Case Study Analysis: Oakbrook Medical Systems

In this case study, a division manager faces several potential human resource issues and communication challenges. To provide background, â€Å"Oak Brook Medical Systems† developed their â€Å"Hospital Supply Division† in response to â€Å"changes in the healthcare marketplace† and staffed the unit with highly qualified committed personnel. The company values teamwork, shares an â€Å"entrepreneurial† spirit, and the group of committed â€Å"self-starters† provides customers with quality products and service.The division’s highly qualified strategic director has been with the company for 12 years, serving in her current position for 18 months, and has been credited for developing a strategy that added â€Å"$40 million† to the business unit. Increasing the number of qualified and committed women into management could also carry â€Å"positive implications† for the company because â€Å"shifting demographics† call for new perspectives to meet changing customer expectations to sustain market growth and to outperform competitors.The strategy director hopes that her efforts will be recognized and rewarded with career advancement. † Division revenues currently reflect exceptional annual growth at â€Å"nearly 35 percent,† but there are indications that communication and morale need to be improved within the unit. Workers in the division who largely seem to be motivated to meet corporate goals also share resentment towards their team leader.Anecdotal reports both from management and competent people under her supervision indicate that the director’s â€Å"results-oriented† communication style has generated allegations of curtness and condescension from co-workers (O’Rourke, 2010, pp. 290, 291). There seems to be a disconnect between perceptions of productivity, fairness and effective communication, and this case study identifies both short-term concerns and latent interna l threats to long-term profitability.Senior management largely acknowledges favorable market conditions and collaborative workers for producing impressive Hospital Supply Division growth rather than singling out the division’s strategy director for exemplary leadership. Although considered a â€Å"valuable asset,† the strategy director’s communication problems with colleagues and subordinates have stirred â€Å"greater concern during discussions of her future in the division. † The strategy director, on the other hand, justifies her communication approach by considering frankness to be an integral part of â€Å"getting the job done. Despite her business unit’s success, the strategy director has indicated that she feels overlooked and frustrated by management, possibly because of racial or gender discrimination. The unit lacks substantive â€Å"representation of women and people of color in its management ranks† (O’Rourke, 2010, pp. 2 90, 291). Gender and racial sensitivities carry serious implications for managers concerned with short-term profits and long-term viability.Cultural sensitivity is critical to a manager’s success (O’Rourke, 2010). So far, senior management has not brought concerns about discontent in the division to the director’s attention. Senior managers need to address the concerns of the director’s colleagues and subordinates regarding her objectionable communication style, as well as the strategy director’s concerns about possible racial and gender discrimination to make appropriate long-term strategic choices for the division and company.O’Rourke (2010) also identifies skills essential for cross-cultural communication, including â€Å"a capacity to accept the relativity of [one’s] knowledge and perceptions,† a â€Å"capacity to be nonjudgmental,† and â€Å"a tolerance for ambiguity† (p. 288). The sensitive nature of personn el issues requires thoughtful action and the intercultural dimension in the case study highlights the need for careful message planning and delivery.Senior management needs to convey a clear message of non-discrimination to both the strategy director and everyone else in the business unit without sending signals that authoritarian management will be rewarded. O’Rourke (2010) suggests that effective managers deliver purposeful messages in ways that fulfill an organization’s mission. Managers who avoid dealing with or ignore personnel concerns about discrimination can foment misunderstanding and create conditions ripe for otherwise unwarranted charges.A senior manager would be in the best position to communicate the division’s strategic vision while addressing the strategy director’s shortcomings and the unit’s morale in a positive way. Newly assigned to the Hospital Supply Division, the senior manager also has a unique opportunity to become a mentor to strategy director by listening to her concerns about fairness and helping her to make adjustments to her communication approach that will improve her standing with colleagues, subordinates, as well as senior management.Most of the face-to-face communication between the senior manager and strategy director will involve nonverbal cues that will influence long-term morale for co-workers, too. Segal (2009) indicates that critical nonverbal cues often determine whether or not a communication partner is listening, understanding the message, or cares. Some of the â€Å"most important nonverbal cues† include tone of voice, gaze, body position, and concentration that become significant in conversations and determine â€Å"the way we talk, listen, look, move, and react. She also points out that building â€Å"stress management† and â€Å"emotional awareness† skills improve nonverbal communication and demonstrate â€Å"emotional intelligence† (para. 10, 14). It cannot be overstated that the senior manager will need to be an exemplary communicator with empathy for team members because mistrust and misunderstanding lie at the center of the current problems in the division. Ongoing discontent could undermine sustainability and declining morale could drive away otherwise effective workers if the situation is mishandled.However, morale should quickly improve in the division with actions that reinforce the company’s commitment to attracting and sustaining quality personnel while providing a clear path for the strategy director to meet her career goals. Colleagues and subordinates will be more inclined to respect the strategy director if they witness her transformation to embrace a more collaborative communication style. In addition, management will need to be more prepared to acknowledge the strategy director’s role in the team’s continued success. With appropriate action, Oak Brook Medical System’s Hospital Supply D ivision will be in a strong position to retain quality personnel who can provide customers solid care.ReferencesO’Rourke, J. (2010). Management Communications: A Case-Analysis Approach (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Segal, J. (2009). EQ tool 3: The pulley: Improving nonverbal communication. Retrieved from Blog posted to EQ: Emotional Intelligence Central, archived at: http://www. emotionalintelligencecentral. org/eq/nonverbal_communication. html

