-to-business markets is tending to concentrate, in consumer markets the trend has been to fragmentation. By fragmentation is meant a transition from the old idea of a uniform, homogeneous, â€Å"mass market† to much smaller segments where consumers seek individual solutions to their buying needs. The emerging idea of â€Å"micromarketing† (Kotler, 1994) is an attempt to focus marketing strategies on ever smaller groupings of customers. In the fragmented marketplace the conventional tools of mass marketing no longer have the same effect. National advertising campaigns through the mass media, for example, may no longer be the most cost effective way of communicating with these micro-markets. At the same time there is evidence that the more sophisticated consumer is influenced less by traditional advertising and that more purchase decisions are actually made at the point of sale (Dickson and Sawyer, 1990). The transition from brand value to customer value Much has been written about the changed nature of brand loyalty (Aaker, 1991), how the continued rise of private label products is further challenging JMP: AMS 2,1 58 conventional brands (Glemet and Mira, 1993) and how the â€Å"company† brand may be taking over from the individual brand (Barwise, 1992). Underlying these discussions is the view that brand â€Å"values† may not be as strong in the eyes of the consumer as they once were. The concept of brand values implies that what makes a brand a brand is its â€Å"personality† which distinguishes it from others and that the presence of this personality imparts some utility – however tangible – to the consumer. There is a strong body of research supporting the idea of brand personality as a source of value to the consumer (King, 1973). However, what seems to be happening is that the changes in the marketing environment summarized earlier are tending to diminish the strength of that value. The thrust of this article is that the original concept of brand value is in need of extension, and needs to be embodied within a wider concept of customer value. The customer value concept recognizes that marketplace success in the new competitive environment described above will require not only continued investment in the brand but also investment in customers. The underlying philosophy is that customers, not just consumers, have goals that they seek to achieve and that the role of the supplier is to help customers achieve those goals. Defining customer value Put very simply, customer value is created when the perceptions of benefits received from a transaction exceed the costs of ownership. The same idea can be expressed as a ratio: Perceptions of benefits Customer value = Total cost of ownership The marketing task is to find ways to enhance customer value by improving the perceived benefits and/or reducing the total costs of ownership. Both the numerator and the denominator of this ratio should be measured relative to competitive offers. Total cost of ownership rather than price is used here because in most transactions there will be costs other than price involved. For example, inventory carrying costs, maintenance costs, running costs, disposal costs and so on. In business-to-business markets, as buyers become increasingly sophisticated, the total cost of ownership can be a critical element in the purchase decision (Ellram, 1993). Life cycle costs, as they are referred to in the military and defence industries, have long been a critical issue in procurement decisions in those markets. The concept of customer value is of equal importance in consumer marketing as it is in business-to-business environments. In 1993, 2 April was termed â€Å"Black Friday† on Wall Street, New York because of major falls in the share prices of most branded goods companies. The trigger for this collapse had been the decision by Philip Morris to cut the price of its Marlboro cigarettes by 20 per cent or 40 cents a pack in order to counter competition from low price own-label products. The reason suggested by commentators for the fall in the share price of branded goods companies was that the Marlboro episode signalled the beginning of a revolt by customers who were starting to question the worth of paying significantly more for branded products which were no longer seen as delivering a commensurate amount of added value (The Economist, 1994a). Lowering the price (which had been increased ahead of inflation year after year) enabled Marlboro to restore the customer value it had been progressively eroding. Since taking this action its market share in the USA has increased dramatically. In seeking to deliver significantly superior customer value the marketer must clearly define, communicate and deliver a â€Å"value proposition† which is recognized by the target market as a better proposition than that presented by competitors. It should also be recognized that in most markets there will be different value segments but that to be successful in any one of them the customer value ratio must be seen to be superior to competitive offers. Figure 2 highlights how this idea might be applied to parts of the UK car market. Focusing on the value proposition forces the marketer to define clearly the two dimensions of cost and value shown in Figure 2 in terms of â€Å"what you give† and â€Å"what you get†. It must also be recognized that these dimensions are perceptual, meaning that continuing customer communication will be important if the value proposition is to be understood clearly by the target market. The sources of superior customer value are many. Treacy and Wiersema (1993) identify three value disciplines which can provide competitive What you get (perceived benefits) Superior value BMW Lexus From brand values to customer value 59 Fiat Uno Inferior value Different value segments What you give (total costs of ownership) Figure 2. Value segmentation JMP: AMS 2,1 60 advantage: operational excellence, product leadership and customer intimacy. Operational excellence is achieved through a focus on systems, costeffectiveness and speed so that customers are provided with the service they require, but at less cost. Product leadership as a strategy requires a commitment to continuous innovation, high levels of research and development, and a willingness to take risks. Customer-intimate companies are those that focus on building long-term relationships with customers particularly through a focus on service. While these strategies are not mutually exclusive, successful companies tend to follow predominantly one or other of these value disciplines. The emerging philosophy of relationship marketing (Christopher et al. , 1991) is a reflection of the growing recognition that long-term competitive advantage is gained by creating superior perceived value for customers. The argument is that customers are more likely to stay with suppliers if they believe that the relative customer value received from a current supplier is higher than that on offer elsewhere. Furthermore, there will often be considerable switching costs which would make a change of supplier unattractive. There are a growing number of examples of organizations that are establishing market leadership positions through a focus on customer value. Companies as diverse as Procter Gamble, British Steel, DHL and Milliken have all demonstrated that enduring customer relationships can be created through an understanding of the importance of operational excellence, product leadership and customer intimacy. The sources of marketing advantage In the new competitive environment, it is increasingly evident that successful marketing strategies are based on an amalgam of three critical elements: the creation of a consumer franchise whereby end-users are attracted to the product/service in question because they perceive a superior offer; a strong customer franchise where intermediaries want to do business with us because of a tangible economic benefit and, third, an under-pinning supply chain effectiveness that delivers superior service at less cost. Figure 3 summarizes the three sources of competitive advantage. Each of the three dimensions requires a clearly defined strategy, but developed as part of an integrative package to deliver superior value to customers and consumers alike. The consumer franchise While brand loyalty may no longer be as strong as it once was, the need to build a contract with the end-user is still a vital prerequisite for marketing advantage. Brand value is still a critical element in many purchase decisions although it seems that there has been a return to a concept of value based on traditional tangible or core benefits rather than the more emotionally-based, intangible benefits that seem to have fixated many marketers in the last quarter century. Now it seems that consumer loyalty more often is based on â€Å"hard† rather than â€Å"soft† dimensions. So, value for money, convenience, reliability, safety and functionality become the drivers of product or service choice. We buy a TV set Consumer franchise Brand values Corporate image Benefit focused From brand values to customer value 61 Marketing advantage Customer franchise Cost of ownership Value-adding relationship Service quality focus Supply chain effectiveness Network management Quick response Low cost supplier Figure 3. The sources of marketing advantage more for its features and the reputation of its manufacturer for reliability than we do for its image, for example. The impact of own-label, retailer-branded products in many categories is further testimony to this development. Coca-Cola, regarded as the world’s most recognized brand, has seen its market 30 Britain 25 20 15 France 10 Spain 5 Italy 0 1980 Note a 1986 1992 1993 Figure 4. Percentage of own-label market share Germanya Figures do not include Aldi Source: Boston Consulting Group JMP: AMS 2,1 62 share in the USA and the UK (and elsewhere too) under attack by own-label products which are seen by customers to deliver better