Internation Recruitment and Selection Essay

The world has been rapidly transforming due to the changes in technology, innovations, and the reduction of trade barriers into and out of countries which have permitted globalization. Due to globalization human resource management has been forced to take a more international approach, and has demonstrated that a more effective management of human resources internationally is imperative for the success of companies in international business (Shen). Therefore international organizations need to understand the roll that plays the international human resource management (IHRM) department, and the importance of adopting an effective recruiting, selecting, and training strategies that will enable the company to select the right talent for the right places. IHRM plays a very important and challenging roll in the international setting of organizations because â€Å"they must develop practices which will maintain congruence with the overall strategic plan of their respective multinational c orporations, while balancing the economic, social, political, and legal constraints of the host countries† (Caligiuri). Companies understand that the only way to develop strong and successful global leaders, which are keys to competitive advantage, is through an IHRM department that has a well develop competitive strategy in place. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) like Unilever and Huawei Technologies Co., a Chinese networking and telecommunications supplier, have understood the importance of a well develop IHRM department and have implemented strategies that are aligned with a global approach that support the business operation worldwide (Gartsdie). Based on Heenan and Perlmutter model there are four competitive strategies as well as different training alternatives for global assignees that MNCs can use to develop a successful IHRM approach. The recruitment and selection (staffing) policies which MNCs implement for their foreign subsidiaries will vary greatly for every company, and should be determine accordingly with the IHRM approach the organization is pursuing (Ball). MNCs can be divided in four types based on their management approach and corporate philosophy. The first approach a MNC may consider is the ethnocentric approach which is â€Å"characterized by low pressures for cost reduction and low pressures for local responsiveness† (Ball). Ethnocentric MNCs are not willing to give up the control over foreign subsidiaries, and prefer to place expatriates employees belonging to the home country of the firm, in all key management positions abroad. IHRMs departments that adopt this approach believe that expatriates are more capable than employees of the host country, and they expect that their expatriate managers transfer headquarters’ culture and philosophy to the host nationals (Caligiuri). This approach is normally used by MNCs with primarily international strategic orientations in the early stages of globalization. The advantage of an ethnocentric approach is that it expands the experience of expatriates and prepares them for high level management positions who execute strategic decisions from headquarters. Many expatriates adapt, learn the language, and perform effectively within the host country (Ball). However data suggest that there is a high turnover rate among expatriates because many of them do not have the special set of skills, characteristics, and abilities (e.g. tolerance of ambiguity, adjust quickly, empathy, actively manage social contacts) that are required to be successful in such position (Caligiuri). Because of the previous statement it is imperative that MNCs understand that facilitating proper training and development to the expatriate is a very important part of the IHRM department because it has a major impact on the effectiveness of the expatriate manager and â€Å"research has shown that cross-cultural training is an effective intervention to prevent expatriate failures† (Deller). However MNCs today face a big problem because studies show that only fifty percent of all expatriates receive adequate training (Deller). Another very important aspect to the IHRM department needs to consider when selecting the right candidate under this approach is to keep in mind the impact in the family of the expatriate. The family’s willingness and ability to adjust is of crucial importance for the assignee’s employer and it needs to be address during the staffing process as well. Another disadvantage for this approach is that is more costly for the corporation because it has to offer more incentives to the expatriate (Deller). In the selection process it is the responsibility of the IHRM department to evaluate the efficiency and cross-cultural proficiency of the candidates to ensure the success of this approach. The polycentric staffing policy is a second approach that can be implemented by IHRM departments of MNCs. Under this approach the human resource department will look for host country nationals (HNC) to manage subsidiaries in their own country with some coordination form headquarters (Ball). With this approach IHRM departments do not need to worry about looking for certain skills or characteristics for an international setting because the candidates are employed at the subsidiary level and they do not have language and culture barriers, labor turnover reduces, productivity increase, there are ideal information of industry, legal and political configuration, and the first cost of employing them is less expensive. Also using this approach makes the subsidiary looks less foreign (Caligiuri). However the problem with hiring HCNs is that they are not familiar with the home country of the international company and with its corporate culture, policies, and practices (Ball). The underlying crisis in communication and control between the headquarters and the subsidiary due to language barriers, conflicting national loyalties and differences in personal values may create an inconsistency in the strategic management process that will result in the subsidiary operating as a separate unit. Home country national’s lack of exposure to international assignments and lack of career mobility among HCNs are also some disadvantages of this approach and ultimately will affect the competitive advantage of the MNC (Padala). According to the article of Jie Shein, â€Å"HCNs are included in management development schemes only at the subsidiary level and HCN managers are rarely promoted to senior management positions† (663). When staffing under this approach IHRM departments can choose from hiring HCNs in the home country or HCNs in the host country. Many MNCs have experienced difficulties in hiring high caliber of HCNs managers because of the lack of long-term IHRM planning and training and ineffective international management development (Shen). When the polycentric staffing approach is not adequate the regiocentric staffing approach might be a better option. The regiocentric staffing approach can be used for companies with a regional strategic approach. In this approach employees are selected for key positions within the region the subsidiary is operating, employing a variety of HCNs and third country nationals, TCNs (Ball). From this perspective the communication and integration systems must be highly sophisticated for headquarters to maintain control over the regions however the host national are given the opportunity to manage their own subsidiaries. The likelihood of HNCs career advancement is greater within the region, but still limited in headquarters (Caligiuri). The training and development for this approach are the same as with the polycentric staffing approach. One of the biggest advantages of this approach is that it serves as a bridge for MNCs to gradually move to a geocentric staffing approach. The geocentric staffing approach is used in companies with a transnational strategic orientation. This staffing approach seeks the best people for key jobs throughout the organization, regardless of nationality, selecting the best person for the job, irrespective of nationality is most consistent with the underlying philosophy of a global corporation (Padala). This approach is ideal because the human resource strategy will be the same across all subsidiaries, using the best practices from wherever they might be found across the MNC worldwide networking of operations (Ball). However one of the drawbacks of this approach is that it can be expensive to implement because of increased training, compensations packages, and relocations costs, and it could require longer lead time (Padala). IHRM staffing approaches are very important but training and development also play a very important role in the international setting. International training and development is one of IHRM’s most crucial activities. While it is true that MNCs recognize the significance of international training and development for their employees there is knowledge that this corporation’s training strategies are weak and not effective. Current researches show that today the majority of companies have ineffective training and management policies that have resulted in frequently employee failure (Shen). In order to succeed in the global arena MNCs need to implement an effective international training and development program for expatriates, HCNs, and TCNs. Globalization has definitely created a very competitive business market in which international human resource management plays a crucial role for the success on multinational corporations. It is imperative that corporation carefully analyze every staffing approach available and implement the one that will help them select the right candidates for the right position, and provide the candidates with the appropriate training and development in order to create a competitive advantage. Works Cited Ball, A. Don, et al. International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition. 13th. New York: McGraw-Hill. Print. Caligiuri, Paula M., Linda K. Stroh. Multinational corporation strategies and international human resources practices: bringing IHRM to the bottom line. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 6:3 September 1995. P.494-498. Deller, Juergen. International Human Resource Management And the Formation of Cross-Cultural Competence. Institute of Business Psychology, University of Lueneburg, Germany. International Management Review. Vol.2 No. 3. 2006. Gartside, David, Griccioli, Stefano, and Rustin Richburg. Different stokes: How to manage a global workforce. Issue No.2. 2011. Outlook. Accenture. . Padala, Shanmukha Rao Dr.; Dr. N.V.S. Suryanarayana. Approaches to International Human Resource Management. September 11, 2012. Articlebase.com. . Shen, Jie. International training and management development: theory and reality. Journal of Management Development. Vol 24 No. 7, 2005. November 2, 2012.

Case Study of Organisation Culture: Google Essay

Google, one of the world’s wealthiest and fastest growing companies, is often presented as a model of a ‘progressive’ organisation. What lessons can other businesses learn? The white paper on work in 2020, released by the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) last month, contained a summary of aspects of Google’s culture, and drew some conclusions about its implications for other organisations. Established in 1998, Google now employs more than 20,000 people, has been adding staff at the rate of around 6000 per year, and receives around 7000 unsolicited job applications per day. Core culture statements Google has three core culture statements: 1. People are the most important asset. 2. You can be serious without wearing a suit. 3. You can make money without doing evil. Built-in ‘innovation time’ Google provides ‘innovation time off’, that is, one work day out of every five is allocated to solving problems. All business ‘problems’ are circulated to all staff for ‘solution sessions’. Work environment Amenities and benefits at Google’s US Head Office include 19 restaurants, free dental care, a health centre, haircuts, massages, a crà ¨che, gymnasiums, a hotel, laundry, car wash and community bus. The restaurant tables are oval-shaped, on the assumption that social interactions stimulate knowledge and learning breakthroughs. The aim is for people to interact with each other while they are eating, and the underlying cultural assumption is that work and other life should be merged as much as possible. Google wants its employees to spend as much time as possible there. But it’s not for everyone The AHRI white paper points out that one of the potential drawbacks of this ‘work is life’ culture is that if things go wrong at work, they are likely to go wrong in other aspects of your life as well. It is therefore important to maintain connections with people in your life outside employment. Genuine work–life balance implies that everyone needs to be part of something else outside the workplace — not all the core family, friends and relationships should reside or be nurtured within the workplace.

