HRM Strategic Interventions Overview

HRM Strategic Interventions Overview Although human resource management is a phrase which has been in use for over 40years, it did not come to the fore as a distinctive approach to managing people until the mid 1980s, when it became generally known as HRM. The vocabulary for managing the employment relationship has undergone a change. Personnel Management has increasingly given way to human resource management (HRM) or, better still to strategic human resource management (SHRM). It was charted/noticed in the writings of US academics and managers (for example, Tichy et al., 1982; Fombrun et al., 1984; Beer et al., 1985; Walton and Lawrence, 1985; Foulkes, 1986). This was, however, taken up by both UK managers (for example, Armstrong, 1987; Fowler, 1987) and UK academic (for example, Hendry and Pettigrew 1986; Guest, 1987; Miller, 1987; Storey, 1987; Torrington and Hall, 1987). By the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s it became a common term. Strengthening this change was the emergence, in 1990, of two new academic journals Human Resource Management Journal and International Journal of Human Resource Management. It heralded the pushing-aside of personnel-management and the solidification of HRM. Perhaps the most important reason why HRM emerged as the dominant philosophy for managing people in the 1980s is that chief executives, prompted by economic and business trends, and the view of a number of influential writers such as those mentioned abov e and Kanter (1984), at last began to appreciate that competitive advantage is achieved through their employees i.e. the people who implement the corporate plan, and that they must do something about seeing that it happens in their own organisation. Porter (1985), another highly influential writer captured this view when he wrote: HRM is an integral part of the value chain at firm level. The impact of global competition, complexity, technological change and shifts in employee values have affected UK as well as US chief executives, and it has been said by Fowler (1987) that HRM represents the discovery of personnel management by chief executives. For years, chairmen in their annual reports have been paying lip-service to the message people are important. Now, however, competitive pressures from one-culture, high-commitment firms, and changes in employees expectations have indicated the need for action instead of words to obtain fuller use of their human resources. Having said all these I intend to discuss HRM in perspective, its various strategic interventions (SHRM) and analyse/focus more on Performance Management. I will also highlight the challenges and benefits of this strategic intervention using a particular model and how it truly improves an organisations effectiveness. Understanding HRM A common theme within the human resource management (HRM) literature in recent years has been the adoption of HRM practices designed to achieve high levels of employee performance, flexibility and commitment. Here, human resource (HR) practices are placed in a much more direct relationship with organisational policy making and performance issues than traditional approaches to personnel management (Bach and Sisson, 2000). In the 1980s, original writers in the area of human resource management (HRM), Beer et al. (1984), stressed that in the face of increasing international competition, organisations had to focus on the value of investments in human resources as a major source of competitive advantage. The transition from personnel management to HRM reflects this emerging organisation-wide commitment to human capital development. The change, however, has activated considerable discussion within the academic literature about the successful strategic positioning of, and responsibility for , HRM (Beer, 1997; Dyer and Holder, 1988; Guest 1987; 1989). The effective use of diverse/different people seems to be the primary assets of any organisation aside from its financial, technological and physical resources therefore it has to be managed effectively and strategically. What then is HRM? There are quite a few descriptions : Beer et al (1984) Human resource management involves all management decisions and actions that affect the relationship between the organisation and employees its human resources. Pettigrew and Whipp (1991) Human resource management relates to the total set of knowledge, skill and attitudes that firms need to compete. It involves concern for and action in the management of people. Bratton and Gold (2003) Human resource management is a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practises. As you can see, the emphasis is, first, on the interests of management, secondly, on adopting a strategic approach, thirdly, on obtaining added value from people by the processes of human resource development and performance management and, finally, on gaining their commitment to the objectives and values of the organisation. We can therefore identify the following as basic characteristic features of HRM: It is a top-management driven activity; The performance and delivery of HRM is a line management responsibility; It emphasizes the need for the integration of business and personnel strategies; It involves the adoption of a comprehensive and coherent approach to employment policies  and practises; Importance is attached to strong cultures and values; It places emphasis on the attitudinal and behavioural characteristics of employees; Employee relations are unitarist rather than pluralist, individual rather than collective, high trust  rather than low trust; Organizing principles are organic and decentralised with flexible roles and more emphasis on  teamwork; Rewards are differentiated according to performance, competence or skill. It is however important to note that these characteristics will be applied in many distinctive ways in different organisations. HRM as practised in America, UK, India, Nigeria or anywhere else will have features which will be affected by economic and political environment, and the industrial relation climates and practices of the country. HRM as practised in any country will depend on the culture and tradition, structure, technologies, products and markets of these countries. Drawing on Squires (2001) work, these practises suggest three basic questions: (1) what do HRM professionals do? (2) what affects what they do? and (3) how do HR professionals do what they do? Firstly, to understand what