The advantages and disadvantages of the country’s hospitality

Before the dawn of civilization, man has traveled far for places unknown to him. Initially the traveling was only done with a purpose of food and shelter, but as time passed by and as we became more and more developed, the need to go to a place without any motive, without any intention started eloping in our minds. This motive free traveling came under the name of â€Å"tourism†.New Zealand is a country that is famous for its breath taking views and is quiet a hotspot for tourists, who want to come to a place which has all in store for people of all ages and backgrounds. Slowly but surely, New Zealand has developed a place for itself in the world’s top destination places, and people from almost everywhere in the world flock to this country to experience its natural beauty and resources. The tourism in New Zealand is bringing in good inflow of foreign exchange to the country and is very helpful to the economy.Even though the main economy of the country is through agricul ture and industrial inputs, tourism has craved a niche in the country, so much that it is estimated that the country’s 10% population is working for the hospitality sector. Increase in tourism, is developing the place more and more, and there can be seen a substantial rise of hotels in the country. International franchises of hotels are keen in opening up more and more of their hotels in the country to suffice the tourist onslaught of the country. The major advantage of New Zealand’s tourism is to the country’s financial background itself, and the major advantages of it can be assessed by the following:‘Tourism is important for New Zealand’s future economic growth. It contributes $18.6 billion to the economy each year — 9% of New Zealand’s gross domestic product. It is also an important source of employment. One in every10 New Zealanders works in the tourism industry. Tourism is our largest export sector. International visitors contrib ute $8.3 billion to the economy each year, which accounts for 19.2% of export earnings. During 2006, 2.4 million international visitors arrived in New Zealand’(Courtesy: ‘New Zealand’s Tourism Strategy 2015’. Retrieved on April 10, 2008, from site http://www.nztourismstrategy.com/files/NZTS2015%20final.pdf)Tourism no doubt is very advantageous for New Zealand, as apart from pumping in money, is reviving the pride and refurnishing small town of the country, as now they have become major tourist hotspots. Tourism also is making the government revamp places that include parks and museums, and in one way local heritage is being preserved and well maintained because of tourism.  The major disadvantage that can be considered is because of this high amount of tourism is that the hotels that are coming up every year, are causing damage to the flora of the country. The country in order to suffice high expectations is experiencing rapid changes in climate due to g lobal warming. Also the high expectations are taking its toll on the labor market, and the hospitality industry is currently facing labor shortage and skilled manpower shortage at the moment. Migrating people from just for the sake of hospitality sector might sound beneficial, but then New Zealand which is currently out of migration woes, might start suffering too, like other western countries. Also to motivate high amount of tourism is to relax visa procedure for entering the country, which is the biggest disadvantage as it is open invitation for people trying to become illegal immigrants and even maybe to terrorism. The country has it advantages and disadvantages for hospitality, but one thing that is for sure is the country will always thrive on tourism.Reference:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘New Zealand’s Tourism Strategy 2015’. http://www.nztourismstrategy.com/files/NZTS2015%20final.pdf2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.tianz.org.nz/Files/TourismHospWkbkLR.pdf.3)  Ã‚   http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200503/146119096.pdf

Difficult position Essay

The play the crucible was written by Arthur Miller .The play was based on a hurricane of mass hysteria .The crucible has been adapted from true life events .The play shows the cry of witchery evolve and grow out of hand .Written by Arthur Miller based on personal problems which have effected his life .The McCarthy trials in which he found himself in an very difficult position, but also very similar to those of Massachusetts in Salem in the 17th Century. Miller used this play to show opposition to McCarthyism in which it was seen as Un- American to be a communist. Anti-communism was strongly encouraged .Thousands of Americans were accused and they were aggressively investigated and if you wanted to prevent yourself from paying a heavy fine you had to point the finger at someone else, he described this as â€Å"Quite crazy†. He was really interested by the strong correlation with Communism and the Salem witch hunt . And even went to Salem Massachusetts to research the witch trials. Arthur Miller in the play shows the significance of ones name and the value within it.  Abigail Williams a small girl created madness falsely accusing innocent people to seek revenge .She felt once Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s wife was dead she will have him all to herself she believes that John Proctor and her haven’t finished yet, from their previous affair .Accusing John Proctor of â€Å"Putting knowledge in her heart†. Accusing him of destroying her innocence by taking her virginity .So for a time when the church is suppose to be a big part in everybody’s life he knows it wont look good on his behalf .She has malicious intentions, initially intending to get Elizabeth killed .It started as dancing in the woods and drinking blood which was a supposed ritual. She had a real plan for everything to go haywire. John Proctor’s guilt over affair with Abigail makes his position uneasy because he is guilty of the very hypocrisy he scorns in others. It silences his voice to speak out. This adds tension because he’s craving to testify against Abigail. But initially doesn’t this also adds dramatic irony.  Giles Corey is very fearful and died due to this; a lot of tension was caused by this. Tension is caused by him not confessing or accusing someone else of witchery consequently encountering a slow and painful death. Forced to plead guilty by pressing heavy stones on his chest he died by being crushed under the weight of these many stones .A slow painful death made it aching to read about and curious to find out what was going to happen next. Stage direction enabled us to visualise what was going on, on the stage. As it amplified the scenes and tension was added because the bigger and better the stage direction meant the scene was more detailed.  Act 4 began with the isolation of a jail in Salem the stage direction tells us that Sarah Good and Tituba both in rags tells us they have been ill treated. There in darkness and light only seeps through the bars creating a depressing, sorrowful and gloomy atmosphere. Making the unavoidable more daunting .The iron bars symbolises that they are prisoners locked away from their basic human rights and the world. Dramatic tension is caused by the setting of the scene because their probably yearning to see the outside world. Instant pity is felt for them they have had to suffer the excruciating pain of being locked up for a long period of time. For a crime they did not commit.  Parris is fearful of the situation he finds a dagger outside the door. This adds suspense and tension it left the audience wandering for his future existence. It could have been done simply but it was really dramatic because the audience are clueless about who put it their and why. It could have been done simply. But the dagger in the door made it more dramatic and the scene was dark which made it more spooky it was a clear threat and meant his life was at stake. Abigail’s unexpected disappearance because of her unachievable goal puts more pressure on Parris. As he is also feeling gradually more isolated in the village. His congregation has also dropped in size .This heightens the tension because if Abigail’s disappeared without a trace her doings and the doings of the other girls who cried witchcraft will be questioned. Abigail does not want her name to be soiled it’s so important to her she is seen as a good girl â€Å"My name is good in the village I will now have my name soiled†. So she might have her doubts about everyone finding out the whole thing was a lie so the best thing to do was to runaway. Parris is also worried that he stole all his money  To change Proctors mind to confessing to witchcraft in order to save his life Elizabeth is required. She is heavily pregnant but she agrees but makes no promises Hale asks her to make him confess to witchcraft.

Sex/Gender and Personal Care Products

Sex/Gender and Personal Care Products For this application paper, I chose to write about personal care products as they relate to sex and gender. I chose this topic because I think that separate personal care products for men and women are, for the most part, ridiculous, and I also wanted to see what sort of differences there were between the two genders’ answers to the questions. The people I had complete the survey were around the same age, which could have affected the results, but I found that women used about 4-6 more products than the men, on average.However, the women had a significantly higher proportion of products used to maintain appearance. One of the men reported that he did not use any products only to improve appearance, while all of the women listed at least 3 products for appearance purposes only. I found the most interesting responses on the question that asked which 5 products the person would choose if they could only use 5 products for an entire week. All of the men included toothpaste, shampoo, soap/bodywash, and deodorant.One of the three men included hair gel, but he was the only man who included anything in the list of 5 items that was exclusively for appearance purposes. On the contrary, all of the women included body lotion and body soap, but one woman wrote that she would choose mascara and lip balm and not toothpaste. An interesting observation that I made was that the men had trouble understanding the difference between which products were for good health/hygiene and which were for appearance.None of the women asked me questions about those two questions on the survey, but all of the men did. While all of the women assumed that the two categories were mutually exclusive, none of the men did, and answered the two questions with very similar numbers (for example, the health/hygiene proportion would be 9/10, and appearance proportion would be 10/10). The women had more even proportions, with about 1:3 to 1:1 appearance:hygiene ratio. My findings mostly support society’s views on gender differences, that the genders are very different and should be separated distinctly.With personal care products, society is conflating sex and gender. People claim that it’s â€Å"natural† for people to use products designed for their gender. However, sex is biological, but gender is socially constructed. Therefore, the personal care product companies are catering to social constructions. It is obvious that they are more concerned with social constructions than biological differences with a quick glance strolling down the aisles at a pharmacy. Products for men, for example, Dove Men + Care, use colors like gray and blue.Dove products targeted at women feature shades of pink and fruity scents. While gray and blue are associated with masculinity and pink with femininity, these are not inborn, biological differences. They are socially constructed ideas about what should be associated with each gender. With the weak and easily disproved argument that personal care products are rooted in biological differences tossed aside, it is easy to see many issues with gendering personal care products.First of all, women have many more personal care products than men. With the exception of feminine hygiene products like tampons and sanitary pads, women and men, for the sake of hygiene, have very similar personal care product needs. Both use soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and maybe lotion and shaving products. However, while men’s products are often streamlined, like 2-in-1, women have a whole array of products targeted specifically toward them that do not have a male equivalent.For example, anti-aging cream, makeup, eye cream, and other products designed to improve appearance are targeted at women, which sends the message that women need to worry about their appearances much more than men. Furthermore, not only are women encouraged to use more products than men, they are often more expensive. I examined the differences between men’s and women’s deodorants on drugstore. com and found that 2. 6 oz of Degree for Women deodorant/antiperspirant is $4. 99, while 2. 7 oz of Degree for Men is $3. 49. Not only do women have more products targeted at them, they are more expensive.Another thing I noticed in the deodorant section was that while most men’s deodorants come in both an antiperspirant and non-antiperspirant variety, almost all of the women’s deodorants contained antiperspirants. This sends a message that sweating, a basic and necessary biological function that all humans do, is okay for men, but not for women. The findings were mostly what I expected. I did expect the women to report using a higher number of personal care products, but I also know that they most likely forgot about some things that they use on a regular basis; however, the men could have also forgotten some things that they use.

