Improving organisational performance Assignment

Improving organisational performance - Assignment Example Human resource practices that strategic human resources management scholars consider performance enhancing are referred to as high performance work practices (HPWPs).These are essentially work practices that can be introduced in the organization deliberately in order to improve organizational performance. A widely accepted definition of the term is that they are a set of complimentary work practices that cover three broad areas which are sometimes referred to as bundles of practices. They include: High employee involvement practice such as self-directed teams, quality circles and sharing/access to company information; human resource practices for example a sophisticated recruitment process, performance appraisal. Work redesign and mentoring; reward and commitment practices that include various financial rewards, family friendly policies, job rotation and flexi hours. Combs, Liu, Hall, & Ketchen (2006: 502) argue that these practices increase employee’s knowledge, skills and ab ilities (KSAs), empower employees to leverage their KSAs for organizational benefit, and increase their motivation to do so. The result of this is greater job satisfaction, lower employee turnover, higher productivity and better decision making all of which help to improve organizational performance (Wilson, 2005, p. 38). Aspect capital is a leading financial services company is the United Kingdom that applies a systematic and quantitative approach to investment management with the purpose of diversifying alpha for the company’s client portfolios. The company manages over USD 6.7 billion which it has exclusively invested in the aspect diversified program through a series of fund and client specific managed account vehicles (AC, 2012). Established 15 years ago the company has already established itself as a leading financial services company through the extensive support from a team that has extensive experience in the development and implementation of systematic

Discuss the dual role of security sector in the arab world as both a Essay

Discuss the dual role of security sector in the arab world as both a source of political stability and instability - Essay Example As such, an analysis will have to be made concerning the role that the security sector has played, and continues to play, within the Arab world with reference to stability. The security forces of the various Arab countries have been involved in a diverse number of conflicts since they were formed, and as a result have been a cause of instability in the region. One will find that as long as the Lebanese conflict took place, security forces of the Arab countries that neighbor Lebanon contributed to its falling apart as each of them attempted to protect their own interests. It has been found that none of the countries that were involved in this conflict saw any reason for the peaceful solution of the Lebanese sectarian conflict, and instead they all supported their own sectarian factions within the country. For example, Syria gave its full support to Hezbollah and Alawite militia groups, while Libya and Egypt supported the various Sunni militias. All of the security forces of the Arab s tates involved in this conflict, wanted the sectarian factions that they supported to take over Lebanon so that it could be used as a base for attacking Israel in a war, which many of them believed, was inevitable (Haddad, 589). The loss of life among the native Lebanese population was massive, but this did not end the conflict as one would have expected, since the various security forces involved in the conflict were determined to make themselves dominant within Lebanon. Instead, this conflict became even worse, with each of the sectarian factions even more determined to establish its dominance all over the country. The security sector of the Arab world, therefore, had a direct hand in the causing of the Lebanese crisis since each of the countries involved attempted to use Lebanon to achieve its own ends. Among the reasons which have led to the influence of the security sector in the Arab world is the wealth that has been brought about by the oil boom in some of the countries in th e region. The huge finances that have been gotten from the sale of oil have gone a long way in ensuring that the security forces of the oil rich countries are well equipped and paid so that they can easily deal with dissent from the population. The security forces as well as the oil wealth that backs their operations have enabled the rulers of most Arab countries to be less accountable to their people since they do not rely on them for the purpose of funding governmental activities, as they do not rely on taxes. The oil wealth, which some of these governments within the Arab world have control over, has tended to act as a means of their maintaining power because they have the funding needed not only to buy out the opposition, but also to maintain the loyalty of the security forces (Ghalioun, 129). In some cases, such as that in Bahrain, where the monarchy was almost overthrown, these repressive regimes have had the support of the security forces of their more powerful allies in main taining their grip on power (Dalacoura, 75). In Bahrain, the demonstrations and government assaults that took place at the height of the Arab Spring

