Define supply and explain what causes change (shifts) of supply and Essay - 1

Define supply and explain what causes change (shifts) of supply and how supply can determine prices - Essay Example These players will try to compete with each other to provide significant amount of value to the customers and thereby generating competitive advantage. It is important to note that the state of equilibrium attained by the intersection of demand and supply curve keeps on moving and is not constant in nature. As a matter of fact, it can be said that there can be various factors which may lead to shifts in supply curve. Abrupt rise of prices of certain commodities, which has happened due to the rise of inflation rate in recent times, can at times lead to significant changes in supply. Due to the significant rise in prices of commodities, the general masses become incapable to purchase the same at high rates. This results in building up of inventory. As a precautionary measure to cool down inflation and maintain a significant amount of balance in the market, the suppliers and manufacturers focus on lowering down the supply rate of the commodities (Mankiw, 1998, p. 80). The effect of recession can also induce significant amount of supply shift. In times of recession, for the purpose of boosting the economy, the rate of interest is generally reduced. This automatically contributes to a significant rise in the institutional lending as well as boosting of production of various commodities in the economy. Hence, recession can also initiate significant shifts of supply of commodities in the economy of a particular region (Mankiw, 2011, p. 745). It is observed that the price of multiple input variables and resources can bring about a significant influence in the supply of a particular commodity. It can be said that in the case of rising input prices, there might be immense pressure on the manufacturer to cut down on various costs. This might contribute to a lower amount of production by the manufacturer. Hence, this can automatically contribute to a movement in commodity supply in the market

Hong Kong Proposal Essay Example for Free

Hong Kong Proposal Essay INTRODUCTION and BRIEF BACKGROUND Hong Kong was a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 to 1997, when it was returned to the People’s Republic of China.  Ã‚   This handover of Hong Kong back to China is supported by two governing laws: the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Both laws uphold the policy of â€Å"one country, two systems,† which requires that Hong Kong will operate on its own until 2047, which is fifty years after its reversion back to China.    This means that the Central People’s Government will be responsible for the strategic defense and foreign affairs of Hong Kong while Hong Kong will retain control over its legal system, police force, monetary system, and policies on customs, immigration and delegates to various international organizations and events. The return of Hong Kong to China was received with different reactions both from its own citizens and from the international scene.   As to any situation, there are always two sides to a coin: the advantages and disadvantages of the Hong Kong handover.   This paper will present the positive and negative effects of the handover on the political, social, cultural and economic spheres of Hong Kong between 1997 and 2002.   The conclusion will deal with POLITICAL SCENE There were growing concerns with regard to the integration of a democratic system of government into the political culture of Hong Kong.   The international sphere remained skeptic about the effectiveness of democracy in Hong Kong and the number of local supporters have then declined as well. These concerns are mainly caused by the failure to solve domestic problems through democratic means and the inability of various democratic factions to come up with enticing operations to attract more supporters.   It is submitted that if the foundations of democracy cannot be held strongly by its political advocates, then democracy in Hong Kong may be even more difficult as expected, if not impossible at all. Tied with the difficulty of evolving into a democratic system is the challenge to have an independent judicial system.   There has been a loss of faith in the judicial system of Hong Kong with the rampant overruling of the decisions of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong by the courts of Mainland China.   Such loss of faith leads to the loss of credibility of the Hong Kong judicial system, which worries the locals and some international organizations. HUMAN RIGHTS The term â€Å"human rights† is not limited to rights against self-incrimination, warrantless arrests, searches and seizures.   The term â€Å"human rights† includes freedom of speech and of the press.   Although human rights is highly regarded by Hong Kong, its local policies and practices cause   its own decline. The government of Hong Kong is so high strung on preventing factors that may cause social instability that it already contributes to the unprotection of human rights within its territory.   There had been reports of arrests of overstaying citizens of Mainland China, and the arrests of people who are campaigning for various social, economic and political issues by using the Public Order Ordinance to clothe such arrests with a faint tint of legality. There has also been the censorship of the media, whether by the government or by themselves, often called â€Å"self-censorship.†Ã‚   Media practitioners are so wary about overstepping the boundaries of local news that they, themselves, censor their own news on political affairs so as not to offend or stir any commotion with the leaders of the Mainland. ECONOMIC The handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 was actually twinned with the great Asian Financial Crisis.   And the handover did not improve the economic situation of Hong Kong during the said crisis.   Despite the recovery of EU-US relations, improvement of the Mainland economy, and high-valued activities, there is still an increasing unemployment rate.   And this unemployment rate has been present even prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China.   It seems that there is little change in the economic life of Hong Kong. SOCIAL It cannot be discounted that for over a century, Hong Kong was influenced more by the British than by their Mainland people.   This is due to the obvious fact that Hong Kong was run by the British and not by the Chinese.   But since the handover, official visits of Mainland officials to Hong Kong paved way for a greater integration for both societies. Even the adoption of Mainland of development plans, which, in great part, includes Hong Kong has caused an opening of good relationships between the two.   Moreover, the loosening of travel restrictions allowed Mainland citizens to explore Hong Kong, and vice versa, so as to realize that there is no more British barrier and that they are all just from one culture.   It must be noted that apart from Mainland China, Hong Kong is building ties with Taiwan as well. CONCLUSION It’s been almost ten years since the reversion of Hong Kong back to China and with the fifty-year program of â€Å"one country, two systems,† it is quite early to tell whether or not the reversion is purely advantageous or disadvantageous to Hong Kong, and to China as well.

The Transmission of Diseases from Livestock :: History Disease Health Medical Essays

The Transmission of Diseases from Livestock The signs at the Philadelphia International Airport are bold and make a clear point. The bright, yellow billboards all but shout: "Keep Foot and Mouth Disease out of America." Soon after seeing these signs upon entrance to the airport, travelers are greeted by customs agents who check documentation and bags to insure that the traveler has not been prone to the disease on his journeys. Any traveler exhibiting the warning signs of an individual who carries the disease is quickly swept away- removed from the general populace in order to prevent possible spreading of the disease. The above precautions may seem extreme. Then again, the precautions may appear normal in a world that has quickly strengthened airport security in response to recent terrorist activities. Neither of these reactions to the security checks would be fully accurate. The security checks preventing free entrance by individuals who have come into contact with animals or areas that house animals abroad are an innovation designed to prevent the most common method for spreading disease. These precautions have been implemented in order to prevent the spread of diseases infecting livestock. Throughout the course of history, diseases have been the greatest killers of humans. In fact, the winners of most wars were simply the ones who proved less susceptible to the germs carried by the enemy (Diamond, p. 197). Diamond correctly points out, then, that diseases have been the largest shaper of history. For instance, what would the world look like now if the Native Americans had carried germs that were far more potent than the Spanish conquistadors? (p. 197) The diseases that have been the great molders of the human experience are very often and quite easily traced back to animals, specifically livestock. Food production was seen relatively early in history of civilization as a better means for providing for a great number of people than the hunter-gatherer model that was once the primary model of existence. The success of food production in maintenance of human life leads to a society which has become dependant on farming, ranching, and other ways of life that produce foods from animals. The increased number of individuals able to be supported by a society supported by agriculture serves as an important factor in the spreading of disease. The most common method for spread of disease is direct transmittance from the animals to the humans.

A life of her own by Emilie Carles

About the Author Emilie was born in 1900 in a poor home in one of the poorest regions in France. It was very rare for her and her time that she became literate and was successful that she went on to become a teacher. For decades she used to write her own stories in her notebooks and when the right time came she turned her contents into an autobiography. She told her tale to a publisher Robert Dastenque in the time of her sickness who worked with his writing and the tapes recorded of her story to write this book. Book Review Emilie Carles wrote this autobiography book â€Å"A Life of Her Own† about the courage of a woman who made a huge difference in her society. This book was translated to English in 1988. The reader of this book is totally inspired by the life of Emilie Carles who lives a life in a small village on a mountain in France by the name of Val de Pres in between the two World wars. Emilie describes her village as a land of the mountain people who were unaware of everything but death, work and sickness. Emilie led a successful and fulfilled life. Emilie led an honest life and made a difference in the life of other people. She didn’t live a life of fame and wealth but stood up for things for which she believed in. Emilie’s strength came when she was just a child. Tragedy first struck when her mother died when she was very young. Emilie lived with her father, Joseph and four siblings of which three were older (one sister and two brothers) and a younger sister. Her father Joseph Carles was a hard man towards life and not towards his children. He used to set his own ways and was a worker who was a driven sort. Emilie wrote about her father that he was a charitable, good and generous man who had a good heart. Later in her book she wrote that he was not affectionate as he should have been. Joseph had a life, which was no different from the other poor people of the village. He was living a poor, tough life. Emilie writes that most of the things her father believed or did was all for the good for his children. He was a committed father and had a warm relationship with his children. All of her brothers and sisters at different times went away which left Emilie the only one who stayed near her father and her home. Later on she brought her husband to the village and raised her children there and also the children of her younger sister. Emilie married a very passionate anti war person. Her love for peace influenced by her husband and also by her brother many years ago who served in the army in WW1. Emilie went on to become a schoolteacher. She was the child out of her siblings who was given permission by her father to carry on her studies. She served in different villages but later on she was given a job in her own village. This book is mostly about the hard life of Emilie. She tried to help her father in her village. It was in her destiny to care for her father and her home. In assessing her life Emilie is honest, she writes about her self that she has never lived a young life. At first it was the deaths in the war, everyone left and the only thing she knows is work and trouble. But her story does have love and hope. When coming back from her younger sister’s place, Emilie meets the man whom she eventually marries. Jean Carles listened very carefully to what Emilie had to say about sacrificing everything for her family. The answer she gets was probably the most loving phrase, Jean Carles says that she has every right to live a life of her own and he will take care of all her problems. Emilie describes living her life with Jean Carles as the happy years. She thought of her him as a very attentive husband and very considerate who would do anything to please her. She than says that all of the earths gifts were given to her. He would give all the warmth he could give and gave all the gifts. Jean Carles was not a wealthy man, according to Emilie the only wealth he had was a smile which had all the promises, a head which had all the dreams and a heart which had the most goodness she had ever seen. Jean and Emilie during their marriage transformed the family estate into a better place. Though they had a meager income out of which most of the income came from the school teaching job, which Emilie had. Most of the guests who used to come to their house were anti war people like they were. These antiwar movements led them into the WWII. Because of these movements, at one time she had to leave her estate and hide into the mountains to keep away from being arrested for the anti war movements which she didn’t want to share with anyone. Conclusion This book speaks about the power of the women who lived much ahead of her time. She never claimed to be a feminist in the book but the fact that she lived a hard life and the battles she chooses to fight shows that she was a woman who led a life of her own. Bibliography Emilie Carles, A life of her own, published by Penguin (1992)

The Widow and the Parrot

The Widow and the Parrot Virginia Woolf Author’s Background (1882-1941) British writer. Virginia Woolf became one of the most prominent literary figures of the early 20th century, with novels like Mrs. Dalloway (1925), Jacob's Room (1922), To the Lighthouse (1927), and The Waves (1931). Woolf learned early on that it was her fate to be â€Å"the daughter of educated men. † In a journal entry shortly after her father's death in 1904, she wrote: â€Å"His life would have ended mine†¦ No writing, no books: â€Å"inconceivable. Luckily, for the literary world, Woolf's conviction would be overcome by her itch to write. Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen on January 25, 1882, in London. Woolf was educated at home by her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, the author of the Dictionary of English Biography, and she read extensively. Her mother, Julia Duckworth Stephen, was a nurse, who published a book on nursing. Her mother died in 1895, which was the catalyst for Virginia's first mental breakdown. Virginia's sister, Stella, died in 1897; and her father dies in 1904.Virginia Woolf died on March 28, 1941 near Rodmell, Sussex, England. She left a note for her husband, Leonard, and for her sister, Vanessa. Then, Virginia walked to the River Ouse, put a large stone in her pocket, and drowned herself. Children found her body 18 days later. Virginia married Leonard Wolf in 1912. Leonard was a journalist. In 1917 the she and her husband founded Hogarth Press, which became a successful publishing house, printing the early works of authors such as Forster, Katherine Mansfield, and T.S. Eliot, and introducing the works of Sigmund Freud. Except for the first printing of Woolf's first novel, The Voyage Out (1915), Hogarth Press also published all of her works. Virginia Woolf's works are often closely linked to the development of feminist criticism, but she was also an important writer in the modernist movement. She revolutionized the novel with stream of consciousness, which allowed her to depict the inner lives of her characters in all too intimate detail.In A Room of One's Own Woolf writes, â€Å"we think back through our mothers if we are women. It is useless to go to the great men writers for help, however much one may go to them for pleasure. † Character Web James the Parrot James the Parrot Mrs. Gages Mrs. Gages Joseph Brand Joseph Brand Shag the Dog Shag the Dog Mr. Stacey Mr. Stacey Mrs. Ford Mrs. Ford Rev. Samuel Tattbogs Rev. Samuel Tattbogs Messrs. Stagg and Beetle Messrs. Stagg and Beetle Plot Conflict Author’s Style Symbol Used Theme Moral Implication

Definition Essay on Friendship

Definition Essay on Friendship Friendship is a word we are all familiar with, and most of us assume we have friends. But do we? Webster’s Dictionary defines it as, the state of being friends: the relationship between friends: a friendly feeling or attitude. To most people friendship assumes certain rights and privileges. To me a friend is not only a person who has rights in my life. Friends are those who take seriously the duties, obligations and responsibilities of friendship. Everyone knows that when you are friends with someone they assume certain rights and privileges. For example, my friends can drop in without an appointment, phone me late at night, ask for some cash until payday, and expect to be invited to my celebratory parties. They assume I will give them a lift when their car is broken, babysit their kids, and listen to the updates of their love life or lack of it. They can open my fridge and make a snack and offer me a cup of coffee in my own kitchen. When they are sad or guilty and share their secrets with me. To the degree, I allow this so I am considered a good friend. But these privileges carry with them reciprocal obligations. You, as my friend, must return the favors. When I arrive with my kids you need to welcome me and them, not hide under the bed, or a flood of excuses. You are obliged to give me a lift to fetch my car, fill up my empty wallet, and drink coffee that I make you in your kitchen. And do not hide your left overs when I rummage in your kitchen for a snack. Then we need to look at the two words that make up the word friendship. It has been said that it is two men in one boat. Now that is where duty comes in. Two men in a boat does not mean one rows the boat, while the other lies in the sun tanning and sipping Coke, Pepsi or Buds. They both need to row the boat. This means they have equal responsibility to make time in busy schedules to get together. When the one is repeating again how his wife left him and took his dog for the hundredth time you have to show sympathy, even if you are glad the dog no longer visits and chews your new couch. It is duty that undergirds the rights and privileges. Friendship comes with responsibilities too. When he is pouring out his heart to you then you must listen. What he tells you in confidence must remain with you. You are responsible to give him advice rebuke and correction. And above all, when he does not heed it and falls, you have the responsibility to stand with him, in his failure, disgrace, and shame. To identify with him, comfort and encourage him, and help him get up. And in the end to simply forgive and love him. Webster’s refers to friendship as a friendly feeling or attitude. I have a friendly feeling and attitude towards my dog, but we aren’t friends. Likewise, I have the same friendly feeling towards the waitress at the local restaurant, but I do not even know her surname. I know I have nine friends, and consider myself rich because of them. Each one is a rare treasure. Tips for writing this definition essay: In your intro, give a dictionary definition of the word. Then give your definition, which should be the basis of your thesis statement. Now elaborate on your own definition. You can separate your different parts into separate paragraphs. In each paragraph, make a different point. You can use a variety of means to round out your definition. When you have finished make a summary of your points. Here you can tell what your definition has meant to you, and how it has affected your life. Ensure this supports your essay. Feel free to buy an essay online from our professional writing service. We will provide you with a 100% non-plagiarized custom definition essay on any topic.