The Case of Partnership Law Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The of Partnership Law - Case Study Example The case context clearly indicates that all the four participants equally contributed to boat rentals and other associated costs for the treasure search. Hence, evidently, there was a partnership agreement between the four participants. 2. As per the basic provisions of the partnership, there should be at least two members for the formation of a valid partnership. Each member has a contractual obligation to participate in the management and a legal right not to be expelled by other partners. According to Schneeman (2010, p. 69), each partner has the right to get an equal share of the profit, which arises out of the partnership. Partnership law clearly states partners’ rights and obligations incidental to the partnership. In the given case, all the four participants have the right to express their opinion about matters connected with the treasure search. Similarly, each participant is entitled to obtain a one-fourth share of the treasure if it is discovered. At the same time, a ll of them have the legal obligation to bear an equal share of expenses also. 3. According to Canadian Partnership Act Part 2(17), â€Å"an admission or representation made by any partner concerning the partnership affairs, if made in the ordinary course of its business, is evidence against the firm† (Partnership Act). From the case study, it is clear that all the four partners have equally devoted their time, money, and effort to the venture until a certain point of partnership. In addition, none of the partners neither has retired nor was expelled from the partnership. However, three of them were unable to join the venture in certain weeks due to personal affairs. Hence, the judge must consider that all the four parties are still legally under the partnership agreement. Before making any decision regarding their rights and obligations relating to this partnership, the judge should also ensure that all the four participants have carried out their duties and responsibilities properly and timely. 4. As per the partnership laws in practice, the amount of the treasure must be distributed among the four partners on the basis of their contribution to the venture if there is a claim for entitlement to the Twenty Million Dollars. In other words, all the three members are entitled to obtain a certain portion of the treasure amount as the partnership has not been dissolved yet. 5. Allen’s friend who participated as the buddy at the time of the discovery cannot be recognized as a partner. It is clear that Allen’s friend joined the venture at the last moment when the partnership was broken. There were no oral or conduct agreement or written document between Allen and his friend; in contrast, Allen requested the service of his friend as a helper. Here, Allen’s friend is entitled to get remuneration but not share of the profit and the amount of remuneration is left to Allen’s discretion. 6. Although all the four partners could not continu e research due to their personal reasons, they are still parties to the partnership agreement and had incurred expenses at various stages of the research. However, it is precise that each partner had incurred various amounts of expenses.

Case 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 1 - Assignment Example Social technologies in particular, can be associated to social networking such as Facebook and Twitter; social media like YouTube, Scribd, and Flickr; and social relevance that covers all the methods of expressing opinion through online. These technologies substantially contribute to all aspects of an organization especially in terms of generating revenue into a much broader scope of marketing. The most significant point to consider, however, is that social technologies play a crucial role in creating a continuous conversation and relationship with the company’s members, as well as in achieving growth and development. Thus, it is essential to establish an organizational voice to promote the marketing environment of a business, and such voice can be done by utilizing various tools in social technologies and other channels including the print media. In doing so, this would lead to building a good reputation for a company to transact business with the experts in an industry. More over, it is strongly advisable to use crowd-sourcing and provide more sources of information to maximize Internet readership, which allows the company to have less expenses but more creativity. Social technology, therefore, presents an opportunity of changing a chaotic business environment into one that can be easily managed. CRITIQUE â€Å"Social Technology: The Next Frontier† - Scott Klososky In this modern age, social technologies are highly influential in people’s daily lives and in the ongoing operations of the business environment. With the evolution of the Internet, the scientific innovation of products and services has offered much convenience and reliability in responding to the needs and demands of the present society. Indeed, the tools used in social technologies are one of the most innovative applications of doing things that are beyond human capacity to some extent. Not only do individuals are able to maximize the benefits of these technologies but more es pecially for businesses that allow them to raise their revenues and improve their productivity, efficiency, and creativity. In fact, the dominance of social media has affected most organizations to establish good relations and constant communication with its surrounding community, as well as with its members. Klososky (2012, p. 50) noted that as the massive influence of the social tool box is rapidly increasing, the relevance of various applications in social technologies has prompted the majority of learning how to use these tools. As for the business and its competitors, they will use their knowledge of these tools for their own advantage and for the benefit of sustaining their strategic position in the market. Given that the social media is spanning across diverse market groups, any corporate organization should be able to cope with the current trend in technology. In one way or another, they can incorporate the use of social media and networking in their marketing strategies if sustainability and building a good reputation are deemed valuable. As an opinion, social media is becoming so important mainly because the frequent usage of the internet has created a well-structured functioning in the delivery of products and services to a number of individuals and organizations. According to Rand (2013, cited in Goudreau 2013), social media are highly important to have a

Business report of Tesco Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business report of Tesco - Coursework Example Murcott (2009, pg 244)claims that the magnitude of the European typical market holds numerous prospects for companies wishing to upsurge their production, by making operational usage of markets of scale. The European Union’s food industry should also look to arouse innovation and improve new products so as to thrive. All this should be carried out in a way that is courteous for the environment and which warranties safe access to farming raw materials. Boyle (2007, pg 5) TESCO is one of the companies in the European market. It is a British firm which is headquartered in England, United Kingdom, where it operates around 1,878 outlets, and also operates stores in Asia and Europe. Tesco.com is an entirely owned subordinate offering a broad online service, inclusive of tesco.net and tescodirect.com. The firm offers a wide variety of both offline and online personal financial services. Earle, (1997, pg 168) argues that, there exist other major enterprises in the food industry located in Europe. These companies include: Kerry Group; Bakkavor; Unilever; Nestle; Barilla Group; Danone; Yoplait; Paulig; Parmalat; Ferrero SpA; and Swisslion group. To begin with, Kerry Group is a public food company that has its headquarters in Ireland. It operates in 24 republics across five continents. It has a workforce of 36000 people in its technical, sales and manufacturing centres all over the world. Additionally, it supplies 15000 and above flavour products, food ingredients and food to consumers in more than 140 nations globally. Secondly, we have the Bakkavor; its headquarters are in London, England. However, it is dominant in the United Kingdom than other places. It is specialising in freshly prepared foodstuffs and has thirty-two industrial facilities in the United Kingdom, over twenty sites in five other nations. It has a workforce of 18,000 with a turnover of 1.6 billion po unds. Rayner et al. (2008, pg 150) says that, another

Physical and environmental Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Physical and environmental - Essay Example There is also luxurious, spacious club house structure with open terraces and breathtaking news. All these features a snack bar, a lounge bar, a pool with a spectacular view. All these make Mexico a country with good facilities for storage and transportation of materials (Schmidt, 270). Mexico’s Riviera Maya golf club is an impressive architectural design with easy access to technology (Kenna, Michael and James, 179). It is designed with a magnificent view and fixed with the latest technology which includes the use of GPS which makes it easy to use when calculating distances and score. It also makes it possible for participants to request any additional services during the game. Kenna, Michael and James (221). The physical environment in the city of Machu Picchu in Mexico was constructed with a view down to two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its peak. There is an ample supply of water, enough land and food. This provides a good environment for the game as well as energy, space required for the recruitment and training of more players (Schmidt, 311). Therefore Mexico provides a good country for the marketing of the golf club products since it has all the technicality required, environment and facilities required for the game. Kenna, Michael, and James, Snow. "The US golf association turfgrass and environmental research program overview." ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES. Vol. 743. Washington, DC; American Chemical Society; 1999, 2000.

Should Feminists Be Against Pornography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Should Feminists Be Against Pornography - Essay Example Sometimes, it has also been the issue of equal rights between male and female and who is worth to have more power. The various issues arising out of feminism have also invited many theorists as well as political reformers formulate theories related to feminism which has been eventually linked up with politics. The research will investigate the different perspectives and issues related to pornography a subject closely linked with feminism, and whether the two go hand in hand. The issue of feminism is sometimes seen to be taking a liberal approach, which is again recognized as liberal feminism. Liberalism essentially refers to a differentiation of the body from the mind, overhauling the role of mind in defining human nature, while denying the importance of bodies. Precisely because it denies any connection between mind and body, liberalism assumes too many similarities between men and women. (Ring, 1991, 28) Women and men are no different from each other, and are treated equal irrespec tive of having two different bodies is what the liberalists believe. This ideology also has resemblances with Marxist theorists. According to Marxism, there is practically no difference between men and women. ... (Ring, 1991, 28) Looking from the Marxist approach, the body does not assume any significant image and even liberal feminists also share the same view. Whether one is a man or a woman holds no significance in the Marxist world. Instead, it is far more important to see whether one belongs to the upper class or the lower class based on his economic status. It denies any difference based on gender, and refutes any conflict that might be related to what rights a woman can enjoy as compared to her male counterpart. Considering from this angle, a woman has as much rights to wear clothes as a man, irrespective of how much part of her body the clothes might reveal. Following this perspective, one can notice the difference if one visits a capitalist country like USA and a country like UAE who believes in a more radical approach like difference between genders are strongly existent. In other words, a woman in USA would feel quite comfortable in exposing clothes like bikinis at a beach, while a woman from UAE might consider it unthinkable. However in the 1960s, feminists have been active in responding to the issues of the use of veil in Islam apart form issues like female genital mutilation carried out in Africa and female infanticide in Asia. However Marxist feminists believe that the two genders are equal but â€Å"we do not deny that men are the agents of women’s oppression, or that, within the framework of existing social relations, men benefit form it, both in material and psychological terms† (Marxism, Feminism & Women’s Liberation, n.d., 1). These feminists also hold that these gains are â€Å"petty, hollow and transitory† involving high costs. In this context of

Inventory Management at Southern Toro Distributorship Essay

Inventory Management at Southern Toro Distributorship - Essay Example From the case, two topics can be derived. The first topic takes into account the specific problems affecting the distributorship and involves the development of an effective system for managing independent demand inventory. This focuses on analyzing how the distributorship determines the quantities of irrigation products it orders in keeping up with a demand that shifts erratically. The second topic that arises from the case is the vital aspect that is inventory management as a policy variable. Southern Toro is a distributorship and thus its profitability is heavily reliant on inventory management. In the event that Joe Jr. does assume control of the distributorship, a financial analysis of the company would become imperative. The exhibit TN-1 provides some of the common financial ratios for the fiscal years from 2007-2009 (Schroeder, Goldstein & Rungtunasatham, 2010). The ratios indicate that the distributorship has been increasing its net worth steadily over the years; however, the return on its invested capital has been low. The distributorship’s projected future financial outlook is also alarming. The exhibit TN-1 reveals that Toro is highly leveraged and a sharp increase occurred in 2009 (Schroeder, Goldstein & Rungtunasatham, 2010). This implies that any future financing will come at increased cost. The distributorship’s liquidity is also decreasing, which further implies that Toro would become forced to look for additional financing unless other steps become undertaken. The inventory turnover also indicates that the distributorship’s activity is also decreasing. The exhibit also reveals the distributorship’s Return on Assets- ROA is not high and has been declining steadily over the years. The ROA can become improved with better management (Jones & George, 2007). However, it may probably never hit the extreme highs.  It is upon Joe Jr. to decide if or not the ROA can be enough to satisfy his ambitions.  

Temperance and The Alcohol Prohibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Temperance and The Alcohol Prohibition - Essay Example In the 1830s and 1840s, temperance movement was gained immense momentum and many people supported it. However, the movement suffered setback during the American Civil War. Both sides in the war were relying on alcohol duty to fund their battles. As a result, numerous states stopped alcohol prohibition (Gately 74). It is worth noting that this was reversed after the war as more and more states and counties embarked to become â€Å"dry†. In the postwar period, the movement grew to become a significant mass movement and was instrumental in encouraging alcohol abstinence. The movement engaged in building alternatives to replace the roles of public bars; the Independent Order of Rechabites was established as a friendly society where no meetings were held in public bars (Tracy 29). Also, there was a movement that introduced temperance fountains around America in order to make sure people have reliably safe drinking water instead of having to go to a saloon and various coffee palaces and temperance halls so as to replace bars. The temperance movement in the United States got a boost as advocacy for alcohol abstinence were emerging in other countries and so its emphasis spreading internationally. For example, the Salvation Army was established in 1864 in London and emphasized heavily on the abstinence from alcohol (Heron 30). A number of local and international prohibitionist groups were created in the postwar period and were instrumental in advocating for alcohol prohibition.

