Robotic Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Robotic Technology - Essay Example The industry currently transforms the next generation to a machine based generation. Most countries will be influenced economically, socially and politically. Studies reveal America has not embraced the technology as compared to other countries like Japan and the Europe world. The country has taken a step in involving stakeholders to research on robotic technological advances in the country. The stakeholders include companies, laboratories, and universities. The purposes of the stakeholders are; one, look at the impact of the technology in the future development of the country economically, socially and on security needs of the country. Two, identify challenges linked with the technologically scientifically and technologically. Three, look at possible steps to be used to address the challenges. The credibility of the research was based on twelve world class researchers from robotic academic institutions. This report discusses the impact of robotic technology to the US manufacturing i ndustry. The country’s economy has faced several challenges and need vibrant ways that will strengthen it. The country has embarked on research about the new form of technology that will enhance economic growth. Technological advances are expensive but with proper programming and strategy leads to economic growth of a country. Revitalization of the manufacturing industry will probably trigger growth in several sectors of the economy. The sectors that will rely on robotic technology are media, IP companies, service and medical industry, home appliances, capital equipment, automotive industry, logistics and automation. Exponential growth of these sectors will probably spur the country’s economic growth. Research and education play key role in robotic technology. Executive Summary Transformation of the country today and tomorrow stands as a crucial agenda. Technological advances in computer have made great strides to the country. Despite the great strides, the quest for b etter technology still exists. America has lagged being robotic technology in comparison to the Europe world. The Europe and Asian world has enjoyed advances in this form of technology. The quest for adoption of robotic technology has advanced and triggered investment and formation of research based institutions. Adoption of robotic technology has increased human augmentation solutions and applications in critical sectors in relation to affordability and value. Robotic technology is facilitated by the productive aging population. The technology offers investment opportunities potential for creation of new jobs, increased productivity and safety for workers. These offers trigger economic growth in an era that needs security for services. Several workshops held set goals in spans of five years for implementation of robotic applications. Required technological advances required for robotic technology were identified as well as their potential. Medical robots have made significant progr ess in medicine world in the last decade. Several advantages are associated with operations done by robots. Operations like prostate cancer operations minimize invasive surgery that include small incisions, less time spent in hospital thereby reducing risks related to infection. Fast recovery is encouraged with few side effects. Quality care in health is improved. Periods taken in surgical operations from work are significant to economic benefits. Currently, the numbers of times robots are used in medical procedure are minimal. With advances in robotic technology, use of robots in medical world is likely to increase. Imaging facilities and feedback

Beowulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Beowulf - Essay Example It is also evident in the way that he does not touch the treasures that he finds in beside the dead body of Grendel’s mother. This shows he is rich enough already, with his own wealth and the gifts that he receives for defeating the monsters, and not greedy in the way that a lesser warrior might be. Beowulf’s nobility is the kind that comes with breeding and character, and not the kind that comes with material wealth. Beowulf is ambitious because he sets off to fight an enemy that no one else has managed to defeat. He has a great belief in himself and his own powers, and this is an important quality for someone who leads others. He is undoubtedly very brave, because he tackles and kills Grendel with his bare hands. The scene with Grendel’s mother is very scary because of the monsters and the dark, slimy cave location, as well as the superhuman elements that surround the figure of Grendel. He is almost defeated, but does not give up, and grasps the strange sword with great courage. It is obvious that he is quite willing to sacrifice himself in the attempt to kill the monsters troubling the Scyldings. Beowulf is physically very strong. His hands are able to kill Grendel and wield the huge magic sword. This physical strength is a necessary quality for a Germanic hero because there was so much fighting and war in those days, and a hero had to be able to hold his own on the battle field. Beowulf is stronger and braver than everyone else, which makes him the ideal warrior hero. The quality of generosity is seen in the way that Beowulf takes the gifts he has received from Hrothgar for his feats of strength, and gives them all to his King Hygelac. The economy of the time was based on exchange of goods and services, and it was extremely important that subordinates show loyalty to their superiors. Beowulf is not obliged to give the treasures to the king, but he does so to demonstrate

Why Are Business Ethics Important?

