Comprehensive exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comprehensive exam - Essay Example The mission of the company is giving customers the best value for their money available anywhere as well as providing them with the necessary information for making informed buying decisions. The company goals for the next five years include: 1. Remaining profitable 2. Business growth and 3. Customer service The business not only considers its own goals but also values the goals of the various stakeholders like its employees, the community, lenders and ultimately its customers. Therefore, the company values positive relations with vendors, the community, employees, lenders, and even though the company has set customer goals, the company values additional goal of improving customer lives by offering them products or services they need. As a manager in the company, I would use leadership theories to develop inner leadership skills and learning basic knowledge through experience. The skills include self-assessment like looking at my personal leadership skills, internal motivators like t he thing that motivates to be a leader as well as the personal professional vision. Ultimately, leadership theories focus on whether a leader is real and honest and skills on self-knowledge, regulation and self-concept that focus on values and belief of an individual. Servant leadership asks an employee to do what the leader is willing to do by himself moreover servant leadership ensures a leader works with the employees by employing the skills of empathy, motivation of employees as well as active listening. As well, transformational leadership theories encourage employees, ensure that the employees do their best, and foster close relation with employees by using skills that ensure employees devote to their tasks combined with skills for encouraging employees. The essential group information for ensuring that the group succeeds includes background factors like personality, gender, age attitudes, values and fundamental interpersonal relations orientation. Small groups share three nee ds that help fulfill tasks and the needs include inclusion, which ensures that a group increases its productivity, accomplish goals and meet more customer needs. For the small group, information on control is useful since it would help deal with the need to lead and develop power over other people; as well affection enhances friendship and closeness between people. Information on age would be essential since communication patterns change with time from childhood through adolescence to adulthood and old age. Personality information of people within the group is helpful to a manager since it offers information on how people behave; therefore, in looking for a dynamic group I would have to figure out how to work with the various personalities of individuals within the group and watching how they perform. Moreover, information on attitudes of individuals within the group is crucial since it enables me act accordingly with each individual and help correct those attitudes that do not supp ort the business initiatives. As well, information on values of individuals within the group is essential to the success of the group in enhancing the company goals and attaining them. Moreover, in the group communication is key point since it affects the development of the group therefore information of the various forms of communication and their possible impacts on the development of the group is essential. Intentional communication is essential in communicating purpose to the group, persuading others, getting points across and

Theme Essay on Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets

Theme on Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets - Essay Example hich the readers experience how they lead the author to a dark destiny and they also just become able to peek in the narrator’s psyche that constantly pulls him towards the darkness. In one sense, the streets in the novel are the abstraction of the narrator’s dark path of life, as in the article â€Å"The Use of Sidewalks: Safety† Jacobs comments on how street can be the abstraction: â€Å"A city sidewalk by itself is nothing. It is an abstraction†¦.the same might be said off streets...† ( Jacobs 30). But the way how Jacobs deals with the idea of street is different from Piri’s approach to it in the sense that whereas Jacobs views ‘street’ from an optimistic and positive vantage point, the streets in Piri’s novel are the path of destructions. In the novel, Piri notes that â€Å"A twelve-year-old kid walking the streets at 3 a.m. was a nothing sight in Harlem† (6). For Piri, a â€Å"twelve-year-old† kid means th e kid’s lost track. In contrast, a kid on a city sidewalk –that is under proper safety measures- conveys a sort security release. Coming out of Jacobs’s concept of a street, Piri uses it as an abstraction of various culture related oppression, suppression, and discrimination of the early 20th century of American society. In this sense it can be said that if any of the views is taken apart from the other, the socio-cultural notion of a street will remain incomplete; both Jacobs’s and Piri’s views are complementary to each other. In the novel, Piri’s general tendency is to look into the society, first, to find out its anomalies and discrepancies, and then he moves on to reflect them in the portrayal of the city streets. But in an opposite manner, Jacobs, in the first place, focuses the city streets in order depicts the society. To a great extent, Jacobs approach is analogous to a white approach toward the black. It deliberately leaves a scope for an observer to overlook the societal variables that are primarily responsible for the city

Motivating Employees and Self-Managed Teams Essay

Motivating Employees and Self-Managed Teams - Essay Example As a state of mind, Bruce and Pepitone described this as the attitudes and perceptions of individuals manifesting in the willingness to contribute greater effort towards the achievement of organizational goals with the willingness conditioned by expectation of satisfying individual objectives (2). State of mind depends on various factors. Nickels and McHugh identified these factors as scientific management (260) in organizations, the Hawthorne effect with perceptions of organizational concern towards employees linked to positive outcomes (262), a work environment meeting an individual's hierarchy of needs (263), existence of positive incentives and challenges (269), and intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing job satisfaction (265). As a process, Bruce and Pepitone described motivation as the process of arousing, directing and maintaining attitudes, behavior and perceptions towards the attainment of organizational goals (2). Nickels and McHugh discussed motivation as the facilitation of the interaction between individual and organizational goals (273) in a manner that ensures the achievement of individual and organizational expectations (274) and perceived as fair (275). ... Motivating individual employees is important to the business environment because this creates a number of benefits. First benefit is job satisfaction (Nickels and McHugh 260), which refers to the positive emotional condition of employees that comes from their personal appraisal and/or organizational performance assessment of accomplished tasks. Job satisfaction means employees feeling better about the value of their work contribution to the organization, going beyond minimum expectations, and positive response to task completion. This is important in the contemporary business environment because of its link to customer service and satisfaction. Satisfied employees are likely to do better in their work. This spills over to their treatment of customers. Customers then receive better service and improved experience of the products and services of the firm (Nickels and McHugh 260). This could lead to repeat purchases and even loyalty. Second benefit is improved individual performance, which when combined translates into improved organizational performance (Bruce and Pepitone 38). This links employee performance and organizational performance. Employee performance refers to both work outcomes and task completion processes. Measurement of work outcomes could include task completion based on quotas or other standards applied by the organization. Efficiency in task completion by working with errors at a minimum level, targeting more than the minimum expectations, and better disposition towards work also reflect the performance of motivated employees. Improved individual performance is important to the contemporary business environment because

