Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Food Manifesto Essay

The ideal food system is; sustainable, both in practice and in mindset, values necessity over want whenever food is concerned, and is available to all peoples while promoting equality. Sustainability at its hear is both a practice and a mindset. One cannot be present without the other or else they fail. The current food system is incredibly unsustainable. The use of an enormous amount of resources for the relatively small amount of energy produced is horrendous. â€Å"During the past 50 years, agricultural development policies and practices have successfully emphasized external inputs as the means to increase food production. This has led to growth in global consumption of pesticides, inorganic fertilizer, animal feedstuffs, and tractors and other machinery. These external inputs have. however, tended to substitute for natural processes and resources, rendering them more vulnerable. Pesticides have replaced biological, cultural and mechanical methods for controlling pests, weeds and diseases; inorganic fertilizers have been substituted for livestock manures, composts and nitrogen-fixing crops: information for management decisions comes from input suppliers, researchers rather than from local sources: machines have replaced labor: and fossil fuels have been substituted for local energy sources† (Pretty). The use of resources that we cannot keep using is astronomical. These resources, such as fossil fuels and heavy pesticides, need to be left alone or need to stop being developed. The way we can move away from these products is simple, although tough, method of switching over to natural, organic pesticides and fertilizers. To cut down on the cost and use of fossil fuels, one must cut down on the size of one’s land and employ local people to harvest the crops. â€Å"A meat based diet (28% calories from animal products) uses twice as much energy to produce as a vegetarian diet. Meat production as it is widely practiced today also has significant environmental impacts on land use, water use and water pollution, and air emissions. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists – considering land use, and water use and pollution – eating less meat is one of the most effective environmental consumer choices. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides require large amounts of energy to produce, pollute our soil and water, and present real human health impacts. Growth in retail sales of organic food products has equaled 20% or more per year since 1990† (Center for Sustainable Systems). These practices are wasteful yet alternatives are present. The way in which our food is produced needs to be fundamentally changed and this occurs when the mindset of the populous is changed. The current food system has been so wasteful, that the practices and mindset of the people just 50 years ago seems foreign. â€Å"Less than 50 years ago most rural households in the US sustained themselves by farming. While some agricultural products were sold for money on the open market, others were produced solely for household consumption of for bartering with neighbors† (Lyson 8). This practice is the same that my family uses at home and my neighbors see us as very â€Å"hippy-ish†. This is not a bad thing to be called this yet it is odd that the practices that were completely normal just half a century ago are now seen as unusual. These practices are the foundation of my ideal food system, one that is founded upon the wants of the body first in consideration with the land. The land is an extension of the body and must be nourished just the same. This is helped with the sharing of resources between neighbors. The necessity for food is valued higher than the want for types of food in my ideal food system. The want for expensive foods, convenient foods and cheap foods is an idea that has consumed the country, and the food system. The fact that we produce so much food has made us greedy. The way in which we consume food and are constantly absorbing advertisements is preposterous. The size of our grocery stores has increased due to the need for more space for all of the choices that we are allowed. Most of these items are not grown entirely in the United States but are made up from the products developed here. â€Å"There is no shortage of food here, and everybody knows it. In fact, for much of this century, national agricultural policy has been preoccupied with surplus, and individual Americans have been preoccupied with avoiding, losing, or hiding the corporeal effects of overeating† (Poppendieck). This has led to an epidemic of choice, not obesity. The way in which we behave when confronted with these choices is odd to say the least as we are drawn to shiny, bright packaging rather than the dull, healthy apple. â€Å"Because we have lost our faith in both religion and science as guides to eating, we rely on popular writers to steer us through a welter of confusing and contradictory information† (DuPuis). The food writers of the nation have left us with so much to absorb that we are just as lost reading their work as we are at the grocery store. This has led to the mindless consumption that has further led to the overconsumption of resources to fuel our poor habits. The way in which the people will learn to implement this new way of thinking, abandon want and embrace need, will be difficult. This starts in schools with children and will foster that way that they eat, thus starting a new generation with the â€Å"right† mentality. â€Å"Such changes in the food supply and decreased activity are largely socioeconomically-driven (urbanization, more cars owned and operated, less safety in urban areas, children being driven everywhere instead of walking, more reliance on fast food as more households have both parents working away from home)† (Massad). This also reiterates my point on the decrease of unsustainable resources in our food system. The encouragement for people to walk places and to avoid fast food is a start but the children are the bet recipients for this type of indoctrination as they are the most impressionable. This is very apparent as many people as adults take part in activities not out of personal preference but because that was how they were raised. Availability is the clearest factor in devising a new food system. The locality of food should be so much a part of a community, one cannot walk down a street without seeing at least 5 vendors from the surrounding family farms. â€Å"Much of what was produced was not sold on the open market but rather was bartered for goods and services in the local community or else used for home consumption† (Lyson 9). The way that a local food system should work is that food should be produce for the family first, and then the surplus will be offered in town for money. When money is not readily available, then services will be exchanged such as plumbing, painting, clothing, etc. The need to share food is important for all people as just years ago food was â€Å"produced solely for household consumption or for bartering with neighbors† (Lyson 8). This is the only way in which our local food system will be able to flourish with the implementation of a semi bartering system that will allow farmers and families to exchange food items for other food items. This is only possible with a local food system as the current food system is too monetarily based to be able to function in this respect. The solidarity of humankind to be courteous to one another begins not with the treatment of all people equally, but the treatment of the food system as a living organism. This is possible through much sacrifice but a change is necessary in order for the human race to end a problem that has haunted us for all of our existence. Through a collective effort, the new sustainable, local food system focusing on the needs of people as opposed to what people want from it, will be able to bring humankind into a â€Å"more glorious dawn. † (Sagan) DuPuis, E. Melanie. â€Å"Angels and Vegetables: A Brief History of Food Advice in America. † Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture 7, no. 3 (08/01 2007): 34-44. Lyson, Thomas A. Civic Agriculture: Reconnecting Farm, Food, and Community. Medford, Massachusetts: Tufts University Press, 2004. Massad, Susan J. â€Å"Super-Sizing America: Geography, Income, Fast Food, and Whole Food. † Human Geography 2, no. 2 (2009): 52-69. McKibben, Bill. â€Å"The Cuba Diet. † Harper’s Magazine 310, no. 1859 (Apr 2005): 61-69. Poppendieck, Janet. â€Å"Want Amid Plenty: From Hunger to Inequality. † In Hungry for Profit: The Agribusiness Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment, edited by Fred Magdoff, John Bellamy Foster and Frederick H. Buttel, 189-202. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2000. Pretty, Jules N. â€Å"Participatory Learning for Sustainable Agriculture. † World Development 23, no. 8 (1995): 1247-63. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Perennial, 2002.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Is It Ok To Cry At Work, Case Study Essay

1 What factors do you think make some organizations ineffective at managing emotions? A There are many factors that make organizations ineffective at managing emotions. The first factor is the complex human thinking. Not everyone think and act in the same way to a particular situation. So the organization faces difficulties when handling their employees. The problem is even worse if the organization is very large. If the organization is large it means it is diverse. The employees belong to different background and different culture which makes even more difficult for the organization to understand emotions of the employees. Some organizations even think that emotions are disruptive and they will interfere with the employee’s ability to work. They don’t let their employees to expresses their feelings and emotions. The managers should be given training to understand the emotions and feelings of others. The organization should be in regular contact with the employees so that they could understand the feelings and emotions of the employees. Emotions are the psychological responses to a particular incident. This is very hard to expect. When you can’t expect a thing how can you manage it? So we can’t blame organization for not managing emotions effectively. References: Text book and my understanding of the subject. 2 Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves? A. Covering of your emotions can sometimes ensure a work is done smoothly and perfectly. However covering your emotions will lead to mental stress. So it is better to display true emotions at work. What does it mean? You shout at your manager if you are not happy? NO. You should be expressing your emotions depending upon several factors. Some of those are what are your emotions? Waiting for the right time and right place. I would like to state an example where displaying emotions in a strategic way  can help you .My brother works as solution engineer at VCE. Recently during the Christmas time he had a week off after three months of heavy schedule and was planning for a vacation. But suddenly his manager has called him and assigned some work to him and told him to complete in a week. He was very disappointed but he has agreed to do the work and even completed the work. He had to work even during the holidays. After two weeks he went to the manager and spoke to him that he is overloaded and needs a break. The manager saw his record and granted him 2 weeks of all paid trip to CALIFORNIA. So I feel that employees should display their emotions in a right way and at the right time will definitely help them. 3 Have you ever worked where emotions were used as part of a management style? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach in your experience. A. I have never worked in an organization where emotions are used as part of a management style. Hence I will consider that I work in an organization that uses emotions as part of a management style. For this I will consider my classroom as an organization to explain my understanding. Here, I will consider me and my classmates as employees and my professor as the manager. Considering myself in this environment and noting that this organization(classroom) uses emotions as a part of the management style, I can sense the following advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: i.When my manager is in a good mood he can help me with my work. ii. I can discuss any problems that I have with my manager freely and get his suggestion iii. When everyone is in a good mood, work progresses more effectively. iv. Everyone would be comfortable in discussing their problems with each other. Disadvantages: i.When the boss is in a bad mood the employees would have to handle all the consequences. ii. The work pressure would seem to be higher than it is with the boss scolding the employees. iii. Because of that, the work progress of the employees will become low. iv. As discussed in class, the job satisfaction will be reduced. v. As a result the employees will sometimes  want to quit the job. 4 Research shows that acts of co-workers (37 percent) and management (22 percent) cause more negative emotions for employees than do acts of customers (7 percent). What can Laura’s company do to change its emotional climate? A From the research it is clear that act of co-workers cause more negative emotions for employees followed by management and lastly act of customers. To change the emotional climate the organization should hold some kind of activities to strengthen the relationships. They should introduce a reward system for good behavior, excellent and etc. Also, the manager should be taught to control his emotions and make him understand that by showing his anger in the employees he is actually causing loss to the company, as the employees are feeling manipulated and do not want to continue in that office. I have studied in chapter 1 that it is the manager’s responsibility to motivate the employees and make sure that they are working efficiently to contribute to the progress of the organization. Also they should Improve communication between staff and managers. By this they can be friends and work together in a better way. The organization should get involved with the employees seek to understand and try to solve their problems. They should avoid displaying negative emotions like scolding, shouting as far as possible so that they could be a positive environment. Last but the most important thing is trying a bit of humor here and there whenever it is possible. With these there will be a positive environment in which the employees are inspired/motivated to work and show better results.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Analyzing an Aspect of Nursing Care Based on a Provided Profile of a Essay

Analyzing an Aspect of Nursing Care Based on a Provided Profile of a Patient - Essay Example Although, the patient has multiple system involvement, given the recent history of myocardial infarction and resulting LVF, heart failure is likely to be the leading cause of hospital readmission in this case. LVF, when coexisting with COPD, makes pharmacological treatment challenging (Padeletti, Jelic and LeJemtel, 2008). This disease is likely to impact and overshadow the management and prognosis of all other associated conditions. Limitation of functional capacity due to LVF is a serious hindrance for the patient to seek treatment for other associated conditions and participate in a rehabilitation program for stroke, peripheral vascular disease and COPD. Acute decompensation of LVF can occur because of treatment non-compliance, infection or poor nutritional status and can be fatal. Thus, nurses play an important role in preventing acute decompensation and rehospitalisation. Heart failure patients generally have a poor prognosis and a reduced quality of life (Gould, 2002). However, because of advances in treatment and dedicated heart failure programs, the prognosis of the condition has improved with the 6 month mortality rate declining from 26% in 1995 to 14% in 2005(Mehta, et al., 2009). Concurrently, hospitalization rates are increasing. An elderly patient with multiple comorbidities, multiple medications and reduced quality of life is the typical profile of a patient with heart failure. In this patient, MI, LVF, COPD, peripheral vascular disease as well as duodenal ulcer have common risk factors of age, smoking and atherosclerosis. Pathophysiology of left ventricular failure Left ventricular failure may be defined as the inability of left side of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the metabolic needs of the body. Coronary artery disease leading to myocardial infarction is the most common cause of left sided heart failure (NICE, 2010, Gould 2002). MI impairs myocardial contraction and hence, reduces its efficiency to pump blood. Severity of the infarcti on is proportional to the severity of LVF. Other common causes of left ventricular failure include hypertension, cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease. Positive history of smoking, peripheral vascular disease and age, point towards atherosclerosis and resulting MI as the cause of LVF in this patient. COPD also causes heart failure which is mainly right sided. However, it can also precipitate LVF (Paudel, et al., 2008). LVF, in turn, can cause right heart failure by increasing pulmonary vascular resistance (pulmonary hypertension). Signs and symptoms As the ability of the left ventricle to pump blood in the forward direction is impaired, symptoms result from pulmonary vascular congestion and inadequate cardiac output. Pulmonary congestion affects gas exchange in the alveoli and causes dyspnea, orthopnoea, cough, dizziness, confusion, syncope, fatigue, and decreased functional capacity and exercise tolerance (Buckler, 2009). New York Heart Association (NYHA) grading is a useful to ol for grading the severity of LVF that should be used. Physical examination reveals tachypnea, gallop rhythm and features of pulmonary oedema, such as crepitations over lung fields, predominantly at the base. Respiratory distress and production of pink frothy sputum is present in decompensated cases,

