The Construction of Guilt on Timothy Evans and 10 Rillington Place Essay

The Construction of Guilt on Timothy Evans and 10 Rillington Place - Essay Example Brief facts of the case Timothy Evans, an illiterate but an able driver with mental instability made an unprovoked visit to Merthyr Police Station on 30 November 1949 and voluntarily confessed to having disposed of his wife’s body down a drain outside his home at 10 Rillington Place, North London. He made two revelations: 1) that his pregnant wife died after he administered to her abortion pills he had collected from a stranger in a cafe in East Anglia. The Notting Hills Police in North London who rushed to Evan’s place did not find any dead body inside the drain manhole cover of which was so heavy that it had to be lifted by three policemen with great difficulty. 2) On further interrogation, Evans informed that his landlord/ co-tenant, Christie disposed of the dead body of his wife who died after an unsuccessful abortion on her performed by Christie himself as allegedly informed by Christie to Evans who was not an eyewitness to both the abortion incident as well as the disposal of the body. Contrary to this, Christie actually strangled both Evan’s wife and his baby daughter to death three weeks earlier to his (Evans’) confession, of which Evans had no knowledge. ...   (Gudjonsson, 2003) Evans later retracted his confession after his mother met with him at the prison and asked him for the reason to commit the murders. He told his mother â€Å"Christie done it. Ask him to come and see me. He is the only one who can help me now† (Kennedy, 1988 p.141). Unfortunately, prosecution managed to fix Christie's and his wife as its witnesses to give evidence against Evans. at the trial. Although Evans’ defense was that he did not murder them but Christie, his own defense lawyers considered his second statement in Wales as reliable. At the time it was not suspected that Christie lied that Evans’ wife died due to abortion. Evans’ second statement precluded any motive on the part of Christie to the murder of Evans’ wife. Although the medical evidence proved that Mrs. Evans had been sexually penetrated after her death, the defense did not have the hunch that why there could not have been a third party involvement in the rape for a husband need not have to rape or to have normal sexual intercourse after her after death. Further, the forensic report of the presence of spermatozoa in Mrs. Evan’s vagina did not prompt the Defense to have it tested for DNA to find its owner was whether Evans, Christie or anybody else. Bereft of any evidence in his favor, Evans was found guilty of the murder of his daughter by the jury which was not asked by the court to decide on Mrs. Evans’ death.

Sympathy for macbeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sympathy for macbeth - Essay Example Despite his actions, Shakespeare encourages sympathy for Macbeth throughout the play. At first, Macbeth is displayed as a hero. However, this image changes drastically when he begins to thirst for power. Macbeth is a hero among his friends and soldiers for his loyalty and bravery to Scotland. He respects his country and does not want to interfere with his friends and king; however, greed begins to impede on Macbeth’s loyalty to his motherland. He struggles with an appropriate way to become the leader of his country. This is shown when he states: â€Å"If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir† (1.3.142-143). Although Macbeth greatly desires to become king, his decision to not actively seek this dream encourages sympathy from the reader. These thoughts show that Macbeth still has good moral beliefs; this allows for hope that he will remain a hero. Additionally, Macbeth knows that he does not have a chance for the throne while the king lives. As Macbeth thinks of himself as a loyal subject and Duncan as a good lea der, he does not want evil thoughts to overpower his loyalty. Macbeth begins with hope to one day rule his country. To achieve this, he decides that he must become king. Macbeth realizes that if he does not attempt to become king, then it will not happen. This thinking is demonstrated with his statement: â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies† (1.4.49-50). Macbeth recognizes the enormity of this decision and that he must act upon his murderous thoughts to fulfill his destiny. His ambition to become king overrides his loyalty to his country and king. Because of this, Macbeth develops a plan to overthrow Duncan and rule in his place. This dilemma ensures that the reader feels sorry for Macbeth, as he struggles between remaining loyal and his obsession for power.  Macbeth struggles to stick to his

Relationship Between Entrepreneur Human Capital and HR

Relationship Between Entrepreneur Human Capital and HR 1. Introduction 1.2 The research topic In modern economies the majority of firms are small firms, and these firms make a considerable contribution to the development of the socio-economic and political infrastructure (Matlay, 2002). Unfortunately, small firms also have a high failure rate. Fifty to eighty percent fail during the first five years of existence (Baumback, 1988). One of the main reasons for this high failure rate appears to be a lack of emphasis on the management of human resources in small firms (McEvoy, 1984). A range of studies indicate that effective management of human resources is one of the most critical challenges small firms face (e.g., Mazzarol, 2003; Deshpande and Golhar, 1994; Marlow and Patton, 1993; Hornsby and Kuratko, 1990). Especially as it relates to the management of HR issues. Managerial incompetence in handling HR issues is a major source of small firm failure (Dun and Bradstreet, 2001; Baron, 2003; Hornsby and Kuratko, 2003), and the way entrepreneurs handle HR issues in an early stage severely impacts downstream success of business (Cardon and Stevens, 2004). However, Cardon and Stevens (2004) did a literature review on HRM in small and emerging firms and concluded that despite the importance of HR issues to small and emerging firms our understanding about these issues is limited. While we have begun to understand when small firms experience varying levels of HR issues (e.g., Kotter and Sathe, 1978; Rutherford et al, 2003), and what these issues are (e.g., Horsnby and Kuratko, 2003), literature lacks much of the theory necessary to