Human Resources Planning for Hospitality and Tourism

Graduate School Trisakti Institute of Tourism Final Assignment (Problem Solving) Course : Human Resources Planning for Hospitality and Tourism Lectrurer : Prof. Syamsir Abduh, PhD Case Study 1 Brunt Hotels, PLC, owns more than 60 hotels throughout the United Kingdom. They recently acquired a small hotel chain headquartered in France. Brunt’s chief executive decided that half of the new hotels in France would be retained and rebranded as part of the Brunt Hotels Group; the other half will be sold.This will support Brunt’s strategic objective of growing the organization slowly to make sure that new ventures are well supported and opened on time and on budget. Brunt’s hotels are considered budget accommodations; they are functional, clean and reasonably priced. Additional information about UK hotel standards is available at Most guests stay for one to three nights and are a combination of business and leisure travellers. The hotels are typically situated in downtown locations that are easily accessible by mass transit. Relevant materials: Hospitality and Tourism RelationshipTourists are attracted to these hotels in popular visitor destinations where the many local attractions mean that they will not be spending much time in their hotel rooms. The organization has decided to use an ethnocentric approach and send some of their existing UK-based managers to France to lead the changeover of the new hotels and then manage them after they re-open. If this new overseas venture is successful, Brunt may decide to acquire other small hotel groups in other European countries. The organization would like to own 150 hotels in the next five years. Their 10-year plan is to own 300 hotels across Europe.This is an ambitious target, so it is important that the organization finds an effective formula to operate successfully in other countries. The management team decides to select only one of the three proposed training programs, confident that it will be useful and informative for the new expatriates. However, they would also like to provide external support for the new expatriates to make their transition to a new country as smooth as possible. They are aware of some of the services that can be offered to support employees on both a personal and professional level, but do not have a comprehensive overview.Question: The management team asks you to conduct Internet-based research to find out what expatriate support services are available. Case Study 2 (see the case study 1: Brunt Hotels) The management team liked your recruitment advertisement, but realized that they did not consider the salary for these new positions! Since the organization has never hired managers to work outside the UK before, they do not know how to start determining the compensation. They provide you with the following information that they found on the Internet: * Existing salary for managers is ? 0,000 (45,000 Euros) plus bonuses. * Surveys show that the average salary for hotel managers in France is 60,000 Euros with no opportunity to earn bonuses. The directors want to have a consistent approach as to how they compensate expatriates because they expect their overseas business to expand in the future. They also want existing employees to be enticed into working abroad and want to have a good range of incentives. Question : Design a compensation package for the hotel management position. Explain the rationale for your design.You may also include non-financial benefits. Case Study 3 This is a case of two competing hotels, Sunrise Hotel and Beachside Hotel that are both located in a medium sized, tourism based town in the Northeast U. S. The hotels are both competing for the same set of guests, as well as the same set of potential employees. They are both budget hotels, right next door to each other, with 60 guest rooms each and a view of the beach. The occupancy during peak season for the Sunrise Hotel is 98%, but during the winter months goes down to 65%.The Beachside Hotel has peak season occupanc y of 90% and off peak occupancy of 50%. Joe is the General Manager of Sunrise Hotel and has been in his current position for 5 years. He has been with Sunrise Hotel for a total of 10 years. He worked his way up at Sunrise Hotel from front desk agent to front desk supervisor, and finally to Assistant General Manager before he became the General Manager. He does a good job of screening potential employees for his front desk area of the hotel because he realizes the importance of that area of the hotel, especially in tourist areas.He also has incentives set up for excellent performance of the front desk agents and training and development programs designed to give everyone information that will help them do their job better. There is a sense of teamwork at Sunrise Hotel and that helps everyone want to do a good job. His guest satisfaction ratings for his hotel are overall excellent. On a rating scale of 1–10, his hotel averages a 9. The average length of tenure of his employees is 4 years, and his current front desk supervisor was promoted from within, along with his Assistant General Manager.Because of the small size of the hotel, Joe is actually involved with all of the hiring decisions and helps to give training programs himself, along with his leadership team. The employee turnover at the Sunrise Hotel is 25% overall and that is primarily when hourly employees graduate high school or college and leave the Sunrise Hotel for a career somewhere else. Brian is the General Manager of the Beachside Hotel and deals with a very different situation. Brian was brought in from another hotel in the same hotel group about 6 months ago.He was told by his boss that he needed to â€Å"fix† this hotel so that it would start having better customer satisfaction ratings and more return guests. Despite the fairly high occupancy noted during peak seasons, the off peak season occupancy is only 50%. Also noted by his boss, the occupancy should be as good as the Sunrise Hotel. Brian has been with his hotel group now for 2 years and he came out of the accounting and finance department in his old hotel. He has a great understanding of the numbers in the lodging industry, but has not been involved with the human resource aspects of the job.The turnover of hourly employees at Beachside Hotel is 120% and that means that Brian is constantly running the hotel short handed and with new employees. The Beachside Hotel has been doing the hiring through a human resource practitioner in the hotel that was put in the position because she really could not handle serving guests at the front desk very well. Mary was promoted to human resources a year ago after she had one too many altercations with the guests at the front desk. The owner of the hotel wanted to make sure that she would not make any of the other guests angry, so he promoted her to a human resources practitioner.Since that time, she has been busy trying to keep up with hiring and she has had no time for training employees. Because she is so busy, paychecks often come out to employees late, there are no policies written down for employees to use as a guide for performance, customers are treated badly by new and poorly trained employees, and the departments of the hotel do not communicate very effectively and therefore everyone blames everyone else when things go wrong. The average length of tenure of the front desk agents at the Beachside Hotel is 3 months and the customer satisfaction rating at the Beachside is a 6 out of a 10 possible rating.Most of the front desk agents that are hired come from other hotels in the area after they quit or are fired. Brian is not involved in the hiring for the hotel at all, and does not get involved with training and development. He spends most of his days looking at the financial reports for the hotel and analyzing average daily rate, occupancy rates, and REVPAR. Brian knows that he has many problems to deal with and so he goes to the Sunrise Hotel to observe things over there for a while. He sees a happy crew and talks to Joe about how he is making that happen.Joe is happy to help, but wants Brian to go back and observe his employees first and come up with ways that he specifically can help guide Brian. Questions: 1. What could Brian learn from Joe in terms of the human capital aspects of running a hotel? 2. What human resource planning initiatives could be undertaken by either the Sunrise Hotel or Beachside Hotel in order to help with the overall performance of their respective organizations? Available from:| Monday, 3 December 2012, 07:00 AM| Due date:| Monday, 3 December 2012, 12:30 PM|

Ptlls Course Meeting the Needs of Learners

Meeting needs of learners www. niacedc. org. uk Students have different learning needs, and as a training provider I need to identify these needs, as when you pay attention to students needs (within reason, and on a professional basis that I am qualified to do so ) ,your student will work to the best of there ability, and their learning experience with you will be a positive one.Students also have a better commitment when they have an active part, in deciding goals, and they are told what the time scale is to reach the goals, and identifying criteria for assessing goals. All students that enrol with us are given enrolment questionnaires ,this helps us build a data base for student, and helps identify the students experience, and any qualifications they may hold. The questionnaire also has a basic Math and English competency question, to allow us to establish any areas we may need to be able to address and help the student with.We also ask if they have any computer skills and at what level. All students are then asked to meet with me personally so I can welcome them to the course, and put them at ease, it also allows me and the student to establish, their individual targets and goals, by the student having in put into there learning, it makes the student feel involved and makes the course when broken down achievable for them..We have regular feed back sessions which helps the student identify an areas they feel weaker in or are not entirely happy with, which allows a plan of action to be implemented and then a follow up feed back to assess how the student is progressing. With regular feedback sessions students are encouraged and it helps them develop their skills.

Avid Exiting

There are many reasons why I wish to get out of the Avid program. I personally feel like this class isn't helping me in any way shape or form, I know I'll do fine without Avid and I want to do electives which I would actually enjoy and would make my remaining two years of high school memorable. This year would be my third year in Avid. My past two years of Avid have not been enjoyable nor have they helped me.There's been many cases where I needed help on a question, and would wrote it down as a tutorial question; I stopped doing that once I realized how uncooperative the students were, I would only be helped if a tutor was in our group which was unlikely due to the low amount of tutors we have. The questions other students would write were in no way beneficial to them or the group because they already knew the answer too them. Although some questions were deceiving with their length or appearance to make the question look ‘hard' they really weren't.The students would go up and answer it within a minute and sit back down without explaining; when I wanted an explanation I would get it, but with attitude for them not wanting to at least explain how they solved the problem. This irritated me so I soon chose to Just go to tutoring when I needed any sort of help. Although I see why Avid is a well-recognized program, Vie personally had no benefit from it. It's because of this that I predict exiting from the program won't affect me.I know Avid will look good in my college transcript but I don't worry about that since I have pretty good grades and keep them that way. When I need help, I can always go to my teachers for tutoring, as I already do. I'm aware that this is a new ear and a fresh start but if it's the same thing all over again, I know I would regret staying in the program for yet another year. The only reason Vie chosen to stay in Avid the past two years want to please people who encouraged me to stay but now I shall take a stand for myself.I only have t wo years left of high school and I want them to be memorable. I want to Join the electives I actually want to be in like culinary arts or yearbook. Vie built up such a negative vibe towards Avid, I'll only people down if I do stay. Vie been told that as an Avid student I should feel, â€Å"Lucky because there is a list of people waiting to Join Avid hat actually want to be in here and work†. My exiting won't affect me or the program.Someone who I know will be a great addition to the program would simply replace I respect people's opinions of why I should stay in Avid but getting out of Avid won't stop me from being successful. I have high expectations for myself and I know I will strive with or without Avid; and in the end it's my choice. I am responsible for myself and what I believe is best for me, along with my parent's of course. My decision is made and I hope I'm given the opportunity to exit the program. By Griswold

