Economic way of thinking

In addition to their Immediate effects secondary effects are effects of a policy change that might not be noticeable when the policy change Is Implemented 7. The value of a good or service Is subjective what one good Is worth to person A, may have a completely different value by person B (l Like pizza with extra cheese, I value It highly.You are allergic to dairy products, so you place a low value on a pizza with extra cheese) 8. The test of a theory Is Its ability to predict Positive and normative economics Positive economics – the study of â€Å"what Is† among economic relationships For Instance, positive statements can be statistically evaluated. Normative economics – Judgments about â€Å"what ought to be† In economic matters Normative statements merely reflect people's values – these statements cannot be proven true or false by economic thinking (think of It as a policeman's views on any matter – abortion, capital punishment, etc.Those p ollens cannot be proven right or wrong – they can merely be Judged) Economic way of thinking By gangplank 5. The acquisition of information is costly information can help people make better decisions, but information is a scarce good – the time it takes to search for the 6. Economic actions often generate secondary effects in addition to their immediate when the policy change is implemented 7. The value of a good or service is subjective what one good is worth to person A, may have a completely different value by person B (l like pizza with extra cheese, I alee it highly.You are allergic to dairy products, so you place a low value on a pizza with extra cheese) 8. The test of a theory is its ability to predict Positive economics – the study of â€Å"what is† among economic relationships For instance, positive statements can be statistically evaluated. Normative economics – judgments about â€Å"what ought to be† in economic matters proven tru e or false by economic thinking (think of it as a politician's views on any matter – abortion, capital punishment, etc. Those opinions cannot be proven right or

Health Provider and Faith Diversity

Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity Delia Stoica Grand Canyon University: HLT-310V February 4, 2012 Abstract The following paper describes three different religions: Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. It will detail the spiritual perspective on healing that all three of the faiths have. A description of what is important to their healing and what is important for the healthcare provider to know in caring for people of these faiths. Also there will be a summary of how these faiths differ from Christianity. Introduction The United States is known as a â€Å"melting pot†.This is due to all the different nationalities and faiths that are seen in our country. As healthcare providers we are faced with trying to understand all the different cultures we encounter on a daily basis in a hospital setting. There are many different faiths, some are well known such as Christianity and some are not quite so known such as Hinduism. Different faiths have different rules and regulations that they follow. Knowing all the intricate ins and outs of every religion is going to be impossible, but that should not stop someone from trying to learn all they can regarding the patients they are caring for.Everyone has probably heard of Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, but that does not mean that a nurse or physician would know all the things that would be different in regards to caring for patients of these different faiths. Hinduism Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. There are six major philosophies in the Hindu religion. One of the major one is Vedanta. Vedanta teaches that â€Å" that man's real nature is divine, and that the aim of human life is to realize divinity through selfless work, devotion to God, control of the inner forces, and discrimination between the real and the unreal.It recognizes that Truth is one and accepts all religions, properly understood, as valid means of realizing the truth (Guidelines, 2002)†. Hindus believe that the body is just a vehicle for the soul, and that when the body dies the soul transfers to another body until it can finally get to be united with God. They recognize that death is a natural part of life and the true self does not die when the body dies. There are a lot of things that the religion accepts which are part of the Western medical practices.Seeking medical attention is something that Hindus will do, but they believe that Western medicines tends to overmedicate their patients, especially with antibiotics which could make them hesitant to start an aggressive treatment plan. Some people of this religion may practice Ayurvedo or homeopathy to cure some problems. This religion allows for blood transfusions and organ transplantation/donations. There is no rule against performing an autopsy if needed. Because this religion practices modesty, women may prefer to be examined by a physician of the same sex.Hindus are very social and family oriented. It is impo rtant that the family be involved in the treatment and care of the patient. Women of the Hindu religion wear a red dot on their forehead to symbolize that they are married, some also wear necklaces, bracelets or toe-rings, which are not to be taken off, this is something that needs to be considered if there is a need for a procedure such as an MRI that requires all metals to be removed. Men of this faith wear a â€Å"sacred thread† which is never supposed to be removed.Many Hindus are strict vegetarians and will not eat beef or beef products, if at all possible they should be allowed to bring food from home unless there is a dietary restriction. In situations where there is an end-of-life issue, family needs to be very involved. Hindus do not believe in artificially prolonging life and may prefer to die at home. Because Hindus practice cremation and it needs to be done within 24 hours of death it is critical that all the paperwork is in order quickly. Judaism Judaism is one o f the oldest religions still around today.There are Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish followers. Orthodox Jews strictly follow all traditional laws of the religion. The faith holds medical practitioners in high regards and even may break some rules if medical experts believe that it may be life saving. Most Jewish people observe the Sabbath, which is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, in which they are not allowed to work. In this regard a Jewish patient would not be able to write, use the button for a PCA pump, drive or even turn on a light switch. As healthcare ractitioners we need to keep that in mind when caring for patients during this time. The food they eat is â€Å"kosher† foods, which means that there are special ways of preparing beef. Pork, fish and gelatin are not allowed and neither is beef and milk together. Care needs to be taken with preparation of these foods for these patients, as healthcare providers we need to keep in mind that this is not just an issue of them being picky but an extremely important part of their religion. Men in this religion may wear yarmulkes â€Å"skull caps† during prayer and some may wear it all the time (Handbook, 2000).We need to make allowances for up to 10 people in the room during prayer. When dealing with end-of-life issues there are deep debates regarding withholding or withdrawing of life-saving therapy and families may want to consult a rabbi before making any decisions. The Jewish faith requires that burials happen quickly after death and autopsies at not permitted unless required by law. There is a requirement that a family member or representative of the family remain with the body at all times after death until burial, and also that amputated limbs be available for burial.Islam The Islamic religion is slowly becoming one of the largest religions out there. People who follow the Islamic religion are known as Muslims. Islam believes are â€Å" that all events, including health even ts, are the will of God, Muslim patients may be more likely to display acceptance of difficult circumstances and be compliant with the instructions of health care providers (Healthcare Providers, 2010)†. It is believed that the preservation of life overrides all guidelines, rules and restrictions.This faith requires extreme modesty and for men all body parts between the naval and knees need to be covered, for woman all but the face, hands and feet should be covered at all times when in the presence of anyone outside their family. Muslims are required to pray five times a day on a prayer mat facing Mecca. Patients that are ill can be excused from prayer if it is medically deemed that it is detrimental to their health. Patients are required by their faith to perform ablution with water before prayers and after urination and defecation. Islamic rule is that you use your left hand for dirty and right hand for clean duties.Muslims will prefer to use their right hand to eat and as a healthcare provider if you are feeding a Muslim patient it is preferred that you also use your right hand. Islam has a very strict rule regarding consumption of certain foods. Foods that are not permitted include pork, or pork derivatives and alcohol or alcohol containing foods. This could be a problem when giving certain medication that contains pork or alcohol. Providers should be aware of the medication given to a patient that is Muslim in order for them to follow the halal diet.Islam sees death as a natural part of life. They do not require treatment to be provided if it will only prolong a terminal illness. During end-of-life care, families may want to pray with the patient at bedside. This religion forbids autopsies, unless required by law. In the Islamic faith, burial needs to happen as soon as possible after death. The body should be washed by a family member or representative of the family and not by hospital staff, the body also needs to be covered by a sheet and face Mec ca if at all possible. Comparing and ContrastingThe previous religions discussed all have certain rules that need to be followed when it comes to dealing with healthcare. Christianity in general does not put any restrictions on healthcare providers. Certain Christian faiths such as Jehovah’s Witnesses do not allow blood transfusions because they feel it is not part of their body. The three religions discussed feel that anything that can be done to safe the person should be done and that life is important. Interestingly enough Hinduism, Judaism and Islamic faiths all have restrictions on food that they deem unclean.The only Christian faiths that have restrictions on food are Catholics and Orthodox Christians, which do not eat meat during Passover. There are many differences between Christianity and other faiths and not too many similarities when it comes to healthcare. Conclusion In doing the research for this paper, there have been a lot of good points brought up in regards t o taking care of patients that are of a different faith than myself. It is extremely important to me as a person and as a nurse to know who my patients are and what their beliefs and faiths are.In order to be able to take care of a patient, physically and emotionally we need to know the restrictions that we may face in our everyday dealings with them. Working in a hospital that sees an enormous amount of people from all over the world it is important to keep religion and culture in mind when providing care. Being able to do research and finding all the rules and requirements is a great educational tool to use and will make your patients more apt to trust you if they see that you understand where they are coming from. References Bennion, R. (2000). Handbook on cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs.South Devon Healthcare. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from www. e-radiography. net/nickspdf/Handbook%20on%20beliefs. pdf Guidelines for health care providers interacting with patients of t he Hindu religion and their families. (2002). Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from info. kyha. com/documents/CG-Hindu. pdf Healthcare providers handbook on Muslim patients. (2010). Queensland Health and Islamic Council of Queensland. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from http://www. health. qld. gov. au/multicultural/health_workers/hbook-muslim.