An Analysis of P.S. I Love You

Running Head: P. S. I LOVE YOU 1 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You Tammy McDaniel ENG 225 Jonathan Beller August 15, 2011 P. S. I LOVE YOU 2 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You The 2007 film, P. S. I Love You, is a film about learning to let go and move on with your life after the death of a spouse. The Film stars Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby and Gerard Butler, 300. It also stars Lisa Kudrow as Denise, Gina Gershon as Sharon, James Marsters as John, Kathy Bates as Patricia (Hollys mom), Nellie McKay as Ciara (Hollys sister), Harry Connick Jr. s Daniel, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as William. This paper will critique the film, P. S. I Love You, through textual and formal analysis focusing on the following elements.. Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis. By examining the films technical elements, you can gain a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. P. S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama directed by Richard LaGavenese. The screenplay by LaGavenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel P. S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. This film was shot on locations in New York City and county Wicklow, Ireland. (Imdb. com) In this film, P. S. I Love You, Hilary Swank plays Holly, an American who marries an Irishman,Gerry (played by Gerard Butler). Gerry is Hollys soul mate, the love of her life. A few weeks shy of her 30th birthday Gerry dies from a brain tumor. Holly feels so lost without Gerry that for weeks she stays in her apartment and does not want to see or talk to anyone except Gerry. On her 30th birthday her friends come over to force her to celebrate and get out of her slump. A cake arrives mysteriously. When opened Holly finds a tape recorded message from Gerry. He tells her that she will receive a series of letters and that she has to do what each letter says. A different letter will arrive each month for ten months. The letters range from singing Karaoke to P. S. I LOVE YOU 3 going to Ireland with her friends. During the course of these letters Holly is pushed into a new future. Gerry has sent her on a journey to discover who she is without him in her life. Gerry ends each letter with P. S. I Love You. The filmmakers presented this film in chronological order to show how Holly deals with her life without Gerry and how she finds the courage to move on. This film takes place in a years time with a few flashbacks to help you understand the love that Holly and Gerry shared. Some of the settings used in this film include: Holly and Gerrys apartment, Hollys Moms bar, and Ireland. Holly suffers from an internal conflict. She knows that she will have to let Gerry go but, she does not want to. She resolves this conflict by reading Gerrys letters and doing what he asks. The letters in this film are a symbolic gesture of Gerrys love for Holly and him wanting her to move on with her life and not be depressed that he is gone. People who have lost a loved one can understand the internal conflict that Holly suffers from. This makes the movie more real to these people. I think this film ends up being a Situational Irony occurs when we expect one thing to happen and something else does. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011). Through out the entire movie film you believe that Gerry set everything up with the post office so the letters arrive to Holly on certain days. At the end of the film you find the Gerry talked Hollys mom into delivering the letters to Holly. Against her feelings that this was not good For Holly she does what Gerry asks. The dialogue in this film allows you to see how Holly goes from being depressed to being happy with her life. You can tell the difference when Holly is talking to someone that she is slowly letting go of Gerry. I believe that the plot and the character drives the film forward. The plot P. S. I LOVE YOU 4 consists of carefully chosen elements from the tory that the writer feels the viewer needs to know and has arranged into a consciously designed order, leaving out some things and possibly repeating other things more than once. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I feel that this goes hand in hand with Hollys mom being the one delivering the letters. The character drives the film,because you want to see how Holly handles receiving the letters and following through with what Gerry wants her to do. This is a film that uses flashbacks to help you understand certain things. The flashbacks in this film allows the audience to see just how much Gerry loved Holly. It shows that he loved her so much he wanted to help her move on with her life. He wrote those letters knowing that he was going to die. He wanted to help ease Hollys pain after he was gone. I feel that the flashbacks in this film help the film so much, because without them you would never really know how much Gerry loved Holly. This Film used realism acting. This is acting that does not draw attention to itself but instead gives the impression of genuine human action and emotion. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I believe that both Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are wild card actors. Wild card actors are actors that can play a wide variety of characters equally without becoming typecast. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Both Hilary and Gerard I feel are actors that can do any kind of role. Hilary has done roles from Million Dollar Baby to Boys Dont Cry. Gerard has done roles from 300 to Bounty Hunter. Bot h can do comedy, drama, and romance. Which is what P. S. I Love You is. I thinks that the casting in this film was excellent and I do not feel that anyone was miscast. I feel that it helped quite a bit knowing who these actors were before seeing this movie and I do not feel that their persona distracted from their character. While watching this film I forgot that I was watching Hilary Swank and was just watching Holly. There is a scene in the P. S. I LOVE YOU 5 few weeks after Gerrys death where Holly is lip-syncing to a Judy Garland song. I feel that this scene shows us just how much Holly misses Gerry. She has let herself go. Her clothes are dirty as is her hair. The apartment is a total wreck (trash, food, old take-out, and dirty dishes everywhere). When you see all this you view Holly as a depressed and sad person. At the end of the year Holly is clean and dresses very nice and you view her as happy and enjoying her new life. What drew me to this movie in the first place was the title and the actors. After seeing the movie after taking this class I found that I enjoyed the movie in a different and better way. When you notice small things that you did not notice before this class I feel that you can understand the movie better. When you understand how a movie is made it opens up a lot of different aspects of learning for you. If the director is responsible for the film overall, in a general way, the cinematographer is specifically responsible for its look, in very specific, shot–by–shot terms. He or she is responsible for the images that the camera sees, and by extension the images that the audience will see in the finished film. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) This film uses a variety of different shots. They vary fr om long shots, medium long shots, medium shots, and medium close-up shots. Most directors use several takes, and different camera setups or versions, of the same scene. This allows them to pick and choose the best of what they have shot and to put scenes together in the way that most effectively tells the story they are trying to tell. In order to have a variety of shots to edit together, however, all those different types of shots must be photographed in the first place. (Goodykoontz , 2011) This is the job of the Cinematographer and I feel that this cinematographer did an excellent job doing just that. P. S. I LOVE YOU 6 The cinematographer choice in lighting for different parts of the the movie was superb. For the funeral scene the cinematographer used low-key lighting. For the rest of the film he used high-key lighting. I like movies that a full of color. I have only one black and white movie that I like (Casablanca). The cinematographer uses Saturation color, Desaturation color, and The Golden Hour color in this film. Saturation color is deep, vibrant, bright, pure color. (Goodykoontz , 2011) and is used through most of the movie. Desaturation color has been muted, appearing less intense, which contributes to a more realistic, often–gritty look. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) and I feel is used during some f the funeral scene. The Golden Hour color also known as the magic hour (although it actually lasts only about 20 minutes), is the term used for the time of day just before sunrise and the time just after sunset, when colors appear more warm, almost glowing, and there are no shadows, since the sun is not in the sky. (Goodykoontz , 2011) is used during the outdoor scenes in I reland. All three used in the same movie allows the audience to feel different emotions through out the film. For the apartment a narrow focus is used to make the apartment feel smaller and more claustrophobic. When watching a movie at home I prefer watching it in widescreen compared to full screen. Widescreen allows the audience to feel like they are at a movie theater. Watching a movie on full screen feels like you are missing parts of the movie. The cinematographer wants you to focus on the characters more so than the background, but at times I feel like her wants you to also focus on the background at the same time. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time in Ireland. You are focused on the characters but at the same time you are also focused on the beautiful scenery of Ireland. That is also the same for when the Holly, Denise, and Sharon are stuck on the boat. P. S. I LOVE YOU 7 The editors use fade-out/fade-in and direct cut shots. An example of a fade-out/fade-in shot would be after the opening scene and after the opening credits. An example of a direct cut shot would be when the girls are stuck in the boat on the lake. The next scene shows another boat coming to save them. The editor also used an establishing shot during the scenes to let you know who, what, and where for a scene. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time. You know that it is Holly and Gerry in the scene, you know that they are meeting for the first time, you also know that they are in Ireland. There is also a lot of shot/reverse-shots in this movie. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry are in their apartment at their own dressers arguing. The camera moves from Holly to Gerry through out the entire argument so you can see each of their expressions and you can also see if they make faces at each other because of something the other said. There are two kinds of film sound used in this movie. They are dialogue and voice-over. Dialogue is when two or more characters are speaking to each other. Through dialogue you feel how the characters are feeling and also you understand what is happening. An example of this would be when Holly and her mom are arguing that Holly is obsessed with the letters. You understand that Patricia does not like the letters at all. Voice-over is when a character’s voice narrates the action to help the audience understand what is going on. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Another form of sound you have in a film is the score or the background music. This music allows the audience to experience a whole other experience during a movie. The score can make you happy, sad, scared, or excited. It also can portray how a character is feeling at the exact moment. P. S. I LOVE YOU 8 To me Richard LaGravenese is a director that likes to tell a story and show meaning in his work. In addition to P. S. I Love You his work includes: Water for Elephants, Freedom Writers, and Living Out Loud. I believe that this film is very well made. I have never seen a movie by this director before I could not tell you about how he approaches the subject matter of the film. I do not know anything about this directors own personal vision, however, by looking at his other pieces of work it seems to me that he runs toward romance and films that tend to have a meaning behind them. For this film I believe his meaning is that after losing a loved one you can move on and have fun again and enjoy your life. This film is a Drama and Romance movie with a sub-genre of comedy. I went into this film thinking it was a romance movie. While watching it a realized that it was a lot more than that. The purpose of a drama is to allow the audience to feel what the characters are feeling. The purpose of a romance is to feel the love that the characters share. The purpose of a comedy is to allow the audience to laugh with the characters. I feel that this is a film that can influence society. I say that because I feel that after seeing a movie like this people would want to have that kind of love. When my sister and I walked out of the theater we both said I want a man to love me like that! This is a film that allows the audience to escape from their daily lives and have a good time. What is more fun than laughing and crying at the same time when watching a movie? To me the answer is nothing is more fun. This film is Rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity. This is definitely not a movie for a child younger than 13. P. S. I LOVE YOU 9 As with all films you will have critics that tell you whether a film is good or not. That critic can be a professional critic, a family member or a friend. I found a phrase and a quote in our text that explains what a critic is. What is a critic? There are many definitions, some of which are unflattering, including as they do charges of jealousy, mean–spiritedness, and flat–out incompetence. Ironically enough, one of the best definitions comes from a character in a film, and in an animated film, at that. In Pixar’s film Ratatouille (2007), Peter O’Toole provides the voice of Anton Ego, a famous food critic feared for his discriminating palate and his withering criticism. When he samples food that has secretly been prepared by a rat, everyone fears the worst (particularly the rat). However, Ego begins his review with a spirited defense of the art of criticism, observations that apply just as much to film criticism as to food criticism. In the movie Ego says, In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations; the new needs friends . . . Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. (Bird, 207) (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I myself do not read or listen to a critic or a review. If you do and that person said that a movie was bad than you might have missed a very good movie. P. S. I LOVE YOU 10 I watched this movie again with my sister before writing this assignment and as we watched I found myself telling my sister what kind of shots were being used and explaining what a fade-out/fade-in was. Watching this movie after taking these few weeks of class I understood the movie in a different and good way. I believe that the director wanted the audience to feel what Holly does and through his direction I did. After I was finished examining the films different technical elements, I definitely gained a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. In conclusion I want to say that after taking this class and learning all about Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis I am more in tune to how a movie is made and find that I enjoy watching movies a little better now that I understand what goes into it. Sometimes theres only one thing left to say P. S. I LOVE YOU P. S. I LOVE YOU 11 References Goodykoontz, B. Jacobs, C. P. (2011) Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG225. 11. 2 IMDB. (2011). P. S. I Love You. Retrieved from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0431308/combined LaGravenese, R. (Director). (2007). P. S. I Love You. [Motion Picture]. USA:

