Economic Roles of a Business Essay

A business is an organisation that attempts to satisfy the needs and wants of a community by providing goods and services, however, a business does not exist only to serve the community, it also exists to maximise the financial investments of their owners. This is done through the social and economical role of a business. Economic roles are concerned with the financial impacts that the activities of a business have on various groups in the business environment. The economic roles are wealth creation, employment and innovation. Social roles are focused on the impacts of a business on the community. Social Roles are entrepreneurship, choice and quality of life. Economic roles are important for a business as they can increase the value and funds via wealth creation, employment and innovation. Wealth creation is done by increasing sales and developing strategies to promote brand awareness and sales. This will increase the value of the funds that owners have invested in the business. Businesses also generate increased wealth for the community. The profits generated are then taxed by the government in order to fund essential services such as improving educational, health and transport facilities. Employment is where the owners of a business will employ other people to perform various activities within the business. The goods and services that businesses provide to the community are formed using knowledge, skills and effort of human resources, because of this, employment is an important function in business. The third economic role, innovation can be defined as the process of improving the features of a product. It could also apply to the production process where improved methods of production are implemented. The new methods may make use of fewer resources and result in increased output, which would benefit the business in many ways. In the business environment, innovation is crucial for a business to maintain its competitive advantage over other businesses. The social roles of a business impact communities by improving their quality of life, choice in products and providing entrepreneurship. The quality of life of a community is improved through the variety of products and services provided by businesses. Organisations spend millions of dollars each year in business research and development to find ways to improve the quality of life. Many of the products that businesses provide are wants and not needs; they are often aimed at providing greater convenience for those with a busy lifestyle. An example of this is pre-prepared meals. Through the production of these products, the financial investments of the owner of the business are maximised. Most businesses operate in a competitive market; this means there is a large number of competitors offering similar goods and services. This provides a range of choice for the consumers. This choice encourages businesses to provide their products and services at the lowest possible prices, with the highest quality. Choice also encourages a business to be innovative and different from their competitors so that their product will be the one chosen by the consumer and profits can be made. An entrepreneur is an individual who has developed particular ideas and is willing to take a risk to execute these ideas through a business. They take risks by thinking up strategies for their ideas to be successful; this is why they pursue different goals as part of the operation of business. Through business entrepreneurs are given an opportunity to make their ideas a reality. The economic and social roles of a business, wealth creation, employment, innovation, quality of life, choice and entrepreneurship, are important to maximise the financial investments of the owners, without them, a business would not thrive or gain profits.

Arthur Anderson Questionable Accounting Practices: Ethics And Advocacy Essay

1. Discuss how the issues with the Arthur Anderson case may have played out differently if the Sarbanes-Oxley Act had been enacted in 1999. The provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act help minimize the likelihood of auditor failing to identify accounting irregularities by the following requirements: 1). Improving the internal control. Auditors comment on the internal control of the firm should be reported. 2). Reinforcing supervision for financial irregularities. This act boosts to establish an independent the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which is responsible for overseeing the performance of the certified public accountants and the accounting firm. 3). Strengthening the independence of auditors. It means that the act restricts auditors to audit activities only. 4). Encouraging financial disclosure. It also provides whistle-blower protection. 5). Increasing the penalties of ethical and legal misconducts. There are severe monetary and criminal punishments imposed on those audit ors that give false statements. Further, the act lays down the quality of auditing required, the quality of control, and independence standards and rules. 2. Discuss how the issues with the Arthur Anderson case may have played out differently if the Sarbanes-Oxley Act had been enacted in 1999. One specific provision that could help greatly is Section 203, or Auditor Partner Rotation. This section calls for auditors to rotate partners assigned to clients, so that fresh eyes can review the work that has been done. This helps to prevent the â€Å"partner in crime† relationship that contributed to Andersen’s downfall. Finally, the provisions make the entire auditing process more transparent, so that people on the outside of the company such as shareholders, can easily see what is happening. 3. Determine and discuss which elements of the framework for ethical decision making in business (from Chapter 5) played the biggest role in the Anderson case. Arthur Andersen and partner Clarence DeLany founded Arthur Andersen LLP in Chicago in 1913. After 90 years of hard work, this accounting firm we become known as one of the Big Five largest accounting firms in the United States. Andersen set standards for the accounting profession and advanced new initiatives on the strength of its then undeniable integrity. By the 1980s, standards throughout the industry fell as accountancy firms struggled to balance their commitment to audit independence against the desire to grow their consultancy practices. Andersen rapidly expanded its consultancy practice to the point where the bulk of its revenues were derived from such engagements, while audit partners were continually encouraged to seek out opportunities for consulting fees from existing audit clients. By the late-1990s, Andersen had succeeded in tripling the per-share revenues of its partners. Arthur Andersen was constantly accused of wrong doing starting in 1998. Andersen struggled to balance the need to maintain its faithfulness to accounting standards with its clients’ desire to maximize profits, particularly in the era of quarterly earnings reports. Andersen has been alleged to have been involved in the fraudulent accounting and auditing of Sunbeam Product Waste Management, Baptist Foundation of Arizona, WorldCom and Enron. On June 15, 2002, Andersen was convicted of obstruction of justice for shredding documents related to its audit of Enron, resulting in the Enron scandal. Nancy Temple (Andersen Legal Dept.) and David Duncan (Lead Partner for the Enron account) were cited as the responsible managers in this scandal as they had given the order to shred relevant documents. Since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not allow convicted felons to audit public companies, the firm agreed to surrender its licenses and its right to practice before the SEC on August 31, 2002, effectively ending the company’s operations. The Andersen indictment also put a spotlight on its faulty audits of other companies, most notably Sunbeam and WorldCom. The subsequent bankruptcy of WorldCom, which quickly surpassed Enron as the biggest bankruptcy in history, led to a domino effect of accounting and like corporate scandals that continue to tarnish American business practices. On May 31, 2005, in the case Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously reversed Andersen’s conviction due to what it saw as serious flaws in the jury instructions 4. Discuss how the situation at Arthur Anderson may have played out differently if their senior management had displayed the habits of strong ethical leaders. Standards of any kind are a direct representation of its leadership. If organizational compliance exists, it will trickle down throughout the organization. Arthur Andersen’s ethical dilemma deals with greed. The firm became very greedy and sloppy. They no longer believed in rock solid accounting principles that had been instilled in earlier years. They were more into getting money whether illegally of legally. They felt like they were getting paid more to hide things than to audit. They tried to shred the Enron’s documents even after the court told them to stop all activities of such. Arthur Andersen somewhat helped Enron with their accounting scandal. Had Andersen done the job in an ethical manor, thousands of people would not be out of a job or even worst their retirement funds. One of many mistakes that condemned Arthur Andersen, was the shredding of those Enron documents. Even if the company was lying they could have gotten away with it. If they stopped shredding the documents the jury would not have found them guilty and ruin their reputation. The case did get reversed but the damage was already done. To take it further back than that, I would have maintained acceptable accounting principles like the founding fathers of the company situated. Andersen was doing perfectly fine, financially at least, before it crumbled due to bad decision making. References: www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml – frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107 www.commondreams.org/views02/0712-02.htm bodurtha.georgetown.edu/†¦/Arthur%20Andersen’s%20Fall%20From%20Grace%20Is%20.. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2047122.stm www.time.com/time/business/†¦/0,8599,216386,00.html topics.nytimes.com †º Times Topics †º People †º D – resources.bnet.com/topic/sunbeam+corp..html studentoffortune.com/†¦/Ethics-and-Fraud-at-Sunbeam-Corporation

Automobile and Martha Johnson Essay Example for Free

Automobile and Martha Johnson Essay Martha Johnson is a mid- class work family. Martha’s goals are buy a car, rent an apartment, stay home and be a full time student, go on vacation, or save the money. The money she has it is from her aunt. Her aunt passed away and left Martha money. I am writing this essay to recommend my option on how Martha Johnson should spend her money. The chose I am going to make is going to help her out how to spend her money. The first goal that Martha has in mind is to buy a car. The advantages is that she has a car that she can use to go to school and go to work. She can also use the car to take her mom to her doctor appointments. Also she can go to the store when she wants to buy something like food, or clothes she will go shopping. The disadvantages is that Martha will have to pay for gas and pay car insurance for the car she buys. She will need to buy a use car not a new car. Also she would need to repair the car if it has any problems with the car. The second goal is that Martha wants to rent an apartment to herself and share it with a roommate also she is going to be a full time student . The advantages is that Martha will have her own place and wont be living with her parents. She will also be close to school and she will be walking instead of driving to school. She will also will be able to finish her career early. Automobile and Martha Johnson. (2017, Feb 08). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Women Labor supply in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women Labor supply in China - Research Paper Example Additionally, it was punishable by job loss, and also lack of access to public goods further to that local leaders have been supported by the central Government to implement the resources (Chen and Jianxian 15).   This paper discusses the impact of an extra child to female participation in the workforce and the one-child policy effects in China. The difference between the rural and urban in the implementation of the policies is that the optimal scales differ in both setups. In rular areas, Budget constraints are higher as compared to urban centers. The same case applies in China.Hypothesis and Research Model In class we learnt on the budget constraint and utility curve model. In the graph, X-axis have the leisure and Y-axis has the income. In the original situation, before the policy was passed, the graph was linear. However, the establishment of the policy led to a shift of the optimal choice. Women participation in the workforce will provide a possibility of an increment of their wages. Ultimately, an increase in the wages will result in more leisure time and hence the shift of the curve. When income increases budget constraints will also be reduced, consequently from the graph, the optimal choice will be higher than the original value. For example, if the budget of a family made up of twins was ten dollars in a day, if the woman is actively involved in the workforce the budget will increase since preferences will also increase. This is because of the budget constraint.

