Refugee Boy Essay

Refugee Boy is a story about a 14-year-old boy named Alem Kelo born in Africa. Benjamin Zephaniah uses Alem as an example of how badly treated refugees are and how it is possible for us to treat them better if we treat them like normal people. In the beginning of the novel Alem’s father took him to London for what Alem thought would be a holiday. Leaving his mother at home, his father actually planned to leave Alem in London believing it to be safer. In the beginning of the novel Zephaniah uses two passages, one named Ethiopia and the other named Eritrea. These passages are almost exactly the same and this shows use that, because Alem’s family are a mix of both Ethiopian and Eritrean, they would be hunted wherever they go or move to. This also tells us that most refugees emigrate because of very good reasons; in this case, war. Refugees are constantly viewed and treated as outsiders instead of normal people, which they are. Zephaniah shows this very well when he describes how Alem had to go through the screening process. Alem is thoroughly humiliated throughout the screening knowing that both Pamela and Sheila were watching. Another example of how Zephaniah shows use really how bad our discrimination of refugees is and how the stereotypical views we have obtained due propaganda such as news television programmes, is when Alem’s father goes to the Home Office to make his asylum application but is arrested and taken to Campsfield detention centre. Just because he is a ‘foreigner’ police automatically thought to arrest him. The children’s’ home that Alem stays in, is portrayed as a sort of dumping ground for mis-fit refugees. It is basically a place where isolated lonely boys go to when they have nowhere else to go. The whole place is filled with young boys and teenagers with cluttered up emotions. Sweeny is a good example of a young man in the home who has a lot of excess emotion and obviously feels abandoned because he feels the need to take it out on the other people there. People like Sweeny make the boys at the home want to loose they’re cultural identity in order to fit in and not be a victim Zephaniah portrays Alem as an innocent, stoical character so that we understand that our stereotypical image on refugees is wrong and not all refugees are bad people or terrorists. Zephaniah uses Alem’s background to show that refugees often don’t have a choice in emigrating and that refugees don’t always immigrate to other countries steal their Jobs and take benefits. They go to escape war or political injustice and for many other reasons. Ruth is an important character in the story because she seems like a typical teenage girl with an attitude, but when Alem finds out his mother had me brutally murdered in Africa, Ruth shows incredible solace and our views on her suddenly change, as for the first we see a gentle compassionate Ruth who has an emotional background and problems of her own. She reminds us that everyone deserves compassion and consideration not just refugees this is why she is originally distant to Alem. After her and Alem have an emotional talk we discover that she reaches out for Alem and gives him the love and compassion that her parents should have shown her when fostering children in the past. Alem feels isolated throughout the novel and whenever he gains hope he is often brought back down with bad news making him feel isolated. Like when he was just fitting in well in England and having a great time, his father wrote to him informing Alem on what had happened to his mother bringing Alem and his happiness down into a pool of isolation again. Or like when he manages to get himself back on top again when his father comes to stay in England then they’re asylum application gets turned down. One of the most isolated times for Alem, is when he is in the children’s home. He doesn’t know anyone. And he is constantly taunted and made to feel small and intimidated by Sweeny and his gang pretty much as soon as he arrives, ‘†Get the biscuits, it’s the easy way out,† on of them said as he looked Alem up and down. You’ll get me some biscuits or I’ll bust you up,† said the first kid loudly’. He’d not been in the ‘home’ very long and already he’s been threatened. It shows how bad the environment he’s got no choice to live in is and how alone he must feel during these times. ‘Mariam took Alem to the local social services where he asked the big question†¦ â€Å"What choice do I have? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Alem feels that he has to accept the Fitzgeralds as his foster family if he is to get out of the home. He askes asks himself and other many questions about himself showing that he isn’t very confident or aware of what his future holds and therefore relies on other to make decisions for him, like when he says, ‘’How long will I be staying here? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Alem realises that he can’t even decide to stay with the Fitzgeralds or the home. Without his parents there to decide for him Alem feels lost. ‘†Will I still be here when I’m sixteen? † â€Å"That is a good question. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Alem feels like he has no control or influence on his life, so he constantly asks questions about his future. Chapters 24-27 are in a different style to the rest of the novel. This different style is very powerful in getting it’s message across because it makes you feel like you’re reading a real report in a real newspaper which makes you feel even more for Alem because the strong effect Zephaniah uses, makes you really believe in what he’s saying and makes you believe that the novel has really happened. It is very clever how he managed to create realism and in your mind you feel throughout the novel that you’ve been with him all the way and now you have seen him to the end. Zephaniah makes us feel that all refugees have a story and he’s made you want to find out about them and their story and want to know what they’ve been through. Reading the book he’s defiantly given me a more positive attitude and view on refugees. Zephaniah structures the story so it feels like you are right by Alem on the whole of his journey so you feel like what’s happening to him is affecting you as the reader. Zephaniah is very successful in getting his message across and now I think people who read this book will have a wider opinion on refugees and the will feel much more strongly on bad they get treated.

Response Paper Essay

In Paths of Globalization from the Berbers to Bach, Yo-Yo Ma (2008) states that cultural conventions compose an important organization for personality, social steadiness and compassionate interactions in the globalized world. To support this statement, he came up with several ideas. Although globalization is always thought to make people obey to others’ rule and thus threaten their own identities, the interactions it brought don’t only damage culture, and can produce new culture and strengthen and propagate the old traditions. He also mentions that looking deeply inside the world’s conventions is a good method to discover the world. What’s more, he states that for traditions, a best method to survive is organic evolution, which need to use all available tools. The exhibition of a tradition to other countries can make practitioners in the home country more energetic. Finally, he talked about the four priorities of education that are significant but are uneasy to measure and could be ignored in this competitive hierarchical world driven by exams and measurable sequent, which are memorizing contents with communication, education driven by enthusiasm, the growth of a disciplined vision and sympathy. Among all the ideas, there are two ideas attract me. The first one is that globalization can create new culture, and the second one is that exhibiting a tradition in other country can energize the practitioners in the origin country. Both ideas are interesting to me and I would like to response to them. Response Yo-Yo Ma (2008) indicates that the reactions brought by globalization don’t always damage culture, they can also produce new culture and enhance and spread old traditions. I agree with this issue. A good example can be the American-Chinese food. With the globalization, the American fast food competitions with food in other culture and exposed some shortcomings like unhealthy. However, fast food developed and quickly absorbed the advantages of its opponents, for example, Chinese food, and developed a new type of food known as American-Chinese food. A great example can be the famous dish Beef w. Broccoli. This dish, is a typical American Chinese dish. It combines the convenience of fast food and the balance between vegetable and meat of Chinese food. This is a good example of new culture created by globalization, and no doubt that the fast food culture grown stronger in  this example. Yo-Yo Ma (2008) also mentioned that the presentation of tradition in foreign country can enhance the practitioners in its homeland. I also agree with this idea, since I myself can relate to it. Confucius is an educator in ancient Chin, and his theories is one of the most famous Chinese traditions. However, as time passed many people seem not to care Confucius’ theory. However, when the news shows that the Confucius Institution made huge success in America, the people in China gained passion on Confucius. This shows how the present of tradition could abroad could enhance the development of it in the origin country. Conclusion As a conclusion, in these situations, the globalization have effects such as create new culture and help traditions develop. I highly agree with Yo-Yo Ma’s thesis that globalization have a positive effect on traditions.

Diversity in Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in Workplace - Essay Example According to Hofstede (2001), the culture background of an individual largely varies across different nations or their place of origin. It also influences how they interact with other people in the society, display social behaviour, perceive different stimuli and practise social customs. Thus, it can be stated that the individuals belonging from different cultural or ethnic background bear different psychological profile personality trait. stated that a workforce is more effective in delivering higher output if it is composed of employees from different cultural background. It gives the organisation a diverse employee base with employees bearing different personality traits suitable for different organisational activities. Green et al., (2012) further stated that diversity in an organisation should also be maintained on the grounds of gender distribution. As of now, in a typical organisation the male employees outnumber the female employees. These situations have become quite challen ging for the organisation and they have taken several steps towards its improvement. The racial discrimination in the US against the minority group of Muslim is quite prevalent. Major terrorist attack incidents have been linked to the entire community, which as a result has led to the increased discrimination of the Muslims by a large number of western population. According to the reports of Greenhouse (2010), the religious discrimination against the Muslims has found its way into the organisational behaviour of several firms.

Risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Risk management - Essay Example The fire disaster has occurred in the tower once and destroyed significant part of the floor of the tower under construction then. Therefore, there is no proof that it would not occur again anywhere in the tower. With increasing activities of terrorism it is important to be wary of explosions cause by them. There is no known political risk at the moment known to V-bite restaurant. Human risks that may face the restaurant are numerous including but not limited to sickness and absenteeism of the employees as well as embezzlement and pilferaging perpetuated by the employees. According to Malcom, Ward and Smith (36), the probability that the market will not be large enough to sufficiently generate enough revenues as outlined in the business plan is a serious market risk. This occurs when there are few customers in the locality or when there is a fierce competition among the market players. The market risks facing V-bite restaurant include product risks, market existence risk, sale volume risk and pricing risks. A product risk refers to the small size and poor quality of the menu available to customers. Pricing risks are evident when the prices of delicacies in the menu are higher than what other similar restaurant offer. The above risks may bring with it reputation damage, interruption of business operations, customer loss, reduced productivity as well as high damaged reduction and control cost. The cells shaded red is extremely high risk zone. Market risks have been identified as extremely high risk facing the enterprise. V-bite restaurant would not be the only restaurant that offers purely vegetarian delicacies. Instead, there are other nine restaurants offering identical or similar menu. The restaurants are Spice Kraft JLT, 77 Veggie Boutique, Sukh Sagar Swift, Sukh Sagar at the Beach, Saravanaa Bhojan Shala, Yogurberry, SMS Restaurant, Kamat and Kamat Shireen. Most of the named restaurants have been in operation for longer time.

