Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt Essay Example for Free

Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt Essay Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a socio-religious practice that is very prevalent in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It entails the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for cultural or any other non-therapeutic purpose. As of 1999, at least 130 million girls and women were believed to have undergone FGM. In the same year, it was estimated that about 2 million girls are at risk of being subjected to some form of the procedure every year (WHO 3). FGM is criticized mainly for its detrimental effects on a woman’s physical and psychological health. Girls and women who had been subjected to FGM may die of hemorrhage, shock, urinary tract infections or tetanus (WHO 21). They may likewise experience psychological disorders such as severe depression, anxiety and psychosomatic illnesses (Markle, Fisher and Smego 79). Advocates of FGM, however, claim that Islam requires the practice in order to preserve a woman’s chastity (WHO 6). The actual origins of FGM are very obscure – ethnologists and historians have come up with different theories regarding the existence of the practice. While FGM is commonly associated with Islam, historical evidence shows that the former has predated the latter by at least 1,200 years. The procedure was believed to have been first discussed by the Greek historian Herodotus (484 – 425 BC) (Bullough and Bullough 205). According to his writings, the Ethiopians, the Hittites and the Phoenicians during the 5th century BC were already practicing FGM (UNFPA n. pag. ). The early Romans, the Egyptians and the Arabs likewise performed FGM – there are historical accounts of Egyptian mummies exhibited signs of having undergone the procedure (UNFPA n. pag. ). For the ancient Egyptians, FGM was regarded as a sign of distinction among the aristocracy (Momoh 5). In Western Europe and the United States, FGM was known as clitoridectomy. Until the 1950s, doctors in these regions used clitoridectomy to treat â€Å"ailments† in women such as hysteria, mental disorders, nymphomania, masturbation and lesbianism (UNFPA n. pag. ). FGM is usually done on girls between 8 to 10 years old. Reproductive health experts, however, point out that the procedure is already being carried out on younger girls – there have been cases wherein infant girls were subjected to FGM just a few days after their birth (WHO 147). FGM is classified into four general types: a. Type I – Excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris. b. Type II – Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora. c. Type III – Excision of part or the entire external genitalia and the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation) (Momoh 6). d. Type IV – Pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and or the labia; scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice; cutting of the vagina and or the introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina to induce bleeding or to tighten the opening (UNFPA n. pag. ). FGM is usually performed by traditional midwifes or village barbers. They use unsterilized instruments such as razor blades, knives, broken glass, scissors or sharpened stones. Furthermore, they conduct procedures without anesthetic in unhygienic settings (WHO, 148). A new phenomenon, however, has emerged in the recent years – the â€Å"medicalization† of FGM. Despite laws banning the practice of FGM, hospitals in Egypt, Kenya and Sudan now clandestinely perform the procedure. Under the pretext of an illness, female teenagers in these countries are circumcised in the hospital either early in the morning or late at night. The procedure is done during these hours in order to evade detection and arrest. The punishment for performing FGM is relatively stiff – a $625 fine or incarceration for up to a year. But doctors willingly look the other way for the money – medical practitioners in Kenya, for instance, are paid between $37 and $125 for every procedure they perform. Traditional practitioners, in sharp contrast, could charge only as much as $25 (Nzwili n. pag. ). Egypt’s current problem with FGM can be traced back to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. The ICPD was held in Cairo – supposedly a turning point in the understanding of health, development and women’s rights in the Islamic world. Critics, however, pointed out that the Cairo Program of Action merely â€Å"forwarded a holistic vision of the connections between sexual ad reproductive health and women’s economic autonomy, social and political equality, access to education and freedom from violence† (Chavkin and Chesler 35). The issues regarding the right of women to control their sexuality and the relevance of this right to achieving health and social justice were inadequately discussed (Chavkin and Chesler 35). Despite this shortcoming, the ICPD managed to transform the issue of FGM from a relatively low-profile subject into matter of national debate. Conservative religious leaders who participated in the conference and their allies in the Egyptian press expressed their approval of FGM by claiming that it is an important part of national and religious identity. Progressive women’s groups, on the other hand, argued that the practice perpetuated the inferior status of women in Egyptian society. In the process, this dispute on FGM showed that the topic of women’s rights is simply a means for Egyptian politicians to attain popularity among the electorate (Chavkin and Chesler 35). Eager to make a good impression on all the foreign delegates of the ICPD, particularly on those from the West, the Egyptian minister of health stated that FGM was already a dying practice in Egypt. But on the very next day, CNN reported about the circumcision of a young girl that took place somewhere in Cairo (Chavkin and Chesler 35). The minister, in an act of political face-saving, declared that the Egyptian government was determined to confront and put an end to the practice. In order to appease Egypt’s conservative sector, meanwhile, he signed an ambivalent decree which allowed only public medical facilities to perform FGM. The law even included provisions which set standard fees and special days when families could book appointments (Chavkin and Chesler 36). The aforementioned aftermath of the ICPD showed the greatest obstacle towards fully implementing anti-FGM policies and programs not just in Egypt but in all other countries that practice FGM – the reconciliation of universal imperatives of human rights with the values of local cultures. The same dilemma also hounded other FGM-related fatalities, particularly the death of four-year-old Egyptian girl Amira Hassan. She died in 1996 due to anesthesia-related complications while undergoing FGM. Instead of pressing charges against the doctor, Ezzat Shehat, Hassan’s parents simply dismissed her demise as â€Å"a will of God† (HURINet n. pag. ). They believed that subjecting their daughter to FGM was their duty as good Muslims (HURINet n. pag. ). Most Egyptians continue to believe in the said relationship between FGM and Islam. A 2005 UNICEF report on the practice revealed that about 97% of women between 15 and 49 years old were subjected to circumcision (Reuters-AlertNet n. pag. ). Despite a 2008 law which renders FGM punishable by three months to two years in prison and a fine of LE 1,000 to LE 