Ensuring Economic Opportunities for Young Americans Essay

Ensuring Economic Opportunities for Young Americans - Essay Example Department of Labor), Algernon Austin (Director of the race, ethnicity, and the economy program Economic Policy Institute), Matthew Segal (Founder & Co-Chair 80 Million Strong, Dorothy), Dorothy Stoneman (President and founder YouthBuild USA) and D. Mark Wilson (Principal Applied Economic Strategies, LLC). The positions taken by each participant on the issue has been briefed as under. At the beginning of the session, Chairman Miller gave a concise opening speech on the alarming rate at which the unemployment among young Americans is on a rise. He briefed about the worsening economic conditions of the nation, comparable to the aftermath of the Second World War, due to which the younger generation in some instances have to compete with the more experienced in the job market, for jobs meant for the relatively inexperienced. In addition, a shortage of summer jobs for the youth constrained their potential education opportunities since often it is found that the students use the funds to pay their tuition fees. Moreover, summer jobs often taught them discipline and helped in the development of leadership skills in them. So, an axe on the number of such jobs had multi-dimensional effects on the future of the youth of the nation. Hence, the Chairman proposed an initial investment of $ 1.2 billion in the economy for employment generation. Besides there were other distingu ished contributors in the meeting who prescribed a number of policy suggestions to tackle the situation. The eminent participants addressed the issue by proposing strategies to curb the same. Mathew Segal recommended that any policies meant to address the issue must focus upon four different areas – the amount of resources allocated for investment should be increased, there must be increased facilities of education loans, the propensity for public service jobs must be enhanced among the young minds and the education imparted at schools must be

Analysing specific financial issues in Oxford Instruments PLC Essay

Analysing specific financial issues in Oxford Instruments PLC - Essay Example The company has a vision to actually turn smart science into viable and affordable commercial products which can be easily available to the target market. It is involved in the development of sophisticated The company started as a small company manufacturing magnets used in the scientific research however, over the period of time, company grew and become one of the most important players in the market. Its history also suggests that it was the first spin-off from the Oxford University and was the first venture which was successfully launched from Oxford University. This paper will explore the financial performance of the Oxford Instruments Plc with special reference to how stock markets are related with the public limited companies and their performance, relationship between the investor values and financial performance of the firm, the gearing level and issue of debt to the investors besides summarizing the overall things with special reference to the limitations of the ratio analysis. There are different methods under which an organization can actually raise money and utilize those funds for the expansion and development of business. One of the key methods of having funds is to basically borrow from the banks, financial institutions or through issuing debt to the investors. Debt or the money borrowed by the companies however, have to be paid repaid along with the interest rates to the debt holders i.e. the persons who actually buy the debt and expect to be repaid with their original principal amount and the interest. Secondly, however, firms can also raise money by selling their equity on the stock markets. A firm, when issuing stocks for the first time to raise money, enters into what is called primary issue of stock listing. Primary issue is basically when the firm sells its stocks for the first time at the price they decide to set whereas secondary selling of the stock market takes place

Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Assignment

Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) - Assignment Example Methods by which to benchmark and enhance execution becomes the deliberate plan that grew in association with, and received by the business, at a level that makes it one of the main plans on the planet; and a driver for and implies by which to maintain solid, effective, and environment neighborly living up to expectations or living environment. Beam grasps a scope of good practices in arranging, outline, development, administration, operation, and upkeep of structures. It is adjusted to neighborhood regulations, measures and codes of practice. The beam models practices in arranging and outline. Model practices in administration, operation, and support. Practices in development and dispatching, praiseworthy best practices in meeting lawful necessities. A solid building needs to influence the soundness of its client or the earth. Pillar underlines indoor natural quality and comforts as key execution markers, with the legitimate thought of the neighborhood, provincial and worldwide ecological effects (Chung & Burnett, 1999). The BEAM plan is interesting in the way that it: Grasps an extensive variety of maintainability issues; Covers the entire life execution of structures; evaluates new structures just upon culmination, and guaranteeing real execution; Chooses BEAM Assessors arbitrarily for the venture confirmation; and Embraces administration, operation and support practices to guarantee an abnormal state of building execution (Chung & Burnett, 1999). The beam upgrades the nature of structures in Hong Kong that animate interest for structures that are more feasible. It gives an acknowledgment for enhanced execution and minimizing false claims; Give a far-reaching arrangement of execution benchmarks that can be sought after by designers and proprietors; Lessen the natural effect of structures for the entire time of the life cycle, and guarantee that ecological contemplations as incorporated for the comfortable outline and arranging stages.

LIT 201 3-3 Ouline Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LIT 201 3-3 Ouline - Thesis Example A comparison of the literal works of Oedipus Tyrannous and Don Quixote gives a depiction of irony depicted in two literally unique set ups. Literary works of both Oedipus Tyrannous and Don Quixote utilizes irony is a vital aspect of literary brilliance. Oedipus made an endeavor to challenge God yet his future was made clear to him by the Oracle of Delphi and the future too of his entourage. Despite this, he repelled and wanted to mend his own fate and destiny (Salomon, 2008). The characters own perceptions, ideologies and beliefs helped actualize his prophecy. This was purely ironically since fate took its course of action that Oedipus knew prior to drafting and following his strategy. Conversely, Sancho a loyalist of Quixote remarked that the black mole on the back of Quixote was a sign of a sturdy man. Quixote compared it to the Islamic forecaster Mohammed and an indication of the strength of a knight even though the audience knows the truth. Oedipus and Don Quixote have displayed vast through paths that proved to be tremendously ironic retrospection. A clear comparison of the irony in Oedipus and Don Quixote and similarities made to appreciate the literal works of the classic writers. It is a literature drive engine intended to spice the stories, enhance its impact and keep the audience fully involved. It is thus a vital part of

The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold Essay

The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold War - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that as one of the most significant conflicts in modern human history, the Cold War was marked by high expectations of conflict and violence, as well as continuous detailed planning and mobilization for war by the USSR, the US, and their respective allies. Over the course of the Cold War, hegemonic relations and alliances around the US and the USSR incorporated most of the free world with both countries occupying opposite and confrontational positions on most international issues. As a result, countries in the sphere of each hegemon were always in a state of military readiness and the risk of war was ever-present. Indeed, the most bloody post-WWII wars were fought by proxies of the USSR and the US, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. With the end of the Cold War in 1991, however, global conflicts did not decline and, in fact, there were over 115 violent conflicts reported in the first ten years of the post-Cold War period. Gray states that while some aspects of war have changed since the end of the Cold War, the objective nature of war has remained unchanged even as the subjective nature of war has changed. Deutsch also notes that war has not dissipated with the fall of the Soviet Union, but has only changed in terms of strategy and symmetry. This paper aims to show that the end of the Cold War altered the security policy of the US by replacing a conventional military adversary with a more mobile and asymmetrical adversary. Newman broadly defines the Cold War as the relationship that developed between the USSR and the US following their joint triumph against Nazi Germany in WWII. The unique nature of this relationship came to dominate international affairs for almost five decades and led to several major crises like the Hungarian revolution, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, and the Soviet-Afghan War. Possibly the tensest issue was the proliferation of nuclear weap ons and other weapons of mass destruction in preparation for eventual war.

