Human resource management Price Waterhouse Coopers

Introduction Human resource can be defined as the individuals’ contributions to an organization in terms of efforts, skills and capabilities, thus enabling the organization to maintain its existence. On the other hand, human resource management (HRM) is the division of the organization that deals with the management of human resource (Dessler, 2008, p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human resource management: Price Waterhouse Coopers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human resource management can be looked at in two different perspectives: First, human resource management is the personnel or support function in the firm. They provide backing to the HRM issues to keep workers in line, or individuals who are directly involved in the production process. Secondly, Human resource management is a duty of the senior level staff. Whether in the formal or informal sector, the management of employees is always a function of the managers (Sokun, 2004, p. 3). The management and staffing in organizations are done by individuals and without these individual organizations cannot exist. As a matter of fact, the prospect and challenges of developing and managing an organization is normally caused by individual-related problems that originate within them (Cascio, 2006, p. 43). On the other hand, individual-related problems often originate from the misconception that all people are equal and deserve equal treatment in organizations. However, this is far from the truth. No two humans are precisely the same, even with identical or fraternal twins. Each and every individual is unique both physically and psychologically (Cascio, 2006, p. 43). Even among individuals who are almost the same physically they must have different psychological characteristics. A number of them will be sociable, others snobbish; some will be gifted, others not. The point this study is trying to bring up is that the disparitie s among individuals in an organization call for more attention in order to maximize their potential. It also enables the organization to enhance efficiency and optimize the use of its human capital (Cascio, 2006, p. 43). Managing human capital is an important role of the managers because of the current changes both within and without the organization. Studies have shown over and over again that HRM practices cam makes a significant, feasible difference in terms of crucial organizational results (Sokun, 2004, p. 3). Maintaining a high level HRM system promotes strengthens employee commitment and loyalty which is very important in attaining business objectives. This applies to all types of businesses whether public or private. The success of any organization depends on the ability of the human resource department to acquire and assign individuals to a right job and pass on to them the necessary skills and knowledge (Wexley Latham, 2002, p. 12).Advertising Looking for essay on bu siness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the management of human resources should be on top of the list of the managers’ plans since it enhances productivity, effectiveness and efficiency and also improves the competitive advantage of organizations. Human resource management in Price Waterhouse Coopers is based on the above principles. The company has put HRM on top of the list of its agenda and this has helped it to gain competitive advantage over the rivals. This essay aims at exploring the human resource system used by the Price Waterhouse Coopers. Among the items that will be covered in the study include job design matters, training activities, recruitment, selection methods used, performance appraisal system used, promotion systems implemented, remuneration, and the overall style of supervision used and how they complement each other. The paper will be based on a case study of the company’s b usiness in Cambodia. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is an international corporation that deals with professional service. The company is ranked among the top companies offering professional services and accountancy. The company’s headquarter is in London, United Kingdom. PricewaterhouseCoopers operates in about 160 countries across the globe and has over 180000 employees. PwC was founded in the late 90s through a union between two major business service companies- Coopers and Lybrand and Price Waterhouse. As part of restructuring and re-branding exercise in 2010, the company’s trading name was changed to PwC (Pricewaterhouse coopers, 2013). Although the company is found all over the world, most of its business is in Europe. The company’s services are grouped into the following major classes namely: information risk advisory, tax consultancy and general advisory. The first one is an independent professional service aimed at enhancing in formation or information context for decision making purpose and to minimize information risk. Tax advisory service encompasses international tax planning and conformity with domestic tax laws, tariffs, HR consulting and pricing of transfers. Lastly, general advisory deals with other consulting activities such as performance enhancement, corporate finance, sustainability and management of crisis among others (Pricewaterhouse coopers, 2013). The company’s service lines in each market segment are specialized as follows: ICT (information communication technology) and entertainment, financial services, public/government utilities, consumers and industrial goods and services, and private company services. A number of these services may vary in different segments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human resource management: Price Waterhouse Coopers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More PricewaterhouseCoopers has come up with numerous consultancy initiatives in corporate risk management, global outsourcing service, and global advisory in politics among others. Other advisory services offered by the company include actuarial and insurance management and human resource services. The company also services government agencies through their public sector practice (Pricewaterhouse coopers, 2013). A Case Study: Price Waterhouse Coopers in Cambodia The company’s background PwC is one of the leading business service companies in Cambodia. The company has four main offices in Cambodia based in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Phnom and Vientiane. With over 60 professional monitors across its main offices, PwC has carried out numerous visits to industrial units as part of their public compliance conformity screening service. In addition to the worker’s profound knowledge of the local environment, they also have far-reaching experience in working with manufacturing companies. As a result, they are most resp ected by the factory employees and the management (Sokun, 2004, p.3). Price Waterhouse Coopers has been helping a number of multinational corporations, especially from the U.S. and Europe is sourcing their goods and services in Cambodia, by carrying out public compliance screening service in their factories (Sokun, 2004, p.4). Why is public compliance so significant in Indochina? Many global brands/ retail outfits acquire their goods from the local manufacturers in budding economies. This strategy is aimed at minimizing the cost of production and maximizing profits since the labour cost in the developing economies is relatively low. All together, these companies are expected to conform to the national laws and public standards. The general working condition of their facilities is always under inspection. The persistent media focus on the working condition of these facilities is of great concern for both the companies and the consumers (Sokun, 2004, p.5). The public compliance servic es offered by Price Waterhouse Coopers include public compliance monitoring, advising on public compliance matters, and lastly training services. Public conformity screening entails regular visits to the factory facilities where the assessors check the facility standards and employees working conditions. The procedure is aimed at identifying potential non-compliance and advice accordingly. In addition, companies normally experience public compliance issues but are short of resources and expertise to resolve them. Owing to PwC’s profound understanding of domestic laws and the industry at large, they generally provide significant advices to assist their clients to promptly resolve such issues.