understand the role the entrepreneur plays with regard to HR issues in small firms. Given that entrepreneurs play a dominant role in determining how human resources are managed in small firms (Matlay, 2002; Klaas and Klimchak, 2006), it is likely that certain personal characteristics of entrepreneurs play a more significant role in determining HR issues in small firms. Surprisingly, this relationship has received very little attention in literature. This research study will address this gap in literature by focusing on the relationship between human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. Particularly, the relationship between prior education and experience of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. Education and experience are generally regarded as key factors influencing small firm survival and development (Storey, 1994), and a range of studies show they are positively related to small firm performance (e.g., XXX). Given that HR issues are the main cause of small firm failure (Dun and Bradstreet, 2001; Baron, 2003; Hornsby and Kuratko, 2003), and that they have a strong negative effect on small firm performance (Cardon and Stevens, 2004), this could imply that somehow education and experience are related to HR issues in small firms. Since we do not know if that is the case, this research study will make a first attempt at getting a better understanding about this relationship. 1.3 The research objective According to Saunders et al. (2003, p.96-98) a research study can be done either to explore, describe or explain a particular phenomenon. They argue that exploratory research is done to seek new insight into a phenomenon, to ask questions and to approach a phenomenon in a new way, that descriptive research is done to get an accurate description of events, situations or persons, and that explanatory research is done to explain the cause and effect relationship between given variables. Malhotra (1996, p.99) argues that in some cases more than one research type (exploratory, descriptive or explanatory) is used in a single study to achieve the objectives. This research study will be of an exploratory nature, as there have been few (if any) attempts in literature at getting a better understanding about the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. The objective of this research study is to more precisely define the variables that are in play in this relationship, by making a very first attempt at developing a conceptual framework linking human capital characteristics (education and experience) of the entrepreneur to HR issues in small firms. 1.4 Contribution to the literature The contribution of this research study to the literature is threefold. First, by focusing on HRM in small firms, this research study focuses on a neglected group of firms and responds to several appeals for more research at the intersection of the human resource management and entrepreneurship fields (e.g., Barret and Mayson, 2006; Baron, 2003; Katz et al, 2000; Heneman and Tansky, 2000). Second, by looking at the role human capital of the entrepreneur plays in determining HR issues in small firms, this research study offers a new and different perspective on HR issues in small firms. Last, by making a very first attempt at developing a conceptual framework linking human capital of the entrepreneur to HR issues in small firms, this research study provides a foundation and stimulus for future research into the links between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. 1.5 Key concepts Bygrave and Hofer (1991, p. 15) argue that â€Å"good science has to begin with good definitions†, and Marlow (2006) states that â€Å"if basic concepts are not clarified or defined, then it becomes extremely difficult to develop coherent and comparable research endeavors that build understanding of a particular field of study†. Therefore key concepts will briefly be explained and defined in order to make sure that the reader fully understands the topics under investigation in this research study. Small firms Storey (1994, p.8) states: â€Å"there is no single, uniformly acceptable, definition of a small firm†, and defining the small firm seems to be complex and somewhat problematic (Wilkinson, 1999). First, there is the issue of size. There is no consensus as to what is actually meant by â€Å"small† with regard to the number of employees in this category. In literature the number of employees in firms classified as small range anywhere from 1 to 500 employees depending upon the study. The same problem exists with various statistical agencies across the world. CBS (Dutch statistics) defines firms having less than 100 employees as small, whereas in the European union Eurostat uses a threshold of 250 employees, and the Small Business Administration in the United States even defines firms with having less than 500 employees as small (Flanagan and Deshpande, 1996). Second, there is also the issue of heterogeneity. Wilkinson (1999) argues that the danger of defining small firms lies in the assumption that there is a homogenous small firm sector and that all small firms within it have similar characteristics. He argues that while size may be a factor, it alone is not sufficient to explain patterns of employment relations, because a variety of influences (both internal and external) explain behavior (Wilkinson, 1999). This is in line with the view of Hornsby and Kuratko (2006). They argue that it is not a case of small versus large firms, as there are small established firms, small start-up firms, and small high growth firms, and these firms vary in ownership based on family ownership, ownership by founder, and some type of privately held stock ownership. Cardon and Stevens (2004) argue that co-joining small firms all into one overall category is problematic as the management needs of established and emerging firms, or firms with 1, 10, 50, 250, a nd 500 employees are significantly different from each other. This makes summarizing and providing generalizations of research findings in literature on small firms somewhat problematic. However, despite the fact that there is no uniformity of approach to defining the small firm, for this research study a practical definition of a small firm is needed. Therefore a small firm is defined as: â€Å"a privately held firm with fewer than 100 employees in which the entrepreneur is responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm†. Entrepreneur There is an ongoing debate in literature about the differences and similarities between owner-managers and entrepreneurs. According to Carland et al. (1984) the critical factor that distinguishes entrepreneurs from owner-managers is innovation. They argue that entrepreneurs are characterized by a preference for creating activity, manifested by some innovative combination of resources for profit, and that owner-managers establish and manage a business for the principal purpose of furthering personal goals. In line with this Freel and Robson (2004) state that entrepreneurs initiate change with the aim of challenging the status quo whilst maximizing profit and generating new employment, and that owner-managers focus on firm durability and sustainability, limiting operational reach of the firm, either because of market constraints or by personal choice (Freel and Robson, 2004 as cited in Marlow, 2006). However, this research study will make no distinction between an â€Å"owner-manager† or an â€Å"entrepreneur†. The most important characteristic for this research study is the dominant role the individual plays in the firm, and not whether the individual is engaged in innovative activities or not. Given that both terms represent an individual generally solely responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm (Cooper et al, 1994), this research study will treat them the same, but uses the term ‘entrepreneur to address this individual. This research study defines the entrepreneur as: â€Å"an individual who independently owns a small firm and is responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm†. Human capital Human capital can be explained as the skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education and experience. Human capital theory (Becker, 1964) is based on the idea that people acquire individual resources to increase or enhance their productivity, and that these acquisitions are related to prior education or training, as well as prior work experiences (Brush and Manolova, 2004). In this research study the focus is on human capital of the entrepreneur and how it influences the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm. Education In this research study education is defined as: â€Å"formal college education, together with received specialized training†. Training is defined as: â€Å"†¦the process by which managers acquire the knowledge and skills related to their work requirements by formal, structured or guided means† (Deloitte, Haskins, and Sells, 1989, p.3). Experience According to Lee and Tsang (2001) experience consists of three main components; entrepreneurial, industrial and managerial. Entrepreneurial experience refers to â€Å"the number of previous new venture involvements and the level of the management role played in such ventures† (Stuart and Abetti, 1990, p. 151 as cited in Lee and Tsang, 2001). Industrial experience refers to experience in the industry the firm is in, and managerial experience is the total experience in management regardless of the industry (Lee and Tsang, 2001). However, for this research study experience will not be divided into three components. In this research study experience is defined as: â€Å"accumulated knowledge of practical matters in the past† (Wikipedia). Human resource management (HRM) Storey (2001) states there is considerable confusion among researchers whether HRM â€Å"†¦is a generic term, simply denoting any approach to employment management†¦(or) as one specific and arguably minority form of approach to employment management† (Storey, 2001 as cited in Marlow, 2006). This confusion becomes clear from the many explanations and definitions of HRM in literature. For example, Bratton and Gold define HRM as â€Å"the part of the management process that specializes in the management of people in work organizations. HRM emphasizes that employees are critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, that human resources practices need to be integrated with the corporate strategy, and that human resource specialists help organizational controllers to meet both efficiency and equity objectives† (Bratton and Gold, 1999). Armstrong defines HRM as â€Å" the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued as sets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business† (Armstrong, 2006). Boselie states HRM â€Å"involves management decisions related to policies and practices which together shape the employment relationship and are aimed at achieving individual, organizational, and societal goals† (Boselie, 2002). And last, Schermerhorn (2001) defines HRM as â€Å"the process of attracting, developing, and maintaining a talented and energetic workforce to support organizational mission, objectives, and strategies†. In this research study HRM is considered a generic term, simply denoting any approach to the management of employees, and therefore a practical definition of human resource management is needed. Schermerhorns definition of HRM is the most practical, and fits best with the informal, flexible, and ad hoc approaches associated with HRM in small firms. Therefore HRM is defined as: â€Å"the process of attracting, developing, and maintaining a talented and energetic workforce to support organizational mission, objectives, and strategies† (Schermerhorn, 2001, p2400). HRM activities and HRM issues Rutherford et al. ( 2003) argue that in literature the distinction between HRM issues and activities is not always clear. Therefore it is important to define what is meant by HRM issues and what is meant by HRM activities. Rutherford et al. (2003) define HRM issues as â€Å"people-related issues or concerns perceived by the entrepreneur or managers in the firm† and HRM activities as â€Å"specific human resource management practices used by the firm†. They explain the difference by saying: â€Å"HRM activities are (formal) practices that are put in place to deal with HRM issues† (Rutherford et al, 2003). Guest et al. (2004) make a further distinction within HRM activities between HR practices and HR techniques. They argue that for every HR practice (e.g., â€Å"recruitment†), there are several different techniques (e.g., â€Å"newspaper ads†, â€Å"online ads†, â€Å"head hunters† etc.), or for example (e.g., â€Å"selection†), and (e.g., â€Å"interviews†, â€Å"assessment centers† etc.). This research study follows the definitions of HRM activities and issues by Rutherford et al. (2003), and acknowledges the distinction within HRM activities between HR practices and HR techniques as described by Guest et al. (2004). 