Hypothesis Supply Chain Management in Today’s Business Climate

Gathering and distributing information is as old as the human race itself. From the early days of cave paintings to today†s modern computer databases, human being has constantly searched to improve the way we communicate. In the business climate of today you must either have a state of the art information network or no clients. The cutthroat world of bushiness is cruel if your company can not keep up with the cutting edge technology. The way to beat the competition is to have the most state of the art information gathering and distribution network. Having this type of network is not the only battle, being able to use this system properly comes in handy as well. This paper is a walk through of information technology as it relates Supply Chain Management. Along this journey stops in the past, present, and future are made. Hypothesis Supply Chain Management in today†s business climate is the wave of the future. The gathering and distribution of information is the most important task in business today. History of Information Technology The evolution of Information Technology starts from the inception of the human communication. The real leaps and bounds came at the birth of the computer. Previously gathering of information took place without the use of real technology. Granted the use of writing letters and the use of telephone and telegraph speed the flow of information. These early forms did not have great storage capacity or easy access by many parties. The best analogy to use is a row of matches all lined up end to end. Traveling from one end to the other is the way the precomputer days had information flowing. With the use of a computer as a distribution point the picture of the matches changes from the line to a circle, with the distributor in the middle reaching all concerned groups at the same time. This visual perception shows the need for Supply Chain Management. The reason for Supply Chain Management is to make money. The easiest way to do so is to save time and space. The quick distribution of information does both. Information technology was first used as just a simple and efficient way of giving information out within the company. The main reason that these first uses were so simple is that the computer was also in its developmental stages. (Gordon, 1996) The painful fact was as much as companies wanted to more utilize the technology at hand it was expensive and consumed rooms full of space. With the later development of the desktop workstation corporations were better able to put the information at the fingertips of all their employees. This giant leap in both computer technology and information technology paved the way for some of the Supply chain†s current uses. The previous uses where to gather information from satellite sites throughout the company's domain and bring this information back to a central processing point. Examples of the types of information transferred are employee and supplier records, inventories, and sales figures for the branch. This one way flow of information was the old school of thinking when it comes to the science of information management. Supply Chain Management says that you have your information flowing in more than one direction to work. Specific hardware changes that helped boost the importance of Supply Chain Management are the shrinking of both the size and cost of each computer. The reduced size of memory chips made for the easy shrinkage of the computer due to the large portion of space that this component takes up. Other hardware improvements include the reduced size of the tubes in the monitor making them less like the floor console televisions of old. Along with all of these improvements another strange thing happened, the price went down, as new technology became available. The use of the computer to distribute and gather information became affordable to all companies great and small. Increased storage capacity allowed companies to gather and hold more information at their fingertips. (Davidow, 1996) The other changes in Supply Management came in software development. The increased power of computers led software designers to actually create programs like databases and spreadsheets. The ease of use and organized storage of information made new programs appealing to the business world. The need to store and distribute information became the market niche for companies like Lotus, JD Edwards and Computer Associates. Addressing concerns such as security and accesses were two points of emphasis for corporate software buyers. The big hurdle to cross was not how to just gather information within your own organization but to also explore outside those boarders to gain more cost and time savings with suppliers and customers. The tool that answered this call was the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web. This network of computers combined with the new hardware allows for the communication of information around the world in seconds. The other thing the Internet brings to the table is information that any one could access even from the privacy of their homes. The important change here is now you can reach potential suppliers and customers very inexpensively. Remember that information is not just for company employees, but the consumer who likes to make informed purchases. Enhancement of networks and systems allows your suppliers to solicit you to meet your need. This is different from the old style in which you contact the vendor with a need. With all the legwork being done to provide your company it†s supply†s you can concentrate on giving the customer what they want. All this is possible from properly managing your Supply Chain (Ross et al. , 1996). Current Supply Chain Applications Companies