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Effects of American Imperialism on Native Americans Essay

The Effects of American Imperialism on Native Americans - Essay Example This essay analyzes that after the war between Indian and French national ended in present America, Britain designed an effective system of governance. The colony had to tighten control on the American territory. In response to this need, the British government provided various policies. The federal government in the present United States of America had to inculcate the aspect of nationalism on the Natives. One of the policies related to nationalism for the Natives of America was the Snyder Indian Citizenship Act. This Act came into effect in the year 1924. The basic principle of the act was to assimilate Indians and other natives into the American culture.  This essay analyzes that after the war between Indian and French national ended in present America, Britain designed an effective system of governance. The colony had to tighten control on the American territory. In response to this need, the British government provided various policies. The federal government in the present Un ited States of America had to inculcate the aspect of nationalism on the Natives. One of the policies related to nationalism for the Natives of America was the Snyder Indian Citizenship Act. This Act came into effect in the year 1924. The basic principle of the act was to assimilate Indians and other natives into the American culture.  The U.S during the nineteen century was influenced towards expanding it territories westwards. Concerning the expansion, the government would have to occupy territories owned by native tribe communities.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Professional document (letter or memo) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional document (letter or memo) - Essay Example These advances have made it possible for the human resource to come up with proper recommendations. The recommendations are aimed at improving the work rate displayed by the sales force. The work rate has decreased significantly as their morale has been diminished by the implementation of the pay for performance reward system. Proposal As much as the pay form performance reward system is appropriate and practical, some adjustments need to be done to incorporate all the condition different individuals have in the sale force. In the current pay for performance system all sales people are entitled to pay depending on their performance. Their performance is measured by the quantity of stock they have turned to cash. The commission paid does not include any other form of reward or incentive. In my proposal, all sales people should be entitled to a fixed salary rate. However, the salary should be half the salary of the required pay. The rest of their pay should then be based on commission. This will at least create a balanced operation ground among all the sales employees. According to Miner, the implementation of this move will indirectly motivate employees (34). The motivation will significantly translate to a more active sales force. My proposal in adjustment of the pay for performance system also involves the giving of extra incentives to the most performing sales people. This will not only give the sales force something to look forward to, but the sales in the organization will increase significantly. Additionally, this move will make the bonus system of the pay for performance system more practical. Rationale The welfare of the employees should be the most significant factor to be considered when implementing the proposals. As the main body of ensuring that consumers’ needs are satisfied the organization should be very considerate when dealing with them. Additionally, the level of equity turnover should be considered before formulating any reward system. Rewards system should be dictated by the amount of sales the organization makes at each quarter. Implementation There should be a proper recording system in which the turnover figure for each employee is recorded. The turnover figures should determine whether or not an employee will receive a bonus. The turnover figure should be recorded after each quarter. As originally recommended by the pay for performance system, the reward system should be as follows: 100% over salary for the topmost sales person; 60% for the second top; 30% for the third and fourth; and no extra for the rest. As internationally recommended, all employees in the sales force should be entitled to a salary that is constant to all of them. Just as the initial reward system, there will be oppositions raised against these proposals. However, as stated by Miner, the consistency of a reward system is very important (235). If the advantages of a reward system are many than the disavantages, then the rewards system sho uld be fully implemented and with time all employees will feel justly rewarded and treated. The management should also be fair when it comes to awarding of bonuses and incentives. With high stakes and topping the turnover figures, employees could be tempted to apply dubious operational skills. To curb this, the organization should come up with company rules and regulations which will govern the mode in which the sales force operates. This will also create equality in the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Kants theory of perpetual peace and Arab-Israeli politics Essay

Kants theory of perpetual peace and Arab-Israeli politics - Essay Example This paper aims to read Kant’s theory of â€Å"Perpetual Peace† as a practical base to understand and name some ongoing events in Arab-Israeli politics.The academia has been discussing the nature of Arab-Israeli politics throughout the last few decades. Considering the widely shared terminology, one may easily become conscious of some chronic words: change, turbulence, chaos, new world order, governance, civil society, transition, revolution, and peace. It is almost an accepted theory, or in another word, hypothesis, that we are facing a complete change. From this standpoint, this paper aims to read Kant’s theory of â€Å"Perpetual Peace† as a practical base to understand and name some ongoing events in Arab-Israeli politics. One can find many an area of agreement or disagreement over the logic and formulas chosen by policy-makers or academics in â€Å"what we are fighting for.† For over two hundred years , academics and politicians have articulated at the power of democracy to make global harmony. The Oslo Agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1993 was ended with a view to develop â€Å"a just, lasting and comprehensive peace†. Yet, since their coming into effect the Arabs have seen not peace but disgust of the most evil kind in modern history. For several years, the de facto rule of Western administrations and newspapers in evaluating the Middle Eastern political state of affairs was similar to the scene in The Wizard of Oz: â€Å"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain† ... One must retain information that the Arabs control 99.9 per cent of the Middle East territories. Israel stands for only 1 per cent of the territories. The State of Israel was established primarily to be a homeland to the Jewish community. The civil rights of the Jewish people to return to their primeval home town has been recognized by the international community. Creating a 'perpetual peace' is a long-term process, one that should have run equivalent to the Oslo negotiations but was unnoticed in the belief that everything could be changed by tomorrow. If it isn't done at the moment, when the situation of political affairs of Arab States is about as bad as it has been since the ending of the 1967 war, mass support for a 'peace conformity', if and when such an contract is at last signed, will not be approaching, and the forces of irredentism and conflict will again win the day. The conflicts between the Arab and Muslim world on one side, and Israel on another, is top news around the entire world. It is also at the forefront of debate on many institutions of higher education around the world. As Jos Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature, quoted: "We must ring all bells in the world to tell that what is happening in Palestine is a crime, and it is within our power stop to this... We can compare it to what happened in Auschwitz" (Alan Dershowitz 2007). Nicholas De Genova, a Columbia University assistant professor of anthropology, has reported: "The heritage of the victims of the Holocaust belongs to the Palestinian people. The state of Israel has no legitimate claim to the heritage of the Holocaust. The heritage

While conceptually sound, the practical realities are such that Essay

While conceptually sound, the practical realities are such that ecotourism remains a fundamentally flawed product. Discuss - Essay Example s a means of novelty to satisfy the hunger of hunger of the tourists with a view to growing awareness of the drastic environmental changes caused by global warming. But if the concept of ecotourism is compared with the ecotourism in reality, it appears, to a great extent, to be the manipulation of the consumerism of the industrial society to trap the foreign currency at home and abroad. Indeed it was initiated with the increasing concern about the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and ecology. But in order to mitigate the pressure of the scholars and the environmentalists regarding the harmful impacts of tourism on the environment, the concept of tourism ironically includes its ecological apparel that is supposed to grow the awareness of the tourists about the environmental change. Since then the concept of ecotourism is facing the dilemma of its true outline in reality, as in this regard Anja Touhino and Anne Hynoenen (2001: 1) say, â€Å"The tourism industry still feels that these definitions are unclear and that they confuse both consumers and tourism entrepreneurs. Terms related to ecotourism are often used without adequate definition and thus cause confusion, even in research† (Touhino & Hynoenen, 2001: 1). Various scholars have defined tourism in different ways. But all these definitions are stitched together with a common thread that appears to be approach of these definitions to nature and environment. The concept of ecotourism evolved in order to mitigate the negative impact mass tourism on Environment. Therefore the evolution of the concept of ecotourism is closely related to the definition of mass tourism and tourism in general. In this regard Fennel (2003: 30) says, â€Å"Ecotourism has grown as a consequence of the dissatisfaction with conventional forms of tourism†. For Fennell (2003: 16), â€Å"ecotourism is distinct from mass tourism and various other forms of AT [alternative tourism]†. In the beginning the most accepted definitions of

Thursday, July 25, 2019

US Military History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US Military History - Essay Example Immediately after the end of the Second World War, the Korean War broke at the height of Cold War with the two superpowers playing a significant role in influencing the war. The Soviet Union supported the North communist region as the U.S offered support to the South region that held the idea of capitalism. Although Russia failed to engage in direct combat during the war, it provided support through offering war equipment to the North region and eventually supporting Chinese communist military leading to the end of the war. The U.S involvement, however, occurred through providing support and engagement of U.S military in combat (Stewart, 2005). The primary objective behind the U.S engagement in the Korean War resulted from the fact that the U.S held a need of saving face as well as ensuring that it appeared stronger than communism. Therefore, it is indicative that America never held vital interests on Korea. In supporting the south anti-communists Syngman Rhee that was considered as tyrannical in the same manner as his North counterpart Kim II-Sung, the support offered by the U.S relates from the simple reason of the south region adoption of a non-communist approach. Furthermore, offering support to Rhee a leader that was equally corrupt and tyrannical served the negative policies that the U.S advocated. Again, the culminating factors that led to the involvement of Chinese military in the war served in portraying the weakness of and establishment of the superiority of the communist forces.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Extreme Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extreme Risks - Essay Example Rees notes that some experiments, say launching of single nuclear weapon, are known to render threat to life on Earth. However, the magnitude of the impact of such experiments may not be amply intense to destroy the whole world. On the contrary, the author asserts that there are some physics experiments performed mainly for the purpose of pure scientific inquiry that could possibly pose global or even cosmic threat. For instance, device known as particle accelerators have been created to aid in the study of particle composition of the world. This machine is primarily utilized to investigate about most extreme energies and temperatures. Unbeknownst to many, such experiments that entail the smashing of atoms are said to possibly have disastrous effects on the universe. The author elaborates that this type of experiments may generate unprecedented concentration of energy which may lead to different catastrophic scenarios. This first scenario entails the formation of black hole that sucks in everything around it. However, Albert Einstein disputed this claim as the energy requirement for the formation of black hole is significantly greater than the amount of energy generated with the collision experiment. The second scenario involves the formation of strangelet, which is described as reassembled quarks. A strangelet is deemed harmless in itself but it said to possess the ability to convert anything it encounters into a new strange form of matter. With this, it could transform the entire planet into an inert hyperdense sphere. The third theory concerning vacuum is considered as the most disastrous. Some have speculated that the concentrated energy when particles crash together may set off a "phase transition" that would rip the fabric of space itself. Although experts have expressed that the likelihood of these scenarios occurring is minimal, Rees asserts that we cannot be completely sure of the outcome. This is because the probabilities assigned to these scenarios are deemed subjective due to the absence of comparison to a similar occurrence in the past. According to Rees, one way of checking whether an experiment is safe would be to examine if such has occurred naturally. For example, the negligible probabilities posited by experts may be acceptable in light of the fact that particles randomly crash into other atomic nuclei in space. This shows that space is not as "breakable" as envisaged by physicist. However, the mechanics change once the accelerators become more powerful, thus, no longer replicating what naturally occurs. The same concerns are encountered with the plans of Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States and CERN Laboratory in Geneva to crash atoms more forcefully. Issues regarding safety is raised since no adequate reassurance is established considering that the conditions are different from what occurs naturally. Even if two notable theories were asserted in relation to the improbability of strangelet formation and characteristics, many experts still question the sufficiency of such claims. In view of the above, Rees opines that it is not reasonable to conduct an experiment if the downside may entail finality and completeness of extinction. As such, experiments with "doomsday downside" should not be permitted unless the general public is assured that the risk such undertaking may entail is within

