Mexican Revolution essays

Mexican Revolution expositions January 1910 - In Veracruz, a good working class resident, Sanatann Rodrã ­guez Palafox, supplies meat to a German hacienda proprietor, Robert Voigt. Voigt swindles him out of 700 pesos. When Sanatann fights, the German orchestrates with the neighborhood jefe politico, for Sanatann to be drafted. (Johnson,18) Madero goes to Sonora, where he meets Jos Marã ­a Maytorena. Despite the fact that he is a Reyes supporter, Maytorena consents to begin a club of Sonoran Madero supporters. Madero leaves Sonora for Chihuahua, trailed by 20 formally dressed Rurales. (McCreary, 23) February 1910 - Abraham Gonzlez, head of the Madero battle in the province of Chihuahua, reaches Pancho Villa. (Krauze, 307) Zapata drafted into the military (his subsequent time) for political movement, however really for taking a young lady. Ignacio de la Torre, Dã ­azs child in-law, organizes his release, and utilizes Zapata as man of the hour in his corrals in Mexico City. (Womack, 62-63) Walk 1910 - Colonel ngeles finishes his bonus to consider strategies for Artillery Application at Fontainbleu. He broadens his stay for one more year at the School of Ordnance, and takes part on moves with the French armed force. For his commitments, he is granted the French Legion of Honor. (Slattery, 23) Maytorena reports to Madero that the political circumstance in Sonora is extremely oppressive, and that he has made little progress in setting up a political club. Madero is visiting Durango, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes. (McCreary, 25) 1910 - April. Madero authoritatively enters the presidential race against Porfirio Diaz. Madero selected for President by the Anti-Reelectionist Party Convention, fifteenth eighteenth. (Meyer) (Krauze) (Beezley) (Alba) Madero wins his partys selection without going to the shows since he was avoiding a warrant for his capture. After the warrant is dropped, Madero has a meeting with Dã ­az, orchestrated by the Gove... <! Mexican Revolution papers One reason why the Mexican Revolution kept going far longer than either the American or French upheavals that went before it was on the grounds that there were such huge numbers of various gatherings, drove by such a significant number of shifted, charming and compelling pioneers who each hailed from an alternate geological territory of Mexico, and who appeared to each have changed objectives and targets for the eventual fate of the country. These men included such notable characters as Pancho Villa, Francisco Indalecio Madero, General Victoriano Huerta, Emiliano Zapata and Pascual Orozco. Every one of these men saw Mexico in their own light and with their own objectives and targets figured into Mexicos future. A portion of these men could be delegated reformists, while others fall under the arrangement of progressives. One such reformist was Francisco Madero. While detained, he wrote his contemplations and beliefs in a report named: The Plan of San Luis Potosi. This report was named after the town where he was detained by the President of Mexico trying to dishonor him and quiet his voice for change. The archive was a request to the residents of Mexico to battle against the legislature. Concerning the residents of Mexico, He composed, in their steady exertion to acquire freedom and equity, end up constrained in certain noteworthy minutes to make the best forfeits. Mexicans, he clarified confronted such a second since oppression persecutes us in such way that it has gotten unfortunate. (Ice 1997 pg 26). Maderos primary concern was not the topple of the nation, rather, he would have been more than upbeat permitting the residents the chance to both vote and experience a nation run by the residents and guided by the desire of the greater part. His chance came when oneself proclaimed President surrendered under huge tension from the populace and fled to Europe estranged abroad. Madero was then chosen President, and b... <!

The Trade Deficit and Exchange Rates

The Trade Deficit and Exchange Rates Since the U.S. Dollar is powerless, shouldnt that suggest we send out more than we import (i.e., outsiders get a decent conversion scale making US merchandise generally modest)? So for what reason does the U.S. have a colossal exchange shortage? Exchange Balance, Surplus, and Deficit Parkin and Bades Economics Second Edition characterizes exchange balance as: The estimation of the considerable number of products and enterprises we offer to different nations (sends out) short the estimation of the considerable number of merchandise and ventures we purchase from outsiders (imports) is called our exchange balance On the off chance that the estimation of the exchange balance is sure, we have an exchange overflow and we trade more than we import (in dollar terms). An exchange shortage is the exact inverse; it happens when the exchange balance is negative and the estimation of what we import is more than the estimation of what we send out. The United States has had an exchange shortfall for throughout the most recent ten years, however the size of the deficiency has changed during that period. We know from A Beginners Guide to Exchange Rates and the Foreign Exchange Market that adjustments in return rates can extraordinarily affect different pieces of the economy. This was later affirmed in A Beginners Guide to Purchasing Power Parity Theory where we saw that a fall in the trade rates will make outsiders purchase a greater amount of our products and us to purchase less remote merchandise. So hypothesis reveals to us that when the estimation of the U.S. Dollar falls comparative with different monetary forms, the U.S. ought to appreciate an exchange excess, or if nothing else a littler exchange deficiency. In the event that we take a gander at the U.S. Equalization of exchange information, this doesnt appear to occur. The U.S. Enumeration Bureau keeps broad information on U.S. exchange. The exchange shortage doesn't seem, by all accounts, to be getting littler, as appeared by their information. Here is the size of the exchange shortfall for the a year from November 2002 to October 2003. Nov. 2002 (38,629)Dec. 2002 (42,332)Jan. 2003 (40,035)Feb. 2003 (38,617)Mar. 2003 (42,979)Apr. 2003 (41,998)May. 2003 (41,800)Jun. 2003 (40,386)Jul. 2003 (40,467)Aug. 2003 (39,605)Sep. 2003 (41,341)Oct. 2003 (41,773) Is there any way we can accommodate the way that the exchange shortfall isn't diminishing with the way that the U.S. Dollar has been extraordinarily degraded? A decent initial step is distinguish who the U.S. is exchanging with. U.S. Statistics Bureau information gives the accompanying exchange figures (imports trades) for the year 2002: Canada ($371 B)Mexico ($232 B)Japan ($173 B)China ($147 B)Germany ($89 B)U.K. ($74 B)South Korea ($58 B)Taiwan ($36 B)France ($34 B)Malaysia ($26 B) The United States has a couple of key exchanging accomplices, for example, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. On the off chance that we take a gander at the trade rates between the United States and these nations, maybe we will have a superior thought of why the United States keeps on having an enormous exchange shortage in spite of a quickly declining dollar. We inspect American exchange with four significant exchanging accomplices and check whether those exchanging connections can clarify the exchange shortage:

