Financial Contingency Planning: Sources of Funding Essay

California has the largest prison population in the United States and some countries around the world. For over 40 years, the incarceration levels have risen. The prison rates have risen 700 percent since 1970, today it is estimated that one in 100 adults are incarcerated. Who pays the bill for this large increase, tax payers have and will continue until the Department of Justice and government have a solid plan to reduce the overwhelming criminal justice deficient. The taxpayers are not only paying to house the prisoners but to feed them and all their medical needs. One plan that was pass by the Supreme Court was to reduce the prison population, they gave California two years to do this (Henrichson, 2012). Revenue is big for state prisons; most states rely on taxpayers to foot the bill. Around the mid 1980’s is when prisons were financed by the pay as you go method and bonds there were $9.6 billion in construction costs. In the late 1990’s the expenditures were up to $ 22 billion dollars, this was over half the debt it cost to finance prisons. The general obligation bond was another way to pay for prisons, but this was financed by tax revenues and back by government credit. Getting prisons built pressured the Governor at the time, Mario Cuomo, he tried to use the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), and this fund was for oversight for low-income housing. This was shot down at the state supreme court. The lease revenue bonds became a way to pay for prisons. An entity or agency was created to build the prisons, they this agency would lease it to the government. In turn the taxpayers would pay back the loan, it was done this way because it did not require the government to ask the voters (â€Å"Public Bonds†, 2004). The Department of Justice (DOJ), just like most organizations has a contingency plan. The Antideficiency Act regulates what can and will not be paid for if the contingency plan is put into action. There are certain programs that will  always keep going; they are Diversion Control, Health Care fraud and abuse control, debt collection, asset forfeiture fund, and federal prison industries. According to â€Å"United States Department Of Justice† (2013), â€Å"Also, the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) Buildings and Facilities and Commissary accounts have multi-year authority and have adequate carryover funding to meet expenses during a lapse in appropriations †. In the event, the California prison system would need to activate their contingency plan the Bureau of Prison Buildings and Facilities and the Prison Industries and Commissary funds would carry over to meet any expenses. The employees, including medical staff are except from any finical constraints. (U.S. Department of Justice Contingency Plan). Public prisons became a drain on the budget since the mid 1990’s, and only getting worse. With the cost of living going up so does the cost of medical and psychiatric car. Also, another big stressor is the overcrowding in public prisons, with more inmates there is a need for more officers on duty, this results in more overtimes and hiring more officers. A way to lessen this burden is privatized prisons. There are several investors in the public stock market. Privatized prisons have investors that fund them. Miller (2012), â€Å"Private prisons can be defined in one of the following manners: a transfer of public facilities to a private organization; a contract to design and operate new prisons; and a contract to provide other services to public prisons such as transportation, medical care, food, and maintenance â€Å"(The Drain of Public Prison Systems and the Role of Privatization: An Analysis of State Correctional Systems). Private prisons do not have ties to the government , they are funded privately, however, and they may enter into a contract with the government. These contracts could be to house inmates and the government helps regulate private prisons. The public prisons use the private prisons to house many of the overcrowded prisons and the government has the power to place limitations and regulations on the organizations. AB 109 is a bill passed by the U.S. Supreme Court that ordered California to fix the overcrowding. This required California to reduce the prison population to 137.5 percent capacity. When the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California in May to fix its overcrowded prison problem, citing constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment, the court  rejected California’s bid for more time and upheld a two-year deadline to drastically cut inmate population in its 33 prisons to 137.5% of capacity by May 2013. To get there, there are several major steps, including a reduction of 10,000 inmates by November 28 to reach 167% of capacity. One idea California has is to use more community base programs for those non-violent prisoners who are released early. Some of the programs include transitional housing, jobs, and medical and mental health services. A poll was taken to see how the community felt about the early release of non-violent, non-sex, and non-serious offenders back into the community, they were in favor of them being released and managed within the community (Krisberg, 2011). The new parolees are supervised by the Post-Release Community Supervision program, about 104,00 are already living within the community. These changes would slowly take place. There are currently 65,000 current prisoners that fall under the AB 109 bill. These number will change as new people go to prisons and others are patrolled. A concern of the counties is funding, with the influx of offenders they worry how the communities will afford the large amount of people (Krisberg, 2011). Prison bonds are a fixed income security called lease revenue bonds (LRBs). These bonds are used to finance prisons. There are different types of bonds, traditional revenue bonds and lease revenue bonds. Traditional revenue bonds help repay the debt, the down side to these bonds is prisons do not generate revenue. The state treasury had to figure out how to create them, their solution was to have a private agency build the prison and then leases it to the state. The state takes money from one entity to pay another, a lot of the time it is taken from the general fund. These bonds are also tax except. The downfall to these bonds is the state can raise taxes to repay these obligations (Anderson, 2014). California has the largest prison population in the United States. Some of the questions asked about reducing the population are will this alter rates of incarceration, probation, supervision, and community programs. The state was giving a grant totaling $650.000 dollars from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the James Irvine Foundation, and the Public Welfare Foundation; this grant funded the Stanford Criminal Justice Center (SCJC) to  conduct the research. The SCJC was asked to effectively help California undertake and assess the realignment. This research this grant will provide will not only help California, but other states to reduce their prison population as well (â€Å"Stanford University†, 2013). There is another program called Fund for Nonviolence. This program is having several grants under the justice with dignity program. The total grants for 2013 were $372,500 and had 13 different grants that were awarded. Most of them were directed toward inmates who re leased back into the community; these grants were to help them to start over (â€Å"Fund For Nonviolence†, n.d.). It is predicted that in the two years over 3,700 more beds will be added to prisons. The state of California faces being held in contempt if they fail to meet their deadline of overcrowding. This brings up more costs for the state to have to fight this matter in court. Three judges orders 34 prisons to be downsized. The state faces two class-action lawsuits because the overcrowding has led to deaths. A report released by the correction’s department shows there is a $500 million dollar expansion project that would allow for two more prisons to be built, that means more officers, more health care staff, and more beds, just to 26,000. California passed the three strikes law and there has been a 36% increase in admissions. The three strikes law increased the prison population by 34,000. This is a record high for California (â€Å"Governing The States And Localities†, 2014). One answer California has to help offset the budget constrains is legalizing marijuana. The idea would be to use the excise tax, which could yield $770-900 million per year and the sales tax, another $240-360 million a year to reduce the states swelling budget. If the state was to legalize marijuana this would save over $200 million prosecution, arrest, trial, and prison time (Gieringer, 2009). The state of California is faced with a big challenge, how to reduce prison size and keep the re-entry rate low. The three strikes law has not helped with lowering the numbers. The Supreme Court passed AB 109, which told California they had two years to lower the prison population. California is faced with two on ongoing law suits that claim wrongful death suits. The state government has gone over how to reduce the budget and be able to find revenue to make the deficit lower. One thought was to legalize marijuana; this would not only bring a large  revenue but also save on costs from arrest, court, and jail time. Another approach was to build two more prisons to increase the population by 34,000. Also, the state could use more private prisons, they are funded by private entities but are still backed by the state. The prediction is the prison population will steadily increase, there for the need for more beds and more staff is apparent. References Anderson, A. (2014). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/22/prison-correctional-bonds-pf-ii-in_aa_1022fixedincome_inl.html Eaton, K. (2002-2011). BI. Retrieved from http://blog.bi.com/industry-news/ab-109-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-to-california-counties Fund for Nonviolence. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fundfornonviolence.org/index.html Gieringer, D. (2009). California NORML. Retrieved from http://www.canorml.org/background/ca_legalization2.html GOVERNING The States and Localities. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.governing.com/news/headlines/california-prison–overcrowding-its-going-to-get-worse.html Henrichson, C. (2012). VERA Institution of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/Price_of_Prisons_updated_version_072512.pdf Krisberg, B. (2011). Berkeley Law University of California. Retrieved from http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/REALIGNMENT_FINAL9.28.11.pdf Miller, D. (2012). Pro Quest A discovery guide. Retrieved from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/prisons/review.pdf

