The Public Needs to Know

The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR The Public Needs to Know The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR

Riordan’s Manufacturing Strategy

The Ordain Manufacturing Company utilizes the level strategy for their manufacturing and production planning. The process begins with the raw materials that are received by the receiving team who ensure all necessary materials are accounted for and this team moves the raw materials to the factory. The receiving supervisor then compares shipping documents against scheduled incoming orders for processing. These orders are then received by the inventory clerk and this person enters the information related to the raw materials receipts into the inventory system.The level strategy is beneficial for Ordain because they are able to maintain a stable workforce at all times, working at a constant output rate. This strategy offers a schedule that keeps the finished product moving at the same rate throughout the production cycle. Ordain can continuously produce their products equal to the average demand of the goods. In addition, employees benefit from this strategy because they are guaranteed stable work hours and the costs of potentially decreased customer service levels and Increased Inventory costs, (Jacobs, F. R. & Chase, R. , 2011). Forecasting Technique and ProcessThe quantitative forecasting technique Is the most practical for Ordain Manufacturing to utilize to determine the future sales for their electric fans. Quantitative forecasting Is a statistical technique for making projections using data and prior experiences to predict those future sales based on past trends. (Observationally. Com, 2014). Radian's China plant prepares Its own forecast of electric fan sales that take place throughout the world. Their make-TCL;-order stock process forecasts Its demand for the fans based on the average sales In the previous three years and anticipate the same for upcoming years.

Environmental Impacts of the Global Increase in Demand for Oil Essay

To what extent are the environmental impacts of the global increase in demand for oil acceptable? [15 marks] After the industrial revolution, the demand for oil has been increasing globally. Over 100 million tonnes of oil are transported around the world on average a day. There are countries like the US which consume almost one quarter of global oil output, which must be supplied from oil reserves, usually from countries like Saudi Arabia (Guinness, 2011, p. 245). This shows that the topic of oil consumption is a global issue as all countries need oil to develop and provide for their populations. The issue with this large consumption of oil is the fact that oil is a non-renewable source of energy and therefore has a limit. Oil is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals in underground rock which is found in marine areas and therefore requires technology such as pipelines and drilling machines to extract the oil. The implications of this has caused serious environmental consequences which questions whether extracting oil to supply the demands of the world’s population should be permitted when the environment has to pay the cost, examples being oil leaks into the sea and the effects of that. With a growing global population, energy companies are trying to find sources of energy and are therefore trying to construct pathways and routes to constantly feed people’s needs and demands. This has lead to companies searching and drilling for oil in fragile environments, such as the Alaska pipeline which crosses 3 mountain ranges. The reason why companies are looking into areas full of permafrost is because global warming is causing the ice in the Arctic Circle to melt and oil rich sea beads are now being uncovered. The implementation of the Alaska pipeline has not caused any major environmental problems as many obstacles had been avoided when constructing this project, such as raising the pipeline on stilts so that that the heated oil would not cause the ice to melt. However, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, which occurred in 1989 did take place and still affects the environment, animal species and humans to this day. The oil tanker named Exxon Valdez was carrying 1.2 million barrels of oil when it ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, spilling 240 000 barrels. The oil slick eventually covered 25 000 km2 coastal and off-shore waters and 1700km of coastline (RGS Worcester, n.d., para. 2). A major oil spill like this has resulted in devastating environmental impacts, which has caused social and economical impacts as well. The clean-up process, which included burning the oil (relatively effective as it reduced 113,400 liters of oil to 1,134 liters of removable residue), spraying chemicals on the oil which reached the shoreline and mechanical cleanup methods, did not eradicate the oil fast enough as the environmental impacts are still present after 21 years. 10000 people were involved in the clean up and it took 4 summers and cost 2 billion dollars. This large number of people put their jobs on hold and attended to the effects of the oil spill, which could have caused a decline in the economy in Alaska (Exxon Valdez oil spill, n.d., para. 5). The biggest impact of the oil spill was on the wildlife. Some 2,000 sea otters, 302 harbor seals and about 250,000 seabirds died within a few days after the oil spill (Graham, 2003, para. 1). A decrease in biodiversity and the ecosystems in Alaska affect the environment significantly as it disrupts food chains and causes animals like ducks and other marine animals to lose their source of food. The biggest impact, in terms of wildlife, is the herring population and the effect on the herring industry in Alaska. The spill occurred during spawning season that the inlets and bays where herring traditionally laid their eggs were choked with oil. Within four years, the herring population has disappeared. This has affected Alaskans in terms of their jobs and their source of food. Permits to fish herring commercially had been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars before the spill but became worthless, leaving many fishermen facing huge amounts of debt. Farmers used to earn 150000 dollars a year but this has dropped to 5000 dollars, showing the extent of the impact of the loss of herring (BBC News, 2010, para. 9). A weaker economy results in economical problems within the area and a change in employment structure as children of these fisherman can no longer have the opportunity to be a herring farmer. Economic problems can also result in social problems such as domestic violence, alcohol abuse, suicides and divorces, mainly due to massive unemployment. This example shows that the environmental impacts can have their own impacts, which again questions whether the extraction of oil is worth all these consequences. After 21 years, 20000 gallons of oil still remain on the beaches of Prince William Sound (BBC News, 2010, para. 30). Therefore, the clean up hasn’t been very effective. It’s also worth pointing out that maybe all the environmental impacts still haven’t been determined, for example the soil and vegetation could also have been affected by the oil spill as the oil may have seeped through the sand of the beaches. This would affect the growth of vegetation drastically. People don’t know enough to predict how long the effects are going to last as they can range from years to centuries. One wonders how long countries can continue to extract and consume oil when they still don’t fully know the extent of the environmental effects of oil spills and if their chances of occurring are more likely. The production of oil is also a process which causes a variety of negative effects on the environment. An example is the tar sands oil extraction in Canada – the country which supplies the US with the most oil as it doesn’t have issues regarding transport, weather and the fact that there are pipeline installed from Canada to the US. There is enough natural gas to heat 3 million homes from the extraction of tar sands oil in Canada. However, it is expensive to extract the oil out of the sands (120 million dollars over the last 12 years have been invested) which has lead to environmental degradation in the form of excess use of water to extract bitumen. The bitumen is then refined and the toxic sludge (not like conventional oil – mainly nasty impurities) that is left over after separating oil from impurities is usually dumped in ponds and lakes. In some cases, the toxic ponds are so big that they can be seen from space. The Athabasca River in Canada has a large number of toxic ponds, some being 60 km long in length. These companies, like SUNCOR (Canadian energy company), are dumping around 1.8 billion liters of toxic materials like sludge and impurities in these ponds, they will eventually reach water in the delta (Sustainable Guidance, 2011). The effects of these impurities in the water can be devastating to the wildlife. There is a decrease in the number of fish as the sludge clogs up the fish’s gills, making it hard for them to breathe. The change in the ecosystem and food chain will also cause a decline in fish as smaller species like plankton may be affected by the impurities. The fish may also be contaminated and migratory birds which eat these fish will suffer and possibly die as they won’t eat healthy meat. Moose is another species which are affected by the toxic ponds as their source of food is contaminated and decreasing. This has lead to a number of endangered species. There is a 35 million acres coniferous forest (larger than the Brazilian forest) which is full of endangered species. There have also been cases where environmental issues like toxic ponds are not released to the public as these details have been ‘covered up’ by companies like SUNCOR, leaving environmentalists like Green peace in conflict with these energy companies. This example has shown the harmful effects of oil production on the environment, which again makes us question whether this is all worth it (Sustainable Guidance, 2011). To a very small extent, the environmental impacts of the global increase in demand for oil are acceptable. It can be said, with great certainty, that oil production and consumption does not benefit the environment. The environmental consequences may not be frequent but when they do occur, they cause a catastrophic effect, which takes the environment and the people decades or even longer to recover. These impacts are therefore not acceptable, which is why countries should start investing in producing renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines. Governments can’t suddenly start decreasing the amount of oil they consume as the people are already used to living with a high standard of living. The populations around the world should be educated about the problem and should be encouraged to start relying on renewable sources of energy. However, this raises the problem for developing countries and NICs. It will be extremely difficult to develop without consuming large amounts of oil and will therefore cause the rate of development to decrease. This leaves these types of countries at a disadvantage, which questions whether it is acceptable for all countries to consume a smaller amount of oil when there are countries with different levels of development. Clearly the issue needs to be discussed before any strategies can be implemented. References BBC News. (2010, July 6). Alaska town slowly heals after 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10548872 BBC News. (2010, June 17). Examining the legacy of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10324021 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 24, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill Graham, S. (2003, December 19). Environmental effects of Exxon Valdez spill still being felt. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=environmental-effects-of Guinness, P. (2011). Geography for the IB diploma. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. RGS Worcester. (n.d.) The Exxon Valdez – environmental catastrophe in a fragile environment? Retrieved from https://schoolweb.rgsw.org.uk/resource.aspx?id=52612 Sustainable Guidance. (2011, April 27). Tar sands oil extraction – the dirty truth. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwoRivP17A

