‘Strategic Hrm and Performance Essay Example for Free

‘Strategic Hrm and Performance Essay The people in an organization are considered to be one of the most valuable resources of today’s firms. Other resources such as brands, products, processes, technological advancement, economies of scale can still provide a competitive advantage but an organisation’s human capital are more vital for its sustainability. The idea that an organisation’s Human Resource can play a strategic role in determining its success has led to the development of a field of research commonly referred to as Strategic Human Resource Management. The understanding of the causal relationship between HR and organisational performance helps HR managers to design policies that will bring forth better operational efficiency to achieve higher organizational performance. The emergence of ‘strategic’ HRM represents a paradigm shift from the traditional HRM models. It is concerned more specifically with the relationship between HRM and the strategic context. (Wood, Holman and Stride, 2006: 100) HR practices are the main tool which an organisation can use to change the pool of human capital as well as an attempt to shift and align organisational behaviours which leads to organisational success. The skills, behaviour and attitudes of employees must fit the strategic needs of the firm in order for it to develop a competitive advantage. However, the singular focus on the strategic interests of an organisation have been criticised by some who suggest that this may be to the detriment of the employees (Van Buren, Greenwood and Sheehan, 2011: 209) There has been a steady growth over the last two decades of research literature around  strategic HRM and according to Gooderham, Parry and Ringdal (2008: 2042), this can be broadly divided into three main kinds of theories Universalistic, Contingency and Configurational. Universalistic theories have an underlying assumption that there is a direct link between some human resource practices and organisational performance across all organisations and under all conditions (Lengnick-Hall, Lengnick-Hall, Andrade, and Drake, 2009: 68) and are concerned with ‘best practice’. Contingency theories reject the universal applicability of human resource practices, therefore supposing that the relationship between them and performance will differ depending on various external and internal factors and influences. Configurational theories suggest that the impact of strategic HRM on organisational performance is dependent on the use of an effective combination of interconnected human resource practices. This provides a useful framework for closer examination of the link between theory and practice. Universalistic Theory: In relation to the universalistic theory, the current literature provides much empirical evidence for a direct and linear link between strategic HRM and a positive impact on organisational performance (Boselie, Dietz and Boon, 2005: 67; Combs, Liu, Hall and Ketchen, 2006: 501; Katou and Budhwar, 2006: 1248; Stavrou, Brewster and Charalambous, 2010: 952). In their study of the retail industry, Chuang and Liao (2010: 185) concluded there was a clear link between strategic HRM and performance. They found that human resource practices can facilitate a â€Å"climate of concern† for both customers and employees which subsequently encourages employees to work well with their customers and co-workers which is essential in achieving higher levels of market performance. However the specific ways in which human resource practices impact on organisational outcomes are not always clear and their level of impact has been subject to criticism. Whilst there is strong  evidence to support the view that universal ‘best practices’ provide a strong foundation for strategic HRM, other factors need to be considered in order to achieve a higher level of performance. (Lengnick-Hall, Lengnick-Hall, Andrade, and Drake, 2009: 68). Despite the volume of evidence to suggest the contrary, there is also an increasing consensus in the current literature amongst researchers that human resource practices themselves do not directly impact on performance. Instead, it is suggested that they merely influence resources, such as the human capital, or how employees behave, and it is these, rather than the practices themselves, that subsequently lead to performance. (Katou and Budhwar, 2006: 1224). The ability to influence through strong leadership plays an important role in helping employees to be aware of the sets of HR best practices. These best practices need the support of top-level managers to adopt them in the first place, which in turn will greatly influence the buy-in from the rest of the employees in the organization. If these so called ‘best practices’ are mainly from the perspective of top management and shareholders, while there is no room for employees’ voices to be heard, the theoretical aspect of strategic HRM will not work. In their study of performance and strategic HRM in Call Centres across the UK, Wood, Holman and Stride (2006: 120) found very limited support for the human resource-performance relationship and identified inconsistent results across practices and performance. Furthermore, in other research conducted by Hesketh and Fleetwood (2006: 678), they conclude that â€Å"the empirical evidence for the existence of an HRM–performance link is inconclusive†. In real life, companies may need to respond to external pressures which creates problems of treating employees with consistency of treatment, especially over time and may cause problems of retaining good and loyal staff. Simply developing the appropriate HR practices in theory will not be enough because HR advantages also depend on how these practices are implemented on the ground. For example, an organisation that focuses on the well-being of their employees in an economic recession or times of increased competition may be forced to decide between commitment to employees and a need to cut costs, restructure or lay-offs in order to stay solvent. Therefore, looking for a link between HR practices and performance is a futile effort because the main focus needs to be on the relationship between policy, practices, processes, implementation  and performance. This is a huge effort that is not easily and practically achieved in many organisations today. Contingency Theory: In relation to the contingency theory described by Gooderham, Parry and Ringdal (2008: 2042), whereby the relationship between strategic HRM practices and performance is said to vary according to different external and internal factors and contextual variables, there is some support. Internal influences identified in the literature include factors such as technology, structure and size of the organisation and business strategy, and external influences include factors such as the legal, social and political environment (Lengnick-Hall, Lengnick-Hall, Andrade, and Drake, 2009: 66). For instance, within Wal-Mart, those in charge of logistics have extremely valuable and unique skills, much more so than the average sales associate. On the other hand, at Nordstrom’s, because customer service is important, sales associate skills are more critical to the strategy than those of the logistics employees. Indeed Godard (2010: 466) argues that a key criticism of the current research around strategic HRM practices is its failure to pay sufficient systematic attention to these variables and to the impact that historical, institutional and socioeconomic conditions may have had on human resource practices over time. Similarly, Hueslid and Becker (2001: 427) suggest that whilst the nature of work and organisations has undergone considerable change over the past two decades, the practice of strategic HRM has changed much less and this failure to adapt and be flexible has a direct impact on how well it works in practice and how much influence it has on organisational performance. Relating to this, Kim (2010: 42) asserts that understanding employees’ expectations for their work environment is fundamental to developing successful human resource practices including expectations around merit awards, promotion and career development opportunities and organisational rules. Critics of the contingency theory approach, however, suggest that whilst the arguments surrounding it build a theoretical foundation that is more solid that that of the universalistic approach, the evidence of its effectiveness in practice does not reach the same level of statistical validity. (Martin-Alcazar, Romero-Fernandez and Sanchez-Gardey, 2005: 636). Configurational Theory: Finally, with regard to the third theory proposed by Gooderham, Parry and Ringdal (2008: 2042), there appears to be a strong evidence base of support in the current literature for configurational theory. This theory suggests that the impact of strategic HRM is dependent on the effective combination of a range of interrelated and multi-dimensional practices that must work well with one another in order to achieve positive performance outcomes. In their study of strategic HRM and organisational development in British manufacturing firms, De Menezes, Wood and Gelade (2010: 468), concur with this and argue that strategic HRM only has the ability to achieve multiple goals and higher organisational performance, when it is fully integrated with other practices. Similarly, Boxall and Purcell (2000: 186) note that too often there remains a marked tendency in organisations to view human resource practices as an end in themselves, rather than as integral to the organisation and they are therefore are not appropriately linked in to one another and to other management practices, which subsequently impacts on how effectively they operate. The role and skills of human resource practitioners has also been the subject of much research in relation to what impact they have in making strategic HRM work in practice. Some commentators suggest that in order for practices to be effective, practitioners need to possess key strategic skills and core abilities including a high level of knowledge about the business and the environment in which it operates, organisational effectiveness skills, and conflict management skills (Ingham, 2010: 32). Furthermore, Van Buren, Greenwood and Sheehan (2011: 210) propose that the duality of roles that human resource practitioners have historically played, as both employer representatives and as employee advocates, has led to complications and may impact on how effective human resource management is in practice. They go on to suggest that human resource managers face pressures to emphasise employer goals, and often this impacts negatively on their role of advocating for employee welfare, and that they are constrained by demands of their managers and the organisational cultures in which they operate. (2011: 211). Related to this, another feature of the current literature is how  human resource practices are implemented and by whom within organisations. The evidence suggests that rather than being seen as a ‘specialist’ role, much of the work around human resource practice is increasingly being delegated to middle managers to implement. Critics of this approach suggest that these managers are not equipped with the essential skills and time needed to effectively implement strategic HRM. Growing workloads and rising expectations of their roles have increased tensions within their position as middle managers, with their perception that they do not have the time or resources to effectively manage their staff (McConville and Holden, 1999: 406). In a study of line manager involvement in human resource practice in the NHS, Currie and Proctor (2001: 53) found that line managers are important to strategic change within the organisation when given discretion to implement human resource strategies within their own teams. However, managers may not place the same value on strategic HRM, and managers are much more reactive than proactive, and are not likely to prioritise human resource issues unless any problems associated with them become critical. Many managers in today’s organisations are more task oriented because of the demands of multi-tasking, while ideally they should be spending most of their time really managing their staff and departments. This may not be entirely their fault because many organisations today are often dominated by cost-benefit analysis and talk a lot about trade-offs rather than the emotional and mental well-being of their employees. Another key feature of the literature is associated with the methodological challenges that exist in assessing to what extent strategic HRM theory works in practice. These challenges arise from the lack of a single agreed definition or list of human resource practices or systems to measure the relationship between strategic HRM and organisational performance (Paauwe, 2009: 136). The absence of this means that performance may only be ascribed to the specific effects of single interventions rather than measured as a whole. It has been recognised that the development and evaluation of a more comprehensive model demonstrating a causal link between strategic HRM and performance is needed. (Huselid and Becker, 2011: 422). Wright and McMahan (2011: 95) propose that there are three key measures that exist whereby the effectiveness of human capital and therefore human resource practices can be  measured. These include: subjective measures such as employee perceptions; proxy measures which are used as alternatives where aspects of practice are difficult to quantify; and direct assessments which involves measuring tangible factors such as levels of academic attainment of employees or productivity. However, they acknowledge that these measures are not necessarily easy to implement and that all pose challenges for those wanting to research and measure the effectiveness of human resource practices. Others argue that any measures of the impact of strategic HRM and human resource practices are at high risk of bias and misinterpretation and any results relating to this should therefore be treated with caution (Gardner and Wright, 2009: 68). Conclusion: The purpose of this paper is not to ignore the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management theories and the benefits it brings to organisations’ competitive advantage. The studies put in by many renowned theorists seemed to show that there is indeed a link between well executed Human Resource policies and strategies with organizational performance: Table 1: Outcomes of research on the link between HR and organizational performance. Source: Michael Armstrong (2006). Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action. Kogan Page. London. p. 73-74 The current research literature provides a very mixed view of how well the theory of strategic HRM works in practice. Whilst some studies provide convincing evidence to point to a direct causal link with strategic HRM and high organisational performance, others provide equally compelling evidence to suggest that there is no link and in some cases, even a negative correlation with good performance. In addition, many studies suggest that there are a wide range of variables which impact on how effectively the theory of strategic HRM translates into practice, and which make it difficult to differentiate the impact of strategic HRM from other management activities, and other factors including internal and external organisational pressures and drivers, the type and size of the organisation, and the skill base and strategic placement of human resource management related roles  within the organisation. It also depends on whether the organisation has the capability and the skilled resources to communicate and implement the HR strategies across all level in the organisation. For example, from top management to department heads or from line managers to service staff as well as interactions between departments and employees. The issue is additionally problematic when combined with the lack of consensus on the measures to be used to assess the impact of strategic HRM on performance. A major challenge for Strategic Human Resource Management in the near future is to is to establish a clear and consistent construct for organisational performance. Despite the strong theoretical grounds for believing that strategic HRM should be beneficial for organisational performance, the evidence in practice is ambiguous. Strategic HRM is a complex and ever evolving process and given the contesting evidence and the lack of agreed metrics, the debate around whether or not strategic HRM works in practice will continue on. One aspect of this debate, however, where there does seem to be consensus, is around the need for further research in this area, and perhaps only with this, can the debate ever be truly settled. Reference List Boselie, P., Dietz, G., and Boon, C. (2005) â€Å"Commonalities and contradictions in HRM and performance†, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 15 (1), pp. 67–94. Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. (2000) â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management: where have we come from and where should we be going?† International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 2 (2), pp. 183-203. Chuang, C.H. and Liao, H. (2010) â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management in Service Context: Taking Care of Business by Taking Care of Employees and Customers†, Personnel Psychology, Vol. 63, pp. 153-196. Currie, G. and Procter, S. (2001) â€Å"Exploring the Relationship between HR and Middle Managers†, Personnel Review, Vol. 11 (3), pp. 53-69. De Menezes, L.M., Wood, S. and Gelade, G. (2010) â€Å"The integration of human resource and operation management practices and its link with performance: A longitudinal latent class study†, Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 28, pp. 455-471. Edgar, F. and Geare, A. (2005). â€Å"HRM practice and employee attitudes: Different measures – different results†, Personnel Review, Vol. 34 (5), pp. 534-549. Godard, J. (2010) â€Å"What Is Best for Workers? â€Å"The Implications of Workplace  and Human Resource Management Practices Revisited†, Industrial Relations, Vol. 49 (3), pp. 466-488. Gooderham, P., Parry, E. and Ringdal, K. (2008) â€Å"The impact of bundles of strategic human resource management practices on the performance of European firms†, The International Journal of Human Resource Management†, Vol. 19 (11), pp. 2041-2056. Gould-Williams, J. and Davies, F. (2005). â€Å"Using social exchange theory to predict the effects of HRM practice on employee outcomes†, Public Management Review, Vol. 7 (1), pp. 1-24. Hathorn, M. (2012) Human Capital Challenges and Priorities, Optimis Human Capital Management: Switzerland. Katou, A.A. and Budhwar, P.S. (2006) â€Å"Human resource management systems and organizational performance: a test of a mediating model in the Greek manufacturing context†, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 17 (7), pp.1223-1253. Lengnick-Hall, M.L., Lengnick-Hall, C.A., Andrade, L.S. and Drake, B. (2009) â€Å"Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field†, Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 19, pp. 64-85. Marescaux, E., De Winne, S. and Sels, L. (2010) HRM practices and work outcomes: The role of basic need satisfaction, Research Centre for Organisation Studies: Belgium. Martin-Alcazar, F., Romero-Fernandez, P.M. and Sanchez-Gardey, G. (2005) â€Å"Strategic human resource management: integrating the universalistic, contingent, configurational and contextual perspectives†, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16 (5), pp. 633-659. McConville, T. and Holden, L. (1999) The filling in the sandwich: HRM and middle managers in the health sector, Personnel Review, Vol. 28 (5/6), pp.406–424. Stavrou, E.T., Brewster, C. and Charalambous, C. (2010) â€Å"Human resource management and firm performance in Europe through the lens of business systems: best fit, best practice or both?†, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 21 (7), pp. 933-962. Van Buren III, H.J., Greenwood, M. and Sheehan, C. (2011) â€Å"Strategic human resource management and the decline of the employee focus†, Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 21, pp. 209-219. Wood, S., Holman, D. and Stride, C. (2006) â€Å"Human Resource Management and Performance in UK Call Centres†, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 44 (1), pp. 99-124. Wright, P.M. and McMahan, G.C. (2011) â€Å"Exploring human capital: putting human back into strategic human resource management†, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 21 (2), pp. 93-104.

