Porcinis Pronto Essay Example

Porcinis Pronto Essay Porcinis Pronto: Great Italian cuisine without the wait! Porcini was opened in 1969 as a family-owned restaurant chain and its business was successful with 4% profit margin. Porcini’s was renowned with its attention to quality and price premium was relatively small compared to its quality and artful presentation. Porcini’s was able to maintain its high product and service quality mainly because it was a family-owned restaurant chain which gave considerable amount of control and of its safe approach on company expansion decisions. However, the management was also viewed as go-slow and comparing to its competitors like Olive Garden and other full-service chain restaurants like Dennys, Porcini’s brand recognition was much lower. The U. S. restaurants industry had three major segments: fast food, single location full-service restaurants, and full-service chain restaurants. Porcinis senior management came up with a Pronto concept which could possibly open up a new area which no one has entered yet. Key features of the Pronto concept included locations at interstate highway exits, Porcinis quality food and service with faster turnover of tables, and limited beer and wine selection. Main competitors would be fast food chain which has been operating along the interstate systems for decades and specifically targeting for travelers, and also full-service chain restaurants like Dennys. It will be critical to come up with a clear differentiator to its competitors, on both quality and service, and position itself against them. We will write a custom essay sample on Porcinis Pronto specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Porcinis Pronto specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Porcinis Pronto specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Chef Molise was taking it very serious on developing a special Pronto menu which would be less extensive with slightly lower price than Porcini’s traditional menu. Also, Halloran, who was Porcini’s HR director, put significant amount of effort onto recruiting the right people and form a â€Å"Pathfinder Team† with 3 or 4 outstanding Porcini’s employees at each new Pronto’s location. One full week of training and indoctrination in the rapid, quality service strategy and its implementation elements would be given. On the hiring side, it was a serious one. Pronto job applicants would have to pass several screens which include interviews with HR, then Pathfinder Team, and the manager. And a personality assessment test was given. It would seem logical and make sense to put focus on creating a customized menu, hiring the right people, and form a team with existing outstanding employees to bring current best practices to the new restaurants. However, it might be in the wrong direction or overkill sometimes. For the customized menu for Pronto, it was basically a stripped-down version of traditional Porcini’s menu, so what differentiated it from Porcini’s? And why customers should come to Pronto which had less menu choices, and not Porcini’s? Even though it’s a faster service didn’t mean customers would accept lower food quality, even just a slight one. And most importantly, Porcini’s didn’t ask if it mattered to them. On getting the right people for Pronto restaurants, was it actually a good idea to form a team with existing employees, while the business nature was much different? Porcini’s focused heavily on food and service quality, where Pronto focus on quick service experience without sacrificing much food and service quality. It would be doubtful if employees could switch their practice so easily and quickly. If they could not, imagine how it might impact the new hires in the team. In order to make sure Porcinis Pronto could maintain the same level of quality of food and service, a customer questionnaire system was created to collect information on customer satisfaction. The idea was great and it offered a discount card to customers who took the questionnaire, in order to bring up questionnaire completion rate and encourage repeat visits. However, the entire questionnaire focused only on food and service quality like meal quality, courtesy and efficiency of server, restaurant cleanliness etc. , with almost no questions around the time for taking orders, food serving, and pay bills etc. Also, questions like are you traveling or live in the neighborhood? could give a sense of what were the customer segments and did it align with the targeting customers originally. In addition, it should ask the customer to rank the importance of the factors, or simply ask the most important thing mattered to them e. g. Food, service, time, place etc. Without customers telling the importance of each factor, Porcini would have no clue on what to be focused on. Another set of metrics to be collected would be metrics around internal operations e. g. how long to seat a customer and take her order, to prepare a typical entree, and so forth. This could be done by having secret shoppers for instance, and it would be valuable information. After all, the Pronto concept was to offer Great Italian cuisine without the wait, if Porcini could not guarantee acceptable table turnover time, success could not be claimed. In order to grow the business, there were three options: company-owned, franchising, and syndication. First of all, what do we want to focus on? At the very beginning, Pronto should not be expanded too quickly before it could find out and establish the winning strategy. The first few restaurants were crucial and steps should take slow. Also, full control should be obtained otherwise it could easily go out of track. Also, the failure rate of franchising was pretty big. Porcini’s could not afford to have restaurants closed down and affected its brand name. Syndication could give Porcini’s full control on restaurant operations. It would also be easier to get a good location as prime undeveloped locations were mostly owned by investors. However, upfront costs were high. At this point like a testing phase, it would be better to take a slower and less costly approach before Pronto concept proved itself to be success. Company-owned would be the best option to start with and Porcini’s should consider franchising and syndication after seeing profits from the Pronto restaurants and also a reliable standards could be come up which could be applied quick to many restaurants. To conclude, the Pronto concept was aimed at a market space where no one had entered before and Porcini’s wanted to claim this space. However, an important question to ask would be why no one entered this space in the first place? Or did anyone entered but failed? It seems that in order to deliver good quality of food and service while making it a â€Å"Pronto† service is a big challenge itself. Not to mention the target customers are along the interstate highways, are they looking for good quality of food, fast service, or a nice place to chill? Seems that Pronto concept consists of all these elements, however, none of them is a real differentiator. Porcini’s management will definitely need to think about positioning and competitive advantage which Pronto could bring to the table.

Free Essays on The Power Of Language

and proper punctuation. It is all that and the ability to communicate. It allows people to accurately express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Language is also used to relay to society, as well as individuals, information about facts and events. Language is used everyday. It is used when people talk to friends or family, listen to the radio, watch television, read the paper or use the telephone. Events of the past, present and future are learned of through language. Tragedies are reported (and sometimes prevented) through communication. Language helps to shape society as a whole and the individuals in it. Language gives society and the individuals that make it up the power to grow, change, and overcome. Some of the effects language has o society are profound. Most of this occurs through the communication of present and future events. The tragedy of September 11 rocked society to its core. Without language and the ability to communicate, thousands of more lives would have been lost. The individuals of society would not have been able to unite in our nations hour of need. Because of language society was able to unite and help those in need. Blood drives and food banks were organized, funds were established for victims and their families, and rescue teams were formed. Society came together as one for the first time in a long while. Language allowed society to withstand a terrible tragedy, overcome it, and to fight back against its attackers. Language empowered society on that day, as it continues to do. Everyone is society is affected by language and communication in some way. An individual may be spurred into action by what one hears about events taking place around them. When used properly, language can inspire an individual to take action in ways he or she normally would not. For example, a young woman living in New York Cit... Free Essays on The Power Of Language Free Essays on The Power Of Language The Power of Language To me, as well as many others, language is more than just words and proper punctuation. It is all that and the ability to communicate. It allows people to accurately express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Language is also used to relay to society, as well as individuals, information about facts and events. Language is used everyday. It is used when people talk to friends or family, listen to the radio, watch television, read the paper or use the telephone. Events of the past, present and future are learned of through language. Tragedies are reported (and sometimes prevented) through communication. Language helps to shape society as a whole and the individuals in it. Language gives society and the individuals that make it up the power to grow, change, and overcome. Some of the effects language has o society are profound. Most of this occurs through the communication of present and future events. The tragedy of September 11 rocked society to its core. Without language and the ability to communicate, thousands of more lives would have been lost. The individuals of society would not have been able to unite in our nations hour of need. Because of language society was able to unite and help those in need. Blood drives and food banks were organized, funds were established for victims and their families, and rescue teams were formed. Society came together as one for the first time in a long while. Language allowed society to withstand a terrible tragedy, overcome it, and to fight back against its attackers. Language empowered society on that day, as it continues to do. Everyone is society is affected by language and communication in some way. An individual may be spurred into action by what one hears about events taking place around them. When used properly, language can inspire an individual to take action in ways he or she normally would not. For example, a young woman living in New York Cit...

