Warning People about the Approaching Hurricane

Good morning,to all but actually what’s so good about this morning.I have specially aired this to say a few words about Hurricane Irene, urge Americans to take it seriously.I will also brief you’ll about some do’s and don’ts that you’ll have to follow. As you’ll know there were heavy rains and harsh winds smashing in New York and New Jersey and there was a flooding yesterday on Sunday.The hurricane stirred up to 7 foot waves!Therfore I declare that the streets,subways and homes of New York and New Jersey have to get emptied.The people have to move to safe refuge areas, where I insure you’ll there will be protection.I have also spoken to all the governors who will then brief you’ll in detail.The death toll is also raising, there were 46 deaths yesterday. 25 people have died due to topples treeand other hurricane related incidents.Thus, it is my humble request to all of you to not take it lightly and be cautious. We will also keep people posted to keep a watch on the hurricane. According the weather reporters there is going to high tide which will cause flooding Tuesday, so please stay indoors and inform your friends,family members and your close one.Due to this we are also postponing three Major League Soccer games.45 flights have been canceled due to the hurricane. If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions,be alert now.Don’t wait.Don’t delay.We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst.So if you’re in the way of this hurricane, you should be preparing now.I want you’ll to exercise caution by seeing updates on the television and listening to the radio.There are some safety measures that you’ll have to take- Secure your homes with closed storm shutter or even card board would be okay. Avoid using your phones,only if in an emergency. If unable to evacuate stay indoors. Stay in a wind free room Lie down under a table or any other sturdy object. Listen to instructions given by local officials. Know your evacuation routine. Keep a supply kit. Turn off propane tanks. Last but not the least please do not panic,stay calm, patient and cool. If in need call on 911.I am sure you’ll want to be safe.isn’t it? Your town mayors will provide you’ll with water, food and blankets if in need.Each family in each town will be given a given a copy of the emergency route and a paper with all the important number and guidelines. Let all be united, cooperating and brave to overcome this hurdle together,just like last time during Hurricane Katrina. Let not get scared of the hurricane by following all instructions and the safety measures.Lets see all the cities that are getting affected back to their normal.Do what to be safe?If yes, be cooperating as even we are doing our best to keep you,you and you safe.

Employment and Human Resource Management Essay

Define â€Å"beautyism† and its potential discriminatory effects on hiring in the workplace. â€Å"Beautyism† is giving a person preference or hiring someone due to their outward beauty. Some research has suggested that people who are outwardly beautiful get hired faster, get paid more, and receive better treatment in life in general, becoming more successful than others. While this may be true to an extent, I do believe that the opposite is also true, attractive people are over-looked due to their outward appearance and are taken less seriously even when qualified or more qualified than another candidate. This is not to mention that life brings challenges, hurts, and un-pleasantries, regardless of how a person looks. So we cannot be too quick to say that beautiful people have better lives. In this case though, the issue is beautyism as a â€Å"free-pass† in a sense, or a way into a job position without the proper qualifications (or in spite of the proper qualifications). There has been some evidence that people who hire for job openings do give preference at times to people who are obviously physically attractive. Researchers have noted that â€Å"beautiful people† tend to charm interviewers with their looks and create a positive tone and impression based solely off of how they look. Assess the Chair’s behavior from a human resource management perspective. I feel that if people try to regulate every detail of a hiring process, including the way people look, there will be even more discrimination. When an exceptionally beautiful or attractive candidate is interviewed, managers may feel pressure not to hire them just so there are no lies or tension in the workplace as to why that person was hired. In this case, though, it is not even evident that the Chair made an incorrect decision. Other department members should allow the Chair to do their job and trust that they have the proper qualifications to interview and choose quality  candidates. There are times when candidates are chosen without having all of the qualifications of another candidate. There are job openings available that specify that a certain degree is preferred but not required. The Chair was said to have â€Å"overlooked† a more qualified candidate, but that does not negate the fact that this interviewee may have also been qualified. A lot of times a degree or certain qualification sets are not the only thing being considered. A person who shows that they are able and willing to complete a job with a great attitude may win job offers faster than a very-highly qualified person who may be lacking in other areas. Recommend the action that the hiring committee should take to handle the hiring decision. The hiring committee should do their best to work as a team and keep down conflict within the workplace. The Chair made a hiring decision and that decision should be upheld. Employees may feel that the Chair is easily swayed and become more involved in the hiring process than they are even supposed to be. What happens when someone is interviewed that a worker just doesn’t like from their outward appearance? Going to the chair to try to get a hiring decision overturned should not be a route taken too often by employees. I feel that there is already enough â€Å"looks-discrimination† in the workplace. When a person enters a room to be interviewed they are being judged not only their answers but also how they look. Research shows that 74% of interviewers make hiring decisions within the first minutes of an interview. They judge looks by the person’s appearance, voice tone, handshake, and body-language. These are all surface characteristics†¦ There is enough judgment in interviews, applicants should not have to be subjected to on-looking, non-involved employees’ judgments as well. Discuss to what degree and why attractive candidates may be given unfair consideration during hiring processes.  This question makes me wonder, honestly, if people would feel better if attractive women or men were interviewed through a wall or only via telephone. People come in all sizes and shapes, with different features and looks. Attractive people cannot help how they look and are often not even  thinking about their looks when working or at an interview. Believe it or not, a lot of times attractive people would like a little less attention based off looks when it is time to be professional. More often than not, other people are more hooked on the candidates looks than the candidate themselves are. I feel this is an extremely issue and hopefully no advancements will be made to try to control this†¦ There is no way to tell what would begin happening in workplaces if employers try to control what they think others may be thinking about how a job applicant looks – this does not fit into professionalism. References Retrieved from: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/05/18/pretty-girls-get-all-the-jobs/. 16 May 2012. ERG Theory. Dictionary of human resource management (2001): 112. EBSCO MegaFILE. Retrieved viaWeb. 5 May 2011. Muller, M. (2009): The managers guide to HR: hiring, firing, & performance evaluations. New York, NY: AMACOM

Documentation control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Documentation control - Research Paper Example on control can be the usage and preparation of the documents for the safe operations within the organization, contingency planning, quality maintenance and overall functions and services which are required to be handled in the due manner. This paper looks into the nature of control documents, the advantages served by them, the pre requisites attached to them with regard to their handling and better services and outputs extractions, followed by the issues faced and the measures needed to be ensured in order to make vital and effective use of control documents. Documentation is being kept and prepared by the management team and the technical analysis team who create the company policies, rules and regulations, standard operating procedures, rules of engagement, and other policies pertinent to the dealing and exchange with the companies and stakeholders along with the regulatory authorities, government and competitors in the market. The documents are usually present in the human resource department and at the same time part of it can be made available on the website with the due consideration of the fact that the private and company related important information may not be shared or spread with the outside sources on a public platform such as company’s official website. Documentation is the process of making an activity and process official and bringing it under the record for present validation, future consideration and potential improvement in longer run. Documentation may be kept in the soft or hard retrieval section (Professional & Cochran, 20). The document is a collection of activities that are underpinned in a recorded way which allows for following a clear strategy based on the present processes and future planning and path that must be followed in order to maintain quality and earn the customers satisfaction. The document control function must make use of the presently in use documents and it must be ensured that the irrelevant and the data that may not

Space Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Space - Essay Example The Crips was formed back in the late nineteen sixties, and it later became the most dangerous African American street organization in Los Angeles. The group was formed with the aim of representing black power, black pride, and was to address various injustices perpetrated on black people during that time. When it started, the Crips was known as â€Å"Baby Avenues† and Stanley Tookie Williams and Raymond Washington from South Central, Los Angeles high school, are believed to be the founders. They initially called their gang â€Å"cribs†, and it then evolved into the most popular gang the â€Å"Crips.† According to its creators, the gang was created as a way of defending its members against various rival gangs that were involved in innumerable wrong doings in the southern Central neighborhoods. The Crips’ activities have their origin on high school campuses in every part of Los Angeles. The Eastside Crips originated from Freemont High School while the oppos ite side of the 110Harbor Freeway was home for Westside Crips (Covey 48). Another group was established in Compton. The Bloods is a gang that was established in Compton, Piru Street (Street Gangs 1). The founders of the bloods are Vincent Owens and Sylvester Scott. Initially, the gang was referred to as Campton Pirus, and as time went by, the gang grew rapidly. Its growth was triggered by the disputes the Compton Pirus had with Compton Crips. During these disputes, the Pirus was brutally beaten and outnumbered. The Crips also treated other gangs badly and, for this reason, countless gangs decided to team up against the Crips. This is how the Bloods came to be. Today, the Bloods are known for their unforgiving attitude and take no prisoners mindset (covey 48) Since the 20th century, these two gangs have made Los Angeles to be ranked among the cities with the highest cases of crimes. The crime rate and crack use in south central became very high to a point that the area

Multicultural organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multicultural organization - Research Paper Example This research paper studies the various characteristics of the multicultural organizations that practice diversity principles and how they contribute to the competitive advantage of the organizations. Which characteristics comprise a multicultural organization? Globalization has brought together people from different countries in a single platform especially through the use of the internet. The concepts and the dimensions of Multicultural organizations have been reflected in the works of Milton Gordon. There are mainly various dimensions from which the facets of multicultural organizations should undergo analysis (Gordon, 1964). The aim for any organization should be contributing to the integration of the society by and large. Every multicultural organization by the process of acculturation would bring in the dominant culture of the organization in tune with the other cultures which may not be so prominent. Due to the presence of different types of people in the organization cultural conflicts is to some extent inevitable. An ideal multicultural organization would aim at integration of the cultural norms of both the minority and the majority at the same level so that the employees maintain a uniform code of conduct. At the same time all the cultural groups should be able to maintain their own identities. In other words there would be coexistence of all the cultural practices. Along with this the organizations should also aim for a structural integration in which people from different cultural backgrounds can work under the same roof in a healthy atmosphere. There should be uniform and equal growth and promotion policies for all the employees irrespective of their nationality, race, religion or gender. This diversity and equal opportunity measures should exist not only in the top hierarchy but also across the different lower or middle levels of the organization pyramid. Not only during the course of the daily work but also outside the predefined work hours shoul d this integration be a practice. This informal process of integration would make it possible for the employees to develop the social and business relationships beyond the premises of the office. If the people from one background participate in the social events of people of another culture, it would make them behave in a bounder less fashion and new ideas would be generated. Thus the unofficial channels of communication between the employees should also be developed and nurtured in multicultural organizations (Cox, 2001). A multicultural organization should not have any bias towards a particular culture. Any kind of discrimination should be banned and if any employee is found to be exhibiting such behavior legal measures should be taken against that entity. Cultural prejudices should also not be encouraged. Conflicts may arise due to such prejudices which would hamper the equilibrium of the organization which in turn would have an adverse effect on the productivity of the employees . This conflict may take the form of interpersonal conflict or intergroup conflict. In case of intergroup conflict the problem is accentuated and it gives rise to an atmosphere of intolerance and hatred. This kind of attitude should not persist in any organization that has much higher goals to achieve. Thus the human resources department especially has to take a

