Developing leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Developing leadership - Essay Example e had to switch from functional work teams to cross-functional, market-based virtual teams in order to better integrate functions that are important for customer responsiveness. ICT advances have offered new opportunities to build and lead virtual teams in the travel industry. These teams consist of workers who are located far from one another, possess unique skills, and must cooperate and collaborate to complete important tasks in the organisation. In the establishment, maintenance and support of virtual teams in this industry, leaders face various challenges including building cohesion, trust and team identity, and ensuring employees are not isolated (Sobel & Reilly, 2010: p39). They also face challenges in the selection of team members with the right interpersonal and technical abilities and skills needed work in the virtual environment, as well as in the evaluation of their performance. Virtual organisations pose unique challenges for leaders in the travel industry, including cultural issues, setup and maintenance costs, lack of trust between team members, and isolation of team members. These challenges could result in productivity problems and communication issues. Virtual organisation leadership demands a new approach, requiring the evaluation of disadvantages and advantages of non-traditional operations, as well as leadership competencies needed to manage at a virtual level (Camarinha-Matos et al., 2012: p40). In travel organisations facing growth and resource restrictions, which involve organisational evolution to a virtual environment of a cross-functional nature, being an agent for change, and interpersonal skills are crucial leadership skills. Failure to lead the organisation through the virtual working challenges and to adopt a new structure of the organisation poses significant risk to the organisation. The complexities facing leadership in the virtual org anisation are supported by research, which suggests various challenges contributing as social

A Chat with Jesus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Chat with Jesus - Essay Example The high price of such experience shows the value found in wisdom, a treasure more valuable than gold and diamonds. As there are rare people who truly have the wisdom that promotes prosperity not only in the financial aspect of a person’s life but includes philosophical, psychological, emotional and spiritual prosperity; it is indeed important to consider the people a person deals with. If given the chance to speak with one person for twenty four hours, the choice would definitely the man who was crucified because of his claim that He is the Son of God. There are many courageous people who would claim what or who they are but probably would never dare to say that they the sons God. Being a prominent figure in the generation He lived with, Jesus never sought to be famous instead, he eluded political power which could have been easily his with the help of his supporters and the Jews who were unfairly treated by the Roman government. In a world where fame and fortune are importan t, it would be wisest to hear from one who has looked to better things rather than what is seen in the present. In addition, it would be a great advantage for a person to get himself involved in the spiritual discussions of a master, a teacher who knows about the centuries-old questions about life after death. The very reason why Jesus Christ was crucified was because of His claim of being the Son of God which, to the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ point of view, was a means of equating one’s self with the Creator of man, God. This was considered blasphemous, for a man to consider Himself equal with God, yet Jesus with all the courage He could muster and despite the knowledge of what disaster awaits Him, Jesus still declared Himself to be the man He claimed to be, the Son of the Living God, enraging the teachers of the law and endangering His life. One of the things people look up to these days, is the courage and boldness a person has in presenting himself, to be hi ghly applauded and well-considered. If indeed this is a need that is to be met in this generation for a person to be able to be competitive and successful, then listening to the advice of a person who had all the confidence in declaring himself to be the Son of God, would be a great help. Many scholars study about confidence building as they see it important in a person’s life and probably, for a person to be able to survive in a world like ours, one has to have the attitude of being sure of one’s self. Of course, not everyone is equipped with such confidence for even other great philosophers and prophets had their own slice of uncertainties. For Jesus, He was so sure of Himself that even if it meant death to Him, he still stood for what he believed in, for which, on another perspective, would be considered honorable and making him highly distinguishable. Fame and fortune are one of the things modern people chase but with Jesus, having all the abilities and capabilitie s, he chose to live a simple life, out of the limelight despite the good things He did. Surely, there is something more important in life than the aforementioned essentials of modern living. Getting an education about the matter would be a great experience with the teacher who could have the best reasons why He chose not to get himself involved in politics and other forms where he could acquire wealth. Reading books could inform me in years and probably provide me with all the information needed but authors may be misconstrued and readers forget. As mentioned earlier, speaking with a wise man face to face is far better than just

