How To Get Students Interested In Reading And Writing

How To Motivate Students Read And Write It won’t be a secret that more and more students do not want to read and write. One of the reasons may be that students simply do not see any point in it. It can cause them some problems in the future. But making them read and write won’t do any good either.Larry Ferlazzo, an education blogger and a teacher, in his book â€Å"Building a Community of Self-Motivated Learners: Strategies to Help Students Thrive in School and Beyond†, explains how a teacher can motivate their students easily, without any harm.AutonomyPeople won’t do something they do not want to. A situation with students is even more complicated. When adults already know what they want in their lives and how to achieve it, youngsters don’t understand why they have to do anything.If you want a students read and write, first of all, they should want to do it as well. Without any desire, they won’t even start. As for the reading part, a teacher should encourage their students to ch oose what those would like to read, what they may find interesting and joyful. In other words, something that can bring them pleasure.CompetenceHow often do you do something you are not good at? Not often, we guess. Or perhaps never. Therefore, you should not make students do what they are not good enough at. A student may perform well at first, but in a while, they can lose interest.For this case, teachers should watch students’ progress all the time so that they can see whether the effectiveness rises—or at least stays the same—or drops. It is better to compare a student’s results on performance at the beginning of a year and or at the end. A student should know that too to reflect on their progress.RelatednessStudents can be motivated to write when they use writing as a way of communication, connection with teachers, family and friends, and getting feedback from them. If you want them to read more, they would be glad to discuss with a teacher or peers what they are reading at the moment. It usually evokes greater interest in reading.RelevanceAs it was mentioned at the beginning of the article, students may not understand why they need to read and write. In this case, a teacher should explain how respective skills can be helpful in the future. However, teacher should mind that constant accentuation on that can be harmful to a student if they are not interested in a subject.Given that the high percentage of young people do not like reading—and also English lessons—a teacher should emphasize the importance of literacy in achieving goals in the future.Extrinsic vs intrinsic motivationIntrinsic motivation is connected with what students feel when they read and write. It can be enjoyment, for example (people always try to motivate children to read for their pleasure). However, it may not work. You should pay attention to extrinsic motivation, which is about the importance of such skills. Students cannot want to do somethi ng for joy. It has to have some value in their lives.There are two questions that students can ask a teacher: â€Å"Why are we learning it?† and â€Å"How are we going to use it?† In fact, if we hear them rarely, we can feel relieved everything is going well. But in case a student still asks one, there is no problem to explain all those things of autonomy, relatedness, and relevance. On the other hand, if those questions appear more and more often, it might be a sign to provide intrinsic motivation.

Nature Versus Civilization essays

Nature Versus Civilization essays In comparing and contrasting Civilization Over Nature by Michael Heiman with Nature Over Civilization by Robert Kuhn McGregor I have discovered that their main themes over lap in one or more ways. They both define Nature in totally different aspects. Therefore that is way their main themes appear to be so much different. Michael Heiman argues that nature was put aside for the capitalistic views of the nineteenth century. This then implies that nature was put aside for the production of civilization. Therefore associating the human race strictly with civilization and not nature. Nature is only made up of the landscape and the animals and plants within it. In Heimans example of this he speaks of the exploitation of the Hudson Valley for the transportation of goods across the country. He tells of how the destruction of this area throughout the nineteenth century was overlooked by the artists and tour guides that traveled this route. The viewpoints that Heiman carried throughout his essay had a homocentric orientation towards civilization. As for Heimans main theme he proposes that civilization was the ultimate reality. As for McGregor he proposed to agree with the biocentric view that humans and plants and animals were all living actors in the play of life therefore making humans a part of nature as well. As for the civilization aspect of it all he goes on to explain that animals have their own civilizations in which some of them change the environment in the same ways as our civilization. In the end of it all he believes that nature is the ultimate reality. In order to compare and contrast we have to first see the main part where they clash. Heiman sees nature as the landscape, plants, and animals therefore making humans the synonym for civilization. McGregor on the other hand says that nature has its own civilization just as humans do. So humans are now a ...