Education in Germany vs Education in China Essay

Education in Germany vs Education in China - Essay Example This has allowed every individual to get educated and encourage others to join educational institutions so as to acquire knowledge and skills. Education enlightens thoughts and beliefs of individuals, making them eligible for this competitive world. So, education is encouraged by every developing and developed country since they require highly educated workface for its industries in order to add value to the economy (Li, 2013; KPMG, 2010). Germany and China forms two different systems and follow individual traditions. Both the countries are approaching globalisation and have already encountered a number of challenges, which have strengthened their determination towards overcoming any further issues. China is identified as a booming market for future generation and Germany as the driving force of economy in Europe (KPMG, 2010; Rudolph, 2014). The countries in order to maintain this position try to employ the best and modern technology, which provides them the support to stay ahead of other nations. For maintaining best technology and apply most apt process, efficient employees are required. The employees are basically residents of the countries who give in their full effort for contributing to companies wherein they work as well as development of the economy (KPMG, 2010). The famous slogan â€Å"Education needs modernization and modernization needs education† (KPMG, 2010) highlights the problems encountered by China. The country is experiencing stages of rapid transformation from an agrarian society to modern and globalised economy. However, it is observed that education has always been given high priority in China. Globalization and invention of advanced technology have escalated the procedure, which had commenced in 1979 with Third Conference of the Eleventh Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party (KPMG, 2010). Modernization is highly dependent on development of economy, which basically concentrates on

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality Research Paper

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality - Research Paper Example Therefore, in ensuring that nurses embrace this change, a leader should understand the level of social focus in responding to nurses about changing situations. For health institution to be competitive, this change is inevitable especially in the contemporary society where majority are moving to digital platforms. According to Sadri (2012), being emotionally intelligent allows one to build mental health resilience which helps in successfully managing change. In this case, as a nurse, I will use emotional intelligence as an effective tool for communicating change. It is certainly that I will advocate for training of all nurses. Emotional intelligence as a communicating tool will allow me manage emotions of nurses, cope with stress and uncertainty, and influence my leadership style particularly in deciding who, when and how the training will be carried out. The change I am initiating lies on the premise of achieving high standards as a nurse. Therefore, to achieve positive perspective among nurses, I will use appreciative inquiry tool to win over their resistance. In this case, nurses will be in a position to recognize the need for change and open up their minds to the world of discovery. A better understanding as a result perhaps will subject nurses to challenge for new possibilities (Cooperrider & Godwin, 2010). The two skills will help me as nurse to win over the emotions of nurses and make them be part of change which will reduce resistance to change. In the end, nurses will have confidence with that change being advocated thus facilitating positive

Discussion Board Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board Questions - Assignment Example I therefore, believe that it will be self defeating for any proprietor to believe that it is the a customers responsibility to learn English, with it being a lingua franca. The customer is said to be a monarch in business. As such any proprietor who wants to succeed should come down to the level of the potential client and not vice-versa. Diversity in languages is vital as it gives the owners of the language a sense of belonging due to shared history and culture. Anthropology studies show that no language is superior to another. Accommodating other languages ideologies can also give a politician political mileage. This was evident in Barrack Obama’s 2012 presidential election victory where he garnered more votes in Florida, Nevada and Colorado states. These votes turned the tide in his favor. In a situation where individuals are forbidden to speak their native language it breeds resents. Personally I would be uncomfortable staying in such a nation or state. The disadvantage of diversity in languages is it can bread negative ethnicity where some languages are rendered insubordinate; this happens particularly where some groups form the minority. Such scenario hinder economic development due conspiracies propagated by different ethnic groups. If not well managed this may lead to civil strife. Stratification of ethnic groups occasioned by difference in language may lead to increased crime rates especially by the group that may feel shortchanged or marginalized economically (Schaefer, 2013). In my view Statehood for Native Puerto Rican residing in Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico will greatly improve the life and economic status of the Puerto Ricans as the geographical restrictions and fiscal hindrances will be lessened. This will be beneficial more so because the number of them in America is higher than that in Puerto Rica. Independence will be more costly and as it

