External Macro Environment Factors

External Macro Environment Factors Human Resource Management (HRM) according to Boxall and Purcell (2003:1) are the actions which involve the management of employment relationships in the firm. The modern world of business is changing rapidly in its attempt to gain and maintain a competitive edge. Business is operating in an environment affected by macro environmental factors ranging from Technology to Legislation and Globalization. These factors and many others are causing business to re-evaluate itself, both internally as well as externally. Structures are becoming flatter and decentralization is taking place as organizations attempt to remain competitive, survive and grow. The macro environment which is the main concern in this essay, are factors like political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environment (PESTLE) that can influence an organisation but are out of the organisations control. It is very important for HR practitioners to monitor the external macro environment since it can great ly make or unmake their businesses. This can be seen on the social changes technological advancement on workforce and HR policies in the last 10 years. In this essay, an elaborated definition of the external macro environment is well explained. Also, explanations of why it is necessary for HR practitioners to monitor the external macro environment , with reference to relevant academic theory is done. Also an illustration of how technological advancement and social change has affected the workforce and HR policies in the last 10 years is detailed out. The essay is then Concluded and bibliography cited as well. The marketing environment surrounds and impact activities carried out in the organisation. There are three key perspective on the marketing environment which involves the internal environment, the micro environment and the macro environment as shown on the diagram below. There are three key perspective on the business environment which involves the internal environment, the micro environment and the macro environment according to Kotler et al (2009). The micro environment influence the organisation directly and it includes the consumers, customers, suppliers, new entrants and competitors. All factors like men, money, machines, materials and market that are internal to the organisation are known as the internal environment. The external macro environment involves all those factors ranging from the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environment also known as the (PESTLE factor) that affects the organisation uncontrollably, influences the organisations decisions and affects its performance and strategies. These macro factors are continually changing and the company has to be flexible enough to adapt to it. Looking at the political factors affecting a business, it involves factors like initiatives, grants and funding offered by the government, wars, government relationships with other countries, taxation policies, the goods and services the government produces, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. As such the degree of government intervention in the economy will affect companies operating in it. Thus the political atmosphere of a country should be checked before the establishment of a business. Economic factors includes interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation, loan access, unemployment, government spending consumer spending and exchange rates that affects the organisation. Using the economic factors to analyse a business scenario, a higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more to borrow. Also, inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise costs. Also, a higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products.   Social factors involves religious differences, ethics, lifestyle of the people, demographic changes, education and culture.  For example, changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff are living longer. Technological factors involves the amount of research funding in the country, consumer purchasing power, technological advancement/ innovation, intellectual property and copy right infringement. For example Bar coding, online shopping, and new computer designs are all new technological development in the way companies do business due to the advancement in technology. Environmental factors involves a countries weather and climate change, the level of pollution, recycling considerations, legislative changes both current and future. Climatic changes can affect companies in the country. With the changes of global climates experienced today due to global warming, firms make this external factor a significant issue of considerations when expanding their businesses internationally Legal factors are factors like  safety, competition, health, future legislation, trading policies and regulatory bodies which relates to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK for example, there has been many significant legal changes that have affected firms behaviour like in areas like age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation and wages. HR practitioners have to carry out a PESTLE scan of the macro environment where the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects of the business would be scanned properly. This is done in order to caution the HR practitioners on how changes in their