Nike Hrm Issues and Solutions

Sarawak Campus School of Business & Design HBH225N Human Resource Management Semester 02/2012 Individual Assignment Nike – Human Resource Management Issues and Solutions Due Date: Friday, 30. November 2012 By Katharina Pilgrim, ID: 4310187 Executive Summary In 1964 a company known back then as Blue Ribbon Sports was founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. 14 years later the US American multinational corporation officially became Nike, Inc. , which is up to today engaged in the development, design and international marketing and selling of sport footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services.The company’s headquarters are located in Washington County, Oregon, near Beaverton in the United States of America. Nike’s revenue reached 24. 1 billion USD in 2012 with an operating income of 3. 04 billion USD and employing worldwide more than 44. 000 people. The company is leading in supplying athletic apparel and shoes as well as manufacturing sports equipment an d other athletic and recreational products. Just the brand alone is worth 10. 7 billion USD, which makes Nike the most valuable brand among sport businesses. Its president and CEO is Mark Parker and founder Phil Knight still remains chairman of the board.The company’s name Nike goes back to the Greek goddess of victory, Nike [ni? k ]. In 1971 the graphic-design student Carolyn Davidson drafted the company logo for 35 USD, the international trademark and better known today as the Swoosh. Nike owns a number of subsidiaries, including the four most important ones, the upscale footwear company Cole Haan, the surf apparel company Hurley International, Converse Inc. , makers of the iconic Chuck Taylor All Stars sneakers and sports apparel supplier Umbro (About Nike Inc, 2012). Table of Contents 1. Introduction 04 2. Analysis of HRM Issues 04 . 1 Employee Compensation 04 2. 2 employee Motivation 05 2. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 06 2. 4 Quality of Work Life 07 2. 5 Managing Div ersity 08 3. Implication of Issues 08 3. 1 Employee Compensation 08 3. 2 employee Motivation 09 3. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 10 3. 4 Quality of Work Life 10 3. 5 Managing Diversity 11 4. Recommendations 12 4. 1 Employee Compensation 12 4. 2 employee Motivation 13 4. 3 Occupational Health and Safety 13 4. 4 Quality of Work Life 14 4. 5 Managing Diversity 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. References 16 . Introduction The following report will analyse five major human resource management issues that occurred at Nike Inc. over the past years, relating them to human resource management models and theories, followed by an implication of those issues, which means elaborating on the outcomes or better, what happened to employees or management after the issues occurred and how they impacted the entire company. This will be followed by giving recommendations for those issues by finding solutions using human resource information systems and the theory of change management.In the end an overall con clusion will be drawn, summarizing the major points and solutions found. 2. 0 Analysis of HRM Issues 2. 1 Employee Compensation In 1998 the issue of unfair employee compensation in Nike’s factories in the South East Asian region arose and made its way to the public. Nike ‘s management was accused to use child labour in first place and pay Indonesian kids just 19 US cents per hour (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 40). Workers complained that their basic monthly salary is not high enough in order to meet their cost of living.There were also complaints concerning unpaid wages and disputed overtime payments. Nike was accused to exploit their workers and use methods of compensation along with the overall treatment that are against human rights (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 41). Base payment is considered a direct financial reward. Next to the indirect financial rewards and the non-financial ones regarding the job itself and the job environment it comes together as the overall employee compensa tion, which is the most important human resource management function (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 2). It can help in order to reinforce the culture of an organisation and its key values. Compensation also facilitates the achievement of the organisation’s business objects and therefore a significant mismatch between the compensation and the organisational strategy can create major barriers (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 22). In a compensation program with the employee as the objective, there are four points to take in mind. First, all employees must receive equitable treatment; second, the employee’s performance needs to me measured accurately and rewarded ppropriately. Also an appropriate compensation change needs to be provided as well as performance and compensation reviews on a regular basis (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 24). Nike does not see to apply this or any compensation program to their workers in South East Asia, especially in Indonesia and Vietn am. Nike also does not care to pay for performance. Merit pay exists in order to develop a productive, efficient and effective organisation that enhances their employee’s motivation and performance (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 25).Nike instead just pays and average minimum wage which neither reflects an employee’s performance nor is enough to survive in some cases (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 45). 2. 2 Employee Motivation Another issue that arose at Nike Inc. also in factories in South East Asia was that workers experienced a great lack of motivation, because they were highly dissatisfied with the attitude of their direct supervisor. Again, human rights were violated. In 2007 workers in factories in Vietnam claimed that the treatment of their direct supervisors was inhuman and makes them not want to go to work anymore at all (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009).Employees for example were just allowed to use the bathroom once a day in a twelve hour shift and drinking water was limited to two glasses per day as well. Supervisors would treat employees like second class people, talk in a rude tone and threaten them as well. As a result of this misbehaviour employees didn’t feel valued as human beings at all and started to loose motivation (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). Considering the existing theories of motivation, you can say that Nike’s supervisors practice the X theory, which makes manager’s assumptions directive, narrow and control oriented in their treatment of employees.Theory X is an early theory of motivation and in modern society should not be practiced anymore (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 41). Also the little pay workers receive can’t be the only motivational factor, since there is little trust between management and employees and money is viewed just as the sole motivator. The thought process of workers in affected factories looked like this; after they get treated poorly and have to face a difficult workplace environment, they put little effort in their work, so their performance is just acceptable, they receive a low wage with no opportunity in sight for a raise nyways, so they just do the minimum required in order to not get fired (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 42). This is not beneficial for the worker himself, since mentally he is also suffering if he has to go to a job every day he is not satisfied with and also not beneficial for Nike, since the worker’s performance will be on a very low level, raising chances for products to be not manufactured in a way the company desires.Taking a brief look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you can see that the physiological need that includes water, food and air is the fundamental of all needs every job has to provide for an employee, since if the base already experiences cracks, everything build on top will be crocked and not function in the way desired (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 43). 2. 3 Occupational Health and SafetyI n 2010, Nike had to face another issue besides the lack of employee motivation and the general public denouncing Nike due to their general treatment of their workforce in South East Asia, this time considering the topic of occupational health and safety. In factories in South China, after providing surveys prior to training, 60 to 90% of the employees stated that procedures to obtain permission for sick leave or access to medical care are very difficult. The death of two workers was alleged to be directly linked to the denial of sick leave and access to medical attention (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010).In general you can say, that Nike’s poor OH&S performance equates with poor human resource management and poor legal and social responsibility. Nike needs to establish its organisational health and safety objectives in order for the management to demonstrate commitment and support. Nike needs to be aware of the benefits of a safe work environment such as the improvement of personal safety, the reduction of uninsured losses as well as re-work (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 66).Since the key elements of workplace improvement are culture, systems and hardware you can say that Nike’s culture does not value the wellbeing of the entire staff, they do not seem to have a solid system underpinning OH&S as well as their hardware does not include OH&S considerations (Kolbe, Burkart & Zundel 2010, p. 67). 2. 4 Quality of Work Life Vice president of global human resource at Nike’s headquarters near Beaverton, David Ayre, stated in 2011, that growth is the biggest challenge for the company.The challenges for the management are continuously growing as rising global salaries dissipate the easy cost gains from offshore outsourcing (How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011). Considering that Nike’s highest concern is their profit, the management tends to forget about the employees and the quality of their workplace. The latest issue with Nike's labour practice that again occurred in factories in Vietnam, are a violation of overtime rules and an excess level of toxic fumes in the workplace.The quality of work life was rated poorly by questioned workers, claiming that there is no safe and healthy environment, no growth and security, no social integration and too little life space in general (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). A questioned worker, Miss B. , 32 years old stated, that she is suffering from a constant head and stomach ache, since she is working in the gluing section of the factory. The glue smells, sticks to skin and clothes and pain killers are not even working anymore (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009).Nike is known for making its equipment in countries which are in the developing phase, having very cheap labour, authoritarian government, a lack of human rights appeal and union movement (How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011). It does not seem that Nike has introduced quality of work life programs which incorporate principles of job enrichment and sociotechnical enrichment in a comprehensive effort in order to improve the quality of the work environment. The company does not seek to integrate employee needs with higher productivity (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 50).Instead spokesman like David Ayre make excuses in public to justify the poor quality of work life in Nike’s South East Asian factories. If quality circles would exist, work-related issues could be identified and solved, but this would require training, commitment, support and relevance to a range of organisational members (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 51). Besides the toxic fumes, tables and chairs were not appropriate in order to sit on them for twelve hours and even longer, plus the entire work atmosphere was not rated as comfortable as stated in the paragraphs above (Case Study for Nike 2009). . 5 Managing Diversity Nowadays managing diversity is highly important in any company. Unfortunately Nike also experienced problems in this field. 2001 female workers at factories in Indonesia reported incidents of sexual harassment and abuse. After the initial incident, when women reported that they were just allowed to go to the toilet with a supervisor watching, further investigations were undertaken. The outcome was that 30% of all respondents had personally experienced at least verbal abuse; nearly 8% of total workers reported unwanted sexual comments.At two factories, there were reports of ‘deeply disturbing’ incidents of sexual favours demanded in return for employment (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). Discrimination against women in companies is a great problem human resource management has to deal with. Discrimination can occur when unreasonable condition ore requirements are set, just as it happened with the female workers using the bathroom. Harassment is a particular form of discr imination, where the behaviour is designed to make a person feel unwelcome, offended, humiliated and intimidated.These entire factors apply to Nike’s supervisors and male managers who are involved in those accusations. Sexual harassment is considered physical, visual, verbal and non-verbal behaviour of a sexual nature that is uninvited and unwelcome (Kolbe, Burkart ; Zundel 2010, p. 103). All of the above has happened in Nike factories involving male supervisors and female workers, which should be a great concern for Nike. 3. Implication of Issues 3. 1 Employee CompensationOver the years Nike has become very skilled at showing its own side of the story, when it comes to accusations regarding their employee compensation and overall labour practices. A direct implementation of the discovered low wages in Indonesia in 2008 and additionally employees expressing their inability to live of their current salary, Nike published a section called ‘Transparency 101’ on thei r website www. nike. com, with all details of their remediation plan, as well as a link to the full report at the Global Alliance site.The Global Alliance is a union of companies and public groups, which includes Nike, The Gap, and The World Bank amongst their members (Menschenrechte in Asien 2009). The Centre for societal Development Studies at the Atma Jaya Catholic University in Jakarta carefully produced and conducted the report on behalf of the Global Alliance. Researchers conducted one-on-one interviews, surveys and focus groups that involved more than 4,450 workers in nine factories in order to show an effort to solve the problems considered child labour and unsatisfying wages (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 8). Another outcome of this discovery was raising public awareness of Nike’s methods and damaging their image in the long run. Human rights organisations raised their voices for the employees in Indonesia and Vietnam that could not do so themselves and made the issue spread world-wide on public media in order to put Nike under pressure to make a change (Menschenrechte in Asien 2009). Also in order to show an effort Nike fired several managers in affected factories.The employees itself remained silent, means there were no strikes or a high number of resignations to be found. Further independent audits have been commissioned to ensure that all factories are paying the new minimum wage and that workers understand the wage and overtime calculations (Werner-Lobo 2008, p. 98). 3. 