Expanding Internationally Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expanding Internationally - Assignment Example Through a related diversification strategy, a company may be able to leverage competence in one market in order to achieve competence and competitiveness in the other markets. Thus, evaluating the list of the company’s products for relatedness among the products yields positive results. The company may employ related diversification using two products; luggage and color televisions. This implies that the other products (writing instruments and miscellaneous plastic and paper tags) fail to qualify as part of related diversification. As outlined in the definition, related diversification calls for a company’s engagement in different products with regard to the existence of a certain level of connection in operations pertaining to the products selected (Griffin and Pustay, 2010; Neelankavil, 2007). Thus, both luggage and color televisions represent a luxury nature of business operations. This implies that both products are geared towards meeting the client needs of comfort and luxury. On the other hand, writing instruments and miscellaneous plastic and paper tags do not contribute significantly to the creation of a luxury and comfort oriented product. This, in turn, disqualifies the employment of both products in a luxury oriented line of business. Therefore, in order to employ a related diversification business strategy, the company has to focus on the production and distribution of both color televisions and luggage solutions to local and international market audiences. In a bid to expand internationally, China and South Africa offer a potential opportunity for the company’s business expansion. This is owed to numerous reasons. For instance, both China and South Africa represent a significant share of the company’s revenues (Kyambalesa, 2004). In addition, both China and South Africa represent one of the most rapidly developing economies in the world and are on course to being significant players in the consumption of certain products in the future. This is owed to the rapid development processes being undertaken in these regions which create numerous job opportunities while increasing cash flow circulation. Thus, the regions represent a rich hub for luxury-oriented businesses such as the businesses undertaken by the company. Therefore, China offers a strategic entry point into the world of technology and color TV production. On the other hand, South Africa provides the company with the most convenient entry point into the African continent. Being a highly developed country, South Africa has the necessary and conducive infrastructure for effective international business relations. Moreover, the existence of a favorable Chinese-African partnership underlines the convenience of this decision as a strategic and international expansion measure for the company. However, the expansion process of the company will rely on a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) process as the most convenient mode of entry into other markets. As a result, the desired FDI strategy for expansion would be acquisition. This is because an acquisition strategy would provide the company with immediate and direct entry into the desired foreign markets (Griffin and Pustay, 2010; Neelankavil, 2007). Moreover, through an acquisition program, the company would be able to oversee operations of the independent subsidiary companies

Poverty In The United States Essay Example for Free

Poverty In The United States Essay Abstract This paper discusses the articles, percentages and researches conducted on online (internet) about the United States (U.S) and the issues with poverty in America. The typical ‘poor American lives in an air conditioning home with cable, televisions, and computers and among other luxurious purchases. While some of the poor face severe hardship, like finding nutriment and housing. This paper also explores the history, healthcare, and low income of the U.S., and allowing the opportunity for discussing how and who could make a change in the future of American’s. Poverty in the United States and the Research of Where We Are Today A record number of Americans are living in poverty, about 46 million. That’s more than at any time since the Census Bureau begun tracking poverty data Marisol, Bello (2011).Why is this such a problem? Would you say it’s because of political factors and history, or lack of healthcare, low incomes, and better yet the choices we make and what we spend as Americans? The â€Å"official poverty level† first seeped into government parlance in 1961 when the Social Security Administration needed an objective measure of poverty for statistical purposes David, Hilfiker (2010) writes in his article. Cuts in Federal assistance for housing programs and social services have corresponded, with the rise in homelessness in the U.S. , during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Federal housing programs and services nearly eliminated homelessness: however, during the 1980’s till now housing   programs were slashed by half and the homelessness population in the U.S. began to grow and is still growing. In 2013 fifteen percent of our population lives in poverty Marisol, Bello (2011). They say that the share of children living in high poverty neighborhoods and those with poverty rates of thirty percent or more has increased by one in ten, putting children at a higher risk than teen pregnancy or dropping out of school. (Associated Press 2013), also exclaims by 2030 based on the current trend of loss of income close to eight five percent of all working age adults in the U.S. will experience attacks of financial anxiety. The (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2013) says research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being. Is this what are young inspires have to look forward to? A life that is set up to fail before our children has a chance to succeed. We need to act fast and change these numbers, before it’s too late! The combination of the low jobs, extraordinary cost of living and outrageous unemployment rates only intensify these problems and force numerous Americans to choose between food, housing, and other expenses. Studies show that money devoted to food is typically the first to be sacrificed, and families will often pay their fixed payments first, such as rent, utilities, and a car payment, rather than pay for food(Associated Press 2013). Even lack of reasonable medical care is a far reach for the poverty. The cost of health care and insurance has escalated dramatically over the past years and can cost families up to eight thousand dollars a year for families or individuals that lack health insurance. If an accident, rapid illness, or chronic disease arise this can be financially overwhelming. Welfare procedure needs to address the root of poverty not simply the system (Robert Rector, Rachel Sheffield 2011). Between families with kids the failure of marriages and loss of the work ethic are the primary long term reasons of poverty. Maybe if we could get some durable well established programs to instill are community on how not to plummet into poverty or get out, we could dramatically alter are future as Americans. For most the term â€Å"poverty† suggest near deprivation, which means an inability to provide nutritious nourishment, clothing, and sensible housing for one’s household. So how are people managing in a world of increasing economical insecurity? How poor is poor? Did you know based on a survey done by the Census Bureau written by Rector et al.’s (2011) â€Å"Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning, in 1970’s only Thirty six percent of the entire U.S. population got to enjoy air conditioning. Ninety percent of the poor households have a microwave. Nearly three fourths have a car or truck and thirty one percent have two or vehicles. Two thirds have cable or satellite television. One halve of the poor population have a personal computer and one out of seven have two or more computers. More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, like the Xbox or PlayStation, and forty percent can afford internet access. One third has a widescreen plasma or LCD television†. It seems to me that the luxuries or significant purchases for the middle class a few decades ago have become a common place in poor households. With this said the letter by Dr. Roger Starner Jones was recognized by his frustration, as a tax payer by the stereo typical sentences he wrote. However; this Doctor as frustrated as he seemed, had little to know knowledge of the patients background or struggle of being unable to shake a life of poverty and help from the government. Nearly by the belongings she has. Why does the Doctor judge the Patient? Did he give her the medical attention that an American Citizen should receive? Or did he get so angry about the material things, she could of received as gifts or before her hard times, I believe he forgot the reason he became a Doctor. With one impossible choice after another between food, medicine, getting to work, and paying the heating bill. â€Å"Poverty is no longer an issue of ‘them’, but an issue of ‘us’,† says Mark Rank, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis Hi et al. (2010). We need to come together and discovery better resources to help our American people survive in hard times, and overcome our needs. We could possibly lower poverty by tackling its root causes, like low incomes and lack of reasonable housing, and by refining support services, like improving paying jobs, healthcare and housing. You never can predict the future, but you could be the next individual or family in crisis needing a helping hand. References Hilfiker, D., Tippett, K. (2010). A history of poverty in America. Onbeing.Org Bello, M. (2011). The poverty affects 46 million Americans. USA today 30.com Weekley,C., Associated Press.(2013). Four in five in the United States face near poverty, no work. Fox news.com/poverty Lawrence, S., National Center for Children in Poverty. (2013). Policies on welfare, marriage, and child well-being research. www nccp org. Rank, M The Associated Press. (2013). Poverty in America. www wjla com. Rector, R., Sheffield, R. (2011). Understanding poverty in the United States: surprising facts about America’s poor.

designer toys :: essays research papers

There's a movement under foot. It's a blend of art and toys and it's struck a chord with toy collectors and art lovers alike. It's Urban Vinyl and this is a brief history for those who'd like to learn a little more about this art movement in the making. First, to understand Urban Vinyl, one must throw aside their conventional ideas of what makes a great toy. Sure, design of the piece plays a big part in the making of both. But the big difference is that Urban Vinyl is original from the start. This is true art, not a replication of another form. For example, more than likely, you base how much you like your Gonzo action figure on how much it looks like the actual Gonzo. In order to appreciate Urban Vinyl you enjoy it for what it is. There are no preconceived notions because what the piece is; is all it is, man. Also, things like articulation aren't as important because the Vinyl isn't always made to be played with. Yes, I know you play with your Skeletor. We all do. [Ed note: Shake it more than twice and you're playing with it.] But Urban Vinyl is created with art sensibilities in mind, so sculpt and design are the most important ingredients. Now I'm not saying that people like the Four Horsemen aren't amazing craftsmen. They are. Bu t what they are doing is giving us their take on an already designed character. This is original to a point, but Urban Vinyl is original all the way to its core. So how did the plastic move from the pegs to the pedestals? It all starts in Hong Kong with a man named Michael Lau. It was the late nineties and Lau was showing paintings in galleries and working in advertising. He was employed by a music group named Anidoze to create the cover art for an upcoming album. Instead of a 2-D design he created an original action figure and photographed it. He had been making original figures for a while for friends and family, and decided to create one for the cover, showing a broader audience his style. It received a very warm response and led to the first official Urban Vinyl line, The Gardeners. These were 12 inch vinyl figures that represented a modern positive lifestyle. No violence or drugs, but tattooed, pierced, and wearing clothes that the urbanites were wearing at the time.

