Healthy Eating Habits Essay

Eating healthy is said to be the key to a healthy quality life. Our physical fitness and overall health is highly dependent on what we eat. Hence it is very essential to adopt healthy eating habits. It improves your physical and psychological health as well as increases your energy level. Healthy eating habits help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease, certain types of cancer and many other health problems. Healthy eating offers stronger bones and muscles. It also helps you look and feel better and energized. Quality food consumption becomes especially important in the present world of high stress and pollution.Making a healthy diet is an essential aspect of modern self health care.Anybody who seriously tried living healthier through a better diet, proper physical activity, adequate rest will overall have better health and a sense of well being, better sleep, improved physical endurance and strength, sharper mental abilities and lower sleep require ments. Healthy eating habits are essential to create a solid foundation for good health. This can be done by avoiding or minimizing excess sugar and processed foods. All these foods are often very high in calories and harmful artificial substances, low in nutrients and high in simple sugars. Consumption of such foods has been linked with a variety of diseases including obesity, diabetes, malnutrition and cancer. What we should emphasize on is actually to ensure a balanced and adequate nutritional intake. It is important to do your best at getting the right quantities of all essential-for-health nutrients, and minimize the risks of getting too much or too little of any. The more natural and less processed the food, the better its health promoting value. Some nutrient loss always occurs during food processing. Such foods are rich in a variety of high quality nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, fats, carbohydrates, proteins and others.Besides that, we should eat only when hungry and do not overeat regardless of food. This habit helps create a balance in the body that leads to a healthier state of being by letting the body naturally regulate its needs.Do not wait too long unless fasting or cleansing is desired. Therefore, it is crucial to encourage and practice healthy eating habits. This should be done since we are little to make it easier since children are like white sheets and it is the parents’ responsibility to colour them. Our  diet should be healthy and balanced. It should consist of adequate amounts of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fibers. We should include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as dairy products in our daily diet. Generally, it should be low in fats and rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Last of all, always remember, no food is good or bad. It’s up to us how to balance the variety of foods. Adopt healthy eating habits for good health and physical fitness, leading to a cheerful, healthy life. That way, we can enjoy life to the fullest without any health tribulations.

