Initial Public Offerings Paper Essay

In order for a company to build their business, many pursue to either merge with another company or acquisitions from another company. Another option a company should consider when building their business is to make an Initial Public Offering. An initial public offering is the first sale of stock by a company to the public. A company can raise money by issuing either debt or equity (Know Finance., n.d.). Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung have stepped into the stock market by their IPO. These strides are what it takes to raise money and what roles help the company begin an IPO. Most corporations agree to an initial public offering with an investment banking firm by acting in the capacity of an underwriter. An investment banker is a person who works in a financial institution that primarily goal is to raise capital for companies, governments and other entities (Investopedia, n.d.). An underwriter is a person that provides several financial services that includes helping with assessing the value of shares and establishing a public market for first sales (Investopedia, n.d.). An underwriter responsibility is allotting securities issued to the public. There are several risks that are involved in a public offering. Initial public offering stocks is one of the risks involved in public offering (â€Å"Financial Web†, 2014). This is sometimes called going public because the stock is offered first to the public. Share, the risks of the company, can sometimes be profitable, but a risk too. An investor, shareholder, or individual may be at risks if they invest their money within a company that is going public for the first time (â€Å"Financial Web†, 2014). Pricing of good is one of the risks that are involved in a public offering. Pricing goods too high or too low is not acceptable in the public offering. Investors and shareholders will not invest in a company if there are any issues with the pricing. A firm and their investors will lose money their money if the price of goods is priced too low. This may cause investors to pull out of the firm corporation (â€Å"Financial Web†, 2014). Loss of income and revenue may sometimes make the underwriters hold the inventory and additional funds. Long holding period and lack of information are other risks that are involved in a public offering. Lack of information may cause investors to pull out of the firm because the firm failed to provide all of the documents and files. Long holding period may cause a decrease in stock price. The  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) protects the investors, maintain fair, efficient markets, orderly, and facilitate capital formation (â€Å"Bridge Capital Inc.†, 2014). The SEC deals with industries by monitoring, managing the terms of sales by preliminary prospectus and setting rules and regulations for companies. Preliminary prospectus is when the company and the securities are issues to the firm. A firm will have provided their income statement, balance sheets, its current activities, and other documents that provide information about the firm. The Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) was put in act to increase the success in private litigation for securities fraud. References: Initial Public Offering (IPO) | Know Finance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.knowfinance.com/ipo/ Investment Banker Definition | Investopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/investmentbanker.asp Underwriter Definition | Investopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/underwriter.asp Financial Web. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.finweb.com/investing/therisksofinitialpublicofferingstocks.com Bridge Capital Inc. (2014). Retrieved from http://bridge.com

Review intermediate macroecon

How do we measure standard of living Measuring the standard of living in a country is to use real national income per capita. This is found that dividing real national income (GAP or GNP) by the total population. 2. How can European unemployment be reduced? Central bank should decrease interest rates, and allow for an increase in demand, and unemployment would decrease. They need to be less protective, to eliminate these labor market rigidities, and to adopt US style labor market institutions 3. What are the benefits of the Euro?No more changes in the relative price of currencies for European firms to worry about, no more need to change currencies when crossing borders. 4. What has contributed to the high economic growth of China? A. The first Is high accumulation of capital. The Investment rate exceeds 40% of output, a high number. Compared to US which Is 17%. More capital means higher productivity and higher output. B. The second is rapid technological progress. By making Chinese f irms work with and learn from foreign firms, the productivity of the Chinese firms has increase dramatically. Chapter 2 1.What Is GAP, value added approach A measure of aggregate output in the national income accounts (The market value of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the US) VALUE ADDED: Sales – Intermediate goods Intermediate GOOD: is a good used in production of another good. Some goods can be both final goods and intermediate goods. (EX: Final: Potatoes sold directly to consumers/ Intermediate: Potatoes used to produce potato chips) 2. Nominal and Real GAP Nominal: sum of quantities of final goods produced times their current price. Nominal GAP increases over time for 2 reasons: a.Production of most goods increase ever time. B. Prices of most goods also increase over time. Real: Sum of quantities of final goods times constant (rather than current prices) 3. GAP Deflator: the ratio of nominal GAP to real GAP in year t ICP: The cost of a given list of goods and services consumed by a typical urban dweller Inflation: A sustained rise in the general level of prices Inflation rate: The rate at which the price level increase over time. 4. Labor Force and Discourage workers Labor Force: The sum of those employed and those unemployed Discourage Workers: A person who has given up looking for employment. . Unemployment rate and Labor force participation rate Unemployment rate: The ratio of the number of unemployed to the labor force Labor Force Participation rate: The ratio of the labor force to the total population of working age (non-institutional civilian population) Chapter 3 1. MAC, multiplier (CLC): The effect on consumption of an additional dollar of disposable income 2. Consumption function A function that relates consumption to its determinants 3. Determination of output in Goods Market 4. Keynesian cross 5. What shifts the Z line 6. Determinants of Investment 7. Shifts of the IS curve

Hazards and Benefits of Science and Technology Essay

The last two centuries have seen monumental changes in our lives, brought forth by advancements in science and technology. These advancements have their hazards and benefits in the society. It is these negative and positive impacts that this paper will be looking at. Right from the days that men discovered how to make fire, discoveries have come streaming our way at an amazing rate. Telephones, cars, rockets and computers have all been brought by science. Undeniably these inventions have made our lives better and tolerable. The benefits reaped throigh the inventions in medicine cannot be underscored or under estimated. It has helped us to cope with our bodies and health in uncountable ways. The benefits of medicine now can enable us live a full life with the best health possible. Many epidemics in the early days caused immeasurable human sufferings and losses of untold magnitude, and so too could small pox and polio have done had it not been for science, leading to a discovery of effective vaccinations. Medicine is saving lives and giving patients a second chance to live. A heart surgery and a transplant had always been unimaginable and a patient with a heart ailment was considered to be living his/her last days. This however changed in the 20th century when the first heart transplant was conducted by Bernard. Medicine continues to help us fight deadly diseases while giving us an opportunity to take control of our lives. It is just but a matter of time that pandemics such as AIDS and diabetes will have a cure. These are just but a few examples of how medicine, occasioned by advents in science and technology, is benefiting our lives. Technology continues to ease communication in a phenomenal way. Looking at how far we have come amazes me even more- from the days of drums and smoke to a complete different era of digital technology where almost everything is done at the touch of a button. Now it is taking only a few seconds to communicate to somebody you are separated with by seas and vast lands. The hallmark of these inventions in the communication sector is the computer. It has revolutionalized our lives in ways that could not have been imagined before. Storage and retrieval of data has improved a lot, analysis of data and events is only now a matter of seconds. Telegraphs and tele faxes came but now they have been undertaken by the internet and mobile phones. Internet has also revolutionized research and information access which has become cheaper and fast. Business transactions are now completed at the touch of a key through e-commerce saving a great amount of time. The entertainment industry has not been left behind, with greater inventions seeking to improve the comfort and luxury of a modern person. Looking also at the citizen security and protection also highlights the benefits of science and technology. It is now possible to predict earthquakes, foul weather and other natural calamities that may befall humanity. This ensures that people raise their level of preparedness. In the energy field, experts are looking into new sources of renewable energy. With the day to day dangers and risks of ozone layer depletion, fossil fuel which is the lead cause of environmental depletion could soon be replaced by a more clearer and efficient hydrogen,which will be a permanent non polluting source of energy. It is clear for all to see how the inventions in science and technology continue to benefits the society in a great way. However, it is a two edged razor that also leads to adverse effects in ways that can lead to a miserable end to the humanity (Burby, R. J 15-25). Our world today is trying to grapple with how to cope with the hazards caused by the ever expanding inventions in science and technology. Developments in the science and technology sector in the last centuries have seen an increase of global warming occasioned by the continued depletion of the ozone later-a thin layer protecting the earth from the harmful radiations of the sun. This is greatly caused by; continued use of fossil fuel, air transportation and green house technology in farming just to mention a few. This has led to a change in climatic patterns, making it unpredictably hazardous to the humanity. The increased cases of earthquakes, droughts, floods and desertification have been attributed to global warming. Another example of the hazards brought forth by science and technology is the improvements of inventions in the art of warfare. The 20th century evidenced major inventions in weaponry used in the first and second world wars. The invention of ground and ballistic air missiles and most importantly the nuclear and biological war heads transformed warfare to another level. For the first time, human beings were faced with the reality that they could fight themselves to extinction. This was demonstrated when the United States of America responded to the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese. They reiterated by using nuclear bombing the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki expunging thousands of lives and wounding many more. This is a living example of how science and technology can lead to a hazardous end of humans. All in all, many people are on agreement that the few isolated hazards that can result from science and technology cannot water down the benefits arising from the same. A simple cost benefits analysis indicate that humanity stand to gain more as inventions in science and technology continue to be realized.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Case Study

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Case Study Example   This is made possible for the various forms of interrelationships established in the organization as persons interact with one another in the different levels of its structure, carries with it the core belief that each member of the organization are working towards the achievement and realization of the organization’s goals as they achieved human development and excellence in their field of expertise. And that actions performed by all its players are considered as within the purview of the organizations good. Thus, it is assumed as given and therefore not questioned the truism of the belief that workers and employees do not just perform their tasks in an excellent manner in order to yield a good product but that they have a sense of loyalty to the organization where they are members. However, the relationship between the organization from the management level and the employees is not always a bed of roses. Critical issues demanding decisive actions and decision making some times arise as some factors and judgments may tend to disturb the â€Å"harmonious† balance of the organization. Business has always been considered as â€Å"amoral.†(De George, 1999, p5) Implying that basically business enterprises have no other interests than to gain profit. Thereby, presenting the notion that businesses do not bother itself to question of right or wrong which is the interests of morality and ethics but are, instead, concerned with the question of how companies will be able to increase its gains and profits. This view, in fact, is also held by the Noble Laureate Milton Friedman that â€Å"the only social responsibility of business was to increase profit.†(Davies, 2000, p 99)  Ã‚  