The 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research

The 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research Ethics are self-regulatory guidelines for making decisions and defining professions. By establishing ethical codes, professional organizations maintain the integrity of the profession, define the expected conduct of members, and protect the welfare of subjects and clients. Moreover, ethical codes give professionals direction when confronting ethical dilemmas or confusing situations. A case in point is a scientists decision whether to intentionally deceive subjects or inform them about the true risks or goals of a controversial but much-needed experiment. Many organizations, such as the American Sociological Association, establish ethical principles and guidelines. The vast majority of todays social scientists abide by their respective organizations ethical principles. 5 Ethical Considerations in Sociological Research The American Sociological Associations (ASAs) Code of Ethics sets forth the principles and ethical standards that underlie sociologists professional responsibilities and conduct. These principles and standards should be used as guidelines when examining everyday professional activities. They constitute normative statements for sociologists and provide guidance on issues that sociologists may encounter in their professional work. The ASA’s Code of Ethics contains five general principles and explanations. Professional Competence Sociologists strive to maintain the highest levels of competence in their work; they recognize the limitations of their expertise; and they undertake only those tasks for which they are qualified by education, training, or experience. They recognize the need for ongoing education in order to remain professionally competent; and they utilize the appropriate scientific, professional, technical, and administrative resources needed to ensure competence in their professional activities. They consult with other professionals when necessary for the benefit of their students, research participants, and clients. Integrity Sociologists are honest, fair, and respectful of others in their professional activities- in research, teaching, practice, and service. Sociologists do not knowingly act in ways that jeopardize either their own or others professional welfare. Sociologists conduct their affairs in ways that inspire trust and confidence; they do not knowingly make statements that are false, misleading, or deceptive. Professional and Scientific Responsibility Sociologists adhere to the highest scientific and professional standards and accept responsibility for their work. Sociologists understand that they form a community and show respect for other sociologists even when they disagree on theoretical, methodological, or personal approaches to professional activities. Sociologists value the public trust in sociology and are concerned about their ethical behavior and that of other sociologists that might compromise that trust. While endeavoring always to be collegial, sociologists must never let the desire to be collegial outweigh their shared responsibility for ethical behavior. When appropriate, they consult with colleagues in order to prevent or avoid unethical conduct. Respect for People’s Rights, Dignity, and Diversity Sociologists respect the rights, dignity, and worth of all people. They strive to eliminate bias in their professional activities, and they do not tolerate any forms of discrimination based on age; gender; race; ethnicity; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; disability; health conditions; or marital, domestic, or parental status. They are sensitive to cultural, individual, and role differences in serving, teaching, and studying groups of people with distinctive characteristics. In all of their work-related activities, sociologists acknowledge the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own. Social Responsibility   Sociologists are aware of their professional and scientific responsibility to the communities and societies in which they live and work. They apply and make public their knowledge in order to contribute to the public good. When undertaking research, they strive to advance the science of sociology and to serve the public good. References CliffsNotes.com. (2011). Ethics in Sociological Research. cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26845.html American Sociological Association. (2011). asanet.org/about/ethics.cfm

10 Experiential Writing Prompts

10 Experiential Writing Prompts 10 Experiential Writing Prompts 10 Experiential Writing Prompts By Mark Nichol Write about what you know that’s one of the fundamental nuggets of wisdom for writers. â€Å"But I don’t know anything worth writing about!† you protest. You don’t? Anything is worth writing about if the writer finds something engaging about the subject. Try these writing exercises based on firsthand observation: 1. Read the titles of books you own or those at the library or a bookstore. Create a story based on one or more titles or words therein. 2. Watch an unfamiliar TV show or movie with the volume turned down and invent a story based on the setting and/or the characters. 3. Look up names in a baby book or on a baby-names website. (Yes, of course there are baby-name websites.) Create characters based on interesting names you find there, and build a story around them. 4. Research historical figures on Wikipedia or in some other reference resource. Write about a fictional episode in their life perhaps a chance meeting with another famous person (before or after they became famous) or assign some invented secret to their life and write about it. 5. Randomly look up words in a dictionary, or in any book or other publication. (Randomly select them by closing your eyes and lowering your fingertip to a page.) Create a situation or a plot around any combination of words you find (not necessarily all of them). 6. Study a painting or a photograph and write a story about the subject, whether it’s a person, a place, or a thing, or a combination of two or all three. 7. Cut words and/or pictures out of magazines, and arrange them in linear sequences or in groups or webs of relationships until you can articulate a through line of thought. Make that thought the first line of an article, poem, or story. 8. Visit a historical location a building, a site, a city and write a factual account of its history or create a story in which it features, or one inspired by it. Or do the same for any structure or location, even if it’s brand new. 9. Go to a public place and watch people (without, of course, making yourself obvious). Create backstories based on their appearance, their habits, and their communication styles. 10. Visit a zoo or an aquarium, or even a pet store or a dog run at a park, and study the animals. Develop human characters based on their characteristics and interactions, and write about these people you’ve created. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcDriver License vs. Driver’s LicenseEach vs. Both

Buffering Work-Family Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buffering Work-Family Conflict - Essay Example The government has formulated policies that restrict the time for working. The employers implement these policies in a bid to buffer work-family conflicts. This occurs through giving employees a greater flexibility at work. The employees have freedom of choice on the appropriate time to work either part time or full time. Another factor is social support, where employees have the chance to receive members of their families as visitors during working hours. This helps the employees to reduce their personal and social pressures, as they are able to focus on both family and work. The competition between work and family reduces, thus buffering the work-family conflicts. The other factor relates to the management of the employees’ set of behavior that are incompatible for work and family (Poelmans, 2005). The most important factors in the reduction of work-family conflict are the implementation of government policies and social support for workers. Government policies govern the working hours of the employees. The employees have the ability to take time off from work, whenever they require taking care of their families. The government policies also capture the minimum wage of employees. This helps to reduce the financial conflicts that could arise due to the lack of money for satisfying basic family needs. On the other hand, social support is important because it helps employees in becoming efficient at work. Companies that provide emotional support to their employees have shown high performance. Such organizations also offer appraisal support that involves giving feedback on the employees, performance on their duties. Such employees also receive encouragement and affirmation on job promotions. Through social support, the employees are able to receive informational support through directives and advice from their seniors. This ensures that they avoid common mistakes at their places of work. The employees also

Along way gone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Along way gone - Essay Example These are some of the circumstances affecting his ability to flee. When he returned to normality like other 12 year olds, he got the chance to start a new life while he was in United States. He had called Laura Simms to go with her to New York (Beah). Love is the other theme in the autobiography, where Beah notes that he only has a few family members remaining so he makes it his task to love those who are closes to him such as his uncle, Ester and Laura (Beah). In addition, Laura and Ester show him their unconditional love without judging him or his views. For example in chapter 18, Beah indicates that he received a lot of love towards him and his uncle. In the autobiography, Beah also gives a detailed account of Sierra Leone’s history. The country is in West of Africa and bordered by other countries such as Guinea and Liberia. It has about 5, 080 000 people. Some of its earliest inhabitants were Limba, Sape and Capez. The Portuguese explorers, the French and Dutch all began to trade on the African coast in the 16th century and later invaded by the Bantu speaking people. Since there was a war between so many groups in Sierra Leone, in the late 16th century the British slave traders took advantage of this warfare to gain entry into the country. In 1807, the parliament in Britain decided that slave trade was coming to an end, hence Freetown soon changed into a crown colony. Most of the slaves released were settled in Freetown. After Sierra Leone gained independence from the colonialists, the government in Freetown decided to give the natives their leaders through voting. From 1961 to 1978, there was a political party in Sierra Leone called the Sierra Leone People’s party (SLPP). The SLPP was a governing party in the year 1961 to 1967; however, it later became the opposition party from year 1967 to 1978. This is where the turbulence in Sierra Leone started because it came from the All People’s Congress (APC) party when it was making

Domestic and international banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Domestic and international banking - Essay Example This is a mechanism on which the whole banking structure is based. This report contains an analysis of the Banking Sector of United Kingdom, Along with the challenges faced by the Banks now a day, like the bonus restrictions imposed by the government which has checked the functioning of the major banks in United Kingdom. Granting Loans and receiving deposits A bank works on the principle of borrowing and landing. In this mechanism, Bank borrows from the General public and the institutions and lands the money to the needy public in terms of loan. After a loan is granted, the banks takes a certain amount of interest for a certain period of time and gives a part of that interest to the public, from whom bank borrows the money initially. â€Å"Public† in terms of banks, is defined as the costumers of the bank (either it is an individual or an institution). Role of Banks in Country’s economy: -   Ã‚  As stated above, a bank plays a very important role in the economy of a c ountry. The economy is mainly based on the industries and the income sources available within the country. Bank helps the developing industries to grow with their potential by landing them money and by giving a kind of stability to the market. In a recent example, the economic crisis over the world in 2008 was started because a major private sector bank was declared bankrupted in USA. This bankruptcy of this bank resulted in instability of the market as there were so many companies which had invested in that bank, also there were companies which were totally depend on that bank for their financial security. Once the crisis started spreading its effect in US, major companies were affected badly by it. USA being the world’s most powerful economy that time came on its foot. Millions of the employees were thrown out from the companies, salary was reduced. But this procedure was limited to the industries which could bear this crisis. Other industries which were small scale industr ies and which needed help from the bank for each and every move they made in the market, were closed. This crisis could not remain in the US itself. Just within no time, the whole Europe, Asia and America saw this effect on their market. Every trading market was down. And it gave a long lasting 1 year, full of tensions in the economic sector of the world. The World Bank came to interfere in it. World Bank granted huge loans to the countries, so that the condition could be in control. Otherwise the condition could have been worse, and the whole world would have been in trouble in no time. Somehow, this problem was shorted out. But this gave an example for the upcoming time of how important the proper functioning of a bank is. If the banking sector is strong and well functioning, it can be a positive sign towards the country’s economy. But if the Banking industry is comparatively weaker, it can turn out to be another crisis kind condition for the country. The Banking Sector in United Kingdom UK’s banking sector, following the US and Japan, is the world’s third largest and considered foremost in terms of: efficiency, dynamism and return on capital. It services 95% of the population with about 3.5% of UK’s total workforce - over a million workers. The decade ending 2005 witnessed a surge of three folds in assets to â‚ ¬

4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

4 - Coursework Example Researching on legal matters is exciting in that it helps the researcher to be more critical by asking more questions and having realistic expectations and perception of the law. Researching the law is vital because this skill enables the researcher to find answers to legal questions and better understand judicial system. Understanding judicial system and knowing how to get answers is an important skill that helps bring study of law into focus. For instance, one needs to know consequences that surround certain actions particularly to police officers such as the intra agency discipline comprising of anything from negative letters to one’s personal file to being suspended without pay. Therefore, it is important that one to be informed with the ever changing law and knowing how to find out about changes is important. Another important reason as to why it is important to research the law is to keep credibility in that a person is able to research the law correctly so that viable or proper result is found. Using texts or treatise for researching the law is very dangerous because such works are invaluable resources, expensive and frequently multivolume. Though highly effective and commonly used as compared to other methods in learning law, depending on text learning becomes an ultimate predisposition to partial intellectual deficiency. In addition, several pitfalls are likely to come from the rigidity of text-based learning alone. Texts may elaborate on evidence but may not be able to come up with a legal formula on how to handle unique evidences that may arise. iv. The holding and the policies and reasons that support the holding, in this regard, the holding of the case is the rule of law applied to the relevant facts of the case and the actual decision of the court. In addition, legal opinion contain the skills and process needed to read case laws which are drawing inferences, thinking in reverse and untangling the

Bad News Message Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bad News Message - Assignment Example Include your full name, address, day time phone number, and a brief but clear description of the malfunction with a check of $100 for initial examination. After assessing the equipment, we have to apologize that the extent of damage is irreparable and cannot be replaced. You can however choose to repair the equipment within our service centers or acquire a whole new set of equipment. We are giving you this option to ensure that your work is not stalled. Kindly reach us through our contacts immediately. If you choose to repair the equipment with us, the $100 will be applied towards your bill, the balance of which is payable by check or credit card. Super Equipment Inc. also has service centers available in your area. If you would prefer to take the equipment to one of the centers, please see the enclosed list. Thank you again for inquiring about our services. I have enclosed a catalog of our latest equipment, parts and accessories in which you will find Super Equipment Incorporation’s â€Å"Trade-up Special†. If you are ready to move up to our new equipment model, we will offer you a generous trade - in allowance on your current

