Effective Management of Training and Development in an Economic Essay

Effective Management of Training and Development in an Economic Downturn - Essay Example Layoffs are among the most common and popular measures that have been taken up by firms as a part of their cost cutting activities. Recessionary periods are also characterised by unavailability of credit to firms as governments are forced to reduce liquidity in the market owning to high levels of inflation. Banks are forced to cut down on their lending activities which lead to unavailability of credit. In such situations firms are forced to cut down on production which leads to job cuts. The preset financial crisis saw the downfall of many corporate giants like Lehman Brothers and Bear Sterns and also saw large scale job cuts which left numerous employees jobless. In this aspect it becomes important for firms and employees alike to analyse and formulate effective measures that seek to help employees prepare survival strategies during such crisis periods. It has also been observed that employees who perform below the benchmark standards are first ones to get the pink slips. Hence it b ecomes essential for employees to have greater efficiencies so as to ensure job security. This aspect assumes significance for organizations as well as human resources are the most important and valuable assets for any organization. Presence of a talented pool of employees is very essential for organizations because it determines the competitive advantage for the firms. Recessionary periods are characterised by large scale competition leading to price wars. In this context it becomes significant for organizations to have a talented pool of employees which would help in generating better product features and greater efficiency in the product and services of the firm which would help organizations to maintain their competitive edge in the tough market situation. Training and development therefore assumes a major importance for both employees and organizations. The present study focuses on the aspect of training and development in

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness in Procter & Gamble Essay - 6

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness in Procter & Gamble - Essay Example The researcher states that employee base for the Procter & Gamble Company is over 127,000. The Cincinnati based consumer goods company markets of more than two hundred and sixty brands across the world. The company enjoys leadership in almost twenty-four brands in its category and is able to fetch a billion of dollars annually from each of the brands. The consumer goods organization has established twenty-eight technical centers across the world. The company has understood the importance of globalization in business and adapted itself in accordance with the requirement of situation. The company has shifted focus from serving American people to establishing the maximum number of strategic business units across the globe. They have increased plant capacity level in order to achieve economies of scale and offer product mix in a cost-effective manner. Globalization strategy has helped the company to achieve the higher return on investment and maximize annual revenue. Lafley (CEO of the c ompany) has changed standardized global product structure of the company into hybrid product system. Hybrid product structure puts an emphasis on design product category in accordance with a demand of the particular market and changing value chain in a product-specific manner. This model is often termed as Front Back Hybrid Matrix by research scholars. The company not only changed product system in accordance with local demand but changed customer relation management also. Strategic business units work under the supervision of GBU or Global Business Units of the company. Although research and development functions remained centralized, sales operation in an individual local market is classified as decentralized function. During 1999 the company has adopted the change in the fields of managing and reporting in order to achieve business excellence. The company took six years to implement global restructuring model while they have invested $2 billion during the time frame.