Monday, August 24, 2020
Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7
Training - Essay Example Rather than such therapeutic methods Eastern medication sometimes bolster the utilization of needle therapy and may even diminish pressure. Impacts of needle therapy would not be clarified through conventional clinical models and patients have encountered pressure decrease by utilizing needle therapy. The physiological impacts of needle therapy can likewise be hypothetically bolstered with proof and in this exposition I would contend which model of reasoning best fits in with our own conviction frameworks and how this case could be advocated or set up. The spotlight here is in this way on separating but discovering regular grounds among constructivist and positivist ways of thinking. The similitudes and contrasts of these two frameworks of thought could be featured concerning worry as well as a few different models could be utilized to show precisely where these two frameworks change and how they would vary. Positivism depends on severe logical technique and experimental comprehension of occasions. Supported by Comte, Popper and by researchers, positivism was considered as the most significant way to deal with reasoning of science that could achieve logical advancement with characteristic or material methodologies characterized or saw exactly (Mill, 1993). Positivism is commonly considered as the logical strategy as science depends on specific proclamations which are exactly testable and unquestionable (Morris, 2006). The intelligent structure and intelligibility of these announcements would make a wonder logically reasonable and at exactly that point this would be acknowledged as clarifying the occasions of the world. Positivism being the best logical clarification is likewise firmly identified with reductionism which shows how one kind of element would be reducible to another. The premise of positivism would identify with quantitative and target estimation of the occasions or wonders c onsidered. Logical data is subsequently data that can be measured and dispassionately examined. Aside from
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Final essay :: essays research papers
1.à à à à à The Clinton-Lewinsky issue is a generally excellent case of the concentric circle model. Considering it in the manner clarified in the book, ââ¬Å"as a stone being dropped in still water.â⬠That is actually what occurred in this story. The waves were the various individuals that were really associated with and knew about the story in any case, before it got out to people in general. The mediaââ¬â¢s information on the story began when Michael Isikoff found Linda Tripp, in view of tips he got from others. It is interesting to me how the story for the media started which was on the grounds that there had been bits of gossip that Clinton had asked Monica Lewinsky to lie, which would have been illicit. What is so amusing to me about that is, the point at which the news really hit people in general, the story appeared to change to the way that Clinton took part in an extramarital entanglements. Which is actually what the Newsweek and different news outlets were no t keen on announcing. 2.à à à à à Internet has advanced in the course of the most recent ten years. It has consistently extended and turn out to be each progressively a piece of the mediaââ¬â¢s aggregation. What's more, the eventual fate of the web is looking generally excellent. Since innovation has consistently outperformed itself, coming out with new and better items on a nonstop premise. Today the web is open in many schools and kids are turning out to be more PC proficient. I accept that one day the web will outperform every single other type of media. As more individuals begin to become PC proficient they will utilize the web more. Businessââ¬â¢s make billions of dollars a year from the web. Permitting individuals to shop in the accommodation of their own home has been a colossal in addition to for these businessââ¬â¢s. This is an entirely beneficial scene for a business since they donââ¬â¢t have all the costs of a real store, for example, representatives and the physical store. 3.â â â â â The White House Press Secretary has an extremely exceptional relationship with the media. The individual who has this activity more than likely has a bounteous measure of data the media might want to know. This comes very well with what libertarians accept. Which is ââ¬Å"that individuals are associated with a long lasting mission for information, truth and wisdom.â⬠They ââ¬Å"imagined an expression of numerous different distributions that there would be space for each outlook.â⬠That, ââ¬Å"truth-chasing people trade thoughts in an unstructured, free-wheeling marketplace.â⬠And at long last that ââ¬Å"all residents taking part in incredible exchanges through the media appeared naã ¯ve to certain individuals.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
How to Fit Meditation Into Your Day
How to Fit Meditation Into Your Day Meditation Print How to Fit Meditation Into Your Day By Mark Stibich, PhD Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements. Learn about our editorial policy Mark Stibich, PhD Updated on February 04, 2020 Leon Harris / Cultura / Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Meditation Happiness Stress Management Spirituality Holistic Health Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All Sometimes the biggest challenge in learning a new skill or practice like meditation is learning how to fit it into your routine. Most everyone has those days when it is a feat to even have showered, let alone setting time aside to sit quietly and meditate. Here you will learn how to fit your meditation practice into your busy dayâ"perhaps when you need it the most. Give the skills outlined below a try for one week. Consider it a one-week experiment in learning how to take what youve learned into the real world. Make a commitment to follow these simple steps every day of the week. What Youâll Do A good meditation practice does not end when the timer goes off. Too often, once a meditation session stops, it may only take moments before you get caught up in the stresses and routines of the day and many of the benefits of having had meditated are erased. Meditation should not be seen as a temporary break, but rather a transformative process that enriches your life and the lives around you. This week, weâll work on bringing meditation âoff the cushionâ and into the rest of your life. How It Works By adding brief âreminderâ or mini practices into your day, you can maintain some of the benefits of meditation all day long. By using a few simple techniques to achieve a brief meditative state, youâll be able to work your meditation practice into your daily activities to achieve lasting calm and focus. Get Motivated for Week 4 With these practices, youâll be able to evoke a meditative stateâ"however briefâ"whenever you need some calm or creativity in your life. Doing meditations in a variety of environments will help you stay focused and in control of your mind. You wonât be as influenced by impulsive emotions and will be able to focus more on what you would like to do. The Steps to Meditate Every Day Below are six techniques for working meditation and the mindfulness that comes with it into your daily life. Try at least one of these each day this week to find what works best for you: Chore Meditation: Any repetitive chore can be turned into a meditation simply by adding a focusing element. You can count your breaths while cleaning counters, folding laundry, or washing windows, for example. Any chore that is automatic in nature and does not require decision-making while you are doing it works well. Take a moment for mindfulness.Walking Meditation: While taking a walk, link your breathing with your steps. A traditional walking meditation practice (made popular by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh) is to take a step with each breath. This slow walking meditation practice can be very powerful. If you donât have the time or place for slow walking, then just take a breath with every two or three steps while walking down the hall, across a parking lot, or in a store.Exercise Meditation: Turn exercise into meditation by focusing your mental energy on your body. Picture the push and pull of your muscles. Feel how your body gracefully adjusts to your movements. Be amazed a t your balance. Even better, try out an exercise program that is rooted in breath and mindfulness like tai chi or yoga. Two Breaths: Taking two simple, mindful breaths can engage your meditative state at any point in the day. Take two breaths before making a phone call, answering an e-mail, or starting your car. This is a great way to bring meditation into your day dozens of times, particularly in the midst of a busy or stressful day when you need it the most.Sound Cue: Choose a particular sound, and take two breaths every time you hear it. Traditionally, monks would do this when they heard the wind chimes and bells of the temple. Choose a sound that occurs frequently in your setting. You could take a five-second pause in your thinking whenever you hear someone elseâs cell phone, for example.Transitions: Transitions are times when you move from one setting to another. Coming home from work, for example, is a transition from your professional self to your private self. Going into some meetings, you may transition into a different personal style in order to get something done. Lunchtime may be a transition for you as well. Traditionally, monks would pause every time they crossed a threshold and transitioned from one room to another. Pick a few transitions in your daily life (like getting into your car, walking into your workplace, and opening your front door), and take a five-second meditative pause before entering the new setting. Perhaps you will even make opening a certain computer program or checking your e-mail a transition. Your Meditation Commitment This Week: This week I will try at least one of these brief meditation practices every day. Tips Donât be tempted to substitute these practices for your daily meditation. You must maintain your daily habit of sitting and focusing. That habit will allow you to use these practices effectively. You develop your âmeditation musclesâ by sitting and focusing. These new applications are about using that new strength in your daily life for an extra boost.In the beginning, try to pick practices that you can do when you are alone. It is difficult to take two mindful breaths while talking to someone, or even when you are in a situation where other people can watch you. Your car is a great place for a bit of privacy. While you are working on your computer or doing laundry are also good times for these meditation moments.Look at an anatomy book and marvel at the human body. As you go through your day, you can do an âexercise meditationâ that focuses on whatever your body is doing. You could simply be walking, typing, or going up the stairs. Picture how the muscles and nerves work. Be awed by your own body. Ready for More? If you want to do more, try developing a mindfulness practice. In mindfulness, the idea is to be aware of whatever you are doing. The opposite of mindfulness is an automatic action. Pick something you do often during the day, like opening a door. Can you be aware of yourself opening the door each time? Are you really present as you open the door? Are you aware of your hand on the door, the door opening, your body crossing through and the door closing behind you? Or is it an automatic process without awareness? Develop your mindfulness skills by picking something that you do often and trying to be aware of yourself doing it each time. It is a lot harder than it sounds, and it takes practice.