value for money. Figure 4 shows the growing penetration of own-label products in major European markets. What this means for twenty-first century marketers is that in order to strengthen the consumer franchise, the focus of marketing effort must increasingly be on delivering solutions which can be translated into hard, tangible benefits by individual consumers. In many cases this will mean a transition to micro or one-to-one marketing whereby a greater degree of tailoring/customization of the product offer is achieved (Pine et al. , 1995). The customer franchise Because the power of intermediaries has strengthened in many markets, it is of paramount importance to make the customer – not just the consumer – an integral part of marketing strategy. Whether the intermediary be a retailer, a distributor or an original equipment manufacturer, without their support it is unlikely that even the strongest brand could achieve its full potential. Not only has the purchasing power of the customer increased as a result of concentration, but there is a growing trend towards single-sourcing by those customers. In other words, whereas in the past the practice was to spread the total purchase of an item across several suppliers, now the aim is to reduce the size of the supplier base and to seek further cost reductions as a result (Hines, 1994). While to many suppliers such developments may be perceived as a threat, to others they present an opportunity. If the supplier can offer a superior value package with a measurable positive economic impact on the customer, then the likelihood is that they will win the business. Today’s customer is a more sophisticated buyer, used to working with concepts such as total cost of ownership, life-cycle costing and cost/benefit analysis. Indeed, many customers now actively pursue a partnership sourcing concept (Lamming, 1993) whereby they seek to establish long-term relationships with preferred suppliers based on win-win philosophies. It can be argued that a preferred supplier, continuing to deliver superior customer value, has in effect the advantage of a barrier to entry that in many respects is far more difficult to surmount than more conventional competitive defences. Supply chain effectiveness This author has suggested elsewhere (Christopher, 1992) that individual companies no longer compete with other standalone companies, but rather that supply chain now competes against supply chain. The rationale for this viewpoint is based on the fact that when organizations work independently of their up-stream suppliers and down-stream customers, costs and inefficiencies tend to build up at the interfaces (Houlihan, 1985). The need for co-ordination between partners in the supply chain has increased as the network organization becomes more common. The network organization comprises a complex web of linkages between focused partners each of which adds value through specialization in an activity where it can provide a differential advantage. A company like Apple Computers, for example, relies heavily on other companies to supply components, to manufacture hardware, to create software and to distribute its products around the world. Something like 90 per cent or more of the cost of an Apple computer is going to outside suppliers. It has been suggested (Webster, 1992) that marketing as a function may even disappear as the strategic focus shifts towards network management. This progress towards the idea of supply chain integration as a source of competitive advantage will be accelerated as the growth of time-based competition (Stalk and Hout, 1990) accelerates. In markets that are increasingly volatile, responsiveness becomes a critical competitive requirement. Companies like Benetton and The Limited have gained significant advantage through their ability to respond rapidly to fashion changes in the markets they serve. Through the use of highly co-ordinated logistics and supply chain structures, driven by the real-time capture of sales data, these companies, and others like them, can adapt their product range and their volumes in weeks rather than months. Supply chain management should not be seen as something separate from marketing. Indeed in the new competitive paradigm supply chain effectiveness becomes an essential prerequisite for marketplace success. Delivering customer value Once it is recognized that customer value provides the basis for successful differentiation the next issue is how might that value best be delivered? A profound change is taking place in many companies as they review the appropriateness of their organizational structures for the changed marketplace of the late twentieth century and beyond. The traditional, functional organization structure is thought by many to be unable to meet the challenge of today’s volatile, time and cost-sensitive markets. Instead, the organizational imperative is to become market-facing and to break away from tightly constrained functional departments. The horizontal organization, as it has come to be called (Ostroff and Smith, 1992), is oriented around the management of cross-functional processes. Processes are the fundamental tasks which have to be achieved in order to create and deliver customer value. In any business there are a number of core processes that should be managed on a crosss of core processes would include: brand development (including new product development); consumer development (primarily focused on building loyalty); customer management (creating relationships with intermediaries); From brand values to customer value 63 JMP: AMS 2,1 64 supplier development (strengthening up-stream relationships); and supply chain management (including the order fulfilment process). The transformation from a functional to a horizontal organization has major mplications for the management structure of the business generally and for marketing management in particular. In effect, in the horizontal organization, marketing is no longer a series of activities performed within a marketing department. Indeed in many companies that have made the transition from vertical to horizontal organizations the marketing department has disappeared (The Economist, 1994b). However, this is not to assume that marketing is dead, indeed the reverse is the case – the need for market-driven businesses is as strong now as it ever was. Rather, we are seeing the transformation of marketing from a narrow set of functional skills based on a conventional â€Å"4Ps† marketing mix, to a broader business orientation where the delivery of superior customer value becomes the key objective. However, this being said, it must be recognized that there are still important functional skills that marketing must continue to develop, for example, research to provide in-depth market understanding and knowledge of consumers’ buying patterns, motivations and so forth. Strategic marketing planning also takes on a different form in the horizontal organization. Essentially the task of marketing planning in this new organizational model is to translate strategic goals into process plans, for example one major brewing company established the strategic goal of â€Å"a perfect pint in every pub†. The marketing planning task now becomes one of translating that goal into specific programmes for each process. So, for instance, what does â€Å"a perfect pint in every pub† imply for the brand development process, the customer management process and so on? Because each process in this company is now managed by a cross-functional process team a wider, more integrated perspective is brought to bear on the issue. Some might argue that this underpinning, integrative process of strategic marketing planning might better be termed strategic business planing. This is really only semantic and, in reality, it does not matter what we call this critical process, only that we manage it and recognize its central importance. Figure 5 summarizes the radically different shape of the process organization and the central role of strategic marketing planning. Moving to a process orientation clearly implies significant change for the business. The benefits of the transformation though can be considerable, particularly in the improvement of market responsiveness, the shortening of lead-times and the re-engineering of processes to deliver more customer value at less cost (Hammer and Champy, 1993). Conclusion In a world where the customer has become ever more sophisticated and experienced, where competition comes from new global players, alternative technologies and lower priced generics and me-toos, the focus of marketing Brand development process From brand values to customer value Customer management process Consumer development process Supplier development process Strategic marketing planning process 65 Supply chain process Figure 5. Marketing in a process context strategy must be on differentiation through superior customer and consumer value. Value is perceptual but comprises the customers’ understanding of what they are getting compared to what they are giving. In other words the functionality of the product and any emotional or intangible value plus the hard, tangible benefits must be set against the total cost of ownership. The task of marketing, therefore, has to be expressed in terms of the creation and delivery of customer value. It begins through an understanding of the value requirements of market segments or even individual customers; it then seeks through cross-functional processes to deliver that value through customer specific solutions. As many organizations are now learning, to become a customer value focused business requires a fundamental transformation of the way we manage. This transformation requires a shift from a compartmentalized view of the business where marketing is seen as the responsibility of the marketing department to a view that recognizes that processes deliver customer value and, hence, should be managed accordingly.

