Thursday, November 28, 2019

Essay Examples on Fascism Essay Example

Essay Examples on Fascism Paper 1st Essay Sample on Fascism Oliver Bleich Mrs. Howell Modern European History 5/22/00 Fascism in Germany and Italy Germany and Italy rose up under new leaders with a new type of governing policy. However, the same policies that caused growth lead to eventual collapse of these nations. Fascism grew because of extreme nationalism, fear, and governmental control. It failed due to absolute power by one man, its own aggressive nature, and lack of organization. Hitlers rise to power can be credited for many reasons. Firstly, the Nazis gave the German middle class a reason why they were having problems, and came up with a solution. As Hitler explained it by using pseudo science, the Jews were the problem and there was only one solution. Along with this he instituted mass propaganda against the Jews and for the Aryan race. This went a long way to create the kind of nationalism that Hitler was looking for. Soon most of Germany felt like a strong and united people, willing to do anything for their state and their leader . Those who were not, lived in constant fear of the Nazis. The SS and the SA policed the streets and used excessive violence whenever they felt it necessary. People were either happy to be with Hitler or afraid to oppose him. Hitler had control. With this control Hitler made policies that were actually very beneficial to the middle class. By eliminating large corporations, creating a strong military and increasing industry to equip the military Germany began to grow. There were a lot of problems in Italy. Mussolini used fascism in a very similar manner to Hitler. The way he saw it, Italy was divided into two sections: the north and the south. The northern part of Italy was industrialized while southern almost completely agricultural. Thus, Mussolini wanted to unify the people to create one strong nation. He went about this by using his own charisma and propaganda. 2nd Essay Sample on Fascism Fascism is defined as a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism. Fascism takes many forms, but despite the many forms that fascism takes, all fascist movements are rooted in two major historical trends. First, in late 19th-century Europe mass political movements developed as a challenge to the control of government and politics by small groups of social elites or ruling classes. For thefirst time, many countries saw the growth of political organizations with membership numbering in the thousands or even millions. Second, fascism gained popularity because many intellectuals, artists, and political thinkers in the late 19th century began to reject the philosophical emphasis on wisdom and progress that had emerged from the 18th-century intellectual movement, called the Enlightenment. Adolf Hitler was Chancellor of Germany during World War II.He transformed Germany into a military state, based on the beliefs of Nazism, making Germany an Anti-Semitic, Nationalist state. During his rule, he expanded his empire, conquering most of Europe, and some African states, in an effort to conquer the world.His Germany was a state of racial purity.Millions of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, and non-Germanic people were slaughtered, because they were considered inferior.The slaughter of the millions of people became known as the Holocaust.Germany and the axes lost World War II, and Hitler committed suicide in 1945. Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) Benito Mussolini was dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.He was the founder and leader of Il Duce, or Italian Fascism. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Fascism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Fascism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Essay Examples on Fascism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Psychological Egoism

Psychological egoism is the view that people are always selfish. When was the last time you did a good deed? Did you do it for its own sake, or for your own? The egoist says that all of us are necessarily self-regarding. I shall argue that this view is incorrect. First we should ask, what kind of claim is this? Is it an a priori claim, or a generalization from experience? If it were the latter, we could never conclusively prove it: we could never show that necessarily all actions are selfish. So it must be a priori. But no a priori claim could be substantive: a priori truths are all analytic (that is, the predicate is contained in the subject). So if this claim were analytic, it would become trivial. (It is worth noting that Kripke’s claim that there are a posteriori necessary truths does not show that a priori truths are not analytic.) The situation is paralleled by pseudo-sciences such as Freudian psychoanalysis. As Karl Popper has argued, any theory can be maintained so long as it is drained of empirical content. Like psychoanalysis, psychological egoism makes no genuine claims and can never be refuted. But it purchases certainty at the price of becoming vacuous. I shall have more to say on this below. The simplest way to see the egoist’s mistake is to distinguish between the side-effects of an action and the reason for which it was done. Suppose we grant that in doing a good deed, we usually get a pleasant feeling (though I suspect this is false). Even so, this would not show that that feeling was indeed the motivating factor in our behavior; it could simply be a side effect of doing the good deed. Compare the case in which someone types for hours on a philosophy paper and gets a cramp in his hand. Did I type in order to get the cramp? Of course not. To be sure, it was a foreseeable result of my typing, but it was not the motive for my heroic efforts. Perhaps we can go further in refuting the egoi... Free Essays on Psychological Egoism Free Essays on Psychological Egoism Psychological egoism is the view that people are always selfish. When was the last time you did a good deed? Did you do it for its own sake, or for your own? The egoist says that all of us are necessarily self-regarding. I shall argue that this view is incorrect. First we should ask, what kind of claim is this? Is it an a priori claim, or a generalization from experience? If it were the latter, we could never conclusively prove it: we could never show that necessarily all actions are selfish. So it must be a priori. But no a priori claim could be substantive: a priori truths are all analytic (that is, the predicate is contained in the subject). So if this claim were analytic, it would become trivial. (It is worth noting that Kripke’s claim that there are a posteriori necessary truths does not show that a priori truths are not analytic.) The situation is paralleled by pseudo-sciences such as Freudian psychoanalysis. As Karl Popper has argued, any theory can be maintained so long as it is drained of empirical content. Like psychoanalysis, psychological egoism makes no genuine claims and can never be refuted. But it purchases certainty at the price of becoming vacuous. I shall have more to say on this below. The simplest way to see the egoist’s mistake is to distinguish between the side-effects of an action and the reason for which it was done. Suppose we grant that in doing a good deed, we usually get a pleasant feeling (though I suspect this is false). Even so, this would not show that that feeling was indeed the motivating factor in our behavior; it could simply be a side effect of doing the good deed. Compare the case in which someone types for hours on a philosophy paper and gets a cramp in his hand. Did I type in order to get the cramp? Of course not. To be sure, it was a foreseeable result of my typing, but it was not the motive for my heroic efforts. Perhaps we can go further in refuting the egoi...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Woman in Law Enforcement Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Woman in Law Enforcement - Term Paper Example It is strange to see that women compose around 46.5% of the total workforce yet their numbers in law enforcement agencies hover around 10%. This disparity is negatively affecting policing in particular and law enforcement in general. The numbers of women in law enforcement agencies has not registered a substantial increase in the last decade or so. A number of sociological and criminal justice problems are to blame for such a situation. In order to discern this problem better, it is pertinent to compare the trends of hiring women in law enforcement agencies historically and in the present scenario. This can be used to delineate the various sociological and criminal justice issues at work. A look at reasons to hire women law enforcement officers will offer great insight into the need for more women law enforcement agents. Historical and Modern Perspectives on Women in Law Enforcement Historical Developments Women have been employed in law enforcement since the 19th century in various positions in America. Historically, women were consigned to clerical tasks or were hired as dispatchers. This continued till the 1970’s when women were encouraged to take up law enforcement roles through myriad cop and detective shows in the media. Another major factor behind this development was the civil rights movement and the ensuing affirmative action laws that effectively paved women’s way into law enforcement agencies. ... At this point in time, women furnish an estimated 12% of all positions in law enforcement agencies. Recent Trends A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) over women’s role in law enforcement is very revealing of the actual situation on ground. The study was conducted between 1987 and 2008 and focuses on the participation of women in law enforcement. The report clearly indicates that the number of women officers sworn in law enforcement agencies increased very little in federal, state and local agencies. The trend analysis of some 53 law enforcement agencies revealed that the percentage of women officers was 14% in 1998 which went up to 15.2% in 2008 which represents a 1.2% increase in a 10 year period. This indicates an average increase rate of 0.12% annually which represents extremely slow growth. The largest increase in the number of women officers was witnessed in the USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) which was some 7%. Both jobs are more clerical than field related. Furthermore, the U.S. Forest Service as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service experienced a net decrease in the number of women officers which went down from 16.1% in 1998 to some 15.9% in 2008. Other than this the distribution of women law enforcement officers is significantly different for large law enforcement agencies versus small law enforcement agencies. (Langton) Women law enforcement officers accounted for 15% of the total within the larger police departments in 2007. In contrast, women law enforcement officers accounted for 13% of the total within the larger sheriff’s offices. On the other hand smaller law enforcement agencies with 1 to 10 full time officers are composed of 6% women only. Smaller

