Health Services and Medicine Childhood Obesity Essay

Health Services and Medicine Childhood Obesity - Essay Example Childhood obesity in Kansas is rampant and considered a disease because it endangers healthy lifestyles within the city and the nation. There is global concern about the health of children and menace of childhood obesity. In America, Kansas City data shows that 31 percent of low-income children below five years of age are suffering from overweight or obese. Statistics has it that 41 percent of school-going children are obese and in the early stages of developing diabetes. Federal and state government through the Medicare system provides health care assistance to the affected individuals to address obesity-related conditions (Nelson et al., 2015). With the advancement of healthcare services and information technology, there are various technological applications implemented to reduce obesity problems. The use of the application software on the Smartphone, for instance, can be fundamental to linking doctors to monitor patient progress. That, consequently, reduces the prevalence of obesity problems. The editorials and the media campaigns educate people by creating awareness on obesity control and prevention. There are other practices limiting obesity such as the indulgence in rigorous physical activities to monitor the body mass. Smartphone Application in Obesity Control The uses of mobile technologies can help prevent and reduce the rate of childhood obesity in Kansas.

The Case of the Sole Remaining Supplier Essay Example for Free

The Case of the Sole Remaining Supplier Essay With advances in technology always come skepticism, fears, and doubts. But when the new technology in question is designed to address a very sensitive issue—like human life—it becomes even more of a challenge. However, the challenge is not the development of the technology itself, but in the ethics that surround it. As it would become today, the pacemaker is a true gift to those whose hearts cannot function properly on their own, and it allows people suffering from such a condition to enjoy life a little more. But problems arise when complications and deaths due to failures become apparent. However, it absolutely does not qualify as a reason to stop supporting pacemaker manufacturers altogether.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two problems to be addressed.   First, as mentioned in the case, most members of the board of the transistor-making company outsourced by the pacemaker company want to pull out, because they are afraid to be recipients of blame if more deaths occur due to the pacemakers. This is a classic example of conflict of interest—the board, rather than help the development of the pacemaker, wishes instead to wash their hands of any future mishaps that might occur due to faulty products. Without even going into the problem of the technology itself, this action is already an ethical violation when it comes to business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another problem is that the members of the board fail to realize that by not helping the pacemaker company, one of two things can happen: either pacemaker production grinds to a halt—at the expense of people who need them—or the pacemaker company, in desperation, might hire a sub-par company to manufacture transistors, or they start manufacturing it themselves; either decision will not improve the quality of the pacemakers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the answer to the question of â€Å"what would you do?† is a definite â€Å"yes†, the chairman should look at all the possible, yet ethical and just, options. The case mentions that the chairman himself feels that the specs being used by the pacemaker company to test the transistors is faulty. It would be a good start to let the pacemaker company know about this, so that they may do something about it. If they improve the speculations and become able to properly test the transistors, then the board might start worrying less about failure rates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chairman could also try to persuade the pacemaker company to invest in further research and development, citing the failures that have occurred in the past, before making the devices available to the public. It might cost more for the pacemaker company, but it will be beneficial in the long run for both companies and for patients. Once the pacemaker company perfects their product, the transistor company can supply them once again with the necessary part.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above suggestions, however, are not guaranteed ways to solve the situation. If all else fails and the transistor company’s board wishes to continue serving their own best interests first, then the chair should leave the company as a last resort, on the grounds of bad business ethics, if he wishes to remain in good moral standing. Then, if he wishes, he can create a new company, one whose members are willing to contribute to the progress of technology without doubts. Otherwise, he can join the pacemaker company, hire new employees, and produce transistors from within the pacemaker company itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life-sustaining and sensitive technologies, such as the pacemaker, may present some difficulties during its infant years, but everyone has to learn from mistakes. The pacemaker company has been irresponsible for using such low specs, and the transistor company’s board is being selfish and cowardly. This is why the chairman should not stop producing transistors for the pacemaker company, but he must do so while addressing the issues of both companies using the suggestions stated above. References â€Å"The Case of the Sole Remaining Supplier.†

Recommendations to Grow Joes Landscaping And Equipment Rental Business

Joe's Landscaping and Equipment Rental Business Introduction At 50 workers, Joe's company is successful enough to keep him busy six days per week. Joe seems to be very hands-on, and his daily landscaping and tree-trimming efforts, as well as his renting of landscaping equipment, keeps him quite busy. Joe's company appears to be at a point where his organization is as large as it can get and still be operable with his own set of hands. The vision that is needed must be determined by Joe, himself. Does he want the company to remain small and for him to remain personally involved in the daily tree-trimming and landscaping operations? Does he want to continue handling the renting of his own equipment? Or is he willing to relinquish those duties to others to focus his efforts elsewhere? Vision For the sake of this discussion, this paper assumes that he wants to grow his company. Given that assumption, the first recommendation is that he hire full-time field managers to handle the field work, which will allow him time to focus on managing, sales, fee collection, and other administrative tasks, which he so desperately needs. Immediately, Joe's company faces two serious problems, however, before it can grow. Joe's first concern is employee turnover due to the seasonality of the work. It can be assumed that business is slow in the winter months because of the weather and also because of the holiday shopping season. There is likely not much business to be had and even less need for employees on the payroll. It is not surprising that employees are often forced to quit, completely or temporarily, in order to find income elsewhere. The good news is that with a constant influx of new employees, his staff is being paid low pay rates... ... A. (2005). So you want to get paid on time? Here's how to make it happen. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/employmentarticles/gettingpaid.html Ground Trades XChange (2006). Forums. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://www.groundtradesxchange.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ad2c13cf46495c7bfa38b106f3dfa4c5&threadid=2899 Horicultural Business Information Network (n.d.). Landscape businesses. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://www.utextension.utk.edu/hbin/HBIN-Landscape.htm My Financial Foundation (2006). Finding the right lawyer. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-article-a-1665-m-1-sc-11-finding_the_right_lawyer-i Pat's Peak (n.d.). Equipment Rental & Liability Release Agreement. Retrieved November 5, 2006, from http://www.patspeak.com/rentform.pdf#search='liability%20equipment%20rental'

