Thursday, October 31, 2019

People and work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People and work - Assignment Example This company is Highway Stores Ltd and we would see the nature of HRM this organization follows. Here in this company the department that handles all the employee related matters is referred to as Personnel Department though it should be noted that the training policies are maintained and looked over by other departments. The head office in Midlands of Highway Stores Ltd controls the Personnel Function and here the hierarchy is formulated in three fold structures with three Personnel Administrators, one Personnel Officer and one Personnel Manager who is directly responsible for the department. Collaboration sense prevails with the department indulge in looking after different personnel duties that include all issues related to employees. Like training the payroll issue is looked after by the Finance department and the Personnel function is responsible to repot all issues relation to these to the Legal Director of the Highway Stores Ltd. Therefore, it could be stated that the responsibilities of the Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. is limited in many sense among which the training sector which is so important to the HRM is detached from the overhead. This would lead to substantial problem in future as the training modules are formulated only for the store workers and not for the personnel working at the head office. This would ultimately lead to a sense of discrimination in the context of future communication system. This leads to a situation where there needs to be a problem solving overhead for Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. The absence of such a department only could add fuel to the probable problems to arise in future. However there is a standardized internal policy that provides a tentative guideline if needed. Absence of a clearly laid down policy as well as lack of contact over the training procedures sets a field of probable problem that could cause trouble in future within Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. It is also found in Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. that this lack of needed training proves to be of a huge disadvantage whereas this problem is confronted by only the manager who is blissfully qualified in this sense. But this imbalance of knowledge would ultimately cause further drift within the department; at least theoretically there is the potential within the Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. Another problem at Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. is the personnel leave and sickness issue. This is another weak point of the department. This is because the Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. is responsible of keeping record of personnel leave due to sickness which exceeds more than six weeks but apart form this record the department is not responsible for any other records of employees who remain absent for reasons other than sickness. Moreover, records are not maintained if the employee is absent less than six weeks. This proves to be a fatal disadvantage of records by the Personnel Function department of Highway Stores Ltd. and the basic effectiveness of maintaining a HRM is mostly lost. But the most interesting and wearisome problem of the Personnel Fun

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Checkpoint ratio, vertical, and horizontal analyses Assignment

Checkpoint ratio, vertical, and horizontal analyses - Assignment Example It helps to understand the quantity of an item in the financial statement as a percentage of a whole and compare over a horizon of many years. Comparing current assets as percentage of total assets in year1 and year2 would be an example of vertical analysis. Horizontal analysis helps in analyzing the various items over a period of time either in absolute numbers or in percentage. Example, change in sales (+ or -) figures in year1 as compare to previous year. The current ratio shows that Pepsico is showing a decreasing trend from 1.28 in 2004 to 1.11 in 2005 (appendix). Coca-Cola is also showing a similar trend with the ratio at 1.10 in 2004 and 1.04 in 2005 (appendix). This shows that both the companies are increasing their short term financing. They can afford to do this at present as both companies have their current liabilities adequately covered. However, the trend could be alarming for their short term liquidity position in the future if it continues, especially for Coca-Cola which has almost equal amount of current assets covering the current liabilities ($1.04 for every $1 of current liability). Vertical analysis of Assets shows that for Pepsico current assets component of total assets has increased marginally in 2005 over the previous year (appendix). The current liabilities as percentage of total liabilities has increased drastically which shows that the company is financing more through short term obligations rather than long term debt. A further component analysis reveals a clearer picture. There has been a major increase in short term liabilities and taxes showing an increased short term financing for growing business (appendix). For coca-cola current liabilities have increased and assets decreased again showing increased short term financing (appendix). Horizontal analysis of Pepsico shows that there has been an increase in current assets and liabilities

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Nature Of The State Sovereignty

The Nature Of The State Sovereignty In order to complete this analysis, it is necessary to examine the history and the evolution of concept sovereignty. Hence I will firstly define notion of sovereignty and its origins. In the latter part I will present how sovereignty has changed over period of time, particularly after the Cold War. In the final part I will provide conclusion summoning if the change of sovereignty nature has been positive or negative. Sovereignty is relatively recent innovation in international relations. It was first developed in Europe, at the peace of Westphalia in 1648. Treaty of Westphalia has been the outcome of around 8 decades of wars fought in name of religions. The result of Westphalian Treaty was establishment of new international law system which was going to be applied to the modern states. The underpinning of this system is the sovereign character of the state and the prevention against external interference in internal affairs by other states. Sovereignty is one among the inherent and essential elements of a state, which defines its supreme power and its own independence.  [1]  Sovereignty has two dimension and these are: authority of internal government and territory. Leader of the government has an ultimate and legitimate right to exercise power within the borders of that particular state and suppose to be obeyed by its citizens.  [2]  Noteworthy, the core elements of state sovereignty hav e been established in 1933 Montevideo convention on the Rights and Duties of States. They include three main requirements: a permanent populations, defined territory and body of power functioning government.  [3]   Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau were most important members of the social contract school. They shared the same idea about the concept of sovereignty. They believed that whatever are origins of sovereignty, it all comes down to contractual agreement between the members. However, their theories differed significantly in other respects.  [4]   State sovereignty has for the past several hundred years, been a defining principle of a relations between states and in a way a foundation of worlds order. This concept is one of the most important principles of United Nation Charter and it is still important component of the maintenance of peace in the world and defence of weak states against the powerful ones. At the same time, however the concept has never been unchallengeable as such, either in law or practice as the formal definition may suggest. According to former secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali; The time of absolute sovereignty has passed; its theory was never matched by reality.  [5]   Knowing that the international rules of the notion of sovereignty set out in the Treat of Westphalia have been modified over the years, most recently and significantly by the Charter of the United Nations they remained merely intact until June 1990, this was when UN Security Council approved Resolution 1244. According to that resolution the attacks in Kosovo were justified. The post-Cold War world has segued into what might now be called post-Westphalian world. Resolution 1244 is the momentum of a series of acts of decisions and actions which, taken together, change the legal and theoretical structure of international relations. This means that the first principle of the nation sovereignty is the power that the nation holds as a State those in power are in charge.  [6]   In practice international legal sovereignty and Westphalian sovereignty are the key manifestations of sovereignty. In particular cases, for example; Somalia or Andorra, these attributes camouflage glaring failings in other areas ostensibly central to sovereignty. The humanitarian intervention in Kosovo and the invocation of self-Defence as a rationale for the intervention in Afghanistan are examples of rights reserved for powerful states which are not intended for use by the majority of states.  [7]   As Krasner summarizesthe principles associated with both Westphalian and international legal sovereignty have always been violated.  [8]   After the end of Cold War, the sovereignty of each nation involved in the war has changed significantly and quite diminished. Meanwhile the Cold War is the longest war that took place between 1940-1980 involving United Union of soviet socialist and America and it was merely a war of rights and beliefs. The changes to the notion of Sovereignty changed and the changes were influenced by the development that happened after the Cold War.  [9]   Pragmatically, concept of sovereignty has often been challenged and violated by the powerful states. In current globalizing world, it is recognised that cultural, environmental and economic influences neither respect borders, nor require an entry visa. The concept of state sovereignty is well stretched in political and legal discourses. Furthermore, states borders have diminished significantly as a result of contemporary international relations arena. Current international disorder and suffering are the main causes of technology and communication fast development. Consequently, perspectives on the range and role of state sovereignty have, especially over the past ten years, evolved very quickly. Today, sovereignty confronts the challenge of globalism. It is commonly held that the conditions which support globalism, such as technological advances, the communications revolution, and advances in business organization do not necessarily promote sovereignty. Furthermore political activism, terrorism, and organized crime conspire to undermine territorial boundaries and permit the exchange of science, culture, political economy, and the growth of beneficent and malevolent global civil society. However according to Anthony Coughlans effects of globalization o the concept of the sovereignty of Sate is often taken out of context or exaggerated. In his view States have always been interdependent to some extent. In his opinion there was more to globalisation in the late 19th Century, such as free movement of labour, trade and capital, although the volumes involved were smaller than today. In that time most states were economically more powerful due to international businesses. In Coughlans view Modern States do more for their citizens and are expected by them to do more and impinge more intimately on peoples lives than at any time in history.  [10]   Sovereignty may undeniably be strengthened as it changes to meet new needs and opportunities. In other ways, sovereignty may be limited in its capacity to deny international responsibilities and domestic obligations. An analysis of the world social process will give a way to a vast number of participants and institutions that comprise the global society. Among these are State sovereigns, international and regional organizations, political parties, business groups, pressure groups, NGOs, and individuals in various roles relevant to social relations within and across State and national lines.  [11]   It should be added that there are many other complex outcomes of this process, which include, for example, the constitutional architecture of the European Union, the African Union, the Organization of American States, and even the framework of military alliances under the changing character of NATO. These regional organizations carry the attributes of authority and control and, in turn, reconfigure the framework of decision-making competences that are exclusive to the sovereign State, those which are sometimes shared concurrently with the nation-State, and those which are to be exercised in complex patterns of sequential authority. This makes the interplay between the constitutional architecture of the various forms of political and legal association under current world order conditions, a complex and technical, but vitally important matter. Among the important outcomes of the world community process is the relatively specialized process of effective power, which involves connecting linkages between interactions and inters determination operating in micro social institutions, large-scale social formations such as the State, even larger aggregates of States, and a still larger and complex world process of effective power. It is perhaps a paradox that sovereign independence is now often accompanied by sovereign membership in various regional associations and international organizations, which juridical limits sovereignty. For example, membership in the United Nations conditions sovereignty; in other words, sovereignty cannot trump the obligations and international responsibilities of the UN. Even more prominent are State claims to associate with supranational regional compacts and, in so doing, abandon some autonomy in exchange for the benefits of membership. Examples of this include the European Union, the African Union, and the Organization of American States. The current crisis of terrorism and world order will tell as much about the changes that international law might secure for the practice of international relations based on the authority of the UN Charter. One trend however, is clear. Sovereignty as State absolutism is no longer a tenable precept in international law and international relations. Sovereignty based on the authority of peoples expectations is a vital and critical element in promoting international peace and security, enhancing human rights and is a basic element in the foundations and possibilities of good governance as well as transparent and responsible authority. To conclude this does not mean the demise of sovereignty but it means change.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Genius by Frank O’Connor Essay -- Genius Frank Oconnor Essays