use Supply Chains in many different ways that suit their business needs. A company like Mrs. Fields cookies uses its Supply Chain resources to gain valuable information about each of its branch stores material needs. Along with this flow of information to central spot, the company provides direction and guidance back to the store managers from afar. By evaluating sales and inventory data district mangers make recommendations as to sales improvements and continued growth. Projections on material usage and personnel decisions and scheduling are handled from a central point. Companies like Microsoft use information technology to direct a global customer base and handle questions and concerns surrounding their product. Microsoft customer service representatives handle hundreds of electronic messages sent via the Internet about the customer†s latest purchase. Other uses include companies like Martian Marietta who use information gathering through the internet and suppliers to bid lower on contracts. The company does this by sending out specs of the project and letting teams of manufacturing employees† design to way to build the product. All the product requirements go to the suppliers for quotes and delivery schedules. From there the information goes back to the sales force who puts a dollar figure to the bid. This information exchange takes usually less than one week while leading competitors take over months. The reason other take so long is because of the face to face meetings and data organization time. Martin Marietta†s quick turn time does more than allow the sales force to bid on many contracts but allows for very accurate price quotes as well. Today many companies use the Supply Chain in different ways to suit their own needs. The basic principals are still the same, gain information and mold it while cutting down on the time it takes to get material and distribute the product to the customer. Gordon, 1996) One of the major tools used today is the Internet. Firms throughout the world use this global communication medium. The biggest importance to companies is keeping them in touch with the doings of other similar companies around the world. Uses of the Internet include soliciting potential customers as well as finding out what the competition is doing. This inexpensive form of advertising has become a favorite for marketing directors of all firms. This new medium allows for the connection to previously unreachable markets. Some companies like Amazon Books are a virtual company using the Internet as its headquarters. What Amazon does is sell books, but instead of being located in the local mall their location is Amazon. om on the Internet. This is an example of a true virtual Supply Chain, by reaching customers and suppliers alike with out actually being there. To place an order all that is requires is to gain access to the virtual store and then find what book you are looking for. The book arrives at your door by any number of package carriers, with a savings of 15 % or greater over a local bookstore. The reason prices are so cheap is there are no locations to lease and few employees run a store that services literally millions of customers from one location. Importance of Information In today†s global economy the transfer of a company's information is a daunting task. The role of a CIO in today†s large companies is more important than ever. Some companies have given the CIO equal ranking to that of the CEO. The current structure of the economy dictates that a company must be able to manage its information and Supply Chain assets. The most important part of any organization is the people. Tapping the information that is available is the task of the CIO. The job of knowledge management falls as the responsibility of all employees, though the majority of the burden lies on the CIO. Guiding and directing the Information assets of the company is also a task of the CIO. Falling behind competitors is a dangerous proposition, utilizing all of your employees and suppliers is the only way to gain new information and stay one step ahead of the competition. (Davenport, 1996) Other current IT considerations include the cutting down on time and space between customer needs and the companies answer to those needs. A prime example is the American auto industry. In the 1970†³s the turn time for a concept car to make the production line was any where between three and five years. Now though the use of the Supply Chain automakers converse with what the customer wants then relays the information to the design team then to purchasing then finally on to the production team to complete the build. The current turn time is around 18 months. This is a time reduction of over 50%; the cost savings are tremendous. The implementation process takes less time and the customer gets more input to the final product. These are the ideal benefits of Supply Chain Management at work for you. Some companies have even passed some of the money they are saving back to the customer. (Gerkits, 1997) Asian companies have a great idea that relates to information technology and the Supply Chain. This idea is that they share information between competitors not just with suppliers and customers. The reason that they do this is to cut down on research and development costs. The Information Technology has endless possibilities in this field, a general storage position that is accessible by all parties. The idea is that you dump information into the pool and you pull out information that is beneficial to your organization. As the information resides in a database, a person has the opportunity to mold that knowledge and redeposit the information in the knowledge warehouse thus, synergy results. This above process allows for two plus two too equal 5 or