Why Are Business Ethics Important? Nowadays for the company or the business man, making more money is not their only target because they should pay attention to other important issues .Therefore business ethics emerge as very significant for modern society and Modern Corporations. Further more, if they make decisions in business ethics, then these companies will have good reputations. This can be very helpful long-term. This essay focuses on how Apple company using business ethics and how Apple motivates their employees. In this essay, I have very clearly defined business ethics. Then it will talk about why business ethics and motivation are important. On the other hand, Motivation is a vital factor in an organizations success. It is defined as the energy that drives an individual to continue working on something. By developing motivation, the management is able to create a pool of workers who are passionate, hard working, ambitious, and committed not only to their jobs but also to the goals of the organization. Lastl y, motivation is encouraged by promoting needs such as pay, job security, interesting work environment, and healthy relationships among peers. This essay, which is composed of three parts: why business ethics and motivation are important, the literature review and some research of how Apple company using business ethics and how Apple motivates their employees. Why are business ethics important? Business ethics is currently a very prominent business topic, debates and dilemmas surrounding business ethics have attracted a lot of attention from various quarters. The only reason that business ethics is becoming more and more important and it has had a big impact on our communities. According to my research, there are many reasons why business ethics might be regarded as an increasingly important area of study. In summary, I can suggest the following reasons why a good understanding of business ethics is important. Firstly, the power and influence of corporations in society is greater than ever before. Evidence suggests that many members of the public are uneasy with such developments (Bernstein, 2000). For instance, one recent poll of more than 20 leading economic nations revealed that almost 75% of residents believed large companies had too much influence on the decisions of their government (Cywinski, 2008). Secondly, business has the potential to provide a major contribution to our societies in terms of producing the products and services that we want. It also provides employment, paying taxes, and acting as an engine for our world development. As a 2008 global survey conducted by McKinsey shows, about 50% of business executives think that corporations make a mostly or somewhat positive contribution to society, while some 25% believe that their contribution is mostly or somewhat negative (McKinsey Quarterly, 2008). Thirdly, business malpractices have the potential to inflict enormous harm on individuals, on communities, and on the environment. For example, the BP gasoline company, because it made a mistake, polluted large acreage of the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Further more, few businesspeople have received formal business ethics education or training. Business ethics can help to improve ethical decision-making by managers or decision makers. The knowledge of business ethics can help them to correctly identify, diagnose, analyze, and provide solutions t o the ethical problems and dilemmas they are confronted with. Why are motivations important? First of all, the term motivation derives from the Latin word movere, meaning to move (Tansky, 2003). To be successful or even more successful, nowadays both private and public corporations need to maximize the use of their employees skills. Aslan (2011) said Employees were considered as solely one of the inputs during the factories production process in the initial stages of the industrial revolution. And further more, human resource management is the most critical part fororganizations in todays highly competitive business environment. Therefore, make the organization effective through motivating employees that is the primary task of any managers. It is obvious that motivation can be main factors that determines the work performance of employees. And therefore an organizations success mostly depends on the highly motivated employees. But how do we motivate our subordinate? Maslow need tneedsy already solved some of these problems. If we know what drives the people, then we are able to make them to do what we want (Owens, 2004; Eren, 2007; Ko?el, 2010). Moreover, Kulkarni and Chiniwar (2009) said the Hawthorne Studies began the human relations approach to management, and then the needs and motivation of employees become an important topic for managers. On the other hand motivation is a framework in so many aspects because people are usually motivated by different combination factors. Reinholt (2006) argues that the organizational science literature on motivation has been polarized into two main aspects; the organizational economic position focusing on extrinsic motivation and the organizational behavior position emphasizing intrinsic motivation any highly competive business environment. Therefore, make the organization effective through motivating employees that is the primary task of any managers. It is obvious that motivation can be main factors that determines the work performance of employees. And therefore an organizations success mostly depends on the hi ghly motivated employees.   But how do we motivate our subordinate?   If we know what drives the people, then we are able to make them to do what we want (Owens, 2004; Eren, 2007; Ko?el, 2010). Moreover, Kulkarni and Chiniwar (2009) said the Hawthorne Studies began the human relations approach to management, and then the needs and motivation of employees become an important topic for managers. On the other hand motivation is a framework in so many aspects because people are usually motivated by different combination factors. Reinholt (2006) argues that the organizational science literature on motivation has been polarized into two main aspects; the organizational economic position focusing on extrinsic motivation and the organizational behavior position emphasizing intrinsic motivations success mostly depends on the highly motivated employees.   Literature Review One of the keys to successfully achieving organizational goals is to have fully motivated employees. According to Edward Staren (2009), motivators who implements positive reinforcements are more likely to produce desirable outcomes as compared to those who use negative ones. He also argues that factors of motivation vary on the individual level, which means that an effective manager has to recognize the needs of every employee in order for them to drive towards satisfaction on their work. Richard Clark (2002) points out the issues in addressing motivation are different when it comes to individuals and team-based organizations. He furthered that satisfying motivations in groups is more complex because the management has to find a common interests or goals from the members of the group before addressing them as one. Work environment is also important in motivating people. Other motivators include fair compensation and sufficient benefits such as insurances and performance-based incentives. In a study conducted by Poornima (2009) on employees in the IT industry, he concluded that both monetary and non-monetary rewards are not only crucial but also crucial in building satisfaction. In his study on software development staff in India, Poornima found out that monetary rewards are not always an effective motivator especially if the employees have already achieved their physiological needs. Michael Pepe (2010), on the other hand, identified extrinsic motivational factors to c ontribute to decreasing employee job satisfaction and commitment to work. Using a combined sample of 46 managers and clerical staff at a supermarket store, Pepe found out that as employees increase their perception on Supervisor ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s support, their satisfaction towards work also increases. An empirical study by Mannenetr and Kaen (2010) conducted for the tourism industry of Thailand and Laos showed similar results of positive working behavior if accompanied by effective motivational factors. Upon drawing a sample consisting of 140 workers who came from both the hotel business and travel agencies, the authors supported their hypothesis by coming up with the following results: (a) that the working behavior of people working for travel agencies and hotel businesses had the same rank level, (2) that the work motivation of personnel working for travel agencies has a direct and positive relationship with their work behavior, and (3) the working attitudes of personnel in the ho tel business also had a positive relationship with their motivation at work. Their study showed that positive reinforcements will then result to positive motivation, thus exhibiting better and positive attitudes in the workplace. Similarly, a descriptive survey approach conducted by Joseph and Dai (2010) identified factors that stimulate employees to work at their workplace. The study is able to demonstrate through a sample of 143 participants that positive motivators identified were: good pay, appreciation of their work, and job security are drivers of employee motivation. To measure the impact of motivation at work, Tremblay, Blanchard, Taylor, Pelletier, and Villenueve (2009) used Work Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS) to identify its value in organizational psychology. Their study was double purpose: first, to assess if WEIMS is an efficient tool in measuring motivation level and second, to assess factors affecting motivation among workers (military = 465; civilians = 192). Their findings found that WEIMS is reliable and practical in producing valid results in measuring motivation in organizational psychology setting. Houts, Keppler, and Kalfayan (2010), on the other hand, focused on motivation theory, corporate culture, and employment law in relation to organizational behavior, human resource management, and ethics. The case study researched a true-to-life lawsuit filed against a company due to inappropriate team building exercise implemented among the female employees. The authors have exemplified that motivational factors may be us ed in the wrong direction to exploit employees and cast aspersions on them. On the other hand, I have found some information about business ethics. In my opinion, business does not have just one single goal, which is adding economic value. Every company wants their business keep profitable, that means sustainability. Andrew and Dirk (2004) said sustainability refers to the long-term maintenance of systems according to environment, economic and social considerations. This is the best way or the only one way to make a business keep survive in the modern society. The concept of sustainability is generally regarded as having emerged from the environment perspective, most notably in forestry management (Hediger, 1999). The environment part is the basic principle of sustainability. It concerns the effective management of physical resources that are conserved for the future. Meanwhile, all biosystems are regarded as having the finite resources and finite capacity. As this reason, sustainable human activity must operate at a level that does not threaten the health o f those systems. That means we have to build a world for our posterity that can really enjoy the same living standards as us. So the Mine Companies, Oil Corporations, and steel manufactures should focus on this important issue. On the other hand, economic sustainability focuses on the economic performance of the corporation itself. For instance, the responsibility of management is to develop, produce, and market those products that can secure the long-term profitability of the corporation. That means management of the corporation should include the business ethics concepts, and the top managers or decision makers should understand what business ethics is. Because it definitely can help them make ethical decisions. The development of the social perspective on sustainability has tended to trail behind that of the environment and economic perspectives (Scott, Park, and Cocklin, 2000). The key issue in the social perspective on sustainability is that of social justice. Because corporati ons are the most important engines of economic development, so they have the duty to help people to establish the just and equitable world. Some of goals such as ensuring environmental sustainability, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and achieving universal primary education. It is very difficult to achieve the goal, but all the companies have to try their best to do it. Secondly, corporate social responsibility still a big part for business ethics. Making a positive contribution to society might be regarded as a long-term investment in a safer, better and more equitable community, which subsequently benefits the corporation by creating an improved and stable competitive context in which to do business (Porter and Kramer, 2006). For a company, the social responsibility is really important, and this is the most significant issue in business ethics. Corporate social responsibility that includes economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities (Carroll, 1991). Therefore, if a company accomplishes all the duties, then this company will have a very good reputation and it will help it get the long-term competitive advantage. First of all, economic responsibility is the most basic principle in corporate social responsibility. Because companies have their own shareholders who demand a reasonable return on their investment. And then, these bosses h ave their employees, so the employees want safe and fairly paid jobs. Both of them have customers who demand good quality products at a fair price. The legal responsibility of corporations demands that businesses abide by the law and never break the law or constitution. Carroll (1991) suggests that the satisfaction of legal responsibilities is required of all corporations seeking to be socially responsible. On the other hand, ethical responsibility obliges companies to do what is right, just and fair. Carroll (1991) argues that ethical responsibilities therefore consist of what is generally expected by society over and above economic and legal expectations. The last responsibility is philanthropic, this aspect of CSR addresses a great variety of issues, such as charitable donations, support for local schools or hospitals and taking more care about employees and their families. Lastly, ethical issues in the firm-employee relation. So its the ethics inside the company. Every company has its own staff, so all the bosses try to motivate their employees and therefore they will be working so hard. But if they do not have a good relationship, maybe a boycott will happen and it will be harmful for the corporation. So, the ethical issues in the firm-employee relation can assist with investors building a modern company. A first important area is the information policy of the corporation (Hopkins and Hopkins 1999). It can be contended that employees have a right to know about the reason for downsizing a company and redundancy. If the company fires the employees, the company should make the compensation package regular, because they become unemployed people, so they need enough money to bridge the time for finding a new job. Moreover, employees might take control of individual decisions relevant their own jobs, they are not only a pawn of the employers. Employees are also allowed to express their views on decision taken by employer. So a boss or CEO for the company, he is not the only one decision maker or dictator. Their staffs also have the rights to make decisions. Therefore, I think employees have a full and codified right to determine major decisions n the company. How Apple Company Motivates employees and business ethics Apple Inc. the one of the most successful multinational corporation, worlds third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia. Fortune magazine 2009 named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. However, the company has received criticism for its contractors labor practices, and for Apples own environmental