Autobiography – personal writing

My real father died when I was a baby. Only photographs and faint memories help me recall who he was. I suppose I accepted Roy as my father, I suppose I was too young not to accept him but now as I look at his old waxy skin as he lies in his open coffin, I realise that I don't miss him. I haven't talked to my mother in years so Its been years since I needed him. He passed away two days ago from heart failure. My mother is a different story, she was stranded without him, Roy married my mother a year after my father died, Roy was my step-father. The day after the funeral was Monday, I am informed by my financial advisor that my stocks have doubled over the weekend, ordinarily this is good news on a Monday morning but the thought of my mother on her own in that old dusty flat while I stand in my blush office, annoys me. â€Å"Any bad news today? † I ask with caution, â€Å"No, everything is as good as it can be† he replies with a bright smile. I thanked him for cheering me up and he left with a nod as if to imply â€Å"don't mention it†. I leant over to turn on the T. V in my office, going to work on a Monday with nothing to work on, â€Å"Three dead in terrifying car crash† I don't usually watch T. V in work because I should have something to do or to help with, I own a company called ‘Earth-links' it's a telecoms company. I left and went home at about half past ten to sleep rather than sit in my office, although it looked like the middle of the night, it was clouded up with rain. We have interrupted this programming to show a special news bulletin† I woke up to see the screen disappear into a solid blue picture then the 6 o'clock news studio came on the screen and a small black haired woman appeared and said â€Å"People in the northern Ireland area are asked to stay indoors unless it is an emergency†, the drone which was the rain on the window pane drew my attention, I stood up and walked to the window to see distorted houses and street lights below me, it didn't look good and the rain wasn't ending any time soon. The TV blurred on behind me until I turned to focus my attention, â€Å"severe flooding† said the news presenter. Although it might have not been the perfect time for me I decided to go talk with my mother, for the first time in years. I haven't talked to my mother because we argued over years and so I left when I was 19. I went down to the south of Ireland with her and Roy to sort things out, but that didn't work. I am now 32 five years have passed since that. I finish up some microwave pasta and use the elevator to get to the car park, The good thing about a car park is that you don't get wet, not today. My car was parked beside the exit where some rain water had got into and had soaked my toes. I had ignored all the weather warnings and drove out into the street and the street of Belfast, the rain was so loud on the roof of the car I put on some music, it was about half past five and I rarely saw another vehicle. My mother lives in an old persons flat quite inland. On my way through the country I saw flooded fields and cars stuck in mud. I arrived in the doorway at six o' clock and pressed number 6 and got no answer, the doorway is not very sheltered and I am now soaked from the rain. I press the doorbell again, â€Å"hello† said a voice, â€Å"hello mum can you open the door its Aaron† I said â€Å"oh hello Aaron, come on in then† she replied, her voice was weary and tired, I think she was sleeping. The buzzer went and I rushed out of the rain and into the hallway. There were 2 doors and a set of stairs. My feet now felt like wrinkly prunes from my saturated shoes, it had been raining all day now very heavily. I leave the hallway and notice my dark footprints behind me, I walked up the twisted stairway, I cannot see how someone could survive in a place like this, I haven't seen anyone its like it is derelict. I get up to the 2nd floor to find my mother standing at her door, â€Å"hi mum† I said before she noticed me, â€Å"Aaron, why have you come† she said, â€Å"look I just don't want you feeling real bad about yourself. I want to make things up with you† I said abruptly, â€Å"come inside† she said as she turned to go inside. The smell of tea and unclean furniture hit me like a slap to the face, I sat on the couch looking at the framed photographs of Roy and my mother, there was one of me, I was at the zoo with my sister and Roy, the clash of plates and cups awoke me from my daydream, â€Å"sugar? my mother asked, â€Å"yea, thanks† I said. I took a sip of my tea, it soothed my dry throat. â€Å"mum, I am really sorry for the last 10 or so years, I have been really stupid, I realised yesterday that I should have enjoyed Roys life while I could instead of ignoring you and him. I think I have just held on to bad things I shouldn't have. Can you forgiv e me† I said waiting for an answer. â€Å"Aaron, I was being the silly one not you, Roy told me so after that holiday to Ireland, I was down right rude† she said as she fiddled with here necklace. A good start I thought, we went on chatting about the good times we had together when I was a child, it wasn't until eight o' clock I went to leave. I walked back down the stairs smiling at what I had accomplished; my right foot was wet, I looked down and saw that the last few steps were covered in water and rising, the rain had flooded into the flats and was just below knee depth. I stood there for a while and decided to get to my car. I ran down through the hallway and out the door, out side wasn't as bad, I ran to my car through the dark rain, I couldn't see much but I got to my car which was parked not to far away but the street was flooded very severely, there was no way I was getting home. I ran back to the flats and the door was still open. I ran to the stairs and walked to the flat again I went inside and explained to my mother â€Å"its really flooded out there†, my mother replied † oh dear what shall you do†, I then said † do you mind if I sleep here† my mother said â€Å"oh not at all we'll sort something out†. I sat and watched the TV until 11 while my mother went to her bed quite early, the television was boring but it passed the time. Three days passed, it stopped raining on the 2nd day my mother and I really bonded through the days surviving on what she had in the dusty cupboards. The rain had mostly evaporated after one day and I went to my car. I drove back through the country past soaked and some still very flooded spots. I got home later that day to find everything as I had left it. The only difference was that I felt new and had straightened my life out with my mother. I have realised, I am happy.

Management Forecasts

â€Å"Management Earnings Forecasts: A Review and Framework† by D. E. Hirst, L. Koonce and S. Venkataraman explained the antecedents, characteristics and consequences interlinked with earnings forecasts. Antecedents are characteristics that are prevalent prior to the consequence such as the existing environment/firm specific characteristics; and consequence is the outcome from antecedents and characteristics. Characteristics are the choices the management has deciding on how the report will be issued. The article guides the reader giving explanations of why management decides to release earnings forecasts, interactions of the three variables and its findings and how these findings may impact one period to another. Studies have found that management may issue forecasted earnings to reduce difference of opinions and/or information with the shareholders, to avoid litigation risks when the entity needs to make bad news disclosures and when managers have equity-based compensation tied to extend their wealth. Case Summary According to the case, â€Å"Management Earnings Disclosure and Pro Forma Reporting† by Mark T. Bradshaw and Jacob Cohen states that companies too often exclude information that negatively impacts the company’s earnings per share on their pro forma reports prior to releasing the financial statements that is in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles which is based on companies who have released such reports and the response to such reporting by the regulators. According to the case, pro forma reporting was originated by the SEC to provide earnings comparability for investors for differing time periods based on a â€Å"what if† analysis, meaning, what would have happened if this transaction had occurred and what would’ve been its impact on later reporting periods (Regulation S-X 1982). However, multiple incidents have shown that companies abuse the system. Proxim and Cisco, Inc. , both released their pro forma reports prior to their financial statements being released where both of the companies excluded the research and development costs, restructuring charges, mpairment/amortization of goodwill, which resulted in an overall positive net income with net income per share, whereas the financial statements in accordance with GAAP resulted in a loss with loss per share for both of the companies. Managers who are trying to disclose bad news about the company are more likely to issue earnings forecasts in order to avoid litigations (Skinner 1994, 1997). In addition, Trump Hotels and Casino, Inc. DJT) also excluded a onetime charge while including a onetime gain of $17. 2 million, exceeding the analysts’ estimates of $0. 54 per share to $0. 63 per share on their pro forma reporting (Burns 2002). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) responded to their incautious reporting and DJT acknowledged the findings and consented to unyielding commitments if similar violations were to take place again. The DJT incident was the first time the commissions took action against abusing pro forma reporting. Financial forecast data rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s (S&P) recommended for companies to include in their operating earnings such as restructuring charges, write-downs of assets, stock-option expenses and research and development costs and furthermore S&P suggested companies to exclude from operating earnings the following four categories: 1) goodwill write-downs 2) charges for litigation 3) gains and losses on asset sales and 4) expenses related to mergers and acquisitions (Leisman and Weil 2001). Although S&P made recommendations, Proxim, Inc. , still excluded restructuring charges, research and development costs while Cisco Systems, Inc. , also excluded restructuring, stock option exercise and research and developments costs on their pro forma reports, one of the reasons might be based on the belief that stock prices will fluctuate with high volatility, for example, when Rainforest Cafe announced earnings per share that was lower than expectations the stock price plummeted by 40% on a single day (Sloan and Skinner). Although managers may want to convince the investors their company’s value by providing pro forma reports that is plausible, they may want to consider the fact that this is only short term credibility because according to Hirst et al. (1999) only when the prior forecast is accurate do they consider future forecasts. The choices aren’t clear-cut on why the management continues to release misleading pro forma reports, the incentives behind them may be bonuses tied to stock prices or on the other hand management may want to release pro forma reports that is symmetrical to financial statements to reduce the asymmetry of information between managers, analysts and shareholders (Ajinkya and Gift 1984; Verrecchia 2001). It would be best for management to issue accurate pro forma reports to maintain creditability with the shareholders and the analysts because in the long-run the investors will depend on the entity’s reports for accuracy thus creating creditability which is the fundamental foundation of any business.