New Product Development Accounting Project Math Problem

New Product Development Accounting Project - Math Problem Example Operating Profit $152,124,000 $2,112.83 *COMPUTATIONS FOR INCOME STATEMENT Sales = Total sales units * Total per unit sale = 72000 * 14,500 = $1,044,000,000 Total Variable Expenses = Variable cost per unit * Total sales units = 8,770.5* 72000 = $631,476,000 BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS Number of Sales Units for Break Even: Break Even Sales Units = Fixed Cost Price - Variable Cost per unit = 260,400,000 5729.5 = 45,449 units. Sales Volume In Dollars for Break Even Total Sales = Total break even units * Total sales units = 45,449 * 14,500 = $659,010,500 Profit if the Sales is 6000 Units Per Month Sales per year = 6000*12 = 72000 units Profit per month = $152,124,000 Sales per month = 6000 units Profit per month = 152,124,000 / 12 = $12,677,000 Required 3: Based on the contribution income statement, the operating leverage ratio and margin of safety are calculated below: OPERATING LEVERAGE RATIO: The formula to compute the operating leverage ratio is: Operating Leverage = Contribution Margin/Net Income = $412,524,000/152,124,000 = 2.71 Operating leverage indicates what change in net income can be expected from a change in sales volume. An operating leverage of 2.7 implies that the change in net income will be 2.7 times as large as the change in sales volume. Therefore, for the projected profitability of Water Play Inc. that if sales increased by 10%, net income should increase by 27%. The net income of Water Play Inc. would be 2.7 times greater than its sales volume. MARGIN OF SAFETY: The margin of safety is measured in either dollars or units. It measures... This would be a discretionary cost for the company as the cost on research and development arises form management decision to spend a particular amount and management can reduce it in the short term if it is needed. The management can minimize this cost by delaying for short term, the unnecessary maintenance and repair expenses in the office. Reduction in these costs does not cause an irreparable loss to the company's operations. Operating leverage indicates what change in net income can be expected from a change in sales volume. An operating leverage of 2.7 implies that the change in net income will be 2.7 times as large as the change in sales volume. Therefore, for the projected profitability of Water Play Inc. that if sales increased by 10%, net income should increase by 27%. The net income of Water Play Inc. would be 2.7 times greater than its sales volume. Margin of safety reveals the amount by which actual sales can drop before a firm will incur Loss. The larger the margin: the lesser the risk. (Sales can fall by a larger percentage before the company will show a loss.). The Margin of safety or Safety stock of Water Play Inc. is 26,551 units. It means that the company should maintain 26,551 units as safety stock in order to avoid the risk.

Debate for Australia euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Debate for Australia euthanasia - Essay Example The same view is held by the Islamic religion (Bulow et al., 2008). Therefore, the opponents view legalization of euthanasia as being immoral and against God’s commandment since it does not sanctify life. However, the proponents have responded by arguing that legalizing euthanasia will actually uphold human dignity. They have argued that no person should be allowed to undergo torture from terminal illness. Such continuous pain, they have pointed out, which medicine has no control over degrades human dignity and defeats the very logic for continuing to live. Therefore, euthanasia will do more good than harm (Norval & Gwyther, 2003). In addition, they have also said that the society is built on fundamental values of compassion and mercy. The society should therefore rise to the occasion and help the terminally ill from suffering unbearably without any help (Norval & Gwyther, 2003). Euthanasia as murder versus right-based arguments The opponents have viewed legalization of euthan asia has a commission to commit murder. They have argued that any action intended to take away another person’s life is inherently wrong and should never be allowed even if the victim has given the consent (Somerville, 2003). Euthanasia has therefore been viewed has killing of other human beings and fervently opposed on those grounds. On the other hand, the proponents have made an argument against this view by pointing out to the principles of autonomy and self-determination. The argument has been that a patient has a right to his or her life and therefore can determine on how he or she should die (Bartels & Otlowski, 2010; Kerridge, Lowe & Stewart, 2009). The autonomy principle allows... The argument has been that a patient has a right to his or her life and therefore can determine on how he or she should die (Bartels & Otlowski, 2010; Kerridge, Lowe & Stewart, 2009). The autonomy principle allows a patient of sound mind to make any decision pertaining to his or her life as long as such a decision does nobody any harm (Norval & Gwyther, 2003). Along this line, it is argued that a patient has a right to determine when he or she no longer wants to live. It is further argued that, due to the principle of autonomy, a patient has a right to his or her own decisions and equally a right to a dignified death (Bartels & Otlowski, 2010). In general, the proponents argue that by patients being denied the right to euthanasia, the society is actually tramping upon their (patients’) rights and forcing decisions on them (patients) which they (patients) do not necessarily ascribe to. In other word, the insistence on the sustenance of the status quo in reference to legalizatio n of euthanasia is a continued violation of patients’ rights and thus those of human rights. How have the opponents responded to these accusations of violating human rights specifically the principles of autonomy? The proponents have come out strongly and fiercely claiming that actually allowing euthanasia is an abuse of autonomy and human rights contrary to what the proponents have said. The opponents have argued that the principle of autonomy advocates for conditions that favor autonomy. Any attempt to suppress any condition.

Dislocation and strengthening mechanism on various materials Essay - 1

Dislocation and strengthening mechanism on various materials - Essay Example Composites are strengthened in a similar fashion by reinforcing the material matrix with particles or fibers. Fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) are the most commonly used composites [2]. The fibers act as load carrying mediums while the surrounding filler works to transmit the load to the fibers. At times polymers possessing higher material strength are required. There are three basic fundamental means of increasing material strength for polymers; these are crystallization, cross-linking and chain-stiffening [3]. Crystallization causes polymers to gain regularity in their molecular arrangement. Cross-linking is a process by which adjacent molecular chains are bonded with one other through covalent bonds. Chain-stiffening involves a number of methods through which chain bending is restricted. . Strengthening mechanisms for metals include grain size reduction, solid-solution strengthening and strain hardening. Grain size reduction involves reducing the grain size of the metal. The reduction in grain size obstructs dislocation motion when stress is applied. At a macro level, the material appears to have more strength. Solid-solution strengthening involves introducing impurity atoms in the interstitial solid solution. Strain hardening is also known as work hardening or cold work. Cold work is a process by which a ductile metal is plastically deformed resulting in a metal that is harder and stronger. Furthermore, recrystallization is a process by which a cold worked material regains its precold-worked properties. As mentioned afore, cold work or strain hardening is a inexpensive process by which a ductile metal is hardened through plastic deformation. The process is performed well below the absolute melting point of the metal [4]. There are a number of advantages related to strain hardening. The materials maybe strain hardened and molded into desired shape simultaneously while still being able to achieve superb dimensional tolerance and surface

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article 35 Chrome the conqueror - Essay Example It then ventured into specialized search apps that were designed for each specific organization. These search applications enabled enterprises to embed Google’s search facility into their own personalized environments. This enabled them to search just about anything and everything within their organizational setup using a privatized search engine. As a result, Google was hailed with welcoming gestures. The nest big thing google introduced was Google Mail or GMail.It emerged at a time when the then prevalent email service providers were beginning to think of charging their customer for the extra mail storage space that they were intending to provide. It was in such a scenario that google was introduced. Emerging like a saviour Google proposed an e-mail inbox that was not only much higher in storage capacity than its’ existing counterparts, but it’s storage capacity also continuously multiplied in manifolds. What else could anyone wish for other than a large email storage and that too for free! The years that then progressed saw The Googalization of just about everything. You name and it was there. May it be the editing software of Google APPS or the ever mesmerizing Google Earth and Google MARS, the software giant moved on one step ahead with every passing unit time. Then those were the times when smart phones were just becoming ever popular, Google did not take much time to jump into the scenario by purchasing the emerging Android Technology. After having the privilege of having Google’s name joined with its own the Android technology became increasingly popular. This software was open in naure. It had the ability of embedding itself into different hardwares. This also included a hardware smartphone that was designed specfically for android usage. The end of the first decade of the twenty first millennium marked the release of the web browser that changed the history of web browsing upside down. Chrome was just the browser that was n eeded to suit everyone. Lightweight and easily operable, chrome quickly integrated itself under Microsoft’s cap. It went this far ahead in doing so that it provided a variant that could survive within Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the form of a sub window. Applications such as ‘Chrome Angry Birds Game† that are specifically accessible via the chrome browser only can now be played in the Internet Explorer as well via chrome’s sub window embedded in the IE. When people were still getting used to the quick browsing saga that chrome had introduced them to, the news of Google Wave’s emergence sparked up! This application was a merger of Mail, Messaging, Social Networking, Translation etc. A single consolidated application contained various o What else could a user ask for? Whether it is said loudly or not Google’s groundbreaking successes throughout the Internet and even beyond it were as if they were directed to be stabbed right at Micro soft’s Heart, the leading and reigning giant of the cyber world at the time when Google emerged. Evaluating the rate at which Google proceeded from its mere search engine to the Google Wave the next expected achievement by Google could have well been anticipated. This achievement was emergence of an OS that would be owned by Google itself. Referred to as the â€Å"Camel’s nose in the tent†

CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CASE STUDY - Essay Example Typically, a client that is very serious about purchasing a new product, a new line, or a development package is usually going to be on time to the meeting and show the salesperson as much respect as possible in hopes that they can ease down the price of the products with their charm and good will. At 10:20am another non-verbal clue took place when another salesperson that was Andrews’ competitor walked into the office for a 10:30am appointment. Not only was the buyer for Skaggs Manufacturing tardy for their meeting, but she already had another salesperson scheduled for an immediate meeting right after Andrews. Gillespie also showed many counts of blatant disrespect toward Andrews. For one, there was a 10 minute period where she was discussing a tennis match for that day with the secretary instead of concentrating on who was there for a scheduled appointment. Finally, as Andrews began to speak with Gillespie in her office she gave him no attention, no eye contact and was focused on reading letters from her desk instead of what he had to say. The final sign of disrespect came when she answered the phone in the middle of their meeting and began talking with her husband for another 10 minutes until she finally saw the frustration on Andrews’ face. Each of these non- verbal clues was blatant hints that Andrews was not going to be able to earn the business of Skaggs Manufacturing that morning and he had definitely wasted his time. If I was John Andrews, I would have likely performed many of the same behaviors that he did. He kept calm during many different frustrating events where he was being blatantly ignored and disrespected by the buyer for Skaggs Manufacturing. Still, his job is to sell the product, so it is important to maintain an aura of professionalism and do his best to earn the customer’s business. Unfortunately, he was never able to actually give a sales pitch

Case Study Analysis (REPORT) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Study Analysis (REPORT) - Essay Example It would also examine the role of marketing communications towards generating competitive advantage for business organizations and development of trust and confidence among the customers so as to generate long term profitability and sustainability in the business market. Table of Contents Case Study Analysis (REPORT) 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Part 1 4 New Product Development Process 4 Idea Generation 5 Idea Screening 5 Concept Development and Testing 5 Analysis of Business 6 Development of Product 6 Market Testing 6 Product Commercialisation 7 Product Life Cycle 7 BCG Matrix 8 Part 2 9 Marketing Communications Mix- Comparative Analysis 9 References 13 Introduction Business organizations are essentially operating in a turbulent business environment. The aspect of globalisation has increased the average number of players in the market which has intensified the competition among the business organizations. This has intensified the need for ensuring business excellence that le ads to creation of competitive advantage. ... using a different strategy which includes improvements in the product or service mix as well as use of a marketing communications strategy that helps firms to communicate and reach out to their target audience. The heightened levels of competition in the markets has also enhanced the importance of brand image that is largely important as it is widely being used by consumers to differentiate between the products and service offered by the different players in the market. The present study would analyse the aspect of new product development by including a comparative analysis of different brands. Part 1 New Product Development Process New product development is a comprehensive process that encompasses the aspects of idea generation, idea screening, concept development and testing, analysis of business, development of product, testing the market and finally product commercialisation (Havaldar, 2010, p.188). Idea Generation Idea generation involves conceptualisation of new ideas for a pr oduct or service. The success of this stage largely involves garnering large number of executable ideas which can be either obtained from employees or from any other source. The idea must be such that it is largely unique in nature and has the ability to make a mark for itself in the market. In case of Denkit the teachers had two business ideas which were largely unique and innovative in nature as no such product was available in the market. In case of Hovis the company developed an idea that served to augment the present product offering of the organization by introducing new ideas for product development. Kit Kat’s new product development ideas mainly include the aspect of modifications in packaging and design. Idea Screening The next stage in the new product development includes idea