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly, PwC’s training services entail scheming programs based on domestic laws and social standards and training companies’ public compliance teams. PwC also regularly updates these teams on the current laws and social standards (Pricewaterhouse coopers, 2013; Sokun, 2004, p.5). Nature of PwC’s Business As already mentioned, PwC was founded in the late 90s through a merger between Coopers and Lybrand and Price Waterhouse. The two companies had already established themselves in the Cambodian market. Since entering the Asian market, the company has increased its services and currently ranked as the top consultancy firm. The company has employed more than 80 employees in the country, both locals and expatriates (Sokun, 2004, p.7). Price Waterhouse Cooper’s experience in local market has provided them with a wealth of knowledge and this enabled it to offer a variety of consultancy service to its customers. Particularly, the company’s position has enab led it to develop a rapport with public institutions and non-governmental organizations in the country (Sokun, 2004, p.7). PwC also has a thorough understanding of the country’s policies and regulations covering investment, taxation, accountancy and consultancy. The quality of PwC’s services conforms to the standards set by its parent company. Some of the services offered by PwC in Cambodia include assurance and industrial advisory services, business and technological solutions, taxation and legal services, human resource services, and corporate finance services (Sokun, 2004, p.8). PwC’s Human Resource Management Human resource activities in PwC have generally been implemented as follows: Recruitment activities The PwC recruitment process is normally carried out annually and it targets young fresh graduates. Choosing and developing career is one of the most difficult tasks facing many gradients. As a result, Price Waterhouse Coopers more often than not organizes or participates in job fairs where the university graduates meet the company one on one and gain more knowledge about PwC. At these events, the concerned graduates can attend the company’s presentation, get hold of the brochures and interact directly with the PwC’s staff. The company’s yearly presentation has almost become a norm. It provides the company with an opportunity to meet potential employees individually, market the company, and respond to specific questions. During these presentations, the candidates are made aware of the company’s motivation and individual preferences. PwC normally considers the following during the recruitment process: General business knowledge; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; novelty and ingenuity; flexibility and adaptability; capability to work under pressure; a good team player; passion and desire for success; good English; commitment to career development; and superb academic qualification. PwC also a dds a list of accepted behaviours to the above qualifications. They include accountability, entrepreneurship and sharing. Accountability involves taking responsibility for customers, tasks and individuals; being frank and straightforward about the goals and performance; and accepting criticism and willing to learn from others. On the other hand, entrepreneurship entails taking initiatives and being upbeat; persuading other people to be business-minded and providing professional advice; setting connections, searching for solutions and winning customers. Lastly, sharing involves contributing knowledge and ideas related to customers, business opportunities and organizational performance. Individual skills are also evaluated in accordance with the job demands. If the skills match the job demands then an applicant can be called for a string of interviews and aptitude tests with the HR professionals and the heads of a particular department or line of service. In cases where job applicatio ns are received when there are no vacancies in the organization, they are saved in the company’s database. They can later be reviewed when something comes up. The CV can also be forwarded to another recruiting firm who may consider it in case of other vacancies. Selection procedure Selection involves both the applicants and the company and therefore is a dual process. The company also makes sure that candidates have full information in order to make an informed career decision-wise. PwC normally achieves this by arranging informal and formal meetings and interviews between the staff and the applicants. The company generally selects candidates through the following stages. The first stage is reviewing of the application form. At this level the company normally searches for a balance between the excellent academic qualifications and evidence of the above mentioned skills and expected behaviour. The second stage entails testing candidates on their proficiency in English language . As already mentioned, most of the company’s clients in the country are large foreign companies that predominantly use English during their transactions. As a result, English is a fundamental requirement of the company. English Test encompasses reading and writing test. English test also involves an aptitude test which takes approximately 2 hours. The test is administered to assess an individual’s level of reasoning, interpretation of information and theoretical skills. All candidates progressing to the next stage must pass the aptitude test. The third stage entails visiting a centre of excellence. The aim of these centres is to evaluate the applicants’ aptness for a position as a graduate associate by assessing them based on various proficiencies pertinent to the company’s work environment. At the centre, candidates are required to complete several exercises individually and in groups to demonstrate their skills. Assessment centres provide candidates wi th an opportunity to demonstrate their skills practically instead of narrating them. Assessment in these centres takes about three hours. Soon after passing the English test candidates are invited to the proximal assessment centre. The fourth stage of the selection process entails interviewing and workplace familiarization. During the first interview, applicants have the opportunity to meet different line managers. The