The influence of the US foreign policy on the prospective unification Dissertation

The influence of the US foreign policy on the prospective unification of Koreas - Dissertation Example Reports show that during 20th century, there had been various efforts to address the different issues that impeded reunification of North and South Korea. At this time it became quite clear to the stakeholders (Koreans and non-Koreans) and other experts on foreign affairs related to Korea that reunification of the two nations was an internal matter to be decided by only by the Koreans themselves. However, it was equally clear to stakeholders and experts that the US had a crucial role, both in the division and future reunification, and through various foreign policies adopted by it towards the two Koreas, the US also could play a major role in a united Korean future. Right from the start of the 20th century, the Koreans have always looked for ways to give the two countries a unified and independent framework. However, even before WW II, any such hopes of unification received a setback when in 1910 Japan forcibly conquered Korean Peninsula. When Japan was defeated at the end of WWII in 1945, there were some hopes of a Korean unification that were again destroyed by partitioning. At this time, a division was created (of a temporary nature) in order to hasten the capture of the defeated Japanese forces. This activity, which was more of a plan for collaboration during a war between different occupying forces, however, turned into game of rivalry during the post-war times and the Korean division became permanent with hopes of a reunification slowly disappearing. During the various Korean Wars that took place after the WWII there have been attempts from both sides for a forced reunification, which failed to produce any definite results. Despite the reu nification criteria, always remaining on agenda list of the Korean countries from 1953 onward, during the Cold War it was practically shelved after which the issue received very little attention. 3 The will to reunite is a strong emotion prevalent amongst both the Korean nations and is founded on the country’s long history of heritage, cultural ethnicity, and homogeneity that have created a sense of strong national unity.4 Integrated with significant influence from Chinese cultural heritage, Koreans believe in strong family ties and take deep pride in their national history and culture. Owing to this background, the Koreans still hope for a reunification, despite wars and years of tension between the two nations. Majority

Legalisation of Sex Work Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legalisation of Sex Work - Outline Example The Policing and Crime Act 2009 delineates stringent liability offence criminalising customers of sex workers that are subjected to mistreatment. These provisions were intended to decrease demand for sex workers, hence associated human trafficking. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 further introduced soliciting offences in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England. The legislation, therefore, prohibits imploring a person in public places like streets and parks to get sexual services from the individual as a sex worker. Law in Netherlands Criminal Code 8, a legislative piece that banned brothels, was lifted in the year 2000. The lift made way for regulation of sex work under both labour and administrative laws. This ban lift also made it possible for the government to treat sex work as ordinary labour. The Dutch Penal Code also ceased to treat prostitution by adult males or females as a crime following the landmark 2000 change. This applies provided the sex worker consents to the transaction . This implies that it is legal for a person to operate a prostitution business, as long as it involves consenting adults aged 18 and above. The current legislative piece 273f CC9 deems certain elements of sex work criminal. These include violence or threat of aggression, coercion, deception, and abuse of power regarding both recruitment and working conditions. These elements, combined with undesirable forms of sex work like involuntary sexual exploitation of minors, are more strictly penalised under the current law in Netherlands.

Journal entry #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal entry #2 - Essay Example As revealed, through initially establishing a vision, termed as a writing workshop, teachers are able to experience the vast challenges in motivating students to write and therefore linking the vision to practical and contemporary applications. The challenges that were noted ranged from working within a limited time frame, limited space and resources; as well as the difficulties of working with other academic affiliates within the school setting. The findings indicated that the challenges faced by ESOL teachers and students parallel those experienced by native English speaking teachers; the need to adapt learning from various instructional media could not be replicated completely but should be tailored to the teaching style and situation; and finally, â€Å"teachers also need support and opportunities to work intensively over time with other teachers who are doing the same thing† (Peyton, Jones and Vincent 484). The article is deemed beneficial for teachers in terms of being apprised of the challenges faced when teaching writing for ESOL students; particularly through the provision of support and guidelines that would assist in encouraging students to develop and improve their writing skills. The lessons learned by the participants enhanced one’s awareness that these challenges were likewise experienced by native English speaking teachers and should therefore not preclude one from trying to motivate students to seek alternative means to improve their skills in writing through the suggested techniques, depending on the needs and resources

How do men and women use language differently Research Paper

How do men and women use language differently - Research Paper Example â€Å"Men grow up in a world in which a conversation is often a contest, either to achieve the upper hand or to prevent other people from pushing them around whereas women often speak for confirmation and support† The male domination in the society is often cited as major the reason for which males and females use language differently. Women in normal cases, use more polite words than men. Men always try to stamp their authority and they often use bold words to dominate over others. On the other hand women use soft words because of their inferior status in the society. Women and men have different purposes in a communication process and they use language based on the purpose. For example, men usually use language as a status symbol and to dominate over others whereas women often seek support and they use polite words. â€Å"Women tend to use more standard forms of English whereas men tend to use less standard forms of English†(Women language, n. d). The intentions of wo men and men in a conversation are different. Women often work for social cohesion and they do not like conflicts in the society. So they use only formal languages in order to avoid clashes. Women are normally peace loving people. On the other hand, men often use language to assert their dominance in a group which is hierarchically formed. In other words, men often like the company of people who are ready to accept their views and opinion. For example, drug addicts or alcohol addicts often like to have the company of similar people whereas nonalcoholic people will never like the company of alcoholic people.

The American Frontier Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American Frontier - Assignment Example These settlers and the Native Americans were mythologized in terms of their cultures and economic activities. In this mythological era, the white settlers got two opportunities; to practice slavery and extend their ranches and farm lands. Most Southerners were whites who had settled earlier to cultivate land and mine precious metals for economic gains. Historical studies reveal that the Southerners created a myth which justified that the uncivilized black slaves were meant to labor for the white planters since the white communities catered for the needs of the so-called inferior beings. In addition, they claimed that both societies lived happily and in an orderly manner since everyone knew their social positions in the community. With the aid of this myth, the white settlers had the opportunity to exploit the cheap slave labour and exercise powers over the blacks (Slatta, 2010). Another prominent mythological belief is that the ranchers needed to secure large tracts of land in order to pursue their livelihood. The myth justified that the extensive tracts of land were to be made available for commercial farming for the ranchers. They claimed that the produce from the ranches supported them and the loyal black slaves, as well. Most arguments made by the mythologized settlers were based on the ideology that as far as they are benefiting in the New World, no law was to be made to remove such benefits. Some of the beliefs about ranching may include; ranchers would protect the land, livestock benefits the wildlife, public lands support the rancher, rangeland would stay healthy if were grazed, and more (Slatta, 2010). In other words, the ranchers didn’t consider the environmental impact of extending ranches such as imbalance of the ecosystems and climatic changes. Instead, they used that opportunity to enrich themselves with many herds of cattle at the expe nse of environment. As stated earlier, the closing of the American

Organizational effectivenes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational effectivenes - Essay Example This is done by considering resources available to the organization, interests of the organization in business activities and the market segment served by the organization. The market segment is important because it dictates the market share available to the firm and consequently influences resource allocation. The process of resource allocation is the first step among a number of them that lead to the realization of organizational effectiveness. How well available resources are allocated among numerous organizational needs and the extent to which consumer needs are met in that process determines the said effectiveness. Employee-management relationship is another measure of organizational effectiveness. Organizations that foster strong employee-employer relationships have been found to be more efficient that those without strong ties between employees and employers (Rampersad, 2003). In the same regard, an organization that pursues corporate social responsibility is more likely to be more efficient in its business that those which do not. This based on the fact restrained and optimal requirements of performance in order to achieve diversity and dynamism over time require that an organization’s operations and performance be efficient enough. Harley-Davidson is a manufacturing firm that consumers highly value. Its competitors stand challenged by this firm due to its diversity that aims to achieve consumer satisfaction. TPS recommends book keeping and issuance as the principle determinants of the success of an organization. Harley-Davidson adopted this recommendation, becoming one of the most efficient motorcycle and RV manufacturers (Teerlink & Ozley, 2000). Book keeping ensures that all fundamental records that pertain to the manufacturer are made at all levels. On the other hand, issuance enhances business transactions and monitors the overall performance for malpractices. Over and above the above practices, the

Political Science - Nations vs States vs Nation-States Essay

Political Science - Nations vs States vs Nation-States - Essay Example However, the merge of all these elements do not constitute a nation (Sarmah 3). People in a nation share common beliefs and religion, and are unified in common descent and language. â€Å"Nations occupy a self-constituting public space characterized by specific identities and ways of life† (Segesvary 22). Unity among its people is important to a nation. Prior to the First World War, Austria-Hungary was considered as a state but not as a nation. People of Austria and Hungary were politically united; separated by any affinity; individually diverse; and unwilling to live in unity. A state must be sovereign; however, a nation will remain being a nation even if it loses sovereignty. There is no division between a state and a nation in a single-nation state. A state can have a number of nationalities to make a nation. It is when a nation loses its statehood that the distinction between the two becomes evident. Germany and Japan lost their statehood in the post-World War II because t hey lost sovereignty, however they maintained their nationhood because of their people’s aspiration to live in unity and affinity. Later, these countries were able to regain statehood (Sarmah 3). Inhabitants of a nation are racially harmonized with shared universal language, faith, traditions, and history.

