The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - 631 Words

A common theme in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath is the social commentary in promoting the norm gender stereotypes. In Steinbeck’s novel the typical stereotype that has been played throughout history is of women’s obedience to men. The setting in the novel takes place in the 1930’s on a farmers’ ranch in Oklahoma. During this time was the Great Depression, this caused many families to move westward to California. The men, as head of their households were the ones to make the decisions for the family or also known as the norm gender stereotypes. The more specific examples are how women do housework while the men make family decisions. It is soon later addressed by Steinbeck’s social commentary how the women now make decisions in the family and take charge. First, Steinbeck presents the typical stereotype by introducing a character named Ma, the matriarch of the Joad family. When a male quest offers to help her, she exclaims.  "Leave me to salt the meat†¦its women’s work† (Steinbeck 146). This is only said because she refuses help from a man who sees her tirelessly working, and multitasking on many things. The typical stereotype job for a woman is to do the housework and obey orders from the head of the family. If a man is seen doing those certain activities it is considered bad on the woman for not doing her job properly and degrading for the man performing them. This demonstrates the typical stereotype of women that it is seen as their duty to doShow MoreRelatedThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pages The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck, widely viewed as one of the most finest and powerful American writer, born to a middle-class family in 1902 in the Salinas Valley of California. Steinbeck is a writer who often spoke for the people. The Grapes of Wrath is a great movie, published in 1939, filled with many universal truths and views on human nature and society, especially where class is concerned. In the article, John Steinbeck The Grapes a wrath: A Call to Action says, â€Å"Steinbeck’s novel showcasedRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1075 Words   |  5 PagesKirsten Lloyd Mr. Eldridge AP Junior English 21 August 2014 Grapes of Wrath â€Å"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.† (Seneca), In the 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the reader accompanies the Joad family as they struggle to escape the crippling Dust Bowl of the mid- 1930’s. In hopes of establishing a new life for themselves after being forced off their land the family embark on a journey from Oklahoma to California in search of fruitful crops and steady work alongRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1563 Words   |  7 Pages John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, depicts a migrant farming family in the 1930s. During this time, life revolved around the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, making circumstances difficult for almost everyone involved, especially those who had little. This time of drought and despair caused people to lose hope in everything they’ve ever known, even themselves, but those who did not, put their hope in the â€Å"promised land† of California. Here, the grass was thought to be truly greenerRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1189 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† Shortly after being released John Steinbeck’s book â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† was banned because many critics viewed the novel as promoting communist propaganda, or socialist ideas. The ideas that many of these critics point to is Steinbeck’s depiction of the Big Banks/ Businesses as monsters, the comparison of Government camps to a utopia in contrast of the makeshift â€Å"Hoovervilles,† and the theme of the community before the individual, In his novel â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† John SteinbeckRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1093 Words   |  5 Pages In John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad and his family are forced from their home during the 1930’s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and set out for California along with thousands of others in search of jobs, land, and hope for a brighter future. The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck’s way to expound about the injustice and hardship of real migrants during the Depression-era. H e utilizes accurate factual information, somber imagery, and creates pathos, allowing readers connections to the Joad’s plightRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1190 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath April 14th, 1939, John Steinbeck published the novel, The Grapes of Wrath. The novel became an immediate best seller, with selling over 428,900 copies. Steinbeck, who lived through both the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, sought to bring attention to how families of Oklahoma outdid these disasters. Steinbeck focuses on families of Oklahoma, including the Joads family, who reside on a farm. The Joad family is tested with hardship when life for them on their farm takesRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck702 Words   |  3 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s use of the intercalary chapters in The Grapes of Wrath helps weave the reader’s sympathy of the Joad family into a more broad sympathy for the migrant farmers as a whole, in the hopes that the readers would then be compelled to act upon what they have read. During the Great Depression, people had a big disconnect about what was happening in various parts of the country. People often struggle to find sympathy for events when they can’t even visualize a person who is suffering throughRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck2144 Words   |  9 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath is a well-known beloved novel of American Literature, written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. Whoever said a road is just a road has not read The Grapes of Wrath. From the time we read when Tom Joad, novel’s protagonist, returns home after four years in prison; the meaning of roads changed. Route 66, also known as the mother road the road of flight, was a lifeline road, which allowed thousands of families to pursue their hopes and dreams. This road is also the road thatRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck1014 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was first written and later published in the 1939. Fr om the time of its publication to date, the exemplary yet a simple book has seen Steinbeck win a number of highly coveted awards including Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and later on Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. Set at the time of the Great Depression, the book most remarkably gives a descriptive account of the Oklahoma based sharecropper Joad’ poor family in the light of economic hardship, homelessnessRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1064 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath, originated from a John Steinbeck’s book, a legendary film that focus on a major point of American history. The story follows the Joad family on their journey to California trying to survive the hardships. This film, focus on the social problems of America like the Dust bowl, The Great Depression, and industrialism. The Grapes of Wrath was filmed in a journalistic-documentary style, which displayed the realism of the epidemic in the thirties. The thirties the period The Grapes