Write problem set Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write problem set - Speech or Presentation Example this is because, the substitution effect changes. The quantity of capital is less with more wage rate In the long run, a decrease in the price of capital will lead to an increase in labor units. This is because the proportions have a substitution effect. The total effect will be less capital and more labor employment. a) According to the substitution effect, I would expect a company to have a high own wage elasticity of demand if the other factors of production such as capital can easily be used as substitutes for labor. This would make it easy for labor to be reduced or increased depending on its substitute’s quantities. b) If the product being produced in an industry has high price elasticity, then it means that the labor elasticity of demand will also be high. If an industry is producing coffee and the elasticity of demand for coffee keeps changing, then the own wage labor rate will also change relatively to the elasticity of demand of the product. c) When all the other factors of production have a high elasticity of demand, then it also means that the labor elasticity of demand will be high thus elastic. If a company’s capital demand keeps changing for example, then it means even labor demand will change as the two are co-related. A company will only be able to hire what it can pay for thus the elasticity. d) If the total cost of production of a company is highly contributed by labor, then the labor elasticity of demand will tend to be highly elastic. This is a scale effect that means that, the more labor in an industry contributes highly to more total costs in production, the more the company is likely to demand labor. If product cost is low for example and the company requires to spend less on production, they will cut on labor because it has the bigger percentage hence the

Pfizer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pfizer - Research Paper Example The company was an instant success and by the start of the 20th century, the sales had peaked more than 3 billion dollars (Rodengen, 1999). The drugs of the company reach to almost every country of the world. Currently, the company employs more than 0.1 million people worldwide (Mennen, 2010). During the First World War, the company played an important role in supplying drugs, specially, penicillin for the Allied forces. However, towards the 1940s, penicillin, which was the prime product of the company, became a common drug and its prices went down, therefore, Pfizer decided to search for alternative drugs. During this time, the company decided to maintain a harmony between its manufacturing and research operations. It was during the 1950s and beyond that, the company focused on international expansions quickly moving to attractive markets such as Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Turkey, United Kingdom, and others (Rodengen, 1999). Feldene (piroxicam) became the first medicine of Pfizer, which was able to hit the 1 billion sales mark in the United States. Despite the fact that the company has suffered from four legal claims from the US Department of Justice, which have created fines, which remain largest for any health care company in the United States, the company still appears to be in good financial shape and sufficient liquidity as well (Mennen, 2010). â€Å"Lipitor Lyrica, Celebrex, Norvasc, Viagra, Xalatan/Xalacom, Detrol/Detrol LA, Zyvox, Geodon/Zeldox, Sutent, and Genotropin are the highest revenue generating drugs for the company† (Pfizer, 2011). Currently, Ian Read, who serves as the President and the Chief Executive Officer of the company at the same time, is leading the company. For the last year of 2010, Pfizer has a gross profit margin of 76.81 percent and a net profit margin of 12.56 percent. With more than 7.9 billion shares outstanding, it has a market capitalization of 165.29 billion US dollars (Pfizer, 2011). Currently, as of the last financial r eports of 2010, the company appears to be in good financial shape when the market place is suffering from a financial crunch. Towards the end of the year 2010, the company declared that it would pay a dividend of 20 cent per common stock for the first quarter of 2011 (Msn Money, 2011). This is an 11 percent increase from last year and would be the 289th consecutive dividend payout, which is a manifestation of the company’s commitment with its shareholders and earning them a decent return on their investment (Sander, 2010). Another poof of company’s good financial health is the recent wave of merges and acquisitions, which would definitely improve the industry structure by decreasing the rivalry and making the company an even bigger giant. In January 2009, Pfizer acquired Wyeth, a strong rival for around sixty-eight billion US dollars (Sander, 2010). This remains the second biggest merger in the corporate history and makes Pfizer the largest pharmaceutical company on th e globe. Pfizer also agreed to buy â€Å"King Pharmaceuticals in the fall of 2010 for 3.6 billion US dollars, which is nearly 40 percent premium considering the last share price† (Pfizer, 2011). Pfizer was the only company in the year 2009 to introduce 14 new blockbuster products and according to the reports of 2010,

Japan's Financial Crisis and Economic Stagnation Research Paper

Japan's Financial Crisis and Economic Stagnation - Research Paper Example The sheer size of the cost, along with the interaction among the related economic problems, has made a decisive resolution of the problems politically difficult†2. Some economists blamed the macroeconomic factors for Japan’s crisis whereas others blamed microeconomic factors for that. In fact, Japanese ministry of finance and its lack of transparency, delay in changing monetary policy, lack of rules based regulations and its links to corporations & banks have led to economic stagnation & will be difficult to reform the system. Japan’s financial crisis and economic stagnation â€Å"Non performing debt in the banking sector hampered the growth and recovery of the whole Japanese economy†3. As in the case of recent global financial crisis, Japanese financial crisis also started from the banking sector. â€Å"Even though the share of loans to the manufacturing sector has been decreasing, Japanese banks have expanded their overall lending business since 1970. As a result, the outstanding amount of loans to the manufacturing sector has been increasing†4. The huge outstanding amount in the manufacturing sector caused severe problems in the functioning of the Japanese banks. No banks can operate effectively unless the lending and repayment achieve certain equilibrium or balancing. However, in 1980’s, Japanese banks struggled to function properly because of the huge amounts of its money blocked in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing units in Japan became financially sounder in 1970’s which encouraged them to use the internal resources more frequently rather than relying on banks for everything. â€Å"Major Japanese manufacturing firms drastically reduced their reliance on bank loans in the late-1970s from more than 30% to less than 10%†5. In other words, manufacturing units stopped their transactions with the banks and at the same time they had shown little interests in repaying its mortgages. In an attempt to in crease the business, Japanese banks started to reduce the interest rates; however, the manufacturing units have shown little interests in taking or repaying loans which caused tremendous stagnation in the banking industry. Before the economic stagnation, Japanese banks sanctioned mortgages to all the people who approached them for assistance. People on the other hand have taken huge amounts of loans from Japanese banks and spent it for non-productive purposes. As a result of that Japan’s economic growth started to decline. â€Å"From 1985 to 1990, Japan experienced an asset bubble of unprecedented proportions. From 1990, the bubble began to burst. The bursting of this bubble left banks throughout Japan- both large and small- in financial distress†6. Real economic growth and strength of financial systems in any country are directly related. In other words, when real economy travel in one direction, financial system also travel in that direction and when the real economy travel in another direction financial systems also follow the same path. In other words, any problem occurs to either of one may affect the other one also. The above facts are true in the case of Japan also. Poor economy in Japan is hurting banking system in one way whereas poor performances of the banking system contributing heavily to the poor health of the economy in another way. There are certain

Definition of autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Definition of autism - Essay Example et al., 2004). Clinicians and researchers have achieved consensus on the validity of autism as a diagnostic category and many features central to its definition. It is somewhat surprising and very encouraging to note that, as greater consensus has been achieved on the definition of strictly defined autism, an interesting and helpful discussion on issues of broader phenotype or potential variants of autism has begun. Today, there is a broad agreement that autism is a developmental disorder, and autism and associated disorders in the spectrum represent the behavioural manifestations of underlying dysfunction in the functioning of the central nervous system (Minshew, N.J. and Williams, D.L., 2007). Within this, it can also be included that sustained educational and behavioural interventions are useful and constitute the core treatment of such condition (Klin, A., Jones, W., Schultz, R., Volkmar, F., and Cohen, D., 2002). In 1943, Kanner's seminal clinical description of 11 children with "autistic disturbances of affective contact" has endured till date. His description of autism was grounded in data and theory of child development. Children those are normal exhibit marked interest in social interaction from early in life (Kanner, L., 1946). Kanner suggested that early infantile autism is an inborn, constitutional disorder in which children are born lacking the typical motivation for social interac tion and affective comments. He used the model of inborn errors of metabolism to explain that individuals with autism are born without the biological preconditions for psychologically metabolizing the social world. The term autism was borrowed from Bleuler who first used autism to describe idiosyncratic, self-centered thinking (Bleuler, M., 1979). Kanner used this term to suggest that autistic children too live in their own world. It represents a failure of development and fantasy is impoverished if present at all (Kanner, L., 1951). In addition to the remarkable social failure, the one of the other features that may be present in such individuals is profound disturbance of communication to the extent that some of them may be mute (Nacewicz, B.M. et al., 2006). The language disturbance in others may be marked by echolalia and literalness as well as a fascinating difficulty with acquiring the use of the first person, personal pronoun, "I." These children, therefore, refer to themselves in the third person, "he" or by first name. Another intriguing feature is the children's unusual responses to intimate environment. This can be exemplified by unresponsiveness to parents, yet over-sensitiveness to the small changes in daily routine or simply environmental sounds. The three prime criteria enumerated by Kanner still hold good, and they are to date used to define autism. These are unusual social isolation, resistance to change, and dysfunction in communication (Landa, R.J., Holman, K.C., and Garrett-Mayer, E., 2007). It has now been recognised that parental behaviour as such plays no role in pathogenesis of autism. It is now known that children with autism are found in families of all social classes, and more recent data and rigorous research have failed to demonstrate association with social classes (Stone, W.L., McMahon,

Management of Technology in Organization Assignment

Management of Technology in Organization - Assignment Example The sources of change can be categorized in two main criteria; internal and external sources. These sources are the factors that prove to become the driving forces for change in any organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained that internal sources are the factors that emerge from within the organization and stimulate a change. Few internal sources of change can be downsizing, restructuring the organizational hierarchy to achieve greater efficiency and introduction of new technological systems and processes. External sources of change are the ones that affect the organization from the external environment. Such sources include government laws and regulations, adoption of latest technological systems by the competitors, economic changes in the environment etc. Gomes (2009) stated that there might be different nature of changes in an organization, namely structural, technological, strategic and people-centered changes in an organization. Technological change may include the introduction of newer systems and replacement of the old conventional forms of business operations with innovative technologies. Strategic changes may include a shift in strategies that may include downsizing, relocations, changes in the hierarchy of the organization etc. People centered changes may involve the replacement of a CEO with another one; such changes may involve changes in mode of business operations and execution of tasks since the new management will possess a different vision. Introduction of changes in an organization bears great obstacles and hindrances before it becomes a part of the system and people accept it in their routine business operations. Agboola (2011) stated that resistance to changes is one of the most common obstacles in the transition phase. Employee’s attitudes, behaviour and emotions tend to have an impact on the change being introduced in the organization. Lunenburg (2010) explained the Lewin’s model of change

