Thinking Made Easy

Sample Essay The Target Location in the Cleveland Street

PROJECT PROPOSAL: CREATE MORE AMENITIES

Vicinity Situation: The Cleveland Street

The target location is in the Cleveland Street which is close to universities, education centers, hospitals and other service buildings. The street is not heavily traffic and few passerby are observed especially during daylight.  The street is two-way but the capability of cars to park on the shoulder road indicates the minimal traffic the street holds.  There are five houses in multiple occupation or HMO in the street which serve as residence to at least ten households.  This may typically serve most of the students of the nearby universities.  There are few cafes and restaurants in the street that further show the limited customer base that the street can lure.  The target location is adjacent two educational institutions, surrounded by HMOs and across a church.              

 

Bicycles are the main transportation of the community compatible on the minimal vehicular activity in the streets.  The wide roads are supported by the provision of car parks which also triggers the attractiveness of walking to people.  Basically, as the road is wide enough and little vehicles are coming, people can even walk in the middle of the street for a long period of time.  No vendors are also in the street to sell something to interested passerby which concretizes the idea that only few people go to the street to purchase something.  There is also little activities in the street and outside the buildings.  Most of the buildings are locked while the houses have very few people in the lobby.  As a result, some passerby becomes excited with a department store, restaurant or café bar that it can create a long line of people wanting to go inside this amusement and needs establishments. 

 

The structural design of the former Middlesex Hospital Annex is different from the other buildings/ houses.  In the number of storey, the hospital is comparable to other adjacent buildings having 3-4 storey's.  Aside from students, common passerby is composed of office people, bikers and motorists.  They are perhaps regular passerby in the street because it is the route near their homes.  Most of the people in Camden are whites but there are significant number of Irish, Bangladeshi and black African.  At least thirty percent of the households are owner-occupiers and at least eighty percent are living in custom-built flats.  Further, there is a new leadership in Camden as Labor Party lost in 2006 which can begin new planning proposal to the street.  All the amenities in the street and surrounding the target location are vital to the strategy of the new local government such as hospital, housing and central services. 

 

Demand: Customized Houses

As observed, there are mixed cultures in the target location and there are considerations that must be addressed to satisfy the demand.  There are studies that show the important role of culture in policy making.  The changing preferences of house-occupiers are not exclusive to foreigners but also white themselves because of modernity and personal preferences.  This calls about change in development policy. 

In a Canadian research, the problem of failing to assure equity on representation of different immigrants in city planning is analyzed (Qadeer 1997 pp. 481+).  The methodology utilized a set of theories pertaining to culture including presentation of legal, historic and statistical developments of the location of the samples.  It is found that cultural and racial diversity of the population is raising issues of fairness in fulfilling social needs of each group’s preferences.  This admonition is substantially proved in housing needs wherein immigrant’s varying preferences in the style of houses are not taken into consideration. 

 

Sustainable housing is studied in cross-country analysis of Vietnam and Australia specifically Hanoi and Adelaide ( 2003 pp. 369).  The samples are deliberately located in two general cultures to acquire findings from varying macro and micro (environmental, economic and socio-cultural conditions) factors.  Questionnaires include two all-purpose queries; namely, the perception about the meaning of sustainable housing and proposition on how to solve unsustainable housing practices.  Generally, sustainable housing is a concept in which optimal properties of location and construction (e.g. economic, social, etc.) are considered.  It is concluded that different actors in the housing project for both country samples (e.g. designers, users and developers) have conflicting views on how to define and obtain sustainable housing.  This leads to the idea that holistic approach to planning and solving housing issues should be applied.

 

Supply: Hotels/ Current Houses do not fit in

The 2005 terrorist bombing in London, the gateway to the rest of United Kingdom could impede the tourism sector in the short term particularly the hotel services.  Demand, especially foreign would tend to be latent even there is potential.  Because of this, local visitors who are aware of the “real” threats and are informed about the risks would tend to be the tough (undecided/ neutral) customers of South East hotels and attractions.  Due to the nearness to the doubted security at London, Camden will replicate some of demand softening effects in tourism both local and foreign.  In 2004, 80 million passengers boarded the low cost airline of United Kingdom while 25% of the UK population has traveled using this (London Development Agency).  The inability to stimulate the percentage of adult population who preferred to use low cost airline could hamper incentives of local tourists to visit Camden aggravated by the latest news on bombing London.  The percentage is limited and need to be worked-out in order to alter the adverse effects of relevant issues.

 

 

The internal tourism within country population was previously threatened with rail disruptions, foot-and-mouth disease and petrol blockage (Housing News Resource).  Partly due to these and the bombing incident, the 2009 forecast identified the outbound market as the biggest contributor for the expansion of the country’s travel and tourism market.  The tendency of finding refuge abroad could be a natural response to unwanted phenomena but as the previous paragraph had discussed, this is rather of short-term period.  The good thing for UK tourism is that after this short-term external migration, the 2012 Olympic Games expected to held in London has the capability to deter all untoward image it had experienced and echoed locally and throughout the world.  Expansion continues despite the expected fall in external migration as every local business prepare for the pouring of developing countries’ delegation.

 

The problem, outbound migration, could impede the prosperity of hotel industry in particular.  It was deemed as a tool of travel expansion, although has bad effects in the tourism sector.  The difficulty, if the pessimism persists for a couple of years, is that hotel owners could loose profits and operate at a lost for a longer period.  At the time the Olympic Games imported international delegates and prospective markets, the hotel sector could be caught unprepared with their facilities due to the impact of loosing internal customers in the previous years.  The quality of service could also be tarnished due to bottleneck in the previous demand.  These adverse possibilities are likely to radiate in the nearby destinations around London particularly in Camden.

 

Being an integrated industry to tourism and hotel accommodation, the five-year forecast (2005-2009) of lowering local demand to fast foods and home delivery products could affect the value-added services within the area of operations of hotels.  Implications to hotel sector are closing of food partners inside and outside hotel premises and limited food choices that can be largely inclined to relatively high costs of customized menu from restaurants.       

Recommendations: Build Gold’s Gym as added amenity

Gold’s Gym is forty years in the fitness industry with more than 600 facilities in 43 states and 25 countries.  A firm that highlights the potential of human strengths, it continued to offer modern equipment, personal and group training, yoga and its core niche, weight lifting as illustrated by its yellow brand logo of a man holding a barbell.  Among its core business portfolio are franchising, selling fitness machines (Powerflex) and fitness apparels while its business partners are real state developers, equipment suppliers, textile companies, internet providers and franchisees.  However, aerobic gyms like Les Mills threatens the position of Gold’s Gym in the fitness industry as the former operates its patented seven groups of fitness accompanied by music in 55 countries worldwide (Gold’s Gym and Les Mills Homepage).

 

            To have a suitable sale and purchase, the firm relies to the efficiency of its marketing channel.  Activities involve in the process are gathering of information from customers and competitors, stimulating purchase, reaching agreements in price from manufacturers, placing orders, acquisition of funds, storing and moving physical products, providing customers intermediaries for payment and overseeing actual transfer of product to the organization or person.  These activities are divided into two kinds of activities: the forward flow (promotion) and backward flow (ordering and receiving payment).  In evaluating major intermediary alternatives, the firm should be informed and aware on the pros-and-cons selecting a business partner in the marketing channel.  The Internet and telemarketing are relatively cheaper but have limited value-add of sale.  On the other hand, creating own sales force and building alliances like distributors and retail stores cost more but provide higher value to customers and suppliers (Kotler 2003).

           

The search for a suitable company partner, on the other hand, should be consistent to the strategy of the firm.  As says, “There is no right organization anymore.  Rather, the task… is to select the organization for the particular task and mission at hand.”  Cisco, a global information technology company, created cooperative relationships with suppliers and maximize the use of the Internet to provide critical information about customers and inventories.  It also formed a series of “ecosystems” to provide solutions to customers through business partnerships in the distribution channel making e-learning to transfer freely to salespeople.  This marked Cisco’s success especially in Japan (2003).

 

The franchising scheme at Gold’s Gym offers a Master Franchise Agreement (Gold’s Gym Homepage) in which the buyer is entitled to create sub-franchisees in provinces or states the latter deemed advantageous to their contract.  On the other hand, it partners to business consultants, advertising agencies and other significant entities to infuse add-on support to its franchisees.  To cut the cost of external negotiations, a crucial activity in franchising, it adapted the technology of Avaya Incorporated (VoIP and Gadgets Blog).  The communication breakthrough provided Gold’s Gym with cheaper communications facility.  The technology also allowed the corporate employees to move in a central headquarters, unlike the old days wherein they are situated in local communities.

 

 

            The franchising scheme that is central to Gold’s Gym business portfolio of selling its brand name and providing resources, capabilities and historical reputation to franchisees also has limitations.  The cost of franchise is $800,000, of which $300,000 is paid in cash (Gold’s Gym Homepage), could be too costly for a starting fitness gym owner.  The limited business portfolio aside from slow-moving and low-margin line of products like fitness facilities and apparels put high pressure to demand soaring franchise fees.  To recoup from this bottleneck, internet platform and impersonal selling to prospects should be reduced and back-up with direct advertisement to potential franchisees.  Affluent businessmen and politicians all over the world are the most probable people to bite the expensive venture.  International visits to such countries can intensify the potential of add-on value of direct marketing as an offset to short-term communication and transaction savings.  It should be remembered that franchising is a long-term relationship, the headquarters can even extend the length of the contract life, and that long-run profits are far more important in strategic planning.

Sample Essay Human Resources Management and the Multi-Aged Workers in Australia

Human Resources Management and the Multi-Aged Workforce: Managing Aged Workers in Australia

 

Aged Workers in Australia

Ageing as a stage in the life cycle, and retirement, as the act of withdrawing from active employment, have always been linked. Beyond this traditional linkage, there is little agreement on matters such as ‘the right age’ to retire, or the desirability of continuing in employment beyond the conventional or statutory retiring ages.  Debates have continued whether aged workers should be forced to retire or be allowed to participate in the labor market. Medical opinion was inconsistent regarding the subject. For example, early in the 20th century, the physician William Osler, who became  Professor of medicine at Oxford University, maintained that the ‘constructive’ or ‘anabolic’ phase of life was between 25 and 40, followed by a period of ‘comparative uselessness’ and a further period of ‘total uselessness’ after 60. No one, he declared, should work beyond 60 (1980 cited in 1997 p. 137). This view was countered by an observation from a medical writer in the 1970s, wherein it has been argued that retirement is unemployment. Only two kinds of folk are happy conventionally retired – those who were always lazy and those who have waited a lifetime to get around to a consuming interest. Two weeks is about the ideal length of time to retire (Comfort 1977, cited in 1997, p. 138).

Public opinion has also shifted in response to demographic, social, economic and cultural changes. Between 1989 and 1996, all Australian states apart from Tasmania abolished compulsory retirement and outlawed discrimination on the grounds of age. The effect of this is, in principle, to break or at least weaken the links between ageing, retirement and pension ability, which have existed in much the same form for over a century. At the same time, however, the persistence of unemployment since the early 1970s has highlighted the difficulties confronted by older persons in the Labour market (Encel 1997, p. 138).

 

The Australian Workforce

The Australian workforce is made up if people from various cultural backgrounds (2001 cited in 2004, p. 240). Both the population and the workforce are aging and this has led to recognition of the need to revise staff management practices to reflect this trend. In common with other developed nations, workforce skill levels are high with increases in educational attainments. Women have recorded higher levels of educational increase than men. Yet while training and education has introduced various new skills into the labor force, Australia continues to source migrants for skills, which are lacking in the country and immigration policies continue to put an emphasis in obtaining skilled people. The aging workforce is one of the more crucial employment issues in the new millennium as Australian baby-boomers approach their retirement age. While 2002 was, the peak when they began to reach their mid fifties, in 2012 the population over 65 will grow by 4 percent and continue to do so by 2.9 percent per year until 2028. This growth rate will exceed the growth of the total population by four times ( 2004).

 

HRM and the Multi-aged Workforce

Elimination of Discrimination and Ageist Stereotyping

Age Discrimination

Although age discrimination is now illegal in all the Australian states except Tasmania, there is strong evidence that once older persons become unemployed their chances of obtaining work are slim (Encel 1997). Even with legislative initiatives, older people and mature workers are still subjected to hidden discrimination. Research shows that aged workers are least preferred for employment and most likely to be targeted for retrenchment. Attitudes such as these mean that people aged 45 and above are more likely than younger people to remain unemployed for longer periods of time (Patterson 2004, p. 2).

Direct Discrimination in the Age Act

Section 14 of the Age Act defines direct discrimination as occurring when the discriminator treats the aggrieved person less favorably than it treats someone of different age because of:

• The age of the aggrieved person; or
• A characteristic that appertains generally to persons of the age of the aggrieved person; or
• A characteristic that is generally imputed to persons of the age of the aggrieved person (Patterson 2004, p. 3)

Indirect Discrimination in the Age Act

Indirect discrimination is defined by section 15 as when, because of a person’s age, a discriminator:

• Imposes, or proposes to impose, a condition, requirement or practice; and
• The condition, requirement or practice is not reasonable in the circumstances; and
• The condition, requirement or practice has, or is likely to have, the effect of disadvantaging persons of the same age as the aggrieved person (Patterson 2004, p. 3)

 

Ageist Stereotyping

Ageist stereotyping is in large way to blame in the occurrence of discrimination of aged workers in Australia. Older people are often seen as ‘stupid’, ‘decrepit’, or unusually eccentric, wise or sweet natured and in any event to be patronized. In the workplace, aged workers are perceived as ‘not likely to change’, ‘not open to new skills’, unable to ‘catch up on computer literacy’ and more likely to ‘get sick’ (Patterson 2004, p. 2). Stereotypes of older people include views that they are less productive, less flexible, less creative, less ambitious, harder to train (2000 cited in Shore and Goldberg 2005), and less economically beneficial (Finkelstein and Burke 1998 cited in Shore and Goldberg 2005).

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws are one group of laws that affect HRM issues. The basic goal of EEO regulations is to protect people from unfair or inappropriate discrimination in the workplace. The HR department is responsible in making sure that the organization does not discriminate or unfairly treat any individuals or groups. Avoiding discrimination requires diligence on the part of organizations and their HRM function (Sims 2002). Employment decisions about hiring, firing, promoting, or providing benefits to employees must be objective and-job related. Every organization should establish a process for the internal resolution of employee complaints such as discrimination. This means that an employer should have a formal grievance procedure that employees can use to deal with possible cases of discrimination. In the end, discrimination can be eliminated by engaging in sound management practices – management practices that are part of the organization’s strategic initiatives, supported by the HRM function (Sims 2002).

During the 1980s and 1990s, legislation against discrimination on the basis of age was passed in countries such as Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In most cases, such legislation has been introduced well after comparable legislation against gender and racial discrimination. Age discrimination legislation has usually been based on research that documented the systemic and widespread discrimination relating to age, one of the most pervasive being a retirement age specified in employment contracts. Research subsequent to the enactment of the laws has tended to indicate that while compliance with overt discrimination, for example, through the removal of age retirement clauses from new employment contracts, has occurred, covert discrimination against older people continues. This discrimination includes targeting or pressuring older workers to take early retirement, explicit expectations that retirement would occur at a certain age, a refusal to hire people once they are older than 50, and unwillingness to invest in education or training of older workers on the assumption that they will not work long enough for an employer to recover the training costs (2005).

 

Diversity Management

Diversity management takes many forms in  practice, but can be defined as an organization’s active investment in the integration, development, and advancement of individuals who in the collective, represent the heterogeneity of the labor force, and in the development of organizational strategy, culture, policies, and practices that support interpersonal respect, communication, and individual, team and organizational performance in diverse environment. Diversity management is necessarily inclusive, and requires efforts across HRM responsibilities and in all aspects of organizational functioning (2004).

 

Workforce Diversity: New and Alternative HR Policies

Organizations are confronted almost daily with the increasing diversity of the workforce. The workforce is continuing to become more diverse as women, minority group members, and older workers flood the workforce. The HRM function will increasingly be called upon to help organizations accommodate these employees with new HRM programs. As the workforce gets older, employees will also likely remain in the workforce well past the age at which their parents retired. Increased diversity presents both a significant change and a real opportunity for organizations. Organizations that formulate and implement HRM strategies that capitalize on employee diversity are more likely to survive and prosper (Sims 2002, p. 16).

 

Managing Aged Workers

Performance Management

Performance management encompasses the major areas of performance appraisal and compensation. The former refers to the measurement and evaluation of performance and the latter refers to rewarding of performance using various means of compensation. Performance appraisal can be conceptualized as a systemic description of an individual’s job-relevant strengths and weaknesses.

Job Design

The term ‘job design’ conveys an approach to structuring the individuals’ jobs to optimize such organizational outcomes as efficiency, quality, and productivity with such individual outcomes as satisfaction, motivation, and personal growth. Job design refers to the study of jobs, tasks, and constellations of tasks that encompass properties, perceptions, and responses to properties and/or perceptions (Griffin and McMahan 1994). The primary role of job design is to align the needs of the individuals performing various jobs with the productivity needs of the organization. The job design provides individuals meaningful work that fits effectively into the flow of the organization. The goal of job design is simplifying, enriching, enlarging, or changing jobs to make the efforts of each employee fit together better with the jobs performed by other workers. Changing one job can make the overall system work more efficiently.

Reward System or Compensation

Using compensation practices, organizations attempt to both reward and motivate various types of behaviour. Compensation practices include pay and benefits, and modern total compensation approaches extend the definition of compensation to include a variety of favorable outcomes experienced by the employee (Milkovich and Newman 2002 cited in (2005, p. 320). Because of the importance of pay to employees, compensation and benefit can serve as a major indicator of possible discrimination in the organization. HRM specialists design jobs that attempt to meet the needs of both employers and employees. Restructuring jobs allows companies to retain skilled workers, while enhancing output (Sims 2002).

 

Recruitment

An emphasis on diversity on the recruitment is critical in achieving adequate minority, especially aged worker representation. If there are insufficient numbers of qualified aged applicants in the recruited pool, then it is highly unlikely that subsequent selection procedures will result in a balanced or representative workplace.

The first step in attracting sufficient numbers of aged workers and other minorities involves the placement, nature, and content of advertising materials and other organizational communications. When faced with potentially small numbers of minority applicants, organizations should engage in cooperative efforts with educational institutions and training centers in order to develop their own potential applicants. This includes sponsoring special classes, mentoring programs, or apprenticeship programs in order to develop a skilled pool of applicants.

Research Paper The main goal of this dissertation is to identify the factors behind the ineffeciency of the weaker

Research Findings

 

Introduction

            The main goal of this dissertation is to identify the factors behind the inefficiency of the weaker (small scale sector) against their giant counterpart in the textile and apparel industries. In addition, it also aims to determine the ways in which small scale business in this sector can use to overcome the challenges they are facing in the global market This part of the research study provides the analysis on how the change in the textile and apparel industry took place and how each player in the industry reacted or responds to the change. In this regard, the analysis will be based on the secondary data collated from different journals, articles and books relevant to the changes in textile and apparel industries. The main goal of this paper is to determine the factors that affects the

 

Changes in textile and Apparel Industries and their response

The advent of the twenty-first century has been characterized by constant change and not one organization can escape the effects of operating in a turbulent, dynamic and an ever-changing environment. The forces of change are so great that the very success and survival of any organization is dependent on how well they respond to change and whether they can actually stay ahead of change (Sims 2002). In addition, change from forces such as globalization, persistent technological innovations, exceptional competition, political upheaval and the opening of new markets puts forth constant pressure on firms of various sizes and types. Consequently, these firms are starting to shift their gears in responding to evolving advancements of the world (Sims 2002).

Indeed, change has driven firms to rethink and review their current strategies. Companies have now begun to think globally in order to remain competitive in the business field. In addition, companies have now also operated internationally in response to the changes occurring in the environment. Such strategies in response to the demands of the competitive business field also include the shift of domestic supply chain management into global supply chain management.