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Research Proposal

Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method with Focus on Network Intrusion Detection Systems - Research Proposal Example 107). These correction techniques need to be initiated through diverse ways of detection and existing digital computation methods. Alongside these mechanisms, the following paper analyzes deviation from original forms of information that can secure any computer network (Singh and Kaur, 2007, p. 109). Anomaly Detection Using Probability Distribution Method Network intrusion detection systems are computerized systems able to reveal infringements in computer network systems (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 52). Irregularity detecting systems are grounded on infringement of networks. When the networks face anomalies, the detection system creates a standard traffic paradigm. This system is used as an approach of determining deviation from original formats of data to altered ones. Under the anomaly detection, the Fuzzy Gaussian mixture and modeling strategy is employed to detect abnormalities in computer network systems. The Probability Distribution technique stood for network i nformation in multidimensional aspect gaps. The limits of this mixture are approximated to deploying fuzzy c-means of abnormalities within digitized techniques. Even though this approach is accurately tested by researchers, results have proven the mechanism more effective than other quantization techniques (Nakkeeran, Aruldoss and Ezumalai, 2010, p. 55). ... Among infringement detection methods that are automated, vector quantization in anomaly recognition might prove to be inexpensive from a capital’s perspective (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 2). Therefore, vector quantization is considered most appropriate for resource limited and improvised computer network systems. Anomaly Detection systems can also employ a game approach means to perceive deviation of changed data streaming through various computer networks. Computerized detection is mainly employed to conclude future anomalies within a precise network. Game approaches focus on the prediction of any upcoming abnormalities in computer’s network systems (Azer, El-Kassas and El-Soudani, 2006, p. 6). Traffic patterns have been affiliated with the conditional possibility distribution of the nature of the anomalies in a computer network (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Given the nature of data processing from the past, anomaly detection systems use similar distribution stat es that currently exist. This way, system updates will reinforce the protection of data and communication systems. Infringement in computer networks requires recognition of any deviation in the transformation of data from one form to another while streaming through the network. When a monitored traffic experiences anomalies, it becomes marked or labeled should there arise a possibility of extremely low levels of security encountering high levels of threat. Cases that are more preventive include technical methods that engage specification-based anomaly mechanisms (Sobh, 2007, p. 119). Legitimate system behavior faced chronic demerits that certain networks encounter and obtained from similar entry-grounded systems, whilst significantly elevated digitized assistance is needed (Portnoy,

Researched Thematic Analysis All in the Timing by David Ives Essay

Researched Thematic Analysis All in the Timing by David Ives - Essay Example too Also significant to remember is that it there are usually several themes in an artistic work, all tightly woven together and inter-related--some minor--some major. David Ives (b. 1950) attended Northwestern University where he began writing plays. He produced his first play, Canvas, in New York City with the Circle Repertory Company. He later took on a job as an editor of Foreign Affairs and eventually studied drama at Yale University's School of Drama, where he received his MFA. He is known for many successful plays including, All in the Timing, Words, Words, Words, Sure Thing, and Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread. His latest play, Don Juan in Chicago, received the Outer Critic's Circle's John Gassner Playwriting Award and a Drama Desk nomination for outstanding play. Ives also received the 1994 George and Elizabeth Martin David Ives' All in the Timing is a contradictory and even absurd comedy encompassing six acts. The first selection is entitled Sure Thing. It is a chronicle of the possibilities that exist when two people try to have a cup of coffee together. It starts with the question "is that seat taken" with responses starting with "yes, I'm waiting for someone" to "no, have a seat." It takes a few moments to become comfortable with the switching of scenes but it is eerily mesmerizing to watch the scene unfold and recognize that you yourself have been in that exact position. (Samudrala ||, 2005) The second selection, Trotsky, is about Leon Trotsky. He has a mountain climber's axe smashed/buried into his skull by his communist gardener, Ramon, the day before, yet he remembers nothing. His ice pick phobia is the focus of this act, but it is the mountain climber's axe that does him in. The weird part (yes, something weirder that an ice pick fetish) is that his wife comes in the room with an encyclopedia from the 1990s (the play is set in 1940s) to inform him that the book says he is going to die today. The third selection, Philadelphia, is interesting. It takes place in a coffee shop where the various inhabitants are stuck in different "cities" or states of mind. The person in a Los Angeles is perpetually