Product Life Cycle of Nokia Essay Example for Free

Product Life Cycle of Nokia Essay INTRODUCTION In the present context, managing has become one of the most important areas of human activity because of increasing role of large and complex organisations in the society. Because of their increasing role, the organisations have attracted the attention of both practitioners and academicians to find out the solutions for business problems. Concept Defining the term management precisely is not so simple because the term management is used in a variety of ways. Being a new discipline, it has drawn concepts and principles from a number of disciplines such as economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, statistics and so on. Each group of contributors has treated management differently. For example, economists have treated management as a factor of production; sociologists have treated it as a class or group of persons; practitioners have treated it as a process comprising different activities. DEFINITION â€Å"Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups† Koontz â€Å"Management is the art of knowing what you want to do and then seeing that it is done in the best and cheapest way† – F.W. Taylor â€Å"Management is the art of securing maximum results with minimum effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employer and employee and give the public the best possible service† John Mee. â€Å"Management is the accomplishment of results through the efforts of other people† Lawrence â€Å"Management is simply the process of decision making and control over the action of human beings for the expressed purpose of attaining predetermined goals† – Stanley V. â€Å"Management is a process involving planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling human efforts to achieve stated objectives in an organization.† From the above definitions, the following features are identified:1) Organised Activities: Management is a process of organized activities. Without organized activities, two groups of people cannot be involved in the performance of activities. Where a group of people are involved in working towards a common objective, management comes into existence. 2) Existence of objectives: The existence of objectives is a basic criterion of e very human organization because all organizations are deliberate and purposive creation and, therefore, they should have Introduction to Management some objectives. Without objectives, it becomes difficult to define the direction where organized group of activities would lead to. 3) Relationship among resources: Organised activities meant to achieve common goals are brought about to establish certain relationships about the available resources. Resources include money, machine, material, men and methods. All these resources are made available to those who manage the organization. Managers apply knowledge, experience, principles for getting the desired results. Thus, the essence of management is integration of various organisational resources. 4) Working with and through people: Management involves working with people and getting organisational objectives achieved through them. The idea of working through people is interpreted in terms of assigning and reassigning of activities to subordinates. 5) Decision Making: Management process involves decision making at various levels for getting things done through people. Decision making basically involves selecting the most appropriate alternative out of the several. If there is only one alternative, there is no question of decision making. Nature of Management: The study and application of management techniques in managing the affairs of the organization have changed its nature over a period of time. The following points will describe the nature of management 1) Multidisciplinary: Management has been developed as a separate discipline, but it draws knowledge and concepts from various disciplines like psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, statistics, operations research etc.,. Management integrates the idea and concepts taken from these disciplines and presents newer concepts which can be put into practice for managing the organisations 2) Dynamic nature of Principles: Principle is a fundamental truth which establishes cause and effect relationships of a function. Based on integration and supported by practical evidences, management has framed certain principles. However, these principles are flexible in nature and change with the changes in the environment in which an organization exists. 3) Relative, Not absolute Principles: Management principles are relative, not absolute, and they should be applied according to the need of the organization. Each organization may be different from others. The difference may exist because of time, place, socio-cultural factors, etc.,. 4) Management: Science or Art: There is a controversy whether management is science or art. An art is personal skill of business affairs. Art is characterized by practical knowledge, personal creativity and skill. The more one practices an art, the more professional one becomes. Management can be considered as an art because it satisfies all these criterion of an art. A science is a systematized body of knowledge of facts. It can establish cause-and-effect relationships among various factors. It involves basic principles, which are capable of universal application. Management can be considered as science because it satisfies all these criterion of a science. Introduction to Management 5) Management as profession: Management has been regarded as a profession by many while many have suggested that it has not achieved the status of a profession. Profession refers to a vocation or a branch of advanced learning such as engineering or medicine. 6) Universality of management: Management is a universal phenomenon. However, management principles are not universally applicable but are to be modified according to the needs of the situation. Importance of Management Management has been important to the daily lives of people and to the organisations. The importance of management may be traces with the following. 1) Effective utilisation of Resources: Management tries to make effective utilisation of various resources. The resources are scarce in nature and to meet the demand of the society, their contribution should be more for the general interests of the society. Management not only decides in which particular alternative a particular resource should be used, but also takes actions to utilize it in that particular alternative in the best way. 2) Development of Resources: Management develops various resources. This is true with human as well as non-human factors. Most of the researchers for resource development are carried on in an organized way and management is involved in these organized activities. 3) It ensures continuity in the organization: Continuity is very important in the organisations. Where there are no proper guidelines for decision making continuity can not be guaranteed. It is quite natural that new people join while some others retire or leave the organization. It is only management that keeps the organization continuing. 4) Integrating various interest groups: In the organized efforts, there are various interest groups and they put pressure over other groups for maximum share in the combined output. For example, in case of a business organization, there are various pressure groups such as shareholders, employees, govt. etc. these interest groups have pressure on an organization. Management has to balance these pressures from various interest groups. 5) Stability in the society: Management provides stability in the society by changing and modifying the resources in accordance with the changing environment of the society. In the modern age, more emphasis is on new inventions for the betterment of human beings. These inventions make old systems and factors mostly obsolete and inefficient. Management provides integration between traditions and new inventions, and safeguards society from the unfavorable impact of these inventions so that continuity in social process is maintained. Functions of Management:To achieve the organisational objectives managers at all levels of organization should perform different functions. A function is a group of similar activities. Introduction to Management The list of management functions varies from author to author with the number of functions varying from three to eight. Writers Henry Fayol Luther Gullick R. Davis Management Functions Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling POSDCORD- Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, Directing Planning , Organising, Controlling Planning, Organising, Motivating, Coordinating, Controlling Planning, Organising, Staffing, Leading, Controlling Koontz Different authors presented different variations. By combining some of functions, these are broadly grouped into Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling. 1) Planning: Planning is the conscious determination of future course of action. This involves why an action, what action, how to take action, and when to take action. Thus, planning includes determination of specific objectives, determining projects and programs, setting policies and strategies, setting rules and procedures and prepar ing budgets. 2) Organising: Organising is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, grouping of such duties in the form of positions, grouping of various positions into departments and sections, assigning duties to individual positions, and delegating authority to each positions so that the work is carried out as planned. It is viewed as a bridge connecting the conceptual idea developed in creating and planning to the specific means for accomplishment these ideas. 3) Staffing: Staffing involves manning the various positions created by the organizing process. It includes preparing inventory of personal available and identifying the sources of people, selecting people, training and developing them, fixing financial compensation, appraising them periodically etc. 4) Directing: when people are available in the organization, they must know what they are expected to do in the organization. Superior managers fulfill this requirement by communicating to subordinates about their expected behavior. Once subordinates are oriented, the superiors have continuous responsibility of guiding and leading them for better work performance and motivating them to work with zeal and enthusiasm. Thus, directing includes communicating, motivating and leading. 5) Controlling: Controlling involves identification of actual results, comparison of actual results with expected results as set by planning process, identification of deviations between the two, if any, and taking of corrective action so that actual results match with expected results. Introduction to Management TAYLOR SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT The concept of scientific management was introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor in USA in the beginning of 20th century. â€Å"Scientific management is concerned with knowing exactly what you want to do and then see in that they do it in the best and cheapest way† Since Taylor has put the emphasis on solving managerial problems in a scientific way, often, he is called as father of scientific management and his contributions as the principles of scientific management. Taylor carried experiments about how to increase the efficiency of people. On the basis of experiments, he published many papers and books and all his contributions were compiled in his book â€Å"scientific management†. His contributions are divided into two parts. Elements and tools of scientific management Principles of scientific management FEATURES / ELEMENTS AND TOOLS OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT 1) Separation of planning doing: Taylor emphasized the separation of planning aspect from actual doing of the work. In other words planning should be left to the supervisor and the worker should concentrate only operational work. 2) Functional foremanship: Taylor introduced the concept of functional foremanship based on specialization of functions. In this system, eight persons are involved to direct the activities of workers. Out of these four persons are concerned with planning viz., route clerk, instruction card clerk, time and cost clerk and disciplinarian. The remaining four persons are concerned with doing aspect of the job, viz., speed boss, inspector, gang boss and maintenance foreman. It is against to the principle of unity of command.

A Votre Sante Teaching Note Essay Example for Free

A Votre Sante Teaching Note Essay Additionally, the case questions require both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the business issues faced by AVS. AVS has been used in a graduate-level managerial accounting class for MBAs, and would be most appropriate for an advanced undergraduate or a graduate-level accounting or MBA course. The detail in the case is rich enough to support a variety of analyses. Alternative uses could be to have the student construct a cost of goods manufactured statement or a traditional financial statement, both of which reinforce the differences between product and period costs. Additionally, alternative decision analysis questions could be developed using the variable and fixed cost structures described in the case. Case question number two is only one example of a potential decision analysis question. The contribution margin income statement (Teaching Note Exhibit 1) is fairly straightforward, with the following concepts or calculations causing the most difficulty: The inclusion of liquor taxes and sales commissions in variable costs: These are both period expenses, but are clearly based upon the number of bottles sold, and therefore are included in the variable costs. Where to include the wine master expense: Since the wine master is paid according to number of blends, not number of bottles, this expense is listed as a fixed cost. Arguably, it could be listed as a variable cost, given that the cost will be based on the number of wines produced. As part of the discussion we will examine the rationale behind listing wine master as a fixed or a variable expense. Barrel expense: The case states that the barrels produce the equivalent of 40 cases of wine. A case of wine is post-fermentation/bottling and therefore after the 10% loss has occurred. The barrels contain the wine at the start of the process. Therefore, there have to be enough barrels to hold all the wine at the beginning of the process, not at the end. This factor results in 63 (62.5) barrels being required for the harvest2. Teaching Note Exhibit 1: Contribution Margin Income Statement Part b asks, â€Å"What is the maximum amount that AVS would pay to buy an additional pound of Chardonnay grapes?† There are three parts to calculating this answer: the benefit from the additional Chardonnay wine to be sold, the relevant costs related to producing this wine and the opportunity cost of not producing as much Blanc de Blanc wine. Teaching Note: Exhibit 2 displays the calculations relevant to this decision. Chardonnay regular wine requires a 2 to 1 mixture of Chardonnay and generic white grapes. Therefore, the 18,000 pounds of Chardonnay grapes will be combined with 9,000 pounds of generic white grapes. The 27,000 pounds of grapes will result in an additional 9,000 bottles of new Chardonnay regular wine being produced. However, it will also result in a 3,000-bottle decrease in the amount of Blanc de Blanc wine produced, since some generic grapes will now be used for the Chardonnay-regular wine. Recall that only Chardonnay wine is processed in barrels.