The Genius by Frank O’Connor The boy’s personality and his intelligence are swiftly established in the opening paragraph. His mother is presented as being a strong influence on him and appears as a kind of ‘ally’ against the rough children – ‘savages’ as she describes them – that live and play in the area. It is clear that she encourages him to regard himself as ‘different’ and separate from them, but it is equally obvious that he is not anxious to associate with them anyway. He describes himself as â€Å"a cissy by conviction† and says that he regarded the idea of fighting as both unattractive and ‘dangerous’. He avoids rough games and prefers the company of girls to boys only because â€Å"they don’t fight so much†. Religion seems to play an unusually important role in his life and it seems probable that this is a reflection of his close relationship with Miss Cooney. He himself uses â€Å"our Blessed Lord† as a kind of defence against bullies who might otherwise ‘hammer’ his head on the pavement. It is evident from the way he uses argument that he is unusually articulate for his age, and this is a reflection of both his natural intelligence and his strong preference for adult company. The fact that his mother has told him â€Å"about geniuses† makes it clear that she has high ambitions for him. This is reinforced by the fact that she: â€Å"Worried herself endlessly finding answers to my questions†. Miss Cooney, however, plays an important role in encouraging and ‘feeding’ the boy’s sense of himself as someone ‘special’. Although a very eccentric and even unstable woman, she recognises his intelligence and, by making her â€Å"religious books† freely available to him, seeks to plant and foster the growth of the idea th... ...y life’, but also to Frank O’Connor’s discussion of the short story in The Lonely Voice (1963). O’Connor compares the novel and the short story: whereas the novel can ‘adhere to the classical concept of civilized society, of man as an animal who lives in a community...the short story remains by its very nature remote from the community - romantic, individualistic, and intransigent.’ The relevance of aspects of this will echo through my discussion of a story by Tobias Wolff in the final section of my paper. For O’Connor, the short story is concerned with individuals who are marginalised, or who marginalise themselves: these individuals are ‘outlawed figures wandering about the fringes of society...As a result, there is in the short story at its most characteristic something we do not often find in the novel - an intense awareness of human loneliness.’

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fashion Magazine Editor

In 1892 Arthur Baldwin Turner founds Vogue in America which will later become one of the most influential fashion magazines in history. In the year 1 900 fashion magazines began to use photographs instead of illustrations. For the editors, this means that they must deal with a new way to structure the magazine. Today, there are hundred ads of fashion magazines that have become an essential for many people. They provide info on the latest clothing trends and newest designers. Many fashion magazines have started doing online sites, so people may start to see more online issues in the future.Thus, as fashion ma gamines change, so will the jobs of the editor. There are many people working in this career in different parts of the world t day. There are currently 1 3,500 people employed as an editor in California alone (â€Å"Editor s†). It is estimated that by 2020 there will be a decline and the amount of people working in this career in California Adolph 3 will be 12,900. This is due to the increasing amount of online fashion editorial s. There is still good news though. This new age of online magazines will open up jobs for on line magazine editors and floggers.Most of the times jobs relating to this career are found I n big cities such as New York or Los Angles. This is because this is where major fashion companion sees, such as Harpers Bazaar and The Cosmopolitan, are located. Therefore, changes in the near future will affect some of the different aspects of one's job. Working as an editor may be a tough and stressful job, but it has its perks. â€Å"A f cushion magazine editor works closely with writers, photographers, and advertisers to ensure that readers are given the most update information regarding fashion trends† (â€Å"Descriptive on of a Fashion Magazine Debited).Fashion magazine editors oversee every part of publication . To BEA magazine editor, you have to follow strict deadlines. When you have deadline s, your hours of work tend to i ncrease. There are not any specific working hours for this career r, but most of your time is spent in an office. One thing that is important for editors to use is socio al media. † you can also reach a wide audience no matter where you live thanks to social media† ( Knobble, Claire, ‘Teen Vogue†). Social media allows the editor to market and promote FRR mom wherever they are.Many fashion magazine editors get to attend runway shows and pre view new collections from famous designers, receive free clothing, and go to some of the e most high end parties. While a magazine editors job can sometimes be a lot of work, it's worth hit. When applying for a job in this field, there are a few things a company will lo fashion magazine editor can be male or female. The ages range because they look at your skills, not your age. You have to be social because it is important to make relations pips with people in the fashion industry, so that later on you can have connections. The ideal EDI tort will have strong Adolph 4 interpersonal skills, and be able to conduct insightful and entertaining interview Killer, Johnny, â€Å"Job Responsibilities†). You also have to be creative and openhanded t o new ideas. In this career, most people start as an intern and work their way up. The majority y of magazine editors have a bachelors degree (â€Å"Magazine Idiom'). These degrees are usual y in journalism or something related to fashion design. It is essential to have a background in FAA scion to do this job.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Concession at Glastonbury Festival

Introduction Glastonbury festival Of Contemporary Performing Art is one of the most known music festivals in the world. The festival it self takes part in worthy farm which is a dairy farm during the year; is in the region of Somerset which is situated in southwest England. The festival from 1981 has been organised by the local farmer and site owner Michael Eavis (Martin, 2009). Micheal Eavis is also the owner of Glastonbury Festival LTD the company that is in charge of the organization and the distribution of the varies concessions around the event site. Philip m. , 2013) Since 2002 festival republic which is a company that consist in the merging of (live Nation and MCD) takes care of the managing the logistic, security, and 40% of the concessionary stakes in the festival. (stroke, 2013). Food and beverage stalls Concession for the stall and Glastonbury have a very different type of price depending on the size and what the stall his selling. There are two types of stall A typical se lls food and beverage and is set at ? 1000 per day out side the events cite. And 2500? f is inside the event cite. Also the owner of the stall must comply with the regulations regarding the waste management and water management. A Stand needs to do an investment of ? 4000 to have is stall with the right regulations. (Bodwin, 2008) But once the stands have given the concession the owner can make a very good amount of money. The concessions for the stand are all the same but generally speaking if your stand is more green, environmental and alternative, the cheaper the rent is going to be in could go down to ? 00 to non like a stall specialized in dairy farming products. (Murray, 2009) There are about 800 stalls, which they been release the concessions to sell their products during Glastonbury Festival. (Lee, 2010) The bars at Glastonbury Concert is organise by Workers Beer Company which is sponsor by Carlsberg the leasing that hey give to contribute to the festival is around ? 500. 00 0 (Wanddworthy, 2012) Goods and services stalls A type B stall sells any types of good and services that can be need it during the event. This can vary from Tabaco reseller, to Tend fixing ssistant, books, papers, gadgets, flags and alcohol. For this stands Festival republic is in charge on giving them specific rules and regulations regarding the Concessions. The standard price is also set from ? 1000 to a maximum of ? 3000 there is a option that the owner of the stall could undertake and is that to partner with one of the sponsors of Glastonbury like; Oxfam, Water Aid and green peace is to donate part of the stall money to there Couse and they will be ready to pay for there stall rent for all the event. Caravans inside Glastonbury festivalThe parking of the caravans is accepted but only on the out skirts of the event. Glastonbury festival LTD releases upon request a caravan concession but they need to follow specific criteria’s: Each person entering must have a weekend Festi val ticket holder. And this concession will only be release if the ticket older will sleep in the vehicles and have a fitted sleeping and cooking facilities. The cost of this special concession given to the caravans is of ? 85 for the entire event. There is a reduction of the price for physically challenged people.Which is ? 65 that is also valid for all the event time. Each car is allowed to have one car but there is an additional parking ticket of ? 20 for each car. (Philip m. , 2013) Pre Erected tend service Since Glastonbury festival LTD understands that camping is one of the most entertainment and exiting things of the festival. Not everybody would have a tend so they have release a concession to Argos to rent tends to who would wish to rent them. This is a very good opportunity for business for Argos but they need to pay to Glastonbury Festival ? 100. 00 in order to have the permission to erect there tends inside the camping cites. The ticket holders then they can easily rent a tend inside an Argos story or buy calling an hotline. The price for renting of the tend strictly depends on the occupancy of people Inside it. For a standard 2 person Cloud House is ? 300 for 5 nights and those are the most popular and they tend to sell out very quickly. Then there the choose of a 4 person bell ten which comes with a cost of ? 500. For the biggest tend that can hold 8 people inside which is a dome tent is ? 00 for 5 nights. Argos have about 7. 000 tends to lease and the get all sold out. (Philip m. , 2013) Electrical Power and stages Mr Michael Eavis is famouse for Glastonbury Festival of contemporary Arts for his ability to create an event that is unique for the industry since his almost 70% sustainable (Philip M. , Our-green. policies, 2013) Eavis’ have installed 1,116 solar panels which have been installed on the roof of the cowshed. The 1. 500-acre site effectively will bring the Glastonbury festival to be has ecologically as possible.The solar power en ergy well produce about 200 diesel-powered generators and will be able to produce enough electrical power to make sure than more than one band can play, The sound systems on site have a total power of 650,000 watts, with the main stage having 250 speakers. Also the food-and-drink suppliers will be able to operate there stalls when the lights of the day will go down. (Morris, 2010). Mr Eavis have given the concession to build such infrastructure in his farm to SOLAR PANEL UK with the collaboration of Greenpeace.The estimate investment plus the permission to install such infrastructure was about ? 40m. (UK, 2012) The project is very important because the name of solar panel will become part of the official sponsor for the festival. Also green peaces have the chance to promote suitability in the UK. Solar panel gets given 25% of the made from the concert. Conclusion Glastonbury Festival of performance of contemporary arts is a very well establish event. Has been running for over 40 yea rs. And every year them seem to improve in many aspects

