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WWW. JAGRANJOSH. COM SSC COMBINED GRADUATE LEVEL (MAIN) EXAMINATION 2012 QUESTION PAPER SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 1. (a) . . =? 9 44 27 44 (b) (c) 44 9 (d) 27 42 2. Complete the series 7, 26, 63, 124, 215, 342,? (a) 481 (b) 511 (c) 391 (d) 421 3. A woman sells to the first customer half her stock of apples and half an apple, to the second customer half an apple and half of her remaining stock and so also to a third and to a fourth customer. She finds that she has now 15 apples left.How many had she at first? (a) 250 (b) 155 (c) 125 (d) 255 4. There are 200 questions on a 3 hour examination. Among 200 questions, 50 are from Maths, 100 are in GK and 50 are in Science. He spent twice as much time on each mathematics question as for each other question. How many minutes did he spend on mathematics question? (a) 36 (b) 72 (c) 100 (D) 60 5. The reminder when (a) 2 (b) 3 919 + 6 is divided by 8 is (c) 5 (d) 7 6. The least five-digit perfect square n umber which is divided be 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 is a) 14400 (b) 32400 (c) 10800 (d) 10201 7. Which of the following numbers does not fit into the series? 4, 19, 29, 40, 44, 51, 59, 73 (b) 51 (c) 44 (d) 29 (a) 59 8. What will be the remainder when 19100 is divided be 20? (b) 20 (c) 3 (d) 1 (a) 19 9. A toy factory manufactured a batch of electronic toys. If the toys were packed in boxes of 155 each, 13 boxes would not be filled completely. If the toys were packed in boxes of 65 each, 22 such boxes would not be enough to pack all of them. Coincidentally, in the end, the toys were packed in n toys each, without any remainder. The total number of toys was (a) 1424 (b) 1434 (c) 1444 (d) 1454 2 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 10.A and B started a business with Rs 20000 and Rs 35000 respectively. They agreed to share the profit in the ratio of their capital. C joins the partnership with the condition that A, B, and C will share profit equally and pays Rs 220000 as premium for this, to be shared between A and B. This is to be divided between A and B in the ratio of (a) 10: 1 (b) 1: 10 (c) 9: 10 (d) 10: 9 11. A can complete a work in 20 days and B in 30 days. A worked alone for 4 days and then B complete the remaining work along with C in 18 days. In how many days can C working alone complete the work? (a) 12 (b) 68 (c) 72 (d) 90 12.A pipe can fill a cistern in 12 minutes and another pipe can fill it in 15 minutes, but a third pipe can empty it in 6 minutes. The first two pipes are kept open for 5 minutes in the beginning and then the third pipe is also opened. Number of minutes taken to empty the cistern is (a) 38 (b) 22 (c) 42 (d) 45 13. A and B can complete a job in 24 days working together. An alone can complete it in 32 days. Both of them worked together for 8 days and then A left. The number of days b will take to complete the remaining job is (a) 16 (b) 32 (c) 64 (d) 128 14. In a factory, there are equal number of women and children. Women work for 6 hours a day and children for 4 hours a day. During festival time, the work load goes up by 50%. The government rule does not allow children to work for more than 6 hours a day. If they are equally efficient and the extra work is done by women, then extra hours of work put in by women every day are (a) 5 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) 9 15. A and B each working alone can do a work in 15 days and 25 days respectively. They started the work together, but B left after some time and A finished the remaining work in 7 days. After how many days from the start did B leave? (a) 3 (b) 5 (c) 7 (d) 9 16.A and B undertaken to do a piece of work for Rs 1200. A alone can do it in 8 days, while B can do it in 6 days. With the help of C, they complete it in 3 days. Find Cs share. (a) Rs 450 (b) Rs 300 (c) Rs 150 (d) Rs 100 17. By selling an article at 80% of its marked price, a trader makes a loss of 10%. What will be the profit percentage if he sells it at 95% if its marked price? (a) 6. 9 (b) 5 (c) 5. 9 (d) 12. 5 3 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 18. By selling an umbrella for Rs 30, a shopkeeper gains 20%. During a clearance sale, the shopkeeper allows a discount of 10% of the marked price.His gain percentage during the sale season is (a) 7 (b) 7. 5 (c) 8 (d) 9 19. What is maximum percentage discount (approximately) that a merchant can offer on his marked price so that he ends up selling at no profit or loss, id he initially marked his goods up by 40%? (a) 60% (b) no discount (c) 33. 5% (d) 28. 5% 20. A shopkeeper marks the prices at 15% higher than the original price. Due to increase in demand, he further increase the price by 10%. How much percentage profit will he get? (a) 25 (b) 26. 5 (c) 20 (d) 24. 5 21. From a vessel containing100 litres of wine, 10 litres are drawn out and an equal amount of water is added.From the mixture, 10 litres is again drawn out and same quantity of water is added. What is the final ratio of wine and water? (a) 80 : 20 (b) 90 : 10 (c) 91 : 9 (d) 81 : 19 22. From each of two given numbers, half the smaller number is subtracted. After such subtraction, the larger number is 4 times as large as the smaller number. What is the ratio of the number? (a) 5: 2 (b) 1: 4 (c) 4: 1 (d) 4: 5 23. Men, women and children are employed to do a work in the proportion of 3: 2: 1 and their wages as 5: 3: 2. When 90 men are employed, total daily wages of all amounts to Rs 10350. Find the daily wage of a man. (a) Rs 45 (b) Rs 57. 0 (c) Rs 115 (d) Rs 75 24. Brothers A and B had some savings in the ratio 4: 5. They decided to buy a gift for their sister, sharing the cost in the ratio 3: 4. After they bought, A spent two-third of his amount while B is left with Rs 145. Then the value of the gift is (a) Rs 70 (b) Rs 105 (c) Rs 140 (d) Rs 175 25. The taxi charges in a city contain fixed charges and additional charge/km. The fixed charge is for a distance of upto 5 km and additional charge/km thereafter. The char ge for a distance of 10 km is Rs 350 and for 25 km is Rs 800. The charge for a distance of 30 km is (a) Rs 800 (b) Rs 750 (c) Rs 900 (d) Rs 950 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 26. The marks of 3 students A, B and C are in the ratio 10: 12: 15. If the maximum marks of the paper are 100, then the marks of B cannot be in the range of (a) 20 – 30 (b) 40 – 50 (c) 70 – 80 (d) 80 – 90 27. The average of the test scores of a class of ‘m’ student is 70 and that of ‘n’ students is 91. When the scores of both the classes are combined, the average is 80. What is n/m? (a) 11/10 (b) 13/10 (c) 10/13 (d) 10/11 28. The average salary per head of all workers of an institution is Rs 60. The average salary per head of 12 officers is Rs 400.The average salary per head of the rest is Rs 56. Then the total number of workers in the institution is (a) 1030 (b) 1032 (c) 1062 (d) 1060 29. A cricket played 80 innings and s cored an average of 99 runs. His score in the last inning is zero run. To have an average of 100 at the end, his score in the last innings should have been (a) 10 runs (b) 1 run (c) 60 runs (d) 80 runs 30. A man spends an average of Rs 1694. 70 per month for the first 7 months and Rs 1810. 50 per month for the next 5 months. His monthly salary if he saves Rs 3084. 60 during the whole year is (a) Rs 2400 (b) Rs 3000 (c) Rs 1000 (d) Rs 2000 31.Three years ago, the average age of A, B and C was 27 years, and that of B and C five years ago was 20 years. A’s present age is (a) 30 years (b) 35 years (c) 40 years (d) 48 years 32. The average height of the basketball team A is 5 feet 11 inches and that of B is 6 feet 2 inches. There are 20 players in team A and 18 players in team B. The overall average height is (a) 72. 42 inches (b) 72 inches (c) 70. 22 inches (d) 70 inches 33. A shopkeeper sells a transistor at 15% above its cost price. If he had bought it at 5% more than what he p aid for it and sold it for Rs 6 more, he would have gained 10%.The cost price of the transistor is (a) Rs 800 (b) Rs 1000 (c) Rs 1200 (d) Rs 1400 34. A seller user 920 g in place of one kg to sell his articles at 15% gain on cost price, the actual percentage of profit is (a) 20 (b) 15 (c) 25 (d) 30 35. A man sold two houses for Rs 96000 each. In the sale of the first house, he incurred 20% profit and in the sale of the second, he incurred 20% loss. What is the gain or loss percentage in total? 5 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper (a) 6% gain (b) 6% loss (c) 4% gain (d) 4% loss 36. The price of a land passing through three hands, rises on the whole by 65%.If the first and second sellers earned 20% and 25% profit respectively. Find the profit earned by the third seller. (a) 20% (b) 55% (c) 10% (d) 25% 37. One year payment to the servant is Rs 500 plus one shirt. The servant leaves after 10 months and receives Rs 350 and a shirt of the same value. What i s the price of the shirt? (a) Rs 150 (b) Rs 350 (c) Rs 400 (d) Rs 500 38. A person purchased a certain number of articles at 11 articles for Rs 10 and sold them at 10 articles for Rs 11. Find the gain percentage. (a) 22 (b) 20 (c) 1 (d) 21 39. Of the adult population in a certain city, 45% of men and 25% of women are married.Assuming that no man marries more than one women, and vice versa, the percentage of total population of adults who are married, is (a) 33. 33 (b) 35. 14 (c) 31. 1 (d) 30 40. A garrison is provided with ration for 72 soldiers to last for 54 days. Find how long would the same amount of food last for 90 soldiers. If the individual ration is reduced by 10%? (a) 48 days (b) 72 days (c) 54 days (d) 126 days 41. In an examination paper of five questions, 5% the candidates answered all of them and 5% answered none. Of the rest, 25% candidates answered only one question and 20% answered 4 questions and 20% answered 4 questions.If 396 candidates answered either 2 question s or 3 questions, the number of candidates that appeared for the examination was (a) 800 (b) 1000 (c) 850 (d) 900 42. In a test, A scored 10% more than B and scored 5% more C. If C scored 300 marks out of 400, then A’s marks are (a) 310 (b) 325 (c) 350 (d) 360 43. A train crosses a bridge of length 150 m in 15 seconds and a man standing on it in 9 sec. The train is travelling at a uniform speed. Length of the train is (a) 225 m (b) 200 m (c) 135 m (d) 90 m 44. Arun and Bhaskar start from place P at 6 am and 7. 30am respectively and run in the same direction.Arun and Bhaskar run at 8 km/h and 12 km/h respectively. Bhaskar overtakes Arun at (a) 10:30 am (b) 9 am (c) 11:30 am (d) 11 am 6 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 45. A man can row at 10 km/h in still water. If it takes a total of 5 hours for him to go to a place 24 km away and return, then the speed of the water current is (a) 2 km/h (b) 3 km/h (c) 2 km/h 1 (d) 1 km/h 46. A man started 2 0 min late and travelling at a speed of 1 times of his usual speed reaches his office in time. The time taken by the man to reach his office at his speed is (a) 40 min (b) 1 h 20 min (c) 1 h (d) 30 min 7. Divided Rs 15494 between A and B so that A’s share at the end of years may be equal to B’s share at the end of 11 years, compound interest being 20% per annum. Then A’s share is (a) Rs 8000 (b) Rs 9140 (c) Rs 9144 (d) Rs 9414 48. The principal amount which yields a compound interest of Rs 208 in the second year at 4% is (a) Rs 5000 (b) Rs 10000 (c) Rs 13000 (d) Rs 6500 49. An amount is invested in a blank at compound rate of interest. The total amount, including interest, after first and third years is Rs 1200 and Rs 1587 respectively. What is the rate of interest? (a) 10% (b) 3. 9% (c) 12% (d) 15% 50.The difference between compound and simple rates of interest on Rs 10000 for 3 years at 5% per annum is (a) Rs 76. 25 (b) Rs 76. 75 (c) Rs 76. 50 (d) Rs 76 51. A solid consist of circular cylinder with exact fitting right circular cone placed on the top. The height of the cone is h. If total volume of the solid is three times the volume of the cone, then the height of the circular cylinder is (a) 2 h (b) 2? 3 (c) 4 h (d) 3? 2 52. Water flows at a rate of 10 meters per in diameter. How long will it take to fill up a conical vessel whose diameter at the base is 40 cm and depth is 24 cm? a) 51 min 12 sec (b) 52 min 1 sec (c) 48 min 15 sec (d) 55 min 53. The three perpendicular distances of three sides of an equilateral triangle from a point which lies inside that triangle are 6 cm, 9 cm and 12 cm respectively. The perimeter of the triangle is (a) 42 2 cm (b) 45 3 cm (c) 52 2 cm (d) 54 3 cm 54. The area of a right-angled triangle is 24 cm2 and one of the sides containing the right angle is 6 cm. The altitude on the hypotenuse is 7 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper (a) 3. 6 cm (b) 4. 8 cm (c) 5. 2 cm (d) 12 cm 55 . A cost of cultivating a square field at a rate of Rs 135 per hectare is Rs 1215.The cost of putting a fence around it at the rate of 75 paise per metre would be (a) Rs 360 (b) Rs 810 (c) Rs 900 (d) Rs 1800 56. The area of a trapezium is 384 cm2. If its parallel sides are in ratio 3: 5 and the perpendicular distance between them is 12 cm, the smaller of the parallel sides is (a) 20 cm (b) 24 cm (c) 30 cm (d) 36 cm 57. The perimeter of the triangular base of a right prism is 60 cm and the sides of the base are in the ratio 5: 12: 13. Then its volume will be (height of the prism being 50 cm) (a) 6000 cm3 (b) 6600 cm3 (c) 5400 cm3 (d) 9600 cm3 58.If the length of a rectangular parallelepiped is 3 times of its breadth and 5 times of its height and its volume is 14400 cu cm, then area of the total surface will be (a) 2420 sq cm (b) 3320 sq cm (c) 4320 sq cm (d) 5320 sq cm 59. The capacities of two hemispherical bowls are 6. 4 litres and 21. 6 litres respectively. Then the ratio of their internal curved surface areas will be (a) 4 : 9 (b)2 : 3 (c) 2 : 3 (d) 16 : 81 60. Let A and B be two solid spheres such that the surface area of B is 300% higher than the surface area of A. The volume of A is found to be k% lower than the volume of B. The value of k must be (a) 85. (b) 92. 5 (c) 90. 5 (d) 87. 5 61. The ratio of the areas of the circum circle and the incircle of a square is (a) 2: 1 (b) 1 : 2 (c) 2 : 1 (d) 1 : 2 62. From a circular sheet of paper of radius 10 cm, a sector of area 40% is removed. If the remaining part is used to make a conical surface, then the ratio of the radius and the height of the cone is (a) 1 : 2 (b) 1 : 1 (c) 3 : 4 (d) 4 : 3 63. If the area of the circular shell having inner and outer radii of 8 cm and 12 cm respectively is equal to the total surface area of cylinder of radius R1 and height h, then h, in terms of R1 will be (a) 2 3 1 ? 30 7 (b) 2 1 ? 40 2 1 (c) 30 1 2 1 (d) 2 40 1 1 8 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Q uestion Paper 64. A well of radius 3. 5 m is dug 16 m deep. The earth removed is spread over an area of 400 m2 to form a platform. Height of the platform is (a) 1. 54 m (b) 154 m (c) 7. 7 m (d) 77 m 65. The ratio of the number of sides of two regular polygons is 1: 2. If each interior angle of the first polygon is 120o, then the measure of each interior angle of the second polygon is (a) 140o (b) 135o (c) 150o (d) 160o + 66. If x = (a) 0 , hen x2 – x – 1 is equal to (c) 2 (d) 5 + + + (b) 1 67. If x = , then the value of (a) 0 (b) 1 (c) + 3 is equal to (d) 68. The area of the region bounded by y = ?x? – 5 with the co-ordinate axes is (a) 25 sq units (b) 52 sq units (c) 50 sq units (d) 20 sq units 69. The real value of x, that satisfies the equation (a) 5 (b) 2 3 (c) ? + + = 5 + is (d) 4 a = 225, b = 227. + 70. Find the value of a3 + b3 + c3- 3abc when (a) 2304 (b) 2430 (c) 2034 (d) 2340 71.Number of solution of the equation (a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 ? + + = ? 2 is (d) 4 + + ? 72. If + (a) –2 = 1, then the value of (c) 2 is (b) ? 2 (d) ? 2 73. If ? = a + b, (where a, b are rationals), value of (a + b) is (a) –2 (b) 2 (c) 1 (d) –1 74. 232 – (2 + 1) (22 + 1)(24 + 1)(28 + 1)(216 + 1)) is equal to (a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 216 75. If the expression x + 809436 ? 809438 be a perfect square, then the value of x is (a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 809436 (d) 809438 76.If O is the orthocenter of the ? ABC and ? BAC =80o, then measure of ? BOC is (a) 80o (b) 100o (c) 120o (d) 90o 77. Two chords of a circle, of length 2a and 2b are mutually perpendicular. If the distance of the point, at which the chords intersect, from the centre of the circle is c (c< radius of the circle), then the radius of the circle is (a) a + b – c 2 + 2 – 2 2 + 2 – 2 (b) 2 (c) 2 (d) 2 78. Two concentric circles having common centre ‘O’ and chord AB of the outer circle intersect 9 SSC Combined Gradu ate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper he inner circle at points C and D. If distance of chord from the centre is 3 cm, outer radius is 13 cm and inner radius is 7 cm, then length of AC in cm is (a) 8 10 (b) 6 10 (c) 4 10 (d) 2 10 79. If PT is a tangent and AB is a chord of a circle and they intersect at the point P externally and PT = 2AP and AB = 18 units, then PT =? (a) 6 units (b) 9 units (c) 12 units (d) 15 units 80. In ? ABC, DE ? BC where DE intersects AB and AC at the points D and E respectively. If AD = 6 cm, DB = 12x – 6 cm, and AE = 2x cm and CE = 16 – 2x cm, then the value of x is (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2 (d) 8 81.If the sides of a quadrilateral ABCD touch a circle and AB = 6 cm, CD = 5 cm, BC = 7 cm, then the length of AD in cm is (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 8 (d) 9 82. AB is the diameter of a circle with centre O and P is a point on it. If ? POA = 120o, then the value of ? PBO is (a) 30o (b) 50o (c) 60o (d) 40o 83. From the circumcentre I of the triangle ABC, perp endicular ID is drawn on BC, if ? BAC = 60o, then the value ? BID is (a) 75o (b) 60o (c) 45o (d) 80o 84. PQ is a chord of length 6 cm of a circle of radius 5 cm. tangents to the circle at P and Q meet at T. length of TP is (a) 4. 75 cm (b) 2. 5 cm (c) 3. 75 cm (d) 4. 25 cm 85. O is the centre of a circle. AC and BD are two chords of the circle intersecting each other at P. If ? AOB = 15o and ? APB = 30o, then tan2 ? APB + cot2 ? COD is equal to (a) 3 1 (b) 3 2 (c) 3 4 (d) 10 3 86. ? ABC is a right- angled triangle, where ? ABC = 90o. If AC 2 and AB – AC 2, then the value of cos2 A – cos2 C is (a) 1 5 (b) 5 (c) 2 1 (d) 5 3 87. At the foot of a mountain, the elevation of its summit is 45 o. After ascending 2 km towards the mountain upon an incline of 30o, the elevation charges to 60o. The height of the mountain is (a) ( 3 ? ) km (b) ( 3 + 1) km (c) ( 3 ? 2) km (d) ( 3 + 2) km 10 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper 88. The maximum value of sin8 + cos14 , for all real values of is (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 1 2 (d) 0 ( + ) 2 ?1 1 2 89. If cos2 (a) 2 1 + sin2 = (b) 2 1 , 0o < < 90o, then tan = (c) (d) 90. If sin(10o 6’ 32†) = then the value of cos(79o 53’ 28†) + tan(10o 6’ 32†) is (a) (1+ 1 2 ) 1 2 (b) 1? 1 2 1 2 (c) 1 2 + 1 2 (d) 1 2 +1 1 2 91. If sin + cosec = 2, then the value of + is (a) 1 (b)1/2 (c) 2 92. tan tan tan (a) 1 2 (d) 0 tan ?sin2 = 1 (b) 2? 3 2 (c) 4 (d) 4 3 93. + = ? ? = , (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 4 (d) 9 94. Number of integral values of x for which sin – (a) 5 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 2 , where 0o ? 90o, is 95. If x = sin + cos and y = sec + cosec , find y in terms of x. (a) + (b) (c) (d) + Directions (Q. Nos. 6-100) The following pie chart show the details of 1500 employees working in a company in various scales and also the break-up of 800 male employees across the scales. Study the graphs and answer the questi on. 11 SSC Combined Graduate Level (Main) Examination 2012 Question Paper Break-up of 1500 employess across the scales VII 8% I 22% Break-up of 800 male employees across the scales VII 10% VI 14% V 12% IV 10% VI 9% V 12% IV 11% I 24% II 15% III 19% II 18% III 16% 96. How many females are working in scale V? (a) 180 (b) 144 (c) 96 (d) 84 97. The male-female ratio working in scale VII is () 1: 2 (b) 2: 1 (c) 2: 3 (d) 3: 2 98.The scale(s) in which the number of working females is the same are (a) I and VI (b) I and III (c) III and VI (d) only III 99. The number of scales in which the female workface is less than the average female workface working in any scale is (a) 5 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) None of these 100. Had the total number of employees working in the company been 1600 (800 male, 800 female) and pie charts of break-up across the scales the same, the percentage increase or decrease of female workforce in scale VII is (a) 10% decrease (b) 15% increase (c) 20% decrease (d) 20% increase 12

