Compensation and Benefits Essay

Compensation and benefit plans are crucial to the achievements of the company. Job seekers look for the best job opportunity and compensation and benefits play a major role in the decision-making process. Compensation involves how employees are paid, hourly or salary, and benefits involve the type of medical, dental, vision and various plans offered such as a 401K for retirement. Organizations typically maximize in productivity with their business practices by providing benefits to their employees. Benefits usually attract candidates with paramount talent and experience that will lead the firm to the competitive advantage. Compensation and benefits may be a measurement tool for the effects of productivity, company growth, and success. The effects could indirectly change the recruitment and retention of labor. The allusion of the plan is for workers to believe the compensation plan is reasonable and fair (Cascio, 2010). Managers should incorporate cross-training to engage employees to excel in performing their job duties at the highest levels for the best outcome (Cascio, 2010). The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established in 1938 set the standards for exempt and non-exempt positions. The FLSA ascertains the standards for minimum wage, recordkeeping, overtime pay ,and the standards for youth workers and how it affects worker in the private sector according to local, state, and federal guidelines. Effective July 24, 2009 non-exempt workers will receive no less than $7. 25 per hour. Exempt staff will not receive overtime pay; however, non-exempt workers will receive one hour and half of pay after 40 hours per week when required to work overtime. Management positions, such as administrative and professional staff, sales personnel, and IT staff classified as exempt.

In cold blood by Truman Capote Essay

â€Å"Oh, no! Oh please. No! No! No! No! Don’t! Oh, please don’t! Please! † (245). These were the last desperate words to be uttered by Nancy Clutter before she was savagely murdered. In Cold Blood, explicitly narrated by Truman Capote, is the true story of a brutally unexpected murder. Through this novel, Capote brings to life the harsh realities of a horrendous crime committed on the high wheat plains of western Kansas. A quiet all-American family was murdered during the bleak early hours of November 15th, 1959. As Capote recreates the murder, the investigation that led to the capture, the trial and the execution of the killers, he generates compelling suspense and empathy. The narrative embodies a twisted plot that grips you and forestalls you from putting it down. This book has more than one main character essentially because these two characters are the reason for the entire plot. Throughout the first half of the book, the reader basically chases after the murderers, Richard Eugene (Dick) Hickock and Perry Edward Smith. Perry and Dick were familiar with each other since they had celled together at Kansas State Penitentiary. Dick is your average guy, young (28 years old), arrogant, practical, and fastidious. Dick grew up with loving parents on a small farm near Olathe. He had a fond childhood and was married twice with two sons. Adversely, he was jailed for passing bad checks. Nonetheless, Dick’s character is not as ruthless and confident as he makes it seem in the first half of the novel. Perry, on the other hand, is someone people would look at curiously. He’s short with a very muscular torso and stubby legs. His legs were damaged due to a motorcycle accident in 1952. Perry’s only living relatives are his father, Tex John Smith and his sister, Barbara Johnson. Perry’s other two siblings, were victims of suicide. In contrast to Dick’s childhood, Perry’s was lonely and disorganized since his mother had abandoned him and he was left to grow up in a brutal Catholic orphanage. Perry’s goal in life was to dig up treasure in Mexico. He retained a wide collection of maps and souvenirs from different countries along with letters from his father and sister. Dick’s aspiration in life was to be a football player, but these were crushed by an atrocious car accident that left his long-jawed and narrow face tilted. Both Perry and Dick have similar surface traits, such as a high awareness of hygiene, especially with their fingernails. However, their inner personalities were miles apart. Except for the murder they committed that brought them together, they had nothing in common and, they disliked each other deeply. The main conflict or challenge that Perry has to face is Dick’s acceptance. Perry presented himself as a macho guy who is capable of murder and mayhem in order to stick with Dick. By presenting this image