A Manifesto on Been the Senior Prefect of Your School Essay

Give unto me that wisdom that is constantly around Thy throne, and cast me not out from among Thy children. For I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy hand-maiden, a weak creature of a short existence, and too weak in understanding, in right, and in the law. Send it down from Thy high heaven and from the throne of Thy glory that it may abide with me and labor with me, that I may know and do the things that are pleasing unto Thee. For Thy wisdom knoweth and understandeth all things, and let it lead me in my works and protect me in its glory, and my labors will be acceptable unto Thee. When I was yet in my youth I sought wisdom without fear in my prayer. I prayed for it in the temple, and will seek it to my end. My heart rejoiceth over it as when the young grapes ripen. Thou art my Father, my God, and my Shepherd, who helpest me. Thy hand created and prepared me; teach me that I may learn Thy com-mandments; open my eyes that I may behold the wonders of Thy law. Remember, Lord, Thy covenant, and teach me what to say and think. Instruct me and so shall I live. Lord, show me Thy ways, lead me in Thy truth, and teach me. I am Thy servant, teach me that I may un-derstand Thy evidence. Console me again with Thy help and let the happy spirit sustain me. Thou lover of life, Thy immortal spirit is in all things. Teach me to work in a manner that is well pleasing unto Thee, for Thou art my God. Let Thy good spirit lead me in pleasant paths. With Thee is the living fountain and in Thy light we see the light. Let my goings be established, and let no unrighteousness rule over me. Teach me wholesome manners and enlighten me, for I believe Thy com-mandments. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God who helps me, and I wait daily before Thee. Let Thy countenance shine upon Thy servant and teach me to know Thy justice. Let me behold Thy glory, for Thou, Lord, art my light, and Thou wilt turn my darkness into day. Wilt Thou join Thyself with me in eternity, and trust me in right-eousness and in judgment, in grace and mercy, yea, wilt Thou join me in faith that I may know Thee, the Lord. Lord, let my complaints come before Thee. Instruct me according to Thy word. Let my prayers come before Thee, rescue me according to Thy word. Show me Thy ways, oh, Lord, that I may walk in Thy truth. Keep my heart in singleness that I may fear Thy name. I will remember Thy name from childhood, therefore, all people will thank Thee forever and ever. Amen.

The Wealth of Nations

The Wealth of Nations was published 9 March 1776, during the Scottish Enlightenment and the Scottish Agricultural Revolution. It influenced a number of authors and economists, as well as governments and organizations. Synopsis I: Of the Causes of Improvement in the productive Powers of Labour Of the Division of Labour: Division of labour has caused a greater increase in production than any other factor. This diversification is greatest for nations with more industry and improvement, and is responsible for â€Å"universal opulence† in those countries. Agriculture is less amenable than industry to division of labour; hence, rich nations are not so far ahead of poor nations in agriculture as in industry. Of the Principle which gives Occasion to the Division of Labour: Division of labour arises not from innate wisdom, but from humans' propensity to barter. The apparent difference in natural talents between people is a result of specialization, rather than any innate cause. That the Division of Labour is Limited by the Extent of the Market: Limited opportunity for exchange discourages division of labour. Because â€Å"water-carriage† extends the market, division of labour, with its improvements, comes earliest to cities near waterways. Civilization began around the highly navigable Mediterranean Sea†¦ Of the Origin and Use of Money: With division of labour, the producer of one's own labour can fill only a small part of one's needs. Different commodities have served as a common medium of exchange, but all nations have finally settled on metals, which are durable and divisible, for this purpose. Before coinage, people had to weigh and assay with each exchange, or risk â€Å"the grossest frauds and impositions. Thus nations began stamping metal, on one side only, to ascertain purity, or on all sides, to stipulate purity and amount. The quantity of real metal in coins has diminished, due to the â€Å"avarice and injustice of princes and sovereign states,† enabling them to pay their debts in appearance only, and to the defraudment of creditors. Of the Real and Nominal Price of Commodities, or of their Price in Labour, and their Price in Money: Smith gives two conflicting definitions of the relative value of a commodity. Adam Smith, â€Å"What everything really costs to the man, who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it. What everything is really worth to the man who has acquired it, and who wants to dispose of it, or exchange it for something else, is the toil and trouble which it can save to himself, and which it can impose upon other people. That this is really the foundation of the exchangeable value of all things, excepting those which cannot be increased by human industry, is a doctrine of the utmost importance in political economy. â€Å"The value of any commodity †¦ is equal to the quantity of labour which it enables him to purchase or command. Labour, therefore, is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities. † Of the Component Parts of the Price of Commodities: Smith argues that the price of any product reflects wages, rent of land and â€Å"†¦ profit of stock,† which compensates the capitalist for risking his resources. Of the Natural and Market Price of Commodities: â€Å"When the quantity of any commodity which is brought to market falls short of the effectual demand, all those who are willing to pay†¦ annot be supplied with the quantity which they want†¦ Some of them will be willing to give more. A competition will begin among them, and the market price will rise†¦ When the quantity brought to market exceeds the effectual demand, it cannot be all sold to those who are willing to pay the whole value of the rent, wages and profit, which must be paid in order to bring it thither†¦ The market price will sink†¦ † When demand exceeds supply, the price goes up. When the supply exceeds demand, the price goes down. Of the Wages of Labour: Smith describes how the wages of labour are dictated primarily by the competition among laborers and masters. When laborers bid against one another for limited opportunities for employment, the wages of labour collectively fall, whereas when employers compete against one another for limited supplies of labour, the wages of labour collectively rise. However, this process of competition is often circumvented by combinations among laborers and among masters. When laborers combine and no longer bid against one another, their wages rise, whereas when masters combine, wages fall. Of the Profits of Stock: Smith uses interest rates as an indicator of the profits of stock. This is because interest can only be paid with the profits of stock, and so creditors will be able to raise rates in proportion to the increase or decrease of the profits of their debtors. Smith argues that the profits of stock are inversely proportional to the wages of labour, because as more money is spent compensating labour, there is less remaining for personal profit. It follows that, in societies where competition among laborers is greatest relative to competition among employers, profits will be much higher. Smith illustrates this by comparing interest rates in England and Scotland. In England, government laws against usury had kept maximum interest rates very low, but even the maximum rate was believed to be higher than the rate at which money was usually loaned. In Scotland, however, interest rates are much higher. This is the result of a greater proportion of capitalists in England, which offsets some competition among laborers and raises wages. Of Wages and Profit in the Different Employments of Labour and Stock: Smith repeatedly attacks groups of politically aligned individuals who attempt to use their collective influence to manipulate the government into doing their bidding. At the time, these were referred to as â€Å"factions,† but are now more commonly called â€Å"special interests,† a term that can comprise international bankers, corporate conglomerations, outright oligopolies, trade unions and other groups. Indeed, Smith had a particular distrust of the tradesman class. He felt that the members of this class, especially acting together within the guilds they want to form, could constitute a power block and manipulate the state into regulating for special interests against the general interest: â€Å"People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary. † Smith also argues against government subsidies of certain trades, because this will draw many more people to the trade than what would otherwise be normal, collectively lowering their wages. Motivates an understanding of the idea of feudalism. Of the Rent of the Land: Rent, considered as the price paid for the use of land, is naturally the highest the tenant can afford in the actual circumstances of the land. In adjusting lease terms, the landlord endeavors to leave him no greater share of the produce than what is sufficient to keep up the stock from which he furnishes the seed, pays the labour, and purchases and maintains the cattle and other instruments of husbandry, together with the ordinary profits of farming stock in the neighborhood. This is evidently the smallest share with which the tenant can content himself without being a loser, and the landlord seldom means to leave him anymore. Whatever part of the produce, or, what is the same thing, whatever part of its price, is over and above this share, he naturally endeavors to reserve to himself as the rent of his land, which is evidently the highest the tenant can afford to pay in the actual circumstances of the land. II: Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock Of the Division of Stock: â€Å"When the stock which a man possesses is no more than sufficient to maintain him for a few days or a few weeks, he seldom thinks of deriving any revenue from it. He consumes it as sparingly as he can, and endeavors by his labour to acquire something which may supply its place before it be consumed altogether. His revenue is, in this case, derived from his labour only. This is the state of the greater part of the laboring poor in all countries. † â€Å"But when he possesses stock sufficient to maintain him for months or years, he naturally endeavors to derive revenue from the greater part of it; reserving only so much for his immediate consumption as may maintain him till this revenue begins to come in. His whole stock, therefore, is distinguished into two parts. That part which, he expects, is to afford him this revenue, is called his capital. Of Money Considered as a particular Branch of the General Stock of the Society: â€Å"That the price of the greater part of commodities resolves itself into three parts, of which one pays the wages of the labour, another the profits of the stock, and a third the rent of the land which had been employed in producing and bringing them to market: that there are, indeed, some commodities of which the price is made up of two of those parts only, the wages of labour, and the profits of stock: and a very few in which it consists altogether in one, the wages of labour: but that the price of every commodity necessarily resolves itself into some one, or other, or all of these three parts; every part of it which goes neither to rent nor to wages, being necessarily profit to somebody. † Of the Accumulation of Capital, or of Productive and Unproductive Labour: â€Å"One sort of labour ads to the value of the subject upon which it is bestowed: there is another which has no such effect. The former, as it produces a value, may be called productive; the latter, unproduct ive labour. Thus the labour of a manufacturer adds, generally, to the value of the materials which he works upon, that of his own maintenance and of his master's profit. The labour of a menial servant, on the contrary, adds to the value of nothing. † Of Stock Lent at Interest: â€Å"The stock which is lent at interest is always considered as a capital by the lender. He expects that in due time it is to be restored to him, and that in the meantime the borrower is to pay him a certain annual rent for the use of it. The borrower may use it either as a capital, or as a stock reserved for immediate consumption. If he uses it as a capital, he employs it in the maintenance of productive labourers, who reproduce the value with a profit. He can, in this case, both restore the capital and pay the interest without alienating or encroaching upon any other source of revenue. If he uses it as a stock reserved for immediate consumption, he acts the part of a prodigal, and dissipates in the maintenance of the idle what was destined for the support of the industrious. He can, in this case, neither restore the capital nor pay the interest without either alienating or encroaching upon some other source of revenue, such as the property or the rent of land. † The stock which is lent at interest is, no doubt, occasionally employed in both these ways, but in the former much more frequently than in the latter. III: Of the different Progress of Opulence in different Nations Of the Natural Progress of Opulence: â€Å"The great commerce of every civilized society is that carried on between the inhabitants of the town and those of the country. It consists in the exchange of crude for manufactured produce, either immediately, or by the intervention of money, or of some sort of paper which represents money. The country supplies the town with the means of subsistence and the materials of manufacture. The town repays this supply by sending back a part of the manufactured produce to the inhabitants of the country. The town, in which there neither is nor can be any reproduction of substances, may very roperly be said to gain its whole wealth and subsistence from the country. We must not, however, upon this account, imagine that the gain of the town is the loss of the country. The gains of both are mutual and reciprocal, and the division of labour is in this, as in all other cases, advantageous to all the different persons employed in the various occupations into which it is subdivided. † Of the Discouragement of Agriculture: â€Å"Of the Discouragement of Agriculture in the Ancient State of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire†. â€Å"When the German and Scythian nations overran the western provinces of the Roman Empire, the confusions which followed so great a revolution lasted for several centuries. The rapine and violence which the barbarians exercised against the ancient inhabitants interrupted the commerce between the towns and the country. The towns were deserted, and the country was left uncultivated, and the western provinces of Europe, which had enjoyed a considerable degree of opulence under the Roman Empire, sunk into the lowest state of poverty and barbarism. During the continuance of those confusions, the chiefs and principal leaders of those nations acquired or usurped to themselves the greater part of the lands of those countries. A great part of them was uncultivated; but no part of them, whether cultivated or uncultivated, was left without a proprietor. All of them were engrossed, and the greater part by a few great proprietors. This original engrossing of uncultivated lands, though a great, might have been but a transitory evil. They might soon have been divided again, and broke into small parcels either by succession or by alienation. The law of primogeniture hindered them from being divided by succession: the introduction of entails prevented their being broke into small parcels by alienation. † Of the Rise and Progress of Cities and Towns, after the fall of the Roman Empire: â€Å"The inhabitants of cities and towns were, after the fall of the Roman empire, not more favored than those of the country. They consisted, indeed, of a very different order of people from the first inhabitants of the ancient republics of Greece and Italy. These last were composed chiefly of the proprietors of lands, among whom the public territory was originally divided, and who found it convenient to build their houses in the neighborhood of one another, and to surround them with a wall, for the sake of common defense. After the fall of the Roman Empire, on the contrary, the proprietors of land seem generally to have lived in fortified castles on their own estates, and in the midst of their own tenants and dependants. The towns were chiefly inhabited by tradesmen and mechanics, which seem in those days to have been of servile, or very nearly of servile condition. The privileges which we find granted by ancient charters to the inhabitants of some of the principal towns in Europe sufficiently show what they were before those grants. The people to whom it is granted as a privilege that they might give away their own daughters in marriage without the consent of their lord, that upon their death their own children, and not their lord, should succeed to their goods, and that they might dispose of their own effects by will, must, before those grants, have been either altogether or very nearly in the same state of villanage with the occupiers of land in the country. † How the Commerce of the Towns Contributed to the Improvement of the Country: Smith often harshly criticized those who act purely out of self-interest and greed, and warns that, â€Å"†¦ for us, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind. † IV: Of Systems of political Economy Of the Principle of the Commercial or Mercantile System: Specifically, The Wealth of Nations attacks, inter alia, two major tenets of mercantilism: 1. The idea that protectionist tariffs serve the economic interests of a nation (or indeed any purpose whatsoever) and 2. The idea that large reserve of gold bullion or other precious metals are necessary for a country's economic success. Of the extraordinary Restraints: â€Å"Of the extraordinary Restraints upon the Importation of Goods of almost all Kinds, from those Countries with which the Balance is supposed to be Disadvantageous†. Of Drawbacks: Merchants and manufacturers are not contented with the monopoly of the home market, but desire likewise the most extensive foreign sale for their goods. Of Treaties of Commerce: When a nation binds itself by treaty either to permit the entry of certain goods from one foreign country which it prohibits from all others, or to exempt the goods of one country from duties to which it subjects those of all others, the country, or at least the merchants and manufacturers of the country, whose commerce is so favored, must necessarily derive great advantage from the treaty. Those merchants and manufacturers enjoy a sort of monopoly in the country which is so indulgent to them. That country becomes a market both more extensive and more advantageous for their goods: more extensive, because the goods of other nations being either excluded or subjected to heavier duties, it takes off a greater quantity of theirs: more advantageous, because the merchants of the favored country, enjoying a sort of monopoly there, will often sell their goods for a better price than if exposed to the free competition of all other nations. † Of Colonies: Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies: The interest which occasioned the first settlement of the different European colonies in America and the West Indies was not altogether as plain and distinct as that which directed the establishment of those of ancient Greece and Rome. Causes of Prosperity of new Colonies: The colonists carry out with them knowledge of agriculture and of other useful arts superior to what can grow up of its own accord in the course of many centuries among savage and barbarous nations. They carry out with them, too, the habit of subordination, some notion of the regular government which takes place in their own country, of the system of laws which supports it, and of a regular administration of justice; and they naturally establish something of the same kind in the new settlement. Of the Agricultural Systems: â€Å"Of the Agricultural Systems, or of those Systems of Political Economy, which Represent the Produce of Land, as either the Sole or the Principal, Source of the Revenue and Wealth of Every Country†. V: Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth Smith postulated four â€Å"maxims† of taxation: proportionality, transparency, convenience, and efficiency. Of the Expenses of the Sovereign or Commonwealth: On taxation Smith wrote, â€Å"The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respe ctively enjoy under the protection of the state. The expense of government to the individuals of a great nation is like the expense of management to the joint tenants of a great estate, who are all obliged to contribute in proportion to their respective interests in the estate. In the observation or neglect of this maxim consists what is called the equality or inequality of taxation. † Of the Sources of the General or Public Revenue of the Society: In his discussion of taxes â€Å"The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. † They find it difficult to get food, and the greater part of their little revenue is spent in getting it. The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. A tax upon house-rents, therefore, would in general fall heaviest upon the rich; and in this sort of inequality there would not, perhaps, be anything very unreasonable. It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. † Of War and Public Debts: â€Å"†¦ when war comes politicians are both unwilling and unable to increase their tax revenue in proportion to the increase of their expense. They are unwilling for fear of offending the people, who, by so great and so sudden an increase of taxes, would soon be disgusted with the war †¦ The facility of borrowing delivers them from the embarrassment †¦ By means of borrowing they are enabled, with a very moderate increase of taxes, to raise, from year to year, money sufficient for carrying on the war, and by the practice of perpetually funding they are enabled, with the smallest possible increase of taxes [to pay the interest on the debt], to raise annually the largest possible sum of money [to fund the war †¦ The return of peace, indeed, seldom relieves them from the greater part of the taxes imposed during the war. These are mortgaged for the interest of the debt contracted in order to carry it on. † Smith then goes on to say that even if money was set aside from future revenues to pay for the debts of war, it seldom actually gets used to pay down the debt. Politicians are inclined to spend the money on some other scheme that will win the favor of their constituents. Hence, interest payments rise and war debts continue to grow larger, well beyond the end of the war. Impact– United States James Madison, in a speech given in Congress on 2 February 1791, cited The Wealth of Nations in opposing a national bank: â€Å"The principal disadvantages consisted in, 1st. banishing the precious metals, by substituting another medium to perform their office: This effect was inevitable. It was admitted by the most enlightened patrons of banks, particularly by Smith on the Wealth of Nations†. Thomas Jefferson, writing to John Novell on 14 June 1807, claimed that on â€Å"the subjects of money & commerce, Smith's Wealth of Nations is the best book to be read, unless Say's Political Economy can be had, which treats the same subject on the same principles, but in a shorter compass & more lucid manner†. Two views of the â€Å"Wealth of Nations† The â€Å"Wealth of Nations† is therefore inhomogeneous and consists of the earlier elements of an individualistic strain in the tradition of Aristotle, Puffendorf and Hutcheson, Smith’s teacher, – elements compatible with a neoclassical theory – and the classical theory Smith learned in France. Smith’s classical message is what he states at the very beginning: the two ways to create the â€Å"Wealth of Nations†. First, make productive labour even more productive by enhancing markets to deepen the division of labour (moving the neoclassical production curve to the right); and second, use more labour productively instead of unproductively, i. e. produce more goods and services that are inputs to the next economic reproduction circle, as opposed to goods used up in final consumption. In the words of Adam Smith: â€Å"The annual labour of every nation is the fund which originally supplies it with all the necessaries and conveniences of life which it annually consumes †¦ This produce †¦ bears a greater or smaller proportion to the number of those who are to consume it †¦ But this proportion must in every nation be regulated by two different circumstances; First, by the skill, dexterity, and judgment with which its labour is generally applied; and, Secondly, by the proportion between the numbers of those who are employed in useful labour, and that of those who are not so employed.