In the past few decades, textile and apparel companies have been struggling to reinvent themselves (Mittelhauser, 1997). By investing in new technologies, merging to reduce costs, employing offshore plants to perform certain operations, and developing new products and services, they have been attempting to find a niche in the international market. According to some measures, they have been successful, as production has remained stable and many companies have been profitable.

As noted in the literature review, analysis shows that textile and apparel industry is highly competitive business where product life is short and differentiation are established on brand image and product styling which can be quickly imitated.  Throughout the past two decades, the competition on price and quality has intensified as low cost global manufacturing became accessible to even small competitors. In the recent years, competition has lifted to the area of timing and know-how where vertically integrated industries has been able to gain the lead in implementing set of process innovations known as quick response, generated to shorted the production cycle (Chen, 1999). On one hand, less integrated industries have started to erode that advantage, but the integrated industries that have linked quick response into retailing continue to have superior capabilities and potentialities. These industries demonstrate the component of organisation needed to link fast cycle and flexible manufacturing with rapid learning regarding demand and customer satisfaction.

There are many factors that enable textile and apparel industries in the world to pursue changes and innovation. Some of these include macroeconomic changes, growth and development of a more integrated world economy, labour market alterations, the existence of globalization and the emergence of micro-electronic innovation in information communication technology (Taplin, 1996). As mentioned in the previous chapters, some of the main aspects impacting the competitiveness of textile and apparel industries include industrial and trade policies, trade barriers, financial capital, buying power, impact of Multinational industries on socio-economic industry and managerial skills. With these factors, changes in textile and apparel industries have become of the anticipated phenomenon in the global market.

In the late 1990s and after the turn of the century, most of the earlier trends in manufacturing industry, specifically in textile and apparel industries have continued if not intensified. As mentioned in the literature review, textile and apparel industries have encountered dramatic changes in many aspects including the regulatory environment when the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement Textiles and Clothing (ATC) replaced the MFA in 1995. This change has resulted in further import penetration of the global market.  The opening of the European Union markets to imports and the removal of the trade barriers against imports. In addition, it can also be analysed that changes in textile and apparel industries took place because of the emergence of globalisation and liberalisation trends, have further exposed most textile and apparel industries in the global market (Taplin, 2004).

The process of globalisation is commonly recognised to be characteristic of contemporary international developments.  Contemporary processes of globalisation have several dimensions or faces: technological, cultural, religious, economic and political. None of these is in itself good or bad. All should be understood as ambiguous, with potential for good and evil, but in the current phase of globalisation it is important to distinguish the different faces of globalisation and identify with a potential to pursue the good. Globalisation impplies two distinct phenomena. First, it suggests that political, economic and social activity is becoming worldwide in scope. Secondly, it suggests that there has been an intensification of levels of interaction and interconnectedness among the states and societies (Held, 1991). Among these relations are those created by the progressive emergence of a global economy, the expansion of translational links which generate new forms of collective decision-making, the development of intergovernmental and quasi-supranational institutions, etc. (Giddens, 1990 p. 71). The term “globalisation” is elusive and multifaceted; although globalization is a real and dramatic intensification of existing international patterns including the trends in the textile and apparel industries. Critics of present global developments call for the development of popular accountability on the part of national and global institutions, for more public control over these institutions, for a true internationalism, and for just alternatives to the criminal activities of international financial institutions (2000; 2000:16, 19; 2000; 2000: 10).

            Changes in textile and apparel industries, took place, especially for developing countries like India, because of the strong competition post by the larger multinational industries in the global market. The general trend has been for textile and apparel manufacturing to become more and more capital intensive and labour intensive. In contrast, the textile and apparel industry, especially among developing countries remains far more disjointed organisationally and is considered as less sophisticated technologically. In addition, retailers of these industries are of notable and growing importance and have enormous impact on the organisation and location of clothing production. In this regard, Buyer-drive production chains are said to be one of the factors that change the current situation of the textile and apparel industry ( 2003).

            Aside from these, other aspects that enable changes in this sector, is the existence of the highly concentrated purchasing power of the large retail chains. This aspect gives the industries enormous leverages over apparel and textile manufacturers.  When the global market was dominated largely by the mass market retailers, at low cost, demand for these industries was for long production runs of standardised product. 

            As mentioned, in the previous chapters, the differentiated market and the buyer behaviour has also been considered as one of the aspects that enable changes in the textile and apparel industry. In this regard, manufacturing industries both in developing and developed countries are forced to respond far more rapidly to the demands of the global market and specifications. Under this situation, the time involved in meeting orders becomes as essential as the cost (Dicken, 2003).  The proliferation of the products and the short cycles of product generation, reflected in ever-changing styles and product differentiation, contribute to the demand uncertainty for both the textile and apparel retailers and manufacturers, hence making forecasting of demand and production planning harder for these industries each day.

            In the global market, where textile and apparel industries must supply an increasing number of demands with fashions aspects, flexibility and speed are also crucial capabilities for firms competing with product proliferation, whether they are retailers that tries to offer broad range of choices for consumers or industries responding to retail demands (Abernathy et al, 1999).  Another fundamental element in realizing the requisite levels of flexibility lies in the reduction of uncertainty. Traditional methods of operation rely heavily upon sales forecasting systems which drive all activity. This leads to large amounts of uncertainty and consequent holdings of buffer stocks in order to combat unknown demand. Fast and flexible response, however, reduces forecast reliance and removes uncertainty by applying different operational practices to individual product groups, distribution channels, retailers, etc. Hence, true demand patterns become evident and easier to satisfy.

            Consequently, textile and apparel industries need to factor in demand uncertainty and product proliferation, in which both needs a specific level of time-sensitive agility, when establishing decision. Players or actors in textile and apparel industries in the global market have been able to react positively to the changes in these sectors (See Figure 1)  One of the responses made by these industries to be able to stay in the competition is the consideration of information technologies and telecommunications.  The emergence of more advanced information technologies indicates a fundamental support in the management of most textile and apparel industries.

Generally, ICT is made up of innovations, gadgets and instruments that are based on technology; these enable users to improve their operations, products and services. Some concrete examples of ICT include computer systems, internet and wireless communication. Before it was used to improve government and public administration processes, ICT was able to provide several advantages to different fields.

One of which is the business sector. In all types of business, innovation and expertise are two of the important elements to be considered. In particular, information and communication technology (ICT) encourages companies to become competitive by means of expanding their markets, attracting and retaining customers through tailored services and products as well as restructuring their current business strategies. This in turn affects the business industry by transforming internal processes and external relationships (2001;1998).

            There are several business industries that have already realized the significant role ICT has in their operations. For instance, in the manufacturing sector such as the textile and apparel industries in various countries, ICT has been utilized by several companies in order to improve their production and supply chain operations. Presently, various information systems are made available to business owners, from less-sophisticated to more advanced systems for this purpose. In particular, internet utilization facilitated the ease of interaction between business and business partners (B2B) and consumers (B2C). Through the internet, online deliveries, information searches as well as mass customization are all made available to the customers. Manufacturers, suppliers and distributors on the other hand, benefit from internet utilization through well-coordinated information sharing. Online auctions are even made possible with this breakthrough (Emiliani, 2000). 

Aside from managing companies’ supply chain procedures, ICT also improve production processes in textile and apparel industries. Specifically, these technologies enable business firms to perform mass production of textile and apparel products at a lesser time with greater quality. Interacting with external partners has also improved significantly due to intranet systems and e-commerce platforms used by textile and apparel industries as their response to the changes in this sector. Through the establishment of communication networks, manufacturers, suppliers and consumers are able to interact efficiently and textile industries are able to identify the latest trends in the EU market. Aside from these, handling valuable data becomes less tedious and costly as ICT systems allow automatic information gathering and processing (2000).

In hyper competition, industries continually disrupt the status quo to generate a series of temporary advantages (1994). Textile and apparel industries are continually jockeying for having competitive position with new products and marketing efforts in an attempt to get the imagination of the target market with image and styling. Analysis shows that textile and apparel industries create short-lived differentiation advantages which are easily and rapidly eroded through innovative styles. The textile and apparel industries, especially those small scale businesses is characterised by very short product life, numerous competitors, fickle consumer preferences, significantly easy entry and exit and a myriad of marketing, retailing and manufacturing alternatives.

In this environment, competitive advantage, especially for those small scale businesses in India, or even in other markets is difficult to establish and nearly impossible to sustain. Competition in the area of quality and price has intensified in this industry and low cost manufacturing firms, especially in India initially gave an advantage to larger textile and apparel firms which are moved earlier.  In this regard, the large number of sophisticated subcontractors in various developing countries like India has made low-cost global manufacturing available to even small competitors.

Part of the response of the textile and apparel industries is the concept known as quick response (Hammond, 1990). Part of these responses, is the use of vertical integration. Analysis shows that vertically integrated textile and apparel industries have led to the implementation of quick response.

The apparel industry are said to face a number of regulatory challenges that distort investment patterns and trade flows. The proliferation of customs practices and labelling schemes will still lead to some market fragmentation even as harmonization in some areas leads to market consolidation (2003).

 

 

Production Process between China and India

Many have pointed to the creation of a textile and apparel industry as the cornerstone of this "trade not aid" reorientation (Lamar, 1999). Businesses are said to be eyeing Asia as a new source for low-cost textile and apparel imports for global markets (Lamar, 1999). Policymakers see this sector as a quick way to generate employment and stimulate basic manufacturing skills that can be used for other industries. Development economists are no doubt attracted to the notion that production and employment in textiles and apparel can stimulate other improvements in basic infrastructure and other social needs such as education and health.

The increasing complexity of the apparel industry makes it difficult to derive a precise figure for overall world apparel trade. Complex production-sharing arrangements and the proliferation of regional, and sometimes overlapping, trading blocs lead to double counting that muddles the import-export picture. At the same time, developing countries, particularly those in Asia and those in close proximity to major markets, have secured the dominant share of the world market for apparel exports. Asian countries account for more than half of all apparel exports, or about $72 billion in 1996 (Lamar, 1999).

In Asia, India and China textile and apparel industries are able to have their distinctive and unique manufacturing process. During the period of Mao, textile and apparel industry in China, not only met the basic clothing demands of the China’s predominantly poor but large population, but it also served as an essential source of capital for projects in some industrial sectors. Indeed, the apparel and textile manufacturing has borne an enormous tax burden in the half of the century since the establishment of People’s Republic of China (PRC) (1998)

Most important to this study, China has emerged as one of the leading international traders of textile products. According to official statistics compiled by the WTO, China was the world's largest exporter of both textiles and clothing in 1999, accounting for 9% and 16% of the international market, respectively. (Overall, China leads the world industry with a total market share of 13%) While China is not a big importer of clothing, it is the world's second largest importer of textiles (many of which are re-exported after processing), taking in 7% of total international sales in 1999 (WTO, 2000). By any measure, therefore, China has become a major player in the world industry. Indeed, textile trade is critical not just to the Chinese industry itself (e.g., exports account for slightly more than one-half of China's production of textiles and clothing by value), but to the entire Chinese economy, as well (Industry Yearbook, 2001). While the share of textile and clothing products in China's total exports had declined to 22% by 1999 from a high of 30% in 1994, it was still close to the 23 percent share recorded in 1980. (Indeed, textile and clothing exports still account for nearly one-half of China's total light industrial exports). This record is especially remarkable given the quantity-based restrictions placed on China under the MFA. Indeed, it suggests how successful the industry has been in moving upmarket. While the relative share of textile and clothing products in China's total exports has declined modestly over time, the absolute value of these sales has continued to rise steadily, reaching U. S. $43 billion in 1999 (1999). In fact, only in 1996 did the textile sector finally relinquish its leading position in China's export profile to the machinery and electronics sector. Rather amazingly, therefore, nearly U. S. $1 out of every U. S. $4 of Chinese exports is still earned from the sale of textiles and clothing, this despite the rapid growth of Chinese exports across an increasing number of industrial sectors.

Any history of the textile and apparel industry in the PRC must begin with the establishment of MTI in 1949 (2004). One of the original four industrial ministries set up under the supervision of the State Council, MTI was charged with consolidating an industry whose resources were not only fragmented but also inefficiently deployed. While the regional concentration in coastal areas like Shanghai, Qingdao, and Tianjin made sense when Chinese producers relied upon foreign supplies for their raw materials, it required significant change after 1949 when the new government decided to rely on cotton grown in China's inland provinces. MTI's mandate to exert central control over the industry notwithstanding, much of the industry's history from the mid-1950s onward was one of partial decentralization. In the Great Leap Forward, for instance, direct supervision over most textile enterprises was transferred from MTI to authorities at the provincial and city level.

It is difficult to make generalizations about China's textile and apparel industry given its enormous size and scope. Even in the pre-reform era, during which greater uniformity in the economic system might have been expected, tremendous diversity existed. While serious problems remain with the quality of its textile exports, China has made substantial progress in several key areas: purity of fibber content; better dyeing techniques; improved packaging; quicker production schedules; more reliable delivery; and greater uniformity in colour, shrinkage, and measurement. Informant including several foreign buyers who were otherwise quite critical of the Chinese industry repeatedly emphasized that high quality production was possible in China by the late 1980s and early 1990s, in no small measure due to incentives provided under the MFA. Specifically, many scholars stressed that country reputations, as prevalent as they are, are less important to businesspeople interested in stable, long-term relationships than factory or company reputations. For an enterprise in China to trade up in the world market, it needs to become the source of choice for foreign buyers looking to place orders for higher-end goods. In this sense, reputations are earned and lost by performance (WTO, 1992).

In China, the domestic channels for apparel are characterized using three dominant patterns as shown in the schematic diagram below (Figure 2). Approximately 70-80% of the garments in the local market are distributed in the local market through Pattern A (Almanac of China’s Textile Industry, 1994) through product supply chain and interchanges between the textile manufacturers, apparel manufacturers and the retailer to the consumers. The large cities of China normally employ Pattern A while Pattern B is dominant in small and middle-sized cities and towns. In pattern B, the distribution channels or retail outlets include the specialty stores, the department stores, and the street fashion peddlers. Pattern C is seldom used in the local market to distribute apparel products to the consumers (retail chains and direct mails) (China Textile University & Harvard Centre of Textile and Apparel Research, 1999). 

 

 

 

Figure 2.Distribution Patterns of China’s Apparel Products

Some of the ways that companies acquired cost advantages are by improving process efficiencies, gaining unique access to a large source of lower cost materials, making optimal outsourcing and vertical integration decisions, or avoiding some costs altogether. If competing firms are unable to lower their costs by a similar amount, the firm will be able to sustain a competitive advantage based on cost leadership.

            Aside from China, other competitive textile and apparel industries are commonly found in India. This industry is of the leading sectors of the economy of India and considered as the largest source of foreign exchange earning for the country (2001). Analysis shows that the textile and apparel industries in India are characterised by the following features. First, India has the second largest yarn-spinning potentials in the global market after China.  The manufacturing India’s spinning sector is considered to be fairly modernised. India is also analysed to have the largest manufacturer of looms in place of to weave fabrics.

            Compared to other industry, the textile and apparel sectors in India are largely diversified and have the capability to give a broad variety of textiles to meet the needs and preferences of the global market, especially the demands of the U market. The industries in India have a strategic access to a wide pool of skilled labour and trained and skilled technical as well as managerial personnel. In India, the textile and apparel industries’ production process consists diverse raw material segments, ginning equipments, spinning and extrusion procedures, processing segment, knitting and weaving factories and garment manufacturing which supply an intensive distribution channel (See Figure 3). This production process is considered as one of the diverse in terms of the raw materials utilised, technologies used, and products produced. In the finding of this research, such production process provides about 70% by value of its production to the market. The network for distribution consists of distributors, wholesalers and a huge number of small retailers that sells textiles and garments (Chandra, 2005). In the study, it can be said that it is only recently that large retails sectors exist which increases the variety and the volume on display in terms of single location. In India, part of the production process’s distribution channel is the strong emergence of agents who are responsible for securing and consolidating orders for producers. Exports to EU market, are conventionally done through Export Houses or procurement/ commissioning offices of large EU apparel retailers.

In the study, it has been estimated that there are approximately 65, 000 garment units in the organised industry, 88% of this are for woven cloth while the remaining percentage are for knits. Nonetheless, only 30-40 units are considered in the large scale industry as the outcome of long-years of reservation of non-exporting garment units in line with the scale sectors. Such regulation was removed in the Indian industry recently. While large scale firms are scattered in various locations like in the National Capital Region, Bangalore, Ludhiana, Mumbai and Tirupur/Coimbatore that employs 3.5 million people. The study shows that the total value of the garment production is around Rs.1,050–1,100 bn. Herein, 81% comes from the domestic environment (Chandra, 2005). The knits sector and the weaving sector lies at the core of the textile and apparel industry of India.

In the study, it has been found out that in 2004-2005 of the total production process from the Indian weaving industry, about 46% was cotton cloth 41% was under 100% non-cotton which include wool, silk, khadi and 13% was blended cloth. In India’s production process, there are three distinctive technologies used which include the handlooms, power looms and the knitting equipments. Further, analysis shows that these technologies signify distinctive production process. The first one is the handloom segment which includes silk, khadi and some wool. This sector serves the low and the high ends of the Indian’s production process and value chain both consumption garments and niche products  for urban and exports markets, in most areas in the EU market.  This generates, chiefly textiles with geographical features like silk sarees and cotton in Pochampally or in Varanasi and in other small batches.

The next production segment is the weaving with the use of powerlooms. This was conventionally done by composite mills which are combined with spinning as well as processing operations. In the study conducted, it has been shown that because of the government incentives as well as the demand for low-cost, standard products like sarees and grey cloth and high volume has been moved from composite mills to powerloom activities and production process. While some textile and apparel industries like  changes themselves into a more competitive segment, other industries closed down.

In the year 2003 and 2004, there remained 223 composite mills in Indian textile and apparel industries which produced 1434 million m² cloths. Most of these industries are located in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mostly, the woven cloth are generated from the powerloom which are primarily located in NCR and Chennai. In the year, 2005, it has been shown that there were 425, 792 registered and authorised powerloom units which produced 26, 947

Chennai).  In 2005, there were 425,792 registered powerloom units that produced 26,947 million m² of cloth and have been able to employ 4,757,383 workers.  In India, the weaving sector is primarily dominated by small scale business which has an average of 4.5 powerloom/unit and suffered from outdated technological equipments and machineries and incurs highly coordinated costs. On one hand, the knitting sectors have become successful specifically in export networks.  The strong production clusters like Ludhiana and Titupur have led to development of the accessories segments.  On one hand, the hosiery segment has largely focused on domestic market and is growing quickly.

Further, the spinning segment is perhaps considered as the most competitive industry in the global market, in accordance with variety, production quantity and unit process. Even if cotton is the fibre of choice, man-made fibre which includes polyester filament yarn and polyester fibre has also been produced by about 100 large and medium scale textile and apparel producers in India.  In this regard, spinning is pursued by 1566 mills and 1170 SMEs. Herein, mills are chiefly located in North India and deploys 34.24 million spindles and .385 mullion rotors wile the SME scales generates their yarn on 3.29 million spindles only .119 million rotors that produces 2270 million kg 1106 million kg of man-made filament yarn and 950 million kg of blended yarn annually.  In addition, worsted and non-worsted spindles which produce woollen yarn have also increasingly grown to .604 million and .437 million respectively. In the Indian textile and apparel industry, the spinning sector is noted to be technologically intensive and the productivity is impacted by the quality of cotton as well as the cleaning procedures used during the ginning process.

