Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Memo - Essay Example Before joining ISU for my bachelor’s program, I had managed to garner some achievements in my young career life. Among the achievements I have garnered thus far, two stand out as the most memorable. The first achievement was receiving ‘Best Intern’ award during my time at ABC electronic company after graduating from high school. This award came after the hard work and drive I put in completing my tasks in a timely manner at the organization to the point where I got recognized by the staff and selected for the award. This award is of note as I had only interned at the organization for six months!! The second accomplishment was receiving a ‘best science fair project’ under a physics science fair held at my high school. This award helped to reaffirm my belief that I was destined to be great in the field of science. Before moving over to the US, I worked at a mining company in South Africa—Broadmill Mining. I was tasked as an electrical engineer intern where my responsibilities revolved around developing economic feasibility studies, researching on electrical systems at mining sites, and assisting with reporting on the various stages of project development. My abilities to multi-task, working around schedules, and being flexible were greatly tested and proven during this period. Individuals and organizations are nothing without the communities they serve in and serve for. It is for this reason that I am always passionate about community service and the overall giving back to the society whenever and however possible. I have been lucky to serve in organizations that are cognizant of upholding community service values. As an intern at ABC electronic Company I got involved with the organization’s ‘building green’ campaign for their community service. This campaign ensured everyone who worked at the organization would undertake tree planting during the weekends at various communal sites pinpointed by the organization

Safety Awards Programs, Advantages and Disadvantages Term Paper

Safety Awards Programs, Advantages and Disadvantages - Term Paper Example Additionally, approximately $7,000 USD is the cost for non-lost time accident, $38,000 USD for disabling accident, and $1.1M USD for a workplace fatality (NSC, 2005). This is most probably why most American businesses have some sort of safety awards programs. However, the effectiveness of such programs is still the source of ongoing debate among its advocates and critics (Friend & Kohn, 2010). In this light, it is necessary for any organization to understand and recognize the positive and negative attributes of such safety awards programs to determine whether the incentive scheme is obtaining the organizational goal. Several texts on safety and management provide well-examined data on the pros and cons of incentives on performance and motivation. A number of safety professionals maintain that an incentive scheme is a significant factor in any health and safety program. However, a few individuals view the philosophy behind these incentive schemes is founded on flawed principles (Fland ers & Lawrence, 1999). Critics still point out three major debatable and interconnected areas surrounding the safety awards programs --- use of monetary rewards to improve work productivity and quality, unreliable SAFETY AWARDS PROGRAMS 3 injury reports that underreport health and safety hazards and accidents, and long-term effectiveness of such programs (Davis & Prichard, 2000). The â€Å"Carrot† Approach One major opposition against the incentive schemes is that they are considered bribery. Critics view them as â€Å"de-motivators† and underhanded attempts at control because they can induce people to create an image of safety by covering up injuries or accidents. These few individuals assert that incentives are there due to two major reasons: 1) giving away incentives makes management feel good, and 2) safety professionals resort to bribery because they do not really know how to lessen injuries and accidents (Azaroff, 2002). On a deeper perspective, there are three m ain bases that put incentive schemes in a bad light. First is the incorrect concept that injuries are merely results of accidents and that avoiding them deserve rewards. This standpoint does not consider that workplace injuries are usually due to a mishmash of improper behaviors, inappropriate practices or methods, and perilous environment. Second is the thought that incentives fail to recognize the real causes of accidents. They disguise and draw the attention away from the roots of the issue. Third is related to the first basis, where incentives give the idea that rewards will prompt workers to avoid behaving inappropriately (Flanders & Lawrence, 1999). Contrary to these viewpoints, safety rewards supporters believe in the â€Å"carrot† theory (Davis & Prichard, 2000). It is the way where organizations show their care for their workers by promoting safety in the workplace. Proponents of this concept also believe that long-term effectiveness can be achieved by providing mone tary incentives for appropriate behavior and increased safety awareness. In agreement to this idea, attaining goals through incentives has SAFETY AWARDS PROGRAMS 4 always been embraced by society. Incentives have always been part of people’s lives, like frequent flyer rewards, school recognition for academic excellence, stock market rewards for wise

