U.s. Politics, Citizen Safety, And Economy - 1390 Words

The U.S. has been involved in the war on drugs across the U.S. – Mexican border for almost a decade. While the United States has continued to be an active helper in assisting the Mexican government, the level of violence and gang-related deaths are still increasing at an alarming rate. So far, the majority of U.S. involvement has been in the way of money and physical enforcement; both Mexico and our border with them have become heavily militarized in the years since the â€Å"war on drugs† was launched. However, this military action doesn’t seem to be having any effect accept to spark intensified revolts and counter-violence by the Mexican cartels. The Mexican security crisis is no longer contained within their borders, and it is beginning to affect U.S politics, citizen safety, and economy. Based on my theoretical analysis, I recommend that: 1. Congress readdresses our militarized approach to security and control in Mexico and focuses on the other aspects of the Merida Initiative, such as modernizing the border and interacting with communities and citizens. 2. The United States should aim its drug policies away from suppression and imprisonment and towards increased funding for preventative and rehabilitative initiatives, with the goal of reducing the drug demand that is supplied by violent crime organizations. Historical Background: This problem arose in 2006 when security in Mexico began to deteriorate due to an increase in organized crime. In late 2006, the MexicanShow MoreRelatedThe First World War I1305 Words   |  6 PagesNadia Jahnecke Mrs. Schartner U.S. History 2 AP/IB 19 October 2015 Unit 3 Notebook Essay The First World War fought from 1914 to 1918 was one of the largest and most brutal catastrophes fought in the 20th century. With nearly the entire European continent fighting a barbaric and everlasting war, the U.S. had eventually to get involved in order to reinitiate stability to Europe. Ultimately, the U.S. taking involvement in World War I had a profound political, economic, and social impact on the countryRead MorePublic Outcry For Reform And Government Intervention1254 Words   |  6 Pagesdebates about other subjects. One of these subjects is gun control. The argument is whether or not the government has the authority to take away guns of law abiding citizens. This is not only a major abuse of power by the central government, but also a violation of the 2nd amendment. In the CNN article, â€Å"Can we have gun rights and safety?† the author, Cedric L. Alexander, claims that although the government has the job of protecting people when faced by danger, the government ca nnot take away our gunsRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1073 Words   |  5 PagesGriffin Tritto Politics Paper 5/1/17 Immigration Through the past few decades, the rise of illegal immigrants has been both good and bad. The topic of illegal immigration has recently been brought up frequently by politicians, seeing the economic problems that have occurred. An â€Å"illegal† immigrant is somebody who enters a country without following the proper legal requirements to make them a citizen. Illegal immigration is not only taking place in the United States, but all over the globe.Read MoreFast Food Industry Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pagespossible. This has led it to be very involved in political matters and along with the meat industry, it has a very strong hold over food politics. The effects of this on the American society have become noticeable, with obesity rates skyrocketing and the overall health of Americans in a pitiful state. It has also become a very significant in terms of the American economy, as it is one of the largest employers in the nation, which has led to it becoming one of the most successf ul industries to block unionizationRead MorePoverty And The American Dream933 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica’s total wealth. These 400 Americans are the Top 1%. While the Top 1% are living luxurious lives, the Bottom 99% is struggling to make ends meet. Inequality is nothing new to the United States. In fact, it is a serious problem for America’s Economy, Democracy and the Middle Class. Economic Inequality is the thing that makes the United States the Land of Opportunity to many immigrants. Many Immigrants relocate themselves and/or families for the purpose of experiencing â€Å"The American Dream†. TheRead MoreSamsung in America Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesevery issue, the choice you face wont be just between two candidates or two parties. It will be a choice between two different paths for America.- Barack Obama (Kohan). This is a quote by Barack Obama during his election speech. In a democracy, citizens vote for their own opinions; they vote for what they believe is best for America which is a true democracy. It’s not just two candidates or two parties, they vote for what they believe is best for America. Having rights for freedom of speech andRead More Immigration into the US Essay977 Words   |  4 Pageson America. Immigrants generate an excess in tax revenue and are creators of jobs within the economy. He views assimilation in the form of à ¢â‚¬Å"Americanization† as powerful sociocultural forces transforming children of immigrants in succeeding generations. In contrast, Peter Brimelow a Senior Editor at Forbes and National Review magazine sees immigration as a negative affect on America. He argues that the U.S. is being filled by aliens and this is changing the character and composition of the nation.Read MoreImmigration Policy And The Presidential Election Essay1720 Words   |  7 PagesThat’s 13% of the population. How the US deals with the flow of immigrants directly affects the countries security and economy.† This opening statement made in the video â€Å"Immigration Policy and the Presidential election† produced by Hagit Ariav and Jeremy Sherlick in October 2015 for the Council of Foreign Relations expresses why immigration is an ever present issue in American politics. However, statements and policies introduced by this year’s candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have b roughtRead MoreGovernment Agencies and Health Policy1530 Words   |  7 Pagesquality care. The ultimate goal of the U.S. system is making sure quality care is accessible to its consumers and is value added care that will result in clinical outcomes aimed at reducing the nation’s mortality rate and increasing or extending the average life expectancy. In order to achieve that goal the system is divided into different segments, with each segment responsible for a specific function. For example, there are agencies that are responsible for the safety of prescriptions drugs; credentialingRead MoreThe Trans Pacific Partnership1632 Words   |  7 Pagesnew phenomenon, the world economy has become increasingly interdependent for a long time but the process has been greatly accelerated due to a variety of factors and one important factor are the growth of global trading blocks which have reduced national barriers, specifically tariff barriers that are in turn encouraging global trad e. This is also referred to as free trade. Essentially, free trade enables lower prices for consumers, increases exports, benefits from economies of scale, increased competition

What Is Wrong With Slavery, R. M. Hare - 913 Words

In What is Wrong with Slavery, R. M. Hare argues for why freedom should be a human right. There are psychological and behavioral aspect in regards to Hare s argument to where utility is the main contributing factor. Hare goes into saying that utility helps to distinguish the reason why Utilitarian s would accept this virtue in slavery because of the benefits that would come from having slaves. Utilitarian s can argue over slavery being wrong because of the loss of utility outweighing the supposed happiness that would be a possible gain from having slave-owners and slaves. Add more... Utilitarianism is one of the moral theories that literally only acts on gaining or developing the use for having utility, or what is also known as happiness. Pleasure is a helpful key word to define utility because it is the opposite of feeling pain. As long as there stands a high level of utility, there will be actions to obtain it and no matter how much morality is provided or taken away. Such pleasure can be from the act of the utilitarian in which... Add more examples to this paragraph. The argument is that enslaving people maximizes utility. Hare believes in this argument, but takes this argument a little bit further by developing his own hypothetical example to where enslaving would maximize utility in an aggregate formation. The example consists of the island of Juba and how its colonization of slaves had a leader who took control over the island. There are problems to be fixed asShow MoreRelatedNotes18856 Words   |  76 PagesChapter 4 Colonialism and the African Experience Virtually everything that has gone wrong in Africa since the advent of independence has been blamed on the legacies of colonialism. Is that fair? Virtually all colonial powers had â€Å"colonial missions.† What were these missions and why were they apparently such a disaster? Did any good come out of the African â€Å"colonial experience†? Introduction Colonization of Africa by European countries was a monumental milestone in  ­ the development

Case Study of Winery Yard Free-Samples -Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Case Study of Winery Yard. Answer: Introduction The case study analysis is considered significantly essential to understand the actual position of the company. A winery is operated by the Grevillea Ridge family(Somogyi, 2013). This winery is generally managed by two owned. The owners have applied several strategies to enhance income and sales. They offered diverse kinds of offers in last three month. In this report, the sales of winery will be discussed in detail. The spreadsheet will be analyzed in order to know the impact of various discounts and offers on sales of winery. The other factors which affect the sales of vineyard will be analyzed in detail. After that, a concluding summary will be presented in detail. On this basis of analysis of spread sheet, recommendations will be offered in last section of the report. Analysis The case study is about a winery yard which is managed by two owners (Galbreath, 2015). It was estimated by the owners that mostly sales are made on the weekend. In order to increase sales through telephone and online, the owners decided to close the caller door on the last days of weekend (Sexton, 2011). The production processes are managed by the Marcus, while other operations are managed by Michelle. She appointed two employees for assistance. In order to establish business through online, the customers were motived to become a member of Grevillea Ridge Wine Club online. They are provided mail o regular basis about functions and new things. On the other hand, Michelle distributed wines to stores and boosted target market. The business was started to concentrate the target market of Victoria (Thorpe, 2009). Yet, Michelle recognized