Foreign Cultures Essay

The problem of the students who have to learn foreign cultures or not had concerned a number of people. Some individuals advocate that the students are just need to know their own country culture.However, their are a large group of opponents have an opposite perspective. As far as I concerned,The students in college are necessary to know the foreign cultures. Most of the student will go to other countries in the future for their jobs or visit their relatives or friends. So they have to know some foreign cultures for the convenience and live without troubles. If you are a tourist on that country, and you know the foreign cultures, you can enjoy your trip. If you are working on that country, you will put more focus on your work and getting more friends. But if you don’t know the cultures of the country which you live, you will have a lot of troubles. You can not pay any attention on you major work, you will not happy because some awkward things will happen. In addition, if you familiar with the cultures of foreign countries, wherever you are you will be the person who is most attractive. A lot of people might think you are really intelligent and know a lot of interesting things and knowledge they don’t know. So you might getting a lot of friends who interest you. If you are in the foreign country, you will have live easier and smoother. to get a good job. If you want to be a teacher in the school or a tour guide, you will need this culture a lot. In the conclusion, learning foreign cultures are really helpful, they are a sort of ability that can avoid some embarrassments, and can help you getting more opportunities to make new friends and good jobs in the future.

European political systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

European political systems - Essay Example The countries that joined in 1958 include Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and Luxembourg. These six countries were motivated to put collectively the coal and steel industries under supra-national control. The coal and steel developed to European Economic Community in 1958. In 1995 three countries joined the union namely Austria, Finland and Sweden. In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania joined the union. In 2004, Cyprus, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland and Slovenia were considered part of European Union and largest integration that took place. The integration involved the breaking of some of the countries restrictions to adhere to certain issues such as the free movement issues. To some countries, the Stabilization and Association Process put in place to deal with particular cases before recognition, was a challenge to entry. In 1973, the following countries joined European Union, Denmark, United Kingdom and Ireland. Greece joined in 1 981 and Spain in 1986 (Zeff & Pirro,

Managerial Applications of Technology (Virtual Workforce) 2 Assignment

Managerial Applications of Technology (Virtual Workforce) 2 - Assignment Example Technology is also the backbone of virtual working because it provides applications and appliances that enable such endeavors. Using remote workers can bring flexibility to a business organization as it will not have to depend on the state of their premises or the accessibility of their premises. Virtual employees do not need any physical office, making the financially advantageous to an organization. Due to fact that virtual employees have no geographical restriction on where they are supposed to work they sometime have higher productivity as compared to the physically available ones (Marquez, 2008). For example, virtual workers do not have to spend time travelling to the offices. The disadvantages of using virtual include the fact that monitoring them is usually a hard task. It is also hard in bringing them to be part of collective efforts by the other members of the workforce. Good strategies can help an organization in minimizing the disadvantages and maximizing the advantages of using virtual workforce. In hiring virtual workers a company should make sure that they hire self-motivated and self-disciplined individuals (Gillis, 2003). There should also be frequent and meaningful communication between an organization and their virtual employees. This will be important in monitoring their progress. Giving virtual employee targets to meet after a given duration will help in making sure that they are able to maximize their contribution to the organization. Hill, E. J., Ferris, M., & MÃ ¤rtinson, V. (2003). Does it matter where you work? A comparison of how three work venues (traditional office, virtual office, and home office) influence aspects of work and personal/family life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(2),

How to implement a new strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to implement a new strategy - Essay Example In order to prove their point in their article, the authors present the analysis of two different companies, DuPont Engineering Polymers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. These companies â€Å"used the tools of balanced scorecard strategy management to guide the decentralized units in their search for local gain even as they identified ways for them to contribute to corporate wide objectives† (Kaplan and Norton). Quite a few things need to be taken into consideration when a company picks a management system. The authors feel that developing a management system with a balanced scorecard framework is the best way to start with a successful system. Three things should be considered when doing this; the customer perspective, the financial perspective, and the learning and growth perspective. Prioritizing is also important. Several companies have successfully benefited from this approach by picking three to five strategic themes in order to prioritize the different enterprises of the company. Collecting these strategic themes and ideas can help to give the company focus on what it needs to both work on and focus on when developing its strategy. Some important themes can focus around customers; for example, the need to lower cost for customers, the need to attract other customers that may be beneficial to the business, and ways to make relationships with customers even more important by cross-sell ing or providing them with other services that they may need. Executive teams will need to identify strategic initiatives that support each theme and make sure that the resources, mainly the money and the manpower, are there to support each initiative. Scorecard based systems can be very effective for companies. They can help to measure performance and link together goals within the company. These themes help the corporation focus on its goals and priorities. In order to demonstrate this, the article moves into giving

Organization Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organization Development - Essay Example essful with the organization he or she should change and start treating workers or the employees in a very respective way and as a result the employees will also handle customers in a very good way, these changes will eventually result into the positive growth of the company. Employees change on how they treat customers is an external change and for it to materialize there should be a change internally (Reese, 1995). On the other hand the change in performance in management model provides a clear balance on how this should be done and how they should be done3 in order to improve the workers performance ideally this practices has been successful in dealing with the management in terms of the operatic side of the business with the aim of getting maximum results. However organization development is normally driven by the need for effective change in the organization but this change has to begin with change of individuals within the organization. The problem solving model should always b e put into consideration and it should also focus on the future. Change in the entire organization is meant to bring out a difference both internally and externally. Internally change must start from the management staff, meaning that the managers should come up with appropriate ways of dealing with the employees in the organization. Generally managers should lead by example which is in relation to creation of very calm and conducive environment for both the employees and the customers, this will allow the organization to grow and reach its mission and vision. Employees should also embrace change inside the organization by implementing their duties as expected of them; this will enhance effective development of the organization and a quick realization of its goals. (Allen & Thatcher, 1995)Employees embracing new changes in the organization will result into team work within the organization therefore this will enhance faster growth of the organization. Change should also be welcomed

LAW CASE (sheapard v. united states) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LAW (sheapard v. united states) - Case Study Example In 1933 Major Shepard files a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari. A Writ of Certiorari is a document in which the losing party files with the Supreme Court asking them to review the case from a lower court (Techlaw Journal, 2008). This can be done when the petitioner is dissatisfied with the decisions of the lower courts including the US Court of Appeals. A Writ can be granted at the discretion of the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court being the highest Court in the Nation has the right to not accept the petition and there has to be some kind of compelling reason for acceptance. In Shepards Case the Writ of Certiorari was granted. US Supreme Court Judge Cardozo reveals to the court that circumstantial evidence was used to prove to the jury the Major Shepard was guilty. According to the judge a conversation with Mrs. Shepards nurse Clara Brown, Mrs. Shepard asked the nurse to find her a bottle of whiskey. She then asked the nurse if there was enough left to prove the existence of poison. The nurse then states that the Mrs. Shepard accuses her husband of poisoning her. The Judge then states "The admission of this declaration, if erroneous, was more than unsubstantial error. As to that the parties are agreed. The voice of the dead wife was heard in accusation of her husband, and the accusation was accepted as evidence of guilt.