5,000, the practice continues to be secretly carried out in Egypt. According to the country’s conservative and religious groups, FGM is necessary to maintain a woman’s chastity (Samaan n. pag. ). Indeed, cultural and religious beliefs are also major factors behind the issue of FGM in Egypt. The practice has already existed long before the advent of Islam. And for a good reason – patriarchy was already in existence even before the emergence of religion. For a patriarchal society to survive, female sexuality must be limited and controlled (Turshen 146). FGM is regarded as one of the most effective means of controlling a woman’s sexuality. The clitoris, the labia minora and the labia majora – the organs removed in FGM – enable a woman to enjoy sexual intercourse. In a patriarchal society, women are not supposed to experience the pleasures of sex. They are supposed to be sexless beings, faithfully serving their respective families and engaging in sex only for the purpose of procreation. Women who do otherwise are considered promiscuous (Turshen 146). It is therefore believed that circumcised women are less likely to be unchaste and commit adultery. In addition, FGM is viewed as a means of emphasizing femininity. When a woman is circumcised, the parts of her body that are metaphorically seen as male, such as the pubic hair and the clitoris, are removed. During ancient times, it was believed that the clitoris â€Å"would grow and protrude like the (penis)† (Turshen 150). Men, on the other hand, undergo circumcision in order to enhance their sexuality. Male circumcision entails the cutting of the foreskin of the penis. A circumcised penis is believed to be more responsive to sexual arousal than an uncircumcised one; thus the ancient belief that circumcision is necessary for virility. Furthermore, a circumcised penis is easier to keep clean. Circumcision eliminates the formation of smegma, a combination of oil, moisture and dead skin cells which serves as a lubricant during sexual intercourse (Turshen 146). Islam does not directly state that all Muslims must be circumcised regardless of gender. However, much of the existing Islamic literature today emphasizes a special link between Islam and FGM (Turshen 151). The most well-known hadith (oral traditions that record the Prophet Muhammad’s speech and actions) about FGM tells of a debate between Muhammad and Um Atiyyah, a woman who used to circumcise female slaves. Muhammad was said to have asked Um Atiyyah if she continued to practice her profession (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). She said she did, adding that she would not stop doing so â€Å"unless it is forbidden and you order me to stop doing it† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). He then replied, â€Å"Yes, it is allowed. Come closer so I can teach you: if you cut, do not overdo it (la tanhiki), because it brings more radiance to the face (ashraq) and it is more pleasant (ahza) for the husband† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). Since the first centuries of Islam, however, Muslim scholars have been scrutinizing the authenticity of the hadiths. They believe that majority of the hadiths were â€Å"contradictory and (contained) affirmations that gave a bad impression of the Islamic religion† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). In lieu of the hadiths, Muslim scholars came up with their own explanations behind the association of FGM with Islam. The first theory was that FGM was a means of saving women from the degradation that they experienced in the pre-Islamic era. For the Muslims, the pre-Islamic era was the â€Å"Age of Ignorance† – a period of corruption, bloodshed, moral turpitude and social chaos (Akhtar 23). Women in the pre-Islamic era had few rights. The practice of burying infant females in the sand was very rampant. Those who managed to live to adulthood, meanwhile, had no other means of survival except through prostitution (Akhtar 23). It has been mentioned earlier that the organs removed in FGM – the clitoris, the labia minora and the labia majora – enable a woman to enjoy sexual intercourse. By removing these organs, therefore, it was expected that women would no longer take pleasure in sexual intercourse and abandon prostitution in the process. The second theory is that some Islamic societies might have acquired the practice of FGM from other cultures or religions. During Muhammad’s time, the Jews were considered as the elite of Arab society. Consequently, it became inevitable that Islam was influenced by Jewish doctrines and practices such as circumcision (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). But this begs the question of how come even Muslim females are circumcised – the Jews circumcise only males. The answer is that Islam might have tailored certain Jewish doctrines and practices to suit its own objectives. One of the objectives of Islam was to uplift the status of women (Akhtar 23). In order to achieve this goal, Islam put its own flavor to the Jewish practice of circumcision. As a result, even Muslim women were required to undergo circumcision. Despite varying explanations regarding the origins and purposes of FGM, one thing is certain – it is not without detrimental physical and psychological effects. The most immediate negative effects of FGM are severe pain and hemorrhage, which, in turn, can result in hypovolaemic shock and death. Other direct effects include abscesses, wound contamination and local infections – obvious results of performing the procedure in unhygienic surroundings using unsterilized tools (WHO 149). FGM also has substantial long-term risks. The practice usually obstructs the drainage of urine, vaginal secretions and menstrual blood. This occurrence, in turn, results in chronic pelvic infections, menstrual dysfunction and menstrual pain. Urinary retention, meanwhile, leads to chronic urinary tract infection and renal damage. When menstrual blood is unable to flow out of the body, abdominal pain and swelling ensue (WHO 149). The abdominal distention that circumcised women experience due to the lack of menstrual flow has been misinterpreted as a pregnancy. As a result, some circumcised but unmarried women have been subjected to honor killings – killed by their male relatives in order to preserve the honor of their clan. FGM also exposes a woman to the risk of contracting HIV. Unsterilized instruments may transmit HIV-infected blood into an HIV-negative patient (WHO 149). Women who underwent FGM may also experience difficulties in sexual intercourse after the procedure. Penetration may either be painful or impossible due to a narrow introitus. Prolonged postcoital bleeding and anorgasmia may likewise take place. In some cases, surgery was necessary to open up the vagina for penetration (WHO 150). FGM may render a woman infertile. Chronic pelvic infections often lead to the obstruction of the fallopian tubes. The latter is one of the most common causes of ectopic pregnancy, which can lead to the death of both the mother and the baby. Narrowing of the introitus, meanwhile, may force a couple to use the anus or the urethra for sexual intercourse. Fluctuating hormones during pregnancy put circumcised women at more risk for genital and urinary tract infections than their uncircumcised counterparts (WHO 150). The most common psychological disorders among circumcised women are depression and anxiety – they have to conform to parental and societal expectations while dealing with