Race & Ethnicity: Effects on Life Essay

Ethnicity and race has had a big influence on peoples’ every day life choices. In some way or another, most people will be judged according to their color of their skin or their ethnic background. We live in a society full of different races and cultures affecting the way we interact with each other, as well as influencing our views on equality and differences among the many different races in our society. Often influential media groups and social standards shape our beliefs, also affecting how we interact with cultures different from our own, and how various groups interact with each other. Race and ethnicity may be defined as a type of grouping or classification based on a persons origin of birth and includes their racial appearance, language, religion and culture. Ethnicity can be defined as a social construction that indicates identification with a particular group who share common cultural traits, such as language, religion and traditions. Terms like ethnocentrism, racism, stereotyping, and ethnicity can affect our health status, our economical status, and just basically our status in society. Race defines who we are, and in some cases it is the root of discrimination problems. Individuals dislike other people because they do not like how they are; whether it is physically or the way they think and act. We look at people and experiences through race and culture. I was raised with family that had introverted personalities. This is one of the reasons why my personality is also like that. I grew up recognizing differences in races and ethnicity and it never affected my way of being, I simply saw everyone the same, with the same potential and equal opportunity. I have been taught by the spoken and unspoken ways of my parents, teachers, friends; I have simply grown up recognizing what is wrong and what is right among society. I was born in California but both my parents are Mexican, which makes me Hispanic. My experiences of racial profiling or prejudice due to my ethnic background or my Hispanic look have not been too common or extremely racist. My high school was about 99.99 percent Hispanic student body, so there was very little if any racial tension among students. It was when we would go out of that part of town that I would actually see racial comments made and shown by others. I was involved in the baseball team and tennis team at my  high school, and I would see some sort of labeling or stereotyping aimed at me and my teammates when we would play in other schools with Anglos or Blacks. Since we were one of the poorest schools in the city they would automatically assume we weren’t adequately prepared to be playing a team like them. Their stereotypes of us would make them think that we didn’t speak English and our playing abilities would be very novice since we didn’t have the tools or money to afford good equipment or a coach at a young age. However, I will admit that we would also judge them as being too cocky, and with the conventional ‘white people’ stereotypes. Though most of the time we were right because these were rich kids with almost everything handed to them. Being in the minority has its disadvantages, but people, specifically students can be smart and use those stereotypes to their advantage. I honestly never paid attention to my lack of resources, instead I knew that if I wanted something I was going to try and get it. A big misconception that surrounded our school or the part of town that I lived in was that we were not going to make it to college, in fact, we would be lucky if we actually graduated from high school. The name of our high school was very much and icon or a symbol. I knew some friends that wouldn’t give out the name of our school because they were afraid of being labeled a â€Å"loser† in some way. Basically, going to my school meant that we were low IQ destined to work at low paying jobs, simply because many were Mexican immigrants or first generation American born. For our advantage, now a day being in the minority can actually help you enroll into colleges of your choice and get scholarships to help pay for college. Perceptions play a great roll on judging others; many times it is influenced by race and ethnicity. It is clear to me that if lived in a more diverse part of the city; my experiences would be the very different. As society grows more with different cultures, races and ethnics, tension grows and people start disliking others ways of being that are not like theirs. But it is important to understand that it is not healthy to have prejudice feelings towards others, it only makes one bitter.

Work and Non-Work Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Work and Non-Work Relationship - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  for the purposes of explaining the relationship between job responsibilities and family responsibilities, various kinds of conceptual models have been proposed in this regard, and these conceptual models symbolize the diverse viewpoints on how we carry out our respective job responsibilities and family responsibilities. Although, various conceptual models have been introduced for the purpose of explaining the relationship between job responsibilities and family responsibilities, but the five major conceptual models which have been introduced in this regard, includes, segmentation model, spillover model, compensation model, instrumental model and conflict model.  This paper declares that  different methodologies have been used by the researchers for the purpose of assessing the relationship between enhanced work loads of dismissed survivors and their respective work-life balance and work and life contentment. As per a research, employees who face extremely heavy workload, have to face heavy overall role overload as well, and this eventually creates a negative influence on their work-life balance.   Another research was carried out for the purpose of discovering the fact that whether contented employees maintain an effective work-life balance or not, and in this research, the researchers found that flexible functioning approach facilitates employees to stay aggravated, which eventually helps them to accomplish their respective professional and personal goals effectively and efficiently.