How Polar Bears are adapted to their Environment Essay

The Polar Bear’s fur is extremely thick and it traps the heat so well, you can’t see one in inferred vision. This is good because the retention of heat keeps it permanently warm. It does not lose body heat as other animals and people do, and it would not be recognised by an inferred scanner, such as used when searching earthquakes and other devastated sites for survivors. The Polar bear would not be detected so this shows how well the bears fur keeps its body warm, especially in icy cold freezing temperatures. Polar bears can go weeks between meals. Their digestive system, like true carnivores, is also more adapted for processing meat than plant material. Their large stomach capacity is designed to allow them to take advantage of unexpected large meals which will serve to tide them over during the slower months when food might be hard to find. This would keep them from starving until they can find more food. However starvation is not a cause of death for the Polar Bear, as their ability to store body fat, enables them to go such long periods without food, that it would be almost impossible for the Polar Bear to go hungry! The necks of Polar Bears are longer than their nearest kin, the brown bear. This adaptation makes it easier for them to keep their heads above water when swimming, and, like others, enables the Polar Bear to live in the somewhat harsh Artic environment! The forepaws on a Polar Bear are very large. With a diameter approaching 30 centimetres (12 inches) and partial webbing between their toes, Polar Bears are able to use their front feet much like paddles to propel them rapidly through the water. This helps them to catch their pray, as they can swim very fast so their pray doesn’t get away. The hind feet are slightly smaller. On both the front and hind feet, the bottoms are covered with dense fur which affords better traction when moving on ice. This helps them to move quicker, whether they are running away from predators, or running towards their pray! On land though, they are not as quick as brown bears and appear to have traded off speed for their extremely massive forelegs which they use to break through seal dens or flip a large  seal out of the water. They are able to attain speeds of 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour) for short distances. The carnassial teeth of Polar Bears have re-evolved changing back from a flatter crushing surface to a sharper-edged surface suitable for shearing off bite sized chunks of meat from their prey. Also, the canine teeth, used for seizing and holding prey, are longer, sharper and spaced wider apart than in brown bears. The heavy fur the polar bears are covered with is varied from pure white to more of a yellow hue. The white fur is important camouflage for the bears as they hunt their prey out on the ice pack. The coat consists of two layers – an undercoat of fine white hair and outer coat composed of long guard hairs. The individual guard hairs are hollow. This gives the fur an actual translucent effect!! The hollow hairs also help to make the Polar Bear more  buoyant when swimming. The actual colour of the skin of the Polar Bear is black. It is thought that this is an adaptation for better heat retention. The female polar bear has developed a unique survival technique when it comes to the development of an embryo. It is called delayed implantation. Delayed implantation clearly serves an important survival need for the mother. Should the female not have put on enough fat reserves before the time to den arrives, the embryo will not implant and it is simply reabsorbed by her body. She will then continue her winter hunting out on the pack ice.