The Photo Is An Axe Shower Gel Advertisement Essay

The photo is an Axe shower gel advertisement. There is a man and a woman on opposite sides of the picture shown from the waist up. The guy is on the left, he is paler complected, dark messy hair and a thin build with some muscle tone. He is standing with his right arm in the air holding the Axe body wash over his head pouring it onto himself with his eyes closed and an elated facial expression. The guy has soapy bubbles covering his chest with shower water running behind him and a tile background. He has a spotlight on him illuminating him and part of the background. On the right side of the picture, there is a girl who is very attractive looking; she has long dark hair, a suntanned complexion and has a thin athletic build. She is standing with one arm in the air holding whipped cream above her head and pouring it onto herself. It completely covers her chest. Her mouth is partially open and has a seductive expression. The background is dark and appears she is in a room. The girl has a spotlight on her highlighting her well-defined bone structure and toned arms. She is also wearing make-up and her hair is neatly pushed back in a headband. The advertisement as a whole is in landscape style. Toward the bottom of the picture in front of the guy it says â€Å"THE CLEANER YOU ARE† and in front of the girl it says â€Å"THE DIRTIER YOU GET†, both are in white lettering and all capitals. In between the white lettering is the Axe shower gel bottle shown, a black bottle with bright orangeShow MoreRelatedBeauty ( Re ) Discovers The Male Body, By Susan Bordo1872 Words   |  8 Pagesrecognize an underlying fundamental change in society’s attitude towards advertisements and specifically sees that unfold in the growing shift towards male sexually oriented advertisements with a focus on feministic qualities. Furthermore, since Bordo wrote this essay in the 1990s, the advancements in technology have caused growing ideological differences between generati ons as their responses to things like social media and advertisements elicit contrasting reactions. The Millennials, also known as GenerationRead MoreBusiness: Axe Commercial Research Essays1132 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction with Background Information Company Axe is one of the 400 brands which is belonged to Unilever Company. The portfolio of this multinational company focuses on health and wellbeing mainly, including food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Many world-leading brands including Axe, Lipton, Knorr, Dove, Hellmann’s and Omo are some of these brands (unilever.com). Market Axe Brand, which was named Lynx in Europe, was first launched in France in 1983 as aRead MoreMarketing Concept Adopted By Unilever3391 Words   |  14 Pagesadding vitality to life with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the UK, Ireland, China and Australia - Axe is known under the alternative name Lynx. Lynx (Axe) has indeed become the world’s definitive grooming brand. Lynx is the UK s best selling men’s deodorant. Other products are antiperspirants spray /stick, shower gels, aftershave, shampoo and hair styling. They have a responsibility to consumers and to the communities in which they have a presence as consumersRead MoreMarketing Concept Adopted By Unilever3391 Words   |  14 Pagesadding vitality to life with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the UK, Ireland, China and Australia - Axe is known under the alternative name Lynx. Lynx (Axe) has indeed become the world’s de finitive grooming brand. Lynx is the UK s best selling men’s deodorant. Other products are antiperspirants spray /stick, shower gels, aftershave, shampoo and hair styling. They have a responsibility to consumers and to the communities in which they have a presence as consumers

