What is communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is communication - Essay Example ation on the other hand does not incorporate the use of symbols in the communication but it considers all the verbal exchange between two or moirà © parties as communication. The oxford dictionary traces the origin of the word ‘communication’ to the Latin word communis meaning â€Å"common† and Reuben and Stewart believe that the first form of communication originated in the Greek empire especially by the early philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates who developed different explanations concerning communication. These two explanations of communication resemble the Schramm’s model of communication in that they all realize the importance of understanding between the sender of the information and the receiver. In Schramm’s model he calls it the ‘commonness’ between a source and the receiver. All the parties in the communication channel must understand one another and this can only be measured through a feedback from the receiver (Ruben & Lea 20). The transactional model of communication is a preferred model because the communicators can act simultaneously by sending and receiving messages and that the communication process in this case is dynamic and it changes over time. In this model the people whom you are communicating with keep on changing as well as the environment in which the communication is taking place. This model enables the parties involved to gain understanding of the information being communicated because the two parties are interdependent thus the source cannot relay information without the receiver and vice versa. The several factors that affect the reaction of both the sender and the receiver are factors like their cultural beliefs, self esteem and their own backgrounds (wood, 6). My own model of communication would be a linear model that will enable the receiver to give feedback of the received information. This model will be effective than any other in the textbook since the linearity of this model will enable the receiver to listen

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 24

International Business - Essay Example An international firm implements various strategies such as Geocentric, regiocentric and ethnocentric in addressing challenges faced by them in managing their diverse workforce. Many challenges are faced by MNCs in addressing global workforce management issues. These issues are found related to ethnocentrism, expatriation and poor knowledge transfer. MNCs are finding out ways to manage complex global structures in the context of international HRM and knowledge management. International human resource management (IHRM) wholly spotlights on controlling human resources in the global organizations. It is understood to be the process of performing HRM activities such as recruiting, compensating, organizational expansion, performance evaluation, employee motivation in the global context (Dowling, Festing and Engle Sr, 2008). IHRM is considered to be a complex procedure in many MNCs. The international operations of MNCs have many complexities which are often underestimated by the firms and hence it can be gathered that firms tend to overlook the relevance of IHRM. The failure of the business in global environment is a result of faulty human resource management practices. Increasing international competition among the organizations has led to the increasing importance of developing IHRM practices. There is a shortage of international managers which serves to be a problematic situation for the international firms (Quintanilla and Ferner, 2003). The MNCs fails to realise that the success and failure of the firm depends on how efficiently a firm applies its human resource management strategies. In order to achieve organizational goals, the MNCs need to fabricate integration among the human resource practices of its subsidiary firms located in different parts of the world (Tsai, 2001). The MNCs requires ensuring a considerable amount of flexibility in their IHRM

Hewitt v Debus Case Note Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hewitt v Debus Case Note - Essay Example The vendor issued a notice of termination, and the solicitors for Debus alleged misrepresentation. Hewitt sold the property to another buyer, Mr. Darren Gillham, with their agreement being â€Å"subject to and conditional upon† termination of the agreement with Debus. Debus treated Hewitt termination as repudiation and she terminated the agreement herself. Debus did not seek a similar remedy, however she emphasized that her termination of the contract was valid and claimed substantial refund of the money she had paid. She demanded that Hewitt return the money she had paid. A trial judge decided that the purchaser was right because in accordance to the law, a purchaser cannot have both the land and purchase price. The vendor demanded leave to appeal. The application was heard on full submission so that, in case she was granted the leave to appeal, the appeal would be decided without a further hearing. The central matter in this appeal was whether the deed provided that time was important in the performance of Hewitt obligations to pay the amounts required by Clauses 1(c) and (d) and whether the contract between the two parties was validly terminated by the vendor’s notice of termination. Facts The vendor is entitled to terminate for a failure by the purchaser to comply with any term of the agreement irrespective of whether it is an essential term The vendor has a right to terminate where the purchaser fails to pay deposit on time or dishonours cheque for the deposit. Issue The main issue in this case was whether time was important in the performance of Hewitt obligations to pay the amounts required under their agreement and whether the vendor’s notice of termination validly terminated the contract. Holding The seller has a right to terminate for a breach of any term of the agreement irrespective of whether it is an essential term. Analysis Time was not of essence for the payments of the amounts referred in the agreement because the contract was closely similar to a contract for sale of land. A condition of time in land sale contract in equity is not important unless there are special circumstances and the contract has to clearly state that time is essential and has to be implicit from the nature of the contract in the surrounding circumstances. The agreement between the Hewitt and Debus did not have any special circumstances, which implicitly made time for performance important. Because there was no stipulation of time, the vendor was not entitled to terminate the contract because of a delay in the purchaser performing her obligation to pay the instalments. If the period were an essential obligation under the agreement, Hewitt would have been entitled to terminate the contract because of Debus having not considerably performed the necessary obligations. Debus failure to perform within the reasonable period constituted a breach of contract, however Hewitt was not entitled to terminate the contract because Debus substant ially performed part of her obligations. The judges cited section 13 of the Conveyance Act to determine whether a time stipulation was essential in equity. From the act, the judges construed that in case the vendor did not regard time to be essential in