Proximity of fastest growing region in China Essay

The Hong Kong HIT has been noted for its excellence in high end services, range of shipping lines and extensive coverage of destinations. Excellent institutional framework, a business-friendly environment, the professionalism of workers. The most important is Hong Kong legal system, which is trusted, tried and tested by international business. Hong Kong retains a distinct advantage in permitting the parties in maritime arbitration, to have the contract governed and construed in accordance with Hong Kong or English law. As an international financial centre, Hong Kong position itself as the business, trading and services hub for the Mainland and the region as a whole. At the same time, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta will continue to be the main economic engine of southern China, as well as an increasingly wealthy consumer market and a strong regional economy aiming the global export market. Hong Kong does have a number of advantages over other Mainland cities, and will continue to do so in the future. A strong and well-regulated financial sector, a free press, the free flow of information, low taxes and a simple taxation system, a pool of ighly skilled managers with international experience, proximity to major markets, and a close network of services companies are among the strengths and advantages for business in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is supporting services for the maritime sector in Hong Kong, for example export finance, trade documentation and logistics. The business-friendly tax policy and favourable customs laws make Hong Kong competitive. Sufficient terminal basin and its approach channel depth to accommodate the increasing draughts of ultra-large container ships. The Marine Department has an annual tonnage charge reduction scheme in place for Hong Kong registered ships. It has also recently reduced fees for 24 marine-related services such as port dues, seafarers? licences fees, and certificate fees. Hong Kong competitiveness is further enhanced by the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with China. Weakness The absolute majority of the world bigest container ports are located in Asia. Most of the container ports belongs to Mainland China, the second bigest economy in the world. All this provides enormous opportunities for HIT, however every individual port faces new challenges and competition. Hong kong HIT is not an exception. Competitiveness of HIT has become a key issue. In other words any other Mainland port could be considered a competitor threatening the success of the HIT. As before many Chinese ports were poorly equipped to handle the sudden increase in exports from a rapidly expanding manufacturing sector, HIT was the obvious port of choice. After returning Hong Kong to China almost immediately many manufacturing industries relocated from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. A report released by the Better Hong Kong Foundation noted that Hong Kong was rapidly losing market share in cargo throughput to Shenzhen „newer and cheaper ports?. Carolyn Cartier, „Transnational Urbanism in the Reform-era Chinese City: Landscapes from Shenzhen?. Oportunities It is difficult to distinguish precise opportunities for HIT. The shareholders of HIT has indicated support for closer crossborder cooperation with other ports in the region. For instance, Shenzhen Port is controlled by the owners of Hong Kong HIT and is closer to manufacturing sources. However, many vessels continue to call at both ports. It is also important to recognise the vast amount of active industry companies located in Hong Kong which makes it (the Pearl Delta Region) a sustainable location for maritime businesses. Hong Kong advantage lies in its ability to cooperate effectively with the Mainland under the CEPA (HK and Macau, Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) and its well advanced industry. CEPA continues to provide benefits for Hong Kong businesses. As an economy, where 90% of GDP comes from services, Hong Kong strengths lie in services. On the other hand, the Mainland services sector has been developing as a noticeably slower pace compared to its manufacturing sector. The potential hence for overseas firms under CEPA is enormous. A problem with a large number of China FTZ was that they were not connected to ports. Thus cargo had to undergo customs check procedures prior to entering the FTZ or port. The opportunities for businesses in the services sector is enhanced by CEPA. The best way for overseas service suppliers to leverage on CEPA to gain access to the Mainland market is to set up a service company in Hong Kong, or partner with, invest in or even acquire service suppliers in Hong Kong. Overseas service suppliers acquiring an existing Hong Kong service supplier need to operate in Hong Kong for one year to demonstrate they are carrying on substantive business operations after the acquisition. If a foreign services supplier acquires less than 50 percent equity interest in a Hong Kong service supplier, the one year time bar does not apply. Better transport infrastructure will improve access to Mainland markets and enhance CEPA aims. For example, the integration of regional transport networks will be enhanced by the development of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge which has an expected completion date of 2016. Notably, it is an ongoing process of liberalization between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Hong Kong long-term economic prospects based on being able to maintain competitiveness and importance as a major centre for international finance, trade, transport and logistics, professional services, communications and tourism. In the past five years, Hong Kong has been positioning itself to sustain reasonable economic growth in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based world. Reforms have been launched in the key areas of financial services, education and the public sector to enhance Hong Kong attractiveness as a business hub with a highly-skilled workforce and a small, efficient government. Major steps have been undertaken to improve the environment, consolidate and enlarge Hong Kong position and to build the infrastructure needed to ensure continued development as a hub for trade and transport in Asia, and in particular the rapidly growing Pearl River Delta. Concerted efforts have been taken to promote and position Hong Kong as Asia world city. The Brand Hong Kong programme, launched in May 2001, is a long-term undertaking to focus greater international attention on Hong Kong strengths and advantages as the most free, open and cosmopolitan city in Asia. Container Terminal 9 (CT9), now being completed on Tsing Yi Island by the private sector, will consolidate Hong Kong position as the worlds busiest and most efficient container port. The 68-hectare project will have six berths and a design capacity to handle more than 2. 6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year. CT9 in a following years will bring annual total capacity at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal Basin to more than 15 million TEUs. The new marine basin will be able to handle the largest container ships. Threats Since 1997 when Hong Kong was returned to PRC the HIT has served as the gateway to China because of its strategical location in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China, the most advanced trading region in China. The Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, has been the most economically dynamic region of the Chinese Mainland since the beginning of China reform programme in 1979. The Chinese government establishment of a special economic zone in Shenzhen in 1979 gave an oportunity for Hong Kong and its container port to benefit from access to China, however development of mainland container ports in recent years has challenged HIT. Mainland ports invested in upgraded facilities with the help of foreign capital and a rapid move to privatization of ports. „Since 1985, mainland China has invested more in its port development than the rest of the world combined?. Kevin Cullinane, Wang Teng Fei and Sharon Cullinane, „Container Terminal Development in Mainland China and Its Impact on the Competitiveness of the Port of Hong Kong? Recent reports suggest that Chinese factories are moving further inland and in some cases, closer to Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta, seeking to lower evergrowing costs. The forecast annual growth rate for cargo in the region is 8. 6 per cent to 2020. The forecasts imply that Shenzhen market share of cargo in the region will increase to 55 per cent (from 16 per cent in 1999). Furthermore and contrary to the implications suggested by the report outlined above, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific pointed out that „by 2020 Shanghai is expected to be overtaken by Shenzhen to become the world? s largest container port.? Kevin Cullinane, Wang Teng Fei and Sharon Cullinane, „Container Terminal Development in Mainland China and Its Impact on the Competitiveness of the Port of Hong Kong? It is, of course, impossible to forecast which outcome will prevail. In the meantime most ports in China are concentrating on expanding capacity and upgrading and modernizing port facilities and operations. It is possible that many of Shenzhen business-friendly policies have been inspired by Hong Kong well-established and competitive customs and trade regimes, low tax and industry incentives. Nevertheless Hong Kong retains a number of competitive advantages such as well-integrated finance, legal and other service sectors, including a healthy body of industry groups. Hong Kong is clearly establishing itself as a hub for maritime services. Its traditional role as a transshipment hub will continue to face pressure from mainland China where the vast majority of export goods historically shipped from Hong Kong are manufactured. The implementation of FTZ and associated financial incentives for the maritime sector establishes the Mainland ports as a sustainable option for marine businesses, especially those seeking to move closer to manufacturing sources. Mainland ports traditionally competed at the lower end offering the lowest port charges in the region but with limited destinations and low service frequency. Yantian Port had the highest charges on the Mainland but offered a more competitive turnaround time and better global network integration. Various incentives and a rapidly developing economy in the Pearl River Delta region have shifted the balance.