International Training And Development

International Training And Development It is widely documented that training and development are clearly linked with performance (Nikandrou, Apospori, Panayotopoulou, Stavrou Papalexandris, 2008). Training development of employees enables a multinational, (or any organisation for that matter) to build up its human resources (human capital) (Dowling, Festing Engle, 2008), which can include things such as knowledge, skills, and intellectual property etc. It is also suggested that CEOs with international experience perform better (Ng, Van Dyne Ang, 2009). As this presentation is based on international training and development, we will be relating the presentation to the training and development not only required by, but also that provided by expatriate employees in an organisation. I will begin this presentation by firstly refreshing your memory about the definitions of some of the key terms in this subject, which you should all be somewhat familiar with anyway. Define Expatriate Firstly I will define expatriate for you. An expatriate is an employee of an organisation, who is working and living in another country (Davidson Griffin, 2006). The term expatriate can include 3 types of employees (Dowling et al, 2008): Parent country nationals: those employees who are recruited from the country in which the organisations headquarters are based, yet are sent to another country by the organisation. Host country nationals: those employees who are recruited from the host country into which the organisation has expanded. Third country nationals: those employees whos nationality originates neither in the parent country in which the headquarters are based, nor the host country in which the organisation has expanded into. I will now move onto the definitions of training and development. Define Training Training aims to improve an employees current work skills behaviour (Dowling et al, 2008; Davidson Griffin, 2006). This enables them to grow in their current position in order to perform better in the role that they were hired for. Define Development Whereas development aims to increase an employees abilities in relation to some future position or job (Dowling, et al 2008; Davidson Griffin, 2006). Skills or knowledge may be identified as being necessary in a role that the company anticipates an employee to move into at a later date. Now that I have given you the definitions that will be used throughout this presentation, I just wanted to do a quick exercise to ensure that everyone understands the definitions that I have given. An Australian (Bob) is currently working in America for an Australian company. His manager has decided that his skills in the current position need to be improved. What type of expatriate is Bob, and is it training or development that is required? Answer: Bob is a parent-country national that requires training for his current role. An American (Jane) works in Africa for a French company. Her organisation wants to send her to Australia in the future and they require her to become accustomed with the Australian culture and way of life. Her professional duties will remain the same. What type of expatriate will Jane be once in Australia, and does she require training or development? Answer: Jane will be a third country national, and she will require development to be able to successfully continue her current role in a new country. Now that you all know the difference between training and development, and the different types of expats, I will move on to the role of expat training. The role of Expat Training As you can imagine, the successful training of an expat is crucial for the success of any international assignment, and even successful training programs cannot guarantee that newly learned knowledge and skills will be transferred to the workplace (Cheng Hampson). Effective expat training therefore plays a significant role in ensuring that the organisations international goals are accomplished (Dowling et al, 2008). Expat training may sometimes also include training of the expats family that will be making the international move along with the employee themselves. This can include not only the spouse or partner, but children as well. The aim is to ensure that everyone settles into the new country and environment smoothly, which will in turn give the expatriate employee the best chance at a successful international assignment (Dowling et al, 2008). Some of the key goals of providing expatriates and their families with training before they depart for the international assignment are: To prepare support imminent expatriate employees in international assignments Training can provide support to enable the expat to adjust to the new country and everything that comes along with it, increasing the likelihood of successful performance within the new country. Expats can be the trainees and also the trainers in international assignments. Therefore the more training that they themselves receive, the more likely that the expat is then able to successfully transfer this training on to any international colleagues that require it. For example, if an expats assignment is to introduce a new technology to an overseas branch, the better the training that the expat has received on the technology, the better the training that the expat will be able to provide. Pre-departure training can involve many aspects, which will depend upon the likelihood of difficulties arising in the host country. Issues and training techniques that may be covered can include: cultural awareness, preliminary visits, language instruction, and day-to-day issues. Many of these topics will be covered in greater depth by later speakers. Some multinational companies have even developed their own training schools eg: Motorola, McDonalds, Disney. This enables the training that the employees receive to be tailored to the direct requirements of their position and the organisation as a whole. It also ensures that all employees are getting the same training, which can increase standardisation across borders, improving the reputation of the business. In multinational organisations such as McDonalds this is a huge benefit as the employees are trained in the aspects of McDonalds that remain the same in every country, such as general service techniques, organisational values etc. Cultural Awareness Programs When an expatriate enters another country for the first, or even the 10th time, they can become extremely overwhelmed by the cultural differences between the host country and what they are used to at home (Dowling et al., 2008; Ng et al, 2009). There is also evidence showing that educating an expatriate about the cultural differences that they should expect to encounter in the host country will increase their job performance in the expat role, and decrease the chances of the posting failing (Cullen Parboteeah, 2008). This is equally true for the success or failure of the expats family adapting to the other culture. Being an effective leader in the expat role is another important reason why cultural education and training is imperative to the success of an expat posting (Ng et al., 2008). It is actually suggested that the development of global leader skills is one of the top 5 areas of expertise that affects the success of a multinational organisation (Ng et al., 2008). An effective leader in one country may be an ineffective leader in another country with a totally different culture (Cullen Parboteeah, 2008). For example, a female senior manager in a country with a highly masculine culture, such as Japan, would not be well accepted or respected. Whereas a female manager in Australia is much more widely accepted due to our more Feminine culture. This is true for many physical and personal traits that expats are inevitably going to possess. By being aware of these differences the expat is able to tailor their behaviour, and even physical appearance, to better suit that expected in the host count ry. The most effective way to educate a current or future expat on cross-cultural differences is to develop a sound and tailored cultural awareness program. This should be designed specifically for the culture of the country that the expat will be working in, and customized to meet any specific needs of the organisation, or the individual. The customisation process may include the development of specific strategies that will be more culturally effective for the expat to utilise in the chosen country, or the exploration of available and accepted leisure activities that would appeal to the expat in that country. The depth of the program will depend upon the level of cultural differences between the 2 countries (Dowling et al., 2008). Tableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.As you can see in this table from your text book, the trends in providing cross-cultural training to potential expats and their families has been changing slightly over the yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.go through table Usually this cultural training and development is provided internally by the parent organisation, or off-site by an external company. The training may include creating awareness of cross-cultural differences and issues; acceptable behaviour in the host country; business practices such as power-distance levels and bribery; and language training. Therefore by training the expat on the cultural norms of the other country, their success will be much greater than if they were to simply approach the posting without such an opportunity. Preliminary Visits However providing cultural awareness training is not the only means implemented by organisations to get their employees ready for an international assignment. Another technique that may be used is to send the potential candidate (and perhaps their family as well, if they will be included in the final posting) on a preliminary visit to the host country. This will allow the employee and their family to assess whether they will be suited to living in this country, and they will be able to get a feel first hand of what it would be like to live there on a more permanent basis. The true challenges of living and working in some countries may not be recognised until being exposed to the environment itself. Therefore, another benefit of preliminary visits is that the visitors may identify additional issues that need to be included in the cultural training, that the organisation themselves had perhaps not realised. On the contrary, the potential expat may realise that they do not want to accept the position overseas, allowing the organisation to move on to a more suitable candidate for that particular overseas position. Sometimes a short-term international assignment may be in itself a preliminary visit for a potential long-term expatriate task. Ultimately, the organisation needs to decide whether the costs of sending the employee on a preliminary visit will outweigh the costs of having the assignment underperform, be prematurely terminated, or even the possibility of needing to send a replacement employee if the first one doesnt succeed or adapt (Dowling et al., 2008; Ng et al., 2009). I will now pass you on to Camille who will speak to you about language training. PERSON: Camille Language Training The role of English as the language of the business world English is the 3rd language the most spoken in the world (after Mandarin and Hindi). It is the official language in 53 countries and in some worldwide organisations such as the United Nation, the European Union, the NATO, NAFTA etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You can see on the map the countries in dark blue are those where English is the official/national language, and those in light blue, where it is an official but not primary language. These data show us that one-fourth (1/4) of the worlds population can communicate to some degree in English: 400 million people speak English as a first language, 300 to 500 million as a fluent second language and 750 million as a foreign language. The largest English-speaking nation in the world, the United States, has only about 20 percent of the worlds English speakers. In Asia alone, an estimated 350 million people speak English, about the same as the combined English-speaking populations of Britain, the United States and Canada. However, some problems occur in the fact English is the world business language. Tungs report on 3000 corporations over 12 countries stated the following: Respondents from US, UK, Australia and Canada consider the language skills as unimportant. Respondents from Europe, Asia, and South America think that the knowledge of a foreign language is critical for success. The fact to disregard the importance of a foreign language may reflect a certain degree of ethnocentrism (=tendency to regard ones own group, culture, or nation as superior to others). Hall and Gudykunst study stated that the lower the level of ethnocentrism in an MNE, the more training it provides in cultural awareness and language training. There is no doubt that professional knowledge and experience is essential for entrepreneurs and managers. But reaching and staying at the top requires more than just being knowledgeable and experienced. One of the reasons why some entrepreneurs are successful may lie in the ability to communicate knowledge in a foreign language. Indeed, it is significant that employers realize the importance of learning (Business) English at the workplace. Over the years, research and needs analyses have produced a wide range of the language-using tasks an employee should be able to do through his job: the ability to communicate appropriately with superiors, colleagues and subordinates, and to representatives of other companies from abroad, the ability to assist an English-speaking (native or non-native) person when hosting business partners from abroad, To participate in the social life of the enterprise (e.g. sports and social clubs, etc.) when visiting business partners abroad. Host-country language skills and adjustment Sociocultural adjustment relates to the ability to fit in or effectively interact with members of the host culture. Notion of adjustment is based on cultural learning theory and highlights social behaviour and practical social skills underlying attitudinal factors. Paraphrasing the classical claim by Edward Hall that culture is communication (Hall, 1973, p. 97), the reverse is also true: communication is culture. Communicative ability permits cultural development through interaction with other individuals. Language becomes the means that promotes the development of culture. Language skills are very important for MNEs where English is not the first language: otherwise, there would be many translation issues. The ability to speak a foreign language can improve the expatriates effectiveness and negotiating ability. Its a real advantage. Tungs survey on 400 expatriates stated that the language skills are considered as a critical component in assignment performance: for the task performance for the cultural adjustment. Indeed, respondents of the survey said that the ability to speak the local language was as important as cultural awareness in their ability to adapt and perform on assignment. Actually it provides a real insertion in both social and professional lives. Knowledge of the corporate language Usually, the corporate language is English. Given its place in international business, quite often it becomes the common language within the multinationals. Thanks to the expatriates and their ability to speak the corporate language, communication conduits well between subsidiary and headquarters. An expatriate fluent