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project Essay

Environmental Science Phase 5 Individual Project - Essay Example There are several fatal flaws in the claim that the U.S. can’t afford to take the legislative steps necessary to slow the effects of global warming. The scientific community agrees that global temperatures are rising due to the burning of fossil fuels which are damaging the protective atmospheric Ozone layer by changing its composition. Human pollution is changing the climate of our earth and has increased global warming in the past half century. The effects are being felt worldwide, not just in the U.S. where most of the CO2 emissions are generated. The question before us is, are we stewards of our earth and will we preserve it for future generations? If the past 30 years are any indication, then the answer is no. Noticeable effects of global warming are fairly insignificant right now to the average person, but its effects are unquestionably growing in scale. If the population of the planet were to immediately discontinue polluting the air with carbon dioxide emissions, climate changes would still continue long into the future. It is vitally important that the people of the world realize that we have set in motion an experiment on planet Earth which we cannot simply turn off because we finally realized the dire consequences. If we injure the planet in this selfish, cataclysmic method, we kill future generations of humankind. Agricultural activity, land masses and the very air we breathe will suffer a radical change from the effects of global warming, but to what degree? I don’t know but don’t want to know. The projected rate of climate change is very alarming to many scientists but not as much to politicians as this topic isn’t as high on the political agenda as some others. It seems to me that the world leaders have no sense of urgency about them regarding global warming. They place great importance on the popular items of the

Monday, November 18, 2019

A summery of Blue ocean strategy book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A summery of Blue ocean strategy book - Essay Example If one has to compete with other industries, they will have to suffer losses and campaigns that could drain them or turn their survival mode on. The book consists of five parts which describe in detail the processes of excelling in business and forming new strategies. The starting section outlines the most important parts of the blue ocean strategy and the importance of forming a low costing evaluation. It derives the concept of ‘value innovation’ in which it is essential and vital to come up with something different than others to that the attention and worth of the product increases despite the cost which it is at – even though the cost should be low so that the product isn’t extremely expensive. The market is always up for something different at not a very high price because then everyone is bound to give it a try. And with the population around in billions, creating a small fortune won’t be that hard. The second part entails how the blue ocean strategy was created. The first principal is to come up with something of which there should be no competition so that the market space is open and unchallenged. It tells to focus on the bigger picture, to dream big and not to just settle for small profits because that is how good business is done. The risk is always there of course but the blue ocean strategy helps in forming the courage to take that risk, especially if there is enough confidence in the idea or the product. The risk that comes up with business is the third part. The scheme and plan with which a strategy is formed has to follow the six principles first. They are good in ensuring an effective and a relatively safe way to start a business. First things first, the formulated plan has to make sense to everyone. Then there are the customers who will not buy the product that have to be unlocked by the three tiers. Following is to know what market is friendly and to make