The last steps in the production process in the Indian textile and apparel industry is the processing segment which include  dyeing, finishing and printing is mostly found in small scale business. The largest among this sector would dye and finish about 5000 m/ day. Other remains as independent process houses or just part of composite mills which use automated large bath or simultaneous processing and have a total average scale of 20000 m of cloth in a daily basis. In this regard, about 82.5% or a total of 10,397 units are hand processors who dye yarn or cloth in a manual manner and dry it in open sunshine. Others that use automated and semi-automated machineries are considered as independent process houses. In the textile and apparel industries in India, it is said that cotton stays as the most significant raw materials. Cotton mostly grew in the central and western part of India, jute in eastern, silk in southern India, and wool in the northern part of India. The relative qualities of silk, cotton, fibres and wool are also imported by the sectors of spinning and knitting in the industry (OTC 2004 and Texmin 2007)

                       

Reasons behind the Poor performance of Weaker Sector

            In the textile and apparel industries, it is considered that the major players are those industries which can compete in the global market and those industries that can provide the needs and demands of the target market in the global industry. In this regard, those small scale industries are considered as the weaker sectors in terms of performance. These small scale textile and apparel industries compete in terms of high-quality, low cost, accurate and on-time delivery and flexibility in variety as well as volume. According, to the documents gathered some writers believe that the performance of small scale industries is contributed by many factors such as internal and external to the small scale industries themselves (1997; Pearce and Robinson, 2002).

Analysis shows that small organizations usually thrive in a changing environment, although it must not be unduly complex in terms of the number of variables involved or the speed of their change. It is further suggested that the SME nimbleness in response to change is due in part to the fact that senior managers or owners formulate strategies that are closely connected with the work of the organization and with other workers and managers. Control and tactical decision making is not separated and distanced from ownership or senior management. In other words, such firms tend to be task continuous; there is a close link between management, planning, and the work activity. Larger firms on the other hand are task discontinuous; there tends to be a separate and discrete planning and management structure.

As mentioned in the previous chapters, the limited scale of SME operations means they have a relatively low impact on their surroundings and have a limited power to influence environmental forces in their favour.  This will include both their suppliers and customers. However, their weakness in these areas can be countered by their ability to react quickly to environmental change. Fundamental shifts in social values, consumer tastes, technological developments, managerial techniques, financial markets and so on, have brought about more complex and dynamic commercial environments. For the SME, their less bureaucratic structural arrangements, together with concentration in the power of the owner, allows growth-orientated small ventures to capitalise on opportunities that emerge from such environmental changes.  There are several challenges that can be attributed as the reasons why small scale textile and apparel industries in India have a poor performance than its rival industries. Such challenges are associated in the context of scale, skills, cycle time, innovation and technology, and institutional support.

In terms of scale, analysis shows that the textile and apparel industries in India, except for its spinning process, suffer from the problem of scale. textile and apparel industries in India are commonly smaller than their Thai and Chinese counterparts  and there are smaller number of large industries in the country. For instance, it has been shown that Chinese large firms have 1.5 times higher spinning capability, 1.25 times capability in denim production and 2 times in gray fabric potentialities with about 6 times more profit in garment that the small scale industries in India which affects the cost structure and the ability to attract target markets with large orders.  The core tendency of the small scale industries is to add capability once the order has been gathered than ahead of the product demand.  Accordingly, target market goes whether they see both capabilities and capacities. Large capacity commonly goes with standardized products which are largely found in large industries. In this regard, small scale business needs to develop their managerial capabilities to be able to manage large manpower and design the most strategic production process.  For the size of the economy of India, the management should have to consider bigger firms that produce various small to mid-size batches. However, the tension between the unorganized and organised industries must be given attention to avoid conflict. In addition, the small scale industries in India should also consider the existence of specialist firms which will consolidate orders, manage warehouses, book capacities, and logistics for the delivery process.

Aside from scale, skills are other elements that have been considered to affect the performance of the small scale textile and apparel industries in India. For instance, small scale industries have a scarcity of technical manpower. Analysis shows that in Indian industry has an inadequate strategy to bring technological change in the industry. Secondly, it has been noticed that Indian industries invest very little in terms of employee training and development and the skills are restricted to the existing production process (Chandra, 1998). It can also be noted that there is an acute scarcity of trained operators and supervisors in India which affects the performance of their employees. It has been expected that small scale industries in India will have to invest a lot of money to increase its global trade by year 2010. Such type of investment would need about 70, 000 supervisors and about 1.05 million operators in the textile sectors or industries alone and at least 112, 000 supervisors and 2.8 million operators for their apparel industries. Herein, the real bottleneck for growth and development lies on the availability of skilled human resources.

The next reason why small scale industries have a poor performance than large companies is the context of Cycle time. Accordingly, it can be said that the cycle time is the vital aspect to competitiveness as it impacted both price and the delivery schedule of an industry. The reduction of cycle time is strongly related with high first high throughputs times, high first pass yield and low variability in process times, low variability in WIP and consequently low cost.  In this regard, those small scale industries that cannot reduce their cycle times are affected in terms of their performance, since they could not provide the needs of their customers on time. In this regard, Indian customs should be able to provide a turnaround time of ½ day for an order before small scale industries in textile an apparel sectors become part of larger global supply chains.  These companied needs to have strong development in terms of their industrial engineering, giving emphasis, and focus on cellular manufacturing procedures and JIT and statistical procedural control to decrease lead times on shop floors. It is said that in India textile and apparel industries has a particularly low penetration of information technology to improve enough and quality productivity.

            Aside from the above mentioned reasons, the poor performance of small scale textile and apparel industries in India are also affected by innovation and technology.  Analysis shows that a review of the products exported by USA to China in January-April 2005, shows that the top three textiles and apparel products in terms of percentage enhance in exports were Non-woven fabrics, tire cords and tire fabrics and textile/fabric finishing mills products (FICCI, 2005).  These products are not seen in the items that India has provided. The entrance into an innovative application domain of industrial textiles, homes furnishings, nano-textiles and others becomes imperative if the market are to grow 5-6% of global market a these regions are projected to significantly grow. On one hand, innovation includes synthetic textiles which compose of 50% of the global textile market. However, in Indian synthetic industry, this aspect is not well entrenched. In this regard, the Technology Up gradation Fund of the Indian government is being utilised to motivate investment of small scale business in new processes. Aside from the abovementioned factors other reason why small scale industries in India have a poor performance because of lack of institutional support. Accordingly, textile and apparel policy has come along ways in decreasing uncertainties for the industry. Such policies are driven by global competition and also by the international trade provisions. However, in the Indian industry, few areas of policy weakness has been noted, which include the labour context, power availability and the customer clearance, credit for large scale investment, shipment operations from ports and quality, which are necessary for upgrading the technology, and enhancement of the manpower of the textile and apparel industry.

It shows that the status of politics in the country affects the progress of small scale textile and apparel industries. In addition, the research reveals that most of the small scale anticipates the uncertainties which may hit their development and they create several strategies to lessen the effect of environmental uncertainties.            

In this regard, it can be said that for the small scale industries in India to be competitive in the EU market and other global market, they must be able to address the noted reasons and find solutions to solve such issues.

Sample Essay Companies have different characteristics that effect their relationship with the employees

Abstract

Companies have different characteristics that affect their relationship with the employees. Companies can have good or bad characteristic and each has a different impact on the company’s environment.  Majority of companies treat their employees well, and provide them with excellent working environments.  These companies want to ensure that they have good relationships with the employees. There are still others who ignore their employee’s welfare and practice sweatshops in the working environment. Sweatshops cause most of the problems of the company. The paper intends to determine Why do companies use sweatshops, and what are the impacts of their use for business, for society, and government?

 

Views from the literature

While corporate interests have spread around the world, intrastate conflicts have caused much political instability in developing and transition countries. In combination, these intrastate conflicts pose a formidable challenge to the business sector. This challenge is relevant to the rapidly growing number of companies that already do or intend to do business in developing or transition countries (2003). Markets in these countries have become attractive and more important for the commercial sector in recent years, since, in theory, business there has become easier and more profitable, thanks to the rapid processes of liberalization and privatization in these countries and the considerable business potential of the new information technologies. The case for businesses to become involved in conflict prevention is supported not only by the manifest corporate stake in international stability. The argument that the expansion of corporations in an ever more liberalized world must be accompanied by a new and broad concept of business responsibility has gained much support in recent years. Calls for socially and ecologically responsible business practices are legitimate, and they are set to become increasingly relevant from a commercial point of view ( 2003). While there are many ways in which corporations can prove themselves to be socially responsible, an engagement in efforts to prevent violent conflict is surely a most promising and rewarding endeavor. The power of the business sector has risen sharply in recent decades. Economic liberalization, together with technological developments that diminish the costs of communications and transport, have given rise to economic forces that have reduced the capacity of the state to control the world economy, fostering the power of the market instead (2003).

 

Taking a comprehensive CSR perspective is a legitimate move and is of utmost importance to the corporate sector. It is legitimate for two reasons. From a global governance point of view, integrating social and ecological concerns into business strategies is a necessary and important corporate contribution to efforts at moving to some form of governance in these fields. From a corporate governance point of view, CSR is a convincing stakeholder model in the ongoing debate about defining adequate new forms of relationships and decision making within a company, as well as between a company and its environment. Even though neither of these two governance perspectives is usually explicitly associated with CSR, it seems that this is what the new paradigm is essentially about (2003). Although business have a negative influence on the society, it still aims to do something good like maintaining nation’s economy, contributing to conflict management and implementing a corporate social responsibility.  These things done by corporations prove that they have a distinct ability to engage in a good relationship with society and they can work together for a better situation. Any actions by businesses is important in maintaining its relationship with society and the government. The inter relationship amongst this three sector is important for the business, government and the society’s goal to be reached.

 

Controlling vast resources, corporations have, in essence, become a fourth branch of government. They are more a superior branch than a coequal branch; for corporations can avoid the checks and balances that restrict legislative, executive, and judicial institutions. The push for privatization that became the mark of the national politics of the 1980s has worked to put more and more power in the hands of corporations (1999). As corporate taxes were reduced in the name of trickle-down economics, more power was transferred to business and industry in the name of corporate freedom and the rule of the market (1999). Corporations are becoming one powerful entity in a nation. It had dictated how people will think and act. This causes it to have an unhealthy relationship with people. The growing power of corporations added with its influence gives it a negative identity to clients and the society. It is true that corporations may be going overboard and they may be abusing the different resources they have just to gain control over society but they are providing a big help to the society. Corporations help the economy improve; they provide jobs to people, they innovate services people receive and they create the different products people need. Corporations also have a negative sides, one of this is the use of the concept of sweatshops. Companies use sweatshops to lessen expenditures without lessening their workforce.  Governments try to restrict and persecute companies who use the sweatshop concepts. Governments are obliged to make sure that the rights of the workers are protected. The society condemns the companies to make use of the sweatshop concept. They believe that such practice is a violation of the employee’s rights as human beings.

 

Presentation of the Case

Given the fact that professional athletes typically represent the positive characteristics that companies also want to project success, special talent, confidence, and motivation, athletes can be very appropriate as product endorsers. Athletes typically convey a winning attitude, healthy appearance, and general appeal. Their importance and potential impact on consumer attitudes and sales, as well as the risks involved with pairing an athlete with a product or brand (2004).  Philip Knight, founder of Nike, Inc., appears to have recognized the importance of celebrity athlete endorsement. Nike has accumulated a remarkable lineup of professional athletes.  Although most sports marketers will acknowledge that the impact of using athletes as endorsers cannot easily be measured in terms of revenues or sales, they rely on the belief that athletes have the power to enhance the image of their product (2004). The case is about Nike and it being known as implementing the concept of sweatshops. Although Nike is a popular shoe manufacturer, it has a brand dedicated to selling various clothes and related accessories. It also earns well from the different products they sell in various parts of the world.  The company is being questioned for the different violations it had on human rights and worker well being.  

 

The government and the society had different actions on the accusation of the company using the sweatshop concept. The government investigated on the accusations on the company.  No cases have been filed yet but constant reminders have been given to the company. The society on the other hand made massive actions towards the company. Movements were made against the company and their products. There were also rallies that were rallies that were made to condemn the company and other firms who make use of the sweatshop concept. Although the company tried to make use of humanitarian acts to counter the sweatshop allegations, the company still has a negative image.  The use of the sweatshop concept may have not affected the company’s sales but it has affected its relationships with societies and the government. 

Discussion of the case

Concurrent with the growth of sweatshops has been the massive loss of jobs in apparel production in the industrialized countries. In many cases the new forms of global exchange in textiles and apparel do not enrich all parties involved in this trade, and they may not lead to a generalized prosperity that benefits all participants, or at least not equally or equitably (Rosen 2002).  The globalization of the apparel industry has accelerated job loss in the apparel industry and has led to wage reductions and sweatshop conditions for the workers who continue to be employed in different countries. It has also generated sweatshops and job loss abroad while supporting higher levels of profitability, growth, and consolidation of the largest corporate enterprises that increasingly dominate these industries. Sweatshops in the United States are not simply firms that offer undesirable jobs for long hours and poor pay. They are firms paying wages that violate federally mandated minimum wage standards as well as other employment standards set forth in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The argument that welfare work was a business proposition, not charity, shifted responsibility from the shoulders of the individual entrepreneur to the more abstract entity of the modern corporation (Rosen 2002).

 

Welfare work took shape as company- or plant-wide policy rather than as special favors granted on a case-by-case basis at the employer's discretion. Whereas nineteenth-century employers had exercised benevolent paternalism as isolated individuals, those who engaged in welfare work participated in a national movement that defined labor relations as an essential management responsibility (Mandell 2002). A few firms adopted employment stabilization as a conscious part of their welfare programs. Welfare managers used their understanding of the relationship between home and work lives to argue for shorter hours as well. Although higher wages, steady employment, and shorter hours were deemed essential, welfare advocates never believed that these alone could solve the labor problem (2002).Welfare advocates offered workers a broad agenda of programs designed to inculcate the middle-class work ethic and foster a desire for a middle-class standard of living. Of the two strategies, economic and cultural, the latter proved to be the most popular among welfare advocates and came to dominate the actual practice of welfare work (2002).

 

Two factors account for this development. Most obviously, employers resisted both the challenge to their authority and the costs associated with raising wages, stabilizing employment, and shortening hours. Hired welfare workers generally reinforced their employers' preference for cultural strategies over economic ones. On a practical level this minimized the potential for conflict between welfare workers and their employers.  It focused the welfare worker's energies in an arena where she, rather than her employer, could claim expertise teaching and enforcing proper standards of conduct. Welfare workers supported decisions to charge all expenditures for employee welfare to a single welfare account. There was little dispute that some features, such as libraries and company bands, should be charged to welfare work. However, features that touched production phases of a firm's operations could generate controversy (Mandell 2002). The concept of sweatshop is used by companies because they believe that it can save them more money without worrying much on the performance of their sales. Companies also believe that sweatshops can provide future benefits for the economy. Sweatshops are questioned because of the various effects it creates towards the employees. This kind of concepts creates a stronger barrier that creates more space of separation for the employees and the management of the firm.  

 

Nike may be performing well in its industry because of the concept of sweatshop but it has damaged relationship not only with the employees but with the society and the government as well. It can still maintain its performance but after some time it will decline due to the image it has with the society. Nike should have thought twice before thinking about using sweatshops. The idea of sweatshop business wise can be a good thing since it can save more finances without losing the needed number of employees. Nike may have used the idea of the sweatshop to maintain its stature in its industry but its equivalent is the violation of rights of the employees. Nike was not able to see the impact the sweatshop concept would make in the environment. This impact will not be erased on the mind of the people for long periods of time. It’s a good thing that the sweatshop allegation did not reflect on Nike’s stature and financial performance but it’s not good that it gave the company a bad image towards society and the government.

Conclusion

Any actions by businesses are important in maintaining its relationship with society and the government. The inter relationship amongst this three sector is important for the business, government and the society’s goal to be reached. One thing that can affect the relationship of the business, government and the society is the concept of sweatshops. The concept of sweatshop is used by companies because they believe that it can save them more money without worrying much on the performance of their sales. Companies also believe that sweatshops can provide future benefits for the economy. Sweatshops are questioned because of the various effects it creates towards the employees. This kind of concepts creates a stronger barrier that creates more space of separation for the employees and the management of the firm. One company that apparently makes use of sweatshops is Nike.

 

The company is being questioned for the different violations it had on human rights and worker well being. This may have not affected the company’s sales; it has affected its relationships with societies and the government. The sweatshop has not proven its worth in making a good relationship for the business, society and the economy. Therefore Nike needs to find alternative means to lessen costs without neglecting the welfare of employees. The company can lessen its expenditures on advertisements since it has a well established brand name and don’t need much more advertisement to sell their products.

Sample Essay Many Organizations are dependent on information systems in running the business

Introduction

Many organizations are dependent on information technology and information systems in running the business. These information systems are often very complex and very expensive to develop, therefore organizations need a way to develop such systems in order that they can realize the benefits expected of them. The information systems must deliver the requirements of the business plan or strategy (Tansey 2002).  The early stage of development of an information system is called systems analysis. An information system development project is divided up into a number of different stages. This is called the system life cycle. There are a number of different approaches to the development of computer-based information systems, but the principles behind each are similar. After a number of years in operation, business needs will have changed, so that there is a fundamental need for change and therefore the cycle will start again. By adopting this life cycle approach the project can be better managed (Tansey 2002).

 

Information systems are not created for their own sake. They serve or support people engaged in what for them is meaningful action. Now, when one system is thought of as serving another, it is a fundamental principle of systems thinking that in order to think carefully about, and conceptualize the system which provides the support, it is first necessary to define carefully the nature of the system served. This is necessary because how people see the system served will define what counts as support to it. The information systems needed to support a manufacturing operation will be very different if it is conceptualized as a system to optimize the use of a production facility rather than as a system to meet a market need (Currie & Galliers1999).Any information system will deliver output which is meaningful in the way the designers of the system defined, users of the system will, as autonomous human beings, still be free to assign their own meanings to it. The output from the organizational information system which consists of collated information about sales of the new product will mean different things to the managing director concerned with the company's share price, the salesmen on the road seeking bonus payments, the production planner working on raw material requirements, and the director whose private agenda is to subvert the whole project (Currie & Galliers1999).   

 

Information systems process the data and information in a certain company. It provides value to users through the interchange of messages. It makes information be accessible to people in an organization when such need arises. Information system is being used in different kinds of applications. One application is project management. The importance of project management is much more known in business institutions today. Organizations have realized the importance of project management and how it changes the operations of a business. Project management makes sure that needed changes can be done so that the company has a better chance of achieving its goal. The paper will discuss about the reasons that contribute to project success and the strategies to use to avoid project failure.

The risk in project management

A major concern in recent years in managing projects has been the continuing problem of dealing with risk and uncertainty. Such concerns are prompted by increasingly severe financial and legal consequences of poor risk management. The continuing budget and time overruns as well as the negative impact of poor project management on corporate image are no longer tolerated by funders or shareholders. In response to continuing failure to manage project risks, organizations are investing in more sophisticated and accurate quantitative risk management solutions. However, many of these techniques still fail to deliver the expected result (2001).  The ineffectiveness of traditional quantitative risk analysis to manage projects effectively has also been highlighted by who also confirmed risk factors outside the scope of quantitative risk analysis as a contributory element to failure (2001).

 

Quantitative risk analysis is an extremely useful tool for assessing risk, but it can only deal with risks that have been identified. There appears to be some confusion between the concept of identification and assessment. In many cases, managers and decision makers assume that if quantitative risk analysis has been carried out then most potential risks have been addressed, and they do not engage in a critical evaluation of the procedure (2001).A good example of the lack of awareness of human factors within the risk assessment process involved an organization that dealt with nuclear processing and subsequent storage of nuclear waste. The project concerned the design and development of an appropriate repository for the waste, which had a potential for high risk to society over a substantial timescale. Within the initial phase of the project development at the design and conceptual phase, quantitative risk analysis focused on the failure rate of technological issues. No provision was made for conducting risk assessment on the project team or any other people involved in the process, except in terms of technology. One of the human factor issues related to serious conflict between members of the central project team resulting from misperceptions about roles and objectives of the project. In taking a stakeholder perspective to risk management, it is necessary to explore why the vested interest of an individual or group may be a key indicator of their likely decision-making processes, which ultimately shape their responses to the process and potential risk (2001). 