external macro environment will impact the organisations activities. The external analysis of the macro environment has both micro and macro focus. At the level of the micro trend, HR practitioners should monitor suppliers, the strength of their competitors, labour supplies and the demographic population. At the level of the macro trend, HR practitioners should monitor the market forecast, technological trends, labour market forecast and trends in public sector employment and political atmosphere of the country. Also, the reason why HR practitioners scan the macro environment is to identify and analyse possible opportunities and threats of the industry as a whole that are outside the control of the industry using the opportunity and threat analysis (SWOT) analysis. The opportunities identifies the environmental characteristics that can help the organisation succeed and the threats identifies environmental characteristics that can prevents the organisation from being successful. As such, with the opportunity and threat analysis, HR practitioners are able to develop a corporate, business and functional level strategy. With the corporate level strategy, the organisation lays a plan action to manage the growth and development of the firm hence profit maximisation in the long run. With the business level strategy, the organisations find ways to counters its threats so as to compete effectively and with the functional level strategy, the HR practitioners establish a plan of action to improve its d epartments so as to create value. All these increases profits and the survival of the organisation. In addition, monitoring the external macro environment will assist the HR practitioner on how to recruit, retain, and develop the workforce they need. As such, HR practitioners are able to carry out their four main functions which are; the acquisition function, development function, motivation function and maintenance function. As such knowing the PESTLE environment will assist them to understand the policies, salaries, culture, educational levels of the potential employees in the country they operate. Once a sound external analysis is conducted, it can be reviewed and updated as part of the planning cycle to identify any significant changes in the environment. Also, looking at the social trends, HR practitioner monitor the external environment in order to know more about the culture of its employees. Trompenaars and Turner (1997) defines culture as the way in which a group of people live, solves problem and reconcile dilemmas. He also postulated seven dimension of culture that relates to relationships with people and their working environment. Also, Arnold et al cited in Handy (1986) pointing out that A strong culture makes a strong organisation and not all culture suits all purposes or people. As such it is necessary for HR practitioners to study their external environment so as to blend the organisations culture with that of its employees in order to create a good working atmosphere in the organisation. Thus resolving cultural differences will bring in team work and group cohesiveness. Furthermore, according to Devanna et al (1984), scanning the external environment assist HR practitioners to fit their HRM policies, practices and strategies in its competitive environment with the immediate business conditions that it faces as shown on the diagram below. The Matching model. As such, informations from the external environment assist HR practitioners to establish a proper mission and strategy, organisational structure and also enables human resource management policies to be used in their organisations based in different countries. The external environment has a major impact on the companies activities and decisions. More often than not, these forces are beyond the control of an organization and its managers. Though non-controllable, these forces require a response in order to keep positive actions with the targeted markets. Thus HR practitioners scan their external environment so that they can respond profitably to unmet needs and trends in the targeted markets. Linked to the above, accordingly, the factors of the environment will need to be considered as inputs in the planning and forecasting models developed by an organization.  Disturbances in the environment may spell profound threats or new opportunities thus the supervision helps HR practitioners to monitor and adapt to the environment if it is to survive and prosper. They thus identify, evaluate and react to the forces triggered by the external environment so as to make profits and survive in the long run. Furthermore, the knowledge gotten from the scanning of the external environment by HR practitioners assist them in gathering informations based on both government and private laws affecting the industry. Laws like rigid government laws in some countries that might affect their investments where by business may be doomed to be non starters due to business restrictions imposed by the government are determined before establishing a business. Also, cost of recruitment and standards in different from one country to another. More so, the availability of key inputs like trained managers, skilled labour, raw material are all impacted by the external environment. As such, monitoring the external environment enables HR practitioners to gather necessary informations which can affect their businesses. Until about twenty