What is plagiarism How can you avoid it Essays - Misconduct

What is plagiarism? How can you avoid it? Plagiarism can be defined in many different ways. According to Indiana University, Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information. This would be a pretty clear definition of what plagiarism is but, o ne might say , that it isn't a fair claim because one may have the same idea about something as someone else. Let's look a little more in depth. Per SFA's Dishonesty Policy, examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to: submitting an assignment as one's own work when it is at least partly the work of another person; submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from the Internet or another source; and/or, Incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper or presentation without giving the author credit. It's not enough to just know what plagiarism is, we must know how to avoid it. Here are 6 ways to avoid plagiarism per writecheck.com. Paraphrase - So you have found information that is perfect for your research paper. Read it and put it into your own words. Make sure that you do not copy verbatim more than two words in a row from the text you have found. If you do use more than two words together, you will have to use quotation marks. We will get into quoting properly soon. Cite - Citing is one of the effective ways to avoid plagiarism. Follow the document formatting guidelines (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) used by your educational institution or the institution that issued the research request. This usually entails the addition of the author(s) and the date of the publication or similar information. Citing is really that simple. Not citing properly can constitute plagiarism. Quoting - When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it appears. No one wants to be misquoted. Most institutions of higher learning frown on "block quotes" or quotes of 40 words or more. A scholar should be able to effectively paraphrase most material. This process takes time, but the effort pays off! Quoting must be done correctly to avoid plagiarism allegations. Citing Quotes - Citing a quote can be different than citing paraphrased material. This practice usually involves the addition of a page number, or a paragraph number in the case of web content. Citing Your Own Material - If some of the material you are using for your research paper was used by you in your current class, a previous one, or anywhere else you must cite yourself. Treat the text the same as you would if someone else wrote it. It may sound odd, but using material you have used before is called self-plagiarism, and it is not acceptable. Referencing - One of the most important ways to avoid plagiarism is including a reference page or page of works cited at the end of your research paper. Again, this page must meet the document formatting guidelines used by your educational institution. This information is very specific and includes the author(s), date of publication, title, and source. Follow the directions for this page carefully. You will want to get the references right . As we can see there are many different ways to define what plagiarism is. The main goal of avoiding it is to make sure that when you use someone's words or ideas to make sure they are given the credit. Julie Florence 601 Crestline Drive Palestine, Texas 75801 July 24, 2016 Trinity Valley Community College 100 Cardinal Drive Athens, Texas 75751 Attention: Director of Maintenance Subject: Band Hall Lady's Room Earlier this year it was reported to your department that the Lady's Room in the Band Hall was in need of repair. A request for repair was sent to your office on May 17, 2016, and again on May 31, 2016. As of this date no repairs have taken placed. I am requesting an immediate action to take place with this problem. The sink has no hot water, and does not drain properly. The toilet handle is broken preventing a complete flush. As mentioned above, this is the only Lady's Room in the Band Hall. The only

Organisation Theory Case Study Essays

Organisation Theory Case Study Essays Organisation Theory Case Study Paper Organisation Theory Case Study Paper Organisation Theory Case Study – Motivation at the Bradley Clothing Company The personnel manager of the Bradley Clothing Company, Alice Johnson thinks the theories of Maslow and Herzberg are very suitable for the management; therefore, she put the theory into practice. The outcome is not what she expected, so this is the main discussion point about the relationship between theory and reality. The theories of Maslow and Herzberg are surely worthy to be the reference for implementation, but there are still some theories which assist and support these two theories to make it more complete, and it is also very important to take this into consideration. In the following, I am going to discuss the combination of those theories and the practical method for execution. Content Theories of Motivation The theory was developed by Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954, 1971), and his main argument was on the resolution between drives and motives and he claimed we have nine intrinsic needs. During the nine needs, from the basic biological requirements to the highest hierarchy self actualization and it really pointed out the progress of needs from human beings. However, the process could be stopped by any levels, and besides, maybe it is too vague for the Mrs. Johnson to predict the behaviour from the employees of the company because there are different positions of jobs which have different working content. Although the Marlow’s theory still offers the correct concept, the situation nowadays may need some adjustment. The theory is was more of a social philosophy which reflected white American middle-class value, so it cannot cover all the conditions. Clayton Alderfer (1972) claimed the ERG theory which included existence, relatedness and growth needs. Alderfer’s theory could be linked to the Maslow’s theory which is biological and safety needs, affiliation needs, and self-actualization and self-esteem needs. It simplified the process of the Maslow’s theory and directed at organizational settings because Maslow was not intentionally concerned with work motivation. Actually, if Alice can take this as her basic idea for the different levels of needs, it will be easier to categorise. Although Alice took the idea from Maslow, it is newer to adapt he ERG theory, besides it also related to the original Marlow’s theory. This is the fundamental part of staff’s needs, and only figure out the source of the needs, it is possible to continue the following steps. Then, here is two quotes which was from Sheila Ritchie and Peter Martin (1999) that ‘the task of the manager is to find out what it is that motivates people’ and ‘make them smile more and carp less’. There are twelve motivational drivers and for the Bradley Clothing Company, clothing designers need to be self-development, social contact and relationships. It is because the clothing designers are satisfied with the status quo and they feel happy about the current achievement, and this could be a concern afterwards. If they just think they do not have to make in progress, the ability of competence must be going down and it will be very easy to lose to the other competitors, so they have to have the kind of self-awareness which is similar to self-development and remind themselves to keep improved continuously and the manager could show the work from other companies to motivate the designers to have better performance. For the other employees such as cutters, seamsters, pressers, and packagers, it should focus on recognition, variety and change and money and tangible rewards. The jobs they are responsible for is replaceable, but as a good company, it should take care of all the employees and that is why they are the partners in the company. Besides, although it is hard to let them feel their job full of variety, the company still can educate them that try to take every different piece of clothes as the new work and maybe they just do not appreciate what they do. In this way, if they could think what they do is also very important part of the process, it might be higher their self-esteem and try to feel the variety and change for themselves. The most practical way to motivate those employees is to raise their salary and offer tangible rewards, but maybe this could be difficult to do this, because Mrs. Johnson thinks that the company’s wage and salary levels were among the best in the industry. I think if it could not enhance the encouragement for the employees, the item of money and tangible awards can be taken into consideration. ‘Marlow’s is a universalist theory, which applies to everyone, and thus cannot readily explain differences between individuals and between cultures’ (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1985) This is the reason why it is necessary to consider the other three process theories of work motivation, equity theory, expectancy theory, and goal setting theory. Equity Theory The equity theory is fom Stacy Adams (1963, 1965). The definition of equity theory is that based on our perceptions of fair treatment. It is normal to find out the argument among the employees that why they do not get the same wage even they do the same thing and they compare the rewards (pay, recognition) and contributions (time, effort, ideas). For the Bradley Clothing Company, if they have the well system about the management of the salary and the workload, it will not be a big problem for them at this stage. On the other hand, it is essential to avoid the inequity to the employees, because it is hard to convince them and it is even harder to ask them work better. The formula for equity theory: my rewards (minus my costs)/ my effort and contribution = your rewards (minus your costs) / your effort and contribution. According to the equity theory, the rewards could be either tangible or intangible and the importance falls on equal treatment and avoids the unfair distribution because the inequity would definitely decrease the motivation. Expectancy Theory The American psychologist Victor Vroom (1964) developed the expectancy theory of work motivation, based on three concepts: valence, instrumentality, and expectancy. There is obvious explanation that if you work harder, you will expect you get more rewards. The same principle to the realistic situation and it is that the employees always think the more they work, and the more they get. ‘Expectancy theory helps to explain individual differences in motivation and behaviour, unlike Maslow’s universal content theory of motivation. (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1985) Therefore, we can see the different interpretation for different position because it concerns about the individual case. Lyman Porter and Edward Lawler (1968; Lawler, 1973) create a model of work motivation which is based on Vroom’s expectancy theory. At first, ‘the perceived value of rewards’ and ‘expectation that performance will lead to reward’ come to the making effort part, then there are two more element which are ‘individual abilities and traits’ and ‘role perceptions’ with ‘the effort’ to the ‘job performance’. After the job performance, you can get the rewards either from intrinsic or extrinsic side, and there is another element ‘perceived equity of rewards’ which combine with the rewards and lead to the ‘job satisfaction’. In this whole process, the each individual item should be considered into the real execution for the management because the motivation has been developed in those steps. Goal-setting Theory Edwin Locke (1968, 1975; Latham and yukl, 1975) argues that ‘goal setting is more appropriately viewed as a motivational technique rather than a formal theory’ (Lock, 1975, p. 465). There are four main points about the goal theory: challenging goals, specific goals, participation in goal settings and knowledge of results of past performance. I think Mrs. Johnson should know these four different ways of goals to control the performance of the employees because they are in the different positions, and certainly they have different goals for the jobs. The manager could help the staffs to set their goals. For example, the clothing designers are suitable for the first two goals- the challenging goals and specific goals, because they have use their creativities and try to innovate the unique collection for their design and especially the goals for the designers all depend on their own ideas and only they could put the limit to themselves so set the challenging goals and specific goals would be better for their performance. About the third goal- participation in goal setting, it is suitable to use for the other workers in the company. These employees are not responsible for the innovation, so they just have to cooperate with the new design and know how to follow the instructions. Last but not least, knowledge of results of past performance is also a kind of important information and reference for the whole staff because when they know the results of the previous project, it will help them to set the direction for the coming case. The main features could be sum up as goal difficulties, goal specificity, participation, acceptance and feedback. The whole process normally should start form the beginning, but it still could be adjusted as different positions and levels of the employees. Motivator and Hygiene Theory The idea of job enrichment was first developed by the American psychologist Frederick Herzberg (1966, 1968). Motivator factors which are for the job contents include achievement, advancement, growth, recognition, responsibility and the work itself. Hygiene factors which are in the organizational context are pay, company policy, supervisory. In this theory, Herzberg argued that improvement in the hygiene or context factors will remove dissatisfaction, but will not increase motivation and performance. It is an interesting idea that personnel manager Mrs. Johnson does not notice this very well. The hygiene rewards are more intended to the extrinsic rewards, but the intrinsic rewards are more important influences on the motivation to work. As a result, a manager cannot only use the single theory to evaluate the adaptability but should care about the real working situation of the staff. The job characteristics model is designed by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham (1974; Hackman and Purdy, 1975). There are mainly four factors which are implementing concepts, core job dimentions, critical psychological states and personal and work outcomes and one very important indicator which is employee growth need strength (GNS). This model sets out the links between the features of jobs, the individual’s experience, and the outcomes in terms of motivation, satisfaction and performance. This model also takes into account individual differences in growth need strength (GNS), a concept of self-actualization’. (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1985) From the model and the explanation, the different factors of motivation for work can be analyzed and it can try to find the real point for increase the motivation. GNS which is related to Maslow’s concept of self-actualization can indicates the willingness to welcome personal development by job enrichment. I think Mrs. Johnson can use this job characteristic model as a reference and put in practice. It is certain that it should make adjustment anytime depending on different job contents and attribution. Conclusion It is not always easy to put one kind of classic theory into the real condition and we can say the theory can only offer the basic spirit of the implementation. Mrs. Johnson indeed simplifies the management of motivation and it may neglect what the staffs really want and need. The theories of the Maslow and Herzberg’s might be simple but actually it should be taken as the basic roots of the whole concepts. Besides there are plenty of other theories which have been developed by theoretical professionals, so Mrs. Johnson should make good use of them and have a discussion with the representatives from different positions and in this way, it could have better result to boost the motivation. (1949 words)