Change Plan at Marwah School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Change Plan at Marwah School - Essay Example It is identified that the Reading skills need to be improved and sustained over grades 1 to 3 to achieve better results in the higher grades and this is reiterated by the study of the best practices in other schools and regions which have addressed a similar problem. The action plan considers the different phases and the key performance indicators that can be useful to assess the success of the implementation of the plan. It is concluded that the action plan needs to be planned for a period of three years and regular training programs conducted for ensuring the quality of teaching. Summative financial resources needed to be allocated for implementing the program are also considered with a plan to ensure commitment from all stakeholders in making this plan for change a sustainable success. 1. Introduction- This report is aimed at studying the present scenario in the Al Marwah Primary School related to its effectiveness in imparting education at the primary school level. The performances of schools in four different categories are compared in the various subjects of Mathematics, Science, English Reading, English Writing, Arabic Reading and Arabic Writing. ... ii. Planning iii. Execution iv. Monitoring v. Enhancement 7. Key performance indicators 8. Conclusions and recommendations References 1. Introduction- This report is aimed at studying the present scenario in the Al Marwah Primary School related to its effectiveness in imparting education at the primary school level. The performances of schools in four different categories are compared in the various subjects of Mathematics, Science, English Reading, English Writing, Arabic Reading and Arabic Writing. The grades, standardized scores and test scores obtained in these different areas by the various school categories are studied and analyzed for further action at the Al Marwah School. Probable weaknesses are identified from within these statistics and the problem areas are identified. Further, a contingency plan is framed and recommended for implementation at the Al Marwah school, which is necessary for addressing the identified problem. The various departments that are required to be involved in the implementation along with the duration of the plan is also discussed for a clear understanding of the importance of the contingency plan and the participation required by the concerned stakeholders to make the plan a success. Further, the target objectives and monitoring techniques and strategies recommended would also be discussed at length which can be considered to give a clear practical direction to the action plan. The report also studies any best practices in identifying and implementing an action plan for the trends observed in the education sector of the Gulf as well as other parts of the world. The objectives of imparting education in the different parts of the world when considered can give a comprehensive idea of the needs or requirements of the student

Scotland the Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Scotland the Brand - Essay Example they use to send marketing messages to their consumers, the relationship they have with their top clients and best customers for tourist activities, the nature of the message itself and finally they need an understanding of the marketing mix for tourism. To get a better understanding of these aspects, it would be useful to examine them individually and in detail. While the message itself can be differentiated and segmented as per the needs of the market, the channels with which the message is sent to international consumers of tourism must always be integrated with each other. It has often been noted that marketing is intricate field and when ideas from one market are exported to another the chances of successful market capture vary considerably (Brown, 1995). Integrated marketing communication is a set of parameters, tools and techniques which increase the chance of a marketing campaign being successful across several different markets. However, it must be applied carefully and with a thorough analysis of the factors involved. Since Scotland needs to establish itself as a brand for tourism in international terms, any international marketing campaign will need to consider several marketing related issues which can come when marketing is broadened towards the global arena (Schultz, 1996). Scotland has to be sold as a global brand with established public relations, and confirm the acceptance of the tourism laws followed in Scotland. In recent times, Scotland as a brand must also confirm itself as a ‘good’ ethical tourism destination (Adams, 2004). This idea of being an ethical destination comes from many directions but the most important one is the image of the country as a socially responsible country which can be successfully channelled through integrated marketing communications in an international marketing campaign. Additionally, the marketing message might need to handle the fundamental barrier of language. Although English has become the lingua franca

The Cold War between 1945 and 1991 Essay Example for Free

The Cold War between 1945 and 1991 Essay Show how and why the different historiographies relating to the start of the Cold War have changed between 1945 and 1991 Throughout 1945 to 1991 different approaches and schools of thought had been adopted in pinpointing who was responsible for starting the Cold War. Ranging from the Orthodox school of thought, which identifies Stalin and the USSR as the main perpetrator in starting the Cold War, to the Revisionist viewpoint which blames Truman and the USA for doing so. The Post Revisionist school believes both the USSR and the USA are to blame. This comes full circle resulting with the Post Post Revisionist school which links back to the belief that the USSR are to blame. These historiographies feature primarily in certain time periods and express the views of certain peoples. The changes sparked in these viewpoints are often due to the declassification of certain information as well as social changes. The Traditionalist School, prevalent form +/- 1945 to 1960 consisting mainly of Western historians believed that the Stalin and the USSR were fully to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War. This school ultimately held the belief that Stalin had a master plan and that his foreign policy was expansionist with the aims of spreading a world revolution. The orthodox school felt Stalin’s contribution as a leader in the outbreak of the Cold War was extremely apparent due to his Marxist beliefs and therefore anti-capitalist, expansionist way of rule. Stalin’s ulterior motives could be perceived as evident at an early stage with his refusal to withdraw his troops from Germany. Furthermore, his expansionist ways were clearly displayed through his constant need to take hold of territory and establish communist governments within them for the sake of Russian ‘safety’. The traditionalists doubted the validity of this argument and believed it simply to be an excuse, as the proximity of countries Russia tried to attain were beyond that of buffer states, such as Russia’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in addition to this, the same excuse of ‘safety’ had been used shortly in the past by Hitler. Russia had too set up policies and organisations to aid and support communism such as the World Wide Workers Revolution, the Cominform and Comercon, which would inspire growth, strength and ultimately a breeding ground for communism. The broken promises of Potsdam and Yalta further paid tribute to the USSR’s role in promoting and developing the Cold War as these broken promises were seen as for expansionist purposes and caused irked the American people. As the USSR did not keep to their promise of holding free elections, they thereby yet again made sure their neighbour states were ‘friendly’ communist states, the USSR too breached Potsdam by setting up Russian-controlled coalition parties and manipulating Germany into thinking Russia was working in her favour. This can be viewed by the USA as another means to promote the spread of communism and increase the power of the USSR This historiography came in to being as the only source of information available came from the West and therefore held extreme bias against the Soviets, the existing secrecy and suspicion rendered interaction with communist states impossible. The Revisionist School, prevalent from+/- 1960-1970 comprised of mainly the Eastern bloc but too consisted of many Western historians. However, this school believed that the USA accompanied by Truman held responsibility for the start of the Cold War. They held the belief that the main contributor to the conflict was the American president Harry S. Truman. Truman’s inexperience with the sort of conflict that arose in Germany and his hard line approach often resulted in America making decisions of an extremely aggressive nature, fuelling the Cold War and rivalry between the USA and the USSR. The decisions made by the USA were bound to be reacted to badly by the USSR as they were extremely provocative and of a threatening nature. For example, Truman’s decision to stop lend lease in 1945 was perceived by Stalin and the USSR as an extremely unfriendly act and marked a definite change in the relationship between the USA and the USSR. The hard-line actions adopted by the USA and encouraged by the Keenan Long Telegram contributed to the Cold War as they acted as a declaration stating that the USSR and the USA could not work together or even coincide peacefully, this approach too offered more reason for an opposing Soviet reaction. A main factor stemming from Truman’s hatred of communism that contributed greatly to the Cold War was his policy of containment. Truman’s outward opposition of communism and his idea of containing and eliminating communism were therefore extremely threatening to the communists and would of course inspire a reaction amongst the USSR of a defensive nature. The proposal of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan whilst promoting Dollar Imperialism would therefore increase the rivalry between the USA and the USSR as it marked their complete opposition to communism, to the extent whereby they would take action to actively defeat it. The Revisionists too highlight that Stalin did have a legitimate need for safety after being devastated by the Germans not long before and did have reason to annex Poland as it was a traditional invasion route, and could be used to safeguard Russia from attack. The change of analysis from Orthodox to Revisionist was a direct result of the social reform present during that timeframe, with more shocking information emerging about the Vietnam War the American people felt betrayed by their country as they were personally able to view the massacre taking place, this sparked a surge of human right movements and hippiedom etc. Accompanied by this social change, pre-existing information started to be interpreted in a new light. However the ideals of The Post Revisionist School, prevalent from approximately 1962 to 1973, made up of mainly Western historians has to be taken into account as they held the belief that both the USA as well as the USSR were to blame for outbreak of the Cold War as it was clearly not mono causal. One cannot analyse the actions of each superpower individually and lay blame on one certain party due the complexity of the matter. It has to be considered that rivalry is the result of two parties; in this case, both the USA and the USSR committing actions deemed by the other as threatening or in opposition to their own policy such as Stalin’s need for security interpreted as expansionist. The blame has to be placed on both the USA and the USSR as there was mutual mistrust between them; this mistrust did not arise specifically due to one event with one party being in the wrong but was cultivated for many years between each party and exacerbated by their opposing ideologies and added fuel to by both their opposing participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Afghanistan. Therefore the vacuum left by Germany was bound to inspire conflict, as with any two major superpowers the problem of power and power struggles were bound to be introduced. The misunderstanding of motives, stemming from the mistrust of each party too played a main role in the development of the Cold War as actions often of defensive purposes were seen as in favour of their own regime and threatening to the other. The joint responsibility is supported by the fact that both the German Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic mutually refused to acknowledge the other as a proper government. This change in interpretation comes about as a result of Stalin’s death, the period of dà ©tente and the reinterpretation of old information as more archives are opened and information is declassified.