years ago, the world of work was an unfortunate place. Change of all kind was slow and non existence. Products had long life cycle, organisations were characterised by long control/ universally applied rule and technological innovations and inventions were pretty slow. In the last ten years technological advancement and social change has affected the workforce and HR policies. Looking at the way technological advancement has affected the workforce, in the past ten years, technological advancement has made globalisation possible amongst employees. Technological innovations in areas like learning and development, telecommunications, computers, satellite system have made it possible for information and innovation to rapidly cross national boundaries in between employees. More so, with technological advancement and the advent of new machines, there has been division of labour within employees hence creating higher quality products, just in time delivery and greater customization of products. In addition, Robinson (2006) pointed out that, within the past ten years in Britain for example, the amount of people employed in the manufacturing sector reduced by a half. Also there has been a decline in skilled and semi skilled manual jobs due to the rise in the creation of machines. The workforce nowadays is highly segmented and job length vary between the skilled and semi skilled jobs. Technological advancement has also affected HR policies in that Decades ago, HR management was autocratic in nature, employee made no decisions in the organisation. Organisational culture was hostile and employees didnt care about career advancement/ promotion opportunities since they were satisfied with their jobs. But in the past ten years, technological advancement has caused the establishment of new policies in order to work hand in hand with the growth. There has been a radical organisational restructuring programmes evidenced in de-layering, downsizing and decentralized. Also, with the advent of technology, HR practitioners keep restructuring new policies in terms of employing on a permanent basis and also offering career advancements in the form of training, development and promotion to employees as pointed out by Robinson (2006). Social change has affected workforce in that, in the past, men were employed most in organisation due to the increasing use of manual labour and physical power. But within the last ten years, there has been a steady increase in the participation of women in the labour force. Robinson (2006) analysed that there has been a rising level of divorce and single parents has lead to the provision of social welfare, health and educational services by HR practitioners. Social change has also affected HR policies in that, organisation in the past faced difficulties of dealing with cultural differences. Going international was very difficult due to the cultural barriers and differences. Within the past ten years, cultural policies have been instituted in order to deal with cultural conflicts in organisations. Organisations find it very easy to go international due to laid down policies, training and care giving to their expatriate employees. Also, HR policies have been adapted to satisfy consumers as customers have greater choice and power to influence purchase Boxall and Purcell (2003). As such, employees receive training in aspects like offering better customer care and services to consumers. All these has lead to increase profitability and survival of organisations. The external Macro environment also Known as the PESTLE environment consists of trends and forces which might not instantly influence the relations that a company has with its clients, suppliers and mediators, but afterward, macro-environmental changes will modify the nature of these relations. As explained above, it is very necessary for HR practitioners to monitor these macro external factors so as to foresee and manage any future impact it might have on the companies activities. Also, looking at the changes in technology and social change on workforce and HR policies in the past ten years, HR practitioners have adapted themselves to this changes by implementing new policies, strategies, rule and regulations to adapt their businesses to these uncontrollable factors.

Describe the characteristics of the different types of schools in relation to educational stage(s) and school governance Essay

The two schools I shall be discussing are Parkstone Grammar School, and Canford Heath Infant School. I have chosen these schools, as they are very different, not only in their age ranges but also in the processes in which they admit their students. Parkstone Grammar School is a selective all girls academy school in Poole, Dorset. (Academy meaning â€Å"a school directly funded by the governments Department of Education, but independent of local government control.† â€Å"An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, but must meet the same National Curriculum core subject requirements as other state schools and be subject to inspection by Ofsted.