What is strategic human resource management and what is HR's role in Essay

What is strategic human resource management and what is HR's role in strategic management planning process - Essay Example Strategic HRM even includes the process of making strategy related choices and the development of priorities of different strategies. In basic terms, Strategic HRM revolves around the amalgamation of the strategy of both the company and the human resources so that HR strategies result in the attainment and implementation of the company’s strategy. It is more commonly practiced that the human resources department plays a major role in the implementation of the strategic plan. On the other hand some organization do consider HR’s role as an important one in the development of the strategic plan. While devising a strategic plan an organization needs to perform an internal assessment in various areas of the organization including the human resource aspect of the organization. The organization even performs an external assessment in relation to human resource management. While performing an external assessment an organization needs to focus on whether there are opportunities and threats related to human resources (Bernardin 116). For example: an external analysis may reveal that there is a threat to the organization because of shortage of laborers who can work on process of manufacturing denim clothes. The external assessment may even help in identifying opportunities such as an increase in number employees being laid off an d these employees have the ability to handle denim manufacturing processes. After conducting the external assessment, the organization turns to conducting an internal assessment in the context of human resources. For example: a denim manufacturing organization identifies that there is an increase in demand for denim. In relation to that opportunity the organization may conduct an internal assessment regarding whether the organization has the required human resources who are capable of handling denim manufacturing processes such as sewing. If

Japan Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japan Constitution - Essay Example The Meiji Restoration heralded the rise of Japan as an industrial and military power. The oligarchy consolidated itself under the leadership of the Emperor, and made an effort to destroy remaining vestiges of samurai and shogun power. Lands were sought to be restored to the Emperor. The Samurai's privilege to bear arms was diluted by extending this to the peasants, as well, and conscription into the army of a male member from each family in the country also came into effect. The samurai was disgruntled with what it saw as a clipping of its wings. But along with that, they also moved into other areas, seeking employment in the government, and became a new elite in Japan. It was against the above backdrop that a constitution was promulgated in Japan, and came into effect in 1889. This Constitution enshrined the Emperor as the supreme political head, who shared power with an elected Diet or parliament. The Meiji Constitution continued till Japan was defeated in the Second World War, after which a new constitution came into effect. The Meiji Constitution marks the first time that Japan has had a written constitution. In actual practice since the emperor's powers had been curtailed, prior to the Meiji Restoration Japan was only a de jure monarchy, the actual powers often having been exercised either by an oligarchy or by the Samurai from time to time.To draft the Meiji Constitution Japan studied those of the US, Britain, Spain, France and Prussia. The Meiji constitution seems to have been considerably influenced by the Prussian one. It has seven chapters, consisting of seventy-six articles. It also has a Preamble, an Imperial Oath Sworn in the Sanctuary in the Imperial Palace, and an Imperial Rescript on the Promulgation of the Constitution. All told, it is a document of less than 4000 words. The seven chapters headings are: 1-The Emperor; 2- The Rights and Duties of Subjects; 3-The Imperial Diet; 4-The Ministers of State and the Privy Council; 5- The Judicature; 6- Finance; and 7- The Supplementary Rules. (The Meiji Constitution) There are portions in this Constitution, that are worded ambiguously, and it was left to the political leaders and parties of the time to interpret it either as supportive of the monarch, or as a document that established a liberal democratic system. This Constitution rests on the basic premise that the Emperor's ancestry is divine, and therin lies his legitimacy. He thus combines in his person, the powers of the legislature, executive as well as the judiciary: "Article 3. The Emperor is sacred and inviolable." (The Meiji Constitution) But Article 4 states that, "The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty, and exercises them, according to the provisions of the present Constitution." (The Meiji Constitution) A subsequent article (55) however stated that the Emperor's powers were subject to ratification by a Minister of State, whose appointment was strangely in the hands of the monarch himself.The duties and rights of the people were spelt out by the Constitution. A subject had the duty of protecting the Constitution. (Preamble) He also had to serve in the army, if called upon to do so. (Article 20) He enjoyed certain rights, provided these did not come in

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Dividend Payout Policy Finance Essay