The New Jim Crow Essay Example for Free

The New Jim Crow Essay In the book â€Å"The New Jim Crow† author Michelle Alexander talks about numerous issues of racial inequality in our criminal justice system. Alexander’s book is something every person who even has an interest in the criminal justice field should read, as it really looks beyond the color of a person’s skin. Alexander points out the vast majority of the problems our criminal justice system faces in racial inequality and discrimination. These problems have really formed our country to what it is to this day. Most people feel that society as a whole is past discrimination and that it is no longer a problem anymore. In reality, it is still a major problem in many aspects of our criminal justice system as well as the everyday lives of Americans. In all honesty I was one of them, but â€Å"The New Jim Crow† really opened my eyes on the discrimination that occurs within minorities in the United States. Reflecting back on this issue I had realized that I have witnessed this first hand with one of my close friends who is an African American male. I will get into more detail about this later on in my paper, but for now I am going to address some of the issues of racial inequality in the criminal justice system that Alexander mentioned. First of all going back to the late 1800’s with slavery in the United States. This time period really set the tone for discrimination in the future of our country. At this point in time African American’s were much like Peasants back in pre-colonial times. This led to slaves literally walking off their plantations and causing chaos among plantation owners. This not only caused problems for plantation owners, but it also caused problems for the economy in the United States. After this was done black codes were created due to the African Americans unwillingness to work. Ultimately these codes were reversed due to several pieces of civil rights legislation that started the Reconstruction Era. During this era African Americans who were former slaves were allowed their first opportunity to learn how to read and write. Another form of racial inequality was during the Reconstruction Era. There were more laws set in place that were mainly enforced against African Americans. These laws were set in place to protect against things such as mischief and insulting gestures. This was possible in my opinion due to the federal government not aking an effort at the time to enforce civil rights legislation. Along with this death rates were extremely high due to private contractors did not care about the well being of the slaves. Like I said previously all these things set the tone for the future of our country. Looking forward to the 1950’s to the 1960’s crime rates were dramatically rising with many people believing that the Civil Rights Movement was the main cause of the raise in crime. Another reason that Alexander stated cause this boost in crime was the â€Å"baby boom† generation entering their early twenties. With the rise of the young men it created the rise in crime. With that being said many people felt that the Civil Rights Movement was the main cause of this sudden outbreak in crime. Another event that did not help the cause of African Americans in the 1960’s was the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. This led to an outrage in the African American Community in which it gave white Americans more reason’s to think that African Americans were harmful to society. One issue of racial inequality that Alexander mentioned was how the courts place higher standards on African Americans than they do on white Americans. Along with that Alexander Talked about how white Americans are still more likely to do drugs than African Americans are. Even in â€Å"ghetto† neighborhoods African Americans are less like to sell and use drugs than white Americans are. Along with that though, African Americans are sent to prison on drug charges at a rate of twenty to almost sixty times greater than a white. Alexander also talked about a survey in the 1980’s that found out that ninety percent of white believed that black and whit children should attend the same schools, and that seventy-one percent disagreed that whites have a right to keep blacks out of white neighborhoods. Also eighty percent of the people that took the survey said that they would support an African American candidate for president, and sixty-six percent said that they opposed laws prohibiting intermarriage. After reading this it really kind of troubled me because I feel that segregation was still a little bit of a problem in the early 1980’s. In my opinion the problem with surveys are that a lot of the time people do not tell the truth and I feel like that is the case in this survey. I feel that those numbers would probably be around the same if not a little better today than it was back then. One reason I feel this way is partially to how my grandparents act towards African Americans. My grandpa who was born in Eastern Tennessee has never really been a big supporter of African Americans due to how he was raised by his dad who was actually a preacher. Also I feel that the results that the survey got would depend on what kind of area the survey was taken in. In a town like the one that I grew up in I feel that the results would definitely be lower especially since it is not a very diverse town. Now back to the story where I had witnessed discrimination in the criminal justice system. When I was in high school me and some friends one of which was a African American male was driving home from the bowling alley at around Eleven ‘O Clock in the evening got pulled over on our way back to my house. When the officer came up to the car he asked me for my driver’s license like you would expect the officer to do. The officer caught my friends and I off guard when he asked my African American friend for his license, but not anyone else in the car. Until I read Alexander’s book I never really thought about the situation since I was so young, but now I understand the magnitude of it all and how ridiculous it is that something like that happened and me not even realize it. Also I have been pulled over seven times by the police and this incident is the only time an officer has asked to see any identification of any of the passengers that I had with me. The next thing that I will talk about is how racism in criminal justice grew out of earlier historical periods. Earlier I mention how in the 1800’s there was a Reconstruction Era. The first Reconstruction Era was brief According to Alexander it stretched from 1863to when the Northern states freed the slaves in 1877. With this reconstruction it gave African Americans their first opportunity to read and write, but it also forced the government to help support the African Americans by providing things like food, clothing, and fuel. This period also gave the African Americans their first opportunity to vote although they had to be protected by federal troops from organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. At the end of the first Reconstruction Era the Civil Rights Movement that is also known as the Second Reconstruction started. During the Civil Rights Movement African Americans played a bigger part in the United States government due to African Americans gaining political power as well as the growing population of the NAACP. With the rise of the NAACP the Ku Klux Klan also grew as a terrorists program killing many officers of the NAACP. Along with Dr. Martin Luther King Junior who had probably the biggest impact on the Civil Rights Movement, President Kennedy presented a strong civil rights bill to the United States Congress. Although he was not able to see this through due to his assassination, his successor President Johnson made sure that this bill went through. This gave most African Americans a chance to go to schools with white students as well as giving them a chance to drinking from water fountains that they were banned from drinking out of before this bill. Recently I watched an ESPN 30 for 30 film about the University of Mississippi otherwise known â€Å"Ole Miss†. A young African American, by the name of James Meredith, attending the university outraged the state of Mississippi. President Kennedy sent troops down to Oxford, Mississippi on the campus of Ole Miss to help protect Meredith and other students from being injured due to riots. Even with the troops, the riots were too much to handle which ultimately led to several students getting killed and many others injured. Before this film I had never heard of the tragedy that occurred within the university. Perhaps this twisted event was swept beneath the rug as if it never even occurred. Maybe it’s the fact that society is too embarrassed to own up to the sickening deeds done onto our own kind? Now how does our criminal justice system, which is based on equality for all develop such discriminatory practices? It is not necessarily the system as a whole, but the actions of so many individuals who believe that discrimination is perfectly acceptable. Some regions of our beautiful country continue to believe that live a discriminating lifestyle and pass these beliefs onto their children. Mississippi is a prime example of location still considered to be very discriminatory. The university itself proudly flies the rebel flag to the tune of â€Å"Dixie† unaware of the pain and suffering associated to both. What is a caste? A caste is a way of diving a society into classes based on race, wealth, religion, and social status. With the most common example of caste is race and wealth. With that be said though Whit Americans are not the only one’s who can discriminate. African Americans or really anyone can discriminate against anyone person, race or social status. The criminal justice system is a caste system, because those at the bottom of the system can commit the same crime as a wealthy citizen and have more of a punishment than someone who can afford better lawyers and are well known. Also the discrimination between whites and minorities is probably the main reason why the criminal justice system is a caste system. Alexander talks a lot about this in chapter three of â€Å"The New Jim Crow†. Alexander talked about how long it could take public defenders to get to a case due to the overload of cases that he or she would be assigned to. One example of this is the O. J. Simpson murder case. There was so much evidence and motive for O. J. to commit the crime yet he was still found not guilty of the murder. Does discrimination end when people are released from prison? Absolutely not! After being released from prison, convicts will face more discrimination than before they were ever charged with whatever crime they have committed. The people who are released from prison will always have to face the fact that they will have the label of being convicted felon for the rest of their lives. After being convicted they typically do not have the same job opportunities as someone that has never been convicted, as well as not ever being allowed to get food stamps of public housing if they needed it. Basically, convicted felons might as well have a stamp on their forehead saying, â€Å"I am a convicted felon†. In conclusion, I feel that Alexander raises many good points on discrimination and racial inequality. Anyone entering the criminal justice field really needs to read this book and reflect on what needs to change to make our system an equality based system like it is supposed to be. I know it has me thinking about what needs to be done. I feel that is the only way we can make our criminal justice system a well-rounded system.

Research on Best Buy Co. Essay -- Best Buy Business Management Electro

Research on Best Buy Co. The roots of Best Buy Co., Inc. can be traced back to St. Paul, Minnesota. This is where founder Richard Schulze opened the doors of his Sound of Music store in 1966. Understanding a demand for consumer audio components and systems in the St. Paul area, Schulze managed to provide a combination of great prices and excellent service, thus building a strong customer base, which quickly prompted an expansion into home appliances and video products. The eighties prompted change as well as the opening of Best Buy’s first superstore. During 1983, a new corporate name was approved and the Sound of Music Company became known as Best Buy Co., Inc. With mounting consumer support Best Buy continued its road to expansion by opening an additional five stores. In 1985, the newly named company was being publicly traded under the symbol BBY. The late eighties brought forth additional change for the continuously growing company. Best Buy adopted a new concept in retail merchandising with the opening of massive superstores. The new concept shifted the placing of all inventory on the sales floor and hiring a specialized staff of non-commissioned service representatives (FAQ). Such adaptations have fueled the company into progression and continued to promote the company’s corporate vision of â€Å"Making life fun and easy†(Fact Sheet). Philanthropy plays a huge part in the success of Best Buy Co., Inc. During 1994, The Best Buy Children's Foundation was founded (FAQ). The foundation offers support to communities by way of contributions to several organizations found nationwide. This support strengthens communities by integrating interactive technology into everyday experiences. All of the programs funded by the Best Buy Children’s Foundation are easily accessible to students. These programs also provide social services and disaster relief support in connection with non-profit organizations like the Red Cross and United Way. They also offer and support community volunteerism. Best Buy Children's Foundation also has a scholarship, which offers scholarships to students who have exceptional academic achievement and outstanding community service. Annually more than $2 million in scholarships are granted to over 1,300 students. The scholarships are evenly disbursed in each U.S. Congressional District and the Distr ict of Columbia. Three students who will be ... ...ips to residences and businesses. They are most widely recognized by their clip on ties-- truly carrying around the persona of a Geek. But don’t be fooled by appearances, their knowledge on computers is in no ways lacking in abundance. With the passion for the latest and greatest technological knowledge, and the charisma and devotion towards the youth, Best Buy is sure to continue on the high road to success. Best Buy will be changing and advancing to accommodate the ever-changing field of technology. They are truly a testament to upholding and exceeding their vision statement of â€Å"meeting the customer at the intersection of technology and life† (FAQ). Works Cited Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"Fact Sheet Fourth Quarter- Fiscal 2005 (ended Feb 6, 2005)† 6, 200 ) http://www.bbycommunications.com/newscenter/FY05_Fact_Sheet_Q4.pdf Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"FAQ† 6 www.bestbuy.com Star Telegram â€Å"BEST BUY GEEKS TO RUN AMOK† 4/28/05 www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/11511402.htm WCCO  © 2005 The Associated Press â€Å"Best Buy Expansion Plans Include China† 4/27/05 http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_117101956.html Yahoo Finance- â€Å"Quotes & Info- Best Buy Co Inc (BBY)† http://finance.yahoo.com/a/ct?s=BBY&annual