Textual Analysis of Advertisement | Gender in Advertising

Textual Analysis of Advertisement | Gender in Advertising Liang Wang Perform a close, textual analysis of one of these advertisements. What does it imply about gender and/or sexuality? You should refer to concepts such as sexualisation, postfeminism, and/or stereotypes, and consider both femininities and masculinities. The advertising I choose to perform: In advertisements which targeted at men or women are always objectifies to sell objects. This can be seen in many advertisements like the Axe. Yet according to the codes of gender, men and women are always represented differently in advertising. Men are always shown vigilante and lucid of their surroundings, standing higher up then women, eye open, bodies under controlled as an â€Å"independent, purposeful and clear thinking†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p223) object. On the other hand, women are frequently shown laying down, touching themselves, bending their knees, sitting in a bed or on a chair, eye close, confused, body contorted, dressed up as sexy or sexually available, â€Å"appears subordinate, dependent, emotional and absent- minded†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11)object. The depiction of women in advertisement representations, at the same time, has been a sign as part of a spacious patriarchal system of male dominance. Indeed, in the mainstream advertisements depictions, which emphasis women on getting and keeping a man, especially whin the domestic roles of wife and mother. It has been focused on by many feminist commentators in order to achieve gender equality. However, in nowadays, both femininities and masculinities are represented in many advertisements, though femininities and masculinities do not map onto biological sex, but gender issue is still shown in many different ways. Throughout all forms of advertisements, it is obvious to see that we are live in a sexual world. Magazine advertisements, TV advertisements, commercials and ever internet advertisements are shown in a very sexual way and women are often been the objects of sexualization in the advertisements. â€Å"Sexualization is when a persons value comes only from his/her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics and when a person is sexually objectified†(Media’s Portrayal in Women, Laura Russell, The Sexualization of Women in the Media). Through many advertisements, it is easy to find that women are very sexualized and they are often portrayed as objects that draw men’s attention, even belong to men. According to the AXE shower gel’s advertising, the right side woman is dressed up, wearing a sexy vest in a very sexual way, with her shoulder and arms nude, coiled hair and we can indistinct see her sexy hip shape, while the whole image are sho wn as shown to get â€Å"the dirtier†. The advertising is showing that the women â€Å"need to look good and the need to get male attention†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p225)and the word â€Å"dirtier† is making her seems inferior to men. With advertising such as AXE one, women that choose that they should treat there bodies as sexual subjects, thus, it is lead women to believe that is important and lost their personality. Along with these type of advertisements represented, men start to believe that the sexual picture of women that is what makes them attractive. With this sexualized advertisements that is being depicted in the media is become difficult to women to be accept their own appearance, hence, constantly compare themselves to those sexually images and lost self-confidence. Therefore, many other advertisements and some women’s magazines are inclined to treat women in low-down way, depicting women as o bjects in inferiority, subordination and low social power positions.â€Å"Women’s physical appearances – especially their sexual attributes – are portrayed as their most important assets. This is presented as liberating and empowering†(Brumberg JJ (1997) The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls, Random House). While women’s sexual expression is important in some ways, nevertheless, a woman’s value is not only dependent on her sexual appeal, woman can also be successful and independent with femininities. During the 1970s and 80s second-wave feminism movement, the representation of woman have changed considerably. In the mass media, feminism has had strong criticism of the representations of women in visual world, particular advertising industry, along with the feminism movement, more then others, â€Å"the emphasis on domesticity, deference and traditional romance†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p223) has been displaced by more independent, assertive depiction of femininity â€Å"something that can sometimes include a proud and explicit quest for sex†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p224). Women can be successful and independent, go out and get what they want. Link to the AXE advertising, the feature objectifying image of the naked man with shower gel has referred to as â€Å"post-feminism† that women have the ability to have sexual relationship on their own wants. Moreover, the confidence, successful and independent female figure also continually showing in advertising in nowadays. Chanel’s campaign for its Coco Mademoiselle perfume adverting in 2011, for instance, shown on connotations of women independence, by featuring images with a successful woman with the background song’s lyric â€Å" this is a man’s world, this is a man’s world, but it would be nothing without women or girl† highlighted the independence and assertiveness of female â€Å" they consume autonomously, engage in relationships on their own terms and sometimes manipulate and exploit men†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p224). However, back to the AXE advertisement, both femininities and masculinities are represented in this advertising but shown as different ways. On one hand, the man are presented as active, independent and all he do is cleaning and represented the product in a directly way in order to show his masculinities, on the other hand, the woman in this advertising was shown her femininities as well, but meanwhile, the way that the woman represented the product seems more metaphorically that the purpose of the woman use this product is all about get attention from male. This is against the center of the â€Å"post-feminism† and backword on gender stereotypes. Currently, when it comes to representations of gender, advertisements often fall behind on well established gender stereotypes. However, in particular these days, the media always represented images of women in power, attempted to reverse old established gender stereotypes, these images seems against the more objectification of the role women used to be, so-called ‘challenging’ and even ‘feminist’. In the old times, â€Å"female objectification to the most media depictions of female sexuality†(Dworkin, 1981;MacKinnon, 1988), according to the mainstream media depictions, woman are frequently presented as â€Å"subordinate to and dependent on men†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p222). This phenomenon was also represented on the AXE advertisement, shower gel for men is for clean, yet for women, it is a way to make themself more sexy and attractive in order to catch men’s attention, getting and keep ing them, this advertisement seem to be reinforcing our stereotypical notions of femininities. In addition, commercials are one of the vast source of gender stereotyping that advertisers used in their work to targeted either male or female groups. While, woman are more often represented in commercials, because of they are seems seen as responsible for daily purchases as a householder, however, men always advertise things more masculinities, such as cars, computers or business products, otherwise women are represented femininities rather in the commercials with make-up, clothes and domestic products. And female are often shown in the home or inside environment, not the same as male, men are always shown outdoors. Moreover, the most popular that women presented in advertisements is the figure of housewife, their main problem in life is lack of ideas for housework or dinner, that is very stereotypical. The other stereotype for women is sexy seductresses, the desire of every man. They m ost advertise beauty products and fashion clothes, but they are also arise in the commercials directed to male. Furthermore, woman has been major care is to preserve her appearance, hence, this advertising image of â€Å"perfect femininity and heterosexual success is deemed to act as a ‘window to the future self’†of the audience. As a result, many women has been fall into the perplex with their appearance and body shape, which can have negative influences. Male stereotypes are also various and presented with masculinities as a ‘real man’, â€Å"athletic, successful, professional, seducer with a beautiful woman by his side†(). However, â€Å" the growth of female employment and changes in attitudes towards gender have also contributed to ambiguities in the status of masculinity†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p235). In conclusion, gender issue has always been a controversial problem in advertisement industry, such as the AXE advertising, the concepts of sexualisation, postfeminism, and stereotypes are the main cores of the gender problem. However, along with the growth of feminism, female has been a large part of responsibility for the development of understanding of gender in media and advertisement. Female are should no longer been bounded in the tight ‘vest’, women should have the right to go out and do what they want, moreover, women should dress up for themselves instead of men’s attention. At the same time, the development of understandings of non-heterosexual gays, lesbian and bisexual representations in media or advertisements remind us, the most important link between the enhancement of dominant understandings of gender, sexuality and generally constructions of both femininity and masculinity. Eventually, â€Å" dominant representations of masculinity and femininit y in media tend to be those that are most effective when it comes to the selling of advertising space or, indeed, the selling of consumer goods themselves.†(Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, p241) Reference list Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Media, Gender and Sexuality, patriarchal romance and domesticity, p223 Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Media, Gender and Sexuality, patriarchal romance and domesticity, p223 Media’s Portrayal in Women, Laura Russell, The Sexualization of Women in the Media Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Media, Gender and Sexuality, The enduring gaze, p225 Brumberg JJ (1997) The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls,   Random House, New York Levy, A (2005) Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, Schwartz Publishing, New York. Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Post-feminism independence, p223 Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Post-feminism independence, p224 Keira Knightley, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume adverting, 2011, background song’s lyric Dworkin, A. (1981) Pornography: Men possessing women. London: Women’s Press MacKinnon, C. (1988) Feminism Unmodified: Discourses on life and law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Media, Gender and Sexually. Masculinity or masculinities? P235 Matthews, J. L., 2007 Hidden sexism: Facial prominence and its connections to gender and occupational status in popular print media. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 57, 515-525. Hodkinson, P 2013, Media, culture and society, Sage, Los Angeles, ch. 11, Media, Gender and Sexuality, a balanced approach, p241)