 

Risk is an important consideration not only in business dealings but with project management as well. Risk will always be a part of business, when one doesn’t take risk he/she might not achieve his/her goals. When businesses fail the problem is not because they took the risk, the problem lies on the subsequent actions they have done after experiencing the effects of the risk. Project management involves not only proper planning but taking reasonable risks.  Project managers must have the knowledge on the different risk they have to take while doing the project. Project managers need to know the consequences of the risk they take and they must have back up plans to ensure that the effects of the risk will not cause more problems for the company.

Reasons that contribute to project success

The first of factors for success is a group of External ones like government, community, general economic conditions, ecology, and so on. The second set of factors affecting the viability of project definition is that the project offers a sense of cost-benefit relationship and that the terms of the Financing of the project make sense (Earl 1998). The last factor affecting the project definition is the project's Timing. Curiously, this aspect is often totally ignored in the project management literature which tends instead to dwell on scheduling methodologies. Timing means the pace at which the project is developed: its urgency, its phasing, and the placing of the strategic review points (Earl 1998).

 

The project itself must then be implemented using a range of concepts, tools, and techniques which have traditionally been thought of as the province of project management. These include matters of organizational structure responsibility and contract strategy, terms and conditions; issues of personal leadership and management style, resourcing, systems, and procedural conflict management and industrial relations, team-working, and matters of control and communication (Earl 1998).  Project success can be due to external factors like assistance from the government, community, and others.  It can be due to proper financing, having a sense of balance or use of appropriate timing. Project success can also be due to proper planning and wise use of strategies. Without the use of good information systems and the guidance of a good manager the factors in project success will not be enough.  

Strategies to avoid project failure

In a business setting there is a chance that projects might fail. Projects are not perfect it will contain certain flaws. If these flaws merge wit forces within the environment the result would be the failure of the project. Project failure can be due to the lack of preparation or planning wherein the manager became too concentrated on the end result rather than the specifics of the project. Project failure can also be due to lack of cooperation between the manager and his subordinates. When there is no teamwork between the manager and the subordinates’ aspects of the project will not be completed. Another cause of project failure is when the manager does not take risks. The risk may have given the project a better chance for success.

 

Moreover a cause of project failure is the lack of alternative strategies that should be used whenever there are small problems or irregularities seen when the project is being undertaken.  Lastly a cause of project failure is the inability to use the approved strategies. There are certain times that project managers fail to make use of strategies set by the organization, this results to an altered direction for the project and in the end failure of the project.  To avoid project failure the best thing to do is for the project team to plan first and iron out any flaws that they know might affect the project. The project team should also foresee the problems they might face while undergoing the project. Moreover the project team should also make use of the proper strategies that is intended for the project.

Sample Essay The Feudal system a set of social and political alliances between the workers and landowners

The concept of poverty

            During industrialization in the 16^th century, poverty perceptions undergo a series of changes. The feudal system, a set of social and political alliances between the workers and landowners, was the dominant social and political order. Since peasants were tied to the land and its owner, work was the only way to survive. Few incentives were to accumulate wealth; hence, poverty meant to starve and threatened everyone in time of duress. But the poverty held little stigma and remained separated from judgments regarding morality. Some programs available were designed to help the genuinely destitute and were commonly funded by private donations and are managed by the church.  

            In the early 1500s, the Western Europeans converged into mercantilism wherein trade materialized which subsequently created more wealth and financed armies and navies. Enlightenment followed mercantilism. This order took the form of value change and encouraged accumulation of wealth and private property while changing the attitudes towards poverty. The value shift introduced the concept of individualism and personal responsibility.

            The influential thinkers emphasized handwork, individual initiative, liberty and the power of reason. Arguably, poverty suggested that the root cause of poverty purports those who are lazy, sexually loose and generally immoral. This concept became commonly held among the European elites. The correlation of the economic status and the (immorality serves as the basis of development of welfare programs. Poignantly, the system reflects dependency, laziness and personal irresponsibility.

            Economic instability commonly characterized the Enclosure Movement. Such condition placed a great pressure on the society. Then, the religion failed to protect the landless peasants. As a result tramps, vagrants and beggars grew in number. The attempt to restore the social order led to the passing of poor laws. The English Poor Law (1601-1834) echoed the voice of the less well-offs. The law reflected attitudes and values regarding poverty and it serve as an instrument of social control. The elements of the ELL were the local administration, less eligibility, classification of the poor, relative responsibility and residence requirements.

            The concept of local administrations reflected general suspicion towards the poor. Less eligibility stated that relief should not be more than the available lowest wages. Furthermore, poor are classified based on two kinds of relief, indoor and outdoor. The relative responsibility focused on the role of the family. Public relief will only be available if the family cannot provide for the person. The context of residence requirement was responsible for those who are legitimate members of the local community.

The modern concept of poverty is related by Susana Franco (2003). According to Franco, ‘poverty has multiple dimensions and policy-makers must consider such dimensions in effectively assessing poverty’ (p. 27). Franco defined poverty based on four domains: monetary, capability, social exclusion and participatory.

Monetary poverty deals with the imbalance between the socio-economic characteristics of individuals and households. Capability poverty considers the measure of literacy including the completion for primary and secondary educations. Health poverty is indicated by individuals:  who are suffering from illness, who are affected by an illness and whose illness was so severe that s/he can no longer work. In connection, some individuals may and may not report regarding their health conditions. Moreover, employment, insurance, pension, credit, savings, social programmers and land ownership are the indicators of social exclusion poverty (pp. 6-12).

These constructs might overlap and combine. The degree of overlap may further be regarded due to dependency ratio and the education and employment of the household heads (p. 14).

The concept of independent laborers

            Civil society was a concept of natural and self-regulating order of independent laborers. However, the concept was increasingly damaged by the inequality and domination (1998). The condition of the pauper class is elevated above the condition of the laboring class, thus, the condition of the independent laborers is depressed, their industry is impaired and their employment becomes unstable and their remuneration in wages is diminished (Poor Law report, 1834).  

            Hence, independent laborers are subjected to extensive inducements to quit the less eligible class and enter a more eligible class of paupers. The standard regarding those who are to be maintained by the public, therefore, refers to the condition of those who can be maintained by their own exertions. Meaning, the poverty invokes people to accept a pauper life or else they must strive in order to survive (Poor Law report, 1834).

            This circumstance depicts a loose and imperfect situation the independent laborer has been forced into. Evidences also show that those who award and distribute relief knew very little or nothing at all about the conditions of the independent laborers. Other conditions which prevail during this period proved that their situation limits the supply of commodities, the diet of the workhouses exceeded that of the cottage and the diet of the goal is more profuse than that of the workhouses (Poor Law report, 1834).

            Such standard seemingly referred to the exaction of Labour wherein the work required from the paupers proves inferior to that performed by the laborers. These defects I the existing system led to different actions by both the paupers and the independent laborers (Poor Law report, 1834). Given the situation, poor relief and the establishment of workhouses was set as the primary anti-poverty strategy of the government.

            Throughout the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th centuries, the independent laborers were highly-regarded as the dangerous class. The continuous evolution of policies and regulations controlled and pacified the peasants and laborers. A series of uprisings burdened the government.  

The concept of State intervention in welfare

            The evolution of welfare is a dynamic process which adjusts in theory and practice towards historical changes in political, social and individuals constructs. The exercise of power to promote welfare depended on the attitudes regarding the extent of intervention, the areas to intervene and State’s definition of “welfare”. Nonetheless, the State intervention on welfare was founded on the philosophies of ultimate goals, the degree of intervention and the elements of coercion or restriction of the rights of the individual (as cited in Douglas, 1989, p. 152). Evidently, as Douglas believed, there is a great continuity.

            Social welfare in the 20^th century depict romanticism – “sentimental melancholy towards dignity and rights of the individual”, humanism – “ultimate ethical premise of the greatest happiness for the greatest number” and functionalism – “assurance of society’s survival, stability and well-being” (2002, p. 236). These elements were used to justify State’s intervention efforts.          

            Conversely, state intervention should also promote social cohesion, integration and inclusion by virtue of equality, freedom and security. Pensions and insurance programs flooded the period along with workmen wages and compensation. The following years contributed to the re-conceptualization of social welfare programs due to massive destruction and high cost of human life lost brought by the First World War (opera citato).  

Explanation

            Poverty evolves as new social, political and economic changes arise. Dominant political and social orders within a specific period connote different treatment towards the laboring class. Whether regarded as laborers, workers or peasants, the attitudes and judgments of the elites and the well-offs regarding this individuals dictates the condition of the society somehow which lead in the formulation and implementation of poor laws.

            The fear of losing wealth and social position made the situation even worse. Laborers are then subjected to several compliances coercible, and if not, they have to survive on their own. The punitive measures are manifested in the creation of poor relief's, workhouses, alms-houses and other institutions. For these laborers, the only way to survive, get away with paupers and elevate themselves form poverty is to work, work and work.

            Such poverty strategies mirrored the concept that poverty is an (immoral virtue. Impliedly, this concept triggered needs to be realized including social inclusion. The independent laborers thrive towards social acceptance through obeying the rules which they later found certain loopholes in the system. Essentially, having a good grasp of what poverty is from the independent laborers’ point of view can lead to the understanding of independent laborers’ whereabouts, sentiments, concerns and issues.

Assessments

            Social, political and economic changes drive welfare changes and State intervention. These can be elaborated through the manner and measures of state intervention, the degree of intervention and center of intervention. Year Aaron specified that when the environment is changing, the authorities initiate radical changes in public policy. The primary role of the government is to build consensus among different interest groups and factions (p. 1) and depict not only economic but also political processes. The motivation is, perhaps, the protectionism through social programs (1997.

            As believed by social programs should contribute to the economic development. The modern social programs are more concern on remedial and maintenance activities (1997) where, in fact, the purpose of these social interventions is to provide and sustain individual and communal development. He even stated that programs should generate rates of return to government social expenditures. Productivity programs have been introduced as a coherent approach in social welfare.

            Quite simply, as the gap between the rich and the poor widens, the more the society and the government requires control. The worsening situation of the poor calls for more attention and, thus,

Sample Essay People Invest to make money with their money

Problem: What advice can you give a high net worth individual with regards an investment strategy for the US market?

 

Introduction

People invest to make money with their money. You can make money by investing in bank deposits, stocks, bonds, and in mutual funds. There are also ways on how to gain your money by investing it in the business. Majority also knows that it is important to have a better and a wide decisions when investing so that your money will not go for anywhere. Since, majority of us are experiencing poverty then it is only enough and right to invest your money to the right and well treated business stocks so that by the years comes by you will have the money that you can use when you need it.

Investing to a stock is one of the reasons for that to have your investment comes back with an interest. But, is stock investing a good idea? How reliable is stock market investing? What groups should an investor concentrate on for the long portion of his portfolio? What groups are dominating the new high lists that are showing stocks breaking out four-week consolidations with consistent regularity each day or several times a week? These are the groups that must be focus in these portfolio so that will have a better decision to come up and a good advice to the person who wants to invest its money specifically to the US socks market.[1]

We all know that investing to a certain business is a risk taking because all the possible things may happen and there is no assurance of improving your money. Just like in real life, to be successful it should be learning something new everyday to grow as a person while also doing something to move forward. Whether someone is starting a new business or trying to find way to generate more income on the side, majority of the cases means that in order to accomplish its goal it will require it get out of the shell and may start taking some risk. When we talk of risk taking, most people easily give up when something negative had happened. Then, the bottom line is that it needs to actually follow through with the plan/venture to really understand and determine if it is right for the business. The main question for this is that how can one get used to getting comfortable in taking risks to enable him to actually get a true analysis if something works for the business or not. So when it comes to taking risks on some kind of venture, treating it like a journey to also make yourself a better or more knowledgeable person can help you to eliminate any fear or rash decisions from cheating thyself in learning and experiencing more by prematurely jumping off track. At the same time, taking risk and sticking with it provides the opportunity to create something great as oppose to do nothing.

  Since, the main purpose of the investment is to upgrade the money then one of the most important rules an investor should learn is to let the market be the guide. Aside from that, it is also important to monitor the prices of the company you want to get in touch with. At the short term investment it is much important to see the market of the company that you want to engaged in because this will be the basis of the growth of the investment.

 

 

 

 

Literature Review

Many people are afraid to invest because they prefer the safety of leaving their cash in a bank or building society. Though, they are right it is hard to invest because you cannot see your money growing up. But, taking the risk in investing such huge amount of money is a great opportunity to improve your money because this will help the investor to think more and can have a better outlook in their investment such as gaining profit and improving its business skills.

For the past years many wireless communications company have experience a boom in their business just like the telecom meltdown of 2000, then it is not difficult to find a wireless stocks that have gained and increase sales and earnings. Many technology companies also lands big licensing deals with major equipment manufacturers such as Nokia. This licensing revenue can be erratic and unpredictable that will make the company difficult to value but the company is still shows a nice P/E ratio.[2]

            U.S automakers are proud to inform the public that many their consumers shift more gas-thirty models and the realization that a strong compact brings buyers to their brand. One example of these is the Detroit which is trying to make yet another comeback. Many also said that that the improved offerings are much better than the other small cars of the past. Furthermore, it still has a long way to go to unseat the other brands who came from Japan, which together control almost of the 30 percent of the small car market. Foreign nameplates have 76 percent of the U.S. small car market.[3]

            It has been worried by the US government’s proposal for changing health care, investors’ unloaded holdings of the United States Surgical Corporation and Medtronic Inc, yesterday, driving both stocks to 52-week lows, their 52 week high had bounce back to $2 and $2.75, respectively, but these two companies are quite sure of their prices are going strong and their earning are getting better for the past weeks.

Recommendations

            Many stock market analysts are sharing their knowledge on the investors who wants to invest their money in the stocks they prefer. Just like the American woman who is 35 years old and wants to invest in the US stocks. Basically, for the investors who want to invest in 1 year, it is most important to be patient and maintain the investment discipline. It is also important to be more defensive in this environment and to build more yields in the portfolio which is from the bond perspective. In general, setting objective is the most important and it should be followed by the investor, because this will be the way in the growth and the development of the investment.

            In choosing for the stocks, you will need to see the revenue growth and the earning growth of the stocks for two consecutive years. This will help the investors to see more than just one option in choosing the proper stocks, in short be well disciplined and always pay attention in spending its money.  

            In investing at almost a year and for the next five years, it is as important to maintain a diversified portfolio and since it has been chosen to invest in the technology company, in the health care and in the transportation corporation, these kind of companies are the most traded and most growth stocks that will gain more profit.

            Generally, it was the perfect time to enter into the market where we can find the financial markets are seems to be stable. Invest in the companies where things are getting better and sell the companies who got worse.[4]

            When investing in long term business just a 5 year business it is important to keep the appreciating and sell the depreciating because majority of the investors make profit by selling the appreciated stocks and keeping the stocks which are depreciated. It is important for the investor to have knowledge on when to sell because there is a possibility to sink to a point where there is no value left. If it is possible to the investor to keep the high quality stocks and sells the lesser ones but it is hard in reality. Follow tips is the keyword for this since investment is like a gambling, which means that there is no assurance that the stock will grow, it should also remember that the company with higher price is less risky, so do not be encourage to the low priced stocks. And finally, the most used method and most trends that follows.

 

 

 

Tips when investing

Ø      When dealing with a licensed advisor, as many investors did, make sure that you spread all your investment and avoid being encouraged to put too large a proportion of yours savings into the one group or in the one kind of product

Ø      Always ask for the commission or percentage of you investment.

Ø      Don’t borrow against your personal investment. Because, there is no assurance to grow then there is a possibility to lose that to you.

Ø      Do not rely on single strategy

Ø      Understand the company or the stocks you want to engaged in

Why Short Term Investment?

Short-term investment is a term to describe a position in the trade that will only last for limited time, for days, weeks, or even months.  

Ø      allows make money for those expenses that you have right away

Ø      protects the long term financial goals

Ø      fast growth

Why to invest in Long Term Investment?

            Long Term Investment are the investment a company intends to hold for more than a year. This long term investment consists of stocks and bonds of the other companies for the specific purpose or projects.

Ø      The longer the period of the investment in equity, the higher is the return and the lower is the risk to take into the capital

Ø      It can make good return

Ø      Less risky

How the Wealth Be Allocated?

            Division of the wealth is most important when investing because it will be carried out all your personal investment in the following that is the division of the following variables of the wealth of the investors may follow. The 20% of the money should be invested in the bonds, 20% in stocks, 20% in fund, 10% in property, 15% for the gold, 10% for the commodities, and 5% for the others. This figure can be justify as bonds can have a predictable stream and repayments of principal, it will increase its capital or to receive dependable interest income, it also achieved its objectives as education, new home, or increase the retirement income. Stocks also can raise the capital even without creating debt and without even without any legal obligations to pay back to the borrowed funds. Investing in funds also helps because they are a convenient and a cost effective method of obtaining diversified and the most professional way of managing, it also allows investors from the lower trading up to the management research cost that will surely has a benefit to the investors. It is also important to invest in the property due to the reasons as stays stable, it purchase the other people’s money and pay this back to the others peoples money, generate a reliable income, and in can incorporate substantial capital appreciation and also it doubles the value of the property every seven years. Investing the gold when the price is low and the then selling it when it has a high price, which means the more that invested in gold the less it swing in price.

What is P/E Ratio?

            The P/E ratio is the price paid for a share which is related to the income or the profit earned by the firm per share. This means that as a higher P/E value means that investors are paying more each unit of income. This P/E ratio is given by the formula:

            It also shows how much investors are willing to pay per dollar of earnings. Therefore, this ratio is important to the investors to avoid wrong decisions on this measure alone.[5]

            This ratio also measures the company’s performance and also allows the investors and analysts to forecast ob what will be the status of the certain stock in terms of this ratio.

 

 

 

 

Invest in Technology Company in US?

Ø      America believes and has been recognized that the wide range use of technologies can be the integral part to achieve the strategic objectives. It has been proven and that it can be the most traded market because as of 1998 55% has been thought by the CEO’s about the technology decisions and then for today it has been goes up to 97% which means that most of the CEO’s believe on the use of the technology. It has also been forecast by most of the analyst that the Internet services has been grows up to 33 percent. Besides, it is the fastest adopted technology in history.

Ø      USA, nowadays it has been reported that more that half of its population today has been use the Internet or 56 percent of them was using the said services.

Ø       The figure rises to 82 percent in households earnings $75,000 or more.

Ø      Based on the recent survey 91pecent are now online internet users

Ø      The earnings per share of the technology company is much lesser next year that this year. Lets take a look of the example at the Baldwin Technology Company which has been listed as his today’s price/earnings ratio is -18.75 and then the forecast for next year will -9999 which means that as the company has a lower earnings per share ratio it will show that it  will gain a higher profit to the stock.

Why invest in a Health Care Company in US?

            According to the recent study most Americans still believe in the US health care services and companies.

Ø      60 percent of the respondents still believe that U.S Health Care is still the best

Ø      Though, sometimes most people don’t get the health care they need it will be a way to have the Americans to get the health care they want

Ø      Majority of the Americans felt their necessary care

Ø      At the health care many Americans felt they are properly cared

Ø      They do believe also that the Investment in research for the health care is important

Ø      U.S Investment in Health Services Research is very Important that was answered by most of the Americans

Ø      Americans also wants more spent on Health Service Research

Ø      The p/e ratio of the healthcare companies is lesser than next year than this year that is why it is healthy to invest in this field. [6]

Why should Invest in Transportation Company in US?

Ø      There is a new transportation company that offers its varied services

Ø      There is a huge demand for the Americans to use the transportation.

Ø      Cars and other transportations are considered as their necessity and not just their luxury

Ø      Many transportation stakeholders that highway is important that is why it should invested with more money

Ø      It has an attractive return

Ø      The numbers of US commuters and passenger are getting higher

Ø      The importance of transport in the city as New York and other big city in US is highly needed.

Ø      In terms of the p/e ratio transportation company in US are doing good as part of  their objectives to gain more earnings.

