Principles of Human Resource Management Assignment

Principles of Human Resource Management - Assignment Example It is very difficult to prove this as the courts have made it clear that it does not encompass issues such as avoiding an inconvenience, annoyance or expense to the employer (Dessler 25-49). These practices are cover-ups for discrimination and should not be used as defenses in a court of law. They are all forms of discrimination but employers hide in them so as to continue their discriminatory practices. Therefore they should be abolished. My take would be that only religion should be used as a discriminatory factor as some jobs do require people of a certain religion which might be very difficult for someone professing a different religion. The HR scorecard is both a measurement and an evaluation system for redefining the role of HR as a strategic partner. The scorecard is an important tool because it reinforces the difference between HR do-able and the deliverables, it enables cost control and value creation, it measures leading indicators and the lagging ones to enable improvement, it measures HR contribution to strategy implementation, it provides a chance for professionals to effectively manage their strategic responsibilities and final it is a tool that encourages flexibility and change in the organization (Haridas). The current trends in jobs are the internet jobs or work at home jobs. The reason for a move towards online jobs is first due to increased connectivity as many people can access the internet. The second reason is that most people prefer flexible schedules where they can work without the influence of the boss around them. They also can organize tasks so that it fits into their schedule so that they can work stress-free. This trend is common with the young generation employees who are techno-savvy and want peace of mind away from the boring office environment (Haridas).

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Research Paper

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams - Research Paper Example The Wingfield family is torn apart due to the failings of its breadwinner – Mr. Wingfield. The play has garnered critical acclaim both as a work of written word as well as an enacted play. The further adaptation of this play into a movie is a testament to its enduring essence. But many critics believe that the play is best experienced through theatre performances. Consequently, many production houses have performed it time and over during the last seventy odd years. The intricate design of the plot and superlative performances from star casts of previous productions is now part of legend. Laurette Taylor’s performance as Amanda Wingfield is now acknowledged by many veterans as the best of the century. Just as the powerful script and excellent acting contributes to the success of the play, so does the direction, visualization, music, sound effects and other technical features. The rest of this essay will present the ideal approach to each of these facets to the play, so that the end product would capture all the definitive qualities behind the play’s resounding success. There are a few things to remember while choosing the cast for the play. The character of Amanda is central to the play and it should be assigned to someone who can portray the rugged southern belle image. She should be a strident and bold personality to fit with the description of someone who drove her husband away. The accent too should be spot on to reflect the southern mindset and sensibility. The actor playing Tom Wingfield should reflect the dreamy nature of his character, because he has to deliver the dialogues and monologues equally efficiently. The final speech by Tom in the final act of the play is especially crucial to the overall effectiveness of the play, for this passage is one of the most poetic, intensive and poignant in the entire play. The virginal daughter Laura Wingfield is someone whose dreams are as fragile as the animals in her precious glass collection. The actor for this role should thus play with sensitivity and a restrained sense of quiet tragedy. The chall enge in shaping the character of Tom is to bring to life the idea that the viewer is watching Tom turn his memories, his pain and guilt, into a work of art. To this extent it could be said that author Tennessee Williams was attempting to create a non-realistic theatre, using the literary devices and technical production tools available to him in the 1940s. Hence, modern productions of the play can incorporate some changes, without actually losing the essence of the narrative. For example, rather than a typewriter, Tom's means of turning the stuff of his life into art can be through a video camera. It can always be with him, even when he's disengaged from the action or sets the camera down momentarily. The other characters are seen from Tom's viewpoint, and the projections of what he sees come to represent the layers of his memory. By removing the burden of realism, one is able to hear the play anew. Coming to the scenic design, the director should ask ‘To what degree do we wan t to follow Williams's copious stage directions about lights, clothes, projections and so on?’ The fact that walls and furniture don't seem to be that useful for actors, makes the director look for less literal ways of solving the world of the play – in other words, capturing its essence without total adherence to author’s original and preferred mise-en-scenes. Lighting design for the play can also be challenging at times. For