2 Employee Motivation Considering the issue Nike has with motivating their employees in the right way, which means not with rules that touch their human rights or inacceptable punishment, there are several implications to be found.Nike’s answer to their dissatisfied and unmotivated workers is a new system of training they introduced. In eight factories in Vietnam and eight factories in Southern China since 2008, Nike offers workshops in order to strengthen contract manufactur ers' HRM systems and support lean manufacturing implementation (Workers and Factories 2011). Before the actual workshops take place, in each factory employee satisfaction surveys were completed in order to understand the top issues workers are facing and also to measure mutual trust and respect in the factories.In every factory action plans were developed individually in order to address core HRM areas, including supervisory skills, employee turnover, incentive structures, and employee satisfaction (Workers and Factories 2011). Another outcome from employees raising their voices and speaking up about the inhuman rules and treatments in their factories, is greater supervision of Nike from the government and human rights organisations, to make sure, Nike is on the right path (Fair Labor at Nike 2012).Other than that, Nike had to face a lot of complaints from retailers, since a large amount of manufactured jerseys were poorly stitched and had manufacturing mistakes, since employees did not put a lot of effort in their work anymore and started to glue, stich and sew inaccurately. This cost the concern a lot of money which they rather should have invested in training or the recruiting process in order to employ managers and supervisors with better human resource management skills and behaviour (Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008). 3. 3 Occupational Health and SafetyAfter the death of two workers and the entire workforce in South China showing their dissatisfaction with Nike’s care for their employee’s health and safety, Nike again, responded very quickly after the incidents occurred. The company promised to upgrade their sanitation and to implement food service standards in all factories in order to ensure a healthy and hygienic environment (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). Also supervisors in affected factories were replaced and a special officer just dealing with occupational health and safety issues was introduce d.The two deaths were further investigated and Nike didn’t get pressed with legal charges since a direct link could not be made out 100% (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). Furthermore Nike changed its policies when it comes to sick leave and allows their employees to leave their work place, go home and see a doctor after talking to the OH&S officer and getting his approval, which is an improvement considering no leave at all was permitted (Trouble discovered in Nike’s Indonesian factories 2010). . 4 Quality of Work Life Since Nike has a lot of human resource management issues to deal with, they became professional over time how to deal with them. So the first outcome of the issue, that in factories in South East Asia working quality is very poor and on the lower edge, Nike has constructed an elaborate program to deal with labour issues in the 900-odd supplier factories (none owned by Nike) that churn out its products in some 50 countries ( Nike 2010). By developing several initiatives, Nike landed at the No. spot in 2012 on Fortune magazine’s â€Å"Most Admired Companies for HR† list, which is an HR-specific recalibration of Fortune’s â€Å"Most Admired Companies† list (Case Study for Nike 2009). Because of the poor working environment and work life in general the turnover rate in factories in China was dramatically higher than in factories of competitors and a significant number of workers would not show up in the morning without excuses, which created a major problem for Nike since production slowed down (Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008).Also in the specific case of Miss B, she received a bonus of five dollars monthly and protective clothing, but she will suffer from lifelong breathing difficulties, skin irritation and sterility (Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009). 3. 5 Managing Diversity The immediate implication of Nike’s issue of harassment when it comes to managing diversit y and having few women under just male supervision, Nike implemented an harassment training for managers and workers using local resource people, and initiated a grievance system for workers to bring forth issues without fear of retribution.The women who were sexually harassed were helped by providing psychotherapy (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). Other than that, cameras were installed at bathroom entrances to monitor people going in and coming out, trying to give employees a feeling of security. No legal charges were pressed against supervisors or Nike itself (again), although an employer can be held vicariously liable for the discriminatory acts of his employees against others. Nike also created an employee council, workers can speak to anonymously when problems occur so a solution can be found together (Reaktion auf Ausbeutungs-Vorwuerfe 2001). 4.Recommendations 4. 1 Employee Compensation Considering that Nike does not have a real compensation system in their productio n factories in South East Asia as stated earlier on, my first recommendation for the human resource manager would be to implement a human resource information system in order to collect and store data about the employee’s productivity and therefore what type of compensation and especially salary they deserve individually. Since Nike employs a large number of workers the implementation of payroll is necessary, since it is an accounting system that is capable of processing a large number of transactions.It is relatively easy to collect the data of how much time a worker spend at the actual work place, how many items he produced and how accurate his outcomes are with a scanner or by taking samples. Storing all this data for each employee is manually almost impossible, therefore is the use of a HRIMS beneficial because it increases the communication on all levels and includes data on employees, jobs and work condition as well as position, leave and the management in order to also make sure that child labour can be outruled. Another recommendation for Nike would be the consideration of the general change and how to manage it. 0 years ago, Nike might already let their employees work under the same or worse condition as they do today, but back then the general interest in this subject was relatively small and countries in South East Asia were not as highly developed as Western countries or as they are today. In order for an organisation to succeed they must respond to the pace of change, that means the human resource manager especially need to take the role of an change agent and needs to be aware of external factors and how the companies culture needs to adapt.The change in government regulations, which today are more concerned about child labour and correct payment and treatment of employees, is a force Nike can’t walk away from, but has to adapt to and change its mentality and treatment of employees. Basically the corporate culture, which means the v alues, beliefs, assumptions and symbols that define the way in which Nike conducts its business need to be renewed in order to meet human rights standards. 4. 2 Employee MotivationIn order to avoid dissatisfied and unmotivated employees as well as poorly skilled supervisors and managers the usage of human resource information system in the future would be a great help. With HRIMS the company will experience enhanced communication across all levels of the organisation, which gives the employees in a factory in Vietnam the chance to communicate their feelings as well as reporting incidents that occurred with their supervisors directly to the headquarters in Oregon. With HRIMS next to individual data and previous experience you can store and manage the ondition of service of every employee and supervisor. Working hours can be recorded with a digital scanning card as well as break times in order to make sure, an employee gets enough breaks. The fact, that HRIMS provides transparency, wh ich means informs those who are monitored, will be helpful in letting supervisors know immediately, when they are acting wrong. Also the surveys Nike conducts before providing training, can easily be made, stored and evaluated with a HRIMS. Other than that the development of performance management systems can be a great help in order to solve Nike’s problem of employee’s motivation.The company has to be aware, that over time many factors, internal and external, will change and they have to adapt to this. Perhaps 30 years ago, employees accepted such behaviour of their supervisors, but not today anymore, since the country itself developed over the years as well as its people’s self-confidence. Nike needs to understand how important human resource management in general is in today’s work life and managers need to promote trust among their workforce. They need to ensure that human resource policies and practices are fair and equitable since the employee†™s voice is critical to performance improvement and innovation. . 3 Occupational Health and Safety Considering Nike’s issues with their health and safety policies I would recommend them to implement this section in their HRIMS. The newly introduced officer for occupational health and safety can create a policy catalogue via HRIMS all employees and supervisors as well as managers have access to. It can keep a record of what illnesses a worker had or what medicine he is required to take on a daily bases so Nike can make sure to provide those needed, since HRIMS increases flexibility by adapting to present and future requirements.The costs these implementations bring along would definitely be outweighed by the benefits Nike will gain from them. Other than that Nike has to adapt to the incremental change which involves gradual modifications to existing activities. This means that the change is evolutionary and Nike has to adapt to a certain health and safety standard that is re quired today and got developed over the years. The organisation initially needs to be unfreezed, which means it needs to be prepared for the change with the implementation of new OH&S rules in the HRMIS, the exchange of existing supervisors or an intense training for the existing ones.This is followed by taking action so that the change actually occurs. They need to practice and follow those rules so employees feel and see a difference. In the end this state needs to be refreezed by continuously reinforcing the desired outcomes, which are employees who trust the company and feel safe and taken care of. 4. 4 Quality of Work Life Considering a general improvement in the work life of every employee, the management has to make sure, that there is autonomy, the degree to which the job provides freedom, independence and discretion to the individual as a safe and healthy environment amongst others.Human capabilities need to be developed and a social integration needs to take place. Using t he HRMIS for this purpose it again can be very beneficial since the system can easily create routine reports, exception reports, on-demand reports and forecasts which all will work together as a whole in order to help the management in improving the work environment and an employee’s satisfaction by increasing the work life quality. It is a strategic and competitive tool which has to be customized for Nike and contain data of an employee’s satisfaction level, of legal advice and regulations, feedback and survey outcomes.Other than that again, change has to be taken into consideration, since the workforce has changed its character and is dominated by change, as well as the needs employees crave nowadays for and what work environment is acceptable to do the required work. Globalisation, technological change and changes in government regulations are external forces Nike has to deal with. Since a high quality of work life should be a great priority for Nike they need to ad apt to the transformational change, since it produces revolutionary shifts in Nike’s strategies, culture and structure.A general problem Nike has is that they still manufacture their products in low-cost countries with very low standards for their workers. As an American corporation they should not downgrade the standards that would exist in a factory in the US to the countries general standards, but change the way of thinking. Their business strategy is, to produce at factories not owned by Nike itself, at the cheapest price possible in order to increase the profit. Maybe it is time for a change and taking a worker’s life and soul more into consideration than just thinking about the revenue. 4. 5 Managing DiversityWhen it comes to Nike’s problem of managing diversity and discriminating minor groups such as women, HRIMS can also be helpful and beneficial. Since it is enhancing communication across all levels, problems can be communicated faster and actions can b e taken. The cameras can be linked to the HRIMS in order for the footage to be accessible easily and not just within the factory itself. Workers can use HRIMS to report incidents anonymously so solutions can be found. Nike also needs to take its strategic human resource objectives into account, since they affect all aspects of the workplace relations.Nike’s workforce should experience open communication, procedural justice and organisational support when problems occur. The corporate cultures, which means the values, beliefs, assumptions and symbols that define the way in which Nike conduct its business, needs to focus more on fighting discriminatory behaviour and how to fully integrate minorities. With training they need to raise awareness of what has happened and through communication, participation, counselling and certainty the issues need to be solved so they do not repeat themselves. 5.Conclusion After learning about the variety of human resource management issues that can occur in a company and actually did happen at Nike Inc. , you can see that managing your employees is a sensitive field, where mistakes easily occur if you do not pay enough attention to your employee’s wants and needs. Today it is really important for every company to have a human resource management department, with a human resource manager who in first place and most importantly has the role of the employee champion as well as the one of a change agent.Nike showed an effort by reaching out to their workforce immediately after every incident occurred and tried to improve where mistakes were found. Further improvements can also be made by implementing a HRMIS and considering the power of change. The winning companies of the future will be those most adapt at leveraging global talent to transform themselves, their industries, and creating better jobs for everyone. 6. References About Nike Inc, 2012, Nike Inc. , viewed 20 November 2012, . Case Study for Nike 2009, viewed 2 0 November 2012, . Fair Labor at Nike 2012, viewed 15 November 2012, . Harte Arbeit, wenig Geld 2009, Stiftung Warentest, viewed 17 November 2012, . How Nike’s HR pros help the giant company stay competitive 2011, HR Communication, viewed 20 November 2012, .Kolbe, M , Burkart, B & Zundel, F 2010, Personalmanagement: Grundlagen und Praxis des Human Resources Managements, 2nd edn, Gabler, Deutschland. Menschenrechte in Asien 2009, Forum, viewed 18 November 2012, . Nike 2010, viewed 18 November 2012, . Nike sorgt sich um den Heimatmarkt 2008, Financial Times Deutschland, viewed 15 November 2012, .

