Statistics for managers individual work wk9 Coursework

Statistics for managers individual work wk9 - Coursework Example The high prices houses are said to be determined by the number of bedrooms, the age of the house, and the number of the bathrooms and their quality. The closeness to the cosmopolitan cities and the shabby (Byers et al 1997). The average selling prices of the houses in USA is also determined by other factor like the prestige associated by the locality of the house. A survey conducted on the Public opinion polls measure not only acceptance of the selling prices of the houses in USA by the citizens, but also public opinion on a wide range of social and economic issues that attribute to the prices of the houses. Public opinion is a critical force in shaping and transforming society most on the matter that influence and affect the public in general. Through opinion research, the public, the media and other interested groups have access to accurate measures of public attitudes and intentions on the issue of the selling prices of the houses. Sociologists can follow shifts of opinion on the major social problems and chart the evolution of the values. And citizens can now make themselves be heard at all times and compare their own view with those of others (Byers et al 1997). There seems to be two groups of academic researchers, in which one continues to support the high selling prices of the houses in USA and its positive impact to the economy, they believe that the main purposes of investment in real estate business is to improve real economic value. It is also agreed that housing leads to improvement in productivity, innovation, and job creation in every field of economy (Kraemer and Dedrick 1996; Agarwal, 1997; Shin 1999; Gray et al, 2000; Lee & Bose 2002; Laudon and Laudon, 2011; and Gecti and Dastan, 2013). The other group criticizes the bad impact of high selling prices of the houses on ecomony and the fact that high selling prices lead to development of low house quality leading to

How international relations affects some area of interest to you. One Assignment

How international relations affects some area of interest to you. One way to approach this is to write about your proposed course of study, major or future career - Assignment Example With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main actors who try to shape the policy of transitional countries are European Union and Russia. In this context, the reflection of this uncertainty on domestic Ukrainian policy is evident. In particular, from the very appearance of independent Ukraine the ideas of either getting closer to Russian Federation or entering European Union struggle with each other within Ukrainian society. In addition, radical changes of the ideological representation within Ukraine’s executive and legislative branches are closely linked to the preferences of this country in its foreign policy. In the given circumstances, the clear position of Ukrainian society is even not visible. Thus, the comprehension of Ukrainian internal situation is impossible without the investigation of balance of powers between Russia and the EU, clarifying the dynamics of both Russian and European policies towards Ukraine, and characterizing the reflection of these international attitudes in Ukrainian internal environment. Consequently, in a given essay it becomes evident that Ukrainian society lives under the rules defined not in independent manner but by international context, because throughout the years its government has represented uncertainty in this dual choice concerning the direction of foreign policy. To start with, contemporary state of international relations is an outcome of Cold War era, as ideological struggle between modern Russia and Western world (in particular, the EU and USA) still exists. In the recent history of European region, the key manifestations of this rivalry appeared when transitional countries entered either European Union (like Baltic countries) or established by Russia Eurasian Customs Union (like Belarus) (Freedman 8). After the decision of Poland on joining the EU, Ukraine turned into the border country between these two ideological camps due to its geographical position. In this context, an

Hispanic Americans in the United States Essay Example for Free

Hispanic Americans in the United States Essay Abstract Over the past several decades, the United States has become a much more diverse country. Immigration from most if not all countries throughout the world are the reason for this. A large portion of the immigrants that make up our country are Hispanics. Hispanics aren’t just made up of one group of people, but rather several groups from different countries of the world including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Central America, and South America. They differ in many ways from one another including but not limited to their method of entry into the United States, the color of their skin, traditions, culture, political background, musical trends, and lifestyle. In many ways, Hispanics are disadvantaged from non-Hispanic whites. This has been the way since they first came to the United States. If it wasn’t for the color of their skin and for some of them, their dialect or language, they may not be subject to the prejudice and discrimination they encounter on a daily basis. HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 3 Hispanic Americans in the United States A large portion of the population in the United States is made up of immigrants. Many of those immigrants are of Hispanic origin. Hispanic Americans make up several groups of people. Each of the different groups have a set of their own traditions and their cultures vary slightly and sometimes very significantly. Americans tend to group all Hispanics into one group and forget that not all of them came from one country, but rather several countries. Entering the United States Mexican Americans Throughout most of our history, Mexicans have entered the United States voluntarily. The American Southwest was previously part of Mexico until they lost it to the United States after the Mexican War (Marger, 2012). The Mexicans that inhabited those areas were then incorporated into the United States (Marger, 2012). Puerto Rican Americans Puerto Ricans didn’t come to the United States by force, nor voluntarily. The United States gained Puerto Rico as part of its territory after the Spanish-American War and those on the island were automatically given American citizenship (Marger, 2012). Puerto Ricans were then able to come and go freely as they chose, just as American citizens are able to go from state to state. Cuban Americans Cubans have recently come to the United States voluntarily similar to the Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. Their motive for migrating to the United States though was for political reasons rather than economic reasons like the Mexicans and Puerto Ricans (Marger, 2012). When the HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 4 Cubans came to the United States, they tended to be more educated and more prepared to begin an occupation than most other foreign immigrants (Marger, 2012). Central Americans Many of the Central American immigrants have come to the United States as political refugees (Marger, 2012). Most have come voluntarily like many of the Hispanic migrants have. Another large reason for Central Americans migrating to the United States was for economic opportunities (Marger, 2012). Hispanics and Music About Latin Music Latin music first developed in different Latin American countries, mainly Cuba and it is originally derived from African religious ceremonies (Revels-Bay). Latin