IRAC Brief Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IRAC Brief - Case Study Example lthy tycoons and political campaign donors Baxter-Simons and Nathaniel Simons, to manage the household expenses, including those of the household employees (Markay, 2015). The parties are to enter into an agreement through arbitration, which will be later notified to the court. Issue: Madalyn Garcia was recruited as a household worker to serve in the 6,700 square-foot home owned by the Simons’ family and located in Berkeley, in 2010, to serve as a housekeeper (Markay, 2015). Garcia was considered one of the best employees at the household, and thus she consequently received numerous bonuses on frequent basis, as an appreciation of her work. However, all this was to change in the April of 2012, when Garcia informed the home owner, Baxter-Simons, that she was pregnant, and thus requested for a 12-week maternity leave (Markay, 2015). Upon this request, Baxter-Simons was visibly upset, but still allowed Garcia to take only a 6-week leave. When Garcia reached 8 months of her pregnancy, she started experiencing tiredness and difficulties in undertaking her duties, thus requested for a rearrangement of her 2-off duty days, so she could have occasional rests (Markay, 2015). This upset Mrs. Baxter-Simons even more and she refused to grant that request, while starting to harass Garcia through asking her to do work that was difficult for her, such as carrying a crate of wine up and down the stairs. The relationship between Garcia and her employer would subsequently deteriorate, and on Aug. 6, 2012 Elan Household, LLC informed her that she had been fired (Markay, 2015). Analysis: The U.S. Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1964, under Title VII, provides that it is prohibited for an employer to treat a female employee â€Å"unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth or any other medical condition related to the regency or childbirth† (USA.Gov, 2015). Additionally, the law of California provides that a pregnant employee should be granted up to four months of maternity leave

Genres Of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Genres Of Music - Essay Example The emergent of new musical genres especially those encompassing youths has always associated with aggression, for instance, the rap, which DJ Charlie Chase confirms. Through this chapter, I have come to know that numerous rap superstars in their conduct usually exhibit arrogance probably because they emanate from Puerto Rico, which also characterizes their lifestyle to date. From extensive study and reflection of this except, pride characterizes rap music. This is evident from the DJ Charlie Chase’s words where he contends those at present are arrogant learned the genre from him thus praising himself, which ought not to happen. Besides, regarding genres’ compositions, no one ought to contend they appear in a certain way because of his or her creativity. Since, their (diverse musical genres) present compositions emanating from races’ diversity, for instance, the Latinos and African Americans whose culture is evident in both reggae and rap music. Youths’ qu est to seek societal identity and recognition for long has prompted them to result in utilizing varied ways especially music genres, which I have unveiled via the aid of explicit explanation of these three chapters. Mainly, this encompasses coming up with new versions that defy inclusion of the then conventional ways with the intention of appearing unique in their styles. Consequently, this extended even to the embracing of new styles like dressing codes and behaviors whereby to numerous people, some turn to be arrogant and boastful especially the rap musicians.

Society and Culture Essay Example for Free

Society and Culture Essay Conformity and Obedience Conformity and Obedience The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. But how does this need affect an individual? Social Premium 963 Words 4 Pages Solomon E. Aschs Opinions and Social Pressure (Scientific American, Vol 193, No. 5, 1955) In the 1950s the social psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a famous Premium 523 Words 3 Pages 12 Angry Men: Synopsis A Synopsis of 12 Angry Men One of the top one hundred movies of all time according to the American Film Institute (number 87 to be exact), and also listed as one of his Premium 1599 Words 7 Pages Definition of Abortion Abortion (noun): a. Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival. b. Any of various procedures that result in such Premium 1369 Words 6 Pages Machismo in Mexico: Downfall Due to Women’s Progression? Mexico is a country that has long been in a struggle to find a concrete national identity. This struggle transcends the boundary of gender identities as well. This is the Premium 2906 Words 12 Pages Opinions and Social Pressure In â€Å"Opinions and Social Pressure â€Å"(Solomon E. Asch), author shows that: Group pressure can Influence an Individual to deny the evidence of Premium 306 Words 2 Pages Admiration of Anne Bradstreets Essay Admiration of Anne Bradstreets values as compared to those of Ben Franklin and Johnathan Edwards The relationships that people have with others has a severe impact on Premium 3472 Words 14 Pages Admiration of Anne Bradstreets Admiration of Anne Bradstreets values as compared to those of Ben Franklin and Johnathan Edwards The relationships that people have with others has a severe impact on Premium 3556 Words 15 Pages Anorexia Paper 10 Anorexia Anorexia Nervosa is a disorder where the main characteristic is the restriction of food and the refusal to maintain a minimal normal body  weight Anorexics may Premium 1349 Words 6 Pages Delphi Technique vs Focus Group s Delphi Technique The Delphi Technique begins with the development of a set of open-ended questions on a specific issue. These questions Premium 492 Words 2 Pages Girls Living as Boys The New York Times Article – September 20, 2010 ‘Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live The Part’ In a nation where segregation of two different sexes are Premium 743 Words 3 Pages Peoples Temple Peoples Temple On November 18, 1978 more than nine hundred people died in one of the largest mass murder/suicides in history. The man that implemented and carried Premium 628 Words 3 Pages The Crucible interpretations of the word crucible as there is for the theme of Arthur Millers, The Crucible. Closely related to the word crucifixion, The Crucible is about a man put Premium 7088 Words 29 Pages Attitude-Organisation Behaviour Before coming to the main topic, we must be clear about the term â€Å"Attitude†, what the term means. ATTITUDE: â€Å"An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents Premium 1121 Words 5 Pages Grameen Bank Grameen Bank Background: Ø Grameen bank was started in 1976 by Prof. M Younas Ø They started an action research project at Jobra village Ø It was extended to Premium 711 Words 3 Pages Time Theft , an unethical behavior in the workplace, is far too often overlooked. By utilizing the theory of planned behavior the determinants of  time theft can further be Premium 611 Words 3 Pages Conformity Conformity is all around us in this world. It is not something we are happy with, since it gives us the pressure and limits our freedom. Conformity can be sometimes useful Premium 716 Words 3 Pages Fitting in Fitting in Fitting in is an important part of life because it has almost everything to do with turning out in life. Knowing the right people will directly effect a Premium 551 Words 3 Pages Opinions and Social Pressure Summery Essay 9/3/10 Solomon E. Asch was born in 1907 and died in 1996. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Social Premium 547 Words 3 Pages Underneath the Veil Underneath the Veil In the Middle East, a Moslem woman wearing head and body coverings isnt anything out of the ordinary. In fact, it is a way of life for them in many Premium 1223 Words 5 Pages Age Requirements on Weight Loss Books Age requirements on weight loss books Should books aimed at young children be able to tell them that because they are overweight they cannot be well liked? The book Premium 1484 Words 6 Pages Conformity and Obedience The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. But how does this need affect an individual? Social psychologists have conducted numerous Premium 329 Words 2 Pages Developmental Psychology Developmental Psychology Notes for Chapter 12 Relationships: Frienship-Adult friendships can be viewed as having identifiable stages:  ABCDE model describes the different Premium 523 Words 3 Pages Most Important Life Changing Event There is one thing that happened in my life that changed it forever. This is the day my stepdad, Taylor, died. It started as a normal school day my freshman year. No Premium 582 Words 3 Pages The Elephant and Crowd Effect Shooting an Elephant is a short story written by George Orwell in 1936. Regardless of my persuasive point that George Orwell was just Premium 875 Words 4 Pages Waltz Essay A war veteran speaks with his closest friend about their days in the military, reliving their long nights on the beach, shooting at the enemies, enjoying themselves while Premium 1493 Words 6 Pages The Concricles of a Death Fortold Is the Killing in The Chronicles of A Death Foretold Necessary as Means Of Restoring Female Honor? Candidate: Nikesha Deenoo Harry Premium 1092 Words 5 Pages Deviance In todays world deviance is everywhere.Where did it come from ? I want to know what is deviance and what reasons adoes it exist .So in this paper I will discover these Premium 766 Words 4 Pages Discrimination Against Women Roslyn Willet wrote in her essay, â€Å"Working in a ‘Man’s World’†, that women are subject to closer scrutiny and harsher criticism than their male colleagues, which is Premium 540 Words 3 Pages Economics of Gender The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the social pressures of shopping amongst married households and determine if gender  plays a role in this chore and if Premium 817 Words 4 Pages