Friday, November 15, 2019

Human Resources Reputation and Effectiveness | Analysis

Human Resources Reputation and Effectiveness | Analysis â€Å"Human Resources Reputation and Effectiveness.† SUMMARY OF THIS ARTICLE This issue of Human Resource Management Review considers the past, present, and future of HRM theory and research, exploring how these issues have considerable potential to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The compilation includes suchthemes as identifying the shortfalls of the science of HRM; predicting, understanding, and influencing the behavior of individuals in organizations; and the status of research on compensation in organizations. Organizational theorists have suggested that reputation is one of the few resources that can give firms a sustainable competitive advantage, because it is viewed as a non-tradable, non-substitutable, non-imitable, resource that can be managed. HR-firm performance linkage examines the impact of an overall set of HR practices on firm performance. This perspective advanced the literature from examining the effect of a single HR practice on performance, to examining a set of practices that work together synergistically. Another perspective explains the positive findings between HRM and firm performance by emphasizing the role HR plays in implementing strategies. To effectively implement a particular strategy, HR practices must â€Å"fit† with the strategic goals of the firm. The two studies indicate that HR reputation does have an impact on the larger overarching image of the organization. It is important to have an HR reputation of fairness, and to advertise this quality to important stakeholders. It is important to examine the more intermediate linkages between HR reputation and firm reputation and performance. It would also be interesting to examine negative HR reputation signals, and their impact on the reputation of the organization. Employees are likely to recommend an organization for employment when that organization is fully committed to work-family policies. As human capital continues to gain credence as a critical resource, organizations have viewed their HR departments as holding the key to unlocking this important resource. Thus, the power of HR has increased over the past several years, and should continue to grow. In light of the foregoing review and evaluation, and the strengths and limitations of prior work on HR reputation and effectiveness the authors have proposed some directions for theory and research in this area that they believe could result in useful and productive streams of work. â€Å"Effectiveness Index† can be one of the tools to identify firms with very progressive or reputable HR functions. Also, the need to determine what might be the underlying dimensions of HR reputation, and, if multi-dimensional, are all dimensions equally important for effectiveness, or are they differentially weighted? Firms bring about this publicity by taking non-conforming actions and proactively seeking to manage impressions to facilitate their own celebrity to the degree that celebrity increases access to critical resources such as human capital, capital markets, and raw materials, celebrity status for the firm increases a firms competitive advantage. Many firms such as Johnson Johnson, Starbucks, and Hewlett-Packard, frequently hit these lists year after year and are on several lists each year. Many of these firms are known for their ability to â€Å"partner† with the HR function to facilitate strategy execution, administrative efficiency, employee commitment, and innovation. At such an early stage in the evolution of this area of scientific inquiry, it is not clear that HR reputation necessarily has only linear relationships with outcomes; such relationships could be non-linear in form. Perhaps there is an optimal level of reputation for the HR sub-unit, and that a ‘more is always better is not accurate. AUOTHERS CONTRIBUTION IN THIS ARTICLE The author has given a brief and precise history on the evolution of Human Resource Management as an important part of any organization from a record keeping employee towards a strategy building. As the number of personal policies continued to increase during the 19th century the importance of human resources management grew as well. Author have noted down that Competitive advantages, such as organizational culture, employee morale, and worker loyalty, fostered by HRM practices, are more difficult to imitate than manufacturing processes or cost management strategies. CRITICAL REVIEW What is interesting about this information? This article revolves around the evolution of Human Resource Management as the integral part of any organization to run smoothly. From the clerical job of just an employee record keeper to a strategic human asset manager this article has evaluated status of theory and research on HR reputation and effectiveness, and recommends directions for future work. The article starts of by looking at the beginning the change chain in the HR function progression. Born from the industrial relations movement, personnel management was first examined in 1920 by Tead and Metcalf. And During the industrial revolution, utilizing the scientific management of work (e.g., Taylor, 1895), companies began to quantify â€Å"†¦ the most efficient method for performing each work task, piece-rate systems of compensation to maximize employee work effort, and the selection and training of employees based on a thorough investigation of their talents and skills† Starting from the first look at HR function more seriously in 1920 it has moved from the century focusing on the years which hold importance towards the shaping of HR functions as we see them today. In 1925 Craig Charter adding to the chain proved that personnel management 1) became autonomous from the line managers and foremen, 2) turned an interest to psychology, 3)said a firm must be focused on leaders ability to â€Å"†¦effectively deal with employees and earn their loyalty and support† As in 1926 Lewisohn noted, the inherent labor problems that exist between workers and organizations were not a matter of capitalistic dialectic incompatibility, but, rather, incongruence between â€Å"†¦the organizational and administrative practices of management.† Thus, the core of a good organizational-employee relationship is recognizing and capitalizing on the mutual interests of maximum satisfaction and financial return (Filene, 1919). More work was done by Follett and Tead in 1929 and further by Kaufman in 1993 which said â€Å"To obtain cooperation, trust, loyalty, and hard work among employees, firms must attempt to simultaneously fulfill the goals of the worker and the organization† As the number of personal policies continued to increase, so did the importance of human resources management (HRM). As HRM grew, even more laws and regulations were passed in the 1950s and 1960s that promoted equal and fair treatment for all able workers (Russ, Galang, Ferris, 1998). However, it was not until the 1970s and 1980s, when U.S.-based companies realized that their technological processes were no longer a source of sustained competitive advantage (Pfeffer, 1994), that HRM was viewed as impacting on organizational performance. As explained by Barney (1991), in his resource-based view of the firm, in order to remain profitable in the long run, organizations must have a sustainable competitive advantage. As organizations placed more emphasis on the human factor, the field of human resource management was formed from a result of various scientific fields of inquiry such as industrial relations and psychology (Dulebohn et al., 1995). In the last 15 years, HRM has further justified its strategic importance, increasingly being viewed as a key resource organizations possess (Pfeffer, 1997), and an essential link in firms strategies (e.g., Arthur, 1994; Huselid, 1995). As human resources are managed appropriately by matching unique internal processes with environmental opportunities and needs, HRM has the potential to be a source of competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. In turn, HRM has been held more accountable to contributing meaningfully to firm performance. Because human resource management is now seen as an important factor in organizational performance and effectiveness, the power and, as a result, the reputation of HR also has increased. How does the author(s) support the hypothesis? Reputation of the firm in the market is based on the Human Resource as an asset to the firm. By quoting; The study of reputation in the organizational sciences largely has been focused on reputation at the corporate level. Organizational theorists have suggested that reputation is one of the few resources that can give firms a sustainable competitive advantage, because it is viewed as a non-tradable, non substitutable, non-imitable, resource that can be managed (Barney, 1991; Kothaa, Rajgopala, Rindova, 2001). Work done by Reed DeFillippi, 1990; Barney, 1991; Lado Wilson, 1994; Huselid 1995; Delaney and Huselid, 1996; Ulrich, 1997; Becker Huselid, 1998; Boxall in 2003; Lawler Mohrman in the year 2003;; Colbert 2004;; Hatch Dyer, 2004; Bowen Ostroff 2004 showed that personal reputation is a collectively agreed upon perception by others, and that reputation exists in a vacuum of imperfect information. When an audience is attempting to gather information regarding an individual (or organization), reputation is relied on to â€Å"fill in the blanks.