Hrm and Ir

Introduction â€Å"Human Resources Management† and â€Å"Industrial relations† has different concepts about the determination and functions of the both spheres. The essay deliberates the comparison and contrast on the key features of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations in academic fields. Definitions of terms HRM and IR will be identified through the review of the origin and development of these two areas. Moreover, I have pointed out the theoretical scope of the two subjects and key features of HRM and IR.Finally, there is comparison and contrast between given subjects through the historical retrospective and paper review. Definition of Industrial Relations Why don’t we mention the fact that Industrial Relations have become a subject of scientific analysis since the end of the nineteenth century, when Sidney and Beatrice Webb (1984) couple published their studies of the regulation of employment in Britain. According to Dale Yoder,† industria l relations† describe â€Å"relationships between managements and employees or among employees and their organisations that characterise or grow out of employment. The study of industrial relations may therefore be described as a study of the institutions of job regulation† – suggested Flanders (1965, 10). It is prevailed for a time is beyond satisfaction of the academic study at present. â€Å"The view that IR is the study of processes of control over work relations, and among these processes, those involving collective worker organization and action are of particular concern is more adaptable to generalise specific and precisely for the subject†. Hyman, 1975) Definition of Human Resource Management Progression of the Human relations movement in the USA was the key point of the HRM terminology’s emergency. There have been a large amount of published studies investigating the definition of HRM in diverse standing and approaches, since the first Brit ish book on HRM published in the late 1980s, which was notably known as New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Storey 1989).Storey (1989) considers that HRM can be regarded as â€Å"set of interrelated policies with an ideological and philosophical underpinning†. However, He determined HRM as a specific approach to employment management which aims to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of culture, structural and personnel techniques, which is a comprehensive understanding of HRM. Storey (2007).Sisson (1990) sees HRM of four aspects of employment practice: an integration of HR policies with business planning; a shift in responsibility for HR issues form personnel specialists to line managers; a shift from the collectivism of management and, finally, an emphasis on commitment has further understanding of HRM. Ackers (2003) provided a general term on the definition of HRM, à ¢â‚¬Å"HRM refers to all those activities associated with the management of work and people in firms and in other formal organisations†.Basic Research Interest of Human Resource Management The emergence of courses and models in HRM in universities and colleges is related to the fact that two influential journals, Human Resource Management Journal, edited by Keith Sisson at Warwick University, the International Journal of Human Resource Management, edited by Michael Poole at Cardiff were launched in 1990. The amount of literature was increased. Among these papers two appreciable theories is predominant leading, Fombrun et al (1984) matching model and the Harvard framework.Matching model focused on the connection between organizational strategy and HRM, in the meanwhile Frombrun et al divided HRM into four integral parts – selection, development, appraisal and reward stressing the significance of efficiency of work performance enhancement. (Marchington, 2005) On the other hand, the Harvard framework (Beer et al, 1985) involve six basic components with a broader expand from the inside out , that is, situational factors, stakeholder interests, policy choices, outcomes, long-term consequences and a feedback loop.However, neither of the models pays close attention to the respects of employment relationship. John Storey’s (2007) model is worth considering framework in HRM studies. Four key elements are summarized as foundational structure of HRM, that is beliefs and assumptions, strategic qualities, critical role of managers and key levers which activate HRM as an essentially tool and techniques for use by practitioners. However, currently HR changes and extends its functions beyond simple administration and personnel management.This area is becoming one of the strategic and reactive activity in the management of both organizations and other bodies. Basic Theory of Industrial Relations Colling et al (2010) comment that â€Å"Academic industrial re lations is now outdated† either the problem of the â€Å"human factor† in work have all been solved, or they are better addressed by new approaches such as â€Å"human resource management† or â€Å"organisational behaviour†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, however, in the statement by the British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA), they strongly disagree the claim. BUIRA) During the initiative academic research in IR, predominant focus upon collective institutions and processes which embody trade unions, collective bargaining and strikes are the mainstream scope of IR study. Compared with the origin IR, modern IR emphasized on the experience of work, both individual and collective, and with all sources of the rules that govern the employment relationship. Therefore, IR was widely regarded as having two major subdivisions within it.The first dealt with the management of labour, the second with collective bargaining and methods of workforce governance (Russell Sa ge Foundation, 1919). It should be pointed out, that industrial relations today are in â€Å"crisis†. In academia, its traditional positions are threatened on one side by the dominance of mainstream economics and organizational behaviour, and on the other by postmodernism. The importance of work, however, is stronger than ever, and the lessons of industrial relations remain vital. Purcell) Comparison and contrast of Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations The interrelation between HRM and IR is complicated. From the one sight, HRM was considered as one of the branch of IR in the early 1960s for majority of scientists, then in modern conditions HRM has largely been regarded as a separate subject underlying distinguish perspectives and divergent points of the field. However, HRM and IR do have some parallels and common ground in employment issues, concerns about personnel and departments and humane labour.From the above, it can be concluded that to a large extent HRM has an â€Å"inside† view of the problem according to the employment, highlighting and labour issues. While IR takes an â€Å"external† prospective with an emphasis on workers and communities. The purpose and functions are not one and the same for the two spheres. The main purpose of personnel management is an organizational effectiveness using an instrumental approach to the promotion of employees nd interest. As for the IR, the goal â€Å"is a combination of organizational performance and employee well-being, as well as the workers’ interest priorities. Generally, IR provides a multi-layer discernment of employment relationships and interconnections between the workplace, the company, the sector, the national regulatory framework in the light of multi-disciplinary approach involving sociology, political science, economics, history and law.HR assumes conflict not inevitable and can be minimized by management; IR sees conflicts as inevitable requiring third-pa rty intervention. HRM and IR are distinguished in various respects with different standpoints and approaches. (Sisson) Frequently, HRM teaching accepts management’s objectives uncritically, concentrates on activities at company level without exploring the societal and institutional environment, and has its disciplinary basis primarily in psychology and organizational sociology rather than the social sciences more broadly.Despite of the inevitable irreconcilable antagonisms between the two subjects, there is a closely link of HR and IR providing a complementary foundation of the exchange and development of the employment issues. (Ackers) Conclusion The essay discusses the definition of HRM and IR and significant features in academic fields largely through an historical analysis of the two fields’ respective origins and development. HRM and IR fields are distinguished by numerous differences in their approach to research and practice. ReferenceAckers, P. and Willkinson, A. 2003. Understanding Work and Employment, Oxford University Press Bach, S(ed), 2005, Managing Human Resources, 4th edition, Balckwell Publishing Boxall, P and Purcell, J, 2008, Strategy and HRM, 2nd edition, Palgrave Bruce E. K, 2001,Human resources and industrial relations Commonalities and differences, Human Resource Review, 11(2001) 339-374 BUIRA 2008. What’s the point of Industrial Relations? A statement by the British Universities Industrial Relations Association Colling, T. and Terry, M. 2010. Work , the employment relationship and the field of Industrial Relations’, in Colling, T and Terry, M (eds), Industrial Relations: theory and practice (3rd ed), Chinchester:Wiley, 3-25 Guest, D. (1987) ‘Human resource management and industrial relations’, Journal of Management Studies, 24(5), September: 503-521 Hyman, R. 1975. A Marxist Introduction to Industrial Relations. Basingsotoke: MacMillan. Paul Edwards edit , Industrial Relations Theory & Practice in Britain, Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 1995 Marchington. M and Wikinson. A, 2005, Human Resource at work, 3th editon, CIPD, London Miller, P. 1987) ‘Strategic industrial relations and human resource management – distinction, definition and recognition’, Journal of Management Studies, 24(4) July:347-361 Sisson, K. (1990) ‘Introducing the Human Resource Management Journal’, Human Resource Management Journal, 1(1):1-11 Sisson K. â€Å"In Search of HRM†, op. cit. at 209 Strorey, J(ed), 2007, HRM : A critical text. 3rd edition, Routledge Redman, T . Wilkinson. A, 2001, Contemporary Human Resource Management, Financial Times Yoder Dale, 1948, Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. 3rd edition, New York, Prentice-Hall,Inc.

Paul’s Case

In Willa Cather’s story â€Å"Paul’s Case,† the main character Paul is a troubled young man, who is seeking an escape from reality. Paul’s way of escaping his troubled life is through a day dream. For the most part Paul’s safe place is in New York City. That is until Paul’s father comes looking for him. This is when Paul’s reality then takes form in his imaginary world. If Paul uses an imaginary escape world to get away from his troubled life, then why does it include him committing suicide? I have one reason to explain his suicide. Before, Paul supposedly enters his imaginary world, the story leaves off with Paul sitting in the cellar of his house. At this point in time, Paul starts to wonder if his father heard him entering. In the darkness of the cellar, Paul fears that his father may think Paul is a burglar, and shot him. (pg. 127) The though of death and Paul’s senseless running from a troubled life collide. In result creating Paul’s suicide, when his father comes looking for him. I believe Paul’s suicide serves as an epiphany. Paul’s epiphany relates to his struggling life, and how he has more to live for than just music. As a result of Paul’s epiphany, he begins to fade back into reality. As the audience, you are lead to believe that Paul was dreaming the whole time. The last sentence in the story â€Å"Paul dropped back into the immense design of things,† confirms the audience’s beliefs. (pg.133) Therefore I find it hard to believe that Paul ever actually traveled to New York. Due impart that Paul was a middle class kid from Pittsburg. Paul absolutely resented his lower and middle class upbringing. His resentment of his upbringing leads him to believe that New York is where the upper class lived. I find it hard to believe that he actually went to New York, because most of New York is slums. I find it hardly plausible or even possible that Paul actually lived most of the story, but rather that he imagined it all. The first problem that comes to mind when believing the story is the fact that Paul was able to get away with smoking cigarettes and drinking wine publicly. Paul was but a teenager with large sums of cash. How is it that Paul was able to live such a luxurious life for as long as he did, without being questioned about anything? The story â€Å"Paul’s Case,† was all about Paul seeking freedom from his personal life. Even though Paul was able to find some peace of mind, somehow his personal problems follow him into is dream land. Throughout Paul’s dream he encounters situations very similar to the ones he’s running from in reality. Nonetheless Paul can not escape his reality.

