Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Managing Cultural Diversity Essay Example for Free
Managing Cultural Diversity Essay The following paper brie y debates the rhetoric of managing diversity and considers whether managing diversity is a distinct approach to managing people or a means of diluting equal opportunities in UK organizations. With respect to the realities of the concepts in UK organizations, empirical data from a survey of sixty UK human resource professionals and general line managers is presented. We pose a number of cautionary questions, including what does it matter and to whom? By doing so we intend to encourage further critique and challenges in respect to the concept of managing diversity in organizations. Keywords: Managing diversity, equal opportunities, HRM/D, rhetoric, reality Introduction Today the workforce does not look, think, or act like any workforce of the past, nor does it hold the same values, have the same experiences, or pursue the same needs and desires (Jamieson and O’ Mara 1991). The composition of today’ s workforce has changed signi cantly in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, education, disabilities, and values. Running parallel to these changes is the shift in thinking by human resource theorists and practitioners with regard to addressing equality in the workplace (Cooper and White 1995; Liff and Wacjman 1996). This shift is underpinned by the emergence of the business case argument for equal opportunities, as opposed to the persuasive debate for social justice or equal opportunities as ‘ correcting an imbalance, an injustice or a mistake’ (Thomas 1990). There is now a view that, after twenty years of the ‘ stick’ of legal compliance (which has achieved little), the ‘ carrot’ of underpinning the business case for equal opportunities will perhaps achieve more (Dickens 1994). The business case argument for equal opportunities in organizations is often termed ‘ managing or valuing diversity’ , but, as with most contemporary Human Resource Development International ISSN 1367-8868 print/ISSN 1469–8374 online  © 2000 Taylor Francis Ltd http://www. tandf. co. uk/journals 420 Peer-Reviewed Articles anagement issues, the underlying principles and interpretation of this concept are open to mass interpretation, criticism, and indeed misunderstanding. D. Miller (1996) argues that the significant widening of the meaning of equal opportunities has brought with it more complex and confusing messages for employers and practitioners. By drawing on literature and empirical data, we consider whether mana ging diversity is a distinct approach to managing people or a means of diluting equal opportunities in UK organizations and pose a number of cautionary questions, including: what does it matter and to whom? By doing so, we intend to encourage further critique and challenges in respect to the concept of managing diversity in organizations. What is managing diversity? Thomas (2000) argues that, with the growing number of mergers and acquisitions, workforce diversity will become more of a priority for organizations and, therefore, in the future, people will become clearer on what diversity is and how to manage it. As with the debates surrounding de nitions of human resource management and development (HRM/D), managing diversity as a concept means different things to different people. It can relate to the issue of national cultures inside a multinational organization (Hofstede 1984); it can relate to the further development of equal opportunities or to a distinct method of integrating different parts of an organization and/or managing people strategically. Much of the literature regarding managing diversity relates to the US experience, where the concept is particularly popular; a re ection perhaps of the more pronounced diversity of workforce composition (Cassell 1996). In a recent report 1999), a Department of Education in America described managing and valuing diversity as a key component of effective people management, arguing that it focuses on improving the performance of the organization and promotes practices that enhance the productivity of all staff. Their dimensions of diversity include gender, race, culture, age, family/carer status, religion, and disability. The de nition provided also embraces a range of individual skills, educational quali cations, work experience and background, languages, and other relevant attributes and experiences which differentiate individuals.