† This is similar to corporate reputation theory in that personal reputation is based upon social norms, as opposed to market norms. Established upon the notion that reputation is related to social norms, current research suggests that to successfully acquire a reputation, an individual or organization must â€Å"stand out† from others in the field. Rindova, Pollock and Hayward (2006) reflected these beliefs in a recent piece dev oted to celebrity firms, acknowledging the relationship between reputation and celebrity. Suggesting that reputation reflects a predictive measure, they argued that both celebrity and reputation are based on others perception of some entity. Similarly the department level reputation depends on the production of the department individuals respectively and collectively different departments form the reputation of the organization as a whole. This view is supported by work done in 2005 by Roberts. Research in CEO celebrity has shown that a leaders reputation may change the reputation of the company (Hayward, Rindova, Pollock, 2004). Logically, the same process should apply to departments. If an HR department has a strong, powerful leader, the members of the department should feel an increase in power (Cialdini et al., 1976). Consistent support has been found for the HRM firm performance link in the literature, and with the continued development of theory, a richer understanding of how this relationship occurs can both advance the literature and facilitate improvement in practice. The theoretical underpinnings of the literature examining the relationship between HRM and firm performance have developed from; o Examining specific sets of HR practices. o Examining a match between HR practices and strategy o Examining the role of HRM in building and maintaining organizational resources and capabilities that contribute directly to a firms competitive advantage. The linkage between HRM and performance has be identified by the authors on the work done by Barney, 1991; Lado Wilson, 1994; Ulrich, 1997; Becker Huselid, 1998; Perry-Smith and Blum 2000; Boxall, 2003; Lawler Mohrman, 2003;, Ranft Lord, 2000, 2002; Collins Clark, 2003; Colbert, 2004; Hatch Dyer, 2004; Bowen Ostroff, 2004; Hatch and Dyer, 2004 HR reputation does have an impact on the larger overarching image of the organization. It is important to have an HR reputation of fairness, and to advertise this quality to important stakeholders. Although only one of the signals from the study affected share price, there may be other advantages of HR reputation at the firm level that are just as important, such as performance, labor costs, and employee turnover. This theory is based on the work done by Wright, Ferris, Hiller and Kroll in 1995; Hannon Milkovich in 1996 and Koys in 1997. What is the main aim of the article? The aim of the article is to provide a base line from the work done throughout the 19th century on the importance of the Human Resource Management as an integral part of the success of any firm. And to provide the readers with information from so many writers from 1920 to 2006 in the history of HR functions enabling the reader to suggest even more on the basis of research work done by them working in their environment any where in the world as human psychology is ever changing. Is the article timely? In the era of fast growing technology and change in almost every firm around the globe the need to develop and consider human resource as an integral part of any organizations success is the key as we read in so many journals and magazines such as â€Å"Times† and â€Å"Business Recorder† the stories of better human resource management success stories of successful companies, it does show that the importance of HR in any firm can not be ignored any more. This article was published in the year 2007 which is to me some what late because of the already changing trends in organization management. So I would have liked the article to be published before the beginning of this century as the boom in technology and industrial revolution has forced companies to review their HR policies and still there are many countries and firms around the world which lack the awareness of the importance of HR as an important mix in the success of their company. Is the methodology appropriate? Any weaknesses? The authors supported their perspective by using quotations and the research work done by over 20 people; from different research papers, articles, books and publications from the year 1920 to 2006. As they moved along the history starting from 1920 little indication of any work between 1930 and 1990 is given. Which I believe has left a big gap in the research work. Although some indication has been given that not much work was done between theses years to promote the importance of HR. Suggestions for future theory and research remains incomplete as many of the ideas merely seem to be repeated of what they have explained in the previous sections. For example: Just as celebrity status for a CEO or a firm has been shown to increase the breadth and volume of resources available to these actors, the popularity and celebrity of HR practices in an organization may increase the resources allocated to the HR function in those organizations. As resources increase, the power and influence of the HR function increase (Pfeffer, 1997). Research in CEO celebrity has shown that a leaders reputation may change the reputation of the company (Hayward, Rindova, Pollock, 2004). First paragraph quotation is taken from the work done by (Pfeffer, 1997) comes in the article in the first part. And the second written in the conclusion part from (Hayward, Rindova, Pollock, 2004). Both implying the same idea, supporting the conclusion by a repeating quote can affect the strength of the conc lusion itself. How does the article contribute to the field? Does it make an original contribution to the field? Human resource management has evolved into a strategic business partner linking organization goals to the internal and external customers of the company. This article contributes to the field of Human Resource Management vitally as organizations today are shifting and transforming into a global business and fostering local businesses. The importance to align the strategic goals with the HR efforts remains vital to the success. How does the article relate to the course? The course entitled management organizational policy is the study of how organizational strategies are made to run the processes and to make the firm as competitive as possible. This article throws light on Human Resource managements importance and how it thrived and evolved over the years. The most important asset in any firm today is considered to be the Human Resource and managing it properly is the key to success. Diagnosing Human Resource Management Practices: Increasingly, teamwork is seen as one of the main building blocks of successful organizations and much time, effort and resources are being invested in developing and managing cohesive teams (Katzenbach and Smith, 1994) The potential benefits of these investments are numerous and diverse. Perhaps the greatest is the achievement of organizational synergy where the output of the whole team becomes greater than the sum of the individual contributors and in so doing boosts the productivity and creativity of their units and functions. In addition, teamwork can benefit the company and its members in the following ways (Wilson, 1994): For many organizations, decentralization and delegation have been central features of their new management philosophy. Current thinking leads to the removal of as many levels as possible in an attempt to rid the organization of bureaucracy. This is expected to provide faster communication both up and down the organization with less chance of distortion. Another benefit of de layering is that individuals and groups can be more autonomous and responsive to customer needs (Wilson, 1994). Within the general policy guidelines of the organization, employees at the customer interface are empowered to make decisions that previously would have to be referred to higher levels. Finally, another application of the framework presented in this paper would be to investigate the relative influence of so-called best practices on different organizational outcomes. Many of the HRM practices identified in the recent literature seem like fads because they often are implemented without much understanding of the underlying principles of human behavior as well as a tendency to do whatever is popular at the moment, regardless of whether it makes sense in the specific setting or organization (Pfeffer, 1994). It is this trendiness that makes the task of measuring and demonstrating the effective contribution of HR policies and practices of organizations so difficult. Yet, for many line managers, it is the ability to show that HR adds value, not the rhetoric, that forms the basis of policy making and which gives HR its place on company boards. If the HR policies and practices are misaligned, or no attempt is made to provide line managers with a framework to assess practices on an ongoing basis, the credibility and influence of the HR function will suffer. The framework put forward in this article may help to avoid these mistakes. Linkage between Production and Effective HRM: The aspect of this model presenting the greatest practical difficulty is in specifying and measuring employee productivity. A couple of factors complicate this task. The one receiving the most attention in the past has been the problem of measuring productivity, and the more fundamental problem concerning the definition of productivity. At the simplest level, productivity can be defined in terms of quantity of output. Quality is also an important aspect of productivity, but it is the quantity definition of productivity that has received the most attention. The practical difficulty is that many measures of productivity (both quantity and particularly quality) are subjective measures, and thus not very amenable to simulation. Blue collar and routine clerical occupations are the ones most amenable to simulations at present, due to the relative simplicity involved in defining and measuring productivity. Due to the difficulty in determining acceptable objective performance measures, many organizations and studies rely upon subjective measures of productivity, but Bommer et al. [13] conclude that the measures are not interchangeable due to the low published correlations between objective and subjective performance measures. In practical terms, this means that the performance measures used by most organizations are useless for the purpose of simulation studies. The model just illustrated and discussed makes it clear just how complex the human resource aspects of production can be, yet complexity is not a sufficient reason to warrant inclusion in models of production systems. It is only important to include human resources in production system models if biased or deficient conclusions would result from ignoring human resources. The discussion will thus turn to some examples that will highlight the importance of considering carefully the human resource implications of policy decisions. Finally, a brief example of an informal test of the model is discussed. In the example, a post hoc evaluation of an actual example is performed, with simulation results that are consistent with the actual outcome. Leaders influence on organizational effectiveness: Most effects of human capital on firm performance are mediated by efficiency and innovative adaptation. Employees with strong skills and motivation are likely to be more productive, because they will do the work faster and smarter. Research