Prostitution Is Legal For Human Trafficking - 1010 Words

â€Å"Are you serious? Girls are not just objects, they are human beings just like everyone else.† That disgusts me, are the thoughts I was having when I saw that Thailand has a total of around three million sex workers in their country, and the number is increasing. Prostitution is legal but human trafficking is not. How can we make prostitution legal and then not expect is to lead to more human trafficking around the world. Prostitution is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. Usually when you think about prostitution you think about out of the United States. But, now in the United States 1 out of 50 states have prostitution legal. Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal. But it is still going on in other states in the United States. Prostitution was taken place, usually when a female needs money to support herself or maybe even her family. But, now parents are starting their kids to be prostitutes at the age of THIR TEEN! In Thailand, there are around three million people there are sex workers and around one third are MINORS. Luckily, it is way harder to have minors in the United States then it would be to have minors out of the country. Being a minor means that you are under the age of 18. â€Å"This is called prostitution of children or child prostitution meaning prostitution involving a child. It is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person underShow MoreRelatedHuman Trafficking Solutions902 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Human Trafficking: Solutions Samatha Shepperd EN3220 Written Analysis Dr. Lovett August 28th, 2014 Human Trafficking: Solutions Human Trafficking is a transnational problem. All countries are affected by human trafficking; some countries are where the humans are taken from while other countries are where the humans are taken to for forced labor or sex. No one has a full proof solution to human trafficking but many countries have parts of solutions to the problem. Germany and the NetherlandsRead MoreProstitution, The Act Of Prostitution1324 Words   |  6 Pages Prostitution, the act of â€Å"providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration† (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been seen since the beginning of human society; the first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in one of the first known civilizations, Mesopotamia (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). Also, prostitution is often referred to as â€Å"the world’s oldest profession.† TodayRead MoreThe Revolution Of New Orleans1453 Words   |  6 Pagesforty-nine, the whores in fifty-one; and when they got together they produced the native son.† This sheds some light as to how long prostitution has been a part of America. Prostitution dates back to the beginning of colonization in the United States, but wasn’t considered a legal act. At the time the laws just didn’t acknowledge what a prostitute or the act of prostitution itself was. In 1721, the French government shipped eighty women to the colony of New Orleans that housed seven hundred men to promoteRead MoreProstitution Is The World s Fastest Growing Criminal Enterprise1041 Words   |  5 Pages Prostitution which is defined as engaging in sexual relations in exchange for money is one of the most influential aspects that identifies with the illegal trading of humans for sexual exploitation and labor. In the United States of America prostitution is illegal in almost all of the fifty states except for Nevada. Women are the primary victims of sexual exploitation and prostitution is far from a career choice for them. The legalization of prostitution in other countries has spurred human traffickersRead MoreIs Prostitution A Crime?968 Words   |  4 PagesWhat Is Prostitution? Prostitution is where people engage in a sexual activity with someone else for money. The whole subject of prostitution is full of ambiguities and hypocrisies; we generally think of the transfer of money as the element that makes prostitution a crime although money plays a subtle part in all sorts of sexual relationships. We define prostitution as systematic sexual violence and oppression against women and girls. The definition of prostitution includes not only the exchangeRead MoreEssay about Human Trafficking in the United Kingdom1457 Words   |  6 PagesHuman trafficking is not just a part of our history; it is continuously growing around the world today because of traffickers who are using it as an easy way to make a profit. Victims of human trafficking feel as if they have no way to escape because they have limited ways to survive or make a good enough living to support themselves along with their families outside of the sex industry. Women, children and even men from time to time are taken before they get the opportunity to receive little ifRead MoreHuman Trafficking : Prostitution And Prostitution981 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Trafficking in Prostitution Prostitution, â€Å"Providing or receiving sexual acts, between a prostitute and a client, in exchange for money or some other form of remuneration† (Hock 557). The idea of exchanging sex for valuables has been seen since the beginning of human society. The first reported data about prostitution was reported around 3000 B.C.E in Mesopotamia, one of the first known civilizations (Caraboi and Fierbinteanu 362). Also, prostitution is often referred to as â€Å"the world’sRead MoreProstitution And Its Effect On Society Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunity for the corrupt to create victims. Prostitution has been practiced in all ancient and modern cultures. In the United States, prostitution was originally widely legal. Prostitution was made illegal in almost all states between 1910 and 1915 due to the influence of the Woman s Christian Temperance Union which was influential in the banning of drug use and was a major force in the prohibition of alcohol. In 1917 th e legally defined prostitution district Storyville in New Orleans was closedRead MoreEssay about The Adult Sex Industry 948 Words   |  4 Pagesone must understand the differences between human trafficking, sex slavery, and prostitution. An individual also has to taken into consideration why another individual would choose prostitution as means of income verses any other job that doesn’t include the buying and selling of sex. One must be able to empathize with the individuals who choose prostitution and be able to take into consideration some factors that may lead an individual to prostitution as a means of economic trade. Such factors mightRead MoreThe Positives Of Decriminalizing Prostitution1283 Words   |  6 PagesProstitution has been considered a criminal act for centuries throughout the world and it is also considered by some to be the world’s oldest profession, dating back to biblical time. The dictionary defines the term, â€Å"The act of having sex in ex change for money: the use of a skill or ability in a way that is not appropriate or respectable† (Merriam-Webster). This act became illegal in America in the early 20th century. Decriminalizing prostitution has its positives and negatives. If prostitution

Kemosabe Free Essays

He loved the solitude of the mountains, and as he dismounted his horse he smiled as the usual thoughts and emotions washed over him His ex-wife sarcastically called it the Zen of the Mountain Man, which he thought was a perfect fit. To him, well, to family going back a half-dozen generations these mountains were home, and in a lot of ways he knew his way around here better than his apartment complex. He led his horse to a tiny glade and tied the reins to a low branch where he could nibble on the mountain grass. We will write a custom essay sample on Kemosabe or any similar topic only for you Order Now For a brief moment he gazed at the steed and his hand-tooled saddle and was proud that everything he needed to live in the woods and mountains was right there in front of him. It gave him the comfort self-reliant people have, knowing how to use the best tools and equipment and keeping it all in good shape and neatly organized. He took his binoculars from a saddle bag and strapped it around his neck. From the scabbard came a well-used Ruger Number 1 rifle, a single-shot chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum topped with an equally worn Unertl scope. He was equally proud of his marksmanship; even after he lost the eye he rarely if ever needed a second shot. Besides, if you missed the first shot chances are your prey spooked and ran. He climbed a hundred yards or so to a rocky ridgeline that gave him a perfect view of the valley below and the mountainside opposite his position. Any shot at an elk here could be up to 500 yards, well within the lethal range of his gun and optics. He reloaded his own ammo, learning the hard way never leave anything to chance or someone else’s control. Soon he spied several younger bucks and a stag too big for the youngsters to challenge—for now. He loved the natural order of nature, how it provided for those who took care of it, and in his mind he was already butchering the bounty that would feed him well for months. He said a silent prayer the stag would keep grazing and present him a solid broadside shot. Suddenly he noticed the elk froze, ears perked and eyes alert and just as suddenly they bolted out of sight. A brief moment later the sound that spooked his quarry rolled up the hill. â€Å"Fuck! Ignorant mother-fucking assholes!† he swore, already up and moving down to his horse as the distant growl of a big ‘dozer washed the hills. He unloaded his rifle and leaned the rifle against a tree. He found the ammo pouch he was looking for, each shell tipped with an especially hardened solid metal-piercing bullet. It took him a while to get a good view of the bright yellow machine as it tore into trees. â€Å"Just great, asshole,† he whispered to himself. Whack down another couple dozen trees and show yourself.† He waited until the moment the machine throttled up, certain the engine’s noise would mask his gunfire. He knew that from experience. He also knew that the metallic ‘bang’ of the bullet slamming through the engine cover and impacting on the engine, along with the sudden appearance of a shiny hole would get the operator’s attention. The heavy recoil of his shot rocked against his shoulder. He was halfway to his mount when he heard the motor die into silence. He shook his head in disgust and patted his horse. â€Å"Well, Jumper, just another day in fucking paradise.† On the way home he remembered the days when his oath and badge would have compelled him to search out and arrest the sneaky SOB vandal. It was both just a few years as well as a lifetime past. If anyone had the right to a hard-on for the logging interests, he did. He had tried to restore order in a bar full of loggers and lost his eye in the vicious brawl that ensued. At least a half-dozen loggers set upon him, kicking and laughing as the other patrons watched, either uncaring or too frightened to come to his aid. Miraculously he was able to draw his back-up revolver and shoot three of them, killing one, before they surrendered. Luck was with him—it was a five shot revolver. Insult was added to injury when he was taken off the road and given a job as a dispatcher. His brother-in-law lawyer was able to secure a decent monetary settlement for his injuries and partial loss of sight. Then a new sheriff was elected, nothing but a pawn of the logging coalition, and he was, in the vernacular, â€Å"adios’d†. Pissed as he was. he knew he couldn’t kill anyone, at least not without the heat of battle. But it wouldn’t stop him from ruining their day. Or months and years, he was happy to admit. As much as he liked the solitude, he wasn’t anti-social, and had more than a few good friends he regularly met up with at old bar. He thought his pal Barney summed it up: the kind of place Hemmingway would be comfortable barfing in. He loved Barney and his bullshit, and found him holding court with a bunch of coeds and beatniks. Barney held his lecture and beamed at him. â€Å"Yo! The Great White Hunter returns! Are we gonna have an elk bar-be-que tonight?† He glanced at the cleavage of the young girl putting his beer on the table. â€Å"No such luck. Busted. Goddam noise from the logging scares ‘em into fucking Canada.† â€Å"Well,† Barney said, â€Å"maybe you need to chase other game.† â€Å"Like hell I will.† â€Å"Take bulldozers for instance. The news says someone nailed a trophy Cat in Gates Valley this morning.† He raised his glass. â€Å"No shit? Here’s to ‘em!† â€Å"Yep.† Barney had a drunken grin. â€Å"Damn shame they’re too heavy to quarter and take home. It’d make a hellofa mount!† How to cite Kemosabe, Essay examples