Discuss how security requirements can be linked to business Essay

Discuss how security requirements can be linked to business requirements - Essay Example The battle is on for finding out the efficient ways and design methodologies that can analyze the security risks and implement the appropriate mitigation solutions. As, every event or technique has a better impact and a worse impact, the technologies that speed up the business processes are also prone to increase risks of computer intrusion, fraud, disruption and many more. A successful organization not only relies on finding innovative solutions or products but also on the effective implementation of those solutions. Here, technology plays a major role as these technological developments can make the implementations simpler, providing a wide range of choice. But the question arises so as to which is the right choice This can only be answered by thorough research on the cost, stability and reliability of the technology to be used (WALSHAM, 1993). The Information System of the firm should be able to process this task by taking the external (technology functionality) and internal (business environment) entities into account. Thus, the understanding and integration of technological innovations plays a key role in the modeling of any Information System to support the business goals and strategies. ... The organization has to analyze all the possibilities and provide the solution that is technological stable and cost-effective, to implement, maintain and modify in future. Security Management and Responsibilities Data Owner Each Line Department of the company, with its own computing facilities will appoint a senior member of the staff as Data Owner. The responsibilities of the Data Owner include: Data subject enquiry procedures. To ensure that all licenses to use systems and software is accurate, available and purchased according to financial regulations. Preparing details of who can access what information, how and when, according to the particular classification of staff and information. Ensuring that all systems are maintained in effective and controlled manner. Ensure appropriate training of staff in systems and applications use. Those systems which are operated throughout the company should also have a designated Data Owner. Data Owners across the company will be advised by the Head of ead HeadInformation Compliance and Policy. With the existing systems, advice is available to help data owners meet their responsibility in complying with the Information Security Policy. Systems Development All systems must comply with the main IT strategy developed for the company by the IT team. Mark Walker, a senior systems analyst, states that an IT strategy is the single most crucial factor for the success of an organization dependent on IT for its operations (Walker, 2000). All system developments must include security issues in their consideration of new developments, seeking guidance from the Head of Information Technology. Management Responsibilities The management plays the most important part in building a successful

Bad News Message Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bad News Message - Assignment Example Include your full name, address, day time phone number, and a brief but clear description of the malfunction with a check of $100 for initial examination. After assessing the equipment, we have to apologize that the extent of damage is irreparable and cannot be replaced. You can however choose to repair the equipment within our service centers or acquire a whole new set of equipment. We are giving you this option to ensure that your work is not stalled. Kindly reach us through our contacts immediately. If you choose to repair the equipment with us, the $100 will be applied towards your bill, the balance of which is payable by check or credit card. Super Equipment Inc. also has service centers available in your area. If you would prefer to take the equipment to one of the centers, please see the enclosed list. Thank you again for inquiring about our services. I have enclosed a catalog of our latest equipment, parts and accessories in which you will find Super Equipment Incorporation’s â€Å"Trade-up Special†. If you are ready to move up to our new equipment model, we will offer you a generous trade - in allowance on your current

United States Federal Tax Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

United States Federal Tax Law - Assignment Example United States Federal Tax Law On January 3, 2009, Kathy and Frank Willow got married and entered into a contract with Hive Construction Corporation to build a house for $3,000,000 to be used as their main home. On November 10, 2010, when the outstanding principal balance on the mortgage loan was $2,500,000, the FMV of the property fell to $1,750,000 and Kathy and Frank abandoned the property by permanently moving out. They had made interest payments of $130,000 in 2009 and 2010 and paid $50,000 of principal in each year of those years (2009 and 2010) to bring the mortgage balance from $2,600,000 to $2,500,000 just before the date of abandonment. The lender foreclosed on the property and, on December 5, 2010, sold the property to another buyer for $1,750,000. More than one year after the foreclosure, and after heated negotiations, the couple convinced Outside Lender to cancel the remaining debt. So, on December 26, 2011, the lender canceled the remaining debt owing. Kathy and Frank are filing a joint return for 2011. On December 26 2011, Kathy and Frank had $15,000 in a savings account, household furnishings with an FMV of $17,000, a car with an FMV of $10,000, and $18,000 in credit card debt. The household furnishings originally cost $30,000. The car had been fully paid off (so there was no related outstanding debt) and was originally purchased for $16,000. Kathy and Frank had no adjustments to the cost basis of the car. Kathy and Frank had no other assets. ... Kathy and Frank had no other assets or liabilities at that time, except for the Disputed Amount that remains in dispute. (a) What are the tax consequences to Kathy and Frank, if any, for each year? It should be noted that foreclosure occurred before Kathy and Frank cancelled their debt; therefore, they are liable to gain or loss from the foreclosure. Since they maintained personal liability for the $ 750,000 of the remaining debt, then they were liable to cancellation. Additionally, the insolvency exclusion cannot apply in the Kathy and Frank case since their indebtedness did not qualify for the principal residence (Lyon 64). However, the same could have only applied if their insolvency could have been excluded instead of the indebtedness. Additionally, it should be considered that the remaining part of the debt just before the cancellation did not qualify as principal residence indebtedness since only part of the loan could qualify as the principal indebtedness. Therefore, Kathy and Frank must have ordered for the cancellation. (b) Same as (a) except Hive Construction Corporation financed the purchase of the house for Kathy and Frank and Hive Corporation agreed to reduce the debt to 1,750,000 on December 26 2011 and Kathy and Frank continue to live in the houseand there was no foreclosure in 2010? To this extent, Kathy and Frank do not have the right to elect insolvency exclusion as could be in the case of principle residence exclusion. However, they are liable to apply for the insolvency exclusion to $500,000 for the nonqualified debts since such debt is never qualified as principal residence indebtedness. Kathy and Frank have no tax attribute up to the year 2010 other than the use of basic

Free

Free Appropriate Public Education Essay One of the six aspects of IDEA is Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). FAPE is technically defined as a â€Å"Special education and related services that are provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge; meet SEA; include preschool, elementary, or secondary school education; and are provides through an individualized education program (IEP)†. (Mandlawitz, 2007)An individualized educational plan (IEP) that is designed to meet the child’s unique needs and from which the child receives educational benefits and prepares them for farther education, employment, and independent living. These unique education needs includes â€Å"Mastery of academic subjects and basic skills, Social, health, emotional, physical, and vocational needs, and functioning and self-help sills†. (Jalvarado) FAPE consist of an education that meets the individual needs of the child, the child with the disability must be educated with students without disabilities, an evaluation and placement decisions must be made appropriately. IDEA does not explain the exact meaning of the term â€Å"appropriate†. Parents and schools interpret this term uniquely which has resulted in countless court cases. This aspect of IDEA has be one of the most challenged out of all six because there are so many places of misunderstanding and loop holes that allow for some school districts to slip through. Even though this principle does mention the child should be in the least restrictive environment. This environment could vary from complete involvement in a classroom with children without disabilities, a separate classroom that has one on one help for the child and/or a combination of both. This environment is not truly known until an IEP is developed. The IEP would state the special education, related services, supplementary aids and services that will be provided for the child. This allows a child regardless of the severity of their disability to receive an education. It is important for families that have children with disabilities to know about FAPE because they may not know that there child is entitled to receive an education. FAPE is beneficial for families and their children to know their rights to receive an education. In, addition this could save families a lot of money that they may spend on special services or private schools that they could be receiving for free from the school district. For example a deaf child that may need a speech and auditory therapist and an interpreter these types of services could all be provided by the school district with no cost to the families in addition to the child’s normal academics. Also the children would become more social with peers and interacting with others that could not be learned in a confined area like home schooling and schools that isolate the child. The child would develop social skills that are desperately needed day to day to survive. FAPE is beneficial for parents because it could relieve stress that maybe caused by their misunderstanding of why their child is different and how to help them grow. The parent may also learn things about their child that they did not know like their child is very motivated to learn, enjoys working in groups, and is very inquisitive. These characteristics about this child would not have been known if their child was not put into public schooling. Educators also play a part in the child and them receiving extra help provided under IDEA because they create the IEP and keep everyone up to date about the child’s improvements and problem areas. This aspect of IDEA impacts me as a future educator because it will force me to broaden my horizons and views of the â€Å"normal† classroom experience. Meaning, that there are not any students with LDs or disabilities in the class. Knowing that FAPE is a defining factor in the educational experience for children with disabilities will allow me to understand their exceptionalities and how effectively help them gain an education. In addition I will learn how to properly mainstream them into the classroom with other students. For example, I would figure out ways to decrease to possibility of labels and teasing by the other students because it was noticeable that the students were in special ed. classes. To prevent teasing caused by misunderstanding I would develop projects that would create learning experiences for students to learn that everyone is different in their own way. Also to explore these differences and focus more on their abilities and talents as an individual for students with and without exceptionalities. The students being combined could create new relationships between the disabled and normal students. Before this aspect of IDEA was created children with disabilities were segregated from the â€Å"normal† student. Knowing that there is large possibility that my classroom will consist of students each uniquely different it is important for me to well informed and educated. So that I will be able to effectively educate my students.

Physics of Hacky Sac Essay -- physics sport sports footbag

History Hackey Sac, or Footbag as it is commonly called, has only recently become a sport. Versions of the activity have existed in Chinese, Native American, Thai, and other cultures for hundreds of years; however, a formal structure for the sport was not adopted until 1972 when John Stalberger and Mike Marshall created the format used today. Hackey Sac now falls into one of two categories: freestyle and net footbag. Freestyle, like that of other sports, consists of a routine of difficult tricks completed in succession with a maxiumum number of difficult tricks performed in a minimal time. Net footbag resembles volleyball in its use of a net (although only only raised to a height of 5 feet), except instead of manipulating the "ball" with hands, players use their feet. The topics discussed in these pages will focus on the freestyle elements of footbag rather than net due to the more complex motions involved in freestyle. Purpose Hacky Sac, like most sports, consists of properly applying physics concepts with physical performance. Logically it follows that some "tricks" are ...

Australia :: Australia Research Papers

Australia Australia, the continent down under, filled with kangaroos, koala bears, and many more unique creatures. I always wanted to go to Australia, but never knew much about it, like the history behind it, and what there really is to do. So I decided to research it and talk to people that are familiar with it. I started my search off by looking in an encyclopedia called Encyclopedia International and looked up Australia. The encyclopedia was written back in 1970 but things have changed since that time. The general information about Australia did not change though, such as the temperatures, the types of animals and birds that live there, and geographic facts. This article did not give me enough information so I kept on looking. I then got online and went to the search engine Dogpile and looked up "Australia." I got tons of matches for my search, but found an interesting site. (www.australia.com) This was the official site for Australia, so that is why it is so reliable. It was loaded with information about almost everything in Australia that I wanted to learn more about. It discussed the places to see, things to do, exotic experiences, food and wine, and the nightlife in Australia. The site still left some details out that I was still looking for such as what kinds of shopping is there to do, what the Australians are like, etc. After learning more about Australia, I called Liberty Travel in Harrisburg and spoke to a very nice lady named Helen Andrews. Helen explained that she was once there many years ago, but has sent numerous people there recently. So Helen could give me a lot of great information I was looking for. She gave me a website to look up. She said it is wonderful and has very good information. Thanks to her, I found out what airline to take to Australia and what the best way to get around the continent is. Helen was a huge help! I got back online to check out the website (www.trafagar.com) that Helen gave to me. It was loaded with all types of tours of Australia. It had all the prices, what you would be doing, how long the trip would be and so on. Each tour was very different and exciting. It also had the full itinerary of each tour as well, which was very helpful! I still remained online to discover another interesting and informative website.