Right to Counsel

Right to Counsel CJA/364 October 9, 2011 Right to Counsel Every individual is afforded the right to counsel in criminal proceedings. It is the liability of the government to provide every defendant facing criminal charges with legal representation that also is considered sufficient (2011). The Sixth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution guarantees every individual the right to a swift and public trial from an unbiased jury of his or her peers in the state or district in which the crime was committed in (1995-2011). The district should have been beforehand established by law, and to be educated of the nature and reason for the charge, the right to face the eyewitness in opposition of him or her, to have necessary process for gathering eyewitnesses in his or her support (1995-2011). Last, the Sixth Amendment affords and individual the right to have the aid of an attorney for his or her defense (1995-2011). The last statement of the Sixth Amendments establishes that every individual has a right to counsel from the very second he or she is placed in police confinement (2011). The judgments of the U. S. Supreme Court also indicates that the Right to Counsel be provided to any individual who is insolvent or penniless and that the individual is guaranteed the right to the attendance of a court-appointed counsel at a crucial point in the criminal trial (2011). The crucial points of these proceedings are composed of custodial questioning, pre-charge lineups, preliminary examinations, arraignment, trial, punishment, and the first appeal of guilty verdict (2011). The Right to Counsel was initiated as a response to the English custom of refusing the aid of counsel in severe criminal proceedings that forces individuals to be present in court and represent his or herself in his or her own words (2011). An example of the strictness of the practice to deny counsel is evident in the trial of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots in 1568 (2011). Queen Mary was indicted for treason for supposedly plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth I (2011). Queen Mary requested the aid of an attorney on the basis that the laws and statutes of England were unfamiliar to her, she was without an attorney and no one would stand up and speak for her (2011). Queen Mary was eventually found guilty of her crimes and sentenced to death by beheading (2011). The creators of the U. S. Constitution deemed the denial of an attorney revolting to the fundamental ideology of criminal justice (2011). The creators of the U. S. Constitution ascertained that the aid of an attorney was an important factor in sustaining an accusatorial method of justice (2011). The accusatorial method of justice leaves the problem on the state to determine the guiltiness of the defendant (2011). The accusatorial method is in disagreement with the inquisitorial method in which fault or blamelessness is established through questioning of the defendant (2011). The Supreme Court also has interpreted the Sixth Amendment to mean that a defendant is entitled to an attorney that the attorney must also be effective in representing the defendant (2011). The Supreme Court interpreted this to mean that the representation must be diligent and significant (2011). The Supreme Court established that if a defendant is not provided with effective counsel during court proceedings, the conviction could be overturned (2011). The Supreme Court has also established that although the Sixth Amendment guarantees an individual the right to have an attorney, whether the attorney is hired or delegated by the courts that an individual may also represent his or herself (2004-2011). Any individual has the right to represent his or herself in court but a judge may refuse the individual that right to be his or her own counsel if the judge deems the individual lacks the capability to exercise a knowing or competent dismissal of an attorney (2004-2011). The judge may also deny an individual the right to represent his or herself if the representation is in any way disorderly of normal court proceedings (2004-2001). The right for an individaul to represent his or herself is granted only at normal court proceedings and is not available when a case is before the courts on appeal (2004-2011). If a person is granted the right to represent his or herself in court, that individual cannot later state the quality of his or her defense deprived him or her of sufficient aid to an attorney (2004-2011). The crucial components of right to an attorney is highlighted in the case of McKaskle v. Wiggins that detailed the self-represented defendants rights vis-a-vis â€Å"standby counsel† delegated by the trial court (2004-2011). If the defendant is representing his or herself, he or she has the power of how information is presented to the jurors (2004-2011). Even if there is an attorney on standby, the attorney’s presence should in no way alter the jury’s assessment that the individual is representing his or herself (2004-2011). But involvement of a standby attorney in the company of the jury and despite the protest of the defendant does not infringe on the defendants constitutional rights afforded by the Sixth Amendment when the aid is in agreement with normal courtroom principles and practices that alleviates the trail judge of these responsibilites (2004-2011). Some defendants may think it is wise to represent his or herself but if the individual is not well versed in the law he or she could make major mistakes that may cause him or her to lose his or her freedom. It is said that a person who represents his or herself has a fool for a client. An attorney is a delegate of citizens, an officer of the criminal justice system and the public that has an accountability to ensure justice is dispensed (1995-199). The role of an attorney has many facets; a consultant, promoter, delegate, mediator, and an assessor (1995-1999). As a consultant an attorney notifies his or her client with knowledge of his or her constitutional rights and responsibilites and clarifies his or her realistic suggestions (1995-1999). As a promoter an attorney feverously emphasizes the client’s point under the standards of the adversary method (1995-1999). As a delegate an attorney searches for an outcome beneficial to the client but uniform with the necessities of truthful dealings with others (1995-1999). As a mediator among clients an attorney searches to settle his or her conflicting interest (1995-1999). As an assessor an attorney researches his or her client’s legal dealings and informs the client or others of the legal dealings (1995-1999). In criminal court proceedings the prosecutor who works for the state, and the defense attorney who can also work for the state but is there to aid the defendant. The U. S. Supreme Court established in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright that the basic role of applies in a just criminal justice system (2011). The Justices collectively determined that the states possess a legal responsibility afforded within the Sixth and 14th Amendments to offer counsel to any individual who cannot afford one (2011). The judgment emphasized that a penniless individual in a criminal proceeding is guaranteed the aid of an attorney as a basic civil right necessary to ensure a just trial, a client’s trial and sentence deprived of an attorney is an infringement of the 14th Amendment (2011). The privilege to have an ttorney is the most basic bureaucratic safety measure to ensure a just trial in which the government and the defendant stand alike in the eyes of the law (2011). As stated earlier, the Supreme Court established that if a defendant is not provided with effective counsel during court proceedings, the conviction could be overturned (2011). References Right to Counsel 2011 http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/right+to+counsel Retrieved October 9, The Exclusionary Rule January 16, 1999 The United States Constitution 1995-2011 U. S. Constitution Online http://www. usconstitution. net/const. html#Am1 Retrieved October 9, 2011 Self Representation 2004-2011 http://supreme. justia. com/constitution/amendment-06/16-self-representation. html Retrieved October 9, 2011 Preamble: A Lawyer’s Responsibilites 1995-1999 Touch N’ Go Systems http://touchngo. com/lglcntr/ctrules/profcon/profcon. htm Retrieved October 9, 2011 National Committee on the Right to Counsel 2011 National Legal Aid and Defender Associaton http://www. nlada. org/Defender/Defender_Kit/NCRC Retrieved October 9, 2011