Vertigo - Hitchcock Defying Genres Essay Example for Free

Vertigo Hitchcock Defying Genres Essay Based on the French novel D’Entre les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, Vertigo is arguably one of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces and the â€Å"strangest, yet most hauntingly beautiful film he had ever made† (Adair, 2002). At the time, its far-fetched plot drew a mixed response from critics – Time magazine called the movie a â€Å"Hitchcock and bull story† – but today most agree that it is one of the director’s most deeply felt pictures. Vertigo very easily categorized into a specific genre – Thriller, a genre of movies that, in many ways, Hitchcock played a major role in defining. Thrillers are typically movies that attempt to create excitement and include stories about murder, conspiracies, violence, or, in the case of Vertigo, a psychological thriller with unusual characters with unstable mental states. Vertigo checks most of the boxes in defining itself as a thriller. However, simply labeling Hitchcock’s Vertigo a thriller will limit its contents, symbols, motifs and themes to just that of a thriller film. Very frequently, a â€Å"film can revise or reject the conventions associated with its genre† (Bordwell, 2001) Instead, in analyzing the film, we need to explore its mystery and romantic melodramatic themes Hitchcock used in creating this masterpiece which defies itself being categorized into a single genre. As the man who helped to shape the modern day thriller genre, Hitchcock was fluent in manipulating the audiences fears, and suturing them into a state of association with the characters and the world in which they exist. The main point of Vertigo being a thriller is the plot – Scottie, the protagonist and victim of a planned murder of an old friend’s wife – whom he falls in love with, an impossible love as she ‘dies’ and in turn, he continues his downward spiral into mad obsession. These semantic elements are true to psycho-traumatic thrillers, which are centered around the psychotic effects of a trauma on the protagonists (detective) current involvement in a love affair and a crime. The protagonist is always the victim generally of some past trauma which is Scottie’s acrophobia leading to his fellow police officer’s death, and often of villains who take advantage of his or her masochist guilt (Cook, 1999). These elements are evident of Vertigo being a thriller, but there is more . How Hitchcock defies Vertigo as being just a thriller is how the semantic elements fall short. Unlike typical thriller conventions, Vertigo has no happy ending. The flawed protagonist falls in love, which in turn became an obsession that ends in madness. He is guilty of all three deaths, and he stays in a state of transition the entire film. Hitchcock, who pioneered the use of morally ambiguous characters in cinema, filled Vertigo with such characters, especially the protagonist. The repeated motif of the spiral represents Scottie’s constant state of suspension and transition, all the way to the end of the film. Another major element that needs to be explored, is in fact the main motivation in the film – romance, or love, that eventually boils into obsession. Hitchcock uses the several cinematic techniques, music, and the motif of green to portray this element. The first time Scottie and the audience sees Madeleine, she is wearing green, she drives a green car, and when they visit the Sequoias, the name translates as â€Å"Always green, everlasting†. Scottie’s love for her was ‘everlasting’, even after death (Duncan, 2004). The notion of everlasting carries over to when Judy Barton appears, Scottie attempts, with succession to transform her. He changes her dressing, makeup, hair, and speech into his image of Madeleine. Perhaps the most impactful scene visually in the entire film was when Judy/ Madeleine emerges from the bathroom after Scottie convinced her to do up her hair, the final touch/ transformation into Madeleine. The sequence began with Scottie pacing in the apartment near the window as Judy was doing up her hair in the bathroom. He finally settles down onto the couch, facing away from the toilet door, waiting. As the bathroom door opens, he turns to his left, and we only see his left profile (Fig 1.), a mirror image to the first time he set eyes on Madeleine in the restaurant – unsure, and this time, full of anticipation. We are reminded of the green motif, by the neon light outside Judy’s apartment. As Scottie turns around to fully see the resurrected Madeleine, he slowly stands up and at this point the music starts to pick up, leading us to the point at which he sees his beloved. The camera tracks into a close up of Scottie’s face, with the green light reflecting off his eye, he almost looks like he has tears in his eyes (Fig 2.). Cut to Judy/ Madeleine stepping out of the toilet, it is Scottie’s POV of Madeleine bathed in ghostly green light. Similar to the scene in the cemetery where Madeleine was shot through a fog filter, which gave her the green glow, Judy/ Madeleine now had green light superimposed around her body, which gave her the appearance of a blurred, ghostly figure (Fig 3.). This reflected Madeleine coming back from the dead, now a ghost, as green is usually used to represent ghost or spirits in film. She then slips out of the blur and into focus, Hitchcock used this to indicate Scottie’s come back to reality, coming to his senses as he spots the locket in the next scene, realizing that Judy has been tricking him all along (Truffaut, 1985). There is a series of shot/ reverse-shots, as she walks toward Scottie, all the while with the green glow behind both. The walk toward Scottie was slow, as she pauses with a mid-shot, and eventually into a close up (Fig 4). In the close-up, she sneaks a smile, a slight smile indicating that she was happy that she was able to fulfill his request, of her transformation. Cut back to Scottie who takes a step toward her, he kisses her in close up (Fig 5). The dynamics of the music picks up as the camera starts to track around them, starting the 360-degree rotation sequence. The background starts to change, an illusion by Hitchcock to momentarily transform the mise-en-scà ¨ne of the present in Judy’s hotel room to a scene from the past. Scottie looks up from the embrace to see himself at the place where he first passionately kissed Madeleine. At this point, the camera slows the track and pulls back into a medium shot (Fig 6) and the music accelerates into a joyous tune. This shot was a visual externalization of Scottie’s thoughts and desire, while Judy was lost in her own world of denial, snuggled up, kissing his neck an overlap and irony of fantasy and reality. Scottie kisses Judy/ Madeleine again as the camera starts tracking once again as the music slows into the main melodic climax. The sequence is concluded a tight close up, once again with the green glow illuminating the background (Fig 7). Vertigo fulfills many elements that qualifies it as a psycho-traumatic thriller, but we cannot ignore the other (and maybe) more important aspects of the film, as discussed which were the romance, madness and obsession, which makes Vertigo the film that it is. Hitchcock also defies thriller conventions with the use of morally ambiguous characters, the tragic conclusion to the film, and other semantic elements, which deviates from the genre conventions. Vertigo defies genre, instead, it is a mix of genre. We have to look past genre conventions to fully explore and appreciate this â€Å"strangest, yet most hauntingly beautiful film he (Hitchcock) has ever made†. Adair, G. (2002). Alfred Hitchcock: Filming Our Fears. Oxford Univerity Press Bordwell, D. Thompson, K. (2001). Film Art: an Introduction. 6th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. Cook, P. Bernick, M. (1999). The Cinema Book. 2nd Revised Edition. BFI Publishing. Duncan, P. (2004). Alfred Hitchcock. Pocket Essentials.

