Case Analysis: Staffing Wal-Mart Stores Essay

Wal-Mart has been ranked in the Fortune’s list of the top 100 companies to work for in the United States (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart had increased their workforce from 1996 to 2001 by almost 50 percent, of which the percentage of women decreased from 67 percent to 64 percent during this time. Wal- Mart had used a hierarchical human resources (HR) structure that consisted of several levels of management, divisions, and regions. â€Å"In 2001, management employees earned about $50,000 on average while hourly employees earned $18,000† (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart’s â€Å"Division One† had over 2,600 stores which were organized in five or six divisions, with five or six regions within their given area, and 80 to 85 stores within each region (Mark, 2003). Policies were set on a computer-based information system that employees could access at any time, along with watching videos on the company’s history, and reading the associate handbook. Promotions were given based on performance evaluations and requirements. Certain allegations were made that Wal-Mart was more male oriented in higher-level positions, and overall hiring more men than women. Wal-Mart created a goal to make the percentage of women employees 50 percent of the workforce. A problem exists in that Wal-Mart has fought off any organizing attempts of unions by their employees, which limits employees’ influence on policies and company process’s. This problem filters down to the hiring and promotional process that occurs within the company. As stated in the case study, â€Å"†¦from date of hire until first being promoted to an assistant manager was 4.38 years for women and 2.86 years for men. For store managers, the times were 10.12 years and 8.64 years respectively† (Mark, 2003). From the numbers, men were promoted faster than women, but Wal-Mart states that promotions were given based on performance evaluations. Furthermore, it was stated store managers filled positions with lateral moves and waiving minimum requirements as a way of bypassing the process (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart published documents to reflect how committed they are to fair practices. On the flip side, the public can now scrutinize Wal-Mart by using their public reports against them. A public article stated, â€Å"women associates had stated that Wal-Mart supervisors told them that men were paid more because they had families† (Mark, 2003). Included in the same article was a Wal-Mart official that admitted to writing that customers should feel as if they can trust Wal-Mart employees â€Å"with their wife and their wallet† (Mark, 2003). Additional information would have to be offered pertaining to the required practices and process’s Wal-Mart has in place for the hiring of employees and promoting employees from within the company. Does Wal-Mart have a policy where an entry-level employee can be hired, and managers and supervisors are promoted from within the company? Surveys and reports taken from current employees for their thoughts on the numbers of men to women in various positions will help with determining where and how severe the problem is. Why is Wal-Mart continuously voted one of the best company’s to work for if there was a serious problem internally? Possible solutions to the problem can range from having more People Division (HR) employees to oversee a smaller number of stores, to filtering public reports that may potentially create a negative perception of the company. Implementing more People Division employees within each region will allow more attention to be given for each store. Wal-Mart looks to move towards making their employment equity record balanced. This is apparent when taking into consideration the numerous letters to managers to push for making the numbers of men to women more equal. Wal-Mart can filter applications submitted and have them separated and reviewed on an as needed basis on what gender is needed more at a specific store. Rank the applications per region based on specific qualifications and gender. Then rank the region and the stores within this region on which store needs more women or men employees. For promoting employees, a minimum requirements list should be associated with each job position. A series of events should happen for each promotion beginning with the supervising manager and ending with the People Division Executive Vice President. Possible candidates are nominated and then screened by higher-level management along with those that apply. Only employees that meet all the requirements should be considered. Regional management will have the biggest influence on the hiring or promotion of an employee since they are ultimately responsible for that region. To be equal to all candidates applying for a given promotion, a test or jeopardy style game should be played and the winner is given first chance to take job. The test and game questions will pertain to company policies, job duties, and associate handbook information. Another solution would be for the employees to form a union. This would give the employees some power to fight for their working rights. Unionizing the employees would give them some power to make sure all employees were treated fairly within their workplace. Adding more people to the People Division will increase employee expenses for the company. Also, the addition of more People Division employees will create more training to be done and could take People Division employees away from their daily responsibilities. On the other hand, the addition of more People Division employees could help with balancing out a gender issue and hiring more of one gender than the other. More People Division employee’s means that you can have more HR employees present at more stores at one time. This will help with moving towards employment equity faster and mitigating any problems quicker. This may be the best solution for Wal-Mart and maintaining their reputation for being one the best companies to work for. As for the filtering of applications, having minimum requirements set for each job, and regional management having a large influence on the decision for who gets promoted, this would all cause more attention for them. Filtering applications may already be done, but this can lead to being accused of discrimination. Wal-Mart stating that they â€Å"urge† their supervisors to correct any inequalities in the store that pertain to gender is already a basis for being accused of gender discrimination. A store has fewer women than men and the store hires women to balance it out. The men are being discriminated now. An employee of a specific gender is promoted to balance out the men to women ratio amongst regional and store managers. That is still discrimination towards the opposing gender. It would be a lose-lose situation for Wal-Mart. Holding a test and a jeopardy style game could be a viable screening act to allow the most knowledgeable, company savvy person to be first in line for the promotion. The questions will pertain to specific company policies, job duties and responsibilities, and associate handbook. The negative part of this would be creating a competitive environment that can distract employees from their job. Also, time would have to be taken to allow for the taking of the test and the playing of the game, and the possibility of several promotions at the same time would pose a problem. The formation of a union for the Wal-Mart employees would have great benefits for them, but possible negative aspects at the workplace. Being unionized means that the employees would make less money due to union dues, but could have better benefits and more job security. Wal-Mart holds the power by keeping unions out and keeping the power to make decisions without possible employee strikes. Hiring or implementing more People Division employees would play as the best solution for the problem. Increasing the amount of â€Å"eyes† the People Division have in the stores will help with the hiring and promoting of employees to be done quicker. Having more People Division employees means more time at stores and with employees educating them on issues at the workplace, company culture, and the process’s that the company has in place. Rather than regional and area managers visiting every few weeks, there would be a People Division employee visiting a few times a week. The new People Division employees could put more policies in place due to the familiarity of the stores. These policies will be enforced more having the HR employee present more often. This could also alleviate the perception of customers and employees that think men are promoted more based on their gender. Specific requirements are present with each job position and the best candidate for that position would get it. Performance evaluations can help validate a manager’s decision on which he/she nominates to be promoted. A man or woman who are both in the running for the same position, and they both meet the requirements and have similar performance evaluation reports, the person that has been with the company the longest will then be chosen. The article mainly pertains to the employment equity goal within Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s constant push against the employees unionizing has allowed them to expand, become the low price leader, and keep company costs low. References Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (A) [case study]. Ivey Management Services. Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (B) [case study]. Ivey Management Services.