HRM professionals do we can identify 8 key HRM functions, policies, programmes and practises designed in response to organisational goals and contingencies, and managed to achieve those goals. These functions contain alternatives from which managers can choose. The functions are: (1) Planning; (2) Staffing; (3) Developing; (4) Motivation; (5) Maintaining; (6) Managing relationships; (7) Managing change and (8) Evaluating. Secondly, to identify what affects what they do, we must understand that HR activities that managers undertake vary from one workplace to another. These variations may be due to the following: (a) external effects (economic, political, legal regulations, social aspects,etc) (b) strategy and (c) organisation (size, work and structure, technology,etc). Lastly, how do HR professionals do what they do? This points to the means or skills by which they accomplish their managerial work. These could include technical, cognitive, and interpersonal skills and processes according to Squires (2000) work. Thus far, I have tried to analyse the origin of HRM and its meaning. I have also shown how it contributes to the functioning of work organisation. Now, this is the important part of my discourse the defining features of HRM the theoretical perspectives. Practice without theory, they say, is blind, Hyman (1989). Models of HRM Like I pointed out before, the extent to which HRM is applied, and how it is applied, will vary considerably according to the type of organisation and the environment in which it operates. This will be governed by the policy goals of the enterprise and may be hard or soft depending on the philosophy of top management. But we can identify five major HRM models ( The Fombrun, Tichy and Devana model: developed by the Michigan school ( Fombrun et al, 1984); The Harvard model: the analytical framework of the Harvard model offered by Beer et al. (1984); The Guest Model (David Guest , 1989,1997), The Warwick Model (Hendry and Pettigrew, 1990) and the Storey Model (Storey, 1992) that seek to demonstrate analytically the qualitative differences between traditional personnel management and HRM. These models fulfil at least 4 important intellectual functions for those studying HRM: (1) they provide an analytical framework for studying HRM ( like stakeholders, situational  factors, strategic choice levels and notions of competence and commitment) (2) they legitimate certain HRM practises/interventions (3) they provide a characterisation of HRM that establishes variables and relationships to be  researched and (4) they serve as a heuristic device something to help us discover and understand the nature  and significance of key HR practices/interventions. The Fombrun, Tichy and Devana model For my discourse here, I shall be applying the above model, (Fig 1), which emphasizes the interrelatedness and coherence of HRM activities/practises or interventions. They introduced the concept of strategic human resource management by which HRM policies are inextricably linked to the formulation and implementation of strategic corporate and/or business objectives (hence the name matching model). This HRM cycle in their model consists of four key constituent components: selection, appraisal ( performance management), rewards and development, these four human resource activities aiming to increase organisational performance. The strength of the model is that it expresses the coherence of internal HR policies and the importance of matching internal HR policies into the organizations external business strategy. What makes the model particularly attractive for many personnel practitioners is the fact that HRM assumes a more important position in the formulation of organisational policie s. This model ultimately introduced the concept of strategic human resource management (SHRM) (Fig 2). A strategic orientation provides the framework within which a coherent approach can be developed to the creation and installation of HRM policies, system and practises or interventions. SHRM is concerned with those decisions which have a major and long-term effect on the employment and development of people in the organization and on the relationships which exist between its management and staff. It will highlight how the organization intends to manage its human resources. These intentions provide the basis for plans, developments and programmes for managing change Hendry and Pettigrew (1986) amplify this with the following: use of planning; a coherent approach to the design and management of personnel systems based on an employment policy and manpower strategy, and often underpinned by a philosophy; matching HRM activities and policies to some explicit strategy; seeing the people of the organisation as a strategic resource for achieving competitive advantage. Guest (1992) argues that such a coherent approach to human resource management policies can also lead, via the generic HRM outcomes of strategic integration, commitment, flexibility/adaptability of the workforce and quality (all necessary ingredients when developing a competitive edge), to the following benefits to the organisation which has adopted SHRM: High job performance; High problem solving, change and innovation; High cost-effectiveness; and Low turnover, absence, grievances. Storey (1992) adds to this list attitude and behaviour changes amongst the workforce, resulting in highly desirable increases in competitive performance. Grant (1991) sums up a now-widely-held view that capabilities are the main source of a firms competitive advantage. SHRM aims to provide the framework within which these key characteristics can be fostered. In essence, SHRM requires a holistic approach, with not only an internal integration between HR practices/interventions(recruitment, selection, rewards mechanisms, appraisal performance management), but also an integration between those practices/interventions summarised in an HR strategy and the organisations strategy overall. Thinking holistically about HRM may lead to a greater degree of success simply because changes envisaged in one area of an organisation (e.g. structures) are more likely to work because all the knock-on effects of such a change have been considered (e.g. recruitment, selection and induction policies). Summarily, SHRM ensures that the culture, style and structure of the organisation, the quality, commitment and motivation of its employees, contribute fully to the achievement of business objectives. HR Strategic