Thursday, November 28, 2019

‘Finding Your Strategy in the New Landscape’ by Pankaj Ghemawat free essay sample

Therefore, this article has tried to explain on how the changing of the strategic approach can help the Multinational Company gets benefited from it. The main issues of this article are to address on how the Multinational Companies should review their strategy in the hostile of post recession operating business environment. The authors first highlighted how the crisis affects company basic strategic environment where he later on explore on how it implemented into changes in the product and markets, operation and innovation, organization and people structure also identity and reputation of business in general. In this article, the authors emphasize that most of the company’s global strategies have been based on the visions of the world’s that is steadily and rapidly integrated. However the crash in 2008 and 2009 has changed this vision, where it makes more sense to adopt a vision where the national differences are remain pronounced. The authors suggested that, those companies who are strategically based on the differences and achieving economics scale across national boundaries need to shift toward adapting to local conditions. We will write a custom essay sample on ‘Finding Your Strategy in the New Landscape’ by Pankaj Ghemawat or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is also highlighted that the resource allocation process needs to be change as in the post recession environment the cost and the availability of capital are issues. The companies need to become more selective in pursuing new opportunities. There are also companies that try to allocate their resources according to their articulated strategic priorities where it can be seen based on the large numbers of company which turned to the investment in China. The authors also have pointed out that the multinational companies need to watch out for the emerging of new market competition by China and India. As stated in this article, the firms need to focus on three main points under markets and products. First, the multinational companies need to re-think about their customer targeting. The companies need to shift customer targeting away from the urban elite only where the firms need to include more geographies, channels and income levels. China has been given as an example by the authors indicates that, there are many multinational companies has already developed this strategy and now working in clusters of cities. The multinational should also look for a ways to seize the opportunity in the underserved segments such as Wal-Mart where it penetrates the geographies which cover most of the cities by adopting the urban strategy involve smaller store formats. Secondly, repositioning of the products will be required due to the increase of the pricing pressures that are forecasted only to intensify. Finally, the multinationals, will have to develop product and services that are better suited for the different geographic locations where they are being sold. In operations and innovation, the authors indicate that, there is several interrelated shift are taking place. While the companies continue to off shoring, the supply chain will need extensive reconfiguring to become shorter, simpler and robust. Additionally, the flow of innovations in operation has begun to reverse. Instead of sending older technology to the less developed companies, organization found that the plants are able to handle higher automated processes. Product development and innovation based on the emerging markets is also becoming popular with high-tech companies like Intel. They are leading the way by utilizing the strong talent in India which is focused on research and development. The authors emphasize that the changing in the organization and people will begin to reflect the new opportunities and constrains around organizational structure and talent. Based on the article, before the crisis many companies were moving towards globally integrated structures, therefore, rather than continuing towards fully integrated international approach, some companies may want to give power to the managers in separate countries in order to take better advantage of foreign opportunities and achieve clearer understanding of the country’s conditions. This will cause the needs of diversifications in management in all ranks. It is also suggested that the companies should take the advantage on the modern communication technology not only to close the geographical gaps but also cultural and demographic distance. In the last component which is identity and reputation strategy, the authors has stress out on the importance of building a strong corporate identity. As international business becomes more complex and localized, it’s important to maintain a firm identity that reaches all nations through the open communication of values and leadership development. Corporate diplomacy will become vital for the organization in maintain their identity and reputation after the post crisis world. It’s also a key to continue improving and to restore the overall business reputations considering the low morale in the economy since the crisis. Hence, by rebuilding the reputation of business, it may help to contain the challenge of protectionisms when the trust in economic institutions is low. The authors conclude that the multinational companies must increase diversity and build cohesive corporate cultures and tighten their talent management practices. Nevertheless, the companies of the new developed era should become more cosmopolitan in their worldview and more discriminating their investment choice. Summarization of article; ‘Finding Your Strategy in the New Landscape’ by Pankaj Ghemawat [Type the document subtitle]

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Mobilink Essay Example

Mobilink Essay Example Mobilink Essay Mobilink Essay Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION3 ?INTRODUCTION:3 ?HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AT MOBILINK5 ?STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT MOBILINK:6 Chapter 2: HR POLICIES IN GENERAL (MOBILINK):7 ?POLICIES IN GENERAL:7 1. Working hours:7 2. Protection of company assets people policy:8 3. Dress code policy:8 4. Security and safety policy:10 5. Company publications policy:10 6. Attendance policy11 ?PRACTICES AGAINST THE POLICIES IN GENERAL:12 1)Working Hours:12 2)Protection of Company Assets:12 3)Dress Code:12 4)Security Safety Policy:12 5)Company Publications:13 ?CRITICAL REVIEW ON HR POLICIES OF MOBILINK IN GENERAL:13 Chapter 4: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS:14 ?MOBILINK POLICIES FOR RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:14 Recruitment policy14 Policy guidelines:14 General conditions for recruitment:15 Application:16 Conditions for selection:16 ?PRACTICES AT MOBILINK REGARDING RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:18 ? CRITICAL REVIEW ON RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS:18 Chapter 5: TRAINING19 ?TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT POLICY AT MOBILINK:19 ?FOREIGN TRAINING POLICY:20 Objective:20 Policy Guidelines:20 Conditions for Overseas Training:20 Surety for Mutual Benefit:20 ?TRAINING: PRACTICES AT MOBILINK21 Types of Training in Mobilink:21 Mobilinks Training programmes:22 ?CRITICAL REVIEW ON TRAINING AT MOBILINK:24 Chapter 6: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM:25 ?POLICIES AT MOBILINK FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL:25 Frequency of the Performance Review:25 Policy guidelines:26 Performance Appraisal Forms:26 ?PRACTICES AT MOBILINK FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM:27 ? CRITICAL REVIEW ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL:27 Chapter 7: CAREER PLANNING DEVELOPMENT:28 ?CRITICAL REVIEW:28 Chapter 8: Rewards System:29 ?POLICIES ON REWARD SYSTEM AT MOBILINK:29 Salary29 ?PRACTICES ON REWARD SYSTEMS AT MOBILINK:32 CRITICAL REVIEW:32 Chapter 8: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES:33 HOW WELL THESE POLICIES AND PRACTICES ARE ACHIEVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS? 33 CONCLUSION: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 34 RECOMMENDATIONS:34 BIBLIOGRAPHY:35 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION Introduction: Orascom Telecom Holding S. A. E. (Orascom Telecom) or (OTH) was established in 1998 and has grown to become a major player in the telecommunication market in the world. OTH is considered among the largest and most diversified network operator in the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan. Mobilink GSM (PMCL), a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom, was awarded a license in July, 1992 and started its operations in 1994, and has become the market leader both in terms of growth as well as having the largest customer subscriber base in, Pakistan a base of over 24 million and growing. Mobilink provides the most extensive network coverage footprint across Pakistan through an integrated technology infrastructure in more than 5,000 cities, towns, villages, and countless remote destinations, including International Roaming in 110 countries through 300 partner operators. There are about 5000 employees currently working in Mobilink of which 4500 are working on permanent basis and 500 on temporary basis, with average of more than 800 employees hired every month. Among them approximately 5% are managers and operatives are 40%, rest are either contractual or not directly related to core business. In April 2001, when the OTH (Orascom Telecom Holding) took over management control of the company, the market share was only 40% but as of March, 2006; Mobilink served over 14 million subscribers, representing a market share of approximately 56. % of total mobile subscribers in Pakistan. However, during the past two years the market share of Mobilink has gone down to 41% (As of March, 2007). The head office of Mobilink is located at KULSUM Plaza, blue area, Islamabad. Its branch offices are located in Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Peshwar, Quetta, Swat, and Kohat. Moblink has three main contact centers in three regions of Pakistan. As for the customers centers there are about 2000-2500 customers service centers all over Pakistan. Principal area in which Mobilink Telecommunication is working is that it provides its customers, a wide range of postpaid (Indigo) and prepaid (Jazz) solutions. Keeping in the mind their customer convenience they have also bundled mobile handsets, sold either independently or bundled in Set so Go Get Pack. Competition faced by the company is from al the operators in telecom that includes all the face SGM (Global System of mobile) operators, CDMA operators and LDI operators and land line operators. All these telecom companies Human Resource Departments are in constant need of new employees. So there is stiff competition in the telecom market for Mobilink. Comparison with competitors in the market is shown as in the table. Mobilink is using high IT based technology for operations. Mobilink uses Motorola’s infrastructure mostly at radio based stations, but now it has been exceedingly using Alchatel equipment too. Switching equipment is of Siemens and Alchatel, billing system from Telesens KSCL and Ericsson, Intelligent network from Siemens, Microwave equipement DMC. The GSM (Global System of Mobile communication) band that is used by Mobilink is in 900/1800 MHz. The number of subscribes of Mobilink has been fast increasing since year 2000,the number of subscribes of Mobilink has almost doubled in the last one year from 5 million approx to 10 million approx this figure has almost increased by 50 times as it was in year 2000. This in fact is a milestone for Mobilink. Currently the company has a customer base of over 24 million and its growing. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AT MOBILINK There are about 44 HR professionals currently working at Mobilink of which 10 are managers. Mobilink has a very well defined and structured department and its various policies of keeping each employee productive part of the organization are intoned with the corporate worlds requirement. Employees in the company are largely committed to their organization and have shown progress in the company. Employees are satisfied with the HR department of Mobilink GSM Company. There are several functions performed by HR department which are given below: 6 Planning 6 Recruitment 6 Selection Formal Interview Intelligence tests 6 Research and Development Training 6 Compensation 6 Occupational Health and Safety measures 6 Career Planning and Development 6 Performance Appraisal System In order to make its human resource productive and efficient, Mobilink aggressively work in developing its human resource capital through international and local trainings as well as structured employee ‘well-being’ programs, making it one of the most sought after companies to work for in Pakista n. Mobilink conducts several training program in order to improve the competencies and skills of employees. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT MOBILINK: Humans are the basic tool for having competitive edge in the market for most of the organizations and Mobilink is one of these. Mobilink has one of the best HR systems in Pakistan that gives it an edge over its competitors. HR strategy refers to the specific human resource management course of actions that a company pursues to achieve its objectives. But how these strategies/policies/practices are formulated and implemented at Mobilink. There is a whole process behind this. Like most big organizations, this process is also done in accordance with company’s mission. First, Strategic planners analyze what actually is he prevalent culture of the organization, what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT analysis) of business and its market, and on the basis of all the above analysis, company’s strategic plan is established. In the end HR strategies are formulated in accordance with this overall business’/companies’ strategic plans. Based on these HR strategies, HR policies and practices are also formed and implemented. Any abrupt change in the market requires the organization to follow this analysis in order to be successful. That why organizations continuously keeps on updating their strategies and policies. Whole system for development of HR strategies/policies/practices is as below: [pic] Chapter 2: HR POLICIES IN GENERAL (MOBILINK): Policies in General: WORKING HOURS: Purpose: Hours of work are scheduled to meet the production and work requirements of the Company, and are in conformance with all applicable local laws and practices. Working Hours: The Company shall determine the hours of work: Office Hours: Monday through Friday (09:00 am. – 6:00 pm. ) 9 am to 8 p. m. (Shops operating on one window operation concept) Saturday: The shops timings will be determined by the Customer Service Management keeping in view the customer needs. Sixty (60) minutes meal breaks each day from Monday through Thursday. Ninety (90) minutes meal / prayer break for Friday. Shift work: Employees working in shifts will follow the shift roasters prepared by the line management. Exceptions: Employees may be requested to work on any of the holidays or regularly scheduled day of rest including Saturday/Sunday, if the Company’s business so requires. Breach: Any employee not abiding by the working hours Policy will initially be counselled by his /her immediate supervisor / office manager. Any repeated act will be reported to the Human Resources in writing who will refer the discipline policy for further proceedings. PROTECTION OF COMPANY ASSETS PEOPLE POLICY: Purpose: Mobilink’s continued success depends on the protection as well as the development of technology. Each employee is responsible for preventing the unauthorized use or disclosure of the Company’s sensitive and proprietary information. By following security policies and procedures, employees will protect themselves as well as the physical, proprietary and intellectual assets of the Company. Procedure: Employees to identify themselves to the security guards by showing Company issued Identity Cards. Employees will sign confidentiality and proprietary agreement at the time of leaving the Company stating that no information will be passed on to any other person / organization. Human Resources is responsible for signing of the agreement by the employee leaving the Company before handing over a full and final settlement cheque to the concerned employee. DRESS CODE POLICY: Purpose: Following are the main purposes for this policy. A)To provide all employees with the reasons for suitable attire, acceptability of appearance and enforcement procedures. B)For the benefit of the employee and all other employees in the working area. The employees clothing, hairstyle and jewelry shall not be of the type, which may interfere with the appropriate performance of his/her duties. C)Employees whose duties involve Customer contact must maintain a suitable appearance, as customers judge the Company not only by the quality of product and services the Company provides, but also by the appearance of the people with whom they deal. D)Employees who deal with the general public must maintain a suitable appearance as their dress and actions reflect upon Company Corporate image. Procedure: All female employees shall observe the following dress code: Shalwar Kameez Sari / Blouse Dress Pants / Blouse or Shirt with Jacket or Waist Coat Skirts / Blouse or Shirt with Jacket or Waist Coat (No minis / long slits) Light makeup Light jewelry No Low Necks All male employees shall follow the following dress code: Dress shirt / pants / Tie with Jacket or Coat or Sweater Dress shoes and socks Well trimmed moustache, hair and beard / â€Å"shaved face† Hair length should not go below the shirt collar Employees who work on Saturdays, where they have customer contact will wear Business casual. Business casual is defined as follows: Dress shirt / pants Dress shirt / pants /coat Dress shirt / pants / sweater Dress shoes and socks No joggers No jeans Dress code for female employees will remain unchanged on Saturdays. All Officers / Department Heads shall be responsible for the implementation of the dress code for their employees. Any employee not abiding by the Dress Code under this Policy will initially be counseled by his /her immediate supervisor / office manager. Any repeated act will be reported to the Human Resources Department in writing. SECURITY AND SAFETY POLICY: Purpose: The safety of employees is everyone’s responsibility. Accidents, precaution and efficient work go hand in hand. All levels of employees have a primary responsibility for the safety and well being of all of us. Therefore, interest in practicing safety prevention must be encouraged by: a) Setting good examples. b) Acting upon safety records. c) Reviewing safety programs. d) Holding personal interviews or group conferences. e) Starting activities that will stimulate and maintain employee’s interests. No phase of operation of administration is of greater importance than accident prevention. It is the policy of the Company to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and to follow operating practices that safeguard all employees and result in safe working conditions and efficient operations. Proper First Aid Kit will be available at all Mobilink Offices including remote locations. COMPANY PUBLICATIONS POLICY: Purpose: To provide a means of communicating Mobilink’s policies, objectives, plans programs and development of all employees. To report on all Mobilink activities. To provide an outlet for employees to express themselves in their literary and artistic talents. Policy Guidelines: The Company publishes booklets, news articles and newsletters for the benefit of the employees. The Company maintains the rights to change, discontinue, reverse or edit the content of any publication issued by the Company. Only brochures, pamphlets, newsletters, handbills or posters approved by the Company may be issued or distributed on Company premises. The President and the VP Human Resources Administration must approve all publications intended for all employees. ATTENDANCE POLICY Purpose: To prevent unauthorized absence of employees, this creates serious problems for normal and efficient operations and could result in disciplinary action including termination. Guidelines: In case of any absence continuing for more than 24 hours must be reported to concerned department, in case of illness, a medical statement concerning the illness must be submitted to Mobilink within 24 hours from the time by which the employee was to be on duty. The Company may request an examination by a doctor designated by the Company. Practices against the Policies in General: Following are the main practices that we observed against the general Policies as mentioned earlier. 1) Working Hours: Mobilink is a big organization with quite a load of work. So, though there are policies regarding working hours, we found most of people working more than the limits defined in the policies. As for example, for most executives office timings are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm but actually they work till 8:00 in most cases. However, with more burdens there are also more rewards. So, if Mobilink takes much out of its employees then it also compensates them well. 2) Protection of Company Assets: At Mobilink, policies regarding the protection of company secrets, important information, assets etc. are followed strictly. We would like to quote our own experience. When we approached Mobilinkers for Organization’s policies, their first response was we need to ask our HR department and we were not able to have the policies that way. Employees really do care for such policies and are pretty loyal to Organization. 3) Dress Code: Dress code is strictly followed at Mobilink, especially by men. Women also dress well but they do go against some policies which, I think, are unjust according to them. For example use of light make-up, light-jewelry etc. As far as the dressing for meeting is concerned, Mobilinkers are as good as George Colony. ) Security Safety Policy: Security at Moilink is of utmost interest for the management and everyone working at Mobilink. To accomplish the above policy, a Safety Committee is set-up as follows: 1. VP HR/Admin 2. Head of Security 3. Member 4. Member The functions of the Safety Committee are: 1. Development of policy recommendations. 2. Encouraging safety efforts. 3. Proper enforcement of safety needs. 4. Fran k and constructive discussion on safety programs. 5. Cooperation with other Companies. 6. Training regarding safety. ) Company Publications: Employee / Company related information for Newsletter and Notice Board is sent to the Local Human Resources Department. Approval of Information / Articles sent by employees is processed by the Human Resources Department before its publication. The Company reserves the right to publish any articles in the Newsletter or any other publications. Any information regarding Company activities or Customer Related information must be sent to the Marketing Department for approval. Marketing must get approval from the President or his / her nominee to place article in Newspaper or Customers Newsletter. Management has the right to change or withhold any information pertaining to Company or other issues. Critical Review on HR policies of Mobilink in General: Most of the General HR policies are well practices at Mobilink with a few discrepancies. This indicates that the organization does have a strong HR system with an effective HR strategy. We may also see this thing as the predictor of good Telecom level policies in Pakistan. The reason being that the general policies, as mentioned above, are more or less the same for all telecom companies. Most of these policies are formulated by the PTA (Pakistan Telecom Authority). So reviewing the success of these policies at Mobilink shows good strategy formulation by PTA as well as Mobilink. Moreover, these policies are not only practiced and observed in telecom sector only. We see such dress code policy, asset protection policy and like in many other business organization. So these policies have a general tendency of being followed. Employees seem to have a stable type of approach towards these general HR policies. They do not seem to show any disagreements over these policies and are pretty contented with what is imposed in such policies. Chapter 4: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS: Mobilink Policies for Recruitment and Selection: Policies for Recruitment and Selection as experienced at Mobilink are: Recruitment policy Objectives: The policy is meant to ensure an effective and efficient method of recruitment and selection. It is aimed at hiring without any discrimination based on