Child Proofing a Home Room by Room

This is a parent’s basic guide to properly child-proofing a home room by room. In this guide to child proofing a home you will find instructions to do it yourself, a safety check for new babies, car safety, and safety tips for older children as well. My purpose for this guide is to help parents keep their children safe at home and on the road. Bathroom Safety Toilets and bathtubs – You must always be careful when it come to the risk of drowning and when it comes to your child. Your child should never be left alone around water in your home. When giving you child a bath keep an eye on him/her 100% of the time, drowning can happen in a matter of a second, so if your phone rings or someone is at the door and you think you need to answer it then you should take your child with you wrapped in a towel. Install a toilet lid lock – Everyone knows that children love to play in the toilet, so getting a toilet lid lock is always the best idea to avoid that situation and also to avoid drowning. Children can fall head first in the toilet and drown that is why a toilet lid lock is a great idea for parents. Sharp objects – when you children are in the washroom with you, keeping an eye on them at all time is a must, because they can find sharp objects like nail clippers, razors, and scissors. Those objects and many more can seriously injure a child. All objects such as those and others should be put away in a place where a child would not be able to find them. For example: on a high shelf or in a drawer that has a lock on it. Kitchen Safety Stove – when a child is in the kitchen the stove should either be off or watching the child very well when trying to cook a meal and also make sure all the handles on the pots and pans are turned to the inside of the stove so the children can’t reach them. Sharp objects – sharp objects such as knives or even forks should be put in a place where the child can’t get to them as well because no one wants their child to be injured. The best thing to do is to put door locks on all cupboards and drawers so the children can’t get any injuries. Gates – the best way to avoid injuries in the kitchen is to put up gates in the entrances to keep the children away from the kitchen. Stairs safety Stairs – the stairs in the house should always have a gate blocking the children from going up and down, because a parent can turn their eye in one minute and the child could be falling down the stairs and cause serious injuries. Living Room Breakable items – make sure that all the items that are made of glass or are fragile are put away because children will try to get to it and it could hurt the child in some way by it breaking. Floor – the floor should be checked for small objects so the children do not choke. Extension Cords – extension cords should be somewhere plugged in somewhere that a child is not able to get to because if a child chews on it or even touches it the wrong way could get seriously burned or even shocked. Tables – tables that have sharp corners can always be protected by rubber corner guards so the children do not hit their heads and cause an injury. Child’s room Always put the ointments and powders away on a shelf in the closet where the child cannot get to them. Make sure that the crib is not near the window to avoid the draft. Also use a crib that was built after 1986 to avoid strangulation. A safety check for children For ages 0-6 months of age, babies are just learning to move around. When changing a baby’s diaper always keep one hand on the stomach to avoid the baby from failing. When the parents are eating or drinking anything hot it is not a good idea to hold the baby at that time, because there is always that chance that the hot stuff could spill on the baby and cause a serious burn. To avoid suffocation, always lay your baby on his/her back. Never use a pillow until the child is at the age of 1 year old, also keep buttons and other small objects out of a baby’s reach to avoid choking. When a baby is starting to eat solids the best thing to do is to feed him/her small pieces and watch the child very closely. Car seat safety for newborns and older A newborn to a young toddler needs a car seat every time they are going for a ride in the car. Always place the car seat in the backseat of the car to avoid the airbag, because the airbag is very dangerous for the baby. By looking at the instructions on the car seat packaging there will be instructions on how to place the car seat the right way in the car. This was a guide helping child proofing homes for children a little easier. In this guide you have learned how to child proof every room in the house to make sure your children are safe. There was a safety check as well for children when they just come from being born, and as well safety tips for when putting your child in a car seat. My purpose was to make it easier for parents to child proof their homes, and also to make it a safer environment for their children.

Assign3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assign3 - Assignment Example The proofs were presented through the view of the South Pole Telescope where by the brightest cluster galaxies have been found. They are undergoing a violent internal motion caused by a smashup from other galaxies. Abell 3627 generates an x ray which is blue along with hydrogen light. On the other side, Eso 137-001 galaxy has been seen for 260000 light years. It has a tail which the scientists have failed to understand to date. Clusters of galaxies are a collection of galaxies which are bonded by the gravity that is bounded by hot gases. The tails which were formed from the hot gas formed by the spiral arms of the galaxies. This causes an effect to the galaxy hence evolution changes the formation of the stars. 4. In relevance to the top down structure formation, the scenario first forms the large pancakes then followed by the fragment that forms the lumps which are sized. The scenario is important because of the information concerning the existence of the large sheets with low density. In respect to bottom up structure’s scenario, there occurs a formation of the galaxies which are small and dwarfs first, followed by the formation of the clusters. 5. The world was molten many years ago. It took some years for the earth to cool and pass through the process of conduction and radiation. In respect to laws of thermodynamics, the earth has around 24 to 40 million years. The amount of the salt in the oceans also shows that it must have taken them time for salt evaporation process to occur. Nowadays, oceans have only a small amount of salt. The thickness of existing sedimentary rocks is over three million years old. Marine mollusks have also a number of series of million years on the universe thus the world is old enough to have been completed many years. The decay of the radioactivity processes also passes a number of age measures of the rocks and

Narrative of the life of Fredric Douglass Essay

Narrative of the life of Fredric Douglass - Essay Example Douglass remembers how Aunt Hester was whipped without remorse until blood flowed from her back. This incident terrified Douglass who hid in a closet to avoid the horrible sight. Douglass had lived with his grandmother before coming to work here and now he realized how grisly life was on the plantation. The plantation owned by Colonel Lloyd as Douglass describes was a â€Å"great business place† (20). Colonel Lloyd was extremely powerful and authoritative in the area mainly because he kept a large number of slaves ranging between 200 and 300, and he also owned the surrounding farms. Two of the surrounding farms were Wye Town and New Design. These two farms were overseen by Noah Willis and Mr. Townsend respectively but were ultimately under the control of Colonel Lloyd who advised and managed these farms. This was a place where arguments regarding slaves were resolved and it was also the place where the salves received their quota of food and clothing. A fixed quota of food and clothing was given. The monthly food allowance consisted of 8 pounds of pork or fish and a bushel of corn meal (Douglass, 20). For clothing, the yearly allowance consisted of 2 linen shirts, 1 pair of trousers and another pair for winters, a jacket, a pair of stockings and shoes. Children’s allowance was paid to their mothers or caregivers. Those children who worked on the farm often got clothes that faded before the year ended. So, most children often had clothes that hardly covered their bodies. Colonel Lloyd replaced Mr. Hopkins with Mr. Austin Gore as the overseer of the farm where Douglass worked. Mr. Gore was a very cruel man which earned him the position of an overseer at Colonel Lloyd’s farms. Douglass remembers a time when Mr. Gore was punishing a slave named Demby when only after a few lashes, Demby ran into a creek in order to avoid the whipping. Demby was given a warning by Mr. Gore who said that he would be shot if he did not come out in 3 calls. Demby di d not and so he was shot by Mr. Gore without a second chance. Douglass was soon sent from the plantation to Baltimore. He describes the moment of freedom as a very happy moment of his life. Douglass no longer had to work for his cruel old master and now he was sent to work for Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Auld who were the in-laws of Colonel Lloyd's son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Auld. Douglass had to take care of their son, little Thomas. Douglass describes Mrs. Auld as being a very kind and pleasant lady. She was â€Å"was entirely unlike any other white woman† Douglass had seen (Douglass, 28). After Douglass arrived at Baltimore to work for them, Mrs. Auld began giving him reading classes. She taught him the alphabets A, B, C, and how to spell a few words. However, Mr. Auld soon found out and stopped her from teaching Douglass. This acted as a cue for Douglass for his journey from slavery to freedom and he appreciated that. Soon after his arrival in Baltimore, Colonel Lloyd's son, Richard di ed. Douglass' old master Captain Andrew also died leaving behind only Master Andrew and his sister, Lucretia. Thus, it became extremely important to get a valuation of the property so that the land could be equally divided between the remaining offspring. Douglass was also sent to be valued as a property which stimulated a feeling of dislike within Douglass. All slaves including men, women, and children were valued along with other properties including far

Alan Mathison Turing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Alan Mathison Turing - Essay Example Alan Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, logician, and cryptographer. He is often considered to be the father of modern computer science as he has contributed immensely towards the field of computer science through his Turing test. Though not considered a philosopher, he is cited by many modern day philosophers. The Turing Test which is named after him is the most significant contribution he has made in the world of modern computers. Though there are many who has opposed this test, it has undoubtedly a turning point in today's world. In a very short span of life, Alan Turing has provided significantly. This paper describes briefly Alan Turing's Life and his achievement through the Turing Test. This paper also gives a brief overview of the future that this test holds and concludes that the Turing Test has been, and will continue to be, an influential and controversial topic.Alan Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, logician, and cryptographer and he was an original thinker. He is often considered to be the father of modern computer science as he has contributed immensely towards the field of computer science through his Turing Test. Even though Turing never designated himself as a philosopher, his 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" is most frequently cited in modern philosophical literature as it gave a new approach to the traditional mind-body problem, by connecting it to the mathematical concept of computability (Hodges, 2002). Today, it is well known fact that the Turing Test is one of the most discussed topics in artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and mechanical science. This paper describes in detail about the life of Alan Turing and also how his Turing test has an influence in the modern science. Besides, in this paper Turing's ideas are discussed in detail and also present the important comments made by many philosophers and others. Turing's test and criticism by different people are also discussed. Finally, the paper concludes looking at the future applications of Turing's test and looks at the current situation and analyzes programs that have been developed with the aim of passing the Turing Test. Alan Turing Life Alan Mathison Turing was born to an upper middle class British family in London, 23 June 1912. He was educated at Sherborne School. While in his school, he was criticized for his handwriting by his teachers. He also struggled at English and mathematics as he was too involved with developing his own ideas to produce solutions to problems using the methods taught by his teachers. From his early years of schooling he has amazed many of his teachers. He tried to always find his own solutions and in spite of producing unconventional answers, Turing did win almost every possible mathematics prize while at Sherborne. This has amazed many of his teachers. The one subject he liked was chemistry. However from a very early age, he carried out experiments following his own plan which did not please his chemistry teacher. As a result of these Turing's headmaster once wrote:- "If he is to stay at Public School, he must aim at becoming educated. If he is to be solely a Scientific Specialist, he is wasting his time at a Public School". In spite of the difficult schooling years, Turing entered King's College, Cambridge, in 1931 to study