shows that talented employees can improve efficiency and process reliability (e.g., Hatch Dyer, 2004; Ichniowski Shaw, 1999). Talented employees can also improve adaptation by helping to develop innovative products and services, by marketing them effectively, and by providing excellent customer service (Baer Frese, 2003; Pfeffer, 1998; Vermeulen, Jong, OShaughnessy, 2005). Because efficiency and adaptation mediate the effects of human resources and relations on firm performance, the importance of human resources and relations increases when talented, dedicated employees are needed to achieve optimal levels for these other two performance determinants. Human resources are more important when operations are labor intensive, the work is complex and difficult to learn, successful performance requires a high level of skill and experience, and it is difficult to recruit and train competent replacements for people who leave. Examples of organizations likely to have such conditions include hospitals, consulting firms, law firms, advertising agencies, research universities, and companies that rely on advanced manufacturing technology (Snell Dean, 1992). Human resources and relations are very important when the competitive strategy requires unique experts or celebrities to attract and retain customers (Grant, 1996; Pennings et al., 1998). If unusually talented employees are dissatisfied, they can often find jobs in competing companies or start their own company. Voluntary turnover of key employees can be important not only for the loss of unique skills, but also for the loss of their special external relationships with clients, suppliers, strategic partners, and others (Dess Shaw, 2001; Leana Van Buren, 1999; Pennings et al., 1998). Examples of organizations with high dependence on uniquely talented members include professional sports teams, advertising agencies, talent agencies, consulting companies, and investment banking firms. Human relations and resources are less important when much of the work can be done by unskilled workers, there are many people who are able and willing to do simple repetitive work for low wages and benefits, and there are few labor laws or other limitations on how employees are treated (as in many third-world countries). Likewise, human resources and relations are less important when an organization needs few employees except for the headquarters staff (e.g., a chemicals company with highly automated processes, an internet services company, or a â€Å"virtual organization† for which nearly all functions are outsourced). Leaders can improve the performance of an organization by influencing the performance determinants. One form of influence is the use of specific leadership behaviors in interactions with subordinates, peers, and outsiders. A second form of influence involves decisions about management programs and systems, and organizational structure. A third form of influence involves decisions about the competitive strategy for the organization. The three forms of influence must be used together in a consistent way for effective strategic leadership. The Changing Role of HR Managers in Europe: European HR management appears to be a field in transition; external forces such as increasing demands for quality improvement, privatization and completion of the Single European Market are important influences affecting the nature and scope of HRM across European countries. Competitive pressures have added to the challenges created by the changes in the occupational and demographic make-up of the workforce. What are the implications of these developments for the HR function across Europe? It is interesting to note that HR and non-HR managers attached a different degree of importance to the various skill and knowledge areas. In particular, HR managers rated organizational change skills, general business management, and knowledge of general Personnel HR techniques significantly higher in importance than non- HR managers. In contrast, non-HR managers attached more importance to consultation skills, improving employee motivation, and working in teams. These differences were most pronounced in the manufacturing sector. In fact, analysis of sector scores showed that respondents from manufacturing companies consistently rated the need for skills to improve employee motivation, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication higher than those employed in the service and public sectors. These growing demands put the HR manager in a difficult position. If (as the EAPM findings indicated) HR managers are often perceived as too administrative and traditional, line managers may hesitate to allow them to rotate out of the narrow confines of their function into areas where they can gain broader business experience. In addition, what remains unclear is what will happen to the potential role overload and growing expectations on someone in the role of a hardworking HR manager who cannot do all that is required. The senior HR executive in a Swiss company put it candidly: ‘It scares me to think that I might be expected to go out and run a business after twenty years in HR. Im afraid Id fail. HRM Practices in small firms: According to the RBV, human resources (as distinct from human resource activities) are viewed as a potential source of sustained competitive advantage because value, rareness, inimitability and non substitutability is derived from the inherent heterogeneity, ambiguity and complexity of these resources and the conditions under which they are deployed (Wright et al., 1994). Value derives from the unique contribution of skills, knowledge, and cognitive abilities (for example) to achieving firm goals. Research shows that training is an important HRM issue for many small firms, but formal training is less likely to be provided in these firms (Storey, 2004). Storey and Westhead (1997) provide two explanations for this. First, training is less likely to occur in small firms because of ‘ignorance of the benefit it can bring and second because the cost is too high for small firms (Storey, 2004; Storey Westhead, 1997). Importance of Corporate image and reputation: From the perspective of marketing, the impact of corporate image and reputation on consumer behavior is well recognized in spite of the lack of empirical evidence. Numerous authors assert that a good corporate image or reputation helps to increase the firms sales and its market share (Shapiro, 1982), and to establish and maintain a loyal relationship with customers (Andreassen and Lindestad, 1998; Robertson, 1993; Yoon et al., 1993). How is corporate image related to corporate reputation? A review of the past research in the field shows little empirical results except for some general statements. For example, Porter (1985) suggests that a good reputation may help a pioneer rebuilding an innovative image in the industry, while Franklin (1984) proposes that corporate reputation is a global and final outcome of the process of building a corporate image. Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: Throughout the 1980s there were a number of variations along this theme of strategic fit (Lengnick-Hall and Lengnick-Hall, 1988). One of the clearest expositions and developments of this theme was given by Schuler and Jackson (1987). In their model, HRM is seen as a menu of strategic choices to be made by HR executives intended to promote the most effective role behaviors that are consistent with the organization strategy and are aligned with each other. The models starting points are the generic competitive strategies outlined by Porter (1980) i.e. quality enhancement, innovation and cost leadership or reduction. For example, Kravetz (1988) conducted a survey of 150 Forbes 500 companies to examine the relationship between Human Resource Progressiveness (HRP) and a variety of financial measures drawn from Standard Poors Compustat Services, such as five-year growth in sales, five-year growth in profits, and P-E ratio for the latest twelve months. HRP was measured by asking the vice presidents of human resources of each company in the survey to complete a fifty-one item questionnaire on human resource policies and practices in the areas of communication, management style, career development, performance management, working hours and employee participation. Finally, it is clear the contribution of even highly skilled and motivated employees will be limited if jobs are programmed or structured in such a way that employees do not get the opportunity to use their skills and abilities to improve their performance. Consequently, HRM practices can also create competitive advantage through provision of organizational structures, leadership and work conditions that encourage initiative and creativity among employees and allow them to find ways to improve how their jobs are performed. Delegation, cross-functional teamwork and participative management are examples of such conditions. FINAL CONCLUSION With the increasing demands of todays business environment, company executives are placing more pressure on the human resource function to perform better, smarter, faster, and cheaper, while providing more value added services. Now, in addition to supporting workforce requirements and general business initiatives, the activities of HR are increasingly focused on managing the broader human capital capabilities required to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage (e.g., succession planning, leadership development, performance management, cultural transformation).In order to accommodate this shift in focus, HR needs to rapidly align their priorities and resources to provide the wider range of expertise necessary. References: How leaders influence organizational effectiveness Gary Yukl Management Department, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA. The Leadership Quarterly 19 (2008) 708-722 Hatch, W. N., Dyer, H. J. (2004). Human capital and learning as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal, 25, 1155−1178. Ichniowski, C., Shaw, K. (1999). The effect of human resource management systems on economic performance: an international comparison of U.S. and Japanese plants. . Management Science, 45(5), 704−721. Baer, M., Frese, M. (2003). Innovation is not enough: climates for initiative and psychological safety, process innovations, and firm performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 45−68. Pfeffer, J. (1998). The human equation. Boston: Harvard Business School. Vermeulen, A. M. P., Jong, D. P. J. J., O, Shaughnessy, K. C. (2005). Identifying key determinants for new produ

