Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Plagiarism - Essay Example This practice has been well-known as plagiarism. This can be universally defined as the act of copying or imitating the works, words, ideas, thought, or feelings conveyed by an author in a particular text without acknowledging the original text and the author. In many cases, the doers of plagiarism are students who do their assignments haphazardly, who do not trust their own knowledge and ability on the given task, and others who aim for a high mark. Aside from this, plagiarism has evolved from being just the mere act of copying and pasting texts. In general, there are two basic acts of plagiarism; these are the total plagiarism and the partial plagiarism. Total plagiarism is defined as an act of an individual to copy all the texts of a specific source and considers them his or her own work. This replication of published texts is a fraudulent act, which also encompasses the act of photocopying a material without asking permission from the author or the publisher. Aside from this, a full plagiarism can also occur when an individual copies verbatim a sentence or a phrase, which is composed of three or more words from a source. It is essential for an individual to avoid full or total plagiarism, especially when the person does not have any intention of citing the source or sources because, in the academe, it is considered as academic dishonesty.

Business Innovation in Digital Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Innovation in Digital Economies - Essay Example This paper mainly focuses on Apple Inc. The Apple Inc. company took the market by a storm and seems to be enjoying a cutting edge of the competitive market in digital service and product market. Reliance on goods in order to understand the economy seems to be getting harder as the industrial economy ceases. Researchers noted that service provisions implemented the distribution mechanisms obtained from goods. They also noted that service creates a basis for the proliferation of economic transactions. This paper defines economic service broadly as â€Å"the utilization of unique knowledge and skills in the business practices, processes and outputs in order to create value for the customers (Eaton 2011, pg59). The dominance of information technology highly contributes towards the emergence of the service-dominant rationality. As Vargo and Lusch (2004, pg51) discuss, primacy of service and its recognition as the fundamental factors for economic can be attributed to two reasons. These primary reasons include; the ability to separate information and service from tangible goods and the increasing specialization in business. These two reasons dwell on the creation of information technology which speeds up specialization in creation of knowledge which consequently led to the reduction of harmonization and communication costs. In addition, the digitization of informational products and the integration of software capabilities into goods created the term digital innovation. This innovation contributes to the slackening of solid goods with service since its inception. Digital networks characterize the best dynamic and exhilarating field of inventions in our modern economy. Companies like Google, Apple, Nokia-Microsoft and HP/Palm are all chasing numerous procedures of innovation approaches in imperative to the worth of their products. These companies frequently undertake these operations by fetching external developers as well as maximizing the technology’s reproductive

Four seasons hotels inc hr practices

Four seasons hotels inc hr practices The assignment is based on a case study that revolves around Four Seasons and their culture in relation to employment. The purpose of this assignment is to basically answer five questions that are specific to understanding the culture of Four Seasons and the influence of HRM on the organisation. Like any case there are issues that the company needs to deal with and the writer tries to identify these issues by explaining what caused the issue to occur. The assignment also recognizes several key factors that the HRM of the companies have to deal with and at the same time identifying how important is the HRM to the Four Seasons and what kind of influence it has on the employment strategy. The writer identifies several options and recommendations to solving the issues and also explains the purpose of choosing the option at the same time illustrating the affect each of the options would have on the organisation and the various stakeholders. The writer has incorporated various models and matrices to the various sections in order to facilitate in the explanation of the topics. Company and its position in the hospitality industry Isadore Sharp (Sharp) with the help of his brother-in-law, Eddie Creed (Creed) and his friend Murray Koffler (Koffler) founded the Four Seasons with an investment of less than a $ million. The first property was a motel, Four Seasons Motor Hotel in 1961 in downtown, Toronto. This was a 125 roomed motel, with upscale atmosphere and amenities that were the reason for attracting their guests and especially celebrities from the neighboring T.V. station. The next property was a 569 rooms Toronto Inn Park which was built in the year 1963. Since then Sharp went on to built several new hotels such as the Inn on the Park, in London and other small inns in smaller urban areas such as Belleville, Ontario and Nassau, Bahamas only in the year 1970. This building of new hotels came to a serious problem in around the year 1994 as the Four Seasons saw themselves in a huge debt and only due to the help of Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Tala Bin Abdufaziz al Saud (Al-Waleed) and his investment of C$100 million did the Four Seasons and Sharp survive this collapse. With this financial support from Al-Waleed, Four Seasons was able to built new hotels in Singapore, Mexico City, Berlin and Prague; with this resorts were built in Hawaiis Kona Coast, Carlsbad, California and Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Four Seasons on February 2007 was acquired by various investing groups namely Casacade Investment, L.L.C. which belonged to Microsofts Chairman Bill Gates, Kingdom Hotels International, owned by Al-Waleed, and Triples Holdings Limited, a family holding company of Sharps, which together was a US$3.37 billion buyout offer. As a part of their negotiations a 10 percent interest in the group and the CEO position was given to Sharp, in addition to this a long-term incentive contract related to the sales of villa and penthouses as private properties. By the end of 2008, Four Seasons had 82 managed properties in 34 different countries with about 33,185 associates. Four Seasons lived on a term called The Golden Rule which meant Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you and keeping this in their mind they have treated their employees with as much respect as they would expect from the employees to the customers. This was personified with the various recognition they received from various publications such as Consumer Reports, Gourmet and Travel Leisure, Mobil Travel Guide, Gallivanters Guide and Condà © Nast Traveler Magazine. The most valued honor to Four Seasons and which they have managed to earn from the last thirteen years is the Top 100 Companies to Work For by Fortune Magazine and as of year 2010, Four Seasons were positioned at the 58th spot which compared to the hotel industry only Marriott International made the list as the 82nd position. This itself gives a picture of what the employees think about Four Seasons and their culture but there are some critics that say otherwise as they believe that the reason for their success i s because they tend to be very bias to foreign white skinned employees and prefer to hire them and the example given here was the Four Seasons Maldives resort, which was believed to be corrupt and bias as foreigners were given preference instead of locals irrespective of their talent and qualification and that local professional Maldivians were ignored just because of their color of skin. Another criticism was that even though the employees were paid well they were working extended hours and were stressed to deliver impeccable service. Four Seasons at present is one of the leading hotel chains in the world and have easily been considered to be one of the best in the field in comparison to hotel chains like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Intercontinental, etc. and despite the various criticism Four Seasons has consistently been on the top when it comes to its work culture, thus becoming a globally successful hotel chain. Culture of Four Seasons and comparison to major competitors Four Seasons has always tried to provide its guests with value added service and hassle free stay and by keep this in to their working culture they have earned the reputation of a superior customer service organisation. The Four Seasons had also created more than 247 standards which were meant to identify what the customers should expect to receive in a Four Seasons Hotel. Even with these many standards Four Seasons always believed in empowerment as every employee was given all the rights to do what they felt right and this worked well for the company as an e.g. in the case mentioned how a bride had got her wedding dress stuck to the car door and the housekeeping staff did not waste any time and sent her to the spa while the staff member was patching the torn areas so that it would not be noticed. This was the kind of thinking that Four Seasons and especially Sharp want from their employees by this they created an environment where the employees were willing to use their mind in solv ing problems thus reducing the chances for it to escalate. Sharp also believed that loyalty and retention are the key to success, but loyalty to the customers came before the loyalty of the guests. They also truly believed in The Golden Rule and designed their recruitment, selection, training and development of the employees. Four Seasons culture was based on the value each and every employee could bring to the company and did not care about the qualification and experience the candidate had, this turn gave them employees who were willing to challenge themselves and at the same time willing to develop to the betterment of the company. This is also one of the reasons why their customers were loyal as they felt that the employees were willing and striving to help make their stay better, this can be seen with the award that Four Seasons have been receiving since 1980, which are the AAA Five Diamond awards. This award clearly shows the respect and loyalty that the customers have for the company due the respect and loyalty that the employees show to their customers. In comparison to Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood, etc. Four Seasons believes in empowerment where as the other only use it as a form of marketing strategy. The mission statement or The Golden Rule of Four Seasons is Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you whereas Marriott has the Core Values that states Its about serving the associates, the customer, and the community. Marriotts fundamental beliefs are enduring and the keys to its continued success (Marriott International, 