Benedict Arnold: Impact On American History

Benedict Arnold: Impact On American History During the middle of the eighteenth century, many questions arose regarding the future of the American Colonies, a relatively vast collection of British Colonial settlements along the Atlantic coast of the New World. As a schism divided the citizens of the Colonies, war appeared to be the inevitable future. Due to countless years of benign neglect shown by the British to its little child, patriots felt that it was time for an epic revolution. This era of great revolutionary movements is characterized by many popular figureheads in American history. Great minds such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington are accredited for being most influential. One man, however, is often overlooked in playing a vital role, both positive and negative, in the revolutionary landscape. His name is associated with traitor and he is quite possibly the most infamous person in American history. People have vilified him to the point where they compare him to Judas, betrayer of Jesus Ch rist (Martin). Benedict Arnold, one of the most controversial men to have called himself an American, is considered to be one of the greatest military minds in the history of the world. The question is: what made him switch sides? His impact is undeniable, but unfortunately, his actions against the United States are, quite simply, too immense to forget. SIGNIFICANCE: Background: Early Life and Pre-Revolution Benedict Arnold was born January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. His Father, Benedict, was a successful businessman and his mother, Hannah Waterman-King, was a wealthy widow prior to re-marrying. His familys financial stature in Norwich was well recognized. Benedict was enrolled in a private school at a young age with the expectation that he would go on to be educated in an elite university (Creighton). His Fathers mismanagement of money, however, saw Benedict drop out of school, forcing him to take an apprenticeship with his mothers pharmaceutical business. Four of Arnolds siblings would eventually succumb to Yellow Fever. The combination of the death of his children, mismanagement of the fortune, and eventually, the death of his wife in 1759, saw Benedicts father to become a severe alcoholic (Sheinkin). Arnold would eventually see his first military action during the French Indian War, leaving his apprenticeship to join the cause. He enlisted in the Connecticut militia and march ed to Lake George and Albany to oppose the French in the Battle of Fort William Henry. The Indians supporting the French would go against the will of their French leaders who had promised them scalps and booty, going on to mercilessly massacring several hundred men in the militia (Hickman). From this moment, Arnold despised the French, which have said to influence him later on. After the crushing defeat, Benedict grew tired of the constant discipline and returned to his apprenticeship. http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/images/arnold.jpg Sons of Liberty Benedict Arnold grew to become a successful businessman. His rich cousins supplied him with enough money to go out on his own in the pharmaceutical business. Arnold traveled to Europe, where he bought necessary supplies for his own pharmaceutical business which he would go on to establish in New Haven (Benedict Arnold). His business ambitions soon expanded after he made significant profit in his first business venture. He involved himself in the West India Trade and also traded with Canada. Arnold acquired three ships in partnership with his friend, Adam Babcock (Hickman). Their business was successful, until Englands implementation of the Sugar and Stamp Acts. Arnold became displeased with Britains overwhelming taxation on imported goods in order to make up for their indebted crisis after the French Indian War. His outrage led him to become the passionate leader of the Sons of Liberty in New Haven, building up his anger towards the British stranglehold placed upon t he Colonies. Arnold, however, was not the only one with growing hatred towards the British. http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/4/48363/1108061-sons_of_liberty_poster_p228640904795152089trma_400_super.jpg In the middle of the 1700s, Britain began to impose several acts, taxes, and laws that paralyzed the progression of the Colonies. For example, in 1764, Britain imposed the Sugar Act, which increased the duties on non-British goods being traded with the Colonies. Later, in 1765, Britain passed the Quartering Act which forced the Colonies to supply and provide barracks for British troops. The last of the three initial Acts in the 1760s was the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act was the first direct taxation of the citizens of the Colonies, taxing all paper goods such as newspapers, pamphlets, and even playing cards. As a way of rebelling against the British oppression, the Stamp Act Congress was convened. The Stamp Act Congress passed a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which claimed that American colonists were equal to all other British citizens, protested taxation without representation, and stated that, without colonial representation in Parliament, Parliament could not tax colon ists. In addition, the colonists increased their non-importation efforts (Morris). In the big scheme of things, this was just the beginning of tensions between the Colonies and Britain in the events before the Revolution. The tumult regarding the impositions put in place by the British initiated a power struggle within the colonies. Britain was consistently attempting to stamp out the flame that the Colonists were trying to start. Although the Brits repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, they fired right back by passing the Declaratory Act. This Act stated that the British government could establish laws in the colonies in all cases whatsoever (Morris). This squashed the Americans slogan of no taxation without representation. The first real call for revolution came in the form of Samuel Adams, who issued his Massachusetts Circular Letter which attacked Parliaments audacity to tax them at free will. Adams called for a unified revolt within all the colonies, which raised the question of, Can we really do this?. That question was answered by Thomas Paine, who wrote his famous pamphlet, Common Sense, to stimulate thought within the American population. Paine wrote in a manner that was well understood by all peop le, making his writings very successful. Paine said that it was only logical for the colonists to rebel, which caused many neutral thinkers to choose sides. This, however, only highlighted the schism between the American people. Commonsense.jpg An indicator of how tensions were breaking in this era is shown in the Boston Massacre of 1770. The arrival of British troops in Boston marked the beginning of conflict between soldiers and citizens. A group of three British soldiers were surrounded by an angry Bostonian crowd, which inexplicably caused the soldiers to fire randomly into the crown, killing three and wounding two more (Morris). Crispus Attucks, one of the casualties in the Massacre, was said to be The first death of the Revolution, as he lay mercilessly slain on the cold ground. Later, in 1773, Parliament instituted the Tea Act, considered to be the last revolutionary spark in Boston. It was a last ditch attempt to save the East India Company, forcing colonists to buy British tea with the Townshend taxes still in place. The colonists saw this as a direct attempt to undercut the revenue of local merchants. As reaction to this Act, the famous Boston Tea Party resulted in men dressed up as Indians and dumping all tea into the harbor. Tensions had reached their breaking point, and it was time for organized revolution. It is out of this revolution that gave rise to one of the greatest generals in American history, one that would rival Patton, Washington, and Eisenhower. However, his name is more despised than it is revered, but his impact in nonetheless undeniable. Benedict Arnold: American General With his livelihood significantly impaired by the British involvement imposed in the colonies, Benedict Arnold devoted himself to the resistance of British tyranny. As tensions with London increased, Arnold increasingly became interested in military matters and was elected a captain in the Connecticut militia in March 1775 (Hickman). When word was spread about the first shots being fired in the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Benedict jumped at the chance to ruin the British. Arnold assembled his 60 troops in the college green, and decided to have them march north to partake in the Siege of Boston. Fort Ticonderoga As Arnold approached Boston from the south, he proposed an aggressive siege upon Fort Ticonderoga in New York to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety. He was commissioned as a colonel to lead the mission. He soon found out, however, that Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys were set to accomplish the same task. When Arnold and Allen met up, they clashed and battled for the right to control the siege. In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and The Green Mountain Boys fought with Arnolds men in a convincing takeover of Fort Ticonderoga under the joint command of Allen and Arnold. The battle itself took about a total of ten minutes, as the American revolutionaries attacked the fort at 3:00 AM, catching the guards totally off guard. After the siege, Allens men decided to have a party by plundering the fort. Arnold was far from amused, and reported to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, There is here at present 100 men, who are in the greatest confusion and anarchy, destroying and plu ndering private property, committing every enormity, and paying no attention to public service (Sheinkin). Arnolds hatred of stagnation and inactivity made him want more. He had control of the southern portion of Lake Champlain, but sought full control of the lake. A fort on the opposite bank of the lake, Fort St. Johns, had possession of the greatest warship on the lake, the George. Arnold selected his 30 best troops to join him as they sailed across the lake to seize control of Ft. St. Johns, their primary objective being the seizure of the George. They reached the opposite bank on May 18, and were able to secure control of the Fort and the George without firing a single shot (Sheinkin). Arnolds quick actions and bravery were evident from the get-go, and it was only uphill for him from then on. http://www.lcmm.org/images/img_education/img_outreaches/brassier_map.jpg Benedict Arnolds brash and bold manner was recognized quickly by Congress. In fact, they were scared. Arnolds lightning quick seizure of Fort St. Johns came as a shock to many. The Americans didnt even have an official army yet, and Arnold was eager for more action. Benedict was often characterized when he had too much free time as, restless, frustrated, and irritated (Martin). Fortunately, Arnold wasnt held idle for long, but not for the reason he hoped. He returned to see to his sickly wife, who died at the young age of 30. Quebec The Continental Army had officially been formed, but Arnolds return home saw him catch severe symptoms of gout. After his brief term of absence, he returned to Cambridge to meet with George Washington. Their plan was to invade Quebec, and Arnold was to be Washingtons right-hand man. Arnold pitched the idea that he would approach Quebec from an uncharted and treacherous route through the dense forest of Maine. Arnold hand chose 1000 men to aid him on his perilous journey to seize Quebec. Arnold brought along Jacataqua, a friend of young Aaron Burr. She knew the areas around the Kennebec River, and proved to be a crucial asset to their journey. The terrain they encountered was characterized by dense, wooded areas with swampy grounds, making traversing them next to impossible. Almost one quarter of the troops eventually turned around and headed back. Conditions of survival were rough also, as many of the boats leaked, which in turn spoiled the food and gunpowder aboard. Once the group f inally reached the St. Lawrence River, only 600 of the 1050 initial troops remained. They had travelled almost 400 miles through uncharted territory and were relatively unarmed. The Battle of Quebec began, however, despite the damage cause to Arnold and his troops. Arnold met up with Major General Richard Montgomery and united their meager forces against the fortified city of Quebec (Hickman). The Americans saw a crushing defeat on December 30, and December 31 at the hands of the British and their reinforcements, almost putting Arnolds perilous journey in vain. Arnold was severely wounded in his leg and along with the death of Gen. Montgomery, the Americans were left with poor spirits. File:American attack on Quebec.svg Question of Character Benedict Arnold was promoted to Brigadier General and commanded the retreat south from Montreal in 1776. After a strong defense at Fort Ticonderoga, Arnolds bravery remained intact, but the trust and support of his troops did not. Some of his officers often called him cocky and even arrogant. Benedict saw many of his troops question his tactics and thought he was overly aggressive. Arnold was, in fact, falsely accused to have stolen war supplies so that he could be replaced. Fellow General, Horatio Gates, saw that Benedicts tight following to the rules and guidelines of war were too great for him to have stolen supplies. The court found him guilty, but Gates blocked this potential decision. Benedict had the right to feel angry over the his treatment by the other men (Benedict Arnold). It was occurrences such as these where he was mistreated that contributed to him eventually switching sides in the war. Much to Arnolds relief, he was sent back to Rhode Island to report to George Washi ngton in order to rearrange defenses in response to the British occupation of Rhode Island. Arnolds Frustration Arnolds first feelings of discontent with his treatment by Congress and his peers were evident as he was consistently passed up to be promoted to Major General. His peers, who were also inferior officers, generated rumors about him that permanently damaged his reputation. Arnold had evident jealousies also, which were seen as weak because such a minute outside interference could affect him on the inside. Virtue is a key concept in the Revolution, and Congress repeatedly insulted Arnolds virtue (Martin). Arnold twice withdrew from the army with the firm belief that his honor and hard work were not being recognized. Benedict was deeply unhappy with his treatment, and it wouldnt get much better. Redemption at Saratoga Commander Philip Schuyler was the man who convinced Arnold to stay in the Continental Army. He saw Arnold as someone who could provide a spark in the Northern Army, a unit with some disunion and lack of firepower. He was dispatched with some 900 men to relieve the siege at Fort Stanwix (Henretta). This siege was almost too easy for Arnold, who was surprised to return to find out it was now Horatio Gates who was in command. Gates, who is defined as a generally defensive commander, would not gel well with his polar opposite in terms of military mindset, Benedict Arnold. As General Burgoynes army moved south, Arnold sought aggressive attack on the vulnerable Brits. Gates, however, was reluctant, and held his men back. At the pivotal Battle of Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, Arnold defied Gates authority and took command of a group of American soldiers whom he led in an assault against the British line. Arnolds attack threw the enemy into disarray and contributed greatly to the America n victory. Ten days later, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army at Saratoga (Benedict Arnold). Arnolds brave and risky actions actually saw himself relieved from Gates command. This, however, is just