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Federal Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Federal Contracts - Essay Example This move is extremely essential for small entrepreneurs to expand their businesses. This paper analyzes the federal act support for small businesspersons with the aim of expanding their businesses. It further provides an organizational chart that supports working with the federal contracting system. Federal Contracts under a given Business Development Program Federal government only provides support to businesspersons or prime contractors that are performing at least one active EPA contract. In addition, they must also be eligible for the award of federal contracts. The other parties who are bound to receive assistance are companies whose corporate policy is to promote, develop and implement subcontracting opportunities for the sector of socioeconomic. In order to help such small businesses that are still starting, but have a viable idea; the SBA came up with the 8(a) Business Development Program. What is the 8(a) Business Development Program? Business Development Program is assista nce program for small-disadvantaged businesspersons with bigger ideas. This program also offers a broad scope of assistance to firms under people who are economically disadvantaged. ... Business Development Program Benefits The Business Development Program assists inspiring entrepreneurs greatly since participants being able to receive sole-source contracts of roughly $4 million for goods and services. Concerning manufacturing, the participants receive a total of $6.5 million, which is to assist in establishment and expansion of already existing business. Additionally, as much as this program helps, 8(a) still assists in building of competitive advantage. This program also helps in the improvement of institutional expertise by assisting participants to take part in competitive acquisitions (Ralph & John, 1995). Firms under 8(a) program are capable of forming joint ventures that assist them in teaming up to bid contracts. This process enhances the ability of most firms to perform larger prime contracts and overcome the effects of contract bundling. It is also possible for such companies to combine and form one large contract as highlighted in the Mentor Protege Progr am. There are usually the requirements and the objectives of the 8(a) Business Development Program, which involves graduation of firms to higher notch of competitive advantage. This process assures organizations of thriving in competitive business environment. The goal of this program is to help firms maintain balance between their commercial and government businesses. As stipulated in the NAICS code, it also provides the limit on the amount of dollar value of sole-source contracts that individual participant is likely to receive while taking part in the program, which is roughly $100 million. The requirements include the following: a) Systematic evaluations b) Yearly reviews c) Business planning

Monday, July 22, 2019

New York City Adventure Essay Example for Free

New York City Adventure Essay My favorite trip Ive ever been on was definitely my first trip to New York City. Through the many stores and massive crowds of people I learned some important life lessons, other than how much I enjoy elbow room. The Big Apple was more that just a city to me, it was an experience, in fact, the whole trip was an experience! Whether it was the airplane ride to Manhattan, the city itself, or the Yankee game we went too, I had an amazing time. I never will forget that early morning where drove up to the Charlotte-Douglas Airport and I began my NYC journey. I walked in to see people scattered across the airport like ants after an anthill was knocked over. My parents instantly went to get our boarding passes but with all the noise it was hard to keep up. While my parents were getting a bag checked at the front desk I began to look around and I saw all the people. Little did I know how many people Id end up seeing in the next week alone! Then we began to roll our suitcases up to the security section of the airport. After just a few crazy minutes we were in the terminal area. It was hard to take in it all, but before I knew it I was boarding my plane to New York, New York! It all happened so fast, one second I was getting on a plane, the next I was sitting in a hotel looking down my window at The city that never sleeps (and with all the traffic and noise outside Im pretty sure the people here dont sleep either!). Despite my lack of sleep, early the next morning my family and I were walking through the streets of New York City. We walked through Rockefeller Center and saw some of the studios where TV shows were filmed. We went on a ferry ride to see The Statue of Liberty, which itself was a beautiful site. We ate classic foods for the area, like New York Pizza from Grand Central Station, and a hot dog from Coney Island. All together this made for the greatest day ever, and believe me I slept through the night since all that touring made me really tired! No matter how exhausted I was, I was ready to wake up and do it all again the next day! The day before we were going to take our trip back home we decided to go to a New York Yankee baseball game. I dont know that much about baseball, but It was still a great game! Though our seats werent great, we did get to see one of the most classic baseball teams do what they do best! Since I wasnt to attached to the game I got to sit back, drink my soda, and watch some good baseball. I must say the most exciting thing about the whole game didnt come till the final hours when the game went to over time. After 3 extra innings the star player slugged a ball right out of the park for the Yankees to win. It seemed like all the fans were dancing out of the stadium and it was a perfect way to end the perfect trip. We packed a lot of fun into such a short trip, sometimes ill look back and it feels like Im still in that crowded city walking the streets. With the taxis and all the unique people, Im not sure anyone could forget it! In retrospect I only wish I could have stayed longer to enjoy the trip even more! On the plane ride there, walking through the city, or sitting up high at the Yankees game, my first trip to New York City was the best trip Ive ever been on. Now I can say, one of the greatest things that ever happened to me was when I took a bite out of the Big Apple.

Can Feelings Have An Rational Basis Philosophy Essay

Can Feelings Have An Rational Basis Philosophy Essay Emotions are part of our everyday life, every moment of our life we are feeling an emotion, whether its happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, or disgust. Emotions are expressed in three ways: 1. Emotions as an obstacle to knowledge, 2. Emotions as a source of knowledge and, 3. Intuition. Our emotions are very powerful and do have a rational basis. Emotional intelligence is not an oxymoron because with emotions we wouldnt have any intelligence. I agree with what Robert Solomon stated. He is completely correct by claiming that virtually all sense perception, and reasoning, must involve emotion. Emotions are an integral part of us and when strong enough they can sometimes distort the three other ways of knowing. Our perception of things can be colored by strong emotions, and there is doubtless some truth in sayings like love is blind and fear has many eyes. ( van de Lagemaat pg.151). This emotional coloring makes us aware of aspects of reality to the exclusion of others. For example when we love a person we think they are perfect and have no flaws as to when you loathe them you see only their faults. Our emotions can also negatively affect our reasoning causing to not have open minds. A person with powerful emotions is likely to use more emotive language. Our emotions also serve as a source of knowledge; it is difficult to live life without emotion. Our emotions help us reason through things. For example if you look down a cliff you know not to jump because you are scared and your fear helps you reason to not jump because you will die. So with what was mentioned previously w e can conclude that our feelings do have a rational basis because they help reason through things that go on during our everyday lives. Reason and emotion although are usually thought of as opposite things they are more on a continuum of some sort. Most of the time were somewhere along the middle of the continuum with our thoughts and feeling floating around our mind. For example if we are doing mathematical problems we will use less of our emotions and steer more to the other side of the continuum. Another way to think of reason and emotion is to think of our emotions being more or less rational. (van de lagemaat pg.156). The main problem with the previously mentioned idea is that sometimes our emotions are irrational such as fear and disgust. Although we know that it is safer to fly in a plane than to drive in a car most of us are terrified to get on planes. The last way emotion is a way of knowing is through intuition. The word intuition is typically associated with the aha momen t of insight when you suddenly see the solution to a problem without going through any conscious process of reasoning. (van de lagemaat pg.158) There are three types of intuition; core intuitions, subject-specific intuitions, and social intuitions. Core intuitions are our most fundamental intuitions about life, the universe and everything. For although reason and perception are usually said to give us knowledge they ultimately depend on intuition. According to core intuitions, the laws of logic are the starting point for all our reasoning, but we cannot prove them in terms of any more fundamental laws. If asked to justify them, most people would say that they are intuitively obvious. (van de lagemaat pg. 158). As for perception, it is an important source of knowledge, but we cannot be sure on the evidence of our senses alon that life is not a dream. Yet we have an overwhelmingly strong intuition that the dream hypothesis is false and that what we are experiencing is reality. A good way to explain why our knowledge is intuitive is by playing the why? game. If you were to ask a friend to claim something that she knows and then ask her why she believes that this is true and then ask her again why she believes that what she explained is true eventually she will say that it is intuitively obvious. We cant take these intuitions for granted but we cant just reject them either. As for subject specific intuition we sometimes appeal to intuition to justify our knowledge claims in various areas of knowledge. There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that our uneducated intuitions in subjects as logic, mathematics, physics, biology, history, economics and ethics are at best confused and at worst false. As for social intuitions we tend to be over confident about our own intuitions.( van de lagemaat pg 162). For example men always think they know it all and never need help in anything, we think we can fix anything and that we know how to get anywhere. The reason for this is our pride so we intuitively believe that what we think is right. As for emotional intelligence it is definitely not an oxymoron in some cases taking into account what was mentioned before. With our emotions we acquire much knowledge. Although in some cases we tend to put our pride before everything else and stop ourselves from acquiring any knowledge. Our intelligence of the world helps manipulate our emotions. We know that a cliff is tall and that jumping from heights hurts so our fear kicks in stopping us from ever attempting to jump off a cliff unless one day we find out that nothing harmful comes from jumping off a cliff. When Robert Solomon says that emotions are systems of judgments and that virtually all of our experiences is to some degree affective, and even our most dispassionate judgmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can be adequately understood only within some larger emotional context he basically claims that all sense perception, and reasoning, must involve emotion. I agree with this statement because everything that we do has a emotional reaction. For example if someone dies youll feel sad, if you win the lottery youll be happy, if you see a scary movie you will have fear. In other words all incoming sensory perception will have an emotional reaction. As for reason as mentioned before reason and emotion are closely related and are on the same continuum. A persons reasoning and emotions are close together but may vary depending on the task you are doing. To sum up what was previously mentioned, emotions as a way of knowing is explained in three ways: 1 as an obstacle to knowledge, 2 as a source of knowledge and, 3 as intuition. Emotions and reason are usually thought of as opposing forces when in fact they go together. Emotion and reason are on the same continuum. Without emotions we cant reason and with reason we can block emotions. It may be confusing but for example without fear how can we reason that jumping off a cliff is bad. Another thing is that with enough reason we can block emotion or come to our senses for example after we watch a scary movie we might be scared but with reason we can stop ourselves and conclude that it is impossible for what occurred in the movie to happen in real life. Emotional intelligence is not an oxymoron because with intelligence with have emotions. Finally what Robert Solomon stated makes perfect sense because without emotion how can we interpret what we perceive or how could we reason? Work cited Van de Lagemaat, Richard. Theory of knowledge: for the ib diploma. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge university Press, 2005.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Joint operation planning process