Social Security Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Security Research Paper - Assignment Example The largest generation in the country is the younger one of less than 65 years. This number has been increased by the influx of immigrants which has a high population rate than the natives of the land. These people have a long way to go before they can not only start to enjoy their social security savings but start saving in the fund as well. They however need to be sustained by the government in every way possible. The fact that majority of their parents lack enough money to support them and provide enough for them in terms of provision of the basic services; they need the government to assist them. Majority need to even be paid employment wages and especially during the inflation period when the jobs are no longer available and in fact people are being given early retirements from their employments. The government can only manage to sustain this group of people if it can have a little extra tax and this is possible through using the social security funds of the elderly that do not need them anymore (LeMay, 2007). This policy will not be easy to be implemented because it involves the life savings of this group of people. Some of them started contributing to the fund even before they got to start having their own personal savings and when they lacked enjoying the nice things and luxuries in life simply because they were paying student loans and did not have enough to spare. There are some that had been looking forward to enjoying this money at their retirement. Now that they are rich, they may no longer need the cash but it is still their savings and a representation of how far they have come in life. In order to convince them to part with it, they have to be told to think about it as a form of charity to the needy in society, those who are needy of cheaper and more affordable services and for the sake of their survival. People give to charities to assist and if they consider the money as such, it will be

Caracass Current Sanitation and Energy Problem Essay

Caracass Current Sanitation and Energy Problem - Essay Example According to the findings, it can, therefore, be said that the concern by scientists that the combustion of fossil fuels has resulted in surplus carbon dioxide gives a reason for examining this problem so that a quick solution can be found and that no devastating effects are created in Caracas. An additional significance for looking into this problem is that, by researching on it, a recognizable power generation technology that is environmentally friendly, mechanically reasonable, and economically profitable can be discovered so that the city can experience a real option for builders of fresh capacity. Further, energy policy can be formulated, basing on a high degree of energy proficiency and more use of renewable energy. This paper will, therefore, look at the problem chronologically, outlining the body in terms of the record of the earlier problems facing the city for a deeper understanding; a collection of possible ideas and solutions; and finally to link the whole research to the energy problem as well as brainstorm suggested improvements for the welfare of the  city.

Popular World Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Popular World Music - Essay Example This is because the camera angles are shot from above viewing the cleavage of a woman, females bending in front of the cameras, and the camera looking up from below which is forbidden in numerous cultures as it is similar to looking up a dress. In addition, according to xStephhhXx, (1), numerous music videos are filled with images having shots where bodies of the females are showered with money, indicating that the women’s bodies can be controlled and bought by men. This is mostly common in the hip-hop music videos and the pornographic images in the videos form a cultural environment that inspires ferocious behavior by a number of men towards women. The images are not innocent, but the narratives they tell are firmly implicated in the power and gender relations of our culture. Knowing that the media is an influential tool that has so much power to influence how individuals behave and think in the society, and how we describe others and ourselves. Watching such music videos is not a simple thing to sit through, since music videos are a collection of numerous troubling clips displaying the extreme insolence given to women in the domain of music

Current Criminal Justice or Security Policy Issue Essay

Current Criminal Justice or Security Policy Issue - Essay Example After a one-year demonstration phase and testing of the 5,000 life vests distributed to 15 police departments, except our department, 18 shooting occurrences ensued in which the Kevlar body armor was able to shield the officers successfully (DOJ, 2005). However, the utilization of body armor has not been effectively implemented in our Agency - the X-007 Agency. This only means law enforcers under our office are not well protected. There have been shooting occurrences in the past in which, agents under our department have gone to the scene of the crime without a body armor as a protection. The rising incidents of criminality in our community, especially gun shooting incidences where armed robbers and armed men attack banks and other business establishments cause alarm on our local community. Our department was also alarmed as the safety and security of our agents is at stake. Thus, the agency plans to implement a body armor wearing guidelines for the 25 member enforcers of this local agency. In implementing this policy, the agency needs to bear in mind the issues with regards the choice of body armor to purchase. The Second Chance armor, for instance worn by a police officer in Forest Hills failed to protect him and thus when he got shot the bullet pierced through his armor and fatally wounded the enforcer. Studies show that armors made of Zylon or Kevlar deteriorate after a period of time as a result of environmental factors. Thus, in implementing this policy, the agency decided that the Kevlar armor, National Institute of Justice certified vests, will be used but only for a limited period of time. As of now, the agency is waiting for the results of the experiments of the National Institute of Justice which will provide for the duration the Kevlar vests could be used. As the vest deteriorate easily as a result of some environmental and chemical factors, the the NIJ report can also enlighten us on how to care for the vests. The manufacturer of the body armor also provid ed kits in which the officers will find inserts and extra thin padding for protection. This inserts will also provide care for the vests. The vests will be provided for by the purchasing department and should be worn at all times by the officers during their time of duty. For the effective implementation of this policy, guidelines in wearing the vests will be provided for in writing to the officers involved. Officers on active duty who are found not wearing the vest will be penalized as the agency. As the officers comprise of 25 agents, one agent will be tasked to check and record as well as write reports of the uses of the new vests. Partners must another partner if the other is wearing the vest or not. It is the responsibility of the police partners to check the other. If a police partner notices that the other is not wearing the vest during his time of duty, the officer must inform his supervisor immediately by writing a report ((Putt and Springer 1982). A monthly incidence report must also be written by the supervisor on the wearing of the vests, the incidences that occurred while the vests are worn, the condition of the vests and the conditions of the wearer as well. If vests appear to have deteriorated, the supervisor and the officer who used the vest must submit a report and inform

African American Muslims in prison Essay Example for Free

African American Muslims in prison Essay Most African-American Muslims look to mainstream orthodox Muslim organizations such as the Muslim Society of America (Christian Science Monitor, February 14, 2002). This includes believers once affiliated with NOI who eventually parted ways with the group due to its emphasis on Black identity.   In order to assess the potential threat of radicalism in the African-American Muslim community, it is important to distinguish between the myriad of ideologies that influence the outlook of Black Muslims today from the groups and individuals on the extreme fringe implicated in terrorism. This holds especially true when one considers social protest movements that fought for racial equality during the U.S. civil rights struggle that continue to wield influence today, such as the Nation of Islam (NOI). Founded in 1933, in its early years NOI encompassed a mix of Islamic discourse and a worldview that held that Blacks were Gods chosen people. Whites were seen as inferior, oppressors and regularly referred to as devils, in what many observers contend was a reaction to the ideals of white supremacy that prevailed in society [3]. NOI borrowed heavily from the beliefs held by the Moorish Science Temple. Founded in 1913 by Timothy Drew, later known as Noble Drew Ali, the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA), as it is referred to today, is regarded as the first major Black identity movement. Islam, Judaism, Christianity and other belief systems shaped MSTA’s worldview. MSTA declared that African-Americans are the descendants of the ancient Moorish Muslim civilization whose culture had been suppressed by the legacy of slavery.   NOI helped inspire the radical Black Power movement of the 1960s that broke with the non-violent approach of activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr., including the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, later known as the Black Panther Party (BPP). BPP did not rely on religious discourse and instead emphasized popular revolutionary struggle in the name of social justice and Black liberation. NOI also influenced Black identity movements across the English-speaking Caribbean, Canada and Great Britain. In many respects, the agendas of NOI and BPP converged in a number of areas. The Nation of Gods and Earths, also known as the Five Percent Nation of Islam or simply as the Five Percenters (FP), represents another side of the Black identity movement that mixes aspects of Islam, Judaism, Christianity and other beliefs (http://www.allahsnation.net). FP, which split from NOI in 1964, is adamant that it is not a religion, but maintains that Islam represents a way of life. Its worldview declares Blacks as the original people of the earth and the founders of civilization. FP sees Black men as Gods, which they refer to as ALLAH (Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm and Head), not to be mistaken with the Arabic word for God. FP ideology also espouses the theory of Supreme Mathematics, which among other things maintains that followers represent the chosen five percent of mankind who lead a virtuous life. FP enjoys a large following among popular Hip Hop artists and African-American activists [4]. It also has a following in the U.S. prison system, where some members have been linked with gang activity and violence [5]. FP made headlines when false allegations surfaced linking convicted Washington DC-area snipers John Allen Muhammed and John Malvo to the group. Muhammed was actually a former member of NOI, but had left the group years before the attacks.   Orthodox Sunni Muslim organizations regard MSTA, NOI and FP as heretical cults. Indias Ansar us-Sunnah Library and Research Center refers to NOI as the Nation of Kufr (unbelievers) for its emphasis on Black nationalism and identity and what it describes as a blend of false Muslim and Christian beliefs. The groups website places NOI alongside Shiites, which they describe as rafidah (rejectors), and other groups they consider heretics such as Sufis, Druze and Amhadis in a section warning Muslims to guard their faith (http://www.allaahuakbar.net). The NOI continues to grapple with the dilemma of reconciling its origins as a Black identity group with orthodox Islam. This has led to major rifts and splits within the movement over the years. Despite the influence of NOI under the charismatic leadership of Louis Farrakhan, the vast majority of Black Muslims today subscribe to orthodox Islam, a trend that has been growing over the years. Homegrown Terrorism The highly publicized Seas of David case was not the first of its kind. The case of the obscure Jamaat al-Fuqra (Community of the Impoverished, JF), a Muslim association with branches in South Asia and North America, once raised concerns about radical trends in the African-American Muslim community. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   African Muslims in Antebellum American by Allen Austin, 1984 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Arab World Published by the Arab-American Press, 1945 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   African Presence in Early America by Ivan Van Serbia, 1987

Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Comparing Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Essay In many works of literature, authors express their viewpoints on society and times in which they live. In the essay â€Å"Self Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, the authors speak out against conformity and materialism in society. Both were romanticism authors during the 1800s. They focused on simplicity and individuality. Both writings can advise teenagers today on the importance of non-conformity and the value of rejecting materialism. In â€Å"Self Reliance†, Emerson discusses being one’s own person and not allowing society to mold someone like a piece of clay; â€Å"Trust thyself† are the exact words he used. Trusting oneself means it is okay to be different if one wants or chooses to be different. It means that one does not have to follow the â€Å"bad† crowd just because everyone else may be choosing to do so. One must know that if they have a good idea and if they believe in that ideaeven if it is different from the norm of societysome people will follow. Emerson also says, â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist. † This means that to be a true and real person, one must stand up for what they believe in and not allow themselves to be completely changed by society. One must not conform to ways that will cause them to be someone or something outside of their own desires. In the beginning of his writing, Emerson gives us a definition of what he believes defines genius: â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius. ’ This is his way of saying that every person should know that doing what one thinks is right is the best decision—for him/herself. Every educated person does not conform to society if they do not think that society is going in the right path. Emerson also says that people who have good ideas are misunderstood. In his statement, â€Å"To be great is to be misunderstood†, Emerson is saying that most people who had great ideas in history were misjudged because their ideas were not along with the norms of society’s ideas. Therefore, the societal conformists thought that their ideas were wrong. Emerson gives reasons as to why most people conform to society and try to be the same. He says, â€Å"The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency†meaning that people might follow society because that is what they are used to doing. They are only doing what they saw happening when they were younger. Their parents and other adults probably did the same thing that most people do todayconform. Emerson disputes this reason in his statement by saying, â€Å"But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone†. Relying on the past could be problematic when someone questions things since most were probably brought up a certain way and are used to doing things the same way, but never really knew a good reason why to conform. In â€Å"Walden†, Thoreau explains how having less material things can simply your life. He says, â€Å"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things† In saying this, he means to own your items and do not let them own you. Thoreau thinks that people have the desire to own things, thus, causing them to have to use all of their time working to own said things. Working all the time means that one can not do the things that one wants to, and that the items that one desires ends up owning them. Through this statement, Thoreau is basically saying that having all these things such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, and televisions are distracting people from the more important things in life such as family, health, and well-being. One of Thoreau’s famous quotes is, â€Å"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! † This means to make ones’ life as simple as possible. He thinks that the poor are the fortunate ones since they have the least to look after and worry about while the rich have so much to look after that they do not have time for themselves. Living a simple life enables one to be free of commitment and obligations. One only has to worry about one’s self. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that following one’s own path in life is the best way to go. They believe that being oneself and having a simple life is the best life. Both lessons can be relevant in today’s society by looking at the rural areas that still exist in the United States. Some of these areas still follow the principle of a simple and non-materialistic life. Their lives are not filled with technology and other things that distract most people from life. Young people (myself included), can take away much from Emerson’s and Thoreau’s writings. I could focus on more important things in life rather than wasting lots of time on unnecessary technology such as Facebook and Twitter. We could use technology under moderation and make sure that those things do not take up more time than necessary in our lives.

Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions

Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions 2.1 INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of any organization in general, is a direct function of the quality of the individuals who make up that organization. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment of the members of the organization together constitute the most critical factor in the development and implementation of work plans and the delivery of products and services. Without the full commitment of its employees, an organization cannot accomplish its objectives. Consequently, the attraction, organization, development and motivation of employees which is the personnel function of management are a central responsibility at all levels of management that is from the chief executive to the first line supervisor. 2.2 WHAT IS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT? There are many definitions of personnel management, but all basically say that it is: attracting and developing competent employees and creating the organizational conditions which result in their full utilization and encourages them to put forth their best efforts.1 In any organization, there has to be someone concerned with the welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operation. When an individual or a team of individuals takes on this task of seeing to programs and setting policies that impact everyone associated with the company, they are engaged in the process of personnel management, sometimes referred to as human resources management, According to Franklin A., personnel management is based on careful handling of relationships among individuals at work and is the art of forecasting, acquiring, developing and maintaining competent workforce so that the organization derives maximum benefit in terms of performance and efficiency.2 Personnel Management is that part of management which is concerned with, people at work and their relationship within the organization. It can also be defined as that aspect of an organization, which is concerned with obtaining the best possible staff for the origination, looking after them so well that they will like to remain in the organization and give off their best in their jobs. It has to do with how best to use the skills and intelligence of people towards the achievement of organizational objectives.3 From the definitions quoted by various management experts in the past or present, the inference that we derive is that personnel management aims at attaining maximum efficiency and to yield maximum benefits to the organization. Two major points about personnel management are implied in this definition. First, effective personnel management must be future oriented. Support for organizational objectives now and for the foreseeable future must be provided through a steady supply of competent and capable employees. Second, effective personnel management is action oriented. The emphasis must be placed on solution of employment issues and problems to support organizational objectives and facilitate employee development and satisfaction To sum up, Personnel management aims at achieving these major steps: Analyzing the plan for future action and expansion. Estimating the quantitative and qualitative aspects of labour. Assessing the requirement of existing manpower or human resource. Formulating the plan for effective utilization of manpower, reducing under utilization or mis-utilization of manpower which is one of the most important resources. Finalizes the planning for recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, training and development. Organizational effectivenes Basically Personnel management has certain goals and objectives to fulfill which includes; Creating a congenial and healthy environment for employees or workers to function effectively. To bring about organizational and human resource development through training, development programmes or even managerial succession planning. Selection and placement of right number of people and ensuring proper allocation of duties and responsibilities upon them. Creating better inter-personal relations, developing a sense of responsibility and responsiveness amongst workers and employees. Boosting the morale and sense of initiative amongst employees. Adopting best techniques or conceivable methods to bring best possible development of workers on work. 2.2.1 Functions of the Personnel Department A well-organized personnel department of an organization performs the following functions. Typically personnel work is concerned with: i. Manpower Planning: This is the first function of the personnel department. It has to do with the process by which a firm ensures that the required staff in terms of qualification and number is available at the right time. It involves determining personnel needs in relations to the objectives of the organization. It therefore deals with the qualification or education, skills and the appropriate number of personnel a firm should engage. It is therefore the process of assessing, predicting, or forecasting an organizations manpower needs in a relation to its plans. ii. Employment/Recruitment: After the manpower needs of the organization have been determined, the next stage is the make an attempt to employ the right caliber of personnel into the organization. This involves identifying sources of labour supply, carrying out recruitment, selection and placement into the organization. iii. Education/Training and Development: The personnel department is responsible for the training, education and the development of employees. It is the training needs have been determined, it is the responsibility of the department to design an appropriate programme by determining the method to be used, the course content, the duration and the institution or person to conduct the training. Training enables employees to adjust to new trends, improve their performance on the job and prepare them for promotion. iv. Wage and salary administration: Wage and salary Administration is one of the important functions of the personnel department. It is responsible for designing equitable and attractive wage and salary schemes for employees in an organization. It also determines how overtime payments. Bonuses and other fringe benefits are to be paid. It is also responsible for surveying the labour market and making the necessary changes and adjustments to the wage and salary structures to reflect the wages and salaries policies of the government of the day. v. Health, Safety and Welfare of Employment:- Another important function of the Personnel department is to ensure that there are measures to take care of the health, safety and welfare of its employees. It ensures these by providing first-aid facilities, good ventilation, lighting, drainage and proper working conditions. It also provides protective gadgets for employees to reduce the occurrence of accidents and injuries. Canteen, sports, transport, pension schemes, group insurance schemes and other recreational programmmes are provided for the welfare of its employees. vi. Industrial Relations: The personnel department plays an important role in maintaining a cordial and harmonium working relationship between workers and management. The term industrial relations are used to describe the relationship that exists between employers, employees (trade unions) and the government. Performance appraisal: organizing the appraisal process to identify development needs of employees. Personnel administration: record-keeping and monitoring of legislative requirements related to equal opportunities and possibly pensions and tax. Communication: providing an internal information service, perhaps in the form of staff newspapers or magazines, handouts, booklets, videos. 2.3 EMPLOYMENT PROCESS The employment process which is also referred to as the recruitment process involves a number of activities which are undertaken to engage the right caliber of personnel for an organization. It is therefore concerned with the employment and maintenance of qualified and efficient labour force. Employment therefore involves recruitment, selection and placement. The recruitment and selection process involves recruitment, interrelated activities which include the following. 2.3.1 RECRUITMENT It is the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in the organization.1 Recruitment refers to the first step in staffing, which is finding people.2 Sources of recruitment refer to the various avenues from which the personnel manager may recruit or employ labour. Recruits are obtained from a variety of sources. There source are divided into two main categories, namely internal and external sources. Pieter Grobler (page 167) Sources of Recruitment Internal Source Sources of potential candidates are many and varied, but a good starting point is to consider any internal candidates who might be suitable for the post. The exercise whereby the required manpower is obtained within the organization is the internal source. This may take the form of promoting a qualified worker to a higher position as they occur. Advantages of Internal Source There is less risk of error in selection and placement It boosts the morale of employees and encourages them it work hard It is quicker, cheaper and less risky than an outside appointment The recruit fits in with the culture of the organization; he knows â€Å"how we do things here† The individual also knows the people, systems and the business and thus the induction period will be quicker Disadvantages of Internal Source No new ideas, creativity or challenge to the culture and systems It tends to ignore qualified candidates who are not within the system A post will still need filling-the persons old post. That is he will create another vacancy The person may not be the best, qualified or most able candidate External Source Depending on management policy and the type of job involved. Management has a number of options available for obtaining people from outside the organization. These include: Educational Institutions: Organization and companies sometimes recruit fresh graduates from schools, colleges, polytechnics and the universities. Private Employment Agencies: Employers who cannot go through the process of recruitment engage consulting firms to do the recruitment for them. Labour Department: this is a public agency found in almost all regional scapitals where employees in search of employment and employers searching for employees go to register. An arrangement is then made to link the employer with the prospective employee. Advertisements: This is the most common and popular source of external recruitment where companies announce their employment opportunities through the newspapers, magazines, journals, radio and television. Unsolicited Applicant: People who are seeking for jobs sometimes apply to organizations without being aware of vacancies in those organizations. If there are vacancies, the applicant may be asked to go through the screening process. Where vacancies are not immediately available, his name will be placed on the waiting list. Employment Referrals:- Companies sometime announce job vacancies to their staff and ask them to recommend friends, relatives and neighbours who might be in need of employment and possess the required qualification and skill. Advantages of External Source It leads to the employment of people with new knowledge and ideas It leads to the employment of qualified and suitable people to fill vacant posts It promotes good will Its scope of selection is widened Disadvantages of External Sources It is costly and time consuming It may lead to low morale especially where there are qualified people within the organization The risk of making wrong selection is very high 2.3.2 JOB ANALYSIS It is the determination of the essential characteristics of a job. It is therefore a process of determining the nature of the job and the skills, knowledge, experiences and abilities of the person who is supposed to perform the job. It therefore contains information such as task performed, machines and equipment to be used, materials, products or services involved, training skills, knowledge and personal traits required of the worker. Job analysis therefore describes both the worker and the job so that there are no questions about who is doing what within the firm. Franklin A. (page 156) When undertaken carefully, job analysis could be used to; It provides the information necessary for recruitment, selection and placement of employees. It can be used to get an idea of the acceptable level of performance for each job (performance appraisal) It is used to device and implement training and development programmes It provides an opportunity to uncover and identify hazardous conditions Jobs may be analyzed in order to ensure that employees are fairly compensated The components of job analysis include. A. Job Description It specifies the duties and requirements of the job. This is a broad statement describing the purpose, scope, duties and responsibilities of a particular job. It states the title and location of the hob, grade/salary level of the job, limits of authority, number of subordinates, physical working conditions, machines, tools and equipment used, product or service produced etc. it typically portrays job content. In short, it summarizes all the basic tasks that are required to be performed on a job. A job description is what the worker does. Franklin A. (page 167) Importance of Job Description Each employee gets to know what is expected of him. It helps to avoid overlapping. It helps determine the rate of pay which is fair for the job. It helps in appraising and training employees It makes it possible for new employees to be given orientation with regards to their duties and responsibilities. It provides information from which particular hob vacancies can be advertised It guides the personnel manager in the development of job specification SELECTION This is the process by which an organization chooses from a list/pool of applicants the person who best meets the job and organizational requirements. The main objective of the selection process is to sort out those judged qualified for the job. (a) Selection Procedure i. Application Forms Applicants who reply to job advertisements are usually asked to fill in a job application form, or to send a letter giving details about themselves and their previous job experience (Curriculum Vitae or (C.V). An application form is used to find out relevant information about the applicant. It tells the organization whether or not an applicant is worthy of an interview or a test of some kind. Information usually required of candidates include; Personal data, educational background, work experience, date of birth, interests and hobbies. An applicant who is deemed suitable on this evidence becomes a candidate for interview. ii. Application Screening (Short-listing) The screening stage involves the sorting out or elimination of those applicants judged unqualified for the job. The personnel manager receives the filled application forms, and then screens them to determine those who are qualified to be invited for interview. This becomes necessary since all types of applications are received when jobs are advertised. This stage is also referred to as short-listing. It is done by marching all the applications against the employers requirements. iii. Selection Tests Selection tests are used to supplement other techniques. The tests are usually handled by fully qualified industrial psychologists. It is a practical examination to determine whether an applicant is suitable for the job. The assumption behind the administration of the tests is that a candidate who scores well in the test will more likely succeed in the job. Types of test The types of tests commonly used include:- i. Intelligence Tests: Their aim is to measure the applicants general intellectual ability. That is they are designed to measure his thinking abilities. They may test the applicants memory, ability to think quickly and logically, and skill at solving problems. ii. Aptitude Tests: These are designed to predict an individuals potential for performing a job or learning new skills. They are widely used to obtain information about such skills as mechanical ability, clerical and numerical ability. It measures a persons ability to do something given a good training. iii. Psychological tests: Psychological tests may measure a variety of characteristics such as an applicants skill in dealing with other people, ambition and motivation or emotional stability. They usually consist of questionnaires asking respondents to state their interest in or preference for jobs, leisure activities etc. Proficiency Tests: Proficiency tests are the most closely related test to an assessors objectives, because they measure ability to do the work involved iv. Medical Tests: Medical tests are carried out to determine the physical fitness of the applicant and whether he has any hidden diseases. Candidates who might have contagious diseases will be rejected. INTERVIEW Interview is a conversation or verbal interaction between two or more people for a particular purpose. Interviewing is a crucial part of the selection process because it gives the organization an opportunity to assess the applicant directly, and it gives the applicant an opportunity to learn more about the organization and whether he or she wants the job Objectives of Interview It gives the employer an opportunity to obtain information about each applicant and to assess his suitability for the job. It enables the employer to cross-check the applicants original documents or educational certificates. It enables the employer to have a critical view of the physical appearance of the applicant It also gives him an opportunity to determine the applicants level of intelligence. It provides the applicant an opportunity to know more about the organization, the job and the employees of the organization. References (Background Investigations) References provide further confidential information about the prospective employee. Prospective candidates are normally asked to submit references who can be contacted when the need arises. Such references include: schools, colleges, universities, former employers (if any) and relatives. The use of reference compels employees to be honest in supplying information about themselves to an organization. References are brief statements about a candidate made by a third party usually the candidates superior. These statements are used to confirm information supplied by applicants on application forms. Placement This is the stage where the new employee is placed on the job. He is assigned to an officer and a superior if he is a clerical worker. It is the responsibility of the superior to give the new employee in-service training where necessary and to provide a schedule of duties. Induction This may be conducted by the personnel manager and it is the process of orientating the selected applicant into his or her new working environment. It takes the form of introducing new employees to existing staff, visits to the plants and other departments, informing him/her about his duties and responsibilities, as well as the policies and objective of the organization. Induction simply means the introduction of a new employee into his or her job or organization Job Changes The post recruitment functions of the personnel manager includes transfers, promotions, demotions and termination. i. Transfers:- This occurs when employees have been assigned to another branch, department or to another job involving similar responsibilities, skills and remuneration. The transfer could be from one department to another or one station to another. It may be used to correct an error made during the recruitment process. Reasons for transfers The close down of a branch or department may call for a transfer Self request by an employee because of his inability to relate well with co-workers of lack of interest in his job or for purposes of frequent medical check-ups due to sickness. Transfer may be used as a punishment device A person may also be transferred to take up a new appointment A fall in the level of production may also necessitate the re-allocation of employees. ii. Promotion Promotion may be defined as the transfer of an employee from one job to another which involves a greater responsibility and usually a higher reward (pay). In other words, it involves a change in status and usually means appointment to a higher grade with greater and more challenging responsibilities. It is an important aspect of management because it is through promotion that a worker obtains satisfaction and shows his desire to advance and develop. Promotion Policy Many large organizations have a policy of filling senior job positions from within the organization. Others also believe in recruitment from outside the organization. Every organization should however come out with a clear policy on promotion so that employees know in advance the criteria to be used in promotion. Normally promotion is based on the following: Seniority (length of service) Practical ability (skill) General attitude and loyalty Education and qualification Personality or character Advantages of Promotion Promotion improves morale and motivation of employees in the organization. Promotion helps reduce labour-turn over in an organization It is seen as a reward for dedicated service, hard work, loyalty and obedience to rules and regulations of the organization. Fair promotions create a feeling of content among employees and retain their interest in the company. It helps employees to put in extra effort to help attain organizational objectives It improves the earning power and status of the employees Problems of promotion more qualified employees may be ignored or overlooked an employee adjudged competent when promoted may perform below expectation qualified personnel when overlooked in time of promotion may feel dejected and unrecognized. This may affect his morale and for that matter his overall performance. A worker who has a special interest in his/her job e.g. cashier in a financial institution may refuse to accept promotion. iii. Demotion It is the reduction in rank of an employee or the transfer of an employee to jobs with lower ranks backed by a reduction in salary. It therefore refers to a decrease in status as well as remuneration. Reasons For Demotion: Failure on the part of employees to live up to expectation (poor performance) Serious crime against the organization example; pilfering, fraud, leaking, organizational secrets to the advantage of competitors etc. It can also be based on indiscipline or disloyal to rules of the organization Serious or unfavourable business conditions may necessitate lay-offs and termination; some employees may accept demotion as an alternative. Problems of Demotion it leads to reduction employee status and remuneration it also creates morale problems for affected employees. Some affected employees may resign, leading to labour turn over and its associated problems, iv. LABOUR TURN OVER Labour turn over refers to the rate at which employees are leaving the business organization at a particular time and their replacement. It therefore describes the movement of workers into and out of employment of an organization in a in a given period of time It is calculated by: L x 100 A Where: L = Those leaving during the year A = Average number employed during the year or Average number on the companys payroll within that period. A high (index) labour turnover means more people leave the employment because of low morale. It could also mean a high proportion of the employment of women or scholars who have returned to college to pursue academic careers, death, pension etc. Causes of Labour Turn Over There are various causes of labour turn-over. Among them include the following: Discontentment (dissatisfaction) among employees as a result of poor working conditions, Lack of promotional avenues Poor leadership style Very long hours of work with little time for rest Unfairness and improper administration of disciplinary measures Poor wages and salaries Lack of opportunities for self advancement Boredom, wrong job assignment or lack of job satisfaction Lack of opportunity to express opinions to management and to participate in decision making. Problems of Labour Turn Over It brings about extra-expenditure, that is hiring and training of new employees Production rate is decreased and this tend to affect the volume of ales and profit margins It leads to overtime payment for extra man-hours spent on the job The money spent on training developing employees who have left goes down the drain There could be low morale for the remaining employees due to loss of old work mates and friends It takes a lot of time for workers to properly settle or fit into the system Solution To the causes of labour turnover A study or research should be conducted to identify which factors have been the cause of dissatisfaction and that have been responsible for the labour turnover. The following suggested solutions could be applied by individual companies. i. Companies should provide attractive wages and salaries to ensure that employees are above to meet their basic necessities. ii. There should also be improvement in the working conditions of workers. Protective clothes, canteen, transport, housing and medical facilities should be provided to cater for the welfare of workers. iii. There should also be opportunities for growth and development for employees, e.g study leave, provision of library facilities, promotion etc. iv. Joint consultation must be instituted to enable representatives of workers and employers meet to identify common problems and find solutions to them. 2.4 Termination of Employment Every employer has the option to terminate the employment of his employees but only on the grounds that certain conditions are meet e.g. giving of appropriate notice and payment of entitlements. Employees also have an option to resign from their present job and look for another provided they also satisfy certain conditions e.g. appropriate notice and proper handing over. There are ways by which a contract of employment may be terminated and they include: redundancy, dismissals, retirement and resignation. 2.4.1 Redundancy This is a situation where employees are asked to leave their employment because of lack of work. that is, the organization does not need their service any longer. Therefore when there is reduction in production and the workers are greater than what the organization needs, some are asked to leave employment. 2.4.2 Dismissal Dismissal is an act of sending an employee away form his employment because be is not qualified, undisciplined or is dishonest in his work. It is the permanent withdrawal of an employee from the services of a company. 2.4.3 Retirement It is the act of retiring or having stopped working after attaining a certain age. The age may either be contained in the companys policy or decision taken by the individual himself. 2.4.4 Resignation Resignation usually comes from employees. Resignation is the indication by the employee that he has ceased to be in the employment of the employer. 2.4.5 Lay Off This is a temporary withdrawal of employees from work due to shortage of raw materials, low demand for the companies products or services, or financial problems. These employees may be called back when the need arises. When conditions improve and some of the aid-off workers are invited to come back to work, it is known as recall. 2.5 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2.5.1 Education This is usually intended to mean basic instructions in knowledge and skills designed to enable people make the most life in general. It is thus a process of training and instructing people in schools, colleges, Polytechnics, universities etc. which is designed to give knowledge and development of skills. At the end of the course, a certificate is given to those who pass their final examination. Education is therefore more personal and broadly based. 2.5.2 Development This suggests a broader view of knowledge and skills acquisition rather than training. It is less job-oriented and career-oriented. It sees employees as adaptable resources and thus concerned with preparing individuals with skills and experience to fill challenging higher level positions in the organization. 2.5.3 Training Training is job oriented rather than personal. Training involves a series of actions aimed at preparing an individual with skills to do a particular job. It may be defined as â€Å"the systematic development of the attitudes, knowledge and skill patterns required by an individual in order to perform adequately a given task or job† Methods of Training The main methods of training include: i. Apprenticeship Training This is a method of training where the apprentice under studies his master for a number of years, learning all the basic skills involved in the profession. This type of training is given to young people who have either completed school or who have not been to school. This type of training is common and popular in professions like tailoring, dressmaking, carpentry, driving and masonry. The apprentice pays a certain amount to his master and he is not paid during the period of his/her training but given allowance as and when necessary by his/her master. ii. Supervisory Training This type of training is give to employees who have been appointed supervisors or foremen. Supervisory training involves the teaching of supervisors or foremen the skill of getting work done through others. It is therefore meant to improve on their leadership skills and qualities. It takes place in an institute in the form of seminars or workshops with discussions on leadership, morale, development, directing, and health and safety measures. iii. Executive Training Personnel in middle management and top management positions are covered under this type Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions Personnel Department Effectiveness and Functions 2.1 INTRODUCTION The effectiveness of any organization in general, is a direct function of the quality of the individuals who make up that organization. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and commitment of the members of the organization together constitute the most critical factor in the development and implementation of work plans and the delivery of products and services. Without the full commitment of its employees, an organization cannot accomplish its objectives. Consequently, the attraction, organization, development and motivation of employees which is the personnel function of management are a central responsibility at all levels of management that is from the chief executive to the first line supervisor. 2.2 WHAT IS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT? There are many definitions of personnel management, but all basically say that it is: attracting and developing competent employees and creating the organizational conditions which result in their full utilization and encourages them to put forth their best efforts.1 In any organization, there has to be someone concerned with the welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operation. When an individual or a team of individuals takes on this task of seeing to programs and setting policies that impact everyone associated with the company, they are engaged in the process of personnel management, sometimes referred to as human resources management, According to Franklin A., personnel management is based on careful handling of relationships among individuals at work and is the art of forecasting, acquiring, developing and maintaining competent workforce so that the organization derives maximum benefit in terms of performance and efficiency.2 Personnel Management is that part of management which is concerned with, people at work and their relationship within the organization. It can also be defined as that aspect of an organization, which is concerned with obtaining the best possible staff for the origination, looking after them so well that they will like to remain in the organization and give off their best in their jobs. It has to do with how best to use the skills and intelligence of people towards the achievement of organizational objectives.3 From the definitions quoted by various management experts in the past or present, the inference that we derive is that personnel management aims at attaining maximum efficiency and to yield maximum benefits to the organization. Two major points about personnel management are implied in this definition. First, effective personnel management must be future oriented. Support for organizational objectives now and for the foreseeable future must be provided through a steady supply of competent and capable employees. Second, effective personnel management is action oriented. The emphasis must be placed on solution of employment issues and problems to support organizational objectives and facilitate employee development and satisfaction To sum up, Personnel management aims at achieving these major steps: Analyzing the plan for future action and expansion. Estimating the quantitative and qualitative aspects of labour. Assessing the requirement of existing manpower or human resource. Formulating the plan for effective utilization of manpower, reducing under utilization or mis-utilization of manpower which is one of the most important resources. Finalizes the planning for recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, training and development. Organizational effectivenes Basically Personnel management has certain goals and objectives to fulfill which includes; Creating a congenial and healthy environment for employees or workers to function effectively. To bring about organizational and human resource development through training, development programmes or even managerial succession planning. Selection and placement of right number of people and ensuring proper allocation of duties and responsibilities upon them. Creating better inter-personal relations, developing a sense of responsibility and responsiveness amongst workers and employees. Boosting the morale and sense of initiative amongst employees. Adopting best techniques or conceivable methods to bring best possible development of workers on work. 2.2.1 Functions of the Personnel Department A well-organized personnel department of an organization performs the following functions. Typically personnel work is concerned with: i. Manpower Planning: This is the first function of the personnel department. It has to do with the process by which a firm ensures that the required staff in terms of qualification and number is available at the right time. It involves determining personnel needs in relations to the objectives of the organization. It therefore deals with the qualification or education, skills and the appropriate number of personnel a firm should engage. It is therefore the process of assessing, predicting, or forecasting an organizations manpower needs in a relation to its plans. ii. Employment/Recruitment: After the manpower needs of the organization have been determined, the next stage is the make an attempt to employ the right caliber of personnel into the organization. This involves identifying sources of labour supply, carrying out recruitment, selection and placement into the organization. iii. Education/Training and Development: The personnel department is responsible for the training, education and the development of employees. It is the training needs have been determined, it is the responsibility of the department to design an appropriate programme by determining the method to be used, the course content, the duration and the institution or person to conduct the training. Training enables employees to adjust to new trends, improve their performance on the job and prepare them for promotion. iv. Wage and salary administration: Wage and salary Administration is one of the important functions of the personnel department. It is responsible for designing equitable and attractive wage and salary schemes for employees in an organization. It also determines how overtime payments. Bonuses and other fringe benefits are to be paid. It is also responsible for surveying the labour market and making the necessary changes and adjustments to the wage and salary structures to reflect the wages and salaries policies of the government of the day. v. Health, Safety and Welfare of Employment:- Another important function of the Personnel department is to ensure that there are measures to take care of the health, safety and welfare of its employees. It ensures these by providing first-aid facilities, good ventilation, lighting, drainage and proper working conditions. It also provides protective gadgets for employees to reduce the occurrence of accidents and injuries. Canteen, sports, transport, pension schemes, group insurance schemes and other recreational programmmes are provided for the welfare of its employees. vi. Industrial Relations: The personnel department plays an important role in maintaining a cordial and harmonium working relationship between workers and management. The term industrial relations are used to describe the relationship that exists between employers, employees (trade unions) and the government. Performance appraisal: organizing the appraisal process to identify development needs of employees. Personnel administration: record-keeping and monitoring of legislative requirements related to equal opportunities and possibly pensions and tax. Communication: providing an internal information service, perhaps in the form of staff newspapers or magazines, handouts, booklets, videos. 2.3 EMPLOYMENT PROCESS The employment process which is also referred to as the recruitment process involves a number of activities which are undertaken to engage the right caliber of personnel for an organization. It is therefore concerned with the employment and maintenance of qualified and efficient labour force. Employment therefore involves recruitment, selection and placement. The recruitment and selection process involves recruitment, interrelated activities which include the following. 2.3.1 RECRUITMENT It is the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in the organization.1 Recruitment refers to the first step in staffing, which is finding people.2 Sources of recruitment refer to the various avenues from which the personnel manager may recruit or employ labour. Recruits are obtained from a variety of sources. There source are divided into two main categories, namely internal and external sources. Pieter Grobler (page 167) Sources of Recruitment Internal Source Sources of potential candidates are many and varied, but a good starting point is to consider any internal candidates who might be suitable for the post. The exercise whereby the required manpower is obtained within the organization is the internal source. This may take the form of promoting a qualified worker to a higher position as they occur. Advantages of Internal Source There is less risk of error in selection and placement It boosts the morale of employees and encourages them it work hard It is quicker, cheaper and less risky than an outside appointment The recruit fits in with the culture of the organization; he knows â€Å"how we do things here† The individual also knows the people, systems and the business and thus the induction period will be quicker Disadvantages of Internal Source No new ideas, creativity or challenge to the culture and systems It tends to ignore qualified candidates who are not within the system A post will still need filling-the persons old post. That is he will create another vacancy The person may not be the best, qualified or most able candidate External Source Depending on management policy and the type of job involved. Management has a number of options available for obtaining people from outside the organization. These include: Educational Institutions: Organization and companies sometimes recruit fresh graduates from schools, colleges, polytechnics and the universities. Private Employment Agencies: Employers who cannot go through the process of recruitment engage consulting firms to do the recruitment for them. Labour Department: this is a public agency found in almost all regional scapitals where employees in search of employment and employers searching for employees go to register. An arrangement is then made to link the employer with the prospective employee. Advertisements: This is the most common and popular source of external recruitment where companies announce their employment opportunities through the newspapers, magazines, journals, radio and television. Unsolicited Applicant: People who are seeking for jobs sometimes apply to organizations without being aware of vacancies in those organizations. If there are vacancies, the applicant may be asked to go through the screening process. Where vacancies are not immediately available, his name will be placed on the waiting list. Employment Referrals:- Companies sometime announce job vacancies to their staff and ask them to recommend friends, relatives and neighbours who might be in need of employment and possess the required qualification and skill. Advantages of External Source It leads to the employment of people with new knowledge and ideas It leads to the employment of qualified and suitable people to fill vacant posts It promotes good will Its scope of selection is widened Disadvantages of External Sources It is costly and time consuming It may lead to low morale especially where there are qualified people within the organization The risk of making wrong selection is very high 2.3.2 JOB ANALYSIS It is the determination of the essential characteristics of a job. It is therefore a process of determining the nature of the job and the skills, knowledge, experiences and abilities of the person who is supposed to perform the job. It therefore contains information such as task performed, machines and equipment to be used, materials, products or services involved, training skills, knowledge and personal traits required of the worker. Job analysis therefore describes both the worker and the job so that there are no questions about who is doing what within the firm. Franklin A. (page 156) When undertaken carefully, job analysis could be used to; It provides the information necessary for recruitment, selection and placement of employees. It can be used to get an idea of the acceptable level of performance for each job (performance appraisal) It is used to device and implement training and development programmes It provides an opportunity to uncover and identify hazardous conditions Jobs may be analyzed in order to ensure that employees are fairly compensated The components of job analysis include. A. Job Description It specifies the duties and requirements of the job. This is a broad statement describing the purpose, scope, duties and responsibilities of a particular job. It states the title and location of the hob, grade/salary level of the job, limits of authority, number of subordinates, physical working conditions, machines, tools and equipment used, product or service produced etc. it typically portrays job content. In short, it summarizes all the basic tasks that are required to be performed on a job. A job description is what the worker does. Franklin A. (page 167) Importance of Job Description Each employee gets to know what is expected of him. It helps to avoid overlapping. It helps determine the rate of pay which is fair for the job. It helps in appraising and training employees It makes it possible for new employees to be given orientation with regards to their duties and responsibilities. It provides information from which particular hob vacancies can be advertised It guides the personnel manager in the development of job specification SELECTION This is the process by which an organization chooses from a list/pool of applicants the person who best meets the job and organizational requirements. The main objective of the selection process is to sort out those judged qualified for the job. (a) Selection Procedure i. Application Forms Applicants who reply to job advertisements are usually asked to fill in a job application form, or to send a letter giving details about themselves and their previous job experience (Curriculum Vitae or (C.V). An application form is used to find out relevant information about the applicant. It tells the organization whether or not an applicant is worthy of an interview or a test of some kind. Information usually required of candidates include; Personal data, educational background, work experience, date of birth, interests and hobbies. An applicant who is deemed suitable on this evidence becomes a candidate for interview. ii. Application Screening (Short-listing) The screening stage involves the sorting out or elimination of those applicants judged unqualified for the job. The personnel manager receives the filled application forms, and then screens them to determine those who are qualified to be invited for interview. This becomes necessary since all types of applications are received when jobs are advertised. This stage is also referred to as short-listing. It is done by marching all the applications against the employers requirements. iii. Selection Tests Selection tests are used to supplement other techniques. The tests are usually handled by fully qualified industrial psychologists. It is a practical examination to determine whether an applicant is suitable for the job. The assumption behind the administration of the tests is that a candidate who scores well in the test will more likely succeed in the job. Types of test The types of tests commonly used include:- i. Intelligence Tests: Their aim is to measure the applicants general intellectual ability. That is they are designed to measure his thinking abilities. They may test the applicants memory, ability to think quickly and logically, and skill at solving problems. ii. Aptitude Tests: These are designed to predict an individuals potential for performing a job or learning new skills. They are widely used to obtain information about such skills as mechanical ability, clerical and numerical ability. It measures a persons ability to do something given a good training. iii. Psychological tests: Psychological tests may measure a variety of characteristics such as an applicants skill in dealing with other people, ambition and motivation or emotional stability. They usually consist of questionnaires asking respondents to state their interest in or preference for jobs, leisure activities etc. Proficiency Tests: Proficiency tests are the most closely related test to an assessors objectives, because they measure ability to do the work involved iv. Medical Tests: Medical tests are carried out to determine the physical fitness of the applicant and whether he has any hidden diseases. Candidates who might have contagious diseases will be rejected. INTERVIEW Interview is a conversation or verbal interaction between two or more people for a particular purpose. Interviewing is a crucial part of the selection process because it gives the organization an opportunity to assess the applicant directly, and it gives the applicant an opportunity to learn more about the organization and whether he or she wants the job Objectives of Interview It gives the employer an opportunity to obtain information about each applicant and to assess his suitability for the job. It enables the employer to cross-check the applicants original documents or educational certificates. It enables the employer to have a critical view of the physical appearance of the applicant It also gives him an opportunity to determine the applicants level of intelligence. It provides the applicant an opportunity to know more about the organization, the job and the employees of the organization. References (Background Investigations) References provide further confidential information about the prospective employee. Prospective candidates are normally asked to submit references who can be contacted when the need arises. Such references include: schools, colleges, universities, former employers (if any) and relatives. The use of reference compels employees to be honest in supplying information about themselves to an organization. References are brief statements about a candidate made by a third party usually the candidates superior. These statements are used to confirm information supplied by applicants on application forms. Placement This is the stage where the new employee is placed on the job. He is assigned to an officer and a superior if he is a clerical worker. It is the responsibility of the superior to give the new employee in-service training where necessary and to provide a schedule of duties. Induction This may be conducted by the personnel manager and it is the process of orientating the selected applicant into his or her new working environment. It takes the form of introducing new employees to existing staff, visits to the plants and other departments, informing him/her about his duties and responsibilities, as well as the policies and objective of the organization. Induction simply means the introduction of a new employee into his or her job or organization Job Changes The post recruitment functions of the personnel manager includes transfers, promotions, demotions and termination. i. Transfers:- This occurs when employees have been assigned to another branch, department or to another job involving similar responsibilities, skills and remuneration. The transfer could be from one department to another or one station to another. It may be used to correct an error made during the recruitment process. Reasons for transfers The close down of a branch or department may call for a transfer Self request by an employee because of his inability to relate well with co-workers of lack of interest in his job or for purposes of frequent medical check-ups due to sickness. Transfer may be used as a punishment device A person may also be transferred to take up a new appointment A fall in the level of production may also necessitate the re-allocation of employees. ii. Promotion Promotion may be defined as the transfer of an employee from one job to another which involves a greater responsibility and usually a higher reward (pay). In other words, it involves a change in status and usually means appointment to a higher grade with greater and more challenging responsibilities. It is an important aspect of management because it is through promotion that a worker obtains satisfaction and shows his desire to advance and develop. Promotion Policy Many large organizations have a policy of filling senior job positions from within the organization. Others also believe in recruitment from outside the organization. Every organization should however come out with a clear policy on promotion so that employees know in advance the criteria to be used in promotion. Normally promotion is based on the following: Seniority (length of service) Practical ability (skill) General attitude and loyalty Education and qualification Personality or character Advantages of Promotion Promotion improves morale and motivation of employees in the organization. Promotion helps reduce labour-turn over in an organization It is seen as a reward for dedicated service, hard work, loyalty and obedience to rules and regulations of the organization. Fair promotions create a feeling of content among employees and retain their interest in the company. It helps employees to put in extra effort to help attain organizational objectives It improves the earning power and status of the employees Problems of promotion more qualified employees may be ignored or overlooked an employee adjudged competent when promoted may perform below expectation qualified personnel when overlooked in time of promotion may feel dejected and unrecognized. This may affect his morale and for that matter his overall performance. A worker who has a special interest in his/her job e.g. cashier in a financial institution may refuse to accept promotion. iii. Demotion It is the reduction in rank of an employee or the transfer of an employee to jobs with lower ranks backed by a reduction in salary. It therefore refers to a decrease in status as well as remuneration. Reasons For Demotion: Failure on the part of employees to live up to expectation (poor performance) Serious crime against the organization example; pilfering, fraud, leaking, organizational secrets to the advantage of competitors etc. It can also be based on indiscipline or disloyal to rules of the organization Serious or unfavourable business conditions may necessitate lay-offs and termination; some employees may accept demotion as an alternative. Problems of Demotion it leads to reduction employee status and remuneration it also creates morale problems for affected employees. Some affected employees may resign, leading to labour turn over and its associated problems, iv. LABOUR TURN OVER Labour turn over refers to the rate at which employees are leaving the business organization at a particular time and their replacement. It therefore describes the movement of workers into and out of employment of an organization in a in a given period of time It is calculated by: L x 100 A Where: L = Those leaving during the year A = Average number employed during the year or Average number on the companys payroll within that period. A high (index) labour turnover means more people leave the employment because of low morale. It could also mean a high proportion of the employment of women or scholars who have returned to college to pursue academic careers, death, pension etc. Causes of Labour Turn Over There are various causes of labour turn-over. Among them include the following: Discontentment (dissatisfaction) among employees as a result of poor working conditions, Lack of promotional avenues Poor leadership style Very long hours of work with little time for rest Unfairness and improper administration of disciplinary measures Poor wages and salaries Lack of opportunities for self advancement Boredom, wrong job assignment or lack of job satisfaction Lack of opportunity to express opinions to management and to participate in decision making. Problems of Labour Turn Over It brings about extra-expenditure, that is hiring and training of new employees Production rate is decreased and this tend to affect the volume of ales and profit margins It leads to overtime payment for extra man-hours spent on the job The money spent on training developing employees who have left goes down the drain There could be low morale for the remaining employees due to loss of old work mates and friends It takes a lot of time for workers to properly settle or fit into the system Solution To the causes of labour turnover A study or research should be conducted to identify which factors have been the cause of dissatisfaction and that have been responsible for the labour turnover. The following suggested solutions could be applied by individual companies. i. Companies should provide attractive wages and salaries to ensure that employees are above to meet their basic necessities. ii. There should also be improvement in the working conditions of workers. Protective clothes, canteen, transport, housing and medical facilities should be provided to cater for the welfare of workers. iii. There should also be opportunities for growth and development for employees, e.g study leave, provision of library facilities, promotion etc. iv. Joint consultation must be instituted to enable representatives of workers and employers meet to identify common problems and find solutions to them. 2.4 Termination of Employment Every employer has the option to terminate the employment of his employees but only on the grounds that certain conditions are meet e.g. giving of appropriate notice and payment of entitlements. Employees also have an option to resign from their present job and look for another provided they also satisfy certain conditions e.g. appropriate notice and proper handing over. There are ways by which a contract of employment may be terminated and they include: redundancy, dismissals, retirement and resignation. 2.4.1 Redundancy This is a situation where employees are asked to leave their employment because of lack of work. that is, the organization does not need their service any longer. Therefore when there is reduction in production and the workers are greater than what the organization needs, some are asked to leave employment. 2.4.2 Dismissal Dismissal is an act of sending an employee away form his employment because be is not qualified, undisciplined or is dishonest in his work. It is the permanent withdrawal of an employee from the services of a company. 2.4.3 Retirement It is the act of retiring or having stopped working after attaining a certain age. The age may either be contained in the companys policy or decision taken by the individual himself. 2.4.4 Resignation Resignation usually comes from employees. Resignation is the indication by the employee that he has ceased to be in the employment of the employer. 2.4.5 Lay Off This is a temporary withdrawal of employees from work due to shortage of raw materials, low demand for the companies products or services, or financial problems. These employees may be called back when the need arises. When conditions improve and some of the aid-off workers are invited to come back to work, it is known as recall. 2.5 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2.5.1 Education This is usually intended to mean basic instructions in knowledge and skills designed to enable people make the most life in general. It is thus a process of training and instructing people in schools, colleges, Polytechnics, universities etc. which is designed to give knowledge and development of skills. At the end of the course, a certificate is given to those who pass their final examination. Education is therefore more personal and broadly based. 2.5.2 Development This suggests a broader view of knowledge and skills acquisition rather than training. It is less job-oriented and career-oriented. It sees employees as adaptable resources and thus concerned with preparing individuals with skills and experience to fill challenging higher level positions in the organization. 2.5.3 Training Training is job oriented rather than personal. Training involves a series of actions aimed at preparing an individual with skills to do a particular job. It may be defined as â€Å"the systematic development of the attitudes, knowledge and skill patterns required by an individual in order to perform adequately a given task or job† Methods of Training The main methods of training include: i. Apprenticeship Training This is a method of training where the apprentice under studies his master for a number of years, learning all the basic skills involved in the profession. This type of training is given to young people who have either completed school or who have not been to school. This type of training is common and popular in professions like tailoring, dressmaking, carpentry, driving and masonry. The apprentice pays a certain amount to his master and he is not paid during the period of his/her training but given allowance as and when necessary by his/her master. ii. Supervisory Training This type of training is give to employees who have been appointed supervisors or foremen. Supervisory training involves the teaching of supervisors or foremen the skill of getting work done through others. It is therefore meant to improve on their leadership skills and qualities. It takes place in an institute in the form of seminars or workshops with discussions on leadership, morale, development, directing, and health and safety measures. iii. Executive Training Personnel in middle management and top management positions are covered under this type