Monday, August 5, 2019
The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay
The Rite Of Nokan Or The Encoffinment Religion Essay The rite of Nokan or the encoffinment where the corpse was placed in a casket during the funeral. Traditionally, the ceremony was to relieve the family of their grief by cleansing the dead of all his worldly suffering, while hoping they would have a better life in the afterlife. The specialist handled all the necessary requirements for ease of passage into the afterlife. In early times there were two main traditions practiced Shinto and Buddhist traditions. According to Shinto traditions, the dead as well as the family unit from which he/she came from were considered to be unclean and impure; therefore the corpse had to be washed for purification. Traditional Japanese believed that the dead persons soul remained impure for some period following death before purification through memorials done by the relatives of the dead; thereafter the soul was deindividuated into an ancestor god or goddess. Traditional Japanese opinion that dead people are impure is based on the Kojiki myth, where maggots came out of the rotting body of a god. Traditionally burial gowns were also considered garments for travelling that prepared the dead when travelling to the other world. The encoffinment rite was done by the family members as death was unclean. In modern times, in keeping with this rite, family members wipe the corpse clean with a cotton cloth dipped in alcohol with the assistance funeral specialists. Traditionally Japanese funerals were to serve as prayers for the deceased persons soul while also serving as the familys time for public mourning as it was meant to keep their loved one in their memories. Typically a Japanese funeral follows the sequence: when someone dies, they are placed to rest in their homes. The corpse was placed with the head pointing the North, copying the deathbed of Gautama, and the head of the bed is well decorated. Then the previously mentioned encoffinment process. The first night after ones death is called the Tsuya; and it is for close family and friends to remember their beloved. In the morning, a cleansing meal is served called Okiyome. The funeral is thereafter carried out where the Jukai rite also known as receipt of commandments gives the dead an opportunity to receive the Buddhist commandments, automatically making the dead a disciple of the Buddha, and the dead person is accepted into Buddha hood. After all this, the deceased embarks on the journey to the other world as the coffin is carried out of the house and burnt in a crematorium to ashes. Presently about 99% Japanese are cremated while only about 1% are interred. These changes in preference on the method of sending off the dead have been brought about by the Countrys main religion, changes in dwelling environments and changes in technologies. During the high-growth era of the 1970s, cremation became popular outside of metropolitan areas and crematoriums were built in several places as a matter of national requirement. VIEWS HELD BY JAPANESE ON CORPSES Generally the elderly Japanese do not perceive the body and soul as a duality, that is flesh and spirit. The corpse is considered a very important part and if funeral rites are not carried out, the deceaseds soul will not be mourned. It is very important that the corpse is attended to and the death is mourned by as many people as possible. Additionally the corpse must be well taken care of until all rites have been carried out. The body is not just considered a vehicle or an object or a shell for the soul but it is considered an entity with a will, hopes and rights therefore the family has a responsibility to care for them, respect them and accord them a befitting farewell.. CONTINUATION OF LIFE AND DEATH The Japanese considered death a passageway leading to the continuation of death and life. The Japanese held contradicting ideas concerning the dead. Even though they wish for and hope that the dead resurrect, they live in fear of the spirit and the possible return of the dead founded on the Shintoist principle of impurity, as explained earlier on in the funeral rites. They believe impurity is transmissible and transferrable and that, a house that experienced a death and even those involved in handling the corpse are also impure. Therefore Japanese funerals have a combination of rites to reaffirming death, protect the dead, and prevent bad luck and curses and prevent the dead from resurrecting. Some practices invoke the spirit of the dead from having a feeling of longing; which include Ichizen-meshi a single bowl of rice given to the dead and Matsugo-no-mizu which is water given to the dead at the time of death. There are other contrasting customs like the Sakasa-buton or upside-down futon, whereby the dead persons blanket is placed facing upside-down, and the Sakasa-byobu or upside-down folding of the dead ones screen, where a folding screen is placed upside-down on top of the head of the deceaseds bed, and Sakasa-mizu or upside-down water, where the water for cleaning the corpse is prepared by adding hot water into cold water rather than pouring cold water into hot water as normal. All this is done with the primary aim of separating the scary situation of death from peoples day to day lives and also to prevent pulling others in to death. Other customs were also used traditionally to make it impossible for the departed soul to remain in this life or to make an attempt to return to this life. They included making burial gowns without closed stitches or backstitches , and the