The Life Of Li Cunxin Drama Essay

Li Cunxin, is one of the best male concert dance terpsichoreans in the universe. He has shown great bravery, aspiration and finding throughout his full life. He excelled in the gruelling concert dance preparation at the Beijing Dance Academy, made his manner to be one of the Prime Minister terpsichoreans with the Houston Ballet for 16 old ages before traveling on to another calling as a stockbroker and today, he resides in Australia while going around the universe as a motivational talker. Li was born into a really hapless household in 1961 in Qingdao in China which was so a communist state led by Mao. He lived in a really little town with 20 of his relations. His household struggled to remain alive, populating close to starvation daily, but because of the household ‘s love for each other and their finding to populate, they try really difficult to last each twenty-four hours. Li ‘s childhood is filled with love and fondness from his household. It was ever in Li ‘s head that he wanted to be able to make something to assist his household. He knew that concert dance would be his household ‘s best chance to get away the acrimonious poorness in his rural place in China. Sure plenty, he was chosen to go a ballet terpsichorean. Li so began his journey in going one of the best terpsichoreans in the universe. His household is ever at that place to back up him on every determination he made, giving him full support, love and encouragement. At the age of 11, Li began his preparation at the Beijing Dance Academy from 5:30 am to 9 autopsy for 6 yearss a hebdomad. No affair how much he suffered during the preparation, he ne'er Tee 2 idea of giving up. He realised that dance is his passion and it motivated him to give his 100 % attempt in dancing. Li would wake up at 5 in the forenoon when everyone is still kiping and skip up and down the steps to construct the strength of his leg every bit good as his staying power. At dark he would pattern his bends by the candle flame. Equally much as he wanted to populate a better life, he had ne'er forgotten about his household that he left behind. Li ‘s finding has steered him onto the way of success that helped him interrupt free from his Communist fatherland. After 7 old ages of rough preparation at the Beijing Dance Academy, Li had become a ego disciplined and a pupil with great finding. He received a aureate chance to analyze dance in America through a student exchange plan under Mao ‘s government. He was subsequently offered a contract as a soloist with the Houston Ballet and danced for the company for 16 old ages. He was regarded as one of the best terpsichoreans in the universe. In three international concert dance competitions, he won silver and a bronze decoration at three international concert dance competitions and he performed with some of the best concert dance companies in the universe. Here are some quotation marks and rules that Li stands house on which have led to his success in dance. â€Å" Dance is the ultimate combination of subject and freedom. Discipline is the foundation to go wholly free and originative. If you ‘re free without a foundation so you could travel off the tracks. † His ego finding, dedication and the willingness to work hard and ever act positively to accomplish his end is his attack to success and to dance. In the official site of Li Cunxin, here are the testimonies that document his influence on the development of dance. Harmonizing to Australian Friendly Societies Association ( AFSA ) , â€Å" Without a uncertainty one of the most powerful and invigorating presentations I have seen † . The AFSA are highly impressed by Li ‘s impact, manner, personable nature and overall attitude. What makes me believe that Li is impressive is in the sense of his manner and Tee 3 motion in dance which are strong and defined which is beyond ethereal with his emotional conveyance. His dances are one of the dances that are difficult to bury. I believe that his attack to dance is one of committedness and focal point. From his attitude and behavior, it can actuate us as terpsichoreans to maintain in head that we can make it every bit long as we stay determined. Li ‘s movie, Mao ‘s Last Dancer, is an astonishing true narrative based on the extraordinary tract he had to travel through to go a celebrated terpsichorean. Li ‘s success is non merely as a terpsichorean, he succeeded in illuming for the true human ideal. The movie Mao ‘s last terpsichorean explores the battle for two freedoms: personal pick and artistic look. On the surface, this true narrative concerns the battle between the eastern and western political orientations. While some people view his picks as heroic, others see him as a treasonist to his fatherland. In my point of position, Li left his household behind in Beijing to U.S and began to non merely see the universe for the first clip, but besides found his passion in dance. Traveling even deeper, viewing audiences will see his battle for originative freedom – the ability to state, make, and dance what he feels as an creative person. This is how he has made an influence in dance. I believe that it is true ; he gives every terpsichorean mental motive and hope to accomplish a end by reminding us non to blow every individual minute of our dancing journey. Other than that, Li likes to take on challenges. He requested to come in the America International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, the equivalent of the Olympics for concert dance terpsichoreans and he achieved a Ag decoration. â€Å" I wanted to acquire a sense of how my dance stood up to international criterions. † ( Li, 292 ) . Li ever had a positive attitude towards dance. He had to invariably face and get the better of his diffidence and insecurities ; even when he was locked up in the Chinese Consulate in Houston for 21 hours, which is one of the most celebrated and controversial desertion in the U.S history. The FBI and besides the so Vice Tee 4 president George W.Bush was called in ensuing in a tenseness with the Chinese Consulate. The universe waited for 21 hours to see what destiny has for Li. Li walked out after 21 hours into the streets of Texas and ne'er looked back of all time since. These are what people admire about him the most. We have to happen our ain way in dance ; our ain manner by dancing from our bosom and psyche. Presents, the difficult work and dedication towards dance that Li has are seldom seen. We can truly see that Li ‘s narrative is a true fairy tale about a male child who had a dream to go the best concert dance terpsichorean in the universe. His position on dance preparation is one of finding and difficult work because it provided a way for him to interrupt free of communist China and take him around the universe as a professional terpsichorean. To turn out the cogency of the narrative above, here are the significant groundss on his personal ideas about his life in China. When Li was in America, he told himself that he was â€Å" the fish and China is the pool. † From this metaphor we can see how Li felt approximately China as a fish can non be anyplace else other than its pool so like the fish, Li thought he would non be able to populate out of China. From what we can see from his life experience, the attack that Li took towards dance is full of finding, bravery, subject and the passion to be one of the best terpsichoreans in the universe. His sheer subject and the demand for him to raise his household out of poorness drove him to accomplish beyond his bound. Work Cited Elias, Debbie Lynn. â€Å" Mao ‘s Last Dancer. † 20 August 2010. Tonight at the Movies. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //tonightatthemovies.com/indexhold/ ? p=3097 & gt ; . FAQs, Career. â€Å" Li Cunxin – Dancer, Stockbroker and Author of Mao ‘s Last Dancer. † 2010. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.careerfaqs.com.au/celebrity/663/Li-Cunxin-Dancer-Stockbroker-Author & gt ; . â€Å" Determination and Defection. † TripAtlas.com. 2010. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //tripatlas.com/Li_Cunxin & gt ; . Li, Cunxin. â€Å" Mao ‘s Last Dancer. † Offical Site of Li Cunxin. N.p. , 2005. Web. 23 Aug 2010. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.licunxin.com/index.htm & gt ; . Li, Cunxin. Mao ‘s Last Dancer. Australia: Sheena Dewan, 2003.