Organizational Cross-Cultural Competence Approaches to Measurement

Questions: Post no.1 Competency is described as a persons attributes and actions that reflect ability to conduct given tasks in an exceptional way (Boyatzis, 1982 cited in Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:62). It is difficult though for managers to simply point out ones competency level. Example, competency can be divided into two categories; one dealing with behavior and the other with ones performance ability. Organizations therefore need a weighing scale to associate ones competency level. The measure used in this case is known as a competency framework (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:63). By effectively using this tool, an organization portrays clarity since the staff is aware of what is expected and the management is attentive to the key aspects that promote performance triumph (Sutton and Watson, 2013). Advantages Competencies are one of the key ingredients to an organizations competitive advantage because they are unique to a particular organization. A competency framework helps management to establish the fundamental competencies required to increase performance, apply them as part of the business strategy and also identify individual staff competencies. Additionally, these tools are designed to suit any type of business thus giving room for flexibility. This further aids in shaping the organizations path (Cardy and Selvarajan, 2006). Similarly, competency frameworks are used as a basis for Human Resource practices, which range from choosing potential candidates to employ, interviewing and hiring them; monitoring their performance; identifying which areas are lacking and conducting training; job appraisal and staff rewards (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:81-83). Challenges Based on the above, competency frameworks are a necessity but unfortunately, there are numerous challenges associated to the construction of these measures, such as those presented below; One of the major issues linked to constructing such frameworks is an organizations lack of proper structure and strategy. Pilbeam and Corbridge (2010:71), mention that an organization can have different kinds of models but the key aspect is to have a tool that reflects what is essential and how to achieve it. Not all organizations are well structured and organized. Some have unclear strategy and lack a sense of direction. An example of such is where the managements actions conflict with the organizations objectives. Secondly, is the cost and intricacy involved in the actual construction. Organizations need expertise in developing these tools because of the techniques used and resources need. Some find the process very costly, time consuming and complicated to follow (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:76). Despite the advantage of these frameworks being custom-made to fit each setting, it still becomes difficult to get it right in terms of exact measures to include and how to explicitly analyze whether the framework is followed or not. Organizations at times may need to improvise additional methods, such as technology to ensure accurate valuation of the process (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:76). Lastly, is the issue of change. With the rapidly and constantly changing business environment, competency frameworks need to be flexible enough to move with the times. However, this is may not be the case; they have been criticized for being rigid and could be obsolete faster than they can be adjusted or changed (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:85). Adaptability With all the positives these frameworks have to offer, they are still not used as regularly as they should, especially in some developing countries. This is mainly due to the issues mentioned above coupled with the fact that some organizations simply do not follow protocol and will run the business in any manner deemed fit. This is manifested through nepotism, corruption, affordable labor force, et cetra. In such situations, competencies are clearly not a priority and thus lack measuring tools. Conclusion A competency framework is advantageous to a business because it provides a map of where the company wants to be and how to get there. It also promotes personal development and can be used as a general guideline within the Industry, locally and internationally (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:85). It is therefore important that all businesses incooperate such frameworks so as to maximize their potential in achieving the desired success factor. Post no.2 Throughout this week, it is interesting to realize the distinction and connection between peoples competency and the job competencies within the organization. We can relate competency to the behaviors and performance capabilities (including the knowledge and skills within employees) while competencies refer to the skills sets and experience required for effective performance for a job (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). As we go further into understanding HRM resourcing, we already understand that value is added through human capital, as the HRM strategist evaluates the competences required to add value, and working on the continuous development of the human capacity to build competitive advantage and ensure effective performance (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). Some leaders might have possessed certain traits but the absence of them did not necessarily mean that the person was not a leader (Mindtools, 2015). Since every individuals have distinct behaviors, different attitudes and behaviors and most importantly as we go deeper into a globalized world, setting one right competency framework will be complex and biased to matching one competency as there can be more than one accurate competency for grouping with the job competencies (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). The competency framework defines the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed but is unable to realize other skills that may be required to the changing environment and long-term success of the organization. If the people who are involved in the development of the competency framework are unable to answer all the questions to what competences would and would not be valuable for effective work performance, then it is important to gain further input even from employees to ensure the corr ect implementation of the framework (Mindtools, 2015). Thus without the correct construction and implementation of the competency frame work and linking it to the competencies required to deliver value and effective job performance, the entire H.R strategy would fail to succeed. The more data collected for building the competence framework, the more flexible and straight forward the frame work can initially be and will facilitate the competences with the job competencies. It will also enable HR professionals to better measure work performance and ensure that competences still meet with the job competencies and still adding value to gain competitive advantage (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). How ever various perspectives can share