Disraeli: An unprincipled adventurer in politics Essay

â€Å"An unprincipled adventurer in politics.† How fair is this interpretation of Disraeli in the period 1837- 1846? 1st DRAFT Over the years, the political character of Disraeli has bewildered historians as much as it did his colleagues. Previously historians, such as Machin, had an inclination to accept the view of his contemporary critics which was often, that in the obscurities of his politically life prior to 1846, Disraeli was â€Å"An unprincipled adventurer in politics†, motivated by his own personal ambition rather that a doctrine of political principles. Yet recently there has been an upsurge in the number of historians that believe Disraeli did possess a clear set of ideas. These principles originated from Disraeli’s understanding of English history and values, and that a desire to defend and realize his conception of England gave his career coherence. Disraeli saw himself as a foe of dangerous cosmopolitan ideas that were damaging the national spirit and creating social conflict.1 Whilst Disraeli can be considered as unprincipled in his methods, Disraeli’s underlying sense of political purpose, and the rhetoric he used to promote his objectives, never changed thus showing that he was truly a principled politician. In the early 1830s Disraeli stood in several elections as a Whig, Radical and as an Independent. However, Disraeli was a Tory by the time he won a seat in the House of Commons in 1837 representing the constituency of Maidstone. These frequent changes of allegiance to the different political groups are one of the ways which one can claim Disraeli to be unprincipled but was he? Disraeli claimed that his switch to conservatism was due to his belief in the fact that Conservatives defended the interests of the people. This claim for can be proven by the fact that in the 1822 the Tory party under Lord Liverpool’s administration argued for the rights of Dissenters and even repealed the Test and Corporations Act which allowed for protestant dissenters to hold positions in public office. In addition, in 1836 Disraeli wrote and published the pamphlet ‘Vindication of the English Constitution (1835). In this pamphlet, Disraeli described the Whigs as a party, tried to monopolise the government by enslaving the monarchy during the 18th century. This evidence also leads to Ian St John’s conclusion that Disraeli was always a ‘Tory Radical’ who believed that the Tory party was the true party since the Whigs pursued ‘a selfish agenda in the interests of a narrow elite’2 . In addition, he claimed that the Tories had shown themselves to be a truly ‘national party’, representing the views of ‘nine-tenths of the people’.3 This evidence agrees with Disraeli’s own claim that the Tory party was the actual party of the people, and in this way one can say that Disraeli’s switch to conservatism was based upon a principled grounding. Further arguments that Disraeli’s switch to conservatism was based on his principle and not on his own personal ambitions are that during Disraeli’s earlier attempts for Parliament, he had always argued for agricultural assistance. This belief formed an integral part of the Tory party’s principals since in 1815 a Tory government had introduced the Corn Laws as a means of protecting the British agricultural market from an influx of cheap foreign corn. In addition, one can argue that Disraeli’s switch to Conservatism could also be a result from the fact that the Conservative party was the party Disraeli grew up around. During his youth Disraeli had met George Canning who was a friend of his father, in addition in the 1830s Disraeli was drawn to the Conservative’s party social circles. Through these functions he was introduced to Lord Lyndhurst (a former Tory Chancellor) by Lady Henrietta Sykes.4 Therefore one can say that through his background, fundamental beliefs and social circles, Disraeli was a natural Conservative in the same way that Gladstone was a natural Liberal However, for many historians these are not the main reasons as to why Disraeli became a Conservative MP. In 1834 Disraeli received Conservative financial support from Lord Lyndhurst who was his patron.5 This inextricably linked Disraeli to the Conservative party, especially when one considers the fact that Disraeli was not competent with his domestic economics and would therefore never be able to repay Lyndhurst. In conclusion one can say that Disraeli’s conversion to the Conservative party was mainly a genuine switch even though it may have been influenced by the generosity of Lord Lyndhurst The character of Disraeli can also been seen to be principled in is by his belief that rich members of society have a duty to the poor. This belief was expressed in Disraeli’s reaction to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. This Bill founded a Poor Law Commission to supervise the national operation of the Poor Law system, included the moulding together of small parishes into Poor Law Unions and the building of workhouses in each union for the giving of poor relief. The act was â€Å"Whig-Benthamite reforming legislation of the period†6 passed by Earl Grey in order to dissuade people from becoming poor and wanting to join the Work house system. In 1840 Disraeli condemned the New Poor Law and the Work house system due to his belief that the government should help the poor in a paternal way. This marked the start of Disraeli’s belief in one nation Toryism. The idea of ‘One nation Toryism’ was present in Disraeli’s novel Sybil, where he described Britain as â€Å"Two nations †¦ the rich and the poor.† 7 Disraeli believed that the ideology of young England, the 1852 budget and the 1867 Reform Act. Therefore this shows that Disraeli’s devotion to a Romanticised version of society where the upper classes had a duty to the poor was a stead fast principle of Disraelian politics. Another way in which Disraeli expressed his principles of preserving social harmony and helping the poor was through his sympathy to the Chartists. Chartism was a movement established in 1836 and controlled by working men who wanted to achieve parliamentary democracy as a step towards social and economic reform. In 1840 Disraeli was one of only 5 MPs who argued against the heavy punishments given to Chartists. This was due to the fact Disraeli believed that that political rights ensured social happiness. In his Chartist novel, Sybil or the two Nations, Disraeli gave the only fictional account of Chartism which understood the political demands of the movement8. This reaction to Chartism showed Disraeli as being principled as his desire to help the poor was present in his 1852 budget since he wanted to reduce indirect taxation on malt and tea, and levy the income budget. This would have helped with the working class who were more affected by indirect taxation than they were direct taxation as Gladstone would soon realise. In addition, one of the main values of Disraeli’s Young England was the conservative and romantic strand of Social Toryism that included the patronage of ‘noblesse oblige as the basis for its paternalistic form of social organization.’9 In addition, through his 1867 Reform Bill Disraeli also enhanced the franchise of the professional and middle classes. Despite the fact that cynical historians such as —- may see Disraeli’s attempts to widen the political field as a way of getting a Conservative political stronghold, the line of thought that Disraeli was a ‘Radical Tory’ dispels their claim. This is because Disraeli was radical in the sense that he welcomed the Reform and wanted to push British politics towards a ‘democratic principle’ of government with ‘triennial elections and the secret ballot.’10 This notion of wider representation links in with the previous argument of why Disraeli became a conservative MP. By extending the political map Disraeli believe that the English Nation would be better represented as it would dispel the oligarchical control that the Whigs held in Parliament. Therefore one can argue that Disraeli’s support of Chartism shows him as a principal politician as it reflects his belief in a need for reform in the Victorian political system. The case of Disraeli staying with his principles of a Romantic, paternalistic society is also evident in Disraeli’s works of fiction and his membership of Young England. Disraeli had helped to form the Young England group in 1842 based upon the that the middle class now had too much political power and an alliance between the aristocracy and the working class was needed to keep society functioning. Disraeli suggested that the aristocracy should use their power to help protect the poor yet a social hierarchy that should be maintained.11 Yet despite making these views of paternalism evident in his legislature such as the 1852 budget and his response to the 1843 Poor Law amendment historians such as Ian St John always ask how seriously did Disraeli regard young England? This is an obtuse question. Young England was an important tool of Disraeli’s as it helped him to publicise his political beliefs and during 1842 they helped him attack the Poor Law, and the rationalist sys tem of thought. In addition, due to his unconventional education, Young England was also vital to Disraeli as it allowed him to network within the Conservative party despite the fact that he was an outsider due to his Jewish ethnicity and middle class background. One can also argue that Disraeli showed a clear commitment to the ideologies of Young England due to his writings. Disraeli’s novels Coningsby (1844), Sybil (1845) and Tancred (1847) all show concern about poverty and the injustice of the parliamentary system. In Coningsby, Disraeli attacked the Tamworth Manifesto as ‘an attempt to construct a party without principles’. Moreover, his subsequent novel Sybil shows the start of one nation Toryism as it shows concern about the development of two nations causing a schism in society. This novels are critical as they all show Disraelian principals since all the novels show a continuation of Disraeli’s beliefs of a Romantic notion of government and desire for reform and in this way can be said to be principled. Moreover Young England is proof of Disraeli’s principles as it shows that his belief in a Romantic system of government and paternalism was as present in his ideals as a young man, as they were when he was Prime minister in the 1870s. The main argument for Disraeli being an ‘unprincipled adventurer’ in politics is often due to his relationship with Peel. There are often three main views to this section of Disraeli’s early political career. The first view is that Disraeli led his attack on Peel for revenge. According to Norman Lowe Disraeli was ‘furious when Peel did not offer him a place in his 1841 cabinet and perhaps because of this Disraeli lead the attack on Peel over the Corn Law repeal’12.However this account for Disraeli’s attack on Peel is highly flawed. In his biography on Disraeli, Christopher Hibbert claims that in 1844 Peel had wrote to Disraeli apologising for dismissing his offer to work in his cabinet and stating that if he had offended Disraeli it was ‘wholly unintentional on [his] part†13 Hibbert then goes on to state that this apology showed that the animosity between the two men was no longer tangible and, soon after the apology was made Disrae li and three member of Young England ‘voted with the government’14! In fact, Hibbert then goes onto disclose that Peel actually praised Disraeli’s speech on the Irish question calling it ‘very able’. These are all very clear examples showing how Disraeli’s direct and very public attack on Peel over the issue of the repeal of the Corn Laws could not have been a result of Peels rebuff in 1841. Both men had declared a truce with each other (although Grenville did comment in his diary that Disraeli’s speech on the Ireland question was ‘under the guise of compliment making an amusing attack on Peel’15) and it was for the benefit of the Tory party if this truce was maintained. After all as the historian Southgate remarked ‘[Disraeli had] no principle except that of maintaining party unity’.16 Therefore the claim that Disraeli’s attack on Peel was ‘unprincipled’ as it was based upon a personal vendetta against the Tory leader is historically inaccurate. Another interpretation for Disraeli’s attack on Peel given by Machin is that Disraeli’s attacks stemmed from a personal ambition. By attacking Peel over the 1846 Corn Law Crisis Disraeli apparently, made him name as an able orator and gave him his first political influence. Whilst the latter half of this statement may be viewed as true, Hibbert had already shown that Disraeli’s skills for oration were already known by 1846 due to his speech on the Irish question which ‘was so widely admired †¦that his wife asked him to note down’17 However one cannot dispute that by defeating Peel Disraeli gained a political advantage. Even Jenkins states that the ‘subsequent events helped to catapult Disraeli into a position of authority which he could never have expected to achieve so quickly if at all’. Whilst this may be true by toppling Peel from power Disraeli has left the Tory party ‘in the political wildernesses’18 according to Machin. Commonsense dictates that whilst he was the most promising Conservative MP, a person cannot fulfil any political ambitions whilst their party is divided and weak. Therefore it is illogical to say that Disraeli uprooted Peel from power in a bid to further his own political career, as without Peel leading the Tories, any chance of political victory would have been harder to achieve. The final and perhaps most justified reason why historians such as Monypenny believed that Disraeli lead the attack on Peel was due to ‘a clear question of principle and†¦pressure from his constituents’19. Whilst many historians believe that Peel was a true statesman, David Eastcote takes the Victorian contemporary view that Peel was actually a turncoat. By championing the ideas of Catholic Emancipation, the Maynooth Grant and the Corn Law repeal ‘Peel had quite deliberately isolated himself, and in so doing he had destroyed his party, or at any rate driven an immovable wedge between Peelism and Toryism. The destruction of the party was not an unfortunate, unintended consequence of the Corn Law crisis – it was, rather, quite deliberately engineered by Peel’.20 Although many people view that the Tory party disintegrated with the exodus of the Peelite fraction of the party, it is important to realise that Peel’s decision were unpopular with the core base of ultra-Tories. This was due to the fact that even though his party was in power, there were no real Tory party decisions as Peel preferred a Presidential style of governing rather than an executive governing style. In addition one can argue that Disraeli held a principle attack on peel due to the fact that whilst he had supported Peel in 1842 over further relaxation of the Corn Laws, he was unable to support Peel over their complete repeal. This was because he saw Peel’s desertion of ‘Protection and as a betrayal of agricultural interest’ which was the ‘backbone of the party’21.Disraeli therefore declared alongside Lord Bentinck that they would ‘never†¦be guilty or double dealing with the farmers of England†¦.or betraying our constituents’ 22highlighting the fact that Disraeli was fighting the issue of Corn law repeal based on his principles of agricultural protection as well as a having a sense duty to his constituents. This interpretation ca n also be verified by the fact that 242 former supporters of Peel also rebelled against his 1846 proposal for Corn Law repeal. The idea that the rebel against Peel over the corn Law crisis was based on a notion of having a duty to his electorate is also present in Walton’s verdict of 1846 where he states that Disraeli attacked Peel for ‘changing his policy without consulting the electorate or listening to the views of his supporters’23. Ian Machin also concedes that although Disraeli did have something to gain from usurping Peel, there was a strong public opinion in the constituencies that was for the idea of retaining the Corn Laws. Therefore one can logically conclude that Disraeli’s attacks on Peel in 1846 Disraeli’s attacks on Peel could be argued as being unprincipled on the surface as they are often seen as being based upon an underlining tone of resentment and antipathy due to Peel’s refusal to give him a position of power in 1841. However there is stronger evidence to suggest that Disraeli’s attacks were due to Peel’s betrayal of the Conservative party as well as pressure from his constituents. However, once one has argued away the beliefs that Disraeli was unprincipled due to his relationship with Peel, one is left with arguments Disraeli’s contemporaries held for him being unprincipled. The majority of reasons why Disraeli is often seen as an unscrupulous politician are due to his background. Due to Disraeli’s Jewish heritage he was often received with Anti-Semitic bias. This is recognised when Derby writes â€Å"there is no one in our arty who can compete with you†¦but†¦your formal establishment in the post of leader would not meet with a general and cheerful approval†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This means that whilst Disraeli was a recognised key political player in the Conservative party (thus eliminating the idea that he was a mere adventurer), his personal background would always work against him. However not only did Disraeli’s Jewish roots help to hinder his political progression. However all this argument is invalid since it does not state that he was unprincipled due to his political beliefs, but rather, that he was unprincipled due to his ethnicity. These arguments are therefore irrational and further alienate the claim that Disraeli was an irrational politician as historians no longer view Disraeli with a racial bias. In conclusion, the statement â€Å"An unprincipled adventurer in politics† is not a fair interpretation of Disraeli in the period 1837- 1846. By studying Disraeli’s early political career there is a key notion that the principles of a paternalistic Romanticised society is truly maintained, as well as a belief that the Tory party is the true party of the nation. In addition in regards to Disraeli’s dispute with Peel over the 1846 Corn Law crisis, one can see that on deeper examination the underlying roots of Disraeli’s arguments were held upon the as same convictions which he campaigned for as an independent MP and the same principles that made him a ‘Radical Tory’. Therefore one can convincingly argue that during the period 1837- 1846 Disraeli was as principled as a politician can be. 1 T.A. Jenkins ‘Benjamin Disraeli and the Spirit of England’, History Today 54:12 (December 2004), 9-15 2 Ian. St John, Disraeli and the Art of Victorian Politics, (London: Anthem) 2005, pg 10 3 Jenkins, 54 4 William M. Kuhn, the Politics of Pleasure: A portrait of Benjamin Disraeli (Michigan: Pocket) 2007 pg 174 5 William M. Kuhn, the Politics of Pleasure: A portrait of Benjamin Disraeli (Michigan: Pocket) 2007 pg 175 6 Norman. Gash, Politics in the Age of Peel (London: Longman) 1953, pg 395 7 Andrew Heywood, Political Ideologies: An Introduction, (Basingstoke: PalgraveMacmillian),2003 p88 8 Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern British History, (Basingstoke: Macmillan) 1984 pg 118 9 Wikipedia, Young England, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_england (January 4, 2009) 10 Ian . St John, Disraeli and the Art of Victorian Politics, (London: Anthem) 2005, pg 10 11 William M. Kuhn, the Politics of Pleasure: A portrait of Benjamin Disraeli (Michigan: Pocket) 2007 pg 185 12 Norman Lowe, Mastering Modern British History, (Basingstoke: Macmillan) 1984 pg 247 13 Christopher Hibbert, Disraeli- A personal history, (Hampshire: HarperPerennial) 2004 pg 160 14 Christopher Hibbert, Disraeli- A personal history, (Hampshire: HarperPerennial) 2004 pg 160 15 Christopher Hibbert, Disraeli- A personal history, (Hampshire: HarperPerennial) 2004 pg 160 16 John Walton, Disraeli, (London: Lancaster pamphlets) 1990 pg 59 17 Christopher Hibbert, Disraeli- A personal history, (Hampshire: HarperPerennial) 2004 pg 160 18 Ian Machin, Disraeli (Canada: Pearson Education) 1996 pg 110 19 Mary Dicken, Disraeli, (London: HarperCollins) 2004 pg 20 20 David Eastwood, ‘Peel-Statesman or Turncoat’, History Today 23 (December 1995)pg 20-25 21 Mary Dicken, Disraeli, (London: HarperCollins) 2004 pg 17 22 Mary Dicken, Disraeli, (London: HarperCollins) 2004 pg 19 23 John Walton, Disraeli, (London: Lancaster pamphlets) 1990 pg 8

