The Useless Morris Of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ is more a story of romance than it is of horror. What makes it very unique is that it is an allegory of the love affair of the soul, the body and the heart. In the novel, the most important love affairs are that of Mina and Jonathan and Dracula and Mina. Jonathan is the fist person in the novel to encounter Dracula and is also the lover of Mina at the same time. When Jonathan leaves for Transylvania to help Dracula purchase an estate, Dracula becomes aware of Mina, and soon becomes obsessed with the purity and devotion of this woman to her ‘would-be’ husband.Later, the vampire, Dracula, because of his obsession with Mina, pollutes her by tempting her to drink his blood. Dracula want Mina for himself, not as a victim, but as his wife; but because of the devotion of Mina and Jonathan to each other, Jonathan pursues Dracula and frees his fiance from the curse of one day becoming the queen of the undead. In effect, the novel illust rates the duality of purity; the purity of Jonathan and Mina’s love and the purity of Dracula’s love for Mina.While it is unfair to say that it is only Jonathan who has a pure kind of love for Mina, Dracula’s love for her is actually pure as well, but on a darker level, hence, at this point the novel shifts from a bizarre love triangle to a battle between good and evil. In the novel, there is mention of a particular character named Quincy Morris who is the third person to court Lucy, the best friend of Mina who also becomes a victim of Dracula. Morris is the ideal picture of the American gentleman. He is an adventurer and later gives up his own life in the battle against Dracula.Morris is in the original version of the novel by Bram Stoker, however, in later versions of the story, as well as in film remakes, his character is not included. Upon reading the original version of the novel, it is clear that the role of Morris remains anchored on three basic and very minor concepts – minor paradox, accessory, and auxiliary, hence his inclusion from later versions of the novel. Very simply, Morris is like the sugar flowers on the cake, and without him the cake would still have its icing, hence, his role in the story is one that can be easily dispensed with without affecting the direction and the plot of the story.Initially, let us tackle his role in being the ‘minor paradox’; this means that Morris is not part of the major paradox of the story, and so in later remakes, especially those from Hollywood, based on the principles of a classic Hollywood narrative, Morris no longer appears for the basic reason that in a classic Hollywood narrative, only the major paradox or source of conflict is actually considered. This particular thesis could be validated in the context of the original version of the novel itself. It will be noted that Morris is first mentioned in the novel in the letter of Lucy to Mina on the 24th of May.(Stoker, page 87) Morris here is introduced as one of Lucy suitors, and she writes Mina to tell her about the suitors who came to her that day, of which Morris was one. (Stoker, page 90) Lucy, in her letter, describes the attributes of Mr. Morris, and more importantly, very discreetly refers to a tender infatuation for the man, in the lines, â€Å"Well, he did look so good humoured and so jolly that it didn’t seem half so hard to refuse him as it did poor Dr. Seward. † (Stoker, page 91) Of course, because Lucy was in love with someone else, she refuses the courtship of Morris.(Stoker, page 92) So, it is clear, even from this initial introduction given to the Morris character, that although he is part and parcel of an accessory conflict, he does not really figure in the major paradox. The refusal of Lucy is even a foreshadowing of the gravity of the role of this particular character. The subtle dismissal of Lucy of his courtship is an indication that although Morris goes on to d o some pretty significant things in the story, he does is not actually of any significant connection to any of the major characters, more so, to a second level character like Lucy.In this same chapter, Morris also writes a letter to a certain Arthur Holmwood, (Stoker, page 95) who is the suitor favored by Lucy. In his letter, he simply invites Holmwood to a drinking session with Dr. Seward. (Stoker, page 96) To this invitation, Holmwood obliges. Consider here that Seward is the doctor who runs the asylum right beside the estate purchased by Dracula, so Morris now begins to worm his way into the story. What is to note in the invitation of Morris, however, is the fact that the topic of their conversations was going to be his being rejected by Lucy.There is a certain level of pain in his letter which was supposedly from Lucy’s rejection, hence the lines, â€Å"There are more yarns to be told, and more wounds to be healed. † (Stoker, 96) This particular invitation propels the role of Morris to being worse, not just that he is a part of a minor conflict, but with this letter, he also becomes a nuisance or a distraction in the story, as he now manages to enter the main stream flow of the novel through Dr. Seward and Holmwood. His role as an accessory is validate more when he is sent by Holmwood to visit the ill Lucy who was then under the care of Dr.Seward. (Stoker, page 237) In effect, his role is not relevant to the general conflict because what he does, is he simply stands in for main character or is an auxiliary to the main characters. As an auxiliary character, the text offers more validations in this direction. In the chapter where Van Helsing reveals his intention of cutting off the head of the corpse of Lucy (Stoker, page 329) the only comment that Morris offers is, â€Å"That is fair enough† (Stoker, page 329) in agreement of the verbal proposition of Dr. Morris.It will be noted, that although this is the only line offered by Morris in this section, it would seem that he is the only one in agreement of the plans of Van Helsing, therefore, making him an auxiliary to the thoughts of the professor. Later, when they all go to do what Helsing had in mind, as revealed in the journal of Seward, Morris begins by simply ‘seconding’ the doubts of the two other men that they were with, that Helsing must have removed the body of Lucy prior to the operation that they were going through, so, here again, Morris is an adversarial auxiliary to Van Helsing, but with his statement, then becomes an ally of Helsing.(Stoker, 333) Of course, later, when the actual act of re-killing Lucy is completed, Seward, Holmwood, and Morris, all become allies of Van Helsing in his advocacy against the undead, thus, confirming the auxiliary role of Morris in this particular novel. What is ironic though, is that these three men all had intimate encounters with Lucy, what set’s Morris apart from the three of them is the fact that d uring the time when Helsing was proposing to ‘re-kill’ Lucy, he was the one who offered the least resistance.(Stoker, page 329) He was also in the group not because he loved Lucy like the other two chaps in the group, but because of his sense of adventure; quite a superficial reason, if perused properly. Finally, to further strengthen the argument that later versions of the novel would not have been any different even in the absence of Morris, it would help to consider his accessory role – one which, according to the definitions of literature, is simply a role that makes it easier for the major characters to move towards the plot and the climax of the story.A role which also, all the more becomes very unnecessary in the classic Hollywood narrative because the struggles of the main characters towards the resolution of the plot are actually given more value than the act of making these struggles easier, defeating the steady escalation of conflict in the story. Morr is does just this in the story, he hitches the escalation of the conflict, and offers periods of respite for the major characters – a role that should not exist if reader or viewer excitement was to be the main issue of consideration.Morris remains faithful to this accessorial role again when he offers to go along with the ‘vampire hunting’ group to visit the madman, Renfield, who is a henchman of Dracula, in Seward’s asylum. (Stoker, page 387) Here, he poses no threat or favor, but rather is a mere observer; however, this particular scene moves Morris closer to meeting Dracula and, consequently, his demise. In this particular section of the story, Morris also witnesses the madman along with Jonathan Harker, the fiancee of Mina, hence, bringing him into the inner boundaries of the story.Later, in Harker’s journal, he reveals another pivotal comment of Morris, when he narrates how Morris makes a comment about Renfield, â€Å"†Say, Jack, if tha t man wasn't attempting a bluff, he is about the sanest lunatic I ever saw. I'm not sure, but I believe that he had some serious purpose, and if he had, it was pretty rough on him not to get a chance. † (Stoker, page 394) Here, Morris becomes accessory to Helsing and Harker’s plot to pursue Dracula by actually fanning the flame of the supposed connection between Dracula and the madman.However, this could have easily been done by Seward which all the more makes Morris assertion quite useless, and besides, even in the absence of this assertion, Harker and Helsing would have pursued their stance anyway. Later, with the accident of Renfield, Van Helsing is called upon to visit the asylum to help – then, by some turn of circumstance, Morris follows suit along with Holmwood. (Stoker, page 439) This sets the stage for other events that further validates the accessorial role of Morris.In the later parts of the novel, Morris correctly offers to use horses instead of the m ore elaborate carriages that might attract attention (Stoker, page 467); he also, along with Holmwood, performed accessory operations like burning vampire nests; accessory to the operations of the major vampire hunter, Van Helsing (Stoker, page 478); Morris also ordered to talk to nobility to ensure the smoothness of their missions (Stoker, page 538), he also helped to defeat the gypsies with his bowie knife, (Stoker, page 597) and finally, he also validated the minority of his role by being the one to herd the horses during their mission to save Mina.(Stoker, page 562) In the end, after all these laborious participations in the story, Morris is killed, and the only apparent payment for his death is the fact that the birthday of Mina’s and Jonathan’s first child falls on the date of the death of Morris. This is such a pathetic way to go for a character in the story who had done so much to assist the major characters, however, because his role was merely to complicate p aradox, to auxiliarize, and to accessorize the major characters in the story, his role was very dispensable.In the classic Hollywood narrative, the role of Morris would translate into added expense, added complication, and added actors for the producers. In later versions of the novel, his role served to take away focus from the main characters of the story. In effect, Morris was not only a useless character in the story, because although he assisted in the fulfillment of many pivotal circumstances, his participation could have been easily taken on by one of the major characters.Another significant effect of the presence of Morris in the story is his diminutization of the role of Van Helsing; instead of fortifying the capacities of Helsing, he served to show that Helsing was bossy and was unable to do things on his own, therefore, staining the reputation of this particular major character.In conclusion, the exclusion of Morris from other more recent versions of the novel, whether in written or movie form, could only have worked for the better. His absence has made the story clearer and aimed at a more distinct direction. After all, his role in the story is simply to contribute minor paradox, be an accessory, and be an auxiliary to the major characters, not directly affecting or influencing the outcome of the plot or the turn of major events.His affiliation with Lucy does not even count, and neither does his accidental affinity to Jonathan and Mina; Morris was there as a part of a team that already existed, that may have well done just as good even in his absence. Works Cited Stoker, Bram. Dracula. New York: Plain Label Books, 2001. 90-595. 26 Apr. 2009 .

