Society with Soul

A Society with Soul â€Å"As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit. † This quote by Seneca, a Roman philosopher, says that nothing good can ever come out of the absence of culture. Throughout history, many have argued that a society stripped of its culture is a society stripped of its soul. In the novel Things Fall Apart, the Ibo people are completely taken of their culture by the white colonialists.Despite a growing pattern of submission to new culture within the tribe, the people never truly lost their soul. The Ibo tribe was invaded by outsiders, their culture threatened with accusations on their way of life, worship, and customs, practically being forced into submission. The Ibo people may have been entirely stripped of their culture, but definitely not of their soul. Due to the colonialists attempting to assimilate the Ibo people, the tribe lost their culture but not the essence of who they are, allowing them to triumph against all odds.The white people pushed to assimilate the Africans, especially in their religion, ultimately tearing families apart and disconnecting the tribe. Obierika even says, â€Å"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on things that held us together and we have fallen apart,† (Achebe 152). As the British colonized the Ibo tribes in Africa, they brought with them their new religion of Christianity.At first these new beliefs were not accepted by the Ibo people, but quickly became a major threat to their old way of life. The appeal of wealth and the flow of money into their village from British traders, in combination with support for the colonialists’ new government and judicial system, eventually attracted many Ibos to convert to Chri stianity. Ibo society was torn in half, with some being lured in by the British, and others staying faithful to traditional Ibo customs.In addition, by the white missionaries seeking to convert children into their religion, there was no one to carry on the tribe’s traditions, resulting in the falling apart of the tribal system. The attempts of the colonialists to assimilate the Africans in religion caused families and the tribe to be divided. Despite these challenges, the tribe did not lose the essence of who they are and stayed true to a lot of the beliefs of their culture. The Ibo people were stripped of their culture by the colonialists, but they never lost their soul.Amidst the invasion of the white people, the Africans still found ways to maintain their beliefs and the essence of who they were. When Okoli killed the sacred python, he clearly went against traditional Ibo customs, but at the same time, he inadvertently reinforced Ibo customs. The Ibo people always look bac k to their culture for guidance and believe in it regardless of outside threats. Because it is all they have ever known, the tribe maintains their peaceful ways by deciding not to drive the Christians out with acts of violence, but rather, by ostracizing them.Soon afterwards, Okoli dies of an illness, which reaffirms the tribe’s trust in their gods. â€Å"His death showed that the gods were still able to fight their own battles,† (Achebe 141) and would rightfully punish those who went against them. It made the tribe realize that the gods were still with them, causing them to repeal the new policy of ostracism towards the converts. Furthermore, n the end, the colonialists may have ultimately drove Okonkwo to kill himself, forcing him to go against his culture, but in doing so, Okonkwo also reminded the tribe of their culture.In taking his own life, he reasserted Ibo beliefs, one of the tribesman even saying, â€Å"It is against our custom,† (Achebe 178) when aske d by the District Commissioner why the tribe could not take Okonkwo down from the tree. The tribesman went on to say, â€Å"It is an abomination for a man to take his own life,† (Achebe 78). In spite of threats to their way of life and a growing disconnection of their tribe, the Ibos remained true to their culture no matter what. In conclusion, the Ibo people never lost what made them who they were despite challenges presented by the British colonialists.The white people’s attempt to assimilate Africans to the Christian faith resulted in the tearing apart of families, the disconnection of the tribe, and subsequently, the loss of the entire Ibo culture. Notwithstanding, the Ibo people did not lose their soul, or the essence of who they are. Regardless of accusations on their way of life and mounted submission to new culture, the Ibo people were undeterred by the threat of invaders. The Ibo tribe was a society entirely stripped of their culture that made it out on the ot her side not stripped of their soul.

Fake Myth

How Shadows Came To Be In the kingdom of Ridonicorn, there was a peculiar king named Shade. He claimed that he could stalk anyone without being seen. The Olympians knew him well, for his boasts were somewhat true. Often times, they bet on him to see if he tail people. Poseidon and Hermes almost always won the bets since they usually on the same side. If there was ever an argument, Artemis would settle it by choosing the right side of the bet. One day, Hermes and Poseidon didn’t place the same bet.Artemis was not there to settle the argument. This may seem trivial but it greatly upset the Olympians. They were so confused that no one else placed a bet. Poseidon thought Shade would not be able to follow the mysterious citizen and Hermes thought he would. Shade had already followed the citizen one mile into the enchanted forest near Ridonicorn when he heard a voice telling him to come into the bushes. He obeyed silently and went off his path. â€Å"What dost thou want? † sa id Shade to the voice.Then, right before his eyes, an old man with a cane came out of nowhere and said to him; â€Å"Only to help my king. † Shade was curious at his response In his weird manner of talking, he said; â€Å"What would thou doest to helpeth me in my quest from the gods? † â€Å"I have an enchanted necklace,† replied the old man. â€Å"that will make it so that no one can see hear you but the gods. † â€Å"Give it to me now! † ordered Shade. The old man gave it to him and Shade immediately put it on. â€Å"Did it work? † he asked the old man.Deceivingly, the old man replied; â€Å"Shade? Where did you go? † Shade was filled with happiness and continued his peculiar errand. He did not know that the old man was Hermes and could indeed see and hear him. Hermes was trying to â€Å"secure† his success of his bet with the necklace. However, no one knew that the person who Shade was stalking could see and hear him perfect ly. She was Artemis. She had left Olympus to take a break and hunt since she was not a good mood. When she noticed that Hermes was trying to win a bet, she was filled with nger. She shot an arrow right past Shade’s head. Shade was surprised since he thought he could not be noticed. â€Å"You think I can’t see you, mortal? † Shade shuddered. The way she said â€Å"mortal† made it seem as if she wasn’t. He was too late to notice and Artemis placed a curse on him. He and his offspring were forced to follow everyone without secrecy. Poseidon won the bet, Hermes had to do Poseidon’s chores for a millennium, and Shade (now Shadow) and his children had to follow everyone while always being seen for eternity.