practice of turning the coffin three times when taking it out of the house which was done in order to confuse the deceased preventing them from ever coming back home. Similarly the deceaseds bowl of rice is shattered, and the deceased exits the house through an exit that is not the front door. Throwing of salt is also another practice aimed to remove the uncleanness and impurity brought about by the death. Up to now, there is the Kichu custom a 49-day mourning and grieving period, during which the family does not attend any festivities. During this period, since the family was made unclean by the death it is shunned and avoided. There is also Mochu which is a one-year period. A time when the family mourns the death of their member and remembers the departed. Conclusion In conclusion we have discussed in this assignment how traditional Japanese viewed death their traditions and their myths concerning death and all the elaborate preparations they carried out when sending off their dead relatives. Why and how all the rites were practiced. How the deceaseds family had a responsibility to give the dead a befitting burial and respect them because it was assumed that the dead retained their individuality as they had it before their deaths. The idea and belief that death is a station led to a continuation and made it possible for communication between the old and the dead.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Seneca Indians: Allies And Enemies Essay -- essays research papers
Seneca Indians: Allies and Enemies      Seneca are among the most respected and feared. The Seneca are culturally similar to their Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, an Mohawk confederates. The five tribes were known as the Five Nations or the League of Five Nations. Sometime between 1715 and 1722 the Tuscaroras from North Carolina joined the confederacy and changed the name to the Six Nations.      In their relations with white settlers the Seneca played the role of an independent power and were this way from the very start. During the colonial period they held the balance of power between the French and English. Particulary around the Canadian border. The Seneca opposed the extension of French settlement southwards from Canada, and were responsible for prevention the English colonies from being forced on the west by the French.      During the American Revolution the Seneca sided with the British.                          SOCIETY      Each town in the tribe contained several long, bark covered communal houses that had both tribal and political significance. Inside each house several families lived in semi-private rooms or areas and the center areas were used as social and political meeting places. They lived in scattered villages that were organized by a system of matrilineal clans.      A calendar cycle of ceremonies reflected their agricultural, hunting, and gathering. The men hunted, cleared fields, traded and made war. The woman gathered various wild plant foods and tended gardens.      They had a great agricultural economy. Their man crop was corn, but they also grew pumpkins, beans, tobacco, maize, squash and later on they grew orchard fruits like apples and peaches.      Crafts were also made. Fine pottery, splint baskets, mats of corn husk and used wampum as a medium of exchange.                     FAMOUS TRIBE MEMBERS      There were many famous Indians from the Seneca tribe.      Ely S. Parker- His Indian ... ...termined the outcome and the ways of our country.                     CONCLUSION PAGE      The Seneca Indians were a great tribe. Through themselves and five other tribes they formed the Six Nations. The Six Nations were an almost indomitable clan. They participated in the Revolutionary War and in the colonial wars. The tried to keep the French from coming down from Canada into the now United States.      The Seneca had a great agricultural and hunting economy. The men and women each had specific jobs they were to do in order to keep things running.      The Seneca was the tribe that was the most intensely studied by the white people. It is also believed that their democratic ways were an influence on the writers of the United States Constitution.      Many of the famous Indians came from the Seneca tribe. Some were Red Jacket, Ely S. Parker and Cornplanter. There were also many others from their league tribes, the Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and later joiners the Tuscarora.
Benefits of the Weight Watchers Program Essay -- Health Nutrition Diet
Benefits of the Weight Watchers Program Weight Watchers is an excellent program to aid in weight loss and healthy eating. It is an easy, healthy, and effective method for losing weight and eating correctly. Weight Watchers has based their program on a point system, making it easy to follow by counting points assigned to foods. It promotes healthy eating habits by regulating serving sizes, which are set by the United States Department of Agriculture. In addition to promoting healthy eating habits, it offers support for people who might need it. The support, along with the eating plan, helps dieters lose weight and eat healthy. Weight Watchers is very easy to follow. This is because the program has allocated a point value to every food. The points are related to the amount of calories the food contains; the more calories a food has, the more points it is given. For example, one apple has one point. The dieter is allowed a certain number of points per day, therefore restricting the amount of calories from anywhere between 1200 and 1700. Depending o...