Exam paper on business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exam paper on business strategy - Essay Example Its limitation is that two firms of same industry with MBV- strategy do not grow with similar pace despite opting for similar options. For example, firms opt to sail the ocean for being the safest alternate without sailor in the team while ignoring mountain-ing for being less attractive alternative despite having skilled mountaineers. RBV based strategy ignores the demand side of the business. It relies solely on the endogenous aspect and ignores the exogenous factors’ effect on firm. Hence, to void the limitation, firm has lent support from both views complementing each other than contrast. Apple Inc’s success is the strategy being combination of both views. For instance, team with innovative skills exploited the market factors that welcome changes in new dimensions; hence giving hit products like iPod, iPad. ANSWER 3 Greiner’s Theory (1972) refers that firm growth is a subset of six phases each comprising of stable growth followed by a challenge before entering the succeeding phase. It suggests that phases occur in series; therefore, predictable challenges (evolution) to be accounted in a predictable way (revolution). Firm initially grows with creativity and establishing position in the market and after some time it faces challenge of leadership crises. This challenge requires professional management for further growth. Growth in second phase continues to expand with direction and increase in scale hence, leads to issues in managing thing by few personnel. Evolution of structural change mainly with delegation of power becomes the need to maintain survival. Upon delegation development, firm grows through third phase for some time and lands to the control crises. It now requires business to strengthen connections among the business -units to maintain growth in single direction with co-ordination and monitoring. 4th phase of growth through connectivity ends up to red tape issues and bureaucracy. These issues hamper growth again requiring man agement to induce collaborative culture than centralized control. Collaborative culture results firm fostering with more of matrix and team based structures but also ends up once firm has exploited maximum of the internal capabilities and faces internal growth crises. Evolution from this crisis requires firm to shake hands with complementary organizations to maintain growth. This sixth stage growth, recently added, refers to merger, networks, alliances, outsourcing etc. Growth rate in phases vary from company to company and even within company from phase to phase. However, longer the phases harder it will be implement transition by catering crises. ANSWER 4 Resources and Competencies held by organization are all not of equal strength when evaluated on the yardstick to provide firm a competitive advantage against competitors. Strength of the Resource Based View refers that resources and competencies that possess value, rarity, inimitability and non-substitutability characteristics, a cronym as VRIN, are of immense importance to organization. Organizational strategy aligning VRIN-resources and competencies with external environmental factors form the foundation of success. Successful organization such as Wall- Mart (Strong Supply Chain), Tesco (UK national and supply Chain), Apple (Innovative Human Resource), Starbucks (expertise in providing premium flavour of coffee) have profited globally upon strategically by

English as the official language of the U.S. Essay Example for Free

English as the official language of the U.S. Essay The English language has already been established as the official language in 28 States; this would beg the question, what made these States pass such an Act, especially since the Courts already designated such a law as being unconstitutional and infringing upon the First Amendment speech rights (Feder, 12). This question will be addressed throughout the paper, which will first consider the legal proceedings that have occurred thus far for this ‘Official English’ movement. The finding of this paper is self-evident in that the objections to this movement have been rendered invalid, largely due to a lack of irrefutable arguments as the paper will demonstrate. The numerous advantages that will be highlighted will argue for, and show, the benefit to the nation – to both the majority as well as the minorities – of making English the official language of the U. S. U. S. Legislature As of the publishing of the CRS Report in 2007, 28 states in the United States have declared English as the official language in their state constitutions. On the flip side, the U. S. Constitution has enacted several laws such as the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act in an effort to protect the language rights of the country’s minorities. These Acts authorize, amongst others, the use of voting materials in states and political subdivisions, with instructions in two languages at the same time, as well the use of languages other than English, when deemed essential, to provide effective and efficient public and private services. The U. S. Congress initiated its effort towards the Official English movement in 1984 with ‘The English Language Amendment’ that was proposed for the Constitution, and it culminated when ‘The Language in Government Act’ passed the House in 1996, but failed to do so in the Senate. Amendments to ‘The Language in Government Act’ were later introduced, with the Inhofe Amendment passing in the 109th Congress which affirmed English as the ‘national language’, and later as the unifying language of the U. S. ; at the same time, ensuring the rights of minorities (Feder, 4). Consequent to Amendments that were later introduced, the passage of such Legislature would now largely be a symbolic one with negligible or zero actual effect on the inhabitants of the country, with regards to the legal aspects. This is largely because â€Å"†¦ an affirmation by the Congress of the central place of English in our national life and culture †¦ would not, of its own force, require or prohibit any particular action or policy by the government or private persons. Nor would it, without more, imply the repeal or modification of existing federal or state laws and regulations sanctioning the use of non-English for various purposes,† as stated in Feder, 4-5. Benefits The basic principle upon which the proponents of this movement rest their reason for making English the official language of the United States is that it serves to create a bond of unity. While this bond can be used in order to address any issues through more effective communication between the relevant parties, it also does not rob anyone of their heritage. As stated by Adams, 111, â€Å"All languages and cultures are precious in our history and are to be preserved and maintained. These are not, however, public responsibilities. † Parsimonious equity is another, much touted reason for the movement. Where equity states that all judicial hearings should allow a defendant the right to be heard in the language (s)he is most conversant and comfortable with so as to permit the population to be served by the government. Parsimonious equity, on the other hand, maintains that in order to ensure that the government is not bogged down under administrative costs of ensuring an interpreter for each individual need, an official language must be recognized that will ensure that all legal and government related proceedings be dealt with in English. Such a system remains equitable, as well as, limits the costs associated with such activities (Fishman, 59). With regards to the ‘language-rights’ argument it must be noted that while protecting the rights of minorities in of itself is a sufficiently altruistic and, in the case of the U. S. , required task of the government, it must be ensured that the majority not be discriminated against either. Such a paradox would result in the formation of extreme political parties that would effectively shut out the minorities, due to their large, and united, numbers. In light of this argument, the proponents stress that by officiating the role of the English speaking majority in the United States the government will preclude the establishment of such highly biased and extreme parties, and maintain the unity and equity of the nation. Therefore, while it may be historically justified for minorities to seek redress for past acts of subjugation, as usually happens with minorities, and oppose the majority, it would be more I keeping with the â€Å"interest of [the] linguistic minorities to seek a balance,† as stated by Joseph, 62. To an extent it seems understandable that the minorities might feel as if they are being presented with a raw deal, but when the minorities themselves start supporting the cause for making English the official language this argument against the movement is rendered void, and is in fact turned into another reason for supporting the movement. Such a case was witnessed in Alabama, where the black-majority counties voted for the movement by a significant margin (Tatalovich, 244). Learning from Canada Looking at the northern neighbor of the United States, proponents of the movement have found several examples that corroborate their stand of maintaining a single official language for the country. The numerous political conflicts that Canada has faced over its bilingual official languages status have merely served to show how not to operate in one’s own country, in addition to clearly distinguishing the effect of considering the language issue as irrelevant and trivial. As stated by Ricento, 37, â€Å"the disconcerting strength gathered by separatism in Canada contains a lesson for the United States and its approach to bilingual education. † In trying to placate a larger amount of people by using its dual official language system, Canada has only shown to its more powerful neighbor how it is sometimes in the interest of the minorities to ignore their protests and support the decision of the majority. By catering to the Quebec speaking individuals in their country Canada has given them the right to lose out on greater economic benefits as shown by the research conducted by Li, 135-136: the effect of the use of an official language is signified by the â€Å"†¦$911 [male earnings] above the mean even after controlling for other variables,† and similarly, in the U. S. (Zavodny, 449). Conclusion The English language is the language of the majority as far as the U. S is concerned. There has been a movement towards making it the official language of the country in addition to it being so in over half the States already. However, this movement has subsequently led to the minorities crying foul over the perceived loss of their rights and the perceived inequitable behavior that they expect. The proponents of this movement, on the other hand, cite the greater cause of national unity, as well as that of parsimonious equity to vie with the concern of future lost income of minorities. It is the duty of the Government to now realize the potential benefits that will result in letting Acts based on making English the official Language through Congress. Especially since the greatest objection of minority language rights and perceived subjugation by the majority has been proven to be baseless in light of the Alabama vote. The remaining minorities should seek to overcome their emotional attachment to their original heritage, and understand that this movement will not necessarily threaten their roots; instead, it will result in greater opportunities for them through a more equitable treatment at court and business. Beyond these realizations, the government should initiate a budget towards facilitating the teaching of English to immigrants who cannot afford to learn it through their own devices. This is in light of the view that current instructions for the English language, in the United States, are inadequate to prepare them for their future life in the country (Citrin, 108). With Canada serving as an example of the effects of having more than one official language, the United States can ensure that it does not fall into the same trap by creating the equivalent Spanish-speaking enclaves in their country. Economically, politically, and culturally, having only English as the official language will help deal with a lot of problems along these facets of life that will prove to, over time, strengthen the role of equality in the society – a value that is immensely appreciated in the current era, especially in these neck of the woods. Eventually this movement will succeed, because it not only enjoys widespread support from the majority and a few minorities of the U. S. , but it has also managed to secure enough political support behind it to make it a key bill: one that is presented to the Congress in almost every sitting since the mid-1890’s. Works Cited Adams, K. L. Brink, D. T. Perspectives on Official English: The Campaign for English as the Official Language of the USA. Walter de Gruyter. Fishman, J. A. The Rise and Fall of the Ethnic Revival: Perspectives on Language and Ethnicity. Walter de Gruyter. (1985). Joseph, J. E. Language and Politics. Edinburgh University Press. (2006). Ricento, T. Burnaby, B. Language and Politics in the United States and Canada. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (1998). Tatalovich, R. Nativism Reborn? : The Official English Language Movement and the American States. University Press of Kentucky. (1995). Citrin, J. â€Å"Language politics and American identity. † Public Interest. (1990): p96-109. Feder, J. â€Å"English as the Official Language of the United States: Legal Background and Analysis of Legislation in the 110th Congress. † CRS Report for Congress. (January 25, 2007): pp18. Li, P. S. â€Å"The Economics of Minority Language Identity. † Canadian Ethnic Studies. (2001):