The Difference Between Transgender and Transsexual Women

The Difference Between Transgender and Transsexual Women Transgender and transsexual are commonly confused terms that both refer to gender identity. Transgender is a broader, more inclusive category that includes all individuals who do not identify with the gender that corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth. Transsexual is a more narrow category that includes individuals who desire to physically transition to the sex that corresponds with the gender with which they identify. (Note that the word gender is usually used to refer to social and cultural roles, while sex refers to physical attributes.) All transsexual persons are transgender. However, not all transgender persons are transsexual. Transgender women are sometimes referred to as trans women. Some may also be known as male-to-female transsexuals, MTFs, transsexual women, transgirls, or tgirls.  The term transsexual  originated as a medical term  and is  sometimes considered pejorative. It is always best to ask a person which term is preferred. Transgender vs. Transsexual   Although they both refer to gender identity, transgender and transsexual are terms with distinct meanings. That they are often used interchangeably has led to some confusion. In most cases, a transgender woman is a woman who was designated (also commonly referred to as assigned) male at birth but who identifies as a woman. Some transgender women may use the term AMAB (assigned male at birth) in describing their identity. She may take steps to transition, but these steps do not necessarily involve surgery or physical alterations. She may dress as a woman, refer to herself as a woman, or use a feminine name. (Note that some trans men may use the term AFAB, or assigned female at birth.) Not all transgender persons, however, identify with the man/woman, masculine/feminine binary. Some identify as gender nonconforming, nonbinary, genderqueer, androgynous, or third gender. For this reason, it is important never to assume that a transgender person identifies with a particular gender nor to assume what pronouns a person uses. Transitioning A transsexual woman is one who desires to physically transition to the sex that corresponds with the gender with which she identifies. Transitioning often includes taking hormones to suppress the physical characteristics of her assigned gender. Many transsexual women in the U.S. take hormone supplements, which can promote breast growth, change vocal pitch, and contribute in other ways to a more traditionally feminine appearance.  A transsexual might  even undergo gender reassignment surgery (also referred to as gender confirmation surgery or gender affirming surgery), where the anatomical features of the gender and sex assigned at birth are physically altered or removed. Strictly speaking, theres no such thing as a sex change operation. A woman can elect to have cosmetic surgeries done to alter her physical appearance to match conventional norms associated with the gender with which she identifies, but anyone can have these procedures done, regardless of their gender identity. These surgeries are not limited to transsexual people. Gender Identity vs. Sexual Orientation Gender identity is often confused with sexual orientation. The latter, however, refers only to a persons enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people and is not related to gender identity. A transgender woman, for example, may be attracted to women, men, both, or neither and this orientation has no bearing on her gender identity. She may identify as gay or lesbian, straight, bisexual, asexual, or may not name her orientation at all. Transgender vs. Transvestite Transgender women are  often incorrectly identified as transvestites. A transvestite, however, is an individual who wears clothing primarily associated with  the gender with whom he or she does not identify. A man may prefer to dress as a woman, but this does not make him transgender if he does not identify as a woman.

What Judges Look for in a Science Fair Project

What Judges Look for in a Science Fair Project How do you know what makes a great science fair project? Here are some pointers for making sure you have a good project, based on what science fair judges are looking for in your project. Be OriginalScience fair judges are looking for inventions and innovations. Try to come up with an original idea for your science fair project. Find a new way to test something or a fresh application for a product or a novel way to process data. Look at something old in a new way. For example, rather than compare different types of coffee filters, you could compare different household materials (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper) for use as coffee filters if you ever ran out. Be ClearHave a well-defined, easy-to-understand goal or objective. Make sure the title of your project is related to your purpose. Make it crystal clear what you are doing and why. Understand Your Science Fair ProjectIts not enough to have an easy-to-understand poster or presentation. Judges will ask you questions about your project, in part to see whether or not you understand what you have done. This weeds out people who basically had their parents, friends, or teacher do their project for them. You need to understand what you did, why you did it, and what conclusions you could make based on your results. Be ProfessionalHave a neat, professional-looking poster and dress nicely for the science fair. While you should do your project yourself, its fine to enlist help from a parent or teacher in putting together a poster and an outfit. You are not being graded on your appearance, but taking pride in your appearance will help you radiate confidence. Neatness counts with your project since good organization will be  making it easier for the science fair judge to follow what you have done. Time EffortScience fair judges reward effort. You can get excellent marks on a science fair project that only took you an hour to do, but you should realize investing time and energy in your project will give you an edge over other good projects. A project does not need to be time-consuming or complicated, but one which requires you to collect data over time will do better than a project you whipped out in a weekend. Spending time on your project demonstrates your interest in it, plus taking the time t o think about it usually means you come out of the project with a better understanding of how science works. Answer QuestionsYou can impress science fair judges by answering their questions politely and completely. Try to radiate confidence. If you dont know the answer to a question, admit it and try to offer a way you could come up with the answer. Here are some common questions asked by science fair judges:How did you come up with the idea for this science fair project?How long did you spend on the project?What background research did you conduct? What did you learn from it?Did anyone help you with the project?Does this project have any practical applications?Did you try anything that did not work or did not give you expected results? If so, what did you learn from this?What would be the next step in this experiment or study if you wanted to continue your work? Do you need more help? Here are 10 tips to help you impress the science fair judges.

Why are Japanese firms good at making use of the tacit skills and Essay

Why are Japanese firms good at making use of the tacit skills and knowledge of employees for organizational learning - Essay Example An improved comprehension of the views of Information Management is very significant, as it has just been reflected to be a prerequisite for Implementation. Therefore, it aims at giving advantages, and business achievement. Incomes that are extra to the business association and accepted by the business can produce relative result only if human incomes are efficiently managed. Knowledge administration is mainly a Human Resource Management instrument that can assistance organizations accomplish human investment in the business 1. This paper provides reasons why Japanese firms are good at making use of the tacit skills and knowledge of employees for organizational learning, then confirms the importance of tactic knowledge within an organization that firms can adopt. Tacit knowledge involves of the hands-on skills, distinct expertise, heuristics, organizations, and the like that individuals grow as they engage in the movement of their work actions1. Tacit knowledge is extremely deep-root ed in activities and originates from the concurrent engagement of concentration and body in duty performance. Tacit knowledge is individual knowledge that is difficult to validate or express 2. The transmission of tacit knowledge is by practice and collective experience, throughout for instance, internship or on-the-job preparation. Tacit knowledge within association confirms task efficiency that the correct things are prepared so that the effort unit could reach its purposes. It also offers for a variety of imaginative toughness instinct and heuristics can frequently tackle dangerous problems that would then be problematic to solve.2 Information Management is a course of action by which corporate performance can be improved by manipulative and applying various instruments, procedures, systems, arrangement and principles so that information can be shaped, distributed and used for the general purposes of the trade3. Information Management mainly consists of construction of knowledge from personnel, allocating the same between staffs in the same business and use of the fashioned or communal knowledge to accomplish business objectives. Once information is well managed in a business, it can move commodities to the recipient market faster supply its consumers in a superior way, foster groundbreaking and more suitable ideas of invention and service industries, appeal new staffs, and keep knowledgeable employees in the business. Information management assists a business attain high execution business. Information management is a recently developing interdisciplinary administration and corporation model that centers on information among the staffs within a group. Information management is significant in Human Resource Management in addition to it is deep-rooted in money matters, science and human thinking 4.4 Information Management is a device that links the space between administrative change, invention, knowledge, and developments5. Information management is a gener al term that includes the developments by which workers' experiences, abilities, expertise, acquaintance, and skills are collected, shared, and usage of these are finally converted to cooperative organizational studying process 6. Human intelligence capital, imagination, innovation, and facts are the essential sources of inexpensive gain, and these can be created and used for the business achievement only if information management can efficiently be put into operation and presented in the company. Knowledge supervision can be

