Beer Wars Case Study Essay

Introduction The market dynamics of the Australian beer market is given in the case study. The beer market in Australia is extensive due to high consumption by Australians. In the early 1800’s, there existed numerous independent breweries. Due to excise laws and better transport systems large breweries started acquiring smaller ones, and through widespread inorganic growth, by 1985 the industry became dominated by two corporate conglomerates, Elders IXL(CUB) and Bond Corporation. Both used aggressive marketing strategies for increasing market share. Top highlighted reasons for beer consumption were mixing with others, relaxing, allowing social drinking and enhancing appetite and the concept of beer being equal to ‘liquid food’. Women in general did not like the beer taste and contributed to only about 12% of the total sales volume, whereas 37% of the 54% adult drinking population admitted to be regular drinkers. Only 10% were ‘ocker boozers’ who contributed to 60% of the volume. Hotels/pubs and retail outlet routes formed the bulk of the sales. Standard beer was the most consumed at 70% followed by light beer at 24%. Males across all age groups equally represented beer consumption with little higher consumption in the 31-40 age group. The marketers strongly believed in the ‘beer image’ having a strong influence on beer brand preference. So the marketers started projecting the alcohol content by way of which they used to segment variants in different ways each brand being targeted at a specific segment. Several different brand imageries have been created. Lastly the several brands and variants that had been created with the hope of creating market share seemed to have fallen flat. A failed attempt in the same direction in the form of Swan Gold trying to entice consumption by women also failed. Problem: Due to increased competition, there was a flux of introducing new products continuously, which put in peril the older products of cannibalisation. The major objectives that the beer companies had were †¢Increase market share by acquiring customers †¢Maintenance of existing customers by ensuring no cannibalisation †¢product positioning and launch strategies for the newer brands and phasing out older brands Solution: Increase the beer market, instead of just market share The consumption of beer has been steadily increasing over the years (from around 5% in 1900 to 12% in 2000). But also around the same time, the consumption of Coffee and other milk based drinks had been exponentially increasing (from around negligible % in 1900 to around 20% in 2000). Therefore instead of eating into each others’ market share, the industry should try to increase consumption of Beer among the non-Beer drinkers and hence increase the whole pie. Encourage successful brands and terminate lagging brands Instead of keeping a huge number of brands which is leading to cannibalisation, the brands which are doing well must be encouraged and marketed well, on the other hand those that are not bringing in much profits should be discontinued. This would simplify marketing and would make it focused. Phase in brands tailored for women The exhibits show that women prefer non beer alcohol, in part due to the image of beer as a male bonding drink. Thus certain brands of beer that can be positioned as less bitter, and more female oriented can be launched. The marketing and advertising of these brands should be done in such a way that the women are targeted. Increase light beer Brands offering light beers and beers with less alcohol would serve two purposes. They would attract customers who do not drink, and also are better served in restaurants according to the exhibits given. Launching beer brands over considerable spans of time 2 versions of Power’s were launched in the same month (February 1991) while Forex Gold and Forex Light Bitter from Lion Nathan were launched with only a month separating them. Because of this no single brand is properly marketed and does not get the time to build itself in the minds of consumers. This also leads to cannibalisation.