Friday, May 22, 2020
What You Can Do With a Degree in Sociology
A lot of people take their first sociology course simply to fulfill a college requirement, not knowing much about the field before stepping into that first course. Soon after, however, many fall in love with the subject matter and decide to major in it. If this is you, you may be asking yourself, ââ¬Å"What can I do with a degree in sociology?â⬠Most people who think of themselves as sociologists or have the word sociologist in their job title have graduate training, but B.A.s in sociology apply the sociological perspective to a wide variety of jobs in such sectors as business, the health professions, the criminal justice system, social services, and government. What You Can Do With an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology As a strong liberal arts major, a B.A. in sociology provides several things: The undergraduate degree provides broad preparation for entry-level positions throughout the business, social service, non-profit, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides, like research, critical thinking, and analytic skills.Since its subject matter is intrinsically fascinating, sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration--fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.Many students choose sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly pertains to each of these fields. What You Can Do With a Graduate Degree in Sociology With advanced degrees (M.A. or Ph.D.), the more likely it is that a job will have the title sociologist, but many opportunities exist--the diversity of sociological careers ranges much further. Many jobs outside of academia do not necessarily carry the specific title of sociologist. These include the following, among others: Sociologists become high school teachers or faculty in colleges and universities, advising students, conducting research, and publishing their work. Over 3,000 colleges currently offer sociology courses.Sociologists enter the corporate, non-profit, and government worlds as directors of research, policy analysts, consultants, human resource managers, and program managers.Practicing sociologists with advanced degrees may be called research analysts, survey researchers, gerontologists, clinical sociologists, statisticians, urban planners, community developers, criminologists, or demographers.Some M.A. and Ph.D. sociologists obtain specialized training to become counselors, therapists, or program directors in social service agencies. Today, sociologists embark upon literally hundreds of career paths. Although teaching and conducting research remains the dominant activity among the thousands of professional sociologists today, other forms of employment are growing both in number and significance. In some sectors, sociologists work closely with economists, political scientists, anthropologists, psychologists, social workers, and others, reflecting a growing appreciation of sociologys contributions to interdisciplinary analysis and action. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Analysis Of Michael Porter s Five Forces Analysis
ââ¬Å"40 is the new 20â⬠is no longer a phrase of the past, thanks to the cosmetic surgery industry. Injectables such as Botulinum toxin, (aka Botox), Collagen, and Hyaluronic acid are credited with keeping faces wrinkle-free. More invasive procedures, such as Breast Implantation, nose surgery, and the ever popular tummy-tuck, offer enhancements to those body parts the individual is dis-satisfied with (Grundy, 2006). Because of the seemingly instant gratification, the cosmetic surgery industry has witnessed a drastic increase over the last fifty years. Determining where to open a new practice will require completion of market research and a competitive analysis. Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Analysis is a powerful tool for evaluating competitionâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Another cost factor to consider is marketing. Because cosmetic surgery advertising is so controversial, it would prove cost effective to spend more money in an effort to secure a reputable marketing agent (Hennink et al., 2010). Very few providers have access to these funds. Although the costs of entry to start a cosmetic surgery center is high, positive return on investment makes it worth the risk. The bargaining power of suppliers is one of the threats on the industry in which price changes or product quality by suppliers have an impact on profitability (Grundy, 2006). Therefore, it is important for the cosmetic surgery practice to research alternate suppliers. The process to produce Botox, which is one of the minimally invasive cosmetic surgery procedures, is quite extensive. To begin, the laboratory cultivates the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It is the result of the cultivation and the preservation of Clostridium botulinum that categorizes the quality of the toxin manufactured. That, accompanied with the toxinââ¬â¢s high sensitivity to the laboratory conditions makes the toxin production a very fragile process that limited supplies attempt (Schantz et al., 1992). When thinking in terms of supply and demand, the lack of equal substitutions, along with the high demand for the product, gives the supplier an advantage. The bargaining power of buyers can force the supply companies to lower the prices. In a market in which buyers have the power,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis of Con Edison by Using Michael Porter`S Five Forces Model1154 Words à |à 5 PagesUNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK LEHMAN COLLEGE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR MANAGERS ANALYSIS OF CON EDISON BY USING MICHAEL PORTER`S FIVE FORCES MODEL INSTRUCTOR: MINE AYSEN DOYRAN STUDENT: Recep Maz What makes electric utilities (Con Edison) monopolistic and why? Support your answer by referring to AT LEAST 2 FORCES outlined in MICHEAL PORTERââ¬â¢S Five Forces of Analysis Historical facts about Con Edison Company I would like to giveRead MoreMichael Porter s Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1473 Words à |à 6 PagesMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorters Five Forces1232 Words à |à 5 PagesRunning head: The Theory of Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Porters Five Forces Kimberly S. Lawson 1018525 American Military University 04 October 2012 Abstract Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces model is a very sophisticated theory for calculating a company s economical standing. Michael Porter established a structure that shapes a structure that monitors an industry and is often used in strategic planning. Porter s detailed five forces model is one of the most frequentlyRead MorePest Analysis : Pest And Porter s Five Forces1314 Words à |à 6 PagesAccording to Mind tools (n.d.). PEST Analysis, PEST and Porter s five Forces each analyze different aspects of a business. PEST (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Technical) factors are often considered to gauge the expected impact of business decisions, and the likelihood that the trend set will continue in a particular direction. PEST analysis allows a company to determine if the resources and capabilities used by the company support the company s opportunities, or diminish existing threatsRead MoreMichael Porters Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1452 Words à |à 6 Page sMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorter s Five Force Analysis1465 Words à |à 6 PagesThis Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. Following are the five forces of Michael Porter s model. Th ese fiveRead MorePorters Five Forces1036 Words à |à 5 PagesAssignment 1 Describe Porterââ¬â¢s Fiveââ¬âForce model and how it is helpful when developing oneââ¬â¢s international strategy. Do you see any limitation to Porterââ¬â¢s modeling techniques? Michael Porter s Five-Force model, as described and illustrated in ââ¬Å"Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces: A Model for Industry Analysis (Article from QuickMBA.com)â⬠, goes beyond the traditional industry competitive analysis that would just compare Rivals, both current and potential, to include Suppliers and Buyers and also Product or ServiceRead MoreMicro And Macro Environment Of The Company1590 Words à |à 7 Pagesdifferent types of analysis a company should look at when considering a new project, the more you look into the business environment for your company the better equipped you will be to bring forward a project that will be successful, in this section weââ¬â¢ll be looking at the micro and macro environment of the company through pestle and porters five forces. Also looking at why robust information and research is important how stakeholder analysis works along with constraints analysis. 1. Micro and macroRead MorePorter Five Forces Model950 Words à |à 4 PagesPorterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Abstract Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model is a structured framework for analyzing commerce and business establishment. It was formed by Michael E. Porter of the Harvard Business School between 1979 and the mid 1980ââ¬â¢s. Porter developed the Five Forces model in opposition to the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, environmental opportunities, threats) analysis that was an industry standard for businesses to determine how theyRead MoreThe Five Forces Essay1312 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Five Forces Framework and Competitive Strategy In this framework due to Michael Porter there are two high-level stages in the creation of competitive strategy, each stage corresponding to a high-level determinant of profitability mentioned in the previous section. The first stage is the assessment of the attractiveness of the industry in which a given company is embedded based on a structural analysis of the industry. In this stage, called the five forces framework, five forces that influence
Analysis Of Michael Porter s Five Forces Analysis
ââ¬Å"40 is the new 20â⬠is no longer a phrase of the past, thanks to the cosmetic surgery industry. Injectables such as Botulinum toxin, (aka Botox), Collagen, and Hyaluronic acid are credited with keeping faces wrinkle-free. More invasive procedures, such as Breast Implantation, nose surgery, and the ever popular tummy-tuck, offer enhancements to those body parts the individual is dis-satisfied with (Grundy, 2006). Because of the seemingly instant gratification, the cosmetic surgery industry has witnessed a drastic increase over the last fifty years. Determining where to open a new practice will require completion of market research and a competitive analysis. Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Analysis is a powerful tool for evaluating competitionâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Another cost factor to consider is marketing. Because cosmetic surgery advertising is so controversial, it would prove cost effective to spend more money in an effort to secure a reputable marketing agent (Hennink et al., 2010). Very few providers have access to these funds. Although the costs of entry to start a cosmetic surgery center is high, positive return on investment makes it worth the risk. The bargaining power of suppliers is one of the threats on the industry in which price changes or product quality by suppliers have an impact on profitability (Grundy, 2006). Therefore, it is important for the cosmetic surgery practice to research alternate suppliers. The process to produce Botox, which is one of the minimally invasive cosmetic surgery procedures, is quite extensive. To begin, the laboratory cultivates the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It is the result of the cultivation and the preservation of Clostridium botulinum that categorizes the quality of the toxin manufactured. That, accompanied with the toxinââ¬â¢s high sensitivity to the laboratory conditions makes the toxin production a very fragile process that limited supplies attempt (Schantz et al., 1992). When thinking in terms of supply and demand, the lack of equal substitutions, along with the high demand for the product, gives the supplier an advantage. The bargaining power of buyers can force the supply companies to lower the prices. In a market in which buyers have the power,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis of Con Edison by Using Michael Porter`S Five Forces Model1154 Words à |à 5 PagesUNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK LEHMAN COLLEGE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR MANAGERS ANALYSIS OF CON EDISON BY USING MICHAEL PORTER`S FIVE FORCES MODEL INSTRUCTOR: MINE AYSEN DOYRAN STUDENT: Recep Maz What makes electric utilities (Con Edison) monopolistic and why? Support your answer by referring to AT LEAST 2 FORCES outlined in MICHEAL PORTERââ¬â¢S Five Forces of Analysis Historical facts about Con Edison Company I would like to giveRead MoreMichael Porter s Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1473 Words à |à 6 PagesMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorters Five Forces1232 Words à |à 5 PagesRunning head: The Theory of Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Porters Five Forces Kimberly S. Lawson 1018525 American Military University 04 October 2012 Abstract Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces model is a very sophisticated theory for calculating a company s economical standing. Michael Porter established a structure that shapes a structure that monitors an industry and is often used in strategic planning. Porter s detailed five forces model is one of the most frequentlyRead MorePest Analysis : Pest And Porter s Five Forces1314 Words à |à 6 PagesAccording to Mind tools (n.d.). PEST Analysis, PEST and Porter s five Forces each analyze different aspects of a business. PEST (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Technical) factors are often considered to gauge the expected impact of business decisions, and the likelihood that the trend set will continue in a particular direction. PEST analysis allows a company to determine if the resources and capabilities used by the company support the company s opportunities, or diminish existing threatsRead MoreMichael Porters Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1452 Words à |à 6 Page sMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorter s Five Force Analysis1465 Words à |à 6 PagesThis Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. Following are the five forces of Michael Porter s model. Th ese fiveRead MorePorters Five Forces1036 Words à |à 5 PagesAssignment 1 Describe Porterââ¬â¢s Fiveââ¬âForce model and how it is helpful when developing oneââ¬â¢s international strategy. Do you see any limitation to Porterââ¬â¢s modeling techniques? Michael Porter s Five-Force model, as described and illustrated in ââ¬Å"Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces: A Model for Industry Analysis (Article from QuickMBA.com)â⬠, goes beyond the traditional industry competitive analysis that would just compare Rivals, both current and potential, to include Suppliers and Buyers and also Product or ServiceRead MoreMicro And Macro Environment Of The Company1590 Words à |à 7 Pagesdifferent types of analysis a company should look at when considering a new project, the more you look into the business environment for your company the better equipped you will be to bring forward a project that will be successful, in this section weââ¬â¢ll be looking at the micro and macro environment of the company through pestle and porters five forces. Also looking at why robust information and research is important how stakeholder analysis works along with constraints analysis. 1. Micro and macroRead MorePorter Five Forces Model950 Words à |à 4 PagesPorterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Abstract Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model is a structured framework for analyzing commerce and business establishment. It was formed by Michael E. Porter of the Harvard Business School between 1979 and the mid 1980ââ¬â¢s. Porter developed the Five Forces model in opposition to the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, environmental opportunities, threats) analysis that was an industry standard for businesses to determine how theyRead MoreThe Five Forces Essay1312 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Five Forces Framework and Competitive Strategy In this framework due to Michael Porter there are two high-level stages in the creation of competitive strategy, each stage corresponding to a high-level determinant of profitability mentioned in the previous section. The first stage is the assessment of the attractiveness of the industry in which a given company is embedded based on a structural analysis of the industry. In this stage, called the five forces framework, five forces that influence
Analysis Of Michael Porter s Five Forces Analysis