that operations can be expanded in other nations. She started to offer 15% discount in February in order to increase the sales. She provided cost free d elivery services in March. Michelle has used excellent strategies to enhance the sales outside the nation. Sales Analysis In the three months, the sales in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are: The above mentioned chart indicates the number of sales achieved in three month. In January, the company sold 22 cases to New South Wales, O cases to Queensland, 29 cases to South Australia and 107cases to Victoria. The company achieved sufficient revenues through these sales in January. In February, the company sold 134 cases to New South Wales, O cases to Queensland, 136 cases to South Australia and 299 cases to Victoria. The company achieved sufficient revenues through these sales in January. The sales were high during February. In March, the company sold 9 cases to New South Wales, 2 cases to Queensland, 44 cases to South Australia and 93 cases to Victoria. Discount Analysis The above chart indicates the discounts achieved by four states of Australia during February on purchase of wine cases. New South Wales purchased 134 cases of wine in February. The state achieved AUD 754.76 amount of discount on these purchases of cases. Queensland purchased 2 cases of wine in February. The state achieved AUD 46.80 amount of discount on these purchases of cases. Victoria purchased 299 cases of wine in February. The state achieved AUD 1909.41 amount of discount on these purchases of cases. South Australia purchased 136 cases of wine in February. The state achieved AUD 273.15 amount of discount on these purchases of cases Result of Analysis The winery business did well in the last three month. The campaign launched by Michelle proved good and well to boost the level of sales in other states as compared to Victoria. It is analyzed on the basis of above mentioned analysis that sales in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia enhanced greatly in February due to offer of discount. In order to avail this opportunity, three states purchased more cases as compared to January. However, the campaign of free deliver was not demonstrated beneficial (Insel, 2014). In March, the winery offered free delivery services. This offer was not beneficial for the winery. The campaign to offer discount to enhance sales was evidenced good (Alonso, 2011). Other factors affecting results It is analyzed that various other factors also impacted the results of these sales. The competition is considered biggest issue that impact the sales and revenue. In February, the sales were high because the customers are attaining discounts on the purchase of cases (Goodman, 2009). On the other hand, the sales were low in March as competitors are providing services on time. The legal factors also impacted the sales during March. The legal requirements regarding purchase and sales differentiate. The sales are high in the Victoria because wines are produced according to the needs and demands of Victorian customers. However, the preferences and tastes of customers of other citizen can vary. The preferences of customers greatly impact the results (Duarte Alonso, 2015). Conclusion On the basis of above mentioned analysis, it is concluded that psyche of customers vary as per requirements. The winery launched two campaign to enhance sales. The campaign to provide discount during February was beneficial as company attained higher sales during February. On the other hand, the offer to provide free delivery services was not as such beneficial as company did not achieved desired sales. It is also concluded that environmental factors of different states and preferences of different customers of different states also impact the level of sales. Recommendations On the basis of above mentioned analysis, it is recommended that winery should concentrate on the needs and preferences of customers. The winery must analyze diverse requirements of consumers in order to gratify the needs of target customers. Secondly, the vineyard should offer discounts in other states in order to capture more customers. The winegrower should provide vine to diverse stores in different states. References Alonso, A. D., 2011. The red-headed stepchild of wine? Marketing muscadine wines in the Southern USA. British Food Journal; Bradford, 113(10), pp. 1290-1304. Duarte Alonso, A., 2015. Wine as a unique and valuable resource: An exploratory study of wine consumers on La Palma Island. British Food Journal; Bradford, 117(11), pp. 2757-2776. Galbreath, J., 2015. A study of women in top business roles: the case of the wine industry. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 27(2), pp. 143-158. Goodman, S., 2009. An international comparison of retail consumer wine choice. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 21(1), pp. 41-49. Insel, B., 2014. The Evolving Global Wine Market. Business Economics; Basingstoke, 49(1), pp. 46-58. Sexton, A., 2011. The French in the Australian wine industry: 1788-2009. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 23(3), pp. 198-209. Somogyi, S., 2013. Grape grower and winery relationships: a segmentation approach. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 25(4), pp. 252-266. Thorpe, M., 2009. The globalisation of the wine industry: new world, old world and China. China Agricultural Economic Review, 1(3), pp. 301-313.

Sweatshops Working Condition

Sweatshops refer to working conditions that are dangerous and unhealthy for any human being to work. People working in sweatshops are forced to work for long hours without receiving adequate pay regardless to the laws enacted to govern the workplace. Though the employees work for long hours which may exceed the normal working hours in a day, they are not paid for overtime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sweatshops Working Condition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In sweatshops, employees are exploited and overworked by their employers. The employer also prohibits such employees from joining workers unions which can protect them. Though sweatshops have unfavorable working condition and the employees are paid less, the sweatshops provide a means for the low class people to earn a living. Sweatshop conditions are usually in manufacturers and companies with unfair, risky and dirty working environment. These conditi ons exploit workers who cannot afford employment in a good environment. They create opportunities for uneducated and unskilled young people to work and earn a living. This encourages students to drop out of school and seek employment in the sweatshops. Additionally, some companies take advantage of children and overwork them sweatshops. They capitalize on child labor and force children to work like adults (Featherstone United Students Against Sweatshops 2002). Companies which contract sweatshops to manufacture their products claim their practice in good for them since they are able to take advantage and compete favorably offering low cost products to their customers. Social economists and analysts have varied views on that issue. Some say that, use of sweatshops labor harm workers who lose job when a company contract manufacturing works abroad (Fraser, 2001). Machines that are used by workers in sweatshops are poorly maintained and dangerous to operate. These faulty equipments caus e injuries to workers. Some workers suffer minor injuries while others suffer severe injuries that leave them disabled. When a worker is injured the employer fails to take responsibility and leaves the employee to suffer alone. Other injuries make workers unable to do their job and they are fired. In such cases, the employer fires the affected employees without compensation. Poor ventilation in manufacturing factories results in poor air circulating. This makes the place stuffy and increases the chances of contracting airborne diseases. Due to lack of proper ventilation, the workers are affected by poisonous gas which they breathe from materials being processed. This leads to workers suffering from health problems. Additionally, there are conditions where there are bugs and rodents. These make the situation worse resulting in diseases (Thomas J. DiLorenzo (2006).Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More Even if sweatshops provide job opportunities, working in a sweatshop is not the best option for employees. They would opt to work in better working environment. It is seen that in sweatshops, workers are forced to work for long hours and in return, they receive low pay. Companies try to keep their cost low by giving low wages and fail to meet the requirements of minimum pay standards. These wages are low and are considered starvation pay. Sweatshops increase with growth in industrialization which creates new job vacancies. The new job opportunities attract people and they leave farming to join the factories. The conditions in the factories are grim: workers operate machinery without safety gadgets, poorly ventilated workplaces and in environment vulnerable to accidents, fire and even suffer from physical abuse. Businesses opt to use sweatshops in their search to minimize cost of production through cheap labor and maximize profit. They exploit workers by providing harsh wo rking conditions and taking advantage of people who are desperately looking for jobs (Sweatshops, 2010). Sweatshops violate human rights and do not provide protection to employees at the workplace. Working in a sweatshop is risky to one’s health. The conditions of a sweatshop are not fit for human health. Sweatshop owners are the sole beneficially and regard workers in their factory as expenditure and they do not treat them like human beings. Workers receive low wages to keep the company expenditures low. The workers decide to stay in the sweatshop with all the harsh conditions because they can easily lose the opportunity. There is no room to bargain since workers are forced to take the position, or forfeit the opportunity. It is evident that in sweatshops there is low demand for more human labor and this makes managers to enslave their workers (Williams, 1999). Sweatshops have always been dangerous and uncomfortable for workers. The working conditions in the sweatshops do no t pay well as the average modern white color jobs. Though the working conditions are unfavorable, most of the things used in everyday life such as clothes and shoes are made in these sweatshops. People imagine that the items they use are made in clean automated factories where workers are well remunerated. The society imagines that no pain or suffering is involved when developing these goods. When people realize the conditions that the workers go through when producing goods in sweatshops, they are quick to judge and curse the employers for mistreating the employees. However, it is important to note that these factories provide jobs for the low working class in the society. Without these jobs, such people would be in abject poverty. This would only lead to more people begging on the streets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sweatshops Working