Drug Abuse in Inner Cities Essay

Inner-city areas have become the primary location for minorities, and the easiest place to find illegal drugs. Evidence shows that there is a link between the increase of illegal drug use, and the increase of minorities living in inner-city communities that are unemployed or collect welfare. Bruce D. Johnson states â€Å"Drug Abuse in the Inner City: Impact on Hard-Drug Users and the Community† and â€Å"Illicit drug use in the inner city expanded rapidly in the 1960s and has continued unabated into the 1990s† (9). Johnson also writes â€Å"During the period 1960-80, the number of persons living in communities primarily occupied by low-income (including welfare and unemployed) blacks and Hispanics approximately doubled† (10). The two previous quotes provide evidence that illegal drug use and minorities living in inner city communities have both increased over time. Minority drug abuse in the inner city results in the organization of drug distribution systems, whi ch can cause violence that negatively affect families. Drug abuse is a problem in inner cities, and has been for a long time. During World War II factory workers were necessary in order to meet the needs of the United States Army. Between the 1930s and 1940s, with the majority of those factories located in the North, a large group of Southern African Americans migrated to the Northern states in search for jobs. The low-wage factory jobs that African Americans and other minorities occupied forced them to reside in the ghettos. According to, â€Å"Drug Abuse in the Inner City: Impact on Hard-Drug Users and the Community† Johnson states that â€Å"Prior to 1940, about 20 percent of those arrested for narcotic law were black, a figure that increased to over 50 percent by the mid-1950s† (12). Johnson provides information that shows the migration of African Americans  sparked minority drug abuse within inner-city communities. In the 1950s, minorities use of illegal drugs began to increase, and have continued to into present day . The most dramatic increase in the use of drugs within minority communities occurred in the 1960s and the early 1970s. During that time period, many events took place that impacted drug abuse in the inner city’s minority communities. Johnson writes â€Å"Heroin use and addiction, particularly among minorities in the inner-city neighborhoods, exploded during the period 1965-73,† (14). This quote shows the highly addictive drug many minorities between the years 1965 to 1973 abused heroin. In the inner-city communities, those who used heroin most likely tried it for the first time between the ages of 15 and 21. Heroin is a highly addictive drug, and about half the users who try it are addicted within two years, (14). Johnson states that â€Å"The â€Å"heroin generation† of youths who became addicted in 1965-73 is evident in the black community in virtually every city with a population over 100,000† (14). This quote proves that it was common for minority commu nities to have a serious drug abuse problem, and that minorities were responsible for the popularity of heroin in the inner cities. Heroin was not the only drug abused as the popularity of drug use continued to increase. In 1975, cocaine became very popular in within minority communities throughout the city, and remained very popular until 1984. The amount of cocaine users began to decline due to the rise of another drug, crack. It is evident that if inner-city minority drug abuse continues to be neglected, no matter what illegal drug it is, it will gain popularity and users will abuse the illegal substance. Minorities are not only the majority of users; they are also the majority of distributors. In New York, African Americans and Puerto Ricans of the inner city communities often bought kilograms from the Italians, (18). Johnson writes â€Å"At the lower levels of the heroin distribution system, heroin user-dealers would generally be advanced several ‘bags’ of heroin to sell; they would use some and sell enough to pay their supplier in order to re-up† (18). This quote shows that the lower-lev el minority distributors would abuse the drugs advanced to them, by selling some and using the rest. Drugs in the inner city are in constant demand. Since drugs are in constant demand a complex system is needed to establish consistency in the process of  making the drugs, so they will always be available. The drug distribution system is broken down into five major roles; the five roles are low-level distributors, sellers, dealers, traffickers, and growers. (19) Historically minorities in the inner-city communities play huge roles in all 5 of these categories. Every level is expected to provide a certain level of production; if the level of production is not met then consequences occur. Not only was heroin a problem amongst the inner-city minorities, in the 1980s, crack emerged as another very popular drug on the streets. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported that four major minority groups all controlled crack trafficking: Jamaicans controlled the east coast and Midwestern states; Haitians controlled Florida and within two-hundred miles of Washington D.C.; Dominicans had control over New York and Massachusetts; and Black street gangs had control over most of the West Coast and western states. (22) Bruce D. Johnson states that â€Å"Newspaper reports and New York City police suggest that American blacks direct several local crack-selling groups in Brooklyn, Queens, and other boroughs†(22). Johnson suggests that African Americans, who also have distributors in Detroit, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles, are the primary distributors of all the minority groups. Ethnic groups for all of the roles of distribution remain unclear, but based on evidence from many sources; minority groups control most of the distribution process. The abuse of drugs has had a huge impact on crime rate in America. Bruce states â€Å"In 1960, probably less than 5 percent of the total population, and probably less than a quarter of the criminal underclass, had ever used any type of illicit drug,† (40). This quote shows that when drug use was not popular, crime rate was lower. As the demand for drugs increases, and different distribution groups’ form, competition for â€Å"turfà ¢â‚¬  results in violence. Drug dealers are in constant competition with each other to see who can make the most money, throw the best parties, and who can be with the most beautiful women; drug dealers are relentless in proving themselves. Johnson writes, â€Å"Hard-drug sales have dramatically strengthened the subculture of violence. Old patterns of using violence and its threat to obtain money vie crime, and to defend masculinity, have been further transformed,† (27). This quote supports the idea drug dealers will do anything to accomplish their goals. Drug dealers regularly use violence to a prove point. With the rise of a variety of drugs in the inner-city, crime  rate also began to increase in America. Drug abusers lead to the organization of illegal drug distributors that commit violent crimes in order to satisfy their greed; they also take part in activities that negatively affect themselves and their loved ones. Drugs can affect relationships, mental and physical health, and sometimes lead to very serious crimes. In fact, peer-pressure has a huge effect on decision making within a group of friends. In the article â€Å"Interactive and Higher-Order Effects of Social Influences on Drug Use† Alan W. Stacy writes â€Å"Social influences may show not only linear or interactive effects on drug use, but in some instances may show an accelerated (concave upward) effect on behavior as social pressure to use drugs is increased†. (229) This quote states that an individual’s environment and the people around them can increase the possibility to use drugs; leading us to believe that minorities in the inner-cities, living in highly-populated communities, have a greater chance to be socially influenced to drug use. A study done showed that out of a hundred opiate abusers, forty-eight never married twenty-five married, one widowed, twelve divorced, and thirteen separated. (645) This study shows that abusing a drug affects marital status among drug abusers. Almost half of the opiate abusers never married, and a quarter of them married, but either separated or divorced. Marital status has a huge impact on African American children living in inner city. Johnson writes â€Å"The chance that a black child will experience poverty is almost 90 percent if he or she lives in a family headed by a single woman under the age of thirty† (10). This quote states that marital status has a huge impact on the life of African American children. Not only does drug abuse affect family situations in the inner-cities, it also affects inner-city residents’ health.Drug abuse is most common with minorities in inner-city communities, and poor-health is most common within these communities. Studies have been done to see if drug use relates to any specific disease. Johnson writes â€Å"the studies strongly suggest that heroin abusers constitute a substantial portion of all reported cases of the following conditions: hepatitis B, endocarditis, pneumonia, and trauma from assault†. (50) Johnson provides is evidence that those who abuse the drug heroin have a greater chance of being diagnosed with hepatitis B, endocarditis, pneumonia, and tr auma from assault. Not only can drug abuse lead to poor-health and diseases that can be life threatening, it also can  lead to drug related homicides. Johnson states that â€Å"In New York City, estimates of the proportion of homicides which were â€Å"drug related† have increased from about 24 percent in 1984 to about 56 percent in 1988†. (51) Johnson reveals that in just four years the increase in the use of drugs has also increased in the amount of drug related homicides. The â€Å"psychopharmacological† variety, homicides that occurred when an individual was heavily intoxicated by alcohol or heroin or while experiencing paranoia from a large dose of cocaine, was the most common of all homicides in New York City, which took place in twenty-five percent of homicides. (51) The abuse of illegal drugs can lead to fatal events; these fatal events have affected minority families in inner cities as hard, if not harder than any other group of people. Johnson writes â€Å"Between 1970 and 1985, the proportion of black children living in mother-only families increased from 30 to 51 percent†. Johnson strongly shows that a little more than half of black children have grown up without a father. Ever since illegal drug use became popular in the early 1900’s, minority inner-city drug abuse has continued to grow. Many things have an impact on who distributes and uses the drugs, along with where the drugs are popular; drugs are very abundant in inner cities, because of social and economic issues, minorities tend to be the distributers and users of the drugs. The majority of crime and violence in inner cities can be associated with drugs. Drug abuse along with the crime and violence that come with it has sabotaged many minority inner-city relationships with friends and families. Minorities who abuse drugs in the inner cities have created a very dangerous lifestyle for themselves and those around them. Works Cited Bruce D. Johnson Terry Williams, Kojo A. Dei and Harry Sanabria, â€Å"Drug Abuse in the Inner City: Impact on Hard-Drug Users and the Community†, Crime and justice13 (1990): 9-67. JSTOR. Web. 3 November 2014. Richard R. Clayton, â€Å"The Family and Federal Drug Abuse Policies. Programs: Toward Making the Invisible Family Visible†, Family Policy (Aug., 1979): 637-647. JSTOR. Web. 3 November 2014. Stacy, W. Alan. â€Å"Interactive and Higher-Order Effects of Social Influences on Drug Use.† Journal of Health and Social Behavior 33:3 (Sep. 1992). 226-241. American Sociological Association. Web 31 October 2014.

Style Analysis

Cassidy Carter 3/19/13 Engl 1302- Prof. Evans Style Analysis Firoozeh Dumas' essay, â€Å"The F-Word,† addresses the very relatable struggle every person with an ethnic name faces in the American culture. Her prime example being herself, Dumas humorously and realistically depicts the trauma a person endures from constantly having to educate people about your name. She also uses the names of her siblings to provide a comparison of the names' meaning in Persian versus their American mispronunciations. Dumas' seamless use of analogies, word choice and quotations assists in her goal of making the reader understand and sympathize with her frustration.The analogy used throughout â€Å"The F-Word† that assists Dumas with explaining how people's refusal to say her name correctly, involves, interestingly enough, spices. Paralleling different linguistic sounds with uncommon spices, Dums jokingly suggests that common sounds like ‘cinnamon and sumac. ‘ Dumas later retur ns to her analogy toward the end of her piece while referencing a particularly annoying parent at her children's school who refers to Dumas as â€Å"F-Word,† the title of the piece non-coincidentally.This parent eventually is transferred to another school where Dumas hopes she â€Å"might have to make some room in her spice cabinet. † This analogy connects and ends the story while making it humorous to the reader and more relatable. Dumas' word choice also relates to adding humor to the piece as she dissects the names of her family and how they are abused in American culture. Her explanations of how Farbod became ‘Farthead' amongst his peers as well as how Farshid became the abhorrent ‘Fartshit,' not only exposes the silly cruelty of children.Such instances also express a humorous exasperation with her American peers who refused to even try to pronounce their names. Further in the essay, Dumas regales the reader with a tale of an unfortunate encounter with a hematology technician that she has an appointment with. â€Å"Having been called Froozy, Frizzy, Fiorucci and Froozy and just plain ‘Uhhhh.. ‘ I am highly accommodating. I did not however respond to Fritzy because there is not in my name. † This bit of humor at her own expense makes the piece all the more personable and relatable.Dumas' use of quotations as she sarcastically impersonates her offenders also adds humor to her essay. Her references to what she believes are her offenders’ excuses for mispronouncing her name were particularly humorous as they effectively allow the user to understand her point of view. â€Å"My name, Firoozeh, chosen by my mother, means ‘Turquoise’ in Persian. In America, it means ‘Unpronounceable’ or ‘I’m Not Going to Talk to You Because I Cannot Possible Learn Your Name and I Just Don’t Want to Have to Ask You Again and Again Because You’ll Think I’m Dumb of You Mig ht Get Upset or Something. â€Å" Dumas’ word choice in choosing to explain the Persian meaning of her name aids in her use of quotations because by giving the correct meaning of the name she further ridicules the people who refuse to use her correct name. â€Å"The F-Word† is a witty essay that makes relatable the struggle of having an ethnic name in ‘this land of Joes and Marys. ’ The essay should allow the reader an opportunity to focus on their own name faux pas’ and hopefully make a change in their behavior in the future when dealing with people with names that require a little more spice in their linguistic ‘spice cabinet. ’

Academic Paper Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Essay - 2

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Essay Example Therefore, every organization or business should anticipate to be tangled in a merger or acquisition at some point in time. This is basically true for businesses or people living in America, where deal practices outpaces the rest of the world in terms of volume and size. This research aims at discussing various issues concerning merging, acquisition, and international strategies. Cisco Corporation acquires organizations that provide eye-catching technologies, goods, or market prospects and this has been a major growth strategy for this company. To assist merge this corporations quickly, constantly, and slight disruption, Cisco has developed cross efficient groups, distinct mutual philosophies, as well as developed value procedures. This well-organized method to integration permits Cisco the capability to attain speedily the value anticipated from the acquisition, among other benefits. Cisco consumers can learn from Cisco`s real world involvements in this part to assist upkeep the sam e enterprises requirements (Satu, 2012). Acquiring other organizations is a vital strategy for Cisco Corporation to quickly provide new products, reach fresh markets, as well as increase income. Cisco has acquired over one hundred and twenty organizations ranging from small startups to large, well-developed companies including WebEx. As it is noted, it is not easy to merge workers, goods, services, functions, as well as procedures of acquired organizations. With several acquisitions taking place every year, it became apparent that Cisco could not approach the amalgamation effort in an unplanned way, with diverse individual and activities affianced every time. Rather, acquisition incorporation required to become a standard way of carrying out business for Cisco workers. Cisco required an integration approach that would be dependable across the organization, repeatable for every new acquisition, and adjustable as Cisco start to obtain large originations with various functional strictu res. Cisco employed the strategy of standardization in order to determine whether or not this unification was a wise choice. Research shows that with Cisco`s standards for the IT substructure and components, it can implement its incorporation strategy much calmer because everybody knows what to do. All it has to do is to work on recognizing and determining the exclusions to the strategy, and that is a vast change for its capability to finish the incorporation rapidly and effortlessly. The strategy of standardization Cisco used in determining if the corporation is the best choice is a good strategy. This is because this strategy enables it to merge the new organizations in every of the organization`s major operational areas such as, information technology. Given the number of organizations that Cisco has acquired, it would have taken too much time to analyze every acquisition, collect Information technology necessities, submit an integration plan for approval to an IT supremacy group , and every time reinvent the several other duties involved in an incorporation. The manager of Cisco declared that they wanted to have a proactive strategy to incorporating

