Philosophy Of Nursing Essay

Abstract A nursing philosophy explains what nursing is and why nurses practice the way that they do. A philosophy of nursing is usually created by an individual nurses for use in their daily practice. Nurses use their personal philosophy to explain what he or she believes nursing is, the role of nursing in the healthcare field and how the nurse interacts with the patient (McEwen & Wills, 2014). A Nurses philosophy of nursing can guide him or her in practice each day. Before one can explore their own personal nursing philosophy they must understand how nursing theories and philosophies directly affect each. The philosophy of nursing has been defined as the study of problems that are ultimate, abstract and general (McEwen & Wills, 2014). These problems are concerned with the nature of existence, knowledge, morality, reason and human purpose. Philosophy tries to discover knowledge and truth and attempts to content to identify what is valuable and important  ( McEwen & Wills, 2014, p. 25). Philosophy’s most basic level, theory, has been described as a systematic explanation of an event in which constructs and concepts are identified and relationships are proposed and predictions made ( McEwen & Wills, 2014, p. 25). With that being said it is easy to see how a nurses’ philosophy can determine what type of model or theory he or she uses to guide the care he or she provides. Just as nursing theory can help to develop a nurses personal philosophy, it is as important to acknowledge that nursing theories and philosophies both provide a way for a nurse to approach daily practice and individual patients. Personal Philosophy My personal philosophy of nursing is not based on a single theory but is a melting pot of many theories that has evovoled as my care has evolved over the years. My individual philosophy of nursing has resulted from being the product of an underserved community and seeing first hand how a healthcare provider’s individual bias can have a negative effect on patients outcome. Nursing is considered the art of caring and is translated into existence by doing what is right, what is good and ultimately in the best of the patient. I believe that nursing care should be transcultural as well as culturally caring. Just as Florence Nightingale investigated what could be done to address the connection between poverty, sickness and early death during the Crimean war, I believe nursing today should focus on the identification of poverty and discrimination as important contextual factors for an understanding of social vulnerability to disease . I believe that cultural competency should be the driving force behind care and that nursing must seek to address health disparities and risk reductions in doing so. As  nurses as we tend to focus on patient education, interventions, treatments and diagnoses but forget about the human rights aspect and dignity of those who may be social outcasts or of inferior status. It is my philosophy that in order to provide culturally competent care to the underserved and disenfranchised one has to have an understanding of there own value system and biases. The health promotion model of Nola Pender is deep rooted in my philosophy because I believe as her health promotion model states, humans have the potential to change and engage in new behaviors willingly to achieve self-selected goals or outcomes. I believe that we all go through various stages when seeking to make health related changes and it is that intervention  which is preformed at the right stage that will have the maximum impact in ensuring that the behavioral change will become a lasting one. This weeks readings have influenced my view points by helping me to explore the various nursing theories and providing a framework for which to base my own personal nursing philosophy on. The readings have also help me to realize that I had already established my own personal philosophy based on my own personal values and professional growth as well as patient encounters, interactions and knowledge but had not thought of it in abrader sense. Philosophical foundations Leininger’s cultural care theory of diversity and universality is based on a belief that people from different cultures can inform and are capable of guiding professionals so that they may receive the kind of care they desire or need from others. A major concept of this theory is cultural competent nursing care uses culturally-based care and health knowledge that is sensitive, creative and meaningful, in a ways to meet the general and needs of the individual or group. An example of this is when my Hispanic patient  asked me about the use of herbal supplements to address their medical illnesses. In an effort to provide care that is culturally competent I take the time to research the herb which the patient wishes to use to see if it will have a negative interaction on the prescribed treatment and if not, not only will I allow the patient to use them, but I encourage it’s use as well, while reinforcing to the patient the importance of continuing to use what I have prescribed also. Another example of culturally competent care use in my practice is with flu vaccines, I have found in my practice that a lot of african americans decline the flu vaccine for fear of post  vaccine illness. I respect the patients right to autonomy, but also educate them on the risk and benefits of the vaccine with hopes that at a subsequent visit they might change their mind. Philosophy and Knowledge Development Knowledge development is derived from philosophy and I implement this in practice by providing culturally competent care based on Leininger’s cultural care theory of diversity and universality. Leinger’s theory states that people from different cultures can inform and are capable of guiding professionals so that they may receive the kind of care they desire or need(Tomey & Alligood, 2006). This is why I actively involve the patient in his or her care. Positivism and Post-positivism Positivism supports mechanistic, and reductionist principles, where the complex is best understood in terms of basic components (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Post-positivism accepts the subject nature of inquiry while still supporting rigor and objective study through quantitative research method and is concerned with explanation and prediction of complex phenomenon, and recognized contextual variables (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Positivism is concerned with the positive application of knowledge to assist in human progress. In Nursing Positivism can be used to guide care. Conclusion This paper has given me the opportunity to recognize that I have always had a philosophy of nursing. Through self exploration this paper has given me an opportunity to put into words how highly I regard care being provided in a culturally competent manor, because it is by way of cultural competency that we can reach our truly most vulnerable population. References Flaskerud, J. (2007). Cultural competence: What effect on Reducing health disparities? Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28(4), 431-434. Maze, C.M. (2005). Registered nurses personal rights vs. professional responsibilities in caring for members of underserved and disenfranchised populations. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14(5),546-554. McEwen, M & Willis, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health. Tomey, A.M. & Alligood, M.R. (2006). Nursing theorists and their work(6th edition). Philadelphia, PA: Mosby.

Current Health Care Issues

Current Health Care Issues HCS/545 Camille Fuller University of Phoenix The health care industry exist to provide preventative measures, diagnose health conditions, repair, and provide services to improve the quality of life. The cost of health care continues to rise each year. Health care fraud is a factor that continues to plague the health care industry. The affect health care fraud has on hospitals, is the increasing cost of medical services. The following research will examine and evaluate how organizational structure and governance, culture and the lack of focus on social responsibility affects on health care fraud. The following research will also include recommendations for prevention of health care fraud, recommendations for change of structure, governance, and culture. The following research will include prevention measure for future situations involving health care fraud. Health care fraud is a preventable situation in hospitals across the nation. Hospitals spend thousands of dollars on quality assurance and patient safety and still health care fraud continues to occur. Individuals across the nation make a living through health care fraud. Honest, hard working citizens of this country are financing health care fraud recipients, not by choice. Insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid are being schemed by fraudulent businesses. Channel 11 news in Colorado a scheme called, â€Å"Medical Provider Identity Theft† has been uncovered. Perpetrators stol the identity of a physician in Pueblo, Colorado. The perpetrators set up an office in Denver, Colorado called, â€Å"A Plus Billing. † The office and address was used to receive mail and phone calls. The physician’s name and medical identification number was used to bill Medicare for test and procedures that were not preformed. This type of scheme is running rampant across the United States. Dr. Cabiling did not know that his identity had been stolen until he received a phone call from Medicare. Medicare asked Dr. Cabiling if he practiced in Denver and Dr. Cabiling said, â€Å"No. † Medicare then notified Dr. Cabililng that they had received bills from an office in Denver with his name and medical identification number for payment of services rendered. Dr. Cabiling only practices in Pueblo and not in Denver. Further investigation uncovered more than $1. 8 million dollars had been paid out to the A Plus Billing Company. â€Å"Court documents show the address A Plus Billing used was 600 17th Street in Denver, room 2800. The company submitted bills for numerous things including MRI’s and EKG testing, claiming they had medical offices at that address. But instead, 11 News discovered it was home to a company hired to receive mail and answer the phone for $150 a month. And, according to records, the lady who was suppose to pay that bill, Aliya Valeeva, is no longer in the country. Medicare sent the money to an account at a BBVA/Compass Bank in Denver, under the name of A Plus Billing. Now the FBI has moved to seize nearly $800,000 of it (Potter, 2011). † Dr. Cabiling inadvertently received checks from Cigna, leading the physician to believe that the ghost company had targeted other insurance companies other than Medicare. Prior to President Obama’s health care reform, insurance companies were required to submit payment for services rendered within 15 days of receipt of the claim. Since President Obama's health care reform act the timeline for payment of services rendered gives agencies more time to make payments, review and investigate claims. Fraudulent claims are easier to detect with the new health care reform in affect. Fraudulent claims are nothing new to insurance companies. Perpetrators have targeted insurance companies for a long time. Medicare and Medicaid are the two type of insurance companies targeted. Medicare and Medicaid staff is inundated with claims. There are more claims to be processed then there are staff and time. New timelines and guidances to follow, allow the staff to follow up on suspicious claims. Since the Affordable Health Care Act was passed and implemented â€Å"Medicare officials say with their new tools for fighting fraud, they have reclaimed $4 billion last year alone (Potter, 2011)†. The previous organizational structure for payment of services rendered did not allow officials enough time to investigate claims to ensure the claims were legitimate. Perpetrators study the law and use the knowledge to fraud insurance and government agencies. The governance of rules, regulations and laws was not stringent enough to stop perpetrators from frauding the system. New guidelines allow agencies more time to detect suspicious claims, investigate and save the insurance companies millions of dollars. Society does not concentrate on proactive actions to prevent fraud, instead society deals with the problem after the fact. Consumer watch groups do not have tools in place to prevent fraud. Perpetrators rely on the oversites of insurance companies in order to target and fraud insurance companies. Insurance companies and the federal government should pool resources using a percentage of profits to finance a task force to arrestively fight fraud. The penalty for fraud should be more stringent which will cause perpetrators to think twice before formulating a plan to commit fraud. The Affordable Health Care Act is the beginning of many programs established to fight against fraud. Health care fraud is a growing problem and should be taken more seriously by citizens of the United States. Physicians, health care workers, and patients are responsible for proactively protecting personal information to prevent identity theft. The case of Dr. Cabiling could not have occured if his medical identity had not been stolen. A closer watch of personal information to prevent identity theft is the beginning to prevent health care fraud. The federal government should have in place the ability to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent. Harsh punishment may deter offenders from comiting the offence. Ethical issues concerning medical fraud is as simple as knowing what is right and what is wrong. Society should take responsibility of his or her own personal information. Identity theft is no secret, therefore society should be more proactive. Do not leave an open door for offenders to walk in and take what does not belong them. The laws for offenders should be more stringent. The current structure of physicans medical information is too easy to obtain. The structure of physicains medical information should be in encripted messages making the degree of difficulty high enough to ward off offenders. There are some offenders that will stop at nothing until they have gotten the information he or she is wishes to obtain. Stricter rules and guidelines can ward off these offenders. Governance over the guidelines for payment for services rendered should include the following; varification of physician’s medical information making sure the physican is aware of the charges being submitted to insurance companies. The time line for payments to be released to physicians or billing companies are lenghtened to allow incurance companies time to investigate suspecious claims. The culture of one waiting for another to do what is right is an occurance needing change. The culture can be changed through leading by example. Educating society through public service announcement is a start. Public service announcements reach more people than emails, newspaper articles, and phoone calls. An aggressive campaign to stamp out medical fraud through prosecuting identity theft offenders is an additional way to combat medical fraud. Through public service announcements society is informed of his or her responsibility to protect personal information to prevent identity theft and medical fraud. Fighting identiy theft and medical fraud cost less than the billions of dollars paid out to offenders. Remind society they the communities in which he or she live in are the one that ultimately pay the price through higher health care premiums, higher prices for health care services, and through higher taxes. In conclusion health care fraud is now being done through identity theft. Identity theft can be combatted through public awareness and the public taking responsibility to protect his or her own persoanl information. Dr. Cabiling through no fault of his own was a victim of identity theft. Dr. Cabiling did not know that his medical identity had been stolen until he received a phone call from Medicare. Dr. Cabiling can now contact the different insurance companies to alert them of the fraudulant activities concerning his medical information. The insurance companies can contact Dr. Cabiling prior to making payments on calims. The insurance companies making phone calls to Dr. Cabiling may take more time, but will save the companies money in the long run. Combatting medical fraud and identity theft is everyone’s responsibility. References Cohen, G. (2010, March/April). Medical tourism: The view from ten thousand feet. Hastings Center Report, 40(2), 11. Health care reform to have impact on ethics. (2010, May). Medical Ethics Advisor, 26(5), 54. K. Potter, 2011. Medicare Fraud Scheme Takes Nearly $2 Million, Pueblo Doctor’s Identity Stolen; http://www. kktv. com/home/headlines/Medicare_Fraud_Scheme_Steals_Millions_131567818. html