Staff Development and Performance Appraisal in a Brazilian Research Centre

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/1460-1060. htm Staff development and performance appraisal in a Brazilian research centre Cristina Lourenco Ubeda and Fernando Cesar Almada Santos ? Staff development and appraisal 109 ? ? University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse the staff development and performance appraisal in a Brazilian research centre.Design/methodology/approach – The key issues of this case study are: the main organisational changes which have taken place over the last decades; the aspects of the organisational structure that have either contributed to or hindered competence-based management; the development of necessary researchers’ competences related to main projects and processes and the way of appraising the development of their competences.The analysis of this paper was carried out considering the following phases: strategic plannin g, speci? cations of projects and processes, competence-based management and performance appraisal of researchers. Findings – Although integration was found between the performance measurement and strategic plans de? ned by the research centre, competence-based management is still centred on individuals and based on their tasks. The link between researchers’ competences and their social context is not considered.Originality/value – Feedback from the results of research projects and recycling of organisational processes would allow the studied organisation not only to identify the individual competences necessary for each activity, but also to improve the relationship between professional growth and innovation brought about by competitive strategies of companies. Keywords Competences, Innovation, Human resource management, Performance appraisal, Research organizations, Brazil Paper type Case study IntroductionCurrent competitive markets are highly in? uenced by t he markets being globalised, technological innovation and stiff competition. Competence-based management appears in this scenario as an approach to human resource management which provides interaction between human resource systems and a company’s strategy (Santos, 2000; Schuler and Jackson, 1995; Meshoulam and Baird, 1987). Technological changes require companies to develop human competences as an important factor to achieve success and have competitive advantage (Drejer and Riis, 1999).The main objective of developing competences is to enable people to assimilate the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for their jobs (Sandberg, 2000). Strategic human resource management has attempted to link its practices to innovation strategies of companies which deal with changing, unpredictable and demanding markets (Hagan, 1996; Huselid et al. , 1997; Mills et al. , 1998; Jayaram et al. , 1999; Drejer, 2000a; Ray et al. , 2004). Human resource management consists of systems such as selection, staff’s performance appraisal, career management, compensation and motivation practices.European Journal of Innovation Management Vol. 10 No. 1, 2007 pp. 109-125 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1460-1060 DOI 10. 1108/14601060710720573 EJIM 10,1 110 All these systems may favour or hinder the development of competences which are necessary for a company’s strategy (Sandberg, 2000). The systems in human resources may help a company to increase its competitiveness by implementing competence-based management. Models for competence-based management have been widely used in order to align individual abilities with core competences of a company.A structure of competences is basically understood as a link between people’s development and a company’s strategy. Competence-based management uses a structure of competences to align its strategic objectives with its key processes in human resource management (Le Deist and Winterton, 2005). The aim of thi s paper is to analyse a Brazilian research centre by reinforcing the main challenges of implementing competence-based management in this centre which deals with innovation.Its mission is to develop solutions for sustainable development of Brazilian agribusinesses by creating, adapting and transferring knowledge and technology to bene? t society (Ubeda, 2003, p. 50). This research is relevant because: . it highlights the production and transfer of technology as a distinct factor in terms of innovation which allows companies to achieve a leading position in international markets (Fleury and Fleury, 2004); and . the development of competences which is directly linked to market demands is analysed (Mans? ld, 2004; Schroeder et al. , 2002; Hagan, 1996; Drejer, 2000a; Drejer and Riis, 1999). As a consequence, this analysis is based on a theoretical proposal concerning the development of individual competences which reinforces performance appraisal as a tool to identify and monitor staffâ €™s competences, as well as taking into account a company’s core competence and external demands. The paper is based on three relevant topics: (1) Working competitively involves placing high value on people, considering their experiences, ideas and preferences.Their participation in organisations is necessary because employees and managers have to discuss a company’s objectives together. (2) Encouraging employees’ participation means creating opportunities to offer people a collective perspective concerning the signi? cance of their professional practice and a way of being part of the future. (3) It is fundamental to consider not only the staff’s speci? c quali? cations needed for the positions in the organisational structure, but also their knowledge, experiences, skills and results for future innovations. Individual competences which are identi? d by performance appraisal in all the hierarchical levels of an organisation are important aspects concer ning the success of a company’s competitive strategy. Once the company is aware of the individual competences needed for each process, it can identify new ways of developing its human resources by changing the focus of its human resource systems. An integrated model for human resource management with a business-oriented strategy uses individual competences as a reference for the systems in human resource management, such as selection, training and development, compensation and career management.Taking this into account, Dutra (2001, p. 27) says that: . . . organisations and people, side by side, create a continuous process of competence exchange. A company transfers its assets to the people, enriching and preparing them to face new professional and personal situations, inside or outside of the organisation. Its staff, in turn, while developing their individual abilities, transfer their learning to the organisation, providing it conditions to cope with new challenges. Competen ce-based management Competence-based management has a direct effect on the future performance of its human resources (employees, managers and directors).It also considers attitudes, values, personal characteristics and relationships in teams which are necessary for innovation and not only the knowledge and skills required for completing their jobs (Conde, 2001). Therefore, competence-based management is a strategic practice which aims at increasing the global performance of a corporation by increasing the individual performance of its employees (Hagan, 1996). It is necessary to identify factors which produce differences between individuals according to the results of their jobs and experiences (Moore et al. , 2002; Drejer, 2000b).For this reason, every company which strives for competitiveness in its market recognises that competence-based management and performance appraisal are strategic functions, as this has brought about innovation by recycling companies’ processes and i ndividuals’ activities (Bitencourt, 2004; Drejer and Riis, 1999; Houtzagers, 1999; Baker et al. , 1997). Competence-based management creates opportunities for effective strategic human resource management. However, without performance appraisals, both for individuals and teams, a company can neither monitor its own development nor the progress of its staff’s performance.As a consequence, it cannot develop or manage its individual competences (Ritter et al. , 2002; Robotham and Jubb, 1996). Therefore, the main objectives of competence-based management are: . to guide managerial decisions related to providing employees with the resources necessary for them to carry out their work satisfactorily, as well as to meet their training needs; . to plan staff’s activities and identify the work conditions that in? uence their performance; . to guide the company’s human resource policies and guidelines; and . to reward, promote and even punish, warn or ? e employees. Development of individual competences When considering social interaction between people and objectives, competitive strategy makes use of a formal structure to exchange information and human resource management that provides guidelines for selection, job design and evaluation, performance appraisal and rewards (Devanna et al. , 1984). A competitive strategy formulation must be based on the strongest competences of a company. Constant progress of competences creates opportunities for systematic Staff development and appraisal 111 EJIM 10,1 112 re? ement and reformulation of competitive strategy and, by doing so, new ways can be identi? ed to develop competences (Fleury and Fleury, 2004). Developing individual competences is cyclical. According to environmental demands, companies de? ne their competitive strategy and core competences in order to channel their energy into their speci? c characteristics and, consequently, to adopt human resource systems that support the identi? cation and management of their individual competences. In this paper, development of individual competences is considered as a way of supplying information to other systems and processes.First of all, the company must: . establish what the strategy and organisational competences are; . de? ne the speci? cations of products and processes; . study the perspectives of necessary individual competences for each speci? c process; and . plan and carry out performance appraisal (Figure 1). When competence-based management is integrated into a company’s strategy, one can observe the relationship between identifying personal competences and main human resource systems: selection, training and development, compensation and career management.Companies which integrate competence-based management into strategic planning become able to make use of some tools, such as a balanced scorecard in order to measure the organisational performance in four balanced perspectives: ? nance, customers, internal processes and staff’s learning and growth. Kaplan and Norton (1997) highlight the importance of creating a strategic feedback system to test, validate and modify the hypotheses which are incorporated into strategic business units. When cause and effect relations are incorporated into the balanced scorecard, they allow executives to establish short term goals which re? ct their best expectations in de? ciencies and impacts and consequently affect performance measurements. From the feedback obtained by performance appraisal, supervisors and employees can identify what the necessary skills and knowledge are for activities to be developed, and what type of training is necessary to improve project management. Competence and human performance Individual competence associates explicit knowledge, personal skills and experiences with individuals’ results and judgement of organisational values which are obtained in ? their social context (Hipolito, 2001, p. 1; Fleury and Fleury , 2000; Zari? an, 2001; Sveiby, 1998). It considers the production and handing in of results which are linked to employees’ mobilisation, that is to say, it incorporates the value added by them to business, as shown in Figure 2. Ubeda (2003) emphasises that competence involves the individuals working closely in a team by doing practical activities, as well as their daily routine which results in a constant â€Å"know how to learn†. The individuals must be apt to take the initiative and assume responsibilities to cope with professional situations which they come across.This responsibility is undoubtedly the counterpart of decentralising decision making. Individuals will not give orders anymore, but they will individually assume the Staff development and appraisal INNOVATION 113 STRATEGY F F Mission Objectives E E E CORE COMPETENCES D B D SPECIFICATIONS OF PRODUCT AND PROCESSES A C E B A INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES K C K PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Figure 1. The competence developm ent process Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 50) responsibility for evaluating a situation, the required initiative and the effects that will inevitably arise from this situation.Therefore, a person or a team (when accepting responsibilities) accepts to be judged and be appraised for the achieved results in terms of performance for which they are responsible. They commit themselves to producing and handing in results of their activities. Thus, it is not possible to consider competence without presenting the logic behind human performance, as performance appraisal guides the development of individual competences according to business needs (Moore et al. , 2002; Lawler, 1995). The use of competences means rethinking the procedures of staff’s appraisal because: . . each individual becomes aware of which result must be reached and how it can be achieved. The competences form the basis of the language used to de? ne the expected behaviour which enables performance and improvement to be car ried out (Conde, 2001, p. 80). EJIM 10,1 114 INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCE SKILL Know how to do something PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY Results ATTITUDE Intend to do something POTENTIAL Knowledge Figure 2. The individual competence concept Source: Hipolito (2001, p. 81) According to Dutra (2001, p. 33), one of the most dif? ult issues concerning people management is to de? ne and appraise performance in terms of the results to be handed in by a determined person, company or business. Performance appraisal makes it possible to identify three individual aspects that interact between themselves: development, effort and behaviour (Figure 3): Each aspect must be dealt with in a different way, concerning not only the way to appraise, but also the actions which follow the appraisal. In general, companies mix these three aspects and emphasise effort and behaviour.At the current moment, staff’s professional growth is the most important aspect of performance and it is worthy of special attention (Du tra, 2001, p. 35). Dejours (1997, p. 54) highlights performance appraisal as evaluating a job that can take place in two ways: evaluating usefulness and social relationships. Evaluating the technical, social or economic usefulness of the individual is linked to the workplace and the person who does it is generally in a hierarchical position (boss, manager or organiser) to appraise the usefulness.Evaluating social relationships is related to the alignment of the job and production with standards which have been socially established by peers in the same hierarchical level which enables the individual to belong to a collective group. This evaluation is related to the job and its activities. What is appraised and evaluated is the job and not the individual. From the perspective of the human factor theory proposed by Dejours (1997, p. 55), this is an essential point because an individual’s contribution to the job effectiveness makes recognition and compensation possible.PERFORMANC E APPRAISAL BEHAVIOUR DEVELOPMENT EFFORT Figure 3. The three aspects of performance appraisal Source: Dutra (2001, p. 35) Recent studies point out models of performance appraisal based on behaviour and attitudes, but not only the ones focused on the analysis of functional features of each job (Moore et al. , 2002). They reinforce the increasing in? uence of technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in terms of developing competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). According to Zari? an (2001, p. 121), nobody can compel individuals to be competent.A company can only create favourable conditions for their development. Thus, motivation becomes a key element in terms of developing competences. It is necessary for the employees to feel useful and be able to assume responsibilities. The individuals will be more motivated as they consider that the practice of their competences also contributes to the development of their projects and perspectives. Performance appraisal as an i nstrument to identify employees’ competences Competence-based management is supported by organisational competences that directly in? ence an individual’s competences, which are necessary for carrying out tasks and processes and, then are considered in performance appraisals. Consequently, the feedback concerning the data from these appraisals enables the whole organisation to recycle strategies and competences. Many authors highlight the dif? culty of measuring the impact of developing competences regarding a company’s performance (Mans? eld, 2004; Moore et al. , 2002; Ritter et al. , 2002; Drejer, 2000a; Sandberg, 2000; Hagan, 1996). This situation is worsened if the individual metrics of each work process are thought to be measured.Becker et al. (2001) emphasise that performance appraisal systems are incoherent in terms of what is measured and what is important. When implementing a company’s strategy, human resource managers have to be able to understa nd exactly how people contribute to a company’s results by being valuable and how to measure this contribution. This situation only takes place if these managers really participate in the development of a company’s strategy. These authors state that satisfactory performance appraisal produces two types of results: 1) it improves the decision-making processes of the sector responsible for human resource management by focusing its activities on the aspects of the organisation that contribute to the development of a company’s strategy; and (2) it provides a better allocation of resources, de? ning direct relations between human resource investments and strategic assets of a company. Developing competences in a research centre Aiming at evaluating competence-based management in practice, a case study in a research centre located in Brazil was carried out.This organisation is a unit of a Federal public research corporation which consists of 37 research centres, three national service centres and 11 central unit of? ces and is present in almost all the States of the Brazilian Federation. This corporation has invested in training and quali? cations of its staff since it was founded. In 2003, there were a total number of 8,619 employees. Out of 2,221 researchers who work in this corporation, 45 per cent have a master’s degree and 53 per cent a PhD. Staff development and appraisal 115 EJIM 10,1 16 The studied research centre is responsible for developing new technology which can facilitate the life of producers and agricultural workers in the country. The organisation was chosen because it has implemented a performance appraisal system which aligns the development of its products and processes with human resource management. Methodology An empirical study was undertaken from February to November, 2003 using the following data collection instruments: interviews with opportunities for participants’ comments and analysis of documents.Sev en professionals from this research centre were interviewed: four employees of the human resource area, the associate head of the research centre and two researchers. The participative observation of the researchers, the interviewees’ comments and the documental analysis provided a personal and close contact with the organisation identifying institutional materials, norms, routines and programs developed by the professionals. The key questions of this case study focus on: . the main organisational changes which have taken place over the last decades; . he aspects of the organisational structure that have either contributed to or hindered competence-based management; . the development of necessary researchers’ competences related to main projects and processes; and . the way of appraising the development of researchers’ competences. The case study The studied research corporation experienced some organisational changes over time that had clearly de? ned its busin ess-oriented strategy. There is a real concern about integrating this strategy with human resource management, however, the performance appraisal system shows an irregular historical background.The investigated corporation was founded in the 1970s, a period of outstanding economic growth in Brazil. Moreover, the Brazilian government supported the training of experts in research in public organs and in the agricultural sector (Ubeda, 2003). At that time, the corporation did not experience either ? nancial or human resource