1.5 Main research question and sub questions In order to be able to complete the research objective as stated in paragraph 1.3, the main research question and several sub questions have been formulated. The main research question states: How is human capital of the entrepreneur related to HR issues in small firms? In order to be able to answer the main research question, several sub questions have been formulated: How do HR practices and techniques differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? How do HR issues differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? How does the perceived importance of HRM and HRM issues differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? 1.6 Conceptual model Although this is an exploratory research study, some variables have been identified in literature that could play a significant role in explaining the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. These variables are shown in this preliminary conceptual model This research study builds upon ‘upper echelon theory and ‘human capital theory to explore the relationship between human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur and HRM issues in small firms. Upper echelon theory (Hambrick and Mayson, 1984) states that everything that goes on in a firm is a reflection of its top managers. It found that the nature of managerial processes and organizational outcomes are partially predicted by managerial background characteristics of its top managers. While originally applied to large firms, this theory seems to be even more applicable to small firms, given that small firms are generally build around the entrepreneur who is often primarily responsible for management and decision-making in small firms (Cooper et al, 1994). Therefore the entrepreneur can be seen as the upper echelon in small firms. Human capital theory (Becker, 1964) states that people acquire individual resources to increase or enhance their productivity, and that these acquisitions are related to prior education or training, as well as prior work experiences (Brush and Manolova, 2004). Cooper et al. (1994) argue that education is presumably related to knowledge, skills, problem-solving ability, discipline, motivation, and self-confidence, and it enables owner-managers to cope with problems and thereby be more successful. In line with this Lee and Tsang (2001) argue that in general education has a positive effect on the growth of the firm, because education equips an individual with the analytical and technical skills essential to managing a business. Furthermore, according to Cooper et al. (1994) owner-managers who have started or managed a firm prior to launching the current firm would perform better. They argue that prior experience would better prepare them for the wide variety of problems confronting new firms. Within small firms human capital theory is concerned with the knowledge and capabilities of entrepreneurs acquired through education and experience, which influences the way these firms are managed. With regard to HRM in small firm, prior studies indicat e that human capital characteristics impact the nature of HR practices and techniques in small firms (e.g., Mazzarol, 2003; Maes et al, 2004; De Winne and Sels, 2006). Link A B The presumed direct link between human capital and HRM issues is based on findings by Tocher and Rutherford (2009). They found that entrepreneurs with more human capital (higher educated and experienced) were more likely to perceive HRM issues as their firms most critical concern. Whether these firms actually experienced HRM issues or that it was only the perception of the entrepreneur remains unclear. However, given that results in this research study come from the individual lived experiences of entrepreneurs, their perception of HRM issues in their firm must be regarded as ‘the truth, and therefore a direct link might exist. Link A B C Based on the link A B, it might be the case that entrepreneurs perceive that they have a lot of HRM issues, and that as a result they implement more HRM practices and techniques (reactive). Link A C B There is evidence that human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur impacts the nature of HR policy and practice within small firms (Mazzarol, 2003; Maes et al, 2004; De Winne and Sels, 2006). It might also be expected that human capital equips entrepreneurs with knowledge about a range of HRM practices and techniques, which they will put in place in order to avoid or overcome HRM issues. It is expected that more use of HRM practices and techniques leads to less HRM issues. Link A D C B It is expected that more human capital makes entrepreneurs more aware of the value and importance of HRM and HRM issues to small firms. If entrepreneurs acknowledge the importance of both HRM and HRM issues to their firm, it is expected that they will put more emphasis on HRM and implement a range of HRM practices and techniques pro-active rather than reactive in order to avoid HRM issues. This is expected to lead to less HRM issues. 1.7 Methodology This exploratory research study uses a two-tailed multiple case study method design. Cases were divided into two groups of extremes. One group with two cases of highly educated and experienced entrepreneurs, and one group with two cases of low educated entrepreneurs with limited or no experience. This two-tailed multiple-case study method makes it possible to use direct replication of findings within the two groups, and also to find possible contrasting situations between the two groups. For this research study interviews are chosen to acquire case study evidence, following the general interview approach by Patton (2002). In this approach topics and issues to be covered are specified in advance in an outline form, and the interviewer decides the sequence and wording of questions in the course of the interview. For this research study I have taken several steps before I started doing case studies in order to be well prepared. The steps taken were: Extensive literature review on the topics under investigation Two interviews with entrepreneurship experts to get a better understanding about the research topics from a practitioner point of view The design of a case study protocol Conducting a pilot case study A total of four entrepreneurs (two in each group of extremes) actively involved in running their business were selected via non-probability sampling using the REACH database. The entrepreneurs were first contacted via a generic email, and later after being selected by telephone to make the appointment. The interviews were held face-to-face at the offices of the entrepreneurs, at convenient times, in silent and comfortable rooms. The interviews were tape recorded. In order to be able to triangulate data, I also interviewed an expert on human resource management and human resource issues in small firms. The interview was held in exactly the same way as with the entrepreneurs. 