pain, complicated recovery and other long-term health effects. Painful sexual intercourse may result in them having immensely traumatic memories of their wedding night. Circumcised women also have to live each day in fear – they constantly view each cyst that grows in them as a possible symptom of cancer or other serious ailment (WHO 152). When the physical pain becomes too much for them to endure, they might resort to suicide. Female genital mutilation is one of the worst forms of violence that can be inflicted on a woman. In an effort to tie her to the home, she is horribly mutilated and made to live in constant pain for the rest of her life. A circumcised woman is also made to live in fear. She is constantly warned by society that to avoid circumcision is to face ostracism and even condemnation. Much still has to be done before FGM will finally be abolished. But the first step remains to be education. Societies must be made aware of the importance of educating girls. Numerous studies have already proven that girls who have attained basic education are healthier and are less likely to die in childbirth than those who did not. When the members of a particular society – both male and female – are healthy, this society becomes productive. Works Cited Akhtar, Shabbir. The Quran and the Secular Mind: A Philosophy of Islam. New York: Routledge, 2007. Bullough, Vern L. , and Bonnie Bullough. Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia. New York: Taylor and Francis, 1994. Chavkin, Wendy, and Ellen Chesler. Where Human Rights Begin: Health, Sexuality and Women in the New Millennium. Chapel Hill: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Denniston, George C. , Frederick Mansfield Hodges and Marilyn Fayre Milos. Male and Female Circumcision: Medical, Legal and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice. New York: Springer, 1999. â€Å"Egyptians Stand by Female Circumcision. † 10 December 1996. The Human Rights Information Network (HURINet). 27 February 2009 http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/32/018. html. â€Å"Egypt Mufti Says Female Circumcision Forbidden. † 24 June 2007. Reuters-AlertNet. 27 February 2009 http://www. alertnet. org/thenews/newsdesk/L24694871. htm. Markle, William H. , Melanie A. Fisher and Raymond A. Smego. Understanding Global Health. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007. Momoh, Comfort. Female Genital Mutilation. Abingdon: Radcliffe Publishing, 2005. Nzwili, Fredrick. â€Å"In Africa, FGM Checks into Hospitals. † 5 December 2004. Women’s ENews. 27 February 2009 http://www. womensenews. org/article. cfm/dyn/aid/2097/. â€Å"Promoting Gender Equality: Frequently Asked Questions on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. † n. d. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 27 February 2009 http://www. unfpa. org/gender/practices2. htm. Samaan, Magdy. â€Å"Shoura Council Passes Child Law, Criminalizes FGM. † 12 May 2008. Daily News Egypt. 27 February 2009 http://www. dailystaregypt. com/article. aspx? ArticleID=13659. Turshen, Meredeth. African Women’s Health. Trenton: Africa Word Press, 2000. World Health Organization (WHO). 1999. Female Genital Mutilation Programmes to Date: What Works and What Doesn’t. Geneva, Switzerland: Department of Women’s Health – Health Systems and Community Health. World Health Organization (WHO). Mental Health Aspects of Womens Reproductive Health: A Global Review of the Literature. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008.

The Group-Work Tip Sheet Essay Example for Free

The Group-Work Tip Sheet Essay Have you ever had troubles when working in a group? Don’t know how to communicate with group members; cannot get a compromise when not meeting on a common ground; or something just like a nightmare, group members even don’t do the work at all. Since no one is totally the same as another person, we human beings all have our own characteristics; troubles appear when the group work goes on inevitably. So don’t be afraid of working in groups because of these troubles, those are the experience that most of us had or having. This article will introduce some tips to help you work in groups smoothly. Respect your group members Have you ever had the experience when working groups like this? The group leader uses verbs to start every sentence, â€Å"Print it. † â€Å"Give me your part. † †Finish it before tonight. † Sometimes this tone of command, may finished the project super efficiently. But the fact is that no members in the group felt like they are a group, they did what the leader told them, and did not have the chance to express their opinion to the project, so no one is happy in the group. No equal conversation and respect is what one should remember at first when working in groups. No matter you are a group member or leader, treat others in group with respect, so that everyone can have the confidence and interest in talking about their thoughts to the work, so that your work can go smoothly and be more creative. Remember group work aims to produce as many ideas as possible in a limited time, and most of them do not to be evaluated until they are handed out. So listen to every thought with respect is necessary and a must.  ·Ask for help Ask for help is not a thing that should feel ashamed, and it doesn’t mean bother others. Actually this is what I learned after I came to study at America. In some culture, or because of some personal reasons, asking for help is not an easy thing that everybody can do without any hesitation. I am a shy person, I have difficult in communicating in English†¦Those negative thoughts made me rarely ask for help from my group members, I tried to solve the problems in my way, but the fact is the gap between us is wider and wider, at first what I did not understand is just some words, at last I even don’t know what to do in the group. But if I asked one of them about the project, I may not have to suffer from such a terrible situation. I realized that asking for help is ordinary since I talked with my advisor. She said the culture here is to ask if you have difficulties, that is not a thing that may feel ashamed, because everyone has difficulties, no one can live without any help from others, that is human being. So do mind like â€Å"Isn’t is sounds stupid if I ask him to explain what he said? †, that is not stupid, everyone has the experience to feel confused, some of them may be solved by yourself, but some of them can not, so ask for help at any time if you feel confused. Write down all the ideas Sometimes the discussion might be super active, members all have tons of ideas to say, and all of them are splendid. The discussion is so wonderful that the group feel like they would become the king of the world tomorrow because of these ideas. Everyone is talking, talking, talking, when the discussion is over, what still left in members’ head is that they had an excellent discussion, but what the ideas are specifically? No one remember clearly. What they forgot? – The note. Remember the note while doing the discussion, write down all the thoughts so that there would not be something forgotten or lost, and it’s convenient for everyone in the group to check the ideas. If it’s too fast to write down all the thoughts from your group members, don’t forget to use a recording device.  ·Exchange contact information This is a very important point in-group working. To find a time available for everyone in the group is not an easy thing, but must be done to accomplish the project. Someone may say privacy is very important for me so that I will not tell you guys my contact information. If this kind of person is in your group, try to persuade him, if you can’t do that, then don’t let him in your group. This is the base for working together; the project is set up on members’ contact. The example is like a member did not give others his contact information, did not show up on the rehearsal, then the presentation day came, other members even don’t know where he planned to begin and finish his part, the whole group work looking by others is just like a mass, a person destroyed a group. Working in groups is not an easy thing to do, but is there anything easy to do if you want to get something? The answer is no. So it’s just like everything else in the world, you may have some troubles while doing it, but finally will overcome if you try hard. Every lock has a key for it to open; every problem has a way to solve. Working in a group makes complex questions easy to be answered, heavy works become lighter; it can develops communication skills as well. If you overcome the troubles you had during working in groups, these benefits are all yours. So be positive when workings in groups, if you stay actively, it must be a wonderful experience.

Human Resources Planning In Organizations

Human Resources Planning In Organizations InTroduction Planning is very important to our everyday activities. Several definitions have been given by different writers what planning is all about and its importance to achieving our objectives. It is amazing that this important part of HR is mostly ignored in HR in most organizations because those at the top do not know the value of HR planning. Organizations that do not plan for the future have less opportunities to survive the competition ahead. This article will discuss the importance of HR planning; the six steps of HR planning that is : Forecasting; inventory, audit, HR Resource Plan; Actioning of Plan; Monitoring and Control. Definition of HR Planning Quoting Mondy et (1996) they define it as a systematic analysis of HR needs in order to ensure that correct number of employees with the necessary skills are available when they are required. When we prepare our planning programme, Practitioners should bear in mind that their staff members have their objective they need to achieve. This is the reason why employees seek employment. Neglecting these needs would result in poor motivation that may lead to unnecessary poor performance and even Industrial actions. Importance of Planning Planning is not as easy as one might think because it requires a concerted effort to come out with a programme that would easy your work. Commencing is complicated, but once you start and finish it you have a smile because everything moves smoothly. Planning is a process that have to be commenced form somewhere and completed for a purpose. It involves gathering information that would enable managers and supervisors make sound decisions. The information obtained is also utilized to make better actions for achieving the objectives of the Organization. There are many factors that you have to look into when deciding for an HR Planning programme. HR Planning involves gathering of information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives. Surprisingly, this aspect of HR is one of the most neglected in the HR field. When HR Planning is applied properly in the field of HR Management, it would assist to address the following questions: How many staff does the Organization have? What type of employees as far as skills and abilities does the Company have? How should the Organization best utilize the available resources? How can the Company keep its employees? HR planning makes the organization move and succeed in the 21st Century that we are in. Human Resources Practitioners who prepare the HR Planning programme would assist the Organization to manage its staff strategically. The programme assist to direct the actions of HR department. The programme does not assist the Organization only, but it will also facilitate the career planning of the employees and assist them to achieve the objectives as well. This augment motivation and the Organization would become a good place to work. HR Planning forms an important part of Management information system. HR have an enormous task keeping pace with the all the changes and ensuring that the right people are available to the Organization at the right time. It is changes to the composition of the workforce that force managers to pay attention to HR planning. The changes in composition of workforce not only influence the appointment of staff, but also the methods of selection, training, compensation and motivation. It becomes very critical when Organizations merge, plants are relocated, and activities are scaled down due to financial problems. Inadequacy of HR Planning Poor HR Planning and lack of it in the Organization may result in huge costs and financial looses. It may result in staff posts taking long to be filled. This augment costs and hampers effective work performance because employees are requested to work unnecessary overtime and may not put more effort due to fatigue. If given more work this may stretch them beyond their limit and may cause unnecessary disruptions to the production of the Organization. Employees are put on a disadvantage because their live programmes are disrupted and they are not given the chance to plan for their career development. The most important reason why HR Planning should be managed and implemented is the costs involved. Because costs forms an important part of the Organizations budget, workforce Planning enable the Organization to provide HR provision costs. When there is staff shortage, the organization should not just appoint discriminately, because of the costs implications of the other options, such as training and transferring of staff, have to be considered. Steps in HR Planning Forecasting HR Planning requires that we gather data on the Organizational goals objectives. One should understand where the Organization wants to go and how it wants to get to that point. The needs of the employees are derived from the corporate objectives of the Organization. They stern from shorter and medium term objectives and their conversion into action budgets (eg) establishing a new branch in New Dehli by January 2006 and staff it with a Branch Manager (6,000 USD, Secretary 1,550 USD, and two clerical staff 800 USD per month. Therefore, the HR Plan should have a mechanism to express planned Company strategies into planned results and budgets so that these can be converted in terms of numbers and skills required. Inventory After knowing what human resources are required in the Organization, the next step is to take stock of the current employees in the Organization. The HR inventory should not only relate to data concerning numbers, ages, and locations, but also an analysis of individuals and skills. Skills inventory provides valid information on professional and technical skills and other qualifications provided in the firm. It reveals what skills are immediately available when compared to the forecasted HR requirements. Audit We do not live in a static World and our HR resources can transform dramatically. HR inventory calls for collection of data, the HR audit requires systematic examination and analysis of this data. The Audit looks at what had occured in the past and at