Barriers to entry

In the theory of competition in the field of economics, barriers to entry refer to the obstacles that a firm faces in entering a certain market. Barriers to entry are made to block prospective competitors from entering a market valuably. These are designed to protect or secure the monopoly power of the present and existing firms in a market hence maintaining monopoly gains or profits in the long run.Barriers to entry are an incumbent firm’s source of pricing power since it gives a firm such capability to raise or increase their prices without losing their customers. There are many forms of barriers to entry into market. One of the more known and important barriers to entry are government regulations. Through such regulations entry in one’s market may be more difficult or even impossible. There are other extreme cases where the government make competition unlawful hence creating a statutory monopoly in the country.This type of barrier can be in the form of permits, licen ses or tariffs that in turn raises the investment required in entering a market thus establishing an efficient barrier to entry. Another type of barrier to entry is marketing or advertising. By spending greatly on advertising that new firms find difficult to do, present or incumbent firms, make it hard for new entrants to penetrate the market. Sunk cost, is another form of barrier to entry. Sunk costs are costs that a firm cannot recover once it decides to leave the industry.In turn, sunk costs strengthen the risk and discourage entry for new firms. Research and development can also be a barrier to entry in a market. Strong spending by one firm on its research and development can be a great restriction to potential competitors to a certain industry. Concentrated research by incumbent firms makes them more competitive in the industry thus giving them edge and structural advantage over prospective competitors. Barriers to entry indeed limit competition in an industry or market.There a re several more barriers to entry such as control of resources, distributor agreements, and economy of scale, investment, intellectual property, supplier agreements, predatory pricing, and a lot more. All of these are hindrances that new firms may encounter when trying to penetrate a market or industry. Works Cited Geroski, Paul. Barriers to Entry and Strategic Competition (Fundamentals of Pure and Applied Economics). New York: Routledge, 1990. Print.

Organizational Management and Operations Paper Essay

In this organizational management and operations paper the student will identify, compare, and contrast the policing function at the local, state, and federal organizational levels. The student will analyze how organizational, management, administration, and operational functions at these three organizational levels. The student will identify in what ways the different organizational levels are similar or different and why. Finally, the leadership characteristics and responsibilities pertaining to each organizational level will be identified. Local Law Enforcement There are many roles in which local law enforcement agencies take part in. The duties, functions, and responsibilities of local law enforcement agencies are broken down into many different roles. Local law enforcement agencies are in place to provide routine patrol of the communities within their jurisdictions. They provide emergency services, and uphold traffic enforcement laws. They conduct criminal investigations/planning and analysis. They provide detention for adults and juveniles, offer community services, crime prevention communications, community relations, and much more. State Law Enforcement State law enforcement consists of state police departments and highway patrol. State law enforcement is like a local or county police department, only with a much larger jurisdiction. State police departments usually have many specialized units, such as investigative branches, aviation units, and tactical teams. Highway Patrol Officers, on the other hand, usually are tasked with ensuring the safety of the roadways of the state. Many states also have additional specialized state agencies. Some states with highway  patrols have a separate state investigative agency. For instance, Florida’s FDLE conducts statewide investigations and assists local and county agencies with complex investigations of their own. One may think of this like a â€Å"state FBI.† Federal Law Enforcement There are two different types of federal agencies, uniformed agencies and investigative agencies (although some do both). They provide uniformed law enforcement services for a specific location, such as The White House, United States Capital, FBI Building, US Parks, Supreme Court, various federal buildings. The other main type of federal agency is the investigative agency. These agencies have an assigned section of the United States Code that they enforce. For example, the DEA deals with drug laws, and the Secret Service focuses on crimes involving currency. In addition to the common agencies, all federal departments have an Office of the Inspector General that employs criminal investigators to investigate fraud within the department. On the negative side, working for the federal government can mean that one is at their beck and call when concerning relocation. While obviously not a concern with some of the uniformed agencies, relocation can be a concern if one works for the more nat ionalized federal agencies. For the most part local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies share the same directives as well as support and oversee the same laws of the land. The only obvious differences that these three agencies have are their jurisdictions, resources, staffing, funding, budgets, support, and operations. In today’s society the roles and duties that are assigned to law enforcement will continue to change every day. Organizational Management In the early 1990s the New York Police Department (NYPD) was as â€Å"paralyzed† basically reluctant to act out of fear of making mistakes. As an organization the NYPD suffered with productivity from the officers up to and including the chief (Harvard Kennedy School, 2013). The crime reporting system used was extremely dated hence the creation of a new software system that analyzed crime data entered into a computer, which maintained statistics (COMPSTAT). This data was evaluated regularly, which offered commanders the ability to develop strategies for awareness, patrol, and  resource allocation, solving crimes, and quality of life improvement for the citizens in the jurisdiction. If the data is entered in COMPSAT properly, estimates of crimes can be made to include what type, times of day, and locations (Harvard Kennedy School, 2013). This valuable management tool allows chiefs, sheriffs, and commanders with a graphic representation of what is occurring in an area of responsibility, which will assist with organizational management. Developing awareness of when and where crimes are likely to be committed allows supervisors to allocate resources in those potentially affected areas to aid in crime reduction. This tool helps with long-term (proactive) planning by knowing how many patrols are needed in certain areas and what times they need to be present (Harvard Kennedy School, 2013). The COMPSTAT predictions also can be beneficial when projecting operational and functional budgets for the fiscal budget. The COMPSTAT data blended with actual crime reporting can justify resource allocation both for personnel and money. Finally the principles of COMPSTAT are only beneficial if the officers, patrols, and supervisors conduct follow-up assessments to ensure the desired results are actually achieved. COMPSTAT is a proven to ol for organizational management, but like any tool if not used properly it could be more harmful than valuable (Harvard Kennedy School, 2013). Administration and Operational Aspects Within any law enforcement agency, the administration section is a paramount tool. Some of the many duties that fall under the task of the administration section include training (includes sworn officers and civilians), computer systems, departmental forms, budgets, and records just to name a few (Police Administration Division, 2013). The responsibility of this section will usually lie in the hands of a Lieutenant or Sergeant who will answer to the Chief or Sheriff. The agency relies heavily on this section for up to date information. If there is a lapse in judgment or something is forgotten, it can have a drastic impact. For example, if records are not maintained properly, officers will have issues with they stop someone and run their information. That person could be wanted for murder and the officer would never know. Law enforcement is always expanding and looking to improve on how operations  are conducted. It is essential that the agency keeps an open mind and looks to make changes when needed. For example, if the agency hires a transfer from another department and that officer thinks there is a better way to handle a specific aspect of law enforcement, the agency should consider what that officer is saying. The department that the officer came from may have some technology or information that the new agency does not. Leadership Characteristics and Responsibilities The leadership characteristics and responsibilities at the different levels are very similar. Leaders are born, not made. The leadership traits are developed through education, training and hard work. Leaders inspire others by setting an example. They show others that they care and have compassion for those that they lead. Leaders accept the fact that mistakes happen and a part of the job. They prevail against the odds not letting the obstacles get in the way. A leader’s since of duty calls them toward quality not quantity. They believe in the people they lead. Effective leadership encompasses both tactical and technical proficiencies. Leaders do not forget where they came from, regardless of rank. Higher ranking officers have a unique responsibility to demonstrate leadership and this is their primary operational function. (Gonzalez, 2014) Conclusion With the onset of a new millennium, American police agencies face new challenges. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon changed the way in which law enforcement collectively thinks about public safety and security. Priorities for training at all levels, equipment, strategies, and funding have transformed policing once again this time focusing on homeland security history of American police systems from the English heritage through the last years of the 20thcentury. A number of present-day issues have roots in different epochs of American history. For example, the idea of community policing is traced to the colonial period and to medieval England. Preventive patrol, legitimacy, authority, and professionalism are 18th and 19th century concepts. Riots, disorders, and corruption are not new to American policing, similar events occurred in the 19th century. Thus by virtue of studying history, this can give contextual  meaning to current police problems, ideas, and situations. Looking at the past, present-day events can be better understood. References Bechtel, H. K. (1995). State Police in the United States. Westport conn: Greenwood Press. Bryan Vila, C. M. (1994). Police in Contradiction: The Evolution of the Police Funtion in Society. Westport: Greenwood Press. Bryan Vila, C. M. (1999). The Role of Police in American Society. Westport: Greenwood Press. Gonzalez, R. (2014). 10 key qualities of law enforcement leaders. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from Police One.com: http://www.policeone.com/news/1204313-10-key-qualities-of-law-enforcement-leaders/ Harvard Kennedy School. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/awards.html?id=3716 Police Administration Division. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.mysanibel.com/Departments/Police-including-Emergency-Management/Police-Administrative-Division Roberts, D. J. (2013). Technology Is Playing an Expanding Role in Policing. The Police Chief, Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&issue_id=12011&category_ID=4 Uchida, C. D. (2004). Justice and Security Stratagies. Inc .