Critical Path Description and Analysis

Critical Path Description and Analysis Have you ever wondered about how are projects that people would consider to be very complicated and time-consuming organized?There are things in this world that you can’t just jump into without making a really thorough and detailed plan.Some things can actually take time, effort and coordination, sometimes between a big number of people.All that makes us think that managing a project is a really complicated task, and it is.Luckily, there are ways and methods that can be used in order to make everything way easier, like CPA â€" or Critical Path Analysis.WHAT IS THE CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS?The Critical Path Analysis, also known as the Critical Path Method, or shortened to CPA and CPM respectively, is a method used to set up an array of actions that lead to finishing a project.This method is extremely popular and used in various settings because it’s such a great tool for managing projects.The CPA is based on an algorithm that runs network analysis in order to serve project managers in dealing with complicated and time-sensitive procedures.By definition, Critical Path Analysis is a method that calls for calculating every crucial task that is needed to complete a project.The end result of the critical path is established by determining all the tasks that make up the project, their order and mutual dependency and the longest amount of time that is needed for accomplishing each of those activities that are a part of the path from the beginning until the end.In addition to this, the Critical Path is also ordinarily used along with the Program Evaluation and Review Technique, or PERT for short.Both of these tools make for a really powerful alliance.THE HISTORY OF THE CRITICAL PATH ANALYSISThe first time in history that we can find mentions of the term Critical Path Method (CPM) is in the late 1950s.This is described as the period when the Critical Path is developed and when it was used for the first time.First and foremost, it was developed by Morgan R. Walker of Du Pont and James E. Kelley Jr. of Remington Rand.In 1989 Walker and Kelley published a book by the name of The Origins of CPM: a Personal History, in which they write about their memories regarding the development of the method and the impact it created.Around the same time when the CPM was developed, the U.S. Navy and Booz Allen Hamilton also developed the Program Evaluation and Review Technique, already mentioned above, which is still commonly used along with the Critical Path Method.The importance of this method can be seen in the fact that it was used in many big and well-known projects in order to make their results successful.Like we already know, organizing is one of the most important parts of success.Before it was considered fully developed the CPM had a predecessor between 1940 and 1943 when it was successfully used for the first time in order to help the Manhattan Project, also known as the project that was used to develop nuclear weapons.That being said it’s also really important to note that the Critical Path is usually used in industries that are dedicated to highly complicated projects, such as defense mechanisms, construction of various objects, research projects, engineering, aerospace industries and development of products.However, if you want to look at this from a more familiar perspective, you could see really simplified examples of this method in everyday life. Like for example, in marketing.For example, any project that is made out of tasks that are dependent on each other can be organized by using the Critical Path Method.That could be making food for a big amount of people. Tasks like shopping, preparing, cooking and finishing different parts of different meals are all dependent on each other, and we already organize them organically, because that’s just logical.However, as mentioned above, the true Critical Path method is used in much more complicated and long-term projects.The first time that this method was used in major construct ion was in 1966 during the building of the former World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City.The timeline of the usage of this method shows fast development, which leads to improvement.That being said, the original CPM approach isn’t actually in use anymore, but the term itself is implemented to any approach that is used to analyze and schedule projects.A More Detailed Look at the Elements of the Critical Path MethodThis method is used to establish everything â€" it’s a base for the whole project.The preparation, the schedule and resources are all fit into a path further established by the method.All of these aspects are crucial when you’re managing a project, and the method helps you keep track of the accomplishments regarding the project goals.The established timeline shows you whether the project is early, on time, or late and needs to be set back on track.Most commonly, the end result of the CP method is shown as a Gantt Chart.This chart can be made using Microsoft Pr oject or any other similar software designed for projects of intermediate complexity, or just a simple Excel spreadsheet for those of low complexity.The point is to help you make progress and test the plan for your project to make sure that it’s successful.The Critical Method Path helps the project manager determine which tasks have to be completed in which time period in order to successfully finish the project before the given deadline.Using this method, you can also identify the tasks that can be delayed without harming the rest of the process.In addition to this, the CP method can also help you determine the minimum amount of time that you’ll need in order to complete all the tasks.This method is flexible in the way that you can always make a new “path” for the tasks once you encounter some kind of obstacle or time-restraint.HOW TO APPLY THE CRITICAL PATH METHODWhen companies are working on a project that involves more complex planning and decision-making, and also risk- taking and higher stakes, it’s really necessary to determine which tasks are a crucial part of the path towards accomplishment.Of course, as the risk of failure increases with complexity, the complexity of the tasks and subtasks that are a part of the project also surges.That’s why it’s important to identify the relationships between all those tasks in order to come up with the right path for the project.To put it very simply, there are always tasks that need to be done, or at least started, before others can begin.That being said, the basic technique of the Critical Path Method is to set up a model of the project that consists of the following:A list of all the tasks or activities that are needed to wrap up the project (this is usually assorted within something called a work breakdown structure)The time (duration of time) that is needed for each task to be accomplishedThe ways that the task are dependent on each other and,Crucial factors and end results like milestones or imp ortant dates when certain tasks have to be finishedWith all of these factors in mind, the Critical Path Method comes up with the lengthiest path of tasks needed to reach the endpoints or to finish the project, and the first and the last moments when tasks can be started or finished in order to meet the deadline and not prolongate the project.By using this method, we find out which tasks are considered to be important or “critical” (on the lengthiest path) and which one of them are not as important or “total float”.If a task is considered to be a “total float” it means that it’s important for the overall result of the project, but that it can be delayed or rescheduled without affecting the length of time needed to finish the project.When a project is managed, a critical path is described as an array of activities that lead up to the longest path duration, not considering whether that path duration has or doesn’t have “float”.This also helps the project managers de termine which path is the shortest path needed to complete a project.However, sometimes “total floats” are very much needed in projects.For example, maybe a certain task has to be done at a certain time, or a certain place, or it just happens that some important resources are missing and they have to be acquired.All of these things take time away from the projects and make them longer, but they are considered a part of the total float.If we already make the total float a part of the path, or to make it simple if we already count in all the extra time needed for tasks, we won’t actually elongate the project path as we will have time to reschedule or delay tasks so that they suit us.It’s important to note that not all tasks have to be “total float”.Another way to differentiate the tasks is to assign them as either parallel tasks or sequential tasks. Sequential tasks are the ones that have to be done in a certain order.Sometimes this means that a task has to be completely d one in order to start the next one, but tasks can also be partially done.On the other hand, parallel tasks are considered to be non-dependent, and they signify tasks that can be done at any time during the stages of the plan, before or after them, without consequences regarding the outcome.As has been noted, some projects can be so complex that they