present in terms of labor turn over, age and sex groupings, training costs and absence. Based on this information, one can then be able to predict what will happen to HR in the future in the Organization. HR Resource Plan Here we look at career Planning and HR plans. People are the greatest asserts in any Organization. The Organization is at liberty to develop its staff at full pace in the way ideally suited to their individual capacities. The main reason is that the Organizations objectives should be aligned as near as possible, or matched, in order to give optimum scope for the developing potential of its employees. Therefore, career planning may also be referred to as HR Planning or succession planning. The questions that should concern us are: Are we making use of the available talent we have in the Organization, and have we an enough provision for the future? Are employees satisfied with our care of their growth in terms of advancing their career? Assignment of individuals to planned future posts enable the administration to ensure that these individuals may be suitably prepared in advance. Actioning of Plan There are three fundamentals necessary for this first step. Know where you are going. There must be acceptance and backing from top management for the planning. There must be knowledge of the available resources (i.e) financial, physical and human (Management and technical). Once in action, the HR Plans become Corporate plans. Having been made and concurred with top management, the plans become a part of the companys long-range plan. Failure to achieve the HR Plans due to cost, or lack of knowledge, may be a serious constraints on the long-range plan. Below is an illustration of how HR Plan is linked to corporate Plan. The link between HR Plan and Strategic Management STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT -> HR PLANNING Æ’Â   STRATEGIC PLAN Organizational goals Values Organizational goals Strong and weak parts Mission Strong weak points Opportunities and threats Goals and Priorities Opportunities threats Sources of Competitive advantage Resource Allocations Source of Competitive advantage Identify People related matters Define HR strategies, Implement Hr Processes Goals plans Policy Practices HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING Bohlander et as (2001) Monitoring and Control. This is the last stage of HR planning in the Organization. Once the programme has been accepted and implementation launched, it has to be controlled. HR department has to make a follow up to see what is happening in terms of the available resources. The idea is to make sure that we make use of all the available talents that are at our disposal failure of which we continue to struggle to get to the top. Do you have an HR Plan in action? Let us all check where we are working and see whether there is really a Human Resource Plan. If its not available, let use try to develop one and you would see how you will make a difference. It is quite true that HR plan is the basis of Human Resources Management. If we do not know how to develop it, then we are not doing an services to our Organizations and our impact will not be felt in the management pool. Human resource planning has traditionally been used by organizations to ensure that the right person is in the right job at the right time. Under past conditions of relative environmental certainty and stability, human resource planning focused on the short term and was dictated largely by line management concerns. Increasing environmental instability, demographic shifts, changes in technology, and heightened international competition are changing the need for and the nature of human resource planning in leading organizations. Planning is increasingly the product of the interaction between line management and planners. In addition, organizations are realizing that in order to adequately address human resource concerns, they must develop long-term as well as shortterm solutions. As human resource planners involve themselves in more programs to serve the needs of the business, and even influence the direction of the business, they face new and increased responsibilities and challenges. In an early treatment of the topic, Vetter (1967) defined human resource planning as the process by which management determines how the organization should move from its current manpower position to its desired position. Through planning, management strives to have the right number and the right kinds of people, at the right places, at the right time, doing things which result in both the organization and the individual receiving maximum long-run benefits. (p. 15) Contemporary human resource planning occurs within the broad context of organizational and strategic business planning. It involves forecasting the organizations future human resource needs and planning for how those needs will be met. It includes establishing objectives and then developing and implementing programs (staffing, appraising, compensating, and training) to ensure that people are available with the appropriate characteristics and skills when and where the organization needs them. It may also involve developing and implementing programs to improve employee performance or to increase employee satisfaction and involvement in order to boost organizational productivity, quality, or innovation (Mills, 1 985b). Finally, human resource planning includes gathering data that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing programs and inform planners when revisions i n their forecasts and programs are needed. Because a major objective of planning is facilitating February 1990 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ American Psychologist Copyright 1990 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0003.066X/90/$00.75 Vol. 45, No. 2, 223-239 Human Resource Planning Challenges for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists Susan E. Jackson and Randall S. Schuler New York University an organizations effectiveness, it must be integrated with the organizations short-term and longer term business objectives and plans. Increasingly this is being done in leading organizations, although in the past business needs usually defined personnel needs and human resource planning, which meant that planning became a reactive process. The reactive nature of the process went handin-hand with a short-term orientation. Now, major changes in business, economic, and social environments are creating uncertainties that are forcing organizations to integrate business planning with human resource planning and to adopt a longer term perspective. For example, according to Kathryn Connors, vice president of human resources at Liz Claiborne, Human resources is part of the strategic (business) planning process. Its part of policy development, line extension planning and the merger and acquisition processes. Little is done-in the company that doesnt involve us in the planning, policy or finalization stages of any deal. (cited in Lawrence, 1989, p. 70) John OBrien, vice president of human resources at Digital Equipment Corporation, describes an integrated linkage between business and human resource plans as one by which human resource and line managers work jointly to develop business plans and determine human resource needs, analyze the work force profile in terms of future business strategies, review emerging human resource issues, and develop programs to address the issues and