Motivation In The Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Motivation In The Workplace - Essay Example For managers to set effective motivation strategies, they need to understand that they cannot make the employees do anything. What they can do is to create the right settings that will motivate the workers. Motivated workforces are more productive since motivation infuses positive energy into the organizational tasks. Motivation is applicable to the open-system perspectives, the organizational learning perspectives; the high-performance work practices perspectives, and the stakeholder perspectives. The high-performance work practices perspective Workplace motivation is a very complex issue to many managers since the system of motivation is not constant, but it alters. The workforces’ motivation can be looked in two perspectives, which includes the internal and external motivators (Stein 2007). All the motivators are the practices, which can lead to high performances in a corporate. Some of the motivators entail the positive reinforcement, right ways to discipline the workers, fair treatment, workers’ needs satisfaction, setting of goals, restructuring jobs, and setting the best reward systems (Stein 2007). Fair treatment The leaders of organizations should ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and equally. Fair treatment will motivate employees to partake actively in the work place tasks, and this augments their performance (Podmoroff 2005). Fair treatment augments cooperation, which increases the outputs too. If the managers treat the workers fairly, it will increase their loyalty to the organization. Workers loyalty is very vital in any firm since it makes the workers committed to their tasks. For example, an organization is fair when an employer asks for a special consideration and he, or she is denied because another employee was denied some times back. In addition, fairness in a firm can be shown when an employee who always comes to work on time daily, is not treated the same as the one who comes to work when late every day (Podmoroff 2005). Setting organizational goals In all companies, the leaders should sett goal so that the performance of the workforce is escalated. The goals are v ital since the workers will know what they need to produce and this can make them to devise new ways of production. Goals are effective in raising performance especially if they are difficult but easy to attain. Too difficult goals can demoralize the employees and this can make the performances suffer. In order to ensure that the workers are motivated by the goals and to increase their commitment, the managers should ensure that the workforces accept the goals. Goal setting is a useful way of motivating employees because the workers will work towards the set goals in a motivated way. For goal setting to be effective in motivating the workforce, the leaders should ensure that they regularly give feedbacks regarding the achievements. This is vital since the workers will be convinced that the goals they set are practicable. Additionally, the goals should be very specific and not vague or too general. For those workers who have realized their set goals, they should be recognized by rewa rding them to further motivate them. The realization of goals implies that the workers’ performances have increased (Salvendy 2012, p.413). Positive reinforcement Positive reinforcement is the way a firm strengthens the desirable behaviours by rewarding them. If the corporate leaders praise the workforce for behaving in certain ways, there are high chances the workers will continue behaving in the same ways so that they can get more praises. Positive reinforcement is vital in increasing the firm’s performance. If behaving in certain ways can make the organization realize its goals faster, the leaders of

Graham Greene’s “The Destructors” Essay Example for Free

Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† Essay Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† is a real-life like story that shows how societal forces or the environment shapes the behavior and thinking of the protagonists. Moreover, the story becomes a manifestation of history and protests during a time of despair, dramatically presented by the author. In â€Å"The Destructors†, the protagonists are teens who call themselves â€Å"Wormsley Common Gang†. However, they believe that their innocence is already gone. Their childhood dreams turned to rebelliousness, selfishness, and cynicism in order to favor the worldliness and complexity of the life which society brings them. For an instance, T. disrespected Mr. Thomas and looked upon him with suspicion. He also destroyed Mr. Thomas’ house. They believed that by acting this way, they would be able to achieve stability in their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the 1950s, gangs or organized groups are prevalent in England. They demonstrate the same attitudes and beliefs like the â€Å"Wormsley Common Gang†. Violence and the wavering society produce these kinds of individuals or groups. Their acts are the results or manifestation of the children’s experiences, socially and emotionally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This literary work is the result of a conscious understanding of the author regarding the situation of England in the early 20th century. World War I occurred in 1914, and it is more likely that England suffered from this war. This suffering is greatly demonstrated in the literature and art during these periods, showing protests to the aggression and melancholy in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Short stories are often read to serve the purpose of entertaining or informing its readers. Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† was not only successful in doing this, but he was also able to open the eyes of its readers to the horrid reality of society during war. Moreover, â€Å"The Destructor† becomes a tool that demonstrates how societal forces greatly affect characters in fiction, and people in reality. Works Cited Greene, Graham. The Destructors. New York: Creative Company, 1993.

Charles Dickens :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is one of the greatest and most popular writers in the history of literature. In his novels, Dickens combines masterly storytelling, humor, pathos, and irony with sharp social criticism and acute observation of people and places, both real and imagined. On February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England, Charles Dickens was born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. Charles was the second of eight children. He spent most of his childhood in London, the setting for many of his novels. He lived in a middle-classed family that, but his father was incapable of managing his own finances. Dickens started school at the age of nine, but his education was interrupted when his father was imprisoned for debt in 1824. He was then forced to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory, a shoe-polish factory, to support himself. His experiences of trying to survive in the slums of England haunted him all of his life, and he would later devote many of his books to the retelling of his experiences. Dickens was saved from this situation when his father was released from prison. From 1825 to 1827, Dickens again attended school for two years of formal schooling at Wellington House Academy in Hamstead. For the most part, however, he was self-educated. In 1827, dickens took a job as a legal clerk. By 1829, he had become a free-lance reporter at Doctor’s Commons Courts. He had become a very successful shorthand reporter of Parliamentary debates in the House of Commons and began work as a reporter for a newspaper, in 1832. During his time as a reporter he would develop his skills to write very detailed and factual-like stories. In 1833, Dickens published his first of a series of original descriptive sketches of daily life in London. By 1834, he and adopted the pseudonym â€Å"Boz.† His Sketches by Boz was published in 1836. During that year he would marry Catherine Hogarth on April 2, 1836. In 1836, Charles dickens published his first novel The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. The success of the Pickwick Papers made him famous. At the same time it influenced the publishing industry in Great Britain, being issued in an unusual form, that of inexpensive monthly installments that would run in literary magazines.

Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Essay

Principles Effective communication is the key for developing and maintaining positive relationships with others. It helps build trust and encourage others to seek advices and share relevant information. We can strengthen or weaken someone’s trust in us by what we say and do. To strengthen a relationship, be honest and open with them, and try to understand their point of views. Help develop a relationship with children by doing things that build their trust in you. This will show them how to trust others and behave in a way which helps others trust them. Communication is a two way process and it is an active process that involves listening, questioning, understanding and responding. How we listen to others is just as important as what we say to them. The most effective form of listening for building good relationships is empathic listening. empathic listening means listening with the intention of really understanding what the other person means and how the other person feels. make an effort to see things from their point of view, they will feel supported and understood, and are much more likely to open up and tell us about what’s happening in their lives and how they feel. Effective communication is not just about the words we use, but also about the way we are speaking and the body language. If we all use effective communication, we are more likely to communicate information to one another if we have positive relationship. Misunderstandings always lead to bad feeling and resulted in people reluctant to give beneficial support. The principle of relationship building with children and adults are that if others are comfortable in our company, they will be more likely to communicate effectively. To build a positive relationship, mutual respect is essential. Respecting others means being considerate towards them, thinking  about their feelings and accepting that they may have different views and opinions to you. When you take all consideration to respect people, they would in turn respect you. Good relationship also involves giving to others, for example, your time, consideration, kindness etc. When we give, it’s most likely that others will give back and it’s a mutual benefit. Mutual benefit is about two people will try to find a way to cooperate with each other because they want each other to benefit and keep the good relationship last. It may not always be easy to find a way that works for both people, but if we take the time to understand each other, we are more likely to find a solution. Take time to listen to others. Focus on what they are saying to show that you are interested and respond appropriately. Tune in to their body language to try to work out what they are feeling and expressing. Try to see things from their point of view. Understanding make others feel comfortable around us. We can help children to understand that everyone is different and everyone see the world in different ways. If they accept and learn to value these differences in others, they are more likely to develop good relationships with others. In addition, the differences between the people in these relationships will inspire them to open their minds to creative ideas and new ways of thinking, and this build and strengthen a relationship. In order to adapt our communication effectively, we need to understand who we are talking to and in different situations. The context of our communication makes a difference both in the way we engage with others and in the way they interpret our communication. Hold conversations at the appropriate time and place. Formal occasions like ceremonies and business presentations require more formal language and dress. Informal occasions like hanging out with your family or friends allow you to be more relaxed and casual. Jokes and slang words exchange with friends may not be appropriate at the work place or in school. Know your audience, think about cultural and language differences. Language  and the meaning of words have different meaning in different culture. Slang words can be normal in one culture can be offensive in another culture. However, the spoken word is not the only way in which we communicate to each other, it’s also the way we respond to others via email, notes, letters, phone messages and text messages. These non-spoken forms of communication can be an issue if they are misread by others, therefore they require a conscious choice of words. We also need to consider the words we choose base on the audience’s age, education, background and literacy level of the person we talk to. Use appropriate words that they can understand so they may be find more easier and comfortable to connect and communicate with us. Body language can be interpreted differently in different situations and different culture, for example, eye contact is generally a good way to connect with the person we are talking with, but in some culture, it’s not polite to so. Skills Effective communication is a vital part of a Teaching Assistant’s role. It’s essential to send the right messages across to prevent any misunderstanding and offending others’ feelings, especially children learn to communicate through the responses of others. To be able to have effective communication with children and young people, listening and building empathy are two of the essential skills for communication. Actively listen to the child that are trying to talk to you and make eye contact in a calm, open, non-judgemental, non-threatening way and use open questions to acknowledge what had been said. Make them know that you are interested in what they have to say and make them feel their contribution is valued. When they are talking, give them sufficient times to process their thoughts and opportunities to express themselves. Some children need a little bit of confident to speak up and by given some time to ‘warm up’, they will be able to do so. Be able to adapt styles of communication to the needs and abilities of children and young people who do not communicate verbally, or communicate in different ways. For example, spoken language, visual communication, play, body and sign language, information and communication technologies to meet the needs of the individual child or young person and their families and carers. Children should feel relaxed and comfortable in school to be able to have effective communication. We should encourage them to ask questions and put their ideas forward, as communication is a two-way dialogue and process rather than a one-way flow of instructions. This can in turn build respectful, trusting and supportive relationship with children and young people. To have a positive relationship with children and young people, we will need to adapt our behaviours and communications accordingly. Different ages of children will have different requirements. Younger children may need more reassurance, more cuddle and physical contacts while older children want more space to be independent and help and support to lead them on the right path. While dealing with children in a variety of different situations, we must also consider the individual needs of the children. Some children will need us to be extra patient for them to get a word out. They might be feeling anxious or nervous and need to take their times to ease themselves before speaking up. Or some children require a one-to-one dealing only they are comfortable to talk to the adult. In order to build an effective communication with children, the behaviour that we need to adapt are, tones of voice, gestures, body language, eye contact and showing respect. Although these behaviours are also similarities when communicating with adults, however, when communicating with children, we need to do so at the child’s own level, be very clear and unambiguous in what we say. Asking question to check understanding, by showing understanding of the importance of giving attention so that the child feels that their contributions are valued and boost their self-esteem. Take time to listen to them and give them opportunity to encourage them for  communication. Showing understating of the importance for them to express themselves and to be heard so that they will be able to express themselves with ease and in their own manners, words and time. When communicating with adults, we need to be respectful and consider their point of views, needs and preferences. Use method that appropriate to adult than the methods that we use in children. We may have higher tones when speaking to a child and making funny voices to attract the child’s interest, we may not do so when communicate with an adult. We also need to show understanding and respond positively to their views and suggestions, give information when requested. Ensure to them that there is organisational policy with respect to confidentiality and the exchange of information, importance of the confidentiality of shared information. Clarify any uncertainties in understanding. When communicate in an effective way we will build and effective and positive relationship with children, young people and adults. It’s also important to adapt our communication style to meet the needs of other adults in a fair, non-judgemental and effective manner. For example: 1. someone who speak English as an additional language – We may need to speak slowly and repeat what we are saying and check their understanding. Or we may need to provide a interpreter if the information is difficult to convey. 2. Someone with a hearing impaired – make sure to face the person when speaking to them and make eye contact so that they can lip-read. We may need sign language or someone who knows sign language to communicate with them. 3. Someone who has special needs in communication – speak clearly and slowly or use visual aid such as pictures, photographs, objects, symbols, written words and flashcards to make them more easier to understanding. Being sensitive and considerate to potential difficulties in communication is essential. It’s important to be aware that people are different, man y are come from different culture and adult can find communication difficult. Always respect others and their point of views and never make assumptions and come to the conclusion of what others are trying to communicate with us. There will always be a time when you disagree with somebody, they’re often inevitable. When disagreements build, conflict occurs. Managing conflict require skilful techniques. These techniques helps dealing with disagreements and the way we cope with it is important. Often disagreements are down to lack of communication with others and as a direct result of misunderstanding. Always clarify the issued at hand and try to resolve the situation as soon as possible. The longer a problem is allowed to go on, the more difficult it will be to resolve it. This could resulted in bad feeling for each other. When a disagreement arise with children, where they are being disobedient, we would have to point out the boundaries and explain in a calm but firm way that it is not wise to cross the boundaries. Sometimes adults may not have the same ideas and has their own perspective on what has caused the conflict. It is best we deal with the conflict with calmness, listen carefully to their point of view and politely put forward our point of view or may need to work alongside other to explain why things need to happen in a different way in school. If necessary take time to make an appointment with the parents or carers to discuss situation in further details to cle ar out any misunderstanding. Sometimes certain situation can be sensitive, always deal with the issues not the emotions and the people involved. We can also deal with a difficult situation with positive body language, approach and speak in positive manners, remain calm and polite to make others feel ease and willing to resolve any disagreement. Regulations Anyone who work with children in any setting need to be aware that all information must be treated confidentially as stated in the Data Protection Act 1998. It is important that all member of staff must be familiar with the legislation and follow the guidelines. The Data Protection Act 1998 is the law that protects personal privacy and upholds individuals’ rights. The act also gives rights to the people the information is about. By law, everyone in the workplace must follow the rules set out in the act and help to protect individuals’ rights. When working in children’s setting, there is certain information that has to be gathered in order to work effectively.  However, we can only ask for information which is directly relevant, such as: health or medical information records from previous schools records for children who have special education needs. Contact number and address The act helps to make sure that the information held on computers and in some paper-based systems is managed properly. We must protect personal information by following the eight principles of good practice: processed fairly and legally processed for limited purpose and in an appropriate way relevant and sufficient for the purpose accurate and keep up to date kept for no longer than necessary processed in line with the individual’s right kept secure only transferred to other countries that have suitable data protection controls Confidentiality is important within the school. All records are stored safely so that access is restricted to only those who are involved. We should not pass on information without following the correct procedures. It can have a serious impact on parents and their children. We are abusing our profession position by betraying their trust. It is essential that we reassurance parents that all of their information is kept in confidential manner. Assure them that information will not be discussed with anyone. If for some cases, information of a child needs to be share with other professional such as the social service, parent consent would need to be given. Although not all information is confidential. There may also be cases where information on pupils need to be accessible to all staff, for example, where pupils have specific medical conditions such as asthma, so that all staff are aware of these pupils. As a matter of good practice practitioners should inform children, young people and families about their service’s policy on how information will be shared and seek their consent. All information is strictly confidential except if we are made aware of the child’s situation that may or has caused harm to them. For example: when we suspect that the child is being abused when there has been an injuries, illness or similar manner that medical staff need the information on how it might have happened the child is at risk of a sexual abused We should at all time let the individual knows that we will not be able to keep confidentiality if they disclose something which we cannot keep to ourselves for these reasons as a safeguarding and the welfare of the child.