Comparative Commentary Essay

For most of the people, bears are cute and look somehow friendly. Even though we know, that those animals can be very dangerous, the bears are often underestimated. Not only because we cannot find them in our near environment, and therefore don’t know which impact they have, but also because we grow up watching series like Winnie the Poo (1977) or Brother Bear (2003), where bears have the hero and victim roles. Both these texts are based on the relation between the bear and man. The first is a newspaper article, concerned with the bear’s extinction. The second text is an extract from a nineteenth-century novel, elevating the status of the bear and forgiving its misdemeanors. The theme of the first text is the survival of the bear. It explains how urgent it is to do something against its possible extinction. The article states the causes of depletion and includes various statistics supporting their arguments. Besides the text is concerned about the bears all over the world and mentions a range of species, including the brown bear and the panda. The second text is more about the invincibility of the bear and its mythic dimensions. It has to do with a conflict which arises when trying to analyze the bear and putting it into the â€Å"right† category. The text notes that there can be a mutual respect between a man and a bear but moreover it notes a representation of the mighty bear: both, realistic view, mentioning the accidents and attacks which happen because of them, but also a romantic side, where the bear is said to be â€Å"unstoppable.† The whole extract is emotional rather than statistical and is about one particular bear. The author makes some close ups, looking at the bears appearance, habits and its personality, which proves once more, that the text is based on personal experience. The author also tries to compare the bear to a human, which makes the reader understand the bear’s situation and lets the bear appear as a victim rather than a perpetrator. Both texts are written in the 3rd person, but this is the only thing they have in common related to its perspectives. The first text is an objective article and shows a degree of partiality. Because some statistics have been used, the article is scientific and could be seen as part of an encyclopedia. The second text is told by an omniscient narrator. It is subjective, because the bears history and thoughts are involved in the narration. The narrator admires the bear despite its attacks and defenses his actions. Also the language differs in both texts a lot. The first text uses mainly not figurative language. It is mainly unbiased, dry and therefore it seems to be reliable. The diction was occasionally loaded or colored, using words like â€Å"carnivores† and â€Å"exterminated†, or expressions like â€Å"The outlook for wild bears is bleak.† The syntax in the article is lively, fast paces and dynamic. The sentences are quite complex to emphasize the tone of emergency. The other text’s language is more dramatic and overstated. Figurative language has been used, like â€Å"†¦with no more effect than so many peas blown through a tube by a child†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alliterations (â€Å"†¦beginning back before the boy was born†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) emphasize its fame. Using varying diction, like â€Å"loomed and towered,† the huge scale of the bear can be measured. The syntax is also complex to express awe, wonder and incredulity. Both texts speak in favor of the bear and against its potential extinction. The scientific articles aim is a direct way to convince the reader to support them. The author wants to show the readers in which way they might help and which effects it would have. The second text though, is more about an honest experience by someone who admires bears. The narrator’s motive was not to convince someone, but only to tell his story related to a bear.

Colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 Article

Colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 - Article Example Ironically, even though there was political isolation between the colonies and Britain, a majority of the colonies remained loyal to Britain and the British Parliament was recognized as the only source of governmental authority. The close relations between Britain and the colonies led to economic prosperity for both Britain and America especially because all the colonies’ economies relied on the British trade; the colonies also relied on Britain for protection from their enemies. However, these relations gradually deteriorated with time between the period namely1763 to 1776 and eventually, a revolution was certain; this paper will analyze the breakdown of relations between the colonies and Great Britain between 1763 and 1776 that led to the American Revolution. The analysis will pay particular attention to all of the acts that Great Britain imposed upon the colonies that led to discontent among both â€Å"common† and â€Å"elite† Americans. ... All the lands that had been held by the French were ceded to the British through the Paris treaty of 1763, and Britain gained total control of the territory stretching from the East coast to Mississippi river. Events that took place in the aftermath are largely responsible for the drift in relations between the colonies and Britain; great dissatisfaction in the colonies after the war arose following these events and this eventually instigated the American Revolution. Prior to the American Revolution, an underlying philosophy that was gaining popularity in the colonies was the American Enlightenment; this philosophy played a critical role in arousing political awareness in the colonies that were initially content being under Britain. Some of the major ideological principles of American Enlightenment include concepts such as liberalism, republicanism, and fear of corruption; a majority of people in the colonies begun to accept these concepts and this was the beginning of a robust intel lectual environment. In this respect, the philosophy of American Enlightenment was very significant in paving the way for revolution; by embracing the values of American Enlightenment, a majority of people in the colonies acquired a new sense of political and social identity. One of the greatest proponents of American Enlightenment whose ideas on liberty greatly influenced the political thinking behind the revolution is John Locke; this scholar has been regarded as the mastermind of the American Revolution because his concepts of social contract, natural rights, and born free and equal have been very influential.  

Dilemma Analysis #2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dilemma Analysis #2 - Coursework Example The ethical issue to be addressed, therefore, is non-maleficence and beneficence. Jared decides that to make things right, he and the company must start clean-up exercise in the river and notify the authorities. This, from his perspective, will help in making the company better positioned to move ahead with a clear conscious and also be part of the corporate social responsibility. The decision is also based on the fact that reports have shown that the chemical has negative effects on the people’s health, although in large amounts, and also on the fish which the people consume. However, the dilemma comes in when the authority has been unaware for a long time and the fact that clean up exercise may not be successful since other factories continue to dispose of their chemicals into the same river. The exercise is also repulsively expensive for the company. In addition, notifying authorities will attract hefty fines to the company since it is a foreign entity. Doing the right thing does not have to involve the authority or expose the company to fines and unnecessary expenses. On realizing the existing problems, the management can decide to start engaging on doing the right thing from that point onwards. This implies that the company should adopt the right processes for chemical disposal and engage more on social responsibility to enhance their reputation. Utilitarianism is a moral philosophy which is based on analyzing the consequences. This means that first, the managers have to analyze the situation, the existing problems and seek for the alternative actions regarding the situation. In this case, we compare working to do what is right from that day on with exercising the clean-up. The second step involves estimating the costs of the actions and the benefits and later selecting the best alternative. Clean-up and reporting are costly and dangerous to the reputation of

Personal Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Health Assessment - Essay Example In addition to these physical activities, I have a great interest in music. I have an interest in piano and play on occasion. I also DJ when opportunities become available. I have a series of goals. I would like to first complete my Bachelor of Science Degree. I would then like to become an elementary school teacher, and ultimately ensure that I am physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy. My score for the self-care and safety category is an 82. This was not surprising as I make the best effort to avoid alcohol and am completely drug free. I also feel that self-care and safety are aspects that are integrated into one’s daily life choices, including physical activity, risk taking activities, and even hygiene. I ultimately realize that even as I pay considerable attention to this aspect of my life, there are some aspects of it that I could still improve, such as ensuring that I receive adequate sleep, exercise, and always maintain a proper diet. My environmental wellness score of 62 constitutes my lowest score out of the wellness categories. I recognize that I have much room for improvement in this category, and plan on making a more conscientious effort to improve my conduct in this category. I realize that I can improve by recycling more, and just making a better general effort to observe my interaction with my environmental surroundings. My social awareness score is 74. While I believe I have adequate social wellness, I recognize that there are areas of my life that I could improve upon in this category. In these regards I must make a more concerted effort to balance my social life with my work and educational responsibilities. I also need to work on developing better boundaries in my personal relationships. My emotional awareness and sexuality score is 92. I understand this as a high and healthy score and see this reflected in my

Recruitment & Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recruitment & Selection - Essay Example One of the biggest aspects of a business venture, is the sales. It is sales that makes up the profit margin and determines the fortune of the company, predominantly. Therefore, the sales department is a very integral part of the company. The job post that is vacant and needs to be filled, si that of the Sales Manager, who plays a very important role in directing and getting the whole department under him to work in coordination and also acts as a link between the higher ups and the department. Therefore, the recruitment of the sales manager entails concern and needs to be done with precision and acumen. The recruitment strategy is a combination of a number of influential factors, that help in assessing whether a candidate is appropriate for the job or not. This can be ascertained by matching the industry criteria, the company's requirements and the candidate's qualifications. The recruitment strategy is framed according to each of the job profiles that go into the company. This paper discusses the recruitment strategy for the post of the Sales Manager. For the post of the sales manager, it would be appropriate to recruit someone who is already a part of the company. ... statement in its practicality, the products, the experiences in sales and above all, what the situation has been and how to improve on it. In addition to this, the sales manager is most definitely the head of the sales department and unless he is well-acquainted with his team-members, it would be quite an ordeal to adapt to the demands of the post and establish new relations. Lack of experience in working as part of the company would definitely be a minus point. This is precisely the reason why it is desirable to have an internal recruitment for the post of the sales manager, who would gel well with his team and would have practical knowledge and experience about working with the company and developing the situation into something more profitable. The Sales Manager requires to be more outgoing, innovative and above all, involved and committed. He will have to design strategies and act as the link between his team and the higher authorities. This is the reason why a high level of involvement with the management and the sales strategies is required. He could work with the advertising, marketing and communications departments and coordinate strategies to obtain between sales. In short, the sales manager needs to be involved in every stage of the process. A sales manager is an asset to every company, since he is the one who engineers and monitors sales, which procures profits---the very aim of business. Therefore, the labour market always exhibits a demand for sales managers. The very fact that the company will