India’s Trade in 2020 Essay Example for Free

India’s Trade in 2020 Essay Introduction Indias trade has generally grown at a faster rate compared to the growth of GDP over the past two decades. With the liberalization since 1991 in particular, the importance of international trade in India’s economy has grown considerably. As a result the ratio of international trade to GDP has gone up from 14 per cent in 1980 to nearly 20 per cent towards the end of the decade of 1990s. Given the trends of globalization and liberalization, the openness of Indian economy is expected to grow further in the coming two decades. The more exact magnitude of Indias trade in 2020 and its proportion to Indias national income would be determined by a variety of factors. Many of these factors are in the nature of external shocks and are beyond the control of national policy making. One illustration is the recent surge in the crude oil prices in the international market to unprecedented levels that have impacted the country’s imports in a significant manner. In addition, the implementation of various WTO agreements are likely to affect the Indias trade. Indias trade is also likely to be affected by various bilateral/ regional preferential trade arrangements that have been concluded and those that might take shape in the coming years. This paper attempts to provide a mapping of different factors that are likely to shape the patterns and magnitudes of Indias imports and exports over the coming two decades. These factors are classified into three, namely: 1) factors affecting the demand for Indias exports of goods and services; 2) factors affecting the supply of Indias exports of goods and services; and 3) factors affecting the demand for Indias imports. The supply of imports may be assumed to be elastic and hence is not discussed. The structure of the paper is as follows. Section 1 maps out various factors affecting demand for India’s exports, Section 2, factors affecting supply of India’s exports. Section 3 lists the factors that are likely to affect demand for India’s imports. Section 4 briefly summarizes emerging patterns of India’s comparative advantage in exports of good and services. Section 5 makes some concluding remarks. 1.Factors Affecting the Demand for Exports There is a multitude of factors that are likely to affect the demand for Indias exports of goods and services as seen below. 3 Growth Performance of World Economy and Key Trading Regions The growth rates of the world economy and world trade do influence the overall demand for Indias exports. For instance, the rates of stagnation in the growth rate of world trade in the period since 1996 have affected the growth of Indias exports. Some broad correspondence between the growth rates of world trade and Indian exports is evident from Figure 1. Depending upon the intensities of Indias trade relations the growth prospects in these specific regions may also affect the demand for Indias exports. The regions which may be particularly important for Indias exports include North America, the European Union, Middle East, East and Southeast Asia and South Asia. Therefore, it will be important to watch the growth outlook and projections for these regions. Figure 1: Growth Rates of World Trade and Indias Exports Over the 1990s Source: RIS on the basis of WEO Database of the IMF 1.1.1. World Output and Trade at the Turn of the Century and the Outlook The world economy in 2000 seems to have fully recovered from the slow down of 1998-1999 on account of the East Asian crisis. The estimated world output growth of 4.8 percent in 2000 is highest since 1988 and of world trade at 12.4 percent is highest of the past 25 years (Table 1, Figure 1). The impressive recovery of the world economy and world trade in the early part of 2000 generated optimism all around as countries expected to benefit from favourable spillovers in the form of rise in demand for their exports. However, the optimism has proved to be short lived. It has been partly tarnished somewhat by the crude oil prices hitting the roof in the third quarter of 2000 and adversely affecting the outlook of many regions besides raising the threats of inflation in different parts of the world. Furthermore and more importantly, the emerging trends confirm that a trend of slow down was set in the US economy in the third quarter of the 2000. Hence, fears of a hard landing of the US economy in 2001 have continued to grow. A scenario of hard landing of the US economy in 2001 is thus likely to short-circuit the rebound of the world economy of 1999-2000, even though the major European Union economies are improving their performance. The Japanese economy continues to remain sluggish. The slow down of the US economy has a compounded effect on the growth of the world economy by adversely affecting the demand for the products of partner countries as well. As a result the growth rate of world output is likely to slow down in 2001 from the levels reached in 2000 to 3.2. The world economy is expected to pick up moderately to 3.9 per cent in 2002. The effect of the impending slow down is more severe on the growth rate of world trade which is likely to reduce by nearly half from the rate achieved in 2000 to around 6.5 per cent in 2001 and 2001. In the light of recent trends, the outlook for the world economy and trade growth over the next ten years could be taken at 3 and 6 per cent respectively. *Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. #ASEAN-4. Source: RIS based on World Bank (2001), IMF (2001). 1. WTO Agreements Since the implementation of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round in 1995, the WTO Agreements have become important factors in determining the patterns of world trade. Their full impact is not yet obvious as many provisions of these agreements are yet to be implemented because of the transition period provided. Most of the remaining provisions of the WTO agreements would be implemented in the coming five years. Therefore, the patterns of trade in 2020 would have to be speculated keeping in mind the impact of full implementation of the WTO agreements. Some of the agreements which are likely to affect Indias exports are the following. 1. Agreement on Textiles and Clothing The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) proposes to phase out the MFA quotas imposed by the developed countries on the imports of textiles and clothing from developing countries over a period of 10 years ending on 31st December 2004. Given the fact that India has substantially fulfilled her quota for the products coming under MFA, it may appear that the phasing out of these quotas would help in the expansion of exports. However, the impact of the phase out is likely to be a mixed bag. This is because with MFA phase out, Indian exporters would be competing directly with other exporters of textiles and garments such as China, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, among others. Therefore, while ATC provides an opportunity to Indian exporters to expand their exports of textiles and garments by removing the quota restrictions, it also poses a challenge of increased international competition. Some of them will enjoy preferential access to the importing countries due to their least developed country (LDC) status such as Bangladesh. There are apprehensions on the full benefits of phase out being available to developing countries. As such the schedule of the phase-out has been back-loaded over a ten-year long phase-out period. The industrialized countries may use other protectionist measures such as anti-dumping to prevent market access after the phase-out of quotas. A large number of textiles and clothing products already face tariffs in the range of 15 to 30 per cent in the Quad countries (World Bank, 2000). Some attempts of restricting them with anti-dumping duties have already been made against these exports including those from India. Another factor that will affect the competitiveness of Indian exports of textiles and garments in the post-MFA regime is the availability of trade preferences to emerging competitors of India. For instance, Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Cyprus and Malta and Central and Eastern European countries enjoy free trade agreement with the European Union ahead of their full membership. The Caribbean countries enjoy a similar preferential access to the United States market under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). Mexico enjoys a privileged access to the North American Market as a member of NAFTA. These trade preferences have already resulted into diversion of trade in textiles and clothing to these countries. For instance, Mexican exports of clothing to the United States have grown at the rate of 27 and 15 percent in 1998 and 1999, respectively with the growth rate of exports to Canada in these years being 30 percent and 26 percent, respectively. Similarly, exports of clothing from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey to the European Union in 1998 have grown at 26 percent, 14 percent, 11 percent, 23 percent and 11 percent, respectively (WTO, 2000). The ability of Indian exporters to take advantage of phase out the MFA quotas by 2004 will depend upon a number of factors such as their ability to enhance overall international competitiveness with productivity and efficiency improvements, quality control, ability to quickly come up with new designs, ability to respond to changes in consumer preferences rapidly and the ability to move up the value chain by building brand names and acquiring channels of distribution to more than outweigh the advantages of her competitors. The reservation of the garment industry for small-scale sector has affected capital investment, modernization and automation in the sector in the country. Although the small sector operation has imparted flexibility, it has prevented exploitation of economies of scale and scope by the Indian industry. The new Textiles Policy takes care of some of the concerns. It remains to be seen if the Indian industry will be able to exploit the opportunities provided by the incr eased market access with the MFA phase-out. 2. Agreement on Agriculture (AoA): The AoA proposes to liberalize the international trade in agriculture by restricting the agricultural subsidies provided by governments to the farmers, reduction in export subsidies in agriculture, removal of QRs and establishment of tariff rate quotas applicable to trade in agricultural commodities. In general India’s obligations under AoA are limited given the low level of agricultural subsidies compared to EU and the US. It is believed that implementation of the AoA commitments by industrialized countries will benefit countries like India in terms of market access for some agricultural commodities. However, the implementation of the commitments on the part of industrialized countries so far does not provide any room for optimism. The extent of subsidies given by industrialized countries have actually increased over the past few years as acknowledged by OECD reports. It is possible that in the coming years the provisions of the Agreement are implemented in the letter and spi rit. The likely effect of the full implementation on India’s trade is difficult to be speculated. However, one can have an idea about the likely scenario from efficiency indicators and incentive structure. Given lower than world prices of rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, chickpea and cotton in India, their exports may expand under the liberalised trade in agriculture. Hence the area under cultivation for these crops may increase since profitability and effective incentives will get tilted in favour of these crops. The same is true for pearl millet, pigeonpea and soyabean. However, production of oilseeds e.g. groundnut, rapeseed, mustard and sunflower, and pulses may be adversely affected in a free-trade scenario given the lower world prices. Thus, the import dependence in edible oils and pulses may increase. 3. Anti-dumping Regulations The Indian exports of a number of commodities have been subjected to anti-dumping regulations by some of our important trading partners such as the United States and the European Union. The onslaught of the anti-dumping measures on Indian exports is likely to increase in future with the growing competitiveness of Indian products. In order to minimize their disruptive effect of these regulations on Indias exports, the industry and government will have to strengthen the machinery to counter such actions (Panchamukhi, 2000). 1.2.4. Tariff Negotiations and New Trade Round Although the average tariff rates in the industrialized countries are low, they have high peak tariffs for certain products, some of which are of export interest to India such as textiles and garments, and agricultural commodities (see Table 3). Market access for these products could be facilitated by our ability to secure reduction in these tariffs in the industrialized countries through future tariff negotiations in the WTO framework. N.B. HS Chapters are given in parentheses. Source: RIS based on UNCTAD/WTO (2000) The Post-Uruguay Round Tariff Environment For Developing Country Exports: Tariff Peaks and Tariff Escalation, UNCTAD, Geneva (TD/B/COM.1/14/Rev.1; 28 January 2000) 1.2.5.Trade Preferences for the Least Developed Countries One emerging development in the WTO system has been the tendency to divide the developing countries with the offer of special trade preferences for the least developed countries. A sizeable proportion of Indias exports still comprise labour and resource intensive goods that are also exported by some of the least developed countries. If successful these preferences have the prospects of diverting trade from India to the least developed countries. The potential of these trade preferences for adversely affecting India’s exports needs to be kept in mind. 2. Chinas Accession to WTO One of the important events of the coming years for the world trade may be the entry of China into the WTO regime. China signed an agreement with the US for its entry into the WTO in November 1999. It has subsequently been negotiating such agreements with other WTO members. The accession of China to the WTO and hence the MFN status that it will receive from other WTO countries may have some implications for the competitiveness of Indias exports. This is because India and China compete in the international market for a number of labour intensive and matured technology goods such as textiles and garments, leather goods, light engineering products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, among others. China has already been giving tough competition to Indian exports in many commodities and markets. There is a view that the accession to WTO may further strengthen China’s competitiveness and hence may affect the Indian exports adversely. There is another view that the accession of China to WTO would force it to follow WTO norms and procedures, etc. and will bring their trade policy under international surveillance. State subsidies will be regulated and hence it will make it more difficult for the Chinese exporters to dump their products in the world market. The exact impact of the accession of China to the WTO on the Indias export prospects will depend upon these counteracting effects. It is important to analyze the effects of Chinese accession to WTO on the competitiveness of Indian exports. 1.4. Preferential Trade Arrangements/Free Trade Arrangements in Rest of the World The last decade and a half has seen the proliferation of regional trading arrangements in different parts of the world. The major trading blocks that have emerged over the years include the European Union, NAFTA, Mercosur, AFTA, COMESA, among others. Besides, these free trade and common market agreements, a number of other countries have become integrated with the trading blocks through a variety of preferential or free trade arrangements. For instance, European Union has extended free trade agreement treatment to a number of Central Eastern European Union and Mediterranean countries in anticipation of full membership to these countries in the EU. These arrangements could also act to divert trade away from India especially in the labour intensive goods, as indicated earlier in the case of textiles and clothing. 1.5.Regional/Bilateral Free Trade Arrangements India has taken several steps to liberalize trade with her trading partners in the South Asia region on regional as well as bilateral basis. These steps include participation to SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangements (SAPTA) that came into being in December 1995. Under this Agreement, India has exchanged trade concessions with the SAARC member countries for nearly 3000 commodities in the first three rounds of negotiations. The fourth round of these negotiations is in the process. It is expected that the process of trade liberalization in the framework of SAARC will culminate into a South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), although, it may take some time to take shape given the current impasse in the SAARC process. Besides SAPTA, India has recently signed a bilateral free trade agreement with Sri Lanka. India already has bilateral free trade agreement with Nepal and Bhutan. A bilateral free trade agreement is being contemplated with Bangladesh as well. There are other attempts of regional/sub-regional economic integration which may also come into being in the coming decade, for instance, BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) which has been formed recently may adopt a preferential trading arrangement between the member countries. Although India is also a founder member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), a preferential trading arrangement is not contemplated as the Association has adopted the concept of open regionalism on the lines of APEC. All these attempts at free trade with the regional partners may open the markets for Indian goods further in the countries concerned. It is evident that the share of South Asian countries in Indias exports has increased from 2.73 to 4.9 over the period 1990 to 1999. The recent initiatives in regional/ bilateral trade liberalization may help to divert some trade of the countries concerned from their other trading partners in favour of India given the supply capabilities. 2. Factors Affecting the Supply of Exports It is widely believed that the major factors constraining India’s exports lie not in the lack of demand but more in the supply side constraints. Most of the supply side factors need to be addressed as a part of the policy towards trade. Some of the factors that constrain the volume and composition of Indias exports are as follows: 1. Infrastructural Bottlenecks It is widely accepted that Indias export potential remains considerably unfulfilled because of infrastructure bottlenecks such as power shortages, port handling facilities, delays in transportation which in turn are due to poor transport links within the country and poor communication facilities. The inability of Indian exporters in meeting supply schedules costs dearly in terms of image of India as a reliable source of supply. Not only that the availability of the infrastructure services is inadequate but the efficiency and quality of the delivery of what is available is highly uneven. The ability of the government in removing these constraints in the coming years will also determine the supply side of Indian exports. 2. Growth of Domestic Demand A rapid growth of domestic demand may also affect Indias ability to export at least in certain products, for instance, in tea where the rapid growth of domestic demand is expected to reduce the export surplus in the coming years. It may also apply to a number of other agricultural commodities such as rice, cotton, among others. 2.3 Inflows of Export-oriented Foreign Direct Investment Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have played an important role in the rapid growth of manufactured exports from the East and South-East Asian countries. This is because the South East and East Asian countries were able to attract export platform investments from US and Japanese MNEs in the 1970s and 1980s. The export platform or export-oriented investment arises in the process of relocation of production by MNEs abroad in order to maintain their international competitiveness in the face of rising wages and other costs in their home countries. In Malaysia and Indonesia, for instance, 70 percent of the projects involving FDI have been export-oriented. In China, the share of foreign owned firms in exports has risen from 5 percent in 1988 to 40 percent by 1997. In contrast, the share of foreign affiliates in Indias exports is marginal at 5 to 7 percent (Kumar and Siddharthan, 1997, for a review of evidence from different countries). Therefore, India has not been able to exploit the potential of MNEs for export-oriented production. MNEs can play an important role in promotion of Indias manufacture exports with relocation of export platform production in the country with their access to global marketing networks, best practice technology and organizational know-how. To some extent, therefore, Indias ability to attract export-oriented FDI will determine the magnitude of Indias exports in 2020. The studies have shown that export-oriented FDI inflows are of special type and are determined by different factors than other types of FDI (Kumar, 1994). The studies also find differences in the nature and determinants of export platform investments that are geared to MNEs home markets and those targeting the third countries (Kumar, 1998). India may make an effort to target the export platform investments of both types by sharpening her bundle of resource endowments and created assets in the light of determinants identified by these studies. 5. Technological Upgrading and Movement along with the Value Chain The Indian export structure has been highly dominated by simple and un-differentiated products where the main competitive advantage lies in cheap labour, low levels of skills and simple technologies compared to that of China and South East Asian countries except for recent growth of pharmaceuticals and software services (Lall, 1999). Not only these products are slow moving, the export structure is highly vulnerable to competition. Indias competitiveness has also been adversely affected by the failure to diversify the commodity composition of our exports. In fact the commodity concentration of Indias exports has increased with a 9 percent rise in the share of top six groups of exports in total and exports between 1987-1988 to 1998-99 (Kumar, 2000a). In comparison to India, Southeast and East Asian countries have rapidly diversified their export structure in favour of technologically advanced goods. For instance, share of technologically advanced goods (differentiated and science based goods) in India’s manufactured exports rose marginally to about 8 per cent by the mid-1990s over 5.6 per cent in the mid-1970s; in China, this proportion increased from 8.8 per cent to 23 per cent over the 1987-95 period, and for Malaysia from 12 per cent to 57 per cent over the 1980 to 1995 (Pigato et al. 1997). The markets for low technology undifferentiated goods are highly price competitive and margins are kept under pressure by constant competition by entry of new low wage countries.