Nursing Philosophy Essay

Abstract Philosophy is a system of beliefs, it is often looked at as an effort to define nursing situations that is observed to exist or happen and serves as the basis for later theoretical formulations. Florence Nightingale the first nurse theorist, philosophy states that nursing is establishing and environment that allows persons to recover from illness. Nursing has four metaparadigms the client, the environment, health and nursing. Metaparadigms are theoretical works in nursing focused on articulating relationships among the four major concepts: nursing, environment, client, and health. My Nursing Philosophy My philosophy on nursing is not something that I think about everyday. Recently, being introduced to the many theorist and metaparadigms, it is something that I cannot help but think about. According to Chou and Lee (2007) â€Å"philosophy reflects belief and present ideas. It is the embodiment of faith which represents someone, him/herself, his or her values and essence. It is often reflected in ways of thinking and behaving† (p.127). Philosophies are statements of enduring values and beliefs held by a discipline. Metaparadigm comes from greek words: meta which means with, paradigm which means pattern. Metaparadigms have a few distinct characteristics; they are very general, most abstract level of knowledge and are global concepts of a profession. It is very pertinent that one understands the philosophies and metaparadigms, in able to understand the basic concepts and beliefs of nursing theorist. I grew up knowing that my career would be in the health field. I decided to become a nurse about two years ago, I’ve been through a lot to get to this point. Before recently I wanted to become a doctor for all the wrong reasons. For example one idea that really pushed my dream to become a doctor was the pay. I figured making that much money I would not have a worry in the world I thought that money could fix anything. I now know with time, money is not what makes you happy, it is doing what you love that makes you happy. Nursing is my home away from home. I have never felt so comfortable doing something. Yes, I am still learning, but it is the best learning experience I have experienced by far. There are many reasons why I will become a nurse, I will become a nurse because everyday as a nurse is anything but routine, you never know what the day could bring. My job is to brighten the next persons day, while maintaining their overall state of well-being and promoting healthy lifestyles just to name a few. Here’s some insight on my nursing philosophy. I believe that the individual never stands alone, but is embodied with multiple strengths. An individual should always be open to new idea, or anything that could improve their present condition. An individual is also entitled to knowledge, representation, beliefs, and freedom. Pamela Weintraub (2012) states that â€Å"individuality specifically means, among other things, soothing your own bad feelings without the help of another, pursuing your own goals, and standing on your own two feet† (p.82). Theorist Hildegard Peplau believed that an individual or person is a developing organism that lives in an unstable environment. The environment consist of everything that the surrounds the individual, I believe that the environment has conditions that can only be adapted to, there are many different conditions and communities changes the evolve everyday, in the environment. Florence Nightingale believed that â€Å"Through ensuing generations, environmental conditions have improved and science has provided effective treatment pathways† (Crane & Selanders,2012, p.23). This is very much still evident today. Without an environment the individual cannot exist because the environment, enhances our lives for better or for worse through existence. The environment contains something that all living things require to be categorized as living and that is the exchange of what I like to call the primary gases carbon dioxide and oxygen. I believe that health has stagnation, depth and understanding â€Å"traditionally health was defined in terms of the presence or the absences of disease. Florence Nightingale defined health as a state of being well and using every power the individual possesses to the fullest extent†(Berman & Synder,2012, p.299). The nursing metaparadigm for health states â€Å"health is the degree of wellness or illness that client is experiencing, continuum of wellness to terminal illness† (Berman & Synder,2012, p.299). Personally when I think of health I think of illness and wellness. In the society of the twenty-first century there’s either healthy or unhealthy. Wellness is what many refer to as a healthy being, on the other hand many consider illness as unhealthy. I do believe with the help of the environment that the body can be nurtured back to health. Illness relates to health in that, illness is the sometimes present flip side of what many consider to be healthy. Many believe that age is companied by illness but, illness is never a normal state of existence. Illness is sometimes an unfortunate component of health. According to Berman & Synder (2012) nursing metaparadigm states that â€Å"nursing is the attributes, characteristics, and actions of the nurse providing care on behalf of, or in conjunction with the client† (p.41). Nursing exist to care for, to teach, to love and to understand that everyone must be looked at in a holistic view. I believe that everyone has a higher power that they look too for strength. For me that higher power is Jesus Christ and I will look for my strength to come from him while here living up to the standards of being a well-rounded nurse and throughout all the days of my life. However Vicki D. Lachman (2012) states that â€Å"when a person chooses to become a nurse he or she has made a moral commitment to care for all patients. Such a decision to care is not taken lightly, as it reflects this statement in the Code of Ethics for Nursing: the nurse respects the worth, dignity and rights of all human beings irrespective of the nature of the health problem† (p.113). Nursing is not for everyone, there are special qualities that nurses possess that allow only a handful to become great nurses. I agree with Lachman all these things should be seen in the average nurse. I also believe that the nursing practice is individualized, just as patient care should be individualized. Each nurse should have at least one characteristic that sets them apart from any other health professionals. Therefore, I feel that it is pertinent to express that nursing is a very important factor in the health profession. Berman & Synder (2012) believe the work of American nurse theorists reflects a wide range of ideas about people, the world, health and nursing† (p.41). Many nursing theorists have created concepts or metaparadigms for what i believe is to help guide future nurses in the right direction. My Nursing Philosophy is similar to that of well-known theorist I mentioned earlier, on the basis of using individual, environment, health, and nursing as a guideline to achieve the ultimate goals of nursing. As nurses it is most important that we know that each individual is unique to his or her own needs and desires. References Berman, A., & Snyder, S. (2011). Kozier & Erb’s fundamentals of nursing, concepts, process, and practice. (9 ed., p.41-299). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Chou, M., & Lee, L. (2007). Initial Formation of Nursing Philosophies Following Fundamental Clinical Practice: The Experience of Male Nursing Students. Journal Of Nursing Research (Taiwan Nurses Association), 15(2), 127-136. Lachman, V. D. (2012). Applying the Ethics of Care to Your Nursing Practice. MEDSURG Nursing, 21(2), 112-116 Selanders, L. C., & Crane, P. C. (2012). The Voice of Florence Nightingale on Advocacy. Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 17(1), 1. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol17No01Man01 Weintraub, P. (2012). HOW TO GROW UP. Psychology Today, 45(3), 78-85.

Violation of Social Norms essays

Violation of Social Norms essays My mother always told me that there are things that you just dont do. For example, horsing around in Church, being loud and yelling at the table or in public, picking your nose, etc. While your mother may have simply called this behaving, sociologists call these things social norms. Social norms are defined as the implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members. In laymans terms, social norms are like an everyday code of conduct that determines how you behave in certain situations. Social norms are often very strictly enforced and offenders are often ostracized or outright rebuked for their conduct. Also, such norms are more rigorously held to in certain situations than in others. For example, it is a social norm that people should be decently covered in public, but a woman wearing a swimsuit and shorts into McDonalds is less likely to be ostracized than a woman wearing the same outfit in a Church service or at a funeral. Since, depending upon your personality, violating minor social norms can be fun, and since I was required to do it, I decided to violate the norm of personal space and see what came of it. America is an individualistic culture and as a result, personal space is so revered, it is almost a religion in itself. All of this means that Americans take violations of that space quite seriously. I set out to test this hypothesis by experimenting with interpersonal space violations in different situations. I engaged in several abnormal behaviors such as sitting next to someone on a nearly empty bus, coming into a public restroom and standing next to another person, rather than a few stalls down, and finally, talking to people face to face from very short distance. The reactions I received varied in their nature and in their strength, but in all cases there was at least some response. The ...

A Hole in the Sky essays

A Hole in the Sky essays We live our days on earth carefree and happy, but for some that life is taken away in a single look in the mirror, or a visit to the doctor. In that one instant, they find out that their life could be changed forever; some find out their life is closer to the end then they thought. Skin cancer can be potentially deadly and it is caused by UV rays that come from the sun. How can we keep the number of skin cancer patients down Well, We keep our ozone together of course. The ozone layer is basically a thin layer of gasses, which has naturally occurred, such as oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere that keep UV rays from coming down to the surface. Ozone is O3, which in other words, are three oxygen atoms. The ozone layer can be found in the stratosphere, which is the layer next to the troposphere. Humans, us and other life on the surface live in the troposphere. Lets say for example that normal commercial airplanes all fly in the troposphere except for the Concorde, which flies in the lower portion of the stratosphere. Ozone has been found to be densest at the two poles and to grow thinner as you approach the equator. Its also very interesting to know that the one thing that keeps all life on the surface alive could kill all of what it protects if it was on the same level as us. Although global warming is an issue to very many normal people and scientists, people usually get it mixed up with our ozone problem. Even though an ozone hole can help to cause a greenhouse effect, which in turn causes global warming, they are not the same thing. The two are completely different topics and situations. In the past years ozone levels in different areas of the earth have been depleted but the most depletion of ozone was focused over Antarctica. It so happens that almost all the ozone over the continent was destroyed. What was truly disturbing is the fact that the ozone there is one of the thickest anywhere being several kilometers thic...