Confucius and Gautama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Confucius and Gautama - Essay Example First of all, Confucian philosophy is based on the principles of decent way of life in order to create a strong and functioning state where people happily live together and respect each other. Thats why Confucian philosophy is engaged with obedience and mutual respectful treatment of citizens of a state. While Gautamas principles mostly talk about some abstract enlightenment people should try to attend throughout their lives and the process of ascension above everything material and temporal. Still those who say that these philosophies are similar also right, because the ways that Confucius and Buddha propose to become good and descent are concerning obedience and respect, tranquility and personal growth. Even though Confucius and Gautama can frequently be considered as quite similar, still their philosophies are about different things. Confucius considers state as the highest priority for every citizen and human, when Buddha says that people should strive to the personal enlightenment and mental

Strategizing optimum location Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategizing optimum location - Essay Example The first two will strategize manufacturing concerns of the abattoir, whereas the last one is a service roadmap. Analysis and theoretical briefing: The standard design of an abattoir goes somewhat like this: a 60 m2 by 30 m2 rectangular Plan consisting mainly of 1)Production module (Pi): P1 slaughter floor, P2 lairage (store area for animals prior to slaughter), P3 chiller, P4 tripe room, P5 meat cutting and processing. 2)Service module (Si): S1 water supply, S2 effluent disposal, S3 solid waste and blood disposal, S4 hide and skin processing, S5 electric light and power. For our case study, we restrict our discussions on a simplistic level only. Let us examine how standard Operation procedures apply in this case. Using linear programming, we need to mainly determine the quantity and variety (e.g. cattle, pigs, sheep and goat, etc.) of slaughter needed/day based on market demand; in this example the "objective function" is market revenue (Ri) out of beef (x1) and pork (x2), and the constraints are space requirements, and market "demand".

Analysis of Cyberspace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Cyberspace - Assignment Example Energy also is never a stranger, whenever a word globalization is mentioned. Iran has always been slapped with sanctions in an attempt by US and United Nations to tame it on its’ energy progression. Iran is one of the world’s largest producers of oil with high natural gas reserves. As victor Onuoah buts that Iran is active with new geopolitics. Sovereignty is also of great value to any nation in the modern world with the high value being attached to it with both leaders of nations and the people. As per Steven York, Iran geopolitics and their sovereignty are about world power. Countries in the world also fight for their economic interest which is largely seen in China's fight for Taiwan with Russian having the same interest. The size of India has seen a rise in interest among different nations to seek to improve relations with India. India has a great potential of being one of the worlds greatest nations that drives the world economy. China is leading in that role of th e struggle for India. Cyberspace is a very powerful tool in influencing geopolitics. Cyberspace challenges our traditional form of communication; it marks a postmodern era, it has further gone to introduce a new form of social order which hugely disregard the geography of the places. Mycal Brown in VS-2 puts that â€Å"cyberspace is both marvelous and disastrous â€Å". ...Cyberspace also has its’ disadvantages in regard to the recent rise in cyber terrorism. A cyber terrorist can harm a country or an institution within a country with a keystroke in the comfort of his room. This single keystroke often virtually cripples the same countries or institutions. Cyberspace has also brought uniqueness to the power dynamics associated with place and space. I do also concur with Samantha postulations in VS-2 that â€Å"radio has the power to be one of the most influential interventions of all time as it completely changed the way people communicated cross-nationally in an interconne cted world†2. US military greatly benefits from the radio during Afghanistan invasion because it is through the radio that they get the information thus helping them respond or rather strike on time the perceived potential threat. In vs-2 john medina states †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Steve Spiegel insist the current world is made up of three types of nations.†2. With that he distinguished those with the greater advance in technology like the US the nationalistic which are struggling with territorial expansion and the transitional states like Russia and China which have greatly advance but still marred with political, social, cultural and economic problems. Israeli-Arab fights also show how national interest always took the lead in the nation's list of importance. In the Arab world, the great example being Afghanistan, the poor can actually have fuel but the state of oppression is far-reaching. Women are the common victims of oppressions often being forced into marriages and victims o f other abuses. America also suffers from its stand on Arab-Israeli conflict simply because this is largely viewed as a religious fight; in that case, therefore, America suffers from Arab region mistrust.

The Key Roles of the Central Bank in an Economy Assignment

The Key Roles of the Central Bank in an Economy - Assignment Example The supervision factor impelled the expansion of the official control and assessment of banks (Masciandaro, 2005). Recently, the oversight function has been changed to other agencies from the central bank. The following explains the roles of Central Bank of different countries. It is the defining characteristics of the central bank. The central banks undertake decision –making and implementation of monetary policies. However, different nations have different extensive and the responsibility assigned to the independent central bank (Schinasi, 2003). The central bank role of setting monetary policies is critically autonomous though not completely autonomous as it undertakes the implementation and decision-making stages of the monetary policy function (Al-Sabah, 1997). Therefore, the national government contributes in a certain process of monetary policy. In respect to monetary policy, the central bank is the only body that has the instrument autonomy. The Eurosystem, central ban ks governors from different nations participate in an ex officio ability in the monetary policy process. The countries central banks jointly make a decision regarding monetary policy, therefore, national central banks do not make independent decisions (Al-Sabah, 1997). As compared to the monetary policy the central bank has complete autonomy concerning the implementation of exchange rate policy (Al-Sabah, 1997). Criteria used in decision-making sometimes political direction. Since exchange controls were built principally as exchange rate devices, these instruments have been allocated to the central bank although it could be done by tax authorities. Responsibilities regarding financial stability are considered an essential role of the central bank. The central bank is considered to have a full responsibility for ensuring financial stability and acts as financial system oversight body (Johnson, 1997).

