Should Minimum Wage Be Raised - 870 Words

Should Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workers in America. â€Å"The majority of minimum wage workers are between the ages of 16 and 24. These are high school and college students† (Sherk 2). But high school and college students are not the entire percentage of minimum wage earners. When minimum†¦show more content†¦Next, another problem the rise of minimum wage poses is the rise of inflation. If employers are required to pay their employees more, then they need to do something to compensate for the extra money they are losi ng. With this in mind, employers would have to increase the prices of goods. But sometimes raising prices is not an option for employers. â€Å"If a business cannot simply pass along its new labor costs, it must somehow absorb them—by eliminating workers rendered unproductive by the new minimum wage, by replacing labor with more-productive machines, or by cutting production† (Intorduction 2). This brings back the issue of minimum wage causing a dramatic increase in unemployment. Sherk believes it is the wrong time to increase minimum wage, due to the fact that America is currently in a recession. The right time to think about raising minimum wage would be when the unemployment rate drops drastically. Sherk states â€Å"In 2007, Congress voted to increase the minimum wage, raising it in three $0.70 increments from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. The final installment represents a 10 percent increase in the cost of hiring minimum wage employees† (Sherk 1). Seemly inflatio n and minimum wage increases influence each other. The problem of inflation increases the price of goods, which is obviously an increase in theShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Be Raised998 Words   |  4 Pagesprestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for tee nagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’sRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how theRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1337 Words   |  6 Pagesnot to raise the minimum wage in America has been a widely discussed topic for years. Minimum wage refers to the smallest amount of money a worker can legally be paid in the U.S. It was first signed into law in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt in order to keep workers out of poverty and as it stands, the current federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 per hour. (United States Department of Labor). Today, while some are even questioning the significance of having a minimum wage at all, others

Bless Me Ultima Def Free Essays

Lopez 1 Tiffani Lopez Ms. Carlos Period 4 March 4, 2013 DEF Term: Pathos Definition: the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion. (http://dictionary. We will write a custom essay sample on Bless Me Ultima Def or any similar topic only for you Order Now reference. com/browse/pathos? s=t) Example: In Chapter 6 of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima, Anaya uses pathos, â€Å"For the first time I would be away from the protection of my mother (Anaya51). Function: The pathos used on the above example is significant because it explains the amount of love and attachment Antonio has towards his mother, Maria. Related article: Arguments Made in Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry It shows how she big of an impact she is in his life. It also portrays the typical relationship between son and mother. In which, the mother is playing the protective, nurturing guardian. While her offspring –son (in this case) – is naive to the â€Å"real world. † In the text where it states that this would be the first time Antonio would be leaving his mother, can be compared to the baby bird leaving the nest. The character of Maria could relate to the nest and the baby bird to Antonio. The nest representing protection and security, and the baby bird represents fear and shyness. This Lopez 2 Comparison foreshadows how naive and timid Antonio becomes in the absence of his mother at school. This pathos sets up a mood of compassion. The mood is compassion because Antonio’s fear and angst is understandable. The author is arguing that Antonio wants mature and become a man, but is fearful because this is something completely new to him. The overall tone of this example of pathos is worried. The tone is this because you can sense Antonio’s worry for himself without his mother. The point of the pathos was to bring attention the importance of a maternal figure in Antonio’s life. The overall theme communicated by using this pathos is that life is a learning experience; learning something new, you learn scared. Plath’s point was to evoke concern whether Antonio will â€Å"survive† school. The pathos relates to the entire chapter 6 because throughout the chapter Antonio admits to wishing for his mother’s presence because he is lonely, but expected to become a man. Works Cited â€Å"Pathos. † Dictionary. com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 03 Mar. 2013. Dictionary. com http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/pathos. Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 1994. Print. How to cite Bless Me Ultima Def, Essay examples