A Microeconomic Analysis of Indian Retail Industry

MODERN RETAIL MICRO ECONOMICS PROJECT REPORT ABSTRACT The growing number of modern retail outlets in India on the one hand and frequent sale seasons and talks of underperformance on the other point to a mixed bag and make us wonder whether the sector is on the right growth trajectory. In this report, rather than providing with just the facts, we have tried to understand the modern retail sector from an economist’s point of view and visualize its future-whether it is in its expansion or contraction phase.Motivated by the rising per-capita incomes and increased spending on consumer goods, modern retail stores are coming up with new strategies and plans to unlock the Pandora box of the untapped and unorganized retail sector. In the course of the report, we try to find out – how the retail sector works, major regulations that affect its functioning and the challenges that await the sector and summarize with our analysis and recommendations. Note: We have used where weâ€⠄¢ve analyzed the situation from a micro-economic point of view. INTRODUCTIONThe retail sector in India can broadly be classified as organized and unorganized where the share of unorganized sector is more than 93% of the total and includes the kirana stores, mom and pop stores and the ilk. The organized or modern retail sector on the other hand captures a mere 7% of the total market share. Modern retail is defined as a form of retailing whereby consumers can buy goods from a similar purchase environment across more than one physical location and operates under three levels: Specialist stores catering to some particular category of product such as footwear, pharma & beauty, food and grocery etc. classified under level I. Departmental stores that cater to a few categories of retail put under level II, and malls where we find an agglomeration of many departmental stores, hypermarkets etc – classified under level III retail. The figure 1 below shows the various players at differe nt levels of retail. Retail stores can also be classified under ‘lifestyle’, ‘value’ and ‘luxury’ formats based upon the consumer income segment they target.Figure : Players operating at different levels Figure: Organized Retail Although, the sector boasts of covering almost all the verticals, a look at the markets under different verticals shows that Organized Retail Penetration is extremely low – 2. 4 percent – for the food and grocery, which in contrast makes up for the biggest part of the total retail market. The apparels, foot wear and home decor are the major contributors under organized retail and have been prospering at a rapid pace.The figures below depict the market share and Organized Retail Penetration in different verticals. Figure: Market Share of Different Verticals in Organized Retail Source: CRISIL Figure: Organized retail penetration (%) in different verticals Source: CRISIL Retail almost accounts for around 15% of India’s GDP and thus plays an important role in determining the Indian economic indicators. Organized retail became the apple of everyone’s eye when Vishal Mega Mart profited from its operations in different parts of India.Soon, other players started with their own retail chains such as V-Mart, Big Bazaar, Subhiksha, Pantaloons et al and the market turned into a very competitive market, probably lowering the economic profits of the retailers, and consequently the situation now is that Vishal, Subhiksha and others stand nowhere compared to the biggies such as Reliance, Big Bazaar and others. The major reasons for this are the marketing mix of these brands and benefits from economies of scale. However, because a number of factors go into determining business profitability, it would not be correct to give all credit to the above mentioned factors.Let’s now look at the major player in organized retail in India. MAJOR PLAYERS The organized retail sector of India h as many domestic corporate houses competing with their ventures such as Tata’s Chroma, Reliance Trends, Reliance Fresh, Futures Pantaloons, RPG & so on. Other than these, fascinated by the Indian demographics and potential market, international players have entered through joint ventures with national players and are planning to compete for the share through such strategies.Major players along with their brands are shown below. * Landmark (books and music) * Croma(multi-brand electronics) * World of Titan (watches) * Tanishq (jewellery) * Titan Eye+ (eye wear) * Westside (lifestyle retail store) * Star Bazaar (hypermarket chain) * Fashion Yatra(family fashion store) * Central (shopping mall) * Big Bazaar (hypermarket) * Pantaloons (fashion outlet) * Blue Sky (sunglasses) * Brand Factory (multi-brand readymade garments) * KB's Fair Price (essential products) * Navaras(jewellery) Planet Store (multi-brand sports and lifestyle speciality retail) * aLL(fashion garments) * Ethnici ty (Indian ethnic wear) * Home Town (home needs), * eZone(electronics), * Furniture Bazaar (home furniture), * Electronics Bazaar(under Big Bazaar, electronics stores) * Home Bazaar (satellite version of Home Town) * Collection I (lifestyle furniture) * Gen M ; One Mobile (mobile phones) * M-Port (electronics) * Shoe Factory (footwear) * Depot (books and music) * Reliance Fresh (neighbourhood store) * Reliance Mart (supermarket) * Reliance Super (mini-mart) Reliance Digital (consumer durables and information technology) * Reliance Trends (apparel and accessories) * Reliance Wellness (health, wellness and beauty) * iStore(Apple products) * Reliance Footprint (footwear) * Reliance Jewels (jewellery) * Reliance TimeOut(books, music and entertainment) * Reliance AutoZone (automotive products and services) * Reliance Living (home ware, furniture, modular kitchens and furnishings) * Music World (music and home video store) * Books ; Beyond (book store) * Spencers (multi-format retail stor e) K RAHEJA Shoppers Stop (clothing, accessories, fragrances, cosmetics, footwear and home furnishing store) * Crossword (book store) * Inorbit Mall (fashion, lifestyle, food and entertainment) and Hyper City (hypermarket) As we can see that all major groups in India have opened up their retail stores catering to different sections of the society providing for different needs of the customers. This has resulted in a sort of monopolistic competition in organized retail market in metro and Tier 1cities owing to the large number of variants being offered to the customers.However, in Tier 2 and 3 cities there are fewer of such modern retail stores and the market situation can be compared to oligopoly, but however because of local players and unorganized retail the effects of oligopoly generally don’t show up. The presence of competitors thus affects not only the player, but the industry and the nation as whole. Let’s discuss in brief the effects of competition. COMPETITION AND RIVALRY Competition is one of the means to achieve economic efficiency.It restrains prices and encourages companies to innovate ; provide better quality of products. In the retail sector competition is driven by many factors, including variety, products, price, quality, service, location, reputation, credit and availability of retail space etc. It can broadly be classified under: 1. Competition because of Internal Factors The large number of groups in multibrand retail such as TATA, Raheja et al and also single brand established foreign players such as Adidas, Nike etc pose a threat to speedy expansion of Indian Retail. . Competition because of External Factors The organized retail industry in India is facing immense competition from the unorganized sector. Traditionally, retailing has been established in India for centuries. It is a low cost structure, mostly owner operated, has negligible real estate and labor costs and little or no taxes to pay. The unorganized retail sector constitutes over 93% of India’s total retail sector and thus, poses a serious hurdle for organized retailers.Because of the largely unorganized nature of Indian retail, inefficiencies have crept in and large number of intermediaries exists, reducing the functional and productive efficiency of the retail industry. The government in power has thus been keen to promote FDI in retail in India. Hundred percent FDI in single brand retail invited global companies for competition in the Indian retail sector. With this the companies are working with a strategy so as to be able to cater to the needs of the consumers and grow volumes by ensuring footfalls, while being able to reduce costs, withstand downturns, and face competition.Here we also see a common practise to prevent other companies from affecting the economic status quo of a country, by imposing barriers and caps on FDI, for example what has been done in multibrand retail. As of now, FDI in multibrand retail cannot exceed the specified cap which has kept global retailers such as Walmart, Carrefour et al from entering the Indian market, although they still do exist in whole sale cash and carry segment.The market structure of the modern retail is that of monopolistic competition in metros ; tier I cities which usually have hundreds of shopping alternatives including multi-brand retail outlets, single brand outlets in the shopping malls and nation-wide chains. Whereas in the tier II ; tier III cities the market structure is oligopoly in nature as they have fewer stores and somewhere only a single super centre or shopping mall. Also if we look at prices of different products in various retail outlets, we find that there is not much difference between the prices, except during periods or seasons of sale.This shows that because of the very competitive nature of modern retail, which now also includes online retail, the players are almost operating at zero economic profit, and thus don’t have much scope to offer different prices for similar products. Moreover almost all use similar technologies and processing techniques to provide the final product and thus the prices cannot be increased significantly, for fear of loss of market share. For example, Pantaloons and Westside have almost the similar brands in offering for the customer, leaving little scope for differentiation or price discrimination.Price discrimination can however happen when we compare lifestyle or luxury and value format stores, value stores charging lesser price for the same product sold at a higher price in lifestyle stores. To gain advantage in such a competitive environment major retailers have started to distinguish themselves by providing products under ‘private labels’. In India, fresh produce purchases are made more often from cart vendors who buy their stock from wholesalers. Retailers have tried to bridge the gap with direct farm procurement  eliminating middlemen and introducing  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ private labels'.They are coming up with new ideas to grab a major share of the market which is prospering (see figure below) because of the following factors: The average income of the middle class population has been increasing at a rate of around 12%, which will result in increased expenditure Increasing proportion of working women in the country Increasing population of employed youth Increasing desire for better standards of living and trends in consumer expenditure Increase in the use of plastic money Emerging markets in Tier II and Tier III citiesFigure: Sales (in million Rs. ) plotted against the financial year Source: Company official website These factors may cause a shift in the demand curve, but more number of retailers will be willing to enter and eventually the price would not be impacted much. There would, infact a gradual shift from unorganized to the organized retail. All these and a huge untapped market potential that’s locked in the unorganized retail has mo tivated modern retailers to invest heavily in marketing and advertising, to grab customer attention and retain them.ADVERTISING Promoting the modern retail brand is very important – especially in metro and Tier I cities. The retailer must strive hard to communicate the USP of the brand and help the end-users know to which brand a particular product belongs influencing the buying behavior of the customer. Not only in India, retail industry all over the world spends large amount of funds on advertising. The figure below shows comparison of expenditure by the retail sector with others on online advertising in the United StatesFigure 5: US Online Ad Spending The growth of online video ads among the brand marketers and Social networking are primary contributors to the growing market share of the retail sector. Advertising in modern retail is broadly done under the following three categories: Traditional Advertising Traditional advertising means advertising using traditional media such as TV, newspaper, radio, circulars, hoardings etc. For eg. we frequently see advertisements from major retail players such as Big Bazaar, Chroma etc in newspapers.Digital Advertising This form uses advertising using digital media. Video advertising, Mobile advertising etc are some of its examples. Alternative Offers Under this we may have guerilla marketing where the marketer may use graffiti, fliers, deal of the day type offers, groupon etc to promote or advertise the product. Website Communication or on-site communication evaluates how well retailers currently collect the kind of information that helps them localize their own communications with consumers.For this category, we evaluate two criteria: whether the retailer offers localized information about their own stores on their eCommerce site, and whether they solicit customer information – email address and mobile number, prominently on their site. The expansion of the retail sector and the creation of meta-mediarie s has provided with increasing job opportunities. JOB CREATION With a CAGR of around 14. 5% in the last five years and the bright prospects of expansion , the the no of jobs in this sector are expected to grow at a fast pace.The existing players will have to face competition from the new players and this would also lead to opening up of new stores and thereby increasing the job opportunities in the country. Shift in consumers preference from traditional stores and shops to departmental stores and hypermarkets is definitely going to put pressure on retailers to provide for adequate staff and services, thereby increasing the number of people employed and thus creating job opportunities. The rural market is home to the 46% of the rich and prosperous people of the country. Besides, these people stay in 17% of the villages of the country.The infrastructure costs in setting up retail outlets in these places are going to be lower compared to the cities. This will encourage the emergence of regional players and would again lead to creation of jobs in many regions. However, some more prospering regions or cities which have shown good growth rates will have an edge over others, even in the same state. Whatever is the case, the supply has to be met with the demand, especially when there is no dearth of labor in India and job creation is highly likely, an event when it comes to the retail sector expansion and penetration.FDI in multi-brand retail is going to be a deciding factor in creation of jobs as well. Once permitted, this will lead to aggressive competition. The entry of new players would balance the supply chain and farmers will be benefitted. If this happens, more people will be attracted towards farming, also contract farming would lead to creation of rural jobs. Moreover, entry of foreign investors is likely to shift the production possibility frontier outwards(see figure below), because they are more likely to invest in storage, supply chain and other capital g oods.Retail sector is expected to expand by leaps and bounds in the near future and this would create a lot of jobs. The advancement of technology though can also reduce the manpower required in the long run and the jobs created over a period of time may get killed. The entry of multi brand retailers may also adversely impact the local kirana walas, because they will be able to recover there fixed cost easily and gain from economies of scale. Further, because all food and grocery require very similar capital investment, they also stand to gain from economies of scope.Figure: Expansion of Production Possibility frontier (not by reducing consumption but with introduction of new technology) RECENT TRENDS Growth of Modern Retail India moved from being 10th largest economy in 1990 to 4th largest in 2010 according to Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). The growing economy has driven the growth in per capita income of Indian consumers. Indian retail sector (organized and unorganized) has grown by 14. 5% from 2006-07 to 2011-12 and is valued at $396 billion out of which 5-6% is the share of organized retail.Organized retail has had growth more than double of total retail. With the overall rise the penetration of organized retail sector has increased and is expected to grow its share to 10% by the year 2016. Changing shopping behavior Shopping behavior has changed over time, with growing urbanization there has been rise in affluence and growing attraction towards branded goods. The parameters over which modern retail has been faring better than traditional retail are product assortment and range, quality, everything under single roof model. FDI in retail FDI in Single Brand:In 2006, FDI in single brand retail was permitted to the extent of 51% which has recently been increased to 100% in Jan, 2012. There is also a mandate of sourcing of goods from local SMEs and local dealers. FDI in multi-brand sector: International retailers are allowed 100% ownership in cash ; carry whol esale trade stores. But similar initiative in multi-brand retail stores, i. e. allowing 51% FDI has been met by widespread rejection and has been put on hold. Online Retailing Online retailing is gaining popularity in India with growing penetration of internet.It is expected that online retail will triple in size by 2014-15. It will be dominated by branded, low ticket size, easily transportable, lifestyle products and books. Flipkart and Yebhi. com have already established themselves as major players in this segment in the Indian market. Challenges posed by recent developments Indian government intended to bring 51% FDI in multi-retail sector but due to its widespread opposition, it has not been approved yet. This has put entry of world’s leading retail chain in Indian market. A lot has been said about possible loss of potential job and infrastructure development due to this.Besides that the suggested provision of sourcing from local SMEs is also proving to be a deterrent. IN DIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET The graph below shows India’s status wiz a wiz status of organized retail in other countries. It can be observed that India still has a long way to go if it wants to increase the share of organized retail in the retail market. Figure: Organized retail as a percentage of total retail in different countries Source: CRISIL In the second half of the 20th century, many countries opened up there markets for Organized Retail and some also opened for multi-brand retail.There were some countries who felt a positive impact of the same, China is one such example; while there were others such as Uk which were adversely affected. India should also proceed with implementing FDI in multi-brand retail in phases, looking for any drawbacks, before it opens up fully. REFERENCES CRISIL Research, http://crisil. com/research/list-of-industries. html# Dun and BradStreet, http://www. dnb. co. in/IndianRetailIndustry/overview. asp Indian retail News, http://www. india retailnews. com/ Tata group official website, http://www. tata. com/company/profile. aspx? ectid=oH90Rc8X7Dg= Croma retail, http://www. cromaretail. com/ FDI in Retail, http://cci. gov. in/images/media/ResearchReports/FDI%20in%20Indian%20Retail%20Sector%20Analysis%20of%20Competition%20in%20Agri-Food%20Sector. pdf Futures group Official website, http://futuresgroup. com/ BIBLIOGAPHY Economics by Samuelson and Nordhaus ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Lifestyle formats include departmental stores and specialty stores [ 2 ]. Value formats include supermarkets and hypermarkets [ 3 ]. Retailers can use price differentiation to gain from the consumer surplus [ 4 ].Private  labels or private  brands  Ã‚  are the brands that are owned and sold by  Ã‚  retailers at their stores   and are typically  priced lower  (5-15 percent)   as compared to  the existing  brands. [ 5 ]. These factors will result in a shift of demand curve to the right [ 6 ]. Source: CRISIL [ 7 ]. Organised retail penetration expected to cross 10 per cent by 2016-17 [ 8 ]. In such cities, the number of market players is very large forming a monopolistic market, brand positioning thus becomes very important to create great brand recall value. [ 9 ]. Unique Selling Proposition [ 10 ]. Opened up multi brand retail in phases.

