Computer Can Replace Teacher Essay

There are some innovation and technology enthusiasts who claim that computer-based learning will soon replace teachers. Just take a look at some recent op-eds by Andy Kessler and Richard Galant. They point to the accessibility of information via the Internet and the recent advances in online instruction and adaptive learning as harbingers of teacher obsolescence. These assertions are alarming to those who advocate the importance of teachers, like Diane Ravitch and Wendy Kopp. They point to a strong body of research that affirms the importance of good teachers. So how do we make sense of this war of words and tumult of opinions? To one degree or another, both sides are overlooking important considerations. Those who proclaim that computers will replace teachers often naively reduce teaching to mere instruction and assessment. In doing so, they forget the true breadth and complexity of the job teachers perform. Computers are becoming better at providing customized direct instruction an d at assessing student mastery of foundational knowledge and skills. But good teachers do much more than present information and drill the fundamentals. High-quality teachers guide their students through activities and projects that stretch them to analyze, synthesize, and apply what they have learned across academic subjects and into the real world. They provide personalized, qualitative feedback to help students develop their critical and creative thinking. They create a classroom culture that intrinsically motivates students by honoring their hard work and by making academic achievement socially relevant. Going above and beyond the call of duty, many of the best teachers are driven by a â€Å"whatever-it-takes† attitude to ensure that all their students receive the resources and support needed to put them on a path to success in life. Those human aspects of good instruction are not going to be replaced by machines anytime soon. On the other side of the debate, those who emphasize the importance of traditional teachers often do not notice how unrealistic it is to provide high-quality teachers at scale in the current monolithic model of classroom-based instruction. They overlook the fact that the breadth and complexity of the job of good teaching makes it nearly impossible for most teachers to do all of the critical aspec ts of their job exceptionally well. Teachers are expected to design and execute daily lesson plans for multiple hours of the school day, orchestrate student learning activities, administer and grade student assessments, develop and implement efficient and effective classroom procedures, and differentiate their approaches for diverse student needs, all while managing the daily wild cards of student behavior. Additionally, we expect teachers to maintain close contact with parents, provide students with social and emotional support, perhaps offer after-school tutoring, sponsor student clubs, coach sports, organize school and community events, and shoulder many of our schools’ administrative duties. With all of these jobs crammed onto their plates, few teachers have the time, stamina, or cognitive and emotional capacity to do each job well. Under these circumstances, is it any surprise that so few teachers produce the results that we demand of them? Exceptional teachers are often put on pedestals in the media and in public debate, but these awesome individuals produce a level of work that is rarely sustainable and certainly not scalable. The model of monolithic classroom instruction from the late 1800s just wasn’t designed to allow teachers to meet 21st-century expectations. In fact, traditional classrooms were designed to prepare students for jobs in an industrial economy of the past. To meet this end, the system was set up to process seemingly homogeneous batches of similarly aged students through one-size-fits-all instruction. Undifferentiated instruction was acceptable back then because students only needed to understand math, science, and literature at a C or D level in order to â€Å"pass quality control,† receive their diplomas, and enter the workforce. Teaching might have been a reasonably manageable job back when these assumptions held true, but in the knowledge-based economy of today, the assumptions no longer hold and teaching becomes a heroic job. Despite the incredible challenges we face in providing good teachers at scale, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The educators, in novators, and entrepreneurs that are now experimenting with blended learning are completely redesigning our models of instruction. Rather than merely layering technology on top of traditional classrooms, they are leveraging technology to transform the role of teachers, accelerate student learning, and magnify the impact of educators. Blended learning allows much of the work of basic instruction—like drilling multiplication tables or reviewing vocabulary words—to be offloaded to computers so that teachers can focus on the aspects of teaching that they find most rewarding, such as mentoring students and facilitating exploratory learning projects. Properly implemented blended learning does not eliminate teachers, but instead eliminates some of the job functions that teachers find most onerous. Technology will not improve our education system if we marginalize or eliminate teachers. Likewise, our education system will not meet modern needs at scale until we innovate beyond the factory-model classroom. Innovation may lead us to classroom setups and teacher roles that look very different from today, but a human element will always be an essential part of the equation. By framing the debate as technology vs. teachers, we create a false dichotomy. Instead, our conversations should focus on finding ways to let technology do what it does best so that we can leverage teachers to do what they do