Strategic HUman Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Strategic HUman Resource Management Essay Defining SHRM The purpose of this portion of the paper is to provide an explanation into strategic human resource management (SHRM). This information will look at the ways that some scholars have defined the concept of SHRM, and the role that it serves within an organization. In addition, the first part of this research will examine how a human resource department can actually be called strategic in nature. This information will also be examined in relation to an actual organization. Various models of SHRM will be discussed, and the idea of how they compare to the organization in question will be presented. After reading this portion of the paper, it should become clear that SHRM is much more than simply hiring people. It is also much more than operating within a bubble. It is about actually helping the overall strategy and vision of a company. The first thing that needs to be done is to provide an actual definition and analysis to what it actually means to be SHRM. In order to define this concept, it is first important to actually explain what is meant by human resources in general. Appleby Mavin (2000) explain that Human resources are the efforts, skills, and capabilities that people contribute to an employing organization which enable it to continue in existence. Although difficult to define, SHRM is generally perceived as a distinctive approach to managing people which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic development of a highly committed and capable workforce (s555). The definition that is provided here explains that human resources is really about the skills that the people of an organization bring together in order to keep it alive. In addition, the authors explain that moving into the realm of SHRM is about managing the human capital of an organization in such a way as to achieve some type of competitive edge. Having not only a committed workforce, but also having a workforce that is highly trained for the job that must be performed achieves the competitive edge. Moving in this direction is where human resources becomes SHRM. Van Donk (2001) takes this idea one step further by explaining where in the planning process of a company the human resource management role must fit in  order to make it strategic in nature. He also explains how this role has evolved in the past twenty years or so: From the 80s onward there have been pleas for integrating human resource management and corporate strategy. A number of authors have been working on approaches to the achievement of what is called Strategic Human Resource Management. These approaches place the human resource management policy formulation at the strategic level. In these approaches to Strategic Human Resource Management it is claimed that: (1) human resource problems are problems solved by linking HRM and strategy formulation at an early stage; and (2) problems with strategy implementation are solved by early adjustment of the HRM to these strategies (299). In the end, what Van Donk adds to the definition of SHRM is that human resources cannot be called in at the last minute to fix a hiring problem. Instead, human resources must be involved from the very early planning stages in terms of the type of human resources that are needed. This early involvement allows human resources to understand exactly what is needed. It also allows human resources to be able to adjust so that the decisions that are made about the people that are needed can be adjusted immediately to fit new or changed strategies for the company. Finally, Mueller (1996) adds one additional piece to the information that helps us to formulate an overall definition for SHRM. He explains that: I propose to take the following as the defining features of the ‘orthodox notion of SHRM. According to this notion a strategic utilization of human resources means that: 1. Management is active, not reactive 2. There is high integration between policies 3. An orchestrational role is played by senior management 4. and there is articulation of policies by senior management (759). The information that is provided by these three scholars can help us to create on integrated definition of what is truly meant by SHRM. This concept really means that the human resource department and its leaders are not simply thought of as the people who are given the task of hiring employees. Instead, they are an important part of the strategy formation of a company. These people are a part of the process from the very beginning, and they are  given the authority by company management to be taken serious to provide ideas about the strategic planning of the company in terms of the role that employees will play, and the skills that need to help achieve those goals. The information that is provided should also make it clear that SHRM is more than just about the role that the human resource department of a company plays in the strategic vision of an organization. It is the role of senior management that helps to actually make SHRM work. Senior management must actually give the authority and respect that is needed to make the human resource department a vital part of any strategic vision. This must be more than simply saying that human resources are important for the company. Instead, it means that senior management must act upon it, and they must take an active approach to human resource needs to fulfill those strategic plans. They must communicate with human resource managers, and they must also listen to human resource managers. In the end, it could be easily explained that strategic human resource management is about adjusting the role of human resources. Rather than having a department that reacts to the needs of the company, SHRM is about ha ving a department that is on top of the planning that goes into deciding the human resource needs of the company (McMahan, Bell Virick 1998: 196). Evaluating SHRM in an organization In order to evaluate the extent to which human resource management in an organization can be termed strategic, we must first understand some of the basic models that apply to the organization that is being discussed. We must also have an organization that we can discuss in the first place. In order to choose an organization, it is easier, as an example, if an organization is chosen that is widely known by a lot of people. For this, we are going to turn to a description of large accounting firms and the role of human resources in their firms provided by Boxall Purcell (2000). To Illustrate what we mean about strategic choices in HRM, take the case of a management consulting firm that aims to join the elite cluster of firms that are transnational, if not ‘global’ in their reach (firms such as McKinsey, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Anderson Consulting). There is no doubt that such a firm must have highly selective recruitment and strong development of staff to ensure it can consistently offer clients high-quality service on  complex business problems. In this elite strategic group, a synergistic blend of certain human resource policies—such as proactive recruitement channels, high entry standards, high pay, employee ownership and extensive professional education—are critical prerequisites to a firm’s credibility in its sectoral labour market. On the other hand, it is unlikely that there is much handing on the firm’s choice of job evaluation systems. If any one o fa range of such systems supports its remuneration goals in recruiting and retaining highly qualified consultants, or doesn’t perversely undermine them, then the choice among different systems is not critical. Similarly, the contracting out of payroll or benefits administration in such a firm is not a strategic dimension of its HRM. It is not difficult to meet the requirements of employment contracts in these areas and elite firms are not differentiated from lesser firms on this basis. What is critical, however, is that they firm’s leaders put together and aply the system of broad-based HR policies that will help the firm to join the elite group of professional firms in its sector—although it would be unwise to think that this will happen quickly or be achieved solely through HR strategy (184-185). From the example that is given by major accounting firms, it is easy to see what makes human resource management strategic, and what does not. It all comes down to the notion of the decisions that are made in terms of moving the company forward in its goals and visions. On the other hand, decisions that really do not affect the visions of the company, such as choosing one piece of software over another to administer payroll, is not something that makes a human resource department strategic. With all of this in mind, the company that is going to be used as an example to determine how it has implemented, or needs to implement, SHRM is a small software company with which is I am familiar and have some working knowledge of the internal structure that sells communication software to physicians known as Televox Software. The software from the company helps companies immediately send recorded messages to customers to remind them of appointments or past-due bills. The software even allows customers to pay bills right over the internet without any work on the part of the company that wants the feature for its customers. In order to determine how the company’s human resources are already strategic in some ways, it is important to look at some of the models that explain SHRM. One of these models is known as the open systems theory. The open systems theory states that a company receives inputs from the environment, such as from customers and even other companies, and then uses that information to change how it operates. Wright Snell (2001) explain the concepts behind the open systems theory: It emphasizes two important characteristics of organizations: the system character, so that the movement in any part of the organization leads to movement in other parts, and the openness to environmental inputs (208). In terms of human resource management at Televox, the company is very much strategic in this regard. The company is constantly looking for feedback from customers. This feedback, unlike at some companies, is taken very seriously. When a customer complains about the way in which an employee has done his or her job, this information is analyzed to determine where the problem took place. If the problem lies with the employee’s training or motivation, human resources takes actions immediately to alleviate or correct the problem. A second theory that easily applies to Televox is the universalistic perspective. Colbert (2004) explains that Under a universalistic approach, strategic HR practices are those that are found to consistently lead to higher organizational performances, independent of an organization’s strategy. Examples are such practices as formal training systems, profit sharing, voice mechanisms, and job definition. One might argue that these are not strategic in the sense used elsewhere in the SHRM literature (i.e., contingent on strategy or explicitly aligned with specific strategy) and may simply be terms prudent in the sense that they have been shown to consistently enable a given firm to perform better than it might otherwise (344). Regardless of what some might think about the universalistic perspective, the ideas behind the theory can led a company to SHRM. In the case of the  company in question, Televox, the organization is very definite about defining job duties and providing formal training to employees. However, the company does lack in profit sharing as it is not a publicly traded company. In addition, the company also lacks in actually listening to its employees and giving them a voice in real decision-making. This shows that the company has moved from simple human resource management to strategic human resource management in some ways. However, it also shows that the company is not yet fully involved in the SHRM process. In terms of the information about Televox at this point in the analysis, it can only be deemed to have SHRM management in the way in which it takes information from the environment that it operates. When customers and others have issues with the services and support that are provided by employees, the company takes this information very seriously. The result is that training or even firings take place. In addition, when people are hired into the company, they learn very quickly that excellent customer service and attention to customer needs are the key to the vision and strategy of the company. This means that these ideas and objectives are going to be key to the way in which employees operate. At the same time, the company is very much about defining job duties and explaining the place that everyone holds in the company in relation to the vision of the company. However, the company, simply based on the information that we have discussed so far, lacks SHRM in other ways. For example, the company