Jean Briggs Essay Example for Free

Jean Briggs Essay In 1963, an anthropologist called Jean Briggs, travelled for a seventeen month period to Chantrey Inlet to study a small group of Inuit Hunter-Gatherers, named the Utkuhikhalingmuit, or the Utku. She wrote an ethnography called Never in Anger to discuss her knowledge and ideas of her experience in this foreign environment. Instead of keeping distance and remaining outside from the field of research with the goal of scientific objectivity, Briggs engages into a more contemporary type of anthropological analysis, which is considered as intersubjective experience. By being aware of her own assumptions and emotions, Briggs uses them as a key to understanding the Utku way of being. Through sharing the same dwellings with Inuttiaq and his immediate family, Briggs was able to collect very rich and intimate behavioural data. Briggs was interested in looking at the expression of affection and hostility among the Utku. She learned what kind of behaviour is valued by focusing on few individuals: children, volatile Utku adults and foreigners, whose behaviour deviates from the ideal. Briggs was also interested in the methods that the Utku adopt in order to deal with misbehaviour. The Utku rely on each other mostly for food, warmth and protection, although independence is highly valued. Inuttiaq was very protective over Briggs, because she was unable to perform most tasks necessary for survival. The Utku would tell her that: You are a Kapluna, and alone here among people, you are someone to be taken care of. (Briggs, 1970: 185). Even though Briggs and Inuttiaq had their differences at the end of her stay, Inuttiaq continued to be protective towards Briggs, as it is very un-Utku like not to be generous and helpful. Inuit place a high value on mildness, gentleness and concern for others. Emotional control is an essential sign of maturity. As nurturance (naklik) defines goodness of a human being, so reason (ihuma) defines adultness. (Briggs, 1970: 359).

A Marketing Orientation And A Production Orientation Marketing Essay

A Marketing Orientation And A Production Orientation Marketing Essay Marketing can be defined as the company satisfying customer and market needs by creating value through communicating and working with customer. Different company have their different business strategies. Marketing can be classified into many types of, such as consumer orientation, marketing orientation, demand orientation and production orientation. An explanation of the academic meaning of marketing orientation and production orientation will be shown in this essay and then their main difference. Marketing orientation is when a company finished some researches of the customer and society needs before them producing products for the markets. Production orientation is when a company manufacture goods for the market without doing any researches. An example of the Champagne markets in French has succeeded in use marketing orientation, wine industries use production orientation to develop their markets. There are four main differences between marketing orientation and production orientat ion will be discussed in the following words. First of all, their cores are different. Secondly, their selling means are different. Thirdly, their marketing strategies are different. In the end, their goals are different. Marketing orientation refers to an organization in accordance with market demand to develop the business plan. Business objective should be to satisfy customer needs, not just using the existing production equipment or raw materials. An oversupply in the market, industry competition, consumer products or services required for its wide range of choices has been a market context, business managers how to adapt and meet consumer requirements? Enterprises should in-depth analysis of the markets information and change production planning. And then actively develop some new markets. However, business can stimulate consumption and increase profit by follow these findings to product goods and services. Enterprises have to know the sufficient information before they develop a new product. They need to give full consideration to the interests of customers and society. Marketing orientation contains two major components: competitor-focus and customer-focus (Heiens, R 2000). In marketing orientation, its marketing concept is put the interest of consumers first. Many academic marketing researchers think customer-focus is one of the most important aspects of marketing orientation (Heiens, R 2000). Because it stimulate a company has foresight of their planning. A long-term business may more interest in customer-focus than short-term business. Also a customer-focus company can gain large profits and succeed by pay attention on consumer needs (Heiens, R 2000). A competitor-focus business can easily to identity their goodness and weakness through they compete with other strong contenders. Aim is they can always stay at the top in the industry and become a giant corporation in the future. Thus, business can choose to focus on customer needs in a growing market or on competitors in stable markets. If a company only use one orientation may caused an economic policy that is doomed to failure. For example, marketing orientation and consumer orientation always coexist in market. Both of them considered customer and competitive first. Customer orientation means an enterprise to meet customer needs and improve customer value for the business starting objective. In the process of marketing, businesses need to pay attention to consumer preferences and consumer behavior. Business need to attach importance to new product development, marketing innovation and then adapt changefully customer requirements. Consumer orientation is a significant basis for marketing orientation for commodity economy. Business must consider customers spending power or behavior before doing survey and researches to find consumer demand. Hence, there is interaction between the two orientations. Production orientation means company will focus primarily on improving yield, and reducing costs through mass production and compression costs to economies of scale. Ultimately achieve the goal of increasing profits. Although the production orientation is the early stages of development in the commodity economy, the lack of integrated marketing sense. But it still is the most important of the marketing concept for some small companies. It is difficult for them to compete with a big company or huge multinationals. Enterprises will try to find some methods to selling their products, such as advertising. They attracted the attention of consumers by putting advertisings on newspapers or TV ads. There is an example of the small champagne producers in the Champagne region of France. The Champagne region of France has been built for around 1500 years. Its so popular in making wine in the world. At this wine region, over 34,000 hectares have been planted grapes. Most of the larger and well-known producers have set up at Reims and Epernay, centre of the Champagne region. There are also some small growers in the vineyards, each with around two hectares of land. Most of the biggest sized producers are family enterprises, the largest one