Full Expert Review The Official SAT Study Guide

Full Expert Review The Official SAT Study Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Official SAT Study Guide is the most important book to have in your prep program. Nearly every student who's serious about SAT prep has this in his or her library. Even despite its obvious strengths, the book has its major drawbacks, and it will not be enough for most students. Read this detailed review to find out what the cons of this book are, and how you should integrate it as part of your prep. Note: This review is for the Official Study Guide to the Old, pre-March-2016 SAT. Read our review of the Official Study Guide to the New SAT here! Why trust this review? When you get advice on the internet, it's important to understand why you should believe the advice you're receiving. Because your SAT score is important, follow the wrong advice, and it might be too late to improve your score. To be transparent, here’s why you might be able to trust this review more than others: I like to think that I know what I’m talking about.I scoredtwo perfect scores on the SATand have worked personally with thousands of students prepping for the SAT. I’ve worked with students at all levels, from people at a 1200 level to people aiming for a 2300+. Other writers often don't have the expertise to differentiate between books, and they recommend books as an afterthought (and you can probably tell). I don’t get paid for these recommendations, and I don’t get paid if you buy these books.I’ve studied dozens of books for SAT prep, and I review the books that I come across. Other sites, especially about.com and reviews.com, get paid for featuring books and get a kickback when you buy a book they recommend. One disclaimer: I’m co-founder ofPrepScholar, an online SAT/ACT prep program. I believe we’ve built the best prep program available right now. Itdiagnoses your strengths and weaknessesand gives you a structured all-in-one program, combining the best aspects of the books below, so you know exactly what you need to study at every point. But I want to stress that you don’t need a program to excel at the SAT. In fact, writing this guide may lose us some customers, since you might decide that you don’t need a program at all. But if you decide that you don’t want to manage 10 books and want an integrated complete program that customizes to your learning,check PrepScholar SAT out. Official SAT Study Guide Review When I consider the quality of a book, I think about a few important questions: Who's the author, and what is his or her experience with the subject matter? How effective is the book, and why? What are the book's main pros and cons? We'll consider each question below. About the Author: The College Board It doesn't get much better than this. The book is the official book published by the creators and administrators of the SAT, the College Board. They've put in 10 full-length practice tests, and because they're official questions from previous administrations of the SAT, they're the best set of questions available anywhere. How effective is this book? We’ve written at length about theimportance of official SAT practice questions. The SAT test is weird and tests concepts in ways that you’ve never seen in school before. This means that you need to train with realistic questions so you learn the patterns of the SAT. Official SAT tests released by the College Board are the gold standard for SAT practice questions. This book contains 10 such tests. Each test released by the College Board contains real questions given to real students at previous administrations of the SAT. The quality of official questions is far better than questions written by unofficial sources like Kaplan and Barron's. With that said, this book will not be a complete prep program for most students. It doesn't go into detail on test strategy and tricks - after all, the College Board has maintained since the beginning of the SAT that the SAT is not able to be prepped for (which we know is factually false). It also doesn't provide focused practice on specific strengths and weaknesses, which we believe is critical to an effective prep program. Its answer explanations are also quite poor, as they don't teach you how to solve the problem - they just tell you why the correct answer is correct, and why the incorrect answers are incorrect.The book also doesn't tell you how to use it - it's important that you reflect on your mistakes, for example, and space out your prep. In the end, this book is great for what it is - 10 practice tests - but not for more than that. The Official SAT Guide's Pros and Cons Pros: The best set of practice tests you can get anywhere, period. 10 full-length tests should cover all but the most ambitious students. Since each one takes at least 4 hours to complete and review, this is already 40 hours of material. Answers for each question are available online. Cons: Answer explanations are not helpful for self-learning for most students. Most of the explanations read like this: â€Å"A is wrong because A is wrong. B is correct for these reasons† rather than showing you how to solve the question from step 1. You need to understand yourself well to learn from your mistakes. Answers are available only online and through a clunky web interface that’s annoying to use. Book doesn’t provide other instructional material. If you’re bad at algebra, you can’t rely on this book alone. People are buying it purely for the tests, and the College Board knows this. Taking practice tests without a system for learning isn’t going to improve your score, and the book doesn’t provide guidance on how to do this. Overall Rating This book is a critical piece of any student's prep program. There simply is no better source of official prep questions. It's so important that we've integrated it as a central part of our online SAT prep program. To use this book effectively, you'll definitely need advice on how best to use it, and balance it with other materials. You can also getall free official practice tests here, but they don’t have answer explanations. Overall Rating: 90/100 What's next? Read our detailed guide to theBest SAT Prep Booksto put together your own study program based on the best SAT books available now. What's a good SAT score for you?Figure it out with our step by step guide based on the colleges you're applying to. Aiming for a high score? Read ourguide to scoring a perfect SAT score, written by me, a perfect SAT scorer. Check out our industry-leading online SAT program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of books and tutors at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, we have the content from the leading books. We include the critical Official SAT Study Guide. Beyond that, the programacts like your personal tutor. It guides you step-by-step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your score. Itcustomizes to your strengths and weaknesses, then gives you focused practice so you learn the patterns on the SAT. Furthermore, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time. There's a 160 point guarantee - if you don'timprove your score by 160 points, you get all your money back. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Allen Cheng About the Author As co-founder and head of product design at PrepScholar, Allen has guided thousands of students to success in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions. He's committed to providing the highest quality resources to help you succeed. Allen graduated from Harvard University summa cum laude and earned two perfect scores on the SAT (1600 in 2004, and 2400 in 2014) and a perfect score on the ACT. You can also find Allen on his personal website, Shortform, or the Shortform blog. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Business plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business plan - Coursework Example This project will be funded by the state. The source of that income will therefore, be the government and other partners of the state. The expected income to be generated by this project will be emanating from the various businesses that are included in the Rhossili Town. This includes the revenue from the people visiting the amusement park, revenue from visitors visiting the beach park, income from the fee charged to investors or private firm and the fee charged on the airline users (Laurence, 2013). The cash disbursement will be made on various projects. This includes advertisement. Advertisement will be done using the electronic media, the newspaper, the local Wales and English magazines and internet. The construction of the phase one development of the Central Square in town will cost approximately 10 million dollars. The revitalization of the Town Airport will cost approximately 50 million dollars. The development of the phase one of the Amusement Theme Park will cost 15 million dollars. The Redesigning of the existing Beach Park will cost 5 million dollars. The setting up of the dual transport system will cost 250 million dollars (Laurence, 2013). ... ement Park Development 5 5 5 0 0 Redesigning Existing Beach 5 0 0 0 0 Dual Transport System 50 50 50 50 50 Advertisement 2 2 1 1 1 Airport Maintenance Charges 3 3 2 2 1 Wages 6 6 7 6 6 Total Outgoings 86 81 70 59 58 Monthly Net Cash flow S/D 16.2 -4.3 -4.6 -4 -2 Closing Bank Balance 16.2 11.9 7.3 3.3 1.3 Projected Profit and Loss Statement This forecast measure the performance of a business in a given period of time. The forecast shows the amount of money that is expected as revenue for a period of time, for instance one year or month. It also shows the amount of money that is expected as expenditure for the given period of time. The difference between the two amounts is either profit or loss depending on the amount that is bigger. If the revenue exceeds the expenses, the resulting amount is profit. If expenses are higher that revenue, the resulting amount is a loss. This forecast summarizes the business or projects transactions in a given time frame, usually one year (Ward, 2013). P ROJECTED PROFIT AND LOSS In Millions 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Years Projected Revenue Revenue Beach services 5 5 6 8 10 Fee on private investors 20 20 20 20 20 Fee on the malls 25 25 30 30 30 Charges on airline users 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Revenue from park services 25 25 25 25 25 Revenue from rental shops 10 15 20 18 22 Revenue from transport services 8 8 6 8 7.5 Ending Cash and other revenue 20 21.5 26.6 45 65 Total Revenue 113.2 119.7 133.8 154.2 179.7 Projected Expenses Direct Costs Central Square Development 5 5 0 0 0 Airport Revitalization 10 10 5 0 0 Amusement Park Development 5 5 5 0 0 Redesigning Existing Beach 5 0 0 0 0 Dual Transport System 50 50 50 50 50 Advertisement 2 2 1 1 1 Airport Maintenance Charges 3 3 2 2 1 Wages 6 6 7 6 6 General and Administration 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Carters Bakery Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Carters Bakery Business Report - Essay Example Hill (2005) describes operations management as â€Å"the field of study that focuses on the effective planning, scheduling, use and control of a manufacturing or service organization through the study of concepts that affects the organization†. (Hill, 2005) This business report presents an analytical analysis of Carter’s bakery business in terms in production, management and selling. The report will look at the areas that should be improved in the business. Operations management is very important in any business organization. The main aim of undertaking operation management should be to increase productivity, reduce costs of productions, and enhance flexibility to match customer requirements and at the same time improve quality and customer care services. (Ruffini, et al, 2000) As business organizations formulates plans and ways of dealing with the business opportunities and daily challenges that come up within the business environment, it is important that the business formulates a system which is able to produce quality services and products in required amounts and within the required time frame. In relation to Carter bakery, the operations were not well formulated and market research carried out was not enough to give them enough information about the market. Designing the business system starts with developing product. Development of a product entails determining the features and characteristics of a good product to be sold. When designing a product it is important that the customer needs should be incorporated in the designing process. The facilities and tools which will be used in product production are in this category. Also information system that is required in monitoring and controlling the performance of the product are included in this stage of designing. As Slack et al, (2007) points out manufacturing process of a business or a company are integral part of the designing process and will determine the failure or the success of the business