different quality aspects perspectives that would have different influence on peoples development. A great challenge then is translating the competences and grouping it with job competencies. If the construction of the competency framework is not accurate, that means the initiative to align the H.R strategy with business strategy will get more complicated and will complicate all HR practices. Regardless what competencies are required for being an effective performer, job competencies should not continuously dictate how people should perform, but sometimes must construct the job competencies to suit the competences that can best perform the job and build value for the organization, thus the job competencies can be innovated and re-orderd by the employees who fit best practice and keep the organization goal in mind. In that matter, constructed frameworks will slow down development process and be outdated if not continuously analyzed and updated to ensure that competences still fulfill the competencies and add value for the organization (Bolden, R., Gosling, J., Marturano, A. and Dennison, P. 2003). Creating and developing a competency framework is indeed a great way to asses, understand, and evaluate individuals knowledge and skills within the organization. Having a simple Straightforward flexible framework is essential to facilitate the organizational culture and work structure and adapt to the best reward practices to maximize efficiency and motivate employees. Finally the competency framework will ensure that employees carry the skills and knowledge required to add value and enable employees reach their full potential thus facilitating them to understand the training needs for every employee. Post no.3 In this current state, businesses may not need to depend or look at culture as the major factor in relation to their proceedings or performance. That is to say international businesses may not base on culture in order to start business. This is because people have different cultures reason being that they come from different societies. For example in the Muslim community, it would be very hard to sell pork as a way of raising income. However because of modernization, one would carry out the business because the major goal of the business formation is profit maximization but not cultural formation. Cross-cultural competence Cross-cultural competence can be defined as cultural awareness of ones self or the other party, that is to say, the norms, believes, ways of behavior or practices that emerge among different societies of business and understanding the implications that may arise from enforcing judgments based on assumptions in regard to cultural differences (Goodman, 2012). For example in Uganda, the majority population is Christian, and because of this, some businesses are highly prohibited for example sports betting is perceived as gambling and evil since it is a business that is biblically condemned. However, it has its advantage in that it provides jobs for the people and helps to reduce the pressure on government because it is an obligation for the government to provide jobs for the people (Goodman, 2012). Meanwhile, the business was later enforced with high level of cultural consciousness, that is to say, whoever carries out business of sports betting is required to open after mid-day as enforc ed by the law because Ugandas major source of income is agriculture and people are expected to work early morning to be able to raise the money for sports betting. The following are the challenges that may arise when attempting to introduce cultural intelligence into the workforce: Difference in negotiation style: This results from the fact that each person or staff, may need to promote his / her culture for example a shareholder with high level of shares over others may insist to promote his culture knowing that others may abide because of his influence. In addition, the communication style should basically be considerate of the cultural consciousness since different cultures have different believes (Magala, 2005). Communication style: Some cultures may endure criticism and others may not. For example, if the small scale company wants to emerge with the bigger one, it will have to bare and agree with the terms and conditions for the merge (Moule, 2012). Difference in perception and decision making: Different cultures perceive things differently for example some are profit oriented and others are friendship oriented , in addition, some cultures may look at maximum use of capital intensive labor as the best way of improving productivity while others may look at labor intensive as the best since it sustains jobs in the market. On the other hand, if principles of cultural competence are not considered in business planning, organisations may face challenges in line to competitive advantage since different workers come from diverse societies (Magala, 2005). Answers: Post 1: With respect to the given post about competencies and its utility in the current business environment, it has been rightly stated that that organizations can obtain the optimum productivity only if their members possess certain level of competencies. It is widely used in the human resource practices as these measure the competitive advantages of the employees in a way(Firescu, 2014). The post provides a clear picture about the advantages and disadvantages of the competencies within an organization. The conclusion drawn is a perfect fit to the concept of competencies. Post 2: The second post reflects upon the concept of competencies elaborately including that of its utility within the organizational context. The post provides details in favor of the construction of the competency framework and how this is crucial in the accuracy of implementing strategies in human resource practices (Iranshahi, Ghasemi and Noori Motlagh, 2013). It has been rightly stated that with an effective construction of a competency framework, it becomes easier to assess, understand, and evaluate the knowledge and skills of employees. The post highlights effectively upon need for such a measure within organizational context. Post 3: The third post highlights upon the cross-cultural competencies, and these may be utilized to gain the positive outcome. It is widely used in the human resource practices as these measure the competitive advantages of the employees in a way(van Driel and Gabrenya, 2012). The post provides some of the challenges which may arise on attempting introducing the concept of cross-cultural competencies. These challenges need to be addressed significantly to attain the benefits of the highlighted concept of cross-cultural competencies. References Firescu, V. (2014). Research Regarding the Optimization of Work Relationships within Supply Chain by Defining and Evaluating Job Competencies.AMM, 555, pp.805-810. Iranshahi, M., Ghasemi, M. and Noori Motlagh, A. (2013). A study on relationship between female employees organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction within organization.10.5267/j.msl, pp.2483-2488. van Driel, M. and Gabrenya, W. (2012). Organizational Cross-Cultural Competence: Approaches to Measurement.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(6), pp.874-899.