an example of how inferior minds were above Arnold in caste system of the Continental Army. The Battle of Saratoga is often considered to be the turning point in the war, and without Benedict Arnold, it all couldve gone in a disastrous direction. https://bmshistory7p8.wikispaces.com/file/view/fauvel-the-surrender-of-general-john-burgoyne-at-the-battle-of-saratoga-7th-october-1777.jpg/198767254/fauvel-the-surrender-of-general-john-burgoyne-at-the-battle-of-saratoga-7th-october-1777.jpg After the battle of Saratoga, a great momentum shift was recognized throughout the world. France decided they might finally have a chance to be part of a victory in a war, so they took up the prospect of joining the rebel campaign. The Continental Army was having a hard time matching man for man the numbers that the British had. If not for the British having to travel a vast ocean to re-supply and send troops, the results could have shifted in their favor. Benedicts Demons What may have been the final straw for Benedict Arnold was when Horatio Gates peevishly took all credit for the defeat of mighty Burgoynes troops. At the time, Arnold was bedridden in an Albany hospital due to a near fatal wound to the same leg wounded in the Battle of Quebec. Bedridden and helpless, Benedict Arnold gnashed his teeth at the distressing thought of Granny Gates receiving honors won by the blood and grit of better men (Creighton). Arnold then was forced to reassess his sacrifices and his rewards. The more he thought, the more bitter he grew. Describing his situation in the hospital, a firsthand account of a hospital worker said, Poison may have stopped oozing from his leg, but his heart remained full of rancor. Arnold wrote about his frustration with the American cause, he believed the patriots to be worse off than at the beginning of the war. Popular support for the Revolution was waning, and many saw loved ones lost. Much of his anger also focused on civilians in Cong ress who shorted supplies for the military and failed to acknowledge the contributions made by fighting patriots. How can Congress allow this army to starve in a land of plenty? he penned. The Turning Point George Washington, who still had bountiful faith in Arnold, told the permanently crippled Benedict that he was to protect the recently seized Philadelphia. Benedict even partook in the first recorded Oath of Allegiance, ironically, which shows ones loyalty to the United States (Sheinkin). Once in command of Philadelphia, Arnold began to envelop himself in questionable business deals in order to regain his previous financial losses suffered during much of the Revolutionary War. Basically, Benedict used his position as Military Commander to profit from war-related supply movements. Many people in the city recognized his sketchy behavior, and many began to accumulate significant evidence against him. Arnold learned to live extravagantly in Philadelphia, which despite its recent change in occupants, remained to have Tory influences (Henretta). These influences are known to have helped convince Benedict to switch sides. On top of all his newfound wealth and stature, Benedict re-married a woman by the name of Peggy Shippen, daughter of judge Edward Shippen, a notorious advocate of the loyalist cause. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Peggy_Shippen_and_daughter.jpg/220px-Peggy_Shippen_and_daughter.jpg Arnold would eventually be tried by a court-martial on two accounts of illegal activity as Military Commander in Philadelphia. Eventually, the judge reached a verdict that he should be reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Washington saw Arnold as being used as a scapegoat and as a victim or persecution. George Washington pushed the matter aside, instead granting Arnold complete control over the seizure of West Point. Washington was oblivious to Arnolds sense of unhappiness, and now is the time when Benedict jumps ship. Espionage Arnold grew tired of the American stagnation; he had seen the cost at which freedom comes. Arnold saw the atrocities that followed the rough winter at Valley Forge, where soldiers were reduced to eating shoe leather outside of British occupied Philadelphia. The only question in his mind was, Does the end really justify the means? Arnolds disgust towards the American causes reached its boiling point at the time of French intervention in the war. Arnold had grown to despise the French, ever since his early days of contributing in the French Indian War. He had been affected by the Tory influence that resided in Philadelphia, which played a crucial role in his change of mindset. Benedict Arnold was said to have first reached out to the enemy in May of 1779. Major John Andre, a British officer, acted as a courier between Arnold and Sir Henry Clinton. It was through Andre that the two men delivered secret encrypted messages regarding the possibility of a tradeoff. Benedict Arnold was in a particular position that would allow him to give the British what they had wanted since the beginning of the Revolutionary War: the Hudson River (Hickman). In exchange, Arnold was to receive around three million US dollars (in todays currency). Another influence in Arnolds decision was his new wife. Peggy Shippen proved to have been a close friend of Andres, and is credited with having set up the whole communication system.http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mafy5aVDpp1rtn3ufo1_400.jpg Arnold resigned his post as Military Commander of Philadelphia, and gained total control of West Point on August 3, 1780. On August 15, Arnold received an encrypted letter from General Clinton, which included his final offer of  £20,000. In return, Arnold sent his acceptance of the offer and inside information regarding French reinforcements and the movements of Washingtons troops. Arnold became more and more comfortable at West Point, and systematically weakened his defenses in order to let his scheme flow better. The goal was for a siege without a single bullet. Arnold drained West Point of supplies to the point that his subordinates thought he was crazy. An eventual meeting was scheduled between Andre and Arnold to meet face to face on September 21. The HMS Vulture, the ship meant to carry Andre back to New York, was fired upon, causing it to retreat back down the Hudson River. Andre, as a result, had to return to New York on foot. He was given instructions and maps to wiggle hi s way through enemy lines, but he was eventually caught two days later with Arnolds documents in place. George Washington was said to have been calm at the time he found out, but one thing was on his mind. Washington knew that they had to destroy this guy top, bottom, and sideways and forever associate him with treason (Martin). There was nothing Washington wanted more than Arnold at his feet, begging for his mercy. Washington negotiated with the British, hoping to get an exchange for the captured Andre. To no avail, Andre was hanged October 2, 1780 on account of being a spy. The New Arnold Theres an old saying Ive always known, and it says: No one likes a traitor, even if hes your traitor. And this couldnt have been more evident than the case of Benedict Arnold. He was never trusted by the British, whether it was on the battlefield, or just in general. He was never promoted above the rank of Brigadier, and he was never handed any major military operations under the Crown. Until the eventual fall of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Arnold was never considered to be a major factor in the British scheme of the Revolutionary War. George Washington ordered his immediate hanging should he be caught. All Americans knew about his becoming a traitor; his name was wiped from all military records and was essentially deleted from the very country that revered him as a Revolutionary hero. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/WestPoint1780.jpg/220px-WestPoint1780.jpg Arnold, however never lost his military touch. He acted as an advisor in the British Army, and begged that Cornwallis flee Yorktown in favor of a landlocked base instead of one bound by land and sea. This, however, lead to the eminent downfall of the British Army. They were surrounded by the French Navy by sea, and the Continental Army by land. This lead to the surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Legacy Arnolds legacy is best represented by Benjamin Franklins quote, Judas sold only one man, Arnold sold three million. Biographers over the times have characterized him as a demonic and miserable figure. Some have even told stories about how he entered the world as the antichrist. Benedict Arnolds military gains shouldnt be overlooked, however. His impact on the Revolutionary War goes without saying, albeit both positive and negative. He played the most significant role in the turning point of the war, along with being one of the bravest and most intelligent military leaders of all time. Unfortunately, in the end, his negatives greatly outweigh his positives. His legacy has been so tarnished, that a memorial commemorating his honor and valor cannot show his face. Instead, it shows his leg, commemorating the Battle of Saratoga and all he did for his nation that day. It reads, In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental army, who was desperately wounded on this spot, winnin g for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution, and for himself the rank of Major General. He deserted the country that had learned to embrace him. He deserted the country that turned out to be the greatest country to ever exist. And he deserted those who believed in him, like his brothers on the battlefield and his children back home. Benedict Arnold was the first traitor in the history of the United States of America, and hopefully there will be no more. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/JeffersonDavisBenedictArnoldTreasonCartoon1865.jpg/240px-JeffersonDavisBenedictArnoldTreasonCartoon1865.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Arnold-boot.jpg/220px-Arnold-boot.jpg Significance Words cannot describe the significance of Benedict Arnolds impact on the United States of America. You could ask the majority of the people in the country, and the very thought of him will make some people gag. How someone could rise to the prowess of being a Revolutionary hero to the pit of being the most despised man in American history is beyond me. On the positive side of his significance, Arnold exemplifies all characteristics of being a great General. Whether its his bravery to throw himself and others into a situation with confidence shows his great ability as a military mind. Without the confidence to throw yourself into desperate situations, how could you possibly win over the respect and confidence of your men? His military mind is unmatched in regards to other Generals of the Continental Army. George Washington is revered in the United States as the Golden Boy. In hindsight, he was nothing more than an average military leader. Washington overshadows Arnold all because of Arnolds inability to stay true to the Revolutionary cause. Lastly, Arnold wasnt afraid to stand up for what he believed in. Arnold had an ability to actively express his opinions, which most of the time were right. Even in the time he was down and out on himself, he attempted to help the cause by expressing his knowledgeable opinion, one thing many peopl e dont have the ability to do. Arnolds contributions for the construction of the United States shouldnt be overlooked because what he actually did was truly astounding. On the negative side, Arnold is significant because he is, quite clearly, one of the most hated men in American history. He is an example for all people in the world, not just the United States, as to what exactly you DO NOT want to be. Arnold shows the world why you shouldnt turn your back on your country, it tarnishes your name forever, and you will never have the chance to amend for your mistakes. Not one person should aspire to turn on your country; it makes you seem to be a coward and spineless. Arnold is also significant because it shows us how we must respect and treat our military with the utmost concern and respect. Albeit Arnold was frequently outspoken and a diva, he recognized early on that the early Unites States didnt properly recognize all of its prized military officers. In the end, Arnolds reasoning for deserting the United States doesnt justify him doing it. Although he wasnt respected as the military genius he knew he was, Arnold was too easily tempted by money and by concrete things. His temptation for money and greed overshadowed the love and respect for his country that all men and women alike should have. Not just in the United States, but in all other corners of the Globe as well. What-Ifs What-If #1: What if Benedict Arnold hadnt changed sides? Had Benedict Arnold not changed sides, he most certainly would have been revered up in the same ranks as George Washington. Washingtons accomplishments are incredible, no doubt, but Arnolds are a close rival. The impact Arnold played during the war was something most people probably dont know. You could ask someone about Arnold, and they would probably call him a traitor because he gave Britain information. Little do most people know is that he was in many opinions the greatest General of the Revolutionary War. If you look at how he climbed in the ranks of the Continental Army, you would see him go from just the Commander of his local militia into a Major General in the span of about three years. In todays military, that is something that takes years, decades even. Had Arnold remained true to the United States, he would be revered as a hero, and up in the ranks with the likes of Franklin, Jefferson, Hancock, John Adams, Sam Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. He would be attributed with h elping build this country not through speech or on a piece of paper like most of the Founding Fathers, but through his bravery and active duty in the Revolutionary War. Had he remained true to the United States, there would be memorials in his honor. For example, the one at Saratoga wouldnt be just an unspecified leg; it could be of him standing on a hill symbolizing his complete domination of the most crucial battle during the Revolutionary War. It could have been Arnold who would have strategized the defeat of the British at Yorktown, that would surely make him an American hero, wouldnt it? Its sad to see such a great General fall from fame in the manner of which Arnold did. He couldve become the most iconic spectacle in all of American history. If only he couldve had the vision that Washington had for this country, or Jefferson, for that matter, he quite literally could have been great. What-If #2: What if Arnolds scheme had worked? Had Arnolds plan of giving up West Point to the British worked, it could have completely changed the outcome of the war. West point was considered to be so valuable due to its prime location, right on the Hudson River. West Point was the most wanted object by the British. They saw West Point as a crucial port where they could control what went in and what came out. The spot was hand selected by Washington because of its great natural fortifications and geographic spot. Had the British succeeded in their attempt to capture West Point, momentum could have greatly shifted in their favor. Americans would be disappointed and low on morale because one of their own had plotted their downfall, and the British could have capitalized by crushing the demoralized Continental Army. To this day, we could be under British control, having our daily tea and crumpets along with having a monarchial body in our government (Weird to think about, huh?). This is why it was so important that Arnold was caug ht, however. That very moment in our history could have very well dictated the very outcome of the war. If not for Arnolds plan being foiled, The United States of America may not exist. Talk about something that would not only impact us, but