SHORT ANSWER ONLY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SHORT ANSWER ONLY - Assignment Example It can be described as the stage that a particular society or individual has reached e.g. stone age culture. It covers such things as shared ethics and beliefs as well behaviour. As long ago as 1889 Taylor defined culture as ‘ the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities acquired by man as a member society.’ Anthropology is the study of these various cultures. I belong to early 21st century westernised socity. Culture is affected by environment, but also by what the group want. Breen declared ( 2006)that culture was society’s answer to life’s basic questions. Human society has come up with many different answers over time , as varied as Egypt under the Pharaohs to modern street culture. 2. Reciprocity, General, Balanced and Negative. In general reciprocity refers to relationships . These can involve only two individuals or many more as in a village or town, a team or a school class. A balanced recip rocity is a situation involving trust on both sides, where each benefits equally from a relationship e.g. a loving couple. It could also refer to the common negative aspects of this, such as some lack of individual choice and freedom. Negative reciprocity occurs when, in one of many ways, resources are broken down. Some factors involved are accepted by society e.g. a trader needing to make a profit. As a customer I realize this and am happy because he has given me something, even at a cost. Slave labor is an example of a very negative reciprocity. These various relationships are studied by anthropologists in order to better understand society in its many forms. 3. Extended Family - this refers to all the people one is related to, however distant the relationship. It includes both blood relationships, and also those who are related by marriage or partnership with a blood relative i.e in-laws and partners. This means not just a set of parents and children, but their spouses, cousins, aunts and all the rest. A clan or tribe can , in many instance, be considered as an extended family, and all humans belong to the world wide family of humanity, both those alive and those who preceded us. Perhaps this is why I can see a face from far away and recognise family likenesses. A nuclear family refers to one couple and their offspring as an isolated unit. In many instances in modern society this nuclear family will live alone, away from other extended family members. According to Sixth Sense’ ( 2005) functionalists see this type of family as positive as it means that the human race is continuing. Study of both kinds of family can help with planning for such things as education, marketing, house building and economics. 4. Kinship . This is defined as a relationship by blood ( consanguinity) or adoption and generally refers to family relationships . Often in a kinship group there will be shared characteristics such as dark hair, or great height. The members of such a group may also share common ethical and moral ideas, which is why some family members find it difficult when a member joins , perhaps in marriage, with someone from a very different group who hold differing ideas. The term can also be used for those , not necessarily related, but who share an affinity in that there are common bonds such as my fellow students in college, in that what affects one affects the others e.g. the price of accommodation or a liking for a certain type of music.. The term is defined by the Sociology Dictionary (

Chronic Kidney Disease Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chronic Kidney Disease - Term Paper Example For these reasons, chronic kidney disease is considered a disease because it affects the health of an individual. Chronic kidney disease is a chief health concern problem because the prevalence of the disease grows at a yearly rate of 8%, and expends 2% of the worldwide health spending (Là ³pez-Novoa, Martà ­nez-Salgado, Rodrà ­guez-Peà ±a, & Là ³pez-Hernà ¡ndez, 2010). In the United States, about 13% of the populace suffers from this condition. As the prevalence of chronic renal disease rises, health care providers are tasked with the management of the multifaceted medical complications that patients with CKD face. This paper takes a detailed look at the pathophysiology, causes, symptoms and management of chronic kidney disease. The central role of the kidney is to sift nitrogenous wastes from ingested food and metabolic activities, as well as surplus fluids from the blood. The kidneys, therefore, play an important role in fluid and electrolyte balance. The nephron is the elementary working component of the kidney. A normal kidney has about one million nephrons. Each nephron possesses a clump of glomerular capillaries called the glomerulus where the filtration of blood takes place. The nephron also has a lengthy tubule where the filtered fluid is transformed into urine as it is transported into the pelvis (Guyton & Hall, 2006). The renal arteries branch into interlobar arteries and two other arteries and finally into afferent arterioles that supply the glomerulus in the nephron through the glomerular arterioles, which join together to form the efferent arterioles that exit the glomerulus. Urine, which carries the waste products filtered by the kidney is produced in three main phases namely ultrafiltration, reabsorption and secretion. The kidneys also excrete strange chemicals, drug substances and metabolites produced from hormones. Such substances include urea from the metabolism of amino acids and creatinine

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Business - Essay Example Scholars also mention that Emotional Intelligence (EI) has strong influence on the performance of employees (EP). The basis for such a statement is the assumption that emotional intelligence can enhance individual, team and organizational effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee performance. In particular, this paper aims at defining why emotional intelligence is important for employee performance and how the two concepts are related. First of all this essay will attempt to provide a reader with a basic understanding of what emotional intelligence and employee performance are. Secondly, the paper will utilize existing scholarship research in order to identify the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee performance. Thirdly, analysis and evaluation of the relation between emotional intelligence and employee performance will be conducted in order to determine whether emotional intelligenc e is important for employee performance or not. Finally, the presented work will provide conclusions outlining the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee performance, as well as limitations of the given research. ... It is an ability to recognize and understand own emotional responses of self and other people accurately (Cherniss and Adler 2000, 13). The statement of Allameh et al. (2011, 349) also supports this definition saying that emotional intelligence is not a simple quality of a personality; instead, it is a combination of capabilities, which includes comprehension, judgment and perceiving of emotions – own emotions and emotions of other people. Mcshane, Olekalns and Travaglione (2010, 130) have identified four dimensions of emotional intelligence. They are self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management. This classification goes in line with the findings of Boyatzis, Goleman and Rhee (1999, 3). These researches have determined that â€Å"emotional intelligence includes two dimensions, internal and external. The self awareness, self image, independence feeling, self realization capacity and decisiveness regard as internal elements. The external element s are inter-individual relationship, compassion and feeling of responsibility.† Finally, many scholars and researchers argue that emotional intelligence have positive influence on employee’s job satisfaction, ability to deal with stress, and work attitudes (Mustafa and Amjad 2011, 241; Allameh et al. 2011, 348). 2.2 Employee Performance (EP) Wu (2011, 22) described employee performance as the amount of effort that employees input into their jobs. The definition of Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn (2005, 122) is quite similar – it states that employee performance includes two elements: quantity and quality of final results brought by employee’s or team’s effort achievement. Moreover, Befort and Hattrup (2003, 17) present another perspective at the