Internet Advantages And Disadvantages Essay

Advantages: 1) Information on almost every subject imaginable.  2) Powerful search engines  3) Ability to do research from your home versus research libraries. 4) Information at various levels of study. Everything from scholarly articles to ones directed at children. 5) Message boards where people can discuss ideas on any topic. Ability to get wide range of opinions. People can find others that have a similar interest in whatever they are interested in. 6) The internet provides the ability of emails. Free mail service to anyone in the country. 7) Platform for products like SKYPE, which allow for holding a video conference with anyone in the world who also has access. 8) Friendships and love connections have been made over the internet by people involved in love/passion over similar interests. 9) Things such as Yahoo Answers and other sites where kids can have readily available help for homework. 10) News, of all kinds is available almost instantaneously. Commentary, on that news, from every conceivable viewpoint is also available. Disadvantages: 1) There is a lot of wrong information on the internet. Anyone can post anything, and much of it is garbage. 2) There are predators that hang out on the internet waiting to get unsuspecting people in dangerous situations. 3) Some people are getting addicted to the internet and thus causing problems with their interactions of friends and loved ones. 4) Pornography that can get in the hands of young children too easily. 5) Easy to waste a lot of time on the internet. You can start surfing, and then realize far more time has passed than you realized. Internet and television together of added to the more sedentary lifestyles of people which further exacerbates the obesity problem. 6) Internet has a lot of â€Å"cheater† sites. People can buy essays and pass them off as their own far more easily than they used to be able to do. 7) There are a lot of unscrupulous businesses that have sprung up on the internet to take advantage of people. 8) Hackers can create viruses that can get in to your personal computer and ruin valuable data. 9) Hackers can use the internet for identity theft. 10) It can be quite depressing to be on the internet and realize just how  uneducated so many people have become in today’s society. -Advantages- -Data- and information-rich, including a range of media -Anyone can publish online (tripod.com and other hosting sites) -Learners can become researchers because of easier access to data -Search engines that are fast and powerful -Easy to use -Smaller, faster, cheaper all the time -Ability to link to people and places immediately -Global dissemination of information -Motivation for students in sharing their work online with the world Advantages FASTER COMMUNICATION The foremost target of Internet has always been speedy communication and it has excelled way beyond the expectations. Newer innovations are only going to make it faster and more reliable. Now, you can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world. For more personal and interactive communication, you can avail the facilities of chat services, video conferencing and so on. Besides, there are plenty of messenger services in offering. With the help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts and explore other cultures. INFORMATION RESOURCES Information is probably the biggest advantage that Internet offers. Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines like Google, Yahoo are at your service on the Internet. There is a huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is simply endless. Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that students should use it for research or the purpose of gathering resources. Even teachers have started giving assignments that require extensive research on the Internet. Besides, you can have an access to latest researches in the field of medicine, technology and so on. Numerous web sites such as America’s Doctor also allow  you to tal k to the doctors online. ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment is another popular raison d’à ªtre why many people prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, the Internet has become quite successful in trapping the multifaceted entertainment industry. Downloading games or just surfing the celebrity websites are some of the uses people have discovered. Even celebrities are using the Internet effectively for promotional campaigns. Besides, there are numerous games that can be downloaded for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. SOCIAL NETWORKING One cannot imagine an online life without Facebook or Twitter. Social networking has become so popular amongst youth that it might one day replace physical networking. It has evolved as a great medium to connect with millions of people with similar interests. Apart from finding long-lost friends, you can also look for job, business opportunities on forums, communities etc. Besides, there are chat rooms where users can meet new and interesting people. Some of them may even end up finding their life partners. ONLINE SERVICES The Internet has made life very convenient. With numerous online services you can now perform all your transactions online. You can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills, taxes etc., right from your home. Some travel websites even plan an Itinerary as per your preferences and take care of airline tickets, hotel reservations etc . E-COMMERCE The concept of e-commerce is used for any type of commercial maneuvering or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via the Internet. It has become a phenomenon associated with any kind of shopping, business deal etc. You name a service, and e-commerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and service will make it available at your doorstep. Websites such as eBay allow you to even bid for homes, buy, sell or auction stuff online. Disadvantages THEFT OF PERSONAL INFORMATION If you use the Internet for online banking, social networking or other services, you may risk a theft to your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. Unscrupulous people can access this information through unsecured connections or by planting software and then use your personal details for their benefit. Needless to say, this may land you in serious trouble. SPAMMING Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you as it makes your Internet slower and less reliable. VIRUS THREAT Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks on their systems. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated if you click a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are very prone to targeted virus attacks and may end up crashing. PORNOGRAPHY Pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Internet. Internet allows you to access and download millions of pornographic photos, videos and other X-rated stuff. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even play a havoc in marital and social lives of adults. SOCIAL DISCONNECT Thanks to the Internet, people now only meet on social networks. More and more people are getting engulfed in virtual world and drifting apart from their friends and family. Even children prefer to play online games rather than going out and mingling with other kids. This may hamper a healthy social development in children. Thus, the Internet has the potential to make your life simple and convenient, as well as wreak havoc in your life. Its influence is mostly dictated by the choices you make while you are online. With clever use, you can manage to harness its unlimited potential.