Ways to Generate Awareness Among the People

Oil Conservation Fortnight (OCF) – 4th  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 19th  January Petroleum or crude oil is a non renewable energy source that means it is present in the limited amount. If the use of oil will continue with the careless nature it is going to exhaust definitely at one day. Hence conservation of this valuable resource is the need of the hour. Therefore in order to generate awareness among the masses about the urgency of conserving petroleum products, the celebration of an Oil Conservation Week (OCW), with the participation of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and the entire oil industry under the guidance of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MPNG), began in January, 1991. Considering the overwhelming response and enthusiasm generated by OCW in the country, and to further increase the reach as well as the effectiveness of the oil conservation campaign, the duration of the program was increased to a fortnight from the year 1997 onwards. During this fortnight, the entire oil industry undertakes various kinds of activities to emphasize the need and importance of the conservation of petroleum products and environment protection. This is carried out through print and electronic media, training programs, kisan or farmer melas, technical meets and distribution of literature in national as well as vernacular languages all over the country. The activities are carried out by the State Level Coordinators (SLCs) of the oil industry in each State under the direction of the Regional Level Coordinators (RLCs). Awards are given to Large, Medium & Small industries, State & Regional Level Coordinators, State Transport Undertakings, Energy Auditors, Upstream & Refining oil. Companies for outstanding performance in oil conservation activities. The State/ National level Essay Competition Awards for students & teachers are also given. Oil & Gas Conservation: Oil and gas conservation means their better and more efficient use with regard to economic, social or environmental costs and benefits, resulting in attainment of higher energy use efficiencies, minimization of wasteful practices and wastage and protection of the environment. Petroleum is the primary energy source in India and a preferred swing fuel. Its consumption has been increasing at a very steep rate from 3. 5 MMT in 1950-51 to 84. 3 MMT in 1997-98 and reached 130 MMT in 2001-02 and 175 MMT in 2006-07. The current estimate of natural gas reserves is about 100 million metric tons in the world. At current usage levels, this supply will last an estimated 100 years. In India, the power and fertilizer sector are major users of natural gas. In India, production of Natural gas increased from 17998 Million Cubic Metres in 1990-91 to 32274 Million Cubic Metres in 2007-08. Accordingly Strategy of Promoting Oil Conservation: Government has initiated various steps to promote conservation of petroleum products in the transport, industrial, agricultural and domestic sectors. These include adoption of measures and practices which are conducive to increase fuel efficiency and training programme in the transport sector; modernization of boilers, furnaces and other oil operated equipments with efficient ones and promotion of fuel efficient practices and equipment in the industrial sector; standardization of fuel efficient irrigator pump-sets and rectification of existing pump-sets to make them more energy efficient in the agricultural sector and development as well as promotion of the use of fuel efficient equipment and appliances like kerosene and LPG stoves in the household sector. These activities are promoted and coordinated by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and Oil Marketing Companies under the guidance and supervision of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. The following specific activities are taken up from time to time. * Multi Media Mass Awareness Campaign Effective and result-oriented conservation methods adopted by the upstream undertakings in the oil sector like reduction of gas flaring by re-injection of gas to underground reservoir, installation of waste heat recovery systems, utilization of non-conventional energy sources and close monitoring of all conservation efforts by ONGC. * Energy audits, efficiency upgradation of equipment and appliances; substitution of diesel with Natural Gas, deployment of solar-powered illumination panel, battery operated vehicles, Bio-gas etc. * Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is used as a fuel in transport sector in many countries. Its advantage is being safe and clean burning fuel, besides being environment friendly fuel. * Blending ethanol (5%) / methanol (3%) with Petrol for using in vehicles without any modification of engine. All these steps are certainly playing a major role in conserving Oil and Gas resources which are available to us in a limited amount. Let us be a part of this national activity by using natural resources wisely! What Organization Can Do? Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX), Carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, Lead (Pb) etc. Lower emissions of CO2  which is a green house gas contributes to reduce the impact of global warming. Similarly, lower emission of particulate matter and other pollutant help to reduce their harmful impact on the environment. For generating awareness: * A School Children's Rally for awareness * Organizing Film Festival, Seminars, exhibitions emphasizing value of natural resources ; need for their conservation. Organizing State/ National level Essay, Painting, Speech Competition about oil conservation especially emphasizing that children could be a beacon of light to guide the elders in the family and society on how to conserve oil. * Introducing â€Å"Publicity Van† which will go all over the city spreading the message of â€Å"oil conservation. † * Organizing â€Å"Street playsâ₠¬ - with the objective to project the routine oil conservation messages in a different way. * Use of Solar Street lights. * In the rural sector, use of gobar gas plants, would be excellent fuel conservation technique. This awareness campaign should not end at the end of the fortnight, but should continue in the hearts of all of us. What we Can Do in our day today life for Oil Conservation * While cooking use wide bottom vessels with covers. * Allow food articles taken out of the refrigerators to attain room temperature before cooking them. * Soak cereals and dals for sometime before cooking them to reduce the cooking time as well as the fuel consumption. * Use just sufficient water for cooking. * Pressure cookers used with separators lead to substantial fuel saving. * Try to eat together to avoid repeated warming of food. This not only saves fuel but also preserves the nutritional value of food. * Light the flame only after all preparations have been made and the vessel is ready to be put on the stove. * Use hot water from solar water heaters for cooking if the facility is available. * Try to use a solar cookers, solar lanterns. * The first rule of fuel conservation would be to travel judiciously and curtail wasteful driving. * Wherever possible/ available and convenient, use public transport instead of using personal transport. * Matching the size of the vehicle to your need would also go a long way in conserving fuel. For instance if you have the option of a personal car and a scooter, then use the scooter when only two persons have to travel, and the car if more persons have to travel or heavy luggage needs to be transported. * Emphasis should be given on reducing the use of petroleum products in our day to day life and act accordingly. This can be achieved by adopting car-pooling like practices. Car pooling will not only conserve fuel but will also improve social relations with your colleagues. * Use of solar lanterns in rural areas instead of kerosene based lamps. As far as possible, avoid idling the vehicle between red and green signal, be it a car, scooter or any other mechanized transport. * Try to buy fuel efficient vehicles. * There is no substitute for timely attention, servicing and tuning of the vehicle in fuel conservation and emission control. This should include checking of injectors and spark plugs, correct tire pressure, re-greasing, topping up or renewal of lubricants for engine a nd gear boxes. * Correct driving habits are important for fuel conservation. Try to avoid sudden Speeding, braking ; stopping, clutch riding, idling, over- speeding, and over-loading. All these small deeds will lead to fuel conservation and pollution control, which is our moral duty as citizens of India. It is the time we inculcate these measures to become a part of our daily routines. Only by practicing and preaching these conservation tips we can think of future progress. Given the difficult times ahead, it becomes our responsibility to spread this awareness, particularly amongst the youth who will be citizens of tomorrow. Good habits taught early will salvage the oil shortage to a great extent. This awareness campaign should not end at the end of the fortnight, but should continue in the hearts of all of us.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 18

There were two hundred blocks between the Richards' mansion and downtown New York City. Just under ten miles. But moving like a vampire isn't like running in a normal sense, especially as I had just drained one of the Richards' goats. If I was a blur to the world, so was the world to me. My head was down as I spent my entire focus on avoiding the obstacles right before me and trying to exhaust myself. Down from the rocky cliffs and heights of Fort Tryon with its cool trees, and through the valley that separated it from the rest of the city. Back into civilization, the unpaved dirt roads that smelled of dust and plants, particularly the tobacco I recognized from my native Virginia. After enduring a week of waiting and watching and trying to outthink my brother, I just wanted it to all be over. And now it wasn't. Damon couldn't kill Winfield until the cash was available, and who knew how long that was going to be. In the meantime I had to stay with Bridget, keep tabs on the Sutherlands, pretend to be happily married, and continue to try and figure out Damon's endgame. I was caught in a web of guilt; every move of mine stuck another limb deeper. I just wanted to break free. I wish I could live in solitude. If I had to live out eternity as a vampire, at the very least I could leave no evidence of it. No deaths, no injury, no hurt, no evidence of my unnatural existence at all. I was running from myself, my new self, and could never escape, just as I ran from Damon, my shadow in this endless afterlife. The scent of nature soon gave way to the reek of sewage and rot that clung to even rich neighborhoods. In the alleyways behind the giant houses, servants dumped slop out into back streets and milk carts left fresh dairy products on back steps. All they would notice was a strange rush of wind, a vacuum that had been created in my passing, a momentary darkening against a brick wall like a cloud had passed over the sun. In the Garment District my nose was assailed by the harsh tang of chemicals and the singeing of fibers as young women cut, sewed, and dyed cloth in the factories that were beginning to replace the farms in New York City. Leaning against the fire escape with their sleeves pushed up, small clusters of these young women smoked cigarettes on their precious breaks. As I tore by one girl, cutting it very close, my tail wind snuffed out her match. I looked back to see her staring, confused, at the feather of smoke. Soon I was overcome by the smell of human flesh and waste. Of horse manure and flickering gas lamps. Of industry, print and ink and black smog, of the river, briny fish, and finally a fresh breeze. These were the only details of the city I took in, all sounds and sights muted to a roaring black and white. Expensive perfume and flowers. Butchered meat and smoky bacon. Lemon and ginger†¦ I stopped suddenly, in the middle of Washington Square. That was Katherine's perfume. A hand clasped my shoulder, and I spun around expectantly. But instead of seeing the dark curls of the woman who had made me, I found myself face-to-face with Damon, who stood there, one eyebrow raised in condescending amusement. My face fell and I slumped, exhaustion and despair overtaking me. I didn't even bother shaking off his hand. Where was I going to go, really? My brother had followed me all the way up the East Coast. So long as I refused to drink human blood, he would always be stronger, faster than I was. I was only delaying the inevitable by trying to escape whatever he had planned next. â€Å"It's our wedding night, brother. Where are you off to?† Damon's voice was sharp. Exhausted from my marathon of pain and escape, I just stood there. â€Å"I was going to come back.† Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"I'll get us a cab,† he said, snapping his fingers. One came over immediately. â€Å"Seventy-third and Fifth,† he ordered, through the trap door. â€Å"We're going to the Sutherlands'?† I asked, confused. â€Å"Not the Richards'?† â€Å"We're going home,† Damon corrected. â€Å"And yes, the reception's over. You ran out at the very end.† â€Å"What did you tell Bridget?† I couldn't help asking. While I didn't love her, I felt bad about abandoning her at her own wedding. In some ways, it was the worst thing that I could do to a girl like her. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Don't worry. They don't even realize you've gone missing.† â€Å"So you haven't killed them yet?† â€Å"Whoever said I was going to kill them?† he asked innocently. â€Å"Do you think I'm some kind of monster?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Well, I am what you made me,† Damon said with a tip of his hat. â€Å"You're not making this any easier,† I muttered. â€Å"You must have me mistaken for someone who cares about making your life easier,† Damon said, suddenly cold, his eyes flashing. â€Å"You know, you've taken a lot of effort to make sure you stay in my life,† I pointed out. â€Å"Are you sure it's just to make me miserable?† He stared at me. â€Å"What are you getting at?† â€Å"I think you need me, Damon,† I growled. â€Å"I think that under your anger, you're scared and horrified of what you've become. I am the last link to your human self, the only person who knows who you are. And I'm the only person for the rest of eternity who will.† Damon narrowed his eyes at me. â€Å"Brother, you don't know anything about me,† he hissed. He threw the door of the cab open and swung himself up and out. A soft thunk indicated he had landed on the roof. I stuck my head out the window and looked up. I watched with horror as Damon picked up the driver and ripped his neck open, sucking only a mouthful or two before throwing him off the cab and on to the street. â€Å"Damon! Stop!† I yelled, but it was too late. I tried to dive out the door, to go after the injured man, but Damon threw an arm out and pushed me back into the carriage as he sped around a corner. Perched on top of the cab, mouth covered in blood, Damon whipped the horse into a frothing frenzy. And so we two brothers hurled northward, one driving and one being driven, like Satan compelling the damned.