require more complicated project paths. Some of them might even have to have a number of parallel critical paths.That being said, even if a project consists out of multiple paths, there’s still a kind of a hierarchy between them.If there’s another parallel path in the project, but it has a shorter duration or fewer tasks than the other path, it’s labeled as a sub-critical or a non-critical path.Tasks on this path don’t have critical path drag, and they don’t elongate the time needed for the finalization of the project.The tools used for the Critical Path Method can show us the deadline of the project and the tasks and the durat ion of the tasks that build up to it.HOW TO DRAW A CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS CHARTIf you want to draw a Critical Path Analysis chart, you should follow these steps:Step 1: Define All the Tasks that Make up the ProjectOnce you do this, it’s also important to define the earliest possible date to begin the task, the approximate amount of time needed to finish them, and whether the task is parallel or sequential.If a task is sequential, you have to establish which of the other task that one is dependent on.This way, you will be able to recognize the paths and patterns in which a project has to be done.This can be easy to do in the form of a table.The example shown here is very simple. Let’s say that you have a project and that you established that it consists out of 6 tasks.TaskOrderDurationAStarting task1 weekBBegin when A finished5 daysCBegin when A finished5 daysDBegin when B and C finished3 daysEBegin when D finished2 daysFBegin when E finished4 daysStep 2: Organize the Tasks in th e Form of a Circle and Arrow DiagramThe Critical Path Method is often shown in the form of a circle and arrow diagram. In these diagrams, the circles stand for the particular tasks or activities, like for example the starting and finishing tasks. The circles are marked with corresponding task letters or numbers.These marks are used to identify the tasks with ease. In some cases, you will find that the circles are also defined as nodes.The arrows between the circles in these diagrams show the path of the task and what is needed to accomplish it.The description is usually written on the bottom side of the arrow, while the expected duration of the task is written on top.It’s also usual that the arrows go from left to right.Just like circles can be called nodes, arrows are also sometimes known as arcs.Here’s an example of a very simple diagram: In the diagram given as an example, we can see that starting point (circle A), and the end result (circle B) are connected by an arrow which shows the description (below the arrow) and the duration (above the arrow/1 week) of the event at hand.However, in the table given above as an example of the project, we can see the case when not one, but two activities can’t begin if the first activity hasn’t been completed. Diagrams like this tend to branch out in different directions, but still meet at the endpoint. In this case, both the activity B and activity C can’t be started until activity A is done, and activity D can’t be started until both activities B and C are finished. The next step towards creating a full path diagram is to calculate the estimated starting time, or EST for short, of each of these activities.This is easy, as in the table above, we already defined the estimated time that we will need for all of these tasks to be done.If you want a better explanation of these diagrams, check out this video: For example, the EST for both tasks B and C is 1 week, because that’s how much time we need to finish up task A. But in order to calculate the EST for task D we have to add the amount of time needed to finish tasks B and C onto that one week.Because both task B and task C can be done kind of independently at the same time, and both take 5 days to accomplish, we can just add those 5 days onto that one week.That would mean that the EST for task D is now 12 days or 1.7 weeks.You can add these estimated starting times to the diagram by writing them down in the upper right quadrant of the circle. The timing of the events can be changeable.Another important thing is calculating the LFTs, or better known as the latest finishing time.These signify the latest time that an activity can be done and are dependent on the established deadline.Once you determine the LFT of a task, you can write it down in the bottom right quadrant of the circle to keep track of the timeline.Important things to note about these diagrams are the following:Each task is labeled by either letter or number for easier understandingTasks are not drawn to scale. Each circle and each arrow are the same size and lengthThe starting time (written in the upper right quadrant) is usually marked as 0This critical path has to be followed in order to deliver the wanted results on time, and in case that doesn’t happen certain repercussions have to be taken in order to get the project back on track.Crit ical Path Analysis is also often used in project dedicated industries, but there are ways to use it in manufacturing and such.WHAT IS CRASH DURATION?Sometimes we will have to finish a project way earlier than was anticipated, and way earlier than we thought was possible.Crash duration is a term used to describe the absolutely shortest possible time period when a task needs to be scheduled or finished.It’s usually used to reschedule the path of the project so as to fit the new deadline.However, crash duration or crash action does have a price.When you look at tasks from this point of view, you have to determine what’s important: cost, quality or time?If you find out that quality and time are important to you, you might have to invest more than you initially thought to do so that you can finish the project on time.For example, if you have to finish a task two times earlier than previously imagined, let’s say your timeline narrows from 8 weeks to 4 weeks, you might have to hire t wice the amount of people that you already have to finish that task.That, in turn, doubles the price of the project but can be good in terms of productivity and social facilitation.In other examples, you can see that crash action can completely change the path of the project and change which tasks are listed ac parallel or sequential.We highly recommend using software such as Microsoft Project to make your CPA charts.There are also other programs that you could use.FLEXIBILITYUnfortunately, it’s often that a schedule generated by the critical path method wasn’t used precisely.In addition to this, the whole method of calculating time and establishing deadlines is based on estimations.That being said, humans usually make mistakes when it comes to time estimates, as it all boils down to their current interest. If we make one mistake at the beginning of the path, the whole end result will be different.This is why it’s important to never blindly believe the estimated times and to t ake everything with a pinch of salt. You don’t want to ruin the whole project by overestimating yourself or your team.However, if the estimated times are realistic, there’s no problem.The Critical Path Method is made in such a way that changes won’t really affect it if it’s used properly.Everything can be rescheduled or adjusted in a way that suits you.PERT (PROGRAM EVALUATION AND REVIEW TECHNIQUE)PERT is very similar to the Critical Path Analysis, but the view that it has on estimated times is a bit more doubtful.In order to use it, you have to take in mind the estimated shortest time an activity will take, the most realistic amount of time, and the absolute longest time if a task takes more than what was expected at first.   After that you use the formula below: This helps us determine the actual most likely time that it will take to finish a task.ANALYSIS OF THE METHODThe most important pros and cons of this method can be summed up like this:Pros:Can potentially help you reduce risks and investments that you need to makeMakes you think carefully about the project itselfHelps you realize the important parts of the projectsHelps you determine which tasks are “floats” and where you could transfer resourcesIt contributes both to making decisions and planning the project pathProvides you with a simple view of even the most complicated projectsConnects well to planning, financing and budgetingCons:The Critical Path Methods relies extremely on humans and their estimates â€" which can be very wrongJust because you have a CPA doesn’t mean that your project is going to successful â€" it takes way more than just a good plan to accomplish somethingLast-minute time changes might not really sit well with resources that you had in mindIf there are t oo many activities, the diagrams might become too complicated, and you might have to break the activities down into sub-activitiesEach project is unique in its own way and calls for a different approachIn addition to the statement made previously, we can further argue that the CPA can make a really big difference when it comes to project planning and the sole existence of the plan might help the project come through.By realizing which parts of the plan are important, we can focus on them more and improve them.We hope that this explanation of the CPA makes sense to you and that you will find a good and successful way to use it!