more. This information sharing is a fairly new concept to American companies and especially new in the world of Supply Chain Management. The possibilities are endless provided that you control the flow of information and every participant is an equal benefactor. Rasmus, 1996) This sharing of in formation leads to the major concern of Supply Chain Management as it progresses into the next century. That is the issue of security, and how to control that sensitive information does not fall in to the wrong hands. Conceivably your company's information assets, the people, could sell your in formation to others on the world market. The business espionage game has become big money; companies will pay any price to get an edge. This scenario looks less likely with increased sharing of information. Security remains a real concern with the internal access to information. The problem comes when your supplier has permissions to your database and uses this information to unfairly compete with your customers. With all employees having new information at their fingertips how do you prevent retrieval of personnel files and trade secrets to those who do not have the need to know? The answer is in many of today†s current software packages; the main stream idea is to limit access. What a company can do is install the information transfer programs but only allow certain sections to certain people. This variety of system is very popular with today†s companies because it solves the problem and is very inexpensive. Remember that anyone who wants to crack your security system can if they spend the right amount of money and time. (Gopal and Gagon, 1995) Current Company Values Due to recent large jumps in the value of the Stockmarket some analysts have thrown out the theory that companies are over valued. This statement may be true under the old accounting principles where a company's worth is the amount of liquid assets it holds. With the increased emphasis on information technology and Supply Chain Management companies are being looked at in a new light, this light is that people are information assets. This notion makes it rather difficult to put a price on a company. People are now assets on a balance sheet because they can transfer information and add to existing information. The best way to picture this is that every employee has a nugget of information to give to each company. Each employee drops their nugget in the database with the others, but instead of forgetting it they are able to extract back out information. They take a look at all of the nuggets and add to them pool creating a new nugget. From the new knowledge someone else gains a new insight and then adds this information to the pool. This type of relationship is what makes the employees so valuable to your company and to those companies of your suppliers and customers. This is the best reason why the Stockmarket has set record highs in recent years. Investors know there is an X dimension to a company that does not show up on a balance sheet (Drucker, 1995). Future Implications of Supply Chain Management One of the changes that may occur is that employees could work at more than one place imparting information that they gain from other experiences. This takes consulting one step farther and hires workers out to the highest bidder. Imagine sitting at home working for Pepsi and Coke at their same time developing new manufacturing techniques. The reason you could do this is because of telecommuting and one company does not necessarily know that you work for the other. There is nothing wrong with collecting two salaries for the same amount of knowledge. The value placed on the information that people gather and distribute will increase for the future. The most important business task done today is to collect and distribute information for your company that was gathered from your suppliers and customers. Some other new ideas are to follow in Amazon. com†s footsteps and become a virtual storefront on the Internet. Some companies now use the Internet to control the total logistics of their operation from ordering to customer distribution. With the increased processing of information the customer has the ease of staying at home to make purchases. The new technology of the future brings so much more information to the table than in the past, with this increased amount of information people can make more informed choices in both purchasing and delivery (Coull and Rothman, 1993). Drawbacks of Supply Chain Management With information technology providing today†s managers with literally thousands of pieces of information on one topic how do they still make the right choice? The final decision on a problem or project rests in the hands of the same person it did before all this information was so readily available. The problem is too much information. This problem leads to thinking too long about a project and the window of opportunity closes before your company has time to react. The decision-makers of the company have to sort vast amounts of information sifting through to find the pieces that are most useful to them. Information overload is a very real problem with larger supplier and customer databases. The manager still makes the call, right or wrong on a decision. Hopefully they possess more information than in the past. One of the other problems with the Supply Chain is that when first put on the market it promised to reduce the number of workers there by increasing productivity. The problem is that Supply Chain Management has only displaced jobs and no real productivity gains show up in most sectors of the economy (Attewell, 1996). Other hindrances to Supply Chain Management include less face to face interaction. This is a problem mostly on a sales side of the house. Companies are now