Broadcasting in the UK Essay -- Television TV Antenna Digital Essays P

Broadcasting in the UK Introduction: Broadcasting, the transmission of information by radio or television, is a major factor affecting the television industry today. Broadcasting is currently achieved through analogue, a system that has existed since television began in the 1940’s and 50’s. "Analogue converts sound and pictures into waves, which are then transmitted through the air and picked up by our rooftops or indoor aerials." But, because of rapid technological advances in the modern era, analogue will soon be obsolete, and is presently in the process of being replaced by digital broadcasting, the new form of broadcasting that "turns pictures and sound into computer language, which changes one’s television into a form of computer, so that it can connect to the Internet, take interactive programs, and carry many more channels," all of which cannot be accomplished through analogue. As modern technology grows, the television industry is introduced to major issues, such as low consumer confidence, analogue switch-off difficulties, and the lack of technical skills. And unless these problems are resolved soon, they will lead to the collapse of the television industry. Lack of skills: Concerns associated with employee technical skills is becoming very common in the digital TV industry. The industry fears that its employees may lack the advanced technical knowledge required for the future. Its major concern right now is to find the right people with the right skills to effectively implement future strategies. Digital TV companies must become much more competent, innovative and creative, which means that its employees must be willing to develop themselves and their company in order to sustain the industry. As many are aware, IT skills will be very essential to the well-being of the industry. Because a number of shoppers today are already purchasing products online – and Internet access via digital TV exists, advanced IT skills are definitely required for the future health of the digital TV industry. However, since the demand for specialist IT skills is increasing and the human resources are limited, there exists a shortfall – one that appears to worsen . It has been reported by e-commerce consultancy, Spectrum Strategy, that over 850,000 e-business jobs could be created in Britain by 2003. But unfortunately, due to skills shortages, the digital TV indu... ...emove public confusion. However, ONDigital and SkyDigital have also pursued a common plan. Both companies have negotiated a plan with the UK Parliament to aid their shared issue. But unfortunately for both, Parliament has not yet conducted any of its promised public info campaigns. Conclusion: In conclusion, the future of digital television is unpredictable. Who knows where our high-tech society will end up next? Because technological advances are happening "right before our eyes," the TV industry is forced to "keep up with" modern technology. If this cannot be accomplished effectively, the industry will experience its gradual downfall. The UK government must help the industry "stay on track" and ensure that its products are agreeable to public interest. But in order to do so, Parliament must take a serious stand on the issue and motivate itself to promote public awareness of the benefits of converting to digital TV. If Parliament fails to play an "active" role, results for the television industry will be extremely negative. Not only will this give the industry a "bad" reputation, but it will also cause the Parliament itself to have a long-term negativereputation as well.

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay

Introduction Mystic Monk coffee company is a cloistered monastic environment where monks from the Carmelite monastery of Clark, Wyoming spend their daily manual labour hours roasting coffee (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420). The monks are a religious sect of the Catholic church and are fully dedicated to their religious and spiritual side, which requires most of their daily hours, be spent praying or contemplating in silence; this leaves little time to spend on coffee roasting productions, especially due to the small population of monks that are able to live at the Carmelite monastery. There were many restrictions that the Carmelite monks faced with their coffee productions such as having restricted roasting capacity, inadequate land and partial workers. Father Daniel Mary, the prior of the Carmelite order, had a vision of expanding the small monastery of 13 monks, by creating a new Mount Carmel in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. There is a nearby location called the Irma Lake Ranch that would include a large house, caretaker house, guesthouse, a gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, a hunting cabin and a dairy and horse barn; this would allow the monks to expand their opportunities, as well as expand their Carmelite monk residents (Thompson, 2012, pg. 421). This vision is everything that Father Daniel Mary ever dreamed, the only thing prohibiting the change, is that the Irma Lake Ranch will cost the monks $8.9 Million. The Mystic Monk coffee company only earns money based on their coffee sales (11% of revenues) and donations from private donators; the Carmelite monastery received a $250,000 donation which they can use at their discretion (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420,423). The following report will take a look at the options that are available to the Carmelite monks and what would be the most strategic plan that should be enforced in order for the monastery to be successful. External and Internal Analysis S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths * Fair trade/ Organic Arabica beans * Variety of coffee flavors * Accessories (t-shirts, cups, CD’s) * Online shopping is available * Tea has been added to selection * Free labour/ No wages paid * Affordable/ reasonable retail price * Membership â€Å"coffee club† * Favors catholic market (large)| Weaknesses * Limited roasting capability (540 lbs/day) * Limited production due to worship * Cant expand due to limited land * Coffee is not a necessity (trend?) * Caffeine is highly addictive (health) * Purchase beans instead of growing * No business expertise/ experience * No absolute competitive advantage * Poor earnings (11% of revenues)| Opportunities * Expand availability into grocery stores * Collaborations (Keureg, Tassimo) * Other purposes (weight loss, bio fuel) * Increase advertisements * Expand into international market * Start a franchise * Open coffee shops (Starbucks, Tim’s)| Threats * Poor coffee growing season * Natural disaster/ weather * Eco nomic Conditions (recession) * Established competition (Folgers, nabob) * Others’ personal religious beliefs * Dependant on donations/ revenues| (Mystic Monk, n.d., pg. 1) Alternatives The Mystic Monk coffee company has to look at their options before they are able to make a decision regarding the continuation of their business. The two options that are available to the Carmelite monks at this point in time are: 1) stay at the current location of Clark, Wyoming, and continue operations as they are and use some donation money to purchase another roaster to help increase production or 2) see if the owners of Irma Lake Ranch would â€Å"gift† them a portion of the ranch without monetary repayment, as a donation, and they would pay the owners as a lease to own the remaining balance of the land, until a breakeven point has been reached. Discussion of Alternatives The first option is to stay at their current location to continue operations as they are. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) retaining their donations and revenues to improve their current monastery, 2) there is little to no risk involved. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is little opportunity to expand the Mystic Monk Company, 2) they cannot easily increase their Carmelite population. The second option is to move to a nearby area, which would involve purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) the Mystic Monk Coffee can increase production easily, 2) there is a large opportunity to expand, 3) the new Carmelite monastery would allow its population to double. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is a tremendously high level of risk involved, 2) the owners may not gift the monks any land. Recommendation After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, a decision has been concluded that the most practical and strategic option would be to receive a portion of the Irma Lake Ranch, as a â€Å"gift† without monetary repayment, then pay the land owners on a lease to own schedule with the increased earnings projected from the new Mount Carmel location. This is the most logical selection if they want to expand and improve their Mystic monk coffee brand, as well as their community; the Carmelites will have no opportunity to grow or expand if they choose to stay where they are and continue on as they have been, as well as soon they will not be able to keep the supply at an adequate level to cover the demand for their products. The Carmelite monastery would have more financial opportunities available with this purchase, such as milk production from the dairy cows, horse rides on the trails through the forest, increased population to help roast and package the coffee. Also, the monks would have sufficient land to be capable of growing and producing their coffee beans without the need of suppliers, which in turn will decrease the cost of goods sold and drastically increase the Mystic Monk’s net profit margin from the current 11% of the sales revenue. The risk on this investment is exceptionally high, but if it is successful, the reward and pay off could be far greater than projected. Action Plan A realistic action plan must now be devised, to ensure that the previous decision is executed correctly, otherwise the Carmelite monks and the Mystic Monk coffee company will not be successful. The monastery is incapable of affording the Irma Lake Ranch with the funds that they currently have, including the $250,000 donation. The Mystic Monk coffee company should confront the current owners of the Irma Lake Ranch and see if they would be willing to â€Å"gift† them a portion of the property without monetary repayment, which could be considered a donation; the remaining balance owing on the land could be contracted as a lease or rent to own situation, where a breakeven point would be reached in a reasonable time frame. Also, because the property has been â€Å"gifted† to the Carmelite monks, they would be eligible to receive a tax break, which would significantly affect their financial status. The new property would be able to offer the monastery an opportunity to expand their brand by introducing tourism, sustainability and other financial opportunities. If the Mystic Monk coffee company decided that they would be capable or growing their own beans on the new land, they would be able to drastically cut costs on the cost of goods sold and eliminate suppliers, which in turn will increase their marginal earnings from the sales revenue. All of these new opportunities are realistic and show that the increased earnings would rapidly and effortlessly be able to pay off the remaining balance owing to the original Irma Lake Ranch owners. Conclusion In conclusion, the Mystic Monk coffee company has been successful with its entrance into the coffee market, however demands are increasing and new opportunities are being presented to the Carmelite monastery. If they wish to grow and expand their business and community, they are going to need to take the risk which is to relocate to a more practical location, ideally the Irma Lake Ranch. Irma Lake Ranch offers many new prospects to the Carmelite monks, which they would not be exposed to if they stay at their current location. This property can allow them to be independent from suppliers and venture into new venture projects such as introducing horse trail rides and milk from the dairy cows. Although the monks are a non-for-profit group, the sales revenue will mostly be paid to the original property owners until the principal amount is depleted, the rest of the money from earnings and donations will be put towards building, growing and maintaining the new Mount Carmel Monastery. References Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. (n.d.). Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/storefront.php Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., & III, A. S. (2012). Case 1. Crafting and Executing Strategy (18th Edition ed., pp. 420-424). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word

Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word Much like ancient Greek architecture, some forms of writing would fall apart without columns. Newspapers, websites, journals, magazines and newsletters, for example, all present text in neat columns to increase readability and ensure professional presentation. Column formatting in action. If you are writing something along these lines in Microsoft Word, then, you’ll need to know how the column formatting options work. Read on to find out. Column Formatting in Microsoft Word Quick options for basic column formatting. To use the pre-set column options in Microsoft Word, all you need to do is: Select the text that you want to format using the cursor Go to Layout Page Setup Columns on the ribbon Pick the number and style of columns required If you do not select any text first, the column formatting will be applied to the entire document. Custom Column Formatting You can also create custom columns for more control over how text is presented. To do this: Go to Layout Page Setup Columns and click More Columns†¦ In the new window, select: The number per page Whether to use a line between columns The width of each column Which parts of the document to format (selecting This point forward will apply a section break at the cursor position) Additional column options. When you are done, click OK to apply the selected options. This will format all selected text (or the entire document) according to your preferences. Adding a Column Break You can also add a â€Å"column break.† This is useful if you want to end one column part way down and start a new one at the top of the page. To do this, place the cursor where you want a column to end and go to Layout Page Setup Breaks Column. This will add a column break in the place selected. Adding a column break. When to Use Columns Finally, a brief word on when to use this formatting style. It would be unusual in most documents printed at portrait A4 size, such as college essays or business reports. Typically, you would only do so if a style guide requested that you format part or all of a document in this way. However, for anything that will be printed or displayed in a wider format (e.g., on landscape A4 or larger paper), column formatting can make text easier to read by reducing the line length.

