Human Resource Planning Essay

The process that connects an organization’s strategic plan with its human resource needs is called human resource planning. The process ensures that staffing needs are addressed to achieve the organization’s objectives. Human resource planning is important because it helps an organization maintain a competitive edge and retain employees. Human resource planning determines the supply and demand of employees, according to the needs and wants of the business and its customers. The internal and external environment has an impact on the consideration of human resource planning. For instance, internal impacts are promotions, transfers, or firings, and external impacts can be changes in technology, the economy, or the industry. The competence and qualification of current and future employees and their career paths are more factors to consider when developing a human resource plan. These impacts can affect the staffing and human resource planning processes depending on the need s for a company to remain successful. Human resource planning is important and ongoing because of both internal and external environmental changes. Planning and Strategic Development and Implementation Human resource planning is identifying present and future needs of an organization to reach its goals (Obeidat, 2012). Human resource planning also involves predicting the demand and supply for employees, considering the business needs, and strategies for development and employment to meet requirements (Obeidat, 2012). The results will provide an analysis of human resource supply and future demand, which will identify gaps and most likely include staffing. Therefore, having knowledge of the goals and expectations of the company, can identify methods to reach these goals and track its progress. Planning in this manner allows a company to link resources with business performance. The results will identify the required number of qualified and competent candidates and this will help the business meet its goals and objectives. For instance, human resource planning and staffing connect by addressing the company’s direction, skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to follow a certain path. It also assesses the current competencies within the company and the gap between the direction and requirements to succeed. Description of the Staffing Process The eight elements of the staffing process are human resource planning, recruiting, selection, orientation, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and employment decisions (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Human resource planning involves assessing current employees, forecasting future demands, and constructing plans to add or transfer employees (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Recruiting involves looking for qualified people within or outside the company for vacant positions (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Selection is interviewing and testing candidates and hiring the best applicant(s). Orientation is when new employees learn about the fellowship. Training and development is when new employees learn their jobs and expand their skills. The performance appraisal is the origination of the touchstones for judging the workplace of employees (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Compensation is generating pay and benefits for each position. Employment decisions include promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, and firings (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2013). Elements and Activities The proper planning, recruiting, and selecting of staff is an ongoing process. The hiring process is just the beginning of staffing. The human resource department must retain employees through training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, and employment decisions. The first step in human resource planning is the staffing process. The human resource planning process starts with a job analysis. A job analysis describes the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform each position. The job description will include what, how, and why employees perform his or her duties. It specifies minimum acceptable qualifications a candidate must possess to do the job effectively. A human resource inventory comes after the completion of the job analysis. The human resource inventory will categorize the needs and wants of the position. Afterwards, a human resource forecast is created to anticipate future demands for each position based on the plans, goals and objectives of the organization. Last, the forecast and inventory are compared to decide whether staffing needs will come from internal or external candidates. Read more:  Essay on Human Resource Planning Activities and Planning, Development, & Implementation The primary influence in the use of a company’s resources is the mission and vision of the organization. The mission and vision of the business provide the reason for the use of the resource. An effective and efficient business, strategic and business plans specify how its resources are managed and utilized. The most important resources a business must effectively use are: technology to create a product or deliver the service, the finances to pay for the requirements, and the skills and talents used by human beings to complete the job (Soberg, 2011). The business specifies the technology it needs to achieve the mission of the organization. The required technology will depend on the amount of product or service the company wishes to provide. The strategic plans and vision will be a factor in this decision to ensure it aligns with the goals of the company (Sober, 2011). The best fit for the organization and its mission will come down to the industry and what is currently utilize d. The financial aspect of the equation will specify how to produce money, control money, and foresee the revenue and expenses. The budget for a smooth, successful business operation will rely on the need for achievement in regards to the goals and objectives. The decision must include the cost of the entire operations including maintenance. For instance, the expenses cover purchasing, maintaining and adapting technology and compensating employees. The human benefactor is the knowledge, skills, and abilities utilized to generate and carry the product and service. People are an organization’s largest resource because products and services could not be managed, created, or delivered without the knowledge, skills, and abilities of human beings (Soberg, 2011). For example, without any assistance from human beings, technology and money cannot be utilized. The effective use of human resources assist companies in attracting the right employees, expand the knowledge, skills, and abilitie s of these employees, and keep the employees within the organization. Conclusion Human resource planning is the prediction of future business and environmental needs of a given organization. Human resource planning estimates the number of people available to work for future purposes. It strives to identify proper staffing required to perform organizational activities. Human resource planning is an ongoing process which starts with  objectives, move toward an analysis of resources and ends at evaluation of the human resource plan. Human resource planning compares the present and future status of the organization. The results identify what changes are necessary to meet goals. Human resource planning is vital so companies can meet their objectives and gain a competitive edge over its competition. The proper prediction of employment needs is important. An organization must foresee staffing issues beforehand, just as they predict potential threats in the industry that can impact on overall business success. Employee performance is a direct link to the success of the company. Therefore, a company that is not able to achieve goals is the result of workplace failure. Nevertheless, human resource planning is important to ensure the organization does not hire the wrong people or neglect to predict changes in staffing needs. The only way an organization can ensure employees have the skills, knowledge, and abilities the business needs to succeed is by planning for human resource needs. A human resource plan goes hand in hand with the companies plan to determine the resources it needs to achieve the goals. References Obeidat, B.Y. (2012, October). The Relationship between Human Resource Information System (HRIS) Functions and Human Resource Management (HRM) Functionalities. Journal of Management Research, 4(4), . doi:10.5296/jmr.v4i4.2262 Plunkett, W. R., Allen, G. S., & Attner, R.F (2013). Management: Meeting and exceeding customer expectations (10th ed.). Mason, OH : South-Western Cengage Learning. Soberg, A. (2011). The Link Between Strategic Planning and Human Resource Planning. Retrieved from http://www.hrvoice.org/the-link-between-strategic-planning-and-human-resource-planning/

Why Do You Want to Participate in Early the Early College Program?

ADOLESCENT COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT According to Piaget, around age 11 young people enter the formal operations stage in which they develop the capacity for abstract, systematic, scientific thinking. A characteristic of formal operational thinking = hypothetic-deductive reasoning. When faced with a problem they start with a hypothesis or prediction about variables that might affect the outcome, from which they deduce logical, testable inferences.Then they systematically isolate and combine variables to see which of these inferences are confirmed in the real world A second characteristic of Piaget’s formal operational thought is propositional thought – the ability to evaluate the logic of propositions (verbal statements) without referring to real life situations Consequences of Adolescent Cognitive Development Cognitive development leads to distorted images of the relationship between the self and others. Imaginary audience – belief that they are the focus of everyon e else’s attention and concern.As a result they become extremely self-conscious A second cognitive distortion is the personal fable – they are sure others are observing and thinking about them they develop an inflated opinion of their own importance – a feeling that they are special and unique EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESENCE Erikson suggested that identity is the major personality achievement of adolescents – it involves defining who one is, what one values and the direction one chooses to pursue in life.Erikson called the psychological conflict of adolescence Identity versus Role Confusion Research has identified 4 identity statuses: Identity Achievement – commitment to values, beliefs, and goals following a period of exploration Identity Moratorium – exploration without committing Identity Foreclosure – commitment in the absence of exploration Identity Diffusion – an apathetic state characterized by lack of bot h exploration and commitment Peer pressure is great during adolescenceAdolescents feel pressured to conform to the peer culture –dress, grooming Problems of Adolescence Depression Suicide EARLY ADULTHOOD COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Contrary to what Piaget suggested, researchers argue that cognitive development continues beyond adolescence to Postformal Thought Several theories in support: William Perry Relativistic thinking – the ability to recognize the legitimacy of competing points of view Gisella ViefPragmatic thinking –a tool in which logic becomes the tool for solving real-world problems. Proposed that postformal thinking involves adapting logical thinking to the practical constraints of real-life situations. EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY ADULTHOOD Erikson suggested that early adulthood encompasses Intimacy versus Isolation stage, which is reflected in the you person’s thoughts and feeling about making a permanent commitment to an intimate par tner.The social clock – age graded expectations for major life events Establishing intimate relationships usually end in marriage, then come children. Decision to have children COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD Does intelligence decline with age? Yes and No Fluid Intelligence – depends heavily on basic information processing skills Crystallized Intelligence – refers to skills that depend on accumulate knowledge and experience, good judgment, and mastery of social conventions – abilities acquired because they are values within the individual’s culture.EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD Erikson’s crisis in middle adulthood = generativity versus stagnation – it involves reaching out to others in ways that give to and guide the next generation Midlife Crisis – the inner turmoil during the transition to middle adulthood Empty Nest Syndrome Sandwich generation – to refer to the idea that middle aged a dults must care for multiple generations at the same time. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN LATE ADULTHOOD