problems because the objective of the Federal government was to form a vanguard institution in its ? eld. The research guidelines of research were de? ned by the corporation’s headquarters and then followed by the research centres.The corporation’s concern about integrating strategies with human resource management increased from the 1990s onwards, as well as plans to implement a structured performance appraisal system (Table I). The research centres were regionally located according to product lines and were set up to solve local problems. These units followed and carried out nationwide policies, as well as guidelines de? ned by the corporation’s headquarters. At this moment, there was no concern about performance appraisal.From 1988 onwards, due to the current Federal Constitution being approved, public institutions became more concerned about the strategic management of the appraisal of processes and results, not only of the organisation but also of the individuals. Period Institution’s organisational scenario 1970s Development and consolidation of the studied corporation Employment and development of human resources Availability of ? nancial resources for project development Modernisation of management Application of strategic planning Focus on resultsAnalysis of global scenarios Rede? nition of the research centre’s mission and vision Formulation of a global policy for the organisation consisting of res earch policy, businesses’ policy, and business communication policy Focus on the customers Organisational re-structuring of processes and projects 1988-1992 1994-1998 1999-2003 Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 69) Aiming to follow these changes of organisational and technological paradigms, the studied organisation started to adopt strategic planning principles in its institutional culture and drew up its ? st corporate plan for 1988-1992. In 1991, the corporation initiated a process of organisational change, using strategic planning techniques, focusing on their operations and processes in the market, guiding research projects towards solving social problems, and not only exclusively towards the progress of pure science, attempting to ? nd an increase in ef? ciency and effectiveness to continue being competitive and to guarantee its sustainability (Nader et al. , 1998).From 1994 onwards, a new system to appraise individual job performance was created and integrated with both strategi c planning and the institutional management system of the whole corporation, as well as with the operational plan of each research centre. To remain competitive and to guarantee sustainability, the corporation adopted a process of organisational change based on a management model drawn on results and customers’ requirements, as well as having been supported by the balanced scorecard methodology (Kaplan and Norton, 1997).From 1997 to 1999, the institution started implementing a new strategic management model in order to provide guidelines which really showed what was de? ned by the corporation. Therefore, the entire organisation’s staff would work in favour of the de? ned goals (Sentanin, 2003). Within its job structure, the institution manages its human resources by linking the achievement of the proposed goals of its annual operational plan to negotiating the proposed activities for each employee in the performance appraisal system.The performance appraisal system, be sides being an instrument to recognise achieved results, is also used to identify human competences, which are important for research, and is a basis for selection, training and compensation practices in research centres. Concerned about meeting the needs of its customers, the corporation de? nes its strategic objectives and conveys them to its research centres that incorporate them into the annual operational plan. These units establish important processes to ful? the proposed goals in the performance appraisal systems of researchers, and consequently, researchers develop new practices and technology (Figure 4). Staff development and appraisal 117 Table I. Organisational scenario of the studied corporation EJIM 10,1 118 Corporate Strategic Plan Plan of Each Unit Annual Operational Plan Figure 4. Performance strategic management process in the organisation studied Performance Measurement Strategic Planning F E E D B A C K Strategic Management Model Based on Processes Performance App raisal Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 82)In each research centre, there is an internal technical committee which co-ordinates research regarding themes and developed projects. This committee analyses pre-proposals and proposals of projects and processes of its unit with technical, operational and ? nancial criteria. Thus, each new project undergoes evaluation and approval of the committee. Once a project is approved, it can be developed, and after it is concluded, it is evaluated once again to re? ect on the results, assuring both the commitment of its staff and the quality of its technical projects and processes.The units’ type of structure is ad hocratic, according to Mintzberg’s (1983) terminology, because it consists of teams which develop the approved projects, as well as them being concerned with innovation and always centred on the development of new products and processes. The head of research of each unit co-ordinates and appraises the performance of the projects whi ch are carried out. The structure of this centre is the re? ection of its strategies, since it attempts to create an integration of specialties using its project teams with the aim of competitiveness and customer satisfaction.As for the job structure, there are two functional careers: research and support for research. Data analysis, results and implication of this research Research on competence-based management was focused on performance appraisal because it is an important instrument to identify human competences based on the innovation strategy of the studied centre. In this performance appraisal system there is explicit planning of the following activities: . what the results of the jobs are expected to be; . ow the product should be presented and what the standard of performance is expected to be; . . when the deadline for the product to be presented is; and feedback of the results of the jobs. However, since 1994 when it was implemented, the performance appraisal system has u ndergone modi? cations to improve its methodology, attempting to make its participants aware of the need for periodic dialogue and monitoring the activities, as well as for the impartial and speci? c appraisal of the activities planned in relation to the availability of means to carry out these activities.The planning of employees’ activities must be made according to the goals of its unit, area or sector, and to the projects under the responsibility of the studied research centre (Ubeda, 2003, p. 82). Performance appraisal must consider the employee’s individual competences and the results of the job which were de? ned in strategic planning. Competence-based management aims at guiding managerial decisions, the processes of professional development, as well as planning the human resource systems.An analysis of the development of competences in the Brazilian research centre was carried out by comparing the main theoretical issues of the literature with practices of the organisation which was studied (Figure 5). Firstly, the strategic objectives (item 1 of Figure 5) of the studied organisation were formulated according to the corporation and unit’s missions and the corporation’s objectives. A synthesis of the theoretical issues concerning organisational competences (item 2 of Figure 5) is presented as follows: . eveloping organisational competences is based on the internal abilities of companies (Wernerfelt, 1984); . these competences consist of skills, abilities and technology which enable a company to meet the speci? c needs of its customers, that is to say, to achieve a competitive advantage superior to competitors (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994); Staff development and appraisal 119 FORMULATION OF STRATEGY (1) Objectives are defined according to the corporation and unit’s missions and the corporation’s objectives PRACTICES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES (3) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ONORGANIZATIONAL C OMPETENCES (2) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES (4) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (6) F E E D B A C K PRACTICES OF INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (5) ITEMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (7) Core of this analysis: researchers Focus of the performance appraisal: researchers’university degree qualifications Figure 5. Analysis of the development of competences in the research centre EJIM 10,1 . . 120 they require an understanding of competitive advantage mechanisms which may be used over time.When competitive strategies are being developed, companies have to make the best use of their speci? c features (Grant, 1991); and a competence can be de? ned by considering four elements and their relationships: technology, people, organisational structure and organisational context (Drejer and Riis, 1999). The main features of organisational competences practised in the researched company (item 3 of Figure 5) were: . focus on the internal ability of research in agriculture and breeding; . support for competitive agribusinesses development in the global economy; . ncouraging the development of agribusinesses with the sustainability of economical activities and environmental balance; . diminishing environmental imbalanced aspects of agribusinesses; and . supplying raw materials and food which encourage the population’s health, improving the nutritional level and quality of life. Individual competence issues in the literature (item 4 of Figure 5) may be summarised as follows: . individual competence links explicit knowledge, skills and experiences of individuals to the results and judgements of value built within their social ? etwork (Hipolito, 2001; Fleury and Fleury, 2000; Zari? an, 2001; Sveiby, 1998); . individual competence can be explained altogether by the skills (to know how to do something), attitudes (to intend to do something), knowledge (to understand why to do something and sea rch for solutions) and results (to produce and come ? up with the solution) (Hipolito, 2001); and . in order to develop complex competences, complex systems involve not only many people in different areas of the organisation, but also interlocking technology.It is very dif? cult to understand and imitate them because they are very dependent on people and technology (Drejer and Riis, 1999). To develop individual competences in the research centre (item 5 of Figure 5), the following initiatives were carried out: . stimulating and rewarding creativity; . seeking effectiveness, developing actions with a focus on the achievement of results and solutions with compatible and competitive costs; . planning the company for the future by strategically positioning its resources and abilities; . eing committed to honesty and ethical posture by placing high value on human beings and dealing with all groups of society with respect; . attempting to meet the particularities of customers’ dema nds by following the principles of total quality; . stimulating leadership when creating, adapting and transferring knowledge, products, services and technology; . . . . encouraging partnerships with other organisations and individuals; developing partnerships in terms of science and technology in agribusinesses; striving for scienti? c rigour, using scienti? methods in research, caring about the exactness and precision of procedures in all the phases of the process, and not tolerating bias in results; and supporting teams which deal with problems in a systemic way in order to attain the ? nal objectives of their jobs. With regards to the issues presented in the literature on performance appraisal (item 6 of Figure 5): . the three main aspects of performance appraisal are people’s development, effort and behaviour (Dutra, 2001); . models for performance appraisal are based on behaviour and attitudes, and not only on the speci? functional analysis of each job (Moore et al. , 2 002); and . technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in? uence the development of competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). However, the main items of performance appraisal in the studied organisation (item 7 of Figure 5) are limited to: . researchers’ ability of monitoring the projects being carried out; . researchers’ scienti? c publications, such as articles, proceedings of congresses and scienti? c journals, books and chapters of books; . production and transfer of technology; and . publicising the research centre’s image.Although there is integration between performance appraisal and strategic plans de? ned by the research centre, competence-based management is still centred on the individuals, and it is also based on their tasks and not on the individuals linked to their social context, as previously pointed out by Moore et al. (2002), Zari? an (2001), Drejer and Riis (1999) and Dejours (1997). The previous fact is also a result of the dif? culty in measuring innovation and the degree of the development of a research project. Until the moment the research project does not achieve the proposed objective, it is dif? ult to quantify how much this research has progressed over time. All the risks are assumed and the decisions are centralised by researchers who coordinate the project teams. These facts took place because of the studied organisation which did not manage to deal with complex competences in a decentralised way. Although this research centre is a reference in Brazil, the competence notion of this institution recognises only the scope of skills (to know how to do it) and knowledge (information and experiences), not considering the scope of the attitudes (to intend to do it).The organisation only recognises competences based on a university degree quali? cation, and does not include the initiative and the responsibilities necessary to cope with complex situations. It does not centre the development of individual competences either on speci? c projects or on integration and team work. Staff development and appraisal 121 EJIM 10,1 122 Project management and performance appraisal are centred on the main researchers’ skills and knowledge, minimising the importance of the competences of the other members of the research project team.However, it is important to mention that the quantitative criteria of performance appraisal do not only re? ect the concern about customers’ satisfaction, but also guide the distribution of resources and the human resource policies of the studied institution. Performance appraisal does not consider either the team aspect or the concept of feedback structured by 360 degrees appraisal in which all the staff appraise and are appraised by their superiors, subordinates and colleagues (Borman, 1997). Employees are appraised by their superiors in the studied centre.The results of the performance appraisal system contribute to strategic planning, however, the o rganisation and superiors are not appraised by the employees. In addition, an investigation into the organisational atmosphere was not made. There is not a channel for the feedback of performance appraisals which could result in both the development of researchers’ competences and the innovation process of this centre. The processes in which technology is transferred and research is carried out are not de? ned according to the guidelines and parameters of this research centre, but they are de? ed by the corporation. Regarding cultural aspects, there is a great resistance and incredulity of the performance appraisal systems and the development of competences, despite the employees being already familiar with the appraisal systems of the research projects. Considering this incredulity, the appraisers do not take the role of planning and monitoring individual jobs. â€Å"There is always something more important and more urgent to do than ‘to sit down with somebody to plan actions related to the individuals’ job and his/her respective performance† (Nader et al. 1998, p. 17). In Table II some theoretical references are compared with the investigated institution’s practice. This is an approach combining the presence of the aspects of: competence (skills, attitudes, knowledge, production and handing in), Competence-based management elements in the studied organisation Table II. Elements of competence-based management in the organisation studied Performance appraisal integrated with strategic planning Performance appraisal integrated with human resource systems Development of skillsDevelopment of knowledge Development of attitudes Consideration of the social context of project teams Development of competences according to production and delivery Performance appraisal based on results Use of balanced scorecard to establish and rede? ne goals Participation of all members of a research project team in the performance appraisal through 36 0 degrees performance appraisal Concern about employees and researchers’ professional growth considering all the elements of competenceFeedback of appraisals in terms of attitudes, opportunities of professional growth and social context to develop new strategies Source: Adapted from Ubeda (2003, p. 95) Present Absent X X X X X X X X X X X X the performance appraisal model, and the strategic integration of processes with human resource management. Conclusions When dealing with current competitive markets and needs for technological innovation, as well as stiff competition for new market niches, competence-based management is really a strategic practice adopted by companies to attain competitive advantage in order to serve the customers quickly and ef? iently. As a consequence, the alignment of human resource management practices and business strategies is of fundamental importance to company’s competitiveness, and it emphasises people as a distinct resource for success. Thus, competence and human performance help the development of projects and internal processes. Competence-based management is carried out based on identifying individual competences, using performance appraisal of results from an individual’s job.It is based not only on the competitive strategy and the organisational structure, but also on processes and projects of a company. It is also a reference for managers’ decisions concerning the selection, training and compensation policies of a company’s staff. To implement a consistent performance appraisal system which is capable of appraising the competences of each employee, it is necessary to check which knowledge, skills and attitudes should be developed in order to improve the internal processes of the organisation, without remaining focused only on jobs and tasks.In this case, the research centre is basically just concerned with its operational plans whose main reference is striving for productivity. However, it was observed in practice that the development of individual competences does not link the performance appraisal system to the collective and social approach of competence-based management, and it also does not include the scope of attitudes in order to integrate strategic planning, its monitoring, performance appraisal, the feedback of results of a research project and the improvement of processes.It is exactly this feedback, if well managed, that makes a difference, not only when identifying individual competences necessary for each activity, but also in the possibility of sharing professional growth concurrently with innovation and competitive strategy of companies. Feedback linked to the organisation’s strategy could increase the integration between all its organisational units and levels possible. New research to obtain greater understanding of the relationship between competence-based management and performance appraisal is necessary because the existing literature do es not speci? ally examine the development of individual competences. The main contribution of this paper is to present not only the dif? culty of managing human competences, but also a vision of the process of developing competences in a research centre by analysing its particularities and limitations. References Baker, J. C. , Mapes, J. , New, C. C. and Szwejczewski, N. (1997), â€Å"A hierarchical model of business competence†, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 8 No. 5, pp. 265-72. ? ? Becker, B. E. , Huselid, M. A. and Ulrich, D. (2001), Gestao estrategica de pessoas com scorecard: ? nterligando pessoas, estrategia e performance, Campus, Rio de janeiro. ? ? Bitencourt, C. C. 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Corresponding author Cristina Lourenco Ubeda can be contacted at: [email  protected] com. br ? To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [email  protected] com Or visit our web site for further details: www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints Staff development and appraisal 125