of himself, Perry believes he has acquired Dick’s trust and partnership. However, Dick does not think so. â€Å"Dick was sick of him – his harmonica, his aches and ills, his superstitions, the weepy, womanly eyes, the nagging, whispering voice. Suspicious, self-righteous, he was like a wife that must be got rid of. † (215). Dick’s opinion of Perry is quite apparent from this quote; he clearly intends on getting rid of Perry. By trying to be something he is not, Perry allows himself to be mistreated by Dick. He literally does everything Dick does and trails behind him ignorantly. Planning the murder was all Dick’s idea, and initially, he intended Perry to be his silent partner. Due to this conflict between Dick and Perry, Perry committed the murders, predominantly to impress Dick. The murders themselves become another conflict that Perry has to face. In the months after the slayings, he is haunted by the voices of the victims. Perry has to confine himself to a life of regret and unfulfilled dreams. Dick’s main conflict is facing up to his parents’ expectations. His parents raised him to be a fine law-abiding individual. However, Dick’s character betrays his parents’ hopes and trust. Through the work of four critically scrutinizing investigators, the cold heartless murder of the four members of the Clutter family is finally resolved and the culprits are caught. On December 30, 1959, Perry & Dick were arrested out in Las Vegas by two regular patrol officers. At the time, they were not told the exact reason why they were being arrested, only that they were on parole violation. In the midst of one-on-one interviews with the murderers, Detective Alvin Dewey (head investigator of the KBI) finally induced Perry and Dick to confess to the murder. They did so because they had no other choice; the evidence against them was unmistakable and Dick had turned against Perry. Dick confessed to the investigators that Perry was the one who shot all four members of the Clutter family, as Dick remained his silent partner. Between Dick and Perry, there’s an immense fissure surrounding trust. Once their crime is confessed, they turn against each other and blame one another for different parts of the crime. This shows how selfish human nature can be. By writing this book, Capote wanted readers to have a better understanding of human nature and the circumstances that induce us to behave the way we do. Overall, this book was a great read. It made me aware about something that actually happened long before I was born and it gave me a glimpse of what the world was like before our generation. Considering that this narrative is a true story, the style in which Capote wrote this book made it feel like a regular, yet captivating novel. The author fabricated some of the conversations to highlight the story’s novel-ish state. â€Å"‘Never mind,’ he [Mr.Clutter] said, responding to Nancy’s problem. ‘Skip the 4-H. I’ll take Kenyon instead. ‘†(19). Near the beginning of the novel, there are a lot of conversations that never took place in actual fact. Capote added these conversations to fill in the missing pieces of the story and to give the reader a sense of the victims’ lives before they were murdered. The book is divided up into four sections each linked through highly important events. Capote varies the length of the chapters to emphasize its level of importance. The chapters before the actual murder are short and shift back and forth between Perry, Dick and the Clutter household. This technique builds up the excitement and thrill of the events. The chapter in which Perry confesses is lengthy and is written in present tense thus emphasizing its importance. As I researched the background of this book, I found out that Capote started writing this novel because he got deeply attached to the story. At the time that the murder took place, Capote was a news reporter for Timelife and was given the job of writing a piece on how the killings had devastated a happy, tight-knit little community. He was in the town writing his piece when the suspects were actually caught, at which point the story takes off. During the chapter consisting of the trial, Capote writes as if he were watching from afar and does not entirely engage the reader in the scene, but rather, he presents it as if it were being seen thorough glass. This style of writing credits to Capote’s journalism skills. It allows the reader to be the audience and analyze the situation as they see it; the reader is basically the judge in the trial. This book really makes you think about the issue; murder is something that society constantly faces. This narrative basically allows you to understand and reflect on the different aspects of human nature.