Interventions Based on the model I am discussing on I shall look briefly at the practises/interventions: recruitment/selection, rewards, human resource development but focus more on performance management. Selection: This is one of the major practices carried out by any organization in ensuring the selection of the right people to join its workforce (IRS, 1999a). The selection(recruitment) process is concerned with identifying, attracting and choosing suitable people to meet an organisations human resource requirements. While recruitment is searching for and obtaining potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality so that the organisation can select the most appropriate people to fill its job need (Dowling and Schuler, 1990); selection is concerned more with predicting which candidates will make the most appropriate contribution to the organisation now and in the future (Hackett, 1991). There has been correlational data, Terpstra and Rozell (1993) supporting the conclusion that organisations using a wide variety of selection procedures (such as interviews, cognitive ability test, bio data and the evaluation of recruiting sources, etc) had higher levels of overall performan ce, annual profit, and growth in profit. Rewards: Reward management is the process of developing and implementing strategies, policies and systems which help the organisation to achieve its objectives by obtaining and keeping the people it needs and by increasing their motivation and commitment, Armstrong and Murlis (1991). It is also central to the effective management of the employment relationship. It is not just about money but also concerned with intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation; with non-financial, as well as financial rewards. This motivates and leads directly or indirectly to the satisfaction of many needs. It can act as an incentive to improve performance and as a way to recognise success in a highly tangible way. Human Resource Development: Human resource development comprises the procedures and processes that purposely seek to provide learning activities to enhance the skills, knowledge and capabilities of people, teams and the organisation so that there is a change in action to achieve the desired outcome. It incorporates traditional views of training and development but seeks to extend attention to learning throughout an organisation as a strategy to cope with change. The idea of learning at work has become an obvious good thing, and this has led to growing interest in HRD as a profession and its theoretical development, although there are continuing debates about the meaning of HRD. There is evidence to suggest that learning has an impact on an individuals earning power and employment prospects. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance management can be defined as a strategic and integrated approach to increasing the effectiveness of organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors, and also can be seen as a continuous process involving reviews that focus on the future rather than the past . (Baron and Armstrong, 1998: 38-39). Performance management, unlike the performance appraisal or annual evaluation process, is an ongoing assessment of employees in a manner geared to match their goals to the organizational goals. It also makes strong use of goal-setting and metrics to identify progress and areas of individual strengths. It is important to point out here that employees, as well as supervisors, are often confused by the differences between performance management systems and performance appraisals. Performance appraisals, also called Performance evaluations are tools used to measure the effectiveness of an employee; most organizations conduct performance appraisals once a year during an annual evaluation process. A performance management system, however, is much more dynamic. It can use the performance evaluation tool but also incorporates other elements into the performance management cycle. The overall aim of PM is to establish a high performance culture in which individuals and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and for their own skills and contributions within a framework provided by effective leadership. History and Evolution of Performance Management and Appraisal Performance management systems, in various forms, have been employed for nearly two millennia. In the third century AD, the Chinese were not only using performance appraisal systems but were critiquing each others biases in their evaluations of their employees (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995; Evans, 2004). During the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, factory managers became aware of the importance of their employees performance on their production outputs (Grote and Grote, 1996; Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). The development of the philosophy of performance evaluation systems in America has been attributed to such researchers and philosophers as Peter Drucker and Douglas McGregor, who developed ideas of management by objectives (MBOs) and employee motivation (Evans, 2004; Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). Spreigel reported in 1962 that by the early 1960s more than 60% of American organizations had a performance appraisal system. The systems popularity stemmed from the Armys implementation of a performance management system for its officers (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). Since then, researchers have continued to develop theories of how different performance evaluation methods can contribute to the success of the organization. Elements of Performance Management Armstrong (2006) identifies the five elements of performance management as agreement (of employee, unit, and organizational goals), measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement and dialogue (contingency management). These ensure that the performance management process is positive, successful and a boost to employee improvement. Continued feedback and assessment is key to the performance management process as shown in the performance management cycle (Fig 3). There are four main elements of the planning portion of the performance management cycle: role creation and development, objective planning, assessment and development planning. The first step, role creation and development, is important because an employee must understand his or her role in the organization before the performance