Can You Earn a Living as an Administrative Freelancer

Can You Earn a Living as an Administrative Freelancer Many people have discovered that working as a freelancer on the Internet or in an office provides more flexibility in employment and allows workers to pick and choose the jobs they want to do. Administrative freelancers find that they can also apply their office skills to earn a living similar to an in-house employee. Since most individuals working as administrators have talents in multiple areas, they can choose whether to concentrate on one area, such as bookkeeping, or work in several different areas.How to Start Out as an Administrative FreelancerYou can find work as an administrative freelancer by using your skills. Think about the skills you possess and make a list. Include what you enjoy doing the most and what you are best at doing. Do you enjoy customer service, support projects related to sales or management, accounting, scheduling or other facets of administrative work? Doing job searches in each area widens your potential work base and gives you the opportunity to pick an d choose the jobs you like the best.Finding WorkThe first thing a freelance worker needs to know is where to find jobs. The Internet offers multiple job sites to search for freelance work, advertised by different companies. There are also sites that offer multiple listings from different companies that you can search. TheJobNetwork searches multiple sites for you and sends you the listings as alerts so you dont have to do the job hunting yourself.Write a New ResumeA freelance administrative assistant can target jobs related to his or her skills and experience. However, the jobs you apply for may want someone capable of doing specific types of administrative work. Using a professional template to write your resume can give you a boost by using different formats, layouts and content to apply for particular types of jobs. For instance, if you are applying for a position as a worker who sets up meetings and keeps the daily office schedule, you can write up a resume geared toward that po sition. A job opening for office accounting work can require a different approach.What Information to Include in Your ResumeThe type of information and style you use in a resume depends on your preference. An individual who has been searching for a job for a period of time or who has employment gaps in the work history may not want to include dates in a resume. In addition, a worker with little experience might prefer to leave the dates of employment off. A functional resume of this type can highlight your skills and experience without exposing gaps in the work history.Making a Living as an Administrative FreelancerWhen deciding to take a job, keep in mind that as a freelancer you will be paying your own self-employment taxes and other expenses that might have been taken care of by your boss in a regular job. One way to decide how much you should charge for your services is to look in your area at the salaries offered for that type of job. Include a profit margin, money to pay taxes and health care and other expenses that you will be paying yourself. However, you need to keep in mind that if you are working from home and can set aside space for an office, you may have tax deductions from your self-employment that will lower your net income.Searching for jobs using TheJobNetwork platform makes it convenient to do. Put in your credentials and the type of job you are looking for and TheJobNetwork does the work. It searches multiple sites using your criteria and emails alerts to let you know a job has been located. TheJobNetwork ranks the job so you can tell how closely it meets your expectation.

Germanys Surrender in WWI essays

Germanys Surrender in WWI essays Germany both at home and working in the army were spiralling down hill fast, even though the government was hiding the worst of the war under its belt. The German people had suffered immensely throughout the war because of the British blockade. Food riots had broken out in some major towns and cities and thousands of workers had gone on strike for the high cost of living. During the harsh and terrible conditions of the trenches of the Western Front something else swept through the trenches other than the normal bugs. It was called the Spanish Flu it hit the Western Front in 1918 and was as deadly as the Plague. It often killed its victims within just hours of the first signs of infection. Of course this did not go down to well with the soldiers in the trenches as u can imagine. Killing each soldier one after another and not particularly helping the German Army. Erich Ludendorff was Germany's chief strategist during World War I. He believed that Germany needed to concentrate on both land and sea warfare to defeat Britain. He led and unrestricted submarine war on Britain, which was largely responsible for the entrance of USA into the war. With the aid of the United States, the Allies were able to defeat the Central Powers and defeat Germany. In October 1918 United States President Woodrow Wilson demanded an unconditional surrender from Germany. Ludendorff opposed and then later resigned. On November 11, 1918, at 5:00 am the Allied and German delegates signed an armistice on terms made up by the Allies, at 11:00 the same morning hostilities on the western front came to an end. The end of the war on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The Germans had surrendered. ...

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to Essay

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to reproductive success, and how this has affected human mating preferences - Essay Example The reproductive value of males is not determined by physical appearance but reproductive investment (Ellison 14). Genetics and behavior reveal that males are aggressive and competitive though certain traits strengthen the capacity of other individuals. Behavioral traits such as boldness, assertiveness and activeness make the dominant male more attractive to the females. A high status male is quite preferable as a mating partner. The male guarding trait is significant in the reproductive success because a male who protects his offspring has the potential of achieving reproductive success. The age and maturity of a dominant male affects reproduction. Younger males are viewed as fit for copulation and breeding in comparison to older males. Fertility in males is also important in reproductive success because sperm competition is linked with length. The longer the sperm tail, the faster it can swim and the higher the chances of fertilization. Human males with longer sperms are more viable and vice versa. Human male height is quite preferable because it is associated with strength and protection by the female counter parts. The male body size is significant in selecting a mate. It is a fact that women prefer men with broad chests and muscles as compared to thin short men (Cartwright 87). Females choose their breeding mates after considering certain factors. An example is good genes because they look for males with certain phenotypes with the hope that these characteristics will pass on to their offspring. Hormone regulation and age is a major determinant of reproductive success in females. Estrogen is an important hormone in human females during breeding and pre breeding. Its concentration is associated with reproduction success. Older women who have attained menopause are incapable of conceiving while younger women are highly prolific (Ellison 124). Fertility limits females’ reproductive success in humans. In addition,

Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources Essay

Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources - Essay Example The information was last published in the year 2003 and has not been updated of late. There are however other resources that can be found from a variety of books. In addition, the materials found in this article do match the content in most of the other articles. In addition, this article gives case studies that highlight issues that concern censorship in many nations. The author is a music lecturer at the University of Connecticut and has dwelt on the issues affecting censorship for several years. He describes what is already known from other sources and adds little from his personal experiences. The experience that the author has in the field enables him to handle the complexities that arise from the topic under consideration. The information was last published in the year 2006 and has not been updated of late. However, there are other sources that have the latest information regarding censorship in music but which match the content of the article. The article brings forth the newest research concerning the topic of censorship in Africa along with various case studies on the issue. The article focuses on any attempts that are being made in the continent for the purpose of censoring musicians along with the strategies that the musicians have devised for resisting these moves. Nuzum describes what is already known and is unknown in the industry and adds little from his personal experiences. The experience that the author has in the field enables him to handle the complexities that arise from the topic under consideration. The information was last published in the year 2001 and was updated in the year 2008. However, other information sources also have the latest information regarding censorship in music but which matches the content of this article. This book by Nuzum provides details of everything an individual would like to know concerning music including what the parents may not like

Perfect markets, do they exist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Perfect markets, do they exist - Essay Example Fundamentally speaking, the three salient market situations are monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition. A monopoly is a market situation characterized by a single seller, similar products and many buyers. In a monopoly, the seller commands a major influence over the price of the product. An oligopoly is a market system that has few firms, homogeneous products and multiple buyers. In an oligopolistic market, the products usually have high investment costs that make the entry of new players in the market utterly difficult if not impossible. Contrary to a monopoly or an oligopoly, perfect market is a system defined by very different set of parameters. According to Lim Chong Yah, "Perfect competition is a market situation where there is a large number of buyers and sellers, a homogeneous product, free entry of products into the industry, perfect knowledge amongst buyers and sellers of existing market conditions and free mobility of factors of production among alternative uses (1981)." The question that often attracts the attention of the students of economics is that is perfect market a pragmatic and observable reality. A thorough catechism on the given line of query necessarily calls for a basic understanding as to what a perfect market is. The essential features of a perfect market are: 1. Perfect Rationality - All the participants including the buyers and the sellers tend to be perfectly rational and economic men. 2. Large Number but Small Size of Buyers and Sellers - In a perfect market, the number of buyers and sellers is very large. However, the potential of the respective buyers and sellers is so small that none of them has a discernable influence over the demand, supply and price of the commodity being sold. 3. Homogeneous Products - A perfect market is usually associated with homogeneous products so that the buyers have no reason as to prefer the product being sold by any particular seller. 4. Perfect Knowledge - In a perfect market, all the buyers and sellers have a perfect knowledge of the price of the product prevailing in the market at a given time. Therefore, in a perfect market there exists no uncertainty as to the price of the commodity being sold. 5. Free Entry and Exit of Firms - In a perfect market, there exist no social, financial or legal restrictions hampering the entry of a new firm in the market or the exit of any old firm from the market. 6. Free from Checks - A perfect market is free from checks in the sense that the buyers and the sellers are free from all types of restrictions governing the buying and selling of a commodity in the market. Such checks may include government restrictions and agreements between the buyers and the sellers regarding the quantity, price or the production of a commodity. 7. Perfect Mobility - One basic assumption associated with a perfect market i