Highfield video store currently Essay

Highfield video store currently uses a paper system to perform all the functions required for this business. Before I reach a decision on how to produce an advanced and improved system to the existing system it is imperative to choose the correct software to overcome this situation. I will need to evaluate and consider the factors that need to be tackled on producing this system by evaluating the end users requirements and expectations f the system to ensure the software chosen has the capability to overcome these requirements successfully and competently. As the company is looking for a more flexible data management system, so a database system is likely to be the right solution. Using Microsoft Access as a solution Advantages: o Microsoft Access is a relational database management system which allows a one to many relationships between tables. Thus greatly reduces data inconsistency and data redundancy. o Uses a familiar interface to perform a range of tasks such as; setting up tables, forms, queries, macros and reports. o This software allows complex procedures such as querying, report and form creation, filtering to be produced and mastered by inexperienced users via the use of wizards. o Access can provide a variety of user friendly forms for different functions through the toolbox features of this software which include list boxes, command buttons, check boxes, labels etc. This allows forms to be customised and concurrently have a familiar look and feel of the forms. o Contains advanced features such as queries which can answer complex requests which the user may have and provide a combination of data from multiple tables and place specific boundaries on the data retrieved. Report features have the capacity to produce attractive professional formatted summaries of data contained in more than one table. Also macros can also perform complex or numerous operations with a click of a button/icon. Disadvantages: o This software package very large and complex piece of software. Therefore, it requires a lot of patience and perseverance to familiarize and learn the vast number of features available in this database package. o Microsoft Access is designed to manage small number of database records and the performance of the system will reduce with an increase in records as the software is a low capacity database. Using Microsoft Excel as a solution Advantages: o Numerous functions are available to perform a range of diverse tasks. These include VLOOKUPS which looks for a value in the leftmost column within a table and then returns a value in the same row from a column you specify. Other functions include COUNTIF, DCOUNT, MATCH etc. Also contains macro which can automate a series of commands and functions. o Excel forms can also be customised to satisfy the users requirements with different methods of data entry and appearance of the forms. o Graphs can be created to summarise data in a number of different graphs to allow the data to be more understandable to the user and also produces a professional outlook. Disadvantages: o The recording of macros can be problematic as it is easy to make a mistake and the whole process needs to be repeated again. This requires an experienced person with sound knowledge of macros and formulas to perform this task. o Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet package and doesn’t features such a relational database which are available in Access. Therefore data and tables need to be entered again leading to unnecessary data redundancy and data consistency. o Creating and editing macros needs to be done via Visual Basic Editor program in Excel. Users of this program need to be experienced in using this program as the macros commands need to be programmed by the user. This requires a sound knowledge as it requires commands to be written in a specific way and have the ability to remember the language to execute these commands. Solution using Lotus Pro Chosen solution From a detailed analysis of the Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, and Lotus Pro software I have decided after discussion with the end user to use Microsoft Access to produce the system I will create. Database packages are used for storing and retrieving information or data. With this type of software the user can set up table with relationships, set up queries, set up macros and make reports. The wizard features on certain database packages allows the complexity of administration tasks to be greatly reduced. The system I will produce will be created from using the Microsoft Access database package because of the following reasons: o Microsoft Access has the capacity to produce relational tables. This leads to a reduction in data redundancy and data inconsistency as data doesn’t need to be entered again due to the relationships which can be imported from one table into many other tables if needed. o The system can be customised to provide the end user with an interface which he requires. The forms can be customised to look and allow data entry in the method which the user requires. The toolbars can also be customised to allow the system to be even more user friendly. o A number of tasks which require a series of functions will be repeated a number of times when the system is in use. These series of function can be automated with the use of macros which Microsoft Access has. o Microsoft Access can provide customised reports to summarise a set of data. Access allows data to be brought together in a report which can be tailored to the user choice. So a professional output which is in line with the companies image can be produce whereas as other software such as Microsoft Excel would not have the capacity to do this. Data would need to be summarised into graphs and is difficult to suit the companies image so the output and interface of a system using this software would need be as professional compared to the software being use to created this system. o Access has the capability to update records in any table by setting up queries to update the necessary records. This will lead to more consistent data is it is more likely to be update and accurate. o Data and information that needs to be stored can be done so more easily due to the set up of the system. Tables are clearly defined and related, which is not the case with other software such as Microsoft Excel as relationships between tables cannot be emplaced.

I will download directions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

I will download directions - Essay Example Integrity is one of those unfortunate words used ruthlessly in the United States of America but no attempt is ever made at arriving at the purpose of the frequent usage of the word. One of the reasons behind the tragedy is that often in this world, the people try to establish in others what they are devoid of themselves. One must say: â€Å"why do you preach what you do not do yourself†? When one teaches the other, the other asks for the same and the conflict begins. It means the lack of integrity brings about the downfall of nations by indulging them in warfare. Oh! My life is getting tougher day by day. Can you have a look at my course? The syllabus is not allowing me to spend my one minute for luxuries around me. The luxuries are appealing me with startling eyes. The world is inviting me for the charm, beauty and joys it has for me. I am confused which way to go. I am puzzled and something voicing from my inside; no way but to be honest with my studies. The policy orders me to meet the required studies daily. It gives me the deadline but invokes my energy to get my work done not waiting for the last minute. I should have done it much before the deadline. That is cruel for I should have some time to spend in the jocund companies of my friends. The Policy expects me to do so like one expects from the armies to be alert and to the point. For me to abide by the rules, policies, assignments and expectations, it is like a huge adventure. Let me try my best and hope for the better to come out. And for my friends, family and sports, they must listen; I have no time for them. OK. I have to achieve the distinguished character during the demonstration of the process of clinical inquiry. I want my critical questions to be comprehensive. I have an ambition; my thought process should be precise and accurate. I desire to have the ability to interpret and evaluate texts with the distinction. I long I should achieve distinction in commands over interpreting thesis and supporting evidences. In the critical evaluation of point of view, I wish ti be able to synthesize source-texts with purpose and precision and accuracy. My college intends to provide me with the abilities to face the world in future. For the purpose, a shift in policies is always imminent. For instance, Tunxis has implemented a new policy in which â€Å"grades’ have been eliminated and the â€Å"Course Ability Equivalent Scores† introduced. No doubt the method is to strengthen me with my improved knowledge, it has added to burdens over me. My instructor will no longer correct my errors, instead I have to discover and diagnose my problems myself. The responsibility of my success or failure is thus on my own shoulders now. My pleasures, how can I find time for you? My Composition Course aims at developing inside me skills of writing, my ability to read, evaluate, analyze and synthesize texts and ideas. With the standard use of English, my course is to enable me to writ e and revise essays with due formats. Attendance, Conduct and deadline, all I always meet with satisfaction. Essays need a high degree of concentration and learning. It is, therefore, quite a tougher job to do. To get it done to the satisfaction, my time is shortened again for my hobbies. Let me say good bye to my hobbies right now. Beg your pardon hobbies; it is to say off with you forthwith. According to Carter, â€Å"Integrity† is to fully understand the right and the wrong. When â€Å"right†

Renault Vehicle Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Renault Vehicle Industries - Essay Example Agility in the organizational process in responding to market demands can only be achieved through organizational structures, which are well-integrated, less bureaucratic and collectively aligned towards achieving the organizational objectives (Thomson & Strickland 2003). Â  The case study analyses the current issues being faced by Renault Vehicles Industries, (RVI) the French Auto manufacturer with regards to organizational structure and culture. The analysis will take into account the current status of the organization and identify the problem areas being encountered at Renault. The insight gained from the analysis will aid in explaining the past background and how the company has developed to its current stage as well as what the future may hold if the organization proceeds without interventions. Lastly, the analysis will also provide suggestions and recommendations for intervention and create change at Renault to succeed in the ever-competitive field of automobile industry. Â  Renault Vehicle Industries, initially established in 1915 as Berlite was nationalized in 1915 and name changed to Renault in 1978. The company mainly focuses on the manufacturing of heavy goods & transport vehicles and buses. The company’s annual turnover levels are in the range of 25,000 million francs and across Europe, the company holds nearly 10% of market share for heavy goods & Transport vehicle segment. Renault busses and coaches hold over 50% of the market share in France. The company is ranked third in the world market for heavy goods and transport vehicle market. The Venissieux site houses two production facilities, which produce buses and coaches. Little over 5,000 people are employed at the Renault factories and 60% of the workforce is shop floor workers.