The Tragic History of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare

In the Tragic History of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, , the sane Hamlet occasionally switches between sanity and insanity. When madness orders Hamlet’s purpose, he puts on an â€Å"antic disposition† (I. V. 463). On the other hand, when sanity proves worthy, Hamlet continues back to being logical. Hamlet claims he is â€Å"mad north-north-west (II. ii), meaning he is mad sometimes and sane other times. To achieve his goals, Hamlet continues back and forth between sanity and insanity, which ironically, shows his goal of revenge.To begin, Hamlet starts of insanity to try and achieve his goals. Hamlet uses is insanity as a weapon, changing insanity into the form of words or action. Hamlet is only insane towards his enemies or his enemies allies. For example, Hamlet attacks Ophelia, who has allied herself with Claudius with words â€Å"are you honest† (III. i) â€Å"are you fair† (III. i). Hamlet â€Å"speaks daggers† (III. ii) to Gertrude, because she is an interference to Hamlet. Also, Hamlet destroys Polonius so violently that Hamlet guarantees that Polonius is â€Å"dead, for a ducat, dead† (III. iv).Hamlet deeply harms both Ophelia and Gertrude with his words of insanity, while sending Polonius to the grace with his actions of insanity. All three people, Ophelia, Gertrude and Polonius, are Claudius’ allies, and by hurting Claudius’ allies, Hamlet is indirectly wounding Claudius. This is Hamlet’s short term goal: to get rid Claudius of allies. Besides using insanity to harm Claudius’ allies, the little presence of Hamlet’s insanity troubles Claudius. Gradually, Claudius gets more furious with Hamlet and knows that â€Å"madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go† (III. i.). Hamlet's insanity causes Claudius to send people to uncover the mysteries of his insanity. Hamlet's fake madness causes Claudius to increase anger. Claudius' confusion is Hamlet's other short-term goal. In brief, Hamlet's insanity has helped him achieve his short-term goals of eradicating Claudius' allies and confusing Claudius. On the other hand, Hamlet returns to sanity and uses it as a method of concentration. Whenever Hamlet is sane, he is focused on the current situation. When Hamlet encounters the ghost, he tells it to â€Å"speak†, because he is â€Å"bound to hear† (I.v. ). While speaking with the ghost, Hamlet cries for his â€Å"prophetic soul† (I. v. ). Hamlet is also very focused when speaking and listening to Horatio. When Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost of Hamlet's father, Hamlet asks Horatio to â€Å"let him hear† (I. ii. ). While sane, Hamlet's thoughts are clear and he is focused on the topic. When meeting his father's ghost, he pays full attention to it. When Hamlet speaks to Horatio about Hamlet's father's ghost, Hamlet listens and speaks with sanity. Hamlet also refers to his â€Å"prophetic soul† (I. v. ).Since Hamlet des cribes himself to have a â€Å"prophetic soul† (I. v. ), it shows that his mind is very clear, unlike the mind of the insane. Hamlet's short-term goal is to concentrate when necessary. When Hamlet is alone, his thoughts are very thorough. For example, Hamlet's â€Å"to be or not to be† (III. i. ) speech is very clearly thought out. Hamlet's thoughts are much more mature than those of the insane. Hamlet's second short-term goal is to philosophize. Through the return into sanity, Hamlet is able to accomplish both his short-term goals of concentration and philosophizing.However, due to the constant reversal between sanity and insanity, Hamlet's revenge is slowed down. Hamlet's mind becomes tangled due to constant changes in personality, between sanity and insanity. Early in the play, Hamlet says that he will put on an â€Å"antic disposition† (I. v. ). However, in the last scene of the play, Hamlet tells Horatio that â€Å"in my heart there was a kind of fightingà ¢â‚¬  (V. ii. ). At one point he says that he will fake insanity, while later, he says that there is fighting in his heart, which hints insanity. Due to this, Hamlet becomes indecisive. Hamlet's inability to act causes his revenge to be slowed.In the end, it is believed that Hamlet is very sane. His act of insanity is to mess with the others heads. He knows that Claudius has sent Rosencrantz and guildenstern to spy on him. He doesn’t want them to know that what he is planning is to unveil the truth, and that Claudius murdered King Hamlet. He does not want Claudius to know that he knows the truth. Hamlet switches between sanity and insanity to achieve his short-term goals. He uses insanity against enemies and sanity as a method of concentration. However, the constant switch of sanity and insanity brings him a slow revenge.

Discuss How This Play Might Reflect On Elizabeth I`S Decision Not To Marry

By the time Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer’s Night Dream during the winter of 1595-96, Queen Elizabeth I was well past her childbearing years, past the age of sixty and had not chosen an heir. Given the previous several decades of English history, this made her subjects understandably apprehensive. The fact that she was a powerful ruler who had accomplished much and was relatively benign elicited admiration; however, the fact that she was an unmarried woman would have raised many questions in the minds of people living in and during what essentially was a patriarchal, male-dominated place and time.The initial performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream may have been attended by Elizabeth. Were this the case and it was known that the Queen would attend, it would not have been unreasonable for Shakespeare to incorporate elements designed to flatter her. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s plays were written â€Å"for the masses† as well. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that some subtle form of political or social criticism might have found its way into the script.In some ways, the structure of the play (one of the few that Shakespeare created from his own imagination without relying on a primary source) is metaphorical of the history of England during the turbulent years of the 16th century; the Duke of Theseus and Queen Hippolyta represent stability in what is essentially a chaotic plot, and this stability is present only at the beginning and the ending of the play.Likewise, the 16th century had opened with the reign of Henry VI, who had restored stability following the War of the Roses; when his son, Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he unintentionally lit a socio-political fire fanned by the winds of the Reformation, leading to societal upheavals over which he had little control.Following the passing of Henry VIII, three more Tudor monarchs came and went in qui ck succession (Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey and Mary I), each one bringing a change of official religion; Elizabeth I restored stability to English society and began the process of turning the British Empire into a superpower. Elizabeth’s legitimacy was in question because of her Protestant faith, but she was very popular with her subjects. Nonetheless, the question of her marriage came up soon after her ascension to the throne.Rumors at the time suggested that she was in love with the 1st Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley, but since her council would not sanction marriage to a commoner, she decided not to marry at all. It is more likely that the decision was political, however. Had Elizabeth married, she would have sacrificed virtually all of her power and a sizable portion of her wealth. In the opening scene of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Hermia refuses the suitor her father Egeus has chosen for her. Theseus outlines her alternatives in no uncertain terms: â€Å"Either t o die the death, or to abjure For ever the society of men.† (Act I, Scene 1, Lines 65-66).Any male monarch (married or not) would have had to a mistress, and no questions would have been asked. The patriarchal double-standard would have made any tryst on Elizabeth’s part a political disaster, however. Furthermore, Renaissance conventions required that a wife be unquestioningly subject to her husband’s authority. Since this would have had significant political consequences, it was in Elizabeth’s best interests (as well as England’s) for her to remain a virgin.On one hand, the play would seem to be critical of Elizabeth in her refusal to submit to male authority, and yet there is something admirable in Hermia’s defiance, willing to risk all for the one she loves. In the last scene of the 1999 film Elizabeth, the Queen declares that she is â€Å"married – to England. † Whether it was personal ambition and desire for power, or a tru e love for and sense of duty toward the nation, the fact remains that had Elizabeth married, Britain would never have become an empire, and the world would be a much different place today.

Kefauver-Harris Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kefauver-Harris Amendment - Essay Example 127-128). The communal protest caused by the Thalidomide calamity near the beginning of 1960s hastily directed to the road of new set of laws and an unusual sentiment regarding untried drugs. In an attempt to stop happening one more analogous tragedy at the rear of the Thalidomide mishap, the U.S. Parliament, in 1962, passed the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendment, ordering austere controls on drug checking, promotion and selling. The edict asserted for the first time that hottest drugs must be made known to be helpful before being advertised. In addition, it proposed stringent regulations for sound engineering practices, the intention being to augment quality control in the manufacturing route. The new codes would step up to transform not only the approach Americans participated in drug experiments but also their anticipations for the safety of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendment conceded collectively by the Congress to strengthened control over recommended and unproven drugs and to make certain greater drug protection. It was acknowledged that no drug is actually harmless unless it is also effectual. Before publicizing a drug, its manufacturers now had to demonstrate to FDA not just safety, but also provide considerable verification of effectiveness for the product's future utilization -- a milestone proceed in medical record.

Air Quality and Climate Change as Integrated Policy Research Paper

Air Quality and Climate Change as Integrated Policy - Research Paper Example Ozone and black carbon do not stay in the atmosphere for a long time, unlike long-lived GHGs such as carbon dioxide. Short-term pollutants do not get evenly distributed in the atmosphere. Thus, this factor should be given a great deal of attention so as to decrease their emission. Doing so will help in providing immediate resolution that will lessen climate change rate and reduce the likelihood of global warming. Likewise, strategies in decreasing the emissions of long-lived GHGs must also be regarded as an urgent concern. In its 2004 report entitled Air Quality Management in the United States, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) suggested the integration of air pollution and climate change policies because of the found links between air quality and climate (Climate Change and Air Quality). This initiative would help in decreasing the emissions of known causes of air quality problems. At the same time, it would reduce negative impacts related to climate change. Integrating air quality and climate change policy is considerably a wise approach. It yields a number of benefits, such as in saving costs and protecting public health and the environment. It also facilitates sustainable development and helps in decreasing the carbon level in society. The success of this integration pursuit entails global consensus and needs authority that would give a broader view and proper implementation of formulated strategies. During a major conference on â€Å"Air Pollution and Climate Change: Developing a Framework for Integrated Co-benefits Strategies†, presented by the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum in September 2008 (Hicks & Kuylenstierna, 2008), the co-benefits of air quality and climate change policies were shown. This conference has set a foundation for the improvement of global advocacy on air pollution. In the said forum, it was pointed out that there was urgent need to integrate the two policies as suggested by current science. Treating air pollution and

Written communication assessment ( 30%) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Written communication assessment ( 30%) - Essay Example PSA is considered to be the leading supporter of pharmacists’ rights. It helps influence the attitudes and policies of the government and society through networking, continuing education, coordination, and health promotion activities. The Consumers Health Forum (CHF) speaks in behalf of the health consumers. It is an independent non-governmental organization which helps fashion Australia’s health care system by encouraging the consumers to participate in establishing health policies. The CHF gathers data, opinions, and complaints from the people and brings them to the attention of concerned government officials. Through their actions, government officials can make the necessary adjustments in policies for the good of the public. According to CHF, the general public should be given affordable, safe and quality medicines and health services. They also believe that consumers should have a chance to be involved in the management of their health care. Consumers should also be given access to vital health information in ways they can easily understand. The CHF prioritizes the safety and quality of health care services especially for patients with chronic conditions. The organization members come from different c ommunity and health sectors, including illness-based groups, population groups and other health-interest groups. (â€Å"Our CHF – Who are we?†). Through these various members, they give a voice to the consumer public. In 1928, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia was established. It successfully bonded together a number of pharmacy organizations from various States. It is registered as an employees’ organization and it has about 4500 member pharmacists throughout Australia. The Guild functions as a single entity, not a federation. The Guild involves itself in several areas of health care such as health