Reflective Account Of Diversity And Team Performance Nursing Essay

Reflective Account Of Diversity And Team Performance Nursing Essay This reflective account concerns my experiences of participating in a diverse team of people from different nationalities, which was formed for the achievement of specific outcomes over a specific period. The opportunity to work in this team arose in the course of an assignment for syndicate group work. The importance of management of team performance is steadily gaining recognition in the area of modern day organisational behaviour. With modern organisations and operations becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, organisational performance is being driven by specialised employees who are organised into and work as teams. Salas, et al, (1992 p 4) defines a team as a distinguishable set of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/objective/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform Organisational experts have for long been intrigued by the fact that whilst team work is now an accepted tool for improvement of organisational efficiency, many firms that arrange their operations around teams with such expectations find, much to their disappointment, that (a) use of teams has little impact on productivity, and (b) such use of teams can furthermore lead to reduction of productivity (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). It is also frequently seen that teams with high performing individuals fail, even as teams with far less impressive members greatly exceed expectations. The performance of the Detroit Pistons basketball team in 2004 and 2005, when they won back to back NBA championships with a roster of unimpressive players illustrates the team performance paradox (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). The continued performance of the Ferrari racing team would not have been possible without the efforts of its back up staff (Robbins, et al, 2010, p 3). Such team performance paradoxes are evid ent across the world, with innovative start up teams with networking capabilities humbling huge established corporations with far superior technology and resources (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). Understanding the mechanisms of team work is an integral component of modern day learning in organisational behaviour. I was required to participate in a team of members from different nations with different academic, cultural and social backgrounds in the course of syndicated group activity for a period of 6 weeks. The experience gave me the opportunity to participate in an actual team environment, even as I was increasing my academic knowledge of team dynamics and processes. This reflective account details my learning experiences during the process of my participation in a diverse multi cultural team that was required to perform specific tasks and achieve particular objectives and outcomes over a specific timeframe. The essay is structured into sequential sections that take up the functioning of teams in its different aspects, the use of the IPO model for assessment of team effectiveness and the working, evolution and outcomes of our team over a specific 6 week period. Whilst academic theory on teams and assessment of team effectiveness is taken up in some detail, greater emphasis is placed upon my practical experience of participating in an interesting and enriching team environment. The essay ends with a concluding section that attempts to sum up my learning experience and details the ways in which I have gained from this experience in team work. Team Work Modern texts on organisational behaviour identify specific characteristics of teams that differentiate them from general groups (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004, p 7). These characteristics include (a) joint sharing of aims and objectives, (b) mutual dependency and trust, (c) overt expression of emotions, feelings and disagreement, (d) consensual decision making, (e) coordination, cooperation and cohesion, (f) management of trust feelings and conflict between team members, and (g) the creation of a collective and synergistic impact (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004, p 7). Hackman (2002, p 11), states that teams also have very clear boundaries for membership, relatively stable memberships and defined authority to manage their activities and processes. Team performance by and large represents the extent to which teams achieve their specific objectives (Hayes, 2002, p 43-46). Whilst such indicators of team performance are important for organisations because they assist in assessment of the extent of achievement of team goals, many teams, more particularly in business situations do not have targets that are clear and quantifiable (Hayes, 2002, p 43-46). Even where such targets are available, team members and managers can improve their performance in future if they are provided with a richer picture of the ways in which teams function (Senior, 1997, p 32-36). Teams, to be truly effective should thus have some understanding, not just of team outputs, but of the ways and means in which team members work together (Senior, 1997, p 32-36). The Input-Process-Output (IPO) model provides an approach to the understanding of team work and team performance. Inputs, in the IPO model, are seen in terms of issues concerned with group composition like leadership, size, term and diversity, along with factors like autonomy, training and resources that are provided to teams (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). Internal team processes comprise of factors like the motivation and commitment of team members, the cooperation and communication between them and their skills of leadership, conflict resolution, decision making and problem solving (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). Outputs on the other hand are largely depicted as team objectives or the larger concept of team effectiveness that includes a range of interrelated outcomes in areas of attitudes, behaviours and performance. Such outcomes can occur at the level of individuals, teams and organisations (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). The theoretical paradigm behind much of research on team effectiveness comes from the application of the open systems theory, which states that team inputs (skills and abilities) are transformed into team outputs (the quality and quantity of team outcomes) through various interaction processes like utilisation of skills, effort and past strategy. The basic IPO model is flexible enough to be applied to a range of team settings and is illustrated in the figure provided below. A general set of factors for assessment of team work in the context of the above discussion thus needs to include (a) the attitudes, behaviours, thinking, roles and skills of individual team members, (b) team objectives and purposes, which include the setting, clarity, commitment and achievement of goals, (c) team processes like generation of ideas, making of decisions, management of controversy and conflict, communication style, allocation of responsibilities, planning of action and leadership style and (d) the organisational context with regard to structure, culture and associated issues. Working and Evolution of our Team Our experience of team work came about on account of participation in group syndicate activity for a period of 6 weeks. Our team was made up of six members and we were required to work together to (a) generate slogans for organisational use, and (b) achieve improvements in team working in areas of attitudes, behaviours and performance. I aim to assess different aspects of the working and functioning of our team, in terms of the IPO model, and deal sequentially with inputs, processes, and outputs. Inputs Our team consisted of six members, A- myself, B, C, D, E and F. As the oldest and most experienced member of the group, I was the automatic choice for its leader. The chart provided below gives basic details and personality types of group members. The personality ratings have been determined by organisational tests conducted on individual members. Member A B C D E F Nationality British Chinese Cyprus Indian Pakistan Nigerian Sex Male Female Female Male Female Female Education BA Hons History International Business And Management Business and Management Bachelor of Technology Graduate in BA BSC Logistics Profession leading public and private businesses Software Engineer Extraversion 3.8 1.9 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.5 Agreeableness 4.6 3.5 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.3 Conscientiousness 4.1 3.9 2.4 3.9 4.3 2.9 Neuroticism 2.7 3.4 3.1 2.4 3.2 4.1 Openness to Experience 4.5 2.8 3.5 3.8 3.9 2.3 As evident, our team was diverse with respect to nationality, gender, education, and