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior Essay Organizational behavior is the topic and title for many MBA classes and students may not realize the contributing disciplines to OB. An organization can range from the micro to macro level; from youth sports teams, to corporations, and up to state actors(government). Behavior in an organization may be viewed as an individual’s response to his or her environment (internal locus of control), which such disciplines as psychology and anthropology might examine. As well, the type of group culture may be studied by sociologists and the feedback loop of person and group by social psychologists. Out into the external locus of control completely in terms of OB is political science, which may deal with the economy and/or government structure of different institutions and bureaucracies. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is studied extensively in organizations as a compliment to what could be considered â€Å"academic intelligence†. Psychology takes the lead on the subject of EI and understanding EI in the workplace could help to enhance employee performance and decipher the best fit for an individual within an organization. Emotional intelligence (EI) is still a relatively young developmental topic, is gaining in popularity and being marketed to human resource professionals, counseling clinicians, and organizational behavior and development consultants† (Gale Group, August 2003, p. 28). Intelligence, whether it be emotional or â€Å"actual† is as important to understand as the socio-cultural roots of employees within organizations. With such a diverse global workplace, anthropologists need to understand the cultures represented in corporations and ways to best understand the dynamics with other cultures for the benefit of each employee and work group. We are currently experiencing a resurgence of racial antipathy in the U. S. This is clear in various forms of racial oppression and overt acts of racial hostility in communities, in schools and universities, and in the workplace. We can expect these hateful episodes to escalate further if the economy continues to worsen (Eitzen, April 1992, p. 587). This article, anthropological in scope, points to the fact that with problems with the economy, will come problems with power and conflict. Problems with loyalty and trust can, also, ensue in situations were conflict is abundant. Social Psychology deals with, such things as appraisal of self in organizations as well as â€Å"moral development, the group serving bias, and the effect of inducing feelings of hypocrisy on subsequent behavior change† (Seijts Latham, August 2003, p. 233). Social Psychologists, also have a unique way of blending with what is deemed industrial/organizational psychology. Putting all these subfields of psychology and internal process testing at that locus of control is all beneficial to organizational behavior. Trust is a key element of the work of Sociologist Georg Simmel, and his symbolic interactionism approach to relationships. Trust is argued in the article cited below as a sociological, but not psychological phenomenon. Without trust there would be no loyalty to organizations and is most important to understand in organizational behavior. Students of sociological trust’s main motivation is to present trust as a sociological, rather than psychological phenomenon†¦Trust is a functional alternative to rational prediction for the reduction of complexity. Indeed, trust succeeds where rational prediction alone would fail, because to trust is to live as if certain rationally possible futures would not occur. Thus, trust reduces complexity far more quickly, economically, and thoroughly than does prediction (Mollering, 2001, p. 410). Although conflict theory and structural functionalist schools do deal with competition and bureaucracy in organizational behavior, this symbolic interactionist school view is of great importance. Of what greater importance is trust? Finally, political science deals with the most external factors in an organization and with organizational behavior. Although sociological conflict theory overlaps with political science. Economics and political stability are an actor outside of the organization and should be treated as such. Competitive advantage is a part of the political landscape and can be viewed on an individual level with competition with co-workers, as well. Competitive advantage was vested in the mass production process, with factories able to produce large numbers of goods at the lowest price using human labour to undertake repetitive operations that could not be done mechanically† (Business and Management Practices, January 2004, p. 85). All disciplines have something to contribute to organizational behavior studies. The previously mentioned, as well as biology, economics, theology, philosophy, and more. It is one of the rare areas of study that can boast this possibility and should be further explored to continue into a successful 21st global century.