race, colour, sex, nationality, ancestry, religion or disability. Policy guidelines: The recruitment policy must comply with regulations set out by the Government of Pakistan. The Sources of recruitment for different job vacancies in PMCL shall include: Internal Advertisement. Databank. Advertising. Head hunters/executive search organizations. Walk in candidates. Colleges and Universities a) External Recruitment: i. No candidate under the age of eighteen will be considered. ii. To avoid conflict of interest, hiring of close relations (brothers, sisters, spouses, first cousins, brothers/sisters in law) will not be encouraged. However candidates falling in this category who have exceptionally good credentials may be considered. Hiring supervisors will need to explain in their assessment of the candidate their qualities that justify hiring. A final decision will rest with the concerned Divisional Head who will need to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. iii. Human Resources will advise Department Heads on salary ranges to be offered to the applicant keeping internal and external equity in perspective. iv. Minimum qualifications must be a Bachelor degree or equivalent. A-Level or equivalent may be considered for call centre/support staff however will require approval of the VP Human Resources Administration. This criteria does not apply to technicians/riggers and ancillary staff. ) Internal Recruitment i. Internal candidates must be confirmed employees of Mobilink who have completed one year of service. However exceptionally good candidates may be considered. ii. Selected candidates will join the new job/position after getting clearance from existing line manager. iii. Spouse of an existing employee will not work for direct competition and either one will have to resign from service. Prospective candidates who se spouses work for competition will not be considered for hiring. iv. Hiring from vendors, franchises, and clients is not encouraged. Exceptionally where offers are made to employees of these entities their prior consent must be obtained. General conditions for recruitment: All recruitment will be done through the Human Resources Department in consultation with the Officers and Heads of the concerned Department. An applicant’s knowledge, skill and aptitude related to the position shall be judged according to a range of factors including: a) Education (Academic / Professional). b) Experience. c) Profile and Psychometric Tests d) Interviews. e) References. Application: Applicants may apply online by registering with the web based recruitment portal. However, when considered for a specific position, they will be required to fill the standard application form of the Company. All applications will be kept on HR database for a period of 6 months only. Conditions for selection: Departments must submit Hiring Request and / or Transfer Request Form to the HR Department and duly signed. Information regarding qualifications and job description should be forwarded for identification of suitable candidates. Lead-time of at least ten working days should be given for selection of candidates. The Human Resources Department would place internal advertisements and / or shortlist suitable candidates from the databank. If no suitable candidate is found, advertisements will be placed in media. The Human Resources Department shall, upon the department’s request, provide screened CVs. The department will do another sift if necessary and conduct interviews with the immediate Supervisor / Department / Divisional Head or his / her nominee and any job related selection tests. Short Listed Candidates will be invited for a final interview with the HR department. The Human Resources Department may conduct Profile and Psychometric Tests for the selected candidate in order to evaluate the suitability of the candidate. Two Reference checks will be completed for the selected candidate either before hiring or during the probationary period. Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references being received. On Selection the following information will be forwarded to HR to be kept in the Employees Personal File: |Interview Evaluation form | | |Passport size Photos. | |Any other special clause. | | |References. | | |Copy of N. I. C. | | |Copies of degree(s): Bachelors and above only and copies of experience certificates. | |Duly filled application form | | In the Case of Consultants the Company will sign a contract with the Consultant for a duration ranging from 3 months to 1 year. The Human Resources Department shall prepare and deliver the Employment Letter to the Employee and obtain signatures on a copy. These were the practices but what actually are the practices for Recruitment and selection at Mobilink. Let’s explore. Practices at Mobilink regarding Recruitment and Selection: Practices regarding the recruitment and selection are in accordance with the policies formulated by the HR department. According to employees following were the recruitment practices. Two types of Recruitments: Internal and External. Sources of Internal Recruitment |Sources of External Recruitment | |Employee referrals |Job fairs | |Internal advertising |University Hunts | | |Advertising | | |Emplacement Agencies | | |Walk in candidates | All recruitment and selection process is handled by the Human resource department. Applications for jobs are mostly made via internet. Selection criteria are totally based on merit. A series of interviews are conducted followed by a panel interview and a group discussion. Only deserving from a lot of applicants are considered Critical Review on Recruitment and selection process: It goes without saying that reference for job works. So it’s surely a flaw in the recruitment and selection process of Mobilink. We know a number of people who get job in Mobilink on reference basis. However, saying all that, getting a job at Mobilink and retaining that job at Mobilink for a time are two different things. One thing was interesting studying the Mobilink Recruitment and Selection process. Company entertains online applications more than mailed ones. To us, reason is twofold. First, it reduces burden during the recruitment process. Secondly, by using online system, company can keep its image as innovative and latest the eyes of its consumers. Chapter 5: TRAINING Training needs assessment Policy at Mobilink: Objective: Identifying the most appropriate solutions to performance problems Procedures: All Company Heads should differentiate between problems that require training and problems that require coaching or other solutions. Usually, only about 20% of performance problems require â€Å"training† solutions. The other 80% are best dealt with by looking at the quality of supervision or by factors in the work environment (rewarding good performance, punishing poor performance, and removing obstacles to good performance). Developing a Company – Wide Management Training Plan Objective: Select/identify the needs, by management level, for the total Company. The Company wills also Facilitate Employees with Short Management Courses from time to time. Procedures: The HR Department will develop the TNA according to the recommendations made by their Supervisors in the performance appraisal form. The HR Department shall coordinate all the tasks until a total Company-training plan is finalized, then follow-up with Department Heads on its implementation. The plan is the result of focusing on the individual discipline needs into one schedule designed to meet the training needs of the total Company. The trainer should be under the headcount of HR so that adequate training sessions can be planned and conducted nationwide. The training requirements of the employees will be picked from the recommendations made by their supervisors in the appraisal forms. The training requirement could also be forwarded by the supervisor if it is not mentioned in the performance appraisal. Foreign training policy: Objective: The purpose of this policy is to enhance skills and knowledge of Mobilink employees and build their capacities to enable them to perform their jobs more effectively and to develop them for future growth. Policy Guidelines: The Company shall pay all Training Expenses, Round Trip Airfare, living Allowance, and Local Transportation in accordance with Company regulations in this regard. Conditions for Overseas Training: Employees who are nominated for enrolment in an overseas training program should meet the following conditions: Should meet the prerequisites of the intended training. Being knowledgeable of the language in which the training program will be conducted. In case an expatriate / contract employee needs to attend a foreign training, he/ she has to be on a one year and above contract, with a duration of 6 months of service to perform at PMCL – Mobilink from the date of starting the training. If the expatriate / contract employee being sent on the training does not meet the above conditions, a waiver could be made on the recommendation of the concerned Chief/ VP and the approval of the president/ CEO. Surety for Mutual Benefit: To ensure that both, PMCL – Mobilink and the employees mutually benefit from overseas professional training provided to employees. The employees returning from training should continue to be in the employment of the Company for following minimum periods as mentioned in Para (4. 2) depending on the training days. Failing of which employees will be liable to pay the PMCL MOBILINK expenses incurred by the PMCL MOBILINK on their training including travel and accommodation expenses. In the event of an employee wishing to leave the employment of the Company he/she will reimburse the Company the expenses incurred by the PMCL- Mobilink on providing the training. PMCL- Mobilink will make appropriate deductions from the employee final settlement including Provident fund. And remaining amount will be deposited by the employee in the Company account. In case an employee doesn’t pay back the due amount to the company, HR will issue notice to the concerned employee mentioning that he/she has to pay back the amount to the company, otherwise, company reserve the right to take legal action. If the employee is terminated for cause he will be absolved from any deductions/ recovery of Training cost. Employee Surety Period and Cost Number of Days of Overseas Training |Duration of Surety |Cost to be recovered | |Up to 6 Days |6 Months |Full | |Between 7 and 10 Days |1 Year |Full | |Between 11 and 15 Days |1 ? Year |Prorated after One Year | |More than 15 Days |2 Years | Prorated after One Year | Cost of Training will be determined by finance in consultation with Technical for Technical Training and Human Resources. Training: Practices at Mobilink On contacting personnel in the Mobilink office it was found out that Mobilink mostly trains its employees by On Job Training which means that the employees are trained as they perform their jobs and along with their duties. The manager or supervisor guides them how to perform their jobs and guides them to efficiency in the work. Internees are trained in various departments and then mostly hired by Mobilink itself and their training is basically teaching them the ropes and the basics of everything. Types of Training in Mobilink: On a general basis the training done in Mobilink can be divided into two categories: Soft skill training Technical Training Soft Skill Training: Helping your employees develop a stronger base of knowledge on topics that affect their personal lives can make them more productive and less distracted in their jobs. Soft skill development courses in areas like personal finance and childcare can help your team better manage the most i mportant areas in their personal lives. This may include the following things for e. g. Conflict management training People management training Communication skills Anger management Time management training Teamwork training etc Technical Training: This type of training has direct effect on the job of the employee. Specific skills are focused and developed accordingly. The engineering trainings of Mobilink are also included with this along with Customer Services training Sales related training Marketing and technology training etc. All these types of training are done to enhance the employees job skills at the level he is at. Mobilinks Training programmes: Mobilink with its large workforce invests aggressively in developing its human capital through international and local