How Can Resourcing and Development Add Value to the Modern Workplace

â€Å"How can Resourcing and Development add value to the modern workplace? † Table of content 1 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 1. 1 Company background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 1. 2 Purpose, Value and Principle†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 1. 3 Awards†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. 4-5 1. 4 Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson’s industry status†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 2 Recruitment issues of P & G†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 2. Campus Talk recruitment method & Added Value in workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6-7 2. 2 Job Fair Internship recruitment method & Added Value in workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. 7-8 3 Diversity issues of P & G†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 3. 1 Gender & Added Value in workplace.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9-11 3. 2 Culture & Added Value in workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12-13 4 Continuing Professional Development issues of P & G†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 4. 1 Employee Development & Added Value in workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 14-15 4. 2 Talent Development & Added Value in workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦15-17 5 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 6 Appendixes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 7 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20-21 1 Introduction 1. 1 Company Background Founded in 1837, Procter & Gamble (P & G) was established by William Procter, a candle maker, and his brother-in-law, James Gamble, a soap maker, when they merged their small businesses. Now, P & G is one of the largest consumer products companies in the world. These include beauty care, household care and Gillette products. P&G Greater China business includes Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which were established in 1988, 1987 and 1985 respectively. P&G has operations in more than 80 countries, with more than 300 brands on market in 160 countries employing approximately 135,000 people. Their worldwide headquarters is in Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S. 1. 2 Purpose, Value and Principle Purpose unifies us in a common cause and growth strategy of improving more consumers’ lives in small but meaningful ways each day. It inspires P&G people to make a positive contribution every day. They would provide branded products and professional services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumer now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward them with leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing P & G people, shareholders, and the communities in which they live and work to prosper. Values reflect the behaviors that shape the tone of how they work with each other and with their partners. P & G was focus on consumers, staffs, brands and what make P & G’s unique. Management brings the values to life as they focus on improving the lives of the world consumers. P&G is its people and the values by which their live. They attract and recruit the finest people in the world. They build an organization from within, promoting and rewarding people without regard to any difference unrelated to performance. They act on the conviction that the men and women of Procter & Gamble will always be their most important asset. And Principles articulate P&G’s unique approaches to conducting work every day and shows respect all individuals. As they agreed the interests of the Company and the individuals are inseparable. They are strategically focused in the work and promoted innovations as P & G success. 1. 3 Awards They were honored to have focus on innovation recognized at the 2010 Edison Awards. A. G. Lafley, former Chairman and CEO, was also recognized with the Edison Achievement Award—one of just a handful of business CEOs to ever receive the honor. The award recognizes distinguished business executives who have made a significant and lasting contribution to innovation. In his remarks, A. G. hared the award with P&G and external business partners, whose focus on consumer-centric, systematic innovation has helped P&G bring innovative, life-improving products to consumers. â€Å"Innovation is more important now than ever,† said Caldicott. â€Å"The finalists we announced today are the moving parts in the engine of economic growth. They inspire people to think outside the box and improve the lives of pe ople around the world. 1. 4 P & G and Johnson & Johnson’s industry status P&G is the largest consumer products company and building leading brands that is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. It registering strong business growth in the consumer product industry and P&G's China staff has grown rapidly. Besides, P ; G was the 22nd largest profitable company in amount profited of US$ 13,436 million launched by Fortune 500. On the other hand, their competitor – Johnson ; Johnson is the world’s sixth-largest consumer health company which operates in three segments through more than 250 operating companies located in some 60 countries and employing 114,000 employees. J ; J was the 32nd largest profitable company in amount profited of US$ 12,266 million. Recruitment issues of P ; G Recruitment means to estimate the available vacancies and to make suitable arrangements for their selection and appointment. Recruitment is understood as the process of searching for and obtaining applicants for the jobs, from among whom the right people can be selected. According to EDWIN FLIPPO, â€Å"Recruitment† is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimul ating them to apply for jobs in the organization. † 2. 1 Campus recruitment method ; Added Value in workplace Apart from advertising method of recruitment, it available to employers and is widely used involves recruiting people directly from education institutions. P;G was successfully launched 1st of Campus Recruitment named â€Å"Corporate Elite Program† in Hong Kong in 2008. It is a program that hired from University top talents who are inspired to start their career in P;G, to gather together to experience an exclusive, meaningful ; fruitful recruitment journey. P ; G offer interactive platform for Elite students to make friends with P;G managers as well as among themselves. At the end of the journey, they will have the chance to get full time offer from P;G. The program mainly to target Sales ; Marketing students, apply for P ; G Pharmaceutical’s industry. Apart from Hong Kong ; Taiwan, P;G U. K. recruited around fifteen new staff members from over three thousand graduate applicants per year in the U. K. Regarding Campus Recruitment can be added value in P ; G, the organization will build up the company’ image in Consumer field. The candidates who almost are fresh graduated, provide an energetic, intelligent and aggressive working style for the organization. Moreover, it benefit of innovative and imaginative thinking, strive for execution excellence, and breakthrough a typical work environment that recognizes and rewards high performing. Hence, P ; G were ranked first worldwide for the â€Å"Recruitment, Training ; Retention of the best staff† in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry by Fortune 500 Magazine. 2. 2 Job Fair and Internship recruitment method ; Added Value in workplace Job Fair and Internship recruitment also implement in P ; G Company. Job fairs are becoming a more common method of entry-level recruiting and initial screening. For P ; G recruiter, they offer an opportunity to reach potential candidates and collect their profile. P ; G offered much of opportunities in different kind of place and launched Job Fair for permanent and internship candidates, aimed target hiring for Customer Service staff in retail shop. The recruitment team short listed the candidates for the full time or internship program, the objective to organize of Career Fairs are to provide a platform where hiring talent staff work in Customer Service field in P ; G. Job Fair has the benefit of new skills, new talents and new experiences candidates who fulfill the job requirements in P ; G. An effective recruitment practice identify job applicants with the appropriate level of knowledges, skills, abilities, and other requirements needed for successful performance in a job or an organization. Internship recruitment was very popular and common for an employer implement, as it not only give a valuable chance to the candidates to learn in workplace and also can be benefit to the organization. Besides, they are offered various learning opportunities like training and on boarding programs throughout an internship to be able to easily adapt to business atmosphere and successfully complete the projects. During the program, internship would receive ongoing coaching and feedback. Internship for employers represent an opportunities to bring in bright ; energetic people, to pre-screen for the best and the brightest, and in cases of highly desirable graduates or programs, to attract good candidates before graduation. In addition, from an operational perspective, interns offer an opportunity to bring in short term staff to meet high demand periods, vacation backfilling, and for special projects. Acuff (1985) indicates that Recruitment at colleages and universities is seen as a major source of new employees in business, technical, professional, sales, administration, and other fields. Co-operation and internship programs sponsored by colleges and universities are seen by many organizations as being a particularly effective source of new employees. Some employers have also found a lower turnover rate among employees who have been recruited through such programs. 2 Diversity issues of P ; G Diversity means that the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially the inclusion of different types of people or different races of cultures in a group or organization. Diversity is not only diversity of ethnic background and gender, but also age, sexual orientation and work and life experience. Diversity is deeply rooted in P ; G’s Purpose, Values ; Principles. Through their commitment, P;G brings together individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and thinking styles providing remarkably different talents, perspectives, life and career experiences. The mission of Diversity ; Inclusion at P;G is â€Å"Everyone Valued, Everyone Included, Everyone Performing at Their Peak†. 3. 1 Gender ; Added Value in workplace The Company employs over 100 thousand people of different nationalities spread between North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Diversity (of gender, race, religion, culture) is one of most important P;G assets in achieving their mission to understand and serve consumers round the world. Almost a decade ago, P ; G business decided to address gender diversity and get closer to its consumers. They understood that female team members would enable them to better understand consumers, since household purchasing decisions are mostly overseen by women. According to P ; G Management report stated that 40% of P ; G Managers are women. Since then, the team has hired full-time female employees and has deployed diversity trainings to dispel cultural myths and address work life balance issues. P ; G believes that work-life balance is just as important as employee’s performance, days-off to â€Å"Work from Home† programmes, and special considerations for working mothers and family commitments. The company understands the need for balance of the employee’s work life. After all, full of happiness employees are more productive and have self-motivation which translates to success for all. A Strategic Approach Dr. R. Roosevelr Thomas, Jr. tates that â€Å"Globalization is transforming the very nature of our business relationship, decision-making processes, and interactions, making world class diversity management, more needed now than ever before. P;G continues to focus on diversity as a global strategy and expects its work force to become increasingly diverse, enabling employees to serve more of the w orld’s consumers. Global data on enrollment by gender is shown in the following table: Sourced by P ; G Sustainability Report 2010 In 2010, P;G’s solid progress in diversity and inclusion was recognized in many global and U. S. surveys. It includes Diversity Inc. of Top Companies for Diversity No. 18 in 2010, Top Global Diversity Companies No. 6 in 2010 and Working mother ofâ€Å"Working Mother Hall of Fame, 2005† for Top 10 Companies for Executive Women (2010 NAFE). Many awards were recognized gender diversity added value in P ; G. 3. 2 Culture ; Added Value in workplace Culture usually ‘refers to shared attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that individuals learn from the family and society in which they live’ (Gold et al. , 2010:435) In P ; G, one of the most important factors is culture. The most talented people want to work in a culture that is open, collaborative, and embraces change. Creating and sustaining such a culture is difficult, and they know they need to change and evolve the culture. They become more externally focused and need to be more agile, more flexible and faster, more innovative and more productive. Since A. G. Lafley became Chief Executive Officer in 2000, the leaders of P;G have worked hard to make innovation part of the daily routine and to establish an innovation culture. In that year, P ; G spent US$2. 1 billion on innovation, and received $76. billion in revenues. Benefit in getting more value from every investment in innovation culture. According to Diversity Management by Pamela Arnold who is President of American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc stated that â€Å"This integration leads to a workplace environment that encourages creativity and innovation and motivates people to make a difference not only internally but also externall y communities. Together, P ; G represent around 140 nationalities. Their recruiting and development philosophy to â€Å"build from within† fosters a strong culture of trust and shared experiences. Their diversity, shared culture and unified purpose are the defining elements that enable P;G to touch lives and improve life every day. Usually P ; G want their international managers to be experienced and familiar with corporate culture as well as a solid understanding of the company’s core values. It is the responsibility of the manager to facilitate each employee to bring their own experiences to the table allowing for a collage of international ideas that help P;G products reach consumers on every continent. Another component of P;G’s business organization that fully utilizes each individual employee is the office orientation. P ; G represent that has actively and successfully taking on the challenge of globalization through international management. Many worked in P;G colleagues who gained lot opportunities to interact with colleagues from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and even all overseas P ; G companies. Hong Kong and Taiwan’s Oral Care team is one of the most culturally diverse teams in P;G. Such diversity allows them to view things from different perspectives, and thus help them make better decisions based objective discussions. It is founded in P ; G that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where their talents are being fully utilised and which organisational goals are met. According to Ms. Carole Yeung (General Manager of Global Offices of Diversity ; Ombuds, Chevron) said that â€Å"this effort is designed to strengthen our organizational capability and develop a talented global workforce that gets results†. It strongly proved that global cultural diversity was added value in workplace and Organizations reach their potential when everyone, individually and collectively, shares the best chance to succeed. Also, the important achievements are contributing directly to specific organizational values. P ; G acts on the conviction that the men and women of the organization will always be their most important asset. P;G is a very diverse organization which according to Diversity Inc Top 50 List awarded the Best Companies for Multicultural Females for Top 5 in 2009 and Companies for Diversity of Top 40 in 2010. Continuing Professional Development issues of P ; G Continuing Professional Development refers to the imparting of specific skills, abilities and knowledge to an employee. It is any attempt to improve current or future employee performance by increasing an employee’s ability to perform through learning, usually by changing the employee’s attitude or increasing their skills a nd knowledge. The fundamental aim of training is to help the organization achieve its purpose by adding value to its key resource for their employees who hired. Training means investing in the people to enable them to perform better and to empower them to make the best use of their natural abilities. 4. 1 Employee Development ; Added Value in workplace P;G are building on the knowledge by providing a best in class training programme that is both challenging and enriching. Half of the training is done on-the-job, while the other half will be delivered in active and engaging ways. Most of the employees are gain invaluable and practical knowledge that empowers the way they work. In addition to on-the-job experience, P ; G provides a wealth of technical, functional and leadership skills training. Some programs are offered at career milestones, such as when an employee first takes on responsibility for managing others or leading an organization. Other programs take managers out of the classroom and into retail stores or even into consumers’ homes. This process not only helps P;G people develop business skills but also deepens their commitment to touching and improving consumers’ lives that P;G’s enduring Purpose. P;G treat their employee as the Company’s most important asset and source of competitive advantage. The success depends entirely on the strength of their talent pipeline, which to build from within and manage with a disciplined process led by the CEO and the senior leadership team. Besides, approach to developing leaders at P;G is elegantly simple. They take the same rigorous and disciplined approach to developing leaders at P;G around the world in every business, in every region and at every level. Regarding leadership rewarded added value in P ; G which is recognized Hay Group’s Twenty Best Companies for Leadership by Bloomberg Business Week. Moreover, information provided by Human Resource Management Journal – Vol 8 No. 4. It clearly supports and agreeing with the view that CPD is important because of the changing nature of work and that it has benefits to the employer as well as the individual through enhancement of employability and career prospects. It was anticipated that job satisfaction and organizational commitment would be positively related to the value accorded to CPD. Appendix of table 1 (Value of CPD) should be indicated the respondents were in general favorably disposed towards CPD in workplace. 4. 2 Talent Development ; Added Value in workplace Talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organizational performance, either through their immediate contribution or in the longer term by demonstrating the highest levels of potential. Additionally, Talent Development means the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of those individuals with high potential who are of particular value to an organization. In P;G, Talent Development is a never-ending priority. They develop talent primarily from within the organization, and they are one of the few companies that are committed to that approach. P ; G creates opportunities for careers in workplace, not just a job. One way they do this is by managing P;G talent development globally. Starting at mid-levels of management and higher, to enable career development and growth across businesses and geographies. Eventually, identify talent early and groom people through a series of varied and enriching assignments that will prepare them for future roles. The CEO and Vice Chairs meet monthly to plan senior management assignments. Business presidents meet as a talent-development team once per quarter. And the Board of Directors reviews P;G’s talent pipeline once a year. P ; G was delighted to be awarded the Asian Human Capital Award 2010. This recognition is an endorsement of what P ; G has leading to best talent retention was developed to meet this critical organizational need in a climate of contemporary human resource challenges. Ulrich (2008) defines talent in a general sense as comprising â€Å"Competence, commitment and Contribution†, stressing the need to ensure all three. Talent strategy and the HR practices associated with it should attract, retain, motivate and develop the particular kind of talent an organization needs in ways that build commitment, ensure competence, and result in a contribution that the business finds valuable and that the individuals regards as personally meaningful. According to Boudreau and Ramstad (2005) and Dave Ulrich (2008) stated that Effectiveness which requires HR practices that will ensure that key talent is fully capable, motivated and is supported in having the opportunity to apply their talent appropriately and effectively in their work. Efficiency requires identifying the most cost-efficient methods of investing in â€Å"talent†, an important consideration to ensure a careful focus on delivery of talent management plans. 4 Conclusion The consumer product goods industry is a highly competitive industry, the conclusion is that while P ; G is an established home consume product goods competitor, the greatest competitive threat is Johnson ; Johnson because of its continued expansion into numerous product categories. P ; G’s intent is to offer professional sustainable development, recruitment and diversity activities in the workplace. Clearly, P ; G is not only the larger brand and the category leader but it is also the more efficient and productive company. In contrast, P ; G lack of direct marketing strategies for its product. Their threats showed competitor entry into the home consumer product goods market. It recommended P ; G has access to a greater number of markets and product co-branding opportunities because of its size and volume of sales. Besides, recommended to focus and develop talent marketing staff. It purposed bring P ; G open to expand through organic growth by establishing another brand category that is targeted specifically at the international market. (Word count: 3,343) 6 Appendixes Table 1 – Value of CPD Questions| Strongly disagree| Disagree| Neither agree nor disagree| Agree| Strongly agree| CPD can enhance employability and career prospects| 0| 5| 12| 56| 27| CPD has benefits to my employer / organization| 2| 1| 9| 56| 32| CPD is important because of the hanging nature of work| 0| 2| 7| 50| 41| CPD is not just another chore – it has significant benefits for me| 0| 5| 19| 60| 16| CPD will improve my job and career prospects| 2| 9| 22| 51| 16| CPD will improve my job performance| 0| 4| 13| 66| 17| Engaging in CPD activities has a motivating effect on me| 1| 8| 31| 46| 14| It’s worth making an effort on CPD because of the beneficial outcomes| 0| 5| 22| 58| 15| There are rewards for cont inuing my professional development| 2| 13| 25| 50| 10| 5 References Carole Yeung (2011) â€Å"Vision of the future diversity leaders†, Journal Debra Tone (2010) â€Å"Knowledge Advisors Wins CLO Award for Procter and Gamble Sales Training Measurement Strategy†, Press Release Eugene Sadler-Smith and Beryl Badger, University of Plymouth Business School â€Å"The HR Practitioner’s perspective on continuing professional development†, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol 8 No. 4 Harrison. R (2009) Learning and Development. CIPD Kathryn Komsa (2010) â€Å"Achieving Gender Balance in the Workplace Goes Beyond the Workplace†, Profiles in Diversity Journal of November / December 2010 Pamela Arnold (2010), â€Å"Diversity Management: Connecting the Diversity ABCs and the Generational X, Y and Zs in the Workplace†, Profiles in Diversity journal of November / December 2010 R. Bruce Dodge and Mary McKeough, â€Å"Internship and the Nova Scotia Government experience†, Journal Stephen Taylor (2008) People Resourcing. CIPD (p. 213-252) Victor M. Catano, Willi H. Wiesher, Rick D. Hackett, Caura L. Methor, â€Å"Recruitment and selection in Canada†, Nelson Series in Human Resources Management http://hk. pg. com/ http://www. pg. com/en_US/downloads/sustainability/reports/PG_2010_Sustainabilit