Consistency, parallelism and sentence variety are valuable techniques Essay

Consistency, parallelism and sentence variety are valuable techniques I have learned in this writing course - Essay Example consistent and concise essay, research paper, or other written document require special attention to be placed on the order of paragraphs and linking paragraphs. The order of paragraphs needs to be chronological with the importance emphasized with each sentence. Words and sentences should not be used unless they support the topic being discussed. Furthermore, to ensure consistency with the paragraphs more than the order is important, they also have to be linked. Linking paragraphs means keywords are repeated from one paragraph to another. It also means that transitional expressions and sentences are used. The thesis statement in this paper and topic sentence of this paragraph show how keywords can link one paragraph to another with a transition. Paragraphs are made up of words and sentences, which mean that sentence variety helps create a transition between the various thoughts in a paper through language awareness. Sentence variety means I need to use a mixture of long and short sentences to explain my idea. The words need to be concise, exact, fresh, and vary from the beginning. Discussing the use of words leads me to my next point with regards to parallelism. Parallelism requires the same tense, voice, person, number and tone to be used throughout a paper (Thurman, 2008). In a sentence I need to use the same verb tense. For example, washed, waxed, and vacuuming are not consistent. Washed and waxed are the same verb tense; however, vacuuming is a past progressive verb tense instead of past tense verb. Tone created by verbs and words in a sentence also needs to be consistent. Tone is considered the expression of the speaker (Abrams, 1999). If the tone changes the meaning of the paper may change or lead to confusion on behalf of the reader. Paragraphing techniques, parallelism, and sentence variety are the three main points I learned about in this writing course which all lead to a consistent and concise paper. I am able to take what lessons I learned from class

Disaster preparation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disaster preparation - Assignment Example rs, yet, a large percentage of them are not well prepared for disasters due to several reasons such as the legal structure or the lack of proper emergency systems. All RNs have an ethical duty and responsibility to ensure that the patients’ health are safeguarded and thus for this reason, they play a significantly important role in disaster management. In this context, the paper will discuss both the various disaster management plans that nurses have at home and at work, and the challenges faced by nurse volunteers during cases of community wide disasters. The nature of disasters require that RNs and other health practitioners to respond quickly in order to save number of lives. RNs with no plans in place to cater for their own needs such as family and pets can have a relatively hard time in participating or carrying out their ethical obligations during disasters. For instance, when the Hurricane Katrina occurred, many RNs ignored and aborted their work obligation so as to care for their families and homes, and thus the casualties were exposed to even more danger of losing their lives. In a bid to increase preparedness, nurses should ensure that they have disaster kits at home, in cars and even at their workplace. This could enable people to be treated at various places thus easing congestion that is usually witnessed in hospitals during disasters. Equally important, the government and other agencies have a duty to ensure that nurses feel assured that their families are protected and safe during disasters and calamities. One way that the RNs can have assurance about their families protection is by working coherently with them to ensure that the public, including children, have attained the knowledge and skills required for coping in disaster. For instance, children and adolescents can be engaged in activities such as formulating and exercising preparedness plans, preparing and learning how to use disaster kits, familiarizing with school emergency procedures and

Human Resource Management Strategies and Planning Essay

Human Resource Management Strategies and Planning - Essay Example Keeping all the diversity of present day organizational structure in view, it is evident that the human resource directed towards the achievement of the strategic goals has to be expertly handled to get full dividends. With the present fluid market and competitive environment, it is evident that should not arise a situation in which the organization achieves its strategic objective without incorporating the changes to improve or simply bringing in line with the fluctuating environment. This fact in itself amplifies the HRM concept’s importance. HRM in such case will not only be restricted to selection and realigning of the human resource available. It should have to be closely monitored and implemented with the required changes. If there is any change required in the organization there are some fundamentals which are to be followed. Among them, the most essential are accessibility to knowledge about change by all the effected knowledge of the need for the change, acceptability for the change, resources made available to implement it and discipline in the human resource to implement it. With such a challenging requirement, it is essential that HRM be made effective and prudent enough to address it. With â€Å"change management† in mind, the HRM has to make an effort for managing the human resource in a manner that not only it is competent and fit enough to achieve the objectives but also should be flexible enough to incorporate the changes required.

Paternal Absence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paternal Absence - Essay Example According to children, the prime depressing phase of divorce is the loss of contact of a parent. Temporarily, society is recently starting to recognize on a general basis what children have known all along: Father-absence is one of the most destructive forces to children in our society. Father-absence is the highest social dilemma we face. Correlated with divorce and sole maternal custody, paternal absence is the crucial forecaster of a host of societal ills influencing and devastating children (Wood). Even from an impartial on sexual category discussion on parental absence, the fact remains that in more or less 90% of divorced families, the mother has custody of the children. This result stems from a lawful precedence, often cited as the "doctrine of tender years," which affirms that children up to 6 years of age depend a great deal on the mother for the provision of the physical and developmental needs of the children. This precedence has been substituted by the "best interest standard," which is still heavily weighted in favor of the parent who has spent the most time with the children in the past, rather than in favor of the parent better able to provide for the child in the present or future. This standard tremendously favors the mother ("Children of Divorce: Father's Absence"). The decline of paternity... lity and teenage pregnancy; weakening academic success; depression, drug abuse, and estrangement among adolescents; and the growing number of women and children in poverty (Popenoe). Fathers are the primary and most significant men in the lives of girls. They serve as role models, accustoming their daughters to male-female relationships. Engaged and responsive fathers play with their daughters and guide them into challenging activities. They shield and provide them with a sense of physical and emotional protection. As they grow older, girls with sufficient fathering are more able to build positive heterosexual relationships based on trust and intimacy (Popenoe). Why does growing up fatherless pose such risks for children Two explanations are frequently given: The children get fewer supervision and protection from men their mothers bring home, and they are also more psychologically deprived, which leaves them susceptible to sexual abusers. Even a hard-working absent father cannot manage or protect his children the way a live-in father can. It is also doubtful to have the kind of relationship with his daughter that is typically required to give her a solid base of emotional security and a model for platonic or no-sexual relationships with men (Popenoe). Fatherlessness encourages anti-social behavior as well as delinquency and psychological crisis. Criminal behavior of children, and in particular boys, is promoted by father-absence. The problems with not having fathers in the lives of children can be so cruel that they can cause an 86% increase in the chances that a child will become a psychotic criminal. A few of the extensively identified statistics of the ills, and cost to society of father-absence comprise; 90% of all homeless and runaway children, 70% of juveniles

Economic assingment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic assingment - Assignment Example The demands input or resource is determined from the investment for a great or administration that uses the asset. Makers must get a value that takes care of the minor expense of creation. As the cost of the great ascents, makers are ready to create a greater amount of the great despite the fact that there is an expanding minimal expense. This demonstrates that there will be an expanded labor from Latin American market for bananas because of the interest. Nonetheless, assessments and subsidies affect the productivity of delivering a decent. In the event that Latin American market for bananas needs to pay more expenses, the supply bend would movement to the left. Then again, if organizations got a subsidy for delivering decent, they would be eager to provide a greater amount of the great, hence moving the supply curve to the right. A development or change popular happens when there is a substitute amount asked for at everyone expense. This is clear recalling that Propane prices have soar because of the propane lack with costs up near 20 pennies in a month to a national standard of $3.48. Rhode Island has the most-costly propane costs with $4.01 a gallon while Nevada recording least at $1.92 for every gallon. If there is, a lower sum asks for, the investment curve has moved left. Instantly that the investment is high, esteem difference is clear. The requests information or asset is dead set from the speculation for an incredible or organization that uses the benefit. Considering the perspective of the system of generation, we find that if an alternate framework or method of era is made. In any case, appraisals and subsidies influence the interest of carrying a fair. In the case, propane costs go up, and the supply twist would development to the left. On the other hand, if associations got a subsidy for conveying average, they would be willing to give a more noteworthy measure of the extraordinary,

Civil War Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civil War - Movie Review Example Many movies based on the civil war in the United States of America have been written to dramatize and teach on the effects of civil war in America. Shenandoah film is one such movies based on civil war in the United States. Shenandoah is a movie on the civil war in America, done by James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett, Patrick Wayne, and Katharine Ross and directed by Andrew Mclaglen in 1965.The movie was done in the Virginia state during civil war. In this movie, the director shows how a planter in Virginia state who was unwilling to join the civil war was forced to participate in the war between the Union soldiers and the Confederate armies, by the capturing of his son by the Union Soldiers at the river banks during their attempt to recruit more soldier to their side. This family is portrayed as peace loving and did not want to engage in the war unless it concerned them. In writing this movie, Stewart intended to teach that war is not the best way of solving grievances and political differences. The reason for participating in war must first be established and should not be based on political propaganda, as was seen between the Southern and the Northern States. His anti war sentiments in this movie was however different in some squatters as there was a belief in America, that for Union to exist among different people, it had to be fought for and won ( Warren 5). This belief certainly is what lead to civil war in America due the fight for control of the country. Despite the farmer’s opposition of his family engaging in the war according to this movie, we find them being forced to participate after the capturing of their 16 year old son by the Union soldiers. This forced the family to begin the search of their son as he is seen going even the prison in search of their captured son. In the event he finds himself engaged in the war, however he did not take sides in this war. This

What are the global implications of the internationalization of news Essay - 1

What are the global implications of the internationalization of news - Essay Example Rather than having various crews for every medium, one converged operation of the media can use the same reporters and staff to come up with stories for television, internet mediums, and telecommunication. By combining each resource of the medium, this converged operation can enhance the quality of the news presented. This increases the satisfaction of the customers thus attracting a wider audience base (Kolodzy 2006, p. 66). The increased advancement in technology has enabled easy accessibility of news. For instance, an individual in a location can read about the events of another location of the globe by accessing various social media platforms. As a result, individuals do not have to sit in front of a television at all times if they need to learn about the current events of a location. The internet have come in handy to ensure that even the busiest individuals in the globe can learn about the happenings of a location of their choice in the event of their busy schedule. However, easy accessibility does not guarantee delivering of quality news. Some media stations may use this easy accessibility to exaggerate on the ongoing events of a location. This especially happens when an international news station reports about a situation in another location where the station is not located. For instance, the current Ebola situation in Africa has been so much exaggerated that most international tourists fear visiting any part of Africa. The situation is so bad that even the Africans in various states of the westernized nations are shunned. Moreover, convergence leads to information overload. Technology results into changes that leave individuals confused and suffering from information overload but under load of the substance that is passed through (Johnston 1998, p. 3). The convergence of news has resulted into the audience getting too much information which fails to help them at the end. The reason is that the content