Competitive Advantage: CSR

Competitive Advantage: CSR CSR means that a corporation should be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities and their environment; it may require a company to forgo some profits if its social impacts are seriously harmful to the corporations stakeholders or if its funds can be used to promote a positive social good (Frederick, Post, Davis, 1992, p. 10). Tougher competition recently has compelled the firms to adopt something that is different from their rivals and has also put a pressure on the firms to examine their philanthropy and other social activities, by doing so the company can sometimes achieve a strategic advantage over its competitors (Burke Logsdon, 1996). David Vogel wrote There is a business case for CSR but it is much less important or influential than many proponents of civil regulation believe, CSR is best understood as a niche rather than a generic strategy: it makes business sense for some firms in some areas in some circumstances.There is a place in the market economy for responsible firms. But there is also a large place for their less responsible competitors (Vogel, 2006, p. 3). This essay will outline whether and how competitive advantage can be achieved by organisations through CSR. This will be done by critically discussing what CSR is? Further emphasising on how it gives an organisation strategic advantage over its other competitors. Various definitions of CSR have been given by various theorists, making the study of CSR even more complex. CSR activities have been posited to include incorporating social characteristics or features into products and manufacturing processes like aerosol products with no fluorocarbons or using environmentally-friendly technologies, adopting progressive human resource management practices like promoting employee empowerment, achieving higher levels of environmental performance through recycling and pollution abatement like adopting an aggressive stance towards reducing emissions, and advancing the goals of community organizations like working closely with groups such as United Way. Researchers are moving beyond just defining and identifying CSR activities, to examining the strategic role of CSR in organizations. (Mcwilliams, Seigel, Wright, 2006, p. 2) There are 2 types of approaches to CSR, the charity principle and stewardship approach. Charity principle is when the companies take on a social role just because they want to; its a charitable deed and has nothing to do with the profitability of the company. Stewardship approach is when companies act in interest of the people that are affected by the business decisions and policies to gain an advantage, it is in line with the Freidmans stakeholder approach explained further in the essay. Even today companies interpret CSR as normal day to day decision making process that dont need much expertise. Its true that CSR is influenced highly by the moral imperative. In some situations moral implications are easy to apply like filing accounts honestly, acting ethically but sometimes the company has to weigh its moral decisions with the impact it can have on the stakeholders which can be difficult. For instance, Googles entry in china has created a feeling of repulsion amongst its US customers towards censorship imposed by the Chinese government. Therefore in this situation one social benefit has to be weighed against another and also against the financial costs that would arise (Porter Kramer, 2006). It is important for the companies to understand that if the prevailing approach to CSR is changed and more emphasis is given on the importance of social responsibility like other core competencies of a firm, it can be discovered that CSR is more than just a cost, constraint or a charitable deed; it is a source of innovation, opportunity and competitive advantage (Porter Kramer, 2006). There are various situations under which an organization would undertake the CSR approach, When an organization wants to create an opportunity based on the societal trend or issue or when a organization seeks to solve a business problem that cant be solved within the traditional business boundaries or When an organization seeks to protect itself from a threat posed by a societal issue. or When an organization seeks to have a greater business and societal impact from its existing CSR program. (Milliman, Ferguson, Sylvester, 2008, pp. 30-31) Milton Friedman in an article to New York Times said that, the only social responsibility of a business is to increase its profit (Porter Kramer, 2002, p. 6). According to Freidman the only aim of an organization is to achieve profit on the other hand Freeman argues that a firm has responsibility towards the internal or external stakeholders of the firm which should be taken into account (Galbreath, 2009). Freemans Stakeholder theory basically describes what a firm should do or should not do in terms of their societal responsibilities and is more inclined towards CSR. More recently, the society expects companies to behave ethically and in a socially responsible manner, that means they expect the companies to not only be interested in their profits but also pay attention to the interest of the broader group of stakeholders like consumers, suppliers and society at large. There has been increasing societal pressures like negative media coverage on the companies that are socially inacti ve thus driving the companies towards CSR (Pater Lierop, 2006). But the way CSR is being practiced recently, what Freidman said is proving to be right, companies adopt for short term CSR objectives that are not coherent and diffused with the organizations mission. It is only to attain profit and earn the goodwill of its customers, employees and the local community. (Porter Kramer, 2002). Many companies adopted CSR not because they thought it was important for the company to survive but because of the media coverage and public reaction to the issues they were involved in. for example, Nike faced consumer boycott after New York Times reported that the labour was being abused by Nike in third world countries like Pakistan and Indonesia. Thats when Nike realised that it was time to act responsibly or at least act to be responsible to regain one of the four 4 Rs of CSR that the company was losing -Reputation. On the other hand some other companies were successful in understanding that society and businesses are interdependent. One of them would be Mr. Steven T.Bigari, owner a string of McDonalds franchises in Colorado Springs. Steven had a problem of high turnover rates amongst his front line workers affecting the profits of the firm (Fitzgerald, 2007). The problem persisted even after giving them pay incentives. Steven concluded that the traditional HR practices were not helping and therefore he decided to look into the matter deeper and tried to find out from the workers the reason for them not coming to work regularly. He found out that many of his low wage workers had number of personal life constraints like lack of transportation, child care etc which was the key reason of high turnover. Therefore Bigari started considering various methods of how these underlying societal issues affecting his business can be addressed. He developed programs with governmental organizations and NGOs to provide social service needed by his workers. This process took time but it also solved the problem which the traditional HR practice couldnt. Therefore by doing so, Steve was successful in achieving a much more reliable and productive workforce and also create a positive impact on the personal lives of his employees (Milliman, Ferguson, Sylvester, 2008). Thus this shows how CSR can be used to gain economic benefits for the company by also creating a social impact. Social and economic benefits are often seen as two distinct objectives but companies need to find out where these two objectives converge for their organization. This would enable them to acquire decent amount of economic benefits as well create a sustainable impact on the society. Competitiveness today depends on how efficiently the companies use their resources to increase productivity and exploit the opportunities. CSR has to be seen as a strategic resource which has to be exploited to gain competitive advantage out of it. Does social and environmental consciousness actually lead to competitive advantage? This is one difficult question to be answered. Toyota Found a new market in Japan with its environmentally sound product Toyota Prius and Body Shop gained an advantage over its competitors for its safe products. Toyota took advantage of the opportunity it got to pioneer innovation to benefit the society thus generating a competitive advantage for itself. The Toyota Prius is the first successful hybrid gasoline/electric vehicle that has produced competitive advantage and environmental benefits. The cars engine is hybrid and emits only 10% of the harmful gasses that the conventional engines produce and consume only half as much gas. The car was rated as the car of the year in 2004 by the motor trends magazine. The car is associated with the slogan, harmony between man, nature and machine (3rd Generation Prius, 2009). This innovation has given Toyota a strategic advantage over its competitors, one of the m being Ford who wants to acquire the technology from Toyota (Porter Kramer, 2006). Competitive advantage occurs through CSR when one company implements the strategies of CSR for the benefit of the company and a competitor fails to do the same (Filho, Wanderly, Gomez, Farache, 2010). Adoption of CSR also gives the company an opportunity to premium price its product also helping in the promotions of the product and attracting consumers which impacts positively on the companys financial performance (Mason Simmons, 2011). But there are other companies that have also failed in linking CSR with profitability. Therefore its hard to say whether CSR leads to competitive advantage directly but it most definitely supports the other core competences of a firm, indirectly giving a competitive advantage. Gaining a competitive advantage by only introducing Triple Bottom Line is difficult, instead a company should focus on developing an innovative model of Triple Bottom Line. When a consumer finds a product or a company that is more inclined towards the CSR objectives; it tends to give them an advantage over other firms in a number of ways. A few consumers are just more environmentally conscious and therefore if they find a product which is environmentally safe, they would prefer that one over the one that is not. It is important for the companies to develop a niche market for their products. For example, body shop has distinguished itself by long term social commitment. The company should think of its long term advantages like reputation, etc that can be achieved through acting responsibly socially than the short term interests than can cause harm to the society or environment. And this approach fits perfectly if the company gains cost advantage out of it. Nestle is a perfect illustration of how long term competitive advantage can be achieved through CSR. In 1962, Nestle was expanding in India and they got a permission from the government to build a dairy in Moga, when they started expanding in the region they realised that the farmers in India were facing problems like severe poverty, the farmers were living without the basic needs like electricity, adequate food, there was no proper transportation, telephones or medical care in the region. Farmers owned less than five acres of infertile land and kept only one cow that would produce milk sufficient for their own consumption only. The milk often got adulterated in transit because there was no proper refrigeration, transportation and way to test the quality of the milk. Therefore to solve this problem, nestle implemented CSR strategies and tried to build the factor and demand conditions in the area. Nestle built refrigerated dairy which was the collection point for milk from the farmers in town and trucks were sent from these dairies to the veterinarians, ergonomists to test the quality of the milk. Thus Nestle established a value chain similar to its value chain in its country of origin, Switzerland. The farmers were also trained and the sick animals were taken care off. This improved the productivity of the cows and also improved the working conditions in the area for the farmers. Initially when the company expanded in the area there were only 180 farmers supplying milk but today there are almost 75000 farmers involved with around 650 dairies in the region and the milk production has increased 50 times. Nestlà ©s working with the small workers gives them an advantage of saving the costs that they would have to incur if they had middlemen. Nestlà ©s CSR objective is part of their strategy and is adopted by them when they expand in other developing countries too (Porter Kramer, 2006). Also there are various standards like that can be used to create a positive impact on the stakeholders creating a strategic advantage for the company. There are various triple bottom line indicators like the GRI (global reporting initiative), ISO: 14000, ISO: 26000, EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) that affect companys reputation to the customers, suppliers, competitors, the stakeholders basically. These standards help in developing good relations with the government. Also employees think that they are working in a company trying to save the environment thus increasing their commitment levels and increasing their chances to stay with the organization. Investors would also be interested because it would affect the share prices. EMAS and ISO dont give a full picture; these standards dont cover the social indicators whereas GRI gives a full picture covering all the triple bottom line indicators. Most researchers agree that CSR provides an organization with various advantages and is not only useful for the society but also for the organization. It provides with the societys favour and lowers the risks of business operations; forms the image of the corporation and improves its reputation; stimulates the organizations innovation and creative work; helps to find easier ways to attract external sources of sponsorship; broadens markets and makes situations for sales increase; helps to attract positively motivated employees, enhances the value of human capital; stimulates the organizations culture; lowers expenditures, stimulates production and income increase, enhances the efficiency of work (JuÃ…Â ¡Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ius SnieÃ…Â ¡ka, 2008, p. 35). There have been debates that more and more companies have started adopting CSR and it has moved all the way to the boardrooms. This can be proved by around 360 CSR-related shareholder resolutions being passed by the companies in 2005. These shareholder resolutions range from issues relating to labour conditions and global warming and other social problems. Out of 250 large multinationals, 64% of the companies published their CSR reports either within their annual reports or separately as a sustainability report (Porter Kramer, 2006). Even the government has been stressing on the importance of CSR by making it mandatory for every publicly listed company to disclose its CSR related risks in the annual report. The businesses do know about these risks but they are not clear as to what has to be done to eliminate these risks and the response of companies have not been very strategic or operational. Companies come up with CSR reports but these reports dont really give an account of an art iculate or strategic framework of CSR activities of the company, instead it mentions uncoordinated CSR activities carried out by the company to show its social sensitivity. Therefore its important for the companies to turn to academic experts for advice and start thinking of CSR as a source of gaining competitive advantage (Porter Kramer, 2006). Companies know that addressing the societal expectations is important to keep their stakeholders happy but they are not aware about how to strategize it to gain competitive success (Galbreath, 2009). Companies are not liable for all the social, environmental problems that occur but it is about taking the responsibility to identify the problem that they can gain a competitive advantage from and act on them. As Porter Kramer(2006, p. 92) state, addressing social issues by creating shared value will lead to self sustaining solutions that do not depend on private or governmental subsidies. Thus it can be said that by linking businesses to the societal or environmental issues, a company can develop solutions that are socially responsible that provide an operational and competitive advantage (Fisher, et al. 2009).

Cubism Is Great :: essays research papers fc

Cubist Theory Cubism began as an intellectual revolt against the artistic expression of previous eras. Among the specific elements abandoned by the cubists were the sensual appeal of paint texture and color, subject matter with emotional charge or mood, the play of light on form, movement, atmosphere, and the illusionism that proceeded from scientifically based perspective. To replace these they employed an analytic system in which the three-dimensional subject (usually still life) was fragmented and redefined within a shallow plane or within several interlocking and often transparent planes. Analytic and Synthetic Cubism In the analytic phase (1907–12) the cubist palette was severely limited, largely to black, browns, grays, and off-whites. In addition, forms were rigidly geometric and compositions subtle and intricate. Cubist abstraction as represented by the analytic works of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris intended an appeal to the intellect. The cubists sought to show everyday objects as the mind, not the eye, perceives them—from all sides at once. The trompe l'oeil element of collage was also sometimes used. During the later, synthetic phase of cubism (1913 through the 1920s), paintings were composed of fewer and simpler forms based to a lesser extent on natural objects. Brighter colors were employed to a generally more decorative effect, and many artists continued to use collage in their compositions. The works of Picasso, Braque, and Gris are also representative of this phase. The Scope of Cubism In painting the major exponents of cubism included Picasso, Braque, Jean Metzinger, Gris, Duchamp, and LÃ ©ger. The chief segments of the cubist movement included the Montmartre-based BÃ ¢teau-Lavoir group of artists and poets (Max Jacob, Guillaume Apollinaire, Gertrude and Leo Stein, Modigliani, Picabia, Delaunay, Archipenko, and others); the Puteaux group of the Section d'Or salon (J. Villon, LÃ ©ger, Picabia, Kupka, Marcoussis, Gleizes, Apollinaire, and others); the Orphists (Delaunay, Duchamp, Picabia, and Villon; see orphism); and the experimenters in collage who influenced cubist sculpture (Laurens and Lipchitz). Cubist Inspiration and Influence In painting the several sources of cubist inspiration included the later work of CÃ ©zanne; the geometric forms and compressed picture space in his paintings appealed especially to Braque, who developed them in his own works. African sculpture, particularly mask carvings, had enormous influence in the early years of the movement. Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907; Mus. of Modern Art, New York City) is one of the most significant examples of this influence. Within this revolutionary composition lay much of the basic material of cubism.