Multinational Expansion Of Companies Essay

Ghe increasing multinational expansion of companies requires individuals who can perform effectively across national borders by handling cross national job assignments (Stahl & Bjorkman 2006). Expatriates/international assignees are employees who work outside their national borders. A lot depends on human resource (HR) management in selecting appropriate workforce and rewarding them accordingly in company’s best interests. HR managers need to show expertise in choosing suitable personnel for international assignments based on employee’s personal characteristics, interests, overseas experience and the type international assignment. Moreover, it becomes the responsibility of HR managers to look after compensation packages, and compliance with regional work standards and government policies. Hence, it is necessary to review all these issues in detail to gain an idea on the role of HR professionals in relation to international assignees. Firstly, to understand the aspects of expatriate selection and functions, it is first necessary to review the reason for global expansion of companies and their requirements. Companies Go Global   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various reasons for companies choosing international existence. They include increased pressure on costs, search for new markets, greater customer demands and product and service qualities, government policies, search and desire for technology development, worldwide communication and information flow, increasing global opportunities with interdependence of nations in trading blocs, integrating cultures and values leading to common consumer demands, availability of skilled workforce, decreasing trade barriers, and E-commerce (Briscoe & Schuler 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This increasing globalization requires companies to look for employees with ability to operate at varied conditions. Accordingly, various criteria are set for the selection of international assignees. International assignees may be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs) or third-country nationals (TCNs) Selection of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resource (HR) managers have a major role in selecting international assignees. The highly followed selection process includes self-selection, creating a candidate pool, technical skills assessment and making a mutual decision (Frazee 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HR management has to consider several criterion before selecting the candidates, such as candidate’s maturity, ability to handle foreign languages, possession of favorable outlook on the international assignment by the expatriate and his/her family (Briscoe & Schuler 2004). Apart from these personal characteristics like health, desire for the assignment, individual resourcefulness and adaptability are very important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International assignees should have various qualities such as computer literacy, prudent negotiating skills, ability as a change agent, visionary skills and effective delegatory skills (Briscoe & Schuler 2004). Functions of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The functions of international assignees may include all or any of the following areas depending on job responsibilities. Technical responsibilities Managerial responsibilities Cultural responsibilities such as interacting with local nationals and local communities In general, global long term assignments may vary between two and five years. In long term assignments employees are generally loaned to the host company by the home company (Mullaney 2007, p. 3). The position and seniority of the assignee often determine the nature of the assignment package. Executive assignees are seen as prominent members of the local management team, whereas assignees at manager level or below are credited with career development opportunity. An Insight on the Roles of HR Managers In the current globalization arena, the role of human resource (HR) personnel in relation to international assignments should be viewed in specific perspectives: human resource personnel and international assignees, and the role of past experience in dealing with diverse employees. Whatever the role is, the basic requirements are openness to people, flexibility, autonomy, and career motivation (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). Firstly, the phases in selection of international assignees can be described as self-selection, creation of a candidate pool, assessment of technical skills, and making a mutual decision. Firstly, the candidate has to self analyze whether he or she can be a global assignee. Moreover, the favorability of family and other conditions need to be evaluated. In selecting global assignees, it is better to opt for self-selection than traditional selection. While traditional selection in meant for choosing assignees by employers through various interviews and tests, self-selection promotes self-assessment of candidates and decide on whether or not to go for the next step for selection process (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). The factors of self-selection include personality and individual characteristics, career and family issues. According to Johns, in case of personnel who shift from another position to HR, the experience in past positions and the change of influencing abilities pertaining to the post may help perform better as a HR manager in dealing with employees from different backgrounds (as cited in Frazee, 1998, p. 52).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, HR managers do have a major role in proper orientation of global assignees and making them adjust with new environment. Moreover, HR personnel need to evaluate the costs associated with expatriate programs. Finally, they may have to deal with situations where employees may rise about differences in compensation between local and global assignees. Requirements of International Business Management in the Context of HR Professional in Working with International Assignees In my opinion, such requirements as workforce planning and staffing, training and health safety, and Crisis Management are the central issues of international business management in the context of HR profession when working with international assignees. The most significant subject for planning of training for international assignees is the importance of understanding the restricted culture and language. The organization of the compensation programs for multiple workforces around the world is a compound and not an easy work that is put into effect with the help of the balance sheet approach.   Health and safety practices vary among countries as per related laws in those countries. However, HR managers should understand and cope with business decisions that are concerned with strategies, health and safety systems, and different practices faced in countries that may have an impact upon workforces and employee relations between international assignees. So, the requirements include learning the laws, systems of working and understanding the cultures of the countries. Global HR activities that involve preparation, scheming, structuring, implementing, organizing, or developing may be unsuccessful if they are used without considering the differences in countries. Successful processes and systems that are used in one country may fail when they are used in the same way in another one. All the aspects of the international business have a human element. The human recourse management was underestimated for a long time, but its functions and roles, nowadays, are accepted to be one of the most important. Nevertheless, ‘the HR professionals must first learn the geography and characteristics of the field’ (Ohmae, 1990). Potential Involvement of International HRM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the increasing human resource problems in the multinational companies due to increased global operations, it has become to necessary to redefine the scope and role of the human resource management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HRM should be involved as a active partner in formulating global strategies. Necessary skills need to be imparted into senior HR professional through proper training. HR professionals should lead developing processes and activities involving emerging strategies (Briscoe & Schuler 2004, p. 398). Companies should facilitate the development of global strategies by finding out the skills necessary for management and employees, and a major role should be played by the HR department in accomplishing it (Briscoe & Schuler 2004, p. 398). Enhanced interaction is essential among line management, HR personnel and workgroups. Moreover, it is better to decentralize the functions of the headquarters IHR departments. Also, main HR departments should assign basic administrative responsibilities to venders with expertise in HR activities, as the main departments will need to deal with many growing global responsibilities (Briscoe & Schuler 2004, p. 398). Expatriate Performance, Training and Interactions Joint ventures and foreign subsidiaries are usually structured and organized much like their mother companies; the only distinction is that they have both expatriate and local managers. That’s why the international business operations are more difficult and have more complex structure than the domestic business operations. â€Å"Regardless of the effectiveness or availability of Performance Management (PM) tools, expatriate PM success depends largely on the manager and expatriate in question: how well they both understand, internalize, and accept PM, and how skillful they are in its implementation. To this end, appropriate PM training should be available for all expatriates, including their superiors.† (Johnson 2003). The high level of the performance management of the expatriate leads to improvements in their careers and company’s development.   The performance management system that is used in the global business includes a lot of areas of international human recourse management responsibility, such as evaluating foreign managers and international assignees for pay increases. However, one of the most important obstacles to the successful administration and progress of these managers and international assignees is the regular require of recognition of the value of their overseas experience and expatriation, in general, and the casualness with which companies often evaluate these international assignees foreign performance. Certainly, big enterprises that have a lot of overseas assignees and many foreign subsidiaries say that ‘most (83%) do not use performance management to measure international assignees’ success. And many (35%) don’t use any type of measurement at all.’ (Andersen 1999, p. 18) One of the most important factors that influences upon the international assignees’ performance is the performance appraisal system of the company. However the correct and effective system of the performance appraisals is not an easy task even in the native country. The knowledge and the skills that have to be developed by the international assignees differ a lot from the abilities of the workers of the company that is located in the native country should have.   The international assignee and other foreign managers have to increase and make use of the knowledge that is necessary for any managerial assignment without any doubt. The requirement for more number of highly qualified human resource personnel has resulted in the need to use larger numbers of foreign nationals. ‘Most multinational firms favor hiring local nationals for foreign subsidiaries, home-country nationals at headquarters, and, where a regional organization exists, a mix of foreign and home-country managers for regional positions.’ (Johnson 2003) Thanks to such method of international HR management the ethnic groups unite usually varies with the environment of a firm’s business and with the product strategy. So, the role of the staff that works at the native country diminishes in the case of lowering the importance of the area expertise. The principal subject for a large amount of companies in the management of their international assignment system is the arrangement of the competing interests of the firm, international HR management, and the international assignees and family. The business that is concerned about its globalization requires fast deed in order to produce innovative revenues, and to direct the expenses and threats involved with doing that. International human resource department requires adequate lead time to discover and choose successful international assignees. As Ohmae (1990) writes ‘they need a low enough case load of international assignees to be able to provide good service; they want to be able to apply an effective process for selecting and developing quality of international assignees candidates; and they desire to be able to apply a consistent policy of treatment of international assignees.’ International assignees themselves, and their families, need sufficient compensation for the individual and profession sacrifice they make while they relocate; they would like their family concerns to be given essential priority; and they look ahead to   be able to come back to a profession promotion that   takes benefit of their foreign practice. So, the way to success in the global operations is to satisfy the needs of companies and the needs of international assignees. The role of international assignees is very significant; because whether the business strategy will be clear and understandable all over the world depend on their working performance. In order to improve the results of the work there are a large amount of programs that consist of relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. The factor of relevance means that the HR manager and the worker should realize the relevance of their labor in the general activity and to evaluate the situation correctly. Acceptability is the right evaluation of the job from the side of the HR manager and the diligent execution of the duties by the expatriate. It needs to be seen as fair, reasonable, and accurate. Sensitivity is the attitude of the administration that includes taking into consideration cultural differences and adequacy in evaluating the business reality. The fact that the programs should be practical for the expatriates is also important. They should correspond to the business strategy and be not difficult to execute but not to simple. In this case there is a threat that such program will be done partially. These entire characteristics have to be implemented by the HR managers and need special attention. Compensation for International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HR department has to create compensation packages that appropriate for employees and profitable to the companies. The components of a balance sheet approach that are helpful in determining expatriate compensation are described below. Home-country salaries International standard Regional standard Better of home or host policy Expatriate Failures The three main reasons for expatriate failure are inappropriate selection, inadequate preparation and the stress associated with expatriation (Enderwick & Dunning 1994). Proper training of expatriates before giving international assignments is necessary to overcome failure. All in all, performance of international assignees depends greatly on proper selection and training. Moreover, appropriate compensation packages are necessary. Women as International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coming to the gender differences in international assignees, there are important aspects to consider. It has been observed that though the number of women employees is increasing over the years, they are not making a substantiate percentage in international assignments. To be precise, in spite of having 47% women workforce in the United States by 1998, only 13% to 14% were selected for international assignments (Varma et al. 2004). Also, in spite of having 30% female students in MBA programs in the US, only 14% are being selected by corporate America for international postings (Koretz, 1999).   Furthermore, the estimated number of female expatriates is between 2 and 5 percent only (Harris, 1993).There are multiple reasons for this scenario.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The important cause is the reluctance of management to send women employees abroad stating that they face more prejudice than men at the new workplace. Also, supervisor-subordinate relationship seems to be an important factor. It was found that female employees showed higher agreement with female supervisors than males (Varma et al. 2004). It becomes crucial, as most of cases require women to interact with male supervisors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other related reasons can be explained such as over estimation of women’s problems at workplace by males, and lower availability of corporate development programs such as fast track programs, individual career counseling and career planning workshops for women. Further reasons include the traditional confinement of women to only certain job categories, socio-cultural issues of host countries and the problems of dual career couples. Conclusion In conclusion it is necessary to say that global HRM is more democratic than it was earlier. It provides employees with lots of opportunities and possibilities without paying attention to such factors as cultural characteristics or racial prejudices. Global HRM tries to present cultural diversity at all level of organizations. HRM model in public sector is characterized by lifetime employment, social cohesiveness and seniority wages. The vitality of organization is less important in the country that family ties and friendship. It is seen that GCC countries are not greatly influenced by globalization processes. Managers try to promote their relatives instead of teaching staff how to work. HRM model in the private sector is only on the evolution stage. It is still trying to find innovative ways how to manage the staff effectively. It is recommended for strategic human resource management of future to be characterized by cultural diversity and equal job opportunities for all people. HRM should use the concepts of globalization and labor division in order to achieve highest results. HRM should provide qualified employees with proper positions. Human resource managers should also have highest qualification and professionalism to achieve company’s goals and objectives. One more recommendation is to create more job places and to provide people with them. The cultural dimensions of power distance index, individualism, masculinity, uncertainly avoidance index and long-term orientation are necessary to be studied by the HR managers. The improvements of the programs that are aimed at the expatriate’s learning should include relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. As the result the production will increase as well as the organization’s revenue and profits. All in all, HR management has a great responsibility in company’s success pertaining to international assignments. They need to identify required personnel with adequate skills and experience to carry out international assignments. HR managers should plan proper reward packages to retain efficient employees on international assignments. Moreover, they need to adjust existing and adopt new policies in order to gain compliance with respective country’s policies and standards. Also, they are supposed to plan and implement relevant training for employees to perform effectively as international assignees. References 1998, ‘ROI on International Assignees’, HR Focus, Vol. 75, no. 3, p. S5. Briscoe, D. R. & Schuler, R. 2004, International Human Resource Management, Second Edition, Routledge, London and New York. Budhwar, Pawan. Human Resource Management in Developing Countries. London:   Routledge. Chiavenato, Idalberto. 2001. â€Å"Advances and Challenges in Human Resource Management in the New Millennium†. Public Personnel Management,30, pp. 17-25. Dunning, Joseph. 1999. Governments, Globalization and International Business. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eaton, Jack 2000. â€Å"Transnational Companies, Globalization and Industrial†, Comparative Employment Relations, Cambridge, Polity Press. Enderwick, P. & Dunning, J. H. 1994, Transnational Corporations and Human Resources, vol. 16, Routledge, New York. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘An HR Pro Forges a Well-rounded perspective’, Workforce, Vol. 77, no. 2, p. 52. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘No Common Thread in Expat Selection’, Workforce, 4, 4, p. 9. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘Selecting Global Assignees’, Workforce, 3, no. 4, pp. 28-30. Harris, H. 1993, ‘Women in international management: Opportunity or threat?’,Women in Management Review,8, no. 5, pp. 9-14. Hofstede, Geert.1998. International and Cross-Cultural Management Research. Sage: Jean Claude Usunier. Iii, Edward E. Lawler. 2003. Creating a Strategic Human Resources Organization: An Assessment of Trends and New Directions. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Johnson, David. 2003. International Business: Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy. London: Routledge. Kim, Pan Suk. 1999. â€Å"Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector†. Public Personnel Management, vol. 28, pp. 27-37 Koretz, G. 1999, ‘A Woman’s Place Is..  :Men Frown on Female Execs Abroad’, Business Week, 3646, no. 28, p. 28. Less Available to Female than to Male Expatriates?’, Journal of Business Ethics, 43, no.  ½, pp. 125-136. Mullaney, E. 2007, ‘Global Mobility in a Brave New World’, International Assignment Perspectives, PricewaterhouseCoopers, pp. 1-54. Ohmae, K. 1990. The Borderless World. New York: HarperCollins. Rowden, Robert W. 1999. â€Å"Potential Roles of the Human Resource Management Professional in the Strategic Planning Process†. SAM Advanced Management Journal, vol. 64, pp. 22-28. Selmer, J. and Leung, A. S. M. 2003, ‘Are Corporate Career Development Activities Sims, Ronald R 2002. Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Solomon, C. M. 1997, ‘Destination U.S.A.’, Workforce, pp. 18-22. Sparrow, Paul, Brewster, Chris and Harris, Hilary. 2004 â€Å"Globalization and HRM†, Globalizing Human Resource Management, Oxon, Routledge. Spring, Joel. 1998. Education and the Rise of the Global Economy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Stahl, G. K. & Bjorkman, I. 2006, Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management, Edward Elgar. Varma, A., Stroh, L. K. & Schmitt, L. B. 2001, ‘Women and International Assignments:   The Impact of Supervisor-subordinate Relationships’, Journal of World Business, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 380-388.