Task 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Task 2 - Essay Example One of which could be the rampant issue of deceptive advertising where people nowadays are being shown half truths reflected in any kind of advertisement, from print, radio, to television. Consumer protection laws are indeed very important to have because of the fact that when it comes to any kind of commercial dealings, we would realize that private or publicly owned companies would have greater knowledge about their products or services offered, thus, gaining them a stronger bargaining power while individual consumers would just have to take that risk to spend money over something that they hope would be worth it and at the same time beneficial for a specific need. That is why regulators have mandated that to be able to achieve total transparency between the two parties involved, having protection laws starting from the formation of one’s product by conducting cost-benefit studies to its marketing strategies, whatever it would cost. Applying this knowledge to the situation presented in the film â€Å"Class Action†, there really are a lot of ethical and legal issues that would surround it. To give you an idea of what the movie centered on, it was actually about a lawsuit concerning the damages caused by a faulty automobile that caused death and at the same time a permanent damage to other people’s lives as well (Class Action, 1991). Relating this situation to the facts stated in â€Å"Relationship with Consumers† chapter 8, one would clearly see the need to be able to consider doing a cost-benefit analysis on any kind of product one is about to sell to consumers even if it means that one would have to spend more than the predicted damage cost by an unsure product. Though it is legal for companies to not pursue the changes reflected in any kind of cost benefit study on a certain product if the cost of perhaps using a certain kind of

Brazilian Worker's Party System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brazilian Worker's Party System - Essay Example According to Borges (2011), the Brazilian party system has always been associated with clientelism; hence, today, the country has a more stable party system. However, the two parties that seem to overrule the rest during presidential elections are the worker’s party (PT) and the party of Brazilian social democracy (PSDB). Hence, according to Love (2009, pp 38), during the times of President Lula, the Brazilian politicians were known to bribe citizens in poor regions by offering them pork so that they could vote for them; cash handout was also common during polling. Some of the political parties also created a client group, whose aim was to vote for a certain party. According to Mainwaring (1999 pp 5), â€Å"parties have weak roots in society and limited legitimacy and exercise little influence over congressional representatives.† He adds that Brazil has severally reshaped and dissolved party systems formation as follows, in 1889, 1930, 1937, 1965 and 1979. Moreover, Mai nwaring (1997 pp 8) notes that the Brazilian political systems are less disciplined compared to the American political parties. Further, â€Å"instability, fragility, fragmentation, non-differentiation, lack of cohesiveness and representativeness are the words to describe political parties in Brazil† (Kinzo, 1993, pp 139). This is due to lack of democracy in any party in the country in the earlier years.Rules have also been put in place; however, these rules tend to favor parties that are undisciplined, decentralized, and individualistic. In addition, the author describes the weak parties as a hindrance to popular representation in politics, thus sustaining elicit politics. Politicians were hence seen as the main drive to represent their parties. However, the weak parties disadvantaged the establishment of accountability through parties; for instance, the weaknesses of some political parties interfered with leadership in Brazil (Mainwaring, 1999, pp 6). According to Mainwarin g (1997 pp 3), party discipline is essential in any political system since it influences how well the legislatures and executives function and interact. When parties are undisciplined, there is a high possibility of the government to be unstable and ineffective, and interferes with the

Brand management unit , (apple) brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand management unit , (apple) brand - Essay Example In terms of market capitalization, the company represents the largest publicly traded corporation world over. Any company that designs and develops products of innovation is bound to receive threats from the market by other entrepreneurs; Apple, too, faces a large amount of competition from companies like Samsung, Nokia, as well as Google and Microsoft. These are some of its biggest competitors in the market, yet Apple remains the most admired company in the United States of America (surely, in other countries too), as stated by the Fortune magazine from 2008 to 2012. A number of critics are of the idea that the biggest competitor that Apple has is itself because the company never fails to bring something new to the table. The software that it designs has a very high ease of use, thus, appealing to a large consumer market. The existing product line always poses a challenge to the company so as to bring something more innovative the next time. Every time that a product is launched, ev en if it is a subsequent generation of the previous one, it does not fail to surprise the customers. The best part is also that consumers have an option of upgrading their existing software in the products that they already have and this makes it easier for them to remain in awe of the company. It may be said that Apple has one of the most unusually interesting fan followings in the world that any company has; it literally has a cult of people following it and buying the company’s products religiously. The customers that have once used Apple products remain loyal to the company for its excellent service as well as product sharpness. When the company launches its new products, thousands and thousands of loyal customers flock to the stores the day before the opening with a view to be the first ones to buy the product. According to the Guardian, â€Å"People talk about technology, but Apple was a marketing company. It was the marketing company of the decade.† 1 Apple exud es a brilliant image to the world; over the years, it has attained a large amount of goodwill, mostly because of the hard work that Steve Jobs has put in the past decade. The brand image that the company has mustered for itself has been through the efforts of the marketing and the advertising that it has done which have appealed to consumers so much that there are hundreds of pages on the internet dedicated to them. The marketing has been so innovative that customers feel the need to buy an Apple product in order to make their lives simpler and more convenient.2 The brand identity refers to the unique set of functional and mental associations that the brand aspires to create as well as maintain for itself in the eyes of the public. These associations are an indication of what the brands stands to be in the minds of customers as well as the potential targeted customer base. This includes the logo and the slogans, not to forget the name. Over the years, Apple has changed its logo thri ce – now it is a simple apple symbol which people all over the world recognize and associate with the company. It has some very interesting and simple slogans such as â€Å"Think Different† and â€Å"Say hello to the iPhone† that are so catchy that people immediately associate it with the company. Apple has maintained these slogans to be the same over the years and the customers do not seem to mind it either. The idea behind

Brazilian Worker's Party System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brazilian Worker's Party System - Essay Example According to Borges (2011), the Brazilian party system has always been associated with clientelism; hence, today, the country has a more stable party system. However, the two parties that seem to overrule the rest during presidential elections are the worker’s party (PT) and the party of Brazilian social democracy (PSDB). Hence, according to Love (2009, pp 38), during the times of President Lula, the Brazilian politicians were known to bribe citizens in poor regions by offering them pork so that they could vote for them; cash handout was also common during polling. Some of the political parties also created a client group, whose aim was to vote for a certain party. According to Mainwaring (1999 pp 5), â€Å"parties have weak roots in society and limited legitimacy and exercise little influence over congressional representatives.† He adds that Brazil has severally reshaped and dissolved party systems formation as follows, in 1889, 1930, 1937, 1965 and 1979. Moreover, Mai nwaring (1997 pp 8) notes that the Brazilian political systems are less disciplined compared to the American political parties. Further, â€Å"instability, fragility, fragmentation, non-differentiation, lack of cohesiveness and representativeness are the words to describe political parties in Brazil† (Kinzo, 1993, pp 139). This is due to lack of democracy in any party in the country in the earlier years.Rules have also been put in place; however, these rules tend to favor parties that are undisciplined, decentralized, and individualistic. In addition, the author describes the weak parties as a hindrance to popular representation in politics, thus sustaining elicit politics. Politicians were hence seen as the main drive to represent their parties. However, the weak parties disadvantaged the establishment of accountability through parties; for instance, the weaknesses of some political parties interfered with leadership in Brazil (Mainwaring, 1999, pp 6). According to Mainwarin g (1997 pp 3), party discipline is essential in any political system since it influences how well the legislatures and executives function and interact. When parties are undisciplined, there is a high possibility of the government to be unstable and ineffective, and interferes with the