Frankestein and his creature Evil Essay

He ate the berries and other small fruits that he found in the woods. He is good at this stage because He has seen how He was upsetting the family when He was eating their food; He realised this and started to chop wood to repay the family. He is aspiring to be like the family, He wishes to be friends with them and have friends of His own. There are a series of events, which leads up to the creature becoming resentful and violent. He first saw His reflection in a pond; His gaze laid eyes upon His ugly, repulsive reflection. He could not believe that His creator had made Him this ugly. When He saw the blind Grandfather alone one day, He decided He would approach Him because He thought the Grandfather would be more understanding as he was old and more wise. This was so but when the old man’s daughter in law and Granddaughter returned, they screamed at the sight and the son came rushing home. The son thought the creature was attacking his father and so the son attacked the creature. The creature ran away and did not respond with violence. The creature did not lash out because He thought that if He did it would ruin any chance of becoming friends with the family. Later on in the week he over heard a conversation between the son and their landlord, the son said, â€Å"My wife and sister will never recover from their horror. † After the conversation the creature gave up all hope of befriending the once, happy, joyous and caring family. The family left the cottage out of fright; meanwhile the creature was angry and very upset. He went back to the empty cottage and set the wooden building alight. He watched the cottage burn and He enjoyed it. Later on in the creature’s life He found Victor’s diary which contained notes on how His creator abandoned Him. In the front of Victor’s diary it had His home address of Geneva written in it. The creature was determined that Victor would feel His wrath. He set of to Geneva to get revenge. On His arrival in Geneva, he saw a small boy walking on the same lane that He was on. The creature hid in the bushes and wandered whether he should He reveal Him self to the child. He thought that if the child being young would understand His condition. He decided to reveal Him self. He took hold of the small boy’s arm, He wanted to protect and look after Him. The child screamed, the creature told the boy His intentions, that He wanted to be friends. The boy kept on screaming, He cried out, â€Å"Monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces, you’re an ogre, let me go or I will tell my Papa. My father is Mme Frankenstein. † â€Å"You belong to my sworn enemy, Victor Frankenstein. After all the upset He has caused me, I will give Him something to be upset about. † With that the creature picked up the small boy William and throttled Him. The creature gained enormous pleasure over killing William, He had the taste for killing and He wanted revenge. The creature met with Frankenstein in the remote mountainous regions of Geneva, no one around to disturb them. The monster did not attack Victor, he wished to talk; the creature wanted Victor to create another being, a female one this time. Victor was served with an ultimatum, if he would recreate another being they would retire to South America or Victor would feel his wrath, fired by hatred, self-pity and desire for a mate. The creature does have a right to a mate, He will go away and not disturb any one ever again or He will destroy Victor if He does not. Victor has reason not to create a mate, She could be even worse, she has not promised to be good, the creature could hate it, they could come back or they might desolate the world. When Frankenstein was on His death bed, He said, â€Å"Examining my past conduct, nor do I find it blameable. † He feels it is not His fault about what has happened and He feels He had done nothing wrong. He knows He had responsibilities but He ignored them thinking the duties towards the beings of my own species were more important. Victor said He was right about not building a new creature. He says the first one went wrong and killed his friends and family, so He will not create a partner for the creature that killed them. He said it was evil and He had to kill it. The creature is very upset, He admits to killing Victor by leading Him to the icy lands. He asked for forgiveness but He knows it will not change anything. It said He had put up with more anguish than Victor ever had, He had to do it even though he didn’t want to do it. When Victor was about to be cremated on the ice fields, the ice cracked up, the monster swam across and lit the pyre, and He stayed there next to Victor while He burned. I think that Victor Frankenstein was not evil, He was very confused and completely adsorbed in what he was doing, he was sure he was right, wanting to get rid of death, apart from a violent on. The creature was good in that he helped the family in the winter when food was scarce. However he did turn to evil was towards the end of the book after he failed with living with him self, destine to walk alone for the rest of his life. Another aspect for being evil was that he killed his creator; the man he gave him his pitiful life, and his family.

Explain promotion and the promotional mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explain promotion and the promotional mix - Essay Example The use of these of apps has boosted the use of location-based services in that users are experimenting the use of the new services more and more (The Economist, 2010). A company can provide its application which can be used by the user to locate the nearest branch of the company or the smart-phone user can get to know the different products offered by the company and the available offer. Many people are accessing social networks for instance Facebook and Twitter by making use of mobile apps. The use of smart-phones with these mobile apps has facilitated the growth of location-based services as people are now at ease sharing their information (The Economist, 2010). Many people are using Facebook to update on their location and also companies can use the social network to target individuals of a particular location. People are using Twitter to share information on the location which in turn can be used by companies to target consumers based on their location. The activity of offering targeted advertising basing on the location of the user should be primarily being an exercise to organizations to increase their slice and utilize the available local advertising market. Since the prime objective of location-based advertising is to make the brand to be more known to people, the activity should not be used for other unethical acts such as trying inflicting the privacy of users (Pelau & Zebreanu, 2010). Location-based advertising is a better method of wining consumers based on their location. But firms should put measures to safeguard the privacy of the users. Location-based advertising is facilitated by the rapid and increased use of mobile phones. The service is of great significance in that it facilitates consumers to interact more with their preferred brands. The advertisement targeting the user based on their location is intelligent, immediate, intimate and also innovative (Pelau & Zebreanu, 2010). These are the features which make

