Directional Selection Is One of Three Types of Natural Selection

Directional selection  is a type of  natural selection  in which the  phenotype  (the observable characteristics) of the species tends toward one extreme rather the mean phenotype or the opposite extreme phenotype. Directional selection is one of three widely studied types of natural selection, in addition  to  stabilizing selection  and  disruptive selection. In stabilizing selection, the extreme phenotypes gradually reduce in number in favor of the mean phenotype, while in disruptive selection, the mean phenotype shrinks in favor of extremes in either direction.   Conditions Leading to Directional Selection The directional selection phenomenon is usually seen in environments that have changed over time. Changes in weather, climate, or food availability can lead to directional selection. In a very timely example connected to climate change, sockeye salmon have recently been observed shifting the timing of their spawn run in Alaska, likely due to rising water temperatures.   In a  statistical analysis of natural selection, directional selection shows a population bell curve for a particular trait that shifts either further left or further right. However, unlike  stabilizing selection, the height of the bell curve does not change. There are far fewer average individuals in a  population that has undergone directional selection. Human interaction can also speed up directional selection. For example, human hunters or fishermen pursuing quarry most often kill the bigger individuals of the population for their meat or other large ornamental or useful parts. Over time, this causes the population to skew toward the smaller individuals. A directional selection bell curve for size will show a shift to the left in this example of directional selection. Animal predators can also create directional selection. Because slower individuals in a prey population are more likely to be killed and eaten, directional selection will gradually skew the population toward faster individuals. A bell curve plotting species size will skew toward the right when documenting this form of directional selection.   Examples As one of the common forms of natural selection, there are plentiful examples of directional selection that have studied and documented. Some well-known cases:   Pioneer evolutionary scientist Charles Darwin  (1809–1882) studied what later became known as directional selection while he was in the  Galapagos Islands. He observed that the beak length of the Galapagos  finches  changed over time due to available food sources. When there was a lack of insects to eat, finches with larger and deeper beaks survived because the beak structure was useful for cracking seeds. Over time, as insects became more plentiful, directional selection began to favor  finches  with smaller and longer beaks that were more useful for catching insects.Fossil records show that black bears in Europe decreased in size during periods between continental glacial coverage during the ice ages, but increased in size during the glacial period. This was likely because larger individuals enjoyed an advantage under conditions of limited  food supplies and  extreme cold.  In 18th and 19th century England peppered moths who had been predominantly white in order to blend in with light colored trees began to evolve into a predominantly dark species in order to blend in with an environment that was becoming increasingly covered with soot from Industrial Revolution factories.

John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men - 1248 Words

In Steinbeck s novel Of Mice and Men, He uses imagery many times to create a realistic setting and plot. Steinbeck’s depiction of migrant workers and their daily complications during the depression are objectively precise due to his use of imagery with idioms, dreams, nature, loneliness and animal imagery. The main theme of the book transpires to be loneliness and fate. While George and Lennie, the main characters have a synergetic relationship, fate steps in and does away with their dreams, which were very close to be within reach. George the smallest of the two, less strong, brains of the operation. While Lennie is the giant, brawn, lug who more or less has the brain of a 5-year-old child. He relies on a sense of touch, which makes†¦show more content†¦Subsequently, since Curley has insecure feelings he mistreated her and forced her to search for someone who would give her the attention she wanted so badly, even if that destined flirting with other men. She was over looked by the farmhands and her husband and for that reason she was being forced into loneliness, the one thing she battled so hard to eliminate (Rasmussen). Lennie’s fondness for soft, furry things makes him vulnerable. He strokes her hair to the point that she becomes alarmed and panics. When she does, Lennie breaks her neck (Shumam). Candy can also be another man who is used for an example of lonely migrant workers. Loneliness affects Candy in two key ways, his old age and his disability. This makes him quite different than the young fully capable farmhands on the ranch which is ironic because he only has on hand. He performs basic task like cleaning up the ranch and sweeping. It s until Lennie and George arrives that he plays the role as the outcast. With the new addition of the duo, Candy is requested by George to accompany them in their dream ranch, but not all will bode well for the trio in the long run. Further into the story you see more of Lennie’s child side I wish we d get the rabbits pretty soon (Steinbeck 10). This is an infamous reference to the rabbits in which Lennie dreams so dearly about. The rabbits are part of LeninShow MoreRelatedJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men897 Words   |  4 Pagesthat we possess. Many people feel certain emotions based on events that have taken place in their lifetime or how they were raised throughout their childhood. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, he portrays the feelings of isolation and loneliness in three different characters. George’s isolation is illustrated in Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men. George expresses many hard feelings towards Lennie at the opening of this story. â€Å"‘...you’re a lot of trouble,’ said George. ‘I could get along so easy and soRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1243 Words   |  5 Pagesis what John Steinbeck achieves by portraying this through the characters in his novella Of Mice and Men. The main characters are affected by loneliness in their own different way throughout the novella. rf The loneliness is maintained by the challenges that the characters have to face, and they sustain those challenges of being inhumane towards each other. Crook, a figure in the story who experiences discrimination encounters the challenge of race, due to the book’s setting in the 1930’s duringRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1080 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I want you to stay with me Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.† The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck shows the relationship between two migrant workers in the 1930s, George and Lennie, along with the other members on the new ranch that they began working on. Georgie and Lennie dreamed of following the American Dream and owning their own patch of land and the novel revolves around the dream and the obstacles that stand in their way. Lennie, a strongRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1286 Words   |  6 PagesThe realistic fiction novella O f Mice And Men by John Steinbeck explains the journey of two migrant farm workers. Lennie and George are forced to overcome the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression around 1938. This makes jobs even harder to come by because everyone wanted one. Lennie and George were kicked out of Weed and they now work at a ranch in Soledad. At the new farm the friendship between Lennie and George becomes harder to maintain. The people on the farm are all different shapes, sizes, andRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men2167 Words   |  9 Pagesjobs. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George Milton and Lennie Small wander through California in search of a new job that would help them make enough money to live their American dream on â€Å"the fatta the lan’†(Steinbeck 14). George and Lennie’s hard work and determination is not enough for them to live their dream. Lennie has a mental disability that slows the two friends down from living their dream; they have to ru n from job to job because of Lennie’s unintentional actions. Steinbeck incorporatesRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1360 Words   |  6 Pagesfeeling, thinking and acting in everyday life. In the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a duo of farmers, George and Lennie, search for work wherever they can. Their dream of having a farm of their own is coming into reach, while George has to wield Lennie away from the temptation of Curley’s wife and the reality of what Lennie can do. John Steinbeck uses characterization to illustrate the nature of human existence. Steinbeck portrays George as a man who tries to help, and helps others soRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1448 Words   |  6 Pages In the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck discusses the idea of loneliness and how people who work at the ranch have no family and no future in lives. He indicates that all people at the ranch are lonely, but he specifically uses a few characters to highlight their state of being lonely and more miserable than the others. He emphasizes the loneliness of ranch life during the Great Depression, and shows how people are willing to try and find friendship in order to escape from the state ofRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1205 Words   |  5 Pagesand the time period of John Steinbeck s novella, Of Mice and Men, exemplifies the idea that people from minorities are held back from achieving their version of the ‘American Dream’. This goes to prove not everyone will overcome the overbearing tidal waves of their hardship s, which makes the American Dream nothing more than a dream to them. Crooks, the black stable hand, faces discrimination due to his skin color as this unfortunately was common in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck uses Crooks’ situationRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men968 Words   |  4 PagesSolidifying the theme of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the protagonist George expresses his significant loneliness despite a strong kinship with his friend Lennie, â€Å"’I ain’t got no people†¦ I seen the guys that go around the ranches alone. That ain’t no good’† (41). Published in 1937, amidst the horrific turmoil of the Great Depression, Steinbeck’s novella struck a sensitive chord with readers. Set in the heart of California’s Central Valley, this story follows two men, George and Lennie, as theyRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1387 Words   |  6 Pageslanguage. Soledad is also town in which Of Mice Men takes place. The entire novel displays the idea of solitude. Alon g with the presence of loneliness in this story, John Steinbeck also ties in the idea of companionship through the everyday lives of individuals. The correlation of loneliness and companionship in the lives of these characters, along with the diversion of lifestyles consistently shows. Of all the many themes of the book, Of Mice and Men, the most important theme is the theme of loneliness

Challenges In Human Resource Management Of 21st Century Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4294 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? With the advent of the IT revolution all over the world and globalization being the new mantra across the corporate sector, the Human Resource Management practices and policies have undergone severe changes. The challenges that are faced by the HRM today are totally new to what has been few years ago. This paper highlights the importance of HRM in meeting the new challenges. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Challenges In Human Resource Management Of 21st Century Business Essay" essay for you Create order Our paper focuses on these challenges that are impacting the organizations all over the world. Challenges: Setting the uniform culture across the organization which has expanded all over the world HRM in defining the career progression and development for its employees HRM in handling the gender diversity and cultural differences Addressing the issue of employee turnover HRM and its role in implementation of the strategy with respect to the vision and mission of the organization Setting the Right Culture With most of the companies raring to expand in the international market, it has become a tough task to set the right culture within the organization. With the hiring of employees from the global workforce, there is always a threat of diffusion of cultures and thereby losing the homogeneity in the culture of the organization. The biggest challenge for an organization is preserving its culture or maintaining the right culture for the 21st century. Therefore Storey defines HRM with respect to this aspect as: a distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. (Deanne N.Den Hartog, 2004). According to the HRM specialists a combination of High Performance work practices and High Involvement work practices improve the performance of the organization. To determine the right mix of High Performance Work Practices and High Involvement Work Practices the focus model of the organizational structure can be used (Exhibit 1). Exhibit 1: FOCUS Model on Organizational Culture (Deanne N.Den Hartog, 2004) The above model divides the organizational culture into two dimensions. Dimension 1 is based on the organizational focus. It varies between extreme poles of Internal to External. In internal focus of organization the stress is laid on organization, its internal processes and peoples skill sets and attitudes etc. In external focus of the organization the emphasis is laid on the relation of the organization with the external environment. Dimension 2 focuses on the amount of flexibility and control within the organization. Based on the above dimensions four orientations of the organization can be determined. They are: Support Orientation: The concepts like co-operation, trust, cohesion amongst the group members and colleagues and growth of an individual are given the ut most importance. For such kind of orientation of organization high performance work practices which aim to the development of an individual are needed. Innovative: This kind of orientation is characterized by self-motivated, accepting and willingness to accept change, creativity, and risk taking kind of environment. From the management perspective it needs employees who are self-motivated, who are willing to lead, and highly flexible. Therefore the work practices should be structured which emphasize flexibility, empowerment and openness Goal Orientation: This kind of orientation emphasizes on rationality, objectives, productivity and functionality. Most of the emphasis is on the efficiency and also the accomplishment of the associates or the employees. Rules: This orientation emphasizes more on the procedure, division of work. Most of these organizations have taller hierarchies. Compliance is given the utmost importance. Most of the practices in this organization tend to em phasize more on the following of the procedure because there is always a constant monitoring of the employees. The decision making in the organization is mostly centralized. Therefore the performance of these organizations is not high and there is a high delay in decision making. Therefore based on the kind of organization that is necessary the above model can be used to inculcate the culture within the organization. Relation between Culture, HRM Practices and Labor Productivity: In any organization especially when there is a high competition amongst the organizations in the world the role of culture and implementation of HRM practices