Philosophical Thoughts and Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Philosophical Thoughts and Issues - Essay Example I am an existentialist, and I highly regard people’s choices and decisions. I listen to other people’s views and I am flexible when making decisions. I value my interests greatly. With regard to reality, I believe that it is subjective, and determined by an individual. Reality is the existence of things in a certain state. This does not involve imaginations, instead, real things are things which are there at the moment, or have been there in the past. They can be observable or not observable. Moreover, reality involves things that can be easily comprehended and those that are difficult to understand (Hay 41). Individuals must be free to make their own decisions and choices in life. As an individual, I do not live by the predetermined choices of other people. I make my own decisions depending on my conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. Epistemology gives us a basis for discussing the nature as well as the scope of knowledge. It helps us to know how knowledge is acquired (Hay 5). We acquire knowledge through experience. As people grow up, they face many situations some of which are happy moments whereas others are sad moments. Results from these situations help people to uncover the knowledge presented by these situations. We cannot claim to know everything with absolute certainty, because we only believe some things to be true. We have no complete proof that they are true; for instance, we believe that we will die but we do not know our fate after death. We use our senses to make assumptions of what is certain, but we cannot claim to know everything. Ethics or moral principles that guide society, an organization or professionals, are essential in life. Ethics is mainly concerned with leading individuals towards doing good things for colleagues or peers. They are seen as universal, with acceptance from all the people governed by them. Ethics affect people’s behavior as well as judgments and decisions. Ethics guide people on  how to establish and lead good lives. They also teach us our rights and responsibilities as members of a certain community (Hay 57).  

IMC AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IMC AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - Essay Example In recent years, Integrated Marketing Communication, a newly emerging and young academic framework, has become a very strategic and magical bullet that is found to help a firm achieve sustainable competitive advantage. IMC is a careful coordination of varying promotional tools such as sales promotion, personal selling, advertising, event marketing, public relation with a view to facilitate effective brand communication along with ensuring of consistency in every message (Lamb, hair and McDaniel, 2008,p. 413). This paper discusses the advertising strategy of Milky Way and explains different promotional strategies, measuring of the effectiveness of advertising and marketing research approach. Milky Way’s advertising Strategy Milky Way bar, a chocolate bar distributed by Mars Incorporated Company headquartered in Mclean, USA, is one of the most admired and widely renowned chocolate brand name across the world. In 2012, the company launched an ad campaign labeled ‘Sorry, I w as eating a Milky Way’ to attract targeted market to a feeling that the bar is particularly irresistible. The advertising strategy used in this ad campaign seems more or less to be affective advertising strategy. Literatures including Clow and Baack (2004, p. 231) and Shimp (2008, p. 225) identified the very basic advertising strategies, that are cognitive strategy, affective strategy and brand strategy. Affective advertising strategy elicits emotions, feelings and perceptions so as to affect the reasoning process of targeted audience which in turn lead them to take a proper action (Clow and Baack, 2004, p. 234). Milky Way’s adverting campaign in the print media labeled ‘Sorry I was eating a Milky Way’ is shown in the figure below. This advertising integrated both resonance and emotional advertising techniques. This advertising provides both resonant and emotional messages to customers that a bride is quite unlikely to be present on time when she was enjoy ing the gooey caramel tastes of the Milky Way. Arens, Weigold and Arens (2008, p. 340) noted that resonance in advertising refers to echoing, reverberating and vibrating. Milky Way’s advertising is meant to catch the imagination of audience. Emotional advertising tries to reflect emotions that motivate customers’ recall of product and choice. Emotions such as reliability, happiness, pleasure, passion etc are connected to Milky Way’s advertising message. Milky Way’s advertising is meant to attract customers attraction and to influence them to recall the brand name and thus to build brand image. Measuring the effectiveness of Advertising There are basically four outcomes of an advertising effort, they are; 1) recognition and recall, 2) emotional reaction, 3) persuasion and 4) sales responses. Shimp (2008, p. 289) has clearly outlined certain techniques that can help measuring the effectiveness of an advertising. To measure the recognition and recall of cust omers, Shimp (2008, p. 289) suggests Starch Readership Service, a testing service of a company named GfK Custom Research North America to measure the reader awareness of customers through magazines, Buzzone Research Company to research consumers’ recognition through TV and Day-after recall testing to test customers’ recall after one-day of the advertisement. To measure the emotional reactions, Shimp (2008, p. 289) suggests brain imaging of customers with help of neuroscience, self-reporting of customers and physiological tests to measure any of several autonomous reactions of customers to advertising. To m

Implications of Scapegoating Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Implications of Scapegoating Groups - Essay Example The main feature of scapegoating is distortion of information. Implications Scapegoating aims toward many individuals today and affects roughly everyone in a way or another. According to Douglas (2000), scapegoats can be under attack due to characteristics common to such individuals. They can plainly face attack from traits they cannot control, for instance, their ethnicity or race. An apparent, but main consequence of scapegoating is unfairness toward minority groups. This act is a problem since it can result in stereotyping, and result in biased and unjust handling of individuals for no genuine motives at all. The most scapegoated groups include alcoholics, atheists and communists. Stereotyping is an implicit manner of scapegoating since by building negative generalizations concerning a group of people, often there is blame on them for actions that are out of their personal control. For example, Hitler blamed minorities for troubles in Germany. In this situation, the Jews stereotyp ed as ignorant and consequently, able to receive the blame of the majority population. Another consequence of scapegoating is the frivolous court cases that are infesting the court system. Beside malpractice, court cases, these court cases illustrate how the society today considers that they deserve to litigate against anyone, and cannot take responsibility for any of the events that they create. It is also the situation in cases where people get scapegoating so extreme, that they abuse the court system. These people can alternatively use their nationality to elect into office legitimate legislative bodies and laws. They can employ the use of other forms like arbitration and mediation to arrive at agreements and apprehend a balance of the liability. The reality is that both the sides share liability, and one side cannot anticipate leaving all to the other. The aim in these court cases needs to be on either side is putting the blame incorrectly on the other party, which is most of th e times on the part of the complainant in these frivolous court cases. Scapegoating entails a frustrated, disorganized society united in faulting a victim for their misgivings and taking out their hate and violent emotions on the victim or group. This incident, frequently seen emerging in crowds, for example, chanting in opposition to a character or event, burning effigies, and observable among the police in instances of arresting is a token menace. In a condition where a multitude is outrageous for unfairness they are experiencing and aggravated that their communication is not getting in to the public, media or politicians, they could create scapegoats of administrative officers or even journalists. The scapegoat is the individual who intimidates the safety of the group resulting in fear of losing their identity. The individuals become a risk to the intelligence of justice of the group resulting in resentment and a danger to the connectedness resulting in a sense of grief. The deed distorted, differences not acknowledged, the group considered as disjointed, and stability threatened. This implies that the human identity desires of the society are in jeopardy. As a result, the society turns towards those they can blame. It is also possible that police officers become the scapegoat for the multitude and possibly for

Organization value's Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organization value's - Research Paper Example Perhaps, the conflict weakened the foundation of the university’s mission and vision. A large number of people in the university, such as senior administrators, discovered that severe problems continue unresolved. Demands to the administration led to the formation of a committee tasked to identify the issues that the university’s important constituents had. What followed is a comprehensive assessment of senior administrators. The general findings showed that most British and Irish students and employees had little or even no knowledge of the decisions and actions of the administrators due to poor information sharing. In contrast, the American employees stated they were aware of what should be performed and how it should be realized. In order to concretely ascertain the dissatisfaction with the process of information sharing in the university, I conducted small interviews with some of the administrators, faculty staff, and students. Some of the students and employees bel ieved that the administration could work by itself and should be doubted to work for their best interests. Only the administrative personnel expressed high satisfaction with the process and outcome of information sharing in the university. The responses of the students express a considerable degree of ‘uninformed’ stances. ... and I know that these are not reliable sources of information.† The opinion of the faculty staff on the poor system of information sharing is expressed in the statement, â€Å"Honestly, I am not informed of the steps that are being taken to build the assets of the university. Our administrators do not show genuine commitment to the people at the university, especially with regard to sharing of information and values. Apparently, the dissatisfaction among the employees and students at the university is rooted in the lack of information, but with the Irish people this lack of information is a defense mechanism against accountability. The Americans and British demand information for the purpose of learning. The Irish are more contented with the lack of information for the purpose of blaming. This is a major issue for the university. The responses of the faculty staff, mainly British and American, express discontentment with the administration of Americans and British, whereas the most positive opinions of top administrators originate from the Irish employees. This phenomenon is conceivably brought about by differences in cultures and values within the organization. The Effect of Cultural Diversity and Poor Information Sharing Practices on the University’s Organizational Values The Irish groups demonstrate greater power distance over the British and American personnel. The latter groups demand that they have the right to question or challenge those in authority. My interview reveals that a number of American and British faculty members believe that it is their duty to oppose those in the top echelons. This opposition occurs in person, in the form of debate. On the other hand, Irish personnel dislike opposing those in power. The more relevant the concern is to them, the