Baseball :: essays research papers

, cricket played a role in the evolution of organized baseball. From this British game came umpires and innings, and early baseball writers like Henry Chadwick used cricket terminology such as "batsman," "playing for the side," and "excellent field" in describing early baseball games. Likewise, the pioneer baseball innovator Harry Wright, a cricket professional turned baseball manager, drew heavily on his cricket background in promoting baseball as a professional team sport in the United States. By the 1840s various forms of baseball vied for acceptance, including the popular Massachusetts and New York versions of the game. The Massachusetts game utilized an irregular four-sided field of play, with the four bases located at fixed, asymmetrical distances from each other and the "striker's," or batter's position away from the home base. "Scouts," or fielders, put men out by fielding a batted ball on the fly or on the first bounce, or b y hitting a runner with a thrown ball. But this lively version of the game was overshadowed in the late 1840s by the "New York game," a popular version of which was devised by the members of the New York Knickerbocker Club. Organized in 1845 by a band of aspiring gentlemen and baseball enthusiasts, the Knickerbocker version was devised by one of their members, Alexander J. Cartwright. Cartwright prescribed a diamond-shaped infield with bases at ninety feet apart, a standard which has stood the test of time. The pitching distance was set at forty-five feet from the home base, and a pitcher was required to "pitch" a ball in a stiff-armed, underhanded fashion. The three-strikes-are-out rule was adopted, and a batter could also be put out by a fielder catching a batted ball in the air, or on the first bounce, or by throwing a fielded ball to the first baseman before the runner arrived.