Positive Accounting Research IFRS

Question: Discuss about thePositive Accounting Researchfor IFRS. Answer: Introduction This report consist several cases and deep facts on the particular article of positive research accounting. This article reflects the points which have been faced by companies in implementation of positive research accounting for summarizing, classifying and recording of financial aspects. This article provides range of theories and methodologies which are used to discussed significant consideration about how corporation could develop an effective positive accounting. It is evaluated that ontology and epistemology of positive accounting provides effective assessment of human behavior in the implemented accounting practice. Positive accounting research could be defined as part of scientific research which is used to recognize the cause and effect relations of the humans. This ontology and epistemology of positive accounting is the most evaluated part in this article which provides that if companies use positive research accounting then it would result into best practice for summarizin g, classifying and recording of financial aspects. This article provides all the critical drawbacks and problems faced in positive research accounting by humans due to their different human behavior. In the starting phase of this report overall finding theoretical arguments have been discussed in determined approach. Afterward, research questions have been used to reflect the main concern of humans in positive research accounting. After that, theoretical concepts provide a complete discussion which reveal human behaviors and their cause and effect relation with the accounting practice. In the end of this report conclusion has been drawn which reflects all the suggestions and recommendations about how humans uses positive accounting research with their cause and effect relation and how it could be made better with the given auditors disclaimer (Brown, Preiato, and Tarca, 2014). Summary of Article This article covers all factors which are used to determine the reciprocal behavior of humans in respect to accounting practice. Positive research accounting helps in overcoming all the problems and errors in accounting practice which have been faced by accountant and auditors throughout the time. This research identifies intellectual support system and academics which support to assess human behavior and their reciprocal behavior. This article put emphasis upon operational of self- interest of humans which is used to interact with each other through implied and expressed contract (Klemstine and Maher, 2014). This article provides how humans are facing problems in preparing accounting and auditing frameworks (Waymire, 2014). Positive research accounting article have reflected a view point that it accounting research practice should not be framed on rational judgment but also on personal judgment. This article provides that if humans are put under pressure to complete their accounting and auditing task then they could do that work quickly but there will be more chances of mistakes and errors (Brown, et al. 2014). In addition to this, it is suggested that behavior of free will allows accountant to take their independent decision to make effective use of classifying and recording of financial transactions in organizations Behavior of free will reflects that if one person take actions on the basis of Behavior of free will then it surely contradict with other persons view points and assumptions with the given set of accounting work. Undoubtedly, it is not easy to find comprehensive and casual theory and statements which could be used to reflect the human behavior and applicability of all applicable theories with the implication of human behavior. In addition to this, positive ontology and epistemology may also provide misleading facts and issues which influence human behavior and their cause and effect relation. This type of concern has been shown in this article du e to the existence of anomalies in the positive research accounting. Nonetheless, the main problem in positive research accounting is related with the understanding on particular facts and figures of set accounting rules. All the data used in positive research accounting has been collected thorough qualitative research process which helps in development of preliminary understanding of some phenomenon. Apart from that, researchers could evaluate the disclaimer and other remarks given by auditors to identity the drawbacks of in positive research accounting practice in particular organization. Hypothetical test in this article provides that there are several assumptions and uncertain data which have been used in article to justify the usefulness of in positive research accounting practice (Ahmed, Neel and Wang, 2013). By summarizing all the facts of this article it is evaluated that article contains a good understanding on human behavior and cause and effect relation in accounting practice of accountant and auditors. Therefore, some of the hypothetical test has been implemented in this article which helps understanding human behavior and their reciprocal behavior (Everett, Neu, Rahaman and Maharaj, 2015). Research Questions This article contains several facts and issues which are used to answers the following questions given as below. Which are the likely problems faced by accountant in positive accounting practice? What are successful factors in positive accounting practice? How positive accounting practice is different from intellectual program? How ontology and epistemology in current accounting practice is going to help researcher to make effective understanding on set accounting practice? Theoretical Frameworks This research has been prepared by considering various frameworks such as hypothetical test, decision making process of human and other qualitative frameworks. This research contains several theoretical frameworks and research program to evaluate the human behavior and their cause and effect relation in relation with positive accounting research practice. This research framework provides a standard set of program which could be used by accountant and auditors in their accounting and auditing practice (Engle and Hunton, 2015). As per the views of Fang, et al, 2014 it is reflected that this theoretical framework provide various interest test and behavioral concepts which are used in positive accounting research practice. It provides that organizations have been facing problems in human behavior and reciprocal behavior in accounting practice accompanied with several errors which could result into misleading accounting decisions of accountants. There are numerous documents either in Americana or international which reveals the models and frameworks which could be used to resolve issues such as errors and mistakes in positive accounting practice. There are several factors which could be used by auditors in its theoretical model which could be sued by accountant in following positive accounting research practice. In addition to this, these theoretical models assist auditors to develop a clear understanding with its auditing functioning. These developed theoretical frameworks provide how auditors could use basic concepts and models to understand the financial data of organization. The main emphasis in this article has been made on qualitative research frameworks which provide clear data regarding human reciprocal behavior. This Darwins theory of evaluation used in this article provides that there are merely two purpose of to deploy qualitative measurement in positive research. The first purpose of this Darwins theory of evaluation is related with how users gather data from the general public for framing positive accounting research practice policies and rule. This provides assistant to auditors to evaluate accountant behavior i n preparing accounting information. (Dyckman and Zeff, 2014). This information later on used by auditors to identify and mitigate the possible errors and mistake in accounting practice developed by accountant (Li, 2015). However, it becomes hard to evaluate how realistic model of process could be constructed or other variable could be gauged in selected qualitative approach. It is observed that if auditors use realistic model approach then it would result into basic level of errors (Type-1 errors). There are following theoretical concepts and frameworks have been used to gauge the human behavior and their cause and effect relations with the positive accounting practice (Deegan, 2017). In addition to this, null hypothesis used in this article provides the basis to determine possible factors which influence of human behavior in positive accounting research accounting frameworks. Test statistic under the null hypothesis is based on the auxiliary assumptions. In the end, it could be sai d that these several theoretical frameworks and research program have been used to evaluate human behavior and their cause and effect relation in relation with positive accounting research practice (Slater, et al. 2014). Significant of Positive Accounting Research Positive research accounting provides a systematic framework which should be used by accountant and auditors in preparing and checking of financial statement of organizations. This research put emphasis upon the understanding of human behavior and cause and effect relation in accounting practice. This research identifies intellectual support system and academics which support to assess human behavior and their reciprocal behavior. It is evaluated that quantitative approach has assisted in gathering all the accounting data from the accountant to determine their reciprocal behavior with positive research accounting frameworks. In this research, researcher analyzed human behavior and their cause of actions with the particular set formats. Hypothetical test implemented in this positive research accounting helps accountant and auditors to identify errors and mistakes in accounting details of company. The main purpose of this positive research accounting may not really be to plus to our kn owledge of human behavior in accounting- related contexts but to provide readymade answers to accountant which could be solved with high manner (Guan, 2014). Limitation of Positive Accounting Research The main limitation of research and data collection in article is completely based on the primary and secondary data collection from various sources. All the research shown covers all the required data shown in the article given and other article which has helped to make adamantine study prepared on positive research accounting. Apart from that, in this article set format and accounting assumptions have been used which is not enough to identify shortcoming and drawbacks (Smith, 2014). On the other hand the research prepared on ontology and epistemology does not cover complete details to reflect required amount of information on the positive research accounting. Researchers have also used hypothetical test in this positive research accounting which also provides data and accounting frameworks based on assumptions and standards. There are several other limitations which have been noticed such as gathered data may not be appropriate, interpretation of information by different people and using of different models and frameworks. Therefore. It could be evaluated that there are several pros and cons of this article which must be taken into consideration in this research article (Bertomeu, Darrough and Xue, 2017). Conclusion This article provides deep understanding on ontology and epistemology of positive accounting which reflects that if companies use positive research accounting then it would result into best practice for summarizing, classifying and recording of financial aspects. This report gauged to provide effectiveness and limitation of positive accounting practice which determine cause and effects relation. This positive research accounting provides standard formats which have been used by accountant to record financial transaction in the books of accounts. This Standard set of format assist auditors to evaluate all the errors and mistakes in Positive research accounting practice. In addition to this, several theories and developed Positive research accounting models used in this article to put emphasis upon cause and effect relations of humans with their accounting practice. There are various models and assumptions have been followed in positive research accounting which assists in establishmen t of harmonization in reporting frameworks of organizations around the globe. Now in the end it would be concluded that, Test statistic under the null hypothesis is based on the auxiliary assumptions which is the main limitation of this article. positive research accounting emphasis upon the working behavior of accountant and auditors. If they provide their work by following set formats and issues then there will be less chance of errors and mistakes in financial data of organization. References Ahmed, A.S., Neel, M. and Wang, D., 2013. Does mandatory adoption of IFRS improve accounting quality? Preliminary evidence.Contemporary Accounting Research,30(4), pp.1344-1372. Bertomeu, J., Darrough, M. and Xue, W., 2017. Optimal conservatism with earnings manipulation.Contemporary Accounting Research,34(1), pp.252-284. Brown, P., Preiato, J. and Tarca, A., 2014. Measuring country differences in enforcement of accounting standards: An audit and enforcement proxy.Journal of Business Finance Accounting,41(1-2), pp.1-52. Deegan, C., 2017. Twenty five years of social and environmental accounting research within Critical Perspectives of Accounting: Hits, misses and ways forward.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,43, pp.65-87. Dyckman, T.R. and Zeff, S.A., 2014. Some methodological deficiencies in empirical research articles in accounting.Accounting Horizons,28(3), pp.695-712. Engle, T.J. and Hunton, J.E., 2015. Retraction: The Effects of Small Monetary Incentives on Response Quality and Rates in the Positive Confirmation of Account Receivable Balances.AUDITING: A Journal of Practice Theory,34(3), pp.201-201. Everett, J., Neu, D., Rahaman, A.S. and Maharaj, G., 2015. Praxis, Doxa and research methods: Reconsidering critical accounting.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,32, pp.37-44. Fang, J., Haw, I.M., Yu, V. and Zhang, X., 2014. Positive externality of analyst coverage upon audit services: Evidence from China.Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting Economics,21(2), pp.186-206. Guan, K., 2014. Corporate Growth, Audit Quality and Accounting Conservatism: Empirical Evidence from Public Companies in China.Journal of Accounting and Economics,5(005). Klemstine, C.F. and Maher, M.W., 2014.Management Accounting Research (RLE Accounting): A Review and Annotated Bibliography. Routledge. Li, X., 2015. Accounting conservatism and the cost of capital: An international analysis.Journal of Business Finance Accounting,42(5-6), pp.555-582. Slater, R.A., Koren, S., Ramot, Y., Buchs, A. and Rapoport, M.J., 2014. Interpreting the results of the Semmes?Weinstein monofilament test: accounting for false?positive answers in the international consensus on the diabetic foot protocol by a new model.Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews,30(1), pp.77-80. Smith, M., 2014.Research methods in accounting. Sage. Waymire, G.B., 2014. Neuroscience and ultimate causation in accounting research.The Accounting Review,89(6), pp.2011-2019.