does not give employees a voice in helping to set strategy and goals for the company. In addition, communication between manager and employees is often very much one-sided. The company also does not give incentives that might keep the specialized and trained employees that they need to work in a skilled environment like a software company. In the next section of this analysis, information and research regarding HR Departments will be discussed. Once this literature review has been completed, we will return to Televox to determine what types of other improvements can be made to the company to move it closer to truly operating with the mindset of SHRM. This move closer to true SHRM can also be seen as  providing ways that Televox can actually move closer, as was explained earlier in this paper, to be an elite company in the sector in which it operates. Literature Review The purpose of this section of the report is to look at research and information regarding HR departments. The background information is being provided in the context of determining the problems and opportunities that exist for HR departments to transition from simply doing human resource management to handling strategic human resource management for the companies in which they operate. What should be taken from the background information that will be presented is that the difficulty that still exists in making that transition in one of understanding of SHRM and old ways of thinking about human resources in general. Before any background information can be provided, it is important to understand some of the key questions of SHRM so that we will know what to look for in the research that is available on this topic. Colbert (2004) explains that Research on the contribution of human resources (people) and HRM (practices) to organizational effectiveness has addressed a wide array of questions: what is the effect of HR practices on the development of the firm’s human resources? Which HR practices lead to greater organizational performance? To what degree does that depend on firm strategy? How does a firm ensure that its HR Practices ‘fit’ with its strategy? How does it ensure that its individual HR practices fit with one another, or does fit even matter in HR practices? Must the attributes of a firm’s base of human resources always align with an a priori strategy, or can its stock of skills, knowledge, and interactions drive strategic direction? (342). One of the ideas that exists about human resource management is that it was divided into its various parts in the past. This division of what constitutes human resource management is known as a subfunctional view. This view held that human resource departments actually had various separate roles, such as selecting employees, training employees, and even appraising employees. It has been argued, however, that the view that human resource departments have small functions that must come together for the sake of the  company has actually created problems for companies and HR departments. One of these problems is that the subfunctional view created problems for HR managers to try to understand how all of these functions actually came together. It was often the case that HR managers did not see them coming together. Instead, they were simply seen as separate tasks, such as selecting qualified candidates and then later on evaluating their performance. The end result has been that HR departments have not seen that all of the functions they perform actually do work together to accomplish the overall vision for the company (Wright Snell 2001: 206). In fact, Van Donk Esser (2001: 302) note that human resource managers often view the idea of managing human resources as lying within certain areas of concern and policy for the company and its employees. These areas concern the influence that a company may give to employees and even employee unions, the flow of human resources to various parts of the company, the rewards and benefits that are given to the employees, and the actual design of the work and the jobs that are performed. It is already clear that viewing each of these areas separately can certainly cause problems for human resource departments. If an HR manager thinks of hiring employees as a separate task from actually training employees or thinking about the jobs they will perform, confusion can easily be created when all of this is brought together when new employees are assigned to a department and told to get to work. There is clearly no harmony in the way that some HR managers think about the assets, that being the human assets, that they are supposed to be managing. Lundy (1994) also explains, as far as human resources goes in the United States, that their was an old system in place of managing employees. This was a system where those who oversaw personnel decisions really lacked any power or decision-making skills at all. However, she explains that this is changing in the United States, and that the role that human resource officials play within the companies for which they work is evolving. She explains this evolution: There are other issues worth consideration. It would seem that, from a US perspective, a good case can be made for  concluding that personnel management in its traditional form has been evolving to a process identified as human resource management (HRM). In particular, the Harvard model and writings demonstrate the nature of the evolution. It incorporates: a strategic orientation; standard personnel management practices, e.g. selection, appraisal; a philosophy and new practices geared towards employee motivation. It has a strong managerial perspective and, in many ways, the new practices have been managements pragmatic response to its changing environmental context. It is also worth noting that historical analysis has suggested five different HR management systems linked to environmental conditions. This gives strong emphasis to the contingency-based properties of the current commitment system. While the likely endurance of the commitment system is unknown it is important to take account of the probable strength of the educational and social changes within human resources which have influenced the development of the system. The historical analysis has also pointed up that the different HRM systems denote a shift in the balance of influence between employer and employed. There is a connection here with the literature on the changing face of American industrial relations and the phenomenon of the non-union firm. Certainly the analysis highlights certain extremes in behaviour and perspective, e. g. mutuality/adversarialism, control/commitment, specialization/flexibility, standardization/innovation, alienation/identification and so on (713). The reason for this evolution and changing dynamic between companies and human resource departments, as well as between human resource departments and employees may lie in the outcome of being more focused on employees and the planning of human resources. In fact, Appleby Mavin (2000) conducted research to determine what happens when there is an integration of human resource roles and ideas. The research looked at over 800 companies in the manufacturing industry in England. The authors used a self-assessment questionnaire that would report how well each company was achieving a world-class levels of performance, and what was helping to lead to that level of performance. The authors report that actually bringing together all of the roles and functions of HR departments was related to an organization actually attaining world-class level. The authors of the study  explain: The results show a positive association between the integration of HR strategy and the world-class status of orga nizations. Further, those organizations using an integrated HR strategy show better practice and performance with regard to: quality management, managing and developing their people, and their sustainability and innovation (s560). This study is not the only study to find that actually integrating the roles and duties of human resource departments actually lead to better overall results for the companies in question. Rodwell Teo (2004) conducted a study of for-profit and non-profit companies in Australia. The study consisted of 61 companies in Australia that operated in the medical industry. Questionnaires were given to company leaders asking about human resource practices. The results of the study found that regardless of whether a company was for-profit or non-profit, human resource practices that actually integrated people and their functions resulted in better performance for the company. As the authors of the study state: The evidence suggests that as the health sector experiences more global reform in terms of policy and managerial changes (EOHCS 2001) Australian HS firms emphasize the buying of skills, experience and knowledge through selective staffing and other human capital-enhancing practices. Researchers such as Snell and Dean (1992) conclude that the adoption of these strategic initiatives are related to the adoption of strategic HRM and those practices that focus on the creation of human capital required for mastering the new managerial and medical systems and techniques. In this instance, HRM has been used to ensure that human resources are selected to add value to the firms’ quest for efficiency, effectiveness and economy in the Australian health sector (325). Now, at this point, some might argue that about the ability to take research from one area of the world, or even in one sector, and generalize the findings to all companies and how human resources should be managed across the spectrum. The fact of the matter is that this is an important area of discussion. The research that has been presented clearly shows that the notion of human resource management in companies is changing because it is  good for the companies. In organizations where human resource departments are given the authority to integrate their tasks and to worry about the resources that they are supposed to be in charge of, the result has been companies with better levels of overall performance. Still, the argument remains as to the ability to generalize these findings. However, in light of the information that is available, it clearly seems that more research and even more practice is warranted. As Wright, Snell Dyer state quite clearly: The conference at Cornell was s uccessful in bringing together leading HR academics from around the globe to enhance the emerging international dialogue on SHRM theory and research. The resulting papers suggest general agreement on one point: that differences in institutional environments, and perhaps cultures, serve as boundary conditions with respect to the generalizability of our models and empirical results. Clearly, however, there is less agreement about the nature of these boundary conditions and the direction and magnitude of their effects, or on the stakeholder vs stockholder controversy. We hope that SHRM theorists and researchers in all corners of the globe will see this situation as a challenge. The papers in this volume represent a promising start. The task now is to build on this work by incorporating a fuller range of boundary conditions in our research, explicitly wrestling with the global universality vs local adaptability issue and experimenting with a wider range of outcomes in our models and studies preferably doing so through networks of international collaborations and consortiums. Ultimately, we must make absolutely certain that our field continues to hold its own in the ubiquitous drive to globalize (879). Based on the studies and opinions from scholars in the field of human resource management, it is clear that HR departments must change their focus on how they view people, and how those people fit into the organization. This change must come at the management level, and must actually see human resource departments as part of the management level, rather than as simply another part of the organization that can be ignored. Kazmi Ahmad (2001) explain the types of questions and focus that comes when human resources are seen as being part of the management level in a company. For example, in the personnel selection/placement area, operational-level activities include the  annual staffing and recruitment plans. The managerial-level is more concerned with staff planning for the intermediate-range future. A question posed at the managerial-level is, for instance, if the company is about to set up two plants in different parts of the country, what kind of people will be needed and how will they be found? Strategic-level activities look on the long-term future. Here a question such as this could be posed: what kind of people will be needed to manage and run the organization in the future? The implications of the long-run position are then retraced to guide current selection, placement, and training practices. If, say, a major oil company formulates a strategic plan for major diversification by the year 2005, a relevant question would be: what kind