Balcony and monument scenes Essay

Write about the effectiveness of Shakespeare’s imagery in The Banquet, Balcony and Monument Scenes of â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† â€Å"That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. † Shakespeare uses imagery and metaphors throughout â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† to great effect. By using language, instead of props or backdrops to produce a vivid picture, he is engaging the audience more and making them think for themselves. This dramatic technique is used to the best effect in the Banquet, Balcony and Monument scenes, when portraying Romeo and Juliet’s love. The Banquet scene is the first time Romeo sees Juliet, so the language used has to make a big impact so as to convey to the Elizabethan audience that this is true love, in contrast with Romeo’s infatuation with Rosaline. â€Å"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright†. Shakespeare uses alliteration on â€Å"teach the torches† and â€Å"burn bright† to make Romeo’s words sound more beautiful and poetic, ideally like a sonnet. The words are coincidently very much like one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, Sonnet 21, where he contrasts light with dark. Shakespeare uses this same comparison throughout the play to convey emotions, foreshadow tragedy and express the stages of the young love to the audience. In a way, Romeo and Juliet’s devotion is like light against the dark background of feuding families. By claiming that Juliet is brighter than any other torch, Romeo is directly comparing her to other girls, in particular Rosaline. When Romeo speaks of Rosaline, he uses the language of Elizabethan courtly love. All his feelings are quite contained in comparison to the poetic imagery he uses upon seeing Juliet for the first time. He says about Rosaline â€Å"She’s fair I love†, which in Shakespeare’s time was the sort of language one would use when describing their love. However, Romeo describes Juliet’s beauty as â€Å"too rich for use† and later claims that he â€Å"ne’er saw true beauty till this night†. The audience knows straight away that this is true love. But the audience is also aware of the fact that this love is doomed, and there is some irony in a number of Romeo’s lines. â€Å"Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear†. This suggests that Juliet is out of Romeo’s reach, which, being a Capulet, she is. He is also comparing her to an angel or heavenly creature, which he does throughout the play. This is Shakespeare’s way of showing that although these are young lovers, they are very spiritual too. The idea that she belongs to heaven because she is too good for earth builds up a feeling of unease and sadness in the audience, as they know she is going to die and therefore will not belong to the Earth anymore. This spiritual imagery is used when the lovers exchange their first words. Romeo tries to entice Juliet by referring to her as his â€Å"holy shrine† and to his lips as â€Å"two blushing pilgrims†. This shows Romeo to be a more sensitive and poetic character, which makes the audience, and Juliet, fall in love with him. By referring to her as his â€Å"holy shrine† he is showing the audience that he idolises her, and sees himself as lowly compared to her beauty. This speech between them is laid out in sonnet form. Sonnets are generally about love, which emphasises to the audience that Romeo and Juliet are in love. It also contributes to Romeo’s poetic image. Upon walking home later that evening, Romeo decides he has to see Juliet again. He finds his way into her garden and stands by the balcony. Romeo sees Juliet at her window. He exaggerates the pale flicker of the candlelight to describe it as the East. â€Å"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun. † Shakespeare is using Romeo’s dialogue to â€Å"light† the stage. He puts a clear image into the audience’s minds. Again Romeo is comparing Juliet to light; this time the sun, the brightest light of all. This is his poetic way of declaring that she is the brightest and most beautiful of girls. It also signifies how very important she is to him, as the sun is imperative to everyday life. The light from Juliet’s window is said to â€Å"break† through. This could imply a breakthrough in Romeo’s love life; he has found his soul mate. In the Balcony scene Shakespeare uses language about the moon to help create a scene in the audience member’s mind. This means they are more involved in the play, and can imagine themselves there in the moonlight. â€Å"Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she. † It is interesting that Romeo compares Juliet’s beauty to the moon here, as he has just described her as his sun. In mythology, Diana, the Goddess of the moon, is served by virgin maids. Being a virgin, Juliet is depicted as one of these maids, but Romeo believes that Diana is jealous of Juliet’s beauty. He asks her to stop serving the moon, and therefore stop being a virgin and become his lover instead. This shows Romeo is passionate in a sexual way about Juliet, which would be quite exciting to an Elizabethan audience member, as sex was not as commonly talked about as it is now. The fact that the moon is â€Å"sick and pale with grief† could be foreshadowing future grief for the couple. By asking the sun to arise, Romeo is wishing the day to come, therefore reminding the audience that it is night. When Romeo decides to reveal himself to Juliet she, feeling embarrassed and shocked, asks him who he is. Of course he has recently discovered she is the daughter of his family’s enemy, and feels his name is hurtful to her. â€Å"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,Because it is an enemy to thee. † Romeo and Juliet strongly believe in their names being a now unwanted allegiance to their family. Despite the fact that their names are just words, both of the star crossed lovers feel they are chains, locking them to their families, and keeping them away from each other. Again he refers to Juliet as a â€Å"saint†. This would seem high praise to an audience of very religious Elizabethans. In Shakespearean times, exploring was very popular and a lot of new lands were being found. Because travel was not as easy then as it is now, and the knowledge of the world was not as advanced, exploring new lands was very exciting and appealing to the Elizabethans, which was why it was a popular subject matter and why Shakespeare used it throughout the play. â€Å"I am no pilot, yet wert thou as far, As that vast shore washed with the farthest sea, I should adventure for such merchandise. † The word â€Å"adventure† is used here because in the Elizabethan times, international traders were known as Merchant adventurers. It also suggests that Romeo finds his and Juliet’s love very exciting, as adventure is usually associated with new and exciting things. Shakespeare’s use of imagery to convey Romeo’s love as a new found land helps to set a picture in the audience’s minds of a far off tropical shore. In Shakespeare’s time there would not have been a lot of back drops and flats setting the stage, so it would be up to the audience to imagine their own scenery, and up to the playwright to use the correct language to stimulate these thoughts. Romeo describes himself being hidden from the eyes of Juliet’s guards and family. â€Å"I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes. † Again Shakespeare is using light and dark to set a scene for the audience. His actors would not have had the electrical lighting actors have now, so he would have to create moods and light by using words. Romeo is telling the audience it is dark, so it is easier to imagine. This contrast is used a lot in the monument scene too. When Romeo hears that Juliet is dead he goes to the tomb where she is said to be. After killing Paris he looks at Juliet for the last time. He describes the days they spent together as â€Å"A lightning before death†, because it was believed in those days that before somebody died, they would seem very well and happy temporarily. This is the contrast between light and dark again, which adds mood to the scene; the audience knows Romeo is deeply saddened by the sudden death of Juliet and, because of this, so are they. The word â€Å"lightning† makes you think of lightning as in a quick flash. Their romance was very sudden and over quickly, but very enlightening all the same. Romeo mentions Juliet’s beauty despite her death too, especially concentrating on her lips and cheeks. â€Å"Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks† Romeo talks about Juliet’s beauty a lot throughout the play. In the balcony scene he says â€Å"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars† and then proclaims â€Å"O that I were a cheek upon that hand†. It is interesting how Romeo talks of Juliet’s cheeks so much. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to link the two scenes together to show that Romeo’s love for Juliet was present from the beginning to the end of their relationship. He still felt the same for her when she was dead as he did when their love was blooming. â€Å"I will raise her statue in pure gold† Montague says this of Juliet in the last scene. Gold was a very expensive and prized material to the Elizabethan audience and so proves that Montague means well. It is a bit ironic that he is comparing her to a statue, because in the first scene Romeo and Juliet meet, the banquet scene, he describes her as a holy shrine. It is a very sad moment as the audience are reminded how happy the lovers used to be. The audience really benefits from Shakespeare’s imagery as it brings the play to life. It makes the words far more beautiful and the character’s easier to relate to. Romeo seems more poetic and easier to fall in love with. Juliet appears to be intelligent and loving. Without the imagery the audience would not feel as involved with the plot, and would therefore not sympathise with the characters. The imagery heightens the emotions of the audience and confirms â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† as one a Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.

Laptop Computer vs Desktop Computer

The computer is one of the greatest inventions in the world. Nowadays, there are more and more people who have their own computers. However, some people easily get confused when deciding to buy a laptop or a desktop. It is obvious that both of them can do well at what they are needed for such as working, studying, researching or entertaining, etc. Both consist of the basic parts like main board, ram, VGA card, hard disk, etc. Yet despite these similarities, there are quite a few differences between these two kinds of computer. A laptop offers some advantages that a desktop doesn’t. The first one is the portability. The laptop is light and portable enough to be brought anywhere. In addition, it only needs a small space to put it on. These things are very necessary for the businessmen because their jobs require them to move continuously. It is also vital for the students who want to surf the internet in the coffee shop or the library for researching or entertaining. The most important thing is the laptop uses a battery to work, so it can work for about 3 hours without plugging into the outlet. The laptop is absolutely a good solution if the people want to use the computer while going camping. Yet, the desktop is so big and heavy that the people can’t carry it with them. It is stable and good for the job, which doesn’t need to move. Unfortunately, the desktop can’t work until it is plugged into the outlet. Another advantage of the laptop is the quietness and the coolness. It uses a device called solid-state drive (SSD) to contain data. Therefore, it doesn’t make noise while working. Besides that, it runs quite cool due to the silent cooling fan and doesn’t waste much electricity. In contrast, the desktop makes loud noise when running due to its regular hard drive and fans. Moreover, it runs very hot – almost hot enough to fry an egg. Some people try to add extra cooling fans for their desktop. Unfortunately, this even makes their desktop noisier. The next benefit of the laptop is the convenience. In the laptop, a mouse is replaced with a touchpad, which is a great solution for the portability. The touchpad certainly cannot be dropped. Moreover, the laptop also has a lot of built-in devices such as speakers, microphone, webcam, etc. You can carry all of them easily while moving because all of them are built in. On the other hand, the owner of a desktop has to buy them and plug them into it through a USB port. It is hard to carry all of them when moving to another place. Nevertheless, the laptop also has some disadvantages. In other words, a desktop has some benefits that a laptop doesn’t. For one thing, a desktop is usually cheaper than a laptop, sometimes just half the price of the laptop. Because of the conveniences of the laptop, the customers are willing to pay extra money for them. The second advantage of the desktop is the compatibility to work. It is believed that the desktop can work better that the laptop. It is really powerful; most tasks can be accomplished in a short time. Its monitor is great to design images, watch DVDs or play games with a large screen, high resolution, and short delay time. Furthermore, a professional video editor often chooses a desktop as a tool for his or her work because of its strength. On the contrary, the laptop is not good to watch DVDs or play games because of its small screen. Gazing at the laptop’s screen for long periods may harm the viewer’s eyes. In addition, many people complain that it is difficult to type with the small keyboard of the laptop. In fact, this problem appears with the laptops whose monitors are smaller than 13†. The users need to practice typing on these small keyboards before working with these laptops. The third benefit of desktop computers is the ability to upgrade. Upgrading a desktop is very simple; anyone can learn to do it by himself, but for the laptop, it is much harder. The desktop can be added and modified as the user pleases. However, the laptop’s users need an expert to help them upgrade it. For that reason, the desktop’s speed can be unlimited, but the laptop’s can’t. The final advantage is the durability. The desktop is very durable; it can work for more than 10 years if it is kept in a good environment. Unfortunately, the laptop is fragile when being dropped. When it is broken, people will probably buy a new one. Based on the differences of these computers, the users can determine which one is better for them depending on their purposes. If they are the white-collar workers or the students who need the computers for their work or study, a small convenient laptop is the best choice for them. On the other hand, if they need the computers for their families or their works relating to graphic design, video editing, or playing hard-core games, a powerful desktop is likely a great choice.

My Hero: Drew Chadwick

Every child has a hero, someone he looks up to, someone he tries to be like in every way possible. His hero may be his mom or dad, or Spiderman or Batman. Even today as teenagers we still have heroes; even parents have heroes. A hero is defined as â€Å"a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. (dictionary. com)† My hero is Drew Chadwick of Emblem3. Drew is my hero because he has the qualities I value in a person; they include a humble and inspirational outlook, a true talent for music, and the genius mind behind Team Inspire.Drew has a humble outlook on life and an inspiring message he tries to spread, which is one of the reasons he is my hero. His motto in life is very different from most boys; his motto is â€Å"Namaste. † According to Drew, it means ‘I honor the place in you where the universe resides, and when I am in that place and when you are in that place, we are one. ’ Last year was very diffi cult for me; personally I went through a rough time and his outlook inspired me to get through it. Drew went through the same thing I did.Sharing his story and message showed me sometimes its ok, not to be okay. Drew’s music is unlike something you would normally hear on the radio. His lyrics come from his heart and his experiences. He leaves his heart and soul out on the stage when he performs. Drew’s lyrics are easily relatable and have helped me through the most challenging times. From â€Å"The Boy Who Was Torn Apart† to â€Å"True Friends† there is something in the lyrics that I can relate to. His words inspire me to be a better person every day.Lastly, Drew us one of the master minds behind Team Inspire. It amazes me that he is a part of such an inspirational movement. â€Å"Team Inspire Project is a movement dedicated to bringing conscious awareness worldwide through the power of inspiration. By encouraging young people to tap into their highest p otential, Team Inspire believes they can change the world one mind at a time. † When Drew is not touring he spends his time working with Team Inspire. Personally, I am a member of a Team Inspire.A few things I do with Team Inspire are local beach cleanups and participate in workshops that show better and healthier ways to live. Through the work of Team Inspire I along with Drew and others are learning how to change the world one mind at a time. This summer I had the chance to meet my hero and was able to tell him how much he meant to me and inspired me. Everyone has a hero and my hero is Drew Chadwick. Drew’s humble and inspirational outlook, true talent for music, and genius mind behind Team Inspire make him my perfect hero.

Compare and contrast Cortez and Ricci in their attitudes towards Essay

Compare and contrast Cortez and Ricci in their attitudes towards non-Christian cultures. Should they be regarded as part of the - Essay Example During this period, Cortes was primarily an explorer and intermediary that facilitated communications between the New World and King Charles V. Conversion of foreign natives to Christianity was an outcome of primary ambitions for improving the economic and political strength of the Spanish Empire. On the contrary, Matteo Ricci hailed from Italy, a nation that prescribed strongly to traditional Catholic values and where the papacy maintained considerable influence in the establishment of cultural rules and legislation. Ricci’s primary goal was not enhancing the political and economic might of Italy but to serve God through Catholic missionary activities around the world. Fundamentally, Ricci and Cortes maintained radically different views on the importance of adhering to religious doctrine and the existing spiritual foundations of foreign cultures. Though both condemned non-Christian value systems, they should not be regarded as being part of the same missionary project, as Ric ci was a devout believer in attaining rewards through Christ while Cortes sought empowerment, first and foremost, for Spain. In Cortes’ letter to Charles V in 1520, Cortes describes the majesty of the Aztec Empire, recurrently expressing the tangibles of architecture, resource availability, and the engineering prowess of this region. In great detail, Cortes highlights the amazing plethora of animals, vegetables, precious metals, and various commodities found in Temixtitlan. As if presenting a well-inventoried catalog, Cortes reinforces the potential economic benefits that this Empire holds for Charles V, as if to embolden action to ensure that these resources and talents are procured for the throne. It is not until all dimensions of economic benefits are found in Temixtitlan that Cortes begins to describe his condemnation of idolatry and the other non-Christian religious practices and ceremonies he has observed and attempted to thwart. Matteo Ricci, however, is far less defam ing non-Christian cultures, attempting to convert and educate various international citizens to the Catholic doctrine when he recognizes potential cultural interest in God and Christ. Ricci finds commonalities to religious beliefs similar to Roman Catholicism in China, but discovers Japanese cultural and religious behaviors simply too strange to fulfill conversion and incorporation into this doctrine. Rather than acting hostile toward these cultures, he focuses more intently on converting regions that are more conducive to Christian beliefs, and illustrate interest in its concepts. Ricci does not seek out exploitation of resources or economic benefits for Italy, having taken a vow not to seek individual wealth but use cooperative resources to adhere to Jesuit missionary agenda. Cortes is much more aggressive about converting Aztec citizens to the Christian doctrine, one that rejects idolatry and advocates respect for human life offered by Christian values. After having observed the places of worship, Cortes is sickened by the practice of human sacrifice, with special dismay placed on idols â€Å"all polluted with human blood† (Cortes 3), thus reacting with hostility by destroying the idols. Cortes is not withdrawn or inhibited in his public presentation of consternation and shock over recurring idolatry and the faith that Aztec citizens maintained in serving what he referred to as false gods. Ricci, unlike Cortes, works hard to incorporate Jesuit beliefs into the foreign