Human Element of Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Element of Project Management - Essay Example Many of the organizations have segregated the change process as the summation of small projects and then take project-based management model to accomplish tasks related to these small projects. According to Melbourne (2003), organizations must develop project management approach in accordance with resource capabilities such as financial resources, human capital, technological capability etc. Careful analysis of the research work of previous research scholars shows that change management and project management is interlinked whereas human elements play significant role in ensuring the success of both the model. Such exhilarating nature of relationship between change management, project management and role of human element has influenced the researcher to dig deep on the topic and understand how these three verticals are interlinked. Focus of this essay has been summarized in the next section. This essay will try to shed some light on role of leadership in driving, managing and directi ng change process. Initially the study will try to understand various aspects of change process in the backdrop of project management but in the later part of the essay, both of the process will be treated separately. Understanding the human factor or role of change agents in business change will be the essence of this essay. On the other hand, difficulties regarding management of human factor and resistance of employees towards the change process will be discussed in this paper. The essay will try to probe into issues like, role of leadership in addressing the conflict of interest between project managers and clients while understanding the role of strategic dimension and competencies in successful implementation of change process will also be the focal point of this essay. 1. Change Management in the Backdrop of Project Management According to Partington (1996), project management can be classified as instigator for change program. Winch et al (2012) have defined project managemen t as the collection of various activities such as planning, controlling, monitoring etc in order to achieve the project objective. Winch et al (2012) have also pointed out that project management can be classified as much needed interventions which are pertinent to change process. However, it is highly arguable topic among research scholars whether project-based management approach facilitates the change management process or not. In such context, the study will try to understand change management in the light of project-based management approach. Winch et al (2012) have argued that, continuous improvement through project based management and organisational change is inseparable axioms, hence it is very difficult to imagine a project management approach which has not been created in order to change the normal process flow. Parker and Craig (2008) have rightly underpinned that project management is a temporary approach which has pre-defined starting point and measurable outcomes. Tea ms are formed in accordance with the requirement of the project and these teams get dismantled after the completion of the project. McElroy (1996) has identified some common characteristics for project management such as coordination of activities, controlling the variance in the outcome of the project, identification of risk, resource planning etc. However, project manageme

Realism and Hans Morgenthau in International Relations Essay

Realism and Hans Morgenthau in International Relations - Essay Example The former is most likely the case to occur when changes have occurred in the society structure as to require the reconstruction of the political constitution. Construction of solid political institutions requires the involvement of realism which must draw a clear line between wishful thinking and truth. Political realism2,3 is a study and practise of politics that contends that all nations are guided by their personal interests which are claimed to be their benefit and are disguised as moral concerns. A rational theory which clearly states what are these rational concerns that imprint a nation's need is necessary and requires thinking of the actual needs of a nation rather than what such a nation would like to see achieved. Such objectives of a nation follow a generic model that may apply for thousands of years and the same "moral" concerns that fall under the disguise of personal interest have found applicability since the ancient times. These fall under the territorial security of a nation primarily which once it has been secured the nation might contend the territory expansion for the establishment of a nation's security. Other than territorial expansion purpose of the personal interests a nation might pursue and disguise under morality is the accumulation of power. One however, should not see such claim... Even though international politics call for a clear distinction between personal concern and preservation of one's identity it may not always be the case that such distinction is probable. Morgenthau performs a system level analysis of political realism; he identifies the dependent and independent variables of the system, how these operate within the system and the effects they have on the system functionality. In this case the dependant variable is the foreign policy that states need to follow taking into consideration properties of the problem at hand, alternative solutions and the impact these may have on the involved parties. The independent variables are the drive of the initiative taking party that may be hidden under the disguise of state, or country, rights preservation or moral principles. The question here is what are the rights a country is entitled to as to take any kind of initiative on foreign policy as to proceed to battle and to what extend is one entitled to take any kind of initiative based on these rights or moral conflicts. The danger-action relation is perpetual circular; once danger is identified action is taken and such action breeds changes that keep the danger hint alive. The point here is the criteria to set as to separate rational from irrational behavior; who is to make such distinctions free of bias and finally what behaviour makes moral or amoral perception as to justify any kind of foreign policy initiative with the side-effects that might have. For danger to initiate action and the other way around the one does not necessary call for the other; just a hint is adequate basis for anyone to claim that certain clues call for immediate action. The author claims

Chines Leisure Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chines Leisure Industry - Essay Example Similarly, gardening or cooking which can be considered a leisure activity for many, but that does not necessarily mean it is one for a gardener or a chef. Defining leisure is very difficult because of its complexities. Any activity that people enjoy doing after completing their obligations, which causes relaxation and peace of mind, can be considered a leisure activity. Because of its abstract nature, it is difficult to name all leisure activities. Leisure activities are likely to keep changing with time but it will always be something that a person enjoys doing and brings them happiness. The leisure industry refers to an industry that is closely related to people's leisure lifestyle, leisure activities and leisure requirements, including primarily the economic forms and industry systems such as entertainment, tourism, service, culture and sports industries, and groups that are generated from such industries (Yan, 2006). The People's Republic of China is the third largest country in the world in terms of area, and the first largest in terms of population (China National Tourism Administration). Until a few years ago, the leisure industry in China was unheard of. However, with changing times, this concept has been flourishing rapidly. Leisure and vacations have become very common and attracted the attention of many citizens and governmental organizations. According to statistics from China's National Tourism Administration, as a major representative of the leisure industry, China's domestic tourism industry recorded 1.2 billion in tourist volume and 768.6 billion Yuan in total tourism revenue in 2005, and has been growing ever since. Because the tourism industry is a significant impulse to consumption and economic growth, twenty-four Chinese provinces now consider the tourism industry as a pillar industry, or a leading industry (Yan, 2006). As many as twenty-four of China's thirty-one provinces, muni cipalities and autonomous regions have made tourism one of their leading industries, encouraging greater consumer spending in leisure activities (Access Asia, 2004). As China's consumer market expands, government and private companies are looking to exploit areas of potential opportunity in the theme and amusement park industry. The Chinese government recognizes the potentially massive boost that increased domestic demand. While foreign direct investment (FDI) provides valuable income, it cannot be compared with surging urban spending in the country's wealthy coastal provinces. Major cities down the eastern seaboard are home to China's expanding urban middle class younger generation of consumers with rising disposable income and an increasing tendency to spend rather than save. While, well to do consumers can afford to travel to other parts of the country on holidays, a vast majority of consumers look for entertainment destinations close to home. These typically include zoos and wildlife parks, aquariums and marine parks, and theme and amusement parks (Access Asia, 2004). Hence, the demand for this kind of entertainment has been increasing, and this industry has seen a rapid growth. Chinese theme parks advocate seeing the world through the ideas upon which many of the theme parks are built. Their aim is to promote and educate people on Chinese culture as well as world cultures. The parks portray beautiful sceneries, architectural