Health and Wellness Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health and Wellness Program - Research Paper Example occur or influenced within an organization while external factors are those occurring outside the organization and organization does not have any control or influence over them (Lindahl, 2011). One of the key factors that are critical in determining the performance of employees and ultimately the organization’s overall performance is health and wellness. According to Ingham and Norris (2007), the more the employee stays healthy and fit all year round, the higher the likelihood of improved organizational performance. Therefore, to ensure that organizations benefit from the employees’ good health and fitness, most organizations have embraced health and wellness programs. However, it should be noted that quite a significant number of organizations have not embraced this crucial program Lofton (2007). Also, it should be noted that even though some organizations have embraced these programs, they have not implemented the programs effectively thereby not reaping the full benefits of the programs Lindahl (2011). Health and wellness of employee is considered as one of the most important factor in determining organizational performance because it is internal and exter nal impact within an organization; employees need to be healthy and well within and outside the organization so as to enhance their productivity as well as to enable the organization respond to external challenges facing the organization Ingham and Norris (2007). In order to understand this organizational behaviour topic, this paper will address the following aspects of health and wellness: health and wellness programs and organizational culture; health and wellness programs in the work environment; assessment of health and wellness programs; effective health and wellness programs; and design and implementation of health and wellness programs. Health and wellness programs should recognize that building a supportive organizational culture is important Lofton (2007). The programs should seek to ensure

Middlemarch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Middlemarch - Essay Example A discrepancy can be observed between the behavior required by the society as a homage to the received education and the natural, non-inhibited aspirations and reactions of a person. The above phrase addresses the common wisdom according to which the more knowledge people get, the more problems they attract into their life. Comparing modern lifestyle with an ancient one, the observer can infer that the level of education among people was incomparably lower than today. This is ironical because, admittedly, people in ancient times lived a better (and simpler) life than people do nowadays. In the quote â€Å"To be present at this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry shivering self--never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold† the author resorts to the language of contrasts, presupposing different characteristics and blending them into one image. The opposition of two different sets of features displays the yawning gap inside a person (and, fetching the deduction further, inside a society too) that is invisible due the polished exterior; a person is literally torn apart by the contradictory emotions: â€Å"but always to be scholarly and uninspired, ambitious and timid, scrupulous and dim-sighted†. The vague and dubious meaning of the whole phrase is created due to the language that attempts to describe hidden, implied qualities applying tangible linguistic devices. The author uses the poetic form of language to explain the atmosphere of the society, its cultural level, its views on the purpose of life. The quote implies that highly educated people often spend most of their energy on baseless word battles. Their pretentious knowledge is opposed to what is reflected in harsh

The Risk of Using the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Risk of Using the Internet - Essay Example Following this, the safety of one's self is also given great importance. With the internet, there are no such physiological needs that need to be fulfilled and it follows that the next concern would be security (Lester & Resnick, 2003). Often, people question the safety of the internet in various aspects. Is the internet truly safe Before tackling this issue, it is necessary to have a background on the internet. The internet is not simply about browsing through sites in the World Wide Web. It is a global network of computers and electronic devices which provides an avenue for these devices to exchange information. In fact, any such device connected to the outside world through a network may be considered part of the internet. There is no doubt that most companies and even individuals use the internet in one way or another. Unfortunately, the widespread use of the internet also makes it suitable as an accessory for crime. Computers and the internet may make one's life more convenient but they may also put one's privacy in danger. Most people are unaware that their computers may be under attack from simply surfing the internet. Computer users are inclined to think that they are anonymous and their identities are completely secure. However, this is not always the case. As a matter of fact, each computer is actually assigned with a unique address referred to as an internet protocol (IP) address. It is similar to a home address in the sense that it may be used to locate a computer within the internet. In fact, a computer may be likened to a house which typically has a front and back door. While the occupants of the house almost always ensure the security of the front door, the other door may be neglected. Similarly, a hacker only needs to locate an open backdoor to break into a system. Computer users will not even notice that a hacker has established a connection to their system. A well-equipped hacker can do anything without the need to be in close proximity to his target (Branigan, 2005). Moreover, hackers can collect information from a computer within a short span of time. Personal information including passwords to secure accounts may be acquired, effectively compromising the privacy of the user. Even with the presence of a firewall to protect the system, there are several more ways to infiltrate a computer. These include the use of viruses and the exploitation of bugs present in some web browsers. Any downloaded content involves the risk of getting one's computer infected (Branigan, 2005). Programs which are acquired through the internet may be viruses or may contain viruses which then attack a computer. At the very least, these viruses may simply be annoying. However, in more complex attacks, these viruses can be used to collect private information from a computer which can then be used in malicious ways. Anti-virus software provides both preventive and active protection against such risks. However, as Branigan stated, the virus scanning software is only as effective as its virus definitions. It is therefore important to update the said software frequently. Unfortunately, despite attempts at improving the performance of such software, virus makers are able to produce more r esilient code. One of the most popular crimes over the internet is online fraud. Electronic mail is a fast way to communicate with other people and is quickly

How do you contribute to the effective governance of an organisation Essay

How do you contribute to the effective governance of an organisation in your role of a management accountant - Essay Example (Colley et al., 2005) Aside from discussing the universally accepted roles and responsibilities of shareholders, board of directors, and the CEO; corporate governance is often used as a policy for business organization in relation with the actual structure of the board, the activism of the shareholders, and overall business performance (Aguilera et al., 2008). As part of our organizational policies and procedures, the board of directors behind the business organization plays a crucial role in the success of corporate governance aside from the increase in the company’s profitability and overall business performance by continuously hiring and firing the company’s top management (Nordberg, 2007; Kim & Nofsinger, 2006: p. 41). In line with strengthening the corporate governance, the company’s executive and non-executive directors are responsible in making important objective business decisions for the best interests of the company (Mallin, 2007: p. 125). The only way for executive and non-executive directors to perform their duty effectively is to have an access to the company’s business information. (Waldo, 1985: p. 5) Therefore, the board of directors are required not only to carefully analyze the corporate financial report but also to meet regularly to discuss the proposed strategic plans and issues that will significantly affect the success of the business (Solomon, 2007: p. 103). Since business’ shareholders are also the owners of the company, these individuals have the authoritative power to manipulate any forms of legal or illegal transactions that will occur in the business (Romano, 1996). For this reason, executive directors are encouraged to take advantage of their rights to look through the company’s official documents. In the process of going through the company’s financial statement, executive shareholders should take note of any signs of unusual business

War & Medicine and Neuroscience & War (This is not a official title, Essay

War & Medicine and Neuroscience & War (This is not a official title, you can make one) - Essay Example First, it is apparent that the combat mortality rates of the American military have remained constant at 20% as at the Vietnam War. This is despite improvements in antibiotics, hospital facilities in theater, the advent of blood transfusions and preventative health methods such as improved nutrition. The one exception evident in the war has been the reduction in death in military combatants due to infectious illnesses and diseases. The reduction has been because of the introduction of the prophylactic use of antibiotics, improvement in sanitary conditions and hygiene (Wiesmann et al, 227). The high rate of development in weapons posses an equal challenge to come up with life-saving skills in the battlefield. Research, on the other hand, has proved that battlefield medical care of the future will evolve rapidly to obtain the capability to quickly diagnose the severity and nature of the battle injury. The American military has gone a step ahead in implementing a R&D investment in medicine. The R&D investment involves preventative vaccine development, infectious disease research, protective gear and the point-of-care devises. It is apparent that military medical requirements lead to the development of practical medical devices that support military missions. The advances end up being applied in the civilian healthcare in the cases of civilian trauma incidence. Military has been proven to be the first in the use of healthcare technology. Statistics has shown that 3 to 5 percent of the mainstream medicine is derived from warfare (Wiesmann et al, 230). Military has improved healthcare in various ways. One is from the American Revolution where the first command ordered immunization program for the inoculation of smallpox. Also, a three-tiered evacuation system was developed due to the increasing number of the wounded in the battlefield. First was an Aid station that was located next to the battlefield.

Chalenges in Developing Journal Body Paragraph Essay

Chalenges in Developing Journal Body Paragraph - Essay Example In most cases, I find it challenging to support my prejudices, assumptions and stereotypes. Occasionally, most of my body paragraphs are less logical and appealing. Misplaced statements, clichà ©s and metaphors are also common in my body paragraphs. Another major challenge during the development of body paragraph is coherency and consistency. The information volumes from different sources are sometimes misleading from the main topic hence making the body paragraph lose consistency.    Revisions remain the most challenging process in writing since it involves various aspects. In most instances, revisions are demanding given the client’s ultimatums and requests. However, with revision plans, revisions are less problematic. Focusing on the paper weaknesses remains my biggest revision strategy. While doing the paper, I am always aware of areas that were problematic. Therefore, I always plan early in areas that I felt I was weak.    Creating consistency and focus in my papers remains my greatest challenge. The fact that in normally acquire information from different sources, in most cases, they end up misleading me during the paper development. In fact, it makes my paper loose consistency. I also tend to lose focus from the main argument and the thesis. Another challenge that I always experience is creating an effective paper flow within the paragraphs. In most cases, I end up losing track of the topic. Addressing consistency and flow within the paper depends on continuous practice and revisions.