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in Essay

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in the UK Explain your answer using examples - Essay Example These have led to many analysts accusing them of taking advantage of their market power to evolve an unfair advantage. The Competition Commission (CC) confirmed this indicating that they indeed enjoyed higher gross profits as compared to similar firms in other countries, though their return on capital employed (ROCE) was substantially lower (Smithy, 2002). The total UK grocery stores sales in 2005 generated total sales volume of approximately  £120 billion, which was an increment of 4.2 percent from the previous year. In this category, grocery items contributed 95, which accounts for almost half of all retail sales and 13 percent in household spending. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reported that by 2005, the five largest supermarket chains had a market share of grocery items of approximately 75 percent (OFT, 2006). The OFT reports that the expansion of the large supermarket chains into the convenience store sector (those below 280 sq metres) had considerably expanded this market segment, from 54 stores in 2000 to 1306 by 2005 within the UK market. According to IGAD Research (2009), there are 92,796 grocery stores located in Britain by end of 2008. This are divided into four main segments including: convenience stores; traditional retail; hypermarkets; supermarkets and superstores; and online channel [See Figure: 1]. IGAD Research reports that by 2008, the UK grocery market had grown to  £146.3bn, a 4.8 percent rise from 2007. Clarke (2001) reports that the big five supermarket chains account for half of all food retail sales within the UK market while the two largest (Tesco and Sainsbury) command a market share of third of the market share. Due to their predominance, these supermarkets have evolved monopolistic tactics since they control the downstream market or the retail level hence are able to fix prices to generate higher profits by using their market power

Introduction to Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Terrorism - Essay Example Terrorists commit crime and spread fear because of many reasons. It can be because of their weakness to fight for justice with peace and show. Terrorists want to show power and its effects to the other concerned parties. This might be the reason for the leaders to get involved into the path of terrorism but small workers opt for it because they have no other ways to go. The simple workers do not have education, job or any other means to survive peacefully. Many of the persons also are compelled to choose the profession forcefully. According to Ahmad, terrorism is an act of anger of being lonely, helpless and neglected. It is also cause of betrayal from one’s own or supporting country. According to him, same happened when the United States betrayed Bin Laden. Ahmad recommended United States should not have double standards as he thought the United States to support the state terrors sponsored by Pakistan or Israel but is only opposed when it comes to Afghanistan as they are the victim then. Considering the features of the transnational terrorism of today, it can be well said that American Revolution was an also act of terrorism. In the eighteenth century, the Americans did many of the things that were similar to the acts of present day terrorists in order to get rid of the colonial powers. Still, one should remember the great cause behind the revolution. Just war can be referred as getting into war to win the battle without any consideration of human life and their rights. On the other hand, right to revolution is giving time to adapt the changing environment, understanding core of problem and providing solutions to bring revolutionary change in human so that they can understand the effect of violence and its result. Right to revolution bestows upon providing a chance to change. Hezbollah is a Lebanon based self - proclaimed Islamic revolutionary organization. It was formed to tackle the Israeli

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in Essay

What form of market structure best describes the supermarket chain in the UK Explain your answer using examples - Essay Example These have led to many analysts accusing them of taking advantage of their market power to evolve an unfair advantage. The Competition Commission (CC) confirmed this indicating that they indeed enjoyed higher gross profits as compared to similar firms in other countries, though their return on capital employed (ROCE) was substantially lower (Smithy, 2002). The total UK grocery stores sales in 2005 generated total sales volume of approximately  £120 billion, which was an increment of 4.2 percent from the previous year. In this category, grocery items contributed 95, which accounts for almost half of all retail sales and 13 percent in household spending. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reported that by 2005, the five largest supermarket chains had a market share of grocery items of approximately 75 percent (OFT, 2006). The OFT reports that the expansion of the large supermarket chains into the convenience store sector (those below 280 sq metres) had considerably expanded this market segment, from 54 stores in 2000 to 1306 by 2005 within the UK market. According to IGAD Research (2009), there are 92,796 grocery stores located in Britain by end of 2008. This are divided into four main segments including: convenience stores; traditional retail; hypermarkets; supermarkets and superstores; and online channel [See Figure: 1]. IGAD Research reports that by 2008, the UK grocery market had grown to  £146.3bn, a 4.8 percent rise from 2007. Clarke (2001) reports that the big five supermarket chains account for half of all food retail sales within the UK market while the two largest (Tesco and Sainsbury) command a market share of third of the market share. Due to their predominance, these supermarkets have evolved monopolistic tactics since they control the downstream market or the retail level hence are able to fix prices to generate higher profits by using their market power

Mark & Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Mark & Spencer - Essay Example The analysis has been carried out using Key performance indicators (KPI), which are essential in determining the nature of performance being shown by the company, has been outlined in the appendices. The balance scorecard and the strategy map formulated can serve as an effective guiding tool for the company, which when followed in a proper way, can be utilized to predict its effective future plan. This study contains suitable recommendations based on the key parameters used for the purpose of analysis which can serve as a benchmark for the company to evaluate its performance thereby comparing them to the performance of other peer organizations. The recommendations made can contribute significantly towards the identification of the company’s strength and weaknesses in the HR division and help it to bring about improvements in its financial and non-financial performances. In the end, critical discussion and evaluation has been done suggesting the usage of balanced scorecard anal ysis and strategy map. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Vision and Strategy 4 3. Balanced Scorecard for Marks and Spencer PLC (Human Resource Division) 5 3.1. Financial Perspective 5 3.2. Customer perspective 6 3.3. Business Operations perspective 6 3.4. ... Having a worldwide presence, M&S offers varied line of products to its customers ranging from clothing; home ware and food retail (Reuters, 2013). The report will conduct a thorough analysis of the human resource division of M&S thereby identifying its vision and strategy. In addition to that, a balance scorecard and strategy map will be formulated from the Human Resource Division perspective depicting the alignment between the strategies adopted and their significance towards the company’s goals and targets. 2. Vision and Strategy The HR team of M&S deals with ‘people’ side of the organization which adheres to find the right mix of talented people to join them and then ensuring their happiness & growth alongside the growth of the company (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Their vision is to employ a rigid and disciplined workforce where the leadership team along with the workforce will ensure that all their tasks are directed towards the achievement of the strategic obje ctives (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Their focus lies in making the workforce understand their strategy, embrace it and motivate them towards supporting strategy execution. In addition, they also want to ensure the integration of a competent workforce (especially people holding the key positions) and imparting them the necessary knowledge and skills through various training programs whereby, the workforce can be of significant contribution towards achieving sustainable success (Huselid, 2005b). The strategies of M&S’s human resource division can be best explained by the HR architecture that they follow. Employing the right mix of qualified HR personnel whose competencies can be aligned to the needs of the business (Marks and Spencer, 2013).