The U.S. Foreign Policy during the Cold War Essay Example for Free

The U.S. Foreign Policy during the Cold War Essay It is true that foreign strategy of the United States during the Cold War (1947-1989) is called containment. This policy can be described as the efforts to stop global political movement toward communist and socialist ideology (the ideology of the Soviet Union) and promote political popularity of democratic ideas dominating in Europe and the United States. That is how it was supposed to create a certain political isolation of the Soviet Union, which would sooner or later bring to a number of various problems, such as political decadence, economic stagnation and so on. In other words, containment was a policy directed on gradual weakening and declining the power of the Soviet Union by preventing the expansion of communist beliefs around the world and defending the ideas of democracy and opened economy. The strategy of containment was created and proposed by George Frost Kennan, an American politician and diplomat, known as â€Å"the father of containment†, who worked in 1944-1946 as a head of American mission to the Soviet Union and was an excellent specialist in understanding the relations between Washington and Moscow. Having sent his historical â€Å"long telegram† Kennan warned the administration of Truman about possible dangers of messing with Soviet political powers. Besides, later on he publicized his ideas about the necessity to follow the policy of containment in Foreign Affairs magazine, where he stated: â€Å"†¦the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union †¦ must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies† and ideology taught them [Soviets] that it was their duty eventually to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders. (U. S. Department of State, n. d. ). Kennan also argued that Soviet Russia was an antagonistic and closed-minded society, driven by a great obsession to dominate combined with a huge political insecurity. That is why, he thought, only a determined and resolute reaction of the United States would be the best solution to frustrate the ambitions of Soviet authorities and eventually bring the power of American ideological ally to a standstill. These ideas of Kennan received a lot of warm support in American administrative circles and became the main postulates of famous Marshall Plan on reformation. Therefore, Kennan’s call for containment had a tremendous impact on American policy-makers and â€Å"†¦inspired the hardheaded power politics that shaped the Cold War† (Holbrook, 2005). The controversy of this policy arose around the issue of the limits of containment, because it was crucial not to lose the control of the situation and peripheral interests of the U. S. That is why in 1950 a detailed plan, stipulating the stages and activities of the United States in the framework of the Cold War was issued by National Security Council as a document called NSC-68. Anyway, the strategy of containment was a great success in the long run, and it became one of the most far-seeing and prudential political moves in modern history, because any aggression from one of the sides in this â€Å"peaceful competition† called the Cold War would spark a serious conflict and possibly bring to global bloody outcomes. George F. Kennan himself in his interview to CNN analysts commented on the effectiveness of the containment policy as the following: â€Å"†¦the alternative was to have a great military conflagration and I could see no good coming out of this† (CNN, n. d. ) Certainly, not every American politician was supporting the policy of containment and there were some, who insisted on more determined activities of the U. S. directed against communist ideology expansion. In particular, John Foster Dulles, the 52nd Secretary of the State, was promoting the ideas of liberation of Western European countries. Nevertheless, the strategy of containment which â€Å".. helped to define the issues and values dividing America and Russia†, was a well-considered political step, which eventually contributed to collapse of communist ideology in Western Europe (UXL Encyclopedia, 2005). References Cornwell, R. (2005, March 19) Obituary: George Kennan. The Independent. 58 (893), 6. George F. Kennan. (2005). UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. 1. Farmington Hills, MI: UXL (Gale). George F. Kennan, U. S. Embassy, Moscow. (n. d. ). CNN. A CNN Perspectives Series. Retrieved December 19, 2007, from http://www. cnn. com/SPECIALS/cold. war/episodes/01/interviews/kennan/. Holbrooke, R. (2005, March 21). The Paradox of George F. Kennan. The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved December 19, 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/articles/A52533-2005Mar20. html. Kennan and Containment. (n. d. ). U. S. Department of State. Retrieved December 19, 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/17601. htm.

Richard Florida Critique Essay Example for Free

Richard Florida Critique Essay Brenda Parker’s article emphazises a critique of Richard Florida’s Creative Class discourse. Florida’s theory is centred on the belief that human knowledge is the main requirement in order for cities to be successful in modern society. He argues that diversity and creativity are the drivers of innovation and regional and national growth (Florida, 2003, p.3). Parker’s argues that Florida overlooks several aspects in this theory particularly labor market segmentation as it relates to race and gender. â€Å"I suggest that the Creative Class discourse forwards a seemingly soft, contemporary version of hegemonic masculinity. † (Parker, 2008, p. 202). The main goal of the article argues that the Creative Class traditional characteristics facilitate unequal gender and racial relations. She highlights the women minorities and wage inequalities in many ‘creative careers’ as well as the tensions among care giving and work (Parker, 2008, p.203). She argues that Florida’s theory allow men to thrive in society through the â€Å"creative professional† aspect, while women are undervalued. She highlights the inequality between work and home and ‘creative’ and ‘service’ work. According to Parker, Florida’s creative discourse attracts an elite population which reproduces such gender and racial relations (Parker, 2008, p.222). Critical Analysis Richard Florida developed a theory based on a Creative Class.† His theory relates to many creative cities in the world today. Is this a perfectly constructed theory that defines modern day society? The answer to that is no because it fails to account for many important aspects of inequality that exists in today’s society. Brenda Parker’s article argues that Florida overlooks important issues of race and gender in his theory of the creative class. Parker argues that Florida’s simplified theory reproduces raced and gender inequalities in the city (Parker, 2008, p.204). At first glance, Florida’s theory creates a positive image to the reader. It appears to be a relevant theory to successful global cities in modern day society. There is  a creative core and a super creative core in which diversity is claimed to be important (Parker, 2008, p.203). These creative and knowledge people are perceived as having the potential to change cities into successful ones as they are drivers of economic growth. Parker dissects this theory and illustrates how this simplistic view requires further analysis on issues of race and gender. The article provides a detailed analysis of labour segmentation in creative cities. It mainly highlights the intersection of gender and race as it relates to the distribution of jobs in the ‘creative class’ society. The dominance of a masculine figure is prevalent in Florida’s theory. According to Parker, women face significant barriers to entry, remain marginalized and operate within a society centred on masculine norms (Parker, 2008, p.203). The idea is that a creative worker is required to work long hours in order to be successful while sacrificing family life. Florida ignores the workers who aim to maintain a work life balance and maintain a family. He overlooks the fact that not every individual has the same values and beliefs. The â€Å"second shift† of women is often referred to as care work. It is clear that Florida devalues the importance of this job. â€Å"Households and social reproduction are not presented as sites of creativity or as placed wh ere social relations and identity negotiations take place.† (Parker, 2008, p.210). Florida segregates the workforce and narrows the meaning of a creative professional worker. There seems to be no opportunity for success for women who value family life. A high percentage of the women who do work are in the lower paying service class jobs. The issue of race is also an important factor which explains the labour market segmentation. As Parker (2008, p.216) explains in her statistical research, the poverty rates for black households are higher in creative cities and there is a large gap between the earnings of white and black households. Despite the desire to drive economic growth with creative workers, Florida fails to address the continuous problem of racism in the labour market. The perception that his theory encourages diversity is therefore questionable. The social construction of employment skills as it relates to gender and race are highlighted in Parker’s article. â€Å"A normative, northern, elite, white male is most unambiguously at the heart of Florid a’s idealized Creative Class.† (Parker, 2008, p.208). The creative class promotes job skills that are based on a typical masculine figure. Masculine norms based  on long hours of working as well as the hard, demanding nature of work dominates the best jobs in these cities (Parker, 2008, p.209). Therefore, it is evident that the successful jobs are dominated by men while the care work performed by women receives no recognition. As Parker (2008, p.225) states, the creative class erases reproductive and caring activities, labelling them as uncreative, and spatializing them apart from production and consumption. Many of the employed women in today’s society are in underpaid, service class jobs with little opportunity for advancement. In global cities, resident workers are women of colour, native and immigrant status (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.258). This is also evident in Parker’s article as statistics show the unequal earnings between female minorities as compared to male. Even though the gap seems narrower than in previous years, it is still significant enough and needs to be addressed. As resources are shifted from services such as education and health care, women and families suffer negatively (Nagar et al., 2002). This shift results in an increase in poverty for these women among other consequences. Many women have shifted to subsistence food production, informal work, emigration, and prostitution (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.266). One of the major problems arising from this is illegal trafficking in cities. â€Å"Prostitution and migrant labour are increasingly popular ways to make a living.† (Ehrenreich Hochschild, 2002, p.265). Women are exploited in such industries by illegal gangs and government institutions that promote these activities as a major source of revenue. Despite several strong arguments presented by Parker, there are a few weaknesses. Parker emphasises inequality in the creative class mainly through women inequality. With the exception of a few minor arguments, she fails to signify how racial inequality is also a major problem. The main argument for racial inequality is the statistical representation of the super creative core. Labour segmentation involves more than simply gender inequality and Parker fails to address this. Conclusion It is clear that Florida’s creative class theory needs to be reassessed. The labour segmentation aspects such as racial and gender inequality is an evident problem that exists within the theory. The significant disadvantage and devaluation women face in the workforce in comparison to men requires further analysis. The attempt to encourage diversity in creative cities is  not enough to solve the inequality problem. An analysis of this paper alerts the reader to be aware of labour segmentation and the social construction of employment as it relates to race and gender bias. It is important to note and understand how these inequalities are still significant in today’s society despite efforts to reduce them. Further research which can encourage and promote creative workers while minimising inequality should be done. The problem will always be evident but if it can be minimised in creative cities, they will be more attractive. Reference Page Ehrenreich, B., Hochschild, A.R., (2002). Global Woman. Parker, B. (2008). Emerald Book Chapter. In J.N. DeSena (Ed.), Research in Urban Sociology, Volume 9 (pp.201-232). Sassen, S. (2007). A Sociology of Globalization.