Strategic Management in a Global Environment Assignment - 2

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Terrorism - Assignment Example The arson attack was made with the help of a gallon of gasoline, but there was no major damage done to the Church. In the same month, Ellison with another CSA member firebombed ‘the Beth Shalom synagogue’, which also did no major damage (Hamm, 2007, p. 102). On 2nd November, another failed attack was there by CSA members on the natural gas pipeline that ‘crossed the Red River between Mena and Texarkana, Arkansas’ (Hamm, 2007, p. 102). The CSA members used twenty-three sticks of dynamite to rupture it and expected a riot leading to their holy war, but the dynamites only dented the pipeline. Later on, facing the shortage of money, Ellison guided small groups of his followers to do shoplifting, stealing vehicles and doing other kind of robberies for funds generation. Snell and Thomas, two active members of CSA robbed a pawnshop in Texarkana and during their robbery, Snell murdered a proprietor considering him a Jew, while he was not (Hamm, 2007). The CSA was recognized as a Christian extremist group using military training and weaponry to spread terror. The group kept an extremist religious ideology that claimed their superiority over other races. The whole group had racist ideologies due to which, their targeted other religious and social groups. Richard Snell, an active and racist CSA member brutally killed Louis Bryant, a Black and an Arkansas State Trooper on June 30, 1984. After the incident, Snell escaped from the crime scene and upon finding himself circulated by police officers later on, he opened fire on them, after which, he was shot and taken into custody. The investigative team of Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation found weapons, hatred literature from his vehicle and some other future targeted people’s documents (Wong, 2011). The government paid utmost attention to the extremists group and the FBI and other law enforcement agencies categorized CSA as a serious domestic threat

Legalizing Marijuana is The Solution, not The Problem Essay

Legalizing Marijuana is The Solution, not The Problem - Essay Example Legalizing marijuana is the solution and not the problem. Already in the medical domain, there is some scope for legal use of marijuana under supervision. There are physical and psychological benefits of smoking marijuana for those suffering from a number of painful and distressing diseases. Much like alcohol, marijuana relaxes the muscles and creates a sense of well-being. When it is processed in a professional way and distributed legally, it causes no social problems. Any negative effects from smoking marijuana arise from the fact that it is prepared by unqualified people and sold in unregulated fashion on the streets. Prices and quality are difficult to control, and this creates risk for both buyers and sellers. Most seriously of all, the illegal status of the drug encourages gangs to become involved, and this, in turn, makes violence more likely. All of this would vanish overnight if marijuana were to be legalized. The legalizing of marijuana does not mean that it should be handed out to anyone, and especially young people, whenever they want it. A responsible, legal sales regime, with appropriate minimum age requirements, would ensure that the vulnerable are protected. It is time to end the prohibition of marijuana, just as we did for tobacco and alcohol. Legalizing marijuana solves multitude problems and it is time for the state to carry out its duty of care for the people, rather than abandoning them to the unregulated markets of the streets.

Week 10 Question 2 Part 2 Looking Ahead Assignment

Week 10 Question 2 Part 2 Looking Ahead - Assignment Example If debt financing cannot be avoided, the government needs to ensure that the economy can be able to support the repayment of the debt. This knowledge will help me give wise and informed advice on any investment decision taken. The knowledge acquired in this course on budgeting also proves to be viable in my position. I plan to apply the skills from this topic in ensuring that the decision on expenditure helps my office meet its targets. The government normally allocates a certain amount of funds to its branches in a financial year. This course has helped me to appreciate how crucial it is to have budgets in order to ensure that all targets are met. Budgets work by apportioning money according to projects or activities, and the periods under which they need to be completed. This helps in avoiding overspending and also helps in finishing projects in time (Pratt, 2002). An individual who has no financial background could use what is learned in finance in making better decisions. For example, looking at risks and the assessment of risks, this individual can be able to determine how risky it is to invest in a company by looking at the general view of the company (Chong, 2004). This may by looking at cases of corporate mismanagement in the company that indicate high risk. This individual can also be able to know the performance of a company by looking at the performance of the company or by relying on investors’ reactions. For example, a company that is not performing well will have reports that show poor performance. Investors will also react by shying away from investing in the

How to help Americans doing business in China Assignment

How to help Americans doing business in China - Assignment Example The strength and size of Chinese have grown as well as its domestic companies. Because of the improvements, businesses and entrepreneurs can launch ventures with ease. Despite the growth experienced in China, there are several challenges that foreign investors and firms while trading in the country (Banerjee, 2015). Chinese domestic or state-owned companies receive preferential treatments that render it difficult for foreign (including American) firms to match their competitiveness. Further, the Chinese government has instituted strict procurement laws that act as obstacles to the foreign companies. Such rules place emphasis on encouraging purchase of local goods and services at the expense of imports. Such domestic purchases get encouragement in both business-business levels and business-customer levels. The part of procurement law that causes more prohibition to American companies is that the law encourages that state-owned firms at any given time must exclusively purchase their products from Chinese companies. Further, China’s antimonopoly law seems to favor domestic firms while it remains stricter to foreign investments. Considering the aforementioned challenges, it is therefore in order that American businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and investors understand the Chinese business environment. Some of the measures would help in creating an enabling and favorable business environment to the American investors trading in China. Every American entrepreneur who hopes to set a successful business enterprise in China should recognize a local business partner. It is vital that the local partner be a member of an established China-based company (Michael, 2015). In addition, the partner can be a well-contracted businessperson in China whose reputation is remarkable. Consequently, the local business partner would enable the American businessperson to navigate legal processes despite the complicated regulations

Total Rewards Program Geico Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Total Rewards Program Geico - Case Study Example Total Rewards Program includes seven categories such as workplace flexibility, paid and unpaid time off, health & wellness support, community involvement, caring for dependents, culture change initiative and financial support in order to support work-life effectiveness. This section covers three verticals such as learning opportunities, coaching/mentoring and Advancement Opportunities of Total Rewards Program. Integration can be done among career development process and Human Performance Improvement or HPI in order to share knowledge of among new recruits (Rothwell, Sanders, & Soper, 1999, p. 6-7). Companies need to remix existing reward system with cost-effective techniques without increasing financial investment. Reallocating rewards in a cost-effective not only increases the value of the program but increases profitability also. Finance & Retirement plan of Geico includes traditional plans (associate can select investment pattern and can also manage their account through Vanguard Website), Profit Sharing Plan, Insurance plan (life and accident insurance) and assistance program for associates. These huge collections of benefits give the flexibility to associate to select remuneration package in accordance with their requirement. Education & Training program designed by Geico includes promoting internal employees to new job responsibility instead of hiring external candidates. Geico also focuses on giving sufficient training & development and virtual mentoring in order to increase employee retention rate. Promote from within adopted by Geico helps the employee to get motivated to perform well because they know that performing well can help them to get promotion hence turnover rate decreases. This strategy also helps the company to reduce costs (giving advertisement through various channels of media, paying contract fees to external recruiting agents, paying additional salary to employees who have resigned and other miscellaneous expenses)  related to recruiting new associates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  

In what ways do poets portray the exprience of war in Dulce et Decorum Est and in For the Fallen Essay Example for Free

In what ways do poets portray the exprience of war in Dulce et Decorum Est and in For the Fallen Essay Laurence Binyon wrote For the Fallen in 1914, at the beginning of the Great War, while Wilfred Owen composed his Dulce et Decorum Est in 1917-18, by the end of the conflict. This difference in time means that there might be inconsistencies in the portrayal of the war, due to the changing perspectives of the fighting, which in turn would provoke irregularities in the purpose, style and nature of the two poems. In Dulce et Decorum Est, Owen tries to prove us that war has no mighty purpose behind it and that it is just a waste of lives. He describes one soldier dying with verbs such as guttering, choking, drowning and gives an account of the blood which came gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs. This strikingly visceral portrayal of loss of life suggests that he sees nothing spiritual or divine in the sacrifices that the soldiers make for their country. He prefers to depict the experience of the war as true and cruel as it is in reality without sparing the reader. In the poem we are informed about two deaths. The first is due to harsh conditions, when some soldiers dropped behind, while the second is caused by lethal gas that one of the soldier inhales. In both of these cases, the young mens deaths didnt contribute in any way to the protection of their country and they werent even fighting when they passed away. This suggests that war is just a waste of human life which wont secure Englands peace. In For the Fallen, Binyon tells us that the soldiers have fallen in the cause of the free, thus suggesting that they try to make the world a better place, that they fight for something good. This gives war a mighty purpose and to the deaths meaning. This idea of for the greater good is further highlighted in the phrase a glory that shines upon our tears, which conveys the idea that the sacrifices of the soldiers contribute to the welfare of society and thats why everybody should be proud of those who are fighting. It is clear that the two poems depict the meaning and purpose of the war very differently. While Owen indicates that war is a meaningless and cruel waste, Binyon tries to cast a better light upon the deaths of the soldiers, giving their sacrifices a higher significance and thus implying that war with all its faults is for the greater good. In Owens poem the soldiers going to the fight are like old beggars under sacks, coughing like hags blood shot and drunk with fatigue. Many had lost their boots, implying that they cannot face the harsh conditions of the war and that they are even unable to look after their essential belongings. The description of bootless beggars is humiliating, while their tiredness and the hag simile suggests that there are lethargic and hopeless. Their physical appearance isnt attractive either. All these depict the soldiers as tired, old and humiliated men who are unable to face life and are completely incompetent in war. However, in Binyons version the soldiers went with songs to the battle, suggesting their fearlessness and gaiety. They were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. This phrase conveys an admiration for the almost divine soldiers who seem to be the incarnation of some hero from a childs tale powerful, handsome and determined men who save the world. This image of glorious warriors seems to be taken out of a happy-end story rather than the realism to satisfy the audience. Once again the dissimilarity between the two accounts is obvious. Owen sticks to the merciless truth, while Binyon sees something beyond the harsh experience of the war. Actually, he seems to use the brutality of the fighting and the deaths to emphasise the greatness and divinity of the soldiers. In Dulce et decorum Est soldiers die either to the harsh conditions of the war, or due to poisonous gas. The soldier who experienced the later, plunges at the nearest men choking and drowning an image of a helpless, suffering person. Unlike the soldiers in Owens poem, in For the Fallen, the fighters fell with their faces to the foe, not to their companions in the middle of the battle, fearless and brave. The determination which they seem to possess suggests that they believe that their deaths have a higher purpose. This encourages the reader and the mourning families to have faith that their loved ones lives werent wasted, but contrarily represented a salvage for humanity. It seems that the greatest difference between the two poems lies in the way they portray death and their significance. In Dulce et Decorum Est the dying soldiers face is like a devils sick of sin with writhing eyes. The phrase implies that the soldiers committed the greatest sins, most probably killing, which this altered the way they viewed life forever. They seem to be sick not only of the war, but of the persons in which the war transformed them, into devils. The writhing eyes suggests the violent ending that they had, and it possibly implies that they never found peace. The mention of the devil together with this, insinuates that they will never go to heaven, but rather to hell. The phrase incurable sores on innocent tongues further emphasises the idea that the experience of the war severely damaged their character in a negative and irredeemable way. Incurable sores implies that the greatest wounds were not physical, but psychological, and this might be the reason why they will never find peace, not even the moment they die. In For the Fallen death is august and royal, thus dignified and splendid, something rather positive and good. This is because the sacrificed soldiers songs go to up into immortal spheres, suggesting the place where the dead soldiers found peace. This idea is repeated throughout the whole poem. The phrase they shall not grow old, as we that are left to grow old implies that the deceased soldiers are divine, angelic and eternal beings. Due to their valiant death, their gift is that of eternity, as if their vibrant, determined and brave souls were immortalised, and thus they will be forever young, forever in the best of their condition. The deceased soldiers march in the heavenly plains is as the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness. Heavenly and stars suggest that the divine fighters will always light upon the mortal humans, guiding and protecting them. Time of our darkness refers to the war, and how young men, in the hardest periods of their life, left their homes to save their loved ones, as they will always do from heaven. Binyon sees a continuation of life after death, and thats why the choice of the word fallen in the title, because the sacrificed young men never die. Contrarily, they seem to receive a better, divine existence, incomparable to that of their living fellows. This idea might very well surprise Owen, who suggests that the experience of the war turned the innocent soldiers into devils, who will never find peace in heaven, but will burn in hell thus the violent death of the soldier and the obscene cancer which infects him. The differences between the portrayals of the experience of war in the two poems in striking. Binyons account is patriotic one, which glorifies the fallen soldiers and gives meaning and divinity to their deaths. However, considering the time when it was written at the beginning of the Great War we can get a better understanding of the poets reasons for such an idyllic portrayal of the fighting. At the start of it, the government needed to make the idea of warfare an appealing one in order to have young men risking their lives in the battle . Thus the attractive and heroic depiction of the combating soldiers. At the same time, the poem tries to soothe the mourning families, and this explains the almost holly aura that encircles the deaths on the front. However, as time went on, people got tired of the war and the increasing number of deaths. Soldiers returning from the battle spread the world about appalling conditions and cruel, meaningless deaths. Owen, who wrote the poem by the e nd of the conflict, seems to be well informed about the direct experience of the war and at the same time he is aware of the patriotic and idyllic accounts that existed at the beginning of the fighting. This explains the angry, visceral and meaningless deaths which he depicts in his poem, almost as if he was angry about people lying and making war seem a worthy, purposeful thing. And indeed, his poem ends with a call to other people not to tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some glory, / the old Lie: Dulce et decorum est/ Pro patria mori (It is sweet, and honourable to die for ones country). Owen wrote as an answer to other poems such as Binyons which glorify the experience of war, and this is why he chose the title Dulce et decorum est, to arise the memory of the patriotic accounts from the beginning of the war, and then throughout his poem to shatter the old Lie. He personifies this lie with the capital letter, making it seem as a destructive, evil person. This is the reason why Owen sticks to visceral descriptions he prefers not to spare the reader, because he believes that the Lie is even crueller than the merciless reality of the war.