Compare and Contrast Judaism and Buddhism Essay - 647 Words

Compare and Contrast Judaism and Buddhism One of the most early religions are Judaism and Buddhism. Both Judaism and Buddhism have lots of differences beliefs and practices and only few similarities. Judaism was started in 2000 B.C.E, led by Abraham. Buddhism was started in 560 B.C.E, by Siddhartha Gautama. Both religions have different point of view. Buddhism don’t believe in deity and Judaism believe in deity. Buddhism are just followers of Gautama and Judaism believe in Yahweh (the God Abraham believed in). It is important to know all this because it tells us when the religions were started and how different they are from one another. The origin of both Judaism and Buddhism were started in different year and place and†¦show more content†¦Abrahams children brought the religion to Egypt, where they were enslaved for years. They then escaped and migrated to Israel where they live for years. Than the Jews migrated from Israel to southern Europe/North Africa became known as Sephardic (Spanish), and the Je ws who had migrated to Northern and Western Europe and Northern Asia became known as Ashkenazic (German) Jews. They spread Judaism whenever Jews migrated to different regions and reading their holy book Torah and gathered followers. Judaism was able to hold up the religion because exiles had built a distinctive religious community based on their conviction that had a special relationship with Yahweh. Their devotion to Yahweh was expressed in Torah and these enabled Jews to maintain a strong sense of their religion. Jewish monotheism, scriptures, and moral concerns also influenced development of Christianity and Islam. Jews had a really strong believe in Yahweh and Torah. Buddhism became very popular religion in Northern India, merchants who went to trade to different places spread their faith. Buddhism was very popular in China. After fall of Han empire, Buddhism received strong support from nomadic people who migrated to northern China and spread Buddhism and practiced it, and th at’s what they believed for years. In present world people that believe in Buddhism are mostly found in China. The compare and contrast between Judaism and Buddhism tells us how differently theShow MoreRelatedWorld Religions: Comparative Discussions1010 Words   |  4 PagesWorld Religions: Comparative Discussions 1.Compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism on the question of atman. What does each tradition have to say about whether a human being has an individual soul? What is the significance of this soul (or lack thereof) in each tradition? The concept of the self is critical to a great many religious traditions. 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Daoism also known as Taoism, was a philosophical and radical text written by Laozi

Why Absolutely Everybody Is Talking About Ets Essay Samples and What You Need to Do

Why Absolutely Everybody Is Talking About Ets Essay Samples and What You Need to Do The Ets Essay Samples Trap 1 aspect where the capacity of humans may initially be regarded as an instance of deteriorating minds is the usage of web and mobile phones. When you check at two sentences, the outcome isn't ideal for the cause. There are plenty of aspects to consider and distinctive qualities to search for in the most trustworthy speech writing companies. Drawing a conclusion from examinations of unique cannabinoids, such as THC, there are a few genetic factors and individual choices that determine the period of time required for the extracts of cannabis to be eliminated from an individual's system. The Unexpected Truth About Ets Essay Samples The passages will both cover the exact same topic from various perspectives. Read both passages carefully and then compose an essay in which you determine the most crucial concerns about the problem and explain the reason why they are importan t. Each paragraph starts with a new big point that's then explained. There are normally 3 body paragraphs in a persuasive essay, and each one it used to talk about a particular point about the subject. Ets Essay Samples Explained Instead, the custom made speech writing services need to be provided at reasonable and thoroughly very affordable expenses. Our custom writing company is the most dependable company in regards to speech writing services. Even though the response may start to tackle the assigned task, it provides no development. All the customized speech papers provided on any particular field of study need to be superior quality and ready to guarantee total satisfaction. You may find that it is possible to use lots of them for many essays don't let the very first thing that springs to mind box you in. The essay is a 3 part contest on the subject of peaceful civic action and worldwide peacemaking. More creative tips on how to receive your essay graded here. A proc ess essay is considerably a simple sort of paper that you may be requested to write about from time to time. Creating a process analysis essay about Chinese food may be an intriguing project. Using persuasive essay examples is a great way to prepare to compose a successful essay. Persuasive essay topics don't always need to be of a significant nature, you can write about things that are linked in your life. There are several good persuasive essay topics to pick from. What Everybody Dislikes About Ets Essay Samples and Why Other people think that college students should base their selection of an area of study on the access to work in that area. Writing should be a process which helps students figure out their. Students should always question what they're taught rather than accepting it passively. College students should base their selection of an area of study on the access to work in that area. Remember that the sample answers are simply ideas. The test is straightforward and easy only as long as you are getting ready for it several months before. Be sure to spell out the way the answers to the questions would help to value the conclusion. Write a response in which you discuss what questions would want to get answered to be able to choose whether the recommendation will probably have the predicted outcome. The Fight Against Ets Essay Samples Below is a list of the most obvious independent competitions, their deadlines, and where you are able to find out more regarding them. Be free to use different books if my advice doesn't work for you. When you're choosing an essay topic, it's important to choose one which has lots of information and statistics to strengthen your standpoint, nor exaggerate any info that you've chosen to write about. The survey could have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions specializing in river sports. However you get ready for the essays, make sure you at least write a couple of each type before you take the actual GRE. The more information you are able to gather about the subject, the better prepared you'll be for writing your e ssay. The very first issue to do before you get started searching for GRE sample essays is to comprehend what the Analytical Writing test section is about. Not only do you have to read through GRE sample essays, but you must also look for topics on which you are able to write GRE sample essays yourself and have them evaluated. Between grammar and fashion, grammar is quite a bit simpler to improve. If writing essays isn't your forte, then you have to sit up and take stock of the sum of preparation you'll need for getting a great score in the Analytical Writing test section of the GRE. A comparative essay is among the few requirements for students to finish a training course. For more information concerning the different rubrics for the various essay tasks, read our articles about how to compose perfect-scoring GRE Issue and Argument essays.