History of civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of civilization - Essay Example The predominance that is seen to characterize western civilization across the world is seen to be relatively unprecedented largely due to the fact that although many civilizations emerged before the European civilization and actually managed to radiate their influence far beyond the borders of their original homeland, these civilizations had nevertheless not managed to cast and sustain their predominance right around the globe. The successes of the European civilization are seen to be made all the more apparent when they are compared to those of some of the other civilizations that emerged before it. While these civilizations did manage to expand, they were however unable to attain global dominance. The Islam civilization for instance managed to expand from its origins in the Middle East to Affect Central Africa and Asia, it also managed to expand to the Pacific coasts of East Indies and the Atlantic Coast of Morocco, however, it was unable to obtain any permanent foothold in Europe as a result of religious opposition, in addition to this, Islamic civilization never having crossed the Atlantic to venture into the New World as it did not have access to the appropriate navigational sciences and technology to be able to accomplish this. The Eastern orthodox Christendom civilization on the other hand initially grew up in mediaeval Byzantium and was successfully carried to the Pacific by the Russians but it eve ntually succumbed to Western social and religious influences by the close of the 17th century that were not in support of Western Christianity. The ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece managed to extend their own political influence into Northern Europe where the Roman Empire is seen to have brought artistic inspiration to the Far East and India. While the Ancient India civilization manage to radiate her commerce, art and relation into the East Indies and Far East, it was however not able to successfully

Nurse-Patient Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Nurse-Patient Relationship - Essay Example No doubt there are nurses who would not like to disclose their profession or place of work. But there is a majority who do not mind disclosing their profession and this research depends on those nurses, who are ready to disclose their identities. Experiences of these nurses, when they are admitted into health care either due to sickness or due to old age, are the basis of present research. The objective of the current research is to find out if such difficulties really exist at all, or have they been exaggerated. If they really existed, it could be a matter of significance for not only the Health Care, but also to the nurses themselves and unless eradicated properly, this might create unhappy moments for the nurses who themselves could become patients when they are sick, or old. Present study is not for reiterating any theory. Instead this is a fact-finding mission and during the course of research, if any study could be connected with the experiences of the nurses, it is done without argument. This research offers various suggestions; but will not argue on behalf or against any theory. It will connect the research into psychological dimensions and see in what way the environment of the Health Care could influence the behavior of the connected people. It will discuss the inter-personal relationships and will try to find out if there are any routes of improvement. Henc e, the research questions are: 1. What had been the experiences of the nurses who had come in as patients to Health Care Hospitals 2. Have the experiences been different in any way from other patients 3. How have these experiences affected the situations and people connected in the immediate situation and also in the long run 4. Has the nurse-patient relationship altered in any way, when the nurse becomes a patient, or has it been immaterial METHODOLOGY: For the research, an ideal group of 30 nurses have been selected, who had undergone hospitalization for various reasons. There were no other requirements other than that the candidates should be nurses and had been hospitalized under diverse circumstances. For this sampling method, convenience and snowballing have been used. The study felt that the group chosen was sufficient for internal and external comparisons and sufficient data could be collected as this is not an extraordinarily complicated research topic. The questions asked for straightforward and had not complications at all. As all the candidates were treated confidentially, there was no tension about their employers or the nurses treated them coming to know about it. Anonymity had been one of the conditions on which the hospitalized nurses agreed to venture into volunteering and their wishes had been respected. The measuring criterion is mainly based on the questionnaire and the face to face interview with the candidates and hence, is a very clear study without complex situations. The entire outcome is based on their experiences, human valuation, their own perspectives and prejudices, their psychological soundness and adjustments. There are belligerent nurses, who thought that their opinions and experience in the job was slighted by the nurses who treated them, whereas there were other nurses, who did not have any problem even in the

Whether Achebes assessment of Heart of Darkness is entirely fair Essay

Whether Achebes assessment of Heart of Darkness is entirely fair - Essay Example The assessment presented by Achebe presents an analysis of the characterization in Conrad’s work. Achebe’s view of the comments presented by Marlow, the narrator in Conrad’s work, and the writer himself are subject to prejudice is fair. While taking the two (Conrad and Marlow) to be an entity, Achebe states that their wish is that things remain in the way they are. On a further note, Marlow represents a wrong image of the people of Africa. He refers to the pseudo-civilized African as a man who needs external support. In his assessment, Achebe is not happy at the fact that Conrad presents the Africans as having no language but the Europeans’ language as being superior. Achebe condemns what Conrad referred to as the lack of coherent way of human expression. This is a fair assessment since there were, native, African languages, through which they communicated. Since language’s core role is to communicate, there is no language fairer than another spoken by a different group of people, as Conrad tends to create in his work. The work by Conrad gives a view of Africa as a world in which the occupants are ignorant of events and display the least form of humanity. There is inaccurate information provided by Conrad about the description of some places in the setting of the book. The setting of the story is on river Congo, which evidently not River Emeritus. The depiction brought by Conrad brings that the two are distinct in value is wrong. He depicts that there was no food for a â€Å"civilized man† (Conrad 11) in River Congo, but the waters of Thames were drinkable. The racism evident through the presentation of Africa and its people by Conrad and Marlow (the character) works to invalidate the work. The author and character’s manipulation of the image of Congo in Conrad’s work denies it the credit any credit that it may attain from its readers. Achebe notes that Conrad never