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Role of Management in organization

The Role of Management in organization Introduction The main role of management is categorized into four functions, i.e. Controlling, Leading, Organizing and planning. Many textbooks depict these functions as the simple, clear and unchanging guidelines to perfect management. However, the role of management is more than just following simple rules of procedure.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Management in organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These functions looks very ideal to work with and they lay out a god framework through which managers should work with, but they do not represent the day-to-day challenges that face a manager. This essay analyses various textbooks and how each of them depict the role of management. The role of management Role of management as depicted by the study book The text book paints the role of management as a rational and technical function. F.W. Taylor, for example, believed that â€Å"the way to create the most efficient division of labor could best be determined by scientific management techniques rather than intuitive of informal rule-of-thumb knowledge,† (Waddell et al 2007, P. 43). He further four principles of management as â€Å"developing a for each job element, scientifically selecting an training workers, formulating science principles to be followed and equal division of work and responsibilities between workers and management,† (Waddell et al 2007, P.44). This may be conclusively said to be his idea of management’s role of planning, leading, organizing, and controlling. The Gilbreths too, in â€Å"their goal to achieve maximum efficiency, undertook to develop efficiency principle of management to be applied in all areas,† (Waddell et al 2007, P. 47). To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative function, Max Weber developed â€Å"formalized rules, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and norms,† (Waddell et al 2007 , P. 49), popularly known as principles of bureaucracy. To him bureaucracy was the gateway to achieving organizational goals by enabling effective directing and control of workers. Henri Fayol too believed that the only way â€Å"to achieve efficiency of management is by the use of some standard principles which he came up with, to be used by managers in their management role which he identified as planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling† (Waddell et al 2007, P. 52), which equate to the modern management functions as POLC. This stand was challenged by Parker Follet who disagreed with flow of authority from top to bottom and viewed that workers too should be included in the decision making, but Fayols principles have stood the test of time and are still very applicable to date.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management role by other wr iters Jackall maintains that scientific principles of management are crucial to management process when it comes to middle-managers. Well formulated principles outlines what a manager needs to do when and thus removes the constant fear that such managers feel of â€Å"being found not measuring up to the expectations in their social world,† (Jackall, 1988, P. 79). Tasks are broken into smaller portions and also knowledge conferred and required by each piece. However, he admits that scientific principles will not be helpful to a senior manager who need to make, what he calls, ‘gut decisions’ which are complex and involve large amounts of capital outlay. According to him, â€Å"numeric measures and other seemingly sophisticated analytical tools can only be â€Å"guideposts† in making such decisions,† (Jackall 1988, P.81). But Parker was of the opinion that management cannot be a rational and technical role. He states that management must conform to ind ustrial changes and social progress. In his own words, â€Å"it would make no sense to disentangle†¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœmanagement’ from the everyday skills through which life was lived,† (Parker 2002, P. 5). He views management, though, as an art that once learnt becomes universally applicable to all situations. Roberts views scientific methods of management as essential sources of techniques that managers can use to effectively manage their entities. On the other hand, â€Å"such techniques are inadequate to the task that is set for them and, only by acknowledging the moral character of their practice, will managers be able to become truly effective,† (Roberts 1984 P. 288). Thus, managers are morally neutral characters in their ways of controlling others. Others like Knight and Roberts believe that management power does not only rest with the managers but also the subordinates, (Knight Roberts, 1928). Managers draw their power from the people they manage and therefor e this cannot be rational and technical as in scientific management. Terkel, in his narration of his job in the executive says that, he can’t tell â€Å"of any situation in the corporate world where an executive is completely free and sure of his job from moment to moment,† (Terkel 1974, 335). This is because they are constantly under pressure from both within, e.g., shareholders and outside the organization. Thus, management role cannot be rational and technical. Analysis The study book by Waddell et al, 2007, holds a rigid position on the role of management. Most of the theories of management discussed hold that from management to be effective, managers must follow some preset standards and procedures. According to them, failure to adhere to such principles would lead to total failure of the management.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Management in organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their principles have been applied over a long stretch of time and even now some of their principles have trickled down to modern management. Some writers still believe that scientific methods help managers to reduce uncertainty found in management and makes performance of tasks relatively easy since they are well broken down and defined, (Jackall, 1988). But modern writers have realized that management is more than being technical and rational. It involves the ability to cope with the industrial developments and social progress, (Parker 2002). Others believe that both methods are intertwined and it is hard to separate the two from each other. Simply put, none can survive without the other. Conclusion The most logical line of argument is that the two methods are paramount to success of an organization since as much as management is about dealing with day to day life, lack of clear guidelines to indicate what is to be done, when and by who may result to a state of chaos and con flicts. On the other hand religious adherence to some rational and technical guidelines will be a hindrance to creativity and innovation and it may take long adapting to change. This in effect will lead to slow development of the entire organization. Therefore managers should adopt methods of management that are a combination of both methods. The laid down policies and procedures should not be too rigid as to make it hard to adapt to new circumstances. On the other hand, they should be such as to enable one to know his authority and scope of duty. References Jackall, R. (1988) Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers. Chapter 4, Oxford, Oxford University Press Knights, D Roberts, J. (1928) The Power of Organization or the Organization of Power? Department of Management Science, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, England. Parker, M. (2002) Against Management: Management and its Discontents, Cambridge, PolityAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Roberts, J. (1948) The Moral Character of Management Practice. Journal of Management Studies, 21, 3. Department of Accounting and Business Finance, University of Manchester Terkel, S. (1974) Working. Middlesex. ND Penguin. Waddell, et al. (2007) Contemporary management. McGraw Hill: Australia pty limited.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Thomas Paine “The American Crisis” Analysis Essay Essay Example