Elizabeth Barret Browning Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a plain woman of the Victorian Era that was most remarkably gifted. She â€Å"was destined to become known to the world†(Preston xi). Elizabeth Barrett Browning became known for her poetry, because she showed marriages were her women character were often left emotionally unstable. In her book Recollections, Browning describes what poetry means to herself. She explained that it â€Å"became a distinct object with me; an object to read, think, and live for† (Preston xii). Browning was described as a strong woman-poet who had little to no training. She came from the â€Å"Italian hills into a prim English feminine household, and inevitably assuming there that attitude of superiority to everything about her which is so contrary to that of true genius† (Oliphant 1). According to L. Roberts Steven of The Critical Survey of Poetry, â€Å"Elizabeth Barrett Browning did not think it a kindness when critics praised her as a ‘woman poet’†(397). She wanted to be known as a poet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Browning’s main theme to her poetry was love plots, said Schneller editor of British Women Writers. The structure of Browning’s poems are unusually â€Å"centered on marriages which destroyed the woman involved†(Schneller 104). Browning’s women characters were almost always youthful, perverse, and fearless women that when â€Å"subdued into marriage†, would often take part in a â€Å"scandalous affair(s) with a robust lover†(Schneller 104). According to Schneller, the theme of love and marriage caught the eye of many readers, and made her known worldwide (104).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Browning published â€Å"The Seraphim and Other Poems† in 1838, and the critic Glenn Everett believed that this collection of poems was â€Å"the first volume of Elizabeth’s mature poetry†(Everett 1). Many critics agreed that this was the beginning of Browning’s road to success. The critic Schneller disagrees with Everett and felt that â€Å"Sonnets from the Portuguese†, â€Å"Casa Guidi Window†, â€Å"Aurora Leigh†, and â€Å"Last Poems† â€Å"represent(s) the best of Elizabeth Browning’s work†(106). The early stages of her poetry are described as â€Å"a sinewy and idiosyncratic colloquialism†, and the verse of her poem was too â€Å"sing-song and â€Å"immature†(Leighton 106).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leighton explains how in â€Å"Sonnets from the Portuguese† Browning declares her strong emo... ...wning. Baltimore. 1988   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From Book Five:[Poets and Presents Age]. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Criticism of Carlyle in â€Å"Aurora Leigh†. [Online] Available http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/ebb/html (1). Hayter, Alethea. British Writers Vol. IV. Charles Scribners Sons. The British Council. 1981. (311,315). Landow, George P. Biographical Fact and Fiction in â€Å"Aurora Leigh†. [Online] Available http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorianebb/ebbio.html Leighton, Angelia. British Women Writers. Chicago. Continum Publishing Co. 1989. (105-106). Oliphant, Margaret. Margaret Oliphant on E. B. Browining’s â€Å"Aurora Leigh†. [Online] Available http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/ebb/all.html (1). Preston, Harriet W. The Complete Poetical Works of Mrs. Browning. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1900. (xi, xii, xvi). Schneller. British Women Writers. Chicago. Continum Publishing Co. 1989. (104). Scudder, Horace E. The Complete Poetical Works of Mrs. Browning. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1900. Stevens, L. Roberts. The Critical Survey of Poetry. Salem Press. Boston. 1992. (397, 399).