Shipping Law - The collision regulation rules Essay

Shipping Law - The collision regulation rules - Essay Example The Merchant Shipping Regulations of 1996 (MSA) provides that the definition of the word "ship" includes hovercraft. More specifically the regulation 2 (1) provides for the application of the Collision Regulations to seaplanes registered in the UK. Moreover, the 1976 Convention does not apply to floating platforms constructed for the purpose of exploring or exploiting the sea-bed, also does not apply to hovercraft.( Chorley & Giles 1999) Section 313 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 defines a ship as every description of vessel used in navigation. Section 58 of this act, clearly states that the act applies to a master or employee of a United Kingdom ship or a foreign ship in United Kingdom waters, who does any act that causes or is likely to cause serious injury to a person, or any act that would prevent serious injury to a person (Mandaraka 2001). However, the section 310 of the Act makes the definition of the ship, applicable to hovercraft. By section 311 of the same act, the Secretary of state has power to declare anything which is designed or adapted for sea uses to be a ship of any purpose of the MSAs. However, this power is not yet exercised (Mandaraka 2001). Furthermore, it can be considered that there is a gap in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995, considering the definition in the words "used in navigation". There is no clear definition in relation with the navigation and therefore relevant definition given from decided cases. Case: Steedman v Scofield The plaintiff was riding a jet-ski when he was involved in a collision with a speedboat driven from the first defendant. The collision was caused by the negligence of the plaintiff while acting as agent or servant of the water-skier. The plaintiff instituted proceedings against the defendants for his personal injuries. It was contended that the action was time barred by the time the writ was issued under the provisions of the S8 of the MCA 1911 (Fizpatrick &Adderson, 2005). The issue was whether the jet-ski was a "vessel used for navigation purposes. In the relevant section of the Merchant Act, the "vessel" is defined as any ship or boat or any other description of vessel used in navigation. Also in the same section (742) is defined the ship as every description of vessel used in navigation not propelled by oars. (Mandaraka 2001) Therefore in accordance with the above definition, the jet-ski was a "vessel" because it was used in navigation for the purpose of the MSA, and I t was also a "ship" because it was not propelled by oars. However, the admiralty judge held for this case that: "to come within the definition of "ship" in accordance with the MSA the jet-ski had to be a vessel used in navigation. A vessel was usually a hollow receptacle for carrying people and the word "vessel" was used to refer to craft larger than rowing boats and it included every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a mean of transportation in water: a jet-ski was not a vessel!!! The phrase "used in navigation" is referred to the concept of transportation of persons or commodities to intend destination navigation was not considered synonymous with movement in water, but was defined as a movement from one place to another. Therefore, a jet-ski was capable of movement on water but the purpose was not to go from one place to another. It might be possible to navigate a jet-ski but it was not a

Teen (brain) Development Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teen (brain) Development Report - Essay Example The issue of this generation gap has been the source of a lot of discussion and more so when the current teenagers quite often look for quick fixes and instant gratification in life, with the virtue of patience appearing to loose relevance. Does this arise from just the differing generations or are there more basic issues including the manner of brain development in teenagers. Insight into the structure and the way the brain develops and functions have come about as a result of deep study on the matter. (Benson, D. Grey matter gallery. 2002). The insight is not without its controversies, as is usually seen in research fields and more so here as there is likely to be difference of opinion from the philosophic point of view as the matter under consideration is the functioning of the brain. (Sheppard, R. How We THINK? 2000). The development of the brain starts from the time of conception and continues into adolescence and teenage. This maturing of the brain is a result of chemical and hormonal development and occurs in stages. An example of this can be seen in that the period between the ages six and fifteen is considered to be the peak language development period as the left hemisphere fills out and after which acquiring new language skills becomes more difficult. The brains of the teenager are still in the developing stage and there are functional areas that are different from that of an adult brain. The frontal cortex area, which is the seat of cool decision making, is still in the developing stage in a teenager, whereas it has full developed in the case of an adult. This would definitely provide different ways in which decision are made and there is quite likely to be differences of opinion on the decisions that have been taken. (Bergman, B. A five-tonne tool for BRAIN SURGERY. 2000). The difference of views that occur among teenagers and adult parents come about

Multinational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multinational - Essay Example This is why the biggest MNCs are all publicly owned corporations (Gerard, 2013). Some of the top 20 MNCs are rated in terms of revenues they generate. As figures indicate, majority of the biggest corporations are in the oil industry-no wonder, the constant increase in the prices of oil. However, out of top 10 corporations, some are in the automotive industry and consequently big oil consumers. The only retailer in the MNCs is Wal-Mart and this shows just how the oil industry is big business. Most of the fortune 500 companies are MNCs and majority of them are located or domiciled in the US, followed by China then Japan. Other countries such as France, Britain come trailing. MNCs must come up with systems and strategies so as to achieve all or some of their multinational business operations (John & Praveen, 2014). The globalizing economy is a constantly changing (however, not always stable) environment for doing business. Trade barriers have been falling and in the 1st 10 years of the 21st century, world trade amongst nations in goods and services developed quickly than domestic production. This means there is free flow of money across the borders of most countries, permitting corporations to look for the best financing rates-and at the same time letting investors seek for the best possible returns-anywhere worldwide. All of these procedures constitute what is referred to as globalization-a trend that has seen world economies become greatly interlinked and borderless. Corporations are no longer limited by their domestic borders and may operate any type of business activity any place in the world. Thus to corporations, globalization means that they are most likely to source for their raw materials everywhere, do research and development everywhere and compete anywhere while producing their pro ducts at any given place in the world. Globalization, however has come with its own challenges and is not a standardized evolutionary process, meaning that not all

Slaughterhouse Five Essay Example for Free

Slaughterhouse Five Essay Slaughterhouse-Five explores fate, free will, and the illogical nature of human beings. Protagonist Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time, randomly experiencing the events of his life, with no idea of what part he will next visit. Billy Pilgrim says there is no free will, an assertion confirmed by a Tralfamadorian, who says, Ive visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will. The storys central concept is that most of humanity is insignificantthey do what they do, because they must. To the Tralfamadorians, everything simultaneously exists, therefore, everyone is always alive. They, too, have wars and suffer tragedies (they destroy the universe whilst testing spaceship fuels), but, when Billy asks what they do about wars, they reply that they simply ignore them. The Tralfamadorians counter Vonneguts true theme: life, as a human being, is only enjoyable with unknowns. Tralfamadorians do not make choices about what they do, but have power only over what they think (the subject of Timequake). Vonnegut expounds his position in chapter one, that writing an anti-war book is like writing an anti-glacier book, both being futile endeavours, since both phenomena are unstoppable. Like much of Vonneguts other works (e.g., The Sirens of Titan), Slaughterhouse-Five explores the concept of fatalism. The Tralfamadorians represent the belief in war as inevitable. In their hapless destruction of the universe, Vonneguts characters do not sympathize with their philosophy. To human beings, Vonnegut says, ignoring a war is unacceptable when we have free will; however, he does not explicitly state that we actually have free will, leaving open the possibility that he is satirizing the concept of free will as a product of human irrationality. This human senselessness appears in the climax that occurs, not with the Dresden fire bombing, but with the summary execution of a man who committed a petty theft. Amid all that horror, death, and destruction, time is taken to punish one man. Yet, the time is taken, and Vonnegut takes the outside opinion of the bird asking, Poo-tee-weet? The same birdsong ends the novel God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. Slaughterhouse-Five is framed with chapters in the authors voice, about his experience of war, indicating the novel is intimately connected with his life and convictions. That established, Vonnegut withdraws from the unfolding of Billy Pilgrims story, despite continual appearances as a minor character: in the POW camp latrine, exiting the train at Dresden, the corpse mines of Dresden, when he mistakenly dials Billy’s telephone number. These authorial appearances anchor Billy Pilgrim’s life to reality, highlighting his existential struggle to fit in the human world.