Discuss – Whether or not we should use animals

The use of animals for medical research is a debatable issue with some claiming that for the benefit of science, medical research needs animals and testing on animals is a necessity for the progress of science. Others argue that it is unethical to use animals and any other form of life as some of this research would involve killing of the animals and this is completely unacceptable even for the sake of progress of science. Other alternative methods to killing and using animals should be used for research and study and animals should not be directly used, abused and killed. In fact people advocating protection of wild life and related policies are against the capture and indiscriminate use of nature’s resources even if it is in the grab of betterment for humanity.   This essay deals with both sides of the debate showing the advantages and disadvantages of using animals for testing for betterment and advancement of medical research.Part IWhy animal testing is plausible and can be usedIn most cases, most pharmaceutical companies try new drugs on animals first and also try new chemicals or use animal anatomy to understand human anatomy. Many people believe that medical research as practised by big pharmaceutical companies use animals unethically for business gains and profits. The medical companies have their own research and development units where new drugs are initially tested on animals, especially rats or guineapigs and the effects of these drugs are then generalized on to humans a many clinical symptoms of animals are similar to what is expected in humans.Thus if new drugs are not effective or have adverse impact on animals, the same could be presumed in case of humans for the same drug. This generalization factor is important as companies and scientists claim that they use animals to understand the effects of drug on humans or simply to understand the structure and functions of human by studying animals as it would not be possible to study humans an d their body parts directly and it would also be completely wrong to apply new drugs or use new medicines for illnesses on humans directly without knowing what effects these would have on the body.In fact although before releasing a new drug in the market, companies conduct clinical trials on volunteers after testing these on animals and volunteers get paid for this. Yet the ethical aspect of this, or trying new drugs on humans is again debated but then this is the way medical research has to work otherwise new drugs will not be tested. It is again controversial whether new drugs could be tested artificially say with technical or robotic manipulation and whether drugs could be used on humans directly without testing on animals. How ethical would that be and thus there are two points here that touches on ethical issues.In the first case, animal testing would be unethical and yet testing medicines directly on humans without testing on humans would again be unethical as adverse consequ ences can directly affect human volunteers. For this reason it is almost necessary to test new drugs on animals first before testing them on humans as long as there is no suffering to animals and as long as there is some general research progress expected from such tests.Most people consider animal testing acceptable within limits. In one study by Fenwick and Fraser (2005), drug regulatory reviewers and pharmaceutical industry experts and scientists were interviewed to explore different perspectives on obstacles and opportunities of replacement, refinement and reduction or the three Rs in drug research and development (Fenwick and Fraser, 2005). The study found that most scientists and researcher generally tend to support the use of animals in medical research and suggested that the level of animal use is acceptable in pharmaceutical industry and replacing the use of animals would not be a feasible idea.Part II –Why animal testing is unethical and should not be usedIn the stu dy above by Fenwick and Fraser (2005) the three Rs have been considered as necessary in changing animal research. However this could be implausible as there are obstacles to applying the replacement or refinement of animal testing as there is a lack of non-animal alternatives and other alternatives may not fulfill the needs for statistical validity and industry. Also regulators could depart from certain patterns of animal use and in some cases commercial objectives are more important than following the three Rs. Less animal-testing could also jeopardize human safety according to some.However three Rs with replacement and refinement in testing could mean genetically modified animals and better animal models with drug use on gene actions and changes. The re-use of animals and using sufficient number of animals are also some of the issues. In some cases regulatory studies are combined so that animal data is minimized yet fulfill regulatory requirements.Fenwick and Fraser (2005) suggest ed that following the three Rs would be in accordance with industry priorities and validation of alternative methods would also be necessary. Greater consensus would be required in certain areas of disagreement related to animal testing according to the authors and these are issues related to death and re-use of animals and also whether pilot studies and alternative methods would contribute to reduction in the number of animals (Fenwick and Frazer, 2005).Thus animal use and testing is consider unethical due to matters related to death and reuse of animals and the use of too many animals could also be reduced with better more advanced tests that would require fewer samples and could be done more efficiently.Part III –Summary of both the viewsThus as seen, there are many reasons for which animal testing could be useful or even unethical. Death of animals would be suggesting against it and medial progress and usefulness for human drugs would be the strong points. It is important to develop alternative methods of testing that could replace the use of animals in medical research and according to Wilcox (1998), the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA is committed to facilitating the development and validation of new testing methods that could reduce or minimize the use of animals. The international science community has been challenged to develop and discover methods that could obviate the need for animals for extrapolation to human situations and conditions in case of pharmaceutical research.The appropriate mechanisms of toxicity and hazard and safety decisions should be known and the FDA is focused on protecting public health by successfully integrating science and social causes. The agency’s broad regulatory responsibilities relate to understanding the use of vaccines, drugs, blood supply and medical devices as also veterinary drugs and animal feed. The FDA has been in regulating the principles and alternatives of animal testing in medical resear ch.The FDA tries to identify the gaps between industry and academia especially in terms of communication or data gaps and methods gaps and supports in developing new research data and methods to find alternative methods of testing for drugs aiding in the regulatory decision making process. Wilcox (1998) suggests that a new paradigm introducing new and validated testing methods for the FDA scientists is emerging and this is responsible for application and acceptance of regulations in testing.A study by Williams et al (2007) investigated the use and impact of animal testing for research and teaching purposes and the awareness of these regulations among public and the opinions related to this. In a study by Williams et al, an independent telephone study was conducted to collect information on awareness and interest in the use of animal testing for medical research and whether individuals have confidence in such regulations and principles.The study obtained data from 750 individuals in NZ and 33% of the respondents expressed interest in the issue with 39% interested in animal testing for research and 21% showed interest for teaching purposes. Most respondents between 68%-72% suggested that animal testing would be acceptable if there is no unnecessary suffering to the animal and that regulated within the principles of medical research.However most people felt that animal research would be completely justified in case of research on life threatening and debilitating illnesses such as cancer and would also be justified when testing cosmetics and products that can do little or no harm to the animals.   8% of the respondents knew something about regulations dealing with animal testing in medical research.Williams et al (2007) thus suggested from the study that majority of the individuals were not interested in the issue although most who did accepted that animal testing is completely acceptable as long as there is no unnecessary suffering or in case of minimal advers ity or in case of medicines for life threatening illness. Thus there may be certain social opinions on the use of such drug trials on animals considering the seriousness of the research and the results expected.BibliographyAndreas-Holger MaehleGeneral Conclusions: Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutic InnovationClio Medica/The Wellcome Series in the History of Medicine, â€Å"Drugs on Trial† by A-H. Maehle , pp. 311-315(5)Fenwick, N.P.;  Fraser, D.The Three Rs in the pharmaceutical industry: perspectives of scientists and regulatorsAnimal Welfare, Volume 14,  Number 4, 2005, pp. 367-377(11)Gerdts, Volker;  Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia van Drunen;  Griebel, Philip J;  Babiuk, Lorne AUse of animal models in the development of human vaccinesFuture Microbiology, Volume 2,  Number 6, 2007, pp. 667-675(9)Roberts, Stephen M.Ethical Issues in the Use of Data from Testing of Human Subjects to Support Risk AssessmentHuman and Ecological Risk Assessment, Volume 7,  Numb er 6, 2001 , pp. 1569-1573(5)Williams, V.M.;  Dacre, I.T.;  Elliott, M.Public attitudes in New Zealand towards the use of animals for research, testing and teaching purposesNew Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 55,  Number 2, 2007, pp. 61-68(8)Wilcox N.L.FDA position on validation and acceptance of alternative methodsToxicology Letters, Volume 95, Supplement 1, 1998 , pp. 31-31(1)