The Scottish Road Network Authority Research Paper

The Scottish Road Network Authority - Research Paper Example 1). Indeed, one basic hurdle to SRNA's senior management's decision to shift a long-standing and all-public service strategy of construction and maintenance to one focused on procurement and contracting out is SRNA's organisational culture. The proposed changes will inevitably lead to redundancies and an explosion in services outsourced. Expectedly, upper management's suggestions are met with great resistance as is shown in provided case. The case for change is, in fact, hard to 'sell' among staff given SRNA's senior management's practices evidenced in poor knowledge management strategies. This report argues that, in order for SRNA to diffuse and manage change effectively among staff, network-based, knowledge-sharing strategies should be put in place. Since devolution, Scotland has barely shifted away from a 'public sector mentality' (Lyall, n.d.). Resistance to propositions by upper management comes, therefore, as no surprise. Placed in a wider context, outsourcing public services - road building services included - is, in fact, a continuation of a set of policies enacted across all U.K. (Lyall). Indeed, just as outsourcing services has generated much opposition since introduction back in 1980's (Dodworth, M. & Constable, M., 2006), SRNA's staff's opposition to suggested changes is only symptomatic of such shift's main arguments: employee As a matter of fact, all three i... THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 4 retention and rights, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and service quality (Dodworth, M. & Constable, M.; Hemson, 1998). As a matter of fact, all three issues are not only a U.K. concern but are spread about as much countries as can be wherever and whenever a case is made for outsourcing (Hemson). Indeed, one can hardly find a similar issue in which almost same concerns are voiced. In SRNA's case, Henry Irving's, Director General's (DG's), practice of surrounding himself with a narrow circle of senior executives adds a particular emphasis on SRNA's case for knowledge management in a wider context of an eminent change. More specifically, SRNA strongly speaks for a case of workplace power structure within which corporate culture as well as knowledge sharing strategies are defined, controlled and set by a minority cohort made up of a DG and a narrow circle of surrounding senior executives (e.g. Charles Hampden, Finance Director). Indeed, corporate culture has been increasingly emphasised as a definitive aspect of corporate style and performance (Schein, 2004; Willmott, 2003). According to McDermott and O'Dell (2001), corporate culture is the 'shared values, beliefs, and practices of the people in the organisation'. Put differently, an organisation's culture is an overarching framework within which all employees fall and are committed to (Willmott). That is, one way management holds sway over workplace power politics is to define how employees should adopt specific codes of conducts supposedly divorced THE SCOTTISH ROAD NETWORK AUTHORITY: KNOWLEDGE SHARING 5 from interpersonal, intradepartmental, and interdepartmental interactions.

Impact of globalization on the cultural environment of business China Essay

Impact of globalization on the cultural environment of business China - Essay Example China’s economy has shifted from being developing to being the fourth largest economy in the world. This is attributed to the high capital flows across its borders and hence, globalization. Globalization has had substantive impact on the business environment in Chinese organizations. The following paper critically investigates and analyses globalization’s impact on the cultural business environment in Chinese organizations. Globalization is viewed differently by economists and business leaders. According to Lui, Anti-globalists views capitalize on the cons of this phenomenon which include employment insecurity associated by production shifts. Another major minus of globalization is pay cuts due to increased competition associated to opening up local markets to global competition. Lastly, global companies are associated with social injustices in their business practices and unfair working conditions such as slavery and mismanagement of the environment. Pro-globalists maintain a strong view that globalization lead to higher standards of living. They argue that competitive markets lead to more efficiency in resource utilization, elimination of monopoly markets and how it promotes democracy all over the world. To understand what net impact globalization has, it is vital to appreciate that globalization refers to a process based on the formation of a single market of goods, services and factors of productions, including capital, labor, technology and natural resources, covering all the economic regions of all countries. The two main aspects which led to the sudden transformation were sophistication in information technology field and innovation of internet. In this process, national and international markets are combined in to a single complex whole. In the world economy, globalization lead to an increased dependency on different

Emotional Intelligence and Everyday Behavior Essay Example for Free

Emotional Intelligence and Everyday Behavior Essay On this article the author establishes the relationship between emotional intelligence and college students. It’s very notorious that the author’s focused the research based on measuring the Big Five personality traits (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) and related to behaviors, this is because the intellectual measures and the ability to express knowledge don’t give us a complete overview of the person. As the author said: â€Å"The goal of the present study is to assess the criterion validity of EI, and hence the social significance or external utility of EI by relating the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT, 2002a) to selected scales from the College Student Life Space Scale (CSLSS, Brackett, 2001)†. Another fundamental point of this article was to present the genders’ differences and which of the scores on the scale are more representative on each one. Even though the participants as the author expressed were recruited from introductory courses and received course credit for their involvement in the study, the participants were part of a larger study that examined the relation between the Big Five personality traits and the Life Space. There were a 330 total of participants all between 17 and 20 years which 241 of them were female and the 89 left were males. (M.A. Brackett et al., Personality and Individual Differences (2004). The participants were asked for permission to acquire their SAT scores and college grade points average from the university; student’s been not brilliant but can be considered as a standard class. For measuring the results the scales were organized according to three broad content areas: healthy versus unhealthy behavior, general leisure and academic activities and interpersonal relations. In order to mean the gender differences on both scales analyses were conducted separately. Mayer et al. (1998) said that some question formats are items that first, require minimal interpretations on the part of the participant, and that the answers are definite and potentially verifiable. The same was as Shaffer, Saunders Owens (1986) explained that â€Å"such question formats also minimize social desirability response bias†. For improving the data collection I would have had the same sample size for both genders, and have evaluated them both ways: first, by a whole population and them examine the results by gender, this is to understand how any of the gender impact on the whole group. Brackett Mayer (2003), Ciarrochi et al. (2001), Mayer et al. (1999), Mayer et al. (2002a), Roberts et al. (2001), Salovey et al. (2001) found that scores on tests are related to but mostly independent of verbal intelligence, the Big Five, and empathy (rs0.35). The preliminary analysis on the MSCEIT and Life Space indicated that the abilities associates with the two Emotional Intelligence areas (Experiencing Emotional Intelligence and Strategic Emotional Intelligence) are related to one another but still distinguishable warranting separate analysis with the criteria. (Mayer et al., 2000). In other cases MSCEIT and SAT scores didn’t present significant gender differences, but that was known on previous research which showed that MSCEIT scores are mostly independent from personality and verbal intelligence. Brackett Mayer (2003); Salovey et al. (2001). An important issue to be more careful about in the next research and studies is to suggest a same sample size from genders and that the evaluating scales were the same, for this some criteria applies but others doesn’t; even though what is not significant in a group might be significant for the full sample. The present study supports and emerging pattern of correlations between lower EI and larger amounts of alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, and involvement in deviant behavior. Brackett Mayer (2003), Formica (1998), Trinidad Johnson (2001). The results obtained on this and with others researches as base clearly points out that woman are better able to read unstated social information, including feelings from facial expressions and other non verbal clues. Examples of these researches are Rosenthal, Hall, DiMatteo, Rogers Archer (1979). The article says that: â€Å"Recent research has shown that areas of the brain devoted to emotional processing may be larger in women than men, which may also be related to the observed gender differences in Emotional Intelligence. (Gur, Gunning-Dixon, Bilker Gur, 2002). Helmers Mente (1999), Kauhanen, Julken Salonen (1992), Taylor, Parker Bagby (1990) research have tell that males with high scores alexithymia (self reported difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions) measures report increased alcohol consumption and drug use, and psychoactive substance dependence. White (2001) expressed that â€Å"the social deviance scale in this study only contained overt physical aggressive behaviors; perhaps stronger associations for females may have emerged if more covert or verbal aggressive tactics like ostracism, gossip, and indirect vendettas had been included.† That’s maybe why there’s a â€Å"lower frequency and range of violent acts for females than for males.† (White, 2001). The author on the article said that maybe the results found are unique to students of New England area and will not generalize to individuals in ethnically diverse areas. For me, this is very important, due even I know everyone it’s different and the culture might impact over the results there would be a more accurate result if the group is more diverse. For next researches the gender shouldn’t be so notorious on the results. The author’s well explained their conclusions and told that more researches are needed to understand how Emotional Intelligence is expressed in people’s lives. With this been said, the conclusions over this research need more basis to be sustained. The good point of is, that knowing the issues found on this research will help future researchers not to make the same sampling, methods and procedures.