Existing recruitment and selection process ITcom in India

Existing recruitment and selection process ITcom in India Imagine that you have been asked by an organisation to review an area of HR practice and suggest ways in which it could be improved so as to contribute to HRM strategy and organisational goals. Draw on research literature and contemporary organisational practice to address this issue, and ensure that your answer also pays attention to issues of the methodology employed in the studies you quote. You can choose any area of HR practice that we cover during the second half of the course (that is, recruitment, selection, talent management, performance management, employee involvement and participation). You will also need to provide a short description of the organisation on which you are basing your recommendations so that answers can be evaluated within the context of their application. Objective: The objective of this essay is to undertake an examination of the existing recruitment and selection process forming an organizational framework. The current author will review an Indian based Multinational Company ITcom (Organizations name changed) with respect to globalisation and international market, emphasising on finding the effectiveness on cost/time and quality parameters to identify areas of improvement and suggest ways to improvise on its recruitment and selection procedures drawing on the literature and analysing the research methodology of studies used. Introduction: Increased global competition coupled with enhanced customer/client expectations makes the growth or even the survival of any firm difficult (Back S, 2005). Organizations need to perform and respond to a rapidly changing global environment and thus require attracting and retaining a dedicated, high quality workforce by means of recruitment and selection. From the psychometric perspective (UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), jobs are defined in terms of their tasks or descriptions which are specific. Recruitment is a process of attracting individuals who might meet specifications of task or description. Selection is the process of measuring differences between these candidates to find the person who is best fit. The importance of hiring should not be underestimated because a poor recruitment decision can cost an employer an amount equal to 30 per cent of the employees first year earnings (Hacker 1997). These costs can include: lower productivity; potential loss of clients; training costs; advertising costs; recruitment expenses and redundancy packages (Smith and Graves 2002). According to the CIPD, 20 percent of employees leave within the first six months. This is sometimes called the induction crisis. It was found that numbers varied dramatically by industry, clothing industry figure was 26.5 percent, with 45 percent leaving during first three months, only a third remaining beyond a year (Tarpin et al, 2003). Overall turnover rates in the UK/Ireland fell from 25 percent per year (2000) to about 18 percent per year (2007). However, more people left voluntarily than through dismissal, redundancy, or ending of contracts. Thus it is imperative for an organization to have a strategized HR policy in place for recruitment for selecting and retaining the workforce. Although its recognised as crucial to many organisations, recruitment is often done in an ad hoc and reactive manner. Eight in ten employers rank attracting and recruiting key staff to the organisation in their top three resourcing objectives, but only 50% of organisations in the UK have formal resourcing strategies in place. Many employers acknowledge that they experience tremendous recruitment difficulties (86% according to CIPD). Hence given the costs of filling a vacancy, its important for firms to recruit well and select the most appropriate employees. About the company: ITcom Business, a division of ITcom Limited, is amongst the largest global IT services, Business Process Outsourcing and Product Engineering companies. In addition to the IT business, ITcom also has leadership position in niche market segments of consumer products and lighting solutions. The company has been listed since 1945 and started its technology business in 1980. Today, ITcom generates USD 6 billion (India GAAP figure 2009-10) of annual revenues. Its equity shares are listed in India on the Mumbai Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange; as well as on the New York Stock Exchange in the United States. ITcom makes an ideal partner for organizations looking at transformational IT solutions because of its core capabilities, great human resources, commitment to quality and the global infrastructure to deliver a wide range of technology and business consulting solutions and services. ITcom enables business results by being a transformation catalyst. It offers integrated portfolio of services to its clients in the areas of Consulting, System Integration and Outsourcing for key-industry verticals. It has a wide geographical diversity of operations with over 50 development centers and 10 near shore centres spread across India, Japan, China, France, Austria, Sweden, Germany, UK and USA. In recent years, ITcom has faced a number of workforce challenges, such as an increasingly diverse workforce, increased cut throat competition in market giving rise to attrition rate and uncertainty of workforce requirement. As one of the strategies to address these challenges, a need rises to review and streamline recruitment and selection business processes to support ITcom as a leading organization and to increase the ability to make high quality hires and meet workforce needs. Literature Review in Context with ITcom: The Recruitment Process: Organizational review and Job Analysis: Perhaps the most one can say with any certainty is that many UK companies continue to express a commitment to the idea of HR strategy and planning. How this translates into practice, however, is less clear (Liff, 2000 p.125) When the pattern of planned human resource deployments and activities [is] intended to enable an organization to achieve its goals'(Wright and McMahan 1992: 298), HRM can be said to be strategic. More specifically, for recruitment to become strategic, HR practitioners must answers to the following questions (Breaugh 1992; Breaugh and Starke 2000): Whom to recruit?, Where to recruit?, What recruitment sources to use (e.g. the web, newspapers, job fairs, on campus, etc.)?, When to recruit? And (5) what message to communicate? HR planning is regarded as essential for at least four sets of reasons (Marchington, 2005): Clear links between business and HR Plans: It draws the link or degree of fit between HR planning and strategic plans, so that the ability of HR function can be measured to deliver precisely what the business requires. It can also be viewed as a relationship between corporate and HR plans, where HR plans will contribute to the development of the corporate. In either ways HR planning can be viewed as major facilitator of competitive advantage. Better control over staffing costs and numbers employed: Making projections about anticipated staffing needs is imperative, irrespective of whether a growth or decline in numbers is predicted. This makes it easier to match supply and demand and therefore make decisions about recruiting from the external labour market, relocating staff, or preparing for reductions in numbers employed in order to achieve greater control over staffing costs (Taylor, 2005. P.101) More informed judgements about the skills and attitude mix in the organization: It is very critical to get the right mix of skills in the employed workforce to attain the confidence of customer and for productivity and profit generation. In case of ITcom, some of its customers are domain based, for example one of its clients is Boeing, which has specifications of employing only citizens in the USA geography and highly skilled professionals in Product Life Cycle Management (PLM). In this scenario what is expected is either ITcom should search and acquire people skilled in this field or get professionals who can be trained on these platforms to give quality results. Maintain a profile of existing staff: By maintaining a profile in terms of age, gender, race and disability etc helps any organization to claim for providing equal opportunities. Without accurate and up-to-date figures on existing staff numbers and their breakdown by grade and position, it is impossible for employers to make decisions about how equality management can be achieved (Liff 2000, p103). In 2008, ITcom was asked by the DOJ (Department of Justice) of US legislations to prove that it offers equal employment opportunity for all. ITcom was using online software (known as SYNERGY) for database generation. This software had a peculiar questionnaire (like age, sex, nationality etc) to understand the background of the candidate applying for jobs. Later these questions were omitted as it was believed that interviewers might get biased at the initial stage of application and may not proceed ahead with the prospective employees candidature. Hence all the details of employee were transferred and saved in the SAP software for internal use and data storage, it helped the company to keep track of its existing employees along with amendments in Synergy software which helped in refraining its managers and recruiters to avoid any discriminatory practice by human error at the stage of recruitment and selection. The primary step in the recruitment process after HR planning, involves a systematic review of the organizational requirements which lead to a thorough analysis of the requirements of jobs called job analysis. The above process of HR planning and job analysis which translates demand for labour, leads to forecasting the internal and external supply. Based on these decisions can be made about the balance between external recruitment, internal staff development or workforce reductions. Table I is an example of a typical seven days of business taken from a hotel operation. The figures have been reduced to two functions: for example, rooms and food and beverage or restaurant and bars, and for simplicity it is assumed that functional flexibility covers two skills, i.e. staff from function A would be able to work in function B and vice versa. In operational terms the seven days depicted here would be a point in a rolling forecast that would change daily. The demand patterns described here are typical of departments within a hotel operation but could also represent patterns in restaurant operations, retailing and many tourism attractions. ITcom has been able to work well in this area of HR planning and setting up a stringent policy to which all the employees/recruiters are bound to be compliant. The Executive Vice President of Human Resource Management personally regulates the HR policies which are formed by the leaders and Senior Managers of the company. A dedicated team continuously works on mapping the market trends and predicts the upcoming problems and opportunities to work pro-actively on demands to incur with supply of labour. Job description, person specification and competencies: Once the job analysis has been collected, the next step is to develop a job description. They are particularly prevalent in public sector and large organizations. A job description usually includes: Job title, location, responsible to (job title of supervisor) and for (job titles of members who will report directly under the job holder), main purpose of the job, responsibilities or duties, working conditions (contains contractual agreements, fringes and benefits etc) other matters such as if travelling is required etc and performance standards along with any other duties that might be assigned by the organisation. (Marchington, 2005) Traditionally, it is divided into two main topics: work-oriented analysis (focussing on the job itself) and worker-oriented analysis (focussing on the worker) (Searle, 2003). Rodgers seven-point plan (Physical make-up, attainments, general intelligence, special aptitudes, interest, disposition and circumstances) and Frasers five-point plan (Impact on others, acquired knowledge and qualifications, innate abilities, motivation and adjustment) rely heavily on personal judgment to specify human qualities associated with successful performance (Newell and Shackleton 2000, p115). The significance of these job descriptions is that they focus on the behavioural aspects of the candidates. Therefore it is not required to make inferences about personal qualities that might underpin behaviour (Newell and Shackleton, 2001, p26). Job descriptions and specifications of person often exist alongside the competency-based approaches (Taylor 2002c), not least because they set a framework within which subsequent HR practices, for example performance management, training and development, pay and grading can be placed (Whiddett and Hollingforde 1999). According to IRS (IRS Employment Review 782 2003, p45) the most commonly used competencies are team orientation, communication, people management, customer focus, results orientation and problem solving. Surprisingly, ethical behaviour, responsibility, enthusiasm and listening are rarely used. Competency can be differentiated in four types (Roberts 1997, p71-72) a) namely: natural which is made up by the big five dimensions of personality; extraversion/introversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience b) acquired: where knowledge and skills acquired through work or other avenues. c) Adapting: this competency area revolves around the ability to adapt natural talents and acquired skills to new situation. And lastly, performing: which comprises observable behaviours and output. Recruitment Methods: Choosing a cost effective method for recruitment is essential and depends on factors specific to organisation. Recruitment is typically regarded as poor relation to selection, typically afforded limited space in most of the publications and gives very little evidence of the theoretical underpinnings (Breaugh and Starke 2000). Recruitment provides the candidates for the selector to judge. Selection techniques cannot overcome failures in recruitment; they merely make them evident (Watson, 1994, p203). It is very important that the organisation decide whether or not to recruit, which sources to be used and what cost. Legal issues are also to be borne particularly while using media and publishing the adverts (Taylor 2002c). Internal and External Searches: ITcom uses various tools for recruitment internally and externally. Internal Sources: It moves its potential employees from one department to another which fills the vacancies and proves to be a career development for the employees. The knowledge transfer from one position to another embarks the capabilities in the staff and enhances their skills and abilities. These practices are more prevalent during rationalisation than in boon or recession (Marchington, 2005). Staffs are also transferred from temporary posts to open ended contracts or from agency work onto the direct payroll. This provides employers with a form of quasi-internal labour market where they can observe people at work before committing to a more secure employment offer (Rubery et al 2002, 2004). There is indication from wider research on agencies that they are progressively taking up strategies to expand markets in which potential recruits, as well as employers, are receptive to temporary opportunities and for whom the profit of agency working outweigh the costs. * There is also an internal marketing team in recruitment department in ITcom which focuses on publishing the job vacancies in the company and gain the references from the existing employees. The CIPD survey showed that word-of-mouth recruitment remains widely used though it is sometimes hard to differentiate from speculative applications. A major advantage of referral programs is the quality of candidates, as most employees are unlikely to recommend friend who will not fit the culture of the organization and who is not suited for the role. The Coventry Building Society filled nearly a quarter of all its posts through this method (IRS Employment Review 804 2004). In ITcom there are various award schemes for recruiters to encourage employees to refer their friends and families. Although it is cheap and readily available, organizations such as Acas, the EOC and the CRE are worried such ring-fencing may strengthen the existing imbalances (gender, race and disability), upsetting the attempts to encourage greater workforce diversity. (Marchington, 2005) One of the major and critical hiring in ITcom is for the Sales division, where the Industry experts like evangelists, practice managers, sales director etc are required to lead the business. ITcom has a dedicated team of leadership hiring professionals who evaluate the candidature for these positions. The current author suggests that the company should try to engage with head-hunters for sourcing and recruiting for such high-level and critical roles. Head-hunters may have extensive contacts which can be beneficial. This method is expensive, and is used much in private sector than in public or voluntary bodies (Marchington, 2005) Apart from the middle and senior level positions, for the fresh recruits the most effective way can be campus placements and the CIPD survey found that it was on a par with the companys own website in popularity. Sources of external applicant and Methods of attracting applicants: Largest number of lists comes under external sources which constitute the open sources. Advertisements in national and local papers are amongst the most widely used methods, and for the specialist posts trade press can be more effective (CIPD 2004b). Radio and TV adverts are rarely used. ITcom in 2009 advertised its employee referral programmes which were based on theme of friendship, aired the adverts on a local radio channel (94.3 Radio One FM in Bangalore), to let the message be conveyed to mass. This had helped the company to gain many applicants through existing employees. E-Recruitment is another one tool which has gained its significance in recent years. According to IRS 90% of firms use some form of e-recruitment. Like job boards (monster.com, dice.com, careerbuilder.com. jobsahead.com etc) for advertising the vacancies. Social networking sites (linkedin.com, myspace.com, facebook.com etc) are also gaining popularity amongst the job seekers and recruiters for filling the positions. Main advantages of e-recruitment are reduced costs, improved corporate image, reduced administration, etc. The Selection Process: Consulting various sources such as Cook (1998), Taylor (2002c), Cooper et al (2003) and Searle (2003) it is conferred that no single technique, no matter how well it is designed and administered, can be capable of being perfect selection decision. Employers are advised not to rely on one method (Marchington, 2005). According to a CIPD survey of more than 1000 employers, it is concluded that the most common and widely used techniques were traditional interviews, competency-based interviews and tests for specific skills. Robertson and Smith (2001) also indicated that most techniques have very low levels of accuracy in terms of producing effective selection decisions. Of techniques used on their own, work sampling offers the highest likelihood of success, closely followed by intelligence tests and structured interviewing (Schmidt and Hunter, 1998) Various authors (Newell and Shackleton 200; Taylor 2002c; Cooper et al 2003 and Searle 2003) discuss the criteria for assessing the value of selection methods: Practicality: According to Cooper et al (2003, p94), it is the most important criteria of all. The method suggested has to be economical in terms of cost and benefits, the time required to administer it and should be within the capabilities of those who are supposed to run it. Most critical is the cost issue. For example, it makes very less sense to run a sophisticated and complex personality test if only one candidate has applied for the post. Sensitivity: A lot of care must be taken to avoid any kind of discrimination based on race, gender, age or disability. Reliability: comprises of different elements but refers essentially to consistency of method used to select individuals (Newell and Shackleton 2000, p119). It should not be too much influenced by chance factors (Cooper et al 2003, p 50-52). For example: inter-rater reliability is crucial if many interviewers take interview, where one rejects and other selects. In ITcom, at many occasions this problem exists, as for certain job roles, several levels of interviews are conducted. It must be taken in consideration to measure the accuracy of each interviewer before concluding a rejection or selection of the candidate. Validity: This defines the correctness of the inferences that can be drawn from the selection methods. (Newell and Shackleton, 2000, p121) define this as the relationship between the predictors (the result from the selection methods used) and the criteria (performance of the job). Key Themes and Recommendations: The assessment of market scenario of ITcom suggests that while there are quite a few areas for upgrading and improvement, there are also many areas that are working well, including: ITcom appears to have more flexibility in identifying the suitable appointment method, establishing the merit criteria to be considered in determining the most suitable candidate with its strong value based strict compliance policies. The range of options (internal and external sourcing) available to recruit staff provides flexibility and supports timely and effective hiring decisions. The Jobs Websites (monster.com, dice.com, careerbuilder.com, linkedin.com etc) appears to be an effective method of attracting successful candidates, and feedback about the job postings, application and interview process and the quality of hires seems positive. Staffing Operating Principles related to fairness, integrity and selection of the most suitable person was seen as both useful and being achieved. The staffing proce ss was perceived to be transparent and able to withstand scrutiny. Executive Search recruitment and screening processes were generally considered to work well and support hiring high quality executive management and senior leaders, in a timely fashion. Opportunities for improvement: Themes emerged including the need to formalize processes that will progress into a more strategic approach to recruitment: Focus must be increased on long-term forecasting of workforce needs in new development centres (e.g. newly opened development centre in Atlanta, GA in USA and Germany), which will help to directly connect workforce planning to the staffing function and developing strategies to address gaps. In this context of globalization, many multinational organizations search for suitable employees from across the globe and apply similar selection criteria with limited attention to effectiveness and less knowledge of different cultural backgrounds (Searle, 2003). Searle also believes that this is an area where practice is far ahead of research and comment. One way firms are trying to manage their operation within this new global context more effectively is by using sophisticated selection assessment practices. If the underlying basis for their assessment is flawed, then these more high-powered tests and assessments will inevitably be a further waste of resources. Increase focus on recruitment planning and implement a project management approach to the hiring process. Increase focus on branding and candidate sourcing for active and passive candidates, including more targeted sources of media. Research has indicated that the media exposure of a firm is a sign of its reputation (Newell and Shackleton, 2001). Technology in form of media and internet helps reducing the cost and time of travel for both applicants and companies. ITcom with most of its offices across the globe uses the telephone and video conferencing for conducting interviews. Expand methods for facilitating the identification of potential internal candidates for executive positions, including if possible, information from succession management and workforce planning initiatives. Enhance utilization of summer employment, work experience, co-op and internship initiatives as a strategy to attract and develop students and recent graduates in conjunction with workforce forecasting needs. Improve efficiency and effectiveness through increased collaboration and use of technology. Increase all stakeholders knowledge of staffing process including the recruitment strategies available. Conclusion: The Recruitment and selection within the wide organizational context highlights the relationship between organizational strategy and human resource policy and procedures. Key changes in methods and practices are identified responsible for increased attention and use of selection systems. Application of techniques enhances the confidence of HR processes. The growth in process oriented research highlights an alternative view of selection and recruitment and is at odds with the psychometric approach. As there is increased sophistication in the selection methods, it is often forgotten that without a proper set recruitment method, there would be less number of applicants for selection; this can have reverse impact on the performance of employment contract. Conversely, usage of well chosen methods can be helpful in choosing the staff which can be fit to meet targets of the organization. Recruitment is one area of HRM where assistance might be sought from the external providers, as being aw are of the limits and using the right techniques are equally important. It is very important that recruitment and selection processes be well organised, delivered and evaluated for the organisational growth. Methodology: The research work or sample used in the essay are pure and applied (from the perspective of application in various situations) and descriptive, co relational, explanatory or exploratory (from the perspective of objectives of the literature view). Most of the information is gathered by the literature from texts and journals and was related to real life experience of the current author from ITcom. Data collection of most of the articles and references cited in the essay are from the companies which is generally the primary data, secondary data is the one used from literature. Wherever required while collecting the data, the interviews were commenced, questionnaires were formed, and observations were made for example the IRS employment reviews and CIPD conducted surveys (which are quoted in the essay) in such styles or formats. Each of the articles and examples portrayed in the essay were based on literature review which brought in the clarity and focus to research problem and improved the methodology by enhancing the knowledge base. The literature pertinent dealt with two types of information, one universal and second specific (local trends). In some of the journals, a number of sources were used to compile databases, for example data was collected from local employment agencies, yellow pages along with interviews and surveys were conducted. These give a broad platform to compare and relate the data by empirical methodology of data accumulation.