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example These strategies are very workable for any company in need of expansion to adopt. The intensive strategy used by an organization can improve its market share and the revenue benefits it acquires. It is a strategy of aggregation and strategy where benefits come through expansion of the business. The business can expand its product’s range and market with the view of deeper market penetration. Market development for a business means introducing a new product in the market to achieve an increased profit margin. It also aims at reducing the total cost of produce but increase the average cost of the output (Lamb, 2011:453). Market development of a company makes a company enjoy the economies of scale and a diverse spread of the business risks. However, market development is different from product development but is more often than not confused. Product development helps the current product achieve more revenue under a new strategy. A business may improve its products that are presen tly in the market or replace it with a new product. For example, the Toyota Company always seeks for new technology to increase its vehicle fuel efficiency hence making it to be more competitive than others do. Therefore, the Toyota Company gains more sales by selling the hybrid vehicles that help reduce pollution to the environment as well (Mullins, Walker and Boyd, 2010:45). Integration strategies can be forward either backward, or horizontal. Forward integration is where a firm grows by taking over it functions forward in the chain value previously provided by manufacturers, distributors, or retailers. This takes more control over the final product and distribution strategies. Backward integration means that growth of a company may take functions that were earlier in the chain as provided by suppliers and other organizations. For example, the Toyota may make agreements with suppliers who wish to meet the JIT processing. This is a win-win deal where the company may increase its co ntrol powers over the suppliers and hence increase revenue and profit (Thomas, 2001:276). Horizontal integration is a strategy that seeks the ownership to increase control over the firm’s competitors. This form of integration increases control power of the company over the firm’s competitor and encourage mergers and takeovers by the enhanced transfer of resources and competitiveness (Armstrong and Kotler, 2002:267). Diversification strategy is also another from of cooperate strategy that seeks to increase the profitability of a company through greater sales obtained from new products and new markets. Diversification of the business can be at unit level or at the cooperate level. Diversification can be concentric, conglomerate, or horizontal. Concentric diversification focuses on portfolio creation with business relation. Conglomerate diversification refers to diversification on matters that relate to the current line of business. It aims at improving the profitability and achieving proper marketing. The case study analyses the growth strategies of the of Toyota industry in the era of currency fluctuations and the new needs of the market. The Toyota industry, founded in 1926 by the Sakichi Toyoda, manufactures and sells the automatic looms, which he had invented and perfected. Since then the Toyota Company

Group Support Systems Essay Example for Free

Group Support Systems Essay Group Support System is technology that is solely designed to spur the work of groups. It can be used to cooperate, compete, negotiate, coordinate, communicate or solve problems. Whilst conventional technologies, such as the telephone qualify as GSS, the term is customarily used in reference to a definite class of technologies relying on contemporary computer networks like newsgroups, email, chat or videophones. GSSs have the ability to reduce communication barriers, thereby improving organizational effectiveness. The technology facilitates clearer, faster and more persuasive communication and allows communication where it wouldn’t otherwise be feasible or possible. What’s more, Group Support Systems facilitate new-fangled means of communication like structured interactions and anonymous interchanges, in so doing, they significantly reduce communication barriers. Similarly, Group Support Systems enhance team productivity in the organization by allowing team members to collaborate from anywhere, share contact and information instantly and access email accounts from a single inbox. Besides, GSS lessens on time-consuming phone calls, travel expenses and organizational meetings. It as well curbs expensive overnight couriers and mailings, thereby improving organizational efficient through increased productivity. Facilitating decision-making activities is one of the cardinal features of Group Support System. The technology is applauded for knowledge management and brings to fore expertise as well as multiple perspectives regarding organizational decision making. Furthermore, it leverages professional expertise in making pertinent decisions to the objectives, goals, mission and vision of an organization. Finally, the benefits of Group Support Systems that I have experienced in the workplace are diverse and far-reaching. The technology enables members to back up imperative documents in a secure location, in that way reduces risk of information loss as a result of computer theft or damage.