candidates are then taken round to familiarize themselves with the office environment they could be working in. They also get an opportunity to interact with other members of the staff. Subsequently, the candidates that have passed the first step at the centre of excellence will proceed to another interrogation with one of the company’s professional expert. This objective of this interview is to elucidate the candidates’ potential for the job sought. The interview involves a range of question and discussions related to their experience. The initial inter view is characteristically a group and takes about one and half an hour with a panel of 20 service line managers. Some of the qualities evaluated here incorporate teamwork, management, zeal, communication and presentation. For that reason, the company requires more than just technical skills. This is the stage where the applicants can now choose what they interested in. Applicants also have another chance to mingle with fellow applicants and other staff members. The next stage is the last interview. The last interview gives the company an opportunity to clarify any pending matters. Similarly, it provides the candidate with an opportunity to raise any outstanding issues. Candidates who have completed the first interview will proceed to another vigorous interview with another expert. The interview will take less than half an hour and will mainly focus on the candidates’ Curriculum Vita (CV) and his/her experience up to that moment. Finally, the sixth and the last stage is emplo yment offer. After the company has offered a candidate a job they are allowed take time and think about it. At this stage, the company encourages candidates to speak with their recruitment contacts to clarify certain matters. The offer is only given to the best candidates. Training programme Currently, most of the hurdles to international trade are being eliminated systematically. As a result, the main competitive advantage of most companies is in their human resource. This is in relation to the employees’ knowledge, proficiency and adaptability to change. The acquisition and nurturing of these competencies is a significant strategic advantage, and the company’s professional trainers play a major role in the training process. For instance, they provide a methodological support, assist in choosing and executing support systems, and aid in getting hold of competences. The company’s customers benefits from its global organization which emphasizes on the cultural di versity and execution of procedures of consistently superior quality regardless of the locality. PwC encourages their players to get professional training that is suitable for their job. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) is at the moment the most recommended qualifications for Assurance and Business Service and Taxation and Legal Services The cost of the training is normally covered by the company. All the staff in Assurance and Business Service at the management levels must have a statutory auditing licence. The company also covers the costs of studying for any particular certificate or licence. All the employees are responsible for their career development in the company. Employees can discover their development needs by talking to the career counsellors or supervisors. Any qualifications attained besides the ones listed in the company database must be important to the execution of duties. Education provides employees with an opportunity to access a wide rag e of knowledge and experience. Classroom training encompasses numerous activities and most of them are practical and requires group participation The Company’s classroom training program facilitate exchanges of knowledge and ideas similar to on-work training. The company also offers â€Å"Just-in-time† learning through personal training and development on a daily basis. In addition, the company has career coaches who help employees to maximize on their experience in order to develop their careers. Some of the company’s on job training includes learning while working, learning from other employees, learning from clients, and learning from knowledge-based tools. Learni8ng while working is meant to empower the staff to learn. The team senior managers offer constant on-job-training while the peer mentors assist with fresh recruits to acclimatise them to the working environment. The company’s employees also have access to rich knowledge through online knowledg e-based tools. The K-based tool acts as knowledge warehouse and procedural tools that helps employees to make the most of shared knowledge. Close engagement with the customers also provides fresh challenges and opportunities to gain more knowledge and experience. The company’s culture is built an extensive knowledge of their clients through day to day experience. Knowing the client in and out helps employees to gain more knowledge about the industry, corporate strategies, and other issues facing the business. Examples of the training programmes offered by the company include ACCA training programme, annual international courses and a range of informative events and seminars. The ACCA training program requires the candidate to pass fourteen tests and for that reason employees who sit for these exams acquire global accreditation and can even become members of the ACCA. The complexity of the questions offered in the annual international courses depends on the knowledge and exper ience of an employee. The events and workshops address pertinent matters and new techniques of doing business. In addition, the company encourages mingling during free times to promote teamwork. They facilitate this by organizing various events, for instance, sports. PwC’s Career Development PwC is highly devoted to developing the professional career of its staff. The company normally promotes the most competent and experienced staff. Employees are usually assigned a career counsellor who works closely with him/her. The counsellor helps the employee to prepare his/her career development path by taking into consideration the employees’ dreams and individual state of affair. They also assist employees to improve on their strengths and make the most of opportunities. The career development path of PwC is as follows: employees who have worked for a year or two are entitled to a promotion; those who have worked for more than two years can be promoted to higher positions; em ployees who have worked for the company for more than four or more years can be promoted to top most positions in the organization. The two main fundamental components of career development in the company are: exact and prompt performance evaluation; use of models that enhances opportunities and innovations. The company uses models that connect worker’s ambitions and their career development. These models take into account the fact that individuals have unique aspirations. The model offers assessable structures that are important in the development of employees’ careers. The company rewards and distinguishes highly performing and competent staff. The system offers momentous flexibility to adjust company’s objectives, career plans and strategies to maximize on employees’ strengths and ambitions. The PwC career development system links it with the company’s philosophy of â€Å"grow with us†. The model allows employees to develop skills and com petence in a number of