on a Just In Time delivery system that brings their goods to the factories when they are ready to use them. The ordering process for this system uses Supply Chain values. What happens is that a buyer's inventory's records post on the supplier's system. They have a min. max. system in place telling the supplier when to ship the product. This definitely cuts down on the number of people in business who come by to check inventory levels and see if you are ready to place another order. With the new inter-plant communication people see less and less of their co–workers and supervisors. Telecommuting has also taken off for some companies. This method of work has very little face to face dialog. The customer may lose out as well; they do not receive the face to face support that they have know in the past with a particular product. Even know some companies do not answer your questions about a purchase with a real person a canned message is on a computer with options. This method of customer service is less expensive for companies so expect this trend to increase. This problem is more one for Social scientist than for smart business operations. (Davidow, 1995) The final drawback is the value of your company. This is not only a problem for investors, but also when you go to borrow money. How do you determine the exact worth of the corporation? Earlier we learned that company now has more value placed on them than just the liquid assets. How does a lending institution loan money, certainly not on the value of people? They need hard assets to back up a loan. What we have is two different values of the same firm. The problem comes when your market value far exceeds your lending value. The reason is that you may need a certain amount for a loan to stay competitive, yet because of hard asset value you can not afford it. The sale of more stock is an option, yet companies may not want to put themselves in a position to have a hostile take over (Rayport and Sviokla, 1995). Conclusion As the technology of gathering and distributing information and supplies increases our business world faces problems. The positive aspects far outweigh the changes that companies will make to accommodate new Supply Chain assets. Companies are currently getting on board the information technology train; this trend appears to continue in the future. Over the history of humanity there has never been a lack of need for information. The science of Supply Chain Management can either make or break business today based on utilization of the service. The company that remembers employees now play a major role in adding data to the information warehouse will reap large rewards. The personal uses of Supply Chains are still a bit behind the business world but still make home life a lot easier by paying the bills electronically. The value system has a way of righting itself, so company values on both the market and in lenders' eyes will equal in the end. The best proof positive example that the use of Supply Chain Management works is with the U. S. automakers and the recent increases in market share they have seen. The turnaround owes its success to the faster processing of information, especially the desires of the customer. Supply Chain Management is the most important set of skills and tasks that a company has today.

Analysis of Social Movements in the Egyptian Revolution

The Egyptian Revolution can undoubtedly be considered one of the significant events of the 2011. However, even after three months since the 18-day revolution, people are still unable to determine whether or not this revolution will bring about positive amends to Egyptian society. Having said that, the Egyptian Revolution has shown to be a convenience to many sociologists, as it offers a promising case study on social movements. Throughout this three-month revolution aftermath, it has become clear that the January 25th Revolution has brought about symptoms of virtually all sorts of social movements. In the typical sociological perspective, social movements are collective efforts to bring about social or political change. Characteristics of a social movement include it being goal-oriented, having a unified ideology, and having an organized, sometimes bureaucratic, system. Social movements can be characterized by the type of change they promote. There are six major types of social movements: expressive social movements, progressive social movements, resistant social movements, reformative social movements, revolutionary social movements, and utopian social movements. Expressive social movements attempt to change individuals, rather then directly trying to change institutions or laws. Evangelical groups and Alcoholic Anonymous groups offer examples. Members of such movements believe that because institutions are people-created, they can only be changed by changes in people. Progressive social movements attempt to improve society by making positive changes in institutions and organizations. The Labor Movement and Civil Rights Movement exemplify progressive social movements. Resistance movements, rather than advocating change, seek to hold it back and keep the status quo. For instance, an example of this type of movement is the anti-gun control movement. Reformative social movements attempt to make a major change to some aspect of society or politics in general. For instance, efforts to end the death penalty, or efforts to apply gun control in a society are considered reformative social movements. Revolutionary social movements advocate a radical shift in the fundamental structure or practice of a society. Such types of social movements tend to involve violence. Almost all revolutionary social movements arise when a specific segment of the population is strongly oppressed or generally dissatisfied