music is a unique kind of music and it has a unique rhythmic structure when compared to American music (Revels-Bay). American music can be considered by most people to be Rock and Roll. Latin music is typically viewed as dance music. It has a lot of rhythm which is highly syncopated (Revels-Bay). Latin music, like American music includes many instruments. American music tends to be more on the beat than Latin music. Latin music also uses more percussion instruments than American music and it includes several different string instruments. Some of the string instruments include timbales, congas, congo, guitar and the Cuban guitar (Revels-Bay). Over the years, the bass, trumpets, trombones and woodwinds were added to play melodies and repetitions of sound and the piano replaced the guitar (Revels-Bay). Latin Music Gaining Popularity The motivations underlying the boom of Latino music have brought possibilities for economic gain and increase the visibility of Latin Americans within the United States (Cepeda). HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 5 Two Latin Americans who have brought Latin music to America are Emilio and Gloria Estefan. They have hits in the United States and also have Crescent Moon Studios. Crescent Moon Studios are a Mimi-based Sony affiliate that grosses 200 million dollars yearly (Cepeda). Their Crescent Moon Studios are also a reason for the popular building of the Latino music in the media industry in the United States. Gloria and Emilio Estefan are two very successful Hispanic Americans. There are several famous musical artists but because of their race, it is harder for them to be accepted into the musical industry. The number of Hispanic Americans who have been successful making music is relatively small when compared to the number of non-Hispanic musical artists. There have been several popular Latin musical artists who have brought new meaning to Latin music in the United States. Some examples are Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. They keep a lot of the Latin culture in the Latin-American music, but they â€Å"Americanize† it in a sense and the language used is English. This has helped to integrate one part of the Hispanic cultures into today’s American society. Hispanic American Families Family Structure Traditionally in the Hispanic culture, the father or the oldest male in the family holds the greatest amount of authority over the family and women typically show submission (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The responsibilities tend to be shared among the members of the family. When compared to the non-Hispanic whites, many of the households are similar. Although, throughout the years, the father or oldest male is no longer always the authority holder in the home. Instead, the mother and father hold equal amounts of authority. HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 6 The household size of Hispanic American families is larger than other American families. The average size of a Hispanic household is 3. 47 people and for the rest of the population, the average is 2. 62 people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Family Values Family is an important part in most Hispanic American’s lives. Family is a large reason for immigration for many of them. They may have family ties here who they wish to move closer to or they may be moving here to provide a better life for their family. The extended family of Hispanic Americans plays a major role in each family member’s life (Moitinho). They tend to have strong bonds and a lot of interaction among much of the family and extended family. In many households, parents, grandparents and children live in the same home or live nearby (Moitinho). Among most Hispanic families, faith and church are a lot times central to their family and community life. Most Hispanic homes have a religious object and most attend a religious service once a month or more (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Single Parent versus Two Parent Families. In the United States, 70% of Hispanic children live in two parent homes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Single parent families among Mexican Americans have grown from 14% in 1980 to 22% in 2001 (Zeiders, Roosa, Yuntein, 2011). Children who live in a single parent home tend to be at greater risk than children in two parent homes for academic and conduct problems, substance abuse and depression (Zeiders, Roosa Yuntein, 2011). This may be due to the fact that there is a lack of financial resources for some of the single parent families versus the two parent families who may have a double income. Although there are some studies HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 7 that show Latino children in single parent homes are more likely to have negative outcomes, there are also some studies that show they are not (Zeiders, Roosa Yuntein, 2011). Marriage Patterns In the United States, Mexican American females are most likely to be married and non-hispanic blacks are the least likely (Landale, Oropesa, Bradatan, 2006). Among some of the Hispanic races in the United States, 4% of Cuban females and 38% of Puerto Rican females aged 20-24 are married (Landale, Oropesa, Bradatan, 2006). Fitting In Over recent decades, Hispanic Americans have adapted to more of the â€Å"Americanized† way of living. Many of them dress alike, eat American food, go to college, etc. They have assimilated somewhat, but are far from being fully assimilated. They may never actually be fully assimilated into American society. One main reason is their race. It has typically been shown throughout history that races made up of white people are able to assimilate much easier than those with different skin colors. Conclusion Hispanics have come from several different countries and even look dissimilar from each other but are still each identified as Hispanics. Throughout the years, Hispanics have adapted to the American way of living and continue to do so. The only thing separating many Hispanics from non-ethnic whites is the color of their skin. As a whole, Hispanics have assimilated in many ways but they will probably never be fully assimilated. Instead, they may be working towards full acculturation. HISPANIC AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES 8 References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www. cdc. gov/ /Audience/AudienceInsight_CulturalInsights. pdf Cepeda, M. E. Mucholoco for ricky martin; or the politics of chronology, crossover, and language within the latino music boom. Popular music and society, 55-67. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from Ebscohost. Landale, N. S. , Oropesa, R. S. , Bradatan, C. (2006). Hispanic families in the United States: Family structure and process in an era of family change. In Hispanics and the future of America. Retrieved November 14, 2013 from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/books/NBK19902/ Marger, M. N. (2012). Race and ethnic relations American and global perspectives (9th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Moitinho, E. (n. d. ). Hispanic culture 101. In American association of christian counselors. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www. aacc. net/2012/09/21/hispanic-culture-101-increase-your-hispaniclatinocultura l-iq/ Revels-Bey, N. (n. d. ). History of Latin music. In Revels-Bay Music. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www. revels-bey. com/history_of_latin_music. htm Zeiders, K. H. , Roosa, M. W. , Yuntein, J. (2011). Family structure and family processes in mexican-american families. Family process, 70-91. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from Ebscohost.