Impacts of Internet on Shopping Behavior

Question: Discussa about the Impacts of Internet on Shopping Behavior. Answer: Introduction Background of the Study Shopping refers to the act of accessing and obtaining a particular place where goods and services are offered by sellers for the purpose of making a purchase. Since the ancient of times, shopping has been an activity carried out by human beings so as to be able to obtain what they cannot produce. Customers had different methods of doing shopping but generally in the past, the people used to walk physically to the markets or shops to do window shopping and eventually buy goods and services. Being physically present at a buying location accords the buyer the time and opportunity of assessing the quantity and the quality of a particular product or service. It is also advantageous because the buyer and the seller are able to meet and negotiate the price. On the other hand the advent of technology and various dynamics in lifestyle, buyers have since adopted another way of shopping known as online shopping. Online shopping does not require a buyers physical presence at the shop or the mark et. It only requires one to have an internet enabled device like a computer or a Smartphone. With these kinds of devices nowadays, one can do shopping at the comfort of his house. You just need to log on to various online shopping websites of various businesses where you will be able to browse the goods and services you require and all their details be made available. It is even easier as at the time of purchasing the goods one can also order for doorstep delivery. Despite the shift from traditional way of shopping or in-store shopping, various disadvantages can still be associated with online shopping. Just to mention but a few, it eliminates that fun time that family and friends would have when on a shopping spree. Secondly, sometimes doorstep deliveries of goods become too expensive hence afforded by just a few individuals. In-store shopping too has its shortcomings on an equal measure. It has been found to be time consuming as one has to appear physically at the market or mall. To add on, it is expensive because one has to hire a taxi or even incur fuel cost in case of personal cars. In summary, it can be said that the advent of internet in the business world has led to a lot of dynamics in the sector. Statement of the problem. Despite many studies that have been conducted by various researchers, the influence which has been brought by internet in the world of shopping is immeasurable and still remains unexplored fully. People nowadays tend to have different shopping patterns that seemed to have changed gradually since the advent of internet. A good number of customers have run away from the traditional way of shopping which also known as in-store is shopping and embraced online shopping. It is thought that it is the kind of lifestyle that people have adopted that contributes much towards how they conduct their shopping but on the other side research has linked shopping patterns to geographical locations. So many questions as to how or to which extent internet has impacted on shopping patterns still remain unanswered. It is felt that there still remains a big gap left by previous researches done on the same topic. It is for this reason that this research study seeks to answer the many unanswered questions o n the real impact of internet on shopping. Main objective of the research The research study objectives will be sub-divided into two. The first subdivision is the impact of internet in shopping patterns while the second sub-division is the specific objectives which serve the purpose to support the main objective of the study. The specific objectives of the research are; To identify the reasons that shoppers consider while opting going online when it comes to shopping. To establish the reasons as to why some shoppers still cling to traditional way of shopping despite the populous trend of online shopping. To establish whether there is a relationship between internet enabled device ownership and the mode of shopping. To assess the advantages of online shopping vis a vis those of traditional shopping. Research questions Does internet has an impact on shopping pattern? Do those who own computers and smartphones do online shopping rather than traditional shopping? What are the main features of online shopping that endear customers to it? What are the main features of traditional shopping that endear customers to it? Research hypothesis In line with the objectives of this research proposal and so as to remain relevant in answering the questions of his research, the following hypothesis will be put forward. H0: there is no significant difference in the number of people who prefer online shopping and those who prefer traditional method of shopping. H1: there is a significant difference in the number of people who prefer online shopping and those who prefer traditional method of shopping. H0: There is no relationship between internet enabled device ownership and mode of shopping preference. H1: There is a significant relationship between internet enabled device ownership and mode of shopping preference. Significance of the study A lot of studies have been conducted regarding the impact of internet on shopping patterns. Despite these numerous studies, many questions are yet to be answered and the real truth unravelled about this topic. This study will therefore come in handy to answer the many research questions that are posed in this research proposal. Since a thorough literature review has been conducted, this study will serve the purpose of filling the gaps that have been left by other research studies on the same topic. The findings of this research will be of paramount importance as it will form an additional knowledge to the already existing literature about the same topic. Various customers will also be able to read and have knowledge on the current trends in the world of business fuelled by internet connectivity. We believe that the study will not be 100% exhaustive therefore will leave space for criticism therefore prompting further research by other researchers. Lastly it results of this finding wil l be helpful to those students who are pursuing education in e-marketing in institutions of higher learning. Literature review The development and the spread of internet influence in the current business world have been greatly recorded in various literatures (Dholakia, 2010). Statistics has it that in the United Kingdom the sales soared up to the level of 720% between 1999 and 2005 courtesy of internet (Weltevreden, 2008). In addition to this (Hjorthol, 2009) asserts that in the year 2006 almost two fifths of the population in the United Kingdom had transacted business through various websites. The advantages of e-commerce as reported by other researches included convenience and affordability as put by (SimKoi, 2002). He explains that through online customers are able to the activity anytime they need to do so regardless of their location. He adds that online shopping offers a variety of products including those that are not available locally. A research done by (Larson, 2009) recorded that internet use served a good purpose of easing the pressure that was evident in the brick and mortar business. The pressures were for example parking and overcrowding. According to Hjorthol online shopping help customers have a great deal of information about the goods and services before they make the final decision to purchase a given product. Though online shopping seems to have more advantages than traditional shopping in general, (Lee, 2009) compares the two modes of shopping and confirms that there exists a trade leakage with e-commerce. Trade leakage refers to a situation where buyers purchase goods outside the boundaries of their locations thereby encouraging the development in other areas rather than their local areas. Various studies have also been conducted to find out why there were many people doing traditional shopping despite the trending and popular online shopping. A study by (Aldridge, 1997) found that there were fears associated to fraud within some customers. To add on, there were claims of delays and high door to door delivery costs. Some customers also wanted to have personal contact with whatever they were buying so as to do a thorough assessment. Methodology In this chapter, an outline of how data will be handled from collection to analysis is detailed. It also discusses how the result findings will be presented for the purpose of drawing conclusion from them. Design of Research The study will use a research design which is descriptive to help in assessing the influence of internet on shopping patterns. This design is always very important especially in social research where a lot of information regarding a population sample is required. In short it is able to give more information about the population of study and their characteristics. Apart from descriptive design, a blend of quantitative and qualitative design will be used. In testing inferential statistics, quantitative statistics will come in handy. On the other side, qualitative statistics will help the research be able to get more information from the study participants which cannot be expressed quantitatively. Data sampling To ensure bias is eliminated in the research findings, the study will give each and every person in the population an equal chance of being selected to take part in the research study. Therefore the research will use simple random sampling in selecting respondents to take part in the study. Simple random sampling is sometimes called equal chance sampling technique. One hundred customers will be selected to take part in the study. Methods of Data collection The research study will lean more on primary data. Primary data refers to data obtained first hand from the respondents. This will be through interviews, questionnaires and through focused group discussions. Secondary data on the other hand refers to already published data. It will only be used in the literature review to find out the details about other researches that were conducted on the same topic. These data will be retrieved from published books, internet and various website pages. Data analysis. Descriptive statistics will be applied to analyse the data collected. This is the same as summary statistics. They include determining measures of central tendencies like mean, mode and median. For example we will be able to find the mean number of times that people use online shopping while comparing this to the mean number of times individuals are doing traditional shopping. To add on, inferential statistics will also come in understanding the data more. Measures of association and independence will enable the study come up with vital information as regards to the data collected. For example the study will seek to establish whether there is a relationship between the kind of shopping and the ownership of smartphones or computers. The study will also test whether there is a significant difference in the mean number of times individuals use online shopping compared to the number of times individuals do traditional shopping. The data collected will be analysed through the use of statistical software SPSS and excel. Expected research findings In general, the result findings of this research study are expected to be that majority of the people like online shopping as compared to those who do traditional shopping. The reasons behind this liking will be that online saves time as people are able to do window shopping at the comfort of their houses without physically travelling to shopping malls or markets. The other probable reason would be that people find it convenient when they order for goods and they are dropped at their door steps. Details about the goods and services they are looking for can also be found all in one place just at the click of a button. To add on, customers are able to get goods and services that they cannot get locally. On the other hand, those customers who support traditional shopping will be found to be the minority. They might have reasons such as attaching fun to traditional shopping. Going out and meeting family and friends is always a fun. Grantt chart for research activities from literature review to data analysis. ACTIVITIES WK 1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 WK9 WK10 WK11 WK12 WK13 WK14 LITERATURE REVIEW XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX DATA COLLECTION XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX DATA ANALYSIS XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX FINAL RESEARCH XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Reference Bttner, O. B. (2008). Perceived trustworthiness of online shops. Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Dholakia, U., Kahn, B. (2010). Consumer Behavior in a Multichannel, Multimedia Retailing Environment. Journal of Interactive Marketing. Hjorthol, R. (2009). "Information searching and buying on the Internet: travel-related activities?". Loi, S. (2009). Outshopping Through the Internet: A Multicountry Investigation. Journal of Global Marketing, 53 66. Sim , L., Koi , S. (2002). Singapore's Internet shoppers and their impact on traditional shopping patterns. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 115-124. Weltevreden, J., Atzema, O. (2008). The geography of Internet adoption by independent retailers in the Netherlands.

The Death Penalty Essays - Penology, Criminology, Criminal Law

The Death Penalty Capital punishment is the legal infliction of the death penalty on persons convicted of a crime. Today, in modern law, the death penalty is corporal punishment in its most severe form. It is irrevocable: it ends the existence of those punished, instead of temporarily imprisoning them. Although capital punishment is not intended to inflict physical pain, execution is the only corporal punishment still applied to adults. The usual alternative to the death penalty is life-long imprisonment. For the past decades capital punishment has been one of the most hotly contested political issues in America. This debate is a complicated one. Capital punishment is not merely-or even primarily-a legal question. It is a practical, philosophical, social, political, and moral question as well. I don't have any problems with the death penalty only if all avenues have been investigated and nothing is questionable. I believe in the concept of "an eye for an eye" and "a tooth for a tooth" because there are always consequences to the things you do and murder should not an exception. The notion of deterrence has been at the very center of the practical debate over the question of capital punishment. The fear of death deters people from committing crimes. I believe that the death penalty has a deterrent value because it removes the criminals from society so they will never be able to committing anymore crimes. Also future criminals must understand the consequences of committing a crime. Abolitionists have long argued that deterrence is little more than an assumption, that most murders cannot be rationally deterred by any penalty, including death. They are crimes of passion, committed in moments of intense rage, frustration, hatred, or fear, when the killers aren't thinking clearly of the personal consequences of what they do. I respect their beliefs, but I still believe in its deterrence value. I believe the serial murderers that continuously kill should be put to death so that no more lives will be lost. I believe in capital punishment because I know of a person who was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was a good student and had plenty of potential. The juveniles who took his life are currently in juvenile hall. What saddens me the most is that these violent teenagers have a potential of freedom when they turn eighteen. I believe these criminals should have been executed because there is a chance that they will commit a murder again. If the death penalty was applied to them, it guarantees that they will never murder again. July 9, 1998 English 1A

Pollution Essays - Waste Management, Waste, Environmental Toxicology

Pollution Essays - Waste Management, Waste, Environmental Toxicology Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has cause many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us and but we continue to live in our own filth. What is the reason behind this flawed logic? In this paper I will examine the problems and solutions for this issue. Automobiles are undeniable the greatest source of pollution. The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while its running. And of course the most famous of the automobiles evils is the exhaust. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. But why do we do continue to drive these walking time bombs. Some people will say it is progress, but the majority drives it for the convenience. Why walk four miles in four hours when you can drive the same miles in four minutes? Another popular source of waste is the post-consumer market. American citizens throw away millions of tons of garbage each year, and this trash has to go somewhere. While there are projects underway to clean and reuse this refuse most of it gets dumped into huge landfills. These landfills are disgusting festering blisters on our country's landscape. But people continue to consume and throw away more and more in the name of convenience. As they see it, when things get old, throw it away and get a new one. They blame the government for the trash problem, but the truth blame should be placed on themselves. The last great source of pollution lays in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but you're wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lake's ecosystem. Not only do companies dump chemicals, but also hot water. This hot water kills most life it comes into contact with, but also causes an overgrowth of algae that covers the surface of the lake, or pond, and blocks the light from reaching the bottom. This means the plant life cannot grow, which mean the small bacteria and other microorganisms can't grow which means fish can't feed which means the ecosystem dies. Pollution like any other problem can be solved, but this is a long process. Individuals can do their part to save the environment as well as themselves. Instead of driving, carpool, take the bus or any other method of mass transit. This will cut down on pollution made by cars each year, not to mention your gas bill. When it comes to the trash problem, take the time to sort your trash and place it in the appropriate recycling bins. By recycling we reduce the amount of waste piled onto the landfills. As for consumption, pay attention to how the products you buy are manufactured and how they are packaged. Avoid those products made in 'unfriendly' ways towards our mother earth. If a product encourages the destruction of land, or is of completely no use don't buy it. And finally voice your opinion in the polls. If each individual did their part, we will be creating a better world for ourselves as well as our children. July 27, 1998 English 1A

The Ancient History of Making Olive Oil

The Ancient History of Making Olive Oil Olive oil is, essentially, a fruit juice made from olives. Olives were likely first domesticated in the Mediterranean basin some 6,000 years ago or so. It is thought that oil from the olive was one of several attributes that likely made the bitter fruit attractive enough to result in its domestication. However, the production of olive oil, that is to say, the deliberate pressing of oil out of olives  is currently documented no earlier than ~2500 BCE. Olive oil is a fruit juice made from olives.  First used as lamp fuel and in religious ceremonies in the Mediterranean about 2500 BCE.  First used in cooking at least as long ago as 5th-4th century BCE.  Three grades of olive oil are manufactured: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), ordinary virgin olive oil, and pomace-olive oil (OPO). EVOO is the highest quality and the one most often fraudulently labeled.   Olive oil was used anciently for a  variety of purposes, including lamp fuel, pharmaceutical ointment, and in rituals for anointing royalty, warriors, and other important people. The term messiah, used in many Mediterranean-based religions, means the anointed one, perhaps (but of course, not necessarily) referring to an olive oil-based ritual. Cooking with olive oil may not have been a purpose for the original domesticators, but that began at least as long ago as the 5th–4th century BCE. Making Olive Oil Making olive oil involved (and still does) several stages of crushing and rinsing to extract the oil. The olives were harvested by hand or by beating the fruit off the trees. The olives were then washed and crushed to remove the pits. The remaining pulp was placed into woven bags or baskets, and the baskets themselves were then pressed. Hot water was poured over the pressed bags to wash out any remaining oil, and the dregs of the pulp was washed away. The liquid from the pressed bags was drawn into a reservoir where the oil was left to settle and separate. Then the oil was drawn off, by skimming the oil off by hand or with the use of a ladle; by opening a stoppered hole at the bottom of the reservoir tank; or by allowing the water to drain off from a channel at the top of the reservoir. In cold weather, a bit of salt was added to speed the separation process. After the oil was separated, the oil was again allowed to settle in vats made for that purpose, and then separated again. Olive Press Machinery Roman olive presses in the city of Sufetula, Tunisia. CM Dixon/Print Collector/Getty Images Artifacts found at archaeological sites associated with making oil include milling stones, decantation basins and storage vessels such as mass-produced amphorae with olive plant residues. Historical documentation in the form of frescoes and ancient papyri have also been found at sites throughout the Mediterranean Bronze Age, and production techniques and uses of olive oil are recorded in the classical manuscripts of Pliny the Elder and Vitruvius. Several olive press machines were devised by the Mediterranean Romans and Greeks to mechanize the pressing process, and are called variously trapetum, mola molearia, canallis et solea, torcular, prelum, and tudicula. These machines were all similar and used levers and counterweights to increase the pressure on the baskets, to extract as much oil as possible. Traditional presses can generate about 50 gallons (200 liters) of oil and 120 gal (450 li) of amurca from one ton of olives. Amurca: Olive Oil Byproducts The leftover water from the milling process is called amurca in Latin and amorge in Greek, and it is a watery, bitter-tasting, smelly, liquid residue. This liquid was collected from a central depression in the settling vats. Amurca, which had and has a bitter taste and an even worse smell, was discarded along with the dregs. Then and today, amurca is a serious pollutant, with a high mineral salt content, low pH and the presence of phenols. However, in the Roman period, it was said to have had several uses. When spread on surfaces, amurca forms a hard finish; when boiled it can be used to grease axles, belts, shoes, and hides. It is edible by animals and was used to treat malnutrition in livestock. It was prescribed to treat wounds, ulcers, dropsy, erysipelas, gout, and chilblains. According to some ancient texts, amurca was used in moderate amounts as a fertilizer or pesticide, repressing insects, weeds, and even voles. Amurca was also used to make plaster, particularly applied to the floors of granaries, where it hardened and kept out mud and the pest species. It was also used to seal olive jars, improve the burning of firewood and, added to laundry, could help protect clothing from moths. Industrialization The Romans are responsible for bringing about a significant increase in olive oil production beginning between 200 BCE and 200 CE. Olive oil production became semi-industrialized at sites such as Hendek Kale in Turkey, Byzacena in Tunisia and Tripolitania, in Libya, where 750 separate olive oil production sites have been identified. Estimates of oil production during the Roman era are that up to 30 million liters (8 million gallons) per year was produced in Tripolitania, and up to 10.5 million gal  (40 million li) in Byzacena. Plutarch reports that Caesar forced Tripolitanias inhabitants to pay a tribute of 250,000 gals (1 million li) in 46 BCE. Oileries are also reported from the first and second centuries AD in the Guadalquivir valley of Andalusia in Spain, where average annual yields were estimated at between 5 and 26 million gal (20 and 100 million li). Archaeological investigations at Monte Testaccio recovered evidence suggesting that Rome imported approximately 6.5 billion liters of olive oil over the period of 260 years. What Is EVOO? Olive oil production in 2018, in the Berber mountain village of Toujane, Tunisia. A blinded donkey is moving an edge mill to crush olives. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images There are three different grades of olive oil made and marketed, from the high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to medium-quality ordinary virgin olive oil, to low-quality olive-pomace oil (OPO). EVOO is obtained by direct pressing or centrifugation of the olives. Its acidity can be no greater than 1 percent; if it is processed when the temperature of the olives is below 30 °C (86 °F) it is called cold-pressed.   Olive oils with between 1 and 3 percent acidity are known as ordinary virgin oils, but anything greater than 3 percent is refined, by accepted chemical solvents, and those oils can also be fairly marketed as ordinary.   Lower Quality Oils and Fraud Pomace is one of the main byproducts of the pressing process; it is a conglomeration of skin, pulp, pieces of kernels, and some oil left over when the first processing is completed, but the oil undergoes rapid deterioration due to the moisture content. Refined OPO is obtained by extracting the remaining oil using chemical solvents and a refining process, then it is improved with the addition of virgin oil to obtain OPO.   Many of the common manufacturers of olive oil practice the fraudulent mislabeling of olive oils. Since EVOO is the most expensive, it is the most often mislabeled. Mislabeling often concerns the geographic origin or oil variety of olive oil, but EVOO which has been adulterated by the addition of cheaper oils is not EVOO anymore, despite its being labeled as such. The most common adulterants in mislabeled virgin olive oils are refined olive oil, OPO, synthetic oil-glycerol products, seed oils (such as sunflower, soy, maize, and rapeseed), and nut oils (such as peanut or hazelnut). Scientists are working on methods of detection of the mislabeled olive oils, but such methods have not been made widely available.   Once someone tries a real extra virgin- an adult or a child, anybody with taste buds- theyll never go back to the fake kind. Its distinctive, complex, the freshest thing youve ever eaten. It makes you realize how rotten the other stuff is, literally rotten.  Tom Mueller Sources: Capurso, Antonio, Gaetano Crepaldi, and Cristiano Capurso. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): History and Chemical Composition. Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in the Elderly Patient. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 11–21. Print.Foley, Brendan P., et al. Aspects of Ancient Greek Trade Re-Evaluated with Amphora DNA Evidence. Journal of Archaeological Science 39.2 (2012): 389–98. Print.Guimet, Francesca, Joan Ferrà ©, and Ricard Boquà ©. Rapid Detection of Olive–Pomace Oil Adulteration in Extra Virgin Olive Oils from the Protected Denomination of Origin â€Å"Siurana† Using Excitation–Emission Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Three-Way Methods of Analysis. Analytica Chimica Acta 544.1 (2005): 143–52. Print.Kapellakis, Iosif, Konstantinos Tsagarakis, and John Crowther. Olive Oil History, Production and by-Product Management. Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology 7.1 (2008): 1–26. Print.Mueller, Tom. Extra Virgini ty: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print. Niaounakis, Michael. Olive-Mill Wastewater in Antiquity. Environmental Effects and Applications. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 30.4 (2011): 411–25. Print.Rojas-Sola, Josà © Ignacio, Miguel Castro-Garcà ­a, and Marà ­a del Pilar Carranza-Caà ±adas. Contribution of Historical Spanish Inventions to the Knowledge of Olive Oil Industrial Heritage. Journal of Cultural Heritage 13.3 (2012): 285–92. Print.Vossen, Paul. Olive Oil: History, Production, and Characteristics of the Worlds Classic Oils. Horticultural Science 42.5 (2007): 1093–100. Print.