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Population in the world Today :: essays papers
Population in the world Today Probably the most pressing concern of the modern world  both environmentally and socially  is the escalating global population. The geometrical growth in numbers over the last century, when estimated, presents an ominous picture of massive, unsustainable growth and accompanying famines and health crises. Yet, to simply follow the current trend is naive, and informed estimates of population trends are increasingly predicting a less disastrous future. The latest study shows an 85% chance that global population will peak before 2100, and predicts with 60% certainty that this peak will be less than 10 billion, compared with a population of 6 billion today. They even give an outside chance, 15%, that there will be fewer people living at the end of the century than are alive now. Their results are notable not just for the relatively low figures projected, but also for the rigorous analysis that accompanies them. Whereas the United Nation estimates present just four possible outcomes (constant, high, medium and low). The US Census Bureau includes specific chances of a particular scenario occurring on a specific date. This graphically illustrates the confidence (or otherwise) of predictions further into the future. To arrive at their conclusions, the team combined two forecasting techniques  'time series estimation, a statistical analysis based on known figures, and 'expert judgment', whereby key parameters are estimated taking into account foreseeable events such as disease, war and fertility trends. Apart from the lower total population figure estimated (8.8 billion by 2050, compared to 9.3 for the UN's medium estimate, 2000 revision). Population decline in developed nations is expected to accelerate, with the European part of the former USSR expected to lose 20% of it population by 2050. Such declines lead inevitably to ageing populations, and half of all people living in Japan at the end of the century are predicted to be over 60 years old. With these facts, there is no doubt in our minds that we are in for some trouble. Over the next 50 years, the United States alone faces some population problems. What we need to do is keep the growth rate at stage 4, meaning we need to have birth and death rates low.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Legal, Safety, Regulatory Essay
Human resources must abide by legal regulations and safety laws, along with regulations requirements. This is set in place for organizations to avoid litigation. The employee-related regulations have been established by the United States including; Department of Labor, the U. S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Department of Homeland Security. The main focus of these regulations is to prevent any manager from acting biased or irrationally. As a result, common sense and compassion have been replaced by litigation. What managers and employees fear the most is being sued. Managers will make special efforts to prevent such situations from occurring. Some managers will neglect high stress levels of their employees and lack the proper attention to legitimately discontented and unhappy employees. This throws common sense and compassion out the door. Compassion is the workplace amplifies the morale and enthusiasm of the employees along with cooperation where people are actually open to help and not move quickly into suing and organization. Experiencing compassion at work generates positive emotion and, in turn, shapes employees’ long-term attitudes and behaviors. Positive emotions generated by compassion have a cascading effect on employees’ attitudes and behaviors, thereby increasing job satisfaction and lowering job stress, (University of Michigan: Newsroom, 2003). The most recent of the major Equal Employment Opportunity laws is The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 also known as ADA. The law forbidding employment discrimination against people with disabilities who are able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). This act also provides the definition of what a person with disability truly entails. Managers must be especially careful when it comes to this because these days employees will knit pick and strip down a situation and call it discrimination when without a doubt they were probably not fulfilling the job description. HR managers need to ensure the safety of their employees. To ensure such safety there are two important standard regulations; that is workman’s compensation laws, each slightly differing upon which state the employee is in, and OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act established since 1970 on the federal level . Workman’s comp is a legally required benefit that provides medical care, income continuation, and rehabilitation expenses for people who sustain job-related injuries or sickness. Also provides income to the survivors of an employee whose death is job related (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). That being the case, there are audits held to prevent employee’s from filing fraudulent workman’s comp claims. OSHA has set federal and states laws, employees are to abide by their states OSHA standards to ensure safety in the workplace (Dellpo, 2013). In violation