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy

Jon The mare whickered softly as Jon Snow tightened the cinch. â€Å"Easy, sweet lady,† he said in a soft voice, quieting her with a touch. Wind whispered through the stable, a cold dead breath on his face, but Jon paid it no mind. He strapped his roll to the saddle, his scarred fingers stiff and clumsy. â€Å"Ghost,† he called softly, â€Å"to me.† And the wolf was there, eyes like embers. â€Å"Jon, please. You must not do this.† He mounted, the reins in his hand, and wheeled the horse around to face the night. Samwell Tarly stood in the stable door, a full moon peering over his shoulder. He threw a giant's shadow, immense and black. â€Å"Get out of my way, Sam.† â€Å"Jon, you can't,† Sam said. â€Å"I won't let you.† â€Å"I would sooner not hurt you,† Jon told him. â€Å"Move aside, Sam, or I'll ride you down.† â€Å"You won't. You have to listen to me. Please . . . â€Å" Jon put his spurs to horseflesh, and the mare bolted for the door. For an instant Sam stood his ground, his face as round and pale as the moon behind him, his mouth a widening O of surprise. At the last moment, when they were almost on him, he jumped aside as Jon had known he would, stumbled, and fell. The mare leapt over him, out into the night. Jon raised the hood of his heavy cloak and gave the horse her head. Castle Black was silent and still as he rode out, with Ghost racing at his side. Men watched from the Wall behind him, he knew, but their eyes were turned north, not south. No one would see him go, no one but Sam Tarly, struggling back to his feet in the dust of the old stables. He hoped Sam hadn't hurt himself, falling like that. He was so heavy and so ungainly, it would be just like him to break a wrist or twist his ankle getting out of the way. â€Å"I warned him,† Jon said aloud. â€Å"It was nothing to do with him, anyway.† He flexed his burned hand as he rode, opening and closing the scarred fingers. They still pained him, but it felt good to have the wrappings off. Moonlight silvered the hills as he followed the twisting ribbon of the kingsroad. He needed to get as far from the Wall as he could before they realized he was gone. On the morrow he would leave the road and strike out overland through field and bush and stream to throw off pursuit, but for the moment speed was more important than deception. It was not as though they would not guess where he was going. The Old Bear was accustomed to rise at first light, so Jon had until dawn to put as many leagues as he could between him and the Wall . . . if Sam Tarly did not betray him. The fat boy was dutiful and easily frightened, but he loved Jon like a brother. If questioned, Sam would doubtless tell them the truth, but Jon could not imagine him braving the guards in front of the King's Tower to wake Mormont from sleep. When Jon did not appear to fetch the Old Bear's breakfast from the kitchen, they'd look in his cell and find Longclaw on the bed. It had been hard to abandon it, but Jon was not so lost to honor as to take it with him. Even Jorah Mormont had not done that, when he fled in disgrace. Doubtless Lord Mormont would find someone more worthy of the blade. Jon felt bad when he thought of the old man. He knew his desertion would be salt in the still-raw wound of his son's disgrace. That seemed a poor way to repay him for his trust, but it couldn't be helped. No matter what he did, Jon felt as though he were betraying someone. Even now, he did not know if he was doing the honorable thing. The southron had it easier. They had their septons to talk to, someone to tell them the gods' will and help sort out right from wrong. But the Starks worshiped the old gods, the nameless gods, and if the heart trees heard, they did not speak. When the last lights of Castle Black vanished behind him, Jon slowed his mare to a walk. He had a long journey ahead and only the one horse to see him through. There were holdfasts and farming villages along the road south where he might be able to trade the mare for a fresh mount when he needed one, but not if she were injured or blown. He would need to find new clothes soon; most like, he'd need to steal them. He was clad in black from head to heel; high leather riding boots, roughspun breeches and tunic, sleeveless leather jerkin, and heavy wool cloak. His longsword and dagger were sheathed in black moleskin, and the hauberk and coif in his saddlebag were black ringmail. Any bit of it could mean his death if he were taken. A stranger wearing black was viewed with cold suspicion in every village and holdfast north of the Neck, and men would soon be watching for him. Once Maester Aemon's ravens took flight, Jon knew he would find no safe haven. Not even at Winterfell. Bran might want to let him in, but Maester Luwin had better sense. He would bar the gates and send Jon away, as he should. Better not to call there at all. Yet he saw the castle clear in his mind's eye, as if he had left it only yesterday; the towering granite walls, the Great Hall with its smells of smoke and dog and roasting meat, his father's solar, the turret room where he had slept. Part of him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage's beef-and-bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool. But he had not left the Wall for that; he had left because he was after all his father's son, and Robb's brother. The gift of a sword, even a sword as fine as Longclaw, did not make him a Mormont. Nor was he Aemon Targaryen. Three times the old man had chosen, and three times he had chosen honor, but that was him. Even now, Jon could not decide whether the maester had stayed because he was weak and craven, or because he was strong and true. Yet he understood what the old man had meant, about the pain of choosing; he understood that all too well. Tyrion Lannister had claimed that most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, but Jon was done with denials. He was who he was; Jon Snow, bastard and oathbreaker, motherless, friendless, and damned. For the rest of his life—however long that might be—he would be condemned to be an outsider, the silent man standing in the shadows who dares not speak his true name. Wherever he might go throughout the Seven Kingdoms, he would need to live a lie, lest every man's hand be raised against him. But it made no matter, so long as he lived long enough to take his place by his brother's side and help avenge his father. He remembered Robb as he had last seen him, standing in the yard with snow melting in his auburn hair. Jon would have to come to him in secret, disguised. He tried to imagine the look on Robb's face when he revealed himself. His brother would shake his head and smile, and he'd say . . . he'd say . . . He could not see the smile. Hard as he tried, he could not see it. He found himself thinking of the deserter his father had beheaded the day they'd found the direwolves. â€Å"You said the words,† Lord Eddard had told him. â€Å"You took a vow, before your brothers, before the old gods and the new.† Desmond and Fat Tom had dragged the man to the stump. Bran's eyes had been wide as saucers, and Jon had to remind him to keep his pony in hand. He remembered the look on Father's face when Theon Greyjoy brought forth Ice, the spray of blood on the snow, the way Theon had kicked the head when it came rolling at his feet. He wondered what Lord Eddard might have done if the deserter had been his brother Benjen instead of that ragged stranger. Would it have been any different? It must, surely, surely . . . and Robb would welcome him, for a certainty. He had to, or else . . . It did not bear thinking about. Pain throbbed, deep in his fingers, as he clutched the reins. Jon put his heels into his horse and broke into a gallop, racing down the kingsroad, as if to outrun his doubts. Jon was not afraid of death, but he did not want to die like that, trussed and bound and beheaded like a common brigand. If he must perish, let it be with a sword in his hand, fighting his father's killers. He was no true Stark, had never been one . . . but he could die like one. Let them say that Eddard Stark had fathered four sons, not three. Ghost kept pace with them for almost half a mile, red tongue lolling from his mouth. Man and horse alike lowered their heads as he asked the mare for more speed. The wolf slowed, stopped, watching, his eyes glowing red in the moonlight. He vanished behind, but Jon knew he would follow, at his own pace. Scattered lights flickered through the trees ahead of him, on both sides of the road: Mole's Town. A dog barked as he rode through, and he heard a mule's raucous haw from the stable, but otherwise the village was still. Here and there the glow of hearth fires shone through shuttered windows, leaking between wooden slats, but only a few. Mole's Town was bigger than it seemed, but three quarters of it was under the ground, in deep warm cellars connected by a maze of tunnels. Even the whorehouse was down there, nothing on the surface but a wooden shack no bigger than a privy, with a red lantern hung over the door. On the Wall, he'd heard men call the whores â€Å"buried treasures.† He wondered whether any of his brothers in black were down there tonight, mining. That was oathbreaking too, yet no one seemed to care. Not until he was well beyond the village did Jon slow again. By then both he and the mare were damp with sweat. He dismounted, shivering, his burned hand aching. A bank of melting snow lay under the trees, bright in the moonlight, water trickling off to form small shallow pools. Jon squatted and brought his hands together, cupping the runoff between his fingers. The snowmelt was icy cold. He drank, and splashed some on his face, until his cheeks tingled. His fingers were throbbing worse than they had in days, and his head was pounding too. I am doing the right thing, he told himself, so why do I feel so bad? The horse was well lathered, so Jon took the lead and walked her for a while. The road was scarcely wide enough for two riders to pass abreast, its surface cut by tiny streams and littered with stone. That run had been truly stupid, an invitation to a broken neck. Jon wondered what had gotten into him. Was he in such a great rush to die? Off in the trees, the distant scream of some frightened animal made him look up. His mare whinnied nervously. Had his wolf found some prey? He cupped his hands around his mouth. â€Å"Ghost!† he shouted. â€Å"Ghost, to me.† The only answer was a rush of wings behind him as an owl took flight. Frowning, Jon continued on his way. He led the mare for half an hour, until she was dry. Ghost did not appear. Jon wanted to mount up and ride again, but he was concerned about his missing wolf. â€Å"Ghost,† he called again. â€Å"Where are you? To me! Ghost!† Nothing in these woods could trouble a direwolf, even a half-grown direwolf, unless . . . no, Ghost was too smart to attack a bear, and if there was a wolf pack anywhere close Jon would have surely heard them howling. He should eat, he decided. Food would settle his stomach and give Ghost the chance to catch up. There was no danger yet; Castle Black still slept. In his saddlebag, he found a biscuit, a piece of cheese, and a small withered brown apple. He'd brought salt beef as well, and a rasher of bacon he'd filched from the kitchens, but he would save the meat for the morrow. After it was gone he'd need to hunt, and that would slow him. Jon sat under the trees and ate his biscuit and cheese while his mare grazed along the kingsroad. He kept the apple for last. It had gone a little soft, but the flesh was still tart and juicy. He was down to the core when he heard the sounds: horses, and from the north. Quickly Jon leapt up and strode to his mare. Could he outrun them? No, they were too close, they'd hear him for a certainty, and if they were from Castle Black . . . He led the mare off the road, behind a thick stand of grey-green sentinels. â€Å"Ouiet now,† he said in a hushed voice, crouching down to peer through the branches. If the gods were kind, the riders would pass by. Likely as not, they were only smallfolk from Mole's Town, farmers on their way to their fields, although what they were doing out in the middle of the night . . . He listened to the sound of hooves growing steadily louder as they trotted briskly down the kingsroad. From the sound, there were five or six of them at the least. Their voices drifted through the trees. † . . . certain he came this way?† â€Å"We can't be certain.† â€Å"He could have ridden east, for all you know. Or left the road to cut through the woods. That's what I'd do.† â€Å"In the dark? Stupid. If you didn't fall off your horse and break your neck, you'd get lost and wind up back at the Wall when the sun came up.† â€Å"I would not.† Grenn sounded peeved. â€Å"I'd just ride south, you can tell south by the stars.† â€Å"What if the sky was cloudy?† Pyp asked. â€Å"Then I wouldn't go.† Another voice broke in. â€Å"You know where I'd be if it was me? I'd be in Mole's Town, digging for buried treasure.† Toad's shrill laughter boomed through the trees. Jon's mare snorted. â€Å"Keep quiet, all of you,† Haider said. â€Å"I thought I heard something.