Joint operation planning process The Joint Operation Planning Process, or JOPP, supports planning at all levels and for missions across the full range of military operations. This planning process applies to both contingency planning and CAP. The JOPP is an orderly, analytical planning process that consists of a set of logical steps to analyze a mission, develop, analyze, and compare alternative COAs, or courses of action, select the best COA, and produce a plan or order. Step 1: Initiation. The Joint Operation Planning Process or JOPP begins when the President, SecDef, or CJCS recognizes a potential for military capability to be employed in response to a potential or actual crisis and initiates planning by deciding to develop military options. The GEF, JSCP, and related strategic guidance statements serve as the primary guidance to begin contingency planning. Military options normally are developed in combination with other nonmilitary options so that the President can respond with all the appropriate instruments of national power. Often in CAP, the JFC and staff will perform an assessment of the initiating directive to determine time available until mission execution, the current status of intelligence products and staff estimates, and other factors relevant to the specific planning situation. Step 2: Mission Analysis. The primary purpose of mission analysis is to understand the problem and purpose of the operation and issue appropriate guidance to drive the rest of the planning process. A primary consideration for a supported commander during mission analysis is the national strategic end state -the broadly expressed political, military, economic, social, informational, and other conditions that should exist after the conclusion of a campaign or operation. The primary inputs to mission analysis are the higher headquarters planning directive, other strategic guidance, the Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment or JIPOE, and initial staff estimates. The primary products of mission analysis are a restated mission statement and the JFCs initial intent statement, the Commanders Critical Information Requirements or CCIRs, and planning guidance. The figure below describes the key inputs and resulting outputs of mission analysis. Step 3: Course of Action (COA) Development. A COA consists of the following information: what type of military action will occur; why the action is required (purpose); who will take the action; when the action will begin; where the action will occur; and how the action will occur (method of employment of forces). A valid COA will have the characteristics outlined in the figure below. Once a valid COA is developed, the staff converts the approved COA into a CONOPS. COA determination will consist of four primary activities: COA development, analysis and wargaming, comparison, and approval. Step 4: COA Analysis and Wargaming. The commander and staff analyze each tentative COA separately according to the commanders guidance. COA analysis identifies advantages and disadvantages of each proposed friendly COA. Wargaming provides a means for the commander and participants to analyze a tentative COA, improve their understanding of the operational environment, and obtain insights that otherwise might not have occurred. Based upon time available, the commander should wargame each tentative COA against the most probable and the most dangerous adversary COAs. Step 5: COA Comparison. An objective process whereby COAs are considered independently of each other and evaluated against a set of criteria that are established by the staff and commander. The goal is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of COAs so that a COA with the highest probability of success can be selected or developed. The commander and staff develop and evaluate a list of important criteria, or governing factors, consider each COAs advantages and disadvantages, identify actions to overcome disadvantages, make final tests for feasibility and acceptability and weigh the relative merits of each. Step 6: COA Approval. The staff determines the best COA to recommend to the commander. The staff briefs the commander on the COA comparison and the analysis and wargaming results, including a review of important supporting information. This briefing often takes the form of a commanders estimate. This information could include such factors as, the current status of the joint force; the current JIPOE; and assumptions used in COA development. The commander selects a COA or forms an alternate COA based upon the staff recommendations. The nature of a potential contingency could make it difficult to determine a specific end state until the crisis actually occurs. In these cases, the JFC may choose to present two or more valid COAs for approval by higher authority. A single COA can then be approved when the crisis occurs and specific circumstances become clear. Step 7: Plan or Order Development. The commander and staff, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting components and organizations, expand the approved COA into a detailed joint operation plan or OPORD by first developing an executable CONOPS, which clearly and concisely expresses what the JFC intends to accomplish and how it will be done using available resources. It describes how the actions of the joint force components and supporting organizations will be integrated, synchronized, and phased to accomplish the mission, including potential branches and sequels. Contingency planning will result in operation plan development, while CAP typically will lead directly to OPORD development. Voice: Planning initiation begins when the President, SecDef, or CJCS recognizes a potential for military capability to be employed in response to a potential or actual crisis. The primary purpose of the next step, mission analysis, is to understand the problem and purpose of the operation and issue appropriate guidance to drive the rest of the planning process. Next, planners must develop a COA to accomplish the mission. During course of action analysis and wargaming, the commander and staff analyze each COA separately according to the commanders guidance. COA analysis identifies advantages and disadvantages of each proposed friendly COA. Wargaming provides a means for the commander and participants to analyze the COA and improve understanding of the operational environment. During COA comparison, COAs are considered independently of each other and evaluated against a set of criteria, which are established by the staff and commander. The goal is to identify the strengths and weaknes ses of COAs to select the COA with the highest probability of success. Next, the staff determines the best COA to recommend to the commander, which is normally presented in the form of a briefing for approval or further guidance. Finally, the commander and staff, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting components and organizations, expand the approved COA into a detailed joint operation plan or OPORD by first developing an executable concept of operations, or CONOPS. The CONOPS clearly and concisely expresses what the JFC intends to accomplish and how it will be done using available resources. Most often contingency planning will result in operation plan development, while CAP typically will lead directly to the development of an OPORD. Title: Contingency Planning A graphic is shown, which represents the four levels of planning detail: 1) Commanders Estimate 2) Base Plan 3) CONPLAN 4) OPLAN. The following text is shown on the right of the screen in support of the narration: Initiated by publication of the Guidance for Employment of the Force (GEF) and the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP) Conducted during peacetime Develops plans for a broad range of contingencies Compliments and supports other Department of Defense (DOD) planning cycles Facilitates the transition to crisis action planning (CAP) Voice: Contingency planning usually begins with the publication of a new GEF and JSCP. It is a peacetime process that develops plans for a broad range of contingencies with apportioned resources. Its performed in a continuous cycle that complements and supports other DOD planning cycles and facilitates the transition to crisis action planning, or CAP. Contingency planning is accomplished through four planning levels based on JOPES policies and guidance. Title: Contingency Planning Levels Action: On the left side of the screen is a graphic representing the the four levels of planning detail: 1) Commanders Estimate 2) Base Plan 3) CONPLAN 4) OPLAN. The following text is included as pop-up boxes to the matching components of the graphic: Level 1 Planning Detail Commanders Estimate: Focuses on producing a developed Course of Action (COA) Provides the SecDef with military COAs to meet a potential contingency Reflects the supported commanders analysis of the various COAs potential contingency Level 2 Planning Detail Base Plan: Describes the CONOPS, major forces, concepts of support, and anticipated timelines for completing the mission Normally does not include annexes or a TPFDD Level 3 Planning Detail CONPLAN: CONPLAN is an operation plan in an abbreviated format Requires expansion and alteration to convert into OPLAN or OPORD Includes a base plan with annexes, as required by the JFC and a supported commanders estimate of the plans feasibility Produces a TPFDD, if applicable Level 4 Planning Detail OPLAN: OPLAN is a complete and detailed joint plan with a full description of the CONOPS, all annexes applicable to the plan, and a TPFDD Identifies the specific forces, functional support, and resources required to execute the plan Can be quickly developed into an OPORD Voice: Contingency planning encompasses four levels of planning detail with an associated planning product for each level. Level 1 planning detail is the commanders estimate, which focuses on producing a developed COA. These military COAs enable the SecDef to meet a potential contingency. The objective of Level 2 planning detail is a base plan which describes the CONOPS, major forces, concepts of support, and the necessary timelines to complete the envisioned mission. This level normally does not include a detailed transportation feasible flow of resources into the theater. In Level 3 planning detail, the concept plan or CONPLAN is formulated, which is an operations plan in an abbreviated format. It includes annexes as required by the JFC and the supported commanders estimate of the plans overall feasibility. The CONPLAN may have an associated time-phased force and deployment data, or TPFDD, if applicable. Finally, the objective of Level 4 planning detail is a fully-developed operati on plan, or OPLAN, containing a complete and detailed joint plan with a full description of the CONOPS, all annexes required for the plan, and a TPFDD. The OPLAN identifies the specific forces, functional support, and resources required to execute the plan. The OPLAN can be quickly developed into an OPORD. Action: The following text is shown to the right of the planning level detail graphic: An OPLAN is normally prepared when: The contingency is critical to national security and requires detailed prior planning. The magnitude or timing of the contingency requires detailed planning. Detailed planning is required to support multinational planning. The feasibility of the plans CONOPS cannot be determined without detailed planning. Detailed planning is necessary to determine force deployment, employment, and sustainment requirements, determine available resources to fill identified requirements, and validate shortfalls. Voice: Furthermore, an OPLAN is normally prepared under the following circumstances: if the contingency is critical to national security and requires detailed planning; the magnitude or timing of the contingency necessitates the planning; detailed planning is required for a multinational planning effort; the feasibility of the CONOPS demands detailed planning; or if a detailed effort is necessary to determine the levels of force deployment and sustainment. Title: Crisis Action Planning Action: A series of pictures representing Crisis Action Planning is presented on screen. The following text replaces the pictures when mentioned in the narration: Contingency Planning Planning activities that occur in non-crisis situations; relies heavily on assumptions and projections Crisis Action Planning Based on facts and actual planning as a crisis unfolds Action: The series of pictures is brought back with additional images added to it and is now used as a background. Voice: Because its difficult to predict where and when a crisis will occur, planners must be able to rapidly respond to problems as they arise. Unlike contingency planning, which prepares plans in anticipation of future events, crisis action planning allows planners to respond to situations based on circumstances that exist at the time of planning. Crisis action planning procedures parallel contingency planning, but are more flexible and responsive to changing events. In time-sensitive situations, the JPEC follows formally established CAP procedures to adjust and implement previously prepared contingency plans by converting them into OPORDs or to fully develop and execute OPORDs where no useful contingency plan exists. Title: Crisis Action Planning Activities Action: In the background is a graphic representing the activities associated with crisis action planning. When mentioned in the narration, the corresponding parts are highlighted. The graphic shows a graphic labeled Event, directly under a box labeled Situational Awareness. Boxes continue in two rows, showing a linear sequence connected by arrows in a zigzag pattern. An arrow labeled OPREP-3 PCA points from Situational Awareness to Decision. An arrow covered by a document labeled Warning Order points to COA Development. An arrow labeled Commanders Estimate points from COA Development to COA Selection. An arrow covered by a document labeled Planning or Alert Order points from COA Selection to Detailed Planning. An arrow labeled Operations Order points from Detailed Planning to Plan Approval. An arrow covered by a document labeled Execute Order points from Plan Approval to Execution. Graphic bands at the top divide the graphic into three portions. Situational Awareness stretches across the entire screen, lasting throughout the process. Planning covers COA Development, COA Selection, Detailed Planning, Plan Approval, and Execution and the intermediary products. Two arrows across the bottom, labeled Prepare to Deploy Order and Deployment Order, extend across the same region as the Planning band. A band labeled Execution extends from near the end of Plan Approval through the Execution activity. Voice: CAP activities are similar to contingency planning activities; however, CAP is based on dynamic, real-world conditions rather than assumptions. CAP procedures provide for the rapid and effective exchange of information and analysis, the timely preparation of military COAs for consideration by the President or SecDef, and the prompt transmission of their decisions to the JPEC. The exact flow of the procedures is largely determined by the time available to complete the planning and by the significance of the crisis. The following steps summarize the activities and interaction that occur during CAP. When the President, SecDef, or CJCS decide to develop military options, the CJCS issues a planning directive to the JPEC initiating the development of COAs. Next, a WARNORD is issued that describes the situation, establishes command relationships, and identifies the mission and any planning constraints. In response to the WARNORD, the supported commander, in collaboration with subordinate and supporting commanders and the rest of the JPEC, reviews existing joint OPLANs for applicability and develops, analyzes, and compares COAs. Next, the feasibility that existing OPLANs can be modified to fit the specific situation is determined. The CJCS then reviews and evaluates the supported commanders estimate and recommends a COA selection. On receiving the decision of the President or SecDef, the CJCS issues an Alert Order to the JPEC to announce the decision. The supported commander then develops the OPORD and supporting TPFDD using the approved COA. The supported commander then submits the completed OPORD for approval to the SecDef or President via the CJCS. Finally, in CAP, plan development continues after the President or SecDef decides to execute the OPORD or to return to the pre-crisis situation. Title: Campaign Planning Action: The following bullet point list and quote from Joint Publication 5-0 are shown on screen, along with a picture representing campaign planning, in support of the narration: May begin during contingency planning and continue through CAP Primary way combatant commanders achieve unity of effort and guide planning of joint operations Operationalize combatant commander theater and functional strategies and integrate steady-state-activities, including current operations and security cooperation activities Require the broadest strategic concepts of operation and sustainment for achieving multinational, national, and theater-strategic objectives A campaign plan describes how a series of joint major operations are arranged in time, space, and purpose to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Joint Pub 5-0 Voice: It is important to note how campaign planning relates to the two categories of joint operation planning. Joint operation planning and planning for a campaign are not separate planning types or processes. Campaign planning may begin during contingency planning and continue through CAP, thus unifying the entire process. A campaign plan describes how a series of joint major operations are arranged in time, space, and purpose to achieve strategic and operational objectives. Campaign planning is a primary means by which combatant commanders arrange for strategic unity of effort and through which they guide the planning of joint operations within their theater. Campaign plans operationalize combatant commander theater and functional strategies and integrate steady-state-activities, including current operations as well as security cooperation activities. They require the broadest strategic concepts of operation and sustainment for achieving multinational, national, and theater-strategic objectives. Title: Types of Campaigns Action: Background image shows combatant command AOR map of the world. The following text is shown to support of the narration: Global Campaign Encompasses strategic objectives on multiple AORs. More than one supported GCC possible and competing requirements for transportation, ISR assets, and specialized units and equipment. The Global War on Terrorism is an example of a global campaign. Theater Campaign Focuses on activities of a supported combatant commander. Accomplishes strategic or operational objectives within a theater of war or theater of operations. Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM comprised a theater campaign in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf Conflict. Subordinate Campaign Describes the actions of a subordinate JFC, which accomplish (or contribute to the accomplishment of) strategic or operational objectives in support of a global or theater campaign. Subordinate JFCs develop subordinate campaign plans Voice: There are three general types of campaigns, which differ generally in scope. A global campaign is one that requires the accomplishment of strategic objectives in joint operations in multiple areas of responsibility ,or AORs. In this case, there could be more than one supported geographic combatant commander, or GCC. Planners must be aware of competing requirements for potentially scarce strategic resources, such as transportation and ISR assets, as well as specialized and unique units and equipment, such as special operations and tankers. Global campaigns will often establish the strategic and operational framework within which theater and subordinate campaigns are developed. The Global War on Terrorism is an example of a campaign that spans all AORs. A theater campaign encompasses the activities of a supported combatant commander. It accomplishes strategic or operational objectives within a theater of war or theater of operations, primarily within the supported commanders AOR. An OPLAN for a theater campaign is the operational extension of a commanders theater strategy, and translates theater strategic concepts into unified action. Adjacent combatant commanders may conduct supporting operations, within the AOR of the supported commander or within their own AORs, under the overall direction of the supported commander. Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM comprised a theater campaign in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf Conflict. A subordinate campaign describes the actions of a subordinate JFC, which accomplish, or contribute to the accomplishment of, strategic or operational objectives in support of a global or theater campaign. Subordinate JFCs develop subordinate campaign plans, if their assigned missions require military operations of substantial size, complexity, and duration and cannot be accomplished within the framework of a single major joint operation. Subordinate campaign plans should be consistent with the strategic and operational guidance and direction developed by the supported JFC. Title: Campaign Plan Design Action: A collage of images representing Campaign Planning are shown on screen. The following text is shown in support of the narration: Mostly art, not science-no best way to develop campaign plans Requires thinking creatively to make best use of resources to achieve objectives Involves Operational Art-the employment of military forces to attain strategic and/or operational objectives through the design, organization, integration, and conduct of strategies, campaigns, major operations, and battles Voice: Campaign planning is relatively unstructured compared to contingency and crisis action planning. Campaign planning is mostly an art, not a science; there is no set recipe or best way to develop a campaign plan. It requires a thorough knowledge of enemy and friendly capabilities, forces, and tactics, as well as out-of-the-box thinking and creativity in order to make the best use of resources to achieve the desired objectives. Because campaign planning is mostly art, it is inextricably linked with operational art, most notably in the design of the operational concept for the campaign. Operational art refers to the employment of military forces to attain strategic and/or operational objectives through the design, organization, integration, and conduct of strategies, campaigns, major operations, and battles. This is primarily an intellectual exercise based on experience and judgment. Action: A diagram is show to represent the three key elements of operational design in the following narration. The diagram shows: understand the strategic guidance, bracketing the first and second levels of the diagram, which are national strategic objectives with conditions (effects) branched underneath; next level is identify critical factors which brackets level three in the diagram, centers of gravity; finally, develop an operational concept is the last section bracketing actions under the centers of gravity boxes. Voice: There are three key elements of operational design. First, planners must understand the strategic guidance from the civilian leadership. This involves determining what the desired end state is and what has to be accomplished militarily to get there. Once planners understand what military conditions must exist to achieve strategic objectives, they must determine how to effect those conditions. The key to this is identifying the adversarys critical factors-their strengths and points of vulnerability, called Centers of Gravity (COGs). Finally, the planner must develop an operational concept, which describes the sequence of actions and the application of forces and capabilities necessary to neutralize or destroy the enemys COGs. Title: Joint Air Estimate Action: On the right of the screen, operational airpower images are shown. The following text and footer are shown on the left of the screen in support of the narration: Culminates with the production of the Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP) May be employed to support deliberate and crisis action planning The Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP) guides the employment of air and space capabilities and forces from joint force components to accomplish the missions assigned by the Joint Force Commander (JFC) Voice: Weve discussed joint operation planning in a very general sense, but how does the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) fulfill his specific responsibility to develop the air and space portion of the Joint Force Commanders (JFCs) campaign plan? The Joint Air Estimate Process is a six-phase process that culminates with the production of the Joint Air and Space Operations Plan (JAOP). The JAOP is the JFACCs plan for integrating and coordinating joint air and space operations. It guides the employment of air and space capabilities and forces from joint force components to accomplish the missions assigned by the JFC. A Joint Air Estimate Process may be employed during contingency planning to produce JAOPs that support Operation Plans (OPLANs) or Concept Plans (CONPLANs). It may also be used during crisis action planning in concert with other theater operation planning. Title: Joint Air Estimate Process Action: The following text is shown in support of the narration: Mission Analysis Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE) is initiated; JFCs mission and guidance analyzed Situation and Course of Action Development JIPOE refined; Friendly and adversary COGs are analyzed to assist in COA preparation Course of Action Analysis Advantages and disadvantages of each COA are identified Course of Action Comparison COAs are compared to predetermined criteria to identify best employment options Course of Action Selection Staff briefs recommended COA to JFACC Joint Air Space Operations Plan (JAOP) Development Selected COA developed into JAOP Action: A link to Joint Publication 3-30 is provided at the bottom of the page. Each of the bold text above are linked to the following pop-up text: Mission Analysis: Mission analysis is critical to ensure thorough understanding of the task and subsequent planning. It results in the Joint Force Air Component Commanders (JFACCs) mission statement that includes the who, what, when, where and why for the joint air operation. Anticipation, prior preparation, and a trained staff are critical to a timely mission analysis. Staff estimates generated during mission analysis are continually revisited and updated during the course of planning and execution. Situation and Course of Action (COA) Development The first two tasks of situation and course of action (COA) development are expanding and refining the initial JIPOE completed in Phase I and COG analysis. Expanded JIPOE is essential to developing and analyzing both enemy and friendly COGs. This is especially critical for air and space planning given the perspective and scope of air and space operations. The third task is the development of friendly COAs. Air and space planners develop alternative COAs by varying the ends, ways, means, and risks. The operational objectives normally fill the what guidance for COA development; the supporting tactical objectives, effects, and tasks help define the how for planners. Once planners define the objectives and supporting effects, they further refine potential air and space COAs based on the priority, sequence, phasing, weight of effort, matched resources, and assessment criteria. The result of COA development is a minimum of two valid COAs or a single valid COA with significant branches or s equels. The final step is a risk analysis of the COA in terms of both operations and combat support Course of Action (COA) Analysis COA analysis involves wargaming each COA against the adversarys most likely and most dangerous COAs. Wargaming is a recorded what if session of actions and reactions designed to visualize the flow of the battle and evaluate each friendly COA. Wargaming is a valuable step in the estimate process because it stimulates ideas and provides insights that might not otherwise be discovered. Course of Action (COA) Comparison Comparing the COAs against predetermined criteria provides an analytical method to identify the best employment options for air forces/capabilities. This begins with the JFACC staff comparing the proposed COAs and identifying the strengths, weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of each. This is often followed by rating each COA based upon the established criteria. Course of Action (COA) Selection COA selection begins when the staff presents their recommended COA (usually in the form of a briefing) to the JFACC. This briefing includes a summary of the estimate process that led to the recommended COA. Based on the amount of JFACC involvement throughout the planning process and the degree of parallel planning the commander accomplishes, COA selection will vary from choosing among alternatives to direct approval of the staff-recommended COA. Joint Air Operations Plan (JAOP) Development The JAOP details how the joint air effort will support the JFCs overall Operation Plan (OPLAN). The JAOP accomplishes the following: integrates the efforts of joint air and space capabilities and forces; identifies objectives and tasks; identifies measures or indicators of success; accounts for current and potential adversary COAs; synchronizes the phasing of air and space operations with the JFCs plan; indicates what air and space capabilities and forces are required to achieve the objectives. Voice: While the phases of the Joint Air Estimate process are presented in sequential order, work on them can be either concurrent or sequential. The phases are integrated and the products of each phase are checked and verified for coherence. The Process begins with Mission Analysis. This first phase incorporates: a