Modern and Contemporary Essay Example for Free

Modern and Contemporary Essay This paper deals with two things in relation to pantheism: first a few samples of the contemporary literature, which argue very little and unpersuasively, However, two major historical theorists of pantheism, Spinoza and his later follower, Schelling, serve to rescue the theory and place it on a firmer, more scientific ground. Pantheism has taken many forms throughout its history, and no one definition will suffice to take in all particular manifestations of this phenomenon. One of the main disconnects concerning pantheism as an ontology is to what extent Pantheism can be called a religion: this is the real issue. The modern, contemporary pantheists seem to have no religion whatsoever: no God, no doctrine. The contemporary readings on this question seem to â€Å"socialize† the vague â€Å"interconnections of all living things. † (Russell, 2008, 2). To merely attach a vague feeling of the â€Å"sacred† to a purely secular view of natural interconnections is not to create a religion. And hence, the problem. One might take the view that there are generally two forms of pantheism over time: the modish, trendy version that seeks to sacralize the secular phenomenon of nature, and a far more sophisticated form of pantheism made famous by Baruch Spinoza and his later pupil (of sorts) Friedrich Schelling. Both of these questions will be dealt with in this paper. First, we will deal with the contemporary readings on this subject, and then, the far more substantial questions of pantheism brought up by the Dutch philosopher. Standing in the Light is a book that says very little. It is heavy in vague emotive connectiveness, very light on definition and ontology. Ultimately, the â€Å"light† is whatever you want it to be: it can be a religious figure, a philosophical idea or merely a feeling, hence reducing it to nothingness by attempting to cover every emotive reaction (Russell, 2008, 3-4). In this view, she seeks to redefine atheism (cf page 4) as a view where the â€Å"universe† is seen as not sacred. But since the concept of the sacred is never defined, there are no atheists. Or, better, that this vulgar view of pantheism, which is reduced to a feeling of awe in the face of nature (as representing both good and evil, as she holds, 87ff), is itself atheism in that there is no God, but there is an awe in the face of nature’s grandeur. Few atheists would recoil at awe when looking at nature. In this same vein lies the work of Paul Harrison (2004). Again (35), he holds that â€Å"nature is to be revered. † It is unclear whether he thinks nature of â€Å"god,† since god is an elastic term that covers the object of one’s awe or respect. His dispensing with philosophical rigor is typified in his manipulation of Anselm’s famous ontological argument for god’s existence. In Harrison’s case, he mutilates it beyond recognition. The original argument was, to summarize, that god is that about which nothing greater can be conceived. But since this object must have existence (since to have existence is to be greater) god must exist, since that would be the greatest thing conceptualizable. Harrison does not seem to understand the nature of this controversial view. He assumes (Harrison, 36) that nature is the greatest thing that can be conceived, and hence, is god. This has no bearing on the argument ascribed to Anselm of Canterbury. He also seems to completely misunderstand Aristotle’s argument from causality. On page 38, Harrison holds that the â€Å"skeptical† answer rejects the necessity of a first cause, there is no need for one. If one can imagine a limitless future, one can imagine a limitless past. Since no one can imagine or visualize a â€Å"limitless† future, the same might be said of the past. Harrison seems to posit an actual religious element to pantheism in that it holds that matter is eternal, ever existing, always changing, and hence, it is a belief to be taken on faith, and hence, religious. A mildly interesting argument is his philosophy of history. He holds that history contains three movements: the hunter gatherer stage, agricultural and technological (Harrison, 50-53). It goes like this: at one time, man lived in full accordance with nature as hunter’s and gatherers. Then he decided to become settled. This was the great evil: settled agriculture places man as master of nature. Only in the technological phase was nature reintroduced, permitting a rational eco-centrist to rebuild our planet. Making sense of this argument is difficult: there are several fallicies: first, that the hunter gatherer lives in accordance with nature. He seems to have the hidden premise that all things primitive must be eco-friendly. Second, that agriculture means that man masters nature. This seems hard to swallow, since the agriculturalist mind, up until the 20th century, worked as a partner of nature, not its master. The explicit Baconian idea of dominating nature is precisely the beginnings of the industrial revolution. The argument is that when people no longer had any connection to nature, no longer lived off the land, they could then romanticize nature, and hence, see it â€Å"for its own sake† (Harrison, 52). In other words, when the technological revolution created urbanization and rape the landscape, the now alienated urbanite could make of nature of object of romantic devotion. It is precisely in the leaving of the land that one can then see it as an aesthetic object. Lastly, the author refuses to deal with the question of determinism (60). The pantheist determinism argument might look like this: all things are interconnected, the force, the unity of the interconnection is â€Å"divine,† human beings are part of this divine interconnection and hence, to conclude, humans are determined by these connections. It is difficult to wiggle out of this argument, an argument that is not found in Harrison’s book, but dismissed regardless. If freedom exists, it cannot be material. If it is not material, it is spirit. If it is spirit, then it must have a cause. But the concept of pantheism presented by Harrison posits no cause. Hence, human beings are merely determinations of material reality and hence determined. Harrison denies that human beings are determined, but does not explain how one can get out of the pantheist argument, unless one posit’s human beings as, to some extent spiritual beings and hence outside of the natural, universal causal chains that are so evocative of reverence. This is another serious flaw. Next, we have the short piece by Wood (2005). Wood is not so much arguing here for pantheism as for evolution, upon which all contemporary theories of pantheism seem to rest. This piece is basically an attack on fundamentalism, which is defined as that belief system that rejects evolution in that it rejects the principle of change inherent in all things. Pantheism has no belief system, only evolutionary ecology. One need not be a pantheist to accept everything that Wood says, it is a non-philosophical piece. Far more substantial is that work by Steinhart (2004) on the question of ontology. This is an interesting survey piece dealing with the nature of pantheism from the point of view of materialism, Platonism and Pythagoreanism. But just as interesting is his idea of the nature of god: God, in traditional theology must be: supernatural, complex (in the sense of maximal inclusivity), God must represent Himself to man, and God must be holy (Steinhart, 2004, 65-66). Of course most of these can be challenged. In Christianity, for example, God is not complex, he is simple. He is not merely supernatural, but exists within nature as its designer and guide (thought this is never an ontological connection). Nevertheless, the key to the argument is maximum inclusivity, which is not an attribute of God in traditional theology in the sense Steinhart means it, and it is question begging in terms of pantheism, since the argument presented her is that the nature god of the pantheists is by definition all inclusive, and hence, comes closest to the â€Å"traditional† idea of God. He seems to engage in the same logical fallacies as Harrison. Steinhart fails on several levels. First he fails to explain how the materialist whole can be â€Å"holy,† in any sense. Second, he fails to show how the disembodied forms of Plato can be associated with pantheism in the definition he provides. In fact, the relationship between the forms and matter is precisely Plato’s rejection of earlier Greek pantheism (referenced by Russell, 2008) and, more importantly, is nearly identical with the early Christian and Augustinian view of the relationship between God and creation. God is identified with nature as its guide and creator, but is not identified with nature simpliciter. This is a severe logical flaw. He has better luck with Pythagoras, though it is possible to see a similar objection arising. Nevertheless, it remains the case that this work also fails to do justice to pantheism. The greatest and most interesting approach to pantheism is the creation of Baruch de Spinoza. Here is an intelligent, logical and extremely interesting of the idea. Nearly all the works surveyed reference him, but only for a short time, as it is clear that few of the above authors have spent the large amount of time necessary to master the difficult system of the Dutch metaphysician. Spinoza is the greatest and most intelligent manifestation of the Pantheist idea, and hence, should be treated at length. Spinoza begins with the concept of Substance, which is to be identified with god. Substance is the â€Å"in itself. † That is, it is something that defines both affirmation, since affirmation requires negation (Parkinson, 1977, 451). Substance has gone beyond affirmation/negation because it is the whole, the everything. Hence,. Substance is its only name, and that incomplete. If substance in the Aristotelian sense is that which remains unchanging, that which survives change, for Spinoza, since all Aristotelian substances are part of a larger sphere of interconnections, the only real substance is Substance, or god. All things are determinations of God. There is no external reason for its existence. It is eternal causality. Of this Substance there are two Attributes, thought and extension, experienced as different but making reference to two forms of expression os substance relative to the limited sense experience of human beings. Further, these attributes are divided into a huge multiplicity of modes, which might be called all particular things, which are incomplete existences by definition. What is worth mentioning is that Spinoza holds that these attributes that subdivide into modes are not real. They are experienced, but this experience derives from the limited abilities of the human observer. But God in Himself is Substance that contains infinite attributes, only two of which are available to human beings. The attributes must be infinite because, given the nature fo Substance, there is nothing to constrain their development. A fully understood attribute of an infinite Substance is by definition infinite (Spinoza, 1927, 124-125). Science might struggle with this. First, it suggest that science is only a tiny form of knowledge in a sea of infinity. In other words, science can only deal with incomplete experiences relative to the limited observational capacities of the person. A â€Å"fact† in the truest sense of Spinoza’s pantheism is that which contains all reality, it must be Substance and only Substance. Anything less would be limited, and hence abstract, outside of its true context and contingent. Even Spinoza’s epistemology is limited in the sense that sense data is only the persistence of a pattern of perception. Hence, there is no direct human mode of perceiving God. God is full interconnectedness (the phenomenon, th international of Modes relative to both attributes, i. e. thought and extension make up the same Substance relative to humans) that has its root in the Substance itself (the noumenon, outside of experience) (Rocca, 1996, 192). Spinoza writes: Hence it follows, firstly, that there is no cause, either external to God or within Him, that can excite Him to act except the perfection of his own nature. It follows, secondly, that God alone is a free cause; for God alone exists from the necessity alone of His own nature. Therefore He alone is a free cause (Spinoza, 1927, 132) . Several things come from this: first, that human beings are determined, being themselves manifestations of the divine nature, containing in themselves the two attributes of thought or extension, the only two forms of experience permitted to man. That this determination is a good thing in that all things are pre-determined in the infinite nature of God, and hence, there is little to be done but live peacefully. But it should also be clear that there is no emotive attachment to this will-less and thought-less entity (Spinoza, 1927, 132). God is God only in that He is Substance. He is a metaphysical principle, not a cause of awe or worship. He is substance deduced logically in the following way: A cause of a thing must exist either inside or outside the object being caused. The reason for a square to exist is not to be found in the square itself. There must be a cause, then, outside it, a cause that has made it necessary to exist. Hence, Substance, which exists necessarily, is uncaused. This is because if Substance (that which survives all change) has a cause outside itself, then it is not Substance; that Substance must be it. Hence, there is a cause that is uncaused, Substance, and this is what survives all change, existing necessarily and the (logical) cause of all things (Spinoza, 1927, 124, â€Å"On the Essence of God. † also cf. Bennet, 1997) Friedrich von Schelling is another metaphysician who skirted the concept of pantheism, and is often considered one. Here we have a post-Spinozistic idea of the Spinozian concept of God, taking liberally from Spinoza and yet another interesting approach to the concept of pantheism. Schelling’s basic metaphysic is the spiritual exists as such in nature. Putting this differently, nature is the physical expression of the spiritual, but constantly limited by materiality. Even further, the pantheism derives form the idea that nature eventually creates the conditions necessary for the spirit, or conscious life. Here, the idea of spirit deriving from nature is posited from the circular concept that nature is spirit in expression in matter (Bowie, 2001). The development of the spirit in nature moves like this: 1. The absolute principle is the ground, just as in Spinoza, between the conscious and sub-conscious life, that is, sprit and matter respectively, since here, matter is merely â€Å"slumbering spirit. † 2. Nature and spirit are identical to Spinoza’s two modes, extension and thought respectively. Nature tends to objectification, while spirit tends to subjetification, but there is no ultimate distinction between the two. 3. These are held together in actual life by force: attraction/repulsion; light, gravity, while in spirit these forces take the form of knowledge, will, etc. 4. Both these forces are attributes (in Spinoza’s sense, not modes, since they are not â€Å"particular† and hence unreal, things) derive from the single Substantial source, not called Substance, but the Absolute. (Snow, 1996) 5. The movement of Substance then, is the reconciliation of opposites: thought and extension, matter and spirit, object and subject. Spirit will suffuse matter, matter will be saturated with spirit. This is the evolutionary picture of Schelling prior to Darwin (and is interesting on that account alone). In other words, Schelling differs from Spinoza in granting some limited â€Å"will† to the otherwise abstract absolute: the will for interpenetrating and the end of philosophy with a spiritualized matter. God will be present in matter in full when consciousness and matter merge, or more accurately, nature is suffused with consciousness. This paper has done two things: first it basically dispensed with the contemporary literature in pantheism is non-scientific and hence non-philosophical. Instead, this paper has briefly summarized two major pantheistic writers and metaphysician who are highly related in terms of basic ideas, Spinoza and schelling. In their view of pantheism, the absolute/substance is necessary existence. This is posited and proved because it is impossible to imagine a cause without origin, or a causal chain with ether no purpose or no beginning. Spinoza does not believe that causes exist eternally, but that Substance does: time, and hence, cause, is a human, mental construct. A serious, philosophical pantheism avoids the problems mentioned above, and posits a Substance or Absolute that is conscious experienced in forms or modes. All things are God in that all things are expressions of God. References: Russell, Sharman. Standing in the Light: My Life as a Pantheist. Basic, 2008. Harrison, Paul. Elements of Pantheism. Media Creations, 2004. Wood, Harold. â€Å"Practice of Pantheistic Mindfulness. † Pantheistic Vision 24, 2005. Steinhart, E. â€Å"Pantheism and Current Ontology. † Religious Studies 40: pp 1-18 Parkinson, HGR. â€Å"Hegel, Pantheism and Spinoza. † The Journal of the History of Ideas. 38, 1977: 449-459 Spinoza, Baruch de. Ethics and Other Writings. Joseph Ratner, Trans. Modern Library, 1927. Bennett, Jonathan. â€Å"Spinoza’s Metaphysics. † in The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza. Cambridge University Press, 1996. Pps 61-89 Della Rocca, Michael. â€Å"Spinoza’s Metaphysical Psychology. † in The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza. Cambridge University Press, 1996. Pps 192-267 Bowie, Andrew. â€Å"Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University Press, 2001. Snow, Dale. Schelling and the End of Idealism. SUNY Press, 1996.