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMNENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMNENT - Essay Example tice that organisations can not operate under one of the two above in absolute terms and a common ground should be struck to realise the best results and harmony. This is the management approach that perceives that the organisation is a family-like setting and that the whole system is harmonious and integrated. In this approach the proponents are against the formation of trade unions or any activity that is taken to be disruptive (Charles & Simhala 1998). Therefore, all employees are required to be loyal to the organisation and that their interests and purpose need to be shared by all. In this respect harmony in doing ones duties is of huge importance as it is perceived to lead to the overall success of the organisation. The management takes all the employees and itself as a people working towards a common cause for the betterment of the organisation. In other words the entire workforce is supposed to work as a team and any objective that deviates and sounds to be conflicting is deemed negative or dysfunctional. In this approach the management is required to provide an environment that enhances communication between itself and the employees a nd among the employees themselves. Proper communication reduces chances of conflicts as the commonality of interest shall be achieved (Sonia 2000). This approach has a number of pros that make it popular especially in the human resource sector of the United States. First is that the system or approach encourages harmony and builds on consensus. This as described in its definition above takes the core and therefore the foremost reason behind its adoption (Ackers 2008). Harmony and consensus are achieved since the employees and the management are made to work together in achieving the organisational goals and objectives. As also highlighted earlier the improved communication among the various parties enhances good relations that endeavour to promote peaceful coexistence. Secondly is that the approach makes the employees become

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Essay

Compare and contrast Russo-Chechen wars to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Discuss with special reference to theories of conflict - Essay Example A similar massacre of Azerbaijanis followed in the Armenian city of Spitak. The Armenian protests against Azerbaijan based on Nagorno-Karabakh actually started in the perestroika spirit, but it immediately turned out to be a political organisation called Karabakh Committee that stood for an extensive anticommunist coalition for national sovereignty and democracy. 1 Similarly, the war between Russia and Chechnya started with the ambition of the former to topple the latter’s president through military intervention. The military intervention turned out to be a complete warfare against the people of Chechnya through the invasion and brutal bombing of civil areas in an awkward attempt to bring down the Dudayev regime. The war also awoke the dormant fighting spirit of the Chechens which they had gained from their long martial tradition with roots from a century long, persistent warfare with the imperialist Russian empire in the nineteenth century. 2 The mounting loss on the Russian side provoked its generals to make a quick response to the Chechen resistance through indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment on Chechnya’s capital. The death toll of people in the city was huge and the city was levelled in every part in an attempt by Russia to subdue the Chechen defenders. 3 The conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous area to separate from Azerbaijan and merge with Armenia that started in 1988 was called illegal with reference to the Soviet Constitution of 1978 that allowed merger of a region to another nation only with the permission of the home republic. The conflict in Southern Ossetia since 1990 is a similar case where the autonomous region is a part of north eastern Georgia and the war was provoked by the national administration and supported by the imperialists in Moscow. The support from Moscow was to weaken Georgia. The Georgian-Abkhazian conflict has been the bloodiest of all wars in the region. Though there are differences in

Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay Example for Free

Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay Since 1993 more than 14,500 service members were fired under the law of †Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† (sldn. org). In 1950, President Harry S. signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which set up the discharge rules for homosexual service members. People wanting to serve their country were being discriminated and discharged because of their sexuality. Then in 1982, Ronald Reagan proposed a defense directive that states â€Å"Homosexuality is incompatible with military service† and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexual or bisexual were discharged. In 1992, Bill Clinton, as a presidential candidate, promised to lift the ban. Finally in 1993, when Bill Clinton was elected president, he proposed a compromise that he named â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. This law issued a defense directive that military applicants should not be able to be asked about their sexual orientation (Washington Post). Homosexuals being discriminated in the military have grabbed the attention of people all around the world. The question on whether or not homosexuals should have the right to serve in the military was a hotly debated topic in politics for the past few years. Even after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, will our society be ready to accept others? The research started with searching â€Å"Homosexuals in the military†. Then â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† and personal stories of gays in the military was found. Unfortunately, no books could be found on this topic, but articles from top newspapers became a valid choice. Documentaries and podcasts were also looked at. Good sources were easy to find because the topic was so controversial in the US, so the news articles came in handy. The repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† was all over US news websites, and news clips from YouTube were found. Last fall, a pentagon study was released that said a majority of the US forces, more than 70%, said that serving with homosexuals would have no negative effect on them. Forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan had a different response. 58% of combat marines said that they would prefer not to serve with homosexuals. Since the repeal in late September, the effect has been positive on quite a lot of people. The main people who are opposed to the repeal are the military chaplains. The majority of the 3,000 active chaplains are conservative Christians. A retired chaplain, named Brigadier General Douglas Lee, is one of the 66 retired chaplains that wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to not go through with the repeal. In a video showing the effects (positive and negative) of the repeal, shows Brigadier General Douglas Lee talking about Don’t ask, Don’t Tell. He says, â€Å"Homosexuality is one of a multitude of sins. Chaplains help people wrestle with the sins that bisect them and their lives. The problem with this repeal is that this particular sin is being legitimized as being normal and okay†. The problem with the non acceptance of the chaplains is that many and most conservative Christians believe that homosexuality, like all of the other sins in the bible, is a lifestyle choice (Pbs. org). According to another Pentagon Study, thirty-five other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly with no negative effect (Sldn.  org). Consider two men, both wanting to serve their country, one is gay and one is straight. They get all of the same test scores, and pass, yet only the straight guy is let in, not because of anything else other than his sexuality. If the same circumstances had happened, instead with a man and a woman, it would be sexist. If one was white and the other was black, it would be racist. All of the victims of these situations would have protection under the law and could sue, except for the homosexual. The homosexual has no legal protection from the government (Library in a book: Gay Rights). The repeal could be the first step to changing this. September 20th 2011, Obama stated, â€Å"As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service†(UStoday. com). Military bases around the US have been holding sessions for service members to educate them on the repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. They say, â€Å"You are not expected to change your religious or moral beliefs, however you are obligated to treat all others with dignity and respect† (Pbs. org). It seems as though that our society has been coping positively since the repeal. There are always going to be some people who will not stray from their views, but the percentages are going up and more and more people are willing to except homosexuals serving freely in the US.