Thomas Paine â€Å"The American Crisis† Analysis Essay Essay Example Thomas Paine â€Å"The American Crisis† Analysis Essay Paper Thomas Paine â€Å"The American Crisis† Analysis Essay Paper Thomas Paine was celebrated for his political Hagiographas recommending the revolution. His rhetorical papers The American Crisis was really persuasive and influential. Some of Paine’s political thoughts were praised and some were argued. and his positions on faith made him an castaway. The American Crisis was a valuable work informing the American people that they owed no trueness to Britain and would merely last if all ties were to be severed wholly. His authorship was a major force behind the American Revolution. Paine had such a manner with words that he used three different techniques in his rhetorical papers to name Forth the support and nationalism of the settlers: comparison and contrasting. derision. and confidence-building. Paine’s authorship was meant to arouse indignation and support from the settlers. and to acquire them to contend for their freedom. by utilizing comparing and contrasting techniques. He wrote â€Å"†¦to suppose that He has relinquishe d the authorities of the universe. and given us up to the attention of devils† . which compared the British monarchy to Satans and showed Americans that the British were morally corrupt. Paine so equated freedom with overall contentment when he wrote â€Å"I am as confident. as I am that God governs the universe. that America will neer be happy till she gets clear of foreign rule. † He explained to the American settlers that they will neer be content until they rid themselves of the British. He reasoned with the settlers that because freedom peers felicity. they finally desired freedom. Paine got the point across without leaping around the issue or talking shyly about their state of affairs at that clip. Paine besides used derision to acquire support from the settlers. He ridiculed those who would curse commitment to Britain. or give in to them out of fright and cowardliness. He showed a great trade of brotherlike love and regard to the 1s who would stand up and battle for their cause. but wholly destroys any last scintillas of unity a coward would still hold when he said â€Å"The bosom that feels non now is dead ; the blood of his kids will cuss his cowardl iness. who shrinks back at a clip when a small might hold saved the whole. and made them happy. † Paine did non halt at that place. Alternatively. he went on to roast non merely the British authorities. but the really king himself. He called the male monarch â€Å"a common liquidator. a highjacker. or a house-breaker. † If the earnestness of his papers did non hit place with the settlers. it decidedly did when he made that statement. That was non something anybody would make in those yearss because roasting the British throne would be your life. If that was non plenty. he continued to murder the character of the male monarch by naming him â€Å"a sottish. stupid. stubborn. worthless. beastly adult male. † Paine non merely ridiculed the throne. but defiled it wholly. Pain used another technique to derive the support and nationalism of his fellow countrymen. even George Washington. by utilizing confidence-building techniques. He reminded the settlers that it was their responsibility to stand up for those who can non themselves. and gave them another ground to arise ag ainst the British. In this instance. it isn’t the hapless or socially incapacitated he campaigned on behalf of. but the future coevalss of America. â€Å"A generous parent should hold said. ‘If there must be problem. allow it be in my twenty-four hours. that my kid may hold peace. ’ and this individual contemplation. good applied. is sufficient to rouse every adult male to responsibility. † Making the settlers view every hereafter coevals of America as their really ain kids was a great manner to animate a sense of security and protection. and do them recognize what their forfeits would finally bring forth. He made his countrymen see that it would evidently be a really difficult route. but deserving every spot of attempt put forth by everyone when he said â€Å"he that stands it now. deserves the love and thanks of adult male and adult female. Tyranny. like snake pit. is non easy conquered ; yet we have this solace with us. that the harder the struggle. the more glorious the victory. † Wordss like these have a manner of transfusing a sense of pride in people who know that they are seeking to work for a common cause at a really high monetary value. Paine used these words to beef up the volitions of his countrymen and advance an firm integrity to contend for the cause that they came to this state for in the first topographic point. Likewise. he besides wrote to cons truct assurance in George Washington. He wanted to transfuse an Fe will into him when he said â€Å"Voltaire has remarked that King William neer appeared to full advantage but in troubles and in action ; the same comment may be made on General Washington. for the character fits him. † He besides wrote of the cowardliness of the Tories to hike assurance in George Washington when he said â€Å"And what is a Tory? Good God! what is he? I should non be afraid to travel with a 100 Whigs against a 1000 Tories. were they to try to acquire into weaponries. Every Tory is a coward ; for servile. slavish. self-interested fright is the foundation of Toryism ; and a adult male under such influence. though he may be cruel. neer can be brave. † Thomas Paine was a adult male who knew how to take words and explicate them into phrases that were merely every bit powerful as arms. He used three techniques to derive the support and nationalism of the settlers: comparison and contrasting. derision. and confidence-building. He was seeking to demo the settlers that they were contending to make a state of free work forces. and to go on any ties with the British would contradict all the work that already been done. and would do the lives that were already sacrificed be done in vain. Paine used his diction and phrasing in the right topographic point at the right clip. It is much to his recognition that America found its strength and stood up to contend for freedom. It might be certain actions by enemies that finally lead work forces into conflict. but it is words that fuel their motive and finding to force in front when they feel they have nil left to give.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

5 Ways to Get Started on Your College Applications Now

Summer is over and the school year is in full swing. It may be tempting to put off college applications for just a little bit longer, but college application season is here and there are plenty of things you need to do now to prepare. If you’re considering applying early decision somewhere, you’ll need to get started on your applications sooner rather than later. And even if you aren’t, there will be fall deadlines for scholarships, special programs, and even summer programs for next year that are rapidly approaching, and those will quickly be followed by regular decision application deadlines.   In this post, we outline five key things you can start doing now to jump-start your college application season. You’ve only got one shot at this; why not get ahead by starting early? Unless you are one of the lucky few who’s entirely confident and content with your scores from junior year, it’s likely you’ll take the SAT or ACT at least one more time before you apply to college. In fact, it’s smart to schedule a date early in the fall so that, if worst comes to worst, you can even take the test two more times before your applications go out.   Here are the calendars for important standardized tests that you may want to schedule for the fall: In addition, although your senior year Advanced Placement exams won’t likely make it on your college applications, it’s still a good idea to get those exam dates on the calendar as soon as possible, too, especially if you want a particular test location. By succeeding on AP exams, you can sometimes earn advanced standing or even college credit when you matriculate. The 2018 AP Exam Calendar is already available online. Add those dates to your personal calendar now, so that none get double-booked.       The Common App essay prompts have been released and many supplemental essay prompts have already been released. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t start to plan your essays now. You can preview the Common App essay prompts online to get started. Begin by reading through them and seeing if any catch your interest immediately. If nothing sticks out right away, try to narrow your choices down to the top two or three possibilities. Now is a great time to reflect on your summer experiences as possible topics for your college essays. Next, do some brainstorming about what you might write. This can be a little difficult if you aren’t feeling particularly inspired, but don’t worry. There are plenty of resources to help. Check out these posts to get your creative juices flowing: Once you’ve come up with a few ideas for what you might write about, start to outline your top ideas. These can be fairly rough outlines to start with. The idea right now is just to get you thinking about the directions you might take your essay in, and then choose the one that resonates with you the most. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. You have a direct hand in most of what goes into your college application by writing your essays and achieving grades and test scores. But your personal recommendations are an outsider’s perspective of all your hard work, and you have very little, if any, say over what gets written in them. To ensure that your recommendations shine and reflect as highly as possible on your achievements as a student and your contributions as a member of the community, you’ll need to think carefully about who writes them. Now, before the school year starts is a great time to think about this. The people who write your recommendations should be those who have worked closely with you in the past and, preferably, have known you for an extended period of time. They should be teachers or mentors who respect you and recognize you for all you’re capable of achieving. These could even be teachers, mentors, or supervisors with whom you worked closely over the summer. Here are a few resources to help as you consider who will write your recommendation letters: It’s likely that you’re already accumulating piles of paperwork. There are score reports from standardized tests. There are shiny brochures from the colleges of your dreams and scholarship applications gathering dust. It’s hard to keep track of it all, but it’s in your best interest to keep hard copies of everything, just in case you ever need them. If you haven’t started a filing system to keep track of all those papers, now is the perfect time. You can use a portable file tote, color-coded hanging folders, or even an accordion file. Label a folder for each college you’re considering applying to, along with a folder for standardized test information and scores, school records and transcripts, scholarships, and financial aid. If you visited any schools over the summer, be sure to include some notes about the people you spoke with, what you did, and what you liked or did not like. By creating the file system before the school year picks up, you make it easy to put things in the right place when piles of papers start coming home with little time to deal with them. You’ve done it — you’ve reached senior year and before you know it, you’ll be graduating! This year is going to be unlike any other before it. Not only are you focusing on the here and now, but this year more than ever before your future is taking shape and becoming a reality. Now is the time to take a critical look at your profile as a college applicant and at the experiences you hope to gain during your senior year. Use this insight to set some concrete goals for the school year before it starts. Some of your goals might be entirely motivated by college applications, like increasing your SAT scores or earning a merit scholarship. Others might be more focused on personal achievements, like being voted captain of the lacrosse team or passing your final martial arts test. Still more goals might be social in nature — you have senior prom and your last spring break with your high school friends to look forward to. Writing down your goals before the school year begins means that you’ll have clearer vision for achieving them and hitting the ground running when school starts back up. The summer before senior year is an exciting time. There’s a lot to cherish now, in these dwindling months as a high schooler, yet there’s so much to prepare for and look forward to in the near future. Once the school year starts, it might seem to blaze past at lightning speed. Get started organizing for college applications now, and make sure that you have a head start once college admissions season is fully underway. To learn more about the college applications process or to get some additional insight into your college applications, consider the benefits ’s Applications Guidance service. Here, you’ll be paired with a personal admissions specialist who can provide step-by-step guidance through the entire application process, including how to perfect your approach to the personal essay.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Political Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political Fiction - Essay Example It can serve as a weapon towards change in a prevailing social system, tackle direct social and political repercussions, and discuss social struggle. Fiction can employ a particular topic and convey meaning and symbol related to an existing social and political system. The significance of fiction in history is not only confined within the realm of literature, but also explores the domain of politics. Fiction is seen to have worked its way in the political domain when Ignacio Salome's novel; Fontamara (1933) became popular upon gaining a favourable opinion of Mussolini's Fascism (Hanne 1994). Likewise, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962) personally authorized for publication by Soviet leader Khrushchev in order to discredit Stalin, is another example of fiction being influenced by politics. However, this connection is not limited to external influencing but extends to the more important functions of fiction and politics - that of the conveyance of meaning and symbol of political phenomena through their depiction of the fiction. Likewise, the realm of politics is likened to a fiction, including all its elements from plot to setting, characters, and scenes. Such is made possible through political representation embo died in the fiction, especially when it is a political novel. The Problems with Political Representation It is from assumptions, biases, and news reports from which political beliefs are normally spring, which makes politics a drama that takes place in an assumed world in which people as spectators, do not directly observe or touch. Politics is a domain that consists of images and models wherein people usually translate the reported news, a task considered a necessary undertaking (Edelman 1995). Edelman says that this translation is seen in an example in which a report about American missiles were launched against Baghdad to punish the Iraqi dictator which creates meaning for everyone's repertoire on the images of images of military actions, Arabs, and how war brings devastation even to civilians. Political phenomena are thus not taken as they are without any political representation involved. More so, political representation is an essential part of how symbols and messages are conveyed, in that in another example set by Edelman (1995), a report about an increase or reduction of welfar e benefits brings images of cheaters and victims, as well as the possible consequences of such increase or reduction in relation to tax rates, and so on. These are examples of political images being drawn on the minds of people caused by attached meanings and assumptions on them. Political fiction often offers direct criticism of a present government, society, or political figure and presents an alternative of a sometimes fantastic reality, to what is being criticized (Edelman 1995). In doing such, political fiction often employs satire like The Simpsons in its depiction of the Western culture. It may be inferred that beliefs about politics and political discourse are products of art in which complex causal connection is drawn. This being said, Edelman states that art is a