The use of managerial accounting in any industry Essay

The use of managerial accounting in any industry - Essay Example This accounting branch embraces accounting systems, methods, and techniques that can help the organization maximize its profits or minimize losses. Scholars opine that management accounting is the presentation of accounting information in a way that would assist the top management to create potential policies for managing its daily operations. Management accounting is not confined to financial management information, but it is about comprehensive information about overall organizational activities. It is evident that financial management alone is not capable of providing necessary information for performing managerial functions effectively. In contrast, management accounting is able to provide key information about cost, profits, and factors which are useful for the management to discharge their functions effectively. Management accounting can be considered as an extension of the management aspects of the cost accounting, and it is based on the principles of both cost accounting and financial accounting. It seems that management accounting is relevant to fast growing sectors like automotive industry because those sectors need an uninterrupted flow of various information to ensure improved value chain efficiency. This paper will explore the uses of managerial accounting tools in the automotive industry with particular reference given to management accounting practices in Toyota Motor Corporation. ... ute of Management Accountants (IMA), â€Å"management accounting is a profession that involves partnering in management decision making, devising planning and performance management systems, and providing expertise in financial reporting and control to assist management in the formulation and implementation of an organization’ strategy† (â€Å"definition of..†). The management accounting information is different from financial accounting information in several aspects. The management accounting information is basically forward-looking whereas financial accounting information is primarily historical. In addition, managerial accounting information is model based and is particularly intended to support decision making. This type of information is generally intended for the use by business managers but not by stockholders, creditors, or the general public. Therefore, managerial accounting information is highly confidential in nature. According to the American Institu te of Certified Public Accountants, the practice of management accounting is spread to other three areas such as strategic management, performance management, and risk management. Strategic management is about promoting the management accountant’s role as a strategic partner in the organization whereas performance management deals with improving the performance efficiency of the organization constantly. The risk management is vital to identify and manage risks that constitute a potential obstacle to the achievement of the organization’s long term objectives. A management accountant uses his professional knowledge, experience, and expertise to assist the company management to frame strategic policies and to improve operational efficiency and thereby promote value creation. Therefore, management accountants

Action Of Enzyme Catalase On Hydrogen Peroxide Lab Report

Action Of Enzyme Catalase On Hydrogen Peroxide - Lab Report Example The student feels that the more the concentration of the liver the more the enzyme that would result since more amount of oxygen would react with the hydrogen peroxide molecules. For accomplishing this, the student has taken five test tubes with the first test tube having twice the suspension as that of the fifth tube expecting that there would be twice the amount of oxygen given off. This seems that the student wants to prove that the amount of oxygen that would be evolved would be directly proportional to the amount of the liver suspension take. Since it cannot be decided in a single experiment the student repeats it three times to observe whether the desired changes have taken place in each experiment or not. The independent variable to be considered here would be the amount of liver suspension and distilled water and the dependent variable would be the amount of oxygen evolved. This experiment deals with quantitative analysis. The overall experiment can be summed up by the following table (Note: Exp indicates experiment) It can be observed that there is a significant variation in the amount of oxygen evolved in the three experiments. The variation can be clearly understood observing the graph below It can be inferred from the graph that there is a gradual decline in the amount of oxygen evolved considering the concentrations of the enzyme. (The x-axis represents experiment and the y-axis represents the amount of oxygen evolved). It is only in the second experiment that the discrepancy arises. It is highly probable that there might have been a replacement of the suspension. It can be clearly understood that there is a direct relationship between the amount of suspension and the amount of oxygen evolved. The experiment is in fact a relatively simple one and can be performed easily if the conditions are ideal. The student has done it appropriately and has a good analytic skill. The prediction is purely based on understanding as it involves mainly quantitative analysis rather than the chemical reaction. The student has opted the right materials for accomplishing this experiment. The only requirement would be to do the experiment under perfect conditions and conduct the experiment singly so as not to confuse with other experiments. The following experiment would boost the above observation Hypothesis: Iftime is increased, then more hydrogen peroxide molecules will be split into water and

Health Systems Administration SLPs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Health Systems Administration SLPs - Essay Example g White Americans, prejudicial attitudes toward minorities remain more common than not, as over half to three quarters believe that relative to whites, minorities – particularly Africa Americans are less intelligent, more prone to violence, and prefer to live off welfare (Bobo, 2001, as quoted by Smedley, 2003). This discrimination often translates to how health care professionals relate to their patients, with whites often giving preferential treatment to fellow whites and being less solicitous of Blacks and other ethnic minorities. Socioeconomic factors are factors that pertain to the economic status of the patient and economic factors that affect availability and accessibility of health services. This factor is sometimes seen in the thousands of patients without health insurance and those who cannot afford to pay for their medical bills. Socioeconomic factors eventually affect the delivery of health care services as seen in hospitals unable to afford the hiring of more medi cal personnel or unable to purchase medical equipment. The last factor affecting the delivery of health care is personnel shortage. At present, the United States is experiencing nursing and other medical personnel shortage. For nurses alone, National Surveys revealed that in the year 2006, 2.6 million full-time practicing RNs were needed nationally. Personnel shortage affects health care delivery in the sense that fewer personnel available to care for patients inadvertently increases work load for available medical personnel. Possible work overload affects the quality of health services. It also affects the number of patients that the hospital can accommodate. Hospitals cannot be compelled to admit more patients if they know they cannot care for them. As a manager, I would deal with racial/ethnic factors in the workplace by setting a good example. As manager, at times, I am asked to deal with hiring manpower or personnel. In these instances, I will consciously monitor

Medicine and Mathematics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medicine and Mathematics - Essay Example This can, probably, be a meticulously suitable premise of physiology which is a quantitative science. Today, mathematics is applied in the every-day life while facilitating health care for people around the world. Statistical graphs of epidemics, success rates of treatments, X-rays and CAT scans are some of the examples where mathematics is applied by all mathematical professionals. CAT Scans are one of the most advanced ways in which medical veterans bring math into use. A CAT scan is a special kind of x-ray known as a Computerized Axial Tomography Scan. A standard x-ray is capable of providing with a two-dimensional view of a specific part of the body. Further, if a smaller bone is concealed amidst the x-ray machine and the larger bone, it is not possible to view the smaller bone which is like a shadow (Article, 2009). The process has developed commonly and it is quite difficult to understand the way it has developed into a miracle. CAT scan has the capability of providing an image of what a real segment would look like, however, without any real slicing (Phillips, 1999). This technique is strongly reliant on the X-ray penetrability of various tissues, similar to the conservative X-ray imaging. However, the difference lies with the fact that here, as an alternative to a single 2-dimensional X-ray image, a sequence of 1-dimensional X-ray images, which is clicked from various angles, is coalesced again mathematically into a single image of a 2-dimensional segment. Mathematics allows the reconstruction of a 2-dimesional cross-section of an entity from a sequence of 1-dimensional samplings of similar density. This technology is called the Radon Transform (Phillips, 1999). 2.2 Analysis of DNA DNA filaments are comprised of a number of joint molecules called nucleotides. Particular groups of these molecules tend to perform definite functions that are known as genes which reside in the nuclei of cells. Genes are comprised of codes for manufacturing essential substances for the body. With efficacious coding for proteins, genes have the propensity of recognizing the sequence of events which produce the traits of bodies, such as from blue eyes to blond hair, or even allergies. The passage of genes through generations helps passing on the traits as well. In case of alteration of the genes, traits are altered too, often leading to harmful results. Fascinatingly, segments of DNA tend to break and unite, thereby, scuffling the order of genes. As a result, for the reason that such changeovers possess mathematical prospects, there are various features of DNA which can be derived by knowing such prospects (Casey, 1992). Here, mathematics matches genetic sequences and such researches give way for many other aspects of genetic research as well. 2.3 Molecular Modeling Various algorithms have been deduced for molecular modeling

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OPM 300 MOD 1 SLP - Essay Example Mc Donald’s is able to maintain its global power in due in great part to its ability to constantly modify and adapt its operations processes to the demands of its customers and of the social environment as well. One particular operations process that is constantly modified by Mc Donald’s to keep pace with increased competition and smarter, more demanding and less brand-loyal customers is the way it makes some of the items on its menu. One particular example was when Mc Donald’s considered switching to a hamburger bun that does not require toasting. Trial tests have shown that customers preferred the taste and texture of the untoasted hamburger bun (Gibson, 1995). More importantly, leaving the buns untoasted would translate into considerable cost savings resulting from reduced preparation time and the elimination of commercial toasting equipment. Considering that Mc Donald’s serves billions of buns for its hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches, this modif ication in one of their operations processes would rake in millions of dollars in savings for Mc Donald’s as well. This illustrates two very important aspects of operations which are customer satisfaction and competitiveness (Meredith & Shafer, 2007).

Confucianism and Taoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Confucianism and Taoism - Essay Example The â€Å"ideal type† Confucian is a â€Å"jun-zi† or â€Å"superior man† (Dagnabitt, n.d.). One can become a jun-zi by following Li or proper moral conduct. Li means to live with reverence or propriety. One must live with social norms and maintain proper public conduct. If one lives the Li way, one is able to establish harmony within the individual, the home, the family and the country. The superior man according to Confucianism must have five virtues – sincerity, benevolence, filial piety and propriety (Kengarman, n.d.). One has to be trustworthy, honest in speech and keep commitments. The conduct should be founded in virtues and one should be virtuous in public as well as in private life. Benevolence is another characteristic of the virtuous man and one should not do to others what he would not like others to do to him. Filial piety is the greatest virtue, and should be shown towards both the living and the dead. It is the love and respect for oneâ€⠄¢s parents and ancestors. Filial piety extends beyond the physical care of the parents. It means not to be rebellious, show love, respect and support. It means to uphold fraternity among brothers, to conceal their mistakes, advise parents when necessary, display sorrow at their sickness and death and most importantly carry out sacrifices after their death. The fourth virtue or propriety encompasses the whole spectrum of human conduct. The superior man does the right thing at the right time. If one deviates from propriety it is an act of immorality. Confucianism further believes that a superior man is needed to rule and keep the social and political order. A jun-zi is also needed in the government to help rule the state. This is essential because a good government brings about a good society. They further believe that a family is the base of society and state and hence ethics and order has to be maintained. All these require a superior man or a jun-zi to ensure that social order is maintained. In

International and Strategic Marketing Essay Example for Free

International and Strategic Marketing Essay The globalization of business markets from domestic to international has generated a unique competitive advantage for all the organizations whose products and services are being welcomed by the customers all around the world demanding mass marketing efforts. In this regard, marketing research in the international environment is having different methodology and complications with respect to geographical boundaries of a specific country in which penetration and development of a product is required. Therefore, an international market planning with strategic aligned goal, for development in the global world should be the objective of marketers to captivate international market leadership. Introduction The gravity of globalization in today’s modern era in the business world is increasing enormously due to faster means of communication, transportation, technology, and rapid financial streams. The product that is being produced in a specific region does not have limitations of boundaries. A Russian student can be wearing Italian T-shirt, driving in a German car going to meet his friend in a Chinese restaurant. This example is not astonishing because it is a general practice and nowadays everybody can illustrate the true meaning of world global market place. Hence, marketers are required to analyze this gravity of globalization and have to consider international marketing in their strategic goal of marketing plan. Marketing is the well known concept of anticipating customer need or demand then analyzing how marketers are going to fulfill that demand or need and finally satisfying customer need or demand. If the customer is really satisfied by gauging the ultimate benefit from that product or service provided by the marketer than it develops a sense of strong relationship between the customer and the organization, in which the organization give value to the customer and in return customer give value to them by building a strong profitable relationship (Kotler, Armstrong, 2008). International marketing concept is also the same as the general defined concept of marketing but the methodology to enter and penetrate in the international market is not the same as it is in domestic marketing. Indeed the tools and skills to enter in the international market is same but their application differs due the factors which include economy, political and legal system, and most importantly culture and buying behavior of the nation. Hence, the ideology of international marketing can be gauged in this way that the organization which offers its products and services by planning, pricing, promoting, and distributing to more than one nation other than domestic market to earn higher profit   (Cateora et al., 2002). Internationalized Business Operations Many potential organizations tend to bring their operation on global level rather than national level. When the companies move to internationalization the complexity and sophistication of operations change enormously. The basic guidelines for the companies orienting in international market are described by EPRG framework (Wind, Douglas, Perlmutter, 1973). This framework deals with four types of orientation of company going to international market which are: a. Ethnocentrism: In this type of orientation, top management is highly focusing on domestic market as compared to foreign market because its products have already stable and reasonable demand in domestic market. Company considers their foreign sales as surplus to their domestic sales. b. Polycentrism: It is the attitude which arises when the company recognizes that its multi domestic products strategies would not be successful in the host country if the orientation method is same as domestic orientation. Hence, a different marketing program to enter in the international market is required by the company. c. Regiocentrism: In these stages company identifies the similarities of the entire region and enters the regional market by developing integrated strategies of marketing. Such types of orientation capture geographically and economically integrated region such as NAFTA and European Union. d. Geocentrism: In this type of approach company consider the entire global market as its potential market place. This is one of the most important and critical type of approach when companies make single policies for the entire world market. The organizations should have prior focus on going globally because this approach has a great future. Hence, it is proved as well that organizations which are growing globally have gathered tremendous success in the past decades.   International marketing environment An optical company introduced eye glasses in Thailand by running advertizing campaign of cute animals wearing glasses. The advertisement featuring animal was a pathetic choice as in Thailand animals are considered to be the sign of low life and was not respectful for Thais to take that thing which was being used by animal due to which the company had to suffer a loss in spite of modern and unique design of their product (Payne, website). So the main fault was of the company’s marketing research team that they did not gathered   appropriate knowledge of Thai culture and have misjudged the society in which they are going to enter. They did not realize the fact that the marketing environment would be different from the domestic market in which they have achieved the strategic position. When the organization takes the decision of going beyond the domestic market then it needs to cater that there will be significant national differences which will create a different marketing environment than the one it is serving now. This reflects the very fact that the research is need to be conducted in those highlighting factors which will affect its strategic marketing goals. There are many ways by which research can be conducted out of which asking question is the most effective one by which an appropriate answer is obtained (Kumar, 2000). Marketing Research in Saudi Arabia If the analysis is conducted on the differences of factors in the international marketing environment of a country named as Saudi Arabia then it is observed that the main highlighting factors which are to be considered in doing research and which differentiate people of one nation to another are discussed below; a. Culture: Nation with different cultures has different traditional values and demand those products which are not vulnerable to their culture. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country having Arabs traditional values, they will highly support and promote the product in Saudi market which will either promote their culture or at least accept their culture. b. Economic condition: The economic condition of the nation should be highly considered in marketing research because it defines the purchasing power of the customer which is the main origin of marketing. In Saudi market maximum companies offer luxurious and expensive products because the purchasing power of the nation is high because of rich government having vast amount of natural resources. c. Racial differences: It defines the different physical features of the nation. Like the cosmetic product would be different for the customers of Saudi Arabia as compared to the customers of U.S.A. It is located in such region of Asia in which people have generally different colored skin which is opposite to U.S. nation which do not have the same skin as Saudis’ have. In this regard, the marketing program for the Saudi nation for particularly cosmetic products would be different from that of U.S.A. d. Climate: It defines the different meteorological condition of the country because it has a great impact on the products which have seasonal demands. Saudi Arabia is considered as the hot climate country in which temperature normally rises to 55 0F. For such a hot weather country marketers have taken that as opportunity for them and have introduced such air conditioning system which can sustain the temperature of Saudi Arabia. There would be consider an immature marketing program if the products which are not suitable with the climate of the country are introduced because they are not compatible for that region neither they have market demand in that region. e. Religion: It does reflect in the marketing, in the sense that the product whose ingredients are controversial. In Saudi Arabia the concept of Halal food restricts the entire food manufacturers to penetrate in its markets that violate it and in the same way alcoholic drinks are also not allowed because of their religious jurisdiction. f. Language: In international marketing research, it is one of the most important aspects because it is the effective means of communication and if it is not used in appropriate manner, can cause reverse affect on marketing efforts. Arabic is the native language of Saudi nation and mostly they are unable to understand English, which is a universal language. So, the marketers have analyzed that their all promotion efforts should be translated in Arabic so that the customer really get to know that what the product all about is. Similarly, there are also other factors which marketers have to analyze in the international marketing research mode of environment it has targeted like market facilities and capabilities, political stability of the country, nation psyche etc.