The Transition from Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management

The Transition from Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management Introduction Organisations are shifting towards the strategic management of their human resources to keep pace with the highly dynamic business environment. The traditional human resource management practices, including personnel management, are ineffective in the face of current speed, magnitude of change, and frequency that the organisational and business environment poses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Transition from Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, organisations are finding it critical to provide renewed attention towards the building, as well as strengthening of partnerships by designing strategic human resource coordination (Chiavenato, 2001, p. 17). A lot of emphasis is being placed on the maximisation of human capital in the wake of the current changes where the human resource practitioners are involving themselves more in strategic plan ning. The focus of HR practitioners is on improving the business and the development of their professional competencies. Armstrong (2000, p. 11) points out that HRM has overly been a simplistic practice, having gaps between reality and rhetoric and containing many contradictions. The presence of these shortcomings has influenced organisations to seek for a transition from the traditional HRM practice to the strategic HRM. The HRM practice is in transition as it also seeks to increase its effectiveness. As Lengnick-Hall et al. (2009, p. 64) note, strategic HRM has mainly been conceptual in its focus since the 1980s. The 1990s saw an increase in theoretical advances, including the introduction of resource-based view as the concept continued to receive more recognition and research. Other important accomplishments were also made in terms of the empirical research conducted during the period. This chronology of events and studies shows how the strategic HRM concept has grown over time t o replace the traditional HRM practice. Presently, broader HR perspectives have been established to help in determining the influence of the concept of strategic HRM on organisational performance. As organisations insist on pursuing their strategic human resource management transformation, they train their aspirations on some major values that they hope to attain incrementally. These include formulating a business strategy as the main source of attaining competitive advantage, as well as formulating a management culture to embrace the belief. It seeks to enhance operational excellence that focuses on client service for both the managers and individual employees and to deliver the resultant services at a lower cost. Additionally, strategic HRM targets to create managers with a full understanding of the human capital and the business implications of the business problems. This makes it easy for the access and modification of the HR system with the purpose of solving the problems arisi ng.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This research seeks to analyse and offer comprehensive details concerning organisations and their addition of incremental values owing to their transition to strategic human resource management. In helping to achieve this objective, the research mainly bases its analysis on secondary sources of information, including text books, journals, and other relevant authored materials on the topic. In particular, the research will expound on several organisational examples that have transformed their HRM practises from personnel management to strategic human resource management. These examples include Sears, Lucent, Quantum, and Herman Miller. Critical Analysis Addition of HR’s Incremental Value to an Organisation’s Performance In the majority of firms, the wish to achieve sustainable competitive advantage is barricaded by a spects such as the economies of scale, access to capital, patent protection, and regulated competition (Hoffman, 2000, p. 1). However, an ensuing economic paradigm has provided an avenue for competitive advantage, challenging the conventional wisdom on strategy, HR’s relationship concerning firm performance, and the role of the organisation’s HR. New trends on the global front, including globalisation, are piling many pressures and demands on firms to continuously innovate, adapt to their environment, and enhance their speed and efficiency to cope with the challenging situation. Firms, in retrospect, face the rising need to give more attention to strategic intellectual capital and increase their intellectual capital (Choy, 2007, p. 1). Sears Transformation to Strategic HRM Sears’ objective in adapting strategic HRM was to make its employees feel comfortable while working outside an environment that lacked the usual command and control (Murphy Zandvakili, 2000, p. 93). The firm wanted its workforce to get accustomed to innovation and risk taking. Sears’ reasons for transforming included both external and internal business forces interplay, including competitors, customers, finance, culture, and employees. Sears transformation in achieving strategic HRM has introduced a more elaborate balanced scorecard that clearly defines and empirically verifies the existing relationships (Neenan, 2008, p. 48). The important relationships highlighted include sales associate behaviours, financial performance, and customer satisfaction. In other words, all managers who do not necessarily fall under HR need to be provided with a clearly articulated investment plan in human capital. This helps in influencing their buy-in on the broader HR role (Neenan, 2008, p. 48).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Transition from Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company changed its reward approach, adopting intrinsic rewards as a means of motivating their workers more and dropping the extrinsic reward system. As Armstrong and Murlis (2004, p. 42) point out, the intrinsic reward approach is strategic, business-aligned, performance-driven, integrative, distinctive, and flexible. There is a need for reward management to be bound with the business strategy owing to the critical aspect of reward management to the management of human resources. The traditional payment system that the firm used on its employees involved goal sharing, where the employees’ incentive pay was pegged on customers’ satisfaction. Sears’ reward management scheme was also affected by the company’s communication efficiency with its employees. Communication was a major issue, given that Sears is a well established corporation that runs several branches countrywide and employs thousands of workers. The retailer experien ced high turnover rates, thus calling for a more continual reorientation of the new employees that were hired (Salisbury, 2008, para 1). Sears’ transformation has seen it mandate a multi-perspective system of appraisal for all its managers. The firm has established some of its critical strategic imperatives to include the transformation of the retailer into a suitable place to work in, a place favourable for shopping, as well as a place that is suitable for investing in (Thomas, 2012, p. 99). Sears’ strategic HRM emphasizes on the achievement of behaviour consistencies to match with leadership competencies that sustain its 3C’s to achieve these objectives. In setting performance objectives, individual employees are challenged to improve their â€Å"line of sight† pitting the individual employee or team behaviour, on the one hand, and the firm-level outcomes, on the other hand (Oliver, 2003, p. 18). Additionally, the performance objectives are prearranged like a treadmill, such that an employee who fails to improve finds himself or herself moving backwards. Sales associates in the firm receive direct customer feedback to get a glimpse of the actual feeling from their own customers. The company has developed a strong commitment to compete with its industry rivals purely on customer service to ensure that it emerges as the best employer choice for its employees. The Sales Associates set up the quality of performance that drives the general customer service in the company (Business Wire, 2006, para 6).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another critical value addition has been experienced in the area of employee development. The company has established its own university, Sears University, which serves more than 20,000 managers every year. The institution also stresses on the employment of intact teams purposely to support knowledge sharing even after completing the program (Collins Rainwater, 2005, p. 16). This program has been a great success for the company mainly due to the strong support that the senior management team has been offering towards funding the initiative. Lucent’s Case of Strategic HRM Customer service The transformation towards achieving strategic HRM at Lucent has seen the company refocus attention towards improving customer service. The new HR structure of the firm has emphasized on client services on up to three levels. The levels include senior leaders, supervisors/coaches, and employees/retirees. The HR Business Partner plays the critical linchpin role that creates value at Lucent. T he arrangement is done strategically in a way that gives the senior business leaders an opportunity to work together with the HR leaders. The Business Partners are measured against client satisfaction objectives that strictly focus on the end results (PR Newswire, 2001, para 1). The delivery channels play a critical role in sustaining this, where the senior executives enjoy the exclusive rights during the declaration of the annual ultimate goals and objectives. Like in the case of Sears, Lucent has also developed a strong commitment, especially within the senior management at the firm, to develop HR initiatives that constantly seek to develop solutions for the clients (Namuduri, 2006, p. 3). Through the adoption of this strategy, managers at the firm attend all staff meetings, including those that do not necessarily discuss HR issues. This is done to enable the HR representatives to understand the business clearly. A team of up to 58 professionals drawn from the HR function, also re ferred to as the HR Accelerators, specifically work towards eliminating HR policies and practices that add no value for the firm and its shareholders. A competency model was established within the firm’s framework in its plans to support Business Partner role in HR development. Lucent developed the competencies using both external benchmarking sources and internal reviews, which emphasise on areas that seek solutions for a particular question (Quandt, 2007, para 4). The firm seeks to determine the exact knowledge, commitments, and skills required to help the Business Partners in their quest to serve the expectations of their customers fully. The main areas singled out included understanding the firm’s business, the business of its clients, and the HR business. The customer focus, personal impact, and