Stakeholders within Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stakeholders within Health Care - Essay Example Those considering career in the healthcare sector should consider impacting the world and not just America. Â   Medical education and schools have changed over time as is evidenced by a greater preference for careers in radiology, surgical subspecialties and dermatology to family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine. The predominant ethnic (racial) group is the white American. This is because, the data produced by the Association of American Medical Colleges showed that there were more white medical colleges in the US than medical colleges belonging to people of color. Even if the number of African Americans graduating with a medical degree is high in historically black medical colleges, they are significantly outnumbered in traditionally white medical colleges. Presently, women are dominating medical schools by 52% (Turner and Avison, 2011). Turner, R. J. and Avison, W. R. (2012). Status Variations in Stress Exposure: Implications for the Interpretation of Research on Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44 (4), 488 – 505 It is important to understand the impact of a diagnosis on a consumer because it helps in the administration of accurate treatment or medical intervention, and thereby helping in the actualization of the principle of beneficence (Churgay and Aftab (2012). Proper diagnosis helps the health care provider: know the magnitude and nature of the healthcare complication he is dealing with; administer accurate treatment; discharge his role confidently; and to observe the principles of medical ethics such as beneficence and non-maleficence. Results from the diagnosis will also become an important part of the patient’s health records. As a healthcare professional understanding the impact of a diagnosis on the various stakeholders is important because it enhances

Merits of raising capital through the issuance of Bonds or through Essay

Merits of raising capital through the issuance of Bonds or through issuance of Stocks - Essay Example Merits of raising capital through the issuance of Bonds or through issuance of Stocks Marvin Appel emphasized that â€Å"corporate bonds are debt instruments issued by organizations. And, unlike government which is very least likely to default, there is always risk that a corporate business may not be able to pay its obligations to the bondholders† (10). Matt Evans discussed few advantages of issuing bonds to raise capital for a company’s operations. Some of these advantages are: 1. Interest payments made to bond holders are tax deductible as reflected on the issuing corporation’s income statement; 2. Bond issuances do not dilute earnings per share or decrease control within the company; 3. Usually, cost of bonds issued is fixed; interest and principal do not change within the life of the bond; and 4. Expected return of investment to investors is usually lower than ROI on stocks. For tax purposes, legitimate interest expense payments to banks, financial institutions, and other investors are deductible from income before tax. This will include interest or coupon payments to bondholders of the corporation which issued bonds. This is part of the benefits of using funds from debt financing to augment business performance and the same time paying less tax with respect to the company’s income for a covered period. By issuing bonds, it does not change the control structure of a corporation. Equity holdings of stockholders will remain the same; also the same base for earnings-per-share consideration. On the other hand, Evans also pointed out advantages for a company raising capital through the issuance of stocks. These include: a. Stocks have no fixed payments required to investors; investors will receive return of investment based on profits; b. There is no maturity date on the stocks certificate and invested capital does not have to be repaid within a fixed period; and c. Issuing stocks will improve the credit worthiness of the company. At the company’s standpoint, issuance of stocks to raise capital is the cheapest way to finance business operations contrary to bonds. Unlike bonds, there are no scheduled payments for coupon and bulk of funds upon maturity. Shareholders will get income from their investments through dividends if they opt to hold their stocks for a longer period. By issuing stocks, the generated funds will improve ratios like current ratio, acid-test ratio, and debt equity ratio that are of significant considerations for financial statement users. Moreover, if a company continues to have negative results of operations, the invested capital by the stockholders may be absorbed by the loss. That is why it is regarded as the cheapest way to finance business operations. By its nature, stock holdings are not guaranteed in terms of return of investments. B. Risks of raising capital through the issuance of Bonds or through issuance of Stocks Bonds are debt instruments and usually they are huge fund obligations to pay in the future. Ian Giddy had stated that when a corporation borrows up to its capacity, it loses its flexibility of financing some more future projects through debt financing. â€Å"The corporation that is issuing bonds should continue to perform well in business to make profit enough to pay back its obligations on bonds† (Appel 29). If an issuing corporation will default in paying obligations on bonds, it has a negative impact to the organization in different aspects in the bond market and in the industry. It can be regarded that in the company’s perspective, debt financing through bonds is an expensive way of raising capital

Leadership for change in a turbulent market place Dissertation

Leadership for change in a turbulent market place - Dissertation Example ... A Leader's successful application of directive organizational psychology by modifying specific leadership behaviours towards the group will yield an Organizational culture that is in essence "inspired" and successful in the pursuit of its goals and objectives. The purpose of this piece of research is to test the academic theory of leadership in a market place that has seen a high degree of turbulence through acquisition; consolidation and globalization as the landscape of the UK construction industry and its supply chain have altered to meet the challenges. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for assisting me during the preparation of this research project. My project supervisor, Jon Stephens, University College of Northampton. The following senior executives from the construction industry supply chain who gave up their valuable time to assist me in with the exploration of Leadership as a concept. Chris Hayward, Managing Director of the NMBS. Andrew Weiss , Managing Director of Isaac Lord Ltd. David French, Chief Executive of BHETA. Chris Pateman, Managing Director of the BMF. Paul Hetherington, Managing Director of Pendock Alumasc Ltd. Steve Labord who assisted me in the background research of this project. Finally, my wife Lesley Joanne Durning who has assisted and supported me through this demanding period. CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1.1 Background The UK's construction industry is a major sector of the country's economy which has been enjoying a period of substantial growth recently. In 2005, the output of the construction industry in Great Britain was 107.01bn, a rise of 4.5% as compared with 2004 (UK Construction Industry Market Review,

