Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Human Resource Management And Strategic Management

From what began in the back of their family garage, Criterion Furniture was built on the vision that Wally and Brain Smaill had. The brothers built their ready-to-assemble furniture business into one of the biggest in Australasia. This report will discuss how Criterion may use human resource management and strategic management in planning the future success of the organisation as well establishing their competitive advantage. Human resource management comprises a set of policies designed to improve results and competitive advantage (Schermerhorn et al., 2014). And strategic management is the process of formulating and implementing strategies to accomplish long-term goals (Schermerhorn et al., 2014). Using tools that define strategic management such as a SWOT and PESTE analysis as well as the ideas behind human resource management, this report will allow Criterion to see how they can work to improve their strategic direction and establish their competitive advantage. Human Resource Management The key elements of human resource management are to attract, develop, and maintain a high quality workforce (Schermerhorn et al., 2014). It’s about building the right team of people who align together perfectly and will get the job done efficiently. If an organisation fails to do so, then chances are they will not succeed in the long run. The first element of human resource management is to attract a quality workforce. This involves external and internal recruitment, and hiring theShow MoreRelatedHuman Resource Management and Strategic Human Resource Management1136 Words   |  5 PagesManaging Human Resources, 3rd edn, John Wiley Sons, Milton, Qld. In chapter 1 of the text, the author shows an overview of human resource management and strategic human resource management. The author also shows the relationship between HRM and management, manager’s role meaning of strategy, strategic approach to HRM and strategic challenges. Lots of diagrams and explanations are used by the author. This chapter has contributed to my understanding of strategic human resource management by analysingRead MoreStrategic Management : Strategic Human Resource Management Essay1864 Words   |  8 Pages Unit 2 The Reyes Fitness Centers, Inc: The Strategic HR Opportunity Michael Lambert GB520 - Strategic Human Resource Management December 6, 2016 Professor Kenneth Rauch â€Æ' What is Strategic Management? Through this case study I will be discussing strategic management. Strategic management can be defined as a process where an organization attempts to determine what actions need to be taken to achieve the overallRead MoreStrategic Management And Human Resources Management Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pages1960’s uses strategic management and Human Resources Management to create a goal driven work place. . Strategic Management has the main focus of winning. Each company’s goal may be different but achieving the goal is a win for the company. Although Criterion is lucky enough to have no direct competitors, to stay ahead in the growing market, the brothers, Wally and Brain Smaill, used strategic methods such as SWOT, PEST, Porters 5 forces to gain success. Both strategic and HR management strategiesRead MoreHuman Resources Management And Strategic Human Resource Management Essay3465 Words   |  14 Pages Q-1(A) Three major difference between human resource management and strategic human resource management Human resource management Strategic human resource management 1. HRM have â€Å"Short term goals† only like give training to the employees etc. For example in Tarmac short term goal is like recruit people for certain project only. 1. SHRM have â€Å"long term goals †like give the cross training to the employees. For example in Tarmac long term goal can be recruit people for long term and in future giveRead MoreHuman Resource Management And Strategic Management Essay2286 Words   |  10 Pagesmajor differences between the human resource management and strategic human resource management first of all let us understand what does human resource management and strategic management actually means in the reality. Meaning of HRM in general words:- HRM can be defined as a procedure of recruiting and growing employees so that they can become irreplaceable assets to the establishment. Meaning of SHRM in simple words:- SHRM is to make sure that human resource management is fully blended into calculatedRead MoreThe Strategic Human Resource Management1254 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION Proactive management of the employees of a company or organization. Strategic human resource management includes typical human resource components such as hiring, discipline, and payroll, and also involves working with employees in a collaborative manner to boost retention, improve the quality of the work experience, and maximize the mutual benefit of employment for both the employee and the employer. The strategic human resource management was excellent as all employees reported highRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management1158 Words   |  5 PagesTopics in Human Resource Management Module 1 Case Study Module 1 Case: â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management† Introduction Human resource management (HRM) has it own challenges, but management is more focus on what HR can offer their organization in the future. Looking back to the evolution of human resource field, it has followed the history of business in the United States and most western countries. HR has evolved from personal management to human resource management and from HRMRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management72324 Words   |  290 PagesBusiness Management Study Manuals Advanced Diploma in Business Management STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The Association of Business Executives 5th Floor, CI Tower ï‚ · St Georges Square ï‚ · High Street ï‚ · New Malden Surrey KT3 4TE ï‚ · United Kingdom Tel: + 44(0)20 8329 2930 ï‚ · Fax: + 44(0)20 8329 2945 E-mail: info@abeuk.com ï‚ · www.abeuk.com  © Copyright, 2008 The Association of Business Executives (ABE) and RRC Business Training All rights reserved No part of this publication may beRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management4089 Words   |  17 PagesContents 1. Introduction: 2 2. Strategic Human Resource Management Practices in Samsung: 2 2 a. Samsung overall introduce 3 2.b HRM challenge in Samsung 3 2 .c Samsung strategies 4 3. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 5 4. Career management and development 6 4.a HTP concept 7 5. Rewarding 8 6. DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 9 7. Employee welfare 10 Employee wage and welfare 10 Support for housing 10 Children’s education 10 Medical support 11 Support for retirement 11 8. Contribution to the national economyRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management3790 Words   |  16 PagesSummary: Strategic human resource management is an approach that refers how the aims of the organization will be acquired through people by means of human resource strategies and combined human resource practices and policies. It is also based with viewing the people of the organization as a strategic element for the acquirement of competitive benefit. Strategic human resource model are used to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the industry. Human Resources Management is the strategic management

Monday, December 23, 2019

Essay about Media Violence - Television Perpetuates...