Human Relations - Conflict Resolution - MAYER Essay

Human Relations - Conflict Resolution - MAYER - Essay Example It is to be pointed out that the value of this book is more than that of a guide for conflict practitioners, but it helps an individual to withstand conflicts in future. The central issue in this book concentrates on unique perspective of conflict resolution and prevention. The book can be divided into two distinct parts, first deals with conflict, i.e. the problem, and the second part deals with resolution or solution for the problem. Three dimensions of conflict are pointed out, i.e. perception, emotion and action, and it consists of practical vision of understanding conflict. The description of the causes of conflict points out conflict resolution as a social service. Mayer points out that, people’s approach towards conflict is unpredictable because of individual difference. So, the goals and objectives of a practitioner or a mediator must focus beyond mere resolution. The foretold goals and objectives should go ahead of resolution, and it must change the ethical and moral value system of our society. Different types of conflicts are discussed like cognitive, emotional and behavioral. So the role of individuals in conflict is varied and th ey are mentioned by Mayer as-advocate, mediator, expert, arbitrator, or witness. But communication and understanding plays the prominent role in conflict resolution. The next set of ideas mentioned is that of conflict resolution. First of all, Mayer points out three dimensions of conflict resolution. He is with a different idea on mediation as method to resolve conflict. Effective and practical approaches like distributive and integrative negotiation are mentioned but the radical idea is that of confronting an impasse while negotiation. The importance of the role of mediators and their limitations are also mentioned. He further goes beyond the traditional methods of conflict resolution and it leads him to the search for alternative conflict resolution procedures. The

Discussion Questions Essay Example for Free

Discussion Questions Essay 1. Who is someone that you feel you have a positive relationship with? What role do you think openness and truthfulness have in making this relationship positive? Me and my friend Jeff have a very positive friendship. Openness and truthfulness play a big role because were always open and tell each other everything. Also we always tell each other the truth so we never have any arguing and have a positive friendship. 2. What effects do you think the various types of media (TV, Internet, newspapers, Facebook, etc. †¦) have on your own life and your family? Do you think the overall effect is negative or positive? How can parents reduce the negative effects? I think social media effects everyone in a bad way. I feel that pages like Twitter and Facebook make people feel like they aren’t good enough cause of what other people might say or post. People can be getting bullied and no one knows. Social media gives people low self-esteem. I think the overall effect is negative. Parents can reduce the negative effect by restricting the child from using social media pages until they are older.