Desistance Rehabilitation And Reintegration

Desistance Rehabilitation And Reintegration When a criminal is able to stop the behavior that characterizes his or her criminal activities, the gradual process involved is what is termed as desistance. Apart from the fact that it has practical applications for probation workers with criminal offenders from the community, desistance also has a strong link and connection in the rehabilitation of a criminal. However, theories of desistance when compared to the theories of the onset of criminal behavior have been much neglected and underdeveloped in the history of criminology (Smith, 2007). It is therefore a good sign when studies of desistance increase drastically especially since the last twenty years; this has been particularly noticeable after the development of the life course theory that was done by Sampson and Laub. But as Piquero (2004:103) explains, continued research has been significantly affected by methodological and theoretical issues. Moreover, theorists in the field have not been able to come up with a universal de finition of desistance. Consequently this paper endeavors to create a workable definition of desistance and to furthermore give a preview of the updated main facts and theories of desistance. Understanding desistance Oxford Dictionary defines desistance as, to desist or to stop doing something; cease or abstain. Applying this definition to criminology is however a bit technical. The big question is usually about time, if a criminal is able to stop a certain criminal behavior for four weeks for example, is it correct to classify him or her as an accomplished case of desistance? What is the recommended time for one to be sure that he or she is free from the crime? If future behavior can best be predicted by looking at past behavior, and if recidivism and relapse are the rule rather than the exception, then how does a precise definition of desistance be formulated? (LeBel et al, 2004). Laub and Sampson (2001) as a matter of fact agree that a definition of desistance cannot be made, they support that the questions in a particular research best deduce the definition of desistance for the researcher (cited in Maruna, 2006). According to Shadd Maruna, for a habitual offender, any recognizable time spent without doing any crime is called primary desistance. However studies on recidivism and relapse cannot be complete without an outline of achieving long term desistance. Maruna goes on to therefore state that secondary desistance is when a criminal is able to change his identity and take an almost permanent direction to a life free of the initial crime that was a norm in his behavior. Studying secondary desistance is important as it seeks to understand how initial offenders can be able to keep a distance from their crimes. Desistance is therefore not the final result of the end of a crime; it is actually the process that is gradual and continuous till the end result of successful desistance. Sampson and Laub (2001) acknowledge that there is a huge difference between the stopping an offence and the continuous change to a crime free lifestyle. They mark that as compared to theories of offending, desistance theories have not yet been fully studied and explained, however desistance is now understood as the procedure necessary for acquiring a n accomplished state of non-offence. It is important that a criminal who wants to change must be willing to change his or her self identity and concept to be able to grasp the full context of change. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) explain that on the contrary it is a common occurrence to find ex-offenders who have undergone desistance commit other acts of deviance, (cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003: 298). Desistance is therefore basically the ability of a former criminal to be able to completely withdraw from a crime and to maintain being in that state regardless of the challenges involved when trying to keep away. Some of these challenges are social stigma, return to criminogenic environments after release from prison, homelessness, addiction, and limited career and educational opportunities (Richards and Jones, 2004). Career criminals are those who have been criminal offenders for a considerably long period of time (Maruna, 2001). According to Laub and Sampson (2003), career criminals rather than small time offenders should be given more attention in researches on desistance. However another major problem in the study of desistance is the availability of completely successful offenders in desistance to the researchers in the field (Maruna, 2001; Burnett, 2004). Total desistance to many ex-offenders is quite a hard step as most of them usually end up going back to their initial criminal tendencies (Piquero, 2004). Addiction is a very significant factor that is more often overlooked yet its contribution to the whole process of desistance has a major impact on the ability of a criminal to completely change. It is therefore important to understand the connection between the two before arriving at a definition of desistance. From a number of researches it has been recognized that the link between addiction and criminal activities is actually very strong. A drug addict is therefore more likely to engage in crimes (Maruna, 2001). Moreover the cause of addiction and criminality are as a matter of fact very similar. Frisher and Beckett (2006:141) found that a large percentage of drug abusers are very active members in criminal gangs. Therefore, when defining desistance, it is necessary to note that the complete resistance of both criminal offending and drug abuse must be realized (Maruna, 2001). To achieve the purpose of this paper desistance can be described and defined as the initial process allowing quality desistance from drug abuse, criminality and other forms of deviance for an ex- criminal. Quality desistance in this case is the is the total termination of previous criminal behaviors together with other possible forms of deviance like drug abuse for at least ten years accompanied by a change in the identity of an individual. Desistance theories Ageing Age has been found to be a significant factor in criminology, as one grows older it is noted that their level of criminality greatly reduces. (Smith, 2007; Sampson and Laub, 2003; Gluecks, 1943; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). In 2000 in the United Kingdom 19 year olds were found to have committed crimes fifty times more those which men of over fifty years had committed. According to research the total lifespan of a criminal is usually general considering factors like early deaths, imprisonment and when a criminal is evolving to avoid being detected (Maruna, 2006). In a research of 411 criminal males in London, Farrington (1990) found that as the criminals grew older, their crimes reduced greatly with time but this however depended on different types of crimes (cited in Smith, 2007). For example, burglary is at its highest at age 20 while fraud and drug abuse offences record their highest at the age of 25 all the way to 30 as burglary sets on a steady decline afterwards. Nevertheless for the persistent hardcore criminals into their 70s, there was a clear connection between their age and their crime rates according to studies by Laub and Sampson (2003, 2005, 2005b). Furthermore they realized that alcohol and drug offences were their highest in the mid- thirties as compared to other offences. They finally came to a conclusion that both age and the type of crimes affect the whole process of desistance as well. However there have been different explanations to the not clear age crime curve. Developmental criminologists have been able to link the ag e of an offender and the capability of total desistance to childhood related issues. (Mulver et al, 1988; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; Nagin, 2005; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2005a) Offenders are therefore divided into two distinct groups, the adolescent and the persistent adult offenders. As a result it will be evident that in their late teens the adolescents will be able to grown out of crime and will be able to work on their social circles basically due to their education and good social integration skills. Academic failure, broken relationships and neuropsychological handicaps on the other hand doom the adult offender to a life of deviancy (Moffitt, 1993; 1994; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). This theory therefore separates offenders into two distinct groups each with very unique characteristics determined by childhood factors, and only those who fall into the correct group have any hope of desistance. Sampson and Laub (2003; 2005a; 2005b) have strongly criticized this developmental approach to explaining desistance, and state that, there is no such thing as a fore-told life course persister (2003:179). They explain that desistance is achievable for ant type of offender no matter which group they are in whether adolescent or adults. According to them childhood fa ctors of offence do not determine desistance but instead help to explain the whole process of desistance. Gottfredson and Hirschi claim that offenders simply stop offending because of the natural aging of the individual (1995; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). They point out that for any organism there is always a stage of discontinuity that applies to criminology and the study of desistance and its links with age. Therefore desistance is a natural process for any offender. Maruna (2001) however does not fully agree with this because according to him desistance, especially at the beginning, takes a huge amount of emotional, psychological and even physical effort and resources. Gluecks (1943) agrees with this too because he highlighted that desistance was the result of a process of maturational reform, meaning, an offender gradually grows out of crime (cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). This maturation process usually starts after age 25 when a criminal is able to settle down as the crime rate reduces gradually. However this theory has similarly been criticized as it does not probe into th e meaning of age; instead it assumes that the process of aging itself is responsible for desistance (Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2003). Acknowledging that age is a significant factor in desistance, Sampson and Laub (1992) state that maturational reform does not satisfactorily explore its significance in relation to social bonds and life turning points (cited in Maruna, 2001). Life Course Theory A significant study on 500 men up to the age of 32 was carried in the 1930s and 1940s by the Gluecks (1943; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; 2005b). Sampson and Laub later on in an impressive research followed up on 52 of these men and investigated on their criminal career to the age of 70. They found out that the causes of desistance and persistence are actually opposites, namely the development of social controls, structured routine activities and purposeful productive human agency (Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; 2005b; 2006). Their finding indicated that job stability, military service and marriage were able to positively contribute to achieving desistance. These turning points were realized in the process of desistance whereby an offender seeks to start a new life by changing location or even starting a new job like entering the military for example. This however does not necessarily involve starting over, sometimes these offenders work to gain back and maintain their orig inal contacts like a job or a marriage in their quest to stop their criminal tendencies. Whichever path desistance takes these turning points often lead to: a knifing off of the past from the present opportunities for investment in new relationships that offer social support, growth, and new social networks forms of direct and indirect supervision and monitoring of behavior structured routines that center more on family life and less unstructured time with peers situations that provide an opportunity for identity transformation and that allow for the emergence of a new self or script These factors, they explain are true and are not affected by the type of marriage and the crime life of an individual , though informal, cohabiting and parenthood have also been linked to successful desistance (Sampson and Laub, 2006; Katz, 1999). Individuals with none of these social bonds are also more able to stop offending because, they have nothing to lose. Rebecca Katz (1999:13) indicates that, families of procreation may play a significant role in developing desistance since family influences self control and delinquency. Life course theory emphasizes on the strong influence of the social environment to offending explaining that absence of criminal peers reduces the chances of an individual ever engaging in offences and consequently attitudes and beliefs favorable to conformity will develop (Warr, 1998; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). Life Course Theory contradicts the link between developmental theories in criminal careers and desistance. It agrees that adulthood experience s are essential as well but to some point more significant in establishing the possible trajectory of desistance (2003). Offenders desist as a result of individual actions (choice) in conjunction with situational contexts and structural influences linked to key institutions that help sustain desistance. As such we argued that desistance is a process rather than an event, and that It must be continually renewed. This fundamental theme underscores the need to examine individual motivation and the social context in which individuals are embedded. (Sampson and Laub, 2003:171) Agency Yet another essential element that has been pointed out as key in achieving successful desistance is agency. (Burnett, 2004; Maruna, 2001; McNeill, 2006; Maguire et al, 2006; Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2005 a). The theory of rational offence understands the fact that a criminal is able to make decisions based on his judgment of what is good or bad according to him in his crime life. Agency therefore works hand in hand with rational choice in the key decision making processes of a criminal. Agency is important since it assists in the overall process of making a rational choice. Furthermore, considering the often irrational patterns of offending of many criminals, and the many economic and social constraints offenders live under, rational choice theory alone cannot account for decisions to desist (Burnett, 2004; Sampson and Laub, 2005b). In their study of the Gluecks men Sampson and Laub (2005a) found that agency was a vital component in successful desistance. There is more to the structural support in the process of desistance, agency is required to offer the determination and persistence part of the equation. Agency determines the will to keep moving on and only those who are persistent will be able to manage the whole process. This will to desist and the internationalization of responsibility to overcome the challenges offenders face as they undergo desistance (Maruna, 2001), is very difficult to measure or predict and introduces a seemingly random component into life course turning points, making neat prediction inherently a difficult endeavor (Sampson and Laub, 2005a:177). Moreover it is a quintessential component in the study of desistance and persistence in a criminal career that has however not been fully researched to date. In their research of the life course theory of life Sampson and Laub assert that they have been seeking to explain the importance of the human agency as an aid in understanding