Changing Issues in Human Resource Management (HRM)

Changing Issues in Human Resource Management (HRM) Human Resource Management (HRM) is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goals of each are met. It is that part of the management process which is concerned with the management of human resources in an organization. It tries to secure the best from people by winning their wholehearted cooperation. In short, it may be defined as the art of procuring, developing and maintaining competent workforce to achieve the goals of an organization in an effective and efficient manner. Todays organizations are facing challenges upon following levels: Environmental Challenges Organizational Challenges Individual Challenges Environmental Challenges Most organizations face external contexts that are complex, dynamic and increasingly global. This makes the context increasingly difficult to interpret. To cope with often incomplete and ambiguous contextual data, and to increase their understanding of the general external context, organizations engage in a process called external environmental analysis. All managers, including HR managers, need to be aware of the importance of scanning the external context in a systematic way. A number of models exist that can help managers in analysing the external environment. Such models provide a framework to identify external opportunities and threats. Opportunities arise when an organization can take advantage of conditions in its external environment to formulate and implement strategies that enable it to improve performance. Threats arise when conditions in the external environment endanger the integrity of the organizations activities. As shown in Exhibit 1 an organizations external environment has two major parts: Macroenvironment Industry The macro environment is composed of social, economic, political and technological elements in the broader society that can influence an industry and the organizations within it. The industry environment is the set of factors that directly influences an organization and its actions and responses. Managers have to analyse competitive forces in an industrys environment in order to identify the opportunities and threats confronting an organization. Environmental challenges refer to forces external to the firm that are largely beyond managements control but influence organizational performance. The important environmental challenges today are: Globalization, Economy Work force diversity, Technology Evolving work and family roles, Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector Each of these are discussed in the subsequent section Globalization Globalization is not a recent phenomenon. Some analysts have argued that the world economy was just a globalized 100 years ago as it is today. Yet the term is used since the 1980s, reflecting technological advances that have made it easier and quicker to complete international transactions, both trade and financial flows. The most striking aspect of this has been the integration of financial markets made possible by modern electronic communication. integration of business activities across geographical and organizational boundaries. The capacity to treat the world as one market whileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦dealing with many culturally diverse merchants. the process by which markets expands to include competitors for customers and productive inputs without regard to national boundaries. doing business with a worldwide focusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ rather than doing business in an international market with the focus from a home-country viewpoint. Many companies are already being compelled to think globally, something that doesnt come easily to firms long accustomed to doing business in a large and expanding domestic market with minimal foreign competition. Weak response to international competition may be resulting in upwards layoffs in every year. Human resources can play a critical role in a businesss ability to compete head-to-head with foreign producers. The implications of a global economy on human resource management are many. Globalization has increased the importance of HRM in organization. It has led to the development of many new areas of HR activity such as; the transfer of work to different geographical locations, either to outsourced providers or on a global in-sourcing basis; the e-enablement of many HR process; greater sophistication in the HR information technology, new structures for international HR functions; greater competition for talented staff at all levels of organization. In particular, there has been a very strong marketing, corporate communication and IT influence on the HR function. The HR function is realigning itself in response to this process of cross-function globalization (building new alliances with these functions) creating new activity streams and new roles and skills required of the HR function (Sparrow, Brewster and Harris, 2004). Economy Several changes in the economy have important implications for human resource management, these include the changing structure of the economy, the development of e-business, and more growth in professional and service occupations. Growth in these occupations means that skill demands for jobs have changed, with knowledge becoming more valuable. Not only have skill demands changed, but remaining competitive in a global economy requires demanding work hours and changes in traditional employment patterns. The creation of new jobs, aging employees leaving the workforce, slow population growth, and a lack of employees who have the skills needed to perform the jobs in greatest demand means that demand for employees will exceed supply. This has created a war for talent that has increased the attention companies pay to attracting and retaining human resources. Technology The world has never before seen such rapid technological changes as are presently occurring in the computer and telecommunications industries. One estimate is that technological change is occurring so rapidly that individuals may have to change their entire skills three or four times in their career. The advances being made, affect every area of a business including human resource management. Workforce Diversity According to Thomas (1992), dimensions of workforce diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience. Many companies are now realizing the advantages of a diverse workplace. As more and more companies are going global in their market expansions either physically or virtually (for example, E-commerce-related companies), there is a necessity to employ diverse talents to understand the various niches of the market. For example, when China was opening up its markets and exporting their products globally in the late 1980s, the Chinese companies (such as Chinas electronic giants such as Haier) were seeking the marketing expertise of Singaporeans. This is because Singapores marketing talents were able to understand the local China markets relatively well (almost 75% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent) and as well as being attuned to the markets in the West due to Singapores open economic policies and English language abilities. (Toh, R, 1993) With this trend in place, a HR Manager must be able to organize the pool of diverse talents strategically for the organization. He/She must consider how a diverse workforce can enable the company to attain new markets and other organizational goals in order to harness the full potential of workplace diversity. Evolving Work and Family Roles The proportion of dual-career families, in which both wife and husband (or both members of a couple) work, is increasing every year. Unfortunately, women face the double burden of working at home and on the job, devoting 42 hours per week on average to the office and an additional 30 hours at home to children. This compares to 43 hours spent working in the office and only 12 hours at home for men. More and more companies are introducing family-friendly programs that give them a competitive advantage in the labor market. These programs are HR policies that companies use to hire and retain the best-qualified employees, male or female, and they are very likely to payoff. For instance, among the well known organizations / firms, half of all recruits are women, but only 5% of senior management are women. Major talent is being wasted as many women drop out after lengthy training because they have decided that the demanding 10- to 12-year management track requires a total sacrifice of famil y life. These firms have started to change their policies and are already seeing gains as a result. Different companies have recently begun offering child-care services as well to facilitate women workers as well as are introducing alternative scheduling to allow employees some flexibility in their work hours. Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector Expansion of service-sector employment is linked to a number of factors, including changes in consumer tastes and preferences, legal and regulatory changes, advances in science and technology that have eliminated many manufacturing jobs, and changes in the way businesses are organized and managed. Service, technical, and managerial positions that require college degrees will make up half of all manufacturing and service jobs. Unfortunately, most available workers will be too unskilled to fill those jobs. Even now, many companies complain that the supply of skilled labor is dwindling and that they must provide their employees with basic training to make up for the shortcomings of the public education system. To rectify these shortcomings, companies currently spend large amount year on a wide variety of training programs. ii. Organizational Challenges Organizational challenges refer to concerns that are internal to the firm. However, they are often a byproduct of environmental forces because no firm operates in a vacuum. Still, managers can usually exert much more control over organizational challenges than over environmental challenges. Effective managers spot organizational issues and deal with them before they become major problems. Only managers who are well informed about important HR issues and organizational challenges can do this. These challenges include the need for a competitive position and flexibility, the problems of downsizing and organizational restructuring, the use of self-managed work teams, the need to create a strong organizational culture, the role of technology, and the rise of outsourcing. An organization will outperform its competitors if it effectively utilizes its work forces unique combination of skills and abilities to exploit environmental opportunities and neutralize threats. HR policies can influence an organizations competitive position by a) Controlling costs, b) Improving quality, c) Creating distinctive capabilities and d) Restructuring a) Controlling costs One way for a firm to gain a competitive advantage is to maintain low costs and a strong cash flow. A compensation system that uses innovative reward strategies to control labor costs can help the organization grow. A well-designed compensation system rewards employees for behaviors that benefit the company. Other factors besides compensation policies can enhance a firms competitiveness by keeping labor costs under control. These include: better employee selection so that workers are more likely to stay with the company and to perform better while they are there, training employees to make them more efficient and productive; attaining harmonious labor relations; effectively managing health and safety issues in the workplace and structuring work to reduce the time and resources needed to design, produce, and deliver products or services b) Improving quality. The second way to gain a competitive advantage is to engage in continuous quality improvement. Many companies are implementing total quality management (TQM) initiatives, which are programs designed to improve the quality of all the processes that lead to a final product or service. In a TQM program, every aspect of the organization is oriented toward providing a quality product or service. c) Creating Distinctive Capabilities The third way to gain a competitive advantage is to utilize people with distinctive capabilities to create unsurpassed competence in a particular area (for example, 3Ms competence in adhesives, and Xeroxs dominance of the photocopier market). d) Restructuring A number of firms are changing the way the functions are performed. The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic transformation in how firms are structured. Tall organizations that had many management levels are becoming flatter as companies reduce the number of people between the chief executive officer (CEO) and the lowest-ranking production employee in an effort to become more competitive. This transformation has had enormous implications for the effective utilization of human resources. Since the late 1980s, many companies have instituted massive layoffs of middle managers, whose traditional role of planning, organizing, implementing, and controlling has come to be equated with the kind of cumbersome bureaucracy that prevents businesses from responding to market forces. It is estimated that two thirds of the jobs eliminated in the 1990s were supervisory/middle management jobs. New relationships among firms are also fostering hybrid organizational structures and the blending of firms with diverse histories and labor forces. Mergers and acquisitions, in which formerly independent organizations come together as a single entity, represent two important sources of restructuring. A newer and rapidly growing form of inter organizational bonding comes in the form of joint ventures, alliances, and collaborations among firms that remain independent, yet work together on specific products to spread costs and risks. To be successful, organizational restructuring requires effective management of human resources. For instance, flattening the organization requires careful examination of staffing demands, workflows, communication channels, training needs, and so on. Likewise, mergers and other forms of inter organizational relations require the successful blending of dissimilar organizational structures, management practices, technical expertise, and so forth iii. Individual Challenges Human resource issues at the individual level address the decisions most pertinent to specific employees. These individual challenges almost always reflect what is happening in the larger organization. For instance, technology affects individual productivity; it also has ethical ramifications in terms of how information is used to make HR decisions (for example, use of credit or medical history data to decide whom to hire). How the company treats its individual employees is also likely to affect the organizational challenges we discussed earlier. For example, if many key employees leave the firm to join competitors, the organizations competitive position is likely to be affected. In other words, there is a two-way relationship between organizational and individual challenges. This is unlike the relationship between environmental and organizational challenges, in which the relationship goes only one way few organizations can have much impact on the environment. The most important indi vidual challenges today involve, productivity, empowerment, brain drain, job security and matching people and organizations. Productivity Productivity is a measure of how much value individual employees add to the goods or services that the organization produces. The greater the output per individual, the higher the organizations productivity. Two important factors that affect individual productivity are ability and motivation. Employee ability, competence in performing a job, can be improved through a hiring and placement process that selects the best individuals for the job. It can also be improved through training and career development programs designed to sharpen employees skills and prepare them for additional responsibilities. Motivation refers to a persons desire to do the best possible job or to exert the maximum effort to perform assigned tasks. Motivation energizes, directs, and sustains human behavior. A growing number of companies recognize that employees are more likely to choose a firm and stay there if they believe that it offers a high quality of work life (QWL). Empowerment In recent years many firms have reduced employee dependence on superiors and placed more emphasis on individual control over (and responsibility for) the work that needs to be done. This process has been labeled empowerment because it transfers direction from an external source (normally the immediate supervisor) to an internal source (the individuals own desire to do well). In essence, the process of empowerment entails providing workers with the skills and authority to make decisions that would traditionally be made by managers. The goal of empowerment is an organization consisting of enthusiastic, committed people who perform their work ably because they believe in it and enjoys doing it (internal control). This situation is in stark contrast to an organization that gets people to work as an act of compliance to avoid punishment (for example, being fired) or to qualify for a paycheck (external control). Work Time Flextime the practice of permitting employees to choose, with certain limitations, their own working hours. Compressed Workweek-any arrangement of work hours that permits employees to fulfill their work obligation in fewer days than the typical five-day workweek. This approach adds many highly qualified individuals to the labor market by permitting both employment and family needs to be addressed. Workplace flexibility is expected to be on the rise as the future workplace, the virtual office is characterized by creative and flexible work arrangements. As more employees work off-site-up to two thirds of an organization in the 21st century there will be an increase in emphasis on performance and results as opposed to the number of hours worked. In addition, off-site employees can expect to attend fewer meetings. Specified work will become much more collaborative and management will spend nearly all its time managing cross-functional work teams who enjoy a lot of autonomy Quality of Work Life (QWL) High quality of work life is related to job satisfaction, which in turn is a strong predictor of absenteeism and turnover. A firms investments in improving the quality of work life also payoff in the form of better customer service. High employment rate, low inflation and Steady economic growth provide opportunity and rising living standards. Technological advance has enabled the worlds population to grow with improved living standards for most. Brain Drain With organizational success more and more dependent on knowledge held by specific employees, companies are becoming more susceptible to brain drain-the loss of intellectual property that results when competitors lure away key employees. High-Tec firms are particularly vulnerable to this problem. Such important industries as semiconductors and electronics suffer from high employee turnover as key employees, inspired by the potential for huge profits, leave established firms to start their own businesses. This brain drain can negatively affect