Orgabizational analysis---TOYOTA Research Paper

Orgabizational analysis---TOYOTA - Research Paper Example The philosophy of lean aimed at preserving value with less work done. This philosophy has been driving the Toyota Company for decades. Lean manufacturing emphasizes on efficiency by optimizing the flow of work, ensuring that there is minimum waste and use of intuition to make decisions rather than accepting the idea that existed before (Jeffery, 2004). Historically, there were changes that took place in Japan which forced the Toyota Company to restructure its operation and management systems in order to meet the needs of its customers. Towards the end of 1949, a collapse in sales made Toyota to layoff part of its workforce. Toyota engineers came to a conclusion that Taylor’s scientific management theory of mass production was not effective and efficient. From this conclusion, they came up with Toyota production system that emphasized on quality control and aggressively sought to eliminate waste and other causes of production defects. Japan had just lost the world war two, so Toyota president aimed at competing at the same level with America in terms of production and quality within three years. The principle of just in time was applied so that there was continuous flow process; the right parts needed in assembling hall reach the destination at the right time and only in amount needed. The other principle is automation which meant that there was dramatic improvement in productivity in that whenever a defect product was detected, the machine stopped automatically to shield the operation from producing more defects. Also, in the Toyotas assembly, assembly lines pulled liens were introduced which allowed operators to detect a problem whenever it occurred thus making everyone in the assembly hall aware of the problem (Jeffery, 2004). The success of Toyota Company in the market has been attributed to lean production system. The basic concepts that

Accounting ratio analysis for Hysan Development Company Limited Essay

Accounting ratio analysis for Hysan Development Company Limited - Essay Example The company has three segments in operating as such in the industry. First, is has its Office segment, which is in charge of leasing of office space and related facilities to various customers from office users. Second, it has its Retail segment, which takes charge of the leasing of space and related facilities, this time to a wide range of retail of retail and leisure operators. Third, it has its Residential segment, which takes charge of the leasing of luxury residential properties and related facilities. The company has continued to expand over the years and as of December 31, 2012, its investment property portfolio has reached an approximate level of more than 4 million gross square feet of office, retail and residential space in Hong Kong. The Companys subsidiaries as of 2012 included HD Treasury Limited, Admmore investments Limited, Hysan China Holdings Limited, Hysan Corporate Services Limited, Hysan (MTN) Limited and Hysan Leasing Company, among others (Reuters, 2014a). Profits are created from the surplus of revenues over expenses. This would require a way to gauge revenues and expenses which are extracted from the financial statements of the companies under study. Various categories of expenses according to functions, get deducted from the revenues for purposes of computing profit or income. First is the direct cost or called cost of sales or revenues is deducted first from revenues to arrive at gross profit. From gross profit, operating income will be derived after deducting further selling and administrative expenses will be deducted to arrive at operating income. From the operating income, net income determination will follow after non-operating incomes or expenses are added/deducted accordingly from the operating income (Johnson, et al, 2003). After producing the various categories of income --- gross profit, operating income and net income, each result

Good Things About Designed by Groupism Case Study

Good Things About Designed by Groupism - Case Study Example Despite the negative experiences, I believe there are good things about designing by groupism. Sometimes, each person able to do what he does best. Everyone feels a part of project. The results of project were much better. There are good things about designing by groupism like each person able to do what he does best. Some students better with writing. Others better with speaking. Some better with doing. I was better with doing. So I did the code. Mary was better with writing. She kept notes and wrote the paper. Casey was best with speaking. He presented our project to the class. Sometimes, each person is able to do what he does best in groupism design. This is what happened in our group. We worked well together. It helped to have a good manager in the group. Other good things about designing by groupism are each person feels part of project. We each made suggestion about website. Some we used. Some we did not, but everyone made points that were used. Mary and I helped with layout. Mary and Casey did content. We all worked on code together. Each felt a part of project design by groupism. Casey really helped it all go smooth. At the end of the project, we all felt happy about how everything happened. The website was great. We were very proud of our work. The best thing about designing by groupism is the results of project were much better.