Case Study 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1 - Case Study Example 2. In order to fulfil the above mentioned mission for Kaiser, its operational strategy to reach a sustainable competitive advantage should be based on the notion of quick response (flexible or responsive). As noted, this is not-for-profit health maintenance organization serving 8.1 million people. The number is just high so it is imperative for the organization to adopt a flexible operational strategy which can allow it to quickly respond to the needs of different people it serves. This will help to show its total commitment to the cause of providing health care services to the people with special needs in the communities it operates in. The goal of the organization is to uplift the welfare of different people in the communities in which it operates. Therefore, it is imperative for the organization to implement strategies that are meant to ensure that the targeted people get the services they may require as when they may require them. This will help to create trust between the organization and the targeted people such that they will look no further than it for any service related to health care they may require. What is only important in this case is to offer satisfactory services to the targeted people so that they can come back again for the same services. When an organization is not operating for profit like Kaiser, then it should appeal to the interests of the targeted people so that they can develop positive identity with it. Goods and service design: Kaiser ought to define the goods and services it offers to the targeted people in different areas it operates. For instance, it should make it clear that it is not for profit organization and it offers freely health care related services to different people who belong to less privileged groups. It also ought to make it clear that it is committed to train other people so that they can also play a part in uplifting the welfare of the people in different communities. Quality: quality is a virtue in as far as

Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Creativity - Essay Example As a person puts in years of experience and simultaneously keeps himself retrained in the current developments as explained above, his/her experience becomes that much richer and hence valuable to an organization. This fact is borne by several examples in all fields of employment such as machinists or accountants or front-office executives or management staff etc. Current education is important at all levels since developmental changes occur everywhere all the time - a new machine may have the most up-to-date electronic controls; an accounting software may be upgraded to take care of current laws; a front-office executive may be asked to handle additional tasks; a manager may be slated for a higher post with a significantly changed role, etc. Hence investment in knowledge addition should be considered as adding to the resource base of any organization. In existing employees, the personal records will reflect the existing skills and the need for additional skills. In new recruits, the selection process through skill tests and interview will determine the candidate’s credentials. In exceptional cases, if one has to trade off experience with current education, preference will be given to experience provided the candidate displays a positive attitude towards skill up gradation. A management mistake leads to underperformance by a resource – the resource may be an employee, process / procedure or equipment. Common management mistakes can be identified as a) not matching needs with the means b) deploying under-paid and unskilled employees c) insufficient role clarity d) insufficient delegation e) failing to identify skill gaps and training needs f) lack of succession plans etc. These are just a few of many such short comings in management (dummies.com, 2010). Every organization must have clear cut objectives in both product/service offerings and financial performance. In order

Business Management, Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Management, Marketing - Assignment Example The firm also has vigorous plans to increase its domestic market share in the coming year. The global market for LCD televisions in fiscal year 2008 was approximately 107 million units (Sony Annual Report, 2009), which implies a growth of 24% over 2007 sales. The unit selling prices are declining and economic slowdown is expected to hamper growth. The global market for media players is pegged at 275 million units by 2011 (Research and Markets, 2007). The market trend is shifting toward pocket gaming mobile telephony with multimedia features available on the fly. Marketing objectives should favourably affect the company's top-line. These should be challenging, specific, measurable, and have a set time-line in which the objectives are to be achieved (Palmer, 2009). The marketing objectives in the current context, hinge upon domestic and international market. It is pertinent therefore, to analyse the company's core strength, market opportunities, threats from competition, and limitations if any, so that, the objectives set forth can be achieved with stretched resources in hand. LCD televisions and multimedia players are perceived as status symbols that reflect a "digital, cool lifestyle," which provides a sense of belonging in the peer group. It's an icon product that "needs to be owned," as a mark of a high culture lifestyle. These products also serve the "social need" for entertainment with no dangling wires, and plug-and-play convenience. With regard to MP3 and MP4 media players, these products are popular with the youth, as also, with joggers, travellers, and music lovers. The current trends are moving towards lightweight, compact, wireless units that have huge gigabyte memories, and can be connected to the internet on the fly. Market Segment by Age The major market segment by age, for the company's product lines, would be the 15 to 64 year old group that is projected at approximately 3100 million in emerging economy, and 800 million in the developed world (UN & Morgan Stanley, n.d.). Currently, around 60% of population in U.K. qualify under the working age category, which roughly amounts to 37 million people (Office for National Statistics on-line, 2009). Reports indicate that the unemployment rate at the end of third quarter of 2009 stood at 7.8%. Market Segment by Geography 80% of revenue would be slated to come from domestic market segment, and the balance from international

Comparison of the key management and leadership aspects of Essay

Comparison of the key management and leadership aspects of organisations in the private sector, public sector and not for profit - Essay Example The behavioural approach to management is preferred to other approaches to management because it takes into consideration the behaviour of employees. Behaviour is one of the key factors that significantly influence performances of employees in various organizations. Therefore, managers who wish to lead and motivate employees should fully understand how behaviours of individuals under them respond to different phenomenon in the organisation. This will enable them integrate and influence the environment under which the employees work, without hurting their feelings. According to Sloan (1964), number of factors including manager’s biasness, the type of organisation as well as growth and development stage of an organisation among other factors influence choice of management approach in any given organisation. The development of the behavioral approach to management in an organisation The behavioral approach was derived from human relations approach management. This is because its major focus is human dimension at work. According to this approach, productivity is improved through proper understanding of individual’s behavior at work. Human relation theorists defined the employees as individuals, resources, and assets. In the behavioral approach, direct relation exists between employee satisfaction and production. Most human experts believe that workers are more productive when they are satisfied. Therefore, managers who wish to increase and improve organisation’s performance should work hard to meet the needs of people who are working for them. In addition, the theorists believe that employees can be empowered through training, motivation and providing appropriate tools for work. According to Tripathi (2008), the behavioural approach to management gives employees more flexibility in terms of autonomy, independence and empowerment in the organisational structure (Barnard, 1962). The behavioral approach points out that human rationality has constr aints when making the optimal decisions. These constraints are both practical and situational. Both employees and managers may make sub-optimal decisions due to influence by their behaviour. According to Vroom (1964), behaviorists insist that it is appropriate to humanize administration control process and encourage self-direction process rather imposing controls to restrict individuals. Managers should also consider various needs of individuals when influencing people because employees are different. In organizational conflict and change, behavioral approach remains to be practical. It addresses the inevitability of conflict and proposes that conflicting individuals should be understood. Furthermore, it acknowledges that individual often resist change on social aspects. Workers are often organised into teams in the behavioural approach. This is because managers in most organisations are biased to a flatter organisational structure. Application of behavioural approach to management began in 1930’s as a reflection of Hawthorne’s expression of human relation movement and organisational behaviour development. The field of organisational behavior was developed to fill the gap left by early human relation experts who concentrated on inter-personal relations and gave little attention to the patterns of group behavior. As compared to human relations approach management, behavioral approach concentrates it efforts in the study of human behavior. Douglas, McGregor, Chester Barnard, Rensis

Participant roles and purposes Essay Example for Free

Participant roles and purposes Essay In talking about social situations and participants, Goffman suggests that situations move forward in accomplishing Ð ° goal or purpose because the participants come to Ð ° working consensus about the nature of the situation: Together the participants contribute to Ð ° single overall definition of the situation which involves not so much Ð ° real agreement as to what exists but rather Ð ° real agreement as to whose claims concerning what issues will be temporarily honored (1959: 9-1o). The working consensus of most teacher-student meetings is realized through the expectations and obligations of the role of teacher and student. These roles have mirroring expectations (the actions others can insist we perform) and obligations (the actions we can insist others perform) (Goffman 1967: 126). For example, the obligations of the student roleto read, to take exams, to attend classesare expectations of the teacher role. The expectations of the student roleto receive information, to be given fair exams, to be graded on the basis of meritare the obligations of the professor role. Thus these roles become interdependent; the expectations and obligations are complementary and in service to each other. In their interviews, both the Professor and the Student focus on the expectations and obligations of their respective roles as teacher and student, They both articulated the role of the Student as checking on an assignment (getting information) and making sure the Student had Ð ° clear understanding of the Professors expectations (giving information). The Professor: My view of the meeting was that І was there to answer [the Students] questions, not that І was there to tell him anything. І think thats why І started the meeting by looking expectantly at him. The Student explained his purpose: My purpose was to make sure І understood the assignment correctly and was going in the right direction. The paper was supposed to be handed in during class, and І held it back because І wanted her to check it first. If she approved, then fine, І would hand it in. І knew the ASL would be hard to understand, so І wanted to ask if І should go ahead with the ASL story or follow the English interpretation. When asked if they thought the meeting was successful, that expectations and obligations were met, both responded affirmatively. They explain in their own words. The Professor: The meeting was successful. Nobody yelled at anybody. [The Student] came to get information and he got it. The laughter, І think the laughter is my signal that everything is going well. І felt [the Student] knew what he was supposed to do. The Student: She read my story and seemed satisfied with it. І knew she wanted me to improve it and bring it back with thirty copies. Yes, the meeting was successful. Although the Professor comments on the interactional success, nobody yelled at anybody as well, both speakers are attentive to the primary purpose, and their ensuing obligations, of Ð ° teacher-student meeting. As the next chapter demonstrates, many of the Professors and the Students motivations for speaking or taking Ð ° turn center on their expectations or obligations of their social roles, their roles define their purpose for meeting and constitute how they will interact and how their meanings are represented in talk. The Interpreters role is to interpret. In general, the role of an interpreter is to make possible communication between people who do not speak the same language. The Interpreter defined his role, what he says it always is, as working to have effective communication, for people to communicate. However, when asked if he thought the meeting went well, he offered Ð ° perspective that was not centered on whether or not the participants had effective communication: Yes, because І think [the Students] goals were achieved, in getting some ideas across and talking about some issues. That he understood where she was coming from and she understood where he was coming from Although this response is vague and unfortunately not further clarified; there are some indications as to what the Interpreter is referring. When the Interpreter mentions [the Students] goals were achieved, it appears that the Interpreter assumes goals other than getting an assignment reviewed. He continues by adding getting ideas across and talking about some issues, but the only issue mentioned previously by the Interpreter is connected to people communicating. The Interpreter never mentioned checking the assignment or the Student getting information on how to analyze the narrative, nor did he mention the Professors obligations she might have for meeting with students. Because both primary participants are involved with the study of language and because the study of ASL as Ð ° natural language was still Ð ° relatively new idea, many conversations with linguists who study spoken languages come around to the topic of the differences between Ð ° signed language and Ð ° spoken language. At the time, the status of ASL as Ð ° language in the larger world community was not firmly established, nor was the status of Deaf persons as member’s of Ð ° linguistic and ethnic minority. That these issues particularly affect interpreters can be demonstrated by reading newsletters and journals published at the time in the interpreting field, as well as by attendance at meetings and conferences. These debates and discussions are often referred to with phrases such as getting ideas across and talking about issues, so І can suggest the possibility that the interpreter is referring to these potentially explosive arguments about the acceptance of American Sign Language as Ð ° natural language. Fortunately, this is not an issue with the Professor, as the Interpreter acknowledges: Shes obviously educated [about Deaf people] in that shes familiar with deafness and Deaf people because she explained the outgoing message on the answering machine, things that are very hearing culture and so І think that in some regards she took care of all that. Although he acknowledges that the Professor is familiar with deafness and Deaf people, it is also his focus on her adaptations to the Student that remain primary in his reflection on the interpreted event. The answering machine was Ð ° few seconds of small talk before the more important discussion of the Students narrative and transcript. The Interpreters focus on getting ideas across and taking care of cultural differences reflects what is Ð ° central concern of interpreters in their role, the notions of equality and justice. It seems that the Interpreter feels that it is incumbent on him in his role to create an understanding and Ð ° balance between these speakers moreover, the Interpreter never commented on the discussion around the assignment for either participant. To see how far the Interpreters thinking was from the thinking of the primary participants, here is what the Professor said about the answering machine talk: [І was] trying to be polite and make everyone comfortable, telling him about the answering machine and the knocking at the door and then І realized [there was] no reason to tell him. The Interpreter has attributed the meaning of the talk to the Professors awareness of Deaf people when, in fact, she was focused on the nature of starting to talk and the often necessary small talk that is Ð ° prelude to official business. Because interpreters are primarily concerned with communication, of language and also of cultural nuances, much of an interpreters concern is for differences in language and culture. But speakers themselves are typically concerned with the central task of the meeting, carrying out their obligations and responsibilities necessary to accomplish their goals. We will see in the next chapter that an interpreters role is more than to just translate or just interpret. What the role is and how to manifest that role to others, while appearing neutral or impartial, is not an easy task. If an interpreters role expectations and obligations were as easily defined as the teacher or student role, then there would not be the problems, concerns, and issues that arise around the discussions about an interpreters role.