Original Olympic Games Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Original Olympic Games - Research Paper Example Although, the spirit by which this festival was revived again in this present world involves replicating that same concept on which ancient Olympics originated. But unfortunately the cloning was not successful due to insufficient data and absence of actual essence of the festival. The fact that Olympics in ancient Greece, originated as a result of social, emotional and religious needs rather than a commercialized value is a major factor in the distinguished grade among two societies. The original Olympic festival in the time when Zeus was worshipped as god had an abundant social value as compared to today’s modern world Olympics. The Call: Let us look at the history of Olympics before we extend our debate on the above agenda. It was named after ‘Olympia’ a city in Greece located near the western coast of the Peloponnese, where these events started. According to many researchers and literature available it is estimated that these events started around 776 BC and re mained until 395 AD (Swaddling 1984). The festival was announced once every four year and on hearing the call, Greek citizens from all over the world poured in for celebrations. By land all the spectators from the neighboring areas used to flood in Olympia, the venue for all these spectacular events. Olympia was situated along the river Alpheios mainly the northern bank. It was a remote area with nice natural habitats at the foot of a famous hill called ‘Kronos’ a name given in the honor of Cronus, father of Zeus (Swaddling 1984). So one of the possible routes was over the waters and thousands of enthusiasts also joined the sea caravan from as far as Africa and Spain. Therefore, it was a call no one could reject or ignore. Despite the fact that this was not an easy journey about 40000 Greek citizens used to witness this outstanding event. This shows nothing but their commitment and respect of this enormous occasion. The distance they had to travel was huge and the means of transport not even comparable to the present world. The festival was held normally during summer in the mid august or mid September which was the hottest time of the year. Many would question the logic of keeping such a strenuous event in such an extreme weather. But in my view, the time was suitable and carefully chosen. Most of the people during that age relied on growing crops and were farmers, this time of the year was ideal as they had just finished with the hard work of harvesting their crops and were free to relax and enjoy the celebrations. There were no proper roads and the pathway was rough with many obstacles as Olympia was a far isolated place. Robbery and mugging was just few of many fears on the way to their destination (Crowther 2007). However, there was a universal Olympic truce that kept hostile forces under control. One of the best possible ways to reach Olympus was by boat but again pirates and shipwreck were a constant threat. Still, their spirits were mounta in high and they had only one common goal to be part of this auspicious event. Not Just a Sport: If we picture Olympics today, we think of a grand opening ceremony followed by hundreds of players participating in a sport contest. Representing their country they play for the honor of their homeland and for their own fame and pride. For the people of Greece, athletics was not only a sport it was a source of spiritual tranquility. As it is evident in many authentic literatures that in those ancient times athletic events were held at funerals as a ritual to gratify the spirit of the dead. In mainland Greece, when Mycenaean’