2010), Hyatts mission statement is To provide authentic hospitality by making a difference in the lives of the people we touch every day (Hyatt Corporation, 2010), Hilton believes in We will be the preeminent global hospitality company the first choice of guests, team members and owners alike (Hilton Worldwide, 2010) and Starwood would like to Create the most successful branded, global, lifestyle hospitality company by forming a trust- and respect-based corporate family committed to re-imagining our b usiness with creativity and innovation, resulting in the most fun workplace in the history of the world (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010). Only by looking at these mission statements we can get an idea of who really caters to their employees as among the four major hotel chains mentioned only Marriott Hotel has their employees mentioned in their mission statement and even that is only considering that they take care of the associates but does not give an idea that they are willing to empower their employees like the way Four Seasons does. This does not mean that other hotels do not empower their employees but in terms of the definition which means giving the right and authority to an individual to think, behave, take action and make decisions in an independent way (Heathfield, 2010). By just applying the definition to the various hotels and their mission statements we can see that Four Seasons and Marriott are the only two hotel chains that seem to be empowering their employees to take their own decisions. Empowerment of employees sounds good and will attract employees but the real factor here would be that this would to some extent create a very bias hiring environment in the company as Sharp mentioned that they hire employees with the right attitude for the company and there is little need for them to have experience as the work itself can be thought, which as mentioned before created a bias environment in Maldives as almost all the employees that were hired were foreigners and even though the local population had all the right credentials and at times even better that the foreigner staff, they were not selected and this is the major difference between Four Seasons and the other hotels as almost every hotel select their employees based on their qualification and experience but being selected for having the right attitude to some extent is inappropriate and unethical especially if they are selected by the color of their skin, which is taking it to the extent of being racist and this i s a very dangerous road to take especially if Four Seasons would like to expand to newer countries particularly the developing and non-developing countries. This is also one of the major differences between Four Seasons and other hotel brands as Marriott for example believes in hiring employees from various cultures so as to help incorporate a multi-cultural environment in the organisation. Another reason for companies trying to incorporate local cultures in the company is because of the Corporate Social Responsibility as it is one of the most important factor for the existence of any company as by not incorporating it into the company means that various stakeholders such as government, NGOs, suppliers, stakeholders, local residents, etc. would not respect the hotel brand and thus causing future problems. HRM influence on vision, mission values and companys identity Four Seasons have been in this business since the 1960s and have live by one mission called The Golden Rule which defines their values as well. They focus on their employees and promote empowerment in the company, in addition they hire employees based on their attitude and not on their experience and knowledge as they believe that the job can be learnt by training but the attitude of a person cannot be changed. Human Resource Department (HRM) is considered to be the most vital and unavoidable department of a company but the influence of the HRM on the company depends on the culture and values of the company and how important they consider the HRM is and if it would help to improve the companys staff quality. In terms of Four Seasons the HRM would be more of a supporting department as they would have little influence on the culture of the company and instead the culture of Four Seasons would identify the HRM departments duties and the kind of recruitment, selection, training, development, etc. criteria they need to follow. The organisation of Four Seasons depend on finding the employees that fit in their culture rather than hiring qualified and experienced staff and then molding them to the requirements of the company. This to some extent makes it a lot easier for the HRM in terms of designing the programs but it also makes it extremely difficult to look for the right people for the right job. Another factor would be to incorporate the empowerment factor into the selection, training and development programs as they will need to be very accurate so as to not select, train and develop the wrong people for the wrong job. To do so Four Seasons has already created a program which begins with h iring talented individuals with the resourcefulness and dedication to perform to their best and the training was began with a three month initial orientation and a supervisor and management development programs, the senior management had their own executive development programs and the employees also received classroom training. The whole employee development program was divided into seven parts being Recruitment, Selection, Orientation, Training, Performance Management, Rewards Recognition, Development Success and Promotion/Transfer each of these