 

 

Sample Essay Development of Recognition of Same-Sex Merriage in Australia

Development of Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage in Australia

 

1. Synopsis

2. Introduction

            Resistance to the recognition of same-sex marriage in Australia is due to the failure of policy-makers to understand social developments on gender preferences or perhaps the politicisation of the issue while the recognition of same-sex marriage is highly disjointed or incoherent. This means that addressing the issue of recognising same-sex marriage involves the concurrent recognition of social realities independent of political or election interests to facilitate the place of same-sex marriage in Australia’s family law.

            The issue of the recognition of same sex marriage in Australia came to the fore of policy and legal issues due to the enactment of the Marriage Amendment Act of 2004 (Cth) that prohibits same-sex marriages made in Australia and prevents the recognition of same-sex marriages made outside of Australian jurisdiction even if the marriage is valid in the other jurisdiction. The purpose of proscribing same-sex marriage is to prevent same-sex couples from successfully adopting children from other countries or nationalities.[1] The underlying principle or rationale of this law is the interpretation of the definition of marriage as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life”[2] as pertaining to union of opposite sexes to the exclusion of same sex parties. This received criticisms relying on the human rights law, adopted by Australian legislation, which advocates against discrimination and for equality and the fact that the Marriage Act of 1961 has not defined marriage[3] but facilitates various aspects of union such property entitlements indicating that marriage extends beyond the gender qualifications. It is ironic that a state such as Australia, which has achieved relative progress in the recognition of human rights, is experiencing conflict in determining the concept of marriage in the legal context. 

3. Gay/Lesbian Equality Dispute

            Opinions of gay/lesbian relationship in Australia are highly divided into a wide-range of classifications. On one extreme end, there are people or groups supporting the traditional conceptualisation of marriage as validly occurring only between a male and a female[4], ignoring the reality that a significant number of couples in Australia have been playing the traditional marital roles outside of the traditional legal definition of marriage. However, while the traditional perspective refuse to accept same- sex marriage as legally valid, this cannot also condemn same-sex marriage as invalid because of anti-discriminatory human rights laws. This creates a problematic situation since the traditional perspective refuse to accept same-sex marriage but cannot provide strong support for the invalidity of same-sex marriage under the existing family laws of Australia. On the other extreme end, there are people rooting for the validity of same-sex marriage based on the legal principles of equality and anti-discrimination[5]. These opinions rely on the re-interpretation of marriage and legal provisions covering marriage in order to accommodate social realities. However, although jurisprudence has covered the issue of same-sex marriage, there is yet any decision in Australia that positively or directly provides recognition of same-sex marriage. Between these extreme ends are opinions that accept the reality of same-sex relationships functioning similarly to a marriage without the benefit of a legal union but categorises this relationship separately from marriage resulting to the development of laws on legal partnerships[6]. Amidst these opinions, the issue of equality emerges, which is highly subjected to undetermined debates due to differences in their understanding of same-sex marriage.    

3a) Opinions against the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage

            Opinions providing for the lack of necessity for recognising same-sex marriage highly rely upon the legal definition of marriage in Australian law as excluding same-sex marriage.  explained that the sex of an individual, which determines the qualification for marriage, “is immutable and irreversible, being determined at birth by reference to chromosomes, gonads and genitals”[8]. The definition of sex in this case was the basis of determining the marital status Kevin and Jennifer[9] after they applied for a court declaration of its validity. In other jurisdictions, this definition of marriage was also applied for purposes of determining the claims of widowed spouses resulting to the elimination of the spouses as beneficiaries or claimants in property or estate distribution[10]. Since sex is defined by biological characteristics of individuals by birth and the law provides that marriage occur exclusively between a man and a woman, having different biological characteristics, then same sex marriage cannot be accorded legal recognition.

            However, even this definition is wrought with complexity. In one case covering the claims of a widow, the company whose vehicle caused the death of the claimant’s husband sought the settlement of the claim. For purposes of determining the existence of a valid marriage and the right of the wife to make a claim, the court asked the claimant to undergo genetic testing. Results showed that even if the claimant was determined at birth to be a woman, genetic results showed that her hormones are dominantly male. Due to this, the company withdrew the offer to settle and asked the court to make summary judgment.[11] In this sense, the definition of marriage as biologically determined at birth fails since even if a party has been declared a man or woman depending upon sexual organs during birth, genetic testing could still question the sex of an individual.

3b) Opinions for the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage

            Opinions seeking the necessity of recognising same-sex marriage rest on the recognition of marriage as a human and legal right. As such, the right to marriage depends upon the interpretation of pertinent laws. Human rights law provides for the right to privacy and marriage quality between the sexes[12]. This means that the gender preferences of gays and lesbians should be respected. In relation to marriage, the interpretation taken in the application of human rights law still goes back to the traditional perspective of marriage. Developments in jurisprudence have failed to clarify the definition of marriage or provide direct resolution for the position of transsexuals who have undergone and who have not undergone operation to alter their sexual organs. Based on the traditional definition that considers sexual organ, as the basis for gender for purposes of determining a valid marriage, is it not then fitting for individuals who have undergone sex operation to be considered as male or female according to their preferences. Even if the traditional definition looks into gender as determined during birth, current practices look into genetic testing to base gender according to the hormonal structure of individuals. In this case, even those males or females who have not undergone sex change but have dominant female or male hormones respectively seem to qualify under the traditional definition of marriage. While this perspective looks at the means of reconciling the characteristics of transsexuals with the traditional definition of marriage, others focus on reinterpreting marriage to accommodate current social developments. Justice Chrisholm, of the Court of First Instance, provided that the gender of individuals should be determined during the time of marriage in declaring same-sex marriage as valid. However, this was overturned by the appellate court.[13]

            The second option of reinterpreting marriage constitutes a better option because trying to fit same-sex marriage in the traditional definition may be neither legally sound nor practical. In the traditional sense, marriage constitutes a property union and property rights. This is the reason for the high premium accorded to marital fidelity in heterosexual marriage to determine property sharing and rights. In the case of same-sex marriage, procreation is not possible resulting to different conditions of marriage that do not necessarily agree with the concept of property union in the traditional sense of marriage.[14]

            This means that the issue of recognising same-sex marriage is highly complex, multi-faceted and ambiguous resulting due to the limited understanding of the same-sex relationships and marriage in contemporary context as expressed in the developments in the quest to accord recognition to same-sex marriage in Australia. As explained by Sir Henry Maine, moving from traditional to contemporary law involves the shift from status-based to contract-based society. However, the marriage has yet to make this change from being a status to become a contractual venture.[15] When this happens, marriage no longer constitutes a gender-based status but a contract that depends upon the voluntary agreement of the parties governed by pertinent developments in law and same-sex marriage becomes an issue of contractual validity similar to heterosexual marriage.

4. Development of Recognition of Same Sex Marriage in Australia (main part)

            Extending legal recognition to same-sex relationships in the same manner as heterosexual marriage has gone through various phases of development in the previous two decades resulting to the recognition of similar rights and duties to same-sex couples similar to heterosexual couples in some states in Australia. However, recognition of same-sex relationships as a marriage remains subject to continuous debates.

4a) Marriage and the Law in Australia

            Developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Australia can be divided into three phases, with the first phase referring to the status quo in family law not touching the issue of the recognition of same-sex marriage based on definition of marriage during the pre-world war era, the second phase pertaining to the period when political or legal and social developments questioned the traditional perspective resulting to the provision of laws excluding same-sex couples from achieving legal status, and the third phase pertaining to the attempt to resolve the issue of the recognition of same-sex marriage by developing partnership or union laws for same-sex couples similar to the marriage laws for heterosexual couples. However, even with the establishment of partnership legislations governing same-sex couples, the issues of recognition of same-sex partnership as a marriage remain an issue.

            Three commonwealth laws govern the issue of same-sex relationship recognition. Marriage Act of 1961 provides for the rights and responsibilities of parties in a marriage but this does not cover guidelines in the dissolution of marriage. During this time, the issue of same-sex marriage has not yet reached a point to influence policy-makers to incorporate a clarification of the parties to a valid marriage even if same-sex relationships already existed. Perhaps this was due to the non-organization and coherence of the issues experienced by same-sex couples to constitute a strong advocacy towards legal changes through the legislative and judicial channels.

            However, with the rise in the number of cases seeking the recognition of marital status of same-sex couples for various purposes, encompassing the validity of the relationship or assert legal rights and obligations, legal the Marriage Legislation Amendment of 2004 was enacted. This amended the Marriage Act of 1961 by inserting section 5(1) to provide a definition of marriage as “the union of a man and a woman […][16]”. This definition is consistent with the traditional definition marriage expressed in Hyde v Hyde[17] as monogamous and exclusive to heterosexual couples. This also found practical application in the sex determination process provided in Corbett v Corbett[18] as sex based on gender by birth as defined by genitals, gonads and chromosomes. This amendment together with its application in court cases resulted to the exclusion of same-sex couples from having a valid marriage, at least in the meantime.

            The enactment of the amendment appears to be a response to the pertinent case of Attorney General (Cth)  which constitutes the first case of same-sex union that reached the appellate court that challenged the existing marital law. In this case, a same-sex couple sought a valid declaration of their marriage. In the Court of First Instance, the decision favoured the validity of the same-sex marriage based on the rationale that marital laws should keep with recent developments, such as the growing number of same-sex couples in a relationship working akin to a marriage. This was raised to the Full Court, which upheld the decision of the Court of First Instance based on the rationale that marriage law in Australia has experienced transformations resulting to the need to reinterpret the legal meaning of marriage.

            However, even with the developments in common law moving towards the recognition of same-sex marriage, the possibility of achieving this has been expected to lead to various challenges because of certain differences in the characteristic of heterosexual and same-sex couples. This resulted to the alternative of providing laws that recognise the status of same-sex couples, similar to heterosexual couples but not as a marriage in the traditional sense. This development is expressed through the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill in 2004 intended to incorporate common law interpretation of marriage, such as in the Kevin case. Other legislations covering social security and other benefit claims have now recognised same-sex union.

            Overall, as long as the definition of marriage has not yet been broadly reinterpreted in Australian law, the recognition of same-sex marriage remains an issue. However, this issue is not without probable means of resolution. One option is the re-definition of marriage in Australian law to accommodate same-sex marriage and accord same-sex couples with the same rights and obligations as heterosexual couples. This involves more complications and issues since it cannot be denied that same-sex couples have pertinent differences with heterosexual couples in terms of the core rationale for the union together with the rights and responsibilities. Another option is the consideration of a parallel legislation to marital law that covers the rights and responsibilities in the context of same-sex relationships. This involves a more feasible development since this has already been done in some jurisdictions. Nevertheless, regardless of the option taken in the Australian jurisdiction, an understanding of same-sex relationship is needed to determine its equitable place in Australian legislation and jurisprudence. This is yet to be achieved but expected to develop in the future as jurisprudence on the matter matures.    

4b) Marriage and Constitution in Australia

 

            Recognizing same-sex marriage is not against the Commonwealth Constitution. Section 51(xxi) of the Australian constitution provides for the power of parliament to enact laws pertaining to marriage. This power implies that the parliament holds the power to change the definition of marriage, expand the parties qualifying for marriage, and provide for different or other duties and obligations. The constitution made way for flexibility in statutory power in order to make laws fit contemporary developments[20]. This implies that if contemporary developments support the revision of laws, then the parliament holds the power to make the necessary statutory changes. It is just a matter of recognising and understanding imminent pertinent developments and translating this recognition and understanding into legislative actions. This further implies that with a thorough understanding of same-sex relationship as a legal development, then common law is expected to accommodate same-sex unions to sway or as supported by legislative changes.

             Ex parte McNally[21] provides that other constitutional terms constitute more complicated topics of interpretation than marriage. In this case, the changing definition of marriage has been recognised so that during the 20^th century, marriage was defined as a monogamous, heterosexual union. If this definition has been considered by the constitution as static, then this could work as a bar to the parliament to enact laws on same-sex marriage. However, since the constitution allowed room for flexibility in the definition of marriage, parliament has the power to make laws on same-sex marriage. The issue that arises is the consideration of parliament on whether legislation on same-sex marriage is necessary. If not necessary, then what are the justifications for maintaining the traditional definition of marriage. If necessary, then what legislative changes are to be made and what are the justifications for the statutory development. Again, in exercising this power, the parliament needs guidance by looking at jurisprudence on same-sex marriage as well as the stand of various advocate groups.

 

Research Paper Project on Contemporary Management

Final Project: Research Paper

Research Project on contemporary management issues

2000 words; 40% - Due Week 14

 

Rationale: To test your ability to carry out basic qualitative research on a contemporary management issue of your choice, and also your analytic and critical thinking skills.

 

Bearing in mind the qualitative research methods and techniques discussed in Week 3, you are required to carry out a research project on;

 

Is business ethics an oxymoron?

 

Research Paper will base on Contemporary Management Issues.

 

Your research will be gradually developed throughout the session and will produce a 2000 words paper for which you are required to use a minimum of 8 references.  At least 5 of these references must be articles from academic journals.

 

The recommended research method for this project is content analysis, in other words, analysis of texts such as academic articles, print media articles, annual reports and websites.  Nevertheless, you can also use other methods such as surveys and face-to-face or email interviews, though there are some procedures to be observed in these. Cases, and you must seek advice from your lecturer should you decide to use these methods.

 

The format of project, please refer to A Research Paper Exemplar.  Project will need to include;

 

• Paper Abstract

• Introduction

• Literature Review

• A Qualitative Study: Methodology

• Findings

• Conclusions

• References

 

 

 

 

H3740 Contemporary Management Issues - 2007

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR RESEARCH PAPER

 

CRITERIA	F UNSATISFACTORY	P  BARELY  SATISFACTORY	C  SATISFACTORY	D  SUPERIOR QUALITY	HD OUTSTANDING QUALITY
	0-49%	50%-64%	65%-74%	75%-84%	85%-100%
1. Quality of  the research	Poor.	Acceptable, but a great deal of improvement still needed.	Satisfactory effort.	Good level of research with rich data.	Outstanding quality of research competently used to produce an excellent paper.
2. Structure and organisation	Fragmented, disjointed structure. Hard to follow.	Fragmented structure, but possible to recognise contours of logical relationships. between points	Relatively coherent structure, but some polishing still needed to take it to the next level.	Coherent structure with a logical sequence of points.	Coherent structure weaving all points into a clear, logical, lively narrative.
3. Independent critical analysis	Regurgitated information from lectures and readings.	Paper is largely descriptive. No evidence of independent critical analytic.	Some evidence of independent analysis, but a tendency to describe.	Evidence of independent critical analysis	Highly developed analytic and critical skills. An original thinker.
4. Sound grasp of research concepts	No understanding of research concepts; unable to apply  them in the research plan	A basic grasp of research concepts, but potential for improvement.	Relatively good grasp of basic research concepts, but improvement still needed to take it to the next level.	A good grasp of research concepts.	Excellent grasp of research concepts and a clear ability to operationalise them in the project
5. Methodology	Weak methodology; no understanding of research methodology requirements	Basic understanding of requirements of research methodology, but a great deal of improvement needed.	A good of grasp of research methodology requirements, and an adequate methodology, but improvement still needed to take it to the next level.	A superior of grasp of research methodology requirements. A good methodology section.	An excellent grasp of research methodology requirements. An outstanding methodology section.
6. Grammar, syntax spelling	Poor grammar, syntax and spelling. Unintelligible in many sections.	Generally poor grammar, syntax and spelling, but possible to understand meaning.	Sufficiently good grammar, syntax and spelling, but still some errors.	Very good grammar syntax and spelling, but still some errors.	Excellent  grammar, syntax and spelling. A joy to read!
6. Handwritten Notes	Not provided	Notes provided, but too disorganised to make sense.	Relatively well organised notes, but a bit descriptive.	Good set of handwritten notes showing some relevant insights	Excellent set of handwritten notes, showing superior research insights
7. Paper Draft	Not provided	Draft provided, but no revisions	Provided, with revisions	Provided, with revisions	Provided, with revisions

Revised on 12.9.07

Sample Essay It Consulting Firm hired to provided services to implement such a system

1.          Introduction

 

This report shall present a Project Plan to develop an integrated computerised system for  Dental Care, a dental business owned by the Owen family.  As the IT consulting firm hired to provided services to implement such a system, a plan for systems development and project management shall be proposed to the management and owners of  Dental Care.

 

In the administration of the several practices autonomy and . . .

However, during the past two years a number of problems have been identified, such as those concerning the management of supplies (Over- and under-stocking of essential products, and suppliers charging different prices for same products).

2. Difficulties resulting from diverse administration practices across the practices

            (especially in terms of reconciling financial reports).

3. Customers have complained that they are not able to book into different practices, especially when there are no suitable appointments available at their local practice.

4. MD unable to ascertain the financial state of the business on a regular basis.

 

systems have been analyzed partly through the tools of operations research, systems analysis and economics, and designed using the processes of systems engineering (Hastings 2004)

 

The MD has decided to invest in an integrated computerised system to standardise its practices across all the six practices. However, not all the staff from the different practises are convinced of the need for this change, citing extra costs, training and removing autonomy from local practices as some of the reasons for their resistance.

 

 

2.          Project Overview

Requirements Engineering

** Goal oriented requirements engineering  [Colette  -ISD]

            OR Goal-driven requirements engineering

** Systems Approach

 

Project Plan and Supporting Report

 

 $70,000 (US) has been allocated as budget for the system

system expected to be in place within eight weeks

 

other assumptions MUST be made clear in the report

 

opened:          INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT METHODS 20060035

3.          Project Plan

other assumptions MUST be made clear in the report

 

ascertain organisational requirements and attain behavioural consistency with existing practices and functional requirements of the system structures, systems

integrated financial control systems

 

unified Virtual interface for customer inquiries and scheduling

            cross-linking and auto-referrals

            easy to monitor and coordinate with other receptionists

 

4.          Risk and Resource Management

 

1 - the existing framework and "best practices" within the company before the

2 - identify skills, knowledge and experience required for staff roles and responsibilities, propagate together to ascertain purposeful system requirements, functional

 

on-line, real-time access in each practice that will provide

exchange of information between business applications with

minimum changes to existing systems and processes

?? with uVi ?

workload prediction, scheduling

 

prioritisation to train more skilled employees first, by group

those less adept in using the standards/technology will be trained next

then a one-on-one peer-help could be scheduled for those lagging behind, also a means of reinforcing skills learned earlier

 

Purchasing fulfilment system

integrated financial control systems

through supply chain management

 

5.          Technical and Non-technical problems

6.          Effective Management and Communication

 

7.          Staff Resistance

***        OBJECTIONS:

initial cost, maintenance, and training issue

issues on autonomy

 

 

8.          Project Implementation and Change

prioritisation to train more skilled employees first, by group

those less adept in using the standards/technology will be trained next

then a one-on-one peer-help could be scheduled for those lagging behind, also a means of reinforcing skills

 

learned earlier

 

 

 

9.          Conclusion

Sample Essay The Communists made use of trade unions as instruments in its fight againts colonial government

Question 1

Tripartism is considered as a unique feature of employment relations in Singapore. Tripartism in Singapore is characterized by strong communication network, dominance of government, strong union movement, symbiotic relationship between the government and union and non-adversarial problem solving. Tripartism is considered as a system that promotes cooperation among three parties – labor, management and government for mutual gain. Now let us look at the development of Tripartism in Singapore over the years.

            During the Marxist Period (1945-1962), the communists made use of trade unions as instruments in its fight against colonial government. This caused massive unemployment in Singapore. Communists were in conflict with the colonial government in the political arena while in the IR arena, the pro-leftists unions were in conflict with the pro-government unions. A state of emergency that lasted for 12 years was declared in June 1948 when the Communist Party of Malaya tried to take over Malaya and Singapore by force. Singapore gained a greater measure of self-government due to the Rendel proposals. In 1955, Singapore witnessed the first lively political contest in its history. The Labor front won 10 seats. The People’s Action Party (PAP), which fielded four candidates, won three seats. David Marshall became Singapore’s first Chief Minister on April 6, 1955. Self-government was attained in 1959. In May that same year, Singapore’s first general election was held.  On June 5, the first Government of the State of Singapore was established with Yew seating as the first Prime Minister.