support the business plans. According to OBrien, such joint efforts occur when human resource planners convince corporate business planners that human resources HRM is the legal liason between the organization and the employees,they are to uphold the employment and safety laws (osha, and civil rights act) as well as follow the practices, which may differ within federal guidelines, that the employer authorizes. Corporations are always searching for better ways to produce goods and services. When new technological developments give some organizations a competitive advantage, their rivals try to catch up by adopting and improving on the new technologies. Ford has put many of Toyotas technical advances to work in its own plants, and General Motors has spent over $50 billion in the last decade to modernize its production facilities to develop skills in flexible manufacturing. A large part of this growth is the Human Resources department of these companies, who are responsible for hiring the people with the knowledge to bring new technology into a company. To be successful in the automotive market, these companies needs a highly skilled, flexible and committed work force, a flexible and innovative management, the ability to retain developed talent, and a strong partnership between management and labor unions. To achieve these goals, the company needs a talented HR department. Besides hiring the right people to manage and perform specific jobs, HR managers have to build up commitment and loyalty among the workforce by keeping them up to date about company plans, and laying out the implications for job security and working conditions. Such was the case when I worked at Velco. From the interview process to my exit interview at the end of the summer, the HR department was every employees main connection between the production floor and the upper management. The HR department kept us informed via bi-weekly meetings, a company newsletter, and bulletin-board postings throughout the plant. Whenever a question arose, instead of asking middle-management, an employee could go straight to the HR rep they were assigned to. From my experiences, it seemed like the HR reps knew everything there was to know about the company and how it is run. And I found that to be a very valuable asset. I imagine the same takes place at large corporations around the world, be it Velcro or General Motors. The backbone of any successful company is the HR department, and without a talented group of people to hire, culture, and inform employees, the company is doomed for failure.

Philosophy Statement :: Education Teaching Teachers Classroom Essays

Philosophy Statement â€Å"Give a child a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.† ~Author Unknown Teaching is not a profession but a life choice to change the world one child at a time. In a classroom there are four walls and within those four walls lies the opportunity to build strong foundations for tomorrow. I believe there are three aspects to teaching; touching the mind (mental), the heart (emotional), and the hands (physical). If you take a young child to the lake, a river, or even a stream and teach him to fish he learns techniques mentally, feels loved and wanted emotionally, and learns that he is growing physically. The same can be said for a classroom. Instruct a child’s mind, love a child’s heart, and hold a child’s hand and success is instantly recognizable. The three walk hand in hand toward a child’s overall development. The mind must be stimulated to learn. Children learn what they see, not what they are told. Although my objective is to teach on a high school level, I believe that the same is true with teens. Parents declare, â€Å"Do as I say not as I do,† but children replicate what they are exposed to on a daily basis. If a teacher is not excited about what she is teaching neither will the student be excited about what he/she is learning. Moods are contagious, make the atmosphere outrageous! It is my desire that students see my enthusiasm when teaching my content area and that excitement ignites a fire of passion for learning within the individual student and the classroom as a whole. Young people today have a strong desire to feel wanted. They want to fit in, they want to look cool, they want to be loved and fall in love, they simply want acceptance. It is my job as a mentor to nurture those basic needs of emotional development at the adolescent age. I vow never to ridicule a student for a wrong answer, never chastise a pupil in front of peers, and never embarrass a child for the sake of demonstrating my authority. Students need to have a sense of belonging and purpose within the classroom and the world outside, nurturing their heart and emotions is critical during these years.

Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling :: Economics

Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling appreciated by 20%. What factors might explain this increase in the value of the pound? 5. Between 1995 and 1997 the effective exchange rate of the pound sterling appreciated by 20%. (a) What factors might explain this increase in the value of the pound? There are several reasons that contribute to the appreciation of the pound. INTEREST RATES Interest rates have a large effect in a world where financial capital can move freely between countries. If for example the UK interest rates are high relative to elsewhere this attracts inflows of money into the UK seeking to take advantage of the high interest rates. This "interest differential" boosts the demand for the currency and can cause its value to rise. ECONOMIC GROWTH Countries experiencing a rapid economic growth often find that their exchange rate is strengthening. Traders in the currency markets may take the rapid growth to be a sign of general economic growth and "mark up" the value of the currency as a result. Also economies with strong "export-led" growth may see their currency's rise in value. Japan is a good example of this in recent years. The Euro was weak during the first six months of its existence in part because the financial markets were worried about the slow growth of the European economy and the persistently high level of unemployment. INFLATION As with the UK, as there are low levels of inflation, this has meant that our goods have become cheaper and demand for our exports has increased. Foreigners have bought pounds to finance our goods. This has meant that the value of the pound has increased. However this is like a cobweb with many downsides such as a rise in inflation as exports are a component of aggregate demand. In the long run, those countries with higher than average inflation see their exchange rate fall. When inflation is high, a country becomes less competitive in international markets causing a fall in exports (a demand for a currency) and a rise in imports (a supply of currency overseas). A fall in the exchange rate may be needed to restore a country's competitiveness in overseas markets. THE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS When we operate at a current account surplus i.e. when our exports>Imports, then foreigners will need pounds in order to finance the exports we sell them. They will buy pounds. This will result in the value of the pound to increase. Selling exports represents a demand for the domestic currency from foreign importers. When US consumers buy British Whisky they supply dollars and this is eventually translated into a demand for pounds.