Midnights Children essay :: essays research papers

Midnight’s Children essay Salman Rushdie's creation, Saleem Sinai, has a self-proclaimed "overpowering desire for form" (363). In writing his own autobiography Saleem seems to be after what Frank Kermode says every writer is a after: concordance. Concordance would allow Saleem to bring meaning to moments in the "middest" by elucidating (or creating) their coherence with moments in the past and future. While Kermode talks about providing this order primarily through an "imaginatively predicted future" (8), Saleem approaches the project by ordering everything in his past into neat, causal relationships, with each event a result of what preceded it. While he is frequently skeptical of the true order of the past, he never doubts its eminence; he is certain that everyone is "handcuffed to history" (482). His belief in the preeminence of the past, though, is distinctly different than the reality of time for the Saleem who emerges through that part of the novel that Gerard Gen ette calls "the event that consists of someone recounting something" (26) (Saleem-now, we can call this figure). Saleem-now is motivated to act not by the past, but instead by the uncertainty and ambiguity of the future. Saleem's construction of his own story is an effort to mitigate the lack of control he feels in looking toward the unknown future. To pacify himself he creates a world that is ordered but this world is contrary to his own reality. Saleem spends much of his energy in the story setting up neat causal relationships between events in his past to demonstrate his place "at the center of things" (272). He carefully mentions his tumble into the middle of a parade for the partition of Bombay and then proceeds to propose that "in this way I became directly responsible for triggering off the violence which ended with the partition of the state of Bombay" (219). When telling us of his school-mate Cyrus disappearance from school and emergence as a great religious prophet Saleem quickly mentions the Superman comics that he had given Cyrus earlier, and attributes Cyrus' rise to prophetdom as a direct response to these comics. By viewing Cyrus' motivation in this way Saleem says "[I] found myself obliged, yet again, to accept responsibility for the events of my turbulent, fabulous world" (309). There is an obvious note of skepticism toward these most overt acts of placing himself at the center of things. At one point he asks himself "am I so far gone, in my desperate need for meaning, that I'm prepared to distort everything†¹to re-write the whole history of my times purely in order to place myself in a central role?