fields or build expertise in a single field. The promotion and reward as said earlier are based on individual performance consistent with his/her capabilities. In addition to the apparent benefits to the employees, the models have strengthened the company by encouraging entrepreneurial culture. Price Waterhouse Coopers flourishes through the development of groundbreaking products and services, whereas the career development programmes promotes required environment for growth of expertise. The company not only recognizes workers’ career development but also promotes it. Currently, most organizations are experiencing high employee turnover. This is attributed to increased competition in the labour/talent market. The disadvantages of job mobility include loss of friends and benefits as well as the uncertainties of blending into a new environment. For that reason, the company is always sensitive to the affairs of the employees. Employees who want to change their job are always free to do so as long as the position they are looking for is vacant. They are allowed to make a confidential self-nomination for any particular job and maybe change their job. They will still leverage all they have vested in the company. The vacancies are posted in the company’s career choice database. Besides self-nomination, the employees are allowed to recommend their families, friends and relatives. Performance Assessment The company’s performance assessment programmes is a blend of excellent practices, strategies and ideologies. The performance appraisal programs develop and mature consistently, in order to provide the staff with the best guidance achievable. The programs are designed to facilitate dual communication. In other words, the programme allows the employee and the evaluator to discuss and concur on the set goals and assignments. At the end of a given project, the two are allowed to sit down and talk before the evaluation process co mmences. The model enables employees to play a major part in the performance appraisal process, for instance, in setting up objectives. The approach encourages success both from an individual and company’s point of view. The approach also guides employees and help them to understand what is expected of them. In addition, they offer required flexibility and space for ingenuity and employee development. Lastly, they act as controls and assist employees in understanding organizational goals and objectives. Reward System A study conducted by Aksu Aktas (2005) regarding job satisfaction of employees in service industry established that improved working conditions can enhance job satisfaction. Improved working conditions in this case encompass work promotions, boosting morale of employees, financial rewards, fringe benefits and compensation, and realistic working hours. Aksu and Aktas (2005) suggested in their study that training and development can assist in enhancing job satisfa ction in the service industry. The study also found out that an employee in the service industry plays a significant role in work commitment and satisfaction. The company’s main objective is to high highly qualified personnel and to reward those who perform exceptionally. Besides the normal salary, they give annual bonuses in accordance with performance and give allowances for special occasions, for instance, weddings, birthdays and leave. Conclusion The best human resource management practices are the one that is all inclusive and continuous in nature. All inclusive in this case means participation without discrimination and consensus building. HRM activities should be done on a regular basis and not on a spontaneous basis. The activities should aim at establishing the solutions to the current looming challenges and developing new ideas/ innovation. Human beings are always sceptical in nature when it comes to innovations. Therefore, apart from developing new strategies and i deas, HRM should act as a means of communication between the management and the employees. This provides the employees with confidence, trust and belief when implementing the new strategies/ideas. The employees in this case understand the benefits of the new ideas/ strategy and its challenges. The best design and strategy in HRM must integrate training with other elements of the organizations such as organizational structure, performance evaluation system, organization’s culture among others. This is the only way to achieve sustainability and organizational success. Strategic human resource management is a key component of strategic staffing; many organizations with efficient strategic planning techniques are always one step ahead of the competitors. Thus, it is really important for a manager to think strategically for the benefit of the company or organization as a whole unit. Key issues that hinder strategic human resource management should be identified at an early stage a nd dealt with in time. In order to achieve the most effective and efficient HRM in Cambodia, the PWC should consider the following: first, for recruitment activities, the PWC should consider using the internet to advertise job vacancies and receive applications (Wexley Latham, 2002). Use of the internet for recruitment process enhances the company’s image and profile all over the world. At the same time, it minimizes costs and time wastage. The company can also improve its recruitment campaign with the use of conventional media, for instance, newspapers, radio and TV among others. For the selection process, the company should do thorough reference checking to confirm the candidate’s background and competencies. This will also ensure that the company is not penalized in the future for negligent hiring. For training activities, the company can make use of the worksheets to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. They can also liaise with institutions that specialize in ce rtain areas to develop their employees further. For performance appraisal, the company should introduce accomplishment-based performance standards and assessable results. In addition, they should introduce a reward system that recognizes the hard work and contribution of the employees in other spheres besides their normal routine. References Aksu, A., Aktas, A. (2005). Job satisfaction of managers in tourism: cases in the Antalya region of Turkey. Managerial Auditing Journal, 20 (5), 479-488. Cascio, W. (2006). Managing human resources: managing productivity, quality of work, life, profits. 7th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Dessler, G. (2008). Human resource management. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs. Pricewaterhouse coopers (2013). Company Profile. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/. Sokun, N. (2004). Human Resource Management of Price Waterhouse Coopers. ASEAN Business Case Studies No. 23. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: National University of Management. Wexley, K., Latham, G. ( 2002). Developing and training human resources in organization, 3rd Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 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Social Activities Essay Example