Anne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Essay -- Anne Bradstreet Fe

Anne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Feminism today remains prominent because even while women’s rights are very strong, women are still fighting for equality every day. In the time of Anne Bradstreet, women had few rights and they were seen as inferior to men. Anne lived among the puritans whom ruled her everyday life. Although it was against the puritan code for women to receive an education, Bradstreet’s father, Thomas Dudley, loved his daughter dearly and made sure that she was well educated which shows in her works. Anne Bradstreet’s literature became well known only because her family published her works under a male name. This was done because writing poetry was a serious offense to the puritans since poetry was considered creative and the only creating that was done was by God. In the works of Anne Bradstreet, she conveys a feminist attitude, and could very well be one of the first American Feminists. Bradstreet was very religious, and the religion she faithfully followed was very male dominant. Perhaps this is why Bradstreet never had a strong voice. Surely if she were to have voiced her opinions loudly and strongly she would have suffered dire consequences. Anne Hutchinson was banished because she publicly voiced her objections to the code of puritan lifestyle and beliefs. Living in a harsh puritan society most likely intimidated Bradstreet, so instead, she carefully weaved her early feminist thought into her poems and stories so that they weren’t too apparent. For example, in †The Prologue,† Bradstreet conveys knowledge of recognizing the kind of patriarchy she lives in, in the fifth and sixth stanza. I am obnoxious to each carping tongue/ Who says my hand a needle better fits,/ A p... ...sband, mothered eight children, risking death from each pregnancy, and managed to live sixty years. She was the first woman in American Literature to have her work published and also one of the first American women to begin thinking as a femenist. Even though Bradstreet was not a prominent, public femenist, she realized that she had to start somewhere and due to her living in the strict patriarchal puritan society, she did what she could. Although Bradstreet was very religious and held her spirituality very close to her, she still put together early femenist thought and can be considered one of the first American femnists. Works Cited History of Women in the United States. 9 November 2005. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Online. 15 November 2005 . Woodlief, Ann. Biography of Anne Bradstreet. Virginia Commonwealth University. 14 November 2005 . Anne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Essay -- Anne Bradstreet Fe Anne Bradstreet as First American Feminist Feminism today remains prominent because even while women’s rights are very strong, women are still fighting for equality every day. In the time of Anne Bradstreet, women had few rights and they were seen as inferior to men. Anne lived among the puritans whom ruled her everyday life. Although it was against the puritan code for women to receive an education, Bradstreet’s father, Thomas Dudley, loved his daughter dearly and made sure that she was well educated which shows in her works. Anne Bradstreet’s literature became well known only because her family published her works under a male name. This was done because writing poetry was a serious offense to the puritans since poetry was considered creative and the only creating that was done was by God. In the works of Anne Bradstreet, she conveys a feminist attitude, and could very well be one of the first American Feminists. Bradstreet was very religious, and the religion she faithfully followed was very male dominant. Perhaps this is why Bradstreet never had a strong voice. Surely if she were to have voiced her opinions loudly and strongly she would have suffered dire consequences. Anne Hutchinson was banished because she publicly voiced her objections to the code of puritan lifestyle and beliefs. Living in a harsh puritan society most likely intimidated Bradstreet, so instead, she carefully weaved her early feminist thought into her poems and stories so that they weren’t too apparent. For example, in †The Prologue,† Bradstreet conveys knowledge of recognizing the kind of patriarchy she lives in, in the fifth and sixth stanza. I am obnoxious to each carping tongue/ Who says my hand a needle better fits,/ A p... ...sband, mothered eight children, risking death from each pregnancy, and managed to live sixty years. She was the first woman in American Literature to have her work published and also one of the first American women to begin thinking as a femenist. Even though Bradstreet was not a prominent, public femenist, she realized that she had to start somewhere and due to her living in the strict patriarchal puritan society, she did what she could. Although Bradstreet was very religious and held her spirituality very close to her, she still put together early femenist thought and can be considered one of the first American femnists. Works Cited History of Women in the United States. 9 November 2005. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Online. 15 November 2005 . Woodlief, Ann. Biography of Anne Bradstreet. Virginia Commonwealth University. 14 November 2005 .