The Philosophy of Punishment for Criminals in Regard to Society and Essay

The Philosophy of Punishment for Criminals in Regard to Society and Victim - Essay Example Changes should be instituted that continue to enhance the rights of victims and create a greater sensitivity to their long-term emotional needs. It is a relatively recent development in the history of punishment that the victim of a crime is not central to the issue of resolving the debt created by a criminal act. In the American justice system, a criminal is considered indebted to the greater society, thus excluding the victim as a part of the punishment process. In fact, the concept of victims' rights has only become an issue for the justice system within the last few decades. The design of the justice system was not created with empathy for the victim, or an understanding of the lasting affect that violent crime can have on the life of someone who must cope with the aftermath of such an act. However, the concept of punishment does hold the potential as a deterrent for future crimes, and in this way relates mainly to the needs of a secure society. In an examination of punishment in the United States, and the way in which it relates and affects both the victim and society, it reveals a philosophy that is ineffective at addr essing the core issues that are significant to the long-term goals of society, or in satisfying the needs of the victim. In the evaluation of the ways in which crime a... five prevalent categories of needs for victims that include "retaliation, recognition of victim status, confirmation of societal values, victim security, and societal security" (p.173). The five goals of the victim are directly related to the ways in which the crime has affected the well-being of the individual. The more violent crimes require more than one of these goals in establishing a sense of closure, while less violent crime can require only one or two of these goals. However, these goals that affect the well-being of the victim are often not specifically addressed in the current justice system. While civil lawsuits can create monetary reparation toward the victim, most crimes are difficult to address through this type of litigation. Criminals that are incarcerated usually have no physical resources for restitution, and become a depersonalized entity within the prison system. Victims are left with a sense that their needs have diminished within society and that their circumsta nce has not been properly acknowledged. Historical Perspective Historically speaking, the philosophy of punishment has more often been designed around reparation to the victim of a crime. This is not to suggest that punishment was more merciful or did not have an aspect of cruelty incorporated into it. One example of the harshness of ancient law is from Sumer, which has the earliest surviving written record of law in history. According to Tetlow (2004), "When a woman said something offensive to a man, her teeth were crushed by burnt bricks on which her guilt had been inscribed. The bricks were then hung up in the city gate for all to see" (p.9-10). While the harshness of this sentence is beyond any reasonable standard of conduct for a modern culture, it represents the direct

Understanding the Nature of Groups and Teams Essay

Understanding the Nature of Groups and Teams - Essay Example In most cases, individuals form groups, which later become a team. According to psychoanalytical object-relations theory (Sher, 2004), individuals, groups, and teams are not independent entities but rather are constructs that bond organizational expectations to human feelings and beliefs. Groups and teams rely on a matrix style of management (Gilley & Kerno Jr., 2010), are influenced by the existing organizational authority, and participants show commitment because of the expectations demanded by their organizations. The distinction between groups and teams is that while groups demand a lot of control, planning, and direction in its leadership, are guided by a series of well established goals and objectives, reward members depending on performance (Seat & Sundstrom, 2004), and used when executing specific functional tasks in an organization, teams demand collaborative relationships among members, are guided by a mission in fulfilling their mandate (Offermann, 2006), and can exist in or outside an organization. Therefore, teams are groups with a higher purpose in achieving goals because of creativity, mutual sharing of benefits, attributes, small member size mostly between 5-12 people, and a shared purpose. A group or team is always formed in handling different problems in an organization. Therefore, the management must be keen when determining which one to use for effective task execution and complimentary results. It is best to use groups in instances where tasks are easy, especially when results are expected within a specific timeframe in order to measure the expertise of each member on service delivery, and only if there is a well defined a guiding purpose. However, whenever the management deems there is complexity in task execution, which demands collaborative interactions, availability of enough and reliable resources, teams are given a priority (Gilley & Kerno Jr., 2010). In most occasions, organizations rely on teams

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Ethical tourism practices in Cancun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethical tourism practices in Cancun - Essay Example This island belongs to the Mexican Caribbean sector and the name Cancun means, "bubble". This is literally how most tourists describe the secluded island. The Cancun is like a bubble enveloped in the wrap of time - far away from the maddening pace of the everyday life and external factors. The charm of Cancun lies in the fact that this secluded island offers all kinds of facilities within the island so that tourists do not need to leave the island in order to get any kind of necessities. It has hotels for all classes of tourists and caters to a variety of tastes and preferences as well. In this regard, sustainable tourism is an important feature that can be built into the tourism of the area as this area garners a major proportion of income from the tourism industry in Mexico. Sustainable tourism in this region can flourish mainly as this island has a rich heritage of diverse vegetation and scenic beauty apart from sea world vegetation and rare species of fish and other such species. A country that is so rich in the area of natural environs should take extra care to enhance its sustainable development so as to protect the rare species of the plant and animal kingdom that thrive there. Apart from this is the fact that due to its hold over the tourism industry in terms of contribution to the economy, Cancun stands a strong chance of developing a framework for sustainable tourism. It merely needs the right case to base this framework on, which has been discussed in this paper. Sustainable tourism in a beautiful island like Cancun is like a dream come true for environmentalists as well as policy makers who believe in green politics and green economy. Further, Cancun is already an established tourist hot spot. It has a wide network of hotel and other service providers like transport and other facilities. Cancun has 140 hotels, which translates to 24,000 rooms. These hotels and rooms cater to all kinds of people in the socio economic make up. There is something here that everyone can afford. This is a definite draw for a large chunk of tourists. Further, it has over 600 restaurants which ensures that people with varied tastes can find their ideal kind of cuisine in this island. That takes care of food and accommodation - the two most important things that a tourist or vacationer focuses on when on vacation. When a

Policy analysis about Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy analysis about Economics - Research Paper Example Due to the disparities of income between the high skilled and low skilled labors, the union advocates for rise in the minimum wages among the low skilled workers. These help to decrease the gap between the high income earners to the low income earners. Through this, they ensure equitable distribution of income in the society that ensures demand is relatively high hence economic growth (Duerrenberger, 2009). The unions usually lobby for strict immigration rules which limits labor supply within the United States economy especially the low skilled workers from abroad. Hence any labor supply from over-sees are highly qualified which is necessary for the general economy as it would ensure quality products that increase revenue to the country. Through these, they ensure higher incomes to the available labor (Duerrenberger, 2009). High wages results in increased consumption that raises demand hence higher productivity leading to economic growth. Unions have also supported the restriction of imported goods and services through the imposition of tariffs and quotas that discourages imports while promoting exports leading to increasing in demand of the domestic products. High demand results in increased productivity which raises the labor demand of the country (Duerrenberger, 2009).As a result, more units of output are produced, raising the sales revenue that increases income to the GDP of the nation hence high economic growth. However labor unions have various impacts on the economic operations of the country. They constantly bargains for increase in the minimum wage rate without an equivalent rise in the production capacity. Increasing wages by firms’ results into high operational cost in terms of salaries.This would otherwise reduce the productivity reducing output leading to decreased sales. As a result, the firms and business will incur loss and may be forced to lay off workers leading to high unemployment rate. High rates of unemployment affect

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Understanding the Nature of Groups and Teams Essay

Understanding the Nature of Groups and Teams - Essay Example In most cases, individuals form groups, which later become a team. According to psychoanalytical object-relations theory (Sher, 2004), individuals, groups, and teams are not independent entities but rather are constructs that bond organizational expectations to human feelings and beliefs. Groups and teams rely on a matrix style of management (Gilley & Kerno Jr., 2010), are influenced by the existing organizational authority, and participants show commitment because of the expectations demanded by their organizations. The distinction between groups and teams is that while groups demand a lot of control, planning, and direction in its leadership, are guided by a series of well established goals and objectives, reward members depending on performance (Seat & Sundstrom, 2004), and used when executing specific functional tasks in an organization, teams demand collaborative relationships among members, are guided by a mission in fulfilling their mandate (Offermann, 2006), and can exist in or outside an organization. Therefore, teams are groups with a higher purpose in achieving goals because of creativity, mutual sharing of benefits, attributes, small member size mostly between 5-12 people, and a shared purpose. A group or team is always formed in handling different problems in an organization. Therefore, the management must be keen when determining which one to use for effective task execution and complimentary results. It is best to use groups in instances where tasks are easy, especially when results are expected within a specific timeframe in order to measure the expertise of each member on service delivery, and only if there is a well defined a guiding purpose. However, whenever the management deems there is complexity in task execution, which demands collaborative interactions, availability of enough and reliable resources, teams are given a priority (Gilley & Kerno Jr., 2010). In most occasions, organizations rely on teams