desistance and other deviance forms (2003:177). Knifing offà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ ones past, has come out to be a vital element to describe the ability to be able to accomplish a successful desistance for some individuals. To achieve this voluntarily, agency is necessary since it is one of the most difficult things to do and needs a lot of determination. It is a process that is more often accompanied by cutting all past contacts and establishing new ones for example geographical location and family. Most importantly though, Maruna et al (2006a) explained that it can as well involve internal change, or a change in the way the offender views themselves, their past, and their environment. This change in the individuals thinking is vital for the maintenance of long term desistance (Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; Maguire et al, 2006). Contemplation time was found to be a crucial moment that assisted in creating a turning point to desistance according to a study by Margaret Hughes (1998). And it was found that the opportunity to contemplate came as a result of a change in geographical location, imprisonment and residential treatment programmes. Hughes participants found their desire to change develop when they removed from the usual environments and being able to get ample time for self actualization. Social identity Researchers have tried to explain the phenomenon whereby some individual are able to sustain long term resistance while others do not, and it has been discovered that apart from agency, an individuals self identity change is similarly necessary. The chance of an ex-offender remaining crime free very much depends upon developing a new identity, and new values and beliefs that were not compatible with criminal offending (Burnett, 2004). For sure, a significant amount of work done in rehabilitating offenders and addicts, such as 12 Step and cognitive behavioral therapy, targets change in the individuals self-perception (Maruna, 2001). Each and every individual, whether an ex-offender, offender or normal citizen has a unique self identity through which their actions are guided upon, it is therefore as a result of this mechanisms that give people the different circumstances they exist in. Crucially, self-narratives provide a subjective account of the meanings that offenders place upon changes and turning points in their lives (McNiell, 2006).More often though not a fact; self narratives have been of assistance when people seek to explain their actions. Narratives very often change throughout the life course and understanding narratives, helps individuals realize the significance of past and present events in our lives (Sampson and Laub, 2005a). In a desistance study in Liverpool, Shadd Maruna investigated the different self narratives of two distinct groups of offenders whereby one persisted and the other desisted, to account for the changes in ex-offender identities (Maruna, 2001). He was able to find out that both the desisting and persistent criminals actually had more or less the same personality characteristics and were not as agreeable and conscious as the general population. Self-narratives are the only components that divided the two groups after thorough interviews. Active offenders had what Maruna described as a, condemnation scriptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (2001), meaning, they saw life as an unfortunate abyss of hostility and uncertainty. They believed that circumstances had pushed them to their present situation and there was nothing they could do to change things and that the authority pushed them even further away. Desisting ex-offenders on the other hand had a positive outlook on their past and present and this is wha t assisted them to continue with their desistance process. It is this self-narrative that may be the tool needed for successful desistance. The self-narrative of the ex-offenders holds a version of the truth that is often quite different from historical truth (Maruna et al, 2007). This self narrative attaches a psychological component to the real facts of the past and creates a purpose and meaning in the life of an offender. This is what brings about the positive outlook and assists in achieving desistance. In a study focused completely on religious changes of rehabilitated offenders, Maruna et al discovered that their self-narrative was interestingly changed by their conversion experience (Maruna et al, 2006b). As a result the importance of this self narrative is once more highlighted as it helps an offender realize that the past can be changed and that the future has a hope even for those in long sentences. The offender is therefore able to have a new sense of identity, empowerment, purpose and forgiveness. The self narratives of most offenders in the desisting group have a common characteristic Maruna describes as, the redemption scriptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (2001). This is basically the belief that an offender is a good person and that his or her past was merely as a result of circumstances of crime, recidivism and addiction. As a result of this, the offenders are able to endeavor to live new lives as they continue in with their desistance. They are then able to view themselves as role models with the necessary knowledge and experience to advice and educate the next generations, something Maruna calls, Making Goodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. The major difference therefore between the desisting offenders and the persistent ones is the positive energy they surround themselves with. Confidence and self belief are as a result pointed out to be essential qualities as they guide an offender to understand that their past was a necessary component for them to be where they are at the present. This redemptive narrative helps them realize that they are not their past and that their future is what that matters. The acknowledgement of a supreme power beyond them has also been a contributing factor in the lives of these offenders. This is because they realize that their past might have been a plan to give them the positions they hold in the present, like being counselors and youth leaders. This moral superiority and change from the past, according to Maruna, is to make up for long stretches of lost life. During desistance according to Stephen Farrall some offenders undergo long periods of creating new social identities (2006:85). However much these offenders change, it is not forgotten that they acknowledge they are responsible for their criminal past. The idea that reformed criminals accept blame and feel shame for all of their crimes is not supported by research (Maruna, 2007). Successful offenders in desistance often admit to the guilt of their past but they however rationalize their actions and justify or blame themselves and accept that circumstances might have pushed them to criminality. Sometimes however they do not accept their actions and believe that the society pushed them to crime. Such a belief system would not encourage an ex-offender to accept responsibility for breaking laws that they perceived to be based on middle class values, and representative of a society that had neglected and mistreated them (Maruna, 2001). The Liverpool Desistance Study prove that a concurrent characteristic of the redemption script is an offender accepting to take control of changing his future however they do not acknowledge their past crimes. An internalization of full responsibility for their future, including the determination to overcome the many obstacles they will face, seems to be a defining feature of successful desisting ex-offenders. Maruna (2001:88) summarizes the themes of the desisting persons narrative as: an establishment of the core beliefs that characterize the persons true self an optimistic perception (some might say useful illusion) of personal control over ones destiny the desire to be productive and give something back to society, particularly the next generation Moffitt Adolescence-Limited and Life-Course-Persistent Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Taxonomy Moffitts (1993) concept of dual taxonomy of offending similarly tries to explain the processes of desistance and persistence. Moffitt (ibid) outlined that offenders can be grouped into two; adolescent limiteds and life persisters. Moffitt proposes that the two groups are different and unique from each other in their offence and desistance processes, with the life course persisters having a different aetiology to the adolescent limited offenders. It is explained that they may be suffering neurological problems that affects their cognitive and learning skills. This is therefore evidenced by poor social skills even in the family leading to the various forms of anti social behavior and poor self control Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990). Early signs of antisocial behavior are a common characteristic of life course persisters (for example under-age drinking, premarital sex) as a result they are often excommunicated from their initial societal setting because of poor behavior, development and social bonds. Early signs of antisocial behaviors like these are normally a clear indication of a persistent criminal career in the future. This will be in connection to the age graded theory meaning there patterns of crime will be different and theirs will be a continuous cycle of events of affected marriages, work, education and relationships. Moffitt continues to explain that unlike life course persisters, adolescent limited offenders are not affected by any neurological problems and are able to successfully develop their social networks and cognitive skills. Therefore the causal factors for their criminality are connected to the gap between social development, age and desires. Age for example prevents them from engaging in adult behavior like sex or drinking. As a result of deviance from their desires, they tend to associate with the life course persister leading to the growth of their deviance. However, due to their developed social skills and academic success they are likely to be able to change more easily if they choose desistance. This is because they will be able to depend on their strong social bonds for support. Maruna (cited Laub Sampson 2001) explains that finding continuity in the criminality maybe be caused by methodology, by concentrating on dispositional traits to the exclusion of other personality traits. People can be able to change as Laub and Sampson write, even if their characteristic personality traits do not change radically with time. In order to understand desistance , researchers need to explore other aspects of personality such as offender self-perceptions or personal strategies Maruna (cited ibid). Narrative script There are two distinct narrative script types in the desistance literature that highlight how criminals really view themselves and their societal roles. For the persisters their script usually has a concurrent theme of condemnation. More often they blame external conditions like poor family relations and lack of education for their criminality. They generally have an external locus of control. In contrast the offenders who finally become successful in desistance have a redemption script. They are complete opposites of the latter and are fully responsible for their actions. As a result they make a positive choice to stop the crime by accepting rehabilitation programmes. They are described to have an internal locus of control. Factors that influence the particular narrative script that gets adopted by a criminal are majorly internal factors such as personality and genetics especially after rehabilitation. A higher chance of a redemptive script is noted to be as a result of intense rehabilitation. A probation workers relationship with an offender has also been linked to affect desistance. It is there important for these officers to have empathy skills that are crucial in the process of guiding an offender to desistance as they strive to be able to re-integrate back into the society. Relevance of desistance theory The desistance theory is relevant in a number of different applied and academic professions. The desistance theory to researchers may provide a foundation to be able to examine the different factors that contribute to the cessation of a criminal offence from a theoretical view. The desistance theory allows for a number of different crimes in history and their approaches like the Lombrosian biological positivism, to have consideration in the present society which has an evident difference in its ways of thinking. As a result criminology is more understood and its relationship with other disciplines like psychology, politics and social policy acknowledged. This will consequently allow the development of collaboration for a positive cause of reducing re offence rates. The desistance theory on a practical level has assisted the criminal justice system (CJS) to identify possible solutions to cases of reoffending of successful candidates of desistance through for example initiating community based sentences. This kind of programme is sure to gradually decrease the number of criminals in HM Prison Service institutions for short periods. Studies have shown that short-term sentences in prisons for example (those for less than six months) often lead to increased crime rates after release. This is well explained by the fact that these short-term prisoners to not undergo complete metamorphosis from not covering all the rehabilitation programs. Their exposure to the hard core criminals in the prisons who have been there for longer and have been experienced criminals also contributes to their overall change. In addition desistance theory assists in the continuous development of training programmes for the respective professionals responsible for working with ex-offenders in the community. For example the Probation Service (see Narrative script section, above). Controversies It is important for the general public to realize that desistance is achievable and takes time. Offenders should therefore not be viewed as bad people who cannot live with others even after rehabilitation programs. The public is therefore advised not to discriminate these groups of people in their society. Reintegration cases of offenders back into the society have always caused massive outrages by a large percentage of the public community. There are numerous related cases of such circumstances that have often been quite difficult and delicate to handle. For example in 2011, the case of the reintegration of Jason Owen who was initially convicted of playing some part, albeit minimal, in the widely reported death of Baby P (now known to be Peter Connelly) in 2007, and after serving his sentence for causing or allowing the death of Peter he was later released in 2011. The Sun newspaper immediately kicked off a campaign to find him. Readers were urged to write and report to the newspaper of any knowledge of his whereabouts. There was an article in the same newspaper that sent sentiments of outrage over the fact that the ex-convict had actually tried to find a job. This is a clear indication of how the effort of successful psychological research can be nullified by news reports in the popular media. This kind of outrageous reporting is especially a common characteristic of Tabloid newspapers. Their influence over the public is often impressive and they are as a result able to manipulate and affect the attitudes of the wider public towards their view of desistance and offenders. As a result of this, future recidivism is often developed gradually due to the ill-informed public. Newspapers then use this recidivism as proof of their initial correctness. Conclusion

Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation

Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation How can Multi National Companies use Reward management to motivate the Employees of Different Countries? : A Case of Marriott Hotels in UK. Abstract Employees are always considered as people who play a vital role in each and every organisation. The relationship between employee and employer changes frequently through out the years. Several concepts of employees are also varying time by time. Now a days employees are having the bargaining power and they are more concerned about their individual needs and well being of their working environment. This dissertation analyses various factors which motivates an employee to work within an organisation. Employee will stay in an organisation only when their expectations are satisfied or otherwise there is a chance for him/her to leave the company. High employee turnover is a big issue in companies today. Organisations will look forward to retain only the potential key employees who will make real difference to their customers and their stake holders. This dissertation proposes a frame work to retain the employees and to reward those employees for their potential by which they are taking the organisation to a different level. This research has been progressed through literature study on employee concepts, Human Resource Management and Reward management of employees. The data from the primary research has been analysed compared and verified with the findings of secondary research and produced recommendations for the effective management of employee in multi national companies. Introduction Reward management is nowadays considered as an important topic in order to achieve the goals of a company. Employees are considered as the main factor which plays an important role in the organisation. The success of each and every organisation is its dedicated employees .Current world is filled with changes and competition. In order to survive in the current situation companies should be having employees who are loyal and expert in their own field. New technologies are developed constantly and the companies are eagerly trying to catch up those talented employees with right expertise in their own areas. Human resources as an important factor should get increased attention in managing business (Lindergen Paulson ,2008)`. Multinational companies are facing increased challenges from all around the world due to globalisation. 1.1 Reward management Reward system usually means the financial reward on organization gives its employees in return for their labour.The term rewards system, not only includes material rewards, but also non-material rewards. The components of a reward system consist of financial rewards (basic and performance pay) and employee benefits, which together comprise total remuneration. They also include non-financial rewards (holiday trips, moving to large office, recognition, promotion, praise, achievement responsibility and personal growth) and in many case a system of performance management. Pay arrangements are central to the cultural initiative as they are the most tangible expression of the working relationship between employer and employee. Many papers examine the role of organizational culture that is, the demand for monitoring compensation. Such investigations conclude that organizational culture places a significant role in determining the level of economic demands. Recent researches on industrial un rest indicate that reward criteria of the organisations both financial and non-financial rewards have tremendous influence upon the employees and employers performance. Reward is a broad construct that can include anything an employee may value and desire that an employer is able or willing to offer in exchange for employee contribution. A conceptual distinction can be made between the three main constituents of rewardtype, system, and criterion. (Henderson 1989, p.2) Chiang, Flora F.T. ; Birtch, Thomas A (2006) An empirical examination of reward preferences within and across national settings. Management International Review Reward type refers to the nature of the reward itself (e.g., financial and non-financial; extrinsic and intrinsic). Financial rewards include direct (e.g., basic salary) and indirect (i.e., benefits and services) as well as incentive (e.g., variable pay) and non-incentive (e.g., fixed pay) categories. Non-financial rewards, on the other hand, do not benefit employees in a monetary sense and consist of both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic non-financial rewards are tangible rewards attached to the job and are given and controlled by a firm. Examples include employment security, promotion, status, relationships, and work conditions. By contrast, intrinsic rewards accrue from performing the task itself and are self-reinforcing. Job challenge, variety, and sense of achievement are good examples of this category. Reward system represents the method or mechanism (e.g., seniority-based, performance-based) by which organizations determine employee reward outcomes (e.g., pay increases). Systems can be either performance or non-performance oriented. Where performance-oriented reward systems compensate employees based on how well they perform on the job, non-performance systems compensate employees based on a different set of criteria, such as seniority/years of service, and skills/competencies. Reward criterion then, refers to the basis of allocation (i.e., individual or group) used to determine the reward. 1.2 Marriott International Marriott International is a leading, worldwide, hospitality company and has more than 2,300 operating units located in the U.S. and 59 other countries and territories. It employs approximately 154,000 workers. Fortune magazine has recognized Marriott as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (1997-2001), one of the Top 80 Companies for Minorities (2000), and one of Americas Most Admired Companies overall (2001). In addition, Sales and Marketing Management magazine has named Marriott Sales as one of the top 25 sales forces in the U.S. (1997-2000).(mariott.com 13th jan 09) Marriott is and always has been an equal opportunities employer in all aspects of employment. The company is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all its associates, and where every associate is treated with appropriate respect and dignity. It is the companys policy that there should be no unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any associate, job applicant, customers, providers of service or member of public, whether in connection with recruitment, placement, training, benefits or promotion, either directly or indirectly, on grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital or family status(Marriott handbook for employees 2009) Marriott is committed to fair treatment of associates and to providing training and advancement opportunities to all. Marriott has an unshakeable conviction that there associates are the most important assets for them. Marriott always look forward to an environment which will always supports associates growth and development. Marriott is a reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy and is always keen to give a home like atmosphere and friendly workplace relationships. They always try to achieve a performance reward system that recognizes the important contributions of both hourly and management associates. There are two types of associates as explained above. Hourly associates are those employees who are paid on the basis of the hours they worked. In the other hand management associates are those who are paid a fixed salary on the basis of job content assigned to them. Marriott has been selected for the research as they are having employees from all over the world. They employ people not on the basis of ethnicity, caste and religion but on the basis of experience. As they have employees from different parts of the world their needs will be different. They will be looking forward to different types of reward schemes which will suit to their needs and will satisfy them to stay with the organisation. Research has been conducted by taking Marriott as the company because they are facing a high risk of satisfying the needs of employees who are having different tastes regarding rewards which they are looking forward from the organisation. As stated earlier, Marriott has been recognized as one of the 100 companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine. This states that the employees are satisfied to an extent with the rewards which they are allotted by the organisation. As the reward management plays a role in the organisation it will be worth doing a research on the company who cares and gives equal opportunities to each and every employee in the organisation. 1.3 Current postion 1.3.1Current Policy At present Marriott do not have an existing policy for reward system to their employees. However, their ‘unofficial approach can be viewed below. But they are considering reward management on the basis of â€Å"Spirit to serve†. It is based on the service which the associate delivers to the customer to keep the good will of the firm. The manager will nominate the name of the associate to the Human Res department according to their service. Associates name will be displayed in the notice board and sometimes this is valued more than money as an individual and as an employee. 1.3.2 Current Issues a) There is no documentation for reward management policy. b) There are currently no KPIs (key performance indicators) for monitoring and rewarding for employees performance activities. c) Human resource policy document is rarely provided to employees or its not updated. d) Literature tends to be piecemeal Employee guidelines are a separate document to the job without any details on employee recognition/reward. e) Employee recognition is applied inconsistently. f) Difficult to assess the employee performance and its questionable. g) Employee satisfaction stands at very low rate. 1.4 Expected Results Results are expected by looking through the issues regarding the current policies and try to make changes in order to get it done properly to satisfy the employees. Enhancements are required for the policies for the well being of the relationship between the employees and the employer. After this research it should be helpful for the company to implement activities and to sort out the responsibilities to the concerned parties. Reward management should be monitored and evaluated regularly .Employer should go to the next level to satisfy the reward and needs of the employees to get them done with the job allotted. 1.5 Objectives The objective of this research is to recommend improvements to Marriotts Human Resource policy. Ultimately, the policy will aim to: a) Reduce the dissatisfaction of the employees on promotion criterion, on appraisal system and on salary, bonus and other fringe benefits. b) Improve the work performance and productivity c) Reduce the level of occupational stress that arises from feeling of inequality on reward. d) Describe HRM, IHRM and its importance and various HRM strategies and its importance in the current scenario. e) Identify and analyse various factors that drive employees to dissatisfaction f) Analyse various factors that motivates the employees to stay with the organisation. g) Reduce the perception gap on reward management system and develop a culture of high performance. In order to carry out the above objectives it is necessary to analyse:- >What are the human needs? >What are the organisation various approaches towards employee needs and satisfaction 1.6 Scope The project will cover the following a) Review of all associated literature reward management in service and related industries. b) Review of the front-end activities to understand the extent of the employees work related problems and other dissatisfaction if any. c) Review of current HR policy promises and approach to recognising good work of employees d) Establish links with enhanced HR strategy The project applies to All UK domestic and international employees working in Marriott Both emergency and normal working conditions in and out of the working hours. Establish synergies with employee Performance and HR Policy. Out of scope Developing processes or process mapping. Service delivery project to amalgamate employee and their locations / roles (Including transfers). 1.7 Overview This Report analyzed trends of reward management, and its influence in multi national companies in UK. It analyzed various approaches that the industry has taken to reward employees, primarily through literature reviews, and also through the analysis of questionnaire done with the employees from Marriott in UK .This dissertation also produced recommendations for the effective management of reward process for the improved business case. Chapter 1: This is the introductory chapter that explains the Significance of the chosen field, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, The reason for selection of multi national companies especially Marriott , and end with the Overview of the Project Report. Chapter 2: This chapter proceeds with a literature review about various HRM strategies and approaches taken for the reward scheme , and to maintain the needs of the employees in the organisation for the improved product quality and services etc. Chapter 3: This chapter illustrates the characteristics of Marriott, its business nature, global exposure and the various issues that the industry is currently facing in case of reward management Chapter 4: This chapter explains various research methodologies that are used for collecting data and information to carry out various analyses that are required to complete the research and documentation. Chapter 5: This chapter analyses various reasons in order to maintain a good reward management. This is carried out through literature analysis and through data analysis of the Survey conducted on various employees from the Marriott industry in UK. This chapter ends with the findings from the analysis with critical evaluations. Chapter 6: This chapter explains evaluated recommendations for the findings to the reward management of employees, as a management strategy for improving the brand standards. Chapter 7: this chapter gives conclusion about the future development in the industry if the reward management schemes have been allocated properly, which may provide a solution for the future possible issues. Literature Review The basic mantra for the success of any business organization is the appropriate allocation and usage of resources. The most important resources comprise of four Ms man, material, money and machine. The dissertation under consideration deals with the first ‘M that is the manpower or the employees of an organization. They are the backbone as they put every plan into action which is inevitable for the success of a company. So their importance in business cannot be ruled out and they form the backbone of every organization because they determine the success and failure rates. Since the most important set of public for an organization is its workforce which forms the key ingredient of its success, it is a necessary fact that the employees must be kept happy and well bonded. In todays competitive labour market, irrespective of the size of the organization it has become a major concern to attract and retain employees. One of the important reasons underlying the high turnover is low job satisfaction, appreciation and non competitive benefits package. Corporate should keep one point in mind that there is no lack of opportunities for a talented person. So if he/she is not satisfied means they will switch over to some other firm which provides them with more suitable job. So in order to retain the employees and make them happy, there are so many ways like appreciation, recognition, incentives and awards .In addition to that several motivational tools should be implemented from time to time to keep the employees morale high. These promotional items make for a smart tool because they serve as a token of gratitude and also show that you care. It is a great way of thanking the employees for their services .Moreover they are also expecting some sort of recognition from the company and promotional items help to do just that. Making the employees happy as well as a feel that they are cared is very important if the organization wants them to exhibit performance in a desired manner. Promotional items also give a sense of recognition to the employees. Thus it helps in the strong bonding between employees and the employer which ultimately leads to the smooth functioning and a pleasant work environment which is a must for an organization aiming to reach at the top. In the 1920s, the view on a persons role in the industrial working world started to change, the human was beginning to be seen as a subject with potential (Kressler, 2003). As described by Wilson† Technology can be replicated, capital can be acquired, and distribution channels can be created through new alliances, but the actions of people (what they do or fail to do) have become the critical factor in achieving enduring success† (Wilson, 2002, p.15). Todays competitive world demands the firm to invest in people and skills rather than spending huge capital on physical assets, then only they can achieve competitive advantage .Thus its no surprise that a reward strategy can help the organizations to attract and retain the talented ones and to motivate them to led the company to its desired goal . Companies in the service sectors require skilled and committed workforce to exhibit desired performance and also provide good services in a timely manner to their targeted consumers in various countries across the world .Commitment towards job and in return job satisfaction are unavoidable for the successful growth of the companies across the globe. All these facts interested the researcher to select this topic for research to analyze the reasons for the dissatisfaction of job and various factors which helps in motivating the employees of different sectors especially service sector. Kressler, H.W. (2003). Motivate and Reward Performance appraisal and incentive systems for business success. (S. Pearce, Trans). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. (Original work published 1988.) Wilson, T. B. (2002). Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace (2nd Ed.). Blacklick,OH, USA: McGraw Hill Companies. Retrieved 20071108,from http://site.ebrary.com.bibl.proxy.hj.se/lib/jonhh/Top?layout=documentid=10153055?nosr=1 2.1 Employee An employee can be defined as an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job(web.01). He has to do a specific job efficiently within a functional area or department to accomplish the goals of the firm. In most of the organizations a performance development planning process is undergone which will define the specific task of the employee as well as their expected performance. Employees trade their knowledge, skill and experience in exchange for compensation from the firm. If they are not satisfied with the compensation means the propensity to switch the company will be high, this will result in high turnover. So its high time to give importance to the rewards. Employees, considered as human resources of the organization are used for the benefit of the organizations, employees and the society. (Aswathappa, 2008). In order to drive the flow of business in the right direction for better results they have to be valued, respected, encouraged and appreciated .These can be done with the help of rewards. In a good working environment with efficient working methods and equipments employees will exhibit a better work performance and in addition to that natural motivation to do a job for an appropriate reward will surely pave the way for improved productivity and high profitability. For service sector employees are the most important factor, so implementation of new reward strategies and techniques are unavoidable for high quality performance of the employees, also to reduce the high turnover rate. 2.1.1 Impact of Changes on Employees Change is an inevitable part of life especially in the fast changing world. Todays commercial climate is compelling companies to implement changes in order to survive and grow in the global market. Changes always uproot a person and alter his lifestyle. The organizations adopt changes in order to meet the current standards; its employees also have to undergo change and should accept the new circumstances. Due to the technological, social and economic changes employees face a lot of insecurity and its the human nature to resist those changes without knowing about its real benefits. Its the duty of the management to handle this delicate situation in a tactful manner. One of the effective ways is to motivate and encourage the employees to put their best effort under the changing circumstances so that the net result will be high profitability and ultimate success of the business. By creating a good working environment and high morale, employees wont be negatively affected by the new changes. In order to cope up with the commercial changes companies need to be competitive and should attract employees to the job as well as should retain the employees. Employee compensation and benefit packages are the backing up factors for many potential employees who may face discomfort in their work environment due to the social, economical and technical changes without financially jeopardizing the success of the business. Today its a necessary fact that irrespective of the changes which companies are undergoing they should keep their employees motivated by providing them with rewards and recognition. So by communicating the change to the employees, by making them clearly understand about its impact on organization and its benefits, the company can encourage them to do the work in an efficient manner and in exchange employees will get the rewards for their expected performance. 