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Service marketing mangement - Essay Example In turn more competition will stimulate innovation, not least through the application of new and improved technologies. Customer needs and behaviour evolves, too, in response to changing demographics and values, as well as new options. Both individually and in combination, these developments will require managers of services organizations to focus more sharply on marketing strategy. The dynamic environment of services today places a premium on effective marketing. Among the keys to competing effectively in this continually evolving and challenging environment are skills in marketing strategy and execution, area in which many services firms have traditionally been weak. But Christian Gronroos (2001) argues that  services marketing function is much broader than the activities and output of the traditional marketing department, requiring close cooperation between marketers and those managers responsible for operations and human resources. In the area of services marketing employees must be customer service oriented in addition to being concerned about efficiency. The service product must be tailored to customer needs, price, realistically distributed through convenient channels and actively promoted to customers. There are the basic differences that can help us to distinguish the tasks associated with marketing services from those involved with marketing physica l goods. *Customers do not obtain ownership of service * Service products are ephemeral and cannot be inventoried * Intangible elements dominate value creation * Customers may be involved in the production process * Other people may form part of the product * there is greater variability in operational inputs and outputs * Many service are difficult for customers to evaluate *The time factor assumes great important to recognize and identify these differences carefully and marketing practices must be suitably modified. As we know that banking industries, intangible