to following such laws can result in employer fines. With compassion and common sense lacking in the workplace a real disgruntled employee could cost and employer tons of money by carelessly contributing to fines. Then when presented with such allegations will then claim discrimination. When dealing with laws that effect HR, these are brought to the EEOC, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Employment decisions should not be based on characteristics such as race, sex, age, or disability (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). The EEOC are the ones who investigate claims and situations involving harassment, discrimination, ect. And do take everything seriously. Employers these days definitely abuse the EEOC for simple situations that common sense can be easily applied to, and under those circumstances wasting a lot of time and money for an organization. In the end, after exanimating the effect of legal safety and regulatory requirements on human resource process the main focus of these regulations is to prevent any manager from biasedly and without cause irrationally treating an employee badly. As a result, common sense and compassion have been replaced by litigation. It is unfortunate, but as managers that is why it is important to take actions that develop trust, such as sharing useful information and making good on commitments. Act consistently so that employees are not surprised by unexpected management actions or decisions. Be truthful and avoid white lies and actions designed to manipulate others by giving a certain (false) impression. Demonstrate integrity by keeping confidences and showing concern for others. Meet with employees to discuss and define what is expected of them. Ensure that employees are treated equitably, giving equivalent rewards for similar performance and avoiding actual or apparent special treatment of favorites. Adhere to clear standards that are seen as just and reasonable, for example, neither praising accomplishments nor imposing penalties disproportionately. Demonstrate respect toward employees, showing openly that they care about employees and recognize their strengths and contributions (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). By practicing these key points compassion and common sense can be restored in the workplace.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Selection, Hardware and Software Requirements of a PLC
Understand the selection, hardware and software requirements of a PLC There are 3 types of PLC, unitary, modular and rack-mounted. A unitary PLC Is a stand alone unity, it has no room for expansion and works on Its own. They are useful for automating activities such as stress testing. For example the stress testing of a hoist, Instead of paying someone to manually control the hoists up and down movement leaving time In between each motion a PLC could be used Instead. It could be set up to perform a number of cycles of movement of the holst by the use of Ilmlt switches t the top and bottom of Its movement to detect when to change direction.The time to walt between movements can be set so that the motor doesn't get strained. Other safety features could be added, for example, a set of sensors could be installed around the hoist to stop it's movement if some one comes too close to it. It would also be easier to set the parameters of the test and change them easily for testing a different hoist or piece of equipment. It would have to keep its functionality to a small scale as it can't be upgraded at all. A large variety of inputs and outputs could be sed as most PLCs support analogue and digital.This would mean you could have temperature sensors in use on the analogue and through-beam sensors on digital. It is likely that this type of PLC would be mounted somewhere near the object it is controlling, most likely to a nearby wall. A modular PLC allows for other modules to be connected to it increasing its functionality such as position sensing, stepper and servo motion control and packaging and press controls. Where it may have only had the ability to handle a certain amount of functions adding more increases this. The two or more connect ogether and act as if they still Just one.This would be useful for a company that uses a greater amount automation than the above company, perhaps for a conveyor belt system that is wanted to be upgraded in the future and with modula rity more modules could be added to allow for the extension of the conveyor belt and the new Inputs and outputs that are required. For example a bottling company may only just fill bottles but not label them, they could extend the conveyor to allow for them to print and attach labels to the bottles as well which would require a lot more sensors o detect the location of the bottle and outputs for controlling the labelling machine.Individual parts of the PLC can also be swapped out such as the power supplies and CPU, Central Processing unit, handles the programming and Interpreted the Inputs/ outputs. A rack-mounted PLC is very similar to a modular PLC with the ablllty to upgrade and change different parts of it but they are on standard cards that slot into standard more can be fit into a cabinet due to their design to fit closely with similar units. They are most likely to be used on large assembly lines with a wide