Discuss critically the various ways that frontier rhetoric and imagery Essay

Discuss critically the various ways that frontier rhetoric and imagery have been associated with or employed by C20th American Presidents - Essay Example towering figure in the American myth is the frontiersman making his way out west with little but a few dollars in his pocket, a rifle and the hope for a better life. That better life has been achieved for his ancestors, but at the cost of genocide of those who stood in his way. Nevertheless, the frontiersman—and especially the iconic image of the cowboy—is the ultimate embodiment of the American myth and and so it should come as little surprise that farther we move away from the reality of that time, the more Americas leaders co-opt the romantic imagery associated with the westward expansion. The central determining term to suggest that Americans had not only the right, but the moral imperative to run roughshod over the native peoples of the west was the idea of Manifest Destiny. John L. O’Sullivan is credited with coining this phrase as well as defining the concept. O’Sullivan was the editor of the Democratic Review and took advantage of every opportunity to establish the proposal that American conquest of the continent was inevitable and necessary. O’Sullivan was convinced of the greatness of America and saw the enormous bounty of untrammeled land in th west as the key to creating everlasting prosperity (Weinberg, 1935, p. 62). It is a vital component to undertanding the full effect of the use of frontier imagery among 20th century Presidents to fully acknowledge and apprehend how Manifest Destiny played a part in the shaping of the western myth, as well as how that myth continues to be played out today. The country included in its desires for westward expansion those areas owned by Mexico. Texas had affirmed its independence in 1836, but war was on the horizon and it is not by accident that some of the most iconic images of the frontier came from that war. Davy Crockett was perhaps the most famous victim of the siege of the Alamo, and his mythical rise to pre-eminent status reminds one of the manipulation of image by political handlers

Analysis of Education Reforms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Education Reforms - Research Paper Example The meaning of education has changed severally throughout history. This has been due to debates by scholars over what experiences and content result in an individual or society being educated. Education can be formal and informal. Formal education refers to the organized process of instructing, developing and training individuals within a formally structured, certified and approved program or environment. Formal education follows a pre-described curriculum that is administered by trained and qualified personnel. It is usually supported by governments and it leads to formal certification. Informal education, on the other hand, refers to education that takes place outside a formally structured and organized school environment. It is usually not compulsory and some governments may support it while others may not. Formal certification is not given for informal education (Guthrie 43). Generally, formal education in most jurisdictions begins at pre-school. It then proceeds to primary schoo l, secondary school and finally to higher education. The demand for improved education and the efforts towards high-quality standards have necessitated education reforms in the education sector. Education reform is broadly interpreted to mean the major change in how individuals formally access information and knowledge. Education reforms can be implemented by enforcing broad changes in the curriculum. The reforms can also be implemented by educational stakeholders and individual educators (Blackburn 19). This paper focuses on the stands of ancient scholars concerning education and the opinions of modern reformists on the same. It also highlights my position as the writer and which side I agree with. It describes why I subscribe to the school of thought that I have chosen and why I think the ancient schools of thought were misleading. According to Plato, children can never be forced to learn! They can only learn effectively if they want to. In his book, The Republic, he says that lea rning which is compulsory will never stick in the mind of the learner. However, modern education reforms focus on the spread of compulsory education worldwide. Those who subscribe to this school of thought claim that there were no widespread educational reforms until organized schooling became adequately systematized. Personally, I vehemently disagree with Plato and all those who subscribed to his school of thought. I believe in compulsory education for all. Compulsory education may be described as a period whereby all persons that fall under a prescribed age group, usually 6 to 16 years, attend formal educational facilities. It may also be the compulsory educational attendance of all persons up to a certain grade. In the modern world, democracy, economic growth, and compulsory education have improved the quality, attendance, and value of education. They have created an awareness of the importance of education for all (Swassing 28). I believe that all persons, children or adults, sh ould have continuous access to effective and high-quality education.  Ã‚  

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Fire service administration - Essay Example They quickly alerted the teacher who was around who lined all students to vacate the building. As the teacher to make her way out of the class to access the avenue that led to the exit, the smoked was more intense and hence, she was forced to sit back in the class with the students to wait for help. The fire ignited fiercely and more time passed before the school alarm rang (McBride, 1979) At this time, a window was shattered at the staircase’s foot from the intense ignition providing the fire with oxygen. The heat also lit a roll of building paper that along with the oil based waxes triggered the oily, thick dark smoke that led to deaths from the smoke inhalation. The staircase made of wood also got ignited. Just around the same time the janitor noticed the fire and alerted the housekeepers to alert the department of fire. For 330 children and 6 teachers, the remaining outlet was jumping from the second floors or wait for the rescue team to arrive. Noticing the fix they were in, they teachers encouraged the students to sit at their lockers and pray. The intense flames, heat and smoke pushed them towards the windows. One of the teachers suggested that the students should stuff furniture at the door front that slowed the smoke till the rescue team arrived. Out of all the students, 8 got injured, and 2 died. One died out of roof collapse. The other died in the ho spital out of injuries (John K, 2008) What triggered the fire could not be established. A student of 5th grade during the time of ignition confessed to have set the place ablaze and then withdrew the confession. He feared telling this to the parents than to the authorities. He also said that he had been setting a series of fire in apartment buildings in the neighborhood. On that day, the boy had been excused to go the washrooms at 2pm. At this time is when the ignition started in the bin. Succeeding the incident, investigation established

DETAILED COMPARISON BETWEEN ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM Essay

DETAILED COMPARISON BETWEEN ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM - Essay Example A good consequence is determined in terms of pleasure or happiness (both intrinsic and instrumental), according to Bentham. So, his concept can also be termed as â€Å"hedonic utilitarianism† since he experimented logically that we look for pleasure (hedonism) and avert pain, assuming that both pleasure and pain hold an impact on our decisions, although we are conscious of right or wrong and cause or effect. Two forms of utilitarianism, act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism are in conflict with each other. Act utilitarianism, being a results-oriented theory, supports consequentialism, assuming right or wrong on the basis of outcomes. Instead, rule utilitarianism, being an idealistic and inflexible theory, is based on rules involving conduct and related principles. Believers of rule utilitarianism don’t violate the rules, approved by mainstream. Act Utilitarian upholds that the principle of utility must be employed in all individual situations, whenever possible. Bentham indicates that most vital attributes to determine what is moral are pleasure and pain. The practicality of an action decides its rightness or wrongness, bringing about the utmost good from countless evolving outcomes. For instance, if you are in a state where you consider lying to be a supreme good, at that point, you should lie. If infringement of law leads towards ultimate good of a particular act, then that act would be correct to adhere to. Likewise, Act Utilitarianism allows for flexibility, considering individual situations and identifying the right action strategy to produce extreme happiness. Conversely, Rule Utilitarianism, associated with John Stuart Mill, concentrates on common rules that each person must obey to lead towards the greatest community benefit. Unlike Act Utilitarianism, Rule Utilitarianism institutes the best rules, followed by the whole community, though it doesn’t head

Racism affects everybody Essay Example for Free

Racism affects everybody Essay This is shown in the movie ‘Australia’, how everyone can be affected by racism. Many different ways of racism towards people in the movie ‘Australia’. A few of the main characters that are affected in the movie is Nullah, The Drover, Lady Ashley. The people that are being most affected in the movie would have to be the indigenous, that’s because the time the movie was set in, was when the white australia policy was happening, so pretty much every Australian was being racist towards aboriginal people. Racism is problem that everybody is affected in the world today. In the movie Australia, all the aboriginal people was being well behaved, did everything they was told and followed the rules. Even then people was still be racist towards them. Some of the ways racism was shown in the movie was how the aboriginals wasn’t allowed in the pubs, also Neil Fletcher was using Daisy for sex and didn’t show any respect and also beat her and his son up. So pretty much all the Australians in this time period was against all indigenous people and all japanese because at the time australia was at war with japan and japan ended up bombing darwin. Nullah in the movie was a half cast, so he wasn’t fully aboriginal or australian, he felt left out because he wasn’t black or white, he was only a creamy colour. He was like this because of Neil Fletcher using his mother for sex. Nullah and his mother wasn’t treated with any respect at all and both of them was also beat up, it was because Neil fletcher played a big part in being racist towards Indigenous people. A good example of racism towards Nullah is when he is about to get on the ship to the mission and a young australian boy was yelling to him and saying â€Å"Creamy† and kept saying that to Nullah. Near the end of the movie Nullah wants to go ‘walk about’ with his Grandfather. If you go on this ‘walk about’ It means you become a man, it’s part of the aboriginal tradition, even though Nullah isn’t a full blooded aboriginal, he still wants to keep live by his aboriginal culture and follow the aboriginal tradition and become a man through the true aboriginal way. The reason all this racism was happening towards the aboriginal people was because of the government. They had made a policy in the australia called the white australia policy, this policy wanted australia to only have fully white blooded australians in australia only. The half cast kids like ‘Nullah’ was sent to a mission to learn about the christianity and how australians live, the other reason they were sent there is because australian people wasn’t proud of having sex with aboriginal women and then they didn’t want half cast kids in the public because it would remind them of what they did with those aboriginal women and they didn’t want that. So the government made missions where, the half cast kids were taken from their families by the police and wasn’t allowed to see their families again. The kids that were taken when they were are now called the stolen generation. The two people in the movie that werent being racist towards aboriginal people was The Drover and Lady Ashley, this was because they both had a connection with the aboriginal people in the movie, The Drover’s partner in the movie was an aboriginal and The Drover felt like he was an aboriginal and thought that people treated him like one. He also sticked up for his partner at the pub, this shows how close Drover was to his partner. Lady was close to aboriginal people because of Nullah’s mother dying and she took up mothering for Nullah, this made a strong connection between them. When Neil Fletcher was beating up Nullah Lady Ashley stepped in and protected Nullah. In conclusion, It doesn’t matter if someone is being racist towards an individual, it will affect other people to. Even all the years ago, when the white australia policy was taking place, the racism towards the aboriginals and the stolen generation, It is still affecting most of Australia today and a lot of people are sorry to the stolen generation because what the government did was very wrong and it didn’t take not long to see what they done. Racism still happens today everywhere and it does affect everyone.