Nokia Strategic Plan

Nokia Strategic Plan In this project I have covered various topics of marketing which are strategic planning, strategic planning process, the domestic strategic planning while the international strategic planning and also the difference among them. For more clearly understanding this topic I have also briefly discussed the case study of NOKIA. I have deeply studied Nokias strategic planning in India that is what all measures it took to grow and capture the Indian market. For understanding its international strategic planning and the reason for its success by properly implementing its strategic planning globally. Even the PEST, porters five stage model and SWOT of the company also made the concept and analysis more clear. Table of contents (jump to) 1.Introduction: Definition of strategic planning Definition Strategic Planning Process International/global strategy Difference between domestic and global strategy planning 2. Nokia Case Study Domestic strategy 4 Ps Marketing Mix of Nokia Porters 5 Forces Analysis of Nokia SWOT Analysis of Nokia 3. Conclusion 4. Recommendation 5. References Introduction Definition of Strategic Planning: Strategic planning is the process by which it maintain its competitiveness within its work environment by determining where the organization is and where it want to go, and how it wish to get there. In other words examining what all strategies will enable the corporate or association to prosper in the future. This definition applies to the largest profit oriented as well as to the nonprofit organization. Definition Strategic Planning Process: The strategic planning process is a rational approach firms use to achieve strategic competitiveness and earn above- average returns. Thus it is an essential most and foremost step in development of result based accountability system which is defined as the process of addressing the following questions: Where are we? What do we have to work with? Where do we want to be? How do we get there? These are the various steps involved in the strategic planning which has to be achieved or ensured one by one. The first step is to answer where are we? Thats where the company or the organization going to survey or conduct its activity. Then the next step is making themselves clear about on what they have to work thats their product or services. Then future knowing what is their future goal, where they want to reach and lastly planning that how they will achieve their goals. The Strategic Planning Process Mission and Objectives: Mission and objective of the business describes about the companies values and beliefs. They show what is the goal of the business for which it is working. The objective can also be in financial term as well. Environmental Scan: This includes the internal analysis of the firm itself which is done by SWOT analysis of the firm. While the second is analysis of the firms industry which is done by porters five forces model and third is microenvironment analysis which is done through PEST analysis. Strategy formulation: From the above scan the firm will get to know where it stands among the other firm. And then accordingly they have to make their strength into opportunity and also reduce their weakness and threat which can give them competitive advantage. This competitive advantage can be in form of low cost as well as differentiation. Strategy implementation: As and now the strategy is been prepared for the firm, so now its time to implement it. As and when it is implemented then only company can know how much successful is the strategy for the firm. Evaluation and control: The implementation of strategy must be monitored and tested and whatever necessary changes required should be made. Thus this process is done in following steps: Define the parameters that is to be measured Define target values for those parameters Then the performance measurement Compare the results from the targeted result Make necessary changes required in it. International/global strategy: An international strategy is a strategy through which the firm sells its goods and services outside its domestic market. The steps in international strategy are: Identify international opportunities Explore resources and capabilities Use core competences Strategic competitiveness outcome. The international strategy has two basic types: business level, corporate level international strategy. There are three corporate level strategies which are -multidomestic, global and transnational. Global strategy: is the strategy which assumes more standardization of product across country market. Thus global strategy is centralized and controlled by the home office. Difference between domestic and global strategy planning: Domestic strategy is basically defined when the company is been formed while the global strategy is defined when the company enters into the new market. Domestic strategy are the goal or the vision mission through which the company was been formed. While the global strategy are been decided according to the customers need, preference and the countries suitability. Domestic strategy is been fixed and rarely changes while the global strategy changes according to the need of that country. There are chances that the domestic strategy is similarly to global strategy while it can differ also. ( strategic management-ireland.hoskisson.hitt) The major challenges that international managers/marketer faces when strategic planning for the global markets:- The greater geographical dispersion across country border increases the cost of coordination between unit and distribution of product. Trade barrier of the global country also a major challenges for the managers. Even the cultural diversification and other differences by country like (access to raw material and different employee skill levels) greatly complicate the implementation of strategy planning for global market. Differences in consumer needs, wants, and usage patterns for products is also one of the major challenges for the manager during their strategy planning. Some time the religion of the particular country also affects the strategy planning of the company. This is also one the important challenge for the manager to understand. Nokia Case Study Domestic strategy: Vision for future: The main vision as stated on website and an punch line of Nokia Connecting people is now connecting people to what matters whatever that means for each person giving them the power to make the most of every moment, everywhere, any time. Connecting the we is more powerful than just the individual. Thats how Nokia is needed to help make the world a better place for everyone. (http://www.nokia.com) Strategy of company: The Nokia website states on its blog that To do this we will become the leading provider of mobile solutions. Our solutions strategy leverages one of our greatest assets a portfolio of outstanding devices, with unmatched scale and geographic reach. We couple them with smart services, integrated via an intuitive and seamless user experience. We differentiate these solutions offerings based on our in-depth consumer understanding, with a strong focus on social location (people and places). (http://www.nokia.com) Now NOKIA in India: The Indian market is huge and diverse and also undraped. As the rural India is the main unexploited which could be captured. But these rural markets have its own challenges in it. This brought Nokia to India and captures its huge market. Nokias marketing strategy planning in India- MISSION: The mission of NOKIA in INDIA is to provide the customer with the best durable, economical stylish and low cost cell phone with best feature for the common use of customers. MARKETING OBJECTIVES Maintain positive, strong growth every quarter by selling more and more no. of cell phone. Achieve a steady increase in market penetration To maintain its position of Indias no. 1 cell phone producing company. Maintaining its reputation. 4ps of marketing mix: 1. Product: Domestic strategy: Nokia in its domestic strategy had developed many model of cell which been updated time to time. Global strategy: The product Nokia brought for Indian market was more of user friendly and very durable product. As Indian market always demanded more of rough and tough mobiles which could be used and handled by every person. Even one of the main product features for India was that Nokia came out with the cell phone with torch in it. Which was a good strategy to attract the Indian rural market. As after the analysis Nokia came to know that 60percent of Indian population stays in India. And rural India is facing big problem of electricity. Thus this kind of torch in cell phones attracted the rural India So Nokia came with the product which was desirable by the market. 2. Price: Domestic strategy: The prices of mobile phones are comparatively according to the economy of the country. So the call rates in Finland are also comparatively high. But as there are very less competition so price of cell phone is high. Global strategy: The Indian mobile market has an over 170million subscribers making it the most cost effective player in this industry worldwide. More over India has the most lowest call rates and apart from this mobile phone calling from anywhere around the world is just two cents per minute, as in front of China it is four cents. The market is also aiming at immense growth. But so far Nokia is aiming at its Penetration-Led strategy which means having a mobile phone with every single person of the world. They are targeting at retaining their costumser which they have termed as replacement-Led. From a survey its been known that costumers in India tend to change their mobile phones very frequently. And whenever they come to change their phone are willing to pay an extra penny for a new upgraded handset. Thus in this way Nokia have managed to keep their price change as per the demand of its customers In India. 3. Promotion: Domestic strategy: Nokia is already a Finland company. So it is already a famous brand. Thus it does not require much of promotional activities to be done. Global strategy: Nokia made its promotion in various ways to capture Indian market. Among this the main focus was the rural market which was huge. Various film stars were been hired to promote Nokia. Even Nokia sponsored various cultural activities and sports activities and sports teams. 4. Place: Domestic strategy: In its domestic strategy it is already defined the places it has to cover. Which include whole of the country? Global strategy: For Nokia it was very important to keep a strong distribution channel so that the customer gets a product at right time and at a right place. Thus for this Nokia started its website, showrooms, marts and etc. Main strategy: The most foremost strategy for the company was to maintain the No 1 position in India among the cellular companies. This could be achieved if the firm keep on surveying the huge rural as well as the urban market. For the rural India Nokia adopted low cost strategy while for urban it adopted differentiations. Nokia external analysis | Porters 5 Forces Nokia a. Threat of New Entrant: Domestic strategy: there is low threat of new entrant. Because it is the first company of Finland with its big brand name. Global strategy: As Nokia has already built a good brand image in the Indian market. Thus it has a very weak effect of new entrants if any enters the market. Because Nokia has become number 1 as well as most reliable brand in the market now. So it will not be affected by any new players. b. Threat of the Substitutes: Domestic strategy: even in the domestic field there is no proper or exact substitute for Nokia cell phone. Global strategy: As in now there is no direct substitute available for the mobile phones and especially Nokias advanced feature mobile phone. c. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Domestic strategy: the bargaining power of substitute is low. Global strategy: As in now Nokia is been No 1 brand thus it holds a strong position in the market. So bargaining power of supplier is very low. d. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Domestic strategy: the bargaining power of consumer is moderate. When a new model is been manufactured it is thrown in the market. Thus consumer has less influence on it. Global strategy: As in mobile phone market is very price sensitive. Thus in that case the buyers demand and supply pattern matters a lot for the company. As it is been working under the assumptions of the buyers demand. Thus they have a stronger influence. e. Rivalry among Competitors: Domestic strategy: there is less competition. So rivalry among competitor is also low in this case. Global strategy: There is a high competition in this industry. There are many competitors like: Motorola, Samsung, LG and etc. thus it can be a problem for the company in the long run. SWOT analysis of Nokia: Strength: Nokia has the largest selling and distribution network compare to other mobile phone companies. It is backed with high quality HR and IT professional as compare to others. The financial part is very strong as it has much more profitable business. Wide range of product for all class. The re-sell value of its hand set is more compare to any other company. People trust it more compare to others. Weakness: Price offered by the company for few handsets is high. So products are not user friendly. Not concern about the demand of lower class people. Service center are very less and scare. After sales service is not good. Opportunity: It has a great opportunity in this huge. Opportunity to capture the rural Indian market. Most reliable company so people trust it more compare to others. India standard of living is also increases, so people are becoming more and more trend oriented. Threat: New players are entering with new features to attract the customers. Previously other companies were not providing user friendly mobile but now they have started meeting customers need. Conclusion Thus at the last I want to conclude the following points: The domestic strategy should always consist of future oriented goals. They should also have some or few global strategy also. When a firm enters a new market, its global strategy should be such that it should suit to the customers needs and requirement. Nokia case study helped to understand the global strategy. It also helped me to understand the various reasons and strategy Nokia adopted due to which it become no 1 in India. The main and the most important thing which Nokia kept in mind while entering the Indian market was its culture and values. Which any company should take care when it is entering into global market with its global strategy. Recommendation: When firm is going to enter a new market it should first study the global market. Proper analysis of the market should be done. The perception of the customer, their religion, there values all should be studied very well before entering into global market and before preparing global strategy. Thus manager good strategy can make firm earn more profit and vice versa.