Pest Analysis Essay

The growing importance of environmental or ecological factors in the first decade of the 21st century have given rise to green business and encouraged widespread use of an updated version of the PEST framework. STEER analysis systematically considers Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors. Contents * 1 History * 2 Overview * 3 References * 4 External links History According to the site RapidBI The term PEST was originally called the ‘ETPS’ and was quoted in Aguilar, Francis (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan.. , who discusses ‘ETPS’ – a mnemonic for the four sectors of what he calls his taxonomy of the business environment: Economic, Technical, Political, and Social. Sometime after this initial publication, Arnold Brown for the Institute of Life Insurance reorganized it as ‘STEP’ as a way to organise the results of his environmental scanning. Over time by academics and others in business it was modified yet again to become a so-called STEPE analysis (the Social, Technical, Economic, Political, and Ecological taxonomies). In the 1980s, several other authors including Fahey, Narayanan, Morrison, Renfro, Boucher, Mecca and Porter included variations of the taxonomy classifications in a variety of orders: Due to the negative connotations of PEST, a STEP analysis (re-ordering of the acronym letters) also exists, but is used to a lesser extent. Some academics claim that STEP or PEST still contain headings which are appropriate for all situations and do not require additional elements, other claim that the additional breakdown of some factors to help individuals and teams undertaking an environmental scan. Political factors include areas such as tax policy, employment laws, environmental regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs and political stability. * Economic factors are economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate. Social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. * Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Technological factors look at elements such as R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. The pest  factors combined with external microenvironmental factors can be classified as opportunities and threats in a SWOT analysis. PEST/PESTLE alongside SWOT and SLEPT can be used as a basis for the analysis of business and environmental factors. [2] References Aguilar, Francis (2006). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan..

Driving at 16

In the state of Pennsylvania you can obtain a driver’s license at 16 years of age. There are a lot of disadvantages for teens driving at that age. Statistics and research show that their brains aren’t fully develop, they don’t have enough hours or time driving under the different weather conditions, they are more prone to having accidents, and their insurance rates are high. You would think teenagers would be the world’s best drivers. Their muscles are supple and their reflexes are quick. Though car crashes are the leading cause of death more than drugs, guns, violence, or any disease. The National Institutes of Health conducted a research on brain immaturity of teenagers and how it can affect the driving and their judgment. The study shows that the region of the brain that inhibits risky behavior is not fully developed until about the age 25 which greatly impacts the nations driving laws. Here is a diagram showing how the brain matures from age 5 to 20. This just simply proves how teenagers and there lack of judgment and impulse can improve through maturity by age. Besides the maturity level of the brain of a teenager, another disadvantage is the hours driving under the wheel. They currently do not have enough hours and time driving under different weather climates to understand how that can affect maturity of their driving. In Pennsylvania, 16 year olds only have to drive for 50 hours and can obtain a junior license after 6 months of driving. So for an example you get your permit in April you can have your junior license in October. What about the winter months? That’s an important month because that’s deals with snow and ice factors. A third disadvantage for 16 year olds are accident rates are high. Teenagers are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a car crash and three times as likely to die in one, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In 2008, PennDOT released an article on: Reminding Teen Drivers to Avoid Distractions While Driving. There was 23,059 crashes involving teenager driving and out of those crashes 194 fatalities. In 2009, Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics show there were 22,473 crashes and 186 involving fatalities. Even though the percentage has gone down a little, that’s still way too many. Too many teenagers now a days talk and text while driving, continue to eat or drink, don’t wear seat belts, listening to loud music, goofing off with their friends, and have too many friends in the car. Then what happens is you lose focus on the road, the traffic around you, and causes you to have an accident. Which will affect your driving record and your insurance rate will go even higher. Which brings me to the final reason why driving at 16 has a disadvantage is the insurance rates are high. Teenage male drivers are 3 times a higher risk than teenage female drivers. A 78% statistic shows through Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that more teenage males tend to have accidents. They also like to race each other in streets and tend to get more driving tickets. Even though taking the driving course through your school or driving class may help it still is a high rate. Plus teenagers are under their parents insurance until they reach 18. So if the parent has an excellent driving record and the teenager is careless or has an accident this than affects the parents. Which I think is unfair. It should affect the teen not the parent. Here are some solutions to all these disadvantages for a 16 year old having a driver’s license in the state of Pennsylvania. Right away I would raise the age to 17. I would than raise the hours of driving from 50 hours to 75 to start. I would also make it that instead of 6 months to obtaining a junior driver’s license; you would have 9 to 10 months until you can obtain one. That way you can be able to learn how to drive under all weather conditions. I also feel that teenagers should only be able to drive back and forth to work like a bread and butter license until you reach a certain number of hours and your driving record is clean. Change the time frame for allowing teenagers to drive. An example would be from 6 a. m. to 10 p. m. after that someone over the age of 18 would have to drive. The number of passenger’s in a car would be changed to only allowing 1 person under the age of 18 in a car. Since you would have to be 17 now to drive, I would also make it that you can obtain your own insurance policy. Or, if you or your parents want you under their policy it would only affect you if you get into an accident or get tickets. In some counties they have passed that you can’t text or talk on a phone while driving. They should pass this everywhere. This would all help reduce the accident rates and insurance rates. It is clear that if we could get some new laws passed or raise the age, this would resolve a lot statistics of teenage driving. In return they would be more mature and would make better choices and decisions. REFERENCES: The Washington Post (2005). The Developing Brain. Retrieved from http://washingtonpost. com DMV. org (2011 September 26). Pennsylvania Teen Drivers Guide. Retrieved from http://www. dmv. org PRNewswire (2011 September 26). PennDOT Reminds Teen Drivers to Avoid Distractions While Driving. Retrieved from http://www. prnewswire. com PennDOT (2009). Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. dot. state. pa. us The Daily Local (2011). Maturity Level of the Brain. Retrieved from http://www. dailylocal. com

Respiration inverstigaton essays

Respiration inverstigaton essays The aim of this experiment is to measure three aspects of human breathing. Tidal volume; volume of air that moves in and out of the lungs during one cycle of breathing. Breathing rate the rate at which breathing takes place. Vital capacity the measure of the volume of the subjects lungs The respond of the tidal volume and breathing rate to oxygen demand will also be measured. The lungs are the site where gaseous exchange occurs. Breathing is the way in which air enters and leaves the lungs, passing through the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles. Breathing consists of two parts, taking air into the chest (inhalation) and breathing air back out again (exhalation). Pressure changes are involved in breathing; these changes bring about the movement of air in and out of the lungs. The ribs support the body wall of the thorax, which has a dome shape base formed by the diaphragm. When inhaling air the intercostals muscles contract raising the ribs upwards and outwards. The diaphragm contracts and is lowered and flattened. This then results in the volume of the thorax increasing, which means the pressure in the thorax decreases. As the pressure is lower in the chest cavity than the atmospheric pressure of the air outside the lungs, the air is drawn in the chest cavity via the upper respiratory passage. When exhaling, muscles of the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles relax. The ribs move inwards and down, resulting in a decrease in the volume of the thorax. This causes an increase in pressure. The pressure is now higher i n the lungs the atmospheric pressure, air moves out of the lung through the same upper passage as in inhaling. The body needs oxygen to be constantly delivered and carbon dioxide removed so, breathing occurs throughout our lives. The pattern of breathing varies under conditions of exercise, stress, fitness, etc. ...

Business Monetary Policy Essay

Business Monetary Policy Essay Business: Monetary Policy Essay That was the moment when British Airways has decided to change the strategy and adopt new policies. One of the new policies was to reduce CO2 emissions with 50%, compared to the other companies that only reduced it with 15%, this was a very good decision, and also they are working on creating a new type of fuel called bio diesel which is pollution free and friendlier with the environment. Fiscal Policy: Government spending policies that influences macroeconomic conditions. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates and government spending in an effort to control the economy. Monetary Policy: The action of a central, bank currency or other regulatory committee that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates. Monetary policy is maintained through actions such as increasing the interest rate, or changing the amount of money banks need to keep in the vault or bank reserves ukessays.com/essays/aviation/british-airways.php#ixzz2PJ3s3u3H Methods of influencing market outcomes can come in the form of monetary and fiscal policies. Monetary policies influence shifts in aggregate demand for goods and services by increasing the money supply, reducing the equilibrium interest rates and stimulating investment spending or decreasing the money supply, raising equilibrium interest rates, lowering investment spending (Mankiw, 2004) Fiscal policies shift the aggregate demand curve by increasing or decreasing government

8 Interesting Facts About the Irish American Population

8 Interesting Facts About the Irish American Population How many facts and figures do you know about the Irish American population? Did you know, for example, that March is Irish-American Heritage Month? If so, you belong to a small group of Americans. Too few people know that there is such a month at all, let alone which month it falls in, according to the American Foundation for Irish Heritage. While a number of events internationally take place in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating the Irish throughout the month of March has yet to become a routine practice. The American Foundation for Irish Heritage aims to make the cultural heritage month, first celebrated in 1995, as popular as Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month. The group even offers tips on how to get the public to take more of an interest in celebrating the month-long observance, such as contacting public radio and television stations, Irish-American organizations and state governors. The foundation already has one agency in its corner; the US Census Bureau. Each year, the bureau acknowledges Irish-American Heritage Month by releasing facts and figures about the Irish population. Irish Ancestry in the US Population Although Oktoberfest is nowhere near as popular as St. Patrick’s Day in the US, more Americans claim to be of German ancestry than any other. Irish is the second most popular ethnicity Americans claim. Nearly 35 million Americans report having Irish heritage, according to the census. That’s seven times the population of Ireland, which is an estimated 4.58 million. Where Irish Americans Live New York is home to the largest percentage of Irish Americans in the country. The state boasts an Irish-American population of 13%. Nationwide, the Irish-American population averages 11.2%. New York City also has the distinction of being host to the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It took place on March 17, 1762, and featured Irish soldiers in the English military. In the 5th century, St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, but the day in his honor has now come to be associated with anything Irish-related. Irish Immigrants to America Precisely 144,588 Irish immigrants became naturalized US residents in 2010. Wealth Among Irish Americans Households headed by Irish Americans actually have higher median incomes ($56,363 yearly) than the $50,046 average for US households generally. Not surprisingly, Irish Americans also have lower poverty rates than Americans as a whole. Just 6.9% of households headed by Irish Americans had incomes at the poverty level, while 11.3% of American households generally did. Higher Education Irish Americans are more likely than the US population as a whole to be college graduates. While 33% of Irish Americans 25 or older have at least earned a bachelor’s degree and 92.5 have at least a high school diploma, for Americans generally, the corresponding numbers are only 28.2% and 85.6%, respectively. The Workforce About 41% of Irish Americans work in management, professional and related occupations, the census reports. Next in line are sales and office occupations. Just above 26% of Irish Americans work in that field, followed by 15.7% in service occupations, 9.2% in production, transportation, and material moving occupations, and 7.8% in construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations. Median Age Irish Americans are older than the general US population. According to the 2010 census, the average American is 37.2 years old. The average Irish American is 39.2 years old. The Most Irish President John F. Kennedy broke the glass ceiling in 1961 by becoming the first Irish-American Catholic president. But he wasn’t the president with the most direct ties to Ireland. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Andrew Jackson holds this distinction. Both of his parents were born in Country Antrim, Ireland. They relocated to the United States in 1765, two years before his birth.