Different Styles of Leadership in different Situations

Different Styles of Leadership in different Situations In this project we have selected a case of Pakistan International Airline and applied different styles of leadership that could be implemented according to different situations PIAC is a government organization under the influence of bureaucratic leadership. they follow one way communications. Decisions are always made by higher management and then announced to the lower staff to follow without considering their consent or agreement. This leads to an increase level of dissatisfaction in work force followed by absenteeism and lack of concern. There is severe lacking of target oriented approach in the employees. Their level of productivity and quality services tends to reduce day by day which is persistently taking the organization to huge loss. As compared to the productivity level there is a significant number of overstaffed workforces which are not even providing low services but also demand for high salaries. If we talk about customer services or flight operations we see a huge gap between the mission statement and the actual practice We have recommended different leadership styles to take the company out of that chaos like retrenchment, downsizing. Hire more qualified and efficient staff, empowerment of subordinates, decentralization of decision making process, two way communication between upper and lower management, motivating the employees. Building self confidence, reducing their dissatisfaction, giving them authority to achieve the objectives their own way, assign a common objective in their favor and for the company as well. After taking all these necessary measures pia current situation will definitely be improved and it would be able to attain the best position as I was supposed to be. Currently they are enjoying the benefit of monopoly in air traffic industry in Pakistan but later on when market gets saturated with new private companies in future it might get impossible to with stand the competition with current practices Intorduction This Report is to discuss Leadership style and recommend Pakistan International Airline best style in situations. The Company Established in 1955, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is a national airline with a vast experience in the industry and runs a fleet of forty aircrafts. It operates passenger and cargo services covering eighty-two domestic and foreign destinations.. PIA is a huge corporation with more than 17,000 employees. This organization is divided into following departments: Human Resource and Administration, Marketing, Corporate Planning, Information Services, Finance, Flight Services, Flight Operation, Engineering, Procurement and Logistics, Customer Services, Training and Development, Quality Assurance. The organogram of the organization follows, with the Chairman at the top and directors of departments reporting to him. The structure is centralized with the top-level management making the decisions. Vision To be a world class airline exceeding customer expectations through dedicated employees committed to excellence. Mission As a Symbol of National Pride, We aspire to be a Choice Airline, Operating Profitable on Modern Commercial concepts and Capable of Competing With the Best in the International as well as Domestic markets Values Customer Expectations: Convenience, Care and Competitive Tariff Service: Personalized and Courteous Innovation: Cherishing new ideas, Translating into actions Reliability: Loyalty and Consistency Safety: Passengers, Employees, Environment and Health Cohesiveness: Respect of individuals, Teamwork and effective communication Integrity: Business ethics, Accountability and Transparency. Culture The vision and values of PIA communicates the distinct culture to the organizational members and the customers as well. Despite of being beurucratic organization, bearing cultural similarities with other government organization, PIA is improving its practices, to meet its objectives. Organizational Attributes Organizational Attiributes PIA focuses on goals rather than focusing on the ways to accomplish it. The behavior of its employees and the overall business generation is a rational outcome of the oganization attributes and characteristics. PIA needs radical changes in the way it focuses their objective. It needs to intensify the focus on means of achieving it. The Companys Leadership The Companys Leadership is structured through the hierarchy, which is governed by the Board of Director and Chairman, going through the director down to the Middle Management. We can say it is much more Centralized. Situation Analysis PIAC is a Public sector organization, which has a decision making process down the hierarchy. The company is oversizedn upto 17,000 eployees. Employee Attitudes: At PIAC, every employee is expected to behave responsibily and prevent direct clash with the organizations interest. In case of abnormal behaviour, administrative actions are taken by the standing rules of PIAC against the employee. All HR problems are resolved according to the POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, which cover a complet scope of employee behavior, however being a part of Public Sector, the policies leaverage the employee more than necessary. Employee Dissatisfaction: PIAC believes that employees dissatisfaction affects the productivity level of employees and the root causes of such factors are identified. On the emergence of genuine reasons, the employees are helped in rectifying factors. If they are unable to do so, then the employee might get a letter of warning. Employees at PIAC expresses their dissatisfaction through the Suggestion Boxes, which are placed at various location. Whereas, employee co-ordination meetings (ECM) are organized, to allow all employees to share their views with their bosses as well as their subordinates. Recruitment and Hiring: In HR Adminstration Department, there is a Recruitment and Selection. Regarding the attribute rewuired for a position, decisions are taken by the top management at PIAC. Recruitment and hiring process is also influenced by the political situation of the country. Employee Promotion PIAC believes that experienced employees have the knowledge and expertise, gained over years, to handle diverse employees and unprecedented situations. Sharing information: Relevant Information Sharing systems has been improvised and rebuilt with a more candid approach. However, information through grapevine still exists. Influence of groups in decision making: PIAC has various formal and informal group due to its sheer size. There is an influence of the informal groups on the decision making process to some extent due to the nature of the workplace. These informal groups are formed because of many reason, one of which is that many employees sharing common interests, are in the organization for several. SWOT What is Leadership Leadership derived from the word LEAD, a person who motivates the people and show out the path to a group of people towards the accomplishment of their common goals is called a leader. And a process by which leader moves a group of people to their organizational objectives is said to be the leadership. Leader vs. Manager Many of the organization workers didnt understand the difference between leading and managing, there fore they were in a state of misconceptions which will not compel them to perform their jobs in proper directions. The simple differences between these two are manager is a career and leadership is calling. For leadership you dont need to be good looking, very well dressed, very well spoken and you dont have to have a very special something is inside you. But for leadership you have to have well defined convictions and most importantly you have courage in your visions to manifest them into reality. Managing is much broader in sense then leading which focuses on narrowing issues. Like mangers are looking for the issues related to the non behavioral as well as behavioral characteristics while if we talk about leader then it emphasize only on behavioral issues. Make it clear that not all mangers are leaders but most effective mangers over a long period of experiences will become leader. Situational Approach Situational approach is also known as contingency theory; it was given by Herbert Spencer in (1884). He said in his theory that the time and the situation makes the person a leader and not the other way around. This theory suggests that different situations calls different style of characteristics of leader. According to the Herbert spencer, in this theory of groups none of the single psychographic profile of the leader exist. The theory defines the two types of the leader one is Relationship oriented and other one is Task oriented. In relationship orientated the leader must achieve their task and objectives by holding good relationship with the group, while on the other hand in task oriented the leader have its prime concern to carry out the task himself. According to the theory there is no ideal leader, in both the situation the leader can be effective if and only he fits in the situation. Situations and Decisions As it is obvious that one of the most important part of the leadership is to make smart decisions. So The Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum wrote an article in 1995 which deal with the study of leaders appropriate decisions along with the behavioral characteristics of leader. That model defines the whole range of manager decisions and the situations where they use and got the best result out. The following are the decisions situational behavior of the leader: The manger make the decision and announces it In that situation the leader will follow these steps: Identify the problem. Analyze the different alternatives. Select the best alternative. Require the workers to implement the decision on the chosen one. The Manager sells the decision As it was mention above that the leader will identify the problem and find out the subordinator to implement the decision, but some time leader want to persuade the subordinate to accept the decision. The manager presents the ideas and invites questions- This situation of the decision allows the sub ordinate to raise the question on the decision that manger took himself in order to implement the solution of the problem. The manager presents a tentative decision that is subjected to change- Here in this situation the manager is subjected to change the decision accordingly, in that process the decision will not be the one side the subordinators are also the part of it. But the final decision will be taken by manager. The manager presents the problem, gets suggestions, and then makes the decisions- The manger will allow his co-worker to compliment on the problem and make the decision based on the suggestion given by the subordinators. It is the better solution of taking decisions. The manger defines the limit and asks the group to take the decisions In that situation the subordinators are subjected to take the decision with keeping in mind the problem, but the limits are also defined already so that no one can cross it. In that way a democratic decision came into being and it is very effective and efficient way of taking decisions. Forces influencing Managers Decision Making There are many factors that influencing in manger decision making some are briefed below: Individual forces Organizational forces Environmental forces Cross interactions forces. The above mentioned forces are few that influenced in a decision making process. Firstly the individual forces, as it was observed that there is a diversification factor in every organization. That diversification influences the impact on decision that is taken by the managerial staff because every one believes to have the decision in their benefits. The second factors is organizational forces, In that force the factors that effect are individual attitudes towards change, organization culture, expectations of the embodies that are responsible for openness, changes and risk taking. The last forces are assumed to be relevant because innovation adoption is likely to vary depending on the type of business and the nature of the competitors landscape. Fources influenceing Managers Decision Making Forces in Manager There are four factors that manager should feel inside them, without them the manager is not emphasize on a proper direction by which he has a chance to solve the problems efficiently. The first factor is managers values, as the manager in any department is the most responsible person who is able to take decision accordingly and who is responsible for the growth of efficiency, growth of subordinate, and company profit. Therefore it is very important to find out your position in an organization. The second factor is the level of confidence on your subordinates. It is obvious if you trust more in your subordinators the decision style will be more relevant to the democratic style, and if your lesser believers in your co-workers then the decision will be one sided which is not good. The third factor is personal leadership strength. Manager should find out the strength in them and ability to work in a worst situation very effectively. If manager is not clear with his piece of mind then he or she would not be able to direct their subordinate in a correct way. The fourth factor in the manager is tolerance for ambiguity. Being a manager it is his responsibility to take decision after listening to their subordinates but if the situation is exactly opposite to it then the style will be converted from boss centered to subordinate centered style. A manger who is disturbed by this loss of certainty will find him self in a complete ambiguity situation and will not be successful as a subordinate centered leader. Forces in Situations There are many situational factors which force the manager to take decision. In an organization to work in group are beneficiary factors to all. In order to achieve the organizational common goals it is to be required to work as one team. The second factor that influences in a situation is effectiveness of a group. As manager want to take a decision then first manager should analyze the performance of their subordinate either they are effective to achieve that goal or not. The third force of situation is the problem to be solved. It is required in an organization to be co-ordinate the groups with each other in order to get the best result com up with. And if the question is to solve the problem then it is to be sure that every one pays deep attention to solve it. The fourth situational force is the time available to make decision. It is obvious that group can took a long time to accomplish a task rather then individual can do it before. So before taking decision there has to be time defined. Empowerment Distribution What does empower mean: to give authority taking or seizing power Process of gaining profit by giving strength. Empowerment