Your Product Description Template How to Write Converting Product Descriptions

If you want to run a successful e-commerce store, you have a lot of work to do. Youll need to design the store itself, drive traffic to it, and more. However, most importantly, you’ll have to convince visitors to actually convert. Knowing the right strategies and having a product description template, therefore, can come in handy.Once potential customers are on your website, its vital to do everything you can to convince them to make purchases. One of the best ways you can do this is by focusing on your product descriptions. By using the right formatting, language, keywords, and so on, you can create persuasive copy to encourage visitors to take the next step.In this post, we’ll explore several techniques for writing highly-converting product descriptions. Plus, we’ll share a product description template you can use to get started. Let’s take a look! To illustrate this point, let’s look at a few numbers from Salsifys report on digital consumer behav ior:87% of consumers feel that product descriptions are very or extremely important when making purchasing decisions.Detailed product descriptions is frequently rated in the top three influential factors (along with price and ratings/reviews).About 50% of customers have returned a product they purchased online that didn’t match its description.(Chart by Visualizer.)If you want to drive conversions on your e-commerce store, the key is to create detailed, accurate, and compelling descriptions (and if possible to use a product description template). Let’s talk about how to do so.Four tips for writing converting product descriptionsThe good news is that creating product descriptions to encourage sales isn’t difficult. All it takes is following a few basic guidelines. Below, we’ll take a look at the four most important strategies. After, we’ll provide you with a product description template you can use to get started.1. Provide detailed informationYouâ €™ll often hear about how internet users have short attention spans. This can make it tempting to include minimal information about each of your products, in the hopes of not scaring away potential customers. However, this approach can backfire.While people may indeed be impatient in some online situations, shopping isn’t one of them. 85% of online consumers conduct research before buying a product, and 87% are unlikely  to purchase from retailers that provide incomplete or inaccurate information.If you want to convince people to convert, therefore, you need to offer them all the details they’re looking for:This means:Providing the key facts about a product, such as size, color, material, and technical specifications.Highlighting all of the item’s features – what can it do, and how can it be used?Ensuring that everything on your product page is accurate.The more information a potential customer has about a particular product, the more confident they ’ll feel in hitting the â€Å"buy† button.2. Focus on the product’s benefitsWhile it’s important to provide lots of detailed information, this doesn’t mean your product descriptions have to be dry lists of facts. A product page should inform the consumer – but it should also be persuasive.This means you’ll want to create customer-centric product descriptions:People want to know whether what you’re offering can make their lives better. To do this, you can:Make the benefits of your product clear right away.Identify your target customers ‘pain points’ and respond to them. How will your product simplify a task, eliminate a frustration, or enable them to do something new?Don’t just guess what your customers want. Instead, do some research and create a detailed buyer persona.When putting your product descriptions together, you’ll want to front-load this information. Instead of starting by sharing the thread count for a set of bed sheets, explain how the customer will be able to enjoy a more restful night’s sleep. After selling them on the product’s key advantages, you can then get into the details.3. Use powerful wordsSo far, we’ve been talking about the content of your product descriptions. However, the ideas you share arent the entire story. The specific word choices you make matter just as much.Some words encourage people to buy, while others dont. If you want to sell more products, you’ll need to focus on using terminology that’s attention-grabbing, and persuasive:Some of the words you’ll want to incorporate  include:â€Å"You†. It’s important to talk about your product from the perspective of your customers. This way, you’ll make your product descriptions more personal.Sensory terms, such as â€Å"see†, â€Å"hear†, and â€Å"feel†. These words encourage your customers to imagine what it will be like to use your product.Positive ‘power words’, like â€Å"empower†, â€Å"effortless†, â€Å"striking†, and â€Å"delight†. These terms provoke emotions, grab attention, and make your descriptions stand out. Just be careful not to go overboard with these – and make sure your product can back up your claims.It’s also important that your product descriptions are written in an appropriate way for your audience. This means adopting a relevant tone and choice of words – whether youre lighthearted and funny, or professional and no-nonsense.4. Incorporate relevant keywordsOf course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention keywords. Incorporating keywords into your product descriptions has two primary benefits. First, it improves the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of your product pages. About 69% of traffic to your e-commerce site is likely to come through Google, after all.In addition, keywords signal to potential customers that your product is relevant to their needs. If theyre searching for a particular term, and the same phrase appears in your product description, those customers can be more confident of the item matching what they’re looking for:To include keywords in your product descriptions, you’ll need to:Conduct keyword research, and identify phrases potential customers will use to search for products like yours.Select one or more primary keywords for each product (and be sure to include long-tail keywords).Keep these keywords at hand when writing your product description, and include them in multiple places throughout the text.To use keywords effectively, however, you’ll want to avoid over-stuffing your content with them. Its best to only include keywords when they’re relevant, and when they can be worked naturally into the text.A product description template to get you startedPutting these techniques into action can take some practice. To help you get s tarted, let’s check out a product description template you can use, based on the key tips we’ve discussed. Of course, feel free to tweak it as needed, to suit your store’s unique style and audience.Product title [Incorporate the primary product keyword.]Brief product description [1–3 sentences, in paragraph form. Explain the product’s benefits to the customer, and use powerful language.]Key Features:Feature #1 [Describe the feature and its advantages for the customer in 1–2 sentences. Include a primary or secondary keyword if relevant and natural.]Feature #2Feature #3Add as many features as neededProduct characteristics, variations, and specifications [This section will vary greatly depending on the product. Include as much detailed information as possible, and use lists and charts to make it easy to scan.]Call to Action [For example, a Buy Now  or Add to Cart  button. This should be clear and prominent.]Creating an effective product des cription doesn’t have to be hard. All it takes is incorporating the elements and strategies we’ve discussed, and keeping your ideal customer in mind at all times.How to increase your WooCommerce store’s sales even furtherThroughout this post, we’ve been talking about e-commerce stores in a general sense. Our advice and product description template can benefit your business no matter what platform you’re using.Of course, if you’re a WordPress user there’s a good chance your online shop is powered by WooCommerce. If so, we’d also encourage you to check out our own Revive Old Posts plugin: Revive Old Posts Auto Post to Social Media Author(s): revive.socialCurrent Version: 8.4.4Last Updated: October 3, 2019tweet-old-post.zip 78%Ratings 1,969,075Downloads WP 3.5+Requires This tool can be used effectively in combination with WooCommerce, in order to make your product descriptions more visible. By posting them to social media , you get them in front of more potential customers – thus maximizing their impact.You can even create multiple variations of your product descriptions and track which ones are most effective. This will enable you to create more highly-converting copy over time.Go to topConclusionThe goal of a successful product page is twofold. To start with, it needs to provide all the information consumers will need to make a purchasing decision. Plus, it should also be persuasive – making a strong case for buying the product through customer-focused copy and word choice.If you want to create highly-converting pages for your own store, you can use our product description template and remember to:Provide detailed information.Focus on the product’s benefits.Use powerful words.Incorporate relevant keywords.Do you have any questions about how to maximize sales in your e-commerce store, or how Revive Old Posts can help? Ask away in the comments section below! This product descript ion #template will have you writing high-converting #eCommerce copy in no time

Mark Twain Quotes on Education and Schooling

Mark Twain Quotes on Education and Schooling The genius writer and father of American literature,  Mark Twain, was not educated beyond elementary school. His expresses cynicism toward the mediocre education system of this time in his quotes about education. He believed that schooling was different from education and learning. He warns us of the hazards of following the education system with blind faith. In Praise of Learning and Training Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man that can not read them. There is nothing training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach. It can turn bad morals to good; it can destroy bad principles and recreate good ones; it can lift men to angel ship. Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. Its like feeding a dog on his own tail. It wont fatten the dog. It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others - and less trouble. A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others. Learning softeneth the heart and breedeth gentleness and charity. Criticism of Schooling Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned. We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that a savage has because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter. God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board. Just the omission of Jane Austens books alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadnt a book in it. I never let my schooling interfere with my education. Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold. All schools, all colleges, have two great functions: to confer, and to conceal valuable knowledge. Mark Twain Quips on Specific Subjects The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice. I dont give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way. There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable. Classic. A book which people praise and dont read. I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didnt know. Why shouldnt truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense. We could use up two Eternities in learning all that is to be learned about our own world and the thousands of nations that have arisen and flourished and vanished from it. Mathematics alone would occupy me eight million years. Many public-school children seem to know only two dates - 1492 and 4th of July, and as a rule, they dont know what happened on either occasion.

Market Research Report Example

Market Research Report Example Market Research Report Example Market research report example can be considered a difficult type of assignment due to a large number factors that must be properly described and assessed. A decent market research report must evaluate a given product’s market potential based on such factors as the size of the market, customers’ preferences, competition, and other factors. This market research report example represents the basic information that any work of this type should include. The researched area can be considered a suitable place for selling the company’s products because of its significant potential. Indeed, the statistical data show that the area’s population exceeds 0.8 million people with an average personal, disposable income exceeding $49,000. Furthermore, findings of the telephone survey, which covered nearly 2000 randomly selected households from this area, showed that more than 50% of respondents were interested in green technologies and products. Furthermore, 90% of respondents expressed readiness to spend at least $1000 on such products as energy-efficient equipment, insulation, and other solutions offered by the company. 18% of potential consumers confirmed their plans to spend no less than $10,000 on such products. Remarkably, 31% of respondents did not purchase any â€Å"green† products during the previous year while 43% even never heard or seen advertising of such products during the reported period. These factors indicate the existence of a significant market potential for a company with a projected break-even point, estimating around $7 million in annual revenues. Such factors as growing energy prices and uncertainty as well as rising popularity of green technologies will further stimulate the demand for the company’s products in the long-term perspective. However, while the market penetration level remains relatively low, findings of the research indicate that the competitive struggle is intensifying. Indeed, there are currently 22 companies with an annual turnover above $5 million that can be considered as the serious competitors based on their location and product range. Three companies with similar characteristics have entered the local market over the last year, and it can be reasonably expected that the number of competitors will keep growing. This factor is likely to contribute to a slower growth of prices and, hence, lower revenues and profits earned by the main market players. A more intense competition also might result in a higher spending on advertising, promotion, and PR for the purpose of attracting the potential consumers. Hence, the projected promotion costs might have to be revised. Another challenge is posed by the technological changes and the subsequent changes in customer preferences. The survey’s findings suggest that potential customers are generally aware of the rapidity of technological progress. 76% of respondents expressed the desire to purchase only the newest solutions while 65% stated that they would purchase products based on the obsolete technologies only at a high discount. This fact has serious implications for the company’s operations, involving solar panels and other products, competitiveness of which is highly sensitive to innovations. Hence, the company will have to regularly monitor the market for innovations and suppliers capable of delivering such innovative products to meet the high customers’ expectations successfully. These factors are likely to have serious implications for management. References Beall, A. E. (2010). Strategic Market Research: A Guide to Conducting Research that Drives Businesses. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc. Bonita, K. (2008). Marketing Research: A Practical Approach. Cornwall: Sage Publication. Haarup, P. K. Hansen, K. (2010). Market Research and Statistics. Copenhagen: Academica. McGivern, Y. (2009). The Practice of Market Research: An Introduction (3rd. ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Sarstedt, M. Mooi, E. (2014). A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data, and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics (2nd ed.). Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Wiid, J. Diggines, C. (2010). Marketing Research. Capetown: Juta and Company Ltd. At you can get instant Marketing research paper help from experienced writers.