Television Perpetuates Violence Bullets whizzing, knives twirling, fists flying -- not an uncommon sight on the television set of today. From cartoons to sitcoms, television shows depict violent acts that go unpunished and contain no painful consequences. This view of the world does not reflect reality nor does it teach our children the values, morals or behaviors we constantly tell them to practice. Many parents dont realize that their children view the most violence watching the most innocent of shows. For example, Nickelodeons Loony Tunes, actually contains 80 acts of violence per hour and prime-time shows register at 60 acts of violence per hour. Childrens programs are the least likely to show negative and harmful†¦show more content†¦But not to worry, the coyote immediately stood back up, and the only apparent effect of the incident was a few stars twirling around his head. Children watch television and believe they can survive such occurrences, just like those on TV. For example, in 1992 the most violent prime-time show, Young Indiana Jones, registered 60 acts of violence per hour. And, of course, the characters always returned the next week with no injuries or damages. This gives young minds a sense that they, too, are indestructible. Hundreds of programs contain characters with immortal attitudes. Attitudes that rub off on children. Even more disturbingly, some children begin to view the world as mean and dangerous as it appears on television. Preschoolers lack the cognitive ability to distinguish fact from fantasy, especially because the vividness of television makes everything seem quite real. Crime is at least ten times more prevalent on TV as in the real world.(2) But children, and society, have a good reason to be worried. Half of North Americas murders and rapes can be attributed, either directly or indirectly, to television viewing. Many times the criminal simply copies a television or movie plot. TV represents violence as an appropriate way to solve interpersonal problems, to avenge slights and insults, make up for injustice, and get what you want out of life. Studies have shown that violent television directly affects children by reinforcing aggressive behavior. MoreShow MoreRelated The Media As A social Problem Essay1731 Words   |  7 PagesThe Media as a Social Problem nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The mass media plays a large role in modern society. Indeed, many have argued that people spend more time in â€Å"mass-mediated† interaction than in actual human interaction. The mass media, then, would seemingly be an excellent position to initiate social change, positively affect social problems, and help combat social ills that are considered normal patterns of behavior. Yet, the mass media has largelyRead MoreThe Media as a Social Problem Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesDan Thomas 11-21-01 The Media as a Social Problem The mass media plays a large role in modern society. Indeed, many have argued that people spend more time in mass-mediated interaction than in actual human interaction. The mass media, then, would seemingly be an excellent position to initiate social change, positively affect social problems, and help combat social ills that are considered normal patterns of behavior. Yet, the mass media has largely failed in addressing and helpingRead More Media Violence Against Women Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesMedia Violence Against Women      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the United States, as well as throughout the majority of the world, people are bombarded with information on a daily basis.   The majority of the information that it seen or heard is a direct result of someone   aiming the information at the masses.   Whether it is a company that would like us to buy its product, or a newspaper that would have us believe a certain fact that they are reporting, someone has decided how the information will be presented.  Read MoreSexism : Gender And The Oppression Of Women1376 Words   |  6 PagesWinkes Professor Brown English 1010 18 October 2016 Sexism In Modern Television We live in an ever-changing world, but many things have stayed the same. Just as racism still exists in various ways today, sexism, ageism, and many other forms of discrimination and injustices persist around us. All of the issues mentioned are found throughout many aspects of society, and they are still reflected in the media and television. Television shows such as â€Å"Family Guy† are a prime example of this with its crudeRead MoreThe Media And Gun Violence894 Words   |  4 PagesMedia and Gun violence A current most spoken issue among the public media is gun violence or mass shooting however the crime is not as many as it was twenty years ago. The term mass shooting does not have an official set of definition yet, but the term indicates crime which is killing as many people as possible in a short time frame. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines it as â€Å"actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area† (Sam Brock, Rachel Witte, and JoeRead MoreViolence, Terrorism, And Violence Essay1439 Words   |  6 Pagescompassion and peace, but yet also hold unimaginable amounts of violence. We are weary of the genre of violence as explored through war, terrorism, and torture. A new phenomenon we are in the midst of is the violence portrayed in new media, such as movies, television, and social media. This recent portrayal of violence in our society has led to drastic increases in exposure deeming such violence as normal. 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Television’s prima ry purpose is to sell audiences to advertisers, meaning that the purpose of creating a program is to make a large audience who will be forced to watch advertisements during commercial breaks. Without such advertisements, stationsRead MoreBlack Culture And Issues Within The Media1625 Words   |  7 PagesThere have been countless shows on television that have had a focus on black culture and issues within the community. The Television shows Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Black-ish bring to light and successfully decode the 20th to 21st century race issues, specifically black male issues that have not been adequately dealt with in the mainstream media. Mainstream television has had black characters and have covered black issues, but they often have characters that fit and fuel stereotypes about theRead MoreEssay on Impact of Film and Television: 1950’s to Present803 Words   |  4 PagesImpact of Film and Television: 1950’s to Present Today, Film and Television are among the most internationally supported commodities. Financially, their contributions are enormous: both industries are responsible for the circulation of billions of dollars each year. Since their respective explosions into the new media markets during the mid-twentieth century, film and television have produced consistently growing numbers of viewers and critics alike. Sparking debate over the nature of their