programs included their own specific components such as brain storming sessions and extensive interviews for Recruitment, align with strategy, attitude comes first, define required key competencies, 4 stages interview process and Behavioural Interviewing based on defined competencies for Selection, align with strategy, adequate lead time, emphasis on attitude, service teamwork, consistent global approach, multi-lingual Culture film, heavy management involvement buy-in and re-orientation as needed for Orientation, align with strategy, on-line (Standards) program, designated trainers and customers service skills, emphasis on Culture throughout and coordinated efforts for Training, align with strategy, identify key Competencies, Good At not simply Good Person, a ssessment starts early and never ends, provide actionable feedback, do it in time to make a difference, potential assessment, goals/processes/measures and do it in time to make a difference for Performance Management, paid vacations and monetary rewards for Rewards Recognition, align with strategy, succession planning, task force work, planned global exposure, multi-ethnic talent for Development Succession and based on performance experience and destinations of choice for Promotion/Transfer. The purpose of mentioning all these components is that the HRM program was extremely well defined and due to this the different departments did not need to depend on the HRM to tell them what was needed to be done but instead only had to follow these components and see that the employees followed them as well. Each and every factors of employee development was important but the most important factor for any company and especially in the hospitality industry is the Performance Management Syste m (PMS) which could be defined as A management technique intended to holistically consider the performance of (usually a group of) employees or machines to work towards optimum performance of a particular task or (more frequently) a group of tasks (Allsites LLC., 2010). The main reason why the PMS is so vital to an organisation is because in this stage the company can actually identify whether all the earlier stages such as Recruitment, Selection, Orientation and Training were successful and if there is a need to redo few or all of the stages again, in addition this gives an idea of what to expect in the future stages. In simple terms this is a crossroad that could make or break the whole program so considering its importance every organisation needs to develop the best possible components for it. Four Seasons have identified nine various components, which give an idea that they as well consider it to be a vital aspect. The major issue here as mentioned in the earlier section is the focus on empowerment of employees which drives the HRM department and this is also the reason why the HRM is more of a collaborator rather that than initiator which leave very little room for change and this would seriously affect their growth prospects as this would cause the HRM department to be bias towards a section of the employee market and this could also cause major future problems for the company such as distrust and deflation of the brand image. Another important factor would be to not to consider being selfish to a particular section of the employees especially the white skinned employees which in any country and also by U.N.s universal declaration on Race, Racism and the Law is considered to be racist and unethical, this can be proven by the article 23 point 1 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71 (1948) which clearly states that Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable condit ions of work and to protection against unemployment (Bell, 2010). Thus it is extremely important for Four Seasons to try and not walk that line as selecting based on attitude could easily be perceived to be racist by international laws and this could also lead to a wide spread boycott of the Four Seasons and could tumble the identity and respect that the Four Seasons has earned. Policies and procedures in HRM and its evaluation The culture of Four Seasons is extremely strong and has a direct influence on the strategies of the HRM and has also dictates the policies and procedures of the department. Four Seasons always believes that the satisfaction of employees is more important than that of the customers. This can be seen in the benefits that the Four Seasons offer which is specifically created to motivate the employees to put in their best foot and this will be illustrated in the table below. Table : Benefits of working for Four Seasons (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, 2010) Company-Wide Benefits Career Growth Opportunities Unique Deep Culture Best-In-Industry Training Luxury Environment Within Magnificent Locations Worldwide Profit Sharing/Incentive Bonus/Competitive Salaries Complimentary Stays At Four Seasons Properties With Discounted Meals Paid Holidays/Vacation Educational Assistance Dental And Medical Insurance/Disability/Life Retirement Benefits/Pension Employee Service Awards Annual Employee Party/Social And Sporting Events Complimentary Meals In Dedicated Employee Restaurants In addition to these benefits there are other benefits that are given to the employees depending on the local law and regulations. The benefits are very specific and takes care of all the needs of the employees in terms of the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs we could get a much clear picture. The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs identifies 5 various needs of a human being and that they strive to achieve it throughout their