and business practices. But, as we all known nothing is perfect, so we can still learn some good stuffs about ethics and motivation from Apple Inc. Apple has been committed to the highest standards of social responsibility across its worldwide supply chain. It has been insist all of its suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and moreover use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. Well terminate our relationship with those suppliers which do not respect the code or they refuse to take corrective actions based on audits (Apple supplier code, 2012). To respect labor and human right. Apples suppliers must uphold the rights of their workers. Apple does not tolerate involuntary labor, underage labor, excessive work hours, or discrimination. And as a member of the Fair Labor Association, Apple is setting a new standard in its industry for transparency and oversight. Moreover, Apples suppliers must create a safe and healthy work environment for their workers. Safety equipment, proper ventilation, and emergency procedures are just the beginning. On the other hand, Apples suppliers must use environmentally sound processes, including managing hazardous substances, treating wastewater, and limiting air emissions. Its all part of a commitment that starts with product design and continues through manufacturing and beyond. Lastly, the most important part for Apple is fostering and enforcing ethical practices. Apple has established ethics training programs for managers that cover proper recruitment of foreign workers, record-keeping and documentation of business practices, worker ID checks and age verification, tracking of working hours, and general management responsibilities. Apple-designed training programs have educated more than one million supply chain employees about their rights as workers, local laws and occupational health and safety (Apple, 2012). Look at how Apple motivates employees. In relation to creative organizations like Apple it is argued that the key success factor is employees motivation and therefore Apple need to be rewards employees in order to foster creative thinking and sustain high motivation (Tiddand Bessant, 2009). On the other hand, Kaplan Norton (1993) said Apple makes a comprehensive employee survey for its departments every two years. The survey questions are only concerned with how well employees understand the companys strategy. Apple motivates people depend on the result of the survey. It offers, such as product discounts or insurances (Apple, 2010).This policy can retain more and more employees work for Apple. Moreover, Steve Jobs, Apples CEO, argues that the latter is the gravitational force that puts all the bright and creative people together (Burrows, 2004). By the way, money and gifts are both good things to motivate people. For example, Apples employees receive d a free iPod Shuffle or iPhone a s a thank you for their achievements (Apple Insider 2005; Meinck, 2007). So now we can easily to find that Apple has a good policy or systems to do motivate employees and doing ethical business. As far as I concerned, Apple will innovate more and more new high tech products and soft wares. Because Apples motivation policy will attract more knowledge people come to work for it. In the future, Apple will become a good example of business ethics, and then organizations will learn business ethics from Apple. Therefore, in my opinion Apple will lead our future. Conclusion Hope we can learn some about motivation and business ethic, and some good example from Apple. Motivation is a result of equally combined efforts of positive reinforcements and the personal goals of an employee. The literature review tells that there is a direct correlation between motivational factors and working behaviors of personnel. Theories such as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, Equity Theory, and Goal Setting Theory help in understanding how motivation is formed and achieved through positive and negative reinforcements. It is also important for effective managers to realize that not all employees are aware that they are already unmotivated towards their work. On the other hand, business ethics is very important for the company in the modern society. Both developing and developed countries must focus on the theories and concepts. It is very difficult to make all the businesspeople doing ethical business, but I think in the future, it will be come true. Our human will build a perfec t world.

A kite is a victim Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Poem titled â€Å"A Kite is a victim† written by Leonard Cohen contains multiple tropes. Through my own analysis I propose that the author’s central focus concerns life. Cohen discusses the relationships and accomplishes that we make throughout our lifetimes. In my opinion, the kite is a metaphor for the essence of life and living. Each of the four stanzas in the poem begins with a trope. In every case the tenor is the kite. These tropes will be analyzed with regard to the central theme of the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first tenor that I will discuss can be found in the first line of the first stanza. Cohen writes: â€Å"A kite is a victim you are sure of†. This is personification. Leonard Cohen uses a human quality â€Å"victim† to describe an inanimate object. The tenor would be the kits and the vehicle is clearly victim. The first stanza presents the qualities of life and love. The kite is a victim like life is a sacrificial and sometimes inevitably painful. As much as we have happiness we must also experience sadness and hurt. You are sure of it because it is part of everyday. You know that you must experience these hard ships in order to move forward. Cohen describes it as being tempting because it pulls. Life is interesting because you cannot control it completely. There are ups and downs just like a kite in the wind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next tenors that I will identify can be found in the first stanza in the third and fourth lines. Both of these lines provide an example of personification. Much like the initial line of the poem, these lines characterize the kite with human qualities:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Gentle enough to call you master,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  strong enough to call you fool.† In these examples the tenor is the kite and the entire lines represent the vehicle. A kite cannot be neither gentle, nor strong or call you anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These tenors represent the full spectrum of emotions and strength in life. It is as if he is discussing god and the life you have been given. It is gentle enough that you often feel strong and powerful but also strong enough to humble you. The sixth line of Cohen’s poem is a simile. Leonard makes a direct comparison between a falcon and the kite:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"like a desperate trained falcon.†   &nb... ...ugh prayer. Finally, the fourth stanza also contains another example of personification in line 25: â€Å"under the traveling cordless moon.† In this case the kite is not the tenor. Cohen describes the moon with distinctively human qualities. The moon cannot be cordless and some would also argue that it cannot be traveling. Therefore the vehicle is cordless. This tenor describes the moon, the light in the darkness. It moves forward without any restraints unlike the kite. It is a freeing experience. It is time to let go and move toward death. Finally death and the acceptance of it provides a person with purity. Often with death comes more fame. You die but not without leaving memories and worthiness behind. You become completely pure and important through your legacy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leonard Cohen illustrates some incredibly deep and powerful perspectives on life in this poem. He makes clear connections between his metaphors and the overall theme of the poem. Each tenor represents another metaphor that is open to scrutinizing interpretation. The theme of life and living is a powerful one. Cohen has provided effective examples of tenors within the text of a profound poem.