Universality of Death of a Salesman :: Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman's universality comes from its fundamental themes and ideas which will adhere to place and time period it is. They have the ability to connect with such a universal audience because they take into account human nature. We, as readers or viewers, of the play can connect with the concepts presented because they are part of our everyday lives. Let's start off with one of the major themes in the play, which is the pursuit of a dream. For Willy Loman, it is the American dream. His false notion of this dream, which he believes with firm conviction, if you are "well liked" and "personally attractive" you will do well in business and life. The American dream is something that can be pursued, but not the way Willy perceived it. For example, Chris Gardner, the successful owner of stock brokerage, went from being a homeless man sometimes sleeping in public bathrooms to opening becoming a multimillionaire. His rags to riches story, like many others, show hard work and dedicati on can help you achieve your goals. Thousands of people come into the U.S. each year, many of them with the hope of building a better life in the "land of opportunity." Dreams can vary. We all have dreams because we want to achieve more so we can have a better life, whether it is in terms of wealth, health, family, or happiness. However, even with dreams and achievements, we may not always be able to get what we desire. Willy Loman was unable to see this. Even with defeat staring at him, his denial as well as his inability to face it, blinded him from accepting the truth. Another thing that makes this play timeless is the idea that, regardless of who we are, each one of us is a salesman and we will continue to be salesman. For example, teachers sell their beliefs and ideas to their students. People aspiring for a job sell themselves to the employers. The same thing goes when applying for colleges or when finding a mate. So, in that sense, we have a little bit of Willy Loman in us making this connection we can relate to him and hope not to make his mistakes. Death of a Salesman is just as significant in this time period as it was in 1949 is because a common man is trying to make it in his world.