The recruitment activities for ABC ltd Case Study

The recruitment activities for ABC ltd - Case Study Example The main problems which came forth from the study of the case are discussed as under. Firstly the case reflects lack of coordination between departments which happens to be one of the primary responsibilities of the HR departments in organizations. The problem arises due to improper communication in the organization. This is reflected through the fact that when Robins wanted to book the training rooms for the orientation program he found that it was already reserved for the setting up of computer terminals. An effective system of communication would have been effective in informing the entire organization about the availability of the program from beforehand. Accordingly the system could be scheduled as per the convenience of other departments. Another key problem area is apparent from the fact that Robins being a new employee has failed to undertake the responsibility smoothly. This shows lack of proper training on the part of the HR department in the organization. In order to fit into the job responsibilities completely it is crucial that the organization implements proper induction training of the candidates to make them efficient to handle responsibilities. The case reflects inadequate training about the company which would otherwise made Robins aware about the probable arousal of problems. (Briggs, 2007, p.1). Most employees are technically minded. Therefore they would require a strong and concrete guidance on how to manage the operations. This has been the case with Robins as well. First and foremost the recruiter would have to be made aware of the requirements of the organization. The job description must consider the changing demands of the profile, the changes in technologies, and the different methods of working. Most importantly the job description must reflect the needs, rather than the skills required in the organization. Candidates qualifying the above requirements must be hired in the organization. The important aspect is to provide induction training which helps to equip the candidates with the right skills and knowledge for the job. Going by the analysis of the case study it reveals that Robins is not quite informed about the availability of the resources which would be required for conducting the orientation program. The present situation demands that there are two possible jobs to be dome urgently. One is the implementation of the orientation program and the other is to set up computer terminals. The crisis is that both require training rooms. However, it is strongly felt that the orientation program is a bit more urgent as compared to the other. However, it is difficult to set up the program since the training rooms are already booked by some other department. The question is to de monstrate the need of the situation and arrange the room for orientation. The key solution would be to understand that a delay in the hiring process would ultimately result in

A Comparison of UK Parliament and US Congress Essay Example for Free

A Comparison of UK Parliament and US Congress Essay A congress and a parliament seem to be very similar things the legislative branches of the majority of the worlds democracies which are filled with popularly elected men and women who come together to decide the legislative issues of their home nation. However, despite the initial impression of sameness, the two are very different in two key areas: What is the constitution of them and what are their functions. This assay will discribe them setting examples of the United States and the United Kngdom. And through this assay, we will learn more about Parliament and Congress especially the US Parliament and British Congress. â…  . Similarities between Parliament and Congress As Political systems of capitalist countries, both Parliament and Congress are the highest legislative branch of their country and exert the highest legislative authority. The legislative process of the US Parliament and British Congress both include three procedures: propose the bill, deliberate the bill and turn into law. In addition, both the US Parliament and British Congress exert supervisory authority. They control the politics and woks of their governments to ensure the governments can service themselves better and more effectively. Both the US Parliament and British Congress consist of two houses and most of members of the US Parliament and British Congress are produced by election. On the other hand, citizens in the country of parliament and congress elect commissaries to compose the representative bodies, participat in politics indirectly, discuss and decide on national affairs in order to reflect the exercise of state power and organizational forms of a democratic system. â… ¡. Differences between Parliament and Congress A. The Constitution 1. The Constitution of the US Parliament Parliament consists of Members of Parliament. Members are often elected , in particular, a bicameral national MPs are elected by the General Assembly of the Republic and some by appointment or special status and access to qualified members. For the patriarchate of members, the House of Lords is longer than the House of Commons. With Speaker of Parliament, as the House shall preside, control the proceedings, the administrative charge and supervision of Parliament, representing the Council. Under the House Standing Committee, there are a variety of supporting agencies as to assist the House to review the motion. The bicameral Parliament also has a full-house committees and both houses of the Consultative Committee. In modern times, all capitalist countries have parliamentary assembly in order to facilitate the political parties to strengthen parliamentary control and influence. 2. The Constitution of British Congress The highest legislative branch of United States consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senator directly elected by the voters in the states, and each state has 2, implementating the principle of equal representation of states. The number of congressmen are distributed by state and by direct election, each state at least one. It is fixed number of 435 and senators must be at least 25 years old. Furthermore, members shall not serve other government functions. B. Functions of the US Parliament and British Congress 1. Legislative Authority As a rule, the procedure of a bill in United States is firstly proposed, then deliberated by the Committee, and finally considered by General Assembly. When one house gets across it, send it the other one, getting through the same procedures in turn. Bills passed by both houses will signed by the President. If the President does not veto, or he veto but re-enacted by two thirds of members of the two houses,the bill will become law. However, in United Kingdom, the legislative process includes three elements: prepare and submit the motion; consider and adopt the motion; approve the bill into law. The motion of Council consideration consists of three points: public motion, private motion and hybrid motion. Public motion could be submitted to both houses of any of the private motion and usually performed by an authorized agent of the party and hybrid motion will be delt with by a special committee. After all of these motions passing through all stages of the Houses of Parliament, then th e king present to the approval of license certificate after being issued by the king, and then announced by the speaker of the houses. 2. Supervisory Authority In the US, implementing agencies are responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. In order to monitor the implementation of the implementing agencies, Congress adopt a series of actions to ensure implementation of laws adopted. Specifically, Congresss oversight of the executive branch involved in the five aspects: First, the administrative implementation of the law; Second, the administrative situation of the use of congressional funds; Third, the political behavior of government officials; Fourth, the sets of the administrative branch; Fifth, decision-making process of the administrative branch. The history of the British Parliament cannot be detached from the struggle for controlling the financial power. Parliament supervisor the policies and work of government by controlling its financial power. Monitoring Committee focused primarily on tracking the appropriate government departments and policy, and the General Assembly through the Liaison Committee Xiangquan Yuan receiv ed the case report. In the Committee, it is the National Accounts Committee work most effectively. The source of the financial control can divided into two aspects: Monitor revenue and monitor expenditure. â… ¢.Conclusion To sum up, there are many similarities and differences between Parliament and Congress and we have learned some spesific information about the US Parliament and British Congress from this assay. However, it just discribes them in some of aspects. For example, I cannot find enough infornation about the similarities between Parliament and Congress so I cannot expatiate perfictlty and just discribe on the surface. Furthermore, I want to know more about the differences between Parliament and Congress but I did not find the information of election and many other things. Therefore, I hope I can learn more about these and have other opportunities to research them in near future.