carefree and doesn't get upset that his wife left him, or that he just lost his job. The person in a Chicago feels worse than dead, and the person in a Philadelphia gets exactly the opposite of what he asks for. The person in the Los Angeles explains everything to the person in the Philadelphia so he finally learns to ask for the opposite of what he wants. Unfortunately, the person in the Los Angeles gets sucked into the other person's Philadelphia and he finally feels the pain of losing his job and wife.The fourth selection is called English Made Simple. It involves a man and a woman at a party who are demonstrating language for the labcoat-wearing-maybe-psychologist person also on stage. Sure Thing, when a variety of possible outcomes were presented. (Schmidt, 205) The fifth selection is called Words, Words, Words. It is a bizarre look into the lives of three monkeys

Is solar energy a viable option for the future Research Paper

Is solar energy a viable option for the future - Research Paper Example A passive solar home harnesses the sunrays without use of mechanical and electrical devices such as heat pumps, or electrical controls to move and distribute the heat. The key to designing a passive solar home is to best take advantage of what the local climate has to offer. Passive solar techniques are easily incorporated into new home designs; however, existing buildings can be adapted to collect and store solar heat. Passive solar homes can incorporate heat through direct gain of the sunrays, indirect gain or Thrombe walls, and the use of isolated gain or sun spaces. In the direct gain method, sunlight enters the house through south facing windows with a glazing application made of translucent glass. The sun then hits brick flooring or masonry walls that are typically dark colors, to absorb the heat. Then as the house cools down at night, the heat is transferred into the room for several hours. Some passive homes use water barrels placed in strategic locations to catch the sun hea t. It is then transferred into the room as the home cools down at night. Water stores twice as much heat as masonry per cubic foot of volume. Water tanks do require some maintenance, since water does not support itself. The tanks require periodic treatment to prevent alga growth. The amount of passive solar in a particular area depends on how large the area of glazing and amount of thermal mass. The glazing area determines how much heat can be collected. The thermal mass determines how much heat can be stored. If the thermal mass is not large enough, the house could overheat. The ratio of thermal mass to glazing has to be determined by the climate in which you live. Thermal mass must also be insulated in order to retain the stored heat as long as possible. Loss of thermal heat is especially prominent when the thermal mass is directly connected to the ground or in contact with outside air. The temperature around the thermal mass needs to remain at or above the temperature of the ther mal mass itself. Even if you live in a simple house with south-facing windows without thermal mass, you still have potential passive solar elements. This is called solar-tempering. To make best use of this type of passive solar heating, install window treatments that reduce nighttime heat loss and prevent overheating during the summer months. The indirect gain method or Thrombe walls are the most commonly used method. The wall is usually 8-16 inches thick, masonry wall, and on the south side of the house. Then either a single or double layer of glass is mounted one inch or less in front of the wall. Solar heat is then absorbed by the dark color of the wall and then the heat is transferred into the living area. The Trombe releases the heat into the home over a period of several hours. The heat collected usually reaches its highest temperatures in the late afternoon. When the outside temperatures drop, the wall radiates heat into the room. Heat travels through a brick wall at the rate of one hour per inch. Therefore, heat absorbed in an 8 inch thick brick wall at 12:00 noon will enter the living space of the home around 8:00 p.m. So if your highest temperatures are collected in the brick wall at 4:00 in the afternoon, the heat will be transferred to the living area at 12:00 midnight. The third

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers. Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Definition of HRM: William R. Tracey, in The Human Resources Glossary defines Human Resources as: The people that staff and operate an organization; as contrasted with the financial and material resources of an organization. Human Resources is also the organizational function that deals with the people and issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, and training. A Human Resource is a single person or employee within your organization. What Is the Human Resource Department? Answer: Departments are the entities organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organizations goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer. Departments can also be organized by customer, by product, or by region of the world. Impact of HRM on Human Resource Function : HRM function contributes to organisational effectiveness in the following ways: Helping the organization reach its goals. Employing the abilities and skills of the workforce efficiently. Providing the organisation with well-trained and well-motivated employees. Increasing the fullest the employees job satisfaction and self actualisation. Developing and maintaining a quality of work life that makes employment in the organisation desirable. Communicating HRM policies to all employees. Helping to maintain ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour. Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals, groups, the enterprise and the public. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. Usually small businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) have to carry out these activities themselves because they cant yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that employees have-and are aware of-personnel policies which conform to current regulations. These policies are often in the form of employee manuals, which all employees have. Some people distinguish a difference between HRM (a major management activity) and HRD (Human Resource Development, a profession). Those people might include HRM in HRD, explaining that HRD includes the broader range of activities to develop personnel inside of organizations, including, e.g., career development, training, organization development, etc. There is a long-standing argument about where HR-related functions should be organized into large organizations, e.g., should HR be in the Organization Development department or the other way around? The HRM function and HRD profession have undergone major changes over the past 20-30 years. Many years ago, large organizations looked to the Personnel Department, mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people. More recently, organizations consider the HR Department as playing an important role in staffing, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organization are performing at maximum capability in a highly fulfilling manner. Models and Phases in HRM debate Task 1 b EVALUATE THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN RELATION TO THE ORGANISATIONS BROADER OBJECTIVES, EVALUATE HR PRACTICES IN BOTH PROFIT MAKING AND NOT FOR PROFIT PRGANISATIONS. Strategic Human Resource Management Definition of HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlStrategyHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.html A strategy is a step-by-step plan of action prepared by an organization and by which it aims to achieve its plan or plans, thus, ensuring its success and survival. Strategic management may be understood as the process of formulating, implementing and evaluating business strategies to achieve organizational objectives. Analysis of the environment, formulation of strategies, implementation of strategies, and evaluation and control are the phases in the strategic management process. Strategic Human Resource Definition Strategic human resource defines employees as a resource, an asset, that provides competitive advantage to an organization, and on whom organizational success is leveraged. This is the new way adopted by many organizations in the treatment of their employees, making them the prime drivers or one of the prime movers of corporate success. People, not machines, not systems, not other assets, are in the special position in helping the organization attain its objectives. These other things, however, are also important. But people are needed to make use of them in productive ways. Some companies are now convinced that their people are the most important asset. And that without them, they cannot achieve much. In this way, they are implementing a strategic human resource management approach. Human Resource Strategy Definition This is the step-by-step plan of action by which an organization employs, utilizes or manages, develops, and deploys its human resources in order to attain its defined corporate mission and objectives. A human resource strategy is devised in respect of recruitment, employee deployment, motivation and engagement, and employee retention. By doing this, an organization puts itself in the position of being able to achieve its mission and objectives through its human resources. This follows from the way how strategic human resource is strategically defined. Strategic Human Resource Management This is the effective way of organizing the workforce by the adoption of a specific strategy, where employees performance can help to achieve the planned organizational targets, such as increasing revenue or improving the profit margin. Strategic human resource management is human resource management carried out in a strategic way. The human resource activities are linked to the achievement of the organizations overall objectives. This is the new way of managing human resources as compared to personnel management. Strategic HR Plan Strategic human resource plan refers to the strategic plan whereby employees energy, time, capabilities, competencies and knowledge are incorporated in a step-by-step plan of action so that their contribution can be monitored and measured over time. By doing this, human resource can become the prime drivers of corporate success. The human resource plan is aligned to the corporate plan. The primary goal of strategic human resource plan is to improve employee productivity thus helping to generate higher revenue for the organization. Why must your organization be concerned about strategic Human Resource Management? Organizations, particularly business entities, must succeed financially if they are to survive. This is the reason why business plans are prepared. This is one of the simple ways in understanding the important factors related to strategic human resource. Your organization, too, has its business plan. The only thing left to do is to make it a reality. When you adopt a strategic HR Management plan, there is a high probability that certain positive results will ensue. This can result in the following: Enhancement of your organizations economic performance Increase in employee and organizational