Plastic Bag Usage Essay Example for Free

Plastic Bag Usage Essay Plastic bags should be banned because they affect the environment in many ways. There are many reason why they should be banned some of the reasons are because sea animals environment died because of this and it makes are oceans dirty. And I am going to tell you why plastic bags should be banned. Plastic bags disrupt the environment in a serious way. They get into soil and slowly release toxic chemicals. Plastic bags are affecting the environment because animals eat them and often choke and die. Plastic bags end up in landfills or floating around in the environment. It takes hundreds of years for plastic bags to decompose and while they do they release toxins into our soil, lakes, rivers, and oceans. A way to reduce plastic use is to never litter and always dispose of trash properly. Plastic absorb, toxic chemicals, which can be dangerous to fish and other sea life that ingest them. Plastic bags pollute our oceans and kill sea turtles in particular. They are often mistaken for food by dolphins, whales, and sea birds. Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtles and other animal deaths every year nearly 90 % of the debris in our ocean is plastic. We could reduce plastic usage by recycling plastics whenever possible. Plastic debris affects wildlife, human health, and the environment. Petroleum is required to produce plastic bags. Petroleum produce are diminishing and getting more expensive because we have used this non-renewable resource increasingly. Plastic bags are a huge waist and a huge polluter to our oceans. Some cities have taxed plastic bags or even banned them. People want plastic bags to get banned because they are polluting the ocean. People think that banning plastic bags will make oceans cleaner. Plastic bags should be banned because they affect the environment and many ways. They should be banned because sea animals choke on them. They should be banned because animals are going extinct. I think if plastic bags are banned there will be less extinct to sea animals and the oceans will be cleaner.