have a direct impact on the labor productivity. Exhibit 2 clearly explains the role of culture and HRM practices in improving the labor productivity during the high competition in the market. Exhibit 2: Relation between Group Culture and the HRM intensity in improving the labor productivity. With the increase in competition in the market, the need for reducing the costs is more felt by the organizations. This can be done by improving the labor productivity. HRM intensity is the degree to which an organization adopts the HRM practices in improving the productivity of the organization. HRM intensity refers to the configuration of best practices that companies adopt across seven HR domains like: Selection, training, career development, rewards, appraisal, compensation, and employee participation. These practices are designed to manage the competencies and behaviors of employees to manage the competencies and behaviors of employees to maximize the labor productivity. But adoption of the new HRM practices is not very easy in an organization always. It is because the adoption of the new practices requires structural changes which may affect employee turnover, affect motivation, increase stress etc. due to the changes and approach. This is felt much more within the smaller or ganizations because these changes along with the above mentioned obstacles also demand grater time from the entrepreneur and also establishes new formal controls which might be undesirable. Even the financial costs associated with the changes might outweigh the benefits obtained from the system. So as to ensure the smooth changes in HRM practices the culture plays a major role. Role of Group Culture and Productivity: The various types of culture depending on the type of organization have already been explained by the FOCUS model. The organizations which face intense competition require support or innovative type of model. Both these cultures lay high emphasis on building the culture based on trust, co-operation and also willingness to change. If the culture of support and innovation can be developed within the organization then it has high impact on the productivity of the employees. Relation between Culture and Adoption of HRM practices: The group culture which emphasizes on interpersonal relationships will have positive effects on employees commitment and job satisfaction; will in turn lead to greater labor productivity (CARDON, 2010). When employees feel they are part of a team with common shared goals they develop a sense of mutual trust. Therefore the group culture plays a major role in reducing the co-ordination costs within the employees thereby increase productivity. Career Development Career development is one of the most important elements of developing the professional career of an employee in an organization. The main objective of career development is the professionalization of individuals and their personal careers. In an organization, employees career management is a very basic process related to planning of the human resources, and it puts more force to development programs. The main objectives of the career development are: Addressing the basic needs of the organization and develop the positive image for it. Identifying personal needs of individuals, with emphasis on intellectual and professional needs, for organizational progress. Identifying the indifferences or lack of motivation regarding career management Helping employees take the right decision for long term future and career growth. Super theory related to career development and management is as follows: Super theory takes into account the individual differences related to in terests, abilities, and personality. In an organization, the professional preferences and/or qualifications change with time, and helping employees choose the right career is a continuous process. In an organization, professional development passes through three stages: Orientation stage: In this stage one of the most important things is individual professional guidance. Information plays an important role in this stage because people want to take the right steps to meet their career objectives. Development stage: This stage creates the employment opportunity through mentoring in new programs, job rotation and many kinds of training programs. Evaluation stage: This stage involves self-evaluation or evaluation by others. The main objective of this stage is identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the person. The most important component in career management is right development activity related to human planning. Human career planning is the one of the best ways of an evaluation of employee performance. (Palade) Some of the problems that arise in career development are mentioned below. In an organization, planning career development is done by the human resource department of the company. The right strategies, plans and programs to development of the human resource within the company are very important. In an organization, many employees analyze their own interests and qualities. Self-evaluation is one of the most important starting points of career development. Self-evaluation must be followed by periodic evaluation of the employees performance in order to confirm their promotion. In an organization, individual career is affected by an array of subjective and objective factors. Some of the factors depend on the individual and many others depend on the social and economic environment. In an organization the subjective factors that directly affect the career of an individual are his or her attitude and personality. Subjecti ve factors also influence the personal opinion, which in turn, influences self-evaluation. Diversity Management Diversity in an organization can be defined as differences among individuals in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, values, culture, qualification, professional experience, income level, designation, knowledge, etc. These parameters can themselves be categorized into demographic, organizational and socio-cognitive factors leading to diversity. While the demographic factors include age and sex, the socio-cognitive factors include knowledge, values, religion, ethnicity and culture and the organizational factors include educational qualification, work experience, income and designation. All these sources of differences help in the human capital building of an organization. This in-depth classification of differences helps in understanding, appreciating and capitalizing the benefits of diversity. These, in turn, lead to a significant improvement in boss-subordinate relationship and processes related to managerial decision making, recruitment, training, motivation, appraisal, exit and othe r management functions. The three main strategic human resource management approaches followed by an organization are Individual control approach Group development approach Group management approach The individual control approach emphasizes on hiring the best talent from outside the organization and controlling their performance by means of strict adherence to processes, procedures, rules, etc. The group development approach, on the other hand, gives a lot of flexibility in decision making to employees who are internally developed for leadership roles. Lastly, the group management approach is a middle-of-the-ground approach where the advantages of both individual control and group development approaches are tried to be captured. All these three approaches face the need to manage different types of diversity and hence different organizations follow different diversity management techniques. (MartÃÆ'„ ±Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ´n-Alca ´zar, Romero-Ferna ´nde z, Sa ´nchez-Gardey) A case in point is the variation in diversity as companies expand. While domestic organizations are ethnocentric in terms of labour and customer base, multi-domestic and multinational firms are polycentric and try to localize their workforce and customer base according to the host country and global and transnational organizations are truly geocentric as they hire the best talent from across