productivity Increase in your survival rate as a corporate entity Lower labour turnover Increase in customer satisfaction Your HR function does not become redundant due to value-adding quality Pfeiffer lists seven dimensions of effective people management. Employment security Rigorous selection of employees Self-managed teams and decentralized decision making Comparatively high compensation linked to individual and organizational performance Extensive training Reduced status distinctions, and Extensive sharing of financial and performance information throughout the organization Formulate strategies to ensure that you can attain these objectives. In order to ensure that employees can play their respective role in the organization, you need an HR plan of action. You need to conduct HR strategic planning to this effect. Further to this, you need to train and develop your people in order that they have the knowledge and skills to perform their respective tasks. Human Resource Strategic Approach In strategic Human Resource management, you can choose to place emphasis on HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.htmlperformance improvement and competitive advantage.HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.html This has the potential of leading to industrial conflicts. You also have the choice of adopting the soft approach. This approach takes into consideration an employees superior know-how, commitment, motivation and job satisfaction. Some argue that this approach is manipulative. But there is more to the HRM approach than this. Implementation Process The process adopted by organizations may differ. Your HR Manager and HR professionals can assist as this is their role. Formulate your HR mission and objectives to provide the connecting link between all HR management activities. Clearly define and understand your HR strategic intent. R. Collins states: Improvement in the strategic management of people also requires a commitment to sustained long-term action. Understand the business carried out by your organization. This includes HR Managers and HR professionals. Choose the strategy you will adopt to migrate from people business to business business. This is making HR as Strategic Partner. Formulate your HR strategic plan, understand what it is intended to achieve, and how to link it to the overall business objectives. Implement the plan. This requires a strategic implementation plan to ensure the plan is understood and accepted by everyone in the organization. Obtain feedback on outcomes. Use these as inputs in future decision making. Review and amend plan accordingly, communicate and re-implement. Human Resource Management Strategy To ensure a high probability of success in the implementation of strategic human resource management, a number of things are necessary. Strategic recruitment where the right person is selected to fill the right job and according to organizational needs Using the right mix of incentives to motivate and engage employees who then can concentrate improving their performance Appointment of the right HR Head to provide the necessary leadership in making HR as a strategic partner An HR mission statement with well defined HR objectives drawn up in alignment with the overall organizational objectives Provision of the right set of training and development programs on an on-going basis to every level of employees Implementation of a performance management system to identify high-performing employees for the purpose of giving rewards befitting their performance, work quality and output Giving recognition and implementing a fair rewards system to retain quality employees The Human Resource Function Someone, somewhere within your organization must carry out the HR function. If not, your organization cannot fulfill its legal and contractual obligations towards employees. So, who are responsible for the HR function? Human Resource Managers are appointed for important purposes. HR professionals are there to help them. Your organization may have appointed an HR Manager or an HR Director or both. If your organization is very serious about implementing strategic human resource management, appointing an HR director goes a long way in ensuring that the HR plan is treated as important as the organizations business plan. He or she can provide the necessary leadership on all matters relating to HR. Whatever is the approach, it is crucial that you have a competent person looking after this important function. It is important to remember that HR leaders do face a lot of different problems. Capable professionals are what your organization needs to succeed in implementing strategic HR management. Note however, that a survey had shown that there are still a lot of organizations who do not place much importance to human resource. Surely, your organization doesnt want to follow suit. Some organizations may have even decentralized or outsourced the entire function. The Better Option Decentralizing the entire HR function goes against the new development and trends in HR management. However, you can decentralize certain human resource activities to line managers. When you do this, provide them with all the necessary support. Make your line managers responsible for the occupational health and safety issues in their own area of operations, the training of their subordinates, recruitment for their respective sections according to needs, and the performance appraisal of their subordinates. Integration of Strategic Human Resource Management into Planning and Decision Making Process It is now accepted that without people, achieving result is practically impossible. In managing your people, prepare a