† â€Å"Where? I didn't hear anything.† The horses stopped. â€Å"You can't hear yourself fart.† â€Å"I can too,† Grenn insisted. â€Å"Quiet!† They all fell silent, listening. Jon found himself holding his breath. Sam, he thought. He hadn't gone to the Old Bear, but he hadn't gone to bed either, he'd woken the other boys. Damn them all. Come dawn, if they were not in their beds, they'd be named deserters too. What did they think they were doing? The hushed silence seemed to stretch on and on. From where Jon crouched, he could see the legs of their horses through the branches. Finally Pyp spoke up. â€Å"What did you hear?† â€Å"I don't know,† Haider admitted. â€Å"A sound, I thought it might have been a horse but . . . â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing here.† Out of the corner of his eye, Jon glimpsed a pale shape moving through the trees. Leaves rustled, and Ghost came bounding out of the shadows, so suddenly that Jon's mare started and gave a whinny. â€Å"There!† Halder shouted. â€Å"I heard it too!† â€Å"Traitor,† Jon told the direwolf as he swung up into the saddle. He turned the mare's head to slide off through the trees, but they were on him before he had gone ten feet. â€Å"Jon!† Pyp shouted after him. â€Å"Pull up,† Grenn said. â€Å"You can't outrun us all.† Jon wheeled around to face them, drawing his sword. â€Å"Get back. I don't wish to hurt you, but I will if I have to.† â€Å"One against seven?† Halder gave a signal. The boys spread out, surrounding him. â€Å"What do you want with me?† Jon demanded. â€Å"We want to take you back where you belong,† Pyp said. â€Å"I belong with my brother.† â€Å"We're your brothers now,† Grenn said. â€Å"They'll cut off your head if they catch you, you know,† Toad put in with a nervous laugh. â€Å"This is so stupid, it's like something the Aurochs would do.† â€Å"I would not,† Grenn said. â€Å"I'm no oathbreaker. I said the words and I meant them.† â€Å"So did I,† Jon told them. â€Å"Don't you understand? They murdered my father. It's war, my brother Robb is fighting in the riverlands—† â€Å"We know,† said Pyp solemnly. â€Å"Sam told us everything.† â€Å"We're sorry about your father,† Grenn said, â€Å"but it doesn't matter. Once you say the words, you can't leave, no matter what.† â€Å"I have to,† Jon said fervently. â€Å"You said the words,† Pyp reminded him. â€Å"Now my watch begins, you said it. It shall not end until my death.† â€Å"I shall live and die at my post,† Grenn added, nodding. â€Å"You don't have to tell me the words, I know them as well as you do.† He was angry now. Why couldn't they let him go in peace? They were only making it harder. â€Å"I am the sword in the darkness,† Halder intoned. â€Å"The watcher on the walls,† piped Toad. Jon cursed them all to their faces. They took no notice. Pyp spurred his horse closer, reciting, â€Å"I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.† â€Å"Stay back,† Jon warned him, brandishing his sword. â€Å"I mean it, Pyp.† They weren't even wearing armor, he could cut them to pieces if he had to. Matthar had circled behind him. He joined the chorus. â€Å"I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch.† Jon kicked his mare, spinning her in a circle. The boys were all around him now, closing from every side. â€Å"For this night . . . † Halder trotted in from the left. † . . . and all the nights to come,† finished Pyp. He reached over for Jon's reins. â€Å"So here are your choices. Kill me, or come back with me.† Jon lifted his sword . . . and lowered it, helpless. â€Å"Damn you,† he said. â€Å"Damn you all.† â€Å"Do we have to bind your hands, or will you give us your word you'll ride back peaceful?† asked Halder. â€Å"I won't run, if that's what you mean.† Ghost moved out from under the trees and Jon glared at him. â€Å"Small help you were,† he said. The deep red eyes looked at him knowingly. â€Å"We had best hurry,† Pyp said. â€Å"If we're not back before first light, the Old Bear will have all our heads.† Of the ride back, Jon Snow remembered little. It seemed shorter than the journey south, perhaps because his mind was elsewhere. Pyp set the pace, galloping, walking, trotting, and then breaking into another gallop. Mole's Town came and went, the red lantern over the brothel long extinguished. They made good time. Dawn was still an hour off when Jon glimpsed the towers of Castle Black ahead of them, dark against the pale immensity of the Wall. It did not seem like home this time. They could take him back, Jon told himself, but they could not make him stay. The war would not end on the morrow, or the day after, and his friends could not watch him day and night. He would bide his time, make them think he was content to remain here . . . and then, when they had grown lax, he would be off again. Next time he would avoid the kingsroad. He could follow the Wall east, perhaps all the way to the sea, a longer route but a safer one. Or even west, to the mountains, and then south over the high passes. That was the wildling's way, hard and perilous, but at least no one wouid follow him. He wouldn't stray within a hundred leagues of Winterfell or the kingsroad. Samwell Tarly awaited them in the old stables, slumped on the ground against a bale of hay, too anxious to sleep. He rose and brushed himself off. â€Å"I . . . I'm glad they found you, Jon.† â€Å"I'm not,† Jon said, dismounting. Pyp hopped off his horse and looked at the lightening sky with disgust. â€Å"Give us a hand bedding down the horses, Sam,† the small boy said. â€Å"We have a long day before us, and no sleep to face it on, thanks to Lord Snow.† When day broke, Jon walked to the kitchens as he did every dawn. Three-Finger Hobb said nothing as he gave him the Old Bear's breakfast. Today it was three brown eggs boiled hard, with fried bread and ham steak and a bowl of wrinkled plums. Jon carried the food back to the King's Tower. He found Mormont at the window seat, writing. His raven was walking back and forth across his shoulders, muttering, â€Å"Corn, corn, corn.† The bird shrieked when Jon entered. â€Å"Put the food on the table,† the Old Bear said, glancing up. â€Å"I'll have some beer.† Jon opened a shuttered window, took the flagon of beer off the outside ledge, and filled a horn. Hobb had given him a lemon, still cold from the Wall. Jon crushed it in his fist. The juice trickled through his fingers. Mormont drank lemon in his beer every day, and claimed that was why he still had his own teeth. â€Å"Doubtless you loved your father,† Mormont said when Jon brought him his horn. â€Å"The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember when I told you that?† â€Å"I remember,† Jon said sullenly. He did not care to talk of his father's death, not even to Mormont. â€Å"See that you never forget it. The hard truths are the ones to hold tight. Fetch me my plate. Is it ham again? So be it. You look weary. Was your moonlight ride so tiring?† Jon's throat was dry. â€Å"You know?† â€Å"Know,† the raven echoed from Mormont's shoulder. â€Å"Know.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Do you think they chose me Lord Commander of the Night's Watch because I'm dumb as a stump, Snow? Aemon told me you'd go. I told him you'd be back. I know my men . . . and my boys too. Honor set you on the kingsroad . . . and honor brought you back.† â€Å"My friends brought me back,† Jon said. â€Å"Did I say it was your honor?† Mormont inspected his plate. â€Å"They killed my father. Did you expect me to do nothing?† â€Å"If truth be told, we expected you to do just as you did.† Mormont tried a plum, spit out the pit. â€Å"I ordered a watch kept over you., You were seen leaving. If your brothers had not fetched you back, you would have been taken along the way, and not by friends. Unless you have a horse with wings like a raven. Do you?† â€Å"No.† Jon felt like a fool. â€Å"Pity, we could use a horse like that.† Jon stood tall. He told himself that he would die well; that much he could do, at the least. â€Å"I know the penalty for desertion, my lord. I'm not afraid to die.† â€Å"Die!† the raven cried. â€Å"Nor live, I hope,† Mormont said, cutting his ham with a dagger and feeding a bite to the bird. â€Å"You have not deserted—yet. Here you stand. If we beheaded every boy who rode to Mole's Town in the night, only ghosts would guard the Wall. Yet maybe you mean to flee again on the morrow, or a fortnight from now. Is that it? Is that your hope, boy?† Jon kept silent. â€Å"I thought so.† Mormont peeled the shell off a boiled egg. â€Å"Your father is dead, lad. Do you think you can bring him back?† â€Å"No,† he answered, sullen. â€Å"Good,† Mormont said. â€Å"We've seen the dead come back, you and me, and it's not something I care to see again.† He ate the egg in two bites and flicked a bit of shell out from between his teeth. â€Å"Your brother is in the field with all the power of the north behind him. Any one of his lords bannermen commands more swords than you'll find in all the Night's Watch. Why do you imagine that they need your help? Are you such a mighty warrior, or do you carry a grumkin in your pocket to magic up your sword?† Jon had no answer for him. The raven was pecking at an egg, breaking the shell. Pushing his beak through the hole, he pulled out morsels of white and yoke. The Old Bear sighed. â€Å"You are not the only one touched by this war. Like as not, my sister is marching in your brother's host, her and those daughters of hers, dressed in men's mail. Maege is a hoary old snark, stubborn, short-tempered, and willful. Truth be told, I can hardly stand to be around the wretched woman, but that does not mean my love for her is any less than the love you bear your half sisters.† Frowning, Mormont took his last egg and squeezed it in his fist until the shell crunched. â€Å"Or perhaps it does. Be that as it may, I'd still grieve if she were slain, yet you don't see me running off. I said the words, just as you did. My place is here . . . where is yours, boy?† I have no place, Jon wanted to say, I'm a bastard, I have no rights, no name, no mother, and now not even a father. The words would not come. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I do,† said Lord Commander Mormont. â€Å"The cold winds are rising, Snow. Beyond the Wall, the shadows lengthen. Cotter Pyke writes of vast herds of elk, streaming south and east toward the sea, and mammoths as well. He says one of his men discovered huge, misshapen footprints not three leagues from Eastwatch. Rangers from the Shadow Tower have found whole villages abandoned, and at night Ser Denys says they see fires in the mountains, huge blazes that burn from dusk till dawn. Quorin Halfhand took a captive in the depths of the Gorge, and the man swears that Mance Rayder is massing all his people in some new, secret stronghold he's found, to what end the gods only know. Do you think your uncle Benjen was the only ranger we've lost this past year?† â€Å"Ben Jen,† the raven squawked, bobbing its head, bits of egg dribbling from its beak. â€Å"Ben Jen. Ben Jen.† â€Å"No,† Jon said. There had been others. Too many. â€Å"Do you think your brother's war is more important than ours?† the old man barked. Jon chewed his lip. The raven flapped its wings at him. â€Å"War, war, war, war,† it sang. â€Å"It's not,† Mormont told him. â€Å"Gods save us, boy, you're not blind and you're not stupid. When dead men come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits the Iron Throne?† â€Å"No.† Jon had not thought of it that way. â€Å"Your lord father sent you to us, Jon. Why, who can say?† â€Å"Why? Why? Why?† the raven called. â€Å"All I know is that the blood of the First Men flows in the veins of the Starks. The First Men built the Wall, and it's said they remember things otherwise forgotten. And that beast of yours . . . he led us to the wights, warned you of the dead man on the steps. Ser Jaremy would doubtless call that happenstance, yet Ser Jaremy is dead and I'm not.† Lord Mormont stabbed a chunk of ham with the point of his dagger. â€Å"I think you were meant to be here, and I want you and that wolf of yours with us when we go beyond the Wall.† His words sent a chill of excitement down Jon's back. â€Å"Beyond the Wall?† â€Å"You heard me. I mean to find Ben Stark, alive or dead.† He chewed and swallowed. â€Å"I will not sit here meekly and wait for the snows and the ice winds. We must know what is happening. This time the Night's Watch will ride in force, against the King-beyond-the-Wall, the Others, and anything else that may be out there. I mean to command them myself.† He pointed his dagger at Jon's chest. â€Å"By custom, the Lord Commander's steward is his squire as well . . . but I do not care to wake every dawn wondering if you've run off again. So I will have an answer from you, Lord Snow, and I will have it now. Are you a brother of the Night's Watch . . . or only a bastard boy who wants to play at war?† Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran . . . forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. â€Å"I am . . . yours, my lord. Your man. I swear it. I will not run again.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Good. Now go put on your sword.†