Critical Case Study Exploration by Using Gibbs Model Essay

Critical Case Study Exploration by Using Gibbs Model - Essay Example 3). On top of the sustained practice, it is also necessary to avoid relying on a single learning strategy. For instance, a student can incorporate both visual and verbal methods in learning. Student can hold discussions with fellow students thus brainstorming what they have learned in class (Davis 2009, p. 21). Studies have exposed the significance of discussing with fellow students what one has learned in class. The last but not least strategy that can improve the failing student’s performance is the incorporation of practical sessions in the syllabus. It is impractical for a student to attain success by holding to the effective learning strategies only. Therefore, alongside such strategies, it is requisite for teachers to devise effective teaching strategies for purposes of augmenting the student’s performance. The Constructivist teaching is one of the current teaching strategies allowing students to examine what they are familiar with, thus making knowledgeable decis ions on the learning content. Moreover, the inclusion of some practical lessons in teaching is crucial, in enhancing a student’s understanding of the course content. This section will utilize Gibbs (1998) reflective model to answer some questions related to the case study. For instance, the first question demands that I identify my thoughts and feelings from the given case study. It is apparent that the student’s performance in the placement has tremendously declined. Prior to commencement of the program, I had a strong feeling that she would depict a high level of understanding for the subject. The result of my thought would be because she seemed kind and caring for patients. However, after the program commences, it is clear that I am totally mistaken because of incompetency demonstrated by her (Bulman 2004, P. 2). Therefore, her inefficiency in whatever she engages herself in makes me think of the possibility of poor learning and teaching practices. Her inability to prioritize the patients’ needs has shown her high level of incompetency. For instance, the student’s inability to relate the class theory to the practical is a clear indication of ineffective teaching, as well as learning methods. In my scrutiny, the student nurse ought to take their class work serious thus depicting a high level of competency in class work. Therefore, the case study indicated that nursing students did not dedicate their efforts to learning. I thus propose that, for an effective performance, the instructors ought to integrate teaching strategies that allow for the student’s active participation. The main reason behind the declined level of incompetence is due to the standardized examinations, which students must sit for in determining the level of qualification. Sources have shown that, it is only after a nursing student excels in such exams that they attain the acquiescence to deal with patients. Those who fail to excel in such exams ought to r etake them until their verification by the authorities. The literature also illustrates the issue of nursing incompetence in the stagnated, as well as the developing countries. Poor teaching strategies are the main causes of the decline in performance. Furthermore, the policy that aids in the examination of nursing qualification is erroneous thus a high level of ineptitude (Iyer 2001, p. 4). Therefore, the concerned authorities have implemented strategies

M.I.C.E. (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) Essay

M.I.C.E. (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) - Essay Example Justification to this context can be provided by taking consideration of the reliance of multiple business oriented nations on this tourism and event management segment (ICCA - International Congress and Convention Association, 2013). In accordance to the projections made by the statistical data, the M.I.C.E business, after the economic recession of 2009 have made significant amount of contribution in terms of supporting the destabilised state of the economies of multiple small and large nations. For instance, between the periods of 2009 to 2013, the reliance of global superpowers such as China and the US has majorly increased over the conduction of M.I.C.E business conferences. Irrespective of all these, the arrangement and conduction of an M.I.C.E conference is not an easy job and requires availability of appropriate count of resources. This is due to the fact that all the necessary bookings and arrangements are needed to be done in advance and should project perfect alignment with the client side requirements. Taking these aspects into consideration, the discussion will majorly focus towards the conduction of an M.I.C.E business conference arrangement for a total count of 250 delegates for a period of 3 days. In addition, the discussion will also focus towards the identification and analysis of every possible green issue that might emerge within such conference meetings. The details regarding such green issues and conference planning has been provided in the undermined sections of this discussion. M.I.C.E conferences in the present business scenario have caught up tremendous amount of pace as a result of the increasing necessities of business engagements. Such necessities also stimulates the functionality pattern of multiple other transportation and hospitality organisations, which lays a significant amount of impact on the overall economic and

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of Essay

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of injustice and approaches to justice - Essay Example Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be appropriate to define culture. Culture is the amalgamation of religious belief system, cult, social norms, values, mores, customs, traditions and conventions. Language, art, literature, festivals, folkways, food, dressing, writings, music, dance, thought and philosophy also come under the fold of culture. â€Å"Culture is†, Macionis submits, â€Å"the values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that together form a peoples’ way of life. Culture includes what we think, how we act, and what we own.† (2007: p 60) Hence, culture is not specific to one single era only; rather, it maintains its roots in ancient past, branches of which seek their way in future centuries to come. Since cultural patterns vary from one region to the other, the values, norms and traditions also observe imperative divergence in them. A tradition, thought to be complying and pleasing in one set up, may be offensive, ridiculous and annoying within the framework of some other. For instance, shaking of hands with the colleagues of the opposite gender is a common thing in the west, and is viewed as a part of interaction, but the same is considered very awkward and indecent in the East, particularly in Muslim states and India. Similarly, intimate relationship among the males are viewed as a sign of sincerity and friendship in Asian countries, while the same act is suspected as homosexual aptitude in some parts of Africa and western Europe. â€Å"Differences between people†, Encina (2007) notes, â€Å"within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affectio n shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behavior and culture.† (Quoted incnr.berkeley.edu) Thus, cultural values develop the tastes and decide intellectual thoughtfulness of the individuals belonging to that

Link between Al Ain Distribution Company strategy and CSR Essay

Link between Al Ain Distribution Company strategy and CSR - Essay Example AADC‘s mission is to service current demand of water and electricity. AADC’s responsibility â€Å"is to reliably, securely and safely distribute water and electricity from Transco’s termination points to residential, commercial, agricultural and government consumers in the Al Ain Region. (AADC). The social responsibility of AADC has been incorporated in this mission that specifies reliability in the course of its operation. Corporate responsibility is about how the company aligns its values and behavior with the expectations and needs of stakeholders, customers, employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society. (CSR Network) Issues that are covered by the CSR are governance, environmental management, stakeholder engagement, labor standards, employee and community relations, social equity, responsible sourcing and human rights. AADC is expected to be a reliable supplier of clean and potable water to the district as well as a steady supplier of electricity in an effective cost manner. ADC sees shortage of water supply in the future that has to be resolved and at the same time considers the operating costs related to this. It has the social responsibility of correct billing information to customers. It has to devise a system that will address lack of metering process; manual calculations and IT system bring incorrect billing to customers. It has the social responsibility to manage the company profitably for the interest of stakeholders. AADC has the responsibility to develop and train its human resources, provide adequate pay, to motivate them for satisfactory performance and employee retention. AADC has the social equity responsibility to remove discrimination on work policy and ethics particularly on hiring of women in order to fill the lack of manpower. AADC’s social responsibility and commitments to Health, Safety and Environment. (AADE) AADC aims to minimize HSE risks

The Christian Counselor's Manual...by Jay Adams Essay

The Christian Counselor's Manual...by Jay Adams - Essay Example Therefore, the work is an important contribution to the Christian pastors and counselors and it deals with essential questions such as who is qualified to be a counselor, how can counselees change, how does the Holy Spirit work, what is the role of hope and the function of language etc. In the opening chapter of the book, the author discusses about the persons involved in counseling and he maintains in the second chapter that the Holy Spirit is the principal person in counseling. The third chapter deals with the human counselor and discusses about who should counsel, counseling as ministerial, qualifications for counseling, authority in counseling, counselors as directive and the personality of the counselor. The final chapter of the first part offers a discussion on the counselee and includes topics such as sources of knowledge, no surprises necessary, solutions for every problem, what the counselor needs to know, how prior knowledge helps, and counselees can change. "Part Two: The Presuppositions and Principles" includes seven chapters and the first of these covers the topic presuppositions and principles basic to counseling.

Brigham and Houston Essay Example for Free

Brigham and Houston Essay 1. Whenever we are interested in buying a bond from the bond market, the bonds issuer promises to pay back the principal (or par value) when the bond matures (Brigham and Houston, 2001). During this time, the issuer is obliged to pay interest in order to compensate the use of money. The interest payment is made on coupon rate which is fixed. There is an inverse relationship between the coupon rate and the bond prices, when: †¢ Interest rate increase, leads to rise in income, whereas the price of the bond declines. †¢ Interest rate decrease, leads to decline in income, whereas the price of the bond rises. Also we need to consider that the coupon rate is inversely related to duration because higher coupon rates lead to quicker recovery of the bond’s value, resulting in a shorter duration, relative to lower coupon rates. If coupon rate is greater than the market rate then it is favourable for issuer and if coupon rate is less than the market rate then it is favourable for purchaser (Brigham and Houston, 2001). The reason behind the variations in the coupon rates of various bonds is the market interest rate; company’s performance, time length, and credit worthiness of the issuer. So, all these factors have an implication on the bond yields. 2. Ratings of these bonds are determined on the basis of both qualitative and quantitative factors some of which are listed below: †¢ If a company uses conservative accounting policies, its reported earnings will be higher than if it uses less conservative procedures. †¢ Various ratios including the debt ratio and the Times Interest Earned (TIE) ratio also have some implications on these bond ratings. †¢ If company explores any new sites containing oil, gas, coal fields etc. †¢ Increase in the company’s sales net profit increase both domestically and internationally also uplift the bond ratings and it showed that debt holder show the confidence on the company’s policy. Bond ratings might take a downward leap when: †¢ There is a signal of bankruptcy, internal mismanagement and financial distress in the firm (Helfert, 2001). †¢ When the company does not abide by the law, i. e. it breaches the laws, this may be related to environment, etc. †¢ When the product life cycle is going downwards and company can’t add more products in their product line. †¢ Negative bond covenants also hits the bond ratings of the company. †¢ Labour unrest or strikes may cause instability in the bonds ratings. †¢ Economic recession in the country. 3. We know that whenever the interest rate rises, bond prices tend to fall, and when rates fall, bond prices tend to rise (Helfert, 2001). This primarily occurs due to the economic condition of the country and also because of the market sentiments. If the price of the bond goes down it is less attractive (pays less interest) in comparison with current offerings and when the price of the bond goes up it is more attractive (pays more interest) in comparison with current offerings. This may also be described as when the coupon rate is greater than market rate then it is favourable for issuer and if coupon rate is lesser than market rate then it is favourable for the purchaser. Some bonds are sold below par value, which means (at discount) or greater than par value, which means (at premium). This mainly occurs due to the risk perceived for the debt of that particular organization. Market interest rate fluctuations usually effect the performance of the bonds in the secondary markets. Federal bank monetary and fiscal policy, inflation rate, recession in the economy, etc are the factors that may force organizations to sell the bonds at discount or at premium. One must also consider that sale of bonds on discount or at premium also has some impact on the yield and also the maturity of the bond, the shorter a bonds maturity, the less its duration. Bonds with higher yields also have lower durations. Also the company’s performance reflects in bond valuations, i. e. its bond ratings, bond covenants and credit worthiness etc (Helfert, 2001). 4. The yield to maturity (YTM) is a reflection of the return on investment, that is earned at the current price, incase the bond is held by the issuer to its date of maturity and redeemed at par value. In other words, YTM is the discount rate that equates the present value of future inflows from the bond equal to its present price.