Comparison of Religious Writings and Practices Term Paper

Comparison of Religious Writings and Practices - Term Paper Example A comparative study of religious literature and religion itself might just be more beneficial to people towards pleasing God (Taylor 23-98). This paper takes a keen look at the resemblances found between Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Codes of Hammurabi, the doctrines of the Koran and the doctrines of the Old and New Testament with a view on establishing how they could have evolved from one ancient common cultural memory. The confrontation of races considered alien and diverse did not always turn out the causes of war, but it occurred that this was often the opportunity and condition for psychical conflict that is even still being experienced today (Peters 92). The origin of the Old Testament could be considered as a natural development that resulted out of the Babylonian religion (Rogers 107). This could be seen from the examination of certain religious practices and concepts such as the world’s origin, the fall of man, the flood, and life after death, demons, the devil, angels, the Sabbath, sacrificial cult, priesthood, names and worship of God, and the monotheistic notion of deity. The concept of deity is fundamental to all religious writings and thinking (International Bible Society). The Sumerians descended from Ham, according to the records in Genesis 10:6-10, Nimrod led the Sumerians in Shinar. These represent a group of Cushitic people that moved south of Egypt and were black in complexion (Sayce 276-277). In Sumerian stories of as depicted in the Epic of Gilgamesh, creation is said to be the origin of man and this is the same belief that the Old Testament, Genesis presents. To Sumerians, Dilmun is paradise and seen as the place where the sun does rise and is the land of their living this place appears vividly as the scene of the creation stories told in Sumerian religious myths. The hero of flood is also mentioned who is Ziusudra or Utnapishtim that the gods took to make him live forever. Utnapishtim happens to be Noah who is the center of man’s salvage from the floods in the OT. This Utnapishtim is celebrated in Sumerian poems as a very wise king and priest at the same time leading the people of Shurrupak and is the son of Ubara-Tutu or he Who Saw Lif e and appears as the protege of god Ea that by his grace does survive the flood together with the wife and the seed of all living creatures. The revelations made to Babylonian Noah by God in the OT are evident here in that Ea is friendly to mankind and does reveal to him Enlil’s design that was meant to destroy mankind from the face of the earth. There is also a multiplicity of gods. We also have a king list which tells the length of reign for each king just as it is the case with the OT, although the Epic of Gilgamesh does not give clear chronology as is seen in the OT because of the father age revelations in OT. The chief god of these Sumerian people happens to be Bel and this is the cognate of Baal mentioned in the OT for the Canaanite people. It is interesting to note that Gilgamesh is a true depiction of Nimrod mentioned in the Old Testament (Delitzsch 65). The idea of Queen of Heaven is presented in the Gilgamesh Epic and the same idea is in Mesopotamian pagan religion and even in Jeremiah 7:18, the Jews are seen to imitate it and this annoys God. Even in catholic worship, Mary is seen as the Queen of Heaven. Tower of babel is also eminent. An interesting

Chines Leisure Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chines Leisure Industry - Essay Example Similarly, gardening or cooking which can be considered a leisure activity for many, but that does not necessarily mean it is one for a gardener or a chef. Defining leisure is very difficult because of its complexities. Any activity that people enjoy doing after completing their obligations, which causes relaxation and peace of mind, can be considered a leisure activity. Because of its abstract nature, it is difficult to name all leisure activities. Leisure activities are likely to keep changing with time but it will always be something that a person enjoys doing and brings them happiness. The leisure industry refers to an industry that is closely related to people's leisure lifestyle, leisure activities and leisure requirements, including primarily the economic forms and industry systems such as entertainment, tourism, service, culture and sports industries, and groups that are generated from such industries (Yan, 2006). The People's Republic of China is the third largest country in the world in terms of area, and the first largest in terms of population (China National Tourism Administration). Until a few years ago, the leisure industry in China was unheard of. However, with changing times, this concept has been flourishing rapidly. Leisure and vacations have become very common and attracted the attention of many citizens and governmental organizations. According to statistics from China's National Tourism Administration, as a major representative of the leisure industry, China's domestic tourism industry recorded 1.2 billion in tourist volume and 768.6 billion Yuan in total tourism revenue in 2005, and has been growing ever since. Because the tourism industry is a significant impulse to consumption and economic growth, twenty-four Chinese provinces now consider the tourism industry as a pillar industry, or a leading industry (Yan, 2006). As many as twenty-four of China's thirty-one provinces, muni cipalities and autonomous regions have made tourism one of their leading industries, encouraging greater consumer spending in leisure activities (Access Asia, 2004). As China's consumer market expands, government and private companies are looking to exploit areas of potential opportunity in the theme and amusement park industry. The Chinese government recognizes the potentially massive boost that increased domestic demand. While foreign direct investment (FDI) provides valuable income, it cannot be compared with surging urban spending in the country's wealthy coastal provinces. Major cities down the eastern seaboard are home to China's expanding urban middle class younger generation of consumers with rising disposable income and an increasing tendency to spend rather than save. While, well to do consumers can afford to travel to other parts of the country on holidays, a vast majority of consumers look for entertainment destinations close to home. These typically include zoos and wildlife parks, aquariums and marine parks, and theme and amusement parks (Access Asia, 2004). Hence, the demand for this kind of entertainment has been increasing, and this industry has seen a rapid growth. Chinese theme parks advocate seeing the world through the ideas upon which many of the theme parks are built. Their aim is to promote and educate people on Chinese culture as well as world cultures. The parks portray beautiful sceneries, architectural

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Research Paper

The Process of Procurement of Materials in the Implementation of a Project - Research Paper Example Depending on the type of the project to be worked on, the process of procurement may be considered for direct goods, or indirect goods, or tangible or intangible items. For example, in relation to the production and manufacturing industries, the procurement process occurs for direct or indirect goods, direct goods referring to the materials required directly in the manufacturing process, while indirect goods might not have a direct need, yet have an indirect influence on the process as a whole. An example of a tangible item that might be needed for procurement is the software for a computer. In the cases of other services, the procurement is needed for designing a project, the manufacturing process, the installation techniques as well as the maintenance of the work done. Thus projects that are based on contracts generally involve the procurement strategies and techniques (Kovacs, 2004, pp.7-8). Project procurement is considered as an intricate and difficult process of making a purcha se of the necessary equipment for different needs in different industries. Thus suitable personnel are required for the achievement of this work. The management of the project involves setting up appropriate measures to distribute the roles and responsibilities of the staff in the different parts of the procurement process for a particular project. The items for procurements would vary with different industries. While the selection of the materials to be procured is considered, it is of utmost significance that the materials are essential and match with the requirements of the respective projects (Kovacs, 2004, pp.8-28).