innovation and cause major delays in the introduction of new products. To make matters worse, departing employees, particularly those in upper management, can wreak considerable havoc by taking other talent with them when they leave. To combat the problem of defection to competitors, some firms are crafting elaborate ant defection devices. For example, Compaq computer has introduced a policy that revokes bonuses and other benefits to key executiv es if they take other employees with them when they quit. Micron Technology staggers key employees bonuses; they lose un-awarded portions when they leave. Matching People and Organizations HR strategies contribute to firm performance most when the firm uses these strategies to attract and retain the type of employee who best fits the firms culture and overall business objectives. For example, one study showed that the competencies and personality characteristics of top executives could hamper or improve firm performance, depending on what the firms business strategies are. Fast-growth firms perform better with managers who have a strong marketing and sales background, who are willing to take risks, and who have a high tolerance for ambiguity. However, these managerial traits actually reduce the performance of mature firms that have an established product and are more interested in maintaining (rather than expanding) their market share. Other research has shown that small high-tech firms benefit by hiring employees who are willing to work in an atmosphere of high uncertainty, low pay, and rapid change in exchange for greater intrinsic satisfaction and the financial oppo rtunities associated with a risky but potentially very lucrative product launch CHALLENGES FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS Issues facing HR are expected to change dramatically in the next decades. HR programs and the HR function have increased pressure to relate to the business strategy and show a return on investment. Customer focus needs to be included in all HRM practices. New technology combined with economic uncertainty will mean that administrative and transactional HR activities will be delivered via technology creating less need for HR professionals to provide these activities. Thus, HR professionals must play special roles in dealing with these changes and must develop specific competencies to support these roles. Employee Engagement Products and process alone cant help organizations to sustain loyal customers. They also need highly-motivated, dedicated and involved employees who are very passionate about their work and their organization; in short, they need engaged employees. But, nurturing engaged employees requires a lot of effort and skill on the part of HR managers and calls for a different HR philosophy in the organization. We need employee engagement to serve as a core competency of an organization that would provide sustainable competitive advantage. We know employee engagement towards their work, throw few test symptoms, i.e., feeling of creating value, having a direction to follow, an air of trust, creating engaged employees through top management endorsement, a work environment to cherish, innovative leadership and clear growth trajectories, one step up from commitment. Employee engagement is the new buzzword. A successful business is directly linked to the commitment of its employees. Employee engagement ensures the successful execution of any business strategy. Talent Management One of HRs most challenging jobs now involves managing talent. Much has changed in recent years to make this an increasingly critical area for HR. Among the issues that have made the talent management job more difficult are: frequent restructuring, a growing reliance on outside hiring, flatter organizations with fewer growth options, a tighter job market (at least in the long term), the aging workforce and the decline of clear career paths, as we mentioned above that it create a big challenge before the HR. In order to retain its most valuable stakeholders, an organization must find innovative ways to continually recruit its own employees. Retaining top quality talent is an enormous challenge facing corporations today and it is duty of HR to cope with it. In order to build effective retention and deployment strategies, companies must maintain visibility into and communication with their employees. An organizations capacity to hire, develop and retain talent is the most crucial business process as there is a definite correlation between intangible assets and market capitalization, according to the protagonists of talent management. It is due to these intrinsic intangible values that some companies are perceived as more valuable than others. Managing Virtual Human Resources Change in technology results in a change in the structure, design and environment of an organization Organizations today operate in a workspace, which is much more broadly defined, than it was earlier. Connectivity within and outside the organizations, creates a world of virtual organizations. A virtual company is usually a highly networked organization that extensively contracts out activities that were once performed in-house, allowing both speed and flexibility. The key to success in a virtual corporation is connectivity, i.e., the ability to network with a large number of independent companies. In essence, there will be a movement, a trend towards a decentralized model of HR. HR managers will have to accommodate employees in their virtual work locations and find ways to manage corporate culture, socialization and employee orientation. In order to obtain and maintain a competent workforce, they must act as organizational performance experts and shape employees behavior without face to face meetings. HR Issues and Cross Cultural Management Another expected change in HR is the Global Business concept world trade knew a major growth during the last years and there is forecasted as well the growth of international businesses, especially among small firms. Organization rely more and more organization HR specialists as the facilitators of work across borders and among different cultures. Therefore, they must be knowledgeable of other cultures, languages and business practices. They will be required to develop and manage an international workforce, maintain written and unwritten corporate polices for transportability to other cultures, keep top management informed of the costs of not paying attention to the transnational issues and provide their services to a variety of locations world wide. Organization must take into account cultural differences that shape managerial attitudes, when developing multinational management programs. For e.g., British managers value individual achievement and autonomy, whereas French managers appreciate competent supervision, fringe benefits, security and comfortable conditions, while Indian managers gives more importance of their culture and tradition. HR managers must therefore be familiar with and understand other cultural norms to promote organization diversity. An organization that recognizes and promotes cultural diversity will benefit because it will be employing the market that it serves. With increasing globalization and competition within the market, a diverse workforce is conducive to attracting and retaining a strong client base. While competing in an international market, employees from diverse national backgrounds provide language skills and understanding of other cultures. HR professionals will also be responsible for providing cultural sensitivity training for the organizations employees and for managers throughout the entire organization. (Czebter, Anamaria, 2002) Managing Issues of Work Life Balance in Organisations The challenge of work/life balance is rising to the top of many employers and employees consciousness. In a society filled with conflicting responsibilities and commitments, work/life balance has become a predominant issue in the workplace. Research by Parasuraman and Greenhaus (2002) documented that segments of the workforce may be subject to unique work/family pressures, yet often have few sources of support. The under-representation of these groups of individuals with potentially difficult types of work/family pressures represents a major gap in work/family research and employers understanding of their needs. Typically, studies have focused on employed men and women who are married or living with a partner or those with children. Omitted from research are single-earner mothers and fathers, single and childless employees with extensive responsibility for eldercare, blended families with children from both partners prior marriages, families with shared custody of children, and grand parents raising their grandchildren. In their highly acclaimed book, Work and FamilyAllies or Enemies, Friedman and Greenhaus (2000), two leaders in work/life balance, help us understand choices we make as employers and individuals regarding work and family. To handle work/life balance, Friedman and Greenhaus emphasize that working adults learn to build networks of support at home, at work, and in the community. Conflict between work and family has real consequences and significantly affects quality of family life and career attainment of both men and women. With the growing diversity of family structures represented in the workforce in the new millennium, it is important that human resource professionals better understand the interface of work and family relationships and the resulting impact in the workplace. Human Resource professionals seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage in the marketplace may find that work/life balance challenges offer a win-win solution.