A Soldier's Home by Ernest Hemmingway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Soldier's Home by Ernest Hemmingway - Essay Example There are many different aspects in the story, as in its various use of comparisons from the view point of the narration of the main character, thus, creating a rather interesting transition in how I followed the relationship of the character to the settings involved in the story. Furthermore, I found that, the notion of having the main character clash with a variety of real issues was highly effective in harnessing the reality felt in the story, such as, in the encounter with the choices he makes concerning the values of sociality, sexuality, individuality and family. The opening of the story is especially interesting in my opinion, as it creates an immediate image in the compare and contrast of the two worlds involved around Krebs, which exposes us to his diverse social standards. These descriptions represent a vital point in the course of the story, as stated: â€Å"these snapshots introduce the double backdrop against which Harold Krebs’s story will unfold, and they prefigure the antagonism that will direct its narrative† (Baerdemaeker 56). In the first image, â€Å"There is a picture which shows him among his fraternity brothers† (Hemingway 111). In my opinion this picture portrays Krebs as a traditional American student who is full of masculine pride in the bonding of his fraternity brothers, but I felt that he was unsure of his identity as a man, for Hemmingway states that â€Å"He enlisted in the marines† (111) making this decision his choice only. Moreover, in the second image, â€Å"There is a picture which s hows him on the Rhine with two German girls and another corporeal† (Hemingway 111). This in my opinion was a rather interesting transition from Krebs’s education background to the militant background, which now consist of social norms involving politics and sexuality. As I read â€Å"Soldier’s Home† I felt a profound distinction in Krebs, in conjunction with the indifferences to the people in his home town, as to seem as if his decision to

Scientific Research and Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scientific Research and Writing - Assignment Example As a result, its consumption faced the major set back in its making history. Many physicians, as well as nutritionists, warned their patients against consuming large amounts of chocolate. Recent discoveries on biologically active phenol compounds such as cocoa that are currently used in making chocolate has widely changed the perception of the society about the same. In relation to this recent breakthrough extensive and intensive research has been stimulated into looking at the effects of chocolate consumption on ageing, oxidative stress, blood pressure regulation, and in controlling atherosclerosis (Matsui, Ito, Nishimura al, 2005). This research investigates the association between chocolate consumption and the occurrence of acne among college girls from Oklahoma State University. This research seeks to establish the contributions of chocolate in the occurrence of acne among college girls from Oklahoma State University. The research also seeks to validate the hypothesis that chocolate consumption is the major cause of acne among college girls from Oklahoma State University. The null hypothesis guiding this research is that chocolate consumption is not linked to the occurrence of Acne among college girls from Oklahoma State University. 50 female students were used in this experiment. The population was picked at random and divided into five groups (again at random). Four groups will be subjected to consuming milked chocolate at the rates of 10g, 20g, 30g, and 40g respectively. The fifth group will the control group and will be subjected to 0g of chocolate consumed per day. The experiment will be done mainly during the afternoon hours when most of the students are through with their classes and are relatively willing to consume the food. The relationship between chocolate consumption and the occurrence of acne will be determined by

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay With the discovery of DNA and unravelling the genetic code it contains, molecular biologists have finally come close to understanding what determines the form and function of organisms and can use this to design organisms at will. This is illustrated by the experiments on the transgenic fruit fly which has eyes on its antennae (Walter Gehring, Basel Biocentre, Switzerland. see the year 1994 in http://www.ifgene.org/history.htm ). This new technology will have more benefits for human existence than all the past technologies put together. |Scientists are no closer to understanding what determines the form and function of a living organism than they were a century ago before the term gene was coined. As Craig Venter, a leader in the Human Genome Project put it: We know shit about biology. Scientists have tended to concentrate on physical causality genes determine form and function but they are looking in the wrong place. Genes and their proper expression as structural, regulatory or enzymic proteins are merely one of the necessary conditions for the idea underlying an organism to manifest. The essence of the organism is its entelechy or telos. Other necessary conditions for an organism to manifest include nutrient, water, warmth, light and many other factors to do with the earth as a planet in a cosmos. The optimistic predictions of the molecular biologists and genetic engineers is reminiscent of those offered by the early proponents of nuclear power. In the 1950s, electricity was forecast to become too cheap to make it worth metering, but the reality is that society is left with a legacy of nuclear waste the cost of dealing with which will place an immeasurable burden on future generations.| Ever since agriculture and the domestication of animals and plants began, man has been modifying their genetic make-up by selective breeding (e.g. broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage came from a single species of mustard). |Traditional breeding involves gene exchange in the proper context within which they function with all the checks and balances of the biological processes of the organism itself and of the organisms normal interaction with its environment. GE is out of context. GMOs often behave very differently when taken from the laboratory, greenhouse or field trial situation into the real-life context where they will be used, e.g. a gene for red flowers was inserted into a white petunia. The petunia turned red but also produced more leaves and shoots, had lower fertility and was more resistant to fungi. None of these additional effects was predicted. Over 90% of transgenic plants are discarded during the development process, most even before the plants leave the laboratory. The reason for so many rejects is because they do not express the desired gene or they are made unhealthy by the genetic engineering. | Ever since man began to ferment fruit and milk products thousands of years ago, he has been using biotechnology.|Traditional biotechnology uses natural organisms in contexts to which they are adapted whereas GE creates completely new genetic make-ups that could never have come about by natural processes.| All attempts to define what species barriers are have so far had various shortcomings. The genomes of many organisms can be shown to contain gene sequences from totally unrelated organisms which might commonly be assumed to be on the other side of a species barrier (e.g. the marine r sequence in the fruit fly Drosophila, is also in humans). Mules (horse x donkey) have long since existed, but nobody is complaining and the technique of grafting different plants/trees onto each other is ancient.|GE crosses species barriers. Crosses are made which would never occur in nature.| All technology is unnatural (unless we hold that man and all his creations are part of the totality of nature). (see Shakespeare, A Winters Tale, IV:III:82-103)|GE is unnatural. | We have consciously interfered with evolution through breeding, habitat management and even selection of our own spouses for millennia without any noticeable dire consequences.|Scrambling genomes will lead to total chaos in evolution.| And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)Human beings are themselves part of nature, creatures within creation. Human discovery and invention can be thought of as resulting from the exercise of God-given powers of mind and reason. (Church of England Board)|Biotechnologists are playing God.| GE is a very precise way of introducing desirable traits into economically useful organisms. The techniques are improving all the time and it is increasingly possible to insert genes at a precise locus in the host organisms genome. This is calle d gene targeting.|GE disrupts the integrity of the recipient genome with unpredictable side effects including gene silencing both of the inserted gene and other unrelated genes in the organism. GE cannot readily control the number of copies of the gene that are inserted into the host, nor where in the genome they will end up. Inserted genes can disrupt the function of existing genes in ways, which may not show up until later generations.| GE often, but not always, needs to use bacteria, viruses or plasmids as vectors to shuttle the genes of interest into the target organisms. Having the parts of their genomes removed that would make them infective cripples these vectors. As the technology improves it becomes less necessary to use infective agents as vectors.|GE makes use of pathogenic organisms such as viruses and bacteria as vectors of the gene that is being transferred. In other words, the target organism has to be made ill just to get the gene in, sometimes with tragic consequences. The pathogens can kill the target organism or could spread into the environment with unpredictable and dangerous consequences. Even crippled vectors can recombine DNA and therefore genes with their normal counterparts in their surroundings and thus suddenly and unpredictably become infective. | Molecular biologists acknowledge that they are only modifying one aspect of an organisms totality. However, they examine the organisms produced in detail, sometimes taking them through breeding programs for years to be sure that they are behaving in the way that other normal members of the same species behave which have not had the genetic modification. |The reductionist thinking of genetic determinism, which believes that the genetic make-up is what makes the organism what it is, dominates GE. An organism is as much an expression of its environment as it is of its genes. Concentrating on the genes, therefore, is one-sided. Furthermore, the organisation within a cell and its interaction with o ther cells is also inherited along with the genes. An organism is as dependent for its survival as much on these epigenetic factors as on its genome. | The fact that horizontal gene transfer occurs all the time in nature, (e.g. the constant exchange of genetic information between bacteria, viruses etc, or the rarer jumps of genes such as may have contributed to the ubiquity of the mariner sequence listed above) and has caused no problems, can be taken as evidence that it poses no serious danger.|GE exposes people to the increased dangers of horizontal gene transfer, a process whereby genes are passed not vertically down the generations in the usual way but horizontally from organism to organism and from species to species. | Enzymes can be produced from GM microorganisms for use in industrial processes including food manufacture.|Industrial enzymes used in anything from washing powders to food processing are already a major source of allergies.| GE does involve some risk taking but all procedures are subject to strict risk analysis and monitoring. The risk is therefore minimal. No popular technology is without risk, e.g. the motorcar that kills tens of thousands each year.|GE is potentially dangerous and therefore involves taking risks. The consequences could be devastating and irreversible. Furthermore, the adverse consequences could take years to show and the company liable for any damages may have long since ceased trading.|

Justice in Platos The Republic Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays

Justice in Plato's Republic        Ã‚   In Plato’s The Republic, he unravels the definition of justice.   Plato believed that a ruler could not be wholly just unless one was in a society that was also just. Plato did not believe in democracy, because it was democracy that killed Socrates, his beloved teacher who was a just man and a philosopher.   He believed in Guardians, or philosophers/rulers that ruled the state.   One must examine what it means for a state to be just and what it means for a person to be just to truly understand the meaning of justice.   According to Socrates, â€Å"†¦if we first tried to observe justice in some larger thing that possessed it, this would make it easier to observe in a single individual. We agreed that this larger thing is a city†¦(Plato 96).†Ã‚   It is evident, therefore, that the state and the ruler described in The Republic by Plato are clearly parallel to one another.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three classes in the state and three parts of the mind in the ruler.   The three classes of the state are the rulers, the soldiers, and the craftsmen.   The three parts of the mind are the rational or reason part, the irrational appetitive part, and the spirited part.   The rational corresponds to the rulers, the appetitive corresponds to the craftsmen, and the spirited corresponds to the soldiers. Socrates then explains how the four virtues, wisdom, courage, moderation/self-control, and justice play the same roles in a person as in a state.   The rational part of the ruler is wise and therefore it should rule over the other parts of the mind.   Socrates questions, â€Å"†¦isn’t it appropriate for the rational part to rule, since it is really wise and exercises foresight on behalf of the whole soul†¦(Plato 98).†Ã‚   In th... ...l war between the three parts, a meddling and doing of another’s work, a rebellion by some part against the whole soul in order to rule it inappropriately (Plato 100).†Ã‚   Plato’s ideal ruler must have a good mind, always be truthful, have knowledge and discipline, and not be afraid of death.   In short, the ruler is a philosopher that satisfies the four virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation/self-control, and justice.   Plato, nonetheless neglects the fact that everyone sins and fails to mention it in the ideal state or ruler.   However, the state and ruler was made up mainly to better understand the meaning of justice and was not made up so that it might be practiced. Works Cited Marra, James L., Zelnick, Stephen C., and Mattson, Mark T.  Ã‚   IH 51 Source Book: Plato,   The Republic, pp. 77-106. Kendall/Hunt  Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, 1998.      

Glory Field Essay

Courage in The Glory Field by John C. Wipler The Glory Field, by Walter Dean Myers, is a story about an African American family, the Lewis family, through different generations. All the main characters in the book make important decisions that change their lives forever. There are many examples of bravery in the book, but three character stand out. Lizzy, Luvenia, and Tommy all show acts of courage. Lizzy, a slave working on a plantation in 1864, showed courage when she makes decisions that could endanger her life. First, she showed courage when Lem, another slave, has been bound to the tree in the middle of a field as punishment by Mr.Joe Haynes, the plantation overseer. She supports Lem by bringing him water. This was courageous because Lizzy knew if she was caught, she would be tortured as Mr. Joe Haynes was doing to Lem. Unfortunately, she was caught and was whipped until Joshua, another slave, tackled Mr. Joe Haynes to save her. All of them knew that if they did not run away fro m the Glory Field, they would be killed. â€Å"‘Go on, girl, before you break everybody’s heart. ’ a voice from the darkness said†¦ ‘Don’t turn back’ (a lady said). Lizzy stopped, looked down, took a deep breath, and continued (to walk away from the plantation). Once again, Lizzy has shown courage by leaving The Glory Field even though it was the only home she had ever known. Luvenia, a descendant of the Lewis family, living in Chicago in 1930, showed courage when she chose independence over taking the easy route. Luvenia chooses to stay in Chicago instead of going with her father to the Glory Field, which now is owned by their relatives. She knew she would have to support herself in Chicago but, to her, going to the Glory Field for work would feel like returning to slavery.Luvenia decides to make money in Chicago by doing hair. â€Å"‘Mr. Etta,’ Luvenia took a deep breath. ‘Is there any place around here where I coul d do hair†¦? ’ ‘You mean you going to try to make it on your own? ’ Mrs. Etta asked†¦ ‘I think I can do it, Miss Etta. I know I can! ’† Luvenia showcases her courage when she stays in Chicago alone instead of being safe and going with her father to The Glory Field. Tommy—a boy living in Johnson City, South Carolina in January, 1964—had an extreme amount of courage when he handcuffed himself to the sheriff.

A Book Review on Eckhart Tolle’s

A New Earth talks about being present in the moment of one’s life. It also talks about being in contact with one’s consciousness while looking deeper into life’s meaning.The author, Eckhart Tolle, experienced a spiritual transformation that has delivered him from extensive periods of depression. Deeply inclined by Buddhism, Hinduism, and other Indian schools of thought, the author emphasizes living in the current moment, the now. A new Earth is a book that puts ahead a number of sensible solutions to ways of thoughts that have caused a great deal of hurt and dysfunction in society. One must try reading A New Earth to experience a positive shift of his/her consciousness.The first part of the book talks about being still for the awakening of the consciousness through nature, specifically through a flower. The chapter also explained the pathway to Heaven, which the author describes as not being a place but is within the consciousness. Tolle is also reinstating the s ignificance of now.The author discussed the concept of awakening as being a vital part of recognizing the unawakened part of a person. The mind is easily fooled into thinking that it’s the ego, which is not the real being of a person. The ego will trick one to identify with it over and over again. The author also talked about one’s thoughts and the dysfunctions of man’s way of thinking.The first thing that one may become aware of in this book is that the author uses stipulations like the human consciousness’ evolution and enlightenment. Tolle however failed to define these terms clearly and would make it hard for a reader to understand what the author is trying to say. Reading the first chapter may pose quite a challenge for the unawakened person’s understanding.This book needs more facts rather than assumptions. The author also stated some things that are contradictory with the bible. For example, Tolle talks about a creature growing some wings an d evolving into a bird. The bible says that God created the birds of the air, and not that it evolved.Tolle also explained that the Holy Spirit, which was being signified by the dove, has provided a means for a reflective alteration in planetary consciousness. The reader personally doesn’t agree with this New Age teaching as the Holy Spirit leads people to salvation and not into a transferring of planetary consciousness.

Free Essays on The Power Elite

Given the gradual course of history of the United States, C. Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. According to C. Wright Mills, â€Å"the interlocking [policy, military, and economy] is clearly revealed at each of the points of crisis of modern capitalist society – slump, war, and boom. (Mills, pg. 83)† Given that one of the most important principles of politics is the consequence of history, the rise of centralization of power can easily be seen through a quick glance over the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is unarguably the greatest leaps in production of all time, in which the economy of the United States of America grew to unprecedented proportions. Before this technological leap, most businesses were run by local entrepreneurs in local areas, and even if one area went completely bankrupt, the national economy would not be affected in the least bit. This allowed for minimal government and military intervention in such affairs. However, because of this event, many corporations soon took on the role of national and even international businesses. If such large factors in the national economy were to go bankrupt, it would have devastating effects on thousands of workers who would be left unemployed. This such event occurred in the 1930’s, known as the Great Depression. The Great Depression, which followed the crash of the stock market in 1932, was the first major occurrence in which the government was forced to intervene nationally in order to save the ailing economy. President Roosevelt enacted one of the largest extensions of government ever known to this country, creating many programs we know today such as welfare, social security, and public service projects. Although Roosevelt’s New Deal plans brought the United States out of depression and employed thousands of people,... Free Essays on The Power Elite Free Essays on The Power Elite Given the gradual course of history of the United States, C. Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. According to C. Wright Mills, â€Å"the interlocking [policy, military, and economy] is clearly revealed at each of the points of crisis of modern capitalist society – slump, war, and boom. (Mills, pg. 83)† Given that one of the most important principles of politics is the consequence of history, the rise of centralization of power can easily be seen through a quick glance over the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is unarguably the greatest leaps in production of all time, in which the economy of the United States of America grew to unprecedented proportions. Before this technological leap, most businesses were run by local entrepreneurs in local areas, and even if one area went completely bankrupt, the national economy would not be affected in the least bit. This allowed for minimal government and military intervention in such affairs. However, because of this event, many corporations soon took on the role of national and even international businesses. If such large factors in the national economy were to go bankrupt, it would have devastating effects on thousands of workers who would be left unemployed. This such event occurred in the 1930’s, known as the Great Depression. The Great Depression, which followed the crash of the stock market in 1932, was the first major occurrence in which the government was forced to intervene nationally in order to save the ailing economy. President Roosevelt enacted one of the largest extensions of government ever known to this country, creating many programs we know today such as welfare, social security, and public service projects. Although Roosevelt’s New Deal plans brought the United States out of depression and employed thousands of people,...

African American Outline Essay Example for Free (#2)

African American Outline Essay African (466) , American Civil War (234) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? It happens to be common knowledge that throughout history African Americans have been oppressed, segregated, and disregarded as civil human beings. In the dawn of history Africans were regarded as animals and as such they would do the job of animals, however this paper will look at their sacrifices and fights to be treated as equals. United States Congress. (1866, April 9). Civil Rights Act.