Muh.3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Muh.3 - Essay Example ST scans that use IV contrast have a lot of risks associated with them. For instance, if barium extravagates, severe inflammation can result. Other potential hazards include pneumonia and burning in the stomach. Alarm Hazards. This is essentially due to excess of equipment in the hospital. There is a huge variety of equipment in this hospital. This includes patient monitoring, ventilator, dialysis units and much other equipment Cross contamination due to Flexible Endoscopes. Endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure which has set hospital care to a new trend. It is minimally invasive and has revolutionalized diagnostic measures in most modern hospitals. Medical personnel and patients are at a major risk. Patients are primarily at risk because of their unduly exposure to infectious diseases. This is due to failure and negligence of sterilization and cleaning procedures. A re-processing protocol should be made and implemented at the same time. It must be ensure that such a model specific protocol exists for every endoscopy model in the hospital. It must also be ensured that automated endoscope preprocessors are compatible with the disinfecting agents employed. The staff must ensure that the maintenance schedule is also followed and other carelessness should be avoided. Surgical fires. Janie Mc Call who is aged 65 years passed away in a flash fire while conducting a routine surgery in an operating room in September 2005. The incident took place at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion III. Surgeons, patients, staff, workers and nurses are at a potential major risk. It is estimated that at least 550-650 surgical fires take place every year. This makes it as dangerous and as frequent as other surgical mishaps for instance wrong-site surgery. The members of surgical team should be well aware of all the components and phenomenon associated with surgical fires such as oxidizers, ignition

Qatar Airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Qatar Airways - Assignment Example Allocation of marketing budgets have been recommended. Marketing is no more a mere functional discipline but for most managers it now centers on identifying and satisfying customer requirements (Hooley, Piercy & Nicouland, 2009, p3). Recent challenges to marketing functions from sources as diverse as McKinsey Consultants make it imperative that marketing reflects new development and market opportunities. The effectiveness of marketing is ascertained based on how effectively a marketer is able to reach out to customers and fulfill customer needs and expectations better than competitors. Airlines too have been competing against each other through different marketing techniques. Qatar Airways, the flag carrier of the state of Qatar, headquartered in Doha-Qatar Airways Tower, was found on 22nd November, 1993 (Qatar Airways Fact Sheet, 2012). Qatar Airways is one of the few international airlines that are able to reach over 133 destinations worldwide like Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Far East and Oceania with a fleet exceeding 128 aircrafts (Qatar Airways, 2013). The airline operates a hub-and-spoke network linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha. Offering of First Class, Business Class and Economy Class services, supported with in-flight entertainment and superb first class service for all classes, have led Qatar Airways to be ranked as one of the few airlines in the world to achieve the 5-star rating. Qatar Airways has an internet booking engine but apart from that it now allows free download of mobile app on to any smart phone for greater convenience. This mobile app enables smart check-in for flights, fare finder, flight status information, global contact information and offers numerous payment options (Qatar Airways, 2013a). They offer the lowest fare finder facility

Joshua Bearmans story Art of the Steal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Joshua Bearmans story Art of the Steal - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Gerald Blanchard always prepared to make his heist by investigating flaws in the security system akin to an individual’s identification of dry leaves on a tree. Effectively, proper planning and a thorough investigation always ensured Gerald’s stealing activities were an enormous success. It is pertinent to note that, Gerald started his exploits at a young age. In this regard, he had managed to become a local criminal mastermind in his neighborhood while in high school. The story Art of the Steal elucidates the escalation of his sophistication based on his shrewdness in technology formed over time from an early age. Thus, the story gives his exploits from parachuting in, changing jewels secured by a weighted alarm, and many more intriguing stories including well-organized getaways. On the other hand, his flaunty nature was a contrast to a mastermind of some of the most sophisticated crimes committed. Eventually, this behavior eventually led to a mistake that led to his arrest and consequent sentencing whereby he served a jail term. Despite the book being about acts that are criminal in nature, there are many positive lessons that individuals can draw from Gerald’s epic tales and apply them in life. First, good cognitive skills are one of the factors that contributed to Gerald’s success during his exploits regardless of the security mechanisms in the places he targeted. Cognitive skills are crucial in our daily lives to make the decisions. For example, Gerald parachuted onto the roof of the Vienesse Castle on his way to steal the Sisi Star. During the tour of the castle, Gerald realized that â€Å"There was an armed guard stationed at every entrance and patrolling the halls but the roof was unguarded†. In this case, it would take an individual with a good perception, quick learning, and reasoning to formulate the only easy way to get into the castle. Evidently, Gerald had these important skills since he figured out the easy way to get into the building and carry out the heist was through parachuting onto the unguarded roof of the castle.

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to Essay

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to illustarte the points you make - Essay Example marketing department has to either seek new territories or new products or, most importantly, create new demand within an established market. Innovative ideas and affirmative action can generate new demand even for existing products. Initiatives like consumer loan schemes in association with banks, discounts, incentives, gift schemes, limited time offers and targeted promotion are the forte of marketing departments. Thus marketing plays a crucial role in any organisation. The famous four Ps (product-price-packaging-promotion) together with distribution and service form the tools of a marketing department. For successful marketing, it is necessary to understand the customer preferences for products, distribution logistics and strengths of competition. Customer preferences depend upon price, packaging and promotion. In all these matters, the marketing department has a vital role as it acts as the communication bridge between the customers’ preferences and the company. It also constantly monitors distributor / retailer activity, their inputs regarding customers feedback on product quality, price and attractiveness. While these activities keep the marketing department on its toes all the time, there is the ever-present threat of newer products and newer players entering the market, taking away customers on the one hand and the demands of management for improved performance on the other. Within the allotted budget, marketing department has to maint ain the existing market share and take actions for garnering new customers or entering new territories. These activities form the ‘challenging role’ for any marketing department. ‘Customer is the king’ is the marketing mantra and the efficiency with which he is serviced will determine an organisation’s success or failure. offering a basic product with variations in features, quality and packaging in order to service different customer segments. Obviously, this is intricately related to

International Economics, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Economics, - Essay Example The success of RTA is mainly due to low trade barriers with all global partners. This means the most positive impact will be gained from free trade as researches show that least amount of tariff or no tariff is most advantageous for a regional trading agreement to become successful. Custom union, common market and economic union, all impose a certain amount of tariff on the goods. This greatly affects the amount of goods to be traded as an economist said: ‘the successful expansion of trade among the members of a regional trade agreement tends to be associated with increasing extra regional imports as a share of GDP and with the growth of world trade.’, and extra regional imports will only be increased if there will be no or minimal tariff. Economic unions and custom unions are only beneficial for international trade and can only produce positive results if implemented in conjunction especially in case of EU, and this what happened in 1990’s. Trade can only be flourished if the country undertakes international trade and involves in exchanging goods and services from different countries around the globe. International trade means starting trading of goods with foreign countries which means foreign exchange pouring in the country, leading to more GDP and resulting in more finance for the industries to make exportable goods. As exports will increase due to more exportable stock, trade will be flourished. International trade improves the relations between two or more countries. Improving relations means more chances of your own good to be sold in their markets, thus fostering trade (Nayan et al, 2010). International trade increases the productivity of a country; more production takes place leading to more people getting employed in the country, and therefore with more share in the GDP, there will be more growth in the world of trade.

Ethics and Business Essay Example for Free

Ethics and Business Essay The chief executive officers of any existing company are liable to meet the expected objectives as layed down by the shareholders of the company. The most significant of all factors of production is manpower basing the fact on the potential manipulation of this factor. All the other factors of production tend to assume a stable status of manipulative capabilities. The ultimate goal of any company is to maximize profits, which is only achievable through a coherent ethical considerations of personnel issues in the company. The employees of any existing company are hardly the consumers of goods and services of that respective company but rather beneficiaries in terms of wages and benefits. In a situation where the company in located in specific area where the living standard of surrounding community is high, it faces dire danger of satisfying the living requirements of the potential employee. In contrast, the right policy as regards the location of such a company should be towards the less developed area yet laying marketing strategies that would yield successful and profitable disposal of the goods and services, the outcome of products of that company. Factors that may cause the rise in the cost of production: The appropriate remunerations packages and benefits of the employees is a matter of crucial concern in any company. There exists a direct relationship between the required remuneration packages and benefits for employees and the level of development of the area from which the employees reside. If the company cannot meet the expected standard of living of the employees as dictated by the living level, the morale and motivation of the employees is unachieved. This may result to poor levels of production and strikes to the extreme negative side (Cory 2004 p 45-49) The nature of the area may also require some stringent measures of safety regulations. These measures may be costly both in terms of time and money. The safety measures, which are internal to a company, raises the production cost of the company. The extra margin is of crucial significance towards uplifting the company’s profits for the benefit for the shareholders (Cory 2004 p57-59) Environmental regulations have a similar trend of a direct relationship between the location of an enterprise and the environment. An expensive system of waste disposal is required of the company because the environment requires special expensive disposal facilities (Cory 2004 p 67-69) A positive moral decision in relocating the company or retaining the company to the current location is necessary. Moral decision-making Several factors should be considered in the decision making process to come up with a moral and ethical solution. Finding facts is very crucial which should be followed by an appeal to values. Dealing with moral issues have different approaches. According to Utilitarian Approach, ethical actions qualifies to be moral only when they strike a balance of good over evil (Cory 2004 p 101-104) The greatest good for the greatest number of people is the qualification of an ethical action. The choice of the action is determined by the greatest benefits and the least harm. The effect of each action benefits and harm should be the guide to choice among the various courses of actions available (Cory 2004 p 98-99) According to the Rights Approach ethical actions are based on the ability of a person to choose what actions are beneficial for their lives while respecting the moral rights of others (Cory 2004 p 102-103) The fairness of justice approach is based on Aristotle’s teachings that â€Å"equals should be treated equally and unequals treated unequally† (Cory 2004 p 115-117) Issues of favoritism on one side and discrimination on the other are of crucial importance in the course of action. The Common Good approach explains an ethical action of an individual is being of good and beneficial to the community. The action should achieve healthcare, public safety, peace, legal justice and clean environment (Cory 2004 p 83-85) For the full development of our humanity we should strive towards certain ideals. This is the ethical framework of the Virtual Approach. Character traits or attitudes inherent in individuals aid the highest potential development. Example of these virtues that help us to pursue our ideals includes honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control and prudence (Cory 2004 p 77-78) They become the characteristics of a person once acquired which is crucial to individual action that are consistent with moral principles (Cory 2004 p 64-67) Through the use of the five approaches of dealing with moral problems, the most important ethical considerations are highlighted as a basis for deliberations. Possible relocation areas Mexico: Labour, health, safety and environment factors are favourable in a number of border cities in Mexico. The wages are extremely low, and $ 3 per day compared to $15 per hour in America and this is a cause of employees’ resignations. However, labour turnover is high. There is also a high toxic chemical exposure tolerance and less strict environmental laws. However, due to high instances of birth defects that raise protest from health groups the plant relocation may be subject to adverse publicity. Cory 2004 p 104-105) Philippines: to the advantage of the company labor costs in Philippines is $1 per day while safety, health and environment regulation are similar to those in Mexico. Opposition against the effects of safety, health and environment hazards such as cancer and birth defects are silent. South Africa: there are positive conditions but less favourable economic terms. South Africa as compared to Mexico and Philippines. Labour cost is $10 per day and a possible future pressure to increase the package due to the existence of a strong labour union movement. Health and safety measures and exposure to toxic chemicals are fields that have not been ignored. Cory 2004 p 106-107) These are the actual facts concerning the possible relocation sites for Electrocop Company in the US. The facts will require some ethics or morality to come up with a final decision. This involves analysis of any conflict of negative effect to people, animals and environment, institutions and society. The outcome of the decision to people and the community and any possible stakeholders should also be explored while making consultations to the relevant persons. The final decision should be the one the most good effects to the people and least harm. The rights and dignity of stakeholders should be withheld. Common goodness should be promoted and a full participation community. Society Company or family uplifted. The option of choice should enhance the character development of valued individual, professional or societal traits. All these perspectives are significant in taking the most appropriate option. Conclusion The chief executive officer of Elecrocorp is exposed to options of relocation in Mexico, Philippines and South Africa from the United States. The current site of operations is a threat to perpetual progress of the plant and faces a close down in the near future. Although it is a major employer, the risk of closure is of no benefit to its employees. In consideration of balance between continued business operations and ethical moral effects of its relocation, South Africa offers the best alternative site to its current site in the US.