Developing Creativity For Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Developing Creativity For Business - Essay Example An impressive example of a creative individual is Steve Wosnaik. Apple computer is the fruit of labor of this individual as the gadget is co-founded by him. Reaching this height is because of his qualities like – sticking to the idea even when they are challenged , maintaining individuality , courage to question the people in power etc. Considering a business as a jigsaw puzzle , creativity is one elusive piece that wins the game for the participant. Creativity has become important more than ever before. According to Stephen P. Robbins , following is the three-component model of creativity .Based on an extensive body of research , this model proposes that individual creativity essentially requires expertise , creative-thinking skills , and intrinsic task motivation. Expertise - the potential for creativity is enhanced , when individual have abilities , knowledge , proficiencies and similar expertise in their field of Endeavour. Creative thinking skills – this encompasse s personality characteristics associated with creativity , the ability to use analogies , as well as the talent to see the familiar in the different light. Intrinsic task motivation – this is the desire to work on something because its interesting , involving , exciting , satisfying or personally challenging. This motivational component is what turns creativity potential into actual creative ideas. Though these are the basic components of creativity , several others are discussed in the following pages. Thus to investigate the concept of creativity , I have taken the business of supermarket as the topic of my report. According to wordiq.com , a ‘supermarket is a store that sells a wide variety of goods including food and alcohol , medicine , clothes and other household products that are consumed regularly. It is often part of a chain that owns or controls ( sometimes big franchise ) other supermarkets located in the same or other towns , this increases the opportunities for economies of sale.’ According to dictionary.reference.com , ‘supermarket is a large retail market that sells food and other household goods and that is usually operated on a self-service basis.’ According to retailindustry.about.com, ‘Wal-Mart which has more than 8400 stores across the world , is by far the largest retailer in the world. France’s Carrefour is number 2.germany’s Metro AG overtook the United Kingdom’s Tesco chain and claimed third position.’ Due to the intrinsic growth and development of countries all across the globe , the local vendor scenario has been taken over by supermarkets. In recent times , supermarkets have shown a phenomenal growth. They now have in-house pharmacies , florists , catering services , prepared foods such as sandwiches , postal services , etc. Some supermarket chains even offer dry-cleaning services and few have started video-rental service. In a nutshell supermarkets are now providing a one-stop-shop experience. Most

Planning for Long Term Wealth Creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planning for Long Term Wealth Creation - Essay Example Before borrowing to invest in the stock market, Albert and Nancy should first build an investment plan that clearly documents their retirement goals of savings and income. After identifying the level of income and savings that they require for their retirement goals, the couple can then develop several investment strategies that are potentially adequate in achieving these goals over time, using the principles of risk management to differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy. In summary, the couple should schedule meetings with a number of financial professionals and discuss the investment options available for achieving their retirement goals to compare advice and strategies in different stocks, bonds, and commodity investments. Once this information has been gathered, they should study each recommendation given by the financial advisors and make a final decision on an investment plan they are comfortable with dedicating their income to over the next 20 years. One serious concern that the couple must consider when contemplating taking a home equity loan for investment in a retirement fund is the rate of interest that they will pay on the initial sum and how that rate compares to expected stock market returns. For example, HSBC and UBank are both offering home equity loans at a 6.79% interest rate in Australia currently. (InfoChoice, 2011) The consumer inflation rate has average between 3.33% and 3.6% in Australia in 2011. (RateInflation, 2011) Therefore, Albert and Nancy would have to average over 10% returns in the stock market every year just to cover the costs of the loan repayment plus inflation. While $125,000 is a strong deposit into an initial self-managed superfund account, the couple will need to understand that upon investment in a single company or diversified portfolio of stock holdings, there is no guarantee that future returns will match or exceed the rate of interest plus inflation. Nevertheless, the home equity investment can be seen as beneficial for the couple if they can easily afford the home payment over time without significant stress in the household budget. Since the couple is paying a higher rate of interest on the car, personal loan, and credit cards than on the home equity loan, at a comparison of 15.5% to 17% vs. 6.79%, the best initial use of the home equity loan would be to clear the personal debt. Then, the income that was previously being dedicated to loan and credit card payments can be set aside for investment each month in equities, bonds, and precious metals. Thus, the couple would do best by first retiring the personal debt at a sum of $32,000, and then keeping the credit card purchases at a minimal level. In this manner, the couple should be able to free up $900 to $1000 each month to invest into their self-managed super-annuity fund. In dedicating $32,000 of the $125,000 home equity loan to clearing the personal debt, the couple established a means to dedicate an extra $900 to $10 00 every month to their retirement fund. However, when compared to their retirement goals of achieving self-sufficient income in old age, even an initial investment of $93,000 in the self-managed super-annuity fund plus the monthly contributions at the rate of $900 to $1000 per month would not be sufficient to meet their goals. Part of the reason for this is inflation, which operates in the manner of compounded interest. Considering the couple has a $100,000