Social Activities Essay Example Social Activities Essay Social Activities Essay Participating in any social activity is a dream of everyone especially an outdoor. Through the activities, one had the chance to meet with people from different parts of the world, socialize, share, have fun and discuss the things that they all believe are important to them.At the same time, social activities give one a sense of belonging, where you end understanding a certain culture and then start feeling that you really belong in the culture.Through social activities, we also tend to give to the society what we have never given to it, such as the acts of community cleaning gives one the chance to show the community that we need to have a clean environment.Personally, I have had an opportunity of participating in different social activities, but recently I found myself in one of the amazing social activities in China. This is something that will be part of my life forever because the experience was the perfect.China is a cool country with many natural scenes that provides a relaxin g moment to the residents. Most of the time, these people visit these places to have fun, but they have changed the fun at these places and now you can have any social activity there. The Chinese Martial Arts Tai Qi and Kung Fu is one of the best ways to exercise the culture of the Chinese people. This was the social activity that participated recently. It is the practice for the Chinese people, but they do not limit or hinder anyone to attend. As long as you are in China, everyone is invited to observe and take part in the activity and thus has been important to the Chinese people.The Tai Chi is made of gentle movements that allow the muscles of an individual to relax through the concentration and it also improves the balance and flexibility of an individual. There are the Kung Fu activities that teach people on how to fight and defend themselves in the case of anything. They belief that everyone must be readyto fight in case of any problem. During this time, people come together from different parts and it is here that they have the chance to participate in the activities. During my time, the Chinese Martial Arts: Tai Qi and Kung Fu took place in Beijing after my cousin took ma there.The number of people who attended the social activity was so many and everyone seems to be excited with what was going on during the activity. Having knowledge of different cultures has always been by dream and after attending this function, I was the happiest person ever. It was surprising how these people had mastered their moves and no one could confuse anything, this was interesting. They also seemed happy dyeing this activity as they served their foods and for sure, they love their culture I cannot disagree anymore. The most exciting thing is that I have a chance to interact with the Chinese people. What I know is that these people tend to have a different culture from the rest of the society ranging from the kind of food they consume and their cultural practices. Therefore, the fact that I had a chance to be part of this people, and it was great.Learning and interacting with people so that I can understand their culture has always been my prayer.There is nothing as good as having knowledge on what people do as their culture. In the society, we all must respect the culture of others in that we are not there to question their cultures, but we are there to appreciate and support their culture and this is exactly what I did.I did not have time to think and question myself what they were doing, but in the process I found myself enjoying and celebrating what they were doing. I can say the moves were nice and I was also motivated to try but it was anyway. At the same time, I also interacted with these people and to my surprise they are among the loving and friendly people I have ever met. We talk with them about my culture, and they told many things about China that I did not know. I also managed to make a number of friends who invited me to dinner after that and this was the interesting part of the activity. However, before they completed, they also invited the visitors to try and imitate their moves. Everyone who was foreign joined the field and tried this trick despite the fact that they were hard, we all struggled to get one or two things right. There is a lot that I have learned from the Chinese people after the activity. The problem with us human is we tend to judge people without first understanding who they really are. Personally, I had my own imaginations and perceptions about these people. I used to think that they are antisocial and rude, but after interacting with them there are nothing near to that. The food of the Chinese people has always been weird on my part. There was a time I was watching a video where they were eating raw tadpoles. This was disgusting and I could not imagine myself doing that, and I even vomited. Since that day, I hated these people, I always associated the kind if the food they are with their character.I even swore never to step in Chinese food restaurant because of the type of food they are. However, after interacting with these people, I have a different feeling. It is not that my culture or your culture is good than the other, will we have to do is appreciate the culture of others.The Chinese are happy with their culture, and food should not make us hate them. My feelings towards the Chinese people have changed and now I like them together with their food. The idea that I cannot step in a Chinese restaurant no longer exists as I am comfortable to eat. All in all, I appreciate the presence of social activity. There are many forms of social activities, the problem is as I grew up I only knew that social activity involves helping people like cleaning the local things, helping the old, Visiting children homes, visiting the sick in a hospital, and many others. However I have realized that there are many forms of social activity and even playing basketball is a form of social activity. The main aim of a social activity is to bring people together with the aim of socializing and have fun and the most important thing is that we learn something at the end. It is, therefore, important for the people to understand what the social activity is.Also, recommend that we should all participate in as many social activities as possible. This is important as it gives the sense of life. Instead of sitting and doing nothing, you can be somewhere doing something that can help you or someone else. It is also important to understand that through social a ctivities we have a chance to interact and meet with other friends. In conclusion,I have learned that through any social activity, we all have a chance to learn a lot. Ever since I attended the China social activity, I believe that I will always make sure I participate in at least one social activity every year. Through this , I am going to have a chance to learn and understand other cultures across the world and this is my primary goal.It is also important for the young people to avoid activities that can land them into problems like discos, the use of drugs. Through social activity, these young people have their mind occupied and they will not have time for their mischievous behaviors. I also understand that social activity can be a place of educating people on a certain thing in the society. For instance, as peoplehave gathered in their activities, one can take that chance to educate them on subjects like AIDs, teen pregnancy, drugs and many others.The message will help one and they can even end up changing their actions because of the message.