Alternative Energy Sources And Sustainable Development Essay

Alternative Energy Sources And Sustainable Development - Essay Example This can be made possible if we put much effort and genius, just the same way the world discovered the first atomic bomb. The best source would be hydrogen fusion, but this miracle may be far than imagined. It became discovered that wind, solar, biomass, among many others, may also serve as a success, but require further effort to enhance them. Essential and crucial to whatsoever success is the ability to be able to achieve anything. Furthermore, renewable energy, can and certainly make a replacement of both fossil fuel and nuclear power as fast as possible if the globe is to avoid the hazardous effects of runaway climate change. Although wind, solar, biofuels and nuclear try to compete with oil as alternatives of basic energy, their contribution to the global energy in total can be limited or restricted since they are expensive compared to oil. In the case of nuclear, it can be restricted by waste and their disposal problems. As we acknowledge the hazards of climate change, we nonet heless, make a conclusion that the globe will continue to demand oil and gas for most of the basic supply of energy for several decades to come (Hurt, 2008). Wind energy is another key aspect. In the year of 2007, approximately twenty thousand megawatts became installed worldwide, enough to power 6 million homesteads. Nevertheless, most wind energy manufacturers can not be restricted to the USA, thanks to decades of funding cuts by the conservatives. Moreover, new wind can be poised to be a large contribution to America and worldwide generation of electricity, compared to nuclear power in the future decades. Furthermore, solar energy could be an even larger energy source, and it can share and distribute power lines with the wind. This... This paper tresses that new wind can be poised to be a large contribution to America and worldwide generation of electricity, compared to nuclear power in the future decades. Furthermore, solar energy could be an even larger energy source, and it can share and distribute power lines with the wind. This implies we can visualize an electric grid that would be built around renewable electricity having no greenhouse gas emissions, zero fuel cost, no future volatility of the energy prices, and zero radioactive waste. The wind does not necessarily always blow, and sunshine is not always present for each solar panel. This report makes a conclusion that there happens to be a stoppage at the first half of the oil age, because of the current economic and financial crisis, which is torturing the globe. Natural gas and oil can be set to fall during the second half of the oil age, to levels of exhaustion by the end of the century because of continuous depletion. Today, renewable energy, inclusive of hydro, accounts for not more than twelve percent of the globe’s total energy consumption. It can hence be known that their demand for them would grow rapidly in the forthcoming years, but it can be doubted if they can be used to replace fuels of fossil origin. Upgraded efficiency and changed lifestyles can be called to encounter the setbacks imposed. Hence, the tensions and setbacks of such a transition threaten to be disastrous