An Effective Manager of Home Depot Essay

According to Robbins and Coulter (2005), effective managers all over the world acknowledge the role that strategic management plays in their organization’s performance. Moreover, Drucker (2004) said that the gauge of an effective manager or executive is the ability to get the right things done. This typically entails doing what other individuals have ignored in addition to avoiding what is unproductive. Imagination, intelligence, and knowledge might all be wasted in an executive job without the attained habits of mind that form them into results. I believe that Bob Nardelli is exhibiting these characteristics and management style of an effective manager as he leads Home Depot to become continually successful in its operations. As he triumphed over various problems in managing the company and a s a result oh his managerial strategy, Home Depot is now has now increased sales by 60 percent and earnings per share by 105 percent (Business Week Online, 2006). During his first day as CEO at Home Depot in the year 2000, the company has various problems to deal with, some of which, were as follows: it lacked the necessary infrastructure to send even a companywide electronic mail, Home Depot stores were already run-down and was being known as a store with poor customer service, the stores’ shipments were logged using pencil and clipboard, and Home Depot stores did not have automated inventory systems (Sellers, 2001). Being a visionary leader that he is, Nardelli believed that better processes must lead to better quality ad higher profits for Home Depot. He employed strategic management in planning to improve the company. As asserted by Robbins and Coulter (2005), the prevailing belief in management theory and society on the whole is that managers are completely responsible or accountable for an organization’s success or failure. However, Nardelli demonstrated that aside from the fact that much of an organization’s success or failure is because of external forces outside of the manager’s control, the manager has a big responsibility in making decisions for the success of the organization. A major component of Nardelli’s far-reaching move to reform Home Depot, which is considered to be the world’s third-largest retailer, into a more centralized company, include importing people, ideas, and platitudes from the military (Business Week Online, 2006). This might be an unwelcome concept in management circles; however, Nardelli couldn’t care less. He believes that it is a vital aspect of his strategy to lead in a cumbersome 2,048-store chain and get ready for its next leg of growth (Business Week Online, 2006). In an uncertain and dynamic environment, real world organizations employ strategic decision-making when making decisions offers managers with a comprehensive and systematic means for taking into consideration the external environment, concentrating on an organization’s strength, reducing weaknesses, and recognizing opportunities in which an organization can have a competitive edge (Shafritz & Hyde, 2004). As maintained by Holstein (2004), the Nardelli decision-making model might help create a pattern for other CEOs who have been extremely frustrated and disillusioned by their lack of success in harnessing technology. In transforming Home Depot to what it is now, Nardelli increased information technology spending by almost 20 percent (Sellers, 2001). Then in year 2003 Nardelli spent a total of $400 million on inventory shipping and tracking systems (Sellers, 2001). Aside from these, Nardelli also spent around $250 million refurbishing Home Depot stores (Pellet, 2001). This included the installation of self-checkout systems in 800 stores to lessen customer lines and ease up salespeople. This also included the establishment of two-way cordless scanners, which enabled products to be price-scanned in the shopping cart, in this manner shortening lines. Being an effective manager, he also paid attention to motivating the organization’s workers. Armstrong (2002) said that in providing rewards to employees, supervisors and managers should identify what rewards will succeed for specific employees at any given time. Even though supervisors and managers might not be able to have power over certain rewards like benefits or wages, they have the liberty to give out rewards like recognition and praise. In Home Depot, Nardelli instituted innovations in providing rewards and in human resource management. First, he substituted 157 different employee evaluation forms with two (Pellet, 2001). In addition, coworkers, above and beneath them, rated aalaried personnel from the CEO down and salaries were derived from the scores. Then during a period when Home Depot was planning to hire approximately 100,000 new employees, Nardelli did not automatically fire those employees with poor scores (Pellet, 2001). Nardelli first requested for the advice of others and informed underperformers precisely what they were doing wrong. This way, Nardelli showed that it is important for a manager to vigorously seek opposing opinions and inquire regarding the basis for those opinions before selecting a course of action is being stressed, instead of acting on the basis of tacit or pre-arranged agreement. Necessarily, this needs constantly listening with real curiosity so as to promote development of different opinions and supporting rationales, instead of merely setting forth suggestions and working to make agreement around them (Drucker, 2004). Furthermore, Nardelli seemed to follow step two in Peter Drucker’s model (204) that executives require both themselves and their staff or subordinates what they contribute presently to the organization and what they could contribute to the organization in the future. In Home Depot, Nardelli asserted that in spite of whether a person’s belief of what he/she now contributes, or could contribute, equals his/her manager’s belief, emphasizing and bringing out the importance of everybody’s role as a contributor is necessary to the organization’s general effectiveness. In initiating change in Home Depot, Nardelli showed that everybody in the organization makes decisions; nevertheless, decision-making is specifically vital in a manager’s job. I think that he followed what Robbins and Coulter (2005) said that decision-making is part of all four managerial functions – planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and that decision-making is synonymous with managing. Holstein (2004) has written that when Nardelli joined Home Depot, the challenge of improving the company’s supply chain and logistics became apparent because the company is way behind other stores in these areas. Hence, he established a model called â€Å"full truckload to the store,† which means that the more you brought, the more it would oblige you to sell, since you get kind of jammed (Holstein, 2004). In terms of information technology, at Home Depot, Nardelli has established a system of checks and balances (Sellers, 2001). The manner is which Nardelli is managing the technological transformation is attracting attention and interest from other executives and managers. Sellers (2001) said that Nardelli has borrowed from the CE playbook to establish a system of checks and balances on how technology is managed, and Nardelli has likewise incorporated technology decisions deeply into his business strategy in runring and managing Home Depot. Furthermore, Nardelli likewise employed building deeper relationships with fewer vendors. As stated earlier, the Nardelli decision-making model might possibly help create a pattern for other CEOs who have been exceedingly frustrated and disillusioned by their lack of success in utilizing technology. In conclusion, in transforming Home Depot to become the earning company that it is now, I believe that Nardelli demonstrated that leadership is the capability to influence people or groups toward the accomplishment of goals. As a process, Nardelli showed that leadership forms the goals of an organization or group, inspires behavior toward the attainment of those goals, and helps characterize organizational or group culture; hence, it is fundamentally a process of influence. # References Armstrong, M. (2002). Employee Reward (3rd Edition), CIPD: London. Drucker, Peter. â€Å"What Makes an Effective Executive,† Harvard Business Review, Vol. 82, No. 6, June 2004. Holstein, W. (2004). â€Å"The Depot goes digital: how CEO Bob Nardelli is managing a $2 billion technology transformation,† The Chief Executive. Pellet, J. (2001). â€Å"Mr. Fix-It Steps In,† Chief Executive. â€Å"Renovating Home Depot. † (2006). Business Week Online. Robbins, S. , & M. Coulter. (2005). Management, (8th ed. ). Prentice Hall. Sellers, P. (2001). â€Å"Exit the Builder, Enter the Repairman: Home Depot’s Arthur Blank Is Out. New CEO Bob Nardelli Is In. His Job: To Tackle the Company’s Renovation after Two Decades of Nonstop Expansion,† Fortune. Shafritz, J. M. & A. Hyde. (2004). Classics of Public Administration, 5th ed. Belmont , CA : Wadsworth/Thompson