Concepts of Islamic Marriage

Concepts of Islamic Marriage 1.0 Introduction. The Muslims do not see the house as a static entity. As the environment for the generation of life, it is itself a living and dynamic entity. Hence waala talk of the need to continually build up the house. This task needs a man and woman in order to be accomplished. As a Waala saying goes, it needs a man and a woman to build a house, For whilst the man digs the soil the woman provides the water without which he cannot make the motar for the building. Here again, we see how, in a nuanced way, the waala refer both to the sexual division of labor in the putting up of a physical house and the cooperation of the sexes in the generation of children within the social house. In this way, I have the double reference to the house as a physical and social entity. Through these statements, Waala acknowledge the importance of marriage. However they do not see marriage as establishing a household. Waala believe that the House has already been setup by the forebears. It is a task of the descendants to keep the house in existence. Marriage is thus a necessary means of keeping the house a lived through history. Hence a young man is said to take a wife (depogaa) into his house whilst a young girl homes a houseband (kulisira). Girls are destined to marry outside their own patriling into another persons house and thus educated to help build their husbands houses even if they are never considered full members in it. Infact, the remaining members of their own patriclan are expected to be responsible and respectable ambassadors of their own families within their husbands own. Throughout the world and through out history there have been, and still are, a variety of matrimonial systems each of which is the fruit of inventiveness and adaptation to local cir cumstances. The Islamic marriage system is one of them, it has its peculiarities and specific characteristics, carved out by tradition. For the Muslims, marriage is the union of a man and a woman, having in mind the reciprocal services of domestic life and the procreation of children, this union is made possible through the mutual agreement between the kinship group of the man and the woman. Therefore, marriage is not just the affairs of the man and the woman, for the bond that unites them as husband and wife unites at the same time their two lineage groups. Man alone is incomplete and more so the woman, they are like two halves of a Calabash which have to be reunited to have a whole Calabash. The complete human being is the couple (man and woman) and it has been like that since the beginning. For the two, it is the accession to their true maturity especially if their union results in an offspring; Marriage is the fine threshold to cross on earth in the growth through childhood. Celibacy always conserves something if childish immaturity in the eyes of the society. The relation husband-wife is therefore constitutive of the human being and marriage which creates this relation is thus greatly varied. 1.2 Backgrounds to the study Islam recognizes values of sex and advocates marriage. Islam does not believe in celibacy. The prophet of Islam has said marriage is my sunnah (that is recommended action of the prophet) and whoever does not follow my sunnah is not true follower (Ibn Haiah Basum Nilah) All has commanded the Muslims to marry. (Quran 24:33) in Islam, marriage is considered as one of the essential element of adulthood in Islamic context. And marriage is also considered as an essentially a contract. In Islam, both Muslim men and women must satisfy certain conditions before one can go into marriage. The conditions include: There must be a clear proposal There must be a clear acceptance There must be at least the competent. After satisfying the about conditions, the marriage must be witness by the competent persons from both the mans family and the womens family. Respectively. It is necessary to exclude illicit sex and to safeguard legitimacy of progeny. It is recommended that marriage should be widely publicized. The heart of marriage is the marriage gift, little or more, by the bridegroom to the bride. Dowry or marriage gift by bridegroom to the bribe is a symbolic expression of the grooms cognizance of the economic responsibilities of marriage and of his readiness to assume all responsibilities subsequent to marriage Dowry is not any price paid either to wife or family of the wife. Dowry should be estimated according to the circumstances with emphasis on moderation. The prophet (S. A. W.) is reported to have said that the most blessed marriage is that which is least costly and most easy. Marriage is usually a group affair and the ceremony involves, besides the couple and their immediate relations distant kinsfolk, neighbors and friends. Nor is their involvement limited to the ceremony. It is necessary during the preliminary negotiations which culminate in the ceremony. That is why it is said that Ghanaian marriage is between families and not individuals. This view has added significance because in our extended system, the interest of the relatives in the marriage means that the two families have become affirnal real kin of the two sides. Nukunya (2003). According to G. E. kpiebaya the word Bride price instead of the usual word dowry for a reason. The word dowry is often used to refer to the practice among many Africans peoples of giving some goods in exchange for a wife, but strictly speaking, dowry is the money, or the property a woman brings to her husband at marriage. In Africa, in general, it is the boy, not the girl who brings money, property and services to the girls family. In my candle opinion, the Bride price or Bride health is the consideration (thus the benefit to the bridegroom. The consideration paid by the bride should be within the limit of the bride and should be recommended by Islam advocates and confined within the teachings of Islam. The importance of the dowry (bride price, bride health) can not be overemphaised. The bride price is never seen traditionally as payment for the girl, but as an indemnity to the family (kpiebaya), payment of the dowry (bride price, bride health) is a symbolic of the marriage procedure and finally legalize the marriage contract. Once the bride price has been paid by the bride, it confers sexual rights on both parties. Since lslam discourage celibacy. Payments of the dowry also legitimize the unborn children and also the dowry serves as a stabiser to the marriage for once the girls people have receiued it they are not readily prepared to retune it should a breakdown occur. It is therefore in their interest to maintain the marriage (G. E. kpiebaaya). Walimah is a food reception which follows the consummation of the marriage, to make it public. It is offered by the parents of the married couple, by their friends, or by the newly married couple themselves. Friends, relatives, and neighbors are usually invited. This food reception should be within the means of the couple and recommended by lslam. The companion Anas reported that the prophet (S. A. W. ) Saw a trace of yellow on Abd Ar Bahaman /bn Awf, and asked: what is this? He answered: l got married. The prophet (S.A.W.) said: may Allah make it a blessing for you. Make a Walimah, even with only sheep.(Al-Bukhari,Muslim,Al-Tirmizi,Abu Dawood and Malik) . In human life, every human being good through three (3) importance stages in life and each of these stages is marked with celebration and other financial commitment. The stages include: Out- adoring ceremony. Adulthood and marriage ceremony. Death and funeral ceremony. The celebration of these activities should not bring any hardship to those performing them. Recently, the Islamic marriage institution has turn in to a financial institution where Muslims barrow with collateral security and save with a very hard sting conditions. Those Muslims who has not gotten the said collateral security cannot borrow from the Islamic marriage institution. In conclusion marriage is a religious right for Muslim brothers and sisters and this has been recommended by the messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) and His Companions. Emphasis is placed on the affordability of the Dowry (Bride pride). 1.3 Statement of the problem Allah created men and women so that they can provide company to one another, have one another, procreate children and live in peace and tranquility to the commandments of Allah and the directions of His messenger. Nature has so arranged that man and woman are attracted toward each other. This natural attraction binds them together and leads them to live a common life and form a family. This natural tendency or the instinct of sex, like any other instinct, should be guided to the right direction so that it may be utilized in the service of humanity. In the wake of keen desire to established conjugal relations between them selves, man and woman enter into a contract known as marriage or matrimonial contract. This contract has great importance in human life, for it unites the existence of two persons in many ways. It lays the foundation of the life of a human infant and deeply influences his body, life, thought and future actions. That is why a marriage contract is regarded a sacred by various nations and enough attention has been paid in different legal systems to the question connected with it. Islam has also attached great importance to the question of marriage in its social system. In the holy Quran and the sayings of the holy prophet and the imams we find that marriage has been greatly encouraged. The holy prophet has been reported to have said No institution of island is liked by Allah more than that of marriage. Despite the numerous importance marriage in Islamic context. Individual Muslims have tend it into money ventures making it very difficult for afford this huge sum of money to go into marriage. The introduction of new concepts into the Islamic marriage has created difficulties for those who can afford and stand the test of time. The concept include:, showing of identical clothes, hiring of canopies, expensive dowry, hiring of record dance (stero) and among others is an indication that new concepts have been added to the in stilton of marriage besides its traditional concepts due to individual perusal interest. This practices and concepts currently introduced into the Islamic marriage have undermined the integrity of Islam as a religion. I there for urged every meaning, concerned and patriotic Muslim to stand elementally against these practices.. Mr. Daud Baaba Adidas delivered a paper on Islamic marriage, radio progress current affairs. 1.4 Research question (s) Main research question What are the impacts of the commercialization of marriage on Islamic marriage? Sub-question: How is Islamic marriage contracted? What are the essential requirements of Islamic marriage? Are there changes to the essential requirements of Islamic marriage? What are the impacts of these changes on Islamic marriage? 1.5 Research objective (s) Main research objective To assess the impact of commercialization of marriage on Islamic marriage Sub-objectives To identify the procedure of Islamic marriage To identify the requirements of Islamic marriage To determine the changes in procedure and requirements of Islamic marriage overtime. To assess the impact of these changes and Islamic marriage. 1.6 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH This research is intended to examine the factors or Circumstances that led the commercialization of the Islamic marriage which currently made very difficult for Young Mushin boys and girls to go into marriage as prescribed by the Holy Book (Quran). The findings the research will be made available to the Islamic Communities and other interested bodies and institutions. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Literature review This chapter will consist of two (2) Termantic areas. Thus theoretical Framework which comprise previous literature undertook by prominent scholars, journals textbooks both published and non-published on: The procedure on Islamic marriage The requirements of Islamic marriage The changes in procedure and requirement of Islamic marriage The impact of the recent changes in procedure and requirement on Islamic marriage. The second phase of this chapter is the conceptual framework of the procedures and requirements of Islamic marriage. Chapter Three Methodology 3.0 Introduction This chapter deals with the description of the study design; study Area, Population sampling method, sampling Size. Data Collection Approach, interview. and questionnaire 3.1 Study design The research design will follow the following pattern, the topic or title, introduction, Background, problem analysis or statement of the problem, the research question, the research objective , Literature Review, Methodology, Findings and discussion of sub-objectives, conclusion, Recommendations and References. Ha win C (1989), Research Design strategies and choices in the design of social research. Pathways Analysis (Dietz) 3.2 Study Area: WA municipality especially WA township where the practice of the commercialization of marriage on the Islamic Institution is the most affected area. Wa Municipal is one of the nine (9) Districts in the Upper West Region. 3.3 Secondary Data The researcher intended to collect data from the following sources; papers delivered by prominent Islamic scholars, Islamic scholars who have researched into Islamic marriage, Articles publications and son on. 3.4 Population The population of the research will be the Muslim community in Wa Township and it environs. 3.5 Sampling Method; Two main sampling method or technique would be adopted thus; stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedure Stratified random sampling: In stratified sampling, the sampler divides the population into homogeneous unites. That is to say, if the sampler has any reason to believe that the population has many dissimilar elements or individuals, 3.6 Sample Size The sample size is the number of respondents the researcher will be dealing within the population. Two hundred (200) respondents is targeted 3.7 Data Collection Approach; The researcher intended to use one main methods which include; and questionnaire. The research findings will be both qualitative and quantitative 3.8Questionnaires Formal questions will be framed and written down for the respondents to provide the answers. As a method for data collection, questionnaire is and efficient way to collect statistically quantifiable information. The researcher intended to use an open- ended question. Open-ended questions give flexibility in answering questions. Respondents can express themselves as fully as they wish. The researcher intended to administer one hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires. Network Analysis ( Long 1989, Cees Lewis 1990, Villareal 1990) PROPOSED BUDGET Component Quantity Unit price Totals A-4 Sheet Five (5) 45.00 22.50 Type setting and photocopy of questionnaire One hundred and fifty GHÂÂ ¢7 for type setting (a) 10p per photo copy (a) 100 questionnaires 1050 Field Assistance Four (4) 50.00 200.00 Digital Camera for research purpose One 1 350.00 350.00 Final typesetting of thesis work One 1 200.00 200.00 Photo copy of thesis work Five (5) 20.00 100.00 Type setting of Interviews questions Fifty (50) GHÂÂ ¢7 for the setting 70 Allowance for secretary One 1 50.00 50.00 Photocopy of interview questions Fifty 70Gp for 50 3.50 Traveling Transport for researcher Five (5) gallons of petrol 5.30 26.50 Miscellaneous 174.00 TOTALS 2,246.50 Note: This Budget is subject to amendment and review depending on the prices of component at the time of the thesis writing PROPOSED TIME AND COMPLETION OF THESIS Activity Time frame Gathering of Data December 2010 January 2010 Analysis of data February March 2010 Write up of final thesis 1stApril 2010 30thApril 2010 Submission of thesis to the faculty 1stMay 2010 31stMay 2010