Weimar Constitution Essay Example for Free

Weimar Constitution Essay To what extent was the effective government of Germany in the years 1919–33 handicapped by the nature of the Weimar Constitution? It is for certain that the Weimar Constitution had an impact in the effective government of Germany in the years of 1919-33. However, it can be argued from both sides whether this constitution had a negative or positive impact on the effective government. One could say that the constitution was a dominant factor in the ineffectiveness of the government, while on the other hand it could be argued that ineptness of the government is due to other external factors such as defeat and the depression A major flaw in the Weimar constitution was the proportional representation electoral system, which was an attempt to become more democratic. Democracy comes at the price of a strong government as it is usually difficult to form a stable government in a democracy. This can be manifested by the fact that in the mere period of 14 years, there were 21 different governments and 13 chancellors. This shows that the Weimar government lacked stability and strength which would make it almost impossible for the government to be effective and tackle the problems. How could the government solve the difficult troubles that Germany was facing, when they could not even manage to cooperate and unite? Since, proportional representation is one of the fairest electoral systems, it was impossible to form a strong single party government who had a good hold in the Reichstag and only weak coalitions which could not agree upon a decision was formed. Weak coalitions meant ineffective and incompetent governments. On the other hand, it could be said that the Weimar governments were not as unstable as it is claimed to be. The Weimar constitution has produced effective and stable governments such as the grand coalition which was seen as a strong government and it stood for the longest amount of time. Also, despite the numerous changes in government, the base parties of the coalition has remained the same as the Z, DVP and DVP provide the foundation of the coalition most of the time. This exhibits stability among the governments as the coalitions do not go thr ough drastic changes in the parties. Therefore, it could be claimed that the Weimar constitution did not handicap the government from being effective. Fair representation of the votes meant that extremist parties thrived under the PR electoral system. Votes translated into fair representation of seats in the Reichstag which enabled the extremist parties such as the Nazi’s to have the majority of the  seats from the July 1932 elections. This made it almost impossible for the government to be effective as they could not pass legislation through the Reichstag as they did not have the co-operation from the largest party. However, it could be argued that the rise of extremism was due to the Wall Street crash in 1929. There is a key correlation between the economic crisis and the successes of extremist parties. Indeed the Nazis only achieved 3% of the vote in 1928 yet in 1933 they received the majority of seats in the Reichstag from any lone party, over 200. If the depression had not occurred, then extremist parties would not have thrived electorally which in turn, would mean that the government would not have been handicapped in the Reichstag. Hence it could be argued that the ineffectiveness of the government towards the late 1920s was due to an external factor as up until the depression, extremist parties were not a problem to the government. The Weimar constitution did not handicap the governments in the sense that it granted Article 48 which the president could use to pass through any decrees in an ‘emergency’. The governments used this to their favour and passed through many legislation and decrees. Since the chancellor had the support of the President as he was appointed by the President, the governments used Article 48 to be effective. This can be seen when Bruning used it to pass his finance bill in 1930, without him using the Article 48, he would not have been able to pass his finance bill or be effective. Henceforth it could be argued that the Weimar Constitution actually gave the governments a chance to be effective in a difficult situation. On the other hand this constant use of the emergency presidential powers in 1930-33 led to the rise of Hitler as the chancellor which spelled doom for the Weimar government. This extensive use of the emergency presidential powers also displays the ineptness of the government as they could not do anything on their own and had to keep relying on Hindenburg. To avoid this constant use of the Article 48 and produce a truly strong government, Hitler was appointed as his party had a majority in the Reichstag and so the government would be able to pass legislation through their own strength. So, the Weimar constitution could even be credited with the fall of Weimar Republic along with the government as it was unable to produce a string of consistent strong and stable governments. In conclusion, I think that the Weimar constitution played a significant role in the handicapping of the governments as under the PR  electoral system, it was impossible to produce a stable single party governmen t. The electoral system only produced coalitions with uncooperative parties which made dysfunctional governments. This meant they had to rely upon Article 48 too much which led to the rise of Hitler and end of the Weimar era. On the other hand, it could be claimed that the coalitions were not as unstable as they were claimed to be with the base parties almost always being the same. Also, I believe that the depression was the most imperative factor in the ineffectiveness of the government as their support was sapped by the extremist parties which led to the rise of Hitler and also it created an impossible situation to get out of for the governments. Without the depression, it is most likely that Hitler would not have risen to power.