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Reflection Paper - Essay Example This paper, therefore, discusses the learning experiences one receives during a clinical placement on a long-term basis in a health care facility. Long term care facilities have become an essential component in the health care sector since they look after people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, meeting both their health and personal needs. Though mostly associated with the old age, one may need this care at some point in their lives. According to Medicare (2009) ‘about nine million people over the age of 65 needed long term care in 2009, and it estimated that by 2012 twelve million people will need it’. This shows that there will be a rise in demand for nurses and related services in the near future. It is thus crucial for nursing students to receive quality education to be able to cater for such patients. Part of the learning involves a clinical placement which enables the student to practice the theory learnt in class. This is achieved through observation and practice of safe nursing care to people in all phases of human life. This experience offers a valuable opportunity to prevent illnesses, maintain excellent health services as well as nursing of clients with different illnesses while not forgetting providing support in death. The purpose of a clinical placement is to provide an opportunity to a student to acquire expertise in nursing skills, apply already taught theory and facilitate further learning. It presents a chance to a student to practice the theory they learnt in class. Therefore, before one has a clinical placement it is a requirement that they have theoretical knowledge. In addition, it is crucial for one to be vaccinated against various pathogens to protect them from receiving infections from their patients. The clinical placement consists of a program that ensures learning and gaining of skills essential in nursing care practice as will be discussed later in this paper. The program followed during the

Auto Business in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Auto Business in Canada - Essay Example There are concerns about the pace of progress towards increased regulatory cooperation across North America, the implications of a possible Canada-Korea free trade agreement, the proposal by the federal government to regulate fuel consumption, and the approach to consumer incentives and levies announced in the last federal budget. There is concern about the plans of several provinces to establish their own regulations on fuel emissions. There is concern about the accelerated Capital Cost Allowance announced in the recent federal budget and the Ontario government's commitment to support environmental R&D as examples of government actions in support of certain strategies to attract investment and ensure the Canadian auto sector remains strong and internationally competitive. ("Canadian Automotive Partnership Council Discusses Competitiveness Issues," 2007) There is increased cooperation across governments and closer cooperation with the US in addressing the key issues raised with regard to auto industry. The governments should ensure a competitive tax regime and business environment, a greater degree of harmonization with the US in setting safety and environmental regulations, as well as a fair international trade regime. The assessment of the required level of assistance will take into consideration the total assistance from all levels of government (e.g., federal, provincial and municipal assistance). This includes assistance such as all Grants and Contributions being considered, implicit subsidies, forgivable loans, investment tax credits and any other grant or contribution. All recipients of financial assistance will be required to disclose any other government financial assistance received or requested for this prior to the approval of the contributions. Budget2007 demonstrates the government's commitment to addressing automotive sector interests, in providing generous capital cost allowances, significant investments in gateway and transportation infrastructure and measures to foster innovation and green technologies. Through the auto strategy, the government has leveraged more than $7billion in new investments that will create thousands of jobs and help position Ontario's auto industry for long-term competitiveness. Focus is given on how to build on this success while helping the industry meet the near-term challenges of a major global restructuring and the need for improved

Effect of Cosmetic Marketing on Consumers individual self image Dissertation

Effect of Cosmetic Marketing on Consumers individual self image - Dissertation Example A review of the recent literature shows that the cosmetics industry is at the forefront of marketing innovations and this study explores exactly what effects this marketing activity is having on the self-image of consumers. 1.2 Body, Self and Image. It has long been recognised that the way people use certain products helps them to build a concept of self (Grubb, 1967; Sirgy, 1982; Malhotra, 2002). Psychologists have noted that people seek to maintain more than one version themselves. (Adler, 1930) This is very evident in choice of clothing, for example, which people use to align themselves to peer groups, work contexts and so on, and when they adapt to different situations. There are also many products which people use in private and no one else knows that this product is being used. These two situations may connect with what psychologists call â€Å"ideal self† and â€Å"real self† (Dolich, 1969 ) or â€Å"public self† and â€Å"private self.† (Baumeister , 1986) Studies show that what people buy has symbolic as well as literal meanings for them, and by choosing some products over others, consumers are choosing to bolster one or other aspect of their own personality. (Dittmar, 1992) For women especially there are extra pressures to maintain a positive body image because the patriarchal culture that still exists in Western societies values youthful and healthy appearance in women much more than in men. (Woolf, 1991; Gimlin, 2002) As women at the start of the twentieth century increasingly took part in the public world of work, the cosmetic industry played its part in building expectations of increasing artifice in the construction of a public image for women. (Peiss, 1990) Now, at the start of the twenty first century, in a less overtly sexist society, the process appears to be extending still further into the domain of masculinity, and the marketing of cosmetics for men is growing exponentially. (Mintel, 2008) 1.3 The Cosmetics Indus try and Self Image. The cosmetics industry is intimately connected with consumers’ idea of self. to modern approaches like â€Å"Guerrilla Marketing† (Levinson, 2007) which advocates low budget persistence before, during and after a sale. â€Å"Digital Marketing† or â€Å"emarketing† (Parkin, 2009) extols the advantages of new technologies. The concept of â€Å"sticky marketing† rejects old adages like the unique selling proposition or USP because of the proliferation of almost identical products in modern society, and requires instead that â€Å"the focus move from transactions to customer engagement.† (Leboff: . p. 92) All of these have relevance in the fashion-conscious area of cosmetics marketing. It is no coincidence that some of the most psychologically sophisticated campaigns in the history of marketing come from this branch. L’Oreal Group’s long running series of haircare advertisements, for example, which ran the sloga n â€Å"Because you’re worth it† successfully bound their product to the consumer’s feeling of self-worth, creating a memorable message that has become part of the English language. The focus in these advertisements is on the effect which the product has on the consumer’s mind, more than the body, and this is a clever twist that flatters the consumer and seems to sell the product incidentally. This campaign which ran at the start of