What Is The Human Capital Management Commerce Essay

What Is The Human Capital Management Commerce Essay The concept of human capital has nowadays emerged and its importance is increasing daily. As Chatzkel(2004) rightly stated ,it is effectively the human capital that is the differentiator and the actual basis for competitive advantage. Human Capital refers to the right combination of intelligence, skills and expertise owned by an organizations employees. Essentially, this encapsulates: Intellectual capital the knowledge individuals possess Social capital derived from both internal and external relationships between employees; and Organizational capital the knowledge stored in organizational manuals and databases. Employees own abilities, behaviours and talents and only they have the power to decide how and in what ways to apply them. This capital will only be made available for as long as the life and blood of our organization gain value in return for the investment. It is up to organizations and human resource executives to create the right mix of performance incentives to motivate and empower employees whilst building a constructive labour-management relationship. Collins and Porras (1994) proved that a strong and emerging company culture is significant for both survival and corporate organisational success. However, this is ineffective unless an alignment between people and company-value characteristics exists. The long term survival of the organization can only exist if there is the correct link between HR practices and the organizations strategic vision. This is what human capital management strives to achieve. Human capital management is in itself a journey; it tries to implement the purposeful measurement and use of metrics to establish the importance of each individual as a value-added intangible asset in the organisation. Organisations may start by collecting basic information regarding their employees such as employee turnover and absence, which is then analysed to draw up conclusions on trends. Decisions are then taken based upon this analysis. Methodologically collected and analyzed human capital data can effectively help managers in defining the factors direct impacting their subordinates. The 3 Stages of Development in People Management Through decades, theorists tried to find the best ways for people management. In Classic Personnel Management, the main focus was on how to manage, recruit and acquire people on the basis of job description, with an authoritarian and top-down approach. Employees were simply a cost to be minimized and training them was provided to suit organizational needs. The change to human resource management brought a paradigm shift in the organizations perception of its employees. Employees were now seen as resources to be expended in pursuit of organizational goals, whilst training was aimed at multi-availability. In human capital management, employees take a central role in corporate life. It is no longer a question of exploiting employees but rather investing in these intangible assets. As with any investment, the goal is to maximise value through talent management, retention and personal training and development plans. Human Capital Management introduces the strategic and people-centred approach, linking it with the organizations strategic vision for itself and for its people. It aims to determine the impact of the human factor on business performance and their effect upon shareholders value. It is not enough to have the right talent at the right time in an organisation. It is now vital to nurture employees by educating and enriching their jobs to contribute towards organisational needs. The biggest challenge organizations are now facing is choosing the best people who will drive up the organisations enterprise value and create sustained commercial advantage. Challenges in HCM The Need for Metrics Neil Roden, the Group Director of the Royal Bank of Scotland, rightly stated: Human capital is often represented as both an opportunity and a challenge. A challenge to identify relevant measures and meaningful information to be acted on, and an opportunity to both evaluate and maximise the value of people. Researchers have demonstrated that motivated human capital results in improved accounting profits; however, HR professional and line managers have sincere difficulty in translating this into practice. Trying to justify investments in people, in training and innovation, knowledge management and leadership development is difficult with the absence of proper metrics. The starting point in properly valuing human capital is to understand how to measure the contribution of human capital to organizational success. Human resource lacks the science and tools to describe and measure human capital and without measurement, organizations cannot manage human capital. The process of identifying suitable measures together with collecting and analysing related information will focus organizations attention on what needs to be done to use human capital to its maximum potential. Approaches to Human Capital Measurement The most popular approaches in measuring human capital are those developed by Mercer HR Consulting, the organizational performance model, and Andrew Mayo, the human capital monitor. The organizational performance model focuses upon key elements, explicitly: people and work processes; organizational management structures; decision making; reward strategies. Conversely, the human capital monitor portrays human asset worth as a product of employment cost and individual asset multiplier where the IAM is the weighted average of: Capabilities; employee growth potential; personal performance; alignment to organizational values. Rather than the actual measurement process, what is important is the result. This implies identifying whether human capital is sufficiently meeting our needs. Metrics chosen for human capital measurement rely upon the type of organisation and the business organisational goals and what actually drives these organizational goals. Human Capital Measures and their Uses Organisations may opt to use different data, categorized as: HCM Data Measures and Possible Uses Demographic data e.g. job category, sex, age Work Force Composition Analyze the extent of diversity and extent to which the organization relies on part-timers Absenteeism/Sickness rates- Recognize the need of a sound attendance management policy Average vacancies per % of total workforce- Identify probable shortfall problematic areas Total payroll costs Outcome of Equal Pay Review Human Development and Performance Data learning and development programmes, employee skills and qualifications Skills Analyses/Assessment:Match skills to job requirements and identify areas of shortfall Training Hours per Employee- gives an indication of the amount of training activity Perceptual data relating to attitudes and believes Cost Savingas a result of employee suggestion schemes highlights the value generated by employees Emerging Measurement Techniques of Human Capital An organizations employees are by far the best source of information about practices and management processes. New systems can easily be developed by applying the HR tool creatively designing an effective employee survey and applying the six sigma techniques to analyse and draw up conclusions. The six sigma technique is used to link variations from one end the quality of processes and practices used in managing employees to business outcomes across different units (sales productivity, profit margins,etc)The survey should be designed in a way so as to strike the right balance between employee commitment and satisfaction and organizational capabilities. Questions should be focused on identifying the extent to which best practices in managing human capital are effective within the organization. The six sigma-type analysis is a simple provider of a leadership assessment serving as a catalyst for improvement whilst providing significant input for an organizations balanced scorecards. The Balanced Scorecard has emerged as an important tool in identifying the missing link between human resource and enterprise. By using balanced score cards, Human Resource Professionals can define the impact of human capital on the organizational strategy. This specifies how Human Resource can be transformed from a sideline player to a business partner. As managing human capital by instinct is no longer effective, the faster an organization adapts to their methodologies and metrics, the more it gains significant competitive advantage. Human Capital Internal Reporting The analysis and reporting of human capital data to both top and line management leads to better decision making and to the taking of rapid actions. It allows a better ability to recognize problems in demonstrating the effectiveness of HR solutions and thus, supporting the business case for greater investment. Management report should be simple, credible and accurate and provide guidance as to what actions should be taken. Human Capital External Reporting External reporting should unveil the necessary information for understanding the development in the performance and position of the organization. Information should be narrative and quantitative as well as available and relevant. Human capital external reporting should offer information on possible barriers and be future-oriented to draw attention upon the contribution of human capital to the organizations future performance. Human Capital Management Techniques in Practice Human capital Management should have the optimization of the flow, deployment and development of human talent within an organization as one of its primary objectives. Future human capital needs should be projected to ensure a good balance of quality and skills, including an appropriate number of future employees and key competencies required for mission accomplishment. These human capital decisions allow managers to spot areas of particular attention before crisis develop. Talent Management and Employee Motivation In managing talents, organizations may choose either to align people with the roles they should fill in the organization or else retain people as the fixed element and adjusting their roles upon their character and personal skills. In choosing to align people with roles, organizations try to recruit good learners who will respond best to development opportunities and organizational succession development. Conversely, when roles are built around people customizing rewards and compensations according to the employees individual preferences and needs employees will feel more involved in the organization, hence maximising their job satisfaction and motivation. The use of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators can also help in retaining good quality staff and encouraging them to give their maximum potential while at work. Training, Development and Succession Planning Training and development of employees should be high up on the organizations agenda. This helps in meeting the changing needs of individuals and organizations. After training employees, an effective organization should try to build up an inventory including knowledge, skills and employees competencies and updating it according to changing needs and organizational training patterns. Organizations may choose from a wide variety of development techniques: courses, seminars, on-the-job-training and a diversity of training resources interactive, internet based etc. An even better approach to development would be the introduction of a mentor-apprentice relationship that can assist in meeting specific performance needs. In light of this, truly effective deployment transferring staff to different units to help them gain further knowledge and skills requires an extensive strategic process to ensuring this transfer is to the best benefit for both the organization and the individuals. Moreover, the policy of the enterprise should incorporate planning for the entire organization as well as career planning for individual employees. By developing a culture in which investment and learning is encouraged, organizations would indirectly be working towards reducing resignations and turnover. This minimizes hiring replacement costs and creates an internal brand facilitating the recruitment of new talents. Organizations can evaluate organizational culture in light of reasons given for employee departure by analyzing exit interview response. Leadership Organizations should cultivate a steadfast leadership team to steer the ship of the company and provide reasonable continuity through succession planning. HCM in this area encourages effective teamwork and ensuring continuity through executive succession and development planning. In todays labour market, it is essentially important to focus on developing excellent leadership skills, especially trust building. An effective strategic human management approach would not be possible without the sustained attention of a competent senior leadership team in valuing and investing in their employees. This leadership is crucial for an organization to overcome its resistance to change, organize the necessary resources and create an organization-wide commitment to improving business operations. Effective leaders have the authority to offer recruiting bonuses, retention allowances and skill-based pay in addition to investment in training and professional development. Performance Culture/Management and Reward Management Accountability and fairness at the workplace is essentially important in empowering and motivating employees through recruitment bonuses, retention allowances and improved working conditions. An organization needs to assess its workforces performance and incorporate strategies to reward professional and ethical behaviour, integrity and employees loyalty whilst promoting teamwork and customer focused-performance. Information Technology and the introduction of a Diversity Policy in favour of Inclusiveness makes the organization a better place to work for. Knowledge workers and the best talents in the industry rest within an organization for as long as it is capable of providing a challenging and stimulating environment; hence, organisations should strive to meet this objective. Industrial Relations Effective Industrial Relations also contributes effective capital management. An organization loaded with industrial conflicts gives an indication of an ineffective management style. Sound industrial relations schemes should be built upon tripartism: namely the participation of the government, employers and employees. Provision of Employees Services Organization should cater for their employees welfare in terms of their mental and physical well-being. The forms this welfare can take are many and can vary from financial needs such as loans to counselling in respect of personal employees problematic circumstances. Best Approach to Human Capital Management Human Capital Management will not reach its full potential unless all processes within the employee life cycle are fully integrated and automated. For example: the same job profile used by recruiters to aid them in hiring employees should be utilized to develop the performance of the individual. The first generation of HCM catered for business needs through the assimilation of recruitment, learning and succession planning. Organizations have realised that software such as Enterprise Resource Planning and Human Resource Information Systems are only part of the puzzle the remaining parts content and services will be the major focal points of the next generation of HCM solutions. The main components of a good human capital management solution include: Learning Management Systems courseware, testing instruments and evaluations; Applicant Tracking System interview guides, screening aids and job profiles; Performance Management System goal templates and mentor guides; Succession Planning proficiency profiles and career paths. Contents and services should no longer be a late addition clients and solution providers should collaborate to provide a fully fletched system to complete the necessary HCM functionalities. The Future of Human Capital Management The Future of Human Capital management is thought to revolve around: task-based automation for jobs which are repetitive in nature; Vendors should deliver solutions which allow the systematic measurement and improvement of employee performance in a variety of tasks; project based HCM for task which are dependent upon teamwork and individual creativity. This will allow organizations to spot potential flaws relating to incongruity or inconsistency beforehand. The use of online metrics for gaining continuous employee feedback Essentially, organizations should try and think ahead of the curve in the utilization of the latest technological developments to maximize their human intangible assets. In retrospect, human capital management requires a transformational manager to develop a group of employees with high capability and commitment. This approach can achieve returns-on-investments discernibly higher than other assets, enabling managers expectations to meet employees realities.