Ethical Issues with HIV Positive Clients

Ethical Issues with HIV Positive Clients Introduction HIV and infectious diseases is a sensitive issue that has prompted the introduction of additional laws to protect the psychological and emotional needs of the clients. Ethical values basically guide ethical behavior and conduct. Various moral concerns have been identified since the emergence of HIV. Ethical Principles Basic principles that guide medical behavior include respect for persons, justice and beneficence (Angel, 1998). Fundamentally, these are achieved through keeping promises, upholding respect and maintaining confidentiality (Wolf, 2001).Other ethical principles include utilitarian perspective and the ethic of caring (Wolf, 2001). Ethical Issues Confidentiality. Generally, all medical information and records are expected to be kept confidential. Gostin et al (1997) shows that the sensitive nature of information related to HIV and other infections have prompted creation of additional laws to protect the affected clients. There are exceptions however that allow the healthcare personnel to report cases to healthcare authorities (Gostin et al, 1997); the need to disclose the status to the persons at risk (Gostin Webber, 1998); the case relating to infected healthcare personnel that rested in the formation of a panel of experts that restrict the activities of the infected workers or inform the patients of their status (Kass, et al, 1996; Lurie Wolfe, 1999; Singer et al, 2006; Varmus Satcher, 1999); prenatal testing that has introduced routine testing to all expectant mothers (Connor et al, 2004, Levine 1998 ; Sargent, 2000) End of life issues. Ferriman (2001) ascertains that this existed during the initial times of the emergence of HIV when it had the capacity to develop in to a terminal disease in a short period of time. Availability of effective ARVs has changed the situation (Lurie Wolfe, 1999). However, it still affects populations with limited resources. Palliative care is essential. Vaccine Research. Wolf and Berkey (2000) indicate that the minority are employed in trials. Wolf (2001) notes that the populations have false hopes about the possibility of being cured. Vaccines have adverse impacts on the immunity of the participants. Participants may be denied travel rights due to the health implications of the vaccine. There eligibility of taking up certain jobs is affected. Gostin and Webber (1998 show that at times the participants are labeled very vulnerable to infection. This has far reaching implications n their behavior. Confidentiality is often breeched by the researchers. Research ethics. Feriman (2001) points out that the participants are not given vital information prior to research. In other instances, their consent is not sought. Healthcare providers contribute to the misconceptions (Gostin, 2000). Patients are not informed about the implications of the research. Loyalty by patients makes them to avoid informing themselves of the necessary procedures. Patients at times provide information in return for better services from the healthcare in future. Healthcare providers undertaking research place greater emphasis on financial benefits rather than the interests of the patients. Summary It is clear that the ethical principles of respect for people, justice and beneficence provide essential guidance in health care. In addition, the utilitarian perspective and the ethic of caring also provide vital guidance to medical behavior. Notably, these enable the clinicians to interact with HIV positive patients and those with infectious diseases in a sustainable manner. Ethical concerns such as confidentiality, end of life, informed consent, vaccine research, research design and conflict of interest characterize the interaction between patients with infectious illnesses such as HIV and clinicians. Recommendations Patients need to be informed of their legal rights prior to testing. Pretest procedures and counseling need to be upheld. With regard to HIV vaccine research, it is important that the trials be carried out on a population that is globally representative. Finally, it would be important for the researchers carrying out medical research about infectious diseases to be guided by fundamental clinical ethics References Introduction The sensitivity that is associated with HIV positive clients, infectious diseases and relative information requires the clinicians to uphold a high degree of morality when interacting with the patients at different levels. Since the emergence of the epidemic, various ethical concerns have been identified in different instances. In order to ensure that the wellbeing of the patients and healthcare providers is protected, measures have been undertaken to address the concerns accordingly. Indeed, it is worth acknowledging that the psychological wellbeing of the HIV positive patients plays a critical role in their holistic wellbeing. Physical wellbeing can be achieved if the patients are handled with the greatest level of care. It is against this background that this paper explores the ethical issues concerning HIV positive clients and other infectious diseases controlled by the health department guidelines. In order to enhance a harmonic consideration, the paper starts by underscoring the basic ethical principles underpinning healthcare and relative research. Then, it exhaustively reviews several ethical concerns and comes up with recommendations that would effectively address the ethical issues. Ethical Principles Clinical work and related research is governed by various ethical and moral principles that guide professional behavior and conduct. When dealing with persons that are HIV positive or those with other infectious diseases, it is imperative to observe these principles as they make the patients feel appreciated and cared for. Of great importance is the moral worth that these values enhance. In particular, Angell (1998) indicates that respect for people, justice and beneficence are fundamental values that govern any form of clinical interaction. The value of respect for persons demands that the decisions and autonomy of other individuals be upheld. In addition, this principle postulates that persons that lack autonomy and those that are unable to make independent decisions be protected. Justice requires that all persons irrespective of their status be treated in a fair manner. The ideal state of justice is characterized by equal distribution of the burdens and benefits within the society. Finally, beneficence imposes upon the clinicians a responsibility to act in the interests of the patients. In order to achieve this Wolf (2000) asserts that the ability to keep promises, uphold respect and maintain a high degree of confidentiality is essential. Other ethical principles that can be used to guide the conduct of clinicians in this field include the utilitarian perspective and the ethic of caring (Wolf, 2001). The former places emphasis on the consequences of the activities and postulates that clinical behavior can only be morally acceptable if its consequences are desirable and enhance the greatest good for the majority of the population. The latter on the other hand judges the activities based on the effect that they have on relationships. However, Wolf (2000) indicates that some of these principles conflict and therefore can not be applied jointly. In addition, it is notable that some principles can not be applied in some situations. The clinicians should therefore weigh the relevance of a principle to a situation before applying it. This is important to avoid conflicts that are likely to stem from application of multiple principles. Of great importance however is to ensure that the greatest degree of good for the greatest m ajority is always upheld. Ethical Issues Over time, various ethical concerns have arisen from the interaction between HIV positive patients and clinicians. Confidentiality is one such issue that has been considered to be very important in this regard. Generally, the law provides that all medical information be treated with a high degree of confidentiality. However, Gostin et al (1997) shows that the sensitive nature of information related to HIV and other infectious diseases has prompted various states to adopt relevant laws that offer additional protection to the same. These laws prevent disclosure of information related to HIV without prior authorization. However, as indicated earlier, there are different contexts that might require that such information be disclosed without the knowledge and/ or authorization of the patients. Basically, such steps are considered ethical as they seek to enhance the greatest good for the greatest percentage of a population. To begin with, the law allows the healthcare personnel to report HIV infections to relevant public heath authorities. Gostin (2000) contends that the advantages of this reporting basically outweigh the risk discrimination of the infected individual. Usually, the name of the individual is not provided during reporting. However, epidemiological studies show that in order for intervention measures to yield optimal results, there is need to encourage provision of name based information during reporting. Nonetheless, it has been argued that this has the capacity to increase the risk of discrimination and therefore should be avoided. This position is also held by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that ensure that testing of HIV is made anonymous. Another scenario that breeches confidentiality but is not punishable by law is when the healthcare providers disclose the status of a patient to persons that may be at risk of infection. In this regard, Gostin and Webber (1998) ascertain that the right of a patient to be accorded confidentiality is often in conflict with the right of the partner to be notified accordingly. Despite the fact that confidentiality is instrumental in avoiding discrimination, it needs to be appreciated that the implications of failing to inform a non suspecting partner can be far reaching. In order to avoid conflicts, the patients are usually advised during counseling to reveal their status to their sex partners. Another exception with regard to confidentiality of information that is HIV related concerns the healthcare workers that are infected with the disease. This particularly affects the workers who perform exposure prone procedures. In this respect, Singer et al (2006) cites the US law that demands that the status of these workers be reviewed by the expert panel. This then makes a decision regarding whether to prevent the infected workers from performing such procedures or to inform the patients about their infection. The equivalency policy that demands that the healthcare workers disclose their status has been increasingly adopted by various states. From an ethical perspective, disclosure of HIV status by the health workers and enforcement of some form of restrictions is in line with the best interests of the patients. However, various studies of whom Lurie and Wolfe (1999) are represented argue that this contravenes the privacy of health workers and enhances discrimination especially when the patients are informed. However, it should be appreciated that the benefit of the uninfected patient outweighs the risk of discrimination of a heath worker by the same. To address these concerns, a more viable approach would be for the council of experts to place restrictions but avoid informing the patient, unless under special conditions. Another ethical issue regarding HIV positive patients and those with infectious diseases is informed consent before testing. Basically, various clinical tests that involve testing of the blood samples of the patients do not require consent. However, the realization that testing for HIV had various negative implications led to the need for informed consent. The specific psychosocial risks that are presented by HIV testing include restriction of lack of access to insurance, healthcare or housing, possibility of rejection by family, friends and/ or close relatives and discrimination during employment. Thus special procedures that seek the consent of the patient such as pretest counseling and need for specific informed consent from the patient are a prerequisite. These measures ensure that the patient is psychologically and emotionally prepared to deal with the implications of the results. Essentially, the information that needs to be availed to the patient prior to testing include the benefits and risks of testing, risky behaviors, measures undertaken to prevent transmission, the nature of the test and confidentiality of the test. These are always coupled with an informed consent from the patient. In their review, Varmus and Satcher (1999) indicate that most states require that the patient provide a written consent. However this provision has various exceptions. In some instances, prisoners are persons that are accused of sexual crimes are often tested without consent. In addition, some states have made the testing mandatory for new born babies. In his study, Kass et al (1996) indicates that this also reveals the status of the mother. Notably, prenatal testing is also undertaken without consent from the mother. Fundamentally, early detection is instrumental in preventing mother to child transmission. Initially, prenatal testing was undertaken after a pretest counseling and informed consent. However, changes were proposed and currently, all pregnant mothers undergo a routine prenatal HIV testing. However, the revised edition of this law by the US Public Health Service presented a need for informed consent, although it is not clarify whether this needs to be verbal or written. Connor et al (2004) ascertains that the proposals that seek to make HIV testing mandatory for pregnant mothers are compounded by different complexities. To begin with, the provision does not ascertain whether it would be accepted by all the mothers or not. In this regard, it should be appreciated that some mothers may not be willing to undergo the test. It was posited that once this provision is made a routine requirement, it would become difficult for the pregnant mothers to determine whether they have a right to decline the test or not. Notably, this undermines the principles of autonomy as this critical decision would be beyond the ability of the affected mothers. Further, Sargent (2000) indicates that the care provides are likely to forget that HIV testing has various psychological implications that are likely to compromise the wellbeing of the mothers. In this respect it is recommended that precautionary protective measures be undertaken prior to testing. Further, foregoing the pretest procedures has the capacity to undermine preventive efforts. Connor et al (2004) indicates that in this regard, the mothers would not be informed about these important measures and they would fail to take necessary measures to prevent themselves from contracting new infections. Generally, it is agued that the proposed routine testing may compromise the adherence to vital pretest procedures. The possible spill over effects to the rest of the population can adversely affect the wellbeing of the general population. Further, Levine (1998) points out that pregnant mothers who are HIV positive are usually expected to make various choices regarding their health and pregnancy. In this regard, these women should not be forced to either undergo sterilization or abortion. In addition, the pregnant mothers should be counseled accordingly in order to enable them make viable decisions to either continue carrying the pregnancy or terminate it. Another ethical issue regarding HIV positive patients includes end of life issues. In this regard, Ferriman (2001) appreciates that before the development of antiretroviral therapy, HIV usually progressed very quickly to a terminal disease. However, this concern has in the recent past been less prominent due to the availability of antiretroviral therapy. However, it should be acknowledged that some segments of the global population lack vital resources to cater for these concerns. In such incidences, palliative care that seeks to reduce suffering is essential. In instances where resources are not available, care is fundamentally limited to psychological support that basically helps the patients plan for issues such as child custody and burial. Nevertheless, Lurie and Wolfe (1999) indicate that this scenario is probably changing as measures are being undertaken to increase the provision of anti retroviral drugs to the affected population. Practical measures in this respect include pre ssuring the relevant pharmaceutical companies to provide the drugs at affordable prices, providing resources for purchase of the drugs and allowing production of generic drugs. Further, it is argued that the HIV vaccine research has also been fraught with numerous ethical complications. To begin with, Wolf and Berkeley (2000) indicate that the minority of the population has increasingly been employed in research. In this respect, it is posited that population samples for trials are often picked from developing countries. Furthermore, Wolf (2001) notes that the population involved in research often has positive hope because of the belief that it is actually a cure. As such, participants tend to involve themselves in risky behaviors. This implies that the nature and function of the trial is not often communicated to them in an effective manner. In addition, it shows that the researchers place more emphasis on the results of the research rather than the protection of the participants. In this regard, it would be imperative for the researchers to protect their participants too. This will not only enable them to get high quality research but also save the lives of the vulnerable population. The HIV vaccine trials have also been identified to pose various risks to the participants. In this regard, it is indicated that the participants are often refrained from participating in future researches. In addition, the implications of the trials to the immunity of the participants are still unknown. Further, Levine (1998) asserts that the participants may be frustrated in the long run due to the fact that the vaccine may not be effective. Also, it is argued that the participants often react differently to specific antibody tests that characterize the trial. As a result, they may be prevented from traveling to other countries. In addition, these effects are likely to undermine their eligibility for some government jobs such as the military. This may happen irrespective of the fact that their seroconversion may not be a representation of an infection. Furthermore, the participants are likely to face some form of stigmatization as a result of disclosure to friends and relatives. In their review, Gostin and Webber (1998) ascertain that certain phases of the trial often identify some of the participants to have a high risk of contracting the infection. This has various implications and may pose difficulties to the particular person. Finally, consistent research indicates that confidentiality of the status of the participants has increasingly been breached in the past. Recent surveys affirm that this often happens, irrespective of the fact that the researchers are charged with the responsibility of keeping the status of the participants confidential. Further, ethical issues have increasingly been raised with regard to conducting research about infectious diseases and HIV. To begin with Ferriman (2001) indicates that the participants need to be informed prior to the research and their consent sought. Often, the expectations of the participants tend to undermine the quality of the research. In this regard it is worth acknowledging that most of the participants consent to participate in research, not because of the need to help the researcher to obtain vital results but of the expectations to attain personal benefits. The widespread misconceptions about the importance of the research often make some patients to misinterpret the information availed to them. In the long run, the quality of the research is greatly undermined. Health care providers have been cited by Gostin (2000) to contribute significantly to these misconceptions. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the health personnel undertaking a certain research often have an upper hand with regard to the knowledge about the research. In some cases, they fail to inform the patients about the importance of the research. In other instances, they provide wrong advice to the participants and since they have the authority over the patients, the participating patients are inclined to follow their misguided advice. Further, Kass (19996) argues that some patients participate in researches because of the need to please the healthcare staff. In such instances, the participants believe that they would get quality healthcare in return. Moreover, emergent research indicates that the trust that the patients have in the medical institutions often makes them participate in the researches without reviewing the relevant conditions. In such cases, the healthcare providers undertaking the research over estimate the benefits of the same and fail to inform the participants of relevant procedures. Conflict of interests in the area of research and especially that pertaining to infectious diseases also raise various ethical considerations. In this respect, Angell (1998) indicates that these are attributable to the benefits that healthcare researchers get from positive results of their research. In particular, they usually get grants, prestige and promotions fro their research and other published work. As a result, they always aim at recruiting and retaining particular participants in their researches. In some instances, this interest conflicts with the basic interests of the participants. However, the conflicts that are financially oriented often influence the quality of the researches as the decisions made are not objective. In addition, financial conflicts some cases make the researchers to halt the research irrespective of the fact that it is likely to benefit very many individuals. Summary To sum up, it is clear that the ethical principles of respect for people, justice and beneficence provide essential guidance in health care. In addition, the utilitarian perspective and the ethic of caring also provide vital guidance to medical behavior. Notably, these enable the clinicians to interact with HIV positive patients and those with infectious diseases in a sustainable manner. Ethical concerns such as confidentiality, end of life, informed consent, vaccine research, research design and conflict of interest characterize the interaction between patients with infectious illnesses such as HIV and clinicians Recommendations From the analysis, it is certain that ethical issues pertaining to infectious diseases like HIV and Aids are wide and varied. In order to uphold the relevant ethical principles that govern the interaction of patients and clinicians in this regard, it is imperative to put in to consideration various factors. These would ensure that the overall wellbeing of the patients and the clinicians is achieved. To begin with, it is important for the psychologists and other clinicians to inform the patients of their legal rights before assuming any form of treatment or tests. Knowledge about their rights would enable the patients to make objective decisions regarding their status. Particular areas of concern in his regard would be to inform the patients about various exceptions to confidentiality. This would ensure that the patients make informed decisions and in a timely manner. Wolf (2000) proposes that before informing the persons at risk about the status of the patient, psychologists need to inform the patients about their intentions. This would be instrumental in avoiding conflicts at a family level. Furthermore, the importance of pretest procedures and especially counseling should not be understated. Basically, these seek to psychologically prepare the patients to deal with the implications of testing with ease. In particular, the importance of positive living needs to be emphasized. This procedures needs to be extended to prenatal testing. Pregnant mothers have a right to make their decisions and should be allowed to do so through counseling. Much as it is important to protect the life of the unborn, it is worth noting that routine testing that deprives the mother of relevant pretest counseling. With regard to HIV vaccine research, it is important that the trials be carried out on a population that is globally representative. The participants should be well informed about the implications of the trials and their consent sought before the onset of the same. Relevant information should be all inclusive and should entail the emotional, psychological, social and legal implications of the trials. Most importantly, the researchers need to uphold a high level of confidentiality about the status of the patients. Finally, it would be important for the researchers carrying out medical research about infectious diseases to be guided by fundamental clinical ethics. Of great reference in this respect would be their ability to put the interests of the patients before their own. In this regard, they need to inform the participants about the procedures of the research and ensure that they get their consent before beginning the research. In addition, they need to uphold a high level of objectivity when undertaking the research.