Ms Word Template Essay Example for Free

Ms Word Template Essay Place your logo and other components, as desired, into the header. Access the header by choosing View0Header and Footer from the menu. Generally, letterhead components consist of: * Logo * Street address (and mailing address, if different) * Website address * Email address * Telephone numbers and fax numbers Tip. Whenever possible, place your logo in-line with text. This helps to keep it in place, regardless of your layout. If you want your logo on the left and other components on the right, insert a two-column table. Tip. Generally, the first-page ofa letter does not have page numbering; but you may want to insert page numbering in the second-page footer. Tip. Note how the First Page Header says First Page Header right at the top. The Second Page Header will simply say Header. Tip. If you want to break up your address lines, you can use Insert0Symbol from Words menu and choose Wingdings as the font. There are all kinds of symbols from which you can choose. Above, we chose a symbol that looks like a simple bullet and colored it to match our logo color. These separations make your information easier to read. Step 2. Lay Out the Second Page Use the Show Next button on the Header and Footer toolbar to go to the Second Page Header. Place the components youd like to appear on second and subsequent pages of your correspondence into the header, such as a smaller version of your logo. Tip. Always place a paragraph return below the header, and a paragraph return above the footer. This keeps your document text from running into your header or footer components. Hit the Switch Between Header and Footer button on the Header

Strategies to Improve Recruitment Processes

Strategies to Improve Recruitment Processes Report 1 An interview is an organised formal meeting of an interviewer (representative of the employer) and interviewee (job applicant) used to evaluate a potential employee for the purpose of employment at an organisation. Interviews are one of the most common recruitment and selection processes. Job interviews typically precede a hiring decision and often form part of the assessment centre process. Interviews can be conducted in several ways such as Face-to-Face interviews, telephonic interviews and interviews over the internet. Most job interviews last for about one hour, although telephone interviews and technical interviews are usually shorter. Even though interviews are the most widely used employment technique, research has not been able to show that it has high predictive validity. An interview does not accurately assess the candidate’s ability at work, relevant experience and work skills. A further problem with interviews is that factors that are not related to the job influence the employment decision: clothing, colour, ethnic origin, gender, accent, physical features or a disability might be such factors. There is also evidence that interviewers make decisions very rapidly on little information and hence interviews are exposed to interviewer bias and failure of human judgement. This low validity of interviews is compounded by evidence of poor interviewer reliability leading to a lot of complexity in the selection process. There are potential pitfalls in using interviews as a selection process and it is advisable to choose supplementary techniques. Therefore, being the Head of Personnel Management at Recovery Insurance Group, I would like to introduce supplementary techniques in order to increase the efficiency of recruitment and selection in the organisation. It is possible to complement information gained from interviews by different supplementary techniques and integrate additional measures into the selection and decision making process. These techniques can aid objective assessments of a candidate’s ability. However, the use of such techniques requires a high degree of skill and training and their use should be carefully monitored and controlled to ensure they are free of bias and that they do not inadvertently discriminate against disadvantaged groups. For example, special facilities may be required when testing disabled candidates. Following are the supplementary techniques to improve the effectiveness of recruitment and selection process: Tests The use of assessment processes based upon tests and questionnaires is expanding. It reduces the risks of hiring and developing people who turn out to be unsuitable. The financial costs attached to wrong decisions on employment can be considerable. Tests can be a very useful tool in the recruitment and selection process as it can actually replicate certain parts of the job. Whereas, an interview can only indicate that the applicant has the ability to do the job. Certain types of common tests used in recruitment and selection are Psychological tests, Aptitude tests, Personality tests, Intelligence tests, Ability tests, Work sample, etc. A test requires the candidates to do something which will be done in the job and hence increases face validity, making it more acceptable by the candidates. Therefore, tests can be used in interviews as the basis for further investigation and questioning about an applicant’s abilities. Group Exercises Most jobs involve working with others and so the selection process should involve an element of group work. A group exercise is an assessed discussion exercise that involves a small group of candidates (usually 8-10 people), following a question posed by a member of a company’s recruitment team. Group exercises allow plentiful possibilities for active working and interactions within the candidates. Interaction allows different experiences to be exchanged and applied to the subject. The candidates can be asked to complete a practical task or take part in a discussion and their ability to interact with people can be assessed. Group exercises help the recruitment team to identify leadership skills, responsibility, team working skills and a shared group dynamic. It supports role play and provides candidates with social feedback. Job Simulation This method involves the construction and application of a procedure or task that simulates or models the work involved in the company. The simulation is designed to represent, as closely as possible, the actual job situation. Candidates try out their performance in the simulated activity and have it evaluated based on how much a task is accomplished. The candidates are provided certain objectives, play the game, and have their output monitored. Their performance can be documented and measured and the candidates with highest performance are generally short listed. Job simulation is a very important supplementary technique for selection and recruitment of complex job profiles. Report 2 Organisations use a variety of recruitment sources to attract applicants like direct applications, employee referrals, newspaper advertising, employment agencies, and executive search firms. Recruiting the right person to the right position is of crucial importance to the performance of every company. At the same time recruitments are expensive, difficult and time-consuming. Web based recruitment tools can be used to publish job postings, administrate applications, including spontaneous applications, and build up a CV Database. This recruitment strategy includes identification of the right channels with a campaign that effectively summarizes the job requirements, company and community. A simple job posting in a publication or online career centre is no longer enough – the employer also needs to market itself as a place the candidate would want to work and its community as a place the candidate would want to live. Companies often adopt online systems because they believe e-recruiting is more likely than traditional recruitment sources to uncover individuals with unique talents and skills. The logic here is that online recruiting systems permit firms to cast a wide net across a broad labour market and, therefore, may be more likely to reach high quality applicants than other sources. I would recommend the line managers of Recovery Insurance Group to opt for this system of e-recruitment as it is clear that job applicants are using online systems to search for jobs and gather information employment opportunities in organisations. Furthermore, e-recruiting may be particularly effective as we are searching for personnel assistant proficient with computer systems. Also, online systems can be used to attract passive job seekers who are currently employed, but are secretly searching for new and better employment opportunities. There has been increased volume of online applications because individuals often spend more time searching for jobs online as the process is simpler and faster than traditional systems. However, increasing the volume of applicants may also lead to increase in administrative burden in an organisation and increase overall transaction costs over time. Furthermore, some analysts have argued that online systems allow employers to tailor their recruitment to specific labour markets through the use of specialised websites and job boards that target applicants with distinctive skills and backgrounds. Some candidates may be more receptive to e-recruiting and more likely to use the system than others. This is because candidates need to have an access to computers and have the skills needed to use the technology. As a result, online recruiting systems generally attract candidates who are well educated, have the ability to navigate the internet and are searching for relatively high level jobs. Online recruitment attracts individuals with higher achievement, drive, and persistence levels than traditional recruitment sources. Effectiveness of Online Recruitment Organisations use online recruitment systems for multiple purposes, including attracting candidates, communicating benefits about the organisation, and assessing applicants’ knowledge, skills, abilities and other personality requirements. Some companies now use software to scan applicants CVs for keywords and provide them immediate feedback whether they are qualified for the job. Other organisations use online aptitude tests, personality inventories or simulations to assess candidates’ critical thinking and decisions making skills. Many firms conduct online interviews or allow candidates to submit video clips as part of their application process. The online recruitment system allows a large number of applicants to be screened quickly and efficiently. The growing use of these systems justify that the online assessment techniques may be much more objective and, therefore, less biased by non job related factors like age, race, gender, etc. Online recruitment systems also allow companies to provide applicants with unique information about their company and give them a more realistic idea of what it is like to work for that organisation. Some organisations allow candidates to observe the firm’s activities through virtual systems, and others use highly creative means of providing applicants with realistic job previews. Applicants can collect more realistic information from the websites rather than traditional sources because websites allow flexibility in gathering data that were relevant to them. They choose jobs and organisations that fit with their personal values, beliefs and attitudes. As a result, many organisations emphasize information about their strategic goals and culture so that applicants can make informed decisions about whether they will be satisfied with the organisation. Another potential benefit of online recruitment systems is that websites can easily be used to communicate vacancy characteristics like pay, benefits, perquisites, and advantages of working with the company. Report 4 There has been a tremendous increase in the use of telephone interviewing for recruitment and selection. Many organisations conduct telephone interviews in the early stages of the recruiting and selection process because it can be a cost and time efficient way to short list candidates. This method of interviewing also offers valuable insight for positions that require phone communication skills. Recruitment teams generally conduct face to face interviews before making a final hiring decision, but telephone interviews can help them select the best candidates to meet. Telephone interviews can be used to screen out unsuitable applicants or as an integral part of the selection process. Telephone Interview for Screening: Short, rigidly structured interviews based on criteria. A competency-based screening interview, where candidates are asked a number of multiple choice questions to gauge suitability for the job role. Telephone Interview for Selection: A structured telephone role play when roles require advanced telephone communication skills. A sales telephone interview when a candidate is asked to sell something to the interviewer over the phone. An in depth semi-structured for senior or managerial positions where it is more difficult to capture experience and skills on paper. An alternative to face to face interviews for people who are based overseas or unavailable for long periods of time. Pros of Telephone Interviewing Can be quicker to arrange and conduct than other conventional methods. Can be cost effective as an initial screen. Can maintain a degree of confidentiality of post as these details will only be provided once the initial screening is completed. Acts as an ideal way to assess the candidate’s telephone manners. There are fewer interpersonal distractions. They provide little or no opportunity to discriminate on the grounds of race, disability, age or other non job related factors. Cons of Telephone Interviewing Candidates may be unfamiliar with the format or uncomfortable using the telephone, which could make them nervous and/or provoke uncharacteristic responses. It is difficult to make a thorough assessment of a candidate over the telephone. Non-verbal behaviour or body language, both of which are important in forming an opinion of people, cannot be gauged over the telephone. Telephone interview candidates learn less about your business than those who visit your premises and meet potential colleagues in person. The on-site experience helps candidates decide whether they wish to pursue the interviewing process. It is important to remember that the recruitment process works both ways, providing an opportunity for candidates to assess your business as it allows you to assess them. Considering the pros and cons of telephone interviewing, I will not recommend Recovery Group to reply on this method as a selection tool for recruiting a Personnel Assistant. The skills and attributes expected from the potential employee cannot be effectively assessed over the telephone. Therefore, it is advisable to conduct a traditional face to face interview supplemented by other selection tools for the recruitment of an ideal candidate. http://www.nuigalway.ie http://www.bnet.com http://www.businessballs.com