management in a competitive and changing environment were also established as critical areas. By defining, acquiring, and leveraging resources, Lucent managed to implement HR solutions to offer solutions to the problems and challenges that the firm faced. Strong pay-performance relationship The strategic HRM at Lucent seeks to develop a strong relationship between pay and performance. This strategy targets to add value through rallying people within the organisation as the source of the company’s competitive advantage. Lucent has constantly focused on using stock options as a means of aligning its employees’ interests with the organisational objective of increasing the market value. The firm offered 100 options for each of its employees as â€Å"founders grants†. This was at the time when it went public (Walker, 2006, p. 18). Quantum Employee development Quantum’s strategic HRM seeks to hire its employees based on the fundamental characteristics of the organisation that support and sustain organisational success. The firm relies heavily on operations and product development through teamwork. Applicants seeking for employme nt in the firm but unable to work in teams are never selected. The main idea of the firm is the fact that working in teams or groups helps in supporting knowledge exchange between individuals. This, in turn, enhances the overall organisational quality level and performance (Manufacturing Close-Up, 2013, para 2). Quantum’s strategy on HRM further extends to the selection of employees, where behaviour and competency are very critical. Emphasis on these two critical aspects is based on the premise that the firm increases its chances of producing if workers with the right behaviour and competency are acquired. The general principle held by the management is the fact that applicants who manage to survive the selection process of the company are in a better position to start at â€Å"merge speed† (Business Wire, 2002, para 3). Performance management Quantum has established a significant performance management system whose main objective is to integrate adequate competency mo dels through the HR system of the organisation. The firm, as part of its performance management, has formulated up to nine critical Value Behaviours that the management places a lot of emphasis on. However, a multi-step process that involves individuals’ multiple rankings is required because of its overreliance on team-based work formations. Ranking is done by other members of the team (Business Wire, 2002, para 4). The team leader and the business unit manager also provide their ratings of the group and its individuals to help come up with effective team compositions and general performance management. Herman Miller, Inc. Competitive advantage Strategic HRM at Herman Miller has been designed in a way that helps the firm to achieve competitive advantage in the industry. Although strategic HR is a relatively new phenomenon, Herman Miller has pursued it for a significant period. The firm practice servant based leadership and employee advocacy as ways of influencing the overall competitive advantage (Walker, Bovet Joseph, 2000, p. 1). Employee participation is emphasised in the company and it is considered as both an obligation and an opportunity. Employees are trained extensively to equip them with ideas and knowledge on how to create value in the firm (Firooz, 2012, p. 675). To enable this to happen, the firm contemplates integrating the use of a Balanced Scorecard approach to act as Learning Maps. The Scanlon plans and Employee Stock Option Plans, abbreviated as ESOP, have continuously been applied in the firm to enhance involvement during business literacy training. In addition to these frameworks, Herman Miller has adopted the Economic Value Added framework (EVA) to heighten business literacy training even further. The company has introduced a formal course that lasts for two hours for all its employees. This offers an avenue through which concepts are passed on to the workers. In addition to the already existing courses, plans are also underway to i ntroduce EVA301 whose main objective is to offer more advanced training. A series of courses referred to as â€Å"train the trainer† are currently pursued at Herman Miller to empower team leaders. Their subsequent empowerment helps them and others in the organisation to offer teachings to the rest of the employees (Walker, Bovet Joseph, 2000, p. 5). The Transition from Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management Personnel management mainly focuses on operations, including recruitment, selection, as well as administrative functions. As opposed to strategic human resource managers, personnel managers are functional specialists who have little status or power (Bloisi, 2007, p. 12). Personnel managers mainly play the role of linking the employee and employer to articulate both their needs. Personnel management has been prominent in the past, with organisations practicing it to seek the achievement of their end objectives. The organisational changes and transforma tion towards strategic HRM have been instigated by changing power balance, as well as the changing management concerns within the workplace (Redman Wilkinson, 2006, p. 4). Trade union membership has been declining in the recent years, while concerns by the management have focused more on efficiency and productivity. Organisations are also increasingly facing pressure to change and are in the process seeking ways of adjusting to the global competition through downsizing their workforce, de-layering, and decentralisation (Redman Wilkinson, 2006, p. 4). These changes have transformed firms into being more flexible, adopting continuous change programmes, and becoming flexible. This is the essence of strategic HRM, where focus is on performance management, process re-engineering, learning organisation, and culture change (Redman Wilkinson, 2006, p. 7). As Armstrong (2006, p. 19) notes, strategic HRM mainly emphasises on organisations attaining integration and strategic fit with their business strategy. Strategic HRM mainly focuses on organisational culture and commitment achievement because of the new changes in the business environment. It places more emphasis on line managers and their role as HR policy implementers (Armstrong, 2006, p. 19). The holistic strategic HRM approach mainly deals with the organisation and its interests, as well as taking into consideration how important the individual employee interests are. The HR professionals seek to become business partners and not administrators in the firm. Their focus is to treat the employees as critical assets of the firm, but not as cost overheads (Armstrong 2006, p. 21). Although strategic HRM can seek to initiate new business policies and practices, the implementation role is left to the line managers (Armstrong, 2006, p. 97). The organisation does not only stop at providing HR policies because strategic HRM is focused on improved organisational performance. Instead, the implementation process takes the c entral role. Strategic HRM targets to achieve up to six critical objectives for the organisation, which include conceptualising interests, establishing the mission and vision statements, and determining structural, as well as functional roles. Additionally, it seeks to determine the managerial operatives and define the job descriptions, prepare the HR policy documents while placing emphasis on performance management, and managing the organisational culture. Human Resource Management The shift towards strategic HRM practice of the traditional personnel management has gone through the human resource management stage. Human resource management focuses more on the management and its needs in regard to the provision, as well as use of the human resources. HRM promotes the undertaking of activities that deal with the human resources with other management members. It does not promote working between the management and the employees directly. Its main emphasis is on planning, monitoring and controlling, but not mediating (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2004, p. 23). The main HRM role involves aligning structures and the human resources to achieve the organisation’s business structure and the planned scope. The concern is on the human aspect comprising the organisational structure. However, HRM differs from the strategic management of the human resources in the sense that the latter bases on the general organisational strategy. It also focuses on the strategies of the organisational units in existence. The operational management, therefore, develops the strategic plans aimed for the staff. HRM is mainly characterised by favouring liberal principles and goals. It does not only refer to a typical worker who goes to his or her place of work and waits for payment at the end of it all. Instead, the worker matters a lot in the survival of the organisation and gets the treatment of a management subject. The constant change, increase of competitiveness, rapid science and tec hnology development, and the associated difficulties require that the management of an organisation should search constantly for solutions that are good and adequate. It is conclusive to point out that it is decisive to treat and manage human resources within the organisation. It gives importance to HRM, while seriously challenging those in charge. The Strategic HRM Approach Unlike personnel management practice, strategic HRM emphasises on the need for human resource planning. It involves determining the actual size of staff member that can help the organisation to meet its future needs and achieve a workforce whose composition has the necessary skills (McKenna Beech, 2002, p. 117). Firms are targeting to achieve efficiency in their performance, while ensuring that the employees in the firm associate themselves fully with the organisation in their quest to maintain the right size of workforce. Strategic HR planning seeks to acquire, utilise, improve, and retain the organisationâ₠¬â„¢s human resources (Mullins, 2005, p. 797). Organisations are realising the importance of including HR planning as an integral component of the broader corporate planning. In this new framework, information plays an important role of determining the range of the plan, target dates, forecasting period, and the needed skills and occupations (Mullins, 2005, p. 797). The organisation needs to carry out an analysis of the existing resources, undertake an estimation of the probable resources according to the target dates agreed, and factor in the current staff development, losses, and the external forces like labour availability and legislative change (Mullins, 2005, p. 799). Forecasting of staff requirements is a critical aspect of strategic HRM. It helps in ensuring that the organisation attains its corporate objectives as per the scheduled dates. The management, nevertheless, must take several measures to offer the appropriate staffing resources required. Overly, changes in the popu lation trends have to be taken into account to include some considerations