trainings as well as a structured employee ‘well-being’ programs, making it one of the most sought after companies to work for in Pakistan. Graham Burke, the President PMCL Mobilink, said Mobilink will provide proper training programmes to its employees in order to make them more aware of their responsibilities† Mobilink, the Pakistan based subsidiary of the global telecommunication giant, Orascom Group, in a strategic move, has outsourced its leadership training and development of about 100, of its senior and fast track managers and supervisors, to the regions well established consultancy firm, Global Management Consultants, who will be responsible for the design and delivery of over 5 months training initiative. Their training methods maintain interest throughout; put emphasis on the practical aspects; and ensure that delegates understand the knowledge gained so that they can immediately and effectively apply it within their own organizations. All training sessions are delivered in a highly participative style, introducing topics in a challenging and thought-provoking way. Practical examples, exercises and case studies are used to illustrate the topics covered and show delegates how they can relate the techniques introduced during the course to their own work situation. Programmes can be tailored to meet the required goal. The various training programmes of mobilink focus on specific skills for e. g. the annual or monthly reports of performance are evaluated by the manager and the weak areas are considered and the respective training is taken up. Mobilink trains its employees in the following fields’ aswell: 1. Customer service training: The employees are trained in communication skills, negotiating skills in order to serve the customers whether in the call centre or customers services centre. They are taught on how to talk appropriately to the customers, how to recognize their problems, solve their problems and how to deal with them. 2. Supervisors training: Leading a department or an organization is a very difficult job and the person at this level must be properly skilled. The supervisor training programme helps those people who are at this post to develop the right skills required and asked for at this job. 3. Leadership workshop: Becoming a Leader Good leaders are made, not necessarily born. You can become an effective leader by developing yourself through a never-ending process of self-study, education, training experience. To inspire your people to higher levels of teamwork there are certain things you must be, know do. Leadership makes people want to achieve challenging goals objectives. This workshop is for managers who have the desire to ‘make things happen’ have a team who need to be inspired into action! Mobilink offers this workshop for is specific employees. 4. Conflict management training: We are living in times where chaos and conflict are on the rise. Lack of conflict can be as damaging for any organization, as having conflicts that go out of hand. In fact conflict is the very source of creativity, without which innovation is not possible. Usually these conflicts are resolved, but occasionally they grow to hinder ones job performance. This program is designed to increase a supervisors ability to prevent conflicts from reaching a crisis stage and how to resolve it when a necessary conflict occurs. A framework for tackling conflict is also provided that helps managers who find dealing with conflict an unpleasant experience. 5. Development of oratory skills: With fit, healthy and active minds perform faster and more accurately with minimal stress. How people speak indicates their state of mind. Nervousness in making public appearance is often the result of not knowing WHAT to do and HOW to do it! Learn to control your nervousness and feel the confident professional image many seek! This workshop will provide hands-on approach to polish oratory skills, use projected media, and present like a pro. 6. Motivating, Coaching Delegating Any approach to develop management skills must involve a heavy dose of practical application. At the same time, practice without the necessary conceptual knowledge is sterile and ignores the need for flexibility and adaptation to different situations. They will also discover ways to manage performance of individuals and teams in order to achieve departmental/ organizational goals and objectives. All these programmes are aiming at developing specific skills in specific people for specified purposes. 7. It is believed that leadership skills and business goals are achieved through the training and development of the employees. To make it more motivating the participants of the training programme are awarded a course completion certificate at a graduation ceremony which is held after the completion of the training programme. Critical Review on Training at Mobilink: A lot of effort is put by Mobilink in Training its human resource. Organization has clear policies regarding training needs assessment and procedure for each type of training offered. Training is compulsory for some people in the organization; however, it is on offer for everyone working at Mobilink. A person in the finance department is always welcomed by HR department for Customer service training. A number of training methods are practiced at Mobilink like conflict management training, supervisory skills training etc. with the help of best in the business. Saying all that training basically seems to be for the managers and supervisors but not for the lower level employees. There seems to be a need to increase training efforts focused to this group. Chapter 6: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM: Policies at Mobilink for Performance Appraisal: Objectives: The purpose of this policy is to provide a formal review program to evaluate work performance and to promote communication and discussion of job performance. The intent of these discussions should be to review current job performance and responsibilities, set goals, and discuss future opportunities with reference to past performance at Mobilink. The Objectives of the Performance Review Program are: o To measure work performance o To motivate and assist employees in improving their performance and achieving their personal/professional career goals o To identify employees with high potential for advancement o To provide objective information for making decisions on salary increases, promotions, bonus and transfers. o To identify employees training and development o To provide a solid path for career planning for each individual Frequency of the Performance Review: Informal performance discussions should be conducted frequently as and when the need arises. These discussions will provide the basis for an objective summarization of performance during formal Performance Reviews and allow more time for discussing future plans and organizational as well as personal objectives. The supervisor is encouraged to make notes on pertinent points discussed and to place those notes in the employee’s personnel file. Formal written performance reviews will be conducted with all employees annually. Notification along with Performance Evaluation Forms will be sent from the Human Resources Department in advance with the scheduled performance evaluation date. All employees will be reviewed at least once at confirmation. Therefore, Performance Reviews will be held on an annual basis from the date of hiring or more often if desirable to do so. The supervisor will receive notification of the scheduled review period from the Human Resources Department. Policy guidelines: The performance appraisal is done on an annual / basis (from January 1st to December 31st). Every employee should know what is expected from him / her through direct supervisors. He / She should participate in agree with the goals objectives set by himself / herself in accordance with the Company’s business plans objective goals. Everyone should have the opportunity to perform develop according to the set objectives agreed upon duties. He / she should also expect self-assessment and take actions to develop his / her competency level increase his / her participation in the achievement of the Company’s objectives. To ensure openness, consistency objectivity, the agreed competency framework covering all aspects of the job should be used as the basis for performance planning appraisals. Accordingly, it should be well known clear for both the Employee and the Manager covered. Department Heads Managers involved in performance appraisals should be well trained familiar with the applied performance appraisal system the appraisal interviewing techniques. The performance evaluation program requires that an annual meeting be held with each employee; however, Coaching, Counselling and Guidance must be an on-going process for the desired improvement and development to be achieved. To give a chance to Subordinates to evaluate their seniors a 360 Degree Evaluation will be conducted at the time of the Performance Evaluation. Performance Appraisal Forms: The performance appraisal forms will be filled once in a year to get a clear picture of the employee performance. Practices at Mobilink for Performance Appraisal System: Mobilink conducts performance appraisal in order to evaluate their employee’s current performance or past performance relative to company’s performance standards. Mobilink try to adapt the performance appraisal in which their employees understood what his or her performance standards were and that the supervisor also provides the employee with feed back, development, and incentives required to help the person eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par. There are many performance appraisal methods. Mobilink uses the computerized performance appraisal method. In Mobilink the performance appraisal of employees is conducted in December. The Mobilink HR department has developed a performance appraisal sheet and has downloaded it on the intranet of Mobilink so that the supervisor performs the evaluation of the employees. When the supervisor completes the evaluation, he will send the performance appraisal sheet to the employee for the affirmation with the ideas of the supervisor if the employee does not agree with the supervisor he will not sign the PA sheet. When the last date of submission of PA sheet is passed then the HR department asks the supervisor and the employee about the problem and resolves the problem. Critical Review on Performance Appraisal: Online 360 degree approach of performance appraisal is adopted at Mobilink for evaluating employee performance. In the past only 180 Degree approach for performance appraisal was adopted but now 360 Degree is also in action. This is a very supportive strategy by the organization because if an employee is not happy with the evaluation by his supervisor then he has the authority to challenge. There are a number of rewards that are tied to performance appraisals. So, tool applied for performance appraisal justifies itself. Chapter 7: CAREER PLANNING DEVELOPMENT: Mobilink faces much competition in the telecom industry so now they are focusing on career Management of their employees in which they enable the employees to better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests most effectively both within the company and after they leave the firm. Career planning is the deliberate process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests knowledge, motivation, and other characteristics; acquires information about other opportunities and choices; identifies career related goals and establishes action plans to attain specific goals. Career development is the lifelong series of activities (such as workshops) that contributes to a person career exploration, establishment, and success ad fulfillment. Mobilink gives promotion of their employees on the performance basis. The Mobilink HR department develops the employee’s career development plans in which the HR department predicts the next logical step for their employees within five years. Critical Review: Importance of Career planning in today’s competitive world is as important as any other HR function. Retaining your valuable Human resource today is one of the biggest challenges that organizations are facing. So, HR needs to come up with new strategies. Career planning and development is one of the basic tool and strategy organizations are using for retaining their employees. This function actually makes employees feel