Comments and Opinions While News Reporting Essay

News Reporting B.Thesis Statement: Why some broadcasters give out comments and opinions during news reporting? C.Trend: Many of Philippine broadcasters today seems to forget that a news report is totally different form a commentary. Consciously or unconsciously, they put on air their own judgments and remarks while delivering news. D.Issues: If giving comments and opinions during news reporting will continue, people might confuse news from commentary. Because of that, people’s decision about certain issue can easily be assorted by the own opinion/s of the broadcaster/s. In short, it will be easy for broadcasters (whose job is supposedly just to inform people) to shape the opinions of the listeners or the televiewers. Moreover, instead of discussing about the main issue, people might forget about it and start talking about the opinions of broadcasters, making their opinions an issue itself. Certainly, it will bring additional disarray to the society. E.Case 1. GMA morning news anchor Arnold Clavio became controversial after giving an offensive remark against the Filipino-foreign members of the Philippine Azkals during the nationwide broadcast of News and Public Affairs Program ‘Unang Hirit’ last March 2012. â€Å"Hindi naman kayo Pilipino. Nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi. Hindi kayo dito lumaki. Mahirap ‘yun,† Clavio said while discussing about Cristy Ramos’ sexual harassment case against Azkals players Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado. Rhea Santos, Clavio’s co-anchor is also faced with bad comments after giving a remark about Filipino women: â€Å"Yung mga babae†¦ kasi porke guwapo†¦ sikat†¦ minsan halos itapon na nila yung mga sarili doon sa mga lalaki.† The Philippine Football federation already filed a complaint against GMA Network Inc., demanding for a written apology to be read on â€Å"Unang Hirit.† 2. The three comments on the news and exchange jokes at the end of the show on TV Patrol are so distracting. There was one time when Korina Sanchez obviously laughed shortly during a news report about a death of a rape victim. F.Concerns Giving opinions while delivering news is a violation under the Article 1, Sec 3a of Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) Code of 2007 which states that news reports shall be fair, factual, and objective; and Article 1, Sec. 3c, which states that side comments expressing personal opinions while a news item is being reported or delivered are prohibited to prevent the listener from mistaking opinion for news. Also, according to the journalist code of ethics, journalist â€Å"shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts or to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognise the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.† H.Conclusion News reporting is to inform people about important events. It is not to express your opinions in a certain issue. It must be fair, factual and objective. However, not all broadcasters obey this rule. Issues about news anchors and news reporters being accused of malicious statements are very rampant today. It is because they used news programs as venues to express their thoughts, which is a violation under the KBP Broadcast Code of 2007 Article 1, Sec. 3a and Sec. 3c. A broadcaster’s opinion in a certain issue can reach a thousand of people and he/she can use this opportunity to his/her own interest, or worse, his/her opinion might be a start of another issue. Giving comments while delivering a news report can never be considered as a irresponsible journalism for it will just create chaos to the society instead promoting national unity. Media is too powerful that whatever the public see in the television or hear over the radio can greatly affect their decisions in life. That’s the reason why broadcasters must be careful in whatever they do and say on air. I.References: †¢2007 Broadcast Code of the Philippines †¢file:///C:/Users/WIN%207/Documents/_CMS%20103/Journalist%E2%80%99s%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20%28Philippines%29.htm †¢http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/blogs/switchingchannels/tv-patrol-tabloid-journalism-104015722.html †¢http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/251681/sports/opinion/a-molotov-cocktail-of-sexual-harassment-race-and-social-media †¢http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/03/15/12/pff-files-complaint-vs-clavio-azkals-comment

Callaway Golf Company

Callaway Golf Company (CGC) Harvard Business School Case Study Ely Callaway had a vision, â€Å"If we make a truly more satisfying product for the average golfer, not the professionals, and make it pleasingly different from the competition, the company would be successful† (Lal & Prescott, 2011, p. 1). Key factors that led to Callaway’s success included his vision, his understanding of consumer behavior, his product variety, and his ability to build a premium brand. Furthermore, the company’s relationship with its retail partners, the company’s new product development, and the company’s marketing strategy were key contributors to Callaway Golf Company’s success between 1988 and 1997. Callaway understood the competitive nature of the game and the competitive nature of the consumers. Golfers were consumers driven by social factors such as reference groups. According to Kotler and Keller (2009), â€Å"Reference groups consist of all groups that have a direct (face-to-face) or indirect influence on a person’s attitude or behavior† (p. 8). Reference groups expose people to new behaviors and lifestyles, influence attitudes and self-concepts, and create pressures for conformity that affect product and brand choices. Because Callaway understood the behaviors of his target market, he was able to strategically introduce new products that offered more satisfaction than the former products. With product modification , managers try to stimulate sales by improving quality, features, and style (p. 185). Callaway understood each product’s life cycle and introduced new products every two years. He discovered that after two years, the sales and prices typically declined (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4), causing him to continually make his own products obsolete. However, this business process solidified the consumer’s expectation that Callaway Golf Company would always deliver a high quality product, a value-delivery system successfully established by the company. The Callaway brand was strong, therefore, giving the company marketing advantages such as improved perceptions of product performance, greater loyalty, less vulnerability to competitive marketing actions and marketing crises, larger margins, greater trade cooperation and additional brand extensions (Kotler and Keller, 2009, p. 131). There was consistent brand reinforcement with every product as Callaway’s marketing methods always conveyed what the brand represented, what core benefits it supplied, and what needs it satisfied. Additionally, Callaway conveyed how the brand made superior products that were strong, favorable, and unique. Various consumer spending and golfing behaviors left Callaway no choice but to change his marketing strategies. Callaway realized they could not depend on their 1982 original marketing strategy. Callaway believed there was no brand loyalty when it came to golfers. The bottom line was that golfers tend to purchase golf clubs they think will improve their game and will often blame the golf equipment for their lack of skill (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 4). Callaway knew their products had to be unique. Callaway also knew as the popularity of the game increased, golf equipment had to also increase in purpose and design. In 1998, Callaway experienced a decline in profits. The company lost $27 million because sales dropped 17%. Consequently, Ely Callaway realized he would have to change the way his company had been doing business. He refocused Calloway Golf Company’s â€Å". . . retail channels, new-product development, and marketing strategies† (p. 1). One force that drove Callaway to continuously change his strategy was the life span of the golf equipment. Callaway was quick at determining whether a product was a money maker or not. He measured the profit growth of a product within the first two years the product was launched. If sales decreased within the first two years, the product design was redesigned and â€Å"improved. † This could possibly lead to excessive inventories of one product and shortage of another. Through evaluation and control methods, Callaway was able to make the best product marketing decisions for the bottom line. Annual plan controls helped determine if the new product results were being achieved. Profitability controls determined if the new product was making or losing money. Efficiency controls balanced the spending and marketing expenditures. Strategic controls confirmed whether the company was targeting the best opportunities with the retailers, media, and advertising (Kotler-Keller, 2009, p. 331-333). Richard Helmstetter, vice president and chief of new products, joined Callaway Hickory Stick, Inc. in 1986. He transformed CGC â€Å". . . from a niche producer to an innovation powerhouse. . . † (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 2). Helmstetter viewed research and development differently than others in the industry. He challenged the scientists, engineers, and golfers he had hired to answer questions like â€Å"Where does backspin come from? † and â€Å"Why does a shot on the club toe hook left instead of right? † (p. 2). Helmstetter was correct in believing that by answering these types of questions the company would create better clubs. New product innovations included the development of the S2H2 (short, straight, hollow, hosel) model which redistributed the weight of the hosel. This allowed the weight to be better utilized elsewhere in the club. Following the S2H2 model was the development of the Big Bertha. It was a club with a bigger club head. The larger head allowed for fewer mishit shots and a better drive. This allowed the average player to have a better experience when playing, which led to loyalty to Callaway, despite the cost. Callaway found it challenging being caught in the middle of a changing marketing communication environment. Callaway had to take a deep look at the company’s marketing communication mix and decide if it was still effective. The marketing communication mix includes: advertising, sales promotion, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, direct marketing, interactive marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, and personal selling (Kotler-Keller, 2009, pp. 275-276). Callaway Golf Company did very little advertising. Callaway felt that word of mouth was the best way to promote his clubs Word of mouth marketing was what golfers used excessively. Whether a golfer wanted the latest, greatest style of club or testified to the improvement of a stroke due to the club, word of mouth marketing was huge amongst golfers because of the amount of time golfers spent with each other during a round of golf. Callaway knew that most non-professional golfers played in foursomes and would give live demonstrations each time they played. Furthermore, he built a premium product and recruited professional golfers who were the leaders in the sport to promote his products. These endorsements validated the products quality and superior technology. The professional golfers â€Å"not under contractual obligations† used Callaway products because of the performance enhancement the clubs provided. Eli Callaway knew his company had enjoyed many years of positive growth and he knows that many more years of positive growth lay ahead. Additionally, he knew that he would always be faced with decisions concerning what products to develop, what accounts need to be closed, what retail relationships should be developed, and what marketing strategy should be employed. â€Å"When asked if CGC could stay ahead of the competition, he said, citing Newton’s first law of motion, ‘No problem. Bodies in motion tend to remain in motion. ’ He continued, ‘It’s a hell of a story, and it’s not over yet’† (Lal and Prescott, 2000, p. 14). References Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2009). Analyzing consumer markets: A framework for marketing management, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Lal, R. & Prescott, E. D. (2000). Calloway Golf Company. Pearson custom business resources. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Case Analysis of Callaway Golf Company, (2009, May 16,). Retrieved on April, 5, 2011 from http://www. docshare. com/†¦ /Case-analysis-of-Callaway-Golf-Company2

Anthropology Of Shamanism And Spirit Possession Religion Essay Essay Example

Anthropology Of Shamanism And Spirit Possession Religion Essay Essay Example Anthropology Of Shamanism And Spirit Possession Religion Essay Essay Anthropology Of Shamanism And Spirit Possession Religion Essay Essay spirit ownership was non merely about civilization in Zimbabwe but involve besides the societal, political and moral facet of the society. The ability of the mediums to ask from the ascendants on the manner frontward for the Ndebele and Shona and to announce what was to go on created a enduring relationship between the war veterans and the Mediums. The recent reoccupation of land held by the colonists is an illustration of the influence of the spirit mediums. There are incidences where spirit ceremonials were held on acquired land in the rural countries and the liquors of the ascendants through the mediums supported the land reform plan. The statement has been that since the first and the 2nd Chimurenga wars did non finally return back the hereditary land. The land reforms being spearheaded are merely the continuance of the chimurenga war of release. Decision Spirit ownership through the mediums forms portion of the cultural development of the communities that pattern the traditional faith. The liquors are a nexus between the present and the past and influence the activities of the present. This relationship can be seen between the war veterans and the spirit mediums in Zimbabwe where there has been a reemergence of this relationship since the land reform initiated by the Zimbabwean authorities and supported by the war veterans. Ceremonies have been done on re- occupied land to welcome back the liquors of the ascendants to their hereditary places.