of people should it be recruiting now so that it will have employees capable of running the diversified company five years and beyond? (135). Of course, with all of this discussion about moving human resources to the role of being a strategic part of a company, Schuler (1992: 25) explains that human resource departments need to be part of the team that not only makes strategic decisions, but also helps to set some of the tone for the company. For example, he explains that human resources can take on three roles: a leadership role, a managerial role, and an operational role. In the leadership role, HR helps to steer the direction of the employees of the company. This can include attitudes and culture that exist in the way that employees approach their jobs and the people they serve. In the managerial role, HR acts to give employees the training and direction they need. HR also gives feedback to the work that is being done, and ways that employees can improve. HR can also help to direct how people work together to get tasks done efficiently. Finally, in the operational role, HR helps to set the function of certain roles. This can be as simple as telling employees that they must smile and greet customers by name. However, in the light of various functions, HR departments must see themselves as part of the company that actually helps to build profits and results. They can no longer see themselves as simply working for a company. They must see themselves as actually moving a company forward, and having to produce results to show that work and effort. Rogers Wright (1998) explain this idea. Universal application of macro HRM models of analysis  with dynamic constructs for performance may prove more achievable and useful than the search for a single universal linkage of micro HR to a particular measure of organizational performance. Just as happened with the field of economics, human resources management is developing a clearly distinguishable macro side. The HR field must face the questions of micro-macro linkage, bias in aggregation, and plausible mechanisms of action to connect individual human activity in the form of HRM with organizational performance. How these questions are answered will in large part determine the direction and utility of the filed in the next decade. A case has been made for expanding the concept of performance to enable establishment of a general construct for organizational performance through the adoption of a performance information market concept. The PIM concept needs to be equipped with variables and the model’s mechanism of interaction verified by empirical investigations (328). Problems and Opportunities of Becoming Strategic Based on the information that was provided in the literature review, it should become clearer that a transition from simple human resource management to strategic human resource management is not going to be something that is going to result in just opportunities for human resource departments. Instead, there are also going to be problems and areas of concern along the way. All of these areas must be addressed and dealt with my HR departments if they are going to be part of the strategic process in companies in the future. First, with the transition to strategic human resources, HR departments are going to be held accountable for the work that they perform. This means that they cannot simply sit on the sidelines and expect to reap the benefits of being treated like part of the management team without gaining some of the pressures and responsibilities that come with actually being part of the management. This is going to result in HR managers and departments having to actually justify their existence. They are going to have their own goals and objectives that will have to be met. Even more, they are going to have to answer to the senior management of the companies for which they work, as well as the investors of the companies, when the decisions they have  undertaken to obtain qualified employees or to hold on to employees do not go as planned. They are also going to be expected to communicate problems and concerns more openly, rather than lurking in the shadows waiting to be noticed by those in power . Another area of opportunity or problem, depending on where you stand, is going to be that human resource personnel can no longer be people who sit and shuffle paper. It will not matter if we are talking about the HR manager or the associate sitting in the office. The fact of the matter, everyone who works in the HR department is going to have to be trained not only in how to interview and hire employees, but also how to develop plans to deal with strategies that will move a company forward. In fact, it does not seem far-fetched at all to assume that more time will be spent by those in HR departments developing strategies and analyzing what is working and what is not as it relates to employee operation and performance. Of course, with all of these areas of concern will come many opportunities and benefits for HR departments to work toward SHRM. First, this is the chance for those who work in HR departments to truly be taken seriously as leaders and managers. They can come out of the shadows and stop being seen as employees who are removed from the actual work that is being done in the company. Instead, they can be viewed by employees as being relevant to the operations of the company. These individuals can also be seen as having the abilities to truly be effective leaders. At the same time, all of this promises success for more than just the companies or those who work in HR departments. The change from human resource management to SHRM will mean that employees will be recruited with the idea that they are truly valuable, and how they are treated is important for the future of individual companies. Of course, for employees and potential employees, this will also spell added responsibility. Employees will have to show that they have the skills and qualifications that are necessary for the specific job or function they will play within the company. However, they will also need to show that they can learn and expand as the strategic plans and goals for the company change. Just as HR  managers will have to adjust, the move to SHRM means employees will be affected, and they will have to change as well. However, if all of this comes together, the end result should be a great improvement in how companies operate. The research shows that companies that are involved with SHRM perform at a higher level. The research also shows that these companies are in a better place to provide world-class service. Application of SHRM to an Organization Now that we have analyzed the research leading to SHRM, it is time to turn back to Televox Software and the ways in which it can improve upon SHRM in its operation. First and foremost, the research shows that HR departments must communicate clearly and accurately the expectations to new employees. At Televox, new employees are not always give the full range of their duties until they have already been on the job. It is true that they are given the specific duties of the job for which they are hired. However, they are often not told that they will be cross-trained to handle duties of other employees with those employees are not available to help customers or are on vacation. This sometimes leads to employees who are not happy with the job once they are hired. A move to SHRM at the company will mean that the full range of expectations and duties will be provided to employees from the beginning. In fact, a move to SHRM would mean that he HR department would seek out employees who enjoy the challenge of actually having to take on duties that are outside of their specific roles within the company. Instead of hiring people who are only skilled at one job, and only want to be skilled in that job, those who make hiring decisions would work to gain employees that want to be well-versed in many duties within the organization. At the same time, a move to SHRM would make the company realize that having skilled employees who are motivated by the strategic plans for the company have to be compensated and treated with respect and dignity. Currently, the company shows its respect for employees in basic ways, such as to give away free lunch and other items. However, when it comes to listening to employee concerns about working conditions, the company is not always responsive,  either openly or in future moves of the company. The organization needs to show more openly that it takes employee concerns seriously, and that it realizes the employees are trained and skilled enough to know when to provide feedback about working conditions that should be taken seriously by management (McMahan, Bell Virick 1998: 198). Of course, it must be understood that moving closer to full SHRM is not going to be something that can occur in a short amount of time. The reason for this is that the company have dozens of employees that have been with the company for years. Adjusting to a way of doing business that focuses more on employee skills may be something that is not taken seriously by existing employees. The result is going to be some who are on board with the SHRM measures, and some who are not. All employees will have to be brought up to speed with the new plans, or some employees will have to be informed of the consequences of not getting on board with the new strategic plans for the company. In the end, the research and actual application of SHRM shows that moving in this direction is good for companies. However, the research should leave no doubt that the transition is difficult, and it does require changing well-established attitudes and roles. These are attitudes that have existed for decades, and they are not going to change quickly. On the other hand, as with many things that occur in the world of business, as companies realize that advantages that come with SHRM, more will move in that direction and require acceptance of the policies that come with it (Wright McMahan 1992: 316; Siddique 2004: 219). References Appleby, A. Mavin, S. 2000. ‘Innovation not imitation: Human Resource Strategy and the Impact on World-Class Status,’ Total Quality Management, vol. 11, no. 5, s554-s561. Boxall, P. Purcell, J. 2000. ‘Strategic Human Resource Management: Where Have we Come From and Where Should we be Going?’ International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 183-203. Colbert, B. A. 2004. ‘The Complex Resource-Based View: Implications for Theory and Practice in Strategic Human Resource Management,’ Academy of  Management Review, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 341-356. Kazmi, A. Ahmad, F. 2001. ‘Differening Approaches to Strategic Human Resource Management,’ Journal of Management Research, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 133-140. Lundy, O. 1994. ‘From Personnel Management to Strategic Human Resource Management,’ International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 687-720. McMahan, G. C., Bell, M. P. Virick, M. 1998. ‘S trategic Human Resource Management: Employee Involvement, Diversity, and International Issues,’ Human Resource Management Review, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 193-214. Mueller, F. 1996. ‘Human Resources as Strategic Assets: An Evolutionary Resource-Based Theory,’ Journal of Management Studies, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 757-785. Rodwell, J. J. Teo, S. T. T. 2004. ‘Strategic HRM in For-Profit and Non-Profit Organizations in a Knowledge-Intensive Industry,’ Public Management Review, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 311-331. Rogers, E. W. Wright, P. M. 1998. ‘Measuring Organizational Performance in Strategic Human Resource Management; Problems, Prospects, and Performance Information Markets,’ Human Resource Management Review, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 311-331. Schuler, R. S. 1992. ‘Strategic Human Resource Management: Linking the People with the Strategic Needs of the Business,’ Organizational Dynamics, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 18-32. Siddique, C. M. 2004. ‘Job Analysis: A Strategic Human Resource Management Practice,’ International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 219-244. Van Donk, D. Esser, A. 1992. ‘Strategic Human Resource Management: A Role of the Human Resource Manager in the Process of Strategy Formation,’ Human Resource Management Review, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 299-315. Wright, P. M. McMahan, G. C. 2001. ‘Theoretical Perspectives for Strategic Human Resource Management,’ Journal of Management, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 295-320. Wright, P. M. Snell, S. A. 1991. ‘Toward an Integrative View of Strategic Human Resource Management,’ Human Resource Management Review, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 203-225. Wright, P. M., Snell, S. A. Dyer, L. 2005. ‘New Models of Strategic HRM in a Global Context,’ International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 875-881.