with the society they inhabit. Examples of revolutionary social movements include the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution. The last type of social movement is the utopian social movement. Such movements seek to create an ideal social environment from an image of a perfect society. They tend to reject violence as a method to gain its goal. Examples of such revolutions include Gandhi’s Peaceful Revolution and the counterculture movement in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. First and foremost, the Egyptian Revolution, according to its name, can obviously be categorized under a revolutionary social movement. During the 18-day uprising, people, people assembled in the now distinguished, Tahrir Square, for a simple, yet drastic agenda. They called for the resignation of the President as well as his staff, substantial amendments to the constitution, and a promise for a democratic nation that grants its people their human rights. The protestors remained devoted to their aims until they eventually had them fulfilled. The fact the protestors’ agenda was realized makes the January 25th incident a revolution and not a revolt. Furthermore, unlike in reformative social movements, participants of the Egyptian Revolution called for drastic change in the ruling system. Reformative social movements tend attempt to gain rights and protection for some segment of society without changing other aspects. The Egyptian Revolution brought forth a change to the whole system. Furthermore, among the participants of the Egyptian Revolution, there were undoubtedly protestors that exemplified the symptoms of a utopian social movement. Evidently, many of the protestors zestfully chanted â€Å"Selmeya! Selmeya! † (Arabic roughly meaning, â€Å"Remain peaceful! †). Despite the eventual violence and chaos that emerged in streets all around Egypt, there is sufficient evidence to prove that many protestors did in fact call for non-violent demonstration. After the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, symptoms of other social movements began appearing. For instance, having had their nationalist spirit replenished, many citizens took part in expressive social movements to better themselves and abide more strictly to their moral codes. Such campaigns can easily be observed by watching the television, as there have been many advertisements urging Egyptians to take better care of their nation. Additionally, progressive movements sporadically appeared after the resignation of the 83 year-old President. After the ouster of the President, minority groups in the population, such as the Copts, began calling for better treatment by the government. Also, groups that were previously subjugated by the government, specifically Islamist groups, began appealing for the Islamic amendments they asked for before. Such groups eventually came up with more stringent demands, that their progressive movements became reformative movements. For instance, the Copts who protested at the State’s ‘Maspiro’ building initially called for better conduct towards Coptic Christians in Egypt, however they eventually began calling for the change in the article of the constitution that states that Egyptian law is mostly derived from Islamic ‘Sharia’a’ Law. Ultimately, it is without a shadow of a doubt that the Egyptian January 25th revolution brought about the trend of desiring change. Hence, Egypt is commonly seeing all sorts of social movements nowadays. Having said that, although the change-urging groups in Egypt all claim to have the good of the country as their top priority, it must be acknowledged that a large number of these groups of conflicting ideologies. On top of that, many participants of these social movements derive their ideologies from religion, and thus this makes the matter delicate. Throughout the past few months, Egypt has seen a number of incidents involving sectarian strife. Such incidents gave a warning signal to what this revolution may very well lead to. The question to ask now is will Egypt remain â€Å"2eed wahda† (Arabic for â€Å"one hand†) as they fervently chanted during the 18-day uprising, or will contradictions in ideologies and demands for change lead to a theological strife within Egypt.

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is software that potentially manages the various processes in business. Primarily, it works on a platform utilizing the various meanings of data within one database. Today, companies find that they have to creatively and conveniently respond to increasing globalization, critical changes in business trends, and the condition of the economy (Leyh, Gebhardt and Berton 913). Businesses need to be ready for changes in the government or society such as reducing financial compensation from both state and local governments. Therefore, organizations normally find that they have to come up with solutions that suit these conditions to enhance convenient administrative processes in business. Cloud-based ERP system Cloud-based computing gives the individuals who operate a database the access to software applications which are managed from the available computing resources like the memory through the use of the Internet. Since the introduction of this system, cloud computing has gained a massive reputation internationally. Over the past few years, several enterprises have adapted some of their resources into a cloud (Gunawan and Surendro 57). Notably, the trend is attached to the simplified accessibility to resources and easy facilitation of data sharing. In a significant number of enterprises, the management noted the system availed resources with the need of computing resources working directly in a specific system. The architecture of Cloud-Based EPR SystemCloud-based ERP