work experience and personality types. Contemporary academic literature on organisational behaviour agrees on the advantages of diverse teams in various areas of organisational work. Diversity in teams, organisational experts feel, results in the availability of a range of perspectives and skills, which, if harnessed properly, can result in greater creativity in generation of ideas, alternatives and solutions than with homogenous teams and lead to better performance. Whilst diverse teams by and large have wider and better range of skills and abilities, it is often challenging to make them function in a coordinated and collaborative manner, in comparison with homogeneous teams. Such challenges to collaborative and coordinated working can arise because of differences in language, attitudes and perceptions of team members. The members of our teams came from different parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. Th eir academic backgrounds ranged from disciplines in the liberal arts to applied sciences, technology and management. Two of us, F and I had some working experience, even as the other four were fresh from college. Whilst the personality types of individual group members are different, all of us scored high on the agreeableness index and were happy to work and bond with each other. As the oldest and most experienced member of the group, its leadership automatically devolved upon my shoulders. This development occurred, without my asking for it, because the other group members looked towards me for advice, suggestions and direction on the functioning of the group. We were at the time of formation of the group provided with specific tasks requiring the generation of a number of slogans for ultimate organisational use. Apart from have to deliver such specific services, we were informed that we would be judged twice, once half way during the course, i.e. after three weeks and finally at the end of six weeks; on completion of the group activity. Various group factors like (a) innovative climate, (b) participation, (c) clarity of objectives, (d) reflexivity, (e) interdependence, (f) autonomy, (g) boundedness, (h) role clarity, (i) task conflict, (j) relationship conflict and (k) team satisfaction would be taken up for assessment during these occasions. We were inform ed to us that our progress would be made available to us at the middle and at the end of the syndicate activity in order to help us in organising our activities and improving our processes. Processes Leadership style is an important component of team work processes in the IPO model. Most texts on organisational behaviour stress on the importance of leadership in the efficient successful functioning of teams, even as the majority of both team successes and team failures are attributed to leadership decisions (Robbins, 2005, p 17-21). Fiedlers theory on leadership states that the adoption of leadership styles is often contingent upon situational circumstances and effective leaders alter their styles in line with situations, attributes and skills of team members, and team objectives (Fiedler, 1967, p 4-8).Leaders are otherwise expected to provide clarity regarding roles to members, communicate effectively, and generate feeling of inclusiveness by asking for comment and by expressing appreciation for contributions of team members (Stacey, 2003, p 15-19). Contemporary research on organisational behaviour also indicates that whilst leaders set the tone for definition of group activitie s, their subsequent responses are distinctly affected by their ongoing interaction and communication with team members (Stacey, 2003, p 15-19). Whilst the role of leadership devolved upon me without my asking for it, I did not ignore my responsibilities and worked towards the development of a committed, clear and collaborative team. I allocated responsibilities to each member and made constant efforts to improve and ensure communication with members on various issues associated with our team objectives as well as other areas of common interest. Although my efforts to communicate with group members were made easier by their general agreeableness, I often found B, the Chinese member to be reticent in her communication with the rest of us. She was not just very shy but also disinclined to explore new opportunities and experiences. These difficulties were however greatly made up by her conscientiousness towards her work. Our group activity and objectives required extensive discussions between member, generation and bouncing off of ideas, and long hours of brainstorming. Many of such sessions resulted in small and big disagreements, some of which ended with members refusing to talk to each other for some time. F, the lady from Nigeria whilst otherwise friendly and agreeable, was prone to excessive argumentativeness, and even hysteria, if her views were not supported by others. Conflicts between her and other members also arouse because of her lack of dedication towards group work and occasional proneness to shirk her responsibilities. We were fortunate that conflicts among group members were restricted and did not erupt frequently. Whilst friendly disagreements over work continued to happen, serious conflicts arose only on three occasions, all of them involving F. I felt conflict resolution to be one of my major responsibilities and was constantly looking for signs of disagreement and trouble. Whilst I would let constructive discussions and disagreements continue and sometimes even encourage them further, I took pains to ensure that personal bitterness between members did not set in and they refrained from making offensive statements towards each other. I am happy with the fact that all members, including F started bonding with each other by the end of the fourth week, started respecting each others point of view, and developed a healthy regard for their team mates. Output All our team members were delighted to find out that our group ended the activity practically at the top of the class, both in the number of generated slogans and in the originality of the two selected slogans. The result proved once more that a diverse team can do very well at creative work in an environment of transparency coordination and communication. We were otherwise pleased to know that we had made good progress in all activity areas, except for boundedness, team and relationship conflict and team satisfaction. I feel that our problems in these areas essentially relate to the inability of our team to manage the disputes and disagreements that often surfaced around F. As the leader I take responsibility for such failures and do feel that I should have tried to use my position as leader to communicate more successfully with F and quell her various mental insecurities in working with people who were possibly more hardworking and gifted than she was. Such an approach would have improved group communication, collaboration and outcomes. Conclusions This reflective account deals with my experiences in a diverse team of 6 persons that was formed for the achievement of specific objectives over a particular timeframe. The significance of team performance is progressively increasing in the discipline of organisational behaviour. With contemporary organisations becoming increasingly complex, organisational performance is now ever more driven by specially formed teams. Team performance normally represents the degree to which teams attain their particular objectives. Whilst such gauges of performance are necessary because they help in assessment of attainment of team goals, teams should also achieve some understanding of the ways in which team members work together. The Input-Process-Output (IPO) model represents an approach to understanding team work and has been used by me to assess the functioning of our team. Our team was diverse in many respects. Diversity, it is felt, leads to greater and to better performance. As the oldest and most experienced team, I became the team leader without asking for the position. I tried to live up to my responsibilities and worked towards the development of an effective team. We were fortunate that conflicts among members were limited and I tried to ensure that personal bitterness between members did not set in. Our team ended the activity at the top of the class with regard to set objectives. We also made good progress in all areas except in team relationships and satisfaction, where our progress was average or even less. I feel that such problems arose from our inability to manage disputes and disagreements. I take responsibility for such failures and feel that I should have tried to communicate more successfully with certain members. My experience of team work has however helped me immensely in maturing as an individual and as a professional and I am grateful for the experience.