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay --

The number of obese people in America outweighs the number of people who are merely overweight. 34% of Americans are obese, closely followed by the 32.7% of Americans that are overweight. That is crazy and extremely ridiculous. Consider this, the lowest percentage of obesity is 3.2%, three point two present, in both Korea and Japan the next lowest percentage is 7.7 in Switzerland. America has the highest obesity rate in the world, followed by Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada and Greece. In fact the only English speaking country that is on the lower end of the spectrum is Ireland; they have a 13% obesity rate. Experts say that obesity continues to increase due to poor eating habits and not enough exercise. There are other factors such as stress, not getting enough sleep and sometimes certain medications. Obesity has become more and more prevalent in society, and not just in America. However the number of obese people has more than doubled since 1980. Food seems to be the main cause of obesity, so naturally in order to fix something just remove the root of the problem. People enjoy food; they indulge in it and even gorge upon in to the point that they stuff themselves, full, to the point of bursting. Not literally of course. So the only real way to solve the obesity epidemic is to remove all food sources. Not only is it the root of the problem, but food of any kind costs money and labor. Since America is the most obese country, predictably it would be one of the laziest as well. So why waste time, and money on a substance such as food, that is causing obesity? In order to grow and make food farmers and cooks spend many hours of labor in order to prepare it for people to eat. There is a phrase; Lake 2 â€Å"killing two birds with one ... ...e of food: food and drink designed for weight loss, for health or religious reasons, or to control or improve a medical condition. However the definition should read: a way for people to make money and become famous, at the expense of obese and overweight people. People spend tones and tones of money on diet programs, books and special food, and it always ends the same, little to no results. As stated before Americans are lazy and it seems impossible to break bad eating. Plus diets are filled with boring and bland food, with restrictions at every corner. Not even the most dedicated person would be able to stick with this type of plan. The people who create the diets and exercise plans have one thing in common, and that is they are setting millions of Americans up for failure. Yes there is the occasional success story, but in all reality it does not happen very often.

Monday, November 11, 2019

A Mental Exercise To Increase My Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence

I understand that it must be a matter of subjectivity for the reader to focus on a single type of intelligence while perusing Armstrong’s (1994) book, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom.In my case, it has been the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, most probably because I feel the need to increase my own.   Unfortunately, my school teachers were not aware of the multiple intelligences theory.   Even if they were, they would certainly not have decided to speak to my bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.   Just the same I admired children whose bodies performed more amazing functions than mine.This is the reason why my reflection on Armstrong’s book must be centered on bodily-kinesthetic intelligence as a subconscious exercise for me to increase my own.   Still, I agree with the author that all types of intelligences are equally important.   Moreover, I trust the fact that all intelligences are important enough to be studied individually and in depth.   The vari ous types of intelligence may also be understood in greater depth through the study of a single type of intelligence.It was Gardner (1983) who changed our views about intelligence forever when he proposed in his famous book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, that there are actually seven kinds of intelligences as opposed to the singular type of genetic intelligence that had built the foundation of the Stanford-Binet IQ Test.According to the theory of multiple intelligences, it is possible for a child to be a genius in terms of interpersonal intelligence, and a nerd in logical-mathematical intelligence, and yet fail in school because his or her greatest strength lies in a high level of bodily-kinesthetic awareness and the teacher of the pupil does not know how the child must be taught with special reference to his or her principal abilities.Armstrong states that children with a higher than usual degree of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should be taught spelling b y associating it with movement.   As an example, â€Å"a teacher might try to connect sitting with consonants and standing with vowels (Willingham, 2004).†Ã‚   Indeed, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has led not only to new ideas like the ones put forth by Armstrong, but it has also led to a revolution in the study of intelligence.