Condition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If there are a lot of unempl oyed people in the society, other problems would arise as well. There would be increased prostitution and crime. This would not promote quality of their life instead; it would further deteriorate and put their lives in danger. People who work in sweatshop remain there for a long time because they are not qualified for better jobs. Though it is evident that the sweatshops owners exploit their employees, they also present to them a livelihood. The employers find that it is not possible to increase the wages for the workers since these would translate to a loss on their side. The only logical method to end the problem of sweatshops that would not lead to employer making loses would be to automate the process of production. This would lead to the workers losing their jobs. Though the employer would require a huge capital to set up the machinery for the company, it would lead to high production in the long run. The company would be able to produce more goods at prices affordable by the a verage consumer. However, this would have the disadvantage of rendering most of the workers jobless. Having human workers at the factories doing the work that would otherwise be done using machinery increases the cost of production. This also reduces the number of products produced per unit time. This translates to high prices for the goods produced; these goods end up unaffordable to the average consumer. The customers would no longer afford the goods that the company produces due to increased prices. The employees who work in the sweatshops prefer to maintain the status quo since this would mean that they will keep their jobs although the working conditions are unfavorable. Companies that capitalize on using sweatshop labor are able to sell their products at lower prices compared to the companies that do not use sweatshop labor. Sweatshops labor is voluntary and people who decide to work there do it because they feel they are unable to acquire a better job due to various reasons s uch as level of education or qualification. Due to the intensity of work at sweatshops, a lot of labor force is required. Therefore, a sweatshop is able to employ a lot of people who would otherwise be jobless. Research indicates that most people who support sweatshops are employees who work there. This is because, such employees are aware of the fact that if they would demand high payment for their work, the employers would not be able to sustain them. This is because; the business would become unstable due to high cost of production. In an attempt to lower the cost of production, the employers would be forced to seek less costly labor such as use of machines and automation.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If the employers are not able to make profit, there would be less investment in other new businesses as well. This would lead to slow economic growth for the country, and in turn, the currency would weaken. Weakening of the currency of a country would lead to poor quality of life for all citizens. For example, the Americans citizens protested against the outsourcing of the textile mills. The companies wanted to outsource because they felt that the factories were horrible and polluted the environment. There was also the problem of low wages for the employees who worked in those companies and poor working conditions. However, the Americans protested against the idea of outsourcing the textile mills because, despite being unfavorable, employment at the textile mills was the only job that they could secure (Woog, 2003). If the employees are provided with better working conditions and they are paid well, the cost of production would increase. This will lead to the company increasing the cost of the goods sold in order to cover for the production cost. Due to increased cost of goods and services offered by such companies, less people in the society will afford the items due to the sudden increase in cost. This would lead to reduced sales. If people do not buy the products, the company would have less money to spend on its employees and thus, it would be forced to either fire the employees or reduce their wages in order to sustain them. Such company will be forced to either pay the workers less and less, or continue firing its employees until it shuts down. The employer would opt to replace the large number of people with a machine that would be able to produce more goods per unit time at a lower cost of production compared to people working in the sweatshops (Sweatshops, 2010). Though the working conditions of a sweatshop are unfavorable, they are a good source of income and provide employment opportunities to many people. It is through these sweatshops that most lo w income earners are able to afford food for their families. References Featherstone, L., United Students Against Sweatshops. (2002). Students against  sweatshops. London: Verso. Fraser, J. A. (2001). White-collar sweatshop: The deterioration of work and its rewards in corporate America. New York: Norton.  Sweatshops. (2010). Detroit, Mich: Gale. Thomas J. DiLorenzo (2006). How â€Å"Sweatshops† Help the Poor. Retrieved from https://mises.org/library/how-sweatshops-help-poor. Williams, M. E. (1999). Child labor and sweatshops. San Diego, Calif: Greenhaven Press. Woog, A. (2003). A sweatshop during the industrial revolution. San Diego, Calif: Lucent Books. This essay on Sweatshops Working Condition was written and submitted by user Mario Mccormick to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Buffalo soldiers essays

Buffalo soldiers essays In the years immediately following the Civil War, thousands of former slaves moved westward, hoping to find new opportunities for employment. Among the opportunities open to young black men was serving with the United States Army. In 1866, the United States Congress authorized the creation of six regular Army regiments to be staffed entirely by black soldiers. By 1869, these regiments were decreased by two. Black men were given the choice of enlisting with the Ninth or Tenth Cavalry or the Twenty-fourth or Twenty-fifth Infantry. It is these regiments that would eventually be dubbed the Buffalo Soldiers (Katz 1996). The term Buffalo Soldiers was bestowed by the Plains Indians, who were the soldiers' enemies. Despite their enmity, however, the name reveals the respect many Native Americans accorded to the black soldiers. The Indians had high regard for the courage and valor shown by the black men in combat. This paper argues that the Buffalo Soldiers played a crucial, though often overlooked role in the history of westward expansion. By protecting settlers, the Buffalo Soldiers paved the way for the settlement of the west and the creation of the United States. By showing courage on the battlefield, the Buffalo Soldiers also challenged prevailing misconceptions about black people. In doing so, they contributed to the establishment of multicultural societies in the West and by extension, in the rest of the The Buffalo Soldiers initially came into being because during the late 19th century, the United States Military supported segregation. Black freemen thus could not serve along with the white soldiers. Thus, the Buffalo Soldiers were tasked with building forts which were often reserved only for white soldiers. In Forth Concho, the Buffalo Soldiers were housed in separate rooms. However, historians like Stanford L. Davis (1999) argue that the realitie...

The Linked History of the Flashlight and the Battery

The Linked History of the Flashlight and the Battery The flashlight was invented in 1898 and patented in 1899. The biblical quote let there be light was on the cover of the 1899 Eveready catalog advertising the new flashlight.   Eveready Founder Conrad Hubert In 1888, a Russian immigrant  and inventor named Conrad Hubert founded the  American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company (later renamed Eveready). Huberts company manufactured and  marketed battery-powered novelties. For example, neckties and flower pots that lit up. Batteries were still a novelty at that time, then only recently introduced to the consumer market. David Misell, Inventor of the Flashlight A flashlight by definition is a small, portable lamp usually powered by batteries.  While  Conrad Hubert might have known  the flashlight was a bright idea, it was not his. British inventor David Misell, who was living in New York, patented the original flashlight and sold those patent rights to the Eveready Battery Company. Conrad  Hubert first met Misell  in 1897. Impressed with his work,  Hubert  purchased all of Misells previous patents related to lighting, Misells  workshop, and his then-unfinished invention, the tubular flashlight. Misells patent was  issued on January 10,  1899.  His portable light was  designed in the now familiar tube-shape and used three D batteries  placed in a line, with a lightbulb at one end of the tube.   Success Why  was the flashlight called a flashlight? The first flashlights used batteries that did not last very long. They provided a flash of light, so to speak. However, Conrad  Hubert continued to improve his product and made the flashlight a commercial success. It helped make Hubert a  multi-millionaire, and  Eveready a huge company. Source: Utley, Bill. History of the First Tubular Flashlight. CandlePowerForums, May 20, 2002.

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Essay Example The most sensitive criteria are the clauses that provide for the protection of the interest of established corporate sponsors against new ones that have the interest to be partners. A $50,000 annual fee that a company pays as a license fee to the organization to act as a solid pledge for the involved company that has expressed interest for partnership is a criterion that CBCF strongly considers. The interested companies have to subscribe to the breast cancer cause and express a brand image that strongly supports the organization’s brand awareness as well. These criteria only to mention a few in general opinion need review in reference to amending specific clauses that will increase funding and still protect the main objective of the organization which is solely tied down to fighting breast cancer. Â  The sensitivity of the relationship between established corporate sponsors and the new entrants or interested parties should be expounded on to give a broad approach to the organization criteria and guideline principles. CBCF should be able to protect the interest of the established long-term corporate sponsors against the new entrants so as to avoid conflicts and increase the pipeline for funding from these interested parties. This is the most agreeable clause the organization has come up with in guiding the relationship between the corporate sponsors. However, the annual license fee charged by the organization as a form of a pledge for the corporate sponsors should be reviewed and the fee brought down a bit to encourage maximum participation by upcoming companies that are willing to take part in the fighting breast cancer initiative that is somewhat restricted to big established corporations.