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Secret Circle The Initiation Chapter Seven Free Essays

The first person Cassie saw at school the next morning was Faye. The tall girl was standing with a group in front of a side entrance that Cassie had been taking to be inconspicuous. Deborah, the biker, and Suzan, the pneumatic strawberry blond, were in the group. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Initiation Chapter Seven or any similar topic only for you Order Now So were the two blond guys who had been roller blading through the halls yesterday. And there were two other guys. One was a short boy with a hesitant, slinking look and a furtive smile. The second was tall, with dark hair and a handsome, cold face. He was wearing a T-shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black jeans like Deborah’s, and he was smoking a cigarette. Nick? thought Cassie, remembering the girls’ conversation yesterday. The reptile? Cassie flattened herself against the red brick wall and retreated as quickly and quietly as possible. She went in the main entrance, then hurried to her English class. Almost guiltily, she reached down to pat her hip pocket. It was stupid to have brought it, but the little piece of chalcedony did make her feel better. And of course it was ridiculous to believe that it could bring her luck – but then again, she’d gotten to school this morning without running into Faye, hadn’t she? She found an empty desk in a back corner of the classroom on the opposite side from where Faye had sat yesterday. She didn’t want Faye near her – or behind her. Here, she was shielded by a whole cluster of people. But strangely, soon after she sat down, there was a sort of shuffling around her. She looked up to see a couple of girls moving forward. The guy beside her was moving too. For a moment she sat quite still, not even breathing. Don’t be paranoid. Just because people move doesn’t mean it has anything to do with you. But she couldn’t help notice that there was now a wide expanse of empty desks all around her. Faye breezed in, talking to a stiff Jeffrey Lovejoy. Cassie got a glimpse of her and then quickly looked away. She couldn’t keep her mind on Mr. Humphries’s lecture. How could she think with so much space around her? It had to be only a coincidence, but it shook her just the same. At the end of class, when Cassie stood up, she felt eyes on her. She turned to see Faye looking at her and smiling. Slowly, Faye closed one eye in a wink. Once out of the room Cassie headed for her locker. As she twirled the combination dial she saw someone standing nearby, and with a jolt recognized the short, slinking boy who’d been with Faye that morning. His locker was open, and she could see several ads from what looked like Soloflex brochures taped inside the door. He was grinning at her. His belt buckle was silver with shiny, mirrorlike stones in it, and it was engraved Sean. Cassie gave him the unimpressed look she reserved for little boys she baby-sat back home and pulled open her locker. And screamed. It was more of a choked, strangled cry, actually, because her throat closed up on her. Dangling from the top of her locker by a piece of twine around its neck was a doll. The doll’s head lolled grotesquely to one side – it had been pulled out of the socket. One blue glass eye was open; the other was stuck gruesomely halfway shut. It seemed to be winking at her. The short boy was gazing at her with a strange, eager expression. As if he were drinking in her horror. As if it intoxicated htm. â€Å"Aren’t you going to report that? Shouldn’t you go to the principal’s office?† he said. His voice was high and excited. Cassie just stared at him, her breath coming quickly. Then: â€Å"Yes, I am,† she said. She grabbed the doll and jerked it and the twine came free. Slamming the locker shut, she headed for the stairs. The principal’s office was on the second floor. Cassie thought she’d have to wait, but to her surprise the secretary ushered her in as soon as she gave her name. â€Å"Can I help you?† The principal was tall, with an austere, forbidding face. His office had a fireplace, Cassie noted distractedly, and he stood in front of it with his hands clasped behind his back. â€Å"Yes,† she said. Her voice was shaking. And now that she’d gotten here, she wasn’t at all sure that this was a good idea. â€Å"I’m new at school; my name is Cassie Blake – â€Å" â€Å"I’m aware of who you are.† His voice was clipped and brusque. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cassie faltered. â€Å"I just wanted to report†¦ Yesterday, I saw this girl having a fight with another girl, and she pushed her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was she talking about? She was babbling. â€Å"And I saw it, and so she threatened me. She’s in this club – but the point is, she threatened me. And I wasn’t going to do anything about it, but then today I found this in my locker.† He took the doll, holding it by the back of the dress with two fingers. He looked at it as if she’d handed him something the dog had dug up in the yard. His lip was curled in a way that reminded Cassie somehow of Portia. â€Å"Very amusing,† he said. â€Å"How apt.† Cassie had no idea what that was supposed to mean. Apt meant appropriate, didn’t it? It was appropriate that somebody was hanging dolls in her locker? â€Å"It was Faye Chamberlain,† she said. â€Å"Oh, no doubt,† he said. â€Å"I’m quite aware of the problems Miss Chamberlain has in interacting with other students. I’ve even had a report about this incident yesterday, about how you tried to push Sally Waltman down the stairs – â€Å" Cassie stared, then blurted out, â€Å"I what ? Who told you that?† â€Å"I believe it was Suzan Whittier.† â€Å"It isn’t true! I never – â€Å" â€Å"Be that as it may,† the principal interrupted, â€Å"I really think you’d better learn to solve these problems among yourselves, don’t you? Instead of relying on – outside help.