1.8 Thesis outline In order to be able to answer the main research question, the sub questions, and to meet the objective of this research study, this research study will first look at relevant literature and theories in chapter two. In chapter three the methodology used in this research study will be presented and explained. Chapter four shows the results and within case analyses of the four case studies and of the interview with the expert. In chapter five these results will be analyzed using cross case analyses. And finally chapter 6 will contain the conclusion, limitations, and implications of this research study 2. literature review There is an abundance of literature on HRM in general. Therefore it would be impossible to do a complete literature review on HRM within the time constraints given for this research study. Since the real issue discussed in this research study is the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms, only prior research that is relevant from this standpoint will be discussed. It must be noted that due to definitional problems in literature on both small firms and HRM, providing generalizations of research findings is somewhat problematic. However, given that all researchers in the field are confronted with these definitional problems, I follow the approach of DAmboise and Muldowney (1988). They reviewed all studies and papers in which the author â€Å"claimed† to be writing about small firms or any variation thereof (e.g., entrepreneurial firm, SME). In this review of the literature, I do the same. 2.1 HRM in small firms While there is an abundance of literature on HRM, the majority is based on HRM in large firms (Wilkinson, 1999). Heneman et al. (2000) reviewed over 400 articles on HRM and found that between 1984 and 1999 only129 empirical studies focused specifically on HRM in smaller firms. Only 17 of these studies applied quantitative methods to analyze results. According to them â€Å"the literature appears to be rich in prescriptions, limited in sound descriptive surveys, and sparse in analytical research†. Similarly, Hornsby and Kuratko (2003) found that â€Å"in spite of the considerable volume and diversity of HRM research, relatively little is understood regarding the HRM-related needs, practices, behaviors, and outcomes of smaller ventures†. More recently, DeKok and Den Hartog (2006) stated that even though research on HRM in small firms has increased lately, the majority of researchers still tends to ignore small firms. Heneman et al. (2000) argue that â€Å"the deficiency of research regarding HRM in small firms is problematic for theory, research, and practice†. When looking at literature on HRM in small firms, it seems that for long it has polarized into the ‘small is beautiful or ‘bleak house perspective (Wilkinson, 1999). According to Wilkinson (1999) the ‘small is beautiful scenario facilitates close and harmonious working relationships with good communication, greater flexibility, and low levels of conflict, and in the ‘bleak house scenario firms are dictatorially run with employees suffering from poor working conditions (Wilkinson, 1999). However, according to Ram (1991, as cited in Wilkinson, 1999) â€Å"workplace relations in SMEs may be ‘complex, informal and contradictory rather than simply either harmonious or autocratic†. Indeed, by now we know that â€Å"small firms are complex, varied, and influenced by a range of factors† (Loan-Clarke et al. 1999; Carrol et al. 1999; Wagar, 1998; Mazzarol, 2003, as cited in Kotey and Sheridan, 2004). A number of studies indicate that small firms are characterized by informal, flexible and ad hoc approaches to HRM. Barret et al. (2007) explain this by saying: â€Å"the practices used to recruit, select, manage and appraise employees performance are not written down (for example, a list of skills and qualifications for each job), regularly applied (for example, yearly performance reviews) or guaranteed they take place (for example, employer sponsored training)†. For example, Hornsby and Kuratko (1990) studied 247 smaller firms in order to establish the progress in developing HRM practices and policies in small firms. They found that firms with less than 50 employees had very little formal HRM practices in place, and similar HRM practices were found in firms with 50 to 100 employees and firms with 100 to 150 employees. A little over a decade later Hornsby and Kuratko (2003) did a replication and an extension of their 1990 study and found evidence that suggests that human reso urce management practices in small firms in all three size categories has generally stagnated and even regressed in some areas over the decade. Similarly, Kotey and Slade (2005) conducted a survey of 371 small growing firms in Australia in order to establish the rate of adoption of formal HRM practices with increasing firm size. Their results showed that micro and small firms are indeed characterized by informal HRM practices, but the adoption of formal HRM practices increased with firm size with a move toward formal practices early in the growth process. In contrast, there are also studies showing there is a greater level of sophistication of HRM practices in small firms than would be expected. However, it must be noted that these results are often derived from case studies with very small samples. For example, De Kok and Uhlaner (2001) studied 16 firms with between 10 and 41 employees and found that some of these firms used HRM practices that were more formal than expected. In line with this Duberley and Walley (1995) did a comparative case-study with sixteen organizations in the United Kingdom to study the extent to which