system falls under the cloud software service. Typically, the average ERP involves installing the system in each terminal while the cloud-based type provides access to the resources without necessarily having the ERP installed on each computer (Gunawan and Surendro 60). Therefore, there is increased convenience on installation and ERP access although the integrity is maintained. An ERP system may also be regarded as the actualization of a blueprint availed by the framework of a business. In the case that the ERP transits to a cloud server, the architecture of the company similarly moves. As such, it is essential to provide configuration details about the technology architecture of an enterprise. Comparatively, the design needs to be defined by an enterprise as long as it uses a cloud computing model. Important to realize, this architecture should also depict better performance compared to the systems that do not entail the cloud-adaptin method. Consequently, to affirm that the ERP can migrate successfully, the blueprint proposed by the enterprise need to be critically evaluated as it is a fundamental need of the architecture. In comparison with the orthodox ERP, the cloud-based ERP comprises of a system where users can access resources through the Internet. However, the former relies on the availability of a Local Area Network (LAN) for the operation of the ERP in the enterprise. LAN connects computers from one organization within a single building by use of a network termed as an intranet. Multi-tenancy is a popular notion in software architecture mainly used in the cloud-based application. Significantly, it concerns a single set of applications used to manage the several users on one instance. The term implies that although the availed resources have a unique sole purpose, their design allows for them to remain mostly adjustable to satisfy the needs of the business. The potential to manage several users is achieved through sharing hardware and data storage. Despite the sharing of resources, the security of data needs to be upheld to avoid specific users from affecting others on the network. Therefore, there are four entities which have to be assessed. First, resource isolation is vital based on the fact that tenants make use of a similar infrastructure and code (Gunawan and Surendro 61). Second, the configuration aspects imply that data needs to have characteristics that are adaptable to suit various tenants. Third, the element of security calls for measurements to be put in place owing to the high risk sharing codes and data among tenants poses. Finally, the scalability concept appeals to the design and applicability of the software for to satiate conditions for reaching levels that can be measured. The most common approach for the multi-tenant concept is Separate Database. Arguably, it is one of the simplest models for isolating data as data for each user is kept separately. However, there is also a Shared Database approach where all tenants occupy similar database instances although they are all assigned an own schema. In this strategy, data from all users is kept in one database using a similar schema. The cloud-based ERP system allows its users to configure the service required from the host. This is necessary to fulfill individual needs and still upholding the integrity of data. The concept is entirely valid although the blueprint provided by an enterprise determines the architecture and necessary ERP modules. Such information is relevant for choosing the specific modules responsible for purchasing modules that contribute towards organizational development (Zhu and Dong 4765). The principal reason behind customization and identifying particular modules depends on the financial capability of companies. Importantly, the multi-tenancy concept allows the provider to avail specific packages in light os the needs of every tenant without having to alter the whole system software. Comparison to Recent Technological Developments While cloud computing is a significant step forward in business, many businesses have not yet adopted this technology. The ERP system focuses extensively on the infrastructure without considering the end-user. As such, it only enhances the reliability which is not as significant to businesses. The Blockchain industry is young although it is quite capable mainly since it offers solutions in the supply chain. The technology can implement logistics metrics concerning order deliveries. Unlike the cloud-based ERP system, blockchain overcomes the forth and back step issue. It empowers all members in a supply chain which fosters the development of all critical contributors within a system. A step forward in cloud-based ERP system implies two steps backward to the end user. The explanation relates to the reason why innovations are directed towards upgrading the interface and improving the performance. Companies Affected While many businesses are continually adopting the cloud-based ERP solutions, specific enterprises are employing the system given the minimal IT requirements it demands. Notably, this system is applicable for distribution, service, and nonprofit businesses. On that note, however, new startups and accomplished mid-sized companies stand a chance to benefit the most. Successful and established companies are likely to stick to the traditional technologies. Conclusion Cloud-based ERP system is one of the most successful software adopted by companies since the introduction. It allows users to access computing resources remotely although the Internet needs to be present. With a multi-tenant architecture, several users can operate a database in one instance without disruption. The enterprise specifications determine the nature of the system and the security of data needs to be sensitized. ?