† Cassie just went on staring, speechless. â€Å"That’s all.† The principal tossed the doll in the wastebasket, where it hit with a resounding plastic clunk. Cassie realized she was dismissed. There was nothing to do but turn around and walk out. She was late for her next class. As she walked in the door all eyes turned to her, and for an instant she felt a flash of paranoia. But at least no one got up and left when she took a desk. She was watching the teacher do an example on the board when her backpack moved. It was lying on the floor beside her, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the dark blue nylon hump up. She thought she saw it. When she turned to stare at it, it was still. Imagination†¦ As soon as she faced the board, it happened again. Turn and stare. It was still. Look at the board. It humped up. As if something were wriggling inside it. It must be waves of hot air, or something wrong with her eyes. Very slowly and carefully, Cassie edged her foot over to the backpack. She stared at the blackboard as she lifted her foot and then brought it down suddenly on the â€Å"hump.† All she felt was the flatness of her French book. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until it sighed out. Her eyes shut in helpless relief†¦ And then something beneath her foot writhed. She felt it under her Reebok. With a piercing shriek, she leaped to her feet. â€Å"What is the matter?† the teacher cried. Now everyone really was staring at her. â€Å"There’s something – something in my backpack. It moved.† Cassie had a hard time not clutching at the teacher’s arm. â€Å"No, don’t – don’t reach in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shaking her off, the teacher held the backpack open. Then she plunged her hand inside and pulled out a long rubber snake. Rubber. â€Å"Is this supposed to be funny?† the teacher demanded. â€Å"It’s not mine,† Cassie said stupidly. â€Å"I didn’t put it there.† She was gazing, mesmerized, at the flopping, bobbing rubber head and the painted black rubber tongue. It looked real, but it wasn’t. It was unalive. Dead meat? â€Å"It did move,† she whispered. â€Å"I felt it move†¦ I thought. It must have just been my foot shifting.† The class was watching silently. Looking up, Cassie thought she saw a flash of something like pity on the teacher’s face, but the next moment it was gone. â€Å"All right, everybody. Let’s get back to work,† the teacher said, dropping the snake on her desk and returning to the blackboard. Cassie spent the rest of the period with her eyes locked on those of the rubber snake. It never moved again. Cassie looked through the glass at the cafeteria full of laughing, talking students. French class had passed in a blur. And the paranoia, the feeling that people were looking at her and then deliberately turning their backs, kept growing. I should go outside, she thought, but of course that was ridiculous. Look where going outside had gotten her yesterday. No, she would do today what she should have done then: walk up and ask somebody if she could sit next to them. All right. Do it. It would have been easier if she hadn’t been feeling so giddy. Lack of sleep, she thought. She stopped, with her filled tray, beside two girls eating at a square table built for four. They looked nice, and more important, they looked like sophomores. They should be glad to have a junior sit with them. â€Å"Hi,† she heard her own voice saying, disembodied but polite. â€Å"Can I sit here?† They looked at each other. Cassie could almost see the frantic telegraphing. Then one spoke up. â€Å"Sure†¦ but we were just leaving. Help yourself.† She picked up her tray and made for the garbage can. The other girl looked dismayed an instant, gazing down at her own tray. Then she followed. Cassie stood as if she’d taken root in the floor. Okay, that was too bad – you picked somebody who was just leaving, all right. But that’s no reason to be upset†¦ Even though their lunches were only half eaten? With a supreme effort, she made herself walk over to another table. A round one this time, seating six. There was one seat empty. Don’t ask, she thought. Just sit. She put her tray down at the empty place, shrugged her backpack off her shoulder, and sat. She kept her eyes glued to her tray, concentrating on one piece of pepperoni in her slice of pizza. She didn’t want to seem to be asking permission of anyone. All around her, conversation died. Then she heard the scraping of chairs. Oh my God I don’t believe this I don’t believe this is happening it’s not true†¦ But it was. Her worst nightmare. Something so much worse than dead dolls or rubber snakes. In a daze of unreality she looked up to see every other occupant of the table rising. They were picking up their lunches; they were leaving. But unlike the two nice sophomore girls, they weren’t heading for the garbage cans. They were just moving to other tables, one here, another there, anywhere they could fit in. Away from her. Anywhere so long as it was away from her. â€Å"Mom†¦ ?† She looked down at the shut eyes with their thick black lashes, the pale face. She didn’t know how she’d made it through the rest of school today, and when she came home, her grandmother said her mom had been doing worse. Not a lot worse, nothing to be worried about, but worse. She needed peace and quiet. She’d taken some sleeping medicine. Cassie stared at the dark circles under the shut eyes. Her mother looked sick. And more than that, fragile. Vulnerable. So young. â€Å"Mom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice was pleading but hollow. Her mother stirred, a twinge of pain crossing her face. Then she was still again. Cassie felt the numbness sink in a little deeper. There was nobody to help her here. She turned and left the room. In her own bedroom, she put the chalcedony piece in her jewelry box and didn’t touch it again. So much for luck. The creaking and rattling of the house kept her up that night, too. On Thursday morning, there was a bird in her locker. A stuffed owl. It stared at her with shining round yellow eyes. A custodian happened to be passing by, and she pointed it out to him mutely, her hand shaking. He took it away. That afternoon, it was a dead goldfish. She made a funnel of a sheet of paper and scooped it out. She didn’t go near her locker for the rest of the day. She didn’t go near the cafeteria, either. And she spent