John Lewis Creates A Culture Business Essay

John Lewis Creates A Culture Business Essay Strategic human resource management is an informative process which is always developing and being studied and talked about by academics and commentators. As mentioned by Wright McMahan, SHRM refers to the pattern of planned human resource activities intended to enable an organization to achieve its goals.Human resource strategy is the result of a set of decisions a company makes about the humans with whom it does business. Human Resource Management is also a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace culture and environment. Strategic Human Resource Management is focal point of activities which are related to employee of the organisation. In any organisation human resource management strategy is crucial to manage human resource in the right way. Strategy also gives the path for organisation to select right person in the right place. Management of the companys employees and their right approach in todays business can greatly effect on the companys overall performance. A strategic approach in Human Resource Management is essential especially in expanding companies. Starting from right staffing to maintaining performing employees, HR management is means in developing not only the employees, but the entire organization itself. Human Resources includes a broad range in management. A growing company depends on its existing success which can sustain and further develop its business starting with the right staffing. As demands for the product or services increase, additional manpower is needed to comply with them. The current manpower should be checked but not simply if they can comply with the demands, but it has to ensure that it can still keep its quality and standards. Mass production or bulk orders should not be an excuse in decreasing quality, hence, increased customer dissatisfaction and decreased sale .Strategic human resource management is human resource management carried out in a strategic way. The human resource activities are linked to the achievement of the organizations overall objectives. This is the new way of managing human resources as compared to personnel management. For a company that is already recognized in the industry and is eyeing on expansion, their status and reliability should be maintained. The leaders of the company can now focus on the products itself and expansion, and let the HR department handle the development of the organization. Keeping an eye on the companys long-term goals, mission and vision, the development of performance standards is essential to identify potential problems, non-performing employees and compliance to tasks and standards. Minor employee and performance problems should be seen immediately to avoid any future inconvenience and potential problems to the customers and thus become a liability to the company. HRM professionals can also identify the processes and the proper staffing for each of these activities, and in effect, the systems and approach in terms of the companys front line operations can be improved to decrease manpower hours, improve quality, streamline processes, and elevate standards. The success and growth of a small company can be attributed to its culture. Due to its size, Communication between all employees is not complicated. And alongside this communication, the trust and organizational goals are easily shared and understood by everyone. And in its growth, it is important that this culture is maintained and adjust to changes accordingly. HR professionals can work both with management and employees in doing this. With increase in employees and more demands in operations, communication may take a backseat for both parties. However, Human Resources Management can amend this and become a bridge in establishing what the management wants from employees and vice-versa. In its continuous development, it is but imperative that the management or its owner be prepared for more arduous tasks in operations and leading the rest of the team towards continued success. Management should be equipped with the right skills in planning, leading, organizing and establishing standards. As they are the ones who will eventually be focused in developing the company instead of the operations and technical aspects, a higher understanding of this responsibility is essential, and this also plays a significant part once competition is put into the picture. Companies fail because of a number of reasons, and mismanagement can be one of them. Operations may spin out of control if personal agendas and politics are placed, and in growing companies, this should be monitored and prevented. Developing not only management but also its employees is significant. To keep up with competition, employees should be given with a number of reasons to stay with the company, and do their jobs exemplary well. Their continuous growth, the right compensation and benefits, and work-life balance are just some of the things that motivate employees to perform better, producing better results for the customers and ultimately, the company. r Recruitment and selection à ¢-  Learning and talent development à ¢-  Human resource planning à ¢-  Provision of equal opportunities à ¢-  Managing diversity à ¢-  Motivating workers to achieve improved performance à ¢-  Employee counselling à ¢-  Talent management à ¢-  Payment and reward of employees à ¢-  Health and safety à ¢-  Redundancy à ¢-  Encouraging involvement and engagement à ¢- Change management à ¢-  Managing cross-cultural issues or international HRM. All will be concerned in some way to ensure that HRM activities add value by helping the organisation achieve its strategic objectives. They will focus on ensuring that the overall HR policies and procedures support the strategic objectives and that there is consistency in approach and implementation across the organisation. However, for each activity it is likely that other managers will also be involved to some extent. Line managers will be concerned with the actual implementation of the policies and procedures in so far as they affect their team, whereas the HR specialists will also be involved in the bigger picture, although the extent of the differences in role will vary between organisations. Tesco aims to ensure all roles work together to drive its business objectives. Tesco needs to ensure it has the right number of people in the right jobs at the right time. To do this, it has a structured process for recruitment and selection to attract applicants for both managerial and operational roles. Evaluate the contribution of strategic human resource management to the achievement of organisation objectives. Organisations are implementing strategic HR as a change agent, not to replace an out dated personnel department. Even though there is still confirmation within the UK that once these involvements are implemented, they just reinstate the role of the personnel department. To be effective HR belongs on the board of an organisation. The organisation that will be reviewed is Tescos; during the past decade they have introduced strategic HR with increased training of employees. The role of HR within the organisation has increased in importance. Their practice of training and the importance of HR will be reviewed with the current theory. This organisation was chosen, through their introduction of strategic HR policies, which has led to an increase in business. This has demonstrated they are a first class provider of training to their employees, and has given scope for the organisation to expand into new markets. Tescos operates in a very competitive market; the consumer has a choice where to shop for their groceries. They have expanded their portfolio to include CDs, DVDs, electrical goods and clothing. Recently they have expanded into the financial services offering customers products from Credit cards to insurance. All their products are available on the internet 24 hours a day. Their slogan every little helps is used to show their commitment to customers, this has been used to reduce prices and to increase the level of customer service. This slogan is now used in their staff training, that any intervention will increase the knowledge of the work force. The organisation is widely reported in news papers, this is due to the success of the business. They are rapidly expanding in the UK with the opening of their Metro stores and into new and foreign markets. This has taken a great deal of their resources in the planning and implementing stage of expansion. The core units need to remain focused, to retain the reputation they have built. Reinforcing the culture and values through training will focus employees on their roles. AC 2.1 Analysis the business factors that underpin human resource planning in organisation. Human resources planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an organization to achieve it goals. Human resources planning should serve as a link between human resources management and the overall strategic plan of an organization. Business growth business decline business change labour cost control changing nature of work impact of technology employee development etc There are things, events, or situations that occur that affect the way a business operates, either in a positive or negative way. These things, situations, or events that occur that affect a business in either a positive or negative way are called driving forces or environmental factors. There are two kinds of driving forces; Internal driving forces, and external driving forces. Internal driving forces are those kinds of things, situations, or events that occur inside the business, and are generally under the control of the company. Examples might be as mentioned below technological capacity, organizational culture, management system financial manageme employee morale. External driving forces are those kinds of things, situation, or events that occur outside of the company and are by and large beyond the control of the company. Examples of external driving forces might be, the industry itself, the economy, demographics, competition, political interference, etc. whether they are internal or external driving forces, one thing is certain for both. Change will occur! A company must be cognizant of these changes, flexible, and willing to respond to them in an appropriate way. External driving forces can bury a business if not appropriately dealt with. The question is, how does a business know what changes are occurring so that they can deal with them in a positive way. OK, thats the next issue. In order for a business to succeed and gain the competitive edge, the business must know what changes are indeed occurring, and what changes might be coming up in the future. I guess you might call this forecasting. Thus, critical to the business is what we call informational resources. It is the collection and analyzation of data. Some examples of critical information might include the following: Competition (what are they doing?) Customer behaviour (needs, wants, and desires) Industry out look (local, national, global) Demographics (the change populations, there density, etc.) Economy (are we peaking, or moving negatively) Political movements and/or interference Social environment Technological changes General environmental changes The above are just some issues organizations must be on top of. Well its never easy, but businesses that are successful include all of the above (and more), to develop the appropriate tactics, strategies, and best practices, to ensure successful out comes ) AC 2.2 Asses the human resource requirement in a given situation The main purpose of the human resources function is to recruit, select, train and develop staff. This means finding the right people, training and developing them so they achieve their maximum potential and creating systems that achieve high levels of morale and motivation. HR departments also often have the following responsibilities: 2.2.1Workforce planning This department is a major area of HRM. This involves anticipating in advanc requirements of the organisation both in terms of employees required and the appropriate skill mix. This will help the firm to predict likely changes in employment required, recognise future trends, in training and employ new human resources to meet these trends. 2.2.2Recruitment and selection Recruitment and selection is about appointing the best person to do the job. 2.2.3Working conditions Working conditions such as the temperature, amount of light, toilet facilities could also affect an employees motivation. 2.2.4Induction training career development Induction training is given to a new job holder. This could include: history of the business, tour of the premises, introduction to other employees, health and safety procedures including fire evacuation, being shown how to use machinery. Induction training helps new employees to settle and become effective quickly. 2.2.5Appraisal Appraisal is the process of assessing the effectiveness of a process or an employee. 2.2.6Consultation Consultation: asking for the views of those who will be affected by a decision. These views should then be taken into account by the executive responsible for taking the decision. 2.2.7Promotion and transfers Promotion is when someone as being appointed to a more responsible and respectable job. Transfers is when someone as been transfer to a different department or to a different place for work. 2.2.8Termination of employment This is a better way of saying that an employee has been fired from their job. 2.2.9Pay, rewards fringe benefits Any benefit received by employees in addition to their wages or salary. Common fringe benefits are a company pension scheme, a company car and discounts when buying the firms products. 2.2.10Wage bargaining This is where an employee will negotiate their salary with their manager. Because the employee fells that it is time for a wage increase. 2.2.11Heath and safety issues Imposes on employers the duty to ensure, the health, safety and welfare at work of all staff. Firms must provide all necessary safety equipment and clothing free of charge. Employers must provide a safe working environment. Finally, all firms with five or more employees must have a written safety policy on display. 2.2.12Employment legislation Employment legislation is where employees need to follow certain rules and conditions in order to work for the organisation. AC 2.3 Develop a human resources plan for Tesco. Human resources planning refer to classic HR administrative functions, and the evaluation and identification of human resources requirements for meeting organizational goals. It also requires an assessment of the availability of the qualified resources that will be needed. Human resources planning should be a key component of nearly every corporations strategic business planning.To ensure their competitive advantage in the marketplace, organizations must implement innovative strategies that are designed to enhance their employee retention rate and recruit fresh talent into their companies There are six work levels in the Tesco. This gives a clear structure for managing and controlling the organisation. Each level requires particular skills and behaviours. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 1 frontline jobs working directly with customers. Various in-store tasks, such as filling shelves with stock. Requires the ability to work accurately and with enthusiasm and to interact well with others. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 2 leading a team of employees who deal directly with customers. Requires the ability to manage resources, to set targets, to manage and motivate others. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 3 running an operating unit. Requires management skills, including planning, target setting and reporting. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 4 supporting operating units and recommending strategic change. Requires good knowledge of the business, the skills to analyse information and to make decisions, and the ability to lead others. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 5 responsible for the performance of Tesco as a whole. Requires the ability to lead and direct others, and to make major decisions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work level 6 creating the purpose, values and goals for Tesco plc. Responsibility for Tescos performance requires a good overview of retailing, and the ability to build a vision for the future and lead the whole organisation. Tesco has a seven-part framework that describes the key skills and behaviours for each job at every level in the company. This helps employees understand whether they have the right knowledge, skills or resources to carry out their roles. Recruitment Recruitment involves attracting the right standard of applicants to apply for vacancies. Tesco advertises jobs in different ways. The process varies depending on the job available. Tesco first looks at its internal Talent Plan to fill a vacancy. This is a process that lists current employees looking for a move, either at the same level or on promotion. If there are no suitable people in this Talent Plan or developing on the internal management development programme, Options, Tesco advertises the post internally on its intranet for two weeks. Selection involves choosing the most suitable people from those that apply for a vacancy, whilst keeping to employment laws and regulations. Screening candidates is a very important part of the selection process. This ensures that those selected for interview have the best fit with the job requirements. In the first stages of screening, Tesco selectors will look carefully at each applicants curriculum vitae (CV). The CV summarises the candidates education and job history to date. A well-written and positive CV helps Tesco to assess whether an applicant matches the person specification for the job. The company also provides a job type match tool on its careers web page. People interested in working for Tesco can see where they might fit in before applying. The process Tesco uses to select external management candidates has several stages. Tesco have a plan to recruit and select appropriate employees for the right post. 2.4 Critically evaluate how a human resources plan can contribute to meeting Tescos objectives. The HR Plan is a working document that allows us to show what we are doing and what we have achieved. The plan includes an overview of the achievements of the HR Department and a review of the previous Strategy and HR targets Human resource contributes the success of the company but some changes in the organisation effect in the human resource plan. So positive aspect of the human resource always not the same in some cases it may be criticize. Human resource plan is the key shape of the organisation which guides the company how to do operate the human resource department. Human resource plan is the key to an effective to decision making process. With the help of the efficient human resource the decision by the company can be effective. If human resource plan is effectively implemented it will positively contribute to the achievement of the organisations objectives. Some of the points which are contributing the company are as follow: Shape of the organisation The shape of the organization rely matter in the achievement of organization objectives. So HRM need to plan about it.HRM can help the organization in order to omit all the unnecessary employment from the organization. Thus it is also help in order to find the excess in human resource in the company. According to the requirements of the company if the structure does not match then the human resource plan will not help effectively. Communication Communication plays vital role in the organization it is considered most crucial part in the organization. In any organization human resource management is a communicator for the organizations employees. In the perspective of communication human resource need to be effective. Communication is a barrier and helps to maintain the demand and supply level in the organization and keep them in the right track. Training and development. The skills of the employees are sharpened by training and development. It enables the employees to keep them up to date with the latest requirements.Traning is necessary in order to facilitator with the new technology, because technology is a source to save the time and maximize the benefits. Transfer of knowledge. This modern era is the era of globalization and every organization is connected globally and can be. And in this way they can recruit human resource globally. But the time and experiences are different according to the time and new trends requirements. Human resource deals with effective way in order to lead the employees because they know how to deal with the situation the implementation of plan human resource would be effective. Human resource would be effective depending on the implementation of the plan. In the organisation how they make the plan and what process they set to implementation is the major. 3.1 explain the purpose of human resource management policies in Tesco. Purposes HR policies allow an organization to be clear with employees on: The nature of the organization. What they should expect from the organization. What the organization expects of them. How policies and procedures work. What is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour? The consequences of unacceptable behaviour. The establishment of policies can help an organization demonstrate, both internally and externally, that it meets requirements for diversity, ethics and training as well as its commitments in relation to regulation and corporate governance. For example, in order to dismiss an employee in accordance with employment law requirements, amongst other considerations, it will normally be necessary to meet provisions within employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements. The establishment of an HR Policy which sets out obligations, standards of behaviour and document disciplinary procedures, is now the standard approach to meeting these obligations. There has been an increase in training within the organisation; all employees now receive more training than before. This is a result of the HR department taking a strategic role. HR is not an administrative department within Tesco; they are proactive and are on the strategic level of the organisation. This increase in training priority has been supported by a rise in Human Resource Management. This practice emphasises that increased growth can only be maintained in the long run; by equipping the work force with the skills they need to complete their tasks (Mullins, L. 2005). The learning process has been challenged to create a culture that allows continual learning throughout the organisation. As knowledge is what matters, organisations and individuals alike must become continuous learners (Hawkins, P 1994). The organisation runs an academy that recognises skills in the individual. The training is identified from core, operational and leadership skills. All employees can access the core skills. These development programmes are tailored to the individuals skill level. The delivery method for the training is varied, allowing for the individuals learning preference. 3.2 analyse the impact of regulatory requirement on human resource policies in an organisation. Regulatory requirements are those requirements which are concerned about the employment law ,regulation requirements ,discrimination of law, data protection law and also human rights are related to these requirements. There is a question how an organisation can access to their rules and other activities which are affected to other stakeholders. Tesco provides several health and safety programmes and to the public as an additional activities. Employess dismissel: Without following the correct procedure or having a fair reason is directly to escort to a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal successful claims damages can be substantial. The cost of defending a claim in particular times of a management time may be important and it does not matter you win or loss. HR policies can also be very effective at supporting and building the desired organizational culture. For example recruitment and retention policies might outline the way the organization values a flexible workforce, compensation policies might support this by offering a 48/52 pay option where employees can take an extra four weeks holidays per year and receive less pay across the year. Training and development policies As part of Every Little Helps,Tesco commitment to their people is that they will give them the opportunity to get on so that they are able to get the training they need to do their job and to develop their careers at Tesco. They want Tesco to be a great place to work for all our staff. Thats why they want everyone here to feel free to follow the career path thats right for them. There are a number of ways Tesco supports their people to achieve this, be it through an Options Development Programme, offering an Apprenticeship or encouraging the studying for a qualification whilst at work. Health and safety policy: Tesco measures health and safety performance using reportable accident rates, which they report each quarter to the Compliance Committee and annually to the Executive Board. Stores measure their own performance as well through the Store Steering Wheel, which Tesco set targets for reducing injury rates in each specific site. The main causes of injury remain slips, trips and manual handling. Tesco ran an accident awareness campaign in October 2009, in which we highlighted key safety messages to all staff. All stores apart from Express now have special clean as you go tools. In January this year Tesco ran a further campaign called see it, sort it, report it!, encouraging staff to give their feedback on near misses and how Tesco can improve safety. 4.1 analyse the impact of an organisational structure on the management of human resources. An organisation structure consists of action like task allocation supervision and co ordination ,which are leaded the betterment of organizational aims .It might be concerned as the viewing perspective through which individual can see their organisation and its environment ,an organisation can be structured or formed in many different ways, depending on their objectives. The structure of an organisation will be determined the modes in which ways it operates and performs. An organizational structure determines the desired allocation of responsibilities for several functions and process of different equities such as branch, workgroup and branch workgroup. Organization structure effects organizational action in two ways. Firstly it allocates or provides the best foundation on which standard operating procedures and rest of routines. Secondly it concerned in which of the individual involve to participate in the process of decision making. Hence it also helps in order to understand what kind of their views can help in the organizations action. There are several ways through which organization are structured, Functionally as it is explained above, regional area a geographical structure e,g within a marketing manager products like crisps and drinks. 4.2 analyze the impact of an organizational culture on the management of human resources: All organizations will have a culture which will have an impact on the way employees behave within the organization.. Employees are seen as a key resource. Our core definition of HRM from Storey talked about cultural aspects of HRM, so part of the way in which employees, as a key resource, can be managed is through the use of organizational culture to generate commitment to the organization and its values. Thus, as Ogbonn(1992: 80) notes, the achievement of HRM objectives requires the management of the organizational value system (culture) and this requires skilful implementation. Often within tourism and hospitality such values will be concerned with encouraging employee buy in to the customer care and service quality initiatives, which organizations see as a form of competitive advantage in the crowded market place. Organizational culture refers to the pattern of beliefs, values, and learned ways of coping with experience that have developed during the course of an organizations history, and which tend to be manifested in its material arrangements and in the behaviour of its members. For many this can be succinctly summarized as, The way we do things around here (Deal and Kennedy, 1988. This process of unlocking commitment and enthusiasm is by no means straightforward or uncontested (Thompson and McHugh, 2001). For example, we should be aware of the notions of sub-cultures, such that all organizational members might not subscribe to the organizational vision. Recognition of the potentially contested nature of organizational culture is important because it points to the manner in which there may be a disjuncture between the rhetoric and reality of organizational culture. Brown (1998) expresses this point as the espoused culture and the culture in practice. The former may be the positive view that is presented for public consumption, whilst the latter may allow for a more critical reading of any given organizational culture and to further appreciate this point the thread now considers competing views of organizational culture. [ by Frank at 3-6-2009 00:01 edited ] 4.3 examine how the effectiveness of human resources management is monitored in an organization: Organizational effectiveness depends on having the right people in the right jobs at the right time to meet rapidly changing organizational requirements. Right people can be obtained by performing the role of Human Resource (HR) function. Below is an outline and explanation of how to assess the HR functions of an organization by using HR activities in an architectural firm as an example. An important aspect of an organizations business focus and direction towards achieving high levels of competency and competitiveness would depend very much upon their human resource management practices to contribute effectively towards profitability, quality, and other goals in line with the mission and vision of the company. Staffing, training, compensation and performance management are basically important tools in the human resources practices that shape the organizations role in satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. Stakeholders of an organization comprise mainly of stockholders who will want to reap on their investments, customers whose wants and desires for high quality products or services are met, employees who want their jobs in the organization to be interesting with reasonable compensation and reward system and lastl