Historians question whether or not social movements such as the civial Essay

Historians question whether or not social movements such as the civial rights and womens rights movements were successful in add - Essay Example The society today paints a picture of a highly prosperous country boasting of a cohesive social structure, one that integrates everyone despite their differences. The American society as it is today is the creation of a number of social movements such as civil rights and women rights group. Such groups of people worked hard to change a number of mindsets that could have otherwise led to either the collapse of the country or the emergence of one of the world’s worst human crisis in the history of humanity (Carl 98). With hard work and sound leadership, the country listened to the plights of the civil rights groups and addressed their issues. These led to serious changes in the American constitution through time and today America owes what it is to the sacrifices of some of the pressure group members who believed in the achievement of an all-inclusive society (Jonathan 71). Europeans took Africans into the United States to work in their plantations. However, soon after the slave ry period, the world became industrialized and for once people never needed many laborers to work in the field. This therefore led to the formation of regional and politics of segregations. The whites never considered the Africans as their equals. The whites discriminated against the African community and made sure they felt unwelcome. The society was segregated, and the Africans not allowed mingling freely with the rest of the population. They therefore never went to school and had no employment; they thus lived in abject poverty. The worst level of this discrimination was on politics and governance, the number of Africans in the country was nearing the number of the whites. Despite this large population, the rest of the Americans denied the African American community a chance to elect their leaders. They never took part in an electoral process and were not allowed to run for any electoral position. For a long time in the history of America, the African American community alongside other marginalized communities lived in abject poverty and in a humiliating environment. By the begining of the nineteenth century, a number of pressure groups sprung up to fight for the rights of the marginalized and the African American community. Led by radical and selfless African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior, this creed of Americans believed in equality before the law. They thus called for understanding and peaceful coexistence. They called for the abolishment of the racial segregation that was threatening to tear the country down into two. These struggles would get violent at times and the government would order for the attack on such groups and senseless murder. This drew the attention of the international community. There later followed a number of global human rights watch bodies calling for the restructuring of the American society (Jonathan 55). The African Americans were therefore allowed to vote and be voted into any elective force should they fee l like. Today, the country boasts an African American president. For a long time, this remained a dream that could not even be conceptualized at the time by the pressure groups (Johnson 66). The historical America did not only include a highly segregated population but also contained a male chauvinistic one. The men considered themselves the head of their families and therefore

Grouch Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Grouch - Personal Statement Example I am not one of them. Grouchiness is its own reward, and often times it can also give a person a distinct strategic advantage in any given situation. The Grouch is a cruel master who has the capacity to take charge and ensure that things are done right. Simply put, people respond to anger. An angry person can motivate others to attain new levels of achievement. In today's economy, not a single company can afford to lose a customer. If you spend money, then you are in a buyer's market for an exceptional level of service. No one wants to see a client walk away in a bad mood. I was on the phone the other day trying to get some support for a computer program that was not functioning properly. Just the slightest edge of Grouchy frustration in my voice elicited many apologies from by service representative. In just a few minutes I got more than enough help to solve all of technological woes. When I received the email feedback form inquiring about my experience, the Grouch in me checked the "dissatisfied" box on every question. For some reason, it was important to me to show these executives who is boss. Sometimes anger is justifiable in itself with no apparent practical purpose. I was driving in my car today and some lady cuts right in front of me and then slows down. Before I know it, I have to jam on my brakes just to keep from hitting her. Sure I could have kept my mouth shut and driven around her, but it was so much more fun to burst into a rage and start shouting at the other car. "What are you doing Why did you cut in front of me" No one could hear what I was saying of course because my car windows were rolled up. It was exciting none-the-less to engage in such an outburst. The afterglow of a Grouchy temper tantrum is an experience worth savoring. It doesn't really matter if there was a crime committed or not. The Grouch is happy enough to treat every minor infraction as a potentially life-threatening violation. There are personal benefits to being a Grouch. After a rampage, one is left with the not-so-subtle feeling of superiority. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say that being a Grouch is similar to being a drug addict. Both behaviors cause a physiological change in the body. Endorphins are released and they bind to receptors on neurons of the brain resulting in a sensation of euphoria. A cascade of internal chemical events gives you the rush you've been craving without the messiness or inconvenience of actually having to "shoot up". Without a doubt rage is an addictive behavior, perhaps even more addictive than a chemical dependency. I do not know if there are 12-step recovery groups for Grouches (rage-a-holics anonymous, perhaps) but there is a definite need for them. Being a Grouch can be hard work sometimes. It is a complex task that engages a variety of emotions, not just anger. For example, in order to get to that place of becoming properly incensed there are some prerequisites. First you have to develop a taste for righteous indignation. Taking offense at another person's behavior is key to developing a good rage. That is the trigger which gets the ball rolling. The process starts when I am standing innocently by myself, and then someone comes along and disturbs me in some small way. You have to believe that you are an innocent victim in order to be a Grouch. The first rule of victimhood is to deny all