Social Work In Livelihoods And Social Entrepreneurship Sociology Essay

Social Work In Livelihoods And Social Entrepreneurship Sociology Essay Livelihood in every day discourse refers to the means by which people make a living; it is the means to secure the basic necessities of life. A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living (DFID, 1999). The UK Department of international Development (1999) United Nations Development Programme (2010) adopts the definition given by Chambers Conroy (1991): A Livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stress and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base. People require a range of livelihood assets to achieve positive livelihood outcomes and no single category of assets on its own is sufficient to yield all the many and varied outcomes that people seek. (The Sustainable Livelihood Framework, DFID). This framework identifies five main capitals or asset categories upon which livelihoods are built (Human capital, Social capital, Natural capital, Physical capital and financial capital), possession or right to use and manage these assets is necessary for a positive livelihood outcome of an individual or household. The ability to access, control, and own productive livelihood assets such as land, labour, finance, and social capital facilitate people in creating firm and productive livelihood outcomes (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). Assets have a constructive impact on livelihood security, it affects livelihood through different channels. Assets may: directly impact well-being through the increased status and empowerment that asset ownership con veys; facilitate different members of the household to opt different livelihood strategies; provides a safety net against shocks; and reinforces household members positions in the broader community and inside the household in terms of decisions over how income is used up or invested (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). The patterns of asset ownership are integral to livelihood choices that decide how commodities are marketed or consumed within a household. Assets can be used in varying ways to generate income through rents, interest on savings, and profits in business activities, assets also make possible participation of the individual or household in financial markets, like banking facilities which can be used as collateral for credit. (Swaminathan et al. 2012). The function of assets is significant since it can be sold or used as a security for credit to survive with the undesired or unwanted effects of economic shocks. By providing aid to income diversification of a household, assets als o reinforce households capacity to deal with, and counter negative shocks (Quisumbing, 2008, Cited in Swaminathan et al. 2012). When it comes to women, As culturally based expectations of the roles, responsibilities and behaviours of women and men are assigned to men and women in the society, and as society sees women primarily in gender stereotyped roles, it is important to analyse livelihoods from a gender perspective and to see how far women are able to access these resources to sustain their livelihood. In general, men and women have different levels of control and assess to the resources required for livelihood. Womens work choices are to a great extent limited by a multiple factors such as access to education, family expectations, gendered roles and responsibilities and the overall livelihood approach of the household (Basu and Thomas 2009). Gender inequality is present and apparent throughout developed and developing societies in varying forms and degrees. Women in general and poor women in particular, are underprivileged of basic economic opportunities and rights which are commonly available to men. There exist a large inequalities and disparities between men and women in terms of access to basic facilities, such as nutrition, health and education, as well as access to employment and possession of various income generating resources (Chavan 2008). Not only unequally distribution of assets between rich and poor exist, there exist an unequal distribution of assets between men and women, at the national level as well as within communities and households (Deere and Doss, 2006, cited in Meinzen-Dick. et al, 2011). Research shows that within households, assets are not always pooled, but rather can be held individually by men, women, and children (Haddad et al. 1997, Cited in Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 3). Who within a household has the access to which resources and for what purposes is determined both by the larger socio cultural context and by intra household distribution regulations (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011). Different allocation of the resources among man and women is determined by the larger socio cultural context, and women in general are deprived of economically productive resources. Asset ownership by women can have a positive impact on their status and bargaining power, and thereby enhance individual and household well-being (Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). While women may have greater ownership of certain types of assets as compared to men, a growing body of empirical evidence shows that women typically have fewer overall assets than men (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 4). Agriculture is one of the major sources of livelihood for many man and women in many developing countries. It is a critical productive asset in agrarian country, on the other hand, women are deprived of ownership rights and control land and lesser number of women has direct access to land in their own right (Velayudhan 2009). In India, landownership by women is not more than 2% (Agarwal, 1994, Cited in Velayudhan 2009, p 74). An Inter-national Centre for Research on Women (ICRW, 2006) study found that of 402 surveyed women in Kerala, 36% owned property (land or house) while in West Bengal, this figure was 35% in a sample of 450 women(Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). A survey of 400 households conducted in four districts in Karnataka in 2001 found that women in households that owned land had access to land, but rarely had ownership rights to it (Brown et al 2002, Cited in Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 60). The research conducted by in Karnataka, India Hema, Suchitra, and Lahoti (2011) shows gendered ownership of assets among man and women, where jewellery was the common and only asset directly owned by women. In Karnataka Women do not own assets by themselves; they co-own assets with some or all household members. Jewellery is the only asset that they own individually and which shows a reverse gender gap. Since jewellery is often pawned or sold during economic crises, it leaves women asset less and more vulnerable even as it provides a coping strategy for households (Swaminathan et al. 2012, p 65). Seeing at the limitations in access, ownership and control of assets by women there is less probability for women to convert these assets into livelihood opportunities, especially when women do not own and manage them. When livelihood is concerned, access to banking services is one important area. There exist gender disparities between man and women when it comes to banking services. While basic banking services are spreading in India, women are largely deprived of the basic banking service. In India, the available data till 2006 show that women at large remain considerably deprived of basic banking services as compared to men (Chavan 2008, p 18). If we consider credit supplied, only about 12 per cent of the individual bank loan accounts belonged to women in 2006; in the same year, women constituted about half of Indias population (48.4 per cent).The remaining 88 per cent of the individual bank loan accounts were held by men (Chavan 2008, p 18). Also The substantial growth in women-members of self-help groups has not meant any major change in the access of women to banking (Chavan 2008, p 18). Another research done by Meenakshi, Vani, Manojit (2011) by examining the National Sample Survey Organisa tion unit record data pertaining to debt and investment (59th round) shows that the relatively weaker sections such as self employed female headed households have much less access to credit both from formal and informal sources. Gender is found to play a very significant role for both amount of income earned as well as the likelihood of an individual being employed. Women in India are found to have a 12 per cent lower likelihood of being employed than men. But even among the employed, female annual incomes are likely to be lower by 36 per cent than otherwise similar males (Bhandari and Bordoloi 2006, p 3895). Which shows the very fact that there exist gendered discrimination in labor market. Gender also plays a crucial role in distribution and division of labor, in the research conducted by Neetu C, Parthasarathy D (2007) in two villages in Nanded, Maharastra, India, reveals the clear cut division of labor between men and women. Women were found generally to execute tasks which require so-called feminine endurance and patience. Almost households works were performed by women irrespective of whether they work and earn outside or not which shows the roles and responsibilities assigned to women defined by the l arger socio cultural context and by the household. And even among wage workers, they were paid less as compared to male counterparts for similar work. From various angles women are subjugated limiting their opportunities for livelihood, and the general scenario of women is grim as far as their livelihoods are concerned, starting from assets ownership, opportunities to work, gendered assigned role and responsibilities limiting them to house hold works, access to credits from banking institutions etc and one important aspect is that shocks like Divorce or death of a husband can lead to women losing their assets especially in cases where marriage is governed under customary laws that do not protect womens right to property (Peterman 2010, cited in Meinzen-Dick et al. 2011, p 11). So there is high chance of women being vulnerable with limited resources when they are single and heading a house alone. It is in this context that the study of the widows affected by armed conflict is being proposed; they are very vulnerable group, their husband or spouses had died in encounters by the state police or Army or killed by non state actors. These widows are those struggling to survive without their husband. After the sock of their husbands death these widows in Manipur are struggling hard for their childrens future, fighting against the stigma and isolation of a young widow of a suspected man (Lierde 2011). Meanwhile, the state, which has abdicated its responsibilities on all fronts, treats them as garbage, as trouble makers, as bad elements who must watch their step and, above all, need not to bother to turn to the state for a widows pension or for support for their fatherless children (Lierde 2011, p 14). Seeing the vulnerability women face in general and this section of women in particular the research proposes to study livelihoods, their vulnerabilities and the gender constrains. A brief review of literature Manipur in general the most important employment generating institution is the government institutions, due to lesser number of formal private sectors in the market, mostly people opt for informal sector for their livelihood, and farm based activities, so the literature review section will be mainly on informal sector and womens livelihood. There is little information in the literature about the day-to-day activities of women in the informal labor market (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 234). Dramatic reductions in trade barriers during the past 10 years have caused unprecedented economic growth in India. Little is known about the impact of globalization on the informal labor market, especially the impact on women (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 231). The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) (2007) reports that roughly 79 per cent of informal sector workers earn less than Rs.20 (less than $0.5) per day, making them the most vulnerable group in the economy (Basu and Thomas 2009, p 231). There is a high chance for Women to work in informal sector, like in Manipur majority of the street vendors are women, and there is an specific market for women vendors called Ima keithel (Ima is a vernacular word which means mother, and keithel means market) and women are also be likely to be segregated into the lower segments of the informal labor market, which are characterized by lower earnings and a high risk of poverty (Basu and Thomas 2009). The informal sec tor offers employment to a large proportion of the populations of developing countries, including India. This is particularly true for women since the informal sector, and home-based work specifically, offer poor women their best opportunity for work. This is because it provides the flexibility in work hours and location that they require to incorporate market work into their actual family work burdens as well as into the social norms regulating womens economic participation (Kantor 2002, p 285). A key constrain to women, in particular, for employability in the formal sector is lack of education, and also womens conventional function within the household limits the opportunity and keeps them in the informal sector (Basu and Thomas 2009). (Kantor 2002) pointed there major women exclusive constrains in their economic opportunities, first is the limited mobility, which comes from the border socio cultural and traditional context and reinforced by gendered roles assigned to women within the household. This has serious implication limiting womens economic potential; second is the womens more demanding role in the family as compared to man. Limited mobility effects women directly and indirectly in their economic progress, directly they are more likely to work in the home or near the vicinity of her home because of their assigned house hold works, and indirectly limiting economic success because of the work burden on the time, energy, and concentration levels they can apply to the market; third is the gendered division of labor in productive work which limits the number of opportunities to work available to women. Issue of female headed households (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997) pointed out the problems with defining and measuring female headed households, first is the use of different definitions of both the term household and head of household by different countries in their census instruments. Second is the ambiguity inherent in the term head of household when the headship is assigned by the judgement of the household members which may differ across culture and geography, The third and perhaps most serious limitation is that the term head of household is not neutral. It is loaded with additional meanings that reflect a traditional emphasis on households as undifferentiated units with a patriarchal system of governance and no internal conflicts in the allocation of resources (Nancy F 1990, Cited in BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997). Three situations in which results in emergence of female-heads: (a) The broad range of domestic situations generally characterised by the absence of a resident male head, viz, widowhood, divorce, separation and desertion. (b) Male migration for long periods generally for economic activities living behind wives, and (c) resident male losing economic function due to severe unemployment, disability, illness etc (Buvinic Youssef 1978, Cited in Lingam 1994, p 699). Women who head households are triply disadvantaged as they experience the burdens of poverty, gender discrimination, and nonexistence of support as heads of household (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997). Female headed household and poverty (BuviniĆ¡ and Gupta 1997) pointed out the relation of female headed household and poverty: Here the main earners of female-headed families are by default women, who have lower average earnings as compared to men, they possess fewer or no assets at all which is economically productive, and limited access to remunerative jobs and employment. This gendered economic gap adds to the economic vulnerability of female-headed families. Combined with household structure and gendered differences in economic opportunity, make the female headed household leading to poverty. Rationale of the study Women being one of the vulnerable group in the society, and the group that the researcher is studying have lost their daily bread earner which makes them more vulnerable. Most literature has spoken about violence inflicted towards women in Manipur and less about their vulnerability and livelihoods insecurity. The research could be a useful insight on livelihood intervention programs by various agencies giving and insight about the realities faced by the widows affected by armed conflict in sustaining their livelihoods. Objectives of the study To study the livelihood pattern of widows affected by armed conflict To study the livelihoods vulnerability experienced the widows affected by armed conflict. To ascertain how gender constrains limits the opportunity of their livelihood. The response of state and non state agencies towards them concerning to their livelihood. Conceptual frame work Many approach or theoretical framework to analyze and to understand vulnerability and livelihoods has been developed and most of them attempt to understand peoples vulnerability to disaster specifically. The approaches take disaster/hazard vulnerabilities as the starting point and seeing livelihoods as an aspect of the problem (Twigg 2001) During late 1980s and early 1990s two important conceptual models to analyze vulnerability were developed to understand vulnerability to disaster and from reducing it. One is the capacities and vulnerability framework analysis which basically is a simple matrix for viewing peoples vulnerabilities and capacities in three broad interrelated areas. i.e. physical/material, social/organizational and motivational/attitudinal. In this model livelihoods is covered into physical/motivational category, which shows livelihood not in the center of discussion, if livelihoods has to be analyzed the model needs to develop specific indicator. Second is the pressure and release model of two opposing forces, on one side the progression of vulnerability i.e. root causes, dynamic pressure and unsafe condition, and on one side hazard which leads to vulnerability. Both of these attempts to address vulnerability towards disaster, and livelihood is not the prime focus (Twigg 2001). So for this particular study, the student/researcher will use the Sustainable Livelihood Framework to analyze the vulnerability and livelihood. The sustainable livelihood framework or SL framework begins with a development standpoint and puts livelihoods at the centre of the analysis, which is fitting with the proposed study. This framework takes into account all kinds of vulnerability as part of the context in which livelihoods are shaped or influenced. C:UsersKulajitDesktopsf.gif Sources: http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5808e/y5808e07.gif The SL framework begins with the vulnerability context in which people live and the five livelihood assets that people posses, then it takes into account how changing structures and processes which in turn generates livelihood strategies. Livelihood strategies is the basic coping skill or strategy people adopt within this three context, i.e. vulnerability, assets people own and the transforming structures and processes and finally the livelihood outcome which in turn affects the livelihood assets. The proposed study is located within the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, it seeks to examine the relationship between the widow, their livelihoods, and how this this is conditioned by the various livelihood assets or capital which is also determined by the broder socio cultural and political structures, as well as the study will also look into the institutional mechanism (both state and NGOs) impacting them in their livelihoods. The conceptual frame work of the study is outlined as follows: Through this framework it will take into account the vulnerability context within which these widows live, like shocks after the death of their husband, trends like the ongoing armed conflict and the trends in the governance and politics of Manipur, which in turns have impact on the strengths and capacities in the form of livelihood assets, like in a highly patriarchal society where land rights are denied to the women, death of the husband can lead women asset less which in turn may limit their livelihood opportunities. The transforming structures and process which include laws and policies and NGOs support which also affects their assets base. Within these three contexts which affects their livelihood base this frame work will look into the livelihood strategies they adopt and finally the livelihood outcome Methodology of the research The area of study will be in Imphal which is the capital of Manipur, the student is selecting this particular area because Manipur has been witnessing armed conflict for decades with the emergence of armed self determination movement during late 40s and the approach of Indian State by imposing laws like AFSPA 1958 has only worsen the situation. The situation has turned into an ugly face with many ethnic based armed groups emerging with their own agendas. This has disrupted many in all aspects of their lives, and it is because of this ongoing armed conflict these widows have been generated and within this context the research will study the livelihood of widows affected by armed conflict. By widows of the gun, It refers to those widows whose husband or spouses have died in encounter killings by state forces/army or by the armed non state actors. The universe of the research will be the widows affected by armed conflict registered in an Imphal based NGO named Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network which is working for the widows affected by armed conflict, As the researcher has time constrain with regard to data collection the area of research is limited to Imphal and the sample size will be 10 to 15 widows. Sampling will be done using simple random sampling so that individuals have the same probability of being chosen at any stage during the sampling process. The proposed research will be a qualitative one. This is because the study of the livelihood vulnerability, these particular group faces will require a lot of observations on the part of the researcher and the data will have to be gathered through observing the norms and the life activities of the respondents. Unstructured in-depth interviewing technique will be used to interview the respondents about their perceptions and views regarding their day-to-day livelihood activities. Through this interview, the overall nature of the vulnerabilities and the risks that the widows of the gun face will be ascertained. Though the in-depth interviews will be individual interviews, it will take into context the broader socio cultural and the household context of the individuals. Limitations of the research As the research is a MA Research Dissertation which is a part of the course curriculum, the outcomes of the study will be indicative and cannot be generalised.