International business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International business environment - Essay Example As companies expand into greener pastures around the world depending on the specialisation, expertise or even business opportunities available to them, local cultures, local politics and the economies of host countries can become problems which have to be dealt with. This means that there are new issues which must be addressed by managers who can now be called on to create company wide policies as well as region based policies which affect the people working in London as much as they affect employees working in other parts of the globe. This problem is actually at the heart of the globalisation of business and the solution demands the creation new world order for business where we move towards a combination of cultures that represent us as humans. A company wide policy manual can be used as a document which sets up the culture of the company even as an isolated bubble in a place where the outside culture is totally different. However, this must be done carefully because this could also be dangerous as going with policies which are against local cultures can create bitterness and even a loss of the company’s human capital. GE was one such company which experienced these issues when they setup their operations across Eastern Europe and tried to revamp their business in Ukraine, Hungary and Albania. As reported by Welch (2005) GE faced several difficulties in political, cultural and economic terms which made it difficult to export their American brand of competitiveness to Eastern Europe (Welch, 2005). GE is the parent company of eleven technology, services and finance businesses with more than 300,000 employees spread across 160 countries. Even though the company is large, their values and actions, recruitment process and even the methods of rewarding employees remain more or less the same across the board. GE deals with computers, jet engines, power plants, capital services, plastics, illumination equipment,

Article # 3 (due 9-28) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article # 3 (due 9-28) - Essay Example the onset of accounting leases rule, the financial management department has been able to prepare the balance sheet and maintain financial records without including the lease assets. The financial lease is efficient for health care providers who are still developing and cannot afford sophisticated equipment. The leasing process requires that an outside party undertakes in the process. With the current rule, the health care providers can finance the project without involving a third party. The financial lease has a positive impact on the organization since the health care provider according to James and Aaron (2012) can grow technologically by leasing medical equipments and machinery which are costly. The lease is also advantageous since it helps health care providers to gain geographically efficient developers, and through the program, finance and get ownership of medical facilities. The leasing program assists the health care providers reduces the pressure in the operation of the organization. On a negative perspective, the lease program may negatively impact on the leasing process in regard to geographical print and the financial activities (James and Aaron, 2012). This is because the health care executives scrutinize and over- analyzes the operations of the

Kaplan Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Kaplan Higher Education Essay

John von Neumann :: Computer Science

John von Neumann ---------------- Von Neumann, a mathematician designed the architecture model for a CPU. This model was a single storage structure to hold both the set of instructions on how to perform the computation and the data required or generated by the computation. He designed it by treating the instructions in the same way as the data, a stored-program machine can easily change the instructions. In other words the machine is reprogrammable. Von Neumann’s archtectre is still used it todays modern CPU’S. The CPU ------- This diagram represents the structure of the Central Processing System. Arithmetic Logic Unit --------------------- The ALU performs addition and subtraction, logic operations, masking, and shifting (multiplication and division). Control Unit ------------ The Control Unit is the heart of the computer. It controls and co-ordinates the systems operations. This contains the system clock, program counter and the instruction register. It also manages the signals from the control bus. Registers --------- This is a form of high-speed memory which is contained inside of the CPU. All data must be represented in a register before it can be processed. Information is stored temporarily in the registers in which text or buffer positions or rectangles can be saved for later use. Buses ----- A bus is a channel or path between the components in a computer. Having a high-speed bus is important. A bus lets you connect computers components to the processor. The advantage of a bus is that it makes parts more interchangeable. If you want to get a better graphics card, you simply unplug the old card from the bus and plug in a new one. If you want two monitors on your computer, you plug two graphics cards into the bus. And so on. A PC usually has two buses. The first connects the CPU and the system memory. This is the fastest bus in the system. The second bus is the slower and it connects other devices, like the hard disk, CD drive,