2.1.2 Employee Management Engagement Employee management is the key to effective performance management and employee engagement. Employee engagement is the psychological commitment of employees towards their job. As said by Charles Kettering There is a great difference between knowing and understanding†. It holds true in the case of business and employees. Know your employees and make them understand about the goals to be accomplished. Understanding in business means the proper management of the employees and providing them with what they expect in return for their commitment and efficient work. Compensation can take the form of rewards, recognition, and reasonable benefits package. The first and foremost need for the employee management is the right employee for the right job. The keynote tip which helps to exercise a proper employee management are Structure establishment, which means that there should be a well defined structure for bringing out the desires performance from the employees such as setting of deadlines for a specific task etc. Another one is the value for employees. An organizations greatest asset are its employees so they should be motivated as well as their skills, knowledge and effort should be valued. Company should treat employees with respect by providing a positive work environment to the employees which will definitely boost their performance and to encourage them to meet the goals in an efficient manner. Listen to the employees and appreciate them for the effort they put to meet the goals and provide them ways to improve their potential, thereby creating belief that the company is taking care of them. If the organization wants to capture great heights, all it need is an engaged workforce. It is connected to three forces in an organization attrition, productivity and profitability. In order to reduce the attrition rate organizations should take care of the employees by incrementing their salaries, providing necessary incentives and bonus. Engaged workforce are always aware about the degree of expectation of work by the organization which yields high productivity. Thus they will result in an increase in the profitability of a concern which is the relative measure of success of a business. 2.2 Human Resource Management The overall management process represent five basic functions for the managers to perform: planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. This research focuses on one of those functions the staffing which is the personnel management or human resource management (HRM) function. Human Resource Management is the process of acquiring, training, appraising and compensating employees and of attending to their labour relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns (Dessler, 2008pg 2). Heathfield, (2008) defined â€Å"Human Resource Management (HRM) as the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization†. This can be further explained as â€Å"Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training†(Heathfield, 2008). HRM is vital to the organization. It is the function which focuses its direction towards the management of people working in an organization. Dessler and Chiat (2009) states that, ‘Without HRM, organizations may find themselves in different kinds of unwanted situations, such as hiring the wrong people, getting fined by government ministries for unsafe practices, finding out that people are not giving their best, or even over/under- paying their employees. The most valued asset of an organization is its employees because improved quality and productivity can be achieved through trained, motivated and committed employees. The function of HRM is nothing but to train, motivate and provide the employees with opportunities to be more productive and effective. Since each and every objective of business is achieved through its effective workforce, the needs of the employees should be satisfied. 2.2.1 HRM Models HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy (hence the name ‘matching model) (Armstrong, 2006). They further explained that there is a human resource cycle, which consists of four generic processes or functions that are performed in all organizations (Armstrong, 2006 pg 10). 1. Selection matching available human resources to jobs. 2. Appraisal performance management 3. Rewards the reward system is one of the most under-utilized and mishandled managerial tools for driving organizational performance; it must reward short as well as long-term achievements, bearing in mind that ‘business must perform in the present to succeed in the future. 4. Development developing high quality employees. 2.2.2 Nature and Scope The role of HRM has grown broader and more strategic over time. In the earliest firms â€Å"personnel† first took over hiring and firing from the supervisors, ran the payroll department, and administered benefit plans (Dessler, 2008pg 12). As technology in areas like testing and interviewing began to emerge, the personnel department began to play an expanded role in employee selection, training and promotion. Today globalization, technological and nature of work trends mean that human resource managers have taken on several new responsibilities (Dessler, 2008pg 12). Human resource management involves all management decisions and action that affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and its employees-its human resources (Armstrong, 2006). Human Resource Management is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises. Its focus is on results rather than on rules. HRM helps employees to develop their potential fully.HRM try to help employees develop their potential fully and to encourages employees to give their best to the organization. It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups. It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results. It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-motivated employees. It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization. It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from, for example psychology and economics. The Human Resource Management activities extend from selection to layoff of an employee in an organization. This includes the fixation of remuneration, training, motivation and induction of employees. Thus it helps to develop other industrial relations for employees to acquire more skills and competencies (Aswathappa, 2008).The functional diagram of HRM is given in 2.2 which clearly defines the interrelation between various functions which enable the organization to achieve its objectives by providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees. The scope of HRM can be limited to three aspects: 1. Personnel which mainly deals with the selection, recruitment, manpower planning, placement, promotion, training, development, remuneration, incentives, productivity, layoff and retrenchment. (web 02) 2. Welfare which is concerned with working conditions and amenities such as crà ¨ches, canteens, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities. (web 02) 3. Industrial aspect that covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc. (web 02) Web 02- http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function 2.2.2 Objectives of HRM The objectives of HRM are to help the organization to reach its goals, to ensure effective utilization and maximum development of human resources, to ensure respect for human being, to identify and satisfy the needs of individual, to ensure reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization, to achieve and maintain high morale among employees, to provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees, to increase the employees job satisfaction and self-actualization to the fullest, to develop and maintain a quality work life, to be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of society, to develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect, to enhance employees capabilities to perform the present job, to equip the employees with precision and clarity in transaction of business and to inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration. The above mentioned aims can be summarized as â€Å"the overall aim of human resource management is to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong, 2006 pg8) 2.2.3 HRM Functions In order to achieve the above objectives, Human Resource Management undertakes some functions; some of them are Human resource or manpower planning, recruitment, selection and placement of personnel, training and development of employees, appraisal of performa Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation Effect of Reward Management on Employee Motivation How can Multi National Companies use Reward management to motivate the Employees of Different Countries? : A Case of Marriott Hotels in UK. Abstract Employees are always considered as people who play a vital role in each and every organisation. The relationship between employee and employer changes frequently through out the years. Several concepts of employees are also varying time by time. Now a days employees are having the bargaining power and they are more concerned about their individual needs and well being of their working environment. This dissertation analyses various factors which motivates an employee to work within an organisation. Employee will stay in an organisation only when their expectations are satisfied or otherwise there is a chance for him/her to leave the company. High employee turnover is a big issue in companies today. Organisations will look forward to retain only the potential key employees who will make real difference to their customers and their stake holders. This dissertation proposes a frame work to retain the employees and to reward those employees for their potential by which they are taking the organisation to a different level. This research has been progressed through literature study on employee concepts, Human Resource Management and Reward management of employees. The data from the primary research has been analysed compared and verified with the findings of secondary research and produced recommendations for the effective management of employee in multi national companies. Introduction Reward management is nowadays considered as an important topic in order to achieve the goals of a company. Employees are considered as the main factor which plays an important role in the organisation. The success of each and every organisation is its dedicated employees .Current world is filled with changes and competition. In order to survive in the current situation companies should be having employees who are loyal and expert in their own field. New technologies are developed constantly and the companies are eagerly trying to catch up those talented employees with right expertise in their own areas. Human resources as an important factor should get increased attention in managing business (Lindergen Paulson ,2008)`. Multinational companies are facing increased challenges from all around the world due to globalisation. 1.1 Reward management Reward system usually means the financial reward on organization gives its employees in return for their labour.The term rewards system, not only includes material rewards, but also non-material rewards. The components of a reward system consist of financial rewards (basic and performance pay) and employee benefits, which together comprise total remuneration. They also include non-financial rewards (holiday trips, moving to large office, recognition, promotion, praise, achievement responsibility and personal growth) and in many case a system of performance management. Pay arrangements are central to the cultural initiative as they are the most tangible expression of the working relationship between employer and employee. Many papers examine the role of organizational culture that is, the demand for monitoring compensation. Such investigations conclude that organizational culture places a significant role in determining the level of economic demands. Recent researches on industrial un rest indicate that reward criteria of the organisations both financial and non-financial rewards have tremendous influence upon the employees and employers performance. Reward is a broad construct that can include anything an employee may value and desire that an employer is able or willing to offer in exchange for employee contribution. A conceptual distinction can be made between the three main constituents of rewardtype, system, and criterion. (Henderson 1989, p.2) Chiang, Flora F.T. ; Birtch, Thomas A (2006) An empirical examination of reward preferences within and across national settings. Management International Review Reward type refers to the nature of the reward itself (e.g., financial and non-financial; extrinsic and intrinsic). Financial rewards include direct (e.g., basic salary) and indirect (i.e., benefits and services) as well as incentive (e.g., variable pay) and non-incentive (e.g., fixed pay) categories. Non-financial rewards, on the other hand, do not benefit employees in a monetary sense and consist of both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic non-financial rewards are tangible rewards attached to the job and are given and controlled by a firm. Examples include employment security, promotion, status, relationships, and work conditions. By contrast, intrinsic rewards accrue from performing the task itself and are self-reinforcing. Job challenge, variety, and sense of achievement are good examples of this category. Reward system represents the method or mechanism (e.g., seniority-based, performance-based) by which organizations determine employee reward outcomes (e.g., pay increases). Systems can be either performance or non-performance oriented. Where performance-oriented reward systems compensate employees based on how well they perform on the job, non-performance systems compensate employees based on a different set of criteria, such as seniority/years of service, and skills/competencies. Reward criterion then, refers to the basis of allocation (i.e., individual or group) used to determine the reward. 1.2 Marriott International Marriott International is a leading, worldwide, hospitality company and has more than 2,300 operating units located in the U.S. and 59 other countries and territories. It employs approximately 154,000 workers. Fortune magazine has recognized Marriott as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (1997-2001), one of the Top 80 Companies for Minorities (2000), and one of Americas Most Admired Companies overall (2001). In addition, Sales and Marketing Management magazine has named Marriott Sales as one of the top 25 sales forces in the U.S. (1997-2000).(mariott.com 13th jan 09) Marriott is and always has been an equal opportunities employer in all aspects of employment. The company is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all its associates, and where every associate is treated with appropriate respect and dignity. It is the companys policy that there should be no unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any associate, job applicant, customers, providers of service or member of public, whether in connection with recruitment, placement, training, benefits or promotion, either directly or indirectly, on grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital or family status(Marriott handbook for employees 2009) Marriott is committed to fair treatment of associates and to providing training and advancement opportunities to all. Marriott has an unshakeable conviction that there associates are the most important assets for them. Marriott always look forward to an environment which will always supports associates growth and development. Marriott is a reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy and is always keen to give a home like atmosphere and friendly workplace relationships. They always try to achieve a performance reward system that recognizes the important contributions of both hourly and management associates. There are two types of associates as explained above. Hourly associates are those employees who are paid on the basis of the hours they worked. In the other hand management associates are those who are paid a fixed salary on the basis of job content assigned to them. Marriott has been selected for the research as they are having employees from all over the world. They employ people not on the basis of ethnicity, caste and religion but on the basis of experience. As they have employees from different parts of the world their needs will be different. They will be looking forward to different types of reward schemes which will suit to their needs and will satisfy them to stay with the organisation. Research has been conducted by taking Marriott as the company because they are facing a high risk of satisfying the needs of employees who are having different tastes regarding rewards which they are looking forward from the organisation. As stated earlier, Marriott has been recognized as one of the 100 companies to work for in America by Fortune magazine. This states that the employees are satisfied to an extent with the rewards which they are allotted by the organisation. As the reward management plays a role in the organisation it will be worth doing a research on the company who cares and gives equal opportunities to each and every employee in the organisation. 1.3 Current postion 1.3.1Current Policy At present Marriott do not have an existing policy for reward system to their employees. However, their ‘unofficial approach can be viewed below. But they are considering reward management on the basis of â€Å"Spirit to serve†. It is based on the service which the associate delivers to the customer to keep the good will of the firm. The manager will nominate the name of the associate to the Human Res department according to their service. Associates name will be displayed in the notice board and sometimes this is valued more than money as an individual and as an employee. 1.3.2 Current Issues a) There is no documentation for reward management policy. b) There are currently no KPIs (key performance indicators) for monitoring and rewarding for employees performance activities. c) Human resource policy document is rarely provided to employees or its not updated. d) Literature tends to be piecemeal Employee guidelines are a separate document to the job without any details on employee recognition/reward. e) Employee recognition is applied inconsistently. f) Difficult to assess the employee performance and its questionable. g) Employee satisfaction stands at very low rate. 1.4 Expected Results Results are expected by looking through the issues regarding the current policies and try to make changes in order to get it done properly to satisfy the employees. Enhancements are required for the policies for the well being of the relationship between the employees and the employer. After this research it should be helpful for the company to implement activities and to sort out the responsibilities to the concerned parties. Reward management should be monitored and evaluated regularly .Employer should go to the next level to satisfy the reward and needs of the employees to get them done with the job allotted. 