Resourcing Talent Assignment

Activity A (1000 words) 4 factors that affect an organization’s approach to attracting talent| * The type of talent they look to attract: I mean which competencies will be more suitable to the job they want. * The sector which the organization is operating in. As some sectors are much easier to find the talents than others. As sometimes so sectors got many employees working in than others for instance, in Egypt, It is much easier to find talents in Tourism and hospitality sector than to find in Nuclear energy sector! Corporate culture and how they accept the new employees: As this a major factor that would affect their approach; I mean to do it publicly so the employees know that the company is hiring a new CEO or that should be done secretly. * The size of the company is a crucial factor: Big businesses impress job candidates by offering a bevy of benefits, brand-name recognition and maybe even a big coffee brand name in the lobby of the company. The power of their brand: is definitely would affect their way. As big brands are easily to attract talents compared to a nameless brand.The resources available to them (financial and otherwise) that is why they would chose an easy to way to attract the talent (the recruitment method they would use) and their selection methods would be very tough to select the best from the big pool of candidates they get (attracting company). | 3 organization benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce| Recruitment reflections benefit:Recruiting and maintaining a diverse workforce has its effect on the talents pool that any organization has in its blood stream.Widening the view for recruitment for all ethnic groups, different sexes, and different religions will definitely help to have all types of talents in the same place that will be reflected on the business outcomes. Reputation:Enhancing the organization’s reputation and image with external stakeholders. Many observational studies and surveys have tried to explore this area and its impact on any organization and its business.One of them had a reflective results, as its findings revealed that of the people surveyed that were currently employed, 58 percent would take a job with a company that had a bad reputation of diversity if they were offered more money. However, on average, these individuals would only consider the job if offered double their current salary. So it is quite clear how diversity in the workplace is now considered one of the attractions to any employee and how its absence would affect the cost of operations. Culture benefit:Managing better the impact of globalization and technological changeImproving knowledge of how operate in different cultures. 3 factors that affect an organization’s approach to recruitment and selection| Legal framework and working ethics:As the unlawful discrimination is prohibited, fairness and equality of opportunity could have legal requirements to be considered in the recruitment an d selection processes. Budget:Budget is one of the crucial issues in any organization approach to recruitment and selection. For different types of recruitment methods, they have a variable cost; For example: the price of online recruitment websites is very low if compared to other recruitment methods like head hunters.And relying on different selection methods is highly affected by the budget, such as relying on assessment centers needs expertise and more cost compared to CV database, and so on. Availability of required job or post: Knowing how many people are specialized in the vacant positions will affect the approach of the organization to recruitment and selections methods. I mean for instance, if we are looking for a vacant position of janitor, there will be no need to have an online ad or national press ad or assessment center as a tool to select the candidates.While if we got a vacant of senior consultant IT or business expert, definitely these functions and tools might be a pplied to recruit because we might need a high voice tool to reach everywhere so online or press ads might work and also this post is not common to find. How important is the post for the organization and it is level on the structureThe level that the vacant position is working in in any organization definitely would affect the approach of any organization to select the recruitment and selection methods to use.For example, if the required employee is in the high level or for executive position, those people who might be interested are not normally, at least in our region, apply through general email or address though, so head hunters might be a great tool for such positions. | Discussion comparing and contrasting the benefits of 3 different selection methods| 1. Assessment centers * They are far more accurate than a standard recruitment process as they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process. They enable interviewers to assess existing performance as well as predict future job performance. * They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar in quality on paper. * They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises typical for the role they have applied for. * They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who attend assessment centres which genuinely reflect the job and the organisation are often impressed by that company, even if they are rejected. The cost of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential cost of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors. * They are a fair process – they complement an organisation’s diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone. 2. Typical and structured interviewsWhen it comes to evaluating the advantages of typical structured interviews, the main advantage is that all the applicants have an equal opportunity to prove that they have the required skills and experience for the job.Additionally, as an initial selection process, the structured interview questions are basically set up in a manner which allows the interviewer to obtain all the initial data as well as professional details that he or she would want to know about every applicant. 3. Telephone screening * Telephone interviews are simpler to arrange, and the process itself takes much less time than face-to-face interview sessions. * When using this method as an initial screening process, the cost of interviewing a large number of candidates is much lower than if they were interviewed in person. Telephone interviewing also cuts costs when candidates live far away, since most businesses reimburse interviewee travel expenses. Using the telephone to screen out unsuitable candidates can greatly reduce these costs. * This format is an ideal way to assess a candidate's telephone manner. This is particularly helpful if the job requires telephone c ommunication skills or is heavily customer-service based. | Activity B-Portfolio and Interview Observation Introduction The HR department has followed a recruitment process for filling a vacancy request for â€Å"Office Manager† at ALICO.The recruitment process outlined below highlights the main elements for filling this vacancy which includes: Planning: Identifying need for recruitment Setting the criteria for the job ( drafting job description, person specifications, set of competencies) Resourcing: drafting a job ad Short listing: interview-based competency Selection Offer of Employment Reason for Recruitment There are three main reasons why we are recruiting for the position of â€Å"Office Manager† at our company: 1) Growth in Business Operations: Our insurance company is growing and consequently the business is increasing.We need employ a senior staff member to manage the growing number increasing set of responsibilities and functions at the First Nations Office. 