HRM has been adopted in small firms. Although the majority of the studied firms (13) did not adopt a strategic approach towards HRM with an integrated set of policies related to corporate strategy, they found that three of the firms did indeed approximate quite closely to the model of strategic HRM. Barret et al. (2007) state that while an informal and ad hoc approach to HRM may work for some small firms, in periods of growth the sustainability of that approach can be problematic. In line with this Arthur (1995) states that if growth is to be sustained, formal HRM practices and policies are necessary to cope with the increasing complexity as a result of greater number of employees. A study by Kotey and Slade (2005) on the rate of adoption of formal human resource management practices in 371 small growing firms in Australia indicated a move toward hierarchical structures, an increase in documentation, and more administrative processes as the firm grew. Similar results were found by Barret and Mayson (2007) when they conducted a survey of 600 small Australian firms. Their analysis showed that growth-oriented small firms were more likely to use formal HRM practices than non-growth small firms. Roberts, Sawbridge, and Bamber (1992, as cited in Wilkinson, 1999) explain this by saying : â€Å"when a firm employs more than 20 staff, the limits of informality become apparent: informal networks of recruitment dry up; informal styles of management communication are stretched; and ad hoc responses to personnel issues create problems†. In line with this Jennings and Beaver (1997, as cited in Bartram, 2005) state that when the entrepreneur becomes over-extended because the firm has grown above a certain size, the management of human resources needs to be professionalized and delegated. However, there are also researchers like Wilkinson (1999) and Welbourne and Cyr (1999) who state that putting an emphasis on formal rules and procedures in small firms is outdated, because entrepreneurs operate in an environment where they have to make rapid decisions in order to be able to respond to market changes. They argue that ‘bureaucratic HRM may reduce flexibility and increase firm inertia. Similarly, Hill and Stewart (1999, as cited in De Kok, 2003) argue that small firms should be more flexible and informal to be able to cope with higher levels of environmental uncertainty. 2.2 HRM activities in small firms According to Barret and Mayson (2007) the most commonly found HRM activities in small firms reflect operational needs and pragmatic concerns. For example, record keeping, staffing activities (recruitment and selection), and to a lesser extent motivation and retention activities (compensation and reward practices). Cassel et al. (2002) conducted an empirical study on HRM activities in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and found that there is a considerable diversity amongst SMEs in relation to their use of HR practices and techniques. They stated it appeared that â€Å"key managers within SMEs, rather than taking a coherent, strategy based approach to the implementation of HRM, are taking a more ‘pick and mix contingency approach†. â€Å"Which practices are chosen, and the extent to which they are used and formalized is based on a number of characteristics about the SME and the current business climate within which they find themselves† (Cassel et. Al, 200 2). Although there is no generally excepted list of HR practices and techniques used by smaller firms, attempts have been made to identify practices and techniques commonly used in smaller firms. For example, McEvoy (1984) studied small business personnel practices in 84 small businesses with 25 to 250 employees located near a Midwest metropolitan area. A thirty-six item questionnaire was administered and filled in by an interviewer interviewing the person responsible for HRM in the firm. The questions focused on the usage of HRM practices like HRM structures, policy and planning, staffing, performance evaluation, employee motivation, job satisfaction and turnover, and compensation and unionization. Important findings relevant for this research study are that when firms reached an average of 73 employees the management of human resources shifted from one person (often the entrepreneur) to a newly formed separate personnel department. About 80% of the firms sampled used written personnel

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Organizational Behavior Organizational behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations (Robbins, p.9). Organizational behavior helps build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objective and social objective. Robbins, S. P. (2000). Organizational Behavior. Ninth Edition. Organizational Culture Organizational culture is something intangible, but can influences our work environments. In the workplace we can refer organizational culture as combination of its policies, beliefs, activities, and rituals. An organizational culture can support or hinder individual learning, encourage or discourage creativity, etc. Diversity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diversity is everywhere in the United States. Individuals need to understand the dimensions of culture to be effective in the multicultural environments. To achieve business excellence, corporate decisions must be based on a wide range of contributions from people with diversity in idea, backgrounds and perspectives. The various cultures in the workplace today bring richness to the environment, as the exposure to various cultures and even beyond racial and ethical differences allow people to view ideas from various perspectives to grow as a people and a corporation. Communication Communication is defined as the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Communication is also a technique for expressing idea effectively. A well-established communication can strengthen a group’s collective intelligence, as well as finding insights in which people often miss through traditional forms of conversation. Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Organizational effectiveness and efficiency http://www.politicalreviewnet.com/polrev/reviews/PUAR/R_0033_3352_001_20620.asp Organizational Learning The field of organizational learning explores ways to make organizations function more effectively by encourages employees to teach their full potential.