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems - Essay Example The paper tells that within a modern business environment, employers must balance the needs of the business with the requirements of the employees. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an important aspect of this, where employers organise and develop strategies for working with their employees. Many employees work inefficiently, as they have no desire to perform well for the company. This comes from the fact that what is good for the company is not necessarily the same as what is best for the employee. Businesses are generally aiming to make the highest profit possible, while employees are working for the money that they need to live. Performance-related pay is a system in which the company attempts to align the interests of the employees with the interests of the business, by providing employees with incentives to work hard. The exact form of the system differs substantially between different companies, with some offering commission-based pay, some paying employees a certain rate per unit produced and others paying based on team performance. There are many other variations of performance-based pay and it is a popular means of increasing overall output for a business. Performance-related pay is common in Britain and has been used for government employees as well as many large companies. However, despite the popularity of the system, current research is questioning whether performance-related pay is actually effective. Evidence suggests that this may be a mechanism that is useful in some circumstances, and counterproductive in others. The need for performance-related pay In the standard work environment, people work because they need the money, not because they have a strong loyalty for the company. While some individuals may strive to put in effort to make sure that they perform well and that they are an asset to the company, most are content with doing the minimum that is required of them. Because the success of the company does not directly affect their pay che ck, most people have no interest in how well the business does. Research suggests that compensation is the most effective driver of motivation, behaviour and attitude within the workplaces. While forms of compensation vary, money has been shown to be the most influential . Consequently, the money that employers pay their staff members plays a crucial role in maintaining relationships and the development of motivation. Pay is an essential component of the relationship between employer and employee. For the employer, it is an important component of the costs of the company and is used for bringing in new talent as well as maintaining the current labour force. For the employee, pay is used as a way of paying for living expenses, and also represents how valued he is by the employer. A person who receives a higher wage feels that what they do is important, and may put in more effort as a result. In contrast, people who feel that they are being underpaid often do not work hard, and tend t o have low morale which further decreases productivity. The traditional method of wage distribution has been non-performance-related, and pay increases have been related to a range of aspects, such as minimum wages, seniority, the cost of living or the need to retain staff. However, this system does not encourage skill development or employees to work at their maximum potential. Additionally, under this system pay rises were often associated with promotions. This can be difficult, as a person must be promoted in order to receive a pay rise and the number of positions present in a company is limited. Increasing an individual’s pay acts to reinforce positive behaviour, making it more likely that the behaviour will be repeated. Within a company, there are often many individuals that perform the same role, however they differ in terms of knowledge, experience and performance . For a business to remain competitive, it is important that their employees work to their maximum pot

Advice to student about buying a house Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advice to student about buying a house - Article Example According to Mr. Buffetts principle, the more people fear home ownership, the closer the investment comes to perfection. Although around 30% to 50% of current mortgages have sunk in the recent years in the U.S. market, recent weeks have seen good terms of investment which means that the market is not extremely on the negative side. Besides, housing prices have been on the rise tremendously with Case-Shiller Index rising by 2.2% in more than 20 urban cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Minneapolis. This increase has been on the rising trend which makes renting not a better alternative. Buy a house when you are fully prepared to settle down in one place. The housing market is very volatile. Prices rise and fall within few years or even months. Buying a house when you have not decided to stay for long exposes one to transactions of buying and selling and thus the risk of losing more money during reselling. Another problem is capital gain tax which will be required of you if you sell the house at a profit. This indicates that either way, it is a loss-loss situation. Buying a house is feared by many people because of mortgage charges. However, proper analysis of renting a house reveals other underlying costs in renting a house as opposed to buying a house. Buying a house is a good investment when done

The Effects of Postural Changes, Exercise and Cognitive Stress on Essay