Case Studies of Organizational Change

Case Studies of Organizational Change CASE BACKGROUND The RTAs approach was to just involve the executive level management and the consultants in the strategy making process without including the middle and lower level management. The approach of the company shows its high level confidence in its top level management and it wants none other those to get involved in the decisions which are of utmost importance to the company and all of its employees (Heathfield). There are both positive and the negative aspects of such a strategy. Taking this change management policy positively, the company wants do not want any kind of issue arising during its process of changing the organizational management to save its time, energy and the focus which is a good decision in itself but if we consider the negative side of this strategy, the company will not have that support from its lower and the middle position employees which is very essential in order to have success in achieving the targets of changing the organization and in the worse case they eve n may fail to accept it at all. ISSUES INVOLVED The concept of organizational change is a wide process aiming at achieving some overall goals and objectives rather than the smaller change. This includes the big changes like the change in mission, restructuring the operations, changes in the technologies, re-engineering, major collaborations, etc. (Basic Context for Organizational Change) Such changes may be regarded as the changes that re-orientate the whole fundamentals in which the organization operates. These changes are the ones which affects the being and the corporate lives of each and everybody in the organization. THEORETICAL UNPINNING OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED In order to achieve certain organizational and group goals, the involvement of those very elements in the organization that are very close to these setting up of goals along with those who are going to be highly affected with that is very important. It can never be expected the one hundred percent support from any employee to support the changes made in his work or way of work who was not involved in the process of decision which will have a long lasting impact on his work. For such changes to succeed the involvement of those individuals whose working is going to get highly effected is very essential. Though it is quite admissible that during the changes, especially the ones which have an effect on the whole organization, the involvement of each and every individual is not possible but it would be highly worthy to try the involvement of the individuals as much as possible from the lower as well as the middle management. ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The changes in such a strategy is quite possible with a program that in a way involves these lower and the middle level management too, but not affecting the positive interest of the company for which it was adopted in that way. The changes can be explained as follows: If the role of the middle management as a whole cannot affect the overall decision of the change, at least the involvement of each and every employee in taking the meaningful decisions which involves their own work or the work of their respective unit or group. During the change management process, the suggestion for the changes can be taken from the middle management in the form of survey or the request for the submission of the changes to the executive management or the consultants can be taken. This would not only help the top level management in making the changes but would also involve all the employees in the organization. The suggestions which are found effective enough can be called for the discussion in the conference center and in this way the middle position managers having the considerably effective and the efficient ideas can have a chance to make a big contribution in the change management process. CONCLUSIONS With the certain involvement of the middle or the lower level management in the decisions related to the change management the immense amount of support and the confidence from the employees will be confirmed for such decisions by the executive level management and also with these suggested changes in the process of the change management, Al Ammeri can get his ideas considered and if found feasible by the consultants and the executives he can get those included. Organizational Situation 2: Why is Cultural change so hard? CASE BACKGROUND Fatima Al Hebsi is a student of a Master Degree at BHMeU and her discipline is change course management. In her first interview, she was offered the job as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Organizational Change Consultantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  for an old and well established electric power company. The company is expected to make major organizational changes and now it concerns Fatima how hard it would be to change the major components of the culture being followed in the company over a long period. ISSUES INVOLVED Organizational culture is the set of the guiding tools and the ideology that guides and the interpretations and the actions in any organization. It describes the various attitudes, beliefs, the way of doing the work, psychologies, experiences, etc shared commonly by all the employees in the organization. It is basically the ways and the values followed by each and everybody in the organization whether directly or indirectly related to it. The organizational culture of any organization is highly dependent upon the goals and the objectives of the it and the appropriate kinds of the standards adopted for the needs to achieve those. Actually, these are the norms which lays down the guidelines or the expectations that prescribes the kind of behavior is expected from its employees which controls the behavior of the members of the organization towards each other. THEORETICAL UNPINNINGS OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED The consensus about the concept of organizational culture is bit difficult to understand theoretically, as they are quite holistic, historical involving the various anthropological and socially constructed concepts which are also very much difficult to change. Changing the organizational culture is one of the toughest task in the organizational change as this component of the organization was developed over a long period of time by the interaction and the confidence of its participants in the organization. The current organization culture matches the comfort and the style of its employees especially its executive level managers which ultimately reflects the prevailing management style in which the employees are well settled and used to in that working environment. ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION First of all, the need of initiating the change in the organizational culture is itself a big decision which requires some extremely reason or set of reasons. These reasons have to be of the class of significant loss of sales or customers, fear of bankruptcy, or loosing the millions of dollars in the market, etc and for that too blaming the organizational culture itself needs a harsh journey. But after recognizing the organizational culture as the reason for these troubles and there is a need to change the culture the process require a deep understanding and commitment along with certain tools and knowledge. Doing the change itself is not pretty enough and also the changes are not that easy. Before changing its culture the organization must understand its current culture and the values, the way the things are going on in the organization. Once the organization has understood its current culture, the consultant needs to understand what changes or alterations may be required to guide the organization to the success along with taking into the consideration the well being of its employees, stake holders, partners and the others. This should reflect the future mission and the vision in the future and what will be the major steps to achieve that and path to be folled. This needs high degree of the future predictions according to the current scenario. The next step which would be the toughest step is to convince its employees to change their behavior as per the requirements and the needs of the changed organizational culture. CONCLUSION The change management and especially the changes in the prevailing organizational culture may although be a tough task to be accomplished in the light of fact that these cultures have been developed over the long time and it would be difficult for each and every element of the organization to get adapted for these changes. But for a smart and efficient consultant, he/she has to understand the very roots and the soul of these cultures, to get started right from these ends to get the solutions of the issues involved. Organizational Situation Scenario:3 How do you change a complacent organization? CASE BACKGROUD Ahmed Al Shammsi is the CEO of a well established organization Trans-Tech Solutions which is the market leader in manufacturing the avionics components for the commercial airlines. Even though the organization is doing extremely well in the current situation but the CEO is foreseeing the future problems that is bound to occur in the organization for which the acute changes in the management is required in the organization. Now, CEO is finding another issue about how to convince the top managers to go for some of major changes in the organization. ISSUES INVOLVED The current era of fast industrial and business growth, more competition and the need of more innovation has become the utmost important tool for achieving the success and making stability in that success. The change has to be taken as the most important capability of any business operating in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s era without which the organization could not just wish to get the success and get adapted to a changing world. Without the effective and efficient changes required from time to time, the organization is bound to become obsolete some day and eventually die out. THEORITICAL UNPINNING OF THE ISSUES Every organization gets formed on the basis of some ideas and the innovations. They have a distinctive vision with some of those dedicated and devoted people with fresh mind set up to accomplish these very things. Not only the top level management but the organization as a whole have to kept together while making such decisions which as big as the changes in the way they are working, the motive for which they are operating and mission they are acting day and night for the well being of the organization. The settled and the complacent organization like the Trans-Tech Transportation must have started with a fresh idea through which they grew into a market leader and reached a certain level of excellence. But the flexibility is the thing which is required by this corporation to continue as the market leader in the future. ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS It is quite possible that the top level managers have become quite matured with enough resistance to the changes but this may become the reason due to which the company may fall on to a senility mode in which the efficiency of the company slows and may even stop causing the ultimate downfall and then die out. Keeping ourselves in the place of Ahmed Al Shamsi, the owner has to convince its managers even though they are the market leaders, they have been doing well enough in achieving its objectives and goals, there excellent performance has been based on their organizational strategies and cultures but the change is the law of nature which applies here as well. They will have to see not only the prospects coming out for the near future but also the far future which would help them to maintain its leadership as long as possible (Theories of Motivation). They will have to keep in mind that they became the leader by replacing somebody and it would not be impossible that some other innova tion may pull them next to the leader. CONCLUSION Based on the analysis of the complacent organization of Trans-Tech Corporation, the top level managers should look forward for looking for some changes based on some exciting and new idea through which the company may continue its strong and fine edge to continue as a firm with solid vision, strong vision with clear objectives for not only the well being of itself or the executive level management but the organization as a whole.