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Film - Essay Example This work gives an analysis of the famous painting by the Polish director Roman Polyansky, who immediately gained recognition in Hollywood. A complex, intricate intrigue (Los Angeles private researcher Jake Gitts is hired by a wealthy young woman Evelyn Mulray to investigate a petty but suspicious affair, and as a result he intervenes in large, stubbornly revealing frauds in land and water speculation) and most importantly gloomy Secrets hidden behind the facade of calm and prosperity. Intentional thickening of colors in the image of the atmosphere of mystery and anxious expectation. The mandatory theme of rock that dominates people persistently pursues them and leaves no hope even for a cheerful, always brilliant "black wit" hired detective who wins professionally, but loses in love and generally in life ... he issue of morals is evidently shown in the movie. Chinatown starts with pictures of a man that cheats on his wife with a different woman. The pictures show the two lovers in different positions of sexual congress, although no private parts are shown (Polanski). As the film proceeds, Gittes and Evelyn are shown in a scene just after completing a sexual act. The scene is very erotically charged, and the viewers may be titillated by what they do not see. In the same movie, some characters smoke cigarettes, but the most eye-catching scene is when Evelyn Mulwray smokes a cigarette in bed next to Gittes. Also, the Chinese happen to receive all the racism attacks in the film noir. One such scene is the long winded sexual joke that was narrated by Gittes about  Chinese men. All these attributes of the style of the film noir are present in the work of Roman Polyansky, and first of all - the motive of evil destiny, embodied in the obsession of the hero about the inevitable defeat in the accursed Chinatown. In "China Town" not only carefully recreated the environment of the 30-ies, but also used various cultural, cinematographic allusions, links, reminders.

An advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An advertisement - Essay Example The predominantly blue background, symbolizing a blue paper has lightening hue from darker shade at the top portion to lighter shade at the bottom. Thus, the white background representing the magazine page was seen to contain a supposedly sheared and crumpled blue paper symbolizing a perfectly slim image effectively complements the orange color of the product. The ad actually elicited enhanced audience appeal in terms of being intrigued and wanting to find out more about the product from the way the ad is presented. As such, the audience would find out greater details from the text and from the product label. However, since the presentation tends to be exhibited more on a formal structure, due to the absence of any model or celebrity to endorse it, it has tendencies to exclude luring appeal from the younger population. The product is the main thrust and focus in the ad: being at the center of the print ad and where the product image occupies more than 50% of the page. Thus, the product is obvious and easily detected. In addition, since its image is presented through the actual visual representation of the product, the appropriate product label that gives crucial information is effectively provided. There is a text message situated at the top-most portion of the page with large font and white in color over the blue background. Another smaller set of text messages is shown just above of the lid of the bottle in darker blue font. Plus, the printed page of magazine at the background could be seen as a typical full narrative page in black text and typical sized font on a predominantly white background. Finally, only the text from the product label could be seen in this ad. As above mentioned, the texts of the advertisements are diversely presented. The text at the topmost portion of the page says: ‘For a slimming feel’ which is typed in two different font sizes. The words ‘For a’ and ‘feel’ have the same white color and size; while

Article Summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article Summaries - Essay Example 1-2). GDP estimation in the US begins with a best level estimate that is usually produced once every five years. It is typically calculated on an annual and quarterly basis. The annual estimates uses data collected from surveys done by the National Census Bureau’s covering about 150,000 reporting units. On the other hand, the quarterly estimates come from the monthly surveys done by the Census Bureau covering about 35,500 reporting units (Landefeld et al. 4-5). The estimates done every five years also incorporate new definitions and ideas that update the accounts to keep with up-to-date with changes in the economy. A method called â€Å"commodity-flow† is, for example, used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to develop best level estimates for final sales based on product category (Landefeld et al. 7). The bureau also uses price-times quantity method to provide estimates for products with inconsistent data (Landefeld et al. 9). Estimates for investment, exports, imports, and government components also have their unique methods of determination. The final expenditures for the federal government, for example, are determined using budget data (Landefeld et al. 11-19). There are, however, several challenges associated with GDP measurement and determination of national accounts. There is no enough data for measuring sector services. There are also components that are difficult to value. There is, therefore, need to develop comprehensive estimation methods that can value all products by virtue of their nature (Landefeld et al. 22) The article is informative and provides detailed information concerning GDP and the methods used in its estimation. I particularly appreciate the author’s contribution in detailing the history behind the development of the framework that estimates GDP. It is, however, unfortunate that in spite of the developments

How the Internet Has Changed How We Consume and React to News Essay

How the Internet Has Changed How We Consume and React to News - Essay Example There really was not a good way to fact check the media, nor understand the stories which were not covered in the media. Moreover, as Neil Postman (1984) states, the news shows were focused upon trivialities, superficialities and fluff. The news anchors who disseminated the news had the same mirthful expressions when they were reporting tragedies and comedy. The news presented issues in the same 45 second format, which makes even the most important issues seems trivial. Now, however, with the Internet, in particular the citizen bloggers and the satirical shows, there is a way to not only uncover buried information about stories that the mainstream media does not deem fit to cover, but there is also a way to fact-check the media and hold them accountable. This, perhaps, is the most important way that the Internet has changed how the audience perceives and consumes the news. Citizen Bloggers and Satirical Shows, and How They Help the Viewer Discern News One of the major changes in the way that the public understands news events is that these events are often filtered through what Hayes (2008) refers to as â€Å"citizen press critics† (p. 1). These â€Å"citizen press credits† are more commonly known as bloggers, and they work as a kind of â€Å"fifth estate† who attempt to keep the mainstream media honest. Lopez (2010) states that these bloggers are important to democracy, in that it shows that anybody can contribute to the discourse of politics and civility. Johnson & Kaye (2008) conducted a study and found that blogs are generally seen as a credible source of information, which makes them even more influential in conveying the news. Moreover, Lopez (2010) asserts that making news interactive, which blogs can accomplish by allowing the blog readers to make comments, makes the on-line experience richer, dynamic and shared. The Internet, in general, contributes to this sense of richness and dynamism, because it enables anybody to check out wha t the media is saying, which is in contrast to the way that things used to work, which was that the citzenry had to accept what the media was telling them, as there was not a way for the average person to find data to refute it. Moreover, Lopez (2010) asserts that the Internet, and the citizen bloggers, as important in that these mediums do not allow the media to control the message. As individuals filter and diffuse news through the peer to peer networks, and there is real-time fact checking involved, the media message might be watered down and more uncontrolled, and this is a good thing, according to Lopez (2010). Alternatively, the Internet can provide information about news that the mainstream media may decline to cover. An example of this is that, after September 11, and during the Iraq war, the mainstream media did not cover the issue of Iraqi deaths, so, more and more, citizens searched on the Internet regarding this topic, and it became the topic of blogs as well (Salwen et al., 2005). This is important, because, as Li (2006) notes, the media often sets the agenda, and the priorities on the issues that it will cover. This, in turn, colors how people may view a certain event, as well as how many citizens are aware of certain issues and events. It may also color how important an issue or event is perceived – if the media covers something extensively, then this topic or issue will be seen as important, and the opposite of the media declines to cover this event or issue (Li, 2006). However, the citizen critics may keep a buried issue alive, or bring it to fore, which is helpful to people who do not want to be influenced by the media about certain events, and people who want to know about underreported stories. The Internet, in

Scoore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scoore - Essay Example Not only is soccer one of the world's most popular sports, but it is also one of the oldest, with a deep and rich history dating back thousands of years. It is not known where soccer originated from, but there is evidence that a version of the sport was played during the Roman and Greek eras and also during the Han dynasty in China. Despite being played in various forms around the globe, it is the English who are credited with forming the modern version of what we call soccer. In the early 1800s soccer was played at many English universities and schools under what were known as the Cambridge Rules. It was not until 1863 when the Football Association of England was formed and agreed on a set of rules by which to play the game. Through colonization, the British were able to spread the game of soccer to every corner of the earth. In 1904, FIFA was established to control the game on a worldwide level, as by that stage the sport was popular throughout much of Europe and South America. Twe nty-six years later the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. Since that time there has been a further 18 tournaments have been held, with the next one scheduled for 2014 in Brazil. In recent years the game of soccer has also caught onto a female audience. There are now many female soccer players who play professionally, particularly in the United States and England. Since 1991 there has been six FIFA Women's World Cups, with the next one to be held in Canada in 2015. Wayne Rooney is the soccer player that I most admire because of his skill on the pitch and style that he plays. He now plays for Manchester United in England, and he has played for more than 10 years with his national team. He is the most widely respected player on the England team, and all of his opponents recognize him as the danger man when they play against his team. Rooney first became famous back in 2002 when he was only 16 years old. In a match for his boyhood team Everton, he scored a late winner against a star studded Arsenal team. Since that time Rooney has been treated like a superstar by the media and fans. I must say that I am in awe of his ability to play soccer because he always plays with a determination on his face that I can only admire. However, Rooney is also a controversial player too because some people don't like his fierce personality. I must admit that there are times when he frustrates fans, such as when he tried to engineer a move away from Manchester United. What I do know is that he will very soon become the record goal scorer for both Manchester United and England, and if he achieves those feats then he will go down as one of the best British soccer players ever to have played the game. Although I do like Wayne Rooney as a soccer player, my favorite team would have to be Barcelona. The reason is that they play in a style that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and it almost seems effortless when they play. Over the past few years they have dominated European so ccer, winning many league titles in Spain and also the Champions League in Europe a couple of times. This is in large part thanks to the genius that is Lionel Messi. He is widely recognized as the best soccer player on the planet, and it is hard to argue against this because he has been the FIFA World Player of the Year four years running. Apart from Messi there are many other great players on the Barcelona team, such as Xavi, Iniesta, and Neymar. The thing that I

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business strategy - Essay Example The concerned company believes that its leading market position and increasing scale will provide significant opportunities for enhancing its profitability. The mission of the concerned company is creating a difference in the lives of the people through excellent patient care services. The organization abides by the ethics and codes of conduct in offering adequate service to its customers. It plays an important and vital role in ensuring wellness of its patients. It is considered as the second largest health care service provider in terms of its market capitalization. It operates in various Asian countries which include India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Republic of China and turkey. It also extended its services in UAE, Vietnam and Iraq.IHH focuses on quality, revenue and cost synergies in order to generate profitability from its operations. The concerned organization will be able to generate adequate revenue from its business in the future. It mainly aims in expanding and strengthening its business operation in the home and international market. The income statement of the company reveals that the total revenue generated by the co mpany increased in the recent years as compared to the previous years (IHH healthcare Berhad, 2012). The concerned company has the ability to generate an increase in its income level at a constant rate and it is likely to experience high growth rate and profitability in the future, it can gain competitive advantage over its competitors. IHH is a leading health care provider which has its operations primarily in the CEEMENA region. The group operates and maintains different brands of healthcare facilities which have a name for themselves. As a listed health care operator, the group is the 2nd largest in the world in terms of market capitalization. Each brand in which the company has invested is recognized as a premium one that operates in the home market in which it is established.