that they are important to the organization and Mobilink wants them to be at the top in their careers. However, at Mobilink this function is not fully performed or we should say this function is not performed satisfactorily. There are some policies on these but those are not recognized that well. One point of policy is found along with the compensation other with the recruitment. There should have been separate head for these policies. As far as the practices are concerned, all the employees were reluctant to talk about this during our interview. However, what we analyzed is that career development is practiced but not that openly. Specially, in case if some employee is considering of joining the competitor’s firm. If such is a case then organization has discipline policies for that even. Chapter 8: Rewards System: Policies on Reward system at Mobilink: There is a list of policies regarding the reward system at Mobilink. It offers both kinds of rewards: Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Following are the main reward related policies: SALARY Objectives: The purpose of this policy is to have salaries subject for review in January of each calendar year in the light of merit and inflation. An employee, who is employed on a job with title and specifications, will receive compensation that is relevant to field experience matching with approved salary structure of his / her position. Policy Guidelines: The Company will pay salaries of the employees and all other amounts due to them during office hours and on the job site as follows: All New Employees have to open bank accounts in specified banks prescribed by the Company so that their salary will be credited at the end of each month. Upon termination of service (end of service), the employee will receive his / her salary within 15 working days up to the time of date of his / her last working day. Upon resignation, the employee will be paid his / her dues during a maximum period of 15 working days from the date he / she left the job. Salary Administration Program: Salary Objective: The salary administration program is designed to meet the following objectives: 1. Attract retain the services of competent qualified employees. 2. Provide fair and equitable compensation to each employee and to ensure that the value of each job relative to all other jobs within the Company is established and maintained on a fair and equitable basis. 3. Provide annual performance appraisal for employees to improve their job performance and to encourage them to aspire for promotions to jobs with greater responsibilities i. e. fairly compensate employees based on individual accomplishments and annual performance appraisals. 4. Ensure that salaries are competitive and in line with salary levels that prevail in the industry. 5. Instill employee confidence in the Company’s compensation policies and practices. Salary Outline: The â€Å"Basics† of the salary administration program can be summarized in the following manner; o The VP Human Resources Administration and the concerned Department Head will analyze each job classification. o The HR Department determines an appropriate salary range in relation to similar jobs at other well respected companies (salary survey). o The HR Department will analyze each job and assign a job code, hire rate, minimum, mid and maximum point rate. (Salary Structure) o The HR Department will prepare the salary structure to be reviewed and approved by the Director VP HR. Salary Scale: Each job is assigned a minimum salary, established according to the salary survey results, which specifies the minimum salary that may be paid to incumbents in each job. Minimum through maximum scales is built on a system of mathematical calculations to allow for overlapping between levels as a result of salary, merit or promotional increase. Setting Starting Salaries: Objective: To ensure that each employee is given the starting salary of the title level in which his / her position and experience fall. Also to ensure that consideration is given to past experience and qualifications when setting starting salaries Factors to be put into consideration for setting salaries within the range determined by the departmental Head the HR department The starting salary offered to new candidates by Mobilink will be dependent on two factors: The particular job level for which the job offer is being made. The candidate’s education, experience, qualifications as compared to the minimum qualifications required by the job specification and prevailing industry rates. Salary Administration Procedures: Human Resource Department: Prepare all documentations and their summary affecting salaries, and forward payroll section for processing that includes: o Recruits, transferees o Promotion and increments o Allowances, bonuses and incentives o Discipline o Review the all documents affecting salaries. o Entry of all salaries based on Salary, allowances, deductions and commissions. Besides there are other intrinsic and extrinsic awards that leads towards one objective only and that is: To compensate employee sufficiently so that he may be motivated and constitutes an integral part of Human resource of organization. Other intrinsic and extrinsic rewards include: Medical care Life insurance Vacations Relocation Credit advance policyprovident policy/advance against provident fund and acapping of gratuity EOI Recreation Club Policy Travel Education assistance policy Mobile phone Business mobile phone policy Official Balckberry Poicy Practices on Reward systems at Mobilink: Policies regarding the reward systems are practiced quite strictly at mobilink. Employees are paid when they are supposed to pay. Other rewards are also fast but they are mostly tenure based rather than performance based. In policies it is mentioned that the rewards are totally performance based. However, this policy is not that much followed strictly. Rewards are mostly determined by the organizational membership and seniority rather then by performance. Promotion is given on the basis of performance, as well as tenure. Critical Review: Reward system at Mobilink is quite complicate. The reason for this is that there are many intrinsic and extrinsic, direct and indirect, compensating and non-compensating rewards. There is even a department that looks after the motivational aspect of the employees. How motivation level of employees can be kept to a level so that they can be more productive. PMO (Project management office) introduces many club memberships, game shows, lunch arrangement and many more for employee to be motivated. Similarly, there are special achievement awards at each individual level. Then there are even team awards, department awards and division awards. One thing to mention is criteria for rewards. As mentioned earlier in policies, rewards are performance based. But this is true only in case of achievement awards, group awards etc. If we observe basic pays and increments then those are not performance based. Those are more of tenure based. Mobilink does say that all rewards are performance based. However, it is not the case in practice. Chapter 8: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES: There is no need for such measures at Mobilink as maximum jobs do not expose you to the health hazards and are not such that require safety measures. However, there is a tendency of being safe in every human and that shows when you visit some Mobilink officer to meet someone of a high designation level. You need to fulfill various safety measures. HOW WELL THESE POLICIES AND PRACTICES ARE ACHIEVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS? Well the answer is simple. Policies are going pretty well. Numerically, I can say more than 90%. How? Well because these are being practices in the same manner as was expected during the policy formulation time. Moreover, see the results. Mobilink is considered to have the best HR in Pakistan and they have retained this edge. So, it’s so obvious that all overall policies are good and they are also being followed exactly the same way as required to achieve organizational goals. CONCLUSION: To conclude Mobilink has a strong HR system. That is the reason we didn’t found much discrepancies in what management says, what policies state and what employees say. 90 % of the times they were same. There are some minor discrepancies but they are adjustable with little effort. RECOMMENDATIONS: Mobilink has a strong HR system. That is the reason we didn’t found much discrepancies in what management says, what policies state and what employees say. 90 % of the times they were same. However, there were some discrepancies that need attention and their adjustment can make this HR system best in Pakistan. Following are some of the recommendations based on those discrepancies: 1. Human resource department is not fully authorized to take all the decisions. Though HR department claims to have the overall management of the company but that actually is not the case. There are many HR decisions that are taken by the other department. So, there should be a clear delegation of authority regarding decision making for HR department. 2. One thing we observed during our project was that employees were not aware of the in depth policies. The main reason that we have understood for this is their lack of knowledge about policies formulation. Employees are not encouraged to give suggestions in policy formulation. So, our suggestion is that employees should be consulted while policy formulation stage. 3. Benefits and rewards are too complicated for anyone to understand. Though there are many of these but most of employees even have not information as to for what benefit they can go for. So, Mobilink should simplify its reward system for its employees to understand well. 4. The decision making is delegated to managers with goals set for each term promotion, hiring and firing is virtually in the immediate boss’s hand. This practice can cause disharmony among employees for power. Team based structure (like the one at PMO) should be preferred in all departments 5. Mobilink pursues Zero-tolerance policy for disciplinary actions. This is good but not in all cases. Mobilink should look towards its discipline polices and try to be a bit more lenient. 6. Mobilink HR lacks in terms of career planning and development. This important function of HR does not have recognition in Policies’ statement. Mobilink should have a look at this. 7. Mobilink uses only policy specified sources for recruitment which are only 5. In this way it can loose some potential applicants that can be asset to organizations, just because they were not well communicated. So, Mobilink should increase its recruitment sources. During an HR specialist interview, we posed the same question and the answer was â€Å"that’s what policy says; on ground level we do use as many sources as possible†. If this is the case then our recommendation is that Mobilink should adjust its policy accordingly. Formulation of HR policies Company’s HR strategies Formulation of HR practices Company’s Strategic Plan Organizational Performance Company’s Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Company’s Strategic Situation Mobilink’s Competitive Environment Economic, Political, Demographic, Competitive and Technological Trends