the way the media influence our lives Essay -- essays research papers

Are we influenced by the media, if yes how much? Sociologist and Psychologist contemplate that question often. The media has been accused of causing violent behavior, negative racial stereotyping and negative body perceptions mostly among young girls. No one can deny that the media has an effect on society, but is the media just giving society what he or she wants? Has the media taken away our ability to think for ourselves critically? We are constantly feed information from the newspapers, television news and weekly news magazines most of us believing without question because we believe the source credible. â€Å"In 1989 while jogging in central park a women was brutally attacked raped and beaten.† I remember the incident well because it was all over the news, in papers and magazines for months. Five teens Hispanic and African American were accused of the crime. I remember the newspaper articles and reporters on television referring to the teens as an angry wolf pack. The word allegedly was absent form all conversation over the incident. The media convicted the teens before the trail began. I believe because of all the negative exposure from the media the teens didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell. All five of the boy were convicted and served time for the attack on the central park jogger. Thirteen years later, a man named Matias Reyes who was not related to the crime at all is now coming forward from behind bars and saying, â€Å"you know what, by the way, I’m the one who did it. And the five teenagers who served time, they didn’t do it.† And the DNA that was taken from the victim’s body at the time of the attack matches Reyes. Reyes also confessed to an identical crime two days earlier in the same area of the park. The lawyers who defended the teenagers are now saying â€Å"we were never told about a lone, Predatory rapist prowling that same area of the park just days before the jogger was attacked.† The police and the prosecutors may have withheld that information so that they could expedite the conviction of the teens as they sometimes do. I still believe that the media despite of the limited evidence help in the conviction of five youth. The media depicted the teens, as angry mobs and wolf packs constantly to the public this is n ot an isolated incident the media does all the time. In fact judges and attorneys are blaming the media for destroying a person’s righ... ...lated study of emotions. In this study, research assistants acted abusively toward some of the subjects. Later, when they were put in apposition to retaliate, both those who had been provoked and those who had been exposed to violent films (but not provoked) showed an increase in hostile behavior. Although men were more aggressive than women overall, exposure to violent films influenced the behavior of both sexes equally. (Miller, Michael Craig). Although some research can link violent behavior directly to the media our society crave violence in movies music and in newspapers. Should the media be more responsible when entertaining the public? As for the movies television and music the argument can always be if you don’t like it don’t go to see it or simply change the channel. That would set well with adult’s argument, but how about children. The media often states that parents should regulate what their children are watching on television and what music they are listening to. In and age where there are more single parent households and latchkey kids I believe the media also has to be more responsible as to what type of programming is assessable to children between certain hours.

Essay example --

Folkers 1 Amanda Folkers October 25, 2013 Mr. Spencer Economics 1 Period: 3 Price Floor, Price ceilings, and inflation Folkers 2 The Price floors, Price ceilings, and the inflation of the government funds are increasing. The definition of price floors, â€Å"are prices even just below the point to which it is illegal to buy or sell goods. They can’t go lower than 7.25/ hr or they are breaking a federal law, this is to protect the producer.† A price floor can be set below/ above the market equilibrium price. If the free market price is set higher than the equilibrium, the price floor has a small to no direct change. It ensures prices stay high so that product can continue to be made. If the free market price is lower than the price floor, then a surplus; Consumers find they must now pay a higher price for the same product, then they reduce their purchases or switch to a substitute good. Meanwhile, suppliers find they are guaranteed a new, and higher prices, and so they produce more. There are a number of strategies that the government uses for setting a price floor and dealing with its consequen ces. They can set an easily understood price floor, for the citizens. This price support sets a minimum price, however, here the government buys up any extra supply, or surplus. This is even more inefficient and costly for the government and society. Production quotas usually raise the price by limiting production by giving businesses the opportunity to reduce their production. In America, this technique is used mostly with agriculture. The government pays farmers to keep a portion of their fields production, this leads to a raise in prices. Like price supports, the policy would be more efficient and le... ...instance, when gold was used as currency, the government could collect gold coins, melt them down, mix them with other metals such as silver, copper or lead, and reissue them at the same nominal value. By diluting the gold with other metals, the government could issue more coins without also needing to increase the amount of gold used to make them. When the cost of each coin is lowered in this way, the government profits from an increase in seignior age. This practice would increase the money supply but at the same time the relative value of each coin would be lowered. As the relative value of the coins becomes lower, consumers would need to give more coins and money, in exchange for the same goods and services as before. These goods and services would experience a price increase as the value of each coin is reduced. Therefor causing too much money into the economy.