Human Resources Management Reform in Chinese Banking

Human Resources Management Reform in Chinese Banking The Human Resources Management Reform in Chinese Banking A case of Bank of China Chapter 1: Introduction Challenge to Chinese Banking December 11, 2001, after 15 years of arduous negotiations, China officially access to the WTO. On the hundreds of pages of Chinas WTO accession Protocol, the financial services trade is the most important part of it and gets the most attractions from all sectors of the community. Since then, Chinas financial opening was provided to an external accelerator and timetable. The all-round opening up of Chinas financial industry era has begun. Until the end of 2005, 16 Chinese banks introduced foreign strategic investors and a total of 71 foreign banks from 20 countries and regions had set up 238 operational entities in China. Foreign banks enter the Chinese banking sector has always been the impact of the banking industry, academia and regulatory agencies pay close attention to the problem. Gains and risks on both sides of a coin, the Chinese foreign capital into the banking sector in the enjoyment of the proceeds must also face the attendant challenges. Compare to foreign banks, Chinas banking sector is still in a very traditional approach to management, backward technology, simple business method, single-species products and obsolete business concepts. In a long term, Chinese government takes bank as a very important part of the National Economic Sectors; therefore, four state-owned banks enjoy the monopoly state in China. Chinese government set a set of policies to protect the development of these banks. Now, Chinas accession to the WTO situation, the traditional banking sector faces a foreign financial industry developed into one of the great challenges. In that case, it is urgent need for them to present the financial industry for rapid reform and the development orientation should conform to the world development trend. In the face of the challenges of the circumstances, Chinas banking sector began one after another round of reforms, changes in business philosophy, business form and management form, and so on. 1.2 Aim of the Dissertation This paper through analysis the recruitment and selection situation and human resource reform in Bank of China is to explore the human resource reform experiences and the development of human resource management in Chinese banking and it also could be a good reference to the whole Chinese banks. The aim of the research is therefore to understand the challenges with foreign banks entry into China and the current development of human resource management situation in Chinese banking. Furthermore, the human resource reform in Bank of China invited an American consultancy company as the councilor. There is no doubt saying it would begin to practice more western human resource management methods to manage this traditional state-owned bank which in a long time is considered as in a conservative industry area in China. On one hand, these advanced western human resources concepts are introduced to China. they have to pursue their rules in line with the Chinese legislations and current situation. Therefore, related to the real situation and pool of candidates on Chinese banking to study the manipulation and transfer of recruitment and selection practices in Bank of China will help us come to further understand the development human resource management situation on Chinese Banking, especially the development of recruitment and selection field. From it we can know in what aspects the western recruitment and selection practices are more rational and scientific than Chinese local enterprises. On the other hand, these methods always implemented by foreign banks in their parent-country and now are transferred and practiced by a representative Chinese character banks. Obviously, it also could be a good reference and experience to foreign banks who want to enter into the Chinese market. In a word, this study seeks to fill the gap by evaluating the western recruitment and selection practices in China and provide a new perspective to Chinese local banks and foreign banks how to introduce these practices and manipulate them. Chapter 2: Literature Review Long Yongtu, Chinas point man on WTO negotiations, said, as the people, enterprises also need external pressure could push them ahead. If there no pressure comes from outside, Chinas enterprises is impossible to form. After Chinas accession to the WTO, the enterprises have to face a considerable external pressure and force them taking the path of internationalization and enhance their competitiveness. Unlike the overall economy, due to relatively weak foundation, the financial services industry will face more pressures, but in the medium and long term it will benefit more. According to Premier Zhu Rongji s words, there are pros and cons for financial opening to the outside world. If we can do a good job, the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages. The so-called do a good job, can not be limited to the impact of the simple response, but conversion mechanism, update the system and improving the competitiveness in a comprehensive way. 2.1 The Status Quo and Opening- Up Process of Chinese Banking From 1949 to the 1970s, Chinas banking sector under the planned economic system running, four state-owned commercial banks play the key role of specialized banks in Chinese banking sector. The late 1980s, the new commercial banks and non-banking financial institutions had set up. Some of the newly established commercial banks, now known as the other nationwide commercial banks, allowed providing nationwide commercial banking services, while some commercial banks only allowed operating in the local market. After Chinas accession to WTO, Chinese banking launched a comprehensive joint-stock reform and the successful listing. They through improve corporate governance, develop strategies, operate performance to reduce the ever-narrowing gap with the advanced international banks. Since 2003, four former state-owned commercial banks (Bank of China, Peoples Construction Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China) pattern no longer exists. The U.S. Gold man Sachs share the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Royal Bank of Scotland share Bank of China, and Bank of America also become the one shareholder of Peoples Construction Bank of China. At present the only state-owned Agricultural Bank of China whose shareholding system reform is now in progress. In future, there will be no state-owned commercial banks in China. Actually, as an important component part of Open-door policy, China has opened the door to foreign banks since 1979. At the end of September 2001, foreign banks operating in China, a total of nearly 190 institutions, of which 158 branches, corporate bodies 19, two branches 13. Foreign banks total assets reach 44 billion U.S. dollars, 18.6 billion U.S. dollars loans, deposits 6.5 billion U.S. dollars, capital (including working capital) 3 billion U.S. dollars. 31 foreign banks have been permitted to conduct RMB business, including 23 in Shanghai, 8 in Shenzhen, with total assets of RMB 41 billion Yuan. In market share, foreign banks were up to 20% and 30% in foreign exchange loans and international settlement business areas. The speed of Chinese banking sector opening up, from a global perspective, still is a faster as well. Although many developed countries has joined the WTO and signed the terms of trade in services, they still not yet open up the domestic currency business to forei gn banks and the implementation of geographical restrictions. According to Chinas WTO accession protocol, in the financial services industry, the banking sector is completely open commitment: (1) Prudent business of issuing permits. It means there are not economic needs tests or quantitative restrictions in the business license. After Chinas accession to WTO 5 years later, they should abolish all the existing ownership, management, foreign financial institutions and enterprises to establish branches of the non-permission of prudent measures. That is, when foreign banks apply for the establishment of branches, the Peoples Bank of China in addition to carefully follow the standards can not set other restrictions. Foreign banks set up business outlets in the city, with the approval conditions of Chinese domestic bank. (2) The timely opening of foreign exchange business. Chinas accession to the WTO, foreign financial institutions will be fully liberalized to foreign exchange business and the abolition geographical and customer restrictions. In other words, once accession to the WTO, China will allow foreign banks to all customers (including Chinese-funded enterprises and Chinese residents) operating all foreign exchange operations (including the companys business and retail business). (3) The phased opening of RMB business. For foreign banks RMB business in China will grant to open 20 cities in four years. Five years later, they will abolish all geographical restrictions for foreign banks. In the service targets, two years after accession, foreign banks would be allow to handle RMB business with enterprises in 12 cities of China. After five years accession, foreign banks would be allowed to provide services for customers in all China. (4) Financial advisory business categories timely open. Since the date of accession to the WTO, foreign institutions can be obtained the right to engage in related business deposits and loans, financial leasing, pay for all the designated services, security and acceptance, the company mergers and acquisitions, securities investment advisory, brokerage and other ancillary services in China. That is to say, joining the WTO 5 years later, there are no differences in service area and service object between Chinese domestic financial institutions and foreign financial institutions. Chinese government made an important commitment to realize trade liberalization, opening up the domestic market and in accordance with international practices which go beyond the general peoples expectations. 2.2 Human Resource Management in Foreign Banks As an increasing number of foreign banks enter the Chinese market, the content and the extent of competition crossing international borders has surged dramatically to Chinese banking. The competitive advantages of foreign banks mainly reflected in: financial advantages, institutional advantages, the network edge, technological advantages, innovative advantages and business strengths. Foreign banks expand their business in China, the biggest obstacle for them it is not familiar with the local situation, and therefore, the only way to take the short cut is to achieve the management of localization, because of their well-known local business, market information, public relations, skills of the management of state-owned commercial banks, and the most pressing needs of local people. Thus, human resource management inevitably becomes one of the most important fields of this competition. Especially, accompanied by the increase of foreign banks, they need to recruit more and more qualified m embers from local labour market. In China, owing to these foreign banks competitive salary, systematic career planning, good work condition, and oversea work opportunity .etc; their recruitment always attracts many most excellent peoples attentions. It is, thus, imperative for Chinese banks to attract, select, develop and retain best employees who can live and work effectively in this international competitive circumstance. However, Chinas historical development, political structure and culture influence its business philosophy and management way. Therefore, some standardized recruitment and selection methods developed in western have to be modified according to Chinese situation. They need more reform experiences and practical opportunity. In that case, the study of recruitment and selection practices of Chinese banking, actually, illustrates how to implemented western advanced practices under conditions of high cultural and institutional distance country. Human resource management is a systematic management relevant to recruitment and selection, training and development, performance, and rewards. All of these areas are mutual influence, interrelation and thus constitute a complete set of human resources management system. Human resources reform is in this interaction, and mutual contact conducted, thereby improving overall organizational performance, enhancing the effective and efficient of all the organization. Therefore, although this paper more concentrates on recruitment and selection area, it still will contain other areas of human resource management reform content in many places. Chapter 3: Methodology and Research Design 3.1 Research Questions Chapter 4: Case Study and Discussion 4.1 Introduction Bank of China, as one of the four state-owned commercial banks, like the other Chinese state-owned enterprises, it also constrained by its obsolete institutions and management in a long time. However, on the list of The Ideal Employer for Chinese Graduates released by Swedish Universum Communications specialized in employer brand management, Bank of China always looms over the whole list in recently years. In 2005, surpassing such transnational banks as CitiBank, HSBC and Deutsche Bank, it tops all financial enterprises. What makes the Bank of China be able to compete successfully with these foreign banks? What is the Bank of China to surpass those of foreign banks preferential treatment salaries and oversea opportunities and finally to choose it? As the major part of the stock holding system reform, the reform of human resource management in Bank of China is a most profound, most complex and most arduous one. Early in 2003, Bank of China had invited famous American consultancy company as the councilor of human resource reform. Combining with the banks actual situation and local experiences, they had worked out human resource reform program and practice scheme after repeated argumentations and revisions. In August 2004, human resource reform at the head office level was carried out. At the end of 2004, pilot reforms were conducted in its two branches in Jiangsu Province and Sichuan Province respectively. In 2005, human resource reform was implemented throughout its system in a full scale. The human resource reform in Bank of China is so spectacular that it is indeed quotable for other domestic banks. This chapter will concentrate on the analysis of interview and documents findings in order to explore the recruitment and selection situation in Chinese banking sector as well as the development of relevant human resource management policy in Chinese banking. The other concern of this research is to compare the gap and the differences of human resource management practices between Chinese banks and foreign banks. Interviewees were selected from all levels of the hierarchy and different banks of various ownerships in order to acquire more reliable primary data and more varied opinions within the Chinese banking. 4.2 Background to Bank of China Bank of China is one of Chinas four state-owned commercial banks. Its businesses cover commercial banking, investment banking and insurance. Members of the group include BOC Hong Kong, BOC International, BOCG Insurance and other financial institutions. The Bank provides a comprehensive range of high-quality financial services to individual and corporate customers as well as financial institutions worldwide. In terms of tier one capital, it ranked 18th among the worlds top 1,000 banks by The Banker magazine in 2005. Over the past century, Bank of China played an important role in Chinas financial history. It was established in February 1912 and is Chinas most long-standing history of the bank. During 1912 to 1949, the functions of the Bank of China have changed three times. From 1912 to 1928, Bank of China was the central bank of that time. In 1928 it was changed to the concessionaire of the international exchange bank. In 1942, Bank of China became the professional development of international trade banks. As the pillar of the countrys financial industry, Bank of China was committed to serving the public and developing the domestic financial sector. During these volatile years, the Bank strived to expand its presence in the market by prudent operation and aggressive reform, leading the market in many areas of its operations for a long period. Having branched out into overseas market, the Bank opened a brilliant chapter in Chinas modern and contemporary banking history. 