Analysis of Dickinson’s Pain has an Element of Blank :: Element Blank

Analysis of Dickinson’s Pain has an Element of Blank      Although cryptic in language and structure, Dickinson gives her work an instinctually vivid sense of emotion.   Her examination of the feeling of pain focuses in on only a few of the subtler nuances of pain that are integral parts of the experience.   She draws in on an "Element of Blank" that she introduces in her opening line.   In exploring pain, she proposes that this "blankness" is a self-propagating force that is subject to the dynamic forces of time, history and perception, but only to an extent. Her first mention of "Pain" in the first line does not distinguish this particular emotion as being of a particular brand of pain.   She substitutes no other words for "pain."   By suggesting no other words for "pain," she chooses the most semantically encompassing term for the emotion.   She thus gives her work the responsibility of examining the collective, general breadth of "pain."   Her alternatives offer connotations that color her usage of "Pain": the sense of loss in "grief" and "mourning" or the sense of pity in "anguish" and "suffering."   She chooses the lexical vagueness of "Pain" to embrace all these facets of the emotion.    In introducing the "Element of Blank," it becomes the context that she thus examines pain.   The exact context of "Blank" possesses a vagueness that suggests its own inadequacy of solid definition.   Perhaps this sense of indefinition is the impression that this usage of "Blank" is meant to inspire.   In this context, this "blankness" is suggestive of a quality of empty unknowingness that is supported by the next few lines: "It cannot recollect When it begun."   This inability to remember raises a major problem with respect to the nature of "Pain;" namely whether Dickinson is choosing to personify "Pain" by giving it a human quality like memory, or is in fact negating the humanity of making it unable to remember.   Several lines below, she suggests that "Pain" does in fact possess some sort of limited sentient ability in recognizing "Its Past - enlightened to perceive."   It is very possible that it is the "Pain" that is being enlightened or perceiving. These conscious acts of giving "Pain" some sort of capacity of awareness personify "Pain" to some extent.    In continuation of "Pain's" inability to remember, She proceeds, "It cannot recollect When it begun - or if there were A time when it was not.

national deficit :: essays research papers

As one of the top ten concerns in this years presidential election, the national deficit has been given some attention by both presidential candidates. But the candidates can only make promises to the public on this issue, stating that they will cut the national deficit in half , by 2009. Since both George W. Bush and John Kerry have the same goal, the examination begins on how each of them plan to achieve it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When President Clinton took office, he reduced the national debt by 10% in his last five years. But as Bush took the presidential seat in 2001, he reversed this progress and is now predicting that he will achieve the highest ratio of Gross National Debt to the Penny (GDP) in 50 years, if we re-elect him.(http://zfacts.com/p/318.html) â€Å"When Bush took office, there was a surplus of $236 billion, according to the Office of Management and Budget. By the end of 2004, a record $413-billion deficit is expected because of tax cuts, spending on national security, Iraq and Afghanistan and interest on the debt.† (http://www.freep.com/news/politics/taxgrid23e_20041023.htm) President Bush blames the deficit on the recession, the rise in military and homeland security spending, and tax cuts, which he believes were needed to encourage the economy. He has said holding off on â€Å"non-homeland security and non-defense spending combined with economic growth will make it possible to cut the deficit in half over the next five years.† He still plans to try and make his tax cuts permanent, which have â€Å"affected both businesses and individuals.† In respect to the budget enforcement rules affective in the 1990s, Bush is requiring annual limits on optional spending programs, and a pay-as-you-go requirement to force necessary spending programs to make budget cuts to make up for the increases payments. (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04284/392809.stm) Sen. John Kerry blames the deficit on â€Å"tax cuts and entitlement spending not paid for with savings elsewhere.† He has said that keeping the optional domestic spending on the same line as inflation, and paying for new proposals which will balance out savings, will make it possible to cut the deficit in half in his first term. Kerry also says he would bring back the traditional pay-as-you-go rules, but keep the right to raise taxes so as to offset spending increases if necessary, though Kerry has â€Å"vowed to put off spending increases or find offsetting cuts first.† Kerry plans to try and decrease tax cuts for households earning more than $200,000, and use other tactics that he estimates will raise â€Å"nearly $900 billion, much of which will go toward funding health care and other initiatives.

Reformations of School Essay -- Essays Papers

Reformations of School Education plays a fundamental role in the development of any nation. History is witness that those nations who did not recognized the importance of education were doomed, and education played a key role in the success of the developed nations. A successful country like America faces many challenges regarding education. Some of these challenges are: how to better achieve educational opportunity, and to find ways to deal with such problems and educational dilemmas for American children. To find the answers and solutions to these problems we can not ignore the dialogue of reforming of schools, instead, new ways of education, restructuring of American schools, and recommendations to improve might be the only answer to these problems. In the following paragraphs, problems like weak curriculum and poor standards in the schools have been identified, and recommendations have been made to eliminate these problems. Also the problems and errors regarding the distribution of funds by the governm ent for the schools have been addressed, and recommendations have been made that these funding should be distributed equally and accordingly to the states. The federal government should take this issue more seriously and assist the states on a greater level. It is a very sad fact that even now when we have entered the 21st century, a first world country like America which is supposed to be a role model for the rest of the world is facing the problem of poor standards in their schools such as goals, expectations, and requirements. There is a great contradiction on people’s standards vs. the school’s standards. People set high standards that are very hard and sometimes impossible to achieve by students and teachers, whereas some schools do not match these standards and even pass kids who cannot read or have poor educational skills. In order to have high academic standards there has to be high performance in public education systems. The system needs to be changed fundamentally. Teachers can play an important role and should come together on a common platform to achieve a common goal and that is the improved quality of education. Good communication between school, school boards, and school administration is very important, so teachers can be heard and listened to. School should only hire highly qualified and proficient teachers. Students are usually int... ...me states there is five times as much spending on students in some school districts as in others ($15,744 versus $2,932 during 1994-95 in Illinois, for example)† (by Patricia Albjerg Graham, article#1). If we observe the above data, it is very noticeable that federal government is playing a less active role in financing the education. One way to provide high quality of education is that federal government should get more involve with the current schooling system. Parents in general public can play their part and instead of criticizing the present system, they should elect the candidates in the government who give higher priority for the education and reserve more funds for the improvement and reforming of the school systems. Bibliography: References: Textual Resources: a) Article #1 (Educational dilemma for Americans). b) Article #2 (Restoring the impulse to Dream). c) Article #3 (How to teach a children). d) Class notes. Non-textual Resources: a) American School Board Journal (March 2000 issue). b) Http://education-world.com. c) Reforming American Education from the Bottom to the Top by Evans Clinchy. d) One on one conversation with parents.