Impact of Outside Invasion in the Central Andes and Himalayas Essay

Impact of Outside Invasion in the Central Andes and Himalayas In Toward a Cultural Ecology of Mountains: The Central Andes and Himalayas Compared, David Guillet writes to address the nature of cultural adaptations between two mountain populations. His research is spurred by increased recognition that human intervention can cause detrimental resource degeneration in these fragile mountain environments. Guillet attempts to answer two questions; What environmental constraints on material provisioning will a human population encounter in mountains? How does the range of possible responses lead to patterns of social relations? By asking these questions Guillet believes that the production process is the critical link between the culture and the environment. Production is important to the cultural ecology of mountainous regions because; 1.) production decisions are constrained by altitude; 2.) cultural strategies implemented as a result of the mountainous environment are related to production; 3.) comparing production allows for a comparative model of mountain adaptations; and 4.) it shows that individuals and groups are involved in a process of adaptive flexibility that allows human response to the environment (Guillet, 563). In mountain environments, human populations are limited by vertical constraints on production strategies. The interaction between altitude, climate, and soil fertility sets limits on what types of crop can survive. This is evident in the use of animals to plow fields. The yaks of the Himalayas were able to adapt well to the plow, unlike the Andean camelids that lacked the physical strength for plowing. The mountain environment impacts many aspects of life. These regions have a poor... ...ent from degradation. After reading both Himalayan Herders and Toward a Cultural Ecology of Mountains, I have noticed a difference in the impact of outside invasion. For Bishop, the relatively isolated Melemchi village is rapidly changing, in response to global patterns, as a result of outside influences. However, these herders are able to maintain their cultural knowledge and traditions that have shaped their village for centuries. Why is it that Bishop noticed the dramatic influence of outside forces, while Guillet hardly recognizes this as a factor leading to adaptations in mountain populations? Is it because Guillet’s model needed to be broad that he was unable to focus on this influence? Works Cited Guillet, David, 1983. "Toward a Cultural Ecology of Mountains: The Central Andes and the Himalayas Compared," in Current Anthropology, 24(5) 561-574.

A report to the Board of Directors at Ennismore Capital Regarding the Expansion Idea at Hoxton Hotel