Study Abroad :: essays research papers

Going on this fourteen day Caribbean Cruise was the best time of my life! It was so much fun socially and it was extremely educational. This trip gave me the opportunity to experience things I never would have imagined. Touring the hotels and resorts made me want to pursue this major even more than I previously had. Now that I have had the behind-the-scenes and up close look at the career I am positive I made the right career decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether it be swimming with Sting Rays, snorkeling with exotic fish, or even just staring off into the endless ocean, each and every one thing I received the opportunity to do on this trip I am thankful for. All are things I have not really previously experienced and really did not even expect to. Not only were these experiences incredible but witnessing first hand $125,000 dollar a night hotel rooms and touring the most luxurious resorts in the world are all experiences that not many people get to do. Those that do get to do these amazing things are very lucky. Only seeing and learning half of what we did on this study abroad would have made me content. I honestly do not think I could have asked for a more educational yet extremely great and fun experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The one day that specifically sticks out in my head was the day in Atlantis when we toured several hotels and resorts. I enjoyed this because it was such a learning experience. Comparing all of the different resorts really helped me to pinpoint what it is exactly I want to do in the industry. This tour consisted of four tours through some of the most popular hotels and resorts in the Bahamas. Actually, some of the most respected hotel resorts in the world. The hotel resorts that we explored were the, Radisson Cable Beach and Golf Resort, The Nassau Beach Hotel, The Wyndham Nassau Resort and Sandals Resort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Nassau Beach Hotel seemed to be geared more toward teens and college students. There were a lot of younger people there and there were even some other college groups there. Also the hotel had brochures and signs about Spring Break and group packages for students. Wyndham Nassau Resort I feel directed a lot of attention toward their convention area and their conference areas, so that makes me think they target some company and group markets.

Black Uhuru :: Essays Papers

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru emerged at the perfect and ideal moment when Jamaica was faced with turmoil, confusions and difficulties. Throughout the late 1970's the country and its people were being faced with outside imperialist threats, political violence, a teetering and unstable economy, covert United States intervention and an angry, politicized youth. Reggae music no longer reflected change and was in need of its own uprising. Black Uhuru was seen through some eyes as the saving grace of this desperate time. The band was originally formed by Derrick"Duckie"Simpson, Don Carlos and Garth Dennis in 1971, and like almost all the front-rank Jamaican groups Black Uhuru proclaims a Rastafarian faith that has been crucial in shaping its music and its message. The religion's core belief is that Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 until a year before his death in 1975 was"a divine being, the Messiah, and the champion of the black race." Carlos left the group for a solo career and Dennis left to perform as a member of the successful roots group, Wailing Souls. Simpson remained to what seemed like one of many secondgeneration, Rasta-inspired vocal groups until he was drawn to the powerful and magical voice of Michael Rose. Shortly after Simpson and Rose began recording, they heard the ethereal voice of South Carolina-born, Columbia-graduate and Rasta sister, Sandra"Puma"Jones. It wasn't until Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare graced the stage along side the trio that they became the Black Uhuru that most are familiar with. Their music combined a deep spirituality, edgy political anger and rhythm driven by the superstar combo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. The internationally renowned musicians and record producers Sly Dunbar now 46, and Robbie Shakespeare, 45, were both born in Kingston, Jamaica. They started their individual careers as session musicians for local reggae acts, Sly as a drummer and Robbie as a base guitarist. In an interview Sly recalls how he come to know Robbie,"Robbie and I were both playing at different clubs in the same street in downtown Kingston. He was playing at Evil People and I was playing three doors down at Tit for Tat. Our breaks were at different times, and each of us would go to the other club during break and listen to the other band playing. The first time I saw Robbie playing bass I asked"Who's that?"He just seemed so relaxed. We got talking and we would just stand and talk about music for hours.

The Human Genome Revolution And Its Implications Essay -- Genetics Bio

The Human Genome Revolution And Its Implications Thanks to today’s technology, we can talk to people thousands of miles Rezadistant, view stars that are worlds away, and delve into our body on an unimaginable scale. This revolution has been peaceful for the most part, but the human genome threatens to be the smallest item to spark controversy in history. Both sides hold powerful cards, and, when the smoke clears, the decisions made in this country and around the world will alter the future for our descendants. On a more regional scale, no matter what happens, the genomes that reside in all of us will be scrutinized as never before, and they will finally be understood. The Rio Grande Valley is considered a rural area, an area where people do not seek treatment for their ailments as they should. Diabetes, obesity, heart problems, etc., run rampant throughout our community and the poverty of the area has only hampered efforts to turn back the tide on the war on such maladies. Personally, I am at risk for leukemia, gallstones, knee problems, and heart defects on both sides of my family. Any advancement in the field of medicine would certainly put a dent in anything that these historically difficult illnesses can throw at us. The Human Genome Project, run by the government of the United States of America, has begun to crack the shells of these human inefficiencies and failures. The DNA of every person has differences that make he or she unique from every other creature on earth. The Human Genome Project aims to take apart the human genome and look at the workings of what makes us tick. Gene by gene they have made progress and, in add ition, have created quite a stir within the international commu... ...God has created all things, and anything that lives is His work. He has given us the power to change the world, but we must strike the balance between advancement and absurdity so that He would know His own work when He saw it. This topic will not just be decided in the Valley or in Washington or The Hague. Instead, the fruition of work on the human genome will help decide the hearts and minds of the people across the globe, and that will determine the future of the human genome revolution. In these next few years, the human genome revolution will be pushed to its limits and the revolution will be tested on a pass/fail basis. Those that go against the decision of the majority will be looked down upon as either superstitious oafs or mad criminals. In the meantime, every voice lifted, regardless of opinion, will let our leaders know our wishes.

Slavery Today

Slavery in the 21st Century Sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion. While this happens all over the world, it occurs much more frequently in the United States than one would think. Sex traffickers use a variety of methods to â€Å"condition† their victims including starvation, confinement, beatings, physical abuse, rape, gang rape, threats of violence to the victims and the victims’ families, and forced drug use. In modern day slavery, human beings are literally bought and sold as property on the market, for amounts ranging from $80 to $5,000. Like in the 1800s, victims might even be sold at auctions where they have been kidnapped or sold into slavery by their families or friends whom they believed they could trust. They have no control over their lives: where they live, what work they do, their sexuality, or their health. Escaping is nearly impossible as victims are often constantly drugged, and they fear being abused or even killed. This is very similar to slavery in the 1700s and 1800s. Right now there are many problems and issues being brought up about the United States, however sex trafficking has failed to be acknowledged by most as one of those issues. We should care more about sex trafficking since it is believed to be the 21st century’s version of slavery. In the 1800s slavery was abolished and ended with the Civil War, but now it has arisen once again in a different way. We should pay more attention to these issues in providing education on the topic by reporting on the statistics and effects of sex trafficking in the media. I don’t know if we can truly abolish slavery in every form, but we should try as history has shown the effects slavery has on the individual, as well as, society.

Determinism vs Free Will Essay

Abstract In this essay I will define determinism, I will also define free will. I will answer question in a dialogue with and imaginary Socrates. In my dialogue I will give clear and conclusive answers and I will use the socratic method. I will also provide examples when possible, or needed. Determinism vs Free Will Socrates: What is the definition of determinism? April: Determinism is a belief in the inevitability of causation. Everything that happens is the only possible thing that could happen (Baumeister,2009). Socrates: What is the definition of free will? April: Free Will is the ability to freely choose one of several possibile alternatives, to make decisions the outcome of which is and cannot be known in advance (Voss,2007). Socrates: Do you agree that every event has an explanatory cause? April: Yes I do, Everything happens for a reason. Socrates: How do you define event? April: I would define even as something that happens. For example like a birth or a wedding. (Solomon,2010) Socrates: How do you define explanatory cause? April: An explanatory cause is the assumption that every event in the universe including our own actions, can be explained and understood. (Solomon,2010) Socrates: Do you agree that every human choice or event has an explanatory cause? April: Yes I absolutely agree, because every human choice and action has an explanatory cause. (Solomon,2010) Socrates: How do you define human choice? April: Human choice is the choice of humans to make a decision that is free of outside influences, because we (people) are the only ones responsible for the decisions we make every day. Socrates: How do you define human event? April: Human events are the things (events) that happens to human beings in their life, like getting married, having children, going to college, and even death. Socrates: Are they different? April: Yes, I think human choice and human event are different, because human choice is the decision you make, and human event is what will happen from your decision. For example you go on a date with this guy (human choice) and then you two fall in love and get married (human event). Socrates: Do you agree that to have an explanatory cause is to not be free? April: No, because that would mean that no human choice or action would be free and as a reaction to that there would be no choices or actions. (Solomon,2010) Socrates: How do you define free? April: Freedom means that we can deliberate about what to do, it means that the future seems â€Å"opened†, it also entails that we should be praised and blamed for our actions, since we have a choice. (Cuddy,2008) Socrates: Do you think that free will and determinism can coexist in anyway? April: Yes, I believe that free will and determinism can coexist, because even though we have free will and can do what we want, when we want, at the same time our freedom has rules (laws) that are there to guide us and let us know what is right and wrong. (Sturman,2013) Socrates: Is it possible to have external determinism and internal free will? April: Well, I think that maybe it is possible to have external determinism, but not possible to have internal free will, because no such thing as internal or external free will exist, however though external determinism does exist and it refers to the external influences that are out of our control. For example say that a successful and rich movie star has a child, that child will grow up and be a rich and successful movie star also. (Solomon,2010). In conclusion free will and determinism is something that will always be questioned by different people for years to come, but for now here is my beliefs in this dialogue with an imaginary Socrates. I defined determinism and free will and I also answered many questions from Socrates, and inconclusively yes determinism and free will can coexist and i have realized we are not complately free because we have rules (laws) to follow and abide by. For the most part we are the people we are because of determinism and free will. References Baumeister, Ray (2009). Cultural Animal. How we find Meaning in Life. Retrieved from https://www. psychologytoday. com Cuddy, Luke (2008). Determinism vs Freewill. Retrieved from https://www. neo-philosophy. com Solomon, R. C. , Higgins, K. M. (2010). The Big Questions. A Short Introduction to Philosophy. Retrieved from https://www. coursesmart. com Sturman, Henry. (2013). Freewill and Determinism. Retrieved from https://www. henrysturman. com/articles/freewill. html Voss, Peter. (2007). The Nature of Freewill. Retrieved from https://www.. optimal. org/peter/freewill. html.