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis - Essay Example To begin with, it is not safe to love someone too much. It is neither safe to kiss the person one loves. Besides, it is dangerous to declare that one loves someone. The author mentions that everyone is a murderer. In this case, the girl is susceptible to murder. It is crucial for the girl not to venture outside at night. Furthermore, she should inform her mother about her whereabouts and the time she will come home from a night out. More essentially, such a person should not sleep so deeply. In the end, the author warns the girl to protect herself by carrying a knife, pepper spray, mace, and a gun. The author urges the teenage to spontaneous. In the last line, however, the story surprises the readers by saying that the teenage girl will die anyway. It is essential to highlight that this text does not read as a short story. Instead, it reads as an instruction manual that is indispensable for maneuvering a complex life. All the same, the story uses a mild flashback as the author conceals the subject in the second paragraph. Before that, the audience is not aware of the direction of the short story. It, therefore, occurs that the subject is a vulnerable person of whom the society poses danger from all fronts. The text thrives on contradictions. In the first paragraph, the protagonist receives a warning not to venture outside. The audience expects that once the subject receives a warning not to go on dates she may be allowed to go outside for other activities. In addition, the author warns the subject neither to go on dates with men who drive nor drive herself to date (Monson 64). In this case, the subject is torn between these two extremes of advice since she cannot choose. Besides, the author warns the girl to spend time neither with men friends nor with any friend at all. In the end, the girl will lack any friend. The author also tells the girl neither to stay home alone nor to venture out in public. The audience,

Safeways Human resources management Essay Example for Free

Safeways Human resources management Essay Introduction I will be looking at the way Safeways Human resources management is run, Safeway is one of the leading grocery retailers in the UK with annual sales of around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9 billion, 90,000 employees and nearly 480 stores nationwide. Their stores attract around 8 million shoppers every week. Originally they were a US owned company called Safeway Food Stores Ltd. Their first UK store was opened in Bedford in 1962. Over the next two decades the companys portfolio of stores rose to 133, establishing it as a serious player in the booming UK food retailing market. This success reflects the radical changes they have made in the way they do business and their strategy is based on four key objectives which is focus on product and price, best at fresh, best at availability and best at customer service Argyll was formed in 1977 by James Gulliver and named after his Scottish birthplace, the company grew rapidly through acquisition, and during the 80s Argyll focused its retailing operation on the Presto brand while also operating a range of other food and drinks businesses. By 1987, Argyll had the necessary financial muscle to make a bid for the Safeway name and estate. In February 1987 Argyll bought the UK arm of Safeway for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½681m and with it came a distribution network and the Safeway name, a programme was launched to integrate the best systems and processes from each company and convert many of the larger Presto stores to the Safeway fascia. As its food retailing operations became more important, Argyll began to sell its non-core businesses and invested in a massive store opening programme. In 1996 the company name was changed to Safeway plc and all stores reframed under the Safeway identity. Their human resources support management in recruitment, induction and training. HR policies on terms and conditions of pay and benefits, performance management, training and career development apply to all Safeway people. It believes that by building sustainable advantage over our competitors it can only be done through Safeway people. We are creating a business culture in which our people are passionate about our products, our stores and everything we do. If their employees have an unbreakable will to compete and have the skills, knowledge and resources to do their best every day. The Human Resources operation within Safeway affects all departments and impacts on all members of staff. Human Resources Managers are responsible for attracting, developing and retaining people who are great assets to the stores. They provide expert advice on a range of employee issues and work to help people achieve their full potential. Their HR strategy has been broadened to ensure they prepare both their business and people for the future and will continue to develop managers in the key areas needed to support this phase, e.g. change. Leadership will be a requisite skill to support their people and managers will receive ongoing development in this area. Safeways entire Supply and HR Divisions recently became Investors in People accredited. In the case of the Supply Division this achievement was unique as they employ both permanent employees and contractors at third party depots. Human Resources Planning The function of human resources within a business is considered to be one of very important elements in running private and public enterprises besides the financial capital. It envisages manpower planning which focus on the various ways of attracting sufficient candidates with the right qualifications. Broadly speaking, the role of human resources include among others manpower planning, recruitment and selection, training and development and performance of management so that a business can have the best people for jobs who are able to perform their respective tasks to the highest level possible. Other responsibilities also include designing jobs that are interesting, keeping within the law on issues such as health safety, equal opportunities, sex race discrimination and termination of employment. Another responsibility also include dealing with trade unions, staff association, disputes, industrial tribunals and other legal actions, also ensuring that organisational structures and procedures allow employees to express their views, ideas, complaints and worries. If a business is expected to be effective and efficient it needs to manage its employees or human resources well. If workers are well managed they will be happier, better motivated, more responsive and more productive. Badly managed employees are more likely to be less enthusiastic, less willing to show initiative and likely to miss work. and finally less productive. The external labour market is also considered to be a very important factor when dealing with human resources. It is made up of potential employees whether they are locally, regionally or nationally that may have the skills and experience required for a particular business. Manpower planning should cover the analysis of both internal staffing resources, and the monitoring of the availability of labour from external resources. If a business fails to analyse the pool of recruits within the working population both local national then it runs the risk of not being able to satisfy any additional manpower requirements from external sources. There are many different factors that affect the size and nature of the labour market. Labour Market The Labour market is defined as the combination of labour demand and labour supply. Labour demand refers to the total number of workers or even working hours required by employers and is usually measured by the number of jobs plus vacancies. Labour supply refers to the total numbers of hours that labour is willing and able to supply at a given wage rate. It can also be defined as the number or workers willing and able to work in a given occupation or industry for a given wage. National Labour Market A business must consider its ability to meet its manpower requirements so that it can operates efficiently and at the same obtain profit or at least cover its running costs in the short run. Overall a national labour market is influenced by the following factors: * Trends in the size of the working population. * Competition for labour within businesses industry. * Overall level of economic activity. * Education and training opportunities. * The effect of government legislation. A national external source also has to be considered, these include national policies, demographics trends and developments which can affect the ability of a business to recruit certain types of labour. Similarly all these factors can have an implication of salary levels and the conditions of employment. We can easily say that manpower planning must also take into account the following factors: * Economic trends which will affect the demands for different types of labour e.g. in todays environment there is a greater demand for people with technology skills. * National demographic trends may have particular implications for the growth of the working population. * Education and training trends which change the structure and emphasis of university courses and the provision of technical and vocational education in schools and colleges. * New legislation including government policies and European Union directives on wage and salary negotiations, the role of staff associations and trade unions, equal pay, sex discrimination, employment protection, working time and industrial relations. Local Labour Market Business needs to be aware of the labour supply in the location they are operating, they need to know about future and current supply trends. In order for a business to gain a clear understanding of the local supply conditions they must have access to such statistics. Other information can be obtained by local employment offices and job centres which have details of unemployment figures for their particular area, local employers also want information on local wage rates and income levels in order for them to pitch an appropriate wage level to recruit or attract the right sort of employees. The types of information a business needs to know about local employment trends are the following: * Local employment gives an indication of the general availability of labour and state how easy or difficult it will be to recruit. * Local Skills shortage, there are job roles that go into decline because the skills required for certain jobs are becoming redundant. * Competition for employees, it is in a business best interest to know whether its competitors are expanding. * Availability of labour. Local external sources have to be looked over when assessing future manpower requirements and how it can be satisfied by local labour markets and manpower planning should take into account the following: * Developments in the local transport system that determine the effective catchments for labour area. * Demographic trends paying particular attention on the overall size and age structure of the local working population, e.g. if there a lot of graduates in the area they might consider recruiting them. * Housing and the availability of different types of accommodation. * Environmental developments that influence the attractiveness of the area as a place in which to live, more homes and people. * The local effect of any changes in the governments regional and urban development policies, e.g. if a new retail park opens, there will be more jobs. * Unemployment rates and the availability of workers with particular skills, qualifications and experience for example higher labour market available for work higher demand for certain jobs then wages get higher. * The availability of part time and casual labour, e.g. students and mothers. * The quality of local education and training providers, people will be more skilled which means higher wages. * Local competition for labour and its impact on pay rates and fringe benefits e.g. one company might look at what benefits another company offers. Manpower planning and internal staffing resources The purpose of manpower planning within different organisations will vary and it is important to identify this purpose i.e. why your organisation needs to do manpower planning. Once the purpose is clear, then it is important to develop a consistent approach to meet these needs. Manpower Planning is the process by which an organisation determines its human resource management needs and issues, and develops and implements plans to address them, it also gives a clear picture of the supply of labour available to a business internally for example skills, attributes and the potential of the current employees. At this level the manpower planning function deals with understanding the staffing requirements necessary to implement the organisations overall plans. The focus here is on the wider implications of the organisations manpower plans in terms of, for example, skill mix and development programme requirements, as they affect the organisation as a whole. Manpower planning at an operational level deals with specific programmes defined as necessary by management to meet their objectives. Research