Favorite Social Sciences Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Favorite Social Sciences Book - Essay Example The wings of social science that include History, Geography, and Anthropology can be taught to the students with interesting lessons and exercises not only for enhancing the power of teaching, but learning as well. The method of integrating social studies with the entire curriculum is one of the most positive aspects of this book. The reasons for which I prefer this book are the exercises and explanations that are offered in tabulated format, which makes it easier to grasp for the children belonging to the elementary age group (Brophy Alleman and Halvorsen 263-270) After reading the book, I asked the children to talk to each other about the concepts that were discussed in order to find out whether they understood them or how much they intended to share. Social science is about understanding the events that are real and the lessons that can be learnt from them. Yes there are various ways in which the children can discuss the concepts and the lessons with each other. In other words, the presentation of the book is attractive and capable of inspiring the students to learn the lessons of social

Managing small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

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Globalisation Is A Trend Which Tends To Benefit The Rich And Hurt The Poor Essay Example for Free

Globalisation Is A Trend Which Tends To Benefit The Rich And Hurt The Poor Essay Globalisation was initiated in the early centuries as a way of integrating the world of economists, business and political activities which were focussed on cost associated protection. This resulted from the idea of declining international economic integration. This gave birth to several international institutions that were supposed to oversee international trade by removing the barriers to trade. It is thus a process that aimed to be beneficial to all people within a country and in the whole world. However, globalisation is nowadays involving many others activities which are multivariate in approach. It involves economics, social and political dimensions. Globalisation is therefore having various aspects which are affecting the world in different ways. Such aspects include looking for the markets for the products and access to a range of foreign products which are required for their productions. Since the inauguration of globalisation, the industrialist system has recorded an unbelievable number of achievements. The industrial revolution has fetched a new standard of prosperity, shape and comfort to the people of the world over. According to many economists, these accomplishments have been achievable due to a novel institutional framework that supports competitive markets, political freedoms and universal education encouraging objective scientific interactions and allowing social and political criticism, and provides safety to reduce risk and deprivation. Globalisation has led to reducing scarcity and has created a catastrophe of sustainability as susceptibility to the poor to consume exceeds of his capacity and to conserve diversity and control wastes is no longer there. Removing national barriers has exposed rich and ill-equipped peoples to the threats as well as the benefits of free trade and competitive markets. Globalization has affected the poor in communications by reducing cultural diversity and exposed everyone to the temptations of an often selfish and slight international industry. In addition, the demands of competition in the capitalist setting and transformation of workers has implications for stress-related illnesses, family breakdown, and the loss of long-established values of family team spirit which adds cost to the poor. (Pistor, 1997) The internationalization of the market has a direct impact in most important sectors which are mostly dominated by the poor. Mostly, the poor are kept in those sectors which are widely associated with the production but not in the distribution. The poor producers do not benefit from globalisation as the middle class men always makes the best of the un informed poor men in the globalise world. Thus the globalise trade in agricultural and livestock commodities from the poor are lowly paid for. This makes such sectors to be lagging behind in terms of industrialization. By commercializing their natural products, either raw or semi processed, they can achieve a balance of trade superfluous. However, it is in the agricultural markets that rich countries have been stubborn in putting favourable policies for the free trading conditions. (Pistor, 1997) While it is correct that globalization supports free trade among countries on an international level, there are also negative results because some countries try to save their national markets. The main export of poorer countries is usually agricultural goods. It is difficult for these countries to compete with stronger countries that subsidize their own farmers. Because the farmers in the poorer countries cannot compete, they are forced to sell their crops at much lower price than what the market is paying. Thus, mistreatment of foreign impoverished workers results. The worsening of protections for weaker nations by stronger industrialized powers has resulted in the exploitation of the people in those nations to become cheap labour. Due to the lack of safety, companies from powerful developed nations are able to offer workers enough salary to entice them to endure tremendously long hours and unsafe working conditions. The abundance of cheap labour is giving the countries in power motivation not to rectify the inequality between nations. If these nations developed into industrialized nations, the army of cheap labour would slowly disappear alongside development. With the world in this current state, it is impossible for the exploited workers to escape poverty. It is true that the workers are free to leave their jobs, but in many poorer countries, this would mean starvation for the worker, and possible even family members. (Sachs, 2005) Globalisation has led to the shift from manufacturing to service work. The low cost of offshore workers have attracted corporations to move production to foreign countries. The laid off unskilled workers are forced into the service sector where wages and benefits are low, but turnovers are high. This has contributed to the widening economic gap between skilled and unskilled workers. The loss of these jobs has also contributed greatly to the slow decline of the middle class which is a major factor in the increasing economic inequality in the whole world. Families that were once part of the middle class are forced into lower positions by massive layoffs and outsourcing to another country as technologies are bringing about globalisation are changing day by day. This also means that people in the lower class have a much harder time in climbing out of poverty because of the absence of the middle class as a stepping stone. (Sachs, 2005) Globalization is leading to the rise of contingent work. As globalization causes more and more jobs to be distributed overseas, and the middle class people’s declines, there is less need for corporations to hire full time employees. Corporations are less inclined to offer benefits such health insurance, bonuses, vacation time, shares in the company, and pensions, or reduce benefits, to part time workers. Most companies