UK Food Labelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

UK Food Labelling - Essay Example In a nation where consumers want to know more and more about what they are putting into their shopping carts, the way towards a more healthy diet and wider awareness of how eating and shopping habits affect the rest of the country and the world on the whole, more information is needed for each food item and the answer seems to be a label that is ever increasing in size. This essay examines the current guidelines of British food labelling, where Europe feels the guidelines should go and in particular how the elements of the 2006 Conference on Food Labelling might be implemented into UK directives. With reference to stakeholders, current label requirements, necessary information and consumer understanding, the role of the label is ascertained both on its own and in conjunction with other information media now and in the near future. Foods that are sold in the United Kingdom are subject to the legislation of the Food Standards Agency; internally speaking this means that any produce sold, or any packaged foods sold in grocery stores must meet certain standards (Cartwright 1999). Meat, for example, must be traceable to the farm they were raised on so that if any health risks are discovered it will be possible to track down any other potentially harmful produce quickly and efficiently (Fine 1998). Packaged foods must not exceed certain amounts of salt or contain substances not deemed suitable for consumption (Foodlaw; General Guidance for Food Business Operators). In terms of the European Union and food trade agreements, these guidelines have not been imposed strictly on EU nations and so it becomes difficult to legislate on imported produce. This means that the FSA must deal with the concerns of its British population in terms of foreign food standards, plus it must deal with internal pressure to understand the fu ll nutritional value of foods sold locally (FSA; Food Law Enforceement). The FSA is run by an appointed board whose members have recently lobbied for the removal of commercials aimed at children that promote the consumption of unhealthy food items containing high amounts of sugar, salt and fat. The organisation is responsible foremost for the health of British consumers and in this capacity it has taken on many challenges in recent years. The FSA is currently under pressure to establish a new labelling system that might incorporate organic and free range status as well as to stamp each item or ingredient with a place of origin (Mansfield 2004). Consumers want to know that their food is not only healthy for them, but healthy for the environment and that any live animals consumed were treated well before their slaughter (Goldstein and Goldstein 2002). Certainly it is beginning to seem as if there is no end to the information being demanded on each food label, however one must consider whether a person can be expected to eat something that is of questionabl e origin and quality. A traffic-light system has been recently backed by the FSA in terms of categorising several packaged foods by level of nutritional value. A green mark will indicate healthy food to be eaten regularly, yellow indicates moderation and red will indicate a food that should only be eaten on occasion (FSA; Agency's new traffic-light TV ad launched). After

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance - Essay Example Then it will be followed by a literature review of 5000 words to extend the direction of my topic either in theoretical, methodical, or analytical manner pertaining to the promotion of Islamic banking. I am going to write 5000 words in the research stage for primary and a secondary research of published studies and reports. The data collection will be followed by an analysis and discussion for 2500 words in which I am going to establish an understanding of the data and say what it means. The final stage of the plan is the concluding chapter (1000 words) in which I am going to answer all raised questions and draw all the details together into a whole. The last is the 500 words recommendation based on my analysis that includes the steps that should be done, needed resources, and feasibility of the proposal. Action Plan: 1. The principles of Islamic banking can be fully promoted among Muslims and non-Muslims by investing heavily on academic discipline, and research and development (R&D) . The Islamic Foundation in UK had established the Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE) just like the Islamic Financial Services Programs (IFSPS) in Australia, and Islamic Finance Professional Certificate (IFPC) in Malaysia. 2. Encourage different countries to capitalise Islamic banking and finance by giving seminars, workshops, trainings, etc. to their people. In fact, international orientation and conferences has been positively accepted in all parts of the world such as Europe, U.S., Africa, and Asia. â€Å"The main aim of these programmes is to provide a central platform and communication channel for researchers, academicians, business leaders, and financial industry practitioners to meet and discuss critical issues and ideas relating to Islamic banking and finance† (Ahsan, n.d., p. 118). Banks That Will Be Going to Research: Banks that can be considered for research are those that offered Islamic financial services in Saudi such as Al Rajihi Banking & Investmen t Corp, Islamic Development Bank, and Saudi British Bank, and in UK such as the Islamic Bank of Britain, HSBC Amanah Bank, and Lloyd TSB. To prove that promoting Islamic banking in the banking sector is worthy then comparing these banks with some of the conventional banks in Saudi Arabia like The National Commercial Bank (NCB), Saudi American Bank and Saudi Investment Bank, and major UK-based banks like Standard Chartered, Barclays, and Royal Bank of Scotland Group are helpful. Islamic banks are growing rapidly at a rate of 10-15 percent annually (FSA, 2006). Procedure: As education elevates financial literacy on Islamic banking and conventional banks, the plan needs considerable amount of capital for financial institutions might think twice of this trial and error means because of the ongoing recession. Profit is also uncertain brought by the reality that Islamic banks have incurred lucrative losses when they entered the real economy as they are more prone to risk. The challenges f or conventional and Islamic banks are the same as both of them are expected to implement new ways of improving their financial performance at a higher rate. However, they differ in principles considering that Islamic banks operate in accordance with Shariah which is to promote profit-and-loss in line with the

Analysis of Hero Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) in the Film A Little Movie Review

Analysis of Hero Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) in the Film A Little Princess - Movie Review Example   The official hero â€Å"represented the American belief in collective action and the objective legal process that superseded private notions of right and wrong† (Ray 1). At first sight, Sara Crewe appears to embody the qualities of the official hero – a smart, pretty, young lady who possesses a strong moral and ethical grounding. Growing up to a rich family, she speaks French and has lived most of her childhood years in India. In the film, she constantly speaks about how much she loves her father, and how badly she misses her mother who passed away during childbirth. Sara is a picture of an honest, beautiful, and loving daughter who seemed to have everything. Ray also talks about how the official hero embodies â€Å"the best attributes of adulthood: sound reasoning and judgment [and] wisdom and sympathy based on experience† (2). Sara, as young as she was, maybe childish at times but she often comes across as an adult trapped in an adolescent body. In a letter to her father, she writes about the strict rules in the school that she reluctantly follows but, nevertheless, believes that those rules are there for a reason. Although the rebelling heart is there, the young mind of Sara is willing to understand and accept rules displaying a certain degree of maturity and sound judgment. â€Å"The official heroes were predominantly worldly, comfortable in society, and willing to undertake even those public duties demanding personal sacrifice† (Ray 3). Sara knows very well the class segment she belongs to – an heiress to a British father who mined precious stones for business. Her father constantly tells her in the film that she is a princess. Possessing these worldly qualities, however, Sara keeps her feet on the ground and treats everyone as her equal. Upon learning that the black servant girl, Becky (Vanessa Lee Chester), was not allowed to speak with the students, Sara went out of her way to give Becky a pair of new shoes. That s mall gesture started the relationship that eventually blossomed into a lifelong friendship between the two. 3. The Outlaw Hero Qualities of Sara Crewe While some qualities of Sara make her an official hero, she is predominantly driven by outlaw hero qualities. First, Sara is driven by â€Å"whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions† that characterize an outlaw hero (Ray 1). In one scene in the film, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron) tells Sara that jewelries are not allowed in the class. Sara pleads to be allowed to wear the necklace in her room instead, and gets instant approval from Miss Minchin. Sara’s little whims and tantrums are somehow an indicator of her rebellious heart. In a reading class, after seeing her classmates doze on and off while listening to the reader, Sara changes the plot of the story and inserts make-believe characters. This wakes up her sleepy classmates and at the same time irritates Miss Minchin.  