buy custom Mobile Telecommunications in a World essay

buy custom Mobile Telecommunications in a World essay Nokia has been beaten by Apple Inc to become the largest Smartphone manufacturing company in the world. In the second quarter of this year, a financial performance review was conducted and the companys revenue fell by 7 percent. Reports have shown that Nokia has been lagging behind in the Smartphone market. It has been confirmed that Nokias position has began to falter, a statement that was read in February. This was verified when a memo was sent to the Nokia staff. It had contained a vent talking about Nokias position in the Smartphone market, it was increasingly lagging behind. In July 25th 2011 it was quoted that there was no cell phone that had the equivalent of the Apple Inc product. Googles Android which was two years old was confirmed to occupy the second position in the Smartphone market. In the year 2010, Nokias market share was seen to decrease from 38 percent to 28 percent. Nokia has therefore lost the time to pursue the successes achieved by the iPhone and Android. This is because it has lagged behind the trend that has been established in the mobile phone market. Nokia was adopted by the Symbian Operating system which has been increasingly retarded thus leading to its criticism. In the current air, Nokia Smartphone shipments have fallen 34 percent to 16.7 Million units as compared to Apple which has sold more than 20 Million units of iPhone in the same period. (Curwen, 2011) Nokia has recently laid off to 700 employees in the UK; a step that was directed to saving the companys set targets. Since the late 1990s, Nokia has already been entrenched in the first ranking when it had won a competition against Motorola. It has actually been known as a winner in the simple mobile market where as Apple Inc consists of a Co business that was originally on the computer. Apple Inc began introducing the Smartphone iPhone. Radical changes has been effected by the Nokias hief executive as its fourth quarter results have portrayed that it has rapidly lost ground to the Smartphone makers using Apple and Googles Android Operating system. Nokia is working very hard so as to adopt with the changing markets. Results of Nokia Sales Net Profit Earnings per share Dividend 12.7 Billion 745 Million 0.2 0.4 An increase of 6% A decrease of 21% A decrease of 31% n/c So as to try and improve the Finnish companys weak sales in the US Nokia may try to use Operating systems made by Android or Microsofts Smartphones. Its shares have fallen almost 9 percent which portrays a confirmation of a steep decline in the Smartphone market share. Nokia has been unable to come up with mobile phones that can compete with Apple iPhone and Smartphones that use Googles Android Operating system, a procedure that has contributed greatly to its falling profitability. Its Operating profit has decreased from 1.47 Billion to 1.09 Billion which clearly shows its lagging nature in the phone market. (Pan, 2010) The Nokia Company has been expected to stick with its existing Symbian Operating system and MeeGo Smartphone Operating system in the majority of its Markets. However, for the US markets they aare expected to use the alternatives of Android or Microsofts Smartphone Operating system as explained earlier on. Android was earlier on rejected as it was claimed that its use could damage Nokias attempt of turning the fledgling MeeGO Operating system into a leading alternative to both the Apple and Google Smartphone platforms. Conclusion There are some significant challenges in Nokias competitiveness and their execution. The industry has greatly changed and thus they too have to change so as to compete with it, the changing industry. Nokia should come up with a competitive smart phone that can incorporate a number of factors. These factors may include the following: a user friendly hardware, software and services. Comparison of Nokias financial performance with the bench market Irrespective of losing the market share and the change in their strategies, Nokia is still the company that has the biggest share in the mobile device market. It owns a total of 22.8 percent of the mobile device market. Samsung comes in closely and has been confirmed to be the second company in the market with a total of 16.3 percent of the market share. There are a couple of other major handset manufacturing companies that come after this two. They include: LG, Apple, RIM, Motorola, and Sony Ericson. The other companies take approximately 35.8 percent of the market share. (Leonard, 2010) However, a different situation occurs in the Smartphone market whereby Android is in a good position in this market where it takes about 43.4 percent of the Smartphone operating system market. Apples iPhone operating system also comes in with 18.2 percent of the market share. Symbian, an operating system that has adopted Nokia takes 22.1 percent of the recent market although this number has been confirmed to decrease from quarter to quarter. Buy custom Mobile Telecommunications in a World essay