Saussure and Derrida Free Essays

string(34) " process of aesthetic negativity\." A science that studies the life of signs within society is conceivable; . . . We will write a custom essay sample on Saussure and Derrida or any similar topic only for you Order Now I shall call it semiology (from Greek semeion ‘sign’). Semiology would show what constitutes signs, what laws govern them. Since the science does not yet exist, no one can say what it would be. . . . (Saussure, 1960:16) In this statement Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), the twentieth-century father of the science of signs, presents his theory about language and gives a Greek name. This enterprise has considerably affected most discussions about language and of interpretation since its inauguration. Saussure presents the linguistic system as the place of the sign. Signs don’t exist apart from a system. And it is every time a system of differences. Unavoidably, the theory of signs leads Saussure to the theory of language as system. Later, Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) discovers the logocentric dynamic in Saussure’s new theory. Referring to the father of structural linguistics and semiology, Derrida leads readers beyond Saussure toward a poststructuralist future. It is this logocentrism which, limiting the internal system of language in general by a bad abstraction, prevents Saussure and the majority of his successors from determining fully and explicitly that which is called ‘the integral and concrete object of linguistics† (Cours 23). Both Ferdinand de Saussure – father of 20th-century linguistics and Jacques Derrida – founder of deconstruction made profound impact upon language theory; their ideas laid the basis for considerable development s in linguistics in the 20th century. Saussure on Language In itself, thought is like a swirling cloud, where no shape is intrinsically determinate. No ideas are established in advance, and nothing is distinct, before the introduction of linguistic structure. [†¦] Just as it is impossible to take a pair of scissors and cut one side of paper without at the same time cutting the other, so it is impossible in a language to isolate sound from thought, or thought from sound. To separate the two for theoretical purposes takes us into either pure psychology or pure phonetics, not linguistics. Linguistics, then, operates along this margin, where sound and thought meet. The contact between them gives rise to a form, not a substance (Cours 155-7). This impressive statement from the posthumously published Cours de linguistique generale of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) introduces readers in what was later called as a ‘Copernican revolution’ in Western thought relating to language. Why ‘Copernican’? Because just as Copernicus had asserted that the Earth revolved around the Sun, instead of the Sun revolving around the Earth, Saussure asserts something similar on the subject of language. His theory claimed that languages are the instruments that give human beings opportunity to achieve a rational understanding of the world in which they live. Rather than considering words as mere addition to human comprehension of reality, Saussure considered comprehension of reality as depending substantially upon human use of the verbal signs that form the language people use. Language is not secondary but, quite the reverse, central to human life. As a result, human life is linguistically constructed life. Saussure’s theory goes far beyond the traditional theory of language as something communicated. It also goes beyond Locke’s theory of words as symbols that stand for ideas. Many linguistic philosophers had claimed that without language human reason would be lacking its principal instrument of transformation ideas into words. But Saussure’s theory goes further and deeper. Saussure indicates the phonetic and conceptual aspects of language. Linguistics was for Saussure only one subdivision of a relating to various branches science of signs that he proposed to call ‘semiology’ (semiologie). Each branch of semiology had a theory of the signs which it studied. Consequently, linguistics would need a theory of the linguistic sign, the fundamental unit of langue. Such a theory of language Saussure proceeds to offer. As his paper-cutting analogy shows, he deals with the linguistic sign as a unit determined merely by its form. Its form has two facets, or ‘opposite sides’. The Saussurean technical identifications for these two facets of the sign are signifiant and signifie (the ‘signifying’ plane and the ‘signified’ plane) (Matthews 21). Every langue includes semiological system of bi-planar signs. Each sign has its signifiant and its signifie. Despite the fact that each plane may, for convenience, be analyzed one by one, no linguistic sign can be determined without considering both planes that are equally important. The published in 1916 text of the Cours faithfully reflects Saussure’s theory about language. That text became the subsequent chapter in the history of ideas about language theory. The text became a cornerstone of modern linguistic theory, as well as the public declaration of a more general intellectual movement of the 20th century that had effect on such diverse disciplines as psychology, social anthropology and literary criticism. This all-round movement is today known as ‘structuralism’. The whole question that the Saussurean theory of linguistic structure gives rise is this: ‘If our langue is a structure, then a structure of what exactly? ‘ (Matthews 69) Saussure’s answer to this question is problematic. He identified langue as being at the same time a structure of the mental operations of the human beings, and also a structure of the communicational processes by means of which human beings perform their roles as a cultural constitution. So langue is finally supra-individual in the relation that it is placed in society and depends for its existence on cultural relations; yet it assumes in each individual the power of an internally created system of linguistic signs. More exactly, langue, Saussure claims, ‘is never complete in any single individual, but exists perfectly only in the collectivity’ (Cours 30). Derrida’s Theory of Language The theory of language to which Derrida wants to turn attention is connected with the method linguistic meaning is produced. More exactly, the method what there is of linguistic meaning and nonmeaning in their interconnection is presented. Derrida, in his theory of deconstruction, presents the same structure for both the process of nonaesthetic negativity and the process of aesthetic negativity. You read "Saussure and Derrida" in category "Papers" â€Å"Deconstruction† is connected with an analysis of the theory of language that, similar to the process of aesthetic negativity, discovers within this theory the seeds of its own downfall. Derrida presents a theory of meaning that reflects the idea of the â€Å"iterability† of signs and what he calls their â€Å"supplementary† status. Jonathan Culler summarized Derrida’s central idea in this regard in the following way: Our earlier formula, â€Å"meaning is context-bound, but context is boundless,† helps us recall why both projects fail: meaning is context-bound, so intentions do not in fact suffice to determine meaning; context must be mobilized. But context is boundless, so accounts of context never provide full determinations of meaning. Against any set of formulations, one can imagine further possibilities of context, including the expansion of context produced by reinscription within a context of the description of it (Menke 96). Considering Culler’s interpretation, Derrida’s thesis of the uncircumventable proclivity of language for crisis is based on the difference between what one expects context to offer and what it can really do, when correctly viewed. The nonetheless inevitable recourse to context in the determination of meaning thus results in a crisis for every attempt to comprehend language. What is supposed to generate definitiveness is itself unlimited and thus the source of unmanaged difference. Derrida’s general thesis thus is based on the idea that the understanding of the meaning of signs can only function in a context-bound way. At the same time that contexts cannot define the meaning of signs since they are themselves boundless. The boundlessness that meaning opens itself to in its context-boundedness is in no way eo ipso the boundlessness of a difference that is inconsistent with any identity of meaning (Menke 90). Derrida himself realizes his argument that a â€Å"thousand possibilities will always remain open even if one understands something in this phrase that makes sense† (Menke 96) in an equivocal fashion. On the one hand this idea means: every sign can function in different and boundlessly many contexts. This is precisely what determines the iterability of signs: their reusability in contexts that are not actually those in which they were first placed. The usability of signs in boundlessly many contexts in itself, though, in no way is opposite to the definitiveness of its use and meaning as determined by rules of language. Although one might note, with Derrida, that the deconstruction of logocentrism is a search for â€Å"the other of language† (Derrida 1984, 123), this does not contribute to the statement that deconstruction is originally concerned with a linguistic theory. This is first and foremost the question of the concrete instance, of â€Å"the other, which is beyond language† (Derrida 1984,123). Far, then, from being a philosophy that according to its critics, states that there is nothing beyond language and that one is confined within language, deconstruction can be considered as a response. â€Å"Deconstruction is, in itself, a positive response to an alterity which necessarily calls, summons or