Cafe Expresso And Sustained Competitive Advantage

Cafe Expresso And Sustained Competitive Advantage The purpose of this report was to critically analyse the Human Resource and Performance management systems of Cafe Expresso as a source of sustained competitive advantage. Specific objectives were to discuss the Human Resource, as a source of sustained competitive advantage (under RBV) in a company. In addition, the implications of RBV (Resource Based View) on SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) of an organization were discussed and how performance management systems are put in place to multiply its efficiency. The role of managers in this regard was also analysed to certain extent. In the end, threat posed to Cafà © Expresso was identified and recommendations were offered. One of the challenges faced by the company was the sustainability of its competitive advantage. The report recommends an extensive use of innovation and creativity at all levels of management in the company and futuristic approach in all its strategies and decision-making process. Table of Contents Introduction The case study on which this report is based, deals with one of the renowned players of the coffee house industry, called the Cafà © Expresso. After reining the coffee industry for almost 15 years, they lost their market share at the hand of rival competitors. As their key staff was poached and business model imitated. The new leadership in the form of charismatic chief executive, Ben Thomson, identified the problem in companys human resource and appointed, Kam Patel as a new global HR director to sort it out. Kam Patel worked on the new HR strategy to achieve Bens vision of becoming the number one coffee house across the globe. She revolutionised the role of HR and introduced functions of Partner Resources, where all employees were termed as partners in the business. Other key areas on which she focused were, resourcing and retention, learning and development, talent management, employee involvement and communication, and compensation and benefits. Her efforts reaped results and Cafà © Expresso moved to number two in the industry. The service had improved considerably and there was an increased level of staff and customer retention. However, they were now concerned about sustaining and developing this competitive advantage, which they achieved through superior strategy and innovative HR practices (Harzing and pinnington, 2011). Objectives of the report The main objectives of the report are to discuss the Human Resource Management strategy of cafà © expresso in light of Resource Based Theory presented by Barney (1991). Followed by key recommendations, as to how it can further develop or maintain its competitive advantage, based on this perspective. Purpose of the report The purpose of this report is to put forward an inductive theoretical discussion, where by, the human resource in an organization can be viewed as a source of sustained competitive advantage. In order to accomplish our mission, we will focus on the need to introduce the Strategic Human resource Management and the summary of Resource Based View of an organization, as well as, cursory touching upon the old and new conflicting theories in the process. We will then identify the circumstances, under which the human resource is actually valuable, rear, inimitable and non-substantial (VRIO framework). We will draw an end to literature review by discussing the implications of RBV on basic SHRM and example case study. Finally, we will discuss the inferences and put forward recommendations, as to how human resources can provide sustained competitive advantage and analyzing the role of HR practices in creating this advantage. Limitations Due to word limit, this report only discusses the theoretical research carried in the field of SHRM development and not the empirical research. Literature Review Strategic Human Resource Management and Transformation Armstrong (2008:5) defines Human Resource Management as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets- the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. Therefore, strategic HRM can be termed as those HR policies and practices, which will help an organisation in achieving its long-term goals and objectives through its people. Purcell (1999) defines strategic HRM as those actions, which differentiate an organsiation from its competitors in the market. HR policies and practices are no longer being formulated in isolation, as in the past. In the last half a century, HR functions have transformed from personnel in 1970s to employee welfare (unions) in 1990s to a strategic business partners in 21st century (Holbeche, 2009; Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). The current period of HR transformation has been greatly influenced by Dave Ulrichs thinking (Holbeche, 2009). Strategic Management Framework Strategic management has seen remarkable advancement in the past half a century. Ever since the realisation of strategy into management, both academic researchers and practitioners have shown great interest in this field (Wright, et al, 1994). The business strategy encompasses the organisations strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats-SWOT (Chanda, 2009). The strategists have relied extensively on this single framework (SWOT) to structure their work (Barney, 1991). Other contribution in this framework is Porters- 5 Force Model in Fig.1.1, which emphasizes on the external environmental factors affecting firms performance. Porters model did receive a wide range of acceptability by the practitioners, but it does not cater for the determinants, on which a companys manager has influence (Wright, et al, 1994). Keeping in view the above mentioned strategic management theories, based on external factors determining the competitive advantage of an organization, let us now narrow down to strategic human resource management. In this regard, the most relative one is the Outside-in (Michigan HRM Model) theory, first published by Tichy, et al., 1982) According to them, People are recruited in to the organisations to do the jobs defined, by the division of labour. Performance must be monitored and rewards must be given to keep individuals productive (Devanna, et, al, 1984). In their model, Fig.2.2 Strategic management and environmental pressures they present the basic elements as interrelated systems, that are surrounded in the work related environment. C:UsersShahrukhDesktopR0801E_A.gif Fig.2.1 The five competitive forces that shape strategy Source: Harvard Business review, 2008 However, critics suggest that this model has harder, less humanistic approach to HRM, holding the employees as a resource, in the same manner as any other business resource. People can be obtained as cheap as possible, used sparingly, developed and exploited to organizations benefit (Price, 2011). Another limitation to this model is that, it cannot fit into dynamic and globalized economic conditions, where innovation and learning is the key to sustained competitive advantage. One of the upcoming and current theoretical discussions on strategic management is the Resource Based View of an organization (Barney, 1991; Wright, 1993). This theory of strategic management is different from environmentally-focused and externally motivated theories (e.g., Poter, 1980; Tichy, et al, 1982; Devanna, et al, 1984). It mainly focuses on the inside out view of the organization (Barney, 1991), its strategy and its performance (Hill and Jones, 2007). Furthermore, the Resource Based model of competitive advantage is mainly organisation- focused as compared to strategic management analysis by Porter and Devanna, which are industry environment- focused (Mc Williams and Smart cited in Wright, 1994). Resource Based View of an organisation Resource based view of a company as described above, emphasizes upon the internal resources of the company as a major factor in competitive success and sustainability (Wright, et al, 1994). It is therefore, imperative to briefly focus on the definitions of resources, competitive advantage and sustained competitive advantage. Resources within Resource Based Theory According to Barney(1991:101) the resources in a firm are all assets, capabilities, organizational processes, firm attributes, information, knowledge, etc. controlled by a firm that enable a firm to conceive of and implement strategies that improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Barney also classifies these resources in to three categories, such as, physical capital resources, human capital resources and organizational capital resources (Wright, et al, 1994). Since our focus is on human capital resources, therefore, according to Barney, it includes such things as experience, intelligence of both managers and workers in an organisation. Competitive and sustained competitive advantage When discussing the RBV of a firm, the above mentioned resources are in fact the source of competitive advantage. Barney (1991:102) believes competitive advantage is being achieved when a firm is implementing a value creating strategy, not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors. In contrast, in the environmentally motivated strategic models (e.g. Porters 1980; Devanna1984), the resources are considered to be mobile and that companies can create or purchase, resources held by the other firms (Wright, et al, 2001). The second definition is the sustained competitive advantage. Some authors have suggested that a sustained competitive advantage is simply a competitive advantage that lasts long period of calendar time (e.g. Jacobson 1988; Porter1985) (Barney, 1991). Whereas, the new theory is that sustained competitive advantage occurs only when the competitors are unable to copy the benefits of a competitor advantage at the first place (Wright, et al, 1994). Therefore, the criteria chalked down by Barney (1991) for sustained competitive advantage in his resource based theory is VRIO: Value should be created through resource There should be an element of uniqueness or rarity in the resource as compared to its competitors in the market The resource should not be imitable The resource of an organisation should not be substitutable with resources from other competitors Human Resource under VRIO Framework We have established that human resource is one of the components of sustained competitive advantage. Let us now further discuss it under the resource based (VRIO) framework (Barney Wright: 1997). Human Resource as Valuable As mentioned above, in order for human resource to become the source of sustained competitive advantage, it needs to add value to the firm (Elliot, 2003). According to Barney (1991), resources must possess additional characteristics, in order for them to add value to the organization. Other researchers believe that because of the variable level of skills and abilities of employees, there is a variance in individual contribution to the firm, consequently adding to the ability of human capital to provide value. (Wright, et al, 1994). In addition, value can also be created within the organisation for its human resource through regular training and development activities (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). Human Resource as Rare In contrast to the idea of rarity of human resources, it can be argued that labor pool is in fact homogenous due to existence of fairly high levels of unemployment, leading to an excess of supply of labor (Elliot, 2003). However, it is widely believed amongst the HR strategists that rarity in a human resource is derived from their variable levels of competencies and skills. For example, cognitive is an ability which is rarely found in all levels of human resource (Wright, et al, 1994). Since these rare competencies are distributed uniformly amongst the talent pool, therefore, quality human resource is rare (Lado and Wilson 1994). Human Resource as inimitable According to Wright et al (1994), If the competitive advantage gained through having a high quality skilled worker is easily imitable, then it not possible for human resource to constitute as a source of sustained competitive advantage. According to the RBV of competitive advantage, SHRM researches argue that the high quality workers can be imperfectly imitable, if they possess pre-requisites such as, unique historical background, casual ambiguity and social intricacy (Elliot, 2003). Furthermore, to sustain a competitive advantage, the human resource must also be imperfectly mobile i.e. that cannot be traded as regularly as possible (Amit Shoemaker; Grant; Peteraf, cited in Elliot 2003). However, William (1992) argues that nothing lasts forever and no matter what the organisation does, its competitive advantage will eventually be copied by its competitors. Therefore, he purposes the idea of First mover advantage- how fast an organization can maneuver across a range of competitive co nditions. Human Resource as non-substitutable Not able to be substituted mean that there must be no strategically equivalent valuable resources that are themselves either not rare or imitable (Barney 1991:111). Alternatively, if the resources are not rare and imitable, the other firms will be able to easily create and implement same business model and strategies, thus, invalidating the benefits of competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). However, it is widely argued that the biggest advantage to human resource is the fact that every person is genetically unique in a way that no two people are exactly identical, thus they are heterogeneous resource (Barney Wright, 1997; Wright et al, 1994; Pfeffer, 1995). In addition, human resources is the only source in an organisation, which has the potential to not to grow obsolete and can be easily introduced to new technologies, products and markets (Wright, et a, 1994). Furthermore, the time human resource spends in an oragnisation, adds to the experience which in turn adds to the total valu e of the organisation (Barney Wright, 1997). Applying RBV to SHRM and sustained competitive advantage As it is mentioned in para.2.1 that SHRM is a set of those HR policies and practices, which are designed to achieve long-term organizational goals. Though field of SHRM has not directly born of the RBV, it has clearly been instrumental to its development (Wright; Dunford; Snell: 2001). It was largely due to the fact that RBV shifted the view from external (environmental) factors to internal firm resources as a source of competitive advantage (Hoskisson: 1999). Therefore, amalgamation of RBV into SHRM should come as no surprise to the practitioners around the world. HR practices and sustained competitive advantage The potential of HR practices to establish a source of sustained competitive advantage has been argued greatly amongst academic researchers (Wright, et al: 2001). Two arguments came in quick succession in 1994. Wright et al (1994) suggested that HR practices (tools used to manage human pool), when studied under the RBV, VRIO framework (Barney and Wright: 1997), does not form the basis of sustained competitive advantage. As, individual HR practices can easily be imitated by competitors. Alternatively, they proposed that only the human resource capital (highly skilled and highly motivated workforce) has the potential to become the source of sustained competitive advantage for a firm (Elliot: 2003).In contrast, Lado and Wilson (1994) argued that HR practices are in fact the source of sustained competitive advantage for firm because HR systems (opposite to individual practices) can be unique, informally ambiguous and synergetic in way they develop firm competencies. Thus, HR practices wi th all its complementariness and interdependencies would be impossible to be copied by another competitor. This argument seems valid in the current SHRM paradigm (Wright, et al: 2001). Development and performance management The constant development in the field of SHRM has rendered RBV to achieve some consensus on the role of human resource in achieving sustained competitive advantage (Wright et al: 2001). These factors are illustrated in Fig.2.5. Fig.2.5: A model of basic strategic HRM components C:UsersShahrukhDesktop1-s2.0-S0149206301001209-gr1.gif Source: Journal of Management (2001) The components depicted in Fig.2.5 are only the levers by which a pool of human capital can be developed (Wright et al, 1994). The role of managers in a firm is inherently limited, when it comes to defining the sources of sustained competitive advantage under VRIO framework (wright et al 2001). However, Wright et al (1994) argues that the managers can play a vital role in developing a pool human capital (highly skilled and motivated workers) by superior HR practices such as: Extensive selection and recruitment process Systems to attract, identify and retain high quality employees Training programs aimed at increasing and developing individual skills and competencies Attractive wages and compensation packages Based on Wright et als(1994) model, Elliot(2003) suggests that the next aim of an HR manager is to affect the individual behavior of employees by introducing Performance Management Systems supportive of firms competitive strategy. For example, Reward systems, Appraisal systems, communication systems and socialization systems and encourage employees to improve their individual performance, where by, they can deliver and act in the best interest of the organization (Wright et al, 1994). Link between theory practice- Cafà © Expresso Here, we will link theory to practice, by practically, adding the example from the case-study on Cafà © Expresso. After Ben Thomson (CEO) decided to re-launch Cafà © Expressos business strategy, the main emphasis of his program was the refurbishment of HR department. As, this discussion focuses on modern HRM theories and practices in light of RBV, it is evident that the new HR director, Kam patel, applied almost the same strategy. For example: To start with, they set aside the external (outside-in) environment (Michigan model by Devanna et al (1984) and Porters forces model (1985)) and focused on the firms internal (Inside-out) HRM strategy and practices (RBV of the firm by Barney (1991) and Wright et al (1994)). Due to high turn-over of employees in the industry and weak retention, they identified the key human capital of the company, as a source of competitive advantage (based on Wright et al, 1994). Kam Patel, with her futuristic and modern approach, transformed the HR function as Partner Resources (based on Holbeche, 2009; Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005). She introduced performance management systems, for example, objective and development needs, in relation to knowledge, technical skills and behavioral skills. Performance appraisal was conducted bi-annually and feedback from customers and peers were included in the process. (Based on Wright et al, 1994; Elliot, 2003). Under the VRIO framework (Barney, 1991), Cafà © Expresso did manage to create Value, Rarity, Inimitability and non-substitutability through their superior HR practices. Value and Rarity by introducing learning and development feature in their HR practice, for example, new recruits were encouraged to spend time on the floor. They spent a day in Cafà © Expresso development Centre, learning the company history and coffee industry. They were made Cafà © expresso ambassador by taking part in the coffee master program. They were groomed through mentor system, where both baristas and managers were provided with a buddy, who would support and provide assistance in their job. In addition, the new resourcing technique (window advertsing and word of mouth) meant that most of their selected partners were actually loyal customers in the past, which is a rare human resource pool in a firm (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). In-imitability and non-substitutability is measured by the fact that cafà © expresso possessed a unique team of partners (mostly former customers) with the same love and passion for coffee house experience amongst them. Furthermore, the retention strategy offered was of high quality and included wide range of benefits, for example, share option scheme and discount of 30% was offered to partners on all cafà © expresso stores. In addition, they empowered their partners to provide suggestions and ideas. Partner Voice a company magazine was introduced, by which all employees were kept aware of all the activities of the company (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). Conclusion One of the objectives, set in the introduction part of this paper was to analyse the HRM strategy of Cafà © Expresso in light of Barneys (1991) Resource Based Theory. It is proven from the discussion that Cafà © Expresso did work on its HR policies and practices based on the reigning Resource Based Theory by Barney and Wright. The link between Cafà © Expressos HR practices and companys performance has been established through the above mentioned theory. For example, when Ben Thomson did not find any solution in the external (industrial) environment, he turned his focus inside the company and immediately discovered problems in the internal resources; out of which the most important one was the HR function. With RBV of the firm he added value to the firm by employing an experienced HR director Kam Patel. She in turn added more value and rarity to the firm by introducing empirical HR strategies and unparalleled performance management systems. The result was that Cafà © Expresso star ted to grow and moved to second place in the industry (Harzing Pinnington, 2011). It has been established that human resource can become a source of competitive advantage in the industry, as well as, a possible source of sustained competitive advantage when scrutinized under VRIO framework (Wright et al, 1994). Furthermore, Cafà © Expresso did achieve the competitive advantage they hoped for, but the true test of the robustness of their strategy is in fact sustainability and development of the same. Finally, is it enough for Cafà © Expresso to not to worry any more about their current competitive advantage, as, they have fulfilled all the prerequisites of the Resource Based Theory of competitive advantage laid down in the paper? The answer will be discussed in the Recommendations part. Recommendations Despite the debate amongst strategists and scholars continue, regarding the effectiveness of RBV, there is no denying the fact that sustainability is the function of companys key resources and their immobility (Brahma Chakraborty, 2011). Undoubtedly, the question is what makes these resources absolutely, valuable? Petraf and Barney (2003:312) state that, Resource Based Theory (RBT) is not the only or a best substitute for industrial level analytical tools, such as five-force analysis (Porter, 1980) or for group analysis or analysis of macro environment. It is relatively an additional tool to complement all these tools, where by, one can search for possible causes of sustained competitive advantage. In view of the above, I have come up with following recommendations for cafà © expresso and their issue of sustained competitive advantage: Aphorism: Innovate or Die is a famous saying these days, which warns companies to innovate or face the consequences of being driven out of the market for good (Barney, Ketchen Wright, 2011). Rapid advancement in the field of Information sharing technologies, Globalisation and dynamic economic environment are some of the factors, which pose an existent threat to any companys competitive advantage in the market. Companies, such as Cafà © Expresso, should not only rely on one successful strategy for long but should constantly revise and develop new ideas to develop and maintain their competitive advantage. How time affects strategy? The common denominator is time; this approach helps managers become proactive in creating change- in policies, in practices and in processes. Williams (1992) suggested this theory for sustained competitive advantage, which I believe holds much valid in todays fierce business environment. The success in this theory is embedded in the managers ability to change the rules of the game so entirely that the competitors are left behind in the chase. The management of cafà © expresso should keep their options open and avoid fixation. Futuristic leadership at all levels in the organisation is one of the key factors to sustained competitive advantage. A visionary team of managers will push the organization towards innovation and creativity, avoiding stagnation in the process. Ben Thomson (current CEO) should constantly monitor market for new avenues and trends in the coffee house industry. He should also develop and train his key managers to become visionary and creative. Capacity for change is an all-time important element of a sustained competitive advantage. Due to highly fluid business environment, where new technologies and features enter the market every day, a company should possess a capacity to change its internal business ethos accordingly. Human resource in an organization has a great capacity to change and being exposed to new environments. Being Customer focused is last but not the least of worries for a company such as, cafà © expresso. The kind of industry in which it operates is directly involved in customer service and satisfaction. Much study has been done on customer service and retention in the past two decades or so, because the focuses of almost all the businesses have now shifted in the direction of its customers. The future of entire coffee house business is embedded in this single aspect.