ASBO Order for Environmental Health Legislation

ASBO Order for Environmental Health Legislation Write a cabinet paper on the potential for ASBOs to contribute to the effective enforcement of legislation enforced by environmental health departments. The following are the arguments in favour of ASBO’s contributing or having the potential to contribute to the effective enforcement of the legislation carried out by environmental health departments across the country. The Prime Minister has already expressed in public his determination to reduce and eliminate anti-social behaviour and allow the general public to feel safer and have the problems associated with anti-social behaviour reduced. ASBO’s have already proved that they have potential in making Britain a cleaner and safer place to live in. Between their introduction from 1 April 1999 and the 31 March 2004, 2455 ASBO’s were approved and enforced showing the determination of the police, environmental health departments and social services amongst others to reducing the problems associated with anti-social behaviour.[1] ASBO’s are an alternative sanction available to both environmental health departments and ultimately the police to ensure that legislation is enforced and public order is maintained. Environmental health departments have to meet requirements such as reducing the level of graffiti, vandalism and litter or tackling noise nuisance, all of which can be considered anti-social behaviour and can lead to the involvement of the police and the courts. Such behaviour either directly effects law abiding people, intimidates them or blights their lives with fear. ASBO’s have the potential and the intention of protecting the property, the environment and the personal safety of the majority of law-abiding people. They are intended to remove the anti-social behaviour carried out by the law breaking minorities that ruin the lives of the most vulnerable and cause social, economic and environmental damage to local communities.[2] Tackling anti-social behaviour through the use of ASBO’s has the potential to make people feel safer as well as improving the physical environment they live in. The work of environmental health departments is closely linked with not only the police but also social services and local education authorities as there are strong connections between truancy and youths being involved in anti-social behaviour and crime. Close co-operation between these agencies increases the potential of ASBO’s to decrease crime, people’s fear of crime whilst making Britain a better place to live in. This government should take pride in been able to reduce people’s fear of being the victims of crime. The British crime survey has shown a fall from 40% in 1995 to 26% in 2004 of people expecting to be the victims of crime and anti-social behaviour or believing that they faced such a risk. If ASBO’s allow environmental health departments and other agencies to reduce the amount of graffiti and vandalism visible and counter the presence of gangs that fear of crime should diminish further as should the risk.[3] ASBO’s offer the potential to break up the gangs that break the law through acts of vandalism, graffiti and other forms of anti-social behaviour by banning individuals from the estates or areas they cause damage in. Breaking up gangs would mean that environmental health departments could deal with individuals rather than more intimidating gangs. ASBO’s can allow agencies such as environmental health departments and the police to control, punish or rehabilitate minor offenders whilst avoiding imprisonment were possible. However ASBO’s it should be stressed are not a soft option and the breaking of their conditions should result in further appropriate action been taken to curb anti-social behaviour including ultimately imprisonment.[4] Through the use of ASBO’s environment health departments have the potential to tackle persistent offenders without spending so much time preparing prosecutions whilst still being to prosecute people that breach their ASBO’s. While any ASBO is still in operation the onus remains on environmental health departments, social services and the police to monitor the behaviour of those subject to ASBO’s. ASBO’s can be used as part of the government’s crime reduction targets. [5] Central government can offer incentives for local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour and has already allocated extra resources to the areas worst affected by anti-social behaviour. The success of environmental health departments in tackling anti-social behaviour will be measured with little extra cost through the Comprehensive Performance Assessment process already carried out by the Audit Commission that monitors local authorities provision of services. The public will be able to find out which local authorities are the most effective and will be able to press the less effective councils into taking further action.[6] ASBO’s potentially allow environmental health departments to fulfil their legislative obligations by diffusing and stopping anti-social behaviour more efficiently and with greater speed. The removal of persistent offenders or gang ringleaders will show the determination and effectiveness of environmental health department to enforce the law properly and completely. ASBO’s have the potential to reduce anti-social behaviour whilst the involvement of environmental health departments and other agencies could allow the police to switch their resources to tackling more serious crimes. Anti-social behaviour may not always be considered to be major crime yet it can lead to it hence the importance of ASBO’s in reducing the problem. Reducing anti-social behaviour will not only enhance the public’s quality of life it would prove cost effective in terms of lower expenditure in cleaning up graffiti and property damage as well as fewer people in overcrowded prisons.[7] The availability of ASBO’s offers the potential for environmental health departments to clean up areas of environmental damage or anti-social behaviour that impacts on the environment such as noise pollution, juvenile crime and vandalism. Other areas in which ASB0’s have the potential to allow environmental health departments fulfil their statuary requirements include countering anti-social behaviour caused by drinking and to a lesser extent begging in public. There are certainly strong links between heavy drinking (and drug taking) with anti-social or criminal behaviour.[8] Some crimes such as burglary, car crime and robbery have fallen significantly in 2004-05 by 20%, 17% and 12% respectively. However the potential of ASBO’s to work effectively for environmental health departments, the police and other agencies would increase with measures against binge drinking. Binge drinking is directly connected to most violent crime and anti-social behaviour. ASBO’s are part of the solution to environmental health departments meeting their statutory requirements yet will work best in combination with other strategies and through co-operation with other agencies.[9] Bibliography Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, London Dodd T, Nicholas S, Povey D and Walker A (2004) Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Crime in England and Wales 2003/04, Crown Copyright, London Home Office (2005) The Government Reply to the Fifth Report from the Home Affairs Committee Session 2004/05 HC80 Anti-Social behaviour, Crown Copyright, London Jones M and Lowe R (2002) From Beveridge to Blair – The first fifty years of Britain’s Welfare State 1948-98, Manchester University Press Manchester and New York. Slack, R ‘Drunken yobs blamed for record violent crimes, Daily Mail 21st July 2005 www.homeoffice.gov.uk Crime Policing / Anti-Social Behaviour Orders Legally Binding Undertaking I (Barry Vale) undertake that in line with my contractual obligations this work is completely original, and has not been copied from any website or any other source, either in whole or in part. By submitting this work I understand that if my work is found to be plagiarised I will not only forfeit my fee but also be subject to legal proceedings in order to recover damages for loss of profit and damage to business reputation. Moreover, I understand that I may be subject to legal proceedings from any third parties, such as the end clients and copyright holders of the original work who may have had their rights infringed or suffered loss as a result of my actions. I also understand that in addition I will be liable to a  £100/$200 administration charge and that I may be liable for legal costs. I understand that this e-mail and the work I am submitting may be used as evidence against me if I breach this undertaking. Please take this to constitute my electronic signature (Barry Vale) [1] www.homeoffice.gov.uk [2] Home Office (2005) p.3 [3] Dodd, Nicholas, Povey Walker (2004) p. 18 [4] Home Office (2005) p. 6 [5] Coxall, Robins Leach, (2003), p.275 [6] Home Office (2005) p.1 [7] Coxall, Robins Leach (2003) p. 276 [8] Jones and Lowe (2002) p. 189 [9] Slack, Daily Mail 21st July 2005