Netflix Case Analysis free essay sample

Netflix, Inc. â€Å"Netflix, Inc. is the worlds largest online movie rental service, with more than 10 million subscribers (Netflix Media Center, 2009). † Netflix exhibits dominant economic characteristics in the online movie rental business. They enjoy strong market size and growth rate when compared to rivalry competition. The number of rivalries are increasing, and the market remains dominated by only a few sizeable rivalries like Blockbuster Video, Wal-Mart, Walt Disney Movies and Movielink’s Downloadable Movies. Netflix is determined to offer new and innovative technology to sustain their competitive advantage. â€Å"Netflix growth strategy entails making the best product and the best consumer experience even better. Lead the expansion of internet delivery content by offering subscribers both mail delivery and a continuously improving internet delivery option (Netflix Overview, 2009). † Netflix’s vision is â€Å"to change the way people access and view the movies they love. To accomplish that, on a large scale, we have to set a long term goal to acquire 5 million subscribers in the U. We will write a custom essay sample on Netflix Case Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page S. or 5 percent of the U. S. TV households over the next four to seven years (Thompson C-41). † This vision is well devised and crafted setting short term and long term performance targets. Current analysis shows less than 4 million subscribers in 2004, and in less than six years their subscriber base has more than doubled to more than 10 million subscribers. Their intent is to leverage their online DVD rental leadership to grow both subscribers and net income, thereby using a balanced scorecard approach relating to financial performance and those related to strategic performance. My analysis of Netflix’s strategy and vision is focused and on target. Netflix is achieving its competitive advantage by crafting a well-conceived strategy and the necessary vision to compete, survive and gain a competitive advantage over competing rivals. My case analysis is based upon the information gained from the textbook and reviewing the company’s website. Unfortunately, the information in the text book is quite a bit older than the current information on Netflix’s website. Viewing the company’s profile and financial growth over the last few years indicates that Netflix strategy and vision has been implemented successfully, achieving strong strategic growth and a sustainable competitive advantage. Netflix‘s business model and strategy compare closely to its key rivals. Although, Netflix won a patent that covered much of its business model and could be used to help stifle competition in the future (Thompson C-33) . Netflix has a team of executives that manage only the on-line DVD rental enterprise. They are well established and use a very sophisticated software program thereby making movie selection easy and fun. In my analysis, Blockbuster has many retail stores to contend with and many other facets of a business enterprise, thereby not having a unique team of individuals solely dedicated to the on-line DVD rental business. Wal-Mart would be Netflix’s greatest fear due to the enormous capital available and expertise that could be employed, yet Wal-Mart continues to lag behind Netflix. Wal-Mart’s online software needs a lot of debugging, whereas Netflix had already spent several years debugging its software (Thompson C-37). The online movie rental business is changing. As technology changes, DVD’s will not be the medium of choice. The shift will be downloadable movies. Most people enjoy the ability to watch a movie immediately, thus another of Netflix’s rivals, Movielink’s. Netflix was able to see this change and react to it quickly as seen in their company vision statement. I personally enjoy the option of pay-per-view that is available with local cable TV and satellite providers. Also available is the â€Å"on-demand† or â€Å"on-command† movie experience that allows a person to view older movies free of charge. Another threat is Redbox and other automated DVD retail machines. These are showing up almost everywhere. Redbox charges $1 for all movies, with no late fees or hidden charges. These are just a few external threats that Netflix needs to be concerned with. The key factors that will determine Netflix’s continued success clearly relates to getting their product to consumers as quickly as possible. Their innovative software and warehousing has proved to be very effective and efficient. But, they must continue to improve on the technology that will bring movies to consumers even faster! If they do not, the competition will. Netflix’s ability to rapidly change and provide customers with the products they desire, in a timely fashion, combined with their powerful software makes searching for movies more interesting and enjoyable. As a past customer of Netflix, I enjoyed many of these features. I do not like browsing through a video rental store. I find it difficult and time consuming trying to find an interesting movie. Netflix’s online software is structured to make recommendations on my previously viewed movies, thereby making the decisions for me. This is one strong feature that has strengthened Netflix’s competitive advantage. In order for Netflix to survive in this competing market, they must capitalize and dominate the downloadable DVD business. Netflix has the ability and â€Å"know-how† to do this. Netflix has the software already in place for promoting their products online, now they need to implement a user friendly application for downloading movies to the consumer. The biggest obstacle I see, is getting them to a medium that consumers can use and watch on their current television. Another hurdle is the advances in high definition televisions. I enjoy watching high definition movies. Recommendation Netflix must design and implement downloadable high definition movies in a format that anyone can use on their current television. If Netflix can achieve this technological hurdle they will no doubt see continued growth and strengthen their competitive advantage. Blockbuster and Wal-Mart will try to imitate Netflix. If Netflix can develop the technology to achieve my recommendation above, it is possible for Netflix to obtain exclusive rights and patents that would stifle the competition. Would I buy Netflix stock? No. There is no doubt that Netflix’s financials are strong, and their growth remains steady. I can list the highlights of their financial statements and ratios, but my analysis is already too long. In short, Netflix is not turning a profit on their Web streaming, downloadable movies.