            During the Transition Period (1963-1971), the people started to be more actively involved in politics. Unions were involved in politics and competed to gain members resulting in inter-union rivalry. PAP Government worked closely with the BTUC and employers on developing the economy. During this turbulent period, massive unemployment and labor unrest were experienced in Singapore due to the withdrawal of British troop. Singapore also experienced economic uncertainty during the transition period. To control labor costs the government passed a series of legislative measures. This included the following:

o       Industrial Relations Ordinance (1960)

o       Industrial Relations Act (1966)

o       Employment Act (1968)

During the Incomes Policy Period (1972-1986), Singapore’s first

Economic strategy to create an industrial base became successful. Unemployment also dropped and the Tripartite National Wages Council was formed with the aim to ensure the orderly determination of wages. Because of these changes, there were no more strikes on grounds of wage disputes.

            During the Pluralist Period (1987-present), issues relating to industrial relations arose. Among these issues are:

• The difficulty for a certain number of firms in implementing wage restraints as they experienced a labor shortage
• The continued urging by Government of firms to implement the FWS
• Displeasure of NTUC officials of wage restraints on low income workers and not on executives
• Move taken by NTUC to urge Government to award an extra year-end bonus to public employees if economy were to perform better than expected in 1987

 

Question 2

Three of the most popular perspectives of Industrial Relations theory are Unitarist, Marxist, and Pluralist. In the Unitarist approach, the workers and the management share common objectives. The organization is perceived as an integrated and harmonious whole where management and other members of the staff share common goals. Management emphasizes mutual cooperation.   Conflicts are temporary, unusual and caused by few troublemakers. Trade Unions are considered as unwelcome intruders because they divide loyalty. String leadership plays a vital role in gaining worker loyalty by convincing them of management concern for employee welfare. Communication is an important management tool. Trade unions are considered unnecessary since the loyalty between trade unions and organizations are considered mutually exclusive.

The Marxist Approach, which was the brainchild of Karl Marx is somewhat radical. In the Marxist Approach, a fundamental conflict of interest exists between workers and capital based on the division of power within society. Those who own the means of production have a power superiority over those who sell their labor. The state is not a guardian of ‘public interest’ but plays an integral role I protecting the interest of power-holders and maintaining the major structural features of society, the ‘national interest’ lies with protecting the health and capital. Conflict is total under a capitalist market economy and requires social revolution to rectify.

In Pluralist Approach, competing groups with divergent interest seek their own goal. Conflict is inevitable and normal and can be contained by an appropriate network of rules and regulations. Unions are welcome vehicles of the expression of diversity. Power is divided among the main bargaining groups in such a way that no party dominates the other. The state is regarded as an impartial guardian of the ‘public interest’ whose role is largely to protect the weak and restrain the power of the strong.

Among the three approaches discussed above, I think the most appropriate for understanding Singapore’s harmonious labor relations is the Pluralist Approach. The Pluralist approach is characterized by healthy competition, individual freedom and balance of power between bargaining groups.

 

Question 3

Common Criticisms of Labor Legislation

• S 17(2) of IRA, which makes hire and fire, transfer, retrenchment, work assignment and promotions non-negotiable issues
• Regulation of wage increases – to empower the court to take cognizance of NWC recommendations in making Awards
• Finality of IAC’s Awards – no award or decision or order of the Court or the President shall be subjected to certiorari, prohibitions, mandamus or injunction in any court on any account.
• Power of Minister to compulsorily refer to a dispute to the Court, regardless of the wishes of the parties – illegal to take industrial actions under the TDA
• TDA – strikes allowed only in furtherance of a dispute between the striking union and the employer – no sympathy strikes
• Provisions which imposes a fine or imprisonment or both on ordinary members, union officials and any person caught instigating, inciting or financing illegal strikes
• Prohibition of strike for workers in gas, water, electricity services, and the need for unions in the essential services to give 14 days notice of their intention to strike
• Wide power given to the Registrar of Trade Unions under the TU act to register or deregister unions for certain specified reasons, e. g., unions violated or no longer represents interest of workers in a particular trade, industry or occupation

Question 4

The rapid growth of the Singaporean economy during the late 1960s to early 1970s, the emergence of signs of tight labor and increasing concerns regarding wages prompted the establishment of the National Wages Council. The NWC is a tripartite forum with representation from the employers’ federations, trade unions, and the government. As a government advisory body, the council recommended annual wage increases for the entire economy; ensured orderly wage development so as to promote economic and social progress; and assisted in the development of the incentive schemes to improve national productivity.

Between 1973 and 1979, actual wage increases followed the council recommended wage increases closely. In 1979, the ‘wage correction policy’, in which there were three years of high-wage recommendations, was designed to force an increase of the productivity of higher value added operations, to reduce the reliance on cheap unskilled foreign labor, and to raise labor productivity. However, from 1980 to 1984, the actual wage increases exceeded the recommendations by an average of 2.4 percentage points per year, as the demands for labor became disproportional to supply. The effect of wage increases, topped with further raise in the mandatory Central Provident Fund component wages, was to price Singapore out of the market.

One of the major contributors to Singapore’s 1985 recession was high wages. Other factors include:

• Rigid wage system
• Seniority-based wage system
• Long time scale
• Fixed annual increments.

The Flexible Wage System

In 1987, the Wage Reform Committee introduced a flexible wage system that enables companies to reward employees and to adjust wage costs in line with business performance. The economic recession experienced in 1998 proved that although the flexible wage system allows companies to link performance rewards, it is not flexible enough to enable companies to make quick adjustments to their wage costs in response to an unexpected and severe business decline. To make the wage system more flexible, the MNC advocated the introduction of the Monthly Variable Component (MVC) in 1999. Over time, the wage structure could evolve into a ‘70:10:20’ structure representing basic wage, monthly variable and annual variable components respectively.

In today’s unpredictable economy, the flexible wage system allows firms to make quick adjustments to their wag costs in case of severe business decline.

Sample Essay The Ability to Generate Positive mood and to be self-motivated

Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

 

In 2004, Qantas announced its plan to establish a new base in London for around 400 of its flight attendants. This plan is expected to cause nearly $20 million of savings each year for the company. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon asserted that the savings were essential for the ongoing growth and prosperity of the airline given the competitive nature of the global airline industry. Dixon also noted that many other international airlines enjoy advantages through government ownership and cost subsidization, and that for Qantas to be successful internationally in the long-term, it would have to work hard to develop an internationally competitive cost base. Dixon was quick to respond to perceived changes in the marketplace and his actions can be viewed as proactive and prescient.

This plan attracted both support and unrest among management and workers. Dixon’s plan was faced with resistance from unions representing employees. When Dixon announced his intention to move local jobs offshore, his guarantee that no jobs would be lost as a result was not enough to prevent unions from immediately threatening industrial action if the proposed plan were to be implemented. It is the aim of this paper to investigate the assertion that Geoff Dixon could have been more successful had he demonstrated emotional intelligence in his leadership.

To commence our discussion let us first define what leadership is. Leadership, according to Chemers (1997), is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Quirk and Fandt (2000) view leadership as fundamentally a social influence process that culminates in reaching mutual goals with the leader’s constituents. It involves making sense of a situation, determining the team’s objectives, motivating people to work together to accomplish these objectives, and influencing team culture. Leadership is not linear because there are no leaders without followers, and a leader will not be successful unless there is substantial collaboration and coordination with team members (p. 15). Organizational leadership involves processes and proximal outcomes that contribute to the development and achievement of organizational purpose. Organizational purpose is operational zed as a direction for collective action. Leadership processes are directed at defining, establishing, identifying, or translating this direction for the followers and facilitating or enabling the organizational processes that should result in the achievement of this purpose. Organizational purpose may be defined through mission, vision, strategy, goals, plans, and tasks (2001).

 

Theories and Models of Leadership

1. Action-centered Leadership – based upon three key functions of leaders, achieving the task; maintaining the team; meeting the needs of the individual (Williams 2005).

2. Situational Leadership – developed by  in the 1970’s. This model is a practical and relevant tool. It can be used as a set of personal development benchmarks (Williams 2005).

3. Leadership Engine – this model is based upon the premise that leaders are essential, as the energizing and driving force in collective activity. Leaders are seen as committed, focused, tough individuals of high energy, who lead by example (2005).

4. Level 5 Leadership – level 5 leaders look first to get the right people on board, their first priority is the right people and then they set the right direction. They are also consistent leaders with a strong sense of accountability and credibility (Williams 2005).

Emotional Intelligence

Among the key components of emotional intelligence are:

• The ability to understand and express oneself
• The ability to understand others and relate with them
• The ability to manage and control emotions
• The ability to manage change, adapt, and solve problems of a personal and interpersonal nature
• The ability to generate positive mood and to be self-motivated (Bar-On et al 2006)

 

 

 

 

Models of Emotional Intelligence

Ability Model

According to  (1997) four-branch model of emotional intelligence, emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to regulate emotions reflectively to promote emotional and intellectual growth. The four branches of emotional intelligence according to  (1997) are:

• Identifying Emotions – this branch includes a number of skills such as the ability to identify feelings, to express emotions accurately, and to differentiate between real and fake emotional expressions (cited in Caruso et al 2002).
• Using Emotions – includes the ability to use emotions to redirect attention to important events, to generate emotions that facilitate decision making, to use mood swings as a means to consider multiple points of view, and to use different emotions to encourage different approaches to problem solving (cited in Caruso et al 2002).
• Understanding Emotions – the ability to understand complex emotions and emotional chains, how emotions transition from one stage to another, the ability to recognize the causes of emotions and the ability to understand relationships among emotions (cited in Caruso et al 2002).
• Managing Emotions – includes the ability to stay aware of one’s emotions, even those that are unpleasant, the ability to determine whether an emotion is clear or typical, and the ability to solve emotion-laden problems without necessarily suppressing negative emotions (cited in Caruso et al 2002).

The ability model of emotional intelligence is focused on how emotions can facilitate thinking and adaptive behavior. It has to do with how people think, decide, plan, and create (Caruso et al 2002). From the discussion above, we can say that Dixon lacks deep understanding of emotions. He was not able to use emotional intelligence effectively to motivate his employees, build trust, and most of all he was not able to effectively integrate his emotions into his planning and decision making. His plan, in the business and economic perspectives is excellent. However, he could have gained the support of his employees had he been able to identify emotions, use emotions, understand emotions and manage emotions effectively.

 

Goleman’s Model on Emotional Intelligence

(1998) ideas on Emotional Intelligence include 25 competencies grouped into five basic categories.

1. Emotional Awareness – Emotional awareness; Accurate self-assessment; Self-confidence

2. Self-Regulation – Self-control; Trustworthiness; Conscientiousness; Adaptability; Innovation

3. Motivation – Achievement; Commitment; Initiative; Optimism

4. Empathy – Understanding others; Developing others; Service orientation; Diversity; Political Awareness

5. Social Skills – Influence; Communication; Conflict management; Leadership; Change catalyst; Building bonds; Collaboration; Team capabilities

Based on the given case, I can say that Dixon displayed low levels of the 25 competencies. Had Dixon demonstrated many of the 25 competencies in his leadership, he could have gained the support, trust, loyalty. In our analysis and investigation of the low level of emotional intelligence in Dixon’s leadership style, we proved that if CEO Dixon had been able to effectively identify emotions, use emotions, understand emotions and manage emotions his plan could have been more successful. If he also demonstrated high levels of emotional awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, the employees could have supported his plan more strongly.

 

Aside from demonstrating high level of emotional intelligence, there are other actions or strategies that Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon could have used in order to institutionalize the desired new behaviors of Qantas staff.

 

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership has four components:

• Individualized consideration (the leader is alert to the needs of followers and also takes care to develop them)
• Intellectual stimulation (the leader encourages followers to think in creative ways and to propose innovative ideas)
• Inspirational motivation (energizing followers to achieve extraordinary things)
• Idealized influence (offers followers a role model)

 

The component which most centrally captures the idea of transformational leadership is that of ‘inspirational motivation’. This notion is decidedly change-focused. It holds forth the idea of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things through the influence of the leader. This kind of leader reduces complexity, doubt, cynicism and ambiguity by cutting through to the essential elements, and these are expressed in simple, readily understandable language. CEO Dixon could have gained more support and the changes that he proposed could have been achieved if he was able to communicate the organizational goal and mission more clearly. The organizational vision and goal should have been made both desirable and achievable (Bass 1990 cited in Storey 20004).

 

Managing Employee Resistance to Change

It is critical for employees to feel confident that the change will make things better. It is Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon and Qantas management’s obligation to foster an accepting attitude. Resistance to change is an emotional/behavioral response to real or imagined threats to an established work routine. The management must understand resistance to change and learn techniques to overcome it (Sims 2002).

Reducing Resistance

1. Build Trust – if employee trust and have confidence in the leader or the organization, they are much more likely to accept change. Employees will trust a leader they perceive to be fair, honest and forthright. Managers can go a long way toward building trust if they discuss upcoming changes with their employees, and if they actively involve employees in the change process (Sims 2002).

2. Openly Communicate and Discuss Change – communication about impending change is essential if employees are to adjust effectively. The details of the change should be provided, but equally important is the rationale behind it (Sims 2002). 

3. Involve the Employees – employees who are involved in the change process better understand the need for change and therefore are less likely to resist it. Additionally, people who participate in making a decision tend to be more committed to the outcome than those who are not involved. Employee involvement in change can be extremely effective. It is difficult for individuals to resist a change when they participated in the decision and helped implement it. The psychology is simple: no one wants to oppose something that he or she has helped develop. It is useful to solicit employee ideas and input as early as possible in the change process (Sims 2002).

4. Provide Rewards and Incentives – employers can give employees rewards and incentives to help them see that supporting a change is in their best interests. One rather obvious and quite successful mechanism to facilitate change is rewarding people for behaving in the desired fashion (Sims 2002).

5. Make sure that the Changes are Reasonable – the manager should always do whatever is possible to ensure that any proposed changes are reasonable (Sims 2002).

6. Educate the Workforce – sometimes people are reluctant to change because they fear what the future has in store. As part of educating employees about what organizational change means for them, top management must show considerable emotional sensitivity. Doing so makes it possible for people affected by a change to help make it work (Sims 2002).

7. Provide Empathy and Support – another strategy for overcoming resistance is providing empathy and support to employees who have trouble dealing with the change. Active listening is an excellent tool for identifying the reasons behind resistance and for uncovering fears. An expression of concerns about the change can provide important feedback that managers can use to improve the change process. Emotional support and encouragement can help an employee deal with the anxiety that is a natural response to change (Sims 2002).

Sampple Essay Technological Developments and the Changing Landscape of travel tourism provide great challenges opportunities

Briefing Notes for Garbett Tours

 

Technological developments and the changing landscape of travel and tourism provide great challenges and opportunities for Garbett Tours.   It is the aim of these notes to brief the management of Garbett Tours in preparation of a new Information System, by identifying the factors contributing to the perceived diminishing relevance of the current position of the company in the area of Travel and Tourism, and how to significantly improve this condition.

 

 

 

 

As part of this effort, preliminary research has been conducted to assess the changing external environment by using multiple perspectives as the input for the analysis of the interacting parts factors that affect the travel and tourism market system inhabited by Garbett Tours.

 

 

 

Part 1        -        the Changing External Environment

 

The internet has changed many aspects of human activity and . Companies that serve as online agencies often market through travel and tourism websites by luring customers with rich internet applications and with compelling high-quality images of landscapes, roles assumed by glossy brochures and travel magazines in a walk-in travel agency office.  The online audiences are further attracted by considerably low pricing supported by far fewer personnel employed. While with the use of online interface, the tinkering traveller gains even more control and customization.  Targeted advertisements are deployed to high-traffic relevant websites in aggressive internet marketing, through which online companies reap the ripe needs of customers for easy and convenient way of booking online.  Some Travel and Tours websites are Expedia.com; Fodor's at <www.fodors.com>; <www.orbitz.com>; <www.travelocity.com> ; and the host of Travel tools from Yahoo! at <travel.yahoo.com>.

 

The internet has laid bare the entire booking process in particular and travel consulting in general.  With this transparency, pricing has become the primary concern among travellers.  They are always on the look-out for cheap bargains, and therefore many among them find their favorite online ticket sales agency their best friend to get low-cost tickets online. Package tours are easily customizable, too, getting you the lowest booking rates in hotels and cottage rentals. As much as 50% of all travel and tourism accommodations are expected to be transacted online by 2009 (Heilbronner 2000).

 

 

Part 2             -           External Drivers Enforcing Changes in Tourism Industry

 

 

Technological factors

eCommerce has ways of enticing people to travel in new ways and presentations, for example, on Yahoo! website <http://travel.yahoo.com/trip-explore>,  maps are employed to illustrate trips made by other Yahoo! users which are then shared to members and non-members alike.  This is an interesting use of rich media to inform and then promote the sales of airline tickets and local accommodation.  This leads to another important development, the advent of online booking made possible by online transaction processing (OLTP), electronic fund transfer (EFT), and computer reservation systems (CRS).  Online transactions therefore allow for fast and easy way for goods and services to be exchanged.  Indeed, most transactions are not conducted between an individual and a business enterprise.  Instead, business-to-business transactions are efficiently carried out online as well.  This is also popularly called B2B marketing, in contrast to B2C marketing which entails eCommerce between businesses and consumers.

 

 

 

Social and Cultural factors

The demographics of people old enough (and financially capable) to travel get younger, and with this, the cultural values of people involved in the transactions change as well.  More and more people are finding it convenient and time-saving to plan their tours ONLINE (Rayman-Bacchus & Molina, 2001).

 

 

economic globalisation and new markets

 

Large airline carriers operate in many countries across the globe today, their reservation on their CRS systems have made it easier for travel agents, tour operators and travellers alike to plan and book their schedule.  Also, to offset their other expenses, airlines are also promoting direct-booking to maximize their income by eliminating intermediaries in the transaction, and present lower rates to end-consumers.

 

political

• State agencies like in Poland and Malaysia sponsor several programs aimed at promoting international tourism by initiating consortium of local travel agencies, local hotel chains and cottage residences for lodge, offering very low rentals, and their services are then directly offered ONLINE;  this is a way of developing their local economies and take advantage of globalizing trends (Ghimire 2001);

 

 

internationalisation in the tourism sector

• a young couple from Manchester wishes to go to Palawan, and their entire trip was purchased as a package using Travel Tools from Yahoo! FareChase and Trip Planner
• tours to Poland may be organized by a consortium of local Polish travel agencies, local hotel chains and cottage residences for lodge, and their services advertised ONLINE, partly-sponsored by a Polish State agency.

 

 

 

 

 

Part 3        -        Technology and Tourism

 

B2B and B2C would be important concepts for the tourism industry in the future

 

 

B2B  OR B-to-B refers to business-to-business

            - businesses that market to other businesses

 

B2C  OR B-to-C refers to business-to-consumer

            - businesses that market directly to end-consumers

 

Many elements of eCommerce are now affecting travel and tourism, and Garbett Tours, should be well informed on these developments.  The accessibility and instant response elicited by Internet marketing is one of the most desirable features of marketing online, due to increasing availability of high-speed broadband connections, more people are becoming potential audience and potential clients/consumers with less human resources on the part of the Company.  Social networking is opening even more traffic to websites targeting the travelling sector among the web audience, sharing online experiences and presenting personal choices, viral marketing and targeted advertisements are finding their way into online groups, blogs, and some forms of wikis.  A blog is contraction of the terms “Web” and “log,” a blog is a special type of Web site that is like an online journal, updated frequently and displays entries in reverse chronological order; blogs are a highly popular form of social media that have significant implications for online marketing and targeted advertising.  Wiki is a form of social media, are a special type of collaborative Web site in which viewers can create, update, and add to the site’s content. The term “wiki” was derived from the Hawaiian language term “wiki-wiki” meaning quickly.  Together, these “new media” channels are presenting new doors for internet marketing of travel and tourism services.  After successful recruitment or referral, successful online travel- and tourism-oriented websites present many options for online transaction.  Online booking is the result of combined capabilities of online transaction processing (OLTP) and the great improvement of security and convenience of electronic funds transfer (EFT) allows any intending traveller to conduct virtual airline and/or hotel booking online, usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7).  Transactions include . . .