Friday, November 8, 2019

French Wine Pronunciation

French Wine Pronunciation If you love French wine but hate ordering it, heres a page that can help. This list of French wines and related vocabulary includes sound files to help you pronounce the names of French wines. A la và ´tre  !le vin  Ã‚  Ã‚  winele vin blanc  Ã‚  Ã‚  white winele vin rosà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  rosà © winele vin rouge  Ã‚  Ã‚  red wineun verre  Ã‚  Ã‚  glassune bouteille  Ã‚  Ã‚  bottleune dà ©gustation de vin  Ã‚  Ã‚  wine tasting(learn more)French WinesArmagnacBeaujolais nouveauBordeauxBourgogne  Ã‚  Ã‚  (burgundy)Cabernet sauvignonChablisChampagneChà ¢teauneuf-du-PapeChenin blancCognacMà ©docMerlotMuscatPinot blancPinot grisPinot noirPomerolPouilly-Fuissà ©SancerreSauternesSauvignon blancSà ©millonSt ÉmilionViognierVouvrayGo on to page 2 to learn some French wine tasting terms.Related Articles Wine festival in Hyà ¨res French Expressions la và ´tre !Mettre de leau dans son vinLe nouveau est arrivà © Now that you know how to pronounce French wine and have ordered it, what next? There is a whole science to wine, called oenology, that analyzes everything from making wine to tasting wine. The latter is the most important part for consumers, so here are some terms to help you talk about what youre drinking.La dà ©gustation de vin , or wine tasting, can be summed up into three steps.1. La robe - AppearanceBefore you take even one sip, look at the wine and consider its color, clarity, and consistency. Here are some French terms to help you describe what you see.La couleur - ColorIn addition to obvious colors like rouge (red) and blanc (white), you might see ambrà © - amberbrun - browncarmin - crimsoncuivrà © - copperydorà © - goldenjaunà ¢tre - yellowishorangà © - orangeypaille - strawpourpre - scarletrose saumon - salmon pinkrubis - rubyverdà ¢tre - greenishviolacà © - purplishclair - lightfoncà © - darkpà ¢le - paleprofond - deep La clartà © brillant - brilliantbrumeux - mistyclair - clearcristallin - crystal-clearopaque - opaqueun reflet - glintterne - dulltrouble - muddy La consistance des bulles - bubblesdes dà ©pà ´ts - sedimentdes jambes, larmes - legs or tears; how the wine flows down the sides of the glassde la mousse - foam, bubbles 2. Le nez - Smellles arà ´mesFrench food vocabularyfruità ©và ©gà ©talfruits and vegetablesagrumesfruits rougespamplemousseartichautchampignonsflorallavandejasminvioletteun goà »t de chà ¢taignenoisettenoixà ©picà ©poivrecannellemuscadeherbacà ©rà ©glissethymmenthe boisà © - woodybrà »là © - burnt tastecacao - cocoacafà © - coffeecà ¨dre - cedarcharnu - meatychocolat - chocolatefoin - hayfumà © - smokymà ©dicinal - medicinalminà ©ral - mineralmusquà © - muskyparfumà © - fragrantpin - pinerà ©sinà © - resinoustabac - tobaccoterreux - earthythà © - teavanille - vanilla un dà ©faut bouchonnà © - corkedmildiousà © - mildewedmoisi - moldy, mustyoxydà © - oxidized 3. La bouche - Taste acerbe - tartacide - acidicaigre - souraigu - sharpamer - bitterun arrià ¨re-goà »t - aftertastebien à ©quilibrà © - well balanceddoux - sweetfrais - freshfruità © - fruityun goà »t - tastela longueur / persistance en bouche - time the flavor remains in your mouth after swallowingmoelleux - sugaryune note - hintplat - flatrond - mildrude - harshsalà © - saltyune saveur - flavorsec - drysucrà © - sweetapercevoir - to perceiveavaler - to swallowboire - to drinkcracher - to spit outfaire tourner le vin dans le verre - to swirl the wine in the glassincliner - to tilt (the glass)remarquer - to noticesiroter - to sipvoir - to see How to Taste Wines

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Is there a crisis of meaning in the contemporary world Essay Example