How Is the Continual Battle of Nature vs Human Technology Represented Essay Example for Free

How Is the Continual Battle of Nature vs Human Technology Represented Essay Explain how Bradbury uses this story to question human’s reliance on technology The house was created for the sole purpose of serving mankind. The house cannot save the family, or humans, from the viciousness of a nuclear bomb. By the time the reader is exposed to the house, the owners have been eradicated, â€Å"their images burned on wood in one titanic instant†. The house continues to make breakfast, have little robotic mice that clean the house, and even read poetry for, essentially, no one. When the story begins, it appears that machinery has triumphed over humans. Humankind might have fallen beneath the powerful nuclear bomb, but technology has not. Furthermore, while the family relied on the house to take care of them, the house does not require them to survive. However, as the story proceeds, the reader watches as the house is attacked by a fire. As the house scrambles to save itself, there is a sense of panic. â€Å"Doors sprang tightly shut† and â€Å"blind robot faces peered down with faucet mouths gushing green chemical†. In the end, the house succumbs to the blaze and crumbles. The only bit of technology remaining is the dying voice of the house, proclaiming the current day to be â€Å"August 5, 2026†. While technology has ultimately lost the battle of survival, humans lost the war long ago. Bradbury uses this story as a warning of just how little technology and nature care for the endurance of humanity. â€Å"Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, if mankind perished utterly. And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn. Would scarcely know that we were gone. † This is seen throughout the story, as the house continues to function without the aid of the family that owns it. Humans developed this technology to help them, but the technology does not care if humans are around to use its services. Ultimately, Bradbury warns not about the advancement of technology but rather the complete dependence on it. The conveniences that the house provides appear to be beneficial, but in the end are completely useless. Bradbury also points out the lack of â€Å"humanity† within the machinery of the house. Instead of a family having to cook and clean, the house does it for them. There is no love within the house. While it would require more work, perhaps it would be more meaningful for a family to work together to keep their house running properly. Instead of being a mere house, it would become a home. Techniques Bradbury uses throughout the story? 1)Personification 2)Foreshadowing 3)Suspense 1)The most often used literary technique to describe the house is personification, where you give inanimate objects human-like characteristics. The stove is given human actions, In the kitchen the breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh and ejected from its warm interior. This passage shows that Bradbury has given a breakfast stove the ability to hiss a sigh. Stoves are not physically able to sigh. Rain is personified, And the rain tapped on the empty house, echoing. The rain did not literally tap on the house, it means that the rain was making noise as it fell and came into contact with the house. 2)Bradbury uses is foreshadowing, hinting clues that suggest events that will later happen. The voice-clock sang, worriedly, Ticktock, seven o clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o clock! As if it were afraid that nobody would. This shows that the house was sensing something was going to be different today. It foreshadows that something bad may happen. There is a fire in the house, Smoke and silence. A great quantity of smoke. . The silence is foreshadowing that the house has given up and died. Foreshadowing is used by Bradbury to hint later events. 3)Bradbury uses suspense to create an effective story. The dog is injured from the nuclear bomb. â€Å"†¦once huge and fleshy, but now gone to bone and covered with sores†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This creates suspense because it makes the reader wonder if the dog is going to survive. When a fire is ablaze in the house. â€Å"The fire burst the house and het it slam flat down, puffing out skirts of spark and smoke†. It makes the reader wonder what will happen next and how the house is going to result. Suspense is used to build up the excitement of the reader making them want to read on to find out. In conclusion, personification, fore shadowing and suspense are used to create â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains†. Bradbury uses literary elements to make a successful short story.