of that role can be fairly assessed. By first defining the employees goal, a supervisor can then align the employees objectives with the organizational goals. In performance management, employers provi de continuous appraisal through feedback and re-alignment of goals based on performance. Unlike the annual evaluation process, most performance management systems are designed to meet the changing needs of both the organization and the employee. The following are the aims of PM as expressed by a variety of organisations (source IRS, 2003): Empowering, motivating and rewarding employees to do their best. Armstrong World Industries Focusing employees task on the right things and doing them right. Aligning everyones individual goals to the goals of the organisation. Eli Lilly Co Proactively managing and resourcing performance against agreed accountabilities and objectives. ICI Paints The process and behaviours by which managers manage the performance of their people to deliver a high-achieving organisation. Standard Chartered Bank Maximising the potential of individuals and teams to benefit themselves and the organisation, focusing on achievement of their objectives. West Bromwich Building Society The organizations that have chosen to use a performance management process have often done so because the annual evaluation process has failed to meet their appraisal needs. The constant communication loop of performance management enables organizations to meet both the goals of their organization and the development and feedback needs of their employees. In contrast, the  annual evaluation process, which is retrospective in nature, provides no formal opportunity for employees to receive feedback about their performance, request development to increase their efficiency or ask for new goals during the year. Role Creation and Development In order for performance management to be effective, an employee must have a clear understanding of his or her organizational role and responsibilities. Armstrong says that the role profile defines the role in terms of the key results expected, what role holders are expected to know and be able to do and how they are expected to behave in terms of behavioural competencies and upholding the organizations core values. Defining the core competencies for each employee is one step in effective goal creation because it allows the supervisor to communicate personalized feedback. Effective and SMART Objectives Creation There are many different kinds of objectives in an organization. Armstrong identifies that effective objective-setting results in an agreement on what the role holder (employee) has to achieve and is an important part of the performance management processes of defining and managing expectations and forms the point of reference for performance reviews. He also identifies the following types of objectives: 1. ongoing role or work objectives: based on the job description 2. targets: quantifiable goals that should be met 3. tasks/projects: specified results or product 4. behavioural expectations: outlines desirable and undesirable behaviours 5. values: outlines the values of the organization 6. performance improvement: areas that need improvement 7. developmental/learning: provide specific areas to meet improvement needs Luecke (2006) notes that effective objectives are recognized as important, clearly written in specific terms, measurable and framed in time, aligned with organizational strategy, achievable but challenging and supported by appropriate rewards. Armstrong provides the SMART mnemonic, to help set effective objectives S = specific/stretching M = measurable A = achievable/achievable R = relevant T = time framed The creation of appropriate, measurable objectives is key to the performance management process; they provide a framework for assessment and, without them, the performance management system would fail. Assessment of Goal Achievement After defining roles and setting goals, the manager and the employee must determine whether the employee had been successful during the assessment period. If the goals are SMART, then assessing the employees performance will be simple: if the employee met the specific goal within the time frame designated, then the assessment would be a positive one. The most important aspect of the assessment is the performance review. There are many ways to conduct performance reviews. Some organizations conduct reviews at certain intervals throughout the  year; others create a timeline based on the goals developed. Many organizations have employees conduct a self-evaluation prior to the evaluation meeting; Aguinis (2007) identifies that self-appraisals can reduce employees defensiveness during an appraisal meeting and increase employee satisfaction with the performance management system, as well as enhance perceptions of accuracy and fairness and therefore acceptance of the system. Both employees and employers have historically disliked the performance review process. Armstrong reports that most appraisals have existed in a vacuum, with little or no relation to the workplace: employees have resented the superficial nature with which appraisals have been conducted by managers who lack the skills required, tend to be biased and are simply going through the motions. In order to have a productive, positive performance review, Aguinis identifies six recommended steps: 1. Identify what the employee has done well and poorly by citing specific positive and negative behaviours. 2. Solicit feedback from your employee about these behaviours. Listen for reactions and explanations. 3. Discuss the implications of changing, or not changing, the behaviours. Positive feedback is best, but an employee must be made aware of what will happen if any poor performance continues. 4. Explain to the employee how skills used in past achievements can help him overcome any current performance problems. 