Saturday, July 20, 2019

ACG 2021, Introduction to Financial Accounting, Summer 2001, Exam 3 Final :: UFL Florida Business Accounting

2021FNLSM01A 7/18/01 Page 1 ACG 2021 FINAL EXAM SUMMER 2001 NAME _____________________________________ SS# ____________________________ Instructions: NOW: Bubble in your section number on your Scan Sheet. Fill in your name and social security number on this examination and your scan sheet. 1. Listen carefully for any comments your proctor may have related to the exam. Read these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may result in your losing points. 2. This exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, each worth two points for a total of 120 points. Select the BEST answer and mark the appropriate space on the scan sheet with a #2 pencil only. You MUST keep your scan sheet face down on the desk when you are not filling it in. 3. You may use ONLY a non-programmable calculator during the exam. Use of any other calculator will be considered a violation of the honor code. Your exam will be taken from you and you will receive a grade of 0. 4. At the end of 2Â ½ hours, you will be told to stop. Put your pencils down IMMEDIATELY. Failure to do so will result in your receiving a zero for the exam. 5. The exam consists of 20 pages, including this cover, present value tables and a blank page at the end. Make sure you have all pages and all questions. 6. Have your University of Florida Identification card ready to be checked when you turn in your exam. 7. Assume the accounting entities use a calendar year unless otherwise noted. 8. Assume a 360-day year. 9. When you are finished, turn in your scan sheet, as well as your exam. Answers will be posted on the web after the exams are handed back in class. 10. The University of Florida policy on academic honesty will be strictly enforced. When you are told to open your exam, turn to the first page and find your exam code. Immediately bubble this in on your scantron. 2021FNLSM01A 7/18/01 Page 2 EXAM CODE = A Use the following to answer questions 1-3: Bennett Industries purchased a large piece of equipment from Crumpet Company on January 1, 2001. Bennett signed a note, agreeing to pay Crumpet $400,000 for the equipment on December 31, 2003. The market rate of interest for similar notes was 8%. The present value of $400,000 discounted at 8% for three years is $317,520. On January 1, 2001, Bennett recorded the purchase with a debit to equipment for $317,520 and a credit to notes payable for $317,520. 1. On Bennett's 2001 year-end balance sheet, the book value of the liability for notes payable related to this purchase would equal A) $317,520. B) an amount less than $317,520.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Free Essay on Homers Odyssey: Hospitality :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Hospitality in Homer's Odyssey      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hospitality: Greek philoxenia; literally â€Å"love of strangers.†Ã‚   Homer might have had such a definition in mind when he introduced the theme of hospitality to his epic poem the Odyssey.   A multitude of reasons for the prominent position this theme plays, both in the Odyssey and perhaps in Homer’s own society, are hinted at in the introductory books, often referred to as the Telemachy.   Just two of these, namely the hunger for news and the belief in divinity, are illustrated by the words and actions of the hosts Telemakhos and Nestor.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first words the reader hears from young Telemakhos are those of greeting to an unknown visitor.   Seating the stranger in an elaborate throne to one side, providing finely worked implements, and acquiring generous portions of food and drink, Telemakhos displays the very soul of hospitality.   Why?   The poet states in Book 1, line 167 â€Å"†¦he wished privacy to ask for news/about his father, gone for years.†Ã‚   The island of Ithaka and indeed the whole of Greece were composed of isolated pockets of civilization.   Travel on the unpredictable sea and over the mainland’s mountainous terrain was no easy feat;   therefore news of the world by any means, even at the mouth of strangers, was welcomed and well-rewarded with hospitality.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nestor’s case is somewhat more entertaining.   Arriving amidst a sacrificial feast to the god Posidon, Telemakhos and Athena-as-Mentor are greeted by a crowd of celebrants and invited by one son of Nestor to recline in comfort close to the lord himself, honored further by being given the opportunity to make libations to the sea god from a precious golden cup.   Did Nestor believe these two were emissaries of or one even the great earth shaker himself?   Probably not, but one can never be too certain in a society in which Gods are purported to walk among men.   Greek culture of the time relied heavily on divination and searched constantly for omens as seen in the repeated motif of â€Å"bird signs.†Ã‚   The auspicious arrival of the pair likely suggested something of importance to the aged lord.   As it happens, Poseidon was â€Å"far off among the sunburnt races† being â€Å"regaled by smoke of thighbones burning† at the mome nt and Nestor had to make due with a disguised, grey-eyed goddess of wisdom and war (Book 1, lines 36 and 39).   Perhaps such cases of visiting deities were not as common in Homer’s Ionian Asia-Monor;   however, there are numerous tales of prominent dignitaries, often viewed with god-like awe, traveling incognito.