Human Resource Planning Strategies, Recruitment And Procedures

Human Resource Planning Strategies, Recruitment And Procedures INTRODUCTION According to Bulla and Scott human resource planning is the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfying those requirements. It determines the human resources required by the organization to achieve its strategic goals. Human resource planning is generally concerned with businesses of longer terms but sometimes it also addresses businesses of short terms as well. In order to improve organizational effectiveness, it looks at the broader issues how people are employed and developed. Human resource planning is an integral part business planning. In this assignment, firstly I will explore that how HR plan supports organizations strategic objectives. Then I will discuss the legal requirements which influence HR planning. In next part, recruitment and selection of new staff is explained in detail and with it the effect of organizational culture on recruitment and retention of staff is described. In last part, human resource management procedures are discussed which are grievance, discipline and dismissal procedures. The strategic planning process projects to changes in the type of activities carried out by the organization. In order to achieve the goals, resource and skill requirements it identifies the core competencies the organization needs. Quinn Mills says that human resource planning is a decision making process and consist of three steps: Identify appropriate number of people with right skills Motivate these people to achieve high performance Create links between business objectives and people planning activities. Human resource planning consists of four steps To forecast future needs To analyse the availability and supply of people To draw up plans To monitor how plans are implemented A strategy is a plan of a company which shows that how it matches its internal strengths and weaknesses to external threats and opportunities. CHALLENGES TO STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE Human resource management priorities are focusing on boosting competitiveness, reducing costs and improving employee performance. COMPANYS BASIC STRATEGIES CORPORATE STRATEGY Corporate strategy is portfolio of businesses that comprise the company and the ways by which these are related to each other. It consists of Diversification strategy identifies the expansion of a company by adding new products Vertical integration strategy shows the expansion of a company by producing its raw materials or selling its products Consolidation reduces the size of a company Geographic expansion takes the business abroad COMPETITIVE STRATEGY Competitive strategy strengthens the long term position of the companys business in the marketplace. Managers use different corporate strategies to achieve corporate advantage. COST LEADERSHIP aims to make the company a low cost leader in industry. DIFFERENTIATION COMPETITIVE STRATEGY is a strategy in which a company wants to be unique in the industry FUNCTIONAL STRATEGY It is a basic course of action that each department of business pursue to achieve its competitive goals. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT In planning and achievement of any organization, human resource management plays a bigger role in the success. Strategic human resource management formulates and executes HR systems and HR policies. HR ROLE IN THE FORMULATION OF STRATEGY A strategic plan identifies, analyze, and balance the companys internal strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities. Human resource planning process takes place within the context of labour market. According to Elliott (1991): The market for labour is an abstraction; it is an analytical construction used to describe the context within which the buyers and sellers of labour come together to determine the pricing and allocation of labour services. The internal labour market consists of labour within the company. It is a main source of future labour requirements by introducing the policies like training, development, and career planning and management succession. The external labour market consists of regional, local, national and international labour markets. In order to find the right people for the right job, it is necessary to consider that which of these labour markets are the best source. Both the sources are extensively used depending on the size of the company, the rate of growth and decline and the policies of employee resourcing. The firm much relies on internal market and believes in long term careers of the staff through training sessions or apprenticeship. The aims of human resource planning are as follows: The skillful and competent people are obtained and retained Makes the best use of human resource planning To overcome the problems like deficit of people or potential surplus To develop a trained workforce Reduce to rely on external recruitment Human resource planning consist of four steps Forecast future needs Analyze the supply and availability of people Make plans to match supply to demand Monitor the implementation of plan For future demands, human resource planning concentrates on skills and competencies which indicate the numbers required in longer term. Its main aim is to produce policies like training, retention and utilization of human resources and development. Human resource planning addresses the following questions: How many people will be needed? What competencies and skills are required for future? Is training or development needed further? Is there is a need for recruitment? When will there is a need for new people? When will the training and recruitment start? How to tackle the situation of reducing cut costs? How can the flexibility be achieved on the use of people? FORMULATION OF BUSINESS STRATEGY HR strategy contributes to the formulation of business strategy which identifies to make the best use of existing human resources. IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS STRATEGIES It consists of; Development strategies are the needs to increase skills to fit people for greater responsibility. It also defines the outputs required from training programmes. Retention strategies indicate the intentions of the company to get the right people Utilization strategies describe how the organization intends to improve productivity and cost Flexibilities strategies define the companys strategies in developing flexible work arrangements Downsizing strategies are the needs to be done by the organization to reduce the numbers employed. FORMULATION OF HR STRATEGIES Formulation of strategies addresses a number of questions Where are we now? Where do we want to be in the future? How are we going to get there? Resourcing strategies are converted to business strategies by depending on the following plans SCENARIO PLAN conducts an environmental scan on the issues which affect the labour market. This is possibly based on PEST approach. DEMAND FORECASTING estimates the future needs of the people. Its base is long term business plan and annual budget. For the companys plans, details are required which results in increased or decreased demands of employees. The introduction of new technology would also have to be considered in order to bring changes to working methods or procedures. There are four methods of demand forecasting MANAGERIAL JUDGEMENT This method requires managers to sit together and think about the future pressure and workload. The managers have to decide that how many people they need. Line managers and senior managers are involved in this agreement. Top management prepares company and department forecasts and these forecasts are reviewed and agreed with department managers. All the guidelines should be prepared for departmental managers indicating the future activities which will effect their department. With the help of these guidelines, departmental managers prepare their forecast to a laid- down format. They can seek help from personnel department. The personnel department prepares a human forecast of the company. Human resource planning committee then reviewed these two forecasts and reconciles with the department managers about these two forecasts and submits a final amended forecast to top management for approval. RATIO TREND ANALYSIS It is a study of past ratios between direct and indirect workers. In this way, future ratios are forecasted and made some allowances for changes in the company. WORK STUDY TECHNIQUES Work study techniques are used in work measurements to calculate long operations and the requirement of people for those operations. The production budget of any manufacturing company is prepared in volumes of sealable products or in volumes of output for individual departments. The productive hours are then compiled by the use of standard hours. The standard hours per unit of output are multiplied by the planning volume of units to be produced to give the total planned hours. This is divided by the number of actual working hours for an individual operator. MODELLING Technique like computers and spreadsheet can help in demand and supply forecast. FORECASTING COMPETENCE AND SKILL REQUIREMENT This shows an impact of projected, product market developments and the introduction of new technology. SUPPLY FORECASTING estimate the supply of manpower by reference to analyses of current resources and future availability. Supply forecasting consists of number of people from inside or outside of the organization. It covers Existing human resources Losses to existing human resources through employee wastage Changes to existing human resources through internal promotions The effect of changing conditions and absenteeism of work Sources of supply from inside or outside the organization FORECASTING REQUIREMENTS analyse the demand and supply forecasts to identify future deficits with the help of models. DEMAND AND SUPPLY FORECASTING MODELS Models help to make decisions and make the decision makers to understand the situation in which these decisions are made. These modelling techniques help to prepare human resource forecast. It also helps to understand the career evaluation and predict and measure wastage for setting and operating models, data is required which is as follows: Human resource system- gives a description of the people who enter or exit of the organization and their progress at different levels. Stocks the number of people employed in each grade. They are analysed in age or length of service Flows- recruits, leavers and promotion flows are analysed by age or length of service Assumptions- assumptions are made for future behaviour of the system and in this way the implications of different outcomes can be evaluated. Career analysis- a career prospectus is made to build up analysing data on promotions. This links the data to information on the database about the potential of current employees. FLEXIBILITY It aims to achieve increased organizational effectiveness. It has following forms CONTRACT BASED FLEXIBILITY is an employee contract which shows the flexibility of terms and conditions. The overall purpose of the job descriptions is written in terms. This flexibility can be achieved by employing contract workers to work on any task according to their skills. TIME BASED FLEXIBILITY is achieved by the flexible hours. JOB BASED FLEXIBILITY is a functional flexibility in which workers can move from task to task according to their skills. Companies make the fullest use of flexibility in order to make the fullest use of their workforce. Functional flexibility is also associated with pay schemes and ensures that all staff is treated equally in terms of benefits. SKILL BASED FLEXIBILITY is a range of staff to perform different tasks to exercise greater responsibility. it is based on the competencies and the utilization of the capabilities of the workers. ORGANIZATION BASED flexibility makes use of contract workers and part time and temporary staff. PRODUCTIVITY AND COST ANALYSIS analyse the productivity and costs to identify the need for improvement. An increase in activity level can improve the productivity and recruits more employees. In order to reduce costs, a company looks at productivity and employment costs. The input of employees gives an output of goods and services as productivity. Employment costs consist of pay, employee benefits, national insurance contributions, recruitment costs, training costs, leaving costs including redundancy payments, loss of production, replacement and training, the cost of health and safety and personnel administration costs. ACTION PLANNING Action planning is derived from the resourcing strategies and are made in the following areas OVERALL PLAN The overall human resource plan Improves methods in sorting out young people for recruitment Links with schools and colleges to create interest of the young people Attracts young people by developing programmes and training sessions Widens to recruit woman and part time workers Arrange working hours for new employees Provide benefit packages Provide training programmes for the new employees and make better use of their skills and talents HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN The human resource development plan shows The number of existing staff who needs training The number of trainees required and the programmes for recruiting and training them New learning programmes or the changes to the existing courses THE RECRUITMENT PLAN The recruitment plan set out The need of the numbers and types of people required to make up any deficits To attract candidates by training and development programmes, pay and benefit packages, working hours arrangement, child care facilities etc The dealing of the problems in the supply of the recruits by the recruitment programme THE RETENTION PLAN The retention plan is based on the analysis of why people leave. It addresses the following areas PAY This problem arises due to unfair and uncompetitive systems. Actions to be taken are Review pay levels on the basis of market surveys Review pay schemes so that everyone is treated equally Make sure that employees understand the relation between performance and reward JOBS They should be designed in such a way which can increase skill variety and provide opportunities for learning and growth. PERFORMANCE If the employees are not clear of their responsibilities or performance then they can be demotivated. Related to performance, following actions can be taken Encourage managers to praise the staff for their performance by giving them a healthy and informative feedback. Train managers in counselling; give briefing on performance management system and get a feedback on how it has been applied TRAINING If the people are not trained then this can create an increase in resignations. Training and learning programmes should be introduced to employees before joining the organization. Training programmes give employees the confidence and make them more competent in their performance. In this way they can make better use of their abilities and can do variety of tasks and enhance their skills and competencies. CAREER DEVELOPMENT Promotion prospectus and career prospectus in many of the organizations is limited which make most of the employees to turnover. To have a stable workforce, employers need planning in providing career opportunities by Developing promotion procedures Giving advice on career prospectus Encourage promotion from within COMMITMENT Commitment can be increased by explaining the mission and strategies of the company. Communication with employees is very important especially face to face communication. This also seeks the views of other people at work. CONFLICT WITH MANAGES AND SUPERVISORS This is another reason of turnover. This should be solved by Selecting those managers who are qualified and with well developed leadership Giving them training in resolving conflicts and dealing with grievances Recruitment and selection Poor selection results in rapid turnover. Selection of the employees should match with their capabilities. THE FLEXIBILITY PLAN The aim of the flexibility plan is utilize all the skills and capabilities of employers. It also reduces the employment cost and increase productivity. The flexibility plan consist of ALTERNATIVES TO FULL TIME PERMANENT STAFF The core of permanent full time staff consist of managers and team leaders who are needed to run the teams of core workers.it also include professional staff such as personnel which provides high level professional advice and services. Knowledge workers, technicians and highly skilled workers is also a part of team. The next step is the right use of the temporary workers, part-time workers and subcontracting workers. FLEXIBLE HOUR ARRANGEMENT This is also included in flexibility plan. Flexible hours can be arranged in the following ways: FLEXIBLE DAILY HOURS is a day to day pattern according to work loads FLEXIBLE WEEKLY HOURS are the weekly hours which are done at the peak time of the year COMPRESSED WORKING WEEKS is a pattern where employees work less than five days OVERTIME To reduce the overtime costs, flexibility plan offers flexible hours, new shift arrangements and overtime limitations. ARRANGEMENT OF SHIFT WORKING This reduces the overtime and is modified to meet demand requirements. THE PRODUCTIVITY PLAN This plan increase productivity and reduce employment costs by improving the methods like automation, mechanization and computerization. THE DOWNSIZING PLAN This plan sets out Arrangement for consulting with employees and their trade unions Forecast of the number of losses that can be taken up by natural wastage Forecast of the number who want to leave voluntarily Redundancy terms Arrangements by telling individual employees about the redundancies and keeping the trade unions informed CONTROL In spite of including budgets and targets, human resource plan also clarifies the implementation and control. This reports on the numbers employed against establishment and on the numbers recruited against the recruitment targets. Against budget, it also report employment costs and trends in wastage and employment ratios. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF NEW STAFF The overall aim of the recruitment and selection process is to obtain the number and quality required at a minimum cost in order to satisfy the companys human resource requirements. The recruitment and selection process is a series of three steps: Define requirements Decide terms and conditions of employment, prepare job descriptions and specifications Attract candidates Review and evaluate by building a pool of candidates for the jobs by recruiting internal and external candidates, advertisement, use agencies and consultants Select candidates By interviewing, testing, assessing, assessment centres, offering employment, asking references, and preparing employment contracts DEFINE REQUIREMENTS In recruitment programme, the number of people required should be specified which is derived from the human resource plan. In addition, there will be demands for new jobs to be filled and these should be checked for justification. It is necessary to check the type of employee required for a specific job. For assessing candidates, this information provides a basic introduction required to agencies or recruitment consultants. A candidates profile, educational background, experience and skills produce criteria for a suitable job and is assessed by interviewing or by means of psychological tests. JOB DESCRIPTION A job description sets the overall objective of the job, basic details of the job, main activities and any other special requirements. For the purpose of recruitment, the information can only be provided on the arrangement for training and career opportunities. Pay, benefits, mobility and travelling are included in terms and conditions. PERSONNEL SPECIFICATIONS It is also known as recruitment, person specification or job specification. It requires educational background, qualification, experience, skills, competencies and training from the candidate. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OR QUALIFICATION- academic or technical qualification is required EXPERIENCE- achievements or merits obtained COMPETENCIES- it consist of any special skills achieved such as numeracy TRAINING- any special training that a candidate has taken SPECIFIC DEMANDS- a candidate is expected to develop new markets, productivity, best customer services and sales and introduce new techniques and systems ORGANIZATIONAL FIT- the candidate is expected to work within the corporate culture SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS- mobility, unsocial hours and travelling The most familiar classification scheme introduced by Rodger (1952) and is known as THE SEVEN POINT PLAN The seven point plan consists of PHYSICAL APPEARANCE- physique, health, appearance and speech ATTAINMENTS- education, qualification, experience GENERAL INTELLIGENCE- intellectual quality SPECIAL APTITUDES- mechanical, manual dexterity INTERESTS- intellectual, practical, physically active, social, artistic DISPOSITION- influential, power of acceptance, steadiness, dependable, self reliance CIRCUMSTANCES- domestic circumstances, occupations of family Another classification system is produced by Munro- Fraser and is known as THE FIVEFOLD GRADING SYSTEM The fivefold grading system covers IMPACT ON OTHERS- appearance, make-up, speech, manner ACQUIRED QUALIFICATION- education, vocational training, experience INNATE ABILITIES- aptitude for learning, natural quickness of comprehension MOTIVATION- goals set up by an individual and determination to follow them and success in achieving them ADJUSTMENT- emotional stability Both systems are proved to be good for interviewing but seven point plan is more stable and has a longer pedigree. COMPETENCY BASED APPROACH During selection process, competency based approach is used as a framework for a particular role. According to Roberts (1997) The benefit of taking a competencies approach is that people can identify and isolate the key characteristics which would be used as the basis for selection, and that those characteristics will be described in terms which both can understand and agreeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..The competencies therefore become a fundamental part of a selection process. According to Wood and Payne (1998), the advantages of competency based approach are; It increases the accuracy of prediction about stability It facilitates a closer match between the persons attributes and the demands of the job It helps to prevent interviewers making snap adjustments It can underpin the whole range of recruitment techniques- application forms,, interviews, tests and assessment centres ATTRACTING CANDIDATES It is a matter to identify, evaluate and use the most appropriate sources of applicants. If difficulties occur in attracting candidates then being an employer there should be a proper study at the strengths and weaknesses of the company. ANALYSIS OF RECRUITMENT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES It covers the matters like pay, employee benefits, working conditions, security of employment, educational and training opportunities, career prospectus and the reputation of an organization. The aim of an organization is to build a better image by use of advertisements, brochures or interviews. SOURCES OF CANDIDATES To fill the anticipated openings, if there are no qualified candidates inside then the outside candidates are given more consideration. This may require forecasting general economic, local market and occupational market conditions. To forecast general economic conditions is the expected prevailing rate of unemployment. Lower rate of unemployment lowers the labour supply and then its more difficult to recruit personnel Local labour market conditions are also important. Finally, the forecasting of candidates for jobs in specific occupations is to be recruited. Once a position is filled, the next step is to develop an applicant pool either from internal or external sources. Recruitment efforts are for the welfare of the strategic plans of the company. Some recruiting methods are superior to others, depending what your sources are and who a company is recruiting. If no candidates are available within an organization then the main sources of candidates are ADVERTISING Advertising is a best source to attract candidates. For successful advertisement, a company needs to address two issues: the media and the ads construction. The selection of best medium depends on the types of positions a company is recruiting. OBJECTIVES OF ADVERTISEMENT Attract attention An advertisement should be attractive enough to gain an attention of a potential candidate Create and maintain interest The information of an ad is to be communicated in an attractive way about the job, the organization, qualifications and the terms and conditions of employment. Stimulate action An advertisement should be conveyed in such a way that it not only attracts candidates but encourage them to read at the end and apply. ANALYSE THE JOB REQUIREMENT Its necessary for a company to establish that how many jobs to be filled and when. Then comes the job description and person specification for qualification and experience. The next step is to consider where suitable candidates are likely to come from and the companies, jobs or educational establishments they are in. Finally the pay and the benefits of the company are clearly shown in an advertisement. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES AS A SOURCE OF CANDIDATES There are three basic types of employment agencies THOSE OPERATED BY FEDERAL OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS These agencies are on the rise these days. These agencies fill up the jobs, counsellors visit the work site. Review the job requirements and help the employer to write job description. THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION Most societies have units which help their members in finding a suitable job. Public welfare agencies place the people who are disabled and war veterans. PRIVATE OWNED AGENCIES These agencies charge to every applicant for the application they place. These agencies are the sources of managerial personnel, clerical and white collar. RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS Recruitment consultants advertise, interview and shortlist. STEPS FOR CHOOSING RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT Check its reputation with others Check the advertisements of other companies in order to know the consultancy Meet the consultant who is working on the assignment Compare its fee with other recruitment consultants USING RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS It is necessary to Brief them the terms and conditions of the company Give them assistance in job defining Clarify arrangements for interviewing and short- listing Clarify the fee and expenses structure Make sure the arrangements made are directly dealing with the consultant USING EXECUTIVE SEARCH CONSULTANTS These are also known as head hunter. These consultants are for senior jobs and direct the limited number of people to specific jobs. They are bit expensive consultants .These consultants have their own contacts and have researchers who identify specific people for a specific job. The consultant forwards the shortlist of candidates with full report to the client when a number of potential candidates have been assembled. CHOOSING AN ADVERTISING COMPANY Following steps should be taken while choosing an advertising company Experience in handling recruitment advertising Services provided to the clients Fee structure Staff meeting who are working on advertisement Discuss methods of working RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENT A recruitment advertisement should start with a compelling headline and then it covers the areas like the organization, the job, qualification and experience, terms and conditions of job, the location and the action to be taken. The headline should be a job title and in bold letters. For attracting customers, quote the salary in an attractive way. The name of the company should be given. Create interest in the job and convey the essential features of the job by giving a brief description of the duties of a job holder. The qualification and experience should be stated. This will vary from candidate to candidate. Pay scale and the job requirements will give them the enough information about the experience required. Final section of the advertisement is how a candidate can apply for a job? Candidates would be appreciated if they apply in writing, or have a telephonic conversation or may be called for an informal chat at some suitable place. SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT 1975 According to this law it is unlawful to discriminate by favouring sex in advertisement. Sexiest job titles should be avoided. There are certain jobs which are unisex and are non discriminatory. TYPE OF ADVERTISEMENT CLASSIFIED/ RUN- ON- they are cheap and suitable for routine jobs. In this a copy is run on, having no white space in or around the advertisement and no paragraph spacing. CLASSIFIED/SEMI-DISPLAY-it is much more effective and is fairly cheap. The h

Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown †Point of View Essay -- Young Goodma

     Ã‚   In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† how does the author present the characters, dialogue, actions, setting and events which comprise the narrative in this short story? This essay will answer these questions. R. W. B. Lewis in â€Å"The Return into Time: Hawthorne† states that â€Å"there is always more to the world in which Hawthorne’s characters move than any one of them can see at a glance† (77). In Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† this fact is especially true since the main character, Goodman Brown, is a naà ¯ve hero and since the narrator tells much of the story through the limited point of view of the protagonist. In this story the author uses a third-person narrator, who uses proper names and third-person pronouns to designate the various characteris in the tale: YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem village, but put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to exchange a parting kiss with his young wife. And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown.   The narrator possesses the capability of reading the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, the young Puritan husband, Goodman Brown, only, from among all the characters. As Brown turns the corner at the meeting house, he thinks: "Poor little Faith!" thought he, for his heart smote him. "What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too. Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight. But, no, no! 'twould kill her to think it. Well; she's a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, I'l... ...agonist as the character through whom the perceptions of the site are arriving to the reader. This inconsistency of viewpoint within given paragraphs may be a source for ambiguity within the tale. In conclusion, we have seen how in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the author presents the characters, dialogue, actions, setting and events which comprise the narrative in this short story, and what may be a source of ambiguity in the tale.  Ã‚      WORKS CITED Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html Lewis, R. W. B. â€Å"The Return into Time: Hawthorne.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.

Comparing the Gothic Revival in England Before and After 1820 Essay

Comparing the Gothic Revival in England Before and After 1820 The Gothic revival in England before and after 1820 was very different in many ways. Before the start of the Gothic revival the mediaeval style, since the last Gothic structure in 1509 of Henry VII ’s chapel, was seen as irrational and illogical and as one man described it as barbaric. This was one of the main causes that the mediaeval buildings of the 18th century fell into disrepair. During the Cromwellian period many Gothic buildings were classical in the interior and church interiors in the 17th century became increasingly boring and plain. Many statues, altars and windows were destroyed. Some attempts at gothic architecture were made in 17th century but many were a mix-match of ideas. Even though in the early1600’s there was an early flowering of mediaeval architecture with the Kings College in Cambridge. This carried on in to the 18th century where more and more people dabbled in the gothic style with out a full understanding of how gothic architecture worked as a structural system. They confused stages of the gothic period, which were later defined by Thomas Rickman in is writing, and also used Classical forms such as pilaster and venetian windows. Many interiors were of a classical form a layout and some times other style were thrown in. Some gothic forms were even used on the exterior of building where they didn’t perform the function they were meant to. This shows how little the architects of the 18th century studied the mediaeval and how little they understood it. The interest of Gothic grew more and more as gothic was seen to stimulate the imagination. It was seen as part of English romantic tradition, which sparked off an interest in artificial ruins in landscape design of the 18th century. Which was used as a means of heightening the atmosphere of the garden. An example of some artificial ruins is that of Wimpole hall designed by James Essex in 1768. Another inspirational architect in this time was William Kent. His designs using ogee pointed arches with a classical cornice inspired Batty Langley to produce a study in which he analyzed Gothic in terms of classical orders. A comparison with true mediaeval and Gothic architecture at this time shows that at this time all Gothic architecture was a decorative style to be applied as ornament to regular structures and s... .... After the houses of parliament burnt down the chosen style was Gothic not Classical. Pugin undertook all of the interior work. Another example was Scarisbirck Hall in Southport built in 1837 the great hall was with a timber framed roof with no classical plaster ceilings and it was all based on knowledge of the mediaeval architecture and all materials used were true. Pugin’s own house in St. Marie’s Grange built in1835 is based mediaeval vernacular forms it is stone built simplified Gothic and it used the theory of fitness for purpose. With regard to his house and his other works he said ‘a picturesque that arises out of strict utility’. John Ruskin(1819-1900) was very influential, his writings ‘Seven Lamps of Architecture’ influenced many people he had many similar view to Pugin apart from the fact he was Anglican and he led the way it their Gothic Revival. He also had a hope that there may be an acceptable style of iron architecture which may be developed so that Gothic could get a new lease of life. Works Cited: The Story of Architecture, Patrick Nuggins ,1996 History of Architecture Settings & Rituals, Spiro Kosof, 1985 Gothic Revival, Georg Germann, 1972