Is there a crisis of meaning in the contemporary world Essay Example Is there a crisis of meaning in the contemporary world Essay Is there a crisis of meaning in the contemporary world Essay In modern day society, an increasing number of people question their purpose, their meaning, and their very existence on this earth. The questioning stems from either a lack of faith, a lack of understanding, lack of knowledge, or the general belief that human life pales in insignificance to the universe, and that, as described in Humanism: A Very Short Introduction, humanity amounts to nothing more then a dirty smudge on a ball of rock lost in an incomprehensively vast universe'(page 119)1. We must ask ourselves, what causes humanity to constantly question itself? Can it be solely be attributed to the rise of modern day science, which casts itself directly opposite the might and meaning of religion? Or it may be the fact that humans, are a race are more aware of the Earths small role in the vast universe; a parallel with humanities own insecurities about their own role in the colossal size of the universe. Personal situations, such as the heartbreak of unrequited love, the despair of losing your job, can evaporate all meaning in an individuals life, thus leading towards a crisis of value. In the Western world especially, the rise of atheism has also contributed towards an individuals lack of belief and sense of meaning; as one turned to religion and the belief that there was a higher power, which was substantial enough to give the individual meaning and a place in society. However, the rise of atheism, has led people to question the idea of an all powerful God. The seeds of modern day atheism were sown by Karl Marx, who felt that religion was a form of control, and that the idea of a God was an illusion. He also stated that Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feelings of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of unspiritual conditions. It is the opium of the people. 2 This school of thought gained popularity, as more and more people started to think outside of the institutionalized, rigid ideas of religion. It was thought that the idea of an all loving God, whom people had to worship did not satisfy the developing curiosity of the masses, who still wonder, how an omniscient, omnipotent higher being, can allow atrocities such as the Nazis slaughter of millions of Jews in World War 2 occur without trying to stop it, or lets natural disasters such as the Japanese earthquake and tsunami of 2011 take place. Surely if a loving God exists, such pain and suffering cannot be piled on so many people? Certain religions, such as Hinduism, go to great lengths to explain the suffering inflicted upon so many. It is a belief in Hinduism, and various other religions such as Buddhism and Sikhism, that our physical beings are just a shell for our soul, which is derived directly from God itself. This soul is reincarnated within various lifetimes, as punishment for our past sins. This means that the agony and pain undergone by so many is a direct result of our past actions, in previous lives, thus taking the absence of an intervention of God, out of the equation. The lack of a definitive answer however, leads individuals to lose faith in a God, and a religious system, as these questions eventually cannot be answered by anybody, all but leaving either a feeling of emptiness or content inside the person; as they either are satisfied with knowing theres nothing more to life, or are depressed by the thought that there is no meaning to their existence. Albert Schopenhauer, a philosopher in the 18th century rejected the idea of a God, and that suffering and loss is all of our own making, and not determined by a higher power. An existential crisis is in most cases triggered by a significant event which provokes a turning point in an individuals life. These can range from cases involving the loss of a loved one, to an individuals own sense of isolation and detachment from the modern world. Looking back on my own experience of being in the position of one who has lost faith and ultimately questioned the purpose of life, the ultimate answer is that each person must come to their own conclusion, and find their own path in life. For me, after going through the pain of unrequited love, I was lead to question God, and the reason why I had been going such heartache, while others around me were so happy, and for a period of time I felt isolated and found no reason strong enough to justify why human beings are here. For me, being brought up in a religious household, this was a radical way of thinking, and had no idea how to deal with it. My way of life had been threatened by a new way of thinking, and questioning whether all I believed in was a lie. Now I realize it was my lack underlying lack of faith which subsequently led me to question my existence and purpose on this earth. I discovered that the worst thing about questioning one selfs meaning and purpose, is that there is no definitive answer. The quest for meaning led me to research several philosophers and religious figures, including a prominent Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda enabled me to understand the meaning of our existence, by stating that human beings were like the bee who came to sip the honey, but found its feet stuck to the honey-pot, and could not get it away. Again and again we find ourselves in that state. That is the whole secret of existence. . This is further explained when he questions Why are we here? We came to sip the honey, and we find our hands and feet stuck to it3. This for me implies that human beings are never satisfied with what we have, and always seem to question more and more, without finding any satisfactory answer. The breakthroughs and discoveries in science further destroyed peoples ideas of a higher purpose, as it moved to dissolve the idea of a creator figure. Charles Darwin was a leading figure in challenging Creationism and the Great Chain of Being. His studies and new ideas such as Succession of types, Representative species, and the distribution of species were important in radically altering peoples outlook on life. His theory of evolution, ascertaining that man was essentially once a Neanderthal opposed the idea that we were created for a purpose. It challenged the idea that humanity was the center of the world, and that the hierarchy must be rejected, and that man is just a consequence of nature, which moved to dissolve many peoples belief in a higher power, thus leading them to query their existence, as Darwins theories suggested that we were not put on this planet for any specific reason by a God; we are just a consequence of natural selection and biology. Darwins theories were challenged by Karl Popper, a philosopher who claimed that scientific theories could be falsified and replaced. The problem with science however, is that it does not provide a moral code, or ascertain what is wrong and right to feel, leaving the individual in a quandary about what to believe. In conclusion, it can be said that a higher number of people fail to find meaning in their life, or at least question it at some point in their lifetime. This is due to a combination of a lack of faith in a God/religion , the emergence of science and Darwins theory of natural selection/ evolution and the consequence of suffering caused by events such as the Rwanda genocide and global AIDs crisis. The fundamental problem is that there is no definitive answer, and no solution to the questioning of an individuals purpose, leaving us to the only answer, that each individual must find their own path in life.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Fair Value and Fair Presentation of Financial Statements Assignment

Fair Value and Fair Presentation of Financial Statements - Assignment Example As per the requirements of IFRS 5, 'the assets that are held for sale are to measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair value fewer costs to sell' (IASB, n.d.). This means that the asset should be marketed for sale at a price which is arrived by considering the fair value of the asset. This ensures that financial statements provide a more realistic figure for fixed assets that are held for sale. IAS 16 provides accounting treatment of property, plant, and equipment and their revaluation for the purpose of financial reporting. As per the standard, 'after recognition as an asset, an item of property, plant and equipment whose fair value can be measured reliably shall be carried at a revalued amount, being its fair value at the date of the revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses' (IASB, n.d.). This shows that the standard requires assets to be represented in financial statements at their fair value as a true representation of their actual value at the time of balance sheet development. This standard deals with recognition, measurement, and revaluation of an intangible asset. An intangible asset is a non-monetary asset and has no physical form. The standard requires a revaluation of the intangible asset at the 'fair value at the date of revaluation less any  accumulated amortization and any subsequent accumulated impairment losses' (IASB, n.d.). The fair value is determined with reference to active markets where the prices are available to the public, buyers and sellers are available, and items are traded in a homogenous way. In addition to the above, IAS 32 and IAS 39 require the use of fair value for measuring and presenting the value of financial assets and financial liabilities.  

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Enterprise in practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enterprise in practice - Essay Example These models can be used in practice in order to assess the viability of an opportunity under specific market conditions. The first of these models, the SWOT analysis, provides a detailed view of the internal and the external environment of the organization. SWOT analysis focuses on the identification and the evaluation of the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Earley et al. 2000). The two first elements of SWOT analysis, i.e. the strengths and weaknesses refer to the internal organizational environment; in opposition, opportunities and threats reflect the organization’s external environment (Adler et al. 2008). ... al conditions; moreover, secondary data describing the organization’s external environment would be also used (for instance, statistical data referring to the performance of the industry in which the organization operates or the trends of the particular industry regarding specific business decisions, e.g. mergers and acquisitions); it would be preferable that the information referring to the organization’s external environment is relevant to the opportunity the viability of which has been set under examination; for example, if the development of a strategic alliance between a specific organization and a well known organization of its industry is planned, then the performance of similar strategic decisions within the particular industry would be examined; an alternative method for generating ideas, along with the use of SWOT analysis, would be the focus groups, which would offer the following advantage: through the open discussion on a series of important issues, ideas c ould be developed in regard to the opportunity under evaluation; b) furthermore, the ideas generating through the above process – or processes, in case that both the processes suggested above are used – should be carefully preserved, in order to be further processed; the use of a notebook would be useful ensuring that the ideas generating will be not in risk – referring to the potential loss of ideas if they are stored in a database/ PC accessed by third persons, c) at the next level, the PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors) would be used in order to identify additional risks in the organization’s external environment; PEST analysis refers to different elements of the organization’s external environment and for this reason it should be used along with SWOT