Jack Welch - A Simple Leader of Genius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jack Welch - A Simple Leader of Genius - Essay Example The custodial concept shows employees' orientation on money. It is known that one of the manager's needs is security, which is provided by using this concept, the result of which is simple passive cooperation. The supportive and collegial theories also take their place, main principles of them being orientation on support and self-discipline respectively. But getting to know Jack Welch closer one becomes sure that this person used none of these theories, having created his own one, which turned the top managers of the global companies into talented and oriented leaders. Jack F. Welch became a CEO in General Electric when he was 45, thus being the youngest manager of such level at the time. He spent his entire career with G.E., and with this company he has developed his concept of ever-continuous development of the company. In the late 1970's it was already becoming apparent, that the G.E. Corporation was facing a state of being a victim of the global economy. National companies were losing their consumers, because foreign companies produced better goods for lower prices, and this was accepted by Welch as a very important sign. In his work he used the idea of all businesses being No.1 or No. 2 in their area, otherwise they were to be "fixed, closed or sold" (Tichy and Sherman, 16). He sold $12 billion of low profit businesses and bought $26 billion of highly profitable ones, thus allowing the profits and sales to increase from $1.5 billion in 1980 to $5.2 billion in 1993. Welch has created a whole leadership philosophy, due to which G.E. has acquired the strongest balance sheet. Jack Welch was not simply a successful CEO - he was and is an undisputed all-time champion of the corporate leadership. When Welch became a CEO, G.E. had a great number of problems, which were long-lasting and could become invisible for most of the top managers. First of all, the earnings of the company grew too slowly, capital expenditures were too high, thus making the capital flow slow as well, productivity growth was no more than 1-2% per year. He also noted that management was taking decisions too slowly, the company was overfilled with bureaucracy and he felt that in order to keep the company flowing, he must bring it through the most radical changes that have ever been accomplished in it. He has formulated the six rules of management, which are so unique and universal at the same time that could be used not only in managing a company, but almost in every sphere of human life. 1. Control your destiny, or someone else will. According to this principle the employees must control their destiny themselves, that is, Welch gave them some kind of freedom in taking decisions. He strongly believed that this would make companies successful, opening talents and capabilities of workers. Now we are constantly amazed by how much people

Recruitment & Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recruitment & Selection - Essay Example One of the biggest aspects of a business venture, is the sales. It is sales that makes up the profit margin and determines the fortune of the company, predominantly. Therefore, the sales department is a very integral part of the company. The job post that is vacant and needs to be filled, si that of the Sales Manager, who plays a very important role in directing and getting the whole department under him to work in coordination and also acts as a link between the higher ups and the department. Therefore, the recruitment of the sales manager entails concern and needs to be done with precision and acumen. The recruitment strategy is a combination of a number of influential factors, that help in assessing whether a candidate is appropriate for the job or not. This can be ascertained by matching the industry criteria, the company's requirements and the candidate's qualifications. The recruitment strategy is framed according to each of the job profiles that go into the company. This paper discusses the recruitment strategy for the post of the Sales Manager. For the post of the sales manager, it would be appropriate to recruit someone who is already a part of the company. ... statement in its practicality, the products, the experiences in sales and above all, what the situation has been and how to improve on it. In addition to this, the sales manager is most definitely the head of the sales department and unless he is well-acquainted with his team-members, it would be quite an ordeal to adapt to the demands of the post and establish new relations. Lack of experience in working as part of the company would definitely be a minus point. This is precisely the reason why it is desirable to have an internal recruitment for the post of the sales manager, who would gel well with his team and would have practical knowledge and experience about working with the company and developing the situation into something more profitable. The Sales Manager requires to be more outgoing, innovative and above all, involved and committed. He will have to design strategies and act as the link between his team and the higher authorities. This is the reason why a high level of involvement with the management and the sales strategies is required. He could work with the advertising, marketing and communications departments and coordinate strategies to obtain between sales. In short, the sales manager needs to be involved in every stage of the process. A sales manager is an asset to every company, since he is the one who engineers and monitors sales, which procures profits---the very aim of business. Therefore, the labour market always exhibits a demand for sales managers. The very fact that the company will

Romeo and juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Romeo and juliet - Essay Example In my opinion, no one is directly to blame for the tragedy, it was matter-of fact, faults that occurred. The dispute between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s has expanded generations. The young love which has capitulated Romeo and Juliet into each other’s arms was something that nobody can help. It is quite true that love sees no reason, it only sees what it wants to see and this sets off their romantic story. As a famous line by Juliet in the play goes â€Å"Whats in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet† (Shakespeare, 55). The bickering of the two families is reminiscent of the problems which is the whole tragedy of the story. It was the plot of the play. It was a number of misfortunes that rolled into the final event. If there was any into the series of events that I would have to consider pivotal in the deaths it would have to be the slipup of the messenger in not being able to deliver the message to Romeo. A passage in the play goes (Shakespeare): When the message was not delivered to Romeo it was the culmination of the succeeding events. His ignorance of the fact that Juliet is not really dead aroused his emotions which led to his consequent suicide. Had he been informed that Juliet merely drank a potion but not poison then he would not have killed himself. In this case it would have to be in relation to the fault of Friar Laurence. The idea was set in motion by Father Laurence and therefore it is primarily his hand in the whole plan designed to ideally bring them back together. When he wed the two without the blessing of their families it was the start of the predicament escalating. He believed that by marrying the two he would be able to alleviate the two families’ war. ‘To turn your households rancour to pure love’ (Shakespeare, 115). He was helpless with the pleas of the couple. It was to their hearts desire that they be wed and there was little to nothing that could stop them from their