Does Globalization help or hurt the state of Alabama Essay

Does Globalization help or hurt the state of Alabama - Essay Example Globalization effects are dependent on the state of development of the nation. Countries that are termed as developing may not benefit from globalization compared to developed nations. This can be attributed to the lack adequate fund to acquire technology to compete with developed nations. Globalization can thus be evaluated with regards to the effect it may have on the nation it affects. The state of Alabama will be positively affected by globalization (Mishkin 2009: 187-196). Alabama’s economy depends on various industries to ensure that there is economic growth in the state. Alabama generates its revenue from agriculture with leading products being livestock products. The state’s agricultural produce includes broilers, cattle, eggs, cotton, horticulture and calves. Crop farming comprises 18% of revenue generated from agriculture. The State has manufacturing industries that add value to the raw material imported or from the country. Manufacturing industries in the Sta te increase the revenue generated as the products from the manufacturing industries retail at a higher price compared to the raw material exports. Fishing along the golf of Mexico provides the State with revenue. Mining provides the state with most of the State's revenue with some of the minerals mined include coal, natural gasses and limestone. Mining in the State provides the local people with employment which improves their lifestyle. The service industry also contributes significantly to the State’s economy. The services provided in the state include community based, business government, and personal services (Cunat, 2009:179-212). Effects of trade The revenue generated from taxes levied on imports and exports from local and international businesses enable the government to run its operations. Globalization of economies requires that such trade barriers be eliminated to facilitate the free movement of commodities. The government can generate additional revenue from the bu siness with globalization. Globalization encourages international investors. International investors increase the employment opportunities through the industries they venture into in the State. Imports will increase through globalization. Increased imports enable the citizens of the State to choose from a wide range of products provided in the market. The free trade also facilitates exports such that the industries in Alabama can market their products in all markets they may find profitable. The trade in processed good from the industries in the state ensures that it enjoys favorable terms of trade. Unlike other nations especially the developing nation which star in sale of raw material, Alabama’s finished products may retail at a higher cost thus improving the States terms of trade. Improved trade between other States would ensure that the nation reduces its budget deficits. Budget deficits are as a result of increased government spending compared to the revenue it generates . Increased trade between other States enables the government to collect more revenue from the workers and the industries in the nation thus more revenue generated. Government spending in improvement of infrastructure and provision of some basic amenities can also be reduced by encouraging foreign investments (Andres 2011:885-901). Competition may be viewed as a local industry destroyer with many weak industries falling under the pressure of competition. Competition

Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern World - Essay Example None of the personalities under discussion vowed to any religious disciplines, and even if they are now thought to belong to orders like Catholicism, as is the case with Mother Teresa and Simone Weil (The Baptism 1), what should be noted is that they never advocated or preached any religious ideologies, but remained strictly outside of the religious circle and concentrated merely on the humanitarian, spiritual, and cultural endeavors. This is the most compelling element of their secularity, and renders arguments such as whether or not Simone Weil was baptized (The Baptism 2) as irrelevant to the case. The humanitarian aspect of Weil’s ideology, and her political work for the trade unions (Bergery); the founding of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta by Mother Teresa (Mother Teresa); and the activist efforts of Martin Luther King against the mistreatment of black sanitation workers in Memphis (Dowd), all are ample proofs of the saintly endeavors of these humanitarians, and establishes them beyond doubt as secular saints. The concept of justice in the Greek philosophy, as perceived by Plato but opposed by Socrates is that those in power decide what is just according to what favors them (Hooker).

Fanboys Film Reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fanboys Film Reaction - Essay Example This includes the community interested in comic books, super heroes and certain fictional characters they admired in childhood (Davis 2). The cultural diversities displayed in this film are quite extraordinary. The manner in which people interact with one another is also something worth noting. This paper will review how the film brings about the cultural differences between the characters and the roles they all portray. In assessing the film, it is very easy to notice the filmmaker’s choice of setting for the film as he takes the audience back to the past. This was at a time where society expected a lot from men. Society expected them to be responsible enough to have steady, well-paying jobs. Society expected that from everyone who graduated from high school so they can be able to stand up for themselves. The work of art that the filmmaker sought to go after came in the form of this film (2). It is dedicated to all the faithful ones who dare to dream. Some other works of art can be represented in the same form. However, the most important thing to understand is what the creator of the work of art has had in mind. Once an individual gets to see with the filmmaker’s eyes, then and only then he/she becomes able to fully understand and appreciate the true meaning of art. When assessing other films, it is very easy to lose sight of what the intended purpose was. ... The characters act in this manner not another to portray the true identity of the people they address to or familiarise themselves with. Without these differences it is highly likely that it will be impossible to tell who is who while the film proceeds to the end. It is imperative that the filmmaker and many others clearly define such roles to have the desired effects (3). To prevent the audience from having a negative image of the message made by the characters and the movie itself, it is important to understand that the film was not directed to satisfy a specific group of people. Sometimes the characters behave in a way that may not be good. It can take a long time to stop calls coming in from all over to ban the work of art that was hard to make. The production and viewing of such a film should allow everyone to be culturally diverse in the roles they play in society. Everyone who watches the film can get a clear vision and perception of how cultures and people in society relate t o one another in spite of their differences. It concerns both the film industry and real life. These divergent cultures usually end up shaping the new way for people to live. The characters of the film appreciate different cultures presented in the film (3). This further leads to the global acceptance of certain ways and modes of living, thus, encouraging living in peace, harmony and understanding. All this helps to bring the world together under what is commonly known as a global village. The filmmaker gets to show these roles in very different ways. He introduces people from different areas making them interact within the film (3). With their introduction, the audience gets to see the culturally diverse roles they play. Even though the

Apocalyptic Eschatology and the Delay of Parousia Essay

Apocalyptic Eschatology and the Delay of Parousia - Essay Example 2006). Parousia is Greek word which means presence or arrival. In an ancient Greek speaking world, it was used to describe the ceremonial visit of a ruler or the apparition of a god. In the New Testament it is used of the appearance or coming of the glorified Christ at the close of salvation history (Harrington, W.). The Pauline epistles are the fourteenth books in the New Testament that has been ascribed as to the Apostle Paul. The epistles of Paul have influenced the Christian theology and ethics. The epistles include controversies in the Christianity, his views and observation on several books in the Old Testament. Pauline epistles are divided in different subgroups depending on whose church he addressed to. The subgroup are as follows: Epistles to the Romans, First Epistle to the Corinthians, Epistle to the Galatians, Epistle to the Ephesians, Epistle to the Philippians, Epistle to the Colossians, First Epistle to the Thessalonians, Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, First epistle to Timothy, Second epistle to Timothy, Epistle to Titus, Epistle to Philemon, Epistle to the Hebrews. Paul on his writings assumes that the basic temporal scheme fo Jewish apocalyptic speculation which make mention of the two ages, the Old Age under Satan and the New Age God's power will dominate. He believed that God's sending of his Son, Jesus Christ had already inaugurated the New Age; yet the event had not wholly obliterated the Old Age with its powers of sin and death. For him the ultimate outcome of the apocalyptic would be the victory of the Old Age, because God struck the decisive blow for freedom in the cross. In Corinthians 2:8 the crucifixion was attributed as to the ruler of the Old Age, which refers to both the political authorities involved and to the demonic powers at work in and through them. Thus, according to Paul, the cross will symbolize the strange power of God, a power made perfect in weakness. God affirmed this power by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, by sending the Holy Spirit, and by establishing the Church as the foundation of his New Age. The Pauline eschatology lies between the older documents in which the Chiliastic view appears and this later efflorescence of it in 4 Ezra and Baruch. It is affirmed that Paul expects a double resurrection, one of a certain class of the delay of Parousia, and that of the remaining dead at the consummation of the world before the judgement, and that he places the glorious reign of Christ between these two resurrections1. According to the Pauline epistle addressed to the Roman church both the righteous and the wicked will be judged on the same day: "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who " who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honour, and immortality; but to