HM and its communication strategy

HM and its communication strategy The characteristics of the corporate communication of an organisation depend upon the standards and the structure of market it is competing with. This report provides a critical analysis of HMs Corporate Communication Strategy taking different frameworks and models into consideration and successfully applying it on the organisation. Today HM has about 2206 stores widespread over 38 countries all over the globe. So it becomes really very significant for the organisation to have an efficient communication strategy. This report portrays the efficiency of communication strategy of HM. Introduction According to Joep Cornelissen (2004, p.23) Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework and vocabulary for the effective coordination of all means of communications with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations and stakeholders groups upon which the organisation is dependent .In other words we can say that the Communication strategy of an organisation performs an essential role in the growth, unification and maintenance of different stakeholder groups, its Image, Reputation and Identity. Cornelissen has summarised corporate communication via historical vista. He viewed that every organisations engaged through communication with the number of groups in environment to stay economically afloat in the early 1900s. In the 20th century, the job of managing communications had been determined principally via public relations and marketing functions. But this being an intrinsically parochial approach, the contemporary figures of co mmunication management have consolidated these divisions into the extensive corporate communication function. Moreover due to the shift from inflexible to flexible market scenario and growing competitive marketplace, this jointly with the greater call from society for corporate citizenship has resulted in thrusting many organisations into stakeholder management strategies. He specified corporate communication to be the management function that has come to fulfilment in this stakeholder era and to establish and administer relationships with the stakeholder groups upon which the organisation depends economically and socially. Riel(1995,p.26) has defined Corporate Communication is an instrument of management by means of which all conscious used form of internal and external communications are harmonised as effectively and efficiently as possible, so as to create a favourable basis for the relationships with the groups upon which the company is dependent HM opened its first Hennes store in Vasteras, Sweden in 1947. At first it sells only womens clothes but in 1968 with the takeover of Mauritz Widforss, it began to sell both mens and womens clothes and the name were changed to Hennes and Mauritz. Corporate Communication Strategy of H M At present HM is operating in 38 countries having 2206 stores (30 Nov. 2010) with 76000 employee working on the same philosophy i.e. to provide fashion and quality at the best price. HM carry out its strategy by focusing on three main characteristics of business ((AR1 2008) :- Price: HM controls price by limiting middlemen, buying in outsized quantity and appropriate merchandise and sustaining effectual distributing process. Design: The designing of the products is done in-house and production is totally outsourced. Quality: Main focus is on superiority with widespread testing and warranting less environmental harm. The Corporate Communication strategy of HM can also be well explained by The total communication domain model by Aberg, L., (1990). The model looks like a wheel having four sections:- 1 Support of Core Operating:- HM most valued assets are its employers working in the organisation which could be well understood by the statement issued by its CEO. He said that it is only its employee who makes its corporate strategy possible. He stated that HM delegate a lot of corporate responsibility on its employers and they boost people to take own steps and initiatives. (AR1, 2008) 2 Profiling HM arrange a seminar both at home and abroad in order to understand various cultures, arrange exhibitions and inspires employees to study fashion magazines, watch movies and many more things. 3 Informing HM informs the stakeholders about the rectifications of internal as well as external information regarding the activities. 4 Socialising HM cheers its employees of various ethnic groups to work collectively and to gain experience and acquaintance from one and all. image002 External and Internal Communication External communication is the method of information outside the organisation. Bovee and Thill, 2005 The external communication links the organisation with the outside world of customers, suppliers and investors. HM use the following model for the effective external communication. HM conveys all the newly made products to the customers by the medium of Newspapers, Magazines, and Websites etc. HM dont have any industries but it works with 800 suppliers and around 2700 production units. HM keeps transparency by publishing monthly, quarterly, half yearly and annually the financial reports. It organises general meetings annually. Customers Suppliers Investors HM Stakeholders Environment and Community Internal Communication is a method by which the exchange of information takes place within an organisation. Every employee of an organisation is it the director or a small employee has some information that needs to send both internally and externally. The internal communication system has transformed to downward, upward, horizontal and diagonal communication from the downward communication. HM everyone is approachable to one another and that clearly shows that everyone has got equal status in HM. This is known as Lateral or Horizontal Communication. HMs Internal Communication model can be explained by using Evan,1990 model. Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation:- Corporate identity is described as the tangible manifestation of the personality of a company. (Gregory and Weichmann, 1999, p.64) has defined Corporate Identity to be a visual statement of who and what a company is. The Berkigt and Stadler model of corporate identity (Cornelissen, 2nd edition, p.67) explains the HMs corporate identity. The model illustrates HMs organisational culture, its mission, vision and how it wants to be recognised as by the stakeholder groups outside organisation. The HM communication aspires to assemble the brand in the long and the short term as well as communicating its offer. Costumers should be acquainted with what HM stands for, i.e. Fashion and Quality at best price. HM do a lot of heavy marketing of its diverse products to attract its targeted audiences and convey them what HM stands for. C:Users21119444AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5BUHE4KG2p%20001[1].jpg The Birkigt and Stadler model of corporate identity According to Dowling, 1986, Corporate Image can be defined as a set of meaning by which an object is known and through which people describe, remember and relate to it as a result of interaction of a persons beliefs, ideas, feelings and impression about an object. The corporate image of HM can be explained by applying the corporate image model of Dowling. HM provides its employees an open door policy in order to put forward any work related issues to the management HM consider open and constructive dialogue with the trade unions as an essential aspect and it has a positive experience of it. Examples include its agreement with Union Network International and European Works Council (AR1, 2008). HM gives key focus on skill development of its employees by providing training on customer service, CSR, garment handling etc. (HM, CSR, 2008, p.47). Formal Communication Policies Employees image of the company External group image of company Organizational culture External interpersonal communication Previous product experience Support by the members of distribution channel Marketing media communication According to Balmer, 2001 Corporate Reputation is enduring perception held of an organisation by an individual, group or network. HM uses its brand image and reputation for taking advantage over its competitors and to satisfy the different stakeholders. Internal- The Role of HR and corporate communication It is always seen that the work of role of HR is never given much prominence in wider communication strategies. HR departments are mostly excluded from the spheres of departments of communications. HM is operating its business in 38 countries and their staffs come from culturally widespread background. Whenever HM opens any new store anywhere, it employs the local staff. Right form the process of recruitment to the process of rotating jobs, rewarding employees, developing guidelines etc, HR plays an important role. Turner (2003, p20) has given a model that links HRM with performance. Here the author has suggested good communication to attach the HR policies and HR strategies. For the HR practises the author has suggested effective management of people to the line managers and for performance he has suggested effective communication of good people practise which is quite important for HM which is a big MNC. Role of technology in corporate communication:- Oliver (1997, p128) has given a communication framework related to the IT technology. The framework shows the cultural values and beliefs aligned with the vision of the organisation. He has put forward a model which is designed by Goldberg and Sifonis named as Communication Framework which depends on hypothesis of management taken on intuitive ground and should be imparted using internal and external stakeholders. HM is using smart technology like semacode bar through their mobile phones so that they can products shown in the advertisements instantly. It is an outstanding utilization of the technology. Culture and its influence in corporate communication The culture clarifies the models of hypothesis and behavioural statements by humans for their environment whether it is a state, a local community, a market or an industry. No doubt a firm render guidelines, hand-outs and norms in the indigenous language but still it requires more than just the translation. To tackle it HM chose and recruit present and future employees on the basis of culture where it is operating. This help in creating organisational culture in HM which in turn helps in efficient management, inspires employees for effective teamwork and provides opportunities to them for growth. HM venerates the local customs. HM has a task oriented culture. It pays much emphasis on local recruitment so as to fit in the countries organisational culture. Think globally and Act locally is the success reason for HM or we can say HM is Glocal. Determinants of Effective Communication of HM can be demonstrated as (Linda Beamer, Iris varner 2001 p,351):- 1 HM trains Employees at different level so as to enhance their intercultural business communication skills. 2 HM send top employees to foreign subsidiaries which is more productive. 3 HM starts training employees from the age above 16. This means the employees are more flexible and easy to afford. 4HM carefully looks for employees not just with the technical skills but also the one who can fit in the culture and stimulating frameworks. 5 More important, HM creates an atmosphere where the employees much freedom to express, speak and be open minded. Determinants of Effectiveness of Message Conclusion . The various Frameworks, the models and the Approaches shows the advantages and the disadvantages which depends on the organisation on which these frameworks and models are applied. HM functions in a very high competitive environment. HM enjoys outstanding corporate identity, image and reputation. The various frameworks and models used evaluates the effectiveness of HMs communication policies and its communication internally and externally. They also reflects the comprehension of the various communication policies and reflects the requirement for efficient communication in modern era. HM is using latest technology for its effective corporate communication. HM is a glocal brand that works globally but acts locally. To conclude wecan say that HM has a very effective operational communication model to administer near about 76000 employees from 38 countries working in 2206 stores.