CASE MGT - 491 STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay

CASE MGT - 491 STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example This paper will discuss a new strategic human resource management plan for a middle size firm. The paper will discuss the new HR plan from the point of view of a Chief executive officer. The new plan will be aimed at ensuring the HRM department meets its strategic goals. The HRM will be expected to come up with minimum requirements for every position in the organization. The minimum requirements will be dictated by the roles and responsibilities for each role. This information will enable the HRM decide if the person in charge of a post is worth it. It will also be important during the hiring process since it will guide the hiring team on which candidate to choose. After coming up with the minimum requirements for each post, the HRM will develop a skills inventory which will gauge the worthiness of the current employees. The HRM department in close cooperation with the overall management will discuss the number of employees that the organization requires in each department. This will be guided by the trends in demand and supply as well as the current and future objectives of the organization. Once the number is determined, a hiring or firing plan will be established. Firing /retrenchment and hiring exercises will be based on department requirements and the qualifications of each employee/interviewee. Employee job satisfaction is important since it increases employee retention (Lawler & Boudreau, 2009). Factors such as technologies and organization cultures contribute in determining the level of employee job satisfaction. The company will invest in technologies proposed by the HRM. Moreover, the company will focus on creating a culture that values the employees. A culture of valuing employees increases productivity, invention and employee retention. All employees will be treated equally regardless of their diversities (Abang & Abang , 2009. The long-term goals of the organization will be used to determine the labor demands

Status Consumption as a Factor in Product Demand Research Paper

Status Consumption as a Factor in Product Demand - Research Paper Example Evolutionary economists contend that the current status of economic systems has been largely driven by growth of knowledge over time (Loasby 135). Choice, which has been a factor in retail economics, is therefore not so much about preference, but a function of knowledge and rules controlling the knowledge itself. As such, preferences are just but a subset of the knowledge-controlled rules. Noteworthy, rules and knowledge in consumer consumption, unlike the conventional idea of preferences, are imperfect. Thus, the consumers are ever in a decisional trap of â€Å"knowledge of what to want†; a trap that often leads to coerced consumption (Earl and Potts 626). Generally, there are two preconditions that must hold for consumption to be considered status consumption. First, there must be a sense of belonging, often referred to as â€Å"degree of commonality† concerning relative desirability of association with certain products or brands. Secondly, consumption of such products or association with such brands must be socially visible, that is, openly displayed (Deaton 34). In other words, status consumption follows â€Å"demonstration effects." Social visibility is particularly essential because of the moral hazard effect related to socially non-visible commodities. Consumers acquire incentives to amplify their consumption with the intention of gaining positions in social settings. For those that show their consumption patterns externally (self-reporting), individual's concern with status is one factor that has been identified to motivate such actions.