Four Seasons Hotel Case Study Essay

A company’s strategy can be identified by figuring out what business approaches and actions the company undertakes. Thompson et al. (2009) outline the key elements to look for in the process of understanding a company’s strategy. Four Seasons’ differentiation based focused strategy is evident from the organisation’s strategic actions. Sharp’s decision to build on high-end luxury and modern amenities so as to outdo the old grand hotels (p.3, para.3) is an example of efforts to pursue new opportunities or defend against threats as well as actions to outcompete rivals, which provides basis for differentiation. By focusing on medium-sized hotels of exceptional quality with exceptional service levels (p.3, para.3), Four Seasons defines the business scale and differentiates itself from competitors through providing superior quality and service. This is one of the moves to build a competitive advantage thus outcompeting rivals. The action to go public to raise funds (p.3, para.4) is a response to changing external circumstances, which supports the business growth and paves the way for Four Seasons to be the market leader. In order to serve diverse needs of the customers, Four Seasons extends into the fields of luxury resorts (p.4, para.1) and residential properties (p.4, para.4). With such action to diversify, it enables Four Seasons to serve a market niche. An example of actions to merge or acquire rival companies is the ownership acquisition of Regent (p.4, para.2), and a strategic alliance is formed via selling stake to Prince Alwaleed (p.4, para.4). By doing so, Four Seasons improves its competitive position as the market leader. The shift of focus from ownership to management services (p.4, para.3) reflects Four Seasons’ efforts to pursue new opportunities or defend against threats and its responses to changing external conditions. The business model of Four Seasons is defined by this strategic shift. The regional management structure (p.5, para.4), the finalisation process of budget plan (p.6, para.2), the human resource management (p.8, para.3), and the recruitment policy (p.8, para.5) are examples of how functional activities are managed in Four Seasons. By optimising functional activities, it enables improved quality and customer service provided. Four Seasons’ actions to alter geographic coverage lie in its international expansion program (p.7, para.3), which enables business growth by reaching new markets and new customers. The distinctiveness of  properties that reflects the local culture (p.8, para.1) is another example of actions to diversify, which leads to differentiation. The actions to strengthen resources and capabilities that support quality and customer service improvement include the training and development programs (p.9, para.1) and the new initiatives to offer added convenience to guests (p.10, para.2). By linking the actions with the strategy, it can be summarised that a company’s strategic actions are driven by the strategy it employs (Thompson et al., 2009). Strategic Fit with External Environment Strategically relevant influences from the external environment can have a significant impact on the company’s strategy. Therefore, the strategy that the company employs must be responsive to the external environment (Thompson et al., 2009). The external environment outside Four Seasons affects its strategy in many aspects. Political The events such as the Iraq war, the September 11th attack and terrorism impact the hotel industry significantly, which lead to decreased profitability. As a response to the circumstances, Four Seasons dedicates to international expansion. Through wider geographic presence, it allows Four Seasons to make more profits in the areas that are less impacted thus enhancing the overall profitability. Amidst these challenges, Four Seasons manages to maintain its position as the market leader, which owes to its globalisation strategy. Economic As one of the largest factors that shape the strategy of Four Seasons, the economic recession pulls down the luxury hotels’ business and poses crisis for Four Seasons. It is no longer profitable to build and own hotels. As a result, Four Seasons shifts its focus from hotel ownership to hotel management services so that the financial risk is mainly borne by the hotel owners. Through management operations, Four Seasons is able to make the best use of its expertise and provide exceptional quality and service to the customers, thus gaining a competitive advantage over rivals. Social The trend of increasing international travel both in business and leisure markets creates more opportunities for the hotel industry. In order to better serve the travel needs of its existing customers and attract new international travellers, Four Seasons continues to expand its geographic coverage by adding five to seven hotels per year to key destinations, thus capitalising on the emerging opportunities. In response to the changing lifestyle of the global travellers who want personalised service, Four Seasons constantly innovates new ways to make business travel more efficient and leisure travel more enjoyable. By doing so, the differentiation strategy through superior customer service is enhanced. Technical In support of the rapid development of information technology, Four Seasons enhances its management services via operating a central reservations system, recommending information technology systems and developing certain database applications. It enables Four Seasons to be more profitable through optimised management services. Legal The nature of the leasehold agreement with three properties makes it difficult to sell the ownership and shift to management services, which results in adding losses to Four Seasons accounting. It reinforces Four Seasons’ decision to concentrate on management operations. In order to reduce the impact of these properties, Four Seasons continues to seek ways to improve the operating profitability. Environmental To follow the major trend of being environmental friendly, Four Seasons initiates recycling programs for glass, paper and other biodegradable garbage, in support of its uncompromised customer service. Such approaches help Four Seasons maintain its leadership position in luxury hotels. Strategic Fit with Internal Environment A comprehensive evaluation of a company’s resources and capabilities reveals the strengths and weaknesses in the present strategy so that adjustments and improvements can be made (Thompson et al., 2009). Four Seasons’ strategy facilitates the decision making on its internal activities in different ways. Four Seasons focuses on the market niche of luxury hotels. In order to better serve the diverse needs of the focused customers, Four Seasons extends into the fields of resorts and residential properties so that the customers who use the hotels can enjoy the same quality in resorts and residence clubs. By retaining the customer base and competing in different segments, Four Seasons is able to maintain its position as market leader. One of the strengths of Four Seasons is the attractive locations of its properties. With business and leisure travellers as the target customers, Four Seasons locates its hotels centrally in the commercial and financial districts of the world’s leading cities, while resorts and residential properties in world-class leisure destinations. It allows Four Seasons to attract more potential customers with its location advantage that are unmatched by rivals, thus gaining a competitive advantage. One major distinctive competency of Four Seasons is the exceptional customer service, which is delivered by its valuable human assets. The human resource management at Four Seasons makes sure that its employees treat the guests as they would wish to be treated. With high staff morale and high employee satisfaction, Four Seasons’ customers can expect the best possible customer service. Through the training and development programs, Four Seasons equips its employees with advanced skills and expertise. As a result, the employees are able to deliver services above desired standards while carrying out innovative solutions to solve customers’ concerns. With these highly trained and professional staffs, Four Seasons stresses ways to differentiate itself from rivals through superior customer service. The expertise in hotel management is another competitive capability of Four Seasons. In order to make the best use of its expertise, Four Seasons  concentrates on hotel management operations. To improve the operating profitability, Four Seasons engages in every aspect of the hotel operations on behalf of the owners, even before the hotel is built.