Karl Marxs Family Ethics Essay -- Essays Papers

Karl Marx's Family Ethics Ethics is defined as the study of moral standards and how they affect conduct. Ethics is a major affair in every profession and is a key topic of philosophical discussion. Karl Marx was a man of ethics. One of his main applications was freedom, which to Karl Marx meant determination.1 Marx's opinion was that man is controlled by the prerequisites of nature. The nature of man is comprised of powers, man being uncontrolled, allows him to comprehend the fullness of his powers. The question of becoming free came about and the answer was communism. Karl Marx had the notion that when the monarchy and capitalism were oblivious, then the communist government could take action, and the riches of society would prosper. Contrasting the beliefs that had started becoming prevalent, Marx thought that the economy should have nothing to do with labor, profits, and land tenure. Instead, Marx thought that the foremost point was man and his activities, as declared in the Communist Manifesto. Marx had a resolution to the problems of the working class man; bring the economy to man's direction in order to allow freedom. But, the next issue was, what else is relevant to freedom? Marx talks about this matter in the Communist Manifesto as well. Do the ethics of freedom concern everyone? And how would these ideals be set into today's society? Marx's first point is that achievements of man must primarily be attained through societal experiences.2 The society would need to encounter other individuals in order to develop into a nation. The bonds that this nation would require would need to result from capacities undividable from his organic being.3 Marx believes that interaction is natural ... ...mily should not be a unit. Every attempt of this has resulted in failure and will most likely always have the identical end product. Marx was correct in saying that freedom is a necessary quality of society, however, he was not right in making the assumption that the family unit ought to be devalued. Kamenka, Eugene. Marxism and Ethics. New York: W.D. Hudson, 1969 – Pg 12 Kamenka, Eugene. Pg 13 Heyer, Paul. Nature, Human Nature, and Society. Greenwood Press, 1982 – pg 126 Heyer, Paul. Pg 126 Kamenka, Eugene. Pg 8 Kamenka, Eugene. Pg 26 Kamenka, Eugene. Pg 49 Kamenka, Eugene. Pg 51 Koren, Henry. Marx and the Authentic Man. Pittsburgh, PA, 1967 – pg 33 Koren, Henry. Pg 37 Koren, Henry. Pg 67 Koren, Henry. Pg 68 Trigilio, Angie. "Marx's Ethics of the Family." http://www.udayton.edu/~hst102-14-3/ (2 Nov. 2001).

Understand and Meet the Nutrition Requirements of Individuals with Dementia

1. 1 Describe how cognitive, functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating, drinking and nutrition? Cognitive: depending on the type of dementia a person has they may have trouble in recognising the food in front of them or not understand that the food provided is for them, they may even view the food in front of them as food. This can be caused by their minds not recognising what is in front of them. Functional: depending on the type of dementia a person has they may struggle to use their knife, fork and spoon, they may even struggle to chew or swallow. This can be caused by the mind forgetting how to do something, or making that task become more difficult to perform. Emotional: depending on the type of dementia a person has they refuse to eat all together, this could be caused by the mind simply telling them they are not hungry or thirsty when they actually are, this can happen quite often and is usually caused by a problem causing them to get upset or angry. 1. 2 Explain how poor nutrition can contribute to an individual’s experience of dementia? Poor nutrition can actually worsen the symptoms of dementia for people. A report states that people with dementia who are undernourished may end up worsening their condition. But poor nutrition can also cause individuals with dementia to need specialised help more often as well. 1. 3 outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia? Dementia can be effected by other conditions that may prevent the individual from eating or drinking: Health – it is quite often for individuals with dementia to end up with Urinary Tract Infection or UTI for short, and while having a UTI the individuals may get more confused or angry causing them to not wanting to eat. Emotional – quite a few dementia suffers end up with depression because of the drastic changes in their life, such as being taken away from your home and your family. Having depression may cause the individuals to not want to eat. 1. 4 Explain the important of recognising and meeting an individual’s personal and cultural preferences of food and drink? Some people have curtain dietary requirements such as being vegetarian or vegan, some religions require you not to eat pork or only eating meet if it’s halal. Even though the individual has dementia they still have these beliefs and it is important to respect that person’s beliefs and choice. . 5 Explain why it is important to include a variety of food and drink in the diet of an individual with dementia? A balanced diet is important to people with dementia because if they do not have a nutritional diet then it can worsen their condition. Weight loss, nutritional deficiencies and inadequate fluid intake can a ll have a negative effect on a person’s dementia. It is the care assistances job to make sure that the individuals get the correct diet they each need. 2. 1 describe how mealtime cultures and environments can be a barrier to meeting the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia? In some cultures, people have strict meal time and meal size restrictions. People who are of Muslim religion fast once a year where they cannot eat when the sun is up, but for someone with Dementia they may think they are fasting when they don’t need to, so end up refusing all meals offered and provided to them. Another example would be that someone with dementia may not see or understand why they have to eat in a particular way, for example, starter, main, dessert. For someone with dementia, their tastes may have changed and might not want to eat meals that are set out for them in a particular way. By sticking to a regular meal time, this can be a barrier to the nutrition they need, because they may not want to eat at the same time as everyone else. 2. 2 describe how mealtime environments and food presentation can be designed to help an individual to eat and drink? Food presentation is very important to people with dementia, because their view on things are different, even though its meal time and other people around them are eating. If it doesn’t look like food they won’t eat it. Make sure that the table cloth is a bright colour and that the plate is a completely different colour, as well as different colour food on the plate. Even though to us there is something clearly on the table for someone with dementia, if there was a red table cloth with a red bowl and tomato soup inside, even though there is something there in front of them, they may not be able to see it. 2. 3 describe how a person centred approach can support an individual, with dementia at different levels of ability, to eat and drink? Treating everyone individually and offering them choices with their day to day life are the best ways to support someone with dementia. Many people with dementia are capable of making choices for themselves. So it is important to offer them different meal choices so they can pick which they prefer. If someone has progressed further with their dementia and are unable to communicate to tell us what they want, then we may need to show them the different options or check their care plans to see what they prefer eating. If none of this is available then you could observe them, If they eat what you provide then you should take a note that they liked it, if they don’t then try them with something else.

Online Social Network Bring More Benefits Than Harm for Teens Essay

Social networking is even used to prove the legitimacy or credibility of the individual. From entertainment, information to career improvement, social networking has practically changed the way people communicate and interact online. But social networks still have to face certain challenges especially on the users’ end since these challenges could harm users and the social network’s reputation. It is important for users of social network to consider these issues that surround the social network. By remembering these challenges, users will be able to protect themselves from negative repercussions on some issues on social network. Privacy as the Main Concern The number one problem users as well as social network administrators face everyday is security. It can happen in any given time with or without the user online. Attacks on different social networking website are always a possibility because the data protected by social networks are too precious to be ignored by attackers. Viruses, spywares and worms that aim to crawl through security protocols of social networks are constantly threatening social networks. Considerable time and resources are always spent by social networks in order to maintain privacy of their users. A single attack could make every user vulnerable to security related problems such as identity theft. Information Access Access to social networking websites varies. Some website will allow any user to access information of persons even though they are not part of the user’s network while some social network prohibit access to any form of information without confirmation from the profile owner. Problems regarding information access could be completely controlled by user but unauthorized access could still happen especially for those who are just starting to understand the rules of different social networks. Updated Notification Every social network provides real time notification usually through email if there are any changes in the user’s profile. But most notifications are very limited and they are usually on the positive things that happened on the social network. For example, when a request to connect is asked, the user will automatically be notified through email or any messaging system the user prefers. But social networks will never inform the user if someone willingly removes their connection. This is done to avoid confrontations between users which significantly affect the relationship. Misuse of Social Networks Unfortunately, there are those who use social network for scams and other illegal purposes. There have been reports around the world that social networks are used to spread rumors, lies or degrading messages that could affect the person’s reputation. â€Å"Cyber bullying† or an act of being hostile to another user online has also been observed in some social networks. This type of actions should never be allowed in any social network. Users have to be careful on the veracity of the data they receive and to take actions as soon as possible as soon as something undesirable is found on social networks. Protection for Children Aside from privacy and misuse of social networks, the vulnerability of minors is also a big problem for all social networks. While some social networks are geared towards adults, most social networks are open to everyone – including minors. Unfortunately, minors on social networks could become targets of sexual predators that can cloak their real identity in different social networks. While some legislators have taken steps in preventing these offenders from using social networks these efforts could be easily curtailed especially when the offender is more than familiar with the internet.

Flooding in South Africa Essay

Most floods take hours or days to develop, giving residents enough time to prepare or evacuate. Others happen quickly and with little warning. These flash floods can be extremely dangerous and cause major damage to the landscape and the habitants of such an area. Disaster specialists have various ways of classifying floods according to their likelihood of occurring and the intensity of the flood. A hundred-year flood, for example, is an extremely large, destructive event that would theoretically be expected to happen only once every century. Heavy rain in a short period of time in the part of South Africa, caused more than hundreds of people to be homeless by heavy flooding. Floods caused many to seek refuge on rooftops and on trees. This catastrophe killed more than hundreds of people causing the death toll to rise. Recently these floods caused evacuation of the Kruger National, a game reserve in Northern South Africa. Floods also covered some farmlands and crops were killed as a result forcing farms to close. Most of the roads, dams and large buildings were damaged. Due to flooding some mines were forced to close, this the case of a coal mines in Limpopo. Floods frequently causes major infrastructure damage of roads, railway lines, electricity supply systems, water supply and sewage disposal systems. Bribges over rivers are particularly exposed to damage and disruption of transportation systems follows. The economic effects of flooding are often greater than the flood itself. (Parker 2000) According to Parker (2000) be cause floods frequently destroy crops and livestock, food shortages are not uncommon in the aftermath. Floods may affect food availability in a number of ways. Food stocks may be damaged if storage areas are flooded. Serious flooding usually disrupts transportation of food deficit areas, particularly in towns, which are cut off from supply sources and have inadequate food stock. Impacts of flooding may hinder the economic growth and development that is the high cost of relief and recovery may adversely impact investment in infrastructure and other development activities in the area and in certain cases may cripple the frail economy of the of the region. Recurrent flooding in a region may discourage long-term investments by the government and private sector alike. Lack of livehoods, combined with migration of skilled labour and inflation may have a negative impact on a region’s economic growth. Loss of resource can lead to high costs of goods and services, delaying its development programmes. (Drep operation international federation of Red Cross and crescent societies). Figure 2 three kid were during floods in Limpopo As discussed under various perspectives, it is clear from the assignment that floods had adverse impact on the socio-economic status of livehoods for people in South Africa more especially the residents of Limpopo. It is also evident that there are varying underlying causes of floods i South Africa. Places near the flood event are the most susceptible to the dangers of the floods. Proximity of these places and poverty were identified as being the main cause of vulnerability of people