Study Of Organizations Behavior

Study Of Organizations Behavior Formal and informal framework of policies and rules , within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications , and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles , power , and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management . This structure depends entirely on the organizations objectives and the strategy chosen to achieve them. In a centralized structure, the decision making power is concentrated in the top layer of the management. Structure is the pattern of relationships among positions in the organisation and among members of the organisation. Structure makes possible the application of the process of management and creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised directed and controlled. .Culture in Organizations These are the informal values, norms and beliefs which control how individuals and groups in an organization interact internally and externally. This in turn shapes attitude and behavior and the quality of inter group relationships again to achieve organizational goals. Lateral Horizontal Top Vertical Bottom Values and Norms Culture in organization has two founding values: Terminal Value; is linked to desire goals e.g. excellence, quality, morality, stability, profitability. Instrumental Value; is linked to desire modes of behavior for the organization e.g. hard work, tradition, respect for authority, risk taking, honesty, standards of service, dress code. Norms; specific norms emerge as a result of shared experiences over time which became expectations for behavior. These result in rules for conduct e.g. courtesy, cleanliness, grooming, teamwork, information sharing, and cooperation. The Source of Values Norms Edward Scheins approach to culture claims that it can be understood at 3 levels. Basic Assumptions: unconsciously learned responses based upon perception. Values and Beliefs: consciously help concepts as a result of experiences. Visible Artifacts: physical evidence e.g. office design, layout and dress code. Cultural Dynamics A set of beliefs and assumptions held commonly throughout the organization, taken for granted in that organization, but discernible to the outside observer in the stories of organization history and explanation of events. Company Information The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) group is one of the worlds leading financial organizations. It was founded in 1865 in china. Since then the bank expanded rapidly with an emphasis up representation in China and also other parts of Asia, Europe and America. In the mid 1950s HSBC embarked on a strategy of pursuing profitable growth through acquisitions as well as organic development. After conducting my research into global business of HSBC bank, we have identified that London offers tremendous opportunities for HSBC which make businesses want to operate in those markets. HSBC Culture Operational Strategy: The Worlds Local bank HSBC differentiates itself from its competitors by its branding. The strong tag line the worlds local bank reflects the HSBC approach towards powerful branding. This brand image has been the result of many years of investment in the companys corporate image and culture that attracts and maintains satisfied customers and employees. HSBCs understanding and experience of multiple markets and local knowledge have contributed towards its brand success. HSBC has branches in 76 countries and the strategy used is Think Global, Act Local. Corporate Social Responsibility: HSBC like many other major companies from different industries believes in sharing its success by giving it back to the community. The application of corporate social responsibility is mandatory for all companies doing business. This being thought as a liability could also provide a company with the tools to promote its brand image with in communities. They are aware of the social responsibilities of economy management, community and environment. HSBC has undertaken activities such as environmental protection projects, successful and honest business practices, educational programs, undergraduate scholarships and funding local community projects. They also undertake volunteer charity and community work. Human Resource Management: HSBC employs over 284,000 people worldwide. They understand the benefits and competitive advantage of having a smart, loyal and well educated workforce. HSBC encourages workforce diversity in order to create the finest employee network and a corporate culture that celebrates differences, empathy and integrity. They employ the best qualified individuals, regardless of their nationality to manage top-level operations. However they employ local country staff to manage day to day and branch operations because they know they local business environment and this strategy also helps the foreign company be accepted by the local society. HSBC Principles Values The HSBC Group is committed to five Core Business Principles: Outstanding customer service Effective and efficient operations Strong capital and liquidity Conservative lending policy Strict expense discipline Employee Benefits Rewards In return for employees dedication and hard work, HSBC offer a very attractive and competitive benefits package with rapid rewards for the right people. While different roles come with different rewards, the following is a guide to the kind of package they offer: Performance-related bonus scheme Pension 25 days holiday Private medical insurance Life insurance Preferential rates on a range of HSBC products Season ticket loan Sports and social scheme Employee assistance programs Corporate discounts HSBC Structure Corporate Governance: HSBC is committed to high standards of corporate governance. HSBC Holdings has complied throughout with the applicable codes provided by the Combined Code on Corporate Governance issued by the Financial Reporting Council and the Code on Corporate Governance Practices in Appendix 14 to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. The Board of HSBC Holdings has adopted a code of conduct for transactions in HSBC Group securities by Directors that complies with The Model Code in the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority and with The Model Code for Securities Transactions by Directors of Listed Issuers (Hong Kong Model Code) set out in the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, save that The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong has granted certain waivers from strict compliance with the Hong Kong Model Code, primarily to take into account accepted practices in the UK, particularly in respect of employee share plans. Following a specific enquiry, each Director has confirmed he or she has complied with the code of conduct for transactions in HSBC Group securities throughout the period. Board Committees: The Board has appointed a number of committees. The following are the principal committees: Group Management Board Group Audit Committee Remuneration Committee Nomination Committee Corporate  Sustainability Committee HSBC structure is matrix structure, because they have teams of people from various sections of the business, these teams will be created for the purpose of a specific purpose of a specific project and will be led by a project manager, often the team is only exists for the duration of the project and matrix structure are usually deployed to develop new products and services. Relationship between Culture and Structure Organizational Culture : a group of mutually interacting people with negotiated , shared values , understandings ,norms , ideals , way of life and the way of looking at the world and their place in it .The way a structure or culture is designed or evolves over time affects the way people and groups behave within the organization. Structure and culture affect: Behaviour Motivation Performance Teamwork and cooperation Intergroup and Interdepartmental relationships Organizational culture is more of a larger picture, a more general term that refers to a large umbrella of smaller topics and issues within an organization. The structure refers to the infrastructure, and the various methods and practices within that infrastructure, that helps an organizational culture run with the efficiency and consistency that should be the hallmark of any healthy organizational structure, whether it is in a corporation, sports team, or any other set up that is large enough to create its own organizational culture. This makes the structure an integral part of any organizational culture, but also narrows out a very specific segment of the culture as its own responsibility. Organizational structure will deal primarily with the set up of the culture. How management works, which specific responsibilities supervisors have, how a complaint is passed through the ranks-these are all issues within the organizational culture that are directly tied to how an organizational structure works. The structure is not limited to those three examples, but it would certainly include all of them. TASK 2 Styles of Management Management is tasks, Management is a discipline. But management also people. Every achievement of management is the achievement of a manager. Every failure is a failure of a manager. People manage rather than forces or facts .The vision, dedication and integrity of managers determine whether there is a management or mismanagement Stewart, R, Management and organizational behaviour, Sixth Edition, Laurie J Mullins. Prentice Hall (2002) Management takes place within a structured organizational setting with prescribed roles. It is directed towards the achievement of aims and objectives through influencing the efforts of others. This role encouraged a lot of writers to study management aspects, where they came out with theories thats become the sprit of management thinking. Scientific Management: F. W. Taylor. Taylor formalized the principles of scientific management, 1909, he published the book for which he is best known, Principles of Scientific Management. In his own words he explained: The old fashioned dictator does not exist under Scientific Management. The man at the head of the business under Scientific Management is governed by rules and laws which have been developed through hundreds of experiments just as much as the workman is, and the standards developed are equitable. Management Leadership According to John P. Kotter in his book, A Force for Change: How Leadership Differs From Management (The Free Press, 1990), managers must know how to lead as well as manage. Without leading as well as managing, todays organizations face the threat of extinction. Management is the process of setting and achieving the goals of the organization through the functions of management: planning, organizing, directing (or leading), and controlling. A manager is hired by the organization and is given formal authority to direct the activity of others in fulfilling organization goals. Thus, leading is a major part of a managers job. Yet a manager must also plan, organize, and control. Generally speaking, leadership deals with the interpersonal aspects of a managers job, whereas planning, organizing, and controlling deal with the administrative aspects. Leadership deals with. Theory X (Authoritarian Management Style): The average person dislikes work and will avoid it if he or she can. Therefore most people must be forced with the threat of punishment to work towards organizational objectives. The average person prefers to be directed; to avoid responsibility; is relatively less ambitious, and wants security above all else. Theory X basically holds the belief that people do not like work and that some kind of direct pressure and control must be exerted to get them to work effectively. These people require a rigidly managed environment, usually requiring threats of disciplinary action as a primary source of motivation. It is also held that employees will only respond to monetary rewards as an incentive to perform above the level of that which is expected. From a management point of view, autocratic (Theory X) managers like to retain most of their authority. They make decisions on their own and inform the workers, assuming that they will carry out the instructions. Autocratic managers are often called authoritative for this reason; they act as authorities. This type of manager is highly tasked oriented, placing a great deal of concern towards getting the job done, with little concern for the workers attitudes towards the managers decision. This shows that autocratic managers lose ground in the work place, making way for leaders who share more authority and decision making with other members of the group. Theory Y (Participative Management Style): Effort in work is as natural as work and play. People will apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of organizational objectives, without external control or the threat of punishment. Commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement. People usually accept and often seek responsibility. The capacity to use a high degree of imagination, ingenuity and creativity in solving organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. In industry the intellectual potential of the average person is only partly utilized. A more popular view of the relationship found in the work place between managers and workers, is explained in the concepts of Theory Y. This theory assumes that people are creative and eager to work. Workers tend to desire more responsibility than Theory X workers, and have strong desires to participate in the decision making process. Theory Y workers are comfortable in a working environment which allows creativity and the opportunity