Dying Hopes The American Dream English Literature Essay

Dying Hopes The American Dream English Literature Essay Prosperity and freedom are the values in which America was founded on. America symbolizes hopes and dreams in which people claim that anyone in America can achieve with hard work. The foundation of America is based on equality and the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that people can achieve their goals through hard work and live happy lives. This is also expanded to being able to be treated with equality no matter what your ethnicity is. The idea of an American Dream is older than the United States, dating back to the 1600s when people began to come up with all sorts of hopes and aspirations for the new and largely unexplored continent. During the 1920s many immigrants came to America aspiring to achieve this dream. They wanted a place to call their own, and successful jobs where they would have enough money to feed their families. This is much like George and Lennies dream of owning the little ranch with the rabbits. However, the reality of the American Dream was not w hat it was all thought out to be. People coming America during the 1920s where ignorant and taken advantage of; much like the ranch hands in Of Mice and Men. People were also discriminated against even though America was founded on the ideas of equality. Women and African Americans were seen as inferior; much like Curlys wife and Crooks. During this time in history, the glorified ideas of the American Dream were not true. The reality of the American Dream was largely dependent on social standing and economic background. American culture is made of a great diversity of people. Under the Constitution it says that all men our created equal, but that is simply not the case with the way discrimination was in the 1920s. During this time there was a great migration of of non-protestant Europeans to America; Jews and Catholics. Many hate groups committed crimes against these people, like the Klu Klux Klan. Not only was religion discriminated against, but race was as well. Hispanics and blacks did not have the same rights as white males. They were treated as inferior for being different. Jim Crow laws in the South made it legal to segregate black people from whites. Not only were minority races separated and not treated with equality, but were also given hurtful racial names. Women were another minority group during this time. They were not given the same rights as men. Women suffragists fought for their rights during this time period. John Steinbeck portrays discrimination in the 1920s in Of Mice and Men. I n this novel all of the ranch hands live in poor conditions; they live in rundown bunk houses. However, the conditions Crooks lives in are far more worse. He lives in the barn around the horse manure. The only activities Crooks is allowed to be involved in is working and playing horse shoes. It is even unheard of for him to enter the white ranchers bunk house. Crooks response to segregation is intended to show the results of discrimination. Crooks becomes a separatist, if he is not allowed in the bunkhouse, then the men are not allowed in his room. -Stella Mcintyre. Also, this novel shows how women were seen in the 1920s. Curlys wife is not even given a name in this book. She is only seen as a sex symbol and jail bait. The men on the ranch refer to her as a tart. The character she is given is not even true to her personality, she really aspires to make something of herself and be an actress. However, she is suck there because she married Curly and it is seen as if he owns her. This shows how little of their lives women has control of in the 1920s. This also show that the American Dreams aspect of equality was not as true as it seemed. In Of Mice and Men, the ranch is a microcosm for the capitalist society of the 1920s. Immigrants in the 1920s expected to come to America and own their own land and make a good living. However, the reality of this was that the people they worked for only used them for their own gain. The employers paid their workers as little as possible so their business could prosper while the workers suffered. The workers never got anywhere in capitalist businesses because they were seen as part of the cycle of keeping Americas economy running. The wealthy ranch owners in Of Mice and Men are seen as the Capitalist employers who use their workers purely for their own gain. The ranch workers are seen as the people trying to support themselves unsuccessfully. When they became to weak to work, they ranchers were simply canned. This represents the ideas of Social Darwinism in the 1920s, only the fittest members of society will survive. The American Dream says with hard work people will prosper, but dur ing the 1920s hard work did not gain success. It got people stuck in dead end jobs where they could be easily replaced when they worked to death. Machine Bosses took advantage of peoples stupidity in the 1920s. They helped immigrants get a place to work and a place to stay. This all was seemly good, however, they asked in return for political support for their candidates who did not support hard working people. These new immigrants did not care though, as long as they had a job and money. In the end, immigrants ended up losing everything because the jobs they were given were not secure and the people they voted for did not support them. This is parallel to how the ranch workers were manipulated on the ranch. The ranch hands were caught up in the racial drama with Crooks to see the real problem which was the wealthy owners. With this preoccupation, they could not see that they were going nowhere staying at the ranch working because the only purpose they served for the ranch owners was to make them money. This shows how during the 1920s in America, the jobs were not for the hard working people to gain any thing. It was for big b usiness to prosper. This conflicts with the ideas of the American Dream. In Todays society, the American Dream has become obscured. It means many things to many different people. However, it is still based on social class. It is believed, in America, that anybody can achieve anything. That any person can go from rags to riches. People today are not satisfied with having property to call their own and getting by successfully. Most people want millions of dollars and all the newest things. The American Dream today is very materialistic. For some people who are impoverished, the American Dream is still the same for them, they want to easily have basic necessities available. The American Dream today is much more attainable today than the 1920s, however. Since Americas government has created laws to prevent the unfair advantages of capitalism, people are able to achieve things through hard work. There are benefit programs for the lower-class so they do not have to live like the poor people of the 1920s. Also, it is true today that people can go from rags to ri ches many of Americas most famous and richest citizens today were once poor. But, today the American Dream is about living comfortably, it is based on the greed that has come over America through the years. During the 1920s, immigrants who believed in the American Dream and came to the United States got a raw deal. The dream of most Americans at this time period surrounding the book Of Mice and Men was only a large cesspool of dying hopes. They were treated with hate and tricked by their employers. These people never made any real money because they were stuck in dead end jobs. The reality of the American Dream is that it is based on race and social class. Today, much has changed about the American Dream but it is not free of corruption; now it is based on greed and consumerism. The American Dream is never what it appears to be.