What is Art? Essay -- Essays Papers

What is Art1 Art can mean many different things to many different people and was one of the earliest ways in which man has expressed him or herself to others, whether it was through cave drawings or hieroglyphics. It does not begin or end with just drawing or painting, items typically considered art, or the many other recognized facets of art including architecture, drama, literature, sculpting, and music. The writing of Beowulf, one of the earliest known written prose, or the Greek plays which have influenced drama since their inception, are considered some of the greatest forms of art in history. Art can allow us pleasure just simply through the process of creating. Art can allow us to express ourselves to give us better insight into our own feelings. Art can, in contrast, allow us to stir emotions from within the viewer, occasionally leaving the viewer with an awakened or refreshed outlook. Some may only consider a work as art if it requires a particular skill from the artist, however, ar t can actually be viewed as simply another form of communication. No matter what form this expression takes, whether dance, poetry or the painted canvas, people have reasons for pursuing the need to create. Dance, as a form of art, allows the person or persons to express themselves through the movements of their bodies, whether the dancing takes place on a stage, in a theater, or on the floor of a dance club. This non-verbal art form can allow a dancer to express stories and s...

Civil war Essay -- essays research papers

Causes & Results of the Civil War The Civil War, in U.S. history, was a conflict that pitted the Northern states of the American Union against the Southern states. The war raged for 4 years (1861-65) and was marked by some of the fiercest military campaigns of modern history. Large armies were involved in large movements, and entire populations were engaged in supporting the war efforts of both sides. The war had international impact, not only because of the growing international stature of the United States, but also because war threatened world access to the South's cotton. Britain and France had particular interest in the war's outcome, but other nations were also affected by it. The chief and immediate cause of the war was slavery. Southern states, including the 11 states that formed the Confederacy, depended on slavery to support their economy. Southerners used slave labor to produce crops, especially cotton. Although slavery was illegal in the Northern states, only a small proportion of Northerners actively opposed it. The main debate between the North and the South on the eve of the war was whether slavery should be permitted in the Western territories recently acquired during the Mexican War (1846-1848), including New Mexico, part of California, and Utah. Opponents of slavery were concerned about its expansion, in part because they did not want to compete against slave labor. By 1860, the North and the South had developed into two very different regions. Divergent social, economic, and political points of view, dating from colonial times, gradually drove the two sections farther and farther apart. Each tried to impose its point of view on the country as a whole. Although compromises had kept the Union together for many years, in 1860 the situation was explosive. The election of Abraham Lincoln as president was viewed by the South as a threat to slavery and ignited the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second of the three S’s that caused the civil war was sectionalism. During the first half of the 19th century, economic differences between the regions increased. By 1860 cotton was the chief crop of the South, and it represented 57 percent of all U.S. exports. The profitability of cotton, known as King Cotton, completed the South’s dependence on the plantation system and its essential component, slavery. The North was by then firmly establi... ...al debates. As the 19th century closed, they faced a rigidly segregated life in the South and hostility across most of the North. Despite the destruction, the war did settle the question of secession. Since 1861 no state has seriously considered withdrawing from the Union. In addition, the war brought slavery to an end. After the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, there was widespread acceptance of the fact that Union victory would mean general emancipation. Since the proclamation was a war measure that might be held unconstitutional after the war, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, was passed by both houses of Congress early in 1865. It was ratified by three-fourths of the states and was formally proclaimed in effect on December 18, 1865.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The war also set the South back at least a generation in industry and agriculture. The invading armies devastated factories and farms. The labor system fell into chaos. Not until the 20th century did the South recover fully from the economic effects of the war. In contrast, the North forged ahead with the building of a modern industrial state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