lunch in the farthest corner of the library. It was there that she saw the girl again. The girl with the shining hair, the girl she’d given up on ever meeting. It was hardly surprising that Cassie hadn’t seen her at school before this moment. These days Cassie slunk around like a shadow, walking through the halls with her eyes on the ground, speaking to no one. She didn’t know why she was at school at all, except that there was nowhere else to go. And if she had seen the girl, she’d probably have run the other way. The thought of being rejected by her as Cassie was rejected by everyone else at school was unbearable. But now Cassie looked up from her table at the back of the library and saw a brightness like sunlight. That hair. It was just as Cassie remembered, impossibly long, an impossible color. The girl was facing the circulation desk, smiling and talking to the librarian. Cassie could feel the radiance of her presence from across the room. She had the wildest urge to leap up and run to the girl. And then†¦ what? She didn’t know. But the urge was almost beyond her control. Her throat ached, and tears filled her eyes. She realized she was on her feet. She would run to the girl, and then – and then†¦ Images flooded Cassie’s mind, of her mother hugging her when she was young, cleaning out a skinned knee, kissing it better. Comfort. Rescue. Love. â€Å"Diana!† Another girl was hurrying up to the circulation desk. â€Å"Diana, don’t you know what time it is? Hurry up!† She was pulling the girl with the shining hair away, laughing and waving at the librarian. They were at the door; they were gone. Cassie was left standing alone. The girl had never even glanced her way. On Friday morning Cassie stopped in front of her locker. She didn’t want to open it. But it exerted a bizarre fascination over her. She couldn’t stand feeling it there, wondering what was in it and not knowing. She dialed the combination slowly, everything too bright. The locker door opened. This time she couldn’t even scream. She felt her eyes opening, straining as wide as the stuffed owl’s. Her mouth opened in a soundless gasp. Her stomach heaved. The smell†¦ Her locker was full of hamburger. Raw and red like flesh with the skin torn off, darkening to purple where it was going bad from lack of refrigeration. Pounds and pounds of it. It smelled like†¦ Like meat. Dead meat. Cassie slammed the locker shut, but it bounced off some of the hamburger that was oozing out the bottom. She whirled and stumbled away, her vision hazing over. A hand grabbed her. For an instant she thought it was an offer of support. Then she felt her backpack being pulled off her shoulder. She turned and saw a pretty, sullen face. Malicious dark eyes. A motorcycle jacket. Deborah tossed the backpack past Cassie, and automatically Cassie whirled, following it. On the other side she saw shoulder-length blond hair. Slanted, slightly mad blue-green eyes. A laughing mouth. It was one of the roller-blade guys – the Henderson brothers. â€Å"Welcome to the jungle,† he sang. He threw the backpack to Deborah, who caught it, singing another line. Cassie couldn’t help turning around and around between them, like a cat chasing a fur mouse on a string. Tears flooded her eyes. The laughter and singing rang in her ears, louder and louder. Suddenly a brown arm thrust into her field of vision. A hand caught the backpack in midair. The laughter died. She turned to see through a blur of tears the cold, handsome face of the dark-haired guy who had stood with Faye that morning two days ago†¦ could it really be only two days ago? He was wearing another T-shirt with rolled-up sleeves and the same worn-in black jeans. â€Å"Aw, Nick,† the Henderson brother complained. â€Å"You’re wrecking our game.† â€Å"Get out of here,† Nick said. â€Å"You get out,† Deborah snarled from behind Cassie. â€Å"Doug and me were just – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, we were only – â€Å" â€Å"Shut up.† Nick glanced at Cassie’s locker, with globs of meat still seeping out of it. Then he thrust the backpack at her. â€Å"You get out,† he said. Cassie looked into his eyes. They were dark brown, the color of her grandmother’s mahogany furniture. And like the furniture, they seemed to reflect the overhead lights back at her. They weren’t unfriendly, exactly. Just – unimpassioned. As if nothing much touched this guy. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, blinking back the tears. Something flickered in those mahogany-dark eyes. â€Å"It’s not much to thank me for,† he said. His voice was like a cold wind, but Cassie didn’t care. Clutching the backpack to her, she fled. It was in physics class that she got the note. A girl named Tina dropped it on her desk, casually, trying to look as if she were doing nothing of the sort. She went right on walking and took a seat on the other side of the room. Cassie looked at the square of folded paper as if it might burn her if she touched it. Her name was written across the front in handwriting that managed to look pompous and prim at the same time. Slowly, she unfolded the paper. Cassie, it read. Meet me in the old science building, second floor, after school. I think we can help each other. A friend. Cassie stared at it until the writing doubled. After class she cornered Tina. â€Å"Who gave you this to give to me?† The girl looked at the note disowningly. â€Å"What are you talking about? I didn’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, you did. Who gave it to you?† Tina cast a hunted look around. Then she whispered, â€Å"Sally Waltman, all right? But she told me not to tell anybody. I have to go now.† Cassie blocked her. â€Å"Where’s the old science building?† â€Å"Look – â€Å" â€Å"Where is it?† Tina hissed, â€Å"On the other side of E-wing. In back of the parking lot. Now let me go!† She broke away from Cassie and hurried off. A friend, Cassie thought sarcastically. If Sally were really a friend, she’d talk to Cassie in public. If she were really a friend, she’d have stayed that day on the steps, instead of leaving Cassie alone with Faye. She’d have said, â€Å"Thanks for saving my life.† But maybe she was sorry now. The old science building didn’t look as if it had been used for a while; there was a padlock on the door, but that had been sprung. Cassie pushed on the door and it swung away from her. Inside, it was dim. She couldn’t make out any details with her light-dazzled eyes. But she could see a stairway. She climbed it, one hand on the wall to guide herself. It was when she reached the top of the stairway that she noticed something strange. Her fingers were touching something†¦ soft. Almost furry. She moved them in front of her face, peering at them. Soot? Something moved in the room in front of her. â€Å"Sally?