1.5 Objectives The objective of this research is to recommend improvements to Marriotts Human Resource policy. Ultimately, the policy will aim to: a) Reduce the dissatisfaction of the employees on promotion criterion, on appraisal system and on salary, bonus and other fringe benefits. b) Improve the work performance and productivity c) Reduce the level of occupational stress that arises from feeling of inequality on reward. d) Describe HRM, IHRM and its importance and various HRM strategies and its importance in the current scenario. e) Identify and analyse various factors that drive employees to dissatisfaction f) Analyse various factors that motivates the employees to stay with the organisation. g) Reduce the perception gap on reward management system and develop a culture of high performance. In order to carry out the above objectives it is necessary to analyse:- >What are the human needs? >What are the organisation various approaches towards employee needs and satisfaction 1.6 Scope The project will cover the following a) Review of all associated literature reward management in service and related industries. b) Review of the front-end activities to understand the extent of the employees work related problems and other dissatisfaction if any. c) Review of current HR policy promises and approach to recognising good work of employees d) Establish links with enhanced HR strategy The project applies to All UK domestic and international employees working in Marriott Both emergency and normal working conditions in and out of the working hours. Establish synergies with employee Performance and HR Policy. Out of scope Developing processes or process mapping. Service delivery project to amalgamate employee and their locations / roles (Including transfers). 1.7 Overview This Report analyzed trends of reward management, and its influence in multi national companies in UK. It analyzed various approaches that the industry has taken to reward employees, primarily through literature reviews, and also through the analysis of questionnaire done with the employees from Marriott in UK .This dissertation also produced recommendations for the effective management of reward process for the improved business case. Chapter 1: This is the introductory chapter that explains the Significance of the chosen field, Aims and Objectives, Rationale, The reason for selection of multi national companies especially Marriott , and end with the Overview of the Project Report. Chapter 2: This chapter proceeds with a literature review about various HRM strategies and approaches taken for the reward scheme , and to maintain the needs of the employees in the organisation for the improved product quality and services etc. Chapter 3: This chapter illustrates the characteristics of Marriott, its business nature, global exposure and the various issues that the industry is currently facing in case of reward management Chapter 4: This chapter explains various research methodologies that are used for collecting data and information to carry out various analyses that are required to complete the research and documentation. Chapter 5: This chapter analyses various reasons in order to maintain a good reward management. This is carried out through literature analysis and through data analysis of the Survey conducted on various employees from the Marriott industry in UK. This chapter ends with the findings from the analysis with critical evaluations. Chapter 6: This chapter explains evaluated recommendations for the findings to the reward management of employees, as a management strategy for improving the brand standards. Chapter 7: this chapter gives conclusion about the future development in the industry if the reward management schemes have been allocated properly, which may provide a solution for the future possible issues. Literature Review The basic mantra for the success of any business organization is the appropriate allocation and usage of resources. The most important resources comprise of four Ms man, material, money and machine. The dissertation under consideration deals with the first ‘M that is the manpower or the employees of an organization. They are the backbone as they put every plan into action which is inevitable for the success of a company. So their importance in business cannot be ruled out and they form the backbone of every organization because they determine the success and failure rates. Since the most important set of public for an organization is its workforce which forms the key ingredient of its success, it is a necessary fact that the employees must be kept happy and well bonded. In todays competitive labour market, irrespective of the size of the organization it has become a major concern to attract and retain employees. One of the important reasons underlying the high turnover is low job satisfaction, appreciation and non competitive benefits package. Corporate should keep one point in mind that there is no lack of opportunities for a talented person. So if he/she is not satisfied means they will switch over to some other firm which provides them with more suitable job. So in order to retain the employees and make them happy, there are so many ways like appreciation, recognition, incentives and awards .In addition to that several motivational tools should be implemented from time to time to keep the employees morale high. These promotional items make for a smart tool because they serve as a token of gratitude and also show that you care. It is a great way of thanking the employees for their services .Moreover they are also expecting some sort of recognition from the company and promotional items help to do just that. Making the employees happy as well as a feel that they are cared is very important if the organization wants them to exhibit performance in a desired manner. Promotional items also give a sense of recognition to the employees. Thus it helps in the strong bonding between employees and the employer which ultimately leads to the smooth functioning and a pleasant work environment which is a must for an organization aiming to reach at the top. In the 1920s, the view on a persons role in the industrial working world started to change, the human was beginning to be seen as a subject with potential (Kressler, 2003). As described by Wilson† Technology can be replicated, capital can be acquired, and distribution channels can be created through new alliances, but the actions of people (what they do or fail to do) have become the critical factor in achieving enduring success† (Wilson, 2002, p.15). Todays competitive world demands the firm to invest in people and skills rather than spending huge capital on physical assets, then only they can achieve competitive advantage .Thus its no surprise that a reward strategy can help the organizations to attract and retain the talented ones and to motivate them to led the company to its desired goal . Companies in the service sectors require skilled and committed workforce to exhibit desired performance and also provide good services in a timely manner to their targeted consumers in various countries across the world .Commitment towards job and in return job satisfaction are unavoidable for the successful growth of the companies across the globe. All these facts interested the researcher to select this topic for research to analyze the reasons for the dissatisfaction of job and various factors which helps in motivating the employees of different sectors especially service sector. Kressler, H.W. (2003). Motivate and Reward Performance appraisal and incentive systems for business success. (S. Pearce, Trans). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. (Original work published 1988.) Wilson, T. B. (2002). Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace (2nd Ed.). Blacklick,OH, USA: McGraw Hill Companies. Retrieved 20071108,from http://site.ebrary.com.bibl.proxy.hj.se/lib/jonhh/Top?layout=documentid=10153055?nosr=1 2.1 Employee An employee can be defined as an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job(web.01). He has to do a specific job efficiently within a functional area or department to accomplish the goals of the firm. In most of the organizations a performance development planning process is undergone which will define the specific task of the employee as well as their expected performance. Employees trade their knowledge, skill and experience in exchange for compensation from the firm. If they are not satisfied with the compensation means the propensity to switch the company will be high, this will result in high turnover. So its high time to give importance to the rewards. Employees, considered as human resources of the organization are used for the benefit of the organizations, employees and the society. (Aswathappa, 2008). In order to drive the flow of business in the right direction for better results they have to be valued, respected, encouraged and appreciated .These can be done with the help of rewards. In a good working environment with efficient working methods and equipments employees will exhibit a better work performance and in addition to that natural motivation to do a job for an appropriate reward will surely pave the way for improved productivity and high profitability. For service sector employees are the most important factor, so implementation of new reward strategies and techniques are unavoidable for high quality performance of the employees, also to reduce the high turnover rate. 2.1.1 Impact of Changes on Employees Change is an inevitable part of life especially in the fast changing world. Todays commercial climate is compelling companies to implement changes in order to survive and grow in the global market. Changes always uproot a person and alter his lifestyle. The organizations adopt changes in order to meet the current standards; its employees also have to undergo change and should accept the new circumstances. Due to the technological, social and economic changes employees face a lot of insecurity and its the human nature to resist those changes without knowing about its real benefits. Its the duty of the management to handle this delicate situation in a tactful manner. One of the effective ways is to motivate and encourage the employees to put their best effort under the changing circumstances so that the net result will be high profitability and ultimate success of the business. By creating a good working environment and high morale, employees wont be negatively affected by the new changes. In order to cope up with the commercial changes companies need to be competitive and should attract employees to the job as well as should retain the employees. Employee compensation and benefit packages are the backing up factors for many potential employees who may face discomfort in their work environment due to the social, economical and technical changes without financially jeopardizing the success of the business. Today its a necessary fact that irrespective of the changes which companies are undergoing they should keep their employees motivated by providing them with rewards and recognition. So by communicating the change to the employees, by making them clearly understand about its impact on organization and its benefits, the company can encourage them to do the work in an efficient manner and in exchange employees will get the rewards for their expected performance. 2.1.2 Employee Management Engagement Employee management is the key to effective performance management and employee engagement. Employee engagement is the psychological commitment of employees towards their job. As said by Charles Kettering There is a great difference between knowing and understanding†. It holds true in the case of business and employees. Know your employees and make them understand about the goals to be accomplished. Understanding in business means the proper management of the employees and providing them with what they expect in return for their commitment and efficient work. Compensation can take the form of rewards, recognition, and reasonable benefits package. The first and foremost need for the employee management is the right employee for the right job. The keynote tip which helps to exercise a proper employee management are Structure establishment, which means that there should be a well defined structure for bringing out the desires performance from the employees such as setting of deadlines for a specific task etc. Another one is the value for employees. An organizations greatest asset are its employees so they should be motivated as well as their skills, knowledge and effort should be valued. Company should treat employees with respect by providing a positive work environment to the employees which will definitely boost their performance and to encourage them to meet the goals in an efficient manner. Listen to the employees and appreciate them for the effort they put to meet the goals and provide them ways to improve their potential, thereby creating belief that the company is taking care of them. If the organization wants to capture great heights, all it need is an engaged workforce. It is connected to three forces in an organization attrition, productivity and profitability. In order to reduce the attrition rate organizations should take care of the employees by incrementing their salaries, providing necessary incentives and bonus. Engaged workforce are always aware about the degree of expectation of work by the organization which yields high productivity. Thus they will result in an increase in the profitability of a concern which is the relative measure of success of a business. 2.2 Human Resource Management The overall management process represent five basic functions for the managers to perform: planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. This research focuses on one of those functions the staffing which is the personnel management or human resource management (HRM) function. Human Resource Management is the process of acquiring, training, appraising and compensating employees and of attending to their labour relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns (Dessler, 2008pg 2). Heathfield, (2008) defined â€Å"Human Resource Management (HRM) as the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization†. This can be further explained as â€Å"Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training†(Heathfield, 2008). HRM is vital to the organization. It is the function which focuses its direction towards the management of people working in an organization. Dessler and Chiat (2009) states that, ‘Without HRM, organizations may find themselves in different kinds of unwanted situations, such as hiring the wrong people, getting fined by government ministries for unsafe practices, finding out that people are not giving their best, or even over/under- paying their employees. The most valued asset of an organization is its employees because improved quality and productivity can be achieved through trained, motivated and committed employees. The function of HRM is nothing but to train, motivate and provide the employees with opportunities to be more productive and effective. Since each and every objective of business is achieved through its effective workforce, the needs of the employees should be satisfied. 2.2.1 HRM Models HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy (hence the name ‘matching model) (Armstrong, 2006). They further explained that there is a human resource cycle, which consists of four generic processes or functions that are performed in all organizations (Armstrong, 2006 pg 10). 1. Selection matching available human resources to jobs. 2. Appraisal performance management 3. Rewards the reward system is one of the most under-utilized and mishandled managerial tools for driving organizational performance; it must reward short as well as long-term achievements, bearing in mind that ‘business must perform in the present to succeed in the future. 4. Development developing high quality employees. 2.2.2 Nature and Scope The role of HRM has grown broader and more strategic over time. In the earliest firms â€Å"personnel† first took over hiring and firing from the supervisors, ran the payroll department, and administered benefit plans (Dessler, 2008pg 12). As technology in areas like testing and interviewing began to emerge, the personnel department began to play an expanded role in employee selection, training and promotion. Today globalization, technological and nature of work trends mean that human resource managers have taken on several new responsibilities (Dessler, 2008pg 12). Human resource management involves all management decisions and action that affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and its employees-its human resources (Armstrong, 2006). Human Resource Management is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises. Its focus is on results rather than on rules. HRM helps employees to develop their potential fully.HRM try to help employees develop their potential fully and to encourages employees to give their best to the organization. It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups. It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results. It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-motivated employees. It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization. It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from, for example psychology and economics. The Human Resource Management activities extend from selection to layoff of an employee in an organization. This includes the fixation of remuneration, training, motivation and induction of employees. Thus it helps to develop other industrial relations for employees to acquire more skills and competencies (Aswathappa, 2008).The functional diagram of HRM is given in 2.2 which clearly defines the interrelation between various functions which enable the organization to achieve its objectives by providing guidance and support on all matters relating to its employees. The scope of HRM can be limited to three aspects: 1. Personnel which mainly deals with the selection, recruitment, manpower planning, placement, promotion, training, development, remuneration, incentives, productivity, layoff and retrenchment. (web 02) 2. Welfare which is concerned with working conditions and amenities such as crà ¨ches, canteens, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities. (web 02) 3. Industrial aspect that covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc. (web 02) Web 02- http://expertscolumn.com/content/human-resource-management-nature-scope-objectives-and-function 2.2.2 Objectives of HRM The objectives of HRM are to help the organization to reach its goals, to ensure effective utilization and maximum development of human resources, to ensure respect for human being, to identify and satisfy the needs of individual, to ensure reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization, to achieve and maintain high morale among employees, to provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees, to increase the employees job satisfaction and self-actualization to the fullest, to develop and maintain a quality work life, to be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of society, to develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect, to enhance employees capabilities to perform the present job, to equip the employees with precision and clarity in transaction of business and to inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration. The above mentioned aims can be summarized as â€Å"the overall aim of human resource management is to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong, 2006 pg8) 2.2.3 HRM Functions In order to achieve the above objectives, Human Resource Management undertakes some functions; some of them are Human resource or manpower planning, recruitment, selection and placement of personnel, training and development of employees, appraisal of performa