2012 Budget Proposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

2012 Budget Proposal - Research Paper Example Such cut-and-invest agenda would create winners and big losers because the President’s budget proposal presumes using the money from some domestic programs to reduce the deficits and increase spending for education, clean energy, infrastructure, innovation and research in order to promote long-term economic growth and global competitiveness of the United States. Definitely, there are certain differences between the Presidents FY 2012 budget proposal and The House of Representatives FY 2012 budget proposal, which will be discussed further in the current paper. President Obama emphasized that the administration needs to construct a new foundation for long-term economic growth with pillars necessary to win in the world economy. Such pillars include an educated and skilled workforce, cutting-edge research into the innovations to power the industries of tomorrow, a modern infrastructure to support a growing, high-tech economy, and the jobs to support a growing middle class. As a re sult, Americans now face a monumental choice about the future of their country. The Republican response toward the President’s call for economic changes came in April, when Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin announced 2012 budget of his party. The main three purposes of The House of Representatives FY 2012 budget proposal is to (a) lift the crushing burden of debt; (b) guarantee health and retirement security for all Americans, especially seniors; and (c) strengthen the base of economic growth and creation of the jobs (Becker, 2011). Paul Ryan informed that the plan would reduce the deficit by $5.8 trillion over the next decade. It can be accomplished due to deep cuts in discretionary spending programs and turning Medicare into a "defined benefit, under which seniors would get vouchers to purchase private insurance. Medicaid would get smaller as the federal contribution to state