Toyotas Efficiency and the Management System of the Organization Essay

Toyotas Efficiency and the Management System of the Organization - Essay Example The company’s production has been rising significantly with the economy and by 2012 it reached a level when it was the only company to produce ten million vehicles over twelve month period (Piotrowski and Guyette, 2010). The company was known for its quality products in the economy. The managers and the employees within the firm are efficient enough in running the business successfully. According to the researcher, it is considered as the world’s largest multinational automobile producing company. The company has been highly successful in gaining brand loyalty from the customers in the automobile market. It has gained competitiveness in the fuel efficiency as well as the designs that are highly favorable to the customers. Researchers say that Toyota’s efficiency has been due to the efficient production process applied by the company (Choi, Dooley and Rungtusanatham, 2001). The continuous improvement in the company’s technological process has been due to the horizontal and vertical integration in the production process. The researcher says that unlike the other multinational companies, Toyota’s focus has been on the quality of the vehicles that it produces and whether the company is efficient in producing as per the demands of the customers (Rajasekera, 2013). The company follows certain principles in order to carry out its business as the company launched a new program known as the ‘Toyota Way’ that depicts the culture within the economy (Rajasekera, 2013). The company follows the

Responses on two posts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Responses on two posts - Essay Example This is just a way that the author of the Washington post tried to show readers that a government, no matter how bad it looks in the eyes of the public would have its own supporters. Reintegration into the Cambodian society became a problem for these loyalists after the Khmer Rouge surrendered to the government. The author also says that the Khmer Rouge fighters have now been living in abject poverty as they no longer get the benefits that they were getting when the Khmer Rouge was in power. This just goes to show that a cry for amnesty would leave few people suffering as they would no longer get the benefits they were getting when the rebel group was in control. This article also lays emphasis to the fact that there is now a breath of fresh air as a result of the surrender of the Khmer Rouge. 1 2. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was established in 2009 with the aim of safeguarding the human rights, freedom, peace, prosperity and stability of the people of the Southeast Asian nations. The efforts of the member nations of the commission like Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in ensuring that the aims of the commission are achieved were highlighted in the article.

In the current global economic climate, countries with strong Essay

In the current global economic climate, countries with strong economics should support countries experiencing financial difficul - Essay Example There are various reasons to cite for the need of external help from the developed economies. First, developed economies have integrated their labour in that they use machinery and technology. In many underdeveloped economies, most sectors use manual labour in production. This is a setback, as the production is not optimised. For example, most of the poor economies use manual labourers in farming and in industries. This requires a large number of people to effectively enhance production. However, with the help of developed economies the poor countries will realise the need for sophisticated mode of operations. For example, the poor countries need to incorporate mechanised farming, which will reduce on both time and cost taken to prepare and produce agricultural goods. In the mean time, they will have optimised their agricultural production, which will improve the economy. Similarly, the developed countries should help poor countries emulate many more modern farming techniques. As suc h, the poor countries will start investing in agricultural inputs including fertilizers and improved breeds as well as seeds. It is noted that agriculture is a strong economic pillar for poor countries. Therefore, this sector will attract immense attention especially when developed countries would want to help. ... Improving the agricultural sector will pave way for massive production. This would be a prudent idea since it will help the developed countries in provision of raw materials for production. This will improve both bilateral and multilateral trade in the world. Apparently, it is realised that many developed countries have many industries that require raw materials. Since these industries need raw materials, improving bilateral and multilateral trade will be a solution to scarcity of raw materials (Wodon 2012:34). In essence, both developed and poor economies will benefit from improvement in agriculture, as there will be a balance of trade. In the modern world, global climate change has been a thorny issue. This is highlighted owing to immense increase in pollution of the environment. Apparently, most of the developed countries are spearheading the need to reduce pollution in the world since it has affected the global climate. However, some of these actions are not reiterated to the poo r countries. In fact, countries experiencing financial difficulties have limited resources in controlling pollution. Bizarrely, pollution in some parts of the world would affect the climate, which later affects the whole world. As such, the strong economies should allocate resources to help reduce pollution in the poor economies. This would help in reducing the effects of pollution. It is noted that strong economies in the world are grumbling for better healthcare, improved income, better working conditions and improved education systems. However, in the countries faced with financial constraints, such are luxuries. For example, in some of these countries, access to healthcare is a problem. People have to travel long distances to access healthcare services. This is

Human resource Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Human resource - Assignment Example This need is more significant than ever, as Human Resource Development is a process for budding and setting free human expertise progress with the rationale of improving performance. This performance can be improved through organizational development and personnel training and development and profession development. Arguably, in this rapidly changing business environment, organizations have increasingly implemented the organizational strategies to address these changes in the external environment by integrating functional Human resource management strategies. This paper delineates the activities involved in strategic Human Resources Development in reference to Fly Airline Dubai. Training and Developmental Activities In reference to Wilson (1999), Human Resource training and Development is concerned with undertaking identification of the training requirements, planning and designing training, implementing and evaluating training activities (p. 34). Fly Airline Dubai’s Human res ource department carries out activities designed to teach and advance company personnel, address performance challenges and assist in preparing the employees for high management positions and roles. Debatably, Fly Airline Dubai offers lithe alternatives which include coaching, job rotation experiences and mentoring. i. Needs assessment and Analysis activity Leigh et al (2000) emphasizes on the significance of assessing and analyzing needs in human resource development and training (p.89). Assessment of the needs in human resource development and training is a corner stone in identifying Human Resource Development interventions required for effective efforts. Fly Airline Dubai assess the requirements of the organization, the individual worker proficiencies, understanding and attitudes, and the functional obligations and department requirements. ii. Planning and Design Activity Just like Delahaye (2000, p. 24)) suggests, Fly Airline Dubai identifies the learning stratagems to be emplo yed, the training results and the individuals who experience the training. Alzabani (2002) asserts that after the needs analysis is complete and clear objectives set, Human Resource Development professionals consequently plan in choosing the suitable training provider in order to organize internal proficiency (p. 124-125). Fly Airline Dubai outsources for external training providers who provide training to its staff members. Developing lesson plans and choosing the effective techniques of training as described by Desimone et al (2002, p. 37) is an imperative aspect of Fly Airline Dubai’s Human resource development. In reference to Nadler and Nadler (1994), the lesson plans serve as an essential pointer for the trainer during the delivery of the training substance (p. 87). iii. Implementation Activity Fly Airline Dubai’s Human Resource Development and training considers several questions in its training. First, the department considers â€Å"when the employees will be provided with the training?† Secondly, it considers â€Å"who will receive the training?† Thirdly, it considers where the training will take place and who will conduct the training and the techniques to be used by the trainer. Arguably, these reviews by Fly Airline assist it on the implementation of the Human Resource Developments and Training program within the company. iv. Evaluation Activity Evaluation is a significant activity in training and

Approaches to creativity and innovation in business Essay

Approaches to creativity and innovation in business - Essay Example Mint), Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Prisons), Department of Energy (Brookhaven National Laboratory), NASA (Goddard Space Flight Center), Department of Veteran Affairs (Medical & Regional Office Centers), Department of Labor and various state and municipal agencies like City of Wilmington, Delaware, City of Tullytown, Pennsylvania and govt. of the District of Columbia. â€Å"We aim to achieve unequalled service delivery that meets or exceed our clients' expectations, caring for our environment and host communities in a friendly manner so as to create value to our clients, employees and the environment (ECG Indutries. Inc, 2012).† The mission statement of ECG industries, INC. encompasses all elements of their business. Their commitment to environment preservation while carrying out their operations is clearly demonstrated through their mission statement. Today’s business climate demands that special attention be paid to environmental services which are driven and heavily controlled by environmental regulations. There are many published guidance manuals and policies at Federal, state and local levels that regulate businesses. The number of regulations controlling businesses with respect to environmental concerns is constantly increasing by the day. The environmental laws are constantly evolving and the nature of these regulations is getting more complex than ever. For a business to operate successfully, they have to comply with all these regulations. Businesses like ECG need to incorporate in their operation a combination of project management skills, technical expertise, regulatory knowledge and experience in dealing with environmental concerns to deal effectively with the heavily regulated environment. Services offered by ECG have the potential of causing severe environmental degradation. They can affect the physical environment as well as health, culture and the economic and social structure of local and indigenous communities. ECG has to conform to environmental standards because of the wide variety of customers they serve. Not only do they have to conform to existing laws, they have to anticipate any changes that might occur and change themselves accordingly (Wawryk, 2012). As applies to ECG, guidelines and standards of International Association of Oil and Gas Producers and American Petroleum Institute can affect operations. The International Association of Oil and Gas producers represents oil and gas companies from all around the world where as the American Petroleum Institute majorly influences the oil and gas industry because of the dominance of American oil companies in the industry. Policies of the World Conservation union along with United Nation Environment Programmed, International Standards Organization, International Chambers of Commerce, the World Bank etc can also influence ECG. The guidelines prepared by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers include practices that are international ly accepted. The 11 principles contained in the American Petroleum Institute Environmental and Safety Mission and Guiding principles form the basis the American Petroleum Institute environmental Stewardship Program. The American Petrol