Organisational Development Assignment

I POL POYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET ————————————————- HP-GSB STAMP Assignments must be submitted in hard copy to:- The Secretary HP-GSB Reception Tel 061 207-2850 Date Received: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Time Received: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ————————————————- I declare that this assignment is our own work. I further declare that where material has been used from other sources, whether by paraphrasing or by direct quotation, it has been fully acknowledged and referenced.I have retained a copy of this assignment for my records. ————————————————- Student’s Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Signed below) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date: 28 September 2012 SURNAME &| Mr. Anton Scheun | †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | FIRST NAME:| | | STUDENT NUMBER:| | | COURSE TITLE:| Masters in Leadership and Change Management| | MODULE TITLE| ODOrganisational Development| | MODULE FACILITATOR:| Dr. S. Pillay| | ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE:| 10 October 2012| | This is to certify that the assignment is the work of the student, Mr A. Scheun and where sources were consulted; reference was made to them under he reference table. ii Mr. ANTON SCHEUN 9328548 ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Learning Organisation A Learning Organisation is organisations or enterprises that continuously needs to learn and renew themselves. This indeed has many advantages for both the individual and organisation in that continuous transferring of knowledge and changing of behaviours takes place. The best way to implement such intervention, to become a learning or ganisation, is to link it to the Strategic, Tactical, Operational and Individual Plans of staff members in the organisation.This will ensure integration and everyone contributing to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the enterprise. By so doing, members and the organisation become learning organisations, because this create dialogue, debate, problem solving skills, communication, buy-in and a win-win combination to all parties. 2. Performance Management System The purpose of Performance Management systems for organisations is to measure the achievement and performance of both individuals and the organisation as a whole. The PSN has already implemented a PMS at Offices, Ministries, Agencies and Regional Councils.A Performance Management System can only â€Å"survive† if all staff members are committed, trained and have the culture to effectively implement such a system. The advantages are enormous of which individual as well as organisational goals are met at the e nd of the day. The effective implementation of a PMS for the OPM will indeed contribute to effective and efficient customer needs and satisfaction levels. 3. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management is an area which has been neglected in the past by the Public Service of Namibia (PSN).As an example, all secretaries, institutional workers, drivers and courier’s individual performance plans are integrated and aligned to the Strategic Plan of the OPM for the support and attainment of corporate functions. 2. 2. 4 Team Learning; Team learning involves relevant thinking skills that enable groups of people to develop intelligence and an ability that is greater than the sum of individual members’ talents. As an example, team meetings are conducted during Annual Management Strategic formulation and development sessions by all team unit members.This indeed creates team learning, because all ideas, inputs and strategies being formulated are considered and the best are in corporated in respective plans. By so doing, all team members are buy-in and all sub-units contribute to the achievement of the overall goal and objectives of the OPM. 2. 2. 5 Systems Thinking: Systems thinking involve a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and understanding forces and interrelationships that shape the behaviour of systems.It helps managers and employees alike to see how to change systems more effectively and to act more in tune with the larger processes of the natural and economic world. For example, all unit members of the OPM were involved with the formulation and /or review of their business re-engineering processes. These business processes, such as the recruitment process, were amended to consider and improve time, manpower needs, costs and approval authorities in order to improve, integrate and streamline such processes to the betterment of the OPM.Through this process, policies, structure and budgets were identified for further amendment and alignment to the organisations systems and strategic plans. System thinking also involves the identification of appropriate systems that should be upgraded, such as an appropriate Human Resources Information Management System in order to accommodate personal particulars, performance appraisals, rewards and salary increments to mention a few. 4 3. The under-mentioned interventions are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM): 3. That the OPM’s Strategic Plan be amended to incorporate a goal: â€Å"Creating a Learning Organisation by 2015†, and objectives with strategies or initiatives, as spelled out below, be included. 3. 2 That the following strategies/interventions be considered: (a) That all management cadre and managers/supervisors be included in the review of the Annual Management Plan of the OPM on a yearly basis. This will allow for buy-in, developing of intellectual stimulating, argumentation and strategy formulatio n for the respective tactical, operational and individual plans of the units. b) That the same team retreat to review, amend and/or formulate all business re-engineering processes of the OPM. This will allow for team building, building a sense of commitment system thinking and creating mental models based on reflecting of where the units are and where they want to be in terms of business processes. (c) That a Training needs assessment be conducted by the training components in order to identify competency, skills and behavioural deficiencies. This will enable the OPM to identify and ectify these deficiencies and also to build capacity in the OPM and Public Service of Namibia. (PSN) (d) That staff members be identified and trained as mentors and coaches to affect mentorship programmes in the OPM and to become coaches in their respective units. This will enable transfer of knowledge, skills and change in behaviours of staff. Further that mentors and coaching will contribute to persona l mastery of individual needs and objectives with OPM’s objectives. e) That units should developed in-service –training programmes in areas of identified deficiencies, such as policy formulation, disciplinary procedures, recruitment and placement, etc. This will contribute to capacity building and attention to day-to-day deficiencies in the work place. It will allow for cross cultural and unit team building and problem solving issues. (f) That the training budget be utilised to accommodate for short courses and leadership/ management development for individuals, teams and the broader organisation.This will indeed contribute a link between individual and organisational goal achievement, capacity building, inputs, innovation and team learning. (g) That as part of career development, managers be transferred, every five years to new posts. Further, that job rotation and job enlargement is implemented in job descriptions to stretch the work and employee capacities for devel opment of prospective staff members to higher posts as part of the succession plan of the OPM. 5 (h) That a Bursary Scheme be created to allow staff members to study in identified fields where capacity is needed in the OPM.This will assist the OPM in skills shortages and to develop capacity of staff and the organisation. (i) That focus groups, tasks teams and committees be created as a stimulus for ideas, problem solving, creating of new innovations in the fields of disaster management, employment creation and measures to retention staff members at the OPM. (j) That a more generative learning approach be adopted by the OPM, whereby staff has the opportunity to take risks, make mistakes, reflect on their decisions they had taken and change their behaviours accordingly. 3. 3. Conclusion:The OPM, as well as any organisation are facing constant challenges in the creation of themselves to become a learning organisation. The creation of a learning organisation is not a short term strategy and cannot be done overnight, but should rather be long-termed focused and be part of any strategic plan of a given enterprise. In its guest to become a learning organisation, the Public Service of Namibia and the OPM are facing the problem to be used as a springboard to obtain relevant experience and qualifications, where after staff members resign to look for greener pastures.The organisational interventions that were recommended will definitely assist the OPM to become a more effective learning organisation in the near future. 1. 2 Performance Management 1. 2. 1 The following definitions are postulated: (a) Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization†. (www. humanresources. about. com ,cited 6/10/2012) b) Performance means:† the act or process of performing or carrying out†. (Oxford Dictionary, page 885) (c) â€Å"An assessment of an employee, process, equipment or other factor to gauge progress toward predetermined goals† (www. businessdictionary. com,cited 6/10/2012) (d) The students own definition is: â€Å"Performance management is a management system, used by managers, to appraise employees with relation to goal achievement, corrective measures to be implemented and identifying future knowledge, skills and behaviours to improve performance of people†. 6 1. 2. What are the challenges with regard to a Performance Management System (PMS)? The challenges are: (a) Line managers are not always totally committed to the implementation processes of the PMS. (b) It requires total commitment from top management, management cadres, line managers, supervisors, performance champions and staff members. (c) It requires a mind shift to a new performance culture. (d) It is an integrated approac h that links to Directives, Rules, and Regulations.(e) It identifies and needs coaching, mentoring, training and in-service training programmes. f) It provides for an integrated budget approach. (g) Performance champions and drivers should be identified and trained. (h) PMDS Moderating Committees should be established to monitor, evaluate and provide corrective actions. (i) It is time consuming to conduct performance appraisals and keep records of performance and behaviours of employees. (j) It should be benchmark with other organisations to effect total quality management and to keep abreast with latest developments and performance management computerized systems. 1. 2. What are the benefits of a Performance Management System? The benefits are: (a) To generate information that supports other human resources activities, i. e. recruitment and selection, rewards and special treatment, disciplinary and grievances,HIV/AIDS and wellbeing, bursary, training and development to mention a fe w. (b) It serves as a two way communication channel between line managers and staff members through which clarity is obtained regarding the achievement of goals and objectives and what each party expects from the other. 7 c) It helps to clarify job descriptions, organisational goals and objectives. (d) It is a long term (continuous) process in which performance improves over time. (e) It relies on consensus and cooperation between employer and employee, rather than control or coercion. (f) It requires a management style which is open and honest and encourages two-way communication and constant feedback on level of staff members’ performances. (g) It assists managers and staff members to measure and assess performance against jointly agreed objectives, standards and key performance indicators. h) It contributes to organisational learning, organisational renewal and total quality management and to the achievement of Vision 2030 of Namibia. 1. 2. 4 The under-mentioned interventi ons are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the OPM: (a) The PSN should establish and operationalized a PMS, based on the Balance Score card approach of Dr’s Kaplan and Norton. To do this, a PMS Policy framework and guiding manual for staff members should be compiled and linked to the Public Service Act, Act No. 13 of 1995.(b) In order to roll-out the PMS, the following sub-interventions are needed: 1) Strategic Plans need to be developed and explained to all staff members in order to get buy-in and change mind sets of public servants. (2) Strategic Plans should be cascaded to tactical, operational and group/individual performance plans and performance contracts to legalise and create accountability for the achievement or non- achievement of organisational goals, objectives and activities. (3) Strategic Plans should be supplemented by structural changes, job analysis, manpower planning to effectively integrate PMS with other main and sub-systems of the PSN. 4) The PMS should be market through a vision, mission, values, communication and training strategy. To this performance champions should be identified, trained and use to train –the –trainer in Offices, Ministries, Agencies and Regional Councils (OMARC’s). Training interventions should be develop to train ministers, permanent secretaries and management cadres to obtain buy-in and commitment. (5) Different committees should be established to oversee the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, corrective action, appeal procedures and reward systems of the PSN.To this, a PMS Management Committee, a PMS Working Committee and a PMS Training and Champion Committee should be established to effect implementation with terms of references. 