An Analysis of PepsiCo and Coca-cola Essay -- Business Analysis

Since the mid 1980’s many of us have become familiar with the terms â€Å"the Cola Wars† (Wikipedia, 2010). Coca Cola and Pepsi have been the two largest soft drink competitors in the world for quite some time now. What makes these companies successful? What gives them the retention to prosper for years across the globe? For this project I analyzed the financial statements from 2003 through 2005 of both companies to gain insight as to these questions and others. By reviewing and then analyzing the data it becomes visible that these two companies are still standing strong in a market that is still dominated only by each other. To begin we will examine three ratios for each company. The first ratio is a liquidity ratio. Liquidity focuses on the reliability or availability of a borrower to pay back the loan they borrowed. A common liquidity metric is ccurrent ratio. Current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay back short term obligations or debts. We get this calculation by taking the current assets and dividing by current liabilities. For instance, PepsiCo’s current ratio is equivalent to current assets in 2005 (10,454) divided by current liabilities in 2005(9,406) which equals 1.11:1. Their current ratio in 2004 was 1:28:1. (Current assets for 2004/current liabilities for 2004; 8639/6752). Coca Cola’s current ratio for 2005 was taken by computing their current assets for 2005 (10,250) and divided by the current 2005 liabilities 99836) which equaled a ratio of 1.04:1. In 2004 Coca’ Cola’s current ratio was equal to current assets for 2004 of 12,281 divide d by current liabilities for 2004 of 11, 133, which totaled 1.10:1. What this means is that for every dollar of current liabilities, Coca Cola has $1.04 of ... ...ges and soft drinks. They have ventured out to non carbonated beverages like iced tea and juices but now need to move into the food market space. My final recommendation for Coca cola is to stay with their product. One of the biggest setbacks for Coca Cola occurred when they introduced their â€Å"new coke† in the 1990’s. (Wikipedia, 2010) This new formula did not go over well with their consumers and they were forced to quickly stop the new Coke production. In conclusion I think both companies are stable and strong. Obviously both companies are able to compete globally which in and of itself says an awful lot. Each company has its strengths and minor weaknesses but their overall financial success has been proven. Their ability to remain the only two competitors amongst their carbonated beverage industry is a strong indicator of their future potential.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Human Resource Management and Nestle