Theory and Practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theory and Practice - Research Paper Example For instance, studies in mathematics and sciences have shown that better performance emanates from depth rather than breadth (Cogan & Schmidt, 2002). Teaching is termed successful, if students learn what has been taught. Therefore, this paper focuses on what students are learning. It is subdivided into three sections: the role of assessment in the context of instruction, most essential and long lasting concepts the students should be taught and, finally, the role of assessments. Beginning from looking at the role of assessment in the context of instruction, assessment is supposed to be developed to fit the learning targets set for the students in order to be supportive to the students. It should be consistent with methods of instruction as poor connection among learning targets. Instructions and assessment only amount to more than confusion and frustration leading to anger and despair. Learning is accompanied by a cognitive change and behavioral experience among people. Contrary to w hat teachers believe, much of what students learn come from experiences outside school rather than from classroom. Therefore, an ideal relationship should be established among learning targets, instructions and assessment. ... In determining what students are to learn, it best begins with one’s knowledge of the subject combined with their values as an educator. No time is sufficient for a student to learn all that is required of them. Factory model of schooling in which teachers rush to cover a topic after topic leaves little or no time for internalizing ideas and making the concepts gained a solid part of the student’s cognitive and behavioral experience. Students retain little of what is taught in courses that is based on content coverage other than deep understanding of the concepts. In the event that students cannot learn all that is taught, wise choices ought to be made about what is possible in a given fixed time. Learning goals and learning objectives are the terms used as labels for statements about what teachers want students to learn. Learning goals reflect ultimate aims of schooling; whereas, learning objectives focus more on knowledge and skills that help students attain their goa ls. The term subject areas are used to refer to conventional titles of content taught in school, while discipline refers to fields or study and work. Four questions can assist in framing learning goals for teaching and these include: evaluating the dimensions of the subject are to be taught, the chief aspects of these subject areas to students of a certain year and the level of sophistication. Students can, hence, continue working on the broad goals after moving to other teachers. The third question is the knowledge and skills within the discipline that will help students understand the working of other people in the field, the knowledge of people in the field that makes them successful and their

Automotive Industry Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Automotive Industry Analysis - Research Paper Example Tichy (20-23) describes that the major evolution in the automotive industry is the introduction of the engine. The development was after the discovery of energy carrying means that include new fuels, and steam used in the 1700s. The new fuels in the 1800s included gas and gasoline. Later in 1876, there was the introduction of 4-stroke engine that involves the internal burning of gasoline fuels. In the same year, in Europe and America, there was an establishment of the first motor vehicle. In early 1900, the automobile industry introduced new technologies such as steering wheel and an accelerator. These two facilitated the growth of the industry, as vehicles became easier to operate. In the same years, societal developments occurred in America where they would provide a foundation for the production of automobiles. The government also introduced driver’s licenses and issued them to citizens. They opened many service stations and car sales improved with planned time payments. Ma ny models were introduced in the same year, such as Ford and other designs, where cars assumed another appearance. In the 1910s, societal development, as well as technologies, improved significantly. This facilitated the introduction of new methods of manufacturing and improved business strategies. Choudhury (1) shows that in the US, the roads were safe for users after the introduction of traffic rights and road signs. In 1913, Henry Ford launched his assembly line that facilitated mass production of vehicles, therefore, gaining the economies of scale. The renowned assembly line of Ford had the mass production idea process where they operated through compatible and ordinary parts. The workers making these vehicles started moving to other companies and merged with, for instance, GM that bought Chevrolet. According to Darlington (1), during the 1920s, there were more improvements of social infrastructure, development of various practices, designs and more companies merged with other a utomobile companies, for example, Ford merged with Lincoln and Chrysler later merging with Dodge. The US government and Bureau of Public Roads also introduced a Bill that facilitated completion of various road projects and formulating of national road system policies. There was also development in manufacturing where there were improved practices leading to the accessing of and assembling satisfactory cars according to customers’ needs. The companies that manufacture automobiles, such as Ford, focused upon the production of one type of model while others, such as GM, took on product variety as a new production strategy providing various models. This strategy helped in increasing the market share of the company by about 20 percent reducing the competitors’ market share. In 1930s, the industry saw the development of several brands of vehicles from different companies. The new trend was also felt in consumer preferences where most of them distinguished the European and Am erican markets. Consumers in the US market liked comfortable and large cars while those in Europe preferred smaller and economical cars. In the same years, companies such as GM continued to use their competitive strategy of producing a variety of models and it increased its market share against Ford that was losing customers. During the World War of 1940s,

MARKETING ANALYSIS PROJECT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MARKETING ANALYSIS PROJECT - Assignment Example Most assuredly, marketing mix entails a four P marketing strategy that involves price strategy, placement, product development, and promotion (Goi 2009, p. 1-4). Methodology This paper will do a market analysis of a major British Company, Costa Coffee and most specifically analyze the marketing mix that the company adopted since 2009. In doing this, I will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of implementing an integrated marketing mix as well as the challenges and opportunities that influence marketing decisions and prevent Costa Coffee from attaining a competitive advantage. Main Findings Marketing mix translates marketing planning into practice in establishing an effective marketing strategy. The managers adopt marketing mix to suit consumers’ needs and develop long-term and short-term marketing programs that will suit the company’s objectives. Indeed, marketing mix is a powerful marketing concept that enhances marketing, derives a firm’s competitive advan tage, ensures delegation of marketing responsibilities, and separates marketing from other activities in a firm (Goi 2009, p. 1-4). Moreover, marketing mix helps in trading off the benefits of one’s competitive strengths in the marketing mix against the benefits of her competitors. Notably, the marketing mix adopted by accompany depends on available resources, customer’s needs, and market forces. ... The Italian brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa founded the company in 1971 but Whitbread took it over in 1995 (Poulter 2013, p. 1). The headquarters of Costa Coffee is at Dunstable, United Kingdom. Indeed, the company has more than 1,700 stores across 28 countries in the world. Moreover, the company operates more than 1,200 outlets in UK and 2,500 Costa Express vending facilities to increase its presence in the coffee market (Costa Coffee 2013, p. 1). Costa Coffee was the second largest coffeehouse chain in the world after Starbucks but the situation changed in 2010 when Costa Coffee became the UK’s biggest coffee chain. As such, Costa Coffee is now the largest and fastest growing coffee shop chain in the UK. Additionally, the company has benefitted from a customer backlash against Starbucks to gain a customer base of more than 4 million customers a week (Bowers 2012, p. 1). Indeed, Starbucks had disputable tax affairs that emanated from paying little or no corporation tax despit e its huge sales turnover. The company also has a foundation, Costa Foundation that helps communities to grow (Costa Coffee 2013, p. 1). Most importantly is the fact that the company’s global recognition is on an increasing trend and the company is seeking to establish its presence into new markets. As such, the company’s marketing strategy is very fundamental. Ideally, the presence of few market barriers necessitates the company to use effective marketing strategies to remain visible and viable in the market. It is quite notable that marketing will entail predicting the customers’ needs and seeking to satisfy those needs with an aim of boosting sales and creating a competitive advantage. As such, Costa Coffee adopts a marketing mix that will ensure the development of products that

Climate change impacts on local food production (Shrimp farming) in Research Paper

Climate change impacts on local food production (Shrimp farming) in Nha Trang , Vietnam - Research Paper Example Such climate changes never attained any fearful proportions and hence the there were no serious treats for the sustainment of life on earth till the last few centuries. An Inconvenient Truth was a documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim, in 2006, in which former United States Vice President Al Gore tried to educate the citizens about the necessity of preventing global warming. He has mentioned that it is crucial to change the attitude and behavior of the public to counter the climate change problems. In his opinion, climate change problems should be taken as a moral one rather than a political one (An Inconvenient Truth, 2006) But over the last few decades, the balancing between the energy liberated from the sun and the energy reached on earth was destroyed seriously because of many known and unknown reasons and as a result extreme weather conditions started to appear on earth’s atmosphere/surface. Even though the exact reasons for the climate changes on earth is still unknown or controversial, many people believe that the destructions forests, injudicious industrialization, long- and short-term variations in solar intensity, deviations in the Earths orbit, mountain-building and continental drift, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations etc are the major reasons for the drastic climate changes on earth’s surface. In short, â€Å"climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet† (Climate change, 2010). Climate changes can affect the human life on earth in many ways. In this paper the climate change impacts on local food production in Nah Trang, Vietnam is described. Nah Trang sits within a coastal province in south central Vietnam with an area of 3352.27 km2, coastline of 105km and annual rainfall of 600mm. Shrimp farming is one of the major revenue source for the people in Nah Trang. The lack of

Incresing Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance Essay

Incresing Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance - Essay Example The plan is organized into three phases, with the first starting in January and ending in March, the second starting in April and ending in June while the third spans from July to December. The plan is fundamentally based upon the assumption that making workers’ satisfied makes them motivated for work and enhanced their performance. The plan January to March: The first phase would be subdivided into three phases, each phase representing one month starting from January. In January, an in-depth analysis of the literature will be made to make myself aware of the numerous motivational theories and models. One of the most used motivational model is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs depicts some of the basic needs of every human being. The model emphasizes that an individual’s motivation is linked with the fulfillment of these needs. The model also stresses that once a lower level need has been satisfied, the individual tends to gain the satisfaction with respect to the higher level needs until he/she starts to self-actualize which is actually a stage, when motivation comes into play (NetMBA, 2010). In February, I would develop a questionnaire and take sufficient time to modify that in order to get exactly what I require from the people through it. One of the most useful tools to measure the level of satisfaction that people maintain in an organizational environment or members of a team generally maintain is the staff survey (Chapman, 2009). In addition to the information retrieved from the questionnaires, the whole process of consulting the staff and making them feel involved in a research lends them a feeling of satisfaction as well as increases their motivation and performance in the long run. Finally, the questionnaire would be distributed among the respondents and collected. March will be the phase of data analysis and evaluation for the potential satisfaction and motivation driving factors. I would see if the members with lesser satisfaction were as motivated for work as the members with more satisfaction. The questionnaire will assess each respondent’s level of satisfaction and motivation on a five point likert scale with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 representing least satisfied, somewhat satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied, and extremely satisfied. The pattern would be inverse for motivation with 1 representing extremely motivated and 5 representing least motivated. By the end of the first phase, I would have measurable results telling me how members’ motivation and satisfaction levels compare with each other in a group setting. This phase will also rank some of the key drivers of satisfaction and motivation according to the team members’ responses to the questionnaires. April to June: Having established the influence of motivation upon satisfaction level and the inverse for the team members, I would assess ways to fulfill their demands with respect to the previously ranked driving factors. â€Å"Motivatio nal incentives act like stimulants and encourage employees to be positive minded and hence be more effective in their work† (Davoren, 2011). Money is one of the most fundamental stimulants for performance in all kinds of work settings, including individual and group work. That is why, managers frequently introduce monetary rewards as incentives for people to display better performance at work. Rewards may be given to individual employees by way of an increase in their pay or