Article Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Report - Essay Example The sequential, evolutionary aspect of experiences over time attaches the notion of a "moving perspective" on careers. Thus, not only does it transcend organizational dynamics in the new economic, technological and social realms, but goes beyond systemic boundaries. As it is, therefore, a person’s career is a key life constituency evolving around work and time. Apart from the provision of income, work offers a sense of purpose, challenge and self-fulfillment. It is a source of interactive life challenges via social networking that often powers on creativity with a sense of identity as an end result. Quite simply, career is a life journey with either the choice of a beaten path or another to navigate (Baruch, 2004). Andolsen’s article entitled â€Å"Six Steps to Your Successful Career Path† is an informative career guide that engenders navigation principles of self-assessment, decision making and life planning towards a successful career path for RIM professionals . Notably, the multifaceted approach of the modern career training is pushing the employer to the periphery out of the mainstream control of employee-skills (Baruch, 2003). The circumstantial phenomenon leaves â€Å"expertise† as the most treasured and sought-after strategic resource by the employer (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 2002; Andolsen, 2008). With a background of â€Å"a dusty filing system†, the scarcity of the prized resource has informed a structured career path for RIM practitioners aimed at attaining relevance in an era of a digitized managerial control. In a bid to start off RIM practitioners towards the foregoing painstaking journey, Andolsen provides a useful six-step career planning framework fully fitted with self-evaluative mechanisms for a dynamic career prospects (Andolsen, 2008). Six Steps to a Successful Career Path Self-Assessment Career is essentially a vehicle for the realization of the self. More accurately, it is a vehicle through which the individu al begins a constructive conception of the self in the sense of the world (Adamson, 1997). It is no wonder, therefore, that the interrogation of the self begins Andolsen’s six-step career planning framework for the actualization of a successful career in the field of Records and Information Management (RIM) (Andolsen, 2008). Accordingly, understanding oneself entails a thorough dissection of the inner strengths and weaknesses, which includes but is not limited to personality and attitudes, skills and achievements, knowledge and learning style, values, interests and entrepreneurism. Essentially, this crucial step lays bare the physical, emotional, intellectual, motivational characteristics that define the individual and personality. Occupational Research The above mentioned traits have a direct relationship with an individual’s work competencies. It is, therefore, imperative for personal, career interests and skills profile to have a matching relationship with positions available in the job market (Andolsen, 2008). Notably, such positions surface and disappear with the trending economic and technological shifts. Thus, to prevent false starts, career seekers should remain realistic in their career pursuits by updating their jobs skills through a fast, hands-on approach to valuable information. From simple web search to job shadowing, aggressiveness may prove a valuable resource in investigating options available in line with the personal traits. Decision