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Dividend Payout Policy Finance Essay When a company has a surplus of profit, it can be used either pay back the shareholders or reinvest into the business. The way that company pay back to shareholders is call dividend payout. In the recent years, the number of companies paying dividends has declined. For example, the PSEG Company in the United State, the payout ratio was about 67% in 2004 and fallen to 45% by 2007.Shows in the graph below: (http://www.pseg.com/index.jsp) This essay will mainly discuss the advantage and disadvantage about the dividend-paying. What are dividends? Dividends are payment made by corporation to the shareholders. Dividends come from the profit earned by company. There are two ways where company spends the surplus of profit, one is to reinvest to the business and the other is to pay back to the shareholders as dividends. The companies who pay dividends are usually taking no benefit if the reinvest the surplus profit back into the business, under this condition dividends are chosen to pay to th e shareholders, which is call payout. The forms of dividends are variable. The most common one will be the made by cash, which is the most common method of sharing corporate profits with the shareholders of the company. The second one is the stock dividends that is paid in form of additional share and it is counted by proportion, for example, if the shareholder owns 100 shares of the stock with 5% stock dividends, the shareholder can gain 5 more shares. Others like property dividends are taken as dividends payout as well. Advantage of dividend payout policy There is certain amount of people of the rightist position state that company pays a high dividend payout is important for investors for the reasons that paying dividends can convince the shareholders about the companys financial well-being. The higher rate of dividends payout shows better the company operating as well as larger number of profit, which might attracts the investors. Dividends are also attractive for the investors who want to get the stable current income easily. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“There is also a natural clientele of investors, such as the elderly, who looking to their stock portfolios for a steady source of cash to live onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (P456, Richard, 2008). In principle, the shareholders could sell a part of the shares to gain money even if the company does not pay dividends, but it is more convenience for the investors to get the money if companies pay the dividends by checks. In this case, the payout policy of cash dividends will reduce the cost of transaction as well as the inconvenience for the shareholders selling the shares. In addition, the long-term stable dividends payouts could help the company less affected by the changes of the dividends. Those companies with long history of stable dividends will be less influenced if the dividends decrease, but will be positively affected when dividends payout increases or even dividends stay the same level. Furthermore, companies without a dividend history are generally viewed favorably when they declare new dividends. The dividends announcement has resulted in a 4% rise of the stock price according to the dividend initiations studied by Healy and Palepu (P448, Richard, 2008). Many companies have taken the dividends paid back to shareholders as payout policy. For example Microsoft, the largest software company in the entire world, has announced their first dividends payout in 2003. The amount of the money has been divided into two forms of dividends, one was one-time dividends and the other was stock dividends paid quarterly installments by a unit as per share. (P457, Richard, 2008). Disadvantage of dividend payout policy Firstly, the radical state that dividends payout can be heavier than capitals gain when taxation of dividends is larger than the capital gains. Under this condition, company should put the spare profit back into the business by repurchase shares. It makes sense for the reasons that the capital gains have a tax advantage. When companies use the money to repurchase the share, the income will be larger because with the lower rate of tax on capital earnings, comparing to dividends payouts to shareholders with higher rate of tax on dividends. In the banking industries, a part of banks have stopped paying dividends to shareholders in 2009, according to the Capital Report. In the meanwhile, there are 202 firms have cut their dividends and 74 of which paid none at all (Web1). Secondly, the level of dividends payout can reflect the information about the confidence of the management from the company in the future, which will have an influence to the stock price. Generally, companies that pay dividends are sending a message to the market that their earnings are real which will result in the investors comfort about their investment. On the other hand, once the companies decide to cut the dividend it is also sending the information that they cannot maintain the dividends. However, the company might be able to cheat on their operation by overstating the earning to attract investors, but it is risky in the long term because the actual condition of the company will not have sufficient money to pay the dividends. The consequence will be costly if the companies choose a high dividend without getting enough profit. Most managers will not change the dividends without consideration about the operation of company, but they will increase the dividends only if they are c onfident it can be maintained. Thirdly, the consideration of a dividend policy might be irrelevant because investors have the ability to create their own dividends. It means that investors can be able to make their own à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"dividendà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ by adjust the investment into different areas. For example, the investors who prefer a stable income are more likely to put their money into the bonds with the stable interest rates. In the case, the stock with dividends pay back will lose the advantage because of the flexible value. Investors who have invested to the bonds will not pay attention to the dividend policy of a particular company. Conclusion: Taking the dividend payout policy can attract certain amount of investors, and it is convenience for those investors who require stable and simple income. But dividends sometimes have tax disadvantage if the tax rate of dividend is higher than capital gains. And dividends are usually more flexible, comparing to the interest rates of bonds. It is important for a company to think whether to take the dividend payout policy by considering the assets, earnings, investments opportunities, market value and other factors about the company.

Essays --

The Beveridge report Fabian Society formed in 1884, lead by the Sidney and Beatrice Webb who had strong views on the moral values of social (or socialist) provision and had thinking based on poor laws and the relief of distress, were the first to produce a report based on Majority and Minority of welfare. This report failed as all the members, the right-wing critics of state welfare, could not agree about the fact that the state should be the provider for welfare services. The Beveridge Report is a report that led to the establishment of a welfare system by the state of social security and the National Health Service (NHS) after the end of the war. Sir William Beveridge a highly regarded liberal economist, was the author of the report which was known as Social Insurance and Allied Services, that got published by the coalition government and which was presented to the British parliament on 1st December 1942. It contained a summary of principles that were based on social surveys carried out between wars, that were necessary to banish poverty and want from Britain, by aiming to provide a comprehensive system of social insurance ‘from cradle to grave’. 'Now, when the war is abolishing landmarks of every kind, is the opportunity for using experience in a clear field. A revolutionary moment in the world's history is a time for revolutions, not for patching.' It covered topics of poverty, old age, low birth rates, unemployment, disability and retirement, that were based around Five areas of society also known as the FIVE EVIL GIANTS, that prevented Britain from becoming a modern society after post war, which were: o Want – Poverty or need of financial support & health care National Insurance and Assistance schemes were needed to ... ...ew towns had to be built ie milton keynes o 1949 Access to the countryside Acts Opened up a series of public footpaths, moslty aimed to keep population health o Housing Acts 1946/1949 ï‚ § Although Labour’s building programme compares poorly to previous governments, people are not too critical of them over this considering the level of house destruction during the War along with the lack of building materials, increase in marriage and â€Å"baby boom† after the War. Advantages Dis-advantages Local authorities given financial assistance and access to building materials (which were in low supply at the end of the War) to build 1.25 million new permanent homes Disadvantages: No where near enough new homes were built and many people remained in â€Å"prefab† homes, army barracks and even train carriages by the end of 1951. o New Towns Act (1946) Advantages Dis-advantages