HRM and Staff Turnover in the Hospitality Industry

HRM and Staff Turnover in the Hospitality Industry CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Findings show extensive existing research in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and how they might benefit an organisations business performance. Academics suggest that there is a series or bundle of human resource (HR) practices which are of great benefit to an organisation, for example, selection and recruitment, training and development, without giving any consideration to other contingency factors, such as the size, structure or varying labour markets of an organisation (Pfeffer, 1994a; 1998b; Huselid, 1995 cited in Gonzalez and Tacorante, 2004). This is known as the best practice approach to HRM. There is also a different contingent approach, known as the best-fit approach, which is dependent upon the organisations strategic focus, suggesting that it is more beneficial for an organisation to use HR practices which are more aligned with its strategies and external environment (Legge in Storey, 2001). These two approaches will be discussed in more detail in Cha pter 2. Although the literature in the field of HRM shows a positive correlation between employee perceptions of HRM fairness and employee acceptance and satisfaction with HRM decisions (Bowen et al., 1999), there is a gap in the research when it comes to a direct link between HRM and staff turnover and more research is needed to support an assertion that good HRM within an organisation leads to a greater retention of front office staff. Although the hospitality industry has experienced almost continuous growth since the 1900s, poor staff retention has always been a problem in the industry. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2009) state that the highest levels of labour turnover are found in the service sector and in the hotel and catering industry in particular (www.cipd.co.uk, 2009). Research points to various reasons for this such as lack of training, development and career opportunities. The term front office refers to organisations departments which come into contact with their customers such as the reception area of a hotel, which might consist of a receptionist, reception supervisor and perhaps a revenue or finance manager in some smaller establishments. It is the authors own experience, from working in the hotel industry, that many front office employees possess certain characteristics which render them more susceptible to a high level of turnover and examples of these will be discussed below. In addition, the author has found that front office employees generally do not receive the same HR configuration as some of their counterparts. For these reasons, the author has seen fit to investigate further the extent to which poor HRM practices affect turnover for front office staff in the hospitality industry. 1.2 Aim The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate two of the main problems in the hospitality industry: poor HRM practices and high staff turnover and the existence of a direct link between these working on the hypothesis that sound HRM practices should significantly reduce staff turnover. 1.3 Objectives To critically review current HRM practices in the hospitality industry, looking specifically at selection and recruitment and training and development, which are seen to have the greatest impact on staff turnover, highlighting the reasons why poor HRM practices might affect staff retention. To provide a definition of staff turnover and discuss the main causes of high staff turnover within the hospitality industry. To investigate the characteristics of front office staff, looking closely at the work of Lepack and Snell (1999a; 2002b) regarding Human Resource Architecture, with the aim of showing that front office staff receive a different HR configuration to other employees who might be seen as more important to an organisation. 1.4 Methodology Research is briefly defined as a form of systematic enquiry that contributes to knowledge (Altinay and Paraskevas, 2008:1) and in the case of this dissertation was used to identify new and better ways of managing within the hospitality industry. After reflecting on experience the author decided to investigate further the area of HRM practices and staff turnover, once the research area was decided the author then had to choose the research method which best suited the research question. Saunders suggests that most research questions are answered using some combination of secondary and primary research (Saunders et al., 2003:189). However, the author of this dissertation takes the view that that there is sufficient secondary data available to achieve the aims and objectives stated above and it is therefore based solely on secondary research drawing on existing sources alone. Work by academics in the area of HRM, for example, Lashley (1998); Boxall (2008); Hoque (2000); Purcell (2001a; 2008b); Torrington, Hall and Taylor (1991); Mullins (1998); Lucas (2004); Armstrong (1987a; 1992b; 2000c); Storey (1992a; 1995b; 2001c); and Guest (1987a; 1989b) will be analysed to provide a base to the theory of HRM. Data from government sources, for example, People1st, will be used as further evidence to back up the authors findings. The main advantage of secondary research is that it saves time and money (Ghauri and Gronhaugh, 2002). Secondary data can be obtained much more quickly than primary data and time is the only cost incurred. Secondary data facilitates the analysis of larger data sets, such as those collected by government surveys (Saunders et al, 2003). It is readily available and generally of proven reliability. Stewart and Kimes (1993) suggest that the quality of data in secondary research is likely to be far superior to that obtained through primary research as secondary data is permanent and more open to public scrutiny. Secondary information offers relatively quick and inexpensive answers to many questions and is almost always the point of departure for primary research (Stewart et al., 1993:1). However, it is important to recognise that secondary data does have a number of disadvantages. It may well have been collected for a specific purpose differing, either substantively or in emphasis, from the research question and this dissertations objectives. It might also reflect the attitudes of those collecting it rather than offer an objective picture of reality (Saunders et al., 2003:203). In addition, the secondary data may be outdated. Wrenn et al (2007) suggest that old information may not necessarily be bad information, but that up-to-date information is an absolute necessity (Wrenn et al., 2007:73). The author has attempted to overcome weaknesses of the secondary research method by using secondary data that is both current and closely related in emphasis to this dissertations title, aim and objectives. As the author aimed to analyse a large data set instead of concentrating on a smaller sample, for example, one organisation in particular, it was decided that secondary research would be more appropriate for this type of study. 1.5 Structure Chapter 2 reviews the literature on HRM history, approaches, theories, strategies and practices. Views of prominent academics in the field of HRM are summarised, critically analysed and evaluated. Chapter 3 defines the different types of staff turnover which occur within an organisation, identifying drivers and costs associated with high staff turnover. Characteristics of the hospitality industry, which may make it particularly vulnerable to poor staff retention, are identified. Chapter 4 reviews some of the key HRM practices being used in the hotel industry, focusing on selection and recruitment methods and training and development techniques, explaining how they affect staff turnover. Red Carnation Hotels are used as an example to show the impact the implementation of an effective training programme has on levels of employee turnover. Chapter 5 investigates Lepack and Snells (1999a; 2002b) work on Human Resource Architecture, showing that staff turnover levels in different departments might be attributable to different HR configurations. Chapter 6 concludes that good HRM practices can greatly reduce staff turnover and recommendations for improved staff turnover are made. CHAPTER 2 THE THEORY BEHIND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SOME KEY PRACTICES 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews the literature on HRM theory, providing a brief overview of HRMs history and its similarities with personnel management. The hard and soft approaches to HRM are compared and contrasted, as are the best fit and best practice strategies. 2.2 Human Resource Management HRM is a management strategy which aims positively to influence individual ability and motivation and afford employees the opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities. (Blumberg and Pringle, 1982; Campbell, McCloy, Oppler and Sager, 1993 cited in Boxall and Purcell, 2008). Whilst Boella and Goss-Turner (2005) attempt to define HRM simply as a strategic management function aimed at determining and achieving managerial goals, Storey (2001) provides the clearest definition of HRM:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. (Storey 2001:6) HRM emerged as a new concept in the 1980s in the USA, promoted by such academics as Beer, Spector, Lawrence, Quinn Mills and Walton (1984) from the Harvard School and other influential writers who argued in favour of a more comprehensive and strategic approach to an organisations workforce (Armstrong, 1992). It quickly spread to the UK. Bratton and Gold (2003) state that HRM assumed new prominence due to concerns about global competition, the internationalization of technology and the productivity of labour (Bratton and Gold, 2003:4), all of which required managers to change the way in which organisations used their human resources and managed the employment relationship. The increased influence of trade unions and the continued growth of organisations in general, led to greater importance being placed on the personnel function of management. Prompted by economic trends and views of influential writers at the time, such as Pascale and Athos (1981), Peters and Waterman (1982), Kanter (1984) and Porter (1985), along with those from the Harvard School, chief executives began to realise that to gain, and retain, competitive advantage, human resources must be properly managed. Cuming (1993) suggests that employees are in fact the most important resource available to an organisation if organisational success is to be achieved. HRM enables an organisation to achieve goals through its workforce, whilst integrating human resource policies and business plans. Effective HRM should create a working environment in which all employees can be utilised to their full capacity and potential. It plays an important role in building the capabilities of a workforce and improving the general climate of employee attitudes (Boxall and Purcell, 2008) and aims to ensure commitment from individuals in order to achieve success for the organisation (Guest 1987). Academics have conflicting views on the meaning of HRM, some doubting its existence altogether. Fowler (1987), for example, believes that HRM is nothing more than a construct largely invented by academics and popularised by consultants (Fowler 1987 cited in Armstrong, 1999:586), while Woods (1999) claims that HRM is a paradox which has never really been mastered. Many academics are unable to make a clear distinction between HRM and personnel management (Armstrong, 1987; Sisson and Bach, 1989a; 1994b, 2000c; Legge, 1995; Torrington and Hall, 1998), while others are able to easily identify differences between them. The best way to conceptualise them, however, is as a continuum with personnel management at one end and HRM at the other (Wilson, 2001:47). Their differences and similarities can be found summarised in Table 1. 2.3 Hard and Soft HRM There are two approaches to HRM, each of which aims to provide an organisation with a competitive advantage. Storey (1992) and Guest (1987) were the first writers to make the distinction suggesting that the emphasis could either be on human or resources. In the UK, the two approaches are known as hard and soft HRM. The hard approach to HRM stresses the need for business orientated style, with an emphasis on productivity, efficiency in the utilisation of human resources and the achievement of business goals (Boella and Goss-Turner, 2005:23). Nickson (2007) describes the hard approach as instrumental and economically rational (Nickson 2007:9), aiming to gain a competitive advantage whilst keeping labour costs to a minimum. Armstrong (1992) suggests that the hard approach to HRM treats employees like any other resource, for instance land or capital, to be used as managers see fit. However, this approach does not necessarily mean that employees will be treated badly. Marchington and Wilkinson (2002) suggest that if labour is in short supply or is central to the achievement of organisational goals, employees may be treated well. For the hard approach to be most effective, the staffing structure of an organisation must mirror its needs. It is essential that an organisation has the right number of staff in the right place at the right time (Wilson, 2005). The HRM practice of human resource planning is therefore crucial (Mullins, 1998). The alternative approach, soft HRM, stresses the human aspects of HRM (Price, 2007) focussing particularly on communication and motivation. Training and development programmes as well as commitment strategies are used with the aim of producing highly skilled employees in order to gain a competitive advantage (Bratton and Gold, 2003). A soft HRM approach puts staff at the centre of determining and realising strategic objectives and staff are led rather than managed to achieve organisational success. Storey (1992) states that Soft HRM sees employees as a valuable resource whose competencies, skills and attitudes are to be appropriately nurtured (Storey, 1992:28). The organisation and its workforce work together towards a competitive advantage, the organisation aiming to improve the quality of its staff in the hope that it will reap the rewards of their development. The soft approach is based on the premise that if employees feel they have been treated well, they will do all they can to achieve organisational goals. Although some authors, for example Sisson (1994), argue that organisations claiming to use a soft HRM approach may just be using the language to disguise what is actually a hard approach, similarities have been drawn between a soft HRM approach and personnel management, as organisations use employees to achieve a competitive advantage through developing their skills and loyalty. 2.4 The best practice or best fit approach to HRM There are two fundamental HR strategies which are used to ensure that the effects of HR practices are maximised. The best practice approach is generally agreed to comprise a list of tangible practices, with best practice HRM or bundles of practices having the greatest impact on performance (Pfeffer,1994a; 1998b; Huselid,1995; Wood, 1995; Patterson et al, 1998; Guest, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Best practice approach is based on the assumption that there is a set of best HRM practices and that adopting them will inevitably lead to superior organisational performance. (Armstrong 2000:135) The best fit model on the other hand is based on the principle that HR strategy will be more effective when appropriately integrated within the specific firm and environmental context (Boxall and Purcell, 2001) Writers suggest that there is a bundle of practices essential to the HR effective strategy of any organisation. These include practices discussed in more detail below, such as selection and recruitment, and training and development. Others may be more marginal as they do not necessarily have general application, for instance, family friendly policies, profit related pay and share ownership (Guest, 2001; Torrington et al, 1999a; 2002b; 2005c). The importance of deploying these practices in the correct manner must, however, be stressed. Simply employing them without the correct management may have a negative effect on an organisation and its retention of human resources. Critics of the best practice strategy argue that, as organisations vary in size, compete in different labour markets and have varying market strategies, what works for one organisation might not necessarily work as well for another. Organisations work systems are highly idiosyncratic (Becker et al, 1997 cited in Ingham, 2007:78) with optimum results only being achieved if practices are tailored carefully to each individual situation. Larger organisations, for instance, are more likely than smaller entities to adopt more sophisticated staffing and training procedures and to have a more structured workforce with more specialised jobs and defined career hierarchies. They inevitably require therefore more formalised HR practices to facilitate the management of larger numbers (Schuler and Jackson 1995). The concept of fit between business and HR policy is based on the assumption that if HRM is more contingent with the external environment and an organisations business strategy, it will lead to higher performance and competitive advantage (Legge cited in Storey, 2001). The best fit approach ensures that HR strategies are aligned with the culture and operational process of an organisation as well as the external environment. Armstrong suggests that this is one of the most important aims in a development programme (Armstrong 2000:132). 2.5 HRM practices Recruitment and selection procedures (Bonn and Forbringer 1992; Woods and Mcaulay 1989; Wagner 1991; Wheelhouse 1989) and training and development opportunities (Hogan 1992; Himestra 1990; Conrade et al., 1994) have been identified as having the biggest impact on staff turnover and are explored in detail in Chapter 4. Mullins (1995) recognises that the aim of any organisation must be to select the best available staff in the first place, train and develop them and to retain them for a reasonable period of time (Mullins 1995:183). Through the use of various intervention processes, for example, recruitment and selection and training and development, an organisation can influence turnover (Mullins, 1995 cited Cheng and Brown, 1998:138). This is consistent with literature which suggests that the use of high performance work practices, including recruitment and selection procedures and training, are associated with lower labour turnover, greater productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995:635) However, before exploring recruitment and selection and training and development further it is important to mention some of the other key HRM practices used in the hospitality industry. HRM practices should cover five main areas: Staffing and recruitment; making sure that available jobs within an organisation are filled appropriately by staff with the required knowledge, experience, abilities and skills, whilst also deploying an effective retention programme. Rewards; carrying out regular appraisals and making sure that reward systems are in place as well as that staff benefit for achieving organisational goals. Employee development; ensuring that employees have the correct amount of training to enable them to do their job to the best of their abilities whilst enabling them to reach their full potential. Employee maintenance and job security; making sure that employees are working in a safe environment as well as offering support where redundancies are necessary. (Bratton and Gold, 1999; Mullins, 1998; Redman and Mathews, 1998 cited in Lucas 2004) It is also suggested that HRM practices should include team working, employee involvement, liaisons with outside bodies (ACAS, HCTC and HCIMA), maintaining statistics and records and dealing with trade unions (Redman and Mathews, 1998 cited in Lucas, 2004, Mullins, 1998). 