The new Frontier :: essays research papers

Question #4 Section 1 Dusty trails, wagon trains, and tough guys on horses, the images that come to most peoples mind when they think of the migration towards the western frontiers. Today we are able to see the obvious effects that this migration has left on our society even today; (Sunny and warm Phoenix, hip coffee from Seattle, and that strange utopia of its own, California) but what are some of the not so obvious effects that it left?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The late 1800’s was a time of many great opportunities and advancements for the American people. With gold being discovered in many of the western states, the construction of a trans-continental railroad, and more then enough land open for settlement one couldn’t go wrong with this new frontier. This is great for the greedy materialistic side of the American peoples, but what did it do to the over all psyche of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Americans have several combined viewpoints that exist when it comes to advancement within in our culture: â€Å"Because it’s there†, â€Å"We are Americans, we are better than you†, â€Å"and we are America it’s our God-given right to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because we’re happy, you should be happy too.† These thoughts were behind the whole western expansion and still exist today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"because it’s there† and the â€Å"it’s our God-given right too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  kind of go together hand in hand. We saw all of this open land the left of us and thought â€Å"why are we letting all of that go to waste over there?† We also felt because we had settled here and seemed to have such powerful hold on everything we saw it as our â€Å"God-given right† to take all that open space to the west over and claim it as or own, no matter who said other wise. So we went, and claimed it as ours, and as we all know it lasted. This mindset seems to still linger in our sub-conscious even today and such examples can be seen in many different situations. Granted the circumstances are slightly different but over all the implied thought process is still the same. America has the tendency today to see itself as the protective big brother of the world, and we are constantly getting into scuffles with the â€Å"bullies† of t he world. For example an insurgence breaks out in a different country and we see it as our duty to quell this uprising.

Contemporary Rural America Captured in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of

Contemporary Rural America Captured in Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Most Americans probably believe our times are different from Washington Irving’s era. After all, almost 200 years have passed, and the differences in technology and civil liberties alone are huge. However, these dissimilarities seem merely surface ones. When reading â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† and â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,† I find that the world Irving creates in each story is very familiar to the one in which I grew up. The players may have changed, and institutions have mostly replaced roles traditionally taken on by people, but the overall pieces still fit the rural lifestyle of contemporary America. Perhaps the biggest variation from life in these stories and life today in the small town concerns the role of the Van Tassels. As the prominent family in Sleepy Hollow, they serve as the social center. Baltus Van Tassel has more the air of an English country squire during harvest time than he does an American farmer. He is hearty, down to earth, and full of largesse (â€Å"Sleepy Hollow† 549, 556-557). The â€Å"’quilting frolic’† (553) is really a potluck dance. This type of community gathering continued throughout American history in rural areas. We have barn-raisings, fall festivals, holiday celebrations. However, the nature of the gatherings has changed in that the role of the prominent family now goes to the city or civic groups (such as a church). Rural America still has wealthy families and farmers, but rarely do they open their homes to the community for dancing and potlucks. The closest we still see of this is the ranch barbeque , but the outside nature makes it far less intimate. In my experience, these events are... ...ture of King George in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† Rip returns to his village twenty years after he left and realizes that someone has transformed the King into George Washington (541). Irving, realizing that much of life is merely a refashioning of the same ideas and structures into something that looks new, has taken an old German folk tale and turned it into a story of American life. We may live in a time with vastly different resources, technologies, and opportunities, but the urges that drive us are still the same. Works Cited Irving, Washington. â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.† The American Tradition in Literature. Vol 1. Eds. George Perkins, et al. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990: 544-563. 2 vols. ---. â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† The American Tradition in Literature. Vol 1. Eds. George Perkins, et al. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990: 533-544. 2 vols.