Total Quality Management And HRM

Total Quality Management And HRM This chapter provides the background to this project termed The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management; it consists of an introduction to total quality management and human resources management. It will also provide an introduction to problem/questions the research intends to resolve, highlight the reason for my interest in the research topic, indicate the possible benefactors of this research work, specify the locus and focus of the project and the methodology that will be adopted during the course of the project. The aims, objectives and deliverables of the study will also be clearly defined followed by the project outline. 1.1 Introduction to Total Quality Management and Human Resources Management Organisations that pay special attention to the quality performance of their operations are mostly rewarded in the global business world, for organisations to survive in the tough competitive market they must continuously improve the quality level of their products and services; it is onus on the management to find ways of improving their quality services the question is how? Fortunately the business environment have been able to define certain means of achieving and improving quality in their individual organisations, although different organisations implore variable tactics they all have one method in common which is Total Quality Management (TQM), researchers have different interpretation of TQM, but according to youssef et al (1996) they all agree that based on the proper implementation of TQM, it can improve quality of products and services, improve company performance level, reduce costs thus improving the companys competitive advantage in the global market, in addition to this previous studies all agree that TQM is an approach to improving the effectiveness and flexibility of a business as a whole i.e. its essentially a way of organising and involving the whole organisation; every single individual at every level or department. This implies that for any organisation striving towards continuous improvement, each individual of the organisation must acknowledge the other and recognise that each activity (small or big) matters. From the literature review, it will be established that Human Resource Management plays a crucial role in implementing TQM through reinforcing human relationships, improving employee competence, and achieving culture change. Quality gurus such as: W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Philip B. Crosby, Genichi Taguchi, Kaoru Ishikawa and Walter A. Shewhart amongst others all agree on the importance of a team based culture for organisations to continuously improve on quality, perhaps the most popular of the quality gurus is Deming for hi s contribution to the Japanese industry in the 1950s, all of their quality philosophies had the following points in common: Providing quality goods and services. Customer focused (internal external). Production is optimised through team-work, transformational leadership and statistical measurement. The central focus of Total Quality Management and related approaches is customer (internal external) based, The external customer is the reason for a business to exist, and by directing every operation of the internal customers (employees) of the of the organisation towards the external customer satisfaction through continuous improvement in quality. Research by Wilkinson (1992) and Collinson et al. (1998) amongst other researchers opine that there are two sides to TQM a hard side and a soft side, and that the soft side emphasizes on the management of human resources, relationship between employees and employers (teamwork), customer care and the hard side lay emphasis on the technical aspect of an organisation. The soft side of TQM is mostly adopted by service industries while the hard side is accustomed to manufacturing industries. The issue with this Hard and Soft TQM concept is that most organisations fail to integrate these two parts effectively, especially in the manufacturing industries which tend to focus on production first and quality second due to their desire to meet the schedule. According to Omachonu, V. and Ross, J., (2004) in the United states and other highly industrialised countries the economy has shifted from manufacturing to service industries, indicating that 80% of workers globally are employed in the service sector. This suffices to say that quality improvement can only be achieved through the actions of the humans in the organisation, HRM is the practice adopted by organisations to achieve this goal, HRM can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets i.e. the people/humans working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the organisations objectives (Michael, A. 2006). The notion sustaining the practice of HRM is that people are the organisations key resource and organisational performance largely depends on them. Therefore if an appropriate ra nge of HR practices and processes are developed and implemented effectively, then HR will make a substantial impact on an organisations performance. Although previous research has established the fact that HR is crucial to performance, the general consensus from most of the research especially that carried out by Purcell et al (2003) is that HR can make an impact by contributing to the following: The development and successful implementation of high performance work practices, particularly those concerned with job and work design, flexible working, resourcing (recruitment, selection and talent management),employee development (increasing skills and extending the skills base),reward, and giving employees a voice. The formulation and embedding of a clear vision and set of values. The development of a positive psychological contract and means of increasing the motivation and commitment of employees. The formulation and implementation of policies which, in the words of Purcell et al (2003) meet the needs of individuals and create a great place to work. The provision of support and advice to line managers on their role in implementing HR policies and practices. The effective management of change (Purcell et al, 2003.) From the above it is obvious that HRM plays a huge role in TQM, hence this research will be focused on the identifying the HRM practices that are most effective to TQM and how best this practices are implemented in the industry today, the research will focus its attention in the oil service industry of Nigeria thus the topic The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management in the oil service industry the research will be done using a multinational oil servicing company (Hercules Offshore) as a case study, the reason for this is that most developing countries still fail to recognise their employees and the role they play in the quality of goods and services, my interest in this topic arose from my experience working in the Nigerian company I realised that most employees lacked commitment to the managerial goals and objectives, emphasis are made more on individual performance rather than a holistic approach which is the main concept of TQM, there was a huge gap between the front office and the back office, this research aims to identify how this gaps could be closed to encourage continuous quality. Most companies in Nigeria and other developing countries that are yet to grasp the advantage of a committed work force will find this project useful, even the country as a whole would benefit from what this project aims to achieve because if every individual lives and performs for a general goal not an individual goal the country would move forward. 1.2 Project Aim The aim of this project is to identify and study the impact of Human resources management in the implementation of Total quality management and the role of the humans (employees) in quality attainment and improvement. 1.3 Project Objectives There are some objectives that fall within this specific aim and the objectives include: Does the Nigerian average worker know what TQM is? What are the perceptions of the companies customer service in Nigeria? How are these practices implemented in Nigerian oil servicing industries? What are the exact HRM practices that assist in the implementation of TQM in the oil service industry? What are the factors influencing employees to adhere or refute company quality policies? The determinants of employee responses to TQM 1.4 Deliverables Understanding the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM Understanding total quality management and the need for organisations to have an effective and efficient TQM model. Understanding how management strategies for continuous quality improvement can reach the roots of the organisation Improving employees commitment to quality in the Nigerian oil industry identify the major limitations to quality improvement practices in Nigeria Recommendations for further improvement. 1.5 Project Methodology This study is descriptive in its entirety rather than experimental. It entails collecting data in the form of literature review survey, questionnaire survey, and interview questions from some selected HR managers including the managers in the organisation for the case study (Hercules offshore). The methodology to be developed will focus on the mechanism through which high service level can be achieved by efficiently managing the human resources available to an organisation, the role of the human in TQM implementation, how TQM practices are implemented using HRM practices in the oil service industry in Nigeria, and to assess the average workers knowledge of TQM. This proposed project will involve a four phase design that will be used for implementation. The first phase of the project is the research planning, the second phase will involve the project planning, the third phase is for result analysis, fourth phase is the project summation. The main tasks to be completed at the end of the fourth phase plan are; i. Analysing the background of the survey through literature review ii. Selection of case study for the project iii. Carry out a feasibility study of the case study iv. Data Collection v. Data Analysis vi. Result Analysis vii. Discussion and Conclusion viii. Recommendation The methodology to be developed for the research and project planning, result analysis and project completion is illustrated in figure 1.1 Phase 1 Research Planning Phase 2 Project Planning Phase 3 Result Analysis Phase 4 Project Summation Figure 1:1 Methodology to be developed Source: Author This study addresses the importance of improving an organisations quality output through improving the efficiency and commitment of the internal customers (employees). Figure 1.2 shows a diagrammatic representation of the methodology giving the steps to be adopted. These steps are: understanding and knowing the aim of the project, designing questionnaires and arranging interviews, administering questionnaires and conducting telephone interviews with employees of an organisation in the oil services industry comprising of human resources managers, project managers, operations managers, vessel managers, shipyard managers and deck hands. Recommendation would also be made to enhance the organisations implementation of total quality management. This will be sent to the organisation in order to gain feedback from the recommended solutions. Understanding the direction of the project Designing questionnaires and arranging interviews Questionnaires and conducting interview Result Presentation and Analysis ng Discussion, Recommendations and Conclusion Figure 1.2: Diagrammatic representation of the Methodology Source: Author 1.6 Project Summary In this section the author provides a brief outline of the content of each chapter in the project. Chapter 1- Introduction to the dissertation, the project aim, objectives and the methodology to be adopted. Chapter 2 A literature review survey of the project that will comprise human resources management practices, total quality management, strategic management, and customer services. A summary of the literature review will be given at the end of the chapter. Chapter 3 A comprehensive study of the organisation background, including its products and services and an exhaustive insight into the oil servicing industry in Nigeria Chapter 4 The methodology to be used will be presented in this chapter. It will show the approach and other considerations that were made in obtaining data and result analysis for this project. Chapter 5 A compressive analysis of the empirical data and results of the study by describing the descriptive findings will be presented. Chapter 6- This will present the discussion of the work done, importance of the questionnaire, interviews and results to the project and issues encountered. The conclusion and recommendations are also presented in this chapter. The order of presentation for the chapters in this dissertation is shown graphically in figure 1.3 Chapter One Background of study Aim, Objectives and Deliverables Introduction Chapter Two Literature Review Related theories Chapter Three Company background and Oil service industry This chapter focuses on the concept of HRM and TQM in the Nigerian oil industry Chapter four Methodology Research design, approach and strategy Chapter five Results and Analysis of Data Results presentation Data analysis Chapter six Discussion and Future Work Discussion of findings Future works and Conclusion CHAPTER 2 Figure 1.3: Project Summary Source: Author LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The role or effect of Human Resource practices on the implementation of Total Quality management cannot be over-emphasized, because it serves as a basis for ascertaining employees attitudes towards effective and efficient quality practices, simply put if the employees are not quality oriented, there is no quality hence the organisations ability to conform to its customers requirements is low, Several studies investigating the relationship of HRM and TQM have asserted the same ideology e.g. (Lammergeyer, 1991; Wilkinson, 1992; Oakland,1998; Palo and Padhi,2005). Additionally, according to Morrison and Rahim (1993) and Hoogervorst et al. (2005), TQM depends on the effective management of human resources. Considering the TQM model, Murphy and Cleveland (1991) state that the system that is used to appraise performance needs to be congruent with the culture and principles that guide the conduct of the organisation, unless congruence is retained, anything that is developed is liable to be rejected. Hence this chapter presents a literature review closely related to the project, the literature survey will be carried out in a topical format this is necessary to give an exhaustive background knowledge to the terms in the topic ; the first section will be on the definition and principles of human resource management, advantages of HRM in the global business world, the second section will consist of the definition and concept of total quality management, its origin and benefits to the industry, the third section will investigate the work done so far with respect to the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM and its importance, the fourth section will consist of the research background, proje ct justification and literature review summary. 