Globalization Questionnaire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization Questionnaire - Research Paper Example Because of globalization, international market or global market came into existence. International or global market then is composed of different countries trading products and services with each other. Companies have been going out of their home countries and starting to build their names in other countries. This is basically the reason why we see imported products being displayed in supermarkets and department stores such as wines from Italy, gadgets and cellular phones from Asia, and shoes from Germany. Some of the international trade theories that support globalization are mercantilism, free trade, comparative advantage, absolute advantage, Heckscher-Ohlin theory, the product life-cycle theory, new trade theory, and Porter’s theory or the national competitive advantage. Rugman (2009) argued that globalization has four major drivers: market, government, competition, and cost. Market globalization drivers are factors that usually affect the demand for a specific product or service such as consumers’ common preferences, increasing consumers from different countries, and global market distribution. Governments had taken the initiative to take off international trade and investment barriers and establish free trade. They also reduced trade tariffs and eliminated restrictions in the quantity of products and services to be imported or exported. Globalization is greatly influenced by competition. For instance, a company might consider establishing a satellite office in another country to deliver their products to foreign consumers. Because of this act, other competitors would also want to go global and promote their companies to diverse markets. Other examples of competitive drivers are increasing number of alliances between multinational companies and increasing globally-centered companies. Almost all companies would want to maximize profit thereby minimizing their costs. There are countries where production and

Lens essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Lens - Essay Example Using Kant’s deontology, an analysis of the actions of Mackenzie and Elena reveals that Mackenzie merely concerned about consequences that are not recommended while Elena made her decision correct from a sense of duty. There exists a dilemma on whether this issue should be forwarded to the council or the matter should just be ignored. When people are making decision, stakeholders must be considered. In the case, all sororities are stakeholders because fairness is not existed when one small group break the rules. Furthermore, those recruits are also stakeholders given that they have additional interaction with people in sororities. In the view of Mackenzie, she might just care about her own advantage, but from the perspective of Elena, she considered most of stakeholders’ benefits include herself. Kant explains: â€Å"One ought only to act such that the principle of one’s act could become a universal law of human action in a world in which one would hope to liveà ¢â‚¬  (13). Ethical dilemmas exist at workplace especially because most of them happen to our dear friends. Mackenzie is in a dilemma on whether to reject the whole recruitment process just because a few of the interviewee’s ignored the basic rule. Although it seems like a tedious and troublesome process it is the right channel that must be followed. The rules said that in order to have a fair process for everyone, sorority members had to stay indoors to avoid mixing with the rest. This is the rule and for Mackenzie to be fair and just to the rest of the sorority members she has abandon the recruitment process and report the matter to the recruiting council although it is not her fault and she has not broken any rule. By doing this she will also be showing her loyalty to the company. Elena on the other hand is right and she had made the right decision by advising Mackenzie to abandon the recruitment

99 Cent V. Lancaster Redevelopment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

99 Cent V. Lancaster Redevelopment - Coursework Example The loss of Costco would result in the loss of over $400,000 generated from sales tax each year. The 99 Cent Only store only generated about $40,000. Lancaster tried to use the power of eminent domain to obtain the property of the 99 Cent Only store but was sued - and lost.Similar to the decision of the Supreme Court, I would have ruled in favor of 99 Cent Only Stores. While laws would have allowed Lancaster Redevelopment Agency to remove and redevelop a slummy, blighted area, the 99 Cent Only Store was not found to be blighted. "Under Health & Safety Code 33030, a blighted area is one which is 80% urbanized, and a physical and economical liability which cannot be reversed or alleviated without redevelopment." (Fergusson, 2005). The Fifth Amendment protects property owners from having their property taken by the government unless it is for public use. It seems to me that if Lancaster seized the property from 99 Cent Only Stores, it would be for Costco's use (so it could expand) and f or Lancaster's own use (so it could obtain greater revenue from sales tax).However, if brought to court today, after the decision made by the Supreme Court in 2005 regarding the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the result of the 99 Cent Only case would quite likely be different.

Iran's Military Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iran's Military Assessment - Essay Example As discussed above that the Iranian Military strategy has changed since the revolution of 1979 and as such its overall focus in on maintaining the regime and strengthening its hold over the power. 2In order to secure the regime, Iranian military is therefore focused upon the deterrence strategy. Further, the strategy is also focused upon surviving against hard military threats from US and Israel and as Iran continue to hold a military and foreign policy in a manner which is targeted at US and Israel. (Eisenstadt 2001) Iran’s overall composition of forces is based upon holding more than 2 different military build-ups which are focused upon overseeing different strategic objectives of the country. The military as such comprised of Army, Navy and Air force however, it is also supported by the Army of the Guardians of Islamic Revolution. The Army of Guardians of Islamic Revolution has its own factions of air, sea and ground forces. Iran has more than 500,000 ground forces which form the part of Iranian Military whereas the Army of the Guardians of Islamic Revolution has estimated to have more 120,000 personnel. Iran also has a separate paramilitary force which has approximately 100,000 personnel. The paramilitary force is also believed to have more than a million reserve personnel who can be called upon if needed.3 Iran’s naval force, its overall composition as well as proficiency is based upon Islamic Revolution, Iran’s overall relationships with its neighbors and to some extent Petroleum too. Iran’s Navy is also split into two parts i.e. the one which existed during Shah Era and the one which was created after revolution. Iran’s Naval force is mainly based in it’s the Strait of Hormuz which is only 90 nautical miles long and 35 nautical miles wide.4 Iran’s naval proficiency is based upon its doctrine of asymmetric war which Iran

Human Resource Management in its environment Essay

Human Resource Management in its environment - Essay Example In the Harvard map or Harvard model of HRM, Beer et al argue the need for methods to assess the appropriateness of policies chosen by general managers of companies. Thus when general managers do choose human resource policies, strategies or practices for their organizations they also require proper methods to assess the effectiveness of such policies or strategies implemented. To assess the effectiveness of management policies, the Harvard Map or model as proposed by Beer et al seems to be rather useful. The model by Beer et al has an informal rather than a formal approach to management and brings out analytical description of the determinants and consequences of HRM policies. According to Beer’s Harvard model, the human resource policies within any organization are influenced by situational factors and stakeholder interests. The situational factors in a business environment would be related to management philosophy, business strategy, task technology, labor market conditions as well as legal and societal values and structures. These factors tend to shape yet constrain HRM policies and place limits in such policies although these factors are in turn shaped and influenced by human resource policies. So situational factors such as business strategies and labor conditions influence the HRM policies used or followed by general managers of companies although other factors such as stakeholder interests would be as important in determining the type of policies followed by businesses . Stakeholder interests would be policies that are influenced by or in turn influence stakeholder interests such as interests of the shareholders, governments, communities, management, employees, and investors of the business. According to Beer et al, human resource policies of companies should not only influence stakeholders but also in turn should be influenced by all stakeholder motives, wishes and interests. If human resource policies do not meet the

Business Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Studies - Essay Example The customers interested in jeans do view Levi Strauss as a brand that could be trusted. Thus, the positive customer perception is further bolstered by the hold that the company has over the varied aspects of the apparel business that is purchase, production, marketing and sales. Besides, the company has also made salubrious inroads into the new product lines through diversification, which portends a positive future. The company does has the financial resources at its disposal to be invested into new product lines and entering new markets. However, it does need to be mentioned that the strengths acquired by the company came with a heavy price. The company did come out with some product lines like the permanent press slacks, the denim bathing suit and the disposable sheets and towels, which did not gel with the already existing product lines and lead to considerable losses. So the company needs to avoid entering into such flop product lines (Adcock 2000, p. 90). This may jeopardize th e strong brand image of Levi Strauss and dilute customer perceptions (Reddy 1994, p. 129). ... In that sense, Levi Strauss has a viable opportunity at its disposal to garner the ascending interest of these customers by expanding into such product lines. The biggest threat that the company faces is relying predominantly on the established product lines, which may fade away soon (Gilley 2005). Besides, a less than proactive attitude may give advantage to the other established competitors. Also, expanding into product lines that do not deliver the expected customer satisfaction may dilute the brand appeal of the company. Hence, the best possible way out for the company is to expand into product lines that cater to the proceeding tastes and requirements of the already loyal customer base, while desisting from venturing into lines that rub away the exiting brand reputation, while extending unwanted advantage to the established competitors. Reference List Adcock, Dennis 2000, Marketing Strategies for Competitive Advantage, Wiley, New York. Gilligan, Colin & Wilson, Richard MS 2003, Strategic Marketing Planning, Butterworth Heinemann, Boston. Gilley, Ann 2005, The Manager as Change Leader, Praeger, Westport, CT. Golembiewski, Robert T 2000, Handbook of Organizational Consultation, Marcel Dekker, New York. Reddy, Allan C 1994, Total Quality Marketing, Quorum Books, Westport, CT. Part II. McDonald’s and the Health Conscious Consumer It goes without saying that McDonald’s has been a leading fast food brand not only in the US, but in a more current context, the world over. However, with the consumers getting more health conscious and the commensurate health trends like the rising number of obese people within the population, many of the McDonald’s existing product lines that also happened to be high calorie products are