to become personally involved in organizational planning. Some assumptions about Theory Y workers are emphasized in one of the texts, namely that this type of worker is far more prevalent in the work place than are Theory X workers. For instance, it is pointed out that ingenuity, creativity, and imagination are increasingly present throughout the ranks of the working population. These people not only accept responsibility, but actively seek increased authority. According to another of the authors studied for this project, in which the participative (Theory Y) leadership style is discussed, a participative leader shares decisions with the group. Also mentioned, are subtypes to this type of leader, namely the Democratic leader who allows the members of the working group to vote on decisions, and the Consensual leader who encourages group discussions and decisions which reflect the consensus of the group. A Laissez-Fair Style: A laissez-fair style is where the manager observes that members of group are working well on their own. The manager consciously makes a decision to pass the focus of power to members, to allow them freedom of action to do as they think best. And not to interfere; but is readily available if help is needed, There is often confusion over this style of leadership behavior. The world genuine is emphasized because this is to be contrasted with the manager who could not care, who deliberately keeps away from the trouble of sports and does not want to get involved. The manager just lets members of the group get on with the work in hand. Members are left to face decision which rightly belongs with the manager. This is more a non-style of leadership or it could perhaps be labeled as abdication. Management Styles at HSBC: The qualities required in individuals by HSBC reflect a lot about their approach towards the management style. These quality individuals are: Responsive: Who always try to anticipate and act quickly to ensure we meet and exceed our customers ever-changing expectations. Respectful: Individuals who look for the value in everyone. Fair: Who reward our customers for the commitment they give to us. Progressive: Who are driven by the belief that we can shape a better future. Perceptive: Who look harder, in order to understand things more deeply, and this informs everything we do. The management empowers employees and builds a trust with the employees to deliver the brand promise effectively. Every department has efficient staff available to help the customers but for more specific needs and decision making, the branch managers play the role. Leadership Leadership is a dynamic relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and collaborators in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change. (Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg, NUTS! Southwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, Bard Press, 1996, p. 298) Three important parts of this definition are the terms relationship, mutual, and collaborators. Relationship is the connection between people. Mutual means shared in common. Collaborators cooperate or work together. This definition of leadership says that the leader is influenced by the collaborators while they work together to achieve an important goal. Leadership is the ability to command acceptance by a group of people and thus, get them to do what the leader wants. The person providing this direction and commanding acceptance is called the leader. From this definition of leadership, it is obvious that the leader is the person whom others accept to show them the way. However, you probably are aware that a leader can be imposed on a group of people against their will. For example, a military coup can bring a leader to power. This leader was not voted for or accepted by his people. But he ascended the leadership seat by virtue of military might or military intrigues. Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things (Warren Bennis and Peter Drucker) Leadership Styles Types of Leadership Style: Four of the most basic leadership styles are: Autocratic Bureaucratic Laissez-faire Democratic Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership: is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where a leader exerts high levels of power over his or her employees or team members. People within the team are given few opportunities for making suggestions, even if these would be in the teams or organizations interest. Many people resent being treated like this. Because of this, autocratic leadership often leads to high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover. Also, the teams output does not benefit from the creativity and experience of all team members, so many of the benefits of teamwork are lost. For some routine and unskilled jobs, however, this style can remain effective, where the advantages of control outweigh the disadvantages. Bureaucratic Leadership : Bureaucratic leaders work by the book, ensuring that their staff follow procedures exactly. This is a very appropriate style for work involving serious safety risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances or at heights) or where large sums of money are involved (such as cash-handling).In other situations, the inflexibility and high levels of control exerted can demoralize staff, and can diminish the organizations ability to react to changing external circumstances. Democratic Leadership or Participative Leadership : Although a democratic leader will make the final decision, he or she invites other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process. This not only increases job satisfaction by involving employees or team members in whats going on, but it also helps to develop peoples skills. Employees and team members feel in control of their own destiny, and so are motivated to work hard by more than just a financial reward. As participation takes time, this style can lead to things happening more slowly than an autocratic approach, but often the end result is better. It can be most suitable where team working is essential, and where quality is more important than speed to market or productivity. Laissez-Faire Leadership This French phrase means leave it be and is used to describe a leader who leaves his or her colleagues to get on with their work. It can be effective if the leader monitors what is being achieved and communicates this back to his or her team regularly. Most often, laissez-faire leadership works for teams in which the individuals are very experienced and skilled self-starters. Unfortunately, it can also refer to situations where managers are not exerting sufficient control. Leadership vs. Management A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. The leader of the work group may emerge informally as the choice of the group. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals of the organization, without using his or her formal authority to do so, then the manager is demonstrating leadership. Motivation Definition: Motivation is the processes that account for an individuals intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs is the most well-known theory of motivation. He hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of five needs: (See Exhibit 6-1). Physiological: Includes hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs Safety: Includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm Social: Includes affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship Esteem: Includes internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs If Maslows theory is true, there are some very important  leadership implications to  enhance workplace motivation. There are  staff motivation opportunities  by motivating each employee through their style of management, compensation plans, role definition, and company activities. Application of Maslows Theory If Maslows theory is true, there are some very important  leadership implications to  enhance workplace motivation. There are  staff motivation opportunities  by motivating each employee through their style of management, compensation plans, role definition, and company activities. Safety Needs: Provide a working environment which is safe, relative job security, and freedom from threats. Social Needs:  Generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Relationship between Theories of Motivation All companies seek to motivate their employees for a very simple reason; a motivated employee is a high producer. In todays workplace, many complex and sophisticated plans have been put in place towards this end; some companies offer a variety of incentives to meet the different needs and expectations of the different personalities employed there. Motivation is an individual thing; in other words, the same things do not motivate all people. Abraham Maslow outlines a pyramid-shaped theory that is the basis for most motivation theories that followed. They will then design and implement an action plan to increase the motivational factors in their own organization. Some of their action steps are discussed. The lowest level of Maslows pyramid of needs relates to every humans survival needs or by physiological needs, which include hunger, thirst and shelter are at this level (Robbins, 2001). TASK 4 Team Work A small number of people with complemen-tary skills who are committed to a common purpose, common performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. -G. Moorhead and R.W. Griffin When people listen carefully to each other, when they seek and take seriously each others opinions, when they make use of each others competencies and expertise, they are involved in teamwork. Situations like, a football team, a marriage, a project at work, or a math team, may come and go. It requires no special structure, only an opportunity for two or more people to engage collaboratively and cooperatively in undertaking some task. Teamwork in the workplace is something to be expected in our organizations today. Senior leadership teams, functional and intact teams, special project teams, play an important role to the success of any business. However, finding, creating, and maintaining effective a high performance team is much more difficult. No group of people is automatically entitled to teamwork just because they are smart, talented, and are working together. Teamwork in the workplace is subject to countless challenges as different personalities, talents and expertise, values, and working styles are merged together. Group Working A collection of individuals, the members accept a common task, become interdependent in their performance, and interact with one another to promote its accomplishment Harold H. Kelley and J.W. Thibaut Various Types of Groups Friendship groups Interest Groups Formal groups Informal Groups Small groups Large groups Primary groups Secondary groups Coalitions Membership groups Reference groups Command groups Task groups Good group work has great potential for the following reasons: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individuals are encouraged to become active rather than passive learners by developing collaborative and co-operative skills, and lifelong learning skills. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It encourages the development of critical thinking skills. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It requires the establishment of an environment of support, trust and co-operative learning can be nurtured. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It promotes learning and achievement. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Students have the opportunity to learn from and to teach each other. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Deep rather than surface approaches to learning are encouraged. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It facilitates greater transfer of previous knowledge and learning. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It enhances social skills and interactions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning outcomes are improved. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Large numbers of individuals can be catered for and work on the task simultaneously. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interaction and co-operation on a micro scale is facilitated thus decreasing a sense of isolation felt by some. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quiet individuals have an opportunity to speak and be heard in small groups thus overcoming the anonymity and passivity associated with large groups. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individuals get the chance to work on large projects (larger in scope or complexity than individual tasks). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It can save time and requires a shared workload. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Alternative ideas and points of view can be generated. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individuals develop and practice skills in: decision making, problem solving, values clarification, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, conflict resolution, and teamwork. Team Working at HSBC The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is a phrase that very much applies to HSBC. Although, as an organization HSBC a leader in the world of financial services. It is the power and reach of each of our local teams working together, which make HSBC such a successful and fast growing business. Recognizing the importance of local knowledge is a key message of HSBC advertising but it is not merely this. It is a value the HSBC live by. The employees work as a team to perform daily operations seamlessly.