Performance Management At Emaar

Performance Management At Emaar The report features altogether are in six major sections. Section one is about Performance management and performance appraisal at Emaar. Section two is about Reward Management that Emaar uses. Section three is about Addressing Underperformnce. Section four is about measures of staff satisfaction. Section five is about methods to improvements. Section six which the last one is the conclusion. More over, there are some appendixes I have attached in my report, Appendix 1 is the Aprriasal form and appendix 2 the exit interview. Finally, Most of the information in the report was from my own experience at Emaar and some particulars from Emaar website and interviewing employees as well. Performance Management at Emaar At Emaar, Performance Management is considered as a cyclical process encompassing many aspects. Their model begins with the process of hiring, continues with daily performance management, and extends to yearly performance appraisals specially when making hiring decisions, managers, individuals and committees are involved in the process should consider the seven core competencies established by Emaar which are: Adaptability Motivation Professional and Self Development Work Quality and Job knowledge Teamwork Service Orientation Communication From there, Emaar supervisors should manage employees daily performance through an efficient and effective performance management system. As a result of a efficient and effective and useful performance management system, supervisors should be able to provide accurate and relevant performance assessments that helps further growth and improvement among employees at Emaar. By institute a successful performance management based upon the seven core competencies, Emaar is able to hire, lead and evaluate individuals based on the same set of the competencies which offers consistency and continued growth. Appraisal Performance Appraisal performance is considered one of the powerful tools and an important process at all levels of the organization starting from the top management and ending with employees. It helps supervisors to meet the objectives and goals of the department and the firm as well. In addition, companies must keep pace with process to accommodate the changes of the business level contents and performance methods, and the change of the staff skills and knowledge. Appraisal helps to create confidence between employees and raise their loyalty to the firm.(See Appendix 1) Appraisal performance from some authors view performance appraisal as any procedure that involves setting work standards, assessing the employees actual performance relative to these standards, and providing feedback to the employees with the aim of motivating that person to eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par Dessler Another definition for performance appraisal is the evaluation, often in writing an employees work and job performance according to specific criteria. Performance appraisal can also be defined as a system of periodic review and evaluation of an individuals or teams job performance Schuller Appraisal performance at Emaar Emaar conduct appraisal quarterly and annually to evaluate employees performance, promote communication and their personality to examine their strengths and weakness. Besides, Emaar ensures all the employees who conducted the evaluation that their information are confidential and secured for making right decisions for them. Appraisal performance is important for such a company because it provides them with employees feedback of employees performance and progress. Performance appraisal aims at facilitate employees development and it has the major purposes. These major purposes is to provide feedback and guidance, to set performance goals, to identify training needs, and to provide inputs for management of pay administration, rewards, and promotion. Also there are some steps which are involved in effective performance appraisal are: Identification of key performance areas and setting yearly objectives. Identification of critical attributes for effective performance Periodic review of performance Discussion of performance with employees, Identification of training and developmental needs. Emaar uses many methods for performance evaluation of their employees, some of them are traditional and some are modern methods. Incident Indicator Method It is done by collecting the largest possible number of incidents that causes the success or the failure of the work. Supervisors monitor their group and decide if any of those collected incidents happened to them in their work. Their performance will be evaluated based on the incidents that happened in their workplace and how they behaved during those incidents and how serious they are in terms of success or failure of the job. 360 degree Performance The 360 process almost always includes a survey that has questions related to leadership and organizational success, along with a corresponding scale rate each item for example, Agree, Slightly Agree, Neutral, Slightly Disagree, and Disagree. Self-ratings and ratings from employees manager, direct reports, peers and customers are typically compiled into a report. The results are combined and presented by rater category, which allows for insightful comparisons while ensuring that individual direct report, peer and customer raters remain anonymous. Ratings by the employees manager are also presented for comparison but not anonymous. The 360 process may also include a gaol setting or development planning component, which requires that managers translate there results into a meaningful plan for future development. Some 360s are linked to administrative processes such as performance appraisal, promotion, compensation and succession planning 360 Feedback offers many potential benefits to both staff and the organization. Because the technique is capitalizes on multiple perspectives. The results are considered highly credible and useful performance feedback. For employees, the 360 experience can help to confirm hunches about strengths and identify areas that need improvement. Being able to compare feedback from multiple sources helps participants contrast their self-perceptions with others perceptions of them. But the benefit from this kind of reality check comes with a challenge: As from Fortune article 360 Feedback Can Change Your Life. Receiving the results of the feedback can be surprising, powerful and uncomfortable. To help managers appreciate their strengths and not just concentrate on negative results, Emaar provides in one-on-one or group settings with trained coaches, facilitator or psychologists. Such sessions can also help managers link 360 results to previous performance feedback discover performance themes and issues and understand how to use results to be more successful. For Emaar, a successful 360 implementation can improve communication among employees and help disseminate the organizations expectations with regard to managers. The benefits can begin even before the 360 is implemented. A decision to implement the process signals that the organization desires and is committed on some level to improve its feedback mechanisms. Even the wording of the survey itself is instructive. 360 surveys are typically group behaviours into bread success factors such as strategic direction, analytical skills, interpersonal effectiveness and developing others. The very act of identifying these categories and then defining them by their associated behaviours, for instance, consider future implications when making decisions gives Emaar a common language with which to discuss performance. Forced Distribution In this method, employees are evaluates on the basis of their overall performance of the work. Paired comparison approach That this method is derived from the ranking method, the fundamental difference between them is that the ingredient rather than an individual compares with the rest of the individuals at once, as under the method of comparison by comparing the individual double with every one of them This method is characterized by the following: Easily explained to others. Facilitate the task of who conduct the appraisal, as it is easy for him to compare between two employees and choose only the best of them. Can be used this way by the heads of divisions and departments in the organizations when asked to nominate some of the subordinates for the purpose of promotion or bonuses and so on. The criticism of this method are as follows: That individuals are being compared with each other as if they were one unit, so it lacks behavioural specialization and taking focuses on personal aspects rather than behaviour. The evaluation might be susceptible to bias and favouritism. Individuals are evaluated by descending order (I, II, III, IV, .) does not indicate the relative degree of difference among them. Does not show the weaknesses in the performance of individuals to act and find solutions them. As Emaar got a large number of employees its hard for them to conduct this evaluation but this method is often used at small organizations where there are small number of employees such as small properties companies like Al Shams. Reward Management Reward Management is concerned with the formulation and implementation of strategies and policies that aim to reward employees fairly, equitably and consistently in accordance with their value to the organisation (Armstrong, 2003). Emaar has set a reward strategy to support their business goals, to recruit and retrain employees with his performance and to reward high performance employees. They have fincial rewards and non-financial rewards. Financial rewards Definition Employees get a fixed rate in monthly basis which is called base pay. Emaar determine the base pay according to the experience, degree and interview. Another, kind of financial rewards is the contingent pay, which is related the employees performance, competence or service. Moreover, employees benefits such as pension holidays and sick pay. Non-financial rewards It is not direct payments and usually occur from the work it self like achievements, recognition, training, opportunities to develop career and high quality leadership. Al-Noor Islamic bank has an attractive reward system which is for the part time employees who have worked at least twenty hours a week for two years, receive AED 3,500 scholarship to college of their choice. Four year scholarships for AED 35,000 are also given. The company has awarded more than AED 8 million since the program begins. Unlike Emaar that doesnt have flexible time for students who are welling to complete their higher education besides they are not encouraging students to join them. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() Addressing underperformance It is one of the elements of the performance management framework of Emaars Performance Management policy. It illustrates the need to take action to identify and resolve situations where the performance level is not achieving the identified outcome of performance of a specified position. Emaar follows some procedures to address underperformance Intensive Performance Support Solving a problem and supporting the process, generally developed between employees and the executive manager, to elucidate performance concerns and take early steps towards their resolution the process is begin when a patterns of performance concerns has been identified and considerable efforts should be made to resolve the concerns during this phase. Where employees are able to demonstrate that they are able to achieve Emaars identified performance outcomes during Intensive Performance Support, ongoing performance management can be resumed. Nevertheless, if employees underperforming consistently and the performance outcomes achieved through the IPS period are not improved sufficiently the Formal Underperformance procedure should be originated. This can be done only after IPS completion which is a pre-requisite to undertake the Formal Underperformance procedure. Formal Underperformance procedure Managers start this procedure for employees whose performance did not meet the identified performance outcome for Emaar and whose performance has not improved satisfactorily through IPS. Emaar makes sure that the used procedure is appropriate to employees employment conditions. Formal Underperformance is undertaken in consultation with departmental performance management consultant and involves supporting and assessing the performance of the employees. When outcomes of performance are achieved during the Formal Underperformance procedure are still unsatisfactory, another procedure is conducted which is called Evaluation Procedure to appraise and verify the procedure and how it is been implemented. The Evolution Procedure considers whether all reasonable options for support have been exhausted and ensures that principles of natural justice and procedural fairness have been observed. Based on the Evaluation Procedure report, recommendations are made for further action for approval of the departmental executive with the appropriate delegated authority. This may include Ongoing performance management return. Continuing with an identified stage of Managing Underperformance procedures. Sanctions imposition, including dismissal possibility when evident shows that an employee is not able to demonstrate the identified competence level and efficiency. ANOC is one of the biggest companies for producing oils so it is important for them to hire and retain the best employees to keep the company reputation safe so they use the same procedures as Emaar if they addressed any underperformance among employees specially the best employees. http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/ManagingUnderperformanc-4.pdf Measures of staff satisfaction Turnover Rates Emaar calculates the annual staff turnover rate by using a mathematical formula (Total number of leavers over periodÂÂ  / Average total number employed over period) x 100 Exit interviews Emaar conduct an internal interview which is the exit interview to establish the reasons why an employee wishes to leave the organization. Exit interviews are not intended to dissuade the employee from leaving. Rather, they are intended to establish resignation causes, and whether there is an underlying problem need to be addressed or is there a particular manager or a colleague who contributed towards this resignation and so on. When Emaar decides to conduct exit interviews they follow some points: The interview should be conducted by a personnel or a human resources expert. The interview should not be conducted by the employees line manager under any circumstances. The interview is often productive if they are held away from employees workplace. The best time to held exit interview is as soon after the employee resigns as possible. Emaar always treat their employees with good grace and wished them luck and thank them for the work they have done for the organization. (See Appendix 2) Absenteeism It is very vital to measure absenteeism, to identify and trace the patterns of employees attendance. High rate of absenteeism can be a symptom of stress in the work place which can contribute to higher rates of turnover. There are two methods to calculate absenteeism: lost time rate and individual frequency Lost Time Rate = (Number of Working Days Lost/Total Number of Working Days)*100ÂÂ   Individual Frequency = (Number of Absent Employees/Average Number of Employees)*100 Emaar has designed a comprehensive leave policy that is in alignment with the organizations values and objectives. Besides. there is a communication in the workplace, while dealing with sensitive issues such as absenteeism should be transparent and clear. Employees must be aware of the unpleasant effects of unauthorized time off. Moreover, Emaar introduces employee engagement programs to make employees involve and participate actively in the organization welfare. Also, they introduces counseling sessions that could prove beneficial in limiting absenteeism due to stress. Likewise, Emaar always keep their staff motivated by creating a favorable environment for them. There are also another methods to measure the staff satisfaction such as competitor comparison and benchmarking. Methods of improvements Emaar always try to make working more challenging and rewarding for their employees which will make it easier to keep them. In other words they use job enrichment which means they add additions to job tasks that increases the amount of employees and make them more motivated and increases their responsibility. Job enrichment helps employees to have more planning control their jobs and decide the way that they should achieve it. http://www.citehr.com/28657-job-enrichment.html http://www.enotes.com/business-finance-encyclopedia/job-enrichment

Essay --

Introduction The Berlin Plus Agreement was signed on 16th December 2002 by Javier Solana, the European Union High Representative for the Common and Security Policy and George Robertson, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The main purpose is to enhance a bilateral cooperation on international security. The first mission held through the Berlin Plus agreement was promoted by the EU in Macedonia and Bosnia (2003). Named Concordia it provided concrete evidence of the importance of the Berlin Plus to be effective in order to safeguard Europe. After Concordia, a small but successful operation, the Berlin Plus Agreement was once again used for a military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. EUFOR Althea was launched on 2nd December 2004 and has been going on until nowadays. Nevertheless these were the only missions undertaken within the framework of the Berlin Plus Agreement. Europe Common Foreign Security Policy (CFDP) was created in response to the lack of means from the EU during the Balkan Wars in the early 1990's. The Berlin Plus Agreement is a treaty created to legitimize the use of NATO means and expertise by the EU. Nevertheless politics had a huge impact in the effectiveness of the Berlin Plus Agreement. Before the creation of CSDP in the St Malo Act in 1998 – held during the Washington Summit - political tensions between Turkey and Cyprus/ Greece which had been going on since 1981 reached a climax after Greece became part of the then European Community (EC). Restrictions arouse between the EU and Turkey, their relationship worsened. The tension resulted from the EU recognition of Cyprus independence, whereas Turkey refused to legitimize it. The outcomes of these tensions were to jeopardize t... ...hree months) and a mission that would mean dealing with a real threat to national security. Furthermore the question about France ends up being very central in the CSDP question since France is the state that most pressures the EU to take part in military missions. Would CSDP exist if France was not there to pilot missions? Many European officials take the Foreign Policy of the EU for granted. The EU has been successful in the three missions engaged independently from NATO. Furthermore the main distinctiveness of the EU is its civilian comprehensive approach. Therefore this should be the main engagement of the EU. Even though the EU needs to have some security and defence protection for its borders, it should bear in mind that NATO exists to protect and defend its Member States and nothing less. Therefore NATO should not be ignored by the EU when CSDP is engaged.