Effective Communication

Communication is central to everything we do and requires communication skills. Every day we face challenges like having conversations, getting and giving correct information, sending emails, developing effective relationships, holding meetings and working with a team, not only at work but also at home. Being able to communicate effectively is essential because no one guess what you want or what you think if you don’t tell them, and nothing is going to change if you do not propose a change. Firstly choose the right time and the right place.If you need to discuss something sensitive, you should try to stay where you can’t be overhead. Alternatively, when you are speaking for a large group of people, you should be sure that everyone can hear you perfectly. Organise you ideas in your mind before attempting to communicate them. You should organize your thoughts before speaking and choose the three main ideas and focus in those. If you have to make an important speech, you c ould practice it in front of a friend or a mirror and time yourself.An important aspect to communicate effectively is be articulate and not to be afraid of speaking. Be sure, say what you want to say, and do not regret it. The worst thing that you can do when speaking is to hesitate. One of most vital communication skills is eye contact and its effect in the communication. You can keep your listener interested in what you are saying. From my point of view, the main issue to effective communication is the listening part. Effective communication is based on both listening and speaking.Listen and do not interrupt when it is no longer your turn to speak. You will surely learn new things from listening to others and if you don’t understand something, you have to ask people to repeat ideas. Good listeners are always very appreciated because there are only a few. Finally, the most important piece of advice to becoming a greater speaker is smile as you are talking. Unless your main a im is to bore and sleep every one, you need to add some humour to your speaking and it holds your audiences attention. Effective Communication Effective Communication Communication comes in many forms. Two of the most commonly used are written and oral communication. It is very important to know how to do both with respect, common courtesy and proper etiquette. The way you communicate with the public says a lot about you. It lets people know if you are educated or uneducated. In the Criminal Justice field, communication is everything. When reports have to be written accurately is the top priority. One single wording or misspelling can cause anyone a case. Effective communication is essential is the understanding of a person and their situation.Communication also helps us build trust, friendships, and problem solving skills. As simple as a simple conversation may seem, you will be surprised how inappropriate communication can cause a misinterpretation in a conversation. According to (Robinson and Sigel, 2013), effective communication requires you to understand the emotion behind the information. So many different types of co mmunication exist in today’s world, for example, verbal and non verbal communication, formal and informal communication and electronic communication. This can include phone calls, text messages, and emails. Verbal and Non-Verbal CommunicationVerbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message (Hanes, 2010). There are two basic types of verbal communication. They are interpersonal communication and public speaking. Interpersonal communication is what is known as a two-way conversation with both talking and listening. Non-verbal communication on the other hand is what we refer to as body language, signs, and symbols. It has no words related to it. This type of conversation also requires a person to know what they are trying to say. Any mistake in body language or signs can result in misinterpretation.Non-verbal communications include eye contact, body language, facial expressions, and gestures. Non-verbal communication represents 2/3rd of all types of communication. Out of all the communication techniques that are used today, verbal communication still seems to be the preferred method, the easiest to understand. Formal and Informal Channels of Communication The formal channels of communication in the criminal justice system are the strict procedures. The informal channels of communication consist of the undocumented sharing of information (Sinclair, 2012).Formal communication is organized and managed information that is shared with relevant individuals in order to secure coordinated action throughout the organization (Wilhelm, 2012). Communication in the criminal justice field involves a lot of privacy. Informal communication has a useful way of relaying information to other people. This type of communication is oral. Informal communication is like having a casual conversation. Overcoming Communication Barriers Everyone has had to overcome barriers in their life. Some people have had to overcome communication barriers.These ty pes of barriers are caused when a person is sometimes too shy to either speak up or speak in public; they may have speech impairments, or are unable to properly pronounce words due to their accents. Some of these barriers include emotional, physical, semantic barriers, and infective listening. Emotional barriers affect those with low self-esteem. These types of people tend to question what they are saying. Physical barriers involve the environment. Semantic barriers are when you cannot agree on what you are trying to say. To effectively overcome any communication barriers, one must first identify the barrier.Practicing your speech in front of more than one person can help with your public speaking abilities. Conclusion Communication is the number one way in which humans have learned to interact with one another. Communication comes in various forms, from oral to a basic look. Signs and body expressions are also considered communication because it involves two or more people and some thing is being said or noted. No matter what type of communication your prefer to use, make sure your are not only expressing yourself correctly and respectfully, but are also hearing what is being communicated to you. Effective Communication Communication is essential for an organisation to operate effectively and efficiently. Effective communication helps to ensure that information is relayed accordingly and accurately within the organisation. If the relay of information is inaccurate, the organisation’s productivity may be affected. This essay will describe the concept of communication in relation to management and explain how effective communication is undermined by barriers such as cultural differences, generational differences and filtering of information by referring to academic literature such as journal articles.Furthermore, an example will be used to explain how managers can increase the productivity and performance of their organisation by developing an effective system of communication. There are numerous definitions for communication but for the purpose of this essay communication will be defined as, the relay of information from one person to another (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 326). The authors also not e that communication is a key element in the role of managers as their job is to plan, lead, organise and control.Mikitka (2009) also confirms this by stating that managers need good communication skills as their job requires them to   increase efficiency, satisfy customers, implement strategies and disseminate information. Managers should also improve the communication skills of the employees (Bambacas & Patrickson 2008). The authors further state that employees will perform better if they are able to communicate with one another effectively. Therefore, communication skills are essential for an effective and efficient management.Cultural differences is a barrier for effective communication because different cultures provide people with different ways of thinking, understanding and communicating. Tagreed (2012) states that The growing presence of workers from different races and cultures has made dramatic changes to workplaces. The author further states that managers and co-worker s must note that words and expressions used to communicate can have vastly different meanings and implications for people from different backgrounds, and they must be careful to ensure that their intended messages are understood clearly as they communicate with culturally diverse co-workers.Sensitive topics such as race, religion and politics should not be discussed within the organisation as it may create conflicts (Bambacas & Patrickson 2008). Managers should note that work methods vary among different cultures. The Asian culture emphasises on collectivism while the American culture emphasises on individualism (Tagreed 2012). The author explains this by stating that managers who do not understand this difference will face problems as they may assign team based work to employees who are accustomed to working individually and ask employees who are accustomed to team based work to work individually.This may cause a problem as employees might not communicate with each other effectivel y. Gender is regarded differently in various cultures. Lin (2006) notes that females are still considered weak and not capable of decision making in some Asian cultures. The author mentions that if a female from America works in and Asian organisation, she will not be allowed to suggest ideas and participate in meetings. The author further notes that if a female from an Asian culture works in an American organisation, it is in her nature to be quiet and not communicate to her male co-workers including the manager.This may affect the relay of information as there is no effective communication. A key factor that makes cultural differences a barrier to effective communication is language. English is not the commonly spoken language in some cultures (Tagreed 2012). The author also states that globalisation has caused many organisations to operate in English. This has become a problem as employees who are not good in English are afraid or embarrassed to communicate to others (Lin 2006). The author further mentions that even if they do communicate, information passed is commonly inaccurate.The reason for this is because, they did not understand the information passed to them by their English speaking co-workers or the English speaking co-workers did not understand their accent (Tagreed 2012). This may result in inaccurate information being relayed. Generational Diversity is also a barrier for effective communication as different generations have different ways of relaying and processing information. Tolbize (2008) states that generational diversity has made the workplace more rigid and demanding. The author further states that the four ain generations in the current workforce are the Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Kyles (2005) notes that people communicate differently to others even if the difference in age is five years. The Veterans are also known as the traditional generation. The reason for this because the Veterans are strict followers o f formality and authority (Tolbize 2008). The author further states that the Veterans and Baby Boomers do not question authority and use formal methods and language when communicating. Generation X and Y are more flexible in their work life (Tolbize 2008).The author notes that they prefer informal communication and do not appreciate authority. These differences may cause a problem in communication as most middle or senior managers are Veterans or Baby Boomers and they would expect their employees to respect authority and communicate formally. Generational diversity also has an impact on work methods that may affect communication. Veterans and Baby Boomers prefer team work as they believe that by communicating with each other and sharing ideas they may develop new and innovative ideas that may increase the productivity of the organisation (Azaroff 2006).The author further states that Generation X and Y prefer working individually as they consider team work to be unproductive. The aut hor also notes that Generation Y will not be communicating much with others if they are assigned team work. Technology is another aspect of communication being affected by generational diversity. Kyles (2005) states the Veterans and Baby Boomers were born before technology was implemented and as a result they are not accustomed and do not rely on technology to communicate.The author further states that they prefer face to face communication, phone calls or written letters as opposed to E-mails. Generation X and Y were born during the time of technological advancements and modernisation of industries (Kyles 2005). As a result, they prefer electronic means of communication such as E-mails and Instant messaging. These small differences affect effective communication in an organisation. Filtering of information is a barrier to effective communication as the information being relayed has been altered. Filtering an be defined as,   the distortion or withholding of information to manage a person’s reactions (Butschi & Steyn 2006). The authors state that filtering can be intentional or accidental and it prevents members of an organization from getting the actual facts of a situation . Managers should note that filtering of information does not only affect effective communication but also the morale of employees (Tourish & Robson 2003). The authors further explain by stating that employees may have insecurities if they discover that information is being withheld from them .Filtering of information is also used to make information relayed appear more favourable to the intended person (Butschi & Steyn 2006). Another reason to frequent filtering of information in an organisation is to reduce information overload. Tourish & Robson (2003) state that many individuals have certain capacity to process information. The authors note that accidental filtering of information is common when employees or managers have an overload of work. They further state that time is ano ther reason for the filtering of information.For example, employees or managers tend to summarise information if they are in a rush. Filtering of information, be it intentional or accidental,   can lead to miscommunications in an organisation as information is translated or interpreted differently creating different versions. Managers should have a system to overcome these communication barriers as it will greatly affect the organisations productivity and performance. Managers can develop an effective system of communication by promoting the use of simple and unbiased language, promoting active listening and giving constructive feedback.Therkelsen & Fiebich (2001) state that effective communication is achieved when information is relayed and understood accurately. The authors further state that by using simple and clear words instead of ambiguous words and jargons information will be understood and relayed easily. The authors also state that words used should not be biased as it m ay be offensive to others. For example, instead of saying cleaning lady or cleaner, people should address them as maintenance worker. Managers should provide employees with guidelines on standard of speech and conduct to improve communication within the organisation.Managers should promote active listening because information is misunderstood in many occasions. Therkelsen & Fiebich (2001) state that there is a difference between listening and hearing. The authors define listening as, hearing with proper understanding of the message that is relayed. The authors also note that a sender may strive to deliver a message clearly. But the receiver’s ability to listen effectively is equally vital to successful communication. Listening takes practice and concentration and the only way to get practice is by communicating with people often (Therkelsen & Fiebich 2001).Managers and employees should give constructive feedback to each other as often as possible. Feedback does not have to be formal or verbal but it has to be constructive. Tourish & Robson (2003) state that constructive feedback helps people understand their mistakes and increases morale. The authors also state that even negative feedback can be delivered constructively. They also note that constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between managers and employees. Adopting these methods will increase effective communication with the organisation without compromising its productivity or performance.In conclusion, promoting effective communication with an organisation is not a simple task. However, by identifying and overcoming the barriers systematically, effective communication can be achieved. This essay has defined and described communication in relation to management and has identified cultural diversity, generational diversity and filtering of information as barriers to effective communication. Furthermore, examples have been used to show how to overcome these barriers without affect ing the productivity and performance of the organisation. References:Azaroff, R. 2006, â€Å"Ideas for managing a multigenerational workforce†, Federal Computer Week, vol. 20, no. 31, pp. 56-56. Bambacas, M & Patrickson, M 2008, â€Å"Interpersonal communication skills that enhance organisational commitment†, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 51-72 Butschi, G & Steyn, B. 2006, â€Å"Theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom†, Journal of Communication Management,  vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 106-109. Kyles, D. 2005, â€Å"Managing Your Multigenerational Workforce†, Strategic Finance, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 52-55. Lin , L, 2006, â€Å"Cross-cultural Communications and Pragmatics Principle†, Cross-cultural Communication, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. n/a Mikitka, M. J. 2009, â€Å"Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce†, Material Handling Management, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 11-11. Robbins, S, DeCenzo, D , Coulter, M, Woods, M, 2011, Management: The Essentials, 1st edn, Pearson Australia. Tagreed, I. K. 2012, â€Å"Cross-cultural Differences in Management†,  International Journal of Business and Social Science,  vol. 3, no. 6, pp. n/a Therkelsen, D. J. & Fiebich, C. L. 010, â€Å"Message to desired action: A communication effectiveness model†, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 374-390. Tolbize, A, 2008, ‘Generational differences in the workplace’, Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota, viewed on 19 August 2012, Tourish, D. & Robson, P. 2003, â€Å"Critical upward feedback in organisations: Processes, problems and implications for communication management†,  Journal of Communication Management,  vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 150-167. Effective