ââ¬Å"40 is the new 20â⬠is no longer a phrase of the past, thanks to the cosmetic surgery industry. Injectables such as Botulinum toxin, (aka Botox), Collagen, and Hyaluronic acid are credited with keeping faces wrinkle-free. More invasive procedures, such as Breast Implantation, nose surgery, and the ever popular tummy-tuck, offer enhancements to those body parts the individual is dis-satisfied with (Grundy, 2006). Because of the seemingly instant gratification, the cosmetic surgery industry has witnessed a drastic increase over the last fifty years. Determining where to open a new practice will require completion of market research and a competitive analysis. Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Analysis is a powerful tool for evaluating competitionâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Another cost factor to consider is marketing. Because cosmetic surgery advertising is so controversial, it would prove cost effective to spend more money in an effort to secure a reputable marketing agent (Hennink et al., 2010). Very few providers have access to these funds. Although the costs of entry to start a cosmetic surgery center is high, positive return on investment makes it worth the risk. The bargaining power of suppliers is one of the threats on the industry in which price changes or product quality by suppliers have an impact on profitability (Grundy, 2006). Therefore, it is important for the cosmetic surgery practice to research alternate suppliers. The process to produce Botox, which is one of the minimally invasive cosmetic surgery procedures, is quite extensive. To begin, the laboratory cultivates the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It is the result of the cultivation and the preservation of Clostridium botulinum that categorizes the quality of the toxin manufactured. That, accompanied with the toxinââ¬â¢s high sensitivity to the laboratory conditions makes the toxin production a very fragile process that limited supplies attempt (Schantz et al., 1992). When thinking in terms of supply and demand, the lack of equal substitutions, along with the high demand for the product, gives the supplier an advantage. The bargaining power of buyers can force the supply companies to lower the prices. In a market in which buyers have the power,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis of Con Edison by Using Michael Porter`S Five Forces Model1154 Words à |à 5 PagesUNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK LEHMAN COLLEGE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS FOR MANAGERS ANALYSIS OF CON EDISON BY USING MICHAEL PORTER`S FIVE FORCES MODEL INSTRUCTOR: MINE AYSEN DOYRAN STUDENT: Recep Maz What makes electric utilities (Con Edison) monopolistic and why? Support your answer by referring to AT LEAST 2 FORCES outlined in MICHEAL PORTERââ¬â¢S Five Forces of Analysis Historical facts about Con Edison Company I would like to giveRead MoreMichael Porter s Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1473 Words à |à 6 PagesMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorters Five Forces1232 Words à |à 5 PagesRunning head: The Theory of Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Porters Five Forces Kimberly S. Lawson 1018525 American Military University 04 October 2012 Abstract Michael Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces model is a very sophisticated theory for calculating a company s economical standing. Michael Porter established a structure that shapes a structure that monitors an industry and is often used in strategic planning. Porter s detailed five forces model is one of the most frequentlyRead MorePest Analysis : Pest And Porter s Five Forces1314 Words à |à 6 PagesAccording to Mind tools (n.d.). PEST Analysis, PEST and Porter s five Forces each analyze different aspects of a business. PEST (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Technical) factors are often considered to gauge the expected impact of business decisions, and the likelihood that the trend set will continue in a particular direction. PEST analysis allows a company to determine if the resources and capabilities used by the company support the company s opportunities, or diminish existing threatsRead MoreMichael Porters Five Forces Of Competition For Starbucks1452 Words à |à 6 Page sMichael Porter s Five Forces of Competition for Starbucks This Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. FollowingRead MorePorter s Five Force Analysis1465 Words à |à 6 PagesThis Michael Porter s five force analysis of Starbucks coffee shows the intensity of the five strengths of the firm, and the bases of these powers. Starbucks coffee s prosperity shows its viability in tending to these outside elements in its industrial surroundings. However, this five forces investigation highlights current industry conditions that force present and developing concerns significant to Starbucks Coffee s business. Following are the five forces of Michael Porter s model. Th ese fiveRead MorePorters Five Forces1036 Words à |à 5 PagesAssignment 1 Describe Porterââ¬â¢s Fiveââ¬âForce model and how it is helpful when developing oneââ¬â¢s international strategy. Do you see any limitation to Porterââ¬â¢s modeling techniques? Michael Porter s Five-Force model, as described and illustrated in ââ¬Å"Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces: A Model for Industry Analysis (Article from QuickMBA.com)â⬠, goes beyond the traditional industry competitive analysis that would just compare Rivals, both current and potential, to include Suppliers and Buyers and also Product or ServiceRead MoreMicro And Macro Environment Of The Company1590 Words à |à 7 Pagesdifferent types of analysis a company should look at when considering a new project, the more you look into the business environment for your company the better equipped you will be to bring forward a project that will be successful, in this section weââ¬â¢ll be looking at the micro and macro environment of the company through pestle and porters five forces. Also looking at why robust information and research is important how stakeholder analysis works along with constraints analysis. 1. Micro and macroRead MorePorter Five Forces Model950 Words à |à 4 PagesPorterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model: an overview Abstract Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces Model is a structured framework for analyzing commerce and business establishment. It was formed by Michael E. Porter of the Harvard Business School between 1979 and the mid 1980ââ¬â¢s. Porter developed the Five Forces model in opposition to the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, environmental opportunities, threats) analysis that was an industry standard for businesses to determine how theyRead MoreThe Five Forces Essay1312 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Five Forces Framework and Competitive Strategy In this framework due to Michael Porter there are two high-level stages in the creation of competitive strategy, each stage corresponding to a high-level determinant of profitability mentioned in the previous section. The first stage is the assessment of the attractiveness of the industry in which a given company is embedded based on a structural analysis of the industry. In this stage, called the five forces framework, five forces that influence
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Multi Tasking Madness Free Essays
Digital native is a term used to describe a person who has grown up and been attached with the immersion of technology. In the article ââ¬Å"Multitasking Madnessâ⬠, the digital natives have been known with the ability of multitasking at which previous generations are surprised. The digital natives are able to do many tasks at the same time because they strengthen brain cells to carry out specific activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Multi Tasking Madness or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the question has been addressed: ââ¬Å"How will businesses need to change to capitalize on the multitasking ability of the digital natives? In a few years later, the baby boomers will get retired, then businesses will replace them with the younger generations, among them are digital natives who are much better in multitasking than previous generations. Also, technology has rocketed since the mid of 90ââ¬â¢s, which requires businesses need to update and catch up with the rapid development of technology; as a result, businesses have to consider of hiring employees who are familiar with new technologies and adapt them into work efficiently. With those two reasons, business organizations must come up with hanges, such as creating a new work environment in which the digital natives can maximize their abilities, and allowing them to work in their personal time. Creating such a good work environment to capitalize the abilities of the digital natives is making them comfortable at work. Their work area is no longer limited in a small cubicle but any place in the building so they donââ¬â¢t feel narrowed down in the small area. Also, they only need a thin slight laptop instead of a big screen desktop computer to carry around with them so that they can work anytime and anywhere. For example, as an accountant for a website security company, Iââ¬â¢m responsible for business transactions between the company with our clients and vendors, having a laptop with me all the time, I quickly respond urgent inquiries from them while interacting with other employees on IM windows. Allowing the digital natives to work in their personal time is one of changes that businesses should consider too, such as providing them with access so that they can work at anywhere and anytime. For instance, they can work at home and still are able to take care of their kids. Or as my situation, full-time employee and attend school as part-time student, to be able to catch up with school and work projects, a permission of working on my own time would be a great idea for me. Creating a work environment at the workplace to capitalize the abilities of the digital natives is the best solution that business should consider because a company still hold the control of their employees, which is knowing if they show up for work and attend conferences and meetings frequently as requested. Businesses donââ¬â¢t need to spend much money on office furniture and big flat screen monitors. How to cite Multi Tasking Madness, Papers
Sunday, April 26, 2020
The oppression and seclusion of Muslim women
For many years, people have reckoned Islam. This is mainly because of its strict and inflexible laws. Islam, which relies on Sharia laws, revolves around relationships. Sharia laws define relationships between God and man, and between human beings. Islamic laws, which have been in existence for the last 14,000 years, define the expected behavior of Muslims, the relationships between them and other human beings, and their duties to God.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The oppression and seclusion of Muslim women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, these laws tend to favor men as compared to women. This has led to the oppression and seclusion of women (Abou El Fadl 2001).1 However, advancement in technology and globalization among other factors are essential to Muslim women. These channels give the Muslim women a platform to voice their opinions. With time, these women are gaining more opportunities to air th eir opinions. Today, Muslim women in the Arab world and in Western countries can comfortably raise issues on matters concerning them. Marriage has been among the key issues affecting Muslim women. These women have been participating in debates in order to voice their opinions on issues of marriage arrangements, procedures, expectations, rights, and roles among other issues. This paper analyzes the issue of marriage and its importance to Islamic women. It considers the views of several authors of Islamic texts on this issue. Just like in other religions, marriage is very important in Islam. Islam dictates that marriage should only happen between two Muslims, who are of opposite sexes. The man pays for the brideââ¬â¢s dowry and then the marriage rituals take place. After marriage, they both take their roles while conforming to the Sharia law. The man bears full authority over his wife and has a duty of providing to the wife, whose duty is to serve the husband. Islam allows men to m arry more than one wife. However, it restricts a woman to only one husband. Marriage is important to Muslim women as it affects them. After all, they have to get married at one point of their lives. Marriage is important to Islamic women as the Islamic laws recommend it. Issues concerning marriage include the expected roles of women, divorce, and duties of husbands among other issues. Women need to understand issues of marriage to know how to go about their marriage issues. They have to know how to be good wives, mothers, and daughter-in-laws. Further, they have to know how to manage their homes effectively. Therefore, women have to understand all issues surrounding marriage in Islam in order to enjoy prosperous marriages. Kecia Ali, an author of Islamic texts, focuses on the laws that govern marriage institutions in Islam. She addresses the issues of dowry payments, marriage, slavery, and the role of women in marriage. According to her, women have rights to express their views on m arriage. She acknowledges the fact that Muslim women have sexual needs and desires, which are not considered. Further, she addresses the issue of oppression of women in Islam (Ali 2010). 2Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In her work, Kecia portrays the Islamic man as being superior to the Islamic women. She brings out the issues of sex and ethics expected in Islamic marriage institutions. She shows how these issues favor men over women. Kecia considers the man as the ultimate source of authority in a marriage. She shows this by writing that men act as the segmenting factors in marriages. According to her, the man has a responsibility of fending for his family, protecting his family, and guarding the virtue of his wife/wives (Ali 2006).3 Islam, gender, and social change, a book by Yvonne Haddad and John Esposito addresses the issues of modernity that have an impact on Islamic laws of marriage. They show how the world views Islamic women and proceed to give their concept of women in Islam. They document that religious scriptures guide the roles of Islamic women. According to them, the Quran and Sharia laws provide parameters on the behavior of the men and women in marriage institutions. They acknowledge the fact that Islam is a male dominated religion and culture. They attribute this to the fact that features of women are indecent. Based on this, Muslim women should not expose their bodies or even their voices (Haddad and John 1997).4 These writers portray God as the source of authority in Islam. According to them, Muslim men only follow Gods law, which gives them dominance over women. They clarify that the Holy Quran is specific on the rights of women. Abdul-Aziz in her article, ââ¬Å"crisis of male epistemology in Islamic jurisprudenceâ⬠, explains the issues facing Islamic women. She uses the Islamic jury system to explain her position on this iss ue. She documents that in Islam women face segregation and seclusion. She writes that men manipulate the laws to work in their favor. In her article, she attributes the source of power in Islam to God. She uses the example of Prophet Muhammadââ¬â¢s family to explain this. She writes that during the prophetââ¬â¢s time men and women had full access to the laws. The mantle of handling women related issues rested on women. For instance, Aisha, the prophetââ¬â¢s wife was responsible for handling issues related to women (Sachedina n.d). 5 Abdul-Aziz is of the opinion that Muslim women have equal rights to men. For example, as parents, sister, brothers, and as relatives the two genders are equal. Therefore, God is the ultimate source of power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The oppression and seclusion of Muslim women specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All the articles portray several similarities and differenc es in terms of the way the articles relate to the Islamic teachings. All the three writers acknowledge the authority of God in Islam. Islamic religious doctrines and laws clearly state that God is the overall authority in the world. The writers acknowledge Godââ¬â¢s power by writing that humankind follows the rules that God put in place. However, the ideas of these authors vary. Each author has a different approach regarding hierarchy of authority in Islam. Some of the authors argue that men are second to God while others are of the opinion that the position of the two is level. For instance, Kecia is of the opinion that men are superior to women. Abdul-Aziz and Yvonne attribute all power to God. These authors agree that men and women have equal rights. According to Islamic doctrines, man and woman are equal to God. Since men are unfamiliar with issues affecting women, they should allow women to handle issues affecting them. This will ensure more content and happy women. Referenc e List Ali, Kecia. Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2010. ââ¬â. Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qurââ¬â¢an, Hadith and Jurisprudence. London: Oneworld, 2006. Abou El Fadl, Khaled. Speaking in Godââ¬â¢s Name: Islamic Law, Authority and Women. London: Oneworld, 2001. Haddad, Yvonne and John Esposito (Ed). Islam, Gender, and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sachedina, Abdulaziz. Crisis of Male Epistemology in Islamic Jurisprudence. n.d. https://www.virginia.edu/. Footnotes 1 Khaled Abou El Fadl,Speaking in Godââ¬â¢s Name: Islamic Law, Authority and Women. (London: Oneworld, 2001) 384. 2 Kecia Ali, Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2010), 272. 3 Kecia Ali, Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qurââ¬â¢an, Hadith and Jurisprudence (London: Oneworld, 2006), 142. 4 Yvonne Haddad and John Esposito (Ed), Islam, Gender, and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), 288. 5 Abdulaziz Sachedina, Crisis of Male Epistemology in Islamic Jurisprudence. This essay on The oppression and seclusion of Muslim women was written and submitted by user Moira MacTaggert to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Ethics Challenged During A Disaster
Ethics Challenged During A Disaster 4Ethics Challenged during disasterEthics Challenged during disaster1The New York Times Magazine article, "The Deadly Choices at Memorial" by Sheri Fink depict the aspects of a doctor's duty in disaster care were held to lower standards, thereby allowing murder to take place during the aftermaths of Hurricane Katrina. Sheri Fink, author, M.D; and PhD reported that Dr. Anna Pou, a surgeon who stayed to treat patients during the hurricane did not evacuate a selective group of patients she deemed too sick or too large to move thereby injected many of them with lethal combinations of Morphine, Versed, and/or Lorazepam. These lethal doses of sedatives and painkillers were found in several bodies following the request of Louisiana Attorney General's Office, Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard investigate the cause of the deaths at Memorial Hospital (Fink, 2009, 24-27). Furthermore, many of the cases presented by the experts deemed the levels of medication given indicated homicide.Edward Ev erett HaleThough only four counts of second-degree murder charges were brought against Dr. Anna Pou, the grand jury never indicted her, thus multiple wrongful death civil suits have been brought against Dr. Pou for her actions in the events that took place after Hurricane Katrina. In essence, "First Do No Harm" is a moralistic oath doctors' take that should not be compromised despite circumstances that encompass a disaster. During disaster care, a doctor's moral obligation should not be held to a lower standard because of the presentations of the situation at hand; moreover, it should be raised to higher levels to allow countless lives to be saved, public reassurance and legislative laws put into place to protect patients during disasters from being euthanized.Doctors' are trusted to "Do No Harm" and uphold great considerations to patients during tranquil environments. However, the same considerations...