Scoore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scoore - Essay Example Not only is soccer one of the world's most popular sports, but it is also one of the oldest, with a deep and rich history dating back thousands of years. It is not known where soccer originated from, but there is evidence that a version of the sport was played during the Roman and Greek eras and also during the Han dynasty in China. Despite being played in various forms around the globe, it is the English who are credited with forming the modern version of what we call soccer. In the early 1800s soccer was played at many English universities and schools under what were known as the Cambridge Rules. It was not until 1863 when the Football Association of England was formed and agreed on a set of rules by which to play the game. Through colonization, the British were able to spread the game of soccer to every corner of the earth. In 1904, FIFA was established to control the game on a worldwide level, as by that stage the sport was popular throughout much of Europe and South America. Twe nty-six years later the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. Since that time there has been a further 18 tournaments have been held, with the next one scheduled for 2014 in Brazil. In recent years the game of soccer has also caught onto a female audience. There are now many female soccer players who play professionally, particularly in the United States and England. Since 1991 there has been six FIFA Women's World Cups, with the next one to be held in Canada in 2015. Wayne Rooney is the soccer player that I most admire because of his skill on the pitch and style that he plays. He now plays for Manchester United in England, and he has played for more than 10 years with his national team. He is the most widely respected player on the England team, and all of his opponents recognize him as the danger man when they play against his team. Rooney first became famous back in 2002 when he was only 16 years old. In a match for his boyhood team Everton, he scored a late winner against a star studded Arsenal team. Since that time Rooney has been treated like a superstar by the media and fans. I must say that I am in awe of his ability to play soccer because he always plays with a determination on his face that I can only admire. However, Rooney is also a controversial player too because some people don't like his fierce personality. I must admit that there are times when he frustrates fans, such as when he tried to engineer a move away from Manchester United. What I do know is that he will very soon become the record goal scorer for both Manchester United and England, and if he achieves those feats then he will go down as one of the best British soccer players ever to have played the game. Although I do like Wayne Rooney as a soccer player, my favorite team would have to be Barcelona. The reason is that they play in a style that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and it almost seems effortless when they play. Over the past few years they have dominated European so ccer, winning many league titles in Spain and also the Champions League in Europe a couple of times. This is in large part thanks to the genius that is Lionel Messi. He is widely recognized as the best soccer player on the planet, and it is hard to argue against this because he has been the FIFA World Player of the Year four years running. Apart from Messi there are many other great players on the Barcelona team, such as Xavi, Iniesta, and Neymar. The thing that I

Supply Chain Management Essay Example for Free

Supply Chain Management Essay Storage has always been an important aspect of economic development. For manufacturers, strategic warehousing offered a way to reduce holding or dwell time of materials and parts. On the outbound side of manufacturing, warehouses can be used to create product assortments for customer shipment. An important charge in warehousing is maximum flexibility. Ideally a warehouse will simultaneously provide economic and service benefits. Warehouses offer many economic benefits for companies. One economic benefit of a warehouse is derived from the ability to consolidate products from a number of production plants into large, consolidated shipments delivered to customers. Also, big shipments from production plants are often broken into smaller shipments and arranged for local delivery. Break bulk shipments significantly reduce freight costs. In addition, warehouses allow production to be postponed or delayed until actual demand is certain. Once demand is determined in terms of product type and quantity, minor processing can quickly make final products available, reducing inventory requirements. Warehouses also provide buffers for seasonality, improve production efficiency, and support marketing efforts that often send logistics managers scrambling to meet surges in demand. Economic benefits of warehousing occur when overall logistics costs are reduced. For example, if adding a warehouse in a logistical system reduces overall transportation cost by an amount greater than required investment and operational cost, then total cost will be reduced. When total cost reductions are achievable, the warehouse is economically justified. Four basic economic benefits are: Consolidation and Break-bulk, Sorting, Seasonal storage, and Reverse logistics. The economic benefits of consolidation and break-bulk are to reduce transportation cost by using warehouse capability to increase shipment economies of scale. Consolidation occurs when a warehouse pull together small shipments from a number of sources and combine them into larger, more economical, shipping loads intended for same location. Small, flexible shipment in. Large, economical shipments out. The benefits of consolidation are the lower in transportation cost as goods could be ship full truckload and quicker delivery instead of transporting the products as small shipments from different sources. With larger volume, you are able to get the lower rates, improved service, shorter transit time and less handling of your freight. Economy of scale is achieved by transporting the large shipment from origin to destination. Break-bulk occurs when a warehouse receive bulk shipments and breaking these small shipments for delivery to various customer. Break-bulk warehouse operations are similar to consolidation except there no storage is performed. The long-distance transportation movement is a large shipment, transport cost is lower and there is less difficulty in tracking. Both consolidation and break-bulk arrangement use warehouse capacity to improve transportation efficiency. Many logistical arrangement involve both consolidation and break-bulk. How do warehouses perform assortment? The basic benefit of sorting is done to reconfigure freight as it flows from origin to destination. There are three types of assortments performed in the warehouses namely – Cross docking, Mixing, and Assembly are widely performed in logistical systems. The objective of cross-docking is to combine inventory from multiple origins into an assortment for a specific customer. This operation is used by retailers for the fast moving store inventories. The distributor cross dock process consolidates inbound products from different vendor into mixed product pallet, which is delivered to the customer when the final item is received. The transportation cross dock process combines shipments from a number of different carriers in the less-than-truckload ( LTL ) and small package industries to gain economy of scale. The retail cross dock process involves the receipt of products from multiple vendors and sorting onto outbound trucks for a number of retail stores. The benefits of cross docking is to reduction in cost, as the product no longer requires picking and put away in the warehouse. The reduction in time from production to customer, which helps improve customer satisfaction. The reduction in the need for warehouse space, as there is no requirement to storage of products. The objective of supply mixing is to support manufacturing operations. Products and components are supplied to a mixing warehouse located in close proximity to the manufacturing plant, when requested by the plant, necessary sortation will be carried out and ship to the plant directly. It is a popular strategy to support manufacturing firms with JIT (Just-In-Time) and MRP ( Materials Requirement Planning) system. Mixing is performed at an intermediate location between shipment origin and destination. In this process the inbound products are combined with those regularly stored at the warehouse. The net effect is to reduce the overall product storage in a logistical system while achieving customer specific assortment and minimizing transportation cost. Assembly supports manufacturing operations. The components from a variety of second tier suppliers are assembled in a warehouse located close to the manufacturing plant. Products and components are assembled from a variety of second-tier suppliers by a warehouse, often referred to as lead suppliers or tier one suppliers, located in close proximity to the manufacturing plant. While manufacturing organizations have traditionally performed assembly, it has become common to utilize value-added services performed by a lead or tier one supplier or an integrated service provider (ISP) to sort, sequence, and deliver components when needed in manufacturing. Like cross-docking and mixing, assembly serves to achieve a process grouping of inventory at a precise time and location. The direct economic benefit of storage is to accommodate seasonal production or demand. For example, Santa Clarita storage and toys are typically produced year-round but are sold only during a very short marketing period. In contrast, agricultural products are harvested at specific times, with subsequent consumption occurring throughout the year. Both situations require inventory storage to support marketing efforts. Storage provides an inventory buffer, which allows production efficientcies within the constraints imposed by material sources and consumers. Reverse logistics is concerned with controlled and regular inventory. Controlled inventory consists of hazardous materials and product recalls that have potential consumer health or environmental considerations. The reclamation of controlled inventory must be performed under strict operating scrutiny that prevents improper disposal. As one might expect, varied governmental agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), are directly involved in disposal of controlled inventory. A broader perspective includes all relating to logistics activities carried out in source reduction, recycling, substitution, reuse of materials and disposal† , Council of Logistics Management. This means that, reverse logistics are basically discarded products, used products, products or parts previously shipped, hazardous and non-hazardous waste from packages and products, information, raw material, in process inventory and finished goods. Currently, reverse logistics deals not only with return processing but also with repair, customer service, parts management, end-of-life manufacturing and order fulfillment. Less attention has traditionally focused on reclamation of regular inventory.