Essay Explaining the Quantities of Goods and Services That We Can Produce with Limited Available Resources Essays

Essay Explaining the Quantities of Goods and Services That We Can Produce with Limited Available Resources Essays Essay Explaining the Quantities of Goods and Services That We Can Produce with Limited Available Resources Essay Essay Explaining the Quantities of Goods and Services That We Can Produce with Limited Available Resources Essay Essay  explaining  the  quantities  of  goods  and  services  that  we  can  produce  with  limited   available  resources The fundamental problem of economics is scarcity meaning economic resources are insufficient to meet the daily needs and wants of the individuals. Economic resources refer to the factors of production, which includes the following Natural Resources, Labour, capital and Entrepreneurship. The scarcity of resources is fundamental to economics. There are not enough resources to meet the needs of consumers and produce. There is not enough to go around satisfying the potential demand. In the case of producers, there are four scarce resources: (i) (ii) natural resources capital-e. g. equipment and tools (ii) labor (iv) enterprise or entrepreneurship Scarce resources mean that producers cannot make unlimited quantities of goods and services. These are types of resources or factor of production. Since resources for production are scarce and there are not enough goods and services to satisfy the total potential demand, choices must be made. Choice is necessary because resources are scarce. Producers must choose how to use their available resources and what to produce with them. Suppose, to take a simple dimensional example that a society can spend its money on two products, computers and cabbage. The society’s resources are limited; therefore there are restrictions on the amount of computers and cabbage that can be made, which can be shown by a production possibility curve or transformation curve. By devoting all our time and other resources to manufacturing computers, we can produce 5 computers per working day. On the other hand, if we spend all our production time gardening, we can produce 100 kilograms of cabbages per working day. It is possible for us to produce either 5 computers or 100 kilograms of cabbage, but in each case the entire production of the other good must be sacrificed. The only way that we can enjoy both which includes both computers and cabbage is by using some of our resources for computer production, and some for cabbage production. Resources must be shifted from one production possibility to produce the other. By experimentation, we find that it is possible for us to produce any of the combinations shown in Table 1. 1. These combinations represent the maximum amounts which can be produced with all the available resources. If we decide to produce combination E, we will be able to produce 4 computers and 40 kilograms of cabbage per day. But in producing this combination we have had to decide not to produce more computers or more cabbages. In producing 4 computers, we have had to forgo the additional 60 kilograms of cabbage which we could have produced if we had used all our resources to grow cabbage. Likewise, in producing 40 kilograms of cabbage we have decided to forgo the extra (5th) computer which we might have produced. The opportunity cost of producing the 40 kilograms of cabbage is the computer; and the opportunity cost of producing the 4 computers is 60 kilograms of cabbage that have to be forgone. We therefore have to choose between more cabbage and fewer computers or more computers and less cabbage. Given the available resources, it is impossible to produce more of one good without decreasing the production of the other good. The different alternatives can be illustrated graphically in a production possibilities curve as in Figure 3. The curve shows the possible levels of output in an economy with limited resources and fixed production techniques. FIGURE 3 Computer production is measured along the horizontal axis and cabbage production on the vertical axis. The combinations in the table are represented by points A, B, C, D, E and F in the diagram. This actually implies that there are also other possible combinations apart from the six that are given. The production possibilities curve indicates the combinations of any two goods or services that are attainable when our resources are fully and efficiently employed. As we move along the production possibilities curve from point A to point B through to point F, the production of computers increases while the production of cabbages decreases. To produce the first computer, we have to sacrifice 5 kilograms of cabbages (from 100 to 95). To produce the second computer the sacrifice is an additional 10 kilograms of cabbages (the difference between 95 and 85). To produce the third computer an additional 15 kilograms of cabbages have to be forgone (the difference between 85 and 70). The opportunity cost of each additional computer therefore increases as we move along the production possibilities curve. This is why the curve bulges outwards from the origin. In technical terms we say that the curve is concave to the origin. The production possibilities curve is a very useful way of illustrating scarcity, choice and opportunity cost. Scarcity is illustrated by the fact that all points to the right of the curve (such as G) are unattainable. The curve thus forms a frontier or boundary between what is possible and what is not possible. Choice is illustrated by the need to choose among the available combinations along the curve. Opportunity cost is illustrated by what we refer to as the negative slope of the curve, which means that more of one good can only be obtained by sacrificing the other good. Opportunity cost therefore involves what we call a trade-off between the two goods. A person’s marginal benefit is the maximum amount they are willing to pay to consume that additional unit of a good or service. In a normal situation, the marginal benefit will decrease as consumption increases. (Samuelson and Nordhaus 2010:13:14) and (Mohr and Fourie, 2008:7:9)

French Expressions Using Mettre

French Expressions Using Mettre The French verb mettre literally means to put and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to take great care in doing something, spend money on, bolt the door, and more with this list of expressions with mettre. Common Expressions Using Mettre mettre 5 heures faireto take 5 hours to do something mettre jourto update mettre lessaito put to the test mettre beaucoup de soin faireto take great care in doing something mettre de lardeur faire quelque choseto do something eagerly mettre de largent dansto put money into mettre de largent pourto pay for mettre de largent surto spend money on mettre de leau dans son vinto tone it down mettre en colà ¨reto make angry mettre en reliefto bring out, enhance, accentuate mettre la radioto turn on the radio mettre la tableto set the table mettre le rà ©veilto set the alarm mettre le verrouto bolt the door mettre les bouts (familiar)Get lost! mettre les informationsto turn on the news mettre les pieds dans le platsimilar to mess up; put ones foot in ones mouth mettre les voiles (familiar)Get lost! mettre quelque chose platto lay something down flat mettre quelque chose deboutto stand something up mettre (quelque chose) de cà ´tà ©to put (something) aside mettre quelque chose droitto set something straight mettre quelquun (parmi les grands)  to rank or rate someone (among the greats) mettre quelquun au pasto bring someone in line mettre quelquun dans lobligation/la nà ©cessità © de faireto compel someone to do something mettre sa langue dans sa poche (informal)to be quiet, stay silent mettre son grain de sel (informal)to stick ones nose in, to butt in Il y a mis le temps  !Hes taken his sweet time doing it! Jy mets la dernià ¨re mainIm putting the finishing touches on Mettons que...Lets say/Suppose that... On ma mis au pied du mur.I was cornered. Quest-ce quils nous ont mis  !They beat the heck out of us! Va te faire mettre  ! (slang)Get lost! Meanings and Usage ofSe Mettre The pronominal French verb  se  mettre  has several possible meanings and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to come clean, team up, gather round, and more expressions with  se  mettre. to becometo get (obtain)to goto put onto put  oneself ne  pas  savoir  oà ¹Ã‚  se  mettreto not know what to do with oneself se  mettre  au  franà §ais, la  guitareto start learning French, to play the guitar se  mettre     infinitiveto start doing something se  mettre  Ã‚  poil  (informal)to strip off, strip down to ones birthday suit se  mettre  Ã‚  quelquunto team up with someone se  mettre  au  rà ©gimeto go on a diet se  mettre   tableto sit down to eat, to come clean se  mettre  autour  deto gather round se  mettre  au  travailto start working se  mettre  au  vertto lie low se  mettre  avecto team up with, side with se  mettre  dans  une  colà ¨re  noireto fly into a terrible rage se  mettre  dans  une  situation dà ©licateto get oneself into an awkward situation se  mettre  en colà ¨reto get angry se  mettre  sur  son  trente  et unto get dressed to the nines se mettre sur un rangto form a line/queue se  mettre  une  idà ©e  dans  la tà ªteto get an idea into ones head sen  mettre  partoutto get covered in it, to get something all over oneself sy  mettreto get down to, to get on with sy  mettre  Ã‚   nounto go on, take up sy  mettre   infinitiveto start doing Meanings and Usage ofLa Mise Mise  is  the feminine of  mis, the past participle of  mettre.  La mise  has numerous meanings and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say involvement, make-up, leg-pulling and more with this list of expressions with  mise. putting, settingclothing, attire(betting) stake, ante(business) outlay la mise exà ©cutionimplementation, enforcement la mise feufiring, setting off, blast-off la mise jouract  of updating, updated la mise   leaulaunch la mise mortkill la mise pied  (employment)dismissal la mise   prixreserve/upset price la mise  au  mondebirth la mise  au  pointtuning, focusing, clarification la mise  basbirth (of an animal) la mise de fondscapital outlay la mise en abà ®memise en abyme,  image  within its own image la mise en accusationindictment la mise en bià ¨replacement into a coffin la mise en boà ®tecanning; (informal) ridiculing, leg-pulling la mise en  bouteillebottling la mise en causecalling into question, pointing a finger at la mise en conditionconditioning la mise en conservecanning la mise en demeureformal demand or notice la mise en examenplacing under investigation la mise en forme(sports) warming/limbering up; (typography) imposition la mise en gagepawning la mise en  jambeswarm-up exercises la mise en  jeuinvolvement, bringing into play la mise en  marchestarting up (a machine or apparatus) la mise en Å“uvreimplementation la mise en  ondes  (radio)production la mise en page  (typography)make-up la mise en placeset up, stocking,  imposition la mise en  plishair setting la mise en pratiqueputting into practice la mise en reliefenhancement, accentuation la mise en routestarting up, setting off/out la mise en sacspacking la mise en scà ¨ne  (theater, film)production la mise en service - La mise en service de  lautobus  sera...putting or starting into service - The bus will be put into service on... la mise en valeurdevelopment, improvement la mise en  vigueurenforcement la mise  sur  piedsetting up à ªtre de mise(fig) to be acceptable, appropriate; (archaic) to be in circulation, legal currency remporter  la miseto carry the day, win big sauver  la miseto withdraw from a game of stakes; (fig) to save the day