and experience shows that workforce planning fails when it is applied in a manner which is inconsistent with the needs of the organisation. If it is viewed as too complicated, lacking serious senior management support or focused on issues which are not important to the organisations success, it may be perceived as just another personnel procedure. However, when it involves managers in meaningful and significant ways, when it provides useful information and stimulates effective decision making and when it addresses important issues before they become expensive problems, then workforce planning is seen as a valuable process of management. This should be based on a manpower inventory consisting of computerised personnel records on each employee which cover the following: * Age, gender and martial status. * Date employment commenced, the first day of their work. * How the employee first heard of the vacancy with the business, whether it was recommended. * Job title. * Department, section and job location. * Employment status (hourly, full-time, part time, shift). * Previous job titles within the organisation, whether they were once a checkout assistant and now a manager, we know that skills are there. * Previous work experience with other employees. * Performance and attainment, their ability. * Qualifications. * Training and development, what type of training they have and if they need more strengths. * Potential for transfer or promotion. Information from manpower planning can be analysed to help determine the resources that an organisation possess, and also identify important trends that may have implications for its future labour requirements. This plan should include records of employees that are no longer within the business and the reasons why these employees left for example if it was the companys fault or employee personal reasons. It gives an opportunity for measuring and analysing: Labour Turnover Labour turnover occurs when workers leave an organisation and need to be replaced by new recruits. The main reasons that workers leave are: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Resignation (both voluntary and due to incapacity pregnancy, ill-health, etc) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Dismissal (including redundancy). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Retirement. It is calculated in percentage terms using the following formula: Labour turnover = number of employees leaving over specific period x 100 Average number of people employed A labour turnover ratio of 25% is generally considered acceptable, however when the rate reaches 30% or more, an organisation will need to pay attention to this particular area. High labour turnover can be expensive, although the actual costs are difficult to estimate. To get some indication, organisations can start by adding up the most obvious expenses those of advertising, recruitment and training, together with the cost of associated management and supervisory time. The annual total could well convince the organisation that time and effort spent reducing labour turnover is cost-effective. Increased expenditure on recruitment and training represents only a small proportion of the total cost of labour turnover. Much greater costs may be incurred through: * Poor recruitment with the wrong people being selected for the job, perhaps interviewer did not select the right person. * Low levels of motivation within a department. * Employee dissatisfaction with unfavourable wage rates or working conditions maybe not getting enough for their use and may introduce fringe benefits to keep their employees. For example Safeway offer a competitive salary and an employee can look forward to a range of benefits including: * Generous holiday entitlement. * Contributory pension scheme. * Staff discount card. * Subsidized meals and drinks. * Share save scheme to become a Safeway shareholder. * Safeway Lifestyle Voluntary Benefits which are a wide range of discounts on services including mortgages, electrical services, personal travel services and fitness. * Bonus scheme. * Staff uniform. * Premium payments for Sunday working. Safeway employees become eligible for further benefits such as medical cover as their career progresses, and their store social committee organizes different number of activities like theatre trips to Christmas parties. * Failing induction process and employees are not made to feel comfortable. It is also important that Safeway measure the labour turnover rate to warn of potential problems, so that the management can take appropriate action. The replacing of employees can cause a lot of disruption in the efficiency; it can also create costs for recruitment and training. For Safeway to meet its manpower planning it is important that it minimises labour turnover. Labour stability index This outlines stability because it emphasizes the employees that stay within the business rather than those that leave, this is another important ratio that is used and a measure which is more suitable is the labour stability index, as the labour turnover is generally measured. The labour stability index is measured by this formula: Labour stability = number employed with more than 12 months service x 100 Total number of staff employed one year ago The labour stability for Safeway is: 157 x 100 196 Labour stability = 80 The index stability represents stability because it emphasizes those employees that stay rather than leave. The labour stability, which is 80, means that only 20% of workers leave, so this is a very good employment for Safeway. Sickness and accident rates Absences are bad for companies as work is not done, and sickness rate is measured using the following formula: Sickness rate = number of working days lost per year due to illness x 100 Total number of available working days Due to the Health and safety at work act 1974, an organization is required by law to investigate a keep a detailed record of its accident rates, accidents can be caused by factors such as: * Insufficient safety training. * Stress, caused by too much to do. * A lack of safety equipment. * Poor motivation, money related perhaps due to unhappy with their work surroundings. These factors can result in ineffective working practices and reduced efficiency, keeping records allows an organization to protect itself from legal actions and will help identify and deal with causes of accidents before problems occur. Safeway circulate an annual health and safety report to employees in order to illustrate where we are and actions underway to improve our health and safety performance. They are always encouraging employees to consider key health and safety challenges facing Safeway and how they can make a difference: * Protecting members of public and visitors visiting Safeway premises. * Reduction in stock handling injuries to staff. * Motivation and training of staff in health and safety. * Improving the safety of contractors during construction and maintenance operations. Age Structure This information is useful for several reasons, it will help highlight a potential staff shortage that may be caused by a large number of employees all reaching retirement age, mostly students are most willing for jobs. When deciding the allocation of training opportunities a detailed analysis of the age structure of the workforce is needed, for example who is in need of training and you would not give training to pensioners, elderly as they are not in need of it. Succession This analysis identifies any managerial and supervisory posts that face a weak replacement position and for this reason the assessment of employees must be a continuous process, the manpower plan allows plans to be made for the effects of retirement or resignation among supervisory and managerial employees. An organization needs to know if it has the appropriate employees in order to promote and transfer them to the managerial positions. Safeways are committed to the provision of a full outplacement and career-coaching service at all levels. This will be supported by the development of their own internal re-deployment framework. They also plan to further enhance their system provision, enabling automated succession planning and competency modelling, which will support the above. To support improved communication across their Business. In October 2002 the ten year old Human Resources System was replaced by a new, more efficient management information system (People soft). This manages the companys and facilitates our performance management and succession planning processes:- * Recruitment administration. * All personal and job details. * Information about absence, discipline and grievances Recruitment and Selection The ultimate success of a business depends upon the quality and contribution of its workforce, businesses recruit staff for a variety of reasons. Before recruiting it is essential to ensure that there is actually a need to recruit workers. External influences such as technological developments can change job roles within the business creating a need to recruit new people with specific skills. Other reasons why businesses recruit include the following: * The growth of the business When existing jobs are being expanded human resources management simply needs to copy existing practice on a larger scale. In creating new jobs more detailed thought is required particularly if the jobs are quite different from those that already exist within the organisation. * Changing the job roles within the business Due to the rise in information and communication technology, there has been a change in businesses job structures. When developing new jobs requires considerable amount of research, which is often done by examining best practice in businesses or by looking at the development of new jobs in other countries. * Filling vacancies created by resignation, retirement or dismissal In all businesses people move on, they become older they either hand in their notice or are dismissed. So it is necessary for employers to replace their employees. * Internal promotion In any successful business there will be opportunities for internal promotion, this allows an employee something to aim towards in a business rather than looking elsewhere for something better. When one employee is promoted, sometimes they need a replacement. The recruitment process as illustrated is a tried and tested process that aims to reduce the risk of selecting the wrong person. It can be costly in terms of resources devoted to the process and costs associated with recruiting poor performing employees, it is important to select people accurately for interviews. Businesses need to be very clear always about the requirements of the job and about the kind of person they are seeking for. The following ways can be achieved through: * Job descriptions A job description is used as a job indicator for applicants, it is also used by managers to identify their roles and responsibilities within the business. This also can be used by businesses to provide information to be used in making a vacancy advert and for briefing interviews. A job description normally follows a similar pattern of headings: * Title of post, this should give a good indication of what the job is. * Position within business structure, state who the post holder is accountable to and who is accountable to them. * Duties and responsibilities that need to be performed by a job holder and the skills and qualities required. * Responsibilities for assets and materials, the rage of materials and physical assets the job holder will be responsible for. * Person specifications this describes the characteristics and attributes which a person needs to be able to do the job to the required standards. It can also be used to make sure a job advertisement conveys the qualities that prospective candidates should have and check candidates have the right qualities. * Achievements, what education, qualifications and experiences does the applicant need? * Personal attributes they have e.g. works well in teams or on their own. * The amount of experience in the business industry or related areas. * Carefully planning how and when to advertise This process is to attract only those people who fit the companys person specification Advertisements must reach those who have the qualities to fill the vacancy, the business needs to be aware of who there target audience is(manager, supervisor, etc) and also where the advert will be placed(on a notice board, broadsheet paper, local job centre).The presentation of the advert is very important as it gives prospective employees a first impression of the business. A good advertisement needs to contain the following information: * Job title, details about the business and who would I am working for. * Job description, what would I be doing. * Location, where would I be working. * Salary, what financial reward would I get and an indication should always be given. * Qualifications needed for the business must be stated clearly. * Address and contact, so that the applicant can contact the business for further information. * Fringe benefits, additional things an employee will receive other than pay. * Organisational identity, this may be in the form of a logo. Safeway as a Company undertakes a positive and proactive approach to