long-term plan to integrate your organizational goals with HR policies and actions. Strategies are implemented in identified key HR areas to improve employee motivation and productivity. You need to see whether your HR strategies are competitive enough as compared to industry standards. Benchmark them while exercising due care. Information must freely flow throughout the organization. You can ensure that this can by adopting an effective informantion system. Strategic Human Resource Management and Business Strategy Strategic Human Resource management helps to identify the business strategy that you can adopt. For example, you implement an effective training and performance improvement plan to improve customer service. More satisfactory customer service will bring in more revenue. You can use this superior performance to determine the rewards. This, in turn, motivates your employees to perform better. Learning forms a necessary part of improving human resource management both on the part of employees and management. The 7 S of HRM attempts to simplify the important characteristics of human resource management. Thereafter, conduct a more in-depth examination. So what are the 7S of HRM? Strategic-ally-linked to the organizations Mission and Objectives Standard-based, that is, people management is benchmarked against current best HR practices that serve as performance measures Systematic, that is, sound and clearly-defined HR policy, well-planned systems and procedures aimed at achieving strategic HR objectives while, at the same time, complying with the law Stretching people in the performance of their duties and responsibilities on a daily basis in order to achieve service excellence Strengthening the ability and competencies of employees and the capability and capacity of organizations to accomplish defined targets Stress-tested capability, ability and leadership skills of the management team, and Sustaining high employee and organizational productivity on a continuous basis based on TQM standards The Future of Strategic HR Management Proponents of strategic HR management generated tremendous interest on the subject. Some large organizations had implemented it. In contrast, some lament the ineffectual efforts by many organizations in implementing the system. Strategic human resource management is not going to disappear. This is so as long as people continue to run organizations of whatever size and for whatever purpose. If HRM Does Not Take The Lead, Who Will? If HRM does not start down the relationship management path, someone else will, and as old HRM continues to be outsourced, one must wonder what will be left for todays HR executives? Relationship management is an opportunity that can be seized by HR executives who are truly strategic and who understand what is needed succeed today and remain competitive as the business landscape continues to evolve and change. Evaluate HR practise in both profit making and not-for-profit making organisations Any organization, may it be profit oriented or not-for-profit, the most vital asset is its employees. And for these organizations to maximize their assets, they should manage the employees working condition with intelligence and efficiency. They must be allowed to be involved in making work-related decisions to further enhance the organizational structure . Furthermore, the structure of tasks among the employees strengthens the organizational performance. It is therefore necessary to understand the employees for the organization to be effective. The development, building, motivation, enhancement and enrichment of the employees of any organization largely depend on the leadership, mandate and vision of the organization . Traditionally, HRM is the helps the organizations in achieving the goals of the organization by hiring and maintaining efficient employees. According to (2002), the following are some of the responsibilities of HRM: Train the workforce to maintain competitiveness of the organization. Develop and communicate industrial policies and procedures in line with legislation. Involvement in grievance and disciplinary hearings. Lead negotiations. Implement termination and hiring procedures. Assessment and management of organizational climate and employees relations. Liaison with trade unions. Implementation of outcomes of collective bargaining and negotiation. Develop compensation strategies and polices in line with legislation and the organizations business strategy. Attach meaningful monetary values to posts in the organization ensuring that the organizations compensation is in line with market forces. Develop appropriate compensation systems for the organization. Manage overall labour costs. Provide current information regarding employees to be used in the decision-making process and measurement of HRMs contribution to the organization. For example: In this case, Tesco has 240,000 employees that contributed to the  £33.974 billion GBP in 2005. The apparent effective implementation of HR functions by the HR personnel of Tesco is a basis itself to prove that HR strategy is a tool for competitive advantage. Being governed by CEO , Tesco provided comprehensive execution of the HR function with respect to the employees welfare. Aside from the continuous strategic planning and innovation, customer relations and welfare management, as well as HRM and its strategies, Tesco gained its respected reputation and dominance in UK retailing sector. HR and Organizations Performance In the era of globalization, every organization like Tesco must keep itself along with all the other organizations on being globally competitive. Corporate or organizational competitive advantage does not