2.6 Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection is an important element of HRM in all organisations regardless of size, structure or sector (Marchington et al., 2005) and is critical to the long-term success of every hospitality business (Hayes et al., 2009). In terms of the hotel industry, Kelliher and Johnson (1987, 1997) have suggested that recruitment is, in fact, HRMs central function. Recruitment is the process of identifying candidates for current or future position vacancies. It is Those practices and activities carried out by the organisation with the primary purpose of identifying and attracting potential employees (Barber, 1998:5 cited in Purcell et al., 2007:273; Hayes et al 2009:44). Selection is the process of choosing an individual for a current or future position vacancy (Hayes et al., 2009:44). Selection pares down the number of applicants while recruitment makes the paring down possible by producing the pool of candidates from whom new employees will be selected. However Recruitment and selection is generally viewed as an integrated function (Mullins, 1995; Croney, 1988; Nankervis, 1993b) and is considered as such in this dissertation. The recruitment and selection process is the first point of contact for potential employees, who will tend to judge the organisation as a whole by the manner in which it is conducted, as well as the first stage in the HRM value chain. This leads some specialists to the view that: effective recruitment is likely to be the most critical human resource function for organisational success and survival (Taylor and Collins, 2000:304 cited in Boxall et al., 2007:273). Managers must address a number of questions before they begin the recruitment and selection process for it to have the desired effect, particularly whom to target, where, how (web, newspapers, job fairs) and when and what message to communicate (Breaugh, 1992; Breaugh and Stake, 2000 cited in Boxall et al, 2007:274). Literature suggests that recruitment and selection techniques have progressed from purely traditional techniques (advertising, walk-ins, selection interviews, reference checking) towards more strategic approaches (networking, internal labour market, behavioural interviewing, targeted selection) (Nankarvis and Debrah, 1995; Nankarvis, 1993b). There has also been an increase in recruiting through informal methods (word-of-mouth networks, recruit a relative or friend incentives, keep warm contacts with past employees and speculative applicants). Evidence suggests that such incentives strengthen job satisfaction for both recruiter and recruited (Purcell and Rowley, 2001:183), which in turn reduces staff turnover. There are a number of potential implications of poor selection decisions: Managers may have to waste time on disciplinary procedures or retraining poor performers as well as recruiting replacements for those leaving the job soon after commencing employment. These processes are both expensive and time-consuming, possibly diverting managers from other tasks. Poor recruitment and selection techniques do not only lead to under-qualified staff being employed. Some may be over-qualified and decide to leave soon after starting the job (Marchington et al., 2005). 2.7 Training and Development Training and Development is another key HRM practice which, if performed effectively, can reduce staff turnover within an organisation. Pepper (1984) defines training as the organized process concerned with the acquisition of capability or the maintenance of capability (Pepper, 1984:9-11 cited in Wilson, 1999:118). It is also viewed as a service provided by an organisation for its internal customers- its employees (Lovelock, 1989 cited in Chiang et al, 2005:101). Wexley and Latham (1991) introduce development into their definition suggesting that training and development is a planned effort by an organisation to facilitate the learning of job related behaviour on the part of its employees (Wexley and Latham, 1991:3). Development can relate to future requirements, such as preparation for promotion, whilst training generally relates to the here and now. For the purposes of this dissertation, however, the two terms are considered synonymous. Training strategies can include the employment of skilled trainers and use of training manuals or videos as support tools. Training can be hands-on or may take the form of classroom training. In some cases, the two strategies may be used together with feedback being provided through evaluation and appraisals (Chiang, 2005:101). Training may be either formal and take place outside the organisation or informal, on the job, where observation and instruction occurs on site (Jones, 2004:127). An effective training plan requires a good training site, a qualified trainer with clear objectives and methods as well as the necessary training tools and an evaluation strategy (Tanke, 1990). Paynes (2004) suggests that the aim of any training plan must be to ensure that staff have the required knowledge, skills, abilities and characteristics to confront new challenges 2.8 Conclusion HRM has been defined and the conflicting views have been discussed as have the different approaches and strategies used in order to provide an overview of the topic of HRM. An overview of the key HRM practices has also been provided and those most relevant to the hospitality industry have been split into key areas. Although selection and recruitment and training and development are suggested to have the greatest impact on employee turnover, the literature suggests that other key HRM practices, such as reward schemes, employee maintenance, liaisons with outside bodies, maintaining statistics and records and dealing with trade unions, may also have a significant effect (Bratton and Gold 1999, Mullins 1998, Redman and Mathews 1998 and Lashley 1998). CHAPTER 3 STAFF TURNOVER 3.1 Introduction This Chapter explores the concept of staff turnover. Staff turnover is defined and a measure used to calculate turnover levels is discussed, along with its limitations. The characteristics of the Hospitality Industry are identified to show the extent to which they might make the industry more vulnerable to high staff turnover and turnover figures will be provided to support any assumptions that have been made. Some of the main reasons for high staff turnover in the industry will be considered looking in particular at some of the relevant push and pull factors. The cost and benefits of staff turnover will be weighed up to demonstrate the real need for the proper deployment of some of the HRM practices discussed in Chapter 2. 3.2 Definition of Staff Turnover The Hospitality Training Foundation (HtF) defines staff turnover as, the number of people leaving their job in a year as a percentage of the people employed in the industry (Hospitality Training Foundation, 1998 cited in Boella, 2005:178). Generally, turnover is measured over the financial year and is a measure of separations from an employing organisation. Organisations can use the following formula to calculate turnover rate in each department. Number of employees who left during the period X 100 Average number employed during the period Analysis of the turnover rate allows organisations not only to see whether they generally have a problem of high turnover but also to compare the rates of turnover between departments and to target workforce planning strategies accordingly. The calculation above is simple and is a broad indicator but it does have limitations. It does not reflect length of service of employees or whether or not the employer employs a few people at a high rate of pay or many people at a low rate of pay (Boella et al., 2000a; 2005b). The calculation also includes unavoidable turnover, for example, staff leaving due to illness, death or relocation and it may be beneficial to an organisation to create a measure which only measures avoidable turnover (Phillips, 2005). There are four types of turnover which occur within an organisation: voluntary; involuntary; functional and dysfunctional. The differences between them are summarised in Table 2. 3.3 Labour turnover in the Hospitality Industry Over the last 30 years the hospitality leisure and tourism sector has enjoyed a sustained period of growth and now accounts for nearly 5% of the UKs total economic output, employing 2 million people, 1/14 jobs in the UK. Labour turnover across the sector is the highest of all sectors of the economy, rising from 30% in 2005 to 31% in 2008 with recruitment and development of new staff costing an estimated  £414 million in 2008/2009 (Wisdom, 2009). A minority of employees in the hospitality industry are drawn from the primary labour market and as such are generally committed to the industry and sometimes to a particular sector within it. Riley (1996) estimates that 6% of jobs in the hospitality industry are managerial positions, 8% supervisory and 22% craft (Riley, 1996 cited in Kusluvan, 2003). The industry relies heavily, however, on the secondary labour market, which is made up of workers with skills which can be used across a number of industries, for example, secretaries, administrators and maintenance workers. Secondary labour markets do however approximate pretty closely in their characteristics to much of what happens in the industry in terms of the behaviour of employees and their treatment by employers (Goldsmith et al, 1997:16). Boella et al., (2005) suggests that these employees generally attach more importance to a geographical area rather than a career and choose to work in the industry purely to earn a living. The hospitality industry is particularly susceptible to high labour turnover because it is labour intensive and its pattern of staffing is characterised by high mobility, seasonal and part time work, with a high proportion of unskilled, young, part-time and casual staff. The proper use of HRM practices is therefore of great importance to the industry. 3.4 Reasons for staff turnover The greatest numbers of employees leave in the early days of employment, the period in which relationships have not yet developed. Mullins (1998) refers to such turnover as the induction crisis and suggests that it is particularly disruptive and costly. This early turnover is generally the result of improper selection systems, ineffective orientation and inadequate socialization process to adopt employees to the organisation (Phillips, 2005:185). As Torrington et al., (2005) point out, some departures from an organisation are unavoidable, for instance because of relocation, illness or the need to juggle work and family life. According to Lashley and Lincoln (2003), however, high labour turnover is usually due to avoidable causes, such as dissatisfaction with wages, the relationship with other staff or poor working hours, the majority of which can be addressed by effective management. Two broad categories influence staff turnover: work-related attitudes (push factors) and external environmental factors (pull factors) (McBey et al., 2001). Push factors are issues arising within an organisation, including uneven work patterns, poor pay, pe HRM and Staff Turnover in the Hospitality Industry HRM and Staff Turnover in the Hospitality Industry CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Findings show extensive existing research in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and how they might benefit an organisations business performance. Academics suggest that there is a series or bundle of human resource (HR) practices which are of great benefit to an organisation, for example, selection and recruitment, training and development, without giving any consideration to other contingency factors, such as the size, structure or varying labour markets of an organisation (Pfeffer, 1994a; 1998b; Huselid, 1995 cited in Gonzalez and Tacorante, 2004). This is known as the best practice approach to HRM. There is also a different contingent approach, known as the best-fit approach, which is dependent upon the organisations strategic focus, suggesting that it is more beneficial for an organisation to use HR practices which are more aligned with its strategies and external environment (Legge in Storey, 2001). These two approaches will be discussed in more detail in Cha pter 2. Although the literature in the field of HRM shows a positive correlation between employee perceptions of HRM fairness and employee acceptance and satisfaction with HRM decisions (Bowen et al., 1999), there is a gap in the research when it comes to a direct link between HRM and staff turnover and more research is needed to support an assertion that good HRM within an organisation leads to a greater retention of front office staff. Although the hospitality industry has experienced almost continuous growth since the 1900s, poor staff retention has always been a problem in the industry. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) (2009) state that the highest levels of labour turnover are found in the service sector and in the hotel and catering industry in particular (www.cipd.co.uk, 2009). Research points to various reasons for this such as lack of training, development and career opportunities. The term front office refers to organisations departments which come into contact with their customers such as the reception area of a hotel, which might consist of a receptionist, reception supervisor and perhaps a revenue or finance manager in some smaller establishments. It is the authors own experience, from working in the hotel industry, that many front office employees possess certain characteristics which render them more susceptible to a high level of turnover and examples of these will be discussed below. In addition, the author has found that front office employees generally do not receive the same HR configuration as some of their counterparts. For these reasons, the author has seen fit to investigate further the extent to which poor HRM practices affect turnover for front office staff in the hospitality industry. 1.2 Aim The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate two of the main problems in the hospitality industry: poor HRM practices and high staff turnover and the existence of a direct link between these working on the hypothesis that sound HRM practices should significantly reduce staff turnover. 1.3 Objectives To critically review current HRM practices in the hospitality industry, looking specifically at selection and recruitment and training and development, which are seen to have the greatest impact on staff turnover, highlighting the reasons why poor HRM practices might affect staff retention. To provide a definition of staff turnover and discuss the main causes of high staff turnover within the hospitality industry. To investigate the characteristics of front office staff, looking closely at the work of Lepack and Snell (1999a; 2002b) regarding Human Resource Architecture, with the aim of showing that front office staff receive a different HR configuration to other employees who might be seen as more important to an organisation. 1.4 Methodology Research is briefly defined as a form of systematic enquiry that contributes to knowledge (Altinay and Paraskevas, 2008:1) and in the case of this dissertation was used to identify new and better ways of managing within the hospitality industry. After reflecting on experience the author decided to investigate further the area of HRM practices and staff turnover, once the research area was decided the author then had to choose the research method which best suited the research question. Saunders suggests that most research questions are answered using some combination of secondary and primary research (Saunders et al., 2003:189). However, the author of this dissertation takes the view that that there is sufficient secondary data available to achieve the aims and objectives stated above and it is therefore based solely on secondary research drawing on existing sources alone. Work by academics in the area of HRM, for example, Lashley (1998); Boxall (2008); Hoque (2000); Purcell (2001a; 2008b); Torrington, Hall and Taylor (1991); Mullins (1998); Lucas (2004); Armstrong (1987a; 1992b; 2000c); Storey (1992a; 1995b; 2001c); and Guest (1987a; 1989b) will be analysed to provide a base to the theory of HRM. Data from government sources, for example, People1st, will be used as further evidence to back up the authors findings. The main advantage of secondary research is that it saves time and money (Ghauri and Gronhaugh, 2002). Secondary data can be obtained much more quickly than primary data and time is the only cost incurred. Secondary data facilitates the analysis of larger data sets, such as those collected by government surveys (Saunders et al, 2003). It is readily available and generally of proven reliability. Stewart and Kimes (1993) suggest that the quality of data in secondary research is likely to be far superior to that obtained through primary research as secondary data is permanent and more open to public scrutiny. Secondary information offers relatively quick and inexpensive answers to many questions and is almost always the point of departure for primary research (Stewart et al., 1993:1). However, it is important to recognise that secondary data does have a number of disadvantages. It may well have been collected for a specific purpose differing, either substantively or in emphasis, from the research question and this dissertations objectives. It might also reflect the attitudes of those collecting it rather than offer an objective picture of reality (Saunders et al., 2003:203). In addition, the secondary data may be outdated. Wrenn et al (2007) suggest that old information may not necessarily be bad information, but that up-to-date information is an absolute necessity (Wrenn et al., 2007:73). The author has attempted to overcome weaknesses of the secondary research method by using secondary data that is both current and closely related in emphasis to this dissertations title, aim and objectives. As the author aimed to analyse a large data set instead of concentrating on a smaller sample, for example, one organisation in particular, it was decided that secondary research would be more appropriate for this type of study. 1.5 Structure Chapter 2 reviews the literature on HRM history, approaches, theories, strategies and practices. Views of prominent academics in the field of HRM are summarised, critically analysed and evaluated. Chapter 3 defines the different types of staff turnover which occur within an organisation, identifying drivers and costs associated with high staff turnover. Characteristics of the hospitality industry, which may make it particularly vulnerable to poor staff retention, are identified. Chapter 4 reviews some of the key HRM practices being used in the hotel industry, focusing on selection and recruitment methods and training and development techniques, explaining how they affect staff turnover. Red Carnation Hotels are used as an example to show the impact the implementation of an effective training programme has on levels of employee turnover. Chapter 5 investigates Lepack and Snells (1999a; 2002b) work on Human Resource Architecture, showing that staff turnover levels in different departments might be attributable to different HR configurations. Chapter 6 concludes that good HRM practices can greatly reduce staff turnover and recommendations for improved staff turnover are made. CHAPTER 2 THE THEORY BEHIND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SOME KEY PRACTICES 2.1 Introduction This chapter reviews the literature on HRM theory, providing a brief overview of HRMs history and its similarities with personnel management. The hard and soft approaches to HRM are compared and contrasted, as are the best fit and best practice strategies. 2.2 Human Resource Management HRM is a management strategy which aims positively to influence individual ability and motivation and afford employees the opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities. (Blumberg and Pringle, 1982; Campbell, McCloy, Oppler and Sager, 1993 cited in Boxall and Purcell, 2008). Whilst Boella and Goss-Turner (2005) attempt to define HRM simply as a strategic management function aimed at determining and achieving managerial goals, Storey (2001) provides the clearest definition of HRM:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. (Storey 2001:6) HRM emerged as a new concept in the 1980s in the USA, promoted by such academics as Beer, Spector, Lawrence, Quinn Mills and Walton (1984) from the Harvard School and other influential writers who argued in favour of a more comprehensive and strategic approach to an organisations workforce (Armstrong, 1992). It quickly spread to the UK. Bratton and Gold (2003) state that HRM assumed new prominence due to concerns about global competition, the internationalization of technology and the productivity of labour (Bratton and Gold, 2003:4), all of which required managers to change the way in which organisations used their human resources and managed the employment relationship. The increased influence of trade unions and the continued growth of organisations in general, led to greater importance being placed on the personnel function of management. Prompted by economic trends and views of influential writers at the time, such as Pascale and Athos (1981), Peters and Waterman (1982), Kanter (1984) and Porter (1985), along with those from the Harvard School, chief executives began to realise that to gain, and retain, competitive advantage, human resources must be properly managed. Cuming (1993) suggests that employees are in fact the most important resource available to an organisation if organisational success is to be achieved. HRM enables an organisation to achieve goals through its workforce, whilst integrating human resource policies and business plans. Effective HRM should create a working environment in which all employees can be utilised to their full capacity and potential. It plays an important role in building the capabilities of a workforce and improving the general climate of employee attitudes (Boxall and Purcell, 2008) and aims to ensure commitment from individuals in order to achieve success for the organisation (Guest 1987). Academics have conflicting views on the meaning of HRM, some doubting its existence altogether. Fowler (1987), for example, believes that HRM is nothing more than a construct largely invented by academics and popularised by consultants (Fowler 1987 cited in Armstrong, 1999:586), while Woods (1999) claims that HRM is a paradox which has never really been mastered. Many academics are unable to make a clear distinction between HRM and personnel management (Armstrong, 1987; Sisson and Bach, 1989a; 1994b, 2000c; Legge, 1995; Torrington and Hall, 1998), while others are able to easily identify differences between them. The best way to conceptualise them, however, is as a continuum with personnel management at one end and HRM at the other (Wilson, 2001:47). Their differences and similarities can be found summarised in Table 1. 