the globe to cater to a global customer base. Thus the diversity challenges facing an expand organization change with the organizations reach and so do the diversity management techniques. While the techniques may be different, the outcomes are universal. They include successful strategic alliances, capitalizing on synergies leading to competitive advantage and more number of resources for organizational learning. Singapore, which has realized the benefits from a diverse workforce, tries to enlarge its workforce through human capacity building programmes for wo men, youth, the disabled, the old and the unemployed as a policy. (Choy) One important aspect of diversity management is diversity training. This is an activity that some global conglomerates follow to ensure that its employees interact effectively with colleagues who are not similar to them in some way or the other. The skills and tactics taught to sensitize and control the behaviour of employees, with respect to diversity, will bear fruit only if they are supported by the culture, systems and policies of the organization. The outcome of such a corporate training activity should be aligned with the managerial goal of quality decision making. The diversity training offered by organizations is different from the diversity education offered by academic institutions. While diversity education focuses on the concepts and principles that justify egalitarianism, diversity training focuses on the skill sets required to tackle diversity issues. Corporates have progressively understood the importance of the top management being both educated and trained rather than just being trained to ensure long term and sustainable diversity management practices in the organization. (Johnson) Diversity management is also beyond the representation policies of the pre-1980s era which included well defined processes to recruit minorities, bringing them into the mainstream and getting along with them. Diversity management, on the other hand, focuses on achieving the right balance between integration and differentiation between different groups of individuals in order to meet the business objectives effectively. A case in point is the rise of women in the human resource management domain of European and American firms over the past one hundred years. In the early 1900s, HR was seen as a welfare function which meant taking care of people. Hence there was high representation of women with none of them being in high ranks as HR itself was a lackluster domain. This trend of h igh representation and low status continued even in the 1960s when HR became a predominantly administrative/legal compliance function. In the 1970s, when labour relations came to the forefront, men took the top HR jobs and the representation of women within HR plunged. This trend continued in the 1980s when introduction of scientific testing instruments changed the image of HR from a welfare function to a professional function, making HR more alluring to men. At this stage, women held a major chunk of HR roles but at lower ranks compared to their male counterparts. Also HR was a standalone function with no participation in strategy formulation of the organization. Change happened in the 1990s, especially in the European and American organizations, when the status of women in HR roles started surging with no compromise on representation. Around the same time, strategic integration of HR with the rest of the domains also started increasing. This escalation in womens status an d responsibilities which was earlier thought of to be impossible due to gap in their qualifications and work experience, sexual stereotyping of capability, horizontal segregation within functions and burden of families has now been made real by diversity management techniques, enabling social practices like paid maternity leave and childcare, rising gender egalitarianism in the society, external pressure from civil society and media for diversity in top management and the trend of increasingly more number of women getting educational qualifications as HR specialists. While the Equal Opportunities legislation of different countries has had limited impact due to inherent shortcomings, diversity management has risen not just as legal compliance but also as a competitive advantage to organizations across the globe. (Faugoo) Employee Turnover HRM is becoming complex field with time as earlier the employee was only concerned with his/her economic survival but now employees seek a more balanced work and family life. Career prospects and pay is increasingly becoming more important as we dont really see an employee sticking to one company for his life like the earlier days. Hence, it becomes imperative for a HR manager to consider several factors for management and understand the reasons for employee turnover. A manager needs to be aware of the reasons why an employee leaves a company and whether it could have been prevented. This study is increasingly becoming popular in research papers as the organizations are now realizing cost implications and the soft issues attached to employee turnover. A high turnover is expensive as the recruitment process has high cost involved with it. There are indirect costs as well involved with turnover like decrease in productivity and missed opportunities per se. One of the major issues companies face nowadays is the effect of personal turnover. It means that the employee voluntarily leaves the company. HRM plays a vital role in realizing the issue related for personal turnover and how it can be reduced. In the developed economies there attempts to reduce this factor by creating new practices to gain a strategic advantage in the market but the case in developing countries is a little different, the focus is not given to personal turnover which leads to inefficiencies and less productivity, hampering the organizational performance. The trend noticed in developing country is that they often realize the problems connected with personal turnover quite late (Sohail, Muneer, Tanveer, Tariq). Studies show that there are various HRM practices that influence an employees decision but not all practices have the same impact on job satisfaction or employee turnover. An interesting result of the research done by Viara (Slavianska, 2012) on employee turnover is that the diss atisfaction from various HR practices not necessarily leads to stimulation of personal turnover. On the contrary it is important to understand that personal dissatisfaction is the major reason for employees personal turnover. Employee turnover can also differ regionally. We see a peculiar trend in China; generally it is assumed that less pay leads to employee dissatisfaction, which in turn leads to turnover. In China, the employees who feel they get low salary with adverse working conditions dint have any turnover intentions (Wyld Maurin). The reason behind it was the good human resource practices of any organization, which made the employee more obliged and increased tolerance levels towards their organization. We will look at the below HRM practices and how they influence an employee turnover intention (Long, Perumal, Ajagbe): Compensation and benefits Training Performance management Career development Compensation and benefits: Compensation is an integra l part in understanding employee turnover. Compensation provided by the organization gives the employee a message on what management believes about the employee. An organization using strategic compensation with lead to more organizational effectiveness as the employees built a psychological contract with the employer and hence decreasing the employee turnover. Training: Training is a vital part for understanding the employee turnover. Training in an organization helps the employees to build their competencies and tells them that the company cares for them and is actively involved in helping the employees build their skills. Another advantage of training is that it helps employees meet organizational goals and objectives. It also ensures a satisfactory performance and provides employees with knowledge to help them perform higher tasks. Performance