Domestic Violence and Abuse in Australia :: Violence Against Women Essays

Domestic violence is a significant social issue that has a major impact upon the health of women in society. Discuss this statement and identify the factors that may contribute to domestic violence. Domestic violence is known by many names including spouse abuse, domestic abuse, domestic assault, battering, partner abuse, marital strife, marital dispute, wife beating, marital discord, woman abuse, dysfunctional relationship, intimate fighting, male beating and so on. McCue (1995) maintains that it is commonly accepted by legal professionals as "the emotional, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse perpetrated against a person by that person's spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner or by the other parent of a minor child" (although several other forms of domestic violence have become increasingly apparent in today's society). Whatever name is used to refer to it, however, domestic violence is a very grave and difficult problem faced by Australian society. Although domestic violence can include the abuse of parents, children, siblings and other relatives, it predominantly involves violence against sexual partners with women being the most common victims and men being the 'aggressors' (Family Violence Professional Education Taskforce 1991). It is inadequate to view domestic violence as an aspect of the normal interpersonal conflict which takes place in most families. According to McCue (1995), many families experience conflict, but not all male members of families inevitably resort to violence. It is not the fact of family disputes or marital conflict that generate or characterize violence in the home. Violence occurs when one person assumes the right to dominate over the other and decides to use violence or abuse as a means of ensuring that domination (Family Violence Professional Education Taskforce 1991). Although all forms of domestic violence are pressing issues of equal importance, this essay is more specifically directed at spouse abuse and aims to delve deeper into the issue of domestic violence by examining its causes with respect to the socioeconomic status of the particular family and its effects upon women in Australian society. The FACS (Family and Community Services) booklet (1995), defines domestic violence as follows: 'when a woman suffers persistent physical, verbal, economic or social abuse from her partner with the result that she suffers a sustained emotional and, or psychological effect.' Domestic violence is the most common form of assault in Australia today. However, it remains a hidden problem because it occurs within the privacy of the home and those involved are usually reluctant to speak out (Healey 1993).