Monday, March 2, 2020
Definition of a Timber Rotation Period
Definition of a Timber Rotation Period A timber rotation period is simply the time between the establishment of a stand of trees and when that same stand is ready for a final cut. This period of years, often called the optimum rotation period, is especially important when foresters try to determine the most advantageous harvest condition in an even-aged stand of trees. When a stand is either economically mature or reaching beyond natural maturity, the rotation period has been reached and a final harvest can be planned. In any given condition, there is a best size and age to which timber should be allowed to grow. These sizes and ages can be very different depending on the desired harvest scheme used and the final timber product to be produced. What is important to know is that a premature cutting ââ¬â¹shouldà be avoided before trees reach their optimum value or, on the other hand, that trees in a stand do not grow beyond their optimum size and continued vigor. Over mature stands can result in defective tree deterioration, timber handling, and milling problems. There is also a time in maturing stands when a decreasing growth rate (of return) hurts the owners investment return. An optimum timber rotation is often based on and determined by precisely calculated criteria using the latest developments in forest statistics and the proper equipment. These criteria include measuring a stands mean diameter and height (stand size), determining the stand age in years, coring and measuring tree rings to determine the climax of mean annual increment and monitoring all these data for the onset of negative physical deterioration or when growth rates drop.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War Essay - 1
To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War - Essay Example Did the West Really Win the Cold War? It has to be explained first what was involved in the end of the Cold War, by determining the major components in the strategy of Gorbachev after 1985 and the unforeseen results of the course of internal and external reform. The policy reforms of Gorbachev occurred in four major domains; in each instance the policy acquired impetus and became more revolutionary commencing around 1987 (Geoffrey 2008). Primarily, the Soviet administration commenced after 1985 to reform features of its military strategy viewed as particularly hostile by the West, and at the same time to alter its method of arms control (Suri 2002). Gorbachev embarked on reassessing military principle, pioneering the notion of ââ¬Ëreasonable sufficiency at the nuclear levelââ¬â¢ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 139) which indicates that ââ¬Ëlower nuclear weapons levels would be requiredââ¬â¢ (ibid, 139) and advancing toward ââ¬Ëdefensive defence at the conventional levelââ¬â ¢ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 140), in an effort to suppress the apprehensions of the West about surprise assault. Subsequently, Gorbachev indicated a reform in the ideological scope and proclaimed objectives of Soviet foreign policy, distancing from an idea of global class conflict toward a more broad-minded idea of peace and alliance. Propaganda about peace had contributed in Soviet policy beforehand, but Gorbachev placed a new emphasis on the essence of the United Nations and on ââ¬Ëhuman valuesââ¬â¢ (Keohane, Nye, & Hoffman 1997). The Soviet Union escorted a new ideological approach with actual hints of a real policy reform, for instance, fulfilling its financial obligations to UN peacekeeping activities and collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (Keohane et al. 1997). The last and most remarkable decision by Gorbachev was to modify Soviet policy toward the nations of East Europe (Phillips 2001). In his address in the UN in 1988 he declared that the Brezhnev Doctrine, stating the privilege of the Soviet Union to occupy Eastern Europe within the flag of socialist internationalism, had been discarded (Suri 2002). At some point in 1989 Solidarity made a compromise with the Polish United Workersââ¬â¢ party and adhered to the regime in August; a new multiparty elections and constitution in Hungary were declared in September (Suri 2002). In these two instances the deviation from the rule of the Communist Party was the outcome of an extended course of internal tension and the rise of strong party leaders, but reform was apparently permitted by the Soviet Union (Leffler & Westad 2010). Gorbachev tried to affect the more unruly administration of the German Democratic Republic (Geoffrey 2008). The Brezhnev Doctrine was officially abandoned by the Warsaw Pact when in the 1989 convention foreign ministers highlighted the right of each nation to be independent (Juviler & Kimura 2009). In spite of the recommendation of Gorbachev of large-scale re form in Eastern Europe, it is questionable if he expected, or aimed for, the disintegration of the coalition which took place after the revolutions in 1989 (Juviler & Kimura 2009). The concluding phase in the ending of the Cold War, the steady collapse of the USSR itself and the abandonment of the rule
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Labor and Birth Case Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Labor and Birth Case Review - Essay Example The process included conducting a pelvic exam in order to determine how the patient was progressing (Stevens, 2004). Notably, the active stage was faster than the latent phase with the patient experiencing contractions in every two minutes. However, the contractions were more painful. The transition to second stage began when the cervix dilated to about 8 ââ¬â 9 cm. Second stage By the time the second stage started, the babyââ¬â¢s head had appeared at the top of the cervix. It is worth noting that the mother was advised on when to push. Notably, uterine contractions were also getting stronger (Tharp, 2000). With assistance from abdominal muscles contraction together with motherââ¬â¢s pushing, the baby passed through the birth canal. It was noted that active pushing played a significant role during the stage. More importantly, an epidural anesthetic was administered in order to make the mother to manage the abdominal muscles better. Consequently, crowning occurred as the inf ant filled the lower vagina. After the head was out, then the shoulders followed, and the babyââ¬â¢s mouth and nose was suctioned in order to ease the babyââ¬â¢s first breath. Third stage During the final stage of labor, the continuing uterine contractions push the placenta out of vagina. ... This called for use of a stethoscope known as fetoscope. Consequently, after child birth, the patient was given some pain relief. This involved an epidural being placed in the patient while she lay on her side. Then her back was scrubbed with antiseptic, while the local anesthetic was injected in the skin. The anesthesia provided complete pain relief. Natural birth preparation The patient together with the family selected Lemaze method for preparing for childbirth. The method entails practice of breathing exercises together with concentration at a focal point (Tharp, 2000). This was done to assist the patient to control her pain while at the same time being conscious. In addition, the method made the flow of oxygen possible in the baby as well as to the muscles. I coached the mother during the birthing process. Conclusion The birth process was successful as expected. The mother did not experience any complications although the baby was noted to have heart murmurs. All in all, all the procedure that are involved in the birth process were a success. References Korte, D. (1992).à A good birth, a safe birth. Harvard: Harvard Common Press.à Stevens, L. R. (2004). "Gimme a C: Is Choosing a Cesarean Section for a Nonmedical Reason Wise?"à Fit Pregnancyà April-May: 40-42. Tharp, A. J. (2000).à This giving birth: pregnancy and childbirth in American women's writing. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.à Evidence based care Evidence based care refers to an evidence based solution that addresses a clinical dilemma and calls for defining the problem, in addition to conducting an efficient search in order to obtain the best evidence (Walsh, 2007). This is then followed by appraisal of the evidence, which is then
Saturday, January 25, 2020
The Book Of Judges :: essays research papers
The book of Judges is the sequel to Joshua. It is the seventh book of the Old Testament. It recounts stories and events from the death of the hebrew leader and prophet Joshua to the birth of the hebrew Samuel. That is roughly, from the end of the Israelite conquest of Canan in the 13th Century B.C to the begining of the monarchy in the 11 th century B.C. It tells about the hebrews from Joshuaââ¬â¢s Death to the time of Samuel. It was written in about 550 BC, on tablets named the Ras Shamra tablets. The Ras Shamra tablets where later discovered in the early 20th Century, even though the stories and acountings of the judges where already known and written. The book of Judges belongs to a specific historical tradition which is called the Deuteronomic history. The author of the book of Judges, was in exile in Babylonia. While in exile he was deeply concerned with foreign domination. So he wrote many of his stories on the migration of the tribe of Dan to the North and the sins of the B enjamites. The author emphasized that Israel was being influenced by foreign powers and the loss of freedom and prosperity. Recurring throughout the book is the stereotyped formula: "The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the lord." Then after each period or subjection the author introduces another formula: " But when the people of Israel cried the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people. Through-out the book, the book of judges tells about prophets, rulers and influencial people such as: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tilian and Samson. There are also many more minor people. The name of the book is very deceptive, because there werenââ¬â¢t any judges at all, nor any judges notified of this book been written. The word Judges was actually a translation for the hebrew word "Shofet" which signifies a ruler or a great military ruler, which through out the book, influencial people such as Samson and or even Joshua are described as the Judges. The book of judges is supprisingly part of the book of prophets, because many prophets are mentioned and reported apon.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Internal Migration in India and Citizenship implications
An essay on eye-scanning, Indian's floating population and inclusive governance. ââ¬Å"That will give me an identity,â⬠he said, gesturing at the computer station where he had Just completed his enrolment. ââ¬Å"It will show that I am a human being, that I am alive, that I live on this planet. It will prove I am an Indian. â⬠ââ¬â Mohammed Jail, (New York Times 2011 Introduction The 2011 report of the MIAMI on internal migration and human development in India estimated the number of internal migrants to be around 400 million people, at that time roughly a third of the total population.The MIMI was launched by EUNICE and UNESCO to respond to the many problems existing around this population, also referred to as the ââ¬Ëfloating population'. These migrants, often never really settled, face great difficulties in accessing social security as this is often linked to residence. This is but one of the many ways in which these people are treated as ââ¬Ësecond-class citi zens', discrimination, a lack of political representation and low wage work being other examples. The aim of the MIMI to ensure: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ Hat processes of urban development are socially equitableâ⬠2 crystallized In the launching of an ââ¬Å"informal outwork of 200 researchers, NAGS, policy makers. I-JNI agencies and key partnersâ⬠focused on raising attention given to internal migrants in policy and practices (UNESCO, 2011). The Indian government project called ââ¬ËDharma' might be an interesting development to these problems. It is a hugely scoped project aimed at providing all Indian residents with an identity by scanning their eyes and entrusting them with a number, enabling them to claim for example social benefits and a bank account .In this paper I seek to answer the question whether this project might actually benefit this floating population, and how this can be embedded In a broader discussion on citizenship and legibility. Indian's floating population' As the MIMI report stressed to be the basis for its creation, the internal migrant population of India has up till now received very little attention from either research or polices, partly because of the difficulties In gathering data. Most attention got diverted to international migrants, as their positive potential to contribute to development was well researched and backed by political and economic interest.First of all, speaking of the floating population does ignore the diverse backgrounds, practices and reasons to migrate of the people concerned. Goodling and West (2002) stress in their paper on the floating population in China that there is no set definition for this concept. It Is mostly used to denote the part of a population someplace else than where they are registered (Ibid. , 2002). Definitions and ambiguities put aside, this category does provide us with new and potentially better tailored ways of looking at urban development issues.A quick glance at Indian swapper a rticles concerning internal migrants helps gain some insight in the myriad of problems surrounding this issue. A 2012 article in the Times of India reports how the floating population (in Locknut, India), mostly not accounted for in enumerations, appear to be the cause of major water shortages, as the water supply is based on the number of permanently settled. Other articles report discrimination migrants face. An article from 2008 (CNN- BIN)4 for instance shows how migrants become the subject of political discrimination and commotion in Iambi.Political leaders articulate and incite an anger against the migrants, aerating an ââ¬Ëother' which is blamed to be an economic burden, obstructing the freedom of ââ¬Ënormal' citizens and ââ¬Å"milking Mamba's resourcesâ⬠(Ibid. 2008). Whereas some government policies seek to tackle the problems surrounding this population through settlement relocation and infrastructural improvements (Times of India 2013)5, initiatives such as the aforementioned MIMI pursue making them visible and included in society.As was shortly noted in the introduction, the MIMI recognizes a trend of expanded use of rights based approaches in Indian law and policy. This generally means a ore equal citizenship and ways of governing, as government institutions are built more around the focus of ensuring and fulfilling human rights of all. The Indian Supreme Court has been a fundamental actor in demanding this change in government approach, and has for instance ordered the government in 2001 to provide a daily warm meal to every Indian schoolchild as part of the right to food.But how to ensure and fulfill the rights of those who can't be seen? In the particular case of the MIMI it means: ââ¬Å"focus development of policy frameworks and practical strategies awards ensuring that all migrants have access to services and entitlements as enshrined in policies and law; and that urban settlements become inclusive spaces as they expand in size an d diversity'. In practice it means slow and arduous changes and redefinitions of social and economic rights.As the migrants are politically underrepresented, lobbying on their behalf is done largely by bodies such as the IMâ⬠. One particular government project might provide the nation's poor, as well as the floating ones, a shortcut to claiming some of the rights hitherto denied to them. Scanning eyes and citizenship As of 2009 the Indian government has initiated a project aimed at identifying and registering all 1. 