Cognitive Development May Progress Gradually or Through a Series of Stages Essay

Cognitive development can be defined as the growth of our knowledge in understanding the world around us. This growth can be developed gradually, in other words, it is seen as a continuous process by collecting more information. Another way of developing cognitively is through a series of stages which involves some sort of revolution from one period to another in one’s lifetime. Jean Piaget, a cognitive developmentalist believed that humans go through a series of stages in life in order to reach their full cognitive ability. In this essay, we would briefly talk about Piaget’s Stage Theory and its criticisms. Piaget divided his theory into four different stages of development. The first one is known as the sensorimotor stage which is applied to infants for approximately the first two years of their lives. At this stage, infants discover the world mainly by their senses and actions. One of the main concepts Piaget penned is object permanence. This is the knowledge of the existence of objects even when we cannot directly sense it. Piaget suggested that babies lack this concept through his study; A not B task. In this study, the experimenter hides a toy under Box A then the baby would search for it under Box A. This procedure was repeated and eventually in front of the baby, the experimenter hid the toy under Box B. The baby searched for it under Box A instead of B even though they saw the experimenter hid it under Box B. Therefore, this study shows that the baby lacked the concept of object permanence. They are known to be in a state of solipsism, also known as the failure to differentiate between themselves and the surroundings. Based on observation conducted on his own children (1952), Piaget divided this stage into six different sub stages. However, Piaget’s claims on object permanence have been criticized. Baillargeon et al. (1985) found in their research that infants as young as three-and-a-half months have developed the ability of object permanence. This was backed up by Bower & Wishart (1972) whereby they discovered that even after the lights were switched off, the babies continued to search for the object shown. Hence, they do possess the ability of object permanence. The second stage is the preoperational stage which occurs when the child is aged 2 to 7. On this stage, the child solves problems by using symbols and develops the skill for languages. According to Piaget, the child is egocentric which means he sees the world from his standpoint but not others. The solution to this is to apply operational intelligence. The process of solving problems by using logic. Another concept which Piaget is concerned with is conservation. It is the understanding that any quantity remains the same even if physical changes is made to the objects holding the medium. In addition to these concepts, centration, also defined as the focus on a single aspect of a problem at a time. Piaget states that at this stage, the child fails to decenter. Conversely, Borke and Hughes (1975) found contradicting evidence against Piaget’s on his study of the three mountains task. They used the same elements of the task and discovered that children had no problem with identifying the perspectives of the others when the task is shown in a meaningful context. Hence, from the result obtained, Hughes found that the children did not display any characteristics of being egocentric. Furthermore, Gelman (1979) found in his study that four year olds altered their explanations of things to get their message across clearer to a blindfolded listener. If Piaget’s concept of egocentrism was correct then, this shouldn’t have happened. In addition, Flavell suggested an alternative to this issue by coining the Level 1 and Level 2 perspective-taking abilities. In Level 1, one thinks about viewing objects but not the different perspectives that can be seen of the objects while in Level 2, one is able to imagine the views of the objects from different angles. Flavell concluded that it is not compulsory that children think others share the same perspective as themselves but they do struggle to imagine what others can see. Therefore, this shows that Piaget’s claim on egocentrism could be correct or wrong. Moreover, in Donaldson’s Children’s Minds (1978), she argued that children misunderstood the questions which Piaget asked while conducting the studies. This was the reason why Piaget obtained the results in his studies involving the concept of conservation especially. Donaldson stated that Piaget’s tasks had no meaningful context for the children to understand, hence they answered what they thought the experimenter expected of them. This claim was supported by Rose & Blank (1974) where they found children often succeeded in the conservation task. Further research was done by Samuel & Bryant (1978) who used conservation of number, liquid quantity and substance and obtained similar conclusion with Rose & Blank’s. Donaldson also stated that children were unintentionally forced to produce the wrong answer against their own logical judgment. One of the explanations is that the same question was asked repeatedly before and after transformations presented to them and this in turn caused the children to believe that their original answer was wrong. Thus, the idea of children assuming the fact that reality changes according to appearance could be incorrect. In addition, Piaget may have underestimated a child’s cognitive ability because based on Mitchell & Robinson’s (1992) study; they demonstrated that children from the age of 4 could locate the correct answer to a solution by canceling out the alternatives. This process is also known as inference by elimination. The children were presented with a set of cartoon characters, three of which were well-known. They were asked to identify a superhero which was unknown. The researchers discovered that majority of the children selected the unknown character without doubt. Another example of a child’s ability is their capability with syllogisms which consists of logical problems accompanied by a general rule that enables people to create a statement. Dias and Harris (1990) stated a general rule that all fish live in trees and Tiddles is a fish, then it is logical to assume that Tiddles live in trees. After presenting this to the children, they insisted that Tiddles lives in the water instead. However, after the experimenters presented them with another rule, they were ready to use the rule to make inferences. Therefore, these evidences show that Piaget may have underestimated the abilities of younger children. Subsequently is the stage of concrete operation which happens to children around the age of 7 to 12. Now the child is able to solve their problems in a logical manner but the problem has to be either real or concrete. The final stage; formal operations which takes place when the child turns 12 and continue into their adulthood. In this stage, one would be able to solve problems systematically and logically even if the problem is a hypothetical situation. Wason and Johnson-Laird showed that most intelligent adults do not fulfill Piaget’s ideal cognitively developed person through selection task. This claim is proved in Cheng and Holyoak’s (1985) study where the results strongly show that majority of the participants does not display the reasoning of an adult in the stage of formal operations. In other words, this experiment is a clear indication that the formal operations stage does not exist. One of the critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory in general is John Flavell (1982) who claimed that Piaget did not define the cognitive processes clearly. Furthermore, Braine and Rumain (1983) who conducted an analysis on the contents and the structure of the theory found that Piaget’s theory could be flawed. These are only the few critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory. Thus, the theory is constantly being questioned due to its impact in the field of cognitive psychology. After stating the basic facts of the theory as well as giving some examples of the critics of Piaget’s concepts and ideas, we are now able to get an overview of the debate. Overall, there are evidences which propose some of the concepts to be reviewed again and maybe even rejected. However, from the researches conducted on Piaget’s theory as well as the impact of it, alternative theories were penned down. For example, Vygotsky’s theory which takes on a more social based view of describing the cognitive development. In conclusion, Piaget’s theory have been applied in various institutions especially education but it is also being criticized by many in the field, therefore, it is only fair to conclude that Piaget’s theory may need to be modified in order to create a more accurate theory to explain the way we understand the world.