Understand How Groups Develop and Function

How groups develop and function This essay examines and explains how groups develop and function. Groups are a fundamental part of our lives from social to professional, from large to small, depending on their particular environment. Theories and models on group work practice There are different theories that help us understand how group works. Tuckman’s theory Dr Bruce Tuckman published his Forming Storming Norming Performing model in 1965. He added a fifth stage, Adjourning, in the 1970s.Tuckman’s theory does work in new and small groups rather than big, as it is easier to follow, observe and evaluate individual members. The facilitator can easily identify the stages the group is at, and from here he/she can lead the group to the next stage. I would associate Tuckman’s theory more with the Co-operative style of leadership, because when the group comes together, everyone has the chance to share their ideas and responsibilities. Team members’ behaviour tow ards each other is more open and supportive and working practice more fully reflects true teamwork.Trust and motivation is built between team members. Everyone agrees on methods and plans which will lead to achieving the set goals. Team roles are been formed too. Douglas Theory Douglas McGregor is the creator of the theory X and theory Y. The two theories are opposite to each other. Theory X being the pessimistic as the employee does not like work and tries to escape it whenever possible and has little or no ambition of achieving the company goals. Employee needs a directive leader. Theory X leader is results-driven, intolerant, distant, poor listener, demands, etc.Companies with Theory X leadership will usually have poor results. Theory Y is described as the optimistic model because the employee is more relaxed and can use own initiative. He/she is committed and loyal to the company and can take on responsibilities. Theory Y gives the opportunity of more leaders to be created. On t he other side, Theory Y might be difficult to be put in practice in big mass productions where more control is needed. From the both theories we can conclude that staff will contribute more to the organisation if they are treated as responsible and valued employees.Belbin Team Role Theory â€Å"A team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role which is understood by other members. Members of a team seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them. † Dr. R. M. Belbin Belbin identifies nine team roles. Each team role is associated with typical behavioural and interpersonal strengths, allowable and non-allowable weaknesses that also accompany the team roles.The nine team roles are: plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor evaluator, team worker, implementer, complete finisher and specialist. Belbin’s Team Role Models are very useful in forming, ma intaining and developing a group. For example we can use it to think about team balance before recruitment starts; we can use it to highlight and so manage interpersonal differences within an existing team; and we can use it to develop ourselves as a team players. Sometimes however, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team can still fall short of its full potential.This is when Belbin’s Team Role Models come into use to develop the team’s strengths and manage its weaknesses. To maintain strong team it is important over period of time to observe individual members, and see how they behave and contribute within the team. Then for each person we write down the key strengths and observed weaknesses. Using Belbin’s descriptions of team roles, we note the one that most accurately describes the person. After we do it for each member of the team, we need to consider which team roles are we missing from the team and which strengths.Once we are clear about the out come of our research, we then consider whether an existing team member could compensate by adopting different team role, or whether new skills need to be brought onto the team to cover weaknesses. Adair Team Theory â€Å"Leadership is the most studied subject in the world and the least understood† John Adair (2003) Adair has developed so called Action-Centred Leadership model which consist of three circles Task, Team and Individual, which overlap. The three circles overlap because: 1. To be completed the task needs a team, one person cannot achieve it. . If the team needs are not met, then the task won’t be completed and the individuals won’t be satisfied. 3. If the individuals are not satisfied, then the team will suffer and the task won’t be completed again. The conclusion is that for the team to be functioning to its high standard and to be able to achieve its goals it is important all the individuals to be satisfied, rewarded and the team to be motiva ted to reach its full potentials. Forming and maintaining a cohesive and effective group Group cohesion is a phenomenon that determines how well a group holds together.When cohesion is strong, a group will remain stable and effective, but when it is weak, the group may fall apart. To build strong group cohesion is important for the leader to be able to get to know the group members individually so that he/she can tailor an appreciation message to each individual as needed. The next important attribute is for the leader to be sincere with his employees. He needs to praise his employees, one way or another – that could be done in private or in public, and not just once or twice, has to be consistent and more frequent.At the beginning of the forming of the group the leader has to set clear goals to his employees and to make sure that these goals don’t change somewhere half way through to the group work as it may derail the team. Once the goals are set, it is important to communicate with the team not through email or memos, but verbally where the leader can ask for feedback from the team members, exchange ideas in how to achieve the set goals. Here is the stage when the team roles are being set and clarified. For the team to continue its effectiveness, the employees will need the support from their leader.The leader needs to be approachable and supportive so the group members don’t feel alone. Providing a connection between the group goals and the company’s goal will make the group members accountable, they will feel more appreciated and important in the bigger picture not only as group members, but as individuals too. All the above factors are in the core of forming and maintaining a cohesive and effective group. A team that feels comfortable working together can have an energy that creates a positive environment and work ethic that can lift a team, making it more effective.This positive environment can make team members work harder, more efficiently and more productively. The influence of the different facilitation styles At heart facilitation is about the process of helping people to explore, learn and change. Our role, when facilitating, and as facilitators, is to help groups to work together respectfully and truthfully and to help them to explore and respond to certain issues and questions. The leader's success depends on many factors, including the kind  of person he/she is,  his/hers values of management, his/hers self-confidence and competence, his/hers trust in  the team and how he/she copes with  stress.The manager's chosen facilitation style depends on such factors. Many managers feel they are  expected to make the decisions, others feel they must get their teams involved. Some have confidence in their team; others mistrust them. Particular style of facilitation will work effectively when dealing with some people rather than others. There are three styles of facilitation: directive, co-operat ive and autonomous. Directive Style When leaders tell people what to do through a series of directives, they are using a directive style of leadership.Directive leaders are focused on outcomes and productivity. They are task-oriented and driven by the need to get things done. Directive leaders are not as concerned with the feelings and emotions of their followers as they are about meeting deadlines, hitting quota and reaching goals. There is not great deal of relationship-building found with directive facilitation style. With the directive style present the employees will not feel motivated and appreciated. Employees will feel pressured and soon will lose enthusiasm. The group will not have strong cohesion and will be less effective.If we look at the Douglas’ X and Y theory, we’ll see that the directive style would be more suitable for the X employees, but it won’t be effective for Y employees as they won’t respond. The directive style does not develop fu ture leaders. Co-operative style Here the facilitator shares responsibilities with the group: the leader guides the group to become more self-directing in the various forms of learning by conferring with them. The leader prompts and helps group members to make a decision, to give meaning to experiences, to do their own confrontation, and so on.In this process, the leader shares own view which, though influential, is not final but one among many. Outcomes are always negotiated. The leader collaborates with the members of the group in devising the learning process: facilitation is co-operative. When the leader/manager uses the co-operative style the employees will feel valued and appreciated. They will want to make suggestions because they know that they will be listened to by the manager, hence they will be very motivated to perform to a high standard. The type of groups with a co-operative style leader will have very strong cohesion and will be highly effective.Team roles will be ve ry clear within such groups which will lead to achieving the set goals. Future leaders will grow in such groups. When the goals are achieved and the group is no longer needed, there will be sadness of breaking the group. Autonomous style Here the leader/manager respects the total autonomy of the group: they do not do things for them, or with them, but give them freedom to find their own way, exercising their own judgment without any intervention on the leader’s part. This does not mean the abdication of responsibility; the leader just gives the individuals a space to determine their own learning.Unfortunately, such groups will feel that they are being left and will lack direction. The autonomous style grows future leaders, but can also suffer if group members are unqualified. Why it is important to be clear about the purpose and desired outcomes for the group? When group is formed, it is important that the leader clarifies the purpose and desired outcomes for the group. The e mployees will know what is to be expected from them. Then the group can engage openly and effectively discussing how the goals will be achieved. It is also the stage when the team roles are being created.At the end of the meeting we should have clear accomplishment. Analyse the importance of participant engagement in achieving group outcomes The most important thing is what the participants in the meeting have to say. The leader has to focus on how the meeting is structured and run to make sure that everyone can participate. The leader needs to make sure that everyone feels comfortable in participating, to allow everyone to be heard, to make sure that the members feel good about their contribution, to support everyone’s ideas and not criticising.If the leader follows the steps above the group members will feel empowered about their own ideas and participation. They will stay loyal to the company and will take on responsibilities and ownership. Conclusion From this brief overv iew we can see the significance of groups and why it is important to continuously develop them –from one side, to strengthen their potential and from the other, to help the development of their individual members.They are a fundamental part of human experience and  play a crucial role both in shaping and influencing individual lives and society itself. We saw how an effective group brings humans together and how an effective group gives birth to successful leaders. Humans always will be, as groups will be too. That makes the groups one of the most important factors of our lives. The more effective the group is, the more the quality of our lives will grow. Understand How Groups Develop and Function How groups develop and function This essay examines and explains how groups develop and function. Groups are a fundamental part of our lives from social to professional, from large to small, depending on their particular environment. Theories and models on group work practice There are different theories that help us understand how group works. Tuckman’s theory Dr Bruce Tuckman published his Forming Storming Norming Performing model in 1965. He added a fifth stage, Adjourning, in the 1970s.Tuckman’s theory does work in new and small groups rather than big, as it is easier to follow, observe and evaluate individual members. The facilitator can easily identify the stages the group is at, and from here he/she can lead the group to the next stage. I would associate Tuckman’s theory more with the Co-operative style of leadership, because when the group comes together, everyone has the chance to share their ideas and responsibilities. Team members’ behaviour tow ards each other is more open and supportive and working practice more fully reflects true teamwork.Trust and motivation is built between team members. Everyone agrees on methods and plans which will lead to achieving the set goals. Team roles are been formed too. Douglas Theory Douglas McGregor is the creator of the theory X and theory Y. The two theories are opposite to each other. Theory X being the pessimistic as the employee does not like work and tries to escape it whenever possible and has little or no ambition of achieving the company goals. Employee needs a directive leader. Theory X leader is results-driven, intolerant, distant, poor listener, demands, etc.Companies with Theory X leadership will usually have poor results. Theory Y is described as the optimistic model because the employee is more relaxed and can use own initiative. He/she is committed and loyal to the company and can take on responsibilities. Theory Y gives the opportunity of more leaders to be created. On t he other side, Theory Y might be difficult to be put in practice in big mass productions where more control is needed. From the both theories we can conclude that staff will contribute more to the organisation if they are treated as responsible and valued employees.Belbin Team Role Theory â€Å"A team is not a bunch of people with job titles, but a congregation of individuals, each of whom has a role which is understood by other members. Members of a team seek out certain roles and they perform most effectively in the ones that are most natural to them. † Dr. R. M. Belbin Belbin identifies nine team roles. Each team role is associated with typical behavioural and interpersonal strengths, allowable and non-allowable weaknesses that also accompany the team roles.The nine team roles are: plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor evaluator, team worker, implementer, complete finisher and specialist. Belbin’s Team Role Models are very useful in forming, ma intaining and developing a group. For example we can use it to think about team balance before recruitment starts; we can use it to highlight and so manage interpersonal differences within an existing team; and we can use it to develop ourselves as a team players. Sometimes however, despite clear roles and responsibilities, a team can still fall short of its full potential.This is when Belbin’s Team Role Models come into use to develop the team’s strengths and manage its weaknesses. To maintain strong team it is important over period of time to observe individual members, and see how they behave and contribute within the team. Then for each person we write down the key strengths and observed weaknesses. Using Belbin’s descriptions of team roles, we note the one that most accurately describes the person. After we do it for each member of the team, we need to consider which team roles are we missing from the team and which strengths.Once we are clear about the out come of our research, we then consider whether an existing team member could compensate by adopting different team role, or whether new skills need to be brought onto the team to cover weaknesses. Adair Team Theory â€Å"Leadership is the most studied subject in the world and the least understood† John Adair (2003) Adair has developed so called Action-Centred Leadership model which consist of three circles Task, Team and Individual, which overlap. The three circles overlap because: 1. To be completed the task needs a team, one person cannot achieve it. . If the team needs are not met, then the task won’t be completed and the individuals won’t be satisfied. 3. If the individuals are not satisfied, then the team will suffer and the task won’t be completed again. The conclusion is that for the team to be functioning to its high standard and to be able to achieve its goals it is important all the individuals to be satisfied, rewarded and the team to be motiva ted to reach its full potentials. Forming and maintaining a cohesive and effective group Group cohesion is a phenomenon that determines how well a group holds together.When cohesion is strong, a group will remain stable and effective, but when it is weak, the group may fall apart. To build strong group cohesion is important for the leader to be able to get to know the group members individually so that he/she can tailor an appreciation message to each individual as needed. The next important attribute is for the leader to be sincere with his employees. He needs to praise his employees, one way or another – that could be done in private or in public, and not just once or twice, has to be consistent and more frequent.At the beginning of the forming of the group the leader has to set clear goals to his employees and to make sure that these goals don’t change somewhere half way through to the group work as it may derail the team. Once the goals are set, it is important to communicate with the team not through email or memos, but verbally where the leader can ask for feedback from the team members, exchange ideas in how to achieve the set goals. Here is the stage when the team roles are being set and clarified. For the team to continue its effectiveness, the employees will need the support from their leader.The leader needs to be approachable and supportive so the group members don’t feel alone. Providing a connection between the group goals and the company’s goal will make the group members accountable, they will feel more appreciated and important in the bigger picture not only as group members, but as individuals too. All the above factors are in the core of forming and maintaining a cohesive and effective group. A team that feels comfortable working together can have an energy that creates a positive environment and work ethic that can lift a team, making it more effective.This positive environment can make team members work harder, more efficiently and more productively. The influence of the different facilitation styles At heart facilitation is about the process of helping people to explore, learn and change. Our role, when facilitating, and as facilitators, is to help groups to work together respectfully and truthfully and to help them to explore and respond to certain issues and questions. The leader's success depends on many factors, including the kind  of person he/she is,  his/hers values of management, his/hers self-confidence and competence, his/hers trust in  the team and how he/she copes with  stress.The manager's chosen facilitation style depends on such factors. Many managers feel they are  expected to make the decisions, others feel they must get their teams involved. Some have confidence in their team; others mistrust them. Particular style of facilitation will work effectively when dealing with some people rather than others. There are three styles of facilitation: directive, co-operat ive and autonomous. Directive Style When leaders tell people what to do through a series of directives, they are using a directive style of leadership.Directive leaders are focused on outcomes and productivity. They are task-oriented and driven by the need to get things done. Directive leaders are not as concerned with the feelings and emotions of their followers as they are about meeting deadlines, hitting quota and reaching goals. There is not great deal of relationship-building found with directive facilitation style. With the directive style present the employees will not feel motivated and appreciated. Employees will feel pressured and soon will lose enthusiasm. The group will not have strong cohesion and will be less effective.If we look at the Douglas’ X and Y theory, we’ll see that the directive style would be more suitable for the X employees, but it won’t be effective for Y employees as they won’t respond. The directive style does not develop fu ture leaders. Co-operative style Here the facilitator shares responsibilities with the group: the leader guides the group to become more self-directing in the various forms of learning by conferring with them. The leader prompts and helps group members to make a decision, to give meaning to experiences, to do their own confrontation, and so on.In this process, the leader shares own view which, though influential, is not final but one among many. Outcomes are always negotiated. The leader collaborates with the members of the group in devising the learning process: facilitation is co-operative. When the leader/manager uses the co-operative style the employees will feel valued and appreciated. They will want to make suggestions because they know that they will be listened to by the manager, hence they will be very motivated to perform to a high standard. The type of groups with a co-operative style leader will have very strong cohesion and will be highly effective.Team roles will be ve ry clear within such groups which will lead to achieving the set goals. Future leaders will grow in such groups. When the goals are achieved and the group is no longer needed, there will be sadness of breaking the group. Autonomous style Here the leader/manager respects the total autonomy of the group: they do not do things for them, or with them, but give them freedom to find their own way, exercising their own judgment without any intervention on the leader’s part. This does not mean the abdication of responsibility; the leader just gives the individuals a space to determine their own learning.Unfortunately, such groups will feel that they are being left and will lack direction. The autonomous style grows future leaders, but can also suffer if group members are unqualified. Why it is important to be clear about the purpose and desired outcomes for the group? When group is formed, it is important that the leader clarifies the purpose and desired outcomes for the group. The e mployees will know what is to be expected from them. Then the group can engage openly and effectively discussing how the goals will be achieved. It is also the stage when the team roles are being created.At the end of the meeting we should have clear accomplishment. Analyse the importance of participant engagement in achieving group outcomes The most important thing is what the participants in the meeting have to say. The leader has to focus on how the meeting is structured and run to make sure that everyone can participate. The leader needs to make sure that everyone feels comfortable in participating, to allow everyone to be heard, to make sure that the members feel good about their contribution, to support everyone’s ideas and not criticising.If the leader follows the steps above the group members will feel empowered about their own ideas and participation. They will stay loyal to the company and will take on responsibilities and ownership. Conclusion From this brief overv iew we can see the significance of groups and why it is important to continuously develop them –from one side, to strengthen their potential and from the other, to help the development of their individual members.They are a fundamental part of human experience and  play a crucial role both in shaping and influencing individual lives and society itself. We saw how an effective group brings humans together and how an effective group gives birth to successful leaders. Humans always will be, as groups will be too. That makes the groups one of the most important factors of our lives. The more effective the group is, the more the quality of our lives will grow.