Indigenous Irrigation Knowledge and Sustainable Development in Asia :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Indigenous Irrigation Knowledge and Sustainable Development in Asia David Groenfeldt suggests that village communities need to organize and stabilize their own resources, initially, which will strengthen the development capacity of the village and help to establish an independent institution. Groenfeldt argues that the classic development solution of bringing in and applying new ideas is less efficient in the long run because local indigenous ways are already established and being practiced. The one major point that Groenfeldt makes in his argument for sustainable development is the idea that community involvement from day one needs to be present before the project even has a chance at succeeding. The author writes in order to relay the message that success starts from the bottom up and that developers need to include the communities in the development and design stages of a project so that when the developer leaves the project will sustain itself. In beginning, one needs to know some basic information on the knowledge presented in the article. In particular, Groenfeldt talks about a charitable organization referred to as AKRSP (Aga Khan Rural Support Programme). This organizations purpose is to raise the spirits of communities through productive development. One example of this organization's work, dealt with a community that was struggling with its irrigation canals. This organizations primary concern is not developing a successful irrigation system, but it is to expand and build up the knowledge of the community. If the community knows more about the "nuts and bolts" of the situation than the community can develop plans to improve their irrigation system. These plans will be overseen by a trained government or Non-Governmental Official, but the framework and the structure of the system will be developed in such a way that the people will be efficiently running the program on their own. In addition, these projects will be chosen from the community’s top priorities instead of from the priorities of outside officials. This system will again aid in sustainability because the people will be excited and encouraged from the beginning. Groenfeldt develops a three-step plan of the AKRSP approach. The first point that he makes about the AKRSP approach is the idea that the villagers in this community need to come to a collective understanding about what the project will be and how the goal of the project will be accomplished.

The Fat Lady Essay -- character Analysis, Dr. Yalom, Betty

The Fat Lady Book Report In the third story of Loves Executioner: â€Å"The Fat lady†, Dr. Yalom decides to treat a twenty-seven year old overweight woman named, Betty. Though Dr. Yalom was reluctant to treat Betty at first due to her being overweight, Dr. Yalom decided to put his counter-transference issues aside and views treating Betty as a way to improve his skills as a therapist. Not only does Dr. Yalom learn throughout working with Betty that there was more substance to her than he had initially had thought, as throughout the course of treatment Dr. Yalom connected with Betty, overcoming his counter-transference issues, while helping her uncover the pathology of her depression and the reasons for her binge eating. During Betty and Dr. Yalom’s first initial meeting, Yalom is taken back by Betty’s physical appearance as he goes into explicit detail for his distaste for fat woman as he states, â€Å"I always been repelled by fat women. I find them disgusting: their absurd sidewise waddle, their absence of body contour, breasts, buttocks, shoulders, jaw lines, and cheekbones, everything I like to see in a woman obscured in an avalanche of flesh.† (Yalom, 2000 p. 94) Dr. Yalom then asks Betty what is troubling her, which she tells Yalom that she has been depressed since she has moved to California due to a job transfer and her eating has been out of control. Dr. Yalom, realizing his counter transference issues may make it hard for him to relate, or even treat Betty, instead views Betty as a challenge of being able to overcome his aversion toward fat women and decides to wholeheartedly give all the time and dedication into treating her. (Yalom, 2000) In the next few sessions, Dr. Yalom finds Betty’s endless chatter about her life unin... ...anged; embarrassing Yalom admits he did not feel comfortable with obese people. Betty berates Dr. Yalom, telling him that he never once touched her in the whole therapy session, let alone look at her directly for the first six months. Betty then lets Yalom know that ironically she as well cannot stand fat people either which is the reason why she has hates groups. Dr. Yalom then gives her a hug, surprised that he is able to put his arms around the once obese two hundred and fifty pound woman. Not only in the end did Dr. Yalom learn to move past his counter-transference issues he had with fat women, but he grew with his patient as they both took something away from therapy, Dr. Yalom became more empathetic towards Betty’s despite her initial obese appearance. As with Betty as she not only lost weight, but she became more confident in herself and intimate with others.

henry ford :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry Ford, born July 30, 1863, was the first of William and Mary Ford's six children. He grew up on a prosperous family farm in what is today Dearborn, Michigan. (Teachers D.) It was early on that Henry showed a strong dislike for his farm chores and interests in all types of mechanical things. (Editors 205.) In 1879 at the very young age of only sixteen Henry left home for Detroit the present day motor city.(Ford Motor C.) In Detroit Henry worked as an apprentice to a machinist.(Wik 190.) Returning home to help with farming from time to time he remained in his apprenticeship for 3 years.(Ford Motor C.) In the years to follow Henry more or less drifted in his work such as operating or repairing steam engines, finding occasional work in a Detroit factory, and over-hauling his father's farm implements, as well as lending a reluctant hand with other farm work.(Dahlinger 12.) However In 1889 with the marriage to his wife Clara Bryant he was forced to find a steady job to support them an d worked by running a saw mill. (Teachers D.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1891, Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. By doing making this decision it showed that Ford had decided to concentrate his job and work to industrial pursuits. His promotion to Chief Engineer in 1893 gave him enough extra time and money to devote attention to his personal experiments on internal combustion engines. (Yenne 150.) In 1896 his experiments produced a result; he made a quadricycle that had a steering wheel and a two speed engine with no reverse. (Teachers D.) Although this sounds like a very impressive feat Ford was not the first to build a self-propelled vehicle with a gasoline engine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After two unsuccessful attempts to establish a company to manufacture automobiles, the Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 with Henry Ford as vice-president and chief engineer. (Editors 9.) The small company produced only a few cars a day at the Ford factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. Groups of two or three men worked on each car from components ordered in by other companies. (Yenne 45) Henry Ford realized his dream of producing an automobile that was reasonably priced, reliable, and efficient with the introduction of the Model T in 1908. (XXXX) â€Å"This vehicle initiated a new era in personal transportation. It was easy to operate, maintain, and handle on rough roads, immediately becoming a huge success.