Free Essays on Democracy For Education

In order to create our own â€Å"dream school†, not only do we need to find out what kind of curriculum to organize, and how we should put it into action, but we must also need to situate what kind of setting the education should take place in. It is essential for any type of school to be comforting and welcoming to a diversity of students in the community. The hallways will be decorated with various signs of the programs of the school and work done by the students themselves. There will be adult supervision among the halls to keep order and maintain a safe environment. The classroom, however, is where the education is specifically taken place in. This is why the classroom arrangement is very crucial for having a comfortable and successful learning atmosphere. The classrooms are required to be adorned with many colorful themes on the walls, such as calendars, seasonal decorations, maps, borders and other bright colorful decorations that will be welcoming for the students. This will bring life to the room and stimulate the minds of the students. Bare walls and a dreary classroom are not motivating for the students. The desks arrangements are critical in the students’ thinking process. Teachers will be required to arrange the desks in different ways such as in groups or in a U shape. This will cause interaction among the classmates, which will help them learn more from each other. They will be able to here other ideas of their classmates and enhance their critical thinking ability. Also, by working with each other and receiving other ideas, their problem solving skill will develop further with the help of each other. Teachers will be allowed to bring the students outdoors for certain lessons. If the students are struggling with a particular lesson, then a change of atmosphere can encourage the students to think more critically.... Free Essays on Democracy For Education Free Essays on Democracy For Education In order to create our own â€Å"dream school†, not only do we need to find out what kind of curriculum to organize, and how we should put it into action, but we must also need to situate what kind of setting the education should take place in. It is essential for any type of school to be comforting and welcoming to a diversity of students in the community. The hallways will be decorated with various signs of the programs of the school and work done by the students themselves. There will be adult supervision among the halls to keep order and maintain a safe environment. The classroom, however, is where the education is specifically taken place in. This is why the classroom arrangement is very crucial for having a comfortable and successful learning atmosphere. The classrooms are required to be adorned with many colorful themes on the walls, such as calendars, seasonal decorations, maps, borders and other bright colorful decorations that will be welcoming for the students. This will bring life to the room and stimulate the minds of the students. Bare walls and a dreary classroom are not motivating for the students. The desks arrangements are critical in the students’ thinking process. Teachers will be required to arrange the desks in different ways such as in groups or in a U shape. This will cause interaction among the classmates, which will help them learn more from each other. They will be able to here other ideas of their classmates and enhance their critical thinking ability. Also, by working with each other and receiving other ideas, their problem solving skill will develop further with the help of each other. Teachers will be allowed to bring the students outdoors for certain lessons. If the students are struggling with a particular lesson, then a change of atmosphere can encourage the students to think more critically....

Hades, Patron God of the Underworld in Greek Mythology

Hades, Patron God of the Underworld in Greek Mythology The Greeks called him the Unseen One, the Wealthy One, Pluoton, and Dis. But few considered the god Hades lightly enough to call him by his name. While he is not the god of death (thats the implacable Thanatos), Hades welcomed any new subjects to his kingdom, the Underworld, which also takes his name. The ancient Greeks thought it best not to invite his attention. The Birth of Hades Hades was the son of the titan Cronos and brother to the Olympian gods Zeus and Poseidon. Cronos, fearful of a son who would overthrow him as he vanquished his own father Ouranos, swallowed each of his children as they were born. Like his brother Poseidon, he grew up in the bowels of Cronos, until the day when Zeus tricked the titan into vomiting up his siblings. Emerging victorious after the ensuing battle, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades drew lots to divide up the world they had gained. Hades drew the dark, melancholy Underworld, and ruled there surrounded by the shades of the dead, various monsters, and the glittering wealth of the earth. Life in the Underworld For the Greek god Hades, the inevitability of death ensures a vast kingdom. Eager for souls to cross the river Styx and join fief, Hades is also the god of proper burial. (This would include souls left with money to pay the boatman Charon for the crossing to Hades.) As such, Hades complained about Apollos son, the healer Asclepius, because he restored people to life, thereby reducing Hades dominions, and he inflicted the city of Thebes with plague probably because they werent burying the slain correctly. Myths of Hades The fearsome god of the dead figures in few tales (it was best not to talk about him too much). But Hesiod relates the most famous story of the Greek god, which is about how he stole his queen Persephone. The daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, Persephone caught the eye of the Wealthy One on one of his infrequent trips to the surface world. He abducted her in his chariot, driving her far below the earth and keeping her in secret. As her mother mourned, the world of humans withered: Fields grew barren, trees toppled and shriveled. When Demeter found out that the kidnapping was Zeus idea, she complained loudly to her brother, who urged Hades to free the maiden. But before she rejoined the world of light, Persephone partook of a few pomegranate seeds. Having eaten the food of the dead, she was compelled to return to the Underworld. The deal made with Hades allowed Persephone to spend one-third (later myths say one-half) of the year with her mother, and the rest in the company of her shades. Thus, to the ancient Greeks, was the cycle of seasons and the yearly birth and death of crops. Hades Fact Sheet Occupation:Â  God, Lord of the Dead Family of Hades:Â  Hades was a son of the Titans Cronos and Rhea. His brothers are Zeus and Poseidon. Hestia, Hera, and Demeter are Hades sisters. Children of Hades:Â  These include the Erinyes (the Furies), Zagreus (Dionysus), and Makaria (goddess of a blessed death) Other Names:Â  Haides, Aides, Aidoneus, Zeus Katachthonios (Zeus under the earth). The Romans also knew him as Orcus. Attributes:Â  Hades is depicted as a dark-bearded man with a crown, scepter, and key. Cerberus, a three-headed dog, is often in his company. He owns a helmet of invisibility and a chariot. Sources:Â  Ancient sources for Hades include Apollodorus, Cicero, Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, Ovid, Pausanias, Statius, and Strabo.