Theoretical concepts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theoretical concepts - Research Paper Example y was to examine the effects of selected person-environment variables as they influenced psychological adaptation in home hospice patients† (Dobratz, 1993, p. 712). Based on the PowerPoint slide, â€Å"The world of research theory: Building the theoretical framework,† a purpose statement clarifies the direction of research, the relationships among the concepts in the study, and often provides the most information about the intent of the research problem. In addition, according to the PowerPoint slide, a purpose statement should clearly state why the researcher is conducting the study. These â€Å"entities† are present in Dobratz (1993) but not all of them are wholly present in the purpose section of the article (p. 712). However, considering the article in its totality, the elements of purpose statements are fully there. Proposition 1: person-environment variables positively influence psychological adaptation to dying. This proposition relates the concepts â€Å"person-environment variables† and â€Å"psychological adaptation to dying†. One conceptual definition is on psychological processes. It is conceptually defined in the article as those â€Å"used by individuals to adapt both to self and to environmental influences (Dobratz, 1993 citing Hann, 1969, 1977). Another conceptual definition is â€Å"physical function† or the â€Å"degree of dependence on other persons for assistance as measured by Karnofsky, Abelmann, Craver, and Burchenal† (Debrotz, 1993, p. 713). The dependent variable is â€Å"psychological adaptation to dying† as indicated by the â€Å"state of well-being related to life satisfaction† as measured by the Affect Balance Scale described in Dobratz (1993, p. 713). The independent variables are age, length of illness since diagnosis, gender, social support as perceived by the ill (perception of value, group belonging, provision of attachment/intimacy, chance for nurturance, etc.), and pain intensity as developed by Melzack (1975). Consistent with

Interest Rate Parity, Exchange Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interest Rate Parity, Exchange Rates - Essay Example Through increased employee engagement, employees have been indicated to encompass skills that are geared towards enhanced performance in the workplace. Employee engagement has been attributed with the ability to decode the workplace processes, as well as adjust to the system within the shortest time possible. Employee engagement is almost impossible for the functioning of any organizations. Analysts argue that for any organization to attain high productivity, incorporation of employee engagement in organizations is the blueprint of operations of all organizations. Alarming statistics indicate that the negative implications of not engaging employees in the workplace are taking an uphill trend. Other statistics indicate that, most workers record high levels, of unhappiness in a majority of organizations in the United Kingdom. Consequently, this has become an uphill task for managers to handle. In fact, a great percentage of studies have recorded employee disengagement and unhappiness as the major indicators of low productivity in the companies. Experts in the management sector attest to the fact that, if employees are allowed to explore their potential to the fullest, there is a great likelihood that, employees will treat their workplaces as their own businesses. In essence, employees that are engaged are more of proactive than reactive; they are self driven and innovative towards unremitting improvement of their workplaces. Generally, employee engagement has had massive impacts on building rapport between employees in the workplace through creation of proper communication channels; mandatory for growth of organizations. The sole purpose of this dissertation is to understand the implications of engaging employees and their performance. In order, to have a vivid interpretation of this topic, the case study of Etisalat telecommunication Company will be put under scrutiny.

Pacific Norh West History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pacific Norh West History - Essay Example After the USA purchased Louisiana they were interested in expanding to the West Coast, but as there was uncertainty about what exactly they would be buying, President Thomas Jefferson decided to fund and expedition. The president had first heard about plans of an expedition to explore the Pacific North West whilst he was in France, but he had not believed it possible and because of bad weather, the expedition was called off. Captain Meriwether Lewis was chosen to lead the expedition and he in turn chose William Clark as his partner. The purpose of the expedition was to study the Indian tribes, botany, geology and the types of wildlife that existed in the Western Region as well as see what kind of interference the Canadian, French and British hunters, who were already established in the area, would hold for them. The Lewis and Clark expedition left from Pittsburg with eleven men; seven of which were soldiers and one a pilot. All of the men had volunteered to go with Lewis and Clark on their expedition and so they set out to the Pacific Ocean. On May 14, 1804 the Lewis and Clark expedition set off up to the Missouri River and on July 4, 1804 Lewis and Clark named a river located near the city of Atchinson Independence Creek and this day is now known in America as Independence day. It was on October 24, 1804 that the Lewis and Clark expedition reached its first goal where they spent the winter at the Mandan-Hidatsa villages which is now known as North Dakota. American Indian Villages were located at this location and on the Northern Plains they were the main trading centers. The Indian tribes allowed for the explorers to build a small fort, which they named Fort Mandan and they lived there for five months through a terribly cold winter. This allowed for Lewis and Clark to explore the area and learn about the wildlife and geography form their

Organisational Behaviour Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Organisational Behaviour - Case Study Example ndividuals’ needs into two groups: needs arising from man’s nature to avoid pain from the surrounding and the need thought that comes from unique trait to grow psychologically. An organization’s main agenda is maximizing output at a minimum cost. To attain that, a manager must use motivators to achieve the goals of the business. Workers have difference characters thus attract different motivators. The company’s factors taken into consideration in an attempt to motivate employees are company policy and management, Supervision–technical relationship with supervisor, work conditions, and Salary. Other company’s factors are the relationship with peers, personal life relationship with subordinates among others. Most employees would like to grow in their jobs and develop their carriers more while doing their duties. Employees who are growth oriented get motivated if they feel that their respective workplaces are capable of advancing their specialization. Employers should take into account that some workers need only recognition to improve their productivity. The veterans prefer recognition as the best motivator to any other form of motivation. A good work would make some employees happier and motivated, and such people believe in the result as a motivator rather than anything else. Another group of persons has a philosophy of achievement and responsibility as their motivators (Frederick Herzberg theory). Organization culture refers to a particular pattern of shared assumptions values and beliefs that control workers in a given working environment about how they behave think and tackle their task (Bratton et al., 2010). Culture in an organization promotes work motivation. Senior management should abandon their bureaucratic control regimes to inculcate a common culture to unite and win the faith of employees. A high culture integrates several organizational values, which would stimulate corporation among workmates. A firm where people belief on a common