White Collar Crime vs. Street Crime :: Crime Violence American Society Essays

White Collar Crime vs. Street Crime One problem that plagues our society is crime. Crime is all around us in our everyday lives. Daily we hear of murders, robberies, and rapes. These are categorized as "street crimes." For many people, such crimes are the only "tragic" crimes, the ones that are senseless and preventable. In Finsterbusch's book, Taking Sides, another variety of crime is exposed. This other form of crime is "white collar" crime. Both have victims, and the effects of both can be devastating to the individuals involved and to the community. The views of the two arguments proposed in the text do reach one common conclusion. Both street and white collar crime have severe consequences. In most instances, white collar crime is, financially, more costly. This does not mean that white-collar crime does not inflict bodily harm upon people. Multi- million dollar corporations can be twice as deadly as a gang member. When a woman dies of lead exposure from her job, it is murder. Whether a man is murdered by a gun or by an unsafe gas tank in his car, it is still called murder. In both scenarios, there is a defined victim. The one answer that our politicians give for solving street crime is more money for the Justice system. More cops, more judges, and definitely more jails and prisons. There are shows, such as "Cops," that shows America the "truth" about crime in the US. All the attention is given to street crime. Unless it is a huge scandal, you will seldom hear of white collar crime through the media. When white collar crime is reported, it gets little publicity compared to a gang shoot-out that killed a mother and her three kids. There is a reason for this. Since violent street crime is predominantly an urban problem, there is no better scapegoat than the lower class that live in these inner-city communities. Since urban communities are concentrated with people of color, the image of minorities soon becomes that of a criminal. By creating the idea that its "us against them," the justice system convinces voters that street crime is the evil of all evils. This allows money to be justifiably funneled into the justice system. This mind set says that its acceptable for people to be murdered by unsafe working conditions, and unsafe products. In addition, its unacceptable for murder to be committed by means of a gun, knife, or weapon. As well as supporting isolation from other people, such policies cause racism and stereotyping. Police have pictures of "criminals" in their minds. White Collar Crime vs. Street Crime :: Crime Violence American Society Essays White Collar Crime vs. Street Crime One problem that plagues our society is crime. Crime is all around us in our everyday lives. Daily we hear of murders, robberies, and rapes. These are categorized as "street crimes." For many people, such crimes are the only "tragic" crimes, the ones that are senseless and preventable. In Finsterbusch's book, Taking Sides, another variety of crime is exposed. This other form of crime is "white collar" crime. Both have victims, and the effects of both can be devastating to the individuals involved and to the community. The views of the two arguments proposed in the text do reach one common conclusion. Both street and white collar crime have severe consequences. In most instances, white collar crime is, financially, more costly. This does not mean that white-collar crime does not inflict bodily harm upon people. Multi- million dollar corporations can be twice as deadly as a gang member. When a woman dies of lead exposure from her job, it is murder. Whether a man is murdered by a gun or by an unsafe gas tank in his car, it is still called murder. In both scenarios, there is a defined victim. The one answer that our politicians give for solving street crime is more money for the Justice system. More cops, more judges, and definitely more jails and prisons. There are shows, such as "Cops," that shows America the "truth" about crime in the US. All the attention is given to street crime. Unless it is a huge scandal, you will seldom hear of white collar crime through the media. When white collar crime is reported, it gets little publicity compared to a gang shoot-out that killed a mother and her three kids. There is a reason for this. Since violent street crime is predominantly an urban problem, there is no better scapegoat than the lower class that live in these inner-city communities. Since urban communities are concentrated with people of color, the image of minorities soon becomes that of a criminal. By creating the idea that its "us against them," the justice system convinces voters that street crime is the evil of all evils. This allows money to be justifiably funneled into the justice system. This mind set says that its acceptable for people to be murdered by unsafe working conditions, and unsafe products. In addition, its unacceptable for murder to be committed by means of a gun, knife, or weapon. As well as supporting isolation from other people, such policies cause racism and stereotyping. Police have pictures of "criminals" in their minds.

Crime Scene Investigators research paper Essay

Crime Scene Investigators work with police to individuals or groups of people suspected of a committing a criminal act. They do their job by collecting evidence and data from the crime scene. They take these items and identify, classify, and analyze them. Sometimes called forensic science technicians, these investigators are extremely important during trials. They testify based on their findings to help the jury declare a person innocent or guilty. Crime Scene Investigators will usually have a degree in Criminal Justice with a background in science. Some small, rural areas may hire someone with a simple high school diploma or a GED. Investigators require on the job training through an apprenticeship. This puts them with seasoned veterans to learn proper methodology and procedures to follow when examining a crime scene and processing the evidence collected. If criminal investigators work in a crime lab, they have to have DNA-analysis training which could take anywhere from six to twelve months to complete. Crime Scene Investigators also need Firearm Analysis training, which can take up to three months to complete. The employment rate of Crime Scene Investigators is expected to grow by 19 percent through 2020. The average annual salary for Crime Scene Investigators in 2010 was $51,570. Of course, this was based on the degree, experience, and the location of the area that needed a Crime Scene Investigator. How a crime scene investigation works is there will be quite a few people from various offices from various locations at the crime scene. The police are usually the first to get to the crime scene. They will sometimes make an arrest on the spot if the person responsible for the crime is still at the scene of the crime or the cop might need to call an ambulance. They have a great responsibility to maintain a secure crime scene. The CSI unit will be at the crime scene gathering information and documenting the crime scene. The district attorney could also be there to see if the investigators need to get search warrants or not. If there is a death involved in the crime, the Medical Examiner will be called in. There could also be other forensic scientists called to the crime scene if their expertise is needed. Detectives will be there working with the CSI unit. They will also interview witnesses and try to determine what might have taken place and what caused it. The first thing to happen when the CSI unit arrives at the crime scene is they perform a walk through of the crime scene. They will try to find out if anything has been moved or removed from the crime scene. They will take pictures, draw sketches, and document everything at the crime scene. Next, they comb the crime scene collecting, tagging, and packaging evidence. These items will be taken to the crime lab to be examined. The results of the tests performed will be sent to the investigator in charge of the case. Joe Clayton works as a Laboratory Agent and primary scene responder for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He says, â€Å"I may be involved in actual bench work once the evidence from the crime scene is submitted to the lab.† This is because he has a background in different areas from blood splatter to â€Å"questioned† documents. According to an article in the Crime Scene Journal website, author Michael F. LaForte speaks of the unstable economy and the budget cuts. This affects law enforcement agencies as well. Funding is cut, people are laid off, salaries are cut, and hiring is frozen. There are still options for crime scene training. Someone could pay to have their training done through various courses offered through colleges. The other option would be to train yourself. This option would be cheaper. He gave the example of burglary and robbery investigations. He went along and learned abou the types of powders to use when finger printing from different objects. The hands-on experience was great for him. If you are already in law enforcement, there are other training sources available through the National Forensic Academy. There are also books and other training options available.

Advertising and Behavior Control Essay

In the article â€Å"Advertising and Behavior Control† there were many arguments for and against advertising. The first and the biggest problem Robert L. Arrington has against advertising is â€Å"puffery.† The reason/reasons why Arrington has a problem with puffery is due to the fact that the seller makes exaggerated, or suggestive claims about a product. His overall argument on puffery is that it isn’t just â€Å"bragging† but it is bragging that is designed to persuade you to want the item or product being sold. The bragging goes so far as they convince the viewer (of the advertisement) they need the product. Puffery ultimately leads to manipulation, exploitation, and control over what people think of the product. Although Arrington has reasons against puffery, he also points out examples as to why puffery is good for advertising. As stated on page 284 â€Å"businesses just give the consumer what he/she wants; if they didn’t they wouldn’t stay in business very long. Proof that consumer wants the precuts advertised is given by the fact that he bus them, and indeed often returns to by them again and again.† Puffery ultimately leads to the customer purchasing the product. If puffery is not used then as Arrington states businesses would go out of business very quickly. Puffery is not the only argument for or against advertising Arrington had but definitely was is strongest one. Another argument against advertising that Arrington had was credibility of an advertisement. He uses Philip Nelson’s ideas and theories to better explain his thoughts. His argument states that even when the message is not credible, we as a society give it validity by allowing ourselves to see the advertisement, and the fact that we constantly see them makes us believe that things are true. Simply put as stated on page 285 â€Å"advertised frequently, is valuable indirect information for the consumer. The reason for this is that the brands advertised most are more likely to be better buys-â€Å" Although the constant streaming of false or indirect information from advertisements makes us believe something that may be untrue, there is a counter argument as to why this form of advertising is legitimate, One of the counter arguments is in the form of a thought provoking question on page 285 â€Å"do the advertising techniques we have discussed involve a violation of human autonomy and a manipulation and control of consumer behavior, or do they simply provide an efficient and cost effective means of giving the consumer information on the basis of which he or she makes a free choice.† This may seem like a lot to grasp, but in essence the meaning of that thought provoking question is: is advertising information, or is advertising there for us to create wants and desi res in our life? These are just a couple of the arguments for and against advertising, and Arrington continues with many more thought provoking and legitimate arguments. All in all, Arrington makes claims for and against advertising, and eventually comes to the conclusion that he does not know what is right. If advertising is indeed good or bad as he says on page 289 â€Å"I do not pretend to have the answer. I only hope that the above discussion, in showing some of the kinds of harm that can be done by advertising and by indicating the likely limits of this harm, will put us in a better position to grapple with the question.† In my own opinion I don’t think that advertising should be controlled anymore than it is now. My reason for thinking this way is because products are made to be sold and along with that products are also made for us (the customer) to use, and enjoy. If products weren’t marketed/advertised to the customer as enjoyable, or brings you a higher satisfaction in life what would be the point of any person buying the product? Sure puffery may seem like it is a scam by â€Å"extending the truth† but at the same time if you had the money, and the time, and the friends to live a life like a commercial then it is very well possible to achieve that fulfillment from a product. Unfortunately not everyone is capable of doing this, but a product that is advertised is always going to be represented better than it actually is, due to the fact it is there to make a profit, and to be sold. My next point is the fact that advertisement falls into our liberties. We all have the right to freedom of speech. By advertising, or marketing one is free to say, promote, speak, etc. how they would like as long it is not in an offensive or demeaning way. This is why I believe there should be no more restrictions or limitations (if any) on advertising/marketing.