2.3 Hard and Soft HRM There are two approaches to HRM, each of which aims to provide an organisation with a competitive advantage. Storey (1992) and Guest (1987) were the first writers to make the distinction suggesting that the emphasis could either be on human or resources. In the UK, the two approaches are known as hard and soft HRM. The hard approach to HRM stresses the need for business orientated style, with an emphasis on productivity, efficiency in the utilisation of human resources and the achievement of business goals (Boella and Goss-Turner, 2005:23). Nickson (2007) describes the hard approach as instrumental and economically rational (Nickson 2007:9), aiming to gain a competitive advantage whilst keeping labour costs to a minimum. Armstrong (1992) suggests that the hard approach to HRM treats employees like any other resource, for instance land or capital, to be used as managers see fit. However, this approach does not necessarily mean that employees will be treated badly. Marchington and Wilkinson (2002) suggest that if labour is in short supply or is central to the achievement of organisational goals, employees may be treated well. For the hard approach to be most effective, the staffing structure of an organisation must mirror its needs. It is essential that an organisation has the right number of staff in the right place at the right time (Wilson, 2005). The HRM practice of human resource planning is therefore crucial (Mullins, 1998). The alternative approach, soft HRM, stresses the human aspects of HRM (Price, 2007) focussing particularly on communication and motivation. Training and development programmes as well as commitment strategies are used with the aim of producing highly skilled employees in order to gain a competitive advantage (Bratton and Gold, 2003). A soft HRM approach puts staff at the centre of determining and realising strategic objectives and staff are led rather than managed to achieve organisational success. Storey (1992) states that Soft HRM sees employees as a valuable resource whose competencies, skills and attitudes are to be appropriately nurtured (Storey, 1992:28). The organisation and its workforce work together towards a competitive advantage, the organisation aiming to improve the quality of its staff in the hope that it will reap the rewards of their development. The soft approach is based on the premise that if employees feel they have been treated well, they will do all they can to achieve organisational goals. Although some authors, for example Sisson (1994), argue that organisations claiming to use a soft HRM approach may just be using the language to disguise what is actually a hard approach, similarities have been drawn between a soft HRM approach and personnel management, as organisations use employees to achieve a competitive advantage through developing their skills and loyalty. 2.4 The best practice or best fit approach to HRM There are two fundamental HR strategies which are used to ensure that the effects of HR practices are maximised. The best practice approach is generally agreed to comprise a list of tangible practices, with best practice HRM or bundles of practices having the greatest impact on performance (Pfeffer,1994a; 1998b; Huselid,1995; Wood, 1995; Patterson et al, 1998; Guest, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Best practice approach is based on the assumption that there is a set of best HRM practices and that adopting them will inevitably lead to superior organisational performance. (Armstrong 2000:135) The best fit model on the other hand is based on the principle that HR strategy will be more effective when appropriately integrated within the specific firm and environmental context (Boxall and Purcell, 2001) Writers suggest that there is a bundle of practices essential to the HR effective strategy of any organisation. These include practices discussed in more detail below, such as selection and recruitment, and training and development. Others may be more marginal as they do not necessarily have general application, for instance, family friendly policies, profit related pay and share ownership (Guest, 2001; Torrington et al, 1999a; 2002b; 2005c). The importance of deploying these practices in the correct manner must, however, be stressed. Simply employing them without the correct management may have a negative effect on an organisation and its retention of human resources. Critics of the best practice strategy argue that, as organisations vary in size, compete in different labour markets and have varying market strategies, what works for one organisation might not necessarily work as well for another. Organisations work systems are highly idiosyncratic (Becker et al, 1997 cited in Ingham, 2007:78) with optimum results only being achieved if practices are tailored carefully to each individual situation. Larger organisations, for instance, are more likely than smaller entities to adopt more sophisticated staffing and training procedures and to have a more structured workforce with more specialised jobs and defined career hierarchies. They inevitably require therefore more formalised HR practices to facilitate the management of larger numbers (Schuler and Jackson 1995). The concept of fit between business and HR policy is based on the assumption that if HRM is more contingent with the external environment and an organisations business strategy, it will lead to higher performance and competitive advantage (Legge cited in Storey, 2001). The best fit approach ensures that HR strategies are aligned with the culture and operational process of an organisation as well as the external environment. Armstrong suggests that this is one of the most important aims in a development programme (Armstrong 2000:132). 2.5 HRM practices Recruitment and selection procedures (Bonn and Forbringer 1992; Woods and Mcaulay 1989; Wagner 1991; Wheelhouse 1989) and training and development opportunities (Hogan 1992; Himestra 1990; Conrade et al., 1994) have been identified as having the biggest impact on staff turnover and are explored in detail in Chapter 4. Mullins (1995) recognises that the aim of any organisation must be to select the best available staff in the first place, train and develop them and to retain them for a reasonable period of time (Mullins 1995:183). Through the use of various intervention processes, for example, recruitment and selection and training and development, an organisation can influence turnover (Mullins, 1995 cited Cheng and Brown, 1998:138). This is consistent with literature which suggests that the use of high performance work practices, including recruitment and selection procedures and training, are associated with lower labour turnover, greater productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995:635) However, before exploring recruitment and selection and training and development further it is important to mention some of the other key HRM practices used in the hospitality industry. HRM practices should cover five main areas: Staffing and recruitment; making sure that available jobs within an organisation are filled appropriately by staff with the required knowledge, experience, abilities and skills, whilst also deploying an effective retention programme. Rewards; carrying out regular appraisals and making sure that reward systems are in place as well as that staff benefit for achieving organisational goals. Employee development; ensuring that employees have the correct amount of training to enable them to do their job to the best of their abilities whilst enabling them to reach their full potential. Employee maintenance and job security; making sure that employees are working in a safe environment as well as offering support where redundancies are necessary. (Bratton and Gold, 1999; Mullins, 1998; Redman and Mathews, 1998 cited in Lucas 2004) It is also suggested that HRM practices should include team working, employee involvement, liaisons with outside bodies (ACAS, HCTC and HCIMA), maintaining statistics and records and dealing with trade unions (Redman and Mathews, 1998 cited in Lucas, 2004, Mullins, 1998). 2.6 Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection is an important element of HRM in all organisations regardless of size, structure or sector (Marchington et al., 2005) and is critical to the long-term success of every hospitality business (Hayes et al., 2009). In terms of the hotel industry, Kelliher and Johnson (1987, 1997) have suggested that recruitment is, in fact, HRMs central function. Recruitment is the process of identifying candidates for current or future position vacancies. It is Those practices and activities carried out by the organisation with the primary purpose of identifying and attracting potential employees (Barber, 1998:5 cited in Purcell et al., 2007:273; Hayes et al 2009:44). Selection is the process of choosing an individual for a current or future position vacancy (Hayes et al., 2009:44). Selection pares down the number of applicants while recruitment makes the paring down possible by producing the pool of candidates from whom new employees will be selected. However Recruitment and selection is generally viewed as an integrated function (Mullins, 1995; Croney, 1988; Nankervis, 1993b) and is considered as such in this dissertation. The recruitment and selection process is the first point of contact for potential employees, who will tend to judge the organisation as a whole by the manner in which it is conducted, as well as the first stage in the HRM value chain. This leads some specialists to the view that: effective recruitment is likely to be the most critical human resource function for organisational success and survival (Taylor and Collins, 2000:304 cited in Boxall et al., 2007:273). Managers must address a number of questions before they begin the recruitment and selection process for it to have the desired effect, particularly whom to target, where, how (web, newspapers, job fairs) and when and what message to communicate (Breaugh, 1992; Breaugh and Stake, 2000 cited in Boxall et al, 2007:274). Literature suggests that recruitment and selection techniques have progressed from purely traditional techniques (advertising, walk-ins, selection interviews, reference checking) towards more strategic approaches (networking, internal labour market, behavioural interviewing, targeted selection) (Nankarvis and Debrah, 1995; Nankarvis, 1993b). There has also been an increase in recruiting through informal methods (word-of-mouth networks, recruit a relative or friend incentives, keep warm contacts with past employees and speculative applicants). Evidence suggests that such incentives strengthen job satisfaction for both recruiter and recruited (Purcell and Rowley, 2001:183), which in turn reduces staff turnover. There are a number of potential implications of poor selection decisions: Managers may have to waste time on disciplinary procedures or retraining poor performers as well as recruiting replacements for those leaving the job soon after commencing employment. These processes are both expensive and time-consuming, possibly diverting managers from other tasks. Poor recruitment and selection techniques do not only lead to under-qualified staff being employed. Some may be over-qualified and decide to leave soon after starting the job (Marchington et al., 2005). 2.7 Training and Development Training and Development is another key HRM practice which, if performed effectively, can reduce staff turnover within an organisation. Pepper (1984) defines training as the organized process concerned with the acquisition of capability or the maintenance of capability (Pepper, 1984:9-11 cited in Wilson, 1999:118). It is also viewed as a service provided by an organisation for its internal customers- its employees (Lovelock, 1989 cited in Chiang et al, 2005:101). Wexley and Latham (1991) introduce development into their definition suggesting that training and development is a planned effort by an organisation to facilitate the learning of job related behaviour on the part of its employees (Wexley and Latham, 1991:3). Development can relate to future requirements, such as preparation for promotion, whilst training generally relates to the here and now. For the purposes of this dissertation, however, the two terms are considered synonymous. Training strategies can include the employment of skilled trainers and use of training manuals or videos as support tools. Training can be hands-on or may take the form of classroom training. In some cases, the two strategies may be used together with feedback being provided through evaluation and appraisals (Chiang, 2005:101). Training may be either formal and take place outside the organisation or informal, on the job, where observation and instruction occurs on site (Jones, 2004:127). An effective training plan requires a good training site, a qualified trainer with clear objectives and methods as well as the necessary training tools and an evaluation strategy (Tanke, 1990). Paynes (2004) suggests that the aim of any training plan must be to ensure that staff have the required knowledge, skills, abilities and characteristics to confront new challenges 2.8 Conclusion HRM has been defined and the conflicting views have been discussed as have the different approaches and strategies used in order to provide an overview of the topic of HRM. An overview of the key HRM practices has also been provided and those most relevant to the hospitality industry have been split into key areas. Although selection and recruitment and training and development are suggested to have the greatest impact on employee turnover, the literature suggests that other key HRM practices, such as reward schemes, employee maintenance, liaisons with outside bodies, maintaining statistics and records and dealing with trade unions, may also have a significant effect (Bratton and Gold 1999, Mullins 1998, Redman and Mathews 1998 and Lashley 1998). CHAPTER 3 STAFF TURNOVER 3.1 Introduction This Chapter explores the concept of staff turnover. Staff turnover is defined and a measure used to calculate turnover levels is discussed, along with its limitations. The characteristics of the Hospitality Industry are identified to show the extent to which they might make the industry more vulnerable to high staff turnover and turnover figures will be provided to support any assumptions that have been made. Some of the main reasons for high staff turnover in the industry will be considered looking in particular at some of the relevant push and pull factors. The cost and benefits of staff turnover will be weighed up to demonstrate the real need for the proper deployment of some of the HRM practices discussed in Chapter 2. 3.2 Definition of Staff Turnover The Hospitality Training Foundation (HtF) defines staff turnover as, the number of people leaving their job in a year as a percentage of the people employed in the industry (Hospitality Training Foundation, 1998 cited in Boella, 2005:178). Generally, turnover is measured over the financial year and is a measure of separations from an employing organisation. Organisations can use the following formula to calculate turnover rate in each department. Number of employees who left during the period X 100 Average number employed during the period Analysis of the turnover rate allows organisations not only to see whether they generally have a problem of high turnover but also to compare the rates of turnover between departments and to target workforce planning strategies accordingly. The calculation above is simple and is a broad indicator but it does have limitations. It does not reflect length of service of employees or whether or not the employer employs a few people at a high rate of pay or many people at a low rate of pay (Boella et al., 2000a; 2005b). The calculation also includes unavoidable turnover, for example, staff leaving due to illness, death or relocation and it may be beneficial to an organisation to create a measure which only measures avoidable turnover (Phillips, 2005). There are four types of turnover which occur within an organisation: voluntary; involuntary; functional and dysfunctional. The differences between them are summarised in Table 2. 3.3 Labour turnover in the Hospitality Industry Over the last 30 years the hospitality leisure and tourism sector has enjoyed a sustained period of growth and now accounts for nearly 5% of the UKs total economic output, employing 2 million people, 1/14 jobs in the UK. Labour turnover across the sector is the highest of all sectors of the economy, rising from 30% in 2005 to 31% in 2008 with recruitment and development of new staff costing an estimated  £414 million in 2008/2009 (Wisdom, 2009). A minority of employees in the hospitality industry are drawn from the primary labour market and as such are generally committed to the industry and sometimes to a particular sector within it. Riley (1996) estimates that 6% of jobs in the hospitality industry are managerial positions, 8% supervisory and 22% craft (Riley, 1996 cited in Kusluvan, 2003). The industry relies heavily, however, on the secondary labour market, which is made up of workers with skills which can be used across a number of industries, for example, secretaries, administrators and maintenance workers. Secondary labour markets do however approximate pretty closely in their characteristics to much of what happens in the industry in terms of the behaviour of employees and their treatment by employers (Goldsmith et al, 1997:16). Boella et al., (2005) suggests that these employees generally attach more importance to a geographical area rather than a career and choose to work in the industry purely to earn a living. The hospitality industry is particularly susceptible to high labour turnover because it is labour intensive and its pattern of staffing is characterised by high mobility, seasonal and part time work, with a high proportion of unskilled, young, part-time and casual staff. The proper use of HRM practices is therefore of great importance to the industry. 3.4 Reasons for staff turnover The greatest numbers of employees leave in the early days of employment, the period in which relationships have not yet developed. Mullins (1998) refers to such turnover as the induction crisis and suggests that it is particularly disruptive and costly. This early turnover is generally the result of improper selection systems, ineffective orientation and inadequate socialization process to adopt employees to the organisation (Phillips, 2005:185). As Torrington et al., (2005) point out, some departures from an organisation are unavoidable, for instance because of relocation, illness or the need to juggle work and family life. According to Lashley and Lincoln (2003), however, high labour turnover is usually due to avoidable causes, such as dissatisfaction with wages, the relationship with other staff or poor working hours, the majority of which can be addressed by effective management. Two broad categories influence staff turnover: work-related attitudes (push factors) and external environmental factors (pull factors) (McBey et al., 2001). Push factors are issues arising within an organisation, including uneven work patterns, poor pay, pe