Management: It basically comprises of the performance reviews that take place in an organization. This play a vital role as t he performance appraisals rely on the performance reviews, which in turn affects the employees motivation and the intention to personal turnover. It is vital to share the review details with the employees so that it will result in high-level performance. Career development: Managers fail to understand that career development is a two way street. It is a managers responsibility to encourage employees, provide continuous assistance and provide feedback so that employees can take responsibility of their own careers in order to grow. Hence career development can be viewed as a dynamic process, which tries to meet the needs of organization, subordinates and managers. Retention: Employee retention is simply employee turnover from a different angle. We see a shift in balance of power from employer to employee. This shift is there because the organizations are now moving towards more efficient ways to manage and retaining an employee is highly cost effective. Studies show that i f an employee quits the job, its not mainly because of the pay he/she receives. The major reasons for personal turnover are environment, culture, recognition, policies of the organizations and the employee relation that is maintained by the organization. In order to retain the employees organizations needs to give more importance to employees career plans and recognize them as per merit. HRM and Strategy Business strategy is a series of systematic and related decisions that give a business a competitive advantage over other businesses (Schuler Jackson, Linking Competitive Strategies with Human Resource, 1987). In an article in Human Resource Planning, Schuler proposed that for successful implementation of different strategies, different set of HRM practices are needed (Schuler R. , 1987). HRM policies should thus vary across or within organizations depending on the type of strategy adopted. For e.g. during the growth stage of a product cycle, there is high need of technical skill and attracting talented employees is of the highest priority. Salaries for such high-skilled resource are already very attractive, and an organization needs to attract such talent by differentiating itself from competitors; and such differentiation can be created by non-traditional or innovative HRM practices. The same firm, when moves into the maturity stage, hiring of new talent does not form the cru x of strategy; the focus is more on retention of the internal talent. The immediate effect will be on the pay system, which should now be designed to retain employees, mostly depending on experience, job classification etc. Again during decline stage, to reduce work strength, strong performance appraisal system will be the key factor. These business characteristics of a strategy are indicators of employee characteristics essential for successful implementation of the strategy. Thus HRM practices should be aligned with business strategy and should vary with varying strategy. Feng-Hui Lee et al (Lee, Lee, Wu, 2010) proposed four hypotheses relating HRM practices, business strategy and firm performance. They are: HRM practices will be positively related to perceived firm performance. There is a close linkage between business strategies and HRM practices. Business strategies will be positively related to perceived firm performance. Integrating HRM practices with business strategies will be positively related to perceived firm performance (Lee, Lee, Wu, 2010) The study also identified six key HRM practices that are likely to be positively associated with organization performance, product cost, quality, and delivery, and production flexibility. The six practices are: Training and development Teamwork Compensation or incentive HR Planning Performance appraisal Employment security (Lee, Lee, Wu, 2010) Challenges: Firms have realized the importance of HRM and business alignment and have started to select manpower of varying characteristics but different HRM practices for different strategies. A significant implication of this is employees face ever-changing employee relationships; employees of a single firm are exposed to a varying set of HR practices during a single tenure of employment. Organizations having multiple businesses divisions face another major issue of trying to match HR with strategy. Different businesses i mply multiple HRM practices thus posing the challenge of making treating employees equitable across business divisions. Similar challenges exist within a division across organizational levels. According to Thompson (1967), effects of strategy for HRM practices will be stronger for higher level employees and weakens down the hierarchy, and especially weaker for non-management employees. Though it is inconclusive whether such small differences in HRM practices due to difference in organization levels impact effectiveness, it is important to note that high-performing technology firms or Japanese firms have fewer hierarchical differences (Schuler Jackson, Organizational Strategy and Organizational Level as Determinants of Human Resource Management Practices). HR Initiatives and Business Strategy an Indian Context: Most studies have been focused primarily on developed countries. The major HR initiatives of Indian firms to support innovation-oriented business strategy are: Lear ning and Development: This is the most prevalent initiative, supported with knowledge management initiatives. Most firms have a structured, mandatory training program for new recruits. Some firms offer company sponsored higher educational courses such as MBA. Employee Involvement: This is the second most adopted initiative. There are various forms of employee involvement that require employees to actively participate and contribute ideas for business improvement. Quality initiatives like kaizen, total quality management (TQM), problem solving teams, quality circles etc. are widely used as tools for employee engagement. Suggestion schemes, often incentivized, are a big initiative for many firms to promote employees to contribute their ideas. Performance management: The third most used HR initiative to support business strategy. Performance management includes performance appraisal, performance based promotion and pay, profit sharing, recognizing and rewarding of good performanc e, self-evaluation etc. Employee Welfare and Engagement: Employee welfare initiatives are taken to boost employee morale and commitment. Family is paramount in Indian scenario, and thus regular events and engagement activities are held to promote work-life balance and develop a bond between employees families and the company. (Cooke Saini, 2010) Areas for Improvement: HR department or personnel are perceived as not being sufficiently professional, being remote from business realities, lacking business understanding and slipping behind dynamic business needs. These act as a stumbling block for successful implementation of HRM practices. On the other hand, the entire blame cannot be put on HR department. Many HR initiatives are implemented without sufficient inputs from HR personnel, as line managers do not tend to give due importance to people management. Four areas have been identified for HR to improve on to provide better effective support to the firms business strate gy. Need for greater democracy and fairness in workplace management. This includes greater empowerment in making decisions, quicker and more transparent feedback, more communication, greater transparency in rewards etc. A better rewarding scheme. Performance based pay is preferred, with better incentives for good performance and suggestions. The third front is about job satisfaction through job enrichment. Job rotation or cross-functional responsibilities should be encouraged to understand the totality of the business unit and work better as a team. The fourth area, often given less attention than the above three, deals with better recruitment of creative or talented employees, provide better career development opportunities, and more effective deployment of talent.