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Company Wellness Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Company Wellness Plan - Essay Example This can conclude with sad results to both the company and the employee. Firstly, the employee’s health is affected and may be worsened slowly, a situation that may lead to him/her fail to perform well. Thus, in this situation it means that he would loose his job, that becomes to have less income and which leads high rate of poverty. On the other hand, the company may loose a qualified and profitable employee that could help the company move forward. Therefore, it is the fact that, effective wellness program creates a strong return on investment (IRO) in the short-term as well as long-term (Rosen, 2004). For example, in the short-term, (6-18 months), it can affect workplaces absence. In the long-term, it can affect an average of $3 for every $1 spent (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). Beneficial managers choose wellness programs based on what the workers need. It’s obvious that employees will benefit from such services; on the other hand, the earliest advantag e of managers of arranging to meet employee health needs is if workers could be screened or treated quickly, they could be more productive on their job. Furthermore, it is obvious that preventive measures which are offered by wellness programs might lower healthcare cost even keeping employees at work (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). However, managing healthcare costs requires a risk management strategy. The goal of wellness programs then is not only to make workers feel good, but also to move participating employees from high risk category of contracting diseases into lower risk categories (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). Nevertheless, as in the case of Fresno, disability incidence for example has increased from 10/1,000 employees to12/1,000 even with availability of wellness programs. Probably, this is because some employees resist changing even in the face of such wellness programs. On the other hand, there are also workers, who are health conscious, and t hey don’t want to participate in the incentives. In the case of the benefit manager in the Fresno Company, it is also very important to incorporate the senior management in the process of emphasizing on the wellness programs in the company. Getting senior management on board doesn’t mean getting approval to try some wellness programs. It means getting management fully behind a workplace wellness program that becomes part of workplace culture (The Healthcare Intelligence Network, 2006). The more the management promotes and participates in workplace, the more successful the program will be. Therefore, the first and most important thing is to create awareness campaign among senior management and ensure continued commitment and support and visibility of the wellness initiatives. In fact most work place wellness programs do not result in a positive ROI without support from the senior management (Rosen, 2004). This is true for any work place that aims to change employee beha vior which should be the basic goal of every wellness program. The other important issue to a new appointed benefit manager should be evaluation of the existing wellness programs in the company. This involves overview of operation style and their effectiveness and deficiencies associated with them. For example,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

About a movie called (The Brother Grimm) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About a movie called (The Brother Grimm) - Essay Example The two move to a part of Germany occupied by the French in the 19th century and set up a phony witch. They use the fake witch to trick the residents of the Karlstadt of their mystical powers. The two brothers do their tricks so successfully that when a trouble befalls the city, the French General Delatombe summons them and tasks them with resolving the mystery. However, the mystery is an actual problem with real risks. A supernatural queen needs to drink the blood of young girls in order to regain her beauty. She, therefore, captures young girls from the village. The general tasks the two brothers with finding the queen, defeating her supernatural powers and rescuing the girls. The adventure thereafter is exhilarating as the two brothers fail twice and are on the brink of losing their lives. However, they eventually succeeded after a series of attempts. They rescue the village from the horrific queen. The film is an independent production directed by Terry Gilliam. Terry Gilliam is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He contributed to writing and later directed the film. He has directed numerous other films some of which are adventure films. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen produced in 1988 was one of the adventure films he directed. However, The Brothers Grimm is unique as the director adopts a fiery tale approach in the development of the film. He produced the Brothers Grimm in 2005, a period when the film industry globally was burgeoning. The film, therefore, portrays the development of the film industry as Terry Gilliam revamps his creativity in authoring the script and directing the film. The developers of the film employ various elements of film development strategically thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the film. Key among such elements in the film is lighting. Lighting plays an integral role in illuminating the setting among other

Monday, November 18, 2019

Medical Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Medical Law - Essay Example Protection and preservation of life is therefore an inherent right. If a person refuses further treatment, or a woman elects her own life over her unborn child or a person’s living will is ambiguous, The objective of this paper is to harmonize the right of a patient to choose over the obligation of the medical practitioner to respect their wishes A. This is the dilemma spawned by 15 year old Adrienne who, enabled by the support and understanding of her parents, refused a third round of kidney transplant and a lifetime regimen of anti-rejection drugs to save her life. The doctors strongly believe that Adrienne should have the surgery and doubts if Adrienne, a minor, had made valid and informed choice considering her parents’ unconditional encouragement to decline further kidney transplantation if Adrienne so desires. The South Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (Trust for brevity) must strike a balance between the advocacy of doctors to promote and preserve life or to abid e by the patient’s choice to decline further treatment. ... The prognosis, potential risk involved, quality of life after surgery and other consequences of the treatment or lack of it must likewise be laid down for the determination of the patient. It is not sufficient though that the medical practitioner perfunctorily mutter the information, rather it must be ensured that the patient understood the choices available. After giving the potential benefits and risks of the proposed treatment, any choice exercised by the patient must be respected and any treatment must in accordance with the patient’s will and instructions. In arriving at the decision, the patient must display mental competence or intellectual capacity to make informed choices including the consequences if any. Capacity or competence may be gleaned from the questions propounded or views expressed by the patient regarding the treatment (Mental Capacity Act 2005)2. The medical practitioner must be available to answer the questions but nonetheless the advice must be free from biases or prejudice and must not influence the patient one way or the other to undergo surgery or treatment unless it is the explicit desire of the patient (General Medical Council)3. The primordial motivation of a medical practitioner is to promote health for the benefit of the patient under beneficence principle (Hope)1. In the promotion of the patient’s benefit however the medical practitioner must subordinate his professional recommendation if it runs counter with the belief or intention of the patient. Respect to the patient’s instructions should prevail over the expert assessment notwithstanding that without such medical treatment, the patient is exposed to a more serious health problems. In giving medical advice, it is likewise incumbent

Friday, November 15, 2019

Case Study Of An Abusive Parental Relationship Social Work Essay

Case Study Of An Abusive Parental Relationship Social Work Essay Abstract: Child abuse and neglect are common social issues in differing degrees are prevalent in all countries of the world. This paper will discuss the case of Child L who is in an abused relationship with her mother. The paper will also focus on the issues faced by her mother as a single black parent with unstable financial and emotional history. It deals with the assessment of the situation with reference to the facts as presented in this case study and talks about intervention strategies to develop a care plan for Child L. Attention has been paid to interact with Child L and engage her in direct communication keeping in mind anti-discriminatory practices. Justification for interventions suggested has been included wherever necessary. Introduction: Until as late as a few decades ago, womens and childrens issues were not given due consideration. Women were usually blamed for their powerlessness to look after their children and guard them from domestic violence. This was mainly because they were unable to walk out of their abusive relationships with their husbands due to societal pressures and not having independent means of income (Humphreys Stanley 2006). Things have changed but slightly and single parenting has become more common. However, there is need to support single parents and provide them training in good parenting skills for them to be able to raise their children in a healthy environment. Socialization of children begins in the family, particularly, with the parents. Children learn to form attitudes that determine how well they will be adjusted as adults in society. They learn life skills, relationships, conflict resolution skills, and communication by emulating their parents or other socializing agents. Hence, it is not enough to blame abusive parents for their bad parenting but support by way of training, counselling, advice needs to be provided to them so that they can learn to be good parents. When all efforts in supporting abusive parents fail to bring about any appreciable change in the parents attitude or behaviour other intervention strategies like placements in foster homes need to be considered. The childs protection and well-being is in the balance here. Facts of the case: Subject, Child L is a 2 year old black girl Subject does not go to any nursery or play school Mother does not take her to the hospital or to see any doctors Subject does not have a father Subject has an abusive mother Mother suffers from personality disorder Subject under child protection plan Mother does not adhere to the child protection plan Mother has history of violence and convictions Mother was also a looked after child Mother is a school drop-out at 14 Mother does not have a permanent job Comprehensive assessments of risks that Child L is exposed to: Child L is isolated from the community as she does not go to play school and does not have any social interactions with people other than her abusive mother. The child needs to interact with others because social interactions create awareness and helps to build confidence; self -esteem and a positive attitude towards societal values, cultural standards and the willingness to accept authority of others and share responsibilities. The child is an infant and is probably not able to communicate effectively with others or express her anxieties and stress. Parents need to spend quality time with their children to understand their needs and desires. Talking to children and listening to them is a good way of spending quality time and having a good parent-child relationship. This helps children to have positive self esteem and develop a healthy respect for others as well. Mother is unable to provide a stable home for the child and the seventh floor bedsit accommodation is not conducive to proper child development. Living conditions have an important impact on health and development of children. The risk to proper child development is higher in low income homes (Ross and Roberts 1999). However, family income is not the only determinant of a childs proper growth and development. Mother is not mentally or emotionally stable and has convictions for aggression and violence. Research shows that mothers who are verbally aggressive with their children were found to be controlling and gave directions even for their play activities (Wiley-Blackwell 2008). They demonstrated a tendency to restrain their children by grabbing their wrists or shoulders. It was also found that children with verbally aggressive mothers refused to accept their manipulations and orders, though their resistance was often weak, short lived and indirect. It is important to remember that a parents verbally aggressive behaviour might damage the self confidence and self esteem of the child causing the child to have behaviour disorder in later life (Dwivedi Harper 2004). Child L does not have any one to intervene on her behalf in the event of her mother abusing her physically. The scene described in the case study when the mother asks her daughter to piss off is unfortunate. This scene