Environmental Issues In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay

Environmental Issues In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay Climate change has come to a stop and is now a major political talking point in Australia in the last two decades. Persistent drought and resulting water restrictions during the first decade of the twenty-first century are an example of natural events attributed by the mainstream media to climate change 1.1 Energy use Australia is a major exporter and consumer of coal, the combustion of which liberates CO2. Consequently, in 2003 Australia was the eighth highest emitter of CO2 gases per capita in the world liberating 16.5 tonnes per capita. Australia is claimed to be one of the countries most at risk from climate change according to the Stern report. Most of Australias demand for electricity depends upon coal-fired thermal generation, owing to the plentiful indigenous coal supply, limited potential for hydro-electric generation and political unwillingness to exploit indigenous uranium resources (although Australia accounted for the worlds second highest production of uranium in 2005) to fuel a carbon neutral domestic nuclear energy program 2 Conservation Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia. Preserving this wealth of biodiversity is important for future generations. A key conservation issue is the preservation of biodiversity, especially by protecting the remaining rainforests. The destruction of habitat by human activities, including land clearing, remains the major cause of biodiversity loss in Australia. The importance of the Australian rainforests to the conservation movement is very high. Australia is the only western country to have large areas of rainforest intact. Forests provide timber, drugs, and food and should be managed to maximize the possible uses. Currently, there are a number of environmental movements and campaigners advocating for action on saving the environment, one such campaign is the Big Switch and I Love Earth. Land management issues including clearance of native vegetation, reafforestation of once-cleared areas, control of exotic weeds and pests, expansion of dryland salinity, and changed fire regimes. Intensification of resource use in sectors such as forestry, fisheries, and agriculture are widely reported to contribute to biodiversity loss in Australia. Coastal and marine environments also have reduced biodiversity from reduced water quality caused by pollution and sediments arising from human settlements and agriculture. In central New South Wales where there are large plains of grassland, problems have risen fromà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬unusual to sayà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬lack of land clearing. The Daintree Rainforest, a tropical rainforest near Daintree, Queensland covering around 1200 square kilometres, is threatened by logging, development, mining and the effects of the high tourist numbers. 3 Invasive species Australias geographical isolation has resulted in the evolution of many delicate ecological relationships that are sensitive to foreign invaders and in many instances provided no natural predators for many of the species subsequently introduced. Introduced plants that have caused widespread problems are lantana and the prickly pear bush. The introduction and spread of animals such as the cane toad or rabbit can disrupt the existing balances between populations and develop into environmental problems. The introduction of cattle into Australia and to a lesser extent the dingo, are other examples of species that have changed the landscape. In some cases the introduction of new species can lead to plagues and the extinction of endemic species. The introduced species red fox has single-handedly caused the extinction of several species. Tasmania takes the threat of red fox introduction so seriously that it has a government sponsored taskforce to prevent fox populations from taking hold on the island 4 Land clearing In the prehistory of Australia the indigenous Australians used fire-stick farming which was an early form of land clearing which caused long term changes to the ecology. With European colonisation land clearing continued on a larger scale for agriculture particularly for cattle, cotton and wheat production. Since European settlement a total of 13% of native vegetation cover has been lost. The extinction of 20 different mammals, 9 bird and 97 plant species have been partially attributed to land clearing. Land clearing is a major source of Australiaà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s greenhouse gas emissions, and contributed to approximately 12 percent of Australiaà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s total emissions in 1998. The consequences of land clearing include dryland salinity and soil erosion. These are a major concern to the landcare movement in Australia. The clearing of native vegetation is controlled by Federal laws (indirectly), State law and local planning instruments. The precise details of regulation of vegetation clearing differ according to the location where clearing is proposed. 5 Waterway health The protection of waterways in Australia is a major concern for various reasons including habitat and biodiversity, but also due to use of the waterways by humans. The Murray-Darling Basin is under threat due to irrigation in Australia, causing high levels of salinity which affect agriculture and biodiversity in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. These rivers are also affected by pesticide run-off and drought. 6 Water use Water use is a major sustainability issue in Australia. During times of drought Water restrictions in Australia apply to conserve water. Climate change may intensify drought in Australia putting pressure on water resources and leading to alternative water sources including construction of Water tanks, dams, Water transportation and desalination plants many of which affect water catchments and put increasing pressure on the environment. www.tu.org/ www.abc.net.au/news/topic/mining-environmental-issues www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2009/12/07/2764044.htm www.fwrgroup.com.au/10-environmental-problems.html www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0//46130_2010.pd

Julius Caesar Essay: Flawed Models of Leadership -- Julius Caesar Ess

Julius Caesar: Flawed Models of Leadership Leadership is a recurrent theme in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The play is centred on a group of men in leadership positions. The political setting and mood of Julius Caesar, lend itself well to Shakespeare's insights into the human condition. As the players' personalities develop through the course of the play, we see that his portrayal of their character-types (which still endure today) is both consistent and accurate. Julius Caesar has many fine examples of arrogance in leadership. We see Caesar's pretensions as quite laughable. "But I am constant as the northern star, of whose true-fix'd and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament", and "the things that threaten'd me ne'er look'd but on my back: when they shall see the face of Caesar, they are vanished" demonstrate his pride. Shakespeare suggests that although being 'sure of yourself' is a necessary characteristic for a good leader (as it enables decisive action and 'courage'); it should also be tempered with humility. The confidence of a leader, in turn, instils confidence in his/her followers. The quote, "And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; yet in the number I do know but one that unassailable holds on his rank, unshaked of motion: and that I am he", is an example of the comfort and security that his words provided the common people. Caesar's absolute faith in his greatness and right to rule was in the perfect climate, in the midst of a community that was seeking a 'ruler'. The followers were more sheep than thinker... ...other conspirators as traitors, the crowd is wild. Antony's transparent "sweet friends let me not stir you up to such a sudden flood of mutiny" is just the beginnings of his carefully-orchestrated urgings to them. When he finally sets them loose, it is with a "Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, take thou what course thou wilt!"- an exclamation which sounds 'heartstrong', but not very well-thought out. Shakespeare advises that such a leader can be dangerous. Through a well-developed cast and a complex play about men, politics and power; Shakespeare has once again demonstrated his mastery of the humanity of the characters he creates. The flawed models of leadership we examine in Julius Caesar aptly lend themselves to the theory that "an imperfect world gives power to imperfect men".