2 billion Indian residents and giving them an identification number: Dharma. It is done combined with a retina-scan to ensure the uniqueness of the identity.As Sabine Demented, working for one of the companies hired to carry out the identification, puts it: ââ¬Å"It will enable people to open checking accounts, apply for loans, insurance, pensions, property deeds, etc. What's more, the government wants to make sure that welfare benefits go directly to the right per sonâ⬠(Saffron Magazine, 010). The only demands made of people in order to register are a retina-scan and fingerprint, name, gender (even transgender is possible), address and date of birth. Million people as of March 20146.For one, it circumvents the widely used village- based identity system, making it hard or impossible for migrants to claim rights in a place where they are not registered. Some of the other assumed potentials, as framed in an article by the New York Times (2011)7, are ways in which citizenship will be less mediated through caste- , religious- or kin groups, but rather through an individual national identity. For the floating population, who often experience discrimination based on their respective group-identity, or exclusion because a lack thereof, this might prove to be a real structural change to their good.It is also argued that this form of e-governance bypasses corruption, which is often linked to the inability of the poor to assert their rights throug h official bodies. Interaction with the state is hence deadline from local gatekeepers, which is important as, according to the Dharma director Ram Seven Sahara: ââ¬Å"One cannot improve human beingsâ⬠¦ But nee can certainly improve systemsâ⬠. This, of course, is questionable in its own right.Reanimating (2012) sees this kind of service-consumer relationship, as is excreted through such systems, as a hindrance to political citizenship and a representative democracy (p. 129). Accessibility might be improved, but the means to criticize remain weak. As the project is still being implemented it is not easy nor feasible to entirely predict its potentials or flaws. In theory, though, one could wonder to what extension this project really brings about a first-class citizenship for all. The simplicity of the Dharma identification number gives it great inclusive strength.Whereas before traditional group- or village based identification made it hard for internal migrants to claim ce rtain rights, as the negotiation is often done through the same channels, a more direct way of interacting with government services has been made possible. The simplicity also lays bare the eventual narrow implications to the poor. As Harvey stresses in ââ¬ËThe Right to the City (2003): ââ¬Å"The freedom to make and remake ourselves and our cities is, I want to argue, one of the most precious yet most neglected of our human rightsâ⬠(p. 2).If citizenship means recognition by state and law and henceforth attaining the human rights bestowed upon citizens in a democracy, Dharma falls short in scope. It does not enable people to vote, nor does it empower them in gaining settlement rights. Furthermore, although it is not something to blame the project itself for, other structural as well as social and economic constraints keeping the floating population away from full citizenship still remain firmly rooted. Still too little attention is directed towards tackling real societal pr oblems, such as discriminatory practices and uncontrolled arbitration.To conclude, I do believe the first steps toward including this huge neglected part of the Indian population are being taken, and that in itself can be seen as a very good development indeed. Improving legibility, which this project in essence is to the government ( and which James Scott might condemn in other conditions), can in such abominable conditions of inequality truly contribute to strengthening the position of the weakest, albeit in really small steps.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Why Anti Heroes Are So Appealing For The Public - 1155 Words
As humans, we all have the tendency to shape and mold ourselves so that we posses the qualities that will make us likeable. This likability is something that is more needed than it is wanted, a cover to help aid the facade that we have all adapted, a facade that hides the dark carnal urges that many of us posses deep within ourselves. It is an ingrained habit for us to hide them away, and instead be kind-hearted individuals with the purest intentions. When we encounter someone with the kinds of qualities that we are predisposed to despise, we cannot seem to look away. A part of ourselves is enraptured by the negativity that some people seem to emanate, they embody the parts of ourselves that we possess, but are groomed to hate. Once presented with a movie or show with a distinctly obvious hero/villain, we are entertained, but that s typically the extent of our feelings towards them because of how unrelatable they are. This is why anti heroes are so appealing to the public. They are n either fully good nor fully bad, they represent us as human beings, flaws and all. It is more than that though, they take the paths that we wish we had the courage to take. Anti heroes make it possible for us to second hand experience a life that we would not dare to live. Anti heroes explain the disappointment we feel when we are presented with a happy show that will inevitably have a happy ending, we always end up wishing that the main character had made the wrong decision, just so we couldShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Wind Rises And Showa 1660 Words à |à 7 Pagesinto, what historian Carol Gluck termed in Operations of Memory, Japanââ¬â¢s official and public memory of the war. However they are far from the ââ¬Å"heroic narrativesâ⬠that gained favor right after the war. (gluck 49). While the content of heroic narratives differ nation to nation, they all evoke the same sense of ââ¬Å"national unity by effacing experiential difference, creating whole nations of par tisans, resistantââ¬â¢s, anti-facists ââ¬â and above all victims (gluck 50). Showa and The Wind Rises escape the constraintRead MoreThe Effect of Germanys Cultural Factors on Marketing Essay1814 Words à |à 8 Pagesfrom a variety of free-to-view public and commercial channels. Sport also plays a major role in German culture. Motor Racing in a number of forms, the most popular being Formula 1 and Deutcshe Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), the popularity of racing has been spurred on by the success of Michael Schumacher in F1. Soccer is also very popular with the national competition being the Bundesliga, in which many of Germanyââ¬â¢s favourite players participate. Current German Soccer heroes include Michael Balak, MiroslavRead MoreThe Constitutionality of Hate Speech Essay3494 Words à |à 14 PagesIn order to reduce the astonishing number of hate crimes in the United States, the Federal Government should restrict hate speech, and the expressions of hateful ideas, in all its forms, in all places, both public and private. However, it is imperative that hate speech be defined first. Contrary to some opinions, it is possible to accurately define hate speech, because hate speech does not actually have many elusive forms. Hate speech includes fighting words as defined in Chaplinsky vs. New HampshireRead MorePhilip Morris Csr5412 Words à |à 22 Pagescustomers. In current dense market, firms have to fight for the customer by offering something new or unique. They use CSR in order to create customersââ¬â¢ loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. On the other hand, many critics claim that the only reason why companies implement social projects is the benefit which they may generate by being perceived as socially aware entities. Corporate social responsibility is very often put into place by firms operating on the markets that generate the biggest harmsRead MoreA View from the Bridge: Story of a Brooklyn Longshoreman6101 Words à |à 25 Pageswould stick with Miller and so many other working class men and women because it was linked to their survival. Through a series of economic depressions ââ¬â 1870s, 1890s, and now the 1930s ââ¬â the disenfranchised working class had latched onto the ideas of Marx, socialism, anarchism, and labor unions, all pointing toward solidarity and their collective power. Of course, the historic cycle is that such ideas would soon be squashed or watered-down and fed back to the public in an impotent form. There isRead MoreThe taste of melon by borden deal11847 Words à |à 48 PagesI was sixteen, a lot of things some crowding in to be thought about. We had moved just the year before, and sixteen is still young enough that the bunch makes a difference. I had a bunch, all right, but they werenââ¬â¢t sure of me yet. I didnââ¬â¢t know why. Maybe because Iââ¬â¢d lived in town, and my father still worked there instead of farming, like the other fathers did. The boys I knew, even Freddy Gray and J.D., still kept a small distance between us. Then there was Willadean Wills. I hadnââ¬â¢t beenRead MoreWhat Are Cultural Factors That Promote Caribbean Integration6924 Words à |à 28 PagesGlobalisation, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 1998, pp. 13ââ¬â14 Defining cultural integration Cultural integration is difficult to define because it is made up of many concepts. The idea of a multicultural society reflects cultural integration at work; so too does the idea of the ââ¬Ëglobal villageââ¬â¢, where, through technology and trade, a seemingly borderless world is created. Cultural integration also concerns the adoption of a mass consumer culture where everything from fashion to sport, music to televisionRead MoreWhy Did Some African Americans Reject Nonviolence4282 Words à |à 18 PagesJoel Blackmore WHY DID SOME AFRICAN AMERICANS REJECT NONVIOLENCE? Black protest in America in the 1960s developed into two opposing stances, the non-violence of the Civil Rights movement in the South and the violent protests of the urban poor blacks and black power organisations in the North. In the early 1960s the main protest form was the Civil Rights movement. This was predicated on non-violent protest. It fo0lowed the principles of non-violence successfully used by Mahatma Gandhi in IndiaRead MoreThe Broken Promise of Reconstruction the Need for Restitution5574 Words à |à 23 Pagesofficials? These questions were never fully answered, and for the most part they were never even adequately addressed. Liberals and African-Americans are more sensitive to the burden of the unfulfilled promise of Emancipation and Reconstruction, while so-called ââ¬Å"realistsâ⬠and conservatives proclaim that too much help has already been given (think: ââ¬Å"Affirmative Actionâ⬠). The truth though, does not lie neatly in the middle between these extremes. Horrific treatment was an unpleasant fact for the enslavedRead MoreEssay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails6177 Words à |à 25 Pagesfraternity) only corruption and fiery destruction - physical or spiritual -can follow. Also, as Sade wrote, the violence and passion of the age demanded strong entertainment. This is partly why novels such as Matthew Lewis The Monk and C.R. Maturins Melmoth the Wanderer are so viscerally powerful: they both reflect a hypercharged society and inflame a jaded populace. Their horror is necessary to satisfy aesthetic need. Society directly influenced Gothic in other ways
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Argument Paper on Animal Rights - 2395 Words
If you had the choice to live or die which would you choose? If you had the alternative to live in a cage or in a house which would you select? If you had the option to have experiments that caused you pain preformed on you would you? The truth is that most of use would rather live, reside in a house and would not be a part of an experiment that caused us pain. However, most people accept the elements of the above conditions for non-human animals. Non-human animals should not be a part of destruction, pain, incarceration and underprivileged conditions that are caused by humans. Animal rights is a movement of individuals that support giving non-human animals life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. People who support animal rightsâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦400- to 500-pound mammals trapped without relief inside iron crates seven feet long and 22 inches wide. They chew maniacally on bars and chains, as foraging animals will do when denied straw ... The pigs know the feel only of con crete and metal. They lie covered in their own urine and excrement, with broken legs from trying to escape or just to turn ... (George, F Will). The type of treatment cause the animals stress and pain. Stress is a natural and often-occurring state in life for both humans and animals. (Pekow, Cynthia, DVM, Diplomate ACLAM). If stress is natural and it occurs to animals and humans then we know what stress feels like. Most of the animals in farms die so people could enjoy a tasty meal, a nice pair of leather shoes or for cosmetics. People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times. (Singer, B. Isaac) It is not right I as a human would not want to endure the life of an animal under these conditions. [Ãâ¦] the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men. (Da Vinci, Leonardo, quotes) The second and probably the most controversial topic is animal testing and its environment. Laboratory animals mostShow MoreRelatedEqual Rights for Animals in Peter Singerââ¬â¢s Article, All Animals are Equal652 Words à |à 3 PagesAll Animals are Equal, Singer claims that animals deserve the same equal rights and respect that the human lives get. His strongest argument is defined by all animals, human or non-human shall be defined as equal. Singer makes some very strong arguments within his article, but I feel some of his statements are humanist. As an animal lover and mother to two pets, I disagree that not all animals or living things endure the same amount. However, I do agree that animals do deserve the rights to liveRead MoreShould Animals Do Not Have Rights?1005 Words à |à 5 Pagesrelationship with animals. Animals have always been and continues to be a source for food, work, clothing, experiments, and much more. To that, we owe them a great deal of gratitude. Ther e has been much and ongoing debate over whether these practices are morally justified or not. Do non-human animals actually have rights? In this paper, I will argue that animals do not have rights. I will defend my claim by including arguments made by Carl Cohen and I will include possible arguments in which I addressRead MoreWhy Eating Meat is Morally Impermissible 1435 Words à |à 6 PagesIntroduction Is it morally permissible to eat meat? Much argument has arisen in the current society on whether it is morally permissible to eat meat. Many virtuous fruitarians and the other meat eating societies have been arguing about the ethics of eating meat (which results from killing animals). The important part of the dispute is based on the animal welfare, nutrition value from meat, convenience, and affordability of meat-based foods compared to vegetable-based foods and other factors likeRead More Organization is Crucial When Making a Sound Argument Essay example1114 Words à |à 5 PagesSound Argument The development of animal rights organizations in the past century has made hunting a heated topic for debate. Modernization has left the primitive form of hunting and gathering behind as an obsolete form of human survival. With this occurrence one would think that hunting would lose its popularity, but this statement couldnââ¬â¢t be farther from the truth. It has developed more as a sport and participation is still widespread throughout the United States. Animal rights groupsRead MoreWhy Animals Have No Rights Essay1365 Words à |à 6 Pagesutilized nonhuman animals for the benefit of mankind. This tendency increased as civilization developed, and presently, necessitated by staggering population growth and technological progress, human use of animals has skyrocketed. We eat them, we breed them, we use them as test subjects. Some people have begun to question the ethics of it all, sparking a debate on animal treatment and whether or not they have rights. In a paper on th e subject, Carl Cohen lays out his definition of rights, explains theirRead MoreShould Animals Be Used For Scientific Experiments?1189 Words à |à 5 Pagesjustifying the use of animals for scientific research to benefit man, to giving them the right to live life alongside man? This brings up the debate: should animals be used in scientific experiments (ââ¬Å"â⬠¦procedures performed on living animals for purposes of research into basic biology and diseases, assessing the effectiveness of..