Chozam - utilizing transportation software Essay

Chozam - utilizing transportation software - Essay Example TMWSuite is a highly configurable enterprise transportation management solution that provides an integrated suite of functions and services to help trucking companies operate efficiently and profitably. It performs following tasks: Manages end-to-end transportation processes - from order entry and dispatch through logistics management and settlement. Combines the power of a PC-based client/server system with the flexibility and familiarity of Microsoft Windows. Provides an infrastructure that links technologies, plus business processes and functions, allowing for high visibility within an organization. Reports "numbers-based" information, enabling decision makers to act on quantifiable facts and established procedures. TMWSuite's framework for logistics software was discussed in TMWSuite Brochure. It includes 3 layers: Executive Office, Asset Management and Back Office, as it is shown at Figure 1. Figure 1. Three layers of the TMWSuite's framework. (TMWSuite Brochure, 2005) TMWSuite is very efficient software solution, but it does not allow transport companies to cooperate their efforts. Nevertheless, it provides support of a full-cycle transport operations. Another product of TMW Systems, TL2000 is software that supports various types of transport operations (first group). TL2000 is a fleet management program that provides an integrated suite of functions and services to help transportation companies on AS/400 platforms to operate efficiently and profitably. It performs following tasks: Provides capability to easily track loads, control equipment and practice peak asset utilization. Integrated accounting system...With TMW trucking software, its customers (trucking companies from 50 to 5,000 trucks) are improving profitability through: Depending on business needs and the transportation software, there are a number of benefits from utilizing transportation software in business environment. Following benefits are cited at the website of Chozam Inc.: Also software exists that performs both of these tasks. I would refer to this group TMW Systems that is the world's premier developer of trucking software for dispatch and transportation solutions. (TMW Systems, Inc. 2005) TMWSuite is a highly configurable enterprise transportation management solution that provides an integrated suite of functions and services to help trucking companies operate efficiently and profitably. It performs following tasks: Another product of TMW Systems, TL2000 is software that supports various types of transport operations (first group). TL2000 is a fleet management program that provides an integrated suite of functions and services to help transportation companies on AS/400 platforms to operate efficiently and profitably. It performs following tasks: TL2000 is light and easy-to-use solution, but it also does not allow transport companies to cooperate their efforts.

Guess Whos Coming to Dinner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guess Whos Coming to Dinner - Essay Example As tha discussion highlights the primary themes in the film revolve around the relationships shared between father and son, father and daughter and husband and wife. Tracy and Hepburn are a liberal minded couple and have brought up their daughter, Katherine Houghton, to be open- minded and think for herself instead of conforming to conventional norms. However, they were not prepared for the huge shock that awaited them, when she returned from her vacation with a new fiancà ©, Poitier who was an African American doctor. The parents of the bride and groom are prejudiced and unable to accept this fact. Their interpersonal communication has barriers which they find difficult to break down or cross. For each of them, the situation holds a different meaning and though they communicate with each other, they were not actually hearing the other person’s point of view.From this paper it is clear that  director Stanley Kramer, highlights the depth of conversation and emotions that flo w between the father and son, engaged in a heated argument. There is a clear generation gap between them and this is the major barrier that comes between them and prevents them from actually listening to each other. Poitier’s father is unable to comprehend what is being said, being the stereotypical father that he is. He is unable to accept that his son has grown into a man and has his own ways of thinking and making decisions.

Anaylize video adress points in description Essay

Anaylize video adress points in description - Essay Example This was between 1995 and 1998. From Eisenman’s work, it is evident that the intention of the monument was not to act as a national figure but to portray the crime carried out by the government. It is a symbol that Germany was willing to face the terrible past; this was to the German citizens and the whole world in general. The memorial would occupy an area of 19,000 square meters and the names of all victims in it. The building was to remember the Jews; this was in reference to the contractor’s report. The museum has 2711 labyrinthine parallel-piped blocks. These blocks vary in length between 20 centimeters and 4.7 centimeters. They have orthogonal arrangement, of hilly terrain of 95 centimeters. All blocks are of 2.8*0.95 meters. In short, it is the sole of Berlin. Below are some illustrations of the museum. The former Chancellor Helmut Kohl was a key critic to the project. He was the same official who appreciated the proposal by Eisenman. His suggestion was to modify the museum and the underground formation by Dagmar von Wilcke. The names were to be collected from Yad Vashem museum in Israel. These controversial issues rose after the contractor made a provision of a substance called Degussa ant-graffiti. The substance was to cover the monument and stop the construction. One of the arguments was that the contracted company was a victim in killing the Jews. Different Germany philosophers came in made different suggestions such as, â€Å"German is facing its past, and therefore, we cannot stop the construction when issues arise.† There were other critics who were against the monument because it neglected the Sinti and the Romanian communities. Others arguments include omission of homosexuals and Jeova witnesses, political prisoners and communists, among others. We also challenge the U.s government for having a Holocaust Museum in Washington, but neglecting the Indian genocide. This should be considered as it will enhance international integrations.

Personal Ethics Development Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Ethics Development - Research Paper Example Ethics of a person is developed from a tender age. Majority of people learn about ethical behavior from home, school, and church among other institutions. In addition, a person’s ethical conduct also developed through the people that exist in the life of a person. Ethical behavior is developed at childhood. Nonetheless, ethical behavior keeps on developing as a person’s matures (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). The behavior I came to adapt is the normative ethics. This kind of ethical behavior assisted in my decision making in addition, through ethical conduct I could differentiate between right and wrong. Throughout my life, normative, ethical conduct has been my foundation and it has assisted in my growth and development. Normative ethics is more practical and assist in enhancing moral standards and norms. In addition, through normative ethics one is able to differentiate between right and wrong. Good habits and appropriate moral behavior also enhanced by normative, ethical c onduct. In addition, normative, ethical behavior also teaches a person that every moral behavior followed by consequences of the action (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Therefore, both the negatives and the positives moral conduct have their impacts in life. I am more of a practical person and this kind of ethics has been my foundation for years. My self-esteem and moral conduct throughout my life have been guided by normative, moral behavior. I have encountered people with different moral values and principles depending on where the person came from and the people involved in the person’s life. My parents and the spiritual leaders in the church are the people involved in building my ethical system. My parents were authoritative, and they advised me to lead by example. Further, they taught me not everyone is perfect in life; nonetheless, living in a manner that portrayed respectful behavior in front of people should be my priority. In addition, I was advised to behave in accordance to the wishes of Christ. In church, my spiritual leaders would advise the entire congregation, and I â€Å"to practice what we preach†. They recommend the phrase often because they believed ethical conduct could be enhanced through the phrase. Nonetheless, the behavior of the churchgoers surprised me. I did not comprehend their behavior, on Sunday, they would be polite and welcoming, but during the week, they would portray a very different behavior. My parents taught me otherwise and told me living by example should be my priority. Therefore, as I grew I ensured my words and actions were similar. My ethical conduct was significant in my life, behaving according to social norms and beliefs were my priority. Another motivator to my ethical conduct was the bible. I applied the word of God in my daily life incorporated by normative ethical system; therefore, improving my conduct around people and making a wise decision when need arises. Through the bible, I learnt a number of thi ngs that could shape my ethical conduct, in addition, my decision-making criteria also enhanced by the bible. In my development of ethical conduct, I also made mistakes that assisted in shaping me up. When I was a teenager, I made a mistake of going out with my friends without the permission of my parents. I was curious about what people did when they were out, and the only