like the ageing of the workforce, the number of young people being absorbed directly from school, competition levels from other organisations, advancement in automation and information technology, and employment legislation (Mullins, 2005, p. 799). Employee selection Strategic HRM has seen the emergence of new techniques in employee selection. These techniques emphasise on efficiency and quality performance. The Credit Suisse process is among the new employee selection techniques that firms adopting strategic HRM practice employ. As Marchington and Wilkinston (2005, p. 176) mention, strategic selection methods currently used by organisations include references, application forms, assessment centres, graphology, and work sampling. These techniques are all applied together because no single technique offers the perfect decisions that can address the issue of certainty (Marchington Wilkinston, 2005, p. 176). Th e transition of personnel management, therefore, has seen a multiple number of methods being preferred by managers. In this new practice, employers may confirm with the references after, or before the interviews. The references are maintained as critical aspects of recruitment that inform the decision to employ a particular individual. The CIPD (2004, p. 2) indicates a collection of other selection techniques employed by organisations that have adopted strategic HRM, including the use of questionnaires and numeracy and literacy tests. A combination of all these techniques during the selection process enhances the overall quality of employees selected because each of the methods has limitations. A more complimentary technique is used as an alternative to achieve a perfect judgement, the probable fit with the organisation’s culture (Jackson et al., 2008, p. 552). Interviews The strategic HRM shift has seen a majority of organisations adopt the use of interviews as the most comm on technique in the recruitment process (Bloisi, 2007, p. 147). According to Bloisi, up to 68% of organisations consider the use of interviews, particularly the more structured interview types. These interviews are used as a determinant of the selected teams. Other organisations prefer the use of structured, panel interviewing (CIPD, 2005, p. 1). Additionally, behavioural questioning within the structured interviews is also used as a technique for determining the right employees. Organisations are emphasising on acquiring individuals who are better placed in terms of their behaviours to serve it towards the achievement of the objectives. Organisations must ensure that they acquire the right employees because strategic HRM entails attaining efficiency and objectives within the stipulated time. Although individual skills are crucial in determining the selection decisions, employees must also be competent enough to fit into the organisation’s culture (Armstrong, 2006, p. 404). C onclusion The organisational transition from personnel management practice to strategic human resource management has been taking place since the 1980s. The business environment has been changing over the years, with the emergence of trends such as globalisation influencing the need for organisations to speed up their transition to strategic human resource management. Various challenges within the contemporary business environment make it inadequate for personnel management to achieve its intended goals and objectives effectively. The external changes within the business environment comprise of increased competition, the need to satisfy customers’ needs accurately, advanced technology and techniques, and the intricate nature of the global economy. Organisations will be unable to create the needed competitive edge over their rivals, unless they shift to strategic human resource management. Sears’ performance management target has seen it mandate a multi-perspective appr aisal for its managers, where greater emphasis is placed on consistency of behaviours to match with its leadership competencies. The firm intends to train its managers to be actual leaders in its quest to make it a compelling place for customers to do their shopping and one where workers will get the attraction to work in. Lucent’s strategic human resource management has seen Lucent focus on strong pay-performance relationship where it has increased stock options usage. From this strategy, the firm has succeeded in aligning the interests of its employees with the corporate goal of doubling the market value and overall performance. Further strategic management programs at Lucent have seen it increase service quality in every level of its operation. The new HR structure of the firm has helped in providing and sustaining a model that emphasises services at three main levels, including individual employees, senior leaders, and supervisors. Herman Miller, Inc., on its part, has st rategically focused on pushing for a buy-in from the line managers to enhance people-based competitive strategy. The employees participate in the decision making process in the firm to facilitate ‘ownership’. The idea of the firm is to make employees more valuable by allowing them to fully participate in the crucial management role in decision-making. The transition from personnel management to strategic human resource management has seen firms focus a lot of their attention on the selection procedures that they employ. The most important objective that the management seeks to attain is the creation of a workforce that fits perfectly within the cultural base of the organisation. The contemporary organisations are spending much of their resources in training workers to increase their ability to compete with others. Employees who have their skills improved regularly increase the possibility of the organisation attaining its objective. Strategic management of the human res ource has seen firms focus more attention on the selection of their employees, with more techniques being employed to ascertain the behaviour of the prospective employees. Individual behaviour is crucial even as organisations seek to achieve a cultural fit into the complex business environment. List of References Armstrong, M Murlis, H 2004, Reward management: a handbook of remuneration strategy and practice, Kogan Page, London Armstrong, M 2000, Performance management: Key strategies and practical guidelines, 2nd edition, Kogan Page Ltd, London Armstrong, M 2006, A handbook of human resource management practice, 10th edition, Kogan Page Limited, London. Bloisi, W 2007, An introduction to human resource management, McGraw-Hill Education, Maidenhead Business Wire, 2002, Dan DiLeo joins Quantum Photonics Strategic Advisory Board, http://wires.vlex.com/vid/dan-dileo-quantum-photonics-strategic-54486061 Business Wire, 2006, Premier Mounts named as a top supplier for sears holdings corp oration: company recognizes top suppliers as Partners in Progress, businesswire.com/news/home/20060731005548/en/Premier-Mounts-Named-Top-Supplier-Sears-Holdings Chiavenato, I 2000, ‘Advances and challenges in human resource management in the new millenium’, Public Personnel Management, vol. 30 no. 1, pp. 17-27 Choy, WKW 2007, ‘Globalisation and workforce diversity: HRM implications for multinational corporations in Singapore’, Singapore Management Review, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 1-19. CIPD 2004, Recruitment, retention and turnover: A survey of the UK and Ireland, CIPD, London. CIPD 2005, Recruitment, retention and turnover: A survey of the UK and Ireland, CIPD, London. Collins, D, Rainwater, K 2005, ‘Managing change at Sears: a sideways look at a tale of corporate transformation’, Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 16-30. Firooz, A, 2012, Investigate and explain the relationship between human resource competency dimen sions with organizational performance, Life Science Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 673-678 Hoffman, NP 2000, ‘An examination of the sustainable competitive advantage† concept: past, present, and future’, Academy of Marketing Science Review, vol. 2000, no. 4, http://thoughtleaderpedia.com/Marketing-Library/Sustainable%20Competitive%20Advantage/SustainableCompetitveAdvantage_hoffman04-2000.pdf Jackson, SE, Schuler, RS Werner, S 2008, Managing human resources, 10th edition, Thomson South-Western, New York, NY Lengnick-Hall, ML, Lengnick, CA, Andrade, LS, Drake B 2009, ‘Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the ï ¬ eld’, Human Resource Management Review, vol. 19, pp. 64–85 Manufacturing Close-Up, 2013, Quantum Communications adds Kevin Sunday to firm, highbeam.com/doc/1P2-35064821.html Marchington, M Wilkinson, A 2005, Human resource management at work: people management and development, 3rd edition, CIPD, London. McKenna, EF, Be ech, N 2002, Human resource management: a concise analysis, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Harlow, Essex, England Mullins, LJ 2005, Management and organisational behaviour, 7th edition, Prentice Hall, Harlow, Essex, England Murphy, TE Zandvakili, S 2000, ‘Data- and metrics-driven approach to human resource practices: Using customers, employees, and financial metrics’, Human Resource Management, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 93-105. Namuduri, SK 2006, Analysis of resource-sharing decisions in dyadic collaborative knowledge creation: A game-theoretic approach, Georgia State University, http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/managerialsci_diss/9 Neenan, RM 2008, ‘Whos keeping score?’, Quality Progress, vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 48-52. Oliver, M 2003, Engagement wins employees over, Haymarket Business Publications Ltd, New York, NY PR Newswire, 2001, Lucent Technologies announces new strategic alliance agreements aimed at enhancing product development and speeding deployment, prnewswire .com/news-releases/lucent-technologies-announces-new-strategic-alliance-agreements-aimed-at-enhancing-product-development-and-speeding-deployment-74632482.html Quandt, SR 2007, Effective improvisational leadership during CEO succession, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL Redman, T Wilkinson, A 2006, Contemporary human resource management: text and cases, 2nd edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Essex, England. Salisbury, D, 2008, The future of retirement plans, The Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/ad/article/employeebenefits-future Thomas, W. 2012, ‘Operations research vis-a-vis management at Arthur D. Little and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1950s’, Business History Review, vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 99-122. Torrington, D, Hall, L Taylor, S 2004, Human resource management 6th ed. FT. Prentice Hall, Essex, England Walker, B, Bovet, D Joseph, M 2000, ‘Unlocking the supply chain to build competitive advantage’, International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1-8. Walker, S 2006, ‘Delivering market-leading support at lucent’, Knowledge Management Review, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 18-23.