† Source Wikipedia) The school provides for girls aged between 11 and 18, teaching key stages 3, 4 and 5. The selection process to determine which girls will be eligible to be considered for an admission place is formatted by means of three exams, one verbal reasoning and two non-verbal reasoning. The girls who meet the appropriate level of ability in these tests can then apply for a place at the school via the local borough. The places are then considered and decided by the schools Governors’ Admissions panel following the criteria shown below. a)Eligible girls who are classed as â€Å"looked after† or have previously been â€Å"looked after†. b)Eligible girls who live within the Borough of Poole. c)Eligible girls who live outside the Borough of Poole, in rank order of the entrance test scores, with those girls obtaining highest scores given higher priority. Parkstone Grammar School has a substantial governing body who describe their role as â€Å"A critical friend† to the school. The governing body, or school governors are responsible for the admissions to the school, as previously mentioned and the recruitment of staff. They also have control over the school funds in order to ensure the teachers and students have the resources they require. Parkstone Grammar School receives most of its funding from the local  authority, receiving  £15464 for 2011-2012. This money is then used to support learning in numerous ways, such as, curriculum support, work experience and SEN. The school also receives The school also receives funding from local companies who sponsor and support the school by providing equipment and help fund building projects such as a new sports hall, for example. In contrast to the Grammar school, Canford Heath Infant School is a state run primary school, providing education for ages 4-7, which covers the Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 and 2. The admissions policy is very different to the Grammar, all admissions for the infant school are organised by Poole Borough. Poole admissions conduct and equal preference admissions system, where parents select 3 choices which are considered together, but the highest ranked preference is offered subject to availability. Similarly to the Grammar school though the admissions consider the following criteria when the school is over-subscribed. a)A child in care or who was previously a child in care. b) Pupils who live within the schools catchment area. c)Pupils who live outside the catchment area in the following order 1)Pupils who have sibling who’s already enrolled in the school 2)Pupils who have a significant medical or psychological condition 3)All other pupils As with the Grammar school, Canford Heath Infant School has a governing body which has certain legal duties and responsibilities to ensure that the school provides the correct services to parents and the children attending the school. Canford Heath Infant School governing body consists of five types of governor. 1)LEA – Appointed by the local authority 2)Parent – Elected by parents 3)Community Governor – Elected by the governing body 4)Staff governor – elected by the staff 5)Associate governor – elected by the governing body As with the Grammar school funding is a vital necessity. Canford Heath Infant School is mainly funded the local authority but also has a parent support group who work with the school to provide extra funds for school trips, discos, book bags and library books. Although these schools are very different in their admission procedures and the age of children attending, both schools follow similar structural criteria. For admissions, funding and academic, most importantly both have governing bodies that support the whole school and provide essential guidance, advice and ensuring schools provide equality of opportunity for everyone, by setting values, aims and objectives, agreeing school improvement strategy’s, which involves approving budgets and agreeing staffing. So therefore, in conclusion, despite the differences these schools are effectively run in the same manner, with the same goals and objectives.

Learn About Gothic Literature With Elements and Examples

The term Gothic originates with the architecture created by the Germanic Goth tribes that was later expanded to include most medieval architecture. Ornate, intricate, and heavy-handed, this style of architecture proved to be the ideal backdrop for both the physical and the psychological settings in a new literary genre, one that concerned itself with elaborate tales of mystery, suspense, and superstition. While there are several notable precursors, the height of the Gothic period, which was closely aligned with Romanticism, is usually considered to have been the years 1764 to about 1840, however, its influence extends to 20th-century authors such as V.C. Andrews, Iain Banks, and Anne Rice. Plot and Examples Gothic plotlines typically involve an unsuspecting person (or persons)—usually an innocent, naive, somewhat helpless heroine—who becomes embroiled in complex and oftentimes evil paranormal scheme. An example of this trope is young Emily St. Aubert in Anne Radcliffe’s classic Gothic 1794 novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho, which would later inspire a parody in form of Jane Austen’s 1817 Northanger Abbey. The benchmark for pure Gothic fiction is perhaps the first example of the genre, Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764). Although not a long tale in the telling, the dark, its oppressive setting combined with elements of terror and medievalism set the bar for an entirely new, thrilling form of literature. Key Elements Most Gothic literature contains certain key elements that include: Atmosphere: The atmosphere in a Gothic novel is one characterized by mystery, suspense, and