Hrm in Cooperative Banks in India Essay

The world of work is rapidly changing. As a part of organization, Human Resource Management (HRM) must be prepared to deal with effects of changing world of work. Business today doesn’t have national boundaries – it reaches around the world. In the competitive environment, employees of any business organization are the key factor for deciding the success of the firm, in general, and cooperatives in particular.Indian cooperative banking movement has passed through hundred years of its existence. At the same time, human resources management has been a neglected field in cooperative banks over a period of time and poor image of cooperative bank employees in the society affects their morale. Only recently has there been a greater recognition of this function.This paper an attempt has been made to analyze the practices of human resource management and the challenges faced in recruitment and retention of efficient personnel for managing the complex affairs of cooperative bank s. INTRODUCTION: The world of work is rapidly changing. As a part of organization, Human Resource Management (HRM) must be prepared to deal with effects of changing world of work. Business today doesn’t have national boundaries – it reaches around the world. The rise of multinational corporations places new requirements on human resource managers. The HR department needs to ensure that the appropriate mix of employees in terms of knowledge, skills and cultural adaptability is available to handle global assignments. In order to meet this goal, the organizations must train individuals to meet the challenges of globalization. The employees must have working knowledge of the language and culture of the host country.Human Resource Management (HRM) must also develop mechanisms that will help multicultural individuals work together. As background, language, custom or age differences become more prevalent, there are indications that employee conflict will increase. HRM would be required to trai n management to be more flexible in its practices. Because tomorrow’s workers will come in different  colors, nationalities and so on. They must be groomed in order to take risks, think innovatively, and handle new problems. In the competitive environment, employees of any business organization are the key factor for deciding the success of the firm, in general, and cooperatives in particular. It is understood that cooperative banks approach human resource management (HRM) from the wrong perspective and their financial performance suffers as a result. Instead of focusing on how to execute strategy through the performance of the employees in many cooperative banks, the first priority is cost control and the focus often begins with the HR function. Indian cooperative banking movement has passed through hundred years of its existence. At the same time, human resources management has been a neglected field in cooperative banks over a period of time and poor image of cooperative bank employees in the society affects their morale. Only recently has there been a greater recognition of this function. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze the practices of human resource management and the challenges faced in recruitment and retention of efficient personnel for managing the complex affairs of cooperative banks. NEED FOR HRM: World over, the technology driven channels such as, ATM, net banking and mobile banking have reduced walk-in-customers at the bank branches. However, in India, it is observed that the customers still find it difficult to use these technology based channels and they are more comfortable in traditional banking over the counter personally to ensure error – free and risk –free banking service. While struggling to provide better and efficient service at the counters, the staff is also confronted with various regulatory norms to mitigate risks in operations. This clearly establishes that employees of cooperative banks play a vital role in managing not only the ‘transaction’ of a customer but also future long-term relationship with them. HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES: Although all co operative banks have policies the manner in which they are documented and presented to employees varies considerably. Other than the practices explicitly required by law, there are no specific rules on how to document and implement the principles and practices by co  operative banks.Therefore the form substance and tone of cooperative banks’ policies and procedures are totally within their activities. This discreation presents both a challenge and opportunity for a cooperative institution.The challenge is deciding among almost infinite choices on how to define structure, implement and communicate the banks rules of operation. As for the opportunity a sound and appropriate set of policies will lay the groundwork to support the cooperative banks business objectives, provide employees with the necessary guidance and achieve the desired organizational culture. In practice, there is no specific written document of HR policies in many cooperative banks. It is neither necessary nor desirable to have every rule and practice documented, but it is advisable to take the time to formalize the important ones. In addition having certain policies in writing – such as rules prohibiting unlawful discrimination and harassment may save an organization a lot of time and money in the event of a law suit. There is no uniformity in the provisions of State Cooperative Acts. Barring a few states which have promulgated parallel State Cooperative Acts, the acts in other states have restrictive provisions which affect autonomous functioning of cooperatives. Further there is no specific HRD policy as such and recruitment of staff is not based on merit and competence. The Cooperative Act rules and bye- laws were created to protect the cooperative bank from certain nefarious activities prevalent in the market and also save it from the people who have vested interests. These hamper the autonomous growth of these institutions. One important had factor to be noted is that though the cooperative banks come under the financial discipline of the RBI, NABARD and the Apex Bank, they enjoy autonomy in personnel matters. The cooperative banks should be committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies that provide a healthy work environment, free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION: Once the human resource planning is complete, the next step is to acquire personnel necessary to ensure the continued operation of the organization. In the absence of scientific recruitment and selection procedures, the management of any organization may fail to select the right man with the right skills for development, doing the right job, in the  right environment. Moreover, the employees must have faith in the system of recruitment and selection. Recruitment provides the opportunity to cater to changing needs of people by either repositioning current employees or injecting fresh blood into the organizational veins There are three modes of recruitment in the cooperative banks, namely a) By direct recruitment b) By taking persons on deputation from Government or from sister cooperative institutions management towards employing women in their institutions. c) By promotion The main sources of recruitment is newspaper advertisement but in cooperative organization, information in respect of vacant posts is conveyed through the system of circular to the State Employment Exchange which receives a restricted distribution. Thus, in the absence of a wide publicity of vacant posts, the service in cooperative banks is easily available to the persons known to the top and middle executives Internal promotion can be a good practice if merit is not sacrificed. Similarly, recruiting like-minded people can accrue in the future. With the significant increase in the become a bad practice if it leads to organizational behaviour where diversity is resented. Cooperative banks typically apply precise and rigorous guidelines to admit members but do not show the same commitment when it comes to recruiting people, despite the fact that hiring decision involves enormous costs when one takes into account the recruitment costs, training costs, salary and benefit over the tenure of employee and replacement cost. Deputation of government officers to hold the key posts in cooperative banks is a widely prevalent practice. This practice is consequent upon the dependence of cooperative banks on the government for financial and managerial assistance. The practice of deputation affects the bank.employees in certain respects, particularly, the promotion prospects at the higher echelons. The informal discussion with the employees of cooperative banks in Tamil Nadu revealed that they are not in favour deputation of officers by government. Further, the cooperative banks, unlike commercial banks, have local identity and the image and have strong banks with local community. Cooperative banks prefer to recruit local candidate particularly for managerial cadre post due to the fact that they are well-adjusted to the local environment. A drawback of cooperatives banks is  that they are not able to attract professionally qualified candidate because of the poor salary structure. The only way to attract professionals would be when compensation needs to be internally consistent and externally competitive. It is observed that the in-take of women at both clerical and officer level in cooperative banks is quite insignificant. The reason for lower share of women work-force as compared with their male counterparts might be due to lack of trained women in the field of cooperation and also the attitude of the At present, the pace of recruitment in Indian cooperative banking sector has slowed down and for a long time, there has been almost negligible recruitment. The recruitment of persons in cooperative banks assumes special importance because, apart from being competent on the special jobs, they must also be well versed in human dealings and public relations. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: Designing and implementing effective training and development systems is a particular challenge because all the costs are borne in the present, while all the benefits will complexity and magnitude of banking service especially in view of the task undertaken by the cooperative banks for the socio-economic development in urban, semi-urban and rural areas, the need of the training has been greatly felt. Realizing the significance of training, the cooperative training institutions established at different levels are imparting training to the employees of cooperative banks. The outcome of the training to any type of organization includes increased productivity of employees, heightened morale, reduced supervision, and increased organizational stability and flexibility. Poor quality training or a focus on the wrong development areas will be a total waste of time and money. It leaves the organization in no better position than if there had been no training at all Cooperative banks provide tr aining for many reasons: 1.To teach the employees perform in their initial job assignment. 2. To improve the current performance of employees who may not be working as effectively as desired 3. To prepare employees for future promotions or for upcoming changes in design, processes and technology in their present jobs. The operational structure and administrative set-up  established for training of personnel in cooperative banks in India is inter co-ordinated and divided into three cadres viz., Senior, Middle and Junior. The National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), the national level apex organization and State Cooperative Unions (SCUS), the state level apex organizations are responsible for making adequate arrangements for cooperative training. Though training is principally the responsibility of National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT) and State Cooperative Unions, there are certain other institutions such as College of Agricultural Banking (CAB), Bankers’ Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), International Labour Organization (ILO), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) which have training arr angements for employees of cooperative banks. The major problems found in cooperative banks are lack of knowledge of funds management resulting in acceptance of high cost deposits and their disposition in low return uses. Another problem is lack of expertise in lending, observing capital adequacy, investment in government securities, managing non performing assets (NPAs), and other newer international rules imposed by the RBI and NABARD. In India, most persons in the cooperative banking sector feel that somehow if one can get a job he/she can automatically manage the affairs of the bank. Most of the training programmes organized by the cooperative training institutions impart only theoretical knowledge of the subject. Cooperative banks are localized expansion programme. Before organizing trade unions institutions with poor funds and some of the technical courses offered by the national training institutions are high cost oriented. Language is another problem. National or state level institutions offer their training programme in common language i.e. English and majority of the cooperative bank employees are not able follow and understand the concept. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Performance appraisal is a systematic approach to tracking individual performance against the targeted objectives of the organization and identifying strength and opportunities for improvement. It involves more than giving an annual performance review. While a periodic formal review may be part of the performance appraisal process, good performance management is an ongoing process, a once-ayear event.In cooperative banks, probationer’s  performance has been monitored and appraised informally. Clerical employees’ diaries, entries to the service register and review of work done periodically are the methods used for appraisal of probationers. However, appraisal is not implemented seriously for permanent employees. All the employees are in favour of introduction of performance appraisal though there is no systematic appraisal followed, right now. Generally, the cooperative banks in India are able to get self appraisal form from their employees. Each individual employee has to submit a self appraisal to the immediate superior in the prescribed format. Unlike commercial banks, cooperative banks, especially urban cooperative banks which are classified as Grade I and II by RBI, are eligible to get increments to their employees whereas the Grade III and IV banks as classified weak banks and the employees of these banks are not able to get any increments in their salary Cooperative banks have not used any sophisticated methods to evaluate their employees’ performance. This is the major reason for poor performance of employees in cooperative banks. PROMOTION: As per cooperative society rules in force, provisions have been made for promotion on the grounds of merits and ability of the employees, their seniority being taken into account only when merit and ability are approximately equal. Recognition of employees is the most important instrument for motivating and increasing performance. No organization, has been able to attract and retain key people in the long run by throwing money at them. Recognition and rewards are important. Introduction of mergers and acquisitions process between and among cooperative banks have created focus on competencies that enable employees to self-manage work in teams, think globally, boldly, and unconventionally and deploy the power of intuition and emotional intelligence. Once the employees are promoted to higher levels, improvement of their competencies is an urgent need. Employees’ competencies are the knowledge, skills, abilities, personality and characteristics that serve as the foundation for employees’ behaviour. Competencies are a foundational drive of employees as well as organization success because they only represent potential employees’ performance. COMPENSATION: One of the most important issues before the cooperative banks in India is compensation in these banks vary. The salary structure of cooperative banks was different from bank to bank even for the same cadre and salary structure of cooperative banks was not uniform. Thus, seniority has accounted for the compensation administration. A remuneration system based on the skill and ability of workers is important. But the cooperative banks cannot attract the talented and motivated personnel unless they establish their image of model employee because an organization which cannot pay its personnel adequately has no right to exist in the competitive world. The salary structure in the cooperative banking sector is not as attractive as in public and private sector banks. An adequate and sound salary structure together with other working conditions is the sine qua non for the organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, pay and other reward strategies should revolve not only around business goals but also around the employee’s needs and aspirations, such as the opportunity to work on challenging assignments, flexible work options, work transfer to take care of personal emergencies and opportunities for training and higher studies. Most important ingredient of HRM is reward and compensation, which at present does not have any linkage to skills and performance. There is an urgent need to have the system of reward and compensation in place that will attract, recognize and retain the talent in cooperative banks on the lines comparable with other banks, particularly banks in private sector. EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP: A harmonious employer-employee relationship is essential for the effective functioning of the cooperative banks. Since cooperative organizations consist of groups of human beings, each of whom is activated by varying motives, no cooperative administration can fulfill its obligations if it is not supported wholeheartedly by the employee at all levels. The challenge for the banks is to encourage people to unleash their power of thinking and apply it to their daily work. The employer should always encourage the employees to bring out their fullest talent for the success of the institution. Mere encouragement to generate new ideas is not enough. When people make genuine attempts to implement their ideas and fail, they need to be encouraged, not discouraged, to try further. Otherwise, they  will never bother to think and try again; they will merely follow their mangers. Success can only be achieved if staff feel they are being treated correctly by the bank and fully understand the bank’s objectives and rational for their achievement. It is essential, therefore, that management develops an employee relations climate which facilitates these attitudes without reducing management’s ability to manage the business†. The conflict between employer and employee or among the employees is inevitable in any organization. Some amount of conflict is not only desirable, it’s also necessary. Without a broad range of ideas presented by persons with diverse backgrounds, experiences and points of view, innovation is virtually impossible. Conflict can also present an opportunity for personal growth. When the managers learn the skills to work out differences and to develop approaches that take into account the needs of others, it will become more effective. There is a need to develop ‘healthy’ conflict between the management and employees as not all organizational conflicts are undesirable. There is a classic management delusion that employees readily approach the higher management when they are dissatisfied with the decision of their immediate supervisor. The reality is that employees are generally apprehensive of upsetting their day-to-day relationship with their manager whose decision is most likely to be upheld anyway for the sake of managerial unity. Unfortunately, those who question the manager are often labeled as whingers and even though the company policy might be to seek frank employee feedback, the practice might shut them up from speaking out openly. When whingers turn as whistle blowers and expose the management practice in public, it might be too late for the management to prevent the potential damage to its images Executives must set standards at the top. If middle managers feel disrespected, attracted or stifled by senior management, chances are that they will pass this negative attitude down to the employees they supervise. Since a positive relationship with the immediate supervisor is a very important element of job satisfaction, retention should be regarded as an important yardstick in measuring effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Compared with all other management functions, human resource  management in cooperative banks is more sensitive, personalized, context-dependent and cannot be managed through a set of predefined techniques. HR and strategic tool for competitive advantage. In fact, it is difficult first achieving employee satisfaction. Thus, employee satisfaction is a prerequisite to customer satisfaction. Effective organization depends on having the right system of HR policies and practices in place to recruit, select, develop, appraise, compensate and place, promote or send away employees. Based on a careful analysis of the needs of the business, cooperative banks must prioritize their choices around workforce engagement. Successful HRM requires that the banks practice a sound management philosophy that respects human dignity and diversity and are committed to the growth of employees, believe in the value of employee’s contribution and involve them in decision – making and share the wealth equitably and fairly.

Designing and executing strategy in aviation management Essay

Management Introduction             Airline strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by the airlines’ top management on behalf of owners based on consideration of resources. Airline always focuses on their customers in terms of pricing, food, more user friendly website and cooperation with travel agents. Developing a customer focused strategy is one of the key roles of customer leaders. There are various ways in which an airline can implement customer focused strategy; evaluate the services they provide to customer base, use customer feedback tools to get information about their customers, train their employees to offer customer focus, consider providing customer incentives and work their business copy, create the service vision, develop a customer service strategy, build an appropriate customer service framework, deploy leaders and managers who will become organization’s service, design and implement customer-centric pro cesses that make purchasing easy for customers. Evaluate services they provide to customer base. Their customer focus ideas are going to be the bridge or the answers on the key services that they offer. Use of customer feedback tools to get information about your customers is one essential starting points of developing a customer focus. It helps one to figure out what your customers like and what appeals them. Customer research helps airlines to develop goals and objectives like: use pre-sale and post-sale feedback. Getting information from your customers before the deal is made will help you adapt those deals and arrangements to be more attractive to the people you are trying to reach. Use surveys, questionnaires and similar customer focus tools. The airline staff need to get to know their customers and understand what they want from them. Customer service managers need to focus on all their customers consistently and there are many ways of gathering customer intelligence. Also where satisfaction surveys are concerned the custome r experience depends a lot on customer expectations, for example EasyJet might score higher because we have low expectations but we might score British Airways lower because we have high expectations. Airlines need more reliable methods of evaluating the customer experience and they need people to make this happen Train your employees to offer customer focus. The staff should understand their roles in approaching the airline business with a customer focus. This includes elements of customer service, customer focus is about keeping attention on the customers, anticipating their needs and valuing their input. Consider providing customer incentives. They could be in form of temporary sale offers or targeted giveaway programs. When the airline has identified what customers like, they use these items to reach out to their base further. Work your business copy. Airline should focus on making communications and business copy adopt a customer focus tone and outlook. Customers are readers they get information about the airline through websites, printed brochures or other written materials. Creating the service vision or service personality is an identifiable set of service characteristics that define how an organization service proposition is different from that of its competitors. Some airlines have a service promise or customer charter but whatever method one has of communicating their service standards to their customers is important to make sure those promises are achievable and shared by all teams in the organization. Develop a customer service strategy and this determines the overall direction of the organization and in particular how the organization will go about delivering customer service excellence. This is high level plan that communicates to everyone involved within the organization how it will develop relationships with its customers in order to maximize customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and achieve business success. Used to prevent non-aligned and disjointed activities between departments and drives everyone towards the same service goals. It includes service plan to ensure the strategic objectives are met and this should be shared with employees as everyone is going on the same journey. If one does not keep people informed rumors and gossip spread faster. Build an appropriate customer service framework. A learning and developed framework will help identify how the organization is going to go about delivering service excellence. Reward and recognition, celebrating success are key motivators for employees. Customer service performance will improve when organizations provide support through valued reward and recognition systems. This level of recognition results in higher levels of employee satisfaction which translates into better customer service for the customers. References Evans, N., Campbell, D., & Stonehouse, G. (2003). Strategic management for travel and tourism. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.Flouris, T. G., & Oswald, S. L. (2006). Designing and executing strategy in aviation management. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.Lawton, T. C. (2007). Strategic management in aviation: critical essays. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate.Ray, S. J. (1999). Strategic communication in crisis management lessons from the airline industry. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books.Hill, C. W., & Jones, G. R. (2013). Strategic management: an integrated approach (10th sEd.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Source document

Age No Bar For An Adventure Tourism Essay Essays

Age No Bar For An Adventure Tourism Essay Essays Age No Bar For An Adventure Tourism Essay Essay Age No Bar For An Adventure Tourism Essay Essay Each one of us has a desire to make something extreme in our life. When we dream we do non believe of what could be the possible barriers. The world to a great extend does non ever fit with dreams. But there is one topographic point where age is no standard. Where you can simple pin indicate your pick and travel for it. It is adventure athleticss. Although the myth related with escapade athletics make people think otherwise but the world is that Adventure athleticss is a merriment activity. It is risk free and can be done by anyone. If you are 50 old ages old and wish to make a mountain expedition so travel for it. Tough or easy is in the head. If you have the will and excitement half the conflict is won. Adventures can be classified in two parts. One sort is known as Soft escapades and other type is hardcore. Soft escapades are the 1s which do non necessitate any sort of accomplishments. They are more a leisure activity but they besides provide certain degree of challenge that is needed for any escapade to be escapade. Hard nucleus escapade is anything that requires you to contend the nature like trekking, mountain climbing, skiing and H2O rafting. Soft escapades are really popular amongst households. The thought of scuba diving in the bluish Waterss of Andman or Lakshwadeep or hot air ballooning above the desert of Thar is a really appealing thought among all age groups. And the utmost athleticss like bungee jumping or skiing the highest inclines or even trekking the highest mountain base on ballss by and large chosen by experts or risked by childs. The ground why most of the adult ups prefer the safe options of luxury vacations or soft escapades is because the idea forms formed from their immature age is that this is the clip to play and hold merriment because when you have more duties all this wont suit you. Other ground is that people do non take attention of their wellness from start and so do old age an alibi for non being adventuresome. The grounds can be any but the fact remains that if a individual has the will so he can decidedly seek any adventure athleticss and win. A few facts that will do this fact more credible are that most of the trekkers in America are in-between aged work forces. There are even some older than that. They have climbed some of the most feared mountains and performed some of the most electrifying stunts. Most of the individual travellers from abroad are females aged 40 or more. The popularity of escapade athleticss and the safety attached to it has grown so much that even oldies do non mind giving it a shooting. The popularity of escapade athleticss has caught up with everyone. When the media is traveling out of the manner to advance people from all age group are lured by it.