Importance of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Importance of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) The importance of Strategic Human Resource Management in organization: According to my understanding during the lecture period Human Resource Management Strategy as a central philosophy of the way that people in the organization are managed and the translation of this into HR policies and practices. To be affective, policies and practices need to be integrated so that they make a coherent whole that is integrated with the business or organizational strategy (Torrington and Hall) Strategic Human Resource Management is the vital factor for an organization to achieve its strategic goals as it has increased in importance since 1980s by considering the following factors which are discussed below: Globalization is the current phenomenon of the world which has integrated all the business environments under one umbrella where Strategic Human Resource Management in only way to show the business what is the actual goals of that business. By its activities business organization can overcome global needs as SHRM learns organizations to sort out what is their positions and where they want to go in global business arena. Government rules and regulations which are the important issues for organizations, because it affects the organizations, business activities, through its own policy and procedures. An organization which can be overcome these issues through its strategic Human Resource policy, because organizations prepare its staffs, employees, stakeholders to be aware regarding these issues and do accordingly. Knowledge and research based activities have impacted the organization dramatically in todays world, where Strategic Human Resource management helps the organization to nursing their Human Resource management accurately as well as make ready them to overcome future goals. Labour unions which is the combined activities of Labours in the business that has affected the business strategic activities vigorously, but in this place, Strategic Human Resource Management gives treatments to them to be proactive and taking initiatives regarding labours demand and benefits which help the organization to meet up the staffs problems. (According to my own understanding) 1.2 The purpose and contribution of Strategic Human Resource Management activities in an organization: Case Study ASDA ASDA is one of the reputed retailer companies of WAL-MART which was formed in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire and its activities are still mainly based in the north of Britain. It expanded south in 70s and 80s , in 1989 buying rival change Gateways Superstores which is offering shoppers everything from Frank furthers to Diamond rings. ASDA is the second largest food seller that operates 370 stores from where primarily sell groceries and apparel, also the stores which are situated in different parts of the UK sell CDs, books, DVDs, House wear financial services, take away meal etc. The Strategic Human Resource Management of ASDA which has developed its overall activities, because every year ASDA recruits 10,000 workers, 10,000 permanent staffs to work as little as 10 weeks a year. ASDA always targeted people over 50 and it has already employed 22,000 people aged over 50. For managing their SHRM ASDAs employees trainings is the highest in the market. Every year they recruit fresh trainee employee to build a proactive team for the management. (http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-treade/4297631-1.html) As the part of SHRM management ASDA follows following structures of management: ASDA Corporate level Business level Operational level Board of Directors All regional managers Line managers Chief executive officer(CEO) Line Supervisors etc. Country Directors Chairman Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Chief Technical Officer(CTO) Divisional Head By this structure ASDA monitored and supervised all the activities while they ensure the power and position of that structure by its unique policy. For managing Strategic Human Resource Management ASDA assists organization to meet the needs of their employees in the best way they can, so that company goals can be promoted. It also managing people proactively, because it requires planning ways for ASDA to meet the needs of its employees, thinking ahead and also helping the employees to meet the needs of the organization. This process changes the outlook and affects the way things are done at this business site, in others words it help to integrate modern ideas and models into the traditional Human Resource practices to come up with better solutions which not only benefit the employees, but the organization. It helps the organization from the hiring of employees, to the training, assessment and discipline [http://www.mba-tutorials.com/human-resource-management/487-shrm-strategic-human- resource-management.html] For proper employee management by ASDA it has affected the organization significantly, because ASDA be aware about the employees career and development resulting reducing time frame of recruitment and selection process, retention staff in the organization, creates the productivity of the employee by developing training programs. It also arranges career programs for the employee which builds the employees loyalty towards ASDA which gives them unique efforts to fight with competitors in the market. Strategic Human Resource Management is the process of Human resource Management for a long period of time which helps organization to achieve its long term goals. As a part of these activities ASDA maintains high standard of Human Resource Management through its unfair and competitive employees selection, motivation and training which given ASDA to be almost a market leader in the UK super market. It has established companies overall growth, revenue and satisfaction of stakeholders. (According to my understanding during the class period) From the ASDA business site it is viewed that it has announced plans to create 9000 jobs in the UK through a mixture of new stores (20+new stores + extensions to existing stores), product range extensions in terms of non-food selling space named ASDA living and others business expansion like home shopping, online shopping via-ASDA direct. It sounds like an ambitious growth plan, although ASDA needs to keep growing quickly just to maintain its relative market share, where ASDA planed 179000 employees employ in the year. [http://tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/asd-goes-for-growth/] President and CEO of Wal-Mart International, Dong McMillan thanked Andy Clarke for his leadership role in the development of the ASDA business during his times as president and CEO and in other roles during his 16 year career at the retailer I am extremely proud of the management team at ASDA and the contribution that each of our nearly 170,000 colleagues makes every to serve our customer. We are very well positioned to continue to win in the UK market [http://your.asda.com/2010/4/12] From the discussion above it has been found that ASDA has been serve the customer promptly through their proactive management team which has impacted ASDA to improve its business growth revenue which attracts stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers, government, local community and competitors etc. Nowadays ASDA stakeholders feel confident as they invest as they could. Therefore, as a global company ASDA which is maintain its SHRM policies resulting to achieve overall growth of its business. Conclusion As a part of HRM development ASDA has been taking more initiatives in its operation, because every year ASDA recruited highly educated trainee officer in their organization. As well as they arranges graduate programmes for hunting talents to their organization. Moreover, they provide training for improving the skills of employees and prepared them to perform duties for next designation. There are so many others programs which has been conducted by ASDA such as communication with all levels of employees, stakeholders etc. Therefore, the HRM management of ASDA has got success in its operation by which organization achieves its strategic goals. Human Resource Planning 2.1 The business factors that underpin human resource planning and the human resource requirements in an organization: Tesco is considered as one of the Britains biggest and most profitable super market chain and according to the website of Tesco which states that is the darling-of the City. Tesco PLC which is an overseas retailer that principal activity is retailing and associated activities in the UK, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, the republic of Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, Poland etc. The main activity of the company is that of retailing, retailing service and financial services, retailing services which includes the companys online shopping channels, Tesco.com, Tesco.direct, Tesco personal finance (TPF) and dunhumby which is consumer research business. Tesco is 2nd largest super market in Europe and 4th largest in the World operates 2318 stores in twelve countries around the world and employs 326,000 people. According to Terry Lehy Tesco is market leader in six out of twelve countries it operates in with its largest stores not in Bristol or Birmingham but in Budapest. It operates 1878 stores in the UK, 261 stores in Europe and 179 stores across Asia and plans to open 184 stores worldwide over the next year. In the UK there are 83 Tesco extra stores, 4447 Tesco super store, 161 Tesco Metro stores, 277 Tesco express stores and 910 recently acquired T S stores to be converted. [http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=252] Recently Tesco has started business in petroleum named Tesco petroleum as well as it operates Tesco finance and Tesco CNG conversion. Every Tesco involve with so many accusation, joint venture, merger etc. locally and internally. As a part of these expansion activities Tesco maintains high standard of quality staff that have facilitated Tesco to operate its business successfully. However, the business factors that underpins the Human Resource of Tesco which are given below: Human Resource planning is the term use to describe how companies ensure that their staffs are the right staff to do the jobs. Sub topics include planning for staff retention, planning for candidate search, training and skills analysis and much more. Tesco has to consider some external factors such as supply and demand, labour market, image/goodwill, PESTEL, unemployment rate, housing, childcare, competitors, spouse/partner career, location etc. and internal factors such as recruitment policy, HR planning, size of the farm, cost of recruitment, travel time, recognition, temporary part time employees, work culture, growth and expansion, timeliness. [http://www.enotes.com/business/q-and-a/human-resource-planning-crutial-process-an-172645] All part of these factors influence the Tesco in case of expanding its business locally and globally, but Human Resource management overtake these factors by its unique features such as training, motivating, recruiting, learning, coaching etc. World is changing rapidly, where all the business organization has come to the global umbrella. Every year Tesco has to do so many accusation, mergers and joint ventures all over the world to fulfil the global needs of customers, but for these expanded business activities it requires thousands and thousands skilled employees who have proper local and global knowledge to handle the business swiftly. For example, recently Tesco has started its operation in Asian countries while it requires some skilled people who have local knowledge of Asia, in terms of Asian Language, religion, culture, political and ethical matter. There also need a country director who has capability to lead the business in Asia with his strong hand. He must be well-known about Asian labour market, culture, political and legal situation as well as he should be capable enough to understand language of every people of that country. Manpower is the vital factor for Tesco to operate its business in Asia as it wants to penetrate the whole Asian market chronologically within next couple of years. As part of its activities they should be required to reserve some staffs to employ them in proper expansion. Furthermore, they should be needed for hiring some skilled employees from local organization to overcome competitive market in that environment. Tesco also should be considered employ some local employees by lower c ost where they could be given the company better opportunity. Expansion the business outlets which is the continuous process of ASDA as it tries to increase its outlets locally and globally every year, but for expanding its business HRM is the vital issue, because it ensures the overall expansion activities. As a part of that activities ASDA would be required to take following initiatives: Recruiting highly educated employees as a fresh trainee officer. Hiring highly experienced employees from others similar organization. Recruiting staff to adapt with new environment. Giving promotions to tolerate the new business outlets. Recruiting highly experience CEO or Country Director specially for global expansion. Therefore, the requirement of Human Resource is very important issue for Tesco to expand its business locally and globally. So, it should be aware about HR management through proper selection, recruiting, motivation, communications, trainings etc. Development of a human resource plan and its contribution on the meeting of organizations objectives as well as purpose of human resource management policies and impact of regulatory requirements on this policies in organization Human Resource development plan for an organization is the important issue to on how the organizations are managing their activities well in the market, this includes following steps: Job analysis which identifies a job regarding specific roles and responsibilities and abilities, skills, qualifications need to perform the jobs successfully. Human Resource planning which is the initiative through which an organization tries to ensure right number of qualified people in the right jobs at the right times. Employee recruitment that is the way for seeking and attracting a pool of applicants from which qualified candidates can be selected for the organizations against of that job vacancy. Employees selections which involves offer the employee for recruitments from the available candidates applied for this job. Performance appraisal that is associated with identifying how well employees are performing their jobs, communicating that information to the employees and taking initiative for measurement their performance by their activities, i.e. arranging promotion for good performance. Training and development which help employees learn how to perform their jobs, improve their performance and prepare themselves for more senior positions. Career planning and development by which organization identifies employees career goals, possible future job opportunities and personal improvement by which it is ensured qualified employees are available when needed. Employee motivation which is the vital factor for any organization which focuses to make employees productive and lower rates of absenteeism and turnover. Every year Tesco collects so many bi-data from different sources from qualified applicant from which they select some people for recruitments. After recruiting they arrange training for fit themselves for their assign jobs. They also motivate staff by giving incentives, bonus, refreshment leave for motivation of employees, resulting a good employees structure for Tesco to implement its strategic goals. Human Resource plan for an organization is the curse of action by which organization can manage its Human Resources efficiently and effectively by which achieve the organizations objectives. The role of Human Resource functions is explained by the key objectives to be achieved. The following diagram shows the role of Human Resources which is helped to organizational objectives. Human resource plan can be contributed the organization for meeting its objectives by following ways: It strengthens human resource structures which helps organization to utilize all of the efforts of human resource into the organization resulting to achieve strategic goals. It keeps balance between management of employees management of financial resources which brings results for the organization. It helps organization to create skilled employment by which organization could expand its business locally globally. These activities help organization to involving acquisition, merger joint venture etc. in the own country as well as for operating business in the international countries. It ensures good practices for employees employment policies such as promotions, retention, rewards, punishments, health safety rules regulations which ensure the loyalty of employees towards the organization resulting to achieve organizational goals by these joint efforts. Tesco, making a human resource plan to set up a highly skilled person in the branch as a manager by whom it monitored implemented all of the activities in the operations levels. As a result, a lot of outlets which are giving service to customers resulting to achieve good turnovers which make sure the overall goals of tesco.[ According to my own research company websites of tesco] Purpose of human resource management policies in the organization is important factors that ensures the right, rules regulations of employees for doing works in the organization. Impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies confirms the right of employees employers. These policies focus to ensure the best practices of human resource management achieve organizational goals by employing them. Human resource policies revive all the rights of employees by which the inspire to invest all of the merits talents to the organization resulting to achieve of companys long term goals. These policies include getting best employees in the company paying employees all benefits , ensuring training, ensuring compliance to regulation, implement fair, safe equitable work environments, sustaining its performing employees non- profit human resources. All the policies mentioned above have unique features of its own by which organization can implement all of its strategic goals. For example, Tesco, the largest superstore in UK which is assuring high standard products services for customers through its performing team members while it reserves some rights for employees in the organization which has been sustained each employee management. According to part of that policies, Tesco maintains minimum national wages for employees, fixing up highly pay rates for its skilled employees where the arrange some training programmes, graduate programme, motivation, coaching, face to face discussion which has built its to make relationship with its employees. It also always aware about the health safety policies of its employees as it ensures some free medical treatment, health hygiene training for its employees for ensuring these policies. Tesco nowadays sustainable situation on human resource management. For proper human resource management gives Tesco power to bargain with customers, compete with rivals in price war, making bondage with its stake holders. In an organization regulatory policies ensure discipline of organization because it limits it into its system as well as employees in their organizational activities. More over into increases the loyalties of employees towards employers resulting to achieve organizational goals. Furthermore, it teaches employees to be motivated, dedicative, energetic into their duties as well as ensures their present lives, future lives family lives easier happy. The important matter to consider that these factors protected everyone in the organizations from the discriminations in terms of age, sex, ethnic groups, dis ability etc. while it ensures equal opportunities for all levels of employees making good relationship between employer employees. For example-When Tesco recruits people the meets these regulatory factors in their recruitment process as they make criteria for those people who are vulnerable for our society such as dis able, ethnic groups as well as they prioritize all levels of employees with their equal opportunities policies. In Tesco superstore who is working they do not know what is their origin of country, but they only know that they are the members of Tesco team which makes it very confident towards its staff management. Reviewing Human Resource Management 4.1,4.2,4.3 : Impact of Organizational structure, culture and effectiveness on Human Resource Management: Organizational structure and Human Resource Management practices are two special factors involved in corporate entrepreneurship which achieve organizational goals. By selecting and implementing the appropriate structure and practices, Human Resource professional can systematically foster and facilities innovation and entrepreneurship within the organization. The more that new and different entrepreneurial activities are needed, the more that complete structural arrangement as well as policy and procedures flexibility are needed. Proper organization structure is important for company to function effectively. Communicating clear paths of responsibility is key for a company to meet the needs the future growth as well as help in streaming the organization. The following diagram which shows the organizational structure for a company. [http://www.edrawsoft.com/Human-Resource-Organizational-Chart.php] There are some important points which are essential for the structure of an organization which is given below: Organizational Chart: Organizational chart which is the ideal manner for mapping the organization. It is an instrument for assessing personnel and managing the work force effectively. An organization which needs to visualize the companys structure in order to find out the role of each employee plays in the Human Resource chain. Human Resource Software: Human Resource Software which assist management of Human Resources to take decisions for the following matter: Succession Planning Organizational development Human Resource management Corporate re-organization Efficient management of resources. An organizational chart is specialized tool used by Human Resources professionals to be able to get a solid picture of the organization. An organizational chart is generally deployed in situation when management wants to identify areas throughout the enterprise that present opportunities for downscaling also known as down sighing. Organizational culture is the workplace environment formulated from the interaction of the employees in the work environment. It is defined by all of the life experiences, strengths, weakness, education, up-bringing and so forth of the employees, while executive leaders play a great role in defining organizational culture by their actions and leadership, all employees contribute to the organizational culture. [http://humanresources.about.com] Organizational culture and its environment factors in which organization exist determines the way of managing the organization(Saffold,1988:547).The relationship between Organisational Culture and Human Resources practices can be explained as follows: When the member of organization i.e. employees, understand and internationalized the organizational culture which can be said as the way things are done around here, it will enable for employee to choose strategy and behaviour that fit with their personality as well as with the main routines of organization activities. Human Resource Management policies which directly influence and are influenced by Corporate Culture, also significantly impact supply chain members. That is, Human Resource decisions are important because when firms hire personnel that meld with their company culture, these actions enhance shared social knowledge and increase consistency between employee and firm goals (Wilkens Ouchi 1983), shared social knowledge guides employees in making the right decision when confronted with novel situation(Weitz and Jap 1995). [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi-qua3705/is-2002o1/ai-n9060287/] Organizational effectiveness depends on having the right people in the right jobs at the right time to meet rapidly changing organizational requirements. Right people can be obtained by reforming the role of Human Resource function. According to Bratton, JGold.J(2003),Human Resource Management is defined as a Strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices. According to this definition there is seen that Human Resource management should not merely handle recruitment, pay and discharging, but also should maximize the use of an organization human Resources in a most strategic levels. Stuffing, training, compensation and performance management are basically important tools in the Human resources practices that shape the organizations role in satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. Team work among lower levels of staff and the management should be created and maintained to assisting various angles that would deem necessary in eliminating, communication breakdown and foster better relationship among workers. The management should emphasize a good corporate culture in order to develop employees and create a positive and conducive work environment. In the summarization of Human Resource management there should have aim to capture the people element of what an organization is hoping to achieve in the medium to long term, ensuring the following things: It has the right people in place. It has the right mix of skills. Employees display the right attitude and behaviours, and Employees are developed in the right way. An organization which wants to achieve its goals it has to think before regarding the following Human Resource related issues in the organization: Work force planning issues. Succession planning. Workforce skills plan. Employment equity plans. Black economic empowerment initiatives. Motivation and fair treatment issues. Pay levels designed to recruit, retain and motivate people. The co-ordination of approaches to pay and grading across the organization to create alignment and potential unequal pay claims. A grading and remuneration system which is seen as fair and giving proper reward for contributions made. Wider employment issues which impact on staff recruitment, retention, motivation etc. A consistent performance management framework which is designed to meet the needs of all sectors of the organization including its people. [http://ezinearticles.com/?human-resource-management-and-organizational-effectivenessandid=2844811] Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management in an organization Human Resource Management is the essential part of an organization as it ensures the strategic goals of organization. The effectiveness of Human Resource management could be improved by the following ways- Recruiting and hiring highly educated and skilled employees for the organization. Training and development of Human Resource plan for the organization. Appraising the performance of employees for preparing them for performing jobs in the higher rank. Motivating employees by giving incentives, bonus, rewards etc. Strengthen communication among all levels of employees. Maintaining regulator factors for employees such as health and safety, pension, promotion etc. Maintaining equal opportunities system into the management. Forming different committee to monitor and supervised the employees roles and regulations such as compensation committee, audit committee, ethic committee etc. Ensuring job rotation and job analysis for each employee at different department. Doing job enrichment for employees.