The Global Issue Of Terrorism Can Technology Help Criminology Essay

The Global Issue Of Terrorism Can Technology Help Criminology Essay Human is facing many global issues nowadays, however the issues of terrorism is already evolved and become one of a serious issue that has been patient by the whole world. The statistical data shows that terrorism slowly grows up around us and occurs more and more. For example, the infamous incident had happened recently is 911case in US, it has brought out a huge damage, not only affect their economy but also affect civilian life there. Therefore, it was also involved and crashed the global economy thus bring panic to the worldwide. As a result, terrorism means extremist stand for theirs own view and unstopped making incident attack. The four characteristics of the terrorism are: the threat or use of violence, a political objective; the desire to change the status quo, the intention to spread fear by committing spectacular public acts and the intentional targeting the civilians. The problems that terrorism has caused in the world today are world chaos, terrified of people, economic depression and other more. In conclusion, this research paper addresses the issue of terrorism in order to find out if todays technology can help to prevent terrorism. It looks at the type of terrorism, the causes of terrorism, ways to prevent terrorism through the use of technology. Chapter2 Literature Review According to this website http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8552323/ , this article talked about the technology for preventing terrorism in the future such likes smoke-detector, human vigilance and bomb-sniffing dogs. They can detect bombs and chemical and biological weapons. This site http://www.meteck.org/causesTerrorism.html , it talked about the causes of terrorism for example: nationalism/separatism, globalisation, (non) democracy and religion. These causes are considered as the main by this website. In this site http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism/intlterror.html , the data shows that the terrorism happened from year 1968 to year 2007 keep rise and fall. That had make many people fatalities and injuries. According on the book of Historical Dictionary of Terrorism, there has many information probes into the type of terrorism, classification of terrorist groups, new players and changing motivations of terrorists and impact of technology on contemporary terrorism and the future threats of weapons of mass destruction and cyber-terrorism. According to New Straits times According newspaper, on 2009/12/11, Indonesia had invented a new type of defence installations called new anti-terror body. It can rooting out terrorists and routing their cells remain its key tasks, the new agency will put greater emphasis on prevention. This will include rehabilitating detained terrorists so that they do not return to their old ways after leaving prison, and clamping down on religious radicalism Chapter3 Methodology For this assignment, most of the information we search from internet. From internet, we can know more things about terrorism. But we also put some our opinion in this assignment. We also get some information from books and newspapers to more different things. Conversely, we decide to do interview question. Our interview question, we asked Taylors College student. Via interview question, we know the opinion of the student and give his knowledge about terrorism for us. Lastly, we also drew mind map for easier to start this assignment because we can know where to start from the mind map. Chapter4 Type of Terrorism State Terrorism An act of state terrorism is not difficult to identify. In the example of history record, the concept of terrorism has been bought to us by the French governments reign of terror in the first place. Briefly after the French monarch in 1793, there is an establishment of revolutionary dictatorship and it decided to root out anyone who might resisted the revolution. At the time, about tens of thousands of civilians have been killed as a variety of crimes. State terrorism is normally uses violence and spread fear to maintain their power, by the way, their main target is the innocent civilians. State terrorism always selected the public to regard as a negotiation to spread fear thus committing critical public acts. One of the characteristics might in a political objective, state terrorism wants to change the status quo desirously. In the addition, state terrorism just similar a civilian so that they are omnipresent and menaced to the public seriously. Bioterrorism Bioterrorism have always to use germs and disease as weapons. Bioterrorism are less in appearance and there are no recorded their attacks. However, the reported risk has been paid highly attention by the U.S. government to defense bioterrorism in the early part of the 21st century. Bioterrorism will be adopted to liberate toxic biological to harm the civilians. The viruses, bacteria and toxins have been sort out by the U.S. Center for Disease Control that could be used in attack. Eco-terrorism Eco-terrorism is describes that interests in hanging over of the environmentalism recently. In the main, these environmental extremists (eco-terrorism) made destruction on property to strike the development of economic on industries or they will harm the animal and to damage the natural environment thus benefit themselves. Some legal unit that permitted by the government, for example fur companies, deforestation and animal research laboratories was also included as eco-terrorism. Nuclear Terrorism Nuclear terrorism means a type of terrorists that to be adept in using nuclear materials by a number of different ways as their tactic. Nuclear terrorism is normally exploited any kind of radioactive materials just like attacking nuclear facilities, building nuclear weapons or purchasing nuclear weapons. These days we believe that terrorists might be able to purchase nuclear weapons on the black market easily. Therefore, its possible that the group of terrorists might be even to build a nuclear weapon themselves in the very soon future. Nar-co terrorism Nar-co terrorism had been started in the first place since 1983. Nar-co terrorism is a type of terrorists who indicate violence by using drug traffickers further to affect governments to interfere the drug trade. In the several years, nar-co terrorism even more defined their position toward how they use drug trafficking to fund their manipulation effectively. Cyber-terrorism Cyber-terrorism attack civilians by using information technology. Theres measure that they technically use information technology, such as telecommunications or computer systems as their tools to make desolation meticulously. More often, cyber-terrorism would disrupt network radically by their ways, to make the networks become paralyzed. For example, cyber-terrorism could crash the network security systems or hack into any networks to stole or destroy whatever information that they need. Cyber-terrorism is already become wide discussion because it was the most general threat that around the civilians and public. According to the interview questions that answered by most of the student of the Taylors university college considered roughly that the terrorism is an extreme activities which was intention to threat or behavior in violence to the public or civilians. They also said that terrorist is someone who is not balance in their psychology and they thought that terrorism will not only damage the economy but also menace our life. According to the result from interview question, there is about 87% students in Taylors University College were worried about terrorism. The terrorism happened including a lot of reasons. One of the causes is human issues. These consist of the below: Human Issues Environment issue: The environment issue shows that the terrorism happened cause of some of the undeveloped or developing countrys national feel that their live environmental not good as the others developed countries, so they go on the terrorism activities to attack the better environment countries. It has relevant with the psychology issue. Psychology issue: Those terrorists pass on the terrorism to release their social pressure. Most of them facilitating war and other terrorist atrocities by inhibition the more or less lifted entirely with a more subtle sense. They fight with social disobedience. In additional, they might support those who use more lethal violence. Besides that, some of the terrorists go on the terrorism not for fighting against the real enemies but only to the old psychological wounds from early childhood harm. They try to doing hurt to others to make reprisal. Others that, variously unbalanced psychology problem such like, envy also cause the terrorism happened. Education issue: Nowadays, education issue has been universally accepted by the whole world that mainly causes the terrorism. In some of the undeveloped countries, many of children been teaching to hold and use the weapon to attack with extremely mind and knowledge, especially Islamic countries. When those children grow up, they maybe will be influenced to become terrorists and go on the terrorism. Besides that, some of the high technology countries provide the data of the dangerous weapon manufacture. When these techniques been learning by those scheme people, it will only increase the dangerous of the world. Religion issue: It is also one of the causes of terrorism. There have a lot of the religion in this world such like Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other more. Among these religions, a small part of these religion ideology are extremely and exist dangerously. These extreme religions exists evil thought and disseminate spread heretical ideas. They teaching their followers and believer a lot of the extreme idea and instigate them to sacrifice themselves to gain the trust from the God. Besides that, the clashing among the religion made the terrorism unstopped happened. Race issue: There has been a lot of terrorism happened causes of the racial issue. In most of the countries, there got more than two race people live together, such like United State of America, Malaysia and other more. These made a lot of clashing within a country of different race or between 2 countries. Race clashing happened including many causes, like censure with each other, religion issue, the different life style and living standard and others. In addition, racial discrimination and rejection aggravate the problem Advantage issue: When two country happened benefit dispute or when a country envious another countrys flourishing and wealth, then the terrorism maybe happened. Besides that, the variety advantage clashing between two countries made the terrorism keep happened. Refer to the interview questions that answered by some students in Taylors University College who thought that terrorism will happen, the majority cause was come from the religion. The different intention of religions will be clashing thus cause fissure of different religions. Otherwise, they were not agreed that terrorism was the outcome of religious teaching because these purely are their private idea regardless of religious problem and he also thought that for the terrorists root cause roughly is their education and environment problem. Overall, they said that the incident attack which was happened in USA was came from Afghanistan because he believed that the USA government had attacked Afghanistan before with a reason that cannot be accepted by the whole world and make the citizen of Afghanistan became angrier to USA government and he thought that some of the citizen will try to revenge the USA government. Technology in the future Anti-terrorist truck U.S patent 4667565, Rapid response patrol and antiterrorist vehicle by Reg. A. Anderson. Issued May 26, 1987. The anti-terrorist truck exterior is actually not different with normal truck. There is a mechanical robot hide inside the anti-terrorist truck which is controlled by people. When the truck parked quietly at parking zone and terrorist walk past the truck unknowingly, the mechanical robot can be out of the truck roof and shot the terrorist with machine gun immediately. This technology can help terrorist defender to defend terrorist in a good way and the terrorist defender will not be hurt by terrorist because the terrorist defender is not inside the truck. Therefore, anti-terrorist truck also has a protection of terrorist defender. Airplane sleeping gas system U.S. patent 6499693, Aircraft to respond to threats, by Ariel S.Rogson. Issued Dec 31, 2002. We know that terrorists are almost breaking down the cockpit door successfully and burst into airplane. This is quite dangerous for passengers. This sleeping gas system is installed into the planes ventilation system. When pilot discovers terrorists makes confusing in the plane, the pilot can release the sleeping gas. After releasing sleeping gas, the terrorists and passengers are knocked unconscious. Then, pilot land the plane and let police arrest the terrorists. According to this case, this sleeping gas is just a hypnagogue and it will not harm people. People will wake up after one or two hour. Explosion Containment Net U.S. patent 6854374, Explosion containment net, by O. Alan Breazeake. Issued Feb 15, 2005.U.S. Terrorists can sacrifice their life to tie bomb on their body and let the boom explode. This may kill many people when the bomb explodes. Explosion containment net look like an umbrella, but it is actually a strong Kevlar net fired from a special gun to compress and prevent a bombs blast. Terrorist defender can use explosion containment net to suck the terrorist who tie bomb on their body. There is a tank is worn on the back of operator. The explosion containment net also contains a tube for providing fire suppressant agent. This net is not only can deal with terrorists but also a great way for fishing. Anti-terror Robot-MAC http://blogpipiatbingi.com/philippines-mac-anti-terror-robot/ MAC means Mechanical Anti-terrorist Concept. This is the first Philippines anti-terror robot dubbed as MAC is important and very much equipped in foiling bomb attacks in the metro. MAC is the first Pinoy-made bomb disposal robot. It is actually developed by students and engineering professors. The anti-terror robot is made of aluminums and fiberglass so it has a very strong exterior. It can be used for examining and recovering a suspected explosive away from public. It is a necessary for bomb disposal and disarmament. People can control it with wireless interface. Digital sharing data Fingerprint Scanner The advanced biometric technology with fingerprint scanner provides terrific functions, such as functions in window logon, Screen Saver Lock, Web Account, File Encryption and PC Lock. The fingerprint scanner also involves personal data security and whole the country does not be invaded. Hence, it can stop terrorists from entering a country hence the terrorists also cannot threaten. For example, in the airport generally installed this technology to prevent the terrorists to enter their country because large numbers of people pass through airport, so there will become the terrorists gathering place. Similarly, the larger number of people on the airport, so the potential high lethality rate of attacks from there. In fact, some of the public schools boards also have decided installing fingerprint scanners at all entrances is the best way to proceed as it can keep students safe in a system that is far behind the times in preventing terrorists attack them, such as it would go a long way to prevents school shooting, bomb threats etc. Conversely, terrorism is playing havoc with cyber cafe business, so the fingerprint scanner must be installed there it was responsible to introduce stringent rules regarding user information for record purpose. Disadvantage of fingerprint scanner is it cannot distinguish between a picture of a finger print and the finger itself and the sometimes the scanner can be fooled by a meld of a persons finger. On the other disadvantage is about civil securities because the criminal who are cutting off a persons finger to get access to a door. These deceptions are done to steal ones identity into secures system. As a result, a person who loses fingerprints identity then that person will never be able to use because it cannot be replaced their identity. Brain Scanning Regarding use of brain scanners must be regulated in order to prevent terrorist being used invade or intimidate civil liberties. Beside there, the brain scanning is scanning the honesty of an individuals subconscious. According researchers told that the brain scans already used in United States and also used by British police to determine who are lying to invade their country, so research finding that certain regions of the brain become more active when a person lies, they also used it to plan a crime to commit yet. On the other hand, the government also has used this technology to scan human brain who is the terrorist and prevention children being kidnapped. Hence, the brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful revealing what a person planned to do in the near future. However, using the scanner could look around the brain for the information and read out something that who are not tells true. Conversely, using brain scanning also have some p roblem as a forecast the persons intention with 70% accuracy, it have been compromised when it scans person because it appeared to be fatigued. Retinal scanning The retinal scanning is used to map the inimitable patterns of a persons retina; it is located in the following part of the eyes. Beside there, it also complex structure to supply the retina with blood, the retina is unique for each person. Retinal scanners are typically used for authentication and identification point. It always used in the highest level of security, such as militaries, airports, power plants and the other mainly areas. It also has been utilized by several government including FBI and CIA. As a result, every countries government has installed the full body scanners of retinal scanning in major international airports. It would have detected any solid especially is the explosives strapped to terrorists body, so the full body scanners could be prevented the terrorist who tried to blow up airport Conversely, using retinal scanning also have some disadvantages, that is it can be quite expensive to install because the retinal scanner who are installed will be spent a lot of money. On the other disadvantage is it can be considered an invasion of privacy as a retina may indicate any health problem, for example it can scan all solid that included civil of country. The third and four disadvantages is considered intrusive and making inconvenient. However, it also the reason why retina scans technology has mostly been used for high-risk security places where it believed the extra security provided by retina scanner is desirable. Regarding most of the students opinion, they were considered vigorously that the United Nations is responsible to control and prevent terrorism effectively. Therefore, some of the students suggested that the Ministry of National Defense might manufacture some novel technology weapons to counter terrorism so that could protect civilians. They also thought that our country need to some severe laws to prevent invader. Chapter5 Conclusion Regarding the matter of increasing terrorists case in the world, we would suggest that governments from all over the world should spend more in tightening the security of the particular country and also to spend more on tracking the terrorist activities around the world. This can help to keep the terrorist activities to the minimal level. After adopt the introducing of the terrorism, we can know that terrorist is categories into six types of terrorists. Any type of the terrorism got different ways to affect the countries. Therefore, we should use the suitable way to counter the right type of terrorism. There have six reasons of the human issue that cause the terrorism happened. These human issues let the world become more and more confusion. Actually these issues can be solved with effectively way by us and also the country, especially by controlling ours mind and actions. Nowadays, there are still many concept of preventing technologies in the world. These technologies still investigate by preventer. These technologies can help to prevent terrorism in the future. Nowadays, finger print scanning, brain scanning and retinal scanning is the best way to prevent terrorists from entering a country. After that, when have terrorism happened in a country, then the country will use digital sharing data sent to other countries in the world. Overall, the best way to guard against terrorism is to have no enemies and the cause of social violence is accumulated social stress. Chapter6 Recommendation We think that some powerful country maybe make a Super Missile in the future when they were research for preventing terrorism. The super missile can scan all substance and then launch the missile when somebody aggress their country. We have fabricated a weapon; the name is all-round scout machine car. It can be tracked the suspicious of the people and arrest them. It function include fluoroscopy anything to ensure if it exist any danger and it also can demolish the bomb to cut down the harmful to people. A government of country should know what make terrorism happen. For example: Is it politic problem? Does the government fairly deal with people? Actually, high technology for preventing terrorism is still limited for us. Actually, we cannot totally prevent terrorism but we can decrease terrorism happen. Not only use technology but also need peoples cooperation to decrease it.