Information based decision making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Information based decision making - Assignment Example Again, to retain the competitive position in the market, companies have to analyse the strategy used by its competitors and thus respective changes should be made in ones business strategy. With growing inter-relation in all these factors, the decision making process is getting complex day by day. In the contemporary business environment, the management is hardly left with time to conduct an in-depth analysis while making a decision. Therefore, the management prefer to use an information based decision making model. These models make the process of decision making more systematic and transparent. One may argue that such information based methods of decision making requires a lot of managerial time and effort. However, in the era of information technology one can easily extract required data from the central database and using the computer, complex calculations can be done within fraction of minutes. On the contrary, management can also determine beforehand all the possible negative c onsequences if the decision taken proves at any point of time. In the below give section, information based decision making concept as well as some of the commonly used models will be discussed in-depth. Nature of data and information The success of an information based decision making process highly depends on the quality as well as on the authenticity of the data used. Therefore, while developing the decision based information model, attention should be devoted towards nature of data and information to be used. Generally, while deciding about the nature, one should understand the core reason for which the data will be used. It means the nature of data should be finalised after considering the final use of the result derived from it. For example, if a company is developing an information based decision making process for its new project, then it will prefer to collected financial information to check the cost incurred in the production process. Again, quantitative as well as qualit ative data regarding the operational activities will be collected and used to analyse progress of the project. There are certain other factors that need to be ascertained while finalising the nature of data. The team that developers the decision making model should be conscious about authenticity and reliability of the data. A small little alteration in the data can disturb whole of the decision making process. For example, if the data regarding number of units sold in a particular region gets distorted (either willingly or unwillingly), it will effect whole of the marketing decision making model. Considering the wrong data about the sales figure, the marketing manager will provide a misguiding sales forecast for the next month. On the basis of this wrong forecast, the production department will set its schedule and it will pass this information to the purchase department to supply the required material. As a result the schedule of the purchase department will also get disturbed. In general, whole of the monthly schedule of the organisation will get disturbed and

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO Essay

NURSING & OTHER RELEVANT THEORIES- USING INFORMATION GATHERING TO IMPROVE NURSING PRACTICE - Essay Example In efforts to explain how practitioners can use modern technology to improve their practices as they ensure that they deliver high quality services, theorists such as Everest Rogers and Ludwig von Bertalanffy have derived the diffusion of innovation and systems theories respective. In focusing on these two theories, this essay seeks to relate each of them to healthcare delivery and nursing practices especially in the United States. The Relationship between System Theory, Healthcare Delivery and Nursing Practice As earlier mentioned, Ludwig von Bertalanffy is the founder of the systems theory. In his definition, Bertalanffy states that the system theory is a theory that can be applied in the healthcare science as it suggests that a system as a whole is composed of small components that are related. Therefore, by describing these components, an individual from the medical profession can be able to describe the nature of certain systems and apply the principle of the system theory to en sure delivery of reliable healthcare services and practice of good nursing practices (Collopy, 1999). In the modern times, the healthcare sector has been known to apply the system theory. This is especially in the United states among other developed nations where scientists and practitioners have realized that the theory could be very effective in ensuring that the dynamic healthcare sector is effective in the implementation of high quality healthcare services. As per the views of Willard (2005) states, these professionals in the medical industry have used the theory in order to provide new developments with emphasis on the living organisms. This is because they believe that modern approaches can be developed using new technologies thus improving the general system especially through provision of three main aspects that include better information, better communication channels, and provision of feedback. Consequently, since the theory is composed of these three aspects, this would t hen result in the provision of improved methods of healthcare delivery and better nursing practices. In focusing on how the system theory has benefitted the healthcare and medical industry in the recent past, Willard(2005) further states that in the United States, healthcare delivery and nursing practices have been faced numerous challenges. However, while some of these problems are due to the dynamic changes witnessed in the modern society, most of them are related to the process of transferring knowledge from an professional to the other. This is in the sense that professionals have had problems transferring knowledge and skills on to other people due to lack of better methods of communication, unavailability of adequate information and lack of immediate feedback channels. In agreement with the views by Willard, Collopy (1999) notes that this is a big channel in the medical industry as the process of transferring knowledge in the healthcare system is very crucial. He explains that this is because it assists in ensuring that strategies and practices are implemented effectively. However, he notes that through the system theory, this problem can be resolved. This is because this theory provides a new mechanism through which scientists and researchers transfer knowledge to each other through sharing information. This is in the s

Was Nelson Mandela's decision to support the move to armed struggle Essay

Was Nelson Mandela's decision to support the move to armed struggle justified - Essay Example Totally within and entirely dependent on South Africa is the small independent nation of Lesotho. Colonization in South Africa In the 1870s, the British operating from their main base in Cape Colony attempted to try and bring about a total political unification of the various states that they ruled in the region. The Anglo-Boer South African war that was fought between 1899-1902 allowed the entire South Africa to come completely under the rule of the British for the first time and with this, the movement by the British to try and secure the total unification of the four colonies was considerably intensified. Despite the union having a constitution that was heavily white supremacist and the region being mainly dominated by Afrikaners, the British were seen to welcome the formation of the new union (Page, 2003). After 1910, the South African government was seen to mostly be in the hands of several advocates who were advocating for a general policy of conciliation in South Africa. In 19 48 the â€Å"Purified† Nationalists party finally managed to come into power in South Africa and managed to hold on to power for over 40 years, until 1994. It was during this period that the party oversaw the creation and general implementation of the South African apartheid policy (Page, 2003). The Apartheid System in South Africa To a large extent, the South African National Party was seen to largely seen to build on a general principle of racial segregation that had been largely existent even before the establishment of the Union of South Africa. Various legislation governing urban and land in the country that had been established during 1923 and 1913 had for the most part set the necessary frame work that was needed for the successful formation of a segregationist society. In 1943 and 1946, the government formed legislation that helped it segregate Natal Indians with 1926 seen the extension of the job color bar (Riccucci, 1995). All the Individuals who came into power in South Africa in the year 1948 were all seen to believe that they had an actual formula that would aid them in ensuring the successful future of white minority rule in South Africa. Some of the measures implemented during this period in South Africa included the removal of blacks from the common voters’ roll, the continual tightening of the job color bar, the provision of an extremely inferior and separate education system for black in the country. To further advance these segregationist policies, all persons in the country were forced to live in specific racially defined â€Å"group areas† while various black African territories that were referred to as â€Å"Bantustans† were also created. These Bantustans were designed to allow black Africans to exercise their political rights strictly within the confines of these areas. The apartheid’s government Population Registration Act was seen to arbitrarily classify all South African’s based on their race, while the 1953 Reservation of separate Amenities Act was also seen to considerably tighten â€Å"petty apartheid† so as to try and eliminate any possible contact between different races (Stasiulis and Yuval-Davis, 1995). Malan’s Successor, H. F. Verwoerd believed that these Bantustan areas could be lead to some form of independence and in time, four of these Bantustan a

Google Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Google - Case Study Example rnment’s stringent laws, Google agreement for self censorship is the right alternative as it provides it with option to tap the huge market for its other products like android services. Hence, I agree with Schmidt that some information is better than no information. Schmidt is right in his assertion as Google is a business proposition with the basic objective of disseminating information. In the contemporary environment of global competition, changes within business strategy become essential and decision to self censor in China is part of its strategy for global expansion. Google’s decision therefore is right conforms to its wider objective of business goals and mission. While Google’s business strategy is fundamentally based on free access to full information, it has to forego its principle of providing full access to information as per guidelines and restrictions of Chinese government. Hence, the Chinese customers cannot access information that is deemed objectionable by the Chinese government. But in the highly competitive global business, China presents huge scope of business expansion and therefore its decision to self censor is