took place in a public place, namely the GPs chamber. This is an example of the verbal aggression that Child L is exposed to with no one to intervene on her behalf. Physical and emotional abuses of this nature happen with many children in our society. Children are subjected to threats, commands, loud angry words, accusations and words full of mistrust directed towards them all the time. Mothers behaviour has been termed as unpredictable not suitable for healthy parent-child interactions. Parent behaviour has a deep impact on childrens emotional growth. The unpredictable nature of Child Ls mother can cause her anxiety and apprehension. The child will grow up feeling confused by her mothers outbursts and alternate mellow behaviour. This will impact her self confidence and her trust in other adults and she will not know how to emotionally deal with different situations. Mother does not have a support system and has very few friends or family members. As such she does not get much help in raising her daughter alone and she is impatient with her because she is over-worked and tired. In such cases the children are left pretty much by themselves and do not have much supervision or monitoring. The impact of being left unsupervised and unmonitored can have negative implications on young children, especially from poor families. Mother does not have a steady means of earning with practically no education and does not have a steady paid job. Studies have showed that children of employed mothers tend to be better adjusted socially and do better in academics. Daughters of employed mothers are more positive and less shy. Children with employed mothers also fit into leadership roles quite comfortably. For poor or working class people a mothers employment status is important as that has a direct connection with the mothers sense of well being (Hoffman 1998). Mother has a history of violent behaviour and the child is at risk of abuse. Instance of her verbal aggression towards the child has been noted. When a child is witness to violent behaviour at such a young age as Child L, the impression tends to be very deep and she may carry the scars of this fear throughout her life. Her faith in her mother will be shaken as she knows her mother to be her only care giver. In such cases children find it hard to have healthy attachments with parents, siblings or friends. Such children may develop depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood. The child does not have proper medical attention as the mother does not allow her to interact with social workers or doctors. This may be a dangerous trend as all children must have medical check-ups to determine healthy growth. In case of abused children, like Child L in this case, it is important for a medical practitioner to examine her for physical injury that may have been inflicted on her by her unstable mother. The advice of the doctor or health practitioner is also valuable in determining whether the child needs psychological help as well. Child L is lonely and this manifests itself in her reluctance to go away with her mother from the surgery where she is inclined to stay and play with the health practitioner. Isolation and loneliness only add to the burden of being abused by ones intemperate parents. Child L is isolated and does not have many relatives or friends to communicate with and form healthy attachments. This will increase her trauma and result in poor people skills in adult life. The child belongs to an ethnic minority group and is at risk of facing discriminatory behaviour from others in the community. Black African women face racial discrimination, oppression and demoralization even today. However, anti-discriminatory practices need to be implemented and the social care worker needs to be well trained in understanding diversity and in getting appropriate and timely health care for Child L (Malek Joughin 2004). Under the circumstances it is very difficult to monitor the childs condition. It is difficult to reach the child as the mother is not inclined to allow her daughter to socialize and be friendly. The social care worker assigned to care for Child L needs to be able to mitigate the mothers hostility (Falkov, Diggins Mayes 1998) and have access to the child at all times to be able to prevent her being abused. Monitoring Child Ls physical and emotional condition is also important as that will allow the social care practitioner to assess the childs current needs and provide intervention when necessary. Since the mother was also raised in a foster home she may not know how to cope with her childs emotional needs. Research shows that quite often parents who had been abused as children grow up to be abusive parents as they emulate the behaviour they had been exposed at a sub conscious level. As they were never given the opportunity to have responsible and caring parents they themselves do not develop good parenting skills (Saisan, Smith Segal 2010). Though the risk factors present in Child Ls case are many, it may be helpful to mention here that not all children respond to the same risks and their causal factors in the same ways. There is no specific risk aspect that can be associated specifically with mental, emotional or physical hazard for a child (Nemours 2006). Different risk factors can affect different children differently and children may exhibit different symptoms after being exposed to the same risk. The symptoms Child L demonstrates should be noted and then plan for appropriate interventions should be developed. Child Ls Needs, Safeguarding and Interventions: The Child Protection Plan is a means to help families and professional social care workers to interact and be able to establish the guidelines for parents to better safeguard their childs interests. The keys points of a child protection plan (Haringeys LSCB) entails that the child is to be kept in a safe and secure environment, the childs welfare has to be of foremost importance and the family should receive the support they need to raise their children in safety. Protection against witnessing violence- Witnessing violence can be a terrifying experience for young children and can cause emotional trauma. The mother needs to protect her child and not be the cause of her distress. Child L needs to be kept under child protection plan to safeguard her from being physically abused. The mother needs to be counselled about her creating an extremely damaging environment for her child by her aggression. Mothers untreated mental and behaviour disorder- Parents who suffer from depression, anxiety disorder, mental instability have trouble taking care of themselves, much less their children. As is demonstrated in the case study Child Ls mother is mentally and emotionally not very balanced hence she is quick to anger and is aggressive with her daughter. Parents who are themselves traumatized and struggling to behave normally may appear be distant and withdrawn from their children. Treatment for the mother is important as it will mean better care for Child L. Lack of proper parenting skills. Child Ls mother was a looked after child herself and probably did not have the opportunity to learn good parenting skills. She probably has unrealistic assessment of her daughters needs and the amount of care she deserves. The mother needs to be given parenting classes, support from community support groups and/or counselling therapy sessions to get over her own problems and learn good parenting skills. The plan should keep in mind the Children Act 1989 s 17(1) which says that it is the duty of every local authority to safeguard children and take care of their welfare within their area and provide a range of services appropriate for childrens needs (DH). Isolation and lack of support. As we all know that parenting is not an easy task and people need to spend a lot of time and effort to raise a child, especially, when the parent is a single mother. In this case study not only is the mother a single parent, but she has added problems of not having financial stability or a support system by way of friends or family. Child L needs to be protected from being isolated and in order to do that effectively, her mother needs to be supported to be emotionally and financially stable. Care must be taken to socialize the child and her mother. Safeguarding against abuse and neglect. Since Child L is under child protection plan, she should be closely monitored and any signs of abuse or neglect must be reported and taken very seriously. Repeated abuse can have lifelong repercussions for the child and can impact her relationships in future and damage her sense of self-esteem. Monitoring closely will also help monitor her mothers behaviour which can be remedied by putting her mother through anger management programmes or good parenting lessons. Scientific evidence proves that the family, school and community have a large role to play in the physical and mental health of individuals. Interactions with parents, peers and others in the community impact their behaviour beyond their normal genetic propensities. Child L, therefore, needs to be allowed to spend time with others in the community to be able to understand a wider range of behaviour patterns and be able to learn from them. This will help her to make correct choices as an adult. Socializing plays an important part in the general growth and well being of a child. Socializing teaches a child life skills and peer interactions help establish self-esteem and self confidence. The risk of Child L being isolated and not allowed to socialize can render her incapable to handling conflicts in adult life. There are several positive outcomes of socialization and these prepare the child for an independent and responsible adult life. Interactions with peers and others in the school, neighbourhood and community helps the child to learn how to regulate emotions, think independently and adapt behaviour to suit the type of interaction (Berns 2010). Research done by the National Institute of Child Health and Development shows that the quality of mother-child interaction, especially the mothers sensitivity to her childs physical and emotional needs was more important than whether or not the mother was employed as it determined the sense of security a child experienced, of attachment and love from the mother. The mothers employment status has little bearing on the childs behaviour but may be impacted if the mother is negative or insensitive to the childs needs. Safety of the child comes first and the case should be handled by professionals. Instead of focussing on individual case by case basis legislation is passed as a broad spectrum measure to curb the increase in incidents of child abuse. However, since the dynamics of child abuse can be varied people need to report child abuse and get help from professionals (Gil 1971). The child should be protected against repetitions of abuse and alternative solutions must be considered, for example, putting child under protection plan where the child is monitored by professionals regularly or be put in foster homes where proper care will be given to the child. Professional intervention in the form of direct communication with the child should be done by social care givers. While interacting with the child, the social work practitioner must ensure that the child feels reassured and relaxed. Since Child L is almost an infant the social worker needs to be very calm and friendly. S/he needs to reassure the child that the mothers aggressive and dismissive behaviour towards the child is not the childs fault. There is nothing wrong with her and she is just as lovable as any other 2 year old. Gaining the confidence of the child should be the primary objective so that the child feels free to come to the social worker if she needs help. Social worker must keep in mind that the child has limited language and cannot quite explain what she experiences. Observation is more important than interrogation (Saisan, Smith Segal 2010). Child Protection Plan Data has to be collected at different levels with sampling from all strata of society, while focussing more on lower income families. Social care professionals need to be trained to identify (Beckett 2007) and classify children who are victims or at risk of child abuse. Monitoring and reporting at all community levels must be ensured. Parents need to be monitored to check if they are receiving their basic rights and support from the government. A round the clock response system