Elizabeth Gaskell Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth Gaskell Essay After Helen died things didnt get much better. The farm workers started to look down upon him and hardy waited till my fathers back was turned rated the stepson, even his own brother looks down upon him unintentionally I sometimes repeated the disparaging words I heard Without fully understanding their meaning. This makes us feel a lot of sympathy towards Gregory and we feel sorry for him. There seems to be a close link between Gregory life and his Mother life. No matter what happens, they try to make the best of things and get on with it. Preston maintains and feeds his hatred of Gregory instead of repressing it; he cherished his feeling of alienation he had from Gregory. He lived the save type of life as her, one of suffering and one full of sorrow, death seems like a better place for him he is along side the one and only person who loved him. Preston holds a grudge on Gregory right from the very start. But we must admire Gregory for not begrudging him or any other person who treats him badly even if they have just been nasty to him, he would do a kind turn for anyone, even if they had been scolding him. He is parallel to his mother. This helps us to warm to him as a character. Gregory is stoical and endures things with uncomplaining patience whichs helps us to admire him. Gaskell creates a character that speaks highly of Gregory. Nearly every one of the farm workers has a bad thing to say about him apart from old Adam. Gregory is sent out onto the hills as a Shepard with along with Adam who trains him. Adam is the only person apart from Gregorys mother who has not got a bad word to say about him, but indeed praises him. This is likely to the fact that Adam was almost the first person who had a good opinion of Gregory and even told this to his boss, Preston. Later in the story when the narrator goes missing, Gregory goes out in the thick snow to look for his half brother risking in his own life and not even thinking about it. This also seems parallel to Helen who had done similar for Gregory by putting Gregory first and looking out for him without even thinking about it. When Gregory manages to find the narrator, Gaskell makes us feel even more admiration for him. In the freezing snow, he gives his brother the Maud (woollen shawl) that he is wearing so that the narrator can stay just a little bit warmer. This makes us warm to Gregory, because of the fact he is suffering for the sake of his brother. Gaskell evokes admiration from the readers, Gregory died for his brother, and someone he barely knew and did not even complain about it. Gaskell creates a character that many of the readers may take a disliking to and manages to get ambivalent responses from the readers. Preston is described as being an old bachelor long past forty and one of the wealthiest farmers thereabouts. Helen agrees to marry him solely on that the fact that he promised to take good charge of her boy, and let him want for nothing, neither in way of keep nor in education. This almost seems a purely business agreement. He uses Gregory as an excuse in order to marry Helen. Gaskell makes our response to Preston more complex than any other of the characters; she manages to get a complicated reaction to Preston through a short story. With the other main characters, it is obvious how Gaskell is trying to portray them but it is not obvious in Prestons case. We are suspicious of him at the start. At the start of The Half Brothers Preston is made out to be a horrible man, but by the end of the story our feelings have softened against him. He is very impatient, he does not wait for Helen to love him Perhaps love would have come in time. Preston begrudges Gregory as child for the attention he receives from Helen. He is jealous of him, and cannot stand Helen loving Gregory more than him. Preston is dehumanised. He does not love Gregory at all, but hates him. But later on we see that Preston is humanised, glad and proud his son was born. He becomes sorry for his poor wifes state, but still blames it on Gregory and holds him responsible for Helens death even though it is his own fault for arguing with her. After Helens death Preston honours the agreement for which they were married under, to look after Gregory. But he makes no attempt to love him, only to give him material things that money can buy, nothing emotional. Even Preston is hurting Gregorys dog, just because it belongs to Gregory, he has a real dislike to anything that Gregory owns or anything to do with. Even Prestons own son thinks he is to hard on Gregory I believe that my father cherished his feeling of alienation to my brother as a duty, than strove to repress it But towards the end of The Half brothers Gaskell makes us feel differently towards him. There is a sense of deep regret from Preston on his deathbed about the way that he treated Gregory throughout his life God forgive me my hardness of heart towards the fatherless child! After his death he knows that Helen loved Gregory more and so as a sign of repentance had desired that he might lie at the foot of the grave, in which, by his desire, poor Gregory had been laid with our mother. Preston is very grateful and thankful to Gregory for saving his sons life I would have given him half my land I would have blessed him as my son. He even tries to be kind to the dog, but it wont let him near it. Gaskell is very good at creating and holding suspense for long periods of time through the story. At the start of the story, just after Helens husband dies suspense starts to build up as we become worried about Helens future and continues to hold the suspense until she marries Preston. When the narrators gets lost, the fact that night came on quicker makes us feel unnerved that night is overtaking him and that he may get stuck there all night. An eerie atmosphere is created which intensifies the suspense even further some wild boggy moor Tautology is used to emphasis how dark it and adds to the suspense noiseless expansion of black darkness. Gaskells use of language also helps to create suspense. Suddenly the air was filled , suddenly is placed at the beginning of the sentence to show how quickly and unexpectedly the snow fell. We start to become worried for the narrator and the suspense is built up even further by the emotional language used I shouted terrible, wild shouts for bare life and choked with tears desolate, helpless death I was to die shows how extreme the situation is, how isolated and lonely the narrator must have felt. The narrator starts to give up hope and we start to feel very sorry for him and then just as all hope is gone, lassie comes to his rescue, we now see that he saved and is going to get home safely as he has been found. Just as soon as we feel relief that he has been found, there poses as even bigger problem, instead of one person being lost, there are two the suspense is deepened even further than before. As the two try to find their way home, it is apparent that they are not going to get home and could die out there. All of this creates suspense and makes the reader want to read on to see if the pair gets home all right. The suspense reaches it climax near the end of the story. When the narrator determined to sleep and doesnt care if he dies. When the pair realise that they can go no further, they stop as a last resort they know that they are going to die and sent lassie back to get help. The suspense is mounted to see whether or not lassie can get back to the ranch before the pair die of the cold. Then the narrator fell asleep. We think is the end, he has fallen asleep he will die. But then a sense of relief comes over us when we find that the narrator has been found just time and survives, but Gregory is not so lucky. Through out the story The Half Brothers Gaskell evokes and manipulates many of our feelings. But some readers, including myself find that some of the story mawkish and trying to push at our emotional buttons in an unsophisticated way. Gaskell style of writing helps to manipulate our feelings. The way she portrays Helens and Gregorys lives makes us feel a lot of sympathy towards them but we admire the way they put up with everything without complaining. She creates a character, which seems to be the bad guy of the story and evokes complex feelings for him from us. Some readers including myself may find that Preston is an horrid man and continue to think the same even when Gaskell tries to soften his image by saying that he has become humanised, but others may feel that he is a good man at heart and this is portrayed at the end of the story when he is deeply regretful. Gaskell is very good at creating suspense and makes us worried about the characters and makes us want to read on. So overall Gaskell is very good at manipulating our feelings.