don’t offer any benefits at all. Even though most of the middle class workers still have their jobs, the reality is that their buying power has decreased due to decreased benefits. Job security is also a major issue with contingent work. Moreover, globalisation is weakening of labour union. The excess in cheap labour coupled with an ever growing number of companies in transition has caused a weakening of labour unions in the in the world. Unions lose their effectiveness when their membership begins to decline. As a result unions hold less power over corporations that are able to easily replace workers, often for lower wages, and have the option to not offer unionized jobs anymore. (Humphreys, 2000) On the hand, globalisation has in many ways helped the poor countries to come out of the dungeon of poverty. Through globalisation, poorer countries are given opportunities that allow them to trade freely without facing much challenging rules and regulations in trade transactions. Trade allows individuals to exchange goods and services. Hence, globalisation is helping in people who are poor to access these goods and services in their local markets at reduced prices. The reduction of costs on goods and services as results of globalisation enables the poor to have savings which perhaps would not have possible before. From the research sources, it is indicated that trade for many developing countries increased with the introduction of globalisation. The increase in trade was a bit varied from one country to another. This meant that the benefits of globalisation can be received unequally depending on a country trading power to another. (Sachs, 2005) The globalisation aspects have enabled capital movement hence financial assets have been moved across international borders. The poor benefit from such investments in many different ways. When there is capital investment in the poor areas, trade is opened up which allows people to be employed in such investment enterprises. This creates job opportunities in places which were once inflicted by few job opportunities. The earnings received by the employees are used to raise their living standards hence closing the gap between the poor and the rich. Through capital movement by globalisation aspects, business are opened which brings in foreign exchanges through taxation of some of goods which are entering the country. This helps the country to be self sufficient by replacing foreign aid. It gives transitions that lead to market economies. Multinational corporations which invest in any poor countries, they are found to be more of benefit than the local investors in such states. By comparison, the companies have been building factories and hiring workers from local communities. The employees hired have been found to be living in a more comfortable life as compared to their fellow counterparts in others local companies. This is because they are being well paid by the multinational companies as compared to the home country companies which lack adequate capitals and have low turn over. (Warwick, 2001) Due to globalisation, workers move to where jobs are located. Unskilled poor workers are then given the chances of moving to where unskilled labour is required and vice versa. That is the skilled workers also move to where more skilled labour is required. It has been proved beyond no reasonable doubt that wages communicates the demands for the labour required in a given country. Hence people move from places of low wages to places with higher remunerations. Previous results have shown numerous numbers of people are moving from either developing to developed countries or from under developed states to developing ones. This verifies that globalisation in not benefiting the rich and harming the poor. In fact, the participation in globalisation is making the poor to earn higher wages than those who are poor and do not take part in globalisation. Globalisation brings about competitions which the poor benefits very much than the rich. The rich being the investors are forced to improve in the quality of goods and services which the poor would always enjoy. Companies in competing environments provides better opportunities for qualified persons who in turn produces better services and quality goods in return for higher salaries. In addition, countries that are poor get the benefits of having their poor workers to travel abroad where they earn higher wages and then send the money back to the home countries. This money is pumped into the economy of the poor nation where many more people can get the daily breads and raise their living standards. (Sachs, 2002) Globalisation is spreading with technology. The poor is being given challenges to explore in the new technologies which are of vital importance in business investments. The installation of new equipment and technologies in poor countries are key factors to alleviation of poverty but not a way of impoverishing the poor to his dismal points. Such technologies with globalisation help the poor enhance his production methodologies, management techniques and all general mitigations of work. As I conclude, when the rich get richer and the poor becomes poor, it is not a result of globalisation but the fact is that the poor is in fear of embracing the new methods of globalisation for alleviation of poverty conditions. The perception of globalisation a way of exploiting technique of the poor has left many countries and people in poorer levels than they should be. (Humphreys, 2000) This is because the globalisation is helping people to realise the free movement of goods and services are comparatively much beneficial in terms of uplifting the living standards of the people rather than focusing on minute disadvantages of the trade. Wealthy countries are much concerned with the helping the poor through job provisions as well as aid disbursement to the poor one. The provision of the poor with aids has major impacts on their health of the poor as healthy people are able to perform better than unhealthy persons. Due to globalisation, the people leaving as poor people in the world have decreased considerable. People who are leaving earning less than two dollars are those who have despised the practices of globalisations as they are being faced with many problems. The percentages of the people in global countries are much lower than those in ant –globalisation sects. So globalisation has benefited both the rich and the poor. The rich has been in able to get market for his products and services. He has also been a position to get opportunities to invest for the future to enhance world production which benefits the whole world. The poor have more advantages in that the rich provides means to the poor through whom he can lift up his leaving standards and escape the poverty situation by learning the new technologies and exploiting them. (Sachs, 2005) Reference: Humphreys, M. (2000): Escaping the Resource Curse. Columbia University Press Sachs, J. (2005): The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time: Penguin Press Sachs, J. (2002): Resolving the Debt Crisis of Low-Income Countries Warwick, M. (2001): the Strategic Significance of Global Inequality: University of Chicago Press Pistor, K. (1997): The Rule of Law and Economic Reform in Russia. West view Press