Human Resource Management Strategies

Human Resource Management Strategies Introduction The importance of international human resource management is getting increase everyday as we have globalisation and internationalisation over the world. As a result, numbers of the multinational companies are getting increase. According to Brewster et al. (2007), the multinational companies are increasing and there is economic dominance as 80% of the industrial output for the world is produce by the worlds 1,000 largest companies. Brewster et al. (2007) also mentioned that as the number of multinational company increases, global transferring is increasing such as sending works between team members of the company based everywhere over the world. In addition, through this trend, diversity is increasing within the organisation and the multiculturalism must be carefully considered by the organisation to utilise its human resources effectively in their organisation. The one of crucial role of human resource manager is developing effective human resource management policies and practices for organisation such as recruitment, reward, training, development, flexibility, work-life balance, employee relations and communications (Brewster et al, 2007). However, these policies and practices can be varied between national cultures. Rosenzweig and Nohria (1994) argued that HR is the area of management most likely to be subject to national differences (Cited in Brewster et al, 2007). In these days, many large companies are trying to expand the company from their own country of origin to all over the world. These multinational companies are all facing same issues, which are developing policies and practices for the human resource management in their subsidiary overseas operations. In this paper, as a senior human resource manager of a multinational company in the Great Britain, will be discussed the main factors which will be considered while developing policies and practices for subsidiary in Latin America and also differences of policies and practices between the UK and the Latin America subsidiary operations. Culture Before start its operations, it is crucial that company looks for cultural differences between home and subsidiary countries. Briscoe et al. (2009) defined the culture, Culture is the characteristic way of behaving and believing that a group of people have developed over time and share. Brewster et al. (2007) argued that it is important managers to know how organisation formation and process, leadership idea, human resource practices can be affected by national cultural differences in this borderless world. These differences could make crash when the company start operations in various countries. According to Briscoe et al. (2009), these differences will become striking challenge for the company when people in the company has less knowledge or uncomfortable with these differences. In result, both operations and their human relations within the company will be failed. Briscoe et al. (2009) also added that when company uses their home country practices for activities such as recruiting in their overseas subsidiary, it will lead alienation and lack in trust and could be further more consequences. As many authors and scholars mentioned, it is important to look at the cultural differences between home country, which is the Great Britain, and overseas operations in Latin America. For the point of departure, Elvira and Davilla (2005) recommended to use the Hofstedes research as it is widely known, accepted and used to explore the cultural differences. Briscoe et al. (2009) also mentioned that Hofstede made the first major study and best known of the studies of the differences in national cultures. Hofstede discovered that the cultural differences could be divided and described by four factors: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity (Brewster et al, 2007). Power distance The power distance dimension shows the level of equality within a society. According to Elvira and Davilla (2005), that the larger the power distance, the lesser the equality in a society, and the small the power distance the higher the level of equality in a society. It can be clearly defined that the Latin American countries are highly scored in the Hofstedes power distance index ranking table (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Brewster et al., 2007). According to the Hofstedes ranking table, five of ten countries at the top of table are all Latin American countries; it is Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The rest of Latin American countries also highly placed in the ranking table. Lucas et al. (2006) argued that high power distance countries like the Latin American countries, there are strong trend of hierarchical organisations and monocratic leadership. This argument can be proved by Hofstedes mentions, that the high power distance societies are more likely to be centralised and pyramid shape and a lot of superiors existed, large income gap between professions, a large scale of unskilled labours, and a higher respect for office jobs than jobs in manufacturing sector (Hofstede, 1982 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). By contrast, the Great Britain scored low, which is rank 42 in the ranking table with Costa Rica, the one of Latin American countries. Not like the others, Costa Rica has lower power distance in their society. The Great Britain, however, scored low compare to the most of Latin American countries. Lucas et al. (2006) explained that the low power distance countries like the Great Britain mostly have horizontal structures and more democratic style of management. This kind of societies often called as equal society. Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance dimension refers to the degree which members of a society desire structures, which has clear rules for appropriate performance (Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Brewster et al. (2007) also argued that the uncertainty avoidance is about the degree, which societies feel threatened by indefinite situations and try to escape ambiguous situations. According to Hofstedes uncertainty avoidance index ranking table (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Brewster et al., 2007), Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Uruguay, Peru, and Chile has highly ranked, which was in the top ten of table. The rest of Latin American countries also have highly ranked in the table. The companies in high uncertainty avoidance countries like Latin American countries, has strong bureaucracies, task-oriented, rules, and job constancy. In result, in Latin American countries, they fight with uncertainty situations through these strong bureaucratic management styles an in addition, Hofstedes mentions can support this argument that they are less willing to make individual or risky decisions, ritualised, and dependent on power to control uncertainty (Hofstede, 1982 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). By contrast, the Great Britain clearly divided into different category from the Latin American countries, which can be seen from the table. They placed in rank 47 in the rank table, which is nearly bottom of table, it means they are totally different from the Latin Americans. Lucas et al. (2006) argued that the companies in the low uncertainty avoidance countries are encouraging more diversification in the views and have more flexible structures. In result, companies in the Great Britain are not relying on the power or others in their organisation to deal with the uncertainty situations, totally opposite from the Latin American. Individualism Individualism is the degree to which people prefer looking after themselves and performing individually rather than group working (Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Great Britain has ranked high in the Hofstedes individualism index ranking table (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Brewster et al., 2007), placed in third place following the USA and Australia. Great Britain is one of the highly individualist cultures in the world. According to Lucas et al. (2006), in highly individualist cultures like Great Britain, people in the society cares themselves and their family, and it is important for them to make achievement for themselves. By contrast, most of Latin American countries has ranked lower in the table, especially, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala has places at the bottom of table. It means that they are low in individualism, which can be said that they are highly collectivist countries. According to Elvira and Davilla (2005), companies in collectivist countries, they concern individual as well as family welfare and people have a sense of duty and loyalty for the company. Hofstede (1991) argued that there are strong relationship between high power and collectivism. Hofstede added that if people dependent on each other in the group, they usually dependent on power distance figures. However, Hofstede explained that there are exceptions, for instance, France, which has high power distance with strong individualism (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Brewster et al, 2007). Masculinity Masculinity is the opposite of femininity (Lucas et al., 2006). According to Brewster et al. (2007), masculinity measures the extent to which the dominant values are male, such as assertiveness, the acquisition of money and goods, and not caring for others. Elvira and Davilla (2005) also argued that these values are related to the social role of men overcome other values like life quality, human relations, service, caring for the weak and goals related with womens roles. According to Hofstedes masculinity ranking table (Hofstede, 1991 cited in Brewster et al., 2007), Latin American countries has a dispersed scale of highs and lows. Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia highly ranked in the table, which is in the top eleven, however, Costa Rica and Chile ranked nearly bottom of table while the others are placed in the middle of table. Great Britain also expressed moderate value in the table; ranked at the ninth, which can be said it is a bit highly masculinity culture. Policies and practices So far, discussion of the cultural differences between home and overseas operations has been made. Theories and analyses of cultures and cultural differences are clearly studied and it will lead to help on developing the companys policies and practices in Latin America. However, in advance, defining and studying of the general policies and practices in Latin America will make this development further forward. Elvira and Davilla (2005) argued, at present, human resource management policies and practices in Latin America are mostly influenced by dominant global theories or imported practices from foreign countries. In result, these imported policies and practices are often cause failure when they implementing on their original plan. Montano (1991) also argued that these policies and practices would not fit to the general Latin American workers (Montano, 1991 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005) Another trends in Latin American countries are, that there are strict manufacturing processes and management control systems that stop workers development by reducing their decision making rights. In addition, there is an informal structure that symbolically compensate is going on for the impersonality of firm bureaucracies (Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Montano argued that theories are not needed to control the Latin American workers, while informal structure exist, Latin American companies will staying at the market (Montano, 1991 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Recruiting, staffing promotion In Latin America countries, recruiting is normally based on personality characters and physical characteristics (Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Abarca et al. (1998) highlighted, in Chilean companies, it is crucial that they primarily consider the physical characteristics such as appearance, age, and gender for