Movies on Racial Discrimination Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movies on Racial Discrimination - Movie Review Example And even though he was locked up inside, he still knows how to do and handle "business." Guys on their neighborhood, Mexican-Americans mostly, are members of their gang and they call one another as "carnal." When he got out of the jail, he learned from his father that he was not born out of love but just a product of a sexual assault. His mother then was raped by sailors at the time of the Zoot Suit Riot. When Santana met his love interest in the movie, he was tempted to change his ways for her sake. But even if he was tempted, it did not happen. Some things went wrong so the two of them did not end up being together. Santana, in the last part of the movie, was brought back behind the bars again and there he was killed by his fellow inmates. Talk to Me, on the other hand, is a movie that has concentrated on the life of Petey Greene after he got out of prison. He was an ex-convict who wanted to land a job in a radio station where his former inmate's brother is working. He was at first turned down by Dewey thinking that helping him might cost him his job. But the table has twitched and turned and so Dewey has still decided to help him. Hence, Petey has become a successful disc jockey and a television personality. The issue then on race is and has always been a big matter even up to now when there are already so many societies claiming to practice egalitarianism. But what like Marks said- racial categories are but just "cultural constructs" to which Biology would deny to give its support (Marks, available from http://www.mrrena.com/misc/race.php). In the movie Zoot Suit, it was clearly presented that the Mexican-Americans' trademark are the Zoot Suits. But as mentioned in the film, the real meaning of Zoot suit has been distorted by the media. It was used against them and was used to label them. As a result, crimes or any sort of violence within the area would always be attributed to them. Marks also mentioned in his writing that being a member of what he called "unbiological groupings" referring to the racial categories (such as the Chicanos and Jews) "may mean the difference between life and death, for they are the categories that allow us to be identified (and accepted or vilified) socially" (Marks, available from http://www.mrrena.com/misc/race.php). Applying it in the context of the movie American Me, becoming a part of the gang to which Santana belongs to is one's pride and joy. This film didn't portray racism as it is in the usual way since the Mexican-Americans here were the ones being discriminatory. And as a proof to this, there was even a scene in the movie that showed the gang raping a white guy. Another movie that has touched some of the issues on racism is Talk to Me. Blacks, as we all know, have always been mistreated. They have been often discriminated and ridiculed by the Whites as if they belong to a different species. Their opinions or take on matters are not important at all or so they believe. In this movie, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death, the Blacks cause an uproar and chaos on the streets to show the Whites how angry they were for killing him. The Blacks' strong affinity with him is maybe because he was also one of them. Furthermore, only few people can assert their right on social issues and Martin Luther King Jr. was one of them. He was like the voice of the Black people so it wasn't surprising anymore that people would violently react about his death.

Implementation of the Carlson SAN Approach Essay

Implementation of the Carlson SAN Approach - Essay Example The figure illustrates that with the SAN approach storage devices are connected which makes them the protection of data more efficiently than before. SAN is a devoted network that transmits I/O traffic to the server and the storage devices and hence is termed as â€Å"network behind the servers†. Moreover, the applicability of SAN would enable a strong universal connectivity within storage to assist in clustering technology to derive the best output. Also, SAN can deliver disk and tape competence in more servers. SAN eliminates any limit regarding the access of the storing data in the individual server (Walder, 2013).   SAN central data facility was required by Carlson to enjoy a safer environment and high data protection of the data of the organization. Upholding consolidated data on a SAN central data facility is relevant as it protects data and enhances the speed for the benefit of the organization regarding the storage of the relevant data. Besides, file sharing can be done in a convenient manner with safety and without risk of security everywhere in the world. In addition, it improves the mobility and data control facility to a greater level of efficiency. The SAN central data facility is more cost-effective as it enables to store the data in several computers and it also facilitates as a backup data. Furthermore, the SAN central data is reliable and provides the scalable facility. It is also easy to access and provides quick efficient data sharing activity. On the other hand, the dispersed arrangement that it replaces leads to a time-consuming framework and also involves high maintenance. It requires high cost and is not as fast as the SAN central data facility. The risk associated with the dispersed arrangement is more as it is not fully protected.

Tax Preparation in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax Preparation in the USA - Essay Example This paper looks and discusses how tax preparations are done with the help of accounting and bookkeeping firms as in many cases, the tax filer is confused with all the complexities it entails for everyone. Although a tax form has been simplified, some 40% to 50% of all tax filings have been completed by the tax preparer, of which there are four types, namely: certified public accountants (CPAs), lawyers, an enrolled agent (someone who passed special examinations given by the Internal Revenue Service precisely for this purpose and has thereby gained IRS accreditation) and unenrolled tax preparer. Discussion My decision as John (owner of the private accounting practice) is to accept Sue (client) because I think I can help her out with her problems. First and foremost, the most logical step is to reconstruct her financial transactions as best as possible by taking calculated estimates of her income and expenses. This will help me prepare her audited financial statements (balance sheet a nd income statement) but most likely, I will issue a qualified opinion on these statements. This will serve as guide and warning to whoever uses these financial statements to arrive at their own judgment as to the applicability and suitability of the statements for their own use, like a bank. Because Sue operates her small business as a single proprietorship (presumably as based on case facts given, as she has only five full-time employees), then she pays business taxes in the same form as her personal income tax. It means that both she and the business itself are not taxed separately as they are considered as one and the same entities. The Internal Revenue Service or IRS calls this â€Å"pass-through taxation† as all profits pass through her sole proprietorship business before it reaches her as personal income. A needed document is the profit and loss statement of her business (Schedule C of the IRS forms) together with the IRS Form 1040. Moreover, she also needs to pay her own â€Å"self-employment taxes† like the Social Security and Medicare systems. It is usually double the rate of what ordinary employees pay in terms of salary deductions because a sole proprietor has no employer counterpart for the contributions and so she must pay the entire amount due, which must be reported under Schedule SE (self-employed) of the IRS. Present self-employment tax rate is now 15.3% (adjusted since last February 2012 from 13.3%) for the first $110,100 in reported income and then 2.9% tax rate for any amount in excess thereof. The box of receipts that Sue gave may not be of much help as some of her expenses and receipts for income were questionable, so the best approach is to just use the standard deductions which are fixed dollar amounts to some items. The IRS allows a business to deduct certain items and ordinary business expenses to lessen the tax due, to include operating expenses, advertising costs, travel and gasoline expenses, business-related meals a nd entertainment for business guests (IRS, 2012, p. 1); in order for an expense to qualify as a deductible, it must be necessary and also ordinary that is indispensable or helpful in pursuit of carrying out the trade or a type of business; not included are cost of goods sold, capital expenses (such as equipment) and personal expenses.  