Change and Continuity in Australia under Gough Whitlam Labor Essay

Change and Continuity in Australia under Gough Whitlam Labor Government - Essay Example This paper will examine change under Whitlam but also aspects of continuity Whitlam is regarded an iconic figure in the political history of Australia, because he was remarkable as an exponent of political and other changes, where many of the changes he pushed for yielded positive impacts – irrespective of the fact that, the benefits of the changes were not openly visible in many cases (Staveley, n.d). Following the diverse interpretation of the effects of the then government – on Australia and also the political rivalry between the opposition and the government headed by Whitlam – the Governor General of the state, John Kerr took the measures of removing Whitlam from office; such a step had not been taken before, throughout the history of Australian politics and administrative roles. The dismissal of the Prime Minister in 1975, led to the end of an administrative era, which was celebrated among some, but which also reshaped the meaning developed around the polit ics of Australia (LINKS, n.d). ... For example, Whitlam’s election in 1967 marked a change from the election of members that held experience as workers prior to their enrolment in politics. The election of Whitlam marked the start of a new system of politics and a new generation of leaders, where the change continued to be mirrored in the parliamentary caucus (Bramble and Kuhn, 1999). The change was continued into the future, which was evident from the statistics that 63 percent of senate and House of Representatives from the Labor party were those from a blue collar background. Following Whitlam’s government, there was a change from the limited focus of the government on international affairs, to the case where it actively participated in international society affairs. The involvement in internal society affairs was marked by the country’s increased engagement of international organizations, and also its participation in the making of international agreements (Australian History, 2006). This chan ge was evident through activities like the opening up of state relations with Communist China (National Archives of Australia, 2009). As an active change agent, he travelled widely, more than the Prime Ministers that came after him, which marked an iconic era in the government’s participation in international affairs. There is also an evident thread of discontinuity from the labor policies of the era under Whitlam’s government. Many of the changes reflect a change from more radical to a more moderate outlook of policy formulation, like it had been suggested by Maddox. Some of the discontinuities mark the changes that appeal to increased capital accumulation, where the scope of programs has been

Human resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human resource Management - Essay Example The three human resource topics that will be emphasize in this analysis are managing sex and gender issues, employee benefits and compensation, and equal employment opportunities. My father’s company currently has only two employees. I envision tremendous growth for this company and within five years it is highly likely the firm could approach a payroll of over 100 employees. One of the topics that must be emphasized by the managers and the human resource department of the company are sex and gender issues. The civil rights and feminism movements of the 1960’s helped women reached equality in the United States. In the past women served the role of housewives. Today there are as many women in the workforce as men. In the 1900 only 19% of women worked, but by 2007 women composed 46% of the labor force (Lee & Mather, 2008). Due to the importance of women in the workplace the company must protect the rights of its workers and provide equal opportunities for employees of bot h sexes. My father’s business will become a place where people feel secured and happy to work there. The best way to achieve that goal is by complying with labor laws to ensure the employees are provided with a safe working environment. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Right Act prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. â€Å"Title VII applies to private employers, state and local government employers, labor organizations, employment agencies, and joint employer-union apprenticeship programs with 15 or more employees† (Equalrights, 2011). The company will utilize an ethical framework to ensure all employees are respected. Another problem related with gender is a concept known as glass ceiling. The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that affects the chances of women and minorities to reach the managerial level in an organization due to prejudice (Businessdictionary, 2011). To prevent the glass ceiling from occurring at the organization the firm must hire women and mi norities to become a part of the managerial team as the firm begins to grow. The company must audit its human resource composition every three months. The manager will compare the ethnic and gender composition to determine if the firm’s human resources have a similar composition as the population of the United States. The second human resource issue that the company must manage well is its employee salary and benefit packages. Employees participating in the U.S. labor force expect to get compensated well. In the United States the average salary is $41,673 (Ssa, 2011). The company must perform adequate research on how much each profession is paying in the United States. The salary the company will pay its employees will be equal or higher than the average salary for the profession based on experience. A website that provides excellent information regarding the salaries of different professions based on work experience is Salary.com (Salary, 2011). The company will be able to m aintain a higher employee retention rate if the firm pays competitive salaries. A second component of a total compensation package is the benefits. In today’s economy sometimes employees value benefit as much if not more than salary. The employees knows that a salary can be replaced by getting a different job, but a job that offers tremendous benefits are hard to

Providing The Care For The Elderly Persons Assignment

Providing The Care For The Elderly Persons - Assignment Example In most of the developing and underdeveloped countries, the elderly take care of themselves. The old are not given affordable rights to health care, food, clothing, shelter, and others. They are left alone to survive through their relatives who sometimes are also not able to care for them in the proper way possible. They are not assigned to any nurses or someone to help them take care of themselves. Therefore, they are left to suffer and do things on their own. In such case, I think these Governments should have homes for the elderly. Here, they should be provided with people who can take care of them on a daily basis. They also need to be provided with food, clothing, healthcare support and any other basic need they would require. They are a part of the community, and in any case, they are responsible for the current status of our countries. All workers in the United States should have the right to paid medical leave when their medical condition was contributed to by work conditions. The workers need to be paid their salaries in full as they undergo treatment, for the first six months of treatment. If they don't recover before the first six months, they need to receive their wages in full. Any time after six months if they have not recovered, they need to be paid half of their total salary by their employers. This should be done until such time that they will recover and get back to work. In case they don't recover, they will remain to receive their pay up to such time that they were supposed to retire. In the case of a permanent disability or death, they should be given their two-year pay. However, this doesn't happen universally. Some reasons are that some employees are only on contracts that are not enforceable. Some countries also do not recognize such rights and have their workers bill of rights.

Financial analysis of Autonomy Corporation Essay

Financial analysis of Autonomy Corporation - Essay Example The present study would focus on the Autonomy Corporation is a global enterprise that has dual corporate headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom and San Francisco, USA. The company has a presence in four continents: North America, South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The firm has more than 400 major clients including Oracle, IBM, HP, and Novell which are users and supporters of the firm’s technological products. This paper will analyze the financial standing of the company based on the use of financial and ratio analysis. In fiscal year 2010 Autonomy Corporation generated $870.36 million in sales (Morningstar, 2010). The sales total of the company increased by 17.66% in comparison with the previous fiscal year. The average selling price of the company was $790,000 which is a stable metric in this industry. The firm achieved a net profit of $296.21 million in 2010. The profitability of the company in 2010 is outstanding due to the fact the net margin of the company was 34 %. The net margin of the company was very impressive considering the fact that the industry net margin in the software industry is a very low 1.7%. The net margin is a financial ratio that measures the absolute profitability of the business. The net margin of Autonomy Corporation in 2010 was 32.3% higher than the industry average. The gross margin of the company was an outstanding 87%. The gross margin is a broad measure of profitability. The stockholders of the company benefited from the great earnings of the company. The earnings per share of the firm in 2010 was $1.11. Earnings per share tend to have an effect on the market price per share, as reflected in the price earnings ratio (Garrison & Noreen, 2011). The common stocks of Autonomy Corporation are traded in the London Stock Exchange. The firm’s website claims that the stock symbol of the firm is AU.L. Upon further research at various financial websites it appears that Autonomy Corporation’s stock are being trad ed in the London Stock Exchange under the symbol 5053.L; the current stock price of Autonomy Corporation is $2,549 per share (Yahoo, 2011). The revenue per employee of the company in 2010 was $463,000 which is 5% better than in 2009. During 2010 one of the highest expense accounts of the company was its research and development expense. The company spent $114.75 million in R&D. During the last five years the company has more than double its R&D expenses. This is a good sign because investing in research and development allows companies to develop new products and technologies. Patents are born out of the efforts of the R&D team. Two additional financial ratios are the return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). Return on assets measures how well assets have been employed by management, while return on equity when compared to return on assets measures the extent to which financial leverage is working for or against common stockholders (Garrison, et. al, 2003). The return on as sets of Autonomy Corporation in 2010 was 9.02%. The ROA of the company is better than the industry average of 6.9% (Dun & Bradstreet, 2011). The return on equity of Autonomy Corporation in 2010 was 14.33%. The ROE of the firm is 6.17% below the norm in the software industry. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay off its short term debt. The current ratio