Microsoft: The Best in the Business Essay -- Computers Software Techno

Microsoft: The Best in the Business As humans evolved over thousands of years, we continue to develop tools and technologies that help us thrive. Without the ability to try new ideas that can and do lead to new technologies, our existence would have dwindled long ago. The minute new technologies are discovered and incorporated into the lives of the general public, people are already attempting to improve them. For example, scientists took the wheel and combined it with a open-top container, producing the cart. Add an engine and a car is invented, then add a radio, AC, and leather seats and, voila, the modern car is formed. Most companies that create a product that effectively join two technologies are given high approval ratings from society in the form of sales. However, in our newest field of technology, computers, some companies have reputations of being "evil" and "unethical" for combining two or more computer technologies. These companies have been creating and buying software that makes their product easier to use by the average user. This seems like a good and ethical business practice, but many feel that companies that are doing this, like Microsoft, are unfairly combining a separate software technology with their original product, which practically forces the average user to use it. Is it wrong for Microsoft to make software that combines two or more different software technologies that either forces or highly suggests to its customers, who are often times computer illiterate, to use the combined piece of software over another? What if Microsoft's goal is to help consumers with complicated computing: what about their practices are unethical or wrong? Could the method of morphing technologies be an unethical proc... ... May 10th 2001 <http://home.att.net/~wbazzini/MS-Ethics.html> IEEE-CS/ACM "Software Engineering code of ethics and professional practice" Posted 1999 <http://www.computer.org/tab/seprof/code.htm> Adam D. Thierer Heritage Foundadion "The Department of Justice's Unjustifiable Inquisition of Microsoft" Posted November 12, 1997 <http://www.heritage.org/library/categories/regulation/fyi162.html> The Ayn Rand Institute "The Microsoft Defense Site" Posted October 26 1998 <http://microsoft.aynrand.org/> 2) 6)Ralph Nader and James Love, le Monde Diplomatique "What to do about Microsoft" November 1997 <http://mondediplo.com/1997/11/nader.html> 1) Microsoft Corp. "What we do" January 29 2002 <http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/> 4) Dell Corp. "Mission Statement" 1999-2002 <http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen/corporate/vision_mission.htm>

Contribution of Countryside Tourism to the UK Travel and Tourism Indust

Contribution of Countryside Tourism to the UK Travel and Tourism Industry Across the UK there are 4 main categories of tourist and visitor attractions. These categories are:  · Large City/Large Town,  · Seaside,  · Countryside/Village,  · Small Town. The table above shows that; domestic trips to the countryside area, has now gone into second place out of the 4 categories of tourist and visitor attractions. Over recent years (since 2000) there has been a slight decrease from 24% (2000) to 22% (2003). For day trips across the UK Cities are more popular amongst tourists. This could be for a number of reasons like;  · More spending opportunities,  · More shopping/activity facilities etc. The table above talks about Domestic Holidays. As shown above the countryside category accounts for at least a quarter of all holidays in terms of the 4 different holiday destinations. It is seen as equally important to the Travel and Tourism Industry in the UK. It is a close third in the ranking behind the categories; Large City/Large Town and Seaside. The table above also shows the percentage of spend at these destinations. In the countryside category spending is quite lower in comparison to the top 2 categories; Large City/Large Town and Seaside. This again could be for a number of reasons like; * Fewer shopping opportunities in the countryside compared to the other categories, * Also the activities on offer in the countryside are usually free The Economic Impact of Recreation and Tourism in the English Countryside The English countryside attracts a huge amount of tourists every year. In 1998, visitors to the countryside spent  £11.5 billion. This consequently generated 340,000 jobs. Visitor spending in the countryside rose in real terms ... ...e Visit Britain should advertise the British countryside and remote coastline a lot more abroad on things like TV, posters, in travel agents etc. This would improve the amount of visitor spend from overseas by a lot because there is a lot of potential growth from the 94% of overseas visitors who just visit UK cities. Day visitors to the UK countryside: In 1998 day visits to the UK countryside and remote coastline survey indicated that 1,253 million people went on leisure day visits from home to the countryside, together with an estimated 90 million visits to open coastline. A total of 1,343 million day trips or 25% of all leisure trips in England. Expenditure associated with these trips amounted to  £8,942 million. This category of tourists to the countryside is by far the most important because it generates three quarters of the total income into countryside tourism. Contribution of Countryside Tourism to the UK Travel and Tourism Indust Contribution of Countryside Tourism to the UK Travel and Tourism Industry Across the UK there are 4 main categories of tourist and visitor attractions. These categories are:  · Large City/Large Town,  · Seaside,  · Countryside/Village,  · Small Town. The table above shows that; domestic trips to the countryside area, has now gone into second place out of the 4 categories of tourist and visitor attractions. Over recent years (since 2000) there has been a slight decrease from 24% (2000) to 22% (2003). For day trips across the UK Cities are more popular amongst tourists. This could be for a number of reasons like;  · More spending opportunities,  · More shopping/activity facilities etc. The table above talks about Domestic Holidays. As shown above the countryside category accounts for at least a quarter of all holidays in terms of the 4 different holiday destinations. It is seen as equally important to the Travel and Tourism Industry in the UK. It is a close third in the ranking behind the categories; Large City/Large Town and Seaside. The table above also shows the percentage of spend at these destinations. In the countryside category spending is quite lower in comparison to the top 2 categories; Large City/Large Town and Seaside. This again could be for a number of reasons like; * Fewer shopping opportunities in the countryside compared to the other categories, * Also the activities on offer in the countryside are usually free The Economic Impact of Recreation and Tourism in the English Countryside The English countryside attracts a huge amount of tourists every year. In 1998, visitors to the countryside spent  £11.5 billion. This consequently generated 340,000 jobs. Visitor spending in the countryside rose in real terms ... ...e Visit Britain should advertise the British countryside and remote coastline a lot more abroad on things like TV, posters, in travel agents etc. This would improve the amount of visitor spend from overseas by a lot because there is a lot of potential growth from the 94% of overseas visitors who just visit UK cities. Day visitors to the UK countryside: In 1998 day visits to the UK countryside and remote coastline survey indicated that 1,253 million people went on leisure day visits from home to the countryside, together with an estimated 90 million visits to open coastline. A total of 1,343 million day trips or 25% of all leisure trips in England. Expenditure associated with these trips amounted to  £8,942 million. This category of tourists to the countryside is by far the most important because it generates three quarters of the total income into countryside tourism.

Migration of Nurses

Nicola Yeates (2004) asserts that the validity of global care chain analysis while suggesting that its contemporary application to migrant domestic care workers such as nurses must be enlarged in order to fully realize the potential of the analysis. In essence, the author suggests that â€Å"the migration of nurses such as those in Irish territories during the 19th and 20th centuries illustrates the need to revise the global care chain analysis† commonly used in order to â€Å"protect the welfare of nurses migrating from across the globe† (p. 80). In her article, Yeates believes that the migration trends of nurses during the 19th and 20th centuries in the Irish context is representative of the condition of nurses coming from different parts of the world. The migration trend, she believes, is the direct result of the â€Å"changes in the life expectancies and the population sizes† of various countries, most notably in the United Kingdom and the United States of America (p. 85). Another trend is that those countries have also experienced an inadequate workforce of nurses that will cater to the needs of ageing patients in hospitals and hospices. Due to these changes in the healthcare needs of people in different countries and the high wages and other incentives offered to nurses migrating and working in those countries, Yeates believes that the current global care chain analysis that upholds the concept of personal links of people across the globe in terms of paid or unpaid work of caring needs certain revisions in order to further include the current situations dealt with by migrating nurses. I believe that Yeates’ argument is compelling for the reason that the migration trends among nurses have become a fact of life. Contemporary nurses coming from poor countries or from countries where nursing jobs are inadequate tend to migrate to countries that offer an attractive compensation package and actually have job vacancies whether in hospitals or other healthcare institutions. The previous analysis of the trends in nurse migration as well as the migration of other care providers such as the earlier version of the global care chain analysis does indeed require certain revisions. One revision that Yeates offers is the idea that the current situations faced by migrant nurses should be included in the analysis. I agree with the proposition of Yeates, and for good reasons. For one, migrant nurses coming from poor countries leave their families behind under the custody of their relatives or other people who are either paid or unpaid for their â€Å"care† work. The same is true for migrant nurses who—while coming from better-off families in first-world countries—go to other countries in order to work. It is important that the case of migrant nurses be given sufficient attention by carefully researching into the current trends in nurse migration. The body of research that can be derived from the in-depth study of the trends and conditions faced by migrant nurses can help promote their welfare in the long run. As far as the proposal of Yeates is concerned, it is also important to widen the coverage of the current global care chain analysis through scholarly analysis so that the contemporary needs of migrant nurses can be identified. The identification of the contemporary needs of migrant nurses can help in better understanding the situations faced by these nurses and addressing actual problems that are yet to be known. Since the current global care chain analysis does not explicitly involve modern migrant nurses, it is therefore highly relevant that the case of migrant nurses be included. Moreover, the identification of the needs of migrant nurses derived from the body of research can serve as a guide for legislators in different countries to create the necessary policies that can help uplift the welfare of these nurses. The proposal of Yeates to expand the coverage of the global care chain analysis can provide the substantial scholarly background needed to identify and to establish certain regulations in countries that seek nurses from other countries. In doing so, the difficulties experienced by migrant nurses coming from Irish territories during the 19th and 20th centuries as mentioned in the research of Yeates as well as contemporary nurses from other nations can be alleviated or avoided. The most significant contribution of the proposal of Yeates once it is put into practice is that it can help prevent negative consequences on the part of migrant nurses. For instance, it can help prevent unsatisfactory working conditions as well as insufficient wages which can adversely affect not only the nurses but also the families that they have left behind in their home countries. Abuses in the form of being overworked and underpaid can also be prevented once government policies are put in place. To a large extent, the arguments of Yeates in her article is an insightful study into the conditions of contemporary migrant workers analyzed in comparison with the conditions faced by Irish nurses migrating to other countries at an earlier time. It provides the general image of modern nurses working abroad—the image of a migrant worker who sought greener pastures in a foreign land despite the fact that they have to leave their families, especially their children, under the custody of their relatives or other people. It is only important that the conditions of these nurses should be carefully looked into at least from a theoretical and contemporary perspective because it helps the larger public understand the situations faced by migrant nurses and the difficulties that they have to endure.