Internal Services Marketing

SWP 59/91 â€Å"INTERNAL SERVICES MARKETING† PROFESSOR BRETT COLLINS School of Management Deaking University Victoria 3217 Australia (Tel: +6152 471277) and PROFESSOR ADRIAN PAYNE Marketing and Logistics Group Cranfield School of Management Cranfield Institute of Technology Cranfield Bedford MK43 OAL UK (Tel: 0234 751122) Submitted to European Management Journal Copyright: Collins and Payne 1991 INTERNAL SERVICES MARKETING INTRODUCTION Over the past few years the term internal marketing is increasingly being used to describe the application of marketing internally within the organisation. There are two dimensions relevant to our discussion of internal marketing. Firstly there is the notion that every department and every person within an organisation is both a supplier and a customer. The second aspect relates to the organisation’ staff and s involves ensuring they work together in a manner supporting the company strategy and goals. This has been recognised as being especially important in service firms where there is a close relationship between production and consumption of the service. It is thus concerned with both quality management and customer service and involves co-ordinated people and process improvement strategies. Internal marketing relates to all functions within the organisation, but it is vitally concerned with the management of human resources. However the traditional personnel department, and the more advanced human resources department, have frequently been oriented towards control and administrative activities rather than the alignment of human resources towards achieving strategic organisational purposes and goals. In this paper we explore the marketing of a particular internal service within the organisation – the human resource function. Our purpose is to illustrate how internal marketing concepts and methods used by marketing managers can provide the basis of a new perspective on meeting the opportunities and challenges faced by human resource managers. A market-oriented human resource manager is more likely to make an impact on the successof a company, through being more effective in both demonstrating the relevance of . human resource management (HRM) to all management team members, and helping other managers to increase their productivity. Our approach is to first consider the nature of the challenges and opportunities confronting human resource (HR) managers. A view of what is seen to be a central task for the HR management professional is then outlined. The congruence between marketing function activities and the HR management activities is then described. Finally, we consider how the HR manager can utilise the philosophy, ideas, and tools of the marketing function to make a more effective contribution toward the organisation’ objectives. s CHALLENGES FACING THE HR MANAGER The managers in a company who deal with the ‘ people’ issues are now recognised as having an increasingly strategic role in the success of many businesses. Regardless of whether the function these managers perform is called personnel, human resources, industrial relations, or training and development, it collectively now represents a business role similar in importance to the areas of finance, marketing and operations management. This trend has been driven by a more intensely competitive business environment, increased use of technology in some industries, and the shift in corporate philosophy from asset management to operations management. A focus on operations management has forced CEO’ to understand the need for s killed HR executives if they are to successfully cope with change. An organisation able to adapt to change is generally found to be more able to sustain competitive advantage in an environment of increasing uncertainty. The constant stress of corporate take-overs, new ventures, the restructuring of companies, rationalisation of existing operations, new technology introduction and staff lay-offs, means that the succes sof basic strategic decisions increasingly depends on â€Å"matching skills with jobs, keeping key personnel after a merger, and solving the human problems that arise from introducing new technology or closing a plant†. The dramatic turnaround of SAS by Jan Carlzon was driven through people rather than through an expensive investment in equipment and assets. 2 Increasing attention is being focused on the area of external customer retention and the enormous potential for improved profitability. 3 Top management should also seek to obtain improved organisational performance through effective HRM strategies aimed at improving personnel retention. The base-line benefits are cost savings on . etraining in a rapid turnover job market and cutting down the equally expensive knowledge drain. Companies able to manage this issue will reap the rewards which go with a team of committed, active individuals at a time when under-training is sapping productivity among competitors. Increased u sage of technology in some industries has led to the assumption that the quality of people performance will become a less important issue as technology becomes more pervasive. However the maintenance of reliable performance by competent employees is becoming more crucial. For example, we are now in an era where electronic banking means fewer face-to-face encounters between the bank and its customers. Consequently the importance of handling these interactions, and the ‘ costs’ of not making the most of opportunities are greater. In a relatively homogeneous industry such as banking, a key opportunity for banks to gain a competitive edge over competitors lies in the quality of its people. In an era of electronic fund transfer there is opportunity for a bank to position itself as one that has good people, not just good machines. Many of the key challenges facing retail banking involve the employee: the need to sell and cross-sell, unionisation, electronic banking, affirmative action, service quality management and technology management. It has been argued that HR professionals have failed in the past to reach their full potential within the corporate framework because they devoted themselves to the creation of ever more sophisticated programm es and forgot the whole purpose of the business. HR managers have had a role in organisations dealing with outside pressures such as government, unions, and safety, but their active involvement and collaboration is also needed with the production, marketing, and finance functions. They have been responsible for fending off interruptions, handling the reporting requirements of regulatory bodies, and dealing with social responsibility issues, but often are not involved in activities perceived by other managers to be fundamentally important to the business. Managing a corporation is complex, and CEOs find it necessary to simplify their task by concentrating on what appear to be the most important strategic issues. Because of resource limitations, it is necessary to focus senior management’ attention and s time on those aspects of the business process with the highest expected payoff. means that some areas with extremely high potential impact, but a very low perceived probability of delivering significant results, must get less attention than one might really wish. Strategic HRM requires a significant investment of organisational resources, which directly and immediately affects profits, and can thus make it unattractive to managers under pressure for short-term results. Further, any real understanding of what competent HRM could contribute to the success of a business has only been popularised fairly recently. 6 For these reasons senior management has often failed to grasp why HRM was relevant to business strategy, business performance, and the cost management function. Clearly the central task of HRM must be to gain the upport of senior management, secure the commitment of the CEO, and ensure HRM makes the most effective contribution possible to the organisation’ objectives. s This The HRM function in a company is never likely to be valued unless it convinces management it can provide significant payoffs, and is part of the key interactions between the organisation and environment. productivity. HRM will become established as an integr al part of a business through helping other managers to increase their Managers do not require more sophisticated programmes. They require someone who understands their problems, can actively contribute to the more effective and efficient management of human resources, and who has a good understanding of the business. We will now consider how the roles of marketing managers and HR managers are linked. THE MARKETING – HRM ANALOGY The HRM function has three distinct client groups, or markets, with which it must deal effectively; employees within the organisation, other managers involved with the senior management tasks including the CEO, and external groups such as prospective employees, government, unions, and regulatory bodies. Consideration of the challenges faced by HR managers indicates that they are similar to those challenges faced by other senior managers, and requirements for success correspond to those needed by good marketing managers. The use of marketing ideas does not need to be narrowly confined to products and markets. Marketing has been defined as â€Å"a social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others† , and implies two ‘ voluntary parties with unsatisfied needs, an expectation of mutual benefit, a means of communication, and a medium to complete the exchange. People who buy goods and services are involved in the same type of exchange process as people who seek employment that is satisfying, interesting, and more than a well-lit work space. The relationship between buyer and seller in a labour market is such that the employee must sell labour to earn an income. A company must create goods or services and exchange them in order to earn profits. Clearly there are times when one party to an exchange has much more bargaining power than the other party. The manager who seeks mutual benefit through working closely with the HRM department is involved in a similar exchange process to that which takes lace between consumers and companies everywhere. A source of interdepartmental conflict can be the need for a marketing manager to represent the interests of a customer against the needs of other managers. We do not lack examples of conflict between the marketing and accounting functions. For example, while the Sales department are properly concerned with maintaining a good relationship and undisrupted supply to the customer, the Accounts department is concerned with administering credit control. Accounts may seek the withholding of supply, because credit guidelines have been exceeded at a time when Sales is trying to service a sudden increase in demand, resulting in open conflict. 8 Similarly, an HR manager can become involved in interdepartmental conflict through a need to represent the interests of an employee against the needs of another manager. Like marketing, HRM is a function where success requires close co-operation with other functions, but there can be significant potential for conflict. The coalitions of power and politics at the core of fundamental conflicts such as this can be used to maximise business performance, or detract from it. The task for the HR manager is made more difficult because the quality of management performance is difficult to quantify – there is no bottom line responsibility. This can leave the HR manager without the defence available to managers of profitable business units who have tangible evidence of performance in their regular financial reports; bottom line results. Marketing performs a valuable role in that it creates utility, the capacity to satisfy needs. The HR manager is similarly concerned with the creation of utilities. The marketing philosophy or concept states that, in serving marketplace needs, the entire organisation should be guided by thinking that centres around the consumer. For our purposes the concept has three key elements: n The HR manager requires a thorough knowledge of the needs, wants, and problems of the CEO , other managers and employees. There are three customers for a training programme: the delegate (who is also the consumer), the delegate’ line manager; and top management. The needs of these three s ustomer groups vary and may need to be reconciled. Ideally the HR manager should start with a knowledge of client needs and work backwards to developing products and services to satisfy them. n The second element requires that the cost, design, implementation and follow up on HR projects should be carefully planned so all features are consistent with project goals, and the process co-ordinated with other functions in the organisation, w Finally, in our definition of marketing we recognise individuals or groups engaging in the marketing process have diverse goals and objectives. If the organisation itself does not gain utility from an exchange then this element of the philosophy is not met. Consequently we would expect that if an HR activity did not lead to organisational gain the activity would be discontinued. Quantification of performance plays a crucial role in the success of the marketing function, and the performance audit guides corrective action, while providing measurements essential to supporting access to resources for projects. HR managers have sometimes been characterised by a lack of willingness to work with performance measures. Marketing strongly depends on techniques developed in the behavioural sciences for quantification of the needs, wants, and perceptions of consumers. These tools can be readily adapted to requirements of the HR manager. While measures employed by marketing managers are not always of high precision, they are essential to the building of credibility through measurement, and performance against explicit goals. Management performance in functions other than marketing and HRM are generally more amenable to performance measurement. An HR manager with a market orientation would have good knowledge of the needs and wants of the client groups served, and develop a co-ordinated approach to servicing those requirements consistent with organisation goals, and with the expectation of achieving organisational gain from any exchange process. In contrast, a product-oriented HR manager would place primary emphasis on the products or services the HRM department offers, and how these are provided. It is instructive to consider the differences between these two opposing views. Consider training programmes for example; the difference between a product-oriented, and a marketoriented manager, is shown in Figure 1. This example is stereotypical in that the model represents two extreme positions. No one person would be expected to exhibit all of the characteristics presented for a specific orientation, but an HR practitioner would be expected to possessseveral if they were either market or product-oriented and the distinction between two very different management philosophies are illustrated. We have found it a useful exercise, in workshops with senior managers, to discuss the role of conflicting philosophies and how they affect achievement of a marketing orientation. This can be addressed in the context of both external customers10 and Although it has been accepted for many years that a market internal customers†. orientation is essential to the success of a business, it has not been proven in all b’ igure I: Stereotypical I)itfcrenccs Itetw~~~ hlarkrt-Oriented uncl I’ rotll,ct-Oriellletl IIH hlihn;rg:ers with Itesl~~ to Training Yrogr;rmmes 4’ lTITUDES Attitudes & PROCEDURES I’ ROI)IlCT ORIENTATION to cut costs and MARKET ORIENTATION Client needs determine training programmes. towards clients: They should be glad we exist. Trying bring out better programmes. Department interests. Focus Programme offering: provides courses that fit our skills & Schedule programmes we know the clients need. Interest in innovation: of costs: scheduled for is on technology and cost cutting. Focus on identifying A critical objective. new opportunities. Importance A number in the budget we cannot exceed. rcquircmcnts in mind. Number of programmes the year: Role of marketing Attendance Set with Ihc dclivcry Set with client needs and costs in mind. research: To determine client reaction if used at all. is good revision. To determine client needs and if they are being met. at programs: Fill all available places – repeating Select attendees according to their needs and coordinate this with other managers. Demonstrate clients. need satisfying benelits Promotion of programmes: Advise managers when their staff is to attend the next course. of course to contingent situations. Monopoly or regulated markets provide examples of nonmarket orientation. As the difference between a market orientation, and any one of many conflicting orientations possible, is accepted as the difference between unstable short-term success and stable long-term growth, it becomes of considerable importance to senior managers to push a market orientation within their company. Similarly, the importance of HRM has gradually gained credibility and importance, as managers have come to understand how it can contribute to the achievement of business success. There exists an increasing number of well known companies where superior HRM is believed to be a key factor in their success. We have seen the similarity in roles of the marketing and HR managers. The marketing and HRM processes both involve the creation and exchange of utilities. need to represent the interests of a client, against the narrow interests of another manager, may be conducive to the well being of the company but a source of open interdepartmental conflict. This conflict is difficult to manage and can detract from the effectiveness of the function and the organisation. Both functions require commitment and support from the CEO to succeed, and performance measurement is seen to be an important tool for building credibility within the company. The market orientation can be applied equally to either the marketing or HR functions when it is accepted that success is achieving organisational goals through delivering customer satisfaction. We will now consider how the HR manager can harness the ideas, and tools of the marketing function to more effectively contribute toward the organisation’ objectives. s THE HRM-MARKETING FUNCTION A We are concerned here with internal marketing – that form of marketing where both the â€Å"customer† and the â€Å"supplier† are inside the organisation. In this context we consider employees as customers or clients. These classifications are quite broad, and could be further divided into such groupings as the board, managers, supervisors, foremen, clerical staff, etc. The HRM-Marketing function can be described in terms of seeing managers and employees as in-house customers, viewing the tasks and activities performed by the HRM function as in-house products or services, and offering in-house or services that satisfy the needs and wants of managers and employees, while addressing the objectives of the organisation. 2 The reasons for believing marketing provides a useful framework for HRM depend largely on the congruences we have demonstrated between essential activities of the two functions. In addition to these congruences, there is a strong similarity in the constraints and difficulties facing either marketing or HR managers. Concepts and tools proven to be useful to the marketing function can also be applied to the benefit of HRM. The HRM function provides services or programmes to employees and management, which means it sells performances that directly influence business productivity. Internal marketing can help an HR manager to attract and hold the type of people a company wants, and get the best of in-house customers, the HR function can upgrade the capability of a company to satisfy the needs and wants of its external customers. Marketing management is the process of increasing the effectiveness and/or efficiency by which marketing activities are performed. Effectiveness refers to the degree to which organisational objectives are attained, while efficiency is concerned with the expenditure of resources to accomplish these objectives. This difference is eloquently expressed in the view that it is more important to do the right things (improve effectiveness) than to do things right (improve efficiency). 13 An organisation that is doing the right things wrong (effective but not efficient), can outperform organisations that are doing the wrong things right. Effectiveness and efficiency is also a concern of the HR manager seeking improved performance. MARKETING ACTIVITIES The marketing function in any organisation is concerned with a number of related activities which include: 8 Understanding of the market and competitive environment. Definition of the firm’ Mission. s Determination of the Target Market Segments to be emphasised. Developing integrated Marketing Mix strategies to accomplish this Mission in the selected segments. Implement Marketing Mix strategies and Control marketing activity. 