selecting managerial staffs. In addition, it is vital to have good relationship with rich families, colleagues, or geographical bonds because it is most effective way to be promoted in the company hierarchies rather than their talent and ability (Abarca et al., 1998 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Husted and Serrano (2002) also argued that many companies in Latin America have been run as family business for several generations (Husted and Serrano, 2002 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). In result, labour markets are small in Latin American countries and it means that people finds difficult to find jobs. As mentioned earlier in the precious section, about the Masculinity, quite many Latin American countries seem as high masculinity society and this fact is partially supported by Elvira and Davilla (2005) as they mentioned that women in Latin American countries are mainly works in manufacturing sector rather than authority positions because of few reasons and the one is companies in Latin America has negative attitude toward women in authority roles. Reward recognition It is crucial to develop motivation schemes for workers in the company to utilise their ability well. Before actually build the motivation scheme, it is important to consider the meaning of work for them. According to Elvira and Davilla (2005), in Latin America, family is central in workers lives. Generally, important aim for work is seen as to provide high life quality for the workers family. For this reason, companies in Latin America try to provide support and benefirs for workers family. According to Elvira and Davilla (2005), companies in Latin America provide health care, scholarships, support for purchasing education materials, and mortgage credit. Due to a family-oriented culture in Latin America, companies are never giving up thinking motivation schemes for workers as well as families. Elvira and Davilla (2005) also mentioned that many companies in Latin America hold many family events such as yearly family-day visits to the company, organise picnics, many different parties for the family, celebrate Mothers Day and Childrens Day, and offering some training courses as well. Training development Wilkens and Pawlowsky (1997) reported that 90 percent of the workers in an assembly plant in Mexico were unskilled or at most semi-technically skilled. This is due to lack of investment on training programmes by companies (Wilkens and Pawlowsky, 1997 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Chantell et al. (1999) and Lawrence and Lewis (1993) also argued that it is serious problem for Mexican workers that they have shortage of knowledge, education, and analytical and communication skills. Because this shortage delays the functioning of management practices, for instance, Just-In-Time production systems (Chantell et al., 1999 and Lawrence and Lewis, 1993 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005) The companies consider training the workers in modern management practices, however, they know that not all practices would match which local characteristics and some might be refused by workers or could be modified according to the Latin Americans style and experience (Chantell et al., 1999 and Sargent and Mattews, 1998 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Peterson et al. (2003) found the good example of training that US subsidiary taught Mexican employee to express their opinion at the company because they use to have fear of being sanctioned (Peterson et al., 2003 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). Relations communications The information or communications flows mostly from top to bottom, as there are hierarchy and vertical structures at the companies in Latin America. There are often communication barriers exists for managers as Latin American managers prefer and favoured centralisation preferences (Wilkens and Pawlowsky, 1997 cited in Elvira and Davilla, 2005). The companies in Latin America, they consider personal contact vey seriously as they importantly consider the harmony and good labour climate. Elvira and Davilla (2005) argued, Social interaction and friendship are important conditions for good and stable labour relations here. Thus, someone who is courtesy and diplomacy can be highly valued. Conclusion To develop the human resource management policies and practices, it is crucial that we clearly define the cultures of the home and subsidiary countries as well as cultures of the company. Defining is not just enough to be success. The company needs to find out best matches of policies and practices for both subsidiary and company itself. In other word, we need the policies and practice, which can make both subsidiary and company in home country happy about it. There are often big difference between national cultures and company cultures. It is not great idea company to push their subsidiary to adapt original company culture and also conversely, it is also not great idea company to adapt whole culture of the subsidiary country. The headquarter might seriously consider the various different types of approaches that it mentioned earlier in this paper such as ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric, or regiocentric. Based on research, company could decide which approach is the best answer for them. The best-known culture of Latin America is the paternalism management, in other word, family style of management. Each members of company are dependent on each other, cares each other and they higher valued for group loyalty. This is what we dont have in the home country in Great Britain. The company can utilise this advantage culture with what they are good at. However, company also need carefully consider about employees priorities such as family-oriented living or religiosity. It might be a too obvious suggestions, however, it is crucial to clarify what is good about Latin American culture and also same for companys culture and should be well mixed them to make synergy effect. There is no one best answer, however, at least this study found reasonably good answer based upon research and analysis. Human Resource Management Strategies Human Resource Management Strategies It is very difficult to define Human Management Resources. This term basically work with in two different approach. It is used to explain the body of management movements covered in books as a one way and other way it is a term equally and extensively used to contribute meticulous loom to the managing persons which is obviously diverse from the first aspect i.e. of personnel management. Armstrong, 2007 Aims of HRM: The main and the primary aim of the human resource management is to achieve the sucsess in organization by the pople. According to Ulrich and Lake (1990), HRM systems can be the roots of organizational potentialities that allow firm to learn and capitalize on new chances. Armstrong, 2007 Introduction How well did your manager manage your stress? The basic and the important task of the Human Resource Management is to manage the employees and get the work done properly by satisfying the employees by giving them bonus or some kind of awards if they are working good for the company and in short we can say that company should give rewards to the employees which are working hard and should give something in returns to the employees so they will be more interested in the working of the company. Basically the topic says that how manager manage your stress. That clearly means that manager is the person who is answerable to the head persons for the work and task been performed. Thus manager is the person who will manage everything and make sure that the work is been done on time and with the perfection. Thus manager manage stress by giving him/her extra complements about the work and will give a good feedback to the head persons which will give rise to the extra bonus and rewards to the particular person. Atkinson, William. Electric Light Power, Vol. 82. Zofi, Yael Sara, For the Continuing Care Professional, Vol. 58 Ross, Judith A., Harvard Management Update, Apr2009. Specific HR Strategies: The specific HR strategies set out what the organization intends to do in areas such as: Continuous improvement Providing for continuous and focused incremental innovation sustained over a period of time. Talent management How exactly the firm intends to win the war of talent. Resourcing Retaining and attracting high-quality people. Knowledge management Capturing, creating, sharing, acquiring and using instruction to improve the performance and learning. Reward There should be a perfect goal of the organization that what organization need to do in the longterm implement and develop the reward policies, processes and practices will help the further accomplishments of the business objectives and needs of stakeholders. Learning and developing The employees should be encouraged to develop and learn by providing them such an environment. Employee relations Determine the aim of the organization about the basic requirement that they want to achieve i.e. which they want to get it done and what are the needs that are to be distorted in the traditions in which the business runs its connection with employees and their trade unions. Susman. Broker Magazine, Jun/Jul2004. Miller, Jeffrey. Insurance Advocate, 3/10/2008. Lacey, Holda. Travel Trade Gazette UK Ireland, 6/10/2005. Bolton, Brian. Personnel Psychology, Spring80, Vol. 33. Let us take an example to understand it more clearly; here we will focus on the current stress management system employed by KFC and its analysis. KFC hasnt employed any particular system to monitor stresses of their employees but they are compliant to the local labor and health safety law. This permits them to discount their stress management system. As compliance with those laws make them to stop doing any unethical and unlawful activities. There are other issues which are also related to stress management this things are not part of any law but these are the management practice by the KFC authority. These are presented below: Employees are allowed to take leave in case of stress related physical disorders and this leave are on payment. In case of burglary or something unwanted on the work place which can cause stress on their employees mind they send them to leave on  payment. They solve other minor stress related issues by counseling the problem and supporting morally or physically whichever is needed or both (varies to demand of the situation). As these topics indicate that they are protected by the law mentions above which gives a substantial protection against stress. And this also allows KFC to maintain good level of satisfaction. In spite of not having a proper stress management system but complying with these laws control the stress at workplaces. How well did your manager manage your stress? The manager is a person in the job unit who takes all my stress away as when I have a stress of going college he is the person who manages my job properly and give me an alternative way. The manager is a person whom you can directly approach and who is answerable to the employees and the head authorities as well. Manager at the market place has all the authority to do but he always does the thing which will give the maximum benefit to the company and will give up maximum to the organization as if organization gets good profit than obviously that manager will get a reward out of it and will probably get a promotion as well. The manager is a person who manages the employees stress at the work place as well. There are so many kind of stress seen at the work place like too much work, sometimes have to work overtime, sometime the target is very high to achieve. Thus this are the ways to be taken into consideration by the manager at the workplace as the manager wants to decrease the stress of the employee on the workplace. The stress is reduced by the manager to get the accuracy in the work and to get the things done with perfection. The stress on the employee makes the employee to work less and because of this the work done will never be perfect because while doing the