in the parent-company language and the language of the host subsidiary can perform a gate-keeping role, whatever the formal position he may hold. Its a plus, very positive point: It gives added-power to his position. For international training assignments, expatriates are usually required to know the corporate language (cause these trainings would normally be conducted in the corporate language). An exception to this practice occurs in emerging markets, where the key new line managers may be trained in their own language: it is the case in the McDonalds Corp with its corporate training facility in Chicago. Since 1961, it has become the companys global centre of excellence for McDonalds operations training and leadership development. This is the first restaurant company to develop a global training centre in both the corporate and host country language. However, pre-departure training program often may need to include both the host country and corporate language. Now, Patricia is going to talk to you about the practical assistance PERSON: TRISH Practical Assistance Training HCN Another important component of effective pre-departure training programs is providing information that assists in the relocation of the expatriate.. Providing practical information makes sure the expatriate does not feel left behind during the adaptation process. If they were to be left to fend for themselves the expatriates and their family may have a negative response towards the host country culture, which can contribute to a perceived violation of the psychological contract. Therefore, the main objective of providing the expatriate and their family with practical assistance is to help relieve any anxiety or pressure that may exist and to help overcome any negative feelings that may occur towards the host country. It is now becoming regular practice that many multinational companies take advantage of relocation specialists that help the expatriate with accommodation, information about schools and possible employment for the spouse and children. As Camille has already mentioned, Language training is usually provided prior to departure, however further language training could be provided, particularly if such training was not possible before departure (Dowling Festing Engle, 2008). Another way of gaining information about the host country and its culture is from the people that are already working as expatriates in the area and whom are willing to help the spouse and family of the new expatriate to adapt (Webb Wright, 1996). Usually the company will organize practical orientation programs for the expatriate, their spouse and the expatriates family so that they can familiarise themselves with their new home prior to arriving (Dowling Welch, 2004). However providing practical assistance is jus t one of the many tasks that need to be done prior to departure. Not only is it important to ensure that expatriates are trained adequately, it is especially important when it comes to training others. Expatriates are often used for training because there is a lack of suitably trained staff in the host location. Therefore it is essential that expatriates are trained how to lead, motivate and develop employees, paying particular attention to the managerial training of Host Country National Third Country Nationals as well as having the ability to transfer their skills and knowledge in a culturally appropriate manner. But how are these expatriates prepared for this training role? Unfortunately there is little research on this topic. However it has been suggested by Dowling, Festing and Engle (2008) that multinationals could improve the quality and content offered to expatriates in their role of training HCNs as their replacements would be to better utilise the knowledge transfer process when expatriates are repatriated. In theory, all expatriates should be provided with adequate pre-departure training prior to their dispatch on an individual assignment. However, in practice, organisations often give priority to training their parent country nationals, while comparatively neglecting the training needs of their host country nationals who being transferred into parent country operations and third country nationals who being transferred to another subsidiary. This could lead to perceptions of inequity, especially in situations where third country nationals do not receive the same level of training as others who are working in the same foreign location. But why should multinational companies use and go on to train host country nationals and third country nationals. According to Dowling, Welch Schuler (1999) possible motives for MNCs to use HCNs, in particular, is that they can help to enhance a sense of corporate identity, help save on costs particularly when skills are needed and also to help facilitat e firm based training. The use of HCNs may also help in broadening the outlook for PCNs within the company From this it is clear that training for host country nationals and third country nationals is essential, as it helps facilitate an understanding about the corporate strategies, corporate culture and socialisation. This will help the MNC to achieve a competitive advantage, which is why it is important to ensure that knowledge and skills are distributed throughout the whole organisation. It is for that reason, that the main objective of international training should be to develop an understanding of cultural differences and an ability to work with host country nationals in order to facilitate management know-how transferred from the parent country. Before I pass you on to Helena who will talk about training for non-standard international assignments and the effectiveness of pre-departure training, wed like to take a quick break from our presentation and engage in a little activity weve created based on the topics weve covered so farà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ACTIVITY PERSON: Helena Increasingly, multinational companies, faced with cost issues and rising staff immobility, are substituting or complementing traditional expatriate assignments with other types of international assignments. These so-called non-standard international assignments include: short-term, commuter, rotational, contractual and virtual assignments. The most popular form of non-standard assignments continues to be the short-term assignment. However, this important organizational activity has received limited attention compared to the burgeoning literature on traditional expatriate assignments. The Role of International Assignments in Managing Foreign Operations As mentioned above, it has long been recognized that international assignments play a critical role in the conduct of international business. For example, have been regarded as serving three purposes: filling a specific position or skills gap; for management development; and organizational development and for organizational development. What are Short-term International Assignments? Typically, the length of the assignment is a decisive factor in determining whether the assignment is defines short-term assignments as: longer than a business trip, yet than the typical expatriate assignment. Short-term international assignments are usually classified as assignments between one to twelve months. Results of studies relying on empirical data of company practices are in line with this definition. According to a survey 50% of member companies required the assignment to be at least 1-3 months in order for it to be categorized as a short-term assignment. Furthermore, 81% of member companies limited short-term assignments as being 6-12 months at the most. Implementing Short-term International Assignments (1) Recruitment and selection: It seemed to be a rule rather than an exception that formal selection is not conducted for short-term assignments. Commonly, short-term assignees work for specific international projects that demand certain skills and expertise. (2) Training and development: In connection with international assignments, training typically refers to country-specific and cross-cultural training. Generally speaking, interviewees reported that country-specific or cross-cultural training is not provided for employees leaving for short-term assignments but for the assignment country involves high cultural distance. (3) Compensation: two characteristic features of short-term international assignments lasting up to 6 months are: that salary payment remains in the home company; and that the companys travel policy forms the basis for compensating assignees. Accordingly, it is natural that the home country salary forms the basis for the assignment compensation. Depending on the situation, various additional elements can be added to the base salary. (4) Performance management: A formal performance management system is used oftentimes. Short-term assignees are treated as any employee in the company. If, for example, the system in use includes twice-a-year goal setting or evaluation discussions between the worker and the manager, this also applies to the assignees. (5) Repatriation: Unlike what has been reported for long-term international transfers, in most of the cases repatriation from short-term assignments was regarded as unproblematic by the interviewees. The effectiveness of pre- departure training The objective of pre- departure training is to assist the expatriate to adjust to the demands of living and working in a foreign location. Organizational social support: Organizational social support encompasses supervisory, co-workers and home country organization social support. Additionally, social support provide expatriates with information about what is acceptable and unacceptable in the new work context (Black et al, 1991). Intercultural training: In most multinational corporations, intercultural training programs are generally superficial, incomplete or nonexistent (Brewster, 1995).And intercultural training enhances expatriates intercultural adjustment. Besides, expatriates who had received cross cultural training had a better level of interaction adjustment and higher levels of skill development. Language training language is sufficiently important in its own right to warrant a more focused treatment (Welch et al., 2005). Indeed, the separation of language from cultural values has been beneficial in some respects because it has enabled researchers to demonstrate the strong, consistent influence of language on a wide range of issues in MNCs, such as intercultural communication, information flows, coordination, control, and structures, knowledge transfer, social identity, power and advancement, and power and language policy decisions. I will now pass you on to Alice who will discuss the Development of staff through international assignments and trends international training and development and finally conclude our presentation. PERSON: ALICE RYNNE. Developing staff through international assignments p150 Thanks Helena. Okay, so developing staff through international assignment. International assignments have long been recognised as a crucial factor in developing international knowledge. The expected outcomes of international assignments can be categorised into two main headings, namely management development and organisational development. Management development occurs through expatriates gaining experience and knowledge, which can aid in career progression. In terms of the multinational, the company benefits by encompassing a collection of experienced international operators, and for future development of the company, having a pool of candidates to draw from for later assignments if need be. International assignments also present the multinational with different avenues to accumulate knowledge, skills and abilities, all of which can be utilised, and in fact be the base of the companys future growth. This is labelled as organisational development. An individuals global outlook, acquired through international assignment, is another key benefit gained from expatriates adopting a broader view. As discussed by the other Alice, expatriates are mediators of the organisation and of socialisation, ultimately assisting in the transfer of new information and ability within the multinational. In terms of individual development, it is evident that international assignments are a type of developmental tool adopted by management that seeks to provide select employees with international opportunities. These opportunities are designed to enhance their abilities within the workplace through exposure to foreign environments, tasks and challenges. Expected financial gain to compensate individuals for the inconveniences of being transferred abroad continue to play an important role in encouraging employees to accept international assignments. In fact, in 2008, less than a quarter of multinational companies said they failed to provide expatriates with additional remuneration. However, in recent studies, it was found that 73 per cent of multinationals provide these financial premiums systematically for long-term assignments only, as compared to only 31 per cent of multinationals offering financial incentives for short-term assignments too. Aside from the cash incentives, the opportu nity for career enhancement and advancement plays a very important role motivating staff to accept international assignments. This trend is common for individuals in smaller populated and advanced economies, for example, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand and The Netherlands, where the local economy is not considered large enough to provide the required development and growth opportunities for future management. Moreover, it can also be attributed to the fact that international assignments also provide the opportunity for ongoing growth in revenue. In such a situation, the individual understands that international experience is frequently a requirement for furthering their development, and gives the individual higher credentials for future employability. International assignments also provide an individual with greater marketable skills such as strategic thinking, flexibility and negotiation ability, improved decision-making, greater confidence and authority, more maturity and better pe ople management skills, all of which are attractive qualities to future employers. Now moving away from individual development and along to the subtopic of developing international teams through international assignments, aside from individuals gaining management development skills, international placement can also be the training ground for the international cadre. The benefits of international teams, particularly related to networked organisations, are as follows: A mechanism for fostering advancements, organisational learning and the transfer of information, A means of breaking down boundaries (both functional and national), enhancing communication and data flows, A way of encouraging diverse inputs into judgements, problem solving and strategic evaluations, A way of developing global perspective, and; A way of developing shared values, thus assisting in the use of informal, normative control through socialisation. Research and development and international projects are common situations where teamwork is utilized. It is fair to deduce that international assignments have the potential to form significant team connections by exposing employees to numerous parts of the global organisation. In many cases, expatriates continue communication with these networks long after completion of their assignment. These predominately informal networks can later be activated for work situations, such as providing membership of project t