Management Essays Management Coach

Management Essays Management Coach Management Coach Taking the role of a management coach, you have been requested to analyse the leadership style of a specific business leader. Outline the process of the individuals leadership through a period of change and critically evaluate the outcome of the leadership approach in the organisation. Support your briefing paper with reference to a significant range of leadership and organisational development theories. Leadership, management style, organisational and national culture, organisational structure communication, team management and ethic/values are likely to be addressed. Identify and evaluate how a knowledge of leadership and or and organisational development can improve a managers efficiency and effectiveness in managing an enterprise. You are encouraged to take a holistic perspective and provide a critique of contemporary research and practice. An essential part in the running of an organisation is directing the efforts of their members towards the goals and objectives. This involves the process of Leadership. In simple terms leadership can be interpreted as getting others to follow or getting people to do things willingly or more specifically, the use of authority in decision-making. This essay will consider theoretical accounts of leadership behaviour and compare them to the chosen leader. The organisation that has been chosen is the Disney Corporation. Since the company was formed there have been two charismatic, but strikingly different leaders. A few years ago the Walt Disney Company was famous for a little mouse, a collection of vintage animated films for children, and two aging theme parks. Today, the sun never sets on the Disney entertainment empire. Along with its animation business, creator of blockbusters such as Beauty and the Beast, Disney now owns three other studios. After a problematic start Disney has exported the park business to Japan and France. There are two new Disney cruise ships, Wonder and Magic, and 725 Disney stores at locations all around the world. The driving force behind Disneys metamorphosis has been Michael Eisner, who became CEO and chairman in 1984 after a brief but intense battle for the position (Wetlaufer, S. 2000). The founder of the organisation Walt Disney, employed the best talent available, and by means of his own drive and enthusiasm, encouraged them to reach new heights. Walt Disney strived to maintain absolute, unchallenged control over every detail of his empire. Employees worked under an autocratic visionary; they expected big ideas and decisions to come from the top. When Walt Disney died in 1966, the company floundered creatively and financially for years. There were competent, dedicated people in management and talented, hard-working artists in the creative departments, but there was no vision, no leadership (Hightower, D. 1993). The choice of Michael Eisner as CEO of Disney has been a triumph of creativity in American business. Choosing creativity over financial know-how was a tremendous risk, but it has paid off: in the past eight years, revenue has grown on averaged 25 percent annually, Disney stock has increased tenfold in value and the company has been transformed into the worlds most successful entertainment empire. For the first time in Disneys history, an outsider was going to run the company (Hightower, D. 1993). Leadership is different from management; company leaders in action illustrate the practice of leadership. It is not just leadership that is required, both management and leadership are needed. However, during times of high-stakes change, organisations will fail without widespread good leadership (Coyle, J. 2000). Managers promote stability within an organisation, while leaders press for change. An organisation requires leadership at all levels, from the Directors board down to the Shop floor and cleaners. However, leadership is not a uniform command, for example the Waitress on the Shop floor will not receive identical commands and relationships from their manager as someone working in the finance department would from his or her manager. There are different forms of leadership and behaviour from which managers can implement to what they feel best suits the situation. The type of leadership adopted at different levels is a crucial part in achieving the aims and objectives and thus the success of the company (Burnes, B. 2000). Webber (n.d.) defined the types of authority of leaders in organisations into three categories, (1) Traditional, authority is legitimised by custom, and belief in the right to rule. There are traditional proper right to rule, example of this is the sovereignty, the church or a paternalistic employer. (2) Charismatic organisations, authority is legitimised by the quality of the leader, there strengths, personality and inspiration. There is a need for some routine; with the demise of the leader the organisation can change structure unless another charismatic leader is found, (3) Bureaucratic organisations, authority is based on the acceptance of the formal rules, the law within the organisation, authority comes from the hierarchical position within the organisation, examples of this are the armed forces and schools (Webber (n.d.) cited in Mullins, L, 2005: 77). Transformational leaders are able to effectively communicate their vision to an organisation and provide an environment where individuals are empowered to achieve that vision. Instead of telling employees what to do, transformational leaders provide the tools that can help employees achieve greatness. A subset of transformational leadership is charismatic leadership, which is built on the idea that sheer force of personality can be enough to provide leadership to an organisation and inspire high levels of personal loyalty from employees to leaders. The Disney Company has had two charismatic leaders in its history: Walt Disney and Michael Eisner. Disneys tenure was followed by lacklustre performance at the company after his death, and none of the executives at the organisation possessed a personality strong enough to replace the founder (Mullins, L. 2005). The trait approach assumes that the leaders are outstanding through their specific personality traits, cognitive abilities, interpersonal styles and other ability factors that distinguish them. This concept implies that leaders are rather born than made. Grint (2000) argued, There is no hope for those of us, not born with certain gifts or talents for leadership (Grint, K. 2000). The research done by Fleischman and Harris (1962) found two explicit behaviours: consideration and task-orientation. The first factor, consideration, involves a high regard for the leaders subordinates, sharing ideas and incorporating the subordinates as close as possible into the area they are involved. The second one, task-orientation, is mainly connected with the production and ignoring the subordinates to a great extend (Fleischman and Harris (1962) cited in Grint, K. 2000). The relatively new concept of charismatic leadership is based on the belief that the leader can broaden the awareness and interest of his/her followers. Consequently, the aims of the leader are of greater importance and are placed prior to the personal goals. Steers (1996) defines charismatic leadership as a special quality that enables the leader to mobilise and sustain activity within an organisation through specific personal actions combined with perceived characteristics. Employees are motivated by charisma beyond their original expectations. This is done in three ways, awareness about certain key issues and processes are raised, organisational goals are placed above the own interests and adjusting the needs level, so they have a stronger drive for responsibility, challenge and personal growth (Steers, R, 1996:693). Strength in Grint (2000) theory is it does not introduce quantifiable factors; hence it cannot be treated as a rigid science, such as Mathematics. Grint says that leadership is essential an interpretative affair, it casts doubt upon those claiming scientific legitimations for their claims and buttresses an approach to leadership that firmly within the arts not the sciences. It is not a rigid formula that applies to all leaders (Grint, K. 2000). Therefore the more scientific our methods of analysis become, the less likely we are to understand leadership because it is not accessible to scientific approaches. Taking this statement into considerations, it is clear that the charismatic leadership approach is a significant development, since it does not try to quantify. Henry Mintzberg discussed that the behaviour is hard to reconcile, on the surface at least, with traditional notions of what top managers do. It is hard to fit the behaviour into categories like planning, organizing, contro lling, directing, or staffing (Henry Mintzberg Cited in Kotter. J 1999). Even when times are hard, work was fun and exciting, and this has been incorporated in Eisners management style. But there are limits to the autonomy. Senior management delegates authority, not autonomy, downward in the organisation. Sometimes in large companies, too much gets delegated, especially now that empowerment is the rage. Eisner stated I just believe that those with the most experience should be given the most opportunity to handle really tough situations, these situations can put a company or a division at risk (Eisner, M. cited in Wetlaufer, S. (2000). So autonomy has its place. Delegation has its place. But sometimes you have to push problems back up to the top. Otherwise, you just might bump into the biggest corporate problem of all. Eisner, M. (2002) described what the most important areas of management are (1) youve got to be an example. (2)Youve got to be there. (3)Youve got to be a nudge, which is another word for motivator, really. (4) And youve got to show creative leadership, you have to be an idea generator, all the time, day and night (Eisner, M. (2000) cited in Wetlaufer, S. 2000). Thats not really a role. Its an underlying responsibility, its always there. Leading by example also means showing a combination of enthusiasm and loyalty to the institution, and it certainly means demanding excellence in the organisation (Wetlaufer, S. 2000). The two fundamental challenges to a manager are to (1) figure out what to do despite uncertainty and an enormous amount of potentially relevant information. (2) Get things done through a large and diverse group of people despite having little direct control over most of them. These challenges have severe implications for the traditional management functions of planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling. To tackle challenges, effective general managers rely on agenda setting and network building. The best ones assertively seek information (including bad news), skilfully ask questions, and seek out programs and projects that can help accomplish multiple objectives. When a new manager starts their role they spend a considerable amount of time establishing their agendas. Effective executives develop agendas that are made up of loosely connected goals and plans that address their long, medium, and short-term responsibilities (Kotter, J.1999). This pattern of network-building is typical of a managers role and is aimed at more than just direct subordinates. Managers develop cooperative relationships with and among peers, outsiders, their bosses boss, and their subordinates subordinates. Indeed, they develop relationships with (and sometimes among) any and all of the hundreds or even thousands of people on whom they feel in some way dependent. Just as they create an agenda that is different from, although generally consistent with, formal plans, they also create a network that is different from, but generally consistent with, the formal organisational structure (Kotter, J.1999). This networking commence as soon as Eisner was appointed, gaining valuable contacts within the organisation. Managers of organisations have responsibility to get the strategic intent right, not just for the advantage of the organisation. Drucker (1989) discussed the responsibility of management as being decisive not only for the enterprises itself, but for the Managements public standing.for the very future of our economic and social system and the survival of enterprise. The decisions that managers make, do not just affect the organisation, they have an affect on the whole of society, with ethical, environmental and social considerations. Misjudged and misguided strategies have in the past brought down organisations both financially and in their reputation, damaging the publics opinion of them (Drucker (1989) cited in Mullins 2005:214). Therefore strategic decisions are likely to affect the operational level of an organisation, which needs to be in tune with long term goals of the organisation. This factor is important in decision making; firstly if the operational level is not in line with the strategic level this can cause conflict and jeopardise the strategy, secondly it is at the operational of an organisation that the real strategy is achieved (Johnson G , Scholes, K 2004). The Walt Disney Company continues to prosper, by maintaining and ever improving quality standards