Belonging Strictly Ballroom

Lack of a sense of belonging is portrayed in the ‘mockumentary’ film â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† through the character Scott Hastings as he is treated as an outcast because he refuse to conform to the mainstream way of ballroom dance. The opening scene portrays the false, fairytale feeling of the world of ballroom dance through the motif showing big red curtains opening with matching theatrical music. The over the top fakery is shown through the fluffy costumes and over the top hair of the dancers in the opening scene. They are shown hugging and exchanging high fives, portraying that they belong because they have conformed to the mainstream way of dance presented by Barry Fife. â€Å"You can dance any steps you like but it doesn’t mean you will win. † This quote spoken by Barry fife shows the power he holds because he controls who wins. Unless you perform his steps that are shown in the video ‘The right way to dance’ you are not going to win. In the extreme close up of his mouth, we see the crooked rotten teeth because symbolically he is a crooked rotten person. When Scott dances his own steps the scene is shown in slow motion with a freeze frame, beautiful music with a pleasing crowd reaction to match shows that everyone including Scott was enjoying the dance. The camera switches to the furious faces of Shirley and Barry fife showing that everyone loved the new steps except for everyone who had confirmed that sat on the federation leaders table. The Table is situated higher than the dancers and audience depicting how they are in charge. Liz’s lack of understanding for Scotts love for his own steps is shown when she threatens Scott to conform to the federation steps for Ballroom dancing. I’m not dancing with you until you are supposed to† Barry has programmed the dancers like robots to follow his ‘Right steps’ â€Å"what did you think of the steps? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"I don’t think! † Fran as a beginner dancer does not belong in the ballroom dancing world. Her frizzy hair, acne covered skin, thick unattractive glasses and covered figureless body makes her a target for nasty comments. The Slapstick humour when Liz and Scott knocking over Fran when she is trying to comfort them shows how she is not respected and over looked. Understanding however can give a person a sense of belonging in society or within themselves. Fran and Scott both feel like outcasts because they love to dance their own steps and not conform to the federation â€Å"I want to dance with you your way†. When the song â€Å"time after time† plays while Scott and Fran are dancing, Fran shows Scott what she is capable of proving that she is not a hopeless dancer like everyone stereotypes her to be. Scott tells her to dance without her glasses and we notice throughout the movie the tighter clothing she wears to reveal her toned elegant body structure, portraying as she feels a sense of comfort and understanding towards Scott, she starts to gain her own identity. Belonging Strictly Ballroom Lack of a sense of belonging is portrayed in the ‘mockumentary’ film â€Å"Strictly Ballroom† through the character Scott Hastings as he is treated as an outcast because he refuse to conform to the mainstream way of ballroom dance. The opening scene portrays the false, fairytale feeling of the world of ballroom dance through the motif showing big red curtains opening with matching theatrical music. The over the top fakery is shown through the fluffy costumes and over the top hair of the dancers in the opening scene. They are shown hugging and exchanging high fives, portraying that they belong because they have conformed to the mainstream way of dance presented by Barry Fife. â€Å"You can dance any steps you like but it doesn’t mean you will win. † This quote spoken by Barry fife shows the power he holds because he controls who wins. Unless you perform his steps that are shown in the video ‘The right way to dance’ you are not going to win. In the extreme close up of his mouth, we see the crooked rotten teeth because symbolically he is a crooked rotten person. When Scott dances his own steps the scene is shown in slow motion with a freeze frame, beautiful music with a pleasing crowd reaction to match shows that everyone including Scott was enjoying the dance. The camera switches to the furious faces of Shirley and Barry fife showing that everyone loved the new steps except for everyone who had confirmed that sat on the federation leaders table. The Table is situated higher than the dancers and audience depicting how they are in charge. Liz’s lack of understanding for Scotts love for his own steps is shown when she threatens Scott to conform to the federation steps for Ballroom dancing. I’m not dancing with you until you are supposed to† Barry has programmed the dancers like robots to follow his ‘Right steps’ â€Å"what did you think of the steps? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"I don’t think! † Fran as a beginner dancer does not belong in the ballroom dancing world. Her frizzy hair, acne covered skin, thick unattractive glasses and covered figureless body makes her a target for nasty comments. The Slapstick humour when Liz and Scott knocking over Fran when she is trying to comfort them shows how she is not respected and over looked. Understanding however can give a person a sense of belonging in society or within themselves. Fran and Scott both feel like outcasts because they love to dance their own steps and not conform to the federation â€Å"I want to dance with you your way†. When the song â€Å"time after time† plays while Scott and Fran are dancing, Fran shows Scott what she is capable of proving that she is not a hopeless dancer like everyone stereotypes her to be. Scott tells her to dance without her glasses and we notice throughout the movie the tighter clothing she wears to reveal her toned elegant body structure, portraying as she feels a sense of comfort and understanding towards Scott, she starts to gain her own identity.

CIT Summary and Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CIT Summary and Response Paper - Essay Example For that reason, therefore, the principle of common good seeks the good of all members of the society, as opposed to the selfish interests of the individual members of the society. The common good can be understood analogously as the social and the community dimension of the moral good. This is because just as the moral actions of an individual are accomplished in doing what is right, the actions of a society attain their full stature when they bring about the common good. Every human society that is aimed at serving its members should ensure that it guided by the principle of the common good. This is because human beings cannot find fulfilment individually, i.e. in isolation from other people; the happiness of the individual members of a human society is dependent on the common good of the society. For this reason, therefore, every member of the society should commit themselves in seeking the common good of the whole society. The principle of the common demands respect of the human person and his fundamental rights; the principle of the common good, therefore, demands that there should be peace and justice in the society. This is because peace and justice are a necessary conditions for the respect of fundamental rights of the human rights in the society. A community with the principle of common good, therefore, should ensure that its members are able to meet their basic needs, and that they are guaranteed their fundamental freedoms/liberties that respect their fundamental rights. Although common good is quite import in every society and every member of the society should seek it, attaining the common good, however, is not easy. This is because common good requires that we should seek the good of other people as if it were our own good. Since every person in the society has the right to enjoy the social conditions that are brought about by the quest for common good, there should be social justice in the

Social Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Inequality - Essay Example Dan Croteau, a roman catholic, a widower and father of two daughters coming from a working class has met Cate Woolner, a Jew, a widow and mother of two sons coming from a rich aristocratic family and they decided to tie their relationship through a marriage after a long dating session. Both of them had failed marriages and hence they have taken extreme care in knowing each other well, before engage in a marriage relationship. (LEWIN) This paper analyses different perspectives of this marriage of two un-equals. Dan Croteau was a normal person coming from a working class family where as Cate Woolner was coming from an aristocratic family. The difference in wealth is a major factor which can make or break a marriage relationship. A male and female irrespective of their financial capabilities may fall in love due to infatuation. But after marriage, these financial differences often come into play. But in Croteau’s and Woolner’s case, both of them have taken extreme care in order to remove the bad influences of differences in financial capabilities in their married life. Ms Woolner has taken measures to raise the standard of living of Croteau. â€Å"Ms. Woolner gave him money to buy a new car and pay off some debts.† (LEWIN) Another difference between these two was the difference in their educational levels and earnings. In order to reduce the gap in education and also to increase the earning potential of Croteau, she agreed to pay for a $10,000 computer course that helped prepare him for his current job as a software analyst at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. (LEWIN) It was another wise move from the part of Ms. Woolner as it increased the earning potentials of Croteau which made him more comfortable in their life. Both Croteau and Woolner were coming from different religions; Christian and Jew respectively. But both of them were able to convince their family members about the strength of

Legislation on Stem Cell Research & Related Issues Essay

Legislation on Stem Cell Research & Related Issues - Essay Example The actual research on stem cells began after the 1950’s when a cure for leukemia and several immune-deficiency disorders were sought that were life-taking (UK Stem Cell Foundation 2011). Stem cell research produced a cure for leukemia through bone marrow transport from a sibling and within no time, people began to look forward at the same to develop a cure for several other disorders. People still consider stem cell research potentially providing a cure for several disorders including renal conditions (requiring renal transplantation, neuro-dengerative disorders, cardiac disorders, cancers, etc, wherein no cure for the same has been found till today using other forms of technology. In order to generate opportunities and cure for the disorder there needs to be greater funding from the Federal government in order to pioneer and support the development of such technology. In the past, stem cell research has also worked real-time cures for several disorders. For example, a person who had a gene resistant to the HIV virus, stem cell research helped the person to stop taking antiviral drugs. ... logy and that in sporadic cases, cures for several diseases have been obtained, there is no evidence to point out that stem cells can in fact proved a cure for diseases. These two points into consideration, the Bush Administration in 2001 decided to partially fund such research and slowly phase out the use of such technology. Stem cell research also involves harvesting body parts and for this reason the Congress sought a ban (Wertz, 2002). However, it should be noted that the Congress sought a ban only on that research that involved destruction of embryonic stem cells that had the potential to transform into living beings. Slowly with greater mileage and greater studies that proved that stem cells provided a cure for various disorders that were otherwise incurable, slowly stem cells research was sought as a necessity. In order to regulate the funding and projects under the stem cell banner, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was created in 2004; any organization that wanted sponsorship for stem cell research had to approach to the CIRM. With greater pressure on the Bush Administration on the policy of banning stem cell research, a partial reversal of the policy was taken by the Bush government. The Barack Obama Government which came to power in 2008 immediately signed an Executive Order that permitted stem cell on human embryos. A clarification was issued by the US Federal Government in 2011, which said that the funds could only be used for stem cell research and not on destruction of human embryos. Hence, research projects that wanted to use federal funds had to have a clear and constructive purpose for stem cell research and not mere destruction of human embryos that would otherwise be obtained from the leftover embryos from couples who undergo IVF