Language & Cross-cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Language & Cross-cultural Communication - Essay Example As defined by Schà ¼tz (1972), this essay proceeds from an understanding of intercultural communication as embedded in all forms of cultural discourse, and advances a hybrid structural and sociolinguistic analytic framework, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodology in analyzing intercultural communication within social networking sites, with particular emphasis on Facebook, Chinese, and French versions. The quantitative analysis contained herein requires comment. Over a course of a week participants were monitored and the newsfeed and wall-postings from a sample Facebook account were recorded. A series of five participants were also interviewed regarding their forms of communication on Facebook. Further elements of intercultural communication were analyzed on an individual basis and qualitative analyses were conducted and compared with contemporary research on the issues of language, identity and social capital. While such an approach allows for a level of sample bias, it does allow for a micro-level sociolinguistic analysis where past studies have opted for macro discussions. The nature of Facebook also allows a uniquely convenient means for sociological analyses that in non-electronic subcultures requires extensive means and human organization. Further research was conducted in the realm of morphology to determine the extent to which linguistic shifts have occurred as a result of the recent emergence of Facebook as a major means of social communication. With the fast technological development of web 2.0, social networking sites have gained worldwide popularity at a fast speed. Most SNSs allow individuals to present themselves through profiles, articulate their social networks by participating in group activities, and establish or maintain connections with strangers based on common interests, shared views, or interactive activities (Scale,

Natural disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Natural disaster - Essay Example The disastrous effect of the earthquake in Haiti needs quick management and attention from the rest of the world and proper utilization of all the methods accessible for restoration of the country are important to save people in this part of the world. An article in the New York Times was published in January 2010 bearing the title â€Å"Thinking about a New Haiti†. This article provides an insight into the destruction that struck Haiti as a result of the earthquake. It explains the fact that many people lost their lives in this disaster and the infrastructure in the country became destroyed and people became stranded. It puts forward the fact that counties of the world including United States and Canada have started negotiating for aid and help to redevelop this country into a New Haiti. The author has also presented suggestions for quick recovery which include the utilization of the sources which the country has efficiently, spreading the people around the country to small towns and villages for the promotion of jobs and better living as well as the development of the roads and other structural requirements of the country. Foreign help and assistance from Haitians who are settled in different countries has also been put f orward in the article. â€Å"Thinking about a new Haiti† by the author is a subject that needs to be brought up and has been explained by the author perfectly. He has used language to create a proper connection between the Old Haiti and provided an insight into the development of the New Haiti. The author explains the poor condition of the people in a clear manner with these words, â€Å"In old Haiti there is still mostly horror. It is a nation of the homeless and maimed. Despite a stunning global surge of aid, many survivors still lack water, food and tents. â€Å"With this explanation he puts forward the importance of the aid that the Haitians require. The author coordinates his article in a manner to explain to

Ded na si Lolo Essay Example for Free

Ded na si Lolo Essay We all know that Filipinos are very â€Å"traditional people†. What I mean about this term is that once they already have this certain belief, true-to-life or fictional, they would still have a very strong hold for it. The movie â€Å"Ded na si Lolo† certainly showed that kind of attitude that a Filipino has. The characters of the movie really portrayed well how those myths and beliefs affected our normal way of living. Even though some others will find it strange and impossible to happen, they still continue to do it for an unexplainable reason. There are some beliefs given in the movie that I find feasible and some others are just questionable. For the â€Å"kind of okay† myths, the first one is the â€Å"Don’t wear red during funerals†. For me this is some sort of related to our customs, because as we all know, red is a happy color and of course we should not wear it during the funeral but instead, wear colors representing our sympathy or grief like black or white. Another one is the â€Å"Don’t use the condolence money for ones expenses†. It’s very simple, all people who gave it intended it for the dead one, so don’t abuse. Instead of using it for your luxuries, own budget and the like, use it as a food and snack budget for the visitors, funeral expenses and everything that has relation with the funeral of the person. All of what I’ve stated is not only what I think a belief for us Filipinos but also plain custom and right practice which is humanly. For the questionable myths, there are concepts that I really don’t understand and accept. For me it kinda sounds funny and not humorous at all. First is the â€Å"Do not shower while the wake is going on†. I don’t know what happens if you take a shower during a funeral but if you are the owner of the house and you accommodate every visitor of the wake, just imagine how they will react if you smell and look bad. Same with the no sweeping and cleaning of the house, what would the deceased soul feel if his wake is untidy? It’s just simply a matter of hygiene. These are the least I can remember from the film that I’ve watched. Actually, we also have a lot of myths in our province. This has no relation with the funeral but it is related with the beliefs itself. Like if you are being followed by a dog and you’re afraid of it, just bite your tongue then drag it backwards and suddenly the dog will stop following you. Another one is that when the funeral is already finished, you shall not have leftover food in your house, like the ones being given to the visitors. Instead of keeping it, just give it to strangers or visitors themselves for the last day. They say that it will prevent deaths of other relatives for the same year. I find it some sort of weird and I have no choice but to follow it because I don’t want my mother or grandparents to get mad at me if I don’t believe them. I admit that I’m also afraid of what the outcomes would be so I just obey them rather than have regrets if it happens. All in all, I think that without these kinds of myths, we’ll not have our identity as Filipinos. It’s already part of our culture and way of living. Even though you find them silly at times, instead of being annoyed, just try to smile and follow the flow. It just shows how Filipinos are loyal and faithful to their beliefs. And I know that most of these myths are not for fun or anything, it’s how we express our much respect towards matters.