work attention is very necessary to be kept in doing things properly. The manager manage the stress and give bonus or rewards to the employees at times so that the employees are happy and do the work with which the company gets the best work done and because of that again the employees will be eligible to get the bonus out of it. Stress is the most common word in todays life as plenty of people like us great effort at get their work life balanced. This is a so called fact that stress has sometimes a contrary effect on the employees commitment to work, staff turnover, staff work and productivity, attendance levels, as well as on customer satisfaction and organizational image and reputation. Managers job is to manage the things going in the business and manage the whole staff and also supervise the whole floor to get the perfect accuracy in work. The people are sometime told to work more to get the work done but due to that also the employee feel stressed because of the hard professional life so this is to be taken into control to avoid the problems taking place in the future in the business unit. Middleton, Gemma. Accountancy Ireland, Apr2008. Donaldson-Feilder, Emma, Strategic HR Review, 2008. Noer, David. BusinessWeek Online, 7/27/2009. Urwin, Tony. Occupational Health, Aug2006. Guld, Michael. Supervision, Oct2008. Some of the present information about KFC regarding Stress Management is as follows: There are stressors which are common in nature as other organizations. These stressors mainly transfuse the stress into the employees of KFC. Among those stressors some of them very highly influence some varies from moderate to low degree influence. Other insignificant stressors are not considered for the simplicity if the model. There are also existing relations between the stressors which increase the complexity of the model. As task demand highly influence the role demand of a job and both of them are a stressor of KFC so this interdependence also plays a great role in determining the stress. Level of Stress: a) High High level of stress has been created by the task demand, temperature of the kitchen and nationality. It is seen in the survey that all the respondents give emphasis on the task demand as it puts a lot of pressure on them. Temperature is an issue when it is a rush time and kitchen are very busy at that time some of employees feel stress working in the kitchen and nationality plays a part as many of the migrant people work in KFC and in this study 2 of them are surveyed and it is found that there tolerance level to bear the stress is quite low than the British employees. b) Moderate Among Moderate level of influencer role demand space and sex of the employees are prominent. As role demand can create confusion which leads to the work place stress it is marked as moderate level of stressors for KFCs case and outcome of the survey and observation also supports this classification. Sex has been classified as moderate level of stressors as it is seen that male employees are more vulnerable to stress than the female employees. And also space is a factor which can create stress employees can feel suffocating working in a congested space. c) Low Noise and age are the two low level stressors. Age is an issue which can influence the level of stress in KFCs work place. Employees with lesser age like teen feel much stress than middle aged employees. And noise plays a very little role in altering the level of stress at existing workplace. Conclusion: From the above all discussion we can clearly conclude that there are basically four aspect of four kinds of stress that is to be controlled by the manager at the work place when the employees are stressed by work, mentally, physically, behavioral and cognitive. The stress is to be control to keep the business running smooth and perfect. Thus in short we can say that the stress factor is always to be kept in control by the manager for the smooth working of the organisation and the employees should have the bonus and rewards at times so that the employees remains stress free while working and do the maximum they can do. Thus this are all the aspect which is been controlled by the manager on the work place and keep the business running smoothly and accurately as well. Task 3 Introduction Defination of HR Scorecard: The measurement tool of measuring the performance and the offering of the human resource management practices to the financial performance of the organization is known as HR Scorecard. Bryan E. Becker Mark A. was the developer of HR Scorecard, which was presented in the books by Huselid and Dave Ulrich. The HR Scorecard basically keeps a eye on the human resource management practices as a strategic asset and provides a perfect road map of six steps which is designed to help the organizations integrate human resource systems with organizational strategy. Becker, Huselid and Ulrich, 2001. Rhodes, Jo; Walsh, Paul, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jun2008. The 7 Stages in using HR Scorecard approach: There are basically seven steps which covers the HR Scorecard approach to get the strategic results oriented in the HR Systems. Defining the Business Strategy: The HR system starts from the basic decision called the business strategy, which will figure out the business plans of the business unit according to which the business is going to run and in accordance to which the task will be taking place. Outline the Companys Value Chain: To calculate the Value chain of the company and to achieve the business goals of the company the business should be basically engaged in certain strategically required activities. To achieve the goals and everything which is been decided by the business to achieve can be very much useful with the value chain analysis. Identifying the Strategically required Organizational Outcomes: There are strategic goals that are to be achieved by any of the organization and to identify the strategic goals perfectly and go accordingly is the organizational outcomes. Every company must produce critical, strategically relevant outcomes if it is to achieve its strategy. Identifying the required workforce competencies and behaviors: There are some of the HR experts, who refer to the required, and the necessary workforce competencies and behaviors like these as HR deliverables. The behaviors and the competencies such as working proactively, courteous behavior, personal accountability, commitment and motivation produce strategically relevant organizational outcomes, and thereby drive organizational performance. Identify the Strategically relevant HR Systems Policies: If it comes to the mind of the HR manager and he/she knows that how actually what is required from the employees competencies and the behaviors are than he or she can turn to the task of identifying the HR activities and policies that will help to produce tese competencies and behaviors. Design the HR Scorecard Measurement system: After getting the outcomes from the strategic role done and after completion of the final strategically required organizational outcomes and the employee competencies and behaviors, and specific HR system policies and activities the question is how exactly we should measure them all. And thus for this reason the HR scorecard is proved to be very crucial in this kind of measurement process. Periodically Evaluate the Measurement System: There are no such assumptions which should take place like the HR Scorecards diffirent propotion and attachment will always stay the same. In fact reducing grievances is not having the assumed affect on raising morale. Desseler, 2005. Walker, Garrett, Human Resource Management, Winter2001 Hagood, Wesley O., Public Personnel Management, Winter2002 Becker, Ulrich, Dave. Harvard Business School Press Books, Jan2001 Human Resources Department Management Report, Jan2003. Benefits of HR Scorecard: Basically in the construction taking place for HR Scorecard, avoid the temptation to merely fill in the boxes. The key questions for this are like what would you like this tool to do for you? Or, in another way we can say like how would you like managers outside of HR to think about your measures? Thus we believe that the scorecard will offer the following benefits: It reinforces the refinemnt between the HR deliverables and the HR doables. The deliverables which influences the strategy implementation and the doables which does not. It enables you to create value and control costs. The work of HR is always to keep a cost under control and at the same time serving in the strategic role means that HR must also create the value. Thus the HR scorecard is usefull to human resource managers to efficient balance those two goals. It assesses HRs contribution to strategy implementation and, ultimately, to the bottom line. The performance which is measured should be provided to the Chief HR Officer with the answer of the questions. The HRs contribution in the firms performance is the cumulative effect of the scorecards HR deliverable measure should provide that answer. It lets HR professionals effectively manage their strategic responsibilities. The HR Scorecard clearly gives the full view of the performance to the HR managers and with this they can focus that how exactly their decision affect to the successful implementation of the firms strategy. It encourages flexibility and change. The basic problem of the performance measurement is that they become institutionalized and actually inhibit change. In fact one criticism of management by measurement is that people become skilled at achieving the required numbers in the old system and are reluctant to change their management approach when shifting conditions demand it. Becker, Brian E, Richard W., Harvard Business School Press Books, Jan 01, 2005. Ulrich, Dave. Human Resource Management, Fall97. Singh, Kuldeep. IIMB Management Review (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore), Jun2005. Here, we will take an example of Tesco; we will see how the Tesco is following the various strategies to sustain its employees as well as the customers. Let us see the activity plans in Tesco; Provides tools for highly structured monitoring and evaluation of training development: Specific define actually what needs to do. Measurable has a object that can be measured contrary. Achievable is possible within the trainees current role, skills and experience. Realistic is achievable within the time and resources available. Time framed has a clear deadline. Tesco also uses a method 360-degree appraisal. All stake holders have contact with the employee, assess the persons performance and give feedback. For e.g.: a store departmental manager may get feedback from their manager, other dept managers, the HR department and their team. Helps to identify areas that may require further development. Tesco does casuall approach asking the employees to write down: 3 things that they are good   3 things where they could do better. Managers and trainees hold: Formal four weekly review sessions. A weekly informal review session. Conclusion: The HR scorecard has particularly seven stages and in which all the HR scorecard is maintained from the planning stage till the final sales. The HR scorecard is very necessary to get the exact figure and to get the exact outcome of the business unit. It gives the clear picture of the business and from which the HR manager can see that how accurately the business is going and find out all the details out of that. The scorecard maintained does not carry the exact outcomes but it gives the relevant outcome with which the HR manager can know that how the business in running and what need the changes and about the perfection of the business and the performance of the different employees as well. The employees contribution is also recorded in the HR Scorecard. HR scorecard gives the details of the employees in detail about their progress and their work efficiency and also how much they are been paid. Thus in short we can say that the HR Scorecard gives the every important detail about the employees of the company and also gives up the progress and the contribution of the employees.