Effect of Human Resources on Global Expansion of MNCs

Effect of Human Resources on Global Expansion of MNCs MBA Literature review The Relevance of Innovative Human Resource Programs to Facilitate Global Expansion of Multinational Companies (MNCs) from the UK. 2. Introduction The activities of multinational companies (MNCs) are at the heart of Britains internationally open and global economy. This global economy has emerged as companies all over the world are joining forces through alliances, mergers, joint ventures, acquisitions, and the like, thus creating the need for a constant mobile workforce and the HRM strategies to support and develop it. This would therefore imply a fundamental shift in the role of human resources from transaction and administration to strategy and business transformation through innovative programmes which supports the global strategy of the company. This section gives an overview of the literature review and the theoretical basis for the forthcoming chapters. The chapter consists of journals, books and research materials which throw more light into Innovative Human Resource Programs to Facilitate Global Expansion of Multinational Companies (MNCs) from the UK. The following were the primary information sources used for the literature review; ACM Digital Library Pro-Quest Direct EBSCO Publishing Gale Group Info Track OCLC First-Search Java Sun Microsystems Library IEEE Library Emerald Database 2.1 Evolution from Personnel Management to HRM According to Guest (1987), the origins of the traditional concept of personnel management can be traced to the post World War One welfare tradition of concern for the basic needs of employees. The developing and mature phases of personnel management from the 1940s to the 1970s saw an increase in the status and professionalism accorded to the personnel function, particularly in relation to industrial relations (IR) matters (see Sparrow 2004). The concept of HRM, as a new strategic approach to the management of people, evolved in the early 1980s (Ericksen 2005). Its evolution was influenced by a range of factors, including increased competitive pressures caused by deregulation and globalisation, and the influence of notable academics in the US and the UK (Ericksen, 2005). Although it has been suggested that HRM may be no more than old style personnel management with a new name (Gunnigle and Flood, 1990), Storey (1992) identifies four features of HRM which distinguish it from traditional personnel management: it is explicitly linked with corporate strategy; it seeks to obtain the commitment of employees rather than their compliance; employee commitment is obtained through an integrated approach to human resource policies (for example, reward, appraisal, selection, training); and unlike personnel management, which is primarily the domain of specialists, HRM is owned by line managers as a means of fostering integration. 2.1.1 Approaches to Human Resource Management 2.1.1.1 Hard Approach If an organisation focuses on control of resources and achievement of strategy, it may adopt a hard approach to HRM (see Storey, 1989) in which employees are viewed as a resource to be managed like any other factor of production. In this approach, the critical task for management is to align the formal structure and HR systems of the organisation so that they drive the strategic objectives of the organisation. This approach is exemplified in the strategic model of HRM developed by Fombrun et al (1984). It has been argued however that an over-emphasis on hard HRM ignores the potential resistance of workers and trade unions, factors which cannot be ignored if business strategy is to succeed (see Hendry, 1995). 2.1.1.2 Soft Approach In contrast, an organisation may place an emphasis on a soft approach to HRM (Storey, 1992 p. 30), in which employees are viewed as a valuable asset whose commitment will assist in achieving organisational success. The objective for organisations in such an approach is to integrate HR policies with the strategic planning process, to gain the willing commitment of employees, to achieve flexibility through avoidance of rigid bureaucratic structures and to improve quality (see Guest, 1987). The most well known soft model of HRM is known as the Harvard Model of HRM (Beer et al 1984), views business strategy as just one situational factor which influences managements approach to HRM. This model identifies a range of other situational factors which influence HR policy choices, including prevailing management philosophy, laws and societal values. In the context of this study, this model is significant in that it identifies a range of stakeholder interests (including unions, government and m anagement) which influence HR policy choices. It is argued that unless HR policies are influenced by key stakeholders, the enterprise will fail to meet the needs of these stakeholders, and ultimately its own objectives (see Beer et al 1984). 2.1.1.3 Ideal Type Model: Integrated links from Personnel to HRM Storey (1992) outlines a further model which illustrates the process involved in shifting from traditional personnel management to HRM. While this is an ideal type model, it comprises features which are significant for this study. For example, it stresses the need for integrated links between beliefs, assumptions, management issues and key elements of HRM. It also identifies key levers of change in the various elements of HRM, including recruitment and selection, training and development and conditions of employment. A strategic approach to HRM can be developed by creating effective policies in these areas (Storey 1992) 2.1.2 The integrative aspects of HRM A key theme running through many of the models is integration, which according to Guest (1987) lies at the heart of HRM. He identifies integration at three levels: integration of HRM policies with business strategy; integration of a set of complementary HRM policies; integration of HRM into the line management function. 2.1.3 The Role of Management According to Storey (1992), best practice indicates that the extent to which the transition process from traditional personnel functions to strategic HRM functions can be achieved will be influenced significantly by the belief and support of senior management in the added value that HRM can contribute to the organisation. More importantly, this belief must be visibly demonstrated, for example by committing additional resources to the development of HR strategy and the building up of HR skills levels. As a first step, the head of HR should be afforded a genuine role in the formulation of key business decisions. This contribution must be an integral part of the business strategy formulation process, so that HR issues are accorded a key priority as opposed to simply being added on to, or indeed excluded from, the core business of the organisation. On an ongoing basis, heads of HR should also be enabled to have a genuine input into decisions taken at top management level which have impli cations for HR. Clearly, if the head of HR is to be enabled to play a genuine role in ensuring that HRM issues become a top management priority, it is important that the professionalism accorded to HR, for example through the development of expertise in integrating HR and business strategies, begins at this level. 2.2 Definitions: Innovative HR Programmes According to Agarwala (2003), defines innovative human resource programmes of a company can be described as: Any intentional introduction or change of HRM program, policy, practice or system designed to influence or adapt employee the skills, behaviours, and interactions of employees and have the potential to provide both the foundation for strategy formulation and the means of strategy implementation that is perceived to be new and creates current capabilities and competencies (Agarwala, 2003). 2.2.1 Innovative HR Programmes According to James (2002), innovative programmes can be grouped into a set of new initiatives which are associated with the process of developing a strategic approach to HRMenhancing its competitiveness. A few of these include: Reducing costs through shared services centres, self-service, and outsourcing. Develop uniform HR processes recognising local regulatory requirements to help foster a low-cost, administrative delivery model. Create a self-service culture for employees and managers. Establish global employee shared services centres focused on delivering HR administrative support to multiple geographic areas, thereby reducing administrative overhead. Outsource key services that can be more efficiently managed and administered externally. Streamlining technology and information management Improve information access to help companies more efficiently manage their human capital assets, provide employees and managers with enhanced access to information, improve HR reporting, and address growing compliance requirements. Reduce HR technology operating costs by consolidating multiple technologies, technical infrastructure, and IT skills. Managing people globally Help enable the company to respond to the interdependencies of global markets by managing human assets globally rather than nationally or regionally thereby improving competitiveness in the international marketplace. Enabling HR to shift its focus from administration to strategy Remove the administrative component of the work of business HR professionals, enabling them to provide more value-added services and to focus on consultative and analytical interactions with line managers. Facilitate HRs transition to a strategic partnership with the company by upgrading talent and skills within the HR function. 2.3 Background: Human Resource Evolution According to Cooke (2003), first Generation HR Transformation represented a fundamental shift in HRs role, from transactions and administration to strategy and business transformation. First Generation HR Transformation focused on changing the existing relationship between employees, managers, and HR, (Randall 2006). With technology as a key enabler and process re-engineering playing a pivotal role, this First Generation effort sought to help make employees more self-sufficient, whilst asking them to take more responsibility for their own careers (Datta et al 2005). It also sought to help remove HR from the middle of the employee/manager relationship by making managers more responsible for handling their employees HR needs. Over the past ten years, HR Transformation has led to a major restructuring of HR operations and processes transforming the way HR services are delivered Cooke (2003). 2.4 UK MNCs: Achieving Global Expansion MNCs in the United Kingdom have long been well established in manufacturing, but in recent years they have emerged as dominant players in the private service sector and have even become involved in the provision of public services (Edwards 2004). Levels of both inward and outward investment are high: foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK by companies based overseas accounts for almost 9% of the total global stock while UK-based companies investments overseas account for over 14% of the global stock (Edwards 2004). In both instances, the UK is second only to the worlds largest economy, the United States. As a result MNCs are significant employers in Britain; for example, 18% of the workforce in the production sector are employed by overseas-owned companies with many more being employed in the domestic operations of British-owned multinationals (Edwards 2004). For multinational companies in the UK to achieve a successful transition in their drive for global expansion and competitive advantage, multinational companies would require innovative HR programmes which would enable them to anticipate critical workforce trends, shaping and executing business strategy, identifying and addressing people-related risks and regulations, enhancing workforce performance and productivity, and offering new HR services to help a company improve and grow (Edwards et al 2007). 2.5 HR Practices: Effectiveness A number of authors have explored the links between individual HR practices and corporate financial performance. For example, Lam and White (1998) reported that firms HR orientations (measured by the effective recruitment of employees, above average compensation, and extensive training and development) were related to return on assets, growth in sales, and growth in stock values. Using a sample of banks, Richard and Johnson (2001) examined the impact of strategic HRM effectiveness (ratings of how effectively a variety of HR practices were performed) on a number of performance variables. They found that strategic HRM effectiveness was directly related to employee turnover and the relationship between this measure and return on equity was stronger among banks with higher capital intensity (greater investments in branches). In this thesis, HRM would be described in the context of a number of innovative practices which have been proven to enable MNCs manage the transition process in thei r drive for global expansion, thus enabling organizational effectiveness and better performance outcomes. Wright and McMahan (1992) defined innovative human resource programmes as practices and activities employed to enable an organization achieve its goals. These practices are seen as a departure from the traditional HR activities. Delery and Doty (1996) asserts that these practices are key drivers required by MNCs to respond with the right strategy as they expand their operations in different environments (Boselie et al, 2005). 2.6 Empirical Research: Human Resource Factors MNC Global Expansion The drive for global expansion by UK MNCs has necessitated the need for a human resource strategy that would ensure that the company is able to sustain its workforce. This has therefore led to the departure from the traditional HR administrative role to a more robust global HR function which takes cognisance of employee profile, the work and environment demographics, de-skilling, re-skilling and multi-skilling and issues related to outsourcing and synergy of its processes vis-à  -vis work-force reduction Lam and White (1998). The largest survey of employment practice of multinational companies (MNCs) in the UK was carried out by Edwards et al (2007). The key findings from the first large-scale, representative survey of employment practice in MNCs which have operations in the UK. The survey is comprehensive in its coverage of all but the smallest international companies. The findings derive from interviews with senior HR executives in each of 302 multinationals operating in Britain, both overseas- and UK-owned. The findings from the research suggest a connection between human resource practices and the performance of firms, a summary include the following HR programmes stated below. 2.6.1 Innovative HR Practice: Compensation Payment 85% of the firms surveyed were found to have a robust innovative program in terms of compensation and payment. This is achieved through a performance appraisal programme such as upward/peer appraisal and forced distribution. 72% of the MNCs utilized an innovative scheme for managers, through individual ‘output criteria which were supplemented by a range of other criteria including behaviour in relation to desired competencies and to corporate values. 2.6.2 Innovative HR Practice: Training Development Programmes In respect of adoption of high potential innovative training programmes among MNCs, the organisations were asked if both their UK and overseas operations had a management development programme specifically aimed at developing its ‘high potentials or senior management and employee potential. The data show that high potential programmes are adopted by 70% of organisations; 30% of organisations are not using them. Organisations were asked whether they used a global high potential programme that was adopted elsewhere worldwide, or a local, nationally specific programme. Most organisations indicated that their programmes are global in scope. 2.6.3 Innovative HR Practice: Appraisal Activities In comparison of performance appraisal practices and management values, the formal performance appraisal schemes for all three groups are very widespread; over nine out of ten firms have them for key group and managers, and over 80% have them for large occupational groups. Only 3% of firms have no formal appraisals at all. Just over a fifth of firms use ‘forced distributions for the results of appraisal. A clear majority of firms use the results of appraisal as the basis of decisions on redundancy and redeployment. 2.6.4 Innovative HR Practice: Employee Involvement Communication UK-based multinationals most commonly cite ‘setting a broad policy HR programme as being significant or very significant (62% and 66% for training and development and for employee involvement policy respectively). HR advice and consultancy is also relatively prominent for training and development policy (53% significant or very significant), but less so for employee involvement policy (33%). For training and development, and employee involvement, policy, the respective proportions reporting the other means of influence as significant or very significant are: setting detailed HR policies (32% and 31%); monitoring HR policy implementation (39% and 34%); and HR benchmarking and information exchange (42% and 28%). 2.6.5 Innovative HR Practice: Global Knowledge Sharing Diffusion In respect of innovative HR programmes which promote employee knowledge, learning and diffusion, international employee learning mechanisms are used extensively across all MNC both within the UK and across overseas operations. The survey focused on five formal organisational learning mechanisms used by managers that are international in their scope: International projects groups or task forces, which are often used to address specific issues; International formal committees; Secondments involving the placing of MNC employees in external organisations such as suppliers, customers, universities or private RD companies; Expatriate assignments The evidence showed that the most common organisational learning mechanism adopted among the managerial community within MNCs is the informal network (used by 84% of companies). International project groups/task forces also play a prominent role (used by 73% of organisations) and to a lesser degree expatriate assignments (used by 60% of organisations) and international formal committees (53% of organisations). In contrast, secondments are only adopted by around a quarter of the organisations (26%). The majority (82%) of organisations use two or more organisational learning mechanisms, with 53% adopting between three and four of the five organisational learning mechanisms among their managerial community. Around 9% fail to use any of the mechanisms listed. MNCs requiring integration between the UK operations and other sites worldwide are significantly more likely to adopt multiple organisational learning mechanisms (Tregaskis, Glover and Ferner, 2005). However, these national variatio ns show that the form that organisational learning and diffusion take is strongly shaped by the national context of the parent firm. 2.6.6 Innovative HR Practice: UK MNCs Use of Shared Services According to Edwards et al (2007), the findings from the study found that half of the UK MNCs operate shared services centres and have international HR policy formation bodies. They are far less likely, compared to US and other European MNCs, to have a worldwide approach to workforce management. UK firms consistently aim to pay a greater proportion of employees (managers, LOG and key group) in the top or 2nd quartile. Nine in ten UK firm have performance appraisal for their managers while seven in ten have formal appraisals for their LOG (Edwards et al 2007). Use of forced distribution is uncommon as is the use of 360-degree feedback. An overwhelming majority of UK MNCs tend to recognise trade unions for collective bargaining purposes. Formally designed teams and problem-solving groups are commonly found in UK MNCs as are a large number of communication mechanisms with meetings between line managers and employees, newsletters/emails and systematic use of the management chain the most commonly found communication mechanisms. Although the majority of UK MNCs have succession planning and formal management development programmes these tend to be comparatively less than other MNCs. 2.6.7 Use of Expatriates According to Edwards et al 2007, UK MNCs make considerably greater use of parent country expatriates than third country expatriates. This may reflect the short geographical proximity and cultural similarity between the UK and Ireland. UK MNCs tend to have considerable discretion over the various HR policy areas, much more than US firms. 