Effect of Standard Costing Changes on Firm Operations

Effect of Standard Costing Changes on Firm Operations The Rise and Fall of Standard Costing and Its Effect on Everyday Operations For European and American Firms Contents (Jump to) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GENERAL OVERVIEW ACCOUNTING OVERVIEW LITERATURE REVIEW EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The overall purpose of this paper and study is to investigate cost or lean accounting within the operations management realm and how its unpredictable rise and fall allow organisations to continuously learn and utilize knowledge management as a core value. It was also important to use a larger organisation that has history of outstanding operations and customer centered focus upon services. This investigation will require an in-depth study of work processes, communication and leadership with regard to knowledge management as a value within the team construct while looking at how this reflects leaning accounting principles. What tools are available and what kind of evolution is Nestle undergoing in order to remain competitive in a changing economy? How does this change knowledge management and communication company wide? What this study argues is that accounting practices are changing due to the evolving business plan. This is a movement toward modern accounting and it is important to see the relationships between costing accounting, its fluctuations and how they impact the health of the organisation as a whole with regard to productivity and job satisfaction. How an organisation applies methods of costing into its framework for accounting of expenses and its direct rise and fall over the time period of the product life cycle, directly influences the production, operation, distribution and employee retention of the global company. In fact changes in accounting practices have led to many tried and true business models to no longer exist. Costing and its rise and fall can have a direct relationship with success and competitive advantage in the market place. However the purpose of this study is to explore and reflect upon how accounting practices change operations management and the supply chain management model as a tool of managers and team members alike. Really it is how accounting practices have changed business practices because of new legislation focusing on global companies in Europe and the United States. Accounting costs, expenses and losses reflects the health of the organisation and with change comes confusion. This study argues th at with such changes comes a lack of defining the company’s value within the market but also the value it has for its employees, as they become active participants and investors. GENERAL OVERVIEW How corporate accounting is handled is changing worldwide. How each expense is accounted for within an organisation’s financial sheets has been evolving. Such a proposal for change has received much commentary from not only the financial community and corporate America but also key members of Congress, European union leaders and the public. Such a response results from the uncertainty that such change will benefit businesses and economic growth. It is feared that such change will have the opposite effect and cause world leaders to lose its competitive edge in the global market. The urgency for a solution has only been stressed recently in light of such debacles like Enron and Tyco. It is believed that companies do need to account honestly for expenses but at what price to its employees, the public and the economy? Part of the issue with current legislation to change the practice of accounting for employee stock options is that there is no real way to value their worth. This cr eates an unsettling feeling among investors and employees struggling to understand this benefit. ACCOUNTING OVERVIEW What this truly means for any corporation functioning globally or even locally this that effective cost accounting because a volatile issue for management to consider. One could argue that such rise and fall of how costing pays a part in the entire operation has a negative effect upon how the company’s valuation is seen on the open market if done incorrectly. Costing at every step of the product life cycle plays a huge part in how this valuation is decided from inventory at the shop floor level, to everyday operations management, to an employee’s value with the company and their net worth personally. Changes within the global economy in the recent years the disappearance of tried and true business models leaves many with a poor taste in their mouths because one must understand how efficiency, affordability and effective leadership come into play. Effective costing of routine operations and corporate behaviours must be tracked and studied in order to carve the fat. This study aims to look at exactly what the rise and fall of costing means to a global organisation conducting business on many levels. For the purpose of proving the argument that such an evolution of accounting practices has a powerful influence on the organisation, one will look at examples from the shop floor to the continuous management of knowledge and communication. Accounting for such expensing and pricing correctly is what makes the organisation strong but also its people. The benefits of standard costing gives rise to more modern accounting practices today, which then lead to leaner functionality throughout the organisation. It can be argued that by putting a framework of standard costing as accounting practice also leads to a better defined operations team but also leads to a lean supply chain as further innovation is introduced into the organisation. With this in mind, evolved traditional business models like Wal-Mart and Nestle are discussed because these are globally operat ing corporations with high success rates. LITERATURE REVIEW PRICING STRATEGIES It can be difficult to assess why a product has a certain cost or price to the consumer. How is it that companies arrive at certain amount for a product or service? What are the factors that play into this amount and do they change over time while in the market? Mish defines clearly, price as being â€Å"the value or worth; the quality of one thing that is exchanged or demanded in barter or sale for another† (2004, p. 985). A mistake that happens to many companies is they allow the market to manage the price of the product and avoid strategic management of pricing in general. What is usually done according to Nagle is â€Å"they list the prices based on their own needs and then adjust transaction prices to based on what customers say they are willing to pay. Only a few companies question why someone is willing to pay no more that a particular amount or how that willingness could be changed† (2002, p. 1). In order to be strategic in pricing, a company must confident and understand that â€Å"pricing involves managing customers’ expectations to induce them to pay for the value they receive† (Nagle 2002, p.1). Fortunately, when it comes to financial products, many customers remain in the dark about product and services. Sometimes a service oriented company such as the Bank of England can take advantage of such undulation but as more information becomes available due to the Internet, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for a company to set the pace this way. More than not, more companies especially financial ones that rely on customer relationships, allow for a value-based price structure that is contingent on the customer paying when value is delivered. This type of pricing system relies heavily on segmentation of the demographic when it comes to offering promotions and incentives to buster customer loyalty. Much of this applies to financial type products that are well defined for the consumer either through education or these pr oducts are a must in life like the credit or loan product. Keeping this in mind, many financial products consist of high quality products and add-ons that when offered by one company allows that company to diversify and establish the price. The table here below aids in illustrating this point. Table 1: Pricing Strategies (Anderson Bailey 1998, p. 2) It is also important for a company to keep in mind demand for the product or service. This is why diversification and globalization are quickly becoming elements of strategy as companies look for new ways to target consumers and enter new areas where their original product has a new life cycle. This is a matter of economics but important for understanding marketing strategy with regards to cost switching or price switching. â€Å"The greater the price elasticity, the closer the company can price products to similar competitive products and vice versa† (Allen 2002). In an industry like the mortgage industry where homeownership is more prevalent in Western nations, elasticity is high and therefore, it is fair to remain competitive with other companies. Also a company like Nestle can bet that charging less may lead to more food products created as customers find they get more service for less money. In this respect elasticity can work either way. It really depends on degree of ri sk one company is willing to take. Still it remains to be found if such a tactic even works when it comes to customer loyalty, as this will be explored in greater detail later. However, it remains to be seen if price loyalty does exist. It seems â€Å"the key to effectively competing for loyalty is ensuring the quality of the customer experience, not the quantity of customer rewards or discount prices† (Compton 2005, p.1). However, the price needs to be adjusted for what the customer expects. It can be a cycle that changing continuously depending on the product or service. STANDARD COSTING AS ACCOUNTING PRACTICE There is concern with standard costing accounting methods and when the practice is an effective method, what advantages and or disadvantages there are to the practice’s use over time within the operations realm and production of a product. What is the history of standard costing, how it came into practice and popularity with managerial accountants? Are there situations where other methods are more beneficial? This plays into mainly focus upon direct material costs and not necessarily labour because of the set hourly wage. Was this the reason for adopting leaner accounting methods with the advent of more expensive operating costs? The fall of standard costing accounting systems may be due to a need for an integrated chain of activities across multiple product life cycles especially when a company diversifies at a global level. It should be notes here that standard costing is a only one method but can be used by management to estimate manufacturing costs of direct materials, direct labour and manufacturing overhead both fixed and variable across the chain of production. The fall of standard costing probably has taken place due to a need for a multifaceted supply chain or layered supply chain. Generally speaking there will be overlapping in the supply chains of a global company and therefore a system to meet this need. This system will appear seamless but also where everything is integrated and communication is at the speed of light and technology is a mandatory tool so that the organisation may remain at a competitive advantage. So how does standard costing accounting practice exactly differ from the other methods available? Obviously accounting practices have evolved to become leaner and applicable to a range of various business practices for a global company like Nestle. So how is standard costing still evident since it is no longer the popular choice? HISTORY Historically speaking the advent specifically for standard cost accounting systems began in the early 19th century United States with the management of the railroads (Hoskin Macve 2000, p. 18). Hoskin and Macve (2000) comment on standard costing always being a feature of the accounting practice from the beginning of business records. However, standard costing did not take an active role until modern business with this quote: Accounting has always embraced cost and management accounting in the sense of analysis of activity and the use of accounting information for choosing, planning and controlling activity. These purposes remained embryonic until choice between significant economic alternatives became available. (p. 19). Companies in the United Kingdom remained family based and therefore lacking formal, concrete accounting methods when compared with businesses found in the United States at the time. Any changes in accounting generally speaking remained with direct relations to changes in the business world. Part of the evolution and the rise of standard costing are directly related to business practices of this time period. There was a need for measurement of productivity in a framework understood by management members. They wanted to calculate human performance on the shop room floor. This sets into place the post-modern ideology for Total Quality Management or TQM, to be discussed later. With these adjustments also came radical changes for an organisational structure, the management’s strategy as this continued across the chain when further technology was introduced as useful tools (Hoskin Macve 2000, p. 21). With adaptations sees as innovative, it was only a matter of time before British companies adopted similar practices toward accounting. This can be evident as the organisation’s market presence gains global relationships and rely upon interaction and exchange of knowledge. At the end of the 19th century United Kingdom companies were learning standard cost accountin g principles and processes as a means of incorporating links into a wider organisational framework. While there was a need for streamlining, there was also a need for flexibility as standard costing started to lose its usefulness. Morelli and Wiberg (2002) concur with other experts that standard costing emerged in the early 1900s. To mirror the Total Quality Management system in place at factories, â€Å"Engineers developed information about standards in order to establish ‘the best way’ to use labour and material resources with manufacturing† (Morelli Wiberg 2002, p. 18). This furthered how processes were put into place to achieve an organisation’s objectives. In order to better understand how history influences practices within the business with regard to product production and the rise and fall of standard costing as an accounting practice, one must first understand different steps with in the standard costing system that defines the practice. All processes or production steps along the supply chain have identifiable, calculable costs as raw materials result in the manufactured marketed product for consumer purchase. Each area of focus to make the product, the costs involved can be absorbed by the final product sale and then profit. This includes materials, labour, outsourcing and fixed or variable burdens. These absorbable costs reflect the true cost of goods as referred to on the general ledger. Variable costs are environmental factors, which fluctuate from day to day. Variables come into play for production measurements as one figures out the true cost of goods when compared with the actual costs incurred for that particular production run. Variable exist when determining quality of materials and labour. However labour becomes a ‘grey’ area of contention when discussing standard costing. Indirect labour encompasses costs work-related but not task related. These become well defined further up the chain of co mmand and less so at the shop floor level. So what exactly is standard costing and why are trends