Black Mans Burden

It's has been a very discussed topic whether the color of ones skin still can be a burden in today's society or not. For Instance are the black people, and especially In South America racism Is a big Issue. Thus racism Is weakened compared to centuries ago, it is still present in not only a big part of America but in the rest of the world as well. Racism is one of the main issues, that the American author Kisses Layman is dealing with in his writings.Layman is black himself and in his work â€Å"How to slowly Kill Yourself and Others In America† he shows us his personally story, which Is filled tit trials and reflections that lightens under-appreciated aspects of the modern American life. In the following essay will be examining a remembrance of Layman's essay from the web magazine Gawkier, which was published the 28 of July 2012, to see how Layman gets his intention across. Layman grew up in Mississippi with a childhood embossed of racism and violence. This was a part of his everyday life.To outline the central problem that this text is dealing with, it is important to emphasize that ones skin color is still very important In many societies today. For Instance there Is the real life episode with the Police Officer Darrel Wilson who shot and killed the arrear old young black unarmed man named Michael Brown. These racially issues are the ones Layman has been struggled with during his upbringing. It is therefore these issues he wants to draw attention to In his essay. Layman speaks of personal experiences In his works, and this type of argumentation Is called ethos.He Is using ethos to emphasize the burden that comes with for blacks in a white-controlled society. I believe that Layman's intention with his writings is to make people live their lives as they wish and intend to. That is why freedom† Is a very Important point In Layman's writings. This is further shown In the essay: â€Å"How free can you be If you really accept that white folks are the traffic cops of your life? Mama tells me that she is not talking about freedom. She says that she is talking about survival. 1 This quotation is very important, because it highlights Layman's life values compared to Layman's mother, who always taught him to be well behaved In a society controlled by white people. Layman was well behaved In his early years, but after several years of being treated badly, Just because of his skin-color, Layman had had enough. Layman became a boy with a lot of anger and frustration, and I think that through his writings he got vent for his feelings. First of all he starts in medias race: â€Å"I've had guns pulled on me by four people under Central Mississippi skies†¦ 2 This dramatic and brutal start is very catchy. Secondly the language in his essay is very brutal and dramatic as well. He Is using words like gun, Niger and buck, which have a negative connotation. Thirdly he Is using flashbacks In a way that I haven't read before. Layman is over all writing about his young days in Mississippi, but sometimes he is OFF further shown in the essay: â€Å"16 months later, I'm 18, three years older than Edward Evans will be when he is shot in the head behind an abandoned home in Jackson. 3 By using this very unspectacular way of writing, he gets to his audience with the way of persuasion called pathos, where he is relating to the feelings. These parallels that he is using are episodes, which have happened in the last couple of years. He therefore achieves to make his past familiar with the racially issues that goes on today. The only difference is that he has survived, and the kids he is relating to have men killed. Likely because of racially issues.One of the persons who did not support his strong opinions was his mother. Layman therefore took distance to his mother, when she once pulled a gun to his face. To Layman this complex of problem was about the freedom that the black people weren't in possession of in Mississippi. To L ayman's mother it was a matter of survival, and therefore it was very important to her that they would fit in as much as possible. Thus Layman has gotten death treats; it has not stopped him from writing or drawing attention to these issues.Overall, Layman is using ethos to make his audience relate as much as possible through his personal experiences during his upbringing in Mississippi. An episode that Layman uses and which supports the theme racism is when an undercover â€Å"white† cop once pulled a gun at him. We most assume that this cop, called John Deere, pulls a gun at Layman, Troy, Cleat and Leighton because of their skin color since Deere shouts â€Å"Niger lovers† at them. By using ethos Layman achieves to get his audience attention since Layman's personal experiences are truthful, chocking and provocative.His writings however are aimed to a wide American target audience, and since Layman is a very intelligent and proficient writer, I think, that he achieves to get a lot of peoples' attention. He writes in a very special way, which catches the audience attention very quickly. All in all, the remembrance is a display of Layman's personal life where racism and violence is still present. Layman wants to draw attention to racism and violence. He wants people to say yes to life instead of letting some people being the â€Å"traffic cops† in your life, because of the burden that comes with when you are colored.

Charity Concert Event for the Benefit of the HIV-positive patients Essay

The â€Å"Rock for a Cause† is a concert intended to help HIV-positive patients in the local hospital. The proceeds of the concert will all go to the local hospital to provide financial and medical   assistance to HIV-positive patients confined at the hospital. Through this commendable event, the company can help hundreds of people afflicted with this dreadful disease in alleviating their disposition.   This project was conceptualized a month ago because the company saw the need to boost its social responsibility. By venturing in this humbling project, the company can promote generosity within the work environment and awareness on the condition of HIV-positive in the hospital.   The company chose HIV-positive patients as the beneficiary of this charity concert because they are the usual victims of prejudice and negative social stigma. Through the company’s initiative,   HIV-positive patients can feel a sense of compassion from other people.   Works Accomplished Since the conceptualization of the project, the following were accomplished: Selection of the theme for the concert which will celebrate the musical hits of contemporary pop rock. Reservation of the venue for the concert which is at the the open area of the park. Processing of the legal permits and documents needed for the concert to materialize. Works in Progress The following are currently being accomplished: Drafting of line up of singers and bands who will perform at the concert. Production of promotional materials including leaflets and posters. Works to be Done The following are pending works to be accomplish: Coordination with the hospital for the proper relegation of the financial proceeds of the concert and meeting with the beneficiaries to inform them about the project. Generation of marketing campaign to promote the concert. Invitation of performers and sponsors for the concert.   So far, there were only few drawbacks experienced during the preparation phase of this project. The most common problem was the time constraint. Supposedly, 80% of the works have already been accomplished but due to limited time and human resources, many are still pending. Despite the impediments, the project is still worth pursuing because of its noble cause. To ensure that the project will run smoothly, additional staff and an extension of two weeks on the deadline are needed. Success lies in the hands of everyone who will participate in this project.