Wild Nights! Wild Nights! an Example of the Topic Literature Essays by

Wild Nights! Wild Nights! Emily Dickinsons name still resonates among literary critics and psychological readers of today as a poet and lyricist of experiences of human life. The depth, intensity and emotional appeal in her poems give us second life yet again with our own experiences. Readers interested in psychology call her Helpless agoraphobic trapped in her fathers house.(Fuss, 2004, 55) She extricated from her poems what was inessential part of life and left behind trials of what is known as quality life with her experiences virtually true and pure in itself. Henry W. Wells explains another result of her concern with essence, Life is simplified, explained, and reduced to its essence by interpreting the vast whole in relation to the minute particle. (Academic Brooklyn Edu., 2005, Online Edition) Need essay sample on "Wild Nights! Wild Nights!" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Wild Nights! Wild Nights! by Emily Dickinson is a poem of unrestricted sexual passion and the outburst of emotions that come with love. Though small yet the intensity and appeal this poem generated forced Colonel Higginson to comment. One poem only I dread a little to print--that wonderful 'Wild Nights,'--lest the malignant read into it more than that virgin recluse ever dreamed of putting there. Has Miss Lavinia [Emily Dickinson's sister] any shrinking about it? You will understand (Academic Brooklyn Edu., 2003, Online Edition) What he said was the world and life full of sexual narrowness, and the myth of virgin recluse generated around Emily Dickinson. Students Usually Tell EssayLab professionals: Who wants to write paper for me? Professional writers advise: Place your order The poem reflects wish or willingness but the meaning on the onset is dubious, as she said, Were I with thee (that is, if I were with you) and might I but. (Dickinson, 1924, Lines 2 s beauty and depth of words. Compass and charts make travelers think and judge the way to their destination. It implies their reasoning. With the power of reason, they know their right way and control any danger and hindrance stopping their path, but to fruitfully culminate the desire for sexual passion, there is no need for any compass or chart and no need for any sound reasoning. You can find your own way by following the path of your inherent desire. Sea is sign of passion, and by merely following your passion, you can reach your destination for full enjoyment for love and sex. She is remembering nights she termed as Wild but that could be turned into fun filled night gaining all the experiences and richness of what is offered by the wild nights. She intended to say that nothing could stop her, neither the wildness of the nights nor the mans wife she intends to meet. Wildness of nights is the restriction of society imposed on the lovers, but she is saying hopefully nothing could have stopped her from meeting her lover. While spending a recluse life, still a virgin disagreed with the society on the restrictions being imposed on them in the name of religion. She sails her love and passion into the calm seas of Eden and dreams of fighting against the vagaries of societal restrictions. Storms are like various restrictions posing numerous hindrances in her path for the fulfillment of all her desires and what is luxury for males in the patriarchy society is a firmament of love and passion for females, but this flowering of passionate love she cannot advocate. Males with his lust and gratification of appetite bring the fairer sex to their subjugation and women are carried away to their designs. For the people of 1857, luxury meant privilege to enjoy the sex, and this privilege was only for men and women were left undone and unsatisfied. The sequence of seductiveness and withdrawal seems to be particularly enraging to male analysts. Desire is first aroused according to the normal procedures of female seduction by a woman posing herself as an object; but then desire is left unsatisfied by the hysterics insistence on her status as a subject,in these circumstances, analysts say they feel undone, impotent or castrated, and their response is to master their anger and humiliation by turning the hysteric to object status as an item in sexual theory. (Orzeck s whimsical desires. From the sentence Wild Nights should be / Our luxury (Dickinson, 1924, Lines 3 & 4) is a true demand of Emily who also wants if Wild Night is a luxury for men then why not for women. Emily Dickinsons poems expressed the most aspiring experience of the puritan soul with a terribly beautiful intensity. In the puritan religion, women had to keep themselves subordinated to men but when she said he would sail into the seas of Eden, she is futuristic but here too there is an obscurity and duplicity in the meaning Emily wanted to claim. Eden is a garden where Eve was tempted so in the garden of temptation she sails her way into the calmness. Emilys poetry reflects the farthest range of American mind in the trackless region of spirit and within each line, there is not one but different layers of meaning. On one hand she is a symbol of cultural isolation whereas on the other hand she is also a legitimate child of her time. Broom and bonnet, run, stile and overcoat are an inseparable part of her emphatic solitude. In irregularities of speech rhythms, she mirrored the incongruities and frustrations of human experience. The awkwardness in her poetry became a metaphor of life in itself. Rowing in Eden, Ah, the Sea! (Dickinson, 1924, Lines 9 & 10) This stanza can be interpreted in many ways. Eden is temptation and Emily sailing from the Garden of Eden entered into sea. From within these lines, we can also feel she is trying to row in the Garden of Eden seeking God and then sails towards her ultimate destination. Here her destination is her God. In other words, though there are a number of temptations trying to obstruct her path but she is adamant and seeks true love overpowering all the temptations and hindrances and becomes a moor in the wilderness of the night. Wild Nights Wild Nights is so short a poem but has enamored number of critics and writers till today. No one can thoroughly interpret her thoughts in the way she presented them. Several interpreters from Thomas Wentworth Higginson have failed to understand her despair, which is the most crucial part of her poem instead their emphasis was on the eroticism but if we look at the diction, imagery and organization of the poem it is not. At the onset it is very easy to read the poem but we are caught in the web of complexities when we begin to analyze each line. This poem of hers is an enigma of intricacies. Even Paul Farris could not resist in saying that Perhaps no single poem of hers has misled a greater number of knowledgeable critics than her short despairing ejaculation, Wild Night! (Faris, 1967, 269) It appears if we try to open the one door of her only stanza, it leads to other doors. But the central idea of her poem is without doubt despair as it is clear from its heading too Wild Nights! Wild Nights! Wild nights are the symbol of desolation and despair but Emily here has emphasized about the wild nights as a time of luxury but woman find herself in despair even in this time of luxury, even if she wants she is devoid of this luxury. This wilderness is her outburst to catch this luxury filling emotional vacuity. REFERENCE LIST Academic Brooklyn Edu. 2003. Emily Dickson-Love. Retrieved on June 8, 2008 Academic Brooklyn Edu. 2005. Emily Dickson. Retrieved on June 8, 2008 Faris, P. 1967. Eroticism in Emily Dickinsons Wild Nights! The New England Quarterly, Vol. 40(2): 269-274. Fuss, D. 2004. The Sense of an Interior: Four Writers and the Rooms that Shaped Them. Routledge Publications. Orzeck, m. & Weisbuch R. 1996. Dickinson and Audience. Michigan: University of Michigan

Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Bleach

Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Bleach Mixing alcohol and bleach is never a good idea, as the combination results in chloroform, a powerful sedative that can cause you to pass out. You should always be careful when handling these chemicals. Chemical Reaction Ordinary household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which reacts with ethanol or isopropyl alcohol to produce chloroform (CHCl3), hydrochloric acid  (HCl),  and other compounds, such as chloroacetone or dichloroacetone. Unintentional mixing of these chemicals could occur from trying to clean up a spill using bleach or from mixing cleaners together. Bleach is highly reactive and forms dangerous compounds when mixed with any number of chemicals, so its best to avoid combining it with other products. Dangers of Chloroform Chloroform is a dangerous chemical that irritates the eyes, respiratory system, and skin. It can damage the nervous system, eyes, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, and other organs and may even cause cancer. The chemical is readily absorbed into the body through the skin and through inhalation and ingestion. If you suspect that you have been exposed to chloroform, remove yourself from the contaminated area and seek medical attention. Chloroform is a potent anesthetic that can knock you out. It is also the cause of sudden sniffers death, a fatal cardiac arrhythmia some people experience upon exposure. Over time, chloroform in the presence of oxygen (as in air) naturally degrades to produce phosgene, dichloromethane, carbon monoxide, formyl chloride, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride. Even once the chloroform has broken down, you should avoid these chemicals. Phosgene, for example, is a notorious chemical agent. It was responsible for around 85 percent of the deaths from chemical weapons during World War I. Disposing of a Bleach and Alcohol Mixture If you accidentally mix these chemicals and need to dispose of the waste, dont try to neutralize it. First, use caution and do not enter the contaminated area if you smell chloroform, which has a heavy, sweet-smelling odor. Once the smell begins to dissipate, dilute the mixture with large volumes of water and wash it down the drain as quickly as possible. Acetone and Bleach Although this is a less common mixture, do not mix acetone and bleach, either, as this reaction also produces chloroform: 3NaClO C3H6O → CHCl3   2NaOH NaOCOCH3 Ultimately, mixing bleach with any chemical except water is an extremely bad idea. Bleach reacts with vinegar, ammonia, and most household cleaners to produce toxic fumes.