range of equipment in use simultaneously.They can be upgraded to all ow the line to run better with more memory and faster CPU to better work with the large amount of things happening. The racks with the PLCs in are likely to be kept either in the factory control room or their own individual room specifically for them. Cost is the most important aspect to selecting the right PLC and the lowest cost PLC is the unitary because it is as it is. It can't be modified in anyway they can get expensive though as the specifications increase.Next up is the modular PLC which can be quite large to allow it to be upgraded with more memory, faster CPU and greater power upply. The most expensive are the rack mounted PLCs. They are much smaller than the modular PLCs but still retain the ability to be upgraded allowing you to have more powerful PLCs in smaller space. A robotic arm inside a cell would need to perform the same task continuously and because of this a PLC could be used.Using a series of limit switches to control when the arm moves there wouldn't be a prob lem because it would be able to stop before hitting any obstructions that may be in the way. For example a series of optical sensors would be able to detect when the item to be manufactured as entered the ell and is in the correct position for the arm which would allow the arm to pick it up and perform what it had been programmed to do. Be it to spray paint on it or to add something onto it, because those motions do not need to be dynamic a single program would be enough to manage it.The software requirements could be quite large depending on the complexity of the task and the robotic arm If there are a lot of joints on the arm that are controlled by motors then the program will need to control each one independently and add to the fact the movements required then it is quite complex set of instructions the arm requires because of this it will need a large amount of memory and a fast CPU to execute the commands quickly as it is likely that the manufacturing cell is required to get t hrough a lot of items a day.This would most likely rule out the use of a unitary PLC because the cost would be too great for one with the required specifications. It is also likely that a large amount of robotic arms would be in use so a rack mounted system would be more space efficient, they do cost more than modular PLCs but keeping all the PLCs in cabinets near each other n a neat and organised manner can make it easier for any maintenance required on them. They would need to be near enough to a computer to program them and update software when necessary.The computer could be in a completely different room as a ethernet cable is used to load the new software into them but having one nearby would make it easier for any quick alterations to the software needed in the likely that the operator would use a proprietary piece of software to program the PLC with, if they were from Siemens they would be programmed in Ladder Logic. A PLC would be very useful for this type of activity becau se it is repetitive, the same item would be having the same thing done to it.A PLC controlled arm doesn't need breaks, if set up properly, so it could take the place of a human and thus save money. A problem though is that the item that comes into the cell could have a defect on it that wouldn't be noticed by the sensors in use so whatever the arm does may be done to something that needs to be scrapped. That is something a human worker would have noticed and would have thus saved money by not doing anything to it.The main benefit of having a PLC control it is that the Job is done autonomously and would be more cost effective than employing a human to do it but you lose out on the fact the human can see what they are doing and ensure that the item entering the cell is correct and make sure he does his Job completely before sending it out, if it was spraying they would be able to check the coat is even and well done by eye where you would not get that from a PLC.Stricter control furth er down the line would eliminate this though. Immediate costs would be expensive with a PLC solution, the obotic arms that are going to be controlled need to be bought, the PLCs need to be bought, mounted and wired, someone needs to write the software for them and then maintain their operation. That position would likely be a higher paid position than someone working on the assembly line.Those that do work on the assembly line do not have as high start up costs but the costs are continuous plus allowance for tools and equipment needed such as PPE. Which leads on to the potential cost each has. If a robotic arm breaks it could potentially lead to the whole line being stopped while it s repaired, both of which will cost time and money.If a worker was to not be wearing the required PPE or Just sustain an injury it could mean that the line has to stop although he would be quickly replaced to keep the line running. There is also a possibility that the person that was injured might file c laims against the company that could lead to a large loss of money. The expansion of what the PLC controlled could be very costly as it would require new equipment and wiring which could mean that parts of production need to be shut down for it to be laid.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)