in its use so important to understand? While much of standard costing explains business evolution, organisational practices and diffusion of technology, making labour much different than the post-modernist view; standard costing still applies to business today as many eliminate fat from operations and look into clear streamlines for production purposes. This is mainly due to expenses being on the rise but also a need for reinvestment back into the company for technology needs when at a global level. In many ways, modern lean accounting allows for standard costing to be a framework from which other accounting practices emerge. Standard costing systems are good for production of items in volume but with very little diversification and stable costs. The benefit of this method is that organisations can trace specific cost flows from purchasing to inventory. What distinguishes standard costing as an accounting practice but mostly a framework used today in business, what allows the method to remain a turning point in evolution to other methods like Activity Based Cost or ABC accounting and lean accounting, is by definition in its name. There is the standard by which the accounting practice is defined. By allocating a standard, the organisation already has a set of expectations and even core values of what the costs for production will be. Standards set the pace and atmosphere of production. They remain elemental to preconceived notions of the quantity and cost of inputs needed for production of one simple unit of output. With this backbone, one can develop a proper cost-volume-profit analysis. Still in order for a standard to work effectively it must be well defined and accepted by the organisation. This is where continuous improvement, communication and values for Knowledge Management or KM become important tools for managers. The accoun tant in charge of setting standards must have a comprehension of the full organisational picture and its health. Along the line of command for accounting, standards become commonplace and procedures; or a methodical means of carrying out tasks. For instance, every accountant actively monitors the standards by which the standards apply to him or her. There is only a small window of time for payroll for a week. Without these standards in place, tasks become less defined and unachievable. In this respect and according to M. L. Houlton (1979): â€Å"There are basically two types of standard: (a) Ideal Standards which assume not wastage or inefficiency and (b) Expected Standards which allow for normal and expected losses† (p. 2). By creating such a system leads organisations to ways of measuring performance and other difficult erroneous concepts in need of a qualifier. Still a manager must also understand how standards create a regimented place to work, which may not work for ever y employee on the team. Organisations like Nestle and Wal-Mart may see the advantage of utilizing a standard costing system because â€Å"actual costing has the ability to revalue inventory based on actual costs, which are most accurate† (Peoplesoft 2000, p. 12). Any changes are reflective immediately but also this leads to an organisation the chance to use other accounting methods as well like ABC. This could be especially important to inventory management. Remaining within the standard costing scheme affords the organisation a specialised function with respect to the types of activities. As activities become more detailed so does the accounting. For instance: Technology or electronics industries benefit most from this type of costing because component variations affect total actual costs. Industries that deal with commodities, for example, dairy products or precious metals, and are characterised by widely fluctuating costs, might use an actual costing system to provide the most current values. (Peoplesoft 2000, p. 12). As organisations have grown into multiple national corporations or MNCs with multiple activities on different supply chains, maybe this is why standard costing has become less important to accountants because it called for too much detail where they too must remain efficient to keep their positions. A new leaner way needed to match the business practices because as much as standard costing applies to every product or service on the chain it also allots for more manpower and time. There had to be a way to allow for multiple operations and one accounting system that could branch off to meet multiple activities. OTHER ACCOUNTING METHODS Carmona, and et al (2004), writes of the origin of activity based costing method of accounting or ABC that came into vogue in Europe during the 1920s. What ABC does specifically as Carmona, and et al (2004) speak of Vollmers’s work as: Deployed significant efforts to account for distribution and marketing costs, which ‘tend to be ignored today.’ This first event is then taken as record of the origin (both in terms of time and space), from which the new practice mainly spread both temporally and spatially. (p. 36) This is the start of a movement toward the double entry system and this saw delay and many weaknesses because it did not present a clear, complete picture of accounting. Its weaknesses were found in inefficiencies with charges and discharges. As a result, early double-entry systems were seen as unreliable and not useful to big business. It would not be until later that advanced book keeping procedures would take into account advanced operating processes in production. Carmona, and et al (2004) found these systems although not perfected were used in England and the Colonies as early as 1760 (p. 37). It seems this was the trend as no real streamlined, conforming system would be adopted until modern business practices came into place in the United States. Move to a global arena and model of production purposes and a more refined system is needed because a lot more is at stake. Global business is all about the details. It became common practice more investment applied, the more generally accepted accounting practices became as a diffusion of new technology. Accounting practices became more generally accepted behaviours as businesses became bigger and more prominent in communities across the world. Practices are implemented as Abu-Raddaha, and et al (2000) surmises the following: The information provided by accounting should facilitate international trade and capital flows, not hamper them. It should inform, not just report. More importantly the information demands of both domestic and international financing and other commercial relationships, have to be satisfied. (p. 19). Everything must remain in balance or presented as a well-oiled machine. How does an organisation get to this point of transformation with its accounting practices? Modern accounting asks for more participation and optimisation from the start to finish by the corporate accountant. The actions of the corporate accountants must change as the movement toward lean functioning continues to take place. It should not be a painful process but one of creativity, flexibility and growth. There is a concern that lean accounting requires one to turn off creativity and be boxed into one function or thought process. This will be explored late as a post-modern viewpoint of business where each person has a function within the total quality management or TQM perspective. Modern business may use this as a framework but the modern business model has evolved beyond this fixed view. The truth of the matter is that modern accounting practices could not be further from this view of being boxed in but rather goes beyond breaking the box and creating a different mindset where thin king is seen differently than before. Accounting is seen differently as not having finite possibilities but infinite reasoning. Traditional methods are flawed as proposed by Van Der Merwe and Thomson (2007), â€Å"the direct costing approach doesn’t absorb any overhead or even fixed costs†¦resource consumption accounting or RCA makes no arbitrary assignments at all† (p. 29). A lean, effective method allows for a more detailed account of capacity costs and a basic approach to data collection. Modern times call modern values and thought processes with regard to business seamless behaviour across the production floor. The lean method maintains a â€Å"one-touch flow system† (Van Der Merwe Thomson 2007, p. 29) for information diffusion across the life cycle. This one-touch flow system can be integrated with a supply chain easily and reflects this value added element as a method for better, honest accounting. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT A most important factor for facilities management to recognize is the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) or a variation of TQM. TQM according to David Steingard is â€Å"a set of techniques and procedures used to reduce or eliminate variation from the production process or service delivery system in order to improve efficiency† (Steingard 2002, p. 2). TQM fits with the facilities management way of doing things as many of their functions require repetition or constant monitoring of daily, weekly and monthly items. Because this is a modernist concept and the modernist movement believed in certainty and static methods of looking at the world, there is not much room for the uncertainty that change creates in today’s workplace using strictly TQM. Therefore either change in this environment must be controlled change or a variation of TQM must be used for the process to work and involve new technologies. Otherwise, TQM alone invents a work environment reminiscent of Franz L ang’s Metropolis and dehumanizes the employee. A variation TQM can be used in facilities management to aid defining team member responsibilities as it sees the whole team as a â€Å"machine creates a system of interlocking parts each with clearly defined use, centralized authority and high degrees of worker discipline culminating with the goal of routinised, efficient and predictable system performance† (Steingard 2002, p. 2). Each team member plays a role in the functioning of the machine. Still much like today’s business environment where change is constant, this system requires continued adjustment, modification improvement of function. TQM as way of defining a work process cannot operate entirely in today’s global market because it succeeds at the expense of innovation and the growth of the employee. It also does not leave room to incorporate change and new ways of improving functions. Still a memory of pure TQM feeds the â€Å"modernist machine of c onsumer capitalism which encourages over-consumption, planned obsolescence, ecological damage and depletion of natural resources† (Steingard 2002, p. 4). This memory has also burdened management as the obsession for perfection, control, consistency, productivity and efficiency increases over time. In today’s facilities team, there must be a healthy medium to not only use past methods for increased productivity and efficiency but also to include modern tools and equipment to make the job easier. In order to remain competitive, technology cannot be ignored, the systems it provides must be implemented in order for logistics to remain seamless and keep up with demand and customer expectation. For instance failure to embrace logistics and technology results in inventory costing a company more money to store than it is worth. McCullogh writes, â€Å"Right now sitting around the globe is a bunch of inventory (worth an estimated) United States $1 trillion—United States $1 trillion of boxes of stuff is just sitting around a warehouse† (‘Warning: Don’t Snub Logistics’, p. 1). This has the potential to represent about 60 percent of the average company’s working capital. This is capital in limbo that is not maximizing its investment potential. A sign of successful shop floor operations is reliance on very little warehousing. In other words, warehousing is measured as the amount of days per month a product sits in the warehouse and if logistics is implemented effectively, this number will decrease and stabilize. The retail average storage of inventory is 26 days of investment not being utilized, profit being lost and daily expenses being incurred in an endless holding pattern. In order to reduce the amount of days inventory sits means companies must create tighter relationships with suppliers via the web or perfect a system of communication between resources to cut out warehousing all together. Instead of inventory remaining stored because of wireless communication and data collection, the product can go straight from the supply source to the retailer’s shelves via a distribution centre that acts much like mail sorting centre. This can work because technology enables a retailer to send data immediately to the supplie r of products that are moving off the shelves with a click of a button. From this electronic message, the supplier knows what the retailer needs, what products are popular, how much and sends then instantly to the retailer’s distribution centre. In organisations the size of Nestle or Wal-Mart, logistics strategy requires much forethought and planning, as there are many branches and divisions that are involved in the process. The idea is to reduce expenses and increase value to the organisation by making the company more productive and efficient. This needs to be done as seamlessly as possible to continue brand loyalty and customer relations while maintaining market share and competitive advantage. In many ways, implementation of this strategy creates a delicate balance. In order to have better Business to Business or B2B relationships, one must understand the connection. Robert Thierauf and Hoctor (2003) explain, â€Å"B2B is about connecting shared businesses and information processes of the extended trading networks, planning, shipping and logistics, inventory management and customer retention to name a few† (Thierauf Hoctor, p. 181). In other words, an optimized planning process can save millions dollars and allow a multination corporation to carry out its objective and gain market share. This means applying advanced technology such as i2 used by Dell Computers and typical ERP vendors. In today’s act of doing business, B2B exchanges are based on supply chain management or SCM technologies (Thierauf Hoctor, 2003, p. 182). This will mean considerable investment in such technology but the benefit of market share will prove it to be a valued investment over the long-run (Burn Hachney 2002; Scerbo 1999). Running these centres effectively certainly poses a challenge of management. Manufacturers must develop new skills and confront channel conflicts with dealers, distributors and independent operators. Leaders in these positions must have an understanding of managing the conflicts in these channels. But well-managed distribution centres would more than justify the risks, as it would save the organisation a significant amount of overhead. With operating expenses as the main cost, it is possible to make the distribution venture essentially self-funding. Facilities can be rented on short-term leases and surrendered if the location isnt successful within a year or two. The cost of goods and labour can be managed as volume grows. Companies should remember that a manufacturers original warranty work usually accounts for about half of the labour expenses and for as much as 20 percent of the total value of services rendered, but these costs are typically charged back to the business unit rather than borne by the company’s distribution. In markets poorly served by local dealers or other distributors, for instance, a centre should gear itself to its company’s end users or consumers b