life and these 5 needs will be shown in the figure below. Figure : Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 2009) Maslows Hierarchy of Needs The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs states that there are five main needs that a person needs to satisfy to make him feel complete and these needs are Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs, Esteem Needs and Self-Actualization Needs. Physiological needs are the need for basic things like air, food, drinks, shelter, clothing, etc. (Chapman, 2010). Safety needs is specific to laws and regulation and its impact on personal life or whether it is safe to live (Chapman, 2010). Social Needs on the other hand is more to do with having relationship with different groups of people mainly family and friends (Chapman, 2010). Esteem needs are more psychology based like feeling independent, having high status and prestige, personal achievements, etc (Chapman, 2010). The Self-Actualization needs are the most tough but the most vital for feeling complete and this can be achieved when a person feels self-fulfilled, achieves personal growth and reaches the peak of his experience (Chapman, 2010). T he Maslows Hierarchy of needs does not only affect the normal way of life but also has an influence on the motivation of the employees in an organisation especially the hospitality sector this sector tends to have the highest percent of turnover which mainly depends on the benefits that the company offers. To get a comprehensible prospective to this the writer will compare the two factor being the benefits of Four Seasons and the Maslows Hierarchy of needs to see which benefits affect what type of needs. Figure : Maslows Hierarchy of Needs to Four Seasons Employee Benefits  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide  ·Ã‚  Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance  ·Ã‚  Paid holidays / vacation  ·Ã‚  Educational assistance  ·Ã‚  Retirement benefits / pension  ·Ã‚  Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Annual employee party / social and sporting events  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries  ·Ã‚  Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals  ·Ã‚  Employee service awards  ·Ã‚  Career growth opportunities  ·Ã‚  Unique deep culture  ·Ã‚  Best-in-industry training  ·Ã‚  Luxury environment in magnificent locations worldwide In the above figure the writer has clearly divided each of the benefits to the various needs that it satisfies. This figure clearly identifies that the main reason why Four Seasons is in the top 100 companies to work for is because of they try hard to satisfy the needs of their employees and in addition to this they also offer empowerment to its employees which directly or indirectly satisfies the needs of Esteem and Self-Actualization. As Vice President of HRM moving Four Seasons forward in the next four years Four Seasons is an organisation with great potential for growth, this is mainly because of their organizational culture and the way they take care of the employees. Employees are one of the most important stakeholders that have a direct impact on the organisation and if the employees are not happy then the customers will not be happy and thus affecting the running of the organisation. There are several factors that can be taken into account for the development of the organisation but the most important factor would be to focus less focus on empowerment and more on diversity. The reason behind identifying it as a factor is that even although the company is managing to reduce their turnover by hiring employees that fit their culture, Four Seasons has not considered the external effects of perusing such an option and this has already started to take its toll on the company as people have started to notice that Four Seasons are bias to foreigners especially white skin candidate, this kind of controversies could seriously deteriorate the companys image and brand name, in addition it could in long term affect their employee turnover and even cause the company to lose their customers. This is only a miner effect compared to what could happen later as loosing the customers will effect various stakeholders to stop trusting the future of the organisation and this will cause a ripple effect where the stocks of the company will start falling, investors will start withdrawing their stocks and ultimately causing Four Seasons a final blow. This at the end would bring t he company to the verge of bankruptcy. This is farfetched and may not even happen exactly as mentioned but sooner or later people will start to notice the biasness and retaliate accordingly. The above elastration is the consequence of ignoring the issue but the real issue is what Four Seasons can do to avoid such a massive collapse. This may not be easy and could take a lot of time and money to reverse it. To begin with the company first needs to incorporate diversity to their culture as they need to stop judging that foreigners candidates are better at the use of empowerment than the local candidates and rather than hiring all the employees from outside resident country, they should divide the employee as 60% to 70% foreigners and 30% to 40% local should be included into their policies of HRM, this is simple terms means that Four Seasons needs to incorporate Talent Management in their strategy. Talent Management can be defined as A conscious, deliberate approach undertaken to attract, develop and retain people with the aptitude and abilities to meet current and future organizational needs. Talent management involves individual and organizational development in response to a changing and