5. Agree on an action plan. Encourage the employee to invest in improving his performance 6. Set up a meeting to follow up and agree on the behaviours, actions, and attitudes to be evaluated. After creating goals and assessing progress, the employee and employer have identified areas that can be improved; the action plan for this improvement is called development planning. This development plan ensures that employees will continue to meet the needs of the organization through the identification of their weaknesses and the opportunity to address them through workshops, classes, and other educational channels. Quantitative and qualitative advantages The literature findings suggest that the introduction of SPM has a positive impact in terms of revenues, sales and net profit. Various studies (Malina and Selto, 2001; Sim and Koh, 2001; Braam and Nijssen, 2004; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) identified that organizations implementing and using SPM systems were able to achieve an increase in revenue, an increase in profit, a reduction in costs, and a higher ROA. These studies also indicate that organizations that initially used an SPM system suffered decreased results when they reverted, for whatever reason, to traditional measurement systems. Other studies (Kald and Nilsson, 2000; Sim and Koh, 2001; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) showed that organizations using an SPM system experienced a myriad of qualitative benefits, such as improvement in internal communication of the strategy, closer collaboration and better knowledge sharing and information exchange between organizational units, stre ngthened focus on what is important for the business, more focus on the achievement of results, higher quality of performance information, better strategic alignment of organizational units, higher operational efficiency, improvement of management quality, better understanding by people of the organizational strategy, higher commitment of personnel to the organization, more clarity of people of their contribution towards achievement of the strategy and organizational goals, higher innovativeness, better achievement of organizational goals, more pro-activity, more clarity for people about their roles and goals, more effective management control, higher employee satisfaction, stronger process orientation, strengthened reputation of the organization as a quality firm, and a better strategic planning process. Quantitative and qualitative disadvantages Literature findings also show that PM systems are not without disadvantages. Various studies (Kald and Nilsson, 2000; Sim and Koh, 2001; IOMA, Business Intelligence at Work, 2005; Neely HYPERLINK #idb49et al.HYPERLINK #idb49, 2004;) stated that organizations experienced disadvantages after the implementation and subsequent use of SPM but only in non-financial performance terms, no quantitative disadvantages were found in the literature. Disadvantages reported are: too many performance indicators; not enough strategic information in the system; too much internal competition; too expensive and too bureaucratic; performance indicators too subjective and therefore unreliable; performance information too aggregated; too much financial information; and too much historical information. Because of these incredibly negative effects that an improperly conducted performance management system can have on an organization, the system must be implemented thoughtfully and executed consistently. Conclusion Performance management, unlike traditional annual evaluation, provides employees with feedback throughout the year. The system allows constant re-evaluation of goals, progress and performance. This process requires more interaction between the supervisor and supervisee and encourages the professional development of the employee to meet the organizations changing needs. While this more dynamic evaluation process is time-consuming, the increased  productivity levels resulting from performance management have proven to be valuable to many organizations. Lord Kelvin once said: When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you will know something about it [otherwise] your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in thought advanced to the stage of science (cited in Fisher, 1990). So I believe that performance management (which also details performance measurement) is a very vital HRM strategic intervention.

General George Smith Patton Essay -- Papers

General George Smith Patton A burning desire to go forth and reach personal conquests exists inside every man. This passion often navigates the would-be hero into a state of tragedy involving pain and suffering for those around. One individual, in particular, inflicted strain and duress on others with a harsh, and often criticized unorthodox style of leading when he took his campaign across Europe and into Germany. General George Smith Patton, Jr. led an expedition across a continent to rid the world of its Nazi powers. This journey marked the conquest of perhaps the world's greatest war general and his reputable demeanor. Patton experienced respect and admiration throughout his life, starting very early when he was just an infant. He was born into a highly respected and extremely wealthy family in San Gabriel, California. It was this early taste of good fortune that allowed Patton to develop a taste for fine things such as horses. Growing up he was an avid polo player and became very good especially in college. After attending exquisite private schools, Patton left and attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated in 1909. (WB 140) After his graduation, Patton joined the cavalry and eventually served in World War I. Patton was an excellent physical specimen and a strong addition to any early fighting battalion. Along to go with his sleek build was a strong mentality of perseverance and excellence, which he drilled into his life everyday. "From his earliest years, he believed himself destined to be a soldier. Much of his life was spent in the limelight. As a young cavalry officer and well-rounded athlete, he competed in five events during the 1912 Olympic games held in Stockholm, Sweden. He placed ... ... Essame, H. Patton: A Study in Command. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1974. Farago, Ladislas. The Last Days of Patton. New York: McGraw Hill Book Company. 1981. Mysak, Joe. "Patton: The Man Behind the Legend 1885-1945." National Review. 38 (April 25, 1994): 52-53. "An Educated Army." Africe News Service. 11 Feb. 2000: 179. Patton. Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner. 20th Century Fox, 1970. New Line Home Video, 1985. "Patton." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Second Edition. 12. Orozco-Radisson. Cole. Detroit. 1998. "Patton's Plan for Winning the War." Newsweek. 8 Mar. 1999: 48. "General George S. Patton, Jr. Biography." 2000 WriteForCash.com. http://www.allsands.com/generalgeorgep_ra_gn.htm. "George Smith Patton, Jr." GSP. 1 Jun. 1998. http://www.angelfire.com/sys/popup_source.shtml.