Ethical Issues in Counseling Essay

ETHICS When I sit and think about what the concept of ethics means to me, it seems as if there are many ideas that come to mind. Although they all revert back to one simple meaning and that is to believe in what you say and say what you believe. Treat everyone equally, do not judge one person from the next and do your job as you have been taught. I think that we should use ethics in our everyday lives not just in the work force area. As per our literature the term ethics means, universal principles that societies have determined to be right, just and fair and are generally regarded as the standards that govern the conduct of a person. (Unit 02: Ethical Issues in Counseling) 1. Next, discuss the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC’s) Code of Ethics. Smith and Hodges define ethics as a â€Å"human reflecting self-consciously on the act of being a moral being. This implies a process of self-reflection and awareness of how to behave as a moral being. Some d efinitions are dictated by law, individual belief systems, religion or a mixture of all three. NAADAC recognizes that its members and certified counselors live and work in many diverse communities. NAADAC has established a set of ethical best-practices that apply to universal ethical deliberation. Further, NAADAC recognizes and encourages the notion that personal and professional ethics cannot be dealt with as separate domains. NAADAC members, addiction professionals and/or licensed/certified treatment providers (subsequently referred to as addiction professionals) recognize that the ability to do well is based on an underlying concern for the well-being of others. This concern emerges from recognition that we are all stakeholders in each other’s lives – the well-being of each is intimately bound to the well-being of all; that when the happiness of some is purchased by the unhappiness of others, the stage is set for the misery of all. Addiction professionals must act in such a way that they would have no embarrassment if their behavior became a matter of public k nowledge and would have no difficulty defending their actions before any competent  authority. The NAADAC Code of Ethics was written to govern the conduct of its members and it is the accepted standard of conduct for addiction professionals certified by the National Certification Commission. The code of ethics reflects ideals of NAADAC and its members. When an ethics complaint is filed with NAADAC, it is evaluated by consulting the NAADAC Code of Ethics. The NAADAC Code of Ethics is designed as a statement of the values of the profession and as a guide for making clinical decisions. This code is also utilized by state certification boards and educational institutions to evaluate the behavior of addiction professionals and to guide the certification process. What kind of issues does NAADAC’s Code of Ethics address? 2. Lastly, select one component of NAADAC’s Code of Ethics. Briefly summarize the component and discuss how it will affect your interaction with clients. For example, you may choose the component of the â€Å"Counseling Relationship† or â€Å"Professional Responsibility† within NAADAC’s Code of Ethics. All papers should be written using 12 point Times New Roman font with one inch margins. Be sure to properly cite all sources used within your writing assignment using APA format. For a review of APA style and how to cite sources, please see â€Å"Proper APA Format Citation† in the Study Skills classroom or visit the Research Guides page on the Online Library Resources site.

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world Dissertation

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world - Dissertation Example However, some countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and Jordan are offering the services of Islamic banking through traditional banking services. In some countries like Pakistan, there are banks that are operating in accordance with the Islamic laws and at the same time there are some banks that are practicing conventional banking and at the same time some of their branches are offering Islamic banking services. Not only there has been an increasing trend of Muslim majority countries practicing Islamic banking products but certain Western countries including United Kingdom, United States and Australia have been also observing an increasing trend in regard to the Islamic banking. Although the industry of Islamic banking is still growing and an emerging industry, but in different parts of the world this industry has been achieving very high profits unlike United Kingdom. However in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain this industry has been growing. In Pakistan, Islamic banks have reported a profit of 5.7 PKR which is approximately 59% of the total market share in the year 2011 (The News, 2012).). In Bahrain, Islamic banking industry is also one of the fasted growing industries of the countries and still there are several opportunities in the countries (Laxman, 2011). In addition to this, Islamic banking industry is showing good progress and is giving tough time to traditional banks in several other western countries. Financial performance of Islamic financial institutions in UK United Kingdom and particularly London has been considered as an important market place by investors and in this part of the world; both Islamic and non-Islamic banks have inve sted. Initially Islamic banks started their services in London by offering simple products like house financing however with the passage of time the quality of products as well as the complexities involved increased (Ainley, Mashayekhi, Hicks, Rahman, and Ravalia, 2007). after analysing different opportunities for profits and growth, number of Islamic banks invested in United Kingdom and tried to capitalise on these opportunities. Some of the most prominent names of Islamic banks in UK are: Islamic Bank of Britain HSBC Amanah Lloyds TSB The products and services offered by Islamic banks are not only for Muslims but for non-Muslims as well and this is one of the reasons why it has become highly famous in UK despite of the challenges it faces. However recently the performance of the Islamic bank has not been satisfactory and the opportunities that every one identified had not been capitalised by these Islamic banks. This is one of the reasons why one of the leading Islamic banks, Isla mic bank of Britain had to be bailed out in the year 2010 by Qatar after several successive years of losses. After the financial crisis, the Islamic banks in United Kingdom have suffered a lot. Lloyds Islamic bank also removed its investment from United Kingdom as they did not see bright future in the country (Goodway, 2010). Islamic Bank of Britain which has been able to make a name in the United kingdom is also losing its customers. in 2009, the Islamic bank had lost almost 50,000 customers as the total loss of the bank increased to ?9.5 million from ?5.9 million. Considering the situation of the bank, IBB had to raise additional capital of 2009. Then

Hospitality Service Operations Management report Essay

Hospitality Service Operations Management report - Essay Example easure, track and monitor as well as continuously improving efficiency of services, quality and availability in hospitality operational environment (Knowles et al 2004). The strategy to be employed include external analysis (this assess the clients, the marketplace, and competition) self analysis (this is the evaluation of business performance) strategy identification (this covers product strategies like product profile, target, and position) there is also an aspect of functional strategy which is basically differentiation. Strategy selection is the last stage that includes real scenario with core competencies in play (Knowles et al 2004). The following are very critical components of marketing that were addressed before real implementation of the plan; strategic objective (market share and profitability), customers (products position and market segment), and strategic focus. The corporate market has been very tricky for Sunshine Hotel. This is indicated by the competitor sales report. This hotel is operating at average capital in relation to other hotels. Promotion - The marketing style adopted by hospitality Service Company was direct selling where advertisements were made through the media, fliers and mailing. Product- were packaged strategically so that clients could get packaged brands of services like transport accommodation and entertainment in one package. The hotel offered mini bar service, hotel shop, business service and internet (Kandampully & Sparks 2001). Price- the prices were set strategically in that some services will be packaged together, prices will vary seasonally and that collective purchases were discounted. Sales-sales were increased by diversifying the products; this means we operate bars, restaurants, accommodation, entertainment, transport, conference facility and internet. This resulted in the high corporate sales per weekday (847). Average room rates were fairly high (Kandampully & Sparks 2001). Leisure Market: Leisure market seems