• online mapping -

 

The internet is known to have revolutionized many aspects of our daily lives. Companies that serve as online agencies often market through travel and tourism websites by luring customers with rich internet applications and with compelling high-quality images of landscapes, roles assumed by glossy brochures and travel magazines in a walk-in travel agency office.  The online audiences are further attracted by considerably low pricing supported by far fewer personnel employed. While with the use of online interface, the tinkering traveller gains even more control and customization.  Targeted advertisements are deployed to high-traffic relevant websites in aggressive internet marketing, through which online companies reap the ripe needs of customers for easy and convenient way of booking online.  Some Travel and Tours websites are Expedia.com; Fodor's at <www.fodors.com>; <www.orbitz.com>; <www.travelocity.com>; and the host of Travel tools from Yahoo! at <travel.yahoo.com>.

 

The internet has laid bare the entire booking process in particular and travel consulting in general.  With this transparency, pricing has become the primary concern among travellers.  They are always on the look-out for cheap bargains, and therefore many among them find their favorite online ticket sales agency their best friend to get low-cost tickets online. Package tours are easily customizable, too, getting you the lowest booking rates in hotels and cottage rentals. As much as 50% of all travel and tourism accommodations are expected to be transacted online by 2009 (Heilbronner 2000).

 

More-or-less traditional Travel and Tours companies, like Garbett Tours, witness the increasing phenomenon of airline and/or hotel bookings with very little influence or input from travel executives, their role has been usurped by the increasing number of websites that act as online travel agencies.  They are lucky if they have bookings at all. Most online visitors with credit cards just book and buy online right away, without the hassle of going to your local travel agent.

 

By incorporating the different perspectives of the different participants to the travel and tourism industry, the root definition thus derived for Garbett Tours as a system is:

 

A network of travel agencies owned, staffed and operated by Garbett Tours providing, through their professional travel executives, packaged tours to the Far East for clients looking for the best accommodations they can easily afford within their budget, and striving to maintain or enhance their relevance and profitability despite tough competition from online agencies and the resulting commoditisation of the travel and tours market and increasing demand for lower pricing in the market system.

 

Online travel industry could be heading towards considerable slow-down because of the technology-enabled consumers who continue to search for the cheapest priced holiday package, according to the latest research by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) (2006).  In a primary research conducted by PwC on June 2006, they asked 200 people ‘what drives you to use one [online travel] agency instead of another?’ Allowing for multiple responses, the results showed that price was the most mentioned by 85%, followed by ease of booking process by 69%, and choice influenced by brand considerations by only 30%.   With the emergence of online travel agencies, the travel market as a whole has been commoditised, and pricing is becoming the primary criterion for choice of travel accommodations (PwC 2006), that while the explosive growth of online travel has been beneficial to the industry in terms of sales volume, demand and throughput, it also led to the market push to lower prices, with negative implications to most stakeholders of the travel industry.

 

 

Task 4 – 25 Marks

 

 

 

Task 5 – 25 Marks

 

 

FACTS:

- Garbett Tours started as a family business in the late 1970s

- now owns twelve travel agencies in five major cities in the country.

- main function of Garbett Tours is to sell packaged holidays on behalf of hotels in the Far East

 

 

Traditionally Garbett Tours, with their experienced and trained travel agents,

offered impartial advice and designed holiday packages to meet specific needs of the customers.

 

- obsolescence due to mass-market package holiday

customers are choosing their holidays from brochures or from the Internet

            and then booking these through one of the Garbett Tours travel agencies,

            so there is very little input required from the agents

 

- many airlines and other travel companies sell directly to passengers

in the last decade, and as a consequence, airlines no longer needed to pay commissions to travel agents on each ticket sold

 

- Furthermore, hotel chains have also been moving away from selling their products through Garbett Tours as they do not want to pay rates of commission either.

Advances in information technology have resulted in the popular press talking of "disintermediation" - the reduction in costs caused by removing layers from the package holiday distribution network.

 

Sample Essay Evaluation of the forms of Budgeting Process

LITERATURE REVIEW

Evaluation of the Forms of Budgeting Process

There key issues in budgeting process.  The first is the issue whether to use top-down or bottom-up approach.  Top-down approach in budgeting leads to smaller budget wherein activities with allocation require its adaptation.  On the contrary, bottom-up is the reverse in which the total budget is set by line-item categories of different activities.  The latter approach is exposed to substantial budget fluctuation from on period to another.  It is apparent that top-down approach embraces the indifferent form of budgeting.  Business units may have records of actual results and are knowledgeable about adverse experiences but their suggestions will not be injected in the budget.  As a result, top-down approach is not responsive to existing budgetary concerns that should be addressed.  On the other hand, bottom-up approach supports the reactive form because the records and impacts of previous budgetary variances are considered.  Generally, bottom-up does not install budget limits when planning to maximize the effort of solving emerging problems. 

 

In history, budgets are merely financial documents that are not used for decision-making.  However, as the business environment becomes more complex, organizations must use its previous performance records to predict the future.  For small businesses, budgeting process is not supported by enough information systems that makes previous accounting data unavailable.  Alternatively, when these businesses have data on their hands, subjective assumptions overtake the budgeting process which prevents optimal use of information.  For bigger companies especially multinationals, the issue of using available information is crucial on its growth and profitability.  Big companies establish operations in different geographical locations.  As a result, subjective allocation of resources is beyond recognition and so each subsidiary is required to submit their own budget reports.  Small companies are prone to apply the indifferent form because the risk of uncertainty is small compared to the cost of installing hi-tech information system and records management.  On the other hand, big companies are required to use responsive form not only to the high risks involved but also there are numerous factors that can affect its performance.       

 

In most cases, a company can choose both indifferent and responsive strategy which gives rise to a process called counter-current.  This position is used particularly by large organizations due to the nature of budgeting process design.  First, it is hierarchical wherein a block of people in the organizational structure can influence budgets that inject both firm-specific and also behavioral factors.  Second, unit budgets like travel expenses of salespeople are consolidated from one layer (e.g. distributorship section) to another (e.g. sales department) until it reached the corporate group budget level (e.g. corporate budget plan).  Third, participation of people in isolated geographies is necessary even though it posts threat for delay.  Fourth, budget planning is done only once a year but its goal is far-fetched as it endeavors to forecast corporate performance into the future.  Lastly, environmental factors that hamper the speedy completing of budget process are always a threat such as withdrawing investors, decreasing market share and increasing competition. When they occur, the company must find ways to address specific issues which will almost likely affect the on-going budgeting process such as repayment of debts, investment in marketing and developing merger deals.  

 

There are arguments that continuously see budgeting process as a simple process even in a global perspective or fast-changing environment.  The core difficulty arises in light of getting a credible pool of data as guide to the process.  Specifically, this relates on activities involving data collection and segregation of useful or relevant data.  The inability to perform them in an effective and inefficient way can give rise to an information overload leading to users being indifferent on the available data.  In this case, the organization fails to transform data into information that triggers individual prophecies and subjective evaluations.  On the other hand, when the organization succeeds in data transformation into useful inputs to budgeting, users can respond to them. There is no need for non-objective perception because the information show potential implications if a certain action are not executed.  For example, information about costs variances in overheads can signal management that greater control is necessary in production areas to identify source of inefficiency.  However, if only raw data is available such as monthly electric bills, users have tendencies to apply biases.  As an exemption, line managers could underutilize accounting information if they are irrelevant or distant on what are their formal responsibilities.

 

An Effective Budget Process: The Case of Pepsi

            Software utilization.  In 2001, the firm’s Middle East and North American divisions had applied oracle e-business suite and technology products (Oracle Middle East 2006). This resulted to improved financial controls since there were also improvement in the efficiency of sales reporting, tracking of sales promotions, inventory control and settlements.  The technology allows the firm to monitor and measure business needs as they emerge, thus, appropriation of the pre-determined budget tends to be more contingent not fixed.  Budget control should be emphasized in these regions especially in the Middle East to protect the firm’s rare market leadership against Coca Cola.  As a result, both its internal (manufacturing) and external customers (distributors) including suppliers are benefited from faster creation of financial data that aid in decision-making.  This is because the technology is complemented in shortening the firm’s monthly financial closing by up to 20 days.  As decision-making requires financial inputs to rationalize decision alternatives, the firm has provided an efficient working and contracting environment among its business partners.

 

            Seeking consultancy services.  It is a smart and useful move for the firm to expose its organizational problems with an outsider.  By doing so, biases and lesser motivation to study and improve key business areas would be possible.  As the saying goes, “Mirrors are deceptive.”  As a result, the firm took the services of PA Consulting Group for a task to reduce its $1 billion operating costs (PA Consulting Group 2002).  The problem posted a budget-out-of-control problem to the firm that places them below industry’s best practice when it comes to budgeting.  Since the firm managers are operating in a volatile and demanding environment, the Group suggested a fast framework model in order to offset the inability of these managers to timely access relevant information essential to an effective decision-making.  The new business model was tried in the US and Canadian operations that resulted not only to productivity gains but also cost reductions by as much as 20% within weeks.  The program included productivity tracking, staff and resource scheduling and staff appraisal requirements.  The success of the Group’s advice had impressed the officials of the firm that will likely resort to the aid of the former in the future.

 

            Dissolution of ineffective partnerships.  In 2002, the firm’s Sichuan factory in China was filed to be dissolved due to loose of control of Pepsi over the venture (Goodman 2002).  The firm had accused the government-held partner of looting in favor of vacations and expensive cars which ultimately provided local managers with greater control.  Local managers were also indicted to bar Pepsi auditors to enter the factory and inspect account standings.  In effect, check-and-balance was not possible in the present structure which made budget control a difficult and lapse-sided condition for the firm.  Resources, even though not confirmed, are not allocated optimally from the mere absence of audit.  This had cause the firm to throw accusations just to give rationale behind the audit barring.  The financial and organizational including business strategies were diminished by the happening.  The socio-political background of local managers served as the bottleneck (that even referred Pepsi as practitioner of commercial hegemonies) that led the firm to drop one of its key factories in exploiting the large customer base available in the country.  The decision, however, emphasized the importance of budget control and budget monitoring in consolidating corporate/ global results in which the firm should integrate into one financial system.

 

Financial Situation after the Improvements

Improvements	Results
Software Utilization	Ø        Revenue targets and cost limitations are manageable Ø        Operating activities are efficient and wealth-maximizing Ø        Tax and pension payments will be on-time Ø        Capital spending can be minimized without altering returns by favoring more important operational needs Ø        Short-term liabilities and other payments are paid when due without hurting credit rating due to questions on solvency
Seeking Consultancy Services	Ø        Divisions/ subsidiaries can maximize their revenue potential and minimize their operating costs
Dissolution of Ineffective Partnerships	Ø        Maximize investing potentials both direct and portfolio investments Ø        Improving the rationale behind selling stocks Ø        Share repurchases can be conducted with rigid planning

Future Expectations of Pepsi’s Budgeting Process

            Apply decentralized treasury function.  When each department/ division budget is centralized, the financing and investing strategies will be consistent to the overall strategy of the firm (1999).  This will also result to larger volumes of cash that might reduce bank charges and interest rates.  As the firm has higher interest expense that interest income for the last three years amounting at $160 million to $250 million, the economies of scale of a centralized treasury might alleviate some of the negative financial accounts of the firm due to this cost saving strategy.  However, cost leadership strategy cannot maximize the revenue potential of a firm and its growth ( Ireland 2003).  Decentralized treasury function allows the company to be flexible and more responsive to its global operations, reduce bureaucracy hence obtain efficiency and performance evaluation of local managers (1999).  More importantly, these characteristics will sustain the differentiation strategy of the firm which intends to maximize its revenue and growth potential.

 

            In considering strategic and tactical outcomes, decentralized treasury will make different country subsidiaries independent to its headquarters.  This may have implications on its own pricing strategy which involve economic factors in their specific location.  In a similar case, centralized advertising budget (in which Pepsi is known to highlight celebrity figures) may not be effective in other cultures due to local taboos.  The scandals of Madonna and Michael Jackson that received demerit and criticism from the Catholic Church also suggested that global promotions in general and use of known celebrities in particular would not always stimulate demand rather result to unintended de-marketing.  The substantial budget provided to these celebrities that might as well distributed across different geographical subsidiaries to maximize their use.

 

            Lastly, the performance of different country subsidiaries will be evaluated more objectively while the performance appraisal of the headquarters will be more enforceable.  Unlike centralized treasury which is volatile to pass-over accountability, decentralized structure gives subsidiaries their freedom to choose their goals, create and implement their own strategies to achieve them and use the budget the headquarters approved.  The electric motors and computer support systems manufacturer Emerson had succeeded in using the same application to its global units that impacted its 30-year continuous growth in profit and stock value (Pang Long 1998).  The budgeting model of Emerson allows its business managers to plan, execute and deliver their goals using their own creativity with minimal headquarter intervention unless a major concern.  When applied to the firm, managers will see their budgets and budget utilization as the reflection of their reputation as well as the reputation of their subsidiaries.  

 

            Use performance-based budgeting.  This is the component required for a decentralized treasury to function effectively.  When the organization is decentralized, competition can exist among divisions and subsidiaries to maximize their budget request and ceiling at the beginning of the next operations.  When this happens, it is probable that motivation can vanish when one division feels that their performance is trailing far behind of its peer division.  However, when performance evaluation and budget provision is based on the mission of a specific division and their pre-determined results, competitive and de-motivation tendencies can be prevented.  Performance-based budgeting requires a division/ subsidiary to cost each of their activity/ project and determine the intended results after implementation (2001).  When this is accomplished, decentralized structure within the global firm can be easily deployed since each division has a goal in mind with less regard to peer competition. 

 

Conclusion

            Pepsi’s current financial situation is observed to have specific loopholes and sub-optimal performance particularly in financial accounts such as cost of sales, portfolio investments, debts and PepsiCo International.  However, with the introduction of budget control techniques, the firm has able to cut down on costs, establish weal-maximizing investments, avoid excessive debts due to efficiency, and improve division/ subsidiary output.  In this view, it can be said that Pepsi is one organization who benefit so much from budget control.  Further, this implies the vitality of financial approach to a global firm profitability and long-term growth.  As illustrated, if the firm continued its Sichuan (China) venture, it will loose tract on subsidiary performance that connotes financial inaccuracy.  As numbers do not lie because they have their exact values, decisions that can be derived from such condition are tantamount to integrate inaccuracies to the whole organizational units.  Lastly, it is also suggestive that decentralized treasury coupled with performance based budgeting can enhance the viability of budget control to be able for Pepsi to compete in a duopoly global cola market.     

Sample Essay Fast Retailing Corporation Limited a Leading japanese apparel retailer

UNIQLO

UNIQLO is a brand name owned by Fast Retailing Corporation Limited, a leading Japanese apparel retailer. The name in itself is an example of Japanese inventiveness, combining English words ‘unique’ and ‘clothing’. UNIQLO’s emergence both on the Japanese and International retailing scenes has been spectacular and swift. UNIQLO’s segmentation encompasses lower to mid-price sensitive middle class, which virtually can include anyone in Japan. UNIQLO has a line of products that can be considered innovative and distinctive. The clothes, for example are not branded on the outside. The reason behind this is that the company wants to promote the customers’ sense of style. The company has made basic staple fashion items acceptable to an extremely brand-conscious market (2003). 

 

This report aims to analyze and determine the strategic capability of UNIQLO, a leading Japanese apparel retailer. To launch our discussion let us first define what ‘strategic capability’ is. According to Saint-Onge (2001), strategic capability is the capacity to create value based on the intangible assets of the firm. The tangible assets of the firm are readily visible, rigorously quantified, form an integral part of the balance sheet, can be easily duplicated, and depreciate with use. Intangible assets on the other hand are invisible, difficult to quantify, not tracked through accounting, have to be developed in a path-dependent way over time – they cannot be obtained instantaneously, bought, or imitated. Examples of intangible assets include technological know-how, customer loyalty, branding, and business processes. A firm’s strategic capability according to Higgins (1996) is determined by the soundness of its corporate strategy and the effectiveness of its strategic planning process. A strategic capability offers a company a sustained competitive advantage when substantial time and effort is required for competitors to develop the same capability (1992).

Sample Essay Tripartism is considered as a unique feature of employment relations in singapore

Question 1

Tripartism is considered as a unique feature of employment relations in Singapore. Tripartism in Singapore is characterized by strong communication network, dominance of government, strong union movement, symbiotic relationship between the government and union and non-adversarial problem solving. Tripartism is considered as a system that promotes cooperation among three parties – labor, management and government for mutual gain. Now let us look at the development of Tripartism in Singapore over the years.

            During the Marxist Period (1945-1962), the communists made use of trade unions as instruments in its fight against colonial government. This caused massive unemployment in Singapore. Communists were in conflict with the colonial government in the political arena while in the IR arena, the pro-leftists unions were in conflict with the pro-government unions. A state of emergency that lasted for 12 years was declared in June 1948 when the Communist Party of Malaya tried to take over Malaya and Singapore by force. Singapore gained a greater measure of self-government due to the Rendel proposals. In 1955, Singapore witnessed the first lively political contest in its history. The Labor front won 10 seats. The People’s Action Party (PAP), which fielded four candidates, won three seats. David Marshall became Singapore’s first Chief Minister on April 6, 1955. Self-government was attained in 1959. In May that same year, Singapore’s first general election was held.  On June 5, the first Government of the State of Singapore was established with   Yew seating as the first Prime Minister.

            During the Transition Period (1963-1971), the people started to be more actively involved in politics. Unions were involved in politics and competed to gain members resulting in inter-union rivalry. PAP Government worked closely with the BTUC and employers on developing the economy. During this turbulent period, massive unemployment and labor unrest were experienced in Singapore due to the withdrawal of British troop. Singapore also experienced economic uncertainty during the transition period. To control labor costs the government passed a series of legislative measures. This included the following:

o       Industrial Relations Ordinance (1960)

o       Industrial Relations Act (1966)

o       Employment Act (1968)

During the Incomes Policy Period (1972-1986), Singapore’s first

Economic strategy to create an industrial base became successful. Unemployment also dropped and the Tripartite National Wages Council was formed with the aim to ensure the orderly determination of wages. Because of these changes, there were no more strikes on grounds of wage disputes.

            During the Pluralist Period (1987-present), issues relating to industrial relations arose. Among these issues are:

• The difficulty for a certain number of firms in implementing wage restraints as they experienced a labor shortage
• The continued urging by Government of firms to implement the FWS
• Displeasure of NTUC officials of wage restraints on low income workers and not on executives
• Move taken by NTUC to urge Government to award an extra year-end bonus to public employees if economy were to perform better than expected in 1987

 

Question 2

Three of the most popular perspectives of Industrial Relations theory are Unitarist, Marxist, and Pluralist. In the Unitarist approach, the workers and the management share common objectives. The organization is perceived as an integrated and harmonious whole where management and other members of the staff share common goals. Management emphasizes mutual cooperation.   Conflicts are temporary, unusual and caused by few troublemakers. Trade Unions are considered as unwelcome intruders because they divide loyalty. String leadership plays a vital role in gaining worker loyalty by convincing them of management concern for employee welfare. Communication is an important management tool. Trade unions are considered unnecessary since the loyalty between trade unions and organizations are considered mutually exclusive.

The Marxist Approach, which was the brainchild of Karl Marx is somewhat radical. In the Marxist Approach, a fundamental conflict of interest exists between workers and capital based on the division of power within society. Those who own the means of production have a power superiority over those who sell their labor. The state is not a guardian of ‘public interest’ but plays an integral role I protecting the interest of power-holders and maintaining the major structural features of society, the ‘national interest’ lies with protecting the health and capital. Conflict is total under a capitalist market economy and requires social revolution to rectify.