producing 1.5 million bottles per year and the smallest only 2000. The global wine industries face a more challenging trading environment in nowadays. Wine products have already exceeded consumption in the last twenty years (Osmond Anderson, 1998). There is a general decrease in the French wine industry. However, champagne market still success, both in import and export markets. This success can be believed that champagne producers satisfying international customer demand (Lockshin, L 2002). Meanwhile, the international consumption has decline in the traditional wine producing areas of Europe. Champagne producers have a clear growth strategies and a collaborative approach. They should attach importance to the needs of customers and competitors. They strive on customer needs or tastes and competitors to seek a balance between the marketing concepts, known as marketing orientation. Champagne producers use marketing orientation for their main selling policy. So the key success factors for their enterprise because they understood market demand and help ful to customers. Customers have been considered to be the primary focus of a marketing orientation (Payne, A 1988). Satisfying customer should be the primary task of any business (Levitt, H 1960). Champagne producers investigate and study the market potential demand for. Ideally, they understand both of the customer and market needs, competitors information, the current wine market trends. There are some benefits of marketing orientation can be shown through the Champagne market. Champagne producers have the opportunity to understand the current market demand and customer requirements. They are allowed timely to develop and improve new technology and machinery. So the effect of marketing orientation on producing products is increasing effectiveness and efficiency. The main benefit of this approach not only satisfying consumer needs and tastes but also Champagne producers. Businesses want to make maximize profits from sale wine. Thus, an increasing profits through the increasing customer satisfaction. So profits will increase by consumption increase. So the Champagne producers seem to be absolutely succeeded. If one company insisted on using this strategic approach, his products are likely to survive longer in Champagne market. Why many wine industries props up enterprises have no market focus? Most of wine industries are family enterprises. They improve producing efficiency and quality of production and then reduce cost of materials, this marketing concept known as production orientation. Wine producers do not care about customer or society needs, the production based solely on production plans without consider the possibility to sell them. They have produced wine for more than hundred years. They wont change technology or selling policy. And they dont research customer tastes and market demand. In a sellers market conditions, producers need not worry about wine sales do not sell out. Production orientation is an old kind of business philosophy. Because of this, wine industry began to decline. But champagne market is booming. Therefore, enterprise managers start to recognize that in such a market context, how to adapt to consumer needs and how to achieve customer satisfaction is the most effective planning foundation. It can be believed have very good far-reaching effects to a business (Heiens, R 2000). There are also some downsides of production orientation are shown through wine industries. Production orientation concept is a basic operating guideline in the early development of commodity economy. During this period, most of the wine industries lacks of productivity. So the deflation occurred in the markets, industry cannot produce enough wines. Supply of goods is less than consumer requirements. Customers can only passively accept the goods on the market, thus forming a sellers market. Customers will change their behaviour all the time. Thus, these wines may do not meet the customer tastes. They dont understand customer The foregoing example suggests that there are many differences between marketing orientation and production orientation. Production orientation is a typical feature of a planned economy. Business producing products based on production plans without regard the possibility to sell them, the product improvements or return of profits. Marketing orientation is based on customers demand and produce marketable products for the purpose of profit. Marketing orientation makes the products are improved constantly in order to meet the market demand. Firstly, difference between their cores. In production orientation, wine industries sale wine what are they produced. Businesses may not do any survey to research customer tastes and demand. They used traditionally technology and grapes to product wines in many years. Wine producers never care about sales rate and profits. They believed that customers loyalty to the brands. But in marketing orientation, champagne producers produce products what they will sale. Business managers will make an investigation on customer demand and focus on consumer tastes. They product champagne what are consumers demand. Therefore, champagne producers will obtain the maximum profit. Secondly, difference between their selling means. In production orientation, wine producers may use sales promotion and strong merchandising so as to increase profits. During the period of selling a new product, business put the new characteristics of the product on TV ads. The purpose is to allow more consumers know information of new products. In marketing orientation, champagne producers use a marketing concept Marketing Mix. Marketing mix means that a company selected the target markets with an integrated consideration of environmental, capacity and competition (Neil, H 1984). Using all of the factors to be the best combination and use to complete the business purpose and mission (Neil, H 1984). Marketing mix can be considered as an important component of marketing strategy. Thirdly, differences between them use marketing strategy to promote the products. In production orientation, wine producers do not actively investigate customer preferences and needs. They use the wines tastes or wine of a good year to attract customers. In marketing orientation, champagne producers spend a long time doing researches and find customer demand. They meet customer value. Customer value refers that suppliers bring benefits to their customers. Companies will produce what is consumer really needs. Champagne markets can still booming because they satisfied buyers. Finally, their ultimate goals were different. In production orientation, company gain profits through selling products. They only focus on improving quality of commodities and services and reducing production costs, whatever can they sale out. In marketing orientation, company satisfy customer needs in order to gain profit. They will produce the popular products which are the customer really want to buy, even though some commodities may too expensive. In conclusion, wine production is an interaction of the producers purposes. Their market focus, their marketing background, and the changes in the industry generally. Additionally, market strategies depend on how the owner views him/herself.