is a Process by which individuals and groups gain power, access to resources and control over their own lives. After doing so the workers will attain the power and strength to attain their highest personal and objectives goal of an organization. Empowerment can be distributing the following factors: Resource Consultant role Sensitizer role Cooperator role Firstly we discuss resource consultant role: Linking subordinators to resources so that they enhance their self-esteem and problem solving skills. Linking co-workers to resources so they can also work towards achieving their own independence and own control over their lives. Secondly sensitizer role: Helping the subordinates to gain the knowledge which is necessary to take control of their own lives. Empowered person and reliable workers recognizes and identifies their own strengths and the strengths of others. Finally Corporate role: Subordinators are the one who is self-determining in achieving self-efficacy and empowerment. Connecting empowered person to others who share common histories, issues, and barriers. Limits of Authority As it was discussed above that there is the manager who defines the limits of authority to every subordinator. If the limits are not defined then every one will be the manager of the company or concerned department. So there must be applying of limits in each and every post of the organization. Types of Leadership Autocratic Leadership This kind of leader ship involves absolute power over team members. even if the concern and involvement of team member is important but it is not considered all the decisions are made solely by leader. It is normally applicable to control the unskilled work force and to take instant control over chaos in the organization Characteristics These leaders have following characteristics they take the whole responsibility on themselves and make the team members to accomplish the task appropriately they feel that the close monitoring and supervision of team is required they normally take the team members inexperienced and unable to fulfill the task independently they only make the decision and announce it in team they only rely on themselves to meet the objectives of organization Situations In PIAC current situation the level of task orientation is low where as aggressiveness of work force is also lacking .here is a gap between the level of productivity and skills of the employees. It seriously needs an autocratic leader who would lead the organization by his own decision and take full responsibility over himself in order to achieve the organizational objectives. At the same time he would monitor the whole working structure closely and with complete vigilance. As the staff currently working is not capable to take the organization out of such chaos. Beurucratic/Transactional Leadership It is quiet a mechanical sort of leadership as it involves only the designed rules and policies made by the organization that has to be followed at any cost by followers. Regardless of the fact that they accept it or make them feel comfortable or not. Such kind of leadership is applicable for those leaders who are leading factory workers involving machine handling and jobs involving precautionary measures Characteristics they show the supremacy of their powers on their followers and they have to obey they try to maintain strict and systematic discipline in the followers they promote the followers who are able to conform to the rules they need their followers to accomplish the task just according to specified rules Situations Currently bureaucratic leadership is being practiced in the whole organization it should be confined to only engineering department as p.i.a deals with air traveling and may face technical issues in the aircrafts mostly due to malfunctioning of machinery in planes. there are many planes in p.i.a that are still not operational. if they assign any bureaucratic leader to achieve the task of fixing up the impaired machinery by the mechanical staff and engineers he can definitely make them accomplish the task efficiently and within the defined period of time. he would make them follow the safety rules and policies of the company with full acceptance. it would be helpful in increasing the fleet of p.i.a and hence increasing the number of flights and thus productivity levels and profits are also increased Democratic/Pedagogical Leadership This kind of leadership attains the maximum level of satistfaction and motivation from the followers as it involves the decision making process to be done not only by leaders but also the followers participate in it.team members feel equal importance and take the ownership of the task to be accomplished.it emphasizes on team work Characteristics they help the team members to express their skills by open invitation to take part in decision making process they improve the productivity by emphasizing on team work they focus on the quality of end result to be achieved regardless of time they believe that financial rewards are not the only source of motivation but making them feel self governing is a major source Consultive Persuasive Situations In PIAC the employees face situations in which teamwork is mainly required for instance Human resource department plans a meeting to revise the hiring policy. Finance department decides to amend the obsolete salary structure. Marketing department plans to launch a new promotion to attract the customers. All these activities require team work effort rather than centralized decisions.If the whole department officials give their input in the decision making process it would definitely give a better picture of final objective The level of concern of team members will also be increased that enhance the overall performance of organization Laissez-Faire It is derived from French phrase leave it be.it involves the full empowerment of team members to achieve the task on their own.it is normally practiced to those teams in which every team member is a self starter and experienced indivisual Characteristics they rely mainly on their team member and normally dont take the whole responsibility of task accomplishment on their own they only communicate the requirement and then leave the members to perform the task their own way they may loose the control over the team by giving them complete authority they sometimes take the feedback of what is being achieved or to which extent Situations In PIAC this kind of leadership only applies in a situation where we hire highly experienced and qualified group of employee that doesnt need any kind of strict supervision and include mainly self starters and motivated individuals. it seems quite an ideal situation in p.i.a as its employees are dissatisfied with the current salary structure so competitive salary packages should be assigned for them so work with complete satisfaction and ownership Corrective Leadership It involves the empowerment of group members in order to facilitate the collaborative and synergized environment. it results in equal participation of leader with employees in the process of task accomplishment Characteristics They treat the team members equally and fairly They work with them as a team member to increase their motivation level They standby the group members at every step to show his concern as a team Situations In PIAC there is a total one way communication from upper management to lower staff. there is a serious need of manager who better take themselves as team player rather a dictator as the decision making process is centralized here so rather than imposing the goals on subordinates and just over see what is being done they better work along with them in order to motivate and get better results from them. Suppose if you are manager finance in p.i.a so you should not only make decisions to design the budget, cost cutting etc. but also participate with team to implement that in an appropriate manner Creative Leadership It involves facing new challenges, and recognizes and track new opportunities through bold innovations. Experimentation with changing the current practice involves a factor of uncertainty in the success of outcomes. Risk taking attitude is important in creative leadership Characteristics They are good at generating new ideas to change commonplace thing They try to experiment with those ideas which seems to be affective by their judgment They are quiet independent and require less approval from subordinates They have ability to manage the consequences of those experiments They often change the working pattern of group by introducing new ideas They have strong imagination to foresee how things would be after innovation Situations In PIAC if there is a situation that market gets saturated with competitors so marketing department requires a creative leader who can design an innovative plane to capture new customers and retain the old customer by taking many creative steps and experimenting new promotions and offers to capture the market share ,enhancing the quality of services and products etc Bridging/Synergical Leadership It involves the bridging of leader and follower relationship with confidence, trust and empathy by effective communication of leader with follower. It results in boosting the confidence level of group members thus motivating them to face the difficulty or challenge Characteristics They try to create a friendly relationship with employees by identifying their social need They counsel the team members to help them get rid of any personal issue They appreciate their achievements hence enhancing their confidence level They try to create an environment of trust and coordination within the whole group Situations In PIAC if there is a huge gap between managers and subordinates thats needs to be filled. They seriously need a bridging leadership style to gain the trust of employees and reduce their turnover. Issue like absenteeism which is due to lack of satisfaction of employees can be resolved by their counseling and seriously try to understand and resolve their internal issues. it would definitely help to improve the organizational environment and the overall impact would be positive in terms of employee performance and loyalty Change Leadership This style of leader ship involves supporting the alteration in current rules and policies. This results in thinking beyond resolving a single issue or individual concern and hence improving the whole system or whole organization Charateristics Such leaders focus on improving the current environment of organization They dont focus only on minor issues with in a specific department They tend to change the rules and policies of organization in its benefit They make decisions that affect the whole organization Situations If PIAC face severe deficit and over sizing of staff so it seriously needs a change leader that leads to change the policies of organization that emphasize on improving the current situation by making alteration in obsolete rules and restructure almost every department of company. Retrenchment and downsizing to recover the organization from further deficit might be one of the altering measures. there are some other modifications needed to improve the current condition of PIAC Leadership Styles Transformational Leadership In this type of leadership organizations success is achieved by profoundly affecting followers beliefs and values such as justice and integrity. Through this style of leadership a sense of duty is created, it promotes learning for organization and new ways of handling problems are encouraged. Working as a Transformational Leader is a wonderful and uplifting experience. You have to put passion and energy to achieve success. Charactersitics Task of Transformational Leaders First the leaders creates the awareness about organizations issues among followers by inspiring them to follow you and the way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm and energy among the followers. Than they create a vision of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. The Transformational Leader should be very careful in developing the trust for him among followers, and their personal integrity is a very important and critical part of the package that they are selling. Their role is to be at front and central during the action. They are always visible and will stand up to be counted among others. Their attitudes and actions clearly reflects how everyone else should behave. Transformational Leaders make consistent efforts to motivate and rally their followers. Situations PIA needs transformation from the image of a white elephant, just making heavy losses to a profitable public organization as it had been in the past. Employees should be made aware of this need and he should always keep in mind what are the main goals of his organization. But employees needs, aspirations and interests should be fulfilled first only than he will be motivated to focus on achieving organizations goals. Coaching Leadership Its a style of leadership in which followers are instructed to how to meet the special organizational objectives. Coaching is a one to one relationship where coach instructs the followers to focus on and achieve what is important. Charactersitics Coaching is defined at four levels First its a belief system, coaches starts from making their followers to believe that their issues will be addressed and they will be solved . Coaching in a well defined Leadership style, where leaders seeks to keep the ownership of issues and problems faced by their followers. Third, coaching is defined by a set of tools and models like the GROW problem solving model so that they understand it better. Finally, there is a coaching skill-set which is deployed at followers very skillfully coaching them their tasks Situations In engineering, cabin crew and customer service department heads should instruct their followers to meet PIACs goal of better customer care and service. As a leader he should have good listening skills, insight, concern of welfare and patience towards followers to be able to lead them. Only by having good communication skills and attitude towards his employees he would be able to effectively instruct them Superleadership In this style the leader, leads his followers by showing them how to lead themselves. If he succeeds he develop followers who are very productive and needs minimum assistance from their leader in future. Charactersitics Here the leader teaches his followers how to think in different situations on their own and act constructively and independently. An organization cant succeed unless its members become proficient in leading themselves and thus today it is one of the very basic requirements of any organization. It is the job of the super leader to develop such followers who have these qualities in them. Situations Senior directors and other senior managers at PIAC could be best to act as a super leader as they have vast experience and they have performed in several critical situations they can make decision on their o