† She took a hesitant step forward. Why wasn’t more light coming in the windows? she wondered. She could see only glowing white cracks here and there. She took another shuffling step, and another, and another. â€Å"Sally?† Even as she said it, realization finally dawned on her exhausted brain. Not Sally. Whoever, whatever was out there, it wasn’t Sally. Turn around, idiot. Get out of here. Now. She whirled, clumsily, straining her dark-adapting eyes, looking for the deeper blackness of the stairwell – And light shone suddenly, streaming into her face, blinding her. There was a creaking, wrenching noise and more light burst into the room. Through a window that had been boarded up, Cassie realized. Someone was standing in front of it now, holding a piece of wood. She turned toward the stairway again. But someone was standing there, too. Enough light shone into the room now that she could see features as the girl stepped forward. â€Å"Hello, Cassie,† said Faye. â€Å"I’m afraid Sally couldn’t make it. But maybe you and I can help each other instead.† How to cite The Secret Circle: The Initiation Chapter Seven, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Influence of Organic Organizational Cultures MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Influence of Organic Organizational Cultures Market. Answer: Introduction In this era of globalization, human resource management function has emerged as a key function for organizations. Today, the HR managers have to manage various aspects like recruitment, performance management, diversity management, employee exit, etc. At the same time, it is expected that HR managers would also contribute towards business strategy and business development. It is important that organizations and HR managers must continuously keep employees updated. The objective of this paper is to discuss the learning and talent development strategy for Dell Inc. The talent and learning development strategy would be developed in the area of performance management system. A brief organizational background and the need or rational of training program in the field of performance management for Dell Inc. can be discussed as: Dell is a multinational company with more than 100,000 employees. The company was established in the year 1984 and in the last 33 years it has expanded in different parts of the world. The company has a revenue of more than $54 billion. The company has a large scale of operations in developed and developing nations. It is difficult for Dell Inc. to have a standardized way of operations in place as the HR team have to manage the operations across various cultures and regions (Heide Kumar, 2014). Rational for training and development in performance management Continuous improvement is the challenge facing all organizations in the public or private sectors. Continuous improvement is facilitated in opened communication supported organization environments that guarantee effective feedback and inclusiveness as sense of belong of employees are enhance and its contribution is necessitated (Knies Boselie, 2015). Pressure on resources, increased expectations from customers and service users, technological advances and the increasing availability of comparative information mean that organizations are required to deliver more and better services to meet customer needs and maintain customer satisfaction. And for organization to continue to maintain its course of strategic aims and objectives in relation to achievement, it must make an effectual plan for continuous improvement which are naturally activated through participation of the employees at all levels. If performance improvement is tackled as a series of initiatives that can be started and st opped, or simply allowed to lapse, it can feel like an additional burden, rather than as central to the success of the organization. But this can be sorted in continuous meeting and review of the performance with employees carrying along the employees at different approaches by the organization to continue to give the employees sense of ownership thereby contributing their best. Sporadic or intermittent focus on improvement can mean that organizations fail to identify poor performance or opportunities for improvement until it is too late. Continuous improvement maintains momentum and drive for performance improvement. This is enhanced interaction, feedback and effective communication between employee and supervisors that can be initiated through self-assessment. Before making and learning or training development plan, it is critical to understand the current performance management system at Dell. The flowchart of the current performance management system at Dell Inc. can be discussed as: Flowchart of current performance management At Dell Inc. employees are considered as an integral part of performance management system. Before employees created an own goal, the staff member has to receive a work-plan goal from the section /unit they work. Once the work plan has received from the section/unit based on the outcome expectation to achieve, the staff member also allowed creating an individual goal aligned with the section/unit goal, and then the goal will be incorporated in the personal e-pas form to submit to the supervisor to approve the goal. In all the processes, both parties are ensured maintained two ways communication. Following the approval of the individual goal, a mid-term discussion/dialogue is maintained to evaluate the progress. Following the mid-term discussion, a staff member is to initiate the end of cycle appraisal process before he/she submitted to the supervisor. Therefore, self-assessment is an encouraging part of performance appraisal process. Roberts, (2006) contends that self-appraisals provide with the chance thoroughly to evaluate their performance. Roberts, (2006) indicated that self-appraisal is optimized employees planning and readiness for the evaluation process of interview, improves overall satisfaction, increased perceived appraisal fairness, and mitigate defensive behavior for developmental purposes. The current gaps in the performance management system that would be addressed through