Business Management Essay

According to Joss (2001),a set of rules or strategies are used to control and direct by an organization effectively and efficiency, manpower is involved to work together in an organization to achieve a common mission continuously. Different skills are required and performed by a manager, such as leadership skills, organizational skills, etc. Particular person, in an organization, should shoulder the responsibility and produce results is called manager. Managers require specific experience and qualification, to make any important decisions and lead their teams to accomplish a goal. Management are classified into four levels, they are top managers, middle managers, first-line managers and non-managerial employees respectively. (Oxford, 2009; Joss,2001) Functions of management: There is a cycle of four functions of management before achieving the stated mission, they are planning, organizing, leading as well as controlling. Planning is one of the functions that preparing and evaluating what and how they can improve to do even better. They can plan for the desired achievement or integrate their current structure. Organizing is a way to utilize resources and guide the manpower in a specific way, since investment and employees are very crucial for successful organizations. Leading is the best way to influence and coordinate the workers, as the managers ‘’motivate† their ‘’ left-right hands†. Motivation means the managers inspire and persuade them to do their best in a happy way. Controlling is the final step amongst four functions. The managers monitor the current productivity and correct the mistakes or ways they perform. (Tripathi and Reddy, 2008) Q2: According to Mintzberg (1990), the managers are grouped into ten roles by three main categories. They are Interpersonal roles, Information roles and decisional roles. Analyzing a manager – Richard Branson: When I reviewed the functions, roles and skills, there is no denying I admire a manager – Richard Branson a lot, who is the founder and director of Virgin Group. He is approximately 63 years old now, he experienced nearly 47 years in different categories of business. They are record stores, air travel, soft drinks, radio, clothing, holidays, etc. The reason he could own business in different sectors, because he performs different managerial skills and roles, mainly use interpersonal skills and conceptual skills. (Branson,2007) Although Richard Branson did not have any huge plans at the beginning, he performed the function of planning to define the missions for his business, especially his airline. He wants to make his airline growth with revenue, to drive the passengers to their destinations and the employees are satisfied to stay and work for the companies. (Virgin Atlantic, 2013) For the interpersonal skills, he has very good relationship with his own employees. ‘’To be a good leader you have to be a great listener.† said by Richard Branson. No doubt, he doesn’t only require employees to treat the customers well, but also openly listen to the employees’ ideas, in order to correct the existence problems and bombing new ideas for future integration. He creates new business by communicating with workers. Even though Branson has more than 200 cabin crew, he still spends time with them, listen to their requests. Because he thinks it would be the best way leading them to work in a delighted environment is a business, solving the obstacles would not be the only situation. (Branson,2012) For the conceptual skills, he has unique business sense of sustaining and integrating his business. For instant, before he established Virgin Atlantic, he was doing the business of Virgin Music successfully. A lawyer persuaded Richard to invest in airlines; he was taking risks of promising, as he has no experience. However, he analyzed every risk, strategies and possibility of earning money after making up his mind; he even performed the function of organizing that thinking of the year plan and finding out the reasons why the competitors offered the market prices that low. Until now, Virgin Atlantic is the second largest airlines in the UK. (Branson,2009) In reality, most of the businessmen may not accept this challenge, because they want to ensure the risks are lower than the returns before taking any plans. Richard Branson used to equip himself with different financial perspectives; therefore, he can make a right decision quicker than a normal businessman and this shows that he was performing decisional roles. (Branson,2009) Although Richard Branson has a lot of insight of different perspectives, he would sometimes face the failure. He would like to compete with Coca-Cola and Pepsi for launching Virgin Coke. Nevertheless, he underestimated his competitors, as the location distribution is crucial to drinks industry. Therefore, he performed his function of controlling and the skills of managing changes, to correct the mistakes they made. He changed the location from the USA to Bangladesh and was being the best cola drink there. (Branson,2009) Q3: Reflection of myself: It is possible that everyone would possess managerial skills, including myself. I do possess human skills, conceptual skills and technical skills. However, no matter what my job position is, the degree of owning these skills is not the same. If I need to rank three of them, interpersonal skills would have the strongest degree. I have communication skills and leading function. As I have to deliver the responsibility to other committees and negotiate with suppliers to reduce our costs; therefore, my communication skills have been greatly improved by being figurehead and negotiator. Besides, I need to help keeping a good relationship with the external world. Additionally, I have the function of organizing and the skills and roles of decision-making as well. Being the leader in a team, I have to allocate works to my teammates; as a result, I need to organize all the plans before delivering to anyone. Besides, I faced a lot of obstacles, which are in sudden. If the original plan is not working, I need to perform the function of controlling, to think of another most suitable plan immediately. My conceptual skills should be enhanced, such as predict the future economy situation accurately or invest any properties in a smart way, as integrating our business is the most significant part of upholding current and achieving goals. I would like to be the top manager in next five years or more, who will own at least few shops. Knowing how to calculate the expected return rate and risk would be the first step. Therefore, I would like to learn how I could buy any properties without using my own money, but using the earned profits to invest and earn new profits. It seems my thoughts can be easily accomplished in words, but different skills are involved. Therefore, I should start understanding the bankers’ thought and how is the banking systems working, and then I could negotiate with them fluently. Because loans from the bank may be the ‘’helping hands† of my first business. However, my technical skills are not good enough. Lacking of the knowledge of advanced technology and particular software, my technical skills should be enriched as well. Although technical skills are very crucial to some managers, I will not put a lot of effort on learning them. Because first-line manager can be hired for monitoring the daily processing systems; yet, I should learn how to use software to read the financial statement and make proper decision for expanding my business. Additionally, I should briefly know the transactions processing as well, to prevent the employees from making their own interests. Last but not least, employees are the assets of my company; I should learn how to use the best resources and people with the lowest costs to boost the productivity and achieve my goals. In conclusion, management is very crucial to an organization. As people cannot entirely perform all the functions, roles and skills in a specific position, managers are required to shoulder their responsibility continuously to help achieving the defined mission. Besides, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses would be other criteria to run successful business. Bibliography : †¢ Branson,R. , 2007. Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World’s Greatest Brand Builder. 3rd Edition. Great Britain : The Random House Group Limited. †¢ Brason,R. , 2009. Losing My Virginity : The Autobiography. Great Britain : The Random House Group Limited. †¢ Branson,R. ,2009. Business Stripped Bare. Great Britain: The Random House Group Limited. †¢ Branson,R. , 2012. Like A Virgin : Secrets They Won’t Teach You At Business School. Great Britain : The Random House Group Limited. †¢ Joss,R.L.,2001.Management. Australian Journal of Management, [e-journal] 26,p.89, Available through : London School of Economics and Political Science < http://www2.lse.ac.uk/library/home.aspx> [ Accessed 2 February 2013]. †¢ Oxford, 2009. Dictionary of Business and Management. United States : Oxford University Press. †¢ Tripathi,P.C. and Reddy,P.N. ,2008. Principles of Management. 4th Edition. India : The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. †¢ Mintzberg,H. ,1990. Mintzberg on Management : Inside Our Strange World Of Organization. United States of America : The Free Press. †¢ Virgin Atlantic,2013. Our Mission Statement. [online] Available at:< http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/missionstatement/index.jsp> [Accessed 13 February 2013].