Cultures of Pakistan Essay

Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Culture may be defined as behavior peculiar to human beings, together with material objects used. Culture consists of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, codes, institution, tools, techniques, works of arts, ceremonies and so on. According to Allama Iqbal: â€Å"Culture encompasses all the mental, Spiritual and Physical activities of a Nation. It includes the basic beliefs and faith, values and literature, art and architecture, music and mode of dress, manners and customs prevalent in a given Society.† PAKISTANI CULTURE IS A ISLAMIC CULTURE Pakistan is an ideological Islamic State. Its very existence is due to Islam, so the Pakistani culture is primarily based on the Islamic way of life. All other ingredients of culture are inspired by Islam. Pakistani culture is highlighted by its grandeur, simplicity, firm convictions and noble deeds and ideas. If we study the cultures of Pakistan there are four different types of cultures at provincial level. They are different from each other in some aspects and similar in some aspects. Punjab People: Punjabi people are very warm hearted and fun loving. Punjabis are heterogeneous group comprising of different tribes, clans, communities and are known to celebrate each and every tradition of their culture. Some popular casts of Punjabi’s are; Jats, Maliks, Mughals, Arains, Gujjars, Awans, Rajputs, Gakhars, Khokhars, Sheikhs, Aheers, Kambohs, Niazis, Legharis, Khosas, Dogars, Thaheem, Mirani, Qureshis, and Syeds. Languages: Punjabi is the provincial language of Punjab. It is spoken as the first language by majority people in Punjab, even spoken and understood in areas beyond the confines of Punjab. Facts and figures show that Punjabi language is spoken as first language by 44% of Pakistanis. Urdu language is also commonly spoken in this region. Key Punjabi languages/dialects are: Dresses: Costumes of Punjab are an indication of the bright and vibrant culture and lifestyle of the people. The costumes are a mix of colours, comfort and beauty and Punjab is well known for the use of phulkari(embroidery) in its costumes. In most of the villages of Punjab men wear Pagri(turban), dhoti/lacha, kurta, khusa. Women wear gharara, or choridar pajama or colorful shalwar kameez, paranda, choli/duppata, khusa, kola puri chappal or tillay wali jutti. Whereas in urban areas of Punjab men and women follow latest trends and fashion, generally they wear different styles of shalwar kameez. Cuisine: The extensive cuisine of Punjab can be vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Most Punjabi food is eaten with either rice or roti. There are some dishes that are exclusive to Punjab such as Mah Di Dal, Paratha, Makai ki rotti, Saron Da Saag, and in cities Choley, Haleem, Baryani and other spicy dishes are popular. In beverages, tea is consumed in all seasons and as a custom most of Punjabis serve tea to their guests. Punjabis are also fond of Zarda, Gulab-Jamuns, Kheer, Jalaibi,Samosy, Pakorey etc. During summers people drink lassi, doodh-soda, aloo bokharey ka sharbat, lemonade etc. Sports: Punjabi people have fanatical interest in sports. Punjabi’s are fond of kabaddi, and wrestling. Other games being played in Punjab region include Gilli-Danda, Khoo-Khoo, Yassu-Panju, Pitho-Garam, Ludo, Chuppan-Chupai, Baraf-Panni, Kanchy and some major sports include cricket, boxing, horse-racing, hockey and football. Cultural Festivals: There are numerous festivals which are celebrated by Punjabi people including some religious festivals such as Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi, Jumu’ah, Laylat-ul-Qadr etc. Urcs (devotional fairs),which are held at the shirnes of sufi saints, Melas and Nomaish (exhibitions). Lahori’s are famous all over the country for their celebrations particularly for Basant festival (kite flying) in the spring season. Dance and Music: Bhangra is most commonly known Punjabi music genre and dance style. Punjabis passionately love folk songs/music, Qawali and Punjabi music  is recognized throughout the world. The Tabla, Dhol, Dholki, Chimta, Flute and Sitar are all common instruments of this delightful culture. Different forms of dance in Punjab are: Loddi, Dhamal, Sammi, Kikli, Gatka, Bhangra, Giddha and Dandiya. Customs and Rituals: Some of the customs followed in Punjab have no foundation in Islam. However, the Punjabi culture has adopted those ceremonies and traditions from Hindu culture. Birth Rituals: Punjabis celebrate birth of their child with great enthusiasm. Grandfather or grandmother or some respected elder member from the family puts honey with their index finger in child’s mouth called Ghutii. Sweets are distributed among friends and relatives and people bring gifts for the child and mother. Generally on 7thday child’s head is shaven and Aqiqa ceremony is held, also sheep/goat is slaughtered. Punjabi Weddings: Punjabi weddings are based on traditions and are conducted with strong reflection of the Punjabi culture followed by several pre-wedding customs and rituals (dholki,mayun,ubtan etc.) Traditional customs and the ceremony generally lasts for 3days, Mehndi, Barat (Nikkah+Ruksati) and Walima, followed by Chauti (bringing the bride back to her parents’ home the next day). Funeral Rituals: At funerals after namaz-e-janaza it is customary to offer lunch to people who came for condolence. On 3rdday of the funeral, Qul is held and every following thursday the Quran is recited (jumah-e-raat) followed by prayers for deceased and after 40days the chaliswaan is held. Literature: Punjab is very rich with literature and Sufis adds more in its literature. Punjabi poetry is renowned for its extremely deep meaning, beautiful and hopeful use of words. The large number of Punjabi poetry is being translated throughout the world into many languages. Some famous poets of Punjabi are Sultan Bahu, Mia Mohammad Baksh, Baba Farid, Shah Hussain, Anwar Masood etc. Waris Shah, whose contribution to Punjabi literature is best-known for his seminal work in Heer Ranjha, known as Shakespeare of  Punjabi language. Bulleh Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, a humanist and a philosopher. The verse from Bulleh Shah primarily employed is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi. Some other popular folk tales of Punjab include Sassi-Punnu, Sohni Mahiwal etc. that are passing through generations. Arts and Crafts: Punjab is the major manufacturing industry in Pakistan’s economy and here each art enjoys a place of its own. The main crafts created in the highlands and other rural areas of Punjab are basketry, pottery, bone work, textile, cloth woven on handlooms, cotton, silk etc. embroidery, weaving, carpets, stone craft, jewelry, metal work along with truck art and other wood works. Baluchistan Baloch culture is opposite to the general perception about it. Though Balochistan is an area of barren lands, deserts and mountains, the Baloch culture is full of traditions, arts and crafts. Balochi embroidery is one of the most popular arts and crafts which are done by the females. Baluchistan is also known for its tribes and festivals. Another distinct feature of Baloch culture is the storytelling tradition. Poets and story tellers are highly respected in Baloch culture. Language: The people belonging to Baloch tribe speak balochi language. Marriages: In Baloch culture marriages are different and unique than in the other provinces of the country. The marriages are according to Islamic principles in presence of a Mullana along with the presence of witnesses. Every member of the family takes part in the marriage; they express their joy and happiness by following the traditions of their culture. Usually the marriages are done in young ages (teenage) but are arranged in early childhood or at birth. Dressing : Like all the other provinces of Pakistan the national dress shalwar kameez with distinct additions and modifications are worn in Baloch culture. Turban is the common headwear of Bloch men along with wide loose shalwar along with knee-long shirts. Females dress consists of a shirt  having a big pocket and embroidery and embedded round mirror work in front. A big Dupatta/ Chaddar is taken to cover the head and shoulders. Festivals : Both religious and social festivals are celebrated by Baloch people. The religious festivals are same as across the country like Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fiter. Baloch culture is full of many social festivals like Sibi festival which has folk music performance, cultural dances, handicrafts stalls, cattle shows and a number of other entertaining activities showing the colorful side of Baloch people. Music: Baloch culture is rich in folk music dances and songs. Famous wedding songs of Baloch culture are Nazenk and Salonk. The instruments used are mainly a flute, locally called Nal, Tamboora and Soroz. A common Baloch folk dance is known as Dochaap. Women also move in a circle clapping their hands on certain occasions. Other dances include the Lewa, Latti and Hambo. Food: Usually Baloch people have meals in morning and evening. Men and women eat separately. Wheat, millet and rice are part of the Baloch meal. Meat is also an important part; â€Å"Sajji† is the favorite dish of most people. Sajji is the food eaten with knife other than that Baloch people usually eat with hands. Milk, butter and vegetables are also part of Baloch cuisine. Sports: Popular games include chauk, and Ji. Also games like wrestling, horse racing, shooting and hunting pastimes among the wealthier people of tribes. Card games and gambling are also popular among groups of some tribes. Sindh Sindh is one of the four provinces in Pakistan located at the Southern border. The province of Sindh has been named after the famous River Indus. In Sanskrit, the province was dubbed Sindhu meaning an ocean. Language: Sindhi language is an ancient language spoken in Pakistan and many other parts of the world. Government of Pakistan issues National Identity Cards to its citizens only in two languages; Sindhi and Urdu. Festivals: The people of Sind love their religion and the two festivals of Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-ul-Fitr are celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm.  Different domestic festivals are arranged by the local people to provide people with new things they buy on Eid’s occasion. On different occasions, the Folk dance of Bhagat is also performed by professionals to entertain the visiting people. Hence, a Sindhi Cultural Festival is a compound of folk dances, music and cheap entertainment for local people. Lifestyle: People of Sindh are more inclined towards an agricultural based lifestyle. The fertile Indus Plains provide a valuable source of income for the local people who practice farming on these lands. Inland fishing is also practiced along the Indus River in Upper Sind providing further opportunities for local people. Itinerant way of lifestyle is commonly seen in the desertic regions of Thar where people move from place to place in search for drinking water sources along with their animals. Arts and Music: Sindhi society is dominated by great Sufis, the mystics and the martyrs. It has always been the land of peace, love, romance, and great cultural and artistic values. There were the great theologians of the Naqsh bandi order in Thatta who translated the fundamentals of the religion of Islam into their mother tongue. There were the great Sufi (mystic) poets like Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai who was the cherisher of truth and spent all his life in its propagation, pursuit and quest. Bhitai was also an excellent musician. He invented a new type of musical instrument, Tambura (drone instrument), which till today, is a primary source of music in rural Sindh. The beauty of Shah’s verses is enhanced by his blending of traditional Indian rag with the Sindhi folk songs and music. Cultural character:The ancient Sindhi civilization was the place, where the aesthetic utilization of leisure was freely indulged. There has been evidence, that the excavations of sites dating back to 3000 B.C. (all over Sindh) is also true, around 1200 years ago when Jaina Dakshiniya Chihna (778 A.D.) described the distinguished features of Sindhi’s in this way: â€Å"Elegant, with a lovely, soft and slow gait, they are fond of the art of harvas (that is, songs, music and dancing) and full affection towards their country.† Sindhi’s celebrate Sindh Cultural day worldwide on 6th December by wearing Ajrak & Sindhi Topi on that time. Pashtun The history and the origins of Pathans has been a controversial debate however not much of a consensus could be formed . There were theories ranging from Pakhtuns having an Aryan, Jewish, Arab or mixed origin. None was convincing enough to form a conclusion. Patahns are extremely obsessed and curious to know about their origin of their race, however it might not be a major concern for many other races. Holidays , special events and Traditions: Gham khadi,Wada Koidana,Topak tamacha,hujra,kat bistara along with those is the arrival of Sparlay or Spring, known as Nava Wroz (New Day), is also celebrated by some Pashtuns. It is an ancient annual Pashtun festival which celebrates both the beginning of spring and the New Year. Amongst some Pashtuns, Sheshbeeyeh, a prelude festival to Nava Wroz is also celebrated. Food: One of the most famous dishes includes tikkah,serge,sugi ka halwa,kawa,chapali kabab,kabala palao,special long naans. And many more Poetry: Pathan are very famous for their poetry ,they are very passionate and patriotic which is obvious from their poetry. Some of the famous poets are include Amir Kror Suri, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba and many others. Dances Attan: In this dance, the dancers perform to the music.This dance is performed by both the genders involving 2-5 steps, ending with a clap given while facing the center, after which the process is repeated again. This dance is typically performed with the musician dictating the duration and speed. Khattak dance: The Khattak Dance is performed by the Khattak tribe. Mahsud dance: A unique dance routine using rifles performed by the Mahsud tribe of Pashtuns. Originally it was used to dance at the time of war, but later on became a cultural dance. The dancers dance empty handed and require only large drums. Nowadays though it is danced with the guns in the dancers hand. Waziri dance: Two drummers and a flute player play a particular tune. Two persons leave the circle; go dancing towards the drummers, and come back  dancing in the same manner. During performing both the persons turn around two times at a time once towards each other facing face to face and once keeping faces in opposite direction. After doing this separately they march while dancing to the assembled crowd. Clothing: Pashtun men usually wear a Partoog-Korteh in Pashto(salwar kameez is Urdu)with a pakul (Pashtun hat). In the Kandahar region young men usually wear different type of hat similar to a topi and in the Peshawar region they wear white kufis instead. Leaders or tribal chiefs sometimes wear a karakul hat, like Hamid Karzai and others. Women and girls wear traditional long dresses with a light piece of cloth used to cover their hair.They also wear beautiful hand made jewellery. And beautiful pakhtoon frocks. Sports: Some Pashtuns participate in buzkashi, which is a sport introduced in the region during the Mughal era.. The word â€Å"buz† means â€Å"goat† and â€Å"kashi† means â€Å"dragging† or â€Å"pulling†. Not a team sport, it is every man for himself and that becomes apparent as soon as the game starts. Although buskashi is primarily an individual sport, alliances are built up between various players. Between the alliances, the strongest players finally take control .This is very similar to polo. Football is another sports very enjoyablely played by pathans of Khyber pahktoonwar.