2.1 Definition of Human Resources Management Presently in the dynamic competitive business environment, there has been reasonable doubt as to what the roles and functions of Human Resource Management (HRM) are in an organisation. According to Soderlund and Bredin (2005) previous research by American Business School Professors all identify HRM as an effective organisational tool, but due to the present volatile business environment there has been conflicts on the concept and role of HRM within an organisational structure. One of the main problems contributing to this is that there is no single unified concept of what is meant by HRM. There are a variety of definitions attributed in the literature as to what exactly HRM is. In addition to this philosophy, Brewster and Larsen (2000) stated that due to its diverse nature there is no generally accepted definition for HRM and what it entails. Less satisfactory definitions have been proposed by different authors Soderlund and Bredin (2005) classified HRM as a management philosophy tha t concentrates on people (employees) treatment, Dessler (2006) defined HRM as the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and of attending to their labour relations and health and safety, Marchington and Wilkinson (2002) defined HRM as the management of employment. These definitions are perhaps simplistic in nature and failed to highlight the true concept of HRM (Michael, 2006). Michael (2006) went further to define HRM as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets (humans/employees) the people working in the organisation who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives, Price (2007) also supports Michaels definition with his proposed philosophy of HRM, according to Price, HRM is a philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustained business success. In addition to his philosophy he stated that an organisation gains competitive advantage by using its people effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Prof P.S Nel et al (2001) in their book strongly supports Michaels definition of HRM with this quote HRM is the only resource in an organisation that reacts when acted upon i.e. with the exception of human resources all other resources of an organisation are static because other resources derive their dynamic character from human resources. Although there are diverse definitions to HRM, for the purpose of this research the definition proposed by Michael (2006) will be adopted considering the fact that it clearly states that HRM is aimed at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and developing key competencies. 2.1.1 Human resources management in practice Armstrong, (2000) highlighted that HR is of immense importance to modern day organisations, it provides an approach to inducing improved performance levels through the use of the humans (employees) by improving their levels of customers service, productivity, growth, profits and quality control. There are a number of activities, roles, processes covered by HRM, Lado and Wilson (1994) outlined the following to be the HR activities in contemporary organisations Planning. Recruitment and selection Training Performance management Benefits and rewards Compensation Career development Banhegyi et al., (2008) and Robbins and Coulter, (2002) also supports the HR activities stated above as the salient global HR activities in present day organisations. 2.2.1 Planning Planning in Human Resource has been a debated topic in different HRM contexts over the years (Wren, 1994). HR was initially a strategy used to determine the strength and weaknesses among employees and to develop the skills and competences they needed (Gallagher, 2000). With the era of individual career plans, organisations started recruiting individuals with certain desired skills and competences as a method of employing individuals who shared the same orientation or objectives with that of the organisation (Kuratko and Morris (2002), this means that HR planning is essentially a method of selecting employees that align with the succession plan of the organisation. This aspect of HR is still been exhaustively discussed by many researchers, Schuler (1986) proposed that HR planning is a complicated and complex issue of debate within the HR activities. Storey (1995) argues that HR planning today is a very important task of every contemporary organisations HR department. According to him, HR planning mainly involves the identification of skills and competence within the organisation, the filling of identified competence gaps, and the facilitation of movements of employees within the organisation. An essential part of the HR planning is the succession planning which aims to ensure the supply of individuals and filling of gaps on senior key positions when they become vacant and replenish competences to areas where they are most valued (Wolfe, 1996). 2.2.2 Recruitment and selection This is the process by which an organisation places the diverse talents at their disposal in different levels of the organisation. Analoui, (2007) defined the process as an ethical approach by an organisation to find and attract the most efficient individual with the desirable skills for an available position. According to Price (2007), the recruitment process is divided into three approaches: Suitability the most qualified applicant for the position, Malleability moulded within the cultural norms, and Flexibility the most reliable and versatile employee. These factors are quite complicating and can be easily mistaken during the process of hiring employees. Suitability is a critical aspect hence its mainly concerned with the process of hiring the most suitable applicant for the position. Pfeffer (1994) proposed that the ability by an organisation to select and retain talented employees is of great advantage in the global competitive market. It is obvious from the present global market that organisations who possesses the greatest talents prevail in the competitive market hence firms tend to employ renowned managers to lead the thriving future. 2.2.3 Training It is already a well-established fact from the above literature that employees skills and knowledge are of immense impact on an organisations level of quality in goods and services (Guzzo, R A. and Noonan, K A, 1994). Ostroff and Kozlowski, (1992) supported this idea by stressing that for organisations to overcome certain problems and to attain continuous improvement the employees have to be continuously trained individually or as a team, their research also suggested that training also serves as a socialisation tool for new employees to gain cultural knowledge about the organisation, learn about the necessary tasks and how to perform their responsibility; clarifying their roles and relate with others inside the organisation. Additionally, Hackman and Wageman (1995) identified training in their study as the second most commonly used HRM practice in implementing TQM. Rollag Cardon (2003) supported this philosophy in their research as they indicated that the process of socialisation within a firm enhance new employees to integrate speedily within the new organisation. Formal training is a wide-spread method for organisations to enhance the personnel performance level, as important roles are covered also by organisational socialization and multitasking (Chao, 1997 and May, 1997). Research by Bishop (2003) highlights training as a cost effective strategy especially when there is a shortage in talented or skilled labour, employees could be trained on the job (OJB) thereby saving cost in time and resources of finding a competent workers. 2.2.4 Performance Management The concept of performance management within an organisation is to determine how the employers can get the highest level of commitment from their employees (Dransfield, 2000). There are three steps of approaching the performance measurement within an organisation, the three steps are stated below: Objectives Appraisal Feedback (Dransfield, 2000) Dransfield (2000) described the first step (objectives) as goals that are quantifiable, easy to measure and simple to communicate throughout the organisation after which the performance appraisal takes place and subsequently feedback. Although quality gurus like Deming and Juran are of the opinion performance appraisals are deterrent to quality improvement, according to Deming (1986) there are many undermining factors of performance appraisal as stated below It nourishes short-term performance, annihilates long-term planning, builds fear, demolishes teamwork, and nourishes rivalry and politics. It leaves people bitter, crushed, bruised, battered, desolate, despondent, dejected, feeling inferior, some even depressed, unfit for work for weeks after a receipt of an unacceptable rating, unable to comprehend why they are inferior. Soltani (2003; 2006), also supports this idea he believes that performance appraisal disregards the existence of variability in the system, it holds workers responsible for errors that may be the result of faults within the system and it undermines teamwork However, other investigators conclude that performance appraisal is compatible with TQM if it is based on quality criteria (Blackburn and Rosen, 1993; Simmons et al., 1995; Wilkinson et al., 1994; Wood and Peccei, 1995). Shadur et al., (1994) in their research claim that some organisations still have some form of performance appraisal and there is evidence that this HRM practice is useful in implementing TQM. Other researchers affirm that although performance appraisal can be related to individual performance, it can be of more advantage to quality improvement if it should be focused on measuring organisational and group performance (Petrick and Furr, 1995; Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Simmons et al., 1995) 2.2.5 Benefits and rewards The major determinant of human behaviour is the consequences to their actions, if employees know there is a reward for their actions they tend to work towards earning that reward, most managers in contemporary organisations have adopted the benefits and reward system as an incentive besides the wages that would derive that extra commitment from their employees, according to Appleby and mavin (2000) attaining high levels of commitment from employees within an organisation is highly essential. Consequently employee considerable effort will manifest into an intended realisation and fulfilment of a specific desired outcome. Such manifestation enhances the explanation of the crucial aspect of organisational reward system and how it can be sustain and elicit the firm human capital investment Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno (1994). As defined by Manus and Graham (2003), total reward includes all types of rewards/benefits-indirect as well as direct, and intrinsic as well as extrinsic. Each aspect of reward, namely base pay, contingent pay, employee benefits and non-financial rewards, which include intrinsic rewards from the work itself, are linked together and treated as an integrated and coherent whole. The concept of total reward has emerged quite recently and is exerting considerable influence on reward management (Michael, 2006). An equally wide definition of total reward is offered by WorldatWork (2000) who state that total rewards are all of the employers available tools that may be used to attract, retain, motivate and satisfy employees. Thompson (2002) supports this idea with his definition of reward management, where he states that total reward typically encompass not only traditional, quantifiable elements like salary, variable pay and benefits, but also more intangible non-cash elements such as scope to achieve and exercise responsibility, career opportunities, learning and development, the intrinsic motivation provided by the work itself and the quality of working life provided by the organisation. 2.2.6 Compensation According to Patel Cardon (2010) compensation is an essential tool for modern-day organisations as it contributes to attract and retain high skilled employees with superior salaries, and it encourages a desired stakeholder behaviour regarding recognition and legitimacy. Minbaeva et al. (2003) inferred that compensation would enhance motivation among personnel too. Even though non-financial compensation can really work as a positive incentive for the workers, providing monetary benefits is necessary to increase the productivity of the employees on the individual or group level (Gomez-Meja, 1992). Balkin and Swift (2006) suggest a more flexible approach toward the payment issue. They proposed to relate it to the life stage of the organisation with a higher rate of non-monetary benefits during the first years of activity, and a re-equilibration whenever the company enters the mature stage. Non-monetary paybacks are represented by stock options, stocks or other form of equity sharing that enhance the participation and the motivation of employees, while spreading the risks over a larger number of people (Graham et al., 2002). The aforementioned ownership sharing represents also a long-term planning for compensation, as Graham et Al. (2002) stated, but also short-term rewards exist. These are represented by profit sharing policies aiming to encourage the employees toward group work, or to control the organisational outcomes (Heneman Tansky, 2002). 2.2.7 Career development (CD) Many practitioners and scholars within human resource development (HRD) field have claimed that the utmost crucial aspect of the practices is career development (McLagan, 1989; Weinberger, 1998; Swanson Holton, 2001). However, this area of studies has been given little attention (Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). With the intense competition in the 21 century, many organisations have realised that in order to remain competitive they have to improve their employees and enhance their career development as an holistic approach (Boudreaux, 2001); rather than individual career development (Swanson Holton, Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). Hence, many organisations are now taking proactive measures towards equipping their staffs (Leana, 2002) or create a climate that supports their staffs at all levels of the organisation to be more resultant and productive (Sullivan, 1999); which Boudreaux, (2001); Brown, (1997) referred to as shared responsibility. However, learning within an organisation is quite critical and expensive (McDonald et al., 2002). According to Power et al (2001) the most common learning methods within organisations are informal (i.e. on-the-job coaching, sessions, lesson learned, development assignment) and formal learning (i.e. as training/workshop and other forms of professional training conducted by professional bodies internally or externally (McDonald et al., 2002). 1.3.1 Reservations about HRM As many other departments within an organisation encounter, HRM has its own challenges, according to Michael (2006) the main reservation have been that HRM promises more than it can deliver and that its morality is suspect, Michael