Absolute Essay Example for Free

Absolute Essay â€Å"There really are [or are not] ‘absolutes’ upon which a universal truth can be based that can be applied for establishing ethical behavior in business. † The world of business would be such a chaotic place sans universal truth that can be applied to establish ethical behavior. If they are no â€Å"absolutes† then everything else is relative; that state of being depends on how many factors and those factors include how one feels on a certain issue, the norms in a society that one lives in, the definition of right and wrong being subjective, and religious beliefs. In the instance where an individual will act as they feel and not per universal absolute truth, then the individual may decide not to pay for the services rendered to them or merchandise that they procured because that is how the individual feels about the situation even if the renderer of service or seller may feel that they ought to be paid for their services or goods. They feelings in this case are only true to them and not the buyer as the buyer has a different feeling about the situation. In the case where the norms of a society dictate the ethical behavior of a society, it would also mean that there is relative subjectivity to the whole notion of ethics as societies can have norms which are not at all right as seen in the case of the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda. The Hutus were a majority (85%)of the population and through political propaganda they were incited to kill the minority Tutsis (14%). 800,000 people were murdered in the name of tribal cleansing and at that point in time it was alright for a Hutu to kill a Tutsi as per what had become the norm. The entire world condemned this sordid act even though it was relatively â€Å"right† in the Hutu society. This might sound extreme but it only shows us a norm in a society does not make it a right thing to be done. The same applies for business in that what is a norm for business in one society would be considered gross corruption in another and also what might mean integrity in one society would be condemned in another as lack of business acumen as in not being able to accept business opportunities regardless of how the can be obtained. We cannot therefore base ethical behavior on societal norms and behaviors and not to say that they are not any of those norms that are acceptable and of very high standards that could very well be ethical, however the The definition of right or wrong if treated as relative subject will influence the way one perceives issues in terms of being ethical or unethical. When right and wrong is relative it means what might be right for one might just be wrong for me, there is no absolutes. A classical example is the Nigerian immigration as it purportedly used to be in past, this writer does not have first hand knowledge of the said instances. It is said that when one travelled to Nigeria, one could not get their passport stamped by the immigration officer if they did not put some money in the passport. The officer would hand one back the passport and advise them that there is a †page† missing in the passport. The â€Å"page† meant a dollar bill. For people who grew up in that tradition it was an expected thing to do and that was how it was supposed to be supposedly but for a foreigner, say an American, that would be so wrong a thing to do because in the USA, that is corrupting a public officer and that is a crime in itself that one could go to jail for. There is the issue of religious beliefs and religion and lack thereof. It is said that religious beliefs help to foster stronger ethical behavior, as religions tend to be black and white on what is wrong and what is right. Yet there are different religions and needless to say the different religions have different sets of ideals whether it be ethics or morals. To highlight that is the tragic case of Sept11, 2011 when the USA was attacked by the Muslim terrorists. These terrorists according to what they believed, they were doing the right thing and had been taught so that when they die like that they are martyrs of their religion and they will go to heaven for doing the will of their God. Beliefs in the different religions vary and notwithstanding those without any religion, it is reasonable to say that in this case it is relative as in what a person believes in. If there has to be consistency in any transaction of business, there therefore has to be absolutes upon which a universal truth can be based that can be applied for establishing ethical behavior. It should not matter how one feels, what norms are in one’s society, how one defines right or wrong, and what one’s religious beliefs are. There are absolutely ethical elements in all the above that can be applied to all business ethics to enhance the ethical behavior but there definitely should be a standard that is universal and expected to be followed by all involved in business. It is so fundamental because it is the basis on which all business is going to be transacted upon. One cannot go into business with a partner who will run one out of business or someone who will not do what they say they will do and do it right.