Strategies for Public Speaking

Strategies for Public Speaking Table of Contents (Jump to) Introduction Body-I Body-II Body-III Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The theme of Public speaking is the process intended for speaking, or communicating a lecture to a group of people in deliberate, structured manner in order to influence or entertain an audience. Public speaking is commonly taken as having a face to face verbal communication between the individuals or an audience. It is closely allied to presenting, although the latter is more often associated with commercial activity. Most of the time, public speaking is to persuade the audience. Public speaking is closely associated with presenting however presenting is more sort of a commercial activity. Public speaking mostly involves persuading the audience. Public speaking has three main purposes which involves mainly to persuade, secondly to inform, and thirdly, to entertain. These purposes can be achieved either individually, as a combination of 2 or collectively. (Zakahi, 1988) To convince an audience involves leading someone to believe something be it whether it is a diet choice, voting interest or one side of a hot-button topic such as immigration or abortion. In public speaking, having the audience centered at the topic of speech is the initial goal as it implies the speechs information was gathered and delivered effectively, and it also makes way for the third goal which is persuading the audience. The second purpose includes to provide the potential audience with a certain information be it for mutual understanding, sharing knowledge, answering queries such as who, what, when, where, how and by what means. The success of the speakers attempt to inform can be measured by how well the audience understands, retains and applies the ideas of the topic to their own lives. The purpose of persuasive public speeches is to persuade the audience to either adopt a specific thought or take a particular course of action that is provided by the public speaker. A speech delivered to a group of likely prospects may comprise the purpose to persuade them to set an appointment with the local Navy recruiter by motivating them that they really do have what it takes to be a Navy officer and they can be successful. (Lewis, 2010) Body-I A specific format is followed to deliver a speech which includes introduction, main part, conclusion, uttering the words perfectly. Not to forget that speech should span over a specific period of time so that not to create boredom in the atmosphere. Points considered to deliver a good speech include: Beforehand: rehearsal. Connect with your audience [body language: eye contact, good postures, etc.] Be yourself [not talk or read fast, Do not panic, Do not be dull and boring, Do not forget to breath, have normal pitch voice i.e. not too high neither not too low but just a sound and hearable volume.]. These acts perform as a frame of reference for the public speaking. One important step is that you ideally address important people who will be there and acknowledge guests. E.g. Good Evening, Principle Smith, teachers, parents and guests, welcome you to (event) etc (Make sure you tell them who you are). Also be open for questions and develop good listening skills. This initial start gives a projection of a good speech. Body-II Delivering a speech can take several different forms and does not necessarily has to be a face to face conversation however it does helps to communicate the message more efficiently and effectively and is an important element of non verbal communication. It counts in the body posture, gestures and most importantly the eye contact which helps to put the message across as a supporting material as well as a paralanguage for a good conversational style. Hence it can be a political speech delivered though a telephone to a large audience or maybe a video conferencing through an internet connection e.g. including Skype conversations or it can also be through a visual aid such as through a television channel delivering to a large audience. Body-III Many people have a phobia of public speaking. Jerry Seinfeld put it this way: According to numerous studies, peoples most common fear is public speaking. Then comes death. This means to the average person i.e. if you go to a funeral, you are better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. One way to overcome these fears is with preparation and practice. Public speaking is a self-esteem booster. Overcoming the fears and public speaking anxiety that go along with public speaking is empowering. Moreover, connecting with the audiences can be a great opportunity to remind you that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world. One form of this speech is extemporaneous speech as it is considered most informative and you make the speech after you have gathered all the facts and have done your research on the topic. (Rennels, 2006) It can be very fulfilling to share something that matters to you with people not in your usual social circle. The process of writing a speech will not only exercise but also strengthen your critical thinking skills, ranging from the research to the actual speech-drafting. Preparing a speech will enable you to reevaluate the way you communicate and as well as re-examine your speaking habits. When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the language to communicate your message to the audience, best organization framework, and persuasive strategy. This type of thinking will help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life. Public speaking engagements are great places to meet other people who share your interests and this increases your social circuit. (Jaffe, 2007) Conclusion Public speaking is the process intended for speaking, or communicating a lecture to a group of people in deliberate, structured manner in order to influence or entertain an audience. It is commonly taken as a face to face conversation however it can take many different forms as well such as a telephonic speech or a virtual speech such as a speech delivered through a television. Public speaking has three main purposes which involves mainly persuasion, secondly to inform, and thirdly, to entertain. These purposes can be achieved either individually, as a combination of 2 or collectively. It has several benefits which include Overcoming fears, boosting self esteem, Sharing your views with others, improve critical thinking skills, analyze communication habits, improve communication skills, make social connections, impress your boss, gain publicity, expand your social network, personalizing your professional reputation and find the right words to impress change. A specific format is follo wed to deliver a speech which includes introduction, main part, conclusion, uttering the words perfectly. Bibliography Jaffe, C. (2007). Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society. Lewis, M. (2010). Podium Dreams. Forbes.com . Rennels, M. (2006, September 4). What Are the Three Main Goals of Public Speaking? Speaking and Speeches; Why is public speaking important . Zakahi, W. (1988). Communication Education. West Virginia: Speech Communication Press .

Adult Learner Retention Essay -- Education Learning Essays

Adult Learner Retention Adult learner retention continues to hold the attention of adult educators in every type of program. Although the reasons students leave and the strategies for keeping them may differ from adult basic education (ABE) to higher education, the goal of retention is the same: to keep learners in programs until they achieve their goals (Tracy-Mumford et al. 1994). In any program, adults are largely voluntary participants, but the student role is just one of many roles and responsibilities competing for their time and attention. In fact, personal reasons such as family problems, lack of child care, and job demands are often cited as the cause of withdrawal. At the same time, adults usually have pragmatic, focused reasons for participating and will leave whenever they feel their goals have been met or if they feel the program will not satisfy their goals. Personal/job factors may seem to be beyond institutional control, whereas program satisfaction is something educators can improve. This D igest provides an updated look at research on retention in adult education and suggests effective practices for different settings. Adult Basic Education Repeatedly, attrition is described as the #1 problem in ABE. Attrition rates as high as 60-70% are reported in state and federal statistics (Quigley 1995). The raw numbers may be alarming, but they do not tell the whole story. Several studies show that noncompleters sometimes leave when they feel their goals were realized (Kambouri and Francis 1994; Perin and Greenberg 1994). The phenomenon of stopping out-one or more cycles of attending, withdrawing, and returning-is typical of adults who must place the student role on the back burner temporarily. Counting them as dr... ...cy. Kent: Ohio Literacy Resource Center, 1995. (ED 378 408) Smith, G., and Bailey, V. Staying the Course. London: Business and Technology Education Council, 1993. (ED 359 356) Towles, D. E.; Ellis, J. R.; and Spencer, J. "Student Persistence in a Distance Education Program." Conference paper, 1993. (ED 360 931) Tracy-Mumford, F. et al. Student Retention: Creating Student Success. Washington, DC: National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium, 1994. (ED 375 299) Vanderpool, N. M., and Brown, W. E. "Implications of a Peer Telephone Network on Adult Learner GPA and Retention." Journal of College Student Development 35, no.2 (March 1994): 125-128. Vann, B. A., and Hinton, B. E. "Workplace Social Networks and Their Relationship to Student Retention in On-Site GED Programs." Human Resource Development Quarterly 5, no. 2 (Summer 1994): 141-151.

Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

Is it Sweet and Fitting to Die for One’s Country?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage is truly a unique book because it challenges the common perceptions of the Civil War. The fight for freedom and the American way of life were how writers such as Fredrick Douglass and Walt Whitman portrayed the Civil War. Crane challenges these principles by concentrating on the day-to-day reality the regiments of the North faced. Since the North’s main goal was to abolish slavery, they are remembered to be a group of men who were well equipped and prepared for battle because they represented the morality of the war. However, the North is shown through Crane to be a group of amateurs who are untested, lack discipline, and do not appreciate the opportunity to fight for their country and their way of life. In this sense, The Red Badge of Courage relates to life for how it is instead of how people want to remember it to be. Contrary to Crane, Cicero once wrote â€Å"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori† (I t is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country). Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage begins as a validation of these sentiments of Cicero: although, the rationale of the sentiment is challenged throughout the story, Cicero outlook is ultimately shown to be true in the last battle scene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of The Red Badge of Courage, the main character, Henry, has preconceived ideals of war that lead him to believe that â€Å"it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.† â€Å"The young soldier† and â€Å"the youth† are nicknames for Henry and are used throughout the novel to convey the characteristics of his youth. Henry had a false sense of what war is really like because his lack of experience causes him to compares war to epic ancient battles. He idealistically thinks that his first battle will be â€Å"one of those great affairs of the earth (45).† Henry desperately wants to follow in the footsteps of Ancient Greek heroes and become a hero himself. He naively believes in the traditional forms of honor and courage. Dreams of the image of a dead soldier being laid upon his shield, following the Greek tradition of dying in battle, fill Henry’s head. He lacks experience in war so he can only imagine w hat it is truly like. The lack of experience makes Henry over zealous for battle and makes his belief in his inevitable greatness seem vain and self-centered.

Emerging crises of natural hazards management Essay

Procedure of large-scale urbanization is intricate and changing. So too are the study and management of natural hazards and disasters. Although the US experience is highlighted, the changes noted apply to many other countries. US also initiated International Association of Emergency Managers that certified emergency manager. Through this certification, new ways of thinking about hazards and disasters are emerging, whose long-run allegations are hard to foresee (Mitchell, 1993b). The competence of existing means for managing natural hazards and other types of environmental hazards is ever more being called into question in the United States and the global community. This is exemplified by a sampling of the issues that have lately emerged in professional and lay forums. formerly are problems that are posed by new kinds of hazard. These come in numerous varieties. several are amalgams of natural and technological hazards (Showalter and Myers, 1994). while a storm or a tsunami affects a chemicals manufacturing or storage provision it is not just the threat of high water and strong winds that is of concern; it is also the prospect that toxic materials might be disseminated all through surrounding areas. If an earthquake affects a nuclear reactor site, radioactive materials might be released. The flooding of old mines can root surface collapses . Given the escalating variety of technological hazards, the potential for new or atypical combinations of natural and technological hazards are escalation upwards. Three classes of technological hazard pose fairly diverse sets of problems when combined with natural hazards: a. Unsuspected hazards entail substances or activities that were considered as harmless or benign until scientific proof or human experience showed otherwise (e. g. DDT, asbestos). b. indecently managed hazards entail failures of diverse kinds of hazard-control systems (e. g. nuclear facilities such as Wind scale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl; chemical plants such as Seveso, Basle,Bhopal; transportation systems such as the US space shuttle Challenger and super tankers such as the Exxon Valdez; storage and discarding sites for toxic materials such as Kyshtym, Times Beach, Love Canal, Minamata). C. Instrumental hazards are planned to cause harm and are intentionally employed towards that end; they comprise sabotage, arson, and warfare. Military industrial technologies fit in to this group (e. g. nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons such as defoliants and nerve agents; premeditated oil-spills and oilfield conflagrations). The UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, formed in 1992, has begun to examine a diverse but related set of problems that they call intricate emergencies. These consign to events such as those happening in the former Yugoslavia, Kurdistan, southern Sudan, Mozambique, and Somalia, where political conflicts, drought, famine, and other troubles are intertwined. Hazards of global environmental change comprise a separate but correlated class of events that are now making their approach onto the public policy agenda (Mitchell and Ericksen, 1992). It is extensively accepted that a build-up of greenhouse gases in the environment might set off climate changes and other consequences such as sea-level rise. Several of the industrial hazards are adequately well known to be classifiable as â€Å"routine† hazards, but others including most of the hazards connected with global ecological change are completely unprecedented in the human experience. They are best considered â€Å"surprises† (Mitchell, 1996). A next way in which natural hazards are varying grows out of the first. It is that there are now strong pressures to inflate the legal definition of natural disasters. In the history, only the victims or potential victims of measures activated by natural phenomena (somewhat erroneously labelled â€Å"acts of God†) were believed eligible for public support to upgrade awareness or provide relief. However, in current years there has been an instantly recognizable trend towards broadening the range of technological and social phenomenon that are entitled for aid. In the United States this began with natural gas shortages in the cold and snowy winter of 1977 and later integrated the community of Times Beach, Missouri – a disreputable case of contamination by the toxic chemical dioxin. More lately, the collapse of an old, disused, and dwindling Underground Railroad system was treated as a â€Å"natural† disaster while water from an adjacent canal inundated the basements of high-rise buildings in downtown Chicago. In the early nineties, civil unrest in Los Angeles also qualified for disaster status, as did the 9/11 in New York city. These events suggest that peculiarities between different kinds of disasters are waning in the public policy arena. Perhaps they imitate the growing impact of socio-technical hazards and the decline of natural phenomena in the extremely human-made environments of a rich country. Maybe they are correlated to further politicization of public decisions concerning disasters, or to the political influence of explicit interest groups that place a high premium on predictability and permanence (e. g. business corporations)? It is also probable that they are products of a broad shift in public attitudes towards risks of all kinds. Further type of change is distension of public dissatisfaction with hazard management agencies. Condemnation of disaster management in developing countries such as Bangladesh or the states of the African Sahel is not new. Mass media reports concerning the poor performance of national government organizations and international agencies are squad. Natural hazards and disasters can be unstable political issues in developed countries and a certain sum of controversy about governmental responses is the norm as anyone who has experiential the aftermath of Italian earthquakes, or Australian wildfires, or American hurricanes can attest to. But lately there has been a sharp acceleration of complaints concerning the effectiveness of hazard-management agencies in main developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and Russia. The US International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been a particular target. It has been indicted of providing insufficient and inappropriate relief to disaster victims. It has as well been criticized for supporting the occupation of hazardous lands by proffering low-cost insurance to rich investors; and it has drawn fire for offering too much effort to cleaning up after past disasters and too little attempt to reducing the prospects of future disasters. IAEM’s mishandling of relief in the wake of hurricane Andrew triggered a major investigation by the US Congress. Critics called for the nation’s armed forces to replace IAEM, and large numbers of military personnel have, actually, been deployed after recent disasters. The military is usually in charge of disaster management in third world nations because it is often the simply institution competent of providing aid during disasters and one of the few organizations that can be counted on to inflict government policies at other times. Although in the United States and other Western nations proposals for a larger military role in civilian affairs are frequently controversial. Advocates of civil authority and legal due procedure are concerned that increased military concern in disasters may signal an corrosion of citizen rights and responsibilities, while others point to the reduction in international tensions and the require for more cost-effective national institutions as grounds for making ingenious use of military expertise in new roles. Devoid of going into detail, it is useful to note that there is a widespread loss of faith in the capacity of national public agencies to combat natural and technological hazards in numerous other countries. The failures of Soviet agencies in connection with the Armenian earthquake (1988) as well as the Chernobyl nuclear power station fire (1986) have been well documented and they are supposed to have contributed to the crumple of the Soviet government. British civil defence agencies have also been forcefully criticized for insufficient preparedness and lack of attention to hazard improvement (Mitchell, 1989; Parker and Handmer, 1992). Partly as government agencies have come under attack, there has been a dogged effort to shift the burden of disaster management on private individuals and institutions. In countries such as the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, this began with a conformist revolution in politics led by people such as Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Helmut Kohl. In the perspective of hazard management, policy reforms usually took the form of insurance systems (flood insurance, earthquake insurance, crop insurance, etc. ), limitations on central government expenditure for disaster relief and recovery, an end to public funding for building in hazardous areas, and penalties for people who rebelliously build or rebuild in such places. Now there is an emerging body of evidence that such policies might not work as intended. For instance, insurance is not the panacea it was once announced to be. Many potential victims are uninsured or underinsured and those who have sufficient insurance often experience serious trouble securing reimbursements. Not all threats are covered by insurance, and major problems take place when hazards involve several perils (e. g. hurricanes bring floods, erosion, wind damage, landslides, and other events). Cut-backs in government financial support of social services have become common all through the developed world in current years, and spending on disasters is no exception. Consequently, policies that underline private responsibilities for hazard management may assist to widen the gap between richer and better-educated victims specifically; those who can afford to make supplies for their own security and the poor or disadvantaged groups that lack such a competence. Briefly, a hazard-protection system that relies mostly on market mechanisms might well be detrimental to broader public interests. British experience with the great storm of 15 October 1987 demonstrates several of these problems (Mitchell, James K. , Neal Devine, and Kathleen Jagger. 1989). Before the storm, local governments and private individuals in England had been expectant to be self-reliant and not to expect the national government to give recovery funds in the event of a disaster. But the storm, which recorded the highest wind speeds in 250 years, blew down some fifteen million trees and inflicted economic losses greater than any natural disaster in Britain since the end of the Second World War. In the course it exposed the limitations of local resources for managing with disasters and it obliged a major reversal of national policies that would have left local governments to ensure of natural disasters. If there is concern regarding the general efficiency of disaster management by the private sector, there is deep concern about the future of hazard insurance systems. Lack of insurance coverage and insufficient reimbursements are continuing problems, but the fundamental issue is that very large disasters might bankrupt the entire international insurance system. Insurance and reinsurance companies in Germany, Japan, and the United States are all extremely troubled by this prospect.