Like Water For Chocolate Character Descriptions :: essays research papers fc

Tita - The protagonist of the novel, Tita is the youngest daughter of Mama Elena, prohibited by family tradition from marrying so that she will be free to take care of her mother later in life. The novel follows Tita's life from birth to death, focusing mostly on her tortured relationship with Pedro and her struggle and eventual triumph in pursuit of love and individuality. Mama Elena - The tyrannical, widowed matriarch of the De La Garza clan. Mama Elena is the prime source of Tita's suffering. Her fierce temperament inspires fear in all three of her daughters. She keeps Tita from her true love, Pedro, and it is later revealed that Mama Elena herself once suffered from a lost love, embittering her for the rest of her life. Pedro - Tita's true love, and the eventual father of Roberto and Esperanza. Denied marriage to Tita by Mama Elena, he agrees to marry Rosaura, breaking Tita's heart. Nevertheless, he asserts his continued love for Tita throughout the novel and pursues her secretly. Pedro dies after he and Tita are finally blissfully united while making love at the novel's end. Rosaura - The second daughter of Mama Elena, Rosaura marries Pedro, much to the despair of Tita. Rosaura leaves the ranch when Mama Elena sends her and Pedro to San Antonio to keep Pedro and Tita apart. Her first child, Roberto, dies as an infant; her second, Esperanza, prohibited like Tita from ever marrying, weds Alex after Rosaura dies. Gertrudis - The eldest daughter of Mama Elena. Gertrudis escapes the ranch after reacting mysteriouslly to one of Tita's recipes. She runs away with a rebel soldier, works in a brothel at the Mexico-Texas border, and eventually returns to the ranch as a general in the revolutionary army. It is eventually revealed that Gertrudis is the offspring of a hidden, extramarital affair between Mama Elena and her true love, a mulatto man. Dr. John Brown - An American doctor who cares for Tita when she experiences a breakdown, and the father of Alex. John eventually falls in love with Tita and helps rehabilitate her soul, revealing to her the nature of the fire that resides in each individual. Tita becomes engaged to him, but eventually denies him marriage to pursue Pedro. Nacha - The ranch cook, of unspecified indigenous background. Nacha is the prime caretaker for Tita throughout her childhood, and provides her with the love and support that Mama Elena fails to give. She is also the source for most of the recipes in the novel. Nacha dies on the day of Rosaura's wedding but returns throughout the narrative as a spiritual guide