New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management

Why Do We Need Professional Human Resource Management in Retailing? Such terms as globalization, process management, and value-based management dominate the current discussion of management in retail co mpanies. There has been an increasing realization that people are one of a company’s key assets. Re- tail means working and serving customers in a direct, personal way. This calls for special actions from retail companies to fulfill the demands of an increasing num- ber of well-informed and sophisticated consumers.In view of all the c hanges in both national and international contexts, it is ab solutely essential to get the right people if a business is to be successful and sustainable. Retailing is a major labor-intensive industry sector. The refore, companies are continually challenged to re-organize and adapt their st ructures to become more efficient. The necessity for part-time workers, because of long store opening hours and peaks in the trading day/week, requires a flexi ble framework to optimize labor processes. Emotionally, the workforce needs orientation and vi sion in changing times.Human resource management (HRM) has to provide a â€Å"coach,† not only to organize, but also to support employees and m anagement mentally and p rofes- sionally in fulfilling their tasks in terms of future company goals. People are the driving force behind all transactio ns that occur in retailing outlets. In the future world of retailing, there will be an increasing need to adapt and change towards a more formative and proactive style of HRM. M. Krafft and M. K. Mantrala (eds. ), Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends , DOI 10. 007/978-3-540-72003-4_16, ? Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 257 258 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick Changes Changes in Retail The formats of retailing have been evolving continuously over the last 100 years, and individual retailers have changed tremendously in the products they sell and in the man ner in which they operate. Retailing of lifestyle products impacts directly on the changing culture of our societies—one has only to think of the introduction of the Sony Walkman or the Apple I-Pod to grasp the international range of con- sumer needs.In order to provide an expanding product and service range, retail has had to alter and amend its approaches to satisfy ever more voracious and in- creasingly sophisticated consumers. For several years, retailers have had a promi- nent role in today’s society in their capacity as employers: the retail industry em- ploys one in nine of the UK workforce, for example (Gilbert 2003). Nearly two thirds of employees are female. Therefore, special concepts in HRM are require d to allow for the compatibility of work and family.Gilbert (2003) also points out that: â€Å"[T]he retail sector has had a reputation for not supporting its employees and for having lower pay and longer hours than other sectors. † Future HRM h as to find a practical ap proach that will lead to the right balance of companies’ and employees’ needs in terms of pay ment and hours for the workforce, and service guarantees for their customers. The developments in many European countries show the changing attitudes of young university graduates for whom retailing now provides modern and attractive career pro spects.However, retailing is still far from the first choice for top graduates and this needs to change. Environmental factors such as economic, social, political, cultural, and demo- graphic developments are driving the rapid changes in the retail business. Retail management and HRM departments have to be aware of all these changes. Some of the environmental factors are described below. New Forms of Trading New trading formats have been the lifeline allowing businesses to gain and sus- tain competitive advantage. New t rading form ats are constantly appearing at both ends of the spectrum.Higher margin goods, sometim es even with designer labels, have coexisted with the increasing demand for more aggressive pricing such as that app lied by hypermarkets, off-price retailers, and hard discounters. Often, consumers switch from smaller local stores to supermarkets, and increas- ing numbers of consumers are using new channels for Internet and TV shopping. The international press reports the continuing success of new fo rms of online retailing (e-tailing) in Europe and the USA, as well as rapid changes in Eastern Europe and Asia in use of the Internet.Within these trading formats, new pro- fessions, working careers, and functions are developing very fast. To succeed, HRM has to recognize and manage these changes in retailing human resource requirements. Exchange of knowledge is one of the basic prerequisites: For ex- New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 259 ample, the German retailer METRO Group is installing software that will allow knowledge shar ing with sy stematic tr ansfer of all n ecessary infor mation and skills to METRO Group sites throughout the world.It is imperative for a retailer to co llect and struct ure all exper ience and knowledge fro m d ifferent staffs, stores and country-markets. The challenge in the future for retail company man- agement i n general and HRM in particular will be t o ensure t hat th e right knowledge is available at the right time and in the right place. Consumer Behavior Closely aligned with the expansion of new trading formats are the changing needs of consumers.Increasing social acceptance of women in the labor force has led to the emergence of a new l ifestyle and changed consumer purchasing patterns over the last seve ral decades (Gilbert 2003). Present-day consumers are m ore experi- enced, more aware of their important role in the business, and more self-confident than previous generations. Further, as international retailers have found out, there is a great need for retail chains to adapt to ‘local’ ways, so as to fulfill regional needs and shopping habits, especially in the food business (e. g. , see c hapter by Mierdorf, Mantrala and Krafft in this book).Technology Let us consider what retailing looked like 20-30 years ago: little or no EPOS tech- nology, electro-mechanical tills, paper-driven accounting, checking and co mptom- eter systems, perhaps enhanced by a ‘Kim ball tag’ system to aid stock replenish- ment. Thirty years ago there were not even many supermarkets—self-service was just appearing over the horizon for some modern retailers in the 1960s and 1970s. The advent of increasing computerization in the late 1970s started to affect busi- nesses as they adapted to possibilities that began to open up through IT-supported working practices.Processes for controlling, distribution, payroll, accounting and, especially, merchandise management systems started to be aut omated during the early 1980s. E DI, scanning, and bar-coding were im plemented—after he avy IT investments—to lower costs and increase accuracy levels. Many organizations were downsized and refocused as these manual processes were converted to more cus- tomer-focused activities and professional supply chain management. Structural Trends and Competition In Europe and USA, retailing is characterized by increasing rates of market con- centration.This is caused by shareholders’ requirements for more cost-effective operations, mergers among suppliers, and the growth of technology. Future retail- ers have to be fast and flexible in making decisions about worldwide sourcing and selling. This calls fo r people to acquire skills and competencies that will allow them to compete successfully in both national and international contexts. Interna- 260 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick tional HRM has to consider different ways of working with people: in many Euro- pean countries, HRM departments have to cooperate with works councils, which influence companiesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ management thinking.HRM has the role of developing and defining human working processes fai rly an d prov iding for capability-oriented working conditions. Germany’s political debate about the consequences of capital- ism in 2005 shows the need for companies to act and communicate on the basis of consistent and balanced argumentation. HRM needs executives who are familiar with developments going on in a society, shifts in cultural values and behavior. To be competitive in global markets, many organizations reduce staffing levels and change to automated processes to lower costs.Beyo nd this, h owever, more pro- gressive ret ailers, s uch as Carrefour, M ETRO G roup and Wal-Mart, have ex – panded their offerings: they have i nvested heavily in new product ranges, new trading f ormats, and joint v entures, o r i n shapi ng an d spreading t heir bra nds. Merely cutting investments, e. g. , in the sales force, or opening stores around the world per se i s not enough to meet the demands of the new retail age. A clear strategy, stable and IT-supported processes, and correct allocation of financial and management resources are needed for international success the future. Globalization of SourcingSourcing from overseas vendors gathered momentum with the conclusion of trad- ing agreements with, for example, the Peop le’s Republic of China and grants of ‘favored nation’ status. Manufacturing’s importance has decreased enormously in most W estern countries since the em erging Asi an â€Å"t igers† a nd l ess expensive Eastern European manufacturers began to dominate the supply of goods, espe- cially, nonfood goods, to the industrialized countries. Consequently, in the West, distribution has become one of t he most promising sources of improved margins as new technology drives down the cost of logistics.However, with globalization of sourcing, it has become imperative to develop special strategies to enable the headqu arters workforce to be aware of international processes, markets, and com- petitors. Further, domestic retail companies anywhere have to also stay on top of emerging global trends. Companies that plan to enter new foreign markets have to carefully consider local cultures, religious values, and national laws in developing their new market entry strategies. All the developments mentioned above are stron gly interrelated.Retail man- agement and HRM have to jointly examine all these change s to m ake adequate and appropriate adaptations to organizational structures, systems, and processes. Changing Role of HR Departments HR departments—originally called payroll departments, then relabeled staff man- agement, followed by another m etamorphosis to personnel and then to human resource management—have been in the vanguard of change management in re- New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 261 tailing. Many companies have recognized that HRM is an essen tial componen t in achieving long-term success, and not just a means of recruiting workers.Areas such as the recruitment process, selection, induction, retention, performance moni- toring and evaluations, staff training, development and motivation. Decision mak- ing, and re-sourcing for expansion will continue to demand the professionalism of HRM workers. Personnel in different kinds of businesses have to adapt and change in response to emerging trends. The international HRM professional has to think globally, while rem aining ab le t o fu lfill lo cal asp irations. This i dea is based on Geert Hofstede’s theory of cultures. He turned the well-known slogan, â€Å"Think globally, act locally† into: â€Å"Act g lobally, think locally. A major task of th e international HRM professional is to provide expertise in terms of interpretations of the local laws and working practices, so as to offer practical steps for successful operation of the international retailer. Building the Future à ¢â‚¬â€œ HRM Challenges for Retailers Retailing means working in a g lobal con text but sim ultaneously adjusti ng to local needs. We describe below some international challenges to HRM in retail which are connected with national and local requirements. As mentioned above, major retail com panies have decided to invest globally to en sure greater po ten- tial for sustainable growth.Several ret ailers have identified internationalization as a huge oppor tunity for growth. In 2006, about 50 % of the METRO Group’s employees work ed ou tside Germany. Th e Am erican retail g iant Wal -Mart, France’s Carrefour, and United Kingdom’s Tesco are thr ee more organizations that are aggressively pursuing international expansion. This immediately gives rise to qu estions that require answers in every ar ea of operati on. An swering these questions is key to successful transformation of a national business model into an international one.HRM strategy builds on the business stra tegy of the firm. The HR persons in charge have to be b usiness partners for management, providing strategic and practical operational solutions in the form of HR concepts or staffing solutions based on thorough know ledge of the bu siness. Wal -Mart’s initial attempt at expansion in Germany failed—as did Marks and Spencer’s—because neither of these companies appreciated the nuances of German retail culture, underestimat- ing local competition and, especially, the price sensitivity of German customers.Carrefour’s for ays i nto the United Kingdom lik ewise end ed with a strategic retreat. As long ago as in 1989, Dawson stated that: â€Å"Retail is a response to cul- ture†Ã¢â‚¬â€and the HRM function plays a c rucial role in assisting corporate man- agement understand and adapt to local cultures. For example, UK consumers’ resistance to th e use of self- scanners p rovided b y some retailers to r educe queues at checkou ts might have be en anticipated by HR managers interacting with local employees. 262 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen PickStrategic Tasks of HRM: Key strategic tasks of human resource management of an international retailer include: ? Assisting the retailer’s top managers who work well over 60 hours a week negotiating myriad complex issues in a competitive marketplace, cope with stress arising from quick changes, fierce competition, cost pressures, time management problems, and the need to make quick decisions. ? Keeping up to date with continuously developing technology and being able to optimize its usage so as to achieve the right balance between pro- ductivity gains and service gains.HR needs to find answers to the follow- ing question: How much technology can customers and the workforce han- dle in the store? ? Dealing with demography, e. g. , an aging workforce in Western Europe but predominantly young and inexperienced employees in other areas of the world, such as Asia and the M iddle East. Strategically, this poses one of the hardest challenges for HR professionals who are required to recruit and develop t alented st aff, offer t raining f or all age gr oups, ens ure a well- balanced age structure, and build up a working climate enabling employees of all ages to buy in and show suitable results. Cross-cultural recruiting and training: All cultures have their own unique practices and emphases, some of which are obvious while others are more subtle and harder to detect. HR departments need to be able not only to of- fer advice and professional preparation to local managers but also ensure that individuals appointed to these positions are aware of company policies as well as sensitive to the local culture. That is, in international settings, in- dividuals need both a common language and intercultural sensitivity. Identifying and retaining highly qualified, highly motivated individuals ready for international management appointments: The role of HRM is to prov ide an international assignment policy that takes into account individual prob- lems of expatriates, works around and supports family integration abroad. Operational Tasks of HRM: Some key HRM tasks that have to be fulfilled to enable the workforce to meet the needs of customers nationally and internationally include: ?Reshaping and r estructuring the workforce so as t o broaden their e xperi- ence by the acquisition of n ew skills: Developments like automatic stock replenishment, new methods of conducting transactions, and alterations to the way goods are displayed, have increased retailer employee training re- quirements. Also employees must learn to serve increasingly litigious con- sumers wh ile main taining h igh productivity wh ich is essen tial in h igh- volume, l ow-margin e nterprises.P rofessional human reso urce m anagers must train employees on how to balance these oft-conflicting demands for high staff-productivity and great customer service. New Challenges in Retail Hu man Resource Management 263 HR Challenges General Conditions ?Company Strategy ?Added Value Management ?Change Management ?Recruitment and Retention ?Employability and Lifelong Learning ?Corporate Governance ?Technology / IT Infrastructure