Car Racing Essays -- essays research papers

Automobile Racing Automobile Racing, one of the most popular sports in the world, have races run with wide coverage on television - before millions of fans. It tests the skills of the drivers, the speed capabilities of the vehicles, and the endurance of both. The first racing cars were motorized versions of horse-drawn carriages and wagons. The first race was a reliability demonstration from Chicago to Waukegan, Illinois, in November 1895, while the first American oval-track race, held at the Rhode Island State Fairgrounds in Cranston in 1896, was won at an average speed of 43.1 km/h. Racing in the United States became popular two years later, with the opening of 4-km brick-surfaced Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Later on, the speeds of the cars increased and the condition of road improve as well, so cars designers began designing cars specially to be raced. Racing cars now fall into two broad categories. First are open-wheeled vehicles, in which the wheels are not under fenders. The other categories of racing cars are closed-wheeled with an enclosed cockpit. Automobile racing was seen only in the United States and continental Europe until the 1930s. Then the popularity of the sport began to spread. As the European countries wanted to show off their empires, races were held in Italian and French African colonial outposts, such as Tripoli, Libya, and Casablanca, Morocco. Smaller nations, such as Monaco, San Marino, and Macau, also wanted the prestige...

Causes of The Great Depression Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Depression It is said that the cause of the catastrophic stock market crash known as the great depression was due mostly to uncontrolled political and industrial systems otherwise known as capitalism. However, the timeline leading up to the Great Depression proves that many other factors played a role in the stock market crash that occurred in the decade of the 1930's. So lets take a look at rather four, factors contributing to the great depression that we will further discuss in the following paragraphs. Four of the main causes that led up to the great depression were unequal distribution of wealth, uncontrolled political and industrial systems, high tariffs and war debts. Money was distributed mostly between the rich and the middle-class, in the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy this type of the economy eventually lead up to large market crashes. These market crashes, caused the American economy to be overturned. The total income in the United States rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929 this rise in the economy was due to the Coolidge Prosperity(Business and Industry was flourishing and big business became bigger so the stock market went up greatly) even after this boost in the stock market the money wasn’t making its way around equally because most farmers were still poor. United States maintained high 1. tariffs on goods imported from other countries, at the same time that it was making foreign loans and trying to export products. This combination could not be sustained: If other nations could not sell their goods in the United States, they could not make enough money to buy American products or repay American loan... ... June 1939 7.2 10.4 + 7.9 17.2 1940 6.9 9.9 1941 7.7 12.1 1942 10.3 24.8 1943 13.7 44.8 1944 21.7 45.3 1945 21.3 43.7 As you can see, Roosevelt began to bring the people out of the depression and that resulted in some astonishing growth numbers. (Roosevelt's average growth of 5.2 percent during the Great Depression is even higher than Reagan's 3.7 percent growth during his Seven Fat Years ) When 1936 saw a phenomenal record of 14 percent growth, Roosevelt eased back on the deficit spending, overly worried about balancing the budget. Between 1940 and 1945, the Growth Deficit Product nearly doubled in size, from $832 billion to $1,559 billion in constant 87 dollars. And this occurred as deficit spending soared, to levels Keynes had earlier and unsuccessfully recommended to Roosevelt

The Harm of Milk Essays -- Health Nutrition Milk Essays

The Harm of Milk Got Milk? Well, Austin Powers, Tracy McGrady, Serena Williams, Britney Spears, and even Elvis all do. But, do they know what they are selling in this Got Milk? Advertisements? The Got Milk? campaign was based on a milk deprivation strategy that reminded consumers how inconvenient it was to be without milk. The advertisment made milk a very popular drink because of its attractiveness not because of the nutrients and health issues. It has been believed by many that milk is needed to have a strong and healthy body, when actually milk can be extremely harmful and the nutrients needed for a good body can be found in many other sources. Statistics show that milk consumption is on the rise in the United States since the Got Milk? campaign was launched. In 1993, 58.1 billion pounds of milk was consumed. It had risen to 59.5 billion pounds by 2002, an increase of 1.4 billion pounds (ERS, Animal Products Branch). Another factor causing the milk industry to grow is dairy farmers. They risk the collapse of their industry if the population does not consume enough milk. So, of course, the farmers are pushing us to drink not just one glass, but two and three glasses of milk a day. Their main priority is to make money by getting us to drink milk as much as possible, not to inform us that milk may not be all that healthy because we are not aware of the risks, we tip our glasses and drink up. Milk is not as nutritionally essential as it is portrayed, but rather it is harmful to our bodies. Heart disease is America ¡Ã‚ ¯s number-one killer. The main causes of this disease have been believed to be such things as smoking, stress, and even lack of companionship. However, according to an article in Earth Island Journal, milk consumption is probably the number one cause of heart disease. By the time the average American turns fifty-two, he or she will have consumed in milk and dairy products the same amount of cholesterol contained in one million slices of bacon (  ¡Ã‚ °Milk: The Deadly Poison ¡Ã‚ ±). Dairy products are the most instant source of saturated fat. Saturated fat increases cholesterol production in the liver. This leads to the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries which increase one ¡Ã‚ ¯s risk of heart attack and stroke ( ¡Ã‚ °The Case against Dairy ¡Ã‚ ±). The high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol found in milk intensify your chances of by pass surge... ...or most people, especially if you don ¡Ã‚ ¯t have some sort of workout plan. As for me I am told to drink milk to gain muscle, because it is the easiest protein for your body to take in. With all of the physical activities that I do being on the Penn State Football Team, I will have less of a risk of having heart problems than people who do not participate in physical activity. That is why it is very important to get the right amount of exercise in order to burn the excess calories from the saturated fat that is contained in regular milk. Even with all of the exercise in the world, there are still problems that can not be taken care of by the consumer. The only way to be sure that you are not going to have physical problems because of milk is to refrain from drinking regular, whole milk and to drink liquids that contain the healthier calcium and protein that milk in known for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are a milk drinker, I encourage you to take a long hard look at all the risks involved with consuming this product. It could prevent you from having heart disease or other ailments associated with milk. So next time you see an advertisement for  ¡Ã‚ °Got Milk? ¡Ã‚ ± as yourself,  ¡Ã‚ °Got Something Else? ¡Ã‚ ± The Harm of Milk Essays -- Health Nutrition Milk Essays The Harm of Milk Got Milk? Well, Austin Powers, Tracy McGrady, Serena Williams, Britney Spears, and even Elvis all do. But, do they know what they are selling in this Got Milk? Advertisements? The Got Milk? campaign was based on a milk deprivation strategy that reminded consumers how inconvenient it was to be without milk. The advertisment made milk a very popular drink because of its attractiveness not because of the nutrients and health issues. It has been believed by many that milk is needed to have a strong and healthy body, when actually milk can be extremely harmful and the nutrients needed for a good body can be found in many other sources. Statistics show that milk consumption is on the rise in the United States since the Got Milk? campaign was launched. In 1993, 58.1 billion pounds of milk was consumed. It had risen to 59.5 billion pounds by 2002, an increase of 1.4 billion pounds (ERS, Animal Products Branch). Another factor causing the milk industry to grow is dairy farmers. They risk the collapse of their industry if the population does not consume enough milk. So, of course, the farmers are pushing us to drink not just one glass, but two and three glasses of milk a day. Their main priority is to make money by getting us to drink milk as much as possible, not to inform us that milk may not be all that healthy because we are not aware of the risks, we tip our glasses and drink up. Milk is not as nutritionally essential as it is portrayed, but rather it is harmful to our bodies. Heart disease is America ¡Ã‚ ¯s number-one killer. The main causes of this disease have been believed to be such things as smoking, stress, and even lack of companionship. However, according to an article in Earth Island Journal, milk consumption is probably the number one cause of heart disease. By the time the average American turns fifty-two, he or she will have consumed in milk and dairy products the same amount of cholesterol contained in one million slices of bacon (  ¡Ã‚ °Milk: The Deadly Poison ¡Ã‚ ±). Dairy products are the most instant source of saturated fat. Saturated fat increases cholesterol production in the liver. This leads to the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries which increase one ¡Ã‚ ¯s risk of heart attack and stroke ( ¡Ã‚ °The Case against Dairy ¡Ã‚ ±). The high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol found in milk intensify your chances of by pass surge... ...or most people, especially if you don ¡Ã‚ ¯t have some sort of workout plan. As for me I am told to drink milk to gain muscle, because it is the easiest protein for your body to take in. With all of the physical activities that I do being on the Penn State Football Team, I will have less of a risk of having heart problems than people who do not participate in physical activity. That is why it is very important to get the right amount of exercise in order to burn the excess calories from the saturated fat that is contained in regular milk. Even with all of the exercise in the world, there are still problems that can not be taken care of by the consumer. The only way to be sure that you are not going to have physical problems because of milk is to refrain from drinking regular, whole milk and to drink liquids that contain the healthier calcium and protein that milk in known for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you are a milk drinker, I encourage you to take a long hard look at all the risks involved with consuming this product. It could prevent you from having heart disease or other ailments associated with milk. So next time you see an advertisement for  ¡Ã‚ °Got Milk? ¡Ã‚ ± as yourself,  ¡Ã‚ °Got Something Else? ¡Ã‚ ±