â⬠Humane Society International)? This debate has been going on for centuries, and still very prevalent in todayââ¬â¢s society. Especially with the rise of animal activist groups suchRead MoreThe, Moral, And Moral Relativism1556 Words à |à 7 Pagesbeen the possession of formal language. Consider, then, the non-human animal from this perspective - from a Heideggarian perspective, if you will. According to Heidegger (2001), the Animal does not die; it merely perishes and is, therefor e, vulnerable to light-hearted killing. Why is this so? Because, for Heidegger, the value of the human is that they live inside of language. This, he suggests, is not so for the non-human, the Animal. This is not a trivial reflection on the views of one man; it reflectsRead MoreAll Animals Are Equal Essay1744 Words à |à 7 Pagesoccur each day on the issues of animal cruelty and human rights, but when the issues are put together which will reign over the other? The author Peter Singer of ââ¬Å"All Animals are Equalâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Tools for Researchâ⬠presents his argument for determining when animal experiments are justified. The author starts his paper with a counter argument, questioning if one would be willing to let thousands of people die if those people could be saved by experimentation on a single animal. The answer is a unanimous no;Read MoreAnimal Experimentation And Animal Testing1261 Words à |à 6 PagesAbstract This report explores the main arguments both for and against animal experimentation. The report begins with an introduction briefly outlining what animal experimentation refers to, introducing the three perspectives and highlighting the intention behind this investigation. The report then explores the positive and negative medical aspect of animal experimentation stating that it has resulted in vital vaccines benefitting both humans and animals, but also accepting it is not always reliableRead MoreEssay on ANIMAL RIGHTS790 Words à |à 4 PagesAnimals have their own rights as do to humans and we should respect that and give them the same respect we give each other. Animals deserve to be given those same basic rights as humans. All humans are considered equal and ethical principles and legal statutes should protect the rights of animals to live according to their own nature and remain free from exploitation. This paper is going to argue that animals deserve to have the same rights as humans and therefore, we donââ¬â¢t have the right to kill
Monday, December 23, 2019
Defining the Concept of Personality - 3074 Words
According to Wrosch and Scheier (2003), there is no absolute or generally agreed upon definition of personality. They claim that personality has as many definitions as there are personality theorists and researchers. Personality can be of psychological importance when traits defining such personality provide information as to what a person is really like according to Williams, Saiz, FormyDuval, Munick, Fogle, Adom, Ahams, Neto, and Jiayuan (1995). They state that some traits are more diagnostic in essence as they provide information concerning an individualââ¬â¢s psychological makeup. A generality of such traits, therefore, can be used to understand and predict behavior. Literature about personality implies that it is necessary to prove or disprove its existence, stability, consistency, and generality and yet the ability to utilize such information as it pertains to our everyday lives would be of more value (Phares Lamiell, 1977; Wrosch Scheier, 2003). They claim that studi es focused on such values could provide information about what a person does, thinks, or experiences as well as convey a sense that the cause of whatever it is that the person is doing (or thinking or feeling) is originating from within. The understanding of personality has evolved over the years as numerous researchers have added their thoughts and findings to create the depth of knowledge that can be found today (Schneider, 2007). Included in this evolution were trait theorists such as GordonShow MoreRelatedorganizational behaviour1261 Words à |à 6 Pageschange and development; and career management. Analysis of organizational behavior problems by self assessments, case studies and simulations. Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are to: 1. Introduce you to the important concepts, ideas and research findings in the field of organizational behavior. 2. Enrich your thinking about the application of organizational behavior research to organizations 3. Provide you with an opportunity to acquire and apply specific organizationalRead MoreSocial Cognitive Theory And The Theory Of Control, Job Satisfaction, And Performance900 Words à |à 4 PagesIntroduction Scholars, researchers, and academics described theory as limited and useless in the field of business (Wacker, 1998); however, virtue of ââ¬Å"goodâ⬠theory and its applications to research starts with defining theory. This paper will discuss the importance, the definition, the types of theory, comparison/contrast views of theory, and research contributions to theory as it relates to furloughed contractors work locus of control (WLOC), job satisfaction, and performance. This paper willRead MorePedophilia Is A Severe Personality Disorder That Effects1712 Words à |à 7 PagesPedophilia is a severe personality disorder that effects a small portion of people. Low self esteem, social efficiency and an overall feeling of inadequacy are all strong traits an individual with pedophilia possesses. The effect of such traits will be analyzed in this paper as it is a primary incentive for their criminal offenses. Pedophiles are separated into different groupings that contain a variety of motives that explain how long they will offend for and the specific reasons for why. EvolutionRead MoreHuman Potential Is A Concept That Was Introduced By Early Personality Theorists892 Words à |à 4 PagesHuman potential is a concept that was introduced by early personality theorists many years ago, and it implies that as humans, we have an innate tendency toward personal growth and development, and under the right circumstances, this tendency will lead us to actualize our potential and become all that we can be (Deci, Ryan, Guay, 2013, p. 109). In other words, each and every person has their own inner potential, and it just takes the right conditions to realize it. According to the self-determinationRead MoreThe Dynamic Relationship Between Family Socialization And Student Achievement Levels1381 Words à |à 6 Pagesin school. I will start by defining the term ââ¬Å"socializationâ⬠and what it means to me. Then I will talk about the questions that will act as a guide to my research and seek to find answers for. Third, I will share the results of my endeavors into answering these guiding questions. And last but definitely not the least important piece of my research is the list of adjunct considerations that likely also play a part in family and social background of students. Defining the Process of SocializationRead MoreThis paper will reflect on the definition of personality and some key definitions that define our700 Words à |à 3 PagesThis paper will reflect on the definition of personality and some key definitions that define our behavior but not us as individuals. Understanding personality differences is a start of knowing how to adapt when other personalities are presented. In order to understand what personality is let start by defining personality. Personality is a combination of his or her interests, attitude behavior patterns and other traits that may continue throughout his or her life span. ââ¬Å"The definitionRead MoreTheories And Concepts Of Social Work1645 Words à |à 7 Pages Theories and Concepts in Social Work Hawra Alakhdhair Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis My view of theory and concepts As humans develop, social scientists utilize theories and concepts to define and explain behaviors. Each tenet of theories and concepts defines these frameworks difference. I will begin to define theories and concepts using the scientific and social field lenses. Scientific and social theory The definition of theory and concept in the scientific fieldRead MorePersonality Theory And Personality Theories1441 Words à |à 6 PagesIntroduction Personality can be defined in many ways due to the individual and unique aspects of personality, and there is yet to be a definitive answer for what personality is and how it comes into being. Generally personality can be defined as the relatively constant, individual and unique characteristics and traits which present themselves to others in different circumstances. Due to the many unknown factors of personality psychologists have suggested many ways in which personality is created,Read MoreSigmund Freud s Influence On Personality Theory862 Words à |à 4 Pagesof Sigmund Freud have exerted an enormous impact on personality theory. However, theories and ideas subsequent to Freud have questioned the scientific basis of his ideas. Select one or two alternative theories of human personality and compare and contrast with that of Freud. Intro: Everybody has a unique personality that influences who we are, how we act, what careers we will pursue, as well as our success in close relationships. Our personality is inescapable and essentially shapes us as individualsRead MoreJohn Holland Personality Theory Essay901 Words à |à 4 PagesPersonality is an influential trait that if utilized for career matching, could potentially increase productivity at a job or even equate to a successful career choice. If an individualââ¬â¢s personality has characteristics of a certain trait, such as creativity or idealism, it would be a good idea to get into a career that emphasizes this trait and maximizes that potential. In career counseling there are many theories that are acceptable for utilization in client-counselor relationships, but one in
Sunday, December 15, 2019
New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management Free Essays
Why Do We Need Professional Human Resource Management in Retailing? Such terms as globalization, process management, and value-based management dominate the current discussion of management in retail co mpanies. There has been an increasing realization that people are one of a companyââ¬â¢s key assets. Re- tail means working and serving customers in a direct, personal way. We will write a custom essay sample on New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now This calls for special actions from retail companies to fulfill the demands of an increasing num- ber of well-informed and sophisticated consumers. In view of all the c hanges in both national and international contexts, it is ab solutely essential to get the right people if a business is to be successful and sustainable. Retailing is a major labor-intensive industry sector. The refore, companies are continually challenged to re-organize and adapt their st ructures to become more efficient. The necessity for part-time workers, because of long store opening hours and peaks in the trading day/week, requires a flexible framework to optimize labor processes. Emotionally, the workforce needs orientation and vi sion in changing times. Human resource management (HRM) has to provide a ââ¬Å"coach,â⬠not only to organize, but also to support employees and m anagement mentally and p rofes- sionally in fulfilling their tasks in terms of future company goals. People are the driving force behind all transactio ns that occur in retailing outlets. In the future world of retailing, there will be an increasing need to adapt and change towards a more formative and proactive style of HRM. M. Krafft and M. K. Mantrala (eds. ), Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends , DOI 10. 007/978-3-540-72003-4_16, ? Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 257 258 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick Changes Changes in Retail The formats of retailing have been evolving continuously over the last 100 years, and individual retailers have changed tremendously in the products they sell and in the manner in which they operate. Retailing of lifestyle products impacts directly on the changing culture of our societiesâ⠬âone has only to think of the introduction of the Sony Walkman or the Apple I-Pod to grasp the international range of con- sumer needs. In order to provide an expanding product and service range, retail has had to alter and amend its approaches to satisfy ever more voracious and in- creasingly sophisticated consumers. For several years, retailers have had a promi- nent role in todayââ¬â¢s society in their capacity as employers: the retail industry em- ploys one in nine of the UK workforce, for example (Gilbert 2003). Nearly two thirds of employees are female. Therefore, special concepts in HRM are require d to allow for the compatibility of work and family. Gilbert (2003) also points out that: ââ¬Å"[T]he retail sector has had a reputation for not supporting its employees and for having lower pay and longer hours than other sectors. â⬠Future HRM h as to find a practical ap proach that will lead to the right balance of companiesââ¬â¢ and employeesââ¬â¢ needs in terms of pay ment and hours for the workforce, and service guarantees for their customers. The developments in many European countries show the changing attitudes of young university graduates for whom retailing now provides modern and attractive career pro spects. However, retailing is still far from the first choice for top graduates and this needs to change. Environmental factors such as economic, social, political, cultural, and demo- graphic developments are driving the rapid changes in the retail business. Retail management and HRM departments have to be aware of all these changes. Some of the environmental factors are described below. New Forms of Trading New trading formats have been the lifeline allowing businesses to gain and sus- tain competitive advantage. New t rading form ats are constantly appearing at both ends of the spectrum. Higher margin goods, sometimes even with designer labels, have coexisted with the increasing demand for more aggressive pricing such as that app lied by hypermarkets, off-price retailers, and hard discounters. Often, consumers switch from smaller local stores to supermarkets, and increas- ing numbers of consumers are using new channels for Internet and TV shopping. The international press reports the continuing success of new fo rms of online retailing (e-tailing) in Europe and the USA, as well as rapid changes in Eastern Europe and Asia in use of the Internet. Within these trading formats, new pro- fessions, working careers, and functions are developing very fast. To succeed, HRM