Communication Communication is central to everything we do and requires communication skills. Every day we face challenges like having conversations, getting and giving correct information, sending emails, developing effective relationships, holding meetings and working with a team, not only at work but also at home. Being able to communicate effectively is essential because no one guess what you want or what you think if you don’t tell them, and nothing is going to change if you do not propose a change. Firstly choose the right time and the right place.If you need to discuss something sensitive, you should try to stay where you can’t be overhead. Alternatively, when you are speaking for a large group of people, you should be sure that everyone can hear you perfectly. Organise you ideas in your mind before attempting to communicate them. You should organize your thoughts before speaking and choose the three main ideas and focus in those. If you have to make an important speech, you c ould practice it in front of a friend or a mirror and time yourself.An important aspect to communicate effectively is be articulate and not to be afraid of speaking. Be sure, say what you want to say, and do not regret it. The worst thing that you can do when speaking is to hesitate. One of most vital communication skills is eye contact and its effect in the communication. You can keep your listener interested in what you are saying. From my point of view, the main issue to effective communication is the listening part. Effective communication is based on both listening and speaking.Listen and do not interrupt when it is no longer your turn to speak. You will surely learn new things from listening to others and if you don’t understand something, you have to ask people to repeat ideas. Good listeners are always very appreciated because there are only a few. Finally, the most important piece of advice to becoming a greater speaker is smile as you are talking. Unless your main a im is to bore and sleep every one, you need to add some humour to your speaking and it holds your audiences attention. Effective Communication Effective Communication Communication comes in many forms. Two of the most commonly used are written and oral communication. It is very important to know how to do both with respect, common courtesy and proper etiquette. The way you communicate with the public says a lot about you. It lets people know if you are educated or uneducated. In the Criminal Justice field, communication is everything. When reports have to be written accurately is the top priority. One single wording or misspelling can cause anyone a case. Effective communication is essential is the understanding of a person and their situation.Communication also helps us build trust, friendships, and problem solving skills. As simple as a simple conversation may seem, you will be surprised how inappropriate communication can cause a misinterpretation in a conversation. According to (Robinson and Sigel, 2013), effective communication requires you to understand the emotion behind the information. So many different types of co mmunication exist in today’s world, for example, verbal and non verbal communication, formal and informal communication and electronic communication. This can include phone calls, text messages, and emails. Verbal and Non-Verbal CommunicationVerbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message (Hanes, 2010). There are two basic types of verbal communication. They are interpersonal communication and public speaking. Interpersonal communication is what is known as a two-way conversation with both talking and listening. Non-verbal communication on the other hand is what we refer to as body language, signs, and symbols. It has no words related to it. This type of conversation also requires a person to know what they are trying to say. Any mistake in body language or signs can result in misinterpretation.Non-verbal communications include eye contact, body language, facial expressions, and gestures. Non-verbal communication represents 2/3rd of all types of communication. Out of all the communication techniques that are used today, verbal communication still seems to be the preferred method, the easiest to understand. Formal and Informal Channels of Communication The formal channels of communication in the criminal justice system are the strict procedures. The informal channels of communication consist of the undocumented sharing of information (Sinclair, 2012).Formal communication is organized and managed information that is shared with relevant individuals in order to secure coordinated action throughout the organization (Wilhelm, 2012). Communication in the criminal justice field involves a lot of privacy. Informal communication has a useful way of relaying information to other people. This type of communication is oral. Informal communication is like having a casual conversation. Overcoming Communication Barriers Everyone has had to overcome barriers in their life. Some people have had to overcome communication barriers.These ty pes of barriers are caused when a person is sometimes too shy to either speak up or speak in public; they may have speech impairments, or are unable to properly pronounce words due to their accents. Some of these barriers include emotional, physical, semantic barriers, and infective listening. Emotional barriers affect those with low self-esteem. These types of people tend to question what they are saying. Physical barriers involve the environment. Semantic barriers are when you cannot agree on what you are trying to say. To effectively overcome any communication barriers, one must first identify the barrier.Practicing your speech in front of more than one person can help with your public speaking abilities. Conclusion Communication is the number one way in which humans have learned to interact with one another. Communication comes in various forms, from oral to a basic look. Signs and body expressions are also considered communication because it involves two or more people and some thing is being said or noted. No matter what type of communication your prefer to use, make sure your are not only expressing yourself correctly and respectfully, but are also hearing what is being communicated to you. Effective Communication Communication is essential for an organisation to operate effectively and efficiently. Effective communication helps to ensure that information is relayed accordingly and accurately within the organisation. If the relay of information is inaccurate, the organisation’s productivity may be affected. This essay will describe the concept of communication in relation to management and explain how effective communication is undermined by barriers such as cultural differences, generational differences and filtering of information by referring to academic literature such as journal articles.Furthermore, an example will be used to explain how managers can increase the productivity and performance of their organisation by developing an effective system of communication. There are numerous definitions for communication but for the purpose of this essay communication will be defined as, the relay of information from one person to another (Robbins et al. 2011, p. 326). The authors also not e that communication is a key element in the role of managers as their job is to plan, lead, organise and control.Mikitka (2009) also confirms this by stating that managers need good communication skills as their job requires them to   increase efficiency, satisfy customers, implement strategies and disseminate information. Managers should also improve the communication skills of the employees (Bambacas & Patrickson 2008). The authors further state that employees will perform better if they are able to communicate with one another effectively. Therefore, communication skills are essential for an effective and efficient management.Cultural differences is a barrier for effective communication because different cultures provide people with different ways of thinking, understanding and communicating. Tagreed (2012) states that The growing presence of workers from different races and cultures has made dramatic changes to workplaces. The author further states that managers and co-worker s must note that words and expressions used to communicate can have vastly different meanings and implications for people from different backgrounds, and they must be careful to ensure that their intended messages are understood clearly as they communicate with culturally diverse co-workers.Sensitive topics such as race, religion and politics should not be discussed within the organisation as it may create conflicts (Bambacas & Patrickson 2008). Managers should note that work methods vary among different cultures. The Asian culture emphasises on collectivism while the American culture emphasises on individualism (Tagreed 2012). The author explains this by stating that managers who do not understand this difference will face problems as they may assign team based work to employees who are accustomed to working individually and ask employees who are accustomed to team based work to work individually.This may cause a problem as employees might not communicate with each other effectivel y. Gender is regarded differently in various cultures. Lin (2006) notes that females are still considered weak and not capable of decision making in some Asian cultures. The author mentions that if a female from America works in and Asian organisation, she will not be allowed to suggest ideas and participate in meetings. The author further notes that if a female from an Asian culture works in an American organisation, it is in her nature to be quiet and not communicate to her male co-workers including the manager.This may affect the relay of information as there is no effective communication. A key factor that makes cultural differences a barrier to effective communication is language. English is not the commonly spoken language in some cultures (Tagreed 2012). The author also states that globalisation has caused many organisations to operate in English. This has become a problem as employees who are not good in English are afraid or embarrassed to communicate to others (Lin 2006). The author further mentions that even if they do communicate, information passed is commonly inaccurate.The reason for this is because, they did not understand the information passed to them by their English speaking co-workers or the English speaking co-workers did not understand their accent (Tagreed 2012). This may result in inaccurate information being relayed. Generational Diversity is also a barrier for effective communication as different generations have different ways of relaying and processing information. Tolbize (2008) states that generational diversity has made the workplace more rigid and demanding. The author further states that the four ain generations in the current workforce are the Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Kyles (2005) notes that people communicate differently to others even if the difference in age is five years. The Veterans are also known as the traditional generation. The reason for this because the Veterans are strict followers o f formality and authority (Tolbize 2008). The author further states that the Veterans and Baby Boomers do not question authority and use formal methods and language when communicating. Generation X and Y are more flexible in their work life (Tolbize 2008).The author notes that they prefer informal communication and do not appreciate authority. These differences may cause a problem in communication as most middle or senior managers are Veterans or Baby Boomers and they would expect their employees to respect authority and communicate formally. Generational diversity also has an impact on work methods that may affect communication. Veterans and Baby Boomers prefer team work as they believe that by communicating with each other and sharing ideas they may develop new and innovative ideas that may increase the productivity of the organisation (Azaroff 2006).The author further states that Generation X and Y prefer working individually as they consider team work to be unproductive. The aut hor also notes that Generation Y will not be communicating much with others if they are assigned team work. Technology is another aspect of communication being affected by generational diversity. Kyles (2005) states the Veterans and Baby Boomers were born before technology was implemented and as a result they are not accustomed and do not rely on technology to communicate.The author further states that they prefer face to face communication, phone calls or written letters as opposed to E-mails. Generation X and Y were born during the time of technological advancements and modernisation of industries (Kyles 2005). As a result, they prefer electronic means of communication such as E-mails and Instant messaging. These small differences affect effective communication in an organisation. Filtering of information is a barrier to effective communication as the information being relayed has been altered. Filtering an be defined as,   the distortion or withholding of information to manage a person’s reactions (Butschi & Steyn 2006). The authors state that filtering can be intentional or accidental and it prevents members of an organization from getting the actual facts of a situation . Managers should note that filtering of information does not only affect effective communication but also the morale of employees (Tourish & Robson 2003). The authors further explain by stating that employees may have insecurities if they discover that information is being withheld from them .Filtering of information is also used to make information relayed appear more favourable to the intended person (Butschi & Steyn 2006). Another reason to frequent filtering of information in an organisation is to reduce information overload. Tourish & Robson (2003) state that many individuals have certain capacity to process information. The authors note that accidental filtering of information is common when employees or managers have an overload of work. They further state that time is ano ther reason for the filtering of information.For example, employees or managers tend to summarise information if they are in a rush. Filtering of information, be it intentional or accidental,   can lead to miscommunications in an organisation as information is translated or interpreted differently creating different versions. Managers should have a system to overcome these communication barriers as it will greatly affect the organisations productivity and performance. Managers can develop an effective system of communication by promoting the use of simple and unbiased language, promoting active listening and giving constructive feedback.Therkelsen & Fiebich (2001) state that effective communication is achieved when information is relayed and understood accurately. The authors further state that by using simple and clear words instead of ambiguous words and jargons information will be understood and relayed easily. The authors also state that words used should not be biased as it m ay be offensive to others. For example, instead of saying cleaning lady or cleaner, people should address them as maintenance worker. Managers should provide employees with guidelines on standard of speech and conduct to improve communication within the organisation.Managers should promote active listening because information is misunderstood in many occasions. Therkelsen & Fiebich (2001) state that there is a difference between listening and hearing. The authors define listening as, hearing with proper understanding of the message that is relayed. The authors also note that a sender may strive to deliver a message clearly. But the receiver’s ability to listen effectively is equally vital to successful communication. Listening takes practice and concentration and the only way to get practice is by communicating with people often (Therkelsen & Fiebich 2001).Managers and employees should give constructive feedback to each other as often as possible. Feedback does not have to be formal or verbal but it has to be constructive. Tourish & Robson (2003) state that constructive feedback helps people understand their mistakes and increases morale. The authors also state that even negative feedback can be delivered constructively. They also note that constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between managers and employees. Adopting these methods will increase effective communication with the organisation without compromising its productivity or performance.In conclusion, promoting effective communication with an organisation is not a simple task. However, by identifying and overcoming the barriers systematically, effective communication can be achieved. This essay has defined and described communication in relation to management and has identified cultural diversity, generational diversity and filtering of information as barriers to effective communication. Furthermore, examples have been used to show how to overcome these barriers without affect ing the productivity and performance of the organisation. References:Azaroff, R. 2006, â€Å"Ideas for managing a multigenerational workforce†, Federal Computer Week, vol. 20, no. 31, pp. 56-56. Bambacas, M & Patrickson, M 2008, â€Å"Interpersonal communication skills that enhance organisational commitment†, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 51-72 Butschi, G & Steyn, B. 2006, â€Å"Theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom†, Journal of Communication Management,  vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 106-109. Kyles, D. 2005, â€Å"Managing Your Multigenerational Workforce†, Strategic Finance, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 52-55. Lin , L, 2006, â€Å"Cross-cultural Communications and Pragmatics Principle†, Cross-cultural Communication, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. n/a Mikitka, M. J. 2009, â€Å"Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce†, Material Handling Management, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 11-11. Robbins, S, DeCenzo, D , Coulter, M, Woods, M, 2011, Management: The Essentials, 1st edn, Pearson Australia. Tagreed, I. K. 2012, â€Å"Cross-cultural Differences in Management†,  International Journal of Business and Social Science,  vol. 3, no. 6, pp. n/a Therkelsen, D. J. & Fiebich, C. L. 010, â€Å"Message to desired action: A communication effectiveness model†, Journal of Communication Management, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 374-390. Tolbize, A, 2008, ‘Generational differences in the workplace’, Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota, viewed on 19 August 2012, Tourish, D. & Robson, P. 2003, â€Å"Critical upward feedback in organisations: Processes, problems and implications for communication management†,  Journal of Communication Management,  vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 150-167.