Muslims in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Muslims in America - Essay Example This discovery was monumental because it revealed that Muslims had inhabited America from the beginning. The third contributor, Alexander Webb, is believed to be the first American to convert to Islam. This was recorded in 1888 and then five years later he was appointed as the first Muslim in British Parliament. 2. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the number of mosques established in America increased considerably, partly due to conversion for which the dominant number of converts are African-Americans, but also due to the influence of settlement patterns resulting from immigration. As Muslim families grew in size so did their needs for places to worship. There are now more than 1500 mosques, compared to 600 in 1980, 230 in 1960 and 19 in 1930. One of the major factors that helped the emergence of Muslim Ethnic Mosques was the article written soon after the race riots of 1967 and 1967 in Newark, NJ. The East Orange Record also reported that the East Orange Deputy Police Chief praised the Muslim population as a 'stabilizing influence' in the area, and noted 'an almost zero percent crime rate within the Islamic community. While crime rates were lower in Muslim communities, many citizens still struggled with the cultural ignorance of most Americans. They fought to make their religion understandabl e and accepted by the mainstream society. 3. 3. The initial introduction of Islam in Africa occurred in 639 A.D. when the Arabs began exploring North Africa. As the religion grew across the continent, many Africans were being brought to America. In America, for many African Americans their first exposure to Islam was because of their slave ancestry and history. Today, The African-American Muslim community is diverse and complex in its theological beliefs and the way in which Islam became a mainstay in the lives of many African Americans can be traced back to the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s. During this time, many African Americans migrated out of the southern states to the east in search of a better life. The eastern United States had the highest populations of Muslims at the time, and they reached out to help the African American travelers in their time of need. By recognizing African American's poor housing and economic conditions, Islamic followers in the eastern United States fought to improve the lives of the A frican Americans and their influence was lasting, with many converting to the faith and passing it on to their future generations. 4. There are several different factors influencing the race relations between African Americans and the immigrant community. African Americans have struggled and have revealed that in their living experience of Islam, it is not always singularly a manifestation of culture. Often traditional Muslims are at odd with African-American Muslims who are not binded by a singular cultural expression or see that Islam is culture itself. Many believe that the tensions also arise because African-Americans are very aware of racism and discrimination. Many African American's feel that traditional Muslims treat them as inferior due to the fact that they were not the original Muslim race. These tensions can be seen in acts of violence specifically n the San Francisco Bay area of California. Here a string of liquor store robberies have been aimed at stored owned by traditional Muslim citizens. It was soon discovered that the criminals were African American

Legal Analysis Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Analysis Memo - Case Study Example Did police officers uphold the 4th amendment of the United States constitution, when they entered Mr. Smith’s home without a warrant, simply after investigating an noise complaint and observing what were thought to be illegal activities through the window, then seizing Marijuana, Cocaine and unregistered firearms? Do police have enough evidence to convict him of distribution? The state should be allowed to use the evidence gained, because Mr. Blake does not have a reasonable expectation for privacy within Mr. Smith’s home. They do not have enough evidence to convict Mr. Blake with possession of firearms because the firearms could have belonged to anyone. They also do not have enough evidence to convict him with distribution of cocaine, because the act of him transferring a white bag to someone else is ambiguous, and there is not enough evidence to corroborate the crime. Rule: The 4th amendment of the United States Constitution provides: The right of the people to be sec ure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and Warrants shall not be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (US Constitution). However, the owner of the property may consent to the search. Also the person must have a reasonable expectation of privacy. In Minnesota Vs. Carter, the courts ruled that a guest at another person’s residence does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy (unless they are spending the night), and thus are not protected under the forth amendment (Minnesota vs. Carter). Also, officers are allowed to seize anything in plain view during lawful observation. Analysis: On the grounds that police officers made observations through the window before Mr. Smith authorized a search of his property, Mr. Blake could file a motion to have all evidence stemming from thos e observations to be discarded under the 4th amendment. However, if the court grants that motion the evidence will stand, because as seen in Minnesota Vs. Carter, if you are a guest in another person’s home, you do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy and you are not protected under the fourth amendment (Minnesota vs. Carter). Even though Mr. Blake runs a business with Mr. Smith in the basement of the home, it still is not technically his home, and according to Minnesota vs. Carter, you are given a significantly less expectation of privacy in the commercial arena anyhow (Minnesota vs. Carter). Thus the evidence observed from the window as well as the evidence found after Mr. Smith consented for the officers to enter the home can be used in court. The firearms were in plain view when the police entered the home, so those can be used as well. Even though the evidence must stand, there is not enough evidence to convict Mr. Blake of all of the crimes he is being charged w ith. The police report states they â€Å"observed Mr. Blake hand a baggie of white powder to someone standing near the couch.† They then found a large amount of cocaine in Blake’s possession, cash, and a small amount of cocaine in a stranger’s possessions. While the law states that the government need not prove he received anything of value in return, the fact that they didn’t see him receive anything makes it tough to prove he was actually distributing the cocaine. While not the most intuitive explanation, it’

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other Article - 1

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other disciplines - Article Example 66). These roles include: Information systems have also had a significant impact on productivity of service and manufacturing operations. Recent studies have led to factory automation, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, etc. Such advances have improved the productivity and quality of organizations (Gurbaxani & Seungjin, 1991, p. 66). Various theories within the information systems discipline have contributed to the development of application systems. For example, knowledge sharing between different organizations and groups has been enabled by conducting both psychological and social studies. By applying borrowed theories from these disciplines it has been possible to identify what factors affect knowledge sharing behavior in humans (Hall, 2003, p.11). Literature from such studies sheds light into the factors motivating knowledge and information sharing within organizations. Ultimately, this will enable the development of systems and policies that are of great benefit to an organization. Theories within the discipline of information systems have enabled system developers to justify the costs associated with development of application systems for organization. It is now possible to justify the strategic advantage of information systems to the managers of an organization. The theory of competitive strategy has enabled firms to change the way they serve their customers all in an effort to earn profits. Research into human behavior has enabled the development of customer centered application systems. Information system as a discipline is concerned with the development of information systems that model real world artifacts. It is vital that these real world artifacts be modeled in a proper manner. For this to be possible, fine theories are required. These theories enable developers and researchers to describe the facts and events that are being modeled. Theories are used in design projects to trigger the specifics of

To what extent was John Maynard Keynes' principal contribution to Essay

To what extent was John Maynard Keynes' principal contribution to political economy a re-conceptualisation of optimal relation - Essay Example This is often the case between Keynesian economists and other reformists’ theories. Keynesianism or Keynesian economics is an economic theory based on the ideas John Maynard Keynes, as put forward in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, available in 1936 as an answer to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Keynesianism advocates for a mixed economy, in which the state as well as the market or the private sector have both significant functions to operate. It should be noted that the advent and eventual rise of Keynesianism saw the collapse of laissez-faire economics which was of the view that both the state and the market could function, each on its own. Keynesianism also emphasizes of the significance of aggregate demand for goods as the lashing factor of the economy, particularly in periods of recession. For this reason, government plans or policies could be made use of to promote demand at a macro level, to counter high unemployment as well as deflati on. A significant conclusion of Keynesianism is that there is not a tough and automatic propensity for output and employment to move to full employment levels. Effective demand is therefore the fundamental idea underlying Keynesianism. Post Keynesian Criticisms After Keynes, a good amount of concentration has been dedicated to the problem of probability and uncertainty in Keynes’s General Theory by a set of economists frequently called ‘Post-Keynesians’. Over the years, there have risen a lot of economic theories and propositions which no longer see Keynesianism as a spur. As Chick and Tily (2004) mentions in mainstream economics, Keynes is dead1. Leijonhufvud (2008)2 gives explanations on the hypothetical blindness of the economic profession vis a vis interpretations from Keynesianism of the present financial crisis to conventional reliance on market efficiency theory, expectations based on reason as well as the representative agents3. Wray and Teymogne (2008) m ake us reminiscent of the fact that â€Å"the efficient market hypothesis, like all approaches derived from the old neoclassical theory, relegates money and finance to the sidelines.4† A latest volume, cataloguing the commentary of twelve prominent economists on Keynes’s Economic possibilities for our Grandchildren5, offers an outstanding incident to assess the space between conventional Keynesian views of capitalism with ‘love of money’. Keynes’s disapproval for the money drive and the demanding â€Å"purposeful money-makers (who) may carry all of us along with them into the lap of economic abundance† is dismissed as the befuddled and elitist phrase of moralistic narrow-mindedness and an ideal case in point of an irrational approach to economics. For example, Boldrin and Levine (2009) challenge Keynes for not being clear between real and monetary factors6. On his part, Phelps (2009) considers Keynes condescending approach towards the pursuit for wealth as unusual for an economist7, representative of anti-materialism as well as obscure to every scholastic satisfaction in business. Ohanian (2009) illustrates Keynes’ approach as that of a judgmental and critical social commentator who uses his economist’s pulpit to make a rather puritan-based vision of the future8. Fitoussi (2009) acknowledges that Keynes’ negative response to capitalism, with its acquisitiveness and inconsiderate conduct, is not so badly founded9. He however goes on to coin Keynes’