Troubled Years :: English Literature Essays

Troubled Years When William Shakespeare first started writing, He had problems with two fires that almost wiped out his house. He was forced to get married quickly.He had problems finding good actors, and later experienced writer's block. Even though Shakespeare was a great writer, he had many problems, which got in the way of his writing. William and his family have had problems with fires and other disasters. In 1554, part of Stratford was burned down. Shakespeare's house was almost burnt down but because there was a creek near the house it was saved (Levi 145). In 1555 there was another fire, even though fires were common then many houses and buildings were burnt down, but his house was not harmed (Levi 145). When William was about twelve, his father's fortunes began to take a dive. Though the reason for this is debated, many think that John Shakespeare neglected his family business and was involved in many lawsuits. As a result of their debt, John had to transfer land and mortgage his wife's estate. By 1578, the family became so poor that they didn't have to pay the local taxes. William left school at thirteen to help on the farm (Quennell 133). When he was older and first started writing his plays, many people did not like them, because of this, he became very discouraged and almost stopped (Halliday 158). Once Sh akespeare got started his performances nearly doubled. He had trouble keeping up on all the work and he could not write as much as he had before (Halliday 164). Throughout Shakespeare's career, he had many problems with actors. When Shakespeare hit it big, he had to find a lot of good actors to fill in the parts of his plays. He had many problems finding enough actors that were good enough. Also, when he had to do plays like Romeo and Juliet, he had to find a young man who could play a 14-year-old girl. This was very hard to do (Levi 148). When Shakespeare was known, he had almost no competition so he was able to not write as much and still be successful (Levi 144). Sometimes the inns that the players were meant to stay at were full; the actors were forced to sleep outside and on dirty floors (Ordish 422). In January 1593, the plague forced many London theaters to close because of the fear that the disease would spread.

alcohol Essay -- essays papers

alcohol Substance abuse and addiction are major problems in society today. Every segment of society, regardless of race, gender, or age is affected. Some of the substances that are used grow naturally, where as others are manufactured illicitly or even legitimately in laboratories. They may be smoked, inhaled, ingested, or injected and used for social, religious, or self-medicating purposes. The substance that are abused include caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, steroids, stimulants, depressants, heroin, ANd cocaine. Substance abuse and dependence were first described as disease process in the 1960s with the introduction of Jellinek’s work on alcoholism. Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is now accepted and is classified as a psychiatric disorder. Substance abuse ranks high among serious health problems. Since 1979 illicit drug use and alcohol consumption have declined, but the widespread use of and dependence on these substance continue. Nicotine, now classified by the Food and Drug Administration as an addictive substance, is linked to more deaths annually than AIDS, cancer, and other substances combined. Alcohol is also a major social problem today. Use and abuse of alcohol are a factor in contributing to injuries and death. The cost of substance abuse is increasing in our society. Lives are lost, and loss of work productivity costs millions of dollars each year. Alcohol is a factor in 40% of all motor vehicle accidents, and alcohol and other drugs are often implicated in boating or athletic accidents. Cost include not only lives lost but also medical care, long-term services to the disabled, and increased insurance rates. Health care cost for clients use alcohol, drugs, and nicotine are estimated to be greater than $160 billion annually. It has been confirmed that there is link between violence and alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol and drugs is a factor in vandalism on college campuses, date rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Under the influence of alcohol and drugs, young adults are more likely to engage in unsafe sexual practices, and parents are more likely to abuse their children. Certain factors place some individuals at greater risk than others for the development of abuse and dependence. Biological, psychological, or environmental conditions may predispose a person to the development of a drug or alcohol pr... ...up influence, disciplined drug-free lifestyles; examples include Phoenix House and Day Top Village. Drinking while pregnant can cause serious damage to a new born baby. Dysmorphic Features of FAS include: Microcephaly (small head circumference below 5%) Small palpebral fissures (eye slits) Flat nasal bridge Smooth or indistinct philtrum (ridge above upper lip) Thinned upper lip Flattening of mid-face Others: epicanthal folds, low set or mildly malformed ears Counseling is a useful and effective means it can be administered on an individual basis or in family counseling. Support groups would be another effective mean to support a person with substance-related disorders and their families. There are many groups modeled on the Twelve-Step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Other groups include Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Al-Anon, Nar Anon, Children of Alcoholic Parents (CAP), Smokenders, Ala Teen. These are a few of the self help groups that can be contacted in our communities to help those who are abuser or have friends or family members who are abusers. Most of these groups are free of charge and are conducted by people who have abused and are now recovering.