HRM Strategic Interventions Overview

HRM Strategic Interventions Overview Although human resource management is a phrase which has been in use for over 40years, it did not come to the fore as a distinctive approach to managing people until the mid 1980s, when it became generally known as HRM. The vocabulary for managing the employment relationship has undergone a change. Personnel Management has increasingly given way to human resource management (HRM) or, better still to strategic human resource management (SHRM). It was charted/noticed in the writings of US academics and managers (for example, Tichy et al., 1982; Fombrun et al., 1984; Beer et al., 1985; Walton and Lawrence, 1985; Foulkes, 1986). This was, however, taken up by both UK managers (for example, Armstrong, 1987; Fowler, 1987) and UK academic (for example, Hendry and Pettigrew 1986; Guest, 1987; Miller, 1987; Storey, 1987; Torrington and Hall, 1987). By the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s it became a common term. Strengthening this change was the emergence, in 1990, of two new academic journals Human Resource Management Journal and International Journal of Human Resource Management. It heralded the pushing-aside of personnel-management and the solidification of HRM. Perhaps the most important reason why HRM emerged as the dominant philosophy for managing people in the 1980s is that chief executives, prompted by economic and business trends, and the view of a number of influential writers such as those mentioned abov e and Kanter (1984), at last began to appreciate that competitive advantage is achieved through their employees i.e. the people who implement the corporate plan, and that they must do something about seeing that it happens in their own organisation. Porter (1985), another highly influential writer captured this view when he wrote: HRM is an integral part of the value chain at firm level. The impact of global competition, complexity, technological change and shifts in employee values have affected UK as well as US chief executives, and it has been said by Fowler (1987) that HRM represents the discovery of personnel management by chief executives. For years, chairmen in their annual reports have been paying lip-service to the message people are important. Now, however, competitive pressures from one-culture, high-commitment firms, and changes in employees expectations have indicated the need for action instead of words to obtain fuller use of their human resources. Having said all these I intend to discuss HRM in perspective, its various strategic interventions (SHRM) and analyse/focus more on Performance Management. I will also highlight the challenges and benefits of this strategic intervention using a particular model and how it truly improves an organisations effectiveness. Understanding HRM A common theme within the human resource management (HRM) literature in recent years has been the adoption of HRM practices designed to achieve high levels of employee performance, flexibility and commitment. Here, human resource (HR) practices are placed in a much more direct relationship with organisational policy making and performance issues than traditional approaches to personnel management (Bach and Sisson, 2000). In the 1980s, original writers in the area of human resource management (HRM), Beer et al. (1984), stressed that in the face of increasing international competition, organisations had to focus on the value of investments in human resources as a major source of competitive advantage. The transition from personnel management to HRM reflects this emerging organisation-wide commitment to human capital development. The change, however, has activated considerable discussion within the academic literature about the successful strategic positioning of, and responsibility for , HRM (Beer, 1997; Dyer and Holder, 1988; Guest 1987; 1989). The effective use of diverse/different people seems to be the primary assets of any organisation aside from its financial, technological and physical resources therefore it has to be managed effectively and strategically. What then is HRM? There are quite a few descriptions : Beer et al (1984) Human resource management involves all management decisions and actions that affect the relationship between the organisation and employees its human resources. Pettigrew and Whipp (1991) Human resource management relates to the total set of knowledge, skill and attitudes that firms need to compete. It involves concern for and action in the management of people. Bratton and Gold (2003) Human resource management is a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practises. As you can see, the emphasis is, first, on the interests of management, secondly, on adopting a strategic approach, thirdly, on obtaining added value from people by the processes of human resource development and performance management and, finally, on gaining their commitment to the objectives and values of the organisation. We can therefore identify the following as basic characteristic features of HRM: It is a top-management driven activity; The performance and delivery of HRM is a line management responsibility; It emphasizes the need for the integration of business and personnel strategies; It involves the adoption of a comprehensive and coherent approach to employment policies  and practises; Importance is attached to strong cultures and values; It places emphasis on the attitudinal and behavioural characteristics of employees; Employee relations are unitarist rather than pluralist, individual rather than collective, high trust  rather than low trust; Organizing principles are organic and decentralised with flexible roles and more emphasis on  teamwork; Rewards are differentiated according to performance, competence or skill. It is however important to note that these characteristics will be applied in many distinctive ways in different organisations. HRM as practised in America, UK, India, Nigeria or anywhere else will have features which will be affected by economic and political environment, and the industrial relation climates and practices of the country. HRM as practised in any country will depend on the culture and tradition, structure, technologies, products and markets of these countries. Drawing on Squires (2001) work, these practises suggest three basic questions: (1) what do HRM professionals do? (2) what affects what they do? and (3) how do HR professionals do what they do? Firstly, to understand what HRM professionals do we can identify 8 key HRM functions, policies, programmes and practises designed in response to organisational goals and contingencies, and managed to achieve those goals. These functions contain alternatives from which managers can choose. The functions are: (1) Planning; (2) Staffing; (3) Developing; (4) Motivation; (5) Maintaining; (6) Managing relationships; (7) Managing change and (8) Evaluating. Secondly, to identify what affects what they do, we must understand that HR activities that managers undertake vary from one workplace to another. These variations may be due to the following: (a) external effects (economic, political, legal regulations, social aspects,etc) (b) strategy and (c) organisation (size, work and structure, technology,etc). Lastly, how do HR professionals do what they do? This points to the means or skills by which they accomplish their managerial work. These could include technical, cognitive, and interpersonal skills and processes according to Squires (2000) work. Thus far, I have tried to analyse the origin of HRM and its meaning. I have also shown how it contributes to the functioning of work organisation. Now, this is the important part of my discourse the defining features of HRM the theoretical perspectives. Practice without theory, they say, is blind, Hyman (1989). Models of HRM Like I pointed out before, the extent to which HRM is applied, and how it is applied, will vary considerably according to the type of organisation and the environment in which it operates. This will be governed by the policy goals of the enterprise and may be hard or soft depending on the philosophy of top management. But we can identify five major HRM models ( The Fombrun, Tichy and Devana model: developed by the Michigan school ( Fombrun et al, 1984); The Harvard model: the analytical framework of the Harvard model offered by Beer et al. (1984); The Guest Model (David Guest , 1989,1997), The Warwick Model (Hendry and Pettigrew, 1990) and the Storey Model (Storey, 1992) that seek to demonstrate analytically the qualitative differences between traditional personnel management and HRM. These models fulfil at least 4 important intellectual functions for those studying HRM: (1) they provide an analytical framework for studying HRM ( like stakeholders, situational  factors, strategic choice levels and notions of competence and commitment) (2) they legitimate certain HRM practises/interventions (3) they provide a characterisation of HRM that establishes variables and relationships to be  researched and (4) they serve as a heuristic device something to help us discover and understand the nature  and significance of key HR practices/interventions. The Fombrun, Tichy and Devana model For my discourse here, I shall be applying the above model, (Fig 1), which emphasizes the interrelatedness and coherence of HRM activities/practises or interventions. They introduced the concept of strategic human resource management by which HRM policies are inextricably linked to the formulation and implementation of strategic corporate and/or business objectives (hence the name matching model). This HRM cycle in their model consists of four key constituent components: selection, appraisal ( performance management), rewards and development, these four human resource activities aiming to increase organisational performance. The strength of the model is that it expresses the coherence of internal HR policies and the importance of matching internal HR policies into the organizations external business strategy. What makes the model particularly attractive for many personnel practitioners is the fact that HRM assumes a more important position in the formulation of organisational policie s. This model ultimately introduced the concept of strategic human resource management (SHRM) (Fig 2). A strategic orientation provides the framework within which a coherent approach can be developed to the creation and installation of HRM policies, system and practises or interventions. SHRM is concerned with those decisions which have a major and long-term effect on the employment and development of people in the organization and on the relationships which exist between its management and staff. It will highlight how the organization intends to manage its human resources. These intentions provide the basis for plans, developments and programmes for managing change Hendry and Pettigrew (1986) amplify this with the following: use of planning; a coherent approach to the design and management of personnel systems based on an employment policy and manpower strategy, and often underpinned by a philosophy; matching HRM activities and policies to some explicit strategy; seeing the people of the organisation as a strategic resource for achieving competitive advantage. Guest (1992) argues that such a coherent approach to human resource management policies can also lead, via the generic HRM outcomes of strategic integration, commitment, flexibility/adaptability of the workforce and quality (all necessary ingredients when developing a competitive edge), to the following benefits to the organisation which has adopted SHRM: High job performance; High problem solving, change and innovation; High cost-effectiveness; and Low turnover, absence, grievances. Storey (1992) adds to this list attitude and behaviour changes amongst the workforce, resulting in highly desirable increases in competitive performance. Grant (1991) sums up a now-widely-held view that capabilities are the main source of a firms competitive advantage. SHRM aims to provide the framework within which these key characteristics can be fostered. In essence, SHRM requires a holistic approach, with not only an internal integration between HR practices/interventions(recruitment, selection, rewards mechanisms, appraisal performance management), but also an integration between those practices/interventions summarised in an HR strategy and the organisations strategy overall. Thinking holistically about HRM may lead to a greater degree of success simply because changes envisaged in one area of an organisation (e.g. structures) are more likely to work because all the knock-on effects of such a change have been considered (e.g. recruitment, selection and induction policies). Summarily, SHRM ensures that the culture, style and structure of the organisation, the quality, commitment and motivation of its employees, contribute fully to the achievement of business objectives. HR Strategic Interventions Based on the model I am discussing on I shall look briefly at the practises/interventions: recruitment/selection, rewards, human resource development but focus more on performance management. Selection: This is one of the major practices carried out by any organization in ensuring the selection of the right people to join its workforce (IRS, 1999a). The selection(recruitment) process is concerned with identifying, attracting and choosing suitable people to meet an organisations human resource requirements. While recruitment is searching for and obtaining potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality so that the organisation can select the most appropriate people to fill its job need (Dowling and Schuler, 1990); selection is concerned more with predicting which candidates will make the most appropriate contribution to the organisation now and in the future (Hackett, 1991). There has been correlational data, Terpstra and Rozell (1993) supporting the conclusion that organisations using a wide variety of selection procedures (such as interviews, cognitive ability test, bio data and the evaluation of recruiting sources, etc) had higher levels of overall performan ce, annual profit, and growth in profit. Rewards: Reward management is the process of developing and implementing strategies, policies and systems which help the organisation to achieve its objectives by obtaining and keeping the people it needs and by increasing their motivation and commitment, Armstrong and Murlis (1991). It is also central to the effective management of the employment relationship. It is not just about money but also concerned with intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation; with non-financial, as well as financial rewards. This motivates and leads directly or indirectly to the satisfaction of many needs. It can act as an incentive to improve performance and as a way to recognise success in a highly tangible way. Human Resource Development: Human resource development comprises the procedures and processes that purposely seek to provide learning activities to enhance the skills, knowledge and capabilities of people, teams and the organisation so that there is a change in action to achieve the desired outcome. It incorporates traditional views of training and development but seeks to extend attention to learning throughout an organisation as a strategy to cope with change. The idea of learning at work has become an obvious good thing, and this has led to growing interest in HRD as a profession and its theoretical development, although there are continuing debates about the meaning of HRD. There is evidence to suggest that learning has an impact on an individuals earning power and employment prospects. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance management can be defined as a strategic and integrated approach to increasing the effectiveness of organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors, and also can be seen as a continuous process involving reviews that focus on the future rather than the past . (Baron and Armstrong, 1998: 38-39). Performance management, unlike the performance appraisal or annual evaluation process, is an ongoing assessment of employees in a manner geared to match their goals to the organizational goals. It also makes strong use of goal-setting and metrics to identify progress and areas of individual strengths. It is important to point out here that employees, as well as supervisors, are often confused by the differences between performance management systems and performance appraisals. Performance appraisals, also called Performance evaluations are tools used to measure the effectiveness of an employee; most organizations conduct performance appraisals once a year during an annual evaluation process. A performance management system, however, is much more dynamic. It can use the performance evaluation tool but also incorporates other elements into the performance management cycle. The overall aim of PM is to establish a high performance culture in which individuals and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and for their own skills and contributions within a framework provided by effective leadership. History and Evolution of Performance Management and Appraisal Performance management systems, in various forms, have been employed for nearly two millennia. In the third century AD, the Chinese were not only using performance appraisal systems but were critiquing each others biases in their evaluations of their employees (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995; Evans, 2004). During the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, factory managers became aware of the importance of their employees performance on their production outputs (Grote and Grote, 1996; Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). The development of the philosophy of performance evaluation systems in America has been attributed to such researchers and philosophers as Peter Drucker and Douglas McGregor, who developed ideas of management by objectives (MBOs) and employee motivation (Evans, 2004; Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). Spreigel reported in 1962 that by the early 1960s more than 60% of American organizations had a performance appraisal system. The systems popularity stemmed from the Armys implementation of a performance management system for its officers (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). Since then, researchers have continued to develop theories of how different performance evaluation methods can contribute to the success of the organization. Elements of Performance Management Armstrong (2006) identifies the five elements of performance management as agreement (of employee, unit, and organizational goals), measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement and dialogue (contingency management). These ensure that the performance management process is positive, successful and a boost to employee improvement. Continued feedback and assessment is key to the performance management process as shown in the performance management cycle (Fig 3). There are four main elements of the planning portion of the performance management cycle: role creation and development, objective planning, assessment and development planning. The first step, role creation and development, is important because an employee must understand his or her role in the organization before the performance of that role can be fairly assessed. By first defining the employees goal, a supervisor can then align the employees objectives with the organizational goals. In performance management, employers provi de continuous appraisal through feedback and re-alignment of goals based on performance. Unlike the annual evaluation process, most performance management systems are designed to meet the changing needs of both the organization and the employee. The following are the aims of PM as expressed by a variety of organisations (source IRS, 2003): Empowering, motivating and rewarding employees to do their best. Armstrong World Industries Focusing employees task on the right things and doing them right. Aligning everyones individual goals to the goals of the organisation. Eli Lilly Co Proactively managing and resourcing performance against agreed accountabilities and objectives. ICI Paints The process and behaviours by which managers manage the performance of their people to deliver a high-achieving organisation. Standard Chartered Bank Maximising the potential of individuals and teams to benefit themselves and the organisation, focusing on achievement of their objectives. West Bromwich Building Society The organizations that have chosen to use a performance management process have often done so because the annual evaluation process has failed to meet their appraisal needs. The constant communication loop of performance management enables organizations to meet both the goals of their organization and the development and feedback needs of their employees. In contrast, the  annual evaluation process, which is retrospective in nature, provides no formal opportunity for employees to receive feedback about their performance, request development to increase their efficiency or ask for new goals during the year. Role Creation and Development In order for performance management to be effective, an employee must have a clear understanding of his or her organizational role and responsibilities. Armstrong says that the role profile defines the role in terms of the key results expected, what role holders are expected to know and be able to do and how they are expected to behave in terms of behavioural competencies and upholding the organizations core values. Defining the core competencies for each employee is one step in effective goal creation because it allows the supervisor to communicate personalized feedback. Effective and SMART Objectives Creation There are many different kinds of objectives in an organization. Armstrong identifies that effective objective-setting results in an agreement on what the role holder (employee) has to achieve and is an important part of the performance management processes of defining and managing expectations and forms the point of reference for performance reviews. He also identifies the following types of objectives: 1. ongoing role or work objectives: based on the job description 2. targets: quantifiable goals that should be met 3. tasks/projects: specified results or product 4. behavioural expectations: outlines desirable and undesirable behaviours 5. values: outlines the values of the organization 6. performance improvement: areas that need improvement 7. developmental/learning: provide specific areas to meet improvement needs Luecke (2006) notes that effective objectives are recognized as important, clearly written in specific terms, measurable and framed in time, aligned with organizational strategy, achievable but challenging and supported by appropriate rewards. Armstrong provides the SMART mnemonic, to help set effective objectives S = specific/stretching M = measurable A = achievable/achievable R = relevant T = time framed The creation of appropriate, measurable objectives is key to the performance management process; they provide a framework for assessment and, without them, the performance management system would fail. Assessment of Goal Achievement After defining roles and setting goals, the manager and the employee must determine whether the employee had been successful during the assessment period. If the goals are SMART, then assessing the employees performance will be simple: if the employee met the specific goal within the time frame designated, then the assessment would be a positive one. The most important aspect of the assessment is the performance review. There are many ways to conduct performance reviews. Some organizations conduct reviews at certain intervals throughout the  year; others create a timeline based on the goals developed. Many organizations have employees conduct a self-evaluation prior to the evaluation meeting; Aguinis (2007) identifies that self-appraisals can reduce employees defensiveness during an appraisal meeting and increase employee satisfaction with the performance management system, as well as enhance perceptions of accuracy and fairness and therefore acceptance of the system. Both employees and employers have historically disliked the performance review process. Armstrong reports that most appraisals have existed in a vacuum, with little or no relation to the workplace: employees have resented the superficial nature with which appraisals have been conducted by managers who lack the skills required, tend to be biased and are simply going through the motions. In order to have a productive, positive performance review, Aguinis identifies six recommended steps: 1. Identify what the employee has done well and poorly by citing specific positive and negative behaviours. 2. Solicit feedback from your employee about these behaviours. Listen for reactions and explanations. 3. Discuss the implications of changing, or not changing, the behaviours. Positive feedback is best, but an employee must be made aware of what will happen if any poor performance continues. 4. Explain to the employee how skills used in past achievements can help him overcome any current performance problems. 5. Agree on an action plan. Encourage the employee to invest in improving his performance 6. Set up a meeting to follow up and agree on the behaviours, actions, and attitudes to be evaluated. After creating goals and assessing progress, the employee and employer have identified areas that can be improved; the action plan for this improvement is called development planning. This development plan ensures that employees will continue to meet the needs of the organization through the identification of their weaknesses and the opportunity to address them through workshops, classes, and other educational channels. Quantitative and qualitative advantages The literature findings suggest that the introduction of SPM has a positive impact in terms of revenues, sales and net profit. Various studies (Malina and Selto, 2001; Sim and Koh, 2001; Braam and Nijssen, 2004; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) identified that organizations implementing and using SPM systems were able to achieve an increase in revenue, an increase in profit, a reduction in costs, and a higher ROA. These studies also indicate that organizations that initially used an SPM system suffered decreased results when they reverted, for whatever reason, to traditional measurement systems. Other studies (Kald and Nilsson, 2000; Sim and Koh, 2001; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) showed that organizations using an SPM system experienced a myriad of qualitative benefits, such as improvement in internal communication of the strategy, closer collaboration and better knowledge sharing and information exchange between organizational units, stre ngthened focus on what is important for the business, more focus on the achievement of results, higher quality of performance information, better strategic alignment of organizational units, higher operational efficiency, improvement of management quality, better understanding by people of the organizational strategy, higher commitment of personnel to the organization, more clarity of people of their contribution towards achievement of the strategy and organizational goals, higher innovativeness, better achievement of organizational goals, more pro-activity, more clarity for people about their roles and goals, more effective management control, higher employee satisfaction, stronger process orientation, strengthened reputation of the organization as a quality firm, and a better strategic planning process. Quantitative and qualitative disadvantages Literature findings also show that PM systems are not without disadvantages. Various studies (Kald and Nilsson, 2000; Sim and Koh, 2001; IOMA, Business Intelligence at Work, 2005; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) stated that organizations experienced disadvantages after the implementation and subsequent use of SPM but only in non-financial performance terms, no quantitative disadvantages were found in the literature. Disadvantages reported are: too many performance indicators; not enough strategic information in the system; too much internal competition; too expensive and too bureaucratic; performance indicators too subjective and therefore unreliable; performance information too aggregated; too much financial information; and too much historical information. Because of these incredibly negative effects that an improperly conducted performance management system can have on an organization, the system must be implemented thoughtfully and executed consistently. Conclusion Performance management, unlike traditional annual evaluation, provides employees with feedback throughout the year. The system allows constant re-evaluation of goals, progress and performance. This process requires more interaction between the supervisor and supervisee and encourages the professional development of the employee to meet the organizations changing needs. While this more dynamic evaluation process is time-consuming, the increased  productivity levels resulting from performance management have proven to be valuable to many organizations. Lord Kelvin once said: When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you will know something about it [otherwise] your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in thought advanced to the stage of science (cited in Fisher, 1990). So I believe that performance management (which also details performance measurement) is a very vital HRM strategic intervention.