motivates it. Deconstruction is therefore vocation – a response to a call† (Derrida 1984,118). Derrida claims that the character of deconstruction is not solely positive, that is not merely an assertion of what already exists and is known, but that it is an assertion of what is wholly other (tout autre) (Derrida 1992, 27). Derrida claims that difference is not something that can appear in logocentric discourse: â€Å"differance is not,† Derrida explains, â€Å"preceded by the originary and indivisible unity of a present possibility that I could reserve†¦. What defers presence, on the contrary, is the very basis on which presence is announced or desired in what represents it, its sign, its trace†¦. Differance is â€Å"that which produces different things, that which differentiates, is the common root of all the oppositional concepts that mark our language†¦ † (Positions, 89). Differance is neither structure nor origin, â€Å"such an alternative itself being an ‘effect’ of differance. † Even so, studying the operations of differance requires that the writer use such concepts as structure and origin and â€Å"borrow the syntaxic and lexical resources of the language of metaphysics† even if the writer wishes to deconstruct this language ( Positions, pp. -10). Derrida indicates that differance is not an origin. Neither language nor writing springs in differance. Instead, Derrida says, differance allows the play of absence and presence, writing and thought, structure and force by means of which the question of origin comes to know itself. Saussure and Derrida Exactly at this point one is faced with one of the most problematic though fascinating dimensions of Derrida’s theory. The problem, stated above, is that, as soon as it is recognized that there are no simple, unsignified, transcendental signifiers that fix and warrant the meaning of the words, that there exist no originals to which the words can be attributed, one comes to conditions where even this acknowledgement itself seems to have become â€Å"floating† (May 125). Derrida resolves this difficult situation with the help of above discussed theory of signs and of language developed by Ferdinand de Saussure. Despite the idea that language is in a fundamental way a naming process, attaching words to things, Saussure had claimed that language is a system, or a structure. In the structure any individual element is meaningless outside the boundaries of that structure. In language, he asserts, there are only differences. But – and here the ideas of Saussure are basic for Derrida’s deconstruction of the metaphysics of presence – these differences are not differences between positive terms, that is between terms that in and by themselves are connected with objects or things outside the system. Accordingly, in language, Saussure indicates, there are only differences without positive terms (May 127). But if this is true, if there are no positive terms, then it means that one can no longer define the differential position of language itself by means of a positive term either. Difference without positive terms indicates that this dimension must itself always be left unperceived for, roughly speaking, it is unconceptualizable. It is a difference that cannot be returned into the order of the same and, through a signifier, given individual characteristics. This suggests, then, that â€Å"the play of difference, which, as Saussure reminded us, is the condition for the possibility and functioning of every sign, is in itself a silent play† (Derrida 1982, 5). If, however, one wants to articulate that – one must first of all admit that there can never be a word or a concept to correspond to this silent play. One must also admit that this play cannot merely be exposed, for â€Å"one can expose only that which at a certain moment can become present† (Derrida 1982, 5). And one must ultimately admit that there is nowhere to begin, â€Å"for what is put into question is precisely the quest for a rightful beginning, an absolute point of departure† (Derrida 1982, 6). All this, and more, is acknowledged in the new â€Å"word† or â€Å"concept† – â€Å"which is neither a word nor a concept† (Derrida 1982:7) but a â€Å"neographism† (Derrida 1982:13) – of differance. The motive why Derrida uses â€Å"what is written as difference† (Derrida 1982, 11) is not difficult to understand. For although â€Å"the play of difference† (Derrida 1982, 11) is introduced as something for the opportunity of all conceptuality, one should not make the mistaken opinion to think that one has finally discovered the real origin of conceptuality. That, expressing the same idea but differently, this play is a playful but despite that transcendental signified. Strictly speaking, in order to avoid this mistake one must acknowledge that the differences that make up the play of difference â€Å"are themselves effects† (Derrida 1982:11, original emphasis). As Derrida claims, What is written as differance, then, will be the playing movement that â€Å"produces† – by means of something that is not simply an activity – these differences, these effects of difference. This does not mean that the differance that produces differences is somehow before them, in a simple and unmodified – in-different – present. Differance is the non-full, non-simple, structured and differentiating origin of differences. Thus, the name â€Å"origin† no longer suits. (Derrida 1982, 11) Although differance is straightforwardly connected with a structuralist idea of meaning – that Derrida recognizes when he indicates that he sees no reason to question the truth of what Saussure proposes (Derrida 1976, 39), there is one important aspect in which differance is outside the scope of structuralism. The point here is that Derrida clearly refuses to accept the primary character of structure itself. Structure is not a transcendental represented (for which reason Derrida notes that he does not want to question the truth of what Saussure proposes â€Å"on the level on which he says it [original emphasis] â€Å"but does want to question the logocentric way in which Saussure says it (Derrida 1976, 39). Structure is even less the effect of an original presence coming before and causing it (Derrida 1978, 278-9). What differance tries to express is the differential character of the â€Å"origin† of structure itself. It is in this relation that one might observe that Derrida’s writing is poststructural. To some degree, surely, differance appears when Saussure’s examination of how language operates. â€Å"In language,† Saussure indicates, â€Å"there are only differences. Even more important: a difference generally implies positive terms between which the difference is set up; but in language there are only differences without positive terms† (Positions, 120). Derrida’s differance in an obvious manner is like Saussure’s differences. At the end of Positions, for instance, Derrida specifies â€Å"as differance the movement according to which language, or any other code, any system of reference in general, is constituted ‘historically’ as a tissue of differences† (Positions, 104). But Derrida makes an effort to go further. Whereas Saussure considers the differences in a semiotic system as the set of constantly changing relationships the speaker manipulates in order to produce meaning, Derrida defines differance as the boundless disappearance of either an origin of or a final place for meaning. When Derrida describes differance, he always does so by examining what it is not. Rather than considering language in the traditional way, as a set of external signs of already farmed internal thoughts (characteristic of â€Å"logocentrism†), Derrida, like Saussure and modern linguistics, thinks of users of language producing coded, that is, repeatable, marks or traces that originate from within certain unities of meaning as â€Å"effects† of the code. These traces are not fundamentally meaningful in themselves but â€Å"arbitrary† and â€Å"conventional† (Menke 96). Thus there is no difference whether one says â€Å"rex,† â€Å"rol,† or â€Å"king† so long as â€Å"we† – those who share these conventions – can tell the difference between rex and lex, roi and loi, and king and sing (Menke 96). The meaning – is a process of the difference, of the distance or the â€Å"spacing† between the traces, what is called, in an absolutely serious way, the â€Å"play† of differences or traces. By the â€Å"play of differences† Derrida defines the differential spacing, the recognized distance, the recognized (heard, seen) intervals between traces first analyzed in structural linguistics (Menke 97). Conclusion A comprehensive historical examination of deconstruction would necessarily include numerous precursors and forerunners: Freud, Hegel, Heidegger, Husserl, Lacan, Levi-Strauss, Marx, Nietzsche, Saussure. . . . However, it can be said that the history of contemporary deconstruction begins with Jacques Derrida De la grammatologie (1967) that opens with a critique of Saussure. Saussure’s theory of language is here framed within a metaphysical system that extends from Plato and Aristotle to Heidegger and Levi-Strauss. By Derrida this theory is called â€Å"logocentric. † Saussure marks a concluding stage of the long logocentric epoch. Derrida indicates that logocentrism imposed itself upon the world and controlled the theory of language. Derrida’s contributions laid ground for future epoch. In the role of prophet, Derrida concludes his â€Å"Exergue† indicating: â€Å"The future can only be anticipated in the form of an absolute danger. It is that which breaks absolutely with constituted normality and can only be proclaimed, presented, as a sort of monstrosity. For that future world and for that within it which will have put into question the values of sign, word, and writing, for that which guides our future anterior, there is as yet no exergue† (Derrida 1967). How to cite Saussure and Derrida, Papers

Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names Essay Example

Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names Essay INTRODUCTION Phraseology is a study of set or fixed expressions, such as idioms, phrasal verbs, and other types of multi-word lexical units, in which the component parts of the expression take on a meaning more specific than or otherwise not predictable from the sum of their meanings when used independently. The classification of phraseological units can be different. According to Vinogradov, there are phraseological combinations, unities and fussions. The Koonin’s classification is the latest outstanding achievement in the Russian theory of phraseology. The classification is based on the combined structural semantic principle and it also considers the quotient of stability of phraseological units. It is represented by nominative phraseological units, nominative communicative phraseological units, phraseological units which are neither nominative nor communicative include interjectional word-groups and communicative phraseological units. My research is related to the phraseological units with zoonimical component and their semantic structure. Zoonims, that are used in our language, are really meaningful, they are directed to the allegorical characteristic, probably metaphorical and stylistically emphasized. The aim of this research is to explore deeper the given phraseological units. I have set such objectives: 1) to explicate a concept of phraseological unit with zoonimical component and to reveal the regularities of their usage; 2) to analyse their semantic and structural peculiarities. The methods investigation research strategy are as followed: 1) method of the system analysis, that is a study of the subject of the investigation as a totality of elements, that create a system; 2) descriptive method, that gives the full description of phraseological units. The object of my investigation is the phraseological units with zoonimical component. The subject is the expressive means of Modern English phraseological units. These means are the morphological, syntactical, phonetic and lexical peculiarities of these phraseological units. We will write a custom essay sample on Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Theoretical and practical value of the research consists in that fact, that nowadays there is a small amount of investigations about phraseological units with zoonimical component. Besides, the researches in the area of phraseology have become popular in the last decades. The results of this study are also important for the translation, as the translator should know the peculiarities of different idioms, in this case with zoonimical component. Composition of the research paper: The research consists of the introduction, two chapters, that are theoretical and practical parts, the conclusion and the bibliography.

Free Essays on Promotion Project

Promotion Project The company I chose to do my project on is Meals on Wheels of Solano County (MOW). There are hundreds on MOW’s around the country including several in California. I chose Solano County because I worked for them for two years and I had an inside look on how things operated there. Meals on Wheels of Solano County, directed my Michael Garver, is a non-profit organization who provides lunch-time meals seven days a week to the homebound elderly ages sixty and above and the disabled. They have been in business since 1977. For fourteen years, they only served Vallejo and Fairfield, but in 2001 they branched out to also serve Suisun, Dixon, Vacaville and Rio Vista. MOW’s sole purpose for existing is to allow the elderly and disables who are unable to prepare meals for themselves to stay in their homes longer without being institutionalized. They do this by allowing them to have a nutritionally balanced meal everyday. The program also helps the homebound because the majority of the people being served do not get human contact on a daily basis, if at all. The program allows them to see friendly faces everyday when their meals are delivered. Meals on Wheels provides nutritional meals that are made fresh everyday and then frozen. The meals are delivered Monday through Friday between 12:00pm – 2:00pm. For those who do not have a microwave or oven, their meals are brought to them already heated. There are no deliveries made on the weekends, but if requested two extra meals are delivered on Friday for Saturday and Sunday. There are no set charges for the meals, but donations from clients are welcome. No one will be turned down for the inability to pay for their meals. MOW of Solano County currently has 600 clients which 140 of them are from senior centers. They also have 150 volunteers to deliver the meals. Meals on Wheels is funded 65% by the government and the other 35% must be raised from the commun... Free Essays on Promotion Project Free Essays on Promotion Project Promotion Project The company I chose to do my project on is Meals on Wheels of Solano County (MOW). There are hundreds on MOW’s around the country including several in California. I chose Solano County because I worked for them for two years and I had an inside look on how things operated there. Meals on Wheels of Solano County, directed my Michael Garver, is a non-profit organization who provides lunch-time meals seven days a week to the homebound elderly ages sixty and above and the disabled. They have been in business since 1977. For fourteen years, they only served Vallejo and Fairfield, but in 2001 they branched out to also serve Suisun, Dixon, Vacaville and Rio Vista. MOW’s sole purpose for existing is to allow the elderly and disables who are unable to prepare meals for themselves to stay in their homes longer without being institutionalized. They do this by allowing them to have a nutritionally balanced meal everyday. The program also helps the homebound because the majority of the people being served do not get human contact on a daily basis, if at all. The program allows them to see friendly faces everyday when their meals are delivered. Meals on Wheels provides nutritional meals that are made fresh everyday and then frozen. The meals are delivered Monday through Friday between 12:00pm – 2:00pm. For those who do not have a microwave or oven, their meals are brought to them already heated. There are no deliveries made on the weekends, but if requested two extra meals are delivered on Friday for Saturday and Sunday. There are no set charges for the meals, but donations from clients are welcome. No one will be turned down for the inability to pay for their meals. MOW of Solano County currently has 600 clients which 140 of them are from senior centers. They also have 150 volunteers to deliver the meals. Meals on Wheels is funded 65% by the government and the other 35% must be raised from the commun...

Essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight essay: This essay discusses in depth the personality of Sir Gawain as depicted by the author Marie Borroff in her book ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. By elucidating the outstanding traits of Sir Gawain, we shall show how rightly he has been claimed as the protagonist of the story, and how prominent qualities in his character make him so distinguishing from the rest of contemporary knights of King Arthur’s round table. Sir Gawain After a close study of the book ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ the traits of Sir Gawain as mentioned in the ensuing paragraphs make him the most prominent of all the knights in the Camelot of King Arthur. Faith in God and Religious Devotion The theme of religion can be well drawn from words of Gawain about his encounters depicting him as a religious man, a religious man who puts his faith in God’s care and acknowledges that he is protected. The words of the knight are filled with vigor in respect to the fate ahead of him. The fact was that the blow dealt to the green knight would be reciprocated to the participant in the game. Gawain struck the knights head off, and this was the fate he was entitled to face though with an assurance of regeneration after certain duration and this was a source of motivation for Gawain’s action. Chivalry Loyalty Gawain is a knight; he is expected to protect the king from all harm regardless of the situation. The king endangers his life by accepting to participate in a dangerous game. Sir Gawain steps up to protect the king as expected. This is the theme of chivalry used in the poem to ensure relational poetry. In the Lords castle, Gawain refuses temptations from the Host’s wife. This shows Gawain is a man of honor and respects His Lords hospitality. Accepting such advances would discredit his honor and disrespect his host. The Chivalry theme is conflicted when Gawain finds himself in a dilemma. The advances from the Lady of the house and respect for the Lord put him in a difficult position. Being a knight of the round table, ideals of chivalry are upheld with the brothers of the round table offering to share it on the burden carried by Gawain. Chivalry refers to the individuals actions in relation to the societal acceptable behavior. The knight behaves according to his expectation ensuring a balance in responsibility and expectations in the community. The theme ensures continuity in the poem, and understanding of the hierarchical relationship issues in the society. Thus the occasions on which Sir Gawain has been shown to display his loyalty and chivalry were the moments when King Arthur had accepted the challenge of the Green Knight all by himself and was about to pick the ax to behead the Green Knight when suddenly Sir Gawain leapt to replace his master and took the challenge himself. He displayed tremendous loyalty in sacrificing his life just to save the King Arthur who was also Gawain’s Uncle in blood relation. Keeping Promises Gawain has been depicted as a man of words, a person who always kept his promises. Gawain fulfilled the promise which he made with the Green Knight when the former beheaded the latter with ax. Another instance proving Gawain to be a man of words is that he responded truthfully to his host by then known to him only by the name Bertilak, the lord of the castle where he stayed. He had made promise with his host to return to him what he gets each day, so he gave him the number of kisses in return, which the wife of Bertilak gave to Gawain each day. Chastity Integrity Gawain is essentially an honorable knight who always followed the path of truth not fearing for the consequences. The fact that Gawain did not respond to the sexual and seductive attempts on him from the wife of his host proves that he cared much for his honor and is not essentially a man of lose character. When once he made a mistake by accepting the green silk girdle from his hostess as a token of magical power to avert death, he felt guilty of committing such a low act that was not worthy of a religious and honorable man. Then he tied the green silk girdle around his arm so as to display his courage of convictions and his guts to admit his own fault. Profound Insight into the Realities of Life Sir Gawain has been depicted in the book as a knight who has much insight into the hard facts of life. He knows deeply how the varying circumstances in man’s life may affect his temperament and mood. So he believes that one must not continue to delve in the present situation though it could be at the height of joy, ecstasy or merriment. He knows that there is other side of the picture which is associated with adversaries. Gawain displays this insight when during the most rejoicing moments in the court of King Arthur on the occasion of New Year’s Eve while all are busy enjoying the feast, it is states in words quote: Gawain was glad to begin those games in hall, But if the end be harsher, hold it no wonder, For though men are merry in mind after much drink, A year passes apace, and proves ever new: First things and final conform but seldom. (495–499) And it happened as it was perceived in the above passage. Exactly a year after Gawain had to set out in search of the Green Chapel facing a lot of hardships and adversaries on the way and during the most hazardous journey. He was consumed with serious thoughts and surrounded all over by worries and about his fate prophesized by the Green Knight one year before when Gawain chopped off his head with ax. CONCLUSION It is said very rightly that both virtues and evils speak for themselves. A man with good nature and divinely qualities will exhibit actions that are virtuous and honest, while a person afflicted with evil elements will exhibit actions that are wicked and nasty. Same is the case with Sir Gawain who is essentially a man of divinely attributes as depicted in the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. And thus Sir Gawain always acted in the right direction and followed the path of integrity, loyalty, truthfulness, faith in God and Chivalry. At you can easily buy essays from experts on this topic. All custom essays are written by certified academic writers. Non-plagiarized essays with timely delivery.

Case Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Case Summary - Essay Example Through it has quick response to emerging issues the WFP has been in the frontline in offering food to those in need. Offering of nutritional foods aims at helping in solving the random cases of malnutrition diseases globally. This mainly solves the rampant cases among children. Most of the children conceived in most developing countries are often characterized by malnutrition diseases such as rickets and marasmus among others. The program aims at reducing such cases by providing the proper diet for the affected children, as well as for expectant and lactating mothers to help in curbing these diseases. However, the program has been the fastest respondent of natural calamities on their occurrence. During the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the WFP responded quickly to the problem and helped in providing food to the residents. They provided about 9,000 metric tons of food to about 2,000 civilians. This is among the many great achievements of the WFP in serving the world by providing them with food. Despites the WFP’s great undertakings, there are instances where during their service delivery; they are faced with dangerous attacks from their rivals thus affecting their service to the affected community. However, the WFP remains committed to its service delivery as long as there are those in need of their generosity. In regard to professionalism, professional ethics is what brings about the accountability among the staff members. Through the implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), the program has promoted accountability among the staff members. The international financial standards help in ensuring accountability among the staffs. They also help in the allocation of funds and their respective accountability. Through the WFP’s generosity, there are numerous beneficiaries of the program’s project of the food delivery. There are beneficiaries who benefit from the WFP through their emergency response

Cultural Transformation in Mississippi Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cultural Transformation in Mississippi - Article Example By the turn of the 19th century, the Mississippi was an Indian location. Indians were the most numerous residents. Indian villages also controlled passage down the river. Indian villages were governed by chiefs. Villages such as of those of Choctaw were autonomous and had a common language (Bradley 18). The Chickasaw had a great Chief who was consulted if community issues arose, or there were disciplinary problems that had to be met. The Indians had a unique way of designing their buildings, in addition to the mode of dressing (Bradley 18). Few of them still based their residences on molds, which had been a way of life since medieval times. Of the few white residents residing then, most were of French ancestry. Hence, cultural behavior and daily rules were derived from these two groups. Besides the particulars of French and Indian cultures, it is imperative to note that the Mississippi was a frontier. The culture of the region reflected a locality where people of diverse backgrounds collided. It also reflected a place where the systems of power and governance were uncertain. Colonial Mississippi was characterized by marked cultural differences from each kind of population. The cultural challenge during these times was to make the diverse population into a single nation. As migration mixed the population, and an improvement in communication and transportation technologies decreased the geographical barriers, the Mississippi culture began to homogenize during colonial times (Morris 22). New residents of Mississippi developed a cultural identity that was different from their ancestral lands. Attitudes towards social class, religion, manners, and slavery combined to make a distinct western culture and character (Ownby 38). The energy that drove cultural evolution in the region can be broadly categorized into two sources: local and global (Morris 6). One of the forces radiated from within the locale, where people confronted and continually changed their local enviro nment. The other force was as a resultant of the wide and always changing world. The culture of Mississippi was also a direct result of broader diplomatic and commercial factors (Wyne 4). In spite of everything, culture and commerce worked together to shape how residents negotiated with each other. Meanwhile, particular frontier circumstances were preserved due to the lack of clear resolutions in the struggle between the US, Europeans, and Indians for the control of Mississippi. In the 1820s, soil exhaustion and economic problems in the East forced tens of thousands of white Americans to seek fortune in the West (Wyne 3). The Mississippi region was deemed to offer a promised land of fertile, cheap land, where the river itself assured of speedy connections to the markets. By 1850, the Mississippi river was a thoroughfare through the increasing different cultures of South and North. The culture of lower Mississippi was rested on slavery (Ownby 54).  

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