Strategic management analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management analysis - Essay Example The Paper will also suggest several recommendations that will be deemed as helpful in improving the Coffee house’s operations within the United States market. A Brief History of Starbucks. Starbucks is an American global corporation that specializes in selling coffee in its various coffee houses situated all over the world. Its main base of operations is currently at Seattle, Washington. The first Starbucks coffee shop opened its doors in the Seattle Springs area of Washington in 1971 and the company has grown to become the largest coffee house company in the world. It boasts of having about 19,972 stores which are spread out in 60 countries across the globe. Most of the company’s branches are currently located in the United States with an approximately 12,937 branches. ... Starbucks has also expanded its current investments into the entertainment industry and through its Starbucks Entertainment division as well as its hear Music brand, it also markets films, books and music. Most of the company’s product offerings are found to be not only seasonal but also specifically tailored particularly to satisfy the requirements of customers in the locality that the branch is located. Some of its branded products such as coffee and ice cream are sold in grocery stores all over the United States (Starbucks 2012). The United States Coffee House Market The Coffee Shop business and the entire coffee industry have had a significant boom over the recent years. This is especially so in the case of the specialty coffees offered by the industry. The market for these coffees has registered significant growth that has been spurred by the growing trend of the consumers becoming increasingly educated about the industry’s espresso-based drinks as well as how they are made (Starbucks 2012). According to research data conducted by First Research, the United States is host to about 20,000 coffee shop businesses whose total combined revenue has been estimated to stand at $10 billion as of 2011. More than 50% of these sales have been seen to be generated by the country’s top 50 coffee shop operators. Most of the county’s coffee shop operators have increasingly been spreading their business into the international market with Starbucks reporting to having set up shop in over 5,500 licensed locations outside the United States in 2010 (Green and Keegan 2012). The average gross margin for a single coffee shop in the country is

How to Build Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How to Build Teams - Research Paper Example Employees who have their value acknowledge by the organization and receive respect from their boss go beyond their work jurisdiction willingly to achieve the company’s organization. There is need for companies to have a well built team of staff in the work place. In order to successfully build a team in the work place, there should be consistency and commitment. Team building is a process that calls for a comprehensive strategy which targets at developing and maintaining a work environment of team-oriented employees. When building a team in the work place, one needs to ensure purpose of the team is clearly defined. This is achieved through stating comprehensible realistic goals and making everybody in the team informed on the expectations, organization’s plan and their role in realizing the goals. The team should be made conscious of where they fit in the company through have contribution to the vision and the purpose of team building. Resources available for team build ing are very vital in coming with a team of staff in the work place. The resources should be accessible for use by the team. Furthermore, a proper communication is necessary for ensuring that connection between team members and the manger is two-way. A good team makes members feel excited on what they do and, thus, being in a position to handle challenges and failure. Creation of objectives and goals should be facilitated in a manner that allows all members to share the grounds. It is through this facilitation that talents, interests and ideas are identified from the group members. This way a shared path that influences everyone’s strength and talents is facilitated. According to the article by Allen, Pennisi & Norman on building development, high performance buildings are achieved through high performance teamwork. Given the supply chain and international competition facing the building industry, the industry has to come up with ways of developing high- performance building and a considerable reduction in energy consumption. This was the case with the United States manufacturing industry in 70’s and 80’s. It was necessary for the industry to adopt innovative and improved methods of product development in order to meet the competitive challenges. There is the necessity to make sure that a product meets what companies and customers want. High performance achieved through great products should be regarded as a norm (Allen et al 224). It is of greate value to have a customer focus organizational orientation. This entails having an understanding of customers’ needs so as to incorporate proactively the customers’ desires into the process of product development. Understanding customers’need as over the years evolved with a lot of variations but understanding what the customers want is vital in this field. In order to compete effectively in the building industry, there is the necessity to understand what is needed of a high- performance building. It should be able to tell who the customers of the industry are. Through knowing their customers, players in the building industry will have an understanding of the wide range of what they to experience. Understanding what the customer needs is of great importance as a building of high effectiveness and efficiency to its users. Such buildings are profitable to the owners as well. The building indust

Federalism in America and India Essay Example for Free

Federalism in America and India Essay Thereby both countries had attained dominion status in which a number of smaller states had got affiliated forming a union with a strong central government that came to be called as Federal Government in the US and Central Government in India. Thus both states became Federal Republics. While framing the Indian constitution, its drafting committee headed by Dr. Ambedkar, had borrowed many salient features from various constitutions in the world including US but adopted them in the Indian context. Hence, both U. S and India, despite being federal in structure have many similarities and differences between them. Similarities between US and India:- 1) Written constitution:- Both US and India have a written constitution based on which the federal political structure has been set up and both federal governments are functioning. Both constitutions have provisions for amending the constitution to meet the growing socio, political and economic needs and demands of their respective countries. 2) Bill of Rights and Fundamental Rights:- The US constitution has ensured the fundamental rights of its citizens like right to equality, freedom, right against exploitation, freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights, right to property, and right to constitutional remedies etc through ‘The Bill of Rights’,. They became part and parcel of the US constitution through first ten amendments that were carried out and adopted into the US constitution. The Indian constitution has guaranteed the fundamental rights of the people through articles 14 to 34 in Part III. ) Supremacy of the Federal or Union Government:- Both countries have federal governments at the centre in which various states have acceeded to. In the US as many as 50 states have joined the federal government and in the Indian Union as many as 29 states and 8 Union territories have acceeded to. Both in US and India, states which have acceeded to the Federal set up have no unilateral power to secede from the Federal Government or the Union Governme nt. While Federal Government or the Union Government as well as the states are empowered to enact laws on a particular subject,(known as concurrent powers),the law enacted by the Federal or Union Government will have overriding effect over the law enacted by the states on the same subject. Thus Federal or Union Government is supreme in the present federal structure. 4) Division of Labor and Separation of Powers:- Adhering to Montesquieus theory of division of labor and separation of powers, both US and Indian constitutions have three basic divisions with regard to division of labor and power in their federal set up known as executive, legislature and judiciary with clear cut ‘Separation of Powers’ Each division has been entrusted with a separate power. The executive governs the country, the legislature enacts laws and the judiciary administers justice. President of US is the chief executive head of US, whereas the Union cabinet headed by the Prime Minister is the real chief executive body in India. Both US and India have a bicameral legislature. US legislature has an upper and lower house known as the House of Senate and the House of Representatives respectively and the Indian Parliament has Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as its Lower and Upper house respectively. Both US and India have a well organized judiciary, having the Supreme Court or the Federal Court as the apex court and a number of other courts in various states to administer original and appellate jurisdictions. 5)Powers of Checks and Balances:- Though there exists a clear cut division of labor known as separation of powers into executive, legislature and judiciary in both countries, still there is a threat. to democracy. A strong and dynamic leadership at the helm of powers as the executive and acting with unlimited powers may lead to arbitrariness. After all power corrupts power; absolute power corrupts absolutely; in the result democracy may become a laughing stock and virtually unworkable. Hence, in order to prevent unwieldy growth of any one of these three divisions, a fantastic mechanism known as powers of ‘checks and balances’ has been maintained in both countries. In other words, each division of power is somehow or other checked and controlled by other divisions of power. In the US, the President as the chief executive power appoints his members of ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ and he is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Army,Navy and the Air Force. He appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the US. He enters into treaties with other countries. However, his treaties must be approved by the House of Senate. Otherwise, the treaty will not come into force. Though President Woodrow Wilson was the chief architect of the League of Nations that came into being after the first world war,US could not become a member of it since the House of Senate did not approve it. Thus important policy decisions must be necessarily approved by the House of Senate, which definitely acts as a check on the powers of US President, who is the head of the executive. Similarly laws enacted by both houses may be subjected to the power of Judicial Review and can be declared null and void by the judiciary. The President can be impeached and removed from power on the motion moved by the House of Senate in the presence of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the US. Similarly in India, the Prime Minister and his cabinet can be removed from power by a successful no confidence motion passed by both houses of parliament. The important policy decisions taken by the cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, if necessary has to be enacted into laws only with the requisite majority of the parliament. The laws enacted by the parliament. re subject to the judicial review of the Supreme Cour of India. The Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President as recommended by the cabinet and the Prime Minister. Thus the powers of checks and balances have been the effective mechanism both in the US and in India in safeguarding the democracy in both countries. Differences between the federalisms of US and India:- The differences that exist between the federalisms of US and India are unique. These differences have been wantonly created by the architects of the Indian constitution. The US federalism is very strong and more rigid as envisaged in their constitution by its leaders. It is more federal than unitary. in character. Whereas, India is more unitary than federal and we can even say that it is a quasi-federal state. 1) The Constitution of US is very rigid than the Indian Constitution:- i)The constitution of US is very brief and rigid running into only a few pages, whereas the constitution of India is very voluminous containing as many as XXII parts, 395 articles and ten schedules. Since the US constitution is very rigid, the provisions meant for amending the constitution are also very rigid and more formal. The last amendment carried out in the US constitution was in the year 1992. Between the period 1989 and 1992, the US constitution has been amended only 27 times, in which the 21 st amendment was to reverse the 18 th amendment Whereas, the Indian constitution which came into force in the year 1950, has so far been amended 94 times. Therefore, it is easy to amend the Indian constitution, since it involves four different types of procedures which are comparatively easy than the amending procedure of the US constitution. For example, recently, the salaries and allowances of the Indian MPs have been hiked through a voice vote of the members of the Indian Parliament, whereas in the US, the 27 th amendment originally proposed on 25th September, 1789, was ratified on May 7 th, 1992, regulating the provision for varying the compensation of the members of the House of Senate and Representatives. i) In the US, though there is a Federal Constitution, all the states affiliated with the Federal Government,owing their allegiance to the Federal Constitution, have their own constitutions to regulate their own governance. In India, all the states affiliated with the Indian Union owe their allegiance only to the Indian constitution and do not have their own constitution; however, each state is empowered to enact its own laws inc luded in the state as well as in the concurrent list of the constitution. ) While US has the Presidential form of Government, India has the Parliamentary form of Government:- In the US, the President is the head of the state and so his government is invariably mentioned as the Presidential form of government or democracy; In India, the President is only a nominal head or titular sovereign power;( dejure sovereign),whereas the Prime Minister and his cabinet is the defacto or popular sovereign in whom the real power exists. In the US, the President is popularly elected ,besides chosen through an electoral college. However, nominating a candidate for ontesting the Presidential election by a political party in the US is a cumbersome process. This process is comparatively simpler than the Indian system of forming the cabinet and electing the Prime Minister from a party which enjoys a majority of elected members of the Lok Sabha. While the US follows the bi-party system, India has a multi -party system and a complicated process of election. While the US President holds power for a period of 4 years,while the Indian Prime Minister holds power for five years as long as his political party enjoys majority in the Lok Sabha. However, the US President irrespective of his affiliation with a political party, Republican or Democrat and irrespective of his party’s success or failure in the elections for the House of Representatives or the House of Senate, holds power for his full tenure. A person in the US can hold the post of President only for two terms, whereas, in India there is no such restriction to hold the post of a Prime Minister or President. For example, Nehru was the Prime Minister of India between 1947 and 1964 for a period of 17 years. The Indian cabinet and the Prime Minister are collectively and directly responsible and answerable to the parliament and indirectly to the people, whereas, the US President has constitutional obligations and duties and of course answerable to the people. For the dereliction of duty and blunder committed by a cabinet minister in India, the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet colleagues are liable,responsible and answerable, because they have collective responsibilities. 3) Differences between the legislatures of US and India:- In India, the lower house or the Lok Sabha is more powerful and its members are directly elected by the people and the members of the Upper house or Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected every two years. The Lok Sabha members represent their constituencies on the basis of their population strength; In the US, the House of Representatives are elected on the basis of the population strength of a state, but irrespective of the size of the state or its population, each state in the US has only two senate members, totaling 100 members in all in the US. While the Lok Sabha or the lower house is more powerful in India, the House of Senate or the upper house is more powerful in the US. While a Senate member in the US is directly elected, a Rajya Sabha member in India is indirectly elected by a system of proportional and transferable voting system. 4) Differences in the judicial system between US and India:- While the US has an advanced judicial system, India has a rapidly developing judicial system. An accused or a witness in the US can depose from the place where he is imprisoned, thereby avoiding unnecessary travel all the way from Chicago or Los Angels to New York using the advanced technology. Such facilities are yet to develop in India. While a Judge in the US can hold his post for life as long as he enjoys his good health, in India it is slightly different. A District judge unless elevated retires at the age of 58, a High Court and a Supreme court Judge retires at the age of 65. Thus both the US and the Indian Federalism despite having limitations are by and large successful.