has to be put in place to receive and deal appropriately with complaints from abused children or anyone reporting abuse. A prevention plan needs to be implemented to prevent children from being abused further. Every Child Matters is a programme that helps to advance positive outcomes for children, young adults and families. It is an instrument of change and a tool to implement the Governments policy of elementary reforms for children and guidelines for safeguarding their well being. In this case study, as Child L is but an infant, the social care practitioner must involve the mother in this programme to be effective in this individual case. Every Child Matters draws its inspiration from the framework provided by the Childrens Act 2004. The four key aspects of the legal framework are given below (Fraser 2007): Children must be engaged in positive activities to bring about an attitudinal change. This can be streamlined by engaging experts in communication who will be able to provide the right motivation and remove barriers to learning. Young people must be encouraged and motivated to join and volunteer for community service. Creating awareness for young people to make the right choices about their own lives. Support should be based on individual basis depending on the needs of the child. Community groups need to be organized at different levels to work on child and family issues. Volunteers and social workers need to be able to provide guidance and counselling for abused children and their family members. A body should be set up to coordinate the work. Social programs should be introduced to raise public awareness on this issue and advise people on human and child rights to prevent children from being exploited and abused. Social workers team must be multi-disciplinary and be trained to identify victims that need immediate safety and protection and be able to organize for their safekeeping. Social workers should carry out home visits and on the spot inspection and coordinate with child protection agencies. Government and community social work agencies are doing a fair amount of work in this field. We need to integrate the effort made by these agencies by organizing life skills training (Maennantharat 2010), self protection training, and raise awareness about domestic violence, especially amongst minority sections of the community. A core group of professionals from multidisciplinary fields, including members of the community mental health team, will have to be involved in developing the plan further. The plan needs to include a continual assessment of the situation and check for adherence with the child protection plan and also include areas of concern as listed below (Haringeys LSCB): Indentifying and addressing the root causes that may harm the child. Being able to create a schedule that will have time bound activities for the social care givers and family members to stop the sufferings of the child. Specific tasks that target short term and long term child focused outcomes with deadlines and consequences for not being able to meet the target. A daily monitoring task for social workers for individual children to check the safety of the children on a day-to-day basis. A contingency plan has to be set up if the child protection plan fails in delivering the required outcomes. A regular reviewing system for the child protection plan has to be set up to check for efficacy. If the parent fails to adhere to the child protection plan as in the case study and the child is exposed to significant harm, care proceedings have to be started in a family court (Family Justice Council 2010). The local authorities in collaboration with social care workers will try to work out the necessary changes required of the family before involving court proceedings. A full assessment is required with provision of services mentioned in the child protection plan. The parents, in this case the mother of Child L, should contact a specialist child care law solicitor in case the case needs to be presented before a court. Legal aid scheme is available to parents free of cost for their legal representation. Family group conferences should be organized that will include the wider family and community support groups to encourage the mother to arrive at a solution. A guardian has to be appointed till a decision is taken to allow the parent or relatives custody of the child or the child to be put in foster care. Conclusion It is important to be conversant with knowledge and awareness of normal family interactions and child development process to be able to identify children who receive inappropriate and less care. It will also help the social worker to assess a childs situation and understand whether the child is at risk of neglect or abuse. A thorough and logical assessment of the case will help to implement programs that prevent child abuse and neglect. It will be useful in assessing a childs current needs and whether these needs are being met. In the event of the child having to be placed in a foster home it will help to customize placements based on a childs individual needs (AAP Policy 2000).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Drug Laws Essay -- Drugs

1. In 1988, Father Greg Boyle made a commitment to help at-risk gang members’ change their criminal ways. Through program he developed, Homeboy Industries, gang members were offered legal jobs in order to become functional members of society. Father Greg felt that if these gang-affiliated individuals could have some alternate opportunity, they could turn their life around and end their criminal behavior. Since 1988, Father Greg has enhanced and re-developed the structure of the program, but it has definitely been a success story for many Los Angeles gang members. Father Greg was right. The control theory suggests that if individuals are raised in good morals and granted opportunities and legal paths to success (external controls), they will develop the internal controls that they use to avoid criminal behavior (Traub & Little, 1999, p. 303). Walter Reckless took the â€Å"control theory† and developed it a little further, presenting the â€Å"containment theory†. He insists that there are external and internal containments that either push or pull an individual to commit crime. An individual must be given boundaries and moral limits in order to process their desires in acceptable ways. In order to develop these limits, they must have a connection with the influential group, but the lack there of will push them into criminal behavior. Additionally, the individual must develop positive awareness and esteem (Traub & Little, 1999, p. 307). The gang members that have joined Homeboy industries, like many other gang members, have been missing a large portion of both internal and external containments. Through their own confessions they recognize that they had hard lives growing up and the gang scene was where they found a second family... ...How An Athlete's Death Led To Shoddy Drug Laws. NPR. 20 June 2011. Radio. Stamper, N. Interview by Amy Goodman. Citing Failed War on Drugs, Former Seattle Police Chief Calls for Legalization of Marijuana and All Drugs. Democracy Now. 30 March 2009. Radio. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999).Theories of deviance (5th ed.). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). The Current State of Differential Association Theory. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 261- 285). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). A Non-Causal Explanation: Containment Theory. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 306-311). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers. Traub, S. H., & Little, C. B. (1999). A Control Theory of Delinquency. Theories of deviance (5th ed., pp. 312-325). Itasca, Ill.: F.E. Peacock Publishers.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Everyones day starts in the morning Essay

Everyone’s day starts in the morning and ends in the evening or night. It is very important to know when a person usually wakes up, eats or sleeps at night because these all activities affect the person’s biological clock. If a person is not following his/her daily routine, it can put the person in trouble. For example, if a baby is not sleeping when he/she is supposed to, she can have really badly next day. Not following a daily schedule can disrupt the sensations of your brain. There are two significant differences between working in the morning and in the evening, such as, changes of mood and behavior and changes in diet. The first difference of working in the morning and evening is the changes in person’s mood and behavior. Unlike evening workers, morning workers are more energetic and fresh-minded. Morning workers work more efficiently than evening workers because they have gotten enough sleep at night, so their body has recharged for the next morning. Moreover, working at sunrise helps the humans’ body to be productive. However, evening workers sometimes become lazy to do their job properly. Sometimes, they can’t focus on what they are doing because of irregular sleeping hours. Moreover, not having regular hours of sleep can cause a person to become depressed and mentally unstable. The second difference is the changes in person’s diet. Unlike the evening workers, morning workers usually have their breakfast before they start working. Then, they usually get hungry at noon because they have already burned the energy which they gathered from breakfast. So, that’s how their diets are regular. On the contrary, evening workers have time just to do their lunch. For instance, if a person is working from 7 pm to 6 am, he/she will sleep right after his/her working shift. Then, after waking up at noon, they get hungry and eat lunch. So, that’s how not having a breakfast or dinner will disrupt their diet. Disrupting a workers’ diet can cause them many unintended consequences. In conclusion, it is really difficult to change a person’s biological clock. There are many negative results of working in the evening. In addition, irregular working schedule make the day-to-day activities tougher to complete. A person can’t get enough time to do his/her day-to-day  activities. However, morning workers have the best productivity to do their job. Getting enough sleep at night and working at sunrise are two factors that give energy to morning workers. Changes in a person’s mood and behavior and changes in a person’s diet are two major differences of working in the morning and evening.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Youth Cultures in Britain in the 1960s essays

Youth Cultures in Britain in the 1960's essays The term to define consists of two words with different meanings. Whereas the term Youth is clear to everybody, we firstly have to define what aspects the word Culture deals with. Die Kultur einer Gruppe oder Klasse umfaßt die besondere und distinkte Lebensweise dieser Gruppe oder Klasse, die Bedeutungen, Werte und Ideen, wie sie in den Institutionen, in den gesellschaftlichen Beziehungen, in Glaubenssystemen, in Sitten und Bruchen, im Gebrauch der Objekte und im materiellen Leben verkrpert sind.(1) That means culture is the way people act and behave after experiencing the way of living in their specific social class. We can consider that during their childhood working-class youths especially get to know all ideologies and values of working-class culture. That is very important in terms of forming groups and gangs where members have the same behaviour and values. Furthermore A. Cohen utters Menschliche Handlungsweisen hngen von der Art der Probleme ab, die jeder bewltigen muß.(2) These problems differ from one class to the other, which means a person who lives in the working class has to deal with other problems than an upper class person. Every society is built up of a variety of cultures, e.g. working-class culture and upper-class culture, which each have certain subgroups and subcultures. The Youth Cultures in post-war Britain developed in the working class. After childhood they tried to invent or in some way change their origin culture. Due to that fact we can conclude that Youth Cultures are a subculture of working-class culture. Downes puts forward the thesis that Subkulturen [sich] zusammenfinden, um kollektiv erfahrene Schwierigkeiten zu lsen.(3) Working-class youth had common problems and difficulties therefore they got together and tried to raise the attention of society for their conflicts. How tw...