The Effect of Foreign Trade on Tthe Nigerian Economy Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Foreign Trade on Tthe Nigerian Economy Essay Everyday, the need for foreign trade is on the increase as the needs of man is unlimited (Adams Smith). This is visible in the rise for consumer goods and services throughout the world especially with the increase in world population of over 6 billion people. Man with his advancement in social interaction and technology is able to visualize and perceive in his mind what he desires. This was obvious with the industrial revolution where production demand increased. With the location of raw materials in different geographical zones making them ubiquitous in some areas and scarce in others, the demand for certain goods is on the increase, which gave rise to the concept of foreign trade†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . .Foreign trade exists alongside domestic trade, which has also undergone transformation from the old style of â€Å"trade by barter† to â€Å"business†. In the light of this, Nigeria as a nation participates in foreign trade. Foreign trade as defined by Longe, (2008) is the buying and selling of goods and services beyond the geographical boundaries of a country or between one country and the other. Foreign trade also referred to as international trade, can be bilateral or multilateral and involves the use of different currencies. The Economic glossary defines foreign trade as the exchange of goods and services between countries, and as such, it goes ahead to explain that the inclination for one country to trade with another is based in large part on the idea of comparative advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Foreign trade is just an extension of production, exchange and consumption of goods and services that are fundamental part of life. The Wikipedia encyclopedia defines foreign trade (international trade) as the exchange of capital, goods and services across international borders or territories. In such countries, such trade represents a significant share of the GDP. Foreign trade comprises of imports, exports, and entreports. The economic, social and political importance of foreign trade has been on the rise recently due to specialization in production. Industrialization, advanced transportation, globalization, Multinational Corporation and outsourcing are all having a major impact on the global foreign trade system. Increasing foreign trade is very important to the growth of globalization as international trade assist in bridging the gap and creates availability of goods and services to other nations. The aim of foreign trade is to increase production and to raise the standard of living of the people. Foreign trade enables citizens of a country have access and enjoy the products of another country. According to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. reasons for foreign trade are for the following reasons; uneven distribution of natural resources due to difference in climate, division of labor and specialization, difference in economic growth rate, theory of comparative cost, availability of all types of goods, increased standard of living, large scale production and stable price. According to the theory of comparative cost, each country should concentrate on the production of those goods for which it is best suited, taking into account its natural resources, climate, labour supply, technical-know-how and the level of development. Akeem (2011) explains that foreign trade plays a vital role in restructuring economic and social attributes of countries around the world. Aids to trade includes; banking, warehousing, insurance, transportation and advertisement. According to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. , there arises challenges in implementing foreign nations involved in foreign trade is done using exchange of currency Increase in tariff, high duty on some imported goods as well as some export goods. Exposure to risk since they are transported either through the road, air, rail and sea. 2. Poor intermodal transport network in developing countries such as Nigeria. 3. Poor government policies on trade and industrialization. 4. Corruption and unaccountability. 5. Insurgence of terror groups globally acts as a threat to foreign trade. 6. Late payment for goods which results to demurrage and high port charges. 7. Language barrier slows foreign trade. With a geographical land mass of about 923,768sqkm, Nigeria is located along the Atlantic coast line. The location of natural resources in almost every part of the country has attracted trade domestically and internationally. These resources include cash crop, food crop, solid mineral, livestock and aquatic life. During this period, the industry in existence was the extractive industry and the scale of production was minimal. There existed trade by barter, the use of cowries, and coins as the medium of exchange. Nigeria experienced foreign trade with the insurgence of the British, Portuguese etc, who explored the country and tapped our natural resources. The colonial masters journeyed into the hinterland and assisted in the construction of the early road networks and later, rail lines which connected major cities to the ports in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar. These routes provided means of transportation for the export of cash crops like palm oil, cocoa, groundnut, rubber, etc to the industries in Europe and America. Between the periods of 2005 and 2010, many industries e. g. Unilver, located in Nigeria relocated to neighboring West African countries and their home base because of the numerous problems such as epileptic power supply, high tariff on import, corruption, inadequate social infrastructure and high tax rates imposed on them by the government. These factors have affected Nigeria’s foreign trade, especially with her over dependence on crude oil which was discovered in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, formerly Rivers.