2.6.8 IT Based Networks Services A key development in HR service provision over the past two decades has been the increased use of information technology (IT) (Edwards et al 2007). This is all the more relevant in MNCs, where IT systems may be used to monitor policy implementation and performance, and also to facilitate communications and networking, across borders. It thus provides an insight on the extent to which corporate management has access to HR data on its international operations and can compare performance on HR metrics across sites and countries. Specifically examined was the usage of IT based HR information systems (HRIS) and ‘shared services provision on an international level. In regard to the diffusion of HRIS, respondents were asked whether the worldwide company had an â€Å"HR Information System (such as PeopleSoft or SAP HR) that holds data relating to the firms international workforce†. The responses for both foreign and UK-owned MNCs showed that just over half (54 per cent) of all MNCs in the UK reported the use of HRIS that operates on an international basis. This is a similar to a study by Collings et al (2007), that found in the parallel UK study, where some 52 per cent used such a system (Edwards et al., 2007). However, among MNCs in the UK, a greater proportion of foreign-owned MNCs (56 percent) than UK-owned MNCs (44 per cent) reported the use of HRIS on an international basis (Edwards et al 2007). There were some discernable differences in regard to ownership. As indicated from the study, American firms were the highest users of HRIS (70 per cent), while the ‘rest of the world MNCs is the least likely. This again resonates with the UK findings where US MNCs were among the greatest users of HRIS and Japanese MNCs the lowest (Edwards et al, 2007). The impact of sector on the take-up of HRIS will be fully outlined and placed in the appendix in the forthcoming chapters. Among UK MNCs, the service sector accounted for the greatest number of firms with HRIS. However, among foreign-owned MNCs multi-sector firms were by far the largest users, followed by those in the service. 2.7 Previous Research: Human Resource Factors Previous studies have been utilized in exploring the current human resource innovative programmes that UK MNCs must take into account in their drive for global expansion. One of the main limitations of this review is that it is limited within the context of UK MNCs as there was the lack of evidence to determine the effects of these practices on MNCs operating in the context of both emerging and non-emerging economies. This is in consonance with Ericksen and Dyer (2005) and Wright et als., (2005), both of who also called for further empirical research from different contexts. Gerhart (2005) substantiate the question, to what extent are these innovative HR programmes valid for other context by saying: â€Å"This is a concern because it seems unlikely that one set of HR practices will work equally well no matter what context†. To shed more light on the issue and to further examine the relevance and effects of such programmes, it is important to conduct research in non-US / UK con text, (Katou Budhwar, 2007), especially in emerging economies. 2.8 HR Factors for Global Expansion: Effectiveness Previous research has explored the links between individual HR practices and corporate overall performance. For example, Lam and White (1998) reported that firms HR innovative programmes which are largely measured by the effective recruitment of employees, compensation programme, and extensive training and development were related to return on assets, growth in sales, and growth in stock values. Using a sample of manufacturing companies, multinational servicing companies and global financial institutions, Richard and Johnson (2001) examined the impact of strategic HRM effectiveness (ratings of how effectively a variety of HR practices were performed) on a number of performance variables. The findings suggested that implementation of innovative HR programmes had an effect on employee turnover and the overall performance of the company. 2.8.1 Recruitment Selection According to Terpstra and Rozelles (1993), who compared the relationship between recruiting / selection practices among US / UK MNCs and the firms performance, it was found that there was a strong connection in the companys performance between implementation of the new HR practices and the previous traditional practices, this was focused mainly on recruiting, selection and the use of formal selection procedures and firm performance. Cascio (1991) also states that the improved performances recorded after implementation of such new HR practices are generally substantial. 2.8.2 Employment Training Programmes Russel, Terborg and Powers (1985) in a survey of 30 US MNCs establish a link between the adoption of employment training programs and financial performance. The use of performance appraisals (Borman, 1991) and linking such appraisals with compensation has strongly been connected with the performance of a firm. (Gerhart Milkovich, 1990). Koch and McGrath (1996) reported that firms using more sophisticated staffing practices (planning, recruiting, and selection) had higher labour productivity. 2.8.3 Communication Employee Involvement Huselid (1995) reported that HR practices can influence firm performance through provision of organization structures that support involvement among employees and provides flexibility for improvement of job performance. Green et al (2006) states from findings of a survey that organizations that vertically aligned and horizontally integrated core human resource functions and practices performed better and produced more committed and satisfied HR function employees who exhibited improved individual and organizational performance. 2.8.4 Other Models Most of the work on innovative human resource programmes and the companys performance has been undertaken in the context of MNCs who consider the US and the UK as their home country. The question which arises, though, is whether the UK and US-oriented models are appropriate and representative in other contexts (see debate in special issue of the International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(7), 2001). Other studies analyzed such as Harel and Tzafrir (1999) found that in parts of Asia and the middle-east, innovative HR practices were related to perceived organizational and market performance. Bae and Lawler (2000) did find a significant relationship between HR practices and firm performance in their sample of 140 manufacturing firms in Asia, covering china, Japan and South Korea. Lee and Miller (1999) also found a strong relationship between HR practices and performance among a number of MNCs in Asia, but it is clearly stated that this relationship was most strongly pronounce d among firms using dedicated positioning (marketing differentiation or innovative differentiation) strategies. Bae et al., (2003) in their study of HR strategy in Pacific Rim countries found that the evidence of a strong relationship was however based on strict high-performance work system with a number of variable conditions. Morishima (1998) found support for the contingency perspective in a sample of Japanese companies. Firms with well-integrated high-involvement work practices and firms with well-integrated practices consistent with more traditional Japanese employment strategies both did better than firms with poorly integrated practices. Bae et al (2003) in their investigation of Hong Kong multinational companies found an increase in the firms performance due to certain core innovative HR work practices (training and compensation techniques) with high involvement characteristics. 2.9 Implementation Whilst there are currently limited researches in respect of implementation of innovative HR programs in the context of UK MNCs, however, according to Briscoe and Schuler (2004), Implementation may vary in respect of ‘what and how, thus limiting the value of comparative survey research. Chew and Horowitz (2004) states that the subject of implementation should only be considered in the context of the specific MNC or firm involved, as there are lots of contextual factors and limitations in implementation hence the need to be cautious and dissuade any hasty conclusions when taking on findings from research journals on implementation. Horowitz (2004) states that primary research on implementation would need to focus on contingency approaches and mediating variables affecting the MNC level application. A number of theoretical approaches would also add to the importance of ‘context frameworks such as integration/divergence or universalism versus local particularism, and ethnocen tric, geocentric, regiocentric and polycentric managerial strategies (Chew et al 2004). The author believes that such an extensive approach would not only examine the relationship between human resource innovative practices and relevance, but would take into account the host environment. 2.9.1 Implementation Expansion: Formation of HR Strategies According to Briscoe et al (2004), very little work has been done on the formation of methods for implementing and controlling the transition from specific administration HR services unto innovative programmes that are directly linked to strategic challenges such as increasing revenue through new market entry or mergers and acquisitions. The formation of the UK MNCs corporate strategy has to take into account the balance between those activities that need to be centralized or standardized and the degree of flexibility required by the affiliate to operate in the host country Brock (2005). The formation of HR strategies is distinguishable by variance in terms of level of abstraction and scope. The level of abstraction refers to the level at which the HR strategy is focused. According to Combs et al. (2006), there are different levels of abstraction in the design of a global HR system. Levels vary from recommendations, policy, to operational-level procedures. With a policy-level of abstraction, affiliates are given the freedom to implement their own HR strategies within the broad parameters of the standardized policies. However, with an operational level of abstraction, affiliates are expected to implement a more detailed HR management practice. Scope refers to the extent of HR management practices dealt with in the HR strategy. For example, the HR strategy may have a Effect of Human Resources on Global Expansion of MNCs Effect of Human Resources on Global Expansion of MNCs MBA Literature review The Relevance of Innovative Human Resource Programs to Facilitate Global Expansion of Multinational Companies (MNCs) from the UK. 2. Introduction The activities of multinational companies (MNCs) are at the heart of Britains internationally open and global economy. This global economy has emerged as companies all over the world are joining forces through alliances, mergers, joint ventures, acquisitions, and the like, thus creating the need for a constant mobile workforce and the HRM strategies to support and develop it. This would therefore imply a fundamental shift in the role of human resources from transaction and administration to strategy and business transformation through innovative programmes which supports the global strategy of the company. This section gives an overview of the literature review and the theoretical basis for the forthcoming chapters. The chapter consists of journals, books and research materials which throw more light into Innovative Human Resource Programs to Facilitate Global Expansion of Multinational Companies (MNCs) from the UK. The following were the primary information sources used for the literature review; ACM Digital Library Pro-Quest Direct EBSCO Publishing Gale Group Info Track OCLC First-Search Java Sun Microsystems Library IEEE Library Emerald Database 2.1 Evolution from Personnel Management to HRM According to Guest (1987), the origins of the traditional concept of personnel management can be traced to the post World War One welfare tradition of concern for the basic needs of employees. The developing and mature phases of personnel management from the 1940s to the 1970s saw an increase in the status and professionalism accorded to the personnel function, particularly in relation to industrial relations (IR) matters (see Sparrow 2004). The concept of HRM, as a new strategic approach to the management of people, evolved in the early 1980s (Ericksen 2005). Its evolution was influenced by a range of factors, including increased competitive pressures caused by deregulation and globalisation, and the influence of notable academics in the US and the UK (Ericksen, 2005). Although it has been suggested that HRM may be no more than old style personnel management with a new name (Gunnigle and Flood, 1990), Storey (1992) identifies four features of HRM which distinguish it from traditional personnel management: it is explicitly linked with corporate strategy; it seeks to obtain the commitment of employees rather than their compliance; employee commitment is obtained through an integrated approach to human resource policies (for example, reward, appraisal, selection, training); and unlike personnel management, which is primarily the domain of specialists, HRM is owned by line managers as a means of fostering integration. 2.1.1 Approaches to Human Resource Management 2.1.1.1 Hard Approach If an organisation focuses on control of resources and achievement of strategy, it may adopt a hard approach to HRM (see Storey, 1989) in which employees are viewed as a resource to be managed like any other factor of production. In this approach, the critical task for management is to align the formal structure and HR systems of the organisation so that they drive the strategic objectives of the organisation. This approach is exemplified in the strategic model of HRM developed by Fombrun et al (1984). It has been argued however that an over-emphasis on hard HRM ignores the potential resistance of workers and trade unions, factors which cannot be ignored if business strategy is to succeed (see Hendry, 1995). 2.1.1.2 Soft Approach In contrast, an organisation may place an emphasis on a soft approach to HRM (Storey, 1992 p. 30), in which employees are viewed as a valuable asset whose commitment will assist in achieving organisational success. The objective for organisations in such an approach is to integrate HR policies with the strategic planning process, to gain the willing commitment of employees, to achieve flexibility through avoidance of rigid bureaucratic structures and to improve quality (see Guest, 1987). The most well known soft model of HRM is known as the Harvard Model of HRM (Beer et al 1984), views business strategy as just one situational factor which influences managements approach to HRM. This model identifies a range of other situational factors which influence HR policy choices, including prevailing management philosophy, laws and societal values. In the context of this study, this model is significant in that it identifies a range of stakeholder interests (including unions, government and m anagement) which influence HR policy choices. It is argued that unless HR policies are influenced by key stakeholders, the enterprise will fail to meet the needs of these stakeholders, and ultimately its own objectives (see Beer et al 1984). 2.1.1.3 Ideal Type Model: Integrated links from Personnel to HRM Storey (1992) outlines a further model which illustrates the process involved in shifting from traditional personnel management to HRM. While this is an ideal type model, it comprises features which are significant for this study. For example, it stresses the need for integrated links between beliefs, assumptions, management issues and key elements of HRM. It also identifies key levers of change in the various elements of HRM, including recruitment and selection, training and development and conditions of employment. A strategic approach to HRM can be developed by creating effective policies in these areas (Storey 1992) 2.1.2 The integrative aspects of HRM A key theme running through many of the models is integration, which according to Guest (1987) lies at the heart of HRM. He identifies integration at three levels: integration of HRM policies with business strategy; integration of a set of complementary HRM policies; integration of HRM into the line management function. 2.1.3 The Role of Management According to Storey (1992), best practice indicates that the extent to which the transition process from traditional personnel functions to strategic HRM functions can be achieved will be influenced significantly by the belief and support of senior management in the added value that HRM can contribute to the organisation. More importantly, this belief must be visibly demonstrated, for example by committing additional resources to the development of HR strategy and the building up of HR skills levels. As a first step, the head of HR should be afforded a genuine role in the formulation of key business decisions. This contribution must be an integral part of the business strategy formulation process, so that HR issues are accorded a key priority as opposed to simply being added on to, or indeed excluded from, the core business of the organisation. On an ongoing basis, heads of HR should also be enabled to have a genuine input into decisions taken at top management level which have impli cations for HR. Clearly, if the head of HR is to be enabled to play a genuine role in ensuring that HRM issues become a top management priority, it is important that the professionalism accorded to HR, for example through the development of expertise in integrating HR and business strategies, begins at this level. 2.2 Definitions: Innovative HR Programmes According to Agarwala (2003), defines innovative human resource programmes of a company can be described as: Any intentional introduction or change of HRM program, policy, practice or system designed to influence or adapt employee the skills, behaviours, and interactions of employees and have the potential to provide both the foundation for strategy formulation and the means of strategy implementation that is perceived to be new and creates current capabilities and competencies (Agarwala, 2003). 2.2.1 Innovative HR Programmes According to James (2002), innovative programmes can be grouped into a set of new initiatives which are associated with the process of developing a strategic approach to HRMenhancing its competitiveness. A few of these include: Reducing costs through shared services centres, self-service, and outsourcing. Develop uniform HR processes recognising local regulatory requirements to help foster a low-cost, administrative delivery model. Create a self-service culture for employees and managers. Establish global employee shared services centres focused on delivering HR administrative support to multiple geographic areas, thereby reducing administrative overhead. Outsource key services that can be more efficiently managed and administered externally. Streamlining technology and information management Improve information access to help companies more efficiently manage their human capital assets, provide employees and managers with enhanced access to information, improve HR reporting, and address growing compliance requirements. Reduce HR technology operating costs by consolidating multiple technologies, technical infrastructure, and IT skills. Managing people globally Help enable the company to respond to the interdependencies of global markets by managing human assets globally rather than nationally or regionally thereby improving competitiveness in the international marketplace. Enabling HR to shift its focus from administration to strategy Remove the administrative component of the work of business HR professionals, enabling them to provide more value-added services and to focus on consultative and analytical interactions with line managers. Facilitate HRs transition to a strategic partnership with the company by upgrading talent and skills within the HR function. 2.3 Background: Human Resource Evolution According to Cooke (2003), first Generation HR Transformation represented a fundamental shift in HRs role, from transactions and administration to strategy and business transformation. First Generation HR Transformation focused on changing the existing relationship between employees, managers, and HR, (Randall 2006). With technology as a key enabler and process re-engineering playing a pivotal role, this First Generation effort sought to help make employees more self-sufficient, whilst asking them to take more responsibility for their own careers (Datta et al 2005). It also sought to help remove HR from the middle of the employee/manager relationship by making managers more responsible for handling their employees HR needs. Over the past ten years, HR Transformation has led to a major restructuring of HR operations and processes transforming the way HR services are delivered Cooke (2003). 