Abstract The hotel industry has gained more popularity over the recent decades in most parts across the globe. London, like other cities has manifested stiff competition among different hotels in offering high quality services, including meals and accommodation to both local and international customers.Hoxton has been a top ranking hotel in London, with some of the surveys ranking it the best for three consecutive years. The hotel is under the management of enthusiastic and goal-oriented team (Ennismore Capital), characterised by the constant ambition to grow into a larger hotel industry. Having proposed the expansion idea to the Hoxton Manager, there is need to conduct a critical review of the idea and render the most informed recommendation to warrant the implementation of the expansion idea. This paper therefore outlines a report to the Board of Directors at Ennismore Capital regarding the expansion idea at Hoxton Hotel, in which the strategic analysis of the hotel, internal analysis throu gh a resource audit and core competency analysis, and the application of Ansoff’s matrix are covered. The report gives concludes by proposing a local expansion of the hotel in the UK, and summarises the recommendations to the board. Introduction The Hoxton Hotel is owned and managed by the Ennismore Capital. From recent surveys conducted in the United Kingdom, The Hoxton Hotel has been ranked as one of the leading hotels in London (Agencies, 2013). For example, one of the surveys and ranking by the Guardian Newspaper had ranked Hoxton Hotel as the best in the UK for three consecutive years. The ranking by the Guardian Newspaper focused on the professionals from the creative industries such as Design, Computing, as well as Fashion. The constant growth and development of the hotel, which has since its foundation, led to its modern top ranking can be attributed to the enthusiastic, goal oriented and successful management body. For instance, the Ennismore Capital have a current plan of expansion, in which they aim at either local expansion within the UK, or internationally in the same hotel business, or through further diversification into related sectors. In order to facilitate proper decision making regarding the multi-million pound expansion idea by the Ennismore Capital, there is need for a strategic analysis of Hoxton Hotel, together with an examination and evaluation of the strategic choices that are open to it. This report details the required strategic analysis of the hotel, which constitutes the current strategic position of The Hoxton Hotel in terms of the external environment it faces. This is achieved through a PESTEL analysis, business trends and level of overall competitive rivalry in the hotel industry. It covers the internal analysis through a resource audit and core competency analysis for The Hoxton Hotel. The report advices the Board of Directors on the expansion idea through the application of Ansoff’s matrix, and proposes the organic method of growth. Current Strategic Position of the Hoxton Hotel Strategic business position refers to the process in which a business distinguishes its products and services from those of its competitors, and as such, identifies which market niche to occupy. Strategic positioning is one of the most vital benefits associated with proper business planning. The importance of proper business planning in developing an advantageous strategic position is vital, especially in the face advancing technology (Field, 2013). The Hoxton Hotel has overrecent years, acquired a leading position among the hotels found in the United Kingdom. The study by the Guardian newspaper relied on the nature of the products and services offered by the hotel, with major back-ups from the customer testimonials. The customer testimonials, among other sources of information contributed to the hotel’s leading rank ion offering meals and accommodation services. The strategic position of a business becomes contingent when it manifests its uniqueness in products and services offered, as well as its verifiable value (Vignali, 2014). In order to determine critical analysis of the current strategic position of The Hoxton Hotel in terms of the external environment, it is necessary to conduct a PESTEL analysis, and the current industry trends, in tandem with the overall competitive rivalry.The PESTEL AnalysisThe PESTEL analysis is a common framework in the United Kingdom, used to evaluate the external environment of different business. The framework consists of different factors affecting businesses, ranging from Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economic as well as the Legal aspects (Glykas, 2013). For instance, the political factors involve factors that determine the level of involvement by the UK government. The government may influence the operations of the business through an introduction of new tax policies. The business, upon compliance, experiences a new era in its revenue, which affects its competitive advantage. The governmentâ€℠¢s stability, press freedom policies, trade union regulations, consumer protection policies, as well as the level of corruption also defines a business’ external environment (Glykas, 2013). In addition to the political factors, economic factors also determine the overall performance of a nation’s economy, which bears a direct impact on the profitability of any business. For instance, inflation trends in the economy determine the pricing policy of hotel prices for their meals and accommodation services. Moreover, there are socio-economic factors, which involve the prevailing cultural and demographic trends on marketing. The technological aspect of the framework consider the level of innovations and their application in sales, marketing as well as delivery of goods and services within the business industry (Glykas, 2013). Similarly, the legal aspect of the PESTEL framework affects both the internal and external business environment, owing to the hotel’s effort to comply with the legal policies enacted in the UK. The legal factors work in tandem with environmental aspect of the PESTEL framework, since there are various environmental policies enacted and enforced through legal terms. The hotel has an obligation to conduct its business in such a way that it complies with environmental sustainability policies enacted in the UK. The table below outlines each of the factors in the PESTEL framework, and the effects of each factor on the current strategic position of the Hoxton Hotel. Factor Impact on Hoxton Hotel PoliticalThe UK government is currently getting involved in the hotel industry owing to the need to control security. The UK government is also making further restrictions into the issuance of licences for hotel operations. The Hoxton Hotel has a good business relationship with the UK government in tax payments, and through their ability to attract international markets EconomicThe hotel accommodates international guests and hosts international conferences, which are dependent on the individual economies of foreign countries. In some cases, the local markets do not supply adequate food, and the Hoxton Hotel imports beef and potatoes from other countries to meet the demands (Yang, Flynn & Anderson, 2014). Socio-culturalThe Hoxton Hotel enjoys a larger section of the UK population being of higher social class, who can afford the high prices offered for the meal and accommodation services provided. The Hotel also offers the modern amenities and innovative technologies such as the wireless network, which is a hot cake for the up-coming generation. It therefore means that the younger generation form a promising class of customers for the hotel (Lazzeroni et.al, 2013). TechnologicalTechnology has played a pivotal role in ensuring the competitive advantage for the Hoxton Hotel. This is because the hotel offers a wireless network in the rooms, which has acted an attractive feature for many customers (Yang, Flynn & Anderson, 2014). EnvironmentalThe hotel has a public responsibility to ensure a sustainable use of the environment. There are policies which have a legal binding for the hotel, especially regarding waste disposal and management (Brigade, 2014). LegalThe Hoxton Hotel complies with all the labour policies in the UK, as well as international standards by scheduling manageable workloads for its staff (Hoque, 2013. Key Industry Trends and Level of Overall Competitive Rivalry Having emerged as a leading hotel in the United Kingdom for three consecutive years implies major achievements for the Hoxton Hotel. There are many factors which contributed to the hotel’s competitive advantage (Hulbert, Gilmore & Carson, 2013). For instance, surveys have indicated that Hoxton Hotel is one of the most popular with relatively lower rates. Compared to other major hotels in the UK, Hoxton offers lower prices for high quality services for not only delicious meals, but also the comfortable accommodation rooms. The lowly charged rooms include some of the publicity-garnering ?1 per night, among other facilities that remain affordable to the customers. In the hotel industry, the location of the business forms a critical aspect of its usefulness to the intended clients. This is because the accessibility depends on how far or close the facility is located from other public utilities, such as roads, hospitals, as well as other sources of entertainment, including natural features (Porter & Shaw, 2013). Considering the location of Hoxton Hotel in the United Kingdom, the hotel remains highly competitive for its Shoreditch location. The presence of the Shoreditch around the hotel acts as a point of attraction to many clients, who according to surveys, have affirmed that they experience a double benefit when they visit the hotel. Their double reward is owing to the fact that their stay in the Hoxton Hotel gives them an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery at the hip Shoreditch. The room design is also another significant factor that is responsible for the high competitive advantage. According to the reviews done by most customers in Hoxton and other hotels, the room design is a central factor, which determines the customers’ choice to stay in a hotel. Based on this knowledge, Hoxton Hotel has properly designed, physically attractive and more appealing to most customers’ accommodation demands. Their appealing nature is associated with the fact they have relatively more luxury, than what most customers’ often expect. For instance, customers have free access to milk in the fridges, various options for a cold snack, and well balanced diet during breakfast. The rooms are supplied with a system of free wireless internet service. The customers who have laptops and other internet enabled devices have free access to the internet at an unlimited rate, for as long as they stay in Hoxton Hotel. Moreover, the hotel rooms have some of the most comfortable beds, with the bedding materials displaying high standards of hygiene. Customer reviews conclude that according to their assessment, they found no source of discomfort during their stay at the 4-star Hoxton (Ryan, 2013). These reviews from customers also recognise the high aesthetic value of the hotel environment, noting the 2VVV Golfs forming a snug at the Hoxton’s entrance. Despite the strong competitive rivalry from the other hotels in the UK, Hoxton banks on its less costly products and services, the beautiful scenery located around the hotel, among other luxurious services including the free wireless internet offered in the rooms to maintain itself at the top of competition (Ryan, 2 013). Internal Analysis through a Resource Audit and Core Competency Analysis In order to establish whether a business is strategically positioned to meet its objectives, it is a business requirement to conduct Internal Resource Audit (IRA), in which the management determines the available resources and how they can contribute to the achievement of the set goals of and objectives.Clean External and Internal EnvironmentsSince its foundation, the Hoxton Hotel has thrived on a good reputation for its cleanliness, both in the internal and the external environments. The high standards of hygiene that have formed the brand’s reputation have resulted into improved confidence among customers, who trust the safety of their meals as well. It is a common belief that clean environments have safe products for human consumption (Smith, 2013). This belief has been a primary motivating factor for even parents with younger children to use the facility for the available child friendly meal toys. Consequently, there has been a trend of increasing number of customers over the past years, which have led to an increase in revenue generation for the hotel.Safe FoodsHoxton Hotel has shown historical commitment to ensure that they serve safe meals and beverages to their customers (Smith, 2013). The process of ensuring safe foods and beverages at the hotel is a collaborative work between Hoxton and its suppliers, who take an active role in monitoring, tracking and testing different ingredients used in the production and processing of such food items (Smith, 2013). The food and beverage safety is a comprehensive process program in the hotel operations, that not only ensures food and beverage safety, but also all other promotional items. Based on critical analysis of the hotel’s safety standards, it is evident that Hoxton Hotel is in compliance with the government’s standards, and in some cases above them. The extra effort invested to ensure additional food safety is aimed at maximum consumer protection, as a core obligation of the business to the customers. Similarly, it is the responsibility of all the staff members to notify the relevant authorities in case of any safety issue, so as to maintain safe food as a resource (Smith, 2013). The rooms at the Hoxton Hotel are comparable to the mothership at the Shoreditch. The rooms designed to prioritise the customer’s comfort through adequate space. Just like stated in the above discussion, the rooms are among the most captivating facilities at Hoxton Hotel. With special designs to ensure customers’ comfort, they are spacious to permit free movement as necessary. In addition to the adequate space available, the rooms provide a refrigeration facility, which creates for storage of basic beverages and snacks (Smith, 2013). For instance, customers can always access the free milk provided in the fridge, other cold snacks as well as a variety of breakfast meals. Moreover, the rooms also incorporate an aspect of the modern technology, in which the management supply free internet connection to the customers through a wireless platform. Application of the Ansoff’s Matrix Based on their financial ability, the Ennismore Capital has ?100 million for the expansion idea. Considering the level of risk, it is important to acquire a deeper comprehension of the existing markets and the new markets, as well as the new products and new ones. In the UK for example, there are many expansion ideas, each with a varying level of risk, depending on whether the idea involves the introduction of new products or use the existing ones. Similarly, the levels of risk also depend on whether the expansion involves operations with the current market, or entry into a new market (Gianos, 2013). Hoxton Hotel has maintained a leading role in offering meals and accommodation services in the UK, and can boast of adequate knowledge in the sector. Furthermore, the business has involved the provision of one particular goods and services, during which the management has acquired all the basic and technical information required to run a successful business in the hotel industry. Having been located in the UK, the hotel also has a better understanding of the market structure and operations dynamics, including the requisite competitive advantage over their rival hotels within the region. Conclusion Based on the findings, it is evident that there is lower level of risk involved in an expansion idea, which involves opening new branches of the hotel, offering similar services in different parts of the country. On the other hand, there is higher level of risk involved in an expansion idea, in which the hotel has to penetrate new international markets, offering similar services, or introducing new products. Considering the Ennismore Capital’s concerns over the level of risks involved, it would be most appropriate for Hoxton Hotel to consider adopting a local expansion of the hotel offering similar services within the UK. While expanding the business within the UK, organic method of business growth would be the most appropriate. This is because the method involves minimum investment of external capital, since it relies on the existing business capital. Organic growth originates from the existing business, and has a higher chances of fast growth due to the fact Hoxton Hotel has ready market information and investment strategies. Summary of Recommendations The Hoxton Hotel has earned its place in the top ranking of hotels for offering satisfactory services to its clients during the course of the recent past. Plans of expansion by the management can be a source of its further advancement, or can lead to its decline in the hotel industry. In order to keep the business at a higher niche, it is important that the management consider a local expansion within the UK, by dealing in the same meals and accommodation services. This shall help in acquiring further stability and popularity in the native country, before further penetration into new markets across the borders. The Ennismore Capital should aim at minimum cost of the expansion, as a base of gaining a stronger investment base for a more advanced expansion in the future. This can be achieved through adoption of organic growth, which shall utilise the existing business resources such as ideas, market information and capital. References Agencies, I. H. S. (2013). Let’s Go London, Oxford, Cambridge & Edinburgh: The StudentTravel Guide. Avalon Travel. Brigade, L. F. (2014). London Fire Brigade-Incident Archive 12085. people. Field, C. D. (2013). The Allan Library: A Victorian Methodist Odyssey. Bulletin of the JohnRylands Library, 89(2), 69-105. Gianos, J. F. (2013). A Brief Introduction to Ansoffian Theory and the Optimal Strategic Performance-positioning Matrix on Small Business (OSPP). Journal of Management Research, 5(2), 107-118. Glykas, M. (2013). Fuzzy cognitive strategic maps in business process performance measurement. Expert Systems with Applications, 40(1), 1-14. Hoque, K. (2013). Human resource management in the hotel industry: Strategy, innovation and performance. London: Routledge. Hulbert, B., Gilmore, A., & Carson, D. (2013). Sources of opportunities used by growth mindedowner managers of small and medium sized enterprises. International Business Review,22(1), 293-303. . Lazzeroni, M., Bellini, N., Cortesi, G., & Loffredo, A. (2013). The territorial approach to culturaleconomy: New opportunities for the development of small towns. European PlanningStudies, 21(4), 452-472. Porter, L., & Shaw, K. (Eds.). (2013). Whose Urban Renaissance?: An international comparisonof urban regeneration strategies. London: Routledge. Ryan, N. (2013). Art and urban renewal: Public and private developments in Las Vegas. The Marketing Review, 13(3), 283-295. Smith, T. (2013). Hotel values in London 2012 and beyond. Journal of Building Survey,Appraisal & Valuation, 2(1), 44-49. Vignali, G. (2014). The mix map modelling approach: research application-a thought for the service industry. International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 12(1), 75-81. Yang, J., Flynn, J., & Anderson, K. (2014). E-business application in the hospitality industry: A case study. Communications of the IIMA, 3(1), 1.