Prevent Terrorism Countries

Prevent Terrorism Countries MEASURES TO DEFEAT TERRORISM In this paper I will discuss measures that can be taken to help prevent terrorism. Though some measures may be seen as extreme, it is often necessary to take drastic steps to keep a country or even the world safe from terrorism. I will also discuss areas in which countries have already enacted provisions to fight terrorism. What major measures can the international community take to prevent terrorism? Do you think the U.S. should follow Israels example of fighting terrorism? Explain in depth. Identify and explain at least three international conventions organized to suppress terrorism. Briefly evaluate the provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act. Briefly discuss the impact of emergency powers on defeating terrorism. The fight against terrorism is not just a fight that the United States is facing alone. This is evident from the Madrid train bombings, the bombings in London, and the terrorist attacks that Israel seems to face everyday. Terrorism is, in effect, international. Each nation has a responsibility to combat terrorism to protect them and to protect other nations as well. In this paper, I will discuss areas in which the international community can fight against terrorism and steps they have already taken in the fight against terrorism. Steps the International Community Can Take to Prevent Terrorism One of the security measures that can be undertaken is that of securing aircraft and airports. Poland cites in his book that between 1973 and 2002, there was an average of ten skyjackings per year. (Poland, 2005, p. 235) This was a number that surprised me due to the fact that it seems like most werent reported or very little coverage was given to the incidences. There are new technologies being developed all the time to aid in securing of air travel. There is new technology in the area of explosive detection devices. One such technology is called microtagging. During this process, tiny chips of microtaggants are blended into explosive substances and color coded to identify the manufacturer and batch of explosives. This system would also be beneficial in the reconstruction of bomb scenes and used to gain knowledge and prepare for future terrorist acts. Another innovative technology is called dielectric analysis. Dielectric analysis is a powerful non-destructive tool for characterizin g materials; it can provide accurate, repeatable results unavailable by other electrical means. (Unknown, 2007) This, in essence, gives the explosive agents a â€Å"fingerprint† and could provide immediate identification of explosive substances at airports. Along with technological advanced in air security, people can often make the biggest impact. In this area, Federal Air Marshals play an important role. This is not something that all countries partake in but more and more countries are adding these individuals to their flights. The airline association estimates that 10 or 20 out of some 115 airlines that fly into the United States already use air marshals. (Lichtblau, 2003) Israel, for instance, has used marshals on El Al flights for years, and as stated, some other countries have followed suit more recently, as Australia announced in 2003 that Qantas Airways would begin placing armed marshals on flights to Singapore. Even Mexico has stated that they would start to use their own air marshals on flights that are going to the United States. However, not all countries and airlines are signed on to the idea. Air France does not use air marshals and the British Air Line Pilots Association said it does not believe that arms belong on aircr aft, and British Airways, the countrys biggest airline, said it reserves the right not to fly if it is forced to add air marshals. Although there is a general feeling among passengers that they would feel safer on a flight if there is an air marshal on board, not everyone believes the passengers would necessarily be safer. The cite that an armed conflict on a plane would become more dangerous to the passengers as opposed to just letting the terrorist state their demands and work with them for the release of passengers. Intelligence is another area that countries can utilize for overall protection. This is not necessarily limited to military types of intelligence. Political intelligence is an important factor to combating terrorism. This can be used to identify where the groups are garnering the most support for their cause. When this has been determined, pressure from other nations can be placed on these states to not support the terrorists. Of course, military intelligence is vital in any operation. The intelligence gathered here can assist in finding out how many are in a particular group, what kinds of weapons they have, and where they are located. Most countries have some form of intelligence like our CIA and it is important that they use it. Yet another form is economic intelligence. Most terrorist organizations are well funded these days. It is important to track the path in which they receive their money. Terrorists may get their money from several different avenues, including: the sale of d rugs, phony charitable organizations; and even other sympathetic nations. So as one can see, intelligence is a very important factor other countries can use to combat terrorism. Israels Fight Against Terrorism Israel has been fighting terrorism for many years, even before they became a nation in 1948. They are surrounded by Muslim nations which historically do not get along with Israelis. This is particularly true of Palestinians. Since Israel is surrounded by so many that wish to do them harm, they have had to take more drastic steps in order to protect themselves. They had become one of the first countries to articulate a deliberate and official policy of retaliation against terrorism. Most nations understand that a nation must fight back in order to protect itself and its interests. Israel on the other hand seems to retaliate in a much more aggressive manner. Such a case was their retaliation against an Arab village in Qibiya, Jordan in 1953. On October 13, 1953, Jordanian terrorists infiltrated the Israeli border and threw a grenade into a house, killing a mother and two children in Tiryat Yehuda. In an effort to prevent further attacks and protect its borders, Israel launched a reprisal raid on Qibiya, a Jordanian town across the border from Tiryat Yehuda. Unit 101, led by then Colonel Ariel Sharon, destroyed 50 homes, killing 69 Jordanian civilians who were hidden inside and had gone unnoticed. (Oreck, 2007) Sharon had stated that he was not aware that civilians were involved but that did not help in the embarrassment that Israel suffered due to the incident. Israelis have also pioneered the area of preemptive strikes against terrorism. This policy is a bit more difficult to convince the international community for its justification. It is one thing to fight back against an attack on your country it is another to strike first to prevent such an attack. But in many cases is necessary to do so. Israel has carried out such attacks such as the bombing of an Iraqi nuclear facility in 1981. It was feared that if Iraq had been able to produce the nuclear bomb, they would use it against Israel. This strike was something of a success story. Israels preemptive strike against Iraq was heartily condemned in Washington and by the United Nations, although privately most governments, even in the Middle East, were pleased to see the setback to Saddam Husseins ambition. Targeted killings are also something that Israel employs to fight terrorism. However, this form of protection has one big drawback. It is often necessary to obtain information from higher ranking individuals within a terrorist organization. Obviously dead men are of no use to obtain information. In September 1999, the Israeli High Court ruled on specific procedures for interrogation and practices in dealing with terrorists or suspected terrorists. Interrogations can only be conducted by the Shin Bet (counter-intelligence and internal security service). The head of the Shin Bet works with the Attorney General very closely to determine how to proceed on specific cases. Targeted killings have to be confirmed by the prime minister in every instance. If there is a change in the plan on a targeted killing, the head of the Shin Bet must go back to the prime minister and have the operation approved once more. (Dicter, Bronfman, Bronfman Byman, 2005) However, if the head of the Shin Bet feel s there is great urgency, he alone can make the decision to take out the suspect. So the question is â€Å"Do I think the United States should employ the Israeli tactics in fighting terrorism?† If that question had been posed ten or fifteen years ago, I may have said no. Today, my answer would be yes, with a caveat. Though it may be difficult, I think we would need other countries to publicly back us to carry out certain missions. In the case of a preemptive strike, our allies must be informed of such action so they are not taken by surprise of the situation. As far as targeted killings, we had better have support in this undertaking or else we are going to look like the aggressors. Case in point, our current situation in the Middle East. Although the United States has a policy against taking out heads of state which President Ford imposed by executive order in 1976, there is nothing to say that we cannot take out leaders of terrorist groups like Osama bin Laden. In the climate we live in today, we had better have all of our options open and on the table if we want to defend ourselves and help prevent future attacks. International Conventions to Suppress Terrorism Throughout the years there have been many policies and conventions used to aid in the fight against terrorism. They are normally backed by the civilized states of the international community. But it seems over time, these policies go by the wayside. In this section, I will look at three of the more recent conventions. The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1999, and signed on behalf of the United States of America on January 10, 2000. The Convention is aimed at cutting off the funding that terrorist groups need to operate. This Convention provides an obligation that States Parties criminalize such conduct and establishes an international legal framework for cooperation among States Parties directed toward prevention of such financing and ensuring the prosecution and punishment of offenders, wherever found. In a letter to the Senate in 2000, then President Clinton urged the members to â€Å"give early and favorable consideration to this Convention, subject to the understanding, declaration and reservation that are described in the accompanying report of the Department of State.† (Clinton, 2000) Even before 9/11 it was apparent that funding for terrorists needed to be addressed. Another convention, the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing was adopted in 1997. This convention â€Å"created a regime of universal jurisdiction over the unlawful and intentional use of explosives and other lethal devices in, into, or against various defined public places with intent to kill or cause serious bodily injury, or with intent to cause extensive destruction of the public place†. (United Nations, 1997) It is similar to other conventions in that it requires parties to extradite or submit for prosecution persons accused of committing or aiding in the commission of such offenses. Lastly, the Convention on the Making of Plastic Explosives for the purpose of Detection was ratified by the United Nations in 1991. The members of the U.N. were concerned that plastic explosives had been used for such terrorist acts in the past and could be again in the future and wanted to do something about it. This Convention was aimed at deterring such unlawful acts of the use of plastic explosives because they felt there was a need for an international mandate for States to adopt appropriate measures to ensure that plastic explosives are marked. Provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act The Patriot Act has ten different provisions that outline the United States governments war on terrorism. These provisions impact the war on terrorism in different ways. Some of the provisions deal with rights and responsibilities; others provide areas in which terrorism can be fought. I will discuss, in brief, each of the ten provisions. The first title is for the enhancement of domestic security and provides for funding and information gathering. It also prohibits the discrimination against Muslim Americans. Title II is probably the most controversial of all the provisions. It is here where the perceived infringement on civil liberties takes place. This provision reshapes the way the federal government can collect information. The FBI can seize materials from private citizens when it believes national security is at stake and then get permission from courts to do so afterwards. The third title involves the area of money laundering and the financing of terrorist organizations. Title IV increases border patrols and mandates the detention of suspected terrorists. The fifth title deals with removing obstacles in the investigation of terrorism and addresses the capture and prosecution of terrorists. Title number six provides aid to the families of Public Safety Officers who were injured or killed in terrorist attacks, an d amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. Number seven supports the sharing of information by federal law enforcement agencies. This would have been very useful pre-9/11. Title VIII strengthens criminal laws against terrorism, defines domestic terrorism, and expands biological weapons statutes. The ninth provision provides that intelligence information sharing from foreign agencies. The information derived from electronic surveillance or physical searches is disseminated for efficient and effective foreign intelligence purposes. The last title is kind of a catchall and is listed as miscellaneous. It contains 16 sections that do not fall under other titles in the act. Impact of Emergency Powers on Defeating Terrorism Many nations have forms of so called, â€Å"Emergency Powers†. Some countries call it â€Å"State of Exception†, â€Å"Special Powers†, or â€Å"Terrorist Affected†. No matter what a country may call their emergency powers, extreme circumstances may exist in which the security of the country in needed and these powers allow for authorities to stop, search, question and detain individuals suspected of terrorist involvement. There have been emergency powers used even before the United States was formed. Between 1775 and 1781, the Continental Congress passed a series of acts and resolves which count as the first expressions of emergency authority. These instruments dealt almost exclusively with the prosecution of the Revolutionary War. (Relyea, 2006) The President of the United States has available certain powers that may be exercised in the event that the nation is threatened by crisis, exigency, or emergency circumstances (other than natural disasters, war, or near-war situations). The acts of terrorism are ever-changing. It is important that countries are able to react (or in some cases become proactive) to situations as they arise. How well can a country be protected if their leaders cannot make a quick decision on the information they have been provided. In this, emergency powers are essential in both the war on terror and defeating terrorism. References Clinton, W. J. (2000, October 12). The White House Office of the Press Secretary (globalsecurity.org, Ed.) (Intelligence). Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2000/10/irp-001012-terror.htm. Dicter, A., Bronfman, C., Bronfman, A., Byman, D. (2005, December, 8). Fighting Islamist Terrorists. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/events/20051208.htm. Lichtblau, E. (2003, December 30). U.S. says it will force countries to arm flights. San Francisco Chronicle, A/1. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/12/30/MNGJD40F651.DTLtype=printable. Oreck, A. (2007, N/A). Qibya. Jewish Virtual Library, The Library. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Qibiya.html. Poland, J. M. (2005). Understanding Terrorism: Groups, Strategies, and Responses. Sacramento, CA: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Relyea, H. C. (2006, November 13). National Emergency Powers. In CRS Report for Congress. Congress. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/98-505.pdf. United Nations. (1997, N/A). Conventions Against Terrorism. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from United Nations: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/terrorism_conventions.html. Unknown. (2007, N/A). Materials. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from Solortron Analytical: http://www.solartronanalytical.com/products/applications/materials/index.htm.