Globalization and genocide Essay

The twentieth century has seen a lot of inventions come into being, from the invention of the engine, to the manufacturing of airplanes. Then there came the aspect of globalization. The world that was so large started shrinking on a daily basis until finally, borders seemed to have evaporated into thin air even between continents. Today, a person may be in London in the morning and in the evening he is in Washington. Communication has also been made easier and more efficient in such a way that you can talk to a person who is thousands of miles away, as if you are talking to the person next door. The world has become a small community. Successes and failures However, there are shortcomings that have come with globalization. Lechner and Boli (2004) in their book The Globalization Reader argues that while there has been shortcoming of globalization because of the strain it has exerted on the environment thereby degrading it. While the countries all over the world have been working to see their economies develop, this has been at the expense of the environment. One of these causes of environmental degradation according to their argument is the destroying of the natural environment. Large tracts of forest covered land are destroyed each year leaving the land bare and in a few years no longer unproductive. This, they argue, is not the only cause of environmental degradation. Another cause is the releasing of harmful chemicals into the environment. Example is the Chernobyl nuclear accident. After this accident, there were many nuclear substances that were released into the environment and over the years have caused cancer. Fossil fuels have also contributed greatly to the destruction of the environment. While these have provided fuel for industries, carbon dioxide emissions has been on the rise thereby causing global warming. Are there ways and means to reverse the current trends of environmental degradation in order to make secure our future? However, despite all this destruction, there has been an effort to try and slow down if not to completely stop the rate at which the environment is destroyed. Whereas the governments have not been keen enough to conserve the environment, Lechner and Boli (2004) argue that there are environmentalists who have rallied for conservation of this precious environment. In 1992, Rio de Janeiro Declaration on Environment and Development proposed that, for a meaningful development to be achieved, environment conservation must come first. There are also who have argued that for environment to be conserved especially in poor nations, the rich nations must cancel their debts since the small governments spend all their earnings paying debts at the expense of local development, thus forcing it people to solely rely on an already deprived land hence furthering the effects of environmental destruction. Others have used all their minerals on debts without caring much on the effects this has on the environment. There are also organizations that were formed to champion for the protection of the environment. Their call is on the political class to make their priorities right by spending less on military and more on environment protection, not just for this generation but also for future generation. Issues of poverty have been cited as the biggest enemy to the protection of the environment. An example is of Mau forest in Kenya. While this forest has been the water catchments and the source of many rivers in Kenya, it faces the danger of being destroyed because of human activities. At the moment, part of the forest has been inhabited by people who are poor and therefore not willing to move out. The government of Kenya on the other hand is also unable to settle these people elsewhere since it doesn’t have resources. The neighboring nations namely Uganda and Tanzania face the same plight as Kenya and cannot help the Kenyan government yet these rivers drain in Lake Victoria which is shared among them. These activities that have affected a nation environmentally do not affect just one person. The Mau forest in Kenya is a good example. If the future of Mau forest is not solved, eventually, Egypt which doesn’t even border Kenya will be affected since it depends on water from Lake Victoria through river Nile for its irrigation. Human beings faced the danger of extinction on a daily, more so from environmental degradation. Nevertheless, it is possible to have a better world. A world where pollution is controlled and excellent environment that is not contaminated is the ultimate choice for everyone. There have been meetings called by different people all over the world to fight for the right to live in a non polluted environment. An urge to have those that are considered the minority in the society to participate in the process of policy making has been on the rise. Is it possible, when we are united together as a people, to fight for our environment? Genocide The effects of globalization have not been felt in the environmental circle alone. Social life in many places throughout the world has been altered because of globalization. According to Gellately and Kiernan (2003) examines the atrocities that have been committed against humanity, some among them committed by the ‘civilized’ as they championed for globalization. For example, there