complex operating environment. It includes the creation and maintenance of a supportive, people oriented organisation culture (Derek Stockley Pty Ltd., 2005). Talent management incorporates the whole process of the HRM such as recruitment, development, performance management, retention, etc. and it does not end there as it also helps develop the culture of the organisation towards a more positive outlook. The purpose of identifying Talent Management as an option is due the effect it could have on the HRM and Four Seasons as it helps to identify critical areas that need to be changed, takes phased approach to implementing a strategy within the areas, creates ways to assessing the impact on the areas and conducts reviews on the varies areas so provide input for future implementation (TalentAlign, 2010). Figure : Talent Management Concept http://www.taleo.com/sites/default/files/article-talent-management.jpg (Taleo Corporation, 2010) Based on the above shown figure we can identify that there are two major factors influencing talent management which are business goals and business performance and these are more like a cause and effect of the company, the cause being the business goal and effect being business performance. The figure also identifies all the various segments that talent management influences by dividing it into 4 sections namely Align, Assess, Acquire and Develop. To explain it better Align and Assess are pre-recruiting stages or planning stage where the HRM can identify the purpose and outcome that they would like want to achieve. Acquire and Develop on the other hand is involved with more of the physical aspect of the HRM for instance recruiting, training, development, performance management, etc. Talent Management could in actual fact help Four Seasons to provide authority to the HRM department and thus restructuring the organisation to provide optimal workforce. This system is not bias thus chan ging the selection process and making the organisation more diverse. Craig Hickman a famous author of various books on business and management such as The Strategic Game, Mind of a Manager, Soul of a Leader, etc. identifies diversity to be an important component to the success of an organization and believes that organizations take it extremely lightly as they only tolerate it rather than embracing it and this is mainly due to the external influence such as government and local residence (Hickman, 2006). It is not just important for Four Seasons to incorporate diversity using talent management but also so embrace it with the optimism that it will improve their current position. The whole process of talent management should take around two to three years to accurately be integrated in the organisation but even after it integration Four Seasons needs to continue to develop it and follow up on the progress and identify the way to improve it. Another option for the company which may even be cheaper and less time consuming than talent management would be the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In simple terms CSR is the involvement towards the economy, environment and social sustainability of the public with the assistance of various stakeholders (Baker, Corporate Social Responsibility What does it mean?). The purpose of identifying CSR as an option is because of cost effectiveness, media attractiveness, direct influence, no change in the organ

Acid Rain :: Free Essay Writer

Screaming at the Perception of Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I definitely will always remember this cold and rainy night as if I was just waking from the night before. We were young then and had no idea what this life had to offer us. It was careless and at the time I could have cared less...my whole world could have come crashing down at this one moment with one smash, one swerve or one scream and I could have cared less...we were on so many drugs and so many highs we couldn’t have cared about things like life, love or family...When I thought I was dead I could not have cared more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started late that night. It was a freezing night and the sky was dark and gloomy. The air smelled of rain and moisture because it had been raining all day. One of my good friends, Tony, and I were staying the night at my house after a long night of drinking, partying and hanging out at The Palace, an underage dance club down the street from my house. We had already told my mom goodnight and headed off to bed. Our night was not over yet though...A friend of ours, Dana, was having a party at her house all weekend because her mom was out of town. We had asked my mom earlier if we could stay at Tony’s house because we knew his dad would just let us go, but I think she had a hint already of that situation so she said no and that she thought we should just stay there. We were going to the party anyways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The phone rang and it must have been one of the loudest most piercing rings ever because we were on our way out the door trying our hardest to get out without making a sound so that we could escape the house without my mom knowing. My mom’s scream, â€Å"TOOONY...who in the hell is calling my house at two o’clock in the morning?† was all I heard as I sprinted back in the house to throw my shoes off and answer the phone knowing it was probably one of my friends being drunk and ignorant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This time the phone was for her... perfect time to leave â€Å"Moooom, its for you! Pick it up in there!† I slammed the phone down. We bailed outside as quiet and quickly as we could.