In Pluralist Approach, competing groups with divergent interest seek their own goal. Conflict is inevitable and normal and can be contained by an appropriate network of rules and regulations. Unions are welcome vehicles of the expression of diversity. Power is divided among the main bargaining groups in such a way that no party dominates the other. The state is regarded as an impartial guardian of the ‘public interest’ whose role is largely to protect the weak and restrain the power of the strong.

Among the three approaches discussed above, I think the most appropriate for understanding Singapore’s harmonious labor relations is the Pluralist Approach. The Pluralist approach is characterized by healthy competition, individual freedom and balance of power between bargaining groups.

 

Question 3

Criticisms

• Avoids consideration of conflict over distribution of proceeds
• Avoids consideration of security employment
• Avoids consideration of the status of labor as a factor of production
• Avoids consideration of issues of power and control in industrial decision making
• Focus on polarized class struggles may have been a valid interpretation of 19th century capitalism, but it does not explain the complex economy, political and social conflicts of welfare-state capitalism of the late 20th century
• Capital comprises a number of diverse and often competing elements and cannot be considered as one
• Underestimates the independence of the state
• Assume that labor and capital have the same amount of power
• Focuses attention on the types of rules, regulations and processes and trends become a study of job regulation
• Assumes impartiality of the state

 

Question 4

The rapid growth of the Singaporean economy during the late 1960s to early 1970s, the emergence of signs of tight labor and increasing concerns regarding wages prompted the establishment of the National Wages Council. The NWC is a tripartite forum with representation from the employers’ federations, trade unions, and the government. As a government advisory body, the council recommended annual wage increases for the entire economy; ensured orderly wage development so as to promote economic and social progress; and assisted in the development of the incentive schemes to improve national productivity.

Between 1973 and 1979, actual wage increases followed the council recommended wage increases closely. In 1979, the ‘wage correction policy’, in which there were three years of high-wage recommendations, was designed to force an increase of the productivity of higher value added operations, to reduce the reliance on cheap unskilled foreign labor, and to raise labor productivity. However, from 1980 to 1984, the actual wage increases exceeded the recommendations by an average of 2.4 percentage points per year, as the demands for labor became disproportional to supply. The effect of wage increases, topped with further raise in the mandatory Central Provident Fund component wages, was to price Singapore out of the market.

One of the major contributors to Singapore’s 1985 recession was high wages. Other factors include:

• Rigid wage system
• Seniority-based wage system
• Long time scale
• Fixed annual increments.

The Flexible Wage System

In 1987, the Wage Reform Committee introduced a flexible wage system that enables companies to reward employees and to adjust wage costs in line with business performance. The economic recession experienced in 1998 proved that although the flexible wage system allows companies to link performance rewards, it is not flexible enough to enable companies to make quick adjustments to their wage costs in response to an unexpected and severe business decline. To make the wage system more flexible, the MNC advocated the introduction of the Monthly Variable Component (MVC) in 1999. Over time, the wage structure could evolve into a ‘70:10:20’ structure representing basic wage, monthly variable and annual variable components respectively.

In today’s unpredictable economy, the flexible wage system allows firms to make quick adjustments to their wag costs in case of severe business decline.

Sample Essay Business Operations can define goals in terms of maximizing profits

Introduction

Business operations can define goals in terms of maximizing profits, ignoring broader impacts and disregarding the instrumental nature of profits as a means to some end that is decided by whoever receives the distributed profits. Ethical analysis helps strip away the instrumental terms that obstruct a clear view of the underlying values, baring them for a conscious assessment and informed, intentional choice. One might argue that business transactions will still occur but while this point is theoretically debatable, few if any business-people or public officials would defend such a conception of business or argue that it provides a sustainable basis for global commerce (Kline, 2005). 

 

Globalization trends spread the scope of these impacts and sped their transmittal around the world through transnational business operations. Increasing debate focused on whether private enterprise calculations that drive most MNE activities can properly weigh the public good aspects of potential harm to the physical environment (Kline, 2005). Business operations change according to the different situation in the environment and it is affected by how the environment and the competitors move. Whether public or private business, its operations will be an affected if does not communicate properly and if it will not nurture good relationships.  The paper intends to determine the nature of relationships between and within public companies. The paper will determine the impact of communications on the quality of service delivery. The paper will also take a look at how effective is stakeholder presence on governance of the firm.

Public Company

It is often convenient to contrast a public company with a large number of shareholders, each of whom holds only a tiny fraction of its shares and virtually all of whom perform no managerial function, with a private company which has a few shareholders, all or most of whom are also involved in the management of the company. This habit should not be allowed to obscure the fact that there are many different types and sizes of company that can be accommodated under the 'public' and private banners. There is no upper limit on the number of shareholders in a private company. It is possible to have private companies which have managerial structures similar to those of the paradigm public company, that is, where most shareholders are investors who do not participate directly in the of complying with more onerous requirements would usually deter the operators of a small business from seeking public company status at least until such time as it has established a sufficient reputation to make raising capital from external investors a viable financing option (Ferran, 1999). 

 

In the context of public companies, it is important to recognize that there can be some companies where the shareholding is so widely dispersed that no one shareholder or group of shareholders holds more than a tiny fraction of its shares whilst there are others where one shareholder, or a group of shareholders, holds a significant portion of the share capital. When a public company is planning to raise capital by offering its shares for investment it will have in mind the price at which it intends to offer the shares but must take into account that the offer price may have to be adjusted downwards in response to market conditions at the time when the offer is made. To enable this fine-tuning to take place, the par value of shares must be virtually irrelevant, which means that there must be a large margin between intended premium at which the shares are to be offered and their par value (Ferran, 1999). Any business may adopt the form of a public company so long as the fairly small minimum capital requirement and relevant formalities are complied with but, because public companies are more heavily regulated by the companies legislation than private companies, it is usual for businesses to operate as private companies until such time as they decide to raise capital by means of a public issue of securities. Secondly, the preparation for a forthcoming initial public offer may also involve a considerable degree of re organization of the company's managerial structure (Ferran, 1999).

 

Public companies are operated under different circumstances. They gather finances through the selling of securities by the government. Public corporations have different set of rules to follow. They conform to a different kind of rule and they have a different set of procedures to follow when they operate a business. Public companies are under the government and thus are forced to follow the different policies and procedures the government created.  Public companies also have a different environment and faces different kinds of competitors. Their competition involves private business thus they have a bigger responsibility and they have more problems to find solution for. Moreover public companies have a greater responsibility towards its shareholders.  

Comparison of private and public companies

Under the state's ownership, the company is managed by a public official. As manager, the minister knows about the profitability of the SOE, and by virtue of his position, he also knows about the externalities generated by the operations of the company. On the basis of this information, he has to decide whether to authorize the investment in the company, and the level of output. The minister maximizes an objective function which is made up of two components: social welfare, and private benefits of control (2004).  The second term is weighted by a parameter measuring how easily the minister can extract these benefits, which can be interpreted as a proxy for the effectiveness of the political system: indeed, a well-functioning political system limits the opportunity for public officials to pursue private interests (2004). Under private regulated ownership, the company is managed by a professional manager, who observes the profitability of the firm, overseen also by a regulator, who observes the externality variable and the private agenda variable (2004).

 

 The regulator sets an incentive scheme such that if the firm chooses a given output level, the company receives a given transfer from the public sector. The regulatory contract must be such as to ensure non-negative profits to the firm. In this context, the firm maximizes the profits in response to the regulatory scheme, and the regulator has the same objective function as the minister under state ownership. Finally, the framer maximizes the total surplus net of the cost of raising public funds (2004).The main difference between public and private ownership is the location of the information about cost and demand conditions. Under private ownership, the manager is the informed party, while under the state's ownership the information resides with the minister. Privatization therefore erects an informational barrier between the state and the firm, which comes with costs and benefits. On the one hand, the informational barrier creates an agency problem so that it is more difficult for the public official to motivate the firm to pursue social objectives. But on the other hand, it reduces the discretion of the public official who could also pursue a private agenda in the management of the firm (2004).

 

There are cases in which the performance of public and private firms is equivalent, the obvious one being the full information case, when the regulator can implement a set of taxes and subsidies contingent upon each realization of the random variables of the model, inducing the firm to serve precisely the interests of the regulator. But this equivalence can also be proved in more interesting cases with private information (2004).  Private and public firms have differences in the way they manage their operations. The total controls for these two firms are also different, for the public companies the government controls and maintains their operations on the other hand for the private companies the control and maintenance of their operations are supported by different individuals and professionals. The main similarity of the private and public firms is they aim to satisfy clients and other people in the environment.

Nature of relationships in the public sector

A relationship forms in three stages unless external forces dictate it. The interactive relationship can begin with innocuous behavior patterns. If the patterns eventually become the basis for mutually shared premises, the potential for a bounded relationship exists. If the individual wants a relationship, communicative behavior allows the person to test the waters by creating ambiguous, but potentially relevant information. Because the selected information is ambiguous, accountability is illusive. The touch may or may not have been erotically motivated (1996). The glance prolonged by a microsecond may or may not signal a warning. The rhythm of speech not present may or may not suggest an irony. The three stages of relationship formation, if not dictated by external forces, are the following. First, redundant and unarticulated patterns of behavior forge unspoken rules. Second, the unspoken rules become premises that drive the enthymematic process. Third, enthymematic processes bind the relationship. Once the relationship is established, the costs and benefits potentially multiply, but not necessarily simultaneously or in proportion to each other (1996).

 

The nature of the internal relationships in the public organizations is rooted in the culture of the individuals in this type of firm. Just like the private firms, the relationships in the public firms depend on the interests they have as well as the similarity and/or compatibility of the culture they have.  Each member of the public sector organization has different culture, each culture are different and may collide with the culture of another person.  The culture of one person in the public organization may be disliked by the others. He/she might be put aside because of his/her culture. One example can be the employees of Shell Oil Company which comes from different places and they have different culture. The relationship of the members of that organization depends on how each member accepts the culture of the other members.

 

 The nature of the external relationships among public firms can be based on competitiveness. Competition is a thing that can ruin relationships and it can cause dissension in an organization. Competition can be rivalry type or friendly type. Both can create various changes to an organization and can make services be done in a better way. Different public firms inter compete with each other and they try to make sure that they perform well and give more benefits to their government. These firms compete among themselves and within departments to see which provides the better services. They set rules that make sure that the competition will be a fair one.  These firms try to improve their services but make sure that they cooperate well with other public firms when the situation calls for it. The relationship of the members of an organization can also depend on the kind of competition that each member of the organization has.  If the competition is a friendly type then relationships will not be easily ruined and it can lead to better delivery of services.  Rivalry type of competition is the one that can truly destroy relationships since people might be forced to say unnecessary things or do unexpected acts just to win in their competition.  

Impact of Communication

Communication is one of the most dominant activities occurring in any work setting. The need to study, understand, and effectively use organizational communication has been, for many individuals, an after-the-fact enlightenment. As such, individuals in various occupations refer to the inability of others to communicate well, the lack of listening skills displayed by their colleagues, or the unwillingness of subordinates to follow instructions. At times people contend that other people fail to communicate, and they are almost mystified that others do not hear them in the manner they intended. Over the years, experts in management theory have preached the need for improved communication. Unfortunately, being aware of the need for improved communication does not always translate into better understanding or use (Harris, 2002).

 

Interpersonal communication is the process of transacting meaning between individuals. It is a major component of organizational behavior at every level. Interpersonal communication is fundamental to obtaining employment, succeeding on the job, and being an effective colleague, subordinate, or manager. The functions of interpersonal communication in organizations range from coordinating task and maintenance to developing interpersonal relationships. The difference in perspectives regarding interpersonal transactions also provides useful insights regarding individual preferences. Information and information processing are cutting edge issues because the impact of information will continue to grow (2002).

Communication's role in the examination of organizational crisis roughly parallels the development of traditional approaches to crisis management and the relatively recent emergence of theoretically grounded views. Traditionally, communication largely public relations, issue management, community relations, and media relations is associated with post crisis management and response. This includes disseminating risk mitigation information, such as warnings, to limit harm; communicating with various agencies so that logistics are coordinated; providing clarification of cause, extent of harm, and blame; responding to accusations of wrongdoing; and generally managing the unified public response to the crisis (2003).

 

In many organizations, communication practitioners, along with legal affairs and operations departments, are given the responsibility of creating, maintaining, and communicating the crisis-management plan. This includes media training for crisis spokespersons, establishing and maintaining both internal and external crisis-communication channels, and developing contingent responses and messages for anticipated crisis scenarios (2003). With proper communication strategies the public organization can provide better services and they can create better products. Communication helps in providing different ideas and suggestions on how to improve service and how products can be made better. Communication also helps in determining the different concerns and flaws on the product and service. This will lead to corrections and improvements for the product and service.

Example of a public company

Royal Mail is Britain's national postal service, with the British government as sole shareholder. The company, with 160,000 employees, is divided into nine divisions plus the Strategic Head Quarters in London, with divisional units according to geographic location. Royal Mail currently experiences a need to be fit to compete in a more commercial environment and to be 'fit for the future. EU legislation has already liberalized cross-border mail. Royal Mail's commercial freedom is under review by the British government (Horst et al., 2002). To compete more efficiently and effectively, Royal Mail is investing in technology and trying to incorporate electronic advances. These results in new working practices, where employees need new skills to operate new machinery and need to learn new ways of delivering the service. Quality focus and customer focus seem to be key elements in organizational strategies in order to respond to a strong competitive market and quickly changing technology. The vision of becoming a learning organization is clearly linked with this focus on quality and customers (Horst et al., 2002).

 

At Royal Mail, the Training Partnership has established Pathfinders as an annual activity with a twofold objective. First Pathfinders aims at solving business problems. Second, by working together in teams it also includes involving individuals in their own learning, helping them improve their own job activities, developing skills associated with working with others and hopefully seeing the bigger picture. Pathfinders are a team-based project in which teams, sponsored by a business manager; work on a real business problem. The team members are given training in basic skills such as problem solving skills, presentation skills, report writing, personal effectiveness etc. The team members also receive time away from their own job to work on the problem. For the HRD department of Royal Mail it can be said that their vision towards their new role is to plan, supply and evaluate all forms of learning, to support the business and engage all employees (Horst et al., 2002). Royal Mail is a company that has a varied structure of maintaining the performance of the employees. It makes use of various strategies that ensures good performance by the employees. It makes sure that the employees will perform well; the company tries to determine various kinds of methods and techniques to maintain the good performance of the employees and for the company to be a success.  It also makes sure that the relationship of the employees remains intact even with so many problems coming to them.

 

Openness

Openness is a new philosophy for business. Its goal is to allow information to come from various sources and diverse contributors. This allows for faster way to gather the data needed. Openness fits well in the company structure since it has greater capability to provide more sources of information for different parts of the firm. Openness enables the firm to gather more information that will make the public sector’s job easier and it can help provide better services for the clients without much time delays.

Stakeholder constituency

One of the primary concerns of the analytic approach to governance is who actually plays what role in governance decision making. To address this question, taxonomy of roles must be identified and the concept of the stakeholder must be evoked. There are three distinct roles in administrative decision making. There are those who make the decisions; there are those that influence those decision makers by providing information or recommendation; and there are those that ratify decisions. The latter role involves having little involvement in the choice of a preferred course of action but, in the last stage, having the authority to accept it or veto it. For example, in many nonprofit organizations, the chief executive officers (CEOs) are the primary decision makers, but some of their decisions are put to the board for ratification (Ott, 2001).

 

 In one sense, then, the premise of stakeholder theory is to expand the organizations' horizons and managers' thinking to be inclusive of other stakeholder groups and to see that these are groups that have a legitimate investment or stake in the enterprise's operations, as well as the power to effect change. One could also argue that perhaps managers have been doing stakeholder management for decades, albeit in a piecemeal fashion, not fully perceiving the integral nature of working with stakeholders (2000). What has been learned, however, is that today many diverse groups expect and demand to be treated as a vital part of the organization's success. While still recognizing the primacy and necessity of profits as a return on the shareholder's investments, people have also seen growing claims of other stakeholder groups-claims and expectations that they assume will be satisfied as well. With these perspectives in mind, it is useful to approach stakeholder management with the idea that managers can become successful stewards of stakeholders' resources by gaining knowledge about stakeholders and using this knowledge to predict and deal with their behaviors and actions (Golembiewski, 2000).

 

 Stakeholders are those people affected by the actions of a public company, they have a strong interest in the company and their welfare and ideas should be the first ones to be heard and considered before the company does anything. Stakeholders are given the outmost authority in any business setting. Their power and importance is beginning to gain slighter advantage when compared to an organization’s management team.  Their powers in a company are overwhelming because they contributed a certain amount that contributes to the financial resources of the company. Stakeholder’s impact on the governance of the firm is it affects the way the company is managed. It makes sure that the company performs well according to the stockholder’s standards. The representatives of the stakeholder in the firm belong to the management group. They make sure that the concerns and problems of the stakeholders are brought to the company’s attention. They are the ones that foresee if the company abides with the changes the stakeholder wants. The stakeholder has a right be informed about the changes in the economy, each member has the responsibility among themselves to maintain the investment they made in the company.  

External engagement process

In the external engagement process with stakeholders, the company sends various information papers to the stakeholders about how the company is doing, what rates the company has compared to its competitors, what expenses it made and what is the level of the public company’s profitability.  The company has to make sure that the stakeholders are informed about the actions they do and the situation of the company. This would provide the stakeholders an opportunity to be part of the decision making process. The stakeholders need to know what is happening in the company since some of their finances are invested in the company, they have to know the different problems the company is facing and what can be done to solve such problems.

 

Recommendations for improvements

Public companies should make sure that they maintain a good relationship with their internal and external environment. This good relationship will depend on the culture of the people in that organization and the level of competitiveness the people have. The company can maintain good relationship by communicating well with the external and internal environment.   Communication not only brings better relationships it creates better products and better services for the clients. It makes goals and objectives more reachable with less problems and barriers. Public companies should make sure that the stakeholders have the approval of management decisions and they are informed about the results of the different decisions made by the company.

Sample Essay Discuss your views on the practice of allowing convicted offenders to serve all or part of their sentences in the community

PROBATION

 

UNIT 1- Discussion Board Probation & the Courts

Professor:

October 10, 2007

 

Discuss your views on the practice of allowing convicted offenders to serve all or part of their sentences in the community. Do you support this idea? Do you think it provides value in rehabilitating offenders? Why or why not? Please provide support for your views.

            Community service serves a preparative purpose but there is need to determine the harm committed by the offender to the community as basis for the type and length of community service ordered by the court as penalty. Matching harm with the mode of community services is important to achieve the purpose of reparative justice. Wright (1991) provides that community service commenced in the US in 1966 when female offenders charged with traffic violations in California were penalization with mandatory participation in community programs. Van Ness and Strong (1997) explains that community service as a penalty developed as an alternative to incarceration with the burgeoning number of inmates in overcrowded prison facilities. Eventually, the acceptance of this alternative penalty spread to the different states so that non-violent offenders were given the opportunity to perform community service in exchange for their non-incarceration.   

            Community service offers a number of benefits.  (2001) explain that community service allows the offender to gain a first hand perspective of the direct and indirect injuries brought about by the offense. Through this direct experience, the offender should be able to realize the importance of imposing limits on social tolerance. In addition, community service is intended to constitute constructive learning for the offender from the realization of the harm caused by the offense together with the development of self-worth from committing not to repeat the commission of the offense again. Van Ness and Strong (1997) add that the services of offenders also constitute valuable resource to community service delivery of the government and the advocacy and other services of non-government organizations.  

            In application (Wright, 1991) provides that community service is transformed from a mere alternative penalty or a rehabilitation program into a forum for accountability. This is because community service does not focus on the needs of offenders but on the strengths as contributors to society; lack of insightful perspective of the offender in committing the offense but on the abili