2.4 UK MNCs: Achieving Global Expansion MNCs in the United Kingdom have long been well established in manufacturing, but in recent years they have emerged as dominant players in the private service sector and have even become involved in the provision of public services (Edwards 2004). Levels of both inward and outward investment are high: foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK by companies based overseas accounts for almost 9% of the total global stock while UK-based companies investments overseas account for over 14% of the global stock (Edwards 2004). In both instances, the UK is second only to the worlds largest economy, the United States. As a result MNCs are significant employers in Britain; for example, 18% of the workforce in the production sector are employed by overseas-owned companies with many more being employed in the domestic operations of British-owned multinationals (Edwards 2004). For multinational companies in the UK to achieve a successful transition in their drive for global expansion and competitive advantage, multinational companies would require innovative HR programmes which would enable them to anticipate critical workforce trends, shaping and executing business strategy, identifying and addressing people-related risks and regulations, enhancing workforce performance and productivity, and offering new HR services to help a company improve and grow (Edwards et al 2007). 2.5 HR Practices: Effectiveness A number of authors have explored the links between individual HR practices and corporate financial performance. For example, Lam and White (1998) reported that firms HR orientations (measured by the effective recruitment of employees, above average compensation, and extensive training and development) were related to return on assets, growth in sales, and growth in stock values. Using a sample of banks, Richard and Johnson (2001) examined the impact of strategic HRM effectiveness (ratings of how effectively a variety of HR practices were performed) on a number of performance variables. They found that strategic HRM effectiveness was directly related to employee turnover and the relationship between this measure and return on equity was stronger among banks with higher capital intensity (greater investments in branches). In this thesis, HRM would be described in the context of a number of innovative practices which have been proven to enable MNCs manage the transition process in thei r drive for global expansion, thus enabling organizational effectiveness and better performance outcomes. Wright and McMahan (1992) defined innovative human resource programmes as practices and activities employed to enable an organization achieve its goals. These practices are seen as a departure from the traditional HR activities. Delery and Doty (1996) asserts that these practices are key drivers required by MNCs to respond with the right strategy as they expand their operations in different environments (Boselie et al, 2005). 2.6 Empirical Research: Human Resource Factors MNC Global Expansion The drive for global expansion by UK MNCs has necessitated the need for a human resource strategy that would ensure that the company is able to sustain its workforce. This has therefore led to the departure from the traditional HR administrative role to a more robust global HR function which takes cognisance of employee profile, the work and environment demographics, de-skilling, re-skilling and multi-skilling and issues related to outsourcing and synergy of its processes vis-à  -vis work-force reduction Lam and White (1998). The largest survey of employment practice of multinational companies (MNCs) in the UK was carried out by Edwards et al (2007). The key findings from the first large-scale, representative survey of employment practice in MNCs which have operations in the UK. The survey is comprehensive in its coverage of all but the smallest international companies. The findings derive from interviews with senior HR executives in each of 302 multinationals operating in Britain, both overseas- and UK-owned. The findings from the research suggest a connection between human resource practices and the performance of firms, a summary include the following HR programmes stated below. 2.6.1 Innovative HR Practice: Compensation Payment 85% of the firms surveyed were found to have a robust innovative program in terms of compensation and payment. This is achieved through a performance appraisal programme such as upward/peer appraisal and forced distribution. 72% of the MNCs utilized an innovative scheme for managers, through individual ‘output criteria which were supplemented by a range of other criteria including behaviour in relation to desired competencies and to corporate values. 2.6.2 Innovative HR Practice: Training Development Programmes In respect of adoption of high potential innovative training programmes among MNCs, the organisations were asked if both their UK and overseas operations had a management development programme specifically aimed at developing its ‘high potentials or senior management and employee potential. The data show that high potential programmes are adopted by 70% of organisations; 30% of organisations are not using them. Organisations were asked whether they used a global high potential programme that was adopted elsewhere worldwide, or a local, nationally specific programme. Most organisations indicated that their programmes are global in scope. 2.6.3 Innovative HR Practice: Appraisal Activities In comparison of performance appraisal practices and management values, the formal performance appraisal schemes for all three groups are very widespread; over nine out of ten firms have them for key group and managers, and over 80% have them for large occupational groups. Only 3% of firms have no formal appraisals at all. Just over a fifth of firms use ‘forced distributions for the results of appraisal. A clear majority of firms use the results of appraisal as the basis of decisions on redundancy and redeployment. 2.6.4 Innovative HR Practice: Employee Involvement Communication UK-based multinationals most commonly cite ‘setting a broad policy HR programme as being significant or very significant (62% and 66% for training and development and for employee involvement policy respectively). HR advice and consultancy is also relatively prominent for training and development policy (53% significant or very significant), but less so for employee involvement policy (33%). For training and development, and employee involvement, policy, the respective proportions reporting the other means of influence as significant or very significant are: setting detailed HR policies (32% and 31%); monitoring HR policy implementation (39% and 34%); and HR benchmarking and information exchange (42% and 28%). 2.6.5 Innovative HR Practice: Global Knowledge Sharing Diffusion In respect of innovative HR programmes which promote employee knowledge, learning and diffusion, international employee learning mechanisms are used extensively across all MNC both within the UK and across overseas operations. The survey focused on five formal organisational learning mechanisms used by managers that are international in their scope: International projects groups or task forces, which are often used to address specific issues; International formal committees; Secondments involving the placing of MNC employees in external organisations such as suppliers, customers, universities or private RD companies; Expatriate assignments The evidence showed that the most common organisational learning mechanism adopted among the managerial community within MNCs is the informal network (used by 84% of companies). International project groups/task forces also play a prominent role (used by 73% of organisations) and to a lesser degree expatriate assignments (used by 60% of organisations) and international formal committees (53% of organisations). In contrast, secondments are only adopted by around a quarter of the organisations (26%). The majority (82%) of organisations use two or more organisational learning mechanisms, with 53% adopting between three and four of the five organisational learning mechanisms among their managerial community. Around 9% fail to use any of the mechanisms listed. MNCs requiring integration between the UK operations and other sites worldwide are significantly more likely to adopt multiple organisational learning mechanisms (Tregaskis, Glover and Ferner, 2005). However, these national variatio ns show that the form that organisational learning and diffusion take is strongly shaped by the national context of the parent firm. 2.6.6 Innovative HR Practice: UK MNCs Use of Shared Services According to Edwards et al (2007), the findings from the study found that half of the UK MNCs operate shared services centres and have international HR policy formation bodies. They are far less likely, compared to US and other European MNCs, to have a worldwide approach to workforce management. UK firms consistently aim to pay a greater proportion of employees (managers, LOG and key group) in the top or 2nd quartile. Nine in ten UK firm have performance appraisal for their managers while seven in ten have formal appraisals for their LOG (Edwards et al 2007). Use of forced distribution is uncommon as is the use of 360-degree feedback. An overwhelming majority of UK MNCs tend to recognise trade unions for collective bargaining purposes. Formally designed teams and problem-solving groups are commonly found in UK MNCs as are a large number of communication mechanisms with meetings between line managers and employees, newsletters/emails and systematic use of the management chain the most commonly found communication mechanisms. Although the majority of UK MNCs have succession planning and formal management development programmes these tend to be comparatively less than other MNCs. 2.6.7 Use of Expatriates According to Edwards et al 2007, UK MNCs make considerably greater use of parent country expatriates than third country expatriates. This may reflect the short geographical proximity and cultural similarity between the UK and Ireland. UK MNCs tend to have considerable discretion over the various HR policy areas, much more than US firms. 2.6.8 IT Based Networks Services A key development in HR service provision over the past two decades has been the increased use of information technology (IT) (Edwards et al 2007). This is all the more relevant in MNCs, where IT systems may be used to monitor policy implementation and performance, and also to facilitate communications and networking, across borders. It thus provides an insight on the extent to which corporate management has access to HR data on its international operations and can compare performance on HR metrics across sites and countries. Specifically examined was the usage of IT based HR information systems (HRIS) and ‘shared services provision on an international level. In regard to the diffusion of HRIS, respondents were asked whether the worldwide company had an â€Å"HR Information System (such as PeopleSoft or SAP HR) that holds data relating to the firms international workforce†. The responses for both foreign and UK-owned MNCs showed that just over half (54 per cent) of all MNCs in the UK reported the use of HRIS that operates on an international basis. This is a similar to a study by Collings et al (2007), that found in the parallel UK study, where some 52 per cent used such a system (Edwards et al., 2007). However, among MNCs in the UK, a greater proportion of foreign-owned MNCs (56 percent) than UK-owned MNCs (44 per cent) reported the use of HRIS on an international basis (Edwards et al 2007). There were some discernable differences in regard to ownership. As indicated from the study, American firms were the highest users of HRIS (70 per cent), while the ‘rest of the world MNCs is the least likely. This again resonates with the UK findings where US MNCs were among the greatest users of HRIS and Japanese MNCs the lowest (Edwards et al, 2007). The impact of sector on the take-up of HRIS will be fully outlined and placed in the appendix in the forthcoming chapters. Among UK MNCs, the service sector accounted for the greatest number of firms with HRIS. However, among foreign-owned MNCs multi-sector firms were by far the largest users, followed by those in the service. 2.7 Previous Research: Human Resource Factors Previous studies have been utilized in exploring the current human resource innovative programmes that UK MNCs must take into account in their drive for global expansion. One of the main limitations of this review is that it is limited within the context of UK MNCs as there was the lack of evidence to determine the effects of these practices on MNCs operating in the context of both emerging and non-emerging economies. This is in consonance with Ericksen and Dyer (2005) and Wright et als., (2005), both of who also called for further empirical research from different contexts. Gerhart (2005) substantiate the question, to what extent are these innovative HR programmes valid for other context by saying: â€Å"This is a concern because it seems unlikely that one set of HR practices will work equally well no matter what context†. To shed more light on the issue and to further examine the relevance and effects of such programmes, it is important to conduct research in non-US / UK con text, (Katou Budhwar, 2007), especially in emerging economies. 2.8 HR Factors for Global Expansion: Effectiveness Previous research has explored the links between individual HR practices and corporate overall performance. For example, Lam and White (1998) reported that firms HR innovative programmes which are largely measured by the effective recruitment of employees, compensation programme, and extensive training and development were related to return on assets, growth in sales, and growth in stock values. Using a sample of manufacturing companies, multinational servicing companies and global financial institutions, Richard and Johnson (2001) examined the impact of strategic HRM effectiveness (ratings of how effectively a variety of HR practices were performed) on a number of performance variables. The findings suggested that implementation of innovative HR programmes had an effect on employee turnover and the overall performance of the company. 2.8.1 Recruitment Selection According to Terpstra and Rozelles (1993), who compared the relationship between recruiting / selection practices among US / UK MNCs and the firms performance, it was found that there was a strong connection in the companys performance between implementation of the new HR practices and the previous traditional practices, this was focused mainly on recruiting, selection and the use of formal selection procedures and firm performance. Cascio (1991) also states that the improved performances recorded after implementation of such new HR practices are generally substantial. 2.8.2 Employment Training Programmes Russel, Terborg and Powers (1985) in a survey of 30 US MNCs establish a link between the adoption of employment training programs and financial performance. The use of performance appraisals (Borman, 1991) and linking such appraisals with compensation has strongly been connected with the performance of a firm. (Gerhart Milkovich, 1990). Koch and McGrath (1996) reported that firms using more sophisticated staffing practices (planning, recruiting, and selection) had higher labour productivity. 2.8.3 Communication Employee Involvement Huselid (1995) reported that HR practices can influence firm performance through provision of organization structures that support involvement among employees and provides flexibility for improvement of job performance. Green et al (2006) states from findings of a survey that organizations that vertically aligned and horizontally integrated core human resource functions and practices performed better and produced more committed and satisfied HR function employees who exhibited improved individual and organizational performance. 2.8.4 Other Models Most of the work on innovative human resource programmes and the companys performance has been undertaken in the context of MNCs who consider the US and the UK as their home country. The question which arises, though, is whether the UK and US-oriented models are appropriate and representative in other contexts (see debate in special issue of the International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(7), 2001). Other studies analyzed such as Harel and Tzafrir (1999) found that in parts of Asia and the middle-east, innovative HR practices were related to perceived organizational and market performance. Bae and Lawler (2000) did find a significant relationship between HR practices and firm performance in their sample of 140 manufacturing firms in Asia, covering china, Japan and South Korea. Lee and Miller (1999) also found a strong relationship between HR practices and performance among a number of MNCs in Asia, but it is clearly stated that this relationship was most strongly pronounce d among firms using dedicated positioning (marketing differentiation or innovative differentiation) strategies. Bae et al., (2003) in their study of HR strategy in Pacific Rim countries found that the evidence of a strong relationship was however based on strict high-performance work system with a number of variable conditions. Morishima (1998) found support for the contingency perspective in a sample of Japanese companies. Firms with well-integrated high-involvement work practices and firms with well-integrated practices consistent with more traditional Japanese employment strategies both did better than firms with poorly integrated practices. Bae et al (2003) in their investigation of Hong Kong multinational companies found an increase in the firms performance due to certain core innovative HR work practices (training and compensation techniques) with high involvement characteristics. 2.9 Implementation Whilst there are currently limited researches in respect of implementation of innovative HR programs in the context of UK MNCs, however, according to Briscoe and Schuler (2004), Implementation may vary in respect of ‘what and how, thus limiting the value of comparative survey research. Chew and Horowitz (2004) states that the subject of implementation should only be considered in the context of the specific MNC or firm involved, as there are lots of contextual factors and limitations in implementation hence the need to be cautious and dissuade any hasty conclusions when taking on findings from research journals on implementation. Horowitz (2004) states that primary research on implementation would need to focus on contingency approaches and mediating variables affecting the MNC level application. A number of theoretical approaches would also add to the importance of ‘context frameworks such as integration/divergence or universalism versus local particularism, and ethnocen tric, geocentric, regiocentric and polycentric managerial strategies (Chew et al 2004). The author believes that such an extensive approach would not only examine the relationship between human resource innovative practices and relevance, but would take into account the host environment. 2.9.1 Implementation Expansion: Formation of HR Strategies According to Briscoe et al (2004), very little work has been done on the formation of methods for implementing and controlling the transition from specific administration HR services unto innovative programmes that are directly linked to strategic challenges such as increasing revenue through new market entry or mergers and acquisitions. The formation of the UK MNCs corporate strategy has to take into account the balance between those activities that need to be centralized or standardized and the degree of flexibility required by the affiliate to operate in the host country Brock (2005). The formation of HR strategies is distinguishable by variance in terms of level of abstraction and scope. The level of abstraction refers to the level at which the HR strategy is focused. According to Combs et al. (2006), there are different levels of abstraction in the design of a global HR system. Levels vary from recommendations, policy, to operational-level procedures. With a policy-level of abstraction, affiliates are given the freedom to implement their own HR strategies within the broad parameters of the standardized policies. However, with an operational level of abstraction, affiliates are expected to implement a more detailed HR management practice. Scope refers to the extent of HR management practices dealt with in the HR strategy. For example, the HR strategy may have a