The Influence of Stress on Dopamine Levels :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Influence of Stress on Dopamine Levels In the quest to survive, every living organism is equipped with the armor to withstand the impacts of stress. The African savanna leaves the zebra in an anxiety-ridden position of vulnerability to predators. Stress may can be as basic as the lack of food, habitat, or reproductive success. Humans are especially aware of the impacts of stress due to the nature of todayà ¢s contemporary lifestyle. Too many daily demands can give a person anything from insomnia to indigestion to depression. Every person is equipped to naturally deal with large amounts of stress, but when these amounts exceed what the body can handle, discomfort is considerable. Besides the qualitative approach to coping with stress, what bodily mechanisms are responsible for dealing with anxiety? The nervous system is almost solely credited with this task. The complex interaction system between billions of individual neurons facilitates large number of behaviors that result due to inputs originating inside and outside the organism. Spaces between neighboring neurons are called synapses, and one way in which they communicate is by sending chemical signals called neurotransmitters across the presynaptic membrane to the postsynaptic membrane. Years of nervous system research have determined that stress activates the neurotransmitter, dopamine. The functions of dopamine are numerous, but in general it inhibits transmission of nerve impulses. This transmitter is found throughout the body, though mainly housed in the brainà ¢s interior basil ganglia, in the frontal lobe of the information-processing center of the brain, or in the limbic system (1). Many chronic diseases result from the overproduction or underproduction of dopamine. The dopamineà ¢s inability to move into the frontal lobe of the brain results in the inability to control fine motor movement and is familiarly called Parkinson Disease(1) . If the flow of dopamine throughout the nervous system is not allowed to circulate as usual, then schizophrenia follows (1). Now that the extreme abnormalities of dopamine have been discussed, letà ¢s look at how dopamine affects the average person who is subjected to a stressful environment. One study maintains that the chewing behavior of mice is a response to stress, and therefore it serves as a coping device. The body responds to stress by the activation of the cerebral dopaminergic (DA) system. The study shows that when given the option of chewing, the activation of mouse DA system is drawn out (2) In other words, when allowed to chew, a mouseà ¢s body will have prolonged the presence of stress-managers; this coping mechanism reduces the impact of the stress.

Ideas of Charles Cooley

Charles Cooley was born on 17th August 1864 and died on 8th May1929. He was George Mead’s contemporary, and each greatly influenced the other’s thinking. Like Mead, Cooley believed that social interaction is the basis of the socialization process. Cooley saw the individual and society as parts of a whole, not as separate entities. In Cooley’s theory, each individual is linked to the social world mainly through the looking glass self. His own self-examination and observation of his children aided him in forming his concepts of the looking-glass self and primary groups.This essay focuses on the looking glass self theory of Charles Cooley and his other ideas. Sociologist Charles Cooley is best known for his concept of looking glass self, the theory that self-image is formed largely by the message we get from others, and an individual’s interpretation of those messages. Cooley argued that a person’s self grows out of a person’s transaction with o thers. One’s consciousness of him or herself is a reflection of the ideas about him or herself that he or she attributes to other minds; thus, there can be no isolated selves.In other words Cooley says that we see ourselves as we think others see us. For example, when learning table manners children develop a sense of what others find acceptable and as they a taught they become socialized. Through the looking glass, we learn that we are intelligent or dull, attractive or unattractive. Cooley argues that the judgments of some people in our lives are more important than judgments of others, for example a spouse’s compliment or low opinion may have a greater effect on someone’s self perception than the same comment made by some stranger.The lingering influence of significant of others helps explain how we can sometimes maintain a positive self image at times when many people look down on us, or negative self image when many people think well of us. The looking glas s self is a simple and domestic metaphor for the way society’s image for us becomes incorporated into our own self image. The looking-glass self begins at an early age and continues throughout a person’s entire life as one will never stop modifying their self unless all social interactions cease.We do not see ourselves us through the eyes of others quite as literally as we see ourselves in an actual mirror. Our notion of how others see us may not be quite accurate and we may also be evaluated differently by different people. What others think of you is no doubt very important in making your self-image and as a result, who you are and what you do. According to Cooley, we gain a definition of our self in three steps: firstly through the beliefs about how we appear to others, secondly through the beliefs about their judgments of how we appear to them and thirdly the response to the imagined judgment.Through the imagined judgment we develop pride, shame, improved self-este em, slightly damaged self-esteem, and other attributes of the self. Once Cooley had established his theory of the self, he then focused his analysis on the human groupings that he conceived to be primary and secondary in linking man with his society and in integrating individuals into the social fabric. Cooley defined primary groups as those small groups in which all the members have enduring, intimate face-to-face interaction and cooperation. Cooley coined the term primary for these groups because they include the family, our first social group, and social linkages.Close friends, children’s play groups, and perhaps some neighbors and some work groups also constitute primary groups. As Cooley explains, primary groups are important in forming the social nature and ideals of individuals. In primary groups, members value each other as individuals and achieve from personal fulfillment. They do things that will benefit the group, without expectation of payment or self-serving bene fit. Example, one member of a family might wash laundry or perform housework that benefits all members.On the other hand, secondary groups are larger groups in which all members do not interact directly and have relationships that are not permanent. Members do not share intimate bonds like those in primary groups. People do join these groups for benefits in some way. They may leave the group or join other groups when they feel like it is necessary. However, these groups may still have some shared norms and sense of group identity. Examples of secondary groups include office workers and students in an exercise class. These groups are also important to our views of ourselves, but less to the primary groups.The notions of the looking-glass self and the primary group are closely related in Cooley's views. The reactions to the thoughts of others is the mark of the mature human and according to Cooley can be developed and fostered only in the close and intimate interactions of the primary group. Hence, this group is the cell in which characteristically human growth takes place. In the primary group the immature and self-centered person is slowly attuned to the needs and desires of others and becomes fitted to the give-and-take of mature social life.The primary group fosters the ability to put oneself into the position of others, drawing the individual out of egotistic isolation by building into him that sensitivity to the clues of others without which social life would be impossible. The differences between primary and secondary groups are as follows, primary groups are smaller because it consists of few members and this helps develop its members personal relations among themselves while secondary groups are larger and due to its size the members do not have personal relations. Relation is natural in primary groups and formal in secondary groups.Also the position of members is determined by his work or function in secondary groups but in primary groups, the position of each person is determined on the basis of the family. Cooley’s sociology is holistic. He stressed about the systematic relationships between social processes in society. He argued that each aspect of society was dependent on others for its growth and survival. If we say that society is an organism, we mean that it is a complex form of processes each of which is living and growing by interaction with the others, the whole being so unified that what takes place in one part affects all the rest.In addition to these essential concerns, Cooley, like W. I Thomas & George H Mead made a crucial important contribution to sociological method. Independently of Max Weber but roughly the same time as he, they argued that the study of human actions must be concerned with the meanings human actors attach to the situation in which they find themselves hence the study must go beyond purely behavioral description. Cooley believed that the social sciences deprived themselves of their best m aterial by leaving out human motives for action.Cooley emphasized that the study of the human social world must be centered upon attempts to examine the subjective meanings human actors attribute to their actions, and that such meanings must be studied in part through ‘understanding' rather than through exclusive reliance on the reporting of behavior. Cooley's theories provided evidence in response to a threefold necessity that had developed within the society. The first of which was the necessity to create an understanding of ocietal phenomena that highlighted the subjective mental processes of individuals yet realized that these subjective processes were effects and causes of society's processes. The second necessity examined the development of a social dynamic conception that pictured states of chaos as natural occurrences which could provide opportunities for â€Å"adaptive innovation. † Finally, a need to demonstrate that people were capable of exerting some form o f â€Å"informed moral control† over current problems and future directions.In conclusion, Charles Cooley is known in sociology most commonly for his development for the looking glass self. Cooley was one of the first to define the exact importance that society plays in forming the individual. He was also renowned for discovering human groups within the society stating that there are primary and secondary groupings that link man to society each having different, however, similar functions. Moreover, he argued that society is like an organism in the sense that each aspect of society is dependent on the other in order to survive.Furthermore Cooley argued that the study of human actions must be concerned with the meanings humans attach to the activity. Finally, Cooley’s theories provided evidence in response to a threefold necessity that developed within the society – necessities to create an understanding of social phenomena, a necessity that examined a social dyn amic conception and a need to demonstrate that people were capable of exerting some form of informed moral control.Bibliography Coser L. A, Masters of Sociological Thought, 2nd Ed, Aarcourt Brace & Company, New York, 1977. Levine, D. N, Visions of the Sociological Tradition. The University of Chicago Press, 1995 Starks, R. Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. Stolley, K. S, The Basics of Sociology, Greenwood Press, Westport Connecticut, 2005