HRM Effectiveness In Improving Performance

HRM Effectiveness In Improving Performance This article examines the strategic role of HR and its main practices, describes the outcomes of the respective category of HR practices, explains the critical reasons for measuring HRs efforts, and proposes a framework for assessing HR. Ultimately, organizations would be able to utilize the information to determine how particular HR practices correlate with better business results; determine potential areas for investments, expansions, and reductions; justify budget allocations; and be more accountable for each dollar spent within the organization. The framework proposed does not merely explain the cost for each of the major HR activity, but demonstrates the value of the activity and hence, the opportunity to determine if it is a worthwhile investment and strategy for creating a competitive advantage. What value does the human resources (HR) function contribute to the bottom line of the organization? Over the years, there has been tremendous emphasis placed on HR practitioners becoming strategic business partners and being a value-added source within organizations. Traditionally, HR professionals could talk generally and conceptually about employee morale, turnover, and employee commitment being outcomes of HR efforts. Furthermore, the HR function is often viewed as an expense-generator and an administrative function and not as a value-added partner. Ulrich (1997b) reiterated that to fulfill the business partner role of HR, concepts need to be replaced with evidence, ideas with results, and perceptions with assessments. This article examines the strategic role of HR and its main practices, describes the outcomes of the respective category of HR practices, explains the critical reasons for measuring HRs efforts, and proposes a framework for assessing HR. Ultimately, organizations would be able to utilize the information to determine how particular HR practices correlate with better business results; determine potential areas for investments, expansions, and reductions; justify budget allocations; and be more accountable for each dollar spent within the organization. The framework proposed does not merely explain the cost for each of the major HR activity, but demonstrates the value of the activity and hence, the opportunity to determine if it is a worthwhile investment and strategy for creating a competitive advantage. The framework has proven its effectiveness at many companies showing how HR creates value, utilized the information collected to increase investments in specific HR strategies and eliminating ineffective investments, and used as a critical resource in the strategic business planning and budget allocation. The companies include Fortune 500 and smaller companies from retail, transportation, and financial industries. Understanding the Strategic Role of HR In todays business environment, organizations need to be constantly evaluating their internal and external environment for challenges and opportunities to remain competitive and to sustain growth. Political, economic, social, and even psychological changes within our societies create significant impact on organizations. Given any significant change or event, how ready are we as an organization to react in order to remain competitive? Many factors are driving changes in organizations today including the use of technology, globalization, changes in workforce demographics, eliminating the bureaucracies in organizational structures, and balancing work-family issues. Understanding the potential of an organizations resources and optimizing the output of such resources given the changes, provides the impetus for HR being the key source of creating the competitive advantage for the organization. Insert figure 1 about here To create value and deliver results, HR professionals must begin not by focusing on the work activities or work of HR but by defining the deliverables of that work. HRs roles in building a competitive organization include management of strategic human resources, management of transformation and change, management of firm infrastructure and management of employee contribution (Ulrich, 1997a). Although these roles are valid and have proven to be value-added in recent years, there is now the critical need to move beyond the strategic business partner role to players in the business (Ulrich Beatty, 2001). Players, according to Ulrich Beatty, contribute to the profitability of the organization, they deliver results and they do things to make a difference. The roles of players are to a) coach b) design, c) construct, d) change the organization, e) creating followers, and f) playing by the rules. Another perspective on the role of HRM suggests that in leading-edge companies, HR profession als play four key roles: a) strategic business partners, b) innovators, c) collaborators, and d) facilitators (Schueler Jackson, 2000). As a strategic business partner, HR professionals should understand the nature of the business from a strategic, operational, financial, and other aspects necessary to be part of an effective team managing an organization. Functioning as an innovator, HR professionals are challenged to continuously search for strategies that will create value for the organization and not merely function in a reactionary mode. Furthermore, HR professionals will also serve as collaborators with senior leaders and all employees to implement business strategies forming the strategic link throughout the organization. As facilitators, HR professionals function as the change agent providing rationale, support, and readiness for planned changes designed to support the business strategies. The fundamental role of HRM is essentially to maximize profitability, quality of work life and profits through effective management of people (Cascio, 2003). Given this premise, it can be easily inferred that HRs role is to help create value to the organization. Figure 1 illustrates some of the external challenges and changes facing organizations, their impact on the organization, and how HR is impacted. The Importance of Measuring HRs Activities Even though HR professionals are convinced that their efforts add value to the organizations bottom-line, there is frequently little evidence to demonstrate such belief. A recent survey of 54 companies in the Midwest, USA conducted by the author revealed that 51 of the 54 companies conducted little or no assessment of their HR departments efforts and therefore could not have provided any quantitative measures of HRs value to the organization. In addition, a study conducted by Becker, Huselid, and Ulrich (2001) indicated that less than 10% of the 968 firms that participated in their study had a formal estimation procedure to measure HRM. Measurement in most HR departments is usually restricted to processes measuring costs and not showing value added (HRPS, 1993). There is now the imperative need to justify each dollar invested, compare strategies to determine maximum worth, and to decide on where to invest especially as companies scramble to survive after the September 11 tragedy. Pepitone (1997) reiterated that HR leaders should know how to prove the value-added of their services because management is increasingly requiring departments to give evidence of their worth. In addition, Sorensen (1995) stated that the best way for HR to gain credibility so that it can make meaningful changes is for practitioners to measure the cost and effectiveness of what they do. And they must put that into language that senior executives understand: financial results. HR managers need to measure the cost and effectiveness of their activities far more closely than they have in the past. Many organizations have been forced and are conti nuing to determine ways of being more cost-effective. Many of the other functions including finance, accounting, and marketing are able to show a return on investment for their respective efforts, so given the increased emphasis on HR practices, it is imperative for HR to be able to show its effectiveness in creating value for the organization. The new HR is a transformed role comparing itself to any other function, not only through espoused value creation strategies, but through outcomes, qualitative and quantitative measurements, and direct relationships to profitability. The simple option of showing HRs value or becoming extinct as a department presents itself to HR professionals and given the strong belief of HR as a source of added value in organizations, there is no choice than for HR professionals to be able to quantitatively and qualitatively explain its strategic role in the organization. There has been substantial evidence over the years to show the relationship between HR and organizational performance as summarized by (Yeung Berman, 1997). Some of the studies include MacDuffie and Krafcic (1992), US Department of Labor (1993), Pfeffer (1994), Arthur (1994), Huselid (1995), and Ostroff (1995). Even though these studies exist, there still lacks a framework that is grounded in theory, yet practical enough for practitioners to use that shows the major HR activities, outcomes of the respective activities, and how they can be measured. The framework describes clusters within the HR function and encompasses: a) strategic planning, b) selection, c) training and development, d) organization development and change, e) performance management, f) rewards system, and g) organizational behavior theory. HRs Activities Outcomes Even though there are several classifications or groupings of HR activities, the author uses seven groups of activities seen as being most strategic and influential in realizing the strategic business objectives of the organization. Todays economy dictates that organizations continually assess the external and internal environment and make relevant changes in order to remain competitive. The author examines each of the clusters and provides a description of each, its importance in achieving the business strategy, and how it can be measured to determine its effectiveness. Insert figure 2.0 about here Strategic Planning The role of the HR function has changed tremendously over the past 10 years where HR functions have previously been viewed as not being an integral core of the business and merely viewed as an administrative function to todays economy where HR practitioners are more frequently considered business partners. Being a business partner, the ideal situation would be the inclusion of the HR leader in the strategic business planning (SBP). In the most fundamental sense, SBP involves choosing how an organization will compete (Rothwell, 1994). The questions of what product to produce, where should the product be sold, how many to make available, how the products and services differ from the competition are included as part of the business planning process. Business strategy can also be defined as the process by which the basic mission and objectives of the organization are set and the process by which the organization uses its resources to achieve the objectives(Tichy, Fombrum, Devanna, 1982) . Why is it important for HR to be involved in the strategic planning process? In developing strategies in todays complex and dynamic business environment, there is the critical need for business leaders to continually assess their talent pool to determine if the appropriate expertise needed to accomplish the business strategies are available within the organization. If not, where and how can the organization acquire the necessary skills? Another critical area is to identify what skills are needed to be developed internally for current employees to perform at the level necessary for the organization to be competitive. Does the organization need to change any of its current policies and practices in order to derive the intended behaviors of employees? How should performance be measured and what types of rewards should be given for the intended behaviors? These are all fundamental areas of effectively managing an organization and imperative to be addressed at the strategic planning stage . Typically, the HR function has the most experience and knowledge in addressing these critical issues. Strategic planning seeks to identify those organizational decisions and actions, which yield the greatest advantage under various assumptions about the organization and its environment. The integration of human resource function into the organizational strategy provides the basis to enable the human resource function to support and implement the strategic plan to achieve a competitive advantage (Wofford, 2002). This strategy provides for the maximization of human capital, reduction of wasted and inefficient labor and other financial investment, and eventually maximizing profitability. By addressing these issues at the strategic planning stage with HR included, there is the higher likelihood of more efficiently reaching the business outcomes and avoiding chaos, massive layoffs, crises resulting from not having skilled employees to carry out particular tasks and not having the right fit among employees, corporate strategies, and business environments. C.K Prahalad (Prahalad, 1990) in describing the roots of competitive advantage, stated that the real sources of competitive advantage are to be found in managements ability to consolidate corporate wide technologies and production skills into competencies that empower individual businesses to adapt quickly to changing opportunities. Moreover, Tichy et al., (Tichy et al., 1982) reiterated that there are three core elements for organizations to function effectively and include mission and strategy, organization structure, and human resource management. Clearly, the HR function plays a pivotal role in determining the busi ness strategy through the assessment of the organizations capabilities to successfully compete through a particular strategy, determining the appropriate rewards system, determining appropriate organization structures, and developing strategies to increase employees performance. Given the definition of strategic planning as how an organization will compete, the question arises as to how would an organization be able to assess the effectiveness of its strategic plan. Indicators of a successfully crafted strategic plan include creating advantages that are sustainable over a long period of time. Has the planning resulted in a) the attainment of the organizations goals and objectives, b) financial profitability, b) positioning to create advantages for the short-term and long-term, and d) created a sense of social responsibility? In essence, this process determines the decisions and actions an organization will undertake to create and sustain competitive advantages. Acquisition of Employees In the era of increasing globalization and the struggle to create sustainable competitive advantages, organizations are continuously evaluating their strategies to ensure that they have the expertise needed to help achieve the mission of the organization. The economic challenges due to the consequences of the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the United States also continue to affect organizations financial position and subsequently on recruitment and selection strategies. Gatewood Feild (2001) define selection as a process of collecting and evaluating information about an individual in order to extend an offer of employment. Fitz-enz (2002) described ways of measuring the cost per hire, source cost per hire, and interviewing cost. Indeed, these are critical metrics in deciding the cost in acquiring employees. Nevertheless, to fully understand the value and effectiveness of the selection process, one has to analyze the impact of the employees contribution to the organization not only from a cost