fear, which is usually heightened by elements of the unknown or unexplained.Setting: The setting of a Gothic novel can often rightly be considered a character in its own right. As Gothic architecture plays an important role, many of the stories are set in a castle or large manor, which is typically abandoned or at least run-down, and far removed from civilization (so no one can hear you should you call for help). Other settings may include caves or wilderness locales, such as a moor or heath.Clergy: Often, as in The Monk and The Castle of Otranto, the clergy play important secondary roles in Gothic fare. These (mostly) men of the cloth are often portrayed as being weak and sometimes outrageously evil.The paranormal: Gothic fiction almost always contains elements of the supernatural or paranormal, such as ghosts or vampires. In some works, these supernatural features are later explained in perf ectly reasonable terms, however, in other instances, they remain completely beyond the realm of rational explanation.Melodrama: Also called â€Å"high emotion,† melodrama is created through highly sentimental language and instances of overwrought emotion. The panic, terror, and other feelings characters experience is often expressed in a way thats overblown and exaggerated in order to make them seem out of control and at the mercy of the increasingly malevolent influences that surround them.Omens: Typical of the genre, omens—or portents and visions—often foreshadow events to come. They can take many forms, such as dreams, spiritual visitations, or tarot card readings.Virgin in distress: With the exception of a few novels, such as Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872), most Gothic villains are powerful males who prey on young, virginal women (think Dracula). This dynamic creates tension and appeals deeply to the readers sense of pathos, particularly as these heroines typically tend to be orphaned, abandoned, or somehow severed from the world, without guardianship. Modern Critiques Modern readers and critics have begun to think of Gothic literature as referring to any story that uses an elaborate setting, combined with supernatural or super-evil forces against an innocent protagonist. The contemporary understanding is similar but has widened to include a variety of genres, such as paranormal and horror.   Selected Bibliography In addition to The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Castle of Otranto, there are a number of classic novels that those interested in Gothic literature will want to pick up. Heres a list of 10 titles that are not to be missed: The History of the Caliph Vathek (1786) by William Thomas BeckfordThe Monk (1796) by Mathew LewisFrankenstein (1818) by Mary ShelleyMelmoth the Wanderer (1820) by Charles MaturinSalathiel the Immortal (1828) by George CrolyThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor HugoThe Fall of the House of Usher (1839) by Edgar Allan PoeVarney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood (1847) by James Malcolm RymerThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis StevensonDracula (1897) by Bram Stoker

Veiled Sentiments Essay - 1240 Words

VEILED SENTIMENTS Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society (Critique) The book, Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society, by author and anthropologist, Lila Abu-Lughod, who is best known for her work on womens issues in the middle east, presents two years of fieldwork in Egypt among the Awlad Ali Bedouin community who have gone from living a nomadic lifestyle , a farming system where animals are transported from one area to another in search for fresh grazing land, to living in villages where smuggling, raising animals, and doing odd jobs are ways of supporting themselves. In the book, Abu-Lughod brings together the concepts of structure, hierarchy, ideology, and discourse to illustrate the Bedouin culture, and how the†¦show more content†¦(p.79) When reading Veiled Sentiments, I got the impression that the existing social hierarchy among the Awlad Ali was based on gender, age, wisdom, and wealth, Women are always dependent, and Â…the powerful have obligations and responsibilities to protect and care for the weak. The weaker members epitomized by the helpless infant, and by extension all children. (p.80-81) Abu- Lughod did a good job depicting the ways that the social hierarchy works, by including terminology such as wliyya, and by vividly describing situations where women, and children seemed weaker than the adult males in the community, who in most situations appeared to be the head of households. The author also goes further into the ideals of the Awlad Ali by discussing the relations between female modesty (hasham), natural inferiority, and sexuality. She depicts the ideal woman in the eyes of the Bedouin people, describing her as soft spoken, and well-behaved, and with no open thoughts on sexuality. Apart from discus sing the importance of hasham in a woman, Abu- Lughod points out that emotion of love and affection between men and women is a taboo. Men that show emotion towards a woman are seen to be weak and are shunned upon by their male peers, as well as women in the community. Women claim, for instance, that real men control all their dependents and beat their wives when the wives do stupid things ( p.89). InShow MoreRelatedChapter 4 of Veiled Sentiments800 Words   |  4 PagesChapter four of