Tungkol Sa Mga Manggagawang Mag-Aaral

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennop, a small town in the Rhineland of Germany. His father was a wealthy textile merchant, his mother was a Dutch lady born in Appledoorn, Holland. During his boyhood years Wilhelm already had a passion for experiments, but above all he loved nature. In school he was not very successful, not so much because of his performance but because of his behavior. He had trouble with his teachers, resisting their authority which finally led to his dismissal. Wilhelm ended his school years without any certificate. Because he wanted to pursue an academic career, he had to find another way to achieve his goal. A friend suggested the newly established Poly-Technical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he applied himself and easily earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He did not know what he wanted to do with this degree, so for awhile he did nothing. He caroused with his friends. It was during this time that he met Berthe Anna Ludwig, who later became his wife. He decided to continue with post-graduate studies with the encouragement of Dr. August Kuntz. By studying hard and concentrating on the task at hand, he was able to obtain a doctorate in physics with a thesis on gasses. When Dr. Kuntz accepted a position at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, he persuaded Dr. Roentgen to go with him. In Wuerzburg he could not find work, so he tried his luck in two other cities. Eventually the Institute of Physics at the Wuerzburg University did offer him the coveted professorial chair, which he accepted, and in 1888 Professor Roentgen was elected Chancellor of the University. He taught during the day and spent many evenings experimenting in his lab. On the evening of November 8, 1895, while experimenting with electric current flow, using a spark conductor, he generated high voltages in a partially evacuated glass tube. The tube began to glow. He noticed that crystals of barium platino cyanide scattered on the table began to give off light when the tube glowed. An experienced researcher, he knew he was on to something. Further tests showed that paper, wood, aluminum and some other materials were transparent to these strange rays. Even at a distance of 2 meter the rays were still penetrating a wooden door. The professor realized that he was dealing with invisible electro-magnetic rays, which under certain conditions could stimulate certain materials to fluorescence. He exposed everything he could think of to these strange new rays, among them his weight box, a wire coil in a box and many different materials. He worked like a man possessed and he even slept in his lab. He found that lead glass is permeable to light but not to these rays, while wood stopped the light, but the rays passed through it. Then his thoughts turned towards bones. The bones seemed to screen the surrounding tissues. This monumental discovery enabled man to look inside the human body for the first time. Dr. Roentgen was uncertain of the nature of his findings, so he called this phenomena † X-Rays â€Å". He took a highly systematic approach to his studies and his experiments. He published a paper about the discovery and in December 1895 he held a demonstration with his first X-Ray pictures, along with one of his wife's hand. The discovery caused much excitement in scientific and medical communities throughout the world. Scientists in many countries started to experiment with these new rays, and progressive doctors very quickly used them as a diagnostic tool. A colleague, Dr. Kollicker, suggested in January 1896 to call these new rays after its discoverer. So it was done in Germany, a doctor orders a Roentgen picture, which is taken in the Roentgen Department of the hospital——- to this day. During the next decades it became obvious that X-Rays caused injury to various human tissue and to vision. Radioactivity was at that time not being related to these new rays. Many researchers developed radiation burns and cancer; more than 100 people died. These tragedies led to greater awareness of radiation hazards for health care workers. Early in the new century X-Ray equipment was being encased, and lead barriers and lead aprons were being introduced after the hazards became known. All this eventually led to a new branch of science: Radiobiology. In 1900 Professor Roentgen accepted a position at the University of Munich. One year later he received the first Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of X-Rays in Stockholm, Sweden. When his parents died, he inherited 2 million marks, which elevated him to the upper classes in the young German Empire. He traveled extensively with his wife to Italy and France, but most often they spent their vacation in Switzerland. He had fame and wealth and a feudal hunting lodge, but Dr. Roentgen was never really happy in Munich. He spent very little time furthering his research. Early in the century tuberculosis was still rampant. X-Ray examinations in mobile units throughout Germany detected the disease early and prevented it from spreading. Soon X-Rays were widely used in medicine, industry and cientific research. It became an important tool in the fight against cancer in the form of radiation therapy, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Today computer tomography is used in medicine and material testing. Since the 1960's X-Ray TV has enabled surgeons to monitor their operations. In the mid 70's micro-electronics entered the field of radiography. Today botanists use compute r tomography to examine trees for disease, and archaeologists to examine fossils, relics, artifacts and monuments. Dr. Roentgen once took an X-Ray picture of his gun. Perhaps he had a sense of things to come. One can hardly imagine airport security today without X-Rays. It is still the only devise that will detect an object of potential danger in luggage or on someone's person. X-Rays are not only generated here on earth; the universe has been full of X-Rays for billions of years. On June 1, 1990 an X-Ray satellite was launched to explore the structure and the developments of planets and the stars of the heavens. Dr. Roentgen's wife, Bertha, died in 1919 after a lengthy illness, during which he had virtually lived isolated in Munich. War and inflation had eroded his small fortune. Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen died four years later, on February 10, 1923 in Munich at the age of 78. His monumental discovery made a considerable contribution to the welfare of mankind. It also helps to unravel the secrets of nature he had loved so well. DISCOVERY OF XRAY. In late 1895, a German physicist, W. C. Roentgen was working with a cathode ray tube in his laboratory. He was working with tubes similar to our fluorescent light bulbs. He evacuated the tube of all air, filled it with a special gas, and passed a high electric voltage through it. When he did this, the tube would produce a fluorescent glow. Roentgen shielded the tube with heavy black paper, and found that a green colored fluorescent light could be seen coming from a screen setting a few feet away from the tube. He realized that he had produced a previously unknown â€Å"invisible light,† or ray, that was being emitted from the tube; a ray that was capable of passing through the heavy paper covering the tube. Through additional experiments, he also found that the new ray would pass through most substances casting shadows of solid objects on pieces of film. He named the new ray X-ray, because in mathematics â€Å"X† is used to indicated he unknown quantity. In his discovery Roentgen found that the X-ray would pass through the tissue of humans leaving the bones and metals visible. One of Roentgen’s first experiments late in 1895 was a film of his wife Bertha's hand with a ring on her finger (shown below on right). The news of Roentgen’s discovery spread quickly throughout the world. Scientists e verywhere could duplicate his experiment because the cathode tube was very well known during this period. In early 1896, X-rays were being utilized clinically in the United States for such things as bone fractures and gun shot wounds.