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices Of China Sinopec Commerce Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices Of China Sinopec Commerce Essay During last several decades, more and more pressure is received by international firms to persuade them to dedicate more and more resources in social responsibility. These pressures are always come from customers, governments, employees, suppliers, community groups. Also, there is increasing interest among managers of business especially those CEOs at multi-national or multi-divisional companies in the antecedents and consequences of CSR. These business leaders are realized the fact that nowadays the social standards for the business are not only restricted in the aspect of earning profits, the demand for CSR can vary substantially across the whole world on many issues. Nowadays, the demand for the social responsibility of large business is growing when the some important issues such as the global warming, poverty, scarce of resources which faces by those business firms. The definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility The definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not clear as a result of so many conflicting goals and objectives. Mcwilliams and Siegel(2011) argue that the CSR are measures taken by those business corporations for the benefits of the whole community, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law and some social pressures. Meanwhile, Corporate Social Responsibility involves achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment (Clark, 2006; Porter Kramer, 2006). And Ademosu(2008) claims that CSR is what an organization does to contribute to the development of the community in areas such as economy, the education and so on. The history of CSR is as long as the company. After Industrial Revolution some large business organizations are emerged and the owners of these business organizations have become the most powerful and richest man in this world and these rich businessman began to implant a kind of ideas called Social Darwinism which means the corporations should focus more on the development of their own business instead of caring more about the consequences caused by the big business organizations on the employees, the community, even the whole society. But at the beginning of the twentyish century the power against these ideas of those big corporations began to rise. In 1970s Milton Friedman argued that the only social responsibility of an enterprise is to increase profits within the scope of the business rules, profit maximization is only the second goal of corporations and the first goal is to ensure the survival of them. In order to achieve this point, they must bear some social responsibilities and the cost caused by them, they must protect the social welfare through the advertisements of them about no pollutions, no discriminations or something else. They must blend themselves into the community and fund more for the charity organizations in order to play a more active role in the society. From 1980s the movement of CSR began to rise in the western developed countries, it includes the contents of environment protecting, labor and human rights which leads to the concerns of customers changed from about only care about the quality of products to quality, environment, occupation health and so on. Meanwhile some governments, green peaces organizations and NGOs also continually called the business corporations to connect the trade to their social responsibilities. Under the increasing pressure and their own development needs. Many multinational companies in Europe and America are formulating to make commitments of social responsibility. Why business corporations should engage in CSR According to Ralph Hamann(2010) the evolving CSR agenda is driven by a global shift in the way the role of business is perceived. Under the circumstance of globalization and the challenges of sustainable development, the business firms are increasingly seen as an important element in the process of social transformation, for the benefit of society in general, as well as business itself. Customers and society have more exceptions for the corporations where the products they buy from. This sense has increased as results of recent corporate scandals, which reduced public trust of business corporations. And under the trend of globalization, the increasing influences of media can explode all the mistakes such as pollution, decimations of female workers, or something made by the corporations to the entire world. These force the business organizations to build a harmony relationship with the outside world Corporate social responsibility comes from its social power. Enterprises should be a two-way open system that is open to accept the information of society, and help public understanding its operation. Each activity, product and service of enterprises, must consider the social costs and benefits at the same time of considering cost-effectiveness because all the social costs linked to each activity, product and service should transfer to consumers ultimately. So the enterprises as legal persons should be the same as other individuals involved in resolving some of social problems beyond their normal range. The benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility To the business corporations, business ethics and social responsibility have became important factors to improve the competitiveness of enterprises, when the business leaders try to develop the company, they should not only focus on economic indicators such as revenues, turnover, profits but also the attentions to humanities index resources index and environmental indicators. Clark (2006) reports showed these companies which pay more attention to CSR have done better financially performance than all of the other companies. The CSR policy can enhance the reputation of a business corporation and improve the relationship between the community and them. The CSR programs can not only help a companys to earn a good reputation in the society, and improve revenues of their business actions (Afiya, 2005), CSR programs can actually improve the companys ability to achieve the goal of sustainable development. For example, if a company can use modern technology to achieve the goal of waste recycl ing, the operating cost may be reduced hugely(Clark, 2006). To the whole society, firstly, the business corporations fulfill their society responsibilities is good for solving the employment problems. Except through increasing investment to create more jobs, more importantly is to advocate the enterprises arrange labor force scientifically in order to avoid increasing the pressure of employment. The ISO8000 is an international authentication standard system which aims to ensure workers working conditions and environment, protecting their human rights. Many enterprises try get fulfill their social responsibilities to get to the standard of ISO8000 which help them to attract more labor resources. Secondly, to fulfill social responsibility help to protect natural resources and environment to achieve sustainable development. The enterprises as members of the society and the big consumers of the natural resources have unenviable responsibility for the sustainable development of the environment. By using technical innovations the enterprises can reduce the pollution caused by their production and decrease the consumption of the resources then save the resources. (Mele ´, D. 2008) Last by not the least, the CSR is a good method to ease the gap between the rich and poor. On the one hand, large and medium-sized enterprise could use their capital advantages, management advantages and human resource advantage of resources to invest in the poor area. The corporations can get new growth point of their business and help the poor area to solve the problems of poverty. On the other hand, the enterprises also can through charity to help the people of backward area in education, the development of social security and health care system The CSR practice of Sinopec group of China The Sinopec group of China is one of the largest state owned companies of China, functioning as a state-authorized investment organization in which the state holds the controlling share. Sinopecs business includes Sinopecs business includes oil and gas exploration, refining, and marketing; production and sales of petrochemicals, chemical fibers, chemical fertilizers, and other chemical products; storage and pipeline transportation of crude oil and natural gas; import, export and import/export agency business of crude oil, natural gas, refined oil products, petrochemicals, and other chemicals. Sinopec Group ranked the 7th in Fortune Global 500 in 2010.The Sinopec is considered as one of pillar enterprises of the Chinese national economy and a giant in the energy industry, so in the last several years, there are continuously pressure put on this company about how it is to carry out its social responsibilities as an state-owned and the most profitable company in China. In fact, the Sino pec group does implement some CSR initiatives to enhance its global image and reputation. Low-carbon development strategy The climate change is an urgent issue which is for all mankind today, how to protect the environment from human activities and pollution is especially important for those energy and petrochemical company. About the global issues of global warming Sinopec claims that they carry out low-carbon development by finding and using more low-carbon energy resources and promoting energy saving and consumption reduction. The Sinopec is both a large energy production firm and a large consumption firm. This company is active in developing low-carbon energy and improving the structure of the energy consumption. They have built up a comprehensive low-carbon business chain which covering RD, production and marketing. Meanwhile this company has taken planting trees to increase the carbon sink as a major way to fulfill its responsibility to protect the ecological environment and improving the conditions for the ordinary residents. Saving energy resourcrs is another immediate and effective way to reduce CO2 emission today. Because of great importance to energy saving, they try to develop into a resource-saving enterprise. During the last 5 years, while the production capacities kept growing, Sinopec got a good achievement in energy saving and consumption cut with more effective management, many modern and new technologies and equipments are used and more emphasis are put on energy saving in production process. According to reports in 2010, overall energy consumption of Sinopec went down by 3.8% and 0.8% respectively and saved 14.11 million tons of coals equivalent, equaling reducing 34.66 million tons of carbon dioxide emission. They also try efforts to spread information about the damages of climate change among workers, consumers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, calling for changes in mode of production, way of life and habit of consumption, and for stronger sense of social responsibility and keener awareness to protect the environment. When it comes to the issue of pollution, the energy producers like Sinopec are always accused for their pollution for the environment. They claim they have paid great efforts to making clean products and reducing the pollutant emission in consumption. Upgrading of gasoline and diesel quality is typically one of their efforts in this direction. From 2009 to 2010, Sinopec refining subsidiaries sped up development of gasoline upgrading plans and revamping of production facilities. By 1 May 2010, all automobile gasoline produced has met GB III standards or even higher. Given Sinopecs gasoline output in 2010, SO2 emission in consumption can be cut by 25,000 metric tons. But the waste in the energy industry is inevitable, they still need to pay more attention to the treatment of waste gas, waste water and industrial residue (three wastes), try their best to meet discharge standards of the government and mitigate their impact upon the environment to the minimum. By the end of 2010, they hav e completed desulfurization revamping of all 19 in-house power stations and 107 coal boilers. And we reduced SO2 emission by 204,000 metric tons, down by 35.7%. The circular is another important aspect, increasing resource efficiency and recycling, and promoting comprehensive utilization of byproducts, with the goal of low energy consumption, low emission and high efficiency. For example, flare gas recovering technology was applied. All flares were extinguished and more than 800,000 metric tons of gas can be recovered every year. Aid Those in Need, Help Those in Difficulty As one of the biggest company in China, the Sinopec still carry put some plans to help some poor areas in China. In 2010, they continue to follow the guidance of the central government about the development the rural poverty area, supporting the infrastructure construction, education development and industrial development in these areas, for example, Sinopec has invested RMB 100 million for poverty alleviation and disaster relief work in the four designated counties. During last several years, Sinopec has been paid great attention and engaged in constructing the Hope Schools which is a famous charity plan in China. It is aimed to help those poverty children have the chance to receive education in impoverished areas. Sinopec have have built 15 Hope Primary Schools in Anqing area which is in Anhui Province in the past four years. The total investment was about RMB 7.5 million. Care for employees The employees are the most important parts of a business organizations and care for the workers is an essential part of the CSR. By the end of 2010, Sinopec has 1.06 million employees in total, including 9,185 fresh university graduates joining Sinopec in 2010. They have a considerable number of employees who have worked for Sinopec for more than decades. Closely following the state labor policies, Sinopec signs labor contract with each employee, welcomes collective bargaining and offers stable and competitive salaries. Sinopec honors its legal obligations to maintain endowment insurance, health insurance, occupational injury insurance, unemployment insurance, and maternity insurance and housing provident funds for all employees. In 2010, the Company launched corporate annuity plan, a valuable addition to the mandatory pension scheme. Through the CSR activities above, the Sinopec earn a good reputation in China and the whole world. Through the activities of saving energy, help poverty people, this company improve their global image and do become the top business giant in the world. The Chinese government even awards the Sinopec with the title of China Corporate Social Responsibility Research Base and the Sinopec also become the most popular employer among job seekers in China. The Sinopec benefits the whole society and itself by fulfill its social responsibility. But there are still many critics about the Social Responsibilities of Sinopec. For example, as a state-owned enterprise, there are many scandals about the corruption cases of the managers. Conclusion It has to admit that, although the practice of CSR is still debated among the world. Proponents argue that there is a strong business case for CSR, in that corporations benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits. Critics argue that CSR distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others yet argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations. However everything has two sides. Though some people do not love the CSR policy, increasingly, corporations are motivated to become more socially responsible because their most important stakeholders expect them to understand and address the social and community issues that are relevant to them. I believe that the CSR policy will develop to everyones benefit.