8 8 8 8 This well known model of marketing function activities, which involves the above steps, is used as a basis for a discussion on internal HRM marketing. Market and Competitive Environment The starting point is for HR managers to gain a good knowledge of the needs and wants of the client groups served, the significant factors influencing the HR department’ operations, and identify the ‘ s publics’ which interact with the company. This process is market analysis and involves collecting information on the different client markets into a database. Market research should be used to identify internal client needs, wants and attitudes just as it can be used to identify the needs, wants and attitudes of external consumers or industrial buyers. For example, ‘ climate surveys’ concerning perceptions of remuneration packages, employment conditions and performance appraisal, and opinions of quality improvement programmes, provide direct benefits for the redesign and improvement of key policies, processesand programmes. There is also the positive effect on morale that flows from taking an interest in the views of employees. This channel of communication provides an early means for pin-pointing organisational breakdowns and problem areas. An important requirement before undertaking data collection is to adopt a commitment to face the issues uncovered, no matter how unpalatable. It is an on-going process requiring that issues be resolved in order to maintain credibility of the HR department at all levels within the company. To raise the expectations of client groups without delivering can generate strongly negative effects. Finally, market research can also provide a basis for monitoring the impact of programmes on employees, and check whether HR programmes are achieving what they were designed to achieve. This market research process sometimes suffers from a condition referred to as the â€Å"no-full-disclosure disease† 14. It manifests itself through people within the management hierarchy who fear the things threatening them may become known to others, and then used to their personal detriment. The extent of this problem depends on survey design and content. People interviewed tend to speak freely when given a chance to express their thoughts and opinions on HRM issues. However undertaking not to reveal the content of an interview under any circumstances, without prior approval from the person interviewed, is sometimes necessary in order to get at the real problems and issues. Whether use is made of questionnaires, personal interviews, informal meetings of managers, or group discussions, market research provides a clear means of identifying client needs and wants. It also provides the means for tracking performance. Mission The second step involves the development of a mission for the HR department. The corporate mission statement for an organisation is too broad to be meaningful for a specific business function, and consequently a mission statement should be specifically developed for the HRM function. It involves asking the questions â€Å"what is our role within the organisation ? and â€Å"what should our role be within the organisation? â€Å". Figure 2 provides an example of a HR mission statement based on one developed with a leading British service organisation. FiPure 2: Human Resource Mission Statement To develop and promote the highest quality human resource practices and initiatives in an ethical, cost effective and timely manner to support the current and future business objectives of the organisation and to enable line managers to maximise the calibre, effectiveness and development of their human resources. This will be achieved through working with managers and staff to: n Develop an integrated human resource policy and implement its consistent use throughout the organisation Enhance managers’efficient use ‘ human resources through the of provision of responsive and adaptable services Be the preferred source of core strategic HR services Provide high quality tailored HR consultancy Introduce methods to plan for the provision of required calibre and quantity of staff Ensure consistent line accountability throughout all areas within the organisation Assist the organisation in becoming more customer aware and responsive to changing needs Define and encourage implementation of an improved communications culture throughout the organisation Maintain an innovative and affordable profile for HRM n n n n n n n n At the HRM level the definition of mission does not have to be complex. It should provide a framework for explaining the HR department’ role and how it can help s he different levels and units of an organisation to co-ordinate their efforts to achieve the overall objectives of the organisation. Once the mission statement has been adopted objectives need to be formalised. Because objectives are not equally important, a hierarchy of potential services, programmes and projects should be put together. If possible these objectives should be operationalised – stated in terms that are specific, and which will lead to measurable end results. It is important to understand what needs to be accomplished, when the task should be completed, and how it will be decided that the task is completed. This process links very closely with the market research function which can be used to demonstrate performance against specific objectives. A function which provides a service, and deals predominantly in intangibles, requires tangible evidence of success in order to demonstrate competent performance, and help build credibility. Market Segmentation The third step is deciding which market groups should be emphasised. Market segmentation is a process by which we divide the total, heterogeneous group of clients into smaller, more homogeneous groups with similar needs and wants that the HR function can successfully satisfy. By developing specific services we can generally improve the effectiveness of our performance in satisfying clients. It may cost more to serve smaller groups, or handle problems requiring customised solutions. Because of this, there is sometimes a need to balance the level of customisation required to adequately solve a problem, against the benefits which might accrue to the organisation. This is very much a cost-benefit exercise. The characterisation shown in Figure 3 can be helpful for sorting problems into classes, each of which require different capabilities. At a high degree of customisation, there is increased demand for resources from the HR function. The HR cost to the organisation increases with an increase in the level of customisation. Programmes, or projects undertaken by HR typically involve longterm benefits with short-term costs, and given limited resources, this has direct impact on the HR department’ effectiveness. Quadrant 1 in Figure 3 represents the situation where there is need to fit a key programme to the specialised needs of a client group. A major company wishing to run an in-house strategic management seminar, enabling senior management to . Figure 3. CHARA CTERISING HR MARKETING PROBLEMS Programme l l oriented skills Client l l oriented skills standardised customising Importance of issue to organisation objectives I 3 s issue management skills needed 2 Buy-in-solution needs consultative skills 1 Fiexible approach skills 1 I l l control flows l l development project control skills needed need monitoring skills 31 LOW 4i HIGH required C Degree of customisation review and discuss current management thinking and practice, is an example. The CEO would perceive this to be of high value to the organisation, while requiring this process to fit closely with the business context. The programme-oriented task found in quadrant 2 is characterised by the opportunity for a high quality but standardised approach to be taken. For example, consider a betting agency involved in the conversion of operations from a manual to a computerised telephone betting system. There is a need to develop and implement a programme at low cost which will enable a smooth transition to the new system. Due to the large group of operators requiring new skills there is an opportunity to seek savings through standardisation. The importance of this issue means effective performance by the HR department is more critical. In quadrant 3 the degree of customisation required for a task is low – for example where factory staff are being given first-aid training. The content of a first-aid training programme will be fairly standard across a range of industries. Such a programme is not central to achievement of organisation objectives, and represents a situation where service delivery can readily be obtained from outside the organisation. Once the training programme was in place knowing who had attended the course, and monitoring the training process would be the key tasks. An increase in the degree of customisation required corresponds to an increase in the level of organisation-specific content, as shown in quadrant 4. Consider a retail tyre organisation which needs to train shop floor staff in the testing and servicing of car batteries. This more specialised course requires company-specific input, and an inhouse programme is the best solution. In this quadrant the need is for course development skills, a flexible approach, and the ability to manage the development process. Other examples are custom-designed employee retirement programmes, or surveys of work group satisfaction where there is a need here to design and implement a project with the specific needs of a client group in mind. Obviously most impact can be made by HRM focusing efforts in those quadrants involving problems of high importance to the organisation, but not involving significant short-term investment. This type of problem area, identified because the issues involved are considered central to the achievement of business objectives, will often be more able to attract support and adequate funding. Working in areas requiring a high level of customisation, which are also critical to business success, is the challenge facing HR. This is the direction in which HR requirements have moved due to the increased complexity of business, changing technology, and the shift from an asset management to operations management philosophy. Segmentation of employees on the basis of their needs and wants, as opposed to the segmentation of management clients, recognises the need to accommodate individual differences. This is the basis for concepts such as negotiable remuneration packages, employment contracts, flexible working hours, and job sharing. The techniques used for consumer segmentation by marketers can be applied directly here. It provides opportunity for companies to â€Å"lessen the influence of unions by placing greater emphasis on direct employee communication, in addition to, or instead of, industrial relations conducted in the traditional representative way†15. Developing and Implementing the Marketing Mix Once the tasks of determining the mission of the HR department and the target market segments to be emphasised have been undertaken, a marketing-oriented HR function will focus on the ‘ marketing mix’ The marketing programme is developed . ased upon a decision on marketing mix variables over which the HR manager has some control: designing the product or service, costing it, setting up a service delivery system, promotion of the product to clients, and gainin g commitment for proposals from management. Figure 4 illustrates the four elements of the marketing mix which need to be addressed. Whilst all elements need to be considered, two key variables – the design of the ‘ product’ (ie courses or services) and communications are especially important. These two key variables and their relevance for the HR manager are now reviewed. n Designing the ‘ Product’ . It has been pointed out that the process of a marketing department introducing a new product, and resolution of a complex long-standing problem by the HR function are very similar. Figure 5 illustrates this, and is based on Desatnick16 who argues that â€Å"as the contribution of HRM is less tangible and more difficult of end results, it is even more important to market it effectively. to measure in terms This implies taking the time to reflect, to position, to package, to merchandise, and to sell†. Thus the HR manager must get the maximum impact from each situation through careful Figure 4: The Four Elements of the Marketing Mix ELEMENTS OF THE MARKETING MIX FOR A COMPANY 1. PRODUCTS OR SERVICES 1. ‘ PRODUCTS (SERVICES, COURSES, ETC) 2. THE LOCATION AND DELIVERY MEANS OF SERVICES AND COURSES 3. COMMUNICATIONS WITH CLIENT GROUPS (PRIMARILY THROUGH DISCUSSION AND DOCUMENTATION) 4. TRANSFER PRICING AND EXPENSE ALLOCATION 2. PLACE (DISTRIBUTION) 3. PROMOTION (MAINLY THROUGH ADVERTISING AND PERSONAL SELLING) 4. PRICING FIGURE 5: COMPARING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COMPLEX HR ISSUE TO RESOLVING A Introducing the new produa (a 1 to 3 year cycle) DETER&MINE PRODUCT NEED FOR NEW I Resolving a complex HR issue (a 1 to 3 year cycle) DETERMINE NEED FOR NEW PROJECT, PROGRAM What is the cost of not resolving this nsue? What will be its impact on norms and vuua! What IS cost bcncrit value KOinrcmai diem! Eyk! lJlJTE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR 1 – Who wril buy it and why? How much will they spend on it? Whaf neeas will it sat&y? ISCREEN NEW PRODUCT ID&4 ( What impact will it have? Will it be profitable? Is it compauble existing produas? 1TEST MARKET THE PRODUCT [ What impact will it have on operauorr~! Who will manage and use the project! How does it iit with current proJects/ priorities? CONDUCT A PILOT PROJECT 1 Do internal clients find it useiui? Will they supponfpay! To what exrenr! Who mll oppose IL? Why? ;fEysNCE TO OTHER POTENTIAL How do prospeas vim the proaucr! What needs does it satisfy? Have we deslgncd the nght produa! / tiXAPsTO OTHER TEST .irc tkdings consistent! .tie there log8suc/quaiity problems! Did promotrons resuit in expccrea s3la! ( Is the project valid/reliable? Does it meet needs of ail company locations! Have the beneiits been property iommuxlLcarea? ASSESS OUTCO,ME IN ADVANCE ! Which funcuons are aifectco and how! Will it cause contusion! Have ttma. raourca dr costs been aeuuicd? .-NALYSE. ?IlEASURE. PROJECT T What tmpaa on other iuncuons! Detaucd buaga and plans. Have d impticauons been conslderca? /ESPA%D TO A NATIONAL LaIUNCH i : 1,MPLEMEM COMPANY WIDE i Does tne poremat ourwaqh nsics! . e promorlons ana follow-u! 3 ;iannea! .tie 10glsua ana supply lines rcaav? Have we mcxns ior ldcnufying scrwcc xooIcmr. ana dissausiacuons! Doa project add to HR’ crcntbtlitv! s Who wlii tram whom ‘ do wnat. snere. to when! Have system! we an eifecttve audit/evalUallOn Will the Issue really be resolved? management of those elements he can control. Developing a product or service for a client group is an activity over which the HR manager has a great deal of control, and consequently provides an area where management attention can be rewarded with maximum impact. H Communication. Communication represents promotional activity in the form of advertising, indirect publicity, and face-to-face selling which is employed by marketers to influence potential, or existing customers to behave in desired ways, such as to undertake the trial purchase of a product the firm has just launched onto the market. Promotion can also be used to influence employees to reconsider attitudes, to inform managers, or alter the way in which a particular programme is perceived by the clients to whom it is directed. The use of â€Å"publicity† through internal publications and other documentation can be used to provide feedback to employees on current issues, as well as enhance and reinforce the credibility of the research process. A well conceived internal promotional programme can have very positive effects on employees. It can motivate, educate, or help provide a sense of belonging. The famous Avis Rent-a-Car slogan suggesting that Avis employees â€Å"Try harder† was as effective for their employees as it was for the public image of Avis. This type of corporate advertisement primarily seeks to influence the perceptions of external publics, but management tends to forget these campaigns are also critically viewed by employees at all levels within the organisation. A campaign which lacks credibility with employees is not consistent with development of a positive organisational culture. Management should develop corporate communications which are consistent with the HRM objectives of the organisation. Simpler, less ambitious projects can also produce significant impact for the HR function. . Personal interaction with other functional areas can contribute significantly to HR marketing efforts. In situations where a service or programme is either partly, or fully dependent on the performance of employees for success, the communications and promotional activity should be concerned not only with encouraging clients to buy, but with encouraging employees to perform. commitment of both employees and management. The implementation and control processes represent the final step which involves the measuring of effectiveness and efficiency, taking corrective action, and iteration through the marketing planning processes. The well established marketing planning Success in business requires the literature† provides a framework to follow in undertaking this task. CONCLUSIONS The 1980s saw the start of a new emphasis on the HRM function. It has been pointed out that the reality is that a firm adopting ‘ HRM’ may simply involve a retitling of the old personnel department with no obvious change in its functional role, or it may be ‘ strategic HRM’ which represents a fundamental reconceptualisation and re-organisation of personnel roles and departments. 18 There are different models of HRM and this has importance for its evaluation. g The focus of strategic HRM encompassesall those decisions and actions which concern the management of employees at all levels within the organisation and which are directed towards creating and sustaining competitive advantage*O, but recent European research suggest that ‘ strategic HRM’ is still not widespread. Findings from the Price Waterhouse/Cranfield HR research project shows that in many European organisations HR strategies follow on behind corporate strategy rather than making a positive contribution to it; and although HR representation at board level is becoming more common, this does not necessarily bring with it involvement in key decisions. l Some firms have been able to integrate HR and strategy but to achieve this it usually requires a concentrated and multi-dimensional effort. ** The scope of marketing has traditionally been limited to the exchanges that take place between organisations and their customers. More recently this scope has been expanded to encompass the field of ‘ relationship marketing’ which suggests that 23 marketing principles can be applied to a number of ot her key markets, including internal markets within the firm. We argue that there exist compelling reasons for bringing the internal marketing concept to bear on problems faced by all HR managers, but the greatest value will be obtained in these firms adopting ‘ strategic HRM’ . The shift in organisational philosophy from asset management to operations management, the introduction of new technologies to some industries, and the increased strategic importance of managing people resources effectively and efficiently, has meant the role performed by HR managers demands a much higher level of competence and professional skills. Marketing provides an action framework, and a practical approach by which the HR manager can provide effective solutions to key corporate problems. This fresh perspective will bring marketoriented HR managers significant benefits. In spite of emphasis in this paper on the need for HR managers to deal effectively with the challenges they face, it must be recognised that much opportunity for the future status of HRM lies with the CEOs. Their task is to provide organisational vision, and many have still failed to recognise the value of strategic HRM in the present business environment. In spite of this, the HR manager must share the responsibility through not having convinced top management that HRM is strategically relevant to business success. Adopting a market orientation requires the HR manager to focus on the needs and wants of internal customer groups and to stimulate internal service. An investment in the marketing approach is an investment in people. REFERENCES 1. BUSINESS WEEK, â€Å"Human Resource Managers Aren’ Corporate Nobodies t Anymore†, 2 December 1985, p 58. 2. 3. CARLZON,J, Moments of Truth, Ballinger Publishing Company, 1987. REINCHELD,F F and SASSER, E Jr, â€Å"Zero Defections: Quality Comes to W Services†, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1990, pp105-111 and BUCHANAN, W J and GILLIES, C S, â€Å"Value Managed Relationships: The Key R to Customer Retention and Profitability†, European Management Journal, Vol 8, No 4, December 1990, pp 523-526. 4. BERRY, L L, â€Å"The Employee as Customer†, Journal of Retail Bunking, Vol 3, No 1, March 1981, pp 33-40. 5. BAIRD, L and MESHOULAM, â€Å"A Second Chance for HR to Make the Grade†, I, Personnel, Vol 63, No 4, April 1986, pp 45-48. 6. PETERS,T J and WATERMAN,R H JR, In Search of Excellence: Lessons form America’ Best Run Companies, Harper & Row, 1982. s 7. 8. KOTLER, P, Marketing Management, 5th edition, Prentice-Hall, 1984, p 4. COLLINS,B A, â€Å"The Friction Between Marketing and Finance†, The Australian Accountant, Vol 55, No 4, May 1985, p 45-48. 9. 10. MURPHY, P E and ENIS, B M, Marketing, Scott, Foresman & Co, 1985, p 16. PAYNE, A F T, â€Å"Developing a Marketing Oriented Organisation†, Business Horizons, Vol 31, No 3, May-June 1988, pp 46-53. 11. VANDERMERWE, and GILBERT, D, â€Å"Making Internal Service Market Driven†, S Business Horizons, Vol 32, No 6, November-December 1989, pp 83-89. 12. 13. Berry, ob tit DRUCKER,P F, Management: Tasks. Responsibilities, Practices, Harper & Row, 1974. 14. WEINSHALL, D, â€Å"Help for Chief Executives: The Outside Consultant†, T California Management Review, Summer 1982, Vol 24, No 4, p 47-58. 15. CUPPER,L G, â€Å"An Employer’ Viewpoint on the Use of Dialogue in Industrial s and Employee Relations†, Melbourne University Business School Association Journal, Vol 10, No 1, 1987. 16. DESATNICK,R L, â€Å"Marketing HRD: The Creditiability Gap That’ Got To Go†, s Training, June 1983, Vol 20, No 6, p 52. 17. MCDONALD, M, Marketing Plans: How to Prepare Them: How To Use Them, Heinemann, second edition, 1989. 18. See GUEST, D E, â€Å"Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations†, Journal of Management Studies, Vol 24, No 5, 1987, pp 503-521 and GUEST D, â€Å"Personnel and HRM: Can You Tell the Difference? â€Å", Personnel Management, Vol 13, No 1, January 1989, pp 48-51. 19. 20. TYSON, S V and FELL, A, Evaluating the Personnel Function, Hutchinson, 1986. MILLER P, â€Å"Strategic HRM: What It Is and What It Isn’ Personnel t†, Management, February 1989, ~~46-5 1. 21. BREWSTER, and SMITH C, † Corporate Strategy: A No-Go Area for C Personnel? â€Å", Personnel Management, July 1990, pp 36-40. For a US view also see: BURACK,E H, â€Å"Corporate Business and Human Resource Planning Practices: Strategic Issues and Concerns†, Organisational Dynamics, Vol 15, No 1, Summer 1986, pp 73-87. 22. BULLER, P F, â€Å"Successful Partnerships: HR and Strategic Planning at Eight Top Firms†, Organizational Dynamics, Vol 17, No 2, Autumn 1988, pp 27-43. 23. M, CHRISTOPHER, PAYNE, A F T and BALLANTYNE,D, Relationship Marketing. Bringing Quality, Customer Service and Marketing Together, Heinemann 1991 (forthcoming).