equality and diversity. They recognize the benefits of providing a working environment in which everyone feels valued, respected and able to contribute to the success of the business and also wish to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse society of which they live in and serve. To ensure that all colleagues remain committed to and involved in promoting diversity, it undertakes the following activities:- * Dignity and respect training entitled Appreciating Differences is provided for managers throughout the Company. * Conduct diversity profiling across their workforce and this information is fed back to each of their stores, to ensure that the workforce in each location reflects the profile of their local community. * They advertise vacant positions both within their stores and through the distribution of fliers to local communities. * Use both internal and external posters and recruitment materials targeted at workers of different ages. * They also utilize the Age Positive and 50 Plus websites when advertising positions. * Springboard is used to target school leavers. * They are accredited to use the Positive about Disability symbol on our recruitment literature. * They are committed to interviewing all disabled people who meet the minimum job requirements. * They make any reasonable adjustments required to meet the needs of disabled applicants and colleagues. * We have developed partnerships with around 40 external providers such as Re-employ and the Shaw Trust. In 2002/3 we employed approximately 140 people on supported placements. * Identify the strengths and weaknesses of job application: CSVs and letters of application A CV is a document usually prepared by the job seeker, it is similar to an application form. It supplies an employer with the job seekers details. It must be truthful and positive and should have the following information: * Personal details. * Education. * Qualifications. * Work experience. * Interests. * Ambitions. Letters of application should be written to support a CV, it should have A clear structure, with beginning, middle and an ending. Which should state the following: * The reason applying for the job. * The contribution that can be made to the business. * The developed capabilities through training and education. * The skills and knowledge acquired that will help in the job. * Short listing candidates This process involves looking through the completed applications to narrow the number down to a manageable number, it helps eliminate all the applicants that do not meet the job requirements. * Taking references Most businesses an applicants reference will be considered by the employer before a contract of employment is agreed. It is an opinion usually in writing of a persons character, ability, honesty and reliability. Some employers tend to not even consider the job applicant until they have seen a reference from a college or previous employer. * Job analysis The first stage is to conduct a detailed analysis of the job, which may involve questioning the current job holder at work. It might be obtained through discussions with the job holders manager or supervisor. The job analyst compiles a description of the main responsibilities of the job by asking: * What are the main tasks of the job and how often do they need to be completed. * What mental processes are required to do the job. * Is the job holder required to take decisions and use initiative. * Is the output from the job a part or a whole. * Does the job holder have to work with others or control the work of others. * What are the required performance standards. Recruitment and selection are linked, selection interviews also present candidates with a realistic picture of what the job entails and what it will like to work for the business. Selection interviews are well organised they must be arranged at convenient locations and times. The selection should attempt to get the best people within the existing budgets i.e. candidates with the most appropriate skills, experience and attitudes. It should also select people who will stay with the business for a reasonable time and minimise the costs of recruitment and selection relative to returns. In Safeways selection depends on the position you have applied for, one of the following selection processes will apply: At this level, we call our store recruitment process Selecting for Excellence. It usually consists of 2-3 stages depending on the position youve applied for. Selection Process * Completion of the Application Form. * You may be required to complete a pencil and paper test, followed by a short practical exercise which measures a range of skills and abilities. * Attend a selection interview. The recruitment process in Safeway is highlighted below: * During 2002/3 they created 1500 net jobs (permanent roles only), principally in stores across the Company. * This year they have centralised recruitment centre in Warrington became fully operational, and received a weekly average of 11,300 phone calls to their recruitment hot line. * They advertise vacancies for all stores on-line in the Careers section of their website and receive approximately 820 job applications via the Internet each week. * 32 graduates have joined the business this year, 12 on the new store specific graduate programme. * The retention of people is a key part of their HR strategy on an ongoing basis. Safeways work with other External organizations concerned with diversity or are members of include:- * The Employers Forum on Disability. * The Disability Rights Commission. * The Retail Employment Development Group (RED Group). * Diversity Network. * Re-employ. * The Employment Services (Job Centre Plus). * Age Positive. * Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). * DEXTRA, Diversity Network Group. * The Employers Forum on Age. The Employment Rights Act 1996 states that the employees should receive certain information within the first two months of starting their employment. All contracts of employment should include the following: * The names of the employer and the employee. * The name and address of the place of. * The date when employment began. * The job title. * Employment conditions e.g. full time, part time, permanent, temporary. * The salary. * The intervas in which the employee will be paid e.g. monthly or weekly. * Any terms and conditions relating to holiday entitlements (including public holidays, sick pay and pensions). * The length of notice required from either party. * If the employment is temporary, how long it is expected to continue. * Any disciplinary rules to which the employee may be subject. * Signatures. Training and Development Training envisages all types of planned learning experiences and activities aimed at making positive changes to the performance of the employees and other behaviour, which will help them gain new knowledge, skills, beliefs, values and attitudes. As the technology develops and advances with a very high speed, it is necessary for the business to acquire these new innovations which will be available in the market and provide appropriate training to its human resources so that it will be in a position to operate efficiently and be able to compete with other business of the same nature. The training programme for a business is part and parcel of manpower planning which require a through analysis and continuous adjustment over time in relation to the existing and the new technology. Safeway believes that its employees are its best assets, they are provided with knowledge, skills and tools to be the leading retailer in our markets. Whether its providing customer service, offering exceptional products at a competitive price or learning the latest in merchandising and display. The companys training program provides the individual with a solid foundation to achieve their best. There are different forms of training, namely; * Induction Training It is when employers introduce new employees to the business. Employers also have to make sure the employees are aware of the new environment and have the necessary information on specific areas of the business so that they can perform their tasks. The new recruit is sometimes given an induction pack by the employer, also an overview of Health and Safety, Security and Equal Opportunities. * Mentoring It is used by businesses so that employees can develop a good working relationship and it also provides employees a chance to learn new skills. Mentoring is mainly when a trainee is allocated to a more experienced employee. If and when the trainee faces any difficulties or problems with their duties, they must seek advice from the mentor. * Coaching This is when an employees performance is assessed by the manager, which helps the manager to identify the employees strengths and weaknesses which intern they will need to work together to develop their skills. The manager needs to develop their coaching skills, otherwise this will affect the success of any coaching programme. The manager coaching has to have the appropriate skills and sufficient time should be allocated so that the time could take place. * In-house training This is when a business builds its own training department, which provides employees with training and development using resources within the business. * External training External training always takes place away from the real working environment, which is an external course that employees are sent on. * The national training system: * Training enterprise councils This is sponsored by the government and led by local people, which helps businesses to identify their own training needs. * Investors in People The initiative is that investing in people is the most effective way of improving the performance of the business. The Tecs help to asses businesses that want to be recognised publicly as investor in people. * Individual learning accounts This is a sort of bank account which the government, the employer and the individual all contribute money which is then used to buy training and education. * Modern Apprenticeships- Modern Apprenticeships have been designed for people whose learning styles are more suited to a job with training, most of your training is done while you are at work, and lasts for around three or more years. It is very flexible which can be structured to meet different needs of employers. * National vocational qualifications the national vocational qualifications are indicators which show occupational qualifications. It is the ability of an employee to reach a specific kind of skills or competence in carrying out a specific job. An NVQ is awarded to an employee after an assessment done by the appropriate institution or work place. Additionally, 210 Bakers have completed the craft baking NVQ and over 7,000 colleagues have received craft skills and systems training at one of Safeways three Regional Training Centres. The NVQ is a vital part of management training, awarded by city guilds it is nationally recognised and on successful completion they will become a qualified NVQ assessor in their own right * National learning targets the national learning target is set by the government and it is expected that every business institution in the private or public sector to achieve those targets. These targets for example includes target for young, adults and for a businesses as a whole. Training and development is a continuous process helping Safeway to deliver its goals and benefits to its colleagues as their skills, competence and capability grow. Training for skills remains critical, and this year they launched apprenticeship programmes for Butchers, Fishmongers and Florists, with over 200 colleagues attending the Fishmonger course and 116 the Meat course. They have continued to provide support to the growing Non food offer by delivering training to support our 6 Mega stores and 50 Home Entertainment centres. Driving improvements in customer service continues to be critical and their Star Service programme was broadened this year to include Friendliest Store in Town. To support this, their Selecting for Excellence recruitment tool was extended to assess this key area. By Safeway building sustainable advantage over our competitors can only be done through their people, they create business culture in which their people are passionate about their products and have unbreakable will to compete and have the skills, knowledge and resources to do their best. Purpose of Performance Management The purpose of performance management is to achieve objectives of the business, to provide better customer service, to increase market share (volume, units, and value). Also to maximize profit, to motivate employees (encourage hard work and set targets) and to improve competition within the business. To make the purpose of performance management understandable along with my businesses approach it is important to understand how the HR manager measures performance. * Performance Management The performance management process provides an opportunity for the employee and performance manager to discuss development goals and jointly create a plan for achieving those goals. Development plans should contribute to business goals and the professional growth of the employee. The planning process must also involve consideration of the emerging business