Organizational Characteristics Essay Example for Free

Organizational Characteristics Essay This paper will describe the culture and the organizational characteristics of a chosen organization, Publix Supermarkets. Detailed throughout will be the common characteristics of the organization as it operates on a day to day basis. Specifically the system based on individual units, rules and norms expected of the associates and supervisors as well as the hierarchy will be established for the reader to garner a better understanding. Furthermore, the communication networks, organizational orientation, approaches to and by leadership members, as well as the decision making and communication procedures put forth by members of management will be analyzed. This paper will describe which 4 of these listed characteristics are most influenced by communication between members and levels of Publix Supermarkets. The author has been employed with this supermarket chain for more than 7 years and has ample knowledge and understanding on the organization as a whole. Common Characteristics of an Organization Publix Supermarkets is a grocery chain unlike many others for a variety of reasons. Founded in 1930 in Winter haven, Florida by George W. Jenkins, Publix is known for its customer first atmosphere and pleasurable shopping experience. The grocery chain whose motto states they will never knowingly disappoint their customers operates in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee and currently has more than 1000 stores in operation (Publix.com). Jenkins’ supermarket chain has continued to grow on their customer friendly business sense. Publix has since become a Fortune 500 company and is privately held and owned by its employees. For as well as they treat their customers, the chain treats its associates and management staff just as well if not better. Publix workers who have been with the company a base number of years receive shares of stock for every 1000 hours worked, and can purchase more shares of stock at almost any time during a given year. The grocery chain is also well known for its high ranking employee benefits and treatment in the employment world. Rules/Norms (Written and Unwritten) Outside of the big green P logo, the Publix atmosphere is what customers relate to with the chain more than anything else. Communication with customers is a major asset in following proper Publix protocol. The smiling helpful associates, clean stores, and consumer friendly set up of product is where Publix truly prides itself as an organization. Each experience ends with a friendly cashier and bagger, and the bagger will always bring the customer to their vehicle and help load product into the car for them. Believe it or not this all relates to performance evaluations that are done quarterly, where associates are evaluated on their behavior amongst the customers. Customer intimacy is something Publix takes very seriously. The Publix image extends onto its associates as well. All employees are expected to show up to work on time and be clean shaven in full clean uniform attire. Each department and job class has their own specific uniform; however all include proper hygiene, reasonable hairstyling, and proper equipment to perform their tasks to better serve the shoppers. Publix is an organization that understands how to promote their brand by utilizing all available options to do so. Clean stores and clean happy associates promote the â€Å"Publix Way.† This plays a major role in nonverbal communication between Publix associates and their customers. Aside from dress code and customer relations, two major elements, there are many other standards Publix employees are held to. A good example of one unwritten Publix rule would be: communication between associates when out on the sales floor during business hours must be respectful, and if at all possible must include the customer. Also, outside from positive communication both verbal and nonverbal with customers and fellow associates employees are expected to communicate both effectively and respectfully with management teams as well. Hierarchy The Publix store level hierarchy is something that runs seemingly parallel in each department throughout the store. Each department and sub department have their chain of command as follows: part time associates, full time associates, assistant department manager, and department manager. The two major departments, grocery and customer service, have the most associates, in order to better supervise their employees there is a position called a team leader that fits into the hierarchy between the full time associates and the management team. Publix is a company that only promotes from within. This is a big selling point for associates and applicants alike. Knowing that the opportunity for advancement is always there is a major asset for the associates in the store. Communications between the different levels of the chain of command are fluid. The associates can go to their department managers, or team leaders, with any concern or idea. The department managers at store level then communicate with the store’s assistant manager and store manager about the associate’s ideas and concerns. Communication Networks The information Publix gathers through their retail channels is usually information based on product analysis and placement that they can pass down to the management teams at store levels to assess further. Ultimately the store will take the advice of corporate and try to taper the information in the way it works most effectively for each store. Each store can take the same information and depict it differently. Information about new products, events, or openings may not influence all stores, or influence them all at the same level. There are times, during major events like hurricanes, holidays, or back to school time, where Publix store level employees must take the information sent to them by corporate including sales figures and forecasts in order to build the proper displays and floor models for customers to browse. Having product out that customers take interest in can help drive sales. The communication between the different levels of Publix Supermarkets goes hand in hand with communication networks at the store level. Leadership Approaches A major tool in the line of communication at Publix is how they allow anyone who is willing to step up and be a leader, do so. When every associate feels that sense of empowerment in their employment it urges them to lead in a different way, work harder and do a better job to lead by example. Publix pushes their associates to be role models both in the stores, and in the community. The management teams are in place to ensure guidelines are followed, but showing quality leadership through positive communication means so much more. Communicating with leaders is always a situation associates take very seriously in any industry or business. This is no different in the retail world at Publix. Associates voice their concerns and feelings to their leaders, whether it be management, team leaders, or even fellow associates who take on the responsibility of leading a specific group. At Publix supermarkets the communication had with leadership is always something associates should come away from feeling they were heard out and understood, good virtue for any organization to sustain. Conclusion Publix through the years has become one of the most widely respected organizations in America. This is due to the quality product and customer service put out the grocery chain, but also playing a role in the respect factor is the culture of the organization. This of course starts at store level and works its way to the corporate ranks, and is in large part to do with positive, effective communication. Publix supermarkets are known throughout the world a company that is great to work for, just as much as they are to shop at. Through utilizing all of the common communication characteristics Publix has continued to promote a very associate friendly atmosphere through the years. The supermarket chain takes pride in the fact that each associate understands their value to their company and takes pride in hiring quality applicants. Publix utilizes its rules and norms, hierarchy, communication networks, and strong leadership approach in all day to day activities in order to remain a successful industry leader.