Policy analysis about Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy analysis about Economics - Research Paper Example Due to the disparities of income between the high skilled and low skilled labors, the union advocates for rise in the minimum wages among the low skilled workers. These help to decrease the gap between the high income earners to the low income earners. Through this, they ensure equitable distribution of income in the society that ensures demand is relatively high hence economic growth (Duerrenberger, 2009). The unions usually lobby for strict immigration rules which limits labor supply within the United States economy especially the low skilled workers from abroad. Hence any labor supply from over-sees are highly qualified which is necessary for the general economy as it would ensure quality products that increase revenue to the country. Through these, they ensure higher incomes to the available labor (Duerrenberger, 2009). High wages results in increased consumption that raises demand hence higher productivity leading to economic growth. Unions have also supported the restriction of imported goods and services through the imposition of tariffs and quotas that discourages imports while promoting exports leading to increasing in demand of the domestic products. High demand results in increased productivity which raises the labor demand of the country (Duerrenberger, 2009).As a result, more units of output are produced, raising the sales revenue that increases income to the GDP of the nation hence high economic growth. However labor unions have various impacts on the economic operations of the country. They constantly bargains for increase in the minimum wage rate without an equivalent rise in the production capacity. Increasing wages by firms’ results into high operational cost in terms of salaries.This would otherwise reduce the productivity reducing output leading to decreased sales. As a result, the firms and business will incur loss and may be forced to lay off workers leading to high unemployment rate. High rates of unemployment affect

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Zongshen Group Essay Example for Free

Zongshen Group Essay Chongqing, a city in central southwestern China, had a heritage in heavy manufacturing, as it was one of the centers of the Chinese defense industry, especially for vehicles. In 1980s, when the Cold War slowed, the central government wanted to reduce defense expenditure and asked some of the state owned enterprises (SOEs) to begin manufacturing civilian products. At the beginning only SOEs could get license for the business but government permitted people to go into business for themselves but they could only work as individual business operators and could not set up companies. Many of the SOEs turned to parts production. Zuo Zongshen, being a former motorcycle repairer, decided to open a motorcycle repair business in 1982 with the present condition in China. Almost all of the motorcycle industry was producing imitations of Japan motorcycles at first as they could not afford any investments for research and development. By 1992, the regulations had changed and individuals were permitted to set up private companies, so Zuo quickly set up a company to assemble motorcycle engines from purchased parts which was capitalized at CNY500,000. The parts that were manufactured by SOEs were the copies of Japanese engines. There were several hundred of these suppliers and assemblers had to figure out how to select the right ones. Being a former motorcycle repairman, Zuo knew which factories made the good ones and what were the good brands. After 3 years of assembling, Zuo was dissatisfied with the approach as it was not easy to get parts from manufacturers as they were mainly responsive to large scale SOEs. He used to use his network and sometimes â€Å"red envelopes† to get the parts. With the experience he had, he has started to make core components in house and increased the number of the components in house production as his capabilities improved. He classifies the necessity to do this in three drivers; to make a differentitation, to guarantee the supply and also to upgrade the parts as a good start for innovation. In order to improve quality and reliability of parts that it produced as well as to reduce production costs, Zongshen started applying advanced technology tools such as computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing to its product development. Besides, Zongshen also sought manufacturing consultant from former Honda employees and visited its competitors and prospective partners like Harley- Davidson in the United State. As a result, Zongshen was stood out in the common manufacturers throughout the country. In 2000, Zuo decided to build up the company group structure. They splitted the responsibilities between the departments. Then they decided that they should tap into capital markets. Becoming a world class competitor would require a lot of capital, if the company could float its stock, it would have a source of equity capital. The technique that Zongshen used to raise its financial capital is very artful. Instead of following the tradition method which is through an initial public offering (IPO), Zongshen used another technique called â€Å"Reverse Merger† or â€Å"Backdoor Merger†. The technique can be described in detail that Zongshen had a target list of companies which had an existing list but lack of assets or liabilities. Once Zongshen could attain one from the list, it would merge its assets into. This technique is very critical for the success of Zongshen. In fact, when it became the largest shareholder of a Chengdu company, it divested the assets of the origina l company and inserted its own assets from the engine company. As the result, it turned into the largest engine manufacturer in the Chinese motorcycle industry. In 2004, Zongshen added its 3rd business, another listed company in Canada. Buying PEM Technologies through Norstar Venture in Canada led Zongshen to be able to control the technology manufacturing proton exchange membranes, a key element in producing hydrogen fuel cell. Having this technology, Zongshen became very successful in manufacturing and selling e-bikes. In fact, its two subsidiaries could produce 350,000 units of e-bike a year. Its sale volume increased dramatically from 50,000 units in 2007 to 220,000 units in 2008. Moreover, Zongshen enhanced its effectiveness by collaborating with other established firms. Piaggio, for instance, became its partner in exploring rural markets. The corporation set up a new company and planned to manufacture 100,000 scooters a year. As a part of the new joint venture agreement, Zongshen would supply the company with a significant amount of parts. In fact, by 2005, Zongshen provided 35% of accessories and components of the scooter. It was expectedly increased by 50% in 2006. In 2005 the Chinese motorcycle industry still had too many manufacturers, and they were introducing undifferentiated products to the same customers. As a result the margins were too low. Zuo studied W.Chan Kim and Renee Maugorgne’s book about â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy† which argued that firms should go after uncontested â€Å"blue ocean† market, and look for some new demand instead of chasing existind demand in hyper competitive â€Å"red ocean† markets. Zuo decided not to produce imitations; instead Zongshen launched the cyclone project to develop products with technology in order to introduce differentiated products. The original production facility was converted to a RD center and Zongshen contracted with Nova design to assist with new product designs. After spending CNY300 million, they launched first Cyclone products in 2007 and 2008. But in the markets that change was not succesfull. Consumers and retailers had doubt that Zongshen could make such good products and the blue ocean products failed. So they decided to launch â€Å"Purple Ocean† products with a higher quality than red ocean products and of course with higher prices, but still lower than blue ocean products. The â€Å"Purple Ocean† products coincided sharp rebound in profitability. Improved quality and styling helped products such as ZS250 to gain popularity. One key change for the company was implementing a new performance evaluation and incentive scheme that linked all employees’ base salary to the breakeven point of the company. For the e-bike market, traditionally lead acid batteries were used. While inexpensive and mature technology, lead acid batteries were heavy and had alimited lifetime to deep discharge cycles. Zongshen PEM was using either lead acid or lithium ion batteries. The latter gave the e-bike longer range and stronger climbing capability. As there were many entrants to the market it is easily seen that the base skills for e-bike were not hard to develop but Zonghsen was determined not to compete in high volume, so the question was differentiation. The key differentiators in e-bike industry were in several categories, and the challenge was to have required skills. The company launched a tool called â€Å"Master Apprentice agreement† with about 40 key personnel and managerial positions. Zuo was personally ta king care of those personnel and helping them to build skills and giving gifts. Also there was a career development plan for those employees. While talent had always been a challenge for Zhongsen, it is now very critical as they want to transform to e-bikes.   How did Zongshen acquire the capabilities to produce motorcycles? As noted above, Zou was a motorcycle repairer in the past. As many of the SOEs turned into manufacturing of civilian products, with the change of the laws and permissions he first became an individual business operator. After 1992, the regulations has changed and indivuduals were permitted to set up companies so Zuo set up the company. As he had experience and and was not coming from the trenches, he knew to select the best parts and Zongshen became a good assembler. After some years of assembling he decided to produce some critical parts in house and gradually he has started to manufacture more parts. He classifies the necessity to do this in three drivers; to make a differentitation, to guarantee the supply and also to upgrade the parts as a good start for innovation. Zongshen also adopted the comp uter aided design relatively earlier than the others.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Comparing Human Resources United States And Japan Commerce Essay