Project Report of SHRM On Nestle Topic: Study of SHRM at Nestle Table of Contents 1 S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Description Introduction to Company Mission, Vision & Goals of Company SWOT Analysis of the Company SHRM at Nestle Impact of Recession on Nestle Changing role of HR at Nestle VRIO Analysis and 5P’s approach HR Strategies that company should follow Page No. 3-5 6-7 8-10 11-21 22-23 24-25 26-29 30 1. Introduction of the company 2 Nestle is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company. The company employs more than 280,000 people and has 456 factories in 84 countries. Nestle products are sold in almost every country in the world. Founded in 1866 in Vevey, Switzerland, where it is still based, Nestle has often been called â€Å"the multinational among multinationals†. Only about 1. 5 percent of its sales are generated in its home country, and all but 12 of its factories are situated abroad. The CEO is Paul Bulcke, and the General Management includes a Belgian, two Canadians, one Dutch, a Frenchman, a German, a South African/British, three Spaniards, one Swiss, one American and a SwissAmerican. Nestle is a truly public company with over 250,000 shareholders of which around one third are Swiss. No single shareholder owns more than 3% of the stock. US investors, who, together, hold over 30% of the capital, can purchase ADRs through a sponsored program. As the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestle is the worldwide leader in product categories such as soluble coffee, infant nutrition, bottled water, condensed and evaporated milk, ice cream, as well as chocolate and malt drinks, and culinary. The Group is also a co-leader in pet care. The Company is committed to delivering shareholder value through sustainable, capital efficient and profitable long-term growth. Over the past years it has concentrated on furthering organic growth and performance improvement HISTORY OF NESTLE Nestle was the result of a series of mergers of many small companies. In the mid-1860s, Henri Nestle, merchant, chemist and innovator, experimented with various combinations of cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar. The resulting product was meant to be a source of nutrition for infants, who could not be breast-fed by their mothers. In 1867, his formula saved the life of a prematurely born infant. Later that year, production of the formula, named Farine Lactee Nestle, began in Vevey and the Nestle Company was formed. Henri Nestle wanted to develop his own brands and decided to avoid the easier route of becoming a private label. Henri also wanted to make his company global. Within a few months of the launch, Henri began to sell his products in many European countries. In the company’s initial years, Henri took various steps to facilitate research, improve product quality and develop new products. Meanwhile in 1866, two Americans, Charles and George Page had founded the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. The company launched a milk based infant food, which competed with Nestle’s products. In 1875, Daniel Peter, a friend and neighbor of Henri developed milk chocolate. Peter became the world’s leading chocolate maker, and later merged his company 3 with Nestle. The rivalry between Nestle and the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company intensified but ended in 1905, when the two companies merged under the Nestle banner. World War I created a new demand for dairy products. Nestle grew mainly by executing government contracts. The end of the war created a crisis for the company as people started using fresh milk again, instead of condensed and powdered milk. In 1921, Nestle recorded its first loss, which was partly due to the worldwide postwar economic slowdown. Louis Dapples, a Swiss banking expert restructured the company, streamling its operations and reducing the debt burden. In 1930, the Brazilian Coffee Institute approached Dapples, seeking new products. After eight years of research Nestle developed a soluble powder that revolutionized coffee drinking around the world. The product was launched under the brand name Nescafe and became an instant success. The onset of World War II speeded up the introduction of Nescafe. The beverage also became a popular drink among American servicemen in Europe and Asia. The end of World War II triggered off a new phase of growth for Nestle. Many new products were added as the company grew through acquisitions. After 1974, Nestle’s financial position deteriorated. Oil prices rose and growth in industrialized nations slowed down. The Swiss franc appreciated and the price of coffee beans and cocoa shot up. This situation was partially offset by Nestle’s rapid growth in emerging markets. In 1981, Helmut Maucher took over as CEO. His policies had a significant impact on Nestle’s style of functioning. Maucher pursued a two-pronged strategy to improve the company’s financial situation: First he embarked on internal restructuring and divestments; second he decided to continue with strategic acquisitions. Between 1980 and 1984, he divested a number of non-strategic or unprofitable businesses, amounting to nearly SFr8 bn. The divestments included certain food products that were not consistent with Nestle’s emphasis on high value added segments. To improve the company’s financial situation, he embarked on a cost-cutting exercise. While the employee strength was reduced significantly, the inventory and outstanding debt were brought down. In 1990, Nestle formed a joint venture with General Mills called Cereal Partners Worldwide to promote Nestle breakfast cereals. It covered 70 countries accounting for about 75 per cent of the breakfast cereal consumption outside the US and Canada. Nestle also formed a joint venture with Coca-Cola, called the Coca-Cola Nestle Refreshment Company, to market tea and coffee-based ready-to-drink beverages under the Nestea and Nescafe brands. In 1996, Nestle decided to end its 50-50 Clinic Nutrition joint venture with Baxter Healthcare and established Nestle Clinical Nutrition to provide orally consumed nutrition products to hospitals and nursing homes. Nestle opened the 20th century by merging with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company to broaden its product range and widen its geographical scope. In the new millennium, Nestle is the undisputed leader in the food industry, with more than 470 factories around the world. Nestle 4 launched a Group-wide initiative called GLOBE (Global Business Excellence), aimed at harmonizing and simplifying business process architecture; enabling Nestle to realize the advantages of a global leader while minimizing the drawbacks of size. The Company’s strategy will continue to be guided by several fundamental principles. Nestle’s existing products will grow through innovation and renovation while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines. Long-term potential will never be sacrificed for shortterm performance. The Company’s priority will be to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, throughout their lives. 2. Mission, Vision and Goals of Nestle VISION OF NESTLE â€Å"Nestle’s aim is to meet the various needs of the consumer everyday by marketing and selling foods of a consistently high quality. † MISSION OF NESTLE 5 We strive to bring consumers foods that are safe, of high quality and provide optimal nutrient to meet physiological needs. Nestle helps provide selections for all individual taste and lifestyle preferences. † BUSINESS OBJECTIVES OF NESTLE†¢ Nestle’s business objective is to manufacture and market the Company’s products in such a way as to create value that can be sustained over the long term for shareholders, employees, consumers, and business partners. †¢ Nestle does not favor short-term profit at the expense of successful long-term business development. Nestle recognizes that its consumers have a sincere and legitimate interest in the behavior, beliefs and actions of the Company behind brands in which they place their trust and that without its consumers the Company would not exist. †¢ Nestle believes that, as a general rule, legislation is the most effective safeguard of responsible conduct, although in certain areas, additional guidance to staff in the form of voluntary business principles is beneficial in order to ensure that the highest standards are met throughout the organization. Nestle is conscious of the fact that the success of a orporation is a reflection of the professionalism, conduct and the responsible attitude of its management and employees. Therefore recruitment of the right people and ongoing training and de velopment are crucial. †¢ CORE VALUES †¢ A prerequisite for dealing with people is respect and trust. †¢ Transparency and honesty in dealing with people are a sine qua non for efficient communication. This is complemented by open dialogue with the purpose of sharing competencies and boosting creativity. †¢ †¢ To communicate is not only to inform; it is also to listen and to engage in dialogue. The willingness to cooperate, to help others and to learn is a required basis for advancement and promotion within our company. 3. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS †¢ Parent support – Nestle India has a strong support from its parent company, which is the world’s largest processed food and beverage company, with a presence in almost every 6 country. The company has access to the parent’s hugely successful global folio of products and brands. †¢ Brand strength – In India, Nestle has some very strong brands like Nescafe, Maggi and Cerelac. These brands are almost generic to their product categories. Product innovation – The Company has been continuously introducing new products for its Indian patrons on a frequent basis, thus expanding its product offerings. Operated factories in 77 countries (all six continents), a truly global company. Considered the innovation leader in the global food and nutrition sector(3500 scientist in company R&D network) Low cost operators (beat the competition by producing low cost products, edging ahead with low operating costs) Offering thousands of local products. Have a great CEO, Peter Brabeck, and a very strong workforce. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ WEAKNESSES †¢ Exports – The company’s exports stood at Rs 2,571 m at the end of 2003 (11% of revenues) and continue to grow at a decent pace. But a major portion of this comprises of Coffee (around 67% of the exports were that of Nescafe instant to Russia). This constitutes a big chunk of the total exports to a single location. Historically, Russia has been a very volatile market for Nestle, and its overall performance takes a hit often due to this factor. Supply chain – The Company has a complex supply chain management and the main issue for Nestle India is traceability. The food industry requires high standards of hygiene, quality of edible inputs and personnel. The fragmented nature of the Indian market place complicates things more. Some of their product were positioned as too scientific, and consumers didn’t quite understand (i. e. LC-1 was a food and not a drug) †¢ †¢ OPPORTUNITIES 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Expansion – The Company has the potential to expand to smaller towns and other geographies. Existing markets are not fully tapped and the company can increase presence by penetrating further. With India's demographic profile changing in favor of the consuming class, the per capita consumption of most FMCG products is likely to grow. Nestle will have the inherent advantage of this trend. Product offerings – The Company has the option to expand its product folio by introducing more brands which its parents are famed for like breakfast cereals, Smarties Chocolates, Carnation, etc. Global hub – Since manufacturing of some products is cheaper in India than in other South East Asian countries, Nestle India could become an export hub for the parent in certain product categories. Health-based products are becoming more popular in the world, including in the United States Unaffected by current economic conditions (its share of the UK confectionery market rise to 15. 6 per cent with a 0. 5 per cent growth this year) THREATS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Competition – The Company faces immense competition from the organized as well as the unorganized sectors. Off late, to liberalize its trade and investment policies to enable the country to better function in the globalised economy, the Indian Government has reduced the import duty of food segments thus intensifying the battle. Changing consumer trends – Trend of increased consumer spends on consumer durables resulting in lower spending on FMCG products. In the past 2-3 years, the performance of the FMCG sector has been lackluster, despite the economy growing at a decent pace. Although, off late the situation has been improving, the dependence on monsoon is very high. Sectoral woes – Rising prices of raw materials and fuels, and inturn, increasing packaging and manufacturing costs. But the companies’ may not be able to pass on the full burden of these onto the customers. Some markets they are entering are already mature Global competitors. There are intense competitions in the United States, especially yogurt market (General Mills) 4. SHRM at Nestle NESTLE – A HUMAN COMPANY 8 Nestle is a human Company providing a response to individual human needs throughout the world with specific concern for the well-being of both its consumers and its employees. This is reflected in its attitude and its sense of responsibility towards people. Nestle aims to increase sales and profits but, at the same time, to raise the standard of living everywhere it is active and the quality of life for everyone. Nestle is also convinced that it is the people who form the strength of the Company and that nothing can be achieved without their commitment and their energy, which makes people its most important asset. Involvement of people at all levels starts with appropriate information on the Company’s activities and on the specific aspects of their work. Through open communication and active co-operation, everyone is invited to contribute to improvements enhancing Company results and personal development. Therefore, we can conclude that the models that Nestle follows are: – High Performance, – High Involvement & – High Commitment. NESTLE’S SPIRIT â€Å"Making Big Investments in People† At Nestle India we make big investment in people, they are our top priority. For us, our people are the key drivers for our success. Nestle India provides its employees a dynamic professional environment bound by one spirit,’ The Nestle Spirit' and that makes Nestle India a great place to work. Nestle India is a vibrant company enhancing the quality of life of its consumers by offering them world class food products driven by Nutrition, Health and Wellness. At Nestle India your integrity, professional skills and performance is what matters. We trust our people and believe in giving early responsibilities and encourage them to actively contribute to the log term sustainable growth of the business. At Nestle India we believe in building leaders who can take on challenges, innovate and write success stories. Nurturing starts from day one on the job. Business dynamics and need directed training programs offer employees with opportunities to acquire and develop desired functional, people management and decision making skills enabling success at work. 9 As we achieve milestone after milestones we invite you to be part of this exciting journey and assure you that the exposure and experience would be unparalleled. NESTLE’S CORPORATE LEVEL STRATEGIES †¢ Product’s growth through innovation and renovation (while maintaining a balance in geographic activities and product lines). Long-term potential Build business based on sound human values and principles. Long-term commitment to the health and well being of people in every country in the scope of their operations. Business should be conducted by adhering to the values and management principles of the organization. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGIES †¢ Low cost – less price transparency is followed. Differentiation – to reduce the risk of complexity of supply chain and lower attractiveness for discounters. †¢ COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Research and development (R&D), Its product range Global reach and 280,000-strong workforce FOUR GROWTH PLATFORMS †¢ †¢ †¢ Nutrition Emerging consumers Premium goods and 10 †¢ â€Å"Out-of-home† goods. ALIGNMENT OF BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND HR PRACTICES Nestle is a company whose HR strategies or practices are developed by keeping in mind the Business objectives of the company and the strategies devised to run the business. The HR strategies are always in alignment with the business goals. Nestle is unique in the sense that it has been able to successfully inculcate its business objective as well as its core values, consistently in its employees day-to-day activities starting from recruitment till continuous performance appraisals. Product’s Growth through innovation and renovation To increase the product growth i. . productivity human resource strategies are adopted such as flexible, dynamic employees are attracted, selected and then trained and motivated to be more productive than the competition. One case in point is the Kit Kat manufacturing plant in York England, under the managership of Ian Jobson and, ultimately, Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck. In 1998, Time magazine reports, it took 38 man-hours to produce a ton of chocolate. This year, using a combination of robotics, automated packaging, and production-line improvements, the forecast production time is 23 hours. This decrease in production time was feasible because of process innovation. Adherence to the values and management principles of the organization †¢ Respect for other cultures and traditions Nestle embraces cultural and social diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of origin, nationality, religion, race, gender or age. Furthermore, Nestle believes that its activities can only be of long-term benefit to the Company if they are at the same time beneficial to the local community. In short, global thinking and strategies can best be expressed through local action and commitment. Diversity From creating hundreds of the world’s leading brands to offering an amazing variety of career options to our employees, it’s clear that Nestle’s businesses are exceptionally diverse. So it should come as no surprise that Nestle values diversity in the people working them just as much as they have diversity in their products. 11 It’s Nestle’s policy to p rovide an environment where respect is shown to all individual employees and where employees are valued, recognised and rewarded on the basis of their talent and their contribution rather than any consideration of age, gender, race, sexuality, religion or disability. As an organisation, Nestle is opposed to any form of unfair discrimination and believe that an inclusive approach will be of maximum benefit to all our employees as well as our wider business goals and the society in which we live. This ethos can be summed up in the following statement: We believe that to succeed we must recruit and retain talented individuals and value and respect the differences each of those individuals brings with them. In addition, we have a strong ongoing commitment to developing policies, procedures and practices that will actively promote equality of opportunity and optimise the abilities of our workforce. Decisions relating to the recruitment, employment, training, progression, assessment and retention of our people will always be supported by these principles of equality of opportunity. †¢ Nestle’s Culture Nestle is committed to a number of cultural values. These values come partly from its Swiss roots and have been developed during its history. They are also evolving so as to support the permanent reshaping of the Company. They can be described as follows: o Commitment to a strong work ethic, integrity, honesty and quality. o Personal relations based on trust and mutual respect. This implies a sociable attitude towards others, combined with an ability to communicate openly and frankly. o A personalized and direct way of dealing with each other. This implies a high level of tolerance for other ideas and opinions, as well as a relentless commitment to co-operate proactively with others. Openness and curiosity for dynamic and future trends in technology, changes in consumer habits, new business ideas and opportunities, while maintaining respect for basic human values, attitudes and behavior. o Like, open and flexible culture is ensured by way of providing training programs to employees at all the levels. 2 TRAINING From the factory floor to the top management, training at Nestle is continuous. And because it is mainly given by Nestle people, it is always relevant to the professional life. Throughout the world, each country runs its own training programmes (e-Learning, classroom courses, and external courses). Nestle provides the followingo Literacy training-to upgrades essential literacy skills, especially for workers who operate new equipment. o Nestle Apprenticeship Programmes. o Local Training Programmes-on issues ranging from technical, leadership, and communication and business economics. This kind of culture is also supported by decentralized structure of Nestle: Nestle is as decentralized as possible, within the framework imposed by fundamental policy and strategy decisions requiring increasing flexibility. Operational efficiencies, as well as the group-wide need for alignment and people development, may also set limits to decentralization. Decentralization: Nestle recognizes that its consumers have a sincere and legitimate interest in the behaviour, beliefs and actions of the Company behind brands in which they place their trust and that without its consumers the Company would not exist. Nestle believes that, as a general rule, legislation is the most effective safeguard of responsible conduct, although in certain areas, additional guidance to staff in the form of voluntary business principles is beneficial in order to ensure that the highest standards are met throughout the organization. o Nestle is conscious of the fact that the success of a corporation is a refl ection of the professionalism, conduct and the responsible attitude of its management and employees. Therefore recruitment of the right people and ongoing training and development are crucial. Nestle continues to maintain its commitment to follow and respect all applicable local laws in each of its Transparent performance appraisal systems and the freedom given to them to question their seniors benefit not only the employees but even the organization as a whole. 