Q Manual Essay

After the lecture Tutorials and your learning Reading in your study 2. 8. 1 Reading to understand or comprehend 2. 8. 2 Reading for critical comment Checklist for studying faculty units and courses 13 14 14 15 16 16 Chapter 3 The research process: A basic guide 3. 1 The research process 3. 1. 1 Step 1: Understand the assignment topic/question(s) 3. 1. 2 Step 2: Decide what sort of information you need to complete the assignment 3. 1. 3 Step 3: Decide where to look for this information 3. 1. 4 Step 4: Develop and use a search strategy for database searching 3. 1. 5 Step 5: Evaluate the information found and revise the plan 3. 1. 6 Step 6: Presentation 3. 1. 7 Step 7: Final evaluation Using the Internet for research 3. 2. 1 Some further tips for productive Internet research 17 17 17 17 18 18 20 22 22 23 23 3. 2 Chapter 4 Academic writing skills 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 Characteristics of successful writing 4. 1. 1 Responding to the task Exam question, Accounting and Finance 4. 2. 1 Initial analysis, key terms and directions Structuring your writing clearly 4. 3. 1 Writing structure Forming and expressing your perspective on the task 4. 4. 1 â€Å"Crystallised response† 4. 4. 2 Plan the response Supporting your perspective 4. 5. 1 Paragraph structure 4. 5. 2 Use of references Presenting a consistent and logical response Expressing your ideas clearly 4. 7. 1 Formal academic language 4. 7. 2 Some other features of academic language Checklist for academic writing skills 25 25 25 27 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 31 32 33 33 34 34 36 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 Chapter 5 Writing essays 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 Analyse the task Synthesise your information Plan the essay Reference the sources of information 37 37 37 37 38 Chapter 6 Writing a literature review 6. 1 6. 2 6. 3 6. 4 The nature of a literature review Procedure for completing a literature review Writing the literature review Checklist for a literature review 39 39 40 40 41 Chapter 7 Report writing 7. 1 The process 7. 1. 1 Identify the purpose of the report 7. 1. 2 Identify the readers and their needs 7. 1. 3 Research the topic 7. 1. 4 Outline the report 7. 1. 5 Write the draft 7. 1. 6 Edit the draft 7. 1. 7 The finished product 7. 2 Report presentation and layout 7. 2. 1 Structure of a report 7. 3 Report writing checklist 42 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 44 44 44 46 Chapter 8 Case study method 8. 1 8. 2 Some general issues Problem solving case format. 49 49 49 Chapter 9 Academic integrity and honesty: avoiding plagiarism in written work 9. 1 9. 2 What is plagiarism? Monash University Statute 4. 1 and policy regarding plagiarism 9. 2. 1 What happens when plagiarism is suspected 9. 2. 2 Students’ responsibility Using references appropriately in your written work Use of references in writing 9. 4. 1 Unsuitable use of references Suitable integration of references 9. 5. 1 Techniques for using an author’s ideas 9. 5. 2 A summary 9. 5. 3 Paraphrasing, or writing in your own words Conclusion 51 51 52 53 53 54 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 9. 3 9. 4 9. 5 9. 6 Chapter 10 Referencing. 10. 1 10. 2 10. 3 10. 4 What is referencing? When should you reference? Why should you reference your work? Referencing using the APA style 10. 4. 1 Creating in-text citations 10. 4. 2 Creating a reference list Footnoting 10. 5. 1 In-text citations using footnotes 10. 5. 2 Creating the bibliography 58 58 58 59 59 59 62 69 70 74 10. 5 Chapter 11 Presentation skills 11. 1 11. 2 11. 3 What is a presentation? Planning and preparation 11. 2. 1 Analysing your audience Presentation design 11. 3. 1 Objective 11. 3. 2 Content 11. 3. 3 Structure Visual support 11. 4. 1 Handouts Delivery 11. 5. 1 Methods of delivery 11. 5. 2 Rehearsal Nerve control 11. 5. 3 11. 5. 4 Your voice 11. 5. 5 Non-verbal communication Group presentations 11. 6. 1 Team balance 11. 6. 2 Transitions 11. 6. 3 Support for the speaker 11. 6. 4 Your role as coach Evaluating the presentation Why do some presentations go wrong? 76 76 76 76 76 76 77 77 79 79 80 80 80 80 80 81 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 11. 4 11. 5 11. 6 11. 7 11. 8 Chapter 12 Exam strategies Preparing for exams 12. 1. 1 Establish the type of exam 12. 1. 2 Develop a broad understanding of the unit’s objectives 12. 1. 3 Develop summaries of topics 12. 1. 4 Review unit material and topics 12. 1. 5 Practise past exam questions 12. 1. 6 Multiple choice questions 12. 1. 7 Short answer and essay questions 12. 1. 8 Calculation questions 12. 2 Operating in the exam 12. 2. 1 Reading and noting time 12. 2. 2 Completing the exam Answering multiple choice questions 12. 2. 3 12. 2. 4 Completing written response questions 12. 3 Checklist for exams 12. 1 84 84 84 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 87 87 87 88 88 88 Q Manual Preface and Acknowledgements The purpose of the Q (for Quality) Manual is to provide new students with practical and easily accessible information regarding university-level study. As its name suggests, this publication is aimed at increasing your effectiveness as a student. For many of you who have not experienced university level study, the Q Manual will provide you with ideas, suggestions and guidelines to enable you to achieve academic success by producing quality work, and getting it submitted on time. We suggest you read the Q Manual thoroughly and refer to it often throughout your course of study. The Q Manual commences with an overview of the Faculty of Business and Economics, its goals, structure and expectations regarding student performance, as well as important policy information about student assessment. The next chapter provides useful advice in relation to approaches to study at the university level. Then follows the bulk of the Q Manual, which focuses on research skills, academic writing skills, and in particular, chapters devoted to commonly required academic assignments, such as essays, literature reviews, reports and case study method. The section relating to academic writing and assignment preparation is followed by chapters covering academic honesty and referencing techniques. The final sections of the Q Manual cover oral presentation skills and exam strategies. There are many people whose valuable contributions to this edition of the Q Manual must be acknowledged. They include (in no particular order): Andrew Dixon, Caulfield Campus Library David Horne, Caulfield Campus Library Owen Hughes, Faculty of Business and Economics Sally Joy, Faculty of Business and Economics Lynne Macdonald, Faculty of Business and Economics Michael Scorgie, Department of Accounting and Finance Claire Tanner, Faculty of Arts Our special thanks go to Lynne Macdonald and Claire Tanner for the many hours spent collating and editing the content and for coordinating production of the Q Manual. Without your efforts and patience, this edition could not have been published. Sincere thanks also go to my dear friend and colleague, Glenda Crosling, who has collaborated with me for many years on a number of significant educational projects for the faculty. A dedicated educator, Glenda works enthusiastically and tirelessly, keeping an open mind, and most importantly, always retaining her wonderful sense of humour! Glenda also thanks Nell for her collegiality, dedication, inspiration and hard work on this and other educational projects. Together, we have produced a publication that we hope will assist you in your studies. Finally, we wish you a stimulating, challenging and rewarding learning experience throughout your undergraduate and postgraduate studies with the Faculty of Business and Economics. Nell Kimberley Department of Management Faculty of Business and Economics January, 2008 Glenda Crosling Education Adviser Faculty of Business and Economics Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 1 Welcome Congratulations on your selection to study one of the courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University. This manual is intended to provide you with information on how to produce quality work and achieve the best possible results in your examinations. The major goal of the university is to assist you to obtain an excellent education so that you may take your place in society as a well-qualified graduate. It is important to note that while the courses provide the teaching support and the necessary framework for your studies, success can be achieved only through your personal commitment and dedication to hard work throughout all the years of your course. The following information is aimed at familiarising you with the Monash University study environment and increasing your effectiveness as a Monash student, thereby enabling you to reach your potential. For those of you who are experiencing university level study for the first time, this manual will lay an important foundation and prepare you for a new world. 1. 2 Monash University Monash University was established in 1961 and named after General Sir John Monash (1865–1931). Sir John was a soldier, scholar and engineer, and the Commanding General of the Australian forces in France in World War 1. In addition, as the first Chairman of the State Electricity Commission, he took on the immense task of overseeing the development of the LaTrobe Valley’s brown coal resources. Sir John was a man of wide interests and vast intellectual range. He was this country’s first Doctor of Engineering and exemplifies the University’s motto – Ancora Imparo (I am still learning). The university now has a population of more than 50,000 students from over 100 countries, who speak 90 languages. There are eight Monash campuses and two centres, in Italy and London. The primary pursuits of teaching and research are carried out in the university’s ten faculties. The faculties, which each cover a specific body of knowledge, are: Art and Design; Arts; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Information Technology; Law; Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; Pharmacy; and Science. 1. 3 1. 3. 1 Faculty of Business and Economics Goals The aim of the faculty is to use its scale, scope and unique internal diversity to become an international leader in the pursuit, dissemination and analysis of knowledge, particularly in the disciplines of accounting, banking, econometrics, economics, finance, management, marketing, and tourism. By the application of such knowledge, its staff and students will contribute to the economic, social and commercial development of Australia and other countries in an increasingly globalised environment. 1. 3. 2 Faculty structure The Faculty of Business and Economics is the largest faculty in the university, with more than 17,000 students enrolled over five Australian campuses at Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Gippsland and Peninsula, as well as in Malaysia and South Africa. In addition to a diverse range of undergraduate bachelors degrees, the faculty offers a comprehensive range of graduate courses including an executive certificate, graduate certificates and diplomas, masters degrees by coursework and research, the Master of Business Administration, the Doctor of Business Administration, the Master of Philosophy and the Doctor of Philosophy. Courses are delivered on campus, usually through lectures, tutorials and WebCT Vista, while offcampus students are catered for by distance education. 1 The Dean and the main faculty office are located on the Caulfield campus. In addition, there are faculty staff located at the other campuses. Go to http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/contact/ for location and contact details. 1. 3. 3 Departments and centres The Business and Economics faculty is subdivided into organisations that are responsible for particular areas of knowledge. There are six departments and two research centres. The departments are: Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, Econometrics and Business Statistics, Economics, Management, and Marketing. The research centres are: Centre of Policy Studies, and Centre for Health Economics. They cover fields of study including accounting, banking, business law, business statistics, economics, econometrics, finance, international business, management, human resource management, marketing, taxation and tourism. Whatever your major or areas of study it is essential that you have an understanding of each of the disciplines and how they interact with each other in the overall operations of a business organisation. 1. 3. 4 Aims for learning at Monash University and in the Faculty of Business and Economics The university and the faculty recognise the needs of students for their lives following graduation. As a Monash graduate you will be operating in a globalised and rapidly-changing world, and the university and faculty aim to develop in students’ attributes beyond the ability to understand and operate competently with course and unit content. The aims are that students will develop in ways that will enable them to: †¢ Engage in an internationalised and increasingly globalised world; †¢ Engage in discovery, analysis, integration and application for problem solving and learning with knowledge; †¢ Communicate competently orally and in writing across cultures and settings, including their specific disciplines. As you undertake your studies, you will notice an emphasis on these attributes and you will be engaged in activities and tasks to help you develop them. In the following chapters of this guide, we explain the influences of these attributes on your approach to study. 1. 3. 5 Units Each department offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate units. In a three-year undergraduate degree, there are twenty-four units, with four units to be taken in each semester (parttime students would normally undertake two units each semester). The unit leader or coordinator is responsible for the administration of the particular unit. You can consult with your unit leader, and or coordinator in larger units you may also consult with the other lecturers and tutors. 1. 3. 6 Role of lecturers/tutors Lecturers and tutors have a key role as facilitators of your learning. They are able and most willing to help you with your studies and can be contacted using your student email account. Their email addresses are located in the unit outline. Alternatively, academic staff can be contacted during their consultation hours which are often posted on their door or outside the main administration office. 1. 3. 7 Role of on-line sources of information Monash has adopted a learning management system which provides you with access to on-line unit information. The web contains information that you need to know for the unit, both of an administrative nature as well as useful material for your studies. 2 1. 3. 8 Role of course directors/coordinators If you are encountering academic performance issues, course progression and similar problems you should initially discuss these with enrolment officers or course advisers. You may, occasionally, then be referred to course directors or course coordinators to help with these issues. Undergraduate students are referred to course directors or course coordinators by the faculty office and postgraduate students by departmental administration staff. If referred, course directors and coordinators are available during their consultation hours. 1. 3. 9 Additional important information The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Handbooks and the Student Resource Guide provide important information regarding various aspects of university life. The Student Resource Guide is distributed to all students at the time of initial enrolment and is available on-line at www. monash. edu. au/pubs. It contains details of the university’s code of practice for teaching and learning, as well as grievance and appeals procedures. Further copies can be obtained from Student Service Centres on all campuses. An excellent resource for students is also available on-line via the student link on the Business and Economics Faculty webpage at http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/. The site contains links to important information regarding: courses and units, admissions and enrolments, schools and departments, exams and results, administration, study resources, calendars and timetables, IT and computing, support services, careers and employment, international students, and clubs and associations. 1. 