across the board. Walt Disneys Employee Forum is a publication created not only to motivate employees but to discuss past, present, and future accomplishments of the company. Disneys large corporation has very detailed and clear segmentation, and strives for quality in every product. Others in the entertainments industry, including, for example, Time Warner, MCA, and DreamWorks, also have their own unique quality factors. It is this differentiation and distinctiveness that may be the key to their recognition for what they do, and why they are so good (Anonymous1997). Successful organisations are fluid, forever moving and adjusting to the market forces. From the previous years performance new goals are set, brining in innovative fresh activities that make the organisation more effective. These criteria include increased employee versatility/flexibility; increase of expertise; broadening of the market base; increasing production capacity; improved production economy; and the ability to respond to change. Although some of these decisions are at a strategic level, others will show results with the year. These can be measured to ensure that the strategies are working for the organisation (Mullins, L, 2005). Creativity can be one of the key drivers in business today. At the Walt Disney Company, creativity is not just a tool or a technique to increase productivity; it is the heart of the business. The creative process is practiced and nurtured at Disney, and the application of a similar approach could dramatically impact businesses in a multitude of industries (Hightower, D. 1993). Eisner stated that Disney is a company built on a powerful combination of institutionalised creative friction, an environment that produces a constant stream of ideas and good, old-fashioned common sense. Together, he stated conflict and common sense yield creativity, and creativity has a way of cleaning up the balance sheet and making the income statement shine very brightly (Eisner, M. cited in Wetlaufer, S. (2000). The opinion that all knowledge is viewed as objects to the organisation, and therefore can pass between different states, has contributed to the focus of knowledge management systems (KMS) that they should be externalised and merged with tacit forms of knowledge. This theory is backed up by Cohendet et al.s (1999) recent attention to the codification of experience, know-how and localised tacit knowledge Through the processes of conversion between employees triggers the process of intuiting, interpreting, and integrating them into the organisation (Cohendet et al 1999:523). Healthy organisations would like to be viewed as containing harmonious working relations, committed to working together towards the common goal. Conflict is a reality within the organisational climate; therefore conflict has to be managed. The most specific level the culture of the organisation can be seen as the aggregation of the cognitive interpretations of the organisation workforce, conflict can reveal itself. This conflict arises from the personalities and experience of the individuals, together with the interactions between employees that can cause distortion (Hamlin, B. et al 2000). Diversity is a great force toward creativity. For many, Disney has made its members, (that is what they call employees) a diverse group of people. The more diverse an organisation, the more diverse are the opinions that get expressed, which sometimes create friction, and friction slows down the machine. When the machine slows down, good things can happen. If it is just sliding along with no friction, you get the easy solution; you get mediocrity. We work very hard on getting diversity at the top of the organization, and like many organisations we still have room to improve. That will make us more creative. This diversity is not just about skin colour or ethnic background, it is diversity in point of view. They encourage individualism, wanting employees who view the world differently (Wetlaufer, S. 2000). This whole business starts with ideas that come out of an environment of supportive conflict, which is synonymous with appropriate friction. This is an environment where people are not afraid to speak their minds or be irreverent. Uninhibited discussion gets ideas, which can be look at, made better or just get rid of them (Eisner, M. cited in Wetlaufer, S. 2000). Corporate creativity requires an innately creative leader and the managerial capability to syndicate creativity at the organisational level (Hightower, D. 1993). Cultural descriptions distinguish one organisation from another, and influence the people in the company as individuals as well as company performance. Such culture is a diffuse and nebulous notion, encompassing the underlying values, beliefs and principles of the personnel as they are expressed within the management, structure and practices (B Fletcher, F  Jones, 1992). Although Trompenaars suggests that all societies view time in different ways which may in turn influence business activities. The American dream is the French nightmare. Americans generally start from zero and what matters is their present performance and their plan to make it in the future. This is noveau riche for the French who prefer the ancien pauvre; they have an enormous sense of the past. This clash in national culture between the organisation and the country it is in, was experienced by the Disney corporation when they first tried to expand into new markets (F, Trompenaars (n.d) cited in N, Brealey, 1993: 66). The Aston School points to convergence of organisational culture. An example of this is the work of Hickson et al which suggests that there is a relationship between factors such as size/technology and structures which transcends culture. A bureaucracy in all societies and bureaucratic structures are more likely to occur in particular sectors of the economy. Other Commentators have followed Kerr et al who suggest that industrial or post-industrial societies would in any case become more alike as they are developed in the future. The contrary argument that culture does matter when studying organisational behaviour can be seen in the work of Geert Hofstede. During his work Hofstede identified four dimensions of culture; power distance; uncertainty; avoidance; individualism; and masculinity (Hofstede, G 1980). Ensuring that Disney cast members are committed and motivated, and that they behave appropriately, is the most challenging part of Eisners role (Wetlaufer, S. 2000 a). There are various cultural and structural factors that have a direct affects on organisations that can impinge on the very success of the organisation. These are highlighted when an organisation attempts to redefine itself, to change their image in an attempt to maintain or to enhance their competitive capabilities (L Gratton, 1999). Creating a worldwide brand also means creating a common vision and, to create synergy among its businesses worldwide, Disney runs a program, Disney Dimensions, for senior executives drawn from every division of the company to ensure they work in a common aim. Eisner describes this program as a synergy boot camp. Participants have eight days of meetings, covering every aspect of the business. They dress up as Disney characters, oversee the catering, learn how beds are made and spend time in all the different Disney divisions learning what these do and how they work. Basically they are learning for 16 hours a day how to do every single job in the business (Wetlaufer, S. (2000 a). Disney entertains people, so an energised culture is encouraged. This is reinforced in weekly meetings that anyone could offer up an idea and gets other people to react to it. These are big, unruly, disruptive meetings, which supports institutionalised conflict. The honesty in the teams and culture is vital in this culture. This is in the environment where criticism goes up as well as down. In this culture where every one is equal, there is no pecking order it produces creativity (Wetlaufer, S. 2000). Managers achieve more indirect influence through symbolic methods. They use meetings, language, stories about the organisation, even architecture, in order to get some message across indirectly. The symbols of the Disney Corporation are everywhere, reinforcing the values to employees (Kotter, J.1999). An important aspect that adds to organisational effectiveness is synergy, when the whole performance is greater that the performance of the individual components, that the performance of the organisation outstrips the performance of the individual, this is positive synergy (Mullins. L. 2005).Positive synergy occurs when two or more processes or activities complement each other. The concept of synergy can be considered and implemented by changing the links that bind certain departments together, linking new departments together (Johnson G, , Scholes K, 2004). Mullins (2005) stated that his could lead to a broadly and powerfully defined culture which is strongly customer focused and capable of leap frogging the competition through continual and radical innovation (Mullins, L. 2005:256). Synergy occurs at Disney, because they all pull together. The products scream out for synergy. When launching a new product it is on the cover of our magazines, on the Disney channels around the world and displayed in the windows of the shops. All employees around the world know what is happening and are involved (Wetlaufer, S. 2000). Classical writers discussed the organisation in terms of its purpose, with its formal structure; the hierarchy of the organisation. The emphasis placed on planning work, achieving this through managing the technical requirements, and the presumption of logical and rational behaviour from within the organisation. Each individual classical writer puts forward their own interpretation of similar theories (Mullins, L 2005). Baker (1972) discussed these principals as it offered simple principals which claimed general application it also followed architectural and literary styles which emphasised formality, symmetry and rigidity (R Baker (1972) cited in Buchanan D and Huczynski A 1991: 430) The Disney Corporation treats its members with reverence, respecting the individuals diversity. However the uniform of its customer facing members demonstrates rigidity within the structure. Although the payment received from the employer is not the sole motivator it satisfies the contract of employment. Hegewisch (1991) wrote the pay packet is one of the most visible expression of the employment relationship, its main issue is the exchange between employer and employee, expressing a connection between the labour market, the individuals work and the performance of employing the organisation itself(Hegewisch (1991) cited in Beardwell I Holden L 1994 :500). The organisation pays employees well; their reasoning was to compensate employees enough so they didnt have to worry about money. This way, they argued, employees were made able to do their job, service the customer. Tom Peters focuses on this point when discussing closeness to the customer. To overspend on service people keeps customers happy and Disney knows what its customers like. It may cost Disney a lot and be unprofitable in the short run, but the company looks to the long run to keep those customers (Tom Peters cited in Anonymous1997). As the first leader in the Disney Corporation that is not a family member Michael Eisner has turned the organisation around. The success is world wide, with new products being launched continually. Michael Eisner style of leadership is completely the reverse of the way the organisation had been run. Ultimately, Michael Eisner is seeking to generate enthusiasm and involvement among Disney employees. Enthusiasm and involvement leads to motivated employees. This is achieved through reinforcing the culture of fun and innovation. The employees are paid well, to motivate them and to reduce financial worries that could impinge on their performance. Although creativity and innovation is encouraged it could be argued that the knowledge of the employees is viewed as objects to the organisation. Eisners leadership is transformational and charismatic. Transformational leaders provide the tools that can help employees achieve greatness. There are networks in place that increase the synergy within the organisation, all employees knows what the strategic plans are. Although the organisation has been reformed, we must not lose sight of the ultimate goal. Michael Eisner values the ideas of every individual and endeavours to offer a creative, fun environment in which they may ultimately see their ideas grow and take shape, adding to the Disney magic and of course, the bottom line Bibliography Beardwell I and Holden L,(1996) Human Resource Management Pitman Publishing, London Buchanan D, and Hucczynski A, (1991)Organisational Behaviour Prentice Hall, Padstow Burnes, B. (2000) (3rd Edition)  A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics Pearson Education, Edinburgh Gratton, L (1999) Strategic Human Resource Management: Corporate Rhetoric and Human Reality.; Oxford University Press (UK), Oxford Grint, K. (2000) The Art of Leadership, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 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