Veiled Sentiments showed why sexual modesty is essential to a women’s honor. The Bedouins are much more enthusiastic with the birth of a boy over a birth of a girl. These people would rejoice for a boy and mourn for a girl. I understand this is their way of life and this is within their culture but if girls were never born, then who would give birth to any boys later on in life? Men are very important to a tribe because its strength measured by its number of men. As a whole,Read MoreThe Id eas, Meanings, And Power Dynamics1303 Words   |  6 PagesFrom what has been revealed, it can be presumed that a substantial difference of veiling across the board, is enforcement. From Veiled Sentiments to Young and Defiant in Tehran, the differences in ideas regarding veiling are noticeably contrasting. The three anthropology texts involved, include further inside information and feelings regarding veiling. In Veiled Sentiments by Lila Abu-Lughod, veiling is a choice and is not forced on women. Due to the faith and freedom of choice, most women willinglyRead MoreA Google Search For The Term Muslim Women 1735 Words   |  7 Pageswell in her idea of ‘the Other.’ Women are defined in terms of and compared to men, often as submissive and inferior, but this also plays out on a racial scale, in this case of Muslim as inferior comparison to whiteness (de Beauvoir 203). The Muslim, veiled woman cannot be experienced as oppressed without the knowledge of the western woman as (often white and) liberated. De Beauvoir claims that unlike other ‘Others’ women worldwide cannot form a community together, and so attach themselves to men asRead MoreCultural Relativism, By Lila Abu Lughod1359 Words   |  6 Pagesmight â€Å"be free to not be veiled† undermines Bedouin culture because it fundamentally misunderstands the practice of veiling, speaking about it in an Am erican context rather than a Bedouin context. So in order to understand the practice of veiling, we must think in terms of cultural relativism, and look at veiling in the context of Bedouin ethics, customs, and beliefs. In this essay, I will be using facts gathered by Lila Abu-Lughod in her ethnography, â€Å"Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a BedouinRead MoreThe View Of The East936 Words   |  4 Pagesexperiences. In these discussions, Muslim women are represented to be submissive and veiled without a voice and agency of their own. The outward and highly visible symbol of the veil has become the epitome of Muslim â€Å"otherness† in much of the Western world and, as such, has become the focal point of Western dialogue in identifying the oppression of women within Islam. The belief that Muslim women are oppressed by simply being veiled generalizes the female population of the religion and inaccurately paints women’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Marjane Satrapi s Persepolis Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesFor Satr api, the Islamic faith was a source of comfort for her when she was a child. In fact, she was so enraptured by her faith that she told her school teacher she wanted to be a prophet when she grew up (Persepolis, 2003, pg. 8). However, this sentiment quickly changes when her uncle Anoosh is executed as a result of the Iranian revolution. She confronts God and shouts â€Å"Shut up you! Get out of my life! I never want to see you again! Get out!† (Persepolis, 2003, pg. 70). She is then pictured floatingRead MoreMarriage Is Not Considered A Bond871 Words   |  4 Pagesagreement take the participants’ individual wishes into account. These arrangements can create a strain, mostly on the woman, between loyalty to her blood family and loyalty to her new husband’s family. According to Lila Abu-Lughod, the author of Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in Bedouin Society, this is the â€Å"problem with marriage.† This problem created, in Bedouin societies, is a conflict with agnation and the dominant bond agnation is meant to carry. It may allow for a person to become more connectedRead MoreThe Inability of Brutus to Assume Political Leadership of the Conspiracy Against Julius Caesar in Shakespeares Play1055 Words   |  5 Pages Cassius, Be not deceived. If I have veiled my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Merely upon myself. Vexed I am Read More Douglas Egerton’s He Shall Go Out Free Essay1214 Words   |  5 Pagessurprise that eighteenth century Charleston would find revolution fermenting among its slave population. In his book He Shall Go Out Free, Douglas Egerton describes the life of Denmark Vesey, a freed slave in Charleston, who held a deep and thinly-veiled hatred of slavery and the city’s ruling elite, and was best known for leading a failed attempt at revolt which cost his life. However, Egerton argues one must look beyond the span of Vesey’s lifetime to best understand his impact upon the historyRead MoreStar Wars and Vietnam926 Words   |  4 PagesNorth Vietnamese (Rebels) in the help to overthrown and get rid of the evil Galactic Empire (United States) that took over and used their homeland as a base. Also, the portrayal of the Ewoks as inferior small people by the Galactic Empire shows the sentiments that we had toward the Vietnamese and the way we viewed them as not as or less important. Little did the Storm Troopers and Empire know that they would play a very important and pivotal role in the destruction of the Empire on Endor and their Empire