Production of Hardware-Software Diagnostic Equipment for Brain Enhance Term Paper

Essays on Production of Hardware-Software Diagnostic Equipment for Brain Enhancement Term Paper The paper â€Å"Production of Hardware-Software Diagnostic Equipment for Brain Enhancement† is a   cogent example of a term paper on marketing. Using a Service-Dominant Logic description, the study outlines the requirements that support business services like appliances and their value, main technologies, scenarios for future developments, and for future appliances, supporting systems, and services. It also addresses the market analysis of the business idea, in terms of the potential market, customer and features identification, estimated market size, pricing issues and factors, business channels, promotion and communications, competitor analysis, and estimated requirements to reach the market at first date.In addition, this study involves service development, key technologies alliances and firms necessary in the development of the business services and supporting systems, internal organizational requirements, financial needs, and the capability of developing service in time . Lastly, the summary and conclusions of the feasibility are presented at the end of the report.Idea descriptionThe idea of the project involves the production of software-hardware diagnostic equipment for brain development. This idea entails the invention and design of diagnostic equipment, both as hardware and software, which is vital for the enhancement of the human brain. The business idea will be highly beneficial to the market and the society since it will reduce the brain problems faced by individuals. This equipment will involve the use of technology in the innovation of equipment that changes or erases bad memories. It will also be helpful in the improvement of shooting accuracy and combating actions among human beings.Additionally, the equipment is set to help in the development of creative thinking and problem-solving skills among human beings. More so, this equipment will be influential in making the user’s brain high-functioning because it will facilitate clear-h eadedness and quick thinking. Currently, the idea is categorized under neuroscience, a field in which scientists are making attempts of improving the human brain by employing technological innovations.Describe Idea as a Set of Business Services (Service-Dominant Logic Description)This production and marketing of the hard-software diagnostic machine are based on the knowledge that the market, firms, and society are involved with the exchange of service; the use of competencies (skills and knowledge) (Lusch Vargo 2006, pp. 1-10). It will also be exchanged for other services because it will be sold to society and other firms. Its marketing will base on value-in-use and co-creation of value by producers and users. Therefore, the equipment will be used by different firms and individuals who will contribute to the improvement of the idea’s value (Sadiq, S Leymann 2010, pp. 205-210).Roadmap Requirements to Support Business ServicesAppliancesThe development of the idea will require various computer appliances, such as network appliances, storage appliances, and virtual machine appliances. These appliances are highly instrumental in the successful development of the hard-software diagnostic equipment.Value to be created using appliancesThe value created in the use of the appliances will entail the enhancement of the human brain. This involves shooting accuracy and combating actions among human beings; development of creative and problem-solving skills; and erasing and removal of bad memories (Izzo, Summerer, Rossini 2009, pp. 159-162).

Commodore Perry’s Journey to Japan Free Essays

After the conclusion of the War of 1812 and prior to the Civil War, the United States Navy entered into a peacetime role. Initially, this role was to protect commerce trading in both inland and international waterways. However, that role was soon expanded upon with Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry’s journey to Japan. We will write a custom essay sample on Commodore Perry’s Journey to Japan or any similar topic only for you Order Now The journey had its immediate impact, including the signing of a comprehensive treaty that established trade relations with Japan and provided protection for sailors and their ships. Perry’s expedition also had the impact of serving as a precursor for the change in what the Navy’s responsibilities encompassed, which even carry on to the present day Navy. Commodore Perry left for Japan with the objectives of opening up Japanese ports to trade and ensuring American presence and protection in East Asia. These terms were outlined in â€Å"detailed instructions from the Secretary of the Navy John P. Kennedy, diplomatic instructions from the State Department, and a letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan†2 that Perry carried with him on his voyage. From beginning to end Perry’s voyage spanned nine months and was filled with trials and tribulations. The Japanese were initially turned off to the idea of Americans entering their country, and would not even let them step on land. Only twice did Perry and his squadron come ashore in the nine months prior to the signing of the official treaty. Most of the negotiations took place upon various ships in Perry’s control and the meetings were often difficult to coordinate. Based on notes from Perry’s personal journal, these complications often lead to frustration and Perry was constantly considering employing â€Å"whole force† that he was granted to use if he deemed it necessary to achieve his goals. 3 However, this was ultimately unnecessary, and Perry did well to remind himself that his voyage was diplomatic and pacific in nature. The negotiations were an arduous process and Perry even left Japan returning later with twice as many ships, anticipating a struggle. This was unnecessary as the Japanese agreed to Perry’s desires and the â€Å"black ships† saw no combat. With the agreement of the Japanese the Treaty of Kanagawa was drafted and subsequently signed on 31 March 1854. This treaty allowed for a U. S. consul to be created at Shimoda, and allowed access to the ports of Hakodate and Shimoda for the purpose of obtaining â€Å"wood, water, provisions, and coal, and other articles their necessities may require. † The treaty also required that â€Å"whenever ships of the United States are thrown or wrecked on the coast of Japan, the Japanese vessels will assist them, and carry their crews to Shimoda. Thirdly, men staying in Shimoda and Hakodate, or any seamen shipwrecked shall be free and â€Å"shall not be subject to†¦restrictions and confinement. †4Although there was not a formal agreement on trade in these open ports, Perry assumed correctly that with an American presence in port, trade would come naturally. 