13 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT o Formal assessment by Line Managers and HR once in a year with feedback. o Subordinate can question an unfair evaluation. o Specific Key Performance Indicators have been enlisted by the HR department. o One of the important key performance indicators is achievement following the Nestle management and leadership principles. Remuneration structure and promotion criteria take into account individual performance. Emphasis on individual achievement Nestle’s emphasis on individual achievement is e vident from the kind of pay structure HR has designed for its employees and the company also incorporates practices like Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement, to motivate employees and to break the monotony of their job tasks. The correspondent herself works in both sales and brand management departments, which is an example of job enlargement. PAY STRUCTURE o Nestle strives to offer fair remuneration. Remuneration level is above the average in industry. The variable component of the salary is comparatively big to reward individual performance. In case of higher management level, the variable part is linked to individual & team target achievements. o o Nestle expertises in Recruitment Services, Talent Management and International HR, Learning and Development, Information and Administration, and Reward and Employee Relations. Nestle is recognized as recognized one of the most advanced HR functions within Nestle globally. Before implementing the HR practices/policies, Nestle get to the crux of the business issue and then find an HR solution. While practicing the HR policies, Nestle is focused more on people and organization strategies. RECRUITMENT SERVICES The Recruitment Services team in Nestle UK is recognized within Nestle globally as the benchmark in leading recruitment practices. That’s because at Nestle they don’t just fill jobs. 14 Instead, they work with the business to proactively identify and fill their talent gaps. Nestle Recruitment teams constantly stand back and work out new ways to attract the very best talent and keep ahead of the competition, but it isn’t always easy. The recruitment process at Nestle is clearly defined and is always in synchronization with the changing business needs. o People with qualities like dynamism, realism, pragmatism, hard work, honesty and trustworthiness are looked for. o Match between candidate’s values & company’s culture are recruited. o Recruitment for management levels take place in the head office by top management and all others at the branch level. The existing employees are promoted to higher posts as per the requirements. There are no lateral recruitments. Another source of recruitment is campus placements and human resource consultancies to look for the enthusiastic, motivated and fresh pool of talent. Decision to hire a candidate is finally taken by HR professionals only and no preference is given to external consultant. This is done to finally have the discretion power in the hands of Company. o People management policies, basic values & principles as elaborated in- Nestle management & leadership principles- The Nestle Management and Leadership Principles describe the management style and the corporate values of the Nestle Group, specifically in the area of interpersonal relations. Nestle human resources policy- This policy encompasses those guidelines which constitute a sound basis for efficient and effective HR Management in the Nestle Group around the world. – Nestle people development review-this policy throws light on Nestle’s culture and core values, different training programs and life of employees after work. R EWARDS AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS TEAM It consists of two expert sub-teams, each with specific responsibility for business-wide strategic and operational remits. Employee Relations sub-team provide business-wide advice and guidance to line managers and the HR community on individual employee relations matters and to HR Business 15 Partners on broader employee relations and change management issues, as well as developing and implementing Nestle’s policies and procedures in this area and undertaking relevant project work. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Nestle provides a very healthy working environment which is one of the reasons why Nestle’s employees state their commitment level to be very high. o Employee turnover is less than 5%. , which is considered to be very low for a multinational corporation. Nestle has an open culture & upward communication especially in case of grievance redressal is encouraged. o Work/Life balance is given importance, as illustrated in the Nestle Human Resource Policy document. o ‘Nestle Family’ annual events are organized by their HR department whereby employees along with their families are invited . o Emphasis is laid on safety of employees (Nestle Policy on Health and Safety at Work). CHANGE MANAGEMENT o Nestle has adjusted to the ever-changing external environment for the last 140 years since its inception 1866 without losing its fundamental beliefs and core values. It manages Change and drives sustainable profitable growth by following the policy of making gradual changes instead of making drastic and risky changes. o ERP implementation- In June 2000, Nestle SA signed a much publicized $200 million contract with SAP and additional $80 to install an ERP system for its global enterprise to help centralize a conglomerate that owns 200 operating companies and subsidiaries in 80 countries. While the ERP system was likely to have long-term benefits, the project touched the corporate structure and culture. The structure was decentralized, and it tried to centralize it. This was initially opposed by employees but with subsequent measures taken by the HR like training etc. , this has been successfully implemented. Reward sub-team; on the other hand focus on maximizing return on investment to deliver Reward that will motivate the employees to perform at the highest level as well as managing the overall Reward principles and processes including base salary, incentives and Flexible Reward. 16 REWARDS & INCENTIVES o ‘Passion to Win’ awards- These quarterly awards have been institutionalized to reward those who over-achieve their targets. Long-service Awards- To recognize employees who have been with the company for more than 30 years. o ‘Nestle Idea Award’- It was found from the correspondent that the company institutes Nestle Idea Award every quarter to recognize and award employees who come up with relevant and innovative ideas which have the potential of being implemented at Nestle. For all aspects of Reward Nestle apply the fundamental principles outlined below. Reward Principles †¢ Performance Driven – The level of your Reward is linked to your performance, hence the highest performers will see the greatest Reward. There is also a direct link between the performance of the business and the Reward we're able to offer Competitive – We benchmark all aspects of Reward to ensure we offer all our employees a competitive Reward package Inclusive – Our Reward programme is designed to reflect the valuable contribution which every employee makes, not just senior managers Flexible – We've made it our top priority to allow you to tailor the Reward you receive to your circumstances, whenever possible or practical †¢ †¢ †¢ BENEFITS The following benefits are provided to all employees, with no discrimination- Leave-Personal & Medical (fixed no. er year) – Children Education Assistance Scheme – Provident fund – Retirement Gratuity Scheme – Group Insurance & Accidental Insurance Scheme – Conveyance Reimbursements 17 – Residential Accommodation – Monthly health check-ups & free consultation for self & family etc. Talent Manageme nt and International HR Talent Management and International HR Team, on the other hand, focuses on developing the potential and careers of all the employees at Nestle, particularly those with high levels of performance and potential who are likely to be Nestle leaders of the future. The main task of this talent management program is to develop the framework and processes which will enable the company to identify and develop the potential of employees at Nestle. This program supports individuals with a clear career development plan to go on international assignments out of the respective locations such as Nestle’s international headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, or to other Nestle markets around the globe. Learning and development Learning and Development Team is involved in development of cutting-edge interventions and supporting change through far-reaching development programmes such as our ‘Lead2Win’ programme. This team also helps the company to create and implement functional development programmes across the business, covering everything from manufacturing to supply chain. At Nestle Learning and Development means Continuous Improvement and Creativity and Innovation. Learning and Development is carried out by Continuous Improvement that leads directly on to Creativity and Innovation. This process generally involves two stages: i. A team of passionate and professional development experts is formed to create Core Skill Development Strategies that will enable continuous personal and professional growth across the business. After that, the strategies are tailored for each business area with the help of HR Business Partners and Business Directors. The next stage is to go online, where the trainees are able to take advantage of our vast learning and development intranet. This resource has been specifically designed to help trainees manage their own learning in an easy to use virtual environment. Once you're up and running there, you'll be able to focus on picking up new skills particular to your job and career ambitions with the help of our leadership development programmes, designed to create the leaders of tomorrow. i. Differentiation 18 Nestle follows differentiation strategy and to make it a success it has HR strategies aligned accordingly. To support the differentiation strategy, Nestle practices following HR strategies to support differentiation: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ They favour long term performance measures. Nestle does not favor short-term profit at the expense of successful lo ng-term business development. They believe in extensive trainings of their employees to keep the pace with changing environment and keep them updated with latest innovations At Nestle, equal and fair pay practices are followed. Nestle’s pay structure, rewards & incentives systems are also designed in such a way so as to promote creativity. Recruitment process is also totally based on hiring and recruitment of people who bring in new ideas. Broad career paths are provided to employees by a continuous process of career development and high employee participation prevails in the organization. 19 5. Impact of Recession on Nestle During this phase of recession, Nestle has faced a little bit of tribulations in terms of: †¢ †¢ Shipment growth: It has slowed down as shoppers switch from branded foods to retailers' private labels. The volume of goods sold: The volume of goods sold rose 2. 8 per cent in 2008, but, down from 4. 4 per cent in 2007, after Nestle relied on price increases to pass on higher raw-material costs. The whole onus of these two problems could not be bullied upon recession. Since the actual reason behind the second problem was increasing inflation. Even though it has been hurt by the weak dollar and tough competition in the United States. But, if we talk in general, then, Nestle has been labeled as a Recession proof company. Nestle, announced that they had a 69. 4percent profit in the year 2008. The year 2008 and the beginning of the year 2009 so far are considered as the worst recession the world is facing today. Each company around the world, no matter what they produce or what services they provide was having the greatest downfall on the sales and services. But even during the phase of recession, Nestle has a different story to tell. Nestle announced record breaking profit during the year 2008. The sales of Nestle products jumped up in huge numbers. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The net profit of Nestle in year 2008 was 15billion US Dollars. Net income rose to 18 billion Swiss francs in 2008 from 10. 5 billion francs. The profit was 69. 4 percent jump from the last year Sales rose 2. 2 per cent last year to 109. 9 billion francs, and organic revenue increased 8. 3 per cent in 2008, the fourth year that Nestle beat its forecast. Further, Nestle expects to carry on seeing growth in earnings over 2009 despite the global recession, using its strong 2008 results as a springboard for growth. 20 †¢ †¢ Nestle has granted an investment of 300 crore in the Indian market in 2008 and is about to double its investment in 2009. The goal of Nestle further is o achieve organic growth of close to 5 per cent, and to improve the EBIT margin in constant currencies further. Nestle would be able to achieve this goal through company’s internal strength. Nestle, which makes Nescafe coffee, Maggi soup and KitKat chocolate bars, also raised its global outlook for the year and its forecast for 2008 organic growth – which is to say from existing businesses – to â€Å"about 8 percent† from a previous target of at least 7. 4 percent. Nestle shares rallied from a near two-year low, jumping 5. 4 per cent. Nestle will spend four billion francs buying back stock this year after purchasing 8. billion (Dh27. 16 billion) francs worth in 2008. Nestle also said it will increase its dividend for the year by 15 per cent to 1. 40 francs a shar e. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Reasons behind the strong survival of Nestle even during the Recession Nestle amazingly survived the greatest and disastrous recession period of the world which gives the hope and message to many other companies. Some of the reasons have been pointed out that seems to have worked for Nestle to fight the recession: †¢ Innovation and â€Å"renovation of its brands and products† It seems to be a big driver in keeping Nestle afloat. In 2008 Nestle’s investment in research and development for food and beverages was up 15 per cent. Nestle survived recession because it was able to capitalise on â€Å"a wide variety of market conditions†, and that this gives it a competitive advantage. India is not in a downturn but probably a slowdown. The liquidity squeeze hasn’t affected the demand of consumer goods in the price range that Nestle sells. Therefore, Nestle was able to survive in India. The company survived recession and is now positioned for profitable growth both now and in the long term, because of its â€Å"defensive qualities as well as its strong growth credentials. If recession grips the world and despite the war in the Middle East, everyone will continue to need food. This means millions of people will continue to buy Nestle products, which include Nestle infant formula, Taster's Choice coffee and Stouffer frozen foods. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 21 †¢ †¢ â€Å"The key t o Nestle’s short-term performance is the degree to which the markets want to be in a safe haven situation. â€Å"Beyond that, over the longer term, there is a pretty positive earnings story in Nestle. Nestle is able to ride out the recession easily than its rivals due to its comprehensive range of products and wide geographical reach. 6. Changing role or HR The importance of the human resource function has become evident especially with the onset of global competition. Not only do human resource managers have to think more strategically and in step with corporate planning managers, they have had to address real and hard issues about the impact of intense competition on employment stability. It is one thing to think with executives on how the human resource section can support corporate activities. It is another to actually implement cost-savings policies with regards employment. To guard against the downside of global competition, the human resource managers must be more proactive in recruiting and maintaining a responsive and efficient work force. Planning should start at the early stages so that organizations do not bloat needlessly. Human resource managers must be able to map out human resource strategies such that flexible, dynamic employees are attracted, selected and then trained and motivated to be more productive than the competition. Human resource managers are no longer administrators or simply implementers. They should be recognized as strategic partners. Only then can they function well to help top management especially in a climate of economic uncertainty. Although, Nestle being a Human Company itself possess many of the above mentioned qualities that are supposed to be present in the managers of today’s time. But, according to the changes in the business patterns, globalization, and diverse business of Nestle and rapidly changing ups and downs in the economy. There are certain factors on which the role of the HR at Nestle is changing. The HR managers at Nestle along with professional skills, practical experience and result focus must possess the following qualities: †¢ †¢ They should be capable to motivate and to develop people, addressing all those issues that allow others to progress in their work and to develop their capabilities. They should be able to inhibit curiosity and open-mindedness as well as a high level of interest in other cultures and life-styles. This also includes a commitment to continuous learning and improving, as well as to sharing knowledge and ideas freely with others. 22 †¢ It is responsibility of the HR professionals to create a climate of innovation and to think outside the box. This implies the right to make a mistake but also the readiness to correct it and to learn from it. HR professionals should now be able to inculcate the willingness to accept change and the ability to manage it. They should provide international experience and understanding of other cultures. This will prepare the employees to face the challenges in global markets. †¢ †¢ 7. VRIO and 5P’s Analysis VRIO ANALYSIS This VRIO framework is the foundation for internal analysis. In order to lead to a sustainable competitive advantage a resource or capability should be Valuable, Rare, Inimitable (including non-substitutable), and Organized. Valuable A resource is valuable if it helps the organization meet an external threat or exploit an opportunity. If a resource helps bring about any one of these four things then it is aluable: Efficiency, Innovation, Quality and Customer responsiveness. Valuable resources of Nestle are: †¢ †¢ Human Resources Brand Name †¢ Research & development processes Rare A resource is rare simply if it is not widely possessed by other competitors. Rare Resource of Nestle is their uniqueness in Infant food products. The processes they use and the ingredients they use are rare. Inimitable A resource is inimitable and non substi tutable if it is difficult for another firm to acquire it or a substitute something else in its place. This is probably the toughest criteria to examine because given enough time and money almost ANY resource can be imitated. Even patents only last 17 years and can be invented around in even less time. Therefore, one way to think about this is to compare how long you think it will take for competitors to imitate or 23 substitute something else for that resource and compare it to the useful life of the product. Inimitable resources of Nestle are: †¢ Corporate Culture †¢ Values followed at Nestle †¢ Reputation Organized A resource is organized if the firm is able to actually use it. Generally, organization is frequently neglected by strategy because it often deals with the inner workings of firm management. But generally, it rarely happens that firms are not organized to exploit their valuable resources. However, if you analysis does turn up a valuable, rare, and inimitable resource that the firm is not taking advantage of, then the resources of the firm are not said to be organized. 5P’s at Nestle Philosophy Nestle’s Philosophy on Code of Governance Nestle India Ltd. is a subsidiary of Nestle S. A. f Switzerland and over the years it has followed best practice of Corporate Governance and adhered to practices laid down by the Nestle Group. Nestle India’s business objective and that if its management and employees is to manufacture and market the Company’s products in such a way as to create value that can be sustained over the long term for consumers, shareholders, employees, business partners and the national economy. Nestle India is conscious of the fact that the success of a corporation is a reflection of the professionalism, conduct and ethical alues of its management and employees. In addition to compliance with regulatory requirements, Nestle India endeavors to ensure that highest standards of ethical and responsible conduct are met throughout the organization. The two most significant documents from the Nestle Group, which define the standard of behavior of Nestle India, are â€Å"Nestle Corporate Business Principles† and â€Å"Nestle Management and Leadership Principles†. Policy The Nestle policy is to hire staff with personal attitudes and professional skills enabling them to develop a long-term relationship with the Company. Therefore the potential for professional development is an essential standard for recruitment. 24 Each new member joining Nestle is to become a participant in developing a sustainable quality culture which implies a commitment to the organization and a sense for continuous improvement leaving no room for complacency. Therefore, and in view of the importance of these Nestle values, special attention will be paid to the matching between a candidate's values and the Company culture. Processes †¢ Administrative †¢ Training †¢ Recruiting †¢ Development †¢ Labor Relations †¢ Org Development †¢ Compensation and Internal Communication Programs Campus Recruitment Programs Internship Programs For graduate students, Nestle offer a summer internship in brand management for MBA students. Marketing Interns are challenged with leading integral aspects of our brands' marketing plans. This highly competitive program could also give you the opportunity to transition into a full-time position. Professional Development Programs Adequate training programs are developed at the level of each operating company capitalizing on the availability of local, regional or global resources of the Group. It is the responsibility of HR staff to assist the management in the elaboration of training programs. Following type of programs are conducted at Nestle: o Training programs enhancing the language skills of the employees. o Training programs aimed at developing and sharing best practices of the various management disciplines practiced in the Group. They also strive to strengthen corporate cohesion as well as to promote networking throughout the Group. o E-learning programs as a complement to or a substitute for formal training programs. Practices 25 The following HR practices take place at Nestle: †¢ Recruitment and Training Performance Management Rewards and Incentives Benefits Employee Relations Change Management Safety and Health The Nestle Operational Safety, Health and Risk-Management Strategy document illustrates that: – Nestle is dedicated to safe & healthy work environment. Regular safety assessments & audits take place by internal & external bodies. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 8. Hr strategies that nestle should follow Nestle should practice following HR practices: i. Communication Strategy: Nestle should adopt an effective communication strategy because in today’s changing scenario and in a dynamic organization like Nestle employees should be educated and trained about the change s taking place in the organization. This can be done through open house meetings and bulletins etc. Effective Training and Development: Training and development forms an important part of the practices followed at Nestle. It is an integral part of the corporate strategies. Most of the training programs conducted at Nestle are conducted by In-house trainers, whereas for some specialized training programs external trainers should be called. And employees should also be given the opportunity to attend the training programs abroad so as to give them a feel of global markets. Entrepreneurship strategy: Every employee needs to be an independent entrepreneur, who can generate ideas and bring them to reality by using the existing resources and support of the organization to create innovative and creative products and services. ii. iii. 26 iv. Recruit purposefully – The anticipated global shortage of workers has not gone away: it has just been postponed. The reason? Baby boomers are choosing to work a little longer because their retirement savings have been deflated. Once the market comes back fully, you should expect a mass exodus as the boomers leave the workforce. Companies who make severe staffing cuts and don't keep their HR people connected to potential hires will be caught severely short staffed. Savvy companies have a great opportunity right now to hire talented people who have been down-sized by other organizations. Cut High HR operation costs Leverage real time information for HR decisions: This would enhance the decision making process. v. vi. 27