Observations of an Apple Essay Essays

Observations of an Apple Essay Essays Observations of an Apple Essay Essay Observations of an Apple Essay Essay The assignment was to detect a fruit or veggie for at least an hr. I thought it was brainsick and pointless but non so pathetic that I would non make it and gain a bad class. Before I started. I read Samuel Scudder’s essay â€Å"Learning to See† where he talks about holding to make a similar type of assignment but with a fish. He finally became engrossed in the fish and so I became determined that I was traveling to seek to happen all I perchance could about my apple in the hr that I had. With this in head. I chose an apple from my bowl of fruit and prepared for what I thought would be a boring 60 proceedingss. I grabbed some paper and a pen. turned on some music. and began the observation procedure. I started merely by composing everything I could see on the exterior of the apple. The tegument of the apple had many different sunglassess of ruddy every bit good as a xanthous spot on one side. It was covered in dark ruddy chevrons that looked like speedy pigment shots from a bantam paintbrush. Small white and xanthous points gave it the visual aspect of a dotted egg. I so noticed the apple’s form every bit good as the balls. dents. and abrasions on its tegument. It was somewhat cold to the touch. every bit good as smooth and dry. I was tempted to travel in front and cut the apple unfastened but I wanted to do certain I had written down all the little inside informations that would usually travel wholly unnoticed. After I was certain I had noted every bit much as I could about the exterior. I sliced the apple in half horizontally to detect the interior. When it is cut horizontally. the small cavity where the seeds are kept is in the form of a star and feels like thin composition board. There were five seeds. all dark brown and shaped like a raindrop. The flesh was softer on its ain without the protection of the tegument and about mushy. When I looked even closer. it seemed that the flesh of the apple was made up of bantam crystals that glistened in the visible radiation because of the juice and its pick colouring. The interior was even colder since it was wet. The sweet odor of the apple grew stronger and I eventually gave in and took a bite. I wrote about the crunchiness. how sharp it was. how my dentitions left their feeling in the apple. how the tegument ripped when it was bitten. and how juicy it was. I decided to look into the clip at that point and was highly surprised that I had merely 15 proceedingss left to complete up my notes. So I decided to acquire a little more originative with what I did to the apple. I began dissecting pieces of it. cutting small musca volitanss in half. happening the venas and what seemed to be roots of the apple. I even noticed how it stained the paper towel it sat on when I cut it. Soon I realized I had merely a few proceedingss left and so to complete it all off. I decided to see what would go on when the apple. or what was left of it. would make when thrown hard against the paving. I rapidly ran outside and excitedly hurled the apple at the land. I was pleased to watch it interrupt apart and spill all over the pavement and even into the snow. I walked back inside and was surprised at how aroused and enthusiastic I had become by traveling through this kind of experiment. I did non anticipate that kind of reaction to come from me particularly when my first ideas had been that I would stop up detesting this assignment and giving up on it. I neer would hold believed person if they had told me that I would one twenty-four hours pass an hr detecting an apple. and in the terminal. happen that I had really enjoyed it.

The Factorial (!) in Mathematics and Statistics

The Factorial (!) in Mathematics and Statistics In mathematics, symbols that have certain meanings in the English language can mean very specialized and different things. For example, consider the following expression: 3! No, we did not use the exclamation point to show that we’re excited about three, and we shouldn’t read the last sentence with emphasis. In mathematics, the expression 3! is read as three factorial and is really a shorthand way to denote the multiplication of several consecutive whole numbers. Since there are many places throughout mathematics and statistics where we need to multiply numbers together, the factorial is quite useful. Some of the main places where it shows up are combinatorics and probability calculus. Definition The definition of the factorial is that for any positive whole number n, the factorial: n! n x (n -1) x (n - 2) x . . . x 2 x 1 Examples for Small Values First we will look at a few examples of the factorial with small values of n: 1! 12! 2 x 1 23! 3 x 2 x 1 64! 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 245! 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 1206! 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 7207! 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 50408! 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 403209! 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 36288010! 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 3628800 As we can see the factorial gets very large very quickly. Something that may seem small, such as 20! actually has 19 digits. Factorials are easy to compute, but they can be somewhat tedious to calculate. Fortunately, many calculators have a factorial key (look for the ! symbol). This function of the calculator will automate the multiplications. A Special Case One other value of the factorial  and one for which the standard definition above does not hold is that of zero factorial. If we follow the formula, then we would not arrive at any value for 0!. There are no positive whole numbers less than 0. For several reasons, it is appropriate to define 0! 1. The factorial for this value shows up particularly in the formulas for combinations and permutations. More Advanced Calculations When dealing with calculations, it is important to think before we press the factorial key on our calculator. To calculate an expression such as 100!/98! there are a couple of different ways of going about this. One way is to use a calculator to find both 100! and 98!, then divide one by the other. Although this is a direct way to calculate, it has some difficulties associated with it. Some calculators cannot handle expressions as large as 100! 9.33262154 x 10157. (The expression 10157 is a scientific notation that means that we multiply by 1 followed by 157 zeros.) Not only is this number massive, but it is also only an estimate to the real value of 100! Another way to simplify an expression with factorials like the one seen here does not require a calculator at all. The way to approach this problem is to recognize that we can rewrite 100! not as 100 x 99 x 98 x 97 x . . . x 2 x 1, but instead as 100 x 99 x 98! The expression 100!/98! now becomes (100 x 99 x 98!)/98! 100 x 99 9900.

Corporate Responsibility and Governance Assignment - 1

Corporate Responsibility and Governance - Assignment Example There are multiple constituents included within stakeholder theory, apart from staying inclined towards just shareholders. Multiple stakeholders existing within business environment are employees, government, suppliers, customers, financial institutions, shareholders, competitors, trade unions, public interest groups, legal institutions, etc (La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, Shleifer and Vishny, 2000). Corporate governance structure of Nestle indicates giving equal importance to all stakeholders. The board of directors are responsible for handling all stakeholders and undertaking combined business strategy. Compensation principles of Nestle Group are taken into consideration by board of directors. Total compensation of executives and board members are thoroughly reviewed by shareholders. Stakeholder theory clearly demonstrates that all stakeholders would be given equal importance for obtaining stabilized firm position. Nestle has its business operations spread across the globe. The compan y handles its extended business base by giving importance to all stakeholders. Board Members are responsible for compensation plans but it is also thoroughly reviewed by other team members. Long term business purpose of the firm is retained by considering team interests and then implementing them into realistic plans. Good governance codes can be stated as a set of rules followed by top management in order to accomplish corporate objectives. These codes comprise of best mechanism which are related to other stakeholders as well as board of directors. Effective governance principles are established through governance codes. Governance codes do not possess any such legal binding but are necessary to influence board of directors so that they are able to control behaviour of top management. An appropriate regulatory framework is maintained by Nestle so as to guide overall operations of board of directors. These codes for

European Parliament Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Parliament Elections - Essay Example BULGARIA Parliamentary elections of 2007 resulted in the victory for a new center-right party: Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) under Boyko Borisov. Georgi Parvanov has been the president of the country since 2002. The center-right GERB opposition party won 26.2% of the vote and five seats in the 2009 election. They beat the ruling Socialists (18.9%/4 seats). CZECH REPUBLIC The two round parliamentary elections which were conducted in 2006 was shaded off by a dishonor, resulting in reformation of government in 2007. Mirek Topolanek who leads the Civic democrats formed a new center-right government in January 2007. This government consisted of Topolanek's Civic Union, the Greens, and the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party. Jan Fisher has been the prime minister since 8 May 2009. FRANCE Legislative elections for the national assembly took place in June 2007 in France. President Nickolas Sarkozy's UMP won the elections. Sarkozy was elected as the president in 2007. This was only because of the center-right voters. They elected Francois Fillon of the UMP as their prime minister. In the 2009 elections, Sarkozy's UMP received 28%. French MEP Joseph Daul who is theEPP-ED group chairman stated his party had won because it had verbalized "about Europe" andwas away from any controversies. ITALY Italy's President Giorgio Napolitan, who is a former leader of the Italian Communist Party, was elected in April 2006. But in the 2008 elections Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party won the elections. Berlusconi constituted a center-right cabinet of ministers which included his People of Freedom coalition and the Northern League. Berlusconi's 'Party of Liberty' (PdL) secured 39%, of the votes against 27.5% which its main rival, the centre-left PD secured. IRELAND Ireland's elections to the lower house of parliament were conducted in May 2007. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and his Fioanna Fail Party were victorious. Fianna Fail continued as the largest party but its coalition partners -the Progressive Democrats- were not as victorious. Mary McAleese has been the president of Ireland since 1997. LATVIA The Center-right party won the June 2004 elections in Latvia. The majority coalition consisted of People's Party and other center-right parties. The party led by Aigars Kalvitis became a minority coalition with the departure of one party. In 2007, Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis the head of the center-right Latvian Way party formed a center-right coalition government. LITHUANIA The center-left government was replaced by the center-right in the elections conducted in October 2008. The center-right party is headed by prime minister and leader of the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats Party Andrius Kubilius. Dalia Grybauskaite is Lithuania's first female president who was elected in May 2009. POLAND Lech Kaczynki was the elected president in October 2005 elections. But in the Snap elections on October 21 2007 resulted in the victory of the center-right opposition party which is led by Donald Tusk. Tusk became Poland's prime minister in November 2007 and led a coalition government of his civic platform party and the Polish People's Party. SPAIN Prime Minister Zapatero's Socialists won the Parliamentary elections which