The Effects of Postural Changes, Exercise and Cognitive Stress on Human Arterial Pressure and Pulse Rate - Essay Example High blood pressure turns out to be silent killer which many people fail to detect, since it does not have any easily identifiable symptoms. The Circulatory System, which plays a major part in coronary health, functions mainly in the transportation of blood carrying nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body. However, the Circulatory System is subjected to various pathological conditions. Pathological conditions may result from the abnormality of any component or processes in the Circulatory System. Heart disease results when coronary blood vessels are damaged and cannot provide adequate circulation of blood to the supporting cardiac muscles and tissues, thereby affecting the overall functionality of the systemic arterial blood pressure. According to the World Health Organization, 17 million people die of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) including strokes and heart attacks annually (WHO, 2011). High blood pressure, specifically, has been identified as a major risk factor for most CV Ds and therefore, it should be monitored. The primary importance of studying the components and the processes of the circulatory system is to understand the relationship between the functions and the structures, and for proper diagnosis of the diseases affecting the Circulatory System. Normal blood pressure (BP) is generated when the blood flows through the arterial blood vessels. During systolic contraction, blood pressure peaks at 120 mmHg and drops to 70 or 80 mmHg during the diastolic phase. Essentially, blood pressure can be used as an indicator for abnormalities in processes or in structures within the Circulatory System. For example, changes in the elasticity of the arterial walls as in the case of arteriosclerosis can be identified by the increase in pulse pressure; however, it is the mean arterial pressure (MAP) that is important clinically. MAP is the main pressure that drives blood for systemic circulation. It is regulated to ensure that sufficient amount of blood is prop elled to the tissues, but the pressure would not be high enough to cause extra workload for the heart. As the blood passes through the arterial walls, the arteries expand to accommodate the amount of blood pumped by the heart.  

The Alarming Increase of Children Diagnosed with Autism Essay

The Alarming Increase of Children Diagnosed with Autism - Essay Example What is autism? Recognized a half century ago (Hanchette), Autism is a developmental disorder that has been deemed very severe and begins anytime between the birth of the child and 2 Â ½ years of age. These children are normal in appearance, but they will engage in various disturbing behaviors that are obviously different than the behaviors of normal children. There are also varying degrees of autism. Those who have less severe cases may be diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or Asperger’s Syndrome in which the child may have normal speech, but display some social and behavioral problems that are associated with autism (unknown, autism.com/autism). But believe it or not, it was once believed that autism was to be accepted as is because it was thought that nothing could be done about it. But now there have been a variety of treatment methods developed which have proven to be very helpful in leading to great improvement. Yet there is also the unfortunate fact that some treatments may have little or no effect at all on the autistic child (unknown, autism.com/autism). So why was autism thought to be hopeless? Well, for many years autism was thought to be a very rare occurrence. The average number of children born with autism was 5 out of every 10,000 live births (unknown, autism.com/autism). But since the 1990’s, there has been a very noticeable rise in the number of children developing autism. This rise is telling us that there is an average of 60 children out of 10,000 born with autism in which boys outnumber the girls four to one. As of 2007, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism (unknown, autism.com/autism). To think that in 1992 there were only 2,800 kids with autism in the entire state of California. When 2002 rolled around, that number had increased to 20,400 and as of 2004, the number of autistic children in California reached a staggering 24,000. That is a 440% increase between the years 1994 and 2004. New York is up 200% in the last decade and Pennsylvania has reached a 900% incr ease (Hanchette). It is very obvious with the latest statistics that autism is undergoing a significant rise, which makes it very important that the behavioral and physical signs are recognized as early as possible to ensure the appropriate treatment is administered. It is said that the sooner the child is treated, the better the outcome. With increased awareness of the signs and treatment being administered early, there are autistic children attending regular classrooms and some can live somewhat independently in a community setting. However, autistic people do not lose the impairment that comes along with autism that affects their ability to communicate and socialize successfully. This aspect, unfortunately, continues to haunt them for the duration of their lives. Behavioral signs of autism There are various behavioral signs associated with autism. These signs include: repetitive behaviors, lack of speech, withdrawal from parents or siblings, very little or no social interaction (Hanchette). If the child displays no big smiles or other expressions of joy by six months old, then that is a huge red flag. Another sign is if they do not share facial expressions, sounds or smiles, or if the child has not spoken by 16 months or has used multiple worded phrases with meaning by 24 months, those could all be