Ideal Leaders In Lord Of The Flies Essay

Ralph, Jack and Piggy all possess unique qualities. Are any of them ideal leaders? What important qualities do each of them possess (and lack) as regards leadership? Who is the natural leader in Lord of the Flies? This is the question that Golding is making us consider. There is no right or wrong answer, as all of the boys possess unique leadership qualities. This essay will explore what qualities of leadership Ralph, Piggy and Jack possess (and lack), and eventually come to a conclusion (if one can be found) as to which boy is the natural leader of the band of boys on the island. A leader is somebody who guides a group in whatever they do. They make policies, rules and, if necessary, decisions for the group that they lead, which the group should then follow. Ralph has a number of ideal leadership qualities. He is fair, maybe sometimes too fair, and believes in the idea of everyone having a chance to have their say (â€Å"‘I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking†¦And he won’t be interrupted. Except by me.'† [31]) However, the rule of freedom of speech is overturned by Jack (â€Å"Jack was the first to make himself heard. He had not got the conch and thus spoke against the rules, but nobody minded.† [94]) and Ralph does not do anything about it. This is one of the qualities that Ralph lacks. He makes rules, but is not willing to enforce them because he fears that they may be ignored (â€Å"‘You got to be tough now, make ’em do what you want.’ ‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back, then we’ve had it'† [99]) unless something happens to spur him to action, such as when Jack let the fire out (â€Å"So Ralph asserted his chieftainship and could not have chosen a better way if he had thought for days. Against this weapon, so indefinable and so effective, Jack was powerless and raged without knowing why† [77]) Ralph believes in everyone having responsibility and everyone working together and helping each other to build a successful community. He offers the groups long term solutions such as shelters and a signal fire so that they would be rescued, however, he does not do enough to make these ideas attractive, and as a result he ends up doing most of the work while the hunters and littluns disappear to have fun (â€Å"And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?†, â€Å"When the meeting was over they’d work for five minutes then wander off or go hunting.† [51]) This lack of acceptance of responsibility annoys him and makes him hostile (â€Å"As they danced, they sang. Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in. Ralph watched them, envious and resentful.† [79]) towards Jack and the hunters. As a result, he is not as tolerant of them as he should have been and eventually insults that part of the group (â€Å"‘What above my hunters?’ ‘Boys armed with sticks.'† [137]) This makes Jack angry enough to attempt to rebel against Ralph’s leadership, and straight after he leaves to start a tribe of his own. He is very good at communication. He says what he thinks rather than trying to hide his own opinions and feelings (â€Å"‘Better Piggy than Fatty,’ Ralph said with the directness of genuine leadership.†, â€Å"I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let out the fire-† [21/22]) This is essential, because if you do not let others know your feelings, then they will not understand why you are acting the way you are, or your reasons for making decisions, and might think you are being unreasonable. He can make his speeches simple for the littluns to understand, yet powerful by using repetition and explanation (â€Å"He had learnt as a practical business that fundamental statements likes this had to be said at least twice, before everyone understood them†¦His mind was searching for simple words so that even the littluns would understand what the assembly was about.† [84]) However, as events spiral out of his control, his speeches become less and less inspiring as he loses confidence in himself and his abilities, and eventually his followers desert him and he is left on his own, running for his life. Though Ralph is a natural leader (â€Å"There was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out†¦and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch. The being that had blown that†¦was set apart† [19]), able to reassure and offer comfort (â€Å"The assembly was lifted towards safety by his words. They liked and now respected him.† [36]), the values and goals that he presents as part of his leadership do not offer the security that the group needs when their morale is low as a result of fear of the beast. As a result, he is only able to lead when times are good. He clings to the same ideals that he had when he first came to the island: the idea of rescue, keeping civilisation intact and having rules, and is unable to adapt to the changing feelings on the island about those ideals when they are overtaken by more immediate and attractive offers (â€Å"‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got!’ ‘Bollocks to the rules! We’re strong – we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down! We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat-!'† [99]) Piggy supports Ralph in his leadership, but does not have the popularity to be a leader himself. He possesses a number of leadership qualities, but because of his unpopularity, he is often ignored (â€Å"There had grown up tacitly among the biguns the opinion that Piggy was an outsider, not only by accent, which did not matter, but by fat, and ass-mar, and specs, and a certain disinclination for manual labour.† [68]) Because of this, when important matters needing his input occur, his valuable ideas are often disregarded (â€Å"‘We ought to be more careful. I’m scared-‘ ‘You’re always scared. Yah – Fatty!'† [45]) He is intelligent, and most of the sensible, good ideas come from him (â€Å"what intelligence had been shown was traceable to Piggy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [18/19] â€Å"Ralph! We can use this [the conch] to call the others. Have a meeting.† [12] â€Å"Piggy moved among the crowd, asking names and frowning to remember them.† [14] â€Å"We haven’t made a fire what’s any use. We couldn’t keep a fire like that going if we tried.† [41] â€Å"The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down on the beach.† [45]) He is also a very good judge of character, though he seems blind when it comes to seeing that the others, Ralph included, do not like him (â€Å"He hates me [Jack]. I dunno why. If he could do what he wanted – you’re all right, he respects you†¦I tell you what. He hates you too, Ralph†¦He can’t hurt you, but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing. And that’s me.† [100/101) However, his pessimism (â€Å"They’re all dead an’ this is an island. Nobody don’t know we’re here. Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know – We may stay here till we die.† [9]), his complaining and his dislike of manual labour leads to the other boys regarding him as being no use to the group, so they shout him down whenever he tries to speak (â€Å"His voice lifted into the whine of virtuous recrimination. The others stirred and began to shout him down.† [43]) If Piggy and Ralph had worked together right at the beginning, with Ralph listening to Piggy’s ideas instead of regarding him as an irritation (â€Å"Piggy was a bore; his fat, his ass-mar and his matter-of-fact ideas were dull: but there was always a little pleasure to be got out of pulling his leg, even if one did it by accident.† [68]), then Piggy’s intelligence and Ralph’s popularity and dedication to work would have combined to make an excellent joint leadership which most of the group would have accepted.

Tanglewood Stores Case Study

Current Environment Assessment Due to fast growth rate and purchasing of smaller companies, legacy procedures are still found in HR practices among stores. Current polices and procedures managing the human asset must resonant with original mission statement. Competitors The competitor list would be any company that does business in non-durable general retail industry. Specifically, listed in the case study has Kohl’s and Target as competitors but I think that Dillard’s and Saks should also be listed since they align with operating revenue, number of stores and employees.All of these businesses compete for middle to upper income customers. Structure The organization has a tiered hierarchy with multiple levels of management reporting upward while maintaining a participatory management style even down to the departmental managers having the ability to create methods for running the department. Employees There are approximately 215 employees per store. The employees are see n as an essential asset developing and maintaining the values and culture of the organization.Each employee is part of a team and encouraged to suggest operational improvements for the business. Financial rewards are provided to employees with improvements that are chosen for implementation. Leadership shows that every employee is seen as a member of the core work force by offering permanent positions over temporary. Culture and Values The philosophy of the founders is taught at orientation; â€Å"If you tell someone exactly what to do, you’re getting half an employee. If you give omeone the space to make their own decisions, you’re getting a whole person. †Through clear and honest communication (business health or otherwise) plus keeping performance and customer service in forefront, leadership has provided an avenue for employees to be engaged at every level. The process of hiring only dedicated employees on a permanent basis fosters the culture and value of t he company. Human Resource Function 2 level HR process; corporate and store: Corporate level ? analyses data received from individual stores, ? designs policies and programs, sends specific recommendations to the stores (not sure to whom this information flows – it should be the Assistant Manager of Operations and Human Resources) Store level: ? Assistant Manager for Operations and Human Resource staffs the store, trains new hires Recommendations Operations Staff should be consistently managed throughout all stores with a core value with specific policies and procedures with a balance of allowing the continued personalized involvement from the manager.Staff Levels Have a balance between developing current workforce while acquiring key personnel with needed skill set and experience to the higher level core positions. ? Outsource the recruiting and hiring of new employees; use their expertise and compliance tracking capabilities. ? Continue with internal hiring as you develop a nd train the next generation of employees and business success; an employee familiar with company policies is an asset to the company. If current business situations need â€Å"new eyes† look to hiring externally. More companies are catering to the flexible workforce. Provide an environment that has some flexibility as this adds to your benefits of keeping a quality and qualified workforce. ? Create a strategy of cross training using the team environment that is already in place; this will help with minimizing the impact of turnover plus provide a hiring pool as management can have performance evaluations on hand. ? Currently with the size of the business and managing multiple controls;I suggest looking into the benefits of outsourcing the IT department and data analysis locally. Attracting or relocating key personnel through the outsourcing of the potential hiring firm can validate the extent of this need. ? The current position of the business would be to overstaff until it has met the needed results. Once that has been achieved, the business has the ability to develop the extra employees for new roles or let them go. ? I suggest keeping the long-term goals in the forefront while continually measuring the short term goals. The short term goals are easier to reach but it takes focus to keep the business on the long term path. Staffing Quality Multiple levels of job requirements should be identified as minimal tasks to perform; this will aid in the person/job and person/organization match.While some positions may be less task oriented needs, more emphasis would be on necessary personality qualities that adhere to the organization culture and values. ? For your corporate structure I suggest you have specific KSAOs listed as these positions require specific knowledge, skills and abilities. The store manager, assistant store managers and departmental managers should have general KSAOs as their workforce and responsibilities are more apt to have changes on a regular basis. The base of your leadership and management workforce should be exceptional quality the store shift leaders and associates would be listed under the acceptable workforce quality. But with that being said, if you are looking to encourage your staff and have them suggest improvements, there will be some looking to make a career at your organization. You must not lose site that the associates are the first exposure to your customers – if they are not respected or treated well, that will show in their service.I did find a risk with the implementation of improvement suggestions as it is left up to the manager on how it is carried out. The improvement should have metrics assigned and a timeline established for follow up and results provided. ? Actively pursue diversity within your organization; the benefits to this organization will be a well rounded workforce ready to enter into more markets, a deeper understanding of customer needs and the ability to provide oppor tunities for all people.