How Beneficial an Online Education Can Be for You

An online education is a wonderful opportunity. You have the flexibility of taking a course on your own time. The flexibility of an online education allows you to be able to attend classes no matter your work schedule, or home schedule. Anywhere you have access to the Internet you can take classes. With recent computer mobility in the form of netbooks and the iPad, the opportunity to receive an education is endless.Learning online enables you to become Internet and computer savvy, two skills that are necessity in the ever-changing world of technology. You have access to course material round the clock. In a virtual classroom setting, you are able to go over lectures, lessons and other dicussions multiple times. You can learn at your own pace and do not have to worry about missing a class because of illness or other personal reasons.Participating in an online lesson discussion is not as daunting as in a regular classroom setting. Students remain pretty much anonymous are not judged by age, race or gender. Many people feel intimidated to participate in a regular classroom for fear of being judged or not having time to catch up to what is being taught. On the Internet, students have a chance to give thought to a question before answering and submitting their comments. The virtual classroom makes it easier for students to approach their instructor.They feel it is easier to speak with their instructor through online chats and email; this form of communication boosts student and instructor interaction. Everybody wins in this type of environment. Students that need flexibility because they have to work or have to care for children or other members of their family, the opportunity to earn a degree virtually is invaluable. With all the benefits of an online education, it is no wonder there is an ever-increasing number of students are turning towards an education online.

Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult Essay

This is the story of the directionless and destination-less youngsters. This is also the story of the combustible younger generation. Incidents similar to the one depicted in the story can be read in newspapers day after day. The readers are pained, excited and habituated to read such stories and to an extent, have become insensitive as for its implications. If there is no discipline and peace in the society, carry on with the available discipline and peace—seems to be the attitude of the citizens. The blame-game between the politicians, the executive and the judiciary as for the present pathetic state of affairs in the society continues! Nobody is able to give the tangible solution to the octopus-like growing problem. Nagging, abusing and condemning each other have become the way of life. The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed due to the negative attitudes and violence in the name of religion, language, color, race, territorial gains and aggrandizement for wealth, ask the crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven-like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, hearts full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—enough, these alone are enough! What is depicted in ‘Nineteen Minutes,’ is the model of what is happening all over the world on a large scale. The incidents of 9/11 took place in less than 19 minutes. But what were the implications and detailed planning and above all, the mind-set, behind that tragedy! The incident had the potentially to set the entire globe on fire! The hero of Nineteen Minutes, Peter Houghton, 17 years, has been at the receiving end throughout his school life, mentally tortured and tormented, and finally the ‘volcano within him erupts’ He fights back in a dramatic, and perhaps dastardly manner. The shooting at the school leaves nineteen injured and ten dead. The composition of the book has everything to make it an interesting read, and the arguments of the two lawyers, bring out the best as for the life and motives of Peter. The author uses the flashback technique to develop the story. The major players of the plot come to play, Josie Cormier, former best friend of Peter, her mother, the detective and defense lawyer, Peter’s parents-Picoult describes their interactions with sympathy and understanding. He has given to the readers a very interesting book. The theme of the book and the author’s attitude towards the theme, both evoke curiosity. The level of detachment achieved by the author in developing the characters is commendable. Without giving room for too much sentimentalism, a grim situation manifests clearly, grows and attains new dimensions. The book deserves an outstanding position on account of this approach. The mutual interactions over the situation between different characters reveal in the most natural way, the convictions for which the novel stands for. This is the uniqueness of the novel. The narrations are beautiful and as the story develops, it becomes poignant, without losing its ground and reality. If ten or more individuals are united for a cause, and align with the Satan’s domain, that won’t make their alignment stronger. Truth has always been in minority numerically, taking any epic for example, but it is the ultimate victor. Peter’s position is the same. The majority pushed him to the wall and Peter thought that for the desperate situation, desperate remedy is the solution. Some bullets solved his decade-old problem. Those who go through the contents of the book carefully, sympathize with him, not condemn! Everyone has the right of self-defense, and in the process that you kill ten or fifty persons is altogether a different issue. This takes one to the portals of an important social problem. What if the gun control laws were there? Could the tragedy have been averted? The answer is both yes and