Building Working Relationships With Customers Essay

Effective communication strategies can help towards building strong working relationships with clients and customers and are very important for the progress of any company. It is essential to create a good impression and therefore it is important that the employee’s self presentation meets the expectations of the customer and leaves them with an overall positive opinion. Employee’s appearance is essential for creating a good first impression to the customer. It is important to look professional and to dress appropriately according to your working environment. While some companies require smart dress code at all times, for others wearing a suit may be seen as too dressy and would suggest that the employee is not familiar enough with the type of business. Ideally employees have to carefully consider the type of clients their company is aiming for and do their best to associate themselves with them, always aiming for a neat and tidy appearance. Major factor for one’s self presentation is their attitude towards clients. It is vital to show interest in meeting the customer’s needs and making them feel valued. A successful employee always shows engagement to a query and ideally aims to be more-productive, customer-focused and profit-gathering. Their manners should display positivity and helpful attitude at all times. It is important to be attentive and respond appropriately to customers’ needs and focus on delivering business results. Satisfied customers are likely to give good feedback about your work and are more likely to remain loyal, making future purchases repeatedly. They are considered a real asset to the organisation and ideally would still choose to use the same company over going for a competitor’s services. Moreover their positive feedback can attract new potential clients, contribute towards achievement of wider business goals for the company and make it more successful at the marketpla ce. In order to be able to deal more efficiently with their clients’ needs, companies have various protocols designed to improve their employees’ customer service and productivity. The protocols consist of a set of guidelines covering the correct conduct towards customers, setting out the main duties which customer-facing employees have to be able to carry out. Thus the company ensures that its employees are delivering a consistently high level of  service to the customers. Protocols usually cover key areas of customer service describing how to appropriately respond to customers and how to refer to a relevant individual. This may include telephone etiquette – aiming to answer a phone call within three rings and greeting the customer with an exact phrase before taking their details. Responding to e-mails on the same day using the correct wording and sending out letters along with a complimentary slips from the company. It can also cover logging details and processes on to a specific database, creating customer files and recording different actions and outcomes of employee’s daily duties – for example completing flow chart templates showing the progress of a certain task or a project. Protocols are important not only for improving the standards of general customer service and minimising the possibility of errors, but also to protect employees from occasions where unfair claims and disciplinary proceedings which may occur. In my job role as an administrator at a traineeship provider company, I rarely have to contact any external customers and my clients are assessors working at different departments of the same organisation. I am responsible for processing their new learners registrations and have to follow a certain guidelines on a daily basis to ensure my work is done correctly. When receiving a new request I register our new learners for the relevant qualification with the correct awarding body and enter their details on to an online registrations system. The next step is liaising with a colleague from finance department and issuing a purchase order number. I have to make a copy of the new registration details and keep in the learners file. According to my company’s protocol I have to complete all new registrations within two days from the original submission date and get back to the assessors by e-mail once I have dealt with their request. Although there is no formal etiquette I have to follow when responding to them, it is important that I stick to the protocol and ensure all data is correctly processed and saved. Appropriate communication between customers and employees is essential for any company’s progress. Showing respect in every interaction is vital and there is certainly no place for negative or rude attitude towards the client. Good telephone manner and polite face-to-face communication is equally important in both formal and informal situations. If any differences in views or ideas occur employees should first try to understand them from the client’s perspective  and then respond by emphasizing what they can do to help resolving the matter. Unfortunately, customers are more likely to s peak up and make a complaint about a bad customer experience, rather than giving feedback about a positive one. On occasions when someone has raised a complaint to me within my company I listen to the client without passing any judgements or rushing to give an advice and follow through with stating what I can do to help resolve the problem. It is important that the customers see a quick and appropriate response to their issue, know that that I am looking forward to helping them and that my organisation cares about providing them with a solution. In situations where I think I cannot resolve a client’s problem I seek advice and help from a manager or a more experienced employee. I focus on issues and not personalities when I address and pass on the complaint and express appreciation when others give me assistance. In situations when a client has complained about an error made by an employee from my company, the situation is usually dealt with by a department manager or coordinator, who ensures that the customer receives the necessary compensation and that the same mistake would not be mad e again in future. Customer satisfaction is essential for the survival of any business, therefore it is important that the client’s needs should be met and if possible – exceeded. To do that, companies look for employees who can identify what the client is looking for and provide with good service. This can prove to be a challenging task as customer needs are a dynamic feature, based on a wide range of changing factors and it can be difficult to know exactly what someone is looking for. Common basic expectations are helpful high quality products or services and competitive pricing. Employees should be prepared to go above and beyond to satisfy the customer expectations, as this will increase the sales and create additional business opportunities. It is important that needs should be met because then there is a better possibility that the client will choose to do business with the organisation. However, if their expectations of customer service are exceeded they are likely to become loyal customers and use other services in future. Thus the company will stand out, differentiate from the rest of its competitors and has better chances of expanding. Positive worki ng relations with any customer will bring more investments and will make the organisation more popular on the market. It will also allow the employees to get to know  their customers better, find the right matches for their needs and find new ways to deal effectively with any problems or complaints. Important aspect in building good working relationships is agreeing on certain quality standards and timescales for their requests. By doing so, both parties are agreeing on setting a specific target and the company can make sure it stays focused on the right needs of the customer and knows exactly what has to be done so that the clients are satisfied with the end result. It encourages new improvements and ensures consistency in service. Reviewing customer service provision is the process through which the company receives and evaluates feedback for their services to their clients. There are various ways to do this and most popular ones are informal feedback and completing surveys, comments book and questionnaires. My company often uses online evaluation sheets and has also dedicated a section from its official webpage for comments and suggestions. Customers can choose to remain anonymous when sharing their customer service experience. Although feedback information important, yet sometimes difficult to obtain, companies need to ensure their customers are not pressurised to participate in the evaluation if they are not interested to do so. Building good working relationships with clients helps towards the continuous improvement of companies services, brings more profits and attracts new potential customers.