Brief Introduction of Abbottabad and Pakistani Support Network Essay Example for Free

Brief Introduction of Abbottabad and Pakistani Support Network Essay The world’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011 in a US Navy SEALs raid at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. The news of Osama’s death spread like a wild fire in the entire world. It was a huge victory for the U.S. in the war against terrorism and to eradicate Al Qaeda and a huge defeat to Al Qaeda. The news created a mix reaction in the world. In the U.S., crowds of young and old poured out on streets late at night chanting â€Å"USA, USA† while half way across the world in Pakistan, where Osama was killed, crowds were enraged at his death, held rallies and chanted â€Å"death to America,† and held mock funerals in his honor. Before going in to the details of the background and aftermath of his death, a brief introduction of the city of Abbottabad is very significant which shows why Osama was staying there. Abbottabad is located in Northern Pakistan and is famous for its cool weather and beautiful terrain. It is the Aspen of Pakistan. Since, my family is from that region, hence growing up I used to spend my summers there. It was a summer getaway hill spot for us and the city was always crowded of tourists from across the world. It is a heaven for the retirees too. As Osama was getting old and weak, this city was a best place for him to stay as it had a mixture of both urban facilities and natural scenery. See more: how to start a paragraph According to the U.S government, Osama was hiding in Abbottabad for about five years as one headline at CNN’s website states, â€Å"Officials: Bin Laden complacent in Pakistan, no sign of escape plan.† The question arises how he got in Pakistan and was able to stay there and had no plans to flee. A hypothesis can be made that Osama had a deal with Pakistani intelligence agencies and was able to escape from Afghan mountains to a comfortable city of Abbottabad. This city houses Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) where every year thousands of army soldiers are trained. The whole city is built around Army barracks, schools and hospitals. The security of Army institutions and personnel had increased many folds due to the suicide attacks in recent years. A follow up question arises how Pakistani government and intelligence not knew where Osama was hiding. He was living peacefully under the nose of the military base camp. Living in Pakistan for 19 years, I often read this phrase in newspapers saying, â€Å"Even a bird can’t fly without the orders of ISI.† ISI is a famous Pakistani intelligence agency known for its role in South East Asian conflicts. ISI has been using jihadi militants to keep a check on Pakistani politicians, on Indians in Kashmir and on the government in Afghanistan. I personally think ISI knew where Osama bin Laden was, had a deal with him, provided him protection with a huge compound with barb wired high walls and security cameras and that is how he was able to stay so comfortably in Pakistan. I have absolutely no doubt that Pakistani intelligence did not know where he was. After Osama’s death, according to CNN’s website, Al Qaeda vowed to attack Pakistanis and Americans. Al Qaeda proclaimed that Osama’s death was because of â€Å"handful of traitors and thieves.† This statement clearly shows that Al Qaeda had a deal with handful of officials in Pakistani government or ISI to gain protection for their leader. Without Pakistanis protection, it would not have been possible for a foreigner like Osama, who could not even speak the local language, â€Å"hide† in Pakistan for several years. Works Cited: * Al Qaeda threats, terror plans surface. (06 May 2011). Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-06/world/pakistan.bin.laden_1_bin-laden-terrorist-network-sheikh-osama-al-qaeda?_s=PM:WORLD. Date accessed: 12 May 2011. * Starr, B., Benson, P. (12 May 2011). Officials: Bin Laden complacent in Pakistan, no sign of escape plan. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/us.bin.laden.compound/index.html?iref=allsearch. Date accessed: 12 May 2011. * Walsh, D., Adams R., MacAskill, E. Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces. (2 May 2011). Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama. Date accessed: 12 May 2011.