Business Mgt Essay

Part I. Assume you have taken over responsibility to play the lead Information Technology (IT) management role in Magnum Enterprises. Your boss, Rachel Heigl, is Magnum’s CIO. The IT management group is comprised of six people who you will be supervising. Ms. Heigl is an enlightened manager, and she believes that if you are to carry out your responsibilities effectively, you need to work with her in defining your IT management role. As a first step, she invites you to write a short statement where you describe what you see to be your role as head of the IT management effort at Magnum. Proper IT Management requires researching and discerning information technology as a company resource guiding both operational and crucial company capabilities. Using information technology to maximize satisfaction of the customer alongside productivity and profitability will ensure that our competiveness with other business stays at a maximum. In turn IT can make business processes more effective and efficient to provide said resources to customers. The lead IT shall ensure performance of the company through managing technology while encompassing priorities of the business into the role. Striving to be a partner with great initiative this business will discover its leader will have accomplished and achieved what they desired. My first role of business would be to establish the parameters and to understand the IT knowledge areas. These are made up of development processes; management challenges information technologies, business applications and foundation concepts. Concepts of the foundation are making sure the role of information systems paired with business and technical concepts are a familiarity with the end user. Familiarity of concepts in entry level information systems bind with a competitive strategy can lead to an overwhelming strategic advantage. Educating Magnum’s team upon the significance of information technology with the three roles that the business world performs in order to combine business management, software, and hardware capabilities. At the Management level, decision making would lead to significant improvements for IT utilization. Business operations see information systems as a huge support to review and collect data from financial operations, managing manufacturing processes that are very sophisticated, tracking company inventory, and productivity. The use of metrics paired with identifying trends to assist the company in making informed decisions faster to provide information about our competitors. IT  is used quite often to provide a strategic support advantage for the company. Automated inventory and ordering systems an assist with the savings costs. With this information we would need to review our mission statement that identifies the company’s functions, provides oversight on the overall goal, a sense of direction, and guides decision making. Investigating and development towards understanding how we generate money and ensuring a customer base for our company. Envisioning the business plan, mission, with current IT structure and the ability to communicate with senior leadership will guide me with necessary tools to assist the Chief Information Officer (CIO). To ensure a strategic IT plan is created in which will be shared and implemented with my team. Planning to have Magnum’s team familiar with data resource management capabilities, hardware, networks, telecommunications, and software within the company is the second area of information systems known as information technologies. In today’s society PDA’s (personal digital assistants; IE. Blackberry’s ETC.) Personal computers and network servers are integral computer hardware and are crucial in our business environment. Being extremely knowledgeable is vital to our team troubleshooting and resolving hardware issues instead of having to call anot her company for maintenance. We have the ability to break down our company’s software into two categories, application software and system software. Both types normally off the consumer shelf as commercial software instead of having an employee on the team write the software codes for these programs. I plan to ensure my teams are extremely familiar with all software programs and have a firm foundation when troubleshooting and resolving technical issues. Additionally, if not already formed, I will institute a configuration control board and implement test scenarios to ensure future hardware and software being purchased will not have compatibility issues. Also a part of information technologies is data resource management. This is essential in sustaining and maintaining our company. We will require a database management system of good quality that is capable of data consolidating into a database in turn can be accessed my several program applications. Within the past fifteen to twenty years networks and telecommunications software have played a vital role. To ensure the expansion and growth for Magnum Enterprises, we will need out network to be consistent, reliable, monetary sufficient. I would prepare the team to  either install or review and change as needed our network management system that assists with traffic management, capacity planning, network monitoring, and security in essence that our system will grow and change with modern day business culture and practices as the company expands. In order to have the most dependable and proven with the cost of it a ring network should be put into place. The next area, development processes, deals with designing, planning, identifying ideas, and implementing information systems to meet potential business opportunities. It is critical that we ensure our business management capabilities alongside our hardware and software are integrated successfully within our company. Basis within t he development process and depending upon the circumstance, there are a couple of processes we want our team to employ as resolving problems com along with our business systems. Those processes are considered or known as the prototyping approach and he systems development life-cycle. The synopsis of prototyping involves quickly developing or constructing test modules of a desired system in which we will engage when we cannot determine or classify the end user requirements. These systems would be used to assist our personnel with the capabilities to design or create an information system that will be intuitive and easy to navigate for consumers. Prototyping involves four steps with the first being investigation and analysis step. This step, requirements grouped and defined. Second, is the analysis and design step in which a model is developed and constructed to meet consumer business requirements. Next, in the design and implementation, this finalizes the model that was tested and begins the initial installation. The last step to this four step process is implementation and maintenance, which would consist of the business system being accepted, used, and maintained. Prototyping advantages are: decrease in the development time, development costs and requires user i nvolvement. This generates higher satisfaction results. I plan to employ this type of approach to small initiatives. The next area is business application for information systems. This will consist of being familiar with commerce and business applications for our employees and which are used within the company to make strategic leadership and management decisions. A few of the most used business applications within a majority of companies are accounting, human resource management, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management, financial management,  and supply chain management. An Architectural picture of or IT business applications will ensure that I will have familiarity with all applications that we use. This approach will identify the current interrelationships, interfaces with customer, employees, business applications, and stake holders. We will then need to review the chart and see if there are any potential process improvements that we can make to integrate those systems cross functionally and keep operational costs to a minimum. The systems devel opment lifecycle employs the systems approach to create IT solutions. This lifecycle is often utilized for large applications and it is composed of five processes that I expect my team to know and become familiar when employing the systems development lifecycle: systems investigation, systems analysis, systems design, systems implementation and systems maintenance. The first process, systems investigation, involves project brainstorming, planning and performing a feasibility study. During the brainstorming and planning initiative, a project management implementation plan is created identifying the detailed steps that will be accomplished during the creation and development of the system. The feasibility study is critically important as this outlines all requirements for the system. It also explores four major areas, organizational, economic, technical, and operational feasibility, which determines if it’s worthwhile to invest in potential business ventures. In reviewing the organization’s feasibility, we need to determine if the system is in line with and supports our company’s strategic objectives. The economic feasibility identifies and evaluates the project’s tangible and intangible cost and benefits. Technical feasibility is assessed by confirming if the necessary hardware and software will be available or can be developed and tested before implementation. Operational feasibility is determined by the motivation, desire, willingness, and competence of the stakeholders (management, employees, customers and suppliers) to use and operate the proposed system. Systems Analysis consists of consolidating requirements and includes a detailed breakdown of the business needs and requirements of the organization. This starts with an organizational analysis from one of the business end users. This individual must be keenly aware of the organizational management structure, business requirements, and current IT systems operati ons and its proposed relationship with the newly created system. Some of the outputs generated from the systems analysis  include system flowcharts, data flow diagrams, and connectivity diagrams which aid in the development of the analysis report The next process, systems design, focuses on the design, process diagrams, business rules, and developing specifications for the hardware, software, data resources that will meet the proposed requirements for new business system. The three major outputs produced from the systems design phase are user data, interface, and process design. The fourth process of the systems development lifecycle is system implementation. This encompasses either acquiring the hardware or software or developing it from company resources and then testing the products in a test environment to see how well they operate and integrate with your existing IT architecture. If testing goes well, an implementation plan including training end users and developing system documentation will be accomplished prior to incorporating and execu ting this system within our IT architecture. The final process, systems maintenance consists of consistently monitoring and evaluating the newly implemented system. This also includes correcting errors and discrepancies not identified during the testing phase and continuously making system improvements, advancements and upgrades. The final area of information systems is management challenges. There are numerous challenges that our IT team may be faced with at Magnum Enterprises. One challenge is addressing our security concerns which involve several areas. For instance, our IT team needs be constantly vigilant and on the alert for potential competitors trying to or actually hacking into our systems to steal or damage our data. Additionally, we may also be challenged with setting up restrictions and locking down the network for personnel to only use the network and its software applications for official business. Ensuring that our software is controlled and that employees are not illegally making copies of software for personal use is another area of concern. Preventing virus attacks to our network and installing anti-virus software to diagnose and remove computer viruses is of utmost concern. Failure to maintain a secure network can potentially halt our business from being productive and resulting in thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Additional challenges the IT team may be faced with may involve expanding our infrastructure and network to address our growing business. Ensuring our network provides our employees accessibility to the data they need, wherever they require it, regardless of their location will test our innovativeness.  