HR Challenges In Companies International Expansion

HR Challenges In Companies International Expansion Nowadays with the companies increase pace to expand internationally, seeking new markets and chances, HR managers face different problems and challenges in human resources department. Knowing that it is more difficult to manage employees abroad, than if employees were in the home base. The growth of companies internationally determines new assignment and tasks and there is a need to successfully manage this for the benefit of both the firm and the individuals. This research study observes the change from domestic to international HR management, which examines issues of culture, contracts, agreements, recruitment process, and remuneration in companys expansion to other countries. All the same, the paper discusses suggestions for HR managers, which involve cultural research, and the functions of selection, training, performance management and remuneration. In this new era of globalisation, international human resource management is becoming a vital concept for human resource managers to be able to practice human resources functions, starting to mention, recruitment selection, performance appraisal, compensation benefits, training development and finally employees relations. This is important for human resource managers in multinational corporations and also in domestic based human resource managers who import employees from overseas. To stay updated with the changing world, human resource managers will have to have an international vision of how to manage their individuals successfully both at home and abroad. Managing international human resources allows companies to participate more effectively in the market place, and is a developing tool for its employees. Part 1: Introduction Human Resources Definition These last decades, humanity is witnessing the growth of globalization. Nowadays Human resources is no longer a traditional personnel, and administration, however Human resources role is more strategic that deals with strategic aspect, to make sure that employees contribute effectively and works in parallel with the company direction to achieve the firms goals and objectives. In other words, Human Resources is no longer only involved in paperwork, paying the employees their salaries and providing them with the benefits; yet it plays one of the organizations important role that is through hiring, training developing and most importantly retaining employees for the benefits of both parties. (McNamara, 1999) Gilley define human resources as The people employed by an organization (Gilley, Eggland, Gilley, 2002, p. 5). They define human resource management as the recruitment, selection, retention, development, and utilization of and accommodation to human resources by organizations (Gilley, et al., p. 9). Human Resources refer as well to the policies, systems and employment practices that are common to most firms, which are used first to attract talented people by recruiting and selection, secondly retaining talented people by salary, benefits and employees relations, and finally developing the people by training, development and performance appraisal. Thus, human resources is considered as an organization function, that focus on recruitment, providing career path for the people who work in the firm, and deals with personnel issues such as hiring, compensation benefits, performance appraisal, safety, employees motivation and finally training development. Knowing that Human Resources are no longer a business partner, but a strategic partner more related to the firm strategic goals. I will focus on the challenges that HR managers face while international expansion. How HR manager role differs around the world, and the need of the HR professions to be more familiar with culture awareness, language barriers, social differences and diversity promotion. (Halcrow A, 1998). Nearly every company say it People are our most important assets Human Resources importance and Need in International Companies The Human Resources department is important in all multinational and international companies. Recruiting and selecting is one function completed by HR, and their main responsibility is hiring and retaining companys most important asset that is our PEOPLE. Failure to do so, and lack of strong, motivated and satisfied employees, working in the right place in a firm will leads to hiring the wrong people, high turnover, employees will not do their best in their jobs and having some candidates demotivated. Thus, without good employees, the best business plan and ideas will be unsuccessful. Moreover Human resources take care of all the employees concerns, make sure to solve employees issues immediately and to play the fair judge between the employee and the organization, for both sides advantage. Nevertheless, Human resources guarantee smooth functioning of the operation, good and safe working conditions and ensure that all staff is performing their jobs efficiently and toward the organization goals and objectives. Accordingly, Human Resources Manager evaluates all the employees, reward, takes disciplinary actions or dismissal. Another important role under the human resources umbrella is training and development, and creating career path for all employees, to retain and develop the existing employees, and attract new talented people, in this way the HR will improve the organization reputation and commitment from staff, thus become an employer of choice and reduce turnover. Why Human Resources are important and needed for international expansion? In this world of globalization, and companys expansion to other countries, Human resources are important to be able to adopt new cultures, and take care of all legal requirements as per the new country rules and regulations, as well as managing payroll, and other presented benefits. These new skills create a new role for HR managers, requiring them to be strategic business partner.(Bharti Venkatesh). What could be the HR Challenges in companies International Expansion? Part 2: Analysis of the Organization Through the research study, I am discussing out the HR challenges that companies face while international expansion, and the study that companies have to accomplish from an HR perspective before opening in new markets. I am also investigating on the importance of HR functions in companys international expansion. For this aim to see how HR functions operates in the real life I took the example of Wooden Bakery expansion to KSA. Thanks to my manager, and due to my personal experience in Wooden Bakery human resources department, I had the chance to know in details the challenges the HR department face, while international expansion. Additionally I read lot of articles, books and blogs that I will mention in the end of my research. I will start by a small presentation of Wooden Bakery and then i will go deeper into the challenges of international expansion to KSA. 2.1- Wooden Bakery History Wooden Bakery was founded in Jal El Dib Lebanon in 1969 by Mr. Edward Bou Habib. It was a simple Bakery providing the market with freshly baked quality Bread. In the last decade Wooden Bakery literally revolutionized the bakery industry in Lebanon by setting new standards and upgrading its products and services. Edwards two sons Assaad and Ghassan Bou Habib planned and designed the new concept on paper in 1996. With immense vision and an innovative spirit, Wooden Bakery developed a unique concept gathering Bread (of all kinds), Pastries, Sweets, Sandwiches, Salads and Deli. The first Wooden Bakery Outlet opened at Zalka highway in October 1999. Wooden Bakery launched the first franchised operation in 2002 and expanded to 26 franchised outlets in Lebanon by the end of the year 2012. Wooden Bakery opened the first Master Franchise Operation in Saudi Arabia in July 2009, and currently negotiating the scale of the Master Franchise with a number of companies from the GCC countries. (www.woodenbakery.com) The Concept of Wooden Bakery Factory Wooden Bakery system revolves around a state of the art industrial baking facility. It includes the latest and most advanced machinery and equipment in the baking industry. Human Resources department make sure to hires top Master Bakers, Pastry Chefs, and highly qualified Managers and Quality Controllers to assure the freshest and most consistent products for our markets. The Wooden Bakery factory produces from 100 to 150 tons of flours per day depending on the market need and factory size. Wooden Bakery is the leading supplier of high quality Freshly Baked Arabic Bread in the Lebanese market. The Concept of Wooden Bakery Outlet Wooden Bakery Outlets are designed to service all classes of people in any market around the globe. All Wooden Bakery Outlets are located on Main Road Arteries in Strategic Areas, and considered as a One-Stop-Shop where one can buy Fresh Hot French and Arabic Bread, French, Arabic and American Sweets. The Wooden Bakery Outlets offers all mentioned products at Competitive Prices and offer a warm ambiance through its Unique Design, Clean Safe Environment and Excellent Service for its customers. 2.2- Mission and Vision Mission Statement: Our mission is to push our presence and create a brand in the Bakery Industry by Offering MORE and Delivering BETTER Vision Statement Our vision is to dominate the market by building stores on all main road arteries and major cities and towns in Lebanon and beyond, Our products would be available at ALL grocery stores, supermarkets, catering companies and therefore in every single home in Lebanon. 2.3- Local and Multinational Expansion Wooden Bakery first Outlet opened at Zalka highway in October 1999. The first Wooden Bakery franchised operation launched in 2002 and expanded to 26 franchised outlets in Lebanon by the end of the year 2012. Baabda-Hazmie Mansourieh Bauchrieh Elyssar Awkar Zouk Mikael Zouk Mosbeh Jounieh Jbeil Kfarhbab Amioun Tripoli Zahleh Zalka Jal El Dib Fanar Dekwaneh Chtaura Roumieh Burj Hamoud Sour Zgharta (Soon) Achrafieh (Soon) Chiah (Soon) Naccach (Soon) Bayada(Soon) Wooden Bakery opened the first Master Franchise Operation in Saudi Arabia in July 2009, and currently negotiating the sale of the Master Franchise with a number of companies from the GCC countries. Wooden Bakery KSA Wooden Bakery plan was centred on the key concept that customer satisfaction all over the world is the main goal. It has established and developed its first Master Franchise in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on July 2009. Its successful set up can be measured by how our products and services that we supply meet however surpass the Saudi customers expectations. The Bread Factory Outlet was built on a 10,000 m2 space to house all the production equipment that will supply Bread and Pastry products and Central Kitchen Food Production to a number of outlets along with the wholesale distribution of Wooden Bakery Products. The Store is spread over two levels that house a main showroom with an eating area and a restaurant. Wooden Bakery has received the award for the Fastest Growing Lebanese Company at the prestigious Social Economic Award 2011, instituted by the global communications agency First Protocol to recognize outstanding achievements by organizations in the social and economic sphere. Today, the name of Wooden Bakery not only spells trust and quality, however, it has become a marked proof that a brand can be born, even in the Lebanese bakery industry. Wooden Bakerys expansion in the Lebanese territory has facilitated the achievement of the owners mission, proving that Wooden Bakery is worthy of the award that comes as a natural translation of its ever-expanding drive to Offer More and Deliver Better. 2.4- Wooden Bakery SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Serves all classes of people Big Variety of products (produced and non-produced by WB items) One Stop Shop Mushrooming Franchise (outlets are located on main roads in strategic areas) All outlets have the same image Product differentiation in the PRESTO section sandwiches. Ex. Rustic Bread Customers loyalty Quality (Shelf life limited) Freshness products (core value) Diversity of products (Arabic, French Pastries Viennoiserie charcuterie Arabic Bread) Rank among the top 25 companies in Lebanon Hold high level of market share in Leb. Balance menu (variety, quality, and price) Quality Control Management during process, on final product and in outlets Franchise Support Weaknesses Outlets are rented premises which leads to increase the operating expenses Franchise operated outlets might not have same level of loyalty as the outlets owned by Wooden Bakery Increase in raw materials and labour costs Not every franchised store owner get involved in the PL statement No direct authority High start-up cost Delivery Service Advertising plan to increase sales through brand awareness Family Business Opportunities Market trend turning bakeries into a wider shopping outlets Healthy eating trend Opening new and international markets New inventions for competition Threats Increase in Labour costs put pressure on button line margins Increase in raw materials costs put pressure on gross profit margins Quality of service focus with the presence of competitors in the market Many competitors (bakerys, supermarkets, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Recommended Strategies to decrease the weaknesses and threats Part 3: Methodology and Results 3.1- Describing Human Resources at Wooden Bakery At Wooden Bakery, the human resources department used to work the traditional personnel management tasks, generating payroll and registering employees in NSSF. With the new era of globalisation, Wooden Bakery had to create a new concept and expand more to be able to compete with the market, with this new idea that exceeds only serving the market with bread, Wooden Bakery needed people to make the concept a reality. With more than 500 employees, the company needed a human resources department implanting all human resources functions to be able to succeed with the plan and become more a strategic partner. The Main human resources achievement was shifting from personnel management to human resources management, implementing all human resources functions, and be more involved in Wooden Bakery strategic plan. Human Resources department today mainly concentrates on recruitment, management, and providing directions and guidance for the people who work in Wooden Bakery, and off course hiring the right people in the right places. Human Resources department deals with employees concerns such as compensation, hiring, performance appraisal, employee motivation, safety, benefits, employees relations, and training development. Knowing that no one can evaluate employees better than the direct managers with the help of the HR department, The HR department main goal was to promote a positive atmosphere to be able to expand internationally with an encouraging environment. However, Wooden Bakery HR department make sure that all the employees are effectively contributing to the overall company direction and to accomplish the organization goals and objectives. The administration roles usually played by the Human Resources department are becoming increasingly aligned with the company strategic plan, which in turn is evolving the HR into becoming: Human Resources Management. 