has to recognize and manage these changes in retailing human resource requirements. Exchange of knowledge is one of the basic prerequisites: For ex- New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 259 ample, the German retailer METRO Group is installing software that will allow knowledge shar ing with sy stematic tr ansfer of all necessary infor mation and skills to METRO Group sites throughout the world. It is imperative for a retailer to co llect and struct ure all exper ience and knowledge fro m d ifferent staffs, stores and country-markets. The challenge in the future for retail company man- agement i n general and HRM in particular will be t o ensure t hat th e right knowledge is available at the right time and in the right place. Consumer Behavior Closely aligned with the expansion of new trading formats are the changing needs of consumers. Increasing social acceptance of women in the labor force has led to the emergence of a new l ifestyle and changed consumer purchasing patterns over the last seve ral decades (Gilbert 2003). Present-day consumers are m ore experi- enced, more aware of their important role in the business, and more self-confident than previous generations. Further, as international retailers have found out, there is a great need for retail chains to adapt to ââ¬Ëlocalââ¬â¢ ways, so as to fulfill regional needs and shopping habits, especially in the food business (e. g. , see c hapter by Mierdorf, Mantrala and Krafft in this book). Technology Let us consider what retailing looked like 20-30 years ago: little or no EPOS tech- nology, electro-mechanical tills, paper-driven accounting, checking and co mptom- eter systems, perhaps enhanced by a ââ¬ËKim ball tagââ¬â¢ system to aid stock replenish- ment. Thirty years ago there were not even many supermarketsââ¬âself-service was just appearing over the horizon for some modern retailers in the 1960s and 1970s. The advent of increasing computerization in the late 1970s started to affect busi- nesses as they adapted to possibilities that began to open up through IT-supported working practices. Processes for controlling, distribution, payroll, accounting and, especially, merchandise management systems started to be aut omated during the early 1980s. E DI, scanning, and bar-coding were im plementedââ¬âafter heavy IT investmentsââ¬âto lower costs and increase accuracy levels. Many organizations were downsized and refocused as these manual processes were converted to more cus- tomer-focused activities and professional supply chain management. Structural Trends and Competition In Europe and USA, retailing is characterized by increasing rates of market con- centration. This is caused by shareholdersââ¬â¢ requirements for more cost-effective operations, mergers among suppliers, and the growth of technology. Future retail- ers have to be fast and flexible in making decisions about worldwide sourcing and selling. This calls fo r people to acquire skills and competencies that will allow them to compete successfully in both national and international contexts. Interna- 260 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick tional HRM has to consider different ways of working with people: in many Euro- pean countries, HRM departments have to cooperate with works councils, which influence companiesââ¬â¢ management thinking. HRM has the role of developing and defining human working processes fai rly an d prov iding for capability-oriented working conditions. Germanyââ¬â¢s political debate about the consequences of capital- ism in 2005 shows the need for companies to act and communicate on the basis of consistent and balanced argumentation. HRM needs executives who are familiar with developments going on in a society, shifts in cultural values and behavior. To be competitive in global markets, many organizations reduce staffing levels and change to automated processes to lower costs. Beyo nd this, h owever, more pro- gressive ret ailers, s uch as Carrefour, M ETRO G roup and Wal-Mart, have ex ââ¬â panded their offerings: they have i nvested heavily in new product ranges, new trading f ormats, and joint v entures, o r i n shapi ng an d spreading t heir bra nds. Merely cutting investments, e. g. , in the sales force, or opening stores around the world per se i s not enough to meet the demands of the new retail age. A clear strategy, stable and IT-supported processes, and correct allocation of financial and management resources are needed for international success the future. Globalization of Sourcing Sourcing from overseas vendors gathered momentum with the conclusion of trad- ing agreements with, for example, the Peop leââ¬â¢s Republic of China and grants of ââ¬Ëfavored nationââ¬â¢ status. Manufacturingââ¬â¢s importance has decreased enormously in most W estern countries since the em erging Asi an ââ¬Å"t igersâ⬠a nd l ess expensive Eastern European manufacturers began to dominate the supply of goods, espe- cially, nonfood goods, to the industrialized countries. Consequently, in the West, distribution has become one of t he most promising sources of improved margins as new technology drives down the cost of logistics. However, with globalization of sourcing, it has become imperative to develop special strategies to enable the headquarters workforce to be aware of international processes, markets, and com- petitors. Further, domestic retail companies anywhere have to also stay on top of emerging global trends. Companies that plan to enter new foreign markets have to carefully consider local cultures, religious values, and national laws in developing their new market entry strategies. All the developments mentioned above are stron gly interrelated. Retail man- agement and HRM have to jointly examine all these change s to m ake adequate and appropriate adaptations to organizational structures, systems, and processes. Changing Role of HR Departments HR departmentsââ¬âoriginally called payroll departments, then relabeled staff man- agement, followed by another m etamorphosis to personnel and then to human resource managementââ¬âhave been in the vanguard of change management in re- New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 261 tailing. Many companies have recognized that HRM is an essen tial component in achieving long-term success, and not just a means of recruiting workers. Areas such as the recruitment process, selection, induction, retention, performance moni- toring and evaluations, staff training, development and motivation. Decision mak- ing, and re-sourcing for expansion will continue to demand the professionalism of HRM workers. Personnel in different kinds of businesses have to adapt and change in response to emerging trends. The international HRM professional has to think globally, while rem aining ab le t o fu lfill lo cal asp irations. This i dea is based on Geert Hofstedeââ¬â¢s theory of cultures. He turned the well-known slogan, ââ¬Å"Think globally, act locallyâ⬠into: ââ¬Å"Act g lobally, think locally. A major task of th e international HRM professional is to provide expertise in terms of interpretations of the local laws and working practices, so as to offer practical steps for successful operation of the international retailer. Building the Future ââ¬â HRM Challenges for Retailers Retailing means working in a g lobal con text but sim ultaneously adjusti ng to local needs. We describe below some international challenges to HRM in retail which are connected with national and local requirements. As mentioned above, major retail com panies have decided to invest globally to en sure greater po ten- tial for sustainable growth. Several ret ailers have identified internationalization as a huge oppor tunity for growth. In 2006, about 50 % of the METRO Groupââ¬â¢s employees work ed ou tside Germany. Th e Am erican retail g iant Wal -Mart, Franceââ¬â¢s Carrefour, and United Kingdomââ¬â¢s Tesco are thr ee more organizations that are aggressively pursuing international expansion. This immediately gives rise to qu estions that require answers in every ar ea of operati on. An swering these questions is key to successful transformation of a national business model into an international one. HRM strategy builds on the business strategy of the firm. The HR persons in charge have to be b usiness partners for management, providing strategic and practical operational solutions in the form of HR concepts or staffing solutions based on thorough know ledge of the bu siness. Wal -Martââ¬â¢s initial attempt at expansion in Germany failedââ¬âas did Marks and Spencerââ¬â¢sââ¬âbecause neither of these companies appreciated the nuances of German retail culture, underestimat- ing local competition and, especially, the price sensitivity of German customers. Carrefourââ¬â¢s for ays i nto the United Kingdom lik ewise end ed with a strategic retreat. As long ago as in 1989, Dawson stated that: ââ¬Å"Retail is a response to cul- tureâ⬠ââ¬âand the HRM function plays a c rucial role in assisting corporate man- agement understand and adapt to local cultures. For example, UK consumersââ¬â¢ resistance to th e use of self- scanners p rovided b y some retailers to r educe queues at checkou ts might have been anticipated by HR managers interacting with local employees. 262 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick Strategic Tasks of HRM: Key strategic tasks of human resource management of an international retailer include: ? Assisting the retailerââ¬â¢s top managers who work well over 60 hours a week negotiating myriad complex issues in a competitive marketplace, cope with stress arising from quick changes, fierce competition, cost pressures, time management problems, and the need to make quick decisions. ? Keeping up to date with continuously developing technology and being able to optimize its usage so as to achieve the right balance between pro- ductivity gains and service gains. HR needs to find answers to the follow- ing question: How much technology can customers and the workforce han- dle in the store? ? Dealing with demography, e. g. , an aging workforce in Western Europe but predominantly young and inexperienced employees in other areas of the world, such as Asia and the Middle East. Strategically, this poses one of the hardest challenges for HR professionals who are required to recruit and develop t alented st aff, offer t raining f or all age gr oups, ens ure a well- balanced age structure, and build up a working climate enabling employees of all ages to buy in and show suitable results. Cross-cultural recruiting and training: All cultures have their own unique practices and emphases, some of which are obvious while others are more subtle and harder to detect. HR departments need to be able not only to of- fer advice and professional preparation to local managers but also ensure that individuals appointed to these positions are aware of company polici es as well as sensitive to the local culture. That is, in international settings, in- dividuals need both a common language and intercultural sensitivity. Identifying and retaining highly qualified, highly motivated individuals ready for international management appointments: The role of HRM is to provide an international assignment policy that takes into account individual prob- lems of expatriates, works around and supports family integration abroad. Operational Tasks of HRM: Some key HRM tasks that have to be fulfilled to enable the workforce to meet the needs of customers nationally and internationally include: ? Reshaping and r estructuring the workforce so as t o broaden their e xperi- ence by the acquisition of n ew skills: Developments like automatic stock replenishment, new methods of conducting transactions, and alterations to the way goods are displayed, have increased retailer employee training re- quirements. Also employees must learn to serve increasingly litigious con- sumers wh ile main taining h igh productivity wh ich is essen tial in h igh- volume, l ow-margin e nterprises. P rofessional human reso urce m anagers must train employees on how to balance these oft-conflicting demands for high staff-productivity and great customer service. New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 263 HR Challenges General Conditions ?Company Strategy ?Added Value Management ?Change Management ?Recruitment and Retention ?Employability and Lifelong Learning ?Corporate Governance ?Technology / IT Infrastructure Fig. 1. Challenges and General Conditions for HRM ? The critical resource of most businesses is no longer financial capital, but rather their employees (Barber, Strack 2005). Consequently, identifying and gathering the data for human capital valuation and assessment of the return on human resource investments is an important task for HR managers. ? HRM itself must develop, moving from being a ââ¬Ëpersonnelââ¬â¢ department to its new role as a strategic business partner and building the basic structural foundation that will enable companies to organize and optimize their return on human resources. The emerging trends that persistently need HR attention currently include some of the areas discussed below. We m ake a di stinction between HR challenges and general conditions (Figure 1). In the case of HR challenges HRM has direct influ- ence, while general conditions are contingencies within which HRM has to oper- ate. This list is not exhaustive, but looks at some selected current trends and needs. Current HR Challenges ? Company Strategy. HRM has to adapt its entire program to the companyââ¬â¢s overall vision and strategy. It is known that organizations with good human capital management generally create substantially more shareholder value than other companies. The significance of human capital is especially visi- ble in the case of a merger. The success of a merger depends much more on the competencies of the staff and m anagement than on other aspects, such as finance, IT, and production. Hax and Majluf (1991) feel that it is there- fore essential for well-planned practices and highly efficient HR functions to be aligned with the business of the company concerned. An HR strategy must be ââ¬Ëcom prehensiveââ¬â¢ in the sense of addressing all the different per- sonnel and HR activities central to the long-term development of the firmââ¬â¢s businesses. HRM departments have to conceptualize and structure business 264 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick plans with detailed operations extending from the current to the future state of strategy, organization, and action. These must be based on the organiza- tionââ¬â¢s mission and common values. ? Added Value Management. This confronts HRM with the critical q uestion of what actions add m easurable value to the business. There is less cer- tainty about the central direction and more about committed management setting the right tone within the organization for defined values to flourish. Commitment in the form of personal engagement and belief in the organi- zation and its concepts is important. HRM has to support this by elaborat- ing concepts and criteria for their evaluation, some of which should be re- vised annually. The following behavioral aspects of the workforce should be included in the HRM concept: ? Personal Honesty and Integrity ? Self-Motivation and Entrepreneurial Style ? Ability to Communicate the Values and Benefits ? Encouraging Others to Want to Work with the Company and Share its Values; Pride in the Company Training and Developing, Coaching, and Mentoring ? Change Management. The most important drivers for change are globaliza- tion, technology, and a workforce that is in creasingly knowledge-based. Ulrich has stated that there is a need to redefine firmsââ¬â¢ performance less in terms of cutting cost and more in terms of profitable growth (Ulrich 1997). Managers have to be able to make changes happen of their own volition and also to support the company in its drive for sustained