Stereotypes of White Males Essay -- stereotypes, white males,

When people hear the word stereotype, they usually think of black people, Mexicans, Native Americans, women, and other races. Most people do not think there could be a stereotype against white males. People usually think that it would be the white male that would stereotype other races and not be stereotyped themselves. The truth is that white males get stereotyped just as much, if not more, as other races. White males have been categorized as hateful, major racists, skinheads, and over-privileged. In today’s society, a white male can’t criticize any other race without fear of being called a â€Å"hater† or a â€Å"racist†. One of the biggest forms of racism towards the white male is what the government calls â€Å"Affirmative Action†. Affirmative Action is something the government made to insure ...

Human Sexuality Essay

James and Mary experience an unsatisfactory sexual relationship due to James’ dysfunction of maintaining an erection half the time. James could be experiencing Performance Anxiety. Performance anxiety is the anxiety a man has when he thinks he is not getting an erection fast enough, or his erection is not firm enough, or does not seem to last long enough. Once a  man experiences even a single case of ED, he may continue a cycle of anxiety about repeated episodes of unsatisfactory erections. He will anticipate erectile problems, fixating on performance rather than the pleasurable aspects of sexual arousal. His ability to relax is hampered, increasing negative self-talk, and his perceptions of self-worth and partner are negative. James is getting frustrated and becoming uninterested in sex. He is also embarrassed about his problem. Mary is also frustrated with his dysfunction. Mary is the one who initiates intimacy but her husband does not respond like she wants him to. He has no desire for intimacy and can mostly keep an erection when he masturbates in the shower and so he avoids intimacy with his wife. He feels that his sexual relationship with his wife is hopeless and does not want to discuss the issue with her. The Dynamics of the Relationship The couple’s relationship is strained and there is no communication when it comes to talking about desires and intimacy. Their sexual relationship is distant and frustrating. James is not turned on by Mary and thinks he would be turned on more if Mary lost weight and wore lingerie. James evidently lacks knowledge about his sexuality. He avoids intimacy with his wife and his first encounter of having an erection was embarrassing and made him confused. Sexual dysfunction can lead to the development of other conditions are more likely to develop other conditions such as depression. People with other conditions such as cardiovascular disease are more likely to develop erectile dysfunction. Diagnostic Impressions A â€Å"multi-axial† system for assessment provides a comprehensive holistic diagnosis that includes a complete picture of not just acute symptoms but all of the factors that makes up mental health. The client in question is James who is having a problem with his sexual dysfunction issue. He was raised in a traditional white neighborhood in the south where his family that did not discuss any intimate subjects like sex, feelings or display affection. The World Association of Sexual Health states that dysfunction can lead to anxiety and effect self-esteem which James has. He is  embarrassed about not being able to have an erection or keep one during intimacy with his wife. Sexual Response Cycle Sexual response cycle is a way in which to understand the process of sexual behavior. It includes both the physical as well as the emotional changes a person experiences during sexual involvement (Capella University). Areas of sexual dysfunction may include: erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation, and performance anxiety etc. The human sexual response cycle has four phases which include; excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution. If there is a problem in one of these phases then sexual functioning is lacking. Sexual response is due to changes in ones’ mind and body. Psychologically there are erotic thoughts during arousal and there are changes in the body. Analysis and comparison of the sexual response cycle and the concept of sexual normality Professionals need to be able to discuss sexual functioning, sexual normality and dysfunction with the client. It is important to know about the sexual response cycle, sexual dysfunction problems, gender and cultural issues concerning sexuality. The sexual response cycle helps highlight where sexual dysfunction may occur. In contrast, sexual normality is also represented on this cycle as a positive validation of one’s anticipation which therefore crystallizes one’s experience leading to further positive anticipation (Sewell, 2005).The response cycle starts in the arousal or excitement phase but it would be most useful to consider a desire phase that goes before the arousal or the excitement phase. During the desire phase, physiological sexual arousal is not of primary importance. The sexual response cycle is characterized by physiological and psychological shifts. Psychologically, there is an increase in erotic thoughts (the specific content of which is highly individualized) and a heightened awareness of pleasure sensations from erogenous body zones. With increasing physiological arousal, there is a narrowing of attention such that focal cues are  processed intensely whereas non-focal cues are less likely than usual even to be noticed. Physically, the heart rate increases as well as respiration which also shallows blood flow to the extremities increases, and primary sex organs engorge with blood. Erectile dysfunction happens when there is not enough blood flows to the penis, preventing an erection. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the medical term for difficulties obtaining and keeping an erection. It is a sexual health problem that affects about 30 million men. Erectile disorder is common occurrence in men. Attitudes toward sex and performance anxiety are related McCabe (2005). Sexual dysfunction may lead to a lower sex drive to not wanting to have sex at all. Unsatisfied sexual experiences can lead to other various the relational psychological issues. One of the most common types of dysfunctions is low desire and arousal. This disrupts the sexual response cycle in the first two phases of desire and arousal. The client’s personality factors and psychological issues could also impact erectile functioning in a negative way. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can make it difficult to keep feelings of sexual desire and focus behavior enough to have satisfactory erections. Creation of three measurable goals for treatment Treatment for Erectile dysfunction must address all of the contributing factors such as the physical, psychological and social areas for the client. It also must be brought all together thoroughly and be intimacy-based. The first thing to do is discuss how to set goals by Setting a Goal– 1) decide on a goal you want to reach 2) decide on the steps you will need to take to get there and write them down, 3) take the first step, 4) take all the other steps, one at a time, 5) reward yourself when your goal is reach. If James is having no physical problems, he must address his psychological problems and social problems. He needs to use the goal of Identifying stressful situations by 1)tune in to your body’s stress signals, 2) ask yourself am I feeling stressed?, 3)ask what is making me feel this way?, 4) choose stress reducer or relaxation techniques Reducing performance anxiety can be done with Cognitive behavioral techniques along with the relaxation techniques and develop ment of a wider range of sexual activities beyond intercourse. Partners can help to identify and correct anxiety provoking  thought processes, such as all-or-nothing thinking. Moreover, the couple, rather than the man alone, can best redefine sexual activity. the therapist really promotes conditions that focus on relaxation, enjoying sensations that are more pleasurable thus eliminating anxiety and encouraging the man’s partner to relax. The second thing to address is his problem communicating with his wife. Expressing Affection is another goal James needs to work on by 1) decide if you have good feeling about the other person, 2) decide if you think the other person would like to know you feel this way, 3) Decide what to say, 4) choose a good time and place, 5) Tell the person in a friendly way. Due to James’ being upset and frustrated a goal must be set to reduce his frustration. The first Goal is to develop strategies to reduce symptoms and improve coping skills by 1- Learn 3 new ways of coping with routine stressors 3 out of 7 days, 2- Recognize and plan for three anxiety-provoking situations, 3) Report feeling more positive about self and abilities during therapy sessions Treatment can also consist of relapse prevention by having the couple optimize their sexual relationship with the exploration of erotic activities, techniques, and communications to strengthen the couple’s sexual relationship and prevent relapse or the development of other dysfunctions. Therapists should be aware that relapses can occur and as a normative part of treatment. Ethical and culturally-relevant approaches to treating any sexual issues Cultural competence is based upon respect, validation and openness towards someone with different social and cultural perceptions and expectations that are not your own. Culture helps us understand how others interpret their environment. It also shapes how people see their world and how they function in that world. By understanding culture service providers can avoid stereotyping and biases and focus on the positive characteristics of a particular group. Counselors must be able to assess the culturally diverse needs of the client utilize culturally sensitive and appropriate techniques and interventions based on the race, ethnicity and language. Also to identify resources that is available to eliminate barriers. Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes and a person’s sense of  identity based on those attractions and others who share those attractions A PA (2008). References: SEWELL, K. W. (2005). The Experience Cycle And The Sexual Response Cycle: Conceptualization And Application To Sexual Dysfunctions. Journal Of Constructivist Psychology, 18(1), 3-13. doi:10.1080/10720530590522973 McCabe, M. P. (2005). The Role Of Performance Anxiety In The Development And Maintenance Of Sexual Dysfunction In Men And Women. International Journal Of Stress Management, 12(4), 379-388. World Health Organization’s 2008 article †Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: An Interagency Statement,† pages 1–40. McCarthy, B. W., & Metz, M. E. (2008). The â€Å"Good-Enough Sex† model: a case illustration. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 23(3), 227-234. doi:10.1080/14681990802165919 http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation. American Psychological Association. (2008).