U.S. Grant :: essays research papers

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant rose to command all the Federal armies in the Civil War. Ulysses Hiram Grant was born April 27, 1822, in a two room frame house at Point Pleasant, Ohio. His father, Jesse Root Grant, was foreman in a tannery. When Grant was one his parents moved to Georgetown where they had five more children there, two boys and three girls. At seventeen Grant was harvesting, and hauling wood. his father got him an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point that year. In spite of grants real middle name they used Grants', mothers' maiden name, Simpson. He made few friends at West Point due to being shy and quiet. Grant was in almost every battle of the Mexican War. This experience, he said, was of great value to him, because he became acquainted with nearly all the officers of the regular army. Some of them including the great soldier Robert E. Lee were to be on the Confederate side in the Civil War. Grant came back from Mexico a captain, with favorable mention. In the Mexican War Grant formed the habit of drinking. Grant spent two years on the Pacific coast and missed his second childs birth. His colonel asked for his resignation due to him drinking and wearing sloppy uniforms, and Grant borrowed money from him to return home. Julias father gave Grant 80 acres to farm, near St. Louis. Grant called the place Hardscrabble. Two more children were born and Grant couldnt support his growing family so Grant worked as a clerk, selling hides to saddle makers and cobbles. After Fort Sumter was fired on April 12, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call to arms. Within two weeks Grant was drilling volunteers in Galena, because, as he said, there was no one else to do the job, the gathering was completed and Grant left. A few weeks later the governor telegraphed him to come back and accept the rank of colonel because the men he had recruited had asked for him. Grant reached his headquarters at Cairo, Illinois, September 4, 1861. Grant then set to work t o prepare his men for a long, hard struggle. In February 1862 Grant advanced into Tennessee. While he was invading this fort, the Confederate general, Simon B. Buckner asked for a truce. This was the same officer who in had loaned Grant money to rejoin his family in 1858. U.S. Grant :: essays research papers Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant rose to command all the Federal armies in the Civil War. Ulysses Hiram Grant was born April 27, 1822, in a two room frame house at Point Pleasant, Ohio. His father, Jesse Root Grant, was foreman in a tannery. When Grant was one his parents moved to Georgetown where they had five more children there, two boys and three girls. At seventeen Grant was harvesting, and hauling wood. his father got him an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point that year. In spite of grants real middle name they used Grants', mothers' maiden name, Simpson. He made few friends at West Point due to being shy and quiet. Grant was in almost every battle of the Mexican War. This experience, he said, was of great value to him, because he became acquainted with nearly all the officers of the regular army. Some of them including the great soldier Robert E. Lee were to be on the Confederate side in the Civil War. Grant came back from Mexico a captain, with favorable mention. In the Mexican War Grant formed the habit of drinking. Grant spent two years on the Pacific coast and missed his second childs birth. His colonel asked for his resignation due to him drinking and wearing sloppy uniforms, and Grant borrowed money from him to return home. Julias father gave Grant 80 acres to farm, near St. Louis. Grant called the place Hardscrabble. Two more children were born and Grant couldnt support his growing family so Grant worked as a clerk, selling hides to saddle makers and cobbles. After Fort Sumter was fired on April 12, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call to arms. Within two weeks Grant was drilling volunteers in Galena, because, as he said, there was no one else to do the job, the gathering was completed and Grant left. A few weeks later the governor telegraphed him to come back and accept the rank of colonel because the men he had recruited had asked for him. Grant reached his headquarters at Cairo, Illinois, September 4, 1861. Grant then set to work t o prepare his men for a long, hard struggle. In February 1862 Grant advanced into Tennessee. While he was invading this fort, the Confederate general, Simon B. Buckner asked for a truce. This was the same officer who in had loaned Grant money to rejoin his family in 1858.

Essay --

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection provoked by a group of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that reside on the exterior of people’s skin and inside of the nose. This bacterium is typically innocuous; however, it can cause infections in various parts of the body because is resistant to a number of commonly used antibiotics which makes the infection extremely difficult to cure. MRSA has several symptoms including infectious skin, but sometimes it can cause serious infections inside of the body. To diagnose MRSA most commonly a lab test is done to the infected area of the skin, but depending on the patients symptoms a urine, sputum, or blood test can be done. Accordingly, MRSA is treatable with exiguous antibiotics that are still effective, depending on the severity of the infection and its location in the body. Continually, Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that lives in one’s body; nonetheless, it can be problematic if it gets inside of the body because it can cause an infection. MRSA can be spread from one person to another by skin to skin con... Essay -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection provoked by a group of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that reside on the exterior of people’s skin and inside of the nose. This bacterium is typically innocuous; however, it can cause infections in various parts of the body because is resistant to a number of commonly used antibiotics which makes the infection extremely difficult to cure. MRSA has several symptoms including infectious skin, but sometimes it can cause serious infections inside of the body. To diagnose MRSA most commonly a lab test is done to the infected area of the skin, but depending on the patients symptoms a urine, sputum, or blood test can be done. Accordingly, MRSA is treatable with exiguous antibiotics that are still effective, depending on the severity of the infection and its location in the body. Continually, Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that lives in one’s body; nonetheless, it can be problematic if it gets inside of the body because it can cause an infection. MRSA can be spread from one person to another by skin to skin con...

Innovative Human Resource Practices : Global Perspective.