success. Manag- ers have to be able to empower their own staff. Moss Kanter (1989) states that it is only through true empowerment that staff will really contribute to the changing needs of a busi ness, since they will then be doing things be- cause they understand them and for the right reasons, thinking and reflect- ing on the changes and t heir likely impact, and above all feeling at ease with the implementation of change. Change management recognizes the need to reflect on t he managerââ¬â¢s role in the management of cha nge, the identification of problems, and the ability to make changes in either a pro- grammed or a no nprogrammed manner. HRM has to take accoun t of the risks required for the achievement of change in the company. ? Recruitment and Retention. Employee recruitment and selection is one the most vital HR functions. However, the retail industry is faced with difficul- ties in attracting highly educated people. Nonetheless there is a po sitive trend for change. The challenge for HRM is to show the attractiveness of the retail sector a nd ensure that appropriate training and careers are avail- able, so that this sector can take a leading place in t he competition for available talent. Retail has recently been promoting opening up access to its workforce by declared rejection of discrimination on the grounds of gender New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 265 or race, and, lately, also by employing more elderly persons. It is also nec- essary to build up programs for part-time workers. The ability to value di- versity within the workforce is a strength, provided that this is backed up by continuous training and correctness. Many organizations run courses on this aspect, usually under the title of ââ¬ËInc reasing Self-awareness,ââ¬â¢ as t he ability to understand oneââ¬â¢s impact on others is a powerful skill. Next, reten- tion focuses on the goal of keep well-performing staff in the company. This depends not only on interesting work, fair compensation, and a motivating climate and management culture, but also on transparent and achievable ca- reer paths combined with a supportive management that provides guidance. ? Employability and Continuing Education. This is a major area of challenge to most employers, but especially those who employ large numbers of staff, as retailers do. Staff have to take retraining in order to adapt to a constantly changing external environment. It is a question of mind-set, working envi- ronment, and attitude towards self-responsibility. The future will be charac- terized by the following needs, amongst others: ? The need to handle increasing complexity. ? The need f or co ntinual enh ancement of th e ma nagement skill sets known as ââ¬ËLife-Long Learning,ââ¬â¢ i. e. the ability to adapt to changing en- vironments, challenges and technology. ? The need for a positive attitude to newly emerging opportunities: Manag- ers themselves have to become life-long learners. This is of particular im- portance to the changing generations. The process can be aimed, for ex- ample, at obtaining further business qualifications, such as an M BA, a marketing diploma, or HRM qualifications, or attending training courses on key skills, such as lead ership, or personal development workshops. Some universities are now of fering masterââ¬â¢s degree courses on wor k- based learning in which projects are directly related to the learning envi- ronment of the individual s tudentââ¬â¢s workplace. Analysis of actual workproblems can be counted as a credit toward an MA o r an MSc. Classroom training fostering positive acceptance of new structures, top- ics, and technologies is necessary. ? The need to communicate regularly and precisely, and transmit meaning and values: While the company will provide support, it will be the indi- vidual managers who have to ââ¬Ëdriveââ¬â¢ their own learning and that of others in periods of intense change, often using technology such as video con- erencing or E-l earning/blended learning to pursue their studies. HRM needs to consult with managers on how best to use modern methods. ? The need for creative management: This can be the way to bring new insights into common view or to introduce new issues as an area for the HRM specialist to develop. Many managers are locked into their own reality or their own version of their world, allowing themselves to be trapped into a mind-set of either success or self-perpetuating failure. One 266 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick f the keys to successful business growth is for managers not to allow themselves to be trapped in a ââ¬Ëpsychic prisonââ¬â¢ (Morgan 2001) of t heir own making, causing them always to see retail in one dimension only. Current General Conditions ? Corporate Governance. The recent case of Enron and the difficulties faced by retailers such as Sainsbury suggest that the governance of these organi- zations was grossly at fault in permitting the excessive amounts of power vested in their chief executive officers (CEOs). The nonexecutive directors seem to have abdicated their duties in not restraining the CEOs in their riskier schemes. Expansion, absolute power, soaring costs, and misinterpre- tation of facts and figures appear to have gone unchecked and a tacit acqui- escence to have been entered into, presumably with the goal of presenting stakeholders with a picture that was m ore positive than the reality. As th e impact of the backlash is always difficult to predict, it is likely that HR di- rectors will become more closely involved in the careful examination of candidatesââ¬â¢ integrity and suitability for high office. It is likely that this will slow t he decision-making process within t he board e nvironment, b ut i t might be a small price to pay for a more responsible environment acting in the best interests of all parties. HRM needs to motivate the entire staff of their company, to observe and evaluate the ââ¬Ëpoliticalââ¬â¢ situation within the company, and to react in a n appropriate way that ca n influence the re- tailerââ¬â¢s level of success. HRM has the opportunity, and therefore the duty, to influence national and international codes of corporate governance. ? Technology/IT Infrastructure. In some of the ne w and emerging m arkets management has to decide whether to implement a total system with all branches totally aligned with the parent company. It can be prohibitively expensive for a branch at the periphery of the organization to lock into a global IT infrastructure that is geared to operations in Western countries where labor costs are very much higher. Retailers operating internationally rely on com mon platforms and IT structures; the decision to be m ade is when is the time right for investments? A major change in retailing in the future will be the worldwide use of RFID technologies. The success of the METRO Group in developing and running their ââ¬Å"Future Storeâ⬠in R heinberg as a tigh tly controlled experi- ment has ha d a strong impact on t he application of new technologies in ââ¬Ëreal business,ââ¬â¢ since METRO Group has shared the results with industry and with its wholesalers, as well as its IT and logistics providers (see, e. g. , chapter by Kalyanam, Lal a nd Wolfram in this book). The scientific re- search involves customersââ¬â¢ reactions to the new shopping methods, and possibly also staff training in the use of intelligent technologies and intro- ductions to available information and changing processes for customers. New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 267 In conclusion, there has been, and continues to be, a great deal of activity sur- rounding staff appraisal. The management of progression, or performance moni- toring, continues to exercise HRM professionals, who wish it to be as fair as pos- sible to individuals, but also want the company to obtain maximum benefit from the exercise. While the strategy should be systematic, it also needs to be continu- ous, with a fully im plemented set of key me trics. A full look at each individualââ¬â¢s future, which can be a position as well as a set of personal goals, should be carried out at regu lar intervals. HRM professionals must ensure that line managers can perform this function. Next, we discuss approaches that address current HR challenges in retailing. HR Challenges General Conditions ?Company Strategy ?Added Value Management ?Change Management ?Recruitment and Retention ?Employability and Life-long Learning ?Corporate G overnance ?Technology/ IT Infrastructure Structure Motivation Fig. 2. Approaches to Challenges and General Conditions for HRM Approaches to HR Challenges in Retailing Practice Building up and Keeping Motivation As indicated in Figure 2, HRM has to en sure that the workforce is motivated and trained to satisfy consumersââ¬â¢ needs. Retailers have to develop the employee value proposition. This means an attractive position with the fulfillment of employee needs and expectations and achievement of a go od, unique image in terms of re- cruiting and keeping human capital. We list below some approaches to retaining an adequate sales force. HR quality cannot be assured without investment. Such investment has to be justified in economic terms and must therefore be constantly monitored: ? Planning the HR costs and expenditures for the annual business budget and forecasts ? Supplying key data needed for planning the workforce at all levels and providing benchmark data on key performance indicators, such as average working hours per store opening hour, turnover per w orking hour, profit per working hour 268 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick ? Elaboration of systems to measure the work involved in and results of HRM (training investment per employee, rate of internal job placements, etc. ? Providing common and communicated values of the com pany to give the workforce a strategic framework and common mind-set ? Creating a transparent internal job market ? Offering the staff a perspective for the future and clear career paths ? Flexible models of working times, such as part-time working concepts, an- nualized hours contracts, and balancing of profession and family with the aid of sabbaticals ? Ensuring adequate processes, tools, and budget to allow for members of the workforce to achieve their objectives and ambitions Continuing education of ex ecutives and employees within actual training programs and a corporate university ? Training the workforce in soft skills and mentoring to ensure proper align- ment of their values with the companyââ¬â¢s values and beliefs ? Initiation of an employee suggestion/inquiry system to improve the process of cooperation ? Recruitment of talented graduates from exchange programs with universi- ties worldwide ? International education within internal exchange programs, with p artici- pants from different countries ? Apprenticeships and e ducations in new professions to build up t he best workforce Sharing company success with e mployees (incentive systems at all sta ff levels, based on parameters that are accessible to employees) ? Offering fringe benefits, such as discounts for shopping at the employerââ¬â¢s stores, company cars, equi ty programs, retirement arrangements, company nursery/kindergarten, and other social benefits. The Future of HRM and Final Remarks Most employees spend a substantial amount of time at work. Some people there- fore consider their job decisions on joining a retail company or some other indus- try in the cont ext of social environment. HRM has to kee p an eye on s uch con- straints, as the retail trade is anxious to attract the best employees. Future HRM will concentrate on supporting management and workforce and outsource admin- istrative tasks to contractors. In future, there will be more intensive collaboration New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 269 and networking with external parties. New professions in retail, such as that of IT specialist, are developing. HRM must also place greater emphasis on ethical work- ing conditions, safer working environments, and equal-opportunity policies (end- ing sex/age discrimination, inclusion of minorities, etc. . In any company, HRM has to build up trust and commitment among all persons working in that organiza- tion. Continued reliance on traditional processes is d efinitely no longer a recipe that pr omises much success. HR m anagement has t o a ssure fast a nd market- oriented actions that are appropriate to complex market situations. HRM will have to set priorities on the HR strategy and its realization, but will be viewed on the operational side more in the role of a serv ice center. In future, the issue of management development will gain even greater importance. To sum up, HRM has to be aligned with the business strategy of the company, to work in keeping with all of its corporate objectives, and to be prepared not only to help in implementing all changes necessary but also to instigate and be at the vanguard of change programs. Further, HRM should be aware of employee inter- ests within the organization yet conscious of its place as the ââ¬Ëpower houseââ¬â¢ when controversial business decisions, such as downsizing, have to be implemented. Lastly, it plays a key role in ensuring that constant retooling and retraining takes place in the operation to meet ever-evolving challenges. Life-long learning should be an integral part of any business, to enable it to respond to its rivalsââ¬â¢ activities with fresh initiatives within the company. HRM specialists have to ensure the long-term performance of ââ¬Å"theirâ⬠retail or- ganizations. It is a big challenge for HRM to meet the future needs, and the task is wide ranging. How well HR managers perfo rm th eir fu nction will determin e whether a reta iler registers a sustainable success in the future. We have tried to show in this chapter the comprehensive and central role of HRM in retailing. Re- tail has been and will continue to be an exciting field of business throughout the world. The main function of the retail sector is to wo rk with and for people all over the world, so that retail has the chance to give people interesting and fulfill- ing workplaces. References Barber, F. and Strack, R. (200 5): The Surp rising Economics of a ââ¬Å"People Businessâ⬠, in: Harvard Business Review June 2005, pp 81-90. Davies, G. (1999): The Evolution of Marks and Spencer. Service Industries Journal. 19, 3, 60-73. Dawson J. A. (2001): Strategy and opportunism in European retail internationalisation Brit- ish Journal of Management, 12, 253-266. Dawson, J. A. (2000): Retailing at Century End: some challe nges for management and re- search. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 10, 119- 148. Gilbert, D. (2003): Retail Marketing Management, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall. 270 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick Hax, A. and Majluf, N. (1991): The Strategy Concept Process. A pragmatic Approach, Prentice Hall. Mellahi, K. , Jackson T. P. and S parks, L. (2002) : An explor atory study into failure of a successful organisations: the case of Marks and Spencer, British Journal of Man age- ment, 13, 15-29. Morgan G. (2001 ): Images of Organisation Sage, London Moss Kanter R. (1989): When giants Learn to Dance Simon Schuster, London Seth, A. and Randall, G. (1999): The Grocers: the rise and rise of the supermarket chains, London: Kogan Page, Social Science Research, 24, 28-62. Ulrich, D. , Losey, M. R, Lake G. editors (1997): Tomorrowââ¬â¢s HR Management New York, John Wiley Sons, Inc. Ulrich, D. (199 7): Human Resources of the Future: Conclusions and Observ ations, in: Tomorrowââ¬â¢s HR Management, edited by Dave Ulrich, Michael R. Losey et al. , 354-360, John Wiley Sons. How to cite New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management, Papers
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