were mass murders that were committed at Guatemala, sponsored by the US government. In this revolution, the Mayan community was massacred and the world kept mum. Even when as a commission to investigate these events was setup, their report did not reveal the motives behind these killings, and the people behind it. The Mayan people are not the only ones that have been affected. Yugoslavia in 1991 faced genocide whereby a minority group was targeted and massacred. Politics and cruelty has been the order of the day. Politicians have been known to use people to get into position and then turn against these people. These acts of brutality are yet to end. Societies throughout the world still experience mass murders in their midst. Technology, which is supposed to ease the way life, is now being used against people. US is not spared either. September 11 attacks proved that people are willing to go all the way to destroy others. While we may toy around with the idea of whether to reevaluate our stand towards globalization or not, we must always remember that a time is coming when we shall not enjoy the relaxation our beaches offer us as we do today. At that time, there will be no trees for our wildlife and therefore no rain. For countries in Sub Saharan Africa, this will mean that there will be no food since these communities have always depended on rain for their agricultural activities. Just as a reminder, that time is already at hand. We are already seeing the effects of globalization on our environment. Yet, the question we ask ourselves is, ‘Are we ready to shove the idea of globalization beneath the carpet and look for a new alternative? ’ Some of the greatest crimes against humanity were committed at a time when we considered the world to be on a highway to becoming one community with no barriers. That was in the mid 1990s, a genocide that left many dead with many other maimed. Yet, the global community never spoke a single word until it was all over. According to Gellately and Kiernan (2003), these acts of brutality have often been sparked by oppression through the years by those who are powerful. After many years of oppression, those who have been oppressed pour their anger on those who are helpless and vulnerable and therefore cannot defend themselves. In the end, we witness the kind of crimes like those that happened in Rwanda (p 375). We cannot also ignore the fact that technological advances in warfare have also been the cause of genocides in our communities. Cases in point are the Nazis in Germany; the use of poisonous gases against the Kurds in Iraq; the September 11 attacks on US soil. These have all employed the use of technology to perpetrate crime. Thus, the globalization that was supposed to bring us together has also been the source of death and segregation in our communities. Are we as human being going through a transition that is changing us for the worse i. e. turning us against each other? Is globalization therefore the cause of genocide or a solution to eradicating genocide in the current world? Are we our own enemies? References Lechner, F & Boli, J. (2004). The globalization reader. New Jersey, USA: Published by Wiley-Blackwell. Gellately, R. & Kiernan, B. (2003). The specter of genocide: mass murder in historical perspective. Cambridge, UK: Published by Cambridge University Press.

Smythson of Bond Street Brand Positioning

Smythson of Bond Street is a British luxury leather goods and personalized stationery brand. It is a synonym of exclusivity, discreet good taste, elegance, and British heritage. It was founded in 1887 in London and ever since, the brand has received clients such as the Queen Victoria, the Royal Family, Grace Kelly, and Madonna. Besides that, Smythson is positioned as the â€Å"British Hermes† according to its current CEO Andy Janowski; whom along with the new Design Director Rory O’ Honlon wants to consolidate the brand as an â€Å"iconic British luxury leather goods brand†.They want to raise their global awareness and the brand’s image by highlighting Smythson’s expression of contemporary classicism, its 125 year heritage, and unique craftsmanship. Smythson offers a variety of luxury leather goods such as handbags, clutches, wallets, travel accessories, books and diaries, home accessories, covers for high-tech tools, and high-end stationery; all pr oducts with minimalist designs that fit Smythson’s aesthetics.Plus, customers customizing and engraving options go from gold stamped initials to personalized motifs and monograms. Furthermore, the brand appeals to high-end customers both men and women looking for exclusive, high quality, detailed leather accessories, who value first class stationery and paper goods. On the other hand, possible competitors for Smythson are Luxury brands such as Burberry and Gucci. First, Burberry is also a British luxury brand that wants to penetrate the market by highlighting their British Heritage.Unlike Smythson, Burberry has a ready-to-wear line and it does not carry stationery goods. Second, another competitor could be the Italian brand Gucci, because it also sells luxury leather goods but the brand images are different. Gucci appeals more to customers looking for sexy, glamorous, and extravagant goods, while Smythson is targeted towards a more conservative, classic, yet fashionable custo mer.