An Analysis Of Glocalization And Social Welfare Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Glocalization And Social Welfare Politics Essay This term paper is on the topic Glocalization and Social Welfare. In this paper, the focus is what glocal means and how it works in the delivery or upholding social welfare. The term Glocal basically refers to the merging or blending of local and global forces: global in local or local in global: either way it refers to the forces of global and local acting together. By social welfare it is understood that it means something affecting the society, public goods as in something that the society needs or is affected by it. In the context of glocalization; social welfare is understood as how local and global actors or forces come together to uphold social welfare aspects like health, the people, the ecology, women and working class, specifically aiming towards the third world countries. This paper takes into account glocal forces as actors like NGOs and other organizations formed with the initiative of local and global forces to counter the ill effects of globalization on society and uph old social welfare from the local and in the global context. INTRODUCTION: To understand the concept of Glocalization, an understanding of globalization as a process is to be gained. Since glocalization has basically two positions, both defined by the concept of globalization. The two statuses of Glocalization are: Firstly, glocalization can be seen as a result of and an alternative to globalization, and secondly, it may also be referred to as an opposition to globalization. Since most of the scholars involved in explaining glocalization, has often taken the understanding that it emerged because of the grave problems and the negative impacts or consequences of the globalization process. Globalization as a process of integration and interconnectedness in terms of economic, social and political forces has led to various outcome. It has led to greater interaction among states and also led to the increase of non-state actors like transnational corporations and multinational corporations in the economic sector all around the world. And it also brought a decrease in the role of the state and led to the emergence and proliferation of a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and non-state actors in the economic, political and social sectors which operated and had implications on the global and the local arena. Such interaction of the global and local forces is termed as glocalization, the interaction of local-level government with the state and the interaction of this state and its representation in the international/global arena is what glocalization captures. Glocalization basically refers to the interaction or a blending of the local forces with the global forces, or vice-versa, impacting and influencing the other sector. Glocalization in terms of the social aspect basically refers to the impact of globalization on social aspects such as culture, and also in terms of social welfare it relates to the forces involved in the matters of rights, education, women and children and also the ecology. Insecurity is what its based on; earlier insecurity existed only in military terms; of one country going into war with the other; however the concept of security and insecurity now deals with other sectors i.e. the non-traditional security relating to the environment and others. Globalization increa sing the interaction among nations and bringing about a homogeneous notion of culture, security and economy has now led to a proliferation in matters of insecurities. It has added more problems to the world today. Globalization and increasing economic interconnectedness was supposed to be directed towards the entire world contributing to world economy in order for everyone to be well off, however such economic accomplishments have only been diverted mostly towards the developed or the rich countries, thereby it is felt that globalization has increased the level of poverty mostly in the already poor developing or underdeveloped or undeveloped countries, especially the third world countries. When the arguments of the hyper globalists are taken we see that globalization was intended on creating one world, a homogeneous entity. Homogeneous in terms of economy, political and socio cultural aspects, glocalization on the other hand has been seen to emphasize heterogeneity; mainly in terms of culture the term associated would be Creolizaiton- referring to the evoking of cultural fusion and the emergence of new cultures across the globe. Other synonyms for glocalization of culture, and creolization would be mixture or hybridization. On cultural terms we see glocalization to stand contrary to what globalization advocates. One definition of glocalization to be noted is; Glocalization can be defined as an interpretation of the global and the local, resulting in unique outcomes of different geographic areas, it emphasizes global heterogeneity and tends to reject the idea of the West/ Americanization. The concept of glocalization is seen to be contrary to Modernization Theory, which dealt with issues of central concern in the West and the rest of the world to blindly follow the West. Tony Blair, Globalization as a process has been termed as an irreversible and an inevitable process: Bill Clinton, Globalization is not a policy choice, it is a fact. This shows that the west had too much faith in the process of globalization and its impacts. Therefore, it is here that glocalization provides for a critique and an alternative to the globalization, since globalization now is taken as an important process and many have ignored the problems caused by it, glocalization theorists point out to these problems and therefore formulate their idea of the concept that developed. Economically, glocalization would mean the local control of the economy and fair distribution locally. Technology and Information to be encouraged to flow when and where they could strengthen the local economies. The problems of globalization, first would be that with its idea of liberalization, increases the integration of markets and also increases interference. Colin Hines mentions that this leads to reduction of democratic controls over economic affairs, international competition leads to increases interference and therefore leads to erosion of social welfare standards and an environmental regulation with regard to international trade is lost. The burden basically falls on the third world developing countries. In this context what Hines suggests is localization, that is the seen as an alternative to the problems created by globalization, by localization, Hines means which reverses the trend of globalization by favoring the local. Why the critique of globalization emerged, was because with the principles of integration and interconnectedness globalization was to provide an overall development, that is development of countries all over the world, a global process of development was to foster growth in the economic, political and social sector of the entire nation states. However this was not so, instead it has been pointed out that there was a global rise in inequality, declining social and environmental conditions and a loss of power by the sovereign state, local governments and citizens and the major beneficiaries of these processes were the Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and the multinational corporations (MNCs), there was a sharp increase in underdevelopment and underpayment. In the 1 960s the income of the richest fifth of the worlds population were 30 times greater than that of the poorest fifth, and in 1991 it was over sixty times and the 1998 report by United Nations, it was seventy-eight times high. In the 1990s the International Labor Organization reported that one third of the worlds population were underemployed. The 1990 report by the International Labor Organization mentioned that one-third of the worlds population were underemployed.1 Globalization therefore was seen to have negative impacts on nation states, the gap between the rich and the poor were widening. Globalization stands for delocalizaiton i.e. displacement of activities which were local and turning it into a world-wide activities. Globalization stood for the lifting of social activities out of the local knowledge and placing them in networks in which they are conditioned by and condition world-wide events. The process of globalization stands for homogenization, where the processes around the world become one and the same for all the countries. Global actors or institutions like the TNCs engage themselves in different countries, however they do not totally bring about homogenization, certain companies do get involved and adapt to local conditions to maximize local demand for products and service and to minimize their chance of being discriminated against by trade and investment. This is known as Glocalization, defined as a companys attempt to become acc epted as a local citizen in a different trade bloc and little control is given to the area of strategic concern. On economic matters, due to globalization the delocalization gaps between the rich and the poor countries are widening. GLOCALIZATION AS A PROCESS: Glocalization involves the blending of the global and local forces. Its evolution was based on a Japanese term Dochakuka which meant the adoption of farming technique to ones local condition. In the business world the term actually mean global localization, according to Wordspy, glocalization refered to the creation of the products or services intended for the global market, but customized to serve the local cultures, in social sciences the term used or a synonym for glocalization is indigenization. 2 Ronald Robertson has been an important figure in the study of globalization. For him, globalization was not a recent phenomenon, it has existed as a part of the modernization theory, with its emphasis on convergence and homogenization (basically westernization), and he mentioned globalization as the interpenetration of the universalization of the particularization and the particularization of universalism. Globalization and glocalization was to be thought of as interdependent processes, Robertson argued that local and global instead of constituting analytical opposites locality can be regarded, with certain reservations, as an aspect of globalization. 3 Hines, Colin. 2000. Localization: A Global Manifesto, London: Earthscan. Khondker, Habibul.H. Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept, Bangladesh e-journal of Sociology, Vol.1, No.2. July 2004. Eade, John. Living the global City: Globalization as a local process, Routledge Publ. Robertson mentions glocalization to be an accurate term to describe the global/local relationship. There exits the globalization of the locality and the localization of what is global. As such the processes are that of macro localization and micro globalization. Habib in his work Glocalization as Globalization: Evolution of a Sociological Concept, cites examples of such micro globalization and macro localization. For the former he cites the example of social movements like the feminist and the ecological movements which start in small local spaces and then gets expanded to a larger area, also a global arena. Contrary to this view of globalization and glocalization being interdependent processes is the view of the likes of Midgley, who view globalization to be harmful for local economies, as they undermine the role of the sovereign states and uphold the roles of corporations and also create unemployment and poverty in various parts of the world. They believe that globalization leads to a lack of accountability in the new emerging era and as increased economic forces and complex international relations make it difficult to identify the source of the problem, as such so assigning of little responsibility to nation state or companies for any harm that maybe inflicted upon society as a whole and therefore scholars prefer glocalization to enhance the social welfare of citizens. In the era of globalization the role of the state in the social arena is decreased and therefore glocalization here presents a potential to create new social actors and structures that are essentially local in spirit and global in character capable of responding to local social problems brought on by neglect of welfare state in a format backed by global insight and power. Philip Hong and In Han Song suggested development of a globalized social policy assisted by and international organization that together can establish and advocate a common set of solutions to increase global pressures and create opportunities for investing more in such things as education, employment and vital public services. Through this top-down approach of global forces acting at local levels, authors argue that glocalization of social work might offer a means for advancing local welfare and contribute the strength needed to comfort increasing complex global social problems more pronounced into the future. Glocalization and social welfare can be assessed through the analysis of civil society organizations and the Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs). Glocalization for social welfare through NGOs etc. means pressing for certain rights, protecting the local globally/from global to local/going local. Local government officials have been the most useful when they have supported local problem solvers. What Hines suggested was localization which mean de-globalization i.e. the reversal of the process of globalization, turning back everything under local control and local management, which now seems quite possible since globalization has been an age old phenomenon and has brought about innumerable changes which cannot be reversed, as it is difficult to reverse or its removal or reversal is undesirable since globalization has not only had negative effects but positive ones too. As such its reversal would not really be feasible. So glocalization serves as a suitable policy process, since it doe s not demand for a reversal of the globalized process but emphasizes the combined functioning of both the local and the global forces, neither complete globalization nor completes localization, it serves as a neutral policy, gaining from both aspects. It is said that glocalization provides for a blend of local and global forces and in the name of such a blend an example that can be cited is that of the United Nations (UN). The UN being an international/ global organization comprised of member countries from all over the world provides policies for social welfare sectors like that of health, education, environment, rights, the question of women and children and culture. The impact of UN policies are great, it looks into matters which have effect on local levels as well, citing example of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs), formulated in terms of eradicating poverty, promoting proper health and education, ecological protection and others have been adopted by member nations and these MDGs have also been taken up on state level. According to Scholte, glocalization involves the formulations of certain rules and regulatory institutions for better governance of local agendas with respect to global matters. It is argued that the global governance institutions lack the kinds of formal accountability that national and local governments can provide. World bodies like Commonwealth, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and the World Bank, they all lack popularly elected executive and therefore this hampers accountability. Insufficient accountability compromises most problems like poverty, inequality, environmental defense, disease and violence are not effectively addressed or eradicated. Therefore through civil society organizations help could be provided, however the sceptics argued such civil society organizations run by elites would further increase the problem of accountability. Contemporary society operates through