Fig. 1. Challenges and General Conditions for HRM ? The critical resource of most businesses is no longer financial capital, but rather their employees (Barber, Strack 2005).Consequently, identifying and gathering the data for human capital valuation and assessment of the return on human resource investments is an important task for HR managers. ? HRM itself must develop, moving from being a ‘personnel’ department to its new role as a strategic business partner and building the basic structural foundation that will enable companies to organize and optimize their return on human resources. The emerging trends that persistently need HR attention currently include some of the areas discussed below.We m ake a di stinction between HR chal lenges and general conditions (Figure 1). In the case of HR challenges HRM has direct influ- ence, while general conditions are contingencies within which HRM has to oper- ate. This list is not exhaustive, but looks at some selected current trends and needs. Current HR Challenges ? Company Strategy. HRM has to adapt its entire program to the company’s overall vision and strategy. It is known that organizations with good human capital management generally create substantially more shareholder value than other companies.The significance of human capital is especially visi- ble in the case of a merger. The success of a merger depends much more on the competencies of the staff and m anagement than on other aspects, such as finance, IT, and production. Hax and Majluf (1991) feel that it is there- fore essential for well-planned practices and highly efficient HR functions to be aligned with the business of the company concerned. An HR strategy must be ‘com prehensive’ in the sense of addressing all the different per- sonnel and HR activities central to the long-term development of the firm’s businesses.HRM departments have to conceptualize and structure business 264 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick plans with detailed operations extending from the current to the future state of strategy, organization, and action. These must be based on the organiza- tion’s mission and common values. ? Added Value Management. This confronts HRM with the critical q uestion of what actions add m easurable value to the business. There is less cer- tainty about the central direction and more about committed management setting the right tone within the organization for defined values to flourish.Commitment in the form of personal engagement and belief in the organi- zation and its concepts is important. HRM has to support this by elaborat- ing concepts and criteria for their evaluation, some of which should be re- vised annually. The following behavioral aspects of the workforce should be included in the HRM concept: ? Personal Honesty and Integrity ? Self-Motivation and Entrepreneurial Style ? Ability to Communicate the Values and Benefits ? Encouraging Others to Want to Work with the Company and Share its Values; Pride in the Company Training and Developing, Coaching, and Mentoring ? Change Management. The most important drivers for change are globaliza- tion, technology, and a workforce that is in creasingly knowledge-based. Ulrich has stated that there is a need to redefine firms’ performance less in terms of cutting cost and more in terms of profitable growth (Ulrich 1997). Managers have to be able to make changes happen of their own volition and also to support the company in its drive for sustained success. Manag- ers have to be able to empower their own staff.Moss Kanter (1989) states that it is only through true empowerment that staff will really contribute to the changing needs of a busi ness, since they will then be doing things be- cause they understand them and for the right reasons, thinking and reflect- ing on the changes and t heir likely impact, and above all feeling at ease with the implementation of change. Change management recognizes the need to reflect on t he manager’s role in the management of cha nge, the identification of problems, and the ability to make changes in either a pro- grammed or a no nprogrammed manner.HRM has to take accoun t of the risks required for the achievement of change in the company. ? Recruitment and Retention. Employee recruitment and selection is one the most vital HR functions. However, the retail industry is faced with difficul- ties in attracting highly educated people. Nonetheless there is a po sitive trend for change. The challenge for HRM is to show the attractiveness of the retail sector a nd ensure that appropriate training and careers are avail- able, so that this sector can take a leading place in t he competition for availab le talent.Retail has recently been promoting opening up access to its workforce by declared rejection of discrimination on the grounds of gender New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 265 or race, and, lately, also by employing more elderly persons. It is also nec- essary to build up programs for part-time workers. The ability to value di- versity within the workforce is a strength, provided that this is backed up by continuous training and correctness. Many organizations run courses on this aspect, usually under the title of ‘Inc reasing Self-awareness,’ as t he ability to understand one’s impact on others is a powerful skill.Next, reten- tion focuses on the goal of keep well-performing staff in the company. This depends not only on interesting work, fair compensation, and a motivating climate and management culture, but also on transparent and achievable ca- reer paths combined with a supportive management that provides guidance. ? Employability and Continuing Education. This is a major area of challenge to most employers, but especially those who employ large numbers of staff, as retailers do. Staff have to take retraining in order to adapt to a constantly changing external environment.It is a question of mind-set, working envi- ronment, and attitude towards self-responsibility. The future will be charac- terized by the following needs, amongst others: ? The need to handle increasing complexity. ? The need f or co ntinual enh ancement of th e ma nagement skill sets known as ‘Life-Long Learning,’ i. e. the ability to adapt to changing en- vironments, challenges and technology. ? The need for a positive attitude to newly emerging opportunities: Manag- ers themselves have to become life-long learners.This is of particular im- portance to the changing generations. The process can be aimed, for ex- ample, at obtaining further business qualifications, such as an M BA, a marketing diploma, or HRM qualifications, or atte nding training courses on key skills, such as lead ership, or personal development workshops. Some universities are now of fering master’s degree courses on wor k- based learning in which projects are directly related to the learning envi- ronment of the individual s tudent’s workplace.Analysis of actual workproblems can be counted as a credit toward an MA o r an MSc. Classroom training fostering positive acceptance of new structures, top- ics, and technologies is necessary. ? The need to communicate regularly and precisely, and transmit meaning and values: While the company will provide support, it will be the indi- vidual managers who have to ‘drive’ their own learning and that of others in periods of intense change, often using technology such as video con- erencing or E-l earning/blended learning to pursue their studies. HRM needs to consult with managers on how best to use modern methods. ?The need for creative management: This can be the way to bring new insights into common view or to introduce new issues as an area for the HRM specialist to develop. Many managers are locked into their own reality or their own version of their world, allowing themselves to be trapped into a mind-set of either success or self-perpetuating failure. One 266 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick f the keys to successful business growth is for managers not to allow themselves to be trapped in a ‘psychic prison’ (Morgan 2001) of t heir own making, causing them always to see retail in one dimension only. Current General Conditions ? Corporate Governance. The recent case of Enron and the difficulties faced by retailers such as Sainsbury suggest that the governance of these organi- zations was grossly at fault in permitting the excessive amounts of power vested in their chief executive officers (CEOs).The nonexecutive directors seem to have abdicated their duties in not restraining the CEOs in their riskier schemes. Expansion, absolu te power, soaring costs, and misinterpre- tation of facts and figures appear to have gone unchecked and a tacit acqui- escence to have been entered into, presumably with the goal of presenting stakeholders with a picture that was m ore positive than the reality. As th e impact of the backlash is always difficult to predict, it is likely that HR di- rectors will become more closely involved in the careful examination of candidates’ integrity and suitability for high office.It is likely that this will slow t he decision-making process within t he board e nvironment, b ut i t might be a small price to pay for a more responsible environment acting in the best interests of all parties. HRM needs to motivate the entire staff of their company, to observe and evaluate the ‘political’ situation within the company, and to react in a n appropriate way that ca n influence the re- tailer’s level of success. HRM has the opportunity, and therefore the duty, to influence national and international codes of corporate governance. ? Technology/IT Infrastructure.In some of the ne w and emerging m arkets management has to decide whether to implement a total system with all branches totally aligned with the parent company. It can be prohibitively expensive for a branch at the periphery of the organization to lock into a global IT infrastructure that is geared to operations in Western countries where labor costs are very much higher. Retailers operating internationally rely on com mon platforms and IT structures; the decision to be m ade is when is the time right for investments? A major change in retailing in the future will be the worldwide use of RFID technologies.The success of the METRO Group in developing and running their â€Å"Future Store† in R heinberg as a tigh tly controlled experi- ment has ha d a strong impact on t he application of new technologies in ‘real business,’ since METRO Group has shared the results with industry and with its wholesalers, as well as its IT and logistics providers (see, e. g. , chapter by Kalyanam, Lal a nd Wolfram in this book). The scientific re- search involves customers’ reactions to the new shopping methods, and possibly also staff training in the use of intelligent technologies and intro- ductions to available information and changing processes for customers.New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 267 In conclusion, there has been, and continues to be, a great deal of activity sur- rounding staff appraisal. The management of progression, or performance moni- toring, continues to exercise HRM professionals, who wish it to be as fair as pos- sible to individuals, but also want the company to obtain maximum benefit from the exercise. While the strategy should be systematic, it also needs to be continu- ous, with a fully im plemented set of key me trics.A full look at each individual’s future, which can be a position as well as a set of personal go als, should be carried out at regu lar intervals. HRM professionals must ensure that line managers can perform this function. Next, we discuss approaches that address current HR challenges in retailing. HR Challenges General Conditions ?Company Strategy ?Added Value Management ?Change Management ?Recruitment and Retention ?Employability and Life-long Learning ?Corporate G overnance ?Technology/ IT Infrastructure Structure Motivation Fig. 2.Approaches to Challenges and General Conditions for HRM Approaches to HR Challenges in Retailing Practice Building up and Keeping Motivation As indicated in Figure 2, HRM has to en sure that the workforce is motivated and trained to satisfy consumers’ needs. Retailers have to develop the employee value proposition. This means an attractive position with the fulfillment of employee needs and expectations and achievement of a go od, unique image in terms of re- cruiting and keeping human capital. We list below some approaches to retaining an adequate sales force. HR quality cannot be assured without investment.Such investment has to be justified in economic terms and must therefore be constantly monitored: ? Planning the HR costs and expenditures for the annual business budget and forecasts ? Supplying key data needed for planning the workforce at all levels and providing benchmark data on key performance indicators, such as average working hours per store opening hour, turnover per w orking hour, profit per working hour 268 Julia Merkel, Paul Jackson, and Doreen Pick ? Elaboration of systems to measure the work involved in and results of HRM (training investment per employee, rate of internal job placements, etc. ? Providing common and communicated values of the com pany to give the workforce a strategic framework and common mind-set ? Creating a transparent internal job market ? Offering the staff a perspective for the future and clear career paths ? Flexible models of working times, such as part-time working concepts , an- nualized hours contracts, and balancing of profession and family with the aid of sabbaticals ?Ensuring adequate processes, tools, and budget to allow for members of the workforce to achieve their objectives and ambitions Continuing education of ex ecutives and employees within actual training programs and a corporate university ? Training the workforce in soft skills and mentoring to ensure proper align- ment of their values with the company’s values and beliefs ? Initiation of an employee suggestion/inquiry system to improve the process of cooperation ? Recruitment of talented graduates from exchange programs with universi- ties worldwide ? International education within internal exchange programs, with p artici- pants from different countries ? Apprenticeships and e ducations in new professions to build up t he best workforce Sharing company success with e mployees (incentive systems at all sta ff levels, based on parameters that are accessible to employees) ? Offerin g fringe benefits, such as discounts for shopping at the employer’s stores, company cars, equity programs, retirement arrangements, company nursery/kindergarten, and other social benefits. The Future of HRM and Final Remarks Most employees spend a substantial amount of time at work. Some people there- fore consider their job decisions on joining a retail company or some other indus- try in the cont ext of social environment.HRM has to kee p an eye on s uch con- straints, as the retail trade is anxious to attract the best employees. Future HRM will concentrate on supporting management and workforce and outsource admin- istrative tasks to contractors. In future, there will be more intensive collaboration New Challenges in Retail Human Resource Management 269 and networking with external parties. New professions in retail, such as that of IT specialist, are developing. HRM must also place greater emphasis on ethical work- ing conditions, safer working environments, and equal-opp ortunity policies (end- ing sex/age discrimination, inclusion of minorities, etc. . In any company, HRM has to build up trust and commitment among all persons working in that organiza- tion. Continued reliance on traditional processes is d efinitely no longer a recipe that pr omises much success. HR m anagement has t o a ssure fast a nd market- oriented actions that are appropriate to complex market situations. HRM will have to set priorities on the HR strategy and its realization, but will be viewed on the operational side more in the role of a serv ice center. In future, the issue of management development will gain even greater importance.To sum up, HRM has to be aligned with the business strategy of the company, to work in keeping with all of its corporate objectives, and to be prepared not only to help in implementing all changes necessary but also to instigate and be at the vanguard of change programs. Further, HRM should be aware of employee inter- ests within the organizatio n yet conscious of its place as the ‘power house’ when controversial business decisions, such as downsizing, have to be implemented. Lastly, it plays a key role in ensuring that constant retooling and retraining takes place in the operation to meet ever-evolving challenges.Life-long learning should be an integral part of any business, to enable it to respond to its rivals’ activities with fresh initiatives within the company. HRM specialists have to ensure the long-term performance of â€Å"their† retail or- ganizations. 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