Organisational Design & the Transformation of Work Case Study

Organisational Design & the Transformation of Work - Case Study Example The Executives ensure that the clients have whatever they need and their accounts are closed eventually. Now in the current situation, specialists have been bypassing executives. The executives henceforth, have no idea, regarding the account given to him by the agency to take care of. If things continue to be like this, eventually the agency will be left without any executives. The goals of the agency and the specialist’s conflict. The goal of the in house specialist is to ensure that his/her idea is brought by the client. Consumer behavior governs product innovation according to changing times and trends. There is no warning before hand. Where technology is concerned, even technology is non routine at Aquarius agency. There is a lot of emphasis on creativity and art. This makes it perpetually impossible to keep updated with a routine stagnant technology. The goals of the agency are customer satisfaction in the long run and this can be done by engaging them as often as possible. The agency should capitalize on technological advances to come up with better ideas and to promote the ideas produce by its in-house specialists. New technologies should be used and capitalized upon to project better more creative ideas of the specialists. In this way the agency will be successful in building its clientele base and attract new clients in the process. It will demonstrate its commitment to the client and their willingness to appease them and work them to give them what they want. In the given case study, it specified that the agency intends to make it more flexible. They want to adopt a less rigid and a more adaptable approach to be able to tackle any changes and meet any eventuality. They also plan on increasing cooperation and communication between different departments responsible for giving the clients their desired advertising needs. All

The Externalities of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

The Externalities of Education - Essay Example Educational organizations pose a highly educated workforce and it lies in both public institutions. This workforce produces a quality education which develops future workforce with much higher quality for both the organizations. Therefore, quality education helps the people to be equipped to handle multitasking job through being expert in multiple areas. Higher income level in the society is another important positive externality of public institutions. Public education basically helps students from lower income family to get educated by much less educational cost. If a student has eager to learn then he or she can be highly educated from public education and earn good amount of money in future. It helps the student from lower income family to financially support their family members in near future. Higher income means less people need government’s assistance in terms of monetary benefit and subsidies to the lower income level people in the society. Higher income especially in the families of lower income currently result overall development in an economy. Per capita income will grow easily, more job opportunities will come and people will easily get job and the organizations can easily access efficient expertise according their requirements. Socio cultural diversity in the society is the third positive externality of public education. In public educational places, there are people from different races, cultures and backgrounds etc. Kids and youths learn in the public education environment how to coexist with their classmates. This learning from the education environment will carry into the organizations where they have to work with people from different culture, different attitude and behavior also and even from people from different countries. Therefore, a person learn tolerant and understanding of different people around hem even in the education places or may be in the society and the workplaces

Organisational Design & the Transformation of Work Case Study

Organisational Design & the Transformation of Work - Case Study Example The Executives ensure that the clients have whatever they need and their accounts are closed eventually. Now in the current situation, specialists have been bypassing executives. The executives henceforth, have no idea, regarding the account given to him by the agency to take care of. If things continue to be like this, eventually the agency will be left without any executives. The goals of the agency and the specialist’s conflict. The goal of the in house specialist is to ensure that his/her idea is brought by the client. Consumer behavior governs product innovation according to changing times and trends. There is no warning before hand. Where technology is concerned, even technology is non routine at Aquarius agency. There is a lot of emphasis on creativity and art. This makes it perpetually impossible to keep updated with a routine stagnant technology. The goals of the agency are customer satisfaction in the long run and this can be done by engaging them as often as possible. The agency should capitalize on technological advances to come up with better ideas and to promote the ideas produce by its in-house specialists. New technologies should be used and capitalized upon to project better more creative ideas of the specialists. In this way the agency will be successful in building its clientele base and attract new clients in the process. It will demonstrate its commitment to the client and their willingness to appease them and work them to give them what they want. In the given case study, it specified that the agency intends to make it more flexible. They want to adopt a less rigid and a more adaptable approach to be able to tackle any changes and meet any eventuality. They also plan on increasing cooperation and communication between different departments responsible for giving the clients their desired advertising needs. All

Parenting Skills Essay Example for Free

Parenting Skills Essay Review Questions 1. What are the differences between being a biological parent, an adoptive parent, and a foster parent? A biological parent are your real blood parents, an adoptive parent is your parent till you’re 18, and a foster home basically is somewhere to stay and home family till you get adopted not really a permanent situation. 2. What financial needs are parents obligated to provide and which are optional? Up to the age of 18 (unless they move out before) Then clothes, school, food, place to live ,utility bills etc, some kids have activities which would be provided by giving pocket money, educational toys and books, toiletries. Christmas presents are optional but cover fun toys etc after 18 I would hope she will have a job and can contribute towards bills etc. 3. What other needs might a child have that a parent is expected to provide? Toys for them to play with, love, support, food and a safe place to grow up in. 4. What are the qualities of a nurturing parent? A nurturing parent would never give up on their child and go throw everything with them. Would do anything for them even in the worst situation. Critical Thinking Questions 1. What qualities make a person a good parent? A bad parent? A good parent would be there for their child and do whats best for them. A bad parent wouldn’t show any love or care. 2. Which parental responsibilities do you think would be the most challenging? Why? I think letting go over your child and letting them go off on their own, because you will think they’re not safe or okay without you. 3. Which parental responsibilities do you think would be the most interesting to you? Why? I guess getting them their first pet. I love animals and when I do have kids one day I would love to teach them how to take care of the pet. 4. What are some things that people can do to prepare for parenthood? Nothing, because you wont know what to expect until it happens.