training and development plan can be discussed as: Lack of clear performance goals Lack of alignment goals with business objectives Infrequent feedback by managers abd leaders No accountability for mid-level supervisor No adequate training for mid-level supervisors Insufficient training and development for employees No documentation in place No timely reviews Proposed strategy around performance management at Dell Inc. The suggested performance management flow chart for Dell can be highlighted as: Step 1: Understanding Prerequisites= Defining Performance planning Understanding Performance planning = Defining Performance execution Understanding Performance execution = Defining Performance assessment Understanding Performance assessment = Defining Performance review Understanding Performance review = Defining Performance renewal and re-contracting Understanding Performance renewal and re-contracting Again defining Prerequisites For a large international company like Dell, the business models could be largely different between its subsidiaries given the geographical and cultural variance. The company might want to leave the flexibility of PMS implementation, especially between step 2 performance planning and step 5 performance review/renewal re-contracting, with the local business and only focus on the big picture of strategic objectives alignment for step 1 laying the foundations (Wei Samiee, 2014). The case study of Dell Inc. shows that the above process is not followed religiously and there is a scope of improvement. It is recommended that Dell Inc. must stick to the suggested performance measurement plan. It can be achieved only when Dell Inc. includes both internal and external stakeholders together. A lot will also depend on the involvement of leaders in the training programs. In fact, the leaders and managers should make efforts to understand the learning and development needs of employees. It is suggested that the leaders of Dell Inc. should come up with a need assessment. The employees of Dell at different levels should use this need assessment as a one-stop solution. Alongitudinal study conducted by M. London J., W. Smither (2002), proves that the need assessment survey enables the senior management of the firm to develop the specific and customized learning and development programs. The learning and development pyramid that Dell Inc. should use can be highlighted as: What Dell should have within the company is that when it fell into the performance program the employees should receive training over the period of 6 months. Part of the training is that employee understand the concept of internal customer services; employees impact upon the business is not just restricted to their own couple KPIs. Employees work and KPIs have a knock-on effect for other people to be able to achieve their required KPIs. Downstream one is also again dependent upon other colleagues to deliver their KPIs to assist employees in getting the results. This is a process as described by Zakaria (2015) in which the KPI becomes a culturally imbedded process of performance management system.Every month employees would have review meetings to understand the results of their KPIs; these meetings should be discussed to know how and why employees are either achieving or missing our KPIs. During these meetings, employees would then be held responsible to our internal customers and li sten to their feedback and when required have an action plan to improve the way in which employees were working with each other. Training is a must in an organization to keep the performance management process going, however it should be part of a cycle to be able to implement outcomes. Employees should be able to use their trainings to be able to carry out what the job requires. According toBurke and Baldwin (1999), this is like finding a job related to your degree. Training is an important factor from the process, however the cycle factors are as a result of cause and effect, if one isnt applied properly then the outcome will result different to expected. However, many companies need to accept that trainingis an expensive factor, that may require tools for the particular business industry. The training and development plan for Dell Inc. can be discussed as: Justification to Training Development plan According to Aguinis, (2013) the ultimate purpose of performance management system is to optimize employees contribution towards the objective and targets of organizations. Aguinis emphasizes that if there is no clarity on organizations objective regarding where to go, or if there is misalignment between organizations mission and strategies and departments mission and strategies is not clear, there will be surely a confusion regarding what employees contribution will be to help the organization achieve its goal (Aguinis, 2013). In another study by Huber, (2015) revealed that performance management system significantly influences the effectiveness of organizations detection of threats and correctness of organizations responses to threats, as such, PMS is involved to the organizations strength and sustainability. According to Chang Chen (2013), training and development programs can have positive impact on organizational goals of cost, productivity. The focus on training and development programs would also help the organizations to improve their revenue and profitability. For a positive performance results from training organization cannot only fulfil the training function alone but it should also focus on the evaluation of employees. It is suggested that the Dell Inc. should have the provision of periodic assessments for its employees. For the case of Dell, for instance, the management should have to assess correctly the current environment and identify key issues not only related to the sales and revenue but also include other motivational aspects linked to the sales representatives. Here it is important to include the views of all stakeholders (employees, line managers/supervisors, costumers, senior managers) in the planning and review process in order to proposed an effective training package able to not only train the attendees but also able to revert any harmful organizational working environment. Auginis, (2013) performance management system is about a continuous process and alignment of strategic goals with organizations mission and required job analysis. Jennings and Bandfield, 1993, p-3, cited in, Westhead and