Promoting Culture And Heritage Tourism In Barcelona Tourism Essay

Promoting Culture And Heritage Tourism In Barcelona Tourism Essay When people go travelling, they buying a product that involves and includes people. It offers tourists an exciting chance to become -even if its just for a little while- a part of another culture. This paper is looking at the importance of managing and marketing heritage and cultural tourism and to what extend its used as a promotion strategy to boost tourism in Barcelona. Due to globalisation and increasing competition, many cities are experiencing a stage of regeneration. Especially since traditional industries like the textile manufactory are declining, a major priority is to attract foreign investment and become a high profile destination for tourists. To achieve that, culture and heritage are used as valuable assets for promoting a city. Definition of cultural and heritage tourism Culture and heritage have been elements in tourism since a long time. When looking at the role of cultural and heritage tourism, definitions need to be made. Culture can be defined in terms of shared norms, values, customs, artistic achievements by a group of people at a certain time (BeechChadwick, 2006: 486). McIntosh, Geoldner and Ritchie have recognized culture as a motivator for people to travel, identified by the desire to see and know more about other cultures. This includes to find out more about the natives of a country, their, lifestyle, music, art, folklore, dance etc (Cooper, et al 2008: 47). Heritage can be defined in terms of what is inherited by one generation from past generations , that can be i.e. a property or a tradition. All in all the National Trusts definition of cultural heritage tourism is explaning it very well: it is traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes hi storic, cultural and natural resources. (culturalheritagetourism.org) Cultural tourism products Developing successful tourism attractions involves an understanding of what tourism is and how it works. There are key principles, which makes tourists being attracted to a destination. The nature of tourism can be defined as a commercial activity which involves the consumption of experiences, in practice it is a business with the purpose for economic benefit of the tourist destination. The tourism industry enables tourists to consume experiences (McKercher du Cros, 2002: 27) It is entertainment and a demand-driven activity which is not easy to control. Cultural heritage attractions are a part of tourism and not all cultural assets are cultural tourist attractions(McKercher du Cros, 2002: 26). Promoting Culture and Heritage Tourism in Barcelona: Marketing tools Barcelona has inherited a prosperous cultural tradition, which is resulting from its superb position in the Mediterranean. It has over 2,000 years of history and Barcelona experienced the Iberian, Roman, Arabic and Christian preceding civilizations. It has a distinctive personality as the capital of Catalonia, an area with its own Catalan language and culture (professional.barcelonaturisme.com). During the past decades, Barcelona proofed itself as a vibrant, innovative and imaginative city, which knows how to stay in the international spotlight. Worldwide 37% of trips are taken with the reason to experience culture., where Spains market share of cultural tourism is 8,2%. 21% of all foreign tourists came with the purpose to explore culture, compared to 59% for leisure and holiday. Cultural tourism is the second biggest segment of international tourism in Spain with figures of 9 million tourists in 2003 (ectn.eu.com). Barcelona has confidently established its position as one of Europes leading city tourism destinations. With nearly 4 million overnights in 1990, 8 million in 2000 and 12 million overnights during 2008, Barcelona has experienced a massive growth over the past decade (turisme2015bcn.cat ). In 1993 the public-private Turisme de Barcelona Consortium was founded with the intention to promote the city itself as well as reshape the image. It can be seen as the as a continuance of the work from COOB after the Olympics, which was set up by the Chamber of Commerce and the City Council (professional.barcelonaturisme.com). Several strategies were created to achieve the new goals. One key strategy was set to promote cultural tourism: We will promote cultural tourism based on the citys identifying elements such as the Catalan language, its status as regional capital, unique architectural heritage and Catalan cuisine (turisme2015bcn.cat). The development of cultural services and projects are often used to support the marketing and tourism efforts. This could mean the creation and renewal of museums and art galleries and the hosting of art festivals. This aspect is often part of a comprehensive cultural tourism strategy (Page, S Hall, CM, 2003: Chapter 8) Every year Turisme de Barcelona is realising about 400 promotional activities, which are selected according to different market segmentations, tourist typologies and countries. These can be art and culture, shopping, sport, nightlife or leisure to name just a few. The traditional and established iconic landmarks such as Park Gà ¼ell, La Ramblas or Gaudis work as tourist attractions are giving the city a unique image. Barcelona is using several strategies to promote itself; with the most important strategy being destination branding, where the cultural and heritage aspect plays a leading role. Also, there is no doubt that cultural and heritage resources in particular play a key role in the development of urban tourism (Page, S Hall, CM, 2003: Chapter 3). The media in its worldwide spectrum is used to carry out the brand and to promote Barcelona as a tourist place product by using television, radio, press and internet (turisme2015bcn.cat). Barcelona is known throughout the world as a cultural city with an important heritage and vibrant variety of cultural attractions. Barcelona has nine World Heritage Sites to offer (Palau de la Mà ºsica Catalana, Park Gà ¼ell, La Pedrera, Palau Gà ¼ell, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllà ³ , Casa Vicens and Cripta de la Colà ²nia Gà ¼ell (professional.barcelonaturisme.com). During a five-year period, Barcelona enlarged its cultural attractions with new initiatives. In every year, a particular area has been devoted in a programme through the Universal Forum of Cultures 2004. In 2000 music was devoted, while 2001 was bestowed to art. In that year when the city hosted the triennial exhibition Experiences, Barcelona Art Report 2001 and the International Congress of Museums. In the year 2002, Barcelona strengthened its international position when it hosted the International Gaudà ­ Year, which has put the city in the world culture of spotlight. In the year 2003, sport and design were the citys thematic events and received big media coverage (professional.barcelonaturisme.com). In Barcelona has over 50 museums which are showcasing permanent collections by famous artists such as Picasso, Mirà ³ and Tà  pies. The city also offers a wide choice of theatre and entertainments facilities, and hosts famous festivals such as the Summer Grec Festival, where theatre, music and dance come together. The city has two most important classical music venues, the Palau de la Mà ºsica and LAuditori, which both present top-quality programmes. Furthermore, the citys opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, has one of Europes most prominent opera seasons (professional.barcelonaturisme.com). Barcelona offers different sightseeing tours to discover Culture and Heritage, where passengers get provided with any information they may require. They also give a voucher booklet which offers discounts at the main city attractions. This is a tool to promote the visit of Culture and Heritage sites. The Barcelona Tourism Board introduced a few years ago the Barcelona Card , which ones purchased provides tourists with free travel on city transport and discounts and free offers at museums, leisure attractions, nightclubs, shops, restaurants, on entertainments and other services. Various Walking Tours, where the Gothic Quarter can be discovered, where they show the tourists through the historic and political heart of the city. With a Modernisme route, the Catalan art nouveau buildings by architects such as Antoni Gaudà ­. Domà ¨nech I Montaner and Puig I Cadafalch are showed and explained. There is also a Gourmet route existing which goes through the old town and gives visitors the possibility to explore Barcelonas gastronomic culture. Barcelona also offers the Articket, a ticket that allows tourists to visit the 7 leading museums in Barcelona (barcelonaturisme.com). Critical View Cultural tourism brings individuals and human communities into contact. It can encourage the revival of the traditions and the restoration of cultural sites and monuments. But unbridled tourism can have the opposite effect. On the one hand, cultural heritage can serve as a tourism attraction, and tourism can lead to the financial and political support for management of a heritage. On the other hand, there is also possible conflict insofar as tourism can damage cultural heritage, and therefore limits on visitation can damage tourism or rather hold back its expansion. What is clear is that tourism is growing and will have an increasing impact on cultural heritage. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) predicts that cultural tourism will be one key tourism market segments in the future, and notes that growth in this area will present an increasing challenge in terms of managing visitor flows to cultural sites.aa how development cooperationin specific settings, industry organizations note that the challenge is to manage the future growth of the industry so as to minimise its negative impacts on the environment and host communities whilst maximising the benefits it brings in terms of jobs, wealth and support for local culture and industry, and protection of the built and natural environment. .