History And Organisational Examination Of Nestle Corporation

History And Organisational Examination Of Nestle Corporation Nestle is a multinational company with its worldwide operations in over 84 countries. Nestle is the worlds largest food company with its international headquarters at Vevey, Switzerland. Nestle has almost 500 factories world wide out of which 220 are located in Europe, 150 in America and 130 in Africa, Asia and Oceania. It employs almost 2,30,000 people.   Founder of Nestle was German born Henry Nestle who was living in a small town of Switzerland named Vevey. From a modest beginning he founded the company in 1866 at Switzerland for manufacturing milk powders for babies. Necessity is mother of invention is applicable in the  Ã‚   invention of a special food product Farine Lactee made from Cereals milk to saved the lives of many infants because, at that time Switzerland faced one of the highest infant mortality rate the milk formula act as nectar that saved the lives of many infants whose mothers were un-able to breast feed successfully. Since than Company have always looked forward and have achieved set targets goals.   At present Nestle is the worlds largest food company, with its international head quarters at Vevey, in Switzerland. Nestlà © is often quoted by most as Multinational of Multinationals. There is a good reason, as less than 2% of the turnover comes from domestic market in Switzerland.   Nestlà ©Ã‚  is very much decentralized in its operations most of the markets are given considerable autonomy in its operation. It is more of a people products oriented company rather than systems oriented company. There are unwritten guidelines which are to be followed, based on common senses a strong set of moral principals emphasizing a lot of respect for fellow beings. Nestle has always adapted to the local conditions and at the same time integrates its Swiss heritage. It has always taken a long-term view in the countries in which it operates. Therefore, one can see a lot of investment RD and risk taken in new product areas. There is a great emphasis placed on training by the company. It believes in rewarding and promoting people from within. Today its product brand name Nestle is associated with quality products in worldwide consumer markets. The Nest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Henry Nestle introduced the first commercial infant formula in 1867, he also created a symbol of the Birds Nest, graphic translation of his name, which personifies the companys business. The symbol, which is universally understood, evokes security, motherhood and affection, nature and nourishment, family and tradition. Today it is the central element of Nestlà ©s corporate identity and closely parallels the companys corporate values and culture. Main point Worlds leading nutrition, health and wellness company. Founded in 1866 in Vevey, Switzerland. It has around 280,000 employees all over the world. It owns 450 factories in 84 countries. Product categories include Soluble Coffee, Infant Nutrition, Bottled Water, Condensed and Evaporated milk, Ice Cream, Chocolate and Malt drinks. VISION Nestlà ©s aim is to meet the various needs of the consumer everyday by marketing and selling foods of a consistently high quality. MISSION We strive to bring consumers foods that are safe, of high quality and provide optimal nutrient to meet physiological needs. Nestle helps provide selections for all individual taste and lifestyle preferences HR at NESTLE NESTLES SPIRIT Making Big Investments in People Believes in building Leaders of Tomorrow CORE VALUE A prerequisite for dealing with people is respect and trust. Transparency and honesty in dealing with people are necessary for efficient communication. This is complemented by open dialogue with the purpose of sharing competencies and boosting creativity. To communicate is not only to inform; it is also to listen and to engage in dialogue. The willingness to cooperate, to help others and to learn is a required basis for advancement and promotion within the company. Human Resource Policies Designed in alignment to the Business Objectives. Incorporates practices like Job Enlargement as well as Job Enrichment. It follows mainly three different policies:- Nestle management leadership principles Nestle human resources policy Nestle people development review Nestlà ©s Culture Commitment to a strong work ethic, integrity, honesty and quality. Personal relations based on trust and mutual respect.. A personalized and direct way of dealing with each other. Openness and curiosity for dynamic and future trends in technology, changes in consumer habits, new business ideas and opportunities, while maintaining respect for basic human values, attitudes and behavior. HR Practices Recruitment Training Performance Management Rewards and Incentives Employee Relations Change Management Training Literacy training- to upgrades essential literacy skills, especially for workers who operate new equipment Local Training Programs- on issues ranging from technical, leadership, and communication and business economics. Performance Management Transparent performance appraisal system It has the following characteristics:- Recruitment Formal assessment by Line Managers and HR once in a year with feedback. Subordinate can question an unfair evaluation. Specific Key Performance Indicators have been enlisted by the HR department. Key performance indicator:-Achievement following the Nestle management and leadership principles. Remuneration structure and promotion criteria take into account individual performance. People with realism, hard work, honesty and trustworthiness are looked for. Match between candidates values companys culture are recruited. Recruitment for management levels take place in the head office by top management and all others at the branch level. The existing employees are promoted to higher posts as per the requirements. There are no lateral recruitments. Another source of recruitment is campus placements and human resource consultancies to look for the enthusiastic, motivated and fresh pool of talent. Decision to hire a candidate is finally taken by HR professionals only and no preference is given to external consultant. This is done to finally have the discretion power in the hands of Company. Employee Relation Employee turnover is less than 5%., which is considered to be very low for a multinational corporation. Nestle has an open culture upward communication especially in case of grievance redressal is encouraged. Work/Life balance is given importance, as illustrated in the Nestle Human Resource Policy document. Nestle Family annual events are organized by their HR department whereby employees along with their families are invited. Emphasis is laid on safety of employees REWARDS INCENTIVES Passion to Win Awards Long-service Awards Nestle Idea Award Talent Management:- To develop the framework and processes which will enable the company to identify and develop the potential of employees at Nestle.   Learning and development:- Continuous Improvement Creativity and Innovation Changing Role of HR Motivate and to develop people. Develop open-mindedness as well as a high level of interest in other cultures and life-styles. create a climate of innovation HR professionals should be able to inculcate the willingness to accept change and the ability to manage it. International experience and understanding of other cultures will prepare the employees to face the challenges in global markets. The aim of the Human Resources Strategy is to support staff. This it will do by developing and promoting good HR practice for the recruitment and development of high quality staff, by effectively managing their performance and by providing appropriate rewards and flexible opportunities that allow individuals to manage their own development. Core Functions of International Human Resources In Nestle Recruitment Selection Process Expatriates Performance Appraisal Training and Development Compensation Sources of Recruitment There are many different types of interviews. Once you are selected for an interview, you may experience one or more of the situations described below. When you schedule an interview, try to get as much information about whom you will be meeting. It is rare to have only one interview prior to a job offer. Most employers will bring back a candidate a number of times to be sure a potential employee will fit into the company culture. MODERN TECHNIQUES AND SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT FOR GLOBAL COMPANIES LIKE NESTLE 1) Walk-In -: The busy global organizations and the rapid changing companies do not find time to perform various functions of recruitment. Therefore they advise the candidates to attend for an interview directly and without a prior application on a specified date, time and at a specified place. 2) Consult-In -: The busy and dynamic global companies encourage the potential job seekers to approach them personally and consult them regarding the jobs. The international companies select the suitable candidates from among such candidates though the selection process. 3) Head-Hunting -: The global companies request the professional organizations to search for the best candidates particularly for the senior executive positions. The professional organizations search for the most suitable candidates and advice the global company regarding the filling up of the positions. 4) Body-Shopping -: Professional organizations and the hi-tech training institutes develop the pool of human resources for possible employment. The prospective employers contact these organizations to recruit the candidates. The body shoppers appoint people for their organization and provide the required/specific employees to various organizations on request. In fact, body shoppers collect fee/commission from the organizations and pay the salary/benefits to the employees. 5) Business Alliance -: It is like acquisitions, mergers, and takeovers help in getting human resources. In addition, the companies do also have alliances in sharing their human resources on ad-hoc basis. 6) Tele-Recruitment -: The technological revolutions in telecommunication helped the organizations to use internet as source of recruitment. Organizations advertise the job vacancies though the World Wide Web internet. The job seekers send their application though e-mails or internet websites. CASE STUDY ON NESTLE: UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES Nestle was one of the biggest purchasers of cocoa from the Ivory Coast, a country in West Africa. Most of the worlds cocoa production came from farms and plantations located in Ivory Coast. Studies conducted by some of the major welfare organizations in the world like the International Labor Organization, UNICEF and other independent agencies revealed that the workers on these plantations lived and worked in poor conditions. They were paid minimal wages and exploited by the land-owners. Most of the workers had been trafficked i.e. bought and sold, making them practically slave labor. Nestle purchased cocoa from these farms despite its awareness of the conditions of the laborers, thus becoming it a party to their exploitation. Child labor was also employed on the plantations. UNICEF studies revealed that over 200,000 children were shipped to Ivory Coast and other cocoa producing countries in Western Africa from neighboring countries like Mali and Burkina Faso, to work on the plantations, especially during the harvesting of cocoa or coffee beans. The children were sometimes as young as nine years and could not escape from the plantations to return to their homes. A report released by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) also confirmed that child labor was used extensively on plantations in Africa, from where Nestle sourced most of its cocoa. The report which surveyed 1,500 farms in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon found that more than 200,000 children worked in hazardous conditions using machetes and spraying pesticides and insecticides without the necessary protective equipment. The labor was usually supplied to the plantations by labor broker, totally unrelated to the laborer. The workers actually received only a very small proportion of the price paid for the Nestle product by the final consumer. Nestle was aware of the exploitative labor practices used by its suppliers and was also in a position to pressurize them to change, as it was a major buyer. Besides the report of several credible organizations, public interest groups also sent several petitions and representations to Nestle to stop buying bonded labor-tainted cocoa. However, the company chose to ignore these petitions, and continued its purchases of cocoa from these suppliers. Nestle was also involved in union busting in some countries. For instance, when a group of 13 workers, working in a sub-contracting facility of Nestle in Thailand, organized themselves to form a union, Nestle immediately cut the number of orders to that company and asked the company to put the unionized workers on indefinite leave with half pay. The workers were forced to quit, because of their lowered pay. In doing so, Nestle had clearly denied there workers their right to organize themselves to better their interests. Companies like Nestle made a public show of their support to social causes, in order to divert attention from their irresponsible behavior elsewhere. Nestle set up the Nestle Trust to support social issues relating the children and aged. However, some people believed the company was using these social causes for pure promotional purposes Nestle has well laid out charters to govern their social responsibility and behavior, but more often than not, these are only on paper. STRATEGIC HRM VERSUS CONVENTIONAL HRM Traditional HRM Strategic HRM Responsibility of HRM Staff specialists Line managers Focus Employee relations Partnerships with internal and external customers Role of HR Transactional, change follower, and respondent Initiatives Slow, reactive, fragmented Fast, proactive, integrated Time horizon Short term Short, medium, long (as necessary) Control Bureaucratic-roles, policies, procedures Organic-flexible, whatever is necessary to succeed Job Design Tight division of labor, independence, specialization Broad, flexible, whatever is necessary to succeed Key Investment Capital, products People, knowledge Accountability Cost center Investment center