Micronucleus Assay Procedure | Literature Review

Micronucleus Assay Procedure | Literature Review Micronucleus (â€Å"MN) is defined as microscopically visible, round or oval cytoplasmic chromatin mass next to the nucleus. Micronuclei (â€Å"MNi†) originate from aberrant mitoses and consist of eccentric chromosomes, chromatid fragments or whole chromosomes that have failed to be incorporated into the daughter nuclei during mitosis. The MN assay has been widely accepted as an in vitro genotoxicity test and a biomarker assay for genotoxic exposure and effect in humans. In the earlier times, the MN assay used to be carried out on lymphocytes, since 1990s this technique has evolved magnificently to be carried out on buccal cells. As collection of buccal cells require a simple non-invasive cytological smear, MN assay has played a vital role in reviving the application of cytology in the field of diagnostics and research. An attempt has been made to review all the studies carried till date, utilizing micronucleus assay of buccal cells as a novel marker of genotoxicity in head a nd neck region. The literal meaning of the word Micronucleus (MN) describes it as a small nucleus in a large cell, or the smaller nuclei in cells that have two or more such structures. Schmid (1975) defined MN as a microscopically visible, round or oval cytoplasmic chromatin mass next to the nucleus (Fig. 1). MN is the name given to the small extra-nucleus that forms whenever a chromosome or a fragment of a chromosome is not incorporated into one of the daughter nuclei during cell division.1 4 The two basic phenomena responsible for the formation of MNi in mitotic cells are dysfunction of the mitotic apparatus and chromosome breakage (Fig. 2). Micronuclei (MNi) are formed from the whole chromosomes or chromatid fragments that lag behind in anaphase and are separated out from the daughter nuclei in telophase. Additionally, some MNi gets originated from fragments derived from broken anaphase bridges formed due to chromosome rearrangements such as dicentric chromatids, intermingled ring chromosomes or union of sister chromatids.5 – 9 In the course of telophase these chromosomal regions are included in the daughter cells where they can fuse with the main nucleus or can form one or more smaller secondary nuclei.8 This smaller secondary nucleus is known as MN and its number can vary from one to many. Now the MN formed can either go with the daughter nucleus they derive from or the other daughter nucleus. In the former scenario, neither of the daughter cells is aneuploid, and in the latter case the micronucleated cell has gained a chromosome, while its daughter cell has lost it.5 Micronucleus Assay The Micronucleus assay is defined as an investigative procedure carried out to analyze micronuclei quantitatively. It is one of the standard cytogenetic tools implemented to assess micronuclei formation (signifying chromosomal damage) subsequent to exposure to genotoxic/cytotoxic agents.11 In humans, MN assay can be easily employed in lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and exfoliated epithelial cells (e.g. oral, urothelial, nasal) to obtain a measure of genome damage induced in vivo.12 In the earlier times, once-divided cultured cells (mostly peripheral lymphocytes) were considered ideal for expressing MNi and the procedure used was known as cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. In the CBMN assay, once-divided cells are identified by their BN appearance after blocking cytokinesis with cytochalasin-B (Cyt-B).13 In the last three decades, ever since the advent of MN assay on exfoliated cells, the buccal cells have completely replaced the usage of lymphocytes for the obvious reason of non-invasive collection of cells and simpler method for analyzing the MNi. The general genotoxicity results by both the methods of MN analysis are comparable.12 The basal cells in the oral epithelium are the cells which possess the capability of mitosis, the new cells formed gets differentiated and mature as they migrate to the surface finally replacing the cells which are shed. Thus any genetic damage (expressed as MNi formation) instigated in these basal cells is reflected in the exfoliated cells; thus analysis of MNi in these cells can be correlated with the amount of genetic damage. As the oral epithelium acts as the first barrier for the inhalation or ingestion route and approximately 90% of cancers originate from epithelial cells, therefore, these cells represent a favored target site for early genotoxic events induced by carcinogenic agents entering the body via inhalation and ingestion.12 The procedure for MN assay has been summarized in Table 1-3. Through this review, we intend to highlight the application of MN assay on buccal cells by reviewing significant studies from the English literature. We also aim to emphasize the pitfalls associated and the measures to overcome the same. Review of Literature In the early studies from the 1980s, exfoliated buccal mucosa cells were used to evaluate the genotoxic effects of betel nuts and quids and of chewing tobacco. Most studies showed higher MN frequencies at the site within the oral cavity where the quid or tobacco mixture was kept compared to the opposite, control site. The MN assay in buccal cells was also used to study cancerous and precancerous lesions and to monitor the effects of a number of chemopreventive agents. It is notable that the first studies of Stich and Rosin conducted between 1983 and 1984 had higher baseline MN frequencies than subsequent studies. This may have been due to a lack of defined scoring criteria and a relatively small number of scored cells (in some cases less than 500). Since then, published biomonitoring studies using the MN assay in buccal mucosa cells have investigated the effects of multiple factors including environmental and occupational exposures, radiotherapy, chemoprevention, vitamin supplementat ion trials, lifestyle habits, cancer, and other diseases.12 Micronuclei as a novel biomarker Occupational and environmental exposures In the last 15–20 years the MN assay has been applied to evaluate chromosomal damage for biological monitoring of human populations exposed to a variety of mutagenic and carcinogenic chemical or physical agents. Significantly higher frequencies of MN have also been observed in exfoliated buccal cells from people exposed to organic solvents, antineoplastic agents, diesel derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lead-containing paints and solvents, and drinking water contaminated with arsenic.12, 18-20 MN and radiation Ionizing radiation plays an important role in the treatment of many neoplasias, but it also produces genetic damage. As a consequence, secondary tumors may develop years after the primary tumor treatment. Several studies evaluated MNi in buccal cells of patients undergoing radiotherapy in the head and neck region. The most striking increase in cytogenetic damage (150– 300 MN/1000 cells) was observed in an early study of three patients exposed to a cumulative dose of 3400–4000 cGy.12 MN frequencies in buccal cells of patients with some specific diseases A site-specificity was observed for Xeroderma pigmentosum patients, with a higher MN frequency in cells from the dorsal tip of tongue, possibly due to greater light exposure. Down syndrome was associated with a 733% increase in MNi in comparison to younger healthy controls, and the MN frequency was 78.5% higher than in older controls. An increase in MN frequency in buccal cells was reported for Diabetes mellitus with the patients having double the level of genetic damage in comparison to matched controls and for treated pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis in comparison with controls or children with Crohn’s disease.12 Findings of the study carried out at Genetics Research Unit, National Council Research Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italy supported the hypothesis that CBMN assay may provide an useful tool for screening of the obesity and metabolic syndrome and its progression to diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults as well in children.21 Results of the stud y carried out in Mexico demonstrated a strong association between HPV type infection and MN frequency.22 Lifestyle and Host Factors Lifestyle factors that are associated with genetic damage include smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet, especially vitamin deficiencies and supplementation. The majority of the studies reporting a significant increase in MN in buccal mucosa cells related to a risk of oral cancer were performed in subgroups of subjects with specific lifestyle habits, i.e. chewers of betel quids (areca nut, betel leaves, slaked lime and tobacco) from India, Taiwan and Philippines; reverse smokers (who hold the lit end of the cigarette inside their mouths) from India and Philippines; snuff dippers from Canada; users of Khaini tobacco (tobacco mixed with slaked lime) from India, and other similar practices.12 The HUMN project is an effective vehicle for the development and implementation of an international collaborative validation effort to bring together the various buccal MN databases, and to identify and quantify the key variables affecting this biomarker.12 EXFOLIATIVE CYTOLOGY AND MICRONUCLEI RELATED STUDIES Studies in relation to Oral Cancer Potentially Malignant Lesions: Biomonitoring of the changes in patients with diagnosed diseases or pathological changes that may lead to the development of cancer and other illnesses is becoming increasingly popular, and may be the most rapidly growing area of application of the MN assay to epithelial cells.12 A study carried out in France, in the year 1987, found out a baseline of 1.30 Micronucleated cells/1000 Cells in patients with carcinoma of upper digestive tract, using Feulgen Stain.12 A revised protocol for the exfoliated cell micronucleus assay was field-tested in a population exposed to a genotoxic agent, snuff, at levels associated with a significant increase in cancer risk in North Carolina. The assay was revised to increase specificity and to include separate scoring of other nuclear anomalies associated with cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The prevalence of micronucleation was elevated in the snuff users as compared with the nonusers (prevalence ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1–5.2) and, to a lesser extent, at the usual contact site as compared with a distal buccal site in the snuff users (prevalence ratio = 1.5, 95% confidence interval 0.9–2.5).23 In a study carried out in India, frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNCs) were analyzed in the exfoliated buccal mucosa of normal healthy individuals from different parts of India who were regularly using either areca nut alone, mava, tamol, tobacco with lime, dry snuff or masheri. The analyses were also carried out among oral submucous fibrosis patients who had the habit of chewing either mava or areca nut. Compared with no habit healthy individuals, all the groups, irrespective of their type of habit, had significantly higher frequencies of MNCs.24 A study carried out in Texas, using Feulgen stain, found out an increase in Micronuclei frequency at the site of lesion in Leukoplakia, which got decreased after the administration of ÃŽ ± – tocopherol. 25 A study done in India in year 1996, found out an increased micronuclei count in oral exfoliated cells of patients suffering from Leukoplakia, Lichen Planus and Oral Submucous Fibrosis, using Giemsa stain. A baseline of 1.9 Micronucleated cells/1000 cells was found in each of the lesions as compared to normal subjects.12 A study done in Germany in year 2000, found out a baseline of 9.0 Micronucleated cell/1000 cells each in patients suffering from Squamous Cell Carcinoma of upper digestive tract and Leukoplakia, using Giemsa stain.12 A study done in Brazil in the year 2002 found out a baseline of 1.13 Micronucleated cell/1000 cells in patients diagnosed with oral cancer, using Feulgen stain.12 In another study carried out in West Bengal, India, 50 patients with precancerous o r malignant oral epithelial lesions were compared with 50 age and sex matched healthy controls without any oral lesions, using Giemsa stain. The MN frequency was increased in preoperative cancer cases and decreased in postoperative cases, while in pre-cancerous cases it was higher than in the controls.26 A group of researchers from Italy, studied Micronuclei and p53 accumulations in preneoplastic and malignant lesions of head and neck and concluded that both these biomarkers were found in precancerous lesions, suggesting that they are early event in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression. The two biomarkers were not related to each other, indeed micronuclei frequency was found out to be higher in p53 -negative than in p53 – positive cells.27 Another study done in India, in year 2007, found out a baseline of 1.6 Micronucleated cell/1000 cells each in patients diagnosed with Oral Cancer and pre malignant lesions of the oral cavity, using Giemsa stain.1 In an infield study carried out on smokers in Egypt, Papanicolaou (PAP) stain was compared with May Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) for staining of micronuclei in exfoliated buccal cells. Researchers found out that PAP stain was faster and easier to process and transport in the field study than was MGG stain. Regarding MGG smears, bacteria and cell debris masked the MN as compared to PAP smears, in which the fixative destroyed the bacteria and made the cell boundaries clearly demarcated. Using PAP stain, MN were seen easily in transparent cytoplasm. Finally they concluded that PAP stain is the preferred method infield studies for scoring and detecting MN in cells of buccal mucosa.28 A study carried out in JIPMER, Pondicherry, India screened 25 patients in varying stages of squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity and 25 patients with premalignant lesions for the presence of Micronuclei in the epithelial scrapings obtained from the site of the lesion. Highest Micronucleus Index was found in carcinoma and erythroplakia among the premalignant lesions, using the MayGrunwald Giemsa and Giemsa stain.3 In a study carried out in Thailand on patients with Oral Lichen Planus(OLP), it was found out that the frequency of Micronucleated Epithelial Cells(MEC) in OLP patients was 3.79% and 0.37% in the lesions and normal-appearing mucosa, respectively. Using a paired t-test, it was found that the MEC frequency in the OLP lesions was significantly elevated (p 29 In another study carried out in India, Micronucleus frequencies in oral exfoliated cells stained with Papanicolaou stain were counted and correlated with the histopathological grades and clinical stages of squamous cell c arcinoma patients. They were also compared with the healthy control subjects. Micronuclei (MN) frequencies were found higher in squamous cell carcinoma patients than in control subjects. MN frequencies were also found to be raised with increasing histological grades of squamous cell carcinoma.30 Grover et al observed a significantly raised micronuclei count in potentially malignant disorders like Leukoplakia, Lichen planus and OSMF, when compared to normal healthy mucosa.31 In another study, Grover et al applied Hematoxylin Eosin stain, the most commonly used stain for histopathological examination, for staining the cytosmears and found statistically significant results.32 Studies not in relation to Potentially Malignant Lesions: The micronucleus test was applied to exfoliated cells of the buccal mucosa of four population groups: (A) non-smokers and non-drinkers of alcoholic beverages, (B) non-smokers but alcohol drinkers, (C) smokers but non-drinkers, and (D) smokers and drinkers. An elevated frequency of micronucleated buccal mucosa cells was observed only in group D (smokers and alcohol drinkers). Neither smoking alone of up to and over 60 cigarettes per day nor ethanol drinking alone of up to 1.21 per day led to a detectable elevation of micronucleated buccal mucosa cells.33A study carried out in Amsterdam, Netherlands in an attempt to define a standardized protocol for counting micronuclei to assess the genotoxic damage in human exfoliated cells, concluded that atleast 10,000 exfoliated cells should be screened to monitor a significant reduction of 50% in the number of micronuclei (for a patient with an initial frequency in the micronuclei frequency range given). Since it takes ~7 h to evaluate this numb er of cells, it was also concluded that counting of micronuclei requires automation.2 A structured literature review done on smoking and smokeless tobacco associated changes concluded that the assay used most frequently for tobacco-associated buccal cell changes was the micronucleus assay. The biological significance of the micronuclei in buccal cells of the oral mucosa is that the micronuclei are a manifestation of a readily identifiable clastogenic event that, has been associated with smoke and smokeless tobacco.34 A study carried out on Gas Station Attendants in Brazil, found out an increased Micronuclei frequency in exfoliated buccal cells of the exposed as compared to the controls, using Feulgen stain.35 A group of researchers from West Bengal, India, in an attempt to study the genotoxic effects of combustion fumes on targeted sites carried out Micronucleus assay using Feulgen stain in buccal epithelial cells of 47 firefighters and they found a 3 fold increase in Micronuclei fr equency as compared to the controls.36 To study the effects of occupational exposure to petroleum derivatives such as benzene, exfoliated buccal cells from 50 petrol station attendants and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects were examined for micronucleus (MN) frequency by a group of researchers in Turkey. Frequencies of nuclear abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, karyorrhexis and karyolysis, were also evaluated, using Feulgen stain. Analysis of buccal cells revealed that MN and NA frequencies in petrol station workers were significantly higher than in control subjects (P P 37 Another study in Brazil was carried out to comparatively evaluate the DNA damage (micronucleus) and cellular death (pyknosis, karyolysis and karyorrhexis) of exfoliated buccal mucosa cells from children and adults following dental X-ray exposure. The results indicated no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in childrens as well as in adult’s micronucleated oral mucosa cells before and after dental X-ray exposure.38 In a study conducted in Europe, a total of 239 agricultural workers and 231 unexposed controls were examined for cytogenetic effects in lymphocytes of peripheral blood and exfoliated cells of the oral mucosa. The frequency of micronuclei (MN) was evaluated in both cell types and their relationship to different confounding factors (e.g. sex, country, smoking habit, etc.) was determined, using Giemsa stain. The results obtained indicated that there are no increases in MN frequencies in the agricultural workers when compared with the controls for either lym phocytes or buccal cells.39 Conclusion MN formation is generally considered as a manifestation of genetic damage or chromosomal breakage. Many investigators already and unequivocally have called MN as an upcoming marker of tumorogenesis. MN is thus a potential biomarker to screen genotoxicity, biomonitoring of various diseases, detection of malignancies and preneoplastic conditions and also a lot of other diseases. Since MN is a manifestation of day to day exposure to environmental pollutants, infections, nutrition, radiation, foods, and the genetic make-up or ethnicity which again varies around the globe. So there must be an upper limit of the base-line MN frequency only beyond which we can label it as increased MN frequency.