The company may not have a backup plan to allow it to operate effectively and efficiently in the event of a forced relocation. If that is the case, I will recommend to our management staff that we establish a continuity of operations plan enabling us to relocate with minimum impact to our business operations like a hot site for temporary functionality. In the dynamic world of IT we will always be faced with challenges, however, utilizing IT and being on the leading edge of new IT systems provides our business with many benefits and makes our organization more effective and efficient. For example, IT can be used to improve and promote new business processes such as creating an automated inventory system which will save money in additional labor costs. Another use of IT in making it more efficient and effective is that using certain software programs enables us to identify and target our top customers in terms of profitability to our business. In summary, IT enables our company to successfully plan, integrate, manage, and carry out strategies which lead to profit. Part II. Six months after you take over the lead IT management role at Magnum, the CIO, Ms. Rachel Heigl, is pleased with your work. She has just attended a meeting of Magnum’s executive committee (the committee comprised of the most senior managers of Magnum), where the CEO and Vice President of marketing have indicated that Magnum’s mediocre e-business capabilities must be strengthened. As CIO, Ms. Heigl is given primary responsibility in improving Magnum’s e-business performance. She in turn puts you in charge of a small task force comprised of representatives from the marketing, operations, finance, and legal departments. In order to advance and improve Magnum’s e-business performance operations, it’s vital I establish a cohesive team with representatives from the marketing, operations, finance, and legal departments. Their input and perspective is necessary and essential in developing a way ahead and strategic plan for the future of our e-busin ess department. Developing success with our e-business begins with marketing the company. Marketing is concerned with developing and creating an innovative plan so that the product or service can be promoted and sold. Promoting our products and services are key and critical in attracting new customers as well as maintaining our current customer base. It is important that I develop an understanding of the marketing role and how it can benefit  by using Information Technology systems. Marketing information systems support well established and e-commerce processes that sustain major elements within the marketing function and is described as a continuing and interacting structure of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute pertinent, timely and accurate information for use by marketing decision makers to improve their marketing planning, implementation, and control. The major components of marketing information systems include interactive marketing, sales force automation, customer relationship management, sales management, product management, targeted marketing, and market research. Two of the seven components I will be discussing are interactive marketing and customer relationship management. In our environment today, marketing information systems aid marketing personnel in a variety of tasks associated with branding products and customer service initiatives. For instance, interactive marketing is largely dependent on utilizing the internet, which permits the business and its customers and potential customers to become partners in developing, socializing, acquiring and advancing products and services. With the IT department enabling this type of communication, the company benefits from generating new ideas for other products and services as well as establishing strong customer loyalty. Another area within the marketing information systems is C ustomer Relationship Management (CRM). This incorporates and automates many customer service processes. It consists of utilizing an IT framework to construct, automate, and integrate marketing processes with the company’s business operations. CRM is usually comprised of a software suite that allows a business to provide efficient, effective and reliable service to its customers. Additionally, CRM permits a company to identify and target their most important customers as well as facilitate real-time customization of products and services based on the customer’s wants and desires. Understanding the marketing department’s views and concerns enables the IT department to implement and install an IT infrastructure that will be capable of supporting various information technologies. Some of the benefits that can be obtained from the marketing department are: an opportunity to increase sales and revenue, a chance to touch new market areas, 24/7 accessibility for the customer, and more flexibility and convenie nce for the customers. The production and operations function is supported by  manufacturing information systems. Manufacturing information systems are designed to be used specifically in an operations and production environment. Different types of manufacturing information systems consist of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), process control, machine control and robotics. CIM involves using computers to control the total manufacturing process, from design to distribution, to produce produces products of the highest caliber. Process control involves utilizing computers to oversee and control continuing physical processes. Machine control consists of using a computer based system to direct the actions of a machine. Robotics involves designing, constructing, and building machines that have the intelligence of a computer and human like physical capabilities. It’s key I understand how the operations representative depends on these information systems to operate effectively as well as their expec tations for these systems. Working together as a team will enable the IT and operations department to develop better ideas to increase the manufacturing and production process. Developing an understanding of all the accounting and financial based systems within our business and discussing these systems with the finance representative enables our IT and finance departments to plan effectively when troubleshooting and performing upgrades. These systems include but are not limited to order processing, inventory control, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, general ledger, cash management, investment management, capital budgeting and financial planning. The success of these systems is integrally connected with its information technology and services. For example, the order processing system â€Å"captures and processes customer orders and produces data needed for sales analysis and inventory control and the accounts payable system keeps track of data concerning purchases from and payments to suppliers. Communicating with the finance representative is essential in setting up or modifying these systems to meet the needs of our business. Any interrupti on or degradation in service can lead to severe damage to the business and financial services that Magnum Enterprises relies on to function and operate. As with any business, competitors are always looking for an advantage to get them ahead in their particular discipline or industry. Unfortunately, being extremely aggressive and ambitious can sometimes cloud your decision making capabilities to the point that you may  be committing breaking privacy laws and monitoring and copyright violations. As the IT lead manager for Magnum Enterprises, I’m charged with ensuring our network infrastructure and IT systems are operating proficiently. However, when it comes to addressing privacy issues from an IT perspective, opinions and viewpoints from a legal expert are necessary. In regards to privacy, several websites accumulate usernames and passwords and personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers without authorization from users. Applying internet monitoring technology within the workplace raises concerns about where the boundaries lie between personal use and public resource use. Copyright concerns and violations has become an issue with the development of the Internet and upgrades to technology. Discussing these concerns with a legal expert and implementing and adhering to strict guidelines will help prevent our company from committing these violations. In addition to the goals of strengthening the capabilities of the e-business, attention must be paid to some key technical challenges. Overseeing secure information throughout our business is extremely difficult to implement and maintain successfully. Key technical issues that may be encountered when re-engineering our e-business include privacy and confidentiality, authenticity, data integrity, access control, availability and infrastructure. Privacy and confidentiality involves businesses protecting and securing personal information while being stored or t ransmitted through email. This can be accomplished by utilizing encryption devices or firewalls. Authentication is used to confirm an individual’s identity and during e-business transactions, the purchaser and buyer wants assurance that proper identity is established. A secure way to assist with confirming identity to both individuals is to utilize a virtual private network. Data integrity means the data is correct and has not been altered while being stored or transmitted. The use of firewalls assists in preventing unauthorized users and safeguarding data. Another way to ensure data integrity is through the use of antivirus software which also aids in keeping your data free from viruses. Access control exists when you’re authorizing certain individual’s permission to restricted systems or data. Several measures that can help with access control include firewalls, access privileges, passwords, digital certificates and virtual private networks. Availability is an issue when customers and employers need information  without any disruptions. Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems, data backups and the use of anti-virus software assist with ensuring data is always available. Our e-business infrastructure constantly needs to be monitored to ensure its meeting the needs of our business. An infrastructure that is unable to consistently support the network traffic load can potentially cost our company thousands of dollars in lost sales. If the network is continually slow, increasing the speed of the network backbone will assist in providing faster and reliable support for our customers. In addition to increasing the speed of the network backbone, implementing cross-functional enterprise systems will assist in improving critical business processes throughout Magnum enterprises. A final technical challenge is ensuring all of our systems are compatible and can operate on several different hardware platforms. By having this capabi lity, our operating costs from a technical refresh perspective will decrease. While strengthening capabilities and addressing technical issues, there are management challenges within the e-business that must be addressed. As discussed earlier, our team must be vigilant in addressing security challenges such as hacking into our systems, software theft, and protecting our software applications. In addition to security issues, there are ethical concerns that must be addressed. Privacy has always been a serious and contentious issue amongst employers and employees. For instance, computer monitoring is considered by many personnel to be an infringement on the employee’s privacy and shouldn’t be allowed. However, employers argue that since the computer is a company owned resource, they should be allowed to monitor the work of their employer. In reality, many employers are concerned as to whether or not the employee is actually working and producing or just goofing off and surfing the internet. Utilizing IT equipment at work has been mentioned to cause a variety of health issues which management must address. For example, if your job consists of being in front of a computer all day, some of the health problems you may experience damage to the neck and arm muscles, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, job stress, poor posture and poor circulation. Resolutions to some of these health concerns can be through the science of ergonomics. The objective of ergonomics is to devise and create safe health work conditions with the goal of decreasing health issues and increasing employee morale and work productivity. If  Magnum Enterprises has customers internationally, they also may be faced with political, geo-economic and cultural challenges. From a political concern, there are countries that have restrictions regulating or denying the transfer of data across their borders which can potentially result in customers or businesses from having to pay import or export fees. Geo-economic concerns involve issues such as identifying and locating personnel with IT skills to work at remote sites and communicating with personnel across all 24 time zones. Cultural challenges â€Å"include differences in languages, cultural interests, religions, customs, social attitudes, and political philosophies†. For example, if Magnum Enterprises was conducting a business transaction via a Video Teleconference it would be disrespectful to look them in the eye when introducing yourself. Before meeting an international customer, it would prudent to review their customs and courtesies to ensure a smooth business relationship. Improving Magnum’s e-business performance faces several challenges. Consulting with key department personnel from operations, marketing, finance and legal as well as addressing technical and management obstacles will assist me in charting a plan to put our e-business on the right track towards success.