Bongo.. Always American Made - Analysis Of Bongo Jeans Ad :: essays research papers

BONGO.. Always American Made - Analysis of Bongo Jeans Ad This ad for Bongo jeans is from the April issue of Seventeen magazine. The ad gives no written description of the product. Only symbols and hidden messages are used to draw in the reader and stir up interest in the product. There is an attractive young couple engaged in what appears to be a strip-poker game. The man is obviously losing. He is apparently nude behind a card table, wearing only his shoes, with his jeans draped over him. His briefs are on the floor under the table, reinforcing the fact that he is nude. He has a look of disbelief on his face, but at the same time, he looks happy and content. It is almost as if he is thinking, "Oh no, now I am nude. What will I do now?". The young lady has obviously not lost a single hand. She is fully clothed and seems to be in total control of the game and her life. This makes sense since the magazine the ad appears in is geared towards teenage girls. She sits in a somewhat sensual pose, leaning forward, with a look of confidence and achievement on her face. She obviously knows that her hand is a winner, and that her companion will soon be without even his shoes. On the table are two glasses of milk. This is one of the most powerful images in the ad. I believe they are there to counteract the sexual overtones and idea of risk-taking in the ad. Milk is included as if to say, "Even though these two young people are probably going to have sex when the game is finished, they are wholesome, good people." Milk works much better than using soft drinks, for example. If the makers of the ad had used cola for instance, the reader could not have really known if the liquid in the glasses was cola, dark beer, or liquor. By using milk, the people who produced the ad made certain that the reader could make no mistake about what the glasses contain. Surrounding the border of the ad are playing cards. I believe they represent the idea of gambling and a "Devil may care" attitude. The cards convey to the reader that its all right to gamble and take chances. They seem to say, "If you wear our jeans, you can take chances and still be in control." Teen age girls are looking for this type of message, so this ad is very effective in relaying this thought.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION :: essays research papers

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans--through the control of nature and the development of new products--have also resulted in the pollution, or contamination, of the environment. Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by chemical wastes. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. As a result of these developments, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution. Ecology and Environmental Deterioration The branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology . The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals. Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals. Its complexity gives it stability. Population Growth and Environmental Abuse The reduction of the Earth's resources has been closely linked to the rise in human population. For many thousands of years people lived in relative harmony with their surroundings. Population sizes were small, and life-supporting tools were simple. Most of the energy needed for work was provided by the worker and animals. Since about 1650, however, the human population has increased dramatically. The problems of overcrowding multiply as an ever-increasing number of people are added to the world's population each year. Air Pollution Factories and transportation depend on huge amounts of fuel--billions of tons of coal and oil are consumed around the world every year. When these fuels burn they introduce smoke and other, less visible, by-products into the atmosphere.

Constructive Discharge Memo

Memorandum To:Mike Bigg, CEO From:HR Manager Date:10/14/2012 Re:EEO CONSTRUCTIVE DISCHARGE CLAIM Constructive Discharge Constructive discharge occurs when an employee is forced to quit because the working conditions have become unbearable. According to Black’s Law Dictionary a constructive discharge is â€Å"a termination of employment brought about by making the employee's working conditions so intolerable that the employee feels compelled to leave. â€Å"These conditions would include harassment or discrimination or receiving a negative change in working conditions or his pay for reasons that are not work related.A litmus test for this is to determine what a reasonable person would do in this scenario. If a reasonable person would have resigned due to the unbearable conditions, and if the employer had actual knowledge of the intolerable actions or conditions and could have remedied them but did not, then the employee would be considered constructively discharged. In a case where an employee feels the employer made the job so unbearable that he cannot remain there, a wrongful termination suit can be filed.In legal terms, being compelled to quit is legally similar to being unfairly discharged. In the case we are facing now, the complainant feels that our schedule change would not allow him to continue his employment with us due to the fact the rotating schedule would force him to occasionally work on his religious holy day. In our situation, this law could have some merit if it can be proven that we changed the schedule in an attempt to target any specific individuals. In that case, we could be deemed at fault.However, due to company growth, the work schedule was modified to reflect a new production requirement. Since the changes were due directly to the need to change the entire production schedule and not aimed specifically at a single employee, this situation should not apply. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VII of the Civil Rights A ct of 1964 is an act that was passed by congress to provide citizens protection against discrimination by employers based on race, religion, color, sex and national origin.In Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law stipulates that it shall be an unlawful practice for an employer to discharge any employee, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of his employment because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This is the primary federal law that prohibits discrimination in the workplace. In basic terms, this act prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.Age discrimination and disability discrimination are not included in this act and are now covered by subsequent laws enacted by congress. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relates directly to our case as the employee in question has char ged that we violated his rights under this act based on religion discrimination. His claim that we are making him work on his religious holy day brings Title VII into focus and it needs to be reviewed to see if his claim can be substantiated.Upon review of the entire operation and in light of the growth the company is experiencing, it does not appear that we have violated his civil rights as claimed under this act. With all personnel being affected by the schedule change and each employee treated equally in the scheduling, it would not seem likely that one individual has been singled out for his religious beliefs. Recommendation In reviewing the facts surrounding this case, it is apparent that we are not guilty of the charges levied against us and I suggest that we proceed forward and litigate this case.Since the decision was made to change shifts due to company growth and the need for a revised production schedule, I do not feel that we handled the situation incorrectly and recomme nd that we continue on the same course. Making strategic operational decisions and mitigating supply chain process risks is an important part of the business model. Our decision was based solely on the need of the business to remain competitive in the marketplace, and not focused on changing our schedule to impede the religious freedoms any single employee.The only schedule that remained unchanged was for the office employees. Since the employee in question was not an office employee, and as we did not have any openings in that area, a move to the office would not be prudent or equitable for any other employees. Finally, at no point before the employee contacted the EEOC were we made aware of his religious beliefs and needs. Because of that lack of knowledge, we could not have made any accommodations for this employee to assist with his situation. We should feel comfortable informing the EEOC that we are not guilty of the charges that were alleged.Legal Support The most defining leg al support that is available is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 itself. In Title VII of this Act, clear guidelines are given as to what protection employees are given against unlawful employment practices. In SEC. 2000e-2 of Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, it indicate that it shall be illegal for an employer to†¦discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex or national origin.This employee has alleged that he was forced to follow the new policy on shift work that he was discriminated against as he would now be required to work on his religious holy day. Courts stipulate that a reasonable person test should be utilized to help determine this. By using the reasonable person test – would a reasonable person quit due to conditions that were intolerable at the workplace – I would suggest that would not occur. Many people’s religio us holy days were affected by the new schedule as the schedule demanded a rotating four day on, four day off schedule.While it may be inconvenient to some, it would not necessarily require an individual to resign his position. This employee at no time informed the employer of any conflicts based on his religion prior to his resignation. There could even be the possibility of utilizing vacation or personal days when the religious holy days fell on specific work required days. In Lawson V. Washington, 2001, a state trooper cadet resigned after realizing he would have to salute the flag and swear an oath to the state – both of which are against his religion. He felt he would be terminated if he failed to comply with the academy’s manual.At no point did anyone in command at the academy indicate that he would be terminated, although they also never indicated they would make any accommodations for him in regards to this issue. In this case, Lawson was able to make a prima fa cie case on 2 of 3 points. He was able to prove his religion was legitimate and the demands were based on that religion. Secondly, he did inform his employer of his religious beliefs and the onus was then on the employer to make reasonable accommodations for him. He could not prove the third point where the academy would have terminated his employment if he did not comply.In our case, the employee never made it known that his religion would not allow him to work on specific days. Because the condition was not known, accommodations would have never been made available to him. This point alone eliminates our responsibilities in this case. In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Plaintiff-appellant, v. University of Chicago Hospitals, Defendant-appellee, (2001) a case where an employee believed she was targeted specifically for her religious beliefs, eventually resigned due to the pressure and hostile environment she felt at work.Her employer made specific comments to her regarding her recruiting persons for employment from her church. The employer even told her superior to fire her if she did not end the practice of recruiting from her church. The EEOC was able to prove constructive discharge, where the employee felt as she must quit to avoid being fired. However, the courts stipulate it must be proven that the constructive discharge was motivated by discriminatory intent. Basically, it must be proved that not only was she forced out, but the reason behind the action was religious discrimination.The courts disagreed with this point and believed that the hospital’s actions were not motivated by religious discrimination. The relationship of this case to ours is significant. While the complainant may believe he was forced to quit due to our perceived infringement of his religious beliefs, there was no premeditation in regards to forcing any employee to leave because of their religious beliefs. In addition, since the employee never made it known his need for special accommodations, we would never have been able to foresee this issue with him.Steps for the future We can take a number of steps to strengthen our defenses against violations of Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the future. A primary strategy is to do an internal review of all company policies and procedures to see if any potential risks can be identified (Jenkins, 2004). If they are, steps can be taken to decrease the potential for exposure to lawsuits by eliminating practices that are deemed wrong. Another tactic is to implement a formal complaint system and encourage employees to make use of it.These systems could help us reveal and rectify any problems, real or perceived, before they lead to lawsuits. Training all members of the management team in all aspects of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is an imperative step in a proactive stance against potential wrongdoing. Developing diversity committees could help the entire organization gain a better u nderstanding of the needs of employees. Effective communication is the final step to help avoid issues in the future and is tantamount to successful and happy employees.Open communication from employee to employer cannot be stressed enough. If we listen to our employees and treat them all fairly, avoiding harassment and discrimination charges in the future will be much easier and possibly eliminated at all. A regular review by the Human Resources department will be necessary to insure continued compliance with appropriate policies and procedures that will keep us from committing violations of Title VII.Annual harassment and discrimination retraining for all personnel will help everyone gain a better understanding on what is and is not acceptable and problems may be avoided. Finally, regular communication with the EEOC can help by answering any questions we might have regarding the fair and equal treatment of all employees. Black’s Law Dictionary (N. D. ). Retrieved from http: //thelawdictionary. org/search/? cx=partner-pub-4620319056007131%3A7293005414&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=discharge&x=0&y=0 Constructive Discharge (N.D. ), Retrieved from http://jobsearch. about. com/od/jobloss/g/constructivedischarge. htm EEOC V. University of Chicago Hospitals 276 F. 3d 326 Lawson v. State of Washington, 319 F. 3d 498 – Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit 2003 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703] Jenkins, Lin (2004), Avoiding title VII violations – employment policies and procedures. Retreived from http://goarticles. com/article/Avoiding-Title-VII-Violations-Employment-Policies-and-Procedures/2759944/