3.2- HR Functions in Wooden Bakery 3.2.1- Recruitment and Selection The ability of Wooden Bakery to achieve its objectives of profitable and sustainable growth and high-quality product and service standards depends on the quality of its Human Capital. The recruiting function, which directly affects the quality of Wooden Bakerys human resources, will represent a critical function in the companys development. It is therefore important that a clear recruiting mechanism is established in order to optimize applicant selection, while supporting Wooden Bakerys strategic orientation and values. Proper and professional recruiting is necessary in order to avoid undesirable effects, including: Negative publicity or damage to the companys image Wasted time and effort to interview applicants who do not meet Wooden Bakerys needs Cost incurred in training recruits who should not have passed the recruiting interviews High turnover rates The hiring process in Wooden Bakery includes Recruiting, Processing, Eliminating, Selecting, Rejecting, File Building, Placing, and Orienting. The recruiting process is divided into three phases: Pre-recruiting, Recruiting, and Post-Recruiting. It involves: Posting a job advertisement in appropriate places Evaluating the information provided on each application Screening candidates to determine which ones to interview Verifying references and information Conducting personal interviews Deciding who will be offered the job Orienting the new employee about the organization 3.2.2- Performance appraisal Wooden Bakery faced a problem in its environment, having a negative atmosphere among its employees, almost a good number of its employees have the impact that they are not fairly treated, and based to my research employees have to be motivated to be able to give the best to their job. Wooden Bakery had to promote a positive environment to be able to expand internationally with employees with high morals. Accordingly, Wooden Bakery created a new assessment concept for evaluating employees, 365 Evaluation, that is created to monitor and evaluate the productivity of Wooden Bakery administration and management staff throughout the year. The concept covers three different aspects and tackles employees productivity by looking at: Missions accomplished (Monthly Evaluation) Key performance indicators (KPI) (Quarterly Evaluation) Yearly competency evaluation The purpose of the 365 Evaluation is to: Monitor the productivity of Wooden Bakery administration and management staff throughout the year. Compensate and reward exceptional achievements, and where applicable take disciplinary actions against under-achievers. The benefits to be gained from conducting performance appraisals include: Recognizing accomplishments and reflecting the results through monetary terms (Salary increase, Promotion, Bonus, etc.) Identifying newly acquired competencies Preparing employee development plans Planning improvement where deficiencies are found Goal-setting Communication between supervisors and employees Monthly Evaluation Mission Based Mission based evaluation is a tracking system that records and rates the mission undertaken by Wooden Bakery administration and management staff on Monthly Basis. Title Subtitle Illustration 1-Mission Details Title Missions name Date Duration Date of registering the idea and expected mission duration Owner The employee who created the idea and who is the custodian for its implementation Department Self-explanatory Mission Scope Objectives Scopeis the sum total of all products, services and outcomes needed to make sure that the mission is successfully done. Objectivesare the benefits, outcomes, or performance improvements that are expected to be accomplished by the mission. Authority Structure List of personnel involved and needed for the completion of the mission and the designed authority distribution 2-Mission Program Task Breakdown Breakdown of tasks and assigning a start and a duration for each task Start Duration 3-Mission Kick-off Registration Owner Signature The mission owner has to register the mission with the HR department after it has been noted by the direct supervisor and approved by the concerned VP Direct Supervisor VP (Concerned) Human Resources Manager 4-Mission Evaluation Score for Innovative At the completion of the mission, the owner has to get the formal evaluation of the concerned VP. 3 criteria will be used to evaluate the mission (Innovative, Importance, Impact) Score for Importance Score for Impact 5- Approvals 3 parties and the checking of the Internal Audit department Once rated by the concerned VP, the mission score is registered by the HR in the Mission Tracking System. The internal Audit team is entitled to monitor the proper implementation of the system. Quarterly Evaluation (Productivity Based) The Quarterly Evaluation is a system that measures the productivity of Wooden Bakery administration and management staff by looking at five (5) aspects: Attendance Mission Accomplishment Policy and Procedure Development (creation and implementation of new procedure) Introduction of Improving Ideas (Cost saving ideas Process improving ideas) Productivity Measurement (Vary from one department to another each department will be evaluated by using five indicators) Yearly Evaluation (Competency Based) The Yearly Evaluation is a systematic way of measuring, reviewing and analysing employee performance on a yearly basis and using the information gathered to plan for the employees future with Wooden Bakery. The feedback is used to judge employee effectiveness as well as provide necessary Training and development to improve the employees contributions to the Wooden Bakerys goals. The purpose of the Yearly Evaluation at Wooden Bakery is for the manager or the direct supervisor and the concerned employee to have an open discussion about performance expectations and actual performance. The employees actual level of performance is compared to the estimated level of performance using standards that were developed by the supervisor. This expected level of performance is to be derived from competencies needed to perform the job in the highest level of professionalism. The comparison of actual performance with expectations and standards serves as a basis for recognizing accomplishments and planning for improvement where insufficiencies are found. Performance appraisals may also be utilized in a progressive disciplinary process to resolve continuing poor performance. 3.2.3- Training and development Wooden Bakery encourage growth and career development of its employees by coaching, and helping them to achieve their personal goals, through providing adequate training, encouragement of staff development, and chances for growth. Wooden Bakery training methods include: Orientation training, Orientation training is the process Wooden Bakery use for welcoming a new employee into Wooden Bakery family. New employee orientation, often organized by a meeting with the Human Resources department, that generally contains information about the new job description, the work environment, company culture, company history, the organization chart, tour of department, introduction to colleagues, Wooden Bakery rules and regulations, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ On-the-job-training, on the job training is used in both our branches and factory to teach new employees how to perform job duties. Sometimes training sessions take place in the headquarters and some other times on site. For example, customer service, food safety and hygiene, menu implementation. Conferences and Seminars, Wooden Bakery works on developing its employees skills by sending them to international conferences, Seminars and Workshops. Some of the trainings attended by Wooden Bakery administration employees: RD Technician and RD Manager were sent in 2010 to Las Vegas to attend Baking Industry Trade Fair Production Manager and RD Manager were sent in 2012 to Bulguim to attend Professional training session held by PURATOS Quality Controller Supervisor and RD Supervisor were sent in 2012 to Paris to attend training with Chopin Technologies Maintenance Manager was sent in 2012 to Vienna to attend a conference in ROSENDAHL Company. 3.2.4- Compensation and benefits The term compensation in Wooden Bakery refers to the wages used to reward employees. As for benefits, Wooden Bakery offers paid vacations to its employees. Wooden Bakery wishes to maintain a sense of fairness and equity within the pay structure Grading System. For each position at Wooden Bakery the following will be defined: The Minimum, the Middle, and the Maximum fixed salary range The minimum and maximum of each fixed salary range is selected in line with market realities, and based on external salary surveys of comparable organizations. The parameters used to determine the weight of each job and thus giving an accurate grade based on numerical study: Know How Technical Knowledge Management Extent Human Relations Highest Education Level Problem Solving Reasoning Decision Making Communication Influence on Others Accountability Freedom to Act Magnitude of Action Impact of Decisions Working Conditions Long Working Hours Working during Holidays Extensive Traveling Hazardous Environment and Critical Encounters The grading system at Wooden Bakery offers a clear career path for employees who show potentials to advance within the company hierarchy. Moving horizontally within the same grade is governed by different factors including: Seniority (1.5 years spent in each level) Performance Appraisal Recommendations Acquiring Additional Skills (Experience and Education) Top Management Discression Moving vertically is governed by different factors including: Performance Appraisal Recommendations Acquiring Additional Skills (Experience and Education) Availability of the vacancy 3.2.5- Employees Relations Wooden Bakery promotes a positive atmosphere, and encourages positive relations between employees, to be able to reach the organization goals and objectives. Employees Relations is concerned to prevent and resolve problems involved by employees which arise out of or might affect Wooden Bakery work atmosphere. Wooden Bakery employees relation involves the relation between the employees with each other or their relation with their supervisors. Wooden Bakery concerned supervisors provide advises on how to correct poor performance and employee misconduct. The Company Disciplinary Action is to help and encourage employees to improve, achieve and maintain standards of conduct, attendance and job performance. It also enables management to deal effectively with those employees who do not comply with Wooden Bakery standards of conduct, attendance and performance in the workplace. Employee relations are designed in a manner which is non-discriminatory and which is Fair consistent and effective. It must also be applied in a timely manner and without undue delay. 3.3- What are the differences between Local HR functions and Global HR functions? The below mentioned HR functions will be the same for the HR management operating locally and globally; Recruiting and staffing Training and development Compensation and benefits Employees relations Performance appraisal But when the company operates globally it has to take into consideration additional aspects. (Jayant R Row, 2010) Globalizing the HR functions: After taking into consideration all the above HR functions and the additional global aspects, the HR department have to make sure that the HR policies fit with the new organization country, the HR department have to modify the policies to fit local requirements. 3.4- Human Resources Planning for Global expansion Global expansion is a growth strategy for the future. It is at the heart of Wooden Bakerys development strategy. The owners are constantly striving to raise market share through expansion primarily in the Middle east and subsequently worldwide, in order to win over increasing numbers of customers. Wooden Bakery began seeking out growth and expansion, looking to reach out into new markets through Master Franchising and/or Partnership/Joint Venture. Wooden Bakery planned to expand worldwide after going through a number of challenges and risks that need to be taken into consideration along with is the Human Resources. The human recourse factor refers to the hiring of employees in the foreign markets, and the challenges and risks that come with doing so. Wooden Bakery will always take into consideration the foreign country laws, rules and regulations, which might be far different from our country of origin and which may seem difficult to manage with. One of the differences is the employees contracts in other foreign countries, which define the parameters of an employees job benefits, including vacation time, working hours, salaries, compensation, severance pay, etc. The differences stated earlier will mandate that the total packages offered abroad are tangibly higher than those offered within the Lebanese region. Thus, the existence of all the above variances means that any organization looking to expand internationally will need to do unlimited researches in regards to the foreign markets, since it might affect its operation. Implementing a global business strategy requires having the right people in the right places; it requires specialized leadership skills-managing the work of people with different backgrounds and customs. 3.5- How to prepare from an HR perspective, for international expansion When a company seeks new opportunities and decide to target new markets, and ex