The Punishment of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Punishment of Oedipus the King At the end of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, Oedipus, king of Thebes, ends up banished forever from his kingdom. Additionally, Oedipus physically puts out his own eyes, for several reasons which will be discussed later. The question is: Did Oedipus deserve his punishments? There are many factors that must be considered in answering this, including how Oedipus himself felt about his situation. His blinding was as much symbolic as it was physical pain. After all factors have been considered, I think that only Oedipus' banishment was the necessary punishment.. It is important to keep in mind the whole basic reasoning for Oedipus' search for Laius' killers: he wished to put an end to a deadly plague, and that plague would only be stopped when said murderer is killed, or driven from the land (pp 4-5). Thusly, when it is revealed that Oedipus himself murdered Laius, then banishment seems to be the only option. Death, in my mind, is not valid simply because of what it might do to the kingdom's people. Even though it seems that Oedipus has not been a particularly good monarch, in fact his only major accomplishment seems to be killing the Sphinx all those years ago, having a king put to death could have serious repercussions on the rest of the kingdom. So in the end, the only way to cure the plague and keep the kingdom stable seems to be the banishment of Oedipus. In this case, the question of whether or not he deserved to be punished seems irrelevant; Oedipus' only goal was to stop the plague and by leaving, he has accomplished that goal. Banishment was the only choice. But what exactly was Oedipus being punished for? Even after re- reading the play, this still seems to be a gray area. Incest? Immoral, to be sure, but Oedipus was obviously ignorant to his actions, and to my knowledge, in Sophoclean times, there was no written law against it and therefore no punishment for it. Oedipus' punishment may have been for killing Laius, but how could you punish someone for being a victim of fate? Greeks believed at the time of the play's writing that a man's life was " woven" by the 3 fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) and that he was

Effects of Suspense in Psycho Essay

The building of emotion, whether it is romantic love or deep hatred, can make a low-budget film into a blockbuster hit. Directors are constantly trying to build this deep feeling and emotion to make blockbuster hits. Alfred Hitchcock made hit films but instead, he built suspense – so much that it scared women from showering alone for years. Hitchcock’s appropriate label as the â€Å"Master of Suspense† came supremely out of his number one thriller, Psycho. His genius cinematic view shaped modern-day thrillers and horrors, and many of his techniques are still used today in such films. Hitchcock’s combined use of eerie sounds, high camera angles, creepy settings, and misleading tricks make Psycho one of the best (if not, the best) thriller ever made. Hitchcock constantly tricks and misleads his audience one direction, which builds tension and creates shock. From the very beginning of Psycho, Hitchcock guides his audience into thinking this film is a different genre than expected from the title. He opens the film with Marion and Sam in a bedroom together, which leads the audience into believing that this is a love or romance film. Then, when Marion steals the money, the audience is led to believe it is a crime drama. This stays true while she is on the run, until she comes across the Bates Motel. This is when the genre shifts again – now into a horror thriller. Through this progression in the film, Hitchcock uses subtle humor to misguide his audience as well. This technique guides the audience in the wrong direction, while successfully building suspense as the film progresses. Hitchcock’s misleading techniques create wonder and tension in the audience. This, along with false suspense allows for the big shocks to become even more terrifying when they do occur. Marion’s getaway trip includes many tense moments that create false suspense, which brings the audience to the edge of their seat before she even meets Norman. When she wakes up in her car to a cop behind her, there is an automatic rush of suspense. The audience believes she will get caught with the money at this point. Marion’s look of nervousness along with the cop’s calm expression builds an ordeal of suspense. More tension is built when she drives away and constantly looks in her rear-view mirror at the cop car following her. Hitchcock cuts between the eyelevel medium shot of the car in the mirror and an anxious Marion driving away. Quickly deciding to trade in her car for a new one adds tension to the film as well. She is rushed and panicked while at the dealership, which keeps the audience on their feet. Hitchcock uses this false suspense close to the beginning of the film to keep his audience tense and anxious before Marion even comes across the Bates Motel. The two major shocks in this film come after Marion checks in at the motel, all of which are built up with suspense through Hitchcock’s genius use of mise-en-scene, camera angles, and sound. The famous shower scene is built up with so much suspense from perfect camera angles. When Marion is undressing, the eyelevel medium close up shot makes the audience feel uncomfortable because it is as if we are intruding in her private space – almost like when Norman watches her through the hole in the wall. The cut to the low angle close up from Marion’s point of view of the running water seems so subtle, yet it builds so much tension. This cut makes it look like the water is coming down on the audience, which distracts them from other noises and the rest of the bathroom. This builds much suspense because the audience is oblivious to what is going on around Marion. The camera and audience are stuck in the shower with Marion as the door opens behind her and the shadowy figure creeps in. This builds tension and horror in the audience because we feel trapped and vulnerable with her. When the figure rips off the curtains, the sharp shrieking violin strings create terror and build even more suspense for the rest of the film. The death of Arbogast uses some of the same suspense techniques as Hitchcock uses for the shower scene. Both Marion and Arbogast are viewed in high angles to make them seem inferior and vulnerable. As Arbogast climbs the stairs, the tracking shot is always a bit above him to exaggerate his small stature. The close-ups and high angles along with the sinister-looking house and Arbogast’s footsteps create a vast amount of suspense as he climbs the stairs. He even looks scared right before it cuts to the birds-eye view just prior to his death. The look on his face brings the audience to the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen to him. Again, the violin shrieks play as Arbogast gets stabbed to death, which majorly adds to the horrifying sight. Hitchcock’s incredible combination of sight and sound in Psycho create suspense that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat the whole way through. Psycho is a perfect example of why Alfred Hitchcock is the â€Å"Master of Suspense. † He used these specific camera angles, sounds, music, and mise-en-scene to give everything a suspenseful look and feel. He placed them all perfectly to keep his audience alert and tense the whole way through. Alfred Hitchcock shaped the thriller genre, while going down as one of the best directors in film history.