Bullying in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bullying in Schools - Essay Example In general bullying can be defined as powerful child or group attacking those who are less powerful intentionally to cause harm. Bullying can therefore take three forms: physical which generally involve beating, punching kicking, pushing, taking personal belongings etc.; verbal which involve taunting, teasing, nicknaming, making threats; and psychological such as spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, or intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (Ericson, 2001). Bullying in schools has become such a serious issue that most of the schools are taking steps to prevent it through anti-bullying policies. If we take a look at the statistics it is estimated that 30 percent of American children are regularly involved in bullying, either as bullies, victims, or both (NRCSS, 2001). Besides, researchers have also pointed out that about 15 percent of students are "severely traumatized or distressed" by one or the other bullying incidence, and about eight percent of the students report being victimized at school at least once a week (Hoover and Oliver, 1996; Skiba and Fontanini, 2000). It is a proven fact that bullying is one of the most serious anti-social activities that can harm individuals and groups. ... On the other hand, children who bully are more likely to become violent and aggressive adults (Banks, 2000). It is important to note that even those students who are not directly involved in bullying are affected. Children and teens who often witness bullying at school suffer from insecurity feeling and have a less secure learning environment. They fear that they may become the target of bullying some day. If we take into account the statistics of the real impact of bullying in schools, researchers found that 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by a bully (Fried and Fried, 1996). Roughly about 20 percent of students are afraid of bullying during much of the school day (Garrity, et al., 1997). Weinhold and Weinhold (1998) estimated that 10 percent of students who drop out of school are because of repeated bullying. Besides, 60 percent of students according to Banks (2000) characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by the time they reach the age 24. Hence, these statistics point out that there is an urgent need to bring in policies in the schools to control bullying. Strategies to combat bullying Several researchers have said that the most effective means of addressing bullying is through comprehensive, school-wide programs involving students, parents, teachers and counselors (Atlas and Pepler, 1998). It is also important to have special programs designed to reduce the bullying activities in schools. For instance, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, developed, refined, and systematically evaluated in Bergen, Norway, in the mid-1980s, is one of the best-known initiatives designed to reduce

Education Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Education 1 - Assignment Example The majorities of the schools have deserted conventional means of exchange of ideas and made to order techniques that are based on knowledge and technology. Nearly every one of the schools has made use of network based exchange of ideas systems. In these circumstances, the schools make use of computers and sets of connections to be in touch with families. The schools also use constituency web sites to be linked with families and other citizens (Kowalski, 2010). In addition, the schools have employed electronic newsletters to help improve communication with other people in the society. Like other schools, my school uses different types of technologies to communicate with families. First, the school uses district web sites to communicate with families (Kowalski, 2010). The district administrators have developed a wide range of web sites that schools and families can use to interact. The schools post information on the websites and then the families access the information. The websites have been created well to let families and society members browse the sites. In addition, the sites make available areas where the families can mail their commentary. With the exception of using websites, the school makes use of electronic newsletters to make a statement with them. The school managers and administrators send electronic messages to parents. The school makes cards which are forwarded to parents. The techniques mentioned have been successful as indicated by good association between the school and parents. The school has been capable to work mutually with the parents to make better learners’ performance and the general presentation of the education (Kowalski, 2010). Computer technology associations are significant to schools and regions as they assist in making accurate announcement to parents and the society. Schools require directing the produce, media outlets and electronic messages so as to advertisement positive relationships. Technology association procedur e assists schools in the progress of their technology associations and improves their association with people and parents. Majority of the schools have not adopted good technology associations and this has interfered with communication with parents and society. Schools can make use of different methods to better their media associations and the school system (Kowalski, 2010). The specialized discipline of planned public associations offers a lot of remuneration to organizations. It assists them avoid and alleviate crises. Additionally, it also permits them to recognize and direct issues that may get in the way with their goals. It also allows them in structuring and maintaining quality associations with planned societies. 3. School administrators ought to encourage exposed announcement so as to be capable of developing constructive relations and improving partnerships. Most of the education centers are not capable to uphold open exchange of ideas, and this affects media relationship deficiently. The administrators of these schools should hold up free communication so as to develop high-quality relationship with press journalists (Kowalski, 2010). The managers and administrators of the schools should support empowerment. They must approve the press personnel and extra people involved. Through motivating the press, human resources and other community members assist in easing the association betwe

Improving Communication - The China Context Essay

Improving Communication - The China Context - Essay Example As the report declares in today’s fast paced environment and the age of electronic communication, messages sent, take on a whole new meaning by the time they reach the recipient. This gets aggravated even further when messages are relayed between differing cultures and social settings. Globalization after all, has had a profound impact on the business world of the 21st century. It is no longer possible for countries to conduct their businesses in isolation. This paper stresses that a global code of general ethics and basic business communication is increasingly being accepted by all countries, regardless of the diversity of their cultures. In this way, the principles of democracy in business have become applicable to all countries from the West to the East of the world. Communication theories like the conduit metaphor and the narrative paradigm, provide a useful insight into what goes on in an ineffective communication and how one can make it more transparent. The theory assumes that successful communication has occurred when the receiver objectively interprets the sender’s intention and meaning behind the information sent. This implies that information that is put into the right words will be easily communicable. Any extraneous information that follows the correct message can thus be eliminated as unwanted â€Å"noise†. The idea of objective interpretation does not hold ground. Discussed below are some situations that thw art the idea of objective interpretation.

Education Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Education 1 - Assignment Example The majorities of the schools have deserted conventional means of exchange of ideas and made to order techniques that are based on knowledge and technology. Nearly every one of the schools has made use of network based exchange of ideas systems. In these circumstances, the schools make use of computers and sets of connections to be in touch with families. The schools also use constituency web sites to be linked with families and other citizens (Kowalski, 2010). In addition, the schools have employed electronic newsletters to help improve communication with other people in the society. Like other schools, my school uses different types of technologies to communicate with families. First, the school uses district web sites to communicate with families (Kowalski, 2010). The district administrators have developed a wide range of web sites that schools and families can use to interact. The schools post information on the websites and then the families access the information. The websites have been created well to let families and society members browse the sites. In addition, the sites make available areas where the families can mail their commentary. With the exception of using websites, the school makes use of electronic newsletters to make a statement with them. The school managers and administrators send electronic messages to parents. The school makes cards which are forwarded to parents. The techniques mentioned have been successful as indicated by good association between the school and parents. The school has been capable to work mutually with the parents to make better learners’ performance and the general presentation of the education (Kowalski, 2010). Computer technology associations are significant to schools and regions as they assist in making accurate announcement to parents and the society. Schools require directing the produce, media outlets and electronic messages so as to advertisement positive relationships. Technology association procedur e assists schools in the progress of their technology associations and improves their association with people and parents. Majority of the schools have not adopted good technology associations and this has interfered with communication with parents and society. Schools can make use of different methods to better their media associations and the school system (Kowalski, 2010). The specialized discipline of planned public associations offers a lot of remuneration to organizations. It assists them avoid and alleviate crises. Additionally, it also permits them to recognize and direct issues that may get in the way with their goals. It also allows them in structuring and maintaining quality associations with planned societies. 3. School administrators ought to encourage exposed announcement so as to be capable of developing constructive relations and improving partnerships. Most of the education centers are not capable to uphold open exchange of ideas, and this affects media relationship deficiently. The administrators of these schools should hold up free communication so as to develop high-quality relationship with press journalists (Kowalski, 2010). The managers and administrators of the schools should support empowerment. They must approve the press personnel and extra people involved. Through motivating the press, human resources and other community members assist in easing the association betwe

The Soul and its Importance to Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Soul and its Importance to Theology - Essay Example We nourish our bodies' thorough proper diet and our minds through education and learning, but how do we nourish our souls As a society, we have been desensitized to the virtue of a human beings' soul. This is evident in the wide use of the term "soul-mate" and the over use of the word in the songs we hear on the radio. Most of us, rarely describe how we behave or the manner in which we live our lives, as nourishing our souls. Most of us, cannot even give a definition or description of a soul if asked. Throughout history, the definition, composition and purpose of the human soul have been heavily debated and are often referred to as the Mind/Body argument. In some theologies, it is believed that if the soul only exists in the mind and if the soul does in fact, exist in the mind then it too dies when the brain ceases to function at death. In other theologies, the soul is described as an immaterial part of our physical beings and is without physical bounds. It does not die when our physical bodies die, but transcends from our bodies at death. The objections raised in this theory point to the fact that if the soul is immaterial, that is to say that it is not composed of matter, how then, is it said to exist In his The Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas Aquinas attempted to answer this objection and other questions raised regarding the existence of the human soul. In part one of The Summa Theologica the section titled "The Treatise of Man" the objection to the composition of a soul is argued that "nothing gives what it is not; for instance what is not hot does not give heat" (Aquinas section 75 article 1 The Summa Theologica). This goes to say that if the soul is the force that moves the body, and then the soul is the body. Aquinas countered the objection to say that the soul is not the body, but an act of the body. Aquinas goes on to state that the body and soul work in conjunction to create one entity. The body, working through the material by way of its' physical senses, converts the material to the immaterial. For instance, by sight a human being attains knowledge through reading. Through hearing, a human being attains knowledge by listening. By reading words on paper and listening to words through conversation and lecture the mind converts the material to the immaterial. This cognitive soul is dependant upon sensory experiences in order to form mental images or what is referred to in ancient texts as phantasms. Therefore, Aquinas argued, the body and soul are one. This theology by Aquinas raised the next objection: If the body and soul is indeed one unit, what happens to the soul when the body dies It is often noted that Saint Thomas Aquinas found the basis for his theology through the study of Aristotle's philosophies. The division from Aristotelian for Aquinas' occurs when the Saint answers the questions as to what becomes of the soul when the physical human body no longer exists. Aquinas theorized that the soul and the body are separated at death. The continued survival of the immaterial soul after the death of the material body is based on God's will. Steeped in his belief that the body and soul exist as one unit, Aquinas states ""...it is better for the soul to be united to the body than not to be united to it, since it is