Reflective Journal Essay

The fighting spirit. What a catchy name for a title of an article that touched my heart deeply and had stirred emotions of mine. I have known this humble gentleman since the day I stepped my foot on Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam. We were introduced to this awe-inspiring person named Prof Datuk Seri Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar during our orientation week. I have grown my fondness towards this man on the exact moment he started to give speech upon hundreds of fresh newbies in our great hall, Dewan Seri Budiman. But I never thought in my slightest mind on how his previous life story would give me this impact. One would never know, behind those smiles he put on his face, there were hardships, long ago before he made it to be a successful, acknowledged person now. I can finally understand what life is. God put us in a difficult situation just to make us stronger and to teach us how to cope with troubles when there are obstacles come between in the middle of journey. I really look up on Datuk Sahol Hamid as he was very determined to achieve his dream. How he keeps the humbleness in his daily routines although he is now an engineer in profession, really made me realize that I have to keep in my mind, I should never forget where I came from if one day, God’s willing; I managed to grab my dream in the future. Just like Datok Sahol himself, he always reminds the UiTMs’ students to never forget our duty to Allah S.W.T in spite of the busy and hectic schedule of a student. Above all, I must thank my parents for bringing me up to who I am today. For being patient with my attitudes all these while as I consider myself was not very matured during those days. After all, God’s plan is like a movie, all the good and bad things are arranged together for the good ending.

Explain Kants Theory of Ethics Essay

Kant was born in 1724-1804, he was a German thinker from East Prussia (now Russia), and he spent his whole life in his hometown. Kant wanted to create a logical, stand-alone theory that wasn’t just based on assumptions, he believed in an objective right or wrong that is decided on reason and that we shouldn’t do the right thing just because it’s right and not to fulfil our desires. Can we lead a life following his ideals are there not some situations where a perfect moral decision cannot be made, are all our choices fuelled by personal gain and desire? He has a deontological and absolute approach to ethics, to Kant what makes an action good is when you do your ‘duty’ and that one’s duty is to always flow the moral law. We should not act out of love or compassion. The motive is what makes an action good –nothing else! The consequences to Kant are meaningless it’s the act itself that needs to be right an example of his thinking would be its immoral to kill 1 man in order to save 10. For Kant the fact that we ‘ought’ to do something implies that it is possible to do it. Thus moral statements are prescriptive: they prescribe an action. Ought implies can, ‘if I ought to do X’, it means ‘I can do X’. Kant also believed that moral statements are a priori (knowable prior to experience) and synthetic, that they can be verified by our empirical evidence so are either true or false. Kant put forward the idea of two imperatives the hypothetical imperative, these are not moral commands and they don’t apply to everyone. In Kant’s eyes you only need to obey them if you want to achieve a certain goal. An example of this would be that Kant observed that the word ‘ought’ is often used none morally, for example ‘if you want to become a better artist or guitarist, you ought to practice’. On the other hand Kant also proposed the Categorical Imperative, these are moral commands that can be universalised and do not depend on anything else. Whereas the hypothetical imperative requires you to go from ‘a’ to ‘b’ then categorical imperative only requires you to just do ‘a’. â€Å"Duties for duties sake† this related to the categorical imperative. Kant then goes on to the 3 maxims, first off to test a moral maxim as it’s a universal law either everyone should follow it or everyone should reject it. The first maxim is ‘Your action should be able to be universalised’ before you act in a certain way, would you like everyone in the same situation to act in the same way. If not, then you are involved in a contradiction it goes against reason, â€Å" so at that principle of action might safely be made of law for the whole world† if you were to take lying through the first maxim its clear it would fail as that would mean everyone would be lying to one another and trust is completely destroyed. The second maxim is ‘Don’t treat people as a means to an end’ Kant strongly believed that you can never use human beings as a means to an end, to exploit or enslave them. Humans to Kant are all the highest point of creation and so demand a unique treatment. This guarantees that all individuals are afforded the moral principles; therefore no humans can be used for the sake of others, he also explained that we have a duty to develop our own perfection, developing our moral, intellectual and physical capabilities. We also have a duty to seek the happiness of others as long as that is within the law and allows the freedom of others. â€Å"Always recognise that human individually are ends and do not use them as a means to your end† therefore you can’t lie for example to further your own needs at the cost of using someone. Kant’s final and third maxim ‘ work towards a kingdom of ends’ this is an overall culmination of the first two, everyone should act as if every person was a ‘end’ and that moral choices be based on any empirical consideration about human nature, human flourishing or human destiny. However it needs to be clear that despite this autonomy this does not mean that everyone can just decide their own morality but rather that each individual has the ability to understand the principles of pure practical reason and follow them. It is impartial and must apply to everyone. If one maxim is disproved then the law becomes immoral and can’t be universalised. Kant also talked about good will and duty, to Kant the ‘greatest good or summon bonum’ is what Kant terms as good will. Someone of good will is not good because of what they achieve (the consequence) but because he/she acts out of duty. Good will to Kant is the only thing that is truly pure, as we can get our reasoning wrong or it can be manipulated, but to have the good will to perform your duty cannot be manipulated or got wrong. Kant contrasted ‘doing your duty’ with ‘giving into your emotions’ or doing what you feel like. The main two meanings of duty come into conflict as the first thought meaning of duty is to obey your superior, this is what the Nazi soldiers claimed innocence about when they were trialled for war crimes they were just following orders but is that moral? To obey the moral law do the right thing and think a situation through is Kant’s meaning of duty â€Å"Good will shines forth like a precious jewel† –Kant. Kant’s theory of ethics seems to grant freedom to do anything that can be universalised. This sets the limits but does not give guidance; therefore in order for it to make sense Kant proposed the three postulates, the existence of god, freedom and immorality. We know that morality can exist because we can observe it. However we must be free to perform it as otherwise the act wouldn’t be truly moral. Morality and freedom must come from somewhere to Kant this is God. Kant argues that there must be a God and an afterlife as there has to be some sort of reward. As we cannot be perfect in this life. This is known as reaching the summon bonum that I mentioned earlier, as this cannot be achieved in this life, there must be an afterlife where this can be achieved. For Kant, morality leads to God. Part B: Assess the view that it is always right to keep one’s promises. In Kant’s view immorality occurs when the categorical imperative is not followed: when a person attempts to set a different standard for themselves then for the rest of humanity. In the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, once Kant has derived his categorical imperative he applies it to a number of examples. The second example and probably the most analysed is that of an unfaithful promise. Kant applies his imperative to a person who is short of money who intends to ask for a loan, promising to repay it, but with no intention of doing so. When Kant applies the categorical imperative to this situation he discovers that it leads to a contradiction, for if breaking promises were to become universal then no person would ever agree to a promise and promises would disappear. Kant connects rationality with morality, and sees contradictory behaviour as immoral. Some critics have argued that Kant never asserts the connection between rationality and morality, but most dismiss this and point out that Kant clearly explains how morality must be based upon reason and not upon desires. Another weakness is that what if your friend told you a secret that he was planning to murder someone, it would be your obligation to keep it but is that morally right? Could that surpass the 3 maxims, in the second maxim there can be no use of one individual for the sake of another, are you forsaking the person that is planned to be murdered just to keep a promise. However on the other hand there are strengths to Kant’s way of thinking as it means everyone single human has intrinsic value, actions are based on reason and logic and there are 3 straightforward maxims that need to be followed so it cuts out many grey areas as if it simply doesn’t follow the maxims it can’t be universalised. Other theories, utilitarianism for example would say it would be wrong to keep a promise of a secret of planned bomb attack that would kill hundreds as you would be saving hundreds of lives by informing the police. Utilitarian’s believe that the outcome outweighs the action. In my opinion I agree with Kant theory as I believe there needs to be trust between people, as relationships with people would mean nothing also it’s a matter of honour if you gave your word to someone I will promise you this etc. then it has to be in the best of your ability to fulfil it if it’s a good cause and not unjust. However in extreme cases such as say the promise of keeping a secret of a planned terrorist attack I would have to side with the utilitarian approach.