Essay --

It was a regular Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were singing and the flowers were blossoming. Everything was perfect in my little neighborhood. I was just getting ready to go to my cousin’s house. My cousin and I were like best friends, we always hung out together, and played together, we practically did everything together. Sometimes she’d come to my house and sometimes I’d go to hers, it was very convenient living in the same neighborhood. I grabbed my back pack, including a phone – for emergencies only, my wallet – just in case, and my diary – a small book that I took everywhere with me. I was all set, I hugged my parents and kissed them goodbye and was on my way. I had always gone walking to her house, since she didn’t live very far. At my cousin’s house we played board games and laughed as we watched some cartoons, when her mother had decided to take us shopping for some sweets. As we approached our destina tion I saw a blind man sitting on the ground in front of the store with a cardboard sign that read â€Å"It’s a beautiful day and I can’t even see it†. He was all alone with a cup in his hands with probably only a few quarters in there. I was confused as to why this man was all alone, where was his wife, his children? I was only 13 and believed that everyone had a family and a perfect life, imagine my disappointment seeing the man alone on the ground. We entered the store and grabbed a few Kitkat’s and some chips and headed back outside, walking towards the car. I see the man, just staring, people passing by, not even looking at him, and just ignoring him as they go on with their daily lives. I went back to my cousin’s house, not thinking much of it. Days later, my mother and I come back to the same store to ge... ...ned the Global Humanitarian Action Award for her work around the world. â€Å"She continues to travel the world to draw attention to global issues† (bio. True History). Closing: Angelina Jolie’s work around the world has saved many lives; she has helped more people than I can count. She has worked hard to earn her title as ambassador of UN, and she disserves it. Angelina has done some strange things in the past, but she makes up for it by taking time out of her busy schedule and helping others. That feeling I had as a kid seeing that blind man on the ground is what I imagine she feels seeing people is Syria, Cambodia, Jordan and much more. Angelina Jolie does have flaws, and may not always make the best decisions and that’s because she’s human, but her work in all those countries, and all the money she’s donated to charity is what makes her 2013’s person of the year. Essay -- It was a regular Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were singing and the flowers were blossoming. Everything was perfect in my little neighborhood. I was just getting ready to go to my cousin’s house. My cousin and I were like best friends, we always hung out together, and played together, we practically did everything together. Sometimes she’d come to my house and sometimes I’d go to hers, it was very convenient living in the same neighborhood. I grabbed my back pack, including a phone – for emergencies only, my wallet – just in case, and my diary – a small book that I took everywhere with me. I was all set, I hugged my parents and kissed them goodbye and was on my way. I had always gone walking to her house, since she didn’t live very far. At my cousin’s house we played board games and laughed as we watched some cartoons, when her mother had decided to take us shopping for some sweets. As we approached our destina tion I saw a blind man sitting on the ground in front of the store with a cardboard sign that read â€Å"It’s a beautiful day and I can’t even see it†. He was all alone with a cup in his hands with probably only a few quarters in there. I was confused as to why this man was all alone, where was his wife, his children? I was only 13 and believed that everyone had a family and a perfect life, imagine my disappointment seeing the man alone on the ground. We entered the store and grabbed a few Kitkat’s and some chips and headed back outside, walking towards the car. I see the man, just staring, people passing by, not even looking at him, and just ignoring him as they go on with their daily lives. I went back to my cousin’s house, not thinking much of it. Days later, my mother and I come back to the same store to ge... ...ned the Global Humanitarian Action Award for her work around the world. â€Å"She continues to travel the world to draw attention to global issues† (bio. True History). Closing: Angelina Jolie’s work around the world has saved many lives; she has helped more people than I can count. She has worked hard to earn her title as ambassador of UN, and she disserves it. Angelina has done some strange things in the past, but she makes up for it by taking time out of her busy schedule and helping others. That feeling I had as a kid seeing that blind man on the ground is what I imagine she feels seeing people is Syria, Cambodia, Jordan and much more. Angelina Jolie does have flaws, and may not always make the best decisions and that’s because she’s human, but her work in all those countries, and all the money she’s donated to charity is what makes her 2013’s person of the year.