2) Change in Business Objectives: Need for diversity in terms of nationality is necessary to align with the trend of Emiratisation across business sectors in the UAE. In this case, a Emirati national would be preferred as likely candidate to fill this position. 3) Employee Exit: the person previously in charge running the overall office services at the First Nations Office has been re-located to another branch in a different country.A new team member is required to run the existing operation and ensure efficiency and control over them and in case of additional functions. Job Description Position: Office Manager PURPOSE The office Manager is responsible for organizing and coordinating office operations and procedures in order to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. SCOPE The Office Manager reports to the senior Administrative Office and is responsible for providing office management services to the First National Office.This includes maintain office services and effic iency, suprrvisi9ng office staff and maintain office records. RESPONSIBILITIES Maintain Office Services Main Activities Design and implement office policies Establish standards and procedures Organize office operations and procedures Supervise office staff Monitor and record long distance calls Prepare time sheets Control correspondence Review and supply requisitions Liase with other agencies, organizations and groups Update organizational memberships Maintain office equipment Supervise Office StaffAssign and monitor clerical and secretarial functions Recruit and select office staff Orient and train employees Provide on the job and other training opportunities Supervise staff Evaluate staff performance Coaching and disciplining staff Maintain Office Records Design filing system Ensure filing systems are maintained Define procedures for record retention Ensure protection and security of files and records Ensure effective transfer of files and records Transfer and dispose records acco rding to retention schedules and policies Ensure personnel files are up to date and secure.Maintain Office Efficiency Plan and implement office system, layout and system procurement Maintain and replenish inventory Check stock to determine inventory levels Anticipate needed supplies Verify receipt of supply Perform other related duties as required. 3. Person Specification Form Position Required:Office Manager Department:First Nations Office Location:Abu Dhabi | Essential| Desirable| Assessment Method| Qualification| | | | BA in Business Management or equivalent | X| | CV| CIPD certificate in HR| | X| CV| Experience| | | |Minimum 4 years in Management| X| | CV| Minimum 2 years in HR functions| | X| CV| Knowledge and skills| | | | Ability to use MS Office competently| X| | Interview| Ability to design and manage administrative systems| X| | CV, interview| Writing procedures and policies| X| | Interview| Basic Financial skills| | X| Interview| Managing records| X| | Interview| Good ora l and writing skills in Arabic and English| x| | Interview| Excellent Organization skills| X| | Interview| Knowledge of time management applications| X| | Interview| Leadership skills| X| | CV, Interview|Mentoring and coaching| | X| Interview| Interview Assessment Form Candidate's Name:Hayya Al Ali Post:Office Manager Panelists:Monette, Mustafa, Moamen, Abdulaziz Date:27th June 2012 Score (1-5)1 No-low evidence 5 Meets competency fully| Comments| Competencies | 3| * Candidate seemed confident and has a positive attitude. * Demonstrated interest in working for ALICO * Candidate showed â€Å"initiative† since she gave brief information about ALICO * She is familiar with IT systems due to her academic formation. * CIPD certificate provides knowledge on HR. She has knowledge on how to combine HR and IT | -Overall Impression-Academic/Work Experience * Why have you chosen to apply to this position? * Tell me about a typical day at work? * Why did you decide to do the CIPD certifica te? How are you applying it? | 4| * Displayed fluency in English and Arabic * Able to express herself easily * Low tone when speaking but confident * Displayed coordination skills with large groups (10+) as per her role in committees. * Displayed skills in communicating message across to staff through her induction program which she gives across departments. She gave examples on how empathy and listening skills helped her build rapport with her team members. * Able to communicate with senior managers and entry level employees * Displayed her skill in convincing and influencing where she argued her case regarding an employee based on evidence and the benefit for the company. * Displayed experience in presentation design and delivery through her work in committees and induction| Essential CompetencyCommunication and InfluenceCommunicates clearly and effectively with a wide variety of people both formally and informally. . Please explain a time or situation when you had to communicate your views or ideas to senior management to get support? 2. What were the problems encountered? How did you handle them? 3. Here you mentioned committee involvement, tell me more about this experience. | 4| * Displayed skill in working within a tight timeframe and prioritizing tasks according to an action plan. * Able to balance work and personal life where she mentioned that â€Å"time management† is an area she improved with time. Displayed planning skills in her ability to design workflow for the Orientation program. * Identified essential skills for planning which include team discussions, research, benchmarking, setting objectives and implementation. | Essential CompetencyPlanning and Organizing Tendency to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others 1. Tell me about an example where you had to plan and organize a task in a short time-frame. 2. Tell me about your experience in designing the Orientation program. Who did it involve? 3.What a re the tools that you used for recruitment and selection since you did that in your previous job? | 3| * Showed experience in leadership skills through her involvement in various committees where she acted as President. * Acquired skills in leadership by attending a multitude of forums on the subject * Showed experience in managing and coordinating team activities and assign/delegate responsibilities (approximately 17 people) * Managing â€Å"emotional situations† with staff with empathy. * Displayed firmness if employees do not complete a task they have been assigned. Identified that lessons learned from leadership are: planning, being firm and having people accountable for their work. * Tries to sympathize and listen to employees. | Essential CompetencyLeadership Promotes and generate of cooperation among the team to achieve a collective outcome 1. In your resume, you mention that you have â€Å"leadership† skills, can you elaborate more on this? How many people did you manage in your last job? what did you learn from that experience? 2. What are the best ways of improving the performance of a team? 3.Demonstrate how you use your leadership skills to achieve project 4. What did you learn? 