only depend on the organizations financial resources but on the human resources too. That is, for the organization to achieve competitive advantage, the people involved in the organization must also be competitive. HR strategies or HRM in general, is a distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. It is about understanding, researching, applying and revising all human resource activities in their internal and external contexts as they impact the process of managing human resources in enterprises throughout the global environment to enhance the experience of multiple stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, partners, suppliers, environment and society. Task 1 C DISCUSS CONTRIBUTION MADE BY HRM IN CONTROLLING THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this. Increasingly, change management is seen as a permanent business function to improve efficiency and keep organizations adaptable to the competitive marketplace. Many organizations strategically use change to improve organizational effectiveness. But bringing about successful change in todays competitive environment requires thoughtful planning, effective communication and employee acceptance. As the function with primary responsibility for human capital management, HR needs to be involved from the beginning when major organizational change initiatives are being developed. The impact of major organizational changes on employee attitudes cannot be overstated. Change can create enormous tension in the workplace. Many people are uncomfortable with change, and are filled with uncertainty and apprehension over job security and the future, circumstances that can threaten the success of change initiatives. According to the Society for Human Resource Managements (SHRM) 2007 Change Management Survey Report, the top two obstacles encountered during major organizational change are communication breakdown and employee resistance. HR leaders can help get employee support for change initiatives by ensuring that communications about change are clear, constant and consistent. Communication largely determines how change initiatives are received and supported, and most HR professionals have highly developed communication skills. SHRMs survey found that when HR was involved in change management communications, employee understanding improved, communication between managerial and non-managerial employees improved, and potential risks were identified and mitigated. Communication that fails to engage employees and to inform them of the reasons, processes and expected benefits of major organizational changes can lead to lack of employee buy-in and, ultimately, failure of change initiatives. Research shows that HR is the critical link to successful organizational change. To ensure agreement of stake-holders at all levels of the organization, HR can foster effective change management by clearly communicating the organizations vision, carefully designing change initiatives, providing updates at all stages of the program, and engaging both top management and employees throughout the process. When it comes to organizations, HR has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that change is realized, hopes are met, and success is sustainable. And thats a recurring theme that is here to stay. Task 2 a DISCUSS THE NEED FOR LEARNING IN ORGANISATIONS TODAY AND EVALUATE THE ROLE OF BOTH THE ORGANISATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TODAY Why do we want a Learning Organization? because it gives organizations the possibilities to discover who they are, where they want to go, and define the quality of life they wish to pursue. A Learning Organization is an organization that focuses on continually growing and changing through the acquisition of knowledge. Such an organization fosters an environment of knowledge sharing and encourages employees to gain new knowledge. Such knowledge increases the organizations profitability and customer satisfaction. In the Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge describes learning organizations as places where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. It is widely recognized that innovation is driven by new knowledge, and there is clear relationship between learning and knowledge, but it is this balance between learning and knowledge that is so critical to successful knowledge management and innovation. To achieve a sustainable competitive advantage where new knowledge results in critical innovation it is necessary to develop both a superior knowledge capability balanced by a superior learning capability. Those organizations who are adept at knowledge capabilities but are also less adept at learning capabilities will likely see their competitive position eroded by those organizations with less knowledge but a greater capacity to learn and then catch-up. And for that reason it is critical for any learning organization to gain new knowledge from which learning can occur, and to learn from application of current knowledge and to use this learning as a driver to obtain new knowledge. The learning organization focuses on its systems as part of the bigger picture to identify opportunities to use knowledge and learning to increase knowledge and intellectual capacity and improve performance. The Need for the LEARNING ORGANIZATION The nature of the environment has changed dramatically due to significant economic, social and technological changes over the past decades. Organizations today are confronted with increasing environmental turbulence arising from global competition, the introduction of new technologies, shortened product lifecycles and political and social pressures. Organizations, today