Neo Behaviorism

Consumer behaviourFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) Psychology Outline History  ·Subfields Basic types Abnormal  ·Biological Cognitive  ·Comparative Cultural  ·Differential Developmental  ·Evolutionary Experimental  ·Mathematical Personality  ·Positive Quantitative Social Applied psychology Applied behavior analysis Clinical  ·Community Consumer  ·Educational Environmental  ·Forensic  ·HealthIndustrial and organizational Legal  ·Military Occupational health  ·Political Religion  ·School  ·Sport Lists Disciplines  ·Organizations Psychologists  ·Psychotherapies Publications  ·Research methods Theories  ·Timeline  ·Topics Psychology portal v  ·t  ·e Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. [1] It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics.It attempts to understand the decision-making processes of buyers, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural variables in an attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer behaviour study is based on consumer buying behaviour, with the customer playing the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Research has shown that consumer behaviour is difficult to predict, even for experts in the field. 2] Relationship marketing is an influential asset for customer behaviour analysis as it has a keen interest i n the re-discovery of the true meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the importance of the customer or buyer. A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer relationship management, personalisation, customisation and one-to-one marketing. Social functions can be categorized into social choice and welfare functions. Each method for vote counting is assumed as social function but if Arrow’s possibility theorem is used for a social function, social welfare function is achieved.Some specifications of the social functions are decisiveness, neutrality, anonymity, monotonicity, unanimity, homogeneity and weak and strong Pareto optimality. No social choice function meets these requirements in an ordinal scale simultaneously. The most important characteristic of a social function is identification of the interactive effect of alternatives and creating a logical relation with the ranks. Marketing provides services in order to satisfy customers. With th at in mind, the productive system is considered from its beginning at the production level, to the end of the cycle, the consumer (Kioumarsi et al. 2009). Contents [hide] 1 Black box model 2 Information search 3 Evaluation of alternatives 4 Purchase decision 5 Postpurchase evaluation 6 Other influences 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links [edit] Black box modelENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS BUYER'S BLACK BOX BUYER'S RESPONSE Marketing Stimuli Environmental Stimuli Buyer Characteristics Decision Process Product Price Place Promotion Economic Technological Political Cultural Demographic Natural Attitudes Motivation Perceptions Personality Lifestyle Knowledge Problem recognition Information searchAlternative evaluation Purchase decision Post-purchase behaviour Product choice Brand choice Dealer choice Purchase timing Purchase amount The black box model shows the interaction of stimuli, consumer characteristics, decision process and consumer responses. [3] It can be distin guished between interpersonal stimuli (between people) or intrapersonal stimuli (within people). [4] The black box model is related to the black box theory of behaviourism, where the focus is not set on the processes inside a consumer, but the relation between the stimuli and the response of the consumer.The marketing stimuli are planned and processed by the companies, whereas the environmental stimulus are given by social factors, based on the economical, political and cultural circumstances of a society. The buyers black box contains the buyer characteristics and the decision process, which determines the buyers response. The black box model considers the buyers response as a result of a conscious, rational decision process, in which it is assumed that the buyer has recognized the problem. However, in reality many decisions are not made in awareness of a determined problem by the consumer. edit] Information searchOnce the consumer has recognised a problem, they search for informat ion on products and services that can solve that problem. Belch and Belch (2007) explain that consumers undertake both an internal (memory) and an external search. Sources of information include: Personal sources Commercial sources Public sources Personal experience The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with information search is perception. Perception is defined as â€Å"the process by which an individual receives, selects, organises, and interprets information to create a meaningful picture of the world†.Consumers' tendency to search for information on goods and services makes it possible for researchers to forecast the purchasing plans of consumers using brief descriptions of the products of interest. [5] The selective perception process Stage Description Selective exposure consumers select which promotional messages they will expose themselves to. Selective attention consumers select which promotional messages they will pay attention to. Selective comprehension consumer interpret messages in line with their beliefs, attitudes, motives and experiences.Selective retention consumers remember messages that are more meaningful or important to them. The implications of this process help develop an effective promotional strategy, and select which sources of information are more effective for the brand. [edit] Evaluation of alternativesAt this time the consumer compares the brands and products that are in their evoked set. The evoked set refers to the number of alternatives that are considered by consumers during the problem-solving process. Sometimes also known as consideration , this set tends to be small relative to the total number of options available.How can the marketing organisation increase the likelihood that their brand is part of the consumer's evoked set? Consumers evaluate alternatives in terms of the functional and psychological benefits that they offer. The marketing organisation needs to understand what benefits con sumers are seeking and therefore which attributes are most important in terms of making a decision. It also needs to check other brands of the customer’s consideration set to prepare the right plan for its own brand. [edit] Purchase decisionOnce the alternatives have been evaluated, the consumer is ready to make a purchase decision.Sometimes purchase intention does not result in an actual purchase. The marketing organisation must facilitate the consumer to act on their purchase intention. The organisation can use a variety of techniques to achieve this. The provision of credit or payment terms may encourage purchase, or a sales promotion such as the opportunity to receive a premium or enter a competition may provide an incentive to buy now. The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with purchase decision is integration.Once the integration is achieved, the organisation can influence the purchase decisions much more easily. There are 5 stages of a consumer buying process [6] they are: The problem recognition stage, meaning the identification of something a consumer needs. The search for information, which means you search your knowledge bases or external knowledge sources for information on the product. The possibility of alternative options, meaning whether there is another better or cheaper product available. The choice to purchase the product and then finally the actual purchase of the product. 