Evaluation of Issues Project

When I first received the Issues Introduction Coursework element, I had no clue about which topic I wanted to cover. There is such a variety of Issues in our world ranging from political problems to crucial environmental issues. I decided I would mind map all of my ideas out (anything to do with issues) and I evaluated my choices. I wanted to create a piece on a topic, which is relevant now and has a very strong history – an issue that needs tackling now. I decided I would go down the root of abuse (social issue), which is a very vague topic. It includes sub-topics of physical abuse, discrimination, child abuse and many more. Abuse is a topic, which has affected the British and nearly every single person on this planet: on an international scale we have child labour to electric chairs. This needs to stop now: this may be the root cause of anger, of hatred, of breakdowns in relationships. Abuse is a topic, which has also affected me in some ways during my life, and I thought it was time to put some of my own background into my piece of work; this is a skill, which many directors use in their films. Eg. Steven Spielberg is Jewish, and his film ‘Schindler's List' has its point of view to sympathise with the Jews because of the cruelty to them from the Nazis. I was influenced by this director to be very subjective about a topic I am very serious about. I integrated my two art forms through a film. This is using ‘moving images' and ‘drama. ‘ It is a simple idea but the procedure and the work takes a long time to create. I decided I would use film to show my intended audience (young children, aged 10-12) what the effects of bullying and abuse can cause. A film can use spontaneous language, and I kept the scenes short so they were memorable: this is the purpose of a film. First of all, from my original mind map I began to think of topics, which could be incorporated into my project from abuse. I decided I would go down the root of school bullying, a typical situation which takes place, but it has hybrid topics. It covers discrimination, domestic abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse and the mentality of bullies. This is because abuse does not come in one form – abuse is caused by something, which enrages people. Through my research I found that through psychology, abuse is caused by a mental issue, which enrages people, which causes a physical outcome (usually negative). There then, is a solution how to calm down, how apologise and stay calm. But when somebody gets bored they begin to aggravate somebody, which can bring on this anger again. It is a â€Å"vicious cycle. † This is exactly what my piece intends to do. It shows that ‘bullying never ends' and ‘bullying never stops' and that whenever there is a peak of happiness it eventually falls back down and everybody has to start rebuilding their lives again. This is a scene in my piece at the end of the film. Another theme is that ‘abuse creates more abuse. Her mother has domestically abused Zoi and therefore it's â€Å"mother-like-daughter†: Zoi begins to bully people too! I created scenes, which would evoke the audience about scenes of abuse, and bullying and I wrote them with more dialogue to create a stream of consciousness (just like Zephaniah's Neighbours) and this would engage my audience. I researched how girls were mean to each other (using Mean Girls) and I used some of these girls' characteristics in my own piece. I lastly created a storyboard with quick images and shots on how the audience was going to see this film. I drafted the scenes and the storyboard so I could see what improvements could be made to make my intended audience to make them even more shocked! I used a style model to show how to write and how to present a film script. I took the layout and the font type of this piece to make my own script look professional. I also incorporated some of my critical analysis pieces' work like having many twists in the films. The Guardian Advert ends with a twist using different shots; I decided I would use my own twist. These are that Zoi is getting domestically abused, and Stacey kills off Anna at the end. It is a very depressing ending, which is what I want my audience to feel left with. I want them to connect, to empathise with Zoi and Anna and show that dreadful things can affect our lives. I want to show my audience that bullies are, and will always be, hated. When also creating my advert poster, I looked at some posters showing abuse and took ideas from here. Like the silhouettes; the purpose of using a silhouette is so the audience can try and convey their own idea to what the character really looks like rather than just filling it black. I also put on some media to give it a modern touch (eg. ewspaper and magazine cuttings for the title) and I also edited the â€Å"girl's† body to look devilish. A first judgement would make you think that this girl is evil, which is an idea taken from my analysis pieces. Actually, the devil girl becomes a nice, well-mannered pleasant character! My strengths in creating this piece were being able to create a strong film with a message; my scenes were very strong in the way they were acted and the range of shots I used emphasised the raw emotion I wanted to convey to my audience. I used different types of literacy techniques and dramatic techniques too. Eg. In the soliloquy of Anna (a dramatic monologue), I wanted my audience to feel sympathetic to her. My weakness was time keeping. I had a plan, and I tried to stick to it. It took too long filming and editing though. That was the longest part of the project – but in the end I completed my project with success. If I were going to do this project again I would keep time-management at the top of my list because everything else (portfolio etc. ) fell behind. I think that writing my scenes were also strong using a pragmatic lexical choice to involve the audience's own colloquial language incorporated into my film piece. This would engage the audience because it would feel very comfortable, informal and sort of â€Å"eavesdropping. † Examples of this are â€Å"mates. † I experimented with swearing, which is very bad for a young demographic to hear, but in the end, children will end up hearing this language once they get older anyways. In my opinion, I think that my final piece is very successful in putting its point across to my demographic (young children). If my audience were watching this then they would feel shocked at the end and all the way through, which is its intended primary purpose, with the second being to entertain. This film is full of a hybrid of issues and plot twisting. It conveys symbols of trust and loyalty (hugs and holding hands) as well as scenes, which can shatter trust (i. e. letter in the locker). My piece not only conveys the theme of abuse through a modern media type (film), but it is very personal to those who are murdered, or commit suicide, being school students, being different today! I honestly think I have done a great job in presenting my issues to influence young children to NOT get involved in bullying or abuse!