1949 founding of the PRC, the new Chinese government took over the Bank of China and in December the same year the headquarters of the Bank of China moved to Beijing from Shanghai. Bank of China in 1950 under the management of the Peoples Bank of China head office leadership. October 27, 1953 the Central Peoples Government Cabinet announced the statute of Bank of China and specifically endowed the Bank of China as the Peoples Republic of China Cabinet Chartered Banks foreign exchange professional. From then on, Bank of China became the state-designated specialized foreign exchange bank and substantially contributed to development of foreign trade and the national economy. In 1994 and following the entrenchment of the reform of the financial sector, Bank of China was converted from a state-owned specialized bank into a wholly state-owned commercial bank. Together with the other three wholly state-owned commercial banks, it constituted pillars of the countrys financial industry. As a Chinese financial institution with a history of almost a hundred years, the Bank is well known for its continuous business innovations, introducing many brand new products and services in the domestic banking industry. It is widely recognized and commended by its peers and customers in international settlement, foreign exchange, trade finance, etc. In 2003, it was named by the State Council as one of the pilot banks for joint-stock reform of wholly state-owned commercial banks. In order to develop itself into an internationally competitive modern joint-stock commercial bank, with the capital adequacy, strict internal control, safe operations, good service and efficiency, building international competitiveness of the modern joint-stock commercial banks objectives, Bank of China further improved the corporate governance mechanism, strengthened risk management and internal control system, integrated management Processes and business processes, promoted human resources management re form, speed up product innovation and service innovation, and steadily push forward joint-stock transformation. In 2004, the Bank of China from state-owned commercial banks overall restructuring for the state-controlled joint-stock commercial banks, known as the Bank of China Limited. In 2005, Bank of China introduces the Royal Bank of Scotland and Temasek, and other strategic investors. In October 2005, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC announced a $3.1 billion investment which would give the British bank control of just under 10 percent stake in the Bank of China. Further investments were made by Swiss bank UBS AG, and by Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd, who also promised to subscribe for an additional $500 million worth of shares during Bank of Chinas initial public offering. In 2006, the Bank of China listed on June 1 in the main board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It was the largest IPO in the world since 2000, and the fourth largest IPO in the world ever, raising some US$9.7 billi on in the H-share Global Offering. The Over-Allotment Option was then exercised on June 7, 2006, raising the total value of their IPO to US$11.2 billion. In July 5, it listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It successfully made the largest IPO in mainland China on July 5, 2006, by offering up to 10 billion A-shares on the Shanghai A Stock Exchange, or up to RMB20 billion. These were priced at RMB3.00 per share. In 2007, the Bank of China and Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) cooperated to the public private banking business of Bank of China. All of these reform and incorporation make it turn a new chapter in its history and signal a huge step forward in becoming a modern joint stock commercial bank with good corporate governance practices. Furthermore, Bank of China is the most internationalized commercial bank in China. BOC London Branch, the first overseas branch of the Chinese banks, was established in 1929. From then on, the Bank successively opened branches in global financial centers, and has built up its network in 27 countries and regions. Currently, it had over 10000 domestic operations and over 600 overseas operations. In 1994 and 1995, Bank of China became the note issuing bank in Hong Kong and Macao respectively. It was the first among Chinese banks to recruit international experts and to introduce modern business management concepts into its operations with a view to become a premiere international bank. It has received wide recognition from its peers, customers and authoritative media for the credit and performance it achieved in past years. It has been awarded Best Bank in China and Best Domestic Bank in China by Euromoney for eight times; it has been included in the Fortune Global 500 for 16 consecutive years; in addition, it was awarded Best Domestic Bank in China by The Asset, awarded Best Trade Finance Bank in China and Best Foreign Exchange Bank in China by Global Finance, and awarded the Top 10 Product Service Enterprises in China by Far Eastern Economic Review; since BOC Hong Kong was restructured and listed in the Hong Kong stock market, it has been the winner of many significant awards, including Best IPO Investor Relation Award issued by the Investor Relations Magazine and Best Transactions and Best Privatization Award issued by Asian Finance. 4.3 The Challenges and Problems There are gains and risks on both sides of a coin. Chinas banking sector in the enjoyment of foreign capital into the revenue, it must also face the attendant challenges from it. The author is known as its challenge rather than risk or defects, because these challenges from the competitions of foreign banks is an integral part of the main power of Chinese banks reform. The only choice is to take the initiative to actively fight. For a long time solely state-owned banks have absolute monopoly position in China, although such a monopoly can get benefits from its scale. However, its survival and development is formed under the planned economy of monopoly and depend on policy and the protection of the state, which resulted in Chinas financial markets both single and thin. Chinas banking industry, especially the four major state-owned commercial banks, has long been regarded as a government-driven development of the countrys economic engine. They had to implement of considerable mandate of government policies, including investment loans, interest-free and low-interest loans, veterans resettlement and local governments intervention. Someone describe the state-owned banks as a dinosaur, because the death of dinosaur is too much energy consumption and too slow response. When the enemy bites the tail of the dinosaur, it will need five minutes to convey this message to the brain, and then five minutes time to make a c ounterattack. If Chinese banks do not get rid burden, in the face of the competition of foreign banks, it is bound in a passive position. According to the statistics, to the end of 2001, the four major banks have over 100 million employees and per capita profit is only 16,700 yuan, while foreign-invested banks in the number though much less, but in the same period the per capita profits 270,300 yuan which is 16 times of state-owned banks. Now, the banks historical burden was getting heavier and heavier. Access to foreign banks, the existence of such a burden, Chinas banks would lose the conditions for equal competition, in a very disadvantaged position. Lack of flexibility of their personnel system and institutional setup is extremely unreasonable. Like other state-owned enterprises, Bank of China also constrained by its rigid personnel system. Because ownership is not clear, the banks policy-makers and operators are the same members. The lack of the necessary internal control mechanisms resulted in lower levels of management, lax management. Their assessment is not operated on actual performance-based, but in line with the government officials ranks, that is, the higher your position are and the better your assessment result can get. Furthermore, they designed banks job description and ranks according to the State Civil Service series. On the other hand, banks at all levels in the institutions set up on the still-led administration and management level was complexity. Compared to western commercial banks focus on customer relationship management, such pyramid-like and multi-level administrative management had proved their effects v ary widely. Specific to the area of human resources management, mainly concentrated in the areas ¼Ã… ¡ First is the traditional orientation of Human resources Management Department. The traditional orientation of Human Resources Management Department of Bank of China is only a personnel department. The majority of works remain in the management people and other affairs and it mainly reflected in attendance, personnel file management, pay and benefits, and some other traditional work. The foreign banks have taken Human Resources departments in a clear strategic position which take on the major functions of personnel training and development and as the important guarantee of banks core competitiveness. The main reasons of this difference lies in the banks human resources is not the end results of competition in the market and personnel training, lack of market concepts, leading to large-scale and very difficult to promote change. Second is the difference in personnel recruitment and deployment of standards and evaluation of the value. In a long term, Bank of China takes the management responsibility of foreign currency exchange. It is a commercial bank and also is a part of government. In that case, it shows strong administration tendency. One of main representations is the recruitment and deployment is under the unified management and distribution of its head office or regional branchs human resources management department. The actual needs are poorly understood and valued more than diploma and the past experiences. However, foreign banks have their own recruitment of competent model for quality standards, according to the requirements of jobs analysis on-demand recruitment. They focus on candidates practical work capability and potential, more concerned whether candidates match with the organisation. There are survey shows that foreign banks in the recruitment process always use talent measurement tools and pay much attention to staffs personalities, especially the values of the match with organizations. Third is the difference in the understanding strategic significance of training. Although Bank of China has its own training base and develop training programme, it was taken as the main function forms sticking to the training books and classroom teaching model and following the what is lacking and what will teach in school practice. It only focused on the surface of the master work skills and ignored the staff own development and value-added value. The quality of the staff can not be matched with market demand. The former president of Chase Manhattan once said, Only by allowing banks to advance the personnel development to the business development, can more quickly adapt to the international financial markets and to develop. Under the guidance of such concept, during the training of the current work, these foreign banks also pay more attention to the quality of staff training and development potential. With each individual staffs situation, training program also need be intent tail ored and help them achieve career goals. In training, teaching experiments, simulations, the network learning, and other new educational methods are widely used. The difference over the foreign banks will be mainly due to the attitude to the people, that is, foreign banks take talents as a strategic and scarcity of resources and the ongoing effective staff training and development of competition in the international banking is an important component of the strategy and also is one of the most important strategic investment. Take Citigroup as an example, it establishes a special institution and equipped with full-time staff with responsibility for training. According to different posts and the personal characteristic of staff, they develop detailed training programme and take the appropriate incentive measures to promote and guarantee staff training. Citibanks Shanghai branch, the per capita cost of training is more than 17,000 yuan and in the Bank of China, the training costs of Sha nghai Branch per capita is less than 500 yuan. The main reason of this situation is they still take training as a cost Spending. On training and curriculum design is very arbitrary and even that on several occasions Dangke can also replace part of the training target. Fourth is the difference in performance management and performance assessment. Performance Evaluation is the core of modern human resources management issue. It not only provides important information basis for the distribution and selection of personnel, but also is considered as a strong incentive for the staff (Michael, 2008). State-owned commercial banks as a financial enterprise, its operating profit maximization is their goal, thus human resources management should be subordinated to and serves this business objective. However, the state-owned commercial banks have not established a systematic, scientific and reasonable performance appraisal system. First, there are not distinguish between the different categories of staff posts in the evaluation, but they adopted the moral character, ability, diligence, achievements, these relatively abstract and difficult to quantify the indicators to evaluate. Even, they had not yet been standard analysis of jobs. It presents in there are no standard title to regulate all types of positions and no uniform standard job descriptions, so that the staff responsibilities of different positions is very fuzzy; Third, the evaluation index system in the absence of key performance indicators (KPI indicators), in particular, guard against and defuse financial risks has not yet fully reflected in the evaluation of specific indicators in the evaluation. In addition, the performance evaluation of the results did not become the direct indicator of employees pay and rewards, job changes and incentives. Performance evaluation is often a mere formality and away from the commercial banks operating objectives. As one of the state-owned Banks, Bank of China also got into this trap in a long time. They thought performance management is the regular staff evaluation that the bonuses were paid to staff and provide the basic references for promotion, that is, simply equate performance management with performance evaluation. Generally, appraisal objective was set by the bank unilaterally and the staffs can only passively accept. Therefore, it often for the evaluation and assessment ignored the real purpose of the examination, that is, raise the level of individual performance of staff. In addition, the unscientific assessment standards and methods and the ineffective implementation of the results of the evaluation made the performance appraisal could not play their due role. The cause of the gap is also the main reason for the management of Chinese banks, the strong bureaucracy and lack of the necessary lines of communication between management and staff. In the course of investigation, the author also learn that in three years ago, in one county branch of Bank of China, subsidiary manager of this branch submitted his resignation after this