must be flexible and learn to anticipate changes and respond rapidly. Today, learning makes the critical difference among organizations. Learning can hardly be described as a new characteristic of organizations. Organizational learning is as old as organizations themselves. What is new, is an increased awareness of the connections between learning and competitive ability as well as better insight into the conditions for effective learning. In the long term it is said that learning will only provide competitive advantage to organizations that learn faster and better than their competitors. Changes in the business environment have significant implications for learning World-Class Organizations Any organization in business cannot afford to stand still. It must improve its ability to deliver higher quality goods and services at competitive prices or it will go out of existence. This trend has resulted in emergence of World Class Organizations (WCOs), in which enterprises can compete effectively on a global basis. This does not mean the organization has to do business in an international level. However, if a Multi National Enterprise (MNE) sets up operation locally, the WCO must be able to compete effectively or if it is a supplier, it must make a competitive bid to supply the MNE with the desired goods. Simply stated, enterprises now use their competitive advantage to invade international markets, and local companies should meet the challenge. Figure 1 illustrates as how to be more than just being a total quality or adaptive organization. It means learning how to anticipate and stay ahead at impending changes (qualities of learning organizations) and how to continuously improve to maintain a competitive advantage. What do organizations need to do to become WCOs? There are six pillars of WCOs and each represents a human relations challenge. They are depicted here: Table 1. Characteristics of a Learning Organization and Associated Best Practices Characteristic Definition Associated Best Practices Positive Byproducts Self mastery- individual The ability to honestly and openly see reality as it exists; to clarify ones personal vision 1.Positive reinforcement from role models/managers 2.Sharing experiences 3.More interaction time between supervisory levels 4.Emphasis on feedback 5.Balance work/non-work life Greater commitment to the organization and to work; less rationalization of negative events; ability to face limitations and areas for improvement; ability to deal with change Mental models individual The ability to compare reality or personal vision with perceptions; reconciling both into a coherent understanding 1.Time for learning 2.Reflective openness 3.Habit of inquiry 4.Forgiveness of oneself 5.Flexibility/adaptability Less use of defensive routines in work; less reflexivity that leads to dysfunctional patterns of behavior; less avoidance of difficult situations Shared vision group The ability of a group of individuals to hold a shared picture of a mutually desirable future 1.Participative openness 2.Trust 3.Empathy towards others 4.Habit of dissemination 5.Emphasis on cooperation 6.A common

The Sound And The Fury (madison Scouts) :: essays research papers fc

The roar of extreme sound emanates from a football field. It is clear that this is not an ordinary high school marching band playing at a football game. These are Drum and Bugle Corps, boasting an instrumentation of all brass and percussion instruments. This arrangement of instruments can create an enormous amount of sound, sometimes louder than a rock music concert. Due to their thorough auditioning processes, they have a group of musicians, who can play extremely well, all of whom are brought together to entertain the crowds on their three month tour in the summer. Their goal is not just entertainment, but to end up on the top of the order when all is said and done at the championships. In 1972, several Drum and Bugle corps, who wanted to perform competitively against each other, embarked on a venture to create their own rules of performance. The original rules were set forth by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, from whom competitive Drum Corps w!as given birth. The competing units had little to say in any modification of rules. From this new coalition, Drum Corps International (DCI) arose. The Madison Scouts, one of these charter members of DCI, were originally formed as a division of a Boy Scout troop in 1938, so that Madison would have their own Drum and Bugle Corps to resemble the Racine Scouts Corps. Each year 125 men, ages sixteen to twenty-one, come together for three months, practicing an average of eight hours every day in the summer, to put together the production for the coming competitive season. Each year the Madison Scouts thrill audiences with their talent and power, creativity, and an emphasis on entertainment to consistently become one of the crowds' favorite corps.Amazing us with the sound they can generate, the Madison Scouts are known as "The guys who can blow the corks right out of their spit valves". This is an unattainable feat, unless you are using tremendous amounts of air and pressure most professional players cannot do this. The Madison Scouts are noted for tapping into this unbridled power which their musicians possess. They utilize extreme variation in dynamic levels. Like adjusting the volume on a stereo, this is how loud and soft the ensemble gets as a whole. They create an atmosphere on the football field which draws in the audience. Their soprano bugles are renowned for pushing the limits of their playable range by not only playing high "C", but going further to play high "G" above high "C".