Storey,(1996) describe training as a powerful agent of change, that facilitating and enabling a company to grow, expand and develop its capabilities thus enhance profitability. It would be correct to say that training can play a significant role in employees developmental plan as part of the performance management system, an effectively designed training can also enhance employees and organizations capacity, employees motivation, rewards; as such employees confidence can improve to deliver the maximum efficiency towards achieving organizations goal. The final stage or the desired process of performance management system at Dell Inc. can be highlighted as: According to Owens, (2006, p.163), also cite in Aguinis, (2013) research revealed that, the impact of training on organizational performance is multi-level, for example at Organizational level: better customer services can be achieved, Departmental level: strategic goals and targets can be achieved, Individual level: improved performance and higher organizational loyalty exhibited. However, McCourt, and Sola, (1999, p.63) also cited in Sahinidis, and Bouris, (2008) supplemented on the latters views and outlined the following important key notes to the significance of the impact of training on organizational performance as follows: Trainings introduce employees to innovative problem solving skills. Trainings enhance the implementation of new financial management and control techniques resulted in more efficiency. Enhanced employees satisfaction levels. It is observed that is improvement in customer satisfaction with adequate training programs. The training program of leaders enables them to lead the organization in an effective manner. With adequate training programs employees usually take less time to perform their job and it results in improved organizational productivity. Fewer errors and mistakes. Implementation Plan As per Delaney, (1996), organizational performance is one of the key indicators of the success of the organization. By definition, it refers to the way in which the people comprise an organization work together (Delaney, 1996). Also, it is the analysis of the performance of the company when compared to its aims and objectives (Delaney, 1996). In order to maximize the organizational performance, training is considered a strategic tool (Delaney, 1996). However, many business owners consider it as a vehicle to drive the sales of the company (Delaney, 1996). It is critical for an organization to evaluate how it uses training strategy and ways that can enable the training produce effective results (Fiedler, 1996). In order to ensure that employees are equipped with appropriate skills and competencies, training and development plays a critical role Bartlett, (2001). For this, it is critical to adopt right kind of training strategies suiting the requirements of the organization Bartlett, (2 001). Every company has its own vision, mission and values and hence, training strategy varies accordingly Bartlett, (2001). As per Bartlett, (2001), choosing the right kind of training ensures that the workers possess right kind of skills to run the business. There are different training and development approaches that can be adopted by an organization (Bartlett, 2001). These approaches are Reactive, Proactive and Active Learning (Waldman, 1991). The reactive training approach is a traditional approach wherein the training is provided in classes (Waldman, 1991). The proactive training approach is a modern approach wherein the learning activities are integrated with business objectives (Waldman, 1991). The active learning approach is the one where the trainees ask questions from the trainers and learn from it. In modern organizations like Dell Inc., active learning approach should be adopted since it helps the employees hone their skills and knowledge (Waldman, 1991). As far as the case of Dell Inc. is concerned, the management should have taken active learning approach in order to enhance the skills and knowledge of its employees (Waldman, 1991). Also, they should have examined the current environment and determine the issues which are not related to sales but motivates the employees (Waldman, 1991). It is also critical to include the opinions of the stakeholders such as employees, managers and customers in the planning process (Waldman, 1991). Their role will be to propose an effective training package which can train the employees and prepare them to cope up with the uncertain situations (Waldman, 1991). Overall, it can be concluded that training is an important factor to increase the organizational performance (Waldman, 1991). The Gant chart of the implementation plan can be shown as: Phase M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 Assessment Framework Development Implementation Module - 1 Module - 2 Module - 3 Module - 4 Support Continuous Improvement The implementation would need the support of various resources. The resource allocation table can be shown as: Phase M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 Hours Required . . . . . Number of hours required from key stakeholders . . . . . . . Leaders 100 50 30 30 30 30 HR Director 150 80 80 80 50 50 No. of HR Executives 10 12 10 9 9 8 Employee training and development activities are intended to improve performance. Unfortunately, most training and development activities fail in this respect because they are thrown at problems that are ill-defined are improperly identified. It is important that management if Dell should have RACI matrix in place. The RACI matrix for above implementation plan can be discussed as: Process Steps Function Leaders HR Director HR Executives Employees Assessment Gap understanding C R A I Framework Development Current State Future Target C R A I Implementation Modules Development A R R I Support Questions Feedback I A R R Continuous Improvement Refinements I A R R Conclusion The above paper discusses the performance management system at Dell Inc. and the need of improvement. The paper also discusses the training and development plan in the performance management area. To support the company further, managers need to take over from the feedback issue and communicate more as performance management process will constantly be a developing process for members of organizations. References Aguinis, H. (2013) Performance management. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. 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