The Five Types of Memory Essay -- memory, psychology,

The human body is a complex structure. The brain being the most complex organ has the most work to do. The human memory consists of a process in which memories are stored and remembered. According to Intelegen Inc., there is this unique process of Memory in which the process only involves three stages. In the stages of this process, the memory is formed, retained, and retrieved. There are three stages of the five different types of Memory; the three stages are encoding, storage and retrieval. The five types are Memory is classified by a few different characteristics. Declarative Memory is the memory of dates, historical facts, and telephone numbers (Silvia Cardoso). It is easier to build up Declarative Memory but can be easily forgotten as well. Procedural Memory is the memory/ability to drive a car, to play sports and tie shoes. This type of memory involves repetitive practices. The other of types of memory is Elaboration, Self Referent and Visual Imagery. Elaboration is known as memory associating with other information. Self Referent Memory is how it is made personally relevant. Then, there is Visual Imagery, which can be used in a few ways, one of which can be used to add richness to the material to be remembered. The first stage is known as Encoding, which is how the memories are formed. Encoding requires selective attention to the material to be encoded (Intelegen Inc.). All the messages are registered but only the meaningful ones are put into memory. There are different types of encoding. Structural Encoding is the first; it keeps emphasis on the physical structural characteristics, also known as the shallow level. Phonemic Encoding is the second; it keeps the emphasis on the sounds of words, the intermediate level. ... ...By this it is meant that some see the glass half empty or half full, then it is stored into their memory and then relate everything else to that. When thoughts and ideas grow off one another once the first part is lost it becomes hard to bring any of the memory back. This happens often, anyone can have a retrieval flaw and thus it messes up the whole system. The three stages are encoding, storage and retrieval and there are five types of memory. Memory may seem to come and go but yet it will always be there. When starting to age the thing is that losing memory is always the problem. The problem is trying to find where in the mind it was stored. This complex process will be one of the only things that will not change over the years seeing as of now there is no way to input the human brain with fake memories but that does not mean in the future that will not happen.

Euthanasia: A Complex Issue Essay -- Assisted Suicide Essays

Euthanasia is a very controversial issue around the world. Many doctors have conflicting opinions when it comes to this topic. â€Å"Euthanasia is the killing of someone through either an active or passive way of someone who suffers from an illness which arouses pity and who will never get better when asked by either the person himself/herself or his/her friends† (Nevzat). Euthanasia has been around for centuries. When Michael Stolberg narrates the story of Ambroise Parà © in â€Å"Two Pioneers of Euthanasia around 1800,† he informs us that euthanasia was used as early as 1536. In the sad anecdote about the soldier, Stolberg opens the eyes of many to the ways euthanasia is performed. Not all acts of euthanasia are quite this severe. In 1800, Physician Carl Georg Theodor Kortum had various reports of terminally ill patients bound to die a horrible death if not for him. He explained some patients went through a period of not even being able to swallow. They stayed in this period until they slowly lost their sense. Some patients continued to live for another forty-eight hours until finally passing. He explained, â€Å"The only thing one could desire was that a gentle death end the patients suffering† (Stolberg). Some say Kortum could be considered the first physician to publically justify and advise active euthanasia. He saw euthanasia as helping terminally ill patients become comfortable again. Christian Ludwig Mursinna was a very well respected surgeon during this time, as well. Mursinna was the head surgeon at Charità © hospital in Berlin and a professor of surgery. Like Kortum, Mursinna also publically admitted to shortening the suffering of one of his patients. After the patient asked... ...a: Journal of Death & Dying 54.2 (2006): 135-145. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. Stolberg, Michael. â€Å"Two Pioneers of Euthanasia around 1800.† Hastings Center Report. 19-22. Hastings Center, 2008. Health Source – Consumer Edition. EBSCO. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. Stolinsky, M.D, David C. â€Å"Assisted Suicide of the Medicle Profession.† Stolinsky.com. 20 Mar. 2006. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. "Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care - Definition | Get Palliative Care." Palliative Care. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. . Whitney, Simon N., Bryan W. Brown, Howard Brody, Kirsten H. Alcser, Jerald G. Bachman, and Henry T. Greely. "Views of United States Physicians and Members of the American Medicle Association House of Delegates on Physician-assisted Suicide." Journal of General Internal Medicine 16 (20001): 290-96. Print.

Data Protection Act 1998 and Broad Based Hr Essay

Assignment The main purpose of my current job role is the responsibility for processing all aspects of the Company’s payroll from start to finish and providing HR support to the other members of the team to ensure the effective day to day running of the HR function. This includes assisting with the recruitment of new staff and maintaining personnel records relating to employees in compliance with relevant legislation and regulation. To successfully undertake my role a wide range of skills, knowledge and behaviours are required.   The two professional areas Insight Strategy and Solutions and Leading HR are the heart of the profession and are the most important to all HR professionals. Very important is to understand the Company’s HR Strategy. The core of the Company’s HR strategy identifies two broad based HR objectives: Ensure that the talent and abilities of staff are recognised and developed to their full potential Ensure that the individual and collective skills and abilities of staff support the on-going delivery of Company objectives Develop understanding of the Company and use the insights to tailor strategy and solutions to meet organisational needs now and in the future Helping employees understand their role in change, the reason for it and the results that are expected In the design of the annual HR plans all members of the department work collaboratively to ensure the plans are challenging and deliver positive results for the company. As a leading HR it is important to support development plans and programmes. Provide advice confidently based on sound understanding of organisation’s policy and practice. Act as a role model leader, support, develop and measure others across the organisation. Work collaboratively with colleagues to deliver good policy, practice and advice. Employee engagement is important so that all employees have connection with their work, colleagues and to the organisation so that employees are more fulfilled by work and make a greater contribution towards organisational  objectives, therefore particular attention is needed to good leadership and management. To be effective in my role I need to refer to eight behaviours: 1. Curious- to be open to trying ideas reflect, analyse and test them and insight with others, take on board change, implement changes to payroll system and procedures try new ides 2. Decisive Thinker – analyse payroll data to ensure details and facts are correct, complete and consistent; use experience, standard procedure and common sense and knowledge to solve payroll problems while recognising limits of experience and authority within the organisation 3. Skilled influencer – understand how to influence within the culture, governance of performance framework and politics, identifying the key points to communicate on any interaction, selecting the right message and audience 4. Personally credible – improving own experience, knowledge, skills shearing it with colleagues, considering how to add value and ensure expertise is developed, accept and act on feedback on own performance to both criticism and praise 5. Collaborative – passing information promptly, keeping colleagues up to date, support them in their day-to-day work, handle disagreement as they occur, seeking a constructive solution, showing respect for diversity 6. Driven to deliver – identify the steps to achieve agreed tasks, goals and objectives in the immediate or short term, keep track of own progress, keeping deadlines or inform others when targets can’t be met, deliver to expectations and commitment, meeting or exceeding agreed standards 7. Courage to challenge – stand by own proposal in the face of difficult questions, providing supporting evidence, explore the full range of viewpoints, consult others when facing problems, undercover pertinent facts to move a debate forward 8. Role model – consistently act according to organisational and legal principles and agreed processes, deal with personal date and information in a highly professional manner and relevant legislation such as Data Pr otection Act, deliver expectations and promises Experience of processing all aspects of Payroll A good understanding of tax codes, tax and NI rates, thresholds, allowances  and deductions from pay Ability to calculate payroll manually A good understanding of SSP, SMP, SAP and Employment Law Experience of recruitment campaigns A good understanding of HR policies and procedures Ability to maintain confidentiality and ensure data protection principles are adhered to at all times Ability to work on own initiative and deal with difficult and sensitive situations Ability to organise and prioritise workload and to meet agreed deadlines and targets Excellent interpersonal skills