Saddam Hussein :: Iraq Rulers War Society Saddam Hussein Essays

  Throughout the last thirty years, many of the people of Iraq have been tortured, forced to relocate their families numerous times, arrested and murdered. Those who stood against Saddam Hussein were punished, in most cases by death. All of this happened under the control of Suddam and we have neither found, nor has he offered a sound explanation for his actions. By the early 80’s, hundreds of thousands of citizens were deported to Iran. And even now people are still being repressed, persecuted and denied their human rights. He does not deserve to live so luxuriously, while his people are dying from malnutrition and lack of medical attention. He does not deserve the political power that he has aquired by having people killed and forcing others to resign their authority to him. What he does deserve is a fair trial for the many war crimes he has committed and for being responsible for an unknown, yet large number of assacinations of innocent people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a result of the Gulf War in 1991, the United Nations has enforced sanctions on Iraq to limit their ability to make more weapons of mass destruction (WMD). These sanctions are based on an oil-for-food system. Iraq can export limited amounts of oil to buy food and medical supplies only. Hussein is using less than the prescribed amount of money available for humanitarian purposes for buying the much needed medical supplies. Instead, he has used it to buy extremely expensive medical equipment that is rarely used. And as if he is not wealthy enough, every month he smuggles oil out of Iraq that is worth millions of dollars, which goes straight toward his personal spending pleasures. He has built monuments and palaces for himself instead of meeting the necessary health and sanitary needs of his people. It is bad enough that he has terrorized his own people, but he goes crawling to the press saying that the U.N. needs to lift its sanctions because his people are in suc h a desperate need of help. He acts (for the cameras) as if he actually is doing everything in his power to help the people that he so deeply cares about. Fortunately, the little games that he has played with the media have not fooled too many people. The truth about his past and current crimes is available to any person who that has access to the internet.

Define Feminism Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Define Feminism "A woman should be barefoot, pregnant and chained to a stove," stated Ben Glantz, a high school senior. Drew Pershing, another senior, also shared a joke, "What does a woman do after she leaves a battered shelter? The dishes...if she knows what's good for her!" Daily jokes and comments such as these, no matter how harmless, are detrimental to the status of women and a dangerous undermining of their accomplishments. Shared by both genders, sexually discriminative comments are widely accepted in society as normal and harmless. "I didn't mean anything by that; I was just kidding," whimpered Ben Glantz after receiving several cold stares from young women who overheard his bashing, sexist comment. Women have become more aware of their current respected, "take serious" status within the past twenty years. Some are satisfied with where women stand in relation to society, while others say the road to equality has not yet been finished. When people were asked to fill out a questionnaire on feminism, young women were eager to participate while most of the young men took a little coaxing. Ignorance in both sexes contributes to the problem of misinterpretation of feminism and the "woman's place" in society. When twenty-four students, parents and teachers were asked what feminism was, answers ranged form a fight, a stand, a belief, a want, a definition, and a movement for women empowerment, equality and human rights. The definition of feminism found in The American Heritage Dictionary states feminism is "a doctrine that advocates or demands for women the same rights granted men, as in political and economic status." "Since this definition will vary from being militantly pro-female to simple ... ...isters. TV Guide, 45, 18-23. McDonnell, Evelyn. (1993, August 7). Women rockers create their own alternatives. Billboard. 105, 1-2. Palmer, Laura. (1997, November 27). Lee vows to fight for her vindication. The Gazette, pp. E1, E3. Pollitt, Katha. (1997, November). Feminism's unfinished business. The Atlantic Monthly, 160-164. Thigpen, D.E., & McLaughlin, L. (1997, July 21). Galapalooza!: Lilith Fair -- a traveling festival featuring female folk-pop stars -- is rocking the music world. TIME, 60- 64. Tumulty, Karen (1997, October 20). Turning fifty. TIME, 32-42. Wells, Diana (Ed.). (1994) Getting there: The movement toward gender equality. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers/Richard Gallen. Wolf, Naomi. (1993). Fire with fire: The new female power and how it will change the 21st century. Canada: Random House Publishing, Inc.

Compare and contrast teachers and administrator Essay

During my interviews I realized that being a teacher or an administrator has its ups and downs to it. The teacher answered her questions as someone who deals and interacts with children every day. The administrator answered his questions as someone who deals with more what’s best for the children with little interaction with them. Knowing what I found out about the two professions I would lean more towards as being a teacher because an administrator has too many responbilieties. There are many things that the teacher and the administrator have in common. First off they both are in education and want to help children grow into adults as the graduate. They both try to help educate the children without offending any religion or beliefs that the children may have. The teacher and the administrator both went to college to get a bachelor and master’s degree in education. They both have the similar reasoning for being in education field. Finally both of them share the love of being around children to help them be the best they can. Teachers and administrator have many things that are different from each other as well. They both have different degrees in education. An administrator has a master’s in business and a teacher has bachelors in science childhood education. The administrator went to college longer than the teacher. The teacher is there to have one on one time with the students if they need to stay for help. The administrator does not really have one on one time with the students they are to help keep students in school and any other problems that might occur. When I interviewed the administrator he was calm and very well spoken and knew a lot about running a school. He did not have any teachers in his family. He got his influence from his college English professor named Body†¦ The greatest benefit he has as an administrator is having the joy of knowing that he is helping educate and keeping children safe. The administrator does live in the same community has the children do? Yes, he believes that living around them will help to understand where the children come from and what kind of students they want to become. When I asked the administrator if he would recommend the education profession to others he said it is not for everyone. But the ones who do have what it takes to be teacher or work with children will have compassion towards them and understand what they want. So I asked myself is becoming a teacher still what I want and â€Å"yes† it is. To teach early childhood education is what I am called to do. I also learned during this interviewing process is that this job takes a lot patience, courage, and strength to help reach and teach students. I want to get to know each child as individual and what kind of goals they want for themselves. I want to help them reach it. I get closer to reaching my goal even though it has not been an easy road. I have had tons of support to do this. I would say being in administrator or a teacher is a great career a lot of responsibilities go with each one but at the end of the day it is worth it all.