Mini Assignment

If I were in charge of the Asian operations for McCain I would recommend starting a joint venture with an existing, established, well known Chinese potato company, for a year or so, or until McCain has the recognition and ability to stand on its own. Creating a Joint venture with an established Chinese company would give McCain the entry It needs into the Asian potato market. McCain would be able to learn the ways that companies handle business deals In China, as they most likely defer from business deals in other parts of the world, and will also Introduce McCain to future customers.Another recommendation would be to purchase a small, well known, Chinese potato company. This would give McCain access to the Chinese market through a company that Is already know, and has already created a name for Itself. I would make sure that McCain abides by all Chinese laws, and all customs, to the best of my ability. 2. When interacting with Chinese business colleagues, McCain might face challenge s with most, if not all, of Hypotheses culture dimensions.For example, when looking at power distance, Canadian managers at McCain could face challenges cause Canada has a much lower power distance than China, and workers may not feel comfortable with this power dynamic. A Canadian manager may try to get workers to work harder so they can achieve greater success, but Chinese power distance doesn't allow this; in China, one works and does not have aspirations that exceed one's position within the company.When it comes to individualism and collectivism, China has a much lower score than Canada (http://greet-hefted. Com/china. HTML). This might create challenges for Canadian managers because Chinese workers generally â€Å"stick together†. If a Canadian manager promotes one person from a collective group, that could create problems, so the manager must take that into consideration before making any decisions.Canadian managers may also face challenges with time orientation. China has very long term orientation (http://www. Acculturated. Com/greet-hefted-cultural- dimensions/long-term-orientation/), while North America has very short term orientation. This could created challenges for Canadian managers because they are used to workers wanting quick results, but In China It Is the opposite, and managers may not know how to handle that.

At universities and colleges, sports and social activities are just as important as classes and libraries and should receive equal financial support Essay

There has been a long debate about whether sports and social activities are just as important as classes and libraries. Some people claim that classes and libraries are more crucial and deserve more financial support because hiring qualified teaching staff and updating research sources in libraries needs a lot of money. Others hold the opposite opinion. Nevertheless, the purpose of school education is not only providing opportunities to acquire knowledge but also cultivating different kind of skills and interests which may also play an important role in students’ later life. Therefore, personally I support that social activities and sports are as crucial as classes and libraries which should get equal support from school for the following reasons. To begin with, attending the sport and social activities provide students more chances to have a rest after a long time of study which may help them combine exertion and adequate rest. In my school, there are enough sports fields and basketball courts for students taking a lot of exercise such as playing football, basketball, tennis and running. In addition, we also have a large swimming pool which allows students to practice swimming skills and prepare for national swimming competition. After studying for a long period of time in class or in the library, we would also go there to have a rest which may makes us feel relaxed and refreshed. There is no doubt that doing sports could benefit our physical health. What’s more, scientific researches also prove that sports can also enhance the efficiency of our study. One research done by the National Health Institute, says that people who do sports or exercise at least 30 minutes a day tend to work more efficiently and make less mistakes. Moreover, participating sports and social activities can promote the development of different skills, such as communication skills, arrangement skills and the spirit of teamwork. When playing basketball, team members have to work together to fight against the adversaries and they need to share both happiness of victories and sorrows of failure. Or when two members have different opinion, it is necessary for them to discuss and reach to an agreement which may serve the whole team’s purpose best. This is perhaps one of the perfect ways to arouse the awareness of teamwork. Besides, when taking in social activities, it is inevitable that they will meet different kinds of problems which require them to try their best to resolve through efficient communication with others. In this way, they will realize the importance of connecting with others which will bring a lot of benefit when they face the real world. Finally, as our society is in need of all-round development talents, colleges and universities are supposed to cultivate their students who are adaptable to the development of the society. The support of the sports and social activities provides students many opportunities to apply what they have learnt into practice and then have a better command of knowledge. For example, an education major student can make use of the home school visiting activity to observe how the classes are taught and how educational policies are implemented in schools. On this condition, students may develop an all-round way. All in all, it is necessary to pay equal attention to classes and libraries as well as sports and social activities. It is not only beneficial to students’ physical and psychological health but also to their future development as well.