Thomas Cook PESTEL Analysis

Thomas Cook PESTEL Analysis This report is going to analyse and evaluate the strategic fit of Thomas Cook plc and its critical success factors using analytical tools. The PESTEL Analysis is used to evaluate conditions in the Travel and Tourism market environment and how these conditions affect Thomas Cook plc and its competitors now and in the future. A porters five forces analysis will also be used to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the travel and tourism industry. Introduction Thomas Cook Travel Company was first started by its namesake in June of 1841 and has since become the worlds most recognisable name in the travel industry. The merger of Thomas Cook AG and My Travel Group plc on June 19th of 2007 produced Thomas Cook plc, making Thomas Cook the second largest leisure travel group in the UK behind TUI Travel plc its major competitor. Thomas Cook specialises in providing a wide range of package holidays to destinations. (Thomascook.com) INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS (Task A) PESTEL ANALYSIS The PESTEL frame work categorises environmental influences into six main types which are political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal (see appendix A). The PESTEL framework helps managers understand the key drivers of change and also the differential impact of these external influences and drivers on the industry, markets and individual organisations. (Johnson, Gerry, 2005). Political factors According to CIPD, coalition governments spending cuts are going to result in 0.7million job losses in the public sector. The travel and tourism industry is in the public sector; therefore their employees are faced with fears of redundancy. Announcement of redundancies will invariably have an adverse impact on morale, motivation and productivity of remaining employees. The negative effects can be reduced by sensitive handling of redundant employees and those remaining and to be as honest as possible with the remaining staff to gain back their trust and confidence. (cipd.co.uk) Economic factors are of concern to travel and tourism, because they may influence demand, costs, prices and profits. Package holidays are an income elastic business, as income decreases or rises; it can have a significant effect on the demand. Therefore looking ahead, public sector cuts are likely to have a major consequence on the travel and tourism industry. Social Factors Redundancies and other government cuts will potentially result in limited disposable income for consumers. According to Mintel, some 12% of consumers are spending nothing on non-essentials, with 35% describing themselves as very cautious, 30% as quite cautious, and only 5% as not at all cautious. This is because of the decrease in disposable income. If income decreases, then spending will become more cautious, especially on income elastic items such as package holidays, therefore reducing profit  margins for the travel industry. With all the package holidays in the UK, supply will remain very high as demand decreases forcing companies to reduce their prices. The spending cuts will mean that business executives will have to cut their budgets and most likely use low-cost travel planes such as Easy Jet and Rynair. Video conferencing is improving all the time, and the price has fallen to zero using online systems such as yahoo messenger, business may be forced to use this method to communicate to reduce their costs. This going to affect the travel industry a lot, executives provide business anytime of the year whilst holidays are seasonal. This will reduce customers. If classy seats are either vacant or earning less revenue, this means less departures or soaring economy class fares. Companies will also be forced to provide bargains for leisure travelers willing to upgrade to business class. Technological Factors The most powerful example technology is the emergence and improvement of the internet, which led to reduced costs and increased operational efficiency within the tourism agencies and airports. Because the internet is becoming better every day, its causing intimacy between tour operators and clients and improving contentment for both parties. Aside the internet, other major technologies that support the continuous growth of the tourism industry are those implemented by transportation, which is becoming safer, quicker and more pleasing. The technological implementations within tourism operations have led to changes in working behaviour and will also result an increase of demand for labour force, implying as such that educational institutions place more emphasis on teaching tourism. Environmental Factors Protecting the environment is one of the most talked about and sensitive matters today, making environmental responsibility part of the factors that determine a tour operators success. According to global warming 2020, aviation which ferries hundreds of thousands of tourists across the globe is of great concern to those seeking to protect the environment. A major concern for the industry is  greenhouse  gas  emissions and their implication for climate change. Aviation produces at least two percent of emissions. One way the aviation industry is working on this problem is by rolling out newer planes that have fuel efficient engines which means less carbon emissions. However not all airlines especially in the poorer countries can afford buying new aircraft. PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Porters five forces analysis (see appendix B) was developed to as a way of assessing the attractiveness of different industries. The five forces constitute an industrys structure. (Johnson, Gerry, 2008) Threats of substitutes The lack of disposable income and the effect of coalition government spending cuts are likely to change consumer spending habits, as a result with a significant shift in demand from luxury goods to inferior goods which are much more affordable, consumers are likely to shift to local and cheaper holidays and may choose to use trains (eurostar) or their cars to local holidays. Terrorism has affected the mentality of travellers and has made travelling more difficult and uncomfortable. People have to think about security issues from when they start packing to when they reach their destination, this will convince more travellers to use trains or holiday locally. This is however a moderate threat because customers usually prefer airlines because they are much quicker. Competitive Rivalry The Travel and tourism industry occupies a big segment of the business market and therefore provides many opportunities for tour operators; however its a very competitive industry. To be successful a package holiday company needs to discover the best fit between their individual skills, competencies and resources and external market characteristics to make sure that they stay on top of their game. Brand recognition and strength also determine the success of a company against its competitors, especially if times are tough in the economy. Negotiating powers of buyers Demand in package holiday industry is extremely elastic; this means that buyers will not just accept a given price by a package holiday company. Customers will use any information sources available to them such as the internet to look for better and exclusive deals available around, and with so many package holidays available in the UK, they are likely to find one and use a different company. As discussed above about the effect of economy on the travel industry, the powers of buyers are that they have a huge influence on the setting of prices in accordance with the prices which are around in the market. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Critical success factors are used to identify key factors that a business needs to focus on to ensure that their business is successful. To survive and prosper, all industry participants must use an emergent strategy. Emergent strategy is a way of action that develops over time in an industry without a specific mission, goals or long-term plans. Emergent approaches should be thoroughly analysed in the context of an increasingly active, highly competitive and global business market. Influential external forces mentioned in the PESTEL analysis are pushing companies to reduce costs, improve processes and identify new opportunities for growth and an emergent strategy will help companies cope with these factors. An emergent approach leads to more creative and responsive strategy making which is well suited to the hyper-competitive and unpredictable environments such as the package holiday industry. It is more suited to instigating positive, transformational organisational change such as diversification or restructuring. It also has the added benefit of helping to reduce resistance to change as it allows time to build employee support while the strategy is taking shape. (powerfulwords.co.uk)