Iraq War Essay

The American government took the controversial decision of waging a war against Iraq. The circumstances and the motives of the American government indicate that the war on Iraq was unwarranted and cannot be justified although the American government has put forward a few reasons for waging this war. The logic and evidence does not support such contentions by the American government. The American government has failed to justify its unilateral decision of declaring war against Iraq. In the year 2002, the American President revealed his plan of attacking the Iraqi regime as it was thought that Iraq was in the process of emerging as the greatest threat to the American security. This decision was apparently taken on the basis of the intelligence information that the US government obtained concerning Iraq’s nuclear program. However, it is interesting to note that this intelligence information was kept secret until 2002. The major reason for this war was the terrorist attack of the World Trade Center in the year 2001. Obviously, this attack had left Americans at a state of shock as the successful terrorist attack demonstrated to the whole world that American security is at stake and that American military and intelligence power is not that efficient. (Powers 1) The knee jerk reaction resulted in the decision to chalk out the proper plans to prevent the future attacks of the American territory. However, it is interesting to note that the American government could not obtain even the simple majority of the members of the UN Security Council. This clearly indicates that the United Nations did not wholeheartedly support the Iraqi venture initiated by the American government. The close allies such as France and Germany could not be convinced of the need for this war project as these countries felt that there was no need for any fresh attack on the Iraqi territory as after 1991 this region was left in almost depleted state. The President was able to only convince the United States Congress as the members of the Congress did not question the necessity of a war on Iraq. The Congress members did not even participate in the debate regarding the Iraqi war. This shows that the American government could not convince the world leaders that Iraq was up to some fresh mischief in the form of the production of armaments having the capacity to destroy the world population. These details indicate that the American government has been alienated by other important powers which have not accepted the evidence presented by America that Iraq was emerging as another center of terrorist activities. (Powers 2) The main argument of the proponents of war was that Saddam Hussein possessed various dangerous weapons such as nuclear arsenals and chemical weapons which could have been used to destroy the enemy countries. The proponents of war asserted that the past history of Saddam showed that he was an aggressor. Their another contention is that Saddam Hussein had connections with the Islamic terrorist organizations and the leaders such as Osama bin Laden who had played an important role in the WTC attack. (Mearsheimer and Walt 1) These are the three reasons given by war supporters to justify the US aggression on Iraq. However, the proponents of war are not able to prove that Hussein really possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The UN inspections did not reveal that Iraq actually possessed or had the potential of building huge base of WMD which could have been used for destructive purposes. The War mongers were aware of the fact that their action would lead to huge expenses to the American treasury and that this war would result in the alienation of America in the world politics. Even then they insisted that war was inevitable as one could not afford to ignore the possession of nuclear arsenals in the hands of the Iraqi leadership. In reality, the US had the power to contain the alleged Iraqi aggression. The argument that war was inevitable rests on the faulty logic. The war supporters are not able to come up with substantial proof to suggest that Saddam had seriously pursued the plan of destroying his enemy countries. (Mearsheimer and Walt 4) However, in this context one should remember that after the Gulf war the allied forces had obtained entry into Iraq and they had used their energy to reduce the military power of Iraq. The Gulf war debacle was sufficient to deplete the Iraqi resources. Perhaps the American government needed to make a strong statement against Islamic terrorists after the September 11 attack. This resulted in the declaration of war on Iraq. This can be considered as the face saving attempt made by the American government. The newspapers have reported information from CIA documents which contradicted the statements made by the President Bush who asserted that Iraq was trying to produce nuclear arsenals as the Iraqi officials had approached South Africa to obtain materials needed for producing nuclear weapons. However, CIA expressed doubt regarding this report that Iraq was trying to obtain nuclear weapon materials from South Africa. Another contention of the President was that the Iraqi officials refused entry of the weapon inspectors into Iraqi regions. However, there are evidences which refute this allegation. In reality, as the newspapers reported, the Iraqi government had offered their cooperation with the weapon inspectors. There is also evidence to suggest that even before the beginning of war the American government obtained the information that Iraq did not approach South Africa to obtain nuclear weapon materials. This shows that the Bush administration had deliberately misinterpreted the intelligence reports in order to obtain the support of the Congress members for this war. In spite of these contradictions Bush has defended his action of invading Iraq without any major reason. (Priest and Milbank A01) There are evidences to state that the US decision to attack Iraq has backfired and it has not contributed to the improvement of the US image in the international political arena. The Iraq venture has resulted in the protest by the governments and people belonging to different nations in the world which did not find any necessity for this war. (Martin 3) The main reason for this protest against the war is that this war was unjust. The extreme action taken by the US forces against the innocent Iraqi civilians has come under public criticism. This shows the world public opinion has not supported the idea of the US led campaign against Iraq. This war has enraged the Muslim nations and this may contribute to increase in the activities of the Muslim terrorist organizations leading to the loss of lives in different parts of the world. There is no evidence to state that the US government obtained the support of the majority of the Americans for this war. The Iraq war has contributed to the creation negative image of Bush not only in the world politics but also in the US. In this sense, this war has not benefited the US people. Instead of increasing the security of Americans, this war has increased the possibility of terrorist attack on the innocent American population. (Martin 4) Works Cited Bracknell, Major Rob. â€Å"Euro-bashing as Good Sport†. Naval War College Review. 58. 2, (2005): 139-142. Available at https://www.brookings.edu/

Analysis of Troy Maxson Essay

The play â€Å"Fences† by Lloyd Richards is mostly the story of Troy Maxson. A man of many words, some of which although may not be particularly nice. He is an elderly, large black man who used to be a home run hitter in the Negro league, but by the time of the integration of professional Baseball, Troy was too old to benefit from it. This caused Troy to become the man he is today. Throughout the play the reader sees in depth of what kind of man Troy Maxson really is. Yes, he is far from a perfect man, but he has an inner strength that can inspire, which makes him, above all, memorable. As a result of having his dreams ultimately shattered Troy is vulnerable. Not just vulnerable to others, but by believing in the self-created illusions he has created to cope with his drastic fall from living his dream to working at a dead end job. While being so susceptible to his own created world Troy is more than comfortable with living in his fictitious fantasy. This is seen when Troy tries to convince his friend Bono that is relationship with a women called Alberta was nothing consensual, when in reality it is obvious he was having an affair with the lady (page 1703). Throughout the whole play the readers get an idea of where the Title â€Å"Fences† come from. Troy Maxson’s character causes conflicts with everyone else, and in doing so placing metaphorical â€Å"fences† around him and the ones that care about him. With these fences up all around him he rejects and puts down the dreams and desires of others because they differ from his own philosophy. There are many examples of this throughout the play, but the one that seems to stand out the most would be when he tries to completely tear down his son’s dream of playing professional football (page 1716-1717). Troy Maxson’s charter although represents more than just a man who is bitter from past experiences; he represents human nature’s unwillingness to adjust to social change. Just like how the white men viewed black people, even after segregation was in full swing, they still viewed them as inferior beings. The same concept can be seen in Troy. Troy constantly uses baseball to describe his actions as if baseball was still a major role in his day to day life. When he talks about facing death, he uses baseball terminology, comparing a face-off with the grim reaper to a duel between a pitcher and a  batter (1706). When he bullies his son Cory, he warns him: â€Å"You swung the bat and didn’t hit it. That’s strike one.† (1726). So with this Troy becomes the perfect example for a tragic hero. Doing what he sees fit through his own eyes even though the people around him tell him that his actions will have drastic side effects, but he still stubbornly stride s on pursuing his own course of action. As terrible as it may seem the experiences Troy went through were not uncommon. In fact drones of skilled African American players could not experience playing on the professional level. Sadly they were bound to the Negro leagues due to the color of their skin, thus for having their stats lost to legend. And according to Frank Deford only after about fifty years of the Negro leagues existence are the skills and talent of these Negro League players beginning honored by modern day baseball (Deford). References Deford, Frank. â€Å"Negro League Baseball.† Smithsonian 41.7 (2013): 73-76. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Richards, Lloyd. â€Å"Fences.† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Sweig. 10th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012, 945-946. Print

The effect of movie

This work will look at the effect of movies in the socceity. According to Wikipedia a † Movies encompasses individual motion pictures ,the field of movie as an art form ,and the motion picture industry. films are produed by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects. Film is considered to be an important art form ,a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating -or indoctrinating -citizens â€Å".Movies affect the life of a society in a positive and negative way. Over the years ovies have been used by most people as an entertainment tool. Most family considered watching movies at home not only as a time of bonding but to save resources, whereas others go to theater s for fun and relaxation. Also movies in some homes plays an important role in the brighten the mood of family members when they are depressed or sad. Also movies have been used as a tool for educating the society ,for examp le in the US there are TV shows like NC'S, Law and Order etc. that teaches the society on crime,how they are committed. Movies like Olympus has Fallen brings out the evils of terrorism,how a nation should strengthen it security gainst terrorism. This is educative in the sense that it teaches society on national security. Some movies also educate the society on social Justice. Example Divorce court have been a very good tool for women who have been maltreated by men and also how some people suffer injustice from other people. Movies affect people's beliefs, values and ideals.For example, the passion of the Christ is movies that strengthen people faith and belief in Christ Jesus. Although some Jews around the world found the film offensive. Movies bring out delicate things that are happening in the life of people in a very artistic way. Evils like child trafficking, child marriage, women being abuse by male is being brought out by the movie industry. Most time government offices and c orporation do not want the society to be educated about their wrong doing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.The implication for such education by the movie industry will help enlighten the public which influence their perception and decision making to determine the political party they will like to elect to government. Some movies have some theme and morale that they convey to the public. They bring awareness to the public about what is going on in the world. There are people who are uneducated- hey can't read or write but with the aide of movie even the layman knows whats going on in the world. Another impact to society is that it brings to life some historical event that is slowly fading away . t brings out the beauty of culture of different civilization of the past. Despite the positive effect of movie industry, there are negative aspects of the movie industry. As mentioned above, movies brings out the evils of terrorism, how a nation should strengthen it security in society. Though it is educative to the society, yet, people tend to imitate most of what is acted on screen his leads to violence in the society. Most love and marriage relationships have been destroyed as a result of the â€Å"big screen†.Couples and lovers sometimes forget the fact that what is acted on screen is mostly fantasy; such is not applicable when it comes to real life. There is a issue of horror movies people lose their grip or reality whilst watching this movies and develop mental issues and in some case act out what they see in the movies. A lot ot cult and Fraternity seen in the society are as a result of the horror and fraternity that are being shown on screen. Movies even hough they are a powerful source of education and information they can also act as a form of indoctrinating citizen.Individual actions are based on what they learn and what they know and as humans learning takes place by seeing and imitation. Following this trend of thought, it safe to infer that as people watch movies the y tend to act according by means of learning and practicing. Ponographic movies can some times be useful for some home ,especially home that needs sexual arousement in love making. However ,this has caused most tinagers to invove in sexual relationship at an early age ,that leads to early unwanted pregranany.