Healthy Snacks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Healthy Snacks - Assignment Example Apart from that, the information that was stored in the systems was not available on timely basis which resulted in incorrect information about faulty credit prices. Another problem that can be identified in the sales process of Healthy Snacks was that it was following a very long sales process that eventually created certain errors. The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overal l information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP... The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overall information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP as it is regarded as one of the most efficient software programs that most of the company uses.

Bolder Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bolder Family - Essay Example Motive should be to focus on the changes in the structure and functioning of the family so that family remains together and with a strong bonding. Abusing parents are responsible for the inappropriate sexual behavior. Therefore, necessity of therapy arises encompassing a programmatic component that addresses the restructuring of the family system. It is based on the wishes of the family, the desires of the child victim and the view of the therapist for treatability of the family reducing traumas and a better chance for change when all are involved with the therapy. In the present case, when evaluation was made pertaining to the factors contributing to the family's vulnerability to incest, precipitating events or situations typically precede an abusive episode and lack of coping mechanism. The family needs an intense therapy. For the situation presented in the study, biggest intervention would be to begin the session with apology. This is a therapeutic ritual which involves many weeks of planning and preparation on the part of the family and which has proven to have a profound impact on the course of the therapy. In the present situation, mother (Linda) was sexually abused by her father during her teens. This may explain her incest alluded to during this session. This has probably paved the way to develop distrust and hatered in her sex- life. She requires an Individual therapy along with the Couple therapy to overcome her fear and to develop trust and faith in her spouse (Mark). It is this trust that will help her overcome her bad memories of childhood and the paranoid behavior towards her daughter (Ashley). It is imperative for her to treat her daughter as a friend to be close to her and to share her feelings. She can emerge as a sensible guide for her and can protect her from the forthcoming events in future. It is not clear in the study who has taken the pictures the girl's father or her boyfriend There are a number of elements providing a multi-generational view in understanding problems. The notion that the problem (sexual abuse/ taking nude pictures of daughter) is symptomatic of a dysfunctional family. It is the portray of a psychologically disturbed nuclear family because every member of the family contributes to the development and maintenance of the problem and the belief that the problem (symptom) may not in itself have significance but rather have a meaning within the family which is not readily apparent in the behavior e.g. sexual abuse of daughter as a tension-reduction mechanism or as a means of displacing feelings of isolation when the legal- sexual partner (wife) is not supportive. Allegations of sexual abuse cannot be made on Mark as there is no evidence that he has abused her daughter. Therapy is imperative for both Linda and Mark. For Linda, a cognitive developmental perspective is essential (woman, sexually abused as child and whose daughter is also sexually abused). It discusses ways in which the development of cognitive self-understanding can by stymied by childhood sexual abuse and how this, in turn, can affect a woman's ability to parent her children. Linda must take full advantage of psychotherapy along with the couple therapy, sexual therapy, family therapy and individual therapy at the age of 43 when physiological changes in female's body start appearing. It is the responsibility of Mark to learn from his parents by seeing them as an ideal for deep family bonding and share

Healthy Snacks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Healthy Snacks - Assignment Example Apart from that, the information that was stored in the systems was not available on timely basis which resulted in incorrect information about faulty credit prices. Another problem that can be identified in the sales process of Healthy Snacks was that it was following a very long sales process that eventually created certain errors. The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overal l information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP... The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overall information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP as it is regarded as one of the most efficient software programs that most of the company uses.

Political Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Topic - Essay Example Of interesting note, of those that found the crisis to be the most sever of their lfietime, the youngest group, 18-35, had the smallest percentage, 33%, compared to the over 55 age group, 42%, many of whom would have been alive during the Great Depression. Even though this group is the youngest and has the least amount of time in which to compare different crises, this smaller percentage could be in part due to the crisis affecting the financial and housing markets more, of which this younger group would be less likely to feel the effects of, as opposed to the direct effect of the price of filling up one’s tank with gas. Older Americans with assets, including owning their own house and such, would probably feel the anxiety of the financial sector being in peril. The poll found that 78% of those polled favored that some sort of government intervention be taken. Of those, 22% favored the plan that was proposed by President Bush, and 56% favored a plan different from the Bush proposal. Of those polled, only 11% favored that no action be taken at all, with another 11% having no opinion. A telephone survey was performed for this poll. There was a margin of error of plus of minus 3%. In the first set of questions asked, the poll asked what specific plan of action would they like to see done. Also, it should be noted that this poll was taken before high-intensity negotiations took place in Congress. The poll attempted to also find out to the degree at which people were following the story in the news. 80% of people were either watching the news very closely or somewhat closely, and this statistics ranked in the highest tiers as far as percentages of people following a new story. The poll also asked what the outcome would be if no action was taken by Congress, and the resounding answer was that 74% of people felt that the situation would get worse. Some of the questions tended to be

The Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

The Madding Crowd Essay When Fanny is trying to get Troys attention she throws a snowball at his window but her throw misses the window and Hardy describes this as the throw was the idea of a man conjoined with the execution of a woman with such imbecility. This shows Hardys views on women and how they are looked down on by the male figures. When Troy and Fanny are talking, Troy seems to not willing to talk to fanny and is trying to get away, this may be because he is ashamed to be with her and he thinks the other soldiers and they may think that she is just a prostitute. Troy tries to put Fanny of marrying him when they are talking because when she asks when they will be getting married he says Oh, I see. Well you have to get proper clothes. Throughout this chapter you can tell that in the nineteenth century men are classed before women. Another part of Far for the Madding Crowd that I find of interest is in Chapter 16, this is where Fanny turns up at the wrong church to marry Troy. Troy feels very humiliated by this in front of many people including the priest, congregation and friends of theirs. Troy directs his angry towards Fanny, this shows that women have no control over the men because in nineteenth century men were the more superior people in a relationship. If poor Fanny did not confuse the two churches, All Souls and All Saints, then she would have become Troys wife. If she did become Troys wife this would have firstly, stopped her from being shunned from society for being pregnant outside of marriage and secondly would have stopped Troy marrying Bathsheba. I think that Troy over reacted to Fannys mistake and he should of forgiven her; if he did forgive her could have married her the next day which is what she asked for. Also if he had forgiven Fanny then he would not have had to live to regret how he treated poor Fanny. In Chapter 39, where Bathsheba and Troy are returning home from Casterbridge, they pass a small lonely figure on Turnpike Road. This person was Fanny Robin. Fanny had not been mention in the book for many chapters and no one had seen her for a period of time. When they saw poor Fanny they stopped and familiarized with each other. This caused problems between Bathsheba and Troy. Bathsheba then rides alone in the carriage while Troy walks. This could symbolize their futures. Troy has no consideration for womens feelings; you can tell this by when he is wasting away Bathshebas and his money on gambling. After this he shows that he has realized that he has faulted and he offers to help Fanny when she tells him that she has no money. Troy then gives some money to Fanny and then soon after promises her that he will help her in the future. This is normal in the nineteenth century for women to be relying on the man for their money and upbringing. Fannys journey to Casterbridge in Chapter 40 brings the reader to feel sorry for her and have sympathy for her. Hardy uses pathetic fallacy to show her suffering and the poor conditions she is in. Now there was not a rustle, not a breeze, not the faintest clash of twigs to keep her company. This shows that she is exhausted and lonely. When Fanny is alone during the late stages of her pregnancy, outside of marriage, she does not receive any help from humans, but receives it from a dog; the same dog that was chased away by the humans. This dog could represent Fanny because she may have felt like she had been chased away from society for being pregnant outside of marriage. Fanny does not want the help from anyone else but Troy. She took Troys word, which was that he would meet her in Casterbridge and he would help her. Another reason Fanny did not want the help from any other person than Troy was because she did not want anyone finding out about her being pregnant because she is not married to Troy; because of this Fanny decides to keep her identity hidden. Even though she has kept her identity hidden she has still been taken in by the ivy covered almshouse; they ask no questions and were willing to keep her secrets. The next chapter which takes my interest is Chapter 41. This chapter is about when Bathsheba is with Troy at Loggerheads. Troy asks Bathsheba for money to gamble with, she asks him not too but he still does. This shows that Troy will do as he pleases; this would have been normal for nineteenth century men to rule over their wives. Fanny threatens Troy and Bathshebas marriage by Bathsheba discovering the lock of Fannys hair that Troy owns. Towards the end of this chapter, Joseph Poorgrass, a carter who works on Bathshebas farm speaks to Bathsheba. I think that he knew about Fannys pregnancy and how she died. Bathsheba then started asking him questions on how she did die. In the nineteenth century it was very common for a mother to die during childbirth because they did not have the technology and hygiene we have today. Bathsheba knew that many women died giving birth and so she was anxious to know is this is how poor Fanny died. Joseph Poorgrass is unaware that people do not know about Fannys pregnancy and so on the coffin Poorgrass writes Child and F. Robin but soon after Oak runs out because he cares about Bathsheba and does not want her finding out that Fanny had left because she was pregnant and also Oak does not want her to feel upset about this. In the nineteenth century if a woman decided she did not want to marry a man then she was be socially disapproved and some may even pity her. If the woman decided not to marry then she would not be able to have children because it was wrong to do so. The husband had the access to the womans body when he wanted it, she could not say no. this was agreed in the wedding ceremony in the vows and by law. If the woman did decide to stay single and not marry then it would be hard to get a job because usually only men would work while the women would stay at home and the man would be the one that pays for anything that is a necessity. Many people of the nineteenth century think that it is a sin to God to disobey the laws, and in this case the law was sex outside of marriage. In Chapter 43 you saw many different views on Fanny all because she was single and pregnant. Chapter 43 also reveals that Troy did have true feelings for Fanny once he finds out that she has died; when he sees her dead body he realizes that he did love her. Bathsheba is with him when he reveals his love for Fanny and she is very hurt by this. Troy tells Bathsheba that she means nothing to him because of his love for Fanny. Although Troy is very hurt because of his loss of Fanny he does not realize that he is upsetting Bathsheba and he accuses her of dumping him. He wanted to believe because if it wasnt for Bathshebas flirting Troy would have married poor Fanny and she would not have been an outcast of society because she would have then been pregnant in a marriage. Another main character in Far from the Madding Crowd would be Bathsheba Everdene. Bathsheba takes my interest in womens experiences in the nineteenth century; this is because she is so different to all other women that lived in that period of time. Bathsheba owns and runs a farm; this was usually the mans job because women were not meant to be as independent as some may say Bathsheba was. You can tell that Bathsheba comes across as a very independent woman from an early stage in the book. In Chapter 3, Gabriel Oak was watching how Bathsheba rode her horse and Hardy wrote hardly expected of a woman she rode in the manner demanded by the saddle this means that she was not ridding the horse in a lady-like fashion, which was side saddling, but she rode the horse with one leg either side of the horse. Oak was very impressed by the way she rode the horse. While riding the horse it says that she drops backwards flat upon the ponys back, her head over its tail, her feet against its shoulders and her eyes to the sky Towards the end of the chapter Bathsheba yet again amazes Gabriel Oak by rescuing him from his smoke filled hut. He wakes up on her lap; usually it would be the other way round and the man would have saved the woman. The young girl with remarkably pleasant lips and white teeth was beside him. More than this astonishingly more his head was upon her lap, his face and neck were disagreeably wet, and her fingers were unbuttoning his collar. This sort of quote was unusual for the nineteenth century because in novels they would never discuss anything sexual as they thought it was a very wrong. After Bathsheba saves Oak she says that it was foolish of him to leave his hut while there was a fire in it. No woman would usually say this to a man in the nineteenth century because the man was always in charge and so he would not have liked to be told what was right and what was wrong.

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t