Innovative Human Resource Practices : Global Perspective. â€Å"Any company that’s going to make it in the 1990’s and beyond has got to find a way to engage the mind of every single employee. If you are not thinking all the time about making every employee more valuable, you don’t have a chance. What’s the alternative? Wasted minds? Uninvolved people? A labour force that’s angry or bored? That doesn’t make sense. † – Jack Welch Positively correlated with the economic transition is the strengthening and diversification of human resource management practices, a break away from the more traditional, though extremely challenging fields of Personal Management and Industrial Relations. The maturity of various industries in India has also seen a maturity in the way the various players approach their human resource management. One excellent example is that of BPO Industry. In the beginning it was only meant to handle non-core activities like payroll management etc. ut as the industry-matured it saw the entry of various players coming-up with strategic core service support like NAD, RR&D etc. This led to a stronger focus on HRM. What is happening in India today is similar to the experiences of economically developed nations through several past decades; and will happen in least developed countries too, in times to come. Hence, it would be prudent to talk of modern human resource practices in a more general, i. e. , global framework. Of course, contextual peculiarities will only serve to enrich our knowledge pool. But the first thing we need to clear – both at a conceptual and at a terminological level – what we are looking for. The main task is to find a common definition of ‘innovative practices’, a definition that most of us could agree upon in order to avoid conflicting interpretations or misunderstandings, â€Å"Innovative practices are original, exemplary, successful, adaptable, new solutions gained from experience†. Undoubtedly, the â€Å"Innovative Practices† when considered are large in variety. They range from the introduction of new technologies to the assignment of new duties to the increase in competences, they test new organizational models, and they introduce innovative tools of social and political governance at a local level. Modern workplaces are extremely complex situations in which all the elements: the nature of the job, the characteristics of the employee, the structure of the organization/ organizational sub-unit as well as the methods and aims of supervision are extremely diverse and/or fluid. And, as a response, have emerged, a wide variety of innovative HR practices. The first element common is the need for innovation and experimentation, which are required in order to cope with the change in the sector as workforce around the world, has undergone a serious transformation. Changing demographic patterns, income levels, aspirations & expectations have given rise to a more demanding & aware work force. Let’s take the example of a BPO where in order to retain employees, industry is adopting new and innovative ways. The following example helps us to understand how the industry is attracting people. â€Å"MSR works for four days every week and gets to put her feet up for the rest of the week. MSR is part of a 20-member team at a leading BPO, WNS Global Services. While the company claimed every employee followed a five-day week, an insider said that the new four-day system has been introduced as a pilot project for an US insurance firm. The insurer apparently offers a similar option to its call centre employees in the US. Workers opting for the four-day system get a normal weekend off and another holiday mid-week. However, they have to work for 11 hours on normal workdays compared to nine hours that their colleagues following a usual week put in. The pay is no different either. MSR says that she finds this comfortable as she is in the office for most of the day or night. It does not make much of a difference if she stays on for another couple of hours making it 11 hours a day. But she is happy to have a full day off that gives her more time to be with her family. † Just like above mentioned example many BPOs are following various innovative practices in the form of new HR incentives. They have tried many incentives such as encouraging people to get their family to work in the same place or creating recreational opportunities. A senior professor of organizational behavior at XLRI, India observed that after a point, money would not matter and personal life becomes very important. Companies are trying to reduce the gap between official life and personal life. They are trying to take care of employees’ personal life as much as possible. That is why the employers are trying to make the organization a fun workplace, offering facilities like gym, sauna and games. Some companies also arrange to take care of errands such as paying electricity and telephone bills to help the employees reducing their personal work loads. Let’s look at some of the issues calling for more innovative human resource practices: 1. Technology, Change and Resistance to Change. Needless to say, one big player is Technology. Hard technology created alienation amongst workers and it continues to do so in softer avatars. The introduction of amazing new technologies have increased the speed at which other organizations will copy your best practices so it is necessary to speed up the rate of innovation in everything in business. In short, innovation is the last remaining competitive advantage in business — and HR and recruiting are not exempt from this fact. Perhaps this quote will illustrate the speed in which companies are required to innovate: â€Å"Innovation is what is at the foundation of the U. S. economy. Just to give you a simple example of my company†¦ about 90 percent of December revenue comes from products which were not there in January. That sort of innovation, which is a total turnover of our revenue every year, is indicative of what innovation means to us. You miss a cycle of innovation, your revenue disappears. † — Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel Witness the sustained employee- resistance, covert or overt, to technology introduction. In earlier decades, workers resisted mechanization for fear of job-loss. These days, computerization efforts are given the boot as it requires new learning. Again witness the very high implementation – failure rates of what were once thought of as panacea for all organizational ills: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. What actually failed was the proper integration of the Human layer with the Technological one. And now the flipside- Technology helps organizations co-ordinate the complex task of human resource management. Human Resource Management solutions (HRMS) are available in flexible, web- based modules like: — Employee Performance Management (including eAppraisal, Trainning & Development, Goal allocation & Tracking, Multi- Rater Feedback, Performance Linked Bonus etc. ). A lot of companies / HR consultants get custom software built for the purpose on Oracle, but the functionality is similar, which filters and web support etc. Some of the software that support various HR Functions are : Instant HR Software 2. 0. 94 (Manage human resources, personnel records, leave and benefits. , ERP Flex – HR 1 (Manage detailed information of your employees, various evaluations, and trainings. ), The Garuda Preference Profile 2. 1 (Analyze, describe, and measure essential competences, statistics and job-requirements. ) etc. — Human Capital Management including Employee Database (HRIS), Employee Self- Services, Payroll Manager, Online Compensation Planning etc. ) — eRecruitment ( incl uding Recruitment portal, Transfer Management etc. ) — Strategic HR Tools (including Organization Alignment, Succession Planning, Manpower Planning, Leadership Effectiveness Surveys, and Employee Satisfaction Surveys etc. 2. The Gen-Y gauntlet: ‘Challenge me; Develop me; Pay me’ All across the world, and especially in demographically young countries like India, the workforce has come to share certain common features: young age, high levels of intelligence as well as education, a comfortable upbringing, very high aspirational levels and high mobility ( not only physical but also emotional). Coupled these with a relative indifference towards hierarchy, bureaucracy, titles and bonuses and the HR manager has a serious retention and motivation problem at hand as these young people are different. Their motivation, their technical sophistication, and their demand for respect and responsibility are leaving many company executives to wonder: â€Å"What should we do with Generation Y? It’s clear that harnessing the power of these young people is an issue many companies have started to address. Generation Y is innovative and creative. They seek to make a difference and want to produce something worthwhile. Companies that don’t find a way to harness that energy very quickly are likely going to lose out. Generation Y is also impatient; they expect speed and change and won’t tolerate situations that don’t make sense to them. Technology advancements are in part responsible for the generation’s sense of urgency. This generation is connected 24/7. Their exuberant, impatient style may be frustrating to older executives who dismiss Generation Y as inexperienced. At work, Generation Y thrives on flexibility, having space to explore, and the opportunity to pursue new challenges. They expect to be respected for their ideas and insights from Day One, and they think face time and corporate politics are a waste of time. They’d also like to stay with one company – if that company offers them ongoing opportunities to grow and learn new things. So HR practitioners should adopt some practical steps to consider toward change. Start by determining the company’s need for Generation Y talent over the next three to five years, and don’t forget to anticipate the retirement of Baby Boomers or the shortage of Generation Xers. Try to assess the workplace relative to what Generation Yers want: long-term career development, multiple experiences within a single company, flexibility, sense of purpose and meaning in work, respect, and open communication. Finally, develop a generational change plan with the support of senior leaders in the company and pay particular attention to communicating the plan’s purpose and details so that people feel comfortable with the changes. 3. The ‘Creating a Great Place to Work’ Contest. Yes. Like Reality Shows on TV, this new contest has also entered HRM- space in India. Every self – respecting organization wants to be on the bandwagon (or at least seen to be on it). HR managers take this issue seriously as the quality of the workplace impacts directly on issues of customer service and productivity. The connection to customer service has been shown in numerous studies. A famous 1998 study published in the Harvard Business Review article â€Å"The Employee-Customer-Profit Chain at Sears† showed that an increase in employee satisfaction at a store resulted in an increase in customer satisfaction, which in turn resulted in higher profitability for the store. There have been similar studies in the hospital industry, showing that improvements in workplace environments result in better patient satisfaction. A Financial Services & Insurance / Morgan Stanley company of United States takes care of its work environment in order to increase productivity and retain employees. Employees at this investment bank are cared for with benefits that include two on-site restaurants, two health clubs, a medical clinic, dry cleaner, and back-up child care services – one of many initiatives set-up to promote better work/life balance. But what really keeps employees here is the sense among them that they are all seen as people first, not just employees. Phrases such as â€Å"we hire nice people†, and â€Å"talent is more important than specific skill† indicate that managers at Morgan Stanley are willing to invest in people to help them grow and learn, and thus create a career for themselves. This is not the only company there are various company all over the world which are focusing on this very issue of work life. Witness the following initiatives: Sasken’s ‘People First’ policy: shifting focus from consumer to employees; Marriott Hotels’ ‘Guarantee of Fair Treatment’ (GIFT); SCOPE’s (Standard Chartered Operations Co. ‘Switch Jobs Without Quitting’ (SJWQ); Godrej Consumer Products’ Policy on Sexual Harassment (POSH); Sapient Community Outreach Programme (SAPPORT); Sasken’s ‘Hibernation Leave’ concept etc. Thus organization need to understand that mere talk about creating a â€Å"customer- centric† organization is not enough y ou need to provide a working example of how it’s done. Now that we have seen few issues which are very important in today’s scenario to be taken care of let us see few examples of the companies that are following innovative practices in their organizations. The below mentioned examples give a view that companies are following across the world innovative practices that can help them to retain, develop and motivate their people. 7 creative ways that leading companies use to maximize the power of people. 1. Support and Accountability for New recruits at Trilogy Software Trilogy Software, inc among the world’s largest privately held software companies pushes the responsibility of grooming new hires into the organization on their sponsors. As a result, if the new hires make the grade, the sponsors are paid $ 1,000 bonus. If the new hires fail, the sponsors are required to pay $4,000. As most sponsors hold stock options worth millions of dollars so the penalisation does not mean much to them. However, what happens is those who fail examine why their recruit failed and take steps to avoid those mistakes. 2. Jeff Taylor, Founder and CEO of Monster on the importance of having a good time with employees. â€Å"We have a full breakfast bar at our company. We bring in 500 bagels and fresh cut fruit in the morning. We have a gym with a trainer. We have parties once a quarter, where we invite the employees to come and have a good time. † 3. Practice what CEO of SAS, Dr. James Goodnight calls â€Å"Management by Loitering† â€Å"It’s just to be seen walking around and talking to people, and finding out what they’re working on and basically being approachable. You know a lot of things that don’t really come up through the management ranks and some times you find out some very interesting things that people are working on. . 4. Larry Page on automating Performance Tracking at Google. â€Å"We did a simple thing that in retrospect was brilliant: We wrote a program that asks every engineer what they did every week. It sends them an email on Monday, and concatenates the emails together in a document that everyone can read. And it then sends that out to everyone and shames those who did not answer by putting him or her on the top of the list. It has run reliably every week since we started, so forever week of our company’s history we have a record of what everyone did. It’s good for performance reviews, and if you’re joining a project team, in five minutes you can read what your team members did last week or months. † 5. Andy Taylor, Enterprise Rent a Car on Relentless Customer Focus â€Å"So we decided that we had to add some metrics to our customer satisfaction. We created a measurement called ESQi, which is the Enterprise Service Quality index. It’s a statistically valid sample of customers’ opinions taken monthly, at every one of our branches. The customer gets called seven to ten days following the close of the rental. We have an outside company to collect the data, and there are basically two questions. The first asks about the customer’s satisfaction level, with five answers ranging from â€Å"completely satisfied† to â€Å"completely dissatisfied†, and the second asks how likely he would be to return to Enterprise. Beginning in 1996 we told all employees, if you’re not at corporate average or above on your ESQi, your not getting promoted. And all of a sudden, customer satisfaction went to the top of the list. The ESQi has given us a greater sense of urgency and I would consider that the greatest change that has occurred here. The process enables us to go from being a nearly $2 billion business in 1994 to a $7 billion-plus business today. † 6. Staying in touch at Walmart â€Å"At retail giant Walmart, every Monday, members of the senior executive team head out to Walmart stores around the world, where they talk with managers, employees and customers. To ensure that they get a complete picture, they also pay a few visits to competitor’s stores. On Thursday evening, they return to corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, armed with new insights about the market and their people. There, they discuss what they’ve seen and heard, thus allowing the organization to modify its strategies. On Saturday thousands of store managers participate in a videoconference and the senior team shares their observations and provides direction for the coming week. Come Monday, They’re on the road again. 7. Take Employee Feedback like IBM IBM held a three-day discussion via the corporate intranet to debate and discuss about the company’s values, the nature of the organisation and what it stood for. The forum dubbed â€Å"ValuesJam† attracted about 50,000 of IBM’s employees and elicited about 10,000 comments about the proposed values. Thus we can see how little innovation in your practices can enhance not only your employee performance but also your organization performance. Basics are always the same, the only thing we can do is bring or use innovative ways to improve your working and efficiency of your employees. References http://www. deloitte. com/dtt/cda/doc/content/us_consulting_hc_dbrief_150606. pdf http://www. specht. com. au/michael/2007/05/16/gen-y-in-the-workforce/ http://resources. greatplacetowork. com/article/pdf/levering_web. pdf http://www. citehr. com AUTHOR – SHALIKA GRACE PHILLIPS, ASSISTANT POFESSOR, LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY, BAREILLY.