5. Please describe a time when you had to provide feedback to others on their performance. How did you go 6. What kind of feedback did you provide? | 3| * She displayed professionalism and confidence when facing a conflict whereby she maintained her position or opinion bc it is based on facts and respected other people's different opinion. * She seems a bit â€Å"stubborn† regarding her opinions which are based on facts. * Identified that â€Å"best practice† and policies are the best way to address a problem r make a decision * She respects the hierarchy of the organization and the decision making process should respect that hierarchy. | Desirable CompetencyDecision-Making and problem solving (Desirable)Tendency to make swift decisions and judgm ents even in the absence of all necessary information. 1. Give me an example where you had to make decisions in the absence of your Manager? 2. How did it go? 3. What did you learn? 4. Tell me about a time when you had conflicting priorities and what you did to resolve them. 5. What kind of problems do you handle best? 2| * Uses IT in analysis at her work. * Developed a new system that combines IT and HR that can produce data and statistics relevant for HR and Finance. * Knowledge in ERP systems and KPI development. | Desirable CompetencyData Analysis (Desirable)Tendency to analyze, organize, understand and present data. 1. What kind of IT skills did you acquire? How did you apply this in your work? 2. Tell me about a system you developed that helped organize the data. | 3| * Candidate interested in the job since she feels that it provides growth to her career | General Comments|Interview Evaluation ( group discussion)| * Considerable experienced in all HR functions * Sufficient kno wledge of management of office operations ( skills in IT and time management) * Good record in leadership and supervisory skills * Confident and organized. * Good skills in starting new projects * Has good initiative and self-motivation * May not have sufficient basic financial skills but is knowledgeable in excel sheets | DecisionCandidate is accepted for the position and offer letter to be sent by recruitment office. Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ALICO Insurance LLC P. O. Box 2. UAE, Abu Dhabi Phone 00000000 – Fax 11111111 June 27, 2012 Hayyah Al Ali 11603, Abu Dhabi Dear Ms Al Ali, ALICO is pleased to offer you a job as an Office Manager of the First Nations Office located in Abu Dhabi. We trust that your knowledge, skills and experience will be among our most valuable assets. Sh ould you accept this job offer, per company policy you'll be eligible to receive the following beginning on your hire date. Salary: 45,000 AED monthlyBenefits: ALICO provided benefits for employees, including the following: Education assistance Health, dental, life and disability insurance Profit sharing Vacation and personal days To accept or decline this job offer: Sign and date this job offer letter where indicated below. Fax all pages of this job offer letter back to us. This offer is valid for one month from the date of send. If we didn’t receive any reply from you within a month this offer will be cancelled. For any clarifications, kindly contact Recruitment Department, Phone 897987789.We hope to welcome you on board personally. Sincerely, Abdulaziz Ali Recruitment Manager, Human Resources Accept Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, Hayyah Al Ali, accept the job offer of Office Manager by ALICO. Signature:_________________________________ Date:_________ ____ Decline Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, Hayyah Al Ali, decline the job offer of Office Manager by ALICO. Signature:_________________________________ Date:_____________ ALICO Insurance LLC P. O. Box 2. UAE, Abu Dhabi Phone 00000000 – Fax 11111111 June 27, 2012Mr. Moamen Azab 11603, Abu Dhabi Dear Ms Mary, We appreciate your interest in ALICO and the position of ‘Office Manager’ for which you applied. Though the selection committee appreciates the time you invested during the panel interview, it has selected another candidate who has experience in human resources-a main requirement for the position. Thank you for interviewing with our team. Everyone enjoyed meeting you and we hope that you consider applying for our open positions for which you qualify in the future Sincerely, Abdulaziz Ali Recruitment Manager, Human Resources

International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development

The last decade has witnessed the emergence of an array of increasingly vibrant movements to harness science and technology (S&T) in the quest for a transition toward sustainability. These movements take as their point of departure a widely shared view that the challenge of sustainable development is the reconciliation of society's development goals with the planet's environmental limits over the long term. In seeking to help meet this sustainability challenge, the multiple movements to harness science and technology for sustainability focus on the dynamic interactions between nature and society, with equal attention to how social change shapes the environment and how environmental change shapes society. These movements seek to address the essential complexity of those interactions, recognizing that understanding the individual components of nature society systems provides insufficient understanding about the behaviour of the systems themselves. They are problem driven, with the goal of creating and applying knowledge in support of decision making for sustainable development. Finally, they are grounded in the belief that for such knowledge to be truly useful it generally needs to be â€Å"coproduced† through close collaboration between scholars and practitioners. The research and applications program that has begun to emerge from these movements has been called sustainability science by the National Research Council. This Special Feature high-lights this emerging program and some of the new results it is beginning to produce. The need for sustainable development initiatives to mobilize appropriate science and technology has long been recognized. Early research on sustainable yield management of renewable resources provided the foundation for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's seminal World Conservation Strategy, published in 1980. The case for making appropriate research and development (R&D) an integral component of sustainable development strategies was broadened by a number of international scientific organizations during the mid-1980s, promoted by the Brundtland Commission's report Our Common Future in 1987, and enshrined in the Agenda 21 action plan that emerged from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. Over the succeeding decade, the discussion of how S&T could contribute more effectively to sustainability intensified, involving numerous researchers, practitioners, scientific academies, and development rganizations from around the world. By the time of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, a broadly based consensus had begun to take shape on the most important ways in which S&T has already contributed to sustainability, on what new R&D is most important, and on what stands in the way of getting it done. Many of the most valuable contributions of S&T to sustainable development predate the term itself. These range