Comparing Human Resources United States And Japan Commerce Essay Comparative HRM seeks to describe, compare and analyse the way human resource management and deployment is carried out in various countries amid the globalisation of businesses, people, goods and services. Although most HRM systems across the globe will contain similar key functions as recruitment, deployment, compensation, as well as training and development, the ways they are carried out in each country are very much influenced by the varying national culture and the institutional framework and settings. Differences in these contexts and environment play a key role in how HRM practices are carried out, defined and accepted across regions and nations. Universalist Vs Contextual Fundamentally, there are two approaches to exploring HRM: the universalist approach and the contextual (Brewster, 1999) approach. These two approaches are reflected in two further dichotomies: the cultural and institutional school of differences, and the convergence and divergence schools of thought. The universalist paradigm, which is dominant in the USA, assumes that the purpose of HRM is to improve the way human resources are managed strategically so as to achieve organisational performance and goals, as judged by its impact on a companys declared corporate strategy and its respective stakeholders (Brewster, 2011). Based upon this concept is the assumption that there exists a good standard practice of HRM which were characterised by the US Department of Labor (1993) as having certain characteristics: Careful and extensive systems for recruitment, selection and training Formal systems for sharing information with the individuals who work in the organisation Clear job design Local-level participation procedures Monitoring of attitudes Performance appraisals Properly functioning grievance procedures Promotion and compensation schemes that provide for the recognition and financial rewarding of high-performing members of the workforce. However, other researchers and practitioners, especially those with knowledge and interests in other countries, find the list contrary to their own experience and what they perceive of as good practice. For example, companies operating in a high power-distance environment with a heavy top-down management approach may not find it a necessity to implement local-level participation procedures or grievance channels. In contrasts, the contextual paradigm focus recognises that different HRM systems are contextually unique. It focuses on asking the hows and the whys of the existence of different perceptions and practices of HRM in different countries. The policies and practices of leading-edge companies are of less interest to contextualists than explaining how certain labour markets work and why certain practices are adopted by most. And contrary to the Universalist approach, measurement and attainment of organisational performance is secondary. Contextualists explore the importance of factors such as cultures, labour market regulations, role of governments, unions, and ownership structures in influencing HRM and accepts that within an organisation, people has differing views, beliefs, needs and requirements. The universalist paradigm excludes much of the work of HRM specialists in areas such as compliance, equality issues, trade union relationships and dealing with government and other governing bodies, due to its focus of operation within the level of the organisation. Contextualists, on the other hand, involve themselves beyond the organisation level to issues at the national or international level. Culturalist Vs Institutionalist Within the Contextualist paradigm, there are two schools of thought, namely the cultural school and the institutional school. Proponents of the culturalist approach would argue that national cultural differences while difficult to observe and measure, are important in shaping the ways human resources are managed and deployed across different countries or regions. Culture is defined as a set of shared values, assumptions and beliefs that are learnt through membership in a group, and that influence the attitudes and behavious of group members (Pankaj, G., 2011). This definition includes 3 key characteristics: First, culture can be understood as a group phenomenon that distinguishes people of one group from another. From this perspective, cultures exist at many different levels, including organizational funchtions or business units, occupational groups, organizations, industries, geographical regions, and nations (Kwok Leung 2005). Second, the above definition implies that culture is not obtained by birth but rather acquired through a process of socialization. The learning of shared values, assumptions and beliefs occurs through interactions family, teachers, officials, experiences and society at large. Geert Hofstede speaks of culture as a process of collective programming of the mind(Hofstede, G., 1980). Third, it is this collective programming that determines what is considered acceptable or attractive behaviour. In other words, cultural values provide preferences or priorities for one behaviour over another. Cultural value differences have persisted to exist despite some convergences in cultural habits, artefacts and symbols. For example, in Korea, employees observe a strict code of deference and utmost submissiveness to their superiors while a Swedish or Danish employee might feel more at ease to challenge their superiors over a differing opinion. Some cultures put more emphasis on honesty whilst others on loyalty to friends and relationships. From the perspective of institutional theory, organisational decision making is not an outcome just of strategic choice but also of powerful social forces within and outside organisations. The forces emanate from social institutions such as region, family, work, school, politics (Berger P.L. and Luckman T., 1967). The theory acknowledges that organisations operate within a specific political, economic, social and technological environment largely shaped by history. In order to be effective in that environment, these organisations need to manage in way that recognise the local circumstances and create and sustain legitimacy with key stakeholders. For example, in Europe compared to USA, the government plays a larger role in deciding how employees is to be protected of their jobs and what terms they are to be employed. Convergence Vs Divergence For at least four decades the international management literature has been characterized by two recurring and very central debates: on the macro (country) level the so-called convergence vs. divergence debate, which remains a key point of controversy in cross-cultural management; and, on the meso (company) level, the standardization vs. localization debate, one of the central questions in the literature on multinational corporations (MNCs). Since HRM deals with the management of people, it is often seen as one of the functions that will be least likely to converge across countries and where MNCs are more likely to localize their practices than to export their country-of-origin practices. While there is considerable support for this assumption, the question remains whether the increasing importance of globalization and the ever-growing presence of MNCs will not diminish the localization of practices. In this context, the dominance effect assumes particular importance. It occurs when management practices of subsidiaries are neither shaped in accordance to the host country (localization), nor to the home country (country-of-origin effect), but according to that country which sets the standards for what are perceived global best practices. (Markus ,P. and Anne-Wil, H. 2007) The convergence vs divergence debate is one between those who argue that all aspects of management are becoming more alike due to the forces of globalisation and those who believe that each country continues to have its own approach to management and HRM, in particular. Convergence can be viewed from a market-based perspective where the logic and diffusion of technology and data mean that in order to compete successfully, everyone will seek to adopt the most efficient management and HRM practices (Kidger P.J., 1991). The predominant model is assumed to be the US univeralist model (Smith C. and Meiskins P., 1995). This is also referred to as the dominance effect as mentioned above. From the institutional perspective, similar legislation or institutional framework across a region or group of countries e.g. the European Union would mean more similarities in the ways countries handle HRM. On the other end of the wider debate, the concepts of cultural differences and institutional theory would support the argument for divergence. Proponents of divergence theory do not believe that the same management or HRM practices can be used across different countries due to the shaping forces of cultural and institutional differences, and that practitioners must be aware of, understand and respond to these national differences. Hofstedes study of culture Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by national culture. (Hofstede 1980, 2001) He started off with analyzing a large data base of employee values scores gathered by IBM between 1967 and 1973 covering more than 70 countries, from which he first started using the 40 different largest companies and further extended the analysis to 50 other countries. Hofstedes value dimensions comprise of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism and Masculinity. Power distance  : Power distance is the extent to which the members of power distance organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. ( Hofstede 1980, 2001) Individualism vs.  collectivism: The degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. In individualistic societies, the stress is put on personal achievements and individual rights. In contrast, the individuals in collectivist societies act predominantly as members of a lifelong and cohesive group or organization. Uncertainty  Avoidance: The focuses on the tolerance level for uncertainty and  ambiguity within the society. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with  anxiety  by minimizing uncertainty. Masculinity  vs.  Femininity: The distribution of emotional roles between the  genders. Masculine cultures values are  competitiveness,  assertiveness,  materialism, ambition and power, whereas feminine cultures place more value on  relationships  and  quality of life. Geert Hofstede added a fifth dimension after conducting an additional international study using a Chinese value survey instrument developed within the Chinese region. Hofstede described this dimension as Confusion Dynamism which is also known as Long Term Orientation. Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation: The degree of focus on the society embraces dealing with virtue. Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth. In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on circumstance, contexture and timing. Japan HRM practices vs. America HRM practices Japan as one of the world major growing economies, has a homogenous culture which many countries have tried to emulate the management policies and practices with varying degrees of success. The Japanese society is highly characterised by a strong sense of group and community. Strong loyalty enrooted in their character, for which they are prepared to sacrifice their personal interests for the benefit of the group. In contrast, America being the world most dominant leader, has a influential management style and culture contexts. The rest of the world has looked upon it as models and sources of managerial innovations. American strong strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people make it the top notch leader in todays Human Resource Management. Differences in Power Distance between Japan and America Japanese are mindful of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly to the existing culture. Culture in Japan are define as high power distance as mostly of the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and finalised by the top management. An example is the Ringi method of decision making. This process involves a great deal of informal consultation and leads to the preparation of a written proposal which is circulated to affected employees by the implementation and then to the senior management level. Being a particularistic country, employees in Japanese company are treated based on ranks and seniority and the number of years they served in that particular company. Long term and life-time employment are often offer for regular core employees who are loyal and display commitment to the company. On the other hand, American displayed small power distance. They tends to treat people fairly. American hierarchy is being established for convenience purpose. Communication is open, informal and direct. They tends to express what they exactly mean without talking around things. Leaders are approachable and accessible and individuals are being rely based on their expertise. Collectivistic Japanese vs. Individualism American Japanese society shows many characteristics of being a collectivistic society and also being classified as collectivistic by Western standards. The integration of the individual into groups is part of the principal goal in Japanese society. Relationship and harmony becomes an crucial part of the working society and prevails over business itself. Mass focus in strong group -cohesiveness include extended families such as putting harmony of group above the expression of individual opinions is the differentiated characteristics in which Japanese displayed. The Japanese emphasize teamwork, participation and leadership in the organisation. They discourages open expression and open conflict because of the importance of avoiding embarrassment. American comprises highly individualistic culture. They are self-focused and prefer to act as individuals rather than members of the group. There is individual freedom and success to purse ones career progression and interests and they believe individuals can shape and control ones destinies. Employees are more concerned with their own careers and personal success rather than the goals of the organisation. They do at times, displayed collectivism in the face of a common threat. Masculinity focus vs. Masculinity focus in Japan and America Japan is one of the most masculine societies in the world which is highly driven by competition, achievement and success. Even at the very young age, they are being taught on the importance of winning. And in corporate Japan, employees strive to the best of their abilities when they are fighting against their competitors in winning. On the other hand, It is still tentatively hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their masculine norm of long working hours which result in high  discrimination against woman. In contrast, Male seniors are still much more appreciated and stand a higher chance in achieving the promotion opportunities. American are ambitious, competitive, goal oriented and high achievers. American tends to display and talk openly in a friendly manner on their achievements. In the States, hiring and firing employees are justify accordingly on the market conditions. Employees are employ based on individual skills and working experience. Hiring and promotion decisions are based on the basis merits as opposed to status, hierarchy and gender. The American system is performance orientated and job status is based on the performance of their job scope. Many new hires are professional who are highly educated and well-trained. High Uncertainty Japan vs. Low Uncertainty Avoidance America Japan is rank as one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries which is easily differentiated from the rest of the countries. They dislike uncertainty and everything must be in good control without any uncertainty occurring. Japanese spent a lot of time and effort into feasibility studies and all risk factors must be minimize before any decision is make. Detailed facts and figures must also be provided for supporting every decision the organisation makes. This high degree for uncertainty avoidance is one of the reasons why changes are still so difficult to realize in current Japan. America are being describe as most uncertainty accepting country. There is a large degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try new invention. Americans are more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression.   