Business Process Re

Business Process Re Introduction Business process re-engineering is a recent management tool which aims at improving organisations current operational strategies. It aims at modernisation of business processes to attain high efficiency for a competitive advantage (Jack, 2001). It reconstructs different organisation processes; the expected results include cost efficiency, improved customer service and improvement in production speed.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Business Process Re-Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Generally the process has three major steps; determine the status quo, identify the areas to change and change implementation; however each step has two stages (Naitove, 2010). This paper discusses the steps in business re-engineering process (BRP). Step 1: Determination of the status quo Develop business vision, mission and business objectives BRP does not aim at marginal improvement in a single area but ta rget the entire business; it aims to look into all processes for an overall gain to the organisation. With this in mind, the start point of the process is aligning all business processes with the new system. The direction of a business is shaped by its mission, vision and corporate objectives. In this stage, mission, vision and objectives of the company are defined again. The definition result after interpolating what has the business being able to attain and its potential level. Set mission, vision and objectives should be attainable (Huang, 2010). The following factors are considered; What is the vision of the organisation? Has the vision being attained? If not to what extent has the company failed? Is the vision still relevant to the new business environment that the business is operating in? What areas lead to failure? What is the mission of the organisation? Is the vision met using the current set methods and strategies? If not why? Does the business have enough potential to f ulfil the set mission? Review the objectives which the company aims to undertake? How often are the objectives met? If not always why they are not met? Is there an established trend in business performance? This looks into areas which have failed the organisation in the past. After understanding the current position in the business, then an attainable vision, mission and objectives are defined. If the previous ones are still relevant and attainable, they can be retained but care taken to improve processes which has in early cases affected their attainment (Wheelen $ Hunger, 1999). Understanding and measuring existing processes For the attainment of business objectives and attainment of goals, a business undergoes through a number of processes. Before making a move to implement a BPR, an in-depth analysis of processes in the company is necessary. The main reason for this move is to ensure that the business learns from previous mistakes. Those activities which have lead to ineffici ency in the past are documented and measures taken to ensure that they will not be repeated. For example if in the past a business was not able to attain its objectives because of inefficient logistics supply’s, where they have gotten sub-standard goods, this area is addressed independently. Note are taken on the past experience (Williams, 2001).Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The level of efficiency of current system is measured. The expected level is also measure and the deficit that the current system has is calculated. The guiding questions in this stage are Does the current business processes have potential to attain expected results? Which areas have let the attainment down in the past? What are the identified root causes of deficiency in the company? This stage is focuses more on utilising past experiences in making sound decisions in the futu re. Management information storage tools like business intelligence tools are utilised to ensure that there is quality information. Considering experiences of other businesses in the same industry is important, however care should be taken to ensure that external data is well vetted for relevance and integrity (Chao-Hsiung, Shaio, Barnes Li, 2010). Step 2: identifying the area to change Identification of business processes to be redefined After having a deep understanding of general performance of the business; this is after an analysis in step 1, the next step is defining the exact areas, strategies and functions which need to be redesigned. They are the areas which hinders attainment of business vision, mission and objectives (Anon, 1994). The process is procedural where management can use a high impact processes, exhaustive approach or six sigma approach. When using a high impact process approach, the management aims at identifying those processes which has a high negative effec t to the attainment of business goals. After the processes have been recognised, they are then addressed. This approach is more common to large business which taking an entire analysis of all micro process may take along of time. After the initial processes affecting the attainment of goals have been determined, the next processes in line are identified until the process with the most minimal effect is addressed (Romney, 1994). When using an exhaustive approach, which is common to small scale businesses, the entire business processes are analysed and those areas which lead to a deficit in the organisation are recognised. Problem in the identified area is identified and alternatives to solve it formulated.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Business Process Re-Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These area may be supply’s, operation costs management, logistics, human resources or quality of fixed as sets among others (Adam VandeWater, 1995). The third approach maybe a six sigma approach. This is a method that aims at detecting defects in organisational processes. It aims at analysing individual processes are identifying the area that is not effectively and efficiently producing results. The approach is a continuous one and assumes that if one process affects the attainment of anthers objectives. Six sigma approaches ensures that the root cause of a problem has been established and rectified. It a systematically, gradual, and efficient process which yields satisfactory results when applied to either small or large businesses; taking an internal and external analysis of a business is important and part of six sigma. Internal and external processes involve analysing (S.W.O.T. analysis) that the company is operating under. Taking P.E.S.T.L.E. (political, Environmental, social, Technological, legal and Ecological) analysis is another approach to analyse a business. Internal and ext ernal audits assist a company to have a clearer picture of it and developing of operational mechanisms will be facilitated (OConnor, 1989). Identify IT levers BRP utilises information generated internally and sometimes information from an external source. To have an effective system, the way information is documented and analysed is of great importance. After a re-engineering, the focus should be on the customer; he should be the end beneficially of the process although it is done inside a company (Haberbeg Rieple, 2001). Efficient information management systems and tools are identified; and cross functional systems indentified. Other than the gathered information, systems of feedback and responses should be identified (Goold Campbell, 2002). Stage 3: change implementation Build strategies to implement the desired changes With information on the areas that need to be redesigned, strategies to implement the redesign are developed. The level involves aligning all processes with the new adopted system; if there is need to buy some assets, train staff or employ staff it is done at this stage.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All tools to implementation (both human and physical resources) are put in place. Although strategies are made for the general attainment of goals, objectives, mission and vision, they are sometimes seen as independent but collaborate with each other (Esquerre, 2005). These strategies address the areas which had a deficit these strategies include; Supply management chain These are strategies implemented to ensure that the company gets quality raw materials, in the right time at an appropriate cost. When implementing this system, there must be collaboration with all departments as they will advice logistics and procurement department of the quality and quantity they require at a certain time. It involves, forward logistics, backwards logistics, and reverse logistics. Good relation is developed with suppliers to have just in time supplies (Kotter Schlesinger, 2008). Value determination This having is a set level of value that is required for raw materials and final products; mechanis ms to determine value in a business are put in place. Monitoring of value starts from raw material value determination, to ensure quality materials are delivered in the company. At the same time output quality and quantity from each stage are determined. In case there is a deficit, the problem should be addressed immediately. To determine whether quality assured is attained, it should not be the internal standard only but customer’s expectation and competitor’s value level are of essence. Value comes with a price; a company’s pricing strategy should meet organizational goals without hurting consumers; there should be a mutual benefit and satisfaction (Porter, 1985) Customer service Mechanisms to get feedback and respond to customer issues are developed. This may take the form of call centre or other feedback mechanisms. This acts as another source of information to the company for future improvements. Existing customers are a pool of assets to a company and they can give information relevant to the improvement of various processes. Marketing and selling strategies are addressed and skewed toward a customer based approach (Fred, 2008). Total Quality Management and strategic Quality management After individual processes have been designed to align with business new goals and objectives, the result should be a total quality management where there is interrelation among departments. There should be mechanisms set to ensure that there is a smooth flow of processes (Champy, 1995). For example a target approach work well where a certain department say packaging is given a certain target to attain say 700 packages in an hour. In case this is not attained, a focus on such department may point out a deficit in the production department if it’s not feeding the department effectively. This will assist is establishing the root causes of a defects and addressing them accordingly; instead of addressing symptoms (Collis Rukstad, 2008). Monitoring, support and control After all mechanisms are set in place, the output from the system should be interpolated and the new system evaluated. Monitoring involves enforcing the system as the new mechanisms of processes (Gurvis, 2007). The stage involves changing organisational behaviours and culture to support the system and give feedback on areas that need further improvement. Staff training, appraisals and participation is embraced to ensure that there is a total support of the system from all corners. Mentoring involves integrating different processes/department for the general attainment of organisational goals and objectives. In appraisal of employees; management should follow scientific methods like balance score card (Swamson, 2009). Motivational measures should also be put in place; this is where employees are motivated to support the new system. They are facilitated to point out areas which require improvement. Identification of key performance parameters/indicator is another supporting strategy; the indicators assist in evaluating the level of efficiency that the new system has attained. BPR should follow a six sigma process and a Kaizen management tools; where the earlier involves in continuous detection of defects areas and the later is concerned with continuous quality improvement through people (Camillus, 2008). Conclusion BPR involves redesigning business process to attain a higher efficiency in an organisational for competitive advantage. BPR is a process aimed at improving current operational systems and developing strategies for the better processes in an organisation. It involves taking strategies like total quality management, six sigma approach, supply chain management system and developing an effective human resource team. It involves the following steps; determine the status quo, identify the areas to change and change implementation; however each step has two stages which are developing business vision, mission and business objectives, Und erstanding and measuring existing processes, Identification of business processes to be redefined, Building strategies to implement the desired changes, Monitoring, support and control respectively. Bibliography Adam, P. and VandeWater, R. 1995. Benchmarking and the bottom-line: translating business reengineering into bottom-line results, Industrial Engineering, Vol. 3, February, p. 24. Anon. 1994. Re-engineering Europe. Economist, 330(7852), 63. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. Camillus, J.C. 2008. Strategy as a wicked problem. Harvard Business Review. 86(5), 98-106 Champy, J. 1995. Reengineering Management, Harper Business Books, New York. Chao-Hsiung, L., Shaio Yan, H., Barnes, F., Li, K. 2010. Business performance and customer relationship management: The effect of IT, organisational contingency and business process on Taiwanese manufacturers. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 21(1), 43-65. doi:10.1080/14783360903492595. Collis, D.J and Rukstad, M.G. 200 8. Can you say what your strategy is?† Havard Business Review,86(4), 82-90 Esquerre, B. 2005. Have You Done Your S.W.O.T Today? Fitness Business Pro, 21(12), 24. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Fred, D. 2008. Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey: Pearson Education Goold, M. and Campbell, A. 2002. Do you have a well-designed organization? Harvard Business Review. 80(3). 117-124 Gurvis, S. 2007. Management Basics: A Practical Guide for Managers. London: Adams Media. Haberbeg, A and Rieple, A. 2001.The Strategic Management of Organisations. Prentice Hall, London. Huang, W. 2010. Business process rules management: Challenges and solutions. Ph.D. dissertation, Stevens Institute of Technology, United States New Jersey. Retrieved from Dissertations Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3269204). Jack, E.2001. Management Communication: the threat of group thinks.Corporate communications. International Journal , 183-192. Kotter, J.P and Schlesinger, L.A. 2008. Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 80(30), 117-124 Naitove, M. 2010. Refine, Redesign, Retool: Re-engineering as a Business Model. Plastics Technology, 56(6), 28. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. OConnor, P.1989. Total Quality Management (Book). Quality Reliability Engineering International [serial online].; 5(2):183. Porter, M.E. 1985 competitive advantage. New york:The Free Press. Romney, M. 1994. Business process re-engineering. CPA Journal, 69(10), 30. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. Swamson, R. 2009. Foundations of Human Resource Development: Easy read Large Edition. San Francisco: ReadHowYouWant.com Wheelen, L., $ Hunger, J.1999. Strategic Management and Business Policy: Entering 21st Century Global Society. Massachusetts: Addison Wesley Williams, S. 2001. Making better business decisions: understanding and improving critical thinking and problem-solving skills London: Sage.