HRM Information Systems

HRM Information Systems ABSTRACT Information technology is expected to drive Human Resource (HR)s transition from a focus on Human Resource Management (HRM) to Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). This strategic role not only adds a valuable dimension to the HR function, but also changes the competencies that define HR professional and practitioner success. The study aims at investigating what role if any do Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) play in SHRM. It attempts to examine how HR professionals and managers in different organizations see the effects of HRIS on strategic HR tasks and job roles. It also tries to find out if there is any significant difference in the usage of HRIS between Small/Medium (SME) size and large size companies. A survey questionnaire was sent to different companies. The target group of the questionnaire was HR managers, HR directors, and HR professionals in companies based in England. The scope was widened to include both large and small/medium sized organizations across all the business sectors. The results of the survey reveal that HR professionals not only consider HRIS usage as a support for strategic HR tasks but also perceive it as an enabling technology. The study also indicates that large sized firms are most likely to experience considerable HRIS usage in support of strategic HR tasks. Moreover, there was no significant difference in proportion to the size of a company regarding HRIS usage in support of commitment management and managing trade union relations with organizations. Low response rate of this study makes generalization rather difficult however, future research would benefit from higher response rates for more generalized results OVERVIEW The relationship between the HR strategies and the firms performance is an issue that has caused significant differentiations in the literature mostly because of the existence of many parameters that can influence the results produced through the examination of this problem in practice. Moreover, because within a firm, the participants and the interests are many it is difficult to identify the role and the significance of each particular organizational element particularly when there is no specific corporate plan for such an investigation. RESEARCH PROBLEM The human resources strategies followed by modern organizations present significant differentiations in accordance with the firms position in the market, its performance and its financial strength in general. In the long term, the application of specific human resources strategies has been found to be related with the performance of the organization. Moreover, where appropriate HR plans have been applied, the organizational performance has been found to be increased. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH Current research as already mentioned above will focus on the examination of the relationship between HR strategies applied within a particular organization and its performance. In order for the above task to lead to valid results, a series of other issues are going to be examined at a secondary level. These issues are indicatively: a) Which is the significance of the HR for the organizational operation, b) How the HR strategies can be more effective? c) Is there any chance for innovation in firms with specific HR plan or any relevant initiative has to be adapted to the existed framework? d) Which are the main aspects of organizational growth and e) Are there any other factors that can influence the firms performance and which would be their interaction with the HR strategies already implemented in the particular firm? LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH Current research is limited by the fact that it is rather unlikely for companies to provide data related with their employees problems related with the workplace. On the other hand, any programs or support tools existed are very likely to be provided by all firms that would be engaged in the research of current project. For this reason, although the job satisfaction and the personal development of employees would be rather easily monitored, the existence of problems in the workplace would be difficult to be proved. For this reason current research as already described above focuses on the examination of the human resources strategies followed by organizations in general as these practices can be observed in most firms of modern commercial market. The existence of specific differentiations in accordance with the specific issue will have to be proved either by statistics released in general or by cases examined particularly in the legal area. INTRODUCTION According to Likert, Every aspect of firms activities is determined by the competence, motivation and general effectiveness of its human organization. Of all the tasks of management, managing the human component is the central and most important task because all depends how well it is done. This quotation sums up the importance of human components in an organisation and the need for managing it effectively. Human resource management is concerned with all aspects of managing the human resources of an organisation. More specifically, human resource management involves determining the organisations heed of human resource, recruiting and selecting the best available employees, developing, counselling and rewarding employees, acting as a liaison with union and government organisation and handling other matters regarding to the well being of employees. Each of these functions is necessary to some degree irrespective of nature and size of the organisation. That is why in most of the organis ation a separate department know as Personnel/Human resource Department is created for the effective performance of these functions. The relationship between the HR strategies and the firms performance is an issue that has caused significant differentiations in the literature mostly because of the existence of many parameters that can influence the results produced through the examination of this problem in practice. Moreover, because within a firm, the participants and the interests are many it is difficult to identify the role and the significance of each particular organizational element particularly when there is no specific corporate plan for such an investigation. Organization must have a set of unique resources for gaining competitive advantage moreover proper utilization of those resources matters a lot. Today organization employee acts as a main resource and knowledge, skills and abilities have to be deployed and used to the maximum effect if the organization is to create value. LITERATURE REVIEW Human resources should be considered as a significant organizational asset. In this context, the application of the appropriate strategies for its development, can lead to the improvement of the corporate performance both in the short and the long term. However, there are also companies where human resources are not considered as having particular importance for the firms growth. In this context, Haines (1997, 95) supported that there are firms that view their human resources as an expense rather than an asset an element that is expendable and perhaps discarded when the skills possessed becomes obsolete; however when human resources are viewed as an asset, companies enhance individual value through training and human development and ensure continued contribution to the organization. The importance of human resources for the corporate performance has in any case proved both in the literature and the empirical research conducted in all industrial sectors. In accordance with the above, in order for a firm to achieve a stable and continuous growth, it is necessary that its employees are satisfied as this term has been explained in the literature. More specifically, in accordance with Kim (2005, 669) job satisfaction is an affective or emotional response toward various facets of ones job. Job satisfaction has been a topic of great interest for researchers and practitioners in a wide range of fields, including organizational psychology, public administration, and management. On the other hand, the existence of job satisfaction has been extensively related with the level of payment of employees in the particular sectors of a specific organization. Indeed, the study of Rudman (2003) showed that paying for performance is a big issue in contemporary human resources management; organisations have long believed that production and productivity improve when pay is linked to performance, and have developed payment-by-results (PBR) systems and incentive schemes to support th is belief. In the same context, it is noticed by Blinder (1990, 117) that employees usually feel that profit sharing and gain sharing are good for personal effort, company growth and productivity, and workplace atmosphere. However, in order for the firms to achieve the maximum level of growth, it is necessary to design and apply the appropriate HR policies as indicated by each particular firms needs. The use of fit as a criterion of evaluation of the appropriate corporate strategy has been extensively used in practice. Towards this direction Wright (1998, 56) mentioned that the basic theory behind fit is that the effectiveness of any HR practice or set of practices for impacting firm performance depends upon the firms strategy (or conversely, the effectiveness of any strategy depends upon having the right HR practices). In other words, the issues that need to be considered by a firm before applying any relevant HR strategy are many. Indicatively, Katzell (1975, 5, 11-12) tried to identify the relationship between the employee satisfaction (as a result of a specific HR strategy) and the corporate performance and found that policy-makers must face up to a serious dilemma and find some way to resolve it; the dilemma is this: policy-makers would like to achieve two objectives for work organizations, on the one hand to enhance productivity and performance, and on the other to improve the quality of working life and job satisfaction for employers because under certain conditions, improving productivity will enhance worker satisfaction and improvements in job satisfaction will contribute to productivity; what it does mean is that there is no automatic and invariant relationship between the two. Under these terms, corporate performance has been found to be related with the employees performance within a particular organization. From a different point of view, Lawler et al. (2003, 15) supported that HRs greatest opportunity to add value may well be to play a role in the development and implementation of corporate strategy; HR can make a logical case for being an important part of strategy development, because of the importance of human capital in the ability of the firm to carry out its strategy. In other words, HR strategy can influence the firms growth in accordance with the measures provided for the personal and professional development of the firms employees even in the long term. The implementation of appropriate diversity strategy has to be considered in this case as absolutely necessary because in case of inequality in the workplace, no cooperation would be regarded as existed even if such cooperation exists, it will be problematic. In this context, Mathews (1998, 175 ) noticed that before diversity strategies are implemented, the organizations cultural environment, management and evaluation systems should be examined to ascertain if existing personnel/human resources processes will support or hinder diversity in the organization; then, appropriate strategies can be designed to develop and manage diversity based on these findings. From the same point of view, Ramlall (2003, 60) supported that given that several large-scale studies have proven that HRM is a critical driver in an organizations financial performance, it is imperative for HR and other leaders to understand the critical nature and utmost importance of understanding the effectiveness of all HR activities in creating value for the organization. To a more thorough examination of the problem, Christensen managed to identify the five elements that are considered as most crucial in the improvement of the employees productivity (as this improvement is expected to lead to the increase of the corporate growth). More specifically, Christensen supported that there are five elements which are extremely important for the effectiveness of employees within a particular organizational environment. These are (1958, 34): a) The technical organization of the group; b) The social structure of the group; c) The individual task motivation, i.e., the willingness to work hard that each member brings to and maintains toward his job; d) The rewards he receives from doing the job, and e) The satisfactions he obtains from being an accepted member of the group. The above elements can exist in any organization and can influence the productivity of its employees either in the short or in the long term. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM) During and after 1970s, several changes took place in many countries which led to the term Human resource Management in place of the traditional term Personnel Management. These changes, declining importance of trade unionism, shift from industrial employment to service sector employment, growing competition, deregulation of economies, etc. As a result, three important roles of human resources have emerged as stated below. Human resource policies can be integrated with strategic business planning and used to reinforce appropriate culture. Human resources are valuable and a source of competitive advantage. Human resources can be tapped mostly effectively by mutually consistent policies which promote commitment and Foster a willingness in employees to act flexible in the interests of the adaptive organisations pursuit of excellence. The term Human resource management has been the subject of considerable debate, and its underlying philosophy and character are highly controversial. Much of this controversy stems from the absence of a precise formulation of and agreement on its significance and definition (Storey, 1989; and 1995a), as cited by Bratton and Gold (2003: 7). Obviously, definition of the subject matter is needed for analysis and understanding of HRM theory and practice. HRM DEFINITION HRM has a variety of definitions but there is general agreement that it has a closer fit with business strategy than previous models, specifically personnel management. In all the debates about the meaning, significance and practice of HRM, nothing seems more certain than the link between HRM and performance (HRM Guide October 2006). Below are some of the definitions of HRM, although it can be argued that these will only be ones of several possible definitions. De Cenzo and Robbins (1996: 8) defined HRM as the part of the organization that is concerned with the people dimension, and it is normally a staff or support function in the organization. HRM role is the provision of assistance in HRM issues to line employees, or those directly involved in producing the organizations goods and services. Acquiring peoples services, developing their skills, motivating them to high levels of performance, and ensuring their continuing maintenance and commitment to the organization are essential to achieving organizational goals. This is much the case regardless of the type of organization, government, business, education, health, recreation, or social action. The authors proposed an HRM specific approach as consisting of four functions- staffing, training and development, motivation, and maintenance. In addition, Bratton and Gold (2003: 7) define HRM as the strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This is achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices. The authors presented HRM functions as planning, recruitment and selection, appraisal and performance management, reward management, development, employee relations, health and safety, and union-management relations. Moreover, to Alan Price (2004: 32) HRM aims at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and d eveloping key competencies. Contributing to the working definition of HRM is Abecker et al., (2004). They see HRM as a strategic and target oriented composition, regulation and development of all areas that affect human resources in a company. Efficient and effective management of these resources to a large extend, affects human resource behaviour, and consequently the performance of the organization as a whole. Moreover, the authors identified HRM with the field it covers. These include planning aspects- personnel requirements analysis and personnel asset analysis, and change aspects- recruitment, personnel development and labour displacement (Ibid). Next, is the diagrammatic representation of the said field. Human Resource Management Change Aspects Planning Aspects Personnel Requirement Analysis Labour Displacement Personnel Development Recruitment Personnel Asset Analysis Figure1: Fields of HRM (Source: Abecker et al., 2004) It is however, somehow strange, that, an important aspect of HRM, payroll or compensation/payment is missing from the field in figure 1 above propounded by the authors. Abecker et al., (2004) like the previous other authors, did not present a conclusive and detailed definition of HRM including the other concepts (HR processes). Lastly considered are the opinions of various management scholars who have taken a more in-depth look at the whole concept of HRM. These opinions should be given the greatest weight, since they reflect more in-depth research on the subject than is done by most textbook authors. Few such authors are Dessler et al., (1999), and Torrington et al.,(2005). According to Torrington et al., (2005: 5) HRM is fundamental to all management activity and has evolved from a number of different strands of thought. It is best described as a loose philosophy of people management rather than a focused methodology. Thus, distinction has been made between HRM as body of management activities on one hand (generically described as personnel management) and then on the other as a particular approach to execute those activities (carrying out people-oriented organizational activities than traditional personnel management). An organization gains competitive advantage by using its employees effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Torrington et al.,(2005: 5) identified the role of the human resource functions with the key objectives. These four objectives are the corner stone of all HR activities. These include Staffing, Performance, Change-management and Administration. Staffing objective focuses on finding the appropriate pool of human resources needed to ensure full and timely supply of work force (Ibid). It therefore involves designing organizational structures, identifying working conditions for different groups of employees followed by recruiting, selecting and developing the personnel required to fill the roles. Performance objective aims at ensuring workforce motivation and commitment for effective performance. Consequently, employees training and development remain important. Moreover, managing change effectively and efficiently remains one of the core objectives in almost every business. Key issues here include recruiting and/or developing people with the required leadership skills to drive the change process. Change agents are employed to encourage acceptance of change by coming out with reward systems associated with the change process. Employees involvement is also paramount here and is encouraged. The aim is to avoid resistance to change, more especially where it involves cultural changes (attitude, philosophy or long-present organizational norms). Administration objective aims at facilitating the smooth running of the organization. Hence, there is the need for accurate and comprehensive data on individual employees, records of achievement in terms of performance, attendance, training records, terms and condition of employment and personal details are (Ibid). However, for the purpose of this study, literature on the HRM concept will be based on the opinions of Dessler et al., (1999). The authors defined HRM as the management of people in organizations. It consists of the activities, policies, and practices involved in obtaining, developing, utilizing, evaluating, maintaining, and retaining the appropriate number and skill mix of employees to accomplish the organizations objectives. The goal of HRM is to maximize employees contributions in order to achieve optimal productivity and effectiveness, while simultaneously attaining individual objectives and societal objectives Dessler et al., (1999: 2). To the authors, the function of HRM include assisting the organization in attracting the quality and quantity of candidates required with respect to the organizations strategy and operational goals, staffing needs, and desired culture. Helping to maintain performance standards and increase productivity through orientation, training, development, job design, effective communication, and performance appraisal. Helping to create a climate in which employees are encouraged to develop and utilize their skills to the fullest. Helping to establish and maintain cordial working relationship with employees. Helping to create and maintain safe and healthy work environment. Development of programs to meet economic, psychological, and social needs of the employees. Helping the organization to retain productive employees and ensuring that the organization complies with provincial/territorial and federal laws affecting the work place such as human rights, employment equity, occupational health and safety (Ibid). HRM PROCESSES This sub section illustrates the processes involved in executing the HRM functions. Each of the functions: planning, recruitment, selection, orientation and training, performance appraisal etc. goes through a process. Unless otherwise stated, the rest of this section will be drawn from (Dessler et al., 1999)s literature based on pages 165 to 533. PLANNING PROCESS Human Resource Planning (HRP) process reviews human resources requirements to ensure that the organization has the required number of employees, with the necessary skills, to meet its goals, also known as employment planning. HRP is a proactive process, which both anticipates and influences an organizations future by systematically forecasting the demand for and supply of employees under changing conditions, and developing plans and activities to satisfy these needs. Key steps include forecasting demand for labour considering organizational strategic and tactical plans, economic conditions, market and competitive trends, social concerns, demographic trends, and technological changes. RECRUITMENT PROCESS Recruitment is the process of searching for and attracting an adequate number of qualified job candidate, from whom the organization may select the most appropriate to field its staff needs. The process begins when the need to fill a position is identified and it ends with the receipt of rà ©sumà ©s and completed application forms. The result is a pool of qualified job seekers from which the individual best matching the job requirements can be selected. The steps in recruitment process include identification of job openings, determination of job requirements, choosing appropriate recruiting sources and methods, and finally, generating a pool of qualified recruits. Job openings are identified through human resource planning or manager request. Next is to determine the job requirements. This involves reviewing the job description and the job specification and updating them, if necessary. Appropriate recruiting sources and methods are chosen because there is no one, best recruiting te chnique. Consequently, the most appropriate for any given position depend on a number of factors, which include organizational policies and plans, and job requirements. SELECTION PROCESS Selection is the process of choosing individuals with the relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected openings. Data and information about applicants regarding current employees, whether for a transfer or promotion, or outside candidates for the first time position with the firm are collected and evaluated. The steps in the selection process, in sending order include preliminary reception of applicants, initial applicant screening, selection testing, selection interview, background investigation and reference checking, supervisory interview, realistic job previews, making the hiring decision, candidate notification, and evaluating the selection process. However, each step in the selection process, from preliminary applicant reception and initial screening to the hiring decision, is performed under legal, organizational, and environmental constraints that protect the interests of both applicant and organization. ORIENTATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Employee orientation is the procedure of providing new employees with basic background information about the firm and the job. Is more or less, considered as one component of the employers new-employee socialization process. Socialization process is an ongoing process of initialling in all employees the prevailing attitudes, standards, values, and patterns of behaviour that are expected by the organization. Training however is the process of teaching new or present employees the basic skills/competencies needed to perform their jobs. Whereas training focuses on skills and competencies needed to perform employees current jobs, employee and management development is the training of long-term nature. The aim is to prepare current employees for future jobs with the organization or solving an organizational problem concerning, for example, poor interdepartmental communication. Training and development processes include needs analysis, instructional design, validation, implementation, and evaluation and follow-up. CAREER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS It is the deliberate process through which persons become aware of personal career related attributes and the lifelong series of activities that contribute to their career fulfilment. Individuals, managers, and the organization have role to play in career development. Individuals accept responsibility of own career, assess interests, skills, and values, seek out career information and resources, establish goals and career plans, and utilize development opportunities. The career stage identification entails career cycle (the stages through which a persons career evolves). These stages include the following: growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance, and decline stages. Occupational orientation identification is the theory by John Holland. This theory enumerates six basic personal orientations that determine the sorts of careers to which people are drawn. They include realistic orientation, investigative orientation, social orientation, conventional orientation, enterprise orientation, and artistic orientation. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCESS Performance appraisal may be defined as any procedure that involves setting work standards, assessing employees actual performance relative to these standards, and providing feedback to the employee with the aim of motivating the worker to eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par. Processes in performance appraisal contain three steps: defining performance expectations, appraising performance, and providing feedback. First, defining performance expectation means making sure that job duties and standards are clear to all. Second, appraising performance means comparing employees actual performance to the standards that has been set, which normally involves some type of rating form. Third, performance appraisal usually requires one or more feedback sessions to discuss employees performance and progress and making plans for any required development. Some of the appraisal methods include graphic rating scale, alternation ranking, paired comparison, forced dis tribution, and critical incident methods. EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PROCESS Employee compensation involves all forms of pay or rewards accrued to employees and arising from their employment. This however consists of two main components: direct financial payments, and indirect payments. While direct financial payments are in the form of wages, salaries, incentives, commissions, and bonuses, indirect payments are in the form of financial benefits like employer-paid insurance and vacations. Moreover, legal considerations in compensation, union influences, compensation policies, and equity and its impact on pay rates are the four basic considerations influencing the formulation of any pay plan. Benefits are indirect financial payments given to employees. These may include supplementary health and life insurance, vacation, pension, education plans, and discounts on say company products. Furthermore, income and medical benefits to victims of work-related accidents or illness and/or their dependents, regardless of fault are all part of employees compensation. The processes in establishing pay rates involve the following five steps: First, conducting wages/salary survey to determine the prevailing wage rates for comparable jobs, which is central in job pricing. Second, determine the relative worth of each job (job evaluation) by comparing the job content in relation to one another in terms of their efforts, responsibility, and skills. This eventually results in wage or salary hierarchy. Third, group similar jobs into pay grades, a pay grade comprises of jobs of approximately equal value or importance as determined by job evaluation. Forth, price each pay grade using wage curves. A wage curve is graphical description of the relationship between the value of job and the average wage paid for the job. However, if jobs are not grouped into pay grades, individual pay rates have to be assigned to each job. Fifth, fine tune pay rates. This involves correcting out-of-line rates and usually developing rate ranges. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCESS Occupational health and safety process aims at protecting the health and safety of workers by minimizing work-related accidents and illnesses. Laws and legislations to ensure and observe general health and safety rules bound employers. More so, rules for specific industries, for example, mining and rules related to specific hazards, for instance, asbestos have to be adhered to. The following steps are important in this process. Checking for or removing unsafe conditions by using checklist to audit a companys adherence to safety rules that are guarded against hazards, which cannot be removed. Next, through selection, screening out of employees who might be accident prone for job in question without compromising the human right legislation. More so, establishing a safety policy, this emphasizes on the importance of practically reducing accidents and injuries. Setting specific loss control goals by analyzing the number of accidents and safety incidents and then set specific safety goals to be achieved. Enforcing safety rules through discipline and conducting health and safety inspections regularly by investigating all accidents and near misses, and by having a system in place for letting employe