Child Sexual Abuse Case Management

Child Sexual Abuse Case Management Rape: Child Sexual Abuse Deirdre F Smith Social Work and Criminal Justice A violent crime is a  crime  in which an offender uses or threatens force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the  violent  act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent crimes may, or may not, be committed with weapons. Depending on the jurisdiction, violent crimes may vary from homicide to harassment. (Violent Crime) Rape falls into the category as a violent crime. Rape is a type of  sexual assault  usually involving  sexual intercourse  or other forms of  sexual penetration  initiated against one or more individuals without the consent  of those individuals. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or against a person who is incapable of valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, or below the legal age of consent. The term rape is sometimes used interchangeably with the term sexual assault. (Rape) It is commonly believed that rape only happens to women and children, but this is false because it can also happen to men. Rape is not about sex, but about power. One out of every six American womenhas been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. 17.7 million American womenhave been victims of attempted or completed rape. The Average number of rapes that occur annually in the United States is 89,000. Men make up 3% of the total rapes. Children under the age of 12 make up 15%.There is still 60% of rapes never reported and 95% of college rapes are also never reported. There are 47% of rapes that have occurred while both the victim and perpetrator had both been drinking. Victims of rape are more likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, abuse alcohol and/or drugs, and contemplate suicide. (Who are the Victims?) The rape of a child is referred to as child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse is a form of  child abuse  in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in  sexual activities  (regardless of the outcome),  indecent exposure(of the genitals, female nipples, etc.) to a child with intent to gratify their own sexual desires  or to intimidate or  groom  the child, physical sexual contact with a child, or using a child to produce  child pornography. The  American Psychiatric Association  states that children cannot consent to sexual activity with adults, and condemns any such action by an adult: An adult who engages in sexual activity with a child is performing a criminal and immoral act which never can be considered normal or socially acceptable behavior. Rapes can occur in either the perpetrators or victims’ home, in a vehicle, outdoors, in a bar, or anywhere. Sometimes it can occur in the home that both the victim and perpetrator share, because most people are raped by someone they know including a spouse. Since rape or sexual assault is under reported only about 3% of rapist will ever spend a day in jail. (Rape Statistics, 2014) Under federal law, the punishment for rape can range from a fine to  life imprisonment. The severity of the punishment is based on the use of violence, the age of the victim, and whether drugs or intoxicants were used to override consent. If the perpetrator is a repeat offender the law prescribes automatically doubling the maximum sentence. A person who has committed such offenses gains the label as a sex offender. Once you are given that title you will forever carry that label. Even upon release of incarceration, one still must register as a sex offender with local law enforcement and follow specific guidelines which includes, informing law enforcement if you move and update any information. You will be placed in a public database where your status is automatically known. Children who have been sexually abused may feel guilty, ashamed, or confused so, they may not tell anyone. There are symptoms that you can look for they may tell you that a child is being sexually abused. The symptoms include withdrawal from friends or activities, may become aggressive, changes in school behavior and attendance, depressed, and attempt to runway or commit suicide. There can also be physical signs of sexual abuse such as, Sexual behavior or knowledge thats inappropriate for the childs age, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), trouble walking or sitting, or sexually abusing other children. (Child Abuse Symptoms) Children who have been abused sexually are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy. The effects of child abuse are also that they begin drug and/or alcohol use, commit violent crimes, become depressed, and have low self-esteem. Some may actually become abusers themselves. They develop psychiatric disorders that carry on into their adulthood. Some will become involve in abusive relationship and some become promiscuous. As adults they may even take jobs as prostitutes. (Rape Statistics, 2014) As a social worker, working with sexually abused children you may experience conflicts between personal values and professional values. There are certain standard you must adhere to according to the NASW when dealing with adolescence. Standards for the Practice of Social Work with Adolescents: Standard 1. Social workers shall demonstrate knowledge and understanding of adolescent development. Standard 2. Social workers shall demonstrate an understanding of and ability to assess the needs of adolescents; access social institutions, organizations, and resources within a community that provide services for adolescents and their families; and advocate for the development of needed resources. Standard 3. Social workers shall demonstrate knowledge and understanding of family dynamics. Standard 4. Social workers shall demonstrate acceptance of and contribute to the development and maintenance of culturally competent service delivery. Standard 5. Social workers shall possess or have access to specialized knowledge of the legal, regulatory, and administrative requirements and resources for youths and their families. Standard 6. Social workers shall strive to empower adolescents. Standard 7. Social workers shall advocate for an understanding of the needs of adolescents and for resources and cooperation among professionals and agencies to meet those needs. Standard 8. Social workers shall participate in multidisciplinary case consultation across agencies that provide services to adolescents and their families. Standard 9. Social workers shall maintain confidentiality in their relationship with youths and of the information obtained within that relationship. Standard 10. Social workers shall assume an active role in contributing to the improvement and quality of the work environment, agency policies and practices with clients, and their own professional development. (NASW Standards for the Practice of Social Work with Adolescents, 1993) Treatment of child sexual abuse is a complex process. Orchestration of treatment in the childs best interest is a genuine challenge. Moreover, it is often difficult to know how to proceed because there are so few outcome studies of treatment effectiveness. When working with children it may be difficult because of lack of support from the family. Establishing trust with the child may be difficult. One of the reasons sexual abuse treatment is such a challenge is that it occurs in a larger context of intervention. Therefore, coordination is of utmost importance and ideally is provided by a multidisciplinary team. Treatment issues are then handled by the team as part of overall intervention. The following issues are the most important of those the team should consider at this stage of intervention: separation of the child and/or the offender from the family, the role of the juvenile court, the role of the criminal court, the treatment plan for the family, visitation, and family reunifica tion. (Child Welfare Information Gateway) Case management decisions are often provisional; that is, they are based on what information about the family members and their functioning is available when decisions are made. Treatment is often a diagnostic process. The positive or negative responses of family members to treatment determine future case decisions. Outcomes of court proceedings can impinge upon and alter case management decisions and treatment. (Child Welfare Information Gateway) Before you can give a child a treatment plan you have to consider should the child remain a part of the family, do the courts have a role in the case, and is there a question of visitation? This is actually where the conflict of person and professional values arises. You may feel that if the child was sexually abused at home, they should never be allowed to return. Professionally, reunification with the family is the goal if at all possible. The task of the therapist is to make victims feel whole and good about themselves again. Work, mentioned above, that addresses the issue of self-blame is helpful. However, so are interventions that help children view themselves as more than merely victims of sexual abuse. Normalizing and ego-enhancing activities, such as doing well in school, participating in sports, getting involved in scouts, or helping a younger victim, can be very important in victim recovery. (Child Welfare Information Gateway) Treatment options include group therapy, individual treatment, and family therapy. Group therapy is generally regarded as the treatment of choice for sexual abuse. However, usually groups are offered concurrent with other treatment modalities, and some clients may need individual treatment before they are ready for group therapy. Individual treatmentis appropriate for victim, offender, and mother of victim (as well as for siblings of victims and survivors). As a rule, an initial function and a major one for individual treatment is alliance building. All parties have to learn to trust the therapist and come to believe that change is possible and desirable. The members of this triad may have different levels of commitment to therapy, with the victim usually the most invested and the offender the least. Family therapyis the culmination of the treatment process and is usually not undertaken until there has been a determination that reunification is in the victims best interest. (Child We lfare Information Gateway) The reason I chose to this topic is not because a family member or a friend sexually abused me, but at the age of 17 I was raped by seven guys who I did not know. I did not say anything after it occurred because I felt like it was my fault. I was somewhere I shouldn’t have been and my parents didn’t know. In a way I thought of it as punishment for being disobedient. Afterwards, I had become angry, aggressive, and rebellious. I would run away from home because I caused all types of problems there. At that time I was in college, but of course I quit going. I began cutting myself and I showed other emotions other than anger. Finally, after trips to the Detention Center my mother finally took me to St. Dominic Mental Health. My therapist tried to talk to me, but of course I refused to talk. He told my mother I had sociopathic symptoms, because I showed no emotions and would not open up. After those attempts I was still acting out. She finally took me to a place called Our House Shelter. It was a runaway shelter. There I had group therapy and individual therapy. That’s where I found my help. It was a social worker named Ms. Tara who reached me. I have a great mother because she knew something was wrong with me and tried everything she could to help me. She could’ve given up on me but she didn’t. She still doesn’t know what happened to me and chose not to tell her. She was just happy to have her daughter back to normal. I have seen a couple of the guys throughout the time, but I have heard most of them are in jail or dead. Do I regret never telling? Yes, because I could have stopped someone from experiencing what I did. Because of that situation and the fact that I’m here has made me stronger. References Child Abuse Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2014, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/child-abuse/basics/symptoms/CON-20033789 Child Welfare Information Gateway . (n.d.). Retrieved November 2014, from U.S. Department of Human Health Services: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/sexabusef.cfm NASW Standards for the Practice of Social Work with Adolescents. (1993). Retrieved November 25014, from National Association of Social Work: http://socialworkers.org/practice/standards/sw_adolescents.asp Rape. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape Rape Statistics. (2014, July 8). Retrieved November 2014, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/rape-statistics/ Violent Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_crime Who are the Victims? (n.d.). Retrieved November 2014, from RAINN: https://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims

Advantages of Employing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy :: Psychology, Anxiety

Advantages of Employing CBT Fundamentally, CBT is a collaborative project between patient and therapist. In CBT, both patient and therapist are as active as each other. Patients are helped by the therapist to attain knowledge of their problem, in terms of the real experience of the problem and also the ways by which it interacts with and affects their lives. Therapist and patient both collaborate to find the best explanation for the situation and solution to the problem (Haaga & Beck, 1992). CBT therapists are actively engaged with their patients. It is believed that they may talk with their patients more than other therapeutic approaches (Graham, 2005). Another advantage of CBT is that it is a problem-oriented approach (Westbrook, Kennerley, & Kirk, 2007). In CBT, problems are addressed in a practical way and not in ambiguous or general terms. There is a focus on an achievable outcome and goal. Therapy is designed to tackle that specific problem rather than trying to solve all the problems at once. Goals should be ‘SMART’, i.e. be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and have a Time farm (a date for completion) (Beck et al, 1979). Examples of the real life experience will clarify the situation. For example, if patient suffers from depression, the therapist would ask he/she to describe exactly how he/ she feels and how this problem has affected his/her life. It helps the patient identify the underlying reason to why certain behaviours occur or why the feelings are there. Compared to most psychological therapeutic approaches, CBT is more structured (Brewin, 1996).For example in the beginning of each session the therapist and patient would set an agenda for what they should do in the session and they would try to stick to it. Another benefit of employing CBT could be the fact that there is the relative lack of side effects which medications would cause (March et al, 2004). One of the main advantages of CBT is that this approach is time-limited and brief. It is usually between six to twenty sessions (Fairburn et al, 1987). Since CBT is time-limited, the patient is aware of this limitation and this may result in developing more motivation in the patient. On the other hand, by observing quick changes and progresses, the patient would be more encouraged and motivated and optimistic about the outcome of therapy. Because CBT is short term so it is more cost effective for both patient and therapist.

Levinas on the Border(s) :: Teaching Education

Levinas on the Border(s) ABSTRACT: This essay explores my own situation of teaching philosophy in a more or less traditional undergraduate setting but in a way that is especially relevant to the theme of this Congress, namely, the theme of "philosophy educating humanity." In my case, I teach philosophy but from a perspective that is non-traditional and which undercuts the standard questions originating from and orienting around a "philosophia perennia." Specifically, I teach philosophy of religion from the perspective of Jewish philosophy, and even more specifically, from the perspective of the French Jewish philosophy of Emmanuelle Levinas. Moreover, I teach philosophy in an educational environment that is representative of the greater global community because I teach at the University of Texas at El Paso, situated on the border that separates the United States and Latin America. Finally, my teaching situation is one that is further marginalized because of the precarious nature of my academic position, name ly, trained outside the traditional borders of philosophical faculty and working at first as a part-timer and only recently as a full-time, non-tenure track teacher of philosophy and humanities. Hence, I offer my experience of doing work of successfully teaching philosophy "on the borders" in the hope that others gathered here will be challenged to think differently about their own way of educating others. What follows is about teaching the philosophy of Levinas, on the Mexico/USA border, on the border of a traditional discipline of philosophy (the philosophy of religion), and on the border of academia--as a non-tenure-track, non-traditionally trained Lecturer in Philosophy and Humanities at the University of Texas at El Paso. The relevance of these three interrelated themes for the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy, whose theme is "Philosophy Educating Humanity," should be at least initially obvious, but a few preliminary remarks should clear up any confusions about my title. Most important of all, my scope is broader and deeper than the stated regional or academic limits. I contend that how I do what I do where I am at, and with whom I teach and learn has inter-national and inter-cultural significance which justifies inclusion of my remarks in an international Paideia forum. As a non-Jew with a degree in Religious Studies, I teach the philosophy of Levinas, a French-Jewish philosopher, in a relatively traditional Program of Philosophy to Spanish-speaking-Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and Anglo-Americans. Moreover, I do so in the predominantly Christo-centric and conservative cultural climate of the border region of El Paso, USA and Juarez, Mexico.