Copia and Copiousness in Rhetoric

Copia and Copiousness in Rhetoric The rhetorical term copia refers to expansive richness and amplification as a stylistic goal. Also called  copiousness and abundances.  In Renaissance rhetoric, the figures of speech were recommended as ways to vary students means of expression and develop copia.  Copia (from the Latin for abundance) is the title of an influential rhetoric text published in 1512 by Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus. Pronunciation: KO-pee-ya Examples and Observations Because ancient rhetoricians believed that language was a powerful force for persuasion, they urged their students to develop copia in all parts of their art. Copia can be loosely translated from Latin to mean an abundant and ready supply of language- something appropriate to say or write whenever the occasion arises. Ancient teaching about rhetoric is everywhere infused with the notions of expansiveness, amplification, abundance.(Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee, Ancient Rhetorics for Modern Students. Pearson, 2004)Erasmus on Copia- Erasmus is one of the early enunciators of that sanest of all precepts about writing: write, write, and again write. He also recommends the exercise of keeping a commonplace book; of paraphrasing poetry into prose, and vice versa; of rendering the same subject in two or more styles; of proving a proposition along several different lines of argument; and of construing from Latin into Greek...The first book of De Copia showed the student how to use the sche mes and tropes (elocutio) for the purpose of variation; the second book instructed the student in the use of topics (inventio) for the same purpose...By way of illustrating copia, Erasmus in Chapter 33 of Book One presents 150 variations of the sentence Tuae literae me magnopere delectarunt [Your letter has pleased me greatly]...(Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, 4th ed. Oxford Univ. Press, 1999)- If I am truly that peace so extolled by God and by men; if I am really the source, the nourishing mother, the preserver and the protector of all good things in which heaven and earth abound;... if nothing pure or holy, nothing that is agreeable to God or to men can be established on earth without my help; if, on the other hand, war is incontestably the essential cause of all the disasters which fall upon the universe and this plague withers at a glance everything that grows; if, because of war, all that grew and ripened in the course of t he ages suddenly collapses and is turned into ruins; if war tears down everything that is maintained at the cost of the most painful efforts; if it destroys things that were most firmly established; if it poisons everything that is holy and everything that is sweet; if, in short, war is abominable to the point of annihilating all virtue, all goodness in the hearts of men, and if nothing is more deadly for them, nothing more hateful to God than war- then, in the name of this immortal God I ask: who is capable of believing without great difficulty that those who instigate it, who barely possess the light of reason, whom one sees exerting themselves with such stubbornness, such fervor, such cunning, and at the cost of such effort and danger, to drive me away and pay so much for the overwhelming anxieties and the evils that result from war- who can believe that such persons are still truly men?(Erasmus, The Complaint of Peace, 1521)- In the right spirit of playfulness and experimentatio n, Erasmuss exercise can be both fun and instructive. Although Erasmus and his contemporaries clearly were delighted by language variation and exuberance (think of Shakespeares indulgence in his comedies), the idea was not simply to pile up more words. Rather copiousness was about providing options, building stylistic fluency that would allow writers to draw upon a large array of articulations, choosing the most desirable.(Steven Lynn, Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010) Backlash Against CopiaThe latter part of the sixteenth century and the first part of the seventeenth witnessed a reaction against eloquence, specifically against Ciceronian style as a model for writers, both in Latin and in vernacular literature (Montaigne, for example)... The anti-Ciceronians distrusted eloquence as something speciously ornamental, therefore insincere, self-conscious, unsuited for expressing private or adventurous reflections or disclosures of the self... It was [Francis] Bacon, not inappropriately, who wrote the epitaph of copia in that famous passage of his Advancement for Learning (1605) where he describes the first distemper of learning when men study words and not matter....It is ironical that in later years Bacon came to dislike the excesses of Senecan style nearly as much as those of copie. It is likewise ironical that the man who deplored the former popularity of copia was, of all writers in his time, most responsive to the advice in De copia about collectin g notes. Bacons obsessive fondness in his writings for sententiae, aphorisms, maxims, formulae, apophthegms, his promptuary, and his habit of keeping commonplace books were a tribute to the methods taught by Erasmus and the other humanists. Bacon was more indebted to prescriptions for copia than he allowed, and his prose leaves little doubt that he was studious of words as well as matter.(Craig R. Thompson, Introduction to Collected Works of Erasmus: Literary and Educational Writings I. University of Toronto Press, 1978)

International human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International human resource management - Essay Example The questions about how people are managed , are the substance of "human resource management" and key to organizational success. Management theorists have long argued that there is a 'right' way of managing people that can be implemented by management consultants throughout the world. The development of HRM theories in the US tended to reply on the examples of a small number of large private sector firms was based on a culturally typical US typical US independent , individualistic ,suffered from a poorly thought out approach to rigorous theory, failed to link theory to general practise and relied heavily on selected aspects of what was thought to be "Japanese" practice. Because of the hedgemony of the USA in management thinking ,their visions of HRM have tended to be the touchstone for HRM in other countries. However ,the US theories with their implications of virtually autonomous organizations , sit uncomfortably with the European reality. So,is the American vision of HRM a universal one that will apply anywhere in the world or is it a US-bounded one Organisational behaviour is influenced by social processes beyond the organisation's boundaries. Thus firms are located in settings not only of legislation but also of culture and social norms to which they have to react. Culture provides meaning and purpose , rules and norms. Each nation constitutes a unique institutional setting that skews firm behaviour in particular ways. American notions of HRM may have limited relevance to nations which do not possess identical or similar cultures. And there are clear differences , in Europe , HRM is less dependent , companies have less autonomy and freedom of action , trade unionism is more important , the social partners have more influence ,legal regulations are more important and there is a stronger tradition of employee involvement.Are European firms moving towards a North American HRM approach to managing their personnel Or is it that owing to the ongoing economic and political integration of European Union countries , a convergence towards a distinctly European practise is underway For this, w e have the convergence and divergence arguments. There are two distinct versions of the convergence thesis , the free market US model and the institutional European model. There is an underlying similarity to these theses. They all view firms' latitude in regard to selecting and developing personnel management strategies as being shaped , governed and given impetus by a mix of factors which may be broadly defined as either technological ,economic or institutional. The Market Force or US Convergence Model: This theory argues that the differences in management systems

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Interview - Essay Example The US had to react to this visit because Nixon’s stance against Communism was not a secret, while China was, not only a Communist country, but practiced an extreme form of communism no different from Stalinism. Moreover, Americans were perplexed at President Nixon’s decision, as his anti-Communist rhetoric had gotten him elected in 1952 as Vice President (Ragone & Velshi 13). With this background in mind, this interview will seek to uncover the machinations behind the visit and its consequences. A. As president of the United States, Richard Nixon travelled to the Communist People’s Republic of China in 1972. There he met both the Central Committee of the Communist Party’s Chairman Mao Zedong and the premier of the PRC Zhou En-Lai. The two governments agreed on the Chinese Communiquà © during the visit, which was one of the most important agreements between the two countries in improving relations following years of mistrust and hostility (Ragone & Velshi 33). A. Well, you have to realize that the two countries had been estranged diplomatically since the 1940s and the Chinese Communist Revolution. Following Chairman Mao Zedong’s victory for the Communists in 1949 and the establishment of the PRC on the mainland of China, officials and soldiers of the vanquished Republic of China moved to Taiwan. Relationships soured totally when the US chose to recognize the ROC over the PRC as China’s legitimate government, leading to a complete break in diplomatic relations (Ragone & Velshi 34). A. You see, despite the obvious lack of diplomatic channels, there were all indications by the late 60s that the PRC and the US were considering rapprochement. The escalation of the Vietnam War with the Soviet-backed Viet Cong and the US-backed KMT led officials in the US government to improve relations with China. This was important in the new US strategy to decrease