Background market and strategies of the nissin group business essay

Background market and strategies of the nissin group business essay Through the evaluation of the background, market situation and business strategies of Nissin Group, this paper provides the explanation on why Nissin instant noodles have achieved a fast development performance in the instant noodles business in Hong Kong The study of Five Forces and PESTEL analyses will lead to the understanding on how the macro-environment and micro-environment affect Nissin performance its business direction and strategy. A further study of the results from the perspective of an internal competence analysis to the results from the Five Forces and PESTEL will identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Nissin. These findings will then tell Nissin of what needs to be minimized, eliminated, and to reduce or neutralize risks. All these findings will add up the reasons to justify how Nissin sustains its market leader position in Hong Kong. Suggestions on improvement and implementation of corporate strategy will also be elaborated. 1o. Introduction Intrepid Japanese entrepreneur named Momofoku Ando established Nissin Foods around the middle of the 20th century with the name Chukosasa Co., Ltd. Foreseeing that Japanese society was being economically and socially reengineered toward production speed and efficiency, he also sought to reengineer the Japanese diet in response. His answer to the requisite of speed exerted and demanded of the modern Japanese was simple the instant noodle. The invention revolutionized the food industry not only in Japan but also throughout the world. Now Nissin Foods, produce not only instant ramen noodles but also fresh and pre-packaged frozen food, and meals-ready-to-eat including cereals and spaghetti. But noodles remained the primary product draw. Mr. Ando stayed ahead of the competitive pack with remarkable innovations. In 1963, he introduced into the market the ramen Yakisoba, which had a separate flavoring packet. A decade later, Momofoku Ando invented cup noodles and in 1984, Nissin Foods established in Hong Kong (Nissin Foods Holdings, 2010). What has been Nissins strategy to address the various forces acting upon the instant food industry? How valid and viable would this strategy still be in an age of high technology and rapid global integration? And now, lets start to know the direct key stakeholders in Hong Kong. Management of Nissin The Management receives strong support from Parent company who has made the sustainability much easier for a stronger market share. Staff of Nissin They are the executors of the business. Staff would be happy to work for Nissin if the business is stable and with continuous growth. Hong Kong consumers the market share is large amongst the younger generations and white collars as they accept new trendy food, especially from Japan. Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) of Hong Kong Government the Government has to control the types of incoming food products for consumption, as a statutory body, FEHD will govern the quality of food items importing to Hong Kong. Hong Kong Consumer Council it regulates the selling of consumer goods to the public in a fair trade practice. By supports of academic references, there will be a careful analysis of macro-environment and micro-environment undertaken by using Five Forces and PESTAL, plus a review of the internal analysis by strategic capabilities. The outcomes from external and internal environment analyses will be combined in a SWOT analysis. From the results of this analysis conclusion on overall business strategy, some improvement or implementation can be drawn through the methods of Porters Generic Strategies, Ansoffs matrix and organic method. 2. Analysis of Nissin in the Instant Noodles Industry in Hong Kong The following analysis of Nissin is based on strategy development processes suggested in major strategic management literature. There will be a careful analysis of macro-environment and micro-environment undertaken by using Five Forces and PESTAL, plus a review of the internal analysis by strategic capabilities. The outcomes from external and internal environment analyses will be combined in a SWOT analysis. From the results of this analysis conclusion on overall business strategy, some improvement or implementation can be drawn. 2.1 External Analysis Industry Analysis/ Five Forces Analyzing the generic food industry from the perspective of Michael Porters five forces, namely, the threat of new entrants, competitive rivalry within the industry, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of customers, and the bargaining power of suppliers (Porter, 1985). Threat of new entrants Nissin Foods in Hong Kong does not perceive any new entrants or competitors in the industry. The market appears to be increasingly expansive and lucrative and this is expected to lure new participants. However, the predominance and well-entrenched positions of the current players had dampened the enthusiasm of those who intend to enter the industry from outside. Industrial competition would probably more ensue from within and intensified internal competition would take place in the form of innovations in the product itself as well as in promotional designs and packaging. The barriers to entry are quite formidable considering that customer loyalty to the existing players are quite strong and that these current players have already established linkages with local formal sources of capital and distribution outlets (Becker, et al., 1999). Competitive rivalry within the industry The instant noodle industry in Hong Kong is a highly intense rivalry among the current players, thus making the industry itself highly competitive. Innovations are frequent and the market now regards as its highly popular products, environmentally friendly cups and containers and food ready to eat from the moment the packages are opened. Advertisements fight for time both on mass telecommunications channels and over the Internet and companies also engage in intense competition in the sponsorship of events like games and competitions. The existing noodles companies also engage in the constant monitoring of the performance of their products on the market, outlaying huge sums of money for customer surveys, promotions, and advertisement as well as in technology and manufacturing innovations. Threat of substitutes Hong Kong consumers are increasingly health conscious, they demand fresher and higher nutritional food. As such, there is an increasing consumer preference for fruits, vegetables, poultry and low fat, low sugar and zero to low preservatives content products. No matter how much hard works Nissin has contributed to the improvement of noodles quality, the dried instant noodles are not considered as a real meal to the consumers in Hong Kong. Substitute products like those offered by Jollibee, McDonalds, KFC and fast food noodle houses are slowly but steadily flooding the market and as buyers become more tend to the Western style of business activities and private lifestyles, such substitutes become increasingly attractive than the traditional instant noodles. Bargaining power of customers (Buyers) It bears negatively on the prospects of Hong Kongs instant noodle industry as more and more people rising in terms of social status and economic position. The increasing purchasing power of the population exerts leverage on instant noodle companies who might see the loyalty of their customers being eroded by their increasing incomes. The substitute product firms such as the fast food chains are also known for their notoriously low operating costs and their relatively cheaper products. Cheaper products have a corresponding income effect on the consumer as they realize the greater power of their money vis-a-vis the substitute product. When combined, these factors lead to the rational consumer realigning his consumption possibilities curve to favor the substitute rather than the formerly patronized product. This situation currently faces the Hong Kong noodle industry. Bargaining power of suppliers Finally, and as a counterpoint to the pathetic prospects with regard to the increasing demand of substitute products in the instant food market and the increasing power of customers, the instant noodle industry is seen to still maintain its hold over the supplier sector. In this regard, the bargaining power of the suppliers for the instant noodle industry remains low as many of the independent supplying firms have either been vertically integrated into the existing companies or have been interlinked through long term supply contracts. The low rate of entry into the industry also act as a safety net that limits the power of suppliers to charge high prices for the firms inputs which basically include wheat, buckwheat, corn, sesame oil, and other organic inputs. The suppliers market remains huge and extensive allowing for easy substitutability whenever a supplier becomes a party to an unprofitable relationship. 2.2 External Analysis PESTEL The PESTEL analysis provides a comprehensive list of influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies; it stands for political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal. (Johnson, et al., 2008) Political Situation Hong Kongs political system follows the set-up envisioned by the Chinese government when the former British colony returned its sovereignty back to China in 1997. The Chinese government maintained the capitalist economy and so the situation remains favorable to continued and sustained business expansion. Hong Kongs administrative structure carefully and strictly enforces laws and regulations that regulate fair business competition. Corruption is at fairly low levels and government officials are careful to preserve the Chinese governments reputation of fair but strict governance according to the law (Goodstadt, 2010). Economic Situation With Hong Kongs position as one of Asias financial and trading centers firmly entrenched, the city is actually looking forward to another sustained economic growth by 2011 and beyond. Hong Kong remains a fast-paced hub of businesses among almost all the global cities and therefore social mobility is fluid, leading to a fast rising middle class with an increasing purchasing capacity. Demand for instant foods is therefore expected to increase and despite the existence of a fairly sized competition, notably the Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.; House Foods Corporation; the Nong Shim Company, Ltd.; the Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding Corporation; Asia Food and Properties, Ltd.; the Ottogi Corporation;the Myojo Foods Company, Ltd.; the Tokatsu Foods Company, Ltd.; and Bing-Grae Company Ltd, the market shares of these companies remain small. With the expected expansion of existing demand, will in effect scramble for larger and larger shares of this market. Social Situation Noodles remain a primary staple in the Chinese diet, it being one of the traditional foods associated with the culture. As the social structure modernizes and instantaneity becomes a part of the societys way of life, instant ramen noodles become the norm. Cultural adjustments in response to modernization have often been slow but the rapid acceptance on instant noodles ever since its introduction in the 1950s has been truly revolutionary, the product being responsive to the demands of both tradition and modernity. Technological Situation The information and communications technological infrastructure in Hong Kong has been always at the forefront of the adoption and utilization of new generations of such technology. Manufacturing equipment remains state of the art and Hong Kong laws and regulations are unrestrictive of the entry of more advanced technology. Hong Kong, moreover, is solidly linked to the global village through the Internet with firms recognizing the imperative of such linkages with the status of their Hong Kong firms as hubs for their global operations. Environmental Situation The government and the people of Hong Kong are concerned about the implications of manufacturing activities on the environment. Firms should answer the demands for corporate social responsibility in this aspect. For example, pollution and waste management are particularly important considerations. Since government has already put in place policies that address environmental concerns, environmental reporting is now the focus of governmental efforts. Different sectors are seeing the value of linking environmental responsibility and reporting (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 2010). As environmental reporting becomes more widespread Hong Kong firms are also given the chance to keep with international trends. Legal Situation Hong Kong provides an extremely favorable legal environment to businesses, as the official rates of income taxation for both individuals and corporations are relatively low compared to other business areas. Corporate income taxes for example peak at 17.5% allowing business establishments higher outlays for investments and expansion providing them sufficient breathing space for increased profits and returns on their investments. These conditions serve as a major pull factor for regional and local investors including Nissin