factor, but the performance in the short-term and long-term. Has the employee been able to contribute to the successful implementation of the business strategy? In examining the efforts that are part of the acquisition, one has to examine the effectiveness of the planning process, advertising and recruitment sources, effectiveness of the interviewers in selecting the right candidate, change in the pool of qualified candidates, and performance of the incumbent on the job. HR Planning involves the process that specifies the activities that a firm must use in order to develop its human resources to improve its overall practices (Gatewood Feild, 2001). The process entails determining how many employees the organizations needs to be performing at its optimum and where the employees should be working in the organization given the external and internal challenges and opportunities. With the economy still struggling to improve after 9/11 terrorists attacks, organizations have been forced to layoff even thousands of employees in some cases in order to survive. The real challenge for HR in the upcoming months and even years would be to predict the demand for their products and services and then to determine the need for labor. Nevertheless, one still has to be able to reasonably predict labor demands and determine if employees have to be laid off or how many employees have to be recruited within a specific period. In addition, HR Planning should involve the s kills and competencies currently available within the organization and what other intellectual capital would be needed in the future to adequately meet the needs of the stakeholders. Another aspect of the acquisition process involves the advertising and recruitment sources. Given the high costs of advertising in newspapers, internet websites, journals, employment agencies, and direct and indirect costs associated with advertising, there is a definite need for HR professionals and other senior leaders to be aware of the effectiveness of the respective sources being used to advertise and recruit their candidates. In assessing the effectiveness of recruitment and advertisement sources an organization uses to recruit its employees, it is imperative to relate the actual performance of the incumbent to the advertising and recruitment. Some of the factors that should be included in this evaluation are historical employee turnover data, absenteeism, actual performance on the job, and ability to advance in ones career. There may also be a high level of correlation with specific school, number of years of work experience, education major, GPA, and other such factors with o nes performance. Given the collection and analysis of this data, HR is much more likely to invest their advertising and recruitment budget to where real value is created for the organization. Fitz-enz (2002) described the need to ensure that the recruitment function to be efficient and further stated that it is better to measure recruiters as a team than as individuals whenever applicable. In determining their efficiency as a team, Fitz-enz stated that the measurements should focus on the productivity of their interviewing techniques, the average length of interviews for the respective job groups, number of interviews needed to make a quality hire. Another means of determining the effectiveness of the recruitment function is a measure to show the change in the number of qualified candidates that is available for selection. This could be a significant cost reduction strategy given that advertising costs can re reduced if there are qualified candidates available for future openings and other jobs currently available. Training and Development The American Society for Training Development estimates that US organizations are spending more than $60 billion annually on employee training and development. Given this significant investment, it is reasonable for one to ask about the benefits of such investments, especially since more companies are seeing a need for lifelong learning and are integrating technology in their strategies. Swanson (1995) defined employee training and development as the process of systematically developing expertise in individuals for the purpose of improving performance. The argument as to whether T D helps to create a competitive advantage has shown that conceptually, it can be a source of competitive advantage. Nevertheless, there still is a critical need to develop frameworks and strengthen the argument for being aware of the actual benefits provided by this intervention. Developing a framework for assessing the financial benefits of T D, Swanson (2001) listed three questions that provide the vari ations on the assessment of HRD, of which T D is a major category. What is the forecasted financial benefit resulting from the HRD intervention? What is the actual financial benefit resulting from the HRD intervention? What is the approximate financial benefit resulting from the HRD intervention? (Approximate financial benefit is used whenever there is some level of uncertainty of the exact value created by the intervention). The framework describes three perspectives to assess the benefits including positive benefits, relative benefits, and return on investment. The positive benefits are those indicators that show the benefits exceeding the costs. The key issue in this perspective is to determine that the benefits at least equal the costs. It may also mean the inability of the measurement to show a financial benefit, but demonstrates the benefit of for example, strengthening the culture and maintaining the tradition of the organization. Return on investment (ROI) is a ratio that expresses the relationship of every dollar of performance value to every dollar expended to achieve that value. In understanding the impact of the training, it is imperative to determine what difference, if any, the investment made in supporting the business strategy of the organization. The assessment of the training should focus on the difference of the performance of the employee, the department, the process, and the overall performance of the organization. Furthermore, were there adequate opportunities for the employee to practice what they learned in the classroom, were they rewarded for improvements made as a result of attending the training, and can a relationship be demonstrated with the training and the organizations performance? Fitz-enz (2002) suggested that in addressing the results of the training process, the following questions be answered: How well did the employee learn? How effectively did the employee apply the learning from a business standpoint? What difference did it make to the business perspectives? In sum, measuring the impact of a training initiative regardless of the scope, size of investment, and number of employees involved, there is the imperative need to determine the purpose of doing the training and if the goals have been met at various intervals after the intervention had been completed. To determine the benefit, ROI, or whatever terminologies we choose to describe the outcome, one has to consider the direct costs of developing and implementing the intervention, in addition to the indirect and opportunity costs. This total cost would then have to be compared with the intended benefits and actual benefits immediately after the training and at different intervals after the intervention based on its nature. It is therefore imperative to address the following questions given the critical need to understand the impact of the intervention: Has the employees attitude changed since the training? Did the employee acquire knowledge and expertise in an area that would enable him/her to perform more effectively on the job? Has the employees performance changed after the training? How has the change in the employees performance affected the business strategy and performance of the organization? These are all areas to be integrated in assessing the impact of training and development in todays economy. With answers to these questions, it is relatively simple to determine if the training investment was worthwhile and to articulate how training and development supports the business strategy and contributes to the bottom-line of the organization. Organization Change and Development Given the continuing changes in the global economy, demands of customers, preferences and values of employees, it is a necessary component of the HR strategy to ensure that the organization is adapting to the external and internal variables it current faces and would likely face in the future in order to meet its stakeholders expectations. The pace of global, economic, and technological development makes change an inevitable feature of organizational life (Cummings Worley, 2002). A growing importance and competency expected from the HR professional, therefore, is his or her ability to plan and implement the necessary changes for the purpose of improving performance. Swanson (1995) defined organization development (OD) as the process of developing and implementing planned changes in organizations for the purpose of improving performance. The opportunity for HR through its organization development interventions is to create organizational effectiveness at the individual, department, f unction, process, and organizational levels. Many OD practitioners may argue that OD is not a measurable effort, at least quantitatively. The challenge arises again as to what value do the change efforts really have on the bottom-line of the organization. Should OD be excluded from quantitative measurement? Given a downturn in the economy and the need to reduce labor cost, are OD practitioners able to justify their worth to the organization? In answering these questions, it is necessary to examine the outputs of OD. In many instances, the outputs should be an improvement in performance at the individual, process, and organizational levels. Fitz-enz (2002) suggested that OD can be measured through productivity, quality, service, responsiveness, development, and survival. How efficiently are products and services delivered to the customer? These factors are indeed critical in assessing the effectiveness of ODs efforts and therefore, should be part of the process of making changes in organizations. Some of the key measurements can be derived from the following questions: What is the quality of the output and does it meet the customers expectations? Does the service offered by the organization provide a competitive advantage as compared to its competitors? How effectively does the system respond to changes in the external environment? Does the organization allow for maximum sharing of information, leveraging each employee and work unit, and resolving any internal or external challenges? Are the values and ethics of each employee and work unit representative of the overall culture of the organization and supportive of the business strategy? The responses to these questions based on the respective organization provide the basic measurements in assessing the readiness and effectiveness of the organization to function effectively in its current and anticipated internal and external environments. Should the responses indicate less than optimal performance at the individual, process, and organization levels, the opportunity exists for HR to conduct an analysis and develop, and implement planned changes to improve performance at all levels. As pointed out by (Becker et al., 2001), HR professionals too often want to measure their success by their activity rather than the actual business results. By having concrete answers to these questions, there will be appropriate responses in answering the role of OD in achieving the business strategy of the organization. Performance Management Performance management systems make clear to employees what is expected of them and assure line managers and strategic planners that employee behaviors will be in line with the companys goals (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright, 2003). Many organizations still rely on the performance appraisal viewed as an annual ritual and primarily the responsibility of the HR function. In todays economy and the utmost of managing performance to create a competitive advantage Noe, et al (2003) grouped performance management into three categories of defining performance, measuring performance, and the feedback aspect of performance. Performance management systems are geared to ensure that each employee within the organization, based on previously conducted job analyses, is performing the tasks intended at the expected level to support the strategic business objectives of the organization. The thinking of HR practitioners and other business leaders that an annual performance appraisal is performance management must become obsolete. Effective performance management entails a process where each employee is fully aware of his or her role in the organization, what type of output is expected, and how the output will be measured. How would one determine the effectiveness of the performance management system in creating competitive advantages for the organization? In answering this key question, the following areas should be addressed: Ensuring that job descriptions are developed through timely and effective job analyses. Job descriptions are updated on a regular basis to reflect to changing business environment. Feedback is shared continuously among all stakeholders. Every employee is fully aware of his or her role in the organization, which can easily be accomplished in the performance planning phase of the process. There are measurable outcomes assigned to every task reflecting the role of the position and incumbent in achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. There must be congruency and consistency in performance measures across the entire organization and performance standards should always be measured consistently. The process and the system must be viewed as credible, fair, valid, and reliable. A survey with numerical ratings can be used by employees and supervisors to assess if ones role and responsibilities are fully aligned with the goals of the organization, satisfaction with the actual process and satisfaction with the supervisors management of the performance management process. An aggregate of the responses produces an assessment of the performance management system and its effectiveness in improving individual and organizational performance. One of the critical strategies in performance management is to understand the fundamental role of each employee in achieving the mission of the organization. By mapping a process through the identification of the purpose and role of each incumbent, one is easily able to identify where the deficiencies may exist and to develop corrective actions, identify the strengths of each individual and to maximize each employees potential and hence their contribution to the financial contribution to the bottom-line of the organization. Rewards System The starting point for any reward system design process needs to be the strategic agenda of the organization (Lawler, 1990). By understanding where the organization is positioning itself for various intervals in the future, an organization could design the reward system to provide incentives specifically designed to foster behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes among the workforce that directly correlate with the strategic agenda of the organization. As indicated by Lawler (1990), numerous studies including (Vroom, 1964, Lawler, 1971, and Kerr, 1975) have shown that effective rewards systems can significantly increase the motivation of individuals to increase their performance. As inferred from these studies, the fundamental intent of rewards in organizations is to provide incenti