4 Faculty expectations of student performance As students of the faculty, there are a number of units that you will study as part of your course. Although these units may have differing methods of assessment, the faculty has the following expectations of your behaviour and performance. 1. 4. 1. Attendance and participation at lectures and tutorials Lectures and tutorials are central to your performance in the university. Lectures provide the material you require in order to understand the overall nature and direction of the unit. Important concepts and analysis can be emphasised by the lecturer and put into context for the student. Tutorials are a vital part of your studies. They reinforce lecture material and provide you with an opportunity to discuss material presented in lectures, as well as to ask questions. Tutorials also provide you with the opportunity to develop your oral communication skills. The material presented is not designed to give you one view on a topic but to facilitate your understanding of the issue under discussion. Where there are alternative views on an issue, you should learn to articulate, critically approach and assess these differing positions. 1. 4. 2 Special consideration and extension of time for submission of an assessment task Students need to use a Special Consideration Application when applying for Special Consideration for overall assessment, end-of-semester examinations, or additional assessment for a unit (or units) studied during the current semester. Please refer to the following webpage for information on both faculty and university special consideration policy and procedures: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/spec-con. html Students who require more time to complete a piece of work should apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment task. Reasons for special consideration include serious short term circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness, accident, personal trauma, family emergency or compassionate grounds. Applications should be discussed with the examiner/lecturer/tutor responsible for assessing the task. Please refer to the current student faculty webpage for forms and further information: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/exams/specconsemester. html 3 1. 4. 3 Workload You are expected to undertake private study in addition to attending lectures and tutorials. Preparation of work to be discussed in tutorials is essential. You will also be required to complete assignments and projects and submit them on the due dates. When taking into account the work carried out during mid-semester breaks and exam weeks, you would expect to study more than thirty hours each week. 1. 4. 4 Self-reliance Compared to your school experience, at the university you are expected to be more independent and self-reliant. In contrast to teachers at school, lecturers and tutors usually teach large numbers of students, sometimes as many as one thousand. They are happy to assist you, but you need to approach the staff member and be clear about what you wish to discuss. It is also your responsibility as a self-reliant student to attend lectures and tutorials, prepare your tutorial work and submit all written work on time. 1. 4. 5 Time management. The expectation at the university is that you learn to manage your own time. This applies to full-time students who have a great deal of time available outside of classes, as well as for part-time students who have to balance work and study. The following chapter on study techniques in this manual provides, among other things, some helpful hints on how to best manage your time and get the most out of your career as a student. 1. 5 Student assessment Assessment in a unit may be made up of several components: a formal examination, essays, tests, assignments, oral presentations and tutorial participation. Assessment details for each unit are provided in the unit guide that you will receive in the first week of each semester. The final mark that a student receives in a unit will be determined by the board of examiners on the recommendation of the chief examiner, taking into account all aspects of assessment. The rights of students to have assessed work re-marked are determined at the departmental level. A student can only be failed after the exam paper has been marked by two staff members. All results are reviewed by the unit leader. You can find further information relating to the university’s assessment in undergraduate units and the responsibilities of examiners using the main policy bank link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat /policies/ 1. 5. 1 Examinations For details of examination regulations, please refer to the Monash University Calendar: http://www. monash. edu. au/pubs/calendar/ 1. 5. 2 Use of English dictionaries and calculators As English is the language of instruction within Monash University, foreign language translation dictionaries are not permitted to be used by students sitting examinations. Calculators are permitted if specified on the examination paper, but some units may have a calculator restriction. Students are advised to familiarise themselves with any calculator restrictions applying in units they are studying. For permitted calculator(s) for examinations and units of study go to the faculty policy link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/calculator. html 4 1. 5. 3 Results At the end of each semester, following the completion of examinations, a board of examiners considers student performance as a whole before the results are published. All undergraduate and coursework graduate students who pass are graded into the categories of high distinction, distinction, credit and pass. Honours courses use a different grading system, classified into first class, second class division A, second class division B, third class and pass. 1. 5. 4 Marks and grades Following is a list of marks and grades used within the faculty: 0–49 40–49 45–49 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 N NS NP P C D HD NE WH Fail Fail, supplementary exam awarded by Board of Examiners only to graduate students and under special circumstances Near pass is only awarded to undergraduate students. It may be awarded for the last unit to complete a degree. Pass Credit Distinction High distinction Not examined. Used when a unit is taught over two semesters Withheld. Used, for example, when assessment is outstanding due to a special consideration application or incomplete assessment. DEF Deferred examination granted SFR Satisfied faculty requirements This grading system will be current until 2009. For amendments after this time go to: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/methods-assessment. html 1. 5. 5 Honours grading Honours units are graded as follows: Below 50 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 Fail HIII HIIB HIIA HI 5 1. 5. 6 Examples of grades and corresponding achievement levels HD High Distinction 80–100% D Distinction 70–79% A very high standard of work which demonstrates originality and insight C Credit 60–69% Demonstrates a high level of understanding and presentation and a degree of originality and insight Thorough understanding of core texts and materials P Pass 50–59% Satisfies the minimum requirements N Fail 0–49% Fails to satisfy the minimum requirements General description. Outstanding or exceptional work in terms of understanding, interpretation and presentation Strong evidence of independent reading beyond core texts and materials Demonstrates insight, awareness and understanding of deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic. Ability to consider topic in the broader context of the discipline Demonstrates imagination or flair. Demonstrates originality and independent thought Highly developed analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve very challenging problems Reading Evidence of reading beyond core texts and materials Evidence of having read core texts and materials. Very little evidence of having read any of the core texts and materials Knowledge of topic Evidence of an awareness Sound knowledge of and understanding of principles and concepts deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic Knowledge of principles Scant knowledge of and concepts at least principles and concepts adequate to communicate intelligently in the topic and to serve as a basis for further study Articulation of argument Evidence of imagination or flair. Evidence of originality and independent thought Clear evidence of analytical and evaluative skills. Well-reasoned argument based on broad evidence Sound argument based on evidence Very little evidence of ability to construct coherent argument Analytical and evaluative skills Problem solving Evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Some evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Very little evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve non-routine Ability to use and apply problems fundamental concepts and skills Well developed skills in expression and presentation Good skills in expression and presentation. Accurate and consistent acknowledgement of sources. Adequate problem-solving Very little evidence of skills problem-solving skills Expression and presentation appropriate to the discipline Highly developed skills in expression and presentation Adequate skills in expression and presentation Inadequate skills in expression and presentation. Inaccurate and inconsistent acknowledgement of sources Source: University of Adelaide 2005 6 Chapter 2 Approaching study in the Faculty of Business and Economics Introduction Study at university is like a full-time job that requires commitment, and cannot just be added on to a range of other interests. It differs in many ways from study in other educational settings. A major difference is the independence and self reliance expected of students in their study. This idea concerns: †¢ Managing your time, balancing your study with other commitments. †¢ Your approach to learning in your units. In this chapter, we discuss the implications of independence and self reliance for the way you approach your studies. Assistance with time management is also available from university learning and personal support services, go to http://www. monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/srg/srg-266. html for faculty and campus contacts. 2. 1 The study â€Å"mindset† The units that you study present information, concepts and theories. It is expected that you will understand these fully. In addition, you must think critically and analytically so that you can evaluate and apply the knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. You also need to think about the information from international and global perspectives, and to communicate your thinking clearly and appropriately orally and in writing. This means that you must do more in your written work than merely describe the concepts and knowledge, which will not get you good marks. There are times when you do need to provide definitions and an overview of concepts and theories, but such information usually only functions as an introduction for your integration of ideas, critical analysis and application, in relation to the issue, topic and task. Integration of information and critical and analytical thinking are central to the idea of independence in study. It means that you take an objective approach to the knowledge, concepts and theories. Such an approach is necessary so that you can: †¢ Integrate sometimes contrasting ideas from a range of sources and develop your own perspective on an issue or topic in relation to these; †¢ ‘Pull apart’ the knowledge in your units and explain how the parts all work together (analysis); †¢ Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of knowledge, concepts and theories for particular situations (critical approach). This emphasis may differ from how you approached your study in other educational settings. For instance, you may have expected there to be one right answer, or two sides to an issue or topic. In your university studies, you need to understand that there are multiple views surrounding a topic or issue. The suitability of the view that you develop, often by synthesising several views, depends on the perspective from which you look at the issue. Such a concept of the relativity of knowledge applies to all the business and economics disciplines. In accounting, for instance, particular accounting situations are interpreted in terms of the Standard Accounting Concepts, and in econometrics and business statistics, a set of data is interpreted in relation to a particular purpose, or the needs of a particular user. Your ability to operate in the way explained above is based on you understanding the nature of academic enquiry and discovery, as we explain in the next section. 7 2. 2 Academic enquiry, discovery and independence in study Academic enquiry and discovery are concerned with the development or advancement of knowledge in a field of study, which occurs through research and investigation. Students engage in academic enquiry and discovery, to some degree, when they integrate and apply knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. Thus, in university study, there are: †¢ No absolutes †¢ Knowledge evolves as researchers challenge, confirm or modify earlier understandings. When investigating an issue for an assignment task that is based on evidence from the literature, you need to overview and integrate the range of views surrounding the issue or topic. When you have formed your response and structured your written work to express this, you must indicate to your reader how you have arrived at that view. That is, the ideas and views that you read in the literature function as the ‘building blocks’ of your response. In your writing, if you do not explain to your reader the evidence or the building blocks for your view, you are only expressing opinions. These are ideas unsubstantiated by evidence and are not valued in university study. Another perspective The manager has a range of roles that are significant in the operations of an organisation, and decision making is one of these (Mintzberg, 1979) One perspective Decision making is an important aspect but only part of the manager’s role (Lee, 2000). Decision making in the manager’s role. Further perspective Decision making is the foundation of a manager’s role (Brown, 2002) Figure 1: Multiple views of a topic or issue Figure 1 depicts the situation in relation to a topic in a unit that relies on views in the literature. Note how decision-making in the manager’s role is seen from different perspectives by different authors. In a unit such as econometrics and business statistics, you may be required to analyse a set of data from a perspective of, for instance, a marketing manager, or a city council. Thus, the information in the data that would be relevant for the former would be on aspects such as sales, while for the city council which is concerned with providing services, the emphasis would be on the city’s population and its needs. Thus, in units that rely on data such as econometrics and business statistics, you need to analyse the data, form a perspective on the issue from the data analysis, and then select from your data to support the viewpoint you have developed. In a unit such as economics, it means being able to distinguish between facts and value statements. 8 2. 3 Approaching study in the faculty disciplines As you continue with your faculty study, you will realise that the approaches to knowledge in the disciplines of the faculty differ in some ways. Understanding such variation will help you adjust your thinking and approach across your units of study. This is particularly applicable if you are a double degree student and studying across two faculties. For instance, when you are studying a first year law unit in your Business and Economics degree, you will be presented with problem question assignments. You approach and think about these, and structure information differently, than you would for essays in a unit such as management, or, for example, reports in a marketing unit. You are using different forms of data and evidence, and applying critical analysis in ways that are particular to the unit and its discipline. The approach that the disciplines take to knowledge is reflected in the way information is put together in the texts and in lectures. These exemplify the characteristics of the particular discipline. To develop some understanding, you should think about your units in terms of: †¢ The type of data and info.