5 The initial impact of Perry’s expedition and the treaty with Japan gave the United States Navy many new rol es and an international presence on the high seas. Japan had been a country focused on isolationism for centuries. This isolationism is mainly connected to the zeal of early missionaries who traveled to Japan. The United States was able to avert this conflict in values by Commodore Perry’s outright statement to the Japanese leadership that the United States government â€Å"does not interfere with the religion of its own people, much less with that of other nations. †6 Several attempts were made to open Japan to American trade, but all had failed. One such failure was that of Commodore James Biddle, which proved to be a complete embarrassment for the United States, as he made several mistakes in his conduct and on top of it all needed to be towed out of port by a Japanese ship. The fact that Commodore Perry was successful in his mission changed the status quo in regards to what the United States Navy could and could not do. Perry proved that the United States was capable of having a forward presence in foreign lands and was able to establish international trade in East Asia. The establishment of commercial relations with Japan furthered the Navy’s responsibility in pro tecting trade. Perry’s exploits also showed that diplomacy was a possible way for the United States to establish influence in other countries. Thirdly, Perry and his â€Å"black ships† were the first sign of American deterrence. The fact that American ships were off the coast of Japan ready to attack an underprepared country made it very difficult for the Japanese to negotiate anything in their favor or make any tactical or strategic decisions to remove the threat of Perry’s force. The roles of the Navy that Commodore Perry established in the mid-nineteenth century are still prevalent in the present day. The idea of the Navy as a protector of commerce (although established before Perry, he was instrumental in expanding the Navy’s prevalence in ensuring safe trade) continues into the present day. An example of this would be ships stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. This area, specifically around the Strait of Hormuz is crucial to trade in the Middle East. The presence of the United States Navy maintains a safe trading environment between the United States and its allies, and other countries in the region. Commodore Perry also introduced the idea of deterrence, which is crucial in the operations of the Navy in today’s world. One example of American deterrence is the use of submarines, equipped with nuclear war heads and ballistic missiles, which are virtually invisible to our enemies. Perry also proved that diplomacy was a very potent way to establish influence in foreign countries and maintain a presence without force. This is also seen in the United States establishment of embassies in foreign countries and the use of diplomats to negotiate with foreign countries. Commodore Perry’s expedition to Japan had a tremendous impact on the United States at the time it occurred, but it also had an everlasting impact on how the Navy operates and what roles and responsibilities it chooses to take on. Notes 1. Walworth, Arthur. Black ships off Japan; the story of Commodore Perry’s expedition 242. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1946. 2. Bradford, James C. Quarterdeck and bridge: two centuries of American naval leaders 115. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. 3. Perry, Matthew Calbraith, and Roger Pineau. The Japan Expedition, 1852-1854; the personal journal of Commodore Matthew C. Perry 157. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1968. 4. Barrows, Edward Morley. The great commodore; the exploits of Matthew Calbraith Perry 365. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co, 1935. 5. Anderson, David. â€Å"Perry, Matthew Calbraith. â€Å"American National Biography Online Feb. 2000 (accessed October 2, 2012). 6. Walworth, Arthur. Black ships off Japan. 243. 7. Bradford, James C. Quarterdeck and Bridge. 113. Bibliography Anderson, David. â€Å"Perry, Matthew Calbraith. â€Å"American National Biography Online Feb. 000 (accessed October 2, 2012). Barrows, Edward Morley. The great commodore; the exploits of Matthew Calbraith Perry 365. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co, 1935. Bradford, James C. Quarterdeck and bridge: two centuries of American naval leaders. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. Perry, Matthew Calbraith, and Roger Pineau. The Japan Expedition, 1852-1854; the personal journal of Commodore Matthew C. Perry 157. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1968. Walworth, Arthur. Black ships off Japan; the story of Commodore Perry’s expedition. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1946. How to cite Commodore Perry’s Journey to Japan, Essay examples

Shark Cull Oral free essay sample

Does any of you in the class know the themed music for jaws? of course you do, we all do. Because sharks are really scary arnt they? Sadly Films such as this as well as the media have built up this huge reputation of sharks being threatening, alarming Dangerous monsters of the sea. Its a tragedy! Today I will be arguing for the rights of these misrepresented sharks and how this new catch and kill policy is completely wrong. Firstly Id like to inform you on what the catch and kill policy actually is. It was a new policy introduced around January by the Western Australia Premier, Colin Barnett due to 6 fatal attacks by sharks in the past 2 years. Barnets plan to combat this is by killing off any sharks which exceed 3 metres long in the Western Australia waters. He has implemented 2 methods. Setting out â€Å"Drum lines† (baited hooks attached to drums) a kilometer of the busy shores and also paying professional fisherman to hunt down Great whites, Tiger sharks Bull sharks in designated â€Å"kill zones†. Pretty appalling isnt it? Especially when the Great White shark is an endangered species. 