global frames alongside social spaces. Along with local NGOs there also exists inter-regional associations like the European Union, Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), ASEAN ( Association of South East Asian Nations), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which has been termed as the most developed interregional arrangement. Along with this there exists trans-localism, with groups like UCLG- United Cities and Local Governments, ICLEI, local governments for sustainability. Therefore global governance involves international institutes, inter-regional institutes and trans-local institutes, and good governance in this respect means that these institutes as actors are answerable for its action to the beneficiary for whom they are acting. Glocalization brings out the best in dealing with the local problems with tis reference to global issues though civil society. Such CSOs as human collectivity, people relate to one another on the basis of openness, tolerance, respect, trust and non-violence. Secondly, also a political space where citizens congregate to deliberate upon actual and prospective circumstances of their collective life. The qualities of civil society initiatives like peace movements, human rights advocates, advanced dignity of disabled persons, indigenous populations, outcasts, people of color, sexual minorities and women, citizen campaigns for animal rights and ecological integrity. Certain NGO staff members have represented several small island states in multilateral negotiations on climate change- in china and parts of Africa the relationship between civic groups and the state has sometimes been so close that the associations in question have been dubbed as GONGOs-Government organized NGOs. Some environmental organizations have held observer status in the body that oversees implementation of 1987 Montreal Protocol on substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Codex Alimentarius Commission- a Rome based supra-state agency on world food standards and the International Organization have consulted global companies in the process of setting norms. Each country, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child- has always received an alternative report from civic groups. By 1990, most major UN organs had established a special division for liaison with NGOs. Marrakesh Agreement establishing WTO provided for appropriate arrangements for consultation and cooperation with NGOS. Suggestions for proposals regarding a Peoples Assembly or chamber of companies to be created in the UN alongside General Assembly of States have been made. NGO forums exercised notable influence on declarations and programs of action at various UN sponsored global issue conferences of 1990s. New politics emerged when several civic groups channel important part of their efforts to shape official policy though supra-state agencies as through governments. This has been apparent in environmental regeneration, autonomy of indigenous people, position of women, opportunities for the disabled and world peace. E.g. Movement for the survival of the Ogoni people (MOSOP) created in 1990. MOSOP used support of trans-border environmental, religious, human rights organizations. In other words, it is possible in contemporary politics for grassroots groups to advance their causes though coalitions with NGOs, global governance agencies and even global companies. Two private sector policy makers have been influential in influencing many programs at low levels, these are namely: Ford Foundation and World Economic Forum. Ford Foundation established in 1936 to fund social programs in Michigan. Its funds and grants were to go to NGOs and were to be free from the scrutiny of the state governments. 1960s, ford foundation played a major role in educating development economists, promoting Green Revolution in agriculture, sponsoring population control programs and linking environment and development policies. World Economic Forum, was launched in 1971 was instrumental in launching the Uruguay Round of World Trade negotiations and helped forge links between local and global capital in China, India, Latin America and Russia and post-apartheid South Africa. World Economic Forum also addressed inter-state conflicts with conciliation attempts in affairs as the Arab-Israeli and Greeco-Turkish disputes. Non-official initiatives in environmental regulation are the Ford, Packard and Rockefeller foundation supported major conservation programs. In 1980, World Conservation union (IUCN) and WWF collaborated with UNEP to launch a World Conservation Strategy that developed guidelines for states. World Resources Institute (WRI) formulated the Tropical Forestry Action Plan in 1980 jointly with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and UNDP. International Council of Science Union plays an advisory role to the World Meteorological Organization and UNEP in setting up and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988. The Secretariat for the Convention on International Trade in endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has worked in close cooperation with the IUCN and the WWF. IUCN, WRI and UNEP jointly organized the Bio-Diversity Conservation Strategy Program. NGOS and emancipatory new social movements provide a progressive way forward to more effective and just regulation. Lena Dominelli mentions that initiatives have to be taken to engage in mutual exchanges between local and global players. Locality specific versions of social work was directed to be a resistance to the homogenizing trends embedded in social relations driven by profit motives and the desire of entrepreneurs to appropriate other peoples labor, material resources, geographic spaces and intellectual property. Human, social and environmental degradation is increasing and despite government rhetoric about equal opportunity, elimination of poverty particularly among children within the UK, and on a global scale of twenty-eight billion people expressed and agreed at World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995 and Millennium Development Goals pronounced at the UN. The roles of associations like the IASSW International Association of Schools of Social Work, International Council on Social Work (ICSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), promoting cross border solidarity in matters of this kind. The benefits of globalization have been contested by anti-globalization movements which demanded economic growth should sustain human beings and the environment in which they live rather than gathering profits for the few. International organizations include such as the Red-Cross OXFAM, and the Save the Children are NGOs that practice on issues like poverty, disasters and health matters, mostly associated with aid and relief. The American New Deal under Franklin D. Roosevelt was nearest the USA could come to guaranteeing provision for families with dependent children and for older people. The concerns with extreme levels of deprivation and threat of social disorder and devastation by second world war especially Europe were picked by Roosevelt and other at United Nations and led to an agreement around Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). UDHR covered civil, political and social rights including the right to welfare. In addition to the organizations of the UN system and the Washington-based financial institutions, such as the international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the Human Rights Watch and CARE, such transnational corporations as Shell and Citibank, and global media like the BBC and CNN exerted a growing influence on state policies, and also brought to a large extent the proliferation in the number of NGOs. The involvements of such actors are basically a part of the good governance agenda. They help especially in the Third World and Eastern Europe to bring about changes, certain scholars have been critical of the World Bank intervention in these countries, and mentioned that instead of good governance, what World Bank policies have led to is bad governance. As such, UN commentary on good governance has led to certain ideas namely, the universal protection of Human Rights; non-discriminatory laws; efficient, impartial and rapid judicial processes; transparent public agencies; ac countability for decisions by public officials; devolution of resources and decision making to local levels from the capital and meaningful participation by citizens in debating public policies and choices.4 A report from UNDPs Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States emphasized the prerequisites for equity, legitimacy and efficiency: A legitimately strong government can be described as one that commands sufficient confidence in its legitimacy to allow for a strong civil society, and for a network of non-governmental institutions and regulations that ensure the development of a well-functioning economic system, the strengthening of democratic procedures and a widespread participation by people in public life. Giving the state a role to play in the domestic arena may lead to capacity building; in such a way there may be more effective partnerships and institutions internationally and at home, emphasized by the World Development Report 1997. UNDP has since the early 1990s shifted from traditional public sector management to addressing sensitive issues of governance as the human rights etc. And thus emphasized on capacity building; with this emphasis on capacity building for civil Weiss, Thomas.G. Governance, Good Governance and Global Governance: Conceptual and Actual Challenges, Third World Quarterly, Vol. 21. No.5. (Oct.2000).pp. 795-814. society and the private sector has mean that the UN system has a comparative advantage in many of the developing countries. Good governance entails the working of state and civil society actors closely together, Mahbub ul Haq has given the concept of good governance as to be directed towards the notion of human development and thereby leading to Humane Governance. This humane governance has also been emphasized by J.A. Scholte in his book Globalization: a critical introduction, he has mentioned the various issues as insecurities, basically as a result of globalization. Such insecurities are not that of traditional security in terms of the military security and defense but this includes that of Ecological integrity, Health, Poverty, Employment, Working conditions and identity and local knowledge. We can make out from these various insecurities that Scholte talked in aspect of social welfare. The emphasis is on the negative impacts of contemporary globalization on human security. ECOLOGY INTERGRITY: The global environmental issues have become a very critical source of insecurity, global capitalism or global races for capital and development have been particularly harmful for the ecology. Such race have particularly been harmful for the countries of the South, since most ministries have abandoned the environmental projects and policies in an effort to achieve the fiscal targets connected with globally sponsored structural adjustment programmes. Environmental issues are a very good example of how local and global forces interact with each other or affect each other. Various movements at the local level for environmental protection have been raised against the global forces which push countries towards the process of development which are harmful to the ecology of the country. To cite an example would be the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in India. A fight a dam Sardar Sarovar Dam to be built on the river Narmada in Central India, this NBA consisted mostly of peasants and tribals, le d by people like Baba Amte and also later activists like Medha Patkar were successful in fighting against the project which was to be funded by the World Bank. They were successful in stopping the Bank from funding the project and thereby got the project banned. This NBA was able to succeed in their efforts since they were able to well-establish links with environmental groups overseas. The Japanese environmentalists persuaded their government not to advance money for the Narmada Valley Project and also US groups were sympathetic to the cause and were also able to persuade their government to do the same. Support from environmentalist from both these countries also helped to persuade the World Bank to give up on the project.5 Environmental issues in industrialized countries had to do with the quality of life, whereas in Africa, Asia and Latin America it mostly was based on survival, the rights to live and work in a healthy environment, the responsibility to protect habitats, livelihoods and systems of life support from contamination, depletion (extraction), and destruction, and also the determination to restore or rehabilitate what has already been harmed. These are the issues that the countries of the South face in terms of ecology, and more sensitive to this issue have been women, ecofeminism as can been referred to. There are inter-linkages in the experience of grassroots environmental movements worldwide namely: the struggle to save old growth forests in Europe, womens initiatives to secure Rangarajan, Mahesh. Environmental Issues in India, Chap.22. Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd. safe food supplies in the industrial core of Poland, community efforts in Spain to fight toxic waste dumping, womens movements to retain access to land and forest resources in Kenya, and womens participation in the struggles of the rubber tappers union to protect their forest homes and work places in the Brazilian Amazon.6 Women carry a disproportionate share of responsibilities for resource procurement and environmental maintenance however they have very limited rights to determine the future of resource availability and environmental quality. Women have been at the forefront of emerging grassroots groups, social movements and local political organizations engaged in environmental, socio economic and political struggles. These phenomena are not localized; it is taking place around the world. Sound environmental policies and practice are required in order to achieve sustainable development. In this respect there are certain assumptions that are given: firstly that the involvement of women in collective action around the world, there are critical linkages between global environmental and economic processes and the recent surge in womens participation in public for a, particularly in relation to ecological and economic concern. This surge in womens activism is a response to actual changes in local enviro nmental conditions as well as to discursive shifts toward sustainable development in national and international political circles. Secondly, relates to women are beginning to define their identities and the meaning of gender through expressions of human agency and collective action emphasizing struggles, resistance and cooperation, and also have now included womens knowledge, experience and interests as a worldwide phenomenon, and that the process and results in any one place reflect historical, social and geographical specificity. There are various victories claimed by womens participation in environmental protection at local levels; namely the widespread planting of tress by the Womens Green Belt movement of Kenya, the protection of the Himalayan forests from timber concessionaries by the Chipko Movement in India, in North America grassroots movements led by women have prevented the disposal of toxic wastes. International level organizations that bridge the gap between local and the global have been Womens Congress for a Healthy Planet, WEDO- Women, Environment and Development Organization; WEDNET- Women, Environment and Development Network; and Worldwide Network for women all bring concerns of these locally based movements to national and international policy fora. Global Governance of ecological matters has made notable advances, even though the UN Charter of 1945 did not mention environment, but UN-