no. The real problem is not the creation of the gun, but the creation of Peters in the society, for which the society, the parents, brothers and sisters, the friends, the teachers and Preachers, law enforcing authorities, and above all the politicians are responsible—and oh yes, the print and electronic media too, that plays to the gallery and creates deep impact in the impressionable minds of the kids! They must get more and more advertisement revenue no matter what the impact of this white-color robbery on the psyche of the society. These forces have created Peters. So unless the people are basically sound, and basic conditions are created for the people to become basically sound, many more Peters will incarnate. Countries with gun control laws have also Peters. So, changing the gun control laws is not the solution. Changing the thought process of the individuals is! An individual is the foundation stone of the society. Unless one’s thought process changes, one’s action process will not change. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mid is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed. The message of the book by Picoult is clear. Children-friendly approach is required as for small and big problems confronting them; the teachers need to keep a careful watch as for the groups in classes or the institution as a whole. These groups could be due to any reason, simple jealousies, race and color, rich and poor and this listing of problems can go on and on†¦. The vigilant teaching community has great responsibility in this area. In the materialistic society, due to the impact of industrial and internet revolutions, the parents have little time to spend with the children. The educational institutions are the best alternatives to the prevailing family atmosphere, wherein children can be imparted the moral, ethical and even spiritual education. References Cited: Picoult, Jodi: Book: Nineteen Minutes Hardcover: 464 pages Publisher: Atria; 1st edition. edition (March 5, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0739480715 ISBN-13: 978-0743496728 ASIN: 0743496728

Citing Primary Sources in OSCOLA Referencing

Citing Primary Sources in OSCOLA Referencing Citing Primary Sources in OSCOLA Referencing citation systems as well. In the UK, the most common form of legal referencing is OSCOLA (or the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities). And in this post, we look at how to cite primary sources with OSCOLA. First, though, what exactly is a primary source? Primary and Secondary Sources OSCOLA classes sources as either â€Å"primary† or â€Å"secondary.† Primary sources are legal sources, such as cases and legislative documents. Secondary sources cover everything else, including books, journal articles, and websites. In either case, you will use superscript numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3) to indicate a citation, with details of the source given in a footnote. But the information you give here will depend on the source in question. For primary sources, this usually means either a case report or a legislative act. Citing Case Reports in OSCOLA When citing a UK case with a neutral citation, you will need to provide the following information in the accompanying footnote: Case Name | [Year] | Court | Number,| [Year] | Volume | Report Abbreviation | First Page However, you only need to include the case name in the footnote if it is not used in the text. And as shown, the neutral citation should be separated from the law report citation by a comma. Cases from before 2001 will not have a neutral citation, so footnotes for older cases should only include the following details: Case Name | [Year] | Volume | Report Abbreviation | First Page | (Court) Examples of the above would thus appear as follows in footnote citations: Neutral Citation: PI vs Walls [2008] UKHL 15, [2008] 4 AC 1284 No Neutral Citation: GM vs Nissan [1983] 1 AC 154 (UKHL) Citing Legislation in OSCOLA Other than cases, the main primary sources in OSCOLA referencing are legislative acts and statutory instruments. When citing a UK legislative act, all you need is the short title and year. For instance: Act of Supremacy 1558 To reference a particular section, meanwhile, simply add it after the year: Human Rights Act 1998 s 7 The â€Å"s† before the â€Å"7† above is short for â€Å"section.† However, the correct abbreviation here may depend on what you’re citing: part/parts pt/pts section/sections s/ss subsection/subsections sub-s/sub-ss paragraph/paragraphs para/paras subparagraph/subparagraphs subpara/subparas schedule/schedules sch/schs You may also need to cite a statutory instrument at some point. To do this, the footnote should include the title, year and the SI number (after a comma). So, for instance, we could cite a statutory instrument as follows: The Deregulation Act 2015 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2015, SI 2015  2074 (C.  130) Cases and Legislation in an OSCOLA Bibliography As well as footnote citations, you will need to list all primary sources in a bibliography at the end of your document. For primary sources, the general rules in an OSCOLA bibliography are: Provide full information for each source. Divide primary sources into a Table of Cases and a Table of Legislation (you may also want to separate acts of legislation from legislative instruments). Sort cases/acts into separate sections by jurisdiction (unless you have not cited many sources, in which case they can be combined). List sources within their categories alphabetically by case name/title. List secondary sources separately under the heading â€Å"Bibliography.† This will make it easy for readers to find the various primary sources you have used in your work. And if you’d like someone to double check your referencing when youve finished writing, we’re always happy to help.