Evaluation of Housing Strategy in UK

Evaluation of Housing Strategy in UK New Deal for Communities Strategy Evaluation of the Kensington, Liverpool NDC Area Table of Contents (Jump to) New Deal for Communities (NDC) – Principles and Background Thumbnail of Kensington, Liverpool Funding for Kensington Selection of Areas for the NDC Project Success of the NDC in Kensington Conclusion Bibliography New Deal for Communities (NDC) – Principles and Background The Housing Green Paper, entitled ‘Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All’ was produced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions in April 2000o. The paper identifies the 3 major challenges (p7) facing housing in England to be First, to improve the conditions and opportunities of the minority who face severe  problems, such as poor conditions in both public and private housing. Second, to tackle the more general problems faced by most people at some point in their  lives, such as the difficulties that can be encountered in selling and buying a home. Third, to do this without undermining the successful features of the current system,  which delivers decent housing to the majority of people. The aims and principles (p16) t address the above challenges are stated as ‘Our aim is to offer everyone the opportunity of a decent home and so promote social cohesion, well-being and self-dependence. This aim, and the reforms that we are pursuing, are under-pinned by eight key principles.’s key principles for housing policy †¢ Offering everyone opportunity, choice and a stake in their home, whether rented or owned. Ensuring an adequate supply of decent housing to meet needs. Giving responsibility to individuals to provide for their own homes where they can, providing help for those who cannot. Improving the quality and design of the housing stock, new housing and residential  environments, helping to achieve an urban renaissance and protecting the countryside. Delivering modern, efficient, secure, customer-focused public services and empowering individuals to influence them. Reducing barriers to work, particularly in relation to benefit and rent policy. Supporting vulnerable people and tackling all forms of social exclusion, including bad housing, homelessness, poverty, crime and poor health. Promoting sustainable development that supports thriving, balanced communities and a high quality of life in urban and rural areas. This paper tackles the broad issues of housing and provides a framework for government strategy going forward. The NDC, which focuses on the most deprived areas, has a wider brief within their region, as summarized by The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, ref http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/page.asp?id=617, ‘New Deal for Communities (NDC) is a key programme in the Governments strategy to tackle multiple deprivation in the most deprived neighborhoods in the country, giving some of our poorest communities the resources to tackle their problems in an intensive and co-coordinated way. The aim is to bridge the gap between these neighborhoods and the rest of England. All the NDC partnerships are tackling five key themes of: Poor job prospects High levels of crime Educational under-achievement Poor health Problems with housing and the physical environment. We want to see outcomes that will bring real benefit to people living in our most deprived neighborhoods. Approximately  £2bn has been committed to the 39 partnerships. The NDC partnerships are part of a holistic government approach to raising the livability of some of the England’s more deprived areas. The Neighborhood Renewal Unit (NRU) part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has responsibility for overseeing the Governments comprehensive neighborhood renewal strategy. A strategy that responds to local circumstances rather than directing everything from Whitehall. Under the framework of the NRU, the NDC are a key component within the long-term program that comprises: New Deal for Communities partnerships tackling the five key themes of: Poor job prospects High levels of crime Educational under-achievement Poor health Problems with housing and the physical environment. Neighborhood Management, working with local agencies to improve and link their services at a local neighborhood level. Neighborhood Wardens, providing a highly visible, uniformed, semi-official presence in residential and public areas, town centres and high-crime areas. They run a Skills and Knowledge programme, offering practical support to those at the front-line delivering neighborhood renewal. They also run programs focusing on the importance of business involvement in tackling disadvantage. The NRU encourages communities to play a central role in delivering neighborhood renewal through a  £96 million programme to develop a community participation infrastructure. Thumbnail of Kensington, Liverpool The report â€Å"Livability in NDC areas, Findings from Six Case Studies’ quotes from the Delivery Plans for NDC, as describes Kensington as an area where ‘the streets tend to be treeless and green leisure spaces very limited.. The harsh appearance of the urban environment is reinforced by the dereliction of underdeveloped waste land and the four busy roads that physically subdivide the NDC area into separate neighborhoods.’ The Independent Working Class Association website, http://www.iwca.info/cor/cor0011.htm has the following stark statistics on Kensington (April 2, 2004) Houses prices average  £45,000. 45 per cent of residents have no qualifications Unemployment rate is 8.3% Funding for Kensington http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/page.asp?id=618NDC Grant Approved Areas The following table shows that the funding for Kensington was the highest of all grants made in Round 1 Partnerships Selection of Areas for the NDC Project The Government Social Exclusion Unit studied and identified the huge gaps that separate the country’s most deprived neighborhoods and the rest. The Unit concluded in their report Neighbourhood Renewal, ‘there is deprivation everywhere, but there are four regions with particularly high concentrations: the North West, North East, London, and Yorkshire and Humberside. Nationally, 82% of the most deprived wards (as measured by the Indices of Deprivation) are in just 88 local authority districts. Success of the NDC in Kensington Technology In order to provide computers to Kensington residents, Kensington Regeneration, a charitable company was set up. In September 2000, Kensington Regeneration applied to Department of Education and Skills (DfES) for capital funding to provide up to 2,000 residents with an Internet capable recycled pc, printer and software. An ESF bid was developed and approved which supports the development of a variety of training interventions including first steps IT skills, CLAIT and ECDL along with bespoke events and courses identified through community consultation. There have been problems with management with led to the resignation of James Jones, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool and the Chair of the Kensington NDC. On Dec 5 2003, The New Start magazine, http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/pond.html which had been campaigning for fair compensation for community representatives involved in regeration programs for 7 months, quoted the Right Reverend Jones as follows: ‘The minister fails to realize that community activity is work. It produces vital social capital that makes neighborhoods safer and healthier places. Without it, the state will spend even more money paying agencies to fight crime, poor health and low educational achievement. Unless the government addresses the issue of remunerating local people for community activity its policies of involving local people will prove empty rhetoric and leave out the very people they are meant to embrace.’ The situation was not resolved and the Guardian, The Guardian, reported on April 14th 2004 that the Right Reverent Jones was stepping down in their article ‘Divided and Spoilt’ ‘A critical report into a neighborhood renewal project has raised concerns over the future of the New Deal for Communities. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev James Jones, who is stepping down as chairman of Liverpools Kensington NDC project, last week warned the government not to bypass residents in favor of imposed solutions. He is worried that ministers talk only about community involvement rather than community-led actions.’ The report , ‘Promoting Liveability: The Experience of NDC Partnerships, one of many reference documents to be found at http://www.renewal.net includes the following items of success and upgrading due to the partnership in Kensington Neighborhood warden schemes – In Liverpool, wardens work with the neighborhood police team and other organizations tackling crime and anti-social behavior. Pairs of wardens patrol a particular patch, getting to know residents, gathering intelligence, talking to young people and providing reassurance for vulnerable residents. Neighborhood improvement Liverpools NDC is working with the community to plan major renovations. In the neighborhood where this process is most advanced, a group of residents received training on aspects of urban design and worked with an architect to draw up a blueprint for local improvements. These changes are currently being implemented, and include new street lighting, traffic calming, restoring boundary walls and creating pocket parks. Residents in other neighborhoods are now involved in similar work. Environmental services Vandalism, graffiti, fly tipping and general neglect of open spaces in Liverpools NDC area are a highly visible sign of decline. Two Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) projects, one based elsewhere in the city and now an environmental task force focused on the area, has worked to clean up the neighborhood. In addition, the city councils environmental services department is attempting to tackle the areas problem with rats. Urban parks and open spaces Liverpools NDC is funding renovations to two parks that are just outside its boundaries but are nonetheless important leisure spaces for NDC residents. One of them, Wavertree Park, formerly held the citys botanic gardens, and the NDCs work includes the restoration of its remaining Victorian features. Community safety measures In Liverpool, the city council is gradually installing alley gates on lanes between houses, to prevent break-ins through rear doors and windows. The NDC injected its own funding to speed up the process in its area, and has offered free front door security upgrades to protect houses from the front too. On one estate in the area where cars have been vandalized and drug dealers have used waste ground, the NDC has worked with the police to draw up plans to design out crime. The waste ground is to be cleaned up and incorporated into the gardens of surrounding houses, and the car parking will move to the front of the houses to maximize opportunities for natural surveillance. Neighborhood management In Liverpools NDC area, the local social landlord and the NDC have jointly funded a neighborhood coordinator to integrate the various schemes working to enhance Liveability, minimize the impact of restructuring on residents, and manage the expectations of the community. One important task has been to ensure that mainstream resources are targeted effectively and that service providers do not use the regeneration funding as an excuse to reduce their commitment to the area. The report identifies that there are barriers to the effective promotion of the liveability agenda. They were summarized as Uncertainty over the meaning of liveability, which has not yet become part of the vocabulary of neighborhood regeneration. The frequent absence of a coherent strategic vision for environmental regeneration, with somewhat piecemeal intervention taking its place. And at the level of delivery as well as strategy, there is often insufficient coordination with other agencies such as local authorities. The http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk, has the following two negative reports on the NDC in the Kensington area. The article ‘Flaws hit 118m Mersey Revamp’ was published Sept 14, 2004. A  £118m Merseyside scheme to revive deprived areas has been dogged by mistrust and tensions with councils, Commons watchdogs say. A report out today reveals flaws in the operation of the New Deal for Communities programme which is spending  £2bn nationwide over 10 years. The inquiry by the all-party public accounts committee (PAC) found many schemes are undermined by the confusion of up to 50 competing initiatives. And the committee says too often the neighborhood renewal schemes successfully combat crime and disorder on their own patch, but export the problem neighboring areas. The report ‘New Deal is Failing’ was printed Oct 21, 2003 A FLAGSHIP government scheme to breathe new life into two struggling areas of Merseyside has so far failed to improve peoples lives, according to a new report. The study found that the New Deal for Communities had not yet made significant progress in cutting crime, creating jobs and boosting educational standards. And it warned that residents in Britains most deprived neighborhoods faced a 10-year wait before they would notice genuine signs of success. Now the study, by academics at Sheffield Hallam University, has concluded: Most partnerships have not yet made significant progress in achieving many of these outcomes. Some claim success but these should be treated with considerable caution at this early stage. Closing gaps between these deprived neighborhoods and the districts and regions within which they are located will simply take a long time. Ten years appears a realistic time horizon. In Liverpool, only 24pc of people who had heard of the initiative believed it had improved their area’ Conclusion The NDC is an ambitious undertaking and has suffered some setbacks as well as notable successes. The partnership requires community participation from residents who have lived in deprived areas for generations. As the NDC partnership develops flaws in administration, management and communication should be addressed and monitored. The long term view that it will take 10 years to show a significant success is not unreasonable considering the magnitude of the problems being tackled. There appears to be a need to communicate the small successes effectively within the community. Bibliography The Housing Green Paper ‘Quality and Choice. A decent home for All The way forward for Housing’ Produced by the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions (April 2000) The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk http://www.iwca.info/cor/cor0011.htm Independent Working Class Association website http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/pond.html The New Start magazine