Benefits and Strategies of Performance Management

Benefits and Strategies of Performance Management Armstrong and Baron define performance management as a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved. They go on to stress that it is a strategy which relates to every activity of the organisation set in the context of its human resource policies, culture, style and communications systems. The nature of the strategy depends on the organisational context and can vary from organisation to organisation. In other words performance management should be: Strategic it is about broader issues and longer-term goals Integrated it should link various aspects of the business, people management, and individuals and teams. It should incorporate: Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness Development unless there is continuous development of individuals and teams, performance will not improve Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Armstrong and Baronstress that at its best performance management is a tool to ensure that managers manage effectively; that they ensure the people or teams they manage: know and understand what is expected of them have the skills and ability to deliver on these expectations are supported by the organisation to develop the capacity to meet these expectations are given feedback on their performance have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to individual and team aims and objectives. It is also about ensuring that managers themselves are aware of the impact of their own behaviour on the people they manage and are encouraged to identify and exhibit positive behaviours. So performance management is about establishing a culture in which individuals and groups take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and of their own skills, behaviour and contributions. It is about sharing expectations. Managers can clarify what they expect individual and teams to do; likewise individuals and teams can communicate their expectations of how they should be managed and what they need to do their jobs. It follows that performance management is about interrelationships and about improving the quality of relationships between managers and individuals, between managers and teams, between members of teams and so on, and is therefore a joint process. It is also about planning defining expectations expressed as objectives and in business plans and about measurement; the old dictum is If you cant measure it, you cant manage it. It should apply to all employees, not just managers, and to teams as much as individuals. It is a continuous process, not a one-off event. Last but not least, it is holistic and should pervade every aspect of running an organisation. How does performance management work? Because performance management is (or should be) so all-pervasive, it needs structures to support it. These should provide a framework to help people operate, and to help them to help others to operate. But it should not be a rigid system; there needs to be a reasonable degree of flexibility to allow people freedom to operate. Performance management is a process, not an event. It operates as a continuous cycle. Corporate strategic goals provide the starting point for business and departmental goals, followed by agreement on performance and development, leading to the drawing up of plans between individuals and managers, with continuous monitoring and feedback supported by formal reviews. Tools of performance management It is impossible to go into details of each of the tools used by performance management, so the following paragraphs simply provide an outline. Performance and development reviews Many organisations without performance management systems operate appraisals in which an individuals manager regularly (usually annually) records performance, potential and development needs in a top-down process see our factsheet on performance appraisal for more information on this topic. Go to our Performance appraisal factsheet It can be argued that the perceived defects of appraisal systems (that line managers regarded them as irrelevant, involving form-filling to keep the personnel department happy, and not as a normal process of management) led to the development of more rounded concepts of performance management. Nevertheless, organisations with performance management systems need to provide those involved with the opportunity to reflect on past performance as a basis for making development and improvement plans, and the performance and development review meeting (note the terminology; it is not appraisal) provides this chance. The meeting must be constructive, and various techniques can be used to conduct the sort of open, free-flowing and honest meeting needed, with the reviewee doing most of the talking. Learning and development Employee development is the main route followed by most organisations to improved organisational performance, which in turn requires an understanding of the processes and techniques of organisational, team and individual learning. Performance reviews can be regarded as learning events, in which individuals can be encouraged to think about how and in which ways they want to develop. This can lead to the drawing up of a personal development plan (PDP) setting out the actions they propose to take (with the help of others, not least their managers) to develop themselves. To keep development separate from performance and salary discussions, development reviews may be held at other times, for example, on theanniversary of joining an organisation. Increasing emphasis on talent management also means that many organisations are re-defining performance management to align it to the need to identify, nurture and retain talent. Development programmes are reflecting the needs of succession plans and seeking to foster leadership skills. However, too much of an emphasis on talent management may be damaging to overall development needs and every effort needs to be made to ensure that development is inclusive, accessible and focused on developing organisational capability. Coaching Coaching is an important tool in learning and development. Coaching is developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. Coaching is increasingly recognised as a significant responsibility of line managers, and can play an important part in a PDP. They will take place during the review meetings, but also and more importantly should be carried out throughout the year. For some managers coaching comes naturally, but for many they may not and training may be needed to improve their skills. See our factsheet oncoaching for more information. Go to our Coaching factsheet Objectives and performance standards Objectives (some organisations prefer to use goals) describe something to be accomplished by individuals, departments and organisations over a period of time. They can be expressed as targets to be met (such as sales) and tasks to be completed by specified dates. They can be work-related, referring to the results to be attained, or personal, taking the form of developmental objectives for individuals. Objectives need to be defined and agreed. They will relate to the overall purpose of the job and define performance areas all the aspects of the job that contribute to achieving its overall purpose. Targets then need to be set for each performance area, for example, increase sales by x per cent, reduce wastage by y per cent Alongside objectives are performance standards. They are used when it is not possible to set time-based targets, or when there is a continuing objective which does not change significantly from one review period to the next and is a standing feature of the job. These should be spelled out in quantitative terms if possible, for example, speed of response to requests or meeting defined standards of accuracy. Competences and competencies Some organisations, but by no means all, use competences and competencies as components of performance management. Competences describe what people need to be able to do to perform a job well (the descriptions in National Vocational Qualifications are examples of competences). Competencies (more helpfully, behavioural competencies) are defined as the dimensions of behaviour that lie behind competent performance. Though the language used does not help in making the distinction, to perform well it is necessary both to be able to do a job at a technically competent level and to have behaviours that reinforce those technical skills; an obvious example of behaviour is the surgeon who needs a good bedside manner and to be able to communicate with colleagues, in addition to surgical skills. There are various techniques for measuring competence (some organisations prefer to use capability) and once an analysis has been made, it provides a tool for measuring performance and, of course, for pr oviding development activities to help people meet the required standards. For more information, see our competencies factsheet. Go to our factsheet on Competency and competency frameworks Measurement To improve performance, you need to know what current performance is. Measurement provides the basis for providing and generating feedback, and thus can build the platform for further success or identify where things are going less well so that corrective action can be taken. But what gets measured? Measure the wrong things, perhaps simply because they are easy to measure, and an entire performance management system can fall into disrepute. Use too many measures and you cant see the wood for the trees. For measuring performance, the achievement of objectives, levels of competency, standards of performance, and work outputs are used but the emphasis varies according to categories of staff for example, a senior manager would be mainly measured by meeting objectives, but a production worker mainly by achieving outputs. Increasingly organisations are using more sophisticated measuring techniques such as balanced scorecards or ROI (return on investment). Individual and team performance needs to be capable of being linked in an understandable manner to organisational performance, and there are various approaches to this. They include the balanced scorecard, a set of measures that looks at the business from customer, internal, learning and financial perspectives; the European Foundation for Quality Management, which indicates that customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and impact on society are achieved through leadership; and other economic measures, including traditional financial measures. Measures used will depend on the organisation; for example, public service organisations are likely to use different measures from private companies. Pay Performance management is often linked with performance-related pay (PRP), although by no means all organisations claiming to use performance management have PRP. Nevertheless, PRP is an important element in many performance management schemes because it is believed to motivate; it is said to deliver the message that performance and competence are important, and it is thought to be fair to reward people according to their performance, contribution or competence. Others, though, believe that other factors are more important than PRP in motivation; that it is usually based on subjective assessments of performance, that it inhibits teamwork because of its individualistic nature, and that it leads to short-termism. See our factsheet for more information on performance pay. Go to our performance-related pay factsheet An alternative to PRP is competence-related pay, which provides for pay progression to be linked to levels of competence that people have achieved, using a competence profile or framework. The difficulty here is measuring competence, and some organisations use a mix of PRP and competence-related pay. Further possible pay systems are team-based pay, a kind of PRP for teams; and contribution-related pay which means paying for results plus competence, and for past performance and future success. Performance may be used to determine all or some aspects of pay. In many instances only non-consolidated bonus payments are linked to performance which tend to reflect organisational, team and individual performance whilst salary progression is linked to service, market rates and pay scales. Many organisations believe that when performance management is linked to pay the quality of performance discussions will inevitably deteriorate. Teams Team working has become an important part of life in many organisations, and where teams are permanent or for longstanding projects, measures can be based on team performance. They will mainly be concerned with output, activity levels (eg speed of servicing), customer service and satisfaction, and financial results. Indeed, team measures are not very different from those for individuals, and of course team members need to agree their objectives and receive feedback in the same way as if they were not part of a team. Other team members can contribute towards this, in a process of peer review. See our factsheet on wrking in teams. Go to our factsheet on teamworking 360 degree feedback 360 degree feedback became increasingly talked about in the 1990s, if not widely used. It consists of performance data generated from a number of sources, who can include the person to whom the individual being assessed reports, people who report to them, peers (team colleagues or others in the organisation), and internal and external customers. It can also include self-assessment. 360 degree feedback is used mainly as part of a self-development or management development programme, and is felt to provide a more rounded view of people, with less bias than if an assessment is conducted by one individual. See our factsheet on 360 feedback for more information. Go to our factsheet on 360 feedback Performance problem solving Performance management is a positive process, and good systems will create a culture in which success is applauded. Nevertheless, poor performance will exist. It may be a result of inadequate leadership, bad management or defective systems of work, and if so, remedies (often involving learning and development) can be put in place. But individuals may under-perform and improvements can be achieved through continuing feedback and joint discussion between them and their managers, involving analysing and identifying the problem, establishing the reasons for the shortfall, and deciding and agreeing the action to be taken. If all this fails, disciplinary action may need to be taken, as in any organisation. CIPD viewpoint Performance management is not easy to implement. It should be owned by everyone in the organisation, and especially line managers it is emphatically not about guardianship by personnel departments. Surveys suggest that individuals and managers in organisations with performance management systems quite like it, and especially its emphasis on personal development, although performance-rating (often linked to PRP) often provokes hostility. Schemes can be over-detailed and require too much form-filling, and there can be a lack of definition in terms of what is meant by performance and how to achieve it. Schemes can be less successful than they might be because of lack of training, especially at the beginning. In its most positive form, performance management will help individuals not only to understand what is expected of them but also how they contribute to achieving organisational goals. The keys to the successful introduction and application of performance management are: being clear about what is meant by performance understanding what the organisation is and needs to be in its performance culture being very focused on how individual employees will benefit and play their part in the process understanding that it is a tool for line managers and its success will depend on their ability to use it effectively. References ARMSTRONG, M. and BARON, A. (2004) Managing performance: performance management in action. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development