They accept risks and are risk-takers. American live more easily with uncertainly and skeptical about rules and regulations. They believe all problems can be solved and all obstacles will be overcome. Long-Term Orientation in Japan vs. Short-Term Orientation in America Japan being long term orientation is seen in the consistent high rate in terms of investment and research and development even in economically down time. Japanese prefer to progress slowly towards a long-term goal. Values associated with long-tem orientation are thrift, perseverance and making sacrifices for the future. Japanese embraces long-term commitments and sacrifice for a purpose. Serving the stakeholders and future generation are the long term commitment for most Japanese company at current. American orientation dimension focus on short term oriented culture. They measure their business as a short term basis as they are performance-oriented and result-oriented. Individuals are drives for quick results and are expect to produce quick results in the shortest time. American value the past and current resulting in respect for tradition and fulfilling social obligations. Varieties of Capitalism Facing the globalization process national economies and their institutional arrangements are confronted with the increasing competition to each other in order to generate the best economical results as national wealth growth, high employment etc. The liberal argumentation in this issue supports therefore institutional deregulation and the welfare-state retrenchment as the adequate responses to the challenge and names the economies of the USA and of the UK as the successful models of capitalism. In their opinion, the less liberal market economies as f. ex. Germany, Sweden, France or Japan should change their institutional arrangements into liberal ones to keep competitive on the global markets. The varieties of capitalism approach to the political economy is actor-centered, which is to say we see the political economy as a terrain populated by several actors, each of whom seeks to advance his interest in a rational way of strategic interactions with others. In which the relevant actors may be individuals, firms, producer groups, or government related. LME Vs CME Liberal market economies (LMEs), which coordinate activities via hierarchies and competitive market arrangements, classically described by Williamson. The LME system is based on arms-length exchange of goods and services, in the context of competition and formal contracting. Actors adjust to the price signals generated by markets. In many cases an effective coordination is achieved and equilibrium outcomes of firms behavior are given by supply and demand. Coordinated market economies (CMEs),  which make more use of non-market relations. Key elements of non-market relations are extensive relational investment, incomplete contracts and network monitoring based on the exchange of private information within networks, as opposed to competitive behavior. Both LMEs and CMEs have institutional capacities-albeit different capacities-for being competitive. For instance, firms in LMEs tend to compete on the basis of low cost and radical product innovation. Why? Because LMEs have institutions like weakly regulated labor markets as well as financial systems that impose short-term investment horizons but allow high risk taking. These enable firms to keep labor costs down, shed labor and close plants quickly, shift capital rapidly from one industry to another, and invest in risky but potentially revolutionary and lucrative research and development projects. In contrast, firms in CMEs compete more on the basis of quality and incremental innovation, such as adopting breakthrough technologies developed elsewhere. This is because CMEs have institutions like cooperative industrial relations systems within firms, coordinated wage bargaining across firms, national vocational training programs, and financial systems that allow for long-term investmen t horizons. These produce highly skilled managers and workers who tend to cooperate in planning, trouble shooting, and the introduction of the latest technologies in ways that enhance product quality (Hall and Soskice 2001b; Soskice 1999; Streeck 1991). This is not to say that all LMEs and CMEs perform successfully. Many firms in a coordinated market economies employ productive strategies that rely on highly skilled labor force given substantial work and encourage to share information it acquires in order to generate continuous improvements in product lines and productive processes. However, companies which adopt such strategies are vulnerable to hold up by their employees and stealing of skilled workers by other companies. Labour legislation in United States Wages Working Hours In US, the Department of Labor enforces the  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets basic minimum wage and overtime pay standards. (US Department of Labor, 30.10.12). The Act requires that employees must receive at least the  minimum wage  of $7.25 per hour and may not be employed for more than 40 hours in a week without receiving at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for the  overtime  hours. Overtime Pay: Not less than one and one-half times regular rate of pay Vacation and Sick Leave The  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)  does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays. These benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employees representative). The  Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)  provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain medical and family situations (e.g., adoption) for either the employee or a member of the covered and eligible employees immediate family; however, in many instances paid leave may be substituted for unpaid FMLA leave. Severance Pay Severance pay is often granted to employees upon termination of employment. It is usually based on length of employment for which an employee is eligible upon termination. There is no requirement in the  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)  for severance pay. Severance pay is a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employees representative). The  Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)  may be able to assist an employee who did not receive severance benefits under their employer-sponsored plan. Equal Opportunity Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964  prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin. This law is enforced by the  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Unemployment insurance programs In general, the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirments of State law. Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law. Each State administers a separate unemployment insurance program within guidelines established by Federal law. Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are available are determined by the State law under which unemployment insurance claims are established. In addition to helping workers and their families, the Unemployment Insurance programs play a key role in helping businesses, communities, and the nations economy. The program helps cushion the impact of economic downturns and brings economic stability to communities, states, and the nation by providing temporary income support for laid-off workers. Unions and their members The  Labour-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA)  of 1959 deals with the relationship between a union and its members. It protects union funds and promotes union democracy by requiring labour organizations to file annual financial reports, by requiring union officials, employers, and labour consultants to file reports regarding certain labour relations practices, and by establishing standards for the election of union officers. The act is administered by the Office of Labour-Management Standards (OLMS). Summary In summary, we can see that the labour system in United States is fairly open with moderate regulation with emphasis on human rights with regards to minimum wages and equality of employment. Most of the other aspects of labour employment including severance pay, vacation pay, sick leave are left to the agreement between each firm and their employees. This is in line with their low uncertainty avoidance culture in which they accept risks and are risk-takers. American live more easily with uncertainty about rules and regulations. They believe all problems can be solved and all obstacles will be overcome with the right resolve. As Americans generally display small power distance, they tend to treat people fairly. American hierarchy is being established for convenience, communication is open, informal and direct. This could be one of the reasons behind their Labour-Management Report and Disclosure Act and the foundation behind the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This open-culture nature of labour regulation would be a big draw for multinational corporations who are seeking overseas expansion in the face of globalization. Labour legislation in Japan Wages Working hours Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare dictates that an employer shall not have a worker work more than 40 hours per week, excluding rest periods, and more than 8 hours per day for each day of the week, excluding rest periods. (Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, 27.10.2012) Overtime Pay In the event that an employer extends the working hours or has a worker work on a day off, the employer shall pay increased wages for work during such hours or on such days at a rate no less than the rate stipulated by cabinet order within the range of no less than 25 percent and no more than 50 percent over the normal wage per working hour or day; provided, however, than in the event that the working hour thus extended exceed 60 hours per month, the employer shall pay increased wages for work during those hours at a rate no less than 50 percent over the normal wage per working hour. The Ministry may prescribe changes to these standards or limits or other items as they deem appropriate. Rest periods An employer shall provide workers with at least 45 minutes of rest periods during working hours in the event that working hours exceed 6 hours, and at least one hour in the event that working hours exceed 8 hours. Annual Leave An employer shall also grant annual paid leave in accordance to the following table. Number of years of continuous service from the 6 months completion day Working days 1 year 1 working day 2 years 2 working days 3 years 4 working days 4 years 6 working days 5 years 8 working days 6 years or more 10 working days Dismissal A dismissal shall, where the dismissal lacks objectively reasonable grounds and is not considered to be appropriate in general societal terms, be treated as a misuse of that right and invalid. An employer shall not dismiss a worker during a period of absence from work for medical treatment with respect to injuries or illnesses suffered in the course of employment nor within 30 days thereafter, and shall not dismiss a woman during a period of absence from work before and after childbirth nor within 30 days thereafter; provided, however, that this shall not apply in the event that the employer pays compensation for discontinuance in accordance nor when the continuance of the enterprise has been made impossible by a natural disaster or other unavoidable reason. In the event that an employer wishes to dismiss a worker, the employer shall provide at least 30 days advance notice. An employer who does not give 30 days advance notice shall pay the average wages for a period of not less than 30 days; provided, however, that this shall not apply in the event that the continuance of the enterprise has been made impossible by a natural disaster or other unavoidable reason nor when the worker is dismissed for reasons attributable to the worker. Equal Treatment An employer shall not engage in discriminatory treatment with respect to wages, working hours or other working conditions by reason of the nationality, creed or social status of any worker. In addition, under the Principle of Equal Wages for Men and Women), an employer shall not engage in discriminatory treatment of a woman as compared with a man with respect to wages by reason of the worker being a woman. Employment Insurance System Employment insurance in Japan is an obligatory insurance managed by the government and it is compulsory for any enterprise which employs more than one worker. Under this scheme, benefits are granted to the unemployed, to workers who are having trouble continuing their employment and to those who voluntarily receive vocational training. It aims to promote workers welfare and prevent unemployment by increasing work opportunities and skills training. Summary On the contrary from the United States system, labour employment conditions in Japan are very much regulated and controlled by the government. This is due in part to the fact that Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries. They dislike uncertainty and everything must be in good control without any uncertain occurring. As such, this is the need for many specific standards and limits in the form of exact figures to avoid ambiguity and confusion. There is also government emphasis on gender discrimination as Japan is a highly-masculine society. These rules protect working women as it is still tentatively hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their masculine norm of long working hours which result in high  discrimination against woman. An interesting point to note is that their labour legislation takes into account the impact of natural disasters on employment terms and agreements. Quite appropriate since Japan is an earthquake-prone country. Japan