Food. Companies who also have CRS departments like Nissin could also avail of tax holidays of as high as 10% on their incomes (Hong Kong SAR, 1997). In addition, courts and magisterial agencies are highly competent and legal expertise are extremely trustworthy in a place that had developed an excellent reputation for judicial fairness and equitability from even from its years under British rule. 2.3 Internal Analysis Capabilities Nissin Food Co., Ltd. has always been extremely competent with sufficient financial capacities that should allow it to withstand fluctuations in consumer demand throughout the years. Its manufacturing plants and equipment remain modern and environmentally safe, complemented by subsidiaries that have safety research in food technology. Nissins technological expertise, directorial competence and workforce commitment remain at the highest levels and the Ando family has kept the familys trade secrets secure with the proper legal and propriety registrations and protection. Technological knowhow has often been a trademark of the company ever since it was established and kept with important business moves over the years. Quality control technology has been especially developed through the years with the company regularly testing and re-testing its products before they are put on the shelves and marketed overseas. Even packaging, storage, and transport mechanisms are strictly monitored and frequently adjusted to ensure quality standards of safety (Nissin Food Co. Ltd, 2010). Through these initiatives, Nissin Food has maintained a solid image as the primary instant food corporation carrying what they call Japan technology. The company also enjoys an excellent reputation with its suppliers as well as its workforce and the city of Hong Kong itself. Another internal competence of the company is the presence of a highly competitive and committed workforce led by directors who are highly trained in their respective fields. Employees undergo periodic training and evaluation mechanisms, follow strictly implemented guidelines in the performance of their respective jobs. Human resources thus become highly motivated and trained (Nissin Food Co. Ltd, 2010). Regardless of these competencies, the company faces real risks, which if left unattended may pose serious attacks on the stability of the company. Among these would be food safety issues as consumers become more and more conscious of bio-terrorism while other brands are more aggressively promoted. The risk of increasing prices of raw materials such as flour, palm oil and petroleum-based products for packaging purposes is also accounted. And more, risks related to information systems become more technologically sophisticated than ever. 3. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is an important step in planning but its often being underestimated its usefulness and functions. SWOT analysis is a basic, straightforward model that provides direction and serves as a basis for the development of marketing plans (Ferrel, et al., 1998). Strengths Nissin Instant noodles have made a significant impact in the Hong Kong residents diet ever since the companys branch was established therein in 1984. Thus the company enjoys a high reputation with the brand itself having instantaneous recognition and respect by its patrons. The brand enjoys sustained loyalty among consumers, its manufacturing sector known for sanitary and environmentally friendly production processes, and the product is known for its flavor and taste, price reasonability, health attributes, and long shelf life, characteristics which make Nissins instant ramen noodles highly appropriate to the lifestyle of the modern Hong Kong resident. Mr. Momofoku Ando had retired in 2005 but the family has retained its unique capacity to adjust its products to various cultural contexts, delivering dozens of varied flavors for different country and city preferences and its keen recognition of new complementary products like environmentally friendly containers and cups to merge and l ink-up with manufacturers of these innovations to ensure cost efficiency to sustain business scale. Weaknesses There is no apparent weakness of the company except perhaps that the aggressive expansion of its business may have reached the limits of saturation. The relatively unchanged firm logo and design over half a century may have become boring among consumers psychological recognition. Brand familiarity does have a second edge in that it may psychologically influence consumers to try out a new brand. Nissin Food has also been relatively overtaken by other firms in cutting the preparation time for the instant noodles product as Mummy and Fuku noodles can be eaten straight that matched perfectly instant. Opportunities Hong Kong is a huge market for the food industry with its population of over 7 million expanding at an average annual growth rate of 1%. The market potential is therefore inspiring especially considering the fact that over half of this population is urban based with more and more young people drawn into high paced urban living. There are also more young women from both local and foreign places entering the workforce. This means that local family populations are left without the traditional ways of cooking and food preparation as women who were formerly tasked with culinary preparations at home migrate to the center for employment. The emerging demographic picture also portray a steadily growing segment of single people in the labor force, swelling the ranks of those who would prefer instant and fast food rather than traditional long-time home cooking. Nissins early demonstrated concern for environmental and health safety concerns, seen in the establishment of its food safety research institute is also a positive sign given the worlds increasing concern for environmental safety standards and the increasing health consciousness of people in recent times as they look consistently for low fat, low salt diets. Hong Kongs fast paced society also is an opportunity, as the citys demands for instant convenient food remain high. This offer Nissin the opportunity to expand from noodles to other instant food such as coffee, juice drinks, spaghetti, bread and snacks and the chance to establish linkages with other food outlets like restaurants, or otherwise introduce distribution innovations mobile snack center in schools, shopping malls, cinemas and exhibition halls. Threats The instant food competition comprised of the companies mentioned above and other brands like Doll noodles, Sau Tau and Master Hong pose the main threats to Nissin Foods. If the growing health consciousness provides a positive note vis-a-vis the companys effort at developing safer and healthier products, there is also a downside as mass media increasingly airs concerns about monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other preservatives used in instant food production. There is also a growing taste and preference for restaurant food and fine dining especially among the new rich. The emergence of organic and fresh instant noodles in the market particularly by the competition and the rising prices of wheat and other raw materials are foreseen to pose considerable threats especially with rising demand for these products by other demanders worldwide. Discussion This section will critically propose some strategies that Nissin Food Co., Ltd might implement in consolidating or even expanding its hold in the instant foods market in Hong Kong. Michael Porter recommended three generic strategies in this regard, namely cost leadership, differentiation, and focus (Porter, 1980). In terms of cost leadership, Nissin Food has always been ahead in the development of low cost instant noodles and other food products compared to many of its competitors. Company policy has always been directed to the elimination of operational glitches that would lead to increased production costs and streamline the process. This explains why despite the upgrading of technological capacities and the establishment of research institutions that would simultaneously increase expenses, Nissin Food is still capable of producing high quality noodles the be sold at relatively affordable prices on the shelves. With regard to differentiation, the Nissin Food Company has managed to diversify its food products from noodles to cereals and other products like biscuits, chocolate flake cookies and even lactobacillus drinks. Even its traditional offering, the instant noodles has been diversified into several types as cup noodles, the pillow type instant noodles, the fresh instant noodles, the thick straight noodles, and frozen types all in 450 different flavors. Innovation had always been key to product diversification and it need not be always a high-fangled high technology based development as long it gives the company a keener competitive advantage over other firms in the market (Porter, 1996). Thus, the simple idea of introducing the Nissin straight thick noodle led to increased volumes of sale in 2008. Differentiation allows a company to address the demands of consumers across a wide range of segmentation (Porter and Kramer, 2006). In its Hong Kong operations, the company has differentiated its products to all sectors of the population not only through diversified products but also through careful studies as to what products might have a more competitive appeal to certain sectors. Discovering for example that in their United States operations, Chow Mein noodles seemed to be the preference of Americans, the company also aimed at making this product appealing to the foreign sectors of the Hong Kong population. Finally, Nissin Food Company has always been secure in the instant noodle as its niche in manufacturing and sales and primarily targeting the working population. A niche approach is basically developing greater competitive advantage in a sector or product and holding on to this advantage through differentiation and innovation strategies (Porter, 1985). Among the three, differentiation appears to be Nissin Food Companys strongest and most effective strategy, allowing it to constantly increase its sales over the years and expand operations to address an ever larger share of the market. Differentiation has also allowed it to penetrate western markets such as the United States, Russia and even Mexico. In the United States, chow mein had attracted the microwave generation because of its microwavable fried noodle through innovative advertising. New products should always be based on prior arket surveys to test the levels of demand and businesses must always have a clear vision and strategy for diversification, planning against the risks involved with an honest regard for the gains it expects to achieve (Ansoff, 1957). Nissin uses both related and unrelated diversification techniques as, not contented with its traditional noodle offerings, it has innovated and expanded also to frozen foods, cereals, and nutrition drinks. Such risks have been repaid with dividends through the recent years. Conclusions and Recommendations Nissin Foods Company, Ltd. in Hong Kong faces has demonstrated a stable and strong internal competence structure. It has managed to sustain efficiency and close coordination among the various phases of its operations, making its various departments including the management, production, marketing, and research units mesh smoothly. It is in food safety and quality standards that the company stands out among the rest of competitors in the Hong Kong market and it is highly recommended that this be made part of a comprehensive advertising strategy that packages not only products but the entire company itself as an environmentally friendly corporation in tune with its recognized corporate responsibility to save the earth. This would be a leading promotional strategy as the company funnels through its Food Safety Research Institute, thorough investigations and research of environmentally affective chemicals, organic inputs as they affect the products of its farms, breeding stations, fisheri es, feed plants, ingredient plants and its productions plants as well. The Hong Kong macro-environment also appears to be a favorable one for Nissin Foods, affording it a competitive area where the company could showcase both its traditional and innovative offerings to an ever growing and constantly differentiating and segmented population. The change in administrative governance appears not to have made a significant impact on the robustness of business competition within the region. The PESTEL environment thus could be taken as a general plus factor. It is again in the area of environmental considerations that Nissin must focus on. It is recommended that the attention must be directed toward the pollution side of its post-operational activities. By this, as extra concern on disposal of containers and on the earth-friendliness of such packaging as Nissin continues to use non-biodegradable materials in this regard. To more promote the environmental image of the firm could innovate towards the end of minimizing its ecological footprint. On social relations, Nissin could collaborate with social and ecological groups toward the development of programs addressing Hong Kongs expanding ecological problems of pollution as well as industrial congestion. (word count 3,823)