The Odyssey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Odyssey - Essay Example Telemachus is the son of Odysseus, and he wants to stop the suitors from taking advantage of his father’s estate. He searches for his father’s news so that they can proclaim their estate. Odysseus Odysseus is portrayed as a leader with Homeric character. He is powerful, confident, and courageous, and wants to achieve glory. Conversely, he has a character trait that makes him dissimilar from the others since he is particularly intelligent, and this is evident by his deliberations before any action. His intelligence and quick thinking helped him in the difficult situations that he encountered. His intelligence saves him when he escapes from Cyclops cave, and when he hides the disgust from the suitors; â€Å"please, play the wedding song for the guests† (Steinruck, 2008). Odysseus is remarkably eloquent in his speeches because he manipulates and convinces the audience. His soft tongue makes many people in the audience favor his assertions. This is evident when he wi ns the trust of Nausicca by using a comforting approach. Just like other Homeric heroes, Odysseus is striving to achieve glory from the society through noble deeds, and he also wants to go home. He is an adventures person, and this is portrayed by his luxurious life with calypso in an exotic land even though it lasts for a moment. He practices infidelity with Calypso for a short time and realizes he wants to go back home because calypso does not compare to his wife. He is concerned about his home, because he constantly thinks about home while spending time with Phaeacians. Odysseus is torn between the quest of getting home and achieving glory. Most of his time for getting home is wasted by his search for glory. He is troubled when he loses men and time while sacking land. Odysseus is a patient man â€Å"I will wait for as long as it takes in these caves† while enjoying milk and cheese (Steinruck, 2008). His patience makes him trapped in the cave when the Cyclops returns. Home ric characters are presented to be static since they are complex and realistic. These characters do not divert from their mission as portrayed by characters in modern novels and stories. However, this rule is broken by Odysseus and Telemachus. Odysseus is consumed by his quest of achieving glory, and this makes him reveal his identity to the Cyclops, thus bringing Poseidon’s anger on him. He is willing to temper his pride with patience at the concluding part of the epic. Even when he is disguised as a pauper Odysseus does not react to the abuse, â€Å"I will wait until the traps I have set and loyal people will place me at a suitable position for striking back† (Steinruck, 2008). Telemachus Telemachus was a child when his father left for Troy. At the beginning of the novel, Telemachus is still growing up. He is encountered by many challenges because he does not know how to protect the land from the suitors. Athena tells Telemachus to fight for his father’s estat e as she tells him â€Å"you are no longer a child† (Steinruck, 2008). He is facing this challenge because he recently became aware of the real intentions of the suitors. Telemachus is told by Athena that his father is still alive, and he needs to go to Pylos and Sparta to enquire about any news of his father. While he prepares to make his journey to Pylos and Sparta, Athena visits him, and she is masked as a mentor. She tells Telemachus â€Å"

Name three industries that are currently red oceans Where do blue Essay

Name three industries that are currently red oceans Where do blue ocean opportunities exist - Essay Example Some of them have gained competitive advantage through cutting production costs, while others gain competitive advantage through offering better features. Companies operating in textile industry as well as sports good manufacturing industry are competing while following the red ocean strategy. Blue ocean opportunities exist in tourism industry. In tourism industry there is an opportunity of travelling to the moon and exploring the world over there. A successful even of a tour to the moon can help in creating demand amongst people who want to travel to the moon (Wadhwa, 2015). Furthermore, blue ocean opportunities even exist in automobile manufacturing industry. Companies in this industry can develop a car that can fly from one end to another end. Right now, no company has been able to develop such a car. Developing such a car can helping creating new demand for a car that can fly and help people move between geographical locations in a speedy fashion. China Android Phone Manufacturers Enter Smartphone Market With Own Brands. (2015, February 27). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from

Multiple-Part Short Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple-Part Short Answer - Essay Example The L. Monocytogenes has a lower pathogenic potential than other food borne pathogens. Therefore, the number of pathogens ingested through foods is still low. It is however inconsistent with the relatively high 50% lethal dose (LD50) (Lee 98). Therefore, the minimum dose required for causing clinical infection in the humans is yet to be determined but the large numbers of the L. Monocytogenes bacteria detected in the foods responsible for sporadic and epidemic listeriosis cases suggests it is still high The vibrio cholera, the cholera agent, is a normal inhabitant of the aquatic environment. It survives under a wide range of salinity and pH. The effect of selected environmental parameters can be identified through chemically defined solutions. From such conditions, the growth and activity of the vibrio cholera are seen as being affected and influenced by the low pH. The low pH was responsible for the reduced effectiveness and growth of the vibrio cholera bacteria. This condition of the pH altered the internal process of the bacteria causing it to slow down and reproduce slowly. Low pH contained less Na+ that was relevant for the growth of the bacteria. Hence, the vibrio cholera bacteria were bound to be minimal in number. From a past study by (Vimont, 1-4), vibrio cholera can be cultured for a period of 4days using and estuarine salinity of 25%. Salinity of the bacteria’s niche influenced the activity as measured through the uptake of 14C –amino acids. From the study of selected ions, it was evident that the activity and growth of the cholera were affected by pH. The LD50 is the dose at which a drug becomes lethal for 50% of the target population. It is expressed as the mass of the bacteria administered per mass of the target. Different bacteria types impact on the host differently. The lethal dose for particular bacteria can change over time due to various factors. This can be affected by the toxicity and the amount of the bacteria cells. As the

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t