environment, for some performance managers the changing environment offers many new challenges and opportunities. Performance managers and their employees are increasingly being asked to become generalists who step outside of traditional narrowly-defined job descriptions in support of team objectives and goals. These changes are resulting in the development of new approaches to human resource management. * Management by Objectives This is a system in which specific performance objectives are jointly determined by managers and their employees, the progress toward objectives is reviewed periodically and rewards are allocated on the basis of this progress. The principles of management by objectives are specific objectives for each employee, performance evaluation and feedback and explicit time period. All objectives should be discussed with both managers and employees, this process is used and is likely to be successful if the businesses objectives met the SMART criteria. These are known as the following: S Specific M Measurable A Agreed R Realistic T Time related * Monitoring Performance This process requires the measurement of performance which then needs to be linked with these performance measurements against the achievement of objectives. What needs to be taken into account when comparing performance with targets is the general context that a particular operation is taking place. * Individual Performance Review This process is for individual employees, which is usually implemented with the following review systems: All Safeway colleagues have a performance review at least once a year, although more frequent reviews may be requested by individual colleagues. The progress of new colleagues is reviewed at six, twelve, eighteen and twenty-six week intervals after appointment. * Appraisal This system is used by the employer to help them review the standard of work being done by employees within the business, and also assess the value or contribution of individual employees. It is used by employers to reinforce company goals, identify training needs and career opportunities, recognise good performance and review and set targets. Appraisals can be expensive and time consuming, but good appraisals have positive effect on employees motivation. Instead of appraising employees by rating their performance, which could intern discourage employees involvement and will not help overcome weaknesses. Some managers may use personal performance interview, which should cover a review of performance objectives over the previous year, an assessment of an employees strengths and weaknesses based upon key job related criteria and a personal job improvement plan. * Self Evaluation This is when an employee is asked to review their own performance before attending a performance review interview, this enables employees what their objectives are and identify training and development needs. * Peer Evaluation Peer evaluation can be a useful and valuable tool in helping employees to develop their critical skills and insight into the evaluation process. By making a critical appraisal of another employees work or performance, they can begin to understand the requirements of the business and what it entails. The only problem with this objectivity is that some employees might be in competition for a promotion or perhaps favour a friend to promote their own personal interests. * 360 Degree Evaluation This is one of the instruments that is used to evaluate the performance appraisal based on data collected from all around employee, such as customers, supervisors, peers and sub-ordinates. This evaluation provides feedback on abilities, skills, knowledge and effectiveness of the employee with the business. Based on the findings of the evaluation it can be highlighted the areas that need to be improved and type of training that needs to be undertaken to further develop the skills and the knowledge of the employees, further more the data collected will serve as a basis for any future improvement of the business activities as well as giving a new guideline for the management. This kind of evaluation will also help deal with emergency situations and build up a strong relationship between management and employee. * Managing performance in the modern business environment The business environment is subject a continuous changes and it is the most critical aspect of effective management. The performance management has to reflect these constant changes which have an extensive and complex impact on business. Managing Change These changes are of different nature, and the response varies with the situation. If these changes are badly handled can lead to serious consequences, which may include: * The frustration of sound strategies and the lack of its implementation. * The costs of implementation may rise. There might be unnecessary delays, spoilt work and emergency action to reduce the impact of delay all add to costs. * Benefit of the market may be lost due to the inability to compete with businesses in the market. * The human consequences of the change may be high. For example when people lose their jobs due to change or when the change is handled carelessly or without adequate planning. * Motivation reduced or lost within the business as people become confused due to poor management. * Resistance to future change may increase when they see their worst fears about the change are justified. The management has to adapt new methods in response to the changes in the labour, consumer, world and technological markets. The management has also to ensure that all measures in response to the changes should be smooth and effective with minimum damage to the employees and the business itself. Employee Welfare Any organization has the obligation to provide its employees with suitable and safe working environment and abide by the employees rights and interests. An organization has also the obligation of abiding by new government legislation and regulation and if it fails to do so it can face prosecution or financial costs. Some employers and business organizations are of the opinion that the recent legislation on working hours has limited their ability to operate flexibly and made it more difficult to improve their performance. Working Time Directive In October 1998 the UK government has introduced a new Working Time Directive as a measure designed to protect the health and safety of employees. This Directive covers seven areas: * Maximum working weekly hours- it should exceeds 48 hours, but it leaves the option for an employee to increase if he or she wishes. * Employees are entitled to have 11 consecutive hours in each 24hr period of daily rest. * An employee that has worked six hours is entitled to a 20 minute rest break. * In each seven day period employees are entitled to an uninterrupted rest period of 24hrs. * An employee must get at least four weeks paid annual leave by their employer. * An employer should make sure that employees take regular breaks and are not subjected to high risk tasks. * An average of eight hours in any 24hr period should be worked by night workers but if they should get sick they then must have the option to move to day jobs. Maternity and paternity leave According to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Employment Rights Act 1996 have entitled pregnant employees, maternity leave regardless their length. The maternity leave has been extended from 14 to 18 weeks, under the 1999 legislation. Employees are entitled to their statuary and fringe benefits during their leave period, and are free to come back to work after maternity leave. The earliest time that can be taken is 11 weeks before the baby is due. Many employers do not grant paid maternity leave, and there is no legal legislation for it. Although some companies and local councils grant paid leave, and the average leave period for paternity is ten days. Safeway aims to assist both male and female colleagues in managing their individual work-life balance, through a wide range of employment policies and practices in areas such as maternity and paternity leave and flexible working, many of which offer benefits over and above any minimum legal requirements. The Minimum wage In order to protect employees from exploitation this law was introduced in April 1999, it covers any UK employee who is aged 18 or older. The legislation covers agency workers, home workers, casual and temporary employees, and people on fixed term or freelance contracts as well as full and part time employees. Currently there are three bands for minimum wage: * A rate of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.60 per hour for those aged 22 and over. * A rate of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.00 per hour for those aged 18 to 21. * A rate of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3.20 per hour for those who are 22, and are within the first six months of a new job. * Improving performance through raising employee motivation * Motivation A strong team needs individuals who are dedicated to giving their best at work. Highly self-motivated, committed, ambitious employees give the most to their company and get the most from their work. But if employees are lacking motivation the effects can be dramatic, such as low team morale, lack of initiative, lack of energy, mistakes and high staff turnover. Motivational experiences improve employee attitudes, confidence and performance. Good leadership demands good people-motivation skills, motivational methods are wide-ranging, from inspirational quotes and poems, to team building games and activities, as ice-breakers or warm-ups and exercises for conferences, workshops, meetings and events which are great for staff motivation. When you break down barriers such as misunderstandings, prejudices, insecurities, divisions, territories and hierarchies you begin to build teams. If you take a group of people in a room having fun with juggling balls or spinning plates and barriers are immediately removed, teams unite and work together when they identify a common purpose. It can also be generated by a pay increase, by promotion or by simply by the status and satisfaction associated with possessing a new skill using the most up to date machinery or equipment. Managers can use non financial and financial means to motivate employees. This year the key areas for them to focus on with regards to their colleagues will be retention, development, motivation and maintaining morale. They will need to do this whilst preparing for and responding to any changes which the business may face. * Hertzbergs two factor theory Hertzbergs two factor theories is a simple but powerful way to understand an employees needs. Hertzberg believed that Hygiene and Motivator are two levels of needs which are as equally important for job satisfaction even though they worked in different ways. If the lower needs are inadequate workers will quickly become dissatisfied, however, as these needs are satisfied trying to motivate staff by just adding more hygiene factors such as wages or work hours is an inefficient and short term solution. A better way would be to appeal to their higher level needs by giving them more responsibility or giving them greater scope for advancement, in this way the individuals goals are satisfied as well as those of the business. The two factors are the following: Hygiene Hygiene factors are based on the need to for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work. Hygiene factors include: * Company policy and administration. * Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration. * Quality of supervision. * Quality of inter-personal relations. * Working conditions. * Feelings of job security. Safe has implemented its own hygiene management, a review of cleaning standards within stores has commenced with the objective of building on existing cleaning procedures. This has involved a comprehensive review of their cleaning procedures assessing developments in the cleaning industry to enable the best and most effective use of consumables and equipment used to clean their stores. Motivator Motivator factors are based on an individuals need for personal growth. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: * Status * Opportunity for advancement * Gaining recognition * Responsibility * Challenging / stimulating work * Sense of personal achievement * Personal growth in a job * McGregors theory X and theory Y Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book The Human Side of Management, he suggested that there were two types of employees each with different needs. McGregors X-Y theory is a simple reminder of the natural rules of managing people, which under the pressure of day-to-day business are easily forgotten. He also argues that the type of employee a person will become is influenced by the management style they are under. Theory X It conveys negative view of human nature, but is the primary source of most employee motivation. A Theory X manager assumes the following: * Work is inherently distasteful to most people, and they will attempt to avoid work whenever possible. * Most people are not ambitious, have little desire for responsibility, and prefer to be directed. * Most people have little aptitude for creativity in solving organizational problems. * Motivation occurs only at the physiological and security levels of Maslows Needs Hierarchy * Most people are self centred and must be closely controlled and often pushed to achieve business objectives. * Most people resist change. Theory Y This argues that employees gain reward from the job itself and are not money motivated, a theory Y manager makes the following assumptions: * Work can be as natural as play if the conditions are favourable. * People will be self-directed and creative to meet their work and organizational objectives if they are committed to them. * People will be committed to their quality and productivity objectives if rewards are in places that address higher needs such as self-fulfilment. * The capacity for creativity spreads throughout organizations. * Most people can handle responsibility because creativity and ingenuity are common in the population. * Under these conditions, people will seek responsibility. * Maslow`s hierarchy of needs Maslow`s theory consisted of two parts the classification of human needs and consideration of how the classes are related to each other. The classes of needs were summarized by Maslow as follows: A person starts at the bottom of the hierarchy and will initially seek to satisfy basic needs (e.g. food, shelter).Once these physiological needs have been satisfied, they are no longer a motivator. The individual moves up to the next level which is safety needs at work could include physical safety (e.g. protective clothing) as well as protection against unemployment, loss of income through sickness etc. Social needs recognize that most people want to belong to a group, these would include the need for love and belonging (e.g. working with a colleague who supports you at work, teamwork, communication) Esteem needs are about being given recognition for a job well done, they reflect the fact that many people seek the esteem and respect of others even perhaps a promotion at work might achieve this. Self-actualization is about how people think about themselves which often measured by the extent of success or challenge at work. Maslows model has great potential appeal in the business world. The message is clear if management can find out which level each employee has reached, then they can decide on suitable rewards. * Taylors principles Frederick Taylor in his 1911 book Principles of Scientific Management intensified the view that employees are motivated by money. Taylor discussed what he called a struggle for control of production between management and labour. In order to control production he developed methods for the measure and design of machining methods as part of a general plan for increasing the planning functions of management. By management planning and providing the support to show the workforce how best to do the job. It showed this clear line and staff organisational structure, productivity would increase because the employee recognizing the higher output would lead to higher pay. Taylors principles would support the use of these three pay systems, which are as follows: * Performance Related pay (PRP) Performance related pay has been much advocated by governments as a means of promoting labour market flexibility and generating higher productivity, this links output and performance to pay. Due to employee ability to reach specific targets they receive bonuses, PRP rewards good performance so it should motivate. Small increases can prevent feelings of dissatisfaction but to create motivation in a person who will be motivated by money it is necessary for the amounts to be large. Some think that this demotivating employees because it categorises them as good and bad performers because they fail to achieve their targets. * Piece rates Employees are encouraged to produce as much output as possible and maximize productivity, this allows employers to identify good performers. It provides employees with a variable income and payment is directly linked to output. Although by paying for quantity not quality, standards can be sacrificed as employees strive to gain rewards. * Commission based pay Is for sales staff and employees and are paid a percentage of the value of goods they sell. This motivates employees because due to the level of their salary is determined by their own performance ad help sell the company products. There is no doubt that the human resources management constitutes one of the important elements which contributes to the success of a business. Besides capital, the element of human resources management requires proper utilization, planning and investment. Investing in human resources includes staff training and development, motivation, recruitment and their wellbeing so that they can be retained in order to carry out their tasks and avoid the unnecessary turnover. Promotion, improvement of staff working conditions, better salaries all contribute to the high standard of production and to the high level of competition in the market. The healthier way of using capital is positively related to the better human resources management. Qualified human resources improve the competitiveness of business and allow it expansion. As the production technology develops and improves almost on daily basis, it is necessary to have staffs who are properly training to use the new technology. The use of new technology will allow competing with other businesses, reducing costs of production and increasing business profits. Safeway works very hard to maintain their competitive edge, but there will always be times when products are cheaper in one supermarket chain than another. In fact there are often times when Safeway are cheaper and they aim to stay ahead of their rivals by offering the best balance of quality and value and they trust that customers feel that in general they succeed. Here are some of their pioneering initiatives in this area: * Every week they offer customers great value promotions in Safeway Mega-Deals leaflet. * They were one of the first to introduce an economy range, Safeway Savers, which offers low prices. Conflicts may arise between different human resources management within the same business activities due to lack of coordination, understanding and proper planning. Activities need to be coordinated before undertaking. Conflicts can cause lost time, resources, and efficiency in any work team. But when managed well, conflicts can result in new ideas, more informed decision making, and better performance. But managing conflict effectively requires skill, knowledge and experience. These days every organization must train its employees to effectively manage conflict and resolve issues that block performance. If this were to occur at Safeway they should again need to use communication skills to avoid this problem, because this is a simple conflict that can be resolved by simple communication with the two human resources functions. If this was done they will see that the employee was the one who was not following his training techniques. However the member of staff may have not been trained and the performance management team may think he has and think his performance standards are not acceptable. These tools will help training and human resources professionals to provide members of their organizations with critical Conflict Management capabilities. These training programmes include workshops on management, leadership, communication, negotiation and diversity. Conclusion Effective Human Resources management is critical to the success of any firm. Human resources practices will contribute to the greater financial performance and productivity as well as reduced employee turnover. The changes expected in the next twenty years will cause many challenges to human resource professionals. Therefore, in order to facilitate these changes, many roles and competencies must be developed and the necessary tools such as information technology should be sought to aid along with the process. Over the last 20 years, the workplace has changed in more ways that one could have ever imagined, resulting from the increase in technology, innovation and globalization. The next decade will bring even greater change, impacting all facets of the workplace, including major changes for the Human Resources Department and human resource managers. In order to respond to the demands of globalization, HR managers will require new skills and competencies relating to language and culture, technological capabilities to facilitate overseas communication, methods to measure and quantify effectiveness and evaluate strategies and return on investment. Evidently, these new skills and competencies will result in an emerging new role for HR managers, requiring them to be strategic business partners, supportive of the overall corporate strategy. The future of role of human resources professionals will change from a less administrative role to more of a strategic role (Workforce, January 1998, 89). HR managers will continually be required to prove their effectiveness and their existence. They will be expected to understand international business practices and promote cultural diversity within the organization. They will need to understand the core business of the organization and become partners with line managers. They will need to prove that their initiatives and programs are results-oriented, providing specific measurable results in terms of business competitiveness that contribute positively to the bottom-line of the organization. They will be required to stay current with leading-edge as more and more organizations are faced with the demands of globalization and strategic alliances with other organizations around the world

Steroid Use in Pro Sports is Unethical Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you were a kid, didn’t you want to play a professional sport? What would you give to be one of the best athletes in the world? Would you risk your reputation? Your health? Would you be willing to die? Although many studies have come out saying that steroids diminish one’s health, people still take them hoping to be the best. Imagine if you were a 28 year old who left college early because a pro team â€Å"guaranteed† you that you would play in the big leagues. Yet you just got stuck in the minors, and the only way you could get to the big’s was to take a pill that made you super-strong and super-fast. It would make sense to just take it. But what if that pill shrunk your testicles, hurt your heart and vascular system, and made your heart work 3 times harder than it is suppose to? An athlete would be pressured to take these pills, yet it would be smarter to say no. Why would athletes, of all people-risk harming their bodies? If I became a major league baseball player, and hit 65 homeruns, I couldn’t live with myself thinking that most of those wouldn’t have gone over that fence if I hadn’t taken steroids. I could never be proud of my stats or not be ashamed when a reporter told me how good I was and asked me how I learned to hit the ball that far. Although the benefits of steroids are good, the risks and side effects are too dangerous. Therefore athletes should not use steroids. Steroids have a surprisingly long and interesting history. Although steroids did not become popular until the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, they were around for a long time before that. In the 1930’s, anabolic steroids were developed to treat anemia and other muscle-wasting diseases. But it was not until 1954 that anabolic steroids began to appear in athletic competition when Soviet weightlifters supposedly used them at the World Championships. In 1958, a doctor by the name of John Ziegler developed Dianabol; the first mass produced anabolic steroid, with the help of a Pharmaceutical company, and in 1960 distributed Dianabol to the U.S. weightlifting team. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) banned the use of anabolic steroids in 1974, just 7 years after it hired a medical commission to perform drug tests on athletes. Two years after the ban by the IOC, eight athletes were disqualified from the Montreal Olympics after testing positive for steroids. The NFL started ... ...y if every player uses them. Also when sports were invented it was made to be challenging. Baseball wasn’t invented for someone to go up to the plate and hit 2 of every 10 balls pitched to them over the fence. When a player hits a homerun it is supposed to be special. When golf courses need to be renovated from 500 yard Par 5’s, to 650 yard Par 5’s, because players are driving the ball 350 yards, it kind of defeats the purpose of the game. What is the point of watching it when the players are too good for the courses they play on. Are all sports going to become obsolete or boring to watch from the use of steroids? The answer is yes, if the use of steroids isn’t stopped. Bibliography Congress gets baseball to act on steroids www.comcast.net/news/sports Fredric J. Frommer Associated press writer Steroid use a growing problem among American High School athletes www.opposingviewpoints.com Gary Mihoces USA Today Athletes have the right to accept the risks of steroids www.opposingviewpoints.com Robert Lipsyte New York Times United states must spearhead reform to eradicate drugs www.opposingviewpoints.com Barry R. McCaffery Retired U.S. Army general