90% of the worlds great white sharks have been killed, and here we are in a country where we greatly appreciate our beaches and marine life are adding to those statistics. Shark are a predator in the ocean and the potential risks of being attacked by them are known but is killing them really the best solution? Scientist from all over Australia, as well as Marine Life Advocates have been trying to drill in to Barnett that there are better solutions available, and that killing them will have no impact on decreasing the fatal attacks. (Why barrnets doing it, his thoughts behind it) Since 2011 39 people have died in Western Australia due to fatal car incidents, that more then triples the deaths caused by shark. So does this mean that it is to dangerous to be driving on our roads? Is this going to be another up coming law to be made by Barnett? A quick, illogical solution to so called protect the people. Western Australia is a common place for shark sightings. Yet the reasons for this is not because of there growing population but due to the increasing numbers of seals and whales heading in to the shallower waters. Even though this is the case, the chance of a fatal attack is still extremely rare. According to a poll from the UMR research company, 80% of Australians havent changed how often they swim, surf or take part in other recreational actives in the ocean, even though there has been a rise in shark attacks. Australian Citizens and anyone else who decides to go and swim at the beach should be well aware of the potential risks of shark attacks.. The ocean is the home to these species, and us? Where just visitors. People keep getting this thought that the increase of shark attacks are due to the increase in there population, but really its the increase in the human population. Gradually as our population grows, more and more people are going to the beaches and participating in water related activities which leads to an increase in shark encounters. Marine life Activists and others who object to this have stated that it is inhumane, unnecessary and environmentally irresponsible. Throughout Australia there are similar programs that run on the eastern coast that use baited hooks and nets to prevent sharks from entering protected beaches, but the reason why WAs proposal is extra controversial is because theyre targeting great whites. The first shark that was killed since the program began was just after 7am on Australia day. It was a 3m female tiger shark caught in meelup beach. The shark had swallowed a large hook attached to a heavy chain in which caused the animal to become increasingly distressed as it was prevented from swimming. The animal thrashed about in the water in apparent agony until it was shot 4 times in the head at a close range with a .22 calibre rifle. Ever since the laws were passed there has been a lot of backlash from the community. There has been major protests all through out australia as well as internationally in New Zealand South Africa. Manly Beach protest organiser Alice Forrest, who is an aquarist at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary has said that the cull is not science based, and rather then helping with tourism all its going to do is give WA a redneck reputation and decrease the amount of tourism there. In the 1960’s and 70’s Hawaii implemented a similar proposal which did more bad then good. The program failed to create any kind of significant decrease in shark attacks but managed to kill over 4000 sharks. The fisherman who has been employed to set and monitor drum lines, and kill and dispose sharks is being paid more then $5,700 a day resulting in over $610,000 for the season. The opposition leader Mark McGowen has stated that the cost is exorbitant and is costing tax payers a lot of money that could have gone towards scientific methods to help save lives. Mr Barnett has said that he gets no enjoyment from seeing these shark dies, but he will put his food forward in trying to protect the people. From saying this, the majority of the Western Australian people are against the laws that Barnett has put in place. The Great White Shark is the top predator of the ocean, meaning that it is not hunted by other animals in the waters. The Great White has been listed as an endangered species due to the over hunting of them for shark teeth and there fins. Fatal snake attacks in Australia have risen from 2 to 5 deaths in 2013. The controversy with this is however is that these particular brown snakes are an Australian protected species so that even though they kill us, We will never kill them. And due to the fact that the great whites roam around waters other then Australians, this makes it okay for us to kill those endangered species. Scientists have estimated that Sharks are pregnant for roughly 18 months causing them to have slow reproduction rates. This means that it is hard for them to recover there over hunted population. What the Government is doing is not saving the people, but killing out an endangered species. There is no evidence that suggests that the killing of these sharks will help to prevent shark attacks. Scientists and shark specialists have been on the governments back about this yet they just dont want to hear it. The reality of this is, that whether you like sharks or they do play a crucial role on this planet. If Shark culling keeps going the way it is then it can begin to tamper with our primary air and food sources. Through out the past 450 million years sharks have kept our seas healthy due to being the apex predator of the ocean. The role of sharks is to keep other marine life in a healthy balance. Sharks also have a major impact on the ecosystem that provides for 1/3 of our worlds food, produces more oxygen than all the rain forests combined, removes half of the atmospheres manmade carbon dioxide and controls our planets temperature and weather. A world without sharks means disastrous effects including the collapse of fisheries and the death of coral reefs. Imagine if sharks do become eliminated from ours waters? Our best natural defence against global warming and the lose of more oxygen then what is produced by all the trees and jungles in the world combined. Going back to Jaws, 2 Australians Ron Valery Taylor who were marine conservationists pioneering cameramen for Spielbergs Jaws have stated that they felt a sense of shame in a way, that they made so many people terrified of sharks going in the water. The unfortunate side of the successful movie is how theyve demonised this beautiful majestic creature. So What is it going to take? Thousands of people from WA and all parts of Australia have been coming to together to try and put an end to this absolute disgraceful policy, I think its time for the Government to listen before its to late. We cannot let our shark population being become extinct, We cannot let colin Barnett keep killing these sharks We cannot give up on fighting for the rights of these sharks. Its there water, So stop the slaughter!!!!