8 (6) In order for PMS to be effectively and efficiently implemented, it should be rolled-out as a project. To this J. P. Kotter’s Eight- Step model is recommended to implement the PMS as a change management initiative. (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Refer to Appendix: A- a presentation which was given by Group 2. (c) Performance Agreements or Packs should be compiled and sign-off between the supervisors and staff member. d) Job profiles or descriptions should be compiled and attached to performance agreements. These two elements display the incumbent position to what is required, whereby the performance agreement emphasized the goals and objectives that need to be achieved by the individual or group. (e) The Disciplinary Policy should be amended to cater for under performers and staff who fail to perform at all. (f) Rewards, both intrinsic and extrinsic should form part of the PMS Policy framework. (g) The appraisal procedure, assessment marks and template to enter performance data should form part of the PMS Operational Manual. h) Recognition to staff should be given, annually, on the 23 June of each year, to coincide with the celebration of Africa Public Service Day. (i) A budget vote should be given to OMARCâ⠂¬â„¢s to cater for financial expenses. (j) The appraisal of staff should be conducted on a quarterly basis. (k) OMARC’s should submit a performance report to the OPM on an annual basis as part of their Annual Report on their respective performances. 1. 2. 5. Conclusion: It is the opinion of the student that the OPM and any organisation should have a PMS system to track performances of people against those objectives in their performance contracts.The PMS system will not only contribute to performance per se, but will encourage open communication, feedback, problem solving issues which inter alia contribute to organisational learning and a system of total quality management. The effective implementation of a PMS for the OPM will indeed contribute to effective and efficient customer needs and satisfaction levels. 9 3. Total Quality Management 3. 1 Introduction: Total Quality Management (TQM) has started in the USA in the mid-1970’s. Philip Crosby, one of the founders of TQM claimed that over 90% of TQM initiatives failed.Studies in European countries found a failure rate of 70% or more. The reason for this is that managers experience problems how to manage the change process in implementing a total TQM system. (Burnes, 2009). TQM exceeds the product quality approach, involves all employees in the organisation and encompasses all functions, i. e. administration, communications, distribution, manufacturing, marketing, planning, training, etc. (www. businessdictionary. com ,cited 2012) 3. 2 The following definitions are postulated: a) TQM can be defined: â€Å"as an executive commitment to a management culture which fosters the improvement of quality of all activities and products via the prioritisation of quality plus companywide organisational development and training†. (Hill, 2011). (b) â€Å"Total Quality Management or TQM is an integrative philosophy of management for continuously improving the quality of products and processes†. ( www. wikipedia. com ,cited 2012) (c) â€Å"TQM is an improvement program which provides tools and techniques for continuous improvement based on facts and analysis; and if properly implemented, it avoids counterproductive organisational infighting†. www. acounting4management. com/total _quality management. htm, 2012). 3. 3 The meaning of Total QualityManagement: TQM has different meanings that include the following features: (a) The commitment and direct involvement of the highest-level executives in setting quality goals and policies, allocation of resources, and monitoring of results. (b) Realisation that transforming and organisation means fundamental changes in basic beliefs and practises and that this transformation is everyone’s job. (c) Building quality into products and practices right from the beginning. d) Understanding of the changing needs of the internal and external customers, stakeholders, and satisfying them in a cost effective manner. 10 (e) Institutin g leadership in place of mere supervision so that every individual performs in the best possible manner to improve quality and productivity, thereby reducing total cost. (f) Eliminating barriers between people and departments so that they work as teams to achieve common objectives. (g) Instituting flexible programs for training and education, and providing meaningful 3. 4 The advantages and disadvantages of Total Quality Management: .4. 1 The advantages are: (a) Lower costs. â€Å"TQM lower costs throughout the business infrastructure and organisation. Because it is an all-encompassing quality management programme, TQM helps different departments to communicate their needs, problems and desires with each other, so that workable solutions can be found that will help the organisation cut costs throughout the supply chain, distribution chain, shipping and receiving, accounting and management departments without losing productivity or the ability to operate rapidly in the face of chang e. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (b) Improved Reputation. â€Å"TQM has the advantage of improving corporate as well as product reputations in the marketplace, because errors and defective products are discovered much more rapidly than other a non-TQM system, and often before they are ever sent to market or found in the hands of public†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (c) Higher employee morale. â€Å"Workers are motivated by extra responsibility, team work and involvement in decisions of TQM†. (www. ehow. om ,cited 7/10/2012) (d) Quality control inspectors. â€Å"Inspectors will ensure that the products and services meet the requirements and standards of the client and organisation, which indeed contribute to better service delivery†. 3. 4. 2 The disadvantages are: (a) Resistance to change. † Workers may feel that their jobs or occupations within the company are at risks under a comprehensive TQM program, and as a result, they may be slow or resist ant to making the necessary changes for the TQM to work properly.In addition, skilled workers may be lost as they decide to leave because of their unease at the direction that things are headed within the company, or they may not implement things properly, costing increase cost†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 11 (b) High cost of time. The high cost of implementing a TQM program, and the fact that it may take several years for the program to be fully implemented before results and benefits are seen, can be a huge disadvantage to a TQM program, especially in today’s uncertain economic conditions.TQM should be considered a long-term investment†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (c) Resistant to change. Workers may be resistant to change and may feel less secure in their jobs†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 3. 5 The under-mentioned interventions are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the OPM: The Total Quality Management System is highly re commended for the Public Service due to the following reasons: (a) The PSN needs an instrument which can measure products (i. e. annual reports, speeches, etc. and services(i. e. Health, identity cards, Namibian passports, birth and death certificates, vehicle fleet services, maintenance and fuel consumption, the return on investment of training ) to improve service delivery clients, customers and the public at large. (b) Total Quality Management will ensure the minimisation of wastage. (c) TQM will contribute to effective and efficient service delivery to internal and external clients, and especially to the Presidents Office, Prime Minister, and cabinet. d) TQM will ensure that the food donated to crisis areas, such as Katima Mulilo and Oshikoto Region, during the extreme rainy seasons as well as drought relief programmes, be monitored and/or not get rotten. (e)TQM will contribute to team building and cross functional interaction, problem solving and sound debate between Offices, M inistries, Agencies and Regional Councils (OMASRC’s). (f) It will ensure that product and services could be branded which in turn will have a positive impact on the OMASRC’s and government as a whole. g) It will create stimulus to team work, higher sensitivity levels, greater responsibilities and even empowerment of staff members in the execution of this specific function. It may also make staff members proud to see the end results of product and services in which they were directly involved in. (h) It will force the OPM to set standards and requirements for products and services which will eventually lead to the creation of Namibia’s own government brand, such as the SABS standards. (i) It will create further employment of specialist as inspectors that will not only be utilised for inspection of such products and services, but can also 2 be incorporated in a Department of Inspectorate for the Public Service of Namibia. Such a Department doesn’t exist and need serious consideration. (j) As with resistance to change, it’s recommended that Kotter’s eight step plan be followed, as indicated in Appendix: A. (k) That a vote is created and the Ministry of Finance be assigned to allocated funds for the implementation of TQM in the PSN. (l) That the OPM, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport and Communications be used as pilot ministries in the first two years during roll-out of the project. 3. 6.Conclusion: The PSN and the government need a quality software system to evaluate its products and services. There is a public outcry that the PSN and Government should improve customer satisfaction by bringing their services to the public and that they should change. It’s the opinion of the student that TQM, as a management tool will provide for such a measurement in order to provide effective and efficient service delivery to clients, customers and stakeholders. TQM will significantly help to improve the standard and mea surement of performance management in the PSN. . Six Sigma: 4. 1 Introduction: The originator of the Six Sigma concept was Bill Smith in 1986. Quality improvement controls, such as TQM, were used to pioneer this concept. Six Sigma is the process of eliminating and perfect data entry. This concept is based on project methodologies used to strengthen performance levels, according to www. insigma. com. In 2006, Motorola issued a press release stating that they had $17 billion saved from Six Sigma†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012)4. 2 Definition: a) The project definition of TQM is defined as;† Six Sigma projects have clearly defined deliverables, are management approved, are not so big that they’re unmanageable and not so little that they’re unimportant or uninteresting, and relate directly to the organisation,s mission, according to www. isixsigma. com†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 13 4. 3 Advantages and disadvantages of six sigma: 4. 3. 1 The a dvantages are: (a) â€Å"The advantage is that Six Sigma is a quality standard that establishes a goal of no more than3. 4 defects per million units or procedures â€Å". b) â€Å"Six Sigma aims to maximize customer satisfaction and minimize defects†. (c) â€Å"Six Sigma is a tool that if used correctly, can identify key areas of business processes that need attention to lower effect rates. One of the greatest advantages is that all the measured improvements achieved through this technique can be directly converted into financial results†. (d) â€Å"Research proves that firms that successfully implement Six Sigma perform better in virtually every business category, including return on sales, return on investment, employment growth and stock value growth†.Source: (www. ehow. com , cited 7/10/2012). 4. 3. 1 The disadvantages are: (a) The eventual costs to implement Six Sigma are very high. To this, Becthel Corporation in the USA has spent USD 30 million to imple ment Six Sigma. (b) According to a quality expert, Joseph M. Duran, Six Sigma is described as â€Å"a basic version of quality improvement† stating that â€Å"there is nothing new there†¦they have adopted more flamboyant terms, like belts with different colors† Source: (Integrating Organisational Development and Six Sigma. Jeffrey, B. ) 4. Recommendations to the Permanent Secretary: (a) Six Sigma should not be implemented in the Public Service of Namibia in the short to medium term, but it should be considered whether the Namibia Defence Force can do research and conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of Six Sigma for the PSN. Research indicated that the United States of America has introduced it in their Navy with success. Source: www. accounting4management. com, 2012). (b) The TQM intervention should be given first priority in OMASRC’s, before Six Sigma is considered in the PSN. c) It is further recommended that financial and manpower be a llocated to conduct such a feasibility study and that the Ministry of Finance release funds and a vote to source this research. 14 (d) The above should be carried out according to project management principles and procedures. (e) The feasibility study should be submitted, after presentation to the Permanent Secretaries meeting on 30 June 2013. During this meeting it can further be recommended whether Six Sigma should be introduced and be roll-out to the PSN. 4. 5 Conclusions:Although Six Sigma is widely used, especially in the USA and Europe, no evidence could be found that Namibia is using it currently. This may be, because it is not cost effective and/or there is not yet a market for it. It is strongly recommended that the NDF, especially the Navy should conduct a research and feasibility study to determine whether it is viable for Namibia and if the Defence Force may benefit in the long run. This report will indicate whether Six Sigma can be roll-out to the rest of the Public Ser vice of Namibia.REFERENCES Burnes, B. Managing Change. Fifth Edition. 2009. Pearson Education Limited. England. Nel, P. S. , Gerber, P. D. , Van Dyk, P. S. , Haasbroek, G. D. , Schultz, H. B. , Sono, T. , Werner, A. Human Resources Management. 5th Edition. 2011. Oxford University Press. Southern Africa. Hill, M. Study material on Managing People and Organisations. July 2011. Windhoek. Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. A. , Organisational Behavior. Global Edition. 2011. Prentice Hall. New Jersey. www. acounting4management. com/total quality management. htm, Definition and Explanation of the Concept of Total Quality Management System. Cited 7/10/2012. www. businessdictionary. om. Definition of Total Quality Management System. Cited 7/ 10/2012. www. businessdictionary. com . Cited 6/10/2012 www. ehow. com. Advantages and disadvantages of TQM. Cited 7/10/2012. www. humanresources. about. com. Cited 6/10/201 www. hrfolks. com. The Learning Organisation. Review- Rohan Nagwekar. Cited 1/ 10/2012. www. see. ed. ac. uk. Learning organisations. Cited 1/10/2012. www. wikipedia. com. Cited 6/10/2012. 15 APPENDIX Appendix: A- Leading change: Why transformational efforts fail. Presented by Group 2 of Masters in Leadership and Change Management, dated September 2012