Immune Response and Hypersensitivity

Axia College Material Appendix C Immune Response and Hypersensitivity Puncture Wound Multimedia Activity After completing the Puncture Wound Multimedia Activity, complete the table below. List the four events of the inflammatory response covered in the activity in the order of occurrence. Rewrite the events in your own words, using vocabulary terms from Ch. 2 of the text. Vascular Events in an Inflammatory Response |Events |Simplified description of event |Professional description of event | |1st |Germs from the nail are introduced below the skin. The skin is broken in some way, in this case by a nail | | | |puncturing the skin. When this occurs, it allows the entry | | | |of pathogens (germs such as bacteria) into the wound. | |2nd |Surrounding cells leak fluid that affects the blood |An immediate local innate response in the infected tissues | | |vessels. is generated by components of the immune system which are | | | |present in those tissues.Those components of the immune | | | | system include macrophages (a type of white blood cell) and | | | |complement proteins (proteins that are involved in the | | | |initial immune response). |3rd |The fluid affecting the surrounding blood vessels causes |Other immune cells (such as neutrophils), leave the | | |the release of other cells into the tissue. |circulation, attracted by the inflammatory mediators | | | |released by the mast cells and enter the wounded area. | |4th |As the wounded part of the body reacts to the germs, |The neutrophil cells attack the pathogens that have entered | | |certain cells destroy these germs. |the wound and begin to kill them.In the meantime, another | | | |specialized immune cell, known as the dendrite cell, carried| | | |parts of the dead pathogen back to the nearby lymphatic | | | |system. | Hypersensitivity Give a brief description and example in your own words for each of the four types of hypersensitivity presented in Ch. 2. Hypersensitivity Matrix Type of Hypersensitivity |Desc ription |Example | |Type I: Allergic/Anaphylactic |Anaphylaxis  is an acute|Anaphylaxis is often triggered by substances that are injected or ingested and | | |multi-system severe |thereby gain access into the blood stream. An explosive reaction involving the skin,| | |type I hypersensitivity|lungs, nose, throat, and gastrointestinal tract can then result. | | |reaction. | |Type II: Cytotoxic/Cytolytic |Cytotoxic are caused by|The reaction of the antibody attachment leads to the activation of complement | | |antibodies, which |proteins (again, encountered earlier). The complement proteins destroy the person's | | |attach to a person's |own blood cells.Type II reactions often occur in incompatible blood transfusions. | | |own blood cells or | | | |tissue cells. | |Type III: Immune Complex |An  immune complex  is |After an  antigen-antibody reaction, the immune complexes can be subject to any of a | | |formed from the |number of responses, including  complement  deposition ,  opsonization,  phagocytosis, or| | |integral binding of an |processing by  proteases. | | |antibody to a soluble | | | |antigen. | |Type IV: Cell-mediated/Delayed|Type IV (cell-mediated)|Cell-mediated immunity is directed primarily at microbes that survive | | |reactions appear 12-72 |in  phagocytes  and  microbes  that infect non-phagocytic cells. | | |hours after exposure to| | | |an allergen. | |

Computer Center Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Computer Center - Case Study Example Figure 2 shows the configuration of Input 1. The other two inputs are configured similarly with only difference of arrival times. Figure 2: Settings of Inputs The job readers have normal distribution, all the three having the mean of 3 seconds and standard deviation of one second. The configuration screen is shown in figure 3. Figure 3: configuration of job readers. The Print Spooler (CPU) is configured with exponential distribution with mean of two seconds as shown in figure 4. Figure 4: Print Spooler configuration The Line printers are again configured with normal distribution having mean of 7 seconds and standard deviations 2.1 seconds as shown in figure 5. Figure 5: Line Printer Configuration Finally, the configuration of the simulation is presented in figure 6. All the statistics have been selected except costing. Figure 6: Simulation configurations Output of Simulation There is one precaution in the simulation. The maximum arrivals in all the three cases were set at 5000. Hence, by design the arrivals in input 2 would stop coming at 5000 whereas the other two will continue till their individual arrivals reach 5000 each (first Input 3 and then Input 1). If the simulations are allowed to continue even if arrival of entities in Input has reached 5000, the system will be left with only two active inputs (and later on only one active input when arrival of entities in Input 3 reaches 5000 as well). This could have resulted in wrong calculations of the system. Hence, the author stopped the simulation as soon as Input 2 reached 5000 entities. Following are the results of the simulation: (A) Number of entities entered the system: Figure 7: No. of entities entered... The inputs are configured as exponential with arrivals every 70 seconds for Input 1, every 15 seconds for Input 2 and every 35 seconds for Input 3. Figure 2 shows the configuration of Input 1. The other two inputs are configured similarly with only difference of arrival times. There is one precaution in the simulation. The maximum arrivals in all the three cases were set at 5000. Hence, by design the arrivals in input 2 would stop coming at 5000 whereas the other two will continue till their individual arrivals reach 5000 each (first Input 3 and then Input 1). If the simulations are allowed to continue even if arrival of entities in Input has reached 5000, the system will be left with only two active inputs (and later on only one active input when arrival of entities in Input 3 reaches 5000 as well). This could have resulted in wrong calculations of the system. Hence, the author stopped the simulation as soon as Input 2 reached 5000 entities. There was no waiting time per entity because no queues were formed anywhere in the system: This appears obvious because the arrival intervals of entities are much higher than overall throughput of the system. (C) Average throughput time per entity: The average throughput time per entity (value addition time + transfer time) is presented in figure 9.

Should minors under 18 years old be allowed to get an Abortion without Essay

Should minors under 18 years old be allowed to get an Abortion without parental consent - Essay Example The issue of abortion is extremely important not only for health and well being of the teenager but also for the family (Santelli et al., 2009). Hence, minors, under 18 years of age should not be allowed to get an abortion without parental consent. The teen age is that phase of adolescence where growing teenagers want to act like adults without being aware of the wider ramifications of those acts. Increasing involvement of teenagers in sexual activities without proper safeguard not only jeopardizes their life but acts like abortion may have long term hazardous consequences. The unwanted pregnancies amongst the minor become a major issue of shame and public outcast. The covert bid to abort the unwanted child therefore becomes key element which the minor tries to attempt without the consent of parents. Parental consent in abortion amongst the teenagers would provide the emotional support as well as ensure that child overcomes the traumatic experience with more understanding of serious repercussions of unsafe sex. It is also important to note that abortion is a legal medical procedure which is used to terminate unwanted pregnancies under safe environment (Lee & Cheryl, 2009).

Spitalfields Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spitalfields - Coursework Example The place lured many immigrants from various regions; these immigrants have contributed tremendously towards the richness of life in Spitalfields. The French Protestant (Huguenots) refugees brought with them the skills of silk weaving in 1685. In 19730’s Irish weavers came in to participate in the silk trade. The 18th century or the Victorian era saw a steady decline in the trade and commerce in Spitalfields, with the merchants’ haven degenerating into slums. It became known more a center for criminal establishments rather than a well to do industrial town. Famous tales of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel murders still fascinate people across the world. More recently as in the late 20th century, saw a steady influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who worked in the local textile industries. They are better known for their culinary skills and hence, most of them today own restaurants in and around Brick Lane. Spitalfields is a unique combination of the modern and the ancient. It still has the quaint ancient flavor while it has welcomed the modern architecture. It developed extensively after the Great London Fire in 1682. The City of London acquired direct control of the markets in 1920, and extended the original market buildings after eight years. For the last 74 years, the Old Spitalfields Market has re-established itself as a thriving market As it happens with modernization, Spitalfields too saw the intrusion of high finance into its old market place. That reminds us of the fact that London has always been very patient and encouraged diverse cultures and East End has been a milestone for its rich and diverse culture. Since its inception, Spitalfields has witnessed many changes in terms of people, history, and culture. Now, the onus is on the people there to preserve and enhance Spitalfield’s historic heritage and architectural beauty. It is only then that one can appreciate the past, enjoy it in the present and carry the rich culture over to the

Write an essay about the movie stand and deliver

Write an about the movie stand and deliver - Essay Example Escalante knew of the Garfield High School as one of the most East Los Angele’s notorious barrios from the onset. He knew it was a place whereby poor, hardened street kid were never supposed to master mathematics, algebra, trigonometry and calculus based on their cultural legacies. However, the prior knowledge shaped Escalante mode of teaching. Accordingly, he believed that a teacher should at no point, let his students give up. He therefore, decided to love the subject and children he taught to make the kids see that they have an opportunity to become whatever they wish to be in the future. Therefore, Escalante inspired, cajoled and taunted young kids who were troubled to see themselves as they could be and never as they were. Subsequently, for Escalante to accomplish this, embraced a teaching strategy based on the ganas that meant drive or desire in Spanish terms. Therefore, ganas became his battle cry, as he always chided apathetic administrators’ as well jaded teach ers alongside being a powerful word for motivating his students. We see how other teachers thought Escalante (played by Edward James Olmos) was joking when he ultimately declared his interest in teaching calculus. The knowledge of the kids cultural legacies made him adopt such a teaching strategy in which his children ate, slept and lived mathematics. He made it a rule that the children were to arrive an hour before school and stayed two, three hours after school. He drilled his students on Saturdays as well as made summer school mandatory. This was hated by some parents who were harboring cultural legacies who even went further to let Escalante know the dissents. He became successful and by 1991, 600 Garfield students were taking Advanced Placement exams. This was not only in mathematics but also in other subjects, something unheard of at the time. Escalante had a