10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear

10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear 10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear 10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear By Mark Nichol One of my mottos is â€Å"Mean what you say, and say what you mean.† I try to write by the same standards, but it’s harder than it looks. What appears to be a reasonable sentence often isn’t and â€Å"I understand what the writer meant to write† is a poor excuse for â€Å"I understand what the writer wrote.† Here are some examples of how to make an almost-right statement a right statement: 1. â€Å"The colonists were eager to surround themselves with the gardens of their homeland.† This sentence implies that the colonists excavated the gardens in their homeland and deposited them in their new environs. Here’s the intended meaning: â€Å"The colonists were eager to surround themselves with gardens reminiscent of those in their homeland.† 2. â€Å"The amount of water pumped from the reservoir reached a seemingly impossible peak of half a million acre-feet.† Peak is an awkward analogical term when referring to water volume. A more semantically neutral description is called for: â€Å"The amount of water pumped from the reservoir reached a seemingly impossible maximum output of half a million acre-feet.† 3. â€Å"We visited a Polish concentration camp.† The writer states an impossibility: Poland never established concentration camps. What is true is that Nazi Germany established concentration camps in Poland. Superficially speaking, the difference is subtle, but the insensitivity of the inadvertent error is profound. To be accurate, write, â€Å"We visited a concentration camp in Poland.† 4. â€Å"The opposite pole with respect to availability is represented by Poland.† While we’re in Poland, let’s note the distracting use of pole, which when capitalized refers to a person from Poland, in a sentence about that nation. In addition to omitting the distraction, let’s make the sentence active: â€Å"Poland represents the other extreme on the spectrum of availability.† 5. â€Å"The 275-square-mile tropical island off the southern end of the Malay Peninsula is smaller than New York City and every other country in southeast Asia.† The phrase â€Å"New York City and every other country† implies that the Big Apple is located in southeast Asia. Here’s what the writer meant: â€Å"The 275-square-mile tropical island off the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, dwarfed by every other country in southeast Asia, is smaller than New York City.† 6. â€Å"Another report with thirty-two in-depth interviews has shown that all participants support the procedure.† Unless both reports in question were based on thirty-two in-depth interviews, the sentence should be slightly revised to indicate otherwise: â€Å"Another report, with thirty-two in-depth interviews, has shown that all participants support the procedure.† 7. â€Å"One group of countries (Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Mexico, New Caledonia, and Puerto Rico) does not permit adoption by homosexual couples but does permit single people to adopt.† The phrase â€Å"one group of countries† incorrectly implies that they act in concert to prohibit adoption by homosexual couples. Omit the troublesome phrase and start with the list: â€Å"Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Mexico, New Caledonia, and Puerto Rico do not permit adoption by homosexual couples but do permit single people to adopt.† 8. â€Å"The United States was right in interning the Japanese, and maybe it should happen again.† This sentence, part of a discussion about dealing with terrorism practiced by Islamic extremists, isn’t meant to propose that people of Japanese ancestry in the United States should be interned in response to the terrorist attacks, but that’s what it says. The statement should be revised to convey that the reference to the Japanese is an analogy: â€Å"The United States was right in interning the Japanese, and maybe a similar strategy should be employed again.† 9. â€Å"Many Americans seem resigned to the notion that agriculture and big industries require a ton of water, and there’s not much we can do to change that.† This sentence, out of context, has an almost invisible error. The point is not that altering the notion is seemingly insurmountable; it’s that Big Business’s supposedly insatiable need for water is part of the notion: â€Å"Many Americans seem resigned to the notion that agriculture and big industries require a ton of water and that there’s not much we can do to change that.† 10. â€Å"If you havent been there, it is one of the greatest and most civilized places on Earth.† This subtle error is of a type called a false conditional; when read literally, it implies that if, and only if, you haven’t visited a certain country, it can claim to be what the sentence conveys about it. (Isn’t that faintly insulting to you?) The intended meaning follows: â€Å"If you haven’t been there, you should go, because it is one of the greatest and most civilized places on Earth.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! 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