from the â€Å"mundane technologies† that have improved delivery of basic needs for sanitation and cooking, through the yield enhancing, land saving accomplishments of the international agricultural research system, to the fundamental scholarship of geographers and anthropologists on nature society interactions. In more recent times, a host of R&D efforts explicitly aimed at promoting sustainability have been launched. These extend from a rich tradition of work on energy systems and ecosystem resilience to new initiatives in industrial ecology and earth system complexity. A feel for the breadth and scope of relevant R&D now underway around the world is suggested by the rapidly growing list of entries on the virtual â€Å"Forum on Science and Technology for Sustainability†. However, much remains to be done. Perhaps the strongest message to emerge from dialogues induced by the Johannesburg Summit was that the research community needs to complement its historic role in identifying problems of sustainability with a greater willingness to join with the development and other communities to work on practical solutions to those problems. This means bringing our S&T to bear on the highest-priority goals of a sustainability transition, with those goals defined not by scientists alone but rather through a dialogue between scientists and the people engaged in the practice of â€Å"meeting human needs while conserving the earth's life support systems and reducing hunger and poverty†. At the international level, the Johannesburg Summit, building on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, has defined these priorities in terms of the so-called â€Å"WEHAB† targets for water, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity. A more systematic study of internationally sanctioned goals and targets for a sustainability transition, together with an evaluation of the state of reporting and assessment on progress in attaining those goals, is provided by Parris and Kates in their contribution to this Special Feature. As important as this international consensus on goals and targets may be for targeting problem-driven research in support of a sustainability transition, however, it is not sufficient. A joint workshop held by the International Council for Sciences, the Third World Academy of Science, and the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability concluded that â€Å"agenda setting at the global, continental, and even national scale will miss a lot of the most important needs. The transcendent challenge is to help promote the relatively `local' (place- or enterprise-based) dialogues from which meaningful priorities can emerge, and to put in place the local support systems that will allow those priorities to be implemented†. Where such systems exist, the production of usable, place-based knowledge for promoting sustainability has been impressive indeed. The commitment of sustainability science to problem-driven agenda setting does not mean that it has been confined to â€Å"applied† research. Indeed, pursuit of practical solutions to the pressing challenges of sustainability has driven the field to tackle an array of fundamental questions. The Friibergh Workshop on Sustainability Science identified a half-dozen such core conceptual questions that have been further developed through the virtual Forum on Science and Technology for Sustainability and are beginning to appear in the context of emerging agendas in other more established fields, such as global environmental change. Examples of the new sorts of research now beginning to emerge on several of those core questions are reported elsewhere in this Special Feature: Kates and Parris on â€Å"How are long-term trends in environment and development reshaping nature–society interactions in ways relevant to sustainability†; Turner et al. on â€Å"What determines the vulnerability or resilience of the nature–society systems in particular kinds of places and for particular types of ecosystems and human livelihoods? ; and Cash et al. on â€Å"How can today's relatively independent activities of research planning, observation, assessment, and decision support be better integrated into systems for adaptive management and societal learning? † The sustainability science program is also beginning to address a range of fundamental observational and methodological challenges. For example, H.  J. Schellnhuber and his colleagues at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have developed innovative new answers to the question â€Å"How can the dynamic interactions between nature and society—including lags and inertia—be better incorporated in emerging models and conceptualizations that integrate the Earth system, human development, and sustainability. Wolfgang Lucht, writing in the IHDP Update, summarizes current work on answering â€Å"How can today's operational systems for monitoring and reporting on environmental and social conditions be integrated or extended to provide more useful guidance for efforts to navigate a transition toward sustainability and a number of groups are calling for re-examination of national and international social account measures to include sustainability considerations. Activities to advance the sustainability science program are moving forward on a number of fronts and at scales from the global to the local. One of the more up-to-date lists of programs and projects is maintained on the Forum on Science and Technology for Sustainability. As an indication of the range of activities underway internationally, the International Council for Science, Third World Academy of Sciences, Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability, and other organizations have formed a Consortium for promoting a coordinated international program of research, capacity building, and applications. The Earth System Science Partnership of the Global Environmental Change Programmes has launched a series of â€Å"Joint Projects on Sustainability† focused on problems of food security, water, and carbon management. An increasing number of international science assessments for environmental protection (e. g. , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Millennium Ecosystem Assessments) are incorporating sustainability concerns. And a rapidly expanding set of multi-stakeholder â€Å"Partnerships for Sustainable Development† are developing in the wake of the Johannesburg Summit. An even greater variety of S&T-based efforts are underway at the local, regional, and national levels around the world. The research products of some of these efforts are beginning to appear in the published literature, although many of the relatively local results remain largely unknown beyond their places of origin and application. Sustainability science is not yet an autonomous field or discipline, but rather a vibrant arena that is bringing together scholarship and practice, global and local perspectives from north and south, and disciplines across the natural and social sciences, engineering, and medicine. Its scope of core questions, criteria for quality control and membership are consequently in substantial flux and may be expected to remain so for some time. Nonetheless, as the papers included in this Special Feature are meant to suggest, something different is surely â€Å"in the air,† something that is intellectually exciting, practically compelling, and might as well be called â€Å"sustainability science. †