Because It Is Running by

Because It Is Running By – 2. Delprove A. â€Å"This is Edie, Wil, said his mother. She’s going to be helping me out. [†¦] When was this decided? he said. † Edie meets Wil, opposites meet. In Because It Is Running By these two main characters, Wil and Edie, meet when Wil’s mother hires Edie to help out with some chores. As the first quote might allude to, Wil is not very happy with Edie coming into his life. Eventually Wil seems to accept Edie as they spend some time together and get to talk. One thing leads to another and one day Wil invites Edie out and buys her a drink. When Wil realizes that Edie is leaving soon, he accuses his mother of throwing Edie out of the house. Edie is heading for Marrakesh, Morocco and, as the text ends, Wil is with Edie and Wil suggests that he could go to Morocco. Wil is a young man who is not in his teenage years anymore. He lives with his mother and has probably done so most of his life. We know that he has never left Great Britain and, at this point, the only woman in his life is his mother. We don’t know much of Edie’s past. We only know of where she is now and where she’s going. These two main characters have completely different approaches to life. Edie is staying with his mother where everything is safe, while Edie dares to enter new areas unknowing of what will happen. â€Å"Never been abroad. Never been on an aeroplane. I’m just a fucking peasant. † â€Å"Don’t do that, she said. † â€Å"I seen you thinking it, he said. With your Pernod and your fancy accent† [†¦] â€Å"I think you are where you are. † I think this is a very interesting dialogue between Wil and Edie, which gives us some idea of who our main characters are, especially Wil. Wil is very much aware of his lifestyle, within the safety borders, and the dialogue might indicate that he is somewhat ashamed of it. When later, he says that â€Å"I could go to Morocco†, he is probably fascinated by Edie and her way of life. He wants to see what happens if you leave the comfort zone. All in all, the last sentence of the text basically sums up Wil’s way of life: â€Å"[†¦] things continuing in the same way. † While Edie is the opposite who has only been at their place during summer, until she is moving on to another distant location – which is fascinating to Wil. There are several themes in this text: relationship between a mother and her son, relationship between a boy and a girl. But in my opinion the main theme is breaking the comfort zone or, as the old Latin phrase goes, Carpe Diem – seize the day. Wil probably had his reasons for living with his mom, but if you’re too scared to go anywhere else, who knows, you might just end up dying as the same â€Å"fucking peasant† that you have been your entire life. The title of the text, Because It Is Running By, could refer to Wil who is just letting life run by, instead of getting the best out of it and becoming a part of it. Text 4, Making the decision to take a gap year, deals with this matter. There are many things to worry about when leaving the comfort zone, such as loneliness and language problems. But all these factors are just a part of the adventure that life is supposed to be. You can’t know what experiences you’re missing out if you’re well pleased with where you are. It’s our life and our responsibility to get the best out of it – seize the day or die regretting the time you lost. Picture 1, Desired Freedom, shows a man leaning, with his arms, against the window and a dove painted on the wall. Like Wil and Edie; the man and the dove are opposites. Since there are no bars on the window we can conclude that he is not in prison. But then again, this man has probably imprisoned himself, by not living life to the fullest. He has only spectated life from the sidelines, but he doesn’t dare to go to the other side of that window and experience what it’s like. The dove, on the other hand, is completely free. And the dove knows what to do to survive. Its mother might have fed it at first, but eventually it has to live life on its own. Even if that means going to dangerous territories to find food, the dove knows that it must be done in order to survive. It doesn’t wait in its own prison and end up dying in regret. Which way of life would you rather imitate? B. Because It Is Running By is a text which is basically built up of dialogues, with remarks from a narrator. Since there are many dialogues in the text, it is written in colloquial language. That means a large amount of very short sentences, which aren’t necessarily grammatically correct. An example of this is the above-mentioned dialogue: â€Å"Never been abroad. Never been on an aeroplane. I’m just a fucking peasant. † â€Å"Don’t do that, she said. † â€Å"I seen you thinking it, he said. † However, typical slang used in colloquial language, such as â€Å"gonna† and â€Å"wanna† is not used in the text. The text is not written with formal language and there are very few difficult words. The text can be rather annoying to read, due to the fact that there are many stops throughout the text, caused by small sentences. Also, Wil often jumps from one subject to another, which can be frustrating for the reader. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Song: Avenged Sevenfold – Seize The Day