Odyssey and Oedipus Essays

Odyssey and Oedipus Essays Odyssey and Oedipus Essay Odyssey and Oedipus Essay Essay Topic: The Odyssey Imagery is used throughout the Odyssey and the story of Oedipus.In the Odyssey, Odysseus is compared to objects, other people and animals.In the story of Oedipus, Oedipus is compared to riddles and objects. In the Odyssey, Odysseuss adventure brings him through many tragedies and hard time. His name is revealed in the story as being one who suffers.Toward the end of the story he is compared to a lion when he emerges victorious against the suitors and the maids are described as small animals scurrying away from him.He is described missing his wife as a shipwrecked swimmer misses the shore.His wife Penelope is described grappling Odysseus as a swimmer that has finally reached land.Throughout the Odyssey Sleep is used to convince the reader that Odysseus is mortal.When he sleeps something bad happens. Sleep means he is not like the Gods peppered through the story.He is mortal and Gods dont have to sleep. In the story of Oedipus his name is swollen feet.This i magery of swollen feet is the key to his identity.The image of the foot in the riddle of the sphinx is used to describe man and Oedipus.He has 4 feet when he is a young child he has 3 feet when he is old and blind and needs the assistance of a cane and he has two feet when he is at the height of his power.There is curse over Thebes, making the land and women infertile.The image of fertility is given with the Goddess of the earth giving the curse upon the land and women. Throughout both the Odyssey and Oedipus the image of family is used.In the Odyssey lineage is used with Odysseuss father son and himself bringing a sense of family values to the story.In Oedipus the link between him being Husband and son to his wife and mother and father and son to his children also relates to his multiple identities.

Discrimination in Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discrimination in Marketing - Assignment Example Therefore, Reynolds’ implementation of a cigarette marketing campaign for the African-American population is adversely a discriminatory approach in marketing since the other races in the country may have intended to use menthol cigarettes over the non-menthol ones. The following is an analytical approach to establish the controversy of discrimination in marketing cigarettes in the uptown market segment. Critically, it is indicated that the African-American cigarette smoking population contains a relevantly higher ratio of menthol cigarette smokers compared to the other races in the country. Emphasizing on Reynolds’ information concerning the demographic variability of menthol cigarette smokers in the uptown market edge, the norm is that there exists discrimination in the established marketing approach despite the fact that the cigarettes sell for 70% of the black population. Researches assert that the white population together with other American races, influences 30% of the total market sales outcomes. This is a clear indication of the existence of marketing discrimination in the uptown market segment (p. 1). Arguably, Reynolds set an ideal platform to reveal the existence of discrimination in the uptown market segment. Based on the fact that most of the advertising, pricing, and promotion approaches of menthol cigarettes is redirected to the African-American population, it is evident that marketers in the segment often engage in discrimination. The intentions of precise marketing approaches are born to yielding profitable market segments over competitors. Further, it is knowledgeable to marketers that users of a certain commodity perceive belongingness after being associated with the marketing and promotion practices. Therefore, Reynolds concern in marketing cigarettes for the uptown market cigarette smokers and precisely the black population is a critical approach

Odontology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Odontology - Term Paper Example He approaches his victims in public places while feigning injury or disabilities then overpowering and restraining them as he puts them in his car. Several evidences collected included pantyhose mask (which was also used for strangling victims), ice pick, handcuffs and crowbar but the most famous evidence of him doing the crime was the bite mark he left on Lisa Levy’s buttock that linked him to other murders (Saferstein, 2009). Lisa Levy was a student in Florida State University and she was bludgeoned to death while sleeping at the Chi Omega sorority house. The bite mark was actually one of the two bite marks on Levy’s body. There was also another one on her breast. The buttock bite mark proved to be useful because it left impressions that gave the investigators more points of comparison for leading a match in identification. The analysis of the bite mark was a success because the investigator used a ruler to show the scale of the bite mark in relation to Bundy’s . They also analyzed the bite mark by using impressions, illustrations and such. Because of this, Bundy was forced by the court to give a dental impression. Then, the forensic dentist confirmed that Bundy’s teeth were the exact match of the dental pattern that they derived from the bite mark on Levy’s buttock. Bear in mind that people have unique bite marks – no two are alike (Saferstein, 2009).