6] This shows the complete process that a consumer will most likely, whether recognisably or not, go through when they go to buy a product. [edit] Postpurchase evaluationThe EKB (Engel, Kollat, Blackwell) model was further developed by Rice (1993) which suggested there should be a feedback loop, Foxall (2005) further suggests the importance of the post purchase evaluation and that it is key because of its influences on future purchase patterns. [edit] Other influencesConsumer behaviour is influenced by internal conditions such as demographi cs, psychographics (lifestyle), personality, motivation, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.Psychological factors include an individuals motivation, perception, attitude and belief, while personal factors include income level, personality, age, occupation and lifestyle. Behaviour can also be affected by external influences, such as culture, sub-culture, locality, royalty, ethnicity, family, social class, past experience reference groups, lifestyle, market mix factors. [edit] See alsoFood and Brand Lab Consumer socialization Art ; Copy Window shopping Consumer confusion [edit] References1. ^ Kuester, Sabine (2012): MKT 301: Strategic Marketing ; Marketing in Specific Industry Contexts, University of Mannheim, p. 10. 2. ^ J. Scott Armstrong (1991). â€Å"Prediction of Consumer Behavior by Experts and Novices†. Journal of Consumer Research (Journal of Consumer Research Inc. ) 18: 251–256. http://marketing. wharton. upenn. edu/documents/research/Prediction%20of%20 consumer%20behavior. pdf. 3. ^ Sandhusen, Richard L. : Marketing (2000). Cf. S. 218 4. ^ Sandhusen, Richard L. : Marketing (2000). Cf. S. 219 5. ^ J. Scott Armstrong and Terry Overton (1971). â€Å"Brief vs. Comprehensive Descriptions in Measuring Intentions to Purchase†. Journal of Marketing Research 5: 114–117. http://marketing. wharton. upenn. edu/ideas/pdf/armstrong2/brief. df. 6. ^ a b Khosla, Swati (2010). â€Å"Consumer psychology: The essence of Marketing†. International Journal of Educational Administration 2 (2): 220-220. http://web-l4. ebscohost. com. ezproxy-f. deakin. edu. au/ehost/detail? vid=5;hid=106;sid=4657a35a-29b0-4753-b833-46a39c374718%40sessionmgr113;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ehh;AN=60641974. Retrieved 2012-05-16. [edit] Further readingBlackwell, Miniard and Engel (2006). Consumer Behaviour (10th Ed. ). Thomson Learning. Deaton, Angus; Muellbauer, John, Economics and consumer behavior, Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1980.ISBN 0-521-22850-6 Foxall, G. (2005. ) Understanding Consumer Choice. Baingstoke. Palgrave Macmillian. Howard, J. , Sheth, J. N. (1968), Theory of Buyer Behavior, J. Wiley ; Sons, New York, NY. Kardes, Frank R. ; Cronley, Maria L. ; Cline, Thomas W. , Consumer Behavior, Mason, OH : South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011. ISBN 978-0-538-74540-6 Laermer, Richard; Simmons, Mark, Punk Marketing, New York : Harper Collins, 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-115110-1 (Review of the book by Marilyn Scrizzi, in Journal of Consumer Marketing 24(7), 2007) Loudon, D. L. 1988), Consumer Behavior: Concepts and Applications, McGraw Hill, London. McNair, B. (1958), Retail Development, Harper ; Row, New York, NY. Packard, Vance, The Hidden Persuaders, New York, D. McKay Co. , 1957. Schiffman, L. G. (1993), Consumer Behavior, Prentice Hall International, London. Schwartz, Barry (2004), The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Ecco, New York. Shell, Ellen Ruppel, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture , New York : Penguin Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59420-215-5 Solomon, M. R. (1994), Consumer Behavior, Allyn ; Bacon, London. edit] External linksThe Society for Consumer Psychology [hide]v  ·t  ·eConsumer behaviour Concepts Consumption (economics)  ·Consumer spending  ·Autonomous consumption  ·Induced consumption  ·Consumer debt  ·Consumer economy  ·Consumer culture theory Research types Consumer behaviour  ·Consumer sovereignty  ·Marketing research  ·Consumer neuroscience  ·Consumer choice  ·Consumer product  ·Consumer economics  ·Consumer basket  ·Consumption function Consumer attributes Consumer confusion  ·Consumer's risk  ·Consumer confidence  ·Consumer socialization  ·Consumer ethnocentrism  ·Cultural consumer  ·Homo economicusProcesses Consumer cooperative  ·Consumer-to-business  ·Factory-to-consumer  ·Consumer service  ·Consumerization Retrieved from â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Consumer_behaviour&oldid =532422664† Categories: Consumer behaviourMarketing analyticsHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from April 2011All articles needing additional referencesNavigation menuPersonal tools Create accountLog inNamespaces ArticleTalkVariantsViews ReadEditView historyActions Search Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia InteractionHelp ï » ¿Neo Behaviorism Neo Behaviourism is a branch of psychology that draws its principles from behaviourism. Neo Behaviourism is a more flexible concept and seeks to analyze and understand phenomena that cannot be measured or observed such as stress, love, trust, empathy or personality. â€Å"Neobehaviorism departs from classic behaviorism in that while the latter is concerned exclusively with observable behaviors, the former acknowledges the importance of also understanding elements that are internal to the individual. Thus, whereas classical behaviorism is only concerned with the environment as a determinant of behavior, neobehaviorism stresses the interaction of the individual and environment.†Neo Behaviorism: Tolman and BanduraNeo Behaviorism – Transitional group, bridging the gap between behaviorism and cognitive theories of learning.Tolman’s Purposive BehaviorismPurposive Behaviorism:it is also been referred to as Sign Learning Theory and is often unite between behaviorism and cognitive theory. Tolman believed that learning is a cognitive process. Learning involves forming beliefs and obtaining knowledge about the environment and then revealing that knowledge through purposeful and goal directed behavior.Tolman’s Key ConceptLearning is always purposive and goal- directedCognitive MapLatent LearningThe concept of interesting variableReinforcement not essential for learningALBERT BANDURA’S SOCIAL LEARNING THEORYSocial Learning Theory focuses on the learning that occurs within a social context. People learn from one another such as observational learning, imitation and modeling.GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY1. Learn by observing. 2. Learning can occur through observation alone, without a change in behavior. 3. Cognition plays a role in learning. 4. Transition between behaviorism and cognitive learning theory.ENVIRONMENT REINFORCES MODELINGIn several Possible ways:By the model.By the third person.By the imitated behavior itself pro duce satisfying.By the vicarious reinforcement.Contemporary Social Learning Perspective of Reinforcement and PunishmentContemporary Theory purposes that reinforcement and punishment have indirect effects on learning.Reinforcement and Punishment influence the result of individuals’ behavior that has been learned.The expectation of reinforcement influences cognitive processes.Cognitive Factors in Social Learning TheoryLearning Without PerformanceCognitive Processing DuringExpectationsReciprocal causationModelingConditions necessary for effective modeling to occurAttention.Retention.Motor reproduction.Motivation.