Bussiness Proposal

Describe how the current market conditions will affect the planning or operating decisions involving the product. Market Structure The market structure in this instance could fall into one of two types, oligopoly or monopoly (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009). The rationale behind oligopoly is that several large retailers currently provide this service and control the availability, use, and other aspects of the programs (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009). The rationale behind monopoly is that the program is limited to each organization (McConnell, Bruce, & Flynn, 2009).For example the program used at my organization is call the Shop Your Way Rewards program, it is only available at Smart and Sears, it cannot be used at other retailers and is exclusively controlled by Sears Holding Inc. Ultimately The market structure is a combination of a monopoly and oligopoly. Price Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of demand has little effect on this product as the product is a free program prov ided by the organization. Despite this fact price elasticity does have an effect on the use of the program in that the customers can earn points on purchases and in turn spend those points on other researched.In this instance, as prices rise or fall within the store the use of the product increases or decreases as a result. If for instance a products price rises at the store level, the number of points earned during purchases using the product increases as well. Likewise as the prices increase it requires customers to have more points available to make purchases. Though the rewards card is a free program an increase in product prices would translate to an increase in demand for the rewards card.In looking at the determinants of price elasticity of demand, substitutability is first. The only way to substitute this product would be to shop at a competitor using the rewards program there such as a Kroger Plus card. Another substitute would be to use coupons instead of the card; however enhance them. The next determinant is proportion of income, again this would tie into the selling price of products and how the rewards program would offset any increases in price therefore increasing the amount of funds available to purchase products.Next is the luxury versus necessity determinant, the rewards card applies to both and is neutral in this area as it can be used for either luxuries or necessities. The last determinant is time, as more consumers become familiar with this product the demand will increase as the benefits are realized. Profit-Maximizing Quantity This program essentially gives the customer a percentage of his or her purchase price back in the form of points that can be redeemed during a transaction Just like cash.The program also generates coupons based on purchase levels and membership levels for additional dollars or percentages off purchases. Through data analysis, the company has determined that customers enrolled in the program average three addition al shopping trips per onto than non-members, the data also reveals that members purchase on average $13 more per transaction than non-members. Points are earned one point at a time based on one percent of every $1 . An example of this would be a purchase of $100 would translate to gaining 10 points.Every 10 points equal one penny, 1,000 points equals $1, 10,000 points equals $10, and so forth. By increasing the frequency of customers return trips along with the average dollar amount of those purchases the company is essentially paying for the program by enrolling new members. As membership increases so do sales and in turn profits. Price and Non-price Strategies Because the program is free, no price is placed upon the product. A non-price strategy is currently underway in which the benefits of membership are expressed by checkout operators during the customer checkout experience.The company has also set enrollment and usage goals for each location within the company as well. Through the increase in verbal communication with every customer the company will realize the goals set and will be able to increase the goals as they are met. Production Costs The production costs associated with this product are the production of plastic cards for consumers to carry for purposes of using the program and redeeming points. This has been reduced over the last year and a half of the programs existence by encouraging customers to use their mobile phone number to access the account.The company also has an internally produced website specific to the program that allows customers to update information and review purchases and current point amounts. This required only a small outlay in web design as the hardware and software was already in place to support the aerogram. The company also is reducing costs on receipts as part of the program is to allow customers to receive electronic receipts via e-mail instead of printed paper receipts. The costs of the program also include the po ints issued to customers. These costs are offset by the increases in purchases.The following is a hypothetical cost break started the program by mass producing credit card-sized plastic rewards cards along with multicolumn, trip-fold brochures. The company's initial investment was $1 million for the printing, distribution, and advertisement of this program. The initial program an for 12 months prior to the first cost reduction initiative. The program had recurring costs of $100,000 per month to continue production and distribution of materials. This initiative was to eliminate the plastic card and eliminate the need for informational brochures.This was accomplished through the use of customer phone numbers and email addresses as identifiers instead of physical cards. The next reduction was made through the implementation of a website where the information regarding the product could be accessed by customers. This resulted in a net reduction of costs by $75,000 per month. The costs a ssociated with points accumulated and spent by customers is variable and changes month to month, the amount has been steadily increasing since the program's inception and will continue to do so.To curb expenses associated with this part of the program the suggestion is to limit the number of points that can be redeemed in any transaction as well as place an expiration date on accumulated points. This will prevent customers from saving up a large number of points and eroding profit margin. Current Global Economic Conditions and the Local Macro Economy The current global economic conditions eave led to increases production costs of products sold by Smart and Sears as a result these increased costs have been passed on to consumers in the form of price increases on the products.The rewards program will offer consumers a way to offset these increased costs by earning rewards points that will allow them to reduce the total amount of their purchase. The program will also issue member-only coupons to these consumers which will further reduce his or her costs. By doing this the company will see an increase in brand loyalty and revenues. Recent economic trends in the United States include new growth in the housing market, as consumers arches homes and contractors build new homes the demand for products offered by both Smart and Sears will increase and as a result the demand for the rewards program will increase as well.The company is seeking a 75% penetration rate across all avenues of the business, including brick and mortar stores and online outlets. Local Economies Current Stage in the Business Cycle The local economy is currently in an expansion period as businesses are slowly starting to rebound from the recession. This is evident by the increase in home sales and the resulting increase in mortgage rates, along with the decrease in unemployment. As a result the demand for the product will increase as people begin to have more disposable income and seek out purchase s for both luxury items, such as televisions and necessity items such as food.The product uniquely will set Smart and Sears apart from the competition in fighting for this increase in disposable income by allowing customers to access a virtually limitless amount of products through Internet shopping sites and affiliate marketplaces set up on those sites. The current market conditions for Smart and Sears are still in a period of struggle as individuals are still recovering from the recession. As individuals recover the company must fight to regain market share from new competitors such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree.These three companies capitalized on the recession by offering low price products that undercut many big box retailers such as Smart, Target, and Wall-Mart. As the economy recovers it will be important for Smart and Sears to pursue actively the consumers lost to these competitors and a way to do that is with the rewards program. Conclusion The program p rovides a unique experience for customers as the points are redeemable on virtually any product carried either in tore